Kaieteur News

Mohamed questions Kwakwani

$1.4 billion housing

Canadian firm’s uranium project in Guyana named top pick at Bermuda investor event

C

anada-based U92

Energy Corp., which is developing Guyana’s only uranium project, has been recognised by investors at therecentlyconcludedCEM Bermuda Capital Event 2026,earningaplaceamong the top five investment opportunities for its growth potential amid renewed global interest in nuclear energy

Uranium is a naturally occurring radioactive element that serves as the primary fuel for nuclear power plants worldwide. It is primarily used to produce electricity, providing a highly concentrated energy source and its special properties also make it the main source of fuel for nuclearreactors.

CEM’s Breakout Exchange and featured in the Investor Breakoutnewsletter.

U92 Energy recently announced that following three days of one-on-one meetings with investors in Hamilton, Bermuda, it was selected as one of the standout companies at

From54companieswith market capitalisations ranging from approximately C$5milliontoC$1.5billion, U92 was chosen alongside Carrier Connect Data Solutions, Forge Resources,

SuperOrdinary The top five picks at the event were companies positioned to ease some of the biggest chokepoints shaping the

A look at U92’s Uranium Project

modern economy across energy, infrastructure, criticalmaterials,anddigital commerce.

“Investors in Bermuda were clear they wanted companies that are fixing shortages, not just telling macro stories,” said Ryan Iverson, CEM portfolio manager “In this kind of market, being on the right side of a bottleneck gives you a better shot at a rerate when results show up,” addedIverson.

Initsnewsletter,Investor Breakout highlighted that U92 Energy continues to benefit from the renewed push for nuclear power as a low-carbonbaseloadoption. Itsaidtoothatthecompany’s Kurupung uranium project, gives investors direct exposure to a market where new scalable discoveries remain scarce and slow to bringonline.

Unlike many greenfield juniors, U92 begins with a large historic resource base andabout129,000metresof drilling.Thatgivesinvestors a defined uranium system in a country already attracting multi-billion-dollar oil and mininginvestment.

It was stated that U92 earneditsspotinthetopfive due to investors exposure to anadvanceduraniumproject with a historic resource estimate of 20.6 millionpound, 10.6 million pounds indicated and 10.0 million pounds inferred, supported by129,000metresofhistoric drillingand88,000metresof corestoredonsite. Another reason highlighted is the Kurupung’s 92 2 square kilometres (km2) land package and the company’s near term plan focused on low-costtargeteddrilling.

“For investors, it provides a clearer path from a historic resource to a current resource without forcing the company to bet the balance sheet on speculative deep holes,” the newsletterstated.

The Kurupung uranium

project which is located in Region Seven (CuyuniMazaruni) is listed as U92’s only project This publicationhadreportedthat the Canadian firm gained control of Guyana’s only uranium project through a 2026 acquisition of a Singaporeanfirm.

Kaieteur News reported that a January 2026 filing statement revealed that U92 on June 18, 2025, entered intoabindingsharepurchase agreement to acquire LIA Industries Pte Ltd , a company incorporated in Singapore on November 11, 2020 under the Companies Act as a private company Accordingtothefilling,LIA Industries was formerly knownasArafuraOestePte. Ltd.,andthechangeofname took effect on December 2, 2022 LIA Industries indirectly holds mineral exploration rights to the Kurupung Property, through its wholly-owned subsidiary LIA(Guyana)Inc.,aprivate limited liability company in Guyana which was incorporated on March 20, 2023.LIAGuyanaregistered office is listed at Lot 35E North Road, Lacytown, Georgetown.

According to the document, the Guyana G e o l o g y & M i n e s Commission (GGMC) granted LIA Guyana the “exclusive right of occupation and exploration” through the issuance of Exclusive Prospecting Licences (PLs) on April 19, 2024.Itwasalsorevealedin the filings that exploration activities at the project site commencedin2024. The two prospecting licences permit the exploration of uranium, other radioactive minerals, and rare earth elements (REEs) for a period of three yearsendingApril18,2027. The licences may be extended upon application for a maximum of two additionalone-yearperiods, Continued on page 8

Ghanaian firm still to pay US$17M signing bonus for oil block

More than six months since t h e

Government of Guyana (GoG) signed a petroleum agreement with Ghanaian offshore explorer Cybele Energy Limited for the shallow-water Block S7, the company has still not paid the required US$17 million signing bonus into the Natural Resources Fund (NRF), placing the offshore concession at risk of cancellation.

Within 30-days of the Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) being signedonDecember9,2025, Cybelewasrequiredtomake the payment into the NRF However, with the deadline long expired, the company

h

approximatelyUS$4million in interest, that it is required to pay in addition to the US$17 million signing bonus.

It should be noted that while the required bonus for shallow-water blocks is US$10 million, Cybele offered US$7 million above the minimum when it submitted its bid during Guyana’s inaugural bid round.

Earlier this month, M

Resources Vickram Bharrat disclosed that Cybele was at

square-kilometre block becauseofthenon-payment. Atthattime,theministerhad

revealed that during talks with the ministry, the company committed to paying part of the signing

Damagedaccessroads cripplingminingoperations

- GGDMA calls for urgent Govt. intervention

The Guyana Gold

and Diamond

M i n e r s Association (GGDMA) is calling on the government to intervene to repair access roads in mining districts that have been damaged by the ongoinginclementweather

In a recent statement, the mining body noted that the ongoing heavy rains have flooded several workareasanddamagedseveralaccessroads makingitdifficultforminerstoaccesswork groundsandcriticalareas.

The association said the rain has also forcedseveraloperatorstoclosecampasthe areas are unworkable because of flooding. An example of the severity of the current conditionsisevidentalongthePuruniRiver, which has overtopped its banks to such an extent that the natural river channel is no longer distinguishable from the surrounding lands.

GGDMAsaidasaresultoftheexcessive width and the strong, fast-flowing current, pontoon crossings in the area have been completely suspended, further restricting accessanddisruptingminingoperations.

GGDMA Managing Director, Avalon Jagnandansaidthesituationisveryseriousin

theminingdistrictsandisseverelyaffecting miners and their production at a time when goldisatanall-timehigh.

On behalf of the association, Jagnandan called on the relevant authorities to help repair the damaged road infrastructure that will allow miners to access mining areas moreeasily

GGDMAurgedminerswhoareworking inthewetconditionstoexerciseextracaution as the ground can be more unstable. It also reminded miners to follow all safety protocols and the guidance of the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission and to continuetoselltheirgoldtotheGuyanaGold boardorlicencedbuyersandtokeepalltheir recordsasevidence.

Jagnandanfurthernotedthattheincrease incriminalactivityincertainareaswithinthe hinterland is also dampening the spirit of vulnerableminersoperatingintheseareas.

bonus into the NRF by the endofthefirstweekinJune and the remainder shortly thereafter

However, to date, no paymenthasbeenmade.

During a recent sideline interview with Kaieteur News, Bharrat said the matter is now before the ministry’s legal team.

“Because if they don’t pay, obviously we will have to move to canceling suspensionandcanceling,so ourlegalteamisdealingwith the issue, because we don’t want any legal battle in the future,”hesaid.

Despite the prolonged

delay, the minister said he remains hopeful the issue can be resolved Bharrat said, “Hopefully, we can get a positive (result). I’m still hopeful, and I’ll put that on record too, because they’ve recruited a lot of Guyanese already to work with them…so we are hopeful still,butifthereisnosignof payment or anything in near future,we’llhavetocancel.”

The S7 is located 50

k i l o m e t r e s f r o m

ExxonMobil Guyana

Limited’sLizaOneandTwo fieldsintheStabroekBlock, which is estimated at 11.6 billionbarrels.

The block’s oil fairway runs through S7 toward Suriname Cybele had planned to drill its first well within 12 months. The Africanwoman-ledfirmhas conservatively estimated that S7 holds 400 million barrelsofoil.

The fiscal regime for the S7 operations will be governed by the new PSA which requires the payment ofa10percentroyaltyanda 10 per cent corporate tax. The cost recovery ceiling willbecappedat65percent inagivenyear,whileprofits willbeshared50/50between thecompanyandthestate.

Kaieteur News

PrintedandPublishedbyNationalMedia& PublishingCompanyLtd. 24SaffonStreet, Charlestown,Georgetown,Guyana.

Publisher:GLENNLALL-TEL:624-6456

Editor:NIGELWILLIAMS

Tel:225-8465,225-8491. Fax:225-8473,226-8210

EDITORIAL

Equality in pay package

Guyanese workers must be dancing to the music coming from government. Minister of Natural Resources, MinisterVickramBharratsaidthatitistimeforGuyanese workers in the oil and gas sector to receive remuneration that equates to what their foreign counterparts get. Agreeable from the sound of it, one which should be easy fortheforeignexecutivescontrollingthesectortosignoff on. It is fair, and the time is right. There is a small considerationinbeingfairtoGuyaneseoilandgasworkers, doingwhatisrightbythem.

Itwillcostmoney,andthatmeansithastocomefrom somewhere. The profit side of the ledger seems to be the mostlikely,theonly,candidate.

FairnessinthepaypackageofGuyaneseworkersisdue afterfiveyearsofpayingtheirdues,learningtheropes,and equippingthemselves.

Yearsofhands-onexperience,whicharenolongersoft andgreen,buthardenedandknowingtheworkthathasto be done, without having to be directed as much, if at all. The expectation is that these workers have added to their qualifications which, along with the years of experience gathered,standasthebestrecommendationforthemtoget fairpay

Minister Bharrat spoke of equality, not equal, which onlyhemayknowwhatthatmeans. Weatthispaperthink of this in one way only Insofar as the experience and qualifications of Guyanese oil and gas workers, and the consistent quality of their work, are in line with that of expatriate workers in the sector, then they must be on the samepayscale.

Thisincludesallthebenefitsthatareanormalpartofthe compensationpackagesreceivedbyforeignworkers.

From Minister Bharrat's words, this is good news for local workers. But this same news is not so good for oil companies,specifically Afattercompensationpackagefor oilandgasworkersmeansmoreoperatingcosts.

That means more have to be subtracted for cost recovery That means the so-called 50:50 profit split betweenGuyanaandExxonMobilwouldbeless,allother things being equal. On the Guyana side, there should be joy,sincethousandsofGuyaneseworkersarethepotential beneficiaries. ButExxonMobilandtheotheroilcompanies intheoffshoreconsortiumcouldseethatastooexpensivea price to pay ExxonMobil has been fighting Guyana hammer and tongs for years over US$214M in audit findings. So, why would the company not resist what MinisterBharratputinthepublicdomain?

ExxonMobilknowsthatGuyanashould,atleast,have an equal say in close to US$1B in decommissioning costs deducted,buthassparredandshiedaway,fromagreeingto Guyana having some control in this billion. We are clear about this: Guyana should have control of all decommissioning (cleanup) millions. Taking these two money-related issues into consideration, why should ExxonMobil be receptive to equality in pay for Guyanese workerstobeingtheminlinewithitsexpatriatesdoingthe samework?

Minister Bharrat has spoken for the government. The PPPC Government must now possess the will to get a compensation package, inclusive of all perks, that incorporatesthe“equality”ofwhichtheministerspokeso authoritatively Wehavenoticedthatthisgovernmentand its leading representatives are well-versed in saying the thingsthatsoundright. Unfortunately,deliveringontheir wordshasbeenahumpthatthegovernmentseemsunable to get over, especially when ExxonMobil is involved. Moving from ExxonMobil specifically to the general oil and gas work environment, it would be huge boost for Guyaneseworkersshouldtheirpaypackagematchthoseof

Why Karpowership, Qataris and heavy diesel

DearEditor, T

concerns about the planned

process by the government

supplyingelectricitytoGPL.

The initial contract was intended as an emergency measure to add power generation capacity while Guyana's larger gas-toenergy project is delayed which may not come on streamuntilendof2027.

Theoriginalcontracthas expired and government is seekingtorenewthecontract butunderalargergenerating plantontheship.

Questions have been raisedaboutwhetherrenting larger floating generators using diesel is the most economical solution to powershortages.

The original agreement has not been fully disclosed to the public, fueling suspicions of massive corruption. Transparency and accountability were missing in the original tendering process; the contract was awarded to a foreign company as an emergency even though local companies could provide the same services at

one third the price. The governmentoptedforamore expensive foreign company and diesel supplied by a Qatari company The local contractors are known to opposekickbacks.Itisnotin somepeople'sintereststotap into services of local companies reluctant to pay kickbacks.

Based on recent exposition of plans to corruptlyextendthecontract

a s a n e m e rg e n c y, government held off on renewal of the same ships at amuchhighercost.Asinthe original contract, transparency is missing in the talks for renewal of the contract.

The plan now is to contract a larger power ship from the same company producing more electricity Theeconomyofscalewould suggest that price per unit should be less than the previoussmallship.

But under the planned new contract, per unit cost would be much higher Government will shell out more money but consumers won'tpayless.

Watchdog groups raised concerns about the original contract and are doing so againintheplannedrenewal.

