Guyana Times - Sunday, January 19, 2025

Blending ethnicity and theatre: Veteran theatre producer to host educational shows for all ethnicities P22

Nationwide coverage coverage from from the the best best news news team team in in Guyana Guyana Nationwide Issue No. 5978 guyanatimesgy.com

THE BEACON BEACON OF OF TRUTH TRUTH THE

SUNDAY, JANUARY 19, 2025

‘Budget 2025 will boost private sector investment’ – PSC Chairman See story on page 3

PRICE $140 VAT INCLUDED

WHAT'S INSIDE: Budget 2025

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$13.1 billion set aside for free university education starting in 2025 …$4.4B for expansion of GOAL programme

Govt more than doubles funding for GECOM ahead of upcoming elections 2withnabbed illegal P 23

– election agency’s allocation moves from $100M in 2024 to $237M in 2025

40 modern homes ready by 1st quarter in 2025 Page 14

...as $490M Bartica Housing Project nears completion

P24

gun, ammo in Crabwood Creek

US$237.5M P16 earned from carbon credit sales between 2022 and 2024 …$41.1B in carbon credit earnings projected for 2025

Driver, porter nabbed with 35,650 grams of ganja P24

Works ongoing on 40 three-bedroom flat houses at the Five Miles Housing in Bartica, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) (Housing and Water Ministry photos)

Central Govt collected record $437.7B …$112.8B in VAT, increase came in 2024 revenue from imported vehicle duties Significant plans Page 11

6-year-old boy Prosecution seeks court order for Calvin drowns in Brutus’s bank records Moco Moco creek Page 9

See story on page 17

to enhance national security, as $108.7B P5 budgeted to strengthen public safety, security

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SUNDAY, JANUARY 19, 2025 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

NEWS

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SUNDAY, JANUARY 19, 2025 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

BRIDGE OPENINGS

The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Sunday, January 19 – 20:30h - 22:00h and Monday, January 13 – 21:00h - 22:30h

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

‘Budget 2025 will boost private sector investment’ – PSC Chairman According to the PSC Chairman, this unprecedented level of investment stems from a strong belief in the economy and trust in the Government’s leadership.

“When you see a budget increase in size, it automatically tells investors, not just locally but internationally, that your economy is growing, it’s growing strong, it’s very robust. And most

Sunday, January 19 – 7:40h - 9:10h and Monday, January 20 – 8:10h - 9:40h

FERRY SCHEDULE

Parika and Supenaam departure times – 05:00h, 10:00h-12:00h, 16:00h, 18:30h daily

WEATHER TODAY Generally fair and sunny skies are likely to prevail over Guyana.

No significant rainfall expected.

Temperatures are expected to range between 28 to 33 degrees Celsius along the coast and 29 to 34 degrees Celsius in other areas.

get. Seeing a $1.3 trillion – it’s significant from the standpoint that the fiscal measure that’s introduced in the budget, based on what we have reviewed, will empower our citizens to improve more disposable income across a wider cross-section of society and at the same time it creates a more enabling environment for the private sector to con-

ment for the manufacturing sector and as such, the manufacturing sector is projected to grow significantly as a result of the gas and energy project when completed, bringing the energy costs down by almost 50 per cent. In addition, $88 billion injected into the energy sector. Again, it’s a good sign in the right direction,” Singh added.

High Tide: 18:46 h at a height of 2.80 meters.

The spring tide is in effect.

Chairman of the Private Sector Commission (PSC), Komal Singh

Low Tide: 12:57 h at a height of 0.87 meters.

Marine Advisory: Moderate surface winds coupled with high-energy waves will likely cause over-topping and damage to river and sea defenses in vulnerable areas. Coastal residents, fisherfolks, beach-goers, and other marine users are advised to exercise caution during this time.

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he 2025 National Budget has been hailed as a transformative step for private sector growth, with an emphasis on creating a robust and sustainable economic environment in Guyana.

Chairman of the Private Sector Commission (PSC), Komal Singh expressed confidence in the budget’s ability to drive continued private sector investment and economic development.

He made these comments on Saturday during an exclusive interview with this publication, in which, he noted that over the past four years, private sector investments outside the oil and gas industry have exceeded US$2.5 billion—a testament to growing investor confidence in the country.

“Private sector investors only put money into an economy where they feel confident,” the Chairman noted.

“The size of this budget signals a growing and robust economy, which is key to attracting both local and international investment.”

On Friday, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government presented a $1.382 trillion budget, marking the second budget in Guyana’s history to cross the trillion-dollar mark.

Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance Dr Ashni Singh, presented the 2025 budget under the theme ‘A secure, prosperous and sustainable Guyana’,

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COMMODITIES Indicators

US$ $76.05/barrel $271.44/ton $566.40/ton

Change % +2.25 +0.27 -0.56

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$2747.70 $2716.50

USD Per Ounce $2748.70 $2749.00

Change

+12.40

+0.45%

Crude Oil Rough Rice London Sugar

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223-7230-1 (Ext 55)

Artist’s preliminary impression of natural gas plant (EEPGL)

importantly, it has good investors’ confidence level,” Singh said.

A milestone budget Described as a “milestone budget,” the 2025 allocation of $1.3 trillion introduces fiscal measures aimed at increasing disposable income and fostering growth across various sectors. The PSC Chairman praised the budget for creating an enabling environment that supports sustainable economic growth.

“Budget 2025 is, for us from the private sector, is yet another milestone bud-

tinue to create more sustainable economic and sustainable economic environment for Guyana” he said.

Highlighting the importance of continued investment, the Chairman emphasised, “If the 2025 budget didn’t cater to growth across all sectors, the private sector could face significant challenges. We’re thrilled to see targeted investments in critical areas like infrastructure, healthcare, education, and energy.”

“The gas and energy project will definitely create an amenable environ-

On this point, he lauded the Government’s efforts to ensure a balanced approach to development, addressing infrastructure, housing, and utilities alongside sectoral growth.

“This budget isn’t just about growth; it’s about ensuring that growth benefits every Guyanese,” he stated.

A total of $88 billion has been set aside for expanding energy related projects, including the Gas to Energy (GtE) Project, which when it comes on stream, will deliver 300 megawatts (MW) of power.

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SUNDAY, JANUARY 19, 2025

Views Editor: Tusika Martin News Hotline: 231-8063 Editorial: 231-0544 223-7230,223-7231,231-0544, 225-7761 Marketing: 231-8064 Accounts: 225-6707 Mailing address: Queens Atlantic Industrial Estate Industrial Site, Ruimveldt, Georgetown Email: news@guyanatimesgy.com, marketing@guyanatimesgy.com

Analysing the Budget

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s far back as the 19th century, then British PM Gladstone pointed out that Budgets “are no longer affairs of arithmetic, but in a thousand ways go to the root of prosperity of individuals, the relations of classes and strength of kingdoms”. Very broadly, the objectives of a budget in a free enterprise economy fall under six headings. The various objectives of Government budget are: the reallocation of resources among the various sectors; reducing inequalities in income and wealth through redistributive policies: stabilising the economy: managing public enterprises; fostering economic growth, and reducing regional disparities.

First and foremost, a budget is literally an opportunity to see whether the Government is putting its money where its mouth is: a concrete expression of its policy priorities. Governments make all sorts of promises in policy statements and policy papers, but it is in their budgets that we see whether those policies are being implemented or whether the statements were merely Public Relations.

Of course, a budget captures Government’s income and expenditure for one year, and not all policies can be implemented within that time frame.

PPP governments have traditionally been sticklers for translating their manifestos’ policies and goals into their budgets, to make decisions in raising revenues, and spending it to satisfy the country’s competing needs. So, they should have an easier time in explaining their policy choices. Both sides of the equation ought to be examined: what revenues would be brought in, and how they would be spent. In the past, most revenues came from taxes, loans and grants, but now everyone expects that, with oil revenues flowing in, all needs can be satisfied. Are the taxes still too high, both on individuals and businesses? It is up to the Government to defend the policy choices they made, especially at this take-off stage from the poverty we have been mired in for so long.

One of the most salient criteria in our polarised society will be to determine whether the spending is equitable. There will be, of course, the usual accusations by the Opposition of the Government discriminating against their constituency, and this will be the major sticking point during the debate. But we must also look at whether there are regional and municipal variations that are meant to address differing relative poverty and deprivation levels. It is very important to examine clams about equity across all fault lines with factual evidence, and not mere perceptions and allegations. All Budgets have a redistributive function that is meant to address concerns about equity geographically, horizontally and vertically.

Contraposed against concerns about equity is to examine whether the funds are being expended efficiently; that is, to get the biggest bang for the buck. For example, were funds allocated last year spent? And if not, why? The Government has to ensure that those bottlenecks, whether in materiel or manpower, are resolved. The Government’s massive capital investment must be questioned from this perspective. However, we must not sacrifice bureaucratic efficiency for equitable goals, since the function of all budgets is to improve the lives of the people.

Then there is the question of effectiveness: Is the spending in sync with our national policy priorities? Or are they being frittered away on boondoggles? There will always be disagreement on specific issues or policies, but the test must be that the country would benefit. For instance, all Guyanese would agree that high-cost electricity has been a major constraint on our manufacturing expansion. Is the spending on the Gas-to-Shore project the most effective path to solve this challenge? Are there alternatives in view of availability of the gas in terms of timing in lowering electricity costs? Infrastructure has also been a major constraint to business and citizens. Is this also been addressed satisfactorily, accepting that there is no magic wand to have everything done immediately? In Guyana, transparency in the decision-making process on utilizing revenue and matching them to spending has always been a bugbear. Questions about consultations with as wide a swathe of stakeholders as possible must be made.

Celebrating Ms Zorie De Mattos’s 110th Birthday. She was born on January 17, 1915 in Hand-en-Veldt, Mahaica. According to the Human Services Ministry, she has been living at the Palms Home for the Elderly; and at the age of 105, in 2020, she faced and overcame COVID-19, making a full recovery within three weeks (Human Services Ministry photo)

Rowley going, but not gone

By Winford James

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mid the clamorous silence from his parliamentary colleagues on who should succeed him as both Prime Minister of the country and political leader of the PNM, Dr Keith Rowley is seeking to ride out into the sunset to - by his admission, and not my presumptuousness - be with his family. He tells us that it has been 45 years now, and so it is time – after tying up some ends, among them Caricom matters that require his physical presence in Barbados in his capacity as Chair.

But there are domestic matters he has chosen to arrange for a conclusion that is as stress-free as possible; namely, prime ministerial succession, new political leadership of his party, and screening of candidates for some positions.

As I write this column on Friday, January 10, 2025, he is still Prime Minister and political leader, and there are looming parliamentary elections to be won. And there is a close partial conclusion to the problem of selection of a new Prime Minister – provided by a private PNM parliamentary caucus which voted 11 to 9, and with Rowley declining the option to vote -- that Stuart Young (winner over Pennelope Beckles) should be the undisputed candidate for parliamentary

endorsement and presidential appointment as Prime Minister.

And I wonder why the goodly doctor has waited until age 75 to make time for his family. Does he consider, for example, that he has enough time left to watch, monitor, and guide the growth and development of those wonderful grandchildren? And will he be able to enjoy the millions of dollars he has earned and accumulated over those too-long years?

I hope so; and I ask him to forgive my presumptuousness, in some respects here, for the missed moments with wifey; for the magic of the grands; for the ease of travel on his own time and choice to the world’s exotic places; and perhaps for the necessity of writing his memoirs.

Outside of his politics, which he knows I have not been impressed with, we’ve been good with each other.

He was the second of three head boys who supervised me at Bishop’s High, the other two being eminent Senior Counsel Russell Martineau and fellow language student Selwyn Pilgrim. We belonged to the Literary and Debating Society, where we debated each other on the issues of the day with fire, enthusiasm and not a little naïveté. And if you agree with me that this man handles English like a master, constructing thoughts and

messages without the benefit of flash cards and the like, then the society is in large measure responsible.

We were poor in relation to what our parents’ meagre incomes could buy, though not in terms of the fruits and provisions produced by our village grounds and rivers, but we were reared to be content. So, he (not me, since my father was a shoemaker, heh! Heh!) sometimes wore laughing shoes; shoes whose soles had in part parted company with the top, and so licked the ground as he walked to and fro, making him a laughing stock.

One thing I shall never forget is his intervention, when he was a student at Mona, to have Pro Vice-Chancellor Robinson (I think) contact me to ask if I was interested in taking a Bowles Scholarship. I was, but as a postgraduate student, since I already had an undergraduate degree via a government scholarship. The Bowles was not for graduate scholarship, however, but Rowley’s effort was appreciated; still is, in fact.

But, as noted above, I didn’t care for Rowley’s politics. I note that he has said, in reflection on his political life, that he is especially happy in particular with making Point Lisas the gateway to the world for Venezuela gas; with the cross-border initiative; with the youth development plan in the Ministry of Youth

Development; with his ability to attract young people into a life in politics and government; and to oversee their development therein.

I applaud these initiatives, especially the latter. I know the feeling, especially since I have been a teacher all of my adult life.

But while I extend kudos, I deplore his failure to give Tobago the model of autonomy the island has been clamouring so long for. He seems to think it is not his to give, but I disagree, since, in the last nine years, he has been the alpha politician getting relevant bills developed, presented to the public, discussed, parked, resurrected, voted for, and rejected. It is clear that he has been using the wrong politics.

In the matter of the change of prime minister and political leader, even PNM people say he is so intoxicated with power that he has erred badly, and one of their most damning charges is that he is causing them to resent him as he goes about performing his last rites.

(T&T Guardian) (Winford James is a retired UWI lecturer who has been analysing issues in education, language, development, and politics in T&T and the wider Caribbean on radio and TV since the 1970s. He has also written thousands of columns for all the major newspapers in the country.)

SUNDAY, JANUARY 19, 2025

guyanatimesgy.com

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News

Significant plans to enhance national security as $108.7B budgeted to strengthen public safety, security

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n his national budget presentation on Friday, Dr Ashni Singh, Senior Minister in the Office of the President with Responsibility for Finance and Public Service, outlined the Government’s significant plans for enhancing national security in 2025, with $108.7 billion allocated to strengthen public safety and security in 2025.

This includes the funding for the police, prison service, fire service, and various infrastructure and technology upgrades aimed at making Guyana a safer place for all its citizens.

The Government has allocated substantial funds aimed at modernising the Guyana Police Force (GPF), improving the prison system, and upgrading the Guyana Fire Service (GFS).

Regarding the GPF, Dr Singh announced an allocation of $34.4 billion in 2025 to continue strengthening the capacity of law enforcement across the country.

A key focus will be improving infrastructure and expanding the police’s ability to respond to crime more effectively.

Dr Singh stated that since 2020, the Government has worked to address the state of disrepair they found in the GPF in this regard, citing “woefully inadequate equipment, shortage of vehicles, especially for crime fighting purposes, and limited use of technology for investigation and intelligence gathering.”

Policing and infrastructure enhancements Addressing these gaps, the Government has already embarked on multiple projects to modernise the force.

