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GDF, Florida National Guard strengthen search and rescue capabilities 10 PAGE

President Ali urges Guyanese to reject 03 hatred, division in Youman Nabi message PAGE

Construction of the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security’s new $189M Juvenile Justice Processing Centre is moving full speed ahead. Minister Vindhya Persaud inspected works recently at the facility, located along the Eccles to Ogle Highway. The centre will provide a supportive space for young people who may be having problems with the law, giving them the opportunity to reset, rebuild and move forward through counselling, mentorship, faith-based support and positive guidance. The facility is all about helping young people make better choices and get back on the right track (MHSSS photos)

Digital gold exchange among plans to modernise Guyana’s gold industry –– platform expected to facilitate real-time transactions as sector embraces technology

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Tourism policy to be VPAC slams WIN-APNU 12 completed by year-end talks as meeting fails to PAGE

–– 55 consultations held across Guyana, with indigenous communities among key stakeholders in policy development

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Guyana-Suriname Ferry Service Guyana must avoid Dutch remains suspended as 13 disease by using oil as a 04 officials pursue resumption catalyst for growth - Dr Gossai PAGE

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produce joint statement

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Wednesday, August 26, 2026

President Ali urges Guyanese to reject hatred, division in Youman Nabi message PRESIDENT Dr Irfaan Ali has called on Guyanese to draw on the teachings and example of the Holy Prophet Mohamed to foster greater compassion, justice, peace and unity, particularly in the wake of the recent MV Barima tragedy. In a Youman Nabi message, President Ali extended greetings to Guyanese at home and in the diaspora, with particular recognition of the country’s Muslim community, while urging citizens to reflect on the values associated with the life and legacy of the Prophet. He highlighted faith, humility, mercy, compassion, forgiveness, patience, truth, justice, unity and peace among the enduring values taught by the Prophet, stressing the importance of communities remaining sensitive to the suffering of others. The President said the message carries particular significance at a time when Guyana has recently been touched by profound tragedy.

President Dr Irfaan Ali (centre, front row) takes part in a prayer. “Those words are of particular resonance for Guyana at a time when our nation has recently been touched by profound tragedy. In the hush of sorrow, let our differences fade like mist before the sun; let our compassion rise like a tide; let our shared humanity

become our shelter and our strength,” the Head of State said. According to President Ali, the teachings of the Prophet provide guidance on how societies should respond during difficult moments by seeking truth without fury, pursuing justice

without malice and correcting what is broken without vengeance. “The Prophet’s life also teaches us that, while we may grieve deeply, grief must not become despair, sorrow must not become hatred, and tragedy must never become a chisel of division,

nor a spark for suspicion, nor a seed for strife.” President Ali urged Guyanese to mourn and comfort one another collectively, while resisting divisions that could turn neighbours against each other. He said tragedy should not become a wedge that

separates Guyanese, but rather a bridge that brings the nation closer together. The President called for the spirit of Youman Nabi to illuminate Guyana with faith and compassion, justice without vengeance, truth without hatred and togetherness beyond differences. “On this Youman Nabi, therefore, let us draw from the example of the Holy Prophet. Peace and blessings be upon him. [Let us find] the courage to seek truth, the wisdom to pursue justice, and the humanity to embrace those who suffer. Let us mourn together, comfort one another, and stand together,” he said, adding: “Let neighbour not turn against neighbour, nor grief against grief. Let tragedy become not a wedge that separates us, but a bridge that brings us closer. May the spirit of Youman Nabi illuminate Guyana with faith and compassion, justice without vengeance, truth without hatred, and togetherness beyond our differences.”

Minister Bharrat leads Guyana delegation at UNCCD COP17 in Mongolia MINISTER of Natural Resources Vickram Bharrat is representing Guyana at the 17th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD COP17) in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, where global efforts to strengthen drought resilience and combat land degradation are taking centre stage. COP17, being held from August 17 to 28 under the theme “Restoring Land. Restoring Hope,” is focusing on desertification, land degradation and measures to build resilience to drought. Minister Bharrat participated in yesterday’s Ministerial Dialogue on drought resilience, where he highlighted the need for countries to move beyond emergency responses and strengthen

Minister of Natural Resources Vickram Bharrat is representing Guyana at the 17th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD COP17) in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, where global efforts to strengthen drought resilience and combat land degradation are taking centre stage

their capacity to withstand drought before it develops into a crisis. “Climate change alters rainfall patterns and intensifies climatic extremes. Our task is not simply to respond when drought occurs. Our task is to build resilience before drought becomes a crisis,” Bharrat said. He said Guyana’s approach to resilience recognises the interconnectedness of water, land, forests, biodiversity, agriculture and communities. Bharrat pointed to Guyana’s Low Carbon Development Strategy 2030 as a key component of the country’s integrated approach to sustainable development, which he said has been advanced under the leadership of President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali. The Natural Resources Minister is scheduled to par-

ticipate in a Ministerial Panel on August 26 as part of Land and People Day at COP17. The panel, titled “From Summits to the Floodplains: Connecting Ecosystems and Livelihoods,” will examine the links between ecosystem management, land restoration and the livelihoods of communities. Also accompanying Bharrat in Mongolia is Commissioner of the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission Enrique Monize. Guyana’s participation at COP17 comes as countries seek stronger international cooperation and practical measures to address the growing threats posed by drought, land degradation and climate change while promoting sustainable land management and resilient communities.

