Vision for a skilled, future-ready Guyana takes centre stage as UG Convocation 2025 begins
- President Ali, Minister Parag urge graduands to lead with integrity, be drivers of the country’s transformation
By Shaniya Harding
HUNDREDS of persons of all ages and backgrounds crossed the University of Guyana’s stage on Thursday as the institution opened its 2025 graduation ceremonies at the Turkeyen Campus.
While it marked a major personal milestone for the graduands, President Dr. Irfaan Ali and Minister of Education Sonia Parag stressed that it also represented a pivotal moment for the country. They urged the cohort to view their achievements not as a conclusion, but as a call to help shape a rapidly transforming Guyana.
With the largest graduating class in UG’s history and several distinguished honourees recognised, the ceremony opened convocation week with a clear message; Guyana’s future depends on its people.
Delivering the keynote address virtually, President Ali said Guyana’s devel -
opment is entering a defining stage, one that demands skills, discipline, and lifelong learning. “Our economy is expanding, our infrastructure is growing, and our society is evolving in ways once thought impossible. Yet the real engine of this transformation is not oil or investment; it is people, it is you,” he said adding, “The Guyana we are building needs engineers and
educators, innovators and entrepreneurs, health professionals, and policy thinkers. It needs citizens equipped with the knowledge, skills, and values to propel our country forward.”
He reminded the graduands that the introduction of free tertiary education at UG is a nation-building investment. “Free university education ensures that no capable
Minister of Education, Sonia Parag praised this year’s graduates for overcoming challenges and called their success a national investment
mind is left behind and that every Guyanese, regardless of background, can aspire to higher learning,” he noted, adding that access must be matched with excellence. “Free education must prepare graduates for a modern, industrial, knowledge-driven Guyana. A world-class university is not measured by enrolment figures, but by the impact of its graduates.”
President Ali emphasised that the rapidly evolving global landscape demands citizens who are “accomplished, qualified, and future-ready.”
He said: “Industries reinvent themselves overnight. In such a world, the greatest skill is the ability to keep learning, keep adapting, and keep growing. Upskilling is now essential—not just a professional advantage, but a national imperative.”
He added that graduates will help build a workforce that is “globally competitive, technologically driven, and environmentally responsible.”
He encouraged them to embrace a mindset of continuous growth and service. The journey of transformation is not a sprint. It is a continuum of learning, discovery, and reinvention. So, as you step into this exciting new chapter, remember that the modern Guyana we envision will be built by lifelong learners,” he said. “Now let your learning empower others. Let your curiosity drive change. Let your ideas move Guyana forward.”
Also addressing graduands virtually was Minister of Education Sonia Parag, who congratulated them for reaching a milestone many achieved while balancing heavy responsibilities.
She highlighted the varied and often difficult paths students took to reach the graduation stage. “Every single graduate here has a story worth celebrating,” she said. “Some of you balanced stud-
personal and emotional close to the ceremony, valedictorian and President’s Medal recipient Daniel Persaud reflected on a journey shaped by discipline, faith, and years of dedication to electrical engineering.
ies with full-time work. Some became parents while pursuing your degree. Some faced hardships that could have stopped you, but you refused to give up.”
Parag described those graduating as central to Guyana’s future, especially as new industries emerge. “The world is watching your trans-
“I first want to give all the thanks and praise to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Everything I have achieved is because of him,” he said. Persaud began his technical path in 2008 as an apprentice at the GuySuCo Training Centre in Port Mourant, later working as a machine technician and earning opportunities through the DDL cadetship programme. Those experiences strengthened his desire to pursue engineering at UG and shaped both his character and career.
He thanked the people who supported him, his parents, sister, grandmother, lecturers, classmates, and close friends. Looking ahead, he shared his passion for power
formation with excitement and optimism,” she said adding, “Your education is not just a personal victory. It is a national investment. You are the engineers of Guyana's future. You are the educators who will inspire the next generation. You are the innovators who will solve challenges we have not yet imagined.”
She urged them to carry integrity, discipline and service into their next steps, reminding them that the convocation marked the beginning of leadership, not the end of learning.
She also thanked parents, guardians, lecturers, and staff for supporting the largest cohort in UG’s history. “Guyana believes in you. Guyana is proud of you. And Guyana is ready for your brilliance,” she added.
SEIZE OPPORTUNITIES
Meanwhile, bringing a
engineering and hopes of pursuing a master’s degree to serve Guyana directly. Persaud reminded fellow engineers to honour their professional creed, sharing, “Place service before self, to hold paramount the safety, health, and welfare of the public, and use our knowledge for the benefit of humanity.”
In closing, he encouraged the Class of 2025 to embrace their next chapter with honesty, kindness, and integrity.
With Guyana rapidly changing, he urged them to remain and seize the opportunities ahead. “Guyana is currently undergoing a rapid transformation. I encourage you to stay and take advantage of those opportunities that will present themselves.”
He ended with a final salute, “To the Class of 2025, we endured, we excelled, and today we celebrate.”
Valedictorian Daniel Persaud is the President’s Medal recipient and Faculty of Engineering graduate (University of Guyana photo)
President Dr. Irfaan Ali in a virtual address reminded graduands that they are the real engine of Guyana’s transformation
The University of Guyana’s 59th Convocation opened on Thursday marking the first day of celebrations for its largest batch of graduands to date
Gov’t committed to delivering one-stop access to gov’t services –PresidentAli
–– says focus is on
transparency, accountability, fairness
THE spotlight was firmly placed on improved public service on Thursday as President Dr. Irfaan Ali underscored his administration’s commitment to efficient, accountable, and people-centred governance.
He was at the time addressing a sizeable gathering at State House in New Amsterdam. He and members of his Cabinet are on a two-day outreach, which will see them, along with senior technical officials visiting communities across the region to engage residents and address their concerns.
At the heart of his address was the rollout of Guyana’s expanded service delivery centres, which will be operating in New Amsterdam, Port Mourant, and the Upper Corentyne.
President Ali emphasised that the centres are being designed to bring government services di -
rectly to citizens, eliminating long travel times, reducing inefficiencies, and ensuring that no person is left behind.
“These centres will offer all immigration services, birth certificates, driver’s licences, all GRA services, and pension services,” he highlighted, noting that Guyanese will now have one-stop access to a wide range of essential government services.
A key feature of the new facilities is a help-connect desk, which will be linked to a national oversight system. “If you are not satisfied with something, you go to that help desk, you input that information [and] it goes into the integrated system, and it goes to the highest level to be looked at,”
President Ali explained. “We don’t want anyone to be left without services.”
President Ali later reiterated that his government’s approach to gover-
nance is grounded in clear performance indicators and strict accountability measures.
“We are taking an approach to government in which we want people to be held accountable,” he said. “Performance indi-
cators must not only be on paper they must measure the performance of those who are paid to provide public service. If they cannot perform, then they will have to be removed.”
He encouraged residents to embrace the tools
and systems provided through the new centres, as well as from the Government of Guyana, urging them to “lead and live positive lives”.
President Ali added that the government’s goal extends beyond economic growth. It includes building a public service environment characterised by care, love, transparency, and accountability removing discretion and bias and ensuring fairness in how citizens receive government support.
While the government strengthens systems and infrastructure, President Ali reminded citizens that their participation is also essential. He encouraged residents to open bank accounts as part of efforts to modernise service access and promote financial inclusion.
With the expansion of service delivery centres, and the introduction of new accountability mechanisms, the administration says it is moving towards
a more responsive public service that will not only reflect development, but dignity, fairness, and improved quality of life for every Guyanese.
He said that this will ensure that one is proud of the system, stressing that a system is only as good as the people using it.
President Ali told the gathering of hundreds of residents that they have a responsibility to do what is right within the system, “and follow the system, work with the system”, as that is the only way it will be efficiently utilised.
Meanwhile, he noted that with major investments in the pipeline, the region is poised for complete transformation over the next five years.
However, he stressed that residents must match this momentum by changing the way they operate, care for themselves, and support the development of their communities.
President Dr. Irfaan Ali
Stronger practices in Guyana’s construction sector emphasised during OSH seminar
THE Ministry of Labour and Manpower Planning, through its Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Department, on Wednesday hosted a seminar on “Safety & Health in the Construction Sector.” The event was held at Cara Lodge, 294 Quamina Street, Georgetown.
A total of 54 individuals participated in the session, which focused on strengthening safe work practices within the construction sector.
The Honourable Minister of Labour and Manpower Planning, Keoma Griffith, Permanent Secretary (Ag.), Ms Indrani Ramnarine, OSH Consultant, Ms Gweneth King, Assistant Chief OSH Officer, Mr Roydon Croal, Assistant Chief OSH Officer, Ms Maxean Bess and other officials were present at the seminar.
The minister, during
his feature remarks, noted that under the leadership of President Dr Irfaan Ali, the ministry is committed to protecting workers as Guyana undergoes rapid development. He noted that non-compliance with safety regulations will not be tolerated. Contractors, supervisors, and
left their homes and never returned. This cannot continue; the time is now, because no level of national progress is worth the life of even one worker.”
During her brief remarks, the Permanent Secretary reminded participants that shortcuts may seem convenient but ultimately cost lives. “This workshop is very
something that should be a mantra for all of us. Safety, for ourselves first and those around us.
“In life, there are many shortcuts, but those very shortcuts could cut lives short, this is why safety is needed. Let this sink in. We are the ones who have to propel safety and ensure that it happens so that we all benefit” she men-
workers were urged to strengthen training, supervision, and safe practices across job sites.
Minister Griffith underscored the urgency of sustained action in the sector. “The truth before us is difficult but undeniable. The construction sector has recorded the second-highest number of workplace fatalities in Guyana. In the past five years, thirty-seven persons lost their lives in this sector, including eight in 2025. Regrettably, those eight workers
Some of the participants
timely and one that is needed; it focuses on
tioned.
OSH Consultant Ms. Gweneth King stressed OSH’s mandate is to improve working conditions in accordance with Chapter 95:02 (Part V) and noted that construction continues to compete with mining for the highest number of workplace fatalities, with eight recorded in 2025.
Ms. Maxeen Bess, Assistant Chief Occupational Safety and Health Officer, presented the importance of proper PPE use in preventing workplace accidents. She noted that employees often wear the wrong gear, like yachting boots instead of safety boots, which cannot protect them from injuries. She reminded workers that PPE must be provided by employers at no cost and must be properly used, stored, and maintained. It is personal equipment, not to be shared or lent out.
