slams misinformation campaign to stoke confusion by
Undocumented Guyanese in
Guyana 100%
‘Guyana Baboo’ after wildcard selection for Intl Chutney Monarch
Taxi driver sentenced in absentia for assaulting police officer
US living in fear of being deported
Teachers can use AI for lesson planning – Manickchand ...as Guyana prepares to introduce digital school I am
GGMC to take over mineral mapping after contract with US company ends – Bharrat
Man killed in Mocha hitand-run; police search for driver
University of Guyana staff to receive 8%salary increase this year – Manickchand Man wanted for
– Alleged victim takes to social media to express frustration
4 PSAs to be signed this year, 2 production licences to be issued – Bharrat
BRIDGE OPENINGS
The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:
The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:
FERRY SCHEDULE
Parika and Supenaam departure times –05:00h, 10:00h-12:00h, 16:00h, 18:30h daily
throughout the day and at night. Temperatures are expected to
between 23 degrees Celsius and 29 degrees Celsius. Winds: East North-Easterly to East South-Easterly between 1.79 metres and 4.47 metres. High Tide: 12:13h and 23:49h reaching a maximum height of 2.17 metres.
Low Tide: 18:26h reaching a minimum height of 1.03 metres.
Jagdeo to meet with GECOM to iron out critical issues ahead of elections
– slams misinformation campaign to stoke confusion
Slamming the opposition, A Partnership for National Unity/ Alliance For Change (APNU/ AFC) for its campaign of misinformation ahead of the upcoming elections, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo revealed that he will be meeting with the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) next Tuesday.
During his most recent press conference, the Vice President revealed that the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) Executive Secretary, Zulfikar Mustapha, was asked to write GECOM and a meeting was set up.
“I thought it necessary to meet formally with GECOM to express our view. We have had the Executive Secretary write GECOM and next Tuesday, I’ll be meeting with GECOM to address these matters, and to debunk some of the nonsense that we see in the media in relation to this matter,” Jagdeo said.
According to Jagdeo, who also serves as the PPP/C’s General Secretary, the opposition has been manufacturing a series of false challenges surrounding the upcoming general elections.
He asserted that there are no legitimate concerns with the electoral system in Guyana and called them out for attempting to create distractions and misrepresent facts about the country’s electoral process.
The Vice President noted that the current system in place is both robust and reliable, and there is no truth
to allegations that the elections are in jeopardy.
The Vice President condemned the APNU+AFC’s efforts to distort the history of previous elections, asserting that the opposition was attempting to sow doubt regarding GECOM’s ability to oversee free and fair elections.
“I wish to address one issue right at the beginning, that represents an ongoing saga of the opposition trying to distort the history of them trying to rig elections and trying to cast doubt now on GECOM’s ability to conduct free and fair elections, as a distraction from that record but also as an excuse from the impending defeat they will face at the polls.”
“On Thursday last GECOM met with Nigel Hughes at his request. And he came out and said, GECOM is incapable of holding elections. And the next day they issued a press release and spoke of GECOM’s disarray in the lead up to the elections.”
The Vice President pointed out that if anyone was in disarray in the lead up to the elections, it would be the opposition. According to Jagdeo, the real problem during the 2020 elections was an alleged attempt by the opposition to manipulate the process with the assistance of GECOM staff.
Jagdeo also referenced a recent ruling from GECOM’s Chairman, Justice (retired) Claudette Singh, who declared that the use of biometrics would be unconstitutional without new legislation to support it.
While acknowledging that there are some challenges in the electoral process, Jagdeo pointed out that GECOM has identified seven major issues that, he assured, could be resolved without difficulty.
The Opposition-aligned commissioners on the seven-member Elections Commission have been advocating for the implementation of biometric fingerprint identification for voting, in
order to prevent voter fraud at the 2025 polls, which is slated for later this year.
Last year, Chief Elections Officer (CEO) Vishnu Persaud had presented to the GECOM a feasibility study on the use of electronic fingerprint biometrics for registration and voting in the next elections.
In a recent ruling by Chairperson of GECOM, retired Justice Claudette Singh had rejected the proposal, citing legal, technical, security and infrastructural challenges its implementation could pose. The decision by GECOM Chairman had clarified that the introduction of such technology is not feasible within the current time-frame and legislative framework.
The Opposition has been critical of the GECOM Chairperson’s decision, noting that biometrics voting provides a crucial step toward mitigating electoral fraud by ensuring that each voter’s identity is verified before they cast their ballot.
The drumbeat from the Opposition, ever since their fingers were pried from the levers of national office when they tried to hold on to power by using bedsheets and spreadsheets to rig the 2020 elections, was that the PPP government was only helping one section of the populace –their supporters, whom they insisted was only from one ethnic group. They went so far as to insist that the PPP government had actually established an “apartheid regime” here.
Apartheid, of course, is a form of governance legally institutionalizing an official racial stratification that places groups in the society in a racially-stratified hierarchy –paradigmatically in South Africa with Whites at the top and Blacks at the bottom, and others in intermediate positions. Now, while a society might be stratified in one form or another, it is the official imprimatur by the state that, for instance, mandates segregated living areas that characterize apartheid. In Guyana, there are no such laws; and, in fact, if individuals are discriminated against on the basis of race, there are laws that the Courts can enforce.
Horizontal inequalities are inequalities among groups with a shared identity. Historically, our colonial state of six peoples was premised on the Europeans enjoying a much higher standard of living than the others. Over time, depending on many complex factors, the other groups also developed differentially. For instance, Mixed and Africans vied for the Government services and dominated them, while Portuguese, Chinese and Indians gravitated into private endeavours. The Indigenous Peoples generally languished on the economic periphery. This led to a certain level of horizontal inequality that persists into the present. The question is what can be done by the Government to create a more equitable society.
Three distinct approaches to the management of Horizontal Inequalities can be identified, and the present Government of Guyana can be seen to be utilizing all of them in its Budgets, including the one that was just presented for 2025, to create a new One Guyana. The first are direct approaches which involve targeting groups directly — for instance, using quotas/ targets for the allocation of jobs or educational access when it can be shown that they have historically been discriminated against. While the direct approach can obviously have an almost immediate effect, especially in the short term, as we have seen from the American experience, it risks increasing the salience of identity difference and antagonising those who do not benefit from the policy, since they might contest claims of lagging performance being due to historical discrimination. In Guyana, even though Indigenous Peoples have been historically left out of the coast-centred development, resentment has been fostered by the Opposition of programmes targeting towards them.
The second are indirect approaches, which involve general policies which have the effect of reducing group disparities overall, and not specifically targeted. These include, for example, progressive taxation, anti-discrimination policies, regional expenditure policies, or decentralization of power. These policies eschew narrow targeting and are much less likely to increase the salience of identity, but they may be less dramatic in reducing Horizontal Inequalities. In the Budget, for instance, we see a wide range of these programmes scattered through the gamut of economic activities and governmental programmes, such as building infrastructure in all regions and using local contractors.
Finally, the third type of approach can be labelled ‘integrationist’. In this case, the aim of policies is not so much to target Horizontal Inequalities per se, but to seek to reduce the salience of group boundaries. An integrationist approach involves, for example, promoting a national identity and shared economic or political activities across identarian lines. These are effective in reducing the salience of group boundaries.
The Government has unfurled its overarching goal of creating a One Guyana where all the peoples can see themselves as part of a mosaic. The spending on Education, Culture and Sports, for instance, has ballooned over the past five years, and we can already see the results expressed by youths in renouncing the Opposition’s only stressing racial identities.
The hypocrisy of those who proudly built Durban Park for more than a billion dollars
Dear Editor,
In all my political career, I have avoided ever disagreeing with Gail Teixeira. I will take the liberty of doing so at least one time. I have to disagree with her and a number of ministers and government MPs when they declared in Parliament, during the Budget 2025 debate, that the PNC-led APNU/AFC built nothing after spending more than $1.2 trillion between 2015 and 2020.
We must give “Jack his jacket”. I will name two things the PNC-led APNU/ AFC built.
The first one of these two things that we must give the PNC-led APNU/AFC credit for between 2015 and 2020 is today a colossal environmental disaster and eyesore in Georgetown.
The David Granger-led, PNC-led APNU/ AFC did build the “new” Durban Park Stadium. It is still standing, barely, as a derelict monstrosity. This was one of the first projects completely conceived by the David Grangerled APNU/AFC cabinet and touted as a legacy project.
More than a billion dollars were expended, and are still not accounted for. Indeed, the total management of the funds was not only outside Government’s accountability laws, rules and guidelines; there is enough evidence for malfeasance in public office prosecution.
This “new” stadium was supposed to replace the
National Park as the preferred venue for the annual Independence Day flag-raising event and other national events. It prominently stands there in Georgetown as a stark reminder of cluelessness, lack of vision, incompetence, and an ugly monument of corruption and wastefulness.
The stench from this monstrosity that was built by APNU/AFC, about which they bragged and continue to brag, nauseates people far beyond Georgetown. This is David Granger’s legacy. This is the PNC’s legacy. This is the PNC-led APNU/AFC legacy.
The second thing which we must give them credit for building are the arches. There are a few new arches beyond the ones that the Forbes Burnham-led PNC built in the 1960s and 1970s that the Granger-led, PNCled APNU/AFC spent enormous financial resources, time and energy to build.
Two of those arches were donated to them by the private sector. Granger had stated at its commissioning that the $20 million arch on the East Coast Highway near the University of Guyana, donated by a private company, that among other things, market pharmaceuticals in Guyana signalled the vibrancy of the Caribbean economy and was a tribute of corporate investment in Guyana.
He did not then speak, nor has anyone of his col-
leagues spoken, about a questionable transaction that saw a private company getting a pharmaceutical contract worth over $606M for medicines which, for the same quantity, the PPP government had paid less than $100M for.
The PNC has a fetish obsession with arches. They have never invested as much capital, whether it is financial or human, the same passion, on building health centres and hospitals, schools or other infrastructures as they do with arches.
Had they invested the same energy and passion on the Amaila Falls Hydro Project, we would have had a quantum leap in energy generation and cheaper electricity today. One day, students and researchers will study why this “arch” obsession dominates the PNC’s psychology.
This is the albatross the young people who are their loyal supporters, and the young opposition MPs, have been given to carry around their necks forever by David Granger, PNC, the AFC, the WPA, and the several oneman or one-woman political parties.
Now Aubrey Norton, Nigel Hughes and David Hinds insist that this is a deserving legacy that young supporters must be proud of.
Faced with the daunting reality of Government ministers and MPs, Government supporters and citizens all across the country pointing
to projects constructed by the Irfaan Ali-led PPP government, the PNC-led APNU/ AFC MPs found themselves in the Budget 2025 debate resorting to the most ridiculous criticisms and justifications why they did not build anything of worth between 2015 and 2025.
One of the early justifications for not building anything and to deny the Irfaan Ali-led PPP government credit, the opposition MPs sought shelter in the argument that the PPP government has access to “oil” money, which they did not have.
But that may only explain not doing as many projects as the present PPP government is doing; it is not an explanation for not doing anything.
In any case, the PPP had no “oil” money to support Budgets 2020 and 2021. “Oil” money supported only 23% of Budget 2022, 27% of Budget 2023, 29% of Budget 2024, and 37% of Budget 2025.
The then PNC-led APNU/AFC Government raised more than $90 billion annually in increased taxation. What did they do with the “extra” tax-based revenues they generated each year? For that matter, almost all of the $23B worth of gold at the Bank of Guyana was sold. Similarly, almost all of the more than $100B in reserve (local and foreign currency) was squandered.
Breathtaking view from the Upper Mazaruni River looking towards the Essequibo River at Fort Kyk-Over-Al
NRF amended withdrawal rule
Effective rate of withdrawal remains unchanged
Dear Editor:
The amended NRF withdrawal formula ensures that the effective rate of withdrawal is kept under 80% of the Fund’s size, which was obtained under the old formula.
My attention has been drawn to comments made by opposition- aligned folks about the amended withdrawal rules of the Natural Resource Fund (NRF) pursuant to the Fiscal
signalling reckless spending and/or depletion of the Fund at a reckless rate. However, an application of the withdrawal rules, the old versus the new, based on the forecasted deposits into the NRF, disproves this notion.
rection: to, in a measured way, increase the withdrawal ceiling of the NRF, which in turn would allow for minimized borrowing. Notwithstanding, this is not the first occasion when the Opposition have contradicted themselves, owing to the lack of a studied position on these matters. It now appears that the degree of numerical and fiscal contradictions has become an invariably collective norm,
Enactments (Amendment)
Act No.2 of 2024. The Opposition finance spokesperson(s) intimated that this new withdrawal formula would deplete the NRF,
Before I proceed to demonstrate the calculations hereunder, I wish to say that the very Opposition have always argued that the Government should not be borrowing to finance the budget, given the proceeds from the NRF. Yet, these very critics have contradicted themselves when the Government is now prudently moving in that di-
morphing itself into an infectious intellectual paralysis by which they are helplessly plagued.