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Wednesday, August 26, 2026

Guyana must avoid Dutch disease by using oil as a catalyst for growth - Dr Gossai

GUYANA’S greatest challenge is not producing oil, but ensuring its petroleum wealth does not leave the country vulnerable to Dutch disease, according to Senior Petroleum Coordinator at the Ministry of Natural Resources, Dr Bobby Gossai Jnr.

Speaking on the Energy Perspectives podcast recently, Gossai said the Government’s economic strategy is focused on preventing the country from becoming overly dependent on hydrocarbons by aggressively expanding the non-oil economy.

Senior Petroleum Coordinator at the Ministry of Natural Resources, Dr Bobby Gossai Jnr. “The non-oil sector is where we are putting our efforts into,” he said, adding that Government programmes are designed to ensure Guyana is not “susceptible to Dutch disease”. Dutch disease is an economic phenomenon in which a booming natural resource sector drives growth while weakening other industries, making the broader economy increasingly dependent on a single commodity. For him, avoiding that outcome requires treating oil as a means to an end rather than the destination itself. “Whilst we’re getting a lot from oil, oil is not the end product.”

Instead, he said, petroleum revenues should finance the transformation of Guyana’s wider economy. “The hydrocarbon sector is not what we will depend on. It is the catalyst. It is the sector that will give us the momentum, the drive and the resources to be able to expand.” The Senior Petroleum Coordinator said that expansion is already being directed towards sectors including agriculture, tourism, housing, infrastructure, manufacturing and information and communications technology, as well as emerging industries such as the blue economy, orange economy and artificial intelligence.

His remarks come as Guyana continues to experience one of the world’s fastest-growing economies, fuelled by offshore oil production that has risen from first oil in December 2019 to more than 900,000 barrels per day by the end of 2025. Guyana’s oil production is set to exceed 1 million barrels per day following the recent arrival of the Errea Wittu floating production vessel, which adds 250,000 barrels of daily capacity to the country’s existing offshore operations. While the petroleum sector has generated unprecedented revenues, Gossai argued that the real measure of success will be whether Guyana builds productive industries that can outlast its finite oil reserves. He said, “We will use it as the pillar of growth and development.” He also pointed to the International Monetary Fund’s preliminary Article IV assessment, noting that it recognised the Government’s efforts to strengthen the non-oil economy while managing petroleum revenues responsibly. According to him, prudent management remains essential because oil markets are inherently unpredictable. “The oil and gas sector is a very volatile industry,” he said, referencing the collapse in oil prices during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and the impact geopolitical events can have on global

energy markets. Beyond fiscal management, he identified natural gas development as Guyana’s greatest economic opportunity over the next decade, describing it as the bridge between petroleum production and industrialisation. He said the government’s gas-to-energy project is intended to deliver cheaper, more reliable electricity while laying the foundation for downstream industries including gas bottling, ammonia and urea production, petrochemicals and advanced manufacturing. “We are effectively looking to develop our energy industry that can take us into industrialisation,” Gossai said. That industrial push, he added, could allow Guyana to manufacture products it currently imports and eventually compete in regional and international markets. Despite his central role in Guyana’s petroleum sector, the Senior Petroleum Coordinator named agriculture as the industry outside oil that excites him most, describing it as vital to the country’s long-term resilience. Ultimately, he said, Guyana’s petroleum era will only be judged a success if oil wealth creates a diversified economy rather than a permanent dependence on hydrocarbons. “The hydrocarbon sector is not what we will depend on,” Gossai reiterated. “It is the catalyst.”

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Wednesday, August 26, 2026

Minister Croal visits MV Barima survivors, bereaved families in Region One

MINISTER of Housing and Parliamentary Representative for Region One, Collin Croal, has visited survivors of the MV Barima tragedy and families who lost loved ones, as the Government continues efforts to provide support following the maritime disaster. Croal, who was recently in Mabaruma, met with affected families in Imbotero, Smith Creek, White Water, Hotoquai and Aruka Mouth as part of President Dr Irfaan Ali’s commitment to maintaining ongoing engagement with those impacted by the tragedy. During the visits, Croal provided survi-

