CNOOC Petroleum Guyana Limited (CNOOC),a25%shareholderintheStabroek Block in 2025 bagged larger profits than this country received, although half of the total revenue generated should be deposited to the nation’sNaturalResourceFund(NRF)
According to the company’s financial statements seen by this newspaper, CNOOC recordedGY$503,358,000,000innetincome beforetaxes ThisisequivalenttoUS$2516B atanexchangerateof$200 Aspartofthe2016 Production Sharing Agreement (PSA), the companydoesnotpaytaxestoGuyana
The company’s earnings for last year have surpassed the total revenue Guyana received during the period, although the country is entitled to half the profits generatedintheStabroekBlock;notonlythat butthecountryissupposedlypaid2%royalty on gross production, meaning Guyana’s revenue should be larger than the oil companies’share.
Presently Guyana is producing about 920,000 barrels per day (bpd) with four projectscurrentlyinoperation.Afifthproject isexpectedtocomeonlinebeforetheendof this year The startup of that development, Uaru, will increase Guyana’s daily capacity toapproximately1.2millionbarrels.
To date, Guyana has sanctioned seven deepwater projects, with the oil companies seekingpermitsforanothertwo.In2027,the sixth project- Whiptail- is likely to startup whiletheseventh-Hammerhead-ispoisedto commenceoperationsin2029.
Last week Kaieteur News reported that HessGuyanaExplorationLimitedwith30% interest in the block recorded GY$605B in aftertaxincomeorUS$3B
Althoughthecountryisentitledtohalfof the revenue, Guyana’s share continues to be outpacedbytheprofitsrecordedbythethree Stabroek Block partners, Exxon, Hess and CNOOC
Recently, Kaieteur News reported that between 2020 and 2024, ExxonMobil, Hess and CNOOC, the Stabroek Block partners recorded massive profits, amounting to US$29B while barely US$54B flowed into theNRFduringthesameperiod
Highlighting this was the Oil and Gas Governance Network (OGGN), a non-profit body registered in New York, comprising Guyanesescholarsbasedlocallyandabroad
In a statement shared with this newspaper, OGGN demonstrated a stark difference in the profits received by Guyana andtheoilcompanies.
TheNGOexplainedthatsomeUS$91Bis missing from the country’s oil account, in accordancewiththePetroleumAgreementand financialsofthethreecompanies
It said, “The core issue presented is straightforward: Based on a 50/50 profitsharingmodelandatotalestimatedprofitoilof US$29B, Guyana was expected to receive profit oil of US$145B However, inspecting BankofGuyanaauditedfinancialstatements, s e e https://bankofguyanaorggy/bog/publications /natural-resource-fund/audited-financialstatements, the actual amount of profit oil Guyana received from 2020 to 2024was
InaccordancewiththePSA,ExxonMobil takes 75% of production to cover petroleum related expenses in the Stabroek Block.The remaining 25% is split between Guyana and the contractor as profits, with the country receiving 125% and the company receiving 125%
CNOOC’s financial statements for 2025
US$5.4B.”
This therefore means that instead of 50% profits, Guyana only saw 186% of profits generatedovertheperiod
To this end, OGGN said, “The public deserves to understand how this substantial shortfall occurred.We urge the Government of Guyana to provide a comprehensive, transparent account of the oil revenue management process. This must include a clearexplanationofalldeductionsandcosts that reduce Guyana’s share (and) a plan to strengthen independent oversight of the sector.”
Kaieteur M@ilbox Kaieteur News
Printed and Published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd. 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, Guyana.
Publisher: DR. GLENN LALL - TEL: 624-6456
Editor-In-Chief: NIGEL WILLIAMS
Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491. Fax: 225-8473, 226-8210
EDITORIAL
Parliamentreconvening, thankstodiplomats
ThebestthatPrimeMinisterMarkPhillipscouldsaywas that he is “unable to say.” Clerk of Guyana’s National Assembly, Sherlock Isaacs, followed that same route: “I do notknow.”IthelpedthatParliamentaryAffairsMinister,Gail Teixeirabrokethesilence,shedsomelight,parliamentback onJune5.
Why did it require the foreign diplomatic contingent to intervene for parliament to restart? Once again, European UnionAmbassadortoGuyana,LucaPierantonitookthelead. “We look forward to intensive parliamentary engagement that will enable Guyana to advance its ambitious reform agenda.TheworkofParliamentisessentialinfulfillingthe democratic principles shared by Guyana, the Caribbean CommunityandtheEuropeanUnion.”DoPPPGovernment leaders understand what “intensive parliamentary engagement” means? It was not happening. Intensive signifies serious, in-depth discussions, with lively debates, on the government’s “ambitious reform agenda.” Pushing ahead with that agenda unilaterally from the Office of President or Prime Minister, or from press conferences, cannothappenifparliamentisclosed.
Guyanese voted in an election, and they are best served whentheirrepresentativesareseenandheardinparliament. Theissuesdebatedwithvigor Theprojectsonwhichtheir money was spent, and how public servants involved in that spending performed. The disposition of their oil money through a full accounting for withdrawals from the Natural ResourceFund.
Those are only portions of what parliament should be involvedin,butcandoonlywhenitsdoorsareopen.Itswork openstocamerasandmicrophones.Itsspeakermanaginghis sensitive position with fairness. Its opposition members given opportunity to table motions, to raise the difficult questions,andtopressforstraightanswers. Whenthework of Guyana’s parliament is an open book, then there is so muchmoreaccountability
Committees must be convened and hold their sessions. June 5 is the start date. An unfettered, functioning Public AccountsCommitteeinformstaxpayers.Firstly,whatvalue they are getting for their billions budgeted and spent. Secondly, the quality of the audits that they are getting. Thirdly, how much the government is supporting (or undermining)theworkofthismostsensitiveofcommittees. And, fourthly, how dedicated the committee itself is in the deliveryofitsjob.
A reconvened parliament paves the way for all of this business that involves the people to get started, eventually getcompletedsatisfactorily ButonlyifthePeople’sHouseis opened,sothatthe“intensiveparliamentaryengagement”of whichAmbassadorPierantonispoke,couldmakeheadway
An honest government, one that has leaders who are genuinely committed to democracy and its organs and processes, would be about a reconvened parliament. A parliamentthatbustleswithenergyandfidelitytotheoaths takentoserve,andserveethically
We at this paper are appalled that the diplomatic corps had to make its voice heard again regarding reconvening parliament. The ABCEU diplomats gave a strong hand duringtheSeptember2025elections,sothatthenextstepof parliament operating at full steam could follow automatically They may have been of the impression that their work was done, and that they could get back to the priorityofdealingwiththeirowngovernmentdemands. But hereitwasthatAmerican,British,Canadian,European,and othershadtogetinvolvedagain.
This is embarrassing, to say the least. It makes from governmenttocitizenlooklikebeginners.Peoplewhoarein need of much encouraging and, like those with challenges, givenagentleremindingnudge.
How long is this going to continue in an independent country, one that claims a firm hold on democracy’s practices? In what other areas will the diplomatic think it
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz – Impact on Guyana
DEAREDITOR,
TheclosureoftheStraitofHormuz — a critical artery through which approximately 20% of the world’s traded oil and a significant portion of global liquefied natural gas (LNG) transits — has triggered a cascading global economic shock. While Guyana is not directly dependent on Middle Easternoilimports,therippleeffectsof thisclosurearebeingfeltacutelyacross our supply chains, fuel costs, and householdfoodsecurity
The global energy market has responded with sharp price increases. Shipping freight rates have surged as vesselsreroutearoundtheCapeofGood Hope, adding thousands of miles and days to journey times. These costs are being passed directly to consumers in smallandimport-dependenteconomies suchasours.
Guyanafacesthefollowing immediatepressures:
Ÿ Fuel and energy cost escalation
electricity generation, and agriculture
Ÿ Rising prices of imported food commodities including wheat, riceinputs,andprocessedfoods
Ÿ Increased shipping and freight costsforallimportedgoods
Ÿ Supply chain delays affecting availability of
ential medicinesandconsumergoods
Ÿ Inflationarypressuresonthecost of living for ordinary Guyanese citizens
One may ask, why is Guyana affected if it produces its own oil? The answer is simple; Guyana’s crude oil production is largely exported as raw commodity Our domestic fuel supply, like most CARICOM nations, is still subject to refined petroleum product importsandglobalpricingbenchmarks.
The The decisions made in distant seas and troubled straits has reached into every Guyanese kitchen
and every family’s pocket.The closure of the Strait— a narrow waterway thousands of miles from our shores — hassentshockwavesthroughtheglobal economy Thepriceoffuelhasclimbed. The cost of food has risen at our markets. Transportation has become more expensive These are real pressures on real families. From the mother stretching her budget at the market,totheminibusdriverabsorbing higher fuel costs, to the small business ownerwatchingmarginstighten,allare adverselyaffected
When global shipping routes are disrupted,smallnationsfeelitfirstand feel it hardest. Since Guyana imports a significant portion of goods, when freight costs surge, and fuel prices rise on world markets, those costs come homewitheverycargoshipthatdocksat ourports.
Sincerely,
FloydN.Haynes
necessary to intervene, to save the government from itself, and this country from falling to new lows. Guyana’s parliament had its grand opening, after considerable PPP/C Governmenthedging,andthatwasmainlyforthebudgettobe passed. Considering the well-placed slush funds in that
budget under names like contingencies and such, the government’splanmayhavebeentokeepparliamentclosed aslongasitdidnotneedmoney However,diplomatsapplied pressure again, and again it was about opening parliament. June5isthedate,withcitizenshopingforbetter
Kaieteur M@ilbox Kaieteur M@ilbox
Guyana at 60: A Reflection on Independence, History, and Sovereignty
DEAREDITOR,
As we celebrate our diamond jubilee of Independence, it is germane for us to suggest that after sixty years, it may be more appropriateforustosaythat weareobservingsixdecades ofseveringthetiesfromour last colonial master, the British. However, on this sixtieth year, there are ominous signs that we are being swiftly recolonized andreversingtheeffortsand sacrificesofthosewhowent beforeus.
Mankind’snaturalurgeis to be free and independent.
H o w e v e r, h i s t o r y everywhere suggests that runningparalleltothisinnate urge for freedom and independenceareforcesand men determined to impose their will on others; be it within the family, the community,thecountry,and oft times extra territorial. The latter sometimes by conquest, using military might and other methods, such as persuading the local leaders that what matters is not the best interest of the people;butwhatisofbenefit to the external master that comes under the guise of development.Andaswesee so often the enrichment of a newclasswithinthecountry using the human and natural resources.
InGuyana,turnbackthe clockjustafewcenturiesand witness the enslavement of Africans, who were tricked and held in what was called slave castles in WestAfrica; and thereafter, loaded in ships and on arrival in America and the Caribbean
faced the horrors of enslavement This sad situation was only possible with the tacit cooperation of someofthechiefsinAfrica, who were mystified by the machinations of the Europeans.Infact,whenthe African ancestors were loaded on the ships, the European sailors threw overboard all of the cultural and religious paraphernalia. This ensured the cutting off of connections from the nativeland.Thosewhomade the journey and were enslavedhereandelsewhere did not surrender, did not yieldtotheblandishmentsof the Massa, and did not succumb mentally, in other words their spirit remained resilient, in spite of the whippings and torture of the DutchandBritish.
The first major recorded blow that was struck for freedom and Independence w a s i n 1 7 6 3 a t
Magdalenburg Berbice by Cuffy, Akarabaye, and others The Dutch by devious means secured the loyalty of the indigenous Amerindians, who helped to cause that initial blow for freedom and independence to fail by restricting the m o v e m e n t o f t h e revolutionaries, who sought to establish their own government. Uprisings and revolts continued, the most significant being in 1823 known as the Demerara Uprising, where British administrators were tipped off by the house slaves. Several of the freedom fighters were rounded up; they were transported to the
area in Georgetown, known as Parade Ground, where their heads were cutoff, and bleeding put on staves, with their deaths serving as a signalandlessontotheother freedom fighters to behave themselves. In spite of this, the will to be free and independentremainedintact.
It should be noted that slavery of Africans in Guyana, which began in 1640 by the Dutch West India Company, ended in Guyana on August 1, 1838.This allowed for the bringing of Portuguese, Chinese and East Indian indentured Immigrants Later they were part of the c l a r i o n c a l l f o r independence.
After that period, the Trade Union movement, founded on January 11, 1919, and led by Hubert Nathaniel Critchlow, the ‘FatherofTradeUnionismin the British Commonwealth, not only fought for workers’ rights, but also for the quest for self-governance The Trade Union movement played a significant role in this effort, and we must not forget the likes of J. Henry Pollydore, Harry Lall, Richard Ishmeal, D P Sankar, Cecil Cambridge, Basil Blair, Jean Persico, Norman Semple, K. W E. Denny, Seelo Baicham, Andrew “Stonewall” Jackson and others; and today’s freedom fighters, including leaders such as Lincoln Lewis, Norris Witter, George Daniels and Coretta McDonald The latter facing principalities andpowerswhoseemnotto
appreciate what true independenceisallabout.
In the meantime, the Waddington Constitution providedtheopportunityfor us to advance towards independence.An important recommendation was the implementation of universal adultsuffrage,whichforthe firsttimegaveGuyanesethe right to vote at age 21, withouthavingtosatisfythe previous requirements of ownership of property or income. The 1953 election was seen as the penultimate to independence, but thanks to the “boogie-man” of communism, the six elected ministers were dismissed, and an interim government was installed. The first six ministers were Dr Cheddi Jagan,ForbesBurnhamwho was also chairman of the PPP, Dr JP Latchmansingh, Lawyer Jainarine Singh, Ashton Chase, and Sydney E. King, a centenarian alive better known now as Eusi Kwayana.
I remember seeing the other MPs all preceded by the three Js: Janet Jagan, Jane Phillips Gay, and Jesse Burnham,thefirstfemalesto adorn the chambers of our Parliament. I was there to witness that historic moment, and we had all hoped that within four years or so, we would advance to full independence; however, that was not to be. The Americans and the British claimedthatthedulyelected governmentrepresentingthe will and wishes of the majority of Guyanese must beignore;andso,onOctober 7,1953,theconstitutionwas
suspended and the PPP ministersdismissed,making way for an imposed interim government.Elections were heldin1957,1961and1964. After which the final conference was held in London which settled the details and date for independence, May 26, 1966.
Those of us present at midnight on May 25, 1966 would recall the bearhug between Dr Jagan and Forbes Burnham. Moreover, when the latter arrived at QueenElisabethPark,aloud roar from the assembled crowd greeted this embrace byourtwotitans.
At midnight Lieutenant James Jimmy Jon-Klass lower the Union Jack signaling the end of reign over us by a Monarch resident 4,500 miles away Lieutenant Desmond Robert with precision raised for the first time, the Golden Arrowhead our flag. When the flag unfurled, it danced gracefully by the strong north-east trade wind, the same winds that guided the shipstoourshores,centuries earlier, in search of the golden city of Eldorado Littledidweknowthen,that Eldorado was real And instead of keeping that gold thatdonotrustforGuyanese entrepreneurs to harvest, usingmodernequipmentand technology,weareblissfully daily boasting how many foreigners are harvesting that gold. More regrettably, and what is now becoming traditional, Guyanese are kept in the dark about the quantities of gold produced.
The same story is occurring with manganese, diamond and the stones from our quarries.
Beyond this if we had a government that truly a p p r e c i a t e s w h a t independence is all about, they would ensure that we the people obtain a little more from oil and gas production. I repeat just a little more from oil and gas, withapopulationoflessthan one million, should make everyGuyanesecomfortable and prosperous. All that is required is prudence instead of propaganda, and to put in place measures proposed when we did not have an abundance of oil and gas, such as free education from Kindergarten to University, supported by paying teachers proper salaries, to stop the exodus of trained teachers to the Caribbean and beyond, a similar situation for medical personnel and the health sector
Aswesurveyourcountry forthelastfewdecadeswhat will we tell our children and their children when they tearfully gaze on our rivers, waterways and creeks that are now muddy, mercury infested streams with no aquaticlife,wherethebirds, bees, and trees have all disappeared?
This can never be development, and if it is development in its broadest senseforwhosebenefit?Itis now apparent that our illustrious rulers today, with imperialauthority,havenow replacedindependencewith
Continued on page 6
Kaieteur M@ilbox Kaieteur M@ilbox
Concerns on U*92 Energy Corp. Uranium Mining in Guyana
DEAREDITOR,
On April 29, 2026, Guyanese through Kaieteur News (an independent daily onlineandprintnewspaper), became aware that U92 Energy Corp, a Canadian basedcompanywasengaged in a 20.6 million pounds (Mlbs) uranium project located in Region Seven Guyana.
According to its companyprofileU92Energy Corpwasestablishedin2024 with a sole focus on developing the Kurupung Uranium Project in Guyana. This company has no track recordorinvolvementinany form of mining far less uraniummininganywherein theworld.
It appears that U92 Energy was founded specifically for this project whichraisesseriousredflags due to its lack of experience i n t h i s t h e m o s t environmentallychallenging type of mining with long term impacts on people, air,
soil, water, flora and fauna through the release of longlived radioactive isotopes into the environment, creating contamination risks that last for thousands of years from radioactive dust, water-borne toxins, and radongas.
U92 Energy Corp have secured rights to explore 92.2 square kilometres in Guyana. In March of 2026 they partnered with Orbit Garant “for a phase one 5,000 metre diamond drill programmeintheKurupung area in Region 7 The companyalsoconfirmedthat the diamond drill rig is currentlyinGuyanaandwill beonsitesoontostartphase one drilling on high-priority projecttargets.
According to U92 Energy Corp they have already applied for an environmental application for “drill pad preparation, and that field teams are on site to complete camp infrastructure, including
construction of a of a fuel storage facility in
applicable requirements and key machineries have been sourced to support access road upgrades and drill pad construction.”
This reported expansion of mining in Guyana to now incorporate uranium mining raises significant alarming issues.
EnvironmentalImpacts ofUraniummining
U
Specificenvironmentalrisks include:
Water Contamination:
Mining processes, particularly in-situ leaching, can introduce uranium and heavy metals (arsenic, selenium, nickel) into groundwater and aquifers Tailings dams can fail or seep, releasing radioactive materialsintosurfacewater, h a r m i n g a q u a t i c ecosystems.
p
t, underground, and in-situ leaching, causes significant environmental damage, primarily through the longtermcontaminationofwater and soil with heavy metals and radioactive elements like radium and radon Mining operations generate massive quantities of radioactive waste rock and tailings that release toxic, airborne dust and leach contaminants into local ecosystems for centuries
Guyana at 60: A Reflection on Independence, History, and...
Frompage5 dependence in Guyana’s dictionary
Onlylastweekwelearnt thatanIndianfirmhasbeen granted a license to operate a quarry, and this only becameknownbecausethey brought in a number of Indian nationals, who complainedofmistreatment andtheconfiscationoftheir passports.
But this, as we observe independence, is not an isolatedcase,butitseemsto be the pattern. Secrecy and no opportunity for the people’s representatives to askquestionsinParliament, since Parliament is no longer convened in keeping with tradition. History is a goodteacher KingCharlesI of England, Scotland and Wales decided to rule ignoringparliament,hewas later executed. Corruption and discrimination now appear to characterize the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, I hope this perceptionismisplaced.
Recently, at a wellorganized conference, promoted by Dr Mark Kirton, with the title, “Navigating the future: Guyana, the Caribbean and LatinAmericainachanging global environment”, Dr Kirton deserves our highest
commendation for bringing togethereminentGuyanese, persons from the Caribbean andfurtherafield,todiscuss this important matter D
University of Guyana Chancellor, Dr Bertrand Ramcharan posed this question: How much more marginalization can afroGuyanese endure? This question with its known implications ought not to escape our attention as we mark our sixtieth year of Independence.
I have avoided the tediumofhowwearrivedat the date for independence, since this is documented elsewhere.
As I wish Guyanese everywhere all the best on this significant anniversary of Independence it would be remiss of me not to note that, to the best of my knowledge, the only reminding member from the 1953 Waddington Constitution, a centenarian who is alive, was not invited to the planned flag raisingceremony,similarly the only person alive who participated in the final Independence Conference whichsettledthedetailsand date for Independence, was also not on the list of
invitees. The GDF officer who hoisted the Golden Arrowheadforthefirsttime was also not invited. This suggestsalackofasenseof our history, or perhaps part of a noticeable campaign to rewrite our history Beyond thistravestyIrecommenda programtoteachouryoung people in all of our educational institutions our national songs which will helpthemdevelopasenseof patriotism and pride to be Guyanese, necessary if those who worked and fashionedGuyanaarenotto bereplaced.
Finally, I have no doubt thatthespeechbyourHead ofStateatFortIslandwillbe full of promises, and pleasant platitudes We should therefore be reminded of remarks incorrectly attributed to MarieAntoinette,preceding the French revolution, wheresheisallegedtohave said; “they have no bread but give them cake”, this remark showed someone notintouchwithrealityand a disdain for the discomfort and disappointment of the majorityofcitizens,
A Thoughtful and HappyIndependenceDayto allGuyanese.
Sincerely, ElderHamiltonGreen
Limited
Radioactive Tailings and Dust: Tailings (crushed rockresidue)contain80%of the radioactivity of the original ore. These waste piles, if not properly managed, release radon gas and can be transported by windintosurroundingareas.
Habitat Destruction: Open-pit mining requires large-scale land clearing, removing topsoil, and disturbinglocalecosystems.
· Long-Term Liability: Abandoned mines, such as thoseonNavajolandsinthe U.S,continuetocontaminate waterandlanddecadesafter miningceased.
· R a d o n G a s a radioactivegascancollectin mines and leach into the atmosphere
· Radium-226, a decay productofuraniumcanenter thefoodchain.
· Acid Mine Drainage can form when sulfide minerals in waste rock are exposed to air and water, increasing the mobility of heavymetals.
· These impacts often disproportionately affect nearby communities and indigenous lands, leading to severe ecological damage andlong-termhealthrisks.
Apart from the alarming environmental risks associated with uranium mining, the issue of compliance with Guyana’s Environmental Protection Act raises further additional legal, regulatory and constitutionalissues.
EnvironmentProtection Act&U92EnergyCorp
There is no evidence of an U92 Energy Corp application for an environmental permit or authorizationforanyproject development on the EPA’s website.
There is already legal precedent that construction of a project cannot be separated from operations assuchactivitiesandshould require an Environmental I m p a c t & S o c i a l Assessment before startup of projects as happens with ExxonMobil Guyana
The Environmental Protection Act, part IVEnvironmental Impact Assessments(EIAs)setsout very clearly projects requiring EIAs, these include “the execution of construction works or other installations or schemes,… any interference with any ecosystem or any other activity in the natural surroundings or landscape including those involving the extraction of natural resources, or any project listedintheFourthSchedule (ss.10,11)whichspecifically includes construction of roads, dams and other installations designed to hold liquid or store it on a long-term basis, Installation for the treatment of waste water,industrialordomestic waste, extraction and conversion of mineral resources.
Basedonaboveitisclear that an EIAS is required for U92 Energy Corp who are reportedly on site in the Kurupung Area involved in project works such as drill pad preparation, camp infrastructure, including construction of a of a fuel storage facility and key machineries are already onsiteandorbeingmovedon siteforaccessroadupgrades anddrillpadconstruction.
Guyana has no specific regulations for uranium mining. The Environmental Protection Agency lacks necessaryexpertiseonmany aspects environmental matters including in the various types of radiation released through uranium mining.
At an Environmental Assessment Board hearing in September of 2023 into Schlumberger Guyana Inc’s Radioactive and Source Storage Calibration Facility, the Environmental Protection Agency was specifically asked about their levels of expertise on radiation and disclosed that they had no expertise at university level on radiation studies Their Radiation expert at that time had only completed a one-year study course, while others had attended3-monthcourses.
TheInternational AtomicEnergyAgency TheInternationalAtomic Energy Agency (IAEA) providesinternationalsafety standards,bestpractices,and security guidelines for uranium mining and processing. Its Safety Standards
Series and Nuclear Energy Series act as global benchmarks for national regulatory bodies such as Guyana’s Environmental Protection Agency Key areas include radiation protection, environmental management, safety of operations, and mine closure.
As the overarching international body, IAEA’s i
ety standards and guidelines for uranium mining, emphasize that Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) are e
ory prerequisites for project licensing, operation, and closure.
These standards cover
management, radiation p r o
o n , a n d environmental remediation forUraniummining.
EIAs are required to assess impacts on public health, safety, and the environment (water, air, land) safety standards, licensing requirements, operational safety and closureandremediation.
Guidelines require that comprehensivemanagement systemsbeinplacecovering the entire lifecycle—from exploration to mining, processing,andclosure.This includes environmental managementtoprotectwater andecosystemsandensuring safe tailings management. Standardstooptimizeworker and public protection against radioactiveexposure
Monitoring air quality, managing radioactive waste, and ensuring that radiation doses to workers are kept as low as reasonably achievable Security guidelines for transporting, storing, and processing uranium to protect its safety Safe decommissioning and longterm remediation of mining sitestoprotectpublichealth and the environment, often collaborating with experts on best practices for site rehabilitation
We as concerned Guyanese environmental defenders, and indigenous peoples make the following demand to immediately suspend all aspects of uranium mining by U92 Energy Corp until full disclosure and public information is made available to all Guyanese on thisproject
Regards, DanutaRadzik
Road to First Oil: Every Man, Woman and Child in Guyana must become oil-minded.
