Kaieteur News

History repeats...

Gas-to-Energy contractor

cheating Guyana millions of taxes

WhentheGovernmentof Guyana(GoG)inkeditsfirst major energy deal with ExxonMobil, it agreed that the corporation would not pay taxes to the State, a provision often widely criticised, but instead of ensuring history did not

repeatitself,thegovernment in yet another major energy deal allows the contractor not to pay any taxes to the country

Lindsayca/ CH4 was initially awarded a US$759M contract to construct a Natural Gas

Liquids (NGL) facility and 300-megawatt (MW) power plantbutwhatGuyanesedid not know is that they were sold a dream of American engineeringexcellence.

Instead of paying taxes here to help fund this country's development, Lindsayca created a shell company in the United Kingdom to enjoy not only legalbutfiscalprotection.

High-level U S

diplomats and government officials stood shoulder-toshoulder with the Guyanese administration to herald the award of the Gas-to-Energy (GTE) contract to an "American powerhouse " However, investigative findings and recent reports fromKaieteurNewsreveala calculated bait-and-switch that has left the Guyanese taxpayerdefenseless.

The "American" identity ofthisprojectwasastrategic sham. While the company usedU.S.diplomaticmuscle to secure the bid, the actual contract was signed by Lindsayca Development LLP (Company number OC444882), a United Kingdom Limited Liability Partnership incorporated on November 30, 2022—just weeks before the official signing This effectively rendered the "U.S. content" of the deal a paper-thin facade.

By allowing a UKregistered shell to lead the project, the Government of Guyana handed the keys of the kingdom to a foreign entitythatenjoysprotections no local company—or even atrueU.S.company—could claim.

Sources close to the projectexplained,“Byusing thisUKshell,thecontractors effectively "invoked" the 1989 UK-Guyana Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT) This wasn't just a corporate reorganisation; it was the construction of a legal fortress Under the UKGuyana BIT, the contractor isgranted"fairandequitable treatment" that supersedes local laws, allowing them to bypass Guyanese courts and drag the government into international arbitration tribunals like the International Chamber of Commerce(ICC).”

Beyond the legal immunity, the fiscal drain is a masterclass in tax avoidance.

KaieteurNewswastold, “Because the entity is registered as a UK Limited Liability Partnership (LLP), it functions as a "taxtransparent" pass-through UnderUKlaw,anLLPdoes not pay corporate tax in the UK if its business is carried

out elsewhere; instead, the taxliability"passesthrough" to the individual partners. Furthermore, the UKGuyana Double Taxation Agreement ensures that payments made to this UK entityareshieldedfromlocal Guyanese withholding taxes—revenue that should be staying in the Guyanese treasury to fund schools and hospitals.”

The government's continuedtoutingofthisasa "U.S.entity"followingvisits from the U.S. EXIM Bank Chairman,JohnJovanovicis a glaring exercise in public deception. While the administration poses for photos with U.S. officials to project stability and "American standards," the reality is that the project is legallyandfiscallyanchored in a British tax-haven structure.

If the project is truly "American," why did the government permit the contractortowrapitselfina UK shield that drains Guyana of tax revenue and strips the nation of its legal sovereignty?

Instead of generating local revenue, the money is being siphoned off tax-free to the partners' jurisdictions of choice while Guyanese citizens endure blackouts andhighcostsofliving,their national revenue is being bled dry by international legal fees and "liquidated damages"wonbyacompany that used a British flag to outmaneuver Guyanese sovereignty and escape its taxobligationsentirely Kaieteur News recently exposedthatthegovernment lost a dispute with the contractor that led to the payment of US$102M over site handover delays a payout the administration tried to hide under the guise of"confidentiality."

Thisbrazenevasionbegs a critical question: How do WinstonBrassingtonandthe Gas-to-Energy Task Force allow Lindsayca to continue to qualify and bid for the most critical projects in the country—including GAUP (the ammonia and urea plant), Gas-to-Energy Phase II,theRefineryRFP,andthe NGLOperation?

Exxon quietly investing Guyana’s profits into awaiting increased earnings Stabroek Block while country patiently – Ram

Chartered Accountant and Attorney, Christopher Ram has called out the Government of Guyana (GoG)forwhathedescribed as “amateurish behaviour” that allows ExxonMobil to delay this country from receiving a larger portion of revenue,generatedoffshore.

During a programme hosted by the Oil and Gas

Governance Network (OGGN) and aired on

Kaieteur Radio 99 1/ 99.5FM,Rampointedtothe implicationsoftherefusalby governmenttoring-fencethe projects in the Stabroek Block.

This mechanism would require that each oil project pays for itself Once the expense related to that project is recovered by Exxon, the contractor and government would equally split all the revenue generated each month, after the operating expense is deducted.

In the absence of ringfencing,Exxontakes75%of alltheoilproducedtopayfor projects that are still to startup.Tothisend,Ramtold listeners and viewers of the programme, hosted by former Stabroek News Editor, Anand Persaud, that Guyana is investing in the

development taking place offshore. Be that as it may, the commentator flagged that the country is not recognised as an investor and does not enjoy any additionalfiscalbenefits.

He explained, “The implicationofthisiswhatis happening, we become an investor because part of that money - the profit share which we are foregoing is being invested and we get nothing for that. It's more like if government is now a joint venture partner in this transaction and it shows a level of amateurishness and disregardforbasicprinciples of overseeing and managing acontractofthissignificance andcomplexity.”

RamarguedthattheGoG also turned its back on rene

d

cat

on that the administration “cannot be trusted” when it comes to “understanding, policy or integrity” relating to the petroleum agreement with Exxon. The Lawyer agreed that implementing a ringfencing provision would not require changes to the Petroleum Agreement with Exxon, yet the GoG continues to ignore calls in thisregard.

Without this provision,

Jagdeo

Vice President, Bharrat

henoted,“Theoilcompanies have been permitted, quite improperly in my view - to charge future exploration costofotherprojectsagainst thewellsthatareproductive. Nowring-fencingisimplied in almost every contract but wedon'tapplyit.Theyhave defendeditandagainwefind this obscenity not to apply modern methods of transacting a kind of profitsharing agreement, so it's being driven by the contractors.

“Renegotiate thosecontracts”

Previously, a passionate and almost angry Bharrat Jagdeo while functioning as Leader of the Opposition, said in an interview that the then A Partnership for

National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC)

Coalition government “sold” the country to

“foreigners” because that administration failed to includering-fencingtoshore upprofitsfromthe2016PSA withExxon.

At that time, Jagdeo assured that when the People's Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) returned to office, this would be a priority when the contract is renegotiated.

He added, “When we were in the early days, we were coaxing the people (ExxonMobil) to go along. They (Coalition) came into office – three billion barrels of proven reserves and they gave up zero royalties, no taxes,noring-fencing.”

After taking office in 2020,thenowVicePresident (VP) supports the lack of

“They sold us out to the foreigners. The oil companies, every time there isafindoutthere,ourpeople should be sad because nothing comes our way We are gonna renegotiate those contracts because that's not what we had in mind,” Jagdeosaid.

ring-fencing, a provision he believes will allow this country to benefit from massive revenues in the future.Heisalsoanadamant defender of the sanctity of c o n t r a c t s , w h i c h government believes binds themtothelopsidedtermsin theagreement.

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

Pleasingdream,or recurringnightmare

TheWalesGas-to-Energy(GTE)seemstoberunningout ofgasandexcuses Theconstantistheseriesofdelays,with Guyanese hanging on to every bit of news, in their hope for high electricity bill relief, and a reliable supply of cheap energy The GTE project was to start firing in 2024, then 2025 came and went, and it was the same old story of Guyanesepoliticianspromisingadream,butdeliveringthe firstglimpsesofwhatisshapinguptobeanightmare.

NooperationalLiquidNaturalGasfacilityandnopower generation plant in action, at Wales. Meanwhile, citizens still grapple with a high cost-of-living environment, and steep electricity bills and blackouts that could come in waves.

In the early stages, the GTE champion, Vice President Jagdeo,couldn’tstoptalkingaboutelectricitybillsreducedby 50% and a steady supply of this commodity that means so muchanddoessomuch Whereisthevicepresidentandchief oilandgaspolicymakernow,andwhatdoeshehavetooffer Guyanese waiting and longing for answers about this US$2BGTEproject?

What many citizens suspect is now many scarce US millionsabovethatUS$2Bpricethatismoreaboutguesswork thanbuiltonanysolidandprincipledfoundation Whereisthe vicepresidentthesedays,andwhatdoeshehavetosayabout thegascomingfrom130milesawaytofiretheturbinesand get them going, as in delivering to energy-starved consumers?

We at this paper would love to hear from him about the bottomlinewiththegas. Hehimselfhadsaidthatthegasis free,sothequestioniswhetherthatisstillthecase. Ifitisnot, then he and the PPPC Government, from Natural Resources Minister,Vickram Bharrat to PresidentAli, should face the nationandsaywhythegasisnotfree. Ifitisnotfree,then there would be the appalling development, the sick spectacle,ofGuyanabuyingitsowngasfromanentitythatis supposedtobeapartner,ExxonMobil.

Therearefewissuesthatwouldbemoreunacceptablethan GuyanabuyingitsowngasandpayingExxonMobil,through costrecoveryfromthiscountry’soil,orsomeothercollection arrangement This is the problem with a government and leaders too firmly set in the driver’s seat: they believe that theycandoanything,pullanytrick,andgetawaywiththem.

One of the many tricks of the PPPC Government is its addiction to secrecy Even in the instances when burning, expensive, issues may not be executed under the table, the governmentstillpersistswithitscultureofsecrecy

Laying signed agreements and other GTE projects in parliament has made into a treadmill by different governmentagentsandspokespeople. Theygivetheirbest impression of doing something and going somewhere, when, in fact, nothing is moving, nothing is laid in parliament,andnothingissharedwithGuyanesetaxpayers, whoarefundingtheWalesUS$2Bproject.

Atthispoint,itisreasonabletoaskiftheWalesGTEisnot the newest Bharrat Jagdeo scheme that resembles the costly and ill-fated Skeldon sugar plant The Skeldon plant was promisedtodosomuch,justliketheWalesGTE,onlyforthe formertofizzleandbeanelephantthatbothJagdeoandthe government prefers not to have anything to do with. Are GuyanesestaringatthereturnofamoreexpensiveSkeldon thatislurchingfromonealarmingexposuretoanother?

It seems almost a foregone conclusion that Guyana will havetopayforthegastofeedtheplantsatWales Whatdidthe PPPC Government and ExxonMobil bargain between themselves as the price for the vital gas to be converted at Wales,thendeliveredaselectricitytocitizens? Whatimpact willthatgasthat’snolongerfreehaveonthepromisedhalfpricedelectricitymadebyVicePresidentJagdeo?

With the gas likely at commercial rates, we wait to hear what verbal gymnastics he will concoct as justification for another failed promise? An abundance of gas should be an energydream,butinusualJagdeofashion,nightmaresareall heknowstodeliver

“From

Poverty to Captivity, The New Klondike for

DEAREDITOR,

They came chasing hope – not fortune, not oil, but the promise of survival.

When you’ve spent your life fighting hunger and sanctions, a message that says, “We’ll buy your ticket,andyou’llpayforitbyworking” feelslikeadooropeningtosalvation.

Instead, for many Cubans, Venezuelan, and Haitian workers arrivinginGuyana,thatdoorclosesinto acell.

One Cuban migrant told us, “They saiditwouldtakeeightmonthstorepay thepassage.Ithought,Icandothat.But when I landed, they took my passport. No explanation. Just gone.They put us in a room with no privacy, no air, no light.Andbymorning,wewereinavan heading to work — construction today, illegal mining tomorrow, then constructionagain.Weworked likemachines.”

“The so-called recruiters promised opportunity What theydeliveredwascaptivity.”

Theanatomyofadeception

Our investigative team traced the trail of these “opportunities”throughsocial media Facebook ads, Instagramreels,andencrypted WhatsApp groups promoting “PassagetoGuyana:Workand Pay Later” schemes The operators behind them frequently pose as travel facilitators or small business agents, but there is little evidence of legal registration oroversight.

Guyana’s labour laws contain no comprehensive framework for regulating foreign recruitment agencies.

the

Oncemigrantworkersarrive,theyoften enter a zone of legal limbo — neither documented employees nor formal residents. That legal vacuum gives cover to an emerging economy of “labour exploitation” operating under thesheenofdevelopment.

In interviews, multiple migrants described confiscation of identification documents, wage withholding, verbal abuse, and threats of abandonment in remote areas. One Venezuelan worker said,“Theykeepusquietwithfear Who will we go to? The police? They are friends with the same people who broughtus.”

The Cuban man who shared his story recalls when the illusion finally broke. “After eight months, I said, ‘I alreadypaid.’Theylaughed.TheysaidI still owed for food, for transport, for

Desperate”

everything.That’swhenIknew—there wasneveranend.”

Hespentayearandahalfinwhathe calls “hell.” Two young women who traveled with him disappeared shortly after arrival. “We rode together in the van. After that day, gone. I don’t even wanttothinkwhathappenedtothem.”

Modernslaverybehindtheoilboom

Guyana’s economic transformation has created an insatiable demand for labour — in construction, mining, services,andagriculture.Butwhilethe statecelebratesboomingGDP,ithasyet to implement a parallel plan for protecting those it draws from beyond itsborders.

Theironyispainful:acountryonce known for exporting its people now thrivesonexploitingimported

Continued on page 5

“From Poverty to Captivity, The New...

Frompage4

desperation. In the race to modernize, some have turned poverty into a resource — harvesting it from across the Caribbean andLatinAmerica.

There is historical symmetry here. During the 19th-centurygoldrushinthe Yukon, men rushed to the Klondike chasing riches — few found gold, but many leftempty,broken,orburied. Today’s migrant workers chase a similar illusion: that Guyana’s oil-age promise will trickle down to them. Buttheonlyonesguaranteed profit are the brokers who sellthemthatdream.

Thequietcomplicity

When asked about these abuses, officials shrug and point to jurisdictional ambiguity “We need more data,” one senior agency source said “We can’t regulate what we can’t track.” But such deflections

only reinforce the complicity: a silence that legitimizes exploitation

because it serves a convenient shortage of labour

Private businesses that benefit from these schemes operate without meaningful oversight. Reports reach the authorities about “foreign constructionteams”livingin inhumane conditions, but investigations rarely follow The cases fall between ministries — Labour calls it “immigration’s problem,” Immigrationcallsit“private enterprise.”

And so, the racket thrives, protected by institutionalparalysis.

There is, of course, a geopolitical dimension.

Many Cuban migrants are politically stranded unable to regularise elsewhere because of travel restrictions and sanctions. Some arrive through third countries like Suriname or Trinidad, smuggled across porous borders. For them, Guyana’s open frontier offers a semblance of safety — until that safety becomes servitude.

Apolicyvacuumdressed asdevelopment

Guyana’s government has often said it welcomes “regional integration and cooperation,” but genuine

integration requires regulation Without a migrant worker policy that codifies rig

institutionalising modern slavery under the banner of development.

Civil society and trade unions have repeatedly calledforlabourinspections andmigrantregistries.Butin the haze of oil wealth and politicalself-congratulation, migrant workers remain invisible.Thepublicseldom sees them. They live on the margins, housed in makeshift compounds, transported in silence, and dismissed when they collapse.

And yet, without them, many construction projects stall. Roads, bridges, and private housing complexes depend on their sweat Migrant labour has become the ghost fuel of Guyana’s “neweconomy.”

Undoingthiswillrequire more than rhetoric It demands enforcement mechanisms—cross-border cooperation, embassy oversight, and real-time reporting structures that allow migrants to file complaintssafely Itrequires thatpassportsneverbecome bargainingchipsandthatthe phrase “work for passage” be recognised for what it is: coercion.

Thehumancost beneaththeheadline

When the Cuban worker

finally escaped — slipping through the border into Brazil and surrendering himselftotheFederalPolice

— he said a weight lifted. “Afteroneandahalfyears,I felt freedom again,” he told us. “And I promised myself that if I ever saw another ad saying‘worknow,paylater,’ I’dtelleveryonetorun.”

Guyana’s rise must not be built on the backs of people running from hell. If wearetocallourselvesanoil nation of promise, we must also be a nation of conscience.

The government must act—notoutofcharity,but justice Transparency in recruitment Legal documentation for foreign labourers Sanctions for traffickers and businesses that exploit Public awareness campaigns that warn potential migrants of the schemes thriving in our midst.

Theseindividualsdidnot cometostealjobs;theycame to save themselves. Instead, many end up building the dreams of others while losingtheirown.

BeyondGDP: atestofmorality

As Guyana stands at the threshold of transformation, wemustdecidewhatkindof nation we wish to be. One

thatcountssuccessinbarrels and contracts, or one that measures it in dignity and humanworth?

Economic growth without ethical governance is just another gold rush — glittering, intoxicating, and ultimatelycruel.

“If we remain silent, we become partners in the trade.Ifweact,wesetanew standard for justice in the region.”

The Cuban worker’s warning echoes across borders:“Notallthatglitters isgold.Someofitisatrapto stealyourlife.”

Guyanamustensurethat the promise of development does not become someone else’sprison.

Sincerely

HemduttKumar

Irregular cash grants will not improve the health and overall well-being of citizens

DEAR

EDITOR,

Itseemedtobeagoodmethodchosenbythegovernment for the payment of the $100,000 cash grant. Hopefully, citizens without bank accounts and the great percentage of those living below the poverty line, were able to obtain the necessaryamounttoopenanaccount.Maybeassistancewas givenfromrelativesorfriends,basedonreimbursementupon receivingthegrant.

With the expectation that the banks would be filled with peopletryingtoaccessthegrant,lanessolelyforthatpurpose, could have been established. I can’t say whether the Banks wereapproachedforsuchcooperation. Oilrichcountriesare required to use their wealth to improve the lives of their citizensthrougheffectivesocialservicesamongothermeans. Cashgrants,especiallyirregularandinconsequential,willnot improvethehealthandoverallwellbeingofcitizens.

Which path is our government going to take? Are they going to choose between cash grants, social services, infrastructureoracombinationofall?Sevenyearshaspassed since oil production. Maybe all three will be fitting at this stage.Whateverisdone,themassesneedrelief.

Sincerely,

ConradBarrow

bondage,

Iran fully closes Strait of Hormuz over U.S.blockade and fires on ships

CAIRO (AP) — The standoff overtheStraitofHormuzescalated again Saturday as Iran reversed its reopening of the crucial waterway and fired on ships attempting to pass, in retaliation after the United States pressed ahead with its blockadeofIranianports.

The strait is closed until the U S blockade is lifted, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard navy said Saturday night, warning that “no vesselshouldmakeanymovement from its anchorage in the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman, and approaching the Strait of Hormuz will be considered as cooperation withtheenemy”andbetargeted.

New attacks on the strait, throughwhichroughlyone-fifthof the world’s oil normally passes, threatened to deepen the global energycrisisandpushthecountries into renewed conflict as the war entereditseighthweek.

Afragileceasefireisduetorun out byWednesday. Iran said it had received new proposals from the United States, and Pakistani mediatorswereworkingtoarrange another round of direct negotiations.

Iran’s joint military command earliersaid“controloftheStraitof Hormuzhasreturnedtoitsprevious state under strict management andcontrolofthearmedforces.”

Revolutionary Guard gunboats opened fire on a tanker and an unknown projectile hit a container vessel, damagingsome containers, the British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center said India’s foreign ministry said it summoned Iran’sambassadoroverthe“serious incident” of firing on two Indiaflagged merchant ships, especially after Iran earlier let several India-

boundshipsthrough.

For Iran, the strait’s closure — imposed after the U.S. and Israel launchedthewaronFeb.28during talks over Tehran’s nuclear program — is perhaps its most powerful weapon, threatening the world economy and inflicting political pain on President Donald Trump. For the United States, the blockade keeps up pressure and could strangle Iran’s already weakenedeconomy

Iran’s new supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, issueddefiantremarksonSaturday, saying the navy stands “ready to inflict bitter defeats on its enemies.” He has not been seen in public since being elevated to the postfollowinghisfather’sdeathin Israel’sopeningbarrage.

The sun rises behind a tanker anchored in the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of Qeshm Island, Iran, Saturday,April 18, 2026 (AP Photo/Asghar Besharati)

AturnaroundadayafterIran saidthestraitwasopen

On Friday, Iran announced the strait’s reopening to commercial vessels after a 10-day truce was announced between Israel and the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon. The reopening causedoilpricestofall.

Trump, however, said the U.S. blockade of Iran’s ports “will remain in full force” until Tehran reaches a deal with the United States. Trump had imposed the blockade after a round of historic face-to-face talks in Pakistan between the countries ended withoutanagreement.

U.S. forces have sent 23 ships back to Iran since the blockade began on Monday, U.S. Central Command said Saturday Trump’s

commentstriggeredanoutcry

“Americans are risking the international community, risking theglobaleconomythroughthese,I can say, miscalculations,” Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh told The Associated Press, adding that the U.S. is “risking the whole ceasefire package.”

Iran’s Supreme National SecurityCouncilissuedastatement calling the blockade a violation of the ceasefire and said Iran would prevent “any conditional and limitedreopening”ofthestrait.The councilhasrecentlyactedasIran’s defactotopdecision-makingbody

Since most supplies to U.S. military bases in the Gulf region come through the strait, “Iran is determined to maintain oversight

andcontrolovertrafficthroughthe strait until the war fully ends,” the council said. That means Irandesignatedroutes,paymentoffees andissuanceoftransitcertificates.

TheRevolutionaryGuardnavy statement later indicated that no vessel should attempt a transit at all.

Pakistanpushesforprogress towardanewdeal

The renewed standoff over the strait came hours after Pakistani ForeignMinisterIshaqDarsaidhis country was working to “bridge” differences between the U.S. and Iran.Pakistanisexpectedtohosta second round of negotiations early nextweek.

Iran’s Supreme National Security Council said “new proposals” from the U.S. had been putforwardduringavisittoIranby Pakistan’s army chief and were beingreviewed.

But Khatibzadeh said the Iranians were not ready for a new roundofface-to-facetalksbecause the Americans “have not abandoned their maximalist position.”

He also said Iran will not hand over its stock of 970 pounds (440 kilograms) of enriched uranium to the United States, calling the idea “anonstarter.”Khatibzadehdidnot address other proposals for the enricheduranium,sayingonlythat “we are ready to address any concerns.”

Trump said Saturday that Iran “got a little cute” but that “very good” conversations were happening, and more information would come by day’s end. “They can’tblackmailus,”headded.

OnFriday,TrumpsaidtheU.S. willgointoIranand“getallthe Continued on page 46

By Christopher Ram

Introduction

Brigadier (ret'd) Mark Phillips has served in military uniform at the highestlevelinthecountry And now serves at the second highest level in civilian society Those offices are often identified with personal virtues like valour,honour,courageand integrity, and with qualities

like competence and judgment.Nottoolongago, I associated him with all of those, and with the conviction that the holder's words-writtenororal-are an undertaking that once made, is a personal debt incurred. There is no room for vacillation, for seeking refuge in delegating blame to others, or for the brazen breach of a national commitment. He has failed and fallen precipitately in myesteem.

Some time ago, as Liquidator designate of the company that published the Stabroek News, I raised withhimdirectlythematter of an outstanding debt of approximately ninety million dollars owed by the Department of Public Information for advertising carried in the Stabroek Newsoveraperiodofmore than a year He gave his personal assurance that the obligation would be settled after the passage of the Budget. The Budget passed two months ago. The debt remainsoutstanding.Hehas since assigned the matter to one of his juniors Such conduct is indefensible in much lesser beings. It is dishonourable in one as exaltedasheis.

I mention this not because it is the subject of this column, but because it bearsonissuesofcredibility and integrity Aman whose personal assurance on a straightforward matter of public debt does not travel the short distance between hisofficeandtheMinistryof Finance, is a man whose loose language to an unsuspecting investing public warrants close examination That is the subjectofthiscolumn.

On Thursday, Kaieteur Newscarriedareportonan advertisement in which the PrimeMinister'sOffice-the lead ministry for the poorly

The Road to First Oil - Every Man, Woman and Child must become oil-minded.

The Prime Minister's unlawful invitation for US millions

planned and ineptly executed Gas-to-Energy project - invited “investors, both local and foreign,” to submit expressions of interest in two private companies: the Guyana Ammonia and Urea Plant Inc. (GAUP), estimated at US$300 million, and the Guyana Gas Bottling and Logistics Company Inc. (GGBLC), estimated at US$40million.

Investors are told that theycancommituptoUS$5 million or US$1 million respectively, and can “assume a government guarantee of 10% annual return ” Apparently expanding the statutory function of the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board, the invitation directs prospective investors to forwardtheirexpressionsof interest to the chair of that body

The advertisement is, in my view, unlawful on its face.Itisapublicinvitation of investment capital dressedupasaprocurement notice, inviting members of thepublictocommitmoney onthebasisofagovernment promiseonaventurethatis likeafinancialplagueonthe country PM Phillips is aware that the PPP/C enacted the Securities Industry Act, (SIA) precisely to protect the public by ensuring that adequate information is provided to allow informed decision-making and risktaking. In failing to meet those standards, the invitation is reckless, dangerous and unlawful Before anything further is done under it, the Prime Minister would be well advised to take legal advice from independent counsel conversant with both the CompaniesActandtheSIA.

A cynic might wonder whether,byitsemphasison “private” company, the PM'sOfficebelievesthatthe identityoftheinvestorswill alsobeprivate.Theywould be wrong The Financial Intelligence Unit might wish to step in and advise the NPTAB that there is a test in money-laundering law called “source of funds ” Another reason feeding cynicism is the recent removal of property tax on individuals

interpreted as opportunities to hide assets right here in G

government company with considerable experience in thatarea.