Minister of Housing and Parliamentary Representative for Region One, Collin Croal, visited survivors of the MV Barima tragedy and families who lost loved ones, as the Government continues efforts to provide support following the maritime disaster

vors and bereaved relatives with information on the activation of the HEART (Hope, Empathy, Aid, Resilience and Trust) initiative, whose team is expected to be in Mabaruma in the new week to provide further

assistance. The ministerial outreach comes as various government agencies and other stakeholders continue to support affected communities, with Croal emphasising the importance of direct

engagement to ensure that assistance outlined by the President reaches families. Croal was accompanied by Regional Chair-

man Brentnol Ashley and Deputy Mayor of Mabaruma Leanne Persaud during the visits. The MV Barima sank on July 18, re-

sulting in multiple fatalities and leaving survivors and families across Region One grappling with the aftermath of the tragedy.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, August 26, 2026

No statement but a clear message

MONDAY’S meeting between Aubrey

whose only possible resolution sits inside the

This is a party with a demonstrated

out, accurately, that his own party was left

Norton and Azruddin Mohamed was

opposition itself, as no foreign mission can

appetite for loud, evidence-free grievance

off the new Local Government Commission

never going to solve much, and Guyanese

decide who represents WIN, APNU or the

the moment GECOM is involved. If Norton

while Mohamed found room for a smaller

who’ve watched this opposition limp along

Forward Guyana Movement at GECOM;

and APNU were genuinely the obstacle

ally. Those aren’t the complaints of a man

all year were right not to expect it.

only the men who met on Monday can.

here, does anyone believe we would not

manufacturing conflict. They are the com-

already have heard about it, repeatedly, and

plaints of a man documenting one.

Harder to shrug off is the promised joint

Now that they have actually sat in a room

statement that never arrived, and a deadline

together, that urgency has gone quiet, along

that passed in total silence.

with any interest in telling the public what,

No postponement. No acknowledgment

if anything, was resolved.

at volume?

Don not wait for a joint statement. A joint

Norton, notably, has nothing to gain from

statement requires two sides who trust each

a stalemate and no natural home for blame

other enough to agree on a shared account of

to land on him.

reality, and trust is precisely what WIN has

that talks had stalled. Nothing. When two po-

Somebody is being unreasonable. Either

litical leaders can’t manage a joint sentence

Norton is refusing to budge on GECOM

He lost the title of Leader of the Oppo-

spent the past year burning through, bypass-

explaining why they couldn’t manage a joint

representation and scrutineers for no good

sition when WIN overtook APNU last year,

ing Norton to petition the President directly,

statement, that is the message.

reason, or Mohamed is manufacturing a

and with it, most of the incentive to be seen

freezing APNU out of local government ap-

crisis he has no intention of ever letting

sabotaging talks he no longer leads.

pointments, and treating its coalition partner

It’s worth remembering how we got here. It was Mohamed, not Norton, who took the

anyone settle.

His position on the commissioners —

with a disdain it has, more than once, been

GECOM impasse over the opposition’s own

Guyanese have enough evidence to make

that no vacancies exist, and that security

accused of misrepresenting on the official

commissioners and scrutineers outside the

an educated guess which. This is, after all, a

of tenure exists precisely to keep GECOM

record.

country altogether, briefing diplomats and

WIN leadership that spent the weeks after its

out of the reach of shifting parliamentary

An opposition that cannot honestly

international observers with real urgency

own election loss insisting, without a shred

alliances — is a constitutional argument,

describe its own breakdown to the people

about a crisis he insisted threatened Guy-

of evidence beyond a GECOM website hic-

not a tantrum.

who elected it has no business asking those

ana’s democratic calendar.

cup, that it had actually won outright and had

That was a strange way to treat a dispute

been cheated out of the presidency.

He says he engaged in good faith on appointments and was rebuffed, and points

people to believe it could ever govern them.

The President’s response and the intellectual decline of public discourse

Dear Editor,

WHEN one examines the ongoing debate regarding recent comments made by President Irfaan Ali in response to a question about the rising cost of living, it becomes painfully obvious that public discourse in Guyana continues to lose nuance, context and analytical depth at an alarming rate. This is what the President was asked by Demerara Waves journalist Denis Chabrol at his August 18 press conference: “What more can government do to assist with the rising cost of living?”. President Ali’s response was multipronged, touching on high energy costs, imported inflation, and the main point of contention, a change in consumer behaviour. The President pointed to three observable changes in consumer behaviour: First, that more Guyanese are choosing to shop at supermarkets as opposed to farmers’ markets;

second, that more Guyanese are now eating out more frequently; and third, that there is a change in diet, a claim supported by consumption data. These were his words: “But, we have also changed our eating pattern in the country, and that is something we [the government] have to address. More persons today are shopping in the supermarket than were shopping in the supermarket four years ago. So that’s a cultural issue that has come upon us [the government] that needs to be addressed. The same person who was buying sweet potato and cassava and plantain in the market are now buying it in the supermarket; and they [the supermarkets] have a whole different margin of profit because, of course, they have higher overheads – the AC and shopping in that environment, sometimes rental and so on – so that is another issue, the changing shopping pattern, the changing eating pattern.” What followed was a coordinated cam-