I now turn to my calculable demonstration:
As shown in exhibit (a), under the old NRF withdrawal formula, on a balance of US$6 billion, the maximum withdrawal ceiling is capped at US$1.4 billion, or an effective withdrawal rate of 23%. Whereas, under the amended withdrawal formula, on a balance of US$6 billion, the maximum withdrawal ceiling is capped at US$4.3 billion, or an effective rate of 71.7%.
In exhibit (b), under the old NRF withdrawal formula, on a balance of US$12 billion, the maximum withdrawal ceiling is capped at US$1.6 billion, or an effective withdrawal rate of 13%. Whereas, under the amend-
The hypocrisy of those who proudly...
Money therefore cannot explain the stark contrast in the track records of the PPP and the PNC-led APNU/AFC. In fact, monies were already secured by the PPP government for various transformative projects between 2015 and 2020 under APNU/AFC.
The CJIA modernization and expansion project was already in the books, had started under the PPP in 2012. They just had to complete it. Other than reducing the scope without reducing the cost, APNU/AFC did not finish the project, and the PPP government had to return to complete the project.
APNU/AFC also inherited funded projects for the expansion of the East Coast and East Bank Highways and the West Demerara Highway. They did not finish these projects either, consumed all the money, and the PPP had to return to complete the projects.
Indeed, for the Sheriff Street Project, the secured funds they inherited were consumed, but there was little or nothing to show for the Sheriff Street Project.
The PNC-led APNU/ AFC’s favourite retort to combat the massively popular physical infrastruc-
ture successes of the PPP government has been that “you cannot eat roads and bridges, schools and hospitals”. But they cannot tell us which of the physical infrastructure projects, which highway, which street, which bridge, which school, which hospital, which housing scheme, which farm-tomarket road, which pump station, they would want to abandon.
But to show their cluelessness, while on one hand condemning the PPP for building too much, since people cannot eat these things, they at the same time promise that, in government, they would do even more.
Aubrey Norton, whose party built no highway, no school, no hospital, no housing scheme, etc., now promises to build four bridges across the Essequibo, and highways that connect every community in Guyana, including a ring highway; and allow one to start from Georgetown, drive along the coastline all around Guyana, and return to Georgetown.
The party that proudly wears its track record of building nothing of worth now shamelessly and barefacedly look the Guyanese people in their eyes and tell them that whatever the PPP
conceives of and build, they will build even more. There are NOT enough gullible Guyanese that would be-
lieve them.
Sincerely, Dr Leslie Ramsammy
ed withdrawal formula, on a balance of US$12 billion, the maximum withdrawal ceiling is capped at US$4.9 billion or 40.8%.
Editor, these illustrations have effectively disproved the notion that the amended withdrawal rule is designed to deplete the NRF. Rather, the amended withdrawal formula is designed to sustainably increase the withdrawal ceiling relative to the projected growth of the Fund’s size. In so doing, the amended withdrawal formula can be premised upon two (2) primary factors: (1) It is aimed at minimizing the level of debt financing of the budget, thus maintaining the current low level of debtto-GDP ratio of under 30%; and (2) the current production level of oil has already increased nearly sixfold since first oil five years ago, which is poised to increase more than tenfold by 2030.
This means that the annual deposits into the NRF is projected to increase by at least fourfold, all things being equal.
In summary, the analysis herein has demonstrated that the amended withdrawal rule of the NRF is designed to ensure that the effective rate of withdrawal is kept under 80%, based on the projected growth in the Fund’s size, which was obtained under the old withdrawal rule, all things being equal. In other words, the maximum effective rate of withdrawal under the new formula, pursuant to the Fiscal Enactments (Amendment) Act No.2 of 2024, has practically remained the same as it was under the old withdrawal formula, based on the projected growth in the Fund’s size.
Yours respectfully, Joel Bhagwandin
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2025
FROM PAGE 4
TOPIC: FOOD WEB
Undocumented Guyanese in US living in fear of being deported –
businesses feeling brunt of mass deportation orders
As United States (US) authorities execute President Donald Trump’s mass deportation order, both undocumented and documented Guyanese are bracing themselves for the worst.
Presently, Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) agents are mandated to make 1,500 arrest per day as part of the mass deportation exercise – a promise made by President Trump during this campaign.
While illegal immigrants are being deported to Guatemala, Mexico, Colombia, India, Brazil and other nations, there have been no reports of Guyanese being targeted.
While President Dr Irfaan Ali recently confirmed that he and US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio had a discussion on migrants last Tuesday, there has been no official word from the US Government as it related to any repatriated flights to Guyana.
Only Thursday, Vice President Dr Bharrat
Jagdeo told reporters at his press conference that the Guyana Government is “really grateful and thankful” for the support of the US Government.
In fact, he noted that Guyana has not been affected by the Trump Administration’s freeze of foreign aid. Previously, Jagdeo had declared that Guyana will welcome back all of its citizens who are deported from the US during this crackdown exercise.
Nevertheless, uncertainty continues to brew over the US mass deportation policy and it’s affecting the daily lives of the massive Guyanese population living in New York especially in the Queens, Long Island and Jamaica areas.
Speaking with the Guyana Times, a Queens family – of which two members are legal immigrants – is concerned that one day, their family will be torn apart.
“I am legal here along with my wife but two of my children are undocumented… They came here a few years ago on visa but over-
stayed their time… I filed for them but the process is taking a long time and that is worrying… My brother and his son are also here… while they pay their taxes, they are not legal. With what is happening, they are even afraid to go to work,” the man who has been living in the US for the past 15 years stated.
He added that a raid can occur at anytime and anywhere but he is hoping that his family is not caught in all of it.
“I understand them arresting and deporting the people with criminal records but, I honestly feel that those who are here to work for an honest dollar, should be given a chance,” he added.
does not mean I am safe… Previously, I would go out with friends but since the raids, I stop… I do hope that Guyanese are not target-
Calm down
Another family shared similar sentiments but is optimistic that this mass deportation exercise will calm down in the near future.
“I have been here for the past three years and have been working and paying my taxes… but that
ed while at the same time, I am sure things would calm down once the Government gets rid of the criminal elements,” the woman said.
She added that some undocumented Guyanese immigrants have their kids in school and she is hopeful that they are not affected by this immigration crack-
down.
Meanwhile, for some, they go about their regular lives such as work and run their daily errands.
“If it comes to going back to Guyana, so be it, but I will not live in fear and stay locked in my apartment… who will pay me? Who will pay the rent? Who will buy the groceries? If I am arrested in this fiasco, and is being deported, what can I do? But as of now, I will take my chances and be extra careful,” a young man told this publication.
Impact on businesses
But this exercise has not only left undocumented immigrants contemplating their next move, but also the Guyanese businesses along Liberty Avenue also called ‘Little Guyana’.
Most of the businesses have recorded a dip in sales but one owner says that his store is not only supported by Guyanese but the Latinos, Spanish and Caribbean people.
“Presently, the immigration raid is affecting us… Before, the store used to be packed but now, we hard-
ly see the Spanish and other nationals coming in to shop. At the end of the day, we have to pay our taxes and if the sales are not forthcoming, we will one day struggle to do so… Eventually, we will have to shut down,” one businessman told the Guyana Times. He has been operating his store for the past 25 years. While he has not heard of a raid along the avenue, the undocumented immigrants are fearful and as such, not coming out to shop thus affecting the businesses.
“They are fearful that if they come out, they would be arrested and eventually deported… I understand their worry but some of them, I have known for years and they are good people… no criminal records and they have never been detained… But then we have a few who are on the other side of the law… they would steal and rob… I guess we can’t have it both ways,” he lamented.
In light of this crackdown, several immigration lawyers have been encouraging persons who may be arrested by ICE and the New York Police Department (NYPD) to remain silent and request to contact an attorney. They believe that undocumented immigrants without a criminal record can be legally represented and have the right to apply for late asylum.
For illegal Guyanese, they remain hopeful that they can continue to work and provide for their families and their children can attend school without the fear of being arrested but at the same time, they remain vigilant and are monitoring the raids and which cities and areas are targeted.
Liberty Avenue in Queens, New York was desolate on a usually busy Saturday
Man wanted for allegedly kidnapping ex-girlfriend caught hiding under bed
– alleged victim takes to social media to express frustration
Two days after police issued a wanted bulletin for 31-year-old taxi driver Ronald Balgobin, officers acting on intelligence found him hiding under a bed at a residence in Land of Canaan, East Bank Demerara (EBD) around 19:00hrs on Wednesday evening.
Two other individuals at the location were also arrested for harbouring a fugitive, according to police reports.
Balgobin was wanted in connection with the alleged abduction of his ex-girlfriend, 37-year-old housewife Basmattie “Penny” Bassant, which reportedly took place on October 27, 2024, at Annandale, East Coast Demerara (ECD).
While police have not issued any details of the incident, Bassant, who has been vocal about her traumatic ordeal, took to social media to express her frustration
over what she says is a lack of justice.
“I am sharing my story with you all as I write with tears and living in fear,” she posted.
She alleged that Balgobin, along with two accomplices, kidnapped her from her home, stripping her of her dignity before taking her away.
“I was kidnapped by two African guys and my ex, Ronald Ramnarine (Balgobin)… They took me naked as I was born, just with my bath towel,” Bassant wrote.
She described a harrowing escape along the LindenSoesdyke Highway, where she spotted a police patrol.
“I screamed for help when I saw the police passing, and then he [Balgobin] let go of my hand. I ran towards the patrol like a mad woman with no underwear, no bra, just his short pants and a top, no footwear,” she
Arrested: Ronald Balgobin
recalled.
Bassant, who alleged she had previously taken out a restraining order against Balgobin, claims she has been living in fear ever since, as she believes he is capable of doing worse.
“Now if this man could plan kidnapping and bring two guys to where I lived, what else could he possibly not do?” she asked. She further alleged that
despite multiple reports to the police and even speaking with the Commissioner of Police, she has not received justice.
“To date, I can’t get any justice and continue to live in fear with every breath I take,” she wrote.
It remains unclear whether the two men who were arrested along with Balgobin were allegedly involved in the abduction.
Bassant, who claims she has lost everything and is struggling to rebuild her life, fears she could become another statistic in the growing list of domestic violence victims.
“Will I be another murder victim?” she asked in her post.
The incident has raised concerns about the handling of domestic violence and abduction reports by law enforcement, with many calling for swift action to ensure the safety of victims.
Receiving…
…our
illegals
The talk of the town’s about the certainty we’ll be taking back our citizens who’re gonna be deported from the US in the Trump-inspired move. Trump’s move will eventually see more than 11 million “undocumented” aliens being sent to their native lands. At least that’s the number being thrown around. But is it for real?? After all, the number itself is just a residual after the number of folks who show up on US censuses as being from foreign is reduced by the number that was supposed to be there legally!! But whatever the number – for instance, the one your Eyewitness saw for us is 1294 – we know we’ll be getting back some.
Now, a certain percentage of that will be those who were caught in criminal activities. “Criminal convictions” - particularly for aggravated felonies and crimes of moral turpitude —have historically been a steady and very common reason for deportation.
In 2024, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deported 271,484 non-citizens : the highest number since 2014!! Of these, 88,763 had charges or convictions for criminal activity; 3,706 were known or suspected gang members; 237 were known or suspected terrorists, and eight were human rights violators!! That’s more than onequarter of a million deported in the fag end of Sleepy Joe’s administration – of which 93,000 were criminals!! And we thought he was soft!!
In that net, some Guyanese had to have been caught and sent home; it’s just that we haven’t been reporting those numbers. Have they really been creating mayhem around the country?? Not that your Eyewitness can see, from the reports on crimes that flood our dailies. Sure, some crop up every now and then – but certainly not to talk about us being “invaded” by criminals!!
Where is your Eyewitness going with this?? Simply to say that he agrees with the VP that we should take back our own – knowing full well that some of them will be bad eggs. But ain’t they Guyanese and our sisters and brothers too?? Some will say that those aforementioned bad eggs will end up costing us a pretty penny. But over the last four DECADES, haven’t our Guyanese diaspora been the LARGEST source of foreign funds to our dear Mudland?? We’re talking about an average of US$300,000,000 ANNUALLY!! That’s more than rice and sugar brought in over those years!!
So, yes…let’s not begrudge that we will have to stretch our hands out to some of them now!! Hey…we’re doing it for all those Venezuelans pouring over our western border, aren’t we?? So, your Eyewitness is really teed-off at those alarmists who’re doing a Paul Revere, screaming, “The criminals are coming!! The Criminals are coming!!”
No! Our own who were trying to do better are returning!!
…a quid pro quo??