The funding for 2025 will go towards a variety of initiatives, including the construction of new police stations and outposts; and the continuation of the develop-

ment of the state-of-the-art Brickdam Police Station.

Dr Singh stated that “$1.7 billion has been allocated towards the construction of the Brickdam Police Station.” A cornerstone project that will enhance the force’s ability to operate in the capital.

Addressing traffic management, safety, and crime In addition to infrastructure, Dr Singh outlined significant investments in technology to address traffic management and safety; and crime Dr Singh pointed to the Government’s ongoing efforts to modernise the country’s traffic management systems.

He noted the importance of technology in traffic enforcement, with a focus on the continued implementation of the amendment act aimed at improving efficiency.

The use of intelligent technology for traffic monitoring is seen as a critical component in managing traffic flow and ensuring safer roads across Guyana.

As part of the Government’s push to modernise policing, $6.2 billion is allocated for the continuation of the Safe Country Initiative, which is designed to improve crime detection and prevention through technology.

Dr Singh highlighted that the initiative had already seen the completion of over 400 Intelligent Video Surveillance (IVS) sites across Regions Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, and 10, with 320 additional IVS sites planned for 2025.

GPF mobility and response time will also see improvement, with a $2 billion allocation aimed at expanding the fleet of vehicles available to law enforcement. This includes the acquisition of new cars, mo-

Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh

torcycles, all-terrain vehicles, and boats.

Dr Singh emphasised the importance of these upgrades during his presentation, stating that Government has acquired “...169 motorcycles, 163 pickups, 104 other vehicles, inclusive of cars, buses, and trucks, and 41 all-terrain vehicles.”

Community policing and crime prevention

Dr Singh also pointed to the Government’s success in fostering a stronger relationship between law enforcement and local communities, stating, “We have revitalised the work of community policing groups by focusing on building trust between law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve.”

Since 2020, 445 community policing groups have been formed, with a total membership of over 8,300 people. In 2024, $125.1 million was spent to establish 44 new groups, and in 2025, the Government plans to invest $156.6 million to form an additional 45 groups.

Investments in the prison and fire services Focusing on the prison system, Dr Singh highlighted the Government’s efforts to reform and upgrade correctional facilities.

He pointed out that when the current administration assumed office, the prison system was “lacking effective management and key strategic infrastructural investments.”

To address these deficiencies, the Government has since invested heavily

in improving infrastructure, especially at the Lusignan and Mazaruni prisons.

In 2025, $6.2 billion has been allocated to further improve the system, focusing on physical upgrades and expanding rehabilitation programmes.

Dr Singh noted that “over 4,000 inmates have been trained in various disciplines” since 2020, with 1,600 more inmates set to benefit from academic, vocational, and behavioural training programmes in 2025.

The allocation also covers the continued training of prison officers, with $140.2 million budgeted for the development of their skills.

The GFS will also see a boost in funding, with $30 million set aside in 2025 for training 400 new recruits and emergency technicians.

Dr Singh emphasised the importance of investing in the GFS capacity, stating,

“Efforts were made to expand the GFS’s capacity and adequately boost firefighting operations.”

Over the past four years, the Government has completed fire stations at key locations, including Eccles, Ogle, and Leonora.

In 2025, the GFS will receive funding for additional fire stations at locations such as Charity, Onderneeming, Parika, and Soesdyke, as well as new firefighting vehicles.

In total, Dr Singh confirmed that the Government has allocated over $100 billion to advance the security sector in 2025.

The Minister concluded by saying, “These investments are essential for ensuring that our security agencies are fully equipped to meet the evolving challenges of law enforcement, crime prevention, and public safety.”

SUNDAY, JANUARY 19, 2025 06:00 07:00 08:00 08:30 09:30 10:30 11:00 11:30 14:30 17:30 18:00 18:30 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 00:00

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SUNDAY, JANUARY 19, 2025 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

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SPECIFIC CONSIDERATIONS RELATIVE TO THE ACQUISITION/ADOPTION OF A DOG AS A PET

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s promised, let us this week look at some specific considerations associated with choosing a dog as your companion animal. These are crucial issues to ensure that you have covered all the possible consequences of pet ownership and not be forced to return it - or worse, that you get rid of your newly acquired pet in a way that, shall we say, is inimical to its interests.

Consideration #1: SIZE/ SPACE

Should you choose a large dog or a small dog? All puppies are relatively small, and you may not be aware of the potential of the puppy you selected from the Shelter to grow into a huge dog. There is a pearl of conventional wisdom that dictates that you look at the dog’s paws. If they are big, the dog will be big. I tend to advise that you look at the parents of the pup. When that pup grows up it is unlikely that it would be much larger than its father if it’s a male, or larger than the mother, if is a female. If uncertain, consult your veterinarian or a certified breeder. If the dog is a pure breed, then your job is simple. The dog will grow all things being equal - health, nutrition, medication, etc.) to the size that is standard for that breed.

Size is also an important consideration according to the home in which you live.

It would not make too much sense under our local conditions to keep a large dog indoors. (One wonders whether this would be sensible under any condition). If we are going to keep a canine companion ani- m a l indoors in a small

house, then let’s look for a small dog. Large dogs would need yard space with sturdy and high fences. Males, scenting females in heat, would go over, under and through weak, symbolic fences.

Please remember that dogs need to run around freely. It is cruelty to an animal if it is

tied to one spot for long periods of time. It is also illegal.

Consideration #2: TIME

Do you have enough time to exercise your dog (playing with it, taking it for walks, etc.)? Do you have the time (and patience) to groom your canine ward, and perhaps manually ex-

tract ticks and fleas from its coat? What about the time needed to take your pet to the vet for its immunization and dewormings? Will you spend some time daily training your pet?

Consideration #3: COST

In choosing a dog as your pet, you should think of the cost associated with its c a r e .

Feed costs can be high, especially with large dogs.

A very large active dog may require between eight and ten pounds of dry feed daily.

Then there are the veterinary costs, e.g. vaccinations, dewormings, anti-ectoparasitic and skin treatments. If it is a female you may wish to spay her (removal of the ovaries and womb so that she will not continue to present you, during the mating season, with her beaus and litter after unwanted litter. You may also wish to consider neutering your male canine pet (removal of the testicles).

Consideration #4: DOMESTIC EXPECTATIONS

If you have a lot (or even one) of young energetic children in the home, can you condition them away from the belief that their new furry friend is not a bouncing ball? Have you chosen a puppy that can tolerate some rough play? And if you have chosen an adorable fun-ball, can you accept (with equanimity) its

not-so-adorable “bad” habits and general mischief. Do you have the necessary patience? Is the entire family desirous of the furry addition to the household?

You must know whether you would prefer a vivacious ball of energy or a dog with a more relaxed temperament.

Consideration #5: HEALTH

When you are choosing your puppy from the litter, it would be advisable to select a puppy thvbvat has clear alert eyes and a cool moist nose. Ideally, the puppy should be energetic and lively, demonstrating significant vitality. It must not show signs of lethargy, slinking away from approaching humans and tending to hide itself in a secluded spot. The coat must be soft, smooth and glossy. In the area of the anus, there should be no signs of diarrhoea (pasted hair, discolouration) etc. Bones (ribs, pelvic bones) should not be visible, and the legs should not show sign of rickets (bowed or X-shaped legs).

There should be no watery or purulent discharge from the nostrils or eyes. A good rule-of-thumb is to throw a bundle of keys (or anything that makes some unaccustomed noise) into the middle of the litter. Consider taking one of those puppies that immediately investigate the keys and not one of those which shrieks and runs away.

Consideration #6: RELIGION

The column has no interest in getting in a debate about belief fixations.

Similarly, we do not wish to provoke dissent within a family group. However, I am advised that some religious tenets forbid dogs from being inside a house. I suppose hygiene is the primary issue. Next week we will discuss the pros and cons of keeping a dog in the house or in a kennel outside.

NEWS

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SUNDAY, JANUARY 19, 2025 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

1st time local agriculture budget tops $100 billion mark

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shni Singh, Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, on Friday announced that $104.6 billion has been allocated to the agriculture sector, the highest budgetary allocation for the sector to date.

Delivering the country’s 2025 national budget under the theme, ‘A secure, prosperous and sustainable Guyana’, he noted that the measures will see the agriculture sector continuing to grow in 2025.

This is expected to realise further development of agriculture, which plays a major role in Guyana’s food security.

The fisheries, vegetables, other crops, fruits, coconut, livestock and rice are all showed significant improvements for 2024, though sugar did not support the overall growth in the industry during 2024.

On the international market, the price of sugar fell by 3 per cent but is expected to rise by 2 per cent in 2025, while rice prices are expected to decline by 8.5 per cent.

In 2024, sugar production is estimated to have declined by 21.8 per cent, with Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) producing 47,103 tonnes The Minister attributed the poor performance of the sector to El Niño, and a shortage of labour, which affected the industry yearround.

This year, a further 3,000

acres will be converted to further support GuySuCo’s mechanisation programme.

“Key investments will be made to acquire additional field equipment, rehabilitate field infrastructure and construct over 17 kilometres (km) of all-weather roads across the industry. To this end $13.3 billion is budgeted to continue to rehabilitate and support the sugar industry,” Dr Singh said at the budget presentation.

While the rice sector grew by 9.3 per cent last year, he also disclosed that the sector was not spared the callousness of the previous administration when it was in office between 2015, and 2020.

“They boldly proclaimed that rice is private business and therefore not the concern of Government,” he pointed out.

He said too that the sector responded favourably to those harsh measures since 2020.

“We constructed a drying floor and a screening house, developed climate smart rice varieties, we increased investment in pest resistantbio fortified and high yielding varieties of rice. We supported the development of value-added products and expanded export markets.”

Additionally, more than 2,000 farmers were trained in rice crop husbandry.

The Government also distributed fertiliser directly to farmers, at a cost of $3.8 billion.

“In 2025 our investments will include improvements to the storage facility

at Number 56 Village on the Corentyne, to improve storage capacity,” he announced.

According to Minister Singh, $420 million has been allocated in the 2025, budget for the rice sector.

“The GRDB [Guyana Rice Development Board] reported that 700,282 metric tonnes of rice were produced in 2025, compared with 653,706 tonnes in 2023. This performance can be attributed to better yields which improved to 6.6 tonnes per hectares in 2024 from 6.3 tonnes the year before with some rice producing regions averaging above 7 metric tonnes per hectare,” he declared.

There has been a 10.9 per cent growth in the other crops sub-sector with expansion observed across major crop categories.

“Particularly substantial growth was noticed in the production of vegetables, fruits, root crops, cereals, coconut and spices, - largely on account of increased acreage,” the Minister explained.

Coconut production is poised to become a major player in Guyana’s export market.

Cultivation of coconuts has been expanded from 17,100 acres to 32,556 acres with more than 280 farmers involved.

Over 50,000 nuts were provided to farmers last year.

This year, $116 million has been budgeted specifically to promote coconut production.

There was also significant growth in the produc-

tion of spices – ginger, turmeric, black pepper and nutmeg. Over 100,000 kg of planting material was distributed to farmers over the past four years with 28,000 being distributed last year.

There were also significant investments in the non-traditional crops, including corn and soya beans, citrus, spices and high value crops.

In 2024, there were eight new investors taking up the production of soya up from the initial two investors in 2023.

“There was notable growth for corn and soya production with an estimated growth of an estimated 154.8 per cent and 129.2 per cent

Meanwhile, local livestock industry is estimated to have grown by 24.6 per cent. Growth was observed across all subcategories.

Based on the latest estimates, the production of poultry grew by 31 per cent, beef by 35 per cent with the production of eggs and milk also showing significant growth.

“The notable increase in poultry production can be attributed to a reduction in mortality rates following vaccination against the virtual diseases affecting chickens, county wide distribution of baby chicks and the acceleration of GLDA’s (Guyana Livestock Development Authority) breeding pro-

expanded by 13.7 per cent in 2024, with growth of 19.1 per cent in the production of Brackish Water Shrimp,” he said.

Among the projects set for this year is the establishment of a shrimp hatchery. The sector will receive $1.3 billion, as against $1.1 billion last year.

Meanwhile, there was also an increase in lending to the private sector for investment. Lending directly to the agriculture sector showed an 18 per cent increase. Most of that money was borrowed by rice farmers and persons in inland shrimp production.

Minister Singh noted that since the Peoples Progressive Party (PPP) took

respectively, he revealed, which he attributed to the increased investment being made in the sub-sector.

He also said that, the Government will “continue to partner with the private sector in an effort to achieve self-sufficiency in soya production by the end of the year.”

To date, the private sector has cultivated 22,000 acres of corn and soya beans.

“Beyond 2025, Guyana will become closer to becoming a net exporter of soya to the Caribbean; moving from producing none to meeting our domestic requirements and exporting to CARICOM,” Dr Singh disclosed.

gramme,” the Minister added.

The department will get $1.6 billion to further advance its agenda this year.

Meanwhile, there was an estimated one per cent growth in the fishing industry in 2024.

Shrimp production increased by 8.5 per cent, outweighing a two per cent contraction in fish production.

“While improvements were seen in fin-fish production, there was a contraction in the production of red snapper. At the same time, we continue to see the results of our interventions in aquaculture, and it is estimated that aquaculture production

office in 2020, lending to the private sector grew by over 73.4 per cent compared with a growth of 18.2 during the previous five years.

Meanwhile, some 200 shade houses were constructed in 2024, to assist with the further development of the agriculture sector, which has benefited 90 farmers and 67 farmer’s groups. Since taking office in 2020, over 600 shade houses were constructed by the agriculture Ministry.

“To ensure that these and other initiatives continue, $524 million were budgeted in 2024, and a further $800 million is budgeted in 2025,” he announced.

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Ruminating…

Y

…on matters national

our Eyewitness considers the days following a Budget presentation as akin to the proverbial calm before the storm. Not the actual Budget presentation, mind you – that’s sooo calm as to be soporific – as your Eyewitness can attest from the number of MPs he saw deploying all sortsa subterfuges not to appear to be falling asleep!! Toothpicks keeping eyelids open??!! No – this calm will be the massing of the Opposition troops to gird up their loins to repel the charge of the PPP -armed as they are, with money in the coffers never seen in the history of our country. Oil has at last created what one (old) wag dubbed in a paroxysm of creative death – Oildorado!!

Now, your Eyewitness ain’t gonna get into no specifics, but his first question is: how long the Opposition gonna get to complete their loin-girding! Usually, it’s a week to do their research and prepare their speeches, and decide who’s gonna play the bad cop and who the good cop!! But with this being an elections’ year, your Eyewitness strongly suspects there ain’t gonna be too many good cops!! Save the couple who’ve already signalled they’re making goo-goo eyes at the PPP!! And, as has been the case with one who’s already taken holy vows – even though not an MP – we’re assured that no “inducement” is being offered!! Just the thrill of donning that hot red T-Shirt in public, eh?!!

But the Speaker has signalled that since the Parliamentary Rules allow him to allow a break of “two working days”, there’s a possibility that our loyal Opposition might have to file into the not-so-hallowed halls of the Convention Center to start their performances on Wednesday!! One high ranking PNC MP has already indicated that two days ain’t enough – especially for the “consultations” they gotta arrange!! They’re democratic, innit? This, he charged, “clearly shows that the PPP’s interest lies in control and domination to push through their agenda with their oneseat majority”!! But if push comes to shove, the Opposition’s gonna be there!