paign, by public personalities supported by sections of the media, to deliberately misconstrue those words to suggest that Guyanese were ‘living above their means’ by shopping at supermarkets and eating out often. Kaieteur News, for example, in its August 21, 2026 edition, misquoted the President in its headline, which read: ‘Change your eating habits’ - Pres. Ali blames citizens’ lifestyle for rising cost of living. At no point did the President say, explicitly or implicitly, that Guyanese ought to change their buying or eating habits as a measure to reduce cost of living. But social media provided fertile ground for this idea to germinate and proliferate. Even Red Thread, in an August 24 statement, jumped at the opportunity to rebuke the President for telling Guyanese, “where to shop” and, ironically, urging the Head of State to “first get his facts right”. What was lost upon Red Thread and those

who participated in the spreading of misinformation was the President’s commitment to having his government – and not consumers - “address” the issue of higher cost which is a consequence of changes in consumer behaviour. This involves government redesigning aspects of the choice environment so that affordable options become more accessible without dictating what consumers must choose. How do we know this? Because the President said so in his response to the journalist: “And then of course we have the issue of the exorbitant profit lines that the retailers are charging, or the add on. So, the farmers, when you go to the wholesale market, the farmers are saying look, we’re selling plantain at X dollars, but when it gets to the [retail] market it’s 10X. So, we [government] may need to look See page 7

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, August 26, 2026

Cost of Living: Government has done its part, now we must do ours Dear Editor,

THERE is understandable public concern about the cost of living. This is not a new topic but has been a hot one in every country since 2020. In developed and developing countries, governments are battling with this issue. In Guyana, our government has been very proactive in tackling this problem through demand-side and supply-side policies. Indeed, almost every conceivable policy option available has been deployed by the government to address the cost-of-living issue. By now, we should all be aware that the government removed taxes on essential items, supplies, and equipment used by farmers, as well as fuel, a key input in every sector, including agriculture. You will also recall that independent agencies such as the IDB and IMF commended the government for implementing these tax-reduction measures, which were deployed alongside a raft of other measures to boost disposable income. However, not everyone is totally pleased with the outcome of the policies. This is evident from the continuous public outcry.

As a responsible leader, President Ali and his government have not only expanded the policy toolkit but have also signalled their intention to implement other innovative measures to address this issue. His actions suggest that the President is continuously working and not pretending that the ‘cost of living problem’ has been resolved to the satisfaction of every citizen. His proposal to establish farmers’ markets across Guyana is especially important. When implemented, we should see a dramatic reduction in food prices, especially for foods grown at home. This is because the middlemen in the value chain add a significant markup to the farm-gate prices they pay farmers for their produce. While allowing farmers to receive better prices, this solution will also provide significant ease for consumers. From his public pronouncements, it is also evident that President Ali intends to go beyond retail markets. President Ali has consistently encouraged farmers to scale up their activities so they can improve efficiency and lower prices for locally grown food. His government is also helping

The President’s response..

From page 6

at the creation of farmers’ markets across the country, as a permanent part of our buying ecosystem so that farmers have direct access to the market.” This proposed policy intervention in the market, if pursued, would not be an attempt to reverse consumer behaviour; but rather to redesign the choice environment within which those behaviours have emerged to make more affordable alternatives more accessible and attractive. The President’s observation of the changes in consumer behaviour was

therefore diagnostic to inform policymaking. He was simply saying that the way Guyanese buy and consume food has changed over the last four years and this change has implications for cost of living, which is why his government must examine and address it by intervening in the market to bring relief to citizens. That in the age of technological and intellectual advancement this simple point was lost on so many is of profound concern. Yours respectfully, Ravin Singh

farmers increase output by providing equipment, technical support, and other interventions (e.g., fertiliser, shade houses, etc.). In the near future, the SME Development Bank will also provide farmers with affordable financing so they can form clusters that allow them to benefit from economies of scale and lower production costs. These initiatives will certainly translate into lower food prices in the medium and long term. While these solutions will not provide immediate benefits, they will deliver a food production system that makes food more affordable and accessible. In the medium to long term, they will

also address the underlying causes of high food prices. In the meantime, it is reasonable for citizens to consider how their own spending choices affect their household budgets. The government has a duty to create the conditions under which the private sector can produce affordable food. Consumers, however, also retain some control over where and how they spend. If they make rational decisions, they can enjoy significant relief in the short-term. Thus, where a household can choose between a highpriced imported product and a comparable locally produced alternative, choosing

the lower-cost option may stretch that household budget. Similarly, where fresh produce is available at a traditional market or farmers’ market at a lower price than in a supermarket, it is sensible to compare prices and choose the cheaper option. Likewise, preparing meals at home can be more economical than regularly purchasing restaurant or takeaway food. This is not an argument that every household has unlimited choices, or that government should not respond decisively to cost of living issues. But the advice from the President for households to spend prudently is not an insult to the public; it is practical and

commonsensical advice that every household is expected to understand when managing limited resources. The public debate, therefore, should be less about manufactured outrage and more about practical solutions. While government must continue to curb the cost of living through various fiscal and monetary policies, citizens, where possible, should compare prices, support local produce, and make choices that maximise value for their money. This is not controversial. It is common sense. Regards, Kevin Persaud