Sole sourcing and emergency procurement with limited disclosure creates conditions for corruption We need tendering and openness in therenewalprocess.

The cost of leasing and fueling the two ships has been substantial. Why is the government switching to a larger diesel operated barge that will burn even more diesel that pollutes the environment.

The power ships burn heavy fuel oil/diesel, which are more expensive than the natural gas expected from the gas-to-energy project. A companycouldhaveutilized the free gas to supply electricity at lower than the gas to shore project and one thirdthatofKarpowership.

The government often invokes emergency circumstances to justify rapid procurement decisions.; are preferential companies and kickbacks themotivation?Urgencyisa cover for kickbacks and secrecy When contracts are negotiated behind closed doors, key terms remain u n d i s c l o s e d , a n d competitive bidding appears limitedorabsent,resultingin suspicionaboutthecontract.

Why hasn't the public been given full access to contractdetailsandthebasis upon which suppliers were selected These concerns become even more significant when additional and larger barges are being procured, increasing the financial burden on tax payers. Why is government insisting in using expensive heavy diesel fuel instead of freegas.Theexpensiveoilis bought under a special arrangement with the Qataris.

Why a Qatari company? Why isn't fuel supply being tendered.

Why isn't a local companynotpermittedtobe the supplier? If the contract mustbewithKarpower,why not have free gas powered barges instead of having Qataris supply diesel at hundreds of millions of American dollars annually Using gas will save the countryhundredsofmillions ofAmericandollarsperyear

The public has a right to know how and why major power procurement decisions are made and why certain companies are preferred.

Yourstruly NathanBarton

Selective reasoning cannot rewrite the constitution on GECOM

DearEditor,

Why were VPAC, WIN, FGM and the other parties now demanding changes to GECOM n

ally concernedabouttheabsence o

commissioners before the parliamentary balance shifted in their favour? If indefinite tenure is truly the problem, why is there no c

gency regarding the tenure of the other commissioners or the chairperson?

These questions matter because the current debate reflects a clear pattern of selective reasoning The same constitutional arrangement existed before the2025elections,yetitdid notgeneratethiscoordinated

demand for institutional change. Only after WIN became the largest opposition grouping did GECOM's composition suddenly become an alleged democratic crisis. WIN and some of its supporters also speak as though the parliamentary opposition consistsofWINalone,when it remains composed of several non-governmental politicalparties.Thisraisesa legitimate question: is the argument based on constitutional principle, or on immediate political advantage?

Article 161 of the Constitutionprovidesforsix GECOM commissioners

Three are appointed by the president acting in his own

their foreign colleagues doing the same jobs. We agree with theministerthatlocalworkershaveaccumulatedtheyearsof experience, and with the proper qualifications, any remunerationgapsshouldbeclosedquickly Whatisthereto preventthisfromhappening?

NowthatMinisterBharrathasspoken,thegovernmenthas a duty to make this equality in remuneration for Guyanese workerbecomeareality Noobjections,nodelays,norgames shouldbeallowedtogetinthewayofwhatisfairforGuyanese workers. The time is right. The money is there. It must happen.

deliberate judgment, while three are appointed by the president acting on the advice of the leader of the opposition after meaningful consultation with the nongovernmental political parties represented in the nationalassembly

T h a t p r o v i s i o n establishes the appointment process.Itdoesnotexpressly statethatthetenureofsitting

c o m m i s s i o n e r s automatically expires when another party becomes the largest opposition bloc or when a new Leader of the opposition assumes office. N

s proportionally according to thenumberofparliamentary seats held by individual parties.

That commission is central to the dispute. The constitution explains how commissioners enter office, but does not connect their continuedtenuretochanging seat totals or political realignments.Theirremoval is governed by separate constitutional protections and procedures. A sitting

commissionercannotsimply be dismissed because another political party now wantstheposition. There is, admittedly, a genuine legal disagreement. Some commentators argue that the representational purpose of Article 161 should permit a newly elected leader of the opposition to advise that different commissioners be appointed after consulting the other opposition parties. Others argue that sitting commissioners cannot be r e p l a c e d w i t h o u t resignation, lawful removal, judicial clarification, or constitutional reform. That disagreement should be r

s o l v e d t h r o u g h authoritative constitutional interpretation, not through p

itical s

ments presentedassettledlaw VPAC contends that GECOM must reflect Guyana's “new opposition reality” Politically, that p

Legally, however, representational fairness and constitutional authority are not the same (Continuedonpage6)

Walton and the right to equal parliamentary participation

DearEditor, Constitutional law does notpreachdiscrimination.It prohibits it without exception for procedural convenience, and without regard to which party benefits. Articles 13, 149, and 150 of Guyana's Constitution guarantee equal participation regardless of political opinion or party size. A legislature that denies a validly nominated member committee service does not breach mere procedure. It contradicts the democratic principleitexiststoembody The exclusion of the Honourable Ms Walton from the Parliamentary Management Committee — despite a valid nomination by APNU's Mr Mahipaul and a proper secondment from a main opposition party MP has no constitutional basis The speaker's apparent reliance onastandingordertoblock the nomination, while implicitly suggesting Walton seek "more seats" at a future election before being entertained again, reflects a posture alien to modern commonwealth democraticpractice. Compare this to how functioning commonwealth

parliaments actually operate In the United

Kingdom House of Commons,selectcommittee membership is allocated

through cross-party

negotiation via the committeeofselection,with the explicit principle that committee composition must reflect the political balance of the house — including smaller parties holding only a handful of seats.

T h e p r o c e d u r e committee has repeatedly affirmed that excluding a

validly nominated member from committee service undermines the scrutiny functionparliamentexiststo perform. In Canada's House of Commons, Standing Order 104 requires the Standing Committee on Procedure and House

Affairs to propose membership lists reflecting each recognised party's proportional representation, astructuralguaranteethatno party, however small, is administratively erased f r o m c o m m i t t e e participation once properly nominated.

NewZealand'sStanding Orders Committee operates on the same principle: a valid nomination, properly s e c o n d e d , i s n o t discretionaryforthespeaker to override based on politicalcalculation.

Guyana's own standing orders were not designed to functionasaninstrumentof exclusion.

A legislature gives constitutional rights life; it does not withhold them on pretext. Where a valid nomination

ppo

p

oper secondment, the speaker's obligation is to facilitate participation, not engineer denial.

I illustrate with a personal account of functioning democratic process. In June 1986, as a 26-year-old Canadian serviceman, I asked Liberal MP Charles Caccia to support a petition concerning my Guyanese spouse's right to travel to Canada to deliver our child. He raised it in the House. The Minister of State for Immigration, Walter McLean, issued a minister's permit within the hour My child was born in Toronto within a day That is what

institutions do when they function as constitutional instruments rather than partisan ones, as parliament also demonstrated when it facilitated Mr Shuman and Ms. Kissoon in comparable circumstances.

Those cases were not about partisanship They were about parliamentary duty,properlydischarged.

Walton's situation requires no petition, no protracted process. A valid nomination, a valid secondment,andaseasoned parliamentarian.

What remains is institutionalwill.

Should the speaker continue to disregard constitutional and administrative law, the proper venue for resolution is parliament itself, through the opposition chief whipnot street protest, not floor o

understandable, and not newspaper correspondence as a substitute for parliamentary remedy.

Commonwealth democratic traditionofferstwoprincipal paths for addressing entrenched bad governance peacefully: the ballot box, thesimplestandleastcostly; and the courts, through properly filed proceedings. Gandhi's satyagraha, the 1961 Freedom Rides, and the 1963 Birmingham Children's Crusade all demonstratethatdisciplined non-violent resistance produces moral clarity

institutions cannot ultimately ignore but G u y a n a ' s p r e s e n t circumstance, however troubling, calls for parliamentary and legal remedy, not the exceptional measures reserved for gravercrises.

The nomination should stand. Walton-Desir should serve Commonwealth precedentandGuyana'sown Constitution demand no less.

Regards

M.

ShabeerZafar, Barrister-at-Law

Beyond

the article: The longstanding electricity disparity in Linden

DearEditor, Today I looked at an article written by MP Sharma Solomon and even though I agree with most of whathehaswritten,thereis a critical issue he failed to mention.

Thisissuedealswiththe issue of electricity rates in Linden. For many years the peopleofLinden,especially thoseonthewestbankofthe community have been concerned about electricity issues and in the nineties those issues were settled relative to the cost of electricity in the entire community by the board of directors of the company I often remember asking members of the board of directorswhythoselivingin places like Watooka, Noitgedacht and Richmond Hill were not paying electricity bills and the board made a decision to immediately fix that situation.Ofcourse,Iwasa member of the board of directorsatthattime.

Residents of Linden have for decades been dealing with environmental issuesrelativetothebauxite companyintermsofbauxite dust that not only impacted their health but caused serious problems at their homes. That is one of the primary reasons why electricity rates in Linden have never been high like manyotherareasinGuyana. This situation has never been fully understood by manypoliticiansonallsides of the political spectrum. On many occasions issues were raised expressing concerns from certain politicians about the low electricity rates at Linden. The LUSCSL that supplies electricity on the west side of Linden was concerned aboutthefrequentviewthat electricityratesweretoolow and its members made a decision to increase electricity rates on the west side of Linden. The new rates moved from $5 to $7, (Continuedonpage6)

Beyondthearticle:Thelongstandingelectricity...

Frompage5 fordomesticusageandfrom$12to$15 forcommercialusage.Thosenewrates wereintroducedin2010.Afterthenew rateswereintroducedonthewestbank, as the secretary of the LUSCSL, I consulted the head of the board of directors of the electricity company at Mckenzie, Mr. Carvil Duncan, requesting that the rates on the Mckenzie side should also be increased.

This request was rejected on the groundsthatthethengovernmentisnot interested in raising the rates of the peopleontheeastbankofLinden.

Two years later the government attempted to raise the electricity rates for Linden by over 800 per cent. That spitefulmovebythegovernmentledto massprotestsinLindenandresultedin the death of three young men. Would thosethreeLindenersbeintheirgraves today if the rates were increased on

bothsidesin2010?Sixteenyearslater, theresidentsonthewestsideofLinden arestillpaying25and40percentmore for electricity than the residents and businesses on the east side of the community. It is my permanent view that what happened in 2012 was a move to spite the people of Linden because of the results of the 2011 elections.Iwillstopnow.

Sincerely, CharlesSampson

Selectivereasoning...

Frompage4 thing.Apoliticalpartycannot reconstitute an independent constitutional body merely because the parliamentary balance has changed and it believes the current arrangement no longer benefits it. If the framework has become outdated, the honest argument is that Guyana needs constitutional reform.

The inconsistency becomes clearer when the pressure is focused almost e n t i r e l y o n t h e commissioners historically associated with the PNCRled opposition. If the real concern is indefinite tenure, why was this institutional design not considered intolerable before WIN gained more opposition seats? Why is the proposed solution primarily about transferring particular positionsfromoneopposition party to another rather than comprehensively reforming theappointmentandtenureof theentirecommission?

These questions do not meanthattheexistingsystem is ideal. GECOM's structure developed within a political landscape dominated by two principal blocs, while Guyana now has a more fragmentedopposition.There is a credible case for reviewing the system to establish fixed terms, transparent appointment

standards, broader

consultation, clearer succession procedures, and a mechanism that better reflects a changing political environment.

However,reformmustbe principled and consistent. It cannot mean preserving the existing arrangement when it produces one political outcome, then discovering a constitutional emergency when the balance of advantagechanges.

It is also misleading to link GECOM commissioners directly to parliamentary seats.Commissionersarenot members of parliament, and Article 161 does not distribute their positions according to each party's electoralstrength.Theyserve on a constitutional commission responsible for e l e c t o r a l p o l i c y,

administration, oversight, and public confidence in the electoralprocess.

ThefactthatWINbecame the largest opposition grouping may strengthen its political case for reform, consultation, voluntary resignations, or judicial clarification. It does not, by itself,createvacanciesorgive WINownershipoftheoffices occupied by sitting commissioners.

WIN's initial attempts to removeopposition-appointed commissioners and replace the Opposition Chief Scrutineer also raised concerns about its understanding of the legal and institutional boundaries surrounding those positions. A party seeking greater influence over the electoral

constitutional structure it wishestochange.

T

e j e c t oversimplification from

commissioners should not pretend that the current arrangement is immune from scrutiny. WIN and its advocates should not pretend that a change in political fortunes automatically rewrites the Constitution. VPAC should not present its preferred interpretation of democratic representation as though it were an express constitutionalcommand.

If GECOM's present compositionnolongerserves Guyana's democratic needs, t

ue comprehensive reform Establishfixedterms.Clarify w

parliamentary leadership affect future appointments. Consider mechanisms for

representation Apply the same standards to every commissioner, every party, andtheChairperson. What Guyana should not accept is selective constitutionalism, where the meaning of the law changes depending on who has recently gained or lost politicaladvantage.