During the technical sessions, presentations were done on GPL safety protocols around electrical infrastructures, honeybees as a construction-site hazard, network safety, risk assessment, OSH laws relevant to the construction sector, correct use of PPE and work materials, conditions of work within the construction sector, and NIS benefits relating to workplace, industrial accidents, industrial injury, industrial disability, and industrial death benefits. Also present were Senior OSH Officer Mr. Darwin Bourne, Legal Officer, Ms. Alyea Williams, Senior Labour Officer, Ms. Candaiscee West, and representatives from several agencies, including the Ministry of Public Works, Guyana Power and Light, Demerara Zone, National Insurance Scheme and the Guyana Livestock Development Authority, who all participated in the panel discussion. The session was concluded with several interactive exercises, mainly noting how the NIS compensation works in relation to eligible workers who may receive up to 70 per cent of their earnings for a maximum of 26 weeks. (Ministry of Labour and Manpower Planning)
Minister of Labour and Manpower Planning, Keoma Griffith
President Ali slams Justice Persaud’s ruling in Mohamed’s tax case
– welcomes ‘well-grounded’ ruling by Justice George in similar matter
By Naomi Parris
PRESIDENT Dr. Irfaan Ali on Wednesday criticised Justice Gino Persaud’s recent ruling that barred the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) from imposing post-clearance taxes in the luxury-vehicle case involving United States (U.S) indicted businessman Azruddin Mohamed, arguing that such audits are lawful, essential and long-established within the customs system.
Weighing in on the recent ruling by Justice Persaud in the luxury vehicle tax case involving the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), President Ali during a live broadcast said post-clearance audits and assessments are not novel processes but are crucial to the country’s customs architecture.
In this context, GRA’s active step to enhance its capacity to verify the accuracy of declaration after good surpass the port of entry, is an approach endorsed by the World Customs Organisation.
“Post clearance, audits and assessments are by no means novel. For decades, these mechanisms have been integral to the customs architecture. Historically, such functions were executed through the inspections department of the former Customs and Excise department, now subsumed within the GRA,” President Ali said.
Justice Persaud last Friday ruled that the GRA could not impose post-clearance taxes to the tune of $421 million on a Lamborghini and two other vehicles.
GRA has signaled its intention to appeal the ruling, a move which the President has welcomed. The state’s power to recover outstanding taxes is vested in various pieces of legislation, including the Income Tax Act, Customs Act, Property Tax Act and Companies Act.
He stressed that Justice Persaud’s ruling impedes GRA taxes rightfully owed to the state.
“That ruling now slated for appeal by the GRA has been widely criticised as perverse, internally inconsistent and
disconnected from both established custom practice and the evident intention of the custom Act 82:01,” the President said.
While Justice Persaud ruled that the GRA had no legal basis to impose taxes after imports were cleared and paid for, even in the face of fraudulent paperwork, Chancellor (ag) Roxane George on Monday, in the case of Zhangzhen Yu, ruled that the agency may lawfully issue post-clearance tax assessments.
This was a ruling which President Ali welcomed.
“Her ruling brings coherence to the law and protects the revenue of our country. This welcome clarity stands in stark contrast to the earlier ruling by Justice Gino Persaud, a that has confounded many observers, and which the Guyana Revenue Authority regards as fundamentally flawed in law,” Dr. Ali said.
He reiterated that the ruling in the case of Zhangzhen Yu, the Chancellor reaffirms that post clearances are not only lawful but essential to protect the public purse.
“The government welcomes her clear, authoritative and well-grounded judgment, which re-establishes coherence in customs and ensures that the GRA can continue fulfilling its mandate without artificial or ill-conceived constraints,” the President said.
Meanwhile, Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall S.C. had said the judgment “nullified” GRA’s power.
The Attorney General emphasised that every tax return or customs declaration includes mandatory legal forms, of which each taxpayer agrees to any potential reassessment.
Noting that GRA’s power is undeniable, Nandlall stated that post-clearance audits are an internationally-recognised mechanism and form part of the Kyoto Convention, which Guyana follows.
He further noted that in 2017, the GRA established a special unit solely for post-clearance audits.
EVIDENCE OF FRAUD
Nandlall then pointed to the alleged evidence of fraud
in the case involving the embattled businessman’s 2020 Lamborghini Roadster SVJ.
He said: “You had fraud being established, and fraud in law unravels everything. Once a taxing authority has evidence of fraud, there is no discretion anymore, but a duty crystallises on that taxing authority to go forward to get the right amount of taxes that should be paid. Recall that customs duties, for example, are ad valorem, meaning they are based upon value. The higher the value, the higher the taxes.”
In its statement, the GRA noted that Justice Persaud delivered his ruling at a time when the related criminal charges had already been withdrawn. As a result, the tax authority said the judgement is now “moot and now of academic importance only,” except for one critical issue that the court did not address.
According to the release,
“the Honourable Court did not address itself to the issue of fraud regarding submissions supported with evidence made by the Revenue Authority.”
The GRA maintained that this omission leaves a substantive question unresolved, even though the broader matter may be considered academic following the withdrawal of criminal charges.
More significantly, GRA took issue with what it described as an “extraordinary pronouncement” by the court regarding the limits of the GRA’s statutory powers. According to GRA, the court “proceeded to make an extraordinary pronouncement to the effect that the Revenue Authority has no power to reassess taxes in the circumstances.”
The GRA firmly rejected that conclusion, stating that it is “of the respectful view that this latter pronouncement is
wholly erroneous in law and not in line with the relevant provisions of the tax laws of Guyana.”
Nandlall is hopeful that the appeal by GRA will be filed quickly and that every effort will be made for a speedy determination.
EXTRADITION PROCEEDINGS
In light of the extradition request from the United States (U.S.) for Azruddin and his father, Nazar ‘Shell’ Mohamed, the Attorney General clarified that the recent High Court ruling does not affect those proceedings.
He said: “It has no impact whatsoever on the extradition proceedings. What would have had an impact on the extradition proceedings would have been the criminal proceedings in the magistrates’ court, which were duly withdrawn after careful consideration of the legal implications by the lawyers involved. So, there’s absolutely no connection.”
The U.S. government, on October 30, 2025, requested the extradition of the father and son under the extradition treaty between Guyana and the United Kingdom, which remains in force in Guyana under Section 4(1)(a) of the Fugitives Offender Act, Cap. 10:04, as amended by Act No. 10 of 2024.
The Mohameds are the subject of an unsealed indictment on October 6, 2025, by a U.S. Grand Jury in the
Southern District of Florida, charging them with multiple offences, including wire fraud, mail fraud, money laundering, conspiracy, aiding and abetting, and customs-related violations linked to an alleged US$50 million gold export and tax evasion scheme.
The indictment alleges that between 2017 and June 2024, the accused conspired to defraud the Government of Guyana by evading export taxes and royalties on over 10,000 kilograms of gold, using falsified customs declarations and re-used export seals to disguise unpaid duties.
The indictment also references “the attempted shipment of US$5.3 million in undeclared gold seized at Miami International Airport, and the alleged under-invoicing of a luxury vehicle valued at over US$680,000.”
In June 2024, the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned the Mohameds and Mohamed’s Enterprise for alleged tax evasion, trade-based money-laundering, and gold smuggling.
In March 2025, the Guyanese Government received a comprehensive dossier of evidence from U.S. authorities under mutual legal assistance arrangements. The documents reportedly contained evidence of falsified customs declarations, gold export irregularities and undeclared shipments seized in Miami.
President Dr. Irfaan Ali
Gov't on the ground
THE government’s latest outreach in Region Six is more than a routine visit, it is a recalibrated model of governance that is once again matching the scale and complexity of Guyana’s transformation under President Dr Irfaan Ali.
What unfolded on Thursday, with the full Cabinet and technical teams setting up base in East Berbice–Corentyne, is the first step in a structured, region-by-region cycle of engagement that puts policymakers directly where they need to be: on the ground, inside communities, listening and responding in real time.
This is not an ad-hoc exercise. It is a deliberate, disciplined approach to governing a rapidly changing country. When the entire machinery of government shifts into a region,
it forces coordination, accelerates problem-solving, and removes the traditional bottlenecks that come from distance and bureaucracy. Issues that would normally take weeks of back-and-forth can now be addressed within hours, because the people who make decisions are physically present and fully immersed in the regional realities.
Region Six is a tactical starting point. The Ancient County is being prepared as a new economic node, anchored by natural gas, expanding industries, and major infrastructure works. Bringing the government into the region ensures that development plans are aligned with what residents actually need, not what planners in Georgetown assume they need. That level of alignment is essential
if the country’s growth is to benefit households in a meaningful and measurable way.
Importantly, this approach is not new. The administration first adopted this model in 2020 when it resumed office, and the results were immediate, faster interventions, clearer priorities, and a deeper understanding of community challenges. The return to this model in 2025 signals an understanding that Guyana’s development cannot be managed from a distance. It must be informed by lived experience from the ground up.
Every region already has its own action plan, shaped from years of community consultations, site visits, and resident feedback. The difference now is execution. These plans
are being activated with urgency, targeting employment, water access, electricity reliability, small business growth, tourism development, and critical infrastructure. This monthlong relocation of government into each region will ensure those plans are not just documents, but deliverables.
What matters most is consistency. If this outreach becomes the new standard, region after region, month after month, Guyana stands to benefit from a governance model that is proactive, present, and people driven. A government back on the ground is a government that understands its country, responds to its citizens, and leads with clarity.
Region Six is the beginning. The rest of Guyana is next.
Ruminant Abattoir at Onverwagt a game changer for Guyana’s beef industry
Dear Editor,
I write to highlight the remarkable importance of the new ruminant abattoir currently being established at Onverwagt, an initiative spearheaded by the Ministry of Agriculture under the guidance of Hon. Zulfikar Mustapha.
With nearly $800 million invested jointly by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the Government of Guyana, this facility represents a major step forward in transforming our livestock sub-sector, particularly in light of the growing domestic and regional demand for beef.
The abattoir at Onverwagt is not just
an infrastructural project it is a linchpin in advancing Guyana’s agro-industrial development. It is poised to modernise meat processing, ensuring that beef is produced to international sanitary and quality standards.
This is especially vital as Guyana positions itself to increase exports across the Caribbean and farther afield. With the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) striving to reduce its high food-importation bill, Guyana is ideally placed to become the regional hub for safe, high-quality beef production. Furthermore, the establishment of this abattoir will boost economic opportunities for livestock farmers, particularly small and medium-scale producers. By enabling
controlled slaughtering, proper disease surveillance and efficient carcass grading, the facility will help farmers earn better prices while enhancing traceability and food safety. It will also create employment opportunities, stimulate rural economies, and encourage greater investment in livestock production.
Minister Mustapha’s update on the project reflects a strong commitment to agricultural diversification and sustainability. The Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA) has been working to increase breeding stock, improve pasture management and strengthen veterinary services, all of which will be complemented by the new abattoir. This synergy between
production and processing is essential for improving food security and meeting consumer demands.
In summary, the ruminant abattoir at Onverwagt is a transformative step for Guyana’s agricultural sector. It aligns perfectly with national goals of economic diversification, rural upliftment, and regional food leadership.