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, August 26, 2026

President Ali, food choices, and the elephant in the room

Dear Editor,

PRESIDENT Ali’s recent comment encouraging citizens to cook their own meals instead of buying restaurant food – and the meme reactions it provoked – is a useful occasion to clarify two ideas that get conflated in almost every Guyanese debate about the cost of living. One is cost of living, and the other is the rate of inflation. Once the two are explained, several of the criticisms directed at the President turn out to be less devastating than they first appear, although a more serious problem remains, which has nothing to do about restaurants. Inflation is a rate of change

(percentage) of all prices in the economy. It measures how fast the general price level is rising over some period, usually a year. In contrast, cost of living is a level or amount of money a household needs to spend to maintain a given living standard. This spending occurs at the economy’s prevailing prices for things such as housing, transportation, entertainment and food. Inflation typically raises the cost of living, since a higher price level means more money is required to buy the same basket of goods. Deflation works in the opposite direction. It lowers, by definition, the cost of living given that prices are falling. But deflation is rarely a free gift. It usually comes at the high cost of cyclical unem-

ployment and social problems, as falling prices squeeze profit margins, discourage investment, and push firms to lay off workers. No serious policy maker recommends deflation as a policy to reduce the cost of living. Therefore, the policy question is never really “how do we get deflation,” but rather how to manage the pace of price increases and the pace of income growth so that the two move together.

OTHER PRESIDENTS HAVE TRIED TO SHAPE CONSUMPTION It is worth remembering that President Ali is far from the first head of state to publicly nudge citizens toward one kind of spending over another. Guyana’s late President Forbes Burnham built an entire “buy local” ethic into national policy during the 1970s and 1980s. Subsequent Guyanese leaders have made similar calls or some version of that appeal. Prime Minister Modi’s “Vocal for Local” campaign has, for several years now, urged Indians to favour domestically made goods over imports. President Jimmy Carter’s 1977 “sweater speech,” delivered in a cardigan beside a fireplace, asked Americans to turn down their thermostats to conserve energy during a natural gas shortage. His predecessor Gerald Ford had tried something similar in 1974 with the “Whip Inflation Now” (WIN) campaign, urging households to consume less as a way of fighting inflation. None of these appeals were coercive, and none of them were treated, at the time or since, as an attempt to shift blame for a country’s price level onto its citizens. In that context, President Ali’s suggestion that households can economise by cooking more and eating out less is not an unusual or illegitimate thing for a president to say. THE PRICE OF SUCCESS Still, there is a structural wrinkle that deserves more attention than it has received. In a rapidly growing, oil-financed economy, the labour force is being drawn more fully into full-time wage employment, while female labour force participation tends to increase sharply during this phase of development. As more household members enter paid work, the time available for home production, including cooking, shrinks. Households increasingly substitute a restaurant meal or pre-cooked food for home-cooked meals in order to optimise their remaining time for leisure – especially single- and dual-working parents. This means the “eat at home instead” suggestion collides with a genuine constraint of limited time. Rising incomes are themselves boosting private demand across Guyana, quite apart from any government programme. When that income-driven demand growth is combined with the government’s own massive fiscal footprint – financed by oil revenue and a rapidly expanding public investment programme – the collective effect places significant pressure on prices, particularly for prices of non-tradable services such as rent, entertainment, legal services, local transport, and others. Some readers might recall that I have consistently argued for over a decade that Guyana’s coastal ecology diminishes the productivity of physical capital, causing a slow response in the construction of classic non-tradable goods such as roads, houses and general buildings. The increase in prices comes from the fact that the economy cannot expand this domestic non-tradable production as fast as the demand is rising. Put differently, this is the price of success. An economy growing at the pace of Guyana’s non-oil growth rate will generate cost-of-living pressure almost as a byproduct of the growth itself. Pretending otherwise does not help us to address the elephant in the room. WHAT THE GOVERNMENT HAS DONE, AND WHAT IT SHOULD DO NEXT To be fair to the Ali administration, it has not been passive when it comes to price increases. Zero-rated VAT on key food items and household necessities has been in place since Budget 2021. VAT has also been removed on fertilisers, agro-chemicals, pesticides, and farm machinery, directly lowering production costs for farmers. Freight charges have been benchmarked to pre-pandemic levels for tax purposes since 2021. The government has noted that these measures have saved consumers tens of billions of dollars. Excise duty on gasoline and diesel has been removed. Electricity and water charges have had VAT stripped out, and water costs were cut outright.