Well, what do you know??! Looks like there are wheels within wheels on Trump’s shakeup of the world order!! Take Mad Maduro, over in Venezuela – yes, please!! - we all assumed from the rhetoric that we were gonna have a big showdown at the OK Corral between the Madman and the Gringo, didn’t we?? We’ve all seen the movies –always ending with the madman literally biting the dust and the Gringo blowing the smoke from the mouth of his six-shooter!! Well, Gringo Trump is certainly blowing smoke from his gun, but the madman ain’t in the dust!! Instead, we see the Gringo’s representative flying down to Miraflores Palace to NEGOTIATE an arrangement that’ll satisfy the two supposed antagonists!!
Representative Grenfell returned with six Yanks who’d been accused (wink…wink!) of plotting the madman’s overthrow -and the Madman AGREED to take back ANY NUMBER of Venezuelans Trump sees fit to send back!! Did Trump intimidate Mad Maduro?? Hardly…Chevron’s still shipping 220,000 barrels of oil daily to the US!!
…tribute from the colonies?
So how are we to take the declaration that 25% tariffs will be imposed on all goods coming into the US from Canada and Mexico – with 10% on those from China?? Let’s not count our chickens, shall we??
Coalition politics for Guyana
TTeachers can use AI for lesson planning – Manickchand
...as Guyana prepares to introduce digital school
you have some people who are expert at extracting from AI what is good,” the Minister said.
here are ongoing, if sporadic, efforts within the Opposition camp to replicate the successful APNU/ AFC coalition that contested the 2015 elections. This fell apart quite acrimoniously after their 2020 defeat, but with elections scheduled within the year, they must overcome some formidable hurdles. The permutations and combinations of possible coalitions are almost infinite, but in general they form a continuum if we group them according to (a) how, why, and when they were formed; (b) whether they were intended to be permanent or not; and (c) whether the component parties remain separate or combined in structure.
What is often forgotten is that coalitions are, first and foremost, coalitions of various interests represented by the member parties. At one end of the spectrum is the “coalition of convenience”, at the other end is the “alliance”; and somewhere in between, there is the “coalition of commitment”. With APNU formed when the PNC coalesced with five “paper parties” which had no mass support, it was essentially a “coalition of convenience” to defeat the PPP. The PNC wanted to reinvent itself as a “gentler, kinder” party, and while the paper parties did not bring in much support, in exchange for seats in Parliament, their role was to provide the “cover” with a new name, APNU. Granger provided a new leader without baggage.
Apart from the GAP that emerged from the Amerindian constituency, it was not clear whose specific interests the paper parties represented even as they retained their “identities” and names under the APNU umbrella. Strains soon appeared while they were in government, and the WPA withdrew from both the governing coalition and APNU over “lack of consultations”.
APNU will now have to be reconstituted, after the paper parties staged a palace coup against the dominant PNC, but recently evidently relented without explicit agreements. The WPA remains determined to be separate while promoting the notion of an Opposition grand coalition to remove the PPP from office – ensuring at best a coalition of convenience.
The individual parties are thus stubbornly resisting the move away from the coalition of convenience’s expedient electoral focus, while ignoring the cleavages and forces that made them form separate parties in the first place. These differences would inevitably surface later – as they did between 2015 and 2020 - when policies and programmes are formulated and implemented.
Another fissiparous factor is that even though the PNC may have lost some support because of the PPP’s relentless post-2030 strategy of widening their base,there remains an overweening disproportion of size between them and the paper parties.
As PNC leader Norton stresses, they see themself as the senior member to which the smaller parties should defer; while the latter consider themselves equals due to their strategic position in potentially “tipping the balance”. Unless addressed, the cynicism that attends the birth of such coalitions of convenience ensures an early, acrimonious death – as with the coalition between the PNC and the UF in 1964. The alternative is for the smaller parties to accept the reality of obsequiously playing second fiddle, since the large will do what they can while the small suffer what they must.
Now that there are talks initiated between the Opposition parties, including the AFC, towards relaunching a coalition, they should learn from theory and their experience that they have to form a coalition of commitment, or even a true “alliance”, by addressing the major cleavages that separate them. They should aim to be permanent, and in tune with this aspiration, field a common slate and promote a common programme under a common leadership. In the past, a major problem has been the refusal to publicly accept that one of the interests that are sought to be protected is ethnic interest.
The AFC had done so by explicitly identifying ethnic leaders on the top of their slate. However, in the rebuilding phase in which they are presently enmeshed, after new leadership was elected, they have veered away from the foundational principle.
The parties all appear to be operating under what has been described as the “Iron Law of Institutions”. This posits that some “people who control institutions care first and foremost about their power within the institution rather than the power of the institution itself. Thus, they would rather the institution “fail” while they remain in power within the institution, than for the institution to “succeed” if that requires them to lose power within the institution.”
Better must come if Guyana can have the Opposition party to ensure a viable democracy.
Education Minister Priya Manickchand has announced that teachers in Guyana are allowed to use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to assist in lesson planning.
The move she noted comes as part of the Government’s broader strategy to incorporate AI into the education sector, ensuring that both students and teachers can benefit from modern technological advancements.
Speaking on Friday night during the Committee of Supply’s Consideration of Estimates and Expenditure for the 2025 Budget, Minister Manickchand emphasised that AI is an unavoidable part of modern life, and education systems must find responsible ways to integrate it.
She highlighted that a circular has been issued to teachers, formally allowing them to use AI for lesson planning. However, she acknowledged that AI is already being used in various educational capacities, including lesson delivery and assessment preparation.
“As you know, the world is currently discussing how to incorporate AI into life in a sensible way... We cannot escape it. You have some teenagers that I know that scorned the use of AI because they say it’s not credible and its plagiarism. Then
“What we have done is we have said to our teachers through a circular, that you are allowed to use AI to plan your lessons. We are aware
Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC).
A key goal of the digital school is to bridge the educational gap between students in urban centres and those in remote areas. According to Minister Manickchand, the initiative will ensure
with the entire curriculum including all textbooks and teaching materials. It will also have online tutors, AI to review assessments and generate development reports, online PTA meetings, and online extracurricular activity.
that AI is being used in various ways to deliver lessons. Shortly... a digital school is going to come on board and to... make our children more comfortable with accents used, AI is going to be incorporated into that. Our exams department has begun to use AI to test, to prepare questions. All of these things have drawbacks. Many of them are still being studied, so Guyana is taking a cautious approach,” she elaborated.
Digital School
Minister Manickchand also revealed that AI will be an integral part of President Irfaan Ali’s upcoming Digital School initiative. The digital school, soon to be launched, aims to provide every child in Guyana with free access to quality education from nursery to Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) level, aligning with both the local curriculum and international standards such as the
that high-quality teaching is accessible to all students, regardless of their location.
“That is going to be launched very soon by His Excellency. And so that school is expected to have our children beginning with fourth and fifth formers, who are expected to have access to lessons. So, we’ll no longer see – I remember Honourable Cox speaking about equity – we’ll no longer see only who could access the fancy teacher in Georgetown getting service. We will now have this same lesson available to everybody across the country,” Manickchand added.
With the imminent launch of the Digital School and the controlled implementation of AI in education, Guyana is positioning itself at the forefront of modern educational reform in the Caribbean.
Back in October 2024, President Dr Irfaan Ali disclosed that this new digital school will be equipped
Moreover, it will also cater for teaching entrepreneurial real-life skills and cultural classes, as well as an electronic nursing and accounting school, remedial education in the evenings for adults, and all the current assessments for National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) and CXC. Already, the Guyana Government has brought digital education to the local population through initiatives such as the One Guyana Digital Initiative, where more than 2,000 Guyanese are focused on front-end and back-end technology, with job placement opportunities on the completion of free training.
In addition, the Guyana Coders Initiative is targeting 150,000 Guyanese while the Guyana Coursera platform, which was launched in March 2024, now gives some 400,000 citizens free access to 6,000 courses, costing the treasury US$1.4 million annually.
Ravi Dev
Smart classroom
Education Minister Priya Manickchand
Man killed in Mocha hit-andrun; police search for driver
A56-year-old man was fatally struck in a hit-and-run accident on Friday night along the Mocha Access Road, East Bank Demerara (EBD).
The driver responsible fled the scene, leaving police to identify both vehicle and suspect.
The deceased, identified as Patrick Singh of Lot 9 Providence, EBD, suffered severe head and body injuries after being hit by the unknown motor vehicle at approximately 20:51h.
Preliminary investigations suggest Singh was either walking, standing, or lying on the southern side of the road when the vehicle, travelling west, struck him.
The driver failed to stop and render assistance, leav-
ing Singh critically injured on the roadway.
Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT) responded swiftly, but Singh was found unconscious at the
scene.
He was transported to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), where he was pronounced dead on arrival. His body is now
at the hospital’s mortuary awaiting a post-mortem examination.
Police investigators said that when they arrived at the scene around 21:00h, they found no eyewitnesses or vehicle debris to aid in identifying the suspect.
However, officers have located a nearby CCTV camera that may have captured footage of the accident. Authorities plan to review and extract the footage as soon as possible, in hopes of obtaining crucial evidence.
The incident was reported to the police at 20:55h., just minutes after it occurred. As the investigation continues, police are urging anyone with information to come forward.
Dead: Patrick Singh
4 men charged, remanded for series of armed robberies on Corentyne
Four men have been arrested, charged, and remanded to prison in connection with a series of armed robberies in the Corentyne, Berbice area.
The arrests followed an intelligence-led police operation conducted by detectives from Regional Division #6 (East Berbice-Corentyne) on Wednesday.
The accused have been identified as Jousha Beharry, also known as “Funkout,” a 24-year-old labourer from Hampshire Squatting Area; Nathanel Latchmna, known as “Nate,” a 20-yearold labourer from Lot 1 ‘A’ Hampshire; Sahil Hardin, called “Paper,” a 24-yearold porter from Lot 8 Nigg Road; and Bryan Sundatt, also known as “Adjai,” an 18-year-old labourer from Port Mourant.
On Friday, the four suspects were charged with Robbery Under Arms com-
mitted against a female victim on January 28, 2025, at Tain, Corentyne, Berbice.
The charge was laid under Section 222(c) of the Criminal Law (Offences) Act, Chapter 8:01 of the Laws of Guyana.
They appeared before Magistrate Tuanna Hardy at the Whim Magistrate’s Court, where they were not required to enter a plea. All
four accused were remanded to prison, and their case was adjourned to February 28.
Further investigations linked three of the accused— Beharry, Latchmna, and Sundatt—to another armed robbery that occurred on January 22, 2025, at Rose Hall Town, Corentyne, Berbice.
They were charged again under Section 222(c) of the
Criminal Law (Offences) Act, Chapter 8:01, and appeared before Magistrate Michelle Mathias at the Albion Magistrate’s Court on Friday, where they were not required to plead.
The trio were once again remanded to prison, with this matter also adjourned to February 28.
In addition to these charges, Beharry faced two
additional counts of Robbery Under Arms. The first charge stemmed from a robbery committed against a 39-year-old self-employed woman from Nigg Village, Corentyne, where he allegedly stole $300,000 in cash and other valuables, amounting to a total value of $1,550,000.
He again appeared at the Albion Magistrate’s Court before Magistrate Michelle
Mathias, where he was not required to enter a plea. He was remanded to prison, and this case was postponed to February 4, for report.
Beharry was also charged with robbing a 31-year-old domestic worker from Fyrish Long Dam, Corentyne. In this incident, he allegedly stole $15,000 in cash and a mobile phone valued at $41,000. He was again brought before Magistrate Mathias at the Albion Magistrate’s Court, where he was not required to plead. He was remanded to prison, with this case also set for a report on February 4. The arrests and subsequent charges mark a significant breakthrough in tackling the recent surge in armed robberies across Corentyne. Police investigations remain ongoing, with authorities working to determine whether the accused are linked to additional crimes in the region.
Remanded: Jousha Beharry, Nathanel Latchmna, Sahil Hardin and Bryan Sundatt
Govt working to upgrade domestic violence hotlines
– as gender-based violence is a concern across Guyana
As part of efforts to tackle gender-based violence across Guyana, steps have been taken to address issues affecting the Domestic Violence Hotline with the aim to improve accessibility and provide swifter support for victims and those seeking to report such cases.
The Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Vindhya Persaud made this announcement during the consideration of the Budget Estimates on Friday night, as she revealed that her Ministry has already begun upgrading existing systems to better address cases of gender-based violence.
“We are also expanding how we use ICT (Information and Communications Technology) across the country. As you know, the hinterland now, with a very good programme through the Prime Minister’s Office, where they are connecting communities at all the hubs so people can actually access information and services. Those are very important things… It is important that everyone knows, so together we can fight the cases of violence that arise, and if we don’t see it as an apolitical issue, we will not be able to do what we need to,” she said.
According to the Minister, this year the Ministry will be rolling out its WhatsApp emergency feature for its iMatter app.