By Christopher Ram
Introduction
Last week’s column closedonasinglefact:Hess Guyana’s accumulated surplusat31December2025 of GY$1.741 trillion was almost equal to all NRF deposits since first oil and larger than Guyana’s 2026 National Budget Today’s column completes the Hess review and introduces CNOOC Petroleum Guyana Limited (CNOOC) which filed its 2025 audited
CommercialRegistryearlier this week Exxon, the ultimate game player, will continuetobethelastofthe three Stabroek Block concessionholderstorelease itsfinancialstatements.
Completingthe HessPicture
Three further features of the 2025 Hess accounts deserveattention:
• Hess shows revenue of GY$1,098.9 Bn.Thatfigure must — under the 2016 Agreement and IFRS include the income tax paid on Hess’s behalf by the
Government. If it does not, the audited statements are wrong. If it does, true cash revenue is approximately GY$897 Bn, against profit aftertaxofGY$605Bn—a 67percentnetmargin.
•Depreciation,depletion and amortization (DDA) of GY$183.1 billion in 2025.
DD&Ais a non-cash charge representing capital already recovered from cost oil — a closedloopinwhichtheonly outflow is to shareholders abroad Worse, because DD&Aisitselfarecoverable cost under the Agreement,
Guyana bears half of it through foregone profit oil, while the contractor treats it as a source to fund its investment.
• Payments to the mystical “head office” of GY$408.3 billion. $126.3 Bntopayoffwhatwasleftof the advances from “head office”, and $282.0 Bn in distribution from surplus Since all such payments are exempt from the 20% withholdingtax,theyarejust
government which favours
borrowings to be repaid by taxpayers over taxing the foreignoilcompanies.
CNOOC2025— QuietlySpectacular CNOOC is the local branch of a British Virgin Islands intermediate of the ChinaNationalOffshoreOil Corporation, ultimately owned by the State Council of the People’s Republic of China As Oil and Gas Column 132 (June 8, 2024) noted, the intermediate parentoftheGuyanaBranch has a permanent capital of US$200,000 From that base, the 25 percent stakeholder reported for 2025:
•NetSalesofGY$778.4 billion,down5percentfrom 2024 — the first revenue declineoftheproductionera.
Under the 2016 Agreement and IFRS, that figure must include the income tax payable by Government on CNOOC’s behalf. If it does not, the audited statements are wrong. If it does, true cash revenue is GY$738.1 billion, profit after tax GY$463.1 billion - a 63 percent net margin. Hess on the same basis: 67 percent. The Agreement, not management, generates the number
• Net income before tax of GY$503.4 billion (2024: GY$553.7 billion), reduced by a deferred income tax expenseofGY$40.3billiona non-cash charge representing future tax which under the 2016 Agreement,itwillneverpay
•Dividendtoheadoffice of GY$104 25 billionidenticalto2024,suggesting an internal distribution policyratherthanaresponse toresults.
•Retainedearningsat31 December 2025 of GY$1.434 trillion - up from GY$1.075 trillion at end2024 and GY$648 billion at end-2023.
• Repayment of US$886 million on the parent’s US$3 5 billion credit facility, reducing the drawn balance from US$1,129 million at end-2024 to US$243 million at end2025.
CNOOC, holder of the smallest interest in the Block- 25% - is practically debt-free. It discloses total assets of GY$1.88 trillion, while its only conventional liability is GY$72.8 Bn of trade payables. A “deferred
income tax liability” of GY$174.8 Bn sits on the books,whichunderthe2016 Agreement it is a tax CNOOC will never pay So too,doesadecommissioning provision of GY$197.6 Bn, all of it recoverable as cost oilborne50%byGuyana.In substance the “provision” functions as a long-dated, interest-freepoolofcashthat CNOOChastheuseofinthe meantime. The contractor has the funding mechanism; thecountrybearsthecost.
One further comment. Hess remits its surplus principally as branch distributions; CNOOC “distributes” a fixed annual dividend and uses cash flow additionally to repay an internalparentcreditfacility Itdoesnotseemtobotherthe Branch’s directors or auditorsthatBranchesdonot paydividends.
Now we await the financials of Exxon, an entity with a poor record of accounting: overstatement ofpre-contractcostsbyclose to US$100 Mn; improperly and secretly negotiating away US$211 million of a u d i t - d i s a l l o w e d expenditure; failure to account for money paid by Shell for its share in the Block; and by Hess and CNOOC for theirs. It has masterminded an opacity aroundtheshareofprofitoil beyond the comprehension of every Guyanese, professionals included. One looks forward to its financials with the same confidenceastheinitiateata three-card-tricktable.
Conclusion
A few days from now, G u y a n a w i l l b e “celebrating” the 60th anniversary of its Independence. Sixty years on, this is where we stand. Demba,Alcan, Bookers and Jessel swapped for Esso, Hess and CNOOC. In place of beads and trinkets, they bring jerseys and hats with theirlogos;theylootour
Continuedonpage10
Borrowing in an age of oil wealth
Guyanatodayenjoysone of the most enviable fiscal positions in the developing world. Its debt-to-GDPratio remains moderate, debt servicing costs are manageable, and rising oil revenues have dramatically strengthened the country’s balance sheet Yet these comfortingindicatorsshould not obscure a deeper economic question: should an oil-rich nation continue borrowing heavily simply becauseitstillcan?
Theconventionalanswer from international financial institutions and from the nation’s economic gurus is yes. Economists often argue that as long as debt remains sustainable, borrowing to finance infrastructure and development is perfectly rational.Butsustainabilityis not the same thing as efficiency, and what may appear prudent on paper can
become economically suboptimalinpractice.
Guyana is no longer a cash-strapped low-income economy without access to domesticresources.Itisnow
a rapidly expanding petroleum producer earning billions of United States dollars from offshore oil production.Thischangesthe economic calculus fundamentally because the country now possesses a growingstreamofsovereign revenues that can finance a significant portion of its
developmentneedsdirectly
Borrowing made sense when Guyana lacked fiscal space.Itmakesfarlesssense when the country is accumulating substantial oil
e a r n i n g s w h i l e simultaneously increasing public debt obligations
Future generations are ones thatwillhavetoservicethese obligations.
Anationcannotlogically celebrate oil wealth while behavingfiscallyasthoughit remains resource-poor This is the contradiction that seemstoeludeoureconomic gurus.
A central issue is the opportunity cost of borrowing Every dollar borrowed today carries interestpaymentstomorrow, even if the interest rate is concessional. Those future payments reduce fiscal flexibility and divert revenues away from health care, education, climate adaptation and productive investment.
In an oil economy, excessive borrowing can also create a dangerous illusion of limitless fiscal capacity Governments begin to assume that future oilrevenueswillalwaysrise sufficiently to cover e x p a n d i n g d
b t commitments History shows otherwise because commodity prices are volatile, oil reserves are finite, and global energy
Dem Boys Seh...
Dem boys hear how America come up with one new immigration rule and plenty peoplenowscratchingdemhead.
Apparently, if yuh deh in America and applying for change of status — like when yuh trying to get yuh Green Card — yuh might now have to pack yuh suitcase, kiss Uncle Sam goodbye, and fly back home before dem process yuh papers. Dem boys sehislikegettingputoutdehousebeforeyuh mortgageapprove.Nowthisnewruleseems totargetpeoplewhodehindeUnitedStates on temporary visas and applying for permanent residence through what dem call “adjustmentofstatus.”
Before, plenty people used to stay right deh in America while dem application processing nice and slow But now, plenty applicants may have to leave America and complete de process at a U.S. embassy or consulateindemhomecountry.
Andthatiswherederealcomedystart.
Because Guyanese got one famous immigration category called “holiday.” But dem boys know that in plenty cases, “holiday” does suddenly transform into “holistay.”Peoplegofortwoweeksandstart talking bout “winter clothes” and “credit score”threemonthslater
markets are undergoing structuraltransformation.
The examples are numerous and cautionary Countries from Nigeria to Ecuador experienced periods of optimism fueled by commodity booms, only to confront debt pressures when prices weakened or production slowed Oil wealth does not immunize a country against fiscal miscalculation In some cases, it amplifies the risks b y e n c o u r a g
g overconfidence.
Guyana’s circumstances are certainly more favorable
al examples. Production costs are relatively low, output is increasing rapidly, and global investors remain confident in the sector But good economics requires planning for uncertainty rather than assuming perpetualprosperity.
Thereisalsotheissueof intergenerational equity. Oil is a depleting asset and revenues generated today represent the monetization of national wealth that belongs not only to present citizens but also to future generations If current gov
possessing rising petroleum revenues, future Guyanese could inherit both depleted resources and lingering debt obligations.
Awiser approach would
involve greater reliance on pay-as-you-go development financing. This means using a larger share of current oil revenues for infrastructure and national transformation rather than automatically resorting to loans. Such a strategy reduces interest costs, strengthens fiscal sovereignty and minimizes long-termvulnerabilities.
This does not imply that all borrowing is inherently bad. Strategic debt can still play a use
particularly for projects that generate high economic returns or transfer valuable
Multilateralfinancingtiedto energy transition projects, climateresilienceorregional integration may remain economicallyjustified.
However, the threshold for borrowing in an oil-rich economy should be significantlyhigherthanina resource-poor one. Governmentsshouldasknot merely whether debt is sustainable,butwhetheritis genuinely necessary Too often, this distinction d
y discussions dominated by conventionalfiscalmetrics.
Development is not simplyaboutspendingmore money It is about sequencing investment carefully to preserve economic balance and institutionalcapacity
There is also a governance dimension that deserves attention Easy accesstoborrowedfundscan reduce discipline in project selection and procurement. Governments become less constrained in approving politicallyattractiveprojects whose economic returns maybequestionable.
Oil revenues should encourage the opposite mentality A resource-rich state should be especially careful in allocating capital because it has a rare opportunitytobuildnational wealth without mortgaging thefuture.Fiscalprudencein an oil economy does not mean austerity. It means using sovereign resources intelligently before reaching reflexively for external financing.
G u y a n a h a s a n extraordinary opportunity before it. Few countries in modern history have experienced such rapid
revenue expansion combined with such a relatively small population. That opportunity should not be diluted by an excessive dependence on borrowing that may be financially sustainableyeteconomically inefficient.
The ultimate test of economic management is not whether a country can borrow It is whether it can develop wisely enough that borrowing becomes the exception rather than the habit.
Butdon’ttellthattoour economic gurus They dependheavilyforadviceon the very institutions that have an interest in lending monies to Guyana. If only they could be more open to non-institutional advice, Guyanawouldhavebeenina betterplacetoday
(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinionsofthisnewspaper)
Some ah dem went shopping and never stop shopping. Some went fuh visit auntie andendupvisitingimmigrationlawyer And some meet love faster than how minibus conductordoesfindextrapassenger
Nowimaginemangoneponvisitorvisa, fall in love in Brooklyn, marry up, start payingrent,buyairfryer,andevenlearnhow fuhshovelsnow Nextthingimmigrationtell he, “Congratulations. Now please return to Guyanaandcontinuedeprocessfromthere.”
But de rule ain’t affecting everybody same way People who already entered America as permanent residents through immigrant visas generally already consideredlawfulpermanentresidents,even ifdephysicalGreenCardstillindemail.In demcase,decardismorelikeadeliveryitem thananapproval.
Still, dem boys seh this new policy gon create enough confusion to keep immigration lawyers in business till KingdomCome.
Because nuff people thought dem went ponholiday Nowdemfindingoutdeholiday gatreturnticketconditions. Talkhalf.Leffhalf.
Sanctity of contract - at its gut
I must be franker than usual with my fellow Guyanese. WheneverIhear three words in the hallowed English Language I cringe. They are not ‘I love you.’ The three words that cause considerable unease are sanctityofcontract.
Hence, I must be even bolder in today’s public sharing of what I think
sanctity of contract indicated,nowrepresents. A word of caution: partisans
are not going to like what they read, where it traps them, how it makes them look. This is regretted, but there’snootherchoice. Plain and simple, I think that sanctity of contract in the tricky context of Guyana’s oil speaks to politicians surveying the battlefield, and upon recognizing the dangers ahead,theirkneesshake. There’s flinching. Fear’s s t a l k i n g s h a d o w
.
Sanctity of contract ties to the weakest vantage point possible -no escape route. Bluntly,whenthehard,grim, unyielding face of the battleground to be traveled was detected, faces were turned.Backswereturned. There was turning against the instinct in the brave to stand ground and fight No turning and walkingaway Noturningto seek refuge, no turning to
comfort oneself, within the leaky shelter of sanctity of contract. I am putting this kindly: sanctity of contract doesn’tgiveanalibi.Ithangs an albatross on the owner It’stheburdenandcursethat must be carried. One that, like Sisyphus and his boulder, is forever, unless thegodsfavorwithrelief. Who wants to call out their senior citizens? Count me out. But there is a duty bigger than pleasing
anybody in this country. I have been here before: elections 2020, having to tell publiclyanothersetoffolks that the battle was lost, the day was done, it was over Wasn’t easy, wasn’t wellreceived. But had to be lived,regardless.
Now, when there has to be standing and fighting, there’sshrinkingfromlaying all on the line, fighting with face set like steel, and thrusting at this country’s adversary Inmythinking,it is better to carry the fight to opponents, and fall face forwardinbattle(ifsuchhas to be), than to beat the
and surrender more than the precious yardage of inviolableterritory
It is to surrender one’s right to any last vestige of self-respect,ofbeingtreated asanequal,ofbeinghonored asaworthyfoe.
In fact, Americans carry a proud lineage; a warrior ethos There is respect, however grudging, for one who relinquishes ground afterexhaustingallenergies.
After utilizing all armaments And after exploring all the power that the mind can harness, then unleashing the same in withering, concentrated fire againstwhatthreatens,what could undermine not just today
But the way of life of generations to come Sanctity of contract sacrifices all those noble components on the altar of dread, of the calculating, becauseithaspotentialtobe mostcostly
When a man resolves to live in anxiety and impotency today, he has condemned himself to an eternity of anxiety and impotency Those become the central pillars of his urine-drenched, rat-gnawed, destiny It doesn’t matter who it is, the toll is unsparing, cannot be passed ontoothers.
When sanctity of contract is absorbed, and given the carnage inflicted by those three words, three thousand curses erupt uncontrollably from deep inside.
If Guyana’s flag carriers will not stand and fight Texas,whatchance(afterall the loud oaths made) of standingandfightingagainst Caracas?
When the will to resist injustice,andthewilltoright wrongs, has taken flight, then there is only one way left. The way of serfs and vassals, of those paying homage to the boot. From top to bottom, every citizen, all should examine and reexamine sanctity of contract,andseewherethey arrive, if not exactly as I labeled.
Whenever I encounter sanctityofcontractnow,my first thought is of doublecross.
The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinionsofthisnewspaper
CNOOC Joins the Trillion Dollar Club
Frompage8
resources and give us peanuts; they buy us with school sponsorshipwhilemassagingthenumbers.
Ignoredbytheirparties,thesepatrioticleadershaveboth been vindicated by subsequent events. We have been taken notbackto1966butto1833-thewealthofthelandseized,the peoplereceivingcrumbsandtheiroffspringbearingthecost.
Nopatrioticleaderwouldallowthistravestyandshameto continue. For all their faults, neither Jagan nor Burnham wouldhaveallowedthis.
APresident indistinguishable from the country manager of a company pillaging our patrimony is the antithesis of independence, a shame on the otherwise proud Golden Arrowhead.
This column first appeared on chrisram.net and is reproducedwiththekindcourtesyoftheauthor
BLUNTNESSONINDECENCIES!
In case you haven’t heard, please be informed that as part of our continued effort to channel positive changes in our country, our Publisher, Mr. Glenn Lall, has dedicated our Page Seven to be “BLUNT” about ongoing indecencies in our land that should matter, not only to us at this publication, but the entire nation.
MONDAY–MAY18,2026
Tennis roll on credit
Despite Guyana’s oil billions and glittering economic statistics, the ordinary citizen remains trapped in a brutal struggle for survival. Vendors across Georgetown now report that peoplearebeggingforsingle tennis rolls, butter flaps and pastries on credit just to makeitthroughtheweek.
Thisisnottheportraitof prosperity promised by the architectsoftheoilboom.It is an indictment of an economy where wealth flowsupwardwhileworking families sink deeper into hardship Skyrocketing rents, rising transportation costsandrelentlessinflation have devoured salaries and savingsalike.
Thetragedyisthatsmall shopkeepers, themselves barely surviving, are forced tobecomeunofficialwelfare
providers for hungry children and desperate parents. An oil-rich nation should not have citizens lining up to “trust” a tennis roll until payday If this is development, then the people have every right to
ask: development for whom?
TUESDAY–MAY19,2026
GCCI speaking up
The Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry has finally voiced
what many Guyanese businesses have complained about for years: foreign
investors are reaping enormous profits while sidelining local enterprises. Guyana’s booming oil and natural resource economy cannot become another tale
of outsiders growing wealthy as citizens remain spectators in their own country
The GCCI is correct to warn that local participation mustneverbecircumvented.
Investors benefitting from Guyana’s resources have a responsibility to ensure
Guyanese companies
receive meaningful procurement, partnership
a n d e m p l o y m e n t opportunities.
Government regulators must also enforce stronger local content measures
i n s t e a d o f m e r e l y celebrating billion-dollar
d e a l s a n d g l o s s y announcements Economic growth means little if small a n d m e d i u m - s i z e d businesses are locked out of opportunities created on their own soil True developmentwillonlycome w h e n G u y a n e s e entrepreneurs are treated as partners, not afterthoughts, in the nation’s prosperity today
WEDNESDAY–MAY20,2026
Ninety-plus days without Parliament
Ninety-plus days without a sitting of the National Assembly and the government continues to behave as if nothing is wrong.
Such political neglect dressed up as routine governance must be condemned.
The Speaker, Manzoor Nadirisbusypresidingover youth debate, while the country’s highest decisionmakingbodysitsinlimbo.
M e a n w h i l e , accountability is frozen. No meeting of committees, the administration governs without checks and balances.
This is how democratic erosion looks in real time—not with drama, but with absence. Parliament is not a decorative institution; it is the core mechanism of oversight When it stops meeting, power stops answering Every day of silence weakens public trust and strengthens executive opacity If this were other institution failing for this long, alarm bells would be deafening. Instead, Guyana’s silence is becoming the loudest statementofall.
FRIDAY–MAY22,2026
Fresh alarm at Wales gas project This is not a minor accountingdispute.Itisared flag.
Lindsayca/CH4’s own 2022proposalclearlypriced and scheduled soil stabilisation, landfill, and drainage at over US$100 million.Yet the government later argued these were “unforeseen” works and agreed to pay almost the same amount again after losingatadisputeboard. How does a project pay
onceinthebid,andagainin arbitration for what was alreadywrittenintotheplan?
Either the contract was poorly negotiated, or deliberately stripped and relitigated to justify later payouts. Neither answer is comforting.
Taxpayers deserve clarity, not confusion dressed up as engineering complexity Every dollar doubled is a failure of oversight Someone must explain this. Not tomorrow Now
Independence cannot exist with Guyanese in economic bondage
...CITES CONTROL OF FOREIGN ENTITIES OF COUNTRY’S OIL, GOLD AND OTHER RESOURCES
“Acountry has no claim to economic transformation, letaloneIndependence,ifits citizens remain marginal to the strategic core of its most profitableindustry Whereis the independence when our country exports its natural resources and its children in thesamebreath?”
This profound message was presented by Chartered Accountant and prominent attorney, Christopher Ram during an address at the People’s National Congress
R e f o r m ( P N C R )
S y m p o s i u m o n Independence, held at the Guyana Teachers Union Hall, Woolford Avenue, GeorgetownonMay21.
Inopeningremarks,Ram quoted the words of then Prime Minister Forbes Burnham, founder-leader of the People’s National Congress on July 15, 1971 who in a Linden address
highlighted Guyana’s “political independence”
withouta“neweconomy”.
The former President reportedly said, “We a c h i e v e d p o l i t i c a l independence on the 26th May, 1966. We got ourselves a new flag. We got ourselves a new outfit We got ourselves a new wardrobe. But we did not get ourselves a new economy Our economy continued to be dominated by outsiders, important sectors like bauxite and the financial institutions by nonGuyanese.WeGuyanesehad no part or lot in the making of vital decisions which could affect our economic progressorretrogression.”
Thisaddresscameonthe same day Guyana took over the bauxite installations at Linden – placing under Guyanese control, for the first time, a foreign-owned industry that had extracted thenation’swealthforhalfa century To this end, the
pointed out that from the timeWalterRaleighsetsight on what we now know as Guyana, the country has beenastoryofvastresources and modest returns to its people.
“Gold continues to lure andrewardforeigners;sugar helped build an empire and enriches a continent; and bauxite contributed to the industrialization of foreign economies.And now oil has placed Guyana among the most resource-rich territories in the world – yet many Guyanese remain economically insecure,” he explained.
Thecharteredaccountant told attendees of the event that oil now accounts for approximately 88% of Guyana’s exports, meaning that nearly nine of every 10 dollars earned from the rest oftheworldiscontrolledby a single consortium, operating under a single
agreement that overrides all thecountry’staxlaws.
While waiving all taxes to the oil companies, he argued that the fastest growing economy in the world still struggles with wages, infrastructure, and migration.
Heurged,“Lookaround. Our gold leaves through channels Guyana itself cannot fully account for, under a royalty regime
barely touched in a generation.Bauxite,thevery industry over which Burnham acted in 1971, is again under foreign ownership, again negotiated behind closed doors. And now,newchapters.Uranium has quietly become a Guyanesestory,withforeign juniors drilling at Kurupung onadepositmeasuredintens of millions of pounds – and not one national debate on the framework under which anuclear-fuelmineralleaves this Republic Power
-Ram
CharteredAccountant andAttorney, Christopher Ram delivering remarks at the PNCR Independence Symposium
consequential infrastructure decisionofthisgeneration,is being shaped through contracts whose terms most MembersofParliamenthave neverseen.”
The lawyer noted that dealsineachofthesesectors arebeingfinalized,contracts awarded, prices negotiated, and tax laws circumvented.
In the meantime, the country’s political leaders remain silent and mesmerised by so-called
investors,accordingtohim. Ram however pointed out,“Leadersofindependent states do not watch their country’s wealth being divided, stripped and exported ” The advocate shifted his attention to Guyanese workers in the various extractive sectors, especially the petroleum industry, where employees are paid a fraction of what expatriates earn for similar workwhilethehigh-value
Continuedonpage50
Meet the lovely Madonna Gomes
This week’s beauty enjoys listening to Indian music, traveling, yoga and building meaningful connections. Madonna describes herself as a Mompreneur who has a flair for cooking and culture, creativity and caring for her children. Apart from this, our featured belle runs a small business that offers authentic Brazilian fragrances and beauty products. (Credit: Veeran’s Photography)
overtyisatrauma. What traumas do is distort our thinking, feelings and behaviours towards ourselves, others and our perception of life’s systems. Experiencing poverty alters howwerelate,thesameway experiencing wealth does. Our ability to rise out of povertyisnotsomuchinour incomebutinthestateofour mental health. This trauma produces two outcomes
Some individuals become financially passive, while othersoverspendinsearchof emotional comfort. Our financialbehaviourisdeeply
c o n n e c t e d t o o u r psychologicalandemotional state.
Mental health influences how people earn, spend, save, invest, borrow, and respondtofinancialstress.In many cases, financial patternsarenotsimplyabout knowledge or discipline — they are connected to emotions,trauma,cognition, identity, relationships, and copingmechanisms.
But the reverse is also true: financial problems affect mental health too Financial hardship does contribute to anxiety, depression, relationship conflict,sleepproblems,low self-esteem (the gateway to poor mental health), chronic stress, suicidal thoughts in severe cases, etc Unemployment, debt, and economic instability can createpsychologicaltrauma, especially when linked to identityandsocialstatus.
In societies with economic inequality or collective trauma, financial behaviour may also reflect a survival mindset, scarcity, distrust of institutions, and pressuretosupportextended family Status-driven spending and fear of social judgment. In places with colonial histories, political instability, or economic uncertainty, financial
anxiety can become intergenerational. It’s these staggering interplays of realities that make poverty suchasignificanttrauma.
SIGNS
Am I spending to cope with emotions? Do I have extremefeararoundmoney? Do I have a chronic avoidance of finances to the point of being passive? I get it, send it, I don’t, that’s ok? Repeated financial selfsabotage myself? Do I shop impulsively, then feel guilty
afterwards? Is my mindset workaholism driven by insecurity? Do I feel emotionally “high” from spendingorinvesting? DoI have difficulty setting financial boundaries? If yes to most of these questions, what does that say about the impact of poverty as a primary or secondary victim?