Yoursinservice, NakishaSinclair

BLUNT BLUNT BLUNT BLUNT

Delay in full profit sharing

ExxonMobil has now confirmed that only US$4.5 billion remained in its cost bank at the end of 2025. Based on current production and oil prices, that amount should already have been recovered. If so, why is Guyana still waiting to receive the full 50% profit oil guaranteed under the Production Sharing Agreement? This question demands an immediate answer from the government. Instead, there is silence, vague promises and shifting explanations while billions continue to flow offshore.

Even more troubling is the prospect of approving new projects without ring-fencing, allowing fresh development costs to further postpone Guyana’s rightful earnings. The nation deserves transparency, not selective disclosures. The government must publish the audited cost bank figures, explain why full profit sharing has not commenced, and ensure no new licence is granted until Guyana’s contractual rights and revenues are fully protected.

Trump threatens Iran with fresh strikes as JD Vance leads peace talks in Switzerland

(Reuters) - U S

President Donald Trump on Sunday threatened to restart war with Iran even as Vice President JD Vance met Iranian officials for the first talks under an interim peace deal, overshadowed by Tehran’s announcement it hadagainclosedtheStraitof Hormuz.

The talks in the Qatariownedmountaintopresortof BuergenstockinSwitzerland were the first to be held unde

a m e m o r a n d u m o f understandingagreedaweek ago. Itcallsforthestraittobe reopened and a halt to all hostilities, including in

Lebanon, which U.S. ally IsraelinvadedinMarch.But Iran, arguing that Washington had failed to meet its commitment to halt fighting in Lebanon, said it had shut the strait again and that Sunday’s talks would not cover substantive issues such as Iran’s nuclear programme.

“Iran must immediately stop their highly paid PROXIES in Lebanon from causing trouble If they don’t,we’llhitIranveryhard again, just like we did last week,onlyharder!!!”Trump said, apparently referring to Iran’s Hezbollah allies in Lebanon, and to an escalation he ordered earlier

thismonth.

Fox News reported that Trumphadgonefurtherinan interview,sayinghehadtold Iranian officials if they closed the strait “you won’t have a country”, and threatening to take over the waterway

At the talks in Switzerland,whereU.S.and Iranian officials met in the presence of Qatari mediators, Vance played downtheimpactofviolence in Lebanon, saying progress had been made towards endinghostilitiesthere.

“Thesethingsarealways alittlebitmessy,”hesaid.

Even as Trump was threatening Iran, Vance told

U.S. Vice President JD Vance (L) speaks next to Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif (C) and Qatar’s Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani at the start of a quadrilateral meeting between the U.S., Iran, Pakistan and Qatar. (Fabrice Coffrini | Afp | Getty Images)

reporters the U.S. president had “asked us to turn over a new leaf to transform our relationship with the people ofIran”.

Thewarringsidesdidnot pursue a joint photo opportunity at the talks Before Vance made his remarks, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi brieflywalkedintotheroom and embraced Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, a mediator Araqchi did not interact with Vance, who was at the back of the room.

IRAN CITES

LEBANON AS REASON TO CLOSE STRAIT

D e s p i t e t h e announcement of a new ceasefire in Lebanon on Friday, there has been scant sign of an end to fighting there. Iran said on Saturday that as a result, it had again shutthestrait,whoseclosure for nearly four months causedthebiggestdisruption of global energy supplies in history

U.S. officials disputed thatthestraitwasclosed,but commercially available shipping data showed an immediateimpact.

Iran’s Fars news agency cited a military source as saying on Sunday that no new permits were being issuedforshipstocrossuntil further notice. Throughout thewar,shippingfirmshave said it is too dangerous to withoutIran’spermission.

Iran said there could be no start to the next phase of talks, including over its nuclear programme, until Lebanonfightingendsandit gets promised economic benefits.

CLOSURE OF STRAIT COULD REVERSE FALL IN OIL PRICE

As has happened several t i m e s w i t h m a j o r developments affecting the global economy during the war, Iran’s announcement thatthestraitwasagainshut took place on the weekend with markets closed, delaying any impact on oil pricesuntilMonday Trumpsaidheagreedlast week’s memorandum of understanding to avert a global economic depression fromhighoilpricescaused

Only a single small tankercrossedthewaterway with its location-signalling transponders on after Iran’s announcement, compared with dozens of ships in recent days when traffic had begun returning to pre-war levels.

Continued on page 9

Canadian firm’s uranium...

Frompage2

extendingthetermtoApril18,2029.

Earlier this year, U92 entered into a commercial agreement with Orbit Garant for phase one 5,000 metre diamonddrillprogrammeattheKurupunguraniumproject. ThediamonddrillrigassignedtoU92isalreadyinGuyana to commence phase one drilling on high-priority targets at the project. Moreover, the firm has already submitted the required environmental application for drill pad preparation, and that field teams are on site to complete campinfrastructure,includingconstructionofafuelstorage facility in accordance with the applicable requirements. It wasalsorevealedthatkeymachinerieshavebeensourcedto supportaccessroadupgradesanddrillpadconstruction.

Watch the PPPC like a hawk!

A curious silence has greetedwhatoughttobeone of the most debated economicannouncementsof theyear PresidentIrfaanAli hasindicatedthatbondswill be issued to members of the Guyanese diaspora, allowing them to invest in majorinfrastructureprojects inGuyana.

One would have

expected a national conversation. Instead, there has been little more than a shrug.Yettheproposalraises fundamentalquestionsabout the direction of economic policy, the management of our oil wealth, and the government's stated commitment to broad-based

prosperity

The first question is straightforward:whybonds?

Abond is not a gift. It is not an investment by government.Abond is debt. Whenagovernmentissuesa bond,itisborrowingmoney and undertaking a legal obligation to repay that money with interest. In effect, the government is saying to investors: lend us your money today and we willpayyoubacktomorrow, withareturn.

That immediately raises anobviousquestion.Whyis an oil-rich c

n

ry borrowingmoneytofinance infrastructure?

Guyana is not a nation

starved of resources.We are among the fastest-growing economies in the world

Every year, substantial revenues flow into the NaturalResourceFundfrom oil production The government is already withdrawing billions of dollars from that fund annually to finance roads, bridges, hospitals, schools, energy projects and other infrastructure.

If oil revenues are

ing infrastructure, why the need forborrowing?

Is there a financing gap? Is there a cash-flow challenge? Is government seeking to accelerate

Trump threatens Iran with...

Frompage8 bythestrait’sclosure.Oilpriceshadtumbled overthepastweektolevelsunseensincethe warstarted.

Vance said before his departure that he hopedtomakeprogressonthenuclearissue. ButafterSunday’stalks,Iranianstatemedia said Iran’s nuclear programme had not been discussed.

Earlier, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokespersonEsmailBaghaeisaidthat,since Washington had failed to guarantee a ceasefire in Lebanon, the meeting would cover only the implementation of the memorandum itself and not the substantive issuesforeseenforthenextstage.

QUIETER DAY IN LEBANON

The memorandum foresees 60 days of talksonissuessuchascurbingIran’snuclear programme in return for the lifting of international sanctions. Before those issues are resolved, Iran expects to receive initial economicbenefits,suchassanctionswaivers andtheunfreezingofblockedassets.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, quotedbyFars,expressedoptimismthatthe U.S. talks could provide a strong basis for

economic growth. The first goal of the negotiationswasrestoringaccesstosomeof Iran’sfrozenassets,hesaid.

Sundayappearedtobethequietestdayin Lebanon for some time, with no reports of majorviolencebynightfall,aftertwodaysof heavyIsraelistrikesandfirefromHezbollah fightersonIsraelipositions.

More than a million people have been driven from their homes in Lebanon since March by Israel’s invasion, in pursuit of Hezbollah fighters who fired across the borderinMarchinsupportofTehran.

In a potentially positive sign on Sunday, ReutersjournalistsinsouthernLebanonsaw some of the heaviest traffic since the memorandum was signed, with residents returningtohomestheyhadfledinthesouth. Some stood beside cars backed up on the highwayandwavedHezbollahflags.

Lebaneseauthoritiessay20peoplewere killedinIsraelistrikesonSaturday

ThearmysaidonSundaythatspecialised units were still working to dismantle unexploded Israeli bombs weighing 1,000 and 2,000 pounds that had been dropped on southerntowns.

DEM BOYS SEH

HappybelatedFather'sDay

Dem boys seh Father's Day does bring out all kinda emotion in people—love, confusion, pride, and in some homes, pure comedy that could win Oscar if life was a movie.

One teacher just start work in a school and she see two small boys sitting down in class looking so much alike that she nearly dropsheregisterbook.Shewalkoverslowslow, like she trying to solve mystery “Twins…?” she ask, smiling sweet like she solvethecase.

Theboyslookatshe,lookateachother, and one answer with full confidence: “No miss,weareneighbours!”

Itreminddemboysofafewyearsagoas Father's Day approached. One father sitting down home, scrolling through he phone, pretending he relaxed, but deep down he calculating like a finance minister He say, “My kids are buying me gifts for Father's Day…hopeIcanaffordit.”

Demboyssehthatistheonlydayinthe yearwhenappreciationandbankruptcydoes walk hand in hand. Because once children

spending beyond what current revenues permit? Is the objective to diversify financing sources? Or is there another explanation entirely? Is it a means to enrich friends of the governmentinthediaspora?

Thepublicdeservesclear answers.

Whatmakestheproposal evenmorepuzzlingisthatit appears to depart from an earlier vision articulated by the President himself. We were told that government inte

o cre

e investment instruments through which ordinary Guyanese could participate directly in the country's development. The President spoke of citizens being able to co-invest in national projectsandbenefitfromthe returns generated by those investments.

The language was compelling Economic growthwouldnotmerelybe observed by citizens; they would participate in it Wealth creation would be extended to ordinary households. That was an importantpromise.

Yet the first major investment instrument now being discussed appears to be directed primarily at the diaspora.Why?

What is the economic rationale for giving the first opportunity to those who reside abroad rather than those who live and work in Guyanaeveryday?

Why should a teacher in NewAmsterdam, a nurse in Linden, a sugar worker in Berbiceorapublicservantin Georgetownhavetostandat the back of the line while investmentopportunitiesare extended first to overseas Guyanese?

Surely the principle should be inclusion, not preference.

Indeed, one might reasonably argue that if the government's objective is genuinely to democratise wealth creation, resident Guyaneseshouldbethefirst beneficiaries. After all, hundreds of thousands of citizens maintain savings accounts in local banks where their money earns negligible interest. Many pensioners, teachers, police officers, public servants and sugar workers possess modestsavingsthatcouldbe productively invested if suitable instruments were madeavailable.

Whynotcreateanational savings bond programme specifically designed for them? Why not establish a mechanism through which ordinary Guyanese can invest small amounts and receive a reasonable return linked to the nation's economic growth? Why not allow every citizen an equal opportunity to own a small stakeinthecountry'sfuture?

Thereisanotherconcern.

Guyana has previously experienced controversial bond issuances. A former finance minister has alleged that during one period of liquidity c

aints, approximately $1 billion in bonds were issued at an extraordinarily high interest rateof20percent.According to his account, the entire issue was acquired by a singlecorporateentitywhich earned approximately $400 millionovertwoyears.

The episode illustrates a broader danger Investment opportunities that are supposedly created in the public interest can quickly

become concentrated in the hands of a few wealthy playersunlesssafeguardsare established. That lesson shouldnotbeforgotten. Ifbondsaretobeissued, there should be strict limits on concentration The objec

ive should be widespread participation, not the creation of another lucrative avenue for those already po

substantialcapital.

A cap on individual

considering.Suchameasure would ensure that the b

y distributed rather than monopolised by a small group of affluent investors, whether they reside in Guyanaoroverseas.

The central issue is not whether the diaspora should be allowed to invest. Of course, they should. The diaspora has contributed enormously to Guyana through remittances, expertise and advocacy.The real question is why they appeartobefirstinline. In a country that has repeatedly spoken about inclusive prosperity, shared wealth and people-centred development, the first call should be directed inward beforeitisdirectedoutward.

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

start “honouring” you, your wallet start cryinglouderthanababywhomissmilk.

And in another household, a father decide he want validation. So, he call out, seriouslikehedoingacensus:“Anthony,do youthinkIamabadfather?”Thereisalong silence.

Thenthesonanswercalmandinnocent: “MynameisPaul.”

Buttruthbetold,Father'sDayislikethat. Youdoestrytomeasureyourworthingifts, hugs, and greetings, but life does respond with jokes, surprises, and sometimes a reminder that parenting is mostly guessing withconfidence.

So dem boys seh to all fathers: whether you getting mistaken identity, unexpected bills, or philosophical silence from your children—hold it together Because at the end of the day, being a father is not about always getting it right. It is about showing up, staying present, and laughing at the madness when life turn into comedy sketch youdidn'tauditionfor Talkhalf.Leffhalf.

MoremoneyforGuyaneseworkers

I like it. More money for Guyanese workers. Not private sector minimum wage workers,regrettably Ifanylocalworkersare due more money, private sector (and public service) minimum wage workers standout. More money is for Guyanese in the oil industry Well,that’sthecall,withPPPGovt Minister Vickram Bharrat doing the honors.

