…asconcernsgrowover oversight,management to bolster oil & gas audits
...denies being pressured by U.S., says Cubans coming on their own Govt. confirms end
Govt. denies new extradition
requests from U.S.
Nazar Mohamed ...extradition caseadjourned
House approves Leader’s office hospitalised Brazil state honours Pres. Ali $34.6M for Opposition
Govt. allocates millions for ‘unresponsive’ office of commissioner of
President Irfaan Ali being awarded by Roraima Governor Antonio Denarium.
Govt.confirmsendtoCubamedicalpact
...denies being pressured by U.S., says Cubans coming on their own
Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony has confirmed that Guyana has formally ended its bilateral medical cooperation agreement with Cuba, sayingthearrangementisno longer necessary as Cuban doctors are now coming to Guyana independently to seekemployment.
The Minister made the disclosure during a brief interview with Kaieteur NewsonMonday Thequiet terminationoftheagreement has sparked speculation that the move was linked to allegations by the United Statesgovernmentregarding the alleged exploitation of Cubanmedicalworkers.
The U S government had warned Caribbean nations participating in Cuban medical programmes that such arrangements may amounttohumantrafficking and could result in visa restrictions and possible traderepercussions.
However, Minister Anthony denied that the decision was influenced by U.S. pressure, stating that there was no specific reason for ending the agreement. Instead, he explained that Cubanmedicalprofessionals arenowenteringGuyanaon
their own and applying for jobs outside of any formal government-to-government programme.
“There is no reason. We have Cuban doctors that are comingtoGuyananowthey come independently, so we employ them, so there’s no need for the agreement,” Dr Anthonysaid.
“Right now, what we’re doing is that any doctor or nurse from Cuba who want to work in Guyana. Once theyhavetheirqualifications and they come here, we’re
SAC welcomes Belize and Guyana’s enhanced cooperation
The Sugar Association of the Caribbean (SAC) congratulates the governments of Belize and Guyana on the reaffirmation of their longstanding friendship and shared Caribbean values through the conclusion of a series of Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) aimed at strengtheningcooperationacrosskeyareasofmutualinterest such as tourism, education, defence and security, and agriculture.
TheMoUsweresignedduringPresidentHE Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali, three-day state visit to Belize, that concluded on Tuesday,February03,2026,SACsaidinapressrelease
In the area of agriculture, the two sister CARICOM nations agreed to collaborate deliberately to achieve their shared ambition to feed CARICOM by capitalizing on the RevisedTreatyofChaguaramas(RTC)thatprovidesthislegal frameworkforfreemovementofgoodswithinCARICOM.
Touching on the sugar sector, Belize’s Prime Minister John Briceno said, “Belize and Guyana would provide guaranteedsuppliesofthesweetenertotherestoftheregion. Asgovernments,wewillassuretheprivatesectorthatwewill workdiligentlytoensurethatCARICOMisanassuredmarket forBelizeanandGuyaneseproducersofrefinedsugar.”
“One may recall, that through a joint venture Santander Sugar Limited and Sucro Limited are building a new cane sugar refinery Caribbean Sugar Refinery (CSR) at Santander’s current sugar mill in Western Belize. President Ali visited both Belize Sugar Industries Ltd (BSI) and SantanderSugarLimitedduringhisstayinBelize,”SACsaid.
SACsaiditviewsthepartnershipbetweenthetwonations, as another crucial step toward fulfilling the objective of the regional integration of sugar within the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME), while helping CARICOM to meetitsfoodsecuritygoalsandalsoachievethe25%by25food importreductioninitiativethathasbeenextendedto2030
able to employ them, and theyhavethesametermsand conditions like any Guyanesedoctor,”headded.
The minister added that Guyanaissimplycomplying with its own labour laws, which he said align with international expectations, includingthoseexpressedby theUnitedStates.
“Thiscountryhaslabour laws, and those laws allow
The Medical Cooperation Agreement signed in 2023 by Minister of Health Dr. Frank Anthony and Cuba’s Ambassador to Guyana, Jorge Francisco Soberón Luis.
people to be employed and receive their salaries. We can’tbreakanyrulesthatwe have in our country So we have been following those rules which are consistent with what the U S government has been asking,”hesaid.
The United States has maintained its position on h o l d i n g o f f i c i a l s accountable for facilitating
what it describes as forced labour in Cuba’s overseas medicalmissions.
In a statement issued on Friday, the U.S. Embassy to Barbados called on governments and citizens to reject what it termed forced labour, particularly within Cubanmedicalprogrammes.
“By participating in these programmes, despite known humanrightsabuses,foreign
complicit in the regime’s tactics,”thestatementsaid.
“There are alternative methods available for Caribbean nations to recruit foreignmedicalworkersand ethicallymeetthehealthcare needs of their people. The United States calls on all governments and peoples to rejectforcedlabourschemes and join us in demanding accountability and respect for human rights,” The U.S. embassytoBarbadosadded.
In 2023, Guyana and Cuba had signed a new Medical Cooperation AgreementattheMinistryof H e a l t h , a i m e d a t strengthening bilateral medical collaboration. The agreement was signed by Minister Anthony and Cuba’s Ambassador to Guyana, Jorge Francisco SoberónLuis.
However, under U S President Donald Trump’s administration, Cuban medicalmissionshavecome under renewed scrutiny During Trump’s first term (2017–2021),visasanctions
How quickly the PPPC Government and its representatives find it convenient to erase from their memorywhatgoesagainsttheirestablishednarratives,what clashes with its endless propaganda that is now second nature. Acensusreportthatwaslongdelayed,pretendedto be a work-in-progress has been released, but only in preliminary form. The report has much to be questioned, whatlookslikesomeunevenwork,andkeypiecesleftout, either deliberately or by a matter of chance. Now it forms the basis for presidential pronouncements, is taken as thoughofscripturaloriginbythegovernment. Howeasily amnesiainfects,howsmoothlyunderthecarpetisfoundas thebestdestinationfortheunansweredissuesthatroil.
Thenationhearsthatunemploymentiscutbymorethan half, as extracted from Labor statistics, and reported in the earlycensusresult. Thisisagovernmentthathidesstatistics andreports,yetcouldlocatenumbersandpushthemintothe public domain, when that suits its interests. How reliable aremostcomponentsinthepreliminarycensusreport,how crediblethosewhouseitfortheirownpropagandashows?
ThereportcancountonlysomanyVenezuelanshere,but canspeakofthelocalpopulationhoveringclosetoamillion. The admission was that data gathering was a challenge, whichhadtobethecase,sinceonlysofewVenezuelansand others from the region could be reported with confidence. Guyanahasexperiencedandcontinuestoseemoreandmore neighbors here, more in a steady stream than a flood, yet whatisseeminglyonlyasmallfractionofthemisreported. Given this state, it doesn’t require much mental energy to appreciate that so much more could be lacking on other censusreportnumbersprovided. Before,itdidn’tprovoke much of a reaction from the PPPC Government, when the callwasforthethree-yeardelaywithoutpublicationofthe censusresultstobeover
Butnow allofthatisforgotten,doesn’tmeanmuch,as Guyanese are informed about unemployment on a rapidly downward trend, and growth in many sectors of the economy One of the figures that the president, vice president, and other senior government officials persist in sharing with the public is their concoction about low inflation,solowastobeinthelowsingledigits. Ifthereis anythingthatGuyaneseknow,itisthatsteeperandsteeper prices are killing. From the rising cost of basic items of living, to the increasing amounts demanded by those providingbasisservices.ThosearethepainsthatGuyanese haveendured,withnothingbutpaltryreliefcomingtothem inaneconomywithrecordtrillion-dollarbudgetsanddaily oil production over three-quarters of a million barrels. Considering the wreckage that continually higher prices inflicts on citizens, any leader, any government, that celebrates low and controlled inflation opens the door to ridicule.
Thepreliminarycensusreporthasitsshareofnumbers, as such reports tend to be, yet is so vague on specifics that matterasnottobehelpful. Weabsorbpopulationnumbers, but there is the mystery about how the demographics of Guyanashapedup,asof2022,whenemigrationcontinuesto be a drain on this country’s human resource pool. For certain, there is an ongoing influx of investors and fortune hunters to one of the biggest investment attractions in the world,ifnotthebiggest,currently Butthebestideaofhow many foreigners are in Guyana is nothing but a guess, and whattypethereismoreuncertainty
However,whenthereisopportunityforthegovernment and its spokespeople to paint themselves in the brightest light,andsellthattoaninformationstarvedpopulation,this isexactlywhatisdonewithvigor,andwhatGuyaneseget. Citizens need information that they can trust on sensitive issuesandareas,suchasthetruerateofunemployment,the real rate of inflation, an accurate rate of native population loss through emigration, and some believable rate on the flow of neighbors and foreigners into Guyana. Reputable international agencies have commented on the lack of official information on crucial areas The PPPC Governmentsaysnothing,untilitispropagandatime.
Several Govt. MPs exposed themselves as crass, ill-mannered, shallow
DEAREDITOR,
There are few forces
an entrenched status quo than the emergence of a new political reality Such a reality now undeniably exists within Guyana’s political landscape, and its presence has caused visible and significant disruption. Whilethegovernmentwould havethepublicbelievethatit remains composed and untroubled, the conduct displayed in recent parliamentary proceedings tellsaverydifferentstory
Duringlastweek’sbudget debates, several members on the government benches exposed themselves as crass, ill-mannered, shallow, condescending,and,attimes, outright disgraceful The overallqualityofmanyofthe presentations was deeply unimpressive, marked not by confidence or mastery of policy, but by insecurity thinlyveiledasauthority
This behaviour is best u n d e r s t o o d a s a manifestation of cognitive dissonance, triggered by a political shift they neither
anticipatednorknowhowto manage.
Let us be candid: in a remarkably short period, the new political reality (WIN) has accomplished what no other political force has achieved in Guyana’s modern history That fact alone explains the anxiety now evident within the PPP Fear,notstrength,drivesthe relentless attempts to discredit and dismantle this emerging force.Yet, in their haste, they continue to undermine themselves Rather than extinguishing the momentum of this new reality, they have repeatedly addedfueltoitsfire.
The recent budget debates marked a pivotal moment in this evolution. These proceedings recorded what was arguably the highest viewership in Guyana’s parliamentary history In the final days of t
multiple livestream platforms, hundreds, indeed thousandsofGuyanese,both at home and in the diaspora, openly stated that this was
their first time watching budget debates. They were not tuning in because the government had inspired confidence, nor because the budget offered meaningful relief from economic
hardship They were watching because they wanted to see how the new reality would confront the establishedpoliticalorder
They wanted to hear
from the man the governmentinsists“cannot,” and to assess whether his team could measure up against seasoned political operators.Formanywhohad previously been skeptical or unsupportive of this new reality,thedebatesservedas a litmus test to determine whether this reality was substantive or merely performative.
The government, however,chosetoplayevery role except the one that mattered They acted simultaneously as participants, judges, and cheerleaders of the debate. With each speaker, they attempted to discredit the contributions of the combined opposition not
through reasoned argument orpolicyclarity,butthrough personal attacks, slander, and juvenile political theatrics.Whattheyfailedto appreciate was that the audience had changed. This was no longer the familiar audience of a few hundred loyalobservers;itwasavast and diverse viewership of thousands, many witnessing parliamentary conduct for theveryfirsttime. Those viewers, the people,werethetruearbiters of the debate. And by and large,theirassessmentswere fair and discerning. They recognized strengths and weaknesses across all sides. Yet for a government boasting decades of experience, the performance was strikingly poor. It reflected a profound failure to grasp the magnitude and implications of the disruption now reshaping Guyana’s political landscape.Inthatfailurelies theclearestevidenceyetthat theoldpoliticalorderhasnot only been challenged, but unsettled.
Regards, ClayonF.Halley
The Ghost in the Machine: How $3 Billion and a Migrant’s ID Unmask Guyana’s Electoral Illusion
DEAREDITOR,
The 2025 General
Elections are over, the celebrationshavefaded,and the $1.558 trillion “People First” Budget for 2026 has beenlaidbeforetheNational Assembly Butforthosewho caretolookpasttheglareof oil prosperity, there is a mathematicalandmoralvoid at the heart of our democracy
Consider the case of “ U n c l e B a l g o b i n ” Valenzuela—a Warao man who, by his own admission, was born in Venezuela but somehow held a Guyanese ID card issued on July 3, 2025. His story was a viral curiosity; today, it is a forensic roadmap. Balgobin is not an anomaly. He is a symptom of a carefully orchestrated “ghosting” of our national registers a system where cash grants buy IDs, IDs buy votes, and thebudgetquietlyburiesthe evidence.
The$3Billion DisappearingAct In the heat of the 2025 campaign, the government projected a $63 billion
allocation to provide $100,000 to every adult Guyanese (18+).This figure implied a target of 630,000 recipients, based on an aggressive, state-led registration drive Fast forwardtoBudget2026.The allocationforthesamegrant hasshrunkto$60billion.Ina nation where the population is reportedly surging to over 815,000, and where thousands of migrants and returnees are supposedly “integrating, ” 30,000
eligible adults have effectively vanished from therolls.