And here is why the PM's Office needs legal advice Unlike Humpty

Dumpty, words in real life havearealmeaning,notjust whattheOPM“choosesitto mean - neither more nor less ” Section 2 of the Companies Act defines a public company as one whose issued shares or debentures are or were part of a distribution to the public within the meaning

of Section 531 or are int

such distribution.Section3ofthe SecuritiesIndustryActadds asecondlimb:acompanyis alsoapubliccompanyifitis “theissuerofasecuritythat is beneficially owned by more than fifty persons.” Bothstatutestreatthepublic (Continueonpage13)

Same plantation, new overseers

There was a time when Guyana was spoken of, not entirelyjokingly,asBookers Guyana. Bookers was not a man.Itwasthegiantforeignowned sugar concern whose influence stretched so wide that if you sneezed in Georgetown, someone in a London boardroom probably approved the tissue Sugar estates, shipping, commerce, employment, social life Bookers seemed to own everything except your grandmother’s pepperpot recipe, and even that may havebeenunderreview Then along came Forbes Burnham. He looked at this a r r a n g e m e n t a n d understandably decided that an independent nation should not function like an annex of a foreign corporation. He wanted to endexternaldomination.He wanted to build a proud, state-led economy The commanding heights would be commanded by us… or rather by him. We would own the sugar, own the bauxite, own the future. It was a thrilling vision. Also, likemanythrillingvisions,it came with a practical difficulty:reality Nationalisation sounded simple take over the machinery and continue operating it. But running a modern economy is not the same as inheriting the keys

to the building. Guyana did not then possess unlimited reserves of managerial depth, technical expertise, marketing networks, or that rarest of resources: competentpeople.

So, the State acquired assets but also inherited headaches, payrolls, rusting equipment,andinvoicesthat reproducedatnight.

Worse still, Burnham changed ownership, but not necessarily control. Sugar andbauxitehadtobesoldon the world market, where pricesweresetnotinLinden or Enmore but by global forces that regarded Guyana astechnicallypresentbutnot decisive. The multinational trading houses, refiners, shippers and financiers still dominated supply chains

We owned the cow, but someone else owned the pasture, the milk truck, the supermarket and the customer

The result was that Guyana replaced one dependency with another Only now we were also responsibleformaintenance, managing the industry, supplying the markets on demand Everything else exceptsettingtheprice.And on top of that Burnham spoke of nationalisation but effectively paid for the nationalised industries, therebyplungingthecountry intodebt.

Dem Boys Seh...

Fast forward to today, andGuyanaunderthePPPC has enthusiastically joined the global neoliberal order This meant privatisation, opening the economy to foreign capital, trade liberalisation and giving incentivestobusinesses.

Some commentators speak dramatically of an ethnic oligarchic class seizing the State, as if oligarchy only arrived recently carrying luggage. But the State in Guyana has long been entangled with elite interests—during PNC years, PPP/C years, during APNU+AFC years, during whichever acronym was fashionable at the time Power here has always had friends,cousins,contractors, and suspiciously lucky associates.

A n d t o d a y, t h e commanding heights are once again rather crowded withforeigninterests.

At the summit of our economy sits ExxonMobil, whose offshore production nowdominatesthecountry’s exports.Oilaccountsforthe overwhelming majority of Guyana’s export value, with Reuters reporting crude exports as the principal engine of growth It is believedthatoilisnowclose to 90% of the value of total exports Government withdrawals from oil revenues are also deeply

Bigworddoescauseconfusion

Demboyssehthatduringafuneralofa man who died in the police lockups some peopletekacoffinandparkitrightupbyde police station gate, like if de po po dem openinganewbranchofLeRepentir

Dem claim how de police did beat de man in de lockups and kill he. Everybody suddenly turn detective, pathologist and senior counsel. But dat is Guyana for you. So dem put de coffin near de police station gate.

Dem fuhget dat de post mortem wha come out never seh dat de dead from licks. Depostmortemshe,hediedfromtheeffects ofaperforatedstomachulcer

When de result of de post mortem did becomeknown,confusionstart.Rightaway somepeopleseh,“Aha!Yuhsee?Depolice beat he so hard, dem burst de ulcer in he belly!”

Demboyssehthisiswhymedicalterms dangerous in untrained ears. Plenty words sound like one thing and mean next thing entirely. If doctor seh yuh have benign tumor, some people hear tumor and start writing will, when benign mean it ain’t cancerous. If dem seh yuh have chronic condition,somepeoplethinkyuhcondition sweet like calypso, not knowing chronic mean long-lasting If doctor mention positive test, people celebrating when sometimespositiveisdebadnews. Andnowdestarofdeshow:perforated

ulcer

Perforateddon’tmeansomebodypunch it and it buss like old football. It mean de ulcer gradually eat through de wall of de stomach till it make a hole. Through that hole, acid and all kinda nasty contents leak where dem ain’t supposed to go, and that could poison de body serious-serious. It is pain,dangerandemergencyinonepackage.

But no, some people prefer de movie version: police throw one box slap, ulcer explode, trumpet sound, case close. No evidence. No facts. Just imagination with surroundsound.

Demboyssehthisishowconfusiondoes born in Guyana. Somebody hear one half sentence, add two drops rum logic, stir it withvexation,andserveithotindestreets. By nightfall everybody quoting “sources closetodescene.” Meanwhile, de real lesson getting bury deeperthandecoffin:avoidstomachulcerif yuh want avoid problems. Dem thing does hurt bad, does tek long to heal, and if neglected could kill yuh proper. Especially all dem fellas who proud to call demself “drink man” and seasoning dem belly with rum,pepperandlate-nightworry.

Dem boys seh sometimes de dead man story ain’t about police at all. Sometimes it about people refusing to learn before dem talk.

Talkhalf.Leffhalf.

spending;for2026,oilfunds were projected to finance about 32% of the national budget.

Then come the quieter empires Notwithstanding GUYOIL, foreign interests hold major positions in fuel imports Brazilian, Canadian, Chinese and Australian players are deeply involved in gold and other mining. Chinese firms have become increasingly visible in commerce and construction Trinidadian businessesenteredearlyand secured a substantial footprint in services for oil andgas.LargeAmericanand international contractors captured many of the prime upstream and support contracts before local contentbecamefashionable.

Locals, meanwhile, are

invited to participate in the economy the way peasants were once invited to a royal banquet: by inhaling the aromafromoutside.

To be fair, there are roads, hotels, hospitals, warehouses and other opportun

es Some

Guyanese businesses have grownimpressively Buttoo often the broad structure remains familiar: foreign capitaltakesthelion’sshare, a connected local class gathers what falls from the table, and ordinary citizens aretoldtobepatientbecause prosperity is “trickling down”.

So,wehavetraveledfull circle From Bookers Guyana to Burnham’s Guyana to Exxon’s Guyana. Different flags, different sp

letterheads but the old

unchanged: who truly controls the economy, and who merely poses for photographsbesideit?

We once had a sugar plantation economy run from abroad. We then had a stateplantationeconomyrun locally but constrained globally Now we have a petroleum plantation economy administered from Texas.

The names change. The dependencyremains.

(The views expressed in this article are those of the a

thor and do not necessarily reflect the opinionsofthisnewspaper.)

H@RD TRUTHS

Ravaged by tyrants

What do you think, Guyanese? “The world is being ravaged by a handful of tyrants.” Pope Leo XIV said so in Cameroon. I salute this fine American, this vicar of Christ growing inhisrole.

What about others (leaders)? Those who “manipulatereligionandthe

very name of God for…political gain.” 'It's held together by a multitude of supportive brothers and sisters ' Spoken like a fearless man of God. Pope Leo doing his duty as religious leader, an Americanmanofpeace. Guyanese need no intro to tyrants; old ones, new ones. The result is that half of this country lives elsewhere. Many in the remaininghalfhopetodoso. Oil wealth, no oil wealth.

Many of Guyana's political leadershobnobwithtyrants, support their schemes Foreign tyrants are their lifelines. Object;getousted. Political leadership cravenness for power incentivizes them to support any tyrant condoning their corruptions, turning a blind eye to their con games that induce hopelessness in citizens. Political men with anatomical deficits; women in those circles are proud of theirbarrennessreprinciple, routine moral standing Politicians are not highly thought of, rank in the same category as used car salesmen, race track touts. Sleaze is their second skin. Thus, not much is expected of them; certainly not in Guyana, and not of one's ownfreewill. But what of men and

women of the cloth, godfearing believers, those calling themselves spiritual shepherds? They can be Christian, Hindu, Muslim. Where are priests and pastors? Howaboutpandits and yogis? And include imams and maulvis, what aboutthem?

Theloveofmoney,love of being counted, and wantingtostayontheinside have distorted the minds, muzzledthemouthsofmany of them. When they speak, it's to support wrongdoers.

They condone rank excesses. To look aside, pretend not to see anything. The greatest evil is not tyrantsordemagogues. But those who partner with, uphold, darkness and dirtiness. In support of unsavory leadership, Guyanesehearofexcellence

in leadership Amid disunity, and political practices that widen the disunity, pastors, pandits, and maulanas barter their consciences. Reconfigure their souls to stand with those who tear apart this society

The whole rotted structure is held together by a multitude of supportive brothersandsisters. So,the American in Cameroon by way of Chicago and the Vatican took a courageous stand;drewalineinthesand beforetheworld.

I applaud him. Stand with him on that declaration about tyrants destroying the world,andthemindlesswho blindlysupportthem.

What would he have to say if Guyana is studied? About its leaders? Its governmentandopposition? Its network of supporters that love to live with constant lies, endorse pathologicalliars? Thetrail of evidence is long and sordid The National

Assembly Oil and gas Politica presences in houses worship. Shepherds worshippershappiestaround deceivers, tricksters, and predators. A country that boasts of leaders who disdain moral compass and ethical anchor is no country at all. I make allowance: a conman country Acountry where religious leaders mislead their flock, deceive themselves (for personal gain), and for personal advancement twist their tongues, so that opportunity arrives. Bargaining among thedeformed.

When the call of politics becomes so pervasive and dominant in the houses of worship,andinanglestaken by spiritual leaders, then that'sanupside-downworld.

Churchmen can be among someoftheworst,butrarely so many big busloads of them There are some speaking out in the US. It wouldinspiretohearsimilar voicesinGuyana. Heremen

fix their words, so they can collect soup Here, politicianscultivatethem,to give themselves a sheen of honesty, decency, and respectability A sicko is a sicko and racists can't shed theirskins. Theycanrecruit countless fawners and selfenrichers.

They can't buy authenticity People of principlekeeptheirdistance. Whengoodmenandwomen degrade themselves, there's theGuyanathatexiststoday Tyrants. Bigots. Conmen. Reign supreme. Some face themselves, somehow SomestillpraytoGod. The kind wearing a suit, a slippery smile, fishy handshake.

(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinionsofthisnewspaper.)

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, Dr. Glenn Lall, has dedicated our Page Seven to be “BLUNT” about on-going indecencies in our land that should matter, not only to us at this publication, but the entire nation.

MONDAY –APRIL13, 2026

Slow pace in child protection probe

The disturbing incident involving a schoolgirl being draggedthroughtheStabroek bus park by Childcare and Protection Agency officers raises serious concerns about accountability and child welfare in Guyana While authorities acted swiftly to suspend the officers, the p r o l o n g e d s i l e n c e surrounding the investigation underminespublictrust.

The mother's frustration reflects a deeper issue: vulnerable citizens often feel ignored by those in power Transparency and timely communication are essential in cases involving minors, especially when State agents areimplicated.

Beyond disciplinary action, there must be clear reforms, improved training, and safeguards to prevent such abuses. Justice must not onlybedonebutbeseentobe done, ensuring dignity, protection, and respect for every child regardless of background.

The government must demonstrate genuine commitment by engaging affected families and providing updates, restoring confidence in public institutions and justice systemsnationwidetoday.

THURSDAY –APRIL16, 2026

Government denials and spin

The mask has slipped. Last week the government hid behind carefully worded denials, dismissing reports of “secret payments” to the Wales Gas-to-Energy contractor Now, the contractor's own financials expose the truth: over US$102 million awarded, with more than US$34

million already paid Not whispered Not alleged Documented.

This is not just about money; it is about credibility

A government that preaches transparency cannot operate behind confidentiality clauseswhiletaxpayersfoota ballooning bill. If payments were legitimate, why the silence?Whythespin?

Worse, this debacle underscores a pattern; poor oversight, costly delays and contracts that leave Guyana holding the short end. While officials duck questions, the pricetagclimbs.

The public deserves answers, not evasions. Every dollar spent must be accounted for Anything less is not governance, it is betrayal.

FRIDAY –APRIL17, 2026

Guyana open for exploitation

Guyanaisfastbecominga paradise for opportunistic contractors, and the troubling case of Lindsayca-CH4 underscoreswhy

A nation flush with oil wealth is being treated as a blank cheque, while those entrusted to safeguard public funds remain disturbingly silent Reports of inflated costs, luxury spending, and attempts to push billions more onto the Wales gas-toenergy project raise serious questionsaboutoversightand accountability. The People's Progressive Party Civic Government cannot continue to look the other way. Whether through negligence or complicity, the result is the same. Guyana is being taken for granted. This is not just about one contractor; it is about a pattern. If decisive action is not taken now, the country risks losing far more than money, it risks its credibility, its sovereignty, andthetrustofitspeople.

Machel Montano won the title for a record 12 occasions, with his tune, Encore

African nations tightening grip on mineral wealth

… Burkina Faso demands 40% stake in gold mine after Australian company projects up to 490,000 ounces in 2026 …Tanzania set to take over mining rights as government revokes 40 exploration licences

Authoritiesarerevisiting contra

g

Africangovernmentsare movingmoreaggressivelyto assert control over their mineralwealth,asawaveof policy shifts signal a stronger push for ownership and oversight of lucrative extractiveindustries.

regulations and, in some cases, stepping directly into projects long dominated by foreigninvestors.

In Burkina Faso, the

government has told West AfricanResourcesLimitedit plans to raise its stake in the Kiaka gold mine to 40%, up from 15%, in a move that

comes as the Australianlisted producer projects a sharpincreaseinoutputfrom itsWestAfricanoperations.

According to a Business Insider report, Australian gold producer West African Res

ted suspended trading in its shares on the Australian Securities Exchange on Friday,asinvestorsweighed a government move in Burkina Faso that could s

ownership of one of West A

projects.

The trading halt, requested by the company, will remain in place until a market update or April 21, 2026, as it prepares to respond to a decree by the governmentofBurkinaFaso that could lift the State's stakeintheKiakagoldmine to40%.

Statetightensgripon strategicgoldasset

Burkina Faso's move

is currently 85% owned by the Australian miner, with the state holding the remaining15%.

Trading halt reflects investorcaution

Following the latest demand, West African Resources Limited said the tradinghaltwasnecessaryto “ensure orderly trading and an informed market” as it preparesfurtherdisclosures.

The miner's outlook remains closely tied to global gold prices, which have been supported by inflation and geopolitical tensions, although higher interest rates and a stronger U S dollar continue to weighonsentiment.

Strongoutputoutlook despiteuncertainty

Despite the policy overhang, West African Resources is entering a period of strong production growth.

Business Insider Africa earlier reported that the

follows a recent decision, under a military-led government headed by Captain Ibrahim Traoré, to expandStatecontroloverthe mining sector through a decree adopted by the Council of Ministers, in line with mining legislation introducedin2024.

The proposed 40% stake builds on signals since August 2025 that the government intends to raise its interest in the Kiaka gold mine to as much as 50%, after increasing its holding from10%to15%atnocost.

Atthetime,WestAfrican Resources Limited had valueda5%stakeincreaseat $33.4million.

The Kiaka gold mine, located in the Centre-Est regionandcoveringabout54 square kilometres, began productioninJune2025and

430,000 to 490,000 ounces ofgoldin2026,drivenbythe first full year of output from K

Sanbradomine.

Kiaka alone is expected to produce between 240,000 and 280,000 ounces, cementing its role as a key contributortoBurkinaFaso's industrialgoldoutput.

Thecompanyistargeting all-insustainingcostsbelow $1,900 per ounce, pointing to solid margins even amid pricevolatility

Chief executive and chairman Richard Hyde

“landmark year”, with potentialshareholderreturns including dividends and a

consideration.

Meanwhile, Tanzania (Continuedonpage48)

The Prime Minister's unlawful...

Frompage8 character of a company as a consequence of how its securities are offered and held, not a label the governmentattachestoit.

Two features of the invitation make the selfdescription difficult to sustain. At a US$5 million cap on a US$300 million plant, sixty investors are required if each takes the maximum, and in practice many more The moment beneficialownershipcrosses fifty, the SIA treats the company as public, with the expansivedutiesthatfollow Second, the offer is made publicly and directed to “local and foreign” investors, including the

diaspora. That falls squarely withintheSIA'sdefinitionof “offer to the public” The advertisement seeks shelter behind the statements that “all information provided is only indicative” and that the document is “only a preliminary Expression of Interest.” The Act offers no suchescapehatch.

Conclusion

Honest and sincere prospectiveinvestorsshould be careful about this “invitation” and about what they may be getting into. A “private company” in which the government exercises control is still a government company A “private” company whose securities areofferedtothepublicisby

statutory effect a public company Noifsandbuts. Untilthelawiscomplied with-includingthefullsetof information, documents and processes - by the two companies, the invitation should be treated as what it is: a public offer which the lawdoesnotpermit.Itought nottobethatdifficultforthe PM to disclose the composition and election of the companies' boards, the terms of the sovereign guarantee, the appointment of a Trustee to protect the interest of the investors, and the ranking of the investors' claims.

The PM will do himself somegoodtoseekadviceon promoter's liability and the provision of the laws which attach personal criminal liability to those who authorise, permit or acquiesce in such conduct, subject only to very narrow defences. Those are matters fornextweek'scolumn.

(This column which appears on chrisram.net is reproduced with the kind courtesyoftheauthor).

‘Protection of citizens’ personal data not optional’ - calls for implementation of protection framework- APNU

A Partnership for

National Unity (APNU) on Friday said that the protection of citizens' personaldataisnotoptional. As a result, the party is

c a l l i n g f o r t h e implementation of a data protection framework to ensureprotection.

At the party's weekly pressconference,Memberof Parliament (MP) and attorney-at-law Dr Dexter Todd said that the misuse of people's personal data is an issuethatcannotbeignored.

“There are serious concernsabouthowcitizens' information has been handledandpotentiallyused forpoliticalpurposes.Thisis adirectviolationoftrust.The Government must move immediately to fully implement the data protection framework and ensure the establishment of an independent and accountable body to oversee it,”hesaid.

Dr Toddstressedthatthe matter warrants urgent intervention noting that it is notoptionalbuttheStatehas a fundamental responsibility toprotectcitizens'data.

Recently, Commissioner of Data Protection Aneal Giddings in an interview with News Room, was asked to explain how confident citizenscanbethattheirdata

will be protected without an actinplacetodoso.

Giddings assured the public that while the Data Protection Act is not yet in place, the rules and policies that govern how personal data is extracted for things like the digital ID card, “are verystrictlyadheredto”.

In December of 2025, Kaieteur News reported that Attorney General, Anil Nandlallassuredcitizensthat there will be legislation in placetoensurethatwhatever dataisrequiredandprovided for the E-ID system remains private.

On an episode of his weekly programme “Issues in the News” Nandlall said that while the legislation governing that data and the card are not yet in place, the personswhoareparticipating inthepreliminaryrolloutare doing it on a voluntary basis and the information they are providing is already in the (Continuedonpage46)

France gives green light to Martinique to join CARICOM as Associate Member

GEORGETOWN, Guyana, CMC –FranceonFridaysaiditwillcontinuetowork alongsideitsoverseascommunitiestosupport theirregionalintegrationafterParisgavethe greenlighttoMartiniquefortheagreementon accession to the Protocol on the Privileges andImmunitiesoftheCaribbeanCommunity (CARICOM).

A statement issued by the French EmbassyinGuyanasaidthattheapprovalof theCARICOMAgreementonPrivilegesand Immunities is regarded as “a decisive step towards the regional integration of overseas territories ”The statement said that the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Jean-Noël Barrot, and the Minister for Overseas Territories, Naïma Moutchou, welcome the National Assembly's approval onThursdayoftheagreementonaccession.

“FollowingtheSenate'svotelastJanuary, Parliament has now authorised the final approval of this agreement within a tight timeframe,” the statement said, adding that “this marks a major step forward in strengthening relations between France and CARICOM, as well as in furthering the regional integration of French overseas communitiesintheAmericas.

“This agreement allows the Territorial Collectivity of Martinique to join as an associate member, in accordance with the agreement signed on February 20, 2025 in Bridgetown,Barbados.Italsopavestheway for the other territorial collectivities of the Antilles-Guyana region to join as associate members,”thestatementadded.

The European country said it has fully rallied behind Martinique to support “this complex legal process, which involves the interplay between domestic law, European UnionlawandCARICOM'sownrules.

“This development now opens up concrete prospects: Martinique, along with

otherterritoriesthatmightjoinCARICOMas associatemembers,willbeabletoparticipate in the work of the organisation and its agencies,gainaccesstomorecomprehensive information on regional developments, and strengthentheircapacitytotakeactionwithin theirimmediategeographicalenvironment.”

The statement said that this involvement will complement the existing engagement of French communities in the Americas within regionalCaribbeanorganisations,notablythe Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) and the Association of Caribbean States(ACS).

“ThisdevelopmentformspartofFrance's ambitious policy aimed at strengthening the regionalintegrationofitsoverseasterritories, with a view to promoting their economic development,resilienceandinfluence.

“Thisstrategicdirection,firstsetoutatthe 2023 Interministerial Committee for OverseasTerritories(Comitéinterministériel desoutre-meror''CIOM''),wasreaffirmedat the2025CIOM,”thestatementnoted.

In February this year, the French Senate gave the green light to Martinique to seek associatemembershipwithCARICOM.

“The Senate's vote on January 28, 2026 opens a new phase for Martinique within Caricom.”Thechallengenowistotransform this institutional framework into tangible projects and useful cooperation for the territoryanditsstakeholders.

“Membership is not a symbolic achievement, but the starting point for a regional participation that will be translated into action, in the service of Martinique's development and integration into the Caribbean,” according to the French-based Richès Karayib, a multimodal and multilingual media platform dedicated to showcasingtheculture,heritageandtourism oftheCaribbean.

Taxi driver among three fined for drunk driving

Three men pleaded guilty to driving under the influence onFridaywhentheyappeared separately at theAnna Regina Magistrate'sCourt.

The trio, taxi driver Ganesh Nohar, 47, of Golden Fleece, Essequibo Coast, Region Two, Bhoopaul Roy alsoofGoldenFleeceand67year-old Peter Dyal, a shopkeeper, of 236 Hampton Court, Essequibo Coast appeared before Magistrate RavindraMohabir

The men were ordered to pay a fine of $20,000 each. Failure to pay would result in them being sentenced to six monthsinjail.

Exxon and partners prots soar to US$29B in 5 years

while Guyana received US$5.4B in 50/50 partnership

...OGGN demands answers from Government

Between2020and 2 0 2 4 , ExxonMobil, Hess and CNOOC, the Stabroek Block partners recorded massive profits, amountingtoUS$29Bwhile barely US$5.4B flowed into the Natural Resource Fund (NRF) the nation's oil account during the same period.

Highlightingthiswasthe Oil and Gas Governance Network (OGGN), a nonprofit body registered in New York, comprising Guyanese scholars based locallyandabroad.

In a statement shared withthisnewspaper,OGGN demonstrated a stark difference in the profits received by Guyana and the oil companies. Notably, the 2016 Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) clearly states that profits should be shared equally between Guyana and the contractor

In addition to profits however, Guyana receives 2%fromgrossproductionas royalty

This means that Guyana's total share should exceedthecontractor's.

OGGN however pointed out that Guyana earned far less than the Stabroek partners between 2020 and 2024 according to financial

statements publicly available, an alarming

development which warrants an explanation from the Government of Guyana(GoG).

The NGO explained that some US$9 1B is missing from the country's oil account, in accordance with the Petroleum Agreement and financials of the three companies.

Table showing profits

It said, “The core issue presentedisstraightforward: Based on a 50/50 profitsharing model and a total estimatedprofitoilofUS$29 billion, Guyana was expectedtoreceiveprofitoil

However, inspecting Bank of Guyana audited financial s t a t e m e n t s , s e e https://bankofguyana.org.gy /bog/publications/naturalresource-fund/auditedfinancial-statements, the actual amount of profit oil

Guyana received from 2020 to2024wasUS$5.4billion.”

Thisthereforemeansthat instead of 50% profits, Guyana only saw 18.6% of profits generated over the period.

OGGN pointed out that the analysis is not merely

Maritime firm looking to assist local seafarers become certified for int'l vessels

Inabidtoaddresstheshortage oflocalseafarerswhoarequalified to work on international vessels, Guyanese maritime firm Pandora Energy Inc/Western Logistics is placing greater focus on assisting aspiringworkerstobecertified.

The company was on hand at the University of Guyana's (UG) Open Day and Job Fair last Friday and Saturday at the Turkeyen Campus Business representative Shekiella Hollingsworth spoke with Kaieteur News about the efforts the company is making to assistlocalmarinerstobeproperly trainedandcertifiedtomeetglobal standards.

“Wearetryingtohaveastrong number of Guyanese involved and ensuretheyarewellqualified,”she shared, adding, “We also advise themonwheretheycangotoobtain

the necessary certifications and guide them on how they can advance to work on international vessels.”