“The iMatter app was the first of its kind in the region, and it was an app that was developed. It offers resources to counter violence, whether
you are in the hinterland or on the coastline. This year, we are adding a WhatsApp feature so that people, in addition to pressing the panic button on the first page of the iMatter app, can actually have that WhatsApp kind of conversation to make reports. We can offer counsel, and beyond that.”
She disclosed that they are going out into communities to notify them about survivor advocates.
Survivor Advocates could be assigned to persons who are experiencing violence in all its forms
“We are also going out into communities to let them
know about the Survivor Advocate programme, and we are going out there because the Family Violence Act is very new, and we have to ensure that whether persons are in the hinterland or on the coastline, they are aware of the measures in the Family Violence Act. If they are aware of the measures, they will understand that the Act has both a civil and a criminal component, and perpetrators will face the full force of the law.”
She added that this new piece of legislation is very tough as well.
“It’s new, and it is a very tough piece of legislation. So,
when we go into the hinterland and on the coastline, we are also doing a very novel thing…I must thank my colleague, Minister Ben, for working along with me. We were on a case, as of yesterday, that almost concluded tonight, and we are looking at how we can train the police officers, station by station, by station.”
She added that this is the plan for this year, and it will roll out very soon.
“That is the plan this year, and that plan will start very soon. We had initiated the Cops Squad initiative, and that initiative allowed a
percentage of the police force to be trained in case management, in responding to cases effectively. We also started working with women, families, and children on how they can access these services.”
According to her, those services will be going into the hinterland so that people understand their rights, how the law protects them, and what the services are that that the Ministry offers.
Meanwhile, the Minister revealed that there will be increased visits to hinterland communities, where residents will be engaged in in-
digenous languages when conducting gender-based violence sensitisation.
“It’s something we’ve been working on. It’s not 100 per cent where we want to be, but... we have done that, and we have started to do it somewhat under the domestic violence programme as well. It is very difficult to get all of the languages, but we are making every effort to do it.”
In 2024, 62 outreach programmes were conducted, and 100 are expected in 2025, including in Barakara and other indigenous communities.
Human Services and Social Security Minister Dr Vindhya Persaud
4 PSAs to be signed this year, 2 production licences to be issued – Bharrat
Government is set to sign four Production Sharing Agreements (PSA) this year, with as yet unnamed companies from the 2022 bid round, in addition to the Government’s plans for signing two production licences.
During day one of the consideration of the budget estimates on Friday, questions were raised about the 2022 bid round and the status of these contracts.
According to Natural Resources Minister Vickram Bharrat, the delay lies in the Government’s efforts to perfect the new model Production Sharing Agreement (PSA).
“The PSA that was
signed in 2016, Mr Speaker, it covers the Stabroek Block.
And I want to say to my Guyanese brothers and sisters, that the PSA covers only one block. The model PSA that we will develop, will cover all the blocks outside of Stabroek. And there are many others.”
“The Canje, the Kaieteur, the Orinduik, the Roraima, the Kanuku, the Corentyne, and now we have the new ones that were auctioned. Mr Speaker, the new fiscal terms in the PSA, as promised, will bring additional benefits to Guyanese,” Minister Bharrat said.
Bharrat explained that the benefits of the new PSA include 10 per cent royalty
and corporate tax, the lowering of the cost recovery ceiling to 65 per cent, and 50-50 profit-sharing after cost recovery.
It was also revealed that two production licences are expected to be signed this year, which will cover both oil and gas production. Meanwhile, there are four PSA’s which will be issued to successful bidders from the 2022 bid round which will be issued this year.
“With regards, the four PSA’s that the Honourable Member mentioned, that the Honourable Member is enquiring of; it is to deal with the bid round that we had. And those are the four PSA’s that will be awarded or signed, in 2025, with the companies that will be awarded those four blocks. So that is the four PSA’s that will be awarded in 2024,” he explained.
“But the four PSAs don’t mean four different PSAs. It just means four PSAs for four blocks. So, in no way, we are doing specific PSAs for a block. The PSAs for all blocks must be the same. Shallow. And all must be the same for deep. The fiscal conditions are all the same. It is just four PSAs for four new blocks that will be awarded,” he also said.
The bid round, which was
launched in December 2022, closed off in September 2023 with six companies bidding on eight of the 14 blocks offshore that were up for auction. In total, there were 14 offers made on those blocks – two deep-sea blocks and six shallow-area blocks.
While Minister Bharrat declined to name the companies that will sign the PSA with the Government this year, it is a known fact that as of October 2024, four out of the six bidders in the 2022 oil auction had already accepted new model PSA. According to a list released by the Ministry, Total Energies EP Guyana BV, in consortium with Qatar Energy International E&P LLC and Petronas E&P Overseas Ventures SDN BHD (Malaysia) – which bid for block S4 – had already accepted the PSA, and their agreement was in the final stages of review.
The oil blocks that were part of the bid round
Natural Resources Minister Vickram Bharrat
TURN
Christopher Clarke’s passion for computer science has its origins in high school, where he and a friend worked together to renovate their school’s IT lab. Today, the 27-year-old holds a doctorate in Computer Science and Engineering from the University of Michigan, and has already made meaningful contributions to Guyana’s technological landscape.
From creating innovative applications that significantly improve the efficiency of Government processes, to offering technology-based solutions and playing an instrumental role in development of the first ever AI Master’s degree programme at the University of Guyana (UG), Dr. Clarke is making a name for himself in the field of technology. And he says these are just the beginning of his contribution to advancing the local digital economy.
Dr Christopher Clarke has said he was born as the elder of two children, and
raised in a Georgetown single-parent household headed by his mother and guide Alicia Clarke, a dedicated teacher of more than 30 years. He said he grew up in a loving and nurturing environment wherein education and personal growth were strongly emphasised.
“Their (household) unwavering support has been the bedrock of my journey,” he emphasised during an inter - view with Guyana Times.
He said his child - hood was
marked by significant transitions; as he spent part of it in The Bahamas, after his mother migrated there to provide better opportunities for the family. As such, he attended several schools, both in Guyana and in The Bahamas.
“Despite the constant movement, I credit much of my development to the im-
pactful experiences I had at St. Gabriel’s Primary, Sister Mary Patricia Russell/ St. George’s, and Jos-el Educational Institute, where I graduated as Valedictorian in 2013,” Dr Clarke has said.
Disclosing that his passion for technology was ignited at Jos-el Educational Institute, he reminisced on working with his friend
Christopher Gopaul to renovate that school’s IT lab.
“We envisioned a reimagined space, pitched the idea to our principal Dr. Wil Campbell, and spent an entire summer cleaning, reloading PCs, reconfiguring networks, and redesigning the layout to facilitate active learning. This project sparked my passion for technology and laid the foundation for my future career in computing,” Dr Clarke explained.
After completing high school, he returned to Jos-el Educational Institute as a Math and IT teach-
er while he began his undergraduate studies in Computer Science at UG, marking the start of his formal journey in computing. He said he connected with Eldon Marks, a lecturer in the Computer Science Department at the University of Guyana, whose influence he described as follows: “His internet computing class and teaching style left a lasting impression on me.
“Our connection grew when I approached him, initially as a joke to encourage my peers, about an internship opportunity. That moment turned into a meaningful collaboration, leading to our work on web development projects and the eventual co-founding of organizations such as V75 Inc., Nexus Hub Inc., and TrueSelph Inc. Through these ventures, I gained hands-on experience in software development, entrepreneurship, and community building,” Dr Clarke detailed.
TURN TO PAGE 27
Clarke and his colleagues, Eldon Marks and Jason Mars
Adisastrous accident damaged the car of then Mr India Guyana contestant, Christopher Narine, just days before his debut moment was slated to take place.
However, the championship was the only thing on the young man’s mind as he championed the competition after competing in any event for the first time in his life.
Speaking to him in a recent interview, Narine exclusively disclosed his ordeal just a week before the event.
“A lot of people don’t know, but a week before this pageant, I encountered a near-fatal accident where I basically blacked out while driving and crashed. It landed me in the emergency room for like three days. At that point, it was like I felt like, you know, dropping out because I couldn’t carry on with the complications and stuff.”
The only thing that inspired the 26-year-old to continue the competition was the outstanding support he gained from his family and friends.
“I had a very strong support system. From my fellow brothers in the pageant, from my family, my girlfriend—they were all behind me telling me that this is a small inconvenience compared to what’s in store for me, and I basically pushed through and ended up with this result, which I am very grateful for,” he revealed.
According to Narine, on the day of the accident, he wasn’t feeling well and told the guys that he was taking a bit of a break, because he was at work that day.
He said he went home to get some rest and planned to come back later that night. He works in the oil and gas industry, which is a job that requires time and effort.
He left work, and while driving home, he “blacked out” completely, and accidentally hit the gas pedal, causing his vehicle to crash.
He is still receiving treatment because of his neck injuries from a severe whiplash, and also sprained his right hand.
The doctors told him that he was overworked because he was hardly getting sleep; trying to balance work, studies, and preparing for the pageant.
The accident occurred on the Saturday before the competition.
Mr India Guyana 2024
– Christopher Narine
“I spent time in the hospital, back and forth, doing MRIs and X-rays, and all sorts of stuff trying to figure out, you know, what went wrong.
Sixty-three-yearold Guyanese mu sical icon, Terry Gajraj, known for his hit song, “Guyana Baboo” is set to represent Guyana at the 30th edition of the International Chutney Monarch Competition in Trinidad on March 1, 2025. He was chosen as the wildcard performer in the competition, and will be competing against reigning monarch, Rick Ramoutar; Trinidad’s Soca King, Machel Montano, who is a first-time contender; Neval Chatelal who is return ing after a few years; and nine-time Chutney King,
be performing his newest song, “Jam Session” which is a collaboration with Mau Brothers out of Trinidad but are also based in the US.
The song was mixed and mastered by Big Rich Family in Trinidad.
“I am ready to represent Guyana 100%...I feel with my song, for its original lyrics and music, I stand a chance in winning the competition,” Gajraj stated.
He intends to bring his ‘A’ game during the competition, especially using his 50 years’ experience in the industry.
“I have over 50 years of experience in the chut ney field… in 1985 I won my first chutney compe tition in Guyana during the Mashramani celebra tions, and have since built on that to keep the Golden Arrowhead flying high. With this experience, I think, I have the leverage to do well in the competi tion,” he declared.
The Guyanese artiste, now living in New York, has performed around the world including London, New Zealand and the United States (US).
With his entry into the competition, he has made the headlines across the networks in the US, Trinidad and Guyana.
His song, ‘Jam Session’ has definitely been creat ing a stir on international and local airwaves.
However, he added that while his song is becoming popular, that alone cannot win a competition.
“To win a competition of this magnitude, espe cially with the return of Rikki, Neval, Chris Garcia and the introduc tion of Machel, it takes lots of energy, good planning and execution, and most of all, the support and spon sorship,” he noted.
Presently in the plan ning stage, he is exploring options to have Guyanese dancers accompany his performance and will soon reach out to several groups to discuss the possibility of this becoming a reality.
With respect to sponsorship, he stated, “to enter this competition is costly – sometimes it can run an artiste up to US$150,000 to have a perfect presentation with props, sound engineers and the whole works… as such, I will be soliciting sponsorship here (NY) and Guyana because, I am confident that I can do well,” he disclosed.
Gajraj, nevertheless, calls on the organisers to ensure a level playing field leading up to and on the evening of the competition.
“The judging must be fair and transparent… I will be the only
at Skinner Park. The Guyanese singer was one of the finalists at the competition back in 2011 with his entry ‘Sumatie’. And though he did not place in the final showdown, he walked away with the experience. This time around, with the same vigour and energy, he is once again honoured to represent Guyana.
Gajraj was born in Fyrish, Corentyne Berbice and is the eldest of three siblings. He taught for several years in Guyana before migrating to the US of A. In 1994, he wrote and
Budget 2025 estimates & expenditures
Over $6B in retention payments set aside for major infrastructure projects – Croal
The Government has earmarked more than $6 billion in retention payments for major infrastructure projects in 2025, as outlined by Minister of Housing and Water Collin Croal during Day One of the Committee of Supply’s Consideration of Estimates and Expenditure for the 2025 Budget
According to the Minister, the overall infrastructure budget includes $101 billion for the payment of rollover projects, new infrastructure developments for housing schemes, land acquisition, utility installation, and upgrades in existing areas.
Disaggregating the amount set aside for the retention payments as requested by Opposition Member of Parliament (MP) Annette Ferguson, Croal re-
vealed that a final payment of $3 billion will be paid to the contractors of the Schoonord-to-Crane fourlane Highway and $1 billion for the Eccles to Diamond Highway.
Additionally, $197 million has been set aside for the Great Diamond Four-Lane Expansion, $510 million for the Liliendaal Four-Lane Road and $5.359 billion for the New Demerara Harbour Bridge Four-Lane Approach
Aside from major highways, Croal explained that funds have also been set aside for continuing projects, which include the road widening and enhancement being undertaken at the Massy, Windsor Estate and Greenfield roads to the tune of $1.089 billion for final payment and retention.