INFLUENCES
Conditions such as generalized anxiety, chronic stress, or burnout lead to: Impulsive spending for temporary emotional relief. Avoidance of paying bills, budgeting,orcheckingbank
account balances for guidance. Excessive saving outoffearandinsecurityisa reality for those born in povertyandexperiencesome wealth along the way The fear of returning to poverty
drives this financial
b e h a v i o u r t h a t unconsciously redirects one to poverty when you are continually seeking to stay out of poverty Difficulty making financial decisions. Most of the time, these difficulties are fear-based and involve distortions of emotionsandlogic.Constant worry about “not having enough, ” even when financially stable for life. This often creates a cycle: financial stress ! anxiety ! poor financial decisions ! more stress resulting in the strengtheningofpoverty DEPRESSION
Depression affects motivation, concentration, and executive functioning. Financial effects would include neglecting financial responsibilities and being financially irresponsible Missed payments and disorganisation, struggling w i t h f i n a n c i a l accountability Not valuing and relating to money and wealth from a positive mindset. Loss of motivation
to work or pursue opportunities Emotional spending to feel temporary pleasure Feelings of hopelessness about improving finances, bettering the future. This leads to financial h o p e l
helplessness.
consistently, forgetting due dates, inconsistent saving habits, seeking novelty and dopamine-driven spending andpoorlong-termfinancial planning. At the same time, manypeoplewithADHDare highly entrepreneurial, creative, and capable of generating income in unconventional ways. Understanding your ADHD type helps you master your strengthsanddevelopcoping mechanisms to regulate emotions, which, in turn, helps you perform better financially
CHILDHOODTRAUMA
Examples include: Growing up in poverty can create hoardingandchronicmoney an
ety Childhood instability may lead to an obsession with security Emotional neglect may lead you to spend money on validation Witnessing conflict about money could push you to avoid financial talks. Strict parenting may triggerrecklessspendingasa form of rebellion. Poverty traumacanplantdeepbeliefs about money called money scripts.
“Money equals safety.” “Rich people are selfish.” “I don’t deserve wealth.” “I must sacrifice to survive.” Or “Money proves my worth.”
SHAME,GUILT,AND SELF-WORTH
Thesepoormentalhealth symptoms or difficulties often influence identity and self-esteem People from p o v
c k e n backgrounds overspend to appear successful Stay financially dependent due to fear of failure. Undercharge fortheirskillsbecauseoflow self-worth. Feel ashamed of askingforfinancialhelpand avoid investing in themselves.
A d d i c t i o n a n d CompulsiveBehaviour
Mentalhealthconditions may contribute to gambling addiction, compulsive shopping,riskyinvestments, substance abuse affecting finances, and onlin
spending addictions, which is a state of mental health crisis These behaviours
emotions but create longterm instability Individuals with addictions are most often unable to face their own lives, these addictions aren’t about pleasure but a
unpleasantnessoftheirlives.
TREATMENT
Improving financial behaviour often requires emotionalandpsychological healing alongside financial education. It’s not achieved overnight but calls for commitmenttowardsabetter life.Itstartswithaddressing your mental health. See a psychologist who will employ the following approaches to bring about l
creatinggenerationalwealth. Budgeting, investment and respect for money A c
treatmentapproachshiftsthe focusofmentalcare.
Cognitive behavioural therapy. Understanding,
Mindfulness and stress reduction
Clarity of mind over fear-basedthinking.
Accountability s
budgeting with selfcompassion rather thanshame
By Dr. Telford Layne Jr. PsyD, MSc. Postgrad, BSc. Clinical and
Developmental Psychologist - Psychoanalyst
Unwrapping Gift -Clinic
Building long-term securitygradually
Financial behaviour is rarely purely rational
emotionally first and
psychological roots of
individuals, families, organizations, and societies
relationships with money, work, security, and selfworth.
Mental health care and financial wellness are
interconnected aspects of human well-being To achieve financial health, we
understand, and support the mental health factors underpinning our financial behaviour
In a nation currently hailed as hometooneoftheworld’sfastestgrowing economies, the reality on the ground tells a devastatingly different story While billions of U S dollars from offshore oil operations and massive gold reserves pour past the country’s shores, ordinary citizens are finding themselves trapped in a cost-of-livingcrisis.
The economic strain has reached such a breaking point that Guyanesearenowforcedtoaskfor single tennis rolls, butter flaps and small pastries on credit just to survivetheweek.
Recent financial disclosures indicate that Guyana’s Natural Resource Fund (NRF) amassed overUS$3.25billionbytheendof 2025,withprojectionsestimatinga staggering US$2.79 billion in oil revenues for 2026 alone Total national budget spending has soared to an unprecedented G$1.558 trillion (US$7.5 billion).
C o n c u r r e n t l y, f o r e i g n multinationals, predominantly Canadianminingentities,continue to extract tens of thousands of ounces of gold from the country’s interior Yet, as global oil price volatility and regional supply constraints push local pump prices up by more than 12% at stateownedstationsinrecentweeks,the trickle-down effect has manifested not as wealth, but as crushing inflation.
Combined with a predatory, unregulated rental market where a basic one-bedroom apartment in Georgetown can cost between G$130,000toG$250,000amonth, far exceeding the average public servant’s salary, working-class Guyanese are watching their disposable income and savings completelyvanish.
TheSmallShopkeepers BearingtheBurden
For the mom-and-pop shops who anchor Guyana’s workingclass communities, the daily transactions at their counters serve as an unofficial, heartbreaking economicbarometer
Onevendorlocatedin‘B’Field Sophia, who asked to remain anonymous told Kaieteur News that there has been an alarming increase in requests for packaged tennis rolls and butterflaps, which usuallycome4or6inapacktobe soldindividually Shesellsasingle tennisrollforG$40andabutterflap for G$100 However, what she found most striking was that individuals now regularly request these basic items on credit, promisingtopayontheweekends. “ButIdon’ttrustontheweekend,”
the vendor explained
“Weekend is for balancing up yuh know how since people get pay weekly so they wouldcomebalanceupthen.”
She remembered this level of desperation happening before,manyyearsagoduring deep economic depressions, but noted that now, people simply lack the financial meanstoaffordanythingextra.
“Greens raise, bus price raise,sofoodisnuffmoneyto some people One pound of ocrho is $300 in the market… so when you buy it, you gotta buy meat to stretch it. When you buy that, you gotta pay to go to market and so, and the busmandemraisingtheyprice because remember price raise,”shelamented.
“Isellthebutterflapeachas $100 because it comes six in thepackandIusuallysellitfor $300, but usually the kids would come out with $100 fuh something to eat and they transp [transportation]money Sometimes duhzallthemoneytheyhavetoeat, soIzehelpthemyuhknow.”
Vendors sell butterflaps for $100 each to help persons who cannot afford to buy a pack.
trussing?”
TheVreed-en-Hoop CornerShop
Another vendor in Better Hope on the East Coast, who requested anonymity, shared a similar perspective. Having grown up in the rural countryside, she was familiarwithstructuralpoverty,but expressed shock at seeing it grip suburbancommunitiessotightly “I understandthingstight,sohowever Icouldhelpoutyuhknow,”shetold thispublication.“Mostlyischirren does come fuh tennis roll, but sometimes the big people does come and Ize sell them too… me faddaalwaystellmedoanfussfuh give people food.” She confirmed, however, that while she accommodates tight budgets, she triestomanagecashupfronttokeep herownheadabovewater.
StoriesofSurvival AcrossDemerara
The economic desperation is not isolated to Sophia and Better Hope. Four other vendors across Georgetown spoke to Kaieteur News, painting a grim tapestry of survivalintheeraof“oilwealth.”
TheStabroek MarketPastrySeller
AtthebustlingStabroekMarket square in downtown Georgetown, “UncleMichael”,whohasoperated asmallglasspastrycartfortwenty years,notedthathiscustomerbase is shifting toward extreme austerity
“People used to buy three and four pine tarts one time,” Michael said “Now, people in wukking clothescomingandbuyingone‘dry dan’with butter, one pine tart and themting.Theylookyoustraightin yuh eye and ask if I can mark it downinabooktillFriday Ihavea book filled with G$40 and G$80 wuh owe. Ize doan wan say no.
How can we be an oil giant when we cannot buy food without
minibus fares because gas wentupatthepump,theyare leftwithnothing.”
Sharonaddedheavilythat she “feels it for them parents with nuff chirren because yeahtheschoolsgivefoodbut wuh happen to after? When they come home from school intheafternoon,theystomach empty and the parents don’t haveit.Amothercameinhere yesterday morning asking for twoloosetennisrollsoncredit fuh give her children and she comepaymednightaftershe getpay.Icouldn’ttellherno.
Why nobody nah gah money?”
TheMonRepos MarketStallholder
Further up the East Coast at Mon Repos, Devika, a vendor who sells local provisions and homemade bread, stated that the escalationoffuelpricesinthe past few weeks has broken the backsofregularshoppers.
Across the Demerara River in Vreed-en-Hoop, West Coast Demerara, Auntie Sharon runs a small grocery and roadside snackette.Sheconnectsthesudden drop in food purchases directly to the soaring cost of shelter and transportation, and expressed deep worry for the large families strugglingunderhernose.
“RentontheWestCoastusedto be cheap, but now landlords are demanding‘oilmoney’pricesfrom local people,” Sharon explained. “People paying G$80,000 for a bottom-house that used to rent for G$30,000.Whentheyfinishpaying landlords and pay the increased
Devikanoted“Ihavetopasson whatever cost increase for me in stocks,evenifit’sjustahundredor twohundreddollars.Buttoafamily living on the edge, a hundred dollarsisaprablem.Ihaveregular customers, people wuh does come hay long, who now walk past my stallbecausetheyowemefromlast weekbutmeentoofussyoverduh.”
TheLindenBusParkSnackette
Near the Linden bus park in Georgetown, Camille runs a small stall She points out that the economic pressure has completely shiftedconsumerbehavior
“Nobodyisbuyingawholebox of food anymore,” Camille
observed.“Everythingishalffood. ‘Givemesomebutterinthisroll,’I nevahadtothinkofpricefuhbutter bythespoon,orpeopleIknowwuh doeseatawholefoodnowcoming to ask fuh half cah duhz wuh they got cah remember they gotta catch bus and so?’ The math just isn’t adding up, them seh Guyana gah moneybutwheyitdeh?”
Theheartbreakingnarrativesof these six vendors stand in striking contrast to the glowing economic data regularly published by internationalfinancialinstitutions.
While the Government of Guyanamaintainsthatitisutilizing the multi-billion-dollar NRF withdrawals to fund long-term infrastructuraltransformation,such as new highways, bridges, and hospitals,theimmediaterealityfor the working class remains a crisis of liquidity and purchasing power With no statutory rent controls being enforced to protect citizens from skyrocketing housing costs, and external global conflicts driving up the baseline cost of imported commodities and domestic fuel, the “oil boom” remains a distant, abstract concept for those standing in line at momand-pop shops, hoping to secure theirdailybreadoncredit.
HessCorporation,anAmerican oil company with 30% interest in the prolific Stabroek Block has recorded profits almost mirroring Guyana’stotalearningsfromthe Continued on page 21
Map
Frompage20 sector since production activities commencedin2019.
The company’s financialswere reviewedbyCharteredAccountant andattorney,ChristopherRamwho in this week’s oil and gas column, dissected the economic performanceofthecompany
According to his analysis, Guyana’s Natural Resource Fund (NRF) in 2025 recorded profit oil inflows of $451.2 billion, royalties ofG$68.9billionandG$3.1billion from the signature bonus Ram however pointed out, “Since inception, the NRF has accumulated approximately G$1 579 trillion from profit oil, G$232.9billionfromroyaltiesand G$3.1 billion from the signature bonus, for total inflows of roughly G$1.815trillion.”
According to the Bank of Guyana, fourth quarter 2025 NRF
Report, Guyana earned
US$8,521,242,524 since production began in 2019 The reportaddsthatpaymentsforthree liftsinDecember2025,amounting to US$184,113,704 were outstanding This would have increasedthecountry’searningsup
t o t h e e n d o f 2 0 2 5 t o US$8,705,356,228.
A look at the oil company’s financials indicates that its total profits between 2019 and 2025 reached GY$1 741 trillion or approximatelyUS$8.7B(ata$200 exchange rate) - almost the same amountthecountryreceivedduring the period. The document states that for 2025, Hess earned GY$605B or US$3B Notably, during the same period Guyana receivedaboutUS$2.5B.
Ram explained, “Hess Guyana’s accumulated surplus alone - GY$1.741 trillion - is now almostequaltothetotalpetroleum revenues Guyana has received through the NRF since oil production began. Put differently, the retained profits of a single foreign oil company are approaching the entire sum deposited into Guyana’s sovereign wealthfund.”
The lawyer was keen to note that this is particularly striking as Hessholdsonly30%interestinthe StabroekBlock.ExxonMobilholds 45% and CNOOC 25%, meaning the consortium’s combined earnings are vastly larger when compared to Guyana’s earnings Thecountry,accordingtothe2016 PetroleumAgreementisentitledto 50%oftheprofitsgeneratedinthe Stabroek Block This therefore
raises questions about the accounting mechanism applied in allocatingtheresources.
Ram pointed out that accountingdisclosures,unresolved audit issues and opaque financial reporting surrounding the other companies make any simple extrapolationrisky In accordance with the PSA,
ExxonMobil takes 75% of production to cover petroleum related expenses in the Stabroek Block. The remaining 25% is split betweenGuyanaandthecontractor as profits, with the country receiving 12.5% and the company receiving 12 5% Guyana also receives2%ofgrossproductionin royalty
These fiscal terms have often been condemned with Guyanese demanding a fairer share of its resources.
MONDAY
U.S.officialsees ‘perfectalignment’between GuyanaandExxon ...as calls grow for renegotiation of lopsided oil deal
United States Under Secretary for Economic Affairs Jacob Helberg last week said he sees strong alignment between the Government of Guyana and ExxonMobil, when asked if he thinksitiswiseforGuyanatoseek to renegotiate the contract it has with theAmerican oil giant at this stage.
Oil was discovered offshore Guyana in 2015 and the following year; the APNU+ AFC Coalition government inked a Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) with ExxonMobil Guyana Limited (EMGL) for the Stabroek Block. That oil contract is now heavily criticisedduetoitslopsidednaturebenefittingEMGLanditspartners, Hess Corporation and CNOOC morethanGuyana.
LastWednesday,duringapress briefing at the U S Embassy in Georgetown, Helberg in response to the question on renegotiation of the oil contract highlighted that sincebeinginGuyana,hemetwith both President Irfaan Ali and EMGL’s P
Tothisend,headdedthatfrom hisengagementswiththeGuyanese head-of-state and the Exxon official, he sees an enormous amount of convergence Under Secretary Helberg said there appears to be a shared focus on expanding economic opportunities andinvestment.
“I think everyone is very, very focused on growing the pie and bringingmorejobsandinvestment toGuyanainawaythat’smutually beneficial for both of our countries,”headded.
Despite calls for the deal to be changed, the Irfaan Ali led administrationhasrepeatedlycited “sanctity of contract” as its reason to not push for any changes to the deal.
Since assuming office in August 2020, President Ali has since maintained that changes to the contract would not happen under his administration Just recentlyhenotedthatsuchamove couldresultina“legalhurdleofan unimaginablescale.”
Routledge.
“AllIcansayisIdidn’tseeany daylight between President Ali’s vision and the vision that was presented to me by the country president of Exxon. It seemed like their visions are completely synergistic,” the Under Secretary noted.
Headded,“It’sveryraretogoto a place and see such perfect alignment between the proposals that we were prepared to bring on areas of partnership opportunities and the overlap with the host country, in this case Guyana, as wellastheleadershipofExxon.”
Governing the Stabroek Block is a deal that waives all taxes from the oil companies, stipulating that Guyana must cover these costs. It allowsthecompaniestorecoverup to 75% of their investments before theremaining25%issplit.Ofthis, Guyanareceives12.5%,inaddition to a 2% royalty paid by the oil companies.
With2.5Mouncesofgoldinthe indicated category for its gold
project in Guyana, Canadian company Omai Gold Mines Corp. is on a drill campaign aimed at upgrading 3 9M ounces inferred resources from one of the gold deposits into the indicated category
For those unfamiliar, an “Inferred Resource” is one that is based on limited sampling and is based on reasonably assumed, but limited information, while an “IndicatedResource”isaResource whose quantity, grade (quality), shape, size and continuity can be moreconfidentlyreported.
Omai holds full ownership of the historic Omai Gold Project located in Region Seven (CuyuniMazaruni) through its subsidiary, Avalon Gold Exploration Inc. The property host two orogenic gold deposits: the shear-hosted Wenot DepositandtheadjacentintrusionhostedGiltDeposit.
Earlier this year, Omai commenced a 50,000-meter drill programme at the Wenot deposit focusingontestingthelimitsofthe deposit and to convert the large InferredMREtoIndicatedMRE.
In the latest update on the drill programme, Omai announced results from seven additional drill holesattheWenotpit. “AllWenot drill holes intersected multiple zones of gold mineralisation. The objective of these holes and the ongoing 50,000m drill programme is to fill gaps within the broader Wenot deposit’s new constraining pit,toconvertmineralisedmaterial into the higher confidence level, andtoprovidefurthertestingofthe limits of the Wenot gold system,” thecompanysaid.
Omai’s President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Elaine Ellinghamcommentingonthenew results said, “The 50,000m drill programme at Omai is well underwaywithfivedrillsturning.”
In April 2026, the company announced an updated Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) for the overall gold project showing 400,000ouncesincreaseabovethe August 2025, MRE – bringing the project’s indicated MRE to 2.5M ounces.
The updated MRE puts the WenotIndicatedMREat1,453,000 ounces, and the Wenot Inferred MRE at 3,999,000 ounces Ellingham noted that the drill results will continue to focus on upgrading the large inferred MRE at the Wenot deposit to Indicated MRE. “At the same time, we will continue to drill certain nearby targets that are either geophysics targetsorwillfurthertesttheextent ofWenot,”sheadded.
Omai’s proposed deep hole at the Gilt deposit.
RegardingtheGiltunderground deposit, Ellingham announced that Omai will be commencing another deep hole to test the long-term potential. She said, “This time, we are planning a steep hole into our Giltintrusion-hostedgolddeposit
Continued on page 22
United States Under Secretary for Economic Affairs Jacob Helberg and President IrfaanAli
Frompage21 to explore its depth potential Historicaldrillingreacheddownto a 965 meters depth with a single hole,andwearetargetingaholein the 1.2 to 1.5 kilometers range, dependingonresults.”
According to Ellingham,
deeper holes can present
challenges However, she explained that in 2025 the Omai teamanddrillersfromOrbitGarant were able to drill a 2,014 meters drillholethatintersectedtheWenot deposit at a vertical depth of approximately1,200meters,which is 700 meters below the known Wenotdeposit. “Thesedeepholes can provide an indication of the potential at depth and potential for anextendedminelife,”sheadded.
AttheGiltDeposit,theInferred MRE stands at 1,465,000 ounces, and its Indicated MRE is now at 1,042,000ounces.Overall,Omai’s updated MRE estimates 2,495,000 ounces of gold in the indicated category and 5,465,000 ounces in theinferredcategory
Moreover, Omai said its independent consultants, SLR Consulting (Canada) Ltd. continue to advance on the various
components of an updated PreliminaryEconomicAssessment (PEA) which will include a larger mine plan to incorporate the Gilt underground deposit and the expanded Wenot super pit The PEAisanticipatedtobecompleted bythethirdquarterof2026. The company also disclosed that it is advancing on the permitting front, by working through the final review of the terms and scope of an Environmental ImpactAssessment (EIA) with the Environmental ProtectionAgency(EPA).
TheOmaiGoldMineproduced over 3.7M ounces of gold from 1993 to 2005, ceasing operations when gold was below US$400 per ounce. The Omai site significantly benefits from existing infrastructure, including an on-site airstrip,andisconnectedbyroadto the two largest cities in Guyana, GeorgetownandLinden.
TUESDAY
Guyana’sgoldfields significantlyunderexplored -Australiangoldfirm …praises country for being last “truly pro-mining nation” in Guiana Shield ... project is twice the combined size of every active gold project in Guyana
ByRenaySambach
Australian traded company, Altair Minerals Limited is hailing Guyana for being the “last truly pro-mining country” in the Guiana Shield and for boasting mining lands that are significantly underexplored.
After nine months of negotiations, Altair was able to
enter into a binding heads of agreement in August 2025, to acquire up to 70% of the Greater Oko Gold Project which spans across590squarekilometers(km²) contiguousmininglandsinRegion Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) The joint-venture deal was inked with Guyanese conglomerate, Adamantium Exploration Inc , a company owned by the Alphonso family
Altair in its disclosure, said the agreementcatersfortheexpansion ofupto3,500km²ofmininglands, positioning the company as the “most dominant explorer” in
Guyana For comparison, Georgetown has an appropriate area of 39 km² making the
Australian firm 590 km² landholdings in Guyana, roughly 15timesthesizeofGeorgetown.
Altair further stated that the strategic acquisition positions the company as a leading explorer in the Guiana Shield, adjacent to nearlyninemillionouncesofrecent high-gradediscoveries.
According to the company, the GreaterOkoProject,whichisinan advanced exploration stage, is considered the largest gold exploration in Guyana and in the Guiana Shield. The company also spotlighted that Greater Oko is twice the combined size of every activegoldprojectinGuyana.
“Guyana has rapidly emerged as a premier gold jurisdiction, drawing increasing attention from major players in the gold explorationspace,”Altairsaid.
Painting Guyana as the “last truly pro-mining” and politically stable country within the Guiana Shield, Altair said that Guyana mining areas host geology similar that of West African countries. It explained that Guyana’s mining landsconsistsofthesameBirimian
Greenstone Belt that has underpinned world-class gold discoveries across West Africa— including in Ghana, Ivory Coast, and Burkina Faso. Altair noted
however, that unlike extensive exploration in theAfrican nations, Guyana remains significantly underexplored Notably, the Guiana Shield spans across six countries and territories: Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, Venezuela,BrazilandColumbia.
Greater Oko is located within one of the most prominent and emerginggreenstonebeltsglobally, Alistair stressed. It added that the p r o j e c t r e p r e s e n t s a groundbreaking and first of a kind consolidation of the “Last El Dorado” of greenstone belts, establishing an irreplicable land positionduetofragmentation.
Explaining why its 590 km² contiguous landholding cannot be replicated in Guyana, Altair highlighted that mining permits held by locals mostly range from 0.5 to 5 km2, thereby creating barriersandcreatinganexhaustive and impractical process to negotiatewithcountlessindividual citizens.
“Due to the fragmentation of
permits, building a large land position has remained the key barriertoentry,resultinginGuyana remaining untapped by exploration, while hosting the last unexplored Birimian-Like greenstone on the planet within a pro-mining and politically stable jurisdiction–TheLastElDorado,” AlistairMineralsstated.
The landholding consists of four advanced targets: South Oko (Soko), North Peters (NP), Old Granny (OG) and Kmung (KM).
Altair’s initial exploration work is focusingonSokoandNP
Altair is the third explorer to enter the Oko corridor, following Canadian mining firms G Mining
Ventures (GMIN) and G2
Goldfields South Oko is positioned 1.5 km south of Oko West project which is owned by GMIN.
With GMIN now in play to acquire its fellow Canadian miner G2’s Oko-Ghanie property, the company is positioned to control seven-millionouncesofgoldinthe
Oko area by consolidating the adjacent projects. It also expands GMIN’s footprint in Guyana by 293 km², creating a combined contiguous land package of over 362km².
Altair outlined that GMIN and G2’s exploration success has already validated the untapped potential, establishing multiple tier-1 discoveries made from grassrootexplorationcampaigns.It addedthatGMIN’sandG2’sresults achievedwithinasmallfractionof the project area validate the potential for multi-million-ounce discoveries.
COMPANYMAKER
ChiefExecutiveOfficer(CEO) ofAltairMineralsLimited,Faheem Ahmed has noted that the Greater OkoProjecthasthepotentialtobea “companymaker”forAltair
Henotedthatwhatthecompany was able to achieve in Guyana by putting together a completely unique and strategic land package, isvirtuallyimpossibleforanyparty toreplicateacontiguousblocklike Altairmanagedtoachieve.
“ let alone with advanced exploration targets and arguably sittinginthehottestgolddistrictin SouthAmericaandWestAfrica.It’s a deal which simply can’t be replicated,”Ahmedstated.
The CEO in his remarks also praised Guyana for being a prominingjurisdictionandforhosting thesamegreenstonebeltspresentin IvoryCoastandGhana.
Hecontinued,“Thegoldsector in Guyana represents the largest exportincountryuntilrecentyears, with emergence offshore O&G discoveries. Guyana for two years in a row has been the fastest growing GDP nation in the globe, and the coming years will see tremendous flow-through benefits in infrastructure, development and mineralassetvalue,wherewewant tobewellpositionedhostingatier1 discovery within a tier-1 jurisdiction.”
TheL1transmissionlineofthe Guyana Power and Light Incorporated (GPL), on Monday, was damaged by an excavator operator,resultinginpoweroutage insectionsofthecountryspanning twocounties.
Inastatementtothemedia,the companysaidthataround10:17hrs, the L1 transmission which interconnects the Garden of Eden andGrovesubstations,experienced asystemdisturbance.