The company also provides chandlery services, supplying vessels with food, fresh produce, and beverages, but Hollingsworth noted that the main objective is on workforce development within the maritimeindustry

“WeareallaboutGuyanese.We want to bring more local seafarers ontothesevessels,”shesaid,noting that many of the ships they crew andmanageoperateinternationally andrequirespecificdocumentation andcertification.

According to Hollingsworth, a major challenge is that many local seafarersareonlycertifiedtowork on domestic vessels and lack the qualifications needed for

international assignments. “What we are seeing is that many a p p

e documentation for local vessels They are not able to transition to internationalones.”

She observed that this gap has created difficulties for employers seeking to fill positions. “We are short of seafarers People are applying, but they don't have the required documents Sometimes they come expecting to work on localvessels,andwhenweexplain the requirements for international ships,welosethem,”sheadded.

To address this, she said the company acts as a bridge, connecting aspiring seafarers with the appropriate agencies and i

gnised certifications. In fact, she pointed

about numbers but a call for accountability In fact, the group demanded clarity on the mechanisms that led to the startling US$9.1 billion difference in Guyana's profits.

“The public deserves to understand how this

occurred.

WeurgetheGovernment of Guyana to provide a comprehensive, transparent account of the oil revenue managementprocess.

Thismustincludeaclear explanationofalldeductions and costs that reduce Guyana's share (and) a plan to strengthen independent oversight of the sector,” the Networkadded.

The group was keen to note that the future of Guyana is inextricably linked to the fair and transparent management of itsoilresources.

AboutOGGN:

OGGN was founded in 2017 and is composed of Guyanese at home and abroad.Itisregisteredas501 (c) (3) non-profit in New York.

Thegroup'smissionisto advocate for the rule of law, environmental protection, and strict financial norms when it comes to oil exploration and production inGuyana.

representative of Pandora Energy

out that many Guyanese have already benefited from such guidance.

The initiative, she said, is not limitedtoexperiencedworkersbut the company is also targeting students and young people interested in entering the maritime field, encouraging them to pursue

Western

her colleagues

the qualifications needed to access globalopportunities.

“Guyanese don't necessarily havetoleavethecountrytoaccess international work,” she said “With the right training and documentation, they can work on vessels right here and still gain globalexposure.”

ResolvingCARICOM’sLeadershipImpasse

BySirRonaldSanders

As with all my commentaries, this one is strictly in my personal capacity, drawing on more than fifty years of engagement with Caribbean affairs and a lifelong commitment to the cause of regionalintegration.Idonot speak on behalf of any governmentorinstitution.

Recent developments concerning the future tenure of Dr Carla Barnett as

Secretary-General of CARICOM have brought into focus an issue that goes beyond any individual. It touches the essential requirementofcohesionand mutual confidence among the Heads of Government whoguidetheCommunity

It is now evident that at least one Head of Government of a founding member state, Kamla Persad-Bissessar, does not supportacontinuationofDr Barnett’stenure.Thatreality, in my view, raises a serious question about the practical effectiveness of the office goingforward.

The office of SecretaryGeneraldependsnotonlyon formal authority, but on the full confidence and cooperation of all member governments Where that confidence is materially in doubt, the capacity of the officetofunctioneffectively isinevitablydiminished.

In those circumstances, and speaking solely for myself,onApril14,Isaidin a television interview in Antigua that, were I in Dr Barnett’s position, I would consider it untenable to continue in the role in the face of such opposition, particularly from a member state whose engagement is central to the work of the Community Forthatreason, were I in Dr Barnett’s position, I would withdraw from consideration for a further term. I repeated this position when I was interviewed on April 15 on TV6televisioninTrinidad.

My opinion is not a judgment on Dr Barnett’s service, which has been c a r r i e d o u t w i t h professionalism and dignity Rather,itisarecognitionofa larger principle No individual,howevercapable, should become the point around which division among member states coalesces.

Iamawarethatmyview is shared by some other advocates of regional integration The Gleaner newspaper in Jamaica, in its

editorial of April 15, addressed the impasse in CARICOM, stating: “Dr. Barnett, on the grounds that shedoesnotwishtobecome a distraction from

CARICOM’s need to manage profound internal and external challenges, could announce that, notwithstanding the vote of confidence from heads of government, she will leave the secretariat at the end of hercurrentterminAugust”.

The Gleaner went on to explore legal options that could be pursued. However,

CARICOM Heads of

Government are not confronted by a legal problem; the issue is political,requiringapolitical solution. Seeking a legal solution from the Caribbean Court of Justice amounts to askingtheCourttoresolvea political problem which is rightly the responsibility of Heads of Government Should such a legal process be pursued, it would be impossible for the parties involvedtoconductbusiness as usual in the Councils of

C A R I C O M T h e CARICOM institution, the regional integration

movement, and the collective interests of the people of the Community wouldsuffer

The political solution must start with the withdrawal by Dr Barnett from consideration for another term in office when her present term ends in August She should withdraw not because she has erred in any way, but because her effectiveness would be severely compromised.

Thereafter, the Heads should establish a transparentsystemleadingto the selection of a new Secretary-General. It should include nominations by member states and a transparentelectionatwhich the two candidates with the highest number of votes undergo a run-off The candidate with the largest number of votes would be declaredthewinner

Allmemberstateswould beboundbytheprocessand the result During the process, each candidate should have the opportunity topresenthisorhercasefor electiontoallmemberstates. This is the process used in the Organization of American States and the Commonwealth. The essential difference between the two bodies is that, in the OAS, the election process, including the voting, is

publicandwebcastglobally. In the Commonwealth, the meetingatwhichtheelection istotakeplace,includingits dateandvenue,isannounced to all member states and to the media, but the election itself is conducted behind closed doors by Heads of Government, who elect the candidate with the greatest number of votes and declare thatdecisionunanimousand binding on all member states.

Suchaprocess,accepted at the outset by all CARICOM member states, as all the independent member states accept in the O A S a n d i n t h e Commonwealth, would eliminate any doubt about participation, voting, and acceptance of the result in electing the SecretaryGeneral However, while this system would improve the present procedures in CARICOM and solve the immediate impasse, major problems still have to be confronted and resolved by our Heads of Government. Division in CARICOM serves the interests of no CARICOMcountry

It is worth recalling that in the mid-1970s, CARICOM integration did not merely slow; it stalled. TrinidadandTobago’sleader Eric Williams fell out with Forbes Burnham and Michael Manley, the leaders ofGuyanaandJamaica,over the ideological direction of the region. For seven years, there was no meeting of CARICOM Heads of Government and no sustainedpolicydirectionfor the regional movement, which did not resume until 1982.

Inthemeantime,therest of the world had galloped ahead, and CARICOM did not begin to try to catch up again until 1989, when A.N.R.RobinsonofTrinidad and Tobago led the Grand Anse Declaration that reset the regional effort, taking anotherthreeyearsforplans tobeformulatedbytheWest IndianCommissionin1992. This lesson is not obscure. Another period of paralysis in CARICOM will gravely reverseitsfortunes. CARICOM leaders have to rebuild trust among themselves and in their capacity to act together in their individual and collective interests. But it muststartwiththose,whodo so, ending the practice of talkingtoeachotherthrough the press and social media. There is no substitute for sincere dialogue, careful

listening, and a readiness to findjointsolutionstoshared problems This includes recognising the Zone of Peace, declared by all Latin American and Caribbean countriesin2014,whilealso acknowledging that there is no contradiction between that designation and the sovereignrightofindividual states to enter into security arrangements with friendly c o u n t r i e s S u c h arrangements, properly framed,

maintenance of peace,

particularly where they a r e d i r e c t e d a t safeguarding national territory, reducing terrorist threats, and protecting vital resources. Atatimeofconsiderable global turbulence and uncertainty, when small states must rely more than everonunity,coherence,and collective strength, it is essential that the leadership oftheCommunityfacilitates that unity CARICOM should be focused on the greater struggle to build capacity and resilience to grave external factors that are materially affecting our people’slives.

( T h e w r i t e r i s Ambassador ofAntigua and BarbudatotheUSandOAS and Chancellor of the University of Guyana. The views expressed are entirely hisown.)

WEEK-IN-REVIEW

SUNDAY

Guyanaalreadyfunding pipelinethroughcostrecovery …country to buy 375 billion cubic feet of Gas from Exxon for 20 years – secret contract reveals

Afterrelentlesslyridiculingthe former Coalition government for hiding the country’s Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) with ExxonMobil, the PPP government hasdonenodifferentwhenitcomes to the contracts signed for the controversialWalesGas-to-Energy (GTE)project,thecountry’ssingle most expensive infrastructure developmentonrecord.

Although the pipeline and two gas plants alone are likely to cost this nation about US$2B- more than this country’s total national debtin2018whichwasjustaround US$1 8B- the government continues to treat the project as a personal scheme, with questions ignored, contracts concealed and costsburied.

The closely guarded contracts however spell more financial calamity for Guyana, perhaps the only justification for keeping the documentsunderlockandkey Sources close to the ongoing Wales project have revealed damning elements of the contract between ExxonMobil and the Government of Guyana (GoG), which contradict the assurances given by both the contractor and governmentovertheyears.

Untruthsabouttheproject?

Fed with information that can only be corroborated with the hidden agreements, government and Exxon continue to spread details about the project which

multiple sources close to government indicate are far from thefact.

Former GTE Task Force Head turnedConsultanttotheMinistryof Natural Resources, Winston Brassington, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo and ExxonMobil

Country Manager, Alistair Routledge all shared different perspectives on the project and its financing.

While Exxon claimed that repaymentforthepipelinewillnot commence until the project comes online, sources said that the associated expenditure is already being deducted through cost recovery Guyanahasalsosigneda take-or-pay agreement with the company to purchase gas from Exxon Simply put, this arrangement means whether Guyana ever uses the gas or Lindsayca ever finishes Gas to Energy, ExxonMobil’s investment is secured. The contract did not specify the cost that Guyana will payfortheresources.

Citizens were told that the gas in the Stabroek Block will be free, however the secret lies in the

Agreement between former ExxonMobil VP Jesus Bronchalo, nowconsultantfortheGovernment as CEO and Owner of Fulcrum

LNG, an

consultant,WinstonBrassington.

Sources said, “Initially the government wanted a Gas Supply Agreement, given the political statements of “gas being free” which are untrue. Gas production fallsunderthePSA,andproducing Gas impacts the recovery of Oil of theco-venturers,soultimatelythey arrived at a Gas Sales Agreement (GSA).”

Sources were clear that the agreement between GoG and Exxon is a commercial gas contract,andnotarepaymentofan investment.Aspartofthecontract, Guyanahasagreedtopurchasethe gas in the Stabroek Block from Exxon,amovewhichstakeholders, question since the resources in the Stabroek Block should be the nation’sproperty

In 2023, Brassington told the world at Guyana’s International Energy Conference that the GoG will be paying Exxon US$55 million annually for 20 years to clear the costs associated with constructinga12-inchpipelinethat willbeusedtotransportnaturalgas fromtheLizaFieldsoffshoretothe Walesdevelopmentsite.

On the other hand, VP Jagdeo presented a different plan to repay the contractor During a press conference in June 2022, he told reporters,“Wellthepipelinewillbe fundedfromcostoil,andwewould have to repay that over 20 years. But the gas is free, and this is crucial; it is one of the things we were arguing for from the beginning.”

Meanwhile, Exxon’s Country Manager explained that the GoG will purchase the gas to repay the companyforitsinvestment.

“The gas that will come on shore,inessence,thatdevelopment is just gonna pay for the pipeline cost.Nothingmore…thegasitself, we are selling the full 50 million cubic feet a day to the government oragovernmententitythatisbeing established in order to receive the gas and put it through the power station,”Routledgeexplained.

Sourceshoweverindicatedthat thisisthetruetake-or-pay,inwhich ExxonMobil is guaranteed that the GoG will pay for the gas volumes, regardless of utilization and riskfree as cost-oil becomes its recovery mechanism. It is unclear

agreement commenced upon completion of the pipeline or will take effect after commissioning of theNGLandpowerplantatWales.

ALookatSECFilingsofHess andExxonMobil

AreviewofExxonMobil’s(and its partner Hess’s) official SEC filingsandregionalinvestorreports (such as the ExxonMobil Guyana Annual Reports for 2023 and 2024),thehighlyspecifictermsofa “US$55millionannualrepayment” arenotpresent.

Here is exactly what is disclosed in the official filings and how the repayment is actually structured from the corporate accountingperspective: Theinvestmentis confirmedat$1Billion

In the ExxonMobil Guyana Limited Annual Report, the company explicitly confirms the capitalexpenditure:

“ExxonMobil Guyana, Hess andCNOOCplannedinvestmentis approximately US$1 Billion to construct the 130-mile pipeline network that will transport 50 million standard cubic feet of natural gas daily to the onshore processingfacility.”

Repaymentisvia“CostOil”, NotCash

The Hess SEC filings and regional annual reports clarify that Hess and ExxonMobil SEC filings arenotcarryingthisinvestmentasa cash loan or receivable from the Guyanesegovernment.Instead,the pipeline’s construction costs are capitalized and recovered through the Stabroek Block Production SharingAgreement(PSA).

The Mechanism: The investor reports outline that ExxonMobil recoups its capital investments through“CostOil.”UnderthePSA, the consortium is allowed to allocate up to 75% of the total oil produced and sold from the Stabroek block to recover their development costs (including the Gas-to-Energypipeline).

Corporate Accounting Reality: From ExxonMobil’s perspective (andunderU.S.GAAPreportingto the SEC), the pipeline is treated as upstream infrastructure They recover their $1 billion investment by lifting and selling oil, not by collecting a fixed yearly cheque fromGeorgetown.

Whythe$55MillionFigure Isn’tintheSECFilings

“Because ExxonMobil recovers the pipeline costs in barrels of oil rather than a fixed cash annuity, you won’t find a 20yearamortizationschedulefor$55 million in their consolidated U.S. financial statements,” sources explained.

Instead, “The $55 million figure is actually a Guyanese government budgeting calculation. To explain to the public how the pipelineimpactsnationalrevenues, the government mathematically modeled the $1 billion pipeline deductionover20years,equatingit to a notional “unit cost” of $2.40 perMMBTU,whichtranslatestoa US$55 million annual reduction in Guyana’s share of profit oil,” an officialnoted.

The SEC filings confirm the US$1billioninvestmentandthe50 million cubic feet per day volume, butreporttherepaymentsimplyas astandardcost-recoverydeduction fromoffshoreoilproduction,rather than a standalone financial loan.

Hess in its SEC filings register a Sales Commitment of 375 billion cubicfeetofgastotheGoGfor20 years.

Shiftingresponsibility-A politicalwebdesignedtolock awaytheagreements Since the end of 2022, the political opposition began requesting agreements signed betweentheGoGandExxonbelaid in the National Assembly These requests were met with the simple explanation that the time was not right.

Former Opposition MP, David Patterson had asked whether any agreements were signed with ExxoninconnectionwiththeWales project and if yes, for the subject MinistertosupplytheHousewitha copyofthesaidagreement.

DuringaSittingoftheNational Assembly in December 2022, the

Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat in a written responseadmittedthatGoGsigned aHeadsofAgreement(HOA)with the Stabroek Co-ventures on June 30,2022.“Thisagreementsetsout theprinciplesandconditionsforthe commercial and technical arrangementsoftheGas-to-Energy Project,”Bharratsaid.

However,heexplained,“There are other agreements on supply, buyer’s agreement, field development,licensingconditions, onshore works, and land matters thatarecurrentlybeingdrafted.The respective agreements and policy documentswillbepresentedtothis HonourableHousewhentheyhave beenagreeduponandexecuted.All agreements are being done in a timely manner to meet the Final Investment Decision which will allow for the project to be completed by our committed deadlineofDecember2024.”

Although the commitment was madeforthedocumentstobelaidin Parliament, no official agreement with the GoG and the contractor, relating to the project was ever presented to the House. When Kaieteur News began requesting thesedocuments,responsibilityfor the project shuffled between government officials, a ploy that continuestoday

Faced with questions, VP Jagdeo said, “Maybe soon, I don’t know Idon’tknow That’sforGail Teixeira and the others” when asked when the agreements would be laid in Parliament Kaieteur News days later caught up with Minister of Parliamentary Affairs andGovernance,GailTeixeirawho explained,“Iamnotawarethatthe documentsareready.”

When asked to comment, NaturalResourcesMinistersaidhe wasbusyandthequestioncouldbe sent to him. This newspaper was however recently informed by Bharrat that the Prime Minister’s office is now handling the project. When contacted, Prime Minister, Mark Philips advised Kaieteur News to contact the project consultant, Winston Brassington who continues to read and ignore queries sent by this publication. It wasreportedthatPMPhillipsfor Continued on page 21

Frompage20 third time in November 2024, promisedtheNationalAssemblyto layovertheagreementsignedwith Exxon and other related documents.

>>>>>>>>>>>>

After Kaieteur News’expose, Lindsayca says 80 professionals working night shift at Wales gas project

Lindsayca Guyana, the firm hired to complete two key gas plants at Wales, West Bank Demerara on Saturday said 80 professionals are supporting the nightshiftoperations.

Thedisclosurebythecompany

comes on the heels of an independent investigation by Kaieteur News which found that although the Office of the Prime Minister said that 24-hour work wasongoingatthesite,allactivities came to a screeching halt by 6:00pm.

On Tuesday evening our team deployed drones over the project site during nighttime hours, just moments after the statement came from government Instead of a bustling, illuminated operation executinga“tripleshift,”theaerial footage showed a dead stop. The site was dark and completely inactive, flatly contradicting the government’s narrative of a relentless, 24/7 construction effort ( S e e v i d e o : https://youtu.be/G_6QJWvmaS

WhileLindsaycadidnotissuea directresponsetothearticlebythis newspaper,thecompanyinavideo on its facebook page said, “At the Gas to Energy Project, Wales site, work continues across multiple areas, including night shift activities focused on fabrication andfoundations.”

It added that reinforcing steel fabrication, formwork installation, mass concrete placements, and backfilling are part of the ongoing work supporting the project. The GTEprojectwasinitiallyslatedfor completionbytheendofDecember 2024.Itwasdelayedto2025butis now scheduled to come online by theendof2026.

This newspaper was told the project will not meet its year-end deadline and is more likely come online by mid-2027 Industry experts are calling on the administration to provide a realistic, unembellished timeline for when the country will finally enjoy a 50% reduction on their electricity bills and reap the full economic benefits of its gas reserves.

Delays will continue costing this country at least $126M monthlyfortherentaloftwopower ships to supplement the national grid Not only that, but the contractor can also seek additional funds to meet expenses related to the project which government will beforcedtosupplytodeliverlower cost electricity to the country as

promised.

The cost of these ongoing delays is not merely logistical; it represents a massive loss of potential revenue for the nation.A recent report in The Economist (April 5, 2026) highlighted the current windfall Guyana is experiencing from surging global oil prices Sadly, this financial boom entirely misses out on NGL production.

While prices for light liquids and cooking gas continue to increaseacrosstheregion,Guyana remains sidelined If the NGL facility were operational and on schedule, the country could currentlybeexportingthesehighly valued commodities to a hungry market.Instead,duetotheproject’s

concerns, Guyana is missing a criticalwindow,leavingsignificant realizedvalueonthetable.

MONDAY

Canadianfirmtoearn overUS$30BfromUS$3B buyoutoftwoCanadiangold companiesinGuyana …Guyana gets nothing from US$3B sale

The latest move by G Mining Ventures (GMIN) to acquire another fellow Canadian firm that operates in Guyana can see the company earning over US$30 billion based on a combined resource of 7-million ounces, and gold prices remaining above US$4,500 per ounce when productionbegins.

The 4.64 million ounces Oko West Gold Project located in Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) was added to GMIN’s portfolio back in 2024 following a business combination with fellow Canadian firm,ReunionGoldCorp.valuedat US$638 million (C$875 million).

Inasimilarmove,GMINlastweek announced that it entered into a definitive agreement with another Canadian company, G2 Goldfields for approximately US$2.2 billion

(C$3billion).

With the latest acquisition, the twoneighbouringpropertieswillbe merged into a single mining hub with a combined 7-million-ounce gold resource base, including 2.3 million ounces in measured and indicated resources and inferred resources.

The combined development is expected to produce more than 500,000 ounces of gold annually over its life, with Oko West contributing approximately 350,000 ounces per year and OkoGhanie adding an estimated 228,000 ounces annually This levelofoutputisexpectedtocreate a large-scale, low-cost tier-1 gold mining hub in one of the most prospectiveemerginggolddistricts intheworld.

GMIN’s acquisition of G2 and business combination with Reuniontosecureandcombinethe assets is pegged at US$2 838 billion.

ACQUISITION OF G2

Acquiring G2 will expand GMIN’s footprint in Guyana by 293 km² (square kilometers), creating a combined contiguous landpackageofover362km².

According to GMIN, once in production, the combined Oko project has the potential to rank among the highest producing gold minesglobally

The anticipated Life of Mine (LOM)averagegoldproductionof approximately 350,000 ounces of gold annually from GMIN’s Oko WestProjectand228,000ouncesof gold annually from G2’s OkoGhanieProjectintoasingleproject bringsthepotentialtoproduceover 500,000ouncesofgoldannuallyon aLOMaveragebasis.

The Oko West project proven and probable reserves is at an averagegradeof1.89gramsofgold per tonne. The project is expected toproduceabout350,000ouncesof gold annually over a 12.3-year of minelife.G2’smaidenPreliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) had outlinedthattheprojectwillentail

driven by reduced capital and operatingcosts,aswellasincreased output.According to GMIN, these stem from shared infrastructure, optimised mine sequencing, and streamlinedpermitting.

Infact,thecombinedoperation wouldavoidapproximatelyC$850 million in capital expenditure that would otherwise be required to develop a standalone Oko-Ghanie Project. This is largely due to the elimination of the need for a separate mill and tailings facility, along with the integration of key infrastructure Additionally, operating cost savings of about C$275 million over the LOM are anticipated.

underground operation with a 14yearlifeofmine.

Theintegrationofthedeposits is expected to enhance mine sequencing and optimisation opportunities, supporting higher mill feed grades and a more balanced blend of open pit and underground mining over the LOM.

GMIN noted that there is an opportunity to accelerate OkoGhanie’s permitting timeline by combiningwiththefullypermitted Oko West Project The targeted timelineforfirstgoldproductionat OkoWestinthesecondhalfof2027 remainsunchanged.

It was also explained that combining the projects also acceleratesandsimplifiestheOkoGhanie Project’s permitting timeline with Oko West already being fully permitted The integration of Oko-Ghanie is expected to streamline permitting execution, deliver a reduced environmental footprint by leveraging shared infrastructure and reduce overall development risk, representing a significant unquantifiablefurthersynergy.

Moreover, GMIN plans to move quickly through technical studies to verify the optimal mine plan, sequencing, and throughput forthecombinedOkoProject,with an intention to release a technical report in 2027, targeting expanded production by first half of 2029.

GMIN said it does not expect any delaysinfirstproductioninGuyana bycombiningtheOkoWestProject withtheOko-GhanieProject.

Notably, the terms and conditionsoftheexistingOkoWest Mineral Agreement are to be extended to cover the combined project Also, a reduced-scope Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) would be required,potentiallyin theform of an addendum to the existing Oko West ESIA, along with a correspondingpermitamendment. The agreement with G2 is expected to unlock more than C$1 billion in measurable synergies,

According to the terms of the agreement, G2 shareholders will receive 0 212 GMIN shares for eachG2share,alongwithsharesin anewcompany,G3SpinCo,which willholdG2’sremainingproperties notincludedintheacquisition.

G2 shareholders will also receive common shares in a newly created gold explorer called G3 SpinCo, that will hold interests in the Tiger Creek property, Peters Mine property and Property B, being all remaining G2 properties outside of Oko-Ghanie, Amsterdam, Aremu Partnership and Aremu Mine, Property A, and the Ghanie Medium Scale Mining Permit to be acquired by GMIN under the new transaction The combined company is to be led by GMIN’smanagementteam.

BUSINESS COMBINATION WITH REUNION

In 2002, the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) conducted the Lower Puruni Regional Geochemistry Programme, which covered the Oko West Gold Project area, identifying gold and molybdenum anomalies from stream sediment samples.

In2018,thelocalpermitholder introduced Reunion Gold Inc. to a numberofclaimsthatresultedina site visit to a mining pit to inspect outcrops and alluvial waste piles. Thisvisitandtheinterpretationofa favourablelocalgeologicalcontext promptedtheoptionoftwogroups of medium-scale mining permits, one of which was the Oko West GoldProject.

On September 23, 2022, a prospecting licence was issued to Reunion Gold on the Oko West Gold Project and in April 2024, GMIN and Reunion Gold announced plans to enter into a definitive agreement to combine the two companies at a cost of US$638million.

Under the terms of the agreement, shareholders of GMIN and Reunion receive common sharesofanewlyformedcompany, with Reunion shareholders receiving 0 285 GMIN common shares for each share held In addition,Reunionshareholders Continued on page 22

Frompage21

gainsharesinanewlycreatedgold company (SpinCo/Greenheart Gold) that hold all of Reunion’s assets other than Oko West. The agreement resulted in GMIN and Reunion shareholders own about 57% and 43%, respectively in the combinedentity CANNOT PREVENT

FLIPPING

Despitethemulti-billion-dollar transactions, Guyana does not directly benefit from the sale of mining assets between foreign companies.

Kaieteur News had reported that GMIN’s US$638 million combination with Reunion Gold came shortly after the company signed a US$1 million a Mineral AgreementwiththeGovernmentof Guyana Back in 2024, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo was questioned on the move and he statedthat‘flipping’isnotunusual, particularly in the mining industry anditissomethingthegovernment cannotprevent.