The president’s proposal to build out farmers’ markets across the country is, on its own economic merits, a good one. Cutting out layers of intermediation between farm gate and consumer is one of the more reliable ways to narrow the gap between what a farmer receives and what a shopper pays. I would go further, though, and suggest the government also explores a proper food buffer stock system, one that combines a smart mix of imported staples with local farm and poultry produce. A well-designed buffer stock can smooth out seasonal and weather-driven supply shocks in a way that a farmers’ market alone cannot, since farmers’ markets still leave prices exposed to a bad harvest or a shipping disruption. Guyana’s massive oil revenues provide it a rare fiscal capacity to build and maintain such a system, and it would complement rather than replace the farmers’ market idea. WHAT IS GENUINELY BEYOND THE GOVERNMENT’S CONTROL Some of the current price pressure has nothing to do with Guyana. The unwinding of globalisation, the reshoring of supply chains, and the tariff wars launched under the Trump administration have all raised the landed cost of imported goods and inputs across the world. As a classic small open economy, Guyana is a price taker in the international markets. There is very little that any administration can do about the underlying global price of a container of fertiliser or a barrel of imported wheat, beyond what has already been tried through freight benchmarking and VAT relief. The Iran war has made this exposure concrete rather than abstract. Roughly a third of the world’s seaborne fertiliser trade, and close to half of globally traded urea, moves through the Strait of Hormuz, and commercial shipping through that route has been severely disrupted since the war began in late February 2026. Urea prices in the United States jumped by roughly 30 per cent in the war’s opening weeks, and some nitrogen fertiliser prices have since risen even further, with knock-on effects for the sulphur and phosphate inputs used to produce compound fertilisers elsewhere. The International Food Policy Research Institute has warned that a prolonged conflict could weigh on planting decisions and yields well into the next crop cycle. None of this is a Guyanese policy failure. It is an imported cost shock, transmitted through the same fertiliser and agro-chemical inputs the government has already tried to cushion through VAT removal, and it belongs squarely in the “beyond our control” category alongside the broader unwinding of globalisation. If anything, it strengthens the case for a buffer stock system, since it is a way of absorbing an external shock that no Guyanese food choice, home-cooked or otherwise, had anything to do with creating. THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM Another serious problem is domestic, not global, and it concerns the financing of the fiscal expansion itself. My own research with Dr Collin Constantine has argued that spending oil money, as such, is not inherently inflationary and/or produces a Dutch-disease effect, since that spending expands the economy’s productive and import capacity and therefore increases the supply of goods and services available to meet demand. The trouble arises when part of the fiscal expansion is financed in a way that expands the domestic money supply beyond what the growth in non-oil GDP and imports can absorb. This financing has to do with the monetisation of the deficit rather than simply spending oil revenue from the Natural Resource Fund. That monetary channel is what worsens inflation and the cost of living beyond what oil-financed spending alone would produce, and it is also what likely generates the recurring excess demand for foreign exchange that periodically strains the Guyana dollar. A well-run buffer stock, financed properly and stocked with a sensible mix of imported and local food, would ease some of this pressure by increasing the supply of goods on the market. But it cannot substitute for getting the financing of the fiscal expansion right. In a small open economy, Milton Friedman’s old warning still holds – there is no such thing as a free lunch, whether that lunch is eaten at a restaurant or cooked at home. Yours truly Professor Tarron Khemraj

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Wednesday, August 26, 2026

I believe Melinda Janki is a very ignorant person I RECEIVED a video clip of an interview with Melinda Janki. And believe me I have not heard such abysmal ignorance in decades while living in Guyana. It is not only Ms. Janki that is ignorant but the interviewer that selected her. If you are going to have a discussion on the oil economy in Guyana, then you need to interview specialist economists. Ms. Janki is not an economist and has no training in political theory yet went on to discuss political theory, in which her opinions were highly atrocious. Ms. Janki rejected the President’s statement that the government is giving support to infrastructure and economic transformation. Ms Janki said that was not the role of government, but rather that the government’s job was to take care of the people. There and then the interviewer should have stopped Ms. Janki and asked her to explain what is meant by the government taking care of the people. It is when you apply political theory to that statement that you see the shortcomings of Ms. Janki. She went on to say that governments should not make business decisions. Which world has Ms. Janki been living in for the past 50 years? Which books has Ms. Janki read? Which countries has Ms. Janki studied? Two phenomenal countries that economists and political theorists must study, simply because they are global phenomena, are Singapore and China.

