The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:
Friday, September 6 –03:45h-05:15h and Saturday, September 7 – 06:45h-07:45h
The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:
Friday, September 6 –05:45h-07:15h and Saturday, September 7 – 06:15h-07:45h.
FERRY SCHEDULE
Parika and Supenaam departure times – 05:00h, 10:00h-12:00h, 16:00h, 18:30h daily.
WEATHER TODAY
Thundery showers are expected followed by sunny conditions from the mid-afternoon. Clear to partly cloudy skies, along with thundery showers, are expected at night. Temperatures should range between 23 degrees Celsius and 31 degrees Celsius.
Winds: East North-Easterly to South SouthEasterly between 0.89 metre and 3.12 metres
High Tide: 06:11h and 18:22h reaching maximum heights of 2.66 metres and 2.64 metres
Low Tide: 12:00h reaching a minimum height of 0.61 metre
Over 1000 students to access technical education at new $791M Yarrowkabra Secondary School …facility
replaces 7 primary tops along Linden-Soesdyke
President Dr. Irfaan Ali commissioned the new Yarrowkabra Secondary School on Thursday, which was constructed by R. Bassoo and Sons to the tune of $791 million.
The facility is comprised of a designated space for industrial arts, a main lecture hall, requisite laboratories and 11 departments well equipped to administer Entrepreneurships, Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET).
In his address, President Ali revealed that the school will be a transformational force, both at the individual and community levels by upskilling 1019 students with the technical expertise needed to advance Guyana’s economy.
On this point, the Head of State outlined the crucial role education plays in reducing inequality, generating intergenerational wealth, and empowering individuals.
“Through this initiative, we aim to make education accessible to every child, providing enriching, enlightening and empowering learning experiences essential for a modern economy. The shift towards knowledge-based industries and economies has heightened the demand for a highly educated workforce, proficient in STEM areas. By emphasising universal secondary education, we are cultivating a larger pool of students better prepared to meet the demands of a modernising economy. Our education focus extends beyond traditional subjects. Secondary education must instill a robust foundation in entrepreneurship, innovation, creativity, critical thinking and problem solving,” the head of state said.
According to Ali, these attributes are integral for establishing businesses, developing and mastering technologies and fostering growth, enabling citizens
to stay competitive amid rapid technological and scientific changes.
Accessibility
On the issue of accessibility, Ali added that through well-articulat-
ed programmes, students residing in far flung areas are now able to access similar opportunities in the technical arena like students living in the capital city.
“We firmly believe that
access to universal education should not be optional, it is an indispensable right for every child. Secondary education is not merely a privilege it is a fundamental entitlement that must be extended to all…We are effectively progressing to a future, where the necessity of sending our children far away from home to secure a superior education will no longer be a concern. Gone will be the days when the only option for top notch education requires sending children residing in rural and hinterland areas to Georgetown,” he added.
President Dr Irfaan Ali at the commissioning of the new $791M Yarrowkabra Secondary School
In an admirable display, Guyana Police Force’s traffic ranks across Guyana have been stepping into schools to educate young minds about road safety. This initiative, which has gained momentum since September 2023, underscores an effort to address and mitigate road-related accidents and ensure the safety of our youth – those who are often among the most vulnerable road users.
Recent visits by traffic ranks to institutions such as Selman Fraser Nursery, Bath Settlement Primary, and Agricola Primary reflect a growing recognition of the need to instil road safety principles from a young age. These educational sessions go beyond the basics, delving into crucial aspects of road safety that are integral to shaping responsible future road users.
One of the primary focuses of these sessions is the importance of road safety itself. This encompasses a broad spectrum of practices, from understanding and adhering to road rules to recognising and respecting the role of pedestrian crossings. Emphasising the need to wear brightcoloured clothing at night and to remain vigilant while using roadways, traffic ranks are not merely presenting rules but are instilling a culture of safety that students are encouraged to carry forward.
Another vital aspect of these discussions is the emphasis on the prohibition of drugs and weapons in school environments. By addressing these issues, the ranks are contributing to a safer and more focused learning environment. The message is clear: schools are places for education and growth, not for substances or items that could endanger students' safety and well-being. By engaging with students about these topics, law enforcement officials help to establish clear boundaries and expectations. Their presence and discussions serve as a deterrent, reinforcing that schools are places of learning, not of illicit activities or violence. Moreover, these discussions serve as a collaborative relationship between students, teachers, and law enforcement. When students see that officers are invested in their safety and well-being, it builds trust and opens lines of communication. This relationship is crucial in addressing issues before they escalate and in ensuring that students feel secure and supported.
The engagement of teachers and students during these sessions has been notably positive. Teachers have been integral in reinforcing the messages conveyed by traffic ranks, while students have shown eagerness to learn and ask questions. This collaborative approach ensures that the safety lessons extend beyond the classroom and into the everyday lives of the students.
The impact of these educational initiatives is profound. By targeting schools, traffic ranks are effectively creating a ripple effect that extends through families and communities. Students who understand and appreciate road safety are more likely to advocate for it in their households and among their peers. Moreover, the reinforcement of safety rules and the awareness of prohibited substances contribute to a more secure and respectful school environment.
The ongoing efforts by traffic ranks to promote road safety in schools are a commendable step towards reducing road accidents and enhancing overall road safety. As these ranks continue their invaluable work, it is imperative that they support and sustain these initiatives, recognising them as fundamental in nurturing a safer, more conscientious generation of road users.
ranks visited Selman Fraser Nursery, Bath Settlement Primary, and Agricola Primary to promote road safety awareness and compliance. Among the topics discussed with students were the importance of bright clothing at night, proper pedestrian crossings, and the prohibition of weapons in school. Teachers and students engaged actively, with ranks answering questions and providing clarifications. This ongoing initiative, intensified since September 2023, aims to reduce accidents and safeguard vulnerable road users (GPF photos)
Condemning deceptive politics and division
Dear Editor,
Last evening, I seized the opportunity to confront the vile lies, racial manipulation, and fearmongering perpetuated by a cadre of habitual detractors of the PPP/C who, bereft of integrity and vision, seek only to derail the transformative progress Guyanese are experiencing today.
Among these detractors are Rickford Burke—a notorious agitator and wanted man—and Paul Slowe, who is currently under investigation under the Sexual Offences Act of Guyana following a complaint by a female. Both individuals recently appeared on a Grenadian talk show, eagerly spreading their venomous propaganda with reckless disregard for the truth, aiming to stoke the flames of division within our society.
These characters, evidently intoxicated by their own venom, are entrenched in the most insidious forms of political deceit, exploiting historical grievances and weaponising them for personal and political gain.
My intervention during the programme was a deliberate move to make it resoundingly clear to Burke, Slowe, and their cohort that this PPP/C Government, along with the resilient people of Guyana, will not bow to their baseless tactics nor be silenced by the cacophony of those who offer nothing but chaos and destruction. Their rheto-
ric is not that of legitimate dissent but a brazen assault on public order designed to manipulate and frighten the very people they pretend to represent.
Rickford Burke, with his long history of inciting racial hatred and engaging in seditious conduct, stands accused of multiple serious offences under Guyanese law. His actions are not just a series of criminal missteps; they represent a sustained effort to undermine the government, sow discord among the population, and orchestrate criminal activities aimed at extorting money from businesses.
His calls for the burning of Georgetown are indicative of a desperate attempt to resurrect the destructive past of “mo-fire, slow fire,” a PNC-led campaign characterised by looting, violence, and chaos that terrorised businesses and ordinary citizens alike.
Burke’s conduct, alongside Slowe’s, is not about offering a principled alternative or even constructive criticism. Rather, it represents a calculated effort to destabilise Guyana’s hard-won progress against rigged elections, failed economic policies and social injustices.
Burke and Slowe are not voices of reason but relics of a past marred by division and hostility. They position themselves as champions of the people, but their actions speak of nothing more than a deep-seated ha-
tred for any authority that dares to stand against their narrow, self-serving agenda.
They thrive on perpetuating a narrative of division, using every opportunity to undermine the achievements of Afro-Guyanese and other citizens who are embracing the opportunities that this government has worked tirelessly to create.
Burke’s contempt for those who engage with this government is blatant. Recently, he called for the boycott of AfroGuyanese-owned businesses in Brooklyn, New York, simply because those business owners exercised their constitutional right to engage with President Irfaan Ali during his visit to the U.S.
This kind of rhetoric is not about uplifting Afro-Guyanese but about keeping them chained to a narrative of perpetual victimhood, where their success is always questioned, their motives always maligned, and their loyalty always in doubt.
Instead of recognising the achievements of Afro-Guyanese entrepreneurs, public servants, and ordinary citizens who are making significant strides in various sectors—whether through access to quality education, improved healthcare, affordable housing, or thriving business ventures—Burke and his cohorts deride them as sellouts and traitors to their race.
Traffic
T&T's Deokinanan Sharma was supportive of Guyanese
Dear Editor, Dr. Deokinanan Sharma (commonly known as Pope), a Trinidadian, passed away last week. Sharma-ji was former head of NCIC (National Center for Indian Culture or Diwali Nagar) of Trinidad that he led for many years; his name and Presidency was linked with the organization, allowing him to achieve fame. He was a remarkable individual, passionate about promoting Indian culture. His sense of self-discipline and personal sacrifices for promoting Indian culture has always been his guiding principles. When NCIC faced challenges on funding, Dr. Sharma did so with resilience, pride, and determination without kowtowing to politicians. He was an endless source of inspiration for many. He inspired his organization to stand up to state marginalization and discrimination (under both African PNM and Indian UNC administrations) with dignity when seeking funds for its many cultural programs, including Diwali Nagar and an Indian museum. And he as well as NCIC cooperated with and provided solidarity with Guyanese on a host of issues as well as providing a platform for Guyanese to espouse their views. Ravi Dev, Baytoram Ramharack, this writer, and other Guyanese spoke
at NCIC at various conferences.
There are fond memories of remembering Dr. Sharma at countless interactions at NCIC headquarter, occasionally at his residence, and at many public events. I was fortunate to meet and interview Dr. Sharma multiple times in Trinidad over two decades. He invited me countless times for the annual Diwali Nagar. I attended the marquee event almost every year over the last couple of decades, as did many other IndoCaribbeans from the diaspora. Diwali Nagar was always a sight to behold with its brilliant, spectacular lighting and attractive cultural programmes, singing dancing, acting, drama, other forms of entertainment, rituals, pomp, ceremony, delicious cuisine, and prize winning fun activities.
Dr. Sharma worked closely with several of Guyanese to plan conferences and seminars on Hinduism and social issues and attending our presentations. He also attended lectures of Jagan when the latter visited Trinidad to solicit support for restoration of democracy in our homeland. He sympathized with the struggle for the restoration of democracy in our homeland and provided empathy during the period of the ban on imports of food
and religious items.