Hehadsaid,“Idon’tknowwho is walking away with sixsomething but remember we dealt with the issue of flipping…” thevicepresidentadded,“Ipointed outthatthisisnotunusualinmany partsoftheworldsoIhavenodoubt that a company may be selling a projecthere…Idoubtthefigure.”

Jagdeo said too, “I’m saying, I’m not aware of any flipping but flippingisnotsomethingyouhave to consult the government of Guyanaon…”

Moreover, he went on to highlight past instances of flipping intheoilandgassector Inrelation to that sector, the vice president underscoredthatasigningbonusis attachedtotheexplorationlicences of US$10 million and US$20 million. “Just to explore you have to pay a signing bonus now so we put in a big signing bonus there, because you can’t prevent people fromgoingforpartnerships…even iftheyflip,theStateearns(fromthe signing bonus) because you can’t prevent that from happening,” he added.

OppositionLeaderdemands fulltransparencyonWalesgas project - as concerns mount over delays, cost overruns

As concerns grow over the delayed, over budget Gas-toEnergy (GTE) project at Wales, WestBankDemerara,Leaderofthe Opposition, and We Invest In Nationhood (WIN), Azruddin Mohamed is demanding full transparencyfromtheGovernment ofGuyana(GoG).

In an interview with this newspaper, Mohamed pointed out that GTE is fast becoming one of the most glaring examples of the financial mismanagement and failed oversight of the PPP governmentinrecenthistory

The businessman said, “What wassoldtotheGuyanesepeopleas a transformative, cost-saving initiative has instead turned into a project defined by delays, escalating costs, and a dangerous lackoftransparency.”

Mohamed pointed out that the project has since failed to meet every major deadline, set since December 2024, with no clear and credible assurance that its new 2026year-endtimelinewillbemet.

Further, the opposition leader noted that the price tag on the infrastructure development continues to climb by hundreds of millions of US-dollars, with the public still unaware of when the promise of cheaper electricity will be realised, and at what cost to futuregenerations.

He pointed out, “Over US$526 millionhasbeenborrowedfromthe U.S. Export-Import Bank to finance this project. This is a loan that must be repaid, with interest, by current and future generations. Every dollar that is wasted, mismanaged, or improperly spent on this project is a dollar that the people of Guyana will still have to repay,withinterest.”

To this end, Mohamed argued, “We demand a full update on project timelines, a transparent accounting of expenditures, and clear confirmation of the project’s financialstandingwithitslenders.”

The leader told Kaieteur News thathewasparticularlytroubledby thegrowingreportsofquestionable expenditure by the contractor and the complete absence of transparencyfromthegovernment.

Moreover, he criticised governmentforfailingtoaddressin detail, the serious allegations of excessive spending, including high-cost operational expenses by the contractor This newspaper reported that the contractor, Lindsayca was using project funds to fly weekly to the United States via private luxury jets, costing US$70,000perweek.

On the other hand, Mohamed explainedthatwhileofficialsofthe

United States Export-Import (US EXIM) Bank offered glowing public remarks during their visit, the Guyanese people should not confuse diplomatic language with the reality of what is likely taking placebehindcloseddoors.

“Anyone who understands projects of this scale and the obligations tied to international financing would recognise that thoseprivatediscussionscouldnot have been comfortable for the government When a project of over US$500 million in external financingisfacingrepeateddelays, cost overruns, contractor disputes, and growing public scrutiny, lenders do not simply ignore those risks.Theyassessthemrigorously, because their financing is tied to performance, accountability, and repayment.”

Mohamed added that the PPP government has continuously demonstrated its inability to properly manage flagship projects, asallhavebeenmiredbyrunaway costs, repeated delays, and unansweredquestions. “Thisisnot justaboutoneproject.Thisisabout competence, accountability, and trust The Opposition will not accept a situation where hundreds ofmillionsofdollarsarecommitted in thenameof development,while transparency is ignored and accountability is absent. We will continue to demand answers, because this is not the Government’s money it is the people’smoney,”theLeaderstated.

TUESDAY

‘ReleaseWalesgasproject contractsnow’–Jordansaystoo manyunansweredquestions

Is Guyana now required to pay for the gas in the Stabroek Block? Howcanthisimpactthefeasibility oftheWalesGas-to-Energy(GTE) project? Will government still be abletocutelectricitycostby50%? Whatisthefinalcostofthepipeline and who owns the structure? Is using gas cheaper than continuing the use of heavy fuel oil (HFO) to generateelectricity?

These are just a few of the questions former Finance Minister Winston Jordan said must be answered by the government following the revelation that Guyana has signed an agreement with ExxonMobil to purchase its owngasfromtheStabroekBlock.

In an interview with Kaieteur News on Monday, the former minister raised concerns over the contradictorystatementssharedby several government members and Exxon. Guyanesewerepreviously told that the gas will be supplied free to the Wales site, however sources have since disclosed that a Gas Sales Agreement (GSA) have been signed between the GoG and Exxon which ties Guyana to takeor-pay arrangement This means that whether the country uses the

fullamountofgasbroughttoshore or not, it must pay the contractor a standardfee.

Thepipedream/nightmare

Citizens were also assured that the pipeline cost will be amortized over a 20-year period at US$55M annually, but information suggests thatExxonisalreadyrecoupingthis expense through cost recovery, or bytakingGuyana’soil.

To this end, Jordan reasoned, “Becausewehaveseennoneofthe agreements,wehavehadnoaccess tothenegotiations,wedon’tknow! That is why we can have five and six different stories coming out from the Prime Minister, Ali, Jagdeo, Routledge, every one of themhasadifferentstory Theonly thing we know for sure is the pipeline is not free but we know nothingelseaboutthepipeline.”

HepointedoutthatGuyanahas not seen an agreement with the company to construct the pipeline whichleavesquestionmarksatthe endoftheproject.Jordanwaskeen to note that although the structure was completed since the end of 2024,thecompanyisyettodisclose thefinalcostofthepipeline.

“How could you have asked Exxon to build a pipeline and you don’t know what is the cost, because when (Exxon’s Country Manager, Alistair) Routledge was asked by the media, he said that theywerestillascertainingthecost.

This means that we signed a contractnotknowingwhatthecost ofthepipelineis,whichisunheard of, and now they are telling you, wellwearestilladdingupthecost. So that is the first thing, heaven help us if they signed a contract sayingbuildapipelineandthentell uslaterwhatisthecost,”theformer Ministersaid.

Further, Jordan recalled that when government was asked in Parliament about the cost, the nation was informed that the deals were still under negotiation although the pipeline was already underconstruction.

Giventhatthepipelineexpense has been reportedly added to the

costbank,hesaiditwaslikelythat the project is already completely repaid. To this end, he questioned whetherGuyanaownsthepipeline, since both Exxon and government formerly stated that although projectsarefundedthroughcostoil, assetsbelongtoExxon.

Hesaid,“Letusassumethatthe government owns this pipeline, where does the pipeline show up and where in the country’s assets doesthepipelineshowupandwhat aretheaccountingarrangementson thevariousbooks?Whetherit’sthe Balance of Payments, the fiscal account, if the government owns something then two transactions have to be in place- one is an asset thattheyacquiredandtheotherisa liabilitywhattheypaidouttoclaim thisasset.”

Still on the pipeline, he noted that there is additional cost being incurred to maintain the pipeline while the government struggles to completethegasplantsatWales.

Nofreegas

Jordansaidthatwhilehehasnot seenthesecretcontractbetweenthe GoGandExxon,hefirmlybelieves thatGuyanashouldnothavetopay for its own gas. “Jagdeo had said thegaswouldbefreeandallwewill be paying for is the pipeline,” he recalled.

In fact, Jordan pointed out that this notion was used to push the projectasfeasible,whichtherefore raises serious questions about the economicsofGTE.Giventhisnew development, the former minister urged that a study should be conducted to determine whether continuing with the project would be cheaper than continuing the use ofHFOswithimprovedefficiency.

“When this project started it was under a US$1B, but when it now reaches US$3B and maybe going beyond, because if now you havetobuythegas,thequestionis whether it wouldn’t have paid you to improve efficiency of the plant and the transmission than to incur this massive expenditure,” he noted.

Furthermore, in determining thefinalcostoftheproject,Jordan stated that litigation, arbitration, cost overruns and gas purchase must be considered. “This will put theGTEwayovertheinitialbudget and not to mention way over the timewhichtheysaiditwouldhave beenmadeavailabletothecountry, another cost to citizens for the rental of powerships,” he pointed out.

Comeclean!

“The government of Guyana now has to come clean.They have to tell us clearly whether there is a contract between the GoG and Exxon to purchase gas that originallyJagdeosaidwillbemade availableforfree.Thatiswhatwas made the project economically feasible.Ifyounowhavetopayfor gasatthecommercialprice,what Continued on page 32

In the 21st century, we meetpeopleforthefirsttime, andhavesex. Withinweeks, wemoveintogether Wetell each other we love them within 3 months. We talk about marriage by 6 months or less. Within 12 months, we change several sexual partners. Successful dating carries a structure that does not include sex. Sex during dating for marriage is selfsabotage, self-betrayal, and compromising.

Datingwiththeintention of marrying, having a healthy, and a fruitful marriage is intentional and strategic. It requires you to manifestyourauthenticself. Itrequiresahealthyyou,one who has done the work to establish a strong identity rather than losing oneself in the dynamics of a relationship We begin dating when we are certain about ourselves. When our boundaries, sound decisionmaking abilities, and our qualities, are align with our values along with being healed of unresolved traumatic impact. We are ready

DatingStructure

Friendship Stage: This stage is not about friends with benefits, but rather about a group of friends, or two acquaintances or strangers, going out regularly, socializing, and getting to know each other The“friendshipstage”refers to a foundational phase, where building trust, shared interests, and emotional safety comes before No romance, no sexual relations. The relationship during this phase is to allow

Towardsabetterlifewithyourpsychologist

Dating For Marriage Part IV

time for hidden difficulties or character flaws to surface beforecommitment.

Trust and Safety:

Building a foundation of trust allows friends at this stagetoshowtheirauthentic selves rather than just their “bestbehaviour”.

Shared Interests:

Focusing on activities you both enjoy like hiking, gaming, or exploring local spots helps determine if you genuinely like spending time together No expensive or impressive gestures Compatibility assessment engagingactivities.

Long-term Resilience:A friends-first approach is often the primary driver of dating success because it builds a partnership that can weatherconflict.

N o n - R o m a n t i c Interaction: The primary goal is to get to know the other person without the pressure of romance or sexual expectations, as friendssocializing JointActivities: Couples participatetogetherinsocial, recreational, spiritual, and intellectual activities—such as exploring a historic town or attending group events rather than in isolatedromanticsettings.

Observation of Traits: T h e l o w - p r e

ws individuals to observe their partner’s true personality These traits include sense of humor, listening ability, manners, thoughtfulness, dependability, spirituality,

r e s o l u t i o n s k i l l s , emotionally and mental

stability, communication skills,etc.

Casual dating: At this stage, two people begin to emergefromagrouporbuild a friendship into a couple This process is unique; they likeeachother,notloveeach other They have already discoveredafewbasicthings they like Yet emotional involvement is quite low However, both individuals are free to date other people The intention is to discover peoplewhohavethequalities youarelookingfortobuilda healthy and successful relationship, family and life together Thedurationofthis processisaboutsixtotwelve months Purpose: This is an “unhurried” time to learn about each other’s habits, backgrounds, likes, and dislikes before moving t o w a r d r o m a n t i c commitment Yougettomeet both parties’ families and associates casually

Experience how they are treated and treat their family No excessive impression, sexual relations, nor commitmenttobetogether

Special Dating: The “special” dating stage is often a 3 to 6-month mark, knownasthetransitionfrom the honeymoon phase to deeper compatibility assessment, where partners move beyond infatuation to evaluatelong-termpotential. This period involves navigatingdeeperemotional intimacy, revealing true selves, and establishing trust.Itinvolves:

Emotional Attachment: A noticeable, growing emotional bond and attachment between the two

people Increased Time Together:Thecouplebegins spendingmoretimetogether thanduringthecasualdating phase Lack of Formal Commitment: Despite the growing connection, the couple has not yet reached the level of commitment found in a “steady” relationship. They are still free to see other people. TransitionPoint:Itservesas a bridge, helping a couple determine whether their values, habits, and backgrounds (learned in previous stages) align enoughtomovetoExclusive Dating or the steady dating stage,inwhichthetwoagree they will not date others. They see each other more often than in casual dating. Forthefirsttime,wordslike ‘commitment’ and ‘exclusive’comeintoplay It serves as a rigorous “trial period” where a couple tests their compatibility and commitment before considering marriage Serious Evaluation, this is a

timetolook“overeach other carefully.” It provides a window to o b s e r v e v i t a l personality traits such asmaturity,spirituality, dependability, and how onehandlesdifferences ofopinion.Bynow,the relationship is about 18 to 24 months. A good time to do psychotherapy together Healing the discoveryandunderstanding each other with professional help. Testing Commitment: This stage reveals if both individuals are capable of remainingfaithfultoasingle relationship Emotional Intensity, as the couple spends more time alone, feelings of love and trust often escalate. Sexual urges may reach a high point duringthisphase,makingita critical time to maintain boundaries.

By Dr. Telford Layne Jr. PsyD, MSc. Postgrad, BSc.

Formal Engagement: the sixth stage of dating before marriage It is defined as a deep commitmenttomarry,rather

than an end goal in itself.At this stage, marital counselling continues or becomes much deeper psychotherapy Marriage is within 12 months Both partieshavediscoveredtheir qualities, as I spoke of last week;theyarelookingfor,or canlivewith,eachother

This entire process, following this structure, takes 24 to 36 months, providingyoubothareinthe same geographic space and seeeachotherweeklybefore a beautiful wedding and a healthy,successfulfamilyin marriage.Thereisnoneedto befearfulofmarriage.When we are health out attraction and entertainment of others willbehealthytoo.

ByDr.KarenAbrams, MBAAA

Guyana is awash in oil revenue, and the recent Iran vs Israel-US war has driven a drastic spike in oil prices,furtherdrivingupthe cost of living while pushing projected earnings even higher

The Ministry of Finance reports that Guyana earned over US$761 million in the firstthreemonthsof2026, a

new milestone since

production began in December 2019, with oil prices holding above US$100perbarrel.

Global oil prices have surgedmorethan25percent sincethestartofthewar,and the windfall for oil producing nations like Guyana is real The challenge for Guyana is figuring out how to invest those revenues in ways that will reduce the suffering of significant numbers of Guyanese while delivering returns to current and future generations.

The talk of development iseverywhereinGuyanabut there is little consensus on exactly what our leaders meanbydevelopment.Most

experts agree that development means that life will be made easier for all

c i t i z e n s a n d t h a t

government’s core responsibilities, among them; roads, electricity, healthcare,education,water, solidwastemanagement,the sewage network, laws and justice, public service workforce management, support for Sports and the Arts, and a social safety net for the vulnerable, will be builtandmaintainedsowell that they provide a solid foundation upon which the private sector, civil society or any citizen, could build c o m p a n i e s , a n d programmes, which expand opportunitiesforall.

Even before oil, Guyana was blessed with gold, diamonds, bauxite, rice, sugar, sunlight, and rain; magnificent wealth, which, since before independence, hasseenthelion’sshareofits benefits flow to foreign companies and a handful of wealthy families. When the

Advancing Education, Technology & Innovation in Guyana… EconomicDevelopmentBeginsin theMindofaNation’sPeople

story of Guyana’s oil is written, will a handful of families and foreign companies once again r e m a i n t h e m a i n beneficiaries?

In a country awash with wealth, we simply must ensure that all of our children; whether they live in Tiger Bay, Bath Settlement, Bydaraboo, Awarawaunau; or in any other village in Guyana, are prepared to thrive and to contribute meaningfully to the optional development of ourbelovednation.

But such a vision runs right up against some pervasive and structural challenges.

The Inter-American Development Bank’s 2024 working paper Ten Findings about Poverty in Latin America and the Caribbean estimates that 58% of Guyanese live in poverty, while 32% live in extreme poverty, placing us among the four highest-poverty countries in the region Couple that with a tiny middleclassandastruggling education system in which, by the Ministry of Education’s own Education SectorPlan2021–2025,only half of a given cohort enrolled at the general secondary level survives to the final grade, just 39% of boys and 62% of girls, and werealise,quickly,thatours is a pretty significant problem that will not be solvedbymoneyalone..

It is my view that development means that we firsthavetoadjusttotheidea thatweareawealthynation, and that we must help our government to be exceptional, (not simply good) at providing basic s e r v i c e s Everyfamilymustdevelopa mindset for success. Every child will not make it into college,butweshouldstrive to ensure that every child shouldbenumerate,literate, and complete high school. The better we prepare our children for success, the more likely they are to benefit optimally from our nation’swealth.

Developingamindsetfor success from right where you are might look like treating every job as a

trainingground.Thesecurity guard who learns to use a computer,theshopattendant who learns inventory, the domestic worker who learns to cook new dishes, each is buildingaskillsomeonewill pay more for later Even the college graduate who is dissatisfiedwiththeirwages must research and work on findingnewopportunitiesor else plan to venture into entrepreneurship.

A good rule is to learn one new thing every month. A short course at GTI, a YouTu

l, bookkeeping, tiling, solar installation, nail technology, phone repair The oil economy needs trades person as much as it needs engineers.

Enroll your children in online lessons like the Pathway Online Academy program (ask about s c h o l a r s h i p s ) , a n inexpensive and quality option for reinforcing what islearnedinschoolinMath, English, Science and Social Students while helping to boost in-class academic performance and student self-confidence Finally, showupontime,finishwhat you start, and keep your word. In a small country, yournametravelsfasterthan yourCV.

Our nation’s resources must benefit more than a handful of wealthy families who use privilege to navigate a system stacked against the disadvantaged. Citizensmustprepare,push, andinsistontheefficientand professional delivery of services and equal access to opportunitiesforall.

Nochildshouldgotobed hungry No school-age child should be out of school. Illiteracy must become a thing of the recent past and all citizens should be rewarded based on ability andcontribution.

Guyana is at the crossroads, and we the people must decide what kind of nation we wish our grandchildren to enjoy Do we want more high fences, closed gates, barred windows,andendlessfears? Orcanweenvisionacountry where our foundation services are so solid that every citizen is prepared to

contributeoptimally,todrive innovation, to expand and diversify the local economy, to provide high-quality, high-paying jobs, and to buildwealthforgenerations, not because they have uniqueaccessandprivileges,

butbecauseeachcitizencan access opportunity equally, and,coupledwithhardwork, achievesuccess.

Development is more than double-digit GDP

growth Development beginsinthemindsofevery

citizen as they come to believe that a path to a good life is available for every citizen.Developmentbegins when leaders make us believe in a big vision, and then provide the foundation foritsachievement.

GNBSINFOCUS

SUPPORTING MEDICAL LABORATORY

PROFESSIONALS AND QUALITY HEALTHCARE DELIVERY

Medical laboratory professionals continue to play a critical role in our healthcare system by performing crucial analyses of blood, body fluids, cells and other biological materials Their expertise supports precise diagnosis, directs efficient treatment and ensures the consistent delivery of safe and reliable patientcare.

In recognition of their invaluable contribution, the Guyana National Bureau of

Standards (GNBS) joins the g l o b a l l a b o r a t o r y community in observing Medical Laboratory Professionals Week (Lab Week) from April 19 to 25. This year’s theme, “Lab Story: To Infinity and Beyond for Our Patients,” highlights the dedication, innovation and continuous commitment of clinical and public health laboratory professionals in improving patientoutcomes. ThroughitsCertification

Programme, the Bureau certifies medical and testing laboratories across Guyana to the National Standard, GYS 170:2021 – General Requirements for the Operation of a Laboratory This standard establishes a structured management system that strengthens laboratory operations and supports the consistent delivery of reliable test results.

To achieve and maintain certification under the GYS

170 Standard, the role of laboratory professionals remains vital. In this regard, GNBS will continue to engagelaboratorymanagers, techniciansandstaffthrough targeted training, internal audits and certificationrelated services to enhance performance and ensure continuousimprovement.

To date, GNBS has certified forty-one (41) medical and testing laboratories under its Certification Programme, demonstrating its sustained c o m m i t m e n t t o strengthening laboratory quality systems It also highlights the push towards Standardisation, especially by the professionals who functionwithinthissegment ofthehealthcaresystem.

In addition to the GYS 170 Standard, GNBS has adopted and supported the implementation of several

key standards to strengthen laboratoryquality,safetyand competence in Guyana

These include the GYS 2

Requirements for Safety in

Requirements for the Competence of Testing and Calibration Laboratories (adopted from ISO/IEC 1

Laboratories: Requirements forQualityandCompetence (adop

om ISO 15189:2022), and GYS

4

Laboratories: Requirements forSafety(adoptedfromISO 15190:2020). These standards collectively ensure that laboratories operate within robust frameworks that prioritise accuracy, safety, reliabilityandcompetenceof laboratoryprofessionals.

As laboratories across Guyana continue to implementbothnationaland international standards, patients and healthcare providers can remain confident in the reliability and high-quality diagnostic services provided by those that are certified by the GNBS.

GNBS reaffirms its commitment to supporting all laboratory professionals, includingthosewhoworkto ensurethattheirlaboratories are standards-compliant Those still requiring training,technicalassistance and certification can reach out to the Bureau’s Certification and Business Development Departments forsupport.

For further information, contactGNBSviatelephone at 219-0064–66 or 2190066, WhatsApp 692-4627, orvisitwww.gnbsgy.org

Burrowes School of Art

marks 50 years with Castellani House exhibition

The E.R. Burrowes School of Art's (BSA) 50th anniversaryexhibitionwasopenedtothepubliclastApril10 atCastellaniHouseandwillcontinuethroughApril30.

According to the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, the launch highlighted five decades of creativity, cultural expression,andthe“enduringimpactoftheschoolofarton Guyana'sartisticlandscape.”

The BSAwas established in 1976 in Georgetown as the country's leading institution for visual arts education. It developed out of the Working People's Art Class (WPAC), which was founded in 1948 by Guyanese artist Edward Rupert Burrowes whose goal was to create structured art training opportunities and encourage local talent, an effort that later came under the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport.

Theschool'soriginstracebacktothelate1940sthrough

theWPAC,whereBurrowesworkedtomakeartaccessibleto everyday Guyanese. In 1976, the institution was formally establishedandnamedinhishonour,continuinghislegacyof mentorshipandartisticdevelopment.

Over time, the school has operated from several locations, including Eccles on the East Bank Demerara and Sophia, before settling at its current home on Carifesta AvenueinThomasLands,Georgetown.Itsdevelopmenthas beenguidedbyanumberofinfluentialfigures,includingMr Agard, George Simon, Agnes Jones, Errol Brewster, and RobertCummings.

Today, the school offers diploma and certificate programmes in areas such as Fine Arts, Textile Design, Ceramics, Sculpture, Graphic Design, and Leathercraft. It alsocollaborateswiththeUniversityofGuyanatoensureits programmesmeetaccreditedstandards.

faces a 'Sad State of Affairs' Guyana's Diamond Jubilee

ByKhadidjaBa

As Guyana stands on the precipice

of its 60th Independence Anniversary, the nation finds itself at a surrealcrossroadsofhistoric wealth and cultural neglect.

In just a few days, the Golden Arrowhead will fly over a country that has officially leveled up its economicstature,rakingina record-breaking US$761 millioninoilrevenueduring the first quarter of 2026 alone,anewmilestonesince productionbeganin2019.

Yet, the celebratory mood is dampened by the cold mathematics of the $1 558 trillion National Budget. While the treasury swellswithoffshorebillions, the MCYS has been handed a relatively meager $10.9 billion. More jarring is the specific carve-out for culture:amere$3.7billion.

Creativesarecallingit“a sad state of affairs.” Many

are aghast at the government's current management of Guyana's cultural preservation and deeply disappointed in the

6 0 t h - a n n i v e r s a r y

celebration program designed by the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport (MCYS), the Ministry of Tourism, and private promotersHitsandJams.

Atatimewhenthenation should be investing heavily in the identity and heritage that defined its six-decade journey, culture has been relegated to a microscopic 0 2375% of national spending. As oil rigs pump unprecedented prosperity, the figures suggest that on the eve of this Diamond Jubilee, Guyana's rich cultural soul is being asked to survive on the crumbs of itsownexplosionofwealth.

The"SecretCircle"

The60th"Homecoming" programme has become a flashpoint for veteran creativewhoseeashiftfrom national heritage to a commercial "party-party" culture.

A n a n o n y m o u s playwright, a fixture in the Guyanese drama scene for decades, describes a "Secret Circle" of gatekeepers who have hijacked the national narrative.

" T h e r e i s n o consultation. We hear about events after the decisions have been made behind closeddoorsbyaselectfew,"

the playwright explains "They've outsourced our national identity to private promoters like Hits and Jams. What we're getting isn'tacelebrationof60years ofstruggle;it'sahigh-priced party with no Guyanese substance They are choosing 'vibe' over vision, and it's killing the intellectual stimulation that usedtodefineourtheater."

Anothercreativeoffersa structuralindictment,noting that the state's approach is fundamentally reactive. He emphasizes the urgent need for the ratification of UNESCO conventions to protect intangible heritage, work that remains sidelined whilethebudgetfavorsoneoffspectacles.

For many in the sector, the MCYS has transitioned into a "Ministry of Fete," functioning primarily as a welcoming committee for VIPs rather than an engine for nation-building and socialcohesion.

BeggingCulture

Thislackofconsultation hitshardestfortheiconswho built the industry Ezzie Rockliffe, leader of the Yoruba Singers, is celebrating 55 years of performance this May Despite a career that includes playing Madison Square Garden twice, he speaks of a "disrespectful" paydisparitythatborderson thepredatory "They bring in a foreign artist like Warrior King and

propagandainsteadofart."