“The road widening works, enhancement works that were done along Massy Road, Windsor Road, and Greenfield Road, the final
payment and retention to be paid, $1.089 billion”. “And then in the build-
ing aspect, we have the Ministry’s head office, phase two, $914 million to be paid this year and a small retention on the phase one of $197 million,” the Minister said.
Works on the $15.1 billion Schoonordto-Crane four-lane Highway in Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) commenced in 2022 when contracts to the tune of $11.8 billion were signed with eight contractors – VR Construction Inc, Avinash Contracting & Scrap Metal Inc, L-Heureuse Construction and Services Inc, GuyAmerica Construction Inc, AJM Enterprise, Vals Construction, Puran Bros Disposal Inc, and JS Guyana Inc.
This project was commissioned in August 2024
by President Dr Irfaan Ali, who outlined that this new highway, which runs in the back lands, will open up thousands of acres of land for agriculture development as well as housing developments.
Meanwhile, in 2023, the Government awarded contracts totalling $11 billion for the continuation of the new East Bank Demerara (EBD) four-lane highway from Diamond to Buzz Bee Dam, Craig.
This project is divided into 12 lots and includes the construction of more than 30 reinforced concrete bridges, 8.6 kilometres (km) of reinforced concrete highway road, and two roundabouts. Other phases include the building and widening of bridges to link New Grove to Kaneville and Grove to Good Success.
University of Guyana staff to receive 8% salary increase this year – Manickchand
The University of Guyana (UG) is set to benefit from a significant budgetary allocation that will include an 8 per cent salary increase for its staff members; a part of an ongoing effort to enhance the institution’s financial standing and the quality of education it provides.
The announcement comes on the heels of a broader Government push to improve tertiary education in
Guyana, with particular attention to UG, which was established by the late Dr Cheddi Jagan.
In the most recent Committee of Supply’s Consideration of Estimates and Expenditure for the 2025 Budget, Education Minister Priya Manickchand explained that the 8 per cent salary increase for staff is a clear indication of the Government’s recognition of the important role played by the faculty and staff at UG in shaping the country’s future.
“What I can say to you is that the PPP/C (People’s Progressive Party/Civic) Government has given to the University of Guyana, which is established by statute, everything they asked for under their recurrent budget, every single cent…So, the Government announced an 18 per cent increase. 10 per cent last year and 8 per cent this year is what is catered for here for the staff at the University of Guyana,” the Minister said.
The Minister noted that
this budgetary provision is expected to ease the financial strains on UG staff while allowing the institution to focus on its continued growth.
The sum of $13.1 billion is allocated in the 2025 National Budget to finance free tertiary education at UG. The Government of Guyana has made a historic step in education reform.
The move abolishes tuition fees and is expected to benefit more than 11,000 current students, and all incoming students at the institution.
Minister Manickchand also highlighted that the implementation of tuition-free education would require a cultural shift among students. It was emphasised that students must not take their access to education for granted, and there will be continued efforts to ensure students maintain responsibility for their academic performance, particularly in exams.
Regarding student fees, the Minister clarified
4 PSAs to be signed this...
Delcorp Inc Guyana, comprising Watad Energy and Communications Limited and Arabian Drilling Company of Saudi Arabia, which bid for block D1; and Ghana-based Cybele Energy Limited, which bid for block S7, had also accepted their PSA, which was in the final stages of review.
Lastly, the Ministry of Natural Resources had announced that the International Group Investment Inc of Nigeria, which bid for blocks S5 and S10, had accepted the PSAs for both blocks, which were being processed.
The 2016 PSA for the Stabroek Block, signed between the Exxon-Mobil-led co-venturers and the then APNU/AFC (A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change) Coalition Government for production in the oil-rich Stabroek Block, had been heavily criticised for low royalty, lack of ring-fencing provisions, and cost oil claims that saw Guyana losing billions, among other issues.
The new model PSA includes an increase of the royalty from a mere two per cent to a 10 per cent fixed rate; the imposition of a 10
that the allocation for UG also includes funding for the University of Guyana Students’ Society (UGSS), with $1,000 per student being earmarked for their activities.
“When the APNU/AFC (A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance for Change) went into office, UG’s fees went up by 35 per cent, whether we called it facilities fees or students fees or whatever it is, the student had to pay 35 per cent more. This is at a time when the APNU/ AFC was earning $90 billion
a year more in revenue than the PPP was earning when it was in office and did not raise fees,” she pointed out.
“In our request and plea to the people of the country when we went to them to say give us your confidence, give us your vote, we’re going to look after you, one of our promises was that we would forgive the debt of students who, or we’d find a pathway to write off the debt of the students who owe the University of Guyana and that we would make university education free of charge. And I’m very happy to see that as usual, before the end of the term, we are fulfilling that promise by making the University of Guyana tuition free, facilities fees free, and so the student doesn’t have to pay that,” she added.
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per cent corporate tax, and the lowering of the cost recovery ceiling to 65 per cent from the previous 75 per cent, while maintaining the retention of the 50-50 profit-sharing after cost recovery.
Back in February 2024, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo had noted that the Government is willing to consider reviewing the non-fiscal terms in the new PSA. Based on feedback received, it was said that Guyana’s new PSA is one of the toughest oil contracts in the market.
Education Minister Priya Manickchand
Housing and Water Minister Collin Croal
GGMC to take over mineral mapping after contract with US company ends – Bharrat
– company will be doing physical drilling, to also look for lithium deposits
United States (US) based company Global Venture Consulting, which is in Guyana to do an extensive mineral mapping exercise, is also training Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) staff to ensure that they can take over the mineral mapping process when the contract elapses.
This was revealed by Minister of Natural Resources Vickram Bharrat, when he was questioned on Friday by the parliamentary opposition during the perusal of the budget estimates for the Ministry of Natural Resources.
“In 2024, there is some amount of data at GGMC, so obviously the project will entail developing a dynamic data integration and modelling platform. The reconnaissance survey was done in 2024, the inception report and strategic road map was done by the company in preparation for the physical survey in 2025,” Bharrat explained.
Bharrat acknowledged the costs associated with carrying out a total mineral mapping exercise in all the mining districts. As such, he noted that they will be focusing on the four most active mining districts in Guyana.
“That is why we’ve decided that we’re going to focus primarily on four of the major mining districts in Guyana, namely the North West Mining District, the Mazaruni Mining District, the Potaro Mining District and the Puruni Mining District.”
“These mining districts contain most of the mineralisation. When we speak of updating our mineral map, it’s not only about gold. Because most of the time, we think mining is gold only. What we’ve contracted this company to do is recognise, based on the survey, all minerals that exist in Guyana,” the Minister further said.
In August of last year, the Ministry of Natural Resources had inked the mineral mapping con-
“The stakeholders engagement plan was drawn up; the environmental baseline work was done. Capacity building, of course we have a number of staff from the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission, who are being trained by the company. Because when the project is finished, it is expected that the GGMC will continue the process.”
West Berbice
tract with Global Venture Consulting. The project, which the Government hopes will be a multi-year one, will see the firm producing maps to show, among other things, where gold and other mineral deposits are located around the country.
During the launch, Global Ventures Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Emily King had stated that the project will combine traditional techniques with
businessman
modern technology, including Artificial Intelligence (AI). She had revealed that Guyana is one of the first countries to do this on a national scale.
She had also explained that detailed data maps will be created, featuring target mineral zones, across nine key areas. The Guyana Government is looking to reduce deforestation caused by miners with its mineral mapping exercise, for which
some $400 million had been allocated in Budget 2024. The first phase of the project is expected to focus on the main mining districts, such as the Mazaruni, Puruni, and the North-West District.
Meanwhile, Minister Bharrat also revealed that Global Venture Consulting will be conducting physical drilling in addition to its aeromagnetic surveys, in order to verify the mineral deposits. Bharrat also spoke
of lithium, with Guyana estimated to have deposits of this precious and sought after material. Lithium’s uses extend far beyond rechargeable batteries, but many predict that this application will dominate demand for the metal in coming years. Given the growing importance of energy metals and lithium-ion batteries, securing a consistent supply of lithium is a top priority for technology companies around the world.
“This project here, part of this project is to look to see if we have those critical minerals in Guyana. Which includes lithium. As you know, it’s a very sought after material, especially with commitments around the world moving towards renewable energy,” Bharrat explained in the National Assembly.
Back in 2017, Australian company, Greenpower Energy, and Canada-based Guyana Strategic Metals (GSM) Incorporated, had done some exploration for rare earth minerals and lithium in Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), to see if the area has enough deposits to make it profitable for mining.
allegedly beaten by road contractor
– stunned to be told matter settled after inquiring about it at DPP
AWest Coast Berbice (WCB), Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice) businessman claims that seven weeks after he was attacked and beaten by a contractor, which resulted in him suffering a fractured skull and leg, he is now being told that the matter has been settled.
Rajeshwar Arjune 38, a refrigeration technician of 116 Experiment Bath, says there is a contractor who has been upgrading a street at Experiment Bath Housing Scheme, WCB since November. According to the technician, who also runs a small grocery shop, the contractor has been blocking access to the eastern half of the street with some of his machinery.
19:30h the Clark of Works came to his home and invited him to go out to the contractor so that they can have the issue resolved.
The disagreement allegedly started after this road blocked
out for about thirty minutes.
He explained that on December 20, last he was prevented from entering his street because of the blockage, and asked the contractor when he will be moving the truck, which was parked across the street preventing access to the eastern half of the street resurfaced several months ago, and on which the contractor was not working.
According to Arjune, he
was told that the truck will be removed in about 30 minutes and he sat waiting in his car for forty minutes. He said he then got out of his car and used his phone to make a video recording of what was happening and told the contractor that he was going to send it to President Irfaan Ali.
This Arjune said resulted in a virtual confrontation. Nevertheless, he eventually used another road to get home and subsequently telephoned the Clerk of Works who is attached to the Region Five, Regional Democratic Council (RDC) who promised to come on the scene.
Arjune said at about
“When I reached there, the Clerk of Works called me aside and told me if I have any video let me delete it. I tell him that I will make another video and let Irfaan Ali see the substandard work that you all are doing. The contractor turned to me and said Irfaan Ali is [expletive] your mother. My wife told me for us to go home because they want to make trouble. While walking away the contractor threatened me two times saying that he would finish me,” he recalled.
Arjune is alleging that after a verbal confrontation between the contractor and himself, he and his wife were leaving when he was physically attacked by the contractor.
“The man rush up to me and cuff me in my head. While I am trying to defend myself, his son come from behind and punch me in my back. His son say this can't finish so, blood have to shed here. The contractor get hold of my hands and his son get a wood and lash me in my head.”
Arjune said he regained consciousness at the Fort Wellington Hospital and was told by his wife that he was
According to the technician, he underwent several tests which revealed that he had a fractured skull and leg. He now uses a crutch to move around.
The man told this publication that he contacted the female investigating police officer on several occasions and based on what he was being told he decided to visit the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
“When I went there and they called Fort Wellington Police Station they were told that the matter is settled… I never reached the man or any police besides giving the statement,” he said.
Meanwhile, Arjune says that the blocking of the street has been putting a strain on his business and since that is now his only source of income with four children to send to school, it is very difficult for him.
“We are not getting anything; water truck and grocery truck can’t come in. Every day that man is blocking the street. When he is not blocking it with the cement mixer, he is blocking it with the water truck or the trunk that he have cement on,” Arjune related.
Efforts to contact the Regional Police Commander Michael Kingston have so far proved futile.
Scenes following the contract signing with Global Venture Consulting last year
Rajeshwar Arjune
Masked gunmen rob Corentyne businessman, workers
Armed bandits attacked and robbed a Corentyne, Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne) businessman on Friday evening carrying away cash and other valuables. The men then escaped on a motorcycle.
The robbery occurred at about 19:15h on Friday at Third Street, Belvedere, Corentyne and targeted 31-year-old businessman, Ravindra Somai called ‘Buxton’.
According to police, the businessman was robbed of $400,000 cash, two gold chains valued at $800,000 along with one gold band valued at $115,000 and a Samsung cellular phone valued $120,000.
Somai related that he, along with two of his work-
ers and a friend were at his workshop that is attached to his home when two masked men, each armed with a handgun, rode into his yard. He said his school-age son, who lives with him, was able escape and hide in the workshop’s washroom.
The businessman recalled when the bandits entered his yard, he was on his phone with his parents.
“All what I see is two men running in and they tell everybody to lie on the ground and all of them go on the ground. They tell them to pass all the money and all the gold.”
The businessman said at the time he was in his hammock and one of the bandits approached him.
“He lashed me in my head with the gun and then go in
my pocket and take out my phone and money. Then they carry me inside and beat me inside again and say pass all the money,” Somai recalled.