As the demand for beef continues to rise, this investment will ensure Guyana is ready to meet it with efficiency, quality, and pride.
Yours sincerely Fawaz Harry
Part of the EU Observer Mission Report is nonsense
I AM the only person in the Guyanese community in and outside of Guyana that has written critical and exposing comments about the political methodology of the EU Mission in Guyana.
I have done about four columns for this newspaper on the politicised decisions the EU Mission has taken over the years.
My source is impeccable and because of that I have published the information.
The EU Embassy is Guyana has strong inclinations to favour the opposition parties and anti-PPP civil society groups. In the light of vast areas of intellectual incompetence in the EU Observer Report, I will repeat some of that information before briefly looking at some of the flaws in the elections report.
Ms. Jasmatie Lalljie, assistant to Ms. Evilana Lelbarze, then head of the political division of the embassy (she has returned to Europe) queried how the embassy could only use PNC press releases in the embassy’s ongoing analysis of political trends in Guyana. Ms. Lalljie left because of the consequences.
The EU Mission only offers donations to civil society groups that are anti-government. SASOD and Policy Forum have been recipients of generous donations. Think of the money we are talking about when one Euro is equivalent to G$240.
In the 2023 Local Government Elections, the EU transferred 26, 000 Euros from a Barbadian account to an Amerindian political entity to be transferred to the PNC. The EU Mission was sending donations to the PNC through a GBTI account of a famous Theatre Guild personality.
The Guyana Government objected to this
since the Theatre Guild personality was openly anti-government. The money stopped then secretly resumed.
For the 2025 general election, Mr. Van Ness, outgoing Ambassador, selected the local personnel to work with the EU Election Observer team. Each one of the selectees had strong political connections. This explains why the report has huge gaps in it. One of the complaints in the report is access to the state media by opposition parties.
This observation is comically nonsensical, and it reveals that these Western analysts are incompetent people whose research is always poorly done. First, the newspapers and the television are not the forums political parties turn to in election campaigns in the age of social media. None of the political parties placed value on newspaper and television advertisements for the 2025 campaign simply because they knew that such outlets are no longer influential.
The opposition parties put their energy in social media platforms and did not seek out the state media for coverage. One can only imagine what they would have said – “why go there when nobody reads newspapers and watch local television news.” In fact, the WIN party completely blacked out and blocked out mainstream media. WIN concentrated on social media to get its message across.
It is shockingly incompetent on the part of the observer team to focus on lack of coverage in the state media when that forum was downgraded by the opposition and even the incumbent. Lack of access to the state media was not a complaint by the opposition parties. Nowhere in the report was there any mention of the ugly bias of the two privately owned
newspapers – Stabroek News (SN) and Kaieteur News (KN).
Only an incompetent researcher in Guyana would not know that during the campaign, these two newspapers opened their doors fully to the opposition parties. The PPP was a victim of the unfairness to media houses with reasons for the PPP to complain about during the elections.
There aren’t sufficient harsh words to denounce the style and operation of the observer team.
You have to be dishonest to have been monitoring the campaign and not see that KN and SN were giving more coverage to the opposition. All the columnists in those two newspapers were anti-government. From the announcement of the date of elections to the announcement of the results, not one editorial in KN and SN carried a favourable comment on the government.
The incumbent faced a torrent of abuse from an unlimited amount of social media
platforms, a degenerative aberration that the EU team failed to even devote a paragraph to. Finally - the theory of incumbency advantage. There is no such thing in the study of comparative politics. I mentioned that in a column six weeks ago and I am repeating it here.
The argument of election incumbency advantage does not exist in any country and certainly not in the countries those members of the observer team live in.
An elected government rules a country even when there is a general election. It does what it promises the nation to do. I know of no country where policies stop during an election campaign.
Election incumbency advantage is repugnant nonsense, and the PPP is best advised to ignore the European thinking of superiority.
DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Guyana National Newspapers Limited.
Tiger Bay will rise and ‘racial capital’ will fail
Dear Editor
EVERY era demands fresh thinking. In most societies, intellectuals are at the leading edge of building out the general framework of a new political and cultural renaissance.
It is this spirit that I have kept an open mind regarding the accession of Dr. David Hinds to the National Assembly. I regret to say that instead of new ideas grounded in forward movement, Hinds has renewed his vows with racial antagonism.
I contend here that his perspective on Tiger Bay is not a mere ‘drive-by-shooting’, but the product of a grand concept, namely racial capital.
In Guyana, we are fortunate to have a leader in Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali, who is not only the president, but an intellectual and author in his own right.
Capital, as a concept, has been around for centuries. The economic concept of capital was systematically theorised by writers like Adam Smith and Karl Marx. Human capital is also an economic concept, but it emerged only in the 20th Century in any systematic manner.
The concept of social capital through networks of cooperation was fully developed by the likes of Robert Putnam and William Julius Wilson, among others.
The perspectives on capital above have one thing in common, namely, to bring clar-
ity to seemingly disparate or misunderstood phenomena.
Hind’s racial capital is unique, in that it is regressive. You see, racial capital is a particular form of investment in division and antagonism. The specificity of racial capital is that it allows the user, in this case David Hinds, to prosecute narratives of oppression and marginalisation under an abstract idea.
Hinds has no use for things like empirical evidence. He does not care that Tiger Bay is in dire need of urgent attention. He is oblivious to their need for better housing, schools, places for recreation, and cry to be fully integrated in the rapid development of Guyana.
He is astoundingly oblivious to the
neglect and abandonment of the area by successive PNC, APNU-AFC governments. David Hinds will learn that governing takes careful analysis, hard work, sound policies, and unremitting dedication. He will soon discover that the distinctive signature of the PPP/C is that it makes promises based on sound policies, and then keeps those promises. Tiger Bay will prove this, yet again.
Hinds’ racial capital is bound to collapse in ignominy right there in Tiger Bay. And, like the rest of the nation, Tiger Bay will rise.
Sincerely, Dr. Randy Persaud
Are opposition ‘Code Yellow’ campaigns being coordinated by an extra-regional Caribbean elections influencer?
LIKE in Guyana on September 1 and Jamaica on September 4, two more Caribbean Community (CARICOM) nations are facing back-to-back 2025 elections later this year: Saint Vincent and The Grenadines on November 27 and Saint Lucia on December 1.
Saint Vincent and The Grenadines’ (SVG) polling day next Thursday also coincides with the island’s observance of Thanksgiving Day, when Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves and his ruling Unity Labour Party (ULP) hope and expect Vincentians to thank his administration for deliveries in its last (fifth) five-year term.
On the other hand, the opposition National Democratic Party (NDP) is hoping and praying that this will be its first election win after a record number of successive losses to the ULP.
As per usual, with just days left, the ULP and NDP are going head-to-head – the ruling party continuing to highlight what it has traditionally described as the inability of the current opposition leader, Dr Godwin Friday to have broken his party’s 24-year loss record, while the opposition is again saying it’s time for change.
The ULP and PM Gonsalves – by-far the
longest-serving CARICOM leader – are seeking an unprecedented sixth term and sound confident on the hustings.
The NDP is relying largely on accusing the Prime Minister and his family of irregular conduct pertaining to the PM’s wife and son’s legal purchase (many years ago) of two homes from a Trinidad & Tobago (T&T) housing project.
Information about the purchases was admittedly made public by T&T’s Junior Housing Minister Anil Roberts.
As it would turn out, however, PM Gonsalves’ wife is a born-Trinidadian, who says the purchased properties were for her Dominican parents (and relatives) whose homes had been seriously damaged by Hurricanes Maria and Irma.
She says the transition was totally legal and the T&T million-dollar costs were paid because what was intended to be a low-income housing project had gone into astronomical cost-overruns that forced the ministry to charge high-end prices beyond the pockets of low-income earners.
Meanwhile, T&T sources are claiming the junior minister could have violated confidentiality clauses guarding personal and
other required information declared by client purchasers, while PM Gonsalves has indicated he may take related legal action.
The NDP has also been suggesting that PM Gonsalves intends to propose or appoint his son Camilo – also Minister for Finance –as Prime Minister, should the ULP win.
But ULP supporters insist it’s their party leaders and members to decide who should succeed PM Gonsalves – who’s indicated this is his last term -- should he lead the party to a sixth term and retire as an undefeated ‘six-star-general’.
As in the two-party systems in most CARICOM states and in the absence of verifiable polling systems to determine their support, both sides are adamant they’ll win, red and yellow-clad supporters attending final meetings and rallies in high numbers.
Interestingly, the respective partisan colour themes are the same in SVG as they were in T&T and are in Saint Lucia: the ruling ULP is ‘Red and Ready’ and the NDP’s is ‘The Code Is Yellow’.
‘Red’ and ‘Yellow’ clashes took place peacefully in T&T in this year’s April election that saw the latter voting for regime change -- following which SVG’s NDP and Saint Lucia’s opposition United Workers Party (UWP) have both also been clamouring for ‘Code Yellow’ to lead to local regime change, respectively.
There have been strong suggestions, however, that the ‘Code Yellow’ campaigns are being coordinated in SVG and Saint Lucia by an external political propaganda entity -- supposedly associated with the disgraced Cambridge Analytica outfit -previously involved in Caribbean elections.
A SEARCH ON META AI REVEALS:
‘Cambridge Analytica, a British political consulting firm, has been linked to several Caribbean elections, raising concerns about external interference in regional politics.
‘Strategic Communications Laboratories (SCL), the parent company of Cambridge Analytica, was active in the Caribbean for over 20 years, helping politicians win or lose elections.
‘Specific examples of SCL/Cambridge Analytica’s involvement include:
•Dominica (2009): SCL managed the opposition United Workers Party (UWP) campaign, with an invoice of US $1.5 million paid by an unknown party.
•Barbados (2013): SCL worked with the Democratic Labour Party (DLP).
•Trinidad & Tobago (2010): The Trinidad & Tobago government engaged SCL, sparking controversy over data access and potential voter manipulation.
•St. Kitts and Nevis (2010): Former Prime Minister Denzil Douglas claimed Henley & Partners, linked to SCL, arranged financing for his campaign.’
Meta AI concluded: ‘These activities have raised questions about the influence of external actors in Caribbean politics and the use of data-driven campaign tactics.
‘Critics argue such involvement undermines regional sovereignty and democratic processes.’
Interestingly, former SVG Prime Minister Sir James Mitchell was a major player with SCL.
With claims in Saint Lucia today that SCL is coordinating the ‘Code Yellow’ campaigns in SVG and locally, understandable questions are being asked by concerned citizens.
FOR EXAMPLE:
In 2010, the now-ruling United National Congress (UNC) was in office (during PM Persad-Bissessar’s first term). So, was SCL involved 15 years later in its 2025 victory? Is SCL again present in SVG this year?