Ace, an award-winning actor and singer, observed that while the industry once felt more equitable, the current landscape is defined by"politicalwitch-hunting." This shift is most visible at theNationalCulturalCentre, where Ace describes a significant drop in attendance,attributingittoa lack of robust management and a focus on immediate financial gains over holistic development.

Theexclusionextendsto the very roots of the soil.

Andrea Bryan-Garner, a media professional and a d v o c a t e f o r t h e Masquerade, warns that the tradition is being "sterilized."

"The Masquerade is the ultimate symbol of our resistance and rhythm, but it's treated like a seasonal curiosity for tourists," Garner argues. "If you don't know your rhythm, you'll dance to anyone's drum."

She describes the 60thanniversary calendar as a "rushed afterthought" that lacks literary festivals or events showcasing Guyanesefolklore.

Lokono

pay US$10,000," Rockliffe reveals. "Then they offer a legendary Guyanese band G$300,000 to divide among twelve people They promised us a grant in December2024for2025;we haven't seen a cent. They wantustobesycophants,not legends."

KwasiAceaddsthatthis transactional environment hasledtoa"tremendousdip" in the quality of theater and publicinterest.Henotesthat the creative sphere now prioritizes political connections over raw talent. "We've created a system where the loudest or bestconnected get the stage. It's created a visible apathy in the audience; they know when they are being fed

Sabantha Onyi, a language activist for the Lokono (Arawak) people, echoes this sentiment, characterizing the state's approach to Indigenous inclusion as a "stage show" designed to "make up the numbers." Onyi also noted the absence of Indigenous themed activities in the Ministry's Independence celebrations.

As one of the few Arawaklanguageteachersin the country, Onyi has documented over 10,000 words for a new dictionary Yet, she describes this work as a lonely struggle. Her attempts to formalize language preservation have been met with bureaucratic confusionattheWalterRoth

MuseumandtheMCYS.

Onyi also detailed a personal exper

ence involving a $5 million

t proposal. Despite being told the funds were ready, she was later blocked from collecting them, alleging that officials intended to divert the money "I never saw even $20 for language revitalization,"sherevealed. MimicNation

Creative professional Dillon Mohamed provides a haunting analysis of the current "cultural vacuum." Heobservesthatbyfailingto promote local art, the state has allowed a foreign identitytotakeroot.

"We are becoming a nationofmimics,tradingour history for a borrowed vibe that has no shelf life," Mohamed notes. He points to the systematic dismantling of formal musical institutions, noting the disappearance of a true National Choir and the "capitalist" conflict at the National School of Music, where he alleges private teacherslobbiedagainstfree governmentprograms.

Mohamed identified a deep ethnic disparity in the official programming, observing an absence of Indigenous and African representation in musical competitions. He lamented that cultural staples like Masquerade are treated as "hype" rather than historical narratives.

Glittervs.Soul

G e m M a d h o oNascimento, a stalwart of Guyanese theater, expressed deep sadness over what she views as a missed opportunity to unify the nation.Forher,thetragedyis thestallingofvitalhistorical work due to blatant underfunding Her From Whence We Came series remains incomplete because the African chapter cannot (Continuedonpage46)

Frompage22 aretheimplicationsfortheGTEin terms of the tariffs? Will they still beabletocuttariffsby50%andif theygoaheadwiththat,howmuch willthegovernmentbesubsidizing electricityandwhetherthatsubsidy would be bigger than the actual subsidytheyaregivingrightnowto the consumers,” the former ministerquestioned.

He said it would be interesting to know what circumstances led to thechangeinpositionregardingthe freegas.

Moreover,Jordanarguedthatif the information published was incorrect, it is the responsibility of the government to not only reject, but respond with concrete evidence.

“We have not seen a single documentinrelationtothisproject and so we keep speculating and they can end all the speculation by putting the document in the public domainorcomeoutandrefutewith evidence what we have said. You havetoshowtheevidencethatthis is not so and they can withhold whatever proprietary information fromthecontracts,”hesaid.

ASLpilotfounddeadafter rescueteamfinallyreaches crashsite

“We kept our hopes alive until the last moment”, relatives said after Guyana Defence Force Special Forces found the body of thepilotintheAirServicesLimited (ASL) plane crash, Ryder Alberto Castillo.

The Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) broke the sad news via a press release on Monday. His body was recovered threedaysaftertheCessnaCarvan, 8R-YAC he was flying crashed in thejunglenearImbaimadai,shortly after he took off from the Mahdia Airstrip,Region8.

GCAA said that the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Special Forces were finally able to successfullyreachthecrashsiteon day three of a search and rescue operation.“Theteamrecoveredthe

body of the pilot and are currently making preparations for extraction from the site”, GCAAstated in the statement.

Up to press time there were no furtherupdatesonwhethertheteam was able to extract the body from the site and transport it to the city “The Ministry of Public Utilities and Aviation, the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), and theGuyanaDefenceForce,jointhe wider aviation community in extending their heartfelt sympathiestothelovedonesofthe pilot,” GCAA continued while assuringthatinvestigationsintothe planecrashcontinues.

Following the news of his death, Castillo’s loved ones expressed their grief via Facebook posts His sister Maria Elena CastilloAburtowrote“Wekeptour hopes alive until the last moment, God has His plans, I know my brother fought very hard (Guardamoslasesperanzashastael último momento, Dios tendrá sus planes, mi hermano habrá luchado lose”

Anotherrelative,AlexCastillo, described him as a man with great experience “Gracias tío por tus consejos,misrecuerdoscontigoen miniñez.Erasmihéroedeniñoylo seguirás siendo. (Thankyou uncle, for your advice, my childhood memories with you. You are my herosinceIwaschildandyouwill always continue to be my hero”, Alexsaid.

Meanwhile, other family members are calling for his employer to assist in returning his remains to Nicaragua, his homeland. Natalia Castillo wrote, “Alifewaslost,ahumanbeingwith afamily;theremainsofanairplane cannot be more important than returning the body to a mother, a wife, and other relatives who want to say goodbye to him (Se perdió una vida, un ser humano con familia no pueden ser más importantes los restos de un avión queregresarelcuerpoaunamadre y una esposa y demás familiares quequierendespedirsedeél)”.

The ASL has not responded

directlytothecallsforassistanceto have his body returned home but has stated that it is mourning the loss of the pilot and expressed condolences to his friends and family Ryder was described as a dedicated and valued member of ASL’s flight crew “Captain Castillo served the company for eight remarkable years with unwavering dedication and humility”, the company stated before adding: “he was known for hiscalmnatureandhisremarkable ability to turn every challenge into somethingpositive.”

“His professionalism, strength, andquietleadershipearnedhimthe respect of everyone who had the privilege of working alongside him” ASL said while describing him as genuine hardworking and one of its finest pilots who always delivered with excellence and reliability AccordingtoASLonthe dayhecrashedFriday)Castillowas pilotingacargoflightfromMahdia toImbaimadai.

Reports are that the aircraft departed Madhia at 08:10hrs with one person on board (Castillo) and was due to arrive at Imbaimadai at 08:40hrs”, but it never did “It failedtoreportarrival,promptinga flight progress check at 08:44hrs,” the GCAA had said while noting that “weather in the area included heavy rainfall and reduced visibility” A search and Rescue operation was launched the same day involving several stakeholder including medical personnel and GDF special forces but due to rough and mountainous jungle terrain with dense vegetation, the rescues were only able to successfullyaccessthecrashsiteon Monday.

WEDNESDAY

‘GOVT.EXPOSED’ –Govt.orderedtopayWales gasprojectcontractor US$102Massettlement - already paid US$34M –company’s financials reveal

Despite firm denials from the GovernmentofGuyana(GoG)that no“secretpayments”weremadeto the Wales Gas-to-Energy (GTE) contractor, newly surfaced financial records from Lindsayca/CH4haverevealedafar larger settlement, raising fresh concerns about transparency in the country’smostexpensiveproject. While the payment was never reported or admitted to by government, which claimed strict adherence to “confidentiality” terms, the contractor’s financials

show that the Dispute Adjudication/Avoidance Board (DAAB)orderedthegovernmentto pay US$102 7 million, significantly higher than the previouslyreportedUS$80million. More strikingly, the documents confirm that US$34.2 million has already been paid in 2025, with

GTE Consultant, Winston Brassington

additionalinstallmentsexpectedin 2026.

Accordingtothefinancialsseen bythis newspaper,“On31January 2025,theDAABissuedtwoawards ordering the Government of Guyana to pay a total amount of US$102,679,839 to Lindsayca CH4GuyanaInc.”

Lindsayca explained that in accordance with the contract it signed with government, access to theprojectsitefortheconstruction of the power plant was agreed as June1,2023.However,accesswas grantedseveralmonthslaterdueto delays in completion of site preparationactivities.

Additionally, the company notedthatthereweredefectstothe quality of the site which required Lindsayca/CH4 to incur costs to remedy the situation. The parties therefore took their case to the DAAB “following a disagreement over the extension of the final delivery date of the project. The dispute arose due to delays in accessing the site for land preparationandthecostsassociated with remediating defects related to thesitepreparation.”

Although the Prime Minister’s Office in a statement last week informed that both parties were dissatisfiedwiththeoutcomeofthe DAAB, Lindsayca clearly stated, “To date, the outcome of the mediation process has been satisfactoryfortheGroup.”

Following the ruling by the DAAB,thecompanyhighlighteda lack of compliance by the GoG, whichledtoamediationagreement two months later According to Lindsayca, “Following this and a lack of compliance from the GovernmentofGuyana,theparties executed a Mediation Agreement on March 25, 2025, to discuss and resolve the payment of the DAAB awards During the mediation process on April 1, 2025, an agreement for payment in installments was reached with the Government of Guyana’s representatives.”

Tothisend,Lindsaycareported thatithassuccessfullyobtainedthe first installment which was paid in 2025.Thecompanyanticipatesthe remaining installments to be made

in 2026 “The Group obtained favourable awards from the Dispute Avoidance and Adjudication Board (DAAB) regarding specific claims and has already collected the first installment of US$34.2 million in 2025,” the company’s financials state.

Sources close to the process informed Kaieteur News that a US$34Mpaymentwasmadetothe contractor about four weeks ago. Moreover,thispublicationwastold that the local law firm, London House Chambers was involved in advising Lindsayca/CH4 during the dispute with government. It is unclear whether the legal team for thecontractorwillbepaidfromthe US$102Mawardedtothecompany or whether this is yet another cost addedtoGuyana’sbillfortheGTE project.

Inadditiontohidingthepayout made to the GTE contractor, government has not said exactly how much it paid in legal fees –both foreign and local. With the project cost increasing by millions of USD, the head of the GTE Taskforce, Winston Brassington continues to hold his tongue as the PrimeMinister,MarkPhillipsfaces the heat for the project. Further, President IrfaanAli who promised todelivertheprojectsince2024has not issued a statement on this matter since a series of disclosures were made by this newspaper, raising deeper concerns of accountability,oneobserversaid. One week ago, the Prime Minister’s Office issued a statement in response to an article published by Kaieteur News indicatingthataUS$80Mpayment wassecretlypaidtotheWalesGTE contractortosettlethedispute. The PM however indicated, “There are no secret payments made to the Contractor Allpaymentsaremade via the Consolidated Fund and reported to Parliament For the record, the Parties have not advanced the arbitration process and as such there is no arbitration ruling. Arbitration continues to be anoptionavailabletotheParties. It isthereforeincorrecttosuggestthat the GoG has lost the arbitration.” Further, the statement noted, “It may be recalled that in January 2 0 2 5 , t h e D i s p u t e Avoidance/Adjudication Board (DAAB) made decisions which bothpartiesweredissatisedwith.In March 2025, both Parties signaled their intent to go to arbitration and notied the members of the DAAB. It has been publicly stated that DAABdecisionsarecondential.As such, neither party can speak to its contents.”

Notably, questions sent by Kaieteur News to the PM since April 9, seeking clarity on the payments made to the contractor were ignored. Subsequent queries specificallyrelatingtoGuyana’s Continued on page 33

Frompage32 agreementtopurchasegashasalso beenmetwithsilence.

Chinesecompany exportedUS$718Mingold lastyearfromGuyana

Guyana’s lone large-scale gold operator, Zijin Mining Group Co. Ltd, through its subsidiary Aurora Gold Mine (AGM) Inc., exported 167,005 ounces of gold from Guyana in 2025 – an estimated value of US$718 million (about G$143 billion) based on a gold priceofUS$4,300perounce.

Zijin recently reported a net profit of US$7.4 billion for 2025 from its global operations The company is among the world’s leading producers of gold, copper, and zinc, with more than 30 largescale mining projects across 19 countries In its 2025 Annual Results,ZijinstatedthattheAurora mine produced approximately 4.5 tonnes of gold, representing an 11 percentincreasefrom4.1tonnesin 2024. Kaieteur News had reported that according to Zijin’s interim half-year 2025 report, Zijin earned RMB1.4789 billion (over US$200 million) from the Aurora Gold Mineduringthefirsthalfof2025.

Zijin’s foothold in Guyana’s mining landscape was solidified in August 2020 when they acquired the largest gold mines operation in the country from Canadian-owned AGMforasumofUS$238million. AGM Inc , a wholly-owned subsidiary of Zijin, operates the AuroraGoldMine,whichislocated in Region Seven (CuyuniMazaruni) The mine holds estimated reserves close to 184 tonnes of gold (183,809 kg), or approximately six million ounces of gold. In 2024, AGM had reporteda32.3percentincreasein declarations reaching 144,593 ounces of gold produced. In 2023, thecompanyreporteda7.8percent increase in declarations to 109,358.4ounces.

During the 2026 budget presentation, Senior Minister with responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh revealed that Guyana’sgoldsectorpostedstrong growth in 2025, recording an 11.6 per cent increase in declared production, with total output climbing to 484,321 ounces—an increaseof 50,254 ounces over the previous year The minister stated that while declarations from licensed dealerships declined by 21.5 per cent to 121,883 ounces, declarations from AGM rose by 15 5 per cent As it relates to declarations to the Guyana Gold Board(GGB),Dr Singhsaidthese increased by 45 6 per cent to 195,432ounces.For2026,thegold sectorisprojectedtoexpandby5.4 per cent. The government is now targeting an even bigger haul in 2026, projecting declarations of 510,450 ounces as mining activity

Cross-Section of Wenot Shear-Hosted Gold Deposit and Gilt Intrusion-Hosted Deposit

accelerates across all operator categories.

THURSDAY

GuyanagoldpushesOMAI reservesto2.5millionounces - gold find increased by 400,000 ounces in seven months

Withinsevenmonths,Canadian firm Omai Gold Mines Corp. has increased its indicated Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) by 400,000 ounces of gold, bringing the company’s estimated resource base in Guyana to 2 5 million ounces.

Guyana’s mineral wealth continues to attract major foreign investment, with Omai among several Canadian mining companies collectively controlling millions of ounces of gold across various stages of development These projects, spanning multiple mining regions, are advancing through exploration, feasibility studies,andpermitting.

Omai holds full ownership of the historic Omai Gold Project in Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) throughitssubsidiary,AvalonGold Exploration Inc. Once a prolific producer from 1993 to 2005, the mineyielded3.8millionouncesof gold during a period when prices were below US$400 per ounce With gold prices now holding aboveUS$4,500perounce,Omai’s 2.5millionouncesisvaluedatmore thanUS$11billion.

TheupdatedMREbuildsonthe August 2025 estimate, which placed the property’s two orogenic gold deposits: the shear-hostedWe not Deposit and the adjacent intrusion-hostedGiltDepositat2.1 million ounces in the indicated category

The latest estimate reflects

expansions at both deposits. The We not Indicated MRE increased by 49 8% to 1,453,000 ounces, while the We not Inferred MRE rose by 7.6% to 3,999,000 ounces. At the Gilt Deposit, the Inferred MREsurgedby120%to1,465,000 ounces, although the Indicated MRE declined by 9 5% to 1,042,000 ounces Overall, the updated MRE now estimates 2,495,000 ounces of gold in the indicated category an increase of 17.6%and5,465,000ouncesinthe inferredcategory

Commenting on the increased goldestimateOmai’sPresidentand Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Elaine Ellingham said, “We are pleasedtobedeliveringyetanother very substantial increase to the Mineral Resource Estimate for our OmaiGoldProjectinGuyana.This reinforces Omai’s position as the largestgoldprojectinGuyana.”

She highlighted the project’s strategic location, noting its road access just 10 kilometres from Guyana’s main transport corridor linking major towns and northern Brazil,whichsimplifieslogisticsas developmentprogresses.

“Omai’slegacybenefitsinclude an on-site airstrip, a cleared site, known metallurgical recoveries, and established tailings sites In additiontotheseuniqueadvantages for developing a large-scale gold deposit, Guyana is proving to be a favourable jurisdiction for permitting with Government and communities’ support for largescale mine development,” she noted.

Ellingham said this marks the company’s fifth MRE since returning to Guyana’s mining sector, underscoring the project’s

development She credited the

added.

Incompletestructurecollapses, onekilled,severalinjured

A 46-year-old construction worker was killed and several otherswererushedtoseekmedical attention last night following the suddencollapseofabuildingunder construction along the East Coast ofDemerara.

T

identified as Radesh Domingo, who Kaieteur News understands from persons who worked with him, was a veteran construction workerofoveradecadeinyearsof experience and a father of one Domingo, originally from Spring Gardens, Essequibo, had been residing in Mon Repos at the time ofthefatalincident.

The tragedy occurred at a construction site in Atlantic Gardens, where a structure reportedly owned by businessman Omprakash Shivraj, popularly known as “Buddy” Shivraj, gave waywithoutwarning.

project team for delivering consistent value growth She added, “With each successive milestone it becomes even clearer that Omai has the potential to be a multi-decade gold mining operation.”

Despitethesignificantincrease, she noted there remains strong potential to further expand mineralisation at both the We not and Gilt deposits. A 50,000-metre drilling programme is currently underway, with five rigs in operation.

The company’s next major milestone is a Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA), expected within two to three months. “We are continuing to aggressively drill to increase the Mineral Resources and to upgrade the Inferred Resources, as we set oursightsonafuturePrefeasibility orFeasibilityStudy Drillingisnow focused on the Wenot deposit and on certain nearby targets,” she

Information reaching this publicationindicatesthateightmen were on-site and working at the timeofthedisaster Asthestructure failed, it crashed into the yard of a nearby residence, sending shockwaves through the quiet neighbour hood and narrowly missingadjacenthomes.

First responders, including firetrucks and ambulances, arrived at the scene shortly after the collapsetofindasceneofmassive destruction. Radesh Domingo was confirmeddeadatthescene,having been pinned by the falling debris. Seven other workers sustained various injuries and were immediately transported away from the scene for emergency medicaltreatment.

Thefullextentofthesurvivors’ injuriesremainsunclearuptopress time.TheGuyanaPoliceForceand emergency services cordoned off thearealatelastnighttosecurethe site.ItisexpectedthattheMinistry of Labour’s Occupational Safety and Health Department will conduct a thorough investigation intothecircumstancessurrounding the collapse, including whether safety protocols were followed during the late-night work session. Up to press time, no official statementhadbeenreleasedbythe owners of the property regarding thecauseofthestructuralfailure.

FRIDAY

Govt.seeksinvestors forWalesgasproject - amid delays, offers 10% return

Despite delays to the Gas-toEnergy (GTE) project, the Government of Guyana (GoG) is continuing preparations for its eventual startup to monetize the resourcesthroughtheconstruction Continued on page 34

Frompage33 of a Gas Bottling Company and FertilizerPlantatWales,WestBank Demerara.

On Thursday, the Office of the Prime Minister invited investors, both local and foreign, to submit Expressions of Interest for the two projects.

Accordingtotheadvertisement placed in Kaieteur News, the Guyana Ammonia and Urea Plant Inc. (GAUP) is estimated to cost US$300M It said investors can provide up to US$5M, however interested parties can express the maximum amount they are interestedininvesting.

Moreover, government noted

Government guarantee of 10%

” T

e Prime Minister’sOfficealsomadeitclear thattheGuyanaAmmoniaandUrea Plant Inc. will not be a publicly traded company but a private company

Meanwhile,withregardstothe GuyanaGasBottling,andLogistics Company Inc (GGBLC), GoG explained, “A cap of US$1 M per investor is targeted by the GOG; however, interested parties can express the maximum quantum theyareinterestedininvesting.”

Like GAUP, it noted that GGBLC will not be a publicly traded company The Gas Bottling project is expected to cost US$40M. Investors can expect a government guarantee of 10% annualreturn.

For both projects, government promised to give preference to Guyanese, including those in the diaspora although all interested investors are invited to participate intheprocess.

According to the PM’s Office, interested investors are required to write an email, stating which component(s)theyareinterestedin and include details such as: (i) Legal name of prospective Investor, including registered address and all contact details; (ii) Beneficial owner, including registered address and contact details if different from legal owner;(iii).

Copy of identification indicating nationality and whether residing in Guyana or abroad; (iv) Desired terms/conditions for the investmentandwhetherinvestment is specific to above projects or whether interest is general, subject toreasonabletermsandconditions. These conditions will also apply to a company or corporate entity that is interested in the projects.

Interested persons can submit proposals before May 15, 2026 to Chairman, National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB), Main and Urquhart Streets,Georgetown.

According to the GoG, “All information provided is only indicative Final terms and

conditions may differ from above. This is only a preliminary ExpressionofInterest.Basedonthe response, Government will structure appropriate details of the investment and make a formal call forinvestments…GoGisnotbound to accept any response to this EOI and reserves the right to select any Party(ies)foranyspecificelement oftheEOIandtoannultheprocess at any time without further direction, without thereby incurring any liability to the affectedinterestedparties.”

Last year, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo hinted that Guyanese can be allowed in the future to invest in the country’s energy projects, following an announcement by the Surinamese government that nationals there would be allowed to invest in that country’sfirstoilproject.

He stated, “If we build a fertilizer plant in Guyana, maybe wecouldhavepeopletakeequityin the project or invest through bonds.”

In Suriname, the government were allowing citizens to invest as low as US$100 to earn returns on theupcomingoilprojectwhichwill commence production activities in 2028.

The official launch of the bond issuancetook placeon January 31, 2025.

The Staatsolie Bond 20252033, which was available in both US dollars and Euros, took effect on 23 March 2025, and has an eight-yearterm.Theinterestrateis

set at 7.75% for the US$ bond and 7.25%fortheEURbond.

Local investors had an opportunity to participate from as little as US$100 or EUR 100 Staatsolie said for larger investors residing in Suriname, Curaçao, or Sint Maarten, a denomination of US$30,000wasavailable. Proceeds from the bond issue will be used by Staatsolie to cofund its participation of up to 20% in the development of the GranMorgu offshore oil field in Block 58. The total investment for thisprojectisestimatedatUS$12.2 billion, of which Staatsolie’s contributionisUS$2.4billion.

‘U.S.envoyunderfire’ …Mohameds’U.S.lawyer warnsambassadorover “prejudicial”commentsin extraditioncase

A United States (US) based attorney representing sanctioned Guyanese businessmen Azruddin Mohamed, and his father Nazar Mohamed, has written to US Ambassador to Guyana, Nicole Theriot, cautioning against public comments amid the ongoing extradition proceedings before the localcourts.

InaletterdatedApril15,2026, Peter A Quinter, a Florida Bar Board Certified attorney in International Law, raised concerns that recent statements made by the ambassador may be inappropriate giventhematterremainssubjudice inGuyana.

“It has come to my attention that your recent public statements regarding my clients above on a topic that remains pending in the courts of Guyana may not be appropriate for someone in your position,”Quinterwrote.

The lawyer argued that as a diplomat, the ambassador is obligated under international conventions to respect the legal processes of the host country and avoid commentary that could be seen as influencing judicial proceedings.

“As the U S Ambassador to Guyana, it may not be proper to make inaccurate comments regarding pending legal matters regardingmyclientsinthecourtsin Guyana,”hestated.Tothisend,he referenced the Vienna Convention onDiplomaticRelations,citingthat as a diplomat, there is a duty to respectthelawsandcustomsofthe hostcountry

Theattorneyfurthermaintained that his clients are entitledto a fair hearing.

“My client company, Mohamed’s Enterprise, and its officers and shareholders who are subjecttoprosecutioninthecourts in Guyana are entitled to a fair hearing under the protection of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,”hesaid.

Quinter concerns follow recent remarks by Ambassador Theriot, whoassertedconfidenceinthecase against the Mohameds and debunkedclaimsthatextraditionis politically influenced and motivated.

“So, the United States does not pursue criminal charges for political reasons. We do it because we have hard, unequivocal evidence against a person Why would we take on a case we don’t think we’re going to win. That’s just a waste of the US taxpayers’ money, so we firmly believe that they’re guilty of the crimes that they’rebeingindictedfor,”Theriot said during an episode of SOURCES.

The Mohameds are currently facing a federal indictment in Miami, United States, following the unsealing of a 25-page

document on October 30, 2025

The request seeks their extradition toanswertoan11-countindictment involvingallegationsoflarge-scale fraud, money laundering, customs violations,bribery,andtheevasion of millions of dollars in taxes and royaltieslinkedtogoldexports.

The US government made an extradition request to the Government of Guyana and the case is presently being the GeorgetownMagistrates’Court.

The US ambassador had said, “It’s in the Guyanese Judiciary’s handsatthispoint.Andyouknow, we were ready to move forward we’re simply holding peoplethatwebelieveareguiltyof acrimeaccountableforthatcrime. And to be fair, it’s not just the United States taxpayers that were defrauded. I mean, let’s be clear aboutthat.”