“Thedisturbanceresultedinthe Garden of Eden and Grove substations going offline, creating an estimated 37-megawatt deficit on the network This led to widespreadserviceinterruptions Continued on page 32
Altair Mineral map of the WestAfrican Birimian Shield and extension to Guiana Shield with location of major deposits and projects.
The excavator that caused the damage to the infrastructure
MindYour Business
Change, Judgment, and the Psychology of Resistance
- Why Personal Growth Often Creates Social Discomfort
ByDr.EonAndre George,PhD,EdD
Sometimes the moment
p e o p l e b e c o m e uncomfortable with you is notwhenyoufail.Itiswhen you begin changing The personwhooncelimedevery evening suddenly starts focusingonworkandpulling awayfromcertaincompany
The young woman who was once quiet and uncertain begins carrying herself differently, speaking with confidence, and setting boundaries. Somebody who used to tolerate everything now says “no” more often. Almost immediately, the commentarystarts.
“Youchangebadnow.”
”Youtoonicenow.”
”Youfeelyoubetterthan people.”
”Moneychangehe.”
What makes these reactions psychologically interesting is that the person maynot havedone anything harmfulatall.Inmanycases, they simply became more intentional about their life. Yet the people around them begin reacting emotionally, almostasthoughthegrowth itselfcreatedtension.
That tension is not accidental. Human beings
become emotionally attached to familiarity, especially in environments where people grow up closely connected to each other’s routines, habits, and identities. Once somebody changes significantly, the emotional balance around themchangestoo.
WhyChange FeelsPersonal
One of the reasons growthcreatesdiscomfortis because people rarely see change as neutral They i n t e r p r e t i t emotionallyPsychologists explain this through Social Identity Theory (Tajfel & Turner),whichsuggeststhat people derive emotional security and self-esteem fromthegroups theybelong to Friend groups, neighborhoods, family circles, workplaces, and even social routines become partofpersonalidentity
This means that when one person changes, the group itself feels the disruption.For example, a young man who once spent
everyweekenddrinkingand limingwithfriendssuddenly decidestofocuson business and school At first, everybody laughs and says he serious now But after a while, the jokes become sharper “You forget where you come from?” “You too goodforpeoplenow?”
Underneath those comments is often something deeper than humor His growth has unintentionallydisruptedthe emotional comfort of the group. The people around him now have to confront a difficult psychological question: “If he could change, what does that say about me?”This is why
growth often creates comparison before it creates admiration.
TheMindResistsWhat DisruptsFamiliarity
Human beings naturally
p r e f e r e m o t i o n a l predictability Psychologists callthisstatusquobias,the tendencytopreferwhatfeels familiar even when change mayactuallybebeneficial.In practical terms, people become comfortable with familiar versions of others. Theyknowwhoisthejoker, who is irresponsible, who is quiet, who is always struggling, and who is “not serious ” These social
identities become emotionallyfixedovertime. The problem comes when someone begins moving beyond the role
people assigned to them Consider a young womanwhogrewuphearing thatshewouldneveramount to much For years she remained quiet, uncertain, and dependent on others. Then slowly she changes.
She starts dressing differently, becomes more educated, and begins carrying herself with confidence Instead of encouragement, people begin saying she “stush now” or “acting fancy”, or thetypicalGuyaneseversion “brigah”.
What is happening psychologically is that her new identity conflicts with thementalimagepeoplehad alreadysettledon.Thebrain strugglestoreconciletheold version of her with the new one.Asaresult,somepeople attempt to reduce the
discomfort by criticizing or minimizing the growth instead of adjusting to it.Psychologists refer to this
emotional tension as cognitive dissonance, the discomfort people experience when reality challenges what they previously believed to be true.
WhyGrowthSometimes LooksLikeRejection
Another reason change creates tension is because people often interpret personal growth as emotional distance.A young man begins spending less time around certain friends because he is focused on work A young woman becomes more selective about relationships and s
S o m e b o d y s
o p s participating in gossip or unnecessary drama.Instead of simply seeing new priorities, others may experience the change as rejection.
This connects to attachment theory, which explains how human beings react emotionally when importantsocialbondsbegin shifting. In close social environments, people become accustomed to predictable interaction and emotional access When someone changes behavior, the emotional connection cansuddenlyfeelthreatened. That is why comments like “You don’t mix with peopleanymore”oftencarry sadness underneath the irritation. The issue is not only the behavior itself. It is the feeling that the relationship dynamic has changed.
TheEmotional WeightofVisibility
In closely connected communities, growth rarely happens privately
Everybody notices everything A new car A different circle of friends. Better clothing.Achange in speech. A more disciplined lifestyle Even silence becomes noticeable. People observe quietly and begin constructinginterpretations. Psychologists connect this to social comparison theory (Festinger), which explains that human beings
naturally evaluate themselves in relation to
others The closer the comparison,thestrongerthe emotionalimpact.
A stranger succeeding mayfeelinspiring.Someone from your own street succeeding may feel personal.This is why people often become deeply invested in other people’s progress The growth becomes a mirror reflecting their own insecurities, ambitions, disappointments, or lack of movement
Sometimes the judgment directed at others is actually discomfort people feel withinthemselves.
WhySomePeopleStay theSame
One of the quietest effects of social judgment is that many people eventually beginlimitingthemselvesto remainsociallyacceptable.A young man may avoid speaking properly around certain friends because he doesnotwanttobemocked. A young woman may downplay intelligence or ambition because she does not want people saying she “feel she better.” Someone may remain trapped in unhealthy routines simply because change attracts too muchcommentary.
Psychologists describe this as self-limiting behavior,whereindividuals unconsciously restrict personal growth to avoid rejection, criticism, or emotional isolation.In many cases, people are not afraid offailure.Theyareafraidof social consequences attached to success and change.
Familiesandthe StruggletoAcceptChange
These tensions often become strongest within families because families tend to preserve old identities emotionallyOne child becomes known as the “hard ears one.” Another becomes “the responsible one.”Another becomes “the quietone.”Evenafterpeople grow, the family may continue relating to them throughthoseoldidentities.
Consider a young man who made poor decisions in his teenage years but later becomes responsible and f o c u s e d E v e r y disagreement still brings up his past “I know you already.” “You always been
Dr. EonAndre George, PhD, EdD
so.”“Youcan’tfoolme.”
In many cases, families struggle to update their emotional understanding of peoplebecauseoldidentities feel psychologically safer and more familiar than change Growth therefore becomes emotionally complicated, not because it is wrong, but because it forcespeopletoemotionally reorganize how they see someone.
RethinkingChangeand Growth
Understanding these patterns changes how g r o w t h i t s e l f i s interpreted Not everybody who changes believes they are superior Not everybody setting boundaries is abandoning people. Not everybody becoming more selectiveisrejectingculture, f a m i l y , o r friendship.Some
peoplearesimplyevolving.
Atthesametime,healthy growth requires balance Personal development
should not become arrogance or emotional detachment.Growthwithout humility creates a different kind of disconnect The
healthiest change allows individuals to improve themselves without losing empathy, awareness, or humanityintheprocess.
UnderstandingBehavior ThroughContext
When viewed more closely, resistance to change often has very little to do with the change itself.What appears as criticism may actually be insecurity What appears as mockery may r e f l e c t e m o t i o n a l comparison. What appears as rejection may be fear of emotional distance or irrelevance.
Understanding this adds depthtosocialinteraction.It allows people to recognize that growth changes r e l a t i o n s h i p s psychologically, not just practically.Because in the end,peopledonotonlyreact to who you are becoming. Theyalsoreacttowhatyour growth quietly forces them to confront within themselves.
The University Of Guyana Early Childhood Centre Of Excellence (UGECCE)iscelebratinganother significant international achievement after its Director, Dr Lidon Lashley, received an international prestigious award for Excellence in Research Review and Analysis at the 2026 International Association for Laboratory Schools (IALS) Conference heldrecentlyinFinland
Dr Lashley, who serves on the IALS Research Committee and represented the UG-ECCE at the internationalconference,was
recognised for his outstanding contribution to research review and analytical scholarship in the field of inclusive education His participation at the conference also highlighted the growing impact of the University of Guyana’s research agenda and the pioneering work being conducted through the UGECCE
While in Finland, Dr Lashley presented research emerging from the UGECCEthatexaminedhowthe education of Guyanese special education teachers is shapedbyhistoricallegacies, competing educational approachesandsociocultural realities that continue to obstruct functional inclusive education in Guyana and across the wider Global South
Hispresentationexplored how global movements toward inclusion and neurodiversity intersect with local realities such as systemicinequalities,limited resources, poverty, displacement, entrenched social attitudes, Indigenous andmigrantexperiences,and evolvingformsofdisabilities and neurodivergence. The research also examined the livedexperiencesofinclusive education practitioners and children with additional needswithinthesecontexts.
Importantly, the presentation underscored the UG-ECCE’s ongoing efforts to model culturally sensitive and research-driven approaches to inclusive education within Guyana’s multicultural society Throughitswork,theCentre continues to address gaps in curricula, pedagogy, cultural capital and innovative thinking while challenging traditional approaches that often exclude vulnerable populations
Reflecting on the award, Dr Lashley described the
recognition as both personal andprofessionallyaffirming “The University Of Guyana Early Childhood Centre Of Excellence has focused on inclusiveeducationpractices, pedagogies, principles and philosophies from its commencement of operation and research in 2022,” he explained
Henotedthatthegrowing population of children with disabilities,neurodivergence, additionalneeds,anddiverse sociocultural backgrounds at the Centre requires careful research and context-based analysis to ensure effective responses and evidencebasedpractice
“Personally, this award shows that my efforts for inclusive early childhood developmentally appropriate practices at UG-ECCE are recognised globally Professionally, it bridges globalresearchcollaboration and the exchange of good practices, even organic experiences conceptualised at UG-ECCE,” Dr Lashley said
Duringhisengagementat the conference, Dr Lashley also addressed some of the major barriers affecting inclusive education in Guyana According to him, oneofthegreatestchallenges istheabsenceofaGuyanese o r G l o b a l S o u t h conceptualised framework for inclusive education that reflects the country’s socioculturalrealities
He further explained that colonial legacies continue to influence education systems
through “engrained meritocracy,ableistandelitist ideologies” that often marginalise children with disabilities, neurodivergence andadditionalneeds.
Additionally, he h i g h l i g h t e d h o w exclusionary attitudes and institutional limitations continue to obstruct a true sense of belonging for many children across educational settings in Guyana and the widerCaribbean
Dr Lashley stressed that understanding the lived realities of children from Indigenous, migrant, disadvantaged and other u n d e r r e p r e s e n t e d backgrounds is critical to transforming education systems
The award also shines a spotlight on the expanding body of research being conducted through the UGECCE,whichhasbecomean importanthubfordiscussions surrounding inclusive education practices in
Guyana, the Caribbean and beyond
AccordingtoDr Lashley, theCentrecontinuestodrive conversations and awareness through research, public engagement and practical interventions aimed at reshaping how inclusive education is understood and implemented
“Through research discoursesacrossGuyana,the Caribbean and globally and enhanced parental awareness conversation framed through the research and practices at theUG-ECCE,wearehelping to transform thinking and practices surrounding inclusive education,” he explained
He added that the future of inclusive education depends on understanding evolving forms of diversity and disability in order to develop new pedagogies, policiesandpracticescapable of creating meaningful
inclusionforalllearners
D r L a s h l e y ’ s achievementreflectsnotonly his personal commitment to advancing inclusive education research, but also the University of Guyana’s growing reputation as a centre for innovative scholarship and socially responsiveresearch
The University of Guyana congratulates Dr Lidon Lashley on this outstanding international recognition and commends his continued dedication to advancing inclusive education research and practice locally, regionally andglobally
Please visit the UGECCE website to learn more about the work Dr Lashley and his team are conducting: https://ecceuogedugy/resea r c h - p r o f e s s i o n a ldevelopment (Source: University of Guyana Facebookpage)
Dr. Lidon Lashley proudly displays hisAward for Excellence in Research Review andAnalysis at the 2026 InternationalAssociation for Laboratory Schools (IALS) Conference in Finland.
MONARCH BAY
UNVEILS GUYANA’S FIRST CRYSTAL LAGOON COMMUNITY IN OGLE
Monarch Group has officially unveiled Monarch Bay, a master-planned waterfront communitysettointroduceGuyana’sfirstCrystal Lagoonstechnologyaspartofabroadervisionfor modern,lifestyle-orienteddevelopmentinOgle.
Led by Guyanese entrepreneurs Clairmont and Iman Cummings, both Ivy League educated and committed to investing in Guyana’s future, the project reflects a vision for bringing internationallyinspired community planning and lifestyleexperiencestothelocalmarket.
Designed as an integrated mixed-use destination, Monarch Bay will combine residential living, retail experiences, and thoughtfully planned community spaces within a contemporary waterfront setting The development forms part of a 30-acre master plan andreflectsevolvingdemandformodernhousing among Guyanese families, professionals, membersofthediaspora,andinvestors.
At the center of the development will be Guyana’s first Crystal Lagoon, a large-scale, crystal-clearlagoonpoweredbypatentedCrystal Lagoons® technology used in destination developmentsaroundtheworld.
“Monarch Bay was envisioned as more than just a residential development,” said Clairmont Cummings, Founder of Monarch Group. “We wanted to create a world-class community and destinationthatreflectstheenergy,optimism,and evolutiontakingplaceacrossGuyana.”
Whiletheinitialphasefocusesonresidences, future phases are envisioned to expand Monarch Bay into a broader community destination with retail, recreation, and public-access experiences designed to meet the growing demand for safe, family-friendlyspacesinGuyana.
AccordingtoMonarchGroup,theprojectwas
inspired by growing demand for thoughtfully planned communities that integrate lifestyle, convenience, recreation, and long-term value within one cohesive environment Planned features across the broader development will include residential lots, shopping and dining experiences, wellness-oriented amenities, green spaces,andwaterfrontrecreation.
“We believe Guyana is entering a transformativeperiodofgrowth,andprojectslike Monarch Bay are about contributing to that evolution in a meaningful way,” said Iman Cummings,Co-FounderofMonarchGroup.“Our vision is to create communities and commercial hubs that combine modern infrastructure, lifestyle,andlong-termvaluewhileenhancingthe way people live, connect, and experience Guyana.”
Site preparation works are currently underway,withthefirstphaseofthedevelopment expectedtobecompletedby2028.Thefirstphase ofMonarchBayrepresentsanestimatedUSD20 millioninvestment.
TheprojectisbeingfinancedbyCitizensBank Guyana, reflecting growing confidence in thoughtfully planned developments that support Guyana’s continued modernization and expansion.
MonarchGrouphasalsopartneredwithARC Consultants,ledbyKimberlyJeffreyD’Angelo,a Toronto-based real estate professional with more than15yearsofindustryexperience,toleadsales andstrategicmarketpositioningfortheproject.
Thedevelopmentisexpectedtoappealtolocal buyers, members of the diaspora, and regional investorsseekingmodernwaterfrontlivingwithin oneoftheCaribbeanandSouthAmerica’sfastestgrowingeconomies.
Mas Mani and Lezo Events are reshaping Guyana’s entertainment scene, one event at a time
Guyana’s carnival landscape looks a little different these days, and Mas Mani Carnivalandsistercompany,LezoEventsis a big reason why Founder of Enzo Matthews of Mas Mani Carnival band is rightatthecenterofthatshift.
Injustundertwoyearssinceitsdebuton the road in September 2024, the band has grown into one of the most talked-about namesinlocalentertainment Fromitsvery firstappearance,masqueraderstooknotice The energy, the organisation, and the overall experience set a tone that made it clearthiswasnotaone-timeexperiment.It wasthestartofsomethingserious,builton a clear vision and a commitment to deliveringqualityateverylevel.
Since then, Mas Mani has competed at MiamiCarnival2025incollaborationwith XIACarnivalInternational,securingsecond place for Best Band, and most recently participated Trinidad Carnival, finishing thirdinthelargebandcategorythroughits
sectioncollaborationwithRCMAsBand.
Forabandthatisbarelytwoyearsold, thatkindoftrackrecordspeaksforitself It also signals something bigger, that Guyanese carnival can hold its own on the regionalandinternationalstage
Back home, the response from patrons has been just as strong Revelers have consistently praised the band’s hospitality, attention to detail, and the quality of experience delivered from registration all the way to road day Word of mouth has done a lot of the work, and the growing community around the band is proof that people keep coming back because the experiencekeepsdelivering.
Now Lezo Events, Mas Mani are bringing that same energy to Guyana’s IndependenceWeekCarnivalwithastacked calendarofevents
Day Break, a sunrise breakfast party, takesplaceonSunday,May24atACHotels by Marriott Georgetown from 5AM to 12 PM Early bird tickets are available at US$99 ThenonCarnivalTuesday,May26, Rogue Nation Jouvert kicks off at 3 AM, delivering the paint, powder, and water experience that has become a Caribbean tradition.
Later that same day, the Mas Mani Carnival Parade takes to the streets with costume sections including Frozen and Storm InternationalcomedystarJuniorLee hasbeenannouncedasofficialambassador forallMasManieventsthisseason.
Tickets and registrations are available via Potsalt Events and Eventbrite, or by contacting the team on WhatsApp at +592 629-8145 Persons can also register for road band and Jouvert packages on masmani masos app
Enzo Matthews and one of his models
FROM PERSISTENCE TO RECOGNITION:
DivienaSingh becomes first
recipient of Bureau of
Statistics
Award for Best Graduating Student
For Diviena Singh, Statistics was never just aboutnumbers.Itwasabout understanding life through people, trends, and the storieshiddenwithindata.
That passion, coupled with years of determination and sacrifice, recently earned her the distinction of becoming the first recipient of the Bureau of Statistics’ Award for Best Graduating Student in Statistics at the UniversityofGuyana.
As a recent graduate of the University’s Bachelor of Science in Statistics programme,Singhdescribed the recognition as both humbling and deeply meaningful.
“I felt extremely honoured and grateful,” she shared. “Knowing I would be the first recipient of this specific award made it even more meaningful to me. It feltrewardingtoseeyearsof hardworkanddetermination
being recognised in such a significantway.”
Singh explained that her journeyintoStatisticsbegan with a love for Mathematics in her early scholastic years and an unfamiliar knack for problem-solving. However, as she progressed through
discipline evolved into somethingmuchgreater
“We all use Statistics without even realizing it,” she explained “Every decision we make based on previous outcomes or trends is essentially using data in some form. I truly believe that data tells a story, and Statistics helps transform that data into meaningful insights that can support better decision-making and more effective policy implementation.”
T h r o u g h o u t h e r academic journey, Singh faced the difficult challenge
of balancing university studies with work and personal responsibilities She admitted that at times
discipline, careful time management, and a strong support system helped her pushthroughtocompletion.
“It takes a village,” she reflected.“Iwasfortunateto have support from my family, friends, lecturers, and course mates There were quite a few moments where I wanted to quit, but they kept encouraging me nottogiveup.”
Despite the challenges, shedescribedherexperience in the programme as both demanding and rewarding. One of the aspects she enjoyed most was applying statistical techniques through practical projects, which strengthened her analytical thinking and problem-solvingabilities.
Theyounggraduateisof the view that Statistics will play an increasingly important role in Guyana’s continued development. As Guyanacontinuestoexpand and modernize, she emphasisedthattheabilityto collect, analyse, and interpret data will remain essential for sustainable growth and national development.
Lookingahead,shehopes to continue growing professionally and academicallywithinthefield ofStatisticsanddataanalysis, while exploring ways data cancontributetoresearchand nationaldevelopment
Singh also encouraged young people considering thefieldtoembraceboththe challengesandopportunities thatcomewithit.Sheopined that “Statistics is a challenging but rewarding field”.“It’s greatfor anyone whoenjoysproblem-solving
andworkingwithdata,butit requires dedication and persistence. It can also open p o w e
opportunities across many industries.”
Reflecting on her journey, she said her proudest achievement was notsimplyearningtheaward but overcoming the obstacles that stood in her way She maintains that she was guided by the words “the harder the battle, the sweeterthevictory” For the Bureau of Statistics, the young woman’s achievement not only celebrates academic excellence, but also highlights the growing importance of Statistics in shapingGuyana’sfuture. (Modified from Statistics Guyana Facebook page)
GPHC MEDICAL LABORATORY RELIES ON GNBS
CALIBRATION SERVICES FOR ACCURATE RESULTS
As Guyana continues to strengthen its healthcare system, accurate measurements remain essential for reliable laboratory results. The Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) provides calibration services to laboratories, ensuring that their instrumentsareaccurate.
The Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) Medical Laboratory is one of several laboratories in Guyana certified to the National Standard, GYS 170:2021 - General Requirements for the OperationofaLaboratory,whichrequires the calibration of their measuring instruments.
The GPHC Medical Laboratory offers several specialised services, including andrology, biochemistry, immunology, immunohaematology, haematology, microbiology and urology, all of which require strict quality controls and precise measurementstoensureaccurateandreliable resultsforpatientsandhealthcareproviders.
Quality Manager of GPHC Medical Laboratory, Adeila Melville, stated that continuedcertificationbyGNBSreflectsthe laboratory’s unwavering commitment to deliveringreliableandtraceableresults.
“MaintainingourcertificationtotheGYS 170:2021 standard is an exceptional achievement which shows our laboratory’s commitmenttoqualityresultsandimproved healthcaretothepeopleofGuyana,”Melville shared.
Shedisclosedthatformorethan18years, theGPHCMedicalLaboratoryhasreliedon GNBS calibration services to ensure its equipment performs accurately and consistently Amongtheequipmentregularly calibrated by the GNBS are automated micropipettes,electronicbalancesanddigital thermometers, which are calibrated every 6 months,annuallyandeverytwoyears.
In 2025 alone, the laboratory calibrated 34 automated pipettes, 12 digital thermometers, two electronic balances and onemechanicalscaleattheGNBS.
Melville explained that calibration plays a fundamental role in maintaining confidence in laboratory results, adding, “Regularcalibrationnotonlyconfirmsthe
usability of a measuring device, but it also helps to determine whether that device is drifting out of tolerance, or requires adjustment Overall, it ensures that all your measurements are accurate and reliable ”
She further emphasised that calibration ensures that the readings of equipment in usearecomparabletorecognisedstandards, ensuring that results remain traceable to international measurements and consistent over time, regardless of the user operating theequipment
Melville noted that the impact of calibrated equipment extends directly to patient care, explaining that the calibrated balances are used to weigh blood products before transfusions are administered. This process is especially critical for neonates, who require blood products in precise proportionsbasedonbodymass.
“Inaccurate results can cause harm, especially to neonates who require proportional amounts of blood products to bodymass,”Melvilleexplained.
Calibratedbalancesarealsoessentialfor oral glucose tolerance tests used in diagnosingandmanagingdiabetes,aswellas for preparing microbiological culture media used to identify infections and determine appropriateantimicrobialtherapy
Micropipettesare used to measure blood samplesandpreparequalitycontrolmaterials that verify analytical instruments are functioningcorrectly Meanwhile,calibrated thermometers help ensure that laboratory reagents are stored at appropriate temperatures to prevent deterioration and inaccuratetestresults.
Melville highlighted that GNBS calibrationservicesarenotonlyimportantfor daily laboratory operations but are also mandatory for maintaining certification under the GYS 170 Standard and for international accreditation under the
Standardisation (ISO) 15189 Standard for medicallaboratories.
Like calibration, the verification of measuringinstrumentsbytheGNBSextends beyond measuring equipment used in the
GPHC laboratory Melville underscored the significanceofverifyingscalesusedtoweigh patientsinthehealthcarefacility
“This verification process is very importanttoensurethatmedicationgivento patients is accurate, since the weight of a patientisusedtocalculatedosage,”shesaid.
“For neonates and paediatric patients, a verified scale means accurate measurement; an unverified scale can (adversely) impact thelifeofthepatient.”
TheGPHCQualityManageralsopraised the GNBS for its support through training programmes, consultation and certification servicesovertheyears.
“The support received from the GNBS has propelled the laboratory to the forefront ofpublichospitalsinGuyana,”shestated.
Melville said that GNBS can look to exploit additional opportunities to provide other calibration services within the health sector,particularlyforhumidityreadersused inlaboratories.
“I have been awaiting the calibration
services of the humidity readers for a long time now, and I would be happy to see this service being offered by the GNBS,” she highlighted.
Melville encouraged laboratories and organisations to prioritise calibration, verification and conformance to standards. She advised that laboratories should not hesitatetocontacttheGNBS.
“Ensure that your devices are calibrated and verified. Contact the GNBS Legal and IndustrialMetrologyDepartmentsandspeak with a staff member; they are eager to help supportyourjourney,”sheadvised.
With more medical and testing laboratories across Guyana continuing to implement national and international standards, the GNBS anticipates the increaseddemandforitsmetrologyservices.
In response, the Bureau will continue to deliver these services to ensure patients and healthcare providers benefit from reliable and quality diagnostic services across the healthsector
GNBS Technical Officer, Orlando Sturge, hands over GYS 170 Certificate to Head of Laboratory Services at GPHC Medical Laboratory, Dr. Pheona Mohamed-Rambaran, flanked by representatives of the companies.
Frompage22 across sections of Demerara
and Berbice, leaving thousands of customers without electricity supply,” GPLsaid.