Now, really!! What new initiative could the PPP possibly introduce for which the Opposition shouldn’t be prepared to counter?? On the “sharing out the goodies” front – which is always de rigueur before elections!- they’ve already released numbers that scream,“Whatever you can give away we can give away better, and MORE!!” Of course, the smaller the particular party is, the bigger the offer they’ll make to get noticed. What’s the name of that bunch that wanna give every $1MILLION a pop??

But while it’ll make for good theatre – your Eyewitness already has his popcorn ready!! – we know the PPP’s got this one locked up, don’t we??

Gotta balance giveaways with investment for the future!! …on our numbers We’re one of those rare developing countries on Planet Earth where the population hasn’t grown in decades.

Normally, this phenomenon affects the rich countries, where the married – or unmarried! – couples don’t make the requisite two children to replace themselves on the population sweepstakes!! In our case, however, we’ve achieved that parlous state through our people abandoning our fair Mudland for climes up north!!

Anyhow, we completed a census two years ago, and one Opposition party’s questioning why the numbers ain’t out yet!! They suspect PPP hanky-panky for elections rigging.

Soon they’ll blame the PPP for sunspots!! The first census was the English Domesday Book of 1086, compiled for tax purposes. The name’s from old English -after God’s final Day of Judgement - when every soul would be assessed, and against which there could be no appeal.

Guess the Opposition fears the PPP’s win gonna be so comprehensive that there will be no coming back for them!!

Ever.

But we need an (effective and responsible) Opposition, don’t we?? …on meta goals Back in his first term, the Modi Govt. offered a slogan for its mission: Reform, Perform and Transform. Pointing out that nothing’s gonna happen until the “perform” in the centre holds, everything falls apart – they’re succeeding!!

The views expressed in this column are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Guyana Times’ editorial policy and stance

Readers are invited to send their comments by email to eye@guyanatimesgy.com

9 Prosecution seeks court order for Brutus’s bank records NEWS

SUNDAY, JANUARY 19, 2025 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

The court imposed an additional $10.05 million in bail, bringing the cumulative bail amount to $16.25 million.

The charges stem from a SOCU investigation into alleged financial crimes in-

Embattled Assistant Police Commissioner Calvin Brutus

P

rosecutor David Brathwaite has submitted an application under Section 12 of the Evidence Act, requesting a banker’s book order, to obtain copies of financial documents from one of Assistant Police Commissioner Calvin Brutus’ accounts.

Brutus is currently facing over 250 criminal charges, and appeared before Acting Chief Magistrate Faith McGusty on Friday, as prosecutors sought access to his Demerara Bank account records.

The prosecution argued that the information is critical to proving elements of the financial crimes for which Brutus has been charged, noting that such an order is routine in these types of cases.

Defence attorneys Dominick Bess and Eusi Anderson, strongly opposed the application.

Bess argued that the prosecution’s interpretation of the Evidence Act was flawed, claiming that the requested documents do not fall within the Act’s definition of a banker’s book, which traditionally includes items like checks.

Anderson presented a letter in court that he claimed was from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and addressed to the head of the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU), which he said concluded that a suspicious transaction report (STR) generated by Brutus’ financial activities, did not meet the threshold for criminal charges.

He said the STR was submitted by the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU).

He contended that the State’s failure to act on the DPP’s decision invalidated their current application.

“This application forces the court to improperly assist the prosecution in their pursuit of evidence they never had to begin with,” he stated.

He accused SOCU of fishing for evidence where none existed, and described the application as “embarrassing” and “dead on arrival.”

Anderson urged the court to reject the request, warning that approving the application could set a precedent for misuse of the court’s authority.

Prosecutor David Brathwaite then dismissed

the defence reliance on the DPP’s letter, asserting that the correspondence was irrelevant to the matter at hand.

Brathwaite argued that the DPP’s findings were specific to earlier allegations and did not preclude the State from pursuing additional financial records to strengthen its case.

He also presented precedents where the courts granted similar applications after charges had been filed, emphasising that such orders are neither unusual nor improper.

Brathwaite stressed the importance of obtaining the records, to ensure justice is served in a matter involving millions of dollars in alleged financial misconduct.

The defence argued that the letter was central to their opposition, while the prosecution maintained that it pertained to separate circumstances.

Meanwhile, Anderson added that the account in question is Brutus’ salary account and not one of the frozen accounts previously linked to the case.

In response, Prosecutor Brathwaite further defended the application, asserting that the requested documents were relevant to the case.

He dismissed the defence’s objections as attempts to derail the investigation.

Magistrate McGusty did not rule on the application but scheduled the next session for January 31, at 11:00h.

The court instructed the prosecution to provide specific details about the account in question in the next session, and for both sides to submit authorities.

The legal proceedings against Assistant Police Commissioner Calvin Brutus began in October 2024, when he was initially charged with 30 financial crimes, including misconduct in public office, larceny as a public officer, and money laundering.

He was granted bail totalling $6.2 million, during his appearance at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court.

In November 2024, Brutus faced an additional 201 charges related to liability of an official, bringing the total number of charges to 231.

volving hundreds of millions of dollars linked to the Guyana Police Force (GPF).

SOCU acted following legal advice from the DPP. In December 2024, SOCU filed an application to have Brutus’ bail revoked,

alleging a breach of his bail conditions. However, SOCU withdrew the application later that month without providing a reason.

In January 2025, Brutus’ wife, Adonika Aulder, appeared before Magistrate

McGusty via Zoom following concerns over her failure to return to Guyana within the stipulated time after travelling abroad for medical purposes.

Brutus has steadfastly maintained his innocence.

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NEWS

11

SUNDAY, JANUARY 19, 2025 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Central Govt collected record $437.7B in 2024 revenue

…$112.8B in VAT, increase came from imported vehicle duties

Decolonising T Cuisine: Seven Curry

A

s is usual with almost any discussion in Guyana, the debate over “Seven Curry” has less to do with gastronomy than with politics. Frankly, as one who has been writing about the historical peripheralization of Indian culture in Guyana – including its gustatory aspects – ever since my foray into Ravi Dev “town” to write “A Levels” at Indian Education Trust College over fifty years ago, when my lunch of “roti-and-aloo choka wrap” was derided by some non-Indians, I was quite proud of President Ali when he rolled out “Seven Curry” at official state functions.At long last, not only were the beloved IndianGuyanese foods brought out of the closet, but also the only way to enjoy them: by “sanaying” (mixing with fingers) to ensure the complex, complementary flavours titillated one’s taste buds. All left now is to “chatay” (to lick) the fingers to show appreciation to the hosts for their “finger-licking” feast!

The discussion raises several issues in relation to President Ali’s comments on “Seven Curry”, which, according to one interlocutor, “have caused significant distress within the IndoGuyanese Hindu community”. The first issue was Pres Ali’s claim that “ghee was unavailable to Hindus, implying they cooked their food primarily with water”, which “lacks historical accuracy”.

I address this issue because it relates to the larger question of identity in a hegemonized, post-colonial, multicultural society.

It would appear there remains residual embarrassment in dealing with the conditions under which we left India and arrived in Guyana. In regard to the former, when Indentureship began, India had been devastated economically and socially after a century of British depredations. The areas from which most of us originated, the then Bengal Presidency and United Presidency, were earliest and most pillaged. Famines had become endemic, and even peasants with small plots of land were desperately poor and chose migration to survive. At best, their food was mere subsistence.

As George A. Grierson wrote in “District of Gaya” (1893), from where my great-grandfather came in 1888, “Ghee was and remain an expensive item that would have been used sparingly by them. Food of an oleaginous kind (such as ghí, milk, oil) is almost wanting amongst the poorer classes. That it is necessary is shown by the universal craving exhibited for it. The richer the man, the more oily food he uses. The daylabourer’s use of oil is very small indeed, while the substantial cultivator or thriving artizan uses it and milk with his daily food to a greater extent.” (p123.)

When the Indentured labourers left for British Guiana – 95% North India via Calcutta; 5% Southerners via Madras - the shippers concocted a diet as cheap as possible, yet genuflecting to their tastes. As recorded by researcher Ashutosh Kumar, (Feeding the Girmitiya: Food and Drink on Indentured Ships to the Sugar Colonies), on their months-long journey, the daily allowances for each adult were as follows: Rice, 20 oz; Daal (mixture) 6 oz for rice eater, 4 oz for flour eater; Flour, 16 oz; Oils/Ghee, 1 oz for rice eater and flour eater; potatoes; Mustard oil, 8 drm; Garlic, ½ drm; Mustard seed (sarso), ½ drm; Chillies, ½ drm; Black pepper, 1½ drm; Coriander seed, 2 drm; Turmeric, 4 drm; Tamarind, 8 drm; Salt, 8 drm. Pumpkins or Yams, 1 oz; Potatoes, 2 oz – 5 oz and a live sheep weekly.

With the small quantity of oil/ghee supplied, the tradition of the poor peasants technique of chaunkaying or sautéing the onions and spices in the small quantity of oil/ghee and then adding the vegetables or meat along with water to “boil down”, was adopted”.

When they landed in Guyana, for one year, they were all – Hindus, Muslims, Tamils – allocated the same amount of “rations”, the cost of which was deducted from their wages.

They protested this imposition because they wanted to budget their purchases, and gradually the stricture was removed towards the end of indenture. To save money (wages for men was 24 cents daily and 16 cents for women throughout indentureship), they pinched their pennies and ate even more abstemiously. By the time they could afford better, their taste was set on the simple spices and cooking technique into the present, whether singly or as components of Seven Curry”, and still remind them across the world of “home.

Serving several dishes on leaves – Lotus in Guyana, Sohari in Trinidad – invokes the Indian nutritionally balanced Thaali.

Mauritius has a Tamil interpretation of “Sept-Cari: Seven Curry”, served on banana leaves.

The views expressed in this column are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Guyana Times’ editorial policy and stance

he Guyana Government has raked in well over $400 billion in current revenue last year, outside of the money it collected from carbon credits and inflows to the Natural Resources Fund (NRF).

During the reading of the 2025 budget in the National Assembly on Friday, Senior Minister in the Office of the President with Responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh, explained that total current revenue for central Government was $437.7 billion in 2024, reflecting a growth of $55.6 billion, or 14.5 per cent more compared to the revenue collection in 2023.

Meanwhile, it was explained by the Minister that tax collection from the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) was $420.2 billion, with internal revenue – the revenue from sources such as Customs Duties, Value Added Tax (VAT) and Motor Vehicle Licences – recorded at $267 billion at the end of 2024.

“Private sector corporation tax, withholding tax and personal income taxes, together accounted for $35.7 billion of the growth in this category of revenues. The private sector corporation tax category recorded strong performance with growth of $16.3 billion, driven by increased payments made by companies in the oil and gas sector,” he revealed.

“The growth in withholding tax amounting to $10 billion, was also driven by increased collections from the oil and gas sector, as well as the non-oil private sector, along with increased current and arrear payments,” the Minister said.

Singh also said that customs and trade tax collections amounted to $40.4 billion at the end of 2024, an increase of $5.5 billion or 15.6 per cent more than 2023.

It was explained that there was an increase in the importation of motor vehicles used in the transport of goods, persons and building materials.

This resulted in higher import duties being collected in 2024, with revenue of $4.1 billion recorded.

Another area that showed increased collections was in VAT and excise tax, together amounting to $112.8 billion… $9 billion more than in 2023.

In the case of VAT, increased importation of goods that attracted the standard 14 per cent VAT rate contributed significantly to revenues for domestic supply of goods.

“Domestic supply of goods recorded increased revenues of $6 billion owing to increased payments from the private sector, particularly the wholesale and retail trade, repair of motor

The Guyana Revenue Authority

vehicles, construction and information and communication sectors,” Dr Singh explained.

“Imports of goods and services contributed to growth of $2.1 billion, or 7.3 per cent due to increased VAT collections from the importation of several standard rated commodities during the review period. Excise tax collections amounted to $32.6 billion, an increase of $818.9 million above the 2023 level.”

Central Government’s

non-tax revenue collection, which includes rent, royalties, fees, fines and other charges, meanwhile increased by $2 billion or 12.8 per cent last year to total $17.5 billion. Meanwhile, the Finance Minister also announced that public enterprises collected $199.4 billion, a $22.6 billion or 12.8 per cent increase from 2023.

This, he explained, was more than enough to offset the higher total expenditures of $188.7 billion.

Public enterprises had a surplus of $10.6 billion at the end of the year, compared to the just $1.3 billion surplus in 2023.

“Mr Speaker, Central Government’s expenditure totalled $1.2 trillion, of which non-interest expenditure accounted for $500.7 billion, reflecting growth of 35.3 per cent above 2023.

This out- turn was due to employment cost of $122.6 billion, driven by the 10 per cent salary increase coupled with approved salary adjustments for public servants across the public service in 2024,” Dr Singh revealed.

“Other goods and services expenditure increased to $169.5 billion largely on account of outlays relating to the cash grant initiative to persons 18 years of age and above. In addition, transfer payments increased to $208.7 billion on account of the increase granted for the Because We Care cash grant programme and for old age pension.”

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14 NEWS

SUNDAY, JANUARY 19, 2025 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

40 modern homes ready by 1st quarter in 2025 ...as $490M Bartica Housing Project nears completion

tion with the progress, stating, “I’m pleased with the rate of construction that is happening [...] the majority of the houses passed 50 per cent completion.”

tions. Additionally, $1.1 billion is being spent on infrastructure works for the housing scheme, including road construction, pipe installation and drainage net-

He noted the Ministry has a list of interested persons and will engage them within the next two weeks for pre-qualification and allocations. The V-roof houses are

works. The drains are concrete, as it is more suitable for the sandy soil in the area to avoid siltation.

Croal announced that the Ministry is in discussions

terest is to ensure that we bring development and changes to the people as quickly as possible,” he emphasised.

Croal further stated that the coalition administration did not make any attempts to develop the Five Miles scheme during their 20152020 tenure. He said that housing is crucial to improving the lives of Guyanese and all the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Administrations will continue to keep their promises by ensuring more Guyanese attain homeownership.

In a release on Saturday, the Ministry said that one of the contractors, Oric Obermuller of Empire Mining Inc, shared his enthusiasm about the project. His company is currently employing approximately 45 individuals, including Barticians, to carry out construction and infrastructure works. He highlighted the significant opportunities the project has created for young people in the area

priced at $11 million each, while the bungalow-style homes cost $13 million. In total, the Government is investing approximately $490 million in the construction of these homes.

According to the Ministry, Croal explained that the higher cost of the homes in Bartica compared to similar projects on the coast is due to logistical challenges and tendered pricing from contractors.

The Ministry had to re-tender the project to ensure more competitive pricing after initial proposals were too high.

The area is an extension of the Bartica scheme and consists of 119 lots, with 57 allocated for the construction of homes and the remainder are land alloca-

with the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission to acquire additional lands to address the backlog of close to 1,000 applicants in Region Seven. He further re-

and expressed pride in contributing to the region’s development.