Where did they go? Or moreimportantly:Whowere they?
The math suggests a chilling possibility. Were these 30,000 “beneficiaries”
actually a temporary e l e c t o r a l workforce—individuals like Balgobin who were registeredforgrants,handed IDs by “non-GECOM” agents, and utilized to swell the 2025 turnout? With the victory secured, the 2026 Budget quietly retracts the funding.The$3billiondelta isn’t a “saving”; it is the
decommissioned cost of a shadowelectorate.
TheTactical StarvingofGECOM While the government expands its spending by 12.7%, the one institution capable of auditing this “ B a l g o b i n Phenomenon”—the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM)—has been led to theslaughter
In 2025, GECOM operated on $7.3 billion. In 2026, a year where Local Government Elections (LGE) are constitutionally mandated, their budget has beenguttedby86%,downto astaggering$981.2million.
This is not fiscal oversight; it is a tactical blackout. By starving GECOM, the administration ensuresthat:
1. Biometric audits are impossible.
2.ClaimsandObjections remainatoothlessexercise.
3. The Voter Register remainsa“blackbox”where 30,000 names can be added or purged without forensic scrutiny
AChallengetotheMedia
To our investigative
journalists: Why has the “30,000 Person Purge” not made the front page? How does a $6.7 billion election year transition into a sub-$1 billion year for GECOM w i t h o u t a s i n g l e parliamentary inquiry into LGEreadiness?
We are witnessing the birth of an “Oil-Funded Gerrymander” The 2025 victory was not just won at the polling stations; it was manufactured in the registration lines for cash grants.TheBalgobinIDcard is the smoking gun, and Budget2026istheattemptto hidetheweapon.
The people of Guyana are not props for a five-year play. We are the owners of the NRF. We demand a forensic cross-check of the grant registers against the voter rolls. If the numbers don’t lie, then the government has nothing to fear But if 30,000 names have truly “vanished,” then the 2025 mandate is not a triumph of democracy—it is a triumph of the ghost in the machine.
Sincerely, HemduttKumar
The cognitive cost of automation: Why Guyana needs an “IntelligenceFirst” AI Strategy
DEAREDITOR,
The government’s recent strides in digitizing Guyana, mostnotablythelaunchoftheAI-supportedGuyanaDigital School, position our nation as a regional leader in technologicaladoption.However,someonewhohasworked in this field for well over a decade, I must caution that hardware and access are only half the battle. If we do not pivot our pedagogical approach, we risk falling into a trap identified by the 2025 UNDPHuman Development Report, which warns of a “Next Great Divergence” where AI, if unmanaged,widensthegapinhumancapabilitiesanderodes thecognitivegainsofthelastcentury
We must recognise that the wealth of our nation is ultimately found in the cognitive capacity of the people, not just in its natural resources. The stakes are quantified in recent global research that should give us pause. Evidence across more than 80 countries shows a consistent pattern: students with higher daily computer use in classrooms actuallyperformworseinreading,mathematics,andscience.
Neuroscientist Dr Jared Cooney Horvath has testified beforetheU.S.Senatethatwearewitnessinga“measurable reversal in cognitive development” across the developed world. He argues that foundational skills required for deep learning are weakening because digital environments are designed for constant task switching and fragmented focus, which systematically undertrains sustained attention and complexreasoning.
UNESCO’s2025reportsimilarlyhighlightsthethreatof “cognitive dispossession,” where the human capacity for independentthoughtisoutsourcedtoalgorithms.
Tonavigatethis,ourcurriculummustmovebeyondmere “prompt engineering” and ground itself in the principles of criticalpedagogyestablishedbyPauloFreireandfurtheredby Henry Giroux. Freire famously argued that education must involve “reading the world,” not just “reading the word.” In anAI-saturatedenvironment,thismeansstudentsshouldnot usetechnologytopassivelyconsumepre-packagedanswers, buttodecodethesocialandpoliticalrealitiesthetechnology represents.Criticalthinkingisnottheabilitytofindasolution quickly;itisthecapacityfor“epistemicvigilance”,theactive interrogation of how knowledge is produced and whose interestsitserves.
Fostering this level of intelligence requires what Giroux describes as a “pedagogy of hope” that treats students as criticalagentsratherthanemptyvesselstobefilledbydigital data. AI can enhance this process by acting as a “Socratic interlocutor” that challenges a student’s assumptions, but only if the learner has the cognitive endurance to engage in thatstruggle.Ifourschoolsareoptimizedfordeviceuseand engagement metrics rather than how human cognition actually develops, the consequences, a decline in memory formationandcomprehensionwillbeirreversible.
With its abundant resources and visionary leadership, Guyana has a unique opportunity to make use of the current digitalization trends.We can buy the latest software, but we cannot buy back the lost cognitive potential of a generation that has been conditioned for shallow processing. It is imperativethattheMinistryofEducationretainseducational professionalsinAI-educationintegrationtoensureourdigital transformationactsasacatalystfortheGuyanesemind.
Sincerely,
Dr WalterH.Persaud
This struggle requires all hands on deck
DEAREDITOR,
AnotherNationalBudget hascomeandwillbepassed, yet again, without any serious effort to address a livingwageortheworsening economic conditions of the most vulnerable among us. Those at the bottom were either ignored outright or tossed a few paltry
g
meaningful, nothing transformative, nothing capable of improving their standard of living. Let me first address the People’s Progressive Party’s (PPP) claim that the 2025 InterAmerican Development Bank (IDB) Report, which reveals that more than half thenationlivesinpoverty,is basedsolelyondatafromthe David Granger/Moses Nagamootoo administration (2015–2020) That claim makes no sense—and its purposeisclear:tomislead. By laying the blame for
poverty solely at the feet of APNU+AFC, the PPP regime deliberately ignores severalcriticalfacts: PriortoAPNU+AFC,the PPP occupied the reins of Government (Executive) for 23consecutiveyears.
In 1992, the PPP inherited an economy from President Desmond Hoyte that was already on an upward trajectory This was evidenced by the PPP’s slavishadherencetoHoyte’s
Adjustment Programme (ERP/SAP), which fueled growth well into the late 1990s.
The value of the Guyana dollar in 1992, though constrained, was not under the same pressures confronting workers today At that time, the exchange rate stood at approximately G$125toUS$1.Bycontrast, APNU parliamentarian Dr
Terrence Campbell stated during the 2026 Budget Debates that the true exchange rate now hovers around G$240 to US$1, exposingthesharperosionin workers’ purchasing power
The PPP inherited an oilproducing economy, with Guyana beginning production in late 2019, makingthepartythesteward of revenues this nation had neverbeforeseen.
StabroekNewscontinues to run a weekly column where ordinary citizens recount, in their own words, how the rising cost of living is devastating their lives.
Many Guyanes
e “catching hell” daily and remain dependent on remittances from overseas relativessimplytosurvive.
Overthelast33years,the PPPhasexercisedcontrolof government for 30 of them—if one includes its successful 2018 no-
confidence motion and the deliberateconstraintsplaced on APNU+AFC thereafter Guyana has earned over US$8 25 billion in cumulative oil revenues from December 2019 through late 2025, yet this unprecedented wealth remains concentrated in the handsofaveryfew
The levels of poverty revealed today must therefore be laid squarely at thefeetofthePPP Povertyand AfricanGuyanese
Now to poverty as it relates specifically to African Guyanese, particularly in light of the UnitedNations’extensionof the International Decade for People of African Descent (2015–2024). At the end of that decade, the UN concluded that insufficient progress had been made in economic,social,cultural,
Bayroc Stadium Opening: Welcome
Continued on page 6
progress, but Linden needs jobs and relief now
DEAREDITOR,
As much as Lindeners welcome the newly constructed Bayroc Track andFieldStadiumwithopen arms, its opening should havebeenmorethanaphoto opportunity or a polished political performance It should have been a moment of unity, hope, and honest reflection.Instead,President Irfaan Ali’s address felt heavy on promises and light onaccountability
There is no dispute that Linden deserves modern sporting facilities Our youngpeoplepossesstalent, discipline, and ambition in abundance, and they will make good use of this stadium However, infrastructurealonedoesnot change lives What truly changeslivesareclearplans, sustained investment, and policiesthatplacepeople— notpolitics—atthecentreof development.
The President spoke confidently about economic growth, job creation, and world-class opportunities
flowing from this facility Lindeners have heard this language before, even as unemployment and underemployment remain stubborn realities in the community Too many households rely on shortterm contracts, informal work, or remittances. What was noticeably absent were the details that matter most: Who will get the jobs? How many? When? And what guarantees exist that Lindeners will be first in line?
Atthesametime,thecost of living continues to squeeze families in Region 10. Food prices in Linden remainamongthehighestin the country, electricity and water bills eat into already limited incomes, and transportation costs make commuting for work increasinglyunaffordable.In that context, vague references to “spin-off b e n e f i t s ” s o u n d disconnected from the daily struggles of ordinary people tryingtomakeendsmeet.
A stadium cannot feed a household. It cannot lower grocery prices It cannot reduceutilitybillsorreplace the urgent need for decent wages, skills training, and long-term employment Development must go beyond concrete and ceremonies; it must reach kitchen tables, pay packets, andschoolbags.
Equally disappointing wastheinjectionofpolitical defensiveness into what should have been a peoplecentred event. Linden does not need lectures on progress, nor should it be used as a backdrop for selfcongratulation The communitydeservesrespect, honesty, and genuine inclusion — not rhetoric aimedatdismissingcriticsor silencing legitimate concerns.
If the government truly
believes it is investing in people and not just projects, then let that investment be reflected in transparent plans, meaningful engagement with the people ofLinden,andoutcomesthat can be measured in jobs created, skills developed, and costs reduced for workingfamilies.Letitshow up in employment that lasts andopportunitiesthatextend far beyond ceremonial ribbon-cuttings Lindeners are proud people We welcome progress, and we embrace development. But we also demand truth Development is not measured by speeches or stadium lights, but by whether ordinary families experience real and lasting improvements in their daily lives.
Yourssincerely, LorezoJoseph
Funds set aside for LGE this year
GECOM short of key staff
Asum of money
h a s b e e n allocated in the national budget for the hosting of the Local Government Elections (LGE)slatedforthisyear
The funds have been set aside for the elections from the $6.9 billion which was allocated to the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) This was disclosed by Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance, Gail Teixeira duringareviewofthebudget estimatesonMonday Minister Teixeira told members of the National Assembly that while the commissionismovingahead
with plans for the LGE, vacancies still exist for the keyofficerswithinGECOM. She explained that “These include the Deputy Chief Elections Officer (DCEO), Assistant Chief Election Officer (ACEO), Legal officer, Information Technology manager, research officer and chief accountant.”
Teixeira told the House “The budget provides for local government elections in terms of temporary staff, polling day staff as well as ballots and stuff like that is the material requirement for elections,”
Added to this, GECOM said in a press release on
Monday that the Revised List of Electors (RLE) has been published for 21 days with effect from 7th February, 2026. According toGECOMthetimeframeis to provide all stakeholders with the opportunity to check the list for the
This struggle requires all hands on...
Frompage5 and political inclusion, and that disparities relative to other groups persist, hence theextension.
The purpose of this UN declaration is clear: governmentsareexpectedto partner with specific ethnic groups to address the structural issues affecting them The UN explicitly
charges states with strengtheningcooperationto ensure“thefullenjoymentof economic, social, cultural, civil and political rights by people of African descent, and their full and equal participationinallaspectsof society.”
We must therefore ask: WhathastheGovernmentof Guyanadonetoadvancethis directive?
What I know what AfricanGuyaneseknow—is that living conditions within theAfricancommunityhave not improved in any meaningful way This is evident on the ground and documented in multiple reports, including those by attorney-at-law Nigel
Hughes on contract allocations; the submission byIPADAD-GtotheUnited Nations; and the 2025 IDB Report, which expressly states:
“Poverty in Latin America and the Caribbean is not only unevenly distributed across geographic areas: it also affects particular groups differently… we find rates higher than that of the general population among IndigenouspeopleandAfrodescendants.”(p.6)
I have personally met countless individuals who havesharedpainfulstoriesof exclusion.Atthetradeunion
level, we have repeatedly seen workers’ rights and f r e e d o m s trampled particularly in sectors and workplaces where African Guyanese dominate. Just days ago, Dorwain Bess publicly recounted his experience of economic deprivation, despite pioneering services in Guyana’s oil sector I am alsoawareofAfrican-owned businesses that choose silence, or even feigned loyaltytothePPPregime,in order to survive and provide fortheirfamilies.