Dr Sharma was also known as a promoter of Indo-Caribbean cultural unity. He brought Indians from around the region and from around Trinidad to NCIC headquarters for the annual Nagar in October. Keynote speakers of the annual Diwali Nagar came from around Guyana (like Dr. Vindya Persaud) and the region and others parts of the diaspora. And he had encouraged Guyanese and other IndoCaribbean people to transplant the Nagar with their own version in their territories.
The Indo-Guyanese and Indian diaspora honor and celebrate the remarkable life and legacy of this outstanding cultural leader. Dr Sharma was a true, cultural leader who had a profound impact on the Indian community. He was not just a leader of NCIC (National Center for Indian Culture) but a source of inspiration to other Indians in the diaspora.
Dr. Vindya Persaud, President of Guyana Dharmic Sabha, praised Dr. Sharma’s leadership of NCIC when she was featured speaker delivering the keynote address at the Nagar in 2016. She thanked him for unwavering dedication to the Indian community and the tireless efforts of himself and the organization in or-
ganizing and institutionalizing cultural events. As she noted, his organization brought people together and treated leaders of organizations with utmost respect. This organization has helped Indians and others to understand and appreciate Indian history, civilization, and culture. His vision and dedication live on through our actions and continued commitment to the causes he held dear.
Dr. Sharma did not dabble in politics, but he supported Winston Dookeran who remained with ANR Robinson in the split with Panday’s ULF in 1988. But Dr. Sharma supported Basdeo Panday and the UNC including his and the party’s rise to government in November 1995. However, Dr. Sharma was disappointed with allegations of corruption and the split between Panday and Ramesh Maharaj in 2001 that led to the defeat of the UNC in snap elections in December that year. Sharma supported and praised Kamla’s leadership in 2010, including her challenge of Panday for leader of the party, but became disappointed in aspects of governance and the stench of corruption. In private, Sharma was critical of Kamla for holding on to leadership of the party after her defeat in 2015 and for staying on as leader in spite of recurring de-
Condemning deceptive politics...
This perverse form of race-baiting is nothing more than an attempt to keep the community divided, to foster an environment where success is viewed with suspicion and where collaboration with the government is painted as betrayal. It is a cynical ploy to maintain control over a narrative that tells young Afro-Guyanese that their aspirations are not their own, that their achievements are illegitimate, and that their loyalty must be measured by their adherence to a toxic ideology. The truth is that the PPP/C Government has
opened the doors to unprecedented opportunities for all Guyanese, irrespective of race or background. Afro-Guyanese, like their fellow citizens, are benefiting from a robust economy, increased access to homeownership, expanded healthcare services, enhanced educational opportunities through scholarships, and significant investments in infrastructure that are transforming communities across the country.
This progress is not the preserve of one group but a national success story that reflects the inclusive and forward-thinking policies
of this administration.
The vision for Guyana by Burke and others is for our nation to be one mired in conflict, where progress is held hostage by a few self-anointed gatekeepers who profit from division and despair. This government, however, will not be cowed by those who peddle lies and prey on historical grievances.
We are committed to building a future where all Guyanese can thrive, where economic opportunities are accessible to everyone, and where our shared prosperity is celebrated, not denigrated.
To the detractors who
feats in elections. Sharma expressed confidence that under new, credible leadership, an UNC led united opposition will comfortably win the 2025 elections.
Dr Deokinanan Sharma’s legacy will stand as an example to all of us to persist in our immersion in Indian culture.
Yours truly, Vishnu Bisram
Grenfell Fire tragedy: web
of blame
Dear Editor,
After a seven year wait, the Report on the Grenfell Tower fire tragedy 2017 of London was released, detailing a damming 'web of blame' and 'decades of failures' by successive governments (Al Jazeera September 4).
The Report highlighted a litany of failures in accountability and responsibility by tiers of agencies including government, fire service, producers of materials, architects, engineers among others.
The Report was particularly critical of the London Fire Brigade laying accusations that it was not effectively managed and led. So too were the 'unscrupulous' building companies' dishonesty about their products, reminiscent and parallels can be drawn with the material used in the submersible 'Titan' and the ensuing disaster on its Titanic dive in June 2023. There are many helpful examples to be gleaned from this disaster as outlined in the Report. We not so long ago had our own unfortunate experience and while not on the Grenfell scale it was huge enough for us. We must work to ensure disasters of these magnitude do not recur and no one is let down so badly.
Sincerely, Shamshun Mohamed
traffic in deceit and discord, we send a clear message: your lies will not prevail. The people of Guyana are not your pawns, and our nation will not be held captive by your politics of fear and division. We will continue to march forward, unbowed and united, determined to build a future that honours the contributions of every citizen and rejects the poisonous narratives that seek to divide us.
Sincerely,
Kwame McCoy, MP Minister within the Office of the Prime Minister
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Page Foundation
Measures of Central Tendency
Statistics is a branch of Mathematics that studies data expressed in numbers. In the data, the numbers answer questions like: How many? How long? How far? How big?
Let’s say you have this set of numbers: 22, 11, 19, 11, 15, 8, 11, 15
Begin by arranging them in order: 8, 11, 11, 11, 15, 15, 19, 22
The range is the greatest number minus the smallest number: 22-8: 14
The mean sometimes called the average) is the total of the whole collection divided by the number of addends: 112 ÷ 8 = 14.
The median is the number in the middle. If your collection of numbers has an even number of addends, the median is the average of the two middle numbers: (11 + 15 ) ÷ 2 = 26 ÷ 2 = 13
The mode is the number that appears most often in the collection of numbers: 11
By Wallace StevenS
VII
O thin men of Haddam, Why do you imagine golden birds? Do you not see how the blackbird Walks around the feet Of the women about you?
VIII I know noble accents And lucid, inescapable rhythms; But I know, too, That the blackbird is involved In what I know.
Step 2: Divide by the number of addends: 42 ÷ 7 = 6
Examples: Remember
The range, mean, median, and mode numbers may all be different! Or some of them could be identical.
Exercises: Calculate
What is the range for this set of numbers: 3, 10, 14, 23, 12, 18?
What is the average for this set of numbers: 4, 4, 5, 5, 6, 8, 8, 10?
What is the mode for this set of numbers: 2, 5, 10, 13, 6, 5, 6, 2, 5?
What is the median for this set of numbers: 3, 6, 9, 14, 11, 9, 7, 11, 6?
What is the mean for this set of numbers: 1, 3, 9, 9, 4, 6, 6, 1, 3?
IX
When the blackbird flew out of sight, It marked the edge Of one of many circles.
X
At the sight of blackbirds Flying in a green light, Even the bawds of euphony Would cry out sharply.
XI He rode over Connecticut In a glass coach. Once, a fear pierced him, In that he mistook The shadow of his equipage For blackbirds.
XII The river is moving. The blackbird must be flying.
XIII
It was evening all afternoon. It was snowing And it was going to snow. The blackbird sat In the cedar-limbs.
Berbice River Bridge was most lucrative investment for NIS – VP
…defends Govt’s toll-free plans for 3 bridges as maintenance cost will plummet
Vice President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo has brushed aside concerns over the People’s Progressive Party/Civic Government’s recent announcements that three major bridges in Guyana will become toll-free in a few years’ time.
Last week, President Dr. Irfaan Ali announced that the toll to travel across the new Demerara River Bridge and the new Mackenzie-Wismar Bridge – both of which are currently under construction, as well as the current Berbice River Bridge will be “free of cost.”
This declaration came on the heels of Government planning to build a new-fixed highspan four-lane bridge across the Berbice River to replace the current floating structure.
Speaking at his party’s weekly press conference at its Freedom House Headquarters on Thursday, Jagdeo lashed out at criticisms that this toll-free initiative is reflective of his government’s “autocratic” tendencies especially since no consultations were held on this decision.
Moreover, these criticisms raised concerns about the financing model of the current Berbice River Bridge, which was conceptualised and constructed under the Jagdeo Presidency. Critics men-
tioned the lack of a comprehensive analysis on the investment made by key investors, mainly the state-run National Insurance Scheme (NIS).
But according to the Vice President, the Berbice River Bridge was built through an innovative arrangement between public and private investors.
“It was one of the most lucrative investments for the NIS. NIS made a ton of money from that bridge because it invested in a lot of the preference shares that had a higher ranking and the subordinate debt…And we didn’t have to go to the treasury. It was because of the innovation of the government,” Jagdeo stated.
The 1.57 kilometres Berbice River Bridge was built to the tune of US$40 million (GYD $8.2 billion) and was completed in 2008. It was financed by the NIS, which had invested in Bond One of the projects to the tune of $300 million. The scheme received (not principal payments) $270 million, a 90 per cent return on their investment.
NIS also invested in Bond Two, $760 million, and received $823 million in return. The insurance scheme also invested $500 million for subordinate debt (loan stuck) $456 million, while Preference shares
invested was $950 million. Some $80 million was further invested in common shares.
Jagdeo pointed out during Thursday’s press conference that government could not have built a fixed structure across the Berbice River at that time because they did not have resources to do so and the country’s borrowing capability at the time was limited. He noted that this public-private-partnership financing model was selected given the importance of a bridge at the time.
“We had to get that bridge built because people were spending hours, sometimes days at the ferry [stelling]…Most people, and especially the young ones, don’t know about the hardships there. It used to be long lines and the price was similar to price that is
charged [now as bridge] toll,” he noted.
The former president went onto state that since they lacked the financing, the best option at the time was to construct a floating bridge – any other structure would have blocked the Berbice River. The current bridge, he added, was done with the intention of replacing it at the end of its 20-year lifespan with a permanent structure, which was reflected in the comprehensive feasibility study done back then.
Over the years, there had been numerous complaints about the high tolls to cross the Berbice Bridge and now that Government is moving to remove this cost for travellers, and this is now being criticised.
“They used to complain about the toll there
Over 1000 students to access ...
Also delivering remarks was Education Minster Priya Manickchand, who revealed that the Secondary School will complement the already existing Yarrowkabra Nursery and Primary Schools in the community and close nearby primary tops.
She explained that this intervention will significantly reduce overcrowding in schools in those areas and increase access to quality secondary education.
“Students from Hauraruni Primary Top, Laluni Primary Top, Long creek Primary Top, Kuru Kuru Primary Top, Dora Primary Top, Susannah’s Rust and Low Wood
Primary Top are now coming to this school for a sound secondary education where six to five teachers are teaching in this school… The only sure way we know to make sure
your children have a life better than yours, to make sure they have a life of less struggle, to make sure they’re not living a life of want, is to educate them. That’s the only sure way
[at the Berbice Bridge] but what’s wrong now with giving people tollfree access… Just imagine if you want to develop Berbice now, and you have the deepwater harbour there and containers start landing there, you can’t bring it back this way because under [the current Berbice] bridge you have weight restrictions. The same thing like the floating bridge [across the Demerara River], you can’t bring heavy trucks across or containers,” the VP asserted.