Atimely push from the government. But as Guyanese know better than me -waan haan caan klap. How will the oil companies and other entities, all foreign, respond to this significantgovernmentcall? Iforeseeafew, ah,hiccups. Somesneezingtocausewatery eyesandrunnynoses. Ilivewithallergies,so I recognise the triggers. More money for

Guyaneseisatrigger,pollenshower

More money for Guyanese workers in Guyana’s oil industry means all the companies, local and foreign, have to shell out for cash. The bottom line gets thinner Nowherenearred. Butnotasgreen. Notas many greenbacks to export to U.S. banks. Not as much for local companies keeping their stashes at home. It has been hailed rather heartily that people are a company’s bestassets.

That is, until money matters surface and getintheway Moremoney,especiallymore pay,hashistoricallyledtobadfriendsandbad blood. Simply ask Guyanese luminaries Lincoln Lewis and Seepaul Narine. Poor Seepaul! EvenheownpeepleindePPPgivin he haad kyaad fuh he peeple in de fields. Moremoneytobepaidbyforeigncompanies tolocalworkers,sotheyareatacomparable levelwiththeirexpatriateneighbors,isgoing to cause those companies to wince. And, oncetheyhavetoponyup,thatmaymeanthat localcompanieswithlocalworkerscouldbe compelledtodosomething. Notnecessarily the same, but something more in the envelope.

I am trying to get ahead of foreign oil companies’reactions. Tohelpmyfinefriend, VPJagdeo,Ihavesomegoodonesforhimto ponder. Yearsofexperienceisawalkover. I walkover specific experience (yessir!) Guyanese have six years under their belt. Tickthatbox. Butthereisthatanimalcalled equivalent qualifications. How measured? By whom? Leave that box for now Then, there are those intangibles that PPP Govt. agents have used in domestic public service arenas of recruitment, promotion, compensation:teamplayer,leadershipskills, organizational asset. Any of these can be a weightthatslowsdowntherateofpaygrowth forGuyaneseworkers.

Then,there’sthatbig,bad,onethat’sboth tangible and intangible: Evaluation Report. Tangible because it’s usually on paper Intangible because it’s the product of

something in the evaluator’s head. A fine kettleofscorpions,thatis.

Which right-minded foreign company executive, manager, willingly forks out millions more for local workers? However, deserving, overdue, they may be? Business is a cold-blooded reptile. Never about the milkofhumankindness. It’scapitalism,not Christianity

What’s the edge, the bludgeon, that expatriatescallingtheshotshave? Makethe evaluation unconscionably, improperly, tough, and few are the local workers that measure up. Don’t have what it takes. At bottom,notqualifyingforthekindoflovely money of which Minister Bharrat gushed so splendidly Fromtheoffshoreoilrigs,theSo-S comes: Georgetown -there’s a problem. Few Guyanese workers are up to scratch. HowmanyBobbyGossaiscantherebeinan oilyard?

Translation:fewofthemhaveearnedthe right to more money. Definitely not anywhereinthevicinityofanyequalitywith highly-skilled, highly qualified, and highly compensated (and highly-cherished) foreign imports. Before fellow Guyanese, I plead: don’t shortchange that abbreviation in brackets.

IwelcomemoremoolahforGuyaneseoil industryworkers. Hastobeanindustrynow, with a million daily near happening Meanwhile, I remember inflation Apparently, PPP Govt fears have been tamed. Thanks for the corroborating stats, Dr de la Cruz. Nonoil Guyanese will fall fartherbehind,havesosurvived. Somehow

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

At least 30 deaths at Congo camp show Ebola could be spreading fast

(Reuters) - At least 30 people have died since the startofMayinonecampfor displaced civilians in northeastern Congo, a death rate that camp said was unprecedented, with some confirmedtohavediedfrom Ebola in a sign the disease couldbespreadingfastthere.

It was not possible to confirm the causes of all the deaths because patients or their relatives in Kigonze campinBunia-theepicentre of the Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo - had until Thursday refused testing, a camp

spokesperson and aid organisationCaritassaid.

However, all had symptoms including

m

ing, which

e associated with Ebola, a camp spokesperson, a bereaved father, three aid sources and a civil society leadertoldReuters.

“People didn’t just die like this before,” camp spokespersonDesireGrodya BapitoldReuters.

The deaths in Kigonze, which has more than 15,000 residents, raise fears that Ebola may be circulating undetected among eastern Congo’s over 5 million displaced people, with resistance to testing compounding the challenge posed by severely limited sanitationmeasures.

BODIES COVERED IN SHEETS

Camp President Dz’djo Ndrutsi Etienne said 10 peoplewereburiedthisweek alone.Grodyasaidthecamp typically recorded between one and three deaths per month.

Justin Zanamuzi, director of Catholic aid organization Caritas, which helps Kigonze’s residents, said his team onWednesday saw several bodies covered in sheets, including a pregnant woman and children.

Footage from Thursday shared by the civil society leader and verified by Reutersshowedhealthteams in hazmat suits disinfecting more bodies and preparing tinycoffinsnexttoacrucifix asmournerswailed.

“Our team tried to persuade people to accept doctorstoinspectthebodies. They completely refused,” Zanamuzisaid.

The outbreak in the countrywasfirstdeclaredby Congolese officials on May 15, but the officials said the deaths had begun earlier in themonth.

Grodya, the camp spokesperson, said health workers had taken samples from five victims, some of which had come back positiveforEbola.Threeaid sources also confirmed on Saturday that the test samples on some of this week’s victims had come back positive for Ebola, without specifying the number

Camp resident Kato Lonu, 47, lost two children, including a 6-month-old “Theseareconditionsthatno human being should have to live in. If you look around, people are dying one after another,”hesaid.

OVERFLOWING

TOILETS AMONG

Fouraidworkerssaidthe spike in deaths highlighted how communities were now more exposed to diseases such as Ebola as donors, includingkeycontributorthe U.S.underPresidentDonald Trump, have cut funding for water, hygiene and sanitation,whichisessential in fighting a disease that spreadsthroughbodilyfluids suchashumanwaste.

Data compiled by the U.N.showedthatfundingfor toilets and handwashing stations in Congo more than halved between 2024 and 2025,toaround$38million, and this year’s $80 million appealisonly21%funded.

Congo has hundreds of camps for civilians fleeing war, some home to 100,000 people Ebola deaths have already been recorded in another camp in the same province of Ituri, which has over 90% of nearly 900 confirmedcases.

In Kigonze, large families share the same plastictentsspacedlessthan a meter apart and children wander its dirt alleyways barefoot.

There are toilets marked USAID - Washington’s international aid agency dismantled by Trump - and anaidsourcesaidtheagency h e l p e d f u n d t h e i r construction.

However, Grodya and theaidsourcesaidtherewere not enough toilets and they oftenoverflowed.

“Thelatrines,theyfillup very quickly, and people have to empty them themselves, with their bare hands,”Grodyasaid. U.S. AID TO FIGHT EBOLA

Washingtonhasbeenthe top supporter of WASH services in Congo, and providedover$60millionin Continued on page 16

A drone view of displaced people from the Kigonze camp attending the burial of Ebola victims at Nyamurongo Cemetery, one month after an outbreak was declared, in Bunia, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, June 18, 2026. REUTERS/Gradel Muyisa Mumbere

Mohamed questions Kwakwani $1.4 billion housing initiative amid fresh flooding

Opposition Leader

Azruddin Mohamed on Sunday criticized the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) government over stalled relocation efforts for flood-prone residents in Region 10, revealing that a critical $1.4 billion housing

initiative remains incomplete well past its deadline.

The criticism comes as

the Civil Defence

Commission (CDC)

deployed teams to Kwakwani to assess and manage active flooding in thearea.

Speaking on Sunday during a relief distribution

exercise, Mohamed confirmed that his team distributed 400 food and supply hampers, targeting

over 1,600 affected individuals across the Kwakwani Waterfront, H u r u r u , a n d Aroaima/Laddersville.

According to Mohamed, the current flood crisis

highlights years of infrastructural neglect and unfulfilled government commitments.

“They got about 300 households... living in the KwakwaniWaterfrontarea,” Mohamed said in an invited comment. “When there is flood, they just always are affected.Backin2021,[Vice President] Jagdeo and [President] Irfaan, the residentsreachedouttothem andbothofthempromisedto relocate them to higher grounds.”

Mohamed noted that while the government initiallypledgedtobeginthe relocation process in 2021,

the infrastructure contract for the New Kwakwani Phase One housing scheme was only awarded in March 2025for$1.4billion.

“The deadline was to be November 2025 to relocate these same vulnerable peoplethatliveinthisfloodprone area. Now, November 2025 passed Nothing is finished.Theydiditin2025, the PPP, hoping to trick the people again for the votes,” the Opposition Leader claimed, adding that visual assessments of the housing siteshowitis“nowherenear

tobecompleted.”

Residents in the affected areas have also voiced frustrations according to Mohamed regarding local infrastructure, specifically noting that the Kwakwani Waterfront has not seen essential river dredging operationsforover15years.

Community members stated that a roughly two-mile stretch of the river urgently requiresdredgingtomitigate theannualoverflow.

Officialrecordsfromthe Ministry of Housing and Water’s website show that

the government initiated the allocation process last year during a “Dream Realised” event at the Kwakwani Basketball Court. Led by Housing Minister Collin Croal and Permanent Secretary Bishram Kuppen, the ministry distributed residential lots within the Phase One scheme specifically to families facing perennial flooding at theWaterfront.

Mohamed confirmed thatlotallocationshadbegun thoughinfrastructuraldelays prevent actual relocation.

CDC Director General Colonel Nazrul Hussain, alongside an assessment team, is reportedly working onthesituationinRegion10 addressing the immediate impact of the rising waters. The CDC leadership met with Regional Executive Officer(REO)Dr Harrisand Kwakwani Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) Chairperson Michelle Simeon to map out priority response needs and coordinate relief for the displaced and affected households.

multiple health challenges Linden woman facing pleads for support

DanielleSchultz,30,ofWismarHousing Scheme, Linden, is appealing for public assistance as she struggles with diabetes, undergoes regular dialysis treatment, and faces severe financial and domestic challenges.

For years, Schultz has battled the effects of diabetes, a condition that has left her dependentondialysisandunabletomaintain steadyemployment.

Compounding her difficulties is a rare congenitalconditionknownasDextrocardia Situs Inversus, in which the heart is located on the right side of the chest rather than the left. In her case, her internal organs are also positioned on the opposite side of the body fromtheirnormallocations.

Despite frequent hospital visits throughout her life, Schultz said medical personnel only discovered the condition in Januarylastyear

“Nobodysaidanything,andonlylastyear they noticed. And I’ve been in and out of hospital from birth, so I don’t know what’s goingon,”SchultztoldKaieteurNews.

While the condition itself is not considered life-threatening, Schultz said her greatest challenges stem from managing her diabetes and coping with her worsening financialsituation.

No investment, no access to Guyana’s market

President Irfaan Ali has issued a stern ultimatum to regional manufacturers, warning that internationalbrandslookingtoexpand in the local market must invest in onshore production or risk losing accesstoGuyaneseconsumers.

Speaking on Saturday at the commissioning of BK Air/Jags Aviation’s HAL Dornier 228 aircraft on Saturday, President Ali expressed impatience with foreign partners who viewGuyanastrictlyasaconsumption market rather than a hub for manufacturingandvaluecreation.

“Wedon’twanttobeamarketthat is only consuming and buying,” President Ali said. “We are a market positioningourselvestobethebestthat wecanbe.Andifwearegoingtotake you on as a partner, you have a relationship and a responsibility to invest in this partnership.”

partnership with local conglomerate Banks DIH and the Dominican Republic (DR). Following a direct challenge issued to leadership,BanksDIHispartneringwithDR firms to establish an agro-processing and manufacturinghubforfoodandsnacksinside Guyana.

“It’snotnothingeasy,butI’mstilltrying. I’m struggling financially with my dialysis. My family does try, but right now nobody reallyhasanythingtogiveme,”shesaid.

Schultz explained that she was hospitalisedinAprilandMayaftersuffering severebackpainandshortnessofbreath,

Unabletoworkbecauseofherhealth,the motheroftworeliesheavilyonsupportfrom relatives and government assistance. She receives $600,000 annually through the government’s dialysis subvention programme.

Continued on page 16

“If we are not good enough for you to manufacture and produce your goods by investing in our economy, then we are not goodenoughtoconsumeyourgoodstoo,”the headofstatewarned.

Ali emphasised that Guyana currently offers the most aggressive, policy-based fiscalincentivesformanufacturingandagroprocessing within the Caribbean region. He argued there is no longer any structural justificationforcompaniestoexportfinished goods to Guyana rather than building local factories.Todemonstratetheviabilityofthis model, the president highlighted a new

President Ali noted that Dominican RepublicPresidentLuisAbinaderalignswith this vision of regional integration. Referring to a prominent import sector, Ali noted that while Guyana welcomes high-quality, wellpricedproducts,theultimategoalisdomestic manufacturing.