The extradition proceedings beganinOctober2025.Thematter is also engaging the Caribbean CourtofJustice(CCJ).

SATURDAY

GuyanaparalyzedasExxon dictatescountry’sfate–Ram …says country will remain captive unless politicians act

As American oil giant, ExxonMobil continues to grow its profits, Guyana is stuck with an arrangement that barely pipes less than a quarter of the revenue generatedoffshoretothecountry

Instead of fighting and demanding change to this onerous situation, the country is laid back, allowing its natural resources to profitaprivatecompanyratherthan improve the general conditions of thecountry

Summarizing this was CharteredAccountant,Lawyerand advocate for good governance, ChristopherRam.Whileappearing on Thursday’s radio programme with the Oil and Gas Governance Network (OGGN), Ram discussed the current profit share agreement with ExxonMobil and partners in the Stabroek Block with former Editor-in-Chiefofthenow

Continued on page 35

Frompage34 liquidated Stabroek News, AnandPersaud.

During the programme aired on Kaieteur Radio 99.1/ 99.5 FM, Ram called out the Opposition in particularforfailingtospeak out against the issues unfolding in the petroleum sector

He said, “I think it’s incumbent on every single Guyanese, not only civil society Where are the Opposition parties? Where are the spokes people? I don’t particularly want to call names but you’ve got a leaderoftheOpposition,you havealeaderofthe(People’s National Congress) PNC, youhaveashadowleaderof the PNC, what’s going on?

Who speaks on these matters?”

With silence echoing across the political realm, Ram told listeners Guyana seems to be in a state of paralysis since elections werelastheld.

According to the attorney, “Parliament is not meeting The country, unfortunatelysinceelections seems to be paralyzed and thatisverydangerous.Never has any single company determined the fate of G u y a n a a s E x x o n determines our current fate with this 2016 petroleum agreement.”

Meanwhile,reflectingon the impact of his weekly column published by StabroekNews,Ramsaidhe does not believe the articles were able to achieve much beyond educating citizens

Despite the wealth of information provided in the press, Ram noted that governance continues to be d o m i n a t e d b y t h e multinationalcorporation.

In fact, he was unsure whether politicians were actually reading the newspapersandiftheywere interested in specific content, reminding that issues such as ring-fencing continues to be highlighted andotherissuessuchasforce majeure are still being abused.

To t h i s e n d , h e concluded, “There is no real effective management We know they said when they gave up renegotiation, they would have better contract administration, well, we don’thaveit.”

Meanwhile, the lawyer explained that while civil society plays an important

role, citizens are fearful of victimization and choose to staysilent.

“People are afraid because they think well, we mustn’t say anything that is critical or might be unwelcomed by the g o v e r n m e n t o f

Guyana…civilsociety,there isalwaysmoretobedonebut it alone cannot do it and unless the political leaders get out there and start doing somethingwewillbecaptive toExxon,wewillbecaptive to the whole American framework and that’s a tragedy,”Ramargued.

In accordance with the 2016 Production Sharing Agreement (PSA), Guyana receives12.5%ofprofitsand 2% royalty As such, ExxonMobil takes a whopping 87 5% of revenuesgeneratedoffshore.

Guyanese have been demanding changes to the agreement but despite promising to renegotiate, government is now insisting that the contract cannot be changed.

AlthoughthePSAmakes provision for renegotiation, government now believes that engaging the contractor could hamper further investmentsintheBlock.

On January 1, 2025 this newspaper reported that PresidentAlimadeitclearhe hasnointerestinwritingthe company to seek changes to thedeal.

The Head of State explained that the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) has alwaysbeenconsistentinits position that the deal was “bad” He however noted, “Whatwecommittedtowas to respect the sanctity of contracts and that the international law, that has implications for us as a country Other investors are looking on but what we said was that future PSAs would nothavethesefatalflawsand

future PSAs would not have the type of lopsided arrangements that Exxon had,andwehavemadethose adjustmentstofuturePSAs.”

PresidentAlisaidtoothat the market conditions must also be taken into consideration to ensure policies here do not drive awayinvestment,butstrikes a balance to still ensure the greatest benefit comes to Guyanese.Infact,theHeadof-State highlighted that Guyana has already seen benefitsnotonlyfromtheoil and gas sector, but from the expanded growth in the economy

Canadiangoldcompany sittingon4.6Mouncesin Guyanalookingforlocal transportationservices

Canadian-based G Mining Ventures (GMIN) has issued an Expression of Interest (EOI) inviting transportation service providers to support its ongoing Oko West gold project in Region Seven, Guyana.

G M I N r e c e n t l y announced that it will be acquiring another fellow Canadian firm that operates inGuyana.Thatdealcansee the company earning over US$30 billion based on a combined resource of 7million ounces, and gold prices remaining above US$4,500 per ounce when productionbegins.

GMIN is currently the 100% owner of the 4 64 million ounces Oko West Gold Project located in Cuyuniminingdistrict.

Thisprojectwasaddedto GMIN’s portfolio back in 2024 following a business combination with fellow Canadian firm, Reunion

Gold Corp valued at US$638 million (C$875 million).

Inasimilarmove,GMIN last week announced that it entered into a definitive agreement with another Canadian company, G2 G o l d f i e l d s f o r approximately US$2 2 billion(C$3billion).

The project is located about 95 kilometres west of Georgetown, is a new gold discovery situated south of the historic Oko district and accessible via the Puruni road network and river routes from Bartica and Itaballi.

As construction advances, the company

issued the EOI seeking reliable transport providers tomovepersonnelalongkey r o u t e s i n c l u d i n g Georgetown to Parika, Ogle andTimehri.

The services will cover the supply of transportation such as SUVs and coaster buses for a period of 18 months.

According to the EOI, interested parties must meet compliance requirements, including valid business

registration, National InsuranceScheme(NIS)and Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) compliance, along with a tax identification

certificate Notably, submissionsareduebyMay 3, 2026, after which shortlisted, applicants will be invited to participate in a request for quotation process.

Wi t h t h e l a t e s t acquisition, the two neighbouringpropertieswill be merged into a single mininghubwithacombined 7-million-ounce gold

resource base, including 2.3 million ounces in measured and indicated resources and inferred resources The combined development is expected to produce more than500,000ouncesof gold annually over its life, with Oko West contributing approximately 350,000 ounces per year and OkoGhanie adding an estimated 228,000 ounces annually This level of output is expected to create a largescale, low-cost tier-1 gold mining hub in one of the most prospective emerging golddistrictsintheworld.

GMIN’s acquisition of G 2 a n d b u s i n e s s combination with Reunion to secure and combine the assetsispeggedatUS$2.838 billion.

Acquiring G2 will expand GMIN’s footprint in Guyana by 293 km² (square kilometres), creating a combined contiguous land packageofover362km².

The anticipated Life of Mine (LOM) average gold productionofapproximately 350,000 ounces of gold annually from GMIN’s Oko West Project and 228,000 ouncesofgoldannuallyfrom G2’s Oko-Ghanie Project into a single project brings thepotentialtoproduceover 500,000 ounces of gold annually on a LOM average basis.

The Oko West project proven and probable reserves is at an average grade of 1.89 grams of gold pertonne.

Theprojectisexpectedto produce about 350,000 ouncesofgoldannuallyover a 12.3-year mine life. G2’s maiden Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) had outlined that the project will entail a combined open-pit and underground operation with a14-yearlifeofmine.

According to GMIN, once in production, the combined Oko project has the potential to rank among the highest producing gold minesglobally

THE ICE CREAM MOON

On a warm, quiet summer night, everything

seemed normal until

something very strange began to happen in the sky

The bright, glowing moon slowly started to change Instead of shining its usual silvery light, it transformed into a giant scoop of ice cream!Itlookedcreamyand delicious, with swirls of

chocolate and bright, colorful sprinkles scattered alloverit.

At first, the children in the town Emily, Daniel, and their friends—couldn't believe their eyes They stared up in amazement, laughing and pointing at the sky

But their excitement quickly turned into concern when the ice cream moon began to melt Sticky chocolate dripped down like rain, and sugary sprinkles started falling everywhere, coveringstreets,houses,and treesinamessylayer

The town soon became

chaotic Roads were

slippery, people were confused,andeverythingfelt out of control Instead of panicking, the children decided they needed to do

something to fix the

problem They worked together, sharing ideas and trying different solutions

Some brought ice cubes to cool things down, while others thought of creative waystostopthemelting. Even though it wasn't easy, they didn't give up Theyencouragedeachother, laughed through their mistakes, and kept trying Slowly but surely, their teamwork began to make a difference.

The melting started to

slow, and the situation becamemoremanageable.

In the end, the children were able to help restore order and bring things back to normal The moon returned to its usual bright glow, and the town was safe again. Everyone learned an important lesson from the strange experience that even the biggest and most unusual problems can be solved when people work together, stay calm, and use theirimagination.

Gnome Home Kid Craft

Materials

• Coloredcraftpapers

• Paperroll

• Straw

• LEDcandle(optional)

• ToolsPencil

• Black marker pen or sharpie

• Scissors

out,usingtheeraserendofa penciltoapplythepaint.

10. Cut a slit from the outer edge of the circle toward the center, then overlap the two sides of the slitandgluetheminplaceto createtheconeroof.

11. Cut out a 1-2 inch

• Craftglue

• Acrylicpaint

• Paintbrush Instructions

1. Cut paper roll in half, oranyheightyouwant.

2.Drawawindowonthe sideoftheroll.

3. With the scissors, cut the middle, top and bottom sides of the window; make sure to keep the sides of the windowintact.

You can cut underneath the window to get to the window, if needed, because you'llbecoveringthatup.

4.Paintthepaperrolland allow the paint to dry completely

5 From the colored papers, cut out the grass and flowershapes.

6. Place glue along the bottom straight side of the grass cut out and attach the grasstothepaperrollhouse, underthewindowcutout.

7.Gluetheflowersonthe grass.

8. Cut out a circle out of colored craft paper about 2 times bigger than the diameter of the paper roll's diameter

Paint this circle cut out with red paint and allow the painttodry

9 Place white dots of paint onto the red circle cut

byUncleRoy

Iusedtothinksomeworkwastoohard, Andsodidnoteventry; ThisisbecauseIhadtriedbefore, AndgaveupwhenIcouldnotgetby

ButthenIlookedaroundmyclass, Andsawothersdoingswell, WhenIthoughtIwasbrighterthanthem, AndfeltIcoulddojustaswell.

SoIdecidedtonevergiveup, AndtoalwaysfeelIcoulddobetter; Iputmywholemindtomywork, Andsooneverythinggotsomucheasier

Develop the faith that you have what you need to succeed in your life

Young people are the stage when theyhavetodeterminewhattheyneed to do to make a success of their lives. The first step to launching out in your life is to develop the belief that you have what you now need to make a successful start to your life

Understanding your full potential as a humanbeingwilldemonstratethatyou havewhatittakestoeventuallyachieve whateveryousetyourmindto. When you realise your true nature – that you areauniquehumanbeingwithsomany naturaltalentsandendowments–then youwillfinditeasyandjustasnatural todevelopconfidenceinyourself,and usethesetoyourbestadvantage.

First of all, you need to realise that all of us human beings have four assets which are our birthright– body, mind,heartandsoul–whichenableus tofulfilourbasicneedstolive,tolearn, to love, and to contribute. By these assets we can survive, grow and develop,fostergoodrelationshipswith others, and add to whatever brings good to the world for the benefit of

ourselvesandothers.

Whether or not you practise a religion, a firm fir belief in your Almighty Creator will help you to develop the faith that He has endowed you with all you need to make a success of your life.

Apart from these, you will also need to consider the unique human qualitieswhichyoupossess,andtryto make the best use of these so as to get the maximum benefit from what you will be doing. Each of us human beingshasacombinationoftalentsand skills that is unique among all others, andmakingfulluseofthesewillmake y o u m o s t successful as an individualandas a member of y o u r organisation. Firsttryto determine what

are your own unique talents, and then make the continuous effort to utilise thesetomakethemostofanyeffortsin whichyouareinvolved. Youcandoso by identifying the things that you find come naturally to you, those that you feel confident that you can do, and, moreover, those that you excel in. These talents are gifted to you for the specificpurposeofmakingthemostof themandusingthemforthebetterment ofyourselfandyourenvironment. Takesomespecialtimetothink about your natural endowments, and howyoucanmakeuseofthemtofulfil all you need to lead a life that is beneficial and satisfactory to both yourselfandtheworldaroundyou.

ithineachoftheninerealmslivesalonequeen. Tomaintainthe peace, queens must not threaten each other: no row, column, nordiagonalmayhavemorethanonequeen!

WHAT IT TAKES YOU HAVE

YouhavewhatittakestosucceedYouhavewithinyoueverythingyouneed tobecomeanythingyouwanttobe, andthezealtoapproachyourtasksenthusiastically; Youhavethepowertoapplyyourselfenergetically, andthewisdomtodosowisely; Youhaveallwithinyoutoanswerthecall tobewhateveryouwanttobeinthisworld; Youhaveimaginationwithinyoutoseeclearly whatyouwantmanifestedfruitfully; Youhavelovewithinyoutobelovingalways inallyouractionsandmethodsandways; Youhavelifewithinyoutomakeright thehappinessthatisyourbirthright; Youhavestrengthwithinyoutoholdandpursue theideasyouknowareevergoodandtrue; Youhaveintelligencewithinyou torenounceeverythoughtandactionthatisbadforyou; Youhavefaithwithinyoutofulfilyourdestiny andmakethemostofyourselfforalleternity

MindYour Business

Success, Envy, and the Psychology of “Bad Mind”

Why Progress Is Celebrated Publicly but Resented Quietly

ByDr.EonAndreGeorge, PhD,EdD

Sometimes your biggest problem is not failure. It is progress. This may be a shocking reality to discover that in many communities, doing well does not only bring congratulations It brings attention, questions, and in some cases, quiet resistance.

The moment someone begins to move ahead, whether through education, business, or lifestyle, the atmospherearoundthemcan subtly shift. What should be simple celebration often becomes mixed with suspicion. Comments begin

to surface. “Where he gets that from?” “She’s moving too fast.” “Something ain’t adding up.” Add to this the cultural overlay that worshipping evil prompts success,andanotherpopular comment is “they sold someone’s child to get rich!”.

What is important to notice is that these reactions are rarely loud or direct. Theyexistintone,intiming, in the way a compliment is given or withheld. This is where the idea often described as “bad mind” begins to take shape, not as open hostility, but as a quiet psychological response shaped by comparison, identity,andperception.

Understanding “BadMind”

The colloquial “Bad mind” is commonly described as jealousy, but psychologically it runs deeperthansimpleenvy Itis r o o t e d i n s o c i a l comparison, the natural tendency for individuals to measure themselves against others(Festinger,1954). When someone close experiences success, it creates a reference point. The question becomes, sometimes consciously but oftenunconsciously,“Where does that leave me?” If the c o m p a r i s o n f e e l s unfavorable, it produces discomfort. That discomfort does not always express

itself as admiration. Instead, it may appear as doubt, criticism, or subtle dismissal.Inmanycases,the personreactingmaynoteven recognize what they are feeling. The mind moves quickly to protect selfi m a g e , o f t e n b y reinterpreting the success of othersinwaysthatfeelmore manageable.

WhenSuccess

Hits

ClosetoHome

This dynamic becomes even more intense when success happens within familiar circles. Consider a situation where two friends grow up in the same environment, attend the same schools, and share similarstruggles.Yearslater, one begins to progress. He builds a business, improves his lifestyle, and gains stability The other remains inthesameposition.Atfirst, the response is supportive. Butgradually,thetoneshifts. The jokes become sharper Thecommentscarryweight. “Youforgetwhereyoucome from?” “You get big now.”

W h a t w a s o n c e encouragement becomes subtleresistance.

Psychologically, this reflects upward social comparison, where the success of one person highlightstheperceivedlack of progress in another. The closer the relationship, the stronger the comparison The issue is no longer just success.Itbecomesidentity The question is no longer “He is doing well ” It becomes “Why is he doing betterthanme?”

TheMindSearching forBalance

When people experience this kind of internal discomfort, the mind often tries to restore balance. If someone’s success feels difficulttomatch,itmayfeel easier to question it than to fullyacceptit.Thisiswhere perception begins to shift. Effort becomes overlooked.

Discipline becomes

minimized Instead, explanationsarecreatedthat reduce the impact of the success. “It can’t be that simple.” “Something must bebehindit.”

In psychological terms, this reflects a form of cognitive distortion, where reality is reshaped to reduce internaldiscomfort.Itallows the individual to maintain

their self-image without directly confronting the gap between where they are and where someone else has reached.

Another familiar example brings this into focus A young woman

begins to advance professionally Her confidence increases, her appearancechanges,andher environment expands Instead of being recognized for growth, the conversation changesdirection.“Whoshe think she is?” “She must havesomebodyhelpingher.” Again, the reaction is not primarily about her It is about the discomfort her progresscreatesinothers.

Language,Humor, andHiddenMessages

These reactions are rarely expressed in direct confrontation. Instead, they aredeliveredthroughhumor, side comments, and everyday language. A new car is met with, “Let’s see how long that last ” A promotion is followed by, “Pressure coming now” Even congratulations may carryasubtleundertone.

Over time, this creates a social environment where successisquietlyquestioned rather than fully celebrated.

Individuals begin to anticipate these reactions. Instead of sharing openly, they may downplay achievements or keep progressprivate.Thisishow a cultural pattern reinforces itself Success becomes visible, but not always comfortable.

TheEmotional ImpactonBothSides

F o r t h e p e r s o n experiencing success, this dynamic can create internal conflict. There is pride, but also caution There is progress,butalsoawareness ofhowthatprogressmaybe received.This often leads to self-monitoring, where individuals adjust their behaviour to manage perception. They may limit what they share, avoid certain conversations, or

downplay achievements to maintainsocialbalance.

On the other side, those experiencing envy may not recognize it directly What they feel may be interpreted as fairness, concern, or skepticism. Yet underneath is often unresolved comparison. Both sides are reacting to the same psychological force, but in differentways.

BreakingtheCycle

Understanding this pattern allows for a shift in perspective. “Bad mind” is not simply about negativity Itisoftenaboutcomparison, expectation, and perceived imbalance Breaking the cyclebeginswithawareness. Recognizing that someone else’s success does not reduceone’sownpotentialis key Progress is not limited. Itisnotafixedresource.

At the same time, communities benefit when success is normalized rather than questioned When growthisseenasachievable rather than suspicious, comparison becomes less threatening and more motivating. The shift does not happen instantly, but it begins with how success is interpretedanddiscussed.

UnderstandingBehavior throughContext

When these patterns are examinedmoreclosely,what appears as envy is often rooted in comparison. What appears as criticism is often discomfort with change Whatappearsasnegativityis often a learned response to perceivedimbalance.

Understanding this does not excuse harmful behaviour, but it provides context.Itallowsindividuals to interpret reactions more accurately and respond with awareness rather than assumption. Because in the end, success does more than change circumstances It reveals how people understand themselves in relationtowhatispossible. Every belief has a history

Everyreactionhasaroot.

2026

set for July 3-5 under 'diamond legacy' theme

and

The Origins: Guyana

Fashion Festival 2026 will be held during the periodJuly3to5underthetheme, “A Diamond Legacy: Fashioning 60Years.”

Launched at the Railway CourtyardlastApril10,thetheme pays tribute to Guyana's cultural journey, reflecting six decades of national development while highlightingthecountry'sgrowing

presence in modern and internationalcreativespaces.

Akeyfeatureofthelaunchwas the announcement of five new official awards, each designed to recognise excellence within the local fashion industry. The categories include Best Fashion

Designer, Best Emerging

Designer, Outstanding Storyteller/Innovator, Best Female Model, and Best Male Model.Theawardswillalsocome with cash prizes, further incentivising creativity and professionalgrowth.

In launching the event, MinisterofTourism,Industryand CommerceSusanRodriguestolda group of enthusiastic designers, creatives, industry stakeholders, andfashionloversthatthefestival is a symbol of growth, evolution, and national creative ambition, emphasizing that this year's s t a g i n g g o e s b e y o n d entertainmentandenterstherealm ofnationalexpression.

Rodriguesalsohighlightedthe Government's vision of transformingOriginsfromaoncea-yeareventintoasustained,yearround platform for creative development. She noted that the initiative aligns with other efforts tostrengthenthecountry'screative

industries and expand opportunitiesforlocaltalent.

Akey feature of the launch was the announcement of five new official awards including

Music Teachers and Parliamentarians Give Guyana's Cultural Education an 'F' Grade

By Khadidja Ba

Guyana's cultural space gets an F grade by music teachersinpublicschoolsin terms of the ministries' of education and culture youth and sport efforts to foster a sense of cultural pride and creative inclination. As the nation approaches its 60th Independence anniversary, thoseonthefrontlinesofthe creative arts describe a landscape where national songs are forgotten, music programsare"dumped"into schools without resources, andlocalcultureistreatedas a " s u b s t a n d a r d " afterthought.Effortstoreach the Minister of Culture and theMinisterofEducationfor comment on these statementsprovedfutile.

“ D u m p i n g ” t h e Curriculum

Nima Flue-Bess, A

Partnership for National U n i t y ( A P N U )

Parliamentarian, dismissed the government's "Orange Economy" as a buzzword with no functional support forlocalcreatives.

“But yeah, when I saw that launch and that programme, a lot of bad things went through my mind... Guyana's in a sad state.That'showIseeit.We talk about the cultural in the Orange Economy it was merely a ceremonial add-on and nothing there to really drivethecreativeindustry".

Flue-Bess further criticized the Ministry of Education's attempt to reintroduce music into schools, describing the approach as "dumping" courses into the system without the necessary tools.

“Ask any one of the music teachersiftheyweregivena book of music on Guyana's

national songs or folk songs,” she challenged “That alone will tell you whattheyareactuallydoing inthesystem".

O d e s s a P r i m u s , Parliamentarian for We Invest in Nationhood, noted a visible decline in national pride among the youth, a shiftsheattributesdirectlyto the removal of cultural staples from the school week.

“I think music is being taught in some of the schools, particularly the national schools, because apparentlythosearetheonly important schools in this country we have moved away from the singing of national songs and folk songsonFriday".

Primus argued that the government's financial priorities reveal their true stance on heritage, noting that culture consistently

receivesthesmallestsliceof the national budget. “It is more important to invest in Carnival than Mashramani when you look at the financial investment that is made from the part of the government".

For music teachers in Georgetown's public schools, the struggle is practicalandpersistent.One veteran teacher, who asked to remain anonymous, described the system as "broken for the longest while".

"I try to work them with the national songs. I think it hasbeenabrokensystemfor the longest while... It's not a subjectwhereweteachtoget marks, at least not at our schools, so I think it should be so more children are encouraged to stick with the subject.”

The systemic failures withintheschoolsystemare most visible in the severe depletionofbasicresources, (Continuedonpage46)

Canal #1 Polder Agro-processing Facility Commissioned

…signals major push to value-added

agriculture in Guyana

TheCanal#1Polderagroprocessing facility was officiallycommissioned on Saturday April 18, 2026 by Minister of Agriculture Zulfikar Mustapha, marking a significant milestone in Guyana's continued drive toward a modern, valueaddedagriculturaleconomy

UndertheleadershipofGeneral Manager Teshawna Lall, the Guyana Marketing Corporation (GMC),anagencyoperatingunder the Ministry of Agriculture, has spearheaded the development and operationalreadinessofthefacility, which represents a key investment instrengtheningthecountry'sagroprocessingcapacity

The facility is designed to transformrawagriculturalproduce into high-value products such as juices,pulps,greenseasonings,and dehydratedfruits.

It is expected to significantly reduce post-harvest losses while improving product quality, extendingshelflife,andenhancing market readiness for both local consumptionandexportmarkets.

Thecommissioningalignswith thenationaldevelopmentvisionof President Mohamed Irfaan Ali, who has consistently emphasized

agro-processingasacornerstoneof economic diversification and rural development.

Hisadministrationcontinuesto prioritize investments that enable farmers and agro-processors to transitionfromprimaryproduction into competitive, value-added

New vendors' tarmac at Mon Repos completed

Vendors' Tarmac at Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara has been completed, Minister within the Ministry of Public Works, Madanlall Ramraj said on Saturday

The minister visited the location and noted that they are nowreadytobegintherelocation of vendors operating along the corridor According to information provided on the Minister's Facebook page, vendors currently occupying sectionsoftheroadwayarebeing relocated as part of the massive Agriculture Road Expansion Project, a major infrastructure initiative aimed at transforming thecorridorintoamodern,multilanethoroughfare.

The relocation, Minister Ramrajsaidisnecessarytoclear sections of the roadway to allow for the execution of works, ensuring that construction can proceed efficiently while minimising disruption to both commutersandbusinesses.

industrieswithstrongregionaland internationalpotential.

In this context, the Canal #1 Polderfacilitystandsasastrategic

infrastructure, strengthening value

opportunities for innovation, entrepreneurship, and export expansionacrossthesector

Corporation continues to play a central role in facilitating market access, providing technical support, and advancing nontraditionalagriculture.

The successful commissioning of this facility underscores its ongoing mandate to support sectoral transformation and sustainablegrowth.

Farmers, agro-processors, and entrepreneursinterestedinutilising the Canal #1 Polder AgroProcessingFacilityareencouraged tocontacttheFacilitiesManageror theGuyanaMarketingCorporation for further information on access andoperationalsupport.

The GMC can be reached at +592 220-5522 or +592 226-8255 forcoordinationandinquiries.

The commissioning of the Canal#1PolderAgro-Processing Facility reinforces Guyana's commitment to building a resilient, competitive, and diversified agricultural sector one that continues to expand opportunity, strengthen food security, and drive long-term economicgrowth.