An inspection done by the company’s technical teams revealed that an excavator operating at Grove,EastBankDemerara, had come into contact with the line, therefore causing
damage to critical transmission infrastructure
and triggering the disturbance.
“The excavator involved is reportedly owned by S. Joseph Transportation & Machinery Rentals and was being operated by Mr GarfieldHindsatthetimeof theincident,”GPLadded.
Immediately after the incident, repowering efforts got underway and the teams worked diligently to ensure the electricity supple to customers was safely returned The restoration was done in increments and the final area that was
affected was restored successfully at 11:37hrs, signaling full restoration to allimpactedcustomers.
GPLsaidithaslaunched a full formal investigation into the incident. It said the contractorwillbeheldliable and will be pursued for compensation, in order to recover the costs that are associated with damages caused to the transmission infrastructure.
GPL is reminding members of the public and contractors that any excavation, construction or heavy-duty operations near the company’s transmission a n d d i s t r i b u t i o n infrastructure must be coordinated with GPL to ensuresafetyandprotectthe reliability of the electricity network.
“Unauthorised or unsafe
activities near GPL’s infrastructure can result in significant service disruptions, damage to critical assets, and pose seriousriskstopublicsafety
Justovertwoweeksago, Kaieteur News reported that GPLwas seeking to recover more than $30.6 million in damages following a weekend power outage that
w a s t r i g g e r e d b y constructionactivity
In a statement, GPL fingered the China Railway
First Group (Guyana) Incorporated demanding $30,645,189 for losses incurred after heavy-duty machinery struck a key
transmission line during roadworksatDennisStreet, SophiaonApril26. The incident occurred at approximately 08:50hrs when the equipment came into direct contact with the L10 transmission line linkingtheNewGeorgetown and Sophia substations, the impact of which caused a major disruption in electricity supply and affectedtensofthousandsof customers across several communitiesinGeorgetown andsurroundingareas.
WEDNESDAY
‘Govt.paidWales contractortwice’–companydocuments ...hands out US$97M more for works already catered for in contract agreement
The Government of Guyana (GoG) has handed the Wales Gas-to-Energy (GTE) contractor an additional US$97M for soil stabilisation works already paid for according the company’s official proposal submittedtothestate.
After denying “secret p a y m e n t s ” t o Lindsayca/CH4, the Office of the Prime Minister on May14finallyadmittedthat the GoG agreed to shell out anadditionalUS$97million following an “amicable resolution” to a Dispute Avoidance/Adjudication Board (DAAB) ruling regarding “soil stabilisation works required at the Wales site.” Government explained thatthecoastalclayatWales was“notfitforconstruction” and required “unforeseen” stabilisation, dewatering, and mountains of sand. As such, it was explained that
the contractor had to do “extra jobs” to prepare the land, justifying a massive 12 8% increase over the US$759 million original contract.
Original bid documents s u b m i t t e d b y Lindsayca/CH4 back in September2022andseenby this publication however reveal that soil stabilisation was never an “unforeseen” expense. In fact, the leaked documents indicate that t h e s e w o r k s w e r e meticulously planned, scheduled, and priced by Lindsayca from the very beginning.
According to the “Proposal Schedule 07 –ProjectSchedule”submitted by Lindsayca/CH4, dated September 13, 2022, site stabilisation was a specific condition covered under the heading “1.9All other works covered by the contract,” on pagesix.
The contractor explicitly mapped out a four-month t i m e l i n e f o r s o i l stabilisation, originally slated to begin in January 2023, and a six-month timeline for landfill and drainage works. This means that the consortium was awarethatthatlandrequired stabilisation and a vacuum drainage system, as written intotheproposal. Therefore, this raises the question as to how government was hauled beforeadisputeadjudication board in 2025 and lost over “extra” soil stabilisation
works that the contractor already knew about and included in their schedule threeyearsprior Payingtwice
The proposal submitted by the consortium not only highlighted the need for soil stabilisation works and allottedatimeframe,butthis wasalsobudgetedfor
In the corresponding financial document, “Proposal Schedule 5ProposalPriceBreakdown,” also dated September 13, 2022, the costs for these exact works are laid bare on Page 4 under “Item 5: All OtherWorks.”
According to the document, Guyana paid US$31,804,838.95 as seen under item 5.1.1: Vertical Vacuum Drainage System (Soil Stabilisation) and US$70,862,151.33 for item 5.1.2relatingtoconstruction area landfill and rainwater drainage.
Combined, Lindsayca explicitly quoted US$102.6 million for soil stabilisation, landfill, and drainage in the company’s initial US$898.7
million bid This figure almost mirrors the US$97M that government was forced to pay after losing the dispute.
Morequestions
Thedocumentsleakedto this newspaper raises more questions for the chief policymaker of the oil and gas sector, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo, the Prime Minister, Mark Phillips whose office is tasked with oversight of the energy sectorandmoreimportantly, the man at the centre of the project heading the GTE
Taskforce, Winston Brassington.
In its negotiations with theconsortiumtoreducethe initial contract sum from initial US$898 million to US$759 million, did the
GoG slash the soil stabilisation item from the proposal, knowing the swampy Wales estate would stillneedit?
IftheTaskforceremoved soil stabilisation from the final contract to polish the US$759Mpriceasapolitical victory, was it aware that
Lindsayca would just claim itbackviaDAABarbitration later?
Moreover, why did the government lose the DAAB ruling if soil stabilisation waslistedinthecontractor’s own technical proposal?
How did Guyana’s legal defence fail to protect the Guyanese taxpayers at the Adjudication Board when the contractor’s own 2022 proposal spells out “Vertical Vacuum Drainage System (SoilStabilisation)”inblack andwhite.
transport providers to slash their profits in wake of the drastic increase in cost of commodities across sectors duetotheongoingU.S./Iran war
In a video posted on his official Facebook page, President Ali reminded that the Government of Guyana has taken many measures to help offset the inflationary prices and changes in its national market impact However,hebelievesthatto adequately address the international pressures and the rising cost of refined products,governmentandall stakeholders must work hand-in-hand.
“You will recall that the Government of Guyana removed the Excise Tax on imported products, refined productstozero.Thatwould have meant that over the yearsallthosewhoconsume refined products, whether it’s the hire car, the speedboat operators, the minibuses, the private cars, whoever consumed these products that the government would have taken up that cost, which amounts to about over $100 billion Guyana dollars annually,”thepresidentsaid.
President Ali said that while the government has investedhundredsofbillions of dollars annually to stave off any inflationary pressure at the pump and ensure that the prices remain stable, the consumers must benefit from a corresponding reduction.
“We did not see any corresponding reduction in taxi fares…We did not see corresponding reduction in the transportation costs Now,inanysocietywhere
Continued on page 33
Arecent aerial view of the Wales Gas-to-Energy site.
President IrfaanAli
Frompage32 thiscostisabsorbed,thenthere mustbeconsequentialbenefits thatgototheconsumerfurther, and of course, the farmers and everyone who have benefited fromthis,”headded.
The President explained that internationally, when countries are faced with challenges, it requires action fromboththeprivatesectorand thepublicsector ThePresident stressedthattheentireglobeis affected by a period of volatility
“Inthisperiodofvolatility, for us to address this as a country, as a system, and not adjustfarestotheextentthatit erodes consumers’ confidence and it adds pressure on the consumingpublic,”hesaid.
The Head-of-State lamented that the government has followed international trends as it relates to implementing price control measures and taken measures to ensure that ExciseTax went tozero.
“Whatthatdidisthatitgivesus now no room to adjust the excise tax, and now that the price has increasedatthenationalmarket,we are asking those, all the stakeholders who would have benefitedfromthe0%excisetaxto be nationalistic in their approach. So, we expect that all of the operators will reduce their profit lines,soastomitigatethatimpact, andalsoforusto,forthesuppliers of public transportation to be socially responsible during this period...”
Inthefuture,thePresidentsaid Guyanawillbelookingtosecureits fuel supply by actively engaging partners who want to invest in a refinery.
“We can have more price stability, given the fact that we are alsoproducingourowncrude,soI just wanted to say that these are someoftheoptionsavailabletous that we are also working closely withinaddressingfuturechallenges likethis,”hestated.
WhileeachcitizeninGuyanais subjected to the tax laws of this nation, an American energy giant anditsbusinesspartnersreceivesa free pass, denying the nation of huge sums to further its developmentagenda.
In 2025, one company alone walkedoutwithafreeUS$1billion asaresultoftaxwaiversitreceived fromgovernment.
This is according to the financials recently filed by Hess Guyana Exploration Limited, a 30% stakeholder in Guyana’s oil rich Stabroek Block It’s co-
venturers CNOOC has 25% shares and ExxonMobil holds 45%, operatingtheworld’smostexciting exploration basin currently These companies which also received massive tax waivers have not yet made their financial statements public.
In the meantime, Hess has reported profits for 2025 which outpaced revenue flows into Guyana’s Natural Resource Fund (NRF) during the same period, again raising questions about the lopsided oil deal signed by the Coalitionin2016.
ProfitsforHesslastyearsoared to US$3B while Guyana merely received US$2.5B in profits and royalty. Had Guyana collected its fair share of taxes, the country could have received a whopping US$1B in additional revenue from Hessalone.
The oil company reported an incometaxexpenseofGY$201.8B or approximately US$1B. This is almost the same amount that was allocatedintheNationalAssembly that year for infrastructure development which was GY$209B.
Chartered accountant and attorney, Christopher Ram on Sunday argued, “Guyanese taxpayers are effectively subsidising one of the most profitable oil operations in the world while some of the world’s mostsuccessfulcompaniesenjoya virtually tax-free pipeline for exporting billions abroad to the world’slargesteconomy.”
Moreover,Rampointedoutthat these companies pay no corporation tax in Guyana, yet receive certificates declaring that taxes were paid on their behalf by the Guyana government These certificatescanthenbepresentedin their home jurisdictions to avoid taxationthereaswell.
ThesweetheartdealtheCoVenturers signed in 2016 with the GoG states in Article 15.1
t h a t t h e C o n t r a c t o r (ExxonMobilGuyanaLimited) aswellasitsaffiliatesshallnot be subjected to tax, valueaddedtax,excisetax,duty,fee, charge, or impost in respect of income derived from petroleumoperations,property held or transactions except as specifiedundertheagreement.
Further, Article 15.4 states that the sum equivalent to the taxes owed by the company will be paid by the minister responsible for Petroleum to the Commissioner General of the GRA. It should be noted thatthecontractalsoallowsfor theissuingofareceipttothese companiesindicatingthatithas met the local tax requirements to avoid the burden of double taxation.
Losing more than its gaining?
“It is a legal fiction so absurd thatitbordersonfraud,”thelawyer contends.
Inhiscolumnpublishedbythis newspaper,hetoldreaders,“Every othertaxpayerinGuyanaissubject to withholding or remittance taxes on profits transferred abroad, including deemed branch profits remitted to overseas parents Exxon, Hess and CNOOC are exempt under the 2016 Petroleum Agreement.Putanumbertoit.Had withholding taxes applied to the actual and deemed remittances, Guyana would have collected approximatelyGY$409billion.”
When the 2025 taxes waivedforHesswascompared to the royalties paid into the NRF that year, it shows Guyana lost morerevenuethanitcollected.
According to the Bank of Guyana, fourth quarter 2025 NRF Report, a total of US$330,672,634 was paid in royalty that year This means Guyana’s total royalty was three times less than the taxes it waivedtoHessthatyear
together on Wednesday in an incidentwhenthevehicletheywere travelinginplungedintoacanalat BlackBushPolder,Corentyne.
Joseph Mangar, 32, and Johnathan, 4, of Limlair Village, Corentyne, were on their way to collecttheman’sdaughterfromher schoolwhentragedystruck.
The two were believed to have drowned,andthedevastatingnews has left the community of Limlair inshock.
Mangar’s wife, Dellissa Trotman, was too distraught to speak. The child’s aunt who spoke to this publication said Joseph’s mother called them at about 14:11 hrs to inform them that a car resembling the white car he drove was in the trench. The concerned auntthenaskedforhernephew Shesaidthatalittlewhileafter, the father was first discovered and removed from the vehicle and ultimately the trench, but persons wereinitiallyunawarethatthechild was also in the vehicle. The child was beyond assistance by the time hewasobserved,sheadded.
“When I go, I find my nephew onmysister,andItekheoffherand I tried doing CPR, but I realize I reached too late,” she spoke throughtears.
Young Johnathan was a Prep 1 pupil of Nurney Nursery School, Corentyne. His father was a truck driver
The child’s aunt explained that she could do nothing else but accommodate the details that were presentedtothefamily
“I heard that his father was driving with speed, and he bounce and topple and the car went up in the air and flipped, and skate and into the trench,” she told this publication.
Preliminary investigations indicatedthatmotorcar#PYY2317 belonging to Joseph Mangar was heading south along the LesbeholdenPublicRoadallegedly at a fast rate. Police reports stated that the man lost control of the vehicle,whichendedupinacanal, situated on the western side of the saidpublicroad.
The vehicle went underwater Moments after, the duo was removed from the vehicle by citizens on the scene and taken to the Port Mourant Public Hospital, where upon examination by a doctor on duty, they were pronounceddeadonarrival.
Thebodieswerethentakentoa funeral parlor for post-mortem examinations.
In2025,Guyanareceivedabill of US$34M for exploration activities in the Stabroek Block by oneofthethreepartners,Hess Continued on page 34
The financial statement published by Hess.
The mangled vehicle Joseph and his son were travelling
Dead: Four-year-old Johnathan Mangar
Joseph Mangar, 32
Frompage33 GuyanaExplorationLimited.
Accordingtothecompany’s financialstatementforlastyear, its exploration expense was GYD 21.4M. This was not the only bill it handed the country for its ongoing search for more oilinStabroek,asthecompany also charged Guyana for its unsuccessful wells that were drilled Hess said its “exploratory dry hole” expense for2025wasGY12.4M.
Hess holds 30% interest in the Stabroek Block while the Chinese oil company, CNOOC has 25% and ExxonMobil 45% astheoperatoroftheblock.
CNOOC and Hess also added exploration and dry hole expenses to the cost bank but havenotyetfiledtheirfinancial statements.
Inaccordancewiththeterms of the 2016 Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) that governs the prolificacreagecontrolledbythese companies, all costs related to exploration activities can be recovered.ThismeansthatGuyana forks out millions to pay the companies to explore, even if they findnooil.
This has often been the subject of debate as stakeholders hold the firm view that there is generally a cost of business and by footing all exploratory bills, Guyana takes on the risk while the companies milk thecountry’sprofits.
Theoildealisdesignedtoallow the companies to recover all petroleum-related expenses upfront,beforeGuyanacanbenefit from an equal split of the revenue generated. Up to 75% of revenue each month is allocated to the companiesforcostrecovery,while the remaining 25% is split equally withGuyanaasprofits.
Notably, oil-producing states around the world, including neighbouring Suriname have blocked oil companies from recovering costs spent to hunt for oil Before production activities commenced, Exxon claimed US$1.6Bforexplorationactivityin the Stabroek Block during the period1999to2017.
Despite the ongoing exploration activities in the block, ExxonMobil, the operator has not announced any new discoveries since March 2024. The company’s latest publicly announced oil discovery offshore Guyana was at BluefinintheStabroekBlock.
In November 2025, Kaieteur Newsreportedthatalthoughnonew discoverieswereannouncedforthe year, the Mid-Year Report published by the Ministry of Finance made a bombshell disclosure, a whopping three oil discoveriesreportedlymadebythe contractorfor2025.
ExxonMobil later clarified in a statementthatthediscoveriescited in the report by the GoG were
In April 2022, Exxon said the reserves in the Stabroek Block totaled 11 billion barrels After mounting public pressure, two yearsandeightdiscoveriesafterthe last resource update, government said this grew to 11.6B. Notably, alth
company said its estimate of the resources was lower than 11B barrels.
Minibusstrikewidens ...operators demand urgent talks with govt. over fare dispute
Minibus operators across several regions have turned off their engines in protest against the government’s refusal to approve fare increases, despite escalating fuelandmaintenancecosts.
Operators on Route 32, Vreeden-Hoop, West Coast Demerara, described the government’s stance as an attempt to force them into transportingpassengersfor“nextto nothing.”They are now calling for anurgentmeetingwithgovernment officialstoresolvetheimpasse.
Dozens of operators on the tarmac at Vreed-en-Hoop spoke of rising cost of operating public transportation services. Several
complained that their fares have remained the same since 2018, despite fluctuating fuel prices and anincreaseinthepriceforpartsfor theirbuses.
Headoftheminibusassociation forRoute32explainedtheyfeltthe need to address the lack of engagement by the government on the issue of fare adjustments despitetheriseincostofliving.The operatorlamentedthatthesituation was further aggravated by announcement by Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill that thereisnofareincrease.
“Gashasmovedfrom1,200per gallon within days,” so it is atrocious and deceptive for MinisterEdghilltogoonmediaand say that things aint rise Mr. Ministerhowcanyousaythatthere is no increase, when the price for everything gone up.And now, you want us to work for same fare that we working for the past 15 years, howisthatfair?”heasked.
Theoperatorcontinued“Weare saying we need to meet with the authorities. For the past 20 years I been representing minibus operators here and we normally reach with Ministry of Business and Tourism.All of a sudden I am hearingthatMr.Edghillhasgotten involved.”
Anotheroperatorfromthesame
route noted that he has three other trade jobs to supplement thelittleheearnsasadriverjust togetby
“The fare that currently exists cannot sustain we. From fuel to oil to servicing, is everything else price gone up. Wehavefamilytoothatweneed to support, we got children to sendtoschooltooandwhenwe strike is not only, we suffer but people commuters suffer…The government must consider we too,”hesaid.
Minibus operators at the Square of the Revolution in Georgetown shared similar views Dozens of operators ventilated serious concerns and underlinedthegrowingfinancial pressurestheyfacedaily
He said “On a monthly basis, weusedtobuyaFilterfor 1500we used to buy oil a quartz different types is sometimes is 2800 when you buy a used tyre was 7000 and $12,000.”
Themancontinued,“Itisunfair for this fare from Litchfield to Rosignalfor100for27yearsnowit neverchangesanditisunfairtobus drivers/conductors.”
He said that the operators are open to dialogue with Minister Edghill and Minister of Tourism and Commerce, Susan Rodrigues. “We want to meet as soon as possibleorwewillstrikeeveryday until we meet a solution.” the operatorurged.
A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) Member of Parliament, Sherod Duncan, who was on the ground speaking with the affected operators in a statement on behalf of the party, said that the concerns raised by themdeserveseriousandrespectful engagement.
Duncan noted that “The government cannot continue to imposedecisionsfromabovewhile
ignoring the realities facing ordinary working people. What I heard today was not a call for confrontation, but a call for fairness, dialogue, and recognition of the economic pressures confronting public transportation operatorsacrossthecountry Atthe same time, I fully appreciate the inconvenience being experienced by commuters and the wider travelling public as a result of the strikeaction.”
The APNU parliamentarian underlined he role the transportation sector plays in moving thousands of Guyanese workers, schoolchildren, pensioners,andfamilieseveryday As a result, he called on the GovernmentofGuyanatourgently convene discussions with bus operators, route representatives, unions, and relevant stakeholders to reach an amicable and balanced solutioninthenationalinterest.
“Consultation, compromise, andmutualrespectmustguidethis process. The transportation sector is too important to be managed through threats, victimization, or unilateraldeclarations,”hesaid.
The Government of Guyana must seek more benefits for its citizens from the 2016 contract with ExxonMobil, A Partnership forNationalUnity(APNU)saidon Friday
The party at its weekly press conference told reporters that the renegotiation of the contract is by no means anti-business but would instead d
rate the seriousnessofthecountryinitsbid tocorrectimbalances.
APNU’sMemberofParliament (MP)RiazRoopnarinesaidthatthe party is firmly committed to renegotiation but not arbitrary nationalisation. He told reporters thatwhereagreementsareunfairor unbalanced,“thingsgetserious”.
“ThePNCR/APNUwelcomes Continued on page 35
One of the drillships that operate in Guyana’s Stabroek Block, Noble Sam Croft.
Bus drivers striking at the Square of the Revolution.
Frompage34 investment,respectslawful enterprise, and believes investors must have confidence in Guyana. But that confidence must be
built on fairness, transparency, and respect
for our sovereignty Renegotiation is not antibusiness.Itishowaserious
c o u n t r y c o r r e c t s imbalances, protects its people, and builds a fairer
relationship with investors,”hesaid.
Referencing the fight for independence, he reminded that it was not simply handed to Guyana but was fought for and negotiated.
“Makingthesmallmana realmanwasnotemptytalk. It meant that the worker, the farmer, the vendor, the public servant, the young person, the pensioner, and the family trying to survive from month to month had to see themselves in the promise of Independence. It
meant that national development could not be discussed from platforms while ordinary people remained poor, powerless, and pushed aside,” Roopnarinesaid.
The MP referenced the People’s National Congress Reform’s (PNCR) 60th Independence Symposium on May 21, 2026, where
Chartered Accountant Christopher Ram reminded thecountryofLindenForbes
Sampson Burnham’s warning that Guyana had achieved political independence, but had not yet created a new economy Ram noted that sovereignty must be accompanied by economic substance and a flagwithoutaneconomythat works for the citizens is not enough.
TheAPNU believes that Burnham’s warning speaks directly to Guyana’s current situation,astodayitisanoilproducing nation, with daily reportsfromthegovernment on record growth, budgets, revenuesandconstruction.
“There is also the billion spent on the celebrationsfor the 60th Independence Anniversary, yet many Guyanese are asking simple questions; “if the country is so rich, why are so many people still struggling? Where is the independence frompoverty?Fromhunger? From low wages, high prices, and hopelessness amongouryoungpeople?”
Roopnarine said, “The PPP Government appears willing to spend billions on celebration, ceremony, lights,concerts,banners,and public relations, but it does not show the same urgency toliftordinaryGuyaneseout of economic hardship Celebrationhasitsplace.But it cannot be a substitute for better wages, lower food prices, support for farmers, opportunities for young people, and real help for families under pressure everyday.”
The MP highlighted that the people-centered development strategy of the party becomes important as developmentmuststartwith people and not propaganda, with the households and not headlines.
“It must reach the worker, the farmer, the small-business owner, the youngperson,thepensioner, and the communities still waitingtofeelthebenefitsof this oil wealth That is a modern expression of the same principle Burnham advanced:theeconomymust bejudgedbywhatitdoesfor ordinarypeople,”headded.
Pres.AlidefendsUS multi-million-dollarGTE dealwithtroubled contractor ...says tender process was above board
President Irfaan Ali on Friday defended the US multi-million-dollarcontract with Lindsayca, the American energy company working on the Wales Gasto-Energy (GTE) project saying the company was not handpicked but awarded the contract through a public tenderprocess.
At his first press conference for the year, PresidentAliwasquestioned
on whether he believes Lindsayca is the right partnerfortheGTEproject located at Wales West BankDemerara.
In response to a question posed by Kaieteur News, the Headof-State said, “Lindsayca came through a public process,firstofall.Itwasa public tender The president of Guyana or nobody didn’t go and select Lindsayca, it came throughapublicprocess.”
The Wales GTE project,whichincludesthe construction of a Natural Gas Liquids (N
megawatt(MW)powerplant
mounting criticisms over delaysandescalatingcosts.
This publication had reported that when Lindsayca landed an almost billion-dollar contract, the entity was bankrupt, faced with several lawsuits, over allegations of money l
quest
business dealings Kaieteur News’ research also revealed that Lindsayca lacked a basic requirement to qualify for the project – experience in constructing a project of suchmagnitude.
Acarefulexaminationof the company’s financials between 2016 and 2019 revealed that Lindsayca was drowning in debt to the tune of millions of US-dollars Lindsayca, as per the prequalification and bidding process that started with the Request For Proposals (RFP) in September 2021 and concluded with bid submissions in September 2022wasrequiredtosubmit three years of financial
s t a t e m e n t s t o t h e government of Guyana (GoG) to ensure the company was in good standing.
I n d e p e n d e n t commentator, Chartered Accountant and Attorney, Christopher Ram reviewed the financials seen by this newspaper and concluded that the company was under “significant financial strain, withissuesthatgodirectlyto liquidity, sustainability, and the reliability of what is beingreported.”
Forhispart,PresidentAli noted, “Our intention is to w o r k w i t h a l l t h e stakeholders to have this project completed and to
ensure that our people have the benefit of a cut in electricity rate by 50 per cent.”
He noted however, that his administration is not happythattheprojecthasfar gone beyond the initial deadline. “We wanted this project to be completed as quickly as possible, but that istherealitythatisbeforeus. Theyhadvariouschallenges. Wearenothappyandwesaid
that before. But we have to now take this project to the end.Thatisthepriority The priority is finishing this project in the interests of Guyana and the Guyanese people,” President Ali added.
Moreover,hepointedtoa recent statement from the OfficeofthePrimeMinister on the project. “There was a press release by the prime minister’s office [he]
outlined very clearly what are the new commitmentsin terms of the timeline, what will come on stream before theendoftheyear,thepower that will come on stream in the first quarter of next year…”Alisaid.
The Prime Minister’s office in its statement said that substantial progress has beenrecordedinworksatthe site thus far, with stringent milestones set moving forward, following an agreement with Lindsayca GuyanaInc.tobringthefirst power turbine online by the endof2026.