Some have allowed themselves to become political props, wielding the sword of hate and humiliation against their ownpeopleinexchangefora seat at the table, rather than standing up for the marginalised, the aggrieved, and the oppressed. In doing so, they have accepted the dangerousliethatindividual survival is more important than collective survival, ignoring the fundamental truth that discrimination against one ultimately weakensall.Historyteaches usthislessonrepeatedly.No people will tolerate marginalisation and oppression forever without resistance.
The problems facing African Guyanese can only be resolved when we are treated as equal and full participants in this society, regardless of which party holdsoffice.
We must therefore continue to demand what is alreadyguaranteedunderthe Constitution. We must insist on inclusionary democracy, as enshrined in Article 13, through legislation that enables meaningful shared
governance at the national, regional,andlocallevels.
Thisstrugglerequiresall hands on deck.And it is not unique toAfricans, for what affects one group inevitably affectsall.
Resilience means struggle It means c o n f r o n t i n g anyone anyone who standsinthewayofourbasic rights and human dignity Anyindividualorinstitution that obstructs these rights becomes an enemy to the process, regardless of the textureoftheirhair
TheAfrican struggle has never been waged by Africansalone.Fromslavery to indentureship, from independence to the U.S. Civil Rights Movement,
progress has always involved principled allies whostoodnotforcolour,but for humanity We must acknowledge and embrace thattruth.
I am aware that formal proposals addressing the Black Agenda were presented to both the David Granger administration and theIrfaanAliadministration. Finally,IremindtheAfrican community, irrespective of political affiliation, that our struggle for justice loses authenticity when we confront only those who do not look like us, while excusingthosewhodo.This struggleisnotaboutfaces;it isaboutprinciples.Itisabout issues.
Those must remain our compass. Resilience demands clarity. It demands courage.Anditdemandsthat wefightinjusticewhereverit exists, and whoever perpetuatesit
Sincerely, LincolnLewis
accuracy of their respective registration records in preparation for the Local GovernmentElection.
G E C O M s a i d “Registrants, especially those who conducted transactions in the recently concluded Claims and Objections exercise, are advisedtobringanyconcern about their registration records as displayed in the RLE, to the attention of the Registration Officer of the Registration Office that is responsible for his/her area ofresidence.”
GECOM said too that it remains committed to a transparent registration process that adheres strictly to the legal provisions and one in which all registration transactions conducted are s c r u t i n i s e d b y representatives of the parliamentary political parties.
The RLE is currently
other staffers attached to the Commission.
being displayed at two prominentlocationsinevery registration division countrywide as well as on GECOM’s website at www gecom org gy for public scrutiny Last month, the commission announced that it was seeking temporary staff for the upcoming local government elections. According to an advertisement placed on the commission’s website, suitably qualified individuals are being sought to fill the role of temporary trainerinpreparationforthe upcoming local government polls.
The advertisement noted under the direct supervision of the chief election officer, (CEO)successfulcandidates will be responsible for designing and developing training materials specifically tailored for the conduct of LGE, organizing and implementing effective
An awkward exchange unfolded in the Committee of Supply on Monday when Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance, Gail Teixeira, appeared reluctant to disclose the salary and benefits paidtoGuyanaOfficeforInvestment(GOInvest) Chief Executive Officer Peter Ramsaroop, only doing so after noting that timehad“runout.”
Responding to a question from APNU MemberofParliament,GaneshMahipaulin the Committee of Supply Teixeira first protested: “Mr chairman haven’t our time run out. I’m not the time keeper but I am advisedthatthetimehasranout.”Shyethen proceeded to list Ramsaroop’s compensation package. For his role as the CEO at the investment office, he is paid a basic salary of $1.9M. Teixeira continued, “Gratuity you know for the year is two times- $5.223M, vacation is $1.901M and travelling and other allowances is $117,000.”
Mps in the house could be heard expressing surprise, as Ramsaroop, who is also an MP clad in his green suit smiled during their remarks. The salary of public officials was a key area of concern for
training strategies for election staff, evaluating the performance of participants at the conclusion of each trainingsessionetc.
Local Government Election is deemed a high priority for citizens, as it stipulates governance and policies at the local democratic or” grass root” level.Theelectionswillpave the way for the appointment of councilors for the 65 Neighborhood Democratic C o u n c i l s a n d s i x municipalities countrywide. Constitutionally, LGE are due every three years. Guyana’s local government electionhistoryismarkedby significant delays, with the last elections held in 1994, leadingtoprolongedperiods where councils were not r e n e w e d , d e s p i t e constitutional requirements and calls for reform. Local government elections were lastheldinJune2023.
Fromright: Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance, Gail Teixeira, Chief Elections Officer of GECOM, Vishnu Persaud and
Houseapproves$34.6MforOppositionLeader’soffice
The Leader of the Opposition Officehasbeenallocated$346Minthe 2026budget,MinisterofParliamentary Affairs and Governance Gail Texieria hasconfirmed
During the consideration of the estimates on Monday Opposition Chief Whip and We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) Member of Parliament (MP) Tabitha SaraboHalleyaskedabouttheallocationfor the opposition leader’s office at which timeTeixeira pointed out that $34,670,000 had been budgeted for
currentexpenditures.
Thisnewspaperhadreportedback inJanuarythatdespitetheimpassethat precededtheelectionoftheLeaderof theOpposition,theParliamentOffice had submitted its budgetary proposal tothegovernmentfortheoperationof the Office of the Leader of the Opposition.
Clerk of the National Assembly, Sherlock Isaacs had confirmed that the proposal included salaries, upkeepoftheofficeandtopayrental forabuilding. Heexplainedthatthe
estimates are generally based on previous allocations, noting, “Well I thinkwhatInormallydo.Welookat thepreviousyear’sallocationandwe increaseitjustbyfiveortenpercent, not much.” In 2025, the Committee ofSupplyapproved$32.5millionfor the Office of the Leader of the Opposition. That allocation, unchanged from the previous year, formed part of the $2.1 billion approvedfortheParliamentOffice.
Only recently this newspaper reported Opposition Leader,
Azruddin Mohamed complaining that weeks after assuming office he had not been provided with official state security or a government vehicle, benefits guaranteed under law,whichhesayssignalscontinued political discrimination against him.
“It’s a clear case of political persecution and victimisation by the government.They are trying to strip meofeverything.Ihavenorightasa citizen of this country,” Mohamed toldthisnewspaperlastweekonthe
Continued on page 14
Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance, Gail Texieria
The PPPC lost the Budget debate
Forfiveyears,from2020 to 2025, the PPPC perfected a parliamentary habit that passed for strategy It was not subtle, nor was it particularlyclever,butitwas effective in the way that repetition, delivered with conviction and contempt, oftenis.
In every major debate in t h e N a t i o n a l Assembly—Budget debates included—thepartyreturned obsessively to a single refrain:thepoorrecordofthe APNU+AFC between 2015 and 2020. The past was dragged forward, paraded, and beaten again. It became less an argument than a ritual, a kind of political incanta
meant to summonpublicmemoryand suppresspresentscrutiny
This tactic worked not becauseitwassophisticated, butbecausetheAPNU+AFC
proved incapable of defending its own record with coherence or force Silence, evasion, and selfpity are poor counters to accusation. And so, the PPPC enjoyed the luxury of attacking without fear of rebuttal.
The imbalance was c o m p o u n d e d b y circumstance.ThePPPChad onlyjustreturnedtooffice;it was early in its term, and its own record was necessarily thin. There was little to defend, little to explain, and
accusation rather than accountability, with the PPPC
y told—was on its side. But time, as it always does, altered the terms of engagement.Bythetimethe 2026Budgetwastabled,the PPPC was no longer a government in its infancy It now possessed a record— visible, and unavoidable Theoldstrategyofendlessly rehearsing the failures of 2015–2020 could no longer bear the weight placed upon it.Thepartyseemedtoknow this, dimly There were still obligatory references to the past, but they landed with diminishing force, like blows delivered long after theopponenthasmovedon. Instead of adjusting its approach, the PPPC chose a more revealing course. It became fixated on the new political formation, We InvestinNationhood(WIN), and on selected figures within the APNU. The Budgetdebate,whichshould have been an opportunity to explain, defend, and persuade,wasconvertedinto a series of attacks—some strategic, many petty WIN wastreatednotasapolitical challengetobeengaged,but as an irritant to be mocked. This was not confidence; it was anxiety masquerading asaggression. The result was an exposure of intellectual bankruptcy A government
Dem Boys Seh...
secure in its record does not need to rely on ridicule. A government convinced of the coherence of its programme does not spend its time throwing innuendo across the floor of the Assembly Yet this is preciselywhatunfolded.The PPPC appeared unable—or unwilling to mount a serious defence of its own stewardship or to inspire confidence in its plans for 2026. That, of course, was notaneasytask.Theglaring shortcomings of the Budget itself only underscored the difficultyofdefendingit.
The PPPC therefore resorted to going after WIN and its leader The party seemedtorelish,inadvance, the prospect of dismantling what it assumed would be a clumsy rebuttal of the Budget from the Leader of theOpposition.Therewasan expectation almost a h u n g e r f o r embarrassment. The script had been written in their minds: the Opposition Leader would stumble, ramble, and expose his inadequacies. But politics, like life, has a habit of disappointing those who depend too heavily on caricature. What followed unsettled the PPPC The Leader of the Opposition deliveredapresentationthat, while mostly read, was far fromthedisasteranticipated. Therewasanattempttostop him, to derail the presentation on technical
Uncle Sam find he way to town
Dem boys seh when yuh wake up one morning and realize America now got the transportforGuyana,istimetocheckifyuh passportstillvalidorifitturnintoavisitor’s badge. Because everywhere yuh turn these days, is Uncle Sam running things and pointingwheretogo.
First,demboysseh,Americatakecharge of the economy nice-nice through Exxon. Oil flowing, profits flying, and Guyana standing like a proud landlord who rent out thehouseandnowaskingpermissiontouse thebackdoor.Everypressconferencesound like it have a subtitle: “With respect to our strategic partners…” Strategic, yes—but partner sound more like chauffeur and passenger
Then came the Cuban Medical Brigade business.Demboyssehistherewereallysee how easy the government could roll over One stern look from Washington and—bam!—principle catch a next flight. No long debate, no chest-thumping sovereigntytalk.
Just a quick shuffle of papers and a denial that we were pressured into dismantling the programme that has saved thousandsoflocallives.
All dem other Caribbean countries did getthesamewarning.Butdemsehplainand
grounds. It was a small, mean manoeuvre, and it failed. More importantly, it missedthepoint.
The most damaging elements of the speech were notinthepreparedtextatall. They emerged in the ad-lib moments:thesharprepartee, the anecdotes, the lived experiences invoked to give texture to abstraction.These interventions brought the real suffering of ordinary people cost of living pressures, daily indignities, quiet despair into the sterile space of the National Assembly It was there, in those unscripted moments,
that the PPPC found itself exposed.
Even then, the party had an opportunity to recover It could have responded with substance, with explanation, with humility Instead, it reverted to habit: political a t t a c k s , p e r s o n a l insinuations,andthecomfort of hostility It was easier to wound than to persuade, easier to sneer than to explain. By the end of the debate, the impression was unmistakable.ThePPPChad lost n
opportunity A party that governs by memory alone
willeventuallybeovertaken bythepresent.IfthePPPCis to retain credibility, inside the National Assembly and beyond, it must rethink its reliance on vindictiveness and rediscover the harder, more demanding art of defendingitsownrecord.
(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinionsofthisnewspaper.)
straightthatwhatevertheconsequencesthey are not rescinding the agreements concerning the Cuban Medical Brigade. It doessavelives.Butthatisnotall.Demboys seh notice how quiet we get these days. Bombinghere,kidnappingthere,smallcraft gettingblownoutthewaterinthehighseas near Caribbean space—and Guyana mouth locktighterthanarumshoponGoodFriday Venezuelagethit,presidentgetdragged,and wesuddenlydevelopselectivesilence.Isnot that we don’t see; is that we choose not to blink.
So dem boys seh this subservience got people asking what next. Does America really have Guyana number on speed dial? Or worse do they got information blackmailing some of our leaders that making everybody walk soft-soft, like they crossinghotsandbarefoot?
Dem boys just asking? Because right now, Guyana starting to look like an ungrateful dog while millions in Cuba getting economically strangled. And if Americagotthetransport,theeconomy,and nowthepolitics,theonlythingleftistoask: whodriving,andwhojustenjoyingtheride? Dem boys seh, better check before the bus passyuhstop. Talkhalf.Leffhalf.
WIN’sMohamed,amanofdifferentseasons
They said he couldn’t talk Hespoke Provedthem wrong Hostiles said he didn’t know what he was about, that his head is hard. Indeed, his head is hard, which is why he’s still around, makes fools of his detractors.
Others persisted through an approach from the oppositedirection:hisheadis too soft, ie, only so much that he would understand, unlikely to make use of whatever was gleaned, if anything.