“Vendors, including tyre shops, mechanic services, and other small enterprises, will be relocated to the new facility, where they will benefit from a more organised and accessible environment.

The facility has been fully prepared to accommodate vendors and mobilization will begin shortly to facilitate their relocation in a structured and orderlymanner

The new tarmac is designed to provide a more organised and accessible space, allowing vendors to continue their operationswithoutinterruption,” hestated.

The minister added that the Public Works Ministry remains committed to ensuring that all v

op

y accommodated, with the relocation process being carefully managed to support continuity of livelihoods while a

development project along the EastCoastDemeraracorridor

Optique Vision Care Opens Guyana's First Specialty Eye Hospital

Optique Vision Care, a private

o p t i c a l

company, on Friday officially opened Guyana's first specialty eye hospital, whichislocatedat350New MarketStreet,Georgetown.

Optique Eye Hospital,

which represents an investmentof$1billion,was opened by President Irfaan Ali alongside Minister of Health, Dr Frank Anthony, the Optique team and other officials.

Delivering the feature address, President Ali said the opening of Optique Eye Hospital fits perfectly into the national vision of a world-class healthcare system.

This hospital, he said, expands nationalcapacity, it increases patients' choice, it creates employment,

professional training, raises

s

s everywhere that Guyana is ready for world-class healthcaredevelopment.

“This investment opens new possibilities for health careinGuyana,itisasignal ofconfidenceinourcountry, confidence in our economy, and confidence in the future of our people, and, more importantly, a forward movementinthedirectionof accessibleandqualityhealth

care,”thePresidentstated.

According to the headof-state, in Guyana, a lot of attention is being focused nationally on what is being done by government in transforminghealthcare.

“A lot of attention has been pointed to the many hospitals we're building, the acquisition of state-of-theart diagnostic and other medical equipment, the expansion of training for nurses and medical professionals, and the

private healthcare services, the President stated that the construction of the eye hospital stands as proof of the strides that are being made by private health care providers.

This, he shared, reflects thefactthatwhentheprivate sector invests in health care, theentirenationbenefits.

“Private health care providers play an essential role in expanding services, raising standards, reducing waiting times, introducing

Beyond that, he noted, that private health care investment also lays the foundation for the country's vision of becoming a medicaltourism.

According to President Ali, Guyana wants to become a prime destination for medical tourism, and he wants the country to be known not only for its natural beauty, its energy potential and its economic growth, but also for excellence in healthcare

improvement of medical clinics across Guyana. But equally notable have been the significant investments that are being made in privatehealthcareservices,” henoted.

Turning his attention to

new technologies, and importantly, aligning with national goals, they complement national health care system broaden patient choice and create health competition that improves quality,”heexplained.

medicalcare,”heexpressed.

Further, he encouraged theprivatesectortocontinue to drive this process at an evenfasterpace.

Henotedthatatthelevel of public health care, the government's priority remains clear and the focus is on increasing access and increasing the quality of medical services to the population.

be adding a significant contribution to the development of eye care in Guyana.”

Chief Executive Officer of Optique, Dhani Narine said that the institution stands not just on infrastructure, but on the foundation of purpose and sharedvision.

services.

“We want people from across the Caribbean, from the Diaspora, from North Americaandbeyond,tolook to Guyana as a place where theycanreceivehighquality, affordable,efficient,modern

“Government must ensure that health care reaches every citizen, whether in the coastline, in hinterland communities, in urban centers or rural villages. Government must continue to invest in hospitals, clinics, personal equipment, medicines and preventative care. We're not here to compete with or crowdouttheprivatesector We are here to support such investments. We are here to encourage quality health care.

Weareheldheretobuild stronger partnerships between public and private providers in delivering health care services to our people,”hestated.

President Ali noted that the government looks forward to working with responsible private healthcare providers who share a commitment to quality, affordability, ethics andnationaldevelopment.

“We look forward to the day when Guyana, through strong public private partnerships, will have the best medical tourism programme in this region,” hesaid.

Meanwhile, Minister of Health Dr Anthony recalled that when the government launched the Eye Voucher initiative in 2024, Optique Vision Care was one of the first companies that agreed to be part of the programme which saw thousands of persons cross the country benefitting.

Noting the quality of work of the company, not onlyintestingbutintermsof surgeries, the Minister said thatthehospital“isgoingto

He noted that from the very beginning, the company's goal was simple, to create a place where peopleinGuyanacanaccess quality eye care with confidence, a place where patients feel comfortable, respected and genuinely caredfor.

“Today,thatvisionisnot only a reality, but we have broadened the scope to include all aspects of eye careinGuyana,”hestated.

Further,hedisclosedthat Optique's commitment is to notonlydelivereyecare,but to elevate the standards of what is possible within GuyanaandtheCaribbean.

Narine said that the project demonstrates that with the right partnership, a friendly investment climate offeredbythegovernmentof Guyana and commitment, that highly complex subspecialty procedures can be performed locally at an internationalstandard.

“We remain committed toinvestinginadvanceofall services so that no child or adulthastoleavethecountry forsightsavingcarewhenit can be delivered safely and effectivelyathome, because we can improve vision,” he toldthegathering.

During his remarks, he also expressed gratitude to the government and other stakeholders for their supportandpartnership.

“ T h r o u g h o u r collaboration with the government of Guyana, we were able to align the goals of this project by accessing incentives provided through the Office for Investment, which significantly reduced ourcapitalexpenditurefora venture like this,” he mentioned.

NA Mayor, APNU accuse government of deliberate economic marginalisation of New Amsterdam

NewAmsterdam's Mayor Wainwright McIntosh has accused the government of orchestrating a "blanket" development strategy for R e g i o n S i x t h a t systematically excludes the township.

Mayor McIntosh, during APNU's press conference on Friday,arguedthatthetown's c i t i z e n s a r e b e i n g disenfranchised as major national projects, including the transformative Gas-toShore initiative and the proposed Deep-Water Harbour,areplannedwithout N e w A m s t e r d a m ' s integration He expressed deep concern that the current developmental trajectory overlooks the regional capital, leaving its residents unable to capitalise on the economic opportunities currently fueling growth elsewhere in the Berbice region.

Central to the Mayor's grievance is the proposed construction of a new highspan, fixed Berbice River Bridge McIntosh contends that the project reflects a "deliberate effort" to undermine the economic fabric of New Amsterdam, citing historical precedent as a warning. He noted that the emergence of the original Berbice River Bridge significantly crippled local businessesbydivertingtraffic away from the ferry service route,whichonceservedasa vital commercial artery for thetown.McIntoshfearsthat the new infrastructure plans, which reportedly favour locations that do not readily benefit the township, will finalise the economic

displacementofitspeople.

The A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) coalition has echoed these concerns, releasing a statement that characterises t h e g o v e r n m e n t ' s infrastructure agenda as a "bypass" strategy The opposition highlighted that the concentration of developmental projects in Palmyra,alongsideaplanned four-lane highway expansion toward Moleson Creek, signals a strategic shift of commercial flow away from NewAmsterdam.TheAPNU warns that this imbalance risks turning the regional capital into a peripheral access point, which would directly impact small business owners, vendors, and transport operators who rely on the steady flow of pass-throughtrade.

In response to what they describe as imminent economic marginalisation, both the Mayor and the APNUaredemandinggreater transparency and structural course correction from the centralgovernment.Theyare calling for the immediate publication of full route alignments and traffic impact assessments, as well as the d e v e l o p m e n t o f a comprehensive revitalisation plan specifically for New Amsterdam. The opposition insists that the new Berbice River Bridge must include direct, high-capacity access linkstothetowntoensurethat regional development rem

communities.

High incidence of Canine Distemper seen in dogs – Dr. Surujbally …calls on owners to vaccinate pets

Prominent veterinarian Dr Steve Surujbally is warningdogownersabout an alarming increase in Canine Distemper cases in the country Dr Surujbally, in a press release, said that based on the symptoms and in other cases where diagnostic tests have been done, there appears to be an increased incidence of the disease.

"Canine Distemper is a highly contagious and often fatal viral disease that affects the respiratory, gastrointestinalandnervoussystems ofdogs,"theveterinariansaid.

Thesymptomsincludefever,eye and nasal discharges, diarrhoea, vomitingandcoughing.Inadvanced stagesofthedisease,thedogsexhibit seizures, paralysis and can develop thickenedpawpads.

Canine Distemper is airborne and can also be contracted by close contact with animals that already have the disease, as well as from sharing contaminated food or water bowls.

Theveterinarianwarnedthatthe disease has no cure and as such treatment focuses on supportive care This includes intravenous fluids, antibiotics against secondary

infections and anticonvulsants amongstothers.

The treatment's success depends on prompt, consistent action, the previous health status of the animal as well as the virulence of the strain of canine distemper that is circulating.

Dr Surujbally advised that vaccinationisthemosteffectiveway ofwardingoffthedisease.

Evolving Into the Next Version of You

Itrustthatyouarehaving a beautiful and intentional week. Lately, I have been reflectingdeeplyongrowth. Not the kind of growth we speakaboutcasually,butthe kind that stretches you, refines you, and calls you into a higher version of yourself.

Growth has a way of reminding you that where youareisnotwhereyouare meanttoremain.

Over the years, I have come to understand that transformation is not a onetime decision It is a continuous journey It is a commitment to evolving, e v e n w h e n i t i s uncomfortable It is a willingnesstolookwithin,to be honest with yourself, and to take the necessary steps forward.

Many of you have journeyed with me through Confidence Becomes You over the past decade. What started as a simple yet powerful programme to build confidence has now grown into something much deeper

Andthetruthis,ithadto growbecauseIhavegrown.

I made a promise to myselfyearsagothatIwould continuetoinvestinmyown personal development so that I could continue to add valuetoothers.Thatpromise hasrequireddiscipline,faith, and consistency It has requiredmetogoinward,to challenge my own thinking, and to stretch beyond my comfortzone.

AndasIhaveevolved,so hastheprogramme.

Today, Confidence Becomes You is no longer just a programme. It is a multi-level transformational experiencedesignedtomeet individuals exactly where theyareintheirjourney

For those who are just beginning, the three-week, Confidence Becomes You experience provides a powerful foundation It allowsyoutoreconnectwith yourself, to build selfawareness, and to begin shifting your mindset in a way that supports your growth. It is structured in a way that fits into your life, even if you are busy, yet it createsmeaningfulchange.

For those who desire more, the VIP experience offers a deeper level of engagement It provides greater access, more guidance, and a more

intimatespaceforgrowth.It also incorporates elements of what I call the Healthy ThoughtsReset,becauseone ofthegreatestlessonsIhave learned is that confidence cannot grow unless we addressourthinking.

And then there is Mastery

Thisiswhereeverything changes.

Thisiswhereconfidence is no longer something you are trying to build, but something you begin to embody It is where discipline becomes your pathway, and consistency becomes your lifestyle. It is where you walk into a room and your presence is felt beforeyouevensayaword.

That level of confidence doesnothappenovernight.It is developed through intentional work, through self-awareness, and through a commitment to becoming thebestversionofyourself.

And I have seen this transformation in so many lives.

Oneparticipantshared:

“Thisprogrammehelped me find that extra edge to strengthen my confidence. It allowed me to become more self-aware and significantly reduce my self-doubt I learned so much from Ms. Sonia Noel. Each of her p r o g r a m m e s h a s strengthened me to become a better version of myself and evolve into the woman I am today I would encourage anyone struggling in any area of their life to join her and her amazing team to become a better, more confident individual ”

—SaraKhalil,NewYork

Another participant expressed:

“Before this programme, I felt like I had lost myself. It helpedmetakeresponsibility for my life, rebuild my confidence, and rediscover who I am. Today, I am in a better place mentally and emotionally, and I am now living with purpose ”

Sherica Ambrose, Guyana

These are real stories. R e a l l i v e s ; R e a l transformation.

Alongside this, I continue to emphasize the importance of our thoughts through the Healthy Thoughts Challenge, now offered as a focused twoweekexperience.

Everything begins with ourthoughts.

The way we think influenceshowwefeel,how we respond, and ultimately, thelifewecreate.

This challenge helps individualsbecomeawareof their thinking patterns and intentionally replace toxic thoughts with healthy ones. Itisasimpleprocess,butitis deeplyimpactful.

Oneparticipantshared:

“I have become very muchawareoftheneedtorechannel those thoughts to a h e a l t h y s p a c e ”

—ReenaFrancis,Boston

Anotherreflected:

“I was given some tools to help me to SHOOT down those negative thoughts that I used to entertain and replace them with some p o s i t i v e t h o u g h t s ”

Clemencio Goddette, Guyana

When you begin to take controlofyourthoughts,you begintotakecontrolofyour life.

Recently, I had the opportunity to serve in Michigan for the launch of the Empowerment Institute, where I now serve as Programme Director for Empowerment Through Fashion. Being able to take whatstartedhereandshareit on an international platform reminded me that purpose hasnoboundaries.

Andyet,nomatterwhere Igo,themissionremainsthe same.

To help individuals understand who they are, to build confidence from within, and to live with intention.

As we move further into this year, many of us are realizingthatintentionalone is not enough.We must take action We must be disciplined We must be consistent We must be willing to grow; because growthisnotautomatic.Itis intentional.

And transformation is availabletoallofus,butonly

ifwearewillingtostep intoit.

Whether you are just beginning your journeyorreadytostep intoyournextlevel,thereisa spaceforyou.

And perhaps this is your moment to say yes to yourself. Because on the othersideofthatdecision,is a version of you that is waitingtobeexpressed. Take action and register todayviaWhatsApp592684 8129 as we continue to celebrate this beautiful journey called Life Beyond theRunway

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‘Protectionofcitizens’personaldatanot...

From page 14 publicinformationsystem.

“So, data such as name, addresses, ID card numbers, national ID card numbers, passport numbers, TIN, photograph, driver’s licence numbers, marriage certificates, birth certificates are all information that are already in the public information system of this country,”theAGexplained.

He highlighted that, persons can go to the public agencies and obtain this type

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ofinformation,asitisneither peculiar, private or of a financial or medical nature.

“Once all the processes are inplaceandthepersonnelare in place and the mechanism to administer the full implementation of the legislationareinplace. Then the legislation will be brought into force and these processes will be unfolded in accordance with the law and then it becomes obligatoryoneverycitizento become part of the process

against that backdrop,” Nandlall assured.

He noted that he has seen theAPartnershipforNational Unity (APNU) and other commentators expressing fear on how the data is being obtainedandthetypeofdata.

Afterdismissingthefears as being “unfounded, without basis, and polluted by politics,” he further stated that “…this fear that the government is accumulating data and will misuse the data and will manipulate the data

Guyana’sDiamondJubileefacesa

From page 30 secure state funding.

“Sixtyisamajormilestone,” Madhoo-Nascimento said. “I feel we really needed to have done something more culturally... more education, involving history.” She notes that while concerts are staples of every year, a Diamond Jubilee requires a production that reflects the history of all sixpeoplesofGuyana.

She recalled the 40th and 50th anniversaries, which featured massive musical productions like All in One, involving hundreds of performers telling the story of independence.“Herewearein 2026 and we have nothing of the sort,” she remarked. “The whole thing is focused on the concerts.”

Furthermore, Madhoo-

Nascimento highlighted the elitism creeping into the celebration. “There is a food sampling somewhere... but when you’re putting it in big restaurants and big hotels, it meansyou’rerulingoutcertain peoplebecausenoteverybody will be able to afford to go to those places.” She suggested that a central pavilion showcasingnightlydisplaysof ethnicity, drumming, and indigenous languages would have been more inclusive.

“Something is wrong somewherethatifweareallin this industry, and we are not even recognized to be consulted.”

CULTURALORPHANS

The rot, according to veteran educator Tristana Roberts, starts in the classroom. She warns that

Guyanaisraisingageneration of “cultural orphans” because the state has decoupled educationfromidentity.“Ifyou ask a primary school student today to sing a national song, many can’t get past the first line,” Roberts says. She advocates for a “train the trainers”approach,notingthat even many young educators lackafoundationalknowledge of Guyanese folk songs.

ForRoberts,thesidelining of the arts boils down to economicsandalackofformal cultural policy. She points to the airwaves as a primary culprit; unlike the Jamaican model where local music dominates, Guyanese radio is saturatedwithforeigncontent.

VERDICT

When asked to grade the current state of cultural

for ulterior design and purposes is one that is withoutbasisandunfounded. The government has access to this information anyhow through the various State agencies.”

Nandlall reaffirmed that when the process truly begins whatever data is obtained from citizens, especially “the type of information that are deeply personal…that laws, data protection laws are passed to protect.”

‘SadState...

management, the consensus among these experts is a chillingindictment:

- The Educators (Roberts &Garner):F

-TheLegends(Rockliffe& Madhoo-Nascimento): Zero (ontheculturalline).

- The Critics (Ace, Onyi, Mohamed, & Jones): A “sad stateofaffairs”wherepolicyis replacedbypolitics.

“Youcan’thaveatreewithout roots,”Rockliffewarns.“Wehave 200 seeds in a bag, but if you don’t put them in the earth, theycan’tgrow Theseedswill die in the bag.” As the 60th Anniversary approaches, the question for Guyana remains: Are we celebrating our independence, or are we just throwinganexpensivepartyfor a nation that is slowly forgetting its own name?

Music Teachers and Parliamentarians Give...

From page 40 forcing educators to become the sole providers for their classrooms. Teachers in the public school system reported to KN yesterday a complete lackofofficialsupport,noting that they have not been issued essential materials such as musicbooksfornationalorfolk songs.

As one educator

poignantlyremarked,“IknowI didn’tgetany WhatIprovide for myself is what I secure for myself”. This lack of investment extends to instruments,whereteachersare often left to make their own interventions or recommendations just to acquire the bare minimum needed to teach.

Furthermore, significant

IranfullyclosesStraitof...

From page 6

nuclear dust,” referring to the enriched uranium, which is believed to be buried under nuclear sites badly damaged by U.S.militarystrikeslastyear

FrenchpeacekeeperiskilledinLebanon

French President Emmanuel Macron said a French soldier was killed and three others were wounded Saturday during an attack on U.N. peacekeepers in southern Lebanon. “Everything suggests that responsibility for this attack lies with Hezbollah,” Macron wrote on social media. The UNIFIL peacekeeping force also blamed Hezbollah. Hezbollah denied involvement.

Pakistan’s foreign minister said fighting between Israel and Hezbollah had been a key sticking point in U.S.-Iran talks,andthedeclarationofaceasefireinLebanonwasseen as a boost to efforts for an Iran agreement.

ItwasuncleartowhatextentHezbollahwouldabidebya truceitdidn’tplayaroleinnegotiating,especiallywithIsraeli troops still occupying a stretch of southern Lebanon.

In Beirut, displaced families began moving toward southern Lebanon and the capital’s southern suburbs despite warnings by officials not to return home until it was clear whether the ceasefire would hold.

TheIranwarhaskilledatleast3,000peopleinIran,morethan 2,290inLebanon,23inIsraelandmorethanadozeninGulfArab states.ThirteenU.S.servicemembershavebeenkilled.

gaps in the curriculum ensure that any musical foundation laid is quickly eroded. Educators point out that while musiciscurrentlyapartofthe curriculumforGrades7and8; thesubjectisabruptlydropped once students enter Grade 9.

This“brokensystem”fails to establish music as a consistent subject of study throughout the secondary levels, preventing students from gaining the marks or the deep-seated knowledge that comes with long-term instruction.

Teachers are now calling for the ministry to establish musicineverygradetoensure continuity and academic respect for the arts.

The most profound consequence of these failures is a generational loss of tradition and national identity

Teachers describe a stark contrast between the “cultural pride”feltinthe1980sand90s and the current reality, where studentsoftendonotrecognize national symbols or songs.

“National songs, I have to teach them from scratch,” another teacher lamented, noting that because these songs were never encouraged or taught in earlier years, the sense of nationalism has effectively disappeared from theclassroom.Rebuildingthis

pride, they argue, requires a deliberate effort to reintegrate Guyanese folk and national musicbackintothedailylifeof every school.

The consensus among creatives who want to see Guyanesereturntoanexcellent place of having cultural pride isthatthe“powersthatbe”lack the coordination and interest required to sustain a national identity

One teacher noted that the problem extends beyond the classroom: “This is not a school problem. This is a national problem... People don’tknowtosingthenational anthem and recite the pledge aswell”.

Teachers are calling for a full-time National Music Coordinator within the Ministrytooverseechoirsand curriculum, rather than just occasional “steel pan events”.

“They need a full time music coordinator with the ministry. If they have that... then we will begin to look at theimportanceofmusic”.

As preparations for the 60th Jubilee continue, the question remains: will the celebrationsfeaturethesoulof Guyana,orwilltheysimplybe a “glamorous” display of foreign influence? For those teaching the next generation, thegradeisalreadyin:F

Mexico,SpainandBrazilcallforCuba’ssovereigntytobeprotected

The three countries pledged more aid to Cuba and said Cubans must decide their own future amid an ongoing U.S. pressure campaign.

Aljazeera - The leaders of Mexico, Brazil and Spain have pledged more aid to Cuba, while appealing for the island nation’s sovereigntytoberespectedamidan ongoing pressure campaign from United States President Donald Trump.

ThejointstatementonSaturday wasreleasedasleftistleadersfrom acrosstheglobemetinBarcelona.

The three countries expressed “great concern about the serious humanitarian crisis that the people ofCubaaregoingthrough”.

The US has imposed a trade embargo on Cuba since Cold War tensionsemergedinthe1960s.

But the Trump administration has ratcheted up pressure on the island’scommunistgovernment,in

an apparent attempt to prompt leadershipchange.

Since January, Trump has barred the import of oil from Venezuela.Healsothreatenedother countries with sanctions if they deliver oil to Cuba, leading to fuel shortagesandenergyblackouts.

The campaign against Cuba’s governmentfollowssimilarpressure tactics against Venezuela’s former PresidentNicolasMaduro,whowas abducted and imprisoned in a US militaryoperationonJanuary3

Trump, meanwhile, has floated the removal of Cuba’s President MiguelDiaz-Canel.

In Saturday’s statement, the governmentsofMexico,Spainand Brazil — represented by President Claudia Sheinbaum, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and PresidentLuizInacioLuladaSilva, respectively—warnedagainstany actions that run “contrary to internationallaw”.

“We are committed to

coordinating an increase in our humanitarian response, aimed at alleviating the suffering of the Cubanpeople,”thetriosaid.

While the statement did not directly reference the US, it called forrespectfor“territorialintegrity, sovereign equality and peaceful settlementofdisputes”,asoutlined intheUnitedNationsCharter

Thethreecountriesfurthersaid that any solution in Cuba must “ensure that it is the Cuban people themselveswhodecidetheirfuture infullfreedom”.

TrumpsaysCubacouldbenext

Earlier this week, Trump again suggestedtheUScouldusemilitary force against Cuba, saying his attention could turn to the island followingtheconclusionoftheUSIsraelwaragainstIran.

“WemaystopbyCubaafterwe finishwiththis,”hesaid.

The Trump administration has repeatedly denied US policy has contributed to the humanitarian

situation in Cuba, instead framing thecrisisastheproductofdecades ofeconomicmismanagement.

Diaz-Canel, meanwhile, was defiant as he spoke on Thursday duringagatheringmarkingthe65th anniversary of Fidel Castro’s declaration on the socialist nature oftheCubanRevolution.

“The moment is extremely challengingandcallsuponusonce again, as on April 16, 1961, to be ready to confront serious threats, including military aggression,” Diaz-Canelsaid.

“Wedonotwantit,butitisour dutytopreparetoavoiditand,ifit becomesinevitable,todefeatit.”

TrumptakesaimatSpain

Saturday’sjointstatementcame asleadersgatheredinBarcelonato portray a united front in support of themultilateralismTrumphaslong railedagainst.

Spain’s Sanchez, an outspoken criticofTrump,didnotmentionthe president by name as he railed

againstright-wingpopulism.

“Theyknowtheirvisionofhow the world should be ordered is falling apart due to the tariffs and wars,” he said. “Their embrace of climate change denial, of xenophobia, or of sexism is their greatesterror.”

“They have tried again and again to make us embarrassed of our beliefs. That ends now From now on, they can be the ones who feelashamed.”

Trump,meanwhile,tookaimat Sanchez in a post on Truth Social. The president has repeatedly criticisedSpainfornotallowingthe US military to use its bases in the US-IsraelwarwithIranandfornot increasingitsdefencespending.

“Has anybody looked at how badlythecountryofSpainisdoing. Their financial numbers, despite contributing almost nothing to NATO and their military defense, are absolutely horrendous. Sad to watch!!!”Trumpwrote.

African nations tightening grip on mineral...

Frompage12 hasmovedtotightencontrol over its mining sector, revoking 40 mineral exploration licences in a sweeping enforcement action targeting companies accused of holding assets withoutdevelopingthem.

Tanzanian Minister of MineralsAnthony Mavunde

ordered the Mining Commission to cancel the licences after repeated noncompliance by operators, despite prior warnings and grace periods to rectify violations - according to a BusinessInsiderreport.

A ministry assessment found widespread breaches, including hoarding of exploration blocks without development, failure to pay

statutory fees, noncompliance with local content rules, and weak c o r p o r a t e s o c i a l responsibilitycommitments.

“The government will not tolerate negligence that hinders the development of the mining sector and the

broader economy, ” Mavunde told reporters in Dodoma.

Authorities said the revoked licences will be returned to the State and reallocated under the “Mining for a Brighter Tomorrow” programme, targetingsmall-scaleminers, capable investors, and designated groups to boost inclusiveparticipation.