Croal was accompanied by Regional officials and a technical team from

vealed plans to host another ‘Dream Realised’ Housing Drive in the region this year to clear the backlog.

“This Government’s in-

the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CHPA) and Guyana Water Inc (GWI) during the visit.

Housing and Water Minister Collin Croal during inspection of the houses at Bartica

T

he construction of forty (40) three-bedroom flat houses at the Five Miles Housing Scheme in Bartica, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) is on track for completion within

the first quarter of the year.

On Saturday, the Ministry announced that the Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal, conducted an inspection of the ongoing works at the hous-

ing scheme. The homes, which are designed in two styles—bungalow and V-roof—are being constructed by four contractors based in Region Seven.

Croal expressed satisfac-

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16 NEWS

SUNDAY, JANUARY 19, 2025 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Guyana earned US$237.5M from carbon credit sales between 2022 and 2024 …$41.1B in carbon credit earnings projected for 2025

T

wo years after the signing of the US$750 million, 10-year carbon credit deal with Hess Corporation, Guyana has earned US$237.5 million from this deal as of 2024year end; almost $10 billion of which went to indigenous communities.

According to Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh during the reading of the 2025 budget, $9.5 billion from the US$237.5 million earned was distributed

among indigenous communities, in keeping with the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) Government’s commitments.

“Mr Speaker, importantly, we have committed to transfer at least 15 per cent of the financial resources earned under LCDS (Low Carbon Development Strategy) 2030 to our Amerindian brothers and sisters, to finance the implementation of Village Sustainability Plans (VSPs)

across their 242 villages,” Dr Singh revealed.

“These villages have received over $9.5 billion in revenues from carbon credits over the past two years, representing 19 per cent of the earnings received to date. These transfers have funded over 800 projects across the hinterland in the last two years, with villages choosing to invest in agriculture, tourism, transport, education, and many other areas,” he added

The money from the agreement, which was signed within the framework of the LCDS 2030, has also helped fund a range of climate adaptation projects including the construction of Hope like canals in Regions Three, Five, and Six, at a total cost of $23 billion.

Additionally, $9.3 billion from the funds collected from LCDS 2030 and 2009, were instrumental in rehabilitating over 40 sluices and drainage structures, and purchasing equipment to maintain these. Meanwhile, $15.1 billion was used to install 33 megawatts (MW) of solar power in Berbice, Essequibo, and Linden.

Moving forward, the Government expects that the sale of carbon credits will generate an estimated $41.1 billion this year. The Finance Minister assured that a further transfer from the carbon credits to the indigenous population will be done this year.

“Under the LCDS 2030 we committed to transfer to Amerindian villages, 15 per cent of the proceeds of the sale of our carbon credits, to finance the implementation of Village Sustainability Plans (VSPs).”

“In 2023, we transferred 15 per cent and, in 2024, 26.5 per cent, which resulted in over $9.5 billion be-

Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh

ing transferred to date. A further transfer is expected from our carbon credits earnings in 2025,” he said.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 17

17 6-year-old boy drowns Guyana earned US$237.5M...

NEWS

SUNDAY, JANUARY 19, 2025 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM FROM PAGE 16

in Moco Moco creek A six-year-old boy from Moco Moco Village in Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) lost his life Thursday, in an alleged drowning incident at a local creek.

While details on the incident remain sketchy, reports indicate that the child, Dalon Edwards, had been playing near the popular creek in the afternoon, when he playfully jumped off a bridge into the water but failed to resurface.

Community members rushed to his aid and pulled him from the water, but their efforts to revive him were unsuccessful. Dalon was pronounced dead shortly after the incident.

Following the incident, several persons took to social media to express their sadness at the child’s death.

The child’s school teacher whose Facebook name is Petal Jonas, in a Facebook post on Saturday said: “It saddens my heart to lose someone so precious. Though I don’t have any children of my own, this little one (Dalon) was entrusted to my

Dead: Dalon Edwards

care at the school and has become like my child…. Who knows me and the kids know we like hugs and the kids would make a line to hug me every day. God knows how I’d feel when he’s not gonna be in line with the others. I do appreciate every little time I spent with them and appreciate all their little gifts -the card they gave to me with all their names-.

And he may not be there in my class anymore but he will live on in my memory every day”.

This is the second case of

alleged drowning that would have been reported for this year.

Demarius Wilabus Payne, an 18-year-old college student from Atlanta, Georgia, and Wismar, Linden, tragically drowned on Boxing Day while visiting Guyana to celebrate his birthday. The incident occurred while Payne was spending time with relatives.

Police initially reported that Payne drowned at the Coomacka Mines creek in Linden after venturing into deeper waters while swimming. He was later pulled from the creek unconscious and pronounced dead at the Linden Hospital Complex.

However, Payne’s family provided a different account, stating the incident occurred in the Demerara River, where a boat carrying Payne and relatives sank. Payne reportedly suffered a cramp while swimming to safety, panicked, and drowned after water entered his lungs.

A post-mortem examination confirmed drowning as the cause of his death.

In last year alone, the Guyana Government distributed a historic $4.778 billion in carbon credit funding for the development of Indigenous communities, in an initiative spearheaded by Amerindian Affairs Minister Pauline Sukhai with the aim of benefitting 242 communities, including riverine and remote villages.

This funding, part of Guyana’s growing involvement in the global carbon market, served the dual purposes of addressing local development needs and furthering climate change mitigation efforts.

Minister Sukhai had explained that $4.743 billion was initially disbursed, and the sum of $35 million was later allocated to small groups which submitted developmental plans to the Ministry with the aim of boosting economic activities within the various areas.

The funds are disbursed through a Village Council system, wherein the funds for each village are deposited into a special bank account owned by that village, and the Community Council oversees how the funds are spent.

Spending is done in accordance with a sustainable development plan established through local consultations.

A picture of the four-acre savannah farm in Quiko, one of the many projects across Guyana’s hinterland funded through the Carbon Credit programme

The funds are spent based on collective decisions made by the village, with a Financial Oversight Committee ensuring proper usage of the funds.

However, challenges arose in regard to management of the funds, particularly in regard to accountability.

In 2023, Government signed with global energy giant Hess Corporation a multi-year agreement worth US$750 million, facilitating the sale of $2.5 million in carbon credits to that corporation annually.

Those credits are generated by preserving Guyana’s vast rainforests, which serve as critical carbon sinks in the global fight against climate change. This pioneering approach has garnered international acclaim, and positioned Guyana as a leader in sustain-

able development.

The first payment of US$150 million was received in 2023, and US$22.5 million thereof was disbursed to over 242 Amerindian, hinterland, rural and riverine communities and villages. Population size was a key determining factor in Government’s methodology for the distribution of money earned from this sale of carbon credits, and as result, funds disbursed to recipient communities ranged from $10 million to $35 million.

Last year, the SouthCentral Rupununi, Region Nine village of Quiko became one of the many success stories, turning a $9 million carbon credit allocation into a four-acre savannah farm with crops such as sweet peppers, bora, eschalot, and watermelon.

18 NEWS

SUNDAY, JANUARY 19, 2025 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Massive $3.6B allocated for Culture sector

T

he Guyana Government has increased the budget of the Culture sector of the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports to $3.6 billion for 2025, adding an additional one billion dollars to its 2024 allocation to the sector.

Dr Ashni Singh, Senior Minister within the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, on Friday presented the massive fiscal plan, crafted under the theme “A Secure, Prosperous, and Sustainable Guyana.”

According to Dr Singh,

this investment is needed due to the swift transformation within the industry, as Guyanese talents improve.

He relayed that the construction of a brand-new state of the art museum and art gallery are among the plans that have contributed to the increased allocation.

“We spend $2.6 billion on culture last year. We budgeted $3.6 billion for cultural initiatives, on the preparation of a design for a brand-new state-of-the-art museum and art gallery, for which a billion dollars is allocated. In 2025, we are going to be building to showcase our beautiful, diverse culture.”

He also revealed that a state-of-the-art cultural market will be built to showcase the diversity of Guyana. This was another reason for the increased

place to develop and complete the hub to showcase upcoming festivals.

It was also realised by the Peoples progressive party Civic (PPP/C) Government that Region Six is to be part of this national cultural market.

The market is envisioned to encapsulate all facets of the country’s culture, including food, clothing, dance, music, and art.

Additionally, the historical context of emancipation and the abolition of slavery is a pivotal part of the initia-

Cultural Centre,” he said.

Dr Singh highlighted that there will be significant enhancements made within the recording industry, as various recording studios will soon be established.

These musical studios, three in total and valued at $39.3 million each, will be built this year in Regions Two, Three, and Ten. Recently, Minister of the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports, Charles Ramson Jr, revealed that these studios will be free of cost for local musicians.

budget for the culture sector.

“We will be constructing a cultural market at Palmyra, which will be a major educational and cultural hub to showcase our diversity. To finance our project, a sum of $800 million is allocated,” he announced.

The national cultural market will be established in Palmyra, Region Six, to serve as an educational and talent-showcasing hub, inclusive of a safe space for families.

In 2024 it was reported that plans were already in

tive within the market.

On that note, Minister Singh revealed that Head of State, President Dr Irfaan Ali emphasised the importance of the “One Guyana” theme, which can be seen in the historical structures even within the performing arts.

“It is no accident that our President has embraced the One Guyana theme as the theme for his presidency.

We continue to invest in our historical structures, monuments, forts, cultural landmarks on music, and the performing arts. We’ve done upgrades to the National

Dr Singh, during his budgetary speech, said that that the Government is currently working with young singers to ensure that they are granted a fair opportunity to showcase the work that they produce.

“We are building recording studios. In fact, we have built one in Port Mourant, which will be completed shortly. We will be building one in Region Two, Three, and Ten. We are working with groups of young artists to ensure that Guyanese artists are given an opportunity to produce and showcase their work,” he disclosed.

NEWS

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SUNDAY, JANUARY 19, 2025 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Budget 2025

$13.1 billion set aside for free university education starting in 2025 – $4.4B for expansion of GOAL programme

Senior Minister in the Office of the President with Responsibility for Finance and Public Service, Dr Ashni Singh

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llocating $13.1 billion in the 2025 National Budget to finance free tertiary education at the University of Guyana (UG), the Government of Guyana has made a historic step in education reform.

The move abolishes tuition fees, starting January 2025, and is expected to benefit more than 11,000 current students, and all incoming students at the institution.

Senior Minister in the Office of the President with Responsibility for Finance and Public Service, Dr Ashni Singh, in his presentation of the 2025 National Budget on Friday, highlighted education as a key area for national development.

The overall education sector is poised to receive $175 billion, emphasising the Government’s commit-

ment to advancing opportunities for citizens across all levels of learning.

“This $13.1 billion allocation underscores our dedication to making education more accessible and ensuring no one is left behind,” Dr Singh remarked during his presentation.

Back in October 2024, President Dr Irfaan Ali disclosed that this initiative will continue his administration’s advancement of the country’s human capital, especially the young generation and their families who will benefit from the tuition-free tertiary education.

The Guyanese leader had noted that this initiative will cost the treasury some $18 billion. “The future belongs to all of these young people,” he asserted at the time.

In keeping with the PPP/C Government’s policy

of making tertiary education free in the country, some $1.8 billion in student loans have already been written off by the State.

“Mr Speaker, in keeping with our Manifesto commitments regarding making university education more accessible and affordable, we have begun Phase I of the debt write-off process for persons with outstanding University of Guyana student loans. To date, $1.8 billion in loans were written off for over 2,700 persons, and we continue to urge persons to apply for their loan write off so they can be relieved of this historic obligation,” Singh announced.

GOAL scholarship

Along with the $13.1 billion allocated to UG through the Education Ministry’s budgetary provision, Singh also disclosed that the Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL) was allocated $4.4 billion to fund scholarships and training programmes.

This initiative has already transformed the lives of nearly 30,000 individuals, with over 8,000 graduates to date. The 2025 allocation aims to provide an additional 9,000 scholarships for online studies at renowned universities worldwide.

Since assuming office in August 2020, some 29,758

Guyanese citizens were granted GOAL scholarships, of which 5,602 individuals secured master’s degrees and 378 have earned PhDs. This was revealed by Education Minister Priya Manickchand during her Ministry’s Esssnd- of- Year press conference.

“814 from Region One who otherwise could not have access to a foreign university to be able to study for their degrees and master’s and PhDs. 2,702 from Region Two, 4,431 from

Region Three, 13,002 from Regions Four and One. 842 from Region Five, Two,983 from Region Six, 918 from Region Seven, 605 from Region Eight, 700 from Region Nine and 1,761 from Region 10…. We are not people who find reasons why things can’t happen. We try to make sure we give opportunities and, of course, people have to avail themselves of those opportunities,” the Minister stated at the time.

Notably, 5,602 earned SCQF Level 6 certificates,

1,312 copped General Educational Development (GEDs), 191 earned Foundation Diplomas, 3 for Undergraduate Certificate, 856 for Associate Degrees, 6,571 copped Bachelor’s, 4 for Postgraduate Certificates and 920 persons earned Postgraduate Diplomas.

Following her announcement on scholarships awarded by programme-level, Manickchand disclosed that a total of 21,436 of the scholarship awardees are women while 8,322 are men.

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SUNDAY, JANUARY 19, 2025 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

FEATURE

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SUNDAY, JANUARY 19, 2025 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Mashramani 2025 musical competitions…

Local singer Simeon Raywaram has sights set on championships …“I’m aiming to come first,” he says

Simeon performing during the 2023 Calypso Monarch Competition

Simeon Raywaram performing during the CARICOM Heads of State Meeting

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onscious that he hasrevitalised interest in this particular genre of music as he dished out memorable performances on every stage that has come under his feet, Simeon Raywaram has now set his sights upon securing first place in the 2025 Mashramani Calypso Competition.

Having defied all odds in 2023 by securing second place in the Junior Calypso Monarch competition and being adjudged Best Newcomer despite having never previously participated in that competition; and then copping third place in the 2024 Junior Calypso Monarch competition and again being adjudged Best Newcomer in theJunior Soca Monarch event, the dynamic Simeon Raywaram is brimming with confidence that he can fulfil his ambition.

Simeon at the State House Christmas Cheer event

With exactly 31 days to the grand night when the Calypso Monarch Competition is staged, Raywaram revealed in a recent interview with this publication that his various plans have already been set in motion to enable him to achieve this impressive goal.

And his management team is working assiduously with him to craft strategies that would enable him to win all the competitions in which he would participate.

“I am going for the firstplace title this year,” he proudly disclosed. “My team and I have already started writing. I definitely feel my music has improved, and I’ve also started rehearsing and getting everything done. So far, we’ve had quite a number of rehearsals to get the song to where it should be.”

Revealing that his mindset has been revolution-

Simeon was among key musical icons during the Guyana Independence Showcase 2024

ised at this stage of his music career, Simeon has also said, “Well, for me, I would say one of the things that I have been working on more is my mindset. There is always a challenge in every success story, and there are also doubts that may come at times. I think that is something I definitely have to work on. Even though I’m more confident this year, I’m pretty sure that’s something most persons deal with.”