He was reportedly threatened that he will be shot if he did not give his visitors more money.
At the time of the attack a friend was visiting Somai, and he and another worker were also robbed by the two intruders.
According to Kenny Gildarie, after being told to lie on the ground he complied and saw one of the workers emptying the pockets of one of his friend’s workers.
“I tried to hide my phone and wallet. I did hide the wallet under the table where I was lying down; there is a low table there, so I pushed
the wallet under the table and they didn’t see that. When I go to put the phone, the one guy that was searching the worker, he saw me push something under the
the table, I just pulled the phone out and gave it to him because I don’t want him to see my wallet under the table,” Gildarie revealed.
The two workers and
table and he asked me what is it. I knew that he was going to look under the table, so before he looked under
The People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) Government is currently working with the United States (US) authorities to reverse the ban on catfish exports from Guyana, and according to Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha, this process is at an advanced stage.
On Friday, the Government and Opposition sides in the National Assembly traded barbs after the Agriculture Minister was grilled about the status of this matter during the Consideration of the 2025 Budget Estimates for his Ministry.
Mustapha said the Opposition should be embarrassed to even raise this issue since it was under the former APNU+AFC (A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change) Administration that the ban was imposed.
“If I was in that member’s queue, I would’ve been ashamed to ask that
question. The APNU+AFC caused us to lose the catfish market in America.
The AFC+APNU in 2018, they received warning from the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) in the United States to get their act together and they failed, and we lost the market,” Mustapha stated in response to Shadow Agriculture Minister Vinceroy Jordan.
He added, “Now, we are working very closely with the FDA and the United States Embassy to restore that operation. And we are very close to getting it done because we are continuing to submit the documents that the people wanted. But the point is we are very close to restoring that market back to Guyana.”
The Opposition MP went onto ask, “How close are we – one month, six months, three months? Tell us how close; tell us how close the discussions are heading?”
According to the Agriculture Minister, “I will not be taking set up here
this morning. We are dealing with a foreign country… But we are continuing to make representation and we are advanced in the process and I am very optimistic that [catfish market] would be restored that the APNU lost for us.”
Over the years, there has multiple exchanges between authorities from both sides with the US Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Services (FSIS) requesting additional documentation and information from its Guyanese coun-
Georgetown.
At the time, the US diplomat revealed that the last submission by local authorities was made earlier in 2024.
“In May, they (Guyanese authorities) returned the last request for information. So, it’s kinda been going back and forth. And right now, it’s back in the US –so the ball is in our court –to review the responses we received on May 25,” the Ambassador disclosed.
The US diplomat had noted that the process to lift
terpart.
Back in August, US Ambassador to Guyana, Nicole Theriot, indicated that the process is getting close to the end.
“I know it seems like a very long time but when you’re talking about the health and safety of your citizens, you have to be incredibly careful and that’s why it’s such a long, complicated process. But I promise you, Guyana is getting close to the end and I think we will be there soon,” Ambassador Theriot stated during an interview with reporters in
the ban could well progress once those documents are reviewed.
“Once we have reviewed that if we have any additional questions, we will send that back. However, if they are satisfied then we can start the process for allowing catfish exports back into the United States. Unfortunately, I don’t have a timeline for that because it really depends on how long it takes them to go through the responses but I’m very confident we will get there,” Ambassador Theriot stated.
Since assuming of-
“The guy came back outside and told us not to move and to keep our heads down. He don’t want us to watch in his face to recognise him. He has a mask but he still don’t want us to watch in his face. I was trying to look at his face but he came up with the gun and put it on my head and said let me put my [expletive] head down. So I decided to stay humble. After both of them was dealing with “Buxton” in the house when all three of us was laying down outside on the concrete. After they got the money and the jewellery from my friend, they came and told all three of us to get up and go inside the house –both of them had guns and while we were walking going inside, I had a silver necklace and he pulled it off and hit me one lash on my shoulder for me to go in the house,” Gildarie added.
CCTV footage of the robbery shows the bandits acting with a lack of coordination and at times leaving Gildarie and the two workers alone while both of them were inside of the house with Somai.
Police are on the hunt for the two bandits, who escaped on a black and red XR motorcycle, as investigations continue.
Gildarie were told to get up and go into the house and according to Gildarie, that is when he was relieved of a chain he was wearing around his neck.
Process to reverse catfish ban in US at “advanced” stage – Mustapha
fice, the Dr Irfaan Ali-led Government has been engaging the US Government at high levels on reversing the catfish ban.
In fact, the matter was raised with former US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, during a visit to Georgetown in September 2020 and he had committed to reviewing the ban on catfish which was imposed in 2017 under the David Granger-led Administration.
It was reported back in 2023 that Guyana was awaiting a response from the US Government, having followed various stipulated requirements to lift the exportation ban on catfish.
According to the regulations, Guyana must be able to catch catfish and transport it to a processing plant while it is alive. This is in contradiction to what is being practised here, whereby the fish is caught, disembowelled and the carcass is iced until it reaches the shore.
Exporters of catfish were
required to provide documentation to verify that their inspection system was equivalent to US standards. The failure to do this resulted in the US imposing a ban on catfish imports from Guyana and other non-compliant countries.
Guyana is also required to have inspectors at the plants along with documentation of sanitation and the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) during the packaging process. It also needs to provide information on how adulterated catfish products are managed.
Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha had previously lamented that the local fishing industry has severely been affected by the ban. The wild-caught catfish, especially ‘gilbaka’, has been in great demand within the Guyanese diaspora in the US.
Prior to the ban, the catfish export industry to the US was pegged at some $1.8 billion.
Ravindra Somai
One of the bandits taking the businessman inside of the house
Men forced to lie on the ground during the robbery
Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha
Opposition MP Vinceroy Jordan
Taxi driver sentenced in absentia for assaulting police officer
A36-year-old taxi driver from the Essequibo Coast has been found guilty of multiple offences, including assaulting a police officer, resisting arrest, and disorderly behaviour.
Ravindra Baljodah, was charged under the Summary Jurisdiction Offences Act, Chapter 8:02, following an incident on June 26, 2024.
According to reports, Baljodah assaulted Lance Corporal Haman Hardat of the Anti-Crime Patrol, stationed at the Divisional Headquarters in Anna Regina.
The case was heard on Thursday at the Suddie Magistrate’s Court before Her Worship Magistrate Tamieka Clarke. Baljodah failed to appear in court, leading Magistrate Clarke to deliver her verdict in his absence.
Upon review of the evidence, the court found Baljodah guilty on all charges. He was sentenced to one month in prison for resisting a peace officer,
five months for assaulting a peace officer, and fined $10,000 for disorderly behaviour.
In default of payment, he faces an additional two weeks of imprisonment.
Following the court’s ruling, law enforcement offi-
cers arrested Baljodah, and he was placed in custody to serve his sentence.
Authorities have reiterated their commitment to upholding law and order, emphasising that attacks on law enforcement personnel will not be tolerated.
Man sentenced in absentia to 4 years in jail for 2023 unlawful wounding
A22-year-old man has been sentenced in his absence to four years in prison after being found guilty of unlawful wounding by the Suddie Magistrate’s Court.
Curt Hendricks, an unemployed labourer from Capoey Mission, Essequibo Coast, was charged under Section 50 of the Criminal Law (Offences) Act, Chapter 8:01 for unlawfully wounding Trevor Carter, a 34-year-old labourer from the same village.
The incident occurred on April 9, 2023, at Capoey Mission.
The case was heard on January 21, before Magistrate Tamieka Clarke.
Hendricks failed to appear in court, and in his absence, the Magistrate found him guilty of the charge. He was sentenced to four years in prison.
Curt remained at large for over a week following the ruling, but on Friday, he was arrested and placed in custody.
While details on the incident are still sketchy, it was reported that Carter was as-
saulted by Curt and three other men on April 9, 2023. Five months later, the suspects, including Hendricks were charged with unlawful wounding.
The other accused are Sanchus Clarke, a 25-yearold labourer; Eon James, a 28-year-old chainsaw operator; and Andy Hendricks, a 26-year-old labourer.
On a previous court appearance at the Anna Regina Magistrate’s Court, Curt, Andy Hendricks, and Eon James pleaded not guilty and
were each granted $50,000 bail.
Meanwhile, an arrest warrant was issued for Clarke, who was absent from court. The case was adjourned to October 18, 2023. It is still unclear what happened during that case.
However, despite being granted bail, Curt failed to appear for his trial, resulting in his conviction and sentencing in absentia. Authorities swiftly moved to locate him, leading to his arrest on Friday.
So far it seems normal, but they said I needed a lot of rest. Mainly my family, they were behind me, the organisers were behind me in all of this,” he said.
Despite this, he went out and put on the best show ever.
“They wanted me to see it through, which I’m so thankful for because I honestly did not expect this result. But I went out there, I put on the best show that I could, and I’m very thankful for that,” he expressed.
Before venturing into pageantry, he had already engaged in community outreach activities like clean-up campaigns and initiatives to support the less fortunate.
While these efforts were small-scale, mainly involving a few friends, it wasn’t until a conversation with a businessman in early 2024 that he fully understood the potential impact of a larger platform.
The businessman explained how a bigger stage could amplify his efforts and make a greater difference. Encouraged by both the businessman’s insight and his friends’ support, he decided to take the leap and sign up for the pageant.
He also shared the backdrop of his journey preparing for the competition, which consisted of in-depth research.
“I did my research. I looked into it, I met with the organisers, and they gave me a brief rundown of how it goes. And that’s when I decided to actually go through with it,” he disclosed.
It was his first time competing, and first-time win.
He added, “You have to give a straight answer to the pageant question. It’s more about the answer but with an emotional attachment to it because, you know, you have to really sell yourself to the judges. Actually, all the guys were really talented. It was a very good competition, and I respect those guys a lot for how they portrayed themselves. They all brought their best,” he said.
Overall, he said, it was a great decision, and the experience of hearing his name called as the winner was an emotional one.
In fact, many entities have been calling on him and inviting him to various spaces to share his message.
“It was a very good competition, very well organised by the event.”
Asked how he felt when he heard his name announced as the winner he replied,
“I don’t know, the feeling still hasn’t fully sunk in yet. It’s only been a week, but I’ve been very busy. A lot of people have been advising me, inviting me to places, wanting me to speak at their forums, and that kind of stuff.”
Narine’s current advocacy focuses on a cleaner society.
“My current advocacy that I’m pushing is a cleaner, greener environment. My message to young individuals like myself is that believing in yourself can actually take you far. Having a healthy support system also takes you far.”
Charged: Ravindra Baljodah
Curt Hendricks
FROM PAGE 21
IDB, partners commit to developing silver economy
– as Latin America, Caribbean seen ageing at faster rate than rest of world
The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), IDB Invest and IDB Lab, along with “la Caixa” Foundation and key international partners, committed to working together on a joint development agenda to address challenges and opportunities arising from the rapid ageing of societies, particularly in Latin America and the Caribbean.
In an IDB January 24 news release, the agency noted that the commitment comes as the population of Latin America and the Caribbean is ageing at a faster rate than that of any other region in the world.
The percentage of people aged 60 and older is projected to more than double, increasing from 12 per cent to 25 per cent by 2050. This growth will bring the size of this demographic to 195 million people — one in four individuals in the region.
Worldwide, the silver economy generates about $22 trillion annually, while in countries like Argentina and Colombia, it accounts for 40 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
“Latin America and the Caribbean is already the fastest-ageing region and by
the end of the century will have the highest percentage of adults aged over 60 in the world, with more than 36 per cent. Now is the time for action and for working together on an agenda and strategic alliances where both the public and private sectors meet the needs of our ageing societies, creating jobs, improving their access to financing and services, and providing them with better care,” said IDB President Ilan Goldfajn.
”la Caixa” Foundation General Manager Josep Maria Coronas noted: “The interest in the financial stability of the elderly and the dignity of old age has accompanied “la Caixa” Foundation since its founding. This commitment to the elderly continues to this day. Our Elderly programme organises numerous activities in which more than half a million older people have participated in the last year, improving their well-being
and contributing to active and healthy ageing.”
The Forum centred on the thematic areas of jobs/entrepreneurship, finance and care; fostered the exchange of cutting-edge knowledge, and discussions on innovative solutions to the challenges posed by the silver economy.
It also focused on creating business opportunities between Europe and Latin America and the Caribbean.
The partners, the release added, are committed to
working together on a common agenda, aimed at supporting projects and initiatives that better meet the needs of this growing demographic group.
The silver economy is broadly defined as all economic activities, products and services aimed at older age groups. Businesses include state-of- the- art healthcare technology, wellness products, travel and leisure for older and ageing persons.
Meanwhile, a Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) Health in the Americas country profile noted that Guyana has a relatively young population but it is ageing, and the pace of this ageing is predicted to increase.