AFRICA’SMINING PUSHACCELERATES REGULATORY TIGHTENING

The decision reflects a broader trend across Africa, where governments are increasingly reviewing mining agreements, enforcing stricter licensing conditions, and prioritising national ownership of mineralwealth.

From gold to critical minerals, states are seeking to ensure that licences transla

ual production,jobcreation,and revenue ra

her than speculativeholding.

In Tanzania’s case, the crackdown also reinforces its position as the world’s only source of Tanzanite, a strategically valuable gemstone concentrated near MountKilimanjaro.

“We have identified serious violations that undermine the sector’s potential,” Mavunde said, adding that enforcement is intendedtorestorediscipline and

n licensing.

TheMiningCommission has also issued compliance notices to 43 additional licenceholders,givingthem 30 d

outstanding issues or face cancellation.

Failure to comply, officials warned, will result in further revocations, with

advancing development and acceleratingoutputinoneof EastAfrica’s most resourcericheconomies.

While countries like Burkina Faso and Tanzania

are moving to tighten State control and expand their s

ve industries, Guyana’s model remains largely investordriven. Guyana’s mineral wealth continues to attract s

gn investment, with several Canadianminingcompanies collectively controlling millions of ounces of gold across various stages of d

projects, spanning multiple m

exploration, feasibility studies,andpermitting.

OKOWEST–GMININGVENTURES

Canadian gold producer G Mining Ventures Corp. (GMIN) is the 100-percent owneroftheOkoWestGold Project,whichisexpectedto produce 4.3 million ounces of gold over a 12.3-year mine life, with average annual production of 350,000ounces.

In December, GMIN secured its final regulatory milestonefortheprojectafter receiving a 20-year mining licence from the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) The licence,whichtookeffecton December5,2025,authorises full development, operation andcommercialproductionat the Region Seven (CuyuniMazaruni)site.

Pre-production open-pit mining is scheduled to commence in the first quarter of 2026, with assembly of the initial mining fleet already underway Commercial production is expected in 2027.

OKO–G2 GOLDFIELDS

Canadian miner G2 Goldfields Inc. is targeting approximately 3.2 million ounces of gold from its Oko Gold Project, with average annual output projected at about281,000ouncesduring peakyears.

The projections are contained in the company’s maiden Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA), released last month, which outlines a combined open-pit and underground operationwitha14-yearmine life The assessment is supported by an updated mineral resource of 1 6 millionouncesofgoldinthe Indicated category and 19 millionouncesintheInferred category Project start-up is currentlytargetedfor2029

G M I N r e c e n t l y announced that it will be acquiring G2. That deal can see the company earning overUS$30billionbasedon a combined resource of 7million ounces, and gold prices remaining above US$4,500 per ounce when productionbegins TOROPARU

–ARISMINING

The 5.4-million-ounce Toroparu Gold Project is being developed by CanadianminerArisMining Corporationthroughitslocal subsidiary,ETKInc.

As previously reported byKaieteurNews,Toroparu is expected to produce an average of 235,000 ounces ofgoldperyearoveramine life exceeding 20 years, yieldingroughlyfivemillion ounces of gold, along with silver and copper by-

products.

Aris Mining has applied to the GGMC and the Minister of Natural Resources to convert its small-scale claim licences, mining permits and prospecting permits into large-scale mining licences. The company had also disclosed that the project’s environmental permit was renewed in October 2024 and will remain valid until September2029.

OMAIGOLDMINE–AVALON Canadian miner Omai Gold Mines Corp subsidiary, Avalon Gold Exploration Inc. is the 100percent owner of the Omai Gold Project in Region Seven.

The company has embarked on an aggressive drilling campaign to rapidly expand the two orogenic gold deposits: the shearhosted Wenot Deposit and theadjacentintrusive-hosted Gilt Creek Deposit The latest resources estimate for the past-producing mine pegs it at 2.1 million ounces of gold. Last month, the company applied for environmental authorisation forthegoldproject.

Once a prolific gold producerfrom1993to2005, the mine yielded 3.8 million ouncesofgold,producingan average of more than 300,000 ounces of gold per year during a period when gold traded below US$400 perounce.Sinceitsreturnto “mining-friendly” Guyana, Omai has revitalised the property, which benefits from much existing infrastructure.

Essequibo man charged withrape

A 40-year-old man, on Thursday, was charged with rape when he appeared at the Anna Regina Magistrate Court.

The accused, Kalika Singh, a porter of Lot 429, Good Hope, Essequibo Coast allegedly raped a woman in September2024fromthesaid community

Singh was not required to plead to the charge and was granted a $200,000 bail with conditions.Hewasorderedto report to the Aurora Police StationeveryFridayandmust be 100 feet away from the victimuntiltheoutcomeofthe matter

Heisscheduledtoreturnto courtonApril30,2026.

Leopold, Albouystown, Z-Tekk, Bent Street gain...

Frompage53

Guinness, Guyana’s leading stout, with support from ColoursBoutique.ActionissettocontinueattheNational CulturalCentre,promisingmorehigh-intensityclashesand streetfootballexcitement.

Day3(Roundof16)April23rd

(22)Z-TekkvsBentStB-19:00hrs

(19)AlbouystownvsLeopold-19:30hrs (18)NewBayBallersvsTeamCruel-20:00hrs (17)IslandAll-StarsvsBroadSt-20:30hrs (21)FestivalCityvsNorthEastLaPenitence-21:00hrs (20)NationalAll-StarsvsTeamImmaculate-21:30hrs

(23)GoldisMoneyvsEastCoastAll-Stars-22:00hrs (24)SpartaBossvsLaingAvenue-22:30hrs

GFF,MACORPGraduate10fromThird ScholarshipProgrammeforExcavatorOperators

Sunday April 19, 2026

ARIES(Mar.21–Apr.19)

You will be able to find a greater connection to your inner soul today, Aries. You willalsofindthatyou'remore psychic than usual. The more you look inward, the more you'reapttofindthesolutions toyouroutwardquestions.

TAURUS(Apr.20–May20)

You may have many irons in the fire today People and projects could demand your attention, yet you may feel so dreamy and unmotivated that it could be hard to make progressonanyofthem.

GEMINI(May21–June20)

Thisisgoingtobeagreatday for you, Gemini. Strangely enough, you will find that tension may help you get things done. There's an easinesstodaythatwillcreate openings for exploring creativeoutlets.

CANCER(June21–July22)

You may need to let go and release your control, Cancer You know what you want, so justtrustyourintuition.Ifyou continue to let your brain do allthework,youwillprobably missvaluableinformation.

LEO(July23–Aug.22)

This is an excellent day for you. You will find that things automatically flow your way You will receive more attentionthanusualandbethe center of any flattering discussions.

VIRGO(Aug 23–Sept 22)

You may feel a bit lazy and unmotivated today, Virgo. It couldbehardtodragyourself outofbed.Intermsofloveand romance, there's apt to be sometension.

LIBRA(Sept.23–Oct.22)

Loveandromanceareapttobe going quite well for you now, Libra.You should find that it's easier to be yourself in a partnership.Letyourromantic sideshinethrough.

SCORPIO(Oct.23–Nov 21)

You may feel a great deal of nervous energy today Tension could come to you from all angles. Indecisiveness might be your biggest problem. You may be in a frenzy trying to figureoutwheretomovenext.

SAGIT(Nov 22–Dec.21)

Issues having to do with love and romance are in your favor today,Sagittarius.You'remore in touch with your emotions. Youwillfindthatyourattitude toward love is more grounded thanusual.Feelfreetoletgoof somecontrol.

CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19)

You may not feel in sync with the day's energy, Capricorn. Somethingaboutitmaynotsit right with you. Your natural instincttowanttotakethelead may be overshadowed by an unwillingnesstoevengetup.

AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18)

Issues regarding love and romance should be going well for you now, Aquarius. You will find that your natural tendencytogroundandplanis working perfectly with your desiretofindwhatyouwantin amate.

PISCES(Feb.19–Mar.20)

You may want to escape into your dreams today, Pisces Trying to do something practical may be met with opposition, as the general moodofthedaycallsforthings tobemoreetherealandelusive.

The graduands along with officials of the GFF and MACORPat after the presentation of certificates. (GFF)

Ten participants have successfully graduated from the third edition of the MACORP Scholarship Programme for Excavator Operators, a collaborative initiative between the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) and Machinery Corporation of Guyana Ltd (MACORP).

The certificate handover ceremony was held on Friday at MACORP’s headquarters in Providence, East Bank Demerara, where players an

ors we

e recognised for completing the Level One Excavator OperatorTraining.

In attendance were MACORP President and General Manager German Consuegra, GFF President Wayne Forde, and MACORP Training ManagerMiguelOviedo.

In his address, President and General Manager German Consuegra encouraged the graduates to hone in on their skill set, while also increasing their ability to produce for themselvesandbyextension theirfamiliesandsociety

Deliveringremarksatthe c e r e m o n y, F o r d e underscored the importance of career planning beyond football, highlighting the programme as a critical pathway for personal and professionaldevelopment.

“Iamincrediblyproudof theseyoungpeopleandwish to congratulate them on behalf of the GFF Council and our wider football community,” Forde said “Through their dedication, discipline, and commitment over the past few months, they have acquired highly marketable skills that improve their chances of securing meaningful e m p l o y m

contributing to Guyana’s development.We wish them every success in their future endeavours.”

Launched in 2021, the programme is designed to equip footballers and administrators with technical competencies and alternative career opportunities beyond the sport. To date, 28 operators in three branches, male and female, have completed the three-week training programme and are now certifiedMACORPmachine operators.

Region5Softball Extravaganzasetfor3rdMay

Softballcricketfanswillbeupforatreaton May 3rd when RS Sports host the inaugural Region5softballCricketExtravaganza

The one-day limited overs knockout competition have both to male and female teamsinactionandopentoallSoftballteams.

Playerswillhavetheopportunityofonce againshowcasetheirskillsinthesportsasthe formatwillberoundarmbowlingandextras inplace.

Accordingtotheorganisersteamswillbe vying for $500,000 in cash and prizes to be

awarded to the winning teams, runner-ups, MVPs, best bowling figures and highest scoreinaninnings,andplayerofthefinals.

There will be lots of side attractions for the kids and entertainment for the entire family

Supporting the tournament are Amaya Milk Company, PT Hatchery, M.K Hoosein Construction, ZS Enterprise and J&G Supermaket.

Interested teams can registered by contactingtelephone726-1386.

Chase, West R/veldt, Three Mile, Annandale

Sec’ through to...

Frompage54

doubledthelead30minuteslaterwithawell-takengoalthat effectivelyputthegamebeyondreach.

CharlestownSecondarysecuredanarrow2-1win,thanks toabracefromAdionMarks,whoseclinicalfinishingproved decisive. They will now faceAnn’s Grove Secondary, who progressed after a solid 2-0 win over Belladrum Secondary, withKennardHalleynettingbothgoals.

St Joseph High continues to impress with a clinical 4-2 victory over East Ruimveldt. Semech Starke led the attack with a brace, while Joel Stephen and Laurel George each added a goal to complete a well-rounded offensive display Three Mile Secondary also advanced in dramatic fashion, edging their opponents 5-4 after a high-scoring contest that was deadlocked at 3-3 at the end of regulation, showcasing nervesofsteelinthedecisivemoments.

With the Round of 16 now completed, the competition intensifies as the remaining eight teams return to the pitch today The Petra Organisation will oversee the quarterfinal clashesasteamsbattleforacovetedplaceinthesemifinals, bringing the tournament one step closer to crowning its champion.

This year’s championship is sponsored by Massy Distribution, with support from the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports and the Demerara Mutual Group, and is officiallysanctionedbytheMinistryofEducation

Today’QuarterfinalFixtures

10:30hrs New Amsterdam Secondary vs Charlestown Seocndary

12:30hrs Three Mile Secondary vs Chase’s Academic Foundation

14:30hrsSantaRosaSecondaryvsAnnandaleSecondary

16:30hrsStJoesphHighvsWestRuimveldt

Here’s a look at St Joseph’s goal scorers in yesterday’s 4-2 win against East Ruimveldt. In photo from left: Semech Starke, Joel Stephen and Laurel George.

Welcome leads the way with treble! West Ruimveldt stays on course after a dominant display by captain Donovan Welcome.

Chase, West R/veldt, Three Mile, Annandale Sec’ through to quarterfinals

...as Welcome, David headline with hattricks in 2026 Massy U18 Schools Football C/ship

TheQueen’sCollegegroundturnedintoa truefootballbattlegroundonSaturdayasthe finalsixteenschoolsclashedintheRoundof 16 phase of the 2026 Massy Distribution Under-18 Football Championship. With just eight quarterfinal spots up for grabs, teams delivered high-tempo performances, attacking flair, and disciplined defensive displays.

When the dust settled, St Joseph High, Ann’s Grove Secondary, Charlestown Secondary, Santa Rosa Secondary, West Ruimveldt Secondary, Chase’s Academic Foundation, Three Mile Secondary, and AnnandaleSecondaryallbookedtheirplaces intoday’squarterfinals.

Across eight thrilling fixtures, West Ruimveldt Secondary, Santa Rosa and Chase’s Academic Foundation once again

stampedtheirauthority,producingdominant performancestoadvance.

WestRuimveldtsecuredaconvincing4-1 victory over West Demerara Secondary, establishing control early in the contest.

DellonPhiladelphiaopenedthescoringinthe 14th minute, latching onto a well-weighted long ball from midfield before calmly slotting home to give his side the lead.

CaptainDonovanWelcomethentookcharge ofproceedings,nettingtwiceinthe23rdand 31st minutes to complete a clinical first-half brace and hand West Ruimveldt a comfortable3-1advantageatthebreak.

The second half saw West Demerara attempt to regroup, but West Ruimveldt remained compact and composed. Welcome completed his hat-trick in the 55th minute, sealing the result with a decisive finish and

Chase’s Kemron Pellew controlling the middle against Patentia as Chase’s Academic Foundation storms into quarterfinals with another huge upset.

capping off a standout individual performance. They now move on to face St JosephHighinthequarterfinals.

Equally impressive, Chase’s Academic Foundationextendedtheirflawlessrunwitha resounding 9-0 demolition of Patentia Secondary Shaquan David led the charge withabrillianthat-trick,findingthenetinthe 10th, 49th, and 50th minutes. Early goals from David and Nyron Barrow set the tone, while Mark Glasgow (31’), Jaden Tasher (30’), Damani Hardy (29’), and Kemron Pellow (22’) all got on the scoresheet in a ruthless first-half display that left Chase cruisingwitha6-0leadathalftime.

Chase maintained their attacking intensity after the restart, with David adding

to his tally and Jaden Christian putting the finishing touch on the emphatic win in the 60thminute.TheywillnowfaceThreeMile Secondaryforaplaceinthesemifinals. Santa Rosa Secondary ended YarrowkabraSecondary’stitleambitionsina tightlycontestedencounter,edgingthem3-2 after70minutesofend-to-endfootball.Dane Phillips, Darren Wade, and Andell James were on target for Santa Rosa, who now preparetomeetAnnandaleSecondaryinthe quarterfinals.

Annandaleadvancedwithacomposed20 victory over New Central High. Ronoko Morris struck early, finishing confidently in theseventhminute,whileDemarionHeadley Continued on page 53

Guinness ‘Greatest of the Streets’ Street Football C/ship

Leopold, Albouystown, Z-Tekk, Bent Street gain progression in Georgetown leg

Eightmoreteamspunchedtheir tickets to the Round of 16 in the Guinness ‘Greatest of the Streets’ Georgetown Championship, following an electrifying night of street football action on Friday at the National Cultural Centre Tarmac.

Building on the momentum from Wednesday’s opening fixtures, Bent Street, Team Cruel, Laing Avenue, Z-Tekk, Albouystown, North East La Penitence, Leopold, and National All Stars advanced, keeping their title ambitions alive as the knockoutphaseintensifies.

Bent Street set the tone in the opening encounter with a commanding 3-0 win over United Ballers Displaying a wellorganised backline and sharp transitions, Bent Street controlled possession and dictated the tempo throughout. Their defensive unit remained compact, shutting down attacking threats before capitalisingattheotherendtoseala comfortablevictory Team Cruel followed with an

emphatic 4-1 triumph over Corinthians, delivering one of the standout performances of the evening.Knownfortheirattacking prowess,TeamCrueloverwhelmed theiropponentswithquickpassing, clinical finishing, and relentless pressure in the final third, leaving the usually competitive

Guinness ‘Greatest of the Streets’Georgetown leg continues Thursday,April 23, at the National Cultural Centre tarmac.

Corinthianssidechasingshadows. LaingAvenueandZ-Tekkboth navigated tense, low-scoring affairs to secure their progression.

LaingAvenueedgedGazaSquad10 in a tightly contested matchup, showing discipline and composure to protect their slender lead Similarly, Z-Tekk pulled off a

narrow 1-0 victory against North Ruimveldt, grinding out the result with a resolute defensive display andtimelyfinishing.

Albouystown advanced with a hard-fought 2-1 win over Young StarsinGameFive.Aftertakingthe lead, Albouystown managed the game effectively, resisting late

pressure as Young Stars pushed forward in search of an equaliser butfailedtofindthebreakthrough. North East La Penitence also progressedbythefinestofmargins, securinga1-0winoverK-TownAll Stars. In a cagey contest with limited clear-cut chances, a single decisive strike proved enough to separatethesides.

The final two fixtures of the evening delivered more drama. Leopold emerged victorious in a tense one-goal thriller against Kingston,showcasingresilienceina closely fought battle Meanwhile, National All Stars produced a

performancetodefeatTeamMadrid 2-0, combining defensive solidity with efficient attacking play to comfortablyseeoutthecontest With the Round of 16 lineup nowtakingshape,thecompetition continuestoheatupasteamsgear upforthenextstage,whereaplace in the quarterfinals will be on the line

Thetournamentispoweredby

Continued on page 51

The ‘Ghetto boys’ of Albouystown were worthy Boxing ambassadors since back in 1962

Statistician Charwayne Walkertakesalookback atboxinghereinGuyana intheearly60’swhentheladsfrom Albouystown showed their mettle tobringhonourstoGuyana.

Walker notes, the ghetto boys werewordyambassadorsin1962,a boxing team from the ‘so called’ depressed community of Albouystown in July 1962 were great ambassadors when they humbled Barbados amateur boxers fourtooneinaboxingtournamentin BridgetownJuly1962,64yearsago.

Walker disclosed that the team was led by Ivelaw Glen and included the 1959 Pan American Games bronze medalist Carl Crawford.

Summary of the 1962 tournament: Barbados highly favoured Stephen Lewis, who had won a bronze medal at the Central American Games in Jamaica, lost to British Guiana’s middleweight

championNevilleHusbands inthe 166lbsdivision,helostonpoints.

Captain Ivelaw Glenn (142lbs) woneasilyfromRichardCarterby a technical knockout. The referee stoppedthefightinthethirdround.

Michael Beckles (117lbs) won on points from Patrick Sealey (115lbs) and Roy Charles (122lbs) won his bout against John Bridgeman (127lbs). Bridgeman retired in the 39 ninth second becauseofadislocatedshoulder.

Walker further stated that the boxers from the Albouystown YMCA left an indelible mark on thiscommunity,thatinlateryears, this community produced world champions Andrew ‘Six head’ Lewis, Shondell Alfred, CommonwealthchampionAndrew Murray and Guyana’s youngest evernationalchampionGlenFord.

The Guyana Amateur Boxing Association led by Director of Sports Mr Steve Ninvalle

AlbouystownYM boxers back in the day

2026/27 West Indies Regional 4-Day Championships Round

HarpyEagles/Volcanoesrunitbacktoday, following keenly contested opener

The

By Clifton Ross

Guyana Harpy Eagles

overcame odds thrown by the WindwardsVolcanoes in game 1, whichenabledthemtowrestleavictoryfrom the clutches of their opponents while gathering momentum and form; as the two sidesrunitbackfromtodaywhenthesecond encounter bowls off at the Antigua RecreationalGround.

Guyana fought tooth and nail in order to clinch their 4-wicket win against the Volcanoes during the opening encounter a fewdaysago,butwillbekeenonfine-tuning a few areas as they go deeper into the tournament.

Familiaritywillbeplayingahugerolein thissomewhatbilateralbattlethisseasondue to the restructuring of the format; knowing the strengths and weaknesses of one’s opponentwillplayahugeroleinthesuccess of not only the defending champs but the otherfranchises.

Eagles Captain Tevin Imlach, opener Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Vice-Captain Matthew Nandu and wicket-keeper Kemol Savory,allstoodtallduringthefirstgamebut will need some additional help especially from Kevlon Anderson, who looked out of sortsinbothinnings;butremainsabigplayer fortheEagles.

The Eagles have also confirmed fastbowler Shamar Joseph for today’s game, further adding to the fire-power in the pace department which is currently spearheaded byNialSmith,IsaiThorneandKeemoPaul. Joseph,whohashisworkloadmonitored

In a show of fine margins, ZacharyPersaudsnatcheda narrow pole for Today’s BANKS DIH Briggs and Stratton and Stratton Senior Light class of the$10MNitroKartKlash. Saturday’s qualifying session was one in which many drivers werepushedtothelimittoextract every fraction of a second, and when the dust settled, Persaud emergedatopthetimesheetsatthe NationalStadiumParkingLot

Persaud’s 35.310 ensures that he has the first jump at the grand Prize of $1M on offer for the final today, with Calvin Ming (35.553), Khalil Rickford (35 634), and Matthew Phang (35 799) all sniffingcloseby Persaud also starts on pole in the Honda GX200 Class sponsored by Jumbo Jet Auto Sales after a time of 36 986, puttinghimaheadofNareshAlves (38 240) and Luis Kumar (38 687), with Aqueel Edwards, JadenDaziel,andShaunBhoodoo completingthegrid

In the Chung’s Global Super Moto 125CC Junior Class, Lishon Lewis’ 37.010-second time was

The Guyana Harpy Eagles will be eyeing another win come day when Day 1 action gets underway

after his recent return from injury, will replaceopenerRaymondPerezwhoisoutfor a few weeks due to a shoulder injury he sustainedduringgameone.

Fresh on a 10-wicket haul in the first match, left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie is slowly taking over the role of lead spinner despite the elder statesman and 1st class

cricket’s leading wicket-taker in VeerasammyPermaul,whostillcontinuesto rakeinscalps.

Windwards played their hearts out and almost won the first game after gaining the advantage with both bat and ball during variousintervalsofthepreviousencounter AckeemAugustemisseda1stinningston

by a handful of runs, but could look to reassess his approach, especially against Motie who caused some trouble before eventuallyclaiminghiswicket.

OnehugeplusfortheVolcanoesisSunil Ambris’form,havingscoredanunbeaten107 in the 2nd innings. His experience and class will play a role yet again, as players like Kavem Hodge, skipper Alick Athanaze and Shadrack Descarte and others find their groovewiththebat.

Windwardsmanagedtocauseallsortsof problems with their bowling attack, as bowlers like Gilon Tyson will be looking to add to his first match 5-fer, while spinner Kenneth Dember and seamer Ryan John could also play key roles having carried the bowlingalongsideTyson.

Both sides tapped into their experience andgrittoensurethefirstbattlewentdownto the wire, but today’s round could belong to theteamwhichdidthemosthome-work,asit relates to ticking unchecked boxes in the strategicgame-planbook.

Eagles have somewhat of a slight advantageduetothewinbutunderestimating theVolcanoeswhowereinchesawayfroma possible win; could result in a long-term tricky situation should they suffer an unnecessarydefeat.

Also in today’s round, Trinidad and TobagoRedForcewillbelookingforanother winwhentheyplaytheLeewardsHurricanes at the Sir Viv Richardson stadium, while Jamaica Scorpions, at home play Barbados Pride at Sabina Park; all as part of today’s secondroundof4-Dayaction.

enoughtosecuretopspotaheadof Joshua Holder (39 970) and TroquilleSealy(41.060).

The Forresters Lumber and Building Complex, Briggs and Stratton Heavy Class, will see Mikhail Persaud 36.594 start the day ahead of Jhon Mohamed (37.492), Salim Azeez (38.236), Andre Rochford (39 315), and JeremeyTenPowinthatorder

The Triple J Construction IAME X30 125CC was another battle of close times, with Justin Ten Pow’s 31.223 time enough to pip a hard-charging Kristian Jeffrey, who could only muster a 31.288; both times a shave off CalvinMing’s31.366.

Narrowly missing out on the topthreespotwasBenjaminPhang with a 31.844, who starts ahead of

Nicholas Sawh (32.319), ahead of Rayden Persaud and Mahendra Bhoodoo.

IntheSVCIncorporatedBriggs and Stratton Cadet,WilliamVieira recorded a 37.255 to take the top spot ahead ofAsrudeen Mohamed (37 452), Nathan Seejattan (37.720), with Gavriel Gayadin (37.729)representinganotherclose battle.

Meanwhile, Paige Mendonca snagged the top spot in the J’s Supermarket Female Briggs and StrattonandStrattonClassaheadof MaliciaLawrence.

Matthew Phang was the fastest in qualifying for the Mohamed’s Excavating Construction Incorporated Super Moto 250cc classwitha34.469aheadofJeremy Ten Pow’s 34 753, Andrew Jordan’s (35 060) and Salim Azeez’s(37.973).

In the AJM Enterprise Briggs and Stratton and Stratton Over 35 Rookie Class, John Mohamed qualified on pole with Shaun Bhoodoo snagging the top spot in the Ministry of Culture,Youth and Sport Briggs and Stratton Junior class.

Saturday’ssessionwaswatched on by the Honorable Charles Ramson Jnr, the Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport along with Assistant Director of sport FranklinWilson.

Gates open today from 08:00 with racing set to begin just under twohourslater Admission is $3000 for adults andchildrenU12free.