It said this will be followedbyallgasturbines which are expected to be fully commissioned by the firstquarterof2027andthe combined cycle operation to be completed by June 2027
The statement said that “failure to meet these milestones will allow the government to re-instate liquidated damages against thecontractor.”
President IrfaanAli at the Office of the President.
APNU Member of Parliament, Riaz Roopnarine
Ask-the-Consul
Child safety travel advisory
Familymattersinvolving children can be deeply emotional. Whether you’re planning to travel with your child or concerned about c u s t o d y r i g h t s , understanding international parental child abduction is essential. Here are answers to common questions we receive.
Q:Whatisinternational parentalchildabduction?
A: It occurs when a parentwrongfullyremovesa child from their country of
habitual residence or wrongfully retains them in another country without the other parent’s consent or in violation of custody rights. UnderU.S.law,it’safederal felony to remove or retain a child younger than age 16 outside the United States with intent to obstruct parentalrights.
Q: What is NOT consideredabduction?
A: It’s not abduction when parents consent to travel,aparenthassolelegal
custody with travel authority, or a court order specifically authorizes internationaltravel.
Q: I’m in Guyana and wanttotakemychildtothe United States. Do I need theotherparent’sconsent?
A: Yes, you should always obtain the other parent’s consent before traveling internationally withyourchild.
FordepartingGuyana: Check with Guyanese authorities about local
requirements, as many countries require consent from both parents or documentation showing you haveauthoritytotravelwith thechild.
ForenteringtheUnited States: While there are no specific U S federal requirements mandating parental consent letters for children entering with one parent on a non-immigrant visa, U S Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officersmayaskquestionsto
ensure child welfare andpreventtrafficking.
Most importantly:
Taking your child to the United States without other parent’s consent could violate Guyanese law or custody agreements, potentially constituting international parental child abduction.Evenwithavalid visa, if you take your child abroad without proper consent and don’t return as agreed, the other parent can reportthisasanabduction.
Alwayscarry:
(CPIAP) to be notified if someone tries to get a U.S. passportforyourchild.
5. Consult attorneys in boththeU.S.andGuyana,as you’ll need to pursue custody remedies through theGuyaneselegalsystem. DOS&DON’TSWhen TravelingwithChildren DO:
A notarized consent letterfromtheotherparent
· Custody documents if youhavesolecustody
The child’s birth certificate
·Contactinformationfor theotherparent
The safest approach is always to obtain written consentfromtheotherparent
A: No Taking a child from the United States to Guyana (or any country) without the other parent’s consent or in violation of custodyrightscanconstitute international parental child abduction and may be a federalcrime.
A:Important:Guyanais NOTcurrentlyapartytothe Hague Convention on International Child Abduction. This means the streamlined return process under the Convention doesn’tapply However,you stillhaveoptions:
1 Enroll in CPIAP (Children’s Passport Issuance Alert Program) –This alerts you if someone applies for a U.S. passport foryourchild.
2
agreements
3 Keep custody documentsaccessible
4 Maintain open communication with the otherparent.
5 Be alert to warning signs: talk about relocating a
ut explanationetc.
6.Seeklegaladviceearly ifyouhaveconcerns.
International parental child abduction is a serious matter that can have lasting effectsonfamilies.Themost importantthingtoremember is that communication and consentareessential Carry proper documentation including notarized consent letters, custody orders, and birthcertificates.
The U S Embassy in Georgetown stands ready to assist with welfare visits in Guyana, legal referrals, and coordinationwithlocal Continued on page 37
Child safety travel advisory
Frompage36 authorities, though we cannot physically retrieve children or override court decisions. Above all, remember that these protectionsexisttoservethebestinterestsof children, who thrive when both parents are involved in their lives and when adults resolve disagreements through proper legal channelsratherthantakingmattersintotheir ownhands.
Need more information? Visit: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/Int ernational-Parental-Child-Abduction.html.
“Ask the Consul” is a monthly column from the U.S. Embassy answering questions about U S immigration law and other Consular topics Detailed information
https://travel.state.gov/. Information about American Citizen Services can be found at https://gy usembassy gov/u-s-citizenservices/.
Applicants are strongly encouraged to prepare their own documents and avoid third-party advice Consular processes
U S government advisors often provide inadequate or inaccurate information
Please contact our Visa Information Service Center using the contact information at
gy/niv/information/contact_us if you have generalvisaquestions.
GNBS USE THE METRIC SYSTEM TO BOOST MEASUREMENT ACCURACY AND RELIABILITY
In a global economy where many of the commodities we use, including fuel, vehicles, medicine, food items and construction materials, are imported, having a uniform system of measurement is critical. That system is the Metric System, formally known as the International System of Units (SI), which was adopted by Guyana in 2002. Over two decades later, as Guyana continues to advance in a rapidly developing world, understanding and embracing the use of metric units has become moreimportantthanever Overthepastweek,theGuyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) joined National Measurement Institutes (NMIs) around the world in conducting activities to observe World Metrology Day (WMD) This
year’s theme, “Metrology: Building Trust in Policy Making,” highlights the critical role accurate and reliable measurements play in supporting informed decisionmaking, fair trade and effective governance.
World Metrology Day is o b s e r v e d a n n u a l l y t o commemorate the signing of the Metre Convention on May 20, 1875, by representatives of seventeennations.TheConvention established the International System of Units (SI), or Metric System, as the international standard for measurement in industrial,commercialandsocietal applications. Today, it plays an essential role in international trade andiswidelyusedinscientificand technological research and development.
TheSIsystemconsistsofseven baseunits:thekilogram(kg),metre (m),second(s),ampere(A),kelvin (K), mole (mol) and candela (cd). Theseunitsareusedinternationally and support consistency and accuracy across countries and industries. One of the greatest advantagesoftheMetricSystemis itsdecimalnature,whichallowsfor easy conversion between units by multiplying or dividing by 10, 100 or 1000. Prefixes such as milli-, centi- and kilo- help users understand quantities quickly with simplified calculations For example, 1000 grams equal 1 kilogram, and 1000 millilitres equal1litre.
After several years of the dual system of measurement in Guyana (Metric and Imperial systems), Guyana fully adopted the metric
system of measurement by the passing of order #4 of 2001. This order made the use of the metric system mandatory as of January 2002 Since then, GNBS has employed several strategies to encourage the use of the metric systemlocally Today, this measurement system is being utilised by approximately 95 percent of the world’spopulationastheirofficial, primary system of measurement. Virtually every country has universallyadoptedit,leavingonly a tiny fraction of the global population.
As we observe World
Metrology Day, it remains imperativeforustofullyadoptand use the SI Units of measurement.
Almost all our National Measurement Standards,from
which local measurements are traceable,areinSIUnits.
Therefore, GNBS encourages wholesalers, retailers and consumers to fully embrace the MetricSystem.Solidgoodsshould be bought and sold in grams and kilograms, while liquids should be measured in litres and millilitres. Businesses are also encouraged to package, label, advertise and display prices for goods using metricquantitiesonly
As we commemorate World Metrology Day 2026, the GNBS remainscommittedtoprovidingthe guidanceandservicesnecessaryto ensure traceable and reliable measurements across all sectors of theeconomy Formoreinformation on GNBS Legal Metrology services,visitgnbsgy.org,call2190064–66,orWhatsApp692-4627.
Trudy loved collecting little treasures from nature. Every afternoon after school, she filled her pockets with smooth stones, bright flowers, and tiny seashells from the riverbanknearherhome.Shebelievedevery treasuretoldastory,andshekeptthemsafely in a small wooden box beside her bed Whenever Trudy felt happy, she added somethingnewtothebox.
Butoneyear,lifebegantofeeldifferent.
Her parents were often busy, her older sister moved far away for school, and some childreninherclassstoppedincludingherin theirgames.Atfirst,Trudytriednottocare, butlittlebylittle,sadnesscreptintoherheart like dark clouds covering the sun She stopped collecting treasures. She stopped hummingsongswhiledoingchores.Evenher smilebecamesmaller
Mostafternoons,Trudysatquietlybyher bedroom window watching other children play outside She wondered why she suddenly felt so lonely all the time Sometimes she thought maybe she was not goodenoughorinterestingenoughforpeople tonotice.
One weekend, Trudy visited her grandmother in the countryside Her grandmother had a beautiful garden filled with roses, sunflowers, and butterflies that flutteredgentlyinthewarmbreeze.Usually, Trudy loved helping in the garden, but that dayshewalkedslowlywithherheaddown. Hergrandmothernoticedimmediately
“What troubles your little heart?” she askedsoftly
Her grandmotherdid not rush to answer Instead,sheledTrudytothefarcornerofthe gardenwhereasmallflowerdroopedtoward theground.
“This flower was damaged during the stormlastweek,”Grandmaexplained. Trudy touched one of the bent petals carefully “Itlooksbroken.”
“It was hurt,” Grandma said gently, “but hurtisnotthesameasbroken.”
Trudystayedquiet.
Grandma handed her a watering can “Wouldyouhelpmecareforit?”
Together, they watered the flower and cleared away tiny weeds around it. As they worked,Grandmasmiledandsaid,“Flowers need sunlight, water, patience, and kindness to grow strong again. Hearts are the same.” Thatnight,Trudythoughtdeeplyaboutthose words.
The next morning, she decided to try caring for her own heart the way they cared for the flower She woke up early and watchedthesunrisepainttheskyorangeand pink Later, she opened her old wooden treasure box and smiled at the memories inside.Forthefirsttimeinmanyweeks,she placed a new treasure inside—a tiny yellow
flowerpetalfromGrandma'sgarden.
Itwasonlyasmallthing,butitmadeher feel lighter Every day after that, Trudy practiced small acts of kindness toward herself.Shedrewcolorfulpicturesagain.She spenttimeoutdoorslisteningtobirdssingin thetrees.Whensadthoughtsfilledhermind, she wrote them in a notebook instead of keepingthemtrappedinside.Someevenings, she talked honestly with her mother about howlonelyshehadbeenfeeling.
Slowly, Trudy began to understand somethingimportant:healingdidnothappen allatonce.Ithappenedlittlebylittle,through tinymomentsofcare.
Therewerestilldifficultdays.Sometimes classmates ignored her Sometimes she missed her sister terribly Sometimes she cried for reasons she could not explain. But insteadofbelievingsadnessmadeherweak, Trudy learned that feelings were like rainstorms—they came and went, and they helpedheartsgrowstrongertoo.
Weeks later, Trudy returned to her grandmother's garden. She hurried to the corner where the drooping flower had once stood.Hereyeswidened.
The flower was blooming beautifully Bright petals stretched proudly toward the sunlight.
Trudy stared at the flower quietly Suddenly,sherealizedshehadchanged.Her laughter had returned. Her heart no longer felt as heavy as before. She felt stronger inside, not because life had become perfect, but because she had learned how to care for herselfwithpatience,love,andhope.
As the wind danced softly through the garden, Grandma placed a hand on Trudy's shoulder and said, “Never forget this: even thegentlestheartscanhealandbloomagain.”
Trudy smiled brightly, and for the first timeinalongwhile,shetrulybelievedit.
The finished puzzle will contain a loop made of horizontal/vertical line segments that connects all the white and black circles. The line going thru a white circle must be straight. However, there must be at least one corner made on the dot immediate preceding or immediately following the white circle (or on both dots). The line going thru a black circle must turn a corner on the black circle
Both of the lines emanating from this corner need to go straight through the next dot before making any more turns.
Step 1: To start, for the tassel, begin by wrappingpinkwoolaroundyourhand.Aim for 15 wraps, but you can always do more. Pull the wool off your hand, then thread a length of wool through the top loops. Next, pull the two ends together and tie a knot. Carefullycutalongtheloopsatthebottom.
Step2:Takeanotherpieceofthreadand
It makes me feel so good When I make people happy, That I always try to do something To help someone daily
I help my Mommy clean the house, And even wash the dishes, I help my brother with his homework, And brush my father's shoes.
I sometimes help the old folks next door To shop and clean their place, I share my lunch with one of my friends, It puts such a smile on her face
So try this out and you will find People will see you as a treasure, But most of all the feeling you get Will make you want to help forever.
Step 3: Next, cut a length of wool and threaditthroughtheholeinthewreath.
Step 4: Stick the tassel to the bottom of theheartwreathusingsupertackyglue.
Step5:Cutoutsquaresofpinkandwhite tissuepaper
Step6:Tofinish,stickthecentreofeach square to the heart wreath to create texture. Repeatthisuntilthewreathisfull.
by Uncle Roy
The principles that we mentioned last week would help you to independently createa solid foundationfor
your life, with full confidence that you are on the correct path to the fulfilment of your life purpose, and able to contributeyourutmosttothe development of our nation. You will need to consider eachofthem,andensurethat your character is aligned to them.
We deal this week with four of those that will prove tobestguideyourlife:-
Fairness – a sense of justice; a proper balance of
conflicting interests achieved by subordinating
one's own feelings, prejudicesanddesiresinthe interestofthegoodofothers, whichwouldeventuallylead toyourowngood.
The idea of this is universal,andoutofthisour wholeconceptofjusticeand
equality is developed.
Onecanseeevidenceof even young children having this sense of fairness, although there are vast differences in how it is defined and achieved.
Honesty–dealingin truth in every aspect of life, fairness and straightforwardness of conductinallsituations; u p r i g h t n e s s o f character; adherence to a standard of what is right andproper
This would require the subjecting of your own desires and what you may sometimesfeelwouldenrich your life to the dictates of your conscience, which alwaystellsyouwhatistruly right when you sincerely searchforwhatisright.
Integrity – the ability and willingness to live according to the values that onehasadoptedashismode
ofbehaviour,firmadherence toacodeofmoralvaluesthat one has decided on beforehand, and the quality or state of being completely undivided in one's actions and desires, while living according to these values. When one lives with integrity, he/she will also gaintherespectofallothers.
Human dignity – the qualityorstateofbeingseen by others as a human being upholding proper values This involves acting in such
SPRING
a way as to be honoured or esteemedbyothers,sincerity inthemanneronedealswith others, and being
appearance.
Make a serious attempt to consider how each of theseisincludedinyourown personality,andtakingsteps to make any adjustment to improveonthem.
Please keep on with this effort at self-improvement by checking the next issue fortheotherprinciples.
MANY SPRING RELATED THINGS DO YOU SPY?
Independence MEANS TO ME WHAT
We will soon celebrate Independence Of our country that is now free; Where before we were ruled by others, We now enjoy national liberty
By this we take the responsibility For our own country's development, For taking care of all of our people, So that all Guyanese enjoy unity and contentment.
So let us celebrate together, Wherever we may be, And pray that we will always live In love, peace and harmony.
Sincerely make the effort to help others, and you will reap immense rewards when you see this helping to develop yourself.
NOSTALGIA, FIRE, AND FUSION:
Night of Legends ignites Guyana Festival 2026!
ByKhadidjaBa
anything to go by, the excitement is truly just gettingstarted.
Itwasn’tjustaconcert;it wasamasterclassinmusical heritage Generations collidedinakaleidoscopeof rhythm, soca, chutney, and soul, proving that Guyanese music doesn’t age, it only growsmorepotent.
THEYORUBA’S AGELESSMAGIC
The air at the Guyana National Stadium was thick with anticipation, but by 9pmonSaturday,May16th, it was absolutely electric.
The Guyana Festival 2026 wasofficiallyunderway,and if its opening salvo, the highly anticipated Night of Legends Concert, is
The legendary Yoruba Singers took the stage and utterly dominated the evening with their rich catalog of original songs. Led by the iconic, Eze Rockcliffe, the band felt frontandcenterofacultural revival Delivering a performance fueled by an almost supernatural alacrity, the vocal trio of Keron Richards, Kenneth Rockcliffe, and Joycelyn Rockcliffe left the crowd spellbound.
They serenaded the massive audience with timelessanthemslike“Black Pepper,” “Danger Water,” and the infectious “Creakateh” craze. But it was their performance of “Masacura Man” that truly sent a shockwave of energy throughthestadium,proving why they remain the undisputed guardians of our folksoul.
The hands of time were turned back beautifully when 78-year-old Guyanese legend Sammy Baksh stepped into the spotlight. Bornin1947,Bakshproved that age is nothing but a number, performing with a raw heart and soul that put singershalfhisagetoshame.
The crowd erupted as he strummed the chords to “To be Lonely,” his iconic 1976 h i t H e a r i n g t h a t masterpiece, alongside his
famous “Lock Out,” echo across Providence was a poignant reminder of the golden era of Guyanese songwriting.
CHORDSOFTHE GOLDENAGE
The momentum never wavered The “Guyana Baboo” himself, Dr Terry Gajraj, practically stole the show In a moment of pure showmanship, Gajraj stepped off the stage and directly into the crowd, sendingfansintoafrenzyof dancingandsingingalongto everysingleword.
The sweetness of the evening continued with Devindra Pooran The celebrated music icon’s melodious voice echoed beautifully across the EBD
coastline Having won numerous awards both at home and abroad, Pooran’s flawless performance cementedhisstatusasatrue G u y a n e s e m u s i c ambassador on the global stage.
REGISTRYOF SOVEREIGNS
The hits kept coming fromalineupthatreadlikea registry of Caribbean music royalty Opening the stellar runwasRitaForrester,who, with63yearsinthebusiness, looked absolutely radiant while delivering a flawless renditionof“SetMyHeartat Ease,”theCaribbeanhitshe recorded back in 1976 in Barbados; if anyone truly embodiesthetitle“Legend,” itisher
Following her was JolyonHarry,aveteranwith over 20 years of singing under his belt, who took on the monumental task of channeling the late, great JohnnyBraff.
Harry performed Braff’s masterpiece, a global hit fromthegoldenageofoldies that originally helped place Guyana firmly on the internationalmusicmap.
Finally, Bonny Alves brought his veteran brilliance to the festival s
ng a staggering 50 years in the local music industry and reminding everyone of his massive footprint on our culture, a legacy backed by over 4,000 music videos producedtohisname.
HIGHENERGYAND “DIPPINGLOW”
Ofcourse,itwouldn’tbe a Guyanese party without a heavy dose of waist-wining energy Charmaine BlackmanAlvesbroughther trademark fire to the stage, commanding the audience’s attention with a fierce performance of her famous anthem, “Don’t Disrespect me!”
And thencameBigRed. The dancehall and soca queen reminded the stadium exactly how to move, instructing the massive crowd to “dip, whip, and shake it” to the iconic rhythms of “Guyanese Wine.” Needless to say, the stadium complied, turning Providence into one giant, undulatingdancefloor
As the lights finally dimmedintheearlyhoursof Sunday morning, one thing was crystal clear: the Night of Legends didn’t just honour the past; it set a blazing standard for the rest ofGuyanaFestival2026.
The legendary Sammy Baksh
Charmaine Blackman
Eze Rockcliffe andYoruba Singers
Keayla Vanderstoop is the pride of her parents US-BASED GUYANESE ACADEMIC ACHIEVER
By Shermon Hawker
Waking up daily and lookingthroughherwindow, a curly-haired little girl from S t a n l e y t o w n N e w Amsterdam Berbice would gazenotatthenearbyhouses, into the furthest horizon, contemplating what her contribution to society will be Whatever, it would be, it mustalignwithscience
Theplan,insequencewas to be a model The eldest siblingandagemintheeyes of her parents, commit painstakingly to studies and secureaplaceinthecountry’s
premier secondary institution, and earn a degree someday That,willpullthose dreamscloser
The plan, which was glued together by discipline, tenacity, and with the unyielding support from her family, worked out just perfectly, and Keayla Vanderstoop now holds a Bachelor’s Degree in chemical engineering, with a Double Minor in chemistry and mathematics from Howard University in Washington,DC
For the 23-year-old, the benefits of the oil and gas sector are ripe for the taking. Our Sunday feature star grew up with her parents and two younger siblings. The first page of her formal learning was turned at the Little Bethlehem Play School, followed by St Mary’s Nursery School, then through to the All Saints Primary
School, all in New
Amsterdam, Berbice Excelling at the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA)in2014andranking among the Region’s top studentsplacedheratQueens CollegeinGeorgetown
Nowofage,Vanderstoop is wholly conscious of how critical a parent’s role is in influencing a child’s future
She attributed her accomplishments to parents EsanandPellonVanderstoop, who she hailed as her collectivemainstay
“I had a pretty good upbringing, very supportive parents who always pushed metowardmybestanddoing nothing but my best They never held back, they were always supportive of anything that I need to do Without my parents, I don’t know where I’d be,” she sharedwithKaieteurNews
Her being an academic top-performer has been nothingbutanexemplarytale of a smoothly functioning parent-child relationship that beautifully translates to “you
backme,Imakeyouproud.”
ACADEMICSUCCESS
Keayla has never been career-conflicted.Farbackas memory would permit, the young degree holder told KaieteurNewsthathermind hasbeenornamentedwithall thingsscience
Ultimately, options within that vast field drastically narrowed down when she entered Queen’s College and sat in her Chemistry class There, she laid the groundwork for her career choice, one which she envisioned from the outset awayfromthepopular,go-to options of the nursing and teaching professions most femalesinGuyanaoccupy
“Ithinkitwasfifthform, and everybody was now learning about oil discovery in Guyana and what are the different careers that are possible within the oil industry Around that same time, I had a school project I think my group, wefocusedourprojectonoil absorbing materials and how theycouldpossiblybeusedto cleanupoilspills” After briefly flirting with severalcareerprospectsinthe local oil and gas industry, Keayla’s heart rested on chemical engineering, eager to journey through the expansivefieldofit
“I was looking for somethingthatIwillbereally passionate about doing, and
that can take me anywhere with it….it was a group projectthatreallyinspiredme to look at oil-absorbing materials and look at how it can be applied in Guyana’s situationincasethereisanoil spill, looking at those materials that can absorb the oil and hopefully help to cleanuptheoilspillsothatit won’t affect the marine and aquaticlife.”
THETASKAHEAD
Acceptance into that USbased university proved bittersweet, for it meant that shewaswellinpursuitofher goals,butforwhichattainment she must temporarily forfeit the fellowship of family, friendsandfamiliarfaces She spoke about transitioning to a new phase of life and environmentaltogethersothat her dreams may meet reality, infusing her mind with the maxim, “nothing ventured, nothinggained” “ M o v i n g f r o m somewhere like Guyana and moving to somewhere like Washington, D C , you obviously have to adjust to thedifferentclimate,thefood, the people, you just have to get acquainted with the environment For me at first, that was very challenging getting adjusted to that It tooksometime,butovertime I made some friends , other Guyanese people who are here, Trinis, Bajans, a lot of Caribbeanpeople,soitmade
Pellon, a well-established Berbician hairstylist, who spoke on behalf of herself andhusband:
“As parents, we couldn’t be more proud of our firstborn She continues setting the bar high for her siblings and being an inspiration to everyone around her through her hard work and dedication”
ACHANCETO BREATHE
When not face-buried in books, Keayla relishes time shared among friends and family, and is a lover of watchingmovies,listeningto musicandplayingUno,afun familycardgame
Shealsofoundfulfillment abroad while volunteering with an organizationEngineers without Borderswhere she helped steer students along the path of Science, Technology, E n
Mathematics (STEM) at a Washington-based high school Vanderstoop lent her efforts pro bono at the American Institute of Chemical Engineering under anafterschoolarrangement, where she gave insights on an elephant toothpaste experiment, and motivated broadlyontheadvantagesof chemicalengineering.
The Berbician also positively occupied her time there in helping to beautify communitygardens
Itwellmaynotbetheend ofherjourney,asVanderstoop retains all youthful essence and remarkable academic prowess, but for now, the consistent high-flyer anticipates a little casual repose,seekingtoreturnhome “very soon” to reunite with loved ones and the native h o m e t o w n s h e heartbreakingly had to leave behindnearlyfiveyearsago
itfeellikeasecondhome..”
The Berbician departed Guyanabackin2022,leaving everyone and everything she cherished dearly back at home, but carried the confidence and love of her parents, siblings and friends asvitalsustenance PERSEVERANCEPAYS
When she set sail on that complex course, she already knewitwouldnotbeentirely smooth sailing Riding the waves of such a demanding major called for nerves of steel and unrelenting determination. With a lot pinned on her, and desiring more than anything else to makeherparentsproudandto establish a pattern for her siblings, Keayla toiled for four years between chemistry,math,physicsand engineering classes and grueling studying time Balancing her academic obligations with her social life and being away from home proved truly challenging.
On May 9, 2026, Vanderstoop graduated Summa Cum Laude (highest recognition)forherBachelor of Science Degree, much to theelationofBerbicianswho flooded social media with celebratory notes, and there are not many others more jubilantthanGuyanesewhen a compatriot excels abroad, but none could be more ecstatic than her mother
Keayla Vanderstoop now holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Chemical Engineering, with a double minor in Chemistry and Mathematics from Howard University
Keayla Vanderstoop with her parents Esan and Pellon Vanderstoop share a proud moment
Long-time New Amsterdam musical coordinator ‘Polo’ passes away
The New Amsterdam community is grieving the loss of one of its prominent faces, Lincoln Alwyn Williams,knownthroughout Region Six as ‘Polo’ and ‘JohnnyP’.