In the 2016 and 2021 Saint Lucia General Elections, Saint Lucia’s (now ruling) SLP accused the opposition United Workers Party (UWP) of engaging SCL, so, it’s pertinent to ask: Is SCL also involved in the race to the December 1 finish this year?
Answers are unlikely until after the two elections on November 27 and December 1, by which time, there may be some answers relating to T&T’s April 2025 elections.
But in the meantime, ‘The Code Is Yellow’ continues to reverberate off opposition platforms in Saint Lucia and SVG, with both parties confidently claiming they will win regardless of the achievements and delivered promises being campaigned on by the ruling ‘Red and Ready’ parties.
And once again, the concern (and not only among ‘Red’ parties) is about allegations and possibilities of undue external influence in Caribbean elections.
DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Guyana National Newspapers Limited.
Voir dire continues in 2020 elections fraud case
THE trial in the 2020 elections fraud matter continued on Thursday before Acting Chief Magistrate Faith McGusty at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts, with the voir dire proceeding as the court examines whether videos of police interrogation involving former Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) Returning Officer, Clairmont Mingo, should be admitted into evidence.
These recordings form part of the prosecution’s intended evidence in the main trial.
When the matter last came up on October 31, the prosecution was still presenting its case. Since then, the prosecution has closed its evidence, and the defence has begun leading its own.
On Tuesday, Mingo took the witness stand to testify in the voir dire. The hearing continued on Thursday with testimony from attorney-at-law Darren Wade, one of the defence attorneys.
As per legal restrictions, the media cannot report on the substance of a voir dire, since publishing such details could prejudice the fairness of the ongoing trial.
Before the proceedings began, Magistrate McGusty reminded reporters of the limits on what could lawfully be reported.
The defence is objecting to the inclusion of the video-recorded interviews, prompting the court to conduct a series of voir dire hearings—special mini-hearings held separate from the main proceedings. Unlike the ordinary trial, which focuses on the charges and evidence as a whole, a voir dire deals exclusively with the disputed evidence.
During this process, the Magistrate temporarily pauses the main trial to hear arguments, testimony, and legal submissions on whether the recordings were lawfully obtained and whether they meet the evidentiary standards required
for admission.
Once the arguments conclude, the Magistrate will rule on whether each recording is admissible at trial. The case is expected to resume on Friday.
The trial concerns allegations of electoral fraud arising from the disputed General and Regional Elections held on March 2, 2020.
Those facing charges include former Chief Elections Officer (CEO) Keith Lowenfield; former Deputy CEO Roxanne Myers; former Region Four Returning Officer, Clairmont Mingo; former Health Minister under the previous A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) government, Volda Lawrence; and People’s National Congress Reform (PNC/R) member, Carol Smith-Joseph.
Also on trial are former Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) staffers Sheffern February, Enrique Livan, Denise Babb-Cummings, and Michelle Miller.
The defendants are represented by a robust defence team.
Collectively, the defendants face 19 charges ranging from conspiracy to defraud to misconduct in public office.
Due to the charges arising from the same set of circumstances, the matters have been consolidated. Each defendant has pleaded not guilty to the charges and secured their release by posting significant cash bail.
The prosecution, led by King’s Counsel Darshan Ramdhanie, argued that each defendant played a “critical role” in the deliberate effort to inflate votes for the APNU+AFC and reduce votes for the Peoples Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C).
In the weeks that followed the contentious March 2, 2020, vote, Guyana’s judiciary was inundated with multiple applications and appeals filed by various political actors over
the electoral process.
The saga lasted five months before a national recount, led by GECOM and a delegation from the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), confirmed the PPP/C’s victory and ultimately led to the swearing-in of President Dr. Irfaan Ali on August 2, 2020.
The recount confirmed that the PPP/C won the elections with 233,336 votes against the APNU+AFC coalition’s 217,920.
The initial elections results, announced by former CEO Lowenfield, claimed
an APNU+AFC victory.
The APNU+AFC coalition received 171,825 votes, while the PPP/C received 166,343 votes, according to Lowenfield’s election report.
Following the PPP/C’s return to office in August 2020, criminal charges were filed against the defendants.
GECOM made the decision to terminate the contracts of Lowenfield, Myers, and Mingo in August 2021, after the allegations of fraud came to light.
The Presidential Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the
events of the 2020 General and Regional Elections have found that there were collusion and collaboration between senior GECOM officials to divert votes to the APNU +AFC instead of safeguarding and preserving the integrity of the electoral system.
Chairman Stanley John and commissioners — former Chancellor of the Judiciary, Carl Singh and Senior Counsel Godfrey Smith made these findings based on evidence from the many witnesses who testified along with the reports of the international observers.
“…our inquiry reveals that there were, in fact, shockingly brazen attempts by Lowenfield, Myers and Mingo to derail and corrupt the statutorily prescribed procedure for the counting, ascertaining and tabulation of votes of the March 2nd election, as well as the true declaration of the results of that election, and that they did so – to put it in unvarnished language of the ordinary man – for the purpose of stealing the election,” they said in their report.
Volda Lawrence Clairmont Mingo Carol Smith-Joseph Keith Lowenfield
Roxanne Myers
Acting Chief Magistrate Faith Mc Gusty
Enrique Livan Michelle Miller Sheffern February Denise Babb-Cummings
More cost-of-living measures to be unveiled soon – President Ali
PRESIDENT Dr Irfaan Ali has announced that a new suite of government measures will soon be introduced to curb the rising cost of living, bolster vulnerable households, and widen economic opportunities.
In a recent live broadcast, the president said the upcoming interventions will focus on vulnerable groups, people living with disabilities, parents, small businesses, and homeowners.
“A series of initiatives will be announced in the coming weeks and months to further enhance disposable income and support vulnerable groups,” he said, adding: “This includes incentives for childcare, homes for the elderly,
greater access to capital for SMEs, reduced interest rates, and new incentives to expand businesses.”
President Ali also highlighted the imminent completion of the NGL facility, which is expected to significantly lower cooking gas prices. He further outlined new incentives aimed at boosting home ownership and expanding major programmes to strengthen local food production and value-added industries.
He reaffirmed that government policies have already channelled tens of billions of dollars into the hands of Guyanese through wage increases, cash grants, subsidies, tax reversals, and improved access to income.
“Guyana is implement-
President Dr. Irfaan Ali
ing internationally recognised best practices in tackling the cost-of-living
further.”
He noted that the administration has been steadfast in using every available economic mechanism to cushion the effects of rising living costs.
“This government has been utilising every monetary and fiscal tool at its disposal to address cost of living at home. I’m happy to report that the measures we have implemented have produced positive policy dividends,” he said.
nised by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
He further outlined several ongoing initiatives aimed at strengthening long-term resilience.
challenge,” he said. “And we are not stopping. We are expanding our support even
According to the president, at the end of 2024, Guyana recorded an inflation rate of two per cent, compared with the global average of 6.2 per cent. He added that the country’s efforts in tackling the cost of living have also been recog-
“As we speak, the government is also rolling out initiative to strengthen our food production system. We’re establishing the regional food hub, getting the energy plan completed to bring down your cost of electricity by half, the free university education, free textbook in the schools, expanding our school feeding programme. We are now finalising efforts that will bring more grants to vulnerable groups.”
Minister Croal emphasises importance of modern machinery at Caterpillar’s 100th anniversary celebrations
MINISTER of Housing, Hon. Collin Croal, joined Caterpillar district leaders, regional representatives, and industry partners to celebrate Caterpillar’s 100th Anniversary in Guyana, hosted by MACORP at the new Four Points by Shera-
ton Hotel on Wednesday evening.
Delivering an address under the theme “Building the Future Together: Sustainable Housing & Infrastructure”, the minister emphasised the value of public–private collaboration.
He noted that, “partners like MACORP and Caterpillar have been invaluable... your machinery, your expertise, your unwavering commitment... you are playing your part in strengthening Guyana’s infrastructure backbone”.
The minister highlighted the importance of modern equipment in national development, stating, “We cannot talk here about sustainable development without acknowledging of course the importance of modern, efficient, and environmentally
friendly equipment”.
He further acknowledged Macorp’s strong local support, noting it has ensured that Guyana has access not only to the equipment but to training, maintenance, and the technological support required to keep projects in the housing
sector moving forward.
Looking ahead, the Minister encouraged strengthened collaboration for further development.
The event also featured a special-edition machine marking Caterpillar’s century of innovation. (Ministry of Housing)
New support for parents of children living with disabilities
PARENTS of children living with disabilities across Guyana will soon benefit from special tax incentives and assistance from the government, which are designed to ease the financial strain they often face.
Speaking with residents in New Amsterdam at the Region Six cabinet outreach, the president said the new measures are being designed with one clear reality in mind -- supporting families.
“We are working out a
mechanism to give special tax incentives and special support for parents who have children living with disabilities, because we know sometimes at least one of our parents will have to stay home to take care of that child,” the
President told the gathering.
The new initiative forms part of the government’s broader push to ensure that every child, and every parent, receives the support they need to live with dignity.
“You have a government that is matching your love at a national scale, because we love everyone …and we want the best for everyone,”
President Ali underscored, as he noted that this is part of a national expression of love and responsibility.
ADDITIONAL SUPPORT FOR ELDERS AND PARENTS
The government will invest in secure childcare and elderly care facilities to ensure that both seniors and young professionals have access to safe, well-managed centres.
President Ali said the government will soon an-
nounce additional measures to help operators improve childcare and elderly care facilities, creating new business opportunities for the many individuals trained in these fields through the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security’s WIIN programme.
A subsidised system will be introduced to reduce the financial burden on parents, as the government will support childcare costs, so parents will not have to pay the full rate.
These were among several initiatives revealed by the president during his community outreach, which continues today (DPI)
Police probing circumstances of death of woman found at
CHANDINI ‘Savi’ Persaud, who was last seen alive on November 14, 2025, was discovered dead at the Stewartville Seawall, West Coast Demerara, on Sunday.
Police on Thursday said that ranks in Regional Division # 3 are investigating the circumstances surrounding her death.
According to the police, on Tuesday, November 18, 2025, a report was made to the Leonora Police Station that the 38-year-old Anna Catherina, West Coast Demerara resident had been missing since November 14, 2025.
On Sunday, ranks responded to a report of a body at the Stewartville Seawall, the police said.
On Thursday, November 20, 2025, a friend of the deceased visited the funeral home and positively identified the body as hers by means of a tattoo.
While no foul play is suspected, investigators are awaiting the results of the post-mortem examination.
The scene was processed, and the body, at the time unidentified, was transported to the Ezekiel Funeral Home to await identification and a post-mortem examination. No marks of violence were seen on the body.
Chandini Persaud, called ‘Savi’
Stewartville Seawall
Sanctions to be imposed on delinquent contractors, engineers in Region 6 - President Ali
–– singles out bridge projects in New Amsterdam
EMPHASISING that services must be efficiently delivered to the people, President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali on Thursday announced that the Ministry of Finance will sanction those contractors who are dragging their feet in the construction of bridges along the main New Amsterdam Road in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne).