Simeon says he has been engaging in self-assessment for quite some time, and the fruits thereof can readily be seen in the way his performances have improved in 2024. He added that his confidence has significantly been boosted after performing at the CARICOM Heads of State Meeting, the ‘One Love’ concert, and the Independence Day showcase.

“…and I think that would have boosted my confidence in terms of performing on large stages. One of the largest stages I performed on was the CARICOM Heads of State Meeting which happened last year,” he disclosed. “The other one, which was the biggest for me, was the ‘One Guyana’ Show, where I was given the opportunity to perform for the very first time.”

Recalling that the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport has provided him opportunities to improve his performances, Raywaram says a hunger has been kindled in him, his music has grown, and this would surely be seen in his upcoming performances in February.

“Well, I would say I am more eager and desperate. The hunger for music is there. Last year, because of other responsibilities, I

didn’t have much time to focus on music. But based on the experiences and opportunities provided, my hunger for music has grown. I’m so desperate now. Definitely, this year, I’m hoping to release new music,” he revealed.

According to Simeon, this passion has been spawned from his initial feelings after placing third in the competition. He disclosed that that competition turned out to be something he fell in love with.

“At the time in 2023, I was awarded Best Newcomer and I also got second place.

It was just amazing. I felt like there was a connection between me and calypso, and I just had to go back last year,” he said.

As these competitions gain popularity, the number of people attending these events would vary signifi-

cantly, and be even in the thousands.

Asked about his fear of crowds, Simeon shared advice he received from a great family friend, who has played a big part in the development of his career. “One of my coaches, Sean Bhola – someone we’ve worked with for some time – told me, ‘If you ain’t nervous, that means you’re doing something wrong.’ That quote continues to resonate with me. Being nervous is something that keeps me going, knowing I’m doing the right thing. The fear is always there, but the nervous feeling pushes me. I’m forever grateful for the opportunities provided by my management and the Ministry of Culture, Youth, and Sport, which support us in the musical industry,” he expressed.

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Gem Madhoo-Nascimento

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educational shows for all ethnicities

fter the magnificent Chinese-inspired performance, ‘From Whence We Came: The Chinese Experience’, which captivated audiences of hundreds last week, veteran theatre practitioner and producer Gem Madhoo-Nascimento has announced her plans to undertake more productions showcasing other ethnicities in Guyana.

She also shed light on the strenuous process involved in creating such largescale ethnic productions.

This groundbreaking performance, staged over multiple nights, required more than six months of rehearsals to bring to life.

The show, jam-packed and deeply resonating, featured the story of Chinese immigrants who came to British Guiana. It showcased what they encountered, how they related to other ethnicities, the intermarriages that occurred, and the contributions they made to culture, such as their cuisine.

It also highlighted outstand-

ing Chinese professionals in various fields, including law, medicine, and aviation.

A notable feature of the production was its emphasis on the Chinese Dragon, a significant symbol in Chinese culture. The dragon, or Loong, represents strength, good fortune and protection, and is associated with masculine energy and the element of yang. This production attracted many individuals of Chinese descent from different parts of Asia, as well as diplomats and other notable

attendees.

Theatre for education Details about the challenges behind this show were relayed by veteran theatre practitioner Gem MadhooNascimento during its recent staging at the National Cultural Centre.

According to Madhoo, the main objective of this production was to educate the Guyanese diaspora, especially young people, about the Chinese experience in Guyana through theatre.

“My main aim is really to educate the young people, because history is not a subject that you find a lot of people talk about, and children are interested in TikTok. So, I hope I can change that in

years in theatre’,” Madhoo-Nascimento detailed.

Behind-the-scenes challenges Detailing the significant challenges she faced in staging this production, including technical difficulties and cast-related issues, MadhooNascimento said, “Putting on a play is a mighty challenge, and this production that we’re putting on here has a lot of technical effects, and it has been almost nightmarish to get the effects. A lot of things need to be fixed, but we, as producers, we pursue it and we continue to produce because it’s what we like to do. So, we continue producing with a lot of headaches, a lot of heartaches, a lot of anxious moments, but we do it.

Looking ahead Madhoo-Nascimento has plans to expand on this concept with productions exploring the experiences of other ethnic groups that came to British Guiana. She plans to do these productions between 2025 and 2026.

“It has inspired me now to do one of each ethnicity; so, between 2025 and 2026, I hope to do all the other ethnicities in this country.

So, sponsors, brace yourself for my attack on you to get the money for it. I mean, the productions are not very cheap; they come very expensively. So, this year, I hope in May month, I will do the Indian experience for Indian Arrival Day.

The cast from the Chinese show

some way. That is the reason why I’m doing a Chinese show first, because they were there to sponsor it and take me along,” she stated to rounds of applause.

Madhoo further explained that the idea for this production was first presented to her in 2009 by a late historian, but it could not proceed at the time because funding was lacking.

However, years later, in 2023, while revisiting old research materials, she felt compelled to bring the project to life as part of her lasting contributions to theatre. “…and at the time when I gave her a casting to do it -because it’s not an easy production; you have to do research and all of that into it — they couldn’t find the funding. And then, in 2023, I was going through some of my books and I found all these books I had bought because I was so keyed up about doing this production.

And then I thought, ‘Okay, maybe I should revisit it because I’m winding down my

So, tonight…I mean the AC was not even working in the foyer,” she revealed.

Another significant challenge was the lack of Chinese actors available to participate in this production. To overcome this hurdle, the team used makeup and hairstyling to transform Guyanese actors into Chinese characters. The attention to detail in these transformations impressed the audience, with many assuming the performers were indeed Chinese.

“The cast is a combination of experienced and inexperienced persons. They face a problem in which they can’t find Chinese actors, so they had to either use masks or makeup on hair. So, they made a number of their actors look like Chinese. When the Guyanese persons came out in their makeup, most members within the crowd thought that they were Chinese, due to the high-class focus lent on bringing the show to life, which was seen across the board,” MadhooNascimento explained.

And then next year, 2026, I want to do the Portuguese and the Europeans, and the Amerindians last. They were the first, so I’ll do them the last. But I hope that I can get sponsorship to do that, right?

Because that’s the only way it can be done,” she stated.

Plans are underway to stage the African experience in August, and she also revealed that a prominent figure has been engaged to write the script and conduct research for the Indian experience.

A theatrical spectacle Production of ‘From Whence We Came: The Chinese Experience’ has been widely praised, with many attendees experiencing theatre on a high level for the first time. The symphonies of Chinese music and the immersive storytelling had enthralled the audience as it transported them into a virtual world of the past, and left them with a deep appreciation for the contributions of Chinese immigrants to Guyana.

NEWS

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SUNDAY, JANUARY 19, 2025 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Govt more than doubles funding for GECOM ahead of upcoming elections – election agency’s allocation moves from $100M in 2024 to $237M in 2025 tion.”

Electoral impasse

Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh

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ognisant that Guyana is in an election year, the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) Government has more than doubled its budgetary allocation to the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), with the election agency allocated almost $240 million to conduct its operations.

During his reading of the budget, Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh had alluded to the upcoming elections as the ultimate test of Guyana’s democracy, five years after the March 2020 General and Regional elections and its infamous five-month standoff that followed.

“Budget 2025 comes to this Honourable House just short of eight months before this Twelfth Parliament of Guyana will be dissolved in anticipation of General and Regional Elections. These elections will be held before the year is over and will mark an important milepost in our country’s journey to becoming a more mature democracy.”

“These will be the first elections since our still young democracy came under the unthinkable threat it did five years ago. Indeed, generations to come might scarcely imagine that so brazen a heist as that attempted in 2020, could ever have been contemplated, much less actually attempted, and in the glare of both broad daylight and today’s technology,” Singh noted.

The Finance Minister further spoke of the role the PPP/C Government has played in safeguarding and restoring democracy in Guyana, noting that his party prides itself on respecting the will of the people and being on the right side of history, while ultimately serving the people and making their welfare the centre of every policy and project implemented.

“It should seem fairly obvious that those who respect the will of the people will be infinitely more concerned about serving the people,

than those who repeatedly defy and subvert the will of the people. The former understands that there is no other way to win hearts, minds, and votes, but simply to deliver the results that matter most to people,” Dr Singh said.

“The latter do not believe that they need to win hearts, minds, or votes, preferring instead to rely entirely on what His Excellency the President so aptly described recently as electoral rascality. This contrast is the very kernel of the time-tested nexus between democracy and development.”

According to the Finance Minister, GECOM along with other constitutional agencies such as the Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC), the Public Procurement Commission (PPC), the Public/Police Service Commission and the Judicial Service Commission, the judiciary and the Audit Office, will receive a total allocation of $18.9 billion for this year.

A perusal of the 2025 budget estimates meanwhile shows that $237.8 million in capital sums have been allocated for GECOM… a sizeable increase of 137.8 per cent, compared to the $100 million that was allocated in 2024. It further states that the funding is for “building, vehicle, furniture, equipment, and payment of reten-

With the last elections held in 2020, the next General and Regional Elections are constitutionally due in 2025, with November 2025 potentially being identified, though not confirmed, as the month when it will likely be held.

Already, the GECOM Secretariat, though it has not been mandated by the seven-member Elections Commission to prepare for the polls, has taken it upon itself to start preparations to ensure it is in a state of readiness.

If held in November, the elections would come over five years after the March 2, 2020 General and Regional elections. After a nearly smooth polling day, Guyana was embroiled in a prolonged electoral impasse for five months, following blatant attempts by senior GECOM officials and the then People’s National Congress (PNC)-led A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Government, which refused to concede defeat and demit office.

As the electoral impasse continued months after the March 2020 polls, the international community and the ABCE diplomats had put mounting pressure on the APNU/AFC to concede defeat, warning of Guyana facing isolation and consequences.

In fact, the United States (US) had gone ahead to impose visa sanctions against several Government and electoral officials, and their immediate family members, for their role in undermining democracy in Guyana.

The UK, Canada as well as the EU had also indicated that they were also considering following suit. The heightened pressure from the West led to the APNU/ AFC eventually conceding and allowed the Dr Irfaan

The Guyana Elections Commission

Ali-led administration to finally take office on August 2, 2020.

Following those events, several senior GECOM officials and political activists have been charged and placed before the courts on a series of electoral fraud charges including misconduct while holding public office, presenting falsified documentation, and planning to manipulate Guyana’s voters

by presenting an inaccurate vote total.

Those charged include former Chief Elections Officer, Keith Lowenfield; his former Deputy CEO, Roxanne Myers; former Region Four Returning Officer, Clairmont Mingo, and GECOM employees Sheffern February, Enrique Livan, Denise BabbCummings, and Michelle Miller.

Former People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) Chairperson Volda Lawrence and PNCR activist Carol Smith-Joseph, are also before the court on election fraud related charges.

However, years after those charges were instituted in 2021, these cases continue to languish in the Magistrates’ Court, with the case expected to start over next month.

24 NEWS

SUNDAY, JANUARY 19, 2025 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Driver, porter nabbed with 2 nabbed with illegal gun, ammo in Crabwood Creek 35,650 grams of ganja

amid alarming statistics regarding the influx of illegal firearms into Guyana.

Minister of Home Affairs Robeson Benn recently disclosed that over 180 illegal firearms were seized by law enforcement in 2024, compared to 128 in 2023.

“They are not made in Guyana. We barely could make a bicycle spoke,” the Minister had said, underscoring the smuggling of weapons from countries in the North, North East, and beyond.

According to the Crime Chief, Wendell Blanhum, weapons originating from countries such as Brazil, Austria, Italy, Russia, Belgium, and Germany have been linked to criminal activities in Guyana.

Minister Benn emphasised that “we have to work with those who may have or not have illegal firearms

Hakeen Anfeenee

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The car that police searched

Rivas Laya Jose Angel

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anks from the Grove Police Station on the East Bank of Demerara (EBD), on Thursday conducted a routine stop and search on a motor vehicle along the Grove Public Road, EBD, where 35,650 grams of ganja was found.

The vehicle, a lorry, GAG 9363, is reportedly owned

by Fabra Enterprise Inc, based in Lethem, Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo).

According to police reports, at around 19:00h, the vehicle was stopped and searched by officers. It was driven by 30-year-old Hakeen Anfeenee, a resident of Linden, and assisted by his porter, 28-year-old Rivas Laya Jose Angel, a Venezuelan national residing in Lethem.

The men who were caught carrying the illegal items

The police said they had received information suggesting that the vehicle was carrying illegal items, including firearms, ammunition, and narcotics.

Acting on this information, officers conducted a thorough search of the vehicle, as well as a body search of the driver and his porter.

During the search, officers uncovered two bulky bags at the back of the truck, which were discovered to contain four parcels of leaves, seeds, and stems.

Preliminary testing confirmed the substances to be cannabis.

Both Anfeenee and Angel were immediately informed of the allegations against

them, which included Possession of Narcotics for the Purpose of Trafficking.

They were cautioned and arrested before being escorted to the Regional Division 4B (East Bank Demerara) Headquarters, where the truck was also taken for further processing.

The suspected narcotics were weighed in the presence of the suspects and totaled a staggering 35,650 grams. The cannabis was sealed, marked, and lodged with the officer in charge at the Grove Police Station for further investigation.

Both suspects remain in custody as investigations continue.

n intelligence-led operation conducted by ranks from Regional Police Division #6 (East Berbice-Corentyne) in early Saturday morning in Crabwood Creek, Berbice, led to the successful arrest of two men and the significant seizure of a cache of illegal items.

The operation, which was carried out based on gathered intelligence, resulted in the discovery of an unlicensed 9MM pistol and seven .32 calibre rounds of ammunition hidden inside a motorcar.

In addition to the firearm and ammunition, a quantity of both local and foreign currency was also seized during the operation.

The two male suspects, aged 25 and 37, were arrested at the scene and are currently in custody assisting with the investigation.

Police have not yet dis-

The items that were found in the car during the search

closed further details regarding the identities of the suspects or the origin of the firearm.

This operation comes

here and to up the screening at the ports in relation to firearms.

Herstelling man charged with stealing electric bike remanded to prison

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31-year-old labourer from Herstelling, East Bank Demerara (EBD), has been remanded to prison after being charged with the theft of an electric bike.

Edwards Ramnaught appeared before Magistrate Wanda Fortune at the Diamond/Golden Grove Magistrate’s Court on Friday, where he faced a charge of Simple Larceny, contrary to Section 164 of the Criminal Law (Offences) Act, Chapter 8:01.

Ramnaught is accused of stealing a red electric bike valued at $60,000 from 56-year-old Reneta Pooran, a resident of Grove, EBD. The incident is reported to have occurred between January 10 and 11, 2025.

During the court proceedings, the charge was read to Ramnaught, to which he pleaded not guilty.

Despite his plea, Magistrate Fortune ordered that he be remanded to prison.

The case has been adjourned to February

Edwards Ramnaught

7, for the presentation of statements.

This is not Ramnaught’s first time before the court.

In January last year, he was arrested and charged with breaking into a shop at Covent Garden Housing Scheme, EBD.