Williamspassedawayon May21,2026athishomein
Islington, East Bank Berbice, his wife confirmed toKaieteurNewsonFriday. He was 78, and his wife disclosed that the musician was battling prostate cancer foranextendedperiod.
Williams was an ever present face at cultural and formal events within the Region with his band, COFONA,whichlenttothe enrichment of hundreds of events with their live renditions through an array ofmusicalinstruments.
Many proficient young musicians also attained recognitionandwereableto expandtheircapacity,owing tohistutelage.
Lincoln ‘Polo’Williams served in the GDF
A man of many orientations, Williams
served in the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), but was also a teacher and an entrepreneur He was arguably most known for coordinating musically inclined youths throughout RegionSix.
His family told Kaieteur News that Williams served in the army for eighteen years, having enlisted in 1970 and retiring as a Sergeantin1988.
“His service joined discipline with artistry: as a Sapper and later Section Commanderwith4Engineer Battalion he trained in demolition and combat engineering, while in the Band Corps he served as a drummer, arranger, pan player, and Second in Charge of Steel Drums. He was awarded the Military Efficiency Medal for his service.”
On day in 2010, as he sold at the NewAmsterdam market, he was asked to aid informingamarchingband, particularly for grown men.
He “gently refused” and opted for youths instead, with his belief that “you bend the tree while it is young.”
The group, which began with six boys, would abide under him for fifteen years,
and expanded significantly toafull-fledged,established band of undisputed talent across both genders and incorporates fairly young childrentoyoungadults.
His family stated that “Hewillberememberedasa teacher who never stopped teaching, a soldier who served with honour, and a musician who gave a town itsheartbeat.”
Polo was a talented musical coordinator from NewAmsterdam
Resources on Friday launched “Eldorado Reimagined” the country’s first unified national gold andjewellerybrand.
Thelaunch,intentionally timed to coincide with Guyana’s milestone 60th Independence Anniversary (Diamond Jubilee), represents a pivot from extraction to high-value domesticcraftsmanship.The crowningachievementofthe eveningwastheunveilingof a national artifact, Guyana’s first-ever commemorative independence gold medallion to be completely mined, refined, designed, and minted within the country
Addressing an audience of government officials, diplomats, mining executives,andprivatesector leaders, President Irfaan Ali framedtheinitiativeasanact of economic selfdetermination
“Tonight, represents more than the launch of a brand. It represents Guyana takingownershipofitsstory, itsresources,anditsfuture,” Ali stated. “For generations, our gold largely left these
shores as a raw commodity Today,wearedemonstrating to the world that Guyana is
exportingexcellence.”
P r e s i d e n t A l i emphasized that “Eldorado Reimagined”isnotmerelya marketing campaign, but a strategic infrastructure built to position Guyana as an internationally recognized hub for premium jewellery manufacturing. Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat, echoed these sentiments, noting that the initiativefulfillsadeliberate policy shift toward value creation.
“This brand represents quality, authenticity, and national pride,” Minister Bharratnoted.
“Itisaboutreshapingthe narrative of Guyanese gold andensuringthatmoreofthe value generated from our natural resources remains within our country.” The newly unveiled Diamond Jubilee commemorative medallion serves as a tangible proof-of-concept for Guyana’s upgraded industrialcapabilities.
“This medallion is not
Construction of the new Berbice River Bridgeisscheduledtobeginbeforetheendof 2026, President Ali announced on Friday while noting that the government is in the processoffinalizingthecontract.
Speakingathisfirstpressconferencethis year,theheadofstatesaid,“ThenewBerbice Bridge…frommylatestupdatetheyareonthe verge of finalizing the finances and also the final price they are more than less there, so wearehopingtohavethatbridgestartedlong beforetheendofthisyear.”
TheBerbiceRiverBridgeprojectisabeing executed through the Ministry of Public Works
In January 2024, President Irfaan Ali announced that his government intended to construct a fixed high-span crossing bridge acrosstheBerbiceRiver
simply a collectible,”
M i n i s t e r B h a r r a t emphasized. “The fact that the gold was mined and refined in Guyana, the product was designed in Guyana, and for the first time, a commemorative medallion was minted in Guyana using Guyanese gold makes this an extraordinaryachievement.”
Thelaunchalsoservedas a major commercial showcase In partnership with the Guyana Jewellers Association, the event hosted a premier jewellery exhibition highlighting the intricate work of local designers Vead Persaud, Vice Chairman of the G u y a n a J e w e l l e r s Association,laudedthestate partnershipasamonumental
step forward for domestic workshops “The Guyana Jewellers Association is proud to partner in this historic launch and to support the continued development of a stronger, more structured, and
internationally competitive jewellery sector,” Persaud said,notingthattheinitiative provides a vital global platformforlocaltalent.
Looking toward the future, the exhibition featuredaprominentdisplay
from the Guyana Mining School,highlightingthenext generation of technical jewelry craftsmen currently being trained to sustain the brand’s stringent quality standards. The Ministry of Natural Resources has announced that global and local buyers interested in securingapieceofGuyana’s history can pre-order the limited-edition 60th Independence Anniversary GoldMedallion. Due to the limited, serialized production run, pieces will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. Secure digital orders can be placed directly through the official state p o r t a l a t https://guyanagold.ggb.go v.gy/pre-order/
“We are already understanding the future needs of this region That is why we are accelerating the plans for a fixed high-span crossingbridgeacrossthe Berbice River just like the one in the Demerara River,” PresidentAlisaidatasod-turningeventheld for the US$161M modern hospital in New Amsterdam.
He had initially announced the construction of a new bridge in Berbice in October 2022 The structure is expected to mirrortheUS$262MDemeraraRiverBridge, whichwascommissionedinOctober2025
In 2024 too, the government through the ministrysoughtexpressionsofinterest(EOIs) for the design, building and financing of the newBerbiceRiverBridge.Ninecontractorsall international companies- submitted expressionsofinterest.Ofthenine,fivewere
invitedtofurtherbidfor
Group Co. Limited (Joint Venture) – US $255,872,559 08; AJM Enterprise, Shandong High-Speed Road & Bridge Company Limited (Joint Venture) –US$279,686,679.56; China Road & Bridge Corporation – US $205,888,712; China Railway First Group Company Limited, China Railway Eryuan Engineering Group
–US$266,432,183; and Vishwa Samooja PrivateLimited–US$465,510,780. The Department of Public Information (DPI) reported in November 2025, that a contractor was identified and that the governmentwasnegotiatingthecontract. Government in its national budget this year, allocated some $12 2B for the construction of the Berbice Bridge as well as othermajorbridgeprojects
President IrfaanAli
The commemorative Independence gold medallion
The commemorative Independence gold medallion
President IrfaanAli
Pres. Ali leads high-level delegation aboard USS Nimitz
President IrfaanAli, on the invitation of United States (U.S.)Ambassador to Guyana NicholeTheriot,onSaturdayvisitedtheUSS NIMITZ, the U.S. Navy’s most historic aircraftaspartofSouthernSeas2026.
In a Facebook post, the Office of the President said that the head of state was joined by his Cabinet and senior officers of theGuyanaDefenceForce(GDF)
President Ali said it was his “greatest honour to join some of the finest men and womeninuniformonboardtheUSSNIMITZ aswecelebratepartnership,friendship,andour collective goal of ensuring a region built on peace,democracy,andthesharedvaluesofthe membersoftheShieldoftheAmericas”
He also lauded the military power, precision, discipline and unconditional commitment of the men and women of the
aircraftcarrier,thestatementsaid.
While on the vessel, he met three Guyanese among the crew, which he said filledhimwithpride.
“I pray for God’s blessing, guidance and protection for all our men and women in uniform as we work tirelessly in support of thedevelopment,prosperityandfriendshipof ourtwonations.”
Meanwhile, the U.S. Embassy in a separate Facebook post said that with over 4,000 crew members and operating some of theworld’smostadvancedaircraft,“theUSS NimitzrepresentsAmericannavalexcellence andourunwaveringcommitmenttoregional securityandcooperation.”
Ambassador Theriot emphasized, “The UnitedStatesandGuyanasharea Continued on page 49
President IrfaanAli, U.S.Ambassador Nicole Theriot and Chief of Defence Staff Omar Khan aboard the USS Nimitz.
An aircraft takes off from the USS NIMITZ
President IrfaanAli, U.S.Ambassador to Guyana Nicole Theriot, senior government officials and officers of the GDF with crew of the USS NIMITZ.
President IrfaanAli with three Guyanese who are Navy Seals aboard the USS Nimitz
Senegal to resize oil blocks to meet int’l standards
...while Guyana allows companies to control massive oil fields
Senegal, as part of the renegotiation of its oil and gas contracts, is actively pursuing the resizingofitsoilfieldsintoblocks that meet the international standards.
According to an article carried bysceneweb.comonSaturdayMay 9, Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko said, “We are also discussing the resizingoftheblocks.Isaiditwhen we were in opposition, the perimeters were too vast and too large. This does not conform to internationalstandards.”
Thegovernmentarguedthatthe previous perimeters wer
encouragedspeculationratherthan active development. Senegal has also targeted specific assets for greater state control, including movingtonationalizetheKosmosrunYakaar-Terangagasproject.
The 2018 Comparative
AnalysisoftheFederalOilandGas FiscalSystems:OffshoreFrontiers Report by IHS Markit, study said that block sizes in frontier areas tendtobelargerthaninestablished off shore regions. However, as
there is more information being obtained through seismic surveys, governments often tend to reduce thesizeoftheblocksoffered.
“Governments often correct for large block offerings through intermittent relinquishment obligationsthatallowrelicensingof the relinquished areas and ensure continuedinvestmentinexploration oftheacreage Thefrontieroffshore licenseareaswidelyvaryamongthe jurisdictions reviewed with the Falkland Islands and South Africa ononeendofthespectrum,offering licenses with average acreage sizes greater than 10,000 square kilometers (km2) and the United States on the other end of the spectrum with block sizes of 233 km2. The smaller block sizes, combined with the cash bonus bidding, could be disadvantageous for U.S. frontier offshore exploration,”thereportsaid.
In contrast, the government of Guyana is allowing oil companies to hold on to massive chunks of Guyana’s oil fields known as the Stabroek Block which measures a whopp
kilometersor6.6millionacres.The Kaieteur Block, which measures 3.3millionacres,isroughly13,500 square kilometers, and the Canje Block which m
approximately1.2millionacres,is approximately 4,800 square kilometers.
According to the 1986 Petroleum Act: regulation 13(2), the maximum amount for a single licenceinGuyanagrantedtoanoil company should be 60 graticular blocks According to the Transparency Institute Guyana a graticular block in Guyana’s case measures 84.55 square km each. Therefore, sixty of these would be 5,073sqkm.
Itisimportanttonotethatwhat Exxon and its partners control under the licence granted to them fortheStabroekBlock,farexceeds thelegallimitperlicence,withthe orig
n
b
i n g approximately 600 blocks, which translates to 10 times what should beunderalicense.
In September 2017, Kaieteur Newsreportedthatthediscrepancy
was unearthed by Chartered Accountant, Chris Ram. He noted thatonJune14,1999,aPetroleum Agreement and Prospecting Licence was signed by former President Janet Jagan granting approximately600blocks.
Ram noted that this was an obvious error by the then Peoples Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) Government.
Hesaid,“Inthefirstplace,Janet Jagan granted the company a Prospecting Li
approximately six hundred blocks when the law sets a limit of 60 blocks, except where special reasonsexistforalargernumber.”
The Chartered Accountant stressedthatitwouldnotbeeasyto justify an excess of nine times. He also stated that those who granted such an excess should be called upon to explain to the nation what were the special circumstances underwhichitwasgranted.
Inspiteofseveralcallsmadeto thegovernmenttoamendthiserror, it has remained unmoved on the issue. This publication reported in June2019thatwhileinOpposition,
nowVicePresidentBharratJagdeo, said that the relinquishment provision, as it is referred to in the PSA,wassupposedtokickinwhen Natural Resources Minister, RaphaelTrotmanrevisedtheterms in2016withExxonMobil.
While the PPP/C is able to provide some form of explanation whyExxonwasgrantedtheexcess blocks, Jagdeo said that Trotman has no justification for his actions. Infact,thethenOppositionLeader argued that Trotman essentially weakened the relinquishment provisionsofthecontract.
“This government weakened the relinquishment provision so it means they (Exxon) can explore andfindandsitontheblocksfora long time. That is one of my concernsabouttheagreement,”the PPP/C General Secretary concludedonthematter.
However, since returning to office, the PPP/C administration has shown little concern over the sizeoftheoffshoreconcessionsand has repeatedly defended the oil companies and the agreements governingthesector
72-Hour Ultimatum: Attorneys demand pay, return tickets for Indian quarry workers
Attorneys for the 37 striking Indian quarry workers have issued a strict 72hour ultimatum to EKAA Hrim Earth Resources Management Inc., drawing a sharp contrast that bypasses the longer compliance window proposed by the government which ends on May 27, 2026.
Thedemand,dispatchedbyattorneys Eusi Anderson and Donulla Corry, on May 22, 2026 and seen by Kaieteur News, dictates that company director Saju Bhaskar must fully disburse all outstandingwagesandsecureimmediate return airfares to India by 5:00 PM on Monday,May25,2026.
This deadline deliberatelyundercuts an announcement by the Ministry of Labour on Friday, which stated that management had committed to settling outstanding salaries “on or before May 27, 2026.” By forcing an earlier deadline, the legal team rejects the state’s multi-day extension, framing the workers’ plight as a severe humanitarian crisis that cannot wait on government-brokered timelines.
The urgency of the legal team’s mandate stemsfromaseriesofescalatingcrisesatthe company’s river island quarry in Batavia, Region Seven The facility has been paralyzed by the 37-member labour strike sinceMay13,2026,afteraworkerdiedunder uninvestigated conditions on May 12, just one day after another labourer lost four fingers in a machinery accident. The legal filing highlights a total absence of first aid kits, emergency medical infrastructure, or marine transport to the mainland, leaving injuredpersonneltrappedontheisland.
To guarantee that local administrative mechanisms do not stall the process, the attorneys have copied the strict Monday deadlinetoMinisterofLabourandManpower
PlanningKeomaGriffith,MinisterofForeign AffairsHughTodd,andtheCommissionerof Police Clifton Hicken Crucially, the legal challenge has also been escalated internationally to US Ambassador Nicole Theriot, the Indian High Commissioner, and India’s Minister of External Affairs, Dr S Jaishankar, warning that criminal and civil proceedings will be launched immediately if theMay25deadlineisbreached
The demand letter alleges that management utilized armed security personnel to force workers into an on-site “jail” at gunpoint when they attempted to object to hazardous occupational environments. Five clients were reportedly detained in this makeshift confinement for periods spanning days to weeks. The filing furthernotesthattheworkers’passportswere systematically confiscated upon arrival in Guyana, a matter only recently rectified followingstateintervention.
Contractual exploitation forms a core
component of the legal challenge. Copies of the multi-page contracts reveal clauses requiring workers to pay EKAA Hrim a “managementfee”ofUS$3,000ifterminated for poor performance, and a US$5,000 penaltyiftheyleavebeforetheconclusionof their24-monthterm.
The workers allege they were forced to endure grueling 12-hour shifts, six days a week,withregularpayandovertimelumped together to obscure their actual earnings. Furthermore, unauthorized monthly deductions were taken from their wages undertheguiseofa“securitydeposit.”
Livingconditionsatthesitearedescribed as highly degrading. The 37 men reportedly resideinunsanitary,openquartersvulnerable tosevereweatherwhereverminbreedfreely The document states that they were fed a monotonous, waterlogged diet of rice and peas three times a day, six days a week, preparedinamannerresemblingdogfood.
Religious freedoms were allegedly
restricted,includingthedenialofbereavement leave for a worker to mourn his brother, and duringthe2025regionalelections,theforeign nationalswerereportedlycompelledtonailup politicalbannersinBartica
Company representatives have publicly denied the allegations, maintaining that accommodation and food standards met proper criteria, and claiming that March salaries were settled while April and May balances would be paid during the month. However, the company has remained silent onfundingreturnairfares.
Counsel Eusi Anderson confirmed that the legal team holds comprehensive photographic, video, and documentary evidence to substantiate every claim. By prioritizingthefirmMay25deadlineoverthe MinistryofLabour’sMay27allowance,the legal team has signaled that any failure by EKAAHrimtoprovideimmediatebackpay and repatriation tickets by Monday evening willresultinimmediatelocallitigation.
The Indian Nationals are demanding repatriation to India and owed payments from EKAAHRIM
Trump says Iran agreement ‘largely
negotiated’,
U.S. president says
awaiting finalisation
deal would include reopening
Strait of Hormuz after call with Middle East leaders.
Aljazeera - United States President Donald Trump has said that a M e m o r a n d u m o f Understanding in ceasefire talks to end the US-Israel war with Iran “has been largelynegotiated”.
Trump said on Saturday that the agreement will include reopening the Strait of Hormuz, adding that it remained “subject to finalization” by U.S. and Iranian negotiators and “variousothercountries”.
“Finalaspectsanddetails of the Deal are currently being discussed, and will be announced shortly,” he wrote on his Truth Social platform.
The announcement was the latest turn in a week that began with Trump threatening Iran that time was running out for an agreement on a more lasting ceasefire He later told reporters he had been just moments away from
TheU.S.presidentmade the announcement after holding a call with leaders and officials from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Pakistan, Jordan, Egypt, Turkiye, and Bahrain.Hesaidhealsoheld a separate call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
resuming attacks, which he thendecidedtoput“onhold” at the behest of Gulf countries.
posting a picture on Saturday of Iran covered in aU S flag,andsayingthata dealwasclose
The U S president released the statement shortlyafterPakistan’sarmy chief, Asim Munir, concluded a short but “highly productive” visit to Iran on Saturday, according
The renewed instability could complicate bailout negotiations with the International Monetary Fund.
Aljazeera-Senegal’sPresidentBassirou DiomayeFayehasdismissedPrimeMinister Ousmane Sonko and dissolved the government, a move that risks deepening uncertaintyinacountrygrapplingwithadebt crisis and ‘ongoing talks with the InternationalMonetaryFund(IMF).
Astatementreadoutbyapresidentialaide onstatemediaonFridayinformedthenation that all ministers were dismissed, with the outgoing government tasked with handling day-to-dayaffairs.
The decision follows months of growing tensions between Faye and Sonko. Sonko, a charismatic figure with a strong youth following, had backed Faye in the 2024 election after being barred from running himself due to a defamation conviction, but thetwoalliesbecameincreasinglyestranged.
The split comes as Senegal faces mountingeconomicpressure.TheIMFfroze a $1.8bn lending programme following the discovery of misreported debt hidden by the previous government, pushing the country’s end-2024 debt level to 132 percent of its economicoutput.
Faye’s move raises the risk of further delaysinreachinganewagreementwiththe IMF Earlier on Friday, before Sonko’s dismissal,FinanceMinisterCheikhDibatold parliament that the government expects to resumetalkswiththeIMFintheweekofJune 8 and hopes to reach an agreement on key pointsbyJune30.
Sonko was a popular opposition leader under the previous administration of President Macky Sall, whose decision to
delaythe2024electionspurredunrest.
Both Faye and Sonko are former tax officials who ‘were jailed ahead of the 2024 election. They were released 10 days before therescheduledcontest,whichFayewenton towinwith54percentofthevote.
Faye then appointed Sonko as prime minister
Now that ‘ Sonko is out of that job, it is unclearwhathisnextstepswill‘be.InMarch, hesaidhewouldbewillingtotakehisPastef party out of the government and return to opposition if Faye departed from the party’s agenda.
It said that “encouraging progress” had been made towards reaching a final understanding.
Tehran officials have repeatedly voiced wariness over negotiating with the U S, which had twice launched military attacks on Iran during talks about its nuclearprogramme.
The U S and Israel launched the latest war on February28,butfightinghas largely remained paused as ofApril 8, barring a handful offlare-ups.
The U.S. has continued toblockadeIran’sports,with Iran effectively closing the StraitofHormuz.
President Donald Trump has said that a deal with Iran is close.
[Julia Demaree Nikhinson/The Associated Press]
Key sticking points on a deal have been the future of Iran’s nuclear programme and its influence over the
strait, the future of U.S. military presence in the region, and access to frozen Iranianfunds.
U.S. conducts military drill over Venezuelan capital Caracas
CARACAS,May23(Reuters)-TheU.S. military conducted a drill over the Venezuelan capital Caracas on Saturday, its firstmilitary exerciseintheSouthAmerican nationsinceU.S.troopsattackedthecapital andcapturedPresidentNicolasMaduroand hiswifeCiliaFloresonJanuary3.
Venezuelan authorities say that attack killed at least 100 people. The Reuters Iran Briefingnewsletterkeepsyouinformedwith the latest developments and analysis of the Iranwar.Signuphere.
The latest drill, which the Venezuelan government said it had authorized as an evacuation drill ‘for possible medical emergenciesordisasters,includedtwoMV22BOspreyaircraftthatlandedneartheU.S. embassy and vessels that entered VenezuelanwatersintheCaribbeanSea.
Venezuela’sinformationministrydidnot immediately respond to a request for comment.
AU.S. Marine Corps MV-22B Osprey aircraft approaches the U.S. embassy during an air evacuation drill, in Caracas, Venezuela, May 23, 2026.
REUTERS/Leonardo Fernandez Viloria
The U.S. embassy said in a statement it remained “committed to ensuring the implementation” of President Donald Trump’s three-phase plan, “particularly the stabilizationofVenezuela.”
The embassy said Francis ‘Donovan, commanderoftheU.S.SouthernCommand, which oversees U.S. military operations in theAmericas,waspresentinCaracas.
“This keeps us on guard,” said Evelyn Rebolledo,57,anadministratorlivinginthe capital.
“A`foreign country flying over the city itself, this is new to us and more so coming from the United States, given the current `situationandalltheturmoilinthecountry It leavesusinastateofuncertainty.”
Trump’s administration has backed the ‘government of Delcy Rodriguez, formerly Maduro’s vice president, which has passed lawstoopenupVenezuela’svastoilreserves andminingresourcestotheU.S.
Senegal’s President Bassirou Diomaye Faye. [Annie Risemberg/AP]
23 contractors bid to construct new Dorothy Bailey Health Centre
The Ministry of H e a l t h h a s received 23 bids for the construction of Dorothy Bailey Health CentreinGeorgetown.
The bids which were recently opened at the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) office revealed that contractors have bid between $160 million and $440 million to construct the health centre. No engineer’s estimate was providedfortheproject.
Kaieteur News reported that during the sod turning c e r e m o n y f o r t h e Campbellville Polyclinic in March last year, Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony announcedthegovernment’s planstoupgradetheDorothy BaileyHealthCentre.
“The Dorothy Bailey Health Centre is also being upgraded this year (2025) with the government allocating $55 million to improve the facility and ensure that patients receive the care they deserve in
Ministry of Health
betterconditions,”hesaidat thetime.
The government, through the ministry, has been upgrading the facilities to ensure that patients receivethebesthealthcare.
Minister Anthony stated alsothattheconstructionand renovation of health centres are part of the government’s b
o decentralise and expand healthcare services provided toGuyanese.
Belowarethecompanies andtheirbids:
Construction of Dorothy Bailey Health Centre
Guyana National Bureau of Standards
Procurement of snacks and lunches for GNBS Training.
Supply and delivery of tyres for GNBS.
Procurement of consumables for GNBS
Guyana Defence Force
Procurement of new vehicles Lot 1 to 6.
Frompage46 commitment to regional security and prosperity The visit of the USS Nimitz demonstrates our dedication to working hand-in-hand with Guyana and our Caribbean partners to address shared challenges and build a safer, stronger hemisphere for all our citizens.”
As part of this deployment, the USS Nimitz is conducting exerciseswitharmedforces from the Guyana Defence
Force, streng
alliances and building the capabilities needed to address security challenges
together Guyana’s role as a founding member of the Shield of the Americas Coalition underscores our shared commitment to hemispheric security, the statementsaid Further, the embassy said, “Our partnership extends beyond military e
shiprideragreementbetween the United States and Guyana, Guyanese law enforcementofficersembark on U.S. law enforcement
that flee into Guyanese
collaborative approach to combating transnational crime.”
Lieutenant Commander Clint Venture, a Guyanese navalofficerwhopreviously spent six weeks on the Nimitz as an embarked international staff (EIS), joined the VIP visit. As a member of the EIS, Venture tookpartintheplanningand execution of bilateral engagements between Nimitz and partner nations
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Pres.AlithreatensGuySuCoagainformissing several targets
President Irfaan Ali on Friday again threatened the management of the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo)witha‘shake-up’ if the company continues to underperform, and miss its targets. Speaking at his first pressconferencefortheyear, the head of state was asked to provide an update on the sugarcompanyandhiswarningsince2024.
“Youwillseetheaction.I can say to you very clearly that we are investing in GuySuCo. I believe that we will move to a phase of having discussions of course with the union and so on and aspects of ownership but you’lldefinitelyseeactionon some of these estates that have not performed. There must be especially… at the seniormanagementleveland the head office and these places… the estates there need to be some rationalization,” he said.
Thehead-of-stateassured thatifthereisneedforgreater technical input, there is a team of technicians that government is in discussions with,whoarereadytostepin and assist where needed, so that there is no gap and smooth transition where needed.