“We cannot go forward without value creation and manufacturing in this country,” Alisaid.“Andthatiswhereourenergymust beandthatiswhythisinvestmentiscritical.”

Thegreatculturalprocrastination

ByKhadidjaBa

LastThursday’s“Orange Economy State Sector Stakeholders’ Summit” at the Arthur Chung Convention Centre was supposed to be a triumphant unveiling. Instead, it served asareminderoftheyawning chasm between political rhetoricandactualexecutive execution.

In October 2024,

President Irfaan Ali confidently assured the nation that Guyana’s longawaited national cultural policywouldlandinJanuary 2025. In his address to the 12th Parliament, the president painted a grand vision: a framework prioritisingtheintegrationof culture into national development,preservingour rich heritage, and supercharging our creative industries. He said “There hasnotbeenabettertimefor culture and creativity in Guyana than at present. We can start with a cultural policy A revised draft framework for a national culturalpolicywillbeputto public consultation in the new year One that not only focuses on the fundamental

issues of integrating culture into development, Heritage preservation and the growth of creative industry, but one that anticipates more recent concerns, like the impact of the digital ecosystem and culture and the dangers and opportunities posed by generative ar

intelligence.”

Yet, here we are in mid2026.ThepromisedJanuary 2025

evaporatedintotherearview mirror, and the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport (MOCYS) has instead delivered a “Path Forward”

consultations, more audits, and a draft strategic plan by December 2026. We are not witnessing the launch of an economic engine; we are witnessinganadministrative spincycle.

Tenyears,two governments

To understand why this slow rollout is so egregious, one must look at the a

Presidential Advisor Ruel Johnson has been drawing a taxpayer-funded paycheck todeliveracohesivecultural policy since 2016, spanning two completely different

politicaladministrations.On June 8th, 2016, GINA (now the Department of Public Information) reported “Consultations to develop and craft a solid cultural policy have been deemed fruitful by Advisor on Cultural Policy, Ruel Johnson. In an interview with the Government Information Agency (GINA), Johnson said a number of consultations were held in 2014 and 2015 togarnerinputandfeedback on citizenship, culture, the environment and religion so as to properly frame the cultural policy “The

feedback was fruitful enough for me to be able to define what you call a culturaldevelopmentagenda which was absent from previous manifestos cultural policy,” he explained According to Johnson, the culturaldevelopmentagenda would play a critical role in the crafting of the cultural policy and this would give Guyana an edge over other countries. “I haven’t seen any natural cultural policy from the ones that I perused that have a specific complement that deals with cultural development in a directway,”heexplained.”

Adecadeisaneternityin nationaldevelopment.Inten years, empires rise and fall, global streaming platforms r e s h a p e h u m a n consciousness, and entire creative ecosystems are born. Yet, after ten years of c

Guyana’s creative sector get lastThursday?

· A South African Case Study: Pages of data celebrating how Netflix invested $125 million in South Africa between 2016 and2022. The Jamaican

Roadmap: A play-by-play breakdown of Jamaica’s 2021 “Situational Analysis” andtheir2025GreenPaper

While comparative analysis is a vital part of policy drafting, using a decade’s worth of preparationtimetopresenta powerpoint presentation of other countries’successes is borderline insulting to Guyanese creatives Our localartists,filmmakers,and indigenous craftspeople do notneedtobetoldhowwell NetflixdidinJohannesburg; they need to know how the government intends to protect their intellectual propertyinGeorgetown. The“pathforward” orastepbackward?

The proposed timeline exposes what could be referredtoasacompletelack ofurgency Accordingtothe framework, the actual implementation of the CreativeIndustriesStrategic Plan won’t even begin until 2027attheearliest,giventhe legislative reviews and National Assembly oversight scheduled for late 2026. The reality is, a child who entered primary school whenthisculturalpolicywas

Continued on page 16

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Kaieteur News has received information from a reliable source that the latest attack occurred in the Sewanda Backdam area, where armed robbers struck on June 15 and escaped with

Efforts to contact police in the region for official confirmation of Sunday’s incident were unsuccessful up to press time. However, information reaching this publicationindicatesthatthe latestrobberyoccurredinthe sameareaastheearlierattack.

Kaieteur News had reported on June 18 that four masked men, armed with

firearms,allegedlycarriedout a brazen daylight robbery at two separate mining operations in Sewanda Backdam between 10:00 hrs. and17:30hrs.onJune15.

According to reports, the victims were two Brazilian nationalgoldminers,ages50 and 44, who operate mining campslocatedapproximately 200metresapart.

Investigators were told that the armed men first descended on the camp operated by the 44-year-old

miner while he and his workers were conducting miningactivities.

The gunmen allegedly held the workers at gunpoint andorderedthemtocomplete the wash-down process before carting off 15 ounces ofrawgold,$150,000incash, and a red ATV The stolen items were valued at approximately$15.4million.

The great cultural procrastination cultural procrastination

The

The great cultural procrastination

great cultural procrastination The great cultural procrastination

From page 15

first commissioned in 2016 is now preparing to sit the Caribbean Secondary Examination Certificate (CSEC). The policy is still in the “stakeholder engagement” phase.

Fairnessdictatesweacknowledgethatthe corepillarspresented,NationalDevelopment Centrality, International Integration, Resilience, Integrity, and Equity, are theoretically sound. The inclusion of a proposed “Creative Industries Development Commission”andtaxwaiversundertheGRA are precisely the structural interventions Guyana desperately needs.

But structure requires foundation, and foundation requires urgency STARTCREATING

Guyana is currently experiencing an unprecedented economic transformation, fueledbyourenergysector.Moneyisflowing,

infrastructure is booming, yet our cultural identityisbeinglefttosurviveontablescraps and promises.

It is time for the MOCYS and its longstanding advisors to stop looking at what JamaicadidlastyearorwhatSouthAfricadid five years ago. We have a distinct, rich tapestry of indigenous heritage and multiethnic creativity that cannot be copy-pasted fromaforeigntemplate.

The time for summits, primers, and focal points has passed. If the government truly believes that culture is central to national development, it needs to stop treating policy formulationlikealifetimeachievementproject and start delivering tangible legislative framework.

Ourcreativesectorhasbeenwaitingsince 2016. They shouldn’t have to wait until 2027 just to see a draft.

Linden woman facing multiple

From page 14 bothtimesrequiringtreatment at the Georgetown Public HospitalCorporation(GPHC).

She alleged that after one of her hospitalizations, she entrustedherbrotherwiththe remaining$200,000fromher dialysis subvention to depositintoherbankaccount while she was staying with himinGeorgetown.

“When I came out of hospital, he said that he gave

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meback$80,000,andhesaid he would give me the $120,000 later To this day, after all these months, I haven’t received it,” she claimed.

AccordingtoSchultz,she reported the matter to the Agricola Police Station but was informed that without proof that she had handed over the money, little could be done.

She further alleged that her brother has withheld her oxygen tank, an item she considers essential given her recurring breathing difficulties.

Last Monday, Schultz returned to the Agricola Police Station and reported that a friend she had sent to retrieve the oxygen tank was unsuccessful because her brother refused to hand it over, claiming it had already been sent to Linden.

“He has the oxygen tank and doesn’t want to give it to me.ThepoliceinAgricolaare no help. It seems like he and the police are friends. They don’twanttogobyhim;they prefertocallhimandlistento whateverhetellstheminstead of checking for themselves,” Schultzalleged.

Because she frequently experiences shortness of breath, Schultz stressed that

The suspects then moved to the second mining operation, where they again held workers at gunpoint and forced them to complete a wash-down.

There,theyrobbedthe50year-old miner of 30 ounces of raw gold, a 20pennyweight gold chain, a 20-pennyweightgoldband,a six-pennyweight gold ring, $300,000 in cash, and a red ATV The stolen items were valued at approximately $29.265million.

The bandits also escaped with clothing, groceries and internet equipment before fleeingthearea.

Duringtheordeal,the50year-oldminerwasallegedly assaulted and sustained injuries.

Police subsequently recovered the two stolen ATVs abandoned near the PuruniRiver,butthesuspects remainatlarge.

health...

access to the oxygen tank is critical. She also noted that she travels from Linden to Georgetown every Monday, Wednesday and Friday for dialysistreatment.

“It is very risky for me to travel without my oxygen tank,” she said.

Inadditiontohermedical struggles, Schultz said she is facing housing difficulties and urgently needs a stable place to stay

“I also need a place to stay because right now my family doesn’t even want me

at the house that’s being constructed. I don’t know wheretheywantmetogo,but Idon’thaveaplacerightnow I have to stay there until something better can be done,” she explained. Givenhercircumstances, Schultz is appealing to members of the public for assistance.

Danielle Schultz can be contactedat+592643-5273. A GoFundMe account has also been established to assist her and can be accessed online.

Atleast30deathsatCongo...

From page 11

WASH services in 2024 to reduce the spread of diseases, a summarysharedbyaformerUSAIDofficialshowed.

The Trump administration has defended the cuts, saying itwantstofocuson“hyper-prioritisedlife-savinghumanitarian assistance, opens new tab”.Washington has committed more than$375millionindirectEbolafunding.

There was no immediate comment from the U.S. State Department.

Reuterscouldnotestablishexactlyhowmuch,ifanything, Washington now gives to Kigonze.

But four aid groups - Mercy Corps, Danish Refugee Council, CARE International and Oxfam - said their U.S.funded WASH projects for displaced people in the three Ebola-affected provinces were scaled back or dropped since last year’s cuts.

Mercy Corps built 82 taps and more than 400 public toilets serving over 125,000 displaced people in 2024. This year, funding cuts mean that fewer than 19,000 people are being served by six taps and no public toilets, the aid group said.

In Spain, elderly UK expats struggle for care post-Brexit

(Reuters) - Daniel Northover left his home in Liverpool this month, which marks the 10th anniversary of Britain's Brexit ​referendum,tomoveinwithhis80year-oldmotherinTurre,atownof 4,500 people in Andalusia in southernSpain.

After his stepfather died in summer, Northover, 53, has taken turns with his sister to travel back and forth to Spain to care for his mother Carole, who cannot cook, clean or dress by herself after sufferingseveralstrokes.

Butwithnon-EUresidentsonly allowedtoremainintheblocfor90 daysinevery180withoutavisa,he saidithadbecomeunsustainable.A project manager for local councils ​and charities, Northover did not meet the requirements for a working visa. Visas to care for a dependentfamilymemberareonly available if it is ​the UK citizen needingthecare.

A s e n i o r E u r o p e a n Commission official said cases where the absence of a family member providing care would forcetheelderlybeneficiaryofthe WithdrawalAgreementtoleavethe hoststatewereevaluatedonmerit.

80, and her son

Carole Bentley, 80, and her son Daniel Northover, 53, pose for a photograph inside their home in Turre, Almeria, Spain, June 18, 2026. REUTERS/ Loyola Perez de Villegas Muniz

Otherwise,generalmigrationrules applied.

Northover's sister's application for a family ​reunification visa was rejected.

That left Northover and his partner with no choice but to sell their house to raise the funds for a so-called "non-lucrative" visa — which bars them from ​working — andbecomefull-timecarers.

"The way the (Brexit) withdrawal agreement was written means we've had to give up our livesandcareers,"Northoversaid.

"The agreement was terrible.

They didn't think it through," said Carole, waving her fist in anger as she sat in her wheelchair in the Spanishsunnexttoherson.

"I'm so ashamed I've caused [mychildren]thisstress."

'ARECURRINGPROBLEM'

Northover's situation mirrors thatoftensofthousandsoffamilies of British retirees in Spain scramblingtofindwaystocarefor theirinfirmparentsabroad.

Britainvotedby52%to48%in a referendum on June 23, 2016, to exittheEuropeanUnionaftermore than four decades of membership.

The decision meant an end to Britons'automaticrighttoliveand work without restrictions EU memberstates.

Spain's resident British population,thelargestintheEUat around 266,000 according to officialstatistics,isageingfast.The number of over-75s has grown from 36,000 in July 2016 to over 51,000 at the start of last year, Spanishdatashows.

"This is a recurring problem that isn't going to go away," said Sally Myburgh, a British resident of Malaga who runs a Facebook group offering advice for navigatingSpainpost-Brexit.

Myburgh said she regularly encounters families in Northover's situation.

"Theattitudeistheyshouldjust go back to England... but these peopleareatthe​endoftheirlives," she said of the retirees. "This is theirhome."

'EVERYONEKNOWSME HERE'

ThenumberofBritonslivingin Spain has remained largely stable since the Brexit vote, official data shows. About a third of them are pensioners, and many live in

villages and towns dotted along Spain'sCostaBlancaandCostadel Solcoastlines.

TheSpanishsocialcaresystem provides home care to infirm citizens and residents, but this is ​capped at 94 hours a month for thoseclassifiedassufferingfroma "totallossofautonomy"-around3 hoursaday

Returning to the UK is a daunting and unrealistic prospect forthosewhohavespentdecadesin Spain and have no community or property to return to, said Neal Anderson, a welfare officer at the 'Help at Home Costa Blanca' charityprovidingsupporttoelderly Britonsinthearea.