While engaging residents of New Amsterdam and surrounding communities at the State House, President Ali made it clear that excuses are no longer acceptable.
Speaking on bridge projects along the main road, the President said that although the project is visibly lagging, punitive actions have not yet been imposed.
“I am astonished that liquidated damages are not yet applied…from my information so far, these contractors seem disinterested in completing the bridges,” the president said.
As a result, the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Finance and the procurement head have been instructed to ensure these specific contractors do not receive new projects until the bridges are completed.
The finance secretary has been instructed to determine whether engineers have been delinquent in managing the project, and if so, to take the necessary administrative action.
President Ali reminded the audience that the finance secretary has the authority to enforce administrative requirements. If engineers fail to meet those requirements, corrective actions will be taken.
“There is no excuse anymore. There cannot be excuses. We pay for services from the government, and those services must be delivered efficiently… there are not shortcuts to this” the president said.
The People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) is rolling out massive infra-
structural projects across the ten administrative regions, including the East Berbice-Corentyne region.
These include the construction of a US$604 million highway from Palmyra to Moleson Creek which will make commuting easier for thousands of residents.
Other major projects include a new Berbice River Bridge resembling the new Bharrat Jagdeo Demerara River Bridge, a new bridge across the Corentyne River and a massive industrialisation agenda.
The president is currently on a two-day outreach in Region Six with 47 community meetings planned for the period. He is accompanied by his cabinet ministers and other government officials.
As part of President Ali’s directive to his cabinet, the full government will engage with residents frequently across all regions so that all citizens can receive equitable service. (DPI)
President Dr Irfaan Ali addresses residents of New Amsterdam and the surrounding communities on Thursday
Regional trade, resilience key amid climate shocks
- CARICOM Secretary-General says
THE Caribbean Community (CARICOM)
Secretary-General, Dr Carla Barnett, on Thursday addressed the 61st Regular Meeting of the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED), underscoring the Community’s solidarity with Member States severely impact-
ed by Hurricane Melissa and reaffirming the Council’s critical role in advancing regional trade and economic resilience as the Region continues to experience climate-related shocks.
Dr Barnett expressed deep sympathy for the Governments and people of Jamaica and Haiti,
noting the tragic loss of life and widespread devastation caused by the record-breaking storm. She commended the swift and coordinated response of regional institutions, including the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA), the Caribbean Public Health Agency
CARICOM Secretary-General Dr Carla Barnett and COTED Chair Hon. Marconi Leal, Belize’s Minister of State for Foreign Trade
(CARPHA), private sector groups, and regional associations.
She highlighted the recent visit to Jamaica by four CARICOM Heads of Government as a tangible demonstration of regional solidarity and a catalyst for additional support.
“The experience leaves us in no doubt about the urgency of addressing the existential threats posed by climate change and the need to redouble our efforts to build resilience and foster sustainable development across our Region,” Dr Barnett stated. “Strengthening our trade and economic performance is a critical part of this and COTED must continue to play its important role in this regard.”
The meeting was chaired by the Honourable Marconi Leal, Minister of State for Foreign Trade, Belize. Minister Leal emphasised the central role of COTED in addressing issues of trade and economic development at the heart of the Community’s agenda.
“We are meeting amidst complex global geopolitical and domestic challenges that are testing the resilience of individual Member States and the Community at large,” Minister Leal noted. “The recent passage of Hurricane Melissa provided another stark reminder of the Region’s extreme vulnerability to climate change and natural disasters.”
Minister Leal highlighted the Council’s consideration of key CSME initiatives, including advancing the Free Movement of CARICOM nationals, implementation of the Community’s Industrial Policy and Strategy 2035 and support measures for the application of Article 164 of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas.
The 61st Meeting of COTED reaffirms CARICOM’s collective commitment to resilience, sustainable development, and the strengthening of regional trade and economic integration. (CARICOM)
COP30: Forests drive agricultural success, not conflict
- FAO-led report says protecting, restoring forests crucial to boosting climate-resilient agriculture, rural livelihoods, global food and water security
FORESTS are at the heart of COP30 discussions in the Brazilian Amazon city of Belém. But less is said about how forests provide a vital support system for agriculture. Promoting synergies between the two is therefore essential for sustainable agrifood system transformation in the face of climate change, according to a report released today at the 2025 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30) in Brazil.
Published jointly by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), the Stockholm Environment Institute, Conservation International, and the Nature Conservancy, Climate and ecosystem service benefits of forests and trees for agriculture underscores how the often-overlooked services provided by forests and trees can strengthen agrifood systems. The report calls for policies, investment and better management to turn this evidence into action.
The report draws on extensive research from around the world to demonstrate how forests moderate temperatures, sustain rainfall and regulate the water cycle, directly supporting crop productivity, stabilizing local climates and improving the health, safety and livelihoods of rural communities, while highlighting the consequences of deforestation on the world’s agrifood systems.
“Forests and trees are often seen as competing with farming for land, or being peripheral to agriculture, but conserving and restoring forests is in fact crucial to boosting agricultural productivity,” said FAO Forestry Director Zhimin Wu.
CLEAR UPSIDES OF FOREST CONSERVATION
The report underlines that forest loss has immediate and measurable effects on climate and agriculture.
In Brazil, for example, converting tropical forests to farmland has been shown to reduce evapotranspiration – the transfer of water from land to the atmosphere – by up to 30 per cent, driving up local temperatures and
disrupting rainfall patterns.
A recent study shows that agriculture in 155 countries relies on transboundary forests that traverse national borders for as much as 40 per cent of annual rainfall.
The report underscores that protecting forests is not just a local issue but a strategic global priority for stable food production.
The publication also emphasises that forests safeguard human health in a warming world. Clearing forests causes land surface temperatures to rise, often by several degrees across tropical regions, creating hotter microclimates where people live and work.
Temperature increase from tropical deforestation is estimated to have contributed to about 28,000 heat-related deaths annually between 2001 and 2020, according to a recent study cited in the report. In addition, rising temperatures in deforested areas between 2003 and 2018 have reduced safe working hours for as many as 2.8 million outdoor workers.
Conversely, the cooling benefits of standing forests reduce heat stress for crops and rural communities, safeguarding the health and boosting the productivity of rural workers by mitigating heat-related health risks.
INTEGRATED APPROACHES
ESSENTIAL
The report underlines that restoring just half of the world’s lost tropical forests could lower land surface temperatures by a full degree Celsius, helping to reinstate water cycles and climate regulation functions of forests and trees – vital for farming and water security.
It stresses the need for integrated approaches to strengthen climate resilience and food security, underscoring that forests and trees provide a range of other vital services such as pollination, biological pest control, nutrient cycling and erosion control, all of which help to enhance crop yields and sustain ecosystem health.
Incorporating forests and trees into agricultural systems as shelterbelts, riparian buffers and forest patches can
The report underscores how the oftenoverlooked services provided by forests and trees can strengthen agrifood systems
enhance resilience to climate variability and support agriculture production and resilience, the report explains. These are part of agrifood system solutions to climate adaptation and mitigation highlighted by FAO at the climate conference.
Finally, the report highlights the need to break down silos between sus -
tainable use of biodiversity, environment protection, agriculture, water resource management and public health, and calls for strategies and policies that recognize the close link between forests and agriculture to ensure the prosperity of farming communities and the health of the ecosystems they depend upon. (FAO)
Civilian deaths in Ukraine surge past last year’s toll as winter deepens crisis
MILLIONS in Ukraine have been left without heating, water or basic public services as winter temperatures plunge –and civilian deaths this year have already surpassed the total for 2024, the UN Security Council heard on Thursday.
“Ukrainian civilians
have continued to bear the brunt of the Russian Federation’s escalating aerial campaign,” said Kayoto Gotoh, Europe Director with the UN Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA). She briefed the Council against the backdrop of sustained missile and
drone strikes, including a barrage on Wednesday night that killed at least 25 people.
Despite the intensifying violence, Ms. Gotoh noted that the UN has supported more than six million people with electricity, heating, water and sanitation services.
She also highlighted last month’s breakthrough by the UN International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which secured agreement from both sides to reconnect the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant to the grid.
NO REGION SPARED
While most civilian casualties occur near the frontline, Russia’s growing use of long-range weapons is exposing more of the country to danger. Describing Wednesday’s assault as among the war’s “deadliest”, Ms. Gotoh said the western regions of Lviv and Ivano-Frankivsk were also struck. “No region of Ukraine is safe,” she warned.
Alarming casualty figures underscore the scale of the crisis. The number of civilians killed in Kyiv by the end of October was nearly four times higher than in all of 2024, and overall casualties nationwide have already exceeded last year’s count.
According to the UN human rights office (OHCHR), 14,534 civilians – including 745 children – have been killed since the war began.
Russia, too, is experiencing rising impacts from the conflict: Ukrainian drone strikes have reportedly killed 392 people,
including 22 children, according to Russian authorities. The UN has not been able to verify these figures.
UNDER STRAIN
Some 3.7 million Ukrainians remain displaced within the country and nearly six million are refugees, said Edem Wosornu, Director of Operations and Advocacy with the UN aid coordination office, OCHA.
This year alone, around 122,000 people have been newly uprooted, mainly from frontline areas.
Humanitarian workers continue to operate under constant threat from shelling, shifting battle lines and other security risks.
“We continue to urge the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure — including humanitarian and medical personnel and assets,” Ms. Wosornu said.
She warned that severe underfunding of the 2025 humanitarian response plan is already curtailing essential services, leaving 72,000 displaced people without adequate shelter, limiting specialised support for survivors of conflict-related sexual violence, and halting critical programmes for more than 600,000 women and girls. (UN)
Ukraine Humanitarian organisations support people affected by deadly overnight attacks in Ternopil in western Ukraine (UNOCHA photo)
Ubraj Narine quits PNCR
- says party was undermined from the inside, struggled
FORMER Mayor of Georgetown, Pandit Ubraj Narine, has tendered his resignation from the People’s National Congress Reform (PNC/R), citing careful reflection and a desire to part ways respectfully with immediate effect.
His departure comes as fresh political commentary warns of widening ideological cracks and internal sabotage within the opposition party. In a signed letter to PNCR Leader Aubrey Norton dated November 20, 2025, Narine expressed gratitude for his years of service but confirmed he was stepping away from the party’s political machinery.
“I write with respect and careful reflection to tender my resignation from the People’s National Congress Reform (PNC/R), with immediate effect,” he stated, adding that his political journey within the PNC/R provided him “invaluable experiences, meaningful relationships and opportunities to serve the people of Guyana with dedication and sincerity.”
Narine explained that although their political paths now diverge, he maintained his respect for the institution and its history, “We will continue to share a common commitment to peace, democracy, and the advancement of all Guyanese… I extend my best wishes to the Party as it continues the important work for Nation building.”