This is not the first time the president has threatened the management of the corporation.BackinDecemberof 2024,thepresidentduringan interview with reporters admitted to being aware of the challenges the corporation faces and referenced the sector’s underperformance.
He went was quoted in a DepartmentofPublicInformation (DPI) press release saying that failure to meet specific targets will result in decisive managerial actions.
“We sat down with them [and] they brought together an investment plan that is needed to keep the factory efficient. We have supported that investment plan [and] I havemadeitveryclearthatif the target for 2025 (first and secondcroptarget)isnotmet, thenheadswillroll.”
The People’s Progressive PartyCivic(PPP/C)administration continues to pour bil-
lionsoftaxpayers’dollarsinto theailingGuySuCoinspiteof themediocreresultsitcontinues to yield. Over the years there has been a decline in performance in terms of production.
According to reports in 2024, GuySuCo only produced 6,739 metric tonnes of sugar of its 16,000 metric tonnes target for its first crop andalsofailedtomeetitssecond crop target.
Fast forward 2025, in the months following the president’s warning closed that year failing its reduced finalcroptargetof60,000metric tonnes with its production ofapproximately59,200metric tonnes of sugar This was another consecutive year of missed production targets, as the final total was below initial target of 80,000 metric tonnes.
The 2026 budgetary allocation for the sugar sector represents a $100M increase from2025.Inhispresentation, Minister with responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh
saidthatthegovernmentwill continue to restore the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo)tofinancialviability and long-term sustainability.“Inthelastfive years, we reopened the Rose HallEstate,andupgradedthe field and factory infrastructure at Albion, Blairmont, Rose Hall and Uitvlugt, which together, re-energised the previously devastated local rural economy We also remodeledthemarketingand sales mix from bulk sugar to higher value products and provided direct economic supporttoover5,200severed workers. Today, more than 8,300 persons are employed in the sector,” he said.
However, the opposition parties have repeatedly criticized the government for the way in which it handles the sugar industry. In 2025, Former Director of Agriculture and Member of Parliament (MP) for the We Invest inNationhood(WIN)Vishnu Panday said that the government’s approach has resultedinGuySuCobecomingacommercialfailure.
Panday told Kaieteur
News in an invited comment that GuySuCo is a state-run entitythathasbeenhampered bypoliticalinfluencecausing it to fail. “This is not because Guyanese don’t have the skills to cultivate sugar on a profitablebasis…butitisbecause of the political influence and political appointments,” Panday said.
He reasoned that with the world’s population being about eight billion people as oftheDecember2024census, if there are three billion homes, every single one utilises sugar in some form. Sugar is also used in the confectionaryaswellinpharmacology, baking and other industries.
“So, to put it in economic terms… Sugar is not an outdateditem.Itisanitemineconomics that we call supply anddemand.Sugarisingreat demand, as it used to be hundreds of years ago, and it is atpresentanditwillcontinue to be in the future,” he said.
In January 2026, Shadow MinisterofAgricultureandA PartnershipforNationalUnity (APNU) Member of Parliament (MP) Vinceroy Jordan
saidthatGuySuCo’sfailureto meetits2025targetisaresult of government’s continued useofafailedmodel.
“ThefailureoftheGuyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) to meet its 2025 sugar production target is not surprising—it is disappointing, costly, and entirely predictable. What is shocking, however, is the continuedrefusaloftheMinisterof Agriculturetoacceptresponsibility for this ongoing national embarrassment. [GuySuCo] has consistently revised its initial targets for every year it has set since 2020 to the point that it even reviseditsrevisedtargetsand still failed to meet same,” he said.
Jordan reminded that he has repeatedly issued warnings in the National Assembly that the corporation was bound to fail because of the approach taken by the government. Instead, he said his warningswereignored,arrogantlybrushedasideanddismissed by the minister “who instead chose propaganda over planning and excuses overexecution.”
‘Independence cannot exist with Guyanese in economic...
From page 12 technicalandmanagerialfunctions remain dominated by foreigners.
Consequently,Ramstated, “A country has no claim to economic transformation, let aloneIndependence,ifitscitizensremainmarginaltothestrategic core of its most profitable industry...where is the independencewhenourcountryexports itsnaturalresourcesanditschildreninthesamebreath?”
Notably, he reasoned that thedangerisnottheresource, but weak bargaining, institutions,andpoliticalleadership –onallsides–andthefailure
to convert temporary resource wealth into lasting nationaltransformation.
Ram does not believe the country is condemned to such a future, and believes avoiding it will require courage, discipline, and strong national institutions.
He therefore made three bold suggestions and recommendations to the PNCR for a“maturenationaldiscussion on the renegotiation of the 2016PetroleumAgreement,” the establishment of a PetroleumCommissionandaCommissionofInquiry(COI)into the circumstances surround-
ing both the 1999 and 2016 PetroleumAgreements.
Ram explained that renegotiation is not hostility to investment but is the legitimate exercise of sovereignty when circumstances make it necessary in the national interest. Regarding the PetroleumCommission,thelawyer saidthesectormustnolonger rest on political direction alone and should be insulatedfrompartisaninfluence, grounded in transparency and technical competence.
“Guyana stands at a defining moment. History will notjudgeusbyhowmuchwe extracted, but how much came back to us. And by whether ordinary citizens achieved dignity, security, and a fair share in the wealth of their own country
Let me remind our political leaders that economic independence remains the unfinished business of this Republic – a flag without an economy, as Burnham warned, is no independence at all,” he urged.
0198.
PENPAL
Russell snatches Canada GP pole from Mercedes teammate...
Frompage57
Ithadnotlookedatallcertain minutes earlier when the Briton aborted his first attempt to return to the pits and was still to set a time with six minutes to go. He then went out and did two flyinglaps,sealingpolewith thesecond.
Russellhadnotfiguredin the top three in the two previous qualifying phases,
withAntonelli—winnerthe last‘threegrandsprixand18 pointsclearofRussellinthe standings — top in Q1 and Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar fastestinQ2.
RUSSELL’S
“GREAT FEELING”
“Thatlastlapcamefrom nowhere, ” said the
Mercedes driver “It was such a great feeling when it was such a challenging
session and you pull it all together on that last lap to throw yourselves up the leaderboardisepic
‘Ifyou’reacasualvisitor to the World Cup from around the world, I think there’s a very low risk that you would be at risk of Ebola.’
“Kimi was more competitive than I and we weren’t as clear ahead of
everyone else as yesterday, so it was a challenge `but I redialledmydrivingandput ittogether.”
Hadjar will start seventh alongside Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.RacingBullsrookie Arvid Lindblad qualified ninth with Alpine’s Franco Colapinto, finally finding some form after a breakthrough weekend in Miami,willstart10th.
Antonelli, who was fuming after the sprint race and suggested Russell should be penalised, sounded calmer after the ‘session.
Sunday May 24, 2026
ARIES(Mar 21–Apr 19)
Motivation must come from within.Theonlythingthatcan pull you out of bed is your innerdriveanddetermination. Too much partying could leaveyoudrainedtothepoint thatyoudon'twanttomove.
TAURUS(Apr 20–May20)
Your mind should be quite c l e a r t o d a y , a n d communication will go extremelywellforyou.You'll find that you'll need very few wordstogetyourpointacross. You'll connect to people on manylevels.
GEMINI(May21–June20)
Strong forces may be acting upandaskingyoutostandupa little straighter than usual. Don't think of yourself as any less of a person just because thereisdisagreement.
CANCER(June21–July22)
Feelfreetotakethelazyroute today Don'tliftafingerifyou don'treallyhaveto.Itmaybe hard to get others moving as well. You can prod all you want,but,ultimately,ifpeople don't want to go, they aren't goingto.
LEO(July23–Aug.22)
Your thinking is steady and reserved today, Leo. You'll find that your mind is right in line with your ego, and you'll beabletoaccuratelyverbalize what'sgoingoninside.
VIRGO(Aug.23–Sept.22)
Today is an excellent day for you to say exactly how you feel, Virgo. Your thinking is sharpandclear You'llfindthat once you start talking, you may never stop. People will listen extra carefully to your words.
LIBRA(Sept.23–Oct.22)
Youmightfindthatyourbrain is chugging along in the slow lanetoday,Libra.Itcouldeven be gradually creeping over to thebreakdownlane!It maybe moredifficulttocomeupwith your quick, witty rebuttals in conversations.
SCORPIO(Oct.23–Nov 21)
You might find that words aren't the best way to communicate today Body languageandthesenseoftouch and taste are much more effective. You'll find that your senses will be heightened overall.
SAGIT(Nov 22–Dec.21)
Thingsareapttogetintensefor you today, Sagittarius. There will be a lot of information coming your way, but it all won't necessarily be great. It seemsthatsomeoneisputtinga roadblockinyourpath.
CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19)
Yourheadmaybebuzzingwith activity, Capricorn. It seems like the spotlight suddenly has beenturnedon.Yourmindison stage and your brainpower is beingtested.Areyouprepared forthechallenge?
AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18)
Focus on the simple pleasures today Don'tfeellikeyouhave to search in far-off lands or engage in expensive recreational activities to find happinessandpeace.
PISCES(Feb.19–Mar.20)
Focus on your creative mind. This is a very fertile time for planting hearty seeds that will besuretogrowuphealthyand strong.You have the ability to be very prosperous, but it certainlywon'tcomeeasily
AfterBayernsecuredtheBundesligatitleforthesecond seasonrunningearlierinMayandtheGermanSupercuplast August, Kane has now won four trophies since joining the Germangiantsinthesummerof2023.
What proved to be a comfortable win over Sebastian Hoeness'StuttgartgivesBayerntheir21stGermanCupwin, andtheirfirstsince2019-20.
“Iamprettyhappy There wasstillalittlebitleftonthe table but George did a great lap and all eyes on tomorrow,”hesaid.
“We will see what the weatherislikebutwewilltry andbereadyforanything.”
Norris, second in the sprint when he split ‘the Mercedes pair, said it had been hard to put everything together but the team had doneagoodjob.
“It’s clear these guys (Mercedes) are a little bit quicker It’snicetobecloser than we were yesterday,” he said. “The weather will be different tomorrow We are inagoodplaceandtheplace weneedtobe.”
Shreyas Iyer’s maiden IPL...
Frompage55 pace or spin. Prabhsimran wentbackandacrosstokeep swiping fast bowlers to the backward-square-leg boundary,gettingunderneath theballandhittingupintothe sky. Both men brought up their sixth fifty-plus score of the season. Iyer matched his tally from 2025. Only one PBKS player has more in a season(KLRahulwithseven from2019).
Iyer was on 61 off 36 when PBKS needed 47 to win.HelostPrabhsimranfor 69 and decided there was no time to muck about Launching Arjun Tendulkar for back-to-back fours and Shamiforthreesixesinover, he hurtled towards both the target and his century With 10toget,SuryashShedgegot an outside edge for four and threw his head back in disappointment.Nextball,he tookasingleandIyerdidthe rest,hittingMohsinKhanfor asixandbringinghishelmet offtoflashabigsmile.
Readymix Concrete Ltd and MCY&S partner for Independence Golf Tournament
In celebration of
G u y a n a ’ s 6 0 t h Independence Anniversary, the Lusignan Golf Club will hosttheReadyMixConcrete
Limited / Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport
Independence Golf Tournament on Tuesday, May 26, 2026, at the club’s
championshipcourse.
The tournament will tee off at 8:00 a.m. with a shotgun start and will be contested under medal play
format over 18 holes. The competitionwillfeaturetwo male flights and one female flight, bringing together many of Guyana’s top golfers for what is expected to be a memorable day of sport and national celebration.
The male category will be divided into handicaps 0–13 and 14–28, while the ladies’divisionwillcaterfor handicaps ranging from 0–36.
Players will compete for trophies and prizes in categories including Best Net in each flight, First, Second and Third Place finishes,LadiesOverallBest Net(FirstandSecondPlace), Overall Best Net, Best Gross, Nearest to the Flag andLongestDrive.
F o l l o w i n g t h e tournament, players and patrons will be treated to a special lunch and refreshments, including XM Rum compliments of Banks DIH Limited. Participants
will have the opportunity to enjoy XM Rum 12-YearOld,7-Year-Oldand8-YearOld blends along with other beverages as part of the Independencefestivities.
Readymix Concrete
Limited has been a longstanding supporter of golf in Guyana and has partnered with the Lusignan Golf Club on several major tournaments over the years, including the prestigious Guyana Open Chief Executive Officer of Ready Mix Concrete Limited, Munesh Ruplall, said the company is proud to be part of Guyana’s Independence celebrationsthroughsport.
“Ready Mix Concrete Limited is delighted to once again support the Lusignan GolfClubandthecontinued development of golf in Guyana As the country celebrates 60 years of Independence, we are honoured to be associated with this tournament and wish all participants a
successful and enjoyable competition,”Ruplallstated.
Director of Sport Steve Ninvalle commended the collaborationandreaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment tosupportinggolfandsports developmentinGuyana.
“We are pleased that the Ministrycontinuestoplayan important role in supporting the Lusignan Golf Club and the sport of golf From assisting with equipment such as the club’s lawnmower to helping ensure tournaments are successfully executed, the Ministryremainscommitted tothegrowthofthesport.We wishallplayerstheverybest inthetournament,”Ninvalle said.
The tournament forms part of activities commemorating Guyana’s D i a m o n d J u b i l e e Independence celebrations and is expected to deliver a day of competitive golf, fellowship and patriotic celebration.
IndependenceSoftballCup &FamilyFundayPostponed
TheManagementofRS Sports wishes to inform the general public that the 2nd One Guyana Independence Softball Cup and Family Funday, which was scheduled for Sunday, May 24, 2026, at the Rose Hall Canje Welfare Ground, has been postponed to Sunday, June 28, 2026,atthesamevenue.
According to the organizers, thedecisionwastakenduetothe ongoing adverse weather conditions and the predicted weather forecast for the upcomingweekend.
Theorganizersstatedthatthe safety and comfort of all participants, patrons, sponsors, and supporters remain their top priority, and as a result of the unfavorable weather conditions, they were forcedtopostponetheevent.
Theyfurtherapologizedtothepublicfor
any inconvenience caused and expressed gratitude for the continued support towards the successful hosting of the event on the newdate.
Shreyas Iyer’s maiden IPL ton keeps Punjab Kings in the hunt for playoffs spot
(Cricinfo) – Shreyas
Iyer’s first IPL century helpedPunjabKingsbreaka six-match losing streak and keep their playoffs hopes alive. PBKS are now in the top four and will remain there should Rajasthan Royals lose their final game of the season against Mumbai Indians. Also, for PBKS will hope Kolkata KnightRiderswon’twinbig against Delhi Capitals, who arenoweliminated.
A weakened Lucknow Super Giants - they fielded onlytwooverseasplayersin theXII,withMitchellMarsh and Aiden Markram going home - were beaten with 12 balls and seven wickets to spare.
Badoni’scameo LSG had a hit-and-miss powerplay Overs two, three and four produced just eight runs.Oversone,fiveandsix produced 58 runs. Ayush Badoni walked in ahead of RishabhPantatNo.4,when the innings was going nowhere Badoni himself was 2 off 5 before suddenly surgingto42off16.
Inglis’fifty Josh Inglis was 16 off 6 with four boundaries. From there,hemadejust10offthe next 15 balls. Just when it looked like he had lost all form - including instances where his favourite ramps
SamadvsArshdeep
Arshdeep Singh was having a bad night. PBKS, knowing they can’t afford any mis-steps, took their World Cup winner off the attack.They opted for a few overs of Shashank Singh, andthegambleworked.
ShashankgotridofInglis in the 17th over Marco Jansen (4-0-33-2) and VijaykumarVyshak(3-0-260)deliveredsuperb18thand 19th overs, which cost just 10runs.PBKSthenturnedto Arshdeep for the 20th, over Azmatullah Omarzai - who
hadalmostbowledawicketmaiden earlier in the nightand Arshdeep leaked runs again.
Samad turned down singlesandkeptstrikeforall nine balls of the over (including three wides) and hit 17 runs. LSG hit 28 boundaries in the innings. Ten of those came off Arshdeep.Hiseconomyrate of17.33wasanewpersonal lowforhimintheIPL.
Aryavstheshortball
A c c o r d i n g t o ESPNcricinfo’s ball-by-ball data, Priyansh Arya had a
strike rate of 366 against short balls in the IPL until April 27 this year On April 28,PBKSsufferedtheirfirst ofsixstraightlosses.
SinceApril 28,Arya has faced eight short balls, scored six runs and gotten out twice, including the first ball of the chase today to Mohammed Shami. Shami has nine wickets in the powerplay(outof12overall this season). Only Kagiso Rabada (17), Bhuvneshwar Kumar (15), Mohammed Siraj (13) and Jofra Archer (10)havedonebetter
IyerandPrabhfinishit
When the two of them gottogether,ESPNcricinfo’s forecaster suggested PBKS had a less than 30% chance of winning. PBKS were 22 for 2 in the third over But neither man was taking a backward step. Unless, of course, it was to find the boundary
Iyerwassogoodplaying the cut shot, using the depth ofthecrease,arminghimself with that little bit more time to find the gap either side of point,whetheritwasagainst
Continued on page 53
were failing him - the Australian batter found another high-scoring period, hitting 29 off nine balls. He brought up his fifty during this second burst and was largely the reason why LSG couldgettoatotalof196.
ChahalvsPant Yuzvendra Chahal was crucial to PBKS’ bowling effort.HedismissedBadoni, thoughcreditforthatshould go to Prabhsimran Singh, who had the batter stumped with smart glovework Badoni made the mistake of thinkingtheballwasdeadas soon as he played and missed It was not Prabhsimran waited for the moment he knew was coming - Badoni resetting his position in the crease. Justashisbackfootwentup heflippedthebailsoff. Pant, who began the season as an opener, then wanted to be LSG’s No. 3 spot,cameinatNo.5today He faced 14 balls from Chahal and hit him for two
boundaries But the legspinner won the battle in the end, concentrating on keeping the ball wide of the left-hander’s reach. Chahal could have dismissed Pant for20off19hadIyertakena simple catch at extra cover ButIyer’sdropdidn’tmatter much, because Chahal still dismissedhimon26off22.
Shreyas Iyer finished with a match-winning ton. (BCCI)
FIFA Rep Pays Visit to Youth Ensemble Games, Commends the GFF Led Initiative
FIFA’s Regional
Member Association Development Manager, Amiel Mohammed, paid a special visit to several Regional Associations on
Saturday, May 23, 2026, to observe matches being played in the Youth Ensemble U13 Programme.
The visit comes as part of a collaborative initiative
between the Guyana Football Federation and FIFAaimedatestablishinga sustainable annual calendar of structured youth football competitionsacrossGuyana.
Accompanied by the GFF team, Mohammed beganhisvisitattheBuxton Ground, where the East Demerara Football Association hosted playoff matches between Melanie FCandMahaiconyWestern Lions, along with Haslington Stars and PlaisanceFC
He then travelled to the National Training Centre (NTC),wheretheEastBank Football Association staged matches between Circuit VilleJaguarsFCandTimehri United FC, as well as Herstelling Raiders FC and KuruKururuFC.
The FIFA representative concluded the tour at the West Ruimveldt Ground, where the Georgetown Football Association hosted theirmarch-past.
During the visit, Mohammedcommendedthe Federation’s commitment to s t r u c t u r e d y o u t h
d e v e l o p m e n t a n d emphasised the importance of creating consistent competitive opportunities for young players at the grassrootslevel.
“This is what football development is all about. Being out here on the field, having the landscape and giving the youths the opportunity to play in a structured manner and the GFF in achieving these initiatives and these missions“.
Mohammed further highlighted FIFA’s objectivesthroughtheYouth Ensemble Programme, notingthattheinitiativewas
born out of a shared vision between FIFA and the Guyana Football Federation to strengthen youth football development across the country
“The programme was developed as part of President Forde and the GFF’s vision in alignment with the FIFA Forward regulations. They saw the need for this concept in the local landscape, and we are happyandgratefultosupport it by providing the funding necessary to foster youth d e v e l o p m e n t a n d competitioninahealthyand enriching environment,” he noted.
President of the Guyana Football Federation, Wayne Forde,saidthevisitbyFIFA R e g i o n a l M e m b e r Association Development ManagerAmiel Mohammed underscored FIFA’s continued commitment to supporting youth and grassroots football development in Guyana through initiatives like the Yo u t h E n s e m b l e Programme.
“It shows FIFA’s commitmenttoourvisionfor the game, which fits neatly into FIFA’s global vision for football We know the foundation of football is at the grassroots level, and it hasbeenahugechallengefor many countries within our region to establish sustainable, wellstructured youth competitions, particularly youth leagues. The investment required to achieve this would not be possible without the support
ofthegoverningbody Amiel’s visit here is a reassurance of FIFA’s commitment to youth football, grassroots development, and the leadership of the GFF,” Fordestated.
The Youth Ensemble Programme forms part of FIFA’s broader mandate to s u p p o r t M e m b e r A s s o c i a t i o n s i n strengthening grassroots football structures, increasing participation opportunities, and creating sustainable player developmentpathwaysfrom the community level to elite competition.
Over the coming weeks, U13matcheswillcontinueto beplayedonSaturdaysina9 v 9 crossfield format, while U15 matches will be contested on Sundays in the standard11v11format. Competitions will utilise a combination of roundrobinandknockoutsystems, culminating in a National Playoff stage featuring 20 clubs divided into four groups before advancing to the semi-finals and national finals.
Led by the Guyana Football Federation in collaborationwithFIFA,the transformational Youth
investment of G$44 million and is expected to engage approximately 130 clubs while impacting more than 3,0
structured U13, U15 and U17competitions.
(BBC Sport) - England captain Harry Kane scored a second-half hat-trick as BayernMunichbeatStuttgartintheGerman Cup final to complete a league and cup double.
headhomeMichaelOlise'sback-postcrossto put Vincent Kompany's side in front in the 55thminute.
Tottenham striker
Harry Kane scored in every round as he helped Bayern Munich to German Cup glory. (Getty Images)
Russell snatches Canada GP pole from Mercedes teammate Antonelli
(Reuters) - GeorgeRussellsnatchedpole position from Formula One championshipleading Mercedes teammate Kimi Antonelli with a last-gasp lap at the Canadian Grand PrixonSaturday
Russell,winneroftheday’searliersprint race from pole, crossed the line 0.068 of a secondfasterthantheItalianrightattheofthe session after the 19-year-old had gone quickerthaneveryoneelse.
“That is the most exhilarating feeling in the world when it comes last minute out of nowhere,” the Briton said on the team radio after a whoop of joy “We made that a bit tricky...”
McLaren’s Lando Norris, the reigning champion,willstartinthirdplaceonSunday with Australian teammate Oscar Piastri alongside for what could be a wet race with race director Rui Marques declaring a ‘Rain
Hazard’.
Mercedes’George Russell in action during qualifying. (Reuters)
Blue Water Shipping Girls U15 C’ship achieves historic feat in Region 2
History was created in Kabakaburi, Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), on Friday, May 22, 2026, as the community hosted its first-ever organised football competition during the ongoing Blue Water ShippingGirlsU15NationalChampionship.
VERSTAPPEN FRUSTRATED BY LACK OF SPEED
Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton qualified fifth, but facing an enquiry for alleged impeding, ‘with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen sixth and frustratedatalackofstraight-linespeed.
“I have no idea what is going on. I don’t really have a lot of words,” said the Dutch four-timesworldchampion.
“Everythingissoconfusing.Ialsodidn’t like the set-up change we made. I think (Sunday) will be chaos regardless of the weather.”
The pole was a third in a row in Canada for Russell, who converted the position into victory at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve last year and whose team have brought a major carupgradetoMontreal.
Continued on page 53
The landmark occasion saw Kabakaburi Secondary face Charity Secondary in a preliminary round encounter, marking a significant milestone for football development within the indigenous community CharitySecondarysecureda2–0 victory, with goals coming from Razeena Wilson and an own goal by Kabakaburi Secondary Despite the result, the match representedaproudandmemorablemoment for girls in football and the Kabakaburi community,whichturnedoutinsupportofits youngplayersastheycompetedonhomesoil for the first time in an organised football tournament.
Now in its third year, the Blue Water Shipping Girls U15 National Championship continuestoplayavitalroleinthegrowthof girls’ football across Guyana, providing young student-athletes with opportunities to compete in a safe, inclusive, and structured environment The 2026 edition of the tournament is expected to feature more than 70 schools from across Guyana, including teams from Moruca, Essequibo Coast, West Demerara, Georgetown, East Coast Demerara, East Bank Demerara, West
Berbice, East Berbice, Bartica, Mahdia, Rupununi,andLinden,reflectingtheGuyana FootballFederation’scontinuedcommitment to nationwide grassroots football development In the following weeks matches are scheduled to be played Regions 3,5,7andGeorgetown.
Charity Goal Scorer, Razeena Wilson
Blue Water Shipping Girls U-15 C’ship achieves historic feat in Region 2
The Teams lined up before the start of the showdown.
LGC Grounds Superintendent Brian Hackett received the tournament trophies from Director of Sports Steve Ninvalle (top) and sponsorship cheque from Readymix Concrete Limited Accountant, Kanhai Sewnarine.