Jagdeo, who is also the General Secretary of the ruling PPP/C, further sought to dispel some of the other concerns raised about the toll-free initiative such as how these three bridges will be maintained if government removes the toll.
“Every one of these bridges now will be fourlane concrete structures. Two are under construction… This is a 75-years’ life bridge with little or no maintenance. You don’t have moving parts [to retract] anymore so the cost of maintenance plummets… And it’s toll-free
so you don’t even have to put [staff] there because people would just drive across,” he explained.
According to Jagdeo, these three bridges are “…essential for the territorial integration of Guyana and also for the development of these regions that are populous –Five and Six, Three and Four… So, what’s wrong with giving toll-free [to citizens]? It’s dictatorship now… Autocratic. Ali announces toll-free [travel across the bridges] not taking away people’s rights or freedom of speech or anything. He said ‘oh, you’re gonna have a benefit from the government and once we finish these bridges, you will not have to pay toll’.” The Vice President pointed out that when a party is elected to government, the electorate expects them to not only fulfill their manifesto promises but also implement initiatives that would benefit them. “Not everything has to be in the manifesto. We’ve surpassed our [2020] manifesto a long time now…,” Jagdeo asserted. (G8)
we know, and that is why President Ali is investing in education, particularly all across this country,” the education minister said.
The minister added that the focus is not only on building schools, but it is also on building human resources and training persons to be competent in the education sector.
“We started this school last year and we already need 10 new classrooms which the permanent secretary has already put out to bid because once the school is here, kids will come to school. And once children come to school lives will change,” she added. (G1)
Vice President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo
Brave… …new AI world
Prezzie has been pushing our students, Government officials, the Judiciary and all our institutions to take advantage of the AI revolution. This while the world’s all agog over the claims and counterclaims about whether machines have now become sentient. Surely you haven’t been able to avoid the Artificial Intelligence “bot” (no more “ro-bot”!) called ChatGPT?
This question has been a science fiction staple for decades. Of recent, movies have offered graphic presentations of what’s gonna happen when they actually do. They go back at least to the 1930s, but have you seen this year’s “Prometheus”?!! The first thing the bots will do – we’re assured – will be to take over the world and rule us under their jackboots!!
And why not? No matter how you slice it or dice it, if the bots are being programmed like our human neural networks, isn’t that what we’d do if we had the wherewithal to do so?? Think Genghis Khan thru Hitler and Mad Maduro!! The wherewithal would come from their superior ability “to go where no man has gone before” in the thinking department!! And this ain’t just about beating us at chess which was accomplished decades ago, but to “think” outside the box – the “box” of our brains!!
The bots are taught by an AI algorithm known as a “large language model”, or LLM. This uses “deep learning” and large data sets like millions of books and the entire Wikipedia to digest and generate new content. However, claims of machine sentience have been trenchantly challenged. There are doubts that the bots can actually go beyond the algorithms and come up with something entirely new!! But the old Turing test for sentience seems to’ve become obsolete: bots can now convince human interlocutors that they’re sentient hands down!!
Anyhow to save us from sentient machines the sci writer Isaac Asimov in the 1950s had devised the three laws of robotics: A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm; they must obey orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law. And must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.
But what’s gonna drive AI’s development is the motivator at the centre of all present human activity – profits!! One analyst from Goldman Sachs justified massive spending in this field: “Over the next 10 years, AI could increase productivity by 1.5% per year. And that could increase S&P 500 profits by 30% or more over the next decade.” Yep…money will make the new AI world go round!!
And even if we don’t want to, we’ll be taken (along) for the ride!!
…new political forms?
There’s a pattern in the evolution of political participation starting from autocracy – now in the news!! First, nobles flexed their muscle against the King; then the emerging bourgeoisie against the nobles and finally the commoners – against the bourgeoisie. The latter was a two-pronged attack in Guyana: workers first rising up for better conditions through riots and then formed trade unions.
Then the Trade Unions began Political Parties which duked it out to control the state’s political power. There was now a demarcation between their fields of activity: political parties vied for political power and Trade Unions agitated against employers for better working conditions and wages. In the present neoliberal dispensation, labour’s been the one bearing the pressure for profits.
So you’d think the unions would be taking on employers something fierce, no?? Not in Guyana!! The TUC and members of several of its members like the GTU have chosen to become even more political than the Opposition parties!! They wanna birth a replacement??
…new pedagogy
The famous founder of the largest-ever psychiatrist school, Karl Menninger once noted: “What the teacher is, is more important than what he teaches.” In Guyana, with all the talk about AI, successful teachers will be those who use it to create better citizens.
New Schoonord Highway
“It’s
100 percent better than before” – business owner
…“Empty Noise” - Pres Ali dismisses attempts to disparage development works
For 30-year-old Gary Ragobeer and his colleagues of Double S Trucking, who traverse across the West Demerara roads as much as 10 times per day to conduct their sand truck business, the opening of the $15.1 billion Schoonord-to-Crane four-lane Highway has been a Godsend.
On Wednesday Ragobeer could not stop smiling as he spoke about how much of an ease commuting has been over the past few days, Ragobeer shared that the new road has already resulted in him being able to increase his productive capacity, allowing him to earn more.
“It’s 100 percent better than before. It used to be headache, bare headache man. I used to have to cut out working day time and work strictly at
night time, now it’s more business and more better traveling. More ease on the traffic is more production,” Ragobeer explained.
He described the previous time-consuming hassle of using the West Demerara public road as
“hell”. Ragobeer is among the thousands of commuters who have already begun to feel the impact of the benefits of the new carriageway which was officially opened last week Thursday. Guyana Times caught up with a number of com-
muters on Wednesday and got their thoughts about the new roadway, and despite recent attempts to mislead the public about the state of some ongoing works still being done on the roadway, the actual commuters have commended the quality of the road, confident that when all works are completed the road will only add to the widespread development taking place across the West Demerara Region.
President Dr. Irfaan Ali has dismissed the recent attempts to disparage the works on the Highway as nothing but “empty noise”.
“There is absolutely no concern about the Schoonard road project. There are some drain covers and these are covers where the form still has to be removed, and this is still ongoing
pects of the roadway, including the drain covers, rebars and claims of potholes being patched. However, in a statement issued the government explained that the drain covers “has not reached the curing age” with all of the identified issues expected to be rectified once all works were completed. The completion of
Imran Ali mostly uses his motorcycle to commute on the West Demerara, but now that the traffic has eased due to the Schoonord-to-Crane Highway he’s hoping to now be able to use his motor car more often
and there is a long defects and liability period so this is just empty noise,” the President noted on Wednesday as he responded to questions from the media corps about concerns raised about the highway.
In a recent social media video, concerns were raised about certain as-
this four-lane highway is another tranche of the milestones that the ruling People’s Progressive Party/Civic Government has achieved as part of efforts to transform the infrastructure network across Guyana.
On Wednesday afternoon, Nigel Jordan was also enjoying the ease of commute that the high-
way provided as he took his nine-year-old daughter home from school, traveling from Vreed-enHoop Primary to Parfait Harmonie in record time. Jordan also uses the West Demerara roadways regularly to take his wife to her job.
“My wife works on the West Coast so it’s a lot of ease for me getting her to work and bringing her home. The traffic real ease up big time. Even on the [West Demerara] public road traffic flowing free. If you come from Georgetown and you living on the West side when you come through here its easy access. This is a real good thing,” Jordan noted.
His sentiments were shared by another female commuter who was enjoying her travels as she returned from work on the West Coast.
“The distance is shortened and the time is shortened. From Parfait to the West Coast now is like 15 minutes, which in you used to have to be on the road for like an hour. So, this is excellent, and the road, the surface is much better,” another female commuter noted.
Forty-eight-yearold Imran Ali, who has been living on the West Demerara for the past 25 years, is also enjoying the ease of traffic that he has been experiencing.
“Traffic, traffic, it used to be a lot of traffic man, but now it’s a free flow. It used to be frustrating, the time, the fuel, it was frustrating,” he noted.
Westsider Nigel Jordan and his daughter are all smiles as they enjoy an effortless commute down the Schoonord-ToCrane Highway on Wednesday afternoon
Sand truck driver Gary Ragobeer and his colleagues of Double S Trucking have already been able to increase productivity at their business due to the ease of commute on the new Schoonord-to-Crane Highway
Caribbean commits to implementing innovative solutions to address decline in Maths at CXC
…Guyana
exploring digital proposals – President Ali
In light of the detrimental consequences associated with the constant decline of the overall pass rate for Mathematics at the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) and the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC), Caribbean Heads of Government have committed to implementing innovative solutions to address the issue.
This announcement was made during President Dr Irfaan Ali during the commission ceremony of the Yarrowkabra Secondary School on Thursday.
According to the pres-
ident, the decline in math has become an alarming issue and has captured the attention of the Caribbean Community (Caricom), who have since expressed interest on examining tools available globally to overcome this challenge.
“The issue of mathematics has now captured the attention of every single head of state and prime minister in the region, and it is now an agenda for the Heads of Government in Caricom. That is to tell you the issues and challenges that we face is not a Jamaica issue, Barbados issue, Trinidad issue or Guyana issue. It has now become a collective issue
that we must address.”
“I believe that we have to look at how varied scenarios have affected our results in mathematics, because mathematics calls for more analytical thinking, more problem problem solv-
ing type of approach.
Whether our education system, our teaching delivery, whether our teaching delivery is effective enough to deal with what mathematics require,” President Ali said.
In 2024, the overall regional performance for math at CAPE was 92.19 per cent, which was described as a “slight reduction” from previous year, 2023.
Specifically, pure mathematics unit one saw a significant decrease from 93 percent in 2023 to 86percent in 2024.
For CSEC, there was an overall performance of 69 percent, slight-
ly consistent to 2023.
Mathematics saw a significant drop from 43 percent in 2023 to 36 percent in 2024, with most candidates achieving grade three. As it relates to Guyana performance this year, there was also a decrease, with its pass rate falling from 34 percent in 2023 to 31 percent in 2024.
President Dr Irfaan Ali
Maikwak must pay $6.7b in
taxes – Jagdeo
…says no 75% cut for PNC as Congress Place land owned by company, not party
In light of revelations that the land where the People’s National Congress Reform’s (PNCR’s) Congress Place headquarter is located being owned by a company, it is being argued that the largest party in the parliamentary opposition cannot benefit from the recent
move by the cash-strapped Georgetown Mayor and City Council (M&CC) to reduce the taxes owed by political parties.
Last week, the M&CC passed an ‘Institutional Rate Policy’ seeking to exempt political parties from paying rates and taxes, or reducing those sums. This
would see the benefitting parties paying as low as 25 per cent of rates and taxes owed.