COLUMNIST WARNS OF EROSION OF BURNHAM’S LEGACY
However, on Wednesday, Narine in his column, Satya Prakash titled “Undermined from Inside: PNC/R Struggles to Uphold Burnham’s Legacy,” argued that the party is facing a slow but dangerous internal unravelling led by individuals who, he suggests, fundamentally diverge from the ideological principles of the organisation’s founder, Linden Forbes Burnham.
“Political parties do not collapse from the outside alone; very often, they weaken from within,” Prakash wrote, cautioning that the PNC/R is now confronted by a “troubling internal drift that many supporters at home and abroad can no longer ignore.”
He argued that dissent within the parliamentary PNC/R-led A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) benches has crossed the threshold of healthy democratic debate and is instead “a quiet erosion of the party’s historical identity and collective discipline.”
Narine was blunt about what he described as the infiltration of anti-Burnham elements into key political spaces, “It is no secret that some of these very parliamentarians were openly opposed to Burnham’s foundational policies… Others remained hostile to the APNU Coalition during the heated and defining 2020 elections.”
Yet, he noted, such individuals “continue to sit comfortably on the votes, trust, and loyalty of the PNCR’s base—votes they may not have earned but now benefit from.”
The column highlighted that the PNC/R’s strength was never
accidental, but built on “sacrifice, strategic discipline, and ideological clarity.” It warned that allowing individuals who “oppose or undermine the party’s core values to ascend without accountability” has weakened internal culture and diluted the party’s direction.
He argued that leadership must confront uncomfortable truths if the PNC/R is to reclaim relevance, “The deterioration of a great party is not inevitable. But reversing it requires courage, clarity, and a leadership willing to confront uncomfortable truths.”
“Guyana is changing rapidly; the PNC/R must decide whether it will rise to meet that moment—or allow its legacy to fade through internal sabotage and silence,” it warned.
‘BREAK THE HANDS’
Recently the party’s former chairman, Shurwayne Holder, who also served as parliamentarian from 2020-2025 and Veteran executive member Mervyn Williams resigned over the party’s internal struggles.
While neither Williams nor Holder offered specific reasons for their resignations, the Guyana Chronicle understands that the internal tension in the party grew after the announcement of businessman, Terrence Campbell, as the lead parliamentarian for the PNC/R-led A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) coalition.
APNU’s announcement of its 12 parliamentary picks sparked debate, as controversial Working People’s Alliance (WPA) figure Dr David Hinds also made the cut, while key figures such as former Chief Whip Christopher Jones; Attorney-at-Law, Roysdale Forde; former APNU+AFC minister, Annette Ferguson among others, were left out.
Dr Hinds, known for his provocative commentary on race and politics, has drawn ire for using terms like “lick bottom” to insult African Guyanese who support the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C).
APNU’s lead MP, businessman Campbell was the Alliance For Change’s (AFC)’s pick for presidential candidate had there been a new coalition ahead of the 2025 elections.
Campbell had said he would “break the hands” of Norton [make him concede to the terms] during the negotiations on a possible APNU+AFC coalition.
Just last year, Campbell publicly lambasted Norton’s leadership and declared the opposition coalition process “untenable.”
Aside from Campbell, the other APNU parliamentarians are Juretha Fernandes, Ganesh Mahipaul, Dr Hinds, Sharma Solomon, Vinceroy Jordan, Nima Flue-Bess, Saiku Andrews, Coretta McDonald, Riaz Rupnarain, Dexter Todd and Sherod Duncan.
The results of the September 1 2025 General and Regional Elections not only showed that APNU lost the elections to the PPP/C, but also lost a majority of its support base to political newcomer, We Invest in Nationhood (WIN).
The WIN party become the
to uphold Burnham’s legacy
main opposition with 16 seats to fill, based on the official results released by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM).
In the last parliament, the APNU and AFC held 31 seats in the National Assembly, forming the main parliamentary opposition, with 22 of those seats being held by APNU members.
Meanwhile, former APNU parliamentarian Amanza Walton-Desir’s party, Forward Guy-
ana Movement (FGM), picked up one seat at the 2025 elections.
Six political parties contested the polls this year, but the PPP/C’s strong showing across the 10 administrative regions has solidified its mandate to govern for an additional five years.
Based on the results, the PPP/C returned to office with a substantial parliamentary majority, having secured 36 of the 65 seats.
Former Mayor of Georgetown, Pandit Ubraj Narine
Seven-year sentence for woman who fatally stabbed mother of two
A 23-year-old woman, Shamirika Gibson, was on Wednesday sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment after appearing before Acting Chief Justice Navindra Singh at the High Court in Demerara.
She had previously pleaded guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter for the 2022 killing of 21-year-old mother of two, Carol Davidson.
Gibson, formerly of
North East La Penitence Squatting Area, Georgetown, was initially indicted for the capital offence of murder but accepted responsibility for manslaughter based on a statement of agreed facts presented to the court.
She was represented by attorney-at-law Madan Kissoon, while the prosecution team comprised State Counsel Simran Gajraj, State Counsel Christopher Bel -
field, and State Counsel Geneva Wills.
Before handing down the sentence, Chief Justice Singh considered several pre-sentencing reports, including probation findings, a prison conduct assessment, and a victim impact statement.
The court also ordered that the period Gibson spent on remand be deducted from the final sentence.
According to the facts,
the incident occurred on June 6, 2022, at East Ruimveldt Squatting Area, Georgetown, where Davidson was standing in a yard when approached by Gibson and her sister. During a confrontation, Gibson pulled a knife from her jacket and stabbed Davidson in the chest.
The young mother attempted to flee but collapsed at the back of the yard and later died.
A post-mortem examination later confirmed that she
serious circumstance” under which Davidson met her demise, submitting that Gibson’s actions “demonstrate a blatant disregard for life.”
Prosecutors noted that the injuries were “gruesome and delivered with great force” to penetrate her body and pierce her heart and emphasised the use of a dangerous weapon.
They also pointed to the impact of Davidson’s death on her family, particularly her two sons, ages 10 and
succumbed to a perforation of the heart caused by the stab wound.
During the investigation, Gibson gave a video-recorded statement explaining how she inflicted the fatal injury and later accompanied investigators to the scene.
In outlining aggravating factors, the prosecution highlighted “the nature and
eight, and argued that the sentence should “serve as a deterrent” given the prevalence of unlawful killings in the Guyanese society.
The prison conduct report showed that while incarcerated, Gibson completed courses in culinary arts, anger management, sewing, women’s empowerment, and cosmetology.
Prison officials described her as well-behaved and “always open to correction.”
In her statement, Gibson expressed remorse, offering “heartfelt apologies” to Davidson’s relatives and stated that she wished she could “go back in time to correct her mistakes.”
She pleaded for a chance to change and contribute meaningfully to society.
In determining the sentence, Justice Singh started at 18 years, deducting six years for Gibson’s early guilty plea, four years for favourable reports, three years for her remorse, and two years for her youthfulness.
He then added four years to reflect the impact of Davidson’s death on her family, arriving at a final term of seven years’ imprisonment, from which time spent in pre-trial custody will be deducted by the Guyana Prison Service (GPS).
Shamirika Gibson (left) and Carol Davidson
Chief Justice (ag) Navindra Singh
GO-Invest leads Guyanese delegation in Europe
GUYANA’S push to become a regional trade and logistics hub has taken another major step forward, with the Guyana Office for Investment (GO-Invest) now leading a high-level investment mission to Europe, even as work accelerates on plans for a Berbice deep-water port and a wider network of modern port facilities across the country.
Chief Investment Officer and Head of GO-Invest, Peter Ramsaroop, is heading what has been described as “a ground-breaking investment
— as Guyana advances Berbice deep-water port, modern port network
would set the blueprint for one of the country’s most critical infrastructural projects, aimed at expanding shipping capacity, lowering freight costs and positioning Guyana “as a major trade and logistics hub, connecting South America and the Caribbean.”
The Berbice deep-water port is being designed to anchor a wider logistics ecosystem, including integrated rail or road infrastructure, once final assessments on economic viability and return on investmen are completed. It will also support the development of
mission to Europe” from 20–28 November, 2025, bringing together senior public officials and key private-sector players from Guyana and the wider Caribbean.
The EU-funded mission will see the delegation visiting some of Europe’s most advanced ports and logistics hubs in France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Spain, including Marseille, Antwerp-Bruges, Rotterdam and Málaga.
Over eight days, the team will examine port operations, governance structures, digital logistics systems and agro-processing value chains, while holding talks with EU policymakers, port authorities, logistics operators and academic institutions.
According to GO-Invest, the visit is “offering Guyanese stakeholders an unprecedented opportunity to study leading European ports, logistics systems and agro-processing operations” and adapt practical models that can strengthen Guyana’s own emerging port and logistics architecture.
SUPPORTING ALI’S DEEP-WATER PORT VISION IN BERBICE
The mission comes at a pivotal moment as President, Dr Irfaan Ali has already signalled that a comprehensive feasibility study for the
Guyana’s second gas project, which is to be built in Berbice.
Crucially, the President has stressed that Guyanese businesses must sit at the centre of this transformation.
Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI), the Private Sector Commission, the CARICOM Private Sector Organisation (CPSO), Vreeden-Hoop Shorebase Inc. (VEHSI), Crane Guyana Inc., Guyana Port Inc., Western Logistics Guyana, Banks DIH Ltd., Demerara Distillers Ltd. (DDL), UMAMI Inc. and other local firms.
Select participants from Antigua, Barbados, and St Vincent and the Grenadines, along with EU Delegation officials and technical specialists from FIAP, are also part of the mission, which is being coordinated under the Caribbean-EU Cooperation Facility.
The delegation will engage with European experts on port governance, cold-chain management, clustering, agro-innovation and market access, including through exchanges with institutions such as Wageningen University and specialised research centres in Spain. The mission is expected to deliver both short-term and long-term dividends.
GO-Invest says the programme is designed to generate “practical insights into port governance and logistics efficiency, potential partnerships and investment opportunities” and to shape actionable pilot projects that can boost Guyana’s export competitiveness and domestic processing capacity.
These efforts merge with the na-
“We’ve made it very clear that our local operators must have an important stake in the project, in its totality,” President Ali had explained, noting that local companies are already mobilising financing to take advantage of the opportunity.
PUBLIC–PRIVATE TEAM IN EUROPE
The delegation meets with France’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and private-sector partners, including
Speaking at the Shipping Association of Guyana’s networking and business mixer at the Marriott Hotel in July, President Ali had said the study
Reflecting that focus on local participation, the EU study mission brings together a strong mix of state agencies and private companies.
Ramsaroop is being accompanied by Senior Director of Investment at GO-Invest, John Edghill and representatives of the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD), the National
aimed at enhancing riverain trade, supporting hinterland communities and strengthening domestic supply chains.