Hard head or soft head, and it is same man without anykindofheadtotalkabout, who made his stalkers and oppressors look pathetic and impotent. The blinding, inspiring, eloquence of Sir Winston Churchill, or the flowing, slashing resonance of John F Kennedy, are not
histoown,ortoclaim. But he made the lawyers and doctors, and those who makeupthenumbers,onthe PPP side of the once fabled aisles of the National Assembly, grope for proper responses, feel their way gingerlyaroundhim.
Vice President, Dr Bharrat Jagdeo, a politician with all the answers (to a point, and of a sort) took the smart way out Though listed, he called in indisposed; th
l unanswered. The man on whom the spotlight shone has that effect on some, especially those with whom he had a long business history
Themanofthemomentas the 2026 national budget wound down was the man from, We Invest in Nationhood, Azruddin
Mohamed I think he showed up, then showed them up. Despite all the traps laid for him before parliament.
Notwithstanding the holesdugtopreventhimfrom getting into parliament
Never mind the human obstacles that were waiting right inside there to put him tohisplace,andtorushhim outofthathallowedspace.
My intel is that he’s someone into a lot of selflove, an ego bigger than his head, the swagger of his stride Hewilllearn,orbetter had. He may fancy himself Aurangzeb of India. He doeswelltorecallAnwarof Egypt. He cannot afford to slip, or he will get slapped down. Iwould. Hedoesn’t have a honeymoon. He has nothing.
Whateverhegets,hemust
earn There is sympathy for an underdog But his record is of having run with curs Wild, rabid beasts. They hound him now; every step, everystreet. Hehasheldup well, so far For the record: they said that a man like Mohamed doesn’t know, wouldn’t know, about c o m p o r t m e n t a n d deportment.
Yetthismanwhoistrying tofindhisparliamentaryfeet had to introduce decorum to those there long before him Instructive how decorous and ind
orous have swappedrolesinGuyana,in the people’s house. Does anyone enter his or her mother’s house and fool around, bring her into disrepute?
The lawman went straight, then he went low, something he must shake.
Answers needed on financialcrimes,dueto Mohamed’s alleged involvement. An officer of the court setting up his own court outside of the court. Still, a fair question, but one on which the PPP Govt. should have set the standard with its own answers involving its own with different crimes, as alleged.
andwomeninthePPPGovt. find heart, conscience, to be about poor Guyanese, it is time for me to find another calling.
y
Ministers One permanent s
Another public servant with property ownership in New York The man from WIN took a page of the PPP’s book: silence He has learned well from his long association with the PPP, as government, in opposition. Suspicion, speculation, can havetheirday
The moneyman went high, stayed high. Mr. Mohamed must prove himselfincourt. Good! The PPP moneyman articulated the “greatest respect” for Mohamed. Better!
Guyanese could be left “high and dry” and “poor innocentpeople”shouldn’tbe usedtosaveself Whatasong the singer sang. When men
It is a new and different Azruddin Mohamed The morethePPPtriedtoupsethis balance, the more his feet grounded The more they heckled him, the more patienthebecame,asthough dealing with juveniles, imbeciles, and human reptiles.
The day that I allow anyone to disparage me like that,that’sthedaythatIsign out from this planet Azruddin Mohamed did more than stand his ground in parliament. He stood above the PPP. He showed that he belongs. I understand why the PPP hustles to run him out of town.
(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinionsofthisnewspaper)
GECOM publishes revised voters’ list for public scrutiny
The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has published the Revised List of Electors (RLE) for a 21-day publicscrutinyperiod,effectiveFebruary7–27,2026,toallow stakeholderstoverifytheaccuracyofvoterregistrationrecords In a press statement GECOM said the RLE is currently being displayed at two prominent locations in every registration division countrywide as well as on GECOM’s websiteatwww.gecom.org.gyforpublicscrutiny Registrants,especiallythosewhoconductedtransactions intherecentlyconcludedClaimsandObjectionsexercise,are advisedtobringanyconcernabouttheirregistrationrecords as displayed in the RLE, to the attention of the Registration Officer of the Registration Office that is responsible for his/herareaofresidence.
The Guyana Elections Commission said it remains committed to a transparent registration process that adheres strictlytothelegalprovisionsandoneinwhichallregistration transactions conducted are scrutinized by representatives of theparliamentarypoliticalparties.
U.S.seizesVenezuela-linkedoiltankerinIndianOcean
…Pentagon
says U.S.
will enforce
(AL-JAZEERA)
The United States military has announced seizing a Venezuela-linked vessel in the Indian Ocean, a move that Washington said d e m o n s t r a t e s i t s determination to enforce its oil blockade on the South American country even “halfwayaroundtheworld”.
The Pentagon said on Monday that it captured the tankeraspartofacampaign by U.S. President Donald
Trump-ordered blockade against South American country even ‘halfway around the world’
Venezuelan oil ships in December before abducting the country’s president, NicolasMaduro,lastmonth.
Under threat of further U S strikes, Venezuela’s interim President Delcy Rodriguez–whopreviously served as Maduro’s vice president–signedalawlast month to open up the country’s mostly statecontrolled oil sector to foreigninvestments.
executives during a White House meeting in January after the abduction of Maduro.
Since the toppling of its former president, Venezuela has transferred tens of millions of oil barrels to the U.S. as part of an energy deal.
A U.S. Coast Guard vessel monitors the oil tanker Galileo after it was seized by the United States, as it is moored off the coast of Ponce, Puerto Rico, January 21, 2026 [File: Ricardo Arduengo/Reuters]
TrumptocutoffVenezuela’s oil exports, which critics haveslammedas“theft”and internationalpiracy
“The Aquila II was operating in defiance of President Trump’s established quarantine of sanctioned vessels in the Caribbean. It ran, and we followed,” the Pentagon said.
It added that U.S. forces tracked the vessel from the Caribbean Sea to the Indian
Ocean.
“No other nation on planet Earth has the capability to enforce its will through any domain,” the Pentagon said, sharing footage of heavily armed U S soldiers raiding the vesselfromahelicopter
“By land, air, or sea, our Armed Forces will find you and deliver justice.You will run out of fuel long before youwilloutrunus.
The Panama-flagged
Venezuelan waters in early January and was carrying 700,000barrelsofcrudeoil, the Reuters news agency reported,citingrecordsfrom Venezuela’s state oil companyPDVSA.
The U.S. started seizing
But U S forces have continued to intercept and seizethecountry’soilships.
Trumpandhisaideshave been open about their plans
Venezuela’soil,oftenfalsely claiming that the South American country’s crude reservesbelongtotheU.S.
“One of the things the UnitedStatesgetsoutofthis will be even lower energy prices,” Trump told oil
Rodriguez said last month that her country received $300M from oil sales to the U.S. Several media outlets later cited US officials as saying that Caracas received a full payment of $500m for the oil.
U.S. Energy Secretary ChrisWrighttoldPoliticoin an interview published on Mondaythatheplanstovisit Venezuelasoonandto“start the dialogue” with Caracas overthefutureleadershipof PDVSA, the state oil company
NazarMohamedhospitalised
...EXTRADITION CASE ADJOURNED
Extradition proceedings involving father and son Nazar and Azruddin Mohamed were on Monday postponed and adjourned afterthecourtwasinformed that the elder Mohamed had fallen ill and was hospitalised.
Azruddin Mohamed appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court along with his attorneys Roysdale Forde, Siand Dhurjon, and Damien Da Silva The prosecution was represented by Glenn Hanoman and Hubert McKenzie before Principal Magistrate Judy Latchman.
Atthecommencementof the proceedings, Dhurjon informed the court that NazarMohamedwasunable to attend due to a medical emergency and had been taken to the hospital. As a result, Dhurjon requested that the matter be adjourned toalaterdatetoallowforthe submission of a medical report.
The prosecution requestedanadjournmentto February 16, which was agreed to by the defence. During the proceedings, the prosecution also raised concerns about the cost of repeatedly travelling for courtappearancesandasked whether virtual appearances could be permitted for the
hearing of the report
Latchman ruled that both defence and prosecution must be physically present. Prosecutor Hanoman then
asked whether at least one representative could attend in person, to which the magistrate responded, “Yes thatisokay.”
subsequently adjourned to February 16 for a report on Nazar Mohamed’s medical condition Following the court hearing, Azruddin Mohamedtoldreportersthat his 73-year-old father is suffering from several chronic medical conditions, i n c l u d i n g h e a r t complications, high blood pressure, and diabetes, whichareexacerbatedbyhis ag
diabetes, and it is really taking a toll on him. I wish him a speedy recovery,” Azruddinsaid.Headdedthat he visited his father at the hospital, where he remains admitted and is receiving treatment.
Hanomanalsoexpressed well wishes for Nazar Mohamed’srecovery,noting that the adjournment was understandable under the circumstances “We wish Mr Nazar Mohamed well andaspeedyrecovery These things happen, and there is nothing we can do,” Hanomansaid.
He added that the prosecution would be open to Nazar Mohamed appearing virtually if necessary, noting that the law allows for such accommodations. “In July 2024, normal preliminary
inquirieswereabolishedand now all these types of matters have to be done by way of Paper Committal. Under the Paper Committal Act,thereisanallowancefor the absence of an accused personfortheproceedings.I don’t think that the lawyer for Mr Mohamed may be have been able to get his consent to appear for him today in his absence, but it would be helpful if that lawyer requests that consent in time for the next set of proceedings,” Hanoman stated.
However, defence attorneyDhurjon,statedthat once Nazar Mohamed’s condition improves, he intends to attend court in person. “At least if he feels much better, he will attend on the next occasion. As of now, I don’t think the
magistrate is willing to entertain too many virtual appearances, because even the counsel for the USA asked to appear virtually on the next occasion, and that wasresisted,”Dhurjonsaid.
The Mohamed family is facing criminal charges in a UnitedStatesfederalcourtin Miami, Florida A 25-page indictment, unsealed on October 2, 2025, alleges that they orchestrated a largescalefraudschemeinvolving gold exports, customs fraud, bribery, and the evasion of millions of dollars in taxes and royalties owed to Guyana Meanwhile, crossexamination of the prosecution’s first witness, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Sharon Roopchand-Edwards will continue at the next hearing
BrazilstatehonoursPres.AliforGuyana-Roraimaties
PresidentDr IrfaanAliwasonMondayconferredwiththe State of Roraima’s highest award—the Medalha Forte São Joaquim (The Order of Merit Fort São Joaquim)—in Boa Vista,thecapitalofRoraima,Brazil.
TheOrderwaspresentedtotheHeadofStatebyGovernor Antonio Denarium in recognition of the new economic ties between the two countries. In his acceptance speech, President Ali affirmed that Guyana and the Federative Republic of Brazil will continue to strengthen bilateral relations, particularly through Roraima, which borders Lethem. The President was accompanied by Foreign Secretary Mr Robert Persaud and several members of the businesscommunity
Nazar Mohamed
Azruddin Mohamed showing the media a photograph depicting the current condition of his father, Nazar Mohamed, who is hospitalized.
President Irfaan Ali being awarded by Roraima Governor Antonio Denarium
Dr. Irfaan Ali flanked by other officials, display the award
For more than a decade, Guyana’s Office of the Commissioner of Information has failed to deliver the very transparency it was created to guarantee Therehasbeennoannual reports,nomeaningfulengagement with the media and little to no response to citizens or civil society seeking access to public information
Yet, despite this prolonged institutional dormancy, the government has allocated $40 million in this year’s national budget to an office that many observers say exists largely in name, raising uncomfortable questions about accountability, value for money, and the State’s truecommitmenttoopenness.The $40M allocation was brought under the microscope on Monday afternoon during Day One of the consideration of Budgetary Estimatesfor2026.
Questioning the allocation was lead Parliamentarian for the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), Dr Terrence Campbell, whoaskedaboutactionsthatwillbe taken against the Commissioner, Charles Ramson SC, for failing to operateinaccordancewiththeAct Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance, Gail Teixeira responded to the query which falls under allocations for the Office of the President She told the Committee of Supply that the Commissioner,asaformerJudge,is aware of his functions and is
expected to produce the necessary reports
“Whatactionareyouthinkingof Mr Terrence Campbell? The Commissioner himself is a former Judge, I’m sure he is aware of the Act I can’t right now say exactly whattheActsaysbutthatI’msurehe is aware of it and he is expected to produceareport”
In response, MP Campbell pointed out that Ramson has failed todeliverasingleAnnualReportto theNationalAssembly,outliningthe functionalityoftheOfficeattheend ofeachyear Ramsonwasappointed to the office since 2013 however therearenorecordstoshowheever submittedanAnnualReport
Moreover, citizens have publicly shared their failed attempts to access information from the Commissioner who refuses.Infact,agroupofcitizens, including media practitioners, lawyers, politicians and other civil society organizations and individuals protested the Commissioner’s East Street, Georgetown office for weeks last year due to his failure to carry out prescribedfunctions.
To this end, Campbell said, “Thegovernmenthastheexcellent adviceoftheAttorneyGeneralwho Iamsurecouldprovideguidanceas to how this situation can be addressedbutIthinkit’sridiculous for us to come year after year here toParliamentandbudget$40Mfor thisofficewithnovisibleoutput.”