It was subsequently reported at the PNC had owned the City Council a whopping $6.7 billion in rates and taxes for Congress Place and several more millions for other properties owned by the party across the city. However, it has since been disclosed that the land which houses Congress Place is not owned by the long-standing political party but a company called – Maikwak.
In fact, the PNC has even denied that the party owes the City Council any taxes. Based on this position by the PNC, General Secretary of the ruling People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Dr Bharrat Jagdeo argued that the opposition party
would not be able to benefit from this new tax-reduction policy.
“Fine, if you [PNC] don’t owe any taxes, you may be right. It is Maikwak who owes the taxes so Maikwak must pay. So, that means you can’t claim a 75 per cent reduction in your taxes,” Jagdeo contended during his weekly press confer-
ence held at the party’s Freedom House headquarters. He went onto dismiss concerns that Maikwak could still apply as a non-governmental organisation (NGO) to benefit from tax reduction benefits from the City Council.
Existing regulations already allows the M&CC to give a preferential tax
rate to NGOs and this new ‘Institutional Rate Policy’ that was passed last week seeks to extend this benefit to political parties.
But according to Jagdeo, “The company is incorporated under the Company’s Act. It was struck off but that doesn’t mean their tax liabilities disappear… and so they can’t surface back as an NGO now… But even if the policy for political parties stands, my point is that the land is not vested in the name of the political party, therefore, it would not be eligible for this new institutional rate… It is vested in the name of a company and companies now can’t benefit from that institutional rate that they recently pushed through the City Council even after we objected to it.”
PPP General Secretary Bharrat Jagdeo
Major infrastructural upgrades for Mocha-Arcadia
…residents to receive more TVET training
The community of Mocha/Arcadia, East Bank Demerara (EBD), is set to experience a barrage of infrastructural interventions that follow various promises made by President Ali and Vice President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo earlier this year.
These interventions include a pump that Mocha residents will soon see in a month's time and various roadworks.
Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha made this revelation during a meeting with residents on Wednesday. He was accompanied by Local Government and Regional Development Minister Sonia Parag, Minister within the Public Works Ministry Deodat Indar and Minister within the office of the Prime minister Kwame Mccoy during a recent visit to the community of Mocha Arcadia on Wednesday.
Earlier this year, Jagdeo met with Mocha residents and in keeping with the government’s mandate to improve drainage and irrigation for farmers, said a mobile pump would also be stationed at Mocha to improve drainage and irrigation.
President Ali and the Vice President had also committed to the construction of two wells and a water treatment plant that will serve the community, helping to alleviate their water woes.
Using these earlier commitments by the Guyanese leader, Minister Mustapha mentioned that the pump is already procured and will be delivered within a month's time.
“When the President came here, he promised a permanent pump now we have procured that pump, and it is on its way. In another month’s time, you’ll have a permanent pump in Mocha, so your problem will be solved,” he stated, while being greeted with a round of applause from pleased Mocha Arcadia residents.
For years, Mocha Arcadia residents have needed proper drainage to support farming activities.
The minister added that members of the government have frequently visited Mocha, ensuring the community and its farmers are in the best shape and comfort.
“I visited this area a number of times, a number of ministers have visited this area, I myself have visited multiple times, and
Local Government and Regional Development Minister
Sonia Parag, Minister within the Office of the Prime Minister with responsibility for Public Affairs Kwame McCoy and Agriculture Minister Zulfikar
Sonia has worked in this area regularly for me so a
ty through the GOAL scholarship programme, which I
number of issues have been resolved over time.”
Mocha is one of the areas receiving a fair share of help, and the government will continue to work with Mocha residents, just as they do with other communities.
The minister mentioned that machinery from the Drainage and Irrigation (D&I) programme would soon be in the village.
“We have two machines from the D&I programme here, one is currently down, but it will be fixed by the end of this week.”
He added that a tractor pump would be placed within Mocha in a week’s time.
“We built, in conjunction with the Local Government Ministry, about a hundred tractor pumps. Now, a farmer just asked that we give one to Mocha, and we will provide them with provide one. Within a week, you’ll have a tractor pump placed in this area too. We put in a lot of effort in agriculture because we want to be secure,” he noted.
Meanwhile, Minister Sonia Parag highlighted that, under her wings, many residents have been assisted technically through several checkups she personally conducted in the Mocha area.
“In relation to training, several programmes were conducted in this communi-
ter said.
Minister within the office of the Public Works Ministry, Deodat Indar traversed down Nelson Street, the continuation of
western side of Palm Street and Morning Glory, as well as five additional cross streets where he stated that contractors from Mocha/ Arcadia will be hired to car-
introduced. I also brought in ICT training, through which 16 young people were trained and given jobs at Qualfon after completing the programme.”
Though this pivotal step has been taken to meet the needs of Mocha residents, she noted that a surge of residents called for these programmes to continue, facilitating more job opportunities.
“People have raised concerns about wanting more activities and opportunities in this community, we fully agree that Mocha should be involved in all activities happening in this country. More training will be conducted through the Board of Industrial Training, and we will ensure that residents are made aware of these opportunities,” Minister Parag stated.
Minister Parag has highlighted that most people are simply not notified about all of the works and treating that the government has for youths.
“Half of the problem may just be that people are unaware. You know we have a labor shortage in the country and we need laborers, we need people in certain technical skills, welding plumbing all these things that we need, we need those kinds of persons to be trained which we should bring to,” the minis-
ment works.
Not only will this be of assistance to the communities’ contractors but also skill workers as he emphasises to contractors the importance of hiring skilled workers within the community.
He also stated that Mocha residents are very much closer to brighter days, as scores of street lights have already gone into procurement.
“We have put out 100,000 lights in procurement right now, I know you've been asking for lights, too, high last year onto the grid because the grid was very, very weak. 227,000 people on the grid, homes on the grid and businesses, and a very small generation capacity. We've got to bring in more power because as of yesterday, they told me the peak demand is now up to 197 megawatts.”
There is also another tender for 100,000 units of lights, which is over 160 containers of lights that are coming to the country to go in other communities across Guyana. (G2)
ry out the road enhance-
Plantation Prosperity, the
Mustapha addressing MochaArcadia residents
Residents present at the meeting
Two of the roads set to undergo infrastructural works
Revised Cybercrime Bill
“We are targeting criminals” – Jagdeo urges public to ignore “nonsense” hysteria
Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo on Thursday dismissed cries that the revised Cybercrime Bill and associated regulations will target social media personalities. Speaking during his weekly media conference, he noted that the law will target criminals rather than ordinary citizens.
Criminals he referred to includes “people who like to extort [others] using cyber space...or people who like exploiting people [like] taking a photo and blackmailing people for all sorts of reasons, people who exploit our children like child
pornography and those things,” he explained.
The revision of the Cyber Crime Act of 2018 was announced this week by Attorney General Anil Nandlall who noted that social media has become a weapon that causes damage to people’s reputation, people’s character and that of their families.
The amendments he said will be tailored according to the United Nations (UN) Convention related to the use of cyberspace –a convention that is currently being drafted with Guyana’s input.
Following this disclosure, many persons have argued that the
Government will be clamping down on free speech.
However, Jagdeo said this is not so. “We believe in free media, we believe in people freely expressing their views on the in-
ternet, we are not for censorship on the internet, we would promote people’s right to freely express themselves...even when it is targeted to the Government,” he said on Thursday.
He urged citizens not to listen to the naysayers who are focused on creating “hysteria.”
“Don’t buy into this hysteria that we are coming after anyone – influencers, social media com-
mentators or ordinary citizens, it is nonsense” he added.
The Cyber Crime act was passed in 2018 by the former APNU+AFC administration.
In 2022, the AG indicated that the Act will be repealed and modernised in keeping with recommendations of the UN Convention on Countering the Use of Information and Communication Technologies for Criminal Purposes.
A committee is currently drafting that convention on which Guyana has two representatives.
Law enforcement officers from Regional Division 4B (East Bank Demerara), carried out a 'White Light Campaign' to address rising concerns over traffic violations in the area. The initiative aimed to enhance road safety by cracking down on various traffic offenses. The campaign revealed a concerning lev-
el of non-compliance among drivers. Over the course of the operation, the officers identified and charged drivers for a range of violations. These included motorists operating unlighted vehicles, drivers failing to produce their licences, and instances where vehicles were found to be in breach of the prescribed fitness conditions.
In addition to these
infractions, there were also cases where drivers were found riding without safety helmets and overloading lorries beyond the permitted number of passengers in the cab. The operation also uncovered vehicles that were either unlicensed or uncertified, further highlighting the extent of the issues on the roads.
The results of the campaign were significant, with a total of
29 cases being made against drivers. As part of the enforcement actions, 10 certificates of fitness were revoked due to offenses related to the use of multi-coloured lights and other breaches of the law.
The 'White Light Campaign' forms part of an ongoing series of efforts by Regional Division 4B to ensure safer road conditions and stricter adherence to traffic regulations.
Since 2021, the Guyana Police Force (GPF) began to intensify its campaign against vehicles with coloured lights across the country, and several persons were charged.
There has been an apparent increase in the number of vehicles affixed with coloured lights, which pose a danger to other road users. These lights can be blinding and distracting to other road users and can lead to major accidents.
In April 2019, the
GPF also issued a statement on the issue, warning that Regulation 34 (1) (a) of the Motor Vehicles and Road Traffic Act, Chapter 51:02 states: “Every motor vehicle, the width of which does not exceed seven feet, other than a two-wheeled motorcycle not having a sidecar attached thereto and an invalid carriage, on any road, during the hours of darkness shall carry two lamps, each showing to the front a white light visible from a reasonable distance.
Officers carrying out the campaign
More trade, investment partnership discussed between US and Guyana
Plans for the enhancement of the trade and investment partnership between the US and Guyana were discussed when Guyana’s Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh on Thursday met with the Assistant United States (US) Trade Representative for the Western Hemisphere, Daniel Watson, in Washington DC.
Discussions centered on enhancing the trade and investment partnership between the US and Guyana.
Additionally, it was highlighted that the US continues to be one of Guyana’s most significant trading partners, and reiterated that the Government is committed to maintaining a strong institutional environment, and a favorable macroeco-
nomic environment conducive to US companies doing business in Guyana. Meanwhile, in a so-
cial media post the finance minister said that he also took some time to inform, Watson of recent econom-
Husband convicted of wife’s murder to be sentenced today
Murdered: Vinnette
Headley-James
Sherlock James, the 59-year-old gold miner convicted of murdering his wife, Vinnette Headley-James, will return to the High Court in Georgetown today for sentencing. The imposition of his sentence follows a unanimous guilty verdict delivered by a 12-person jury.
James was found guilty of the brutal stabbing of his 46-year-old wife, a clothes vendor, during a heated argument at their Nabaclis, East Coast Demerara (ECD) home on August 21, 2019.