"My mum is 80. A major upheaval is distressing. Uprooting hertoaplaceshedoesn'tknowwith people she doesn't know it could killher,"Northoversaid,addinghe fearedthatevenifshesurvivedthe move, registering her in Britain's overburdened social care system wouldtakemonths.

"I can't imagine living [in the UK] now I love Spain... This is home," said Carole, who voted to remain in the EU "Everyone knowsmehere."

Strongerreserves,creditratingspositionJamaicaforfasterrecovery

(SVG Times) Prime Minister Andrew Holness says Jamaica is reinforcing its financial credibility on the global stage, with stable inflation, record foreign exchange reserves and improved sovereign ratings which has positioned the country for stronger access to capital, even as it continues posthurricanerecovery

PrimeMinisterDr Holnesswas delivering the keynote address at the opening of the 11th Jamaica Diaspora Conference. He said the country achieved these milestones despite several challenges Dr Holness pointed to the COVID-19 pandemic, global and logistic supply chain issues, the war in Ukraine,Hurricanes,Berylin2024 andMelissain2025,aswellasthe war in the Middle East He acknowledged that more work needed to be done despite these achievements.

“Inflation is back within our target band of four to six percent, andwehavekeptwithinthatband, except for the COVID period, for the last decade,” Holness said. “That is exceptional for a small island developing state, where inflation has traditionally been a realchallenge.”

Dr Holness emphasised that maintaining fiscal discipline has beencentraltobuildingconfidence in Jamaica's economic managementframework.

“For a small, open economy like Jamaica, we exist in a very brutal space,” he said. “We face increasing, overlapping events of greater intensity, but yet Jamaica hasheld,andwehaveheldupvery well ” The Prime Minister

explainedthatamajorpillarofthat resilience is Jamaica's external position is the country's foreign exchange reserves which have reachedrecordlevels,significantly strengthening its capacity to withstandexternalpressures.

“Thereweretimeswhenwedid not have even 13 weeks of foreign exchange reserves, which is a benchmark of whether a country can survive,” Holness said. “We now have the highest levels of reservesever.”

He added that these reserves functionasafinancialsafeguardfor the economy “That is what guaranteesthatweareabletotruly runJamaica,”hesaid,underscoring their role in maintaining stability duringperiodsofuncertainty

Dr Holness said Jamaica's

improved macroeconomic performance has been recognized by international credit rating agencies, further boosting investor sentiment.

“When Hurricane Melissa struck,allthreemajorinternational credit rating agencies reaffirmed Jamaica's standing, and Moody's even upgraded us,” Holness noted. “Thatisamajorachievement.”

Hestressedthattheseratingsgo beyond fiscal metrics. “The rating agencies do not only look at our financial situation. They take a comprehensive view, including governance, social stability and democracy.”

The Prime Minister described thecountry'simprovedstandingas a strategic advantage in global capitalmarkets.“Thecredibilityof

performance is an asset,” he said. “Jamaica did not always have this asset. For many decades, we were viewedasabasketcase.Today,we areviewedasacasestudy.”

He said that credibility has translated directly into financing outcomes. He said the country has secured approximately US$6 billion in funding to support reconstruction and resilience efforts following Hurricane Melissa.

“We were never able to mobilize that level of financing before,” Holness said. “That is whatcredibilitybuys.Itbuystrust, itbuystime,anditbuysspeed.”

Beyond macroeconomic gains, private sector leaders emphasised the increasing importance of diasporaengagementasadriverof

investment, entrepreneurship and knowledgetransfer

Earl Jarrett, Chief Executive Officer of The Jamaica National Groupandchairoftheconference, said the large turnout of more than 1,000 participants from over 15 countries underscores growing international interest in Jamaica's economicprospects.

“Thelevelofattendancesendsa loudandclearmessagetotheworld that Jamaica and its diaspora are committed to the development of ourcountry,”Jarrettsaid.

Mr Jarrett pointed to the conference's “Jamaica Marketplace” as a key platform linking diaspora participants with investment opportunities, noting that roughly 80 exhibitors, includinggovernmentagenciesand private sector firms, are offering access to financing and business partnerships.

“These engagements are not justaboutfinancialcapital,butalso intellectual capital,” Mr Jarrett said, highlighting the role of diaspora expertise in scaling innovation and supporting entrepreneurship.

Mr Jarrett said the event has already facilitated the creation of new business relationships, with entrepreneurs, investors and institutions connecting across sectors.

“Anewbusinessopportunityis being birthed,” he said, describing theconferenceasacatalystforboth localandcross-borderventures. He added that diaspora engagement has evolved beyond remittances to include direct (Continuedonpage18)

38 bid to build Zeelugt Market

The Ministry of Local Government and Regional Developmenthas received 38 bids to construct a new Zeelugt Market facility in Region

Three

Bids for the project were opened at the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) recently No engineer's estimate was provided,buttheprojectwillbedoneinfourlots.

According to NPTAB, the contractors bid between $200

Belowarethecompaniesandtheirbids: ConstructionofZeelugtMarketLots1-4 Bidder AmountTendered

StatixConstruction&General Supplies

Lot1

$502,079,710

Lot2$416,821,284

Lot3$332,241,362

Lot4$313,014,156

Amaya'sTrading Lot1$360,070,725

GoldenBricksConstruction

D. Chowkai&SonsConstruction

Lot2$365,898,750

Lot1$359,980,425

Lot2$329,444,850

Lot1$456,414,945

Lot2$401,158,170

Lot3$331,993,620

Lot4$333,913,455

millionand$797millionforthedifferentlots.

KaieteurNewsunderstandsthattheprojectswillformpart ofthe$18billionthatwasapprovedfromthenationalbudget formarketprojectsacrossthecountry

InadditiontoconstructingnewmarketslikeZeelugt,the moneywillcatertorehabilitatethestructuresatPortKaituma, Bath,RailwayLine,Unity,RoseHallandLethem,tonamea few

Having visited several market spaces between last year

Jettoo'sConstruction

Lot1

$359,455,425

Lot2

$328,919,850

Lot3

$254,731,155

Lot4

$341,371,013

and this year, Local Government Minister, Priya Manickchanddisclosedduringoneofthesevisitsthatmarkets remaincriticaleconomichubswithincommunities,providing livelihoodsforhundredsoffamilieswhileensuringaccessto freshproduceandgoodsforresidents. Shenotedthatthroughherministryemphasisisplacedon improving infrastructure, enhancing sanitation facilities, addressingdrainageconcerns,andcreatingamoreorganised andresilientspaceforvendorsandcustomersalike.

BluePrintBuildersInc.

Lot1

$403,679,325

Lot2$405,531,525

Lot3$302,350,073

Lot4$326,084,031

Singh&SonConstruction

Lot1

$406,196,910

Lot2$402,011,925

Lot3$268,232,475

Lot4$533,918,385

Hana'sConstruction,Cleaning ServiceandSupplies

AndrectEngineering&Construction Inc

Lot1$478,641,365

Lot2$420,750,665

Lot3$342,447,808

Lot4$348,335,105

Lot1

$518,222,775

Lot2$464,846,025

Lot3$379,610,385

EngineeredConstructionCompany Lot1$453,651,450 Lot2$475,099,800 Lot3$394,188,533 Lot4$294,571,872

UrbanEdgeBuildersInc Lot1$396,510,450 Lot2$397,648,650 Lot3$295,114,838 Lot4$311,353,718

PlatinumInvestmentsInc.

$453,233,235

$406,630,035

$317,159,335

$327,846,015

ToolsiePersaudQuarriesInc

Lot1$566,509,230

Lot2$445,333,560

Lot3$390,206,985

Lot4$328,225,433

HolisticContracting&Procurement Inc

Kee-ChanonaGuyanaInc.

Vishal'sContractingCo

NeminInternational

B.MPropertyInvestmentInc

Lot1$461,423,445

Lot2$403,646,670

Lot3$333,579,120

Lot4$334,547,955

Lot1$581,150,332

Lot2$569,437,203

Lot3$432,079,396

Lot4$529,570,915

Lot1$395,995,845

Lot2$372,211,245

Lot1$489,217,575

Lot2$429,979,200

Lot3$349,998,075

Lot1$442,017,975

Lot2$417,379,200

Lot3$322,523,565

Lot4$312,987,675

NPContracting&Transportation Services

Rishal'sConstruction&Maintenance Service

M.KHanifConstructionService

Lot1$349,809,075

Lot2$352,472,400

Lot3$274,811,618

Lot4$497,498,442

Lot1$441,757,365

Lot2$416,993,115

Lot3$322,105,455

Lot4$312,834,690

Lot1$449,705,235

Lot2$402,011,952

Lot3$268,232,475

Lot4$533,918,385

IndustrialFabricationsInc

Lot1$797,128,175

Lot2$633,891,789

Lot3$504,098,804

Lot4$626,161,252

J.Hussain'sConstruction&Supplies

Lot1$479,641,365

Lot2$421,750,665

Lot3$343,447,808

Lot4$349,335,105

KallGuyInc

Lot4$367,318,403

Lot1

$287,184,975

Lot2$243,935,475

Lot3$204,097,425

Lot4$313,502,333

Dada'sRealtor&MarketingInc -

W&MContracting

PuranBrothersDisposalInc

KaizenIndustries

Khan'sConstructionand Transportation

NKEnterpriseInc

AYNConstruction&General Supplies

SuperiorSupplies andGeneral Construction

JKEnterpriseInc

GreatOneInvestment

Lot1

$359,980,425

Lot2$329,444,850

Lot1$415,605,225

Lot2$398,995,775

Lot3$292,792,028

Lot4$367,671,765

Lot1

$486,592,575

Lot2$431,921,700

Lot3$354,069,975

Lot1

$427,719,600

Lot2$398,508,600

Lot3$295,118,513

Lot1

$286,869,925

Lot2$245,195,475

Lot3$200,369,925

Lot4$319,762,333

Lot1$468,301,575

Lot2$431,990,475

Lot3$336,191,730

Lot4$449,728,335

Lot1

$285,480,625

Lot4$164,162,042

Lot1

$381,600,450

Lot2$351,158,850

Lot3$275,898,336

Lot4$315,864,660

Lot1$494,860,013

Lot2$430,777,725

Lot3$343,287,105

Lot4$454,364,610

NabiConstructionInc.

Lot1$661,037,230

Lot2$578,869,988

Lot3$453,905,890

CrownRoad andDrainage Contractors

$362,932,500

$408,399,075

$318,132,990 Lot4$311,154,638

A.M.I.CGeneralContractingServices Lot1$442,880,235

$398,377,035

$310,702,035

$321,882,015

Stronger reserves, credit ratings...

, strengthening Jamaica's long-termgrowthpotential.

Inemphasizingtheneed for further skills, Dr Holness said economic gains have also been reflected in the labour m a r k e t , w i t h unemployment falling to approximately 3.5 per cent, downfromabout13percent adecadeago.

“Believeitornot,weare now practically at full employment,” Holness said.

“Businesspeople will tellyouthatwenowhavea different problem. We just cannot find enough skilled labour to carry through the growthagenda.” He described this as “a goodproblemtohave,buta problem nonetheless,” pointing to emerging capacity constraints that could impact future growth ifnotaddressed.

D e s p i t e s t r o n g macroeconomic indicators, Holness acknowledged that the benefits have not yet been fully translated to all households, particularly thoseaffectedbyHurricane Melissa.

“Whilstwecelebratethe ratings, we acknowledge without fear of admitting that we still have a lot of worktodo,”hesaid.

He emphasised that recovery must remain people centred. “We must focusongettingthefamilies whoarestillindistressback ontheirfeet,regainingtheir economic independence so they can pursue their wellbeingandprosperity.”

Dr Holness said Jamaica is now operating from a position of relative strengthbutmustaccelerate implementation.

“We now have the financing to pursue our recovery and resilience building,”hesaid.“Nowwe mustpushforwardquickly

Japan rout Tunisia 4-0 as Ueda shines in World Cup's 1,000th match

MONTERREY, Mexico, (Reuters) - Japan marked the 1,000th match in World Cup history with a commanding 4-0 win over Tunisia in Group F on Saturday, as Ayase Ueda scoredtwicetosendtheNorth​Africans out.

Hajime Moriyasu's side, who drew 2-2 with The Netherlands in their opener,wentaheadafterminuteswhen a sweeping attack ended with Keito Nakamura cutting the ball back for DaichiKamadatoscore.

Tunisia, beaten 5-1 by Sweden in theirfirstmatchandplayingundernew coach Herve Renard, struggled to cope with Japan's pressing and movement fromtheoutset.

Japan almost doubled their advantage in the 11th minute with an attack down the right flank, with Tunisia's Dylan Bronn ​turning a low

Japan Scores one of their goals against Tunisia during the contest. (REUTERS/Daniel Becerril)

crossawayfromKamada.