This year, $335M of the $40M will go toward salary and vacation allowance, chauffeur, gratuity and
‘unresponsive’
office of Commissioner of Information — $33.5M to pay his salary,
NIS of the Commissioner Some $64Misbudgetedforthesecretariat ofthecommissionthathasonestaff
Following up on the allocation, another APNU MP, Ganesh Mahipaul asked Minister Teixeira whethershewouldsupportreducing theallocationtoahumble$1,since the office has failed to meet its statutoryrequirements Inshort,she said she would not, as she does not supportbudgetarycutstoanyoffice “Having experienced when the budgetwascutby$90Bin2012by our colleagues who were in oppositionwhenwewereaminority government, I would hate to cut anybody’s budget and therefore I wouldnotsupportyouinanywayof cutting the Commissioner of InformationBudgetto$1” Additionally, the minister pointed out that the Commission is governed by the Access to Information Act which clearly stipulateshisrole,andwhatpersons can do, and ask from what they cannot “I have seen a lot in the media but the number one rule is once information is publicly available on any site, the Commissioner of Information doesn’thavetodoanythingaboutit It’s available, in fact you are really notsupposedtoask,”sheadded
Onaverage,theministersaidshe was informed that the Commissioner of Information receives about six requests per month,allofwhichwereaddressed Notably, a follow-up question by Mahipaul, seeking to hold the ministertoaccountwastemperedby the Speaker, Manzoor Nadir The
other benefits
MP specifically asked Teixeira to saywhatmeasureshewoulduseto ensuretheCommissionerdeliversat leastthemostrecentAnnualReport fortheyear2025,sinceshedoesnot support a reduction in allocation to theOffice
TheSpeakercautioned,“Justbe careful how you are linking because once you start down that road minister is free now to give a longessayinresponseandyourtime will run ” Teixeira publicly committed to writing the Commissioner to ensure he meets therequirements
MANIFESTOPROMISE
In its 2025 elections manifesto the PPP/C had promised to fully enforce the Access to Information Act if reelected. Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo had said that there will be some improvement in this area if his party was reelected to governmentaftertheSeptember1, General and Regional Elections. The party won the election, but therehasbeennonotablechanges.
Kaieteur News last year had pointedouttoJagdeothatRamson had been reluctant to do his job, withactivistsraisingconcernsthat hemightbesquattingintheoffice.
InresponseJagdeosaid:“AsIsaid before the President will examine this but the job based on that commitmentwemade,thejobdoes not belong to an individual so we willhavetoexaminethat.”
Led by Attorney-at-law and chartered accountant, Christopher Ram, Guyanese, civil society and even journalists last year protested against the reluctance of Ramson
Snr to release key information on several matters, including documents that can provide some claritytothesigningofthelopsided 2016 oil deal with ExxonMobil Guyana for the lucrative Stabroek oil block Ram had noted the information is not critical for transparency only but could help shape polices for Guyana that can benefitthecitizens
The protesters started their demonstrationoutsideofRamson’s officebutlatermovedtotheOffice ofPresident.Theprotestorsargued that the president has the power to not only release the information they are seeking but also take action against Ramson since he is collecting a salary for doing nothing.Todate,thegovernmentis yet to release the information or takeanyaction.
In their pre-election statement, the Carter Center had touched on the issue, not confining its observations on elections, but the general lack of access to public information. The center said that access to information is a critical meansofensuringinformedpublic participation,andtransparencyand accountability in the electoral process. The center said elections conducted in the absence of adequate public access to information, including on key election-related matters, harm the electoral process “A wellinformed electorate is essential to any electoral process and is an essential building block of a meaningful democracy,” the statementread.
Charles Ramson SC
TheParikaWaterfrontDevelopment Project which the government through the Ministry of Public Works is executinginRegionThreeisexpectedto be completed and ready in 2029, Minister of PublicWorks, Juan Edghill hasdisclosed.
This information was provided in ParliamentonFebruary2inresponseto questions posed byAPNU Member of ParliamentSaikuAndrews.Amongthe questions Andrews asked about the project, was the total projected cost, timelineforcompletionforallphases, andwhatmeasureswillbeputinplace to prevent cost overruns and costly timedelays
In his written response, Edghill stated that the cost for the project is $10.5 billion, and “It is envisaged that the overall project scope (all phases) will be implemented during the period 2026-2029.”
The minister also explained that to ensure timely implementation, an experienced Project Management Team comprising senior engineers, project managers and senior management officials from the ministry has been establishedtomanagetheexecutionof
theproject.Henotedthattheteam“will continuously track the progress of the works and engage contractors and consultants on the implementation of recovery mechanisms to address delays,whenrequired.”
Thisnewspaperpreviouslyreported that phase one of the project which is being undertaken by GAICO Construction,ToolsiePersaudandA&S General Contractors is already underway Phase one includes land reclamation and sea Defence on the North and South sides of the current stelling; and the construction of the main concrete stelling, all totaling under$5billion
During a multi- stakeholder engagement and consultation meeting with residents, business owners and other stakeholders at the Parika Market tarmac last year, Minister Edghill noted thattheoperationoftheferryandwater taxi services will not be interrupted duringtheconstructionphase.
socioeconomic activities and enhance operational efficiency, prioritise safety andguaranteecommuters’comfort.”
Additionally, the new modern port isaimedatincreasingtradeandtourism along the Essequibo Coast. Kaieteur Newsunderstandsthattheupgradingof the stelling is also to facilitate the arrival of the new Regional Ferry Service that is said to operate out of GuyanafromParika
President Irfaan Ali announced last year,thatthenewfacilitywillincludethe construction of a marina to support the country’stourismsector Notably,hesaid tosupporttheport,theyhavetoinvestin somekeyinfrastructureatParikawhich would include the construction of a modern Customs and Immigration office,amodernFireService,amodern CoastGuardbuilding,amodernPolice Service,andimportantlytosupportthe farmers, they intend to invest in a modernstoragefacility
In2025,U.S.SecretaryofStateMarcoRubioannounced further visa restrictions targeting Cuban government officials and others globally deemed “complicit” in Cuba’s foreignmedicalprogrammes.
Therestrictionsextendtocurrentandformerofficials,as well as their immediate family members. Rubio called the Cubanmedicalprogrammeaformof“forcedlabour”andthe governmenthaswarnedthatCaribbeannationsparticipating in these programmes could face visa restrictions as well as potentialtraderepercussions.
The Parika Stelling, which borders theEssequiboRiver,servesnotonlyas a passenger loading and offloading area, but also as a waterfront where farmers take their produce from the hinterlandtosell. New$10.5BParikaPortexpectedtobereadyin2029 An
Itwasreportedthatconstructionofa newParikaFerryStellingandWaterfront Development Project effectively transforming the Parika stelling into a majorregionalhubfortransportationand
ChinaeyesdeeperenergyfootprintinGuyana
China’s Ambassador to Guyana, YangYang,saysChinesecompaniesare readytoplayabiggerroleinGuyana’s development, with energy cooperation emergingasakeypillarofthegrowing bilateralrelationshipundertheBeltand RoadInitiative(BRI).
Speaking during a recent interview on the Energy Perspectives Podcast, Ambassador Yang said Chinese enterprises are prepared to contribute expertisethatbenefitsbothGuyanaand China. “I think Chinese companies are prepared to support China’s objectives by contributing technology management expertise and talent. This creates value for businesses while delivering benefits for both countries andourpeoples,”shenoted.
The Ambassador outlined that Chinese companies operating in Guyana under the BRI are expected to adhere to high standards, respect local laws and customs, and take on social responsibilities.
Ambassador Yang also highlighted the growing importance of energy
Yang Yang
cooperation within the China-Guyana relationship, pointing to opportunities
beyond traditional energy infrastructure,includingrenewableand greenenergydevelopment.
“I think it’s very important and lookingaheaddeeperandcloserenergy cooperationbetweenourtwonationscan bringevenstrongersupporttoGuyana’s economic and social transformation, generate more tangible results for two
She added, “Beyond traditional energy uh infrastructure, China can contributeideasandsolutionsforgreen energy development. We are ready to support more green energy projects under the BRI framework helping Guyana advancing its environmentally friendly and sustainable development goals.”
The ambassador also outlined that China places strong emphasis on connectivity and capacity building, including through training and scholarship programmes in the energy sector, and expressed confidence that both countries will continue working together to strengthen regulation, supply chains and the overall business environment, lifting China-Guyana energy cooperation to a higher level in theyearsahead.
China’sBRI,aglobalinfrastructure development strategy is the brainchild of President Xi Jinping Guyana rejoinedin2018.
The U.S. alleges that Cuba’s government exploits its medical professionals by keeping a large portion of their wagesandrestrictingtheirfreedoms. Houseapproves$34.6M...
Frompage8
sidelineofthebudgetdebatesattheNationalAssembly. He argued that under established protocol and constitutionalpractice,thesebenefitsshouldhavebeenmade available immediately following his election, or at the very least,formallycommunicatedtohim.
UndertheLeaderoftheOpposition(BenefitsandOther Facilities)Act2010.),theOppositionLeaderisentitledtoa rent-freefurnishedofficeaccommodation;medicalattention including medical treatment or reimbursement of medical expenses incurred by him for himself and the dependent members of his family; full-time security service at his officialplaceofresidenceandattheofficeoftheLeaderof the Opposition to be provided by the Guyana Police Force; the services of a research assistant, an executive assistant/secretary,aclerical/officeassistant,achauffeur,a personal security officer, a gardener and two domestic servants; salary, vacation allowance, and parliamentary benefitsequivalenttothoseofaCabinetMinister
However, one week after being elected, Mohamed said noneofthesebenefitshasbeenaffordedhim.Mohamedsaid thatjustbeforehiselectionhehadenquiredaboutavehicleas wellaspersonalsecurityandwastoldbytheclerk,Sherlock IsaacsthattheSpeaker,ManzoorNadirhadsaidnothen.
Mohamedsaidthenthatwhileheunderstoodthatsomeof the other benefits would have to wait on the passage of the budget,hebelievessomethingasimportantassecurityanda vehicleshouldhavebeenmadeavailabletohim. “Theseare thingsthatshouldhavebeenprovidedforimmediatelyona transition. This is a constitutional office…” Mohamed lamented.
China’s Ambassador to Guyana,
Govt.deniesnewextraditionrequestsfromU.S.
Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Hugh Todd hasdeniedthattheGuyanaGovernment has received another extradition request bytheUnitedStates
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Int’l Cooperation, Hugh Todd
Under cross-examination by attorney SiandDhurjon,PermanentSecretaryofthe Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Sharon Roopchand acknowledged that another extradition request for a Guyanese was receivedonNovember25,2025 However, noinformationwasgivenincourtastothe identityofthatpersonorwhetherthepolice
hadactedontherequest
Leader of the Opposition Azruddin Mohamed, who is currently before the local courts battling an extradition request by the United States, used his maiden budget debate speech on Friday eveningtourgegovernmentMembersof Parliament(MPs)toreleasedetailsonthe secondextraditionrequestreceivedfrom the US last year “Let the nation know about the extradition request that came here that is transparency and accountability There is an extradition requestsinceNovemberanduptonow,
(they) cannot charge and bring these persons ” Mohamed said in the NationalAssembly However, despite the claims Todd toldthispublicationthatthereisnonew request “Thereisnonewextradition;it’s a supplemental package concerning the samepeopleit’sjustadditionalthatthey sent under the cover of a note verbale” Hesaidthatthepackagewasforwarded onNovember6,2025
Minister of Home Affairs, Oniedge Waldronsaidshedoesnotknowofany
Continued on page 16
Minister of Home Affairs, Oniedge Waldron
VACANCY WANTED
Job opening:Site Supervisor,OfficeAssistant. To apply send application viaWhatsApp:689-1111/ 608-2114.
GME Realty Vacancy: An assistant Agent,Carpenter,Janitor/ Cleaner,2 day a week.Call 618-7483.
VacancyexistforRefrigeration/Air Condition Technician.Bilinguality is anasset.Tel:592-333-4686. Head cook/chef wanted.Send Application viaWhatsappto637-1465or Callsamenumber
Snackette assistant wanted.Send application via Whatsappto637-1465orcall samenumber
Armed&UnarmedSecurity personnel with Military and previous experience would be an asset. Contact : 6035140.
VEHICLES FOR SALE
1HondaCRV,includesTV, music system, alarm, reverse camera, spoiler, low mileage, PTT Series (first owner).Call:649-0956.
SERVICES
Visa Application:U.S.A, Canada & UK:Graphics design, advertisements, wedding arch rentals.Tel:626-7040.