James had initially pleaded not guilty to the murder charge. However, after hearing the evidence
Convicted: Sherlock James
presented during the trial, the jury delivered a unanimous verdict, convicting him of the capital offense. The trial was presided over by Justice Zamilla Ally-Seepaul, who will pronounce the sentence. The case has garnered significant attention, particularly given the tragic nature of the crime and its impact on the family of the deceased.
It was reported that a few days before the victim, Vinnette, met her demise, she was stabbed by her husband, Sherlock James, during a heated argument over an accusation of an extramarital affair. However, he returned to the woman’s home a few
ic developments and prospects in Guyana, and said that it is Government’s aim is to achieve strong, widely diversified, resilient and sustainable economic growth, and to ensure that the growth translates into involvement and participation to the benefit of every single Guyanese citizen.
The delegation attending the meetings also includes Guyana’s Ambassador to the US, H.E. Samuel Hinds
The United States has
long been Guyana’s largest trading partner, with accumulated trade of more than US$3.9 billion recorded in 2022. In fact, the US is ranked as Guyana’s number one export and import destination, with export and import relations pegged at some US$2.7 billion and US$1.2 billion respectively in 2022.
Moreover, in July 2023, it was reported that in the previous three years alone, the figure for foreign direct investment from the US in
Guyana stood at US$4.2 billion.
Currently, over 100 US-based companies are operating in Guyana, and according to the US Ambassador Nicole Theriot, this number is growing every day across various sectors in the Guyanese economy.
Bilateral ties between Guyana and the United States (US) continue to expand across every facet, especially through trade relations.
Caribbean commits to...
President Ali explained that Guyana through the Education Ministry is currently examining ways to leverage technology to deliver the best environment and the best methods through which improvements in mathematics can reflect in performance.
days later and was greeted by his clothes and other belongings being dumped in the yard. He reportedly demanded that the woman stop throwing out his personal belongings but she refused to comply.
This reportedly angered the man, who armed himself with a knife and stabbed the mother of three to her neck.
Headley-James was rushed to the CC Nicholson Hospital where she died whilst receiving treatment. The police later found James lying with a wound to his neck a short distance away from where the crime was committed.
He was escorted to the GPHC where he received treatment under guard and was discharged to make court appearance on Friday.
Police reports indicated that James worked in the interior and would spend long periods away from home.
The couple have eight children together but only three were living with them at their Nabacalis Side Line Dam, ECD home. (G8)
In fact, he disclosed that the ministry has already put together three proposals to advance the use of online learning throughout the country.
This will include the digitisation of textbooks, teaching material, learning material and the digitization of delivery.
“I've asked the Minister of Education, not to wait on the heads of government for us to do some introspection and to look globally at what is available as tools to help us to overcome this challenge. Important in a digitization platform is e learning and online education. We have
about three proposals now that we are examining those deals with online education, how is it 24 hours every day, we can place our schools, our students, in a classroom scenario, in an education scenario, in a learning environment, getting the best resource that we have nationally, putting those resources in a digital format and delivering online education so that there are no gaps,” he added.
Maikwak must pay $6.7B in... FROM PAGE 12
Georgetown Mayor, Alfred Mentore, who had previously defended this new tax-cut policy saying that political parties also need “a little break” from fulfilling their tax obligation, subsequently disclosed that it was the Alliance For Change (AFC) – the minority parliamentary opposition party. Jagdeo questioned the motive behind the AFC making such a requesting, suggesting that it was deliberate.
“I think the AFC knew the PNC owed these taxes – it’s a vindictive thing – and they applied for a reduction in their rate knowing all of this would be exposed,” he surmised.
According to the PPP General Secretary, the big question now is who are principles of Maikwak and whether the City Council will move against the company to recover the multi-billion-dollar taxes owed.
Nevertheless, Jagdeo said this entire situation highlights the impunity and arrogant manner in which both the PNC and AFC operate.
On this note, the PPP General Secretary went onto reiterate that his party has always fulfilled its tax obligations and is up-to-date with all its payment, hence, they would not support this policy being rolled out by City Hall.
Jagdeo also used the opportunity to lash back at critics who always claimed that the PPP/C Government is starving the City Council of funds. He pointed out that last year, the M&CC spent approximately $2 billion and based on this, the $6.7 billion in taxes owned alone can be used to run the Council for approximately three years.
He further pointed out that currently, the central government is con-
struction and rehabilitation almost all of the roads throughout the city – a municipal responsibility. Government, the PPP General Secretary added, also installs traffic lights, working on relocation the dumpsite from the city and is investing heavily to improve the city’s drainage with the installation of new pumps throughout Georgetown.
“I can go down a long list of things that we’re doing in the city… but [they say] we’re starving the city of funds. And as our Cuncillors [at City Hall] pointed out, and they are doing a good job [at] exposing the excesses there and the corruption at the City Council… that there is no accountability for the funds until now – absolutely none [accountability] for the funds transferred to them and from rates and taxes.” (G8)
Assistant United States Trade Representative for the Western Hemisphere, Daniel Watson and Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh
Traffic adjustments for Rose Hall Town to ease congestion
Starting next week, major roads in Rose Hall Town, located on the Corentyne in Region Six, will facilitate one-way traffic during peak morning and afternoon hours. This change, spearheaded by Traffic Chief Senior Superintendent Mahendra Singh, follows a meeting with stakeholders to address the growing traffic congestion in the town.
The Town of Rose Hall on the Corentyne in Region Six is considered a bottle neck for vehicle operators. The town
consists of Rese Hall and Williamsburg. The road narrows at the 900 meters stretch through Rose Hall creating a bottle neck and hence a buildup of traffic during the peak hours.
The situation is having a severe impact on vehicle operators, shoppers and the business community.
Hire car operators have complained of having nowhere to stop and drop off passengers as the road corners are taken up by vendors and parked vehicles leaving just two narrow lanes.
The town’s Mayor Dave Budhu said residents have been expressing concern over the flow of traffic in the town as it relates to congestion.
He explained that the Municipality engaged the police to come up with a workable solution.
“How they can put systems in place by diverting traffic or coming up with a reasonable solution to solve this problem because this this is an ongoing issue since Port Mourant Market is right next door to us. We all know how difficult it is to get through Rose
Hall and Port Mourant especially during school times,” the mayor said in an invited comment on the issue.
Addressing the situation, Traffic Chief Senior Superintendent Mahendra Singh says the traffic congestion issue is not unique to Rose Hall Town since more persons are now having the opportunity to own and operate their own vehicles.
He said the regional leadership came up with an idea and tested it and then met with stakeholders on Wednesday to discuss it.
“We recognize that it is a workable solution for specifically Rose Hall where there exist a particular road way but owing to its dimension, parking and businesses along with economic growth, we had to find a solution where traffic can flow un-
impeded to cater to the volume as school is now repowered and also the movement of goods and services as well. The road will now fascinate traffic west bound utalising one of the streets not too far off of the public road and police would regulate the flow of traffic during specific timings of the day on Mondays to Fridays,” the Traffic Chief explained.
This arrangement will be activated between 7:00h and 9:30h and again between 14:00 and 15:30h.
When the system was being tested earlier this week some vehicle operators particularly hire cars and large commercial vehicles expressed concern noting that they are finding it difficult to do their business.
The traffic chief noted that no road has changed its dimension and or direction to cater for a oneway flow of traffic only since the traffic department does not have the authority to make those adjustments.
“So there is no implication that anyone should go away with the idea that the rules have changed suddenly to become a one-way flow of traffic. The existing roads will facilitate a smooth
Classes were dismissed early at the at Number 58 Primary School on Thursday after sparks were observed coming from the electric meter attached to the building. In response to the incident, school officials immediately dismissed students.
The Corriverton Fire Service and the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) were quickly summoned to the scene to address the situation. Initial reports suggested that the wire connecting to the meter had recently been
flow of traffic much to the benefit of a road user.”
Meanwhile, Divisional Commander Senior Superintendent Shivpersaud Bacchus explained that the other two towns in the Region do have one-way roads unlike Rose Hall Town.
“This would not hinder commercial vehicles. The one-way road would only cater for private and small vehicles that would be traversing during that period that has been recommended. So, there is no hindrance for the commercial vehicles that want to go and offload their commodities at any time given,” the Commander emphasized while noting that commercial vehicles only refers to supply lorries and not hire cars.
Weighing in on this, Divisional Traffic Officer Superintendent Junior Hook explained that hire cars and other vehicles used for public transportation, the operators can use Bank Road after being diverted south into Balgobin Street and west onto Lemonade Street and then north onto Hendrix Avenue, can utalise Bank Road to put passengers off close to the Corentyne Highway if they so desire. (G4)
encased, as repair work was conducted on the school during the holidays.
The GFS has launched an investigation into the cause of the sparks. In the meantime, it has been confirmed that a regional electrical engineer has been assigned to inspect the school's wiring system to ensure its safety.
Traffic congestion in Rose Hall Town
Traffic Chief
Mahendra Persaud
Heavy winds rip zinc sheets off school, Police Station at Sisters Village
Heavy winds on Thursday afternoon ripped zinc sheets from the Friends Primary School, which is situated at Sisters Village, East Bank Berbice (EBB), Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne). The storm which came with a downpour, also affected Sisters Nursery School damaging electric appli-
ances and records. The heavy winds also ripped several zinc sheets off the roof of Sisters Police Station. No injuries were reported. Some zinc sheets were picked
GPF ranks to receive specialised training by Canadian Police
Ranks of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) will benefit from specialised training, as the government is currently engaged in discussions to complete the formalities of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).
RMCP is Canada’s national police force, which provides various services, from municipal policing to national security intelligence gathering. According to a DPI report, the primary objective of the agreement is to facilitate the development and implementation of specialised courses designed to elevate the force’s professional expertise and operational effectiveness.
This was revealed in the Ministry of Finance’s mid-year report, as it outlined the progress made in modernising the security agencies through various programmes, including human resource development, infrastructure modernisation, and collaborations with international law enforcement and learning agencies.
To this end, the force has already agreed with the New York Police Department, where 29 officers were identified for training in the latter half of 2024.
A sum of $30 million has been expended, in the first half of 2024, towards the training of 435 ranks, with another 700 ranks slated to undergo training in the second half of the year. Meanwhile, the force’s abilities in preventing and combating crime were further advanced, with $11.7 billion expended during the first six months of 2024.
Infrastructural works on various police facilities nationwide have been advanced, with some $1.2 billion expended.
From January to June 2024, a significant amount of $215.6 million has been allocated for the construction of the modern Brickdam Police Station. This investment aims to enhance the infrastructure and facilities of the police station. Moreover, to bolster the existing fleet of law enforcement vehicles, a substantial sum of $45.4 million was uti -
lised for the procurement of additional vehicles, motorcycles, boats, and engines.
This initiative is intended to improve the visibility and response time of the police force when addressing criminal activities.