In 1980, the proportion of Guyana's population aged 65 and older was 3.8 per cent. This proportion increased to an estimated 6.2 per cent by 2021
Just last December, the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security, launched a senior citizen engagement programme dubbed, the Golden Generation Hub, to combat isolation and celebrate the contributions of Guyana’s elderly.
It is also expected to facilitate connecting seniors with resources, opportunities and each other.
According to the Department of Public Information, the hub will feature a variety of activities to enhance their quality of life, including social engagement comprising regular movie nights, workshops, games, and group outings to help seniors connect, share stories, and form friendships.
Active ageing initiatives such as monthly yoga, tai chi, and light aerobics sessions aimed at improving flexibility, balance, and overall health, have also been introduced.
In addition, seniors will benefit from weekly sessions of mental stimulation through puzzles, memory exercises, book clubs, and brain games to promote cognitive health.
Technology literacy introductory classes on smartphones, computers, and internet use, were set to begin in January, to help seniors navigate the digital age.
Furthermore, consistent budgetary increases in old age pensions, have added to improving Guyana’s silver economy.
After completing his undergraduate studies, Dr Clarke said, he joined the UG faculty as a lecturer in Computer Science, mentoring students and advocating for the power of technology. And his journey took a transforma tive turn when he met Professor Jason Mars during Mars’s visit to UG as part of the Educational Resource Ambassadors initiative.
“Our unscripted meeting sparked a connection, as Jason, a Guyanese-American tech innovator, recognised my potential and shared insights into research opportunities abroad. With his mentorship and encouragement, I applied for, and was accepted into, the PhD pro gram in Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Michigan,” Dr Clarke detailed.
He said he delved deep er into research in HumanAI Interaction and Natural Language Processing at the University of Michigan while being surrounded by lead ing minds in technology, and consequently earned a mas ter’s degree in Computer Science and a postgraduate de gree in Entrepreneurship and Innovation, thereby equipping himself with the technical and entrepreneurial skills to drive innovation and contribute meaningfully to the tech ecosystem.
of his time to his young company, Version75 Solutions, incorporated in 2021 by Eldon Marks, Asa Brouet, Jason Mars and Christopher Clarke, and it has evolved from a small software development firm founded by Eldon
projects that showcase its expertise and commitment to innovation.
One notable project is the development of TrueSelph, a platform that delivers state-of-theart, AI-driven personalisation
supporting entrepreneurship, and creating opportunities for young people, I’ve sought to empower the next generation of technologists and change-makers.”
ration.
Specialising in software development with a focus on conversational AI technologies, V75 Inc. aims to enhance work productivity through innovative solutions,” Dr Clarke has said.
Having graduated in December 2024, Dr Christopher Clarke, says, he travels frequently between Guyana and the USA as he actively pursues opportunities to grow his companies and further contribute to national development.
He continues to dedicate much
He said the company has a team of skilled engineers, comprising 100% Guyanese, who develop applications that are utilised globally in service of a diverse range of clients; and V75 Inc. has been involved in numerous impactful
systems.
Examples of the company’s work locally include FerryPass GY, the Core Home Support and Home Improvement Subsidy App for the Ministry of Housing, and the Guyana Energy Conference Software Suite.
Dr Clarke has said, “Through my work with V75 Inc., Nexus Hub Inc., and my academic contributions, I believe I have played a role in advancing Guyana’s technology sector. By fostering innovation,
Noting that Nexus Hub Inc. in particular has been instrumental in building a collaborative ecosystem that connects tech enthusifessionals and organisations, Dr Clarke has said, “By providing training, mentorship, and resources, we have helped to bridge the gap between ambition and achievement, enabling individuals to turn their ideas into impactful solutions. This commitment to community-driven development reflects my broader vision of a thriving, tech-enabled Guyana.”
Dr Clarke explained that his journey has not been without challenges, including financial constraints and self-doubt. “One of the most significant challenges was balancing multiple responsibilities while pursuing my PhD. By prioritising time management, seeking mentorship, and staying grounded in my goals, I was able to navigate these demands and achieve meaningful progress. Each challenge has been a stepping stone, shaping me into the person I am today,” Dr Clarke expressed.
Dr Clarke has said he Envisions V75 Inc. becoming a global leader in conversational AI and software development, delivering cutting-edge solutions that redefine how businesses operate.
“We aim to expand our presence in international markets while maintaining our roots in Guyana, fostering a culture of innovation and excellence,” he said.
Dr Clarke has said he would continue to push the boundaries of AI research and development as he explores new frontiers in HumanAI Interaction and Natural Language Processing.
“I am committed to mentoring the next generation of technologists and contributing to the global discourse on AI ethics, fairness, and interaction,” he emphasised. “I want to inspire others to believe in the transformative power of technology and its ability to drive meaningful change…By championing innovation and collaboration, I hope to leave a legacy of positive impact that extends beyond the tech industry.”
Dr Clarke has a simple message for young individuals navigating their career paths: “Embrace curiosity, pursue your passions relentlessly, and never underestimate the value of resilience. The road to success isn’t always linear, it’s filled with detours, challenges and moments of doubt; but it’s in those moments that you grow the most.”
He added, “Success is not just about personal achievement; it’s about lifting others as you rise. Share your knowledge, mentor those coming after you, and always look for ways to give back to your community. As you chart your path, keep in mind that your story has the power to inspire.”
TAURUS (April 20May 20)
GEMINI (MAY 21June 20)
VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22) (March 21April 19)
Offer your services to those in need. An unusual change or choice will offer more hope and unexpected returns. Put more time and effort into domestic improvements and a healthier lifestyle
Learn how to play the game before you sign up for something overwhelming. Research and understanding will make the difference between winning and losing.
Do what makes you happy instead of letting someone guilt you into something that benefits them more than you. Revisiting old dreams will help you do what’s best for you.
(June 21July 22)
Think about your professional goals and consider your reputation. Knowing what’s available, what you can contribute and who to connect with will pay off.
LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)
SCORPIO (Oct. 24Nov. 22)
SAGITTARIUS
(Nov. 23Dec. 21)
(Jan. 20Feb. 19) (Dec. 22Jan. 19) LEO (July 23Aug. 22)
PISCES
(Feb. 20Mar. 20)
Emotions require an outlet to avoid anger. Learn from experience and put your energy into something that pleases you or makes you feel good about your contributions.
You’ll learn the most through observation. Associating with people who share your concerns and trying to make a difference will put you in good company, leading to professional and personal opportunities.
Try something new and exciting, and it will lead to a window of opportunity. Events that offer insight into unique ways to put your skills to work will change how you present yourself and your qualifications.
You’ll have plenty of options, but not all will be of equal value to you. Take the path that either allows you to use your creative imagination or is geared toward love, romance and enjoying someone’s company.
A partnership will require boundaries regarding the handling of money. Communication is the best way to eliminate poor choices, being taken advantage of and heartbreak. Protect your reputation and heart.
Collect your thoughts before you engage in a heart-to-heart talk with someone close to you. Knowing what you want and what you are willing to give will help you devise a plan that is impossible to turn down.
Count your blessings and cash, and set money aside to do something special. It’s a new day, and time to put yourself first. Create a life that excites you.
Talk to experts, find the proper protocol and pursue your goal. Being a take-charge person will help you gain respect and encourage you to follow through with your plans.
ARIES
Peanuts
Calvin and Hobbes
Pickles
AQUARIUS
CANCER
CAPRICORN
Australia Tour of Sri Lanka 2025: Test 1 of 2…
Australia brushed aside any concern over Galle’s fickle weather by steamrolling Sri Lanka’s listless batting order across two innings on day four to complete a near-flawless performance in the first Test.
After two sessions on day three were washed out, Australia’s push for a straightforward victory appeared under some threat with wet weather forecasted for later on the fourth day. But the rain held off, and Australia resumed their domination by remarkably claiming 15 wickets to seal a massive victory of an innings and 242 runs in a match that effectively lasted only nine sessions.
Such was the gulf between the sides that Australia batted 154 overs in their sole innings compared to Sri Lanka’s 106.5 overs spread over two innings. It was a brilliant performance from a new-look Australia that are without skipper Pat Cummins and are boasting a spin-heavy attack.
Everything went to plan for stand-in captain Steven Smith after he won a favourable toss, and Australia capitalised on a slow surface to post their highest ever total in Asia. Australia’s decision to reshuffle their batting order proved a masterstroke, with Josh Inglis scoring a rapid century on debut.
So, too, was the decision to select three spinners, with left-armer Matthew Kuhnemann underlining his value in the subconti nent by taking nine wick ets in the match, having made a speedy recovery from a thumb injury he sus tained in a BBL game on January 16. Australia were well pre pared, and exe cut ed
their plans with bat and ball superbly, but they came up against an inept Sri Lanka.
Matches between these teams have traditionally been highly competitive in this terrain, but Sri Lanka were completely outclassed, and would need to regroup quickly before the second Test at the same venue, starting on February 6.
With this win, Australia have retained the WarneMuralidaran Trophy.
After being forced to follow-on, having lost 5 for 9 and being bowled out for 165 in their first innings, Sri Lanka hoped to reset and muster enough fight to get them into the late afternoon, when rain was expected. But their troubles continued in their second innings against left-arm quick Mitchell Starc and offspinner Todd Murphy, both of whom had not bowled in almost 24 hours.
In the third over of their second innings, Opener
judgement and was clean bowled in not playing a shot against Murphy.
Sri Lanka had remarkably lost 7 for 15 across the two innings in little more than an hour, but Dinesh Chandimal and Angelo Mathews combined for a 69run partnership, Sri Lanka’s best of the match, to offer belated resistance.
However, disaster struck in the last over before lunch when Chandimal, on 31, gloved Lyon to short leg as Australia successfully reviewed the not-out decision.
When play resumed after the interval, the main interest was how quickly Australia could steamroll Sri Lanka.
Smith, so astute in this match, made a rare misjudgement when he decided not to review an lbw shout on Mathews, who missed an attempted reverse sweep off Nathan Lyon. Replays showed that the not-out de-
Kuhnemann, Lyon consign Sri Lanka to their biggest defeat
handers in Test cricket, after he had badly struggled up to that point, and had leaked 108 runs from 101 deliveries.
Mathews soon fell to Lyon at short leg, after failing to execute a reverse sweep, before skipper Dhananjaya de Silva and Kusal Mendis combined for a half-century partnership to prolong the inevitable.
Not for the first time in this match, Dhananjaya threw his wicket away, and the Australian victory was only a matter of time despite a maiden Test half-century from Jeffrey Vandersay, who was Sri Lanka’s best bowler in Australia’s first innings.
Lyon added a couple of wickets to finish with match figures of 7 for 135, after having had little to do during the recent series against India.
The result was swift in the end, but Australia entered the day’s play with some anxiety. There had been questions raised over whether Australia batted too long in their first innings as they posted their highest total in Asia.
Resuming their first innings at 136 for 5, Sri Lanka had found themselves with unexpected hope of surviving with a draw due to the wet weather. But they desperately needed Chandimal to kick on, after he had compiled an attractive half-century on day three. The pressure was on Chandimal and Kusal Mendis as the last recognised batters before the Smith deployed Kuhnemann and Lyon from the getgo as Chandimal unfurled the reverse sweep which he had used to good effect on the truncated day three. Sri Lanka’s batters started cautiously, with Kuhnemann extracting awkward bounce that occasionally reared off the surface, but Mendis went to his favoured sweep shot against Kuhnemann, and he whacked a boundary to raise Sri Lanka’s 150. Australia were well prepared with their tactics, and baited Mendis into the sweep shot with two fielders positioned deep square of the wicket. Mendis couldn’t contain himself, and top-edged a sweep to be well caught by a running Murphy at square
Chandimal, who had been unable to recapture his fluency from earlier in the innings; and his rearguard finally ended on 72 when he missed a reverse sweep to fall lbw to Lyon as he reviewed in vain.
Sri Lanka’s tail folded quickly, with Kuhnemann claiming his second five-wicket haul of his Test career, after his 5 for 16 against India in Indore. But he was just getting warmed up as Australia continued on their merry way to inflict on Sri Lanka their heaviest defeat in Test cricket. (Adapted from ESPNCricinfo)
The burden fell to
Matthew Kuhnemann finished with nine wickets
Usman Khawaja posing with his player-of-the-match award
Dinesh Chandimal and Angelo Mathews shared a 69-run stand for the third wicket
Jeffrey Vandersay brought up his first Test century with a six
Martin Massiah is new President of Fruta Conquerors FC
The Fruta Conquerors Football Club have proudly announced they are now under new leadership, and Martin Massiah has been elected new President following their Annual General Meeting (AGM) held on Tuesday, January 28, at the Fruta Conquerors Club House in Tucville, Georgetown.
About the new president
The 30-year-old Martin Massiah is one of the youngest active presidents of an Elite League Club of the Guyana Football Federation, and his elevation is expected to usher in a bold new era of visionary leadership and innovative progress for Fruta Conquerors FC.