From the resulting corner, Tunisia goalkeeperAymenDahmenproduced⁠a fine save, with goal-line technology confirmingtheballhadnotcrossedthe line.

Moriyasu's team continued to dominate possession, ​their front line harrying Tunisia's defence and

Monday June 22, 2026

ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19

Beadventurousandstrikeout intonewterritory,Aries.Bea pioneer Work to make some newdiscoveriesintheworld.

TAURUS(Apr.20–May20)

Certain situations may be difficulttodealwithtodayas they take an emotional spin, Taurus You're getting anxious. Things are getting started without the careful planning and consideration youfeelisnecessary

GEMINI(May21–June20)

You should find that the general mood of the day is favorabletoyourpersonality style, Gemini Take this opportunity to present more ofyourthoughtsandideasto theworld.

CANCER(June21–July22)

The fog has lifted and you're ready to take off, Cancer The dreaminess you may have experienced lately has been nice, but now it's time to get movingagain

LEO(July23–Aug.22)

This is a terrific day for you, Leo,andyou'llfindthatthere is a great deal of power at yourdisposal.Thisisadayof newbeginnings.

VIRGO(Aug.23–Sept.22)

Thefireisragingtoday,sobe careful, Virgo. Try not to be tooimpulsiveinyouractions. Your natural tendency may be to lash out against others withoutreallythinkingabout theconsequences.

preventing Renard's side from establishing any rhythm in the Monterreyheat.

The second goal ​arrived in the 31st minute when Ueda advanced towards the edge of the area, and with the Tunisiadefencebackingoffhedrovea lowshotintothefarcorner

"I was disappointed in the last tournament, so I feel like I've finally been able to ​redeem myself," Ueda told Japanese media.

LABA salute's late founder Al MacDonald at special ceremony

''Hiscontributionswillforeverremainpartofthefabricof Linden Basketball” says LABAPresident Dawn McCammon Barker

LIBRA(Sept.23–Oct.22)

Goforthegold,Libra.Today marksthebeginningoftherest ofyourlife Treatitwithrespect

You may be on a crusade and your combative instincts could beworkingovertime

SCORPIO(Oct.23–Nov.21)

Youmayfeelasifsomeoneis poking you today, Scorpio, urging you to get up and get moving.Don'tbesurprisedif someoneseemstobepicking onyoufornoreason.

SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21)

Thisisagreatdayforyouto get up on stage and make your presence known, Sagittarius. Let people know that you're the leader of the pack.

CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19)

This is a good day to add sparktoyourlife,Capricorn. Ifthingshaveseemedboring and stagnating lately, you may need to infuse a bit of excitementintothesituation.

AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18)

You'll notice that your emotions are coming to a monthly climax today, Aquarius Don'tbealarmedbut do be cautious about lashing outatpeoplefornoreason

PISCES(Feb.19–Mar.20)

Extremes is the name of the game now, especially for you, Pisces Today the emphasisisonaction.You're the one to call to get the job done.Youwon'twaitanother second to simply go for it.

"We managed to snatch one point in the first match, which was a tough game, ​so we needed three points in today'smatchtobuildonthat. I'mveryhappythatIwasable tocontributeto."

Tunisia ⁠offered little in response and Japan put the resultbeyonddoubtinthe69th minute, Kamada's pass opening up the Tunisian defence and Junya Ito racing clear to finish low past Dahmen.

Ueda completed the rout six minutes from time, meetingKaishuSano'sclipped far-postdeliveryandguidinga superb header into the top corner as Japan became the first Asian ​team to score four goals​inaWorldCup⁠match.

Japan turned to Kamada and Ito with midfielder Takefusa Kubo sidelined, and manager Moriyasu said they didnotdisappoint.

"Regarding the players I used in building up the team, they were ​at the centre of all our efforts I've brought Kamada on as a defensive midfielder, but tonight I wantedhimtobeintheroleof shadowstriker,"thecoachtold reporters.

"Ithoughtthatwouldbring out the best in him. It really worked, because he scored a goal today He wasn't just a focalpoint.Hewentright⁠into the ​final third, and his play certainly gave strong momentumtothe​team."

With the win, Japan join theNetherlandsonfourpoints after the Dutch thrashed Sweden 5-1. Tunisia became the third side to be eliminated from the tournament after HaitiandTurkey

“OnbehalfoftheExecutiveCommittee,members,players, coaches,officials,andtheentireLindenbasketballcommunity, I extend sincere condolences to his family, relatives, and friends.Wepraythattheyfindcomfortintheremarkablelegacy he leaves behind and strength in the cherished memories they shared with him,” so said President of the Linden Amateur Basketball Association (LABA) Ms. Dawn McCammonBarkerataspecialceremonyattheCommunityHardCourtin Retrieve, as the association took time to salute the late LABA president Al McDonald Chapman, for his contribution to the development of the sport in Linden In her statement McCammon-Barker remarked: “His vision transformed basketball in Linden from a pastime into a respected and organized sport, fostering discipline, teamwork, sportsmanship, and community pride. The countless players, coaches, officials, and supporters who have been part of the basketball fraternity over the years are beneficiaries of the legacyheworkedtirelesslytobuild.Al'scontributionsextended far beyond the game itself. He was a mentor, an advocate for youth development, and a steadfast supporter of community advancement through sport. His influence helped shape lives, inspire dreams, and strengthen the sporting culture of our town.”McCammon Barker referenced in particular to basketballfollowersthat“Thoughourfounderhasdepartedthis life,hisvision,passion,andcontributionswillforeverremaina partofthefabricofLindenbasketball.Restineternalpeace,Al McDonald.Yourlegacywillcontinuetoinspiregenerationsto come.”AlMcbeforemigratingtotheUSAworkedasasports journalist and basketball official from the mid-1970s until 1984,whenhelefttheseshorestocoverthe1984LosAngeles Olympics.Al died after being badly burnt from a fire in his apartment on May 10 at his home in Florida, which caused hospitalization and his eventual demise on May 25. His ashes after cremation in Florida, were brought back to Guyana this pastweekbyfamilymembers.

Sri Lanka Tour of West Indies 4-Day Warm-up match…

Guyanese Smith 2nd innings 5-fer pilots Windies to crucial 15-run win

- Speedster ends match with 9 wickets

TheWestIndiesSelectXIpulled offastunning15-runvictoryagainst Sri Lanka on the final day of their four-day warm-up match thanks to some brilliance from fast-bowler Nial Smith who finished with 9 wickets after bagging a matchwinning 5-fer at the Coolidge CricketGround,Antiguayesterday Afterpostingareasonablescore

Pacers

Alzarri Joseph and Nial Smith sliced through the Sri Lankans to help seal a 15-run win.

of 281 batting first, Sri Lanka suffered a dramatic batting collapse on the 4th day and was bundled out for just 108 runs while chasing a modesttargetof124.

The visitors entered the day in a dominant position, needing fewer than 100 runs with nine wickets intact.

However, a disciplined bowling performance led by the Guyana Harpy Eagles fast-bowler Smith, whosnared5-30togoalongwithhis

1stinningshaulof4-58toendwitha total of 9-88; more importantly pushing his case for a possible selectionaheadoftheTestseries.

Fellow fast-bowler Alzarri Joseph,whobagged2wicketsinthe first,torethroughthelineupwith441 as he combined for 9 wickets alongsideSmith.

Earlier in the match, the West Indies Select XI scored 205 in their first innings, anchored by Kirk McKenzie's58.

Sri Lanka replied with 281, capturing a 76-run lead thanks to DineshChandimal'sgritty74.

The hosts then battled back to score 199 in their second innings, drivenbyanaggressive65fromallrounder Joshua Bishop, thus setting the stage for Sunday's spectacular bowling defence led by the pair of speedsters.

With the T20I series already undertheirbeltandastrongshowing in the 4-day practice game after a quick shift in format, the Windies will be keen on carrying their momentum and form into the first Test match which bowls off ThursdayattheSirVivianRichards StadiuminAntigua.(CliftonRoss)

Persaud, Mendonca, Tenpow, and Mohamed sweep round one Need for Speed Karting Championships

The weather was not the only scorching thing this weekend as Jumbo Jet Eventsstagedthefirstround ofitsNeedforSpeedKarting Championship at the 555 SpeedwayinGeorgetown.

Jeremy Tenpow, Paige

Mendonca, Zachary Persaud, and Asrudeen

Mohamed were all successful in their bids to take early leads in their respective classes of the three-roundchampionship.

Tenpow rode to three wins on the day, including the day's champion rider in theSuperMotoSeniorClass. In the first heat, he left AndrewJordanandMatthew Phang to squabble for second, while in the PreFinal,Phanggotthebetterof Jordan.

A joint second was awarded,andthepointswere

shared between Elan Rahaman and Jordan due to

anerrorwiththeflagsinthe final.

Mendonca was another competitoronthedaytorack up three wins and a champion driver of the day trophy in the Female Briggs Class.IntheHeat,Pre-Final, andFinal,MaliciaLawrence finished second ahead of MickellyRahaman.

ZacharyPersaudwasthe 'top dog' in the Honda GX200 Class, sweeping the Heat,Pre-Final,andFinal.In the final, he withstood a momentary pressure from Nathan Rahaman midway through the 20-lap fixture and, in the end, comfortably crossed the line; Rahaman finishedsecond,withAqueel Edwards third. In the earlier Pre-final, the result was the same, while the earlymorning heat saw Edwards andRahamanswitchspots. The largest class of the day was by far the Briggs &

Stratton Senior Light class, which saw Calvin Ming sweep the Heat, Pre-Final, andFinal.

In the heat, it was Ming ahead of Steven Nobrega and Justin Tenpow, with Tenpow and Nobrega swapping places in the PreFinal.

In the Final, Zachary Persaudmovedontothefinal step of the podium behind Nobregaandclasschampion driverMing.

In the Briggs Senior Heavy, Ming was made to work for his win the final, pipping Mikhail Persaud to thelineinadecisionthathad officials reviewing video camerasforoveranhourdue totheclosenessofthefinish. Intheend,Mingcrossedthe lineahalfabumperaheadof Persaud with Tenpow, who heldMingoffformostofthe 20-lap fixture, finishing third.InthePre-Final,itwas

Tenpow ahead of Ming and Persaud in that order, while in the earlier Heat, Ming took the win ahead of PersaudandNobrega.

Another unchallenged competitor was Matthew Daby, who swept the Briggs Junior class en route to his champion driver award. He wontheHeataheadofAdam Mohamed with debutant Amaya Mohamed third, while in the pre-final, he came home ahead of Zane Edwards and Adam Mohamed.

The final featured the sameorder Perhaps the most anticipated class was the Cadetclass,withfuturestars onshow

And when the dust settled, it was Asrudeen Mohamed who had three commanding wins on the day He converted from the pole all three times

Mohamedpickedupthewin in the heat ahead of Hodges and Seejatan and went on to take the Pre-Final ahead of SeejatanandWilliamVieira.

The final had Seejatan finishing behind Vieira and Mohamed, who also picked up the champion driver trophy

In the Veteran class, it was Stanley Ming who won the heat with Brian Tenpow takingthePre-finalandfinal, demotingMingtosecondon both occasions. Ming won thechampiondriverclassby virtueofthepoints.

The Rookies had only JohnMohamed.

Intheopeningheatofthe IAME X30 125cc, Calvin Ming had the early lead before an opportune move from Tenpow turned a half chance into the lead, which held to the end; Benjamin Phangpickedupthird.Inthe Pre-final, the top two

remained unchanged with DenzelHopkinsonreturning tothekartingpodium,while in the Final Justin Tenpow smashed the grid ahead of Ming and Phang, snagging thechampiondrivertrophy

Lashon Lewis made a clean sweep of the Supermoto Jnr class, with Troquille Sealy second and Joshua Holder third in the heat. In the Pre-Final, the other two podium positions were flipped with Holder secondandSealythirdwhile in the final Sealy finished aheadofHolder

There were also two exhibition races for children 6 and under with Senna Seejatan and Malya Daby bothgettingtrophies. The second round of the championship is billed for September13attheLeonora Stadiumwiththefinalround set for December 20 at a venuetobeannounced.

Riverside Cricket Club crowned Connecticut Cricket League T20 champion

RiversideCricketClubwascrownedthe2026ConnecticutT20 champion after beating Concord Cricket Club by 72 runs last SaturdayatKenleyParkground.Afterwinningthetossanddecided tobat,RiversideCricketClubpiledupanadequate186-6fromthe allotted 20-overs.Concord Cricket Club, in reply, all out for 114 in thepenultimateoverwithonlyBabarAbbasiofferingafighthitting 30.ChevonMcLeanandFerdosSherzaiclaimedtwowicketsapiece for the victorious Riverside Cricket Club giving up 18 and 20 runs respectivelyfromtheirmaximumfourovers.