Recognising the importance of community involvement in combating crime, a considerable portion of the budget totalling $47.3 million was allocated to facilitate the establishment of 29 new community policing groups.
These groups play a vital role in fostering partnerships with law enforcement agencies and creating safer environments for communities.
Additionally, it is anticipated that an additional 15 groups will be formed in the second half of the year, bringing the total number of community policing groups to 44 by the end of 2024.
This expansion will further strengthen the collaboration between law enforcement personnel and local communities, contributing to the promotion of safety and security across the country.
up about 50 feet away from the school. The incident resulted in classes at the primary school coming to an abrupt end. During the storm, water started to penetrate the ceiling, causing further disruption to the classes. Students were taken to the lower flat which hous -
es the nursery school. Teachers reported that the lights were going on and off as the power fluctuated amidst the loud thunder and lightning. Water then started to penetrate onto the lower flat. Teachers called on those who have vehicles in the community to assist in getting
the children to the safety of their homes. When the skies cleared a contractor arrived and began to replace the zinc sheets on the school building. Meanwhile, both the Friendship Primary School and Sisters Nursery have been closed until further notice. (G4)
Sisters Police Station
Friends Primary School
Regional
Haiti expands state of emergency to whole country amid calls for renewed UN security mandate
The Haitian authorities have expanded a state of emergency to the whole country as the government battles violent gangs that have taken control of large parts of the capital – and are attempting to move into other regions.
The move comes as the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken visits the Caribbean nation, where he will meet Prime Minister Garry Conille to discuss “forthcoming steps in Haiti’s democratic transition”.
Conille has been attempting to restore order since the new Government was formed three months ago.
Nearly 580,000 persons have been internally displaced by conflict, with close to five million facing severe hunger, the United Nations has said.
Blinken’s visit comes as more than a million people remain without electricity in the capital Port-au-Prince, after protesters stormed and vandalised a power plant.
The state electricity company said the incident happened on Monday, when a group of people attacked the compound to protest against frequent power cuts in previous days.
The US is the largest
funder of a UN-backed security mission aimed at combating gang violence.
In March, armed gangs stormed Haiti’s two biggest prisons, freeing around 3700 inmates.
The Ouest Department – a region including the nation’s capital, Port-auPrince – was originally put under a state of emergency on March 3, after escalating violence gripped the capital.
In June and July, a group of 400 Kenyan Police Officers arrived in Haiti to help combat the violence, the first tranche of a UN-approved international force that will be made up of 2500 officers from various countries.
Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Blinken on Thursday called for renewing a United Nations mandate for an international security mission to help Haiti fight armed gangs that have taken over much of the country’s capital and expanded to nearby regions.
The mission’s mandate, first approved for 12 months, is set to expire at the start of October, but has seen few results with few troops on the ground and far less funding than hoped.
“At this critical moment you need more funding, you need more per-
sonnel to sustain and carry out the objectives of this mission,” Blinken told a press conference in Port-au-Prince.
He said the US – the mission’s largest financial backer – planned to convene a ministerial meeting at the UN General Assembly this month, to encourage more financial contributions and renew the mandate.
“The mission itself needs to be renewed, that’s what we’re working on right now. But we also want something that’s reliable, that’s sustainable and we’ll look at every option to do that; a UN peacekeeping mission is one option,” Blinken said.
The current UNratified mission is being led by Kenya, which with under a month left on the mandate remains the only country to have deployed, with the around 400 Police Officers arriving in Port-au-Prince from an expected total of 1000.
A handful of other countries have together pledged at least 1900 more troops, and hundreds of millions of dollars in support. By late August, just US$63 million had been paid into the UN’s dedicated trust fund.
(Excerpts from BBC News and Reuters)
Venezuelan Opposition Leader Machado wants US
to do “much
more” on election dispute
Venezuelan Opposition Leader Maria Corina Machado said on Thursday she wanted the United States to do “much more” to press President Nicolás Maduro amid an ongoing dispute over July’s presidential election.
Democracies around the world have criticised the Venezuelan Government’s handling of the July 28 vote, which election officials and its top court say was won by Maduro, who has been in power since 2013. Authorities have not released full tallies, blaming a cyberattack.
But ballot box-level tallies posted by the Opposition show a resounding victory for its coalition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez. Election observers, including the Carter Center and a United Nations panel of experts, have said the vote was unfair.
By way of an initial punitive measure, the United States had drafted a list of around 60 Venezuelan Government officials and their family members who could face sanctions and US visa bans, sources told Reuters last month.
But it has not yet taken action.
US officials have since been narrowing down the names of potential targets, which could include members of Venezuela’s electoral council, senior Judges, lawmakers, and security and intelligence commanders, according to two people familiar with the matter. The timing of any measures remains unclear.
Venezuelan officials – including Maduro and many in his inner circle – and its key oil industry are already subject to wide sanctions by both the US and the European Union.
“I certainly think the United States should do much more and I have been very clear to them and to other countries,” Machado told an online press conference on Thursday, adding that there were international mechanisms to punish those who violate human rights.
“We are considering a range of options to demonstrate to Maduro and his representatives that their misgovernance in Venezuela has consequences,” a State Department spokesperson
said, adding they had nothing to announce at this time.
The White House did not immediately answer Reuters questions about Machado’s remarks.
An end to the Maduro era would also be to the advantage of international investors and creditors, Machado said.
Estimates of how much Venezuela owes creditors vary from US$60 billion to US$150 billion.
“Companies should understand that it is in their best interest, as well as Venezuela’s creditors, for a transition to proceed as fast as possible, and to not support the regime,” Machado said.
US oil producer Chevron received a licence from the Treasury Department in 2022 allowing it to expand oil output in Venezuela and resume crude exports to the United States.
Since last year, European companies, including Repsol and Maurel & Prom, have also received US authorisations to expand businesses with State oil company PDVSA.
Chevron, Repsol, and Maurel & Prom did not immediately reply to comment requests.
Warrants and worry
At least two dozen people died at post-election protests and several major Opposition figures have been detained.
Maduro’s Government calls the Opposition a fascist movement allied with imperialist forces abroad and blames it for the protest deaths. Opponents and human rights groups accuse the Government of carrying out a campaign of repression.
Brazil and Colombia, whose leaders have traditionally had friendlier relations with Maduro, ex-
pressed profound concern this week over an arrest warrant issued for Gonzalez, which followed weeks of comments from Venezuelan Government officials that Gonzalez, Machado and other members of the Opposition should be jailed.
Brazilian foreign policy adviser Celso Amorim called it “an authoritarian escalation,” while Colombia’s Foreign Minister said the Presidents of Colombia, Brazil and Mexico may hold a call with Maduro to express their position. The call has not yet taken place.
Gonzalez’s lawyer Jose Vicente Haro met with Attorney General Tarek Saab on Wednesday to hand in an affidavit outlining why he and Gonzalez believe Gonzalez violated no laws and why the erstwhile candidate did not attend three summons to testify about the Opposition’s vote tally website.
Saab told Journalists on Thursday that the document was “inappropriate” and that the warrant for Gonzalez, 75, remained valid.
Saab’s comments showed that Gonzalez “does not have any constitutional guarantees”, Haro said.
“The Attorney General has practically convicted him, he hasn’t just attributed crimes to him, but convicted him of things for which he has no responsibility,” Haro said. “He wants to put him in a situation of privation of liberty ... to then deny his rights.”
Venezuelan law does not allow those over 70 to serve sentences in jails, instead requiring house arrest.
Asked about a US sailor detained in Venezuela, Saab said the sailor had a Mexican passport and had entered the country without any documentation or justification.(Reuters)
Haitians watch the motorcade of US Secretary of State Antony Blinken travel through Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on September 5, 2024 (Roberto Schmidt/Pool via Reuters)
Venezuela’s Opposition Leader, Maria Corina Machado is seen on a laptop screen during a virtual press conference with foreign media, in Caracas, Venezuela, September 5, 2024 (Reuters/Gaby Oraa photo)
Around the World
OIL NEWS
Oil prices hold at 14-month low as demand worries offset big US storage withdrawal
Oil prices held at a 14-month low on Thursday as worries about demand in the United States and China and a likely rise in supplies out of Libya offset a big withdrawal from US inventories and a delay to output increases by the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies led by Russia, known collectively as OPEC.
Brent futures were down one cent to settle at US$72.69 a barrel, while West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude fell five cents, or 0.1 per cent, to settle at US$69.15.
That was the lowest close for Brent since June 2023 for a second day in a row and the lowest close for WTI since December 2023 for a third day in a row.
The US Energy Information Administration said energy firms pulled 6.9 million barrels of crude out of storage during the week ended August 30.
That was much bigger than the draw of one million barrels analysts forecast in a Reuters poll, but was in line with the draw of 7.4 million barrels reported by the American Petroleum Institute (API) industry group on Wednesday.
Further support came from discussions between OPEC+, about delaying output increases due to start in October.
OPEC+ agreed to delay a planned oil output increase for October and November, and said it could further pause or reverse the hikes if needed.
Analysts at US investment banking firm Jefferies said the OPEC+ decision has the effect of tightening fourth-quarter balances by about 100,000-200,000 barrels per day (bpd) and should be sufficient to prevent material builds even if demand from China does not improve.
Bob Yawger, director of energy futures at Mizuho, however, said the market was not impressed with the OPEC+ news.
"The gasoline market would be capable of cratering crude oil even if the OPEC+ chaos was not leaning on (the) price. If you don’t need the gasoline, you don’t need the crude oil to make gasoline," Yawger said.
After energy firms added a surprise 0.8 million barrels of gasoline to US stockpiles last week, US gasoline futures fell to their lowest close since March 2021.
In Libya, some tankers were being allowed to load crude from the OPEC member's storage even though output remained curtailed amid a political standoff over the central bank and oil revenue.
Conflicting US data
The latest US economic data offered some relief about the health of the economy to a market looking for clues about the path of the Federal Reserve interest rate cuts.
The Fed hiked rates aggressively in 2022 and 2023 to tame a surge in inflation, but is widely expected to reduce borrowing costs at its September 17-18 policy meeting. Lower rates can boost economic growth and demand for oil.
US services sector activity was steady in August, but employment gains slowed, remaining consistent with an easing labour market.
Meanwhile, US private job growth hit a three-and-a-half-year low in August and data for the prior month was revised lower, potentially hinting at a sharp labour market slowdown.
By contrast, the number of Americans filing new applications for jobless benefits declined last week as layoffs remained low.
"In our view, the 'Beige Book' suggests that the economy is already growing at a below-trend pace and that recession risks are rising," analysts at UBS said in a note, referring to the release on Wednesday of a Fed report that acts as a temperature check on the health of the economy about every six weeks. (Reuters)
Aid situation “beyond catastrophic” in Gaza – UN
United Nations spokesman
Stephane Dujarric said more than one million people in central and southern Gaza did not receive any food rations in August, adding the “humanitarian situation in Gaza remains beyond catastrophic”.