NEWS

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$191M pump station commissioned in Region 5 …to provide assistance to all agri sectors

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new pump station, which will service farmlands stretching from Abary to Blairmont on the East Bank of Berbice (EBB) in Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice), was on Saturday commissioned

by Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha.

The pump station will

The newly-commissioned pump station in Region Five

ly utilised.

In 2010, the then Peoples Progressive Party (PPP) Administration commissioned two 150 cubic feet per second pumps. However, the sluice needed to be rehabilitated.

This $191 million project constituted the resuscitation of the sluice; the instal-

that the investment will benefit farmers from Abary, right through to Blairmont.

“It involves a new pump unit, a new electric motor, new electric panels, a discharge point and also the procurement of a new 700 KVA generator that is on site. So we have independent power generation to

Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha

provide assistance to rice, cash crop, and livestock farmers. It will also provide irrigation for lands under sugarcane cultivation.

While the sluice at Trafalgar was built with the capacity to have four pumps, that capacity was never ful-

lation of a 200 cubic feet per second pumps; a new pump house, and a generator to ensure that the pump has its own source of power.

Chairman of the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA), Lionel Wordsworth, pointed out

run all four of the electrical pumps…,” he said at the commissioning.

Also speaking at Saturday’s commissioning ceremony, Region Five Chairman, Vickchan Ramphal, noted that the pumps are located in the

part of the region where the most rice is being planted.

Region Five is the largest rice producing region in the country.

President Dr Irfaan Ali had referred to the region as being the livestock capital of CARICOM. Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA) Dr Dwight Waldron, in noting that Region Five has the largest numbers of both small and large ruminants, pointed out that there has been massive investments for livestock farmers in that region.

These include a state-

Dr Dwight Waldron, Chief Executive Officer of the Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA)

of-the-art abattoir, which is soon to be commissioned, a number of pasture projects and a milk plant, among others.

Waldron noted that the region produces beef as a prised commodity, and considering the number of calf mortalities due to excessive flooding, this makes the pump station a necessary service.

Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha explained that the pump at Trafalgar symbolises government’s commitment to farmers and communities that rely heavily on a well

functioning drainage and irrigation system.

“In this area for the first time we will be cultivating 100,000 acres of rice; that would be a record breaking cultivation. Leaving out livestock which Dr Waldron spoke about, we have cash crop production. There is also a large area in this region that comprises cane cultivation; so you can see how important Region Five is to the country’s development and providing food security not only for Region Five, not only for the country but the region,” Minister Mustapha highlighted.

opportunity with her on the ground, to pull the bangles off of her hand and then fired a shot which hit her in the leg.

He then demanded money, and even though she claimed to have none, the

robber took the day’s sales which she had in her apron, and fled on foot.

Police arrived on the scene shortly after but not before the injured woman was taken to the New Amsterdam Hospital.

Plantain chip vendor shot, robbed in East Canje

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n East Canje, Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne) plantain chip vendor is now a patient at the New Amsterdam Hospital, after she was shot during a robbery at her stall on Rose Hall Canje Public Road.

The robbery took place on Thursday between 19:30h and 20:00h.

Janet (only name given) was shot in the leg and relieved of her jewellery, along with her day’s sales, by a lone gunman.

The 64-year-old woman explained that the gunman stopped at her stall seemingly to make a purchase but he did not.

According to the vendor, the unknown man seemed to be pondering what to purchase and then took out his phone, appearing to be making a phone call, before

Stall along the Rose Hall Public Road in East Canje

walking a few steps away from the stall.

He then pulled out a gun, and demanded she hand over the two gold bangles which she was wearing.

“He said, ‘Give me them bangle, give me them bangle’!” Janet recalled.

The woman said she did not give in to the demands and was hit in her head

with the gun causing her to fall.

“I feel dizzy but I try to keep my bearings,” the vendor explained.

The attacker seized the

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SUNDAY, JANUARY 19, 2025

guyanatimesgy.com

Regional

Rowley bullied PNM MPs to Kenya sends another 200 police to fight gangs in Haiti support Young – UNC deputy leader

Kenyan police officers in Port-au-Prince, January 18, 2025.

REUTERS/Ralph Tedy Erol Purchase Licensing Rights

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enya sent more than 200 police officers to Haiti on Saturday, providing backup to an understaffed security mission in the Caribbean country where rampant gang violence has displaced more than a million people.

Some 10 countries have

together pledged over 3,100 troops for Haiti as part of a U.N.-backed anti-gang force, but few have so far deployed.

Kenya’s Interior Minister Kipchumba Murkomen said the new group comprised 217 police from Kenya, who would join about 400 officers sent last year. “Our commitment

to this historic mission is unwavering and we will continue to mobilise all the necessary international support for it to succeed,” he said in a social media post.

Kenya has led the effort to staff the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission, originally promising to deploy a total of 1,000 people.

However, Reuters reported last month that nearly 20 people in the initial deployment submitted letters of resignation from the anti-gang mission due to pay delays and poor conditions. The MSS in Haiti, which is led by top Kenyan police officers, said in response that its offers had received their salaries, and that it had not received resignations.

The nations of Guatemala, El Salvador, Jamaica and Belize have also contributed officers to the anti-gang effort.

(Reuters)

Mexico toxic waste plant shuts down after Guardian investigation reveals pollution in nearby homes

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uthorities ordered the shutdown of a Mexican recycling plant that processes hazardous waste exported from the US, after an investigation by the Guardian and Quinto Elemento Lab that revealed heavy metals contamination in nearby homes and schools.

The federal agency described the closure as “temporary”, and said it would conduct an inspection lasting several days that would verify the factory’s compliance with environmental regulations. Days earlier, a state government agency said it had identified problems with the plant’s emissions control equipment.

These actions follow a story published on Tuesday that traced how US steel companies ship contaminated dust left over from recycling scrap metal to the Zinc Nacional plant, where it is processed in furnaces to reclaim zinc.

The reporting team collaborated with Martín Soto Jiménez, a toxicology researcher at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (Unam), who took soil and dust samples in homes and schools surrounding the plant, in a heavily populated part of the Monterrey metropolitan area.

Samples showed high levels of lead, cadmium and arsenic – including one elementary school that had 1,760 times the US action level for lead dust in its window sills.

Zinc Nacional’s own emission reports to the federal government show the company emits these same heavy metals into the air.

Environmental regulators from the federal agency in charge of environmental inspection and enforcement, known by its acronym, Profepa, arrived at the plant on Friday. The shutdown was announced on

Saturday, when Profepa said in a statement that the plant did not have authorization for 15 pieces of equipment that control emissions into the atmosphere. It said its inspection was occurring “as a result of information that has been made public through a journalistic investigation”.

A team from the environmental agency of the Mexican state of Nuevo León had visited the plant on Thursday.

During the visit, officials found evidence of “deficiencies in the emission control systems” and dust from the plant in soil, said the agency in a press release. It ordered the shutdown of two furnaces “as a precautionary measure”. Zinc Nacional did not respond to questions from the Guardian and Quinto Elemento Lab, a non-profit reporting group, about the shutdown and other reactions in Monterrey to the study findings. (Excerpted from The Guardian)

Jamaican Govt advancing efforts to combat human trafficking T

he Government, through the Ministry of National Security, is further advancing efforts to combat human trafficking in Jamaica with the development of a National Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Policy.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Security, Dr Horace Chang, made the announcement while addressing Friday’s staging of the newly-launched ‘Heightening Awareness to Combat Human Trafficking’

course, at the Jewel Grande Montego Bay Resort and Spa in Rose Hall, St James.

Chang said the impending policy represents a critical step in addressing the crime of human trafficking, which disproportionately affects vulnerable populations such as women, children and socioeconomically disadvantaged individuals.

“The implementation of the [new] National Trafficking in Persons Policy reaffirms the Government of Jamaica’s commitment to

reinforcing strategies that aid in the fight against human trafficking. The policy places at the forefront, a national plan of action that identifies human trafficking as a risk to our most vulnerable people,” he stated. Chang indicated that the Government implemented several institutional improvements in 2024 to enhance the capacity of Jamaica’s law enforcement regime to identify and prosecute traffickers. (Jamaica Observer)

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owley bullied PNM MPs to support Young – UNC’s deputy leader United National Congress (UNC) deputy leader Jearlean John is accusing Dr Keith Rowley of bullying his MPs into unanimously supporting Stuart Young to succeed him as prime minister.

Speaking at a political meeting in Sangre Grande on Thursday night, John said she had inside information that Rowley strong-armed the MPs who initially supported Pennelope Beckles, to switch allegiances to Young.

“One day we were hearing it is nine to 11, because you know in town there are some gangs called six and seven and in the PNM, they said it have nine and 11, I don’t know, allegedly,” she told the crowd, referencing that nine MPs had originally supported Beckles for the post of prime minister.

However, she said that all changed during the People’s National Movement’s (PNM) general council meeting on January 11.

“The next thing I heard, some big bully went into a meeting and told them ‘Face the audience, allyuh know what happening here? Don’t play up in allyuh a...’ yes that is what I heard! There was a

United National Congress (UNC) deputy leader Jearlean John

leak,” she alleged.

She added, “And every man Jack had to go and sign, they capitulated like a hand of bad cards.”

Following the PNM’s general council meeting, party chairman Young said the discussions were cordial and the party was more unified than ever moving forward.

“I’ve been in very good dialogue, in particular with my colleagues and many of my other colleagues, and what you’re seeing here is what you’d expect to see from the People’s National Movement.

What you’re seeing here is historic. We’re pleased to tell T&T that what you’re going to be seeing is the roll-out of Team PNM,” Young said.

Asked how the nine MPs who supported Beckles were convinced to support him, Young said, “I don’t really think it was a matter of ‘convincing’, we had certain discussions, and we always knew, I believe, that we’d end up at this point, and it really wasn’t a matter of convincing—this is exactly where I expected us as the PNM to end up.”

But on Thursday night, John said the MPs eventually “capitulated and collapsed!”

She said the electorate should see this as evidence that PNM MPs stand for nothing and will therefore not be acceptable representatives in the Parliament.

“If Penny (Beckles) not standing for herself, she will stand for you? If Foster Cummings not standing for himself, who he will stand for?

If (Roger) Monroe not standing for himself, who are they standing for? Who are they coming to? What will they tell us?” she asked.

John added, “You stand when you believe your cause is right, you stand when you believe your cause is just and you stand in the interest of the people. So, if they will not stand for us, will you stand for them?” (T&T Guardian)

2 Jamaicans convicted in money laundering scheme tied to Colombian cartel

T

wo Jamaican men were convicted on Friday for their roles in a sophisticated international money laundering organisation that laundered more than US$6 million in drug trafficking proceeds from Colombian cartels through the United States, Caribbean and European banking systems.

St Devon Anthony Cover, 61, was convicted of one count of money laundering conspiracy and seven counts of laundering of monetary instruments; while Dennis Raymond Rowe, 59, was convicted of one count of money laundering conspiracy, one count of money laundering and two counts of laundering of monetary instruments.

The two, who were found guilty following a four-day jury trial, will be sentenced at a later date.

The charges of money laundering conspiracy and laundering of monetary instruments each provide for a sentence of up to 20 years

in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to US$500,000, or twice the amount involved – whichever is greater.

United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy said Cover and Rowe were key players in a scheme that laundered millions in drug proceeds, “enabling the flow of deadly narcotics onto our streets”.

Over the course of the five-year investigation that led to the arrest of 20 people, US$1 million was seized from corporate bank accounts and other investigative activity.

Nearly 3,000 kilogrammes of cocaine – with a street value of over $90 million – was traced back to the money laundering organisation. This includes approximately 1,193 kilogrammes of cocaine seized at sea, 60 miles south of Jamaica, in July 2019, as well as 1,555 kilogrammes of cocaine seized in nine scrap metal shipping containers at the Port of

Buenaventura, Colombia, in March 2019.

According to prosecutors, it was discovered by investigators that the organisation laundered over $6 million in drug proceeds through intermediary banks in the United States, as well as additional proceeds through banks in the Caribbean and Europe by use of the Colombian Black Market Peso Exchange (BMPE). By using the BMPE, the defendants and their co-conspirators sought to conceal drug trafficking activity and proceeds from law enforcement as well as evade currency exchange requirements in the United States and Colombia through the illegal currency exchange process.

During the course of the conspiracy, Cover laundered approximately US$268,000 and Rowe laundered over US$600,000 by delivering bulk cash drug proceeds to undercover law enforcement.

(Jamaica Observer)

T&T man found “storing” weapons for criminals

A

36-year-old San Juan man who is suspected of “storing” weapons for criminals was arrested after he was found with an AK-47 and ammunition at his home on Thursday afternoon.

Police said officers of the North Eastern Division Task

Force went to Petit Bourg, around 4.30 pm when they found the assault rifle in a white plastic bag under his bed.

The weapon had a magazine which contained 29 rounds of 7.62 ammunition. The man was arrested.

(T&T Guardian)

guyanatimesgy.com

SUNDAY, JANUARY 19, 19 2025

27

Around the World

Trump immigration raids Trump says he may give TikTok a 90-day reprieve on Monday to hit multiple cities U P

resident-elect Donald Trump's administration will launch immigration sweeps in multiple U.S. cities almost as soon as he takes office on Monday with Chicago considered a likely first location, officials and rights advocates said.

Incoming "border czar" Tom Homan told Fox News on Saturday that "targeted enforcement operations" would quickly pursue some of what he said were 700,000 migrants who are in the U.S. illegally and under deportation orders. He indicated the efforts would occur in several cities.

"President Trump has been clear from day one ... he's going to secure the bor-

der and he's going to have the deportation operation," Homan told Fox News ahead of Trump's inaguration on Monday.

Dulce Ortiz, president of the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, told Reuters that as many as 200 Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents were expected to start raids in the Chicago area on Monday at 5 a.m., aiming to catch people heading into work or starting their day.

The enforcement push was expected to continue for several days, she said.

The information from Ortiz could not be independently confirmed. An

ICE spokesperson referred questions to the Trump transition team, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

A source told Reuters on Friday that agents would also conduct raids in New York and Miami. The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday that ICE would stage a week-long operation in Chicago with potentially hundreds of agents. Trump said in an NBC News interview on Saturday that launching the mass deportations he promised in his election campaign would be a top priority. But he declined to identify the cities targeted or when deportations would start. (Reuters)

S President-elect Donald Trump said on Saturday he would "most likely" give TikTok a 90-day reprieve from a potential ban after he takes office on Monday, as the app with 170 million American users buzzed with nervous anticipation ahead of a shutdown set for Sunday.

"The 90-day extension is something that will be most likely done, because it's appropriate," Trump told NBC. "If I decide to do that, I'll probably announce it on Monday."

The Chinese-owned app, which has captivated nearly half of all Americans, powered small businesses and shaped online culture, said on Friday it will go dark in the U.S. on Sunday unless President Joe Biden's administration provides assurances to companies such as Apple (AAPL.O), opens new tab and Google (GOOGL.O), opens new tab that they will

not face enforcement actions when a ban takes effect.