In Berbice, local port operators Muneshwers Limited and John Fernandes Limited, through their joint venture Cranes Guyana Inc., are set to invest over US$285 million in a modern port facility at Blairmont, West Coast Berbice.
The companies are in the process of finalising financing with investors
for the first phase of the project, which is expected to dovetail with the emerging deep-water port framework and the broader Berbice industrial build-out.
For government and private stakeholders alike, the European mission is not a sightseeing tour but a targeted exercise in institution-building.
Officials say the practical lessons drawn from European ports, ranging from digitalised logistics systems and governance models to agro-processing
clusters and cold-chain logistics, will inform the design, regulation and operation of Guyana’s own ports and logistics corridors.
The initiative is also aligned with Team Europe’s Global Gateway Investment Agenda, which seeks to deepen economic linkages between the EU and the Caribbean through strategic infrastructure, green and digital investments and stronger value-chain integration.
tional development platform advanced by President Ali, including commitments made at the recent Berbice Development Summit.
There, the Head of State identified the Berbice deep-water port as a flagship undertaking to expand maritime capacity, improve logistics performance and create a modern gateway linking Guyana more effectively with regional and international markets.
That deep-water port will complement a series of other connectivity projects already in train, such as the new bridge across the Corentyne River to Suriname, the upgrading and extension of the Linden–Lethem Road and other strategic corridors designed to knit Guyana into continental and regional supply chains.
NEW PORTS AT PARIKA, CHARITY AND BLAIRMONT
Beyond Berbice, government and private-sector investments are reshaping Guyana’s wider port footprint.
The government is currently transforming the Parika Stelling into a modern international port facility, with works expected to accelerate in the coming months.
Once completed, the $4.5 billion Parika port will allow Guyanese exporters to move goods more efficiently into Caribbean markets, while also providing berthing for cruise liners and cargo ships and offering new options for passenger and luxury travel.
At Charity, Region Two, a new $880 million multi-purpose wharf and port facility is also under construction,
Berbice Deep-water Port is currently underway, led by global engineering firm Bechtel and jointly financed by the Government of Guyana and Hess Corporation.
Delegation representatives during the EU study mission
A sketch of a deep-water harbour for Nigeria
AIRBUS
GCB commends MCY&S on ‘remarkable’ sport awards ceremony
THE Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) commended the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport (MCY&S) for hosting a truly remarkable awards ceremony in honour of our outstanding athletes of 2024.
In a recent statement, the GCB said, “The evening was nothing short of inspirational—a touching celebration filled with pride, gratitude, and the vibrant energy that reflects the very soul of Guyanese sport.
As the Ministry’s first official Black-Tie event,
the ceremony carried an added sense of elegance and prestige that beautifully showcased the respect and admiration our athletes so richly deserve.”
The Gala evening, highlighted by the National Sports Commission’s announcement of nominees across every sporting discipline, was a powerful reminder of the dedication, sacrifice, and passion that fuel sporting excellence in Guyana.
It was a night where administrators, performers, and
champions were recognised for their tireless efforts and extraordinary achievements.
Under the astute and visionary leadership of Honourable Minister Charles Ramson Jnr, the MCY&S continues to raise the bar with every initiative undertaken.
We are confident that with the addition of Minister Steven Jacobs, the Ministry will be even more empowered to reach greater heights and inspire even more success.
The GCB also wishes to express heartfelt com -
mendation to the National Sports Commission for its unwavering commitment and steadfast service to the sports fraternity across the nation. Your dedication continues to strengthen the foundation on which our young athletes and sporting communities thrive. Finally, the GCB extends warmest congratulations to all award recipients. May this recognition fuel your passion, strengthen your resolve, and open the doors to even greater achievements in the years ahead.
Islamic Solidarity Games... Phillips and Smith miss out in 200 metres, - Baird captures 4th in javelin
KENISHA Phillips had to settle 4th place in the women’s 200-metre heat on Thursday in Saudi Arabia after stopping the clock in a time 24.18 at the Islamic Solidarity Games.
Her country-mate Keliza Smith, who took bronze in the 100-metre final earlier in the competition also missed qualification to the semis.
She ran a 24.02 second time to finish third, narrowly missing out the next round.
Meanwhile on Wednesday, Guyanese Leslain Baird put in a solid effort but hand to settle for fourth place in
the Javelin throw.
Baird had a best attempt of 72.26 metres while the gold medal winner Arshad Nadeem of Pakistan’s best throw was 83.05 metres.
In the Women’s 400-metre, national record holder Aliyah Abrams had a bad start to her final run and never recovered to finish sixth.
Olympian Abrams who has a personal best of 50.20 seconds, the national record, finished in a modest 53.76 far off her season best time of 51.36 which would have given her 1st place.
The race was won by
CRICKET QUIZ CORNER
Answers to yesterday’s quiz: (1) NZ won by 7 runs (2) Daryl Mitchell (NZ) Today’s Quiz: (1) When did the WI & NZ first play a Test match against each other? (2) Who were the captains involved? Answers in tomorrow’s issue (Friday November 21, 2025)
In the 4X100m relay, Guyana was fifth place in
and Nigeria.
ENGLISH RACING TIPS ASCOT 08:15 hrs Luriko 08:50 hrs Doctor Blue 09:25 hrs Lucky Place 10:00 hrs Lord Baddesley 10:35 hrs Fortune De Mer 11:10 hrs Safe Destination 11:45 hrs Saint Jeannais
CHEPSTOW 08:24 hrs Le Frimeur
08:59 hrs Lasko Des Obeaux 09:34 hrs Petty Cash 10:09 hrs Lundi Noir 10:44 hrs Diamond Dealer 11:19 hrs Reinado 11:54 hrs No Walkover
SOUTHWELL
12:30 hrs Bin Agwad
13:00 hrs Golden Pharoah
13:30 hrs Star Of Mali
14:00 hrs Angel Gabriel
14:30 hrs Bellagio Man
15:00 hrs Kingsclere
15:30 hrs Caliban
16:00
FAIRYHOUSE 08:00 hrs Dippedlnmoonlight 08:31 hrs River Vale 09:06 hrs Tareze 09:42 hrs Duffys Hodey 10:16 hrs Con’s Rock 10:51 hrs Themanintheanorak 11:26
Bahrain’s Salwa Naser in 51.59 seconds for gold.
39.89 second with Saudi Arabia winning gold in 39.19 second followed by Oman
Sammy backs Reifer amid calls to sack him
CMC – DESPITE calls for West Indies batting coach
Floyd Reifer to be replaced, head coach Daren Sammy has thrown his full support behind the Barbadian, saying he still believes he is the right man for the job.
Reifer’s job has come under intense scrutiny in recent months following a failure by the regional team’s batters to consistently score runs.
It was brought to the fore when the Windies were routed for 27 by Australia in the third and final Test in July, the second lowest total in Test history.
That performance led to Cricket West Indies (CWI) holding an emergency meeting to discuss the future of West Indies cricket.
The 53-year-old Reifer has held a continuous role as an assistant coach for the West Indies since 2023.
Speaking during a virtual press conference hosted by CWI on Thursday, Sammy was asked if he still had confidence in Reifer as the
team’s batting coach. And while the head coach admitted that the team’s batters were not as consistent as they ought to be, he said he still believed in Reifer’s ability to get the job done.
“I have seen Floyd Reifer work tirelessly every single
ExxonMobil Guyana Futsal quarterfinals set to ignite Retrieve...
a message: the throne is still theirs. Expect a tight, fiercely competitive battle.
In the final match of the evening, Hard-knocks will lock horns with Young Gunners at 23:00 hours.
This fascinating quarterfinal is a classic clash of styles: resilience and experience versus youthful exuberance.
Hardknocks have shown they can absorb pressure and grind out results, relying on seasoned players who understand the basics of the sport. They are tough, disciplined, and difficult to score against.
They will need every ounce of that resilience against the Young Gunners. As their name suggests, the Gunners are fast, energetic, and thrive on constant movement and pressure. They will look to exploit Hardknocks’ age and tire them out early. If Hardknocks can control the tempo and impose a slower, more physical game, they advance. If the Young Gunners can turn the match into a back and forth contest, the
advantage swings their way.
The stakes couldn’t be higher. Tonight, four teams will ascend to semi-final glory, while four campaigns end abruptly in the dust of the Retrieve Tarmac.
The winner of the event will pocket $1,500,000, while the eventual second, third, and fourth place finishers will receive $750,000, $350,000, and $200,000, respectively, and the corresponding accolades. On the individual level, the eventual Most Valuable Player will ride away with a motorcycle. It was also disclosed that a $300,000 economic grant will be awarded to a player or fan to aid their academic development. Each team must put forward a candidate for the aforesaid scholarship.
Quarterfinal Fixtures
20:00hrs: DC Ballers vs. Figgy FC
21:00hrs: Silver Bullets vs. Bombers
22:00hrs: YMCA vs. Salah Family
23:00hrs: Young Gunners vs. Hard-knocks
day at training. The effort he puts, the attention he puts to detail to try to get our guys ready.
“He has had little days of
joy, just like me. His days of joy as a batting coach have been few and far between, but we understand our jobs as coaches. It’s a performance
driven job that we rely heavily on player performance and even when player performance comes, it’s not really attributed to the work of the coaches,” Sammy said.
“But I see a man that is dedicated, preparing guys every single day.”
Sammy pointed to Reifer’s involvement in the development of batsmen such as Keacy Carty and Sherfane Rutherford, who was named in the 2024 ICC Men’s ODI Team of the Year after scoring an impressive 425 runs in nine matches at an average of 106.2.
“I saw Floyd work with Rutherford endlessly, and Keacy Carty, and started working on areas pertaining to their roles and how they wanted to play.
“And what I saw from Carty and what I saw from Rutherford during that year 2024, when Rutherford made
the ODI Team of the Year, and I never heard not one time the work that Floyd did with those players,” Sammy maintained.
“Every single member of my staff takes their job very seriously and puts in the work. We do understand that even though we put in the work, it takes our guys to go out and execute. And when for us we watch games like this tour in New Zealand and see that every single game we’ve been in a position to win and when those last moments in the game where we have to make critical decisions under pressure, we falter.
“I say all of this to say that I believe in Floyd, I believe in [all my staff] and my players and we will continue to do all that we can so that our players can be glorified when they do well,” he added.
From page 27
West Indies Batting Coach Floyd Reifer
CWI name Test squad for Test series against New Zealand
- Roach recalled, Imlach & Chanderpaul included
CRICKET West Indies (CWI) has announced its 15-member squad for the December 1-21, three-test series against New Zealand in Christchurch, Wellington and Mount Maunganui.