Gaza’s Health Ministry says the Israeli military was refusing to coordinate the entry of medical teams affiliated with the emergency polio vaccination campaign into areas in the enclave’s south.
Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Thursday it was incumbent on both Israel and Palestinian Islamist group Hamas to say yes on remaining issues to reach a Gaza ceasefire deal.
"Based on what I have seen, 90 per cent is agreed, but there are a few critical issues that remain," including the so-called
Palestinians inspect the site of a deadly Israeli attack on tents for displaced people in Deir el-Balah, the central Gaza Strip, on Thursday [Abdallah Alattar/Anadolu]
Philadelphi corridor on the southern edge of the Gaza Strip bordering Egypt, Blinken said at a press briefing in Haiti. He said there were also some gaps in the agreement in how Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners are exchanged.
"I expect in the coming days, we will share with Israel, and they (Qatar
Zelenskiy overhauls Cabinet with slew of new Ministers, top diplomat
Ukrainian lawmakers voted on Thursday to appoint nine new Ministers, including the Foreign Minister and two Deputy Prime Ministers, signing off on President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's biggest Government shakeup since Russia's 2022 invasion.
Andrii Sybiha, 49, an experienced diplomat who does not have a prominent public profile, takes the reins of the Foreign Ministry, replacing Dmytro Kuleba, who has been one of the best-known public faces of Ukraine in the West in recent years.
Though foreign policy is unlikely to change much with Zelenskiy playing the leading role in wartime foreign affairs, the shuffle comes at a delicate diplomatic moment as Kyiv is pressing allies for more help and seeking to win over the global south.
Zelenskiy, who travels to the United States this month and hopes to present a "victory plan" to President Joe Biden, has
said that his Government needed "new energy" and that this autumn will be important for Ukraine.
In his nightly video address, Zelenskiy said he wanted the Government to be "more active" in dealing with Ukraine's Western allies and investors and in helping troops at the front.
"It is crucial that the Government operate as actively as possible – more actively than before – at all levels," he said.
Meanwhile, US President Biden's Administration is engaged in urgent discussions with Congress to allow it to use up US$6 billion in military aid for Ukraine before a Septober 30 deadline, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter.
The effort comes at a high-risk moment for Ukrainian forces, who are advancing into Russia's Kursk region while trying to hold off Russian forces threatening the eastern Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk. (Excerpt from Reuters)
and Egypt) will share with Hamas our thoughts,
the three of us, on exactly how to resolve remaining outstanding questions," Blinken said, referring to the US and mediators Qatar and Egypt.
President Joe Biden laid out a three-phase ceasefire proposal on May 31, but since then gaps have remained on a final agreement for a ceasefire and release of hostages in Gaza.
Hamas has rejected any Israeli presence in the Philadelphi corridor, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has insisted that Israel will not abandon the corridor, (Excerpt from Reuters)
Uganda athlete Rebecca Cheptegei dies, days after boyfriend set her on fire
Ugandan Olympic marathon runner
Rebecca Cheptegei
died on Thursday, four days after she was doused in petrol and set on fire by her boyfriend in Kenya, in the latest attack on a female athlete in the country.
Cheptegei, 33, who competed in the Paris Olympics, suffered burns to more than 75 per cent of her body in Sunday's attack, Kenyan and Ugandan media reported.
She is the third prominent sportswoman to be killed in Kenya since October 2021.
"We have learnt of the sad passing on of our Olympic athlete Rebecca Cheptegei... following a vicious attack by her boyfriend," Donald Rukare, President of Uganda Olympics Committee, said in a post on X.
"May her gentle soul rest in peace and we strongly condemn violence against women," he said.
The runner, who finished 44th in Paris, was ad-
mitted to a hospital in the Kenyan Rift Valley city of Eldoret after the attack.
Cheptegei "passed today morning at 5:30 am after her organs failed," Owen Menach, senior director of clinical services at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital, told Reuters, adding that a full report regarding the circumstances of her death would be released on Thursday afternoon.
Kenyan newspaper The Standard said her attacker also sustained injuries in the incident and was admitted to the intensive care unit with 30 per cent burns, citing doctors at the same hospital.
Kenyan Sports Minister Kipchumba Murkomen described Cheptegei's death as a loss "to the entire region".
"This tragedy is a stark reminder that we must do more to combat gender-based violence in our society, which in recent years has reared its ugly head in elite sporting circles," he said in a statement.
(Excerpt from Reuters)
Uganda's Rebecca Cheptegei in action during the women's marathon final at World Athletics Championship, National Athletics Centre, Budapest, Hungary, August 26, 2023 (Reuters/Dylan Martinez file photo)
DAILY HOROSCOPES
Embrace what comes your way. Use your energy to excel and not to disrupt, and you'll rise above anyone trying to sabotage your intentions. Social events and networking will raise your profile.
SUDOKU
Set boundaries, standards and worthwhile goals. Put your energy where it counts; the returns will boost your confidence. Use your imagination and apply your skills to maximize your productivity. Say less and do more.
Know your limitations and boundaries, and proceed cautiously. Listen, observe and test your theories on those you trust to offer valid input. Expect to face competition and some underhandedness.
A passionate approach will get you where you want to go. Network, socialize and charm those you encounter with your generous spirit. A kind gesture will bring high returns. Offer something out of the ordinary. Be open to change that improves your domestic situation. Reach out to people who share your beliefs and those who can provide you with valid information that encourages good decisions.
Set the record straight, live up to your potential and don't allow anyone to outshine you. Use what you already have in a unique way. You don't need the latest and greatest or to spend the most to have an impact.
An open mind, heartfelt attitude and charm will help you reach your destination. Change what holds you back or brings you down; wear your best attire and take the initiative to achieve.
Work behind the scenes, perfecting and assembling everything masterfully. Take pride in and have confidence in what you do. Refuse to let anyone's negativity shape your future.
Let go of what's no longer working for you. Clear space in your heart, head and house. Be open to suggestions and ready for a fresh start, and take the path that offers challenges that make you feel alive.
Refuse to let anyone take charge or stand in your way. Use your time and energy to prove your point. Separate yourself from the drama, and you'll find your happy place.
Put a little zip into your life. It's up to you to clear the path, so don't wait for someone to do it for you. Be energetic and playful while getting things done.
20)
Step outside your comfort zone and face problems head-on. Show your strengths, and you'll gain respect for yourself and others. Say no to temptation, indulgence and those trying to exploit you.
Guinness “Greatest of the Streets”…
National Championship in the spotlight today
With less than one day before the culmination of the Guinness “Greatest of the Streets” season, tournament coordinator Travis Bess has revealed that all systems were in place for an exciting evening in the National Championship at the Pouderoyen Tarmac, West Demerara.
Bess disclosed, “Preparation heading into tomorrow’s [today’s] National Championship is moving along nicely with the exception of the utility posts that are lying north to south on the tarmac. Other than that, all other systems are in place for an exciting evening.”
According to Bess, the anticipation is palpable as fans and players alike are eager for the event’s commencement, noting, “Well, my expectations for the National Championship are to witness an injury-free tournament, both on and off the field; in addition to that, to watch some of the best football. I expect a large turnout since this is the first year the National Championship will be played in its entirety on the “West Side”, on the Pouderoyen tarmac.”
He further stated, “This year’s National Championship is the most open tournament in recent memory, and to add
to that, several sides have the capacity to win it given that most of the traditional favourites and powerhouse sides from Georgetown are not participating, such as Sparta Boss and Gold is Money.
“There are several teams to watch in this year’s tournament, for example, North Ruimveldt, the Georgetown runner-up, who played a whole tournament and didn’t concede a single goal with their airtight defence. That can cause trouble for teams. West Side champion Ballerz Empire with their powerhouse offence can also cause issues for other teams; Laing Avenue can create big problems for teams with their attack as well; Linden champions Silver
Bullets, who have a balanced team, can also cause problems for the rest of the teams in the tournament, just to mention a few.”
Nine teams, including the seven divisional winners, will feature at the event. They are Georgetown champions Laing Avenue and second-place finisher North Ruimveldt, West Demerara champs Ballerz Empire and second-place finisher Showstoppers, Essequibo winners All-Stars, Berbice champions East Bank Gunners, Linden winners Silver Bullets, East Coast Demerara victors Hustlers, and Bartica titleholders Mighty Ruler.
Following the conclusion of the official draw on August 28 at the Colours
Boutique on Robb Street, the East Bank Gunners will oppose Silver Bullets in the first quarter-final, while the Ballerz Empire of East Bank Demerara will lock horns with North Ruimveldt in the second fixture.
Mighty Ruler will face off against Showstoppers, with Laing Avenue engaging the winner of the playoff fixture between AllStars and Hustlers.
The winners will advance to the semi-final round. The winners of the event will pocket $1,000,000 and the championship trophy, while the second-, third-, and fourthplaced teams will receive $500,000, $350,000, and $200,000 apiece and a trophy.
Kascon Engineering donates bat to Rampertab Ramnauth
The Rafeek Kassimled local construction firm, Kascon Engineering Services continues to provide support for young cricketers in Berbice, with Rampertab Ramnauth being the latest beneficiary.
The left-landed Ramnauth, a prolific national youth player who plays locally for Port Mourant, received a quality SG Grade One player edition bat which was purchased from the Cricnation592 Store. Ramnauth was above the cut as he represented Guyana and Berbice at all junior levels. He also featured for West Indies U-16 team on a tour to the United Kingdom.
Kassim, who has
also pledged support to the current Guyana Under-17 player Adrian Hetmyer, saw the ultra-talented Ramnauth and decided to lend sup-
port. Earlier this year, under his construction firm, Kascon Engineering Services, Kassim pledged a 12-month support package for young Hetmyer,
Complete FixturesSeptember 6th
Play-off
18:30h: Hustlers (East Coast) v All-Stars (Essequibo)
Quarter-final fixtures
(1) 19:00h: East Bank Gunners (Berbice) v Silver Bullets (Linden) (2) 19:30h: Ballerz Empire (East Bank Demerara v North Ruimveldt (Georgetown)
(3) 20:00h: Mighty Ruler (Bartica) v
Showstoppers (West Demerara)
(4) 20:30h: Laing Avenue (Georgetown) v Play-off Winner
Semi-final fixtures
(5) 21:00h: Winner of 1 v Winner of 3 (6) 21:30h: Winner of 2 v Winner of 4
Third-place play-off
(7) 22:00h: Loser of 5 v Loser of 6
Final
(8) 22:30h: Winner of 5 v Winner of 6
GTA Storm cart off Trophy Stall-sponsored Legends trophy
who is currently playing for Guyana Under-17s in Trinidad and Tobago.
Ramnauth is on the senior Guyana selectors’ radar and is currently a Guyana Harpy Eagles contracted player. He expressed gratitude to Kassim and his company for providing the bat.