TRUCK TIRES 295 / 75R22.5 $40K EACH. FORMOREINFORMATION CALL / WHATSAPP:+592-6883201. FOR SALE
U.S. urges American ships to stay ‘as
far
as possible’ from Iranian waters
(AL-JAZEERA) The United States has issued new guidelines to US-flagged ships travelling through the Strait of Hormuz, calling on themtostayawayfromIran’s territorial waters amid tensions between Washington and Tehran.
Theadvisory,releasedby theUSMaritimeAdministration on Monday, also urged the captains of American shipsagainstgrantingIranian forcespermissiontoboardUS vessels. “If Iranian forces boardaUS-flaggedcommercial vessel, the crew should not forcibly resist the boarding party. Refraining from forcible resistance does not imply consent or agreement to that boarding,” the guidelines read.
“It is recommended that US-flagged commercial vessels transiting these waters remainasfaraspossiblefrom Iran’s territorial sea without compromising navigational safety When transiting eastboundintheStraitofHormuz, it is recommended that vessels transit close to Oman’s territorial sea.”The recommendationscomeaftertheUS and Iran held a round of indi-
OneclerkforTSIEcclesofficeEnglish1,Maths2call 615-9132oremail application to techserigy@gmail.com
Driver must be able to assist in workshop at Eccles, age23-50,Car/Vanlicence Call615-9132.
Maid for East Bank area call615-9132.
Tiler to lay small numbers oftilescall-615-9132
FORRENT
V/Hoop front lot building andlandnexttoKFC.Lot8 New Road,W.C.D.Investmentfor businesses Tel#227-4377.
V/Hoop Empty, lot 1 New Road,public road,W.C.D.1 Acrerentalinvestmentsfor prime businesses Tel#2274377.
rect talks in Oman on Friday, followingweeksofescalating rhetoric and threats that brought the two countries to the verge of war
Shippingattacks
Globalshippinglanesand commercial vessels have historically been threatened by geopolitical turmoil, especially in the MiddleEast.
During the Iran-Iraq conflict in the 1980s, both countries targeted merchant ships inwhatbecameknownasthe TankerWar
More recently, Yemen’s Houthi group launched attacks against Israel-linked shipsintheRedSeainacampaign that the group said was aimedatendingIsrael’sgenocidalwaronGaza.
When Israel bombed Iran inJuneoflastyear,anIranian lawmaker suggested that closing the Straight of Hormuz – a major shipping lanethatconnectstheGulfto the Indian Ocean – would be an option for Tehran should the war escalate.
The US government describes Hormuz as the “world’s most important oil chokepoint” due to its strate-
gic location as the maritime entrywayintotheenergy-producing region.
Late in January, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) conducted naval military exercises in the strait,promptingtheUSmilitary to warn Tehran against any “unsafe and unprofessional” behaviour The US military later said that it shot down an Iranian drone that approachedoneofitsaircraft carriersinthearea.
Washington has also previouslyseizedIranianoiltankers as part of its maximum pressure campaign of sanctionsagainstTehran.In2019, the UnitedArab Emirates reported what it described as sabotage attacks against four ships in its territorial waters intheGulfofOman.
But there have been no recent public threats by Iran or any other party to vessels in and around the Gulf.
The US has been amassing military assets in the region, with US President Donald Trump regularly threatening renewed strikes against Iran, which saw a waveofanti-governmentprotests last month.
Nucleartalks
InDecember,Trumpsaid Washington would attack Iran if the country pushes to rebuilditsnuclearandmissile programmes.
US forces had bombed Iran’s three main nuclear facilities during the June 2025 war,whichwasstartedbyIsrael amid ongoing talks between Tehran and Washington at that time.
Iranianofficialshavesaid that current negotiations are “exclusivelynuclear”,butthe Trump administration has suggested that it also wants to address Iran’s missile arsenal and Tehran’s support for non-state actors in the region, like Hezbollah and Hamas.
On the nuclear front, a major sticking point in the past negotiations has been whether Iran – which denies seeking a nuclear weapon –would be allowed to enrich uraniumdomestically Tehran insists that uranium enrichment is a sovereign right that does not violate its commitments under theTreatyontheNon-Proliferation of nuclear weapons (NPT).
Police probe Parika Station assault; suspect in custody
Policeareinvestigatingan incident that occurred at approximately03:00hrs.onSunday within the compound of theParikaPoliceStation,East Bank Essequibo. Preliminary enquiries revealedthatamanhadgoneto thestationtoreportanalleged assault.
While he was inside the compound, another male entered the premises, confronted him, and began assaultinghim.
Ranks who were present at the time immediately intervened, arrested the male who ran into the station and brought the situation under control.
HewasescortedtotheDe Kinderen Regional Hospital, where he was examined by a doctor on duty and deemed to be in stable condition.
He was subsequently escorted back to the Parika Police Station and placed into custody pending an investigation.
The other individual who came to make the report and
was assaulted left the scene and efforts are ongoing to locatehim.
The entire incident was captured on CCTV cameras attached to the Parika Police Station and forms part of the
ongoing investigation.
Govt. denies new extradition...
From page 15 new request that came in on November26,2025.“We are constantly processing extraditionrequests…Icancheck withmyofficebutIcan’tsay that dates. I don’t have that informationathand.Ihaveto checkwithmyoffice,”MinisterWaldrontoldreportersfollowing her budget presentationlastweek.
During the court hearing lastweekotherpressingquestionswereraisedregardingthe credibility of RoopchandEdwards’roleinhandlingthe U.S.extraditionrequestdocuments.
The defence also examined her relationship with PresidentIrfaanAli,suggesting that her actions as permanent secretary in processing the extradition requests were politically influenced by the president andotherofficials.
The defence further placed on record its contention that the extradition pro-
“TheGuyanaPoliceForce strongly condemns any act of violence, particularly within the confines of a police station. Police premises are places of safety and lawful redress and any attempt to engage in disorderly conduct at such facilities will be dealt with firmly in accordance with the law. Investigations are ongoing,” the police statement read. relevance.
ceedings against the Mohameds are not only politically motivated by the Government of Guyana, but that such political motivation also extends to the United States.
Duringcross-examination, Dhurjon questioned Roopchand-Edwards on whether the extradition requests involving the Mohameds was the first such request she received in October during her tenure as Permanent Secretary. She responded in the affirmative.
Dhurjon then asked whether she had received any additionalextraditionrequests from the United States since that time. RoopchandEdwards replied, “Yes, I received one on November 26, 2025.”Hefollowedupbyasking whether she was aware if those proceedings had been brought before the court.
However, prosecutor HerbertMcKenzieobjectedto the question, challenging its
In response, Dhurjon stated that the defence’s position is that the extradition proceedings are politically motivated and that the question was intended to demonstrate whether other requests had been treated with similar urgency. “Partofthedefence is that the proceedings have been politically motivated. It goes to show whether other requests had been put to speed.” Meanwhile, Roopchand-Edwards maintainedthatherinvolvementin the extradition process was limited to notifying the Ministers of Home Affairs and Foreign Affairs of the request and handing over the relevant documents.
She also denied claims that she was instructed by Minister of Foreign Affairs Hugh Todd to urgently deliver the extradition documents to Minister of Home Affairs Oneidge Walrond for expeditedaction.
Shell’soutputcrunchrekindlesregretoverGuyanaexit
— needs big discovery or deals as oil, gas reserves dwindle
As Guyana cements its positionasoneoftheworld’s fastest-growing oil producers, energy giant Shell is confronting a looming production shortfall and openly lamenting its 2014 decision towalkawayfromtheSouth
American nation’s deepwaterpotential.
The company needs either a major acquisition or a significant exploration breakthrough to bridge an expected gap of 350,000 to 800,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day by 2035, as output from its ageing fields falls short of targets, according to Shell and industryanalysts
For years, oil majors have been restrained in toppingupreserves,mindful that a swift industry transitiontoothersourcesof energy could curtail oil and gasdemand.
However, with such a transition lagging and demand still climbing, the focus has swung back to those with enough in the tank.
Shell’s portfolio is in the spotlight because its socalled‘reservelife’-orhow long its proven reserves can sustain current output levels - is equivalent to less than 8 years of production as of 2025, from 9 a year earlier, which was its lowest since 2021. This compares with over 12 years each at Exxon andTotalEnergiesattheend of 2024, data by Wood Mackenzieshows.
A shorter reserve life increases pressure to buy assets or to have a big exploration success to grow or maintain production
Shell has pledged to grow hydrocarbonoutputby1%a year through the decade while keeping crude volumes flat. It is betting long-term on a huge liquefiednaturalgasmarket, aiming to boost its LNG sales by at least 5% a year, albeit not necessarily underpinned by its own output Total reserves at Shell dropped to 8.1 billion boe,thelowestsinceatleast 2013. Chief Executive Wael Sawanwarnedinvestorslast year that declines across Shell’sportfoliowouldleave a350,000boedgapby2035 betweenitsproductiongoals and what its current assets candeliver Shell’sreserves hittheirlowestatleastsince 2013 in 2025 at 8.1 billion barrelsofoilequivalent.
ExitfromGuyana
The tightening resource base follows years of retrenchment, including Shell’s exit from U.S. shale in 2021 and from Guyana in 2014, two regions that underpin rival Exxon’s growth plans. “I wish we hadn’t walked away from Guyana when we did,” SawansaidonThursday easingfearsofapotential conflictthatcoulddisruptoil supplies in the Gulf. Shell was ExxonMobil’s first partnerintheStabroekBlock holding a 50% stake, but it abandoned its partnership withtheUSoilmajoraround 2014,priortothemajor2015 oildiscoveries.
Shell determined at the time that the risks were too high,leadingExxontobring
Police seize 5.7 pounds of ganja at Hadfield St. apartment
investigating the discovery of 5.70 poundsofsuspectedcannabisduringan operation conducted Sunday evening at an apartment building on Hadfield Street,Lodge,Georgetown.
According to a police press release, duringtheoperation,rankssearchedthe yard of the premises and uncovered seven large transparent plastic bags containing leaves, seeds, and stems suspected to be cannabis The substances were found concealed in a haversack hidden among plants at the rearoftheyard.
The cannabis that was seized by police.
A 36-year-old female security officer,whoresidesattheapartmentand waspresentatthetimeofthediscovery, was arrested and taken into custody pending investigations. The suspected cannabiswasweighedinthepresenceofthe suspect and amounted to 5.70 pounds, after whichitwaslodgedasevidence.Thesuspect remains in police custody as investigations continue.
in Hess and CNOOC as partners.
Indeed,Shellhasalready tried to bridge some of the expected shortfall in output.
InMarch,Sawanprojecteda 100,000–200,000 boed gap by 2030, as its mature fields are set to produce less. The company says investments inU.S.Gulf,Brazil,Nigeria, Angola, South Africa and Namibia, and field improvements have largely covered that nearterm
shortfall. But Sawan offered no updated figure for the post2030 gap, and Shell declinedfurthercomment.
Analysts are skeptical that incremental projects alone will get Shell to its desired production level “Absent M&A in the near term, we expect these concerns over [production] longevity to linger,” said RBC’sBirajBorkhataria.
Equity analyst Irene Himona from Bernstein
called Shell’s reserve life verylowandsaidarenewed focus on exploration is needed. Sawan said he was “lesspleased”thatShellhad yet to deliver a major discovery,butdidnotwantto addassetsjustforthesakeof volumes.
Wood Mackenzie expectsShell’soutputtofall sharplyfrom2028,withfree cash flow in its gas and upstream units weakening from 2032 Shell’s production is likely to drop by800,000boedinadecade b
Wo
d Mackenzie’s vice president of corporate research, Luke Parker.Itcurrentlyproduces around 2.8 million boed. “Shell’s biggest challenge, from our perspective, is that it doesn’t have the portfolio to support its strategy to go longer in oil and gas,” said Parker Howmanyyearsdo themajorssaytheycankeep up their current rate of production from existing reserves that have a very high chance of being commerciallyviable?
U B S e s t i m a t e s production will drop to 2.5 millionboedbyaround2035 without further action, leaving a gap of about 400,000 boed to be filled through asset purchases or squeezing more from existingfields.(REUTERS)
158 contractors bid to execute $10 billion in infrastructure works at Leonora
TheMinistryofHousing – Central Housing and P
y (CH&PA) has received 158 bids from construction companies to execute infrastructure development worksatLeonoraEast,West Coast Demerara, Region Three.
According to the recent opening of bids at the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) office, the project will be done in 10 lots.
The engineer’s estimates for these lots are as follow: Lot1-1,221,400,352;Lot2$1,120,394,604; Lot3$1,192,456,088; Lot4$1,046,348,499; Lot5$1,099,465,143; Lot6$1,040,127,034; Lot7$1,019,651,976; Lot8$893,329,574; Lot9$1,183,726,121;andLot10$484,204,361, which brings the total amount to $10,301,103,752.
contractorsinclude:MoMin And Sons Construction, K P Thomas & Sons
, Associated Construction Service, J V- Phoenix O
& Abdulaziz Fahd Al Mousa
Service & Supplies Inc , Singh & Son Construction, Namalco International Inc., Chung’s Global Inc , N Hamid Contracting and Trucking Services, China RailwayFirstGroupCo.Ltd, X
, AL MUTAWA & IDEASGY INC, JV - A Sookhoo Construction Services & Global Holdings Inc , ARONCO SERVICES INC, and U. Balgobin Electrical and Construction Service justtonameafew Theother contractorswhoareapplying forthecontractcanbefound v
According to the tender document issued by the ministry in November last year, is that the Government of Guyana
ceived financing from the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD)tofundthisproject.