Under a law passed last year and upheld on Friday by a unanimous Supreme Court, the platform has until Sunday to cut ties with its China-based parent ByteDance or shut down its U.S. operation to resolve concerns it poses a threat to national security. The White House dismissed TikTok's Friday comment as a stunt, reiterating on Saturday that it was up to the incoming Trump administration to take action, increasing the likelihood of a shutdown on Sunday.

"We see no reason for TikTok or other companies to take actions in the next few days before the Trump administration takes office on Monday," press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement.

It's not clear if TikTok has met the high legal bar to win a 90-day reprieve from Trump -- which requires

having binding agreements in place to enable ByteDance to complete a sale of TikTok by mid-April.

TikTok did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the new White House statement.

The Chinese embassy in Washington on Friday accused the U.S. of using unfair state power to suppress TikTok. "China will take all necessary measures to resolutely safeguard its legitimate rights and interests," a spokesperson said.

Users on the app were saying their goodbyes, some filming themselves frantically scrolling or sharing final secrets with their followers ahead of the ban.

“Does anyone know if the TikTok ban goes into effect on Sunday or if we have all of Sunday to like brain rot still? I need to plan accordingly,” fitness influencer Britany Williams said in a video to her 64,000 followers. (Reuters)

Sunday.

Its first stage will last six weeks, during which 33 of the remaining 98 hostages women, children, men over 50, the ill and wounded - will be released in return for almost 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees.

They include 737 male, female and teen-aged prisoners, some of whom are members of militant groups convicted of attacks that killed dozens of Israelis, as well as hundreds of Palestinians from Gaza in detention since the start of the war. Three female hostages are expect-

ed to be released on Sunday afternoon through the Red Cross, in return for 30 prisoners each.

After Sunday's hostage release, lead U.S. negotiator Brett McGurk said, the accord calls for four more female hostages to be freed after seven days, followed by the release of three further hostages every seven days thereafter.

U.S. President Joe Biden's team worked closely with Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff to push the deal over the line.

(Reuters)

Two judges shot dead in Iran’s supreme court building, state media say Gaza ceasefire and hostage T release set to begin

wo judges have been killed in a shooting on Saturday at the supreme court building in Tehran, Iranian state media have reported.

“This morning, a gunman infiltrated the supreme court in a planned act of assassination of two brave and experienced judges. The two judges were martyred in the act,” the judiciary’s Mizan Online website reported.

Mizan said the assailant killed himself after the “terrorist” act. The state news agency, IRNA, said one other person was wounded.

The two slain judges have been identified by Mizan as Ali Razini and Mohammad Moghisseh, both of whom handled cases “fighting crimes against national security, espionage and terrorism”.

The judiciary spokesperson Asghar Jahangir said on state television that “a person armed with a hand-

gun entered the room” of the two judges and shot them.

“Individuals have been identified, summoned or arrested in connection with the incident,” he added, without providing further details.

The motive behind the killings was not immediately clear, but Mizan said the assailant was not involved in any cases before the supreme court.

Authorities said an investigation into the attack was under way.

President Masoud Pezeshkian expressed his condolences over the deaths, calling on the authorities to act swiftly.

He said: “I strongly urge the security and law enforcement forces to take the necessary measures as soon as possible by examining the dimensions and angles of this reprehensible act and to identify its perpetrators.”

Moghisseh, 68, was sanctioned by the US in 2019 for having “overseen countless unfair trials, during which charges went unsubstantiated and evidence was disregarded”, according to the US Treasury.

Razini, 71, held several important positions in Iran’s judiciary and was previously targeted in a 1998 assassination attempt by assailants “who planted a magnetic bomb in his vehicle”, according to Mizan.

Though attacks targeting judges are rare, Iran has seen a number of shootings targeting high-profile figures in recent years.

In October, a Shiite Muslim preacher was shot dead in the southern city of Kazerun after leading Friday prayers.

In April 2023, a powerful cleric identified as Abbas Ali Soleimani was shot dead at a bank in the northern province of Mazandaran.

(The Guardian)

Russian strikes kill six in Ukraine, including in Kyiv, officials say

R

ussian forces unleashed a combined drone and missile strike on the Ukrainian capital Kyiv early on Saturday, killing three people, while two other attacks in the country's south killed three more, officials said.

In Kyiv, explosions boomed across the predawn sky as air defences activated against the attack, which also wounded three others, according to city military administration chief Timur Tkachenko. A

shopping mall, business centre, metro station and water pipe were damaged in the assault, he said.

"Russian forces initially launched drones and then a ballistic-missile strike," parliamentary ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets wrote on social media. "These acts merely underscore the enemy's ruthlessness and barbarity."

Rescue workers plodded through a flooded street as they sifted through debris.

The charred remains of a

van were visible in front of the station, whose facade was marked by twisted metal and blown-out windows. As daylight broke, they could be seen examining missile fragments and loading a body bag into a truck.

Air force spokesman Yuriy Ihnat told Ukrainian media that both missiles aimed at Kyiv were destroyed, but that one of them was shot down at a low altitude, resulting in heavy damage. (Reuters)

A

ceasefire in Gaza between Israel and Hamas is set to come into effect on Sunday morning with a hostage release to follow hours later, opening the way to a possible end to a 15-month war that has upended the Middle East.

The agreement followed months of on-off negotiations brokered by Egypt, Qatar and the United States, and came just ahead of the Jan. 20 inauguration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump. The threestage ceasefire will come into effect at 0630 GMT on

70 killed in central Nigeria after fuel tanker flips over and explodes

A

fuel tanker exploded after flipping over in central Nigeria on Saturday, killing 70 people who had scrambled to take the fuel.

Kumar Tsukwam, the head of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Niger State, said a truck carrying 60,000 litres of gasoline had an accident at about 10am at the Dikko junction on the road linking the capital city, Abuja, to the northern city of Kaduna.

“Most of the victims were burnt beyond recognition,” Tsukwam said. “We are at the scene to clear things up.”

An FSRC statement said a “large crowd of people gathered to scoop the fuel [when] suddenly the tanker burst into flames, engulfing

Scores were killed in central Nigeria after fuel tanker flipped over and exploded

another tanker.

“So far 60 corpses recovered from scene, the victims are mostly scavengers,” it said.

In 2023, President Bola Tinubu abolished a fuel subsidy, sending prices of essentials and other goods

soaring, triggering protests.

The price of gasoline has increased fivefold in 18 months, leading many to risk their lives to recover fuel during tanker truck accidents, which are common in Africa’s most populous country. (The Guardian)

guyanatimesgy.com

SUNDAY, JANUARY 19, 2025

28

ARIES Participate in something (March 21- that inspires you to socialize April 19) more with people who share your interests or concerns. It will broaden your perspective regarding the possibilities.

Someone you least expect TAURUS will broadside you with emo(April 20tional drama. Listen carefully, May 20) but don’t get involved in something that can compromise your position, reputation, health and well-being.

Attend an event that offers GEMINI knowledge, new connections and (MAY 21- insight into how to make the June 20) most of what you have. Exploring what’s available will encourage you to upgrade your qualifications or revise your resume.

CANCER Read between the lines (June 21- and figure out what or who ofJuly 22) fers the best deal. If something sounds too good to be true, take a pass. Stick to the truth and avoid making empty promises.

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

Pickles VIRGO

(Aug. 23Sept. 22)

LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)

SCORPIO

Peanuts

(Oct. 24Nov. 22)

Participate and be the one to make a difference. Less complaining and more action will ease stress and help you pave a path toward a better future.

Improved health begins with fitness and a clean diet.

Monitor money matters and assess your position, reputation and financial future.

It’s up to you to keep up with the times and necessary requirements.

Expand your mind, interests or qualifications. Attend a reunion, seminar or networking function. An emotional situation will bring about a positive lifestyle change.

Honor your promises to yourself and others. Stop procrastinating, and you’ll discover the satisfaction of putting your to-do list to bed.

Be direct, ask questions SAGITTARIUS and get the facts. Someone (Nov. 23you least expect will withDec. 21) hold information or exaggerate a situation. Your best way forward requires persistence, hard work and ingenuity.

Calvin and Hobbes

Your ability to act fast is CAPRICORN remarkable, but if you let your (Dec. 22emotions dictate your actions, Jan. 19) you may not get what you want. Take a brief but necessary moment to review your motives.

Think twice before rearAQUARIUS ranging your space or giving (Jan. 20in to someone trying to take Feb. 19) advantage of you. Know who and what you are dealing with, and choose practicality over pleasing others.

Avoid drama and simpliPISCES fy your life and relationships (Feb. 20with others.

Stick to the facts Mar. 20) and be precise when asking for something. How you deal with others will determine what you get in return.

SUNDAY, JANUARY 19, 2025

29

Bangladesh Women’s Tour of the West Indies 2024/25: ODI Series, Game 1 of 3…

“Winning 3-0 will be great!” says Captain Matthews – eyeing clean sweep against Bangladesh

W

est Indies Women’s captain Hayley Matthews is optimistic about her team’s readiness. She has stressed that the focus is on improvement, and there is a desire to deliver a dominant 3-0 sweep in their three-match ODI series against Bangladesh.

Matthews pointed out that the series, which gets under way today, Sunday January 19, at Warner Park in St. Kitts, represents a fresh start for her team following a disappointing outing in India.

In fact, both teams are aiming to sharpen their skills for upcoming ICC events, as this series marks Bangladesh’s first bilateral tour of the Caribbean and the first bilateral encounter between the two sides. With that in mind, Matthews has highlighted the importance of spending time in the middle when batting, which she says has been a major focus of the team’s preparation, which has been pretty good.

“Obviously, we had some time-off over the New Year’s break to kind of reset after the India series.

Everyone has been working pretty hard to get going. Batting has been something that we have been paying a lot of attention to, and something that we know is going to be really crucial within this series,” Matthews said in a pregame interview.

“We have been working hard in the bowling department as well. Obviously, wicket-taking opportunities and wicket-taking balls…is something from the last series that we felt we could have improved on; so, the coaches and everyone involved have definitely been putting in a lot more plans to hopefully get some more early wickets,” she detailed.

Knowing very well that facing Bangladesh’s formidable spin attack would be a key challenge for her side, Matthews believes the key to success lies in early ag-

gression.

“They have a very strong spin attack, so it’s probably going to be about staying on them really early, and keeping them out of the game as much as possible. Their spinners are going to be the ones to try and take wickets; so, hopefully, we can keep them out of the game as much as possible,” she noted.

Matthews explained that the Caribbean side, boasting a blend of seasoned campaigners and emerging talent, has struck a harmonious balance, and every player is eager to give a good account of themselves.

“We already have a really good mix. Having that experience and youthfulness kind of brings about that fun in the camp, but we’re still very serious about what we have to get done out on the field. No matter who you are in the team — a young player coming in or someone that’s been around for a while —

everyone is hungry to go out there and do well every single time,” Matthews disclosed.

While playing at home in familiar conditions provides a significant edge, Matthews is cognisant that efficient execution is required to exploit conditions, and she is clear about the team’s ambitions.

“We’ve had a lot of experience playing here at Warner Park. The girls certainly know the ground very well, and it should be an advantage for us.

Hopefully, we can use that to exploit areas of the ground and the wicket as well,” Matthews explained.

“As the higher-ranked team, we do want to go out there and dominate. It (series) still plays a role in the position that we will be in the qualifiers, and so we want to focus a lot on what we can do. We know we are a quality side, and hopefully we will be able to showcase that, as winning 3-0 will be great,” she dis-

The women’s teams of the West Indies and Bangladesh will be contesting a 3-match ODI Series from today

closed.

Equally determined Bangladesh captain Nigar Sultana Joty is, meanwhile, equally determined, as she also views the series as crucial for their World Cup qualification hopes.

“This is a very important series, and we really

want to win to qualify for the ODI World Cup. So, we have some plans that we want to execute on the day.

We have a very good bowling attack and some very good top-order players, so we look forward to seeing how they perform,” Joty has said.

(Adapted from Sportsmax)

International League T20I…

Erasmus, Hetmyer lead Gulf Giants to five-wicket win over Dubai Capitals SCOREBOARD G Dubai Capitals (20 ovs maximum) Shai Hope c Uzair Khan b Muzarabani 12 Ben Dunk †c Hetmyer b Uzair Khan 28 Brandon McMullen st †Cox b Aayan Afzal Khan 13 Sikandar Raza (c)c Muzarabani b Wahidullah Zadran 28 Rovman Powell c Hetmyer b Aayan Afzal Khan 25 Dasun Shanaka not out 33 Gulbadin Naib c Erasmus b Adair 15 Scott Kuggeleijn c Lyth b Adair 4 Olly Stone not out 0 Extras (lb 1, nb 1, w 5) 7 Total 20 Ov (RR: 8.25) 165/7 Did not bat: Haider Ali, Farhan Khan, Obed McCoy Fall of wickets: 1-28 (Shai Hope, 3.2 ov), 2-43 (Ben Dunk, 5.2 ov), 3-62 (Brandon McMullen, 7.5 ov), 4-107 (Sikandar Raza, 13.1 ov), 5-120 (Rovman Powell, 15.1 ov), 6-146 (Gulbadin Naib, 18.3 ov), 7-150 (Scott Kuggeleijn, 18.5 ov) • DRS Bowling O-M-R-W Wahidullah Zadran 4-0-32-1 Mark Adair 4-0-39-2 Blessing Muzarabani 4-1-21-1 Uzair Khan 1-0-12-1 Tymal Mills 4-0-48-0 Aayan Afzal Khan 3-0-12-2

Gulf Giants (T: 166 runs from 20 ovs) Adam Lyth c Shanaka b Farhan Khan 32 James Vince (c) c Gulbadin Naib b McCoy 10 Ibrahim Zadran c Powell b Kuggeleijn 7 Jordan Cox †c Stone b Sikandar Raza 27 Gerhard Erasmus not out 50 Shimron Hetmyer not out 41 Extras (nb 1) 1 Total 18.1 Ov (RR: 9.24) 168/4 Did not bat: Aayan Afzal Khan, Uzair Khan, Blessing Muzarabani, Mark Adair, Tymal Mills Fall of wickets: 1-28 (James Vince, 3.1 ov), 2-35 (Ibrahim Zadran, 4.3 ov), 3-53 (Adam Lyth, 7.2 ov), 4-88 (Jordan Cox, 10.5 ov) • DRS Bowling O-M-R-W Olly Stone 3-0-30-0 Obed McCoy 3.1-0-36-1 Scott Kuggeleijn 4-0-35-1 Sikandar Raza 4-0-31-1 Farhan Khan 1-0-14-1 Haider Ali 1-0-11-0 Gulbadin Naib 2-0-11-0

erhard Erasmus and Guyanese Shimron Hetmyer have played starring roles to lead the Gulf Giants to their first win of this season’s International League T20 (ILT20) on

Saturday. Chasing a target of 166 to win, the Giants needed just 18.1 overs to reach 168-4, thereby defeating the Dubai Capitals by five wickets at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

Gerhard Erasmus did not hesitate to improvise in the chase

Shimron Hetmyer hit a game-winning 41

After Adam Lyth (32) and Jordan Cox (27) had each made meaningful contributions, Erasmus and Hetmyer put on an unbeaten 60-run sixth-wicket partnership to condemn the Capitals to a third consecutive defeat.