“I am thankful to Mr Kassim for recognising my talent and supporting me,” Ramnauth said.
Kascon Engineering specialises in the construction of roads, buildings, and sea defences. Kassim is no stranger to cricket, as he played the game competitively and served in administrative roles. He was once at the helm of the Young Warriors Cricket Club.
GTA Storm defeated arch-rivals
Toronto Blizzards in a thrilling encounter to claim the Legends Over50 title when the second edition of the Canada Cup, organised by the Ontario Twilight Softball Cricket League (OTSCL) ended last Sunday at the Ashtonbee playing field in Scarborough, Ontario, Canada.
In a pulsating final, Toronto Blizzards, who were inserted to bat, reached 137 for nine in their allotted 20 overs. In reply, GTA Storm got to the required target with two balls to spare. Ramo Malone hit a top score of 37 not out.
Earlier, left-arm bowler Richard Driffield stole
the show with a brilliant spell of four for 11 in his four overs to undermine the Toronto Blizzards’ batting. He was subsequently named Player of The Final. He also received a cash award for taking four wickets in a match.
Former Guyana all-rounder Sunil Dhaniram copped the Most Valuable Player of the tournament award. Malone collected a trophy for the best catch in the category.
At the presentation ceremony, which followed the game, GTA Storm received the trophy and medallions, sponsored by Ramesh Sunich, proprietor of Trophy Stall, Bourda Market.
Rampertab Ramnauth receives his newly-purchased bat compliments of Kascon Engineering
Trophy Stall proprietor Ramesh Sunich’s brother, Roger hands over the winning trophy to GTA Storm skipper Troy Gobin, a former Guyana Under-19 player
A look at what to expect at the Pouderoyen Tarmac tonight
Camptown Ground rehabilitation fast-tracked by President Ali
The Camptown Football
Ground in Campbellville, Georgetown is taking shape thanks to President Dr Irfaan Ali, who ensured the commencement of works at the Campbellville, Georgetown venue back in April at the behest of residents in the area. However, a recent visit to the community has prompted the Head of State to fast-track works at the ground.
After listening to concerns from those who utilise the facility for a number of sports, but chiefly football, President Ali has also instructed Sport Minister Charles Ramson Jr to ensure certain amenities are included in the works. The President has given a six-week timeline for the completion of the ground’s facilities.
“What we plan on doing with the ground here, we’re almost completed, but we still have a lot of other work to do, in terms of getting the ground ready. So, we want to ensure that the entire work thing is completed,” the Head of State shared.
President Ali went on to set his timeline, stating “Let me tell you what we’ll do. We said we’re completing the fence, we’re going to look at the drain, we have to complete the ground and I want all of this completed within the next six weeks. So, we’ll break it up and get it done.”
Delving into the amenities that he would like to see at the Campbellville venue, President Ali disclosed, “We’ll do two more of the same type of pavilion that you have there. What we’ll do, Charles, make one of them elevated, so at the bot-
tom you can put in washroom and changing room facilities. We will do the lights and the net behind the goal. That’s all we’ll do in relation to completing the ground. We’ll try to get all of that completed within six weeks’ time, so we can get the ground operable.”
Earlier this year, the plight of the community and those who utilise the facility for various sport activities was brought to the attention of President Ali, who instantaneously instructed the Sport Minister to have rehabilitation works commence at the venue.
Seales
Player of the Month for August
West Indies fast bowler Jayden Seales has been named as one of the three nominees for the International Cricket Council (ICC) Men’s Player of the Month award for August.
quick is in the shortlist after fin ishing with 12 wickets in the series against South Africa, including nine in the second that helped him attain a career-best 13th in the ICC Men’s Test Bowling Rankings and become the top-ranked bowler in the format from the West Indies.
et haul in Guyana was a career-best 6-61 in the sec ond innings; his second five-wicket haul in just his 15th
comprises South African spinner Keshav Maharaj and Sri Lankan all-rounder Dunith Wellalage.
ond Player of the Month award af ter having won earlier in April 2022, was the Player of the Series in the two ICC World Test Championship matches against the West Indies with 13 wickets.
Test
side won by 40 runs.
in each innings of the drawn
Igloo Hockey Festival deemed a talent showcase
The Igloo Hockey Festival 2024, hosted by the GCC Hockey Club and proudly sponsored by Igloo Ice Cream, has come to a triumphant close after a weekend filled with thrilling hockey action, community spirit, and unforgettable memories concluded on September 1.
Saints’ senior men and women claimed their senior category after overcoming Pepsi Hikers Men and Rebels in their respective finals on Sunday at the GCC artificial pitch at the Bourda ground, with both games being decided with strikes from the spot.
Clayza Bobb (Saints), along with teammate Shakeem Fausette, copped the Most Valuable Player award in the women’s category while Raoul Whittaker from SHC Conquerors and Sarah Henry from Saints took home the Best Goalkeeper award in their respective categories.
In the U21 Category, YMCA, OFHC Young Boyz prevailed over their competition forcing SHC Conquerors into second place followed by SHC Steam in third place while for individual accolades Anthony Harry (GCC Pitbulls) was deemed the
Most Valuable Player and Whittaker copped the Best Goalkeeper award. The U14 mixed category saw SHC Scorchers emerge victorious, pushing SHC Slayers into second place and HHC School Tek We into third. Jaron Isadore of the SHC Slayers and Keitanna Percival of the YMCA OFHC Gladiators were named the Most Valuable Player for the males and females, respectively.
SHC Legends took first place in the U17 Boys category, while SHC Sigmas and YMCA OFHC Bob Squad finished second and third respectively.
Aaron Abrahams of the SHC Sigmas was named Most Valuable Player, and Matthew Smith of the YMCA OFHC Bob Squad was named Best Goalkeeper.
SHC Sensations with their ability to convert shots finished first ahead of GCC Her-Ricanes in second place and YMCA OFHC Stars in third place, with Makayla Poole from SHC Sensations declared Most Valuable Player and Shania Dehnert from GCC Her-Ricanes, the Best Goalkeeper.
Saints, with their ability to score goals, finished first ahead of GCC
Spartans in second place, and also took home the individual accolades as Clayza Bobb was the Most Valuable Player and Sarah Harry secured the Best Goalkeeper award.
From Friday, August 30, to Sunday, September 1, the Festival brought together teams from across the region for a series of highly-competitive matches. Fans were treated to an extraordinary display of talent and sportsmanship as players of all ages and skill levels competed for glory.
The Festival was deemed more than just a tournament; it was a cele-
bration of hockey and community. Families, friends, and fans gathered to enjoy the matches, participate in fun activities, and savour the delicious treats provided by Igloo Ice Cream.
Each club participating in the Festival had its moment of triumph, with standout performances from both seasoned players and rising stars. These victories highlight the depth of talent within the participating clubs and the high level of competition that defined this year’s Festival.
The organiser thanked the title sponsor, Igloo Ice Cream, whose support made this event possible. Their commitment to fostering community and sportsmanship has been invaluable, and their presence at the Festival provided a delightful treat for all attendees. The Festival would not have been the same without their generous support.
The GCC Hockey Club is dedicated to promoting hockey in the region, providing opportunities for players of all levels to participate and improve their skills. The club regularly hosts tournaments and events to foster community spirit and love for the game.
in Port of Spain, which included three of the top four batters in the first innings and four of the top five in the second. He chipped in five scalps in the second Test in Guyana that his
A glimpse of the action
A look at the current state of the Camptown Ground
Suriname ease past Golden Jaguars in League A debut
the 17th minute.
Van der Kust was able to find some room around him in the box and sent a chance past a defender and goalkeeper Roberts into the far corner of the goal.
Suriname had the opportunity to make it a 2-0 affair two minutes later, but the confusion in the box was quelled by a tackle from be-
The reality of ascending to League A was harsh and unfeeling for Guyana’s senior men’s national football team who suffered a disappointing 3-1 loss to Suriname upon their debut into the highest league that CONCACAF had to offer.
With a few curious changes as compared to their successful League B campaign just a year ago, Coach Jamaal Shabazz opted for a starting XI that consisted of Captain Elliott Bonds, Goalkeeper Quillian Roberts, Terrence Vancooten, Nathan Moriah-Welsh, Kadell Daniel, Curtez Kellman, Reiss Greenidge, Daniel Wilson, Deon Moore, Isaiah Jones, and Omari Glasgow.
The neighbourly clash with Guyana’s eastern
A look at the Nations League action between Suriname and Guyana on Thursday
neighbours at the National Track and Field Center (NTFC), West Coast Demerara (WCD), seemingly began as an evenly-poised match-up, with both team’s chances going abegging in the early minutes of the clash.
However, Suriname were the ones to grab the ice through Djevencio van der Kust in
finding the back of the net in the 43rd minute.
time to put Guyana ahead.
hind by Guyana’s Daniel.
Just before the half expired, the Golden Jaguars were able to pull one back for a 1-1 score by the interval. Newbie to the Golden Jaguars set-up, Isaiah Jones was pulled down in the box, resulting in a penalty opportunity for the Jaguars. Thereafter, Omari Glasgow made no mistake in
At the top of the second segment, Stephen Duke-McKenna made his entrance into the game as a substitute for Daniel Wilson and as expected, brought his usual intensity to the clash. However, Duke-McKenna’s effort was no solution to Guyana’s shotty-looking midfield, which often resulted in a disconnect between defence and the wingers, Glasgow and Jones, who were working overtime.
De Rosario dribbled past the Surinamese keeper in the box and looked well on his way to handing Guyana the lead.
However, he, unfortunately, over-chucked the ball and slipped, leaving enough room for a Surinamese defender to intercept.
As finishing began to look like an issue for the Golden Jaguars, their frustrations grew when
Osaze De Rosario also made his entrance to the game and minutes later, had the opportunity of a life-
give Suriname the lead in the 66th minute. Montnor caught a loose
ball in the box and met no resistance from Bonds, who was almost at his side. The Surinamese striker then directed the shot between the keeper and the near post for the goal.
Then, the lead was extended by Guyana’s eastern neighbours when Vancooten miscued a return shot on a long ball and lost his footing. Suriname’s Virgil Misidjan got to the loose ball in no time and caught Roberts off his line, almost at the top of the 18yard box. The Dutch player, calmly approaching the net, went wide, forcing Roberts to commit to a stretch and as such, was able to leave the keeper in the dust, tapping the ball in for Suriname’s third.
As boisterous chants from the crowd brought the late introduction of Kelsey Benjamin and Ryan Hackett, the Golden Jaguars’ finishing woes continued.
The Golden Jaguars will now shift their focus to Martinique who they will come up against on Monday, September 9 on the opponents’ home turf.
President Dr Irfaan Ali was present to take in the game
The Golden Jaguars fans chanted their request for Kelsy and “Bom” to get some minutes in