The works include the construction of fair-weather roads, RC drains, HDPE Culverts, RC double barrel box culverts, RC bridges, installation of pipework and installationofroadsignsand thermoplasticroadmarking. Continued on page 18
Guyana moves to bolster oil & gas audits
…as concerns grow over oversight, management
Facing mounting criticism over weak oversightandmanagementofitsboomingoil and gas sector, Guyana is moving to strengthenauditingcapacitywiththeplanned creation of a specialised petroleum unit withintheAuditOffice.
Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance Gail Teixeira disclosed this on Mondayduringdayoneoftheconsideration of estimates and expenditure by the CommitteeofSupplyforthe2026Budget.
The minister stated that in order for the positionsfortheoilandgasunittobefilled,it would first require approval from the Public
‘Pastor’
Accounts Committee (PAC). She further explainedthattheauditofficewouldhaveto bring to PAC the proposals of the positions, the job description and the salaries scale for the PAC to give its no-objection before it is brought to the National Assembly for approval.
“WhenthePACiscreatedandwegetthe information from the auditor general office. It’saunitthatweallthinkshouldbecreated andputintheauditorgeneralofficewiththe requisite skills, to do that kind of audit and work,”theministerremarked.
Auditor General Deodat Sharma had
freed of 2021 murder of Linden man
A 30-year-old man accused of the executionstyle killing of 23-year-old Delroy McKenzie in 2021 was on Monday acquitted after a 12-member jury returned a unanimous not guiltyverdict.
The decision was delivered at the Demerara High Court before Acting Chief Justice Navindra
Singh The accused, Samorea Mitchell, also known as “Pastor,” of Lot 716 Phase 1B, Wisroc, Linden, had been charged with the murder of McKenzieandtheattempted murder of Calvin Daly Prosecutors alleged that
Mitchell fatally shot McKenzie and seriously wounded Daly during a suspected gang-related ambushonSunflowerStreet, Wismar,Linden.
According to evidence presented at trial, the shooting occurred shortly after 21:00 hrs. on July 17, 2021 McKenzie had travelled to Linden earlier that day with his friend Calvin Daly to meet a woman.Dalytoldpolicethat duringaphoneconversation, the woman directed McKenzie to Sunflower
Streetandlaterinformedhim that a silver-grey wagon would be sent to pick them up. Whenthevehiclearrived andthetwomenapproached it, a gunman reportedly emerged from the back seat and opened fire. McKenzie was struck nine times and diedatthescene,whileDaly survivedaftersustainingtwo gunshotwoundsinonearm.
During the trial, prosecutors told the court thatMitchellandothersfirst planned to confront a rival gangatabarbecue,butonce the plan was exposed, a counter-setup was arranged.
Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance
previously disclosed that his office participated in a workshop on auditing the extractive industries - oil and gas for Members of Parliament and Officers of the AuditOffice.
The State alleged that McKenzie was lured to the area under the guise of discussingtheplannedattack before gunmen inside a waitingvehicleopenedfire.
Investigators testified that dozens of spent shells and ammunition fragments were recovered from the scene, and ballistic analysis suggestedthatmorethanone firearm was used The prosecution further claimed that the vehicle involved in the shooting was stolen in Georgetown, subsequently abandoned, and later destroyedbyfire.
A p o s t - m o r t e m examination confirmed that
McKenzie died from haemorrhage and shock due tomultiplegunshotwounds, with significant internal bleeding. In early August 2021, the Guyana Police Force issued a wanted bulletin for Mitchell, identifying him as the prime suspect. He was arrested on September 3, 2021 after surrendering himself to the policeinthecompanyofhis attorney After the evidence wasoutlinedtothejury,anot guilty verdict was returned, andMitchellwasfreedofthe charges.
158 contractors bid to execute...
Frompage17
Additionally, the document states that the delivery/constructionperiodis240daysper lot. In relation to the Saudi Fund for Development, it was reported by the Department of Public Information in June 2023, that Minister of Finance Dr Ashni Singh signed two development loan agreements worth US$150 million with SFD’s Chief Executive Officer, H.E. Sultan Al-Marshad, to fund the “Infrastructural DevelopmentWorksfortheHousingSector Project”, and the “Construction of Wismar BridgeProject.”
ItwasreportedalsothatfromtheUS$150 million, the first loan agreement, worth US$100 million is for the Infrastructural
DevelopmentWorksfortheHousingSector Project, which aims to respond to the growingpopulationdemandsbydeveloping the infrastructure to provide about 2,500 housing units across three different regions inGuyana.
Additionally,theprojectincludespaving the main and secondary roads, establishing water, sewage and electricity networks, digging wells for each of the project areas, and the construction of social facilities serving multiple benefits. It will not only address the current housing shortage and improvelivingconditions,butalsostimulate the local economy through direct and indirect job opportunities in the housing sectors,DPIreported.
Moreover, in response to questions from Opposition MP Tabitha Sarabo-Halley, TeixeirasaidtheAuditOfficehaveastaffing gap of 10 vacancies under its traditional structure for: two audit directors, one audit manager, one auditor, one audit clerk, one confidential secretary, one human resource officer, one programmer, one supervisor of computeroperationsandoneengineer
Sheexplained,“Basedonpromotionsand anumberoffactorsthesearenowvacancies. So they have moved some people up and these are now vacancies in the positions in whichtheyheld.”
Opposition MP Ganesh Mahipaul raised concerns about whether the Audit Office is going to expand the audit coverage of
ministries and agencies beyond the usual 10 to15percentgiventheincreasingsumsbeing allocated in this year’s budget. To this, Minister Teixeira noted that the scope of audits has already been widened. “The AG hadincreasedthenumberofauditstheywere doing including areas that were outstanding for a long time like the NDIA (National Drainage and Irrigation Authority), municipalities and a number of statutory bodies,”shesaid.
It was also noted that there has already been progress made in clearing longoutstanding reports Minister Teixeira disclosedthattheAuditOfficeisprojectedto submitthreevalue-for-moneyauditreportsto Parliamentin2026,coveringinformationand communicationprogrammesbytheNational Data Management Authority (NDMA), the Fire Service’s preparedness to respond to wildfires, and a follow-up on drugs and medicalsupplies.
No breakthrough in murder of Rupununi tourist guide
More than two weeks after the partially burnt body of tourist guide Leon Baird, known as “Rasta,” was discovered in a vehicle in the Rupununi Savannahs, police say the murder investigation remains “very active,” but no breakthrough has been announced.
Region Nine Commander, Superintendent Mohamed Ally, told this newspaper on Monday that several persons werequestionedandlaterreleasedonbailas investigationscontinue.
“Wearefollowingallpossibleleads.My ranks are on the ground investigating,”Ally said. Baird’s body was found on January 25 between Wichabai Ranch and Sand Creek Village. He was reported missing two days earlierafterleavingtheranchwherehelived andworkedasacaretaker
While they are still unclear as to what really transpired when he went missing and what led to his death, the colleagues noted that Baird was known to be the caretaker of theanimalsattheranch.Theydisclosedthat beforehisdeath,Bairdwasmissingsomeof the animals from the ranch and so they suspectedthatonJanuary23heleftinsearch oftheanimals.
They also related to this newspaper that foryearsrancheshavebeendealingwiththe issueofcattlerustlingwhichwasreportedto the police on numerous occasions. “This rustlingthinghasbeengoingondownherein theRupununiforsomanyyearsandsomany reports have been made to the police from ranches not just our ranch, villages, individuals and from the South Rupununi District Council for years, about the same people who are going around and killing animalsandsellingthemeattoLethem,”one
ThepoliceinareportonJanuary30noted that during subsequent enquiries in the area, investigators also discovered the remains of two cows nearby, suspected to have been shot. “Items of evidential value, including a knife and spent shotgun shells, were recovered and lodged as part of ongoing examinations,”thepolicesaidinastatement. Since the news of his death, family, friends and several Rupununi organisations and groups have all called for justice and a thorough investigation into his case. They also raised the issue of cattle rustling in the Rupununiwhichhasbeenongoingforyears, andrepeatedlyreportedtotheauthorities.
Following the news of his death, this publication reported also that the Rupununi Livestock Producers Association called on law enforcement agencies and policymakers to partner more closely with livestock producers to strengthen security and tackle thelong-standingproblemofcattlerustlingin theRupununi.
Dead, Leon Baird
Freed man; Samorea Mitchell
Gail Teixeira (far right), Auditor General Deodat Sharma and others
2026 Concacaf Men’s U17 Qualifiers...
Junior Jags suffer painstaking loss to Honduras
Guyana’s Men’s Under17 team battled well but came up short against host nation, Honduras, when the twoteamsmetintheirGroup H encounter of the 2026 Concacaf Men’s U17 QualifiersonSundaynight.
Hondurasralliedtoa4–2winovertheJuniorJagsat the General Francisco Morazán Stadium in San
Pedro, Sula, to take commandoftheGroup.
Both Honduras and Guyanahavethreepointsbut the former is ahead on a superior Goal Difference of 2whilethelatterhas–1.The other team in the Group, Bermuda(-1),suffereda1–0losstoGuyanaandareyet togetonthepointstable.
Now, with only one match left to decide the outcome of the Group, Honduras versus Bermuda, Guyana’s chances of
progressing are bleak with their quota of matches completed.
Only the eight (8) group winners(A,B,C,D,E,F,G and H) will advance to the 2026FIFAWorldCup.
Inthepreviouseditionof the Concacaf Under-17 Qualifiers, Canada, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, andtheUnitedStatestopped their respective groups to
secure qualification for the FIFAU-17WorldCupQatar 2025.
On Sunday night, Guyana and Honduras engagedinanaction-packed see-saw battle with the first half finishing 2 – 2 Honduras went ahead in the 18’ when Milton Moya scored but the equaliser was soon found by Matthew Stewartinthe23’.
Nine minutes later StewartputGuyanaaheadto apply some pressure on the opposition.
Tuesday February 09, 2026
ARIES(Mar.21–Apr.19)
The establishment of a new business partnership could require a lot of paperwork today,Aries.Itmightbereally tedious trying to make sense of all the jargon involved, but it'simportanttoyou.
TAURUS(Apr.20–May20)
Legaldocumentsthatconcern your business may need to be executedtoday,Taurus.There mightbealotofpapertowade through,nottomentionjargon thatappearsindecipherable.
GEMINI(May21–June20)
Today you might consider makinganinvestmentoftime, energy, and perhaps a little moneyinacreativeprojectof some kind, Gemini. This could also involve modern technologyinsomeway.
CANCER(June21–July22)
Visitors might come to your home today to discuss business of some kind, Cancer, perhaps job related, perhaps about an enterprise you're developing on your own.
LEO(July23–Aug.22)
A rush of excess ambition could cause you to channel a lot of your physical and mental energy into whatever work you're doing right now, Leo This might involve writing,teaching,orspeaking insomeway
VIRGO(Aug 23–Sept 22)
An upcoming visit from someone close may have you working overtime in order to fix up your house, Virgo. Therefore, you could be tempted to go crazy buying decorative items. This is fine uptoapoint,butbecareful!
LIBRA(Sept.23–Oct.22)
Working at home might be the answer for you today. You could be physically and mentally worn out from working too hard, but you still have important tasks to complete.
SCORPIO(Oct.23–Nov 21)
News you may receive about your place of business or the people you work for might bring up some doubts about your future in this organization, Scorpio You might feel that you aren't gettinganywhere.
SAGIT(Nov 22–Dec.21)
Paperwork involving money m i g h t s e e m a b i t overwhelmingtoday, andyou mightaskafriendforadviceor assistance This person probably knows what it's all about,solisten.
CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19)
Somerathertediousandboring paperwork you have to handle for your business might be a pain in the neck now, Capricorn,butitshouldbringa lotofbenefitstoyoulater
AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18)
Books, lectures, and other sources of information regarding spiritual, metaphysical, or religious matters could have your mind spinning. What you read or hearislikelytobefascinating.
PISCES(Feb.19–Mar.20)
A goal related to business or finance that is very important toyoucouldrequireyoutopay a lot of attention to paperwork today, Pisces. You're likely to spend most of the day on it since a deadline may be involved.
However, after Guyana defenders kept getting beaten, Honduras were soon level again with Eduardo Roberts’38th-minutestrike.
Guyana’s Goal keeper, NyallKendall,putinanother sterling performance but could only do so much as Honduras constantly kept piercing the defence and applyingshotsongoal.