Erasmus finished on 50* off 34 balls, which included six fours and a six; while Hetmyer finished on 41* off 20 balls, which included one four and four sixes.

The Capitals had earlier made 165-7 after being put in to bat by Giants skipper

James Vince. Dasun Shanaka led the way with a 20-ball 33*, while captain Sikandar Raza (28), Ben Dunk (28) and Rovman Powell (25) all made decent contributions to the total. Shai Hope, coming off scores of 101 and 83* in his last two innings, made just 12 this time.

Aayan Afzal Khan bowled excellently to return figures of 2-12 from his three overs for the Giants, while Mark Adair took 2-39 from his full four overs. (Adapted from Sportsmax)

30

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

SUNDAY, JANUARY 19, 2025

West Indies Tour of Pakistan 2024/25: Test 1 of 2…

Pakistan dominate day two

– as Noman, Sajid skittle West Indies out for 137 in less than a session

N

oman Ali and Sajid Khan, putting on a spin-bowling masterclass on a surface they found to their liking, have taken nine of the ten wickets to skittle West Indies out for 137 in less than a session. Either side of that, Pakistan fared better with the bat, putting up 230 in the first innings despite a collapse after Saud Shakeel and Mohammad Rizwan's 141run stand was broken.

Pakistan pulled away from the visitors in the final session with a commanding second-innings’ batting show that was spearheaded by their captain Shan Masood, whose half-century drove their lead to 202 with seven wickets still in hand.

However, the dominant story on a day when 19 wickets fell came in the middle session, when West Indies had little answer to Noman and Sajid, who bowled all but 14 deliveries of their innings.

Sajid started the dismantling in just his second over, when he dismissed Mikyle Louis and Keacy Carty off successive balls, even as Carty fell thanks to a superb slip catch from Mohammad Hurraira. By the end of his third over, Sajid had taken four wickets, and the West Indies were floundering, unable to either defend or attack against unerringly accurate spin.

Noman joined the fun by getting drift and turn to clip the edge of Justin Greaves's off stump for the first of five wickets taken by the left-armer, who was beginning to get huge rip off the barely formed footmarks.

As the innings proceeded, West Indies be-

Noman Ali appealing one of his 5 wickets

gan to adopt a more bellicose outlook as they tried to swindle some runs along the way. There was limited success, however, as multiple batters dragged it on to their stumps, b e -

Shan Masood brought up his fifty

fore the final two partnerships flourished.

Gudakesh Motie and Jomel Warrican began playing belligerent shots, Warrican utilising the back of the bat while playing the reverse sweep a handful of times.

From 66 for 8 at one stage, West Indies added 71 for the last two wickets. But after the MotieWarrican stand of 25, it was only during the last-wicket stand b e t w e e n Wa rrica n

and J a y d e n Seales that West Indies dominated the spinners.

Both batters connected cleanly as they hit the spinners over cow corner for multiple sixes; and that forced Pakistan into bringing on A b r a r A h m e d for the first time.

Abrar eventually ended the partnership, but only after the pair had plundered

46 runs off 21 balls. Seales miscued a googly straight up, and Rizwan took the catch and ended the punchy resistance.

But if the West Indies had thought that their collapse against spin meant they would also be among the wickets in the final session, Masood and Hurraira soon disabused them of that notion. Seales, whose pace and seam movement had made him the surprise pick of the bowlers on the first day, reprised his potent threat, but without the wickets that would reflect this in the scorecard. Masood meanwhile, proactive in his use of the feet, and adept against spin bowling, was eager to attack and expand the lead even further before the day was done.

Some untidiness crept into the bowling, gifting Pakistan 12 byes as spin became as tricky to handle for bowlers as it was for batters.

Warrican, however, was dangerous with one that carried on with the arm, and he got both his wickets that way: Hurraira first, before Babar Azam, played for the spin and found himself rapped in front of middle.

West Indies unfortunately were not able to snare Kamran Ghulam when a miscued sweep struck him on the arm as he got down low. The umpire raised the finger, but HawkEye incongruously projected the ball to be rising well above the stumps.

As if to compensate, West Indies were gifted the wicket of Masood. He called for a run and didn't quite realise that Ghulam was well down the pitch in response, thus he found himself stranded in the middle, and was left with little chance of getting to the non-striker's end before Warrican whipped the bails off.

During the morning session, West Indies took four wickets for 13 runs to trigger a Pakistan collapse.

They started by breaking the stand between Shakeel and Rizwan, leaving themselves two wickets away from wrapping up the hosts.

Shakeel and Rizwan began with the same authority with which they had ended the first day, but once Kevin Sinclair had snared Shakeel 16 short of what would have been his fifth Test hundred, Pakistan's resistance melted away. Only a punchy rearguard partnership between Sajid and Khurram Shahzad prevented West Indies from running through the innings

West Indies would need to post a big second-innings’ score

even sooner, but Pakistan were still bowled out for 230 on the stroke of lunch.

West Indies began the day by sticking to disciplined and tight lines, at one point conceding six runs

loss, West Indies were in danger of being shut out of the game.

However, the first ball after drinks brought the West Indies joy, with Sinclair luring Shakeel for-

Sajid Khan removed the West Indies' top-four batters

in seven overs as Seales and Warrican locked in. But neither batter offered up chances during this time, and when Pakistan negotiated the first hour without

ward before getting the ball to grip, and then taking his edge.

The pitch suddenly began to remind everyone how hostile it could be to batters

against quality spin, with the ball hissing and spitting off the surface. Salman Ali Agha was deceived in flight

by Warrican, and dragged on before Pakistan imploded. A bizarre mix-up between Rizwan and Noman saw Rizwan turning his back on Noman, leaving him unsuccessfully scrambling to return to the non-striker's end. And an attempted reverse sweep off the next delivery ended Rizwan's own innings on 71, a sharp review from West Indies confirming this.

However, an entertaining stand from Sajid and Shahzad saw a few more runs flow for Pakistan before the innings petered out.

Sajid launched Sinclair over cow corner for six amid a little flurry as Pakistan added 25 quickfire runs, but Warrican returned to fold the innings, making short work of both as West Indies took the last six wickets for 43 runs in a session of two halves. It was a harbinger for the rest of the day, when wicket-taking continued unabated. (ESPNCricinfo)

SCOREBOARD West Indies 1st Innings Kraigg Brathwaite (c) b Sajid Khan 11 Mikyle Louis b Sajid Khan 1 Keacy Carty c Muhammad Hurraira b Sajid Khan 0 Kavem Hodge c & b Sajid Khan 4 Alick Athanaze lbw b Noman Ali 6 Justin Greaves b Noman Ali 4 Tevin Imlach † lbw b Noman Ali 6 Kevin Sinclair c Kamran Ghulam b Noman Ali 11 Gudakesh Motie b Noman Ali 19 Jomel Warrican not out 31 Jayden Seales c †Mohammad Rizwan b Abrar Ahmed 22 Extras (b 16, lb 4, nb 2) 22 Total 25.2 Ov (RR: 5.40) 137 Fall of wickets: 1-10 (Mikyle Louis, 2.1 ov), 2-10 (Keacy Carty, 2.2 ov), 3-21 (Kraigg Brathwaite, 4.2 ov), 4-22 (Kavem Hodge, 4.5 ov), 5-34 (Justin Greaves, 9.4 ov), 6-42 (Tevin Imlach, 11.2 ov), 7-51 (Alick Athanaze, 13.5 ov), 8-66 (Kevin Sinclair, 15.4 ov), 9-91

(Gudakesh Motie, 21.5 ov), 10137 (Jayden Seales, 25.2 ov) Bowling O-M-R-W Sajid Khan 12-0-65-4 Khurram Shahzad 1-0-7-0 Noman Ali 11-2-39-5 Abrar Ahmed 1.2-1-6-1 Pakistan 2nd Innings Shan Masood (c) run out (Hodge/Warrican) 52 Muhammad Hurraira lbw b Warrican 29 Babar Azam lbw b Warrican 5 Kamran Ghulam not out 9 Saud Shakeel not out 2 Extras (b 11, nb 1) 12 Total 31 Ov (RR: 3.51) 109/3 Yet to bat: Mohammad Rizwan †, Salman Agha, Sajid Khan, Noman Ali, Khurram Shahzad, Abrar Ahmed Fall of wickets: 1-67 (Muhammad Hurraira, 15.4 ov), 2-89 (Babar Azam, 19.2 ov), 3-106 (Shan Masood, 27.2 ov) Bowling O-M-R-W Gudakesh Motie 9-0-39-0 Jayden Seales 5-0-13-0 Kevin Sinclair 5-1-16-0 Jomel Warrican 10-3-17-2 Kavem Hodge 2-0-13-0

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SUNDAY, JANUARY 19, 2025

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National Sports Commission lauds Sports’ largest budget to date O

n the heels of the Sports sector receiving its largest allocation ever – the announcement having been made during the 2025 Budget Presentation in the National Assembly on Friday evening -- the National Sports Commission (NSC) has lauded Government’s historic allocation, and has noted that “the ecosystem will continue its developmental metamorphosis under the guidance of the Honourable Minister of Sports, Charles Ramson Jr.” The NEC has expressed its contentment with the sector’s $8B allocation in Budget 2025 in a missive on Saturday.

During a sitting of the

National Assembly at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC) at Liliendaal, Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, the Honourable Dr. Ashni Singh, announced the largest ever allotment for the sector to the tune of $8B, which is an increase of $3.4B, or approximately 42.5%, over last year’s allocation.

Completion of the stadium at Palmyra, located in Region Six, and commencement of a new arena at Crane in Region Three are some of the major projects that would be undertaken during this budgetary cycle.

Similarly, multipurpose facilities at Anna Regina, Bayroc, Mackenzie, and New

Director of Sport, Steve Ninvalle

Amsterdam would also be completed, and construction of sports halls of a similar nature at Leonora, Lethem, Mabaruma, Mahdia, and Mongreppo Hill in Bartica would also begin.

“Even though we recognise that development is

Second GHE practice match ends in draw

a difficult process, obtaining the necessary resources is a significant part of that process, and we can declare with confidence that our country is making great strides toward achieving this goal. A historic turning point has been marked by the government's recently-announced budget, which includes an unprecedented allocation towards sports development and demonstrates a deep commitment to promoting sports at all levels,” Director of Sport, Steve Ninvalle, said about Sport’s 2025 budgetary allocation.

According to Ninvalle, “This budget is more than just a financial figure; it is a strong declaration of purpose and an unmistakable recognition of the transformational potential of sports by the Government.

The substantial increase in funding will be distributed among numerous projects.

From modern training facilities for top athletes to refurbished community fields and easily accessible recreational areas for all residents, we can expect a significant improvement in sports facilities across the country. Regardless of their

location or background, aspiring athletes will have the necessary platform to refine their skills, thanks to this investment.

“In addition to the purely physical component, the budget highlights how vit a l it is to ident i -

fy and develop talent.

To guaran- tee that no potential champion is left behind, committed programmes that emphasise developing young talent, offering specialised coaching and providing extensive support systems, will be implemented. The development of a steady stream of athletes capable of representing our country with pride on the international

scene will be greatly aided by these programmes.

“Investing in our country's future is the goal.

Youth empowerment, national pride, and leaving a legacy of sporting greatness that will motivate future generations are the main goals,” the Director of Sport further explained.

He added, “Ultimately, this budget demonstrates a vision that transcends words and embraces concrete action.

For coaches, aspiring athletes, a n d a n y one who believes that sports can change lives, it i s a ray of hope. The Government’s investment shows a deep understanding of how important a robust sports sector is to the country's well-being, social cohesiveness, and economic development, in addition to boosting national pride.

This is more than just a budget; it is a game-changer for our country's sports future, and it appears to be a more promising one than it has ever been.”

Thompson, Clayton record impressive 60m wins at Central Hurdles, Relays Scenes from the Guyana Harpy Eagles’ second practice match

A

n exciting game of cricket unfortunately ended in a draw on Saturday at the Guyana National Stadium (GNS), Providence, East Bank Demerara (EBD), when

afternoon show- ers spoiled the party in the Guyana Harpy Eagles’ (GHE) practice match.

N i a l Smith’s XI, which had been controlling the match from day 1 on Wednesday, found themselves needing three wickets to seal the victory, but the heavens had other plans.

Smith’s XI resumed day 4 on 302 runs, adding just 37 runs to the team’s tally on Saturday morning before turning over the bat to Kemol Savory’s XI. Jonathan Van Lange got to 45 off 90 deliveries before perishi n g ,

while Junior Sinclair scored 23 off 33 balls. Romario Ramdehol completed his five-wicket haul, improving on the four wickets he had already taken earlier in the innings, ending with figures of 5-64 from 23.1 overs.

For Savory’s XI, Raymon Perez hit 37 in 68 deliveries, Richie Looknauth hit 20 from 40 balls, and Shamar Yearwood struck 19 from 57 balls, and Savory’s XI got to 125-7.

The experienced Veerasammy Permaul was the standout of Smith’s bowlers, snaring 4-48 from 15 overs, while Junior Sinclair picked up 2-26 from 13 overs. Ronaldo Alimohamed picked up the remaining wicket.

The Guyana Harpy Eagles contested two practice matches at the National Stadium in anticipation of the 2025 West Indies Championships which will bowl off next Wednesday, January 29, 2025.

In the first round, the Harpy Eagles will take on the Barbados Pride.

A

Jamaica’s Kishan Thompson and Tia Clayton

s had happened in 2024, Kishane Thompson’s first race of the 2025 season has already sent track and field fans into a frenzy.

The reigning Olympic 100m silver medallist opened his 2025 season in the F final of the men’s 60m at the Central Hurdles, Relays & Field Events Meet at the GC Foster College in St. Catherine on Saturday.

Lined up in lane four, Thompson, with his now customary bullet start, proceeded to power away from the

field, and crossed the finish line in a time of 6.48, smashing his previous personal best of 6.67.

What makes this performance even more impressive is that he did it into a -2.1m/s headwind.

Thompson’s MVP Track Club teammates Nishion Ebanks and 2023 National 100m champion Rohan Watson were second and third respectively as they recorded times of 6.54 and 6.61.

Those times are also personal bests for the athletes.

Thompson’s time puts

him fifth on the all-time list for Jamaica in the event, trailing Ackeem Blake (6.42), Asafa Powell (6.44), Yohan Blake (6.45) and Lerone Clarke (6.47).

In the women’s equivalent, Olympic 100m finalist Tia Clayton ran a personal best 7.14 to take top spot ahead of Natasha Morrison (7.18) and Jonielle Smith (7.23). Both Morrison and Smith also ran personal bests.

Clayton's previous best was 7.18 done at the National Stadium last January.

SUNDAY, JANUARY 19, 2025

Sports is no longer our game, it’s our business

guyanatimesgy.com

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practice match ends in draw Pg 31

West Indies Tour of Pakistan 2024/25: Test 1 of 2…

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