When Riverside Cricket Club batted, frontline batterAzherAli Syedledthewaywithanimpressive70whichcontainedsevenfours and three sixes.Ali Syed, who occupied the crease for 41 balls, got goodsupportfromformerGuyanayouthplayerAdrianSukhwawith acameo,23-ball40.ShannorDousewasalsoamongtherunswith21 as Rachit Sharma grabbed 2-44 from four expensive overs on a responsive pitch.Ali Syed was named player-of-the-match for his brilliant, batting performance.Skipper of Riverside Cricket Club RamaalLewispraisedthecollectiveeffortofhisteamandstatedthat the championship was a testament of the boys hard-work and competitive throughout the tournament.In the final, Lewis, the former West Indies Under-19 youth Captain, scored 13 and took a wicket.Notably,thisisRiversideCricketClub'sfourthtrophyinfive years.

The winning Riverside Cricket Club team strikes a pose after the final.

Matthews,TaylormakeitthreeinthreeforWestIndies

ESPNcricinfo - West Indies spinners set up a third straight victory as they strangled Sri Lanka's batters before Stafanie Taylorsteadiedanervychasetosee them home by five wickets in Bristol. The result brings the West Indies joint-top of Group 2 with England - only trailing on net run rate - while Sri Lanka's hopes of progressiontookabashing.

Hayley Matthews was central to West Indies' effort, arguably setting up the win inside the openingpowerplay HavingputSri Lanka into bat, the West Indies reducedthemto24for4insidethe powerplay, a position from which Sri Lanka never truly recovered. Mathews picked up innings best figuresof3for15.

Then with the bat, Matthews did her part in a 28-run opening stand with Deandra Dottin, and whileSriLankapluggedawaywith wicketsthroughthemiddleovers,a combination of poor catching, excess extras and Taylor's stewardship ensured West Indies' chasewasnevertrulyunderthreat.

ProfligacycostsSL

Evenonasurfacewherebatting isn't the easiest, any opportunities needtobegrabbedwhendefending a sub-par total - which is precisely what Sri Lanka had managed havingbeenbowledoutfor98.

SriLankahoweverstruggledto capitalise on the opportunities afforded to them, while simultaneously gifting too many freeruns.

Twenty-threeextrasweregiven awayacrosstheinnings,with13of thosecominginwides.

Moreover, Sri Lanka dropped three catches across the inningstwo of them coming shortly after the fall of a wicket; momentum is everything in a low-scoring game,

andSriLankawereguiltyofgiving it up too easily There were also a handful of close run-out chances thatwentbegging.

It meant that West Indies, who had looked uneasy across their chase, were not punished for their mistakes - which in itself was a result of mistakes induced by the pressure createdby the Sri Lankan bowlersandfieldersoutsideoftheir costlyerrors.

CoolTaylorseesitthrough

Having someone with the experience of Taylor in the middle orderwouldbeaboonformostany side, and she showed her value

onceagainonSunday Afterasolid opening stand, West Indies had slipped from 2 for 36 to 5 for 70. Another couple of wickets and thoseremaining29runsmighthave feltcloserto50.

However, Taylor offered just the calmness required in such a situation, content to deftly rotate thestrikeandensuretherewereno further hiccups. Her six off a free hitwastheonlysixofthegame,but highlightedherabilitytocapitalise on the situation at hand. Fittingly she struck the winning runstellingly,droppedatmidwicket. WInailthematchup

Hayley Matthews took three wickets with the new ball. (ICC/Getty Images)

offered up a leading edge - one spectacularlypluckedoutofthesky by Matthews - before Chamari Athapaththuwentfartooearlyona pull as she saw her left bail d i s l o d g e d H a r s h i t h a Samarawickrama meanwhile was done in by some extra bounce, which meantshe struggledto keep downacutstraighttopoint.

When Chinelle Henry had Imesha Dulani caught at mid-on, Sri Lanka had lost their fourth wicket inside the powerplay with just24runsontheboard.

AshminiMunisar-draftedinto XItoaddevenmorespinoptionsand Karishma Ramharack picked up three wickets between them as well,asSriLankalostsevenoftheir 10wicketstospin,eventuallybeing bowledoutfor98withtwoballsto spare.

Nilakshikaprovidessolespark With the top and middle order offeringlittlebywayofimpetus,a rescuejobfortheageswasneeded and Nilakshika de Silva set about hertask.

SriLankaaveragebarelyover6 anoveragainstspinsincetheendof the last T20 World Cup, and West Indies were well-suited to exploit thatpotentialweaknesswithateam stackedwithspinoptions.

First on that list was skipper Matthews,whoopenedthebowling and struck three times in a threeoverspellinsidethepowerplay.On a surface that was tacky, she cleverly didn't attempt to do too much,simplykeepingherlinesand lengthstidy

In a period that crippled the Lankan innings before it had even truly begun, Vishmi Gunaratne

Her 30 off 26 came largely came across two stands of 34 and 23withKavishaDilhariandKawya Kavindi. Those were two of just three double-digit partnerships across the Sri Lankan innings, as Sri Lanka's innings stuttered into gear

But once Nilakshika fell, looking to take on the fielder at deep square leg, the innings once more ground to a halt. Sri Lanka managed 60 for 3 in the middle overs, but without Nilakshika the deathoversfetchedjust15,asWest Indies' spinners solidified their holdonthegame.

Scores: West Indies 99 for 5 (Taylor 35*, Dilhari 2-22) beat Sri Lanka 98 (Nilakshika 30, Matthews3-15)byfivewickets.

(REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach)

Room leads Curacao to World Cup history Fifteen saves, one point:

K A N S A S C I T Y, Missouri, (Reuters)Curacao goalkeeper Eloy Roomneededtwominutesto makeoneoftheWorldCup's mostimpressivesavessofar, stopping Ecuador forward Enner Valencia from close rangeandsettingthetonefor

a c a r e e r - d e f i n i n g performance that created historyon​Saturday

Room made 15 saves in the0-0drawwithEcuadorin Group E, the most in a 90minute in the tournament's history, hauling the smallest nationevertoplayataWorld Cup - with a population of about 156,000 - to their first point.

Curacao joined fellow tournament debutants Cape Verde in finding unexpected heroes in goal after the African nation's Vozinha helped hold heavyweights Spain to a 0-0 draw in their opening round match in Group H The 37-year-old Room, the oldest player in Curacao's squad, withstood relentless Ecuadorean pressure, saving shots that ​included an 18-metre effort fromJohnYeboahinthe41st minute and a second-half headerfromValencia.

Only the ⁠United States' Tim Howard has produced more stops in a single World Cup match, with 16 in an extra-timedefeatbyBelgium ​in the last 16 at the finals in 2014.

"Iwasnotthinkingabout thatduringthegame,"Room told reporters, though joking that ​he was annoyed he was not able to reach Howard's mark. He described the draw asateameffort.

Ecuador goalkeeper Hernan Galindez said Room had the game of his life against the South American side.

'THISISHISTORY'

Soccer history is no stranger to the Curacao goalkeeper

In 2019, Room made more than a dozen ​saves in his country's first Gold Cup win against Honduras Shining on the biggest stage, however, marked an additional landmark for the nation of about 156,000 people - and a personal accomplishment.

Netherlands-born Room told FIFA in an interview earlier this year that the reasonhedecidedtoplayfor was⁠dreamingasalittlekidto makeittotheWorldCupwith thecountry

He became eligible to represent Curacao through hisfather,andsaidheusedto visit the country on vacation inhisyouth.PatrickKluivert contacted him to join the team in 2015, when the former Netherlands international managed the side.

Social media also reflected the impact of his performance, with Room's Instagram account jumping to around ​700,000 followers from fewer than 100,000 ​before the game - a boom ⁠similar to what happened to CapeVerde'sVozinha.

Born near the German border, the six-feet-three RoomplaysforMiamiFCin the USL Championship, but spent most of his career at Dutch club Vitesse. He ​has also played for Columbus Crew in the MLS and PSV EindhovenintheEredivisie.

C u r a c a o i s a n autonomous constituent country ⁠within the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the gameattractedroyalty

With the Netherlands' King Willem-Alexander and QueenMaximainattendance at the match, Room himself became royalty for Curacao. He said the royals' celebrated, dancing with the teamafterthematch,andthat thequeenevenkissedhim.

"Curacao!⁠Wegot​apoint! This is history!" a journalist from the Caribbean country shouted as ​he jumped in the press box after the final whistleinKansasCity

Head coach Dick Advocaat told reporters that his side might need Ecuador reduced by four players to ​win. In the end, one man called Room was enough to securethemahistoricdraw

Charity Primary edge Lima Sands to Essequibo Zone title in Future Warriors Tapeball

SUMMARY: Charity Primary 78-2 from seven overs (Rovaldo Campbell 32*, Troy Batson 22; Miguel Marcus 1-16, Kevin Margow 1-25) beat Lima Sands Primary 73-3 from eight overs (Kevin Margow 22*, Miguel Marcus 16*, Nameuel Watson 11; TroyBoston1-7,HafeezYazidyudin 1-8, Ravaldo Campbell 1-15) by eightwickets.

The grassroots tapestry of Guyanese cricket found its latest chapter of high drama at theAnna Regina National Stadium on Sunday, as Charity Primary clinchedtheEssequiboZonetitlein the Future Warriors Tapeball

tournament, powered by ExxonMobilGuyana.

Inaclinicaldisplayofmodern, short-format chase management, Charity overhauled Lima Sands Primary's total to secure their spot inthecovetednationalfinals.

Chasing a target of 74 after LimaSandsposted73-3fromtheir eight overs, Charity Primary showcased the tactical composure that defined their tournament campaign.

Rovaldo Campbell anchordashed his way to an unbeaten 32, anchoring the innings with precision, while the tournament's eventual Most Valuable Player, skipper Troy Botson, provided an essential injection of momentum withafluent22.

Despite tidy, solitary breakthroughs from Lima Sands' Miguel Marcus (1-16) and Kevin Margow (1-25), Charity cruised acrossthelineat78-2withanover to spare, completing an authoritativeeight-wicketvictory

LimaSands'earlierinningshad struggled to fully break the shackles against a disciplined Charity bowling unit Margow (22*)andMarcus(16*)foughthard toinjectlateimpetusintothedeath oversalongsideanopeninghandof 11 from Nameuel Watson, but Charity's frontline options gave awaynothing.

Botsonledfromthefrontwitha stifling spell of 1 for 7,

supplemented by Hafeez Yazidyudin(1-8)andCampbell(115), to keep the target within manageableterritory

While the final was a masterclass in control, the thirdplace play-off earlier in the day provided the tournament's pure theatre.

In a breathtaking high-scoring heist, Mainstay Lake Primary stunned the 2025 champions, C.V NunesPrimary

Driven by a spectacular blitz from Anthony Garraway, who hammered a tournament-high 68 off just 20 balls—laced with eight sixes and four boundaries—C.V Nunes appeared to have put the

game out of reach with a formidable90for2.

Yet, Mainstay Lake scripted a remarkablecounter-narrative.

Jared Charles matched Garraway's aerial fireworks stroke for stroke, blasting an unbeaten 59 off 26 deliveries, including eight maximumsofhisown,toguidehis side to 91 for 2 with three balls to spare.

The final block of group matches had earlier set up the afternoon'snarratives.

In the first semi-final, Lima Sands executed a flawless chase againstC.V Nunes,trackingdown atargetof69injust6.1oversonthe back of Watson's 16-ball 26* and Margow's19*.

Incontrast,Charity'spassageto thefinalwasastandardtemplateof

defensive dominance; they restricted Mainstay Lake to a meagre40beforestrollingto41for 1 in 5.4 overs courtesy of Nickel Garraway(15*)andBatson(13).

The tournament's individual charts reflected a high standard of juniortalent.

LimaSands'Watsonfinishedas the zone's premier accumulator, finishing with 94 runs across four matches at an impressive average of 47.00 and a scoring rate of 174.07.

However, the definitive individual impact belonged to Charity'sskipper,Botson.

His 10 wickets across four outings came at a staggering average of 2.50 and an economy rate of 3.12, sending down 32 dot balls—equivalenttomorethanfive

Regional Chairman for Regional Two, Devin Mohan, hands over the runners-up trophy to the captain of Lima Sands Primary, Miguel

overs ofunscoreabledeliveries.

Paired with his 70 tournament runs, his MVP accolade was a formality B

silverware and competitive fires,

architecture emphasized a progressive shift toward modern development.

The top four finishing institutions were outfitted with comprehensive equipment bags and agility kits, alongside electronicscoringtablets.

Theinclusionofdigitalscoring

institutional push to introduce grassroots players to digital match metrics, effectively bridging the gap between recreational Tapeball

identification.

With the Essequibo crown secured, Charity Primary now advancestothenationalChampion of Champions tournament scheduledforAugust/September

There, they will join Berbice's S

Demerara's West Ruimveldt Primary to contest the ultimate prize: a novelty fixture against the Caribbean Premier League's GuyanaAmazonWarriors.

The Essequibo Zone also featured spirited campaigns from Riverstown, Taymouth Manor, Hampton Court, Good Hope, S

Friendship, Capoey, and Suddie Primary

Need for Speed Karting Championships