Inthesecondhalf,Daniel Arzu(68’)andJosueOrtega (79’) were responsible for
shifting the balance of the match back in Honduras’ favour ThefinalGroupHmatch isscheduledforFebruary11. This year’s qualifiers began on February 3 and will culminateonFebruary12.
Seahawks exact revenge, ride dominant defence to Super Bowl win over Patriots
S A N T A C L A R A , California, (Reuters) - The SeattleSeahawksreliedona relentless defence to beat NewEngland29-13inSuper Bowl LX on Sunday, denyingthePatriotsanNFLr e c o r d s e v e n t h championship and avenging a heartbreaking loss to the same opponent in the title game11yearsago.
Kenneth Walker III rushed for 135 yards to earn Super Bowl MVP honors, whileSeattlesackedPatriots quarterbackDrakeMayesix times — including a stripsack returned 44 yards for a touchdown by Uchenna Nwosu that sealed the victory
Jason Myers drilled a SuperBowl-recordfivefield goals, and Sam Darnold connected with AJ Barner foratouchdowntopowerthe Seahawks’offence.
ThewinmarkedSeattle’s second Super Bowl championship in franchise history and their first since
They suffered a crushing defeat to New England a year later when Malcolm Butler’s goal-line interceptionwith20seconds left preserved the Patriots’
(REUTERS/Carlos Barria)
who has produced one of the most remarkable late-career turnarounds,becamejustthe fourthquarterbacktowinthe
thingsaboutourdefense,our special teams It’s an unbelievable feeling, man. I’msohappyfortheguysin our locker room and our coaches.”
Walker became the first running back to win Super Bowl MVP since Denver’s TerrellDavisin1998.
“It’s just a dream come true because a lot of people play their whole career and never make it this far,” said Walker DEFENCE DOMINATES
Seattle’s defence set the tone early, forcing New England to punt on all five first-half possessions. The Patriots did not record a single snap inside Seattle’s 43-yard line through three quarters as the Seahawks’ passrushrelentlesslyhunted Maye.
Super Bowl in his first season with a team, joining TomBrady,TrentDilfer,and MatthewStafford.
“It’s unbelievable Everything that’s happened inmycareer,buttodoitwith this team,I wouldn’t want it any other way,” said Darnold, who is playing for his fifth team in eight seasons.
“Soproudofourguys— I can’t say enough good
Myers capitalized on field position, opening the scoring on Seattle’s first drive and adding field goals from39and41yardstobuild a9-0half-timeadvantage. He added another in the third quarter before Darnold found Barner for a 16-yard touchdownfiveplaysaftera costly Maye fumble, extendingtheleadto19-0.
New England finally responded when Maye
connected with Mack Hollins on a 35-yard touchdownstrike,cuttingthe deficitto19-7withjustover 12minutesremaining.
Butafterbeingpinnedat their four-yard line by a 55yard punt from Michael Dickson—whobecamethe secondAustralian to play in andwinaSuperBowl—the Patriots’ drive ended when Julian Love intercepted Maye, setting up another Myers field goal and a 22-7 Seattlelead.
Nwosu’s strip-sack touchdownputthegameout of reach at 29-7 and while Maye connected with Rhamondre Stevenson for a late Patriots touchdown, Seattle recovered the ensuing onside kick to securethevictory Mayecompleted27of43 passes for 295 yards while throwingtwointerceptions.
“I’mproudofeverything that they did I’m disappointed just like they are,”MikeVrabel,inhisfirst year as head coach of the Patriots,toldreporters.
“Butjustlikeeveryyear, someoneisgoingtolosethis game and we have to remember what it feels like and make sure that it’s not repeated.”
Form of Guyanese players, a crucial...
Frompage24
which ended the innings; should also have enough confidence to enter Wednesday’s match against England as a key part of the bowlingattack.
Givingupbowlingtofocusonhisbatting responsibilities has been paying off for lefthanderSherfaneRutheford.Thepower-hitter blasted 57* against South Africa upon returning to maroon colors; an ideal preWorld Cup warm-up having lit up the 2026 SA20asoneoftheleadingrun-scorers.
But his quick-fire 26 off 13 (3x4 1x6) againsttheScottishcouldalsobetheinnings in which he sought to settle into the conditions unleashing some pyrotechnics as thetournamentdeepens.
Left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie has hadadecentCupthusfar,returningidentical figures of 1-29 respectively against Afghanistan in the warm-ups followed by a mirroringexhibitionagainsttheScottish.
One huge plus for Motie is his ability in thefieldandhismorethancapableabilitiesas alower-orderstriker
His pair of ODI half-centuries coupled withhisloneTestfifty,couldcomeintoplay especially if his bowling needs a bit more oversbeforeitisfullyrebooted.
West Indies have also been blessed with theservicesofafit-againShamarJoseph,one oftheirmainstrikeweapons.
The fast-bowler, who grinded his way backtofullfitnessandessentiallytheWorld Cup picture following his recovery from injury,remainsoneoftheteam’sX-Factor Joseph has been electric in the field, lookingespeciallysharpintheopeninggame and although his speed has been hovering backaroundthe140mark;hisreturnsof1-26 in the previous outing is due to improve throughout and reach his optimum bowling rhythm;especiallywiththeAsianconditions traditionally testing the skills and smarts of fast-bowlers.
If this current formula continues to brew the way it did this past weekend, Hetmyer, Rutherford, Shepherd, Motie and Joseph could prove to be the pieces needed for a dominant run, especially as they enter the nextmatchasleadersofGroupC. Nevertheless, much will ride on the shouldersoftheGuyanesecoreplayers,with alongroadstillleftaheadintheWorldCup; thelocalladscanstillscopetheplaying-field and assess their approach with competition itselfheatingupinthisyear’sspectacle.
Wednesday’s assignment against the English is expected to be a great test for the Caribbeanside,whoaregunningtitlenumber three while more importantly wanting to settleonafixedplayingXIalongsidesomeof their quality rotational pieces as they chase morecrickethistory
Seahawks celebrate with the trophy.
Bacchus blazes to victory under the sun at Aperol Spritz Golf Classic
Under bright sunshine and flowing Aperol Spritz, Kishan Bacchus swung his way to first place attheANSAMcALGuyana, sponsoredAperolSpritzgolf tournament, topping the leaderboard with a winning net 66 after a fiercely competitive and vibrant day onthecourse.
Played in bright, warm conditions, the tournament
delivered both sharp competition and relaxed vibes, as golfers balanced focus on the fairways with refreshing breaks featuring theevent’ssignaturedrink.
From booming drives to precisionshotsatthepin,the day featured standout moments and lively postroundcelebrations.
Bacchus sealed the win with a gross score of 81 and handicapof15toleadthenet standings.
Rakesh Harry followed insecondplacewiththebest gross score of the day, 78, finishing with a net 69 off a handicapof9.
Maxim Mangra secured thirdplacewithanet71and also captured the Longest Drive prize with one of the day’s most powerful tee shots.
PrizeWinners
Ÿ 1st Place (Net):
Keshan Bacchus — Net 66 (Gross 81 / HCP15)
Ÿ 2nd Place (Net): RakeshHarry—Net 69(Gross78/HCP9)
—BestGross
Ÿ 3rd Place (Net):
Maxim Mangra — Net 71 (Gross 87 /
Ÿ
MaximMangra
Ÿ Nearest to the Pin: VideshPersaud
Ÿ Most honest GolferPatonGeorge
Speaking at the presentation, ANSA McAL Brand Manager Kristoff Stollhighlightedthebrand’s social focus and partnership w i t h t h e c l u b :
“Congratulations to all the winners, and thank you to everyone who came out and participated in the Aperol tournament.
This is what we’re about being part of social occasions and special moments When the invitation came from the Lusignan Golf Club, we wereproudtocomeonboard becausethisalignswithwhat we represent as a company, creating experiences people canenjoy
Congratulations again to the winners, and for those who didn’t win this time, it doesn’t end here. Spritz on, share a spritz moment, and come back even stronger nexttime.”
Aperol Spritz, known globally for its bright, citrus-forward aperitif and vibrant social lifestyle appeal Players and guests cooled down after their rounds with refreshing spritzes, adding a festive finish to a sun-filled day of competition
ANSAMcALGuyana is one of the country’s leading distribution companies, representingawideportfolio of international beverage and consumer brands and
dominated the day’s play with a Net 66 (Gross 81 / HCP 15)
consistently supporting sporting and lifestyle events that bring communities together Withcompetitivescores, high energy, and thirst
HCP16)
quenched by Aperol Spritz, the tournament delivered a winning blend of sport,
celebration from first drive tofinaltoast.
Kishan Bacchus receives the winners Trophy from Ansa McAL’s Brand Manager Kristoff Stoll.
Bacchus
2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup…
Form of Guyanese players, a crucial part of Windies 3rd title hunt
ByCliftonRoss
Fresh off a collective effort which rallied the West Indies to a comprehensive opening win, Guyana’s fringe players will undoubtedly have an integral role in what could end up being a potentiallyhistoricT20WorldCup run.
Appearing to be nestled safely onitstrack,theWindiestrainseems to be moving in the right direction astheygotofftoawinningstartin pursuitoftheirthirdChip.
Despiteasinglegameagainsta fairly-experienced although not fully experienced team, the player’sgellingprocessseemstobe blossoming under the right conditions.
However, following a commanding win against Scotland the roles of certain players in the team,especiallytheGuyaneselads who were among the key matchwinners on Saturday; will become increasingly crucial to the overall success of the squad’s direction as wellaswhatcouldbetheirfinalfate inthisyear’scompetition.
Guyanese players have always been an integral part of the West Indies team for a number of decades, with this current young core putting in the work as they look to help rebuild and take the Caribbeansidetonewerheights.
Despite his mini visa-related
setback,leadingrun-scoreroverthe past few series, Shimron Hetmyer has been on a tear having regained his form during the Afghan and South Africa encounters which occurredweeksbeforetheCupwas underway
Hetmyer announced his late arrival to India with a fiery 64 whichheadlinedtheinningsforhis team’seventual35-runwin.
However, the chemistry and cohesiveness exhibited by the
Guyanese crew albeit individually or when working or supporting eachotherasaunitinthefield,will undoubtedly have long-term positiveimplicationsfortheformer 2-time champions; who will need as much teamwork and player camaraderieastheycanget.
Another Guyanese, all-rounder Romario Shepherd, who finished with5wickets,alsohadahat-trick togoalongwithhissolitarysix
The National Sports Commission (NSC), will collaboratewiththeEpilepsy Foundation of Guyana (EFG), to take a major step toward inclusivity and athlete welfare when they host a one-day workshop titled “Epilepsy in Sport –A w a r e n e s s a n d Management.”
The landmark event is scheduled for Wednesday, February 11, from 10:30 am at the National Racquet Centre on WoolfordAvenue, Georgetown, and will bring t o g e t h e r s p o r t s administrators, coaches, and athletes from various national associations and federations. This initiative forms part of the NSC’s ongoing developmental agenda and aligns closely with the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports’ drive to promote inclusivity across allsportingdisciplines.
It also serves as a key component of the Epilepsy Foundation’s week of activities aimed at raising awareness about epilepsy in Guyana.
This will be the first workshop of its kind in Guyana to specifically address the intersection of epilepsy and sport, a topic that experts say has long been overlooked despite its importance.
Organisers believe the session will significantly benefit the local sporting fraternity by addressing common misconceptions and equipping participants withpracticalknowledge.
Epilepsy remains widely misunderstood, and athletes living with the condition oftenfaceuniquechallenges, including stigma and u n c e r t a i n t y a b o u t participation in physical activity
However, research consistently shows that individualswithepilepsycan safely engage in sports with proper medical management and informed support from thosearoundthem.
The workshop will t h e r e f o r e f o c u s o n empowering the sporting community with essential knowledge Presentations and discussions will be led by EFG officials and several of Guyana’s leading neurologists.
Topics will include understanding the nature of epilepsy, identifying different seizure types and symptoms, administering immediate and appropriate firstaidduringaseizure,and managing the condition over the long term within a sportingenvironment.
By building awareness, organisers hope to foster a safer and more supportive atmosphere for athletes with e p i l e p s y . Misunderstandings and fear canoftenleadtounnecessary discrimination, discouraging participationandlimitingthe athletic potential of those affected Education, they say, is the key to breaking downthesebarriers.
Director of Sport Steve Ninvalle described the workshop as a watershed moment for sport in Guyana, noting that it marks the first time such targeted attention is being placed on epilepsy within the local sporting context.
He stressed, that inclusivity must go beyond simply opening doors, p o i n t i n g o u t t h a t stakeholders must also understand what to do if an athleteexperiencesaseizure.
Ninvalle added that it is
equally important for the public to recognise that people living with epilepsy can lead normal, active lives and should never be discriminated against because of their health condition.
Organisers are confident the workshop will help pave the way for a more inclusive sporting culture, one that places equal value on performance, health, safety, andunderstanding.