With Shamar Joseph and Alzarri Joseph both rehabilitating from injuries sustained earlier this year, and therefore forced to miss this series, veteran fast bowler Kemar Roach has been recalled, bolstering an inexperienced fast-bowling unit featuring maiden call-up, Ojay Shields.
The Guyanese pair of wicket-keeper Tevin Imalch and left-handed open Tagenarine Chanderpaul are also a part of the Test Squad.
Shields and Roach were among several players to have recently completed a rigorous two-week
high-performance camp in Antigua, in preparation for the highly anticipated series where playing surfaces are expected to be conducive to pace-bowling.
Kavem Hodge makes his return to the regional squad on the back of his previous success against pace, while Khary Pierre has been excluded with spin-bowling not expected to have a major impact over the three-match series.
CWI’s Director of Cricket, Miles Bascombe, spoke to focused preparation for the tour and the intentional efforts to ensure that this squad is one of the best-prepared groups for an away tour to New Zealand.
“New Zealand has traditionally been one of the toughest places for any touring side, which is why strong emphasis has been placed
Mushfiqur, Litton, bowlers put Bangladesh on top
(ESPNCRICINFO) - IRELAND lost five wickets for 98 in reply to 476 to put Bangladesh in a strong position on the second day of the Dhaka Test. The day started with Mushfiqur Rahim reaching his century in his 100th Test, before the Bangladesh spinners got into their groove.
Hasan Murad took two wickets, while Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Taijul Islam picked up one each so far. Ireland’s debutant Stephen Doheny and Lorcan Tucker were the unbeaten batters, on 2 and 11 respectively.
When Ireland bowled earlier in the day, Andy McBrine completed his second
on targeted preparation. The recent high-performance camp here in Antigua was designed to replicate, as closely as possible, the conditions we expect to face, particularly the pace-friendly surfaces.”
“That level of intentional preparation, combined with the advantage of several squad members already in New Zealand for the white-ball portion of the tour gaining valuable time to acclimate, means this group goes into this series as well-prepared as any West Indies squad to tour there in recent years.”
Those traveling from the Caribbean joined the rest of the squad already in New Zealand on November 20, giving them considerable time to become acclimatised and take part in a two-day warm-up match against a New Zealand XI
in Lincoln, Christchurch.
The series forms part of the 2025-2027 ICC World Test Championship and will be the West Indies’ final fixture for 2025.
West Indies Test Squad to New Zealand: Roston Chase (Captain), Jomel Warrican (Vice- Captain), Alick Athanaze, John Campbell, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Justin Greaves, Kavem Hodge, Shai Hope, Tevin Imlach, Brandon King, Johann Layne, Anderson Phillip, Kemar Roach, Jayden Seales, Ojay Shields.
Team Management Unit (TMU) Head Coach: Daren Sammy, Manager: Rawl Lewis, Assistant Coach (Batting): Floyd Reifer, Assistant Coach (Bowling): Ravi Rampaul, Assistant Coach (Field-
ing): Rayon Griffith, Physiotherapist: Dr Denis Byam, Mental Skills/Performance Coach: Krisnan Hurdle, Strength & Conditioning Coach: Darc Browne, Massage Therapist: Fitzbert Alleyne, Performance Analyst: Avenesh Seetaram, Content & Media Officer: Jerome Foster
Schedule:
Two-Day Warm-Up Match: November 25-26, Lincoln, Christchurch
1st Test: 1-5 December 2025Hagley Oval, Christchurch at 6pm AST/5pm in Jamaica
2nd Test: 9-13 December 2025 - Basin Reserve, Wellington at 6pm AST/5pm in Jamaica
3rd Test: 17-21 December 2025 - Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui at 6pm AST/5pm in Jamaica
six-wicket haul in Tests, both having come at the Shere Bangla National Stadium. Matthew Humphreys and Gavin Hoey took two wickets each, making it the first instance of Ireland’s spinners taking all ten wickets in a Test innings.
Paul Stirling’s string of boundaries, including a slogswept six off Taiju lslam, got Ireland off to a positive start. But he fell lbw to Khaled Ahmed for 27. Captain Andy
Balbirnie was next to go, when Murad had him caught at slip for 21. Cade Carmichael became Miraz’s first victim when he fell lbw, camping on his backfoot to play the shot.
Murad then bowled the ball of the day, his arm-ball sneaking past Curtis Campher’s defensive push. Taijul Islam then got into the act with Harry Tector’s wicket, as the batter went back to a slightly good length delivery,
only to be trapped lbw for 14.
Bangladesh’s 476 was built around centuries from Mushfiqur and Litton Das. Mushfiqur became the eleventh batter to score a century in his 100th Test. He completed his 13th century when he took a single off the ninth ball of the second day after being unbeaten on 99 overnight.
Mushfiqur though lasted for a short while longer before Humphreys had him
caught at second slip for 106. Litton too got to his century later in the first session, taking an adventurous route with a six and a four through the nineties. He added 123 runs for the sixth wicket, making it three century stands in a row.
McBrine rounded off the Bangladesh innings after trapping Khaled Ahmed lbw, with 30 minutes remaining in the second session.
Mehidy Hasan Miraz celebrates after getting rid of Cade Carmichael • BCB
Bent Street/VP Futsal...
Team Spirit eliminates defending champion Gold is Money
- Bent St A, Sparta Boss advance to quarterfinals
A NEW champion will be crowned in the Bent Street/ VP ‘Champion of Champions’ Futsal Cup as debutant Team Spirit eliminated holders Gold is Money 3-0 at the National Gymnasium, Mandela Avenue.
Team Spirit was led by the trio of Solomon Austin, Deon Alfred, and Cecil Jackman, who scored in the 24th, 26th, and 29th minutes, respectively.
Meanwhile, Sparta Boss overcame Corinthians 4-2. Nicholas MacArthur recorded a double in the eighth and 14th minutes, while Job Caesar tallied a brace in the 24th and 27th. For Corinthians, Wellington Dos Santos recorded a double in the fourth and 12th minutes.
On the other hand, Bent St A dismissed Gaza Squad by a 4-1 score-line. Back Circle mauled YMCA of Linden
7-0. Martin King recorded a hat-trick in the second, fifth, and 26th minutes, while Sigmund Cobena, Simeon Moore, Daren Benjamin, and Ravin Naughton scored in the 17th, 20th, 24th, and 25th minutes apiece.
Similarly, Bent St B crushed Stabroek Ballers 3-0. Orin Moore, Antonio MacArthur, and Shane James scored in the 18th, 28th, and 30th minutes apiece.
Family edged North East La Penitence 4-1 on penalty kicks after regulation time ended 3-3. Earlier in the match, Devon Padmore bagged a double for Family in the 19th and 27th minutes, while Steffon Ramsay scored in the 30th. For North East, Calvin Moore, Shemar Sampson, and Akil Plass netted in the 16th, 28th, and 29th minutes, respectively.
In other results, Melanie
edged Make it Happen 1-0 while Wash Bay Boys needled Festival City 3-2.
The winner of the event will receive $1,000,000 and the championship trophy, while the second, third, and fourth-place finishers will pocket $500,000, $300,000, and $200,000, respectively, and the corresponding accolade. The event will also feature a women’s and youth segment which will commence at the semifinal round of the main draw. $150,000 will be given to the winner of the women’s section, while $100,000 will be awarded to the victor of the youth division. Both second-place finishers will receive $50,000.
Below is the complete list of results and quarterfinal fixtures.
Complete Results Game-1
Make it Happen-0 vs. Mel-
anie-1
Game-2
Festival City-2 vs. Wash Bay Boys-3 Game-3
Family-3 vs. North East La Penitence-3
Family won 4-1 on penalty kicks
Family scorers
Devon Padmore-19th and 27th
Steffon Ramsay-30th
North East scorers
Calvin Moore-16th
Shemar Sampson-28th
Akil Plass-29th
Game-4
Bent St B-3 vs. Stabroek
Ballers-0
Orin Moore-18th
Antonio MacArthur-28th
Shane James-30th
Game-5
Back Circle-7 vs. YMCA-0
Martin King-2nd, 5th, and 26th
Sigmund Cobena-17th
Simeon Moore-20th
Daren Benjamin-24th
Ravin Naughton-25th
Game-6
Sparta Boss-4 vs. Corinthians-2
Nicholas MacArthur-8th and 14th
Job Caesar-24th and 27th
Corinthians scorers
Wellington Dos Santos-4th and 12th
Game-7
Bent St A-4 vs. Gaza Squad-1 Game-8
Gold is Money-0 vs. Team Spirit-3
Solomon Austin-24th
Deon Alfred-26th
Cecil Jackman-29th
Quarterfinals Fixtures
20:00hrs: Bent St B vs. Melanie
21:00hrs: Back Circle vs. Family
22:00hrs: Bent St A vs. Wash Bay Boys
23:00hrs: Sparta Boss vs. Team Spirit
ExxonMobil Guyana Futsal quarterfinals set to ignite Retrieve Tarmac this evening
THE temperature is set to rise dramatically tonight at the Retrieve Tarmac in Linden as the ExxonMobil Guyana Futsal Championship narrows down to the elite eight.
With the coveted semi-final spots on the line, the four quarterfinal clashes promise high-octane action, tactical grit, and the stark reality of elimination.
The night commences with DC Ballers battling Figgy FC at 20:00 hours. While perhaps lacking the high-profile narrative of the other matches, this encounter is expected to be characterised by pure desire and desperation.
DC Ballers have demonstrated incredible teamwork to reach this stage, focusing on distributing the offensive load across the squad. Figgy FC, conversely, seems to be
nerves. The team that commits fewer errors and capitalises on set pieces will find
themselves in the ‘final four.’
In the second fixture, Silver Bullets will take aim at Bombers at 21:00 hours.
Bombers have lived up to their aggressive moniker, scoring freely and dominating possession. However, they face a Silver Bullets side renowned for their clinical finishing and disciplined counter-attack. The Bullets rarely waste opportunities, demonstrating an efficiency that can punish the slightest defensive lapse.
The key here will be midfield control. Can the Bombers’ relentless attack break down the Bullets’ tactical discipline, or will the Bullets patiently wait for their moment to execute their decisive strikes?
YMCA has played with the controlled intensity expected of a title-holder, managing the pace and utilising their deep bench effectively through the group stages. However, the playoffs are a different beast. Salah Family, perhaps the dark horse of the tournament, relies heavily on individual brilliance and quick transitions, mirroring the attacking flair of their namesake.
If Salah Family can disrupt YMCA’s meticulous defensive structure early, we could witness the possible crowning of new eventual winner. For the champions, this match is less about winning and more about sending TURN TO PAGE 25
Meanwhile, the third match at 22:00 hours will pit defending champion YMCA against the Salah Family which could easily be viewed as the marquee encounter of the evening.
CWI name Test squad for Test series against New Zealand
- Roach recalled, Imlach & Chanderpaul included
Tevin Imlach
Tagenarine Chanderpaul