Martin Massiah is a Marketing Strategy Consultant and a Member of The Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) in the UK. He currently serves as Administrator of the Generation Next Community Development Association, where he has led multiple leadership and entrepreneurship programmes.
He holds an MSc in International Business from
Hult International Business School in Boston; has studied in Dubai, London, and China; and has also been trained in strategic commercialising and marketing under the guidance of Concacaf and FIFA. His expertise in business strategy, branding, and community development would be instrumental in guiding Fruta Conquerors FC into a new era of growth and success.
Newly-elected Executive Committee
Mr. Massiah would be supported by a team of highly accomplished professionals in
diverse fields, who would each be bringing a wealth of experience and expertise to the club’s leadership. They are as follows:
1st Vice President: Mr. Mark DeFreitas – A seasoned civil engineer and businessman with a strong background in business development.
2nd Vice President: Mr. Dmitri Nicholson – Executive Director of Youth Challenge Guyana (YCG), a leading organization that is dedicated to youth development and empowerment.
Secretary: Mrs. Odessa Layne-Abrams – A dedicated
ICC Women’s U19 World Cup 2025…
social worker who is committed to community outreach and development.
Treasurer: Ms. Nzinga Maxwell – Equipment personnel for Guyana’s national football team, the Golden Jaguars, and a recognised 2017 Sport Awardee for her contributions to football administration.
Assistant Secretary / Treasurer: Lieutenant Colonel (retd) Lelon Saul –Former CEO of the Central Housing and Planning Authority (2017-2020), retired Guyana Defence Force officer, UNDP associate, and current Georgetown Councillor.
Executive Committee
Members: Mr. Junior Ramkelawan – Entrepreneur and founder of Junior’s BBQ Grill & Burgers, an established local business.
Ms. Denise Miller –Deputy Mayor of Georgetown, bringing governance experience and civic leadership.
Mr. Delon Williams –Football coach, teacher, and former Fruta Conquerors player, who has extensive experience in sports development.
This dynamic leadership team is poised to drive the club forward, strengthening its legacy as a powerhouse in Guyanese football while expanding its community impact and player development programmes.
The election of office-bearers of the Fruta Conquerors FC was conducted under the oversight of Mr. Lawrence Griffith, who served as the Elections Officer, and Ms. Shercola Exeter-Sardina of the Electoral Committee of the Guyana Football Federation.
A vision for growth and excellence
In his inaugural address as President, Mr. Massiah ex-
Spirited South Africa look to end mighty India’s dominance in final clash
With these two unbeaten sides, two stories of significant progress over two years would culminate with the final of the Under-19 Women’s T20 World Cup in Kuala Lumpur today (Sunday).
It might only be edition two, but India have asserted themselves as the team to beat in this competition. They have outclassed every team in their path to the finals, and have looked stronger than the title-winning squad in 2023 with two capped internationals under Shafali Verma.
Niki Prasad’s team have exhibited skills that might well cause them to be mistaken for a senior side: be it ball-striking and power-hitting with bat, accuracy and discipline with ball, or athleticism and catching efficiency in the field.
West Indies, Malaysia, Scotland and Bangladesh were brushed aside without sweat. Sri Lanka (in the group stage) and England (in the semi-finals) had their moments, but were unable to press the advantage across 40 overs, and India eventually prevailed comfortably.
India’s pathway to prepare for the tournament also trumps most sides, many of whom had never travelled overseas before the World Cup. They won the U-19 Women’s Asia Cup in December 2024, with all games played at the Bayumeas Oval in Kuala Lumpur, the venue for each of India’s World Cup fixtures as well as the semi-final
and final. Prior to that, two Under-19 sides played a triangular series in Pune that also featured South Africa, their opponents for the final.
That South Africa’s story in World Cups has moved from falling short of finals to falling short in finals might be considered progress in itself. Under captain Kayla Reyneke, one of seven players in the squad playing in their second edition, South Africa have shown significant progress after failing to go beyond the Super Six at home in 2023. They outclassed Australia in Friday’s semi-final, which was effectively their first experience of a full game in the tournament. Their previous wins were secured in severely reduced games, largely due to rain against New Zealand, Nigeria and Ireland, and Samoa’s 16 all out. Still, they got the job done emphatically.
After two consecutive senior women’s T20 World Cup final appearances in as many years, and just as many
heartbreaks, South Africa have set their sights on the Under-19 women’s team to bring home a first women’s title, just as India did in 2023.
In the spotlight: G Trisha and Jemma Botha
Power-hitting takes time to evolve. It’s unlikely to be seen at the women’s Under-19 level. Try telling G Trisha and Jemma Botha that. Both, in their second edition of the tournament, are now promoted to open the batting. They both also have the power game that could decide the fate of the final.
Trisha is the tournament’s leading run-scorer, and is likely to remain so regardless of what happens in the final, after striking the first hundred in the competition, against Scotland. It’s not just the 265 runs though, it’s the strike rate of 149.71 that stands out.
Botha might have been competing for similar honours had South Africa’s batters batted more than the 26.5 overs they did in the entire tournament leading up to
the semi-final. Her 37 off 24 with five fours and two sixes at a strike rate of 154 in the semi-final against Australia gave South Africa a crucial head start that proved to be decisive in what could have been a tricky chase.
Team news
Both teams are likely to stick with the same XIs from their respective semi-finals.
South Africa (probable): Jemma Botha, Simone Lourens, Kayla Reyneke (capt), Karabo Meso (wk), Fay Cowling, Mieke van Voorst, Seshnie Naidu, Luyanda Nzuza, Ashleigh van Wyk, Monalisa Legodi, Nthabiseng Nini.
Pitch and conditions: Spin to win
The Bayumeas Oval in Kuala Lumpur has two surfaces prepared with soil
pressed gratitude for the confidence placed in him, and reaffirmed his commitment to positioning Fruta Conquerors FC as the premier football club in Guyana.
His vision is focused on football excellence both on and off the pitch, with a strong emphasis on digital presence, community engagement, and youth development. He aims to create a club rooted in strong governance and adherence to FIFA and CONCACAF standards, ensuring international competitiveness.
Dedicated to cultivating a humble yet high-performing culture, he is focused on nurturing talent, instilling discipline, and fostering teamwork.
With a strong leadership team, Fruta Conquerors FC is poised for strategic growth, sustained competitive success, and long-term stability.
imported from Darwin, Australia and another two with local red soil. Matches have been played on both pitches in the tournament, with the red-soil pitches offering more turn, like the game between India and Sri Lanka. The Australian soil pitches (numbers 2 and 3) have been conducive for run-scoring and yet sporting, like pitch No. 2 was for Friday’s semi-final. Pitch No. 3 will be used for the final, and should play similarly.
Regardless of the pitch, India’s three left-arm spinners have been outstanding, having taken 35 wickets between them, including all eight in the semi-final. South Africa would need to find a way to score down the ground against them, given the success that Aayushi Shukla, Parunika Sisodia and Vaishnavi Sharma have had against batters sweeping.
South Africa’s batters are, after India, the second-best team against spin, averaging 20.3. Their spinners also accounted for six of the eight Australian wickets in the first semi-final, with Reyneke (10) leading their wicket-takers list at an average of 5.50.
While rain has been around all tournament, more so in Johor and Kuching than in Kuala Lumpur, the forecast for today’s final is clear, with temperatures reaching a high of 32 degrees Celsius and humidity around 60%.
There is a reserve day for the final. (ESPNCricinfo)
Fruta Conquerors’ new executive body is flanked by players of the club
The victorious Indian team after the semi-final
$68M Squash Doubles Court now open at National Racquet Centre
The Caribbean’s first Government-funded Squash Doubles’ Court --located at the National Racquet Center on Woolford Avenue in Georgetown -- has been opened in the Land of Many Waters on Saturday morning.
In attendance at what has been described as a historic achievement for Guyana’s Squash Association was none other than President Dr. Irfaan Ali; who, with assistance from some of the country’s junior players, conducted the official unveiling of the plaque.
During the opening ceremony, squash player Ashley Khalil declared that she views the opening of the facility as an indication of the sport’s bright future in Guyana.
“Today marks a milestone for squash in Guyana. Today we celebrate the grand opening of new squash courts. What’s most special about these courts is that squash players, for the first time in the Caribbean Region, will benefit from a doubles’ facility. Today I stand with pride as a member of the Guyana Squash Association and as a squash athlete, knowing that the future of Guyana’s Squash is taking on a new, positive appearance, it indicates that there are opportunities abound for the future of the sport in Guyana,” Khalil remarked.
Now having set sight on hosting major international squash events, GSA President David Fernandes spoke of the value of the Government’s
investment, which has amounted to some $68M. Fernandes shared, “The investment made will undoubtedly strengthen
our sports culture, bringing people together in a shared national pride, creating stars from many walks of life who will rep -
resent Guyana globally. I see myself as a leader holding the baton of sport for this moment, and I’m confident that those who come after me will find their own unique ways to provide the opportunities for you.”
He added, “I’m hopeful that the legacy we all are part of and the security of the support that we receive will allow us to continue to grow and succeed on every level: as a community, as a fraternity, as a nursery, as an academy, as a nurturing ground for elite players, and as a symbol of pride for all of us.”
Then he declared, “This facility actually positions us to be able to host international events. We had one last year. We didn’t have the seating, but everyone who came to Guyana felt very
proud of what we were able to achieve. Thanks to the Government and the Ministry. I think (that), with the accommodation being afforded us, coming in the very short horizon, that we can see ourselves maybe even hosting Junior Pan American Squash Championships in 2026.”
When he took the microphone, Guyana’s Head of State expressed elation at seeing the facility being commissioned, citing such infrastructure as a key part of Guyana’s budding sports economy. He also expressed hope that the facility would be a ‘safe space’.
“The investment is sports is part of our com
prehensive National Infrastructure Plan, and is part of our socio- economic transformation,” the President divulged. “I’m very pleased today that we can celebrate this accom -
plishment; and I hope that we can continue to build on this, and that there’s greater understanding of where we’re positioning Guyana and the build out of the sports economy that will be an important part of our transformation and our wealth creation strategy.
“Sports is essential for healthy living, but we cannot have facilities that does not support certain important components. These facilities must be safe spaces. Our athletes and families must come here and feel safe and be safe. Our public facilities and parks must be safe spaces, it must be family and community-oriented.” Further, the Head of State committed to have the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport see to the facility having air conditioning installed.
Junior Lady Jags end U17 Qualifiers campaign with 7-1 victory
Guyana’s Junior Lady Jags closed off their campaign in the CONCACAF U17 Qualifiers on Friday evening with an emphatic win against Turks and Caicos Islands.
After suffering narrow defeats in their first two games of the competition, the Junior Lady Jags rebounded with a 7-1 victory over the Turks and Caicos Islands in a match played at the Estadio Olímpico Felix Sanchez in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
The Junior Lady Jags starting XI read: captain Naomi Benjamin, goal keeper Sarah Ernest, Ella Yhip, Ayah Stewart, Elli Biffin. Alexaudria Chasles, Anaya Joseph, Devi Sookdeo, Aliyah John Avril Pasvolsky and Sydney Glean.
Alexaudria Chasles got the ball rolling for Guyana with a header that escaped the grasp of the Turks and Caicos’ goal-keeper and made its way into the nets for the first goal, in the 16th minute.
That was followed by a 20th minute strike off the boots of Devi Sookdeo, who got close to the end line and expertly slipped the ball between the goal post and keep-
er. Then Turks and Caicos’ Brianyelis Meises made it a 3-0 affair in Guyana’s favour with an own goal scored in the 22nd, after her goal keep-
er saved a shot from Sydney Glean. Anaya Joseph then netted a brace in the 24th and 41st to ensure Guyana have a 5-0 lead by half time. The
second of her brace was as magnificent as they come: shooting from almost at the half-way mark, she found the back of the net. Sookdeo chipped one over
the keeper in the 54th to complete her brace and start the second half on a bright note for Guyana. Then Naomi Benjamin found the back of the net for Guyana as she shot from way outside of the 18-yard box in the 57th minute to complete the seven.
The Junior Lady Jags’ clean sheet was then spoiled by a precise free-kick in the 71st off the boots of Amika Jackson, whose shot sailed over the head of Guyana’s keeper Ernest into the right corner of the net.
In spite of the win, Guyana’s chances of making it to the Women’s U17 World Cup are shattered, given that only the group winners and best two second placed teams would advance to the next round of the qualifiers. Guyana finished 3rd in Group C, which was won by Panama with a perfect 9 points from 3 games, followed by Cuba with 6 points. Turks and Caicos failed to secure any point in the group, having suffering 3 losses.
President Dr. Irfaan Ali during the opening ceremony
With the help of junior players, President Dr. Irfaan Ali unveiled the official plaque at the Squash Doubles’ Court Guyana’s Junior Lady Jags ended their CONCACAF U17 Qualifiers campaign on a high