In both countries, their economies became massively successful because the government in each country made business decisions that shaped the economy. Any person who gives an interview in 2026 and says that governments do not make business decisions should not partake in civilised debate. The government of every petro-nation in the Arab Gulf has made business decisions that have made them rich and continue to do so. The State of New York owns the subway system. For over 80 years the Government of France owned and administered Air France. In Kerala and West Bengal, two of several federal states in India have owned and operated successful state businesses. Ms Janki went on to tell her interviewer that the government should keep out of business and let the market decide. She added that the people will decide on the economy. Can you believe this lady’s mediocrity? The people decide after they vote and in voting they choose people who have different policy directions. The people of New York City chose a socialist mayor. They want such a politician to make business decisions, and the mayor is embarking on cityowned grocery stores. The governments of the European Union have been making business decisions even when the WTO forbids such directions. Since the formation of the WTO, the EU has been violating WTO rules by its business decision

to subsidise its farmers. President Irfaan Ali’s pathway is one of government support for infrastructure and economic transformation – the very role of government that Janki rejects. Those two policies of President Ali were enunciated long before the general election of 2025. Ali contested that election and increased the incumbent’s seat by three. That role of government is what the electorate accepted, thus Ali won re-election. She said the people will decide on the economy. How do they do that? By meeting at a public rally and decide that they want the government to keep out of the oil industry. Do they do that by

meeting at the National Park and advise the government to give each citizen two million dollars? And even if they do that, then you have to gauge the percentage of the turnout as against the numbers that make up the population. Five UG students formed a group named “We The People.” What percentage is five out of a UG student population of 6000 and the country’s population of one million? The people decide on the economic policy, government spending education, housing projects, infrastruc-

ture, sports development and foreign policy by voting for a party that includes those priorities in its manifesto. When that party wins, the people have decided. What is so complex about this process that Janki doesn’t understand? Janki told her interviewer to let the market decide. I thought it was the people that decide if they want a market economy or a socialist government. In New York, they chose a socialist Mayor. Finally, I complete this column still bewildered by Janki’s statement that the

role of government is to take care of the people. Can someone who is a fan of Janki ask her to describe and enumerate what a government does when it takes care of the people? I doubt Janki can undertake that task. Ignorance would stand in her way. 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.

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Wednesday, August 26, 2026

GDF, Florida National Guard strengthen search and rescue capabilities

THE Guyana Defence Force (GDF) has strengthened its search and rescue (SAR) capabilities following a five-day Subject Matter Expert Exchange with members of the Florida National Guard’s 3rd Battalion, 20th Special Forces Group. The exchange brought together 33 GDF personnel from units across the Force and five members of the Florida National Guard, with training focused on SAR planning, command and control, mission execution and

the operational judgement required during complex rescue missions. The programme combined classroom instruction with practical field exercises covering mission planning, incident command, Tactical Combat Casualty Care, specialised equipment handling and SAR techniques. Participants were required to apply the procedures under simulated operational conditions, testing their ability to manage casualties, coordinate rescue teams and make critical de-

cisions under pressure. According to the GDF, the exchange also strengthened military cooperation and interoperability between the two forces through the sharing of operational knowledge, established practices and techniques. The training was designed to improve the GDF’s ability to conduct coordinated SAR missions involving multiple personnel, specialised equipment and operational elements. The Force said such capabilities are particularly

The exchange brought together 33 members of the GDF from units across the Force and five members of the Florida National Guard important given Guyana’s diverse operating environment, which requires personnel to respond to emergencies across jungle, riverine, mar-

itime and remote areas. The exchange forms part of ongoing efforts to enhance the GDF’s readiness to respond swiftly and

effectively to emergencies and to protect lives and support communities when disasters or other incidents occur.

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Wednesday, August 26, 2026

Tourism policy to be completed by year-end - 55 consultations held across Guyana, with indigenous communities among key stakeholders in policy development

GUYANA’S National Tourism Policy is expected to be completed by the end of this year, with the Government seeking to establish a framework for sustainable tourism growth as the country records increases in visitor arrivals and works towards its target of one million visitors by 2030. The policy is being developed in collaboration with the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change and is intended to provide a comprehensive framework for tourism development and promotion, supported by a strategic action plan. Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce Susan Rodrigues said the policy will examine several areas of tourism, including eco and sustainable tourism, sports tourism, cruise tourism and the emerging Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) sector. Speaking on the sidelines of a recent event, Rodrigues said the policy is being carefully crafted to ensure that the benefits of tourism extend beyond visitors to the communities and workers who support the industry. “At the end of the day, this is all about promoting Destination Guyana. It is about ensuring that every visitor who comes, even a domestic visitor, every visitor who comes leaves a better person than they came, leaves with a better understanding of tourism and hospitality, and leaves with a deep appreciation for the workers in this sector,” she said. Rodrigues said Guyana has reached a point where it can establish a comprehensive national policy to guide the sector. “We can now talk about creating the National Tourism Policy, which we are working with Tony Blair Institute to create, that will be completed before the end of this year, and explores all types of tourism that is important to Guyana, including eco

and sustainable tourism, sports tourism, cruise tourism, and the emerging opportunities in MICE tourism,” she said. 55 CONSULTATIONS Consultations have been a major component of the policy development process, with 55 engagements held across the country so far. Rodrigues said the consultations have in-

transportation, cultural experiences, craft production and other services. Indigenous communities explore opportunities Rodrigues said discussions with indigenous leaders have also extended beyond the tourism policy itself, with communities being encouraged to develop projects that could benefit from financing opportunities through

Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce Susan Rodrigues

volved a broad range of stakeholders, including tourism operators, indigenous leaders, Toshaos, tourism committees and community groups in areas where tourism contributes significantly to local economic activity. “So far, we have had 55 consultations that have been held across the country, including in the Rupununi,” she said. She said the engagements included Visit Rupununi, Toshaos and tourism committees and groups in Regions One, Two, Six, Seven and Nine. “They have met different groups and different tourism committees from those regions, which includes, of course, indigenous leaders,” Rodrigues said. The inclusion of indigenous communities is particularly significant as the Government seeks to expand economic opportunities in hinterland areas, where tourism can provide income through accommodation, guiding,

the proposed Guyana Development Bank. During the recent National Toshao Conference, she said Toshaos and senior councillors were informed about the bank and encouraged to identify projects that could contribute to the economic development of their communities. “We asked them to come up with projects for which we can fund almost immediately that would help their community to grow,” Rodrigues said. She said communities were encouraged to consider opportunities beyond traditional investments, including tourism, manufacturing and smallscale agro-processing. “Before the end of the one week at the conference, we had dozens of proposals that we consider viable for several communities, indigenous communities across the country, which we will be taking a closer look at,” she said. The proposals, accord-

ing to Rodrigues, demonstrate growing interest among indigenous communities in diversifying their economic activities and developing sustainable sources of income.

As work continues towards completion of the National Tourism Policy, the Government’s stated objective is to strengthen Guyana’s position as a tour-

ism destination while ensuring that the sector’s expansion creates meaningful opportunities for the communities and people who contribute to its development.

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Wednesday, August 26, 2026

VPAC slams WIN-APNU talks as meeting fails to produce joint statement

FOLLOWING a meeting between the We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) movement and A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), the Voice of the People’s Alliance for Change (VPAC) has criticised the two Opposition groupings for failing to reach agreement on a joint statement. VPAC representative Dorwain Bess said that, after a year of disagreements, the expectation was that the two sides would sit down, resolve their differences and begin demonstrating

meaningful cooperation in the national interest. “After a year of disagreement, the bare minimum expectation was that the two major Opposition parties would sit down, hammer out their differences and begin delivering results. Instead, we got another process for discussing the process,” Bess wrote. Bess argued that members of the delegations are elected representatives who are paid from the public purse and have a responsibility to deliver results for the people they represent.

“If WIN and APNU cannot agree on something as basic as a joint statement, how are Guyanese expected to believe they are ready for meaningful Opposition cooperation, shared governance or the difficult negotiations required to move this country forward?” he questioned. He said Guyanese elected their representatives to work together where the national interest demands it, rather than spend time negotiating whether cooperation is possible. The comments follow

a meeting between WIN Leader Azruddin Mohamed and APNU Leader Aubrey Norton, which the parties described as cordial and amicable. Bess questioned how the two groupings could be expected to undertake more difficult negotiations on Opposition cooperation or shared governance if they could not reach agreement on what he considered a basic joint statement. “After just one hour face-to-face, they could not even agree on a joint statement. Instead, Guyanese

were told they must now await further consultations, a framework and possibly an MOU on how the two parties will work together. We can and must do better, and VPAC will continue to demand it from our elected leaders,” Bess said. He added that the failure to produce a joint statement raises questions about whether the parties are prepared for the level of negotiation, compromise and cooperation required for any meaningful political arrangement between them.

VPAC representative Dorwain Bess

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Wednesday, August 26, 2026

Guyana-Suriname Ferry Service remains suspended as officials pursue resumption

THE Guyana-Suriname Ferry Service remains suspended as authorities from both countries continue efforts to resolve a dispute over the operational requirements of the M.V. Canawaima, with the Government of Guyana exploring alternative vessels to restore the service. The Government said on Tuesday that officials from Guyana and Suriname have remained in constant and daily contact since the suspension began, as efforts continue to have the ferry service resume as soon as possible. According to the Govern-

ment, two technical inspections of the M.V. Canawaima were conducted in recent days by maritime experts from both countries. The experts concluded that the vessel could remain in operation until it enters drydock within the next three months. However, despite the

technical assurances, which were provided in writing, the Maritime Authority of Suriname (MAS) has insisted that certain matters that would ordinarily be addressed during drydocking be undertaken immediately. The Government said it supports the safe travel of members of the public and considers safety a priority, while acknowledging the inconvenience caused to persons who depend on the ferry service. As part of efforts to address the disruption, Guyana had proposed an alternative vessel to operate the route, but that proposal was reject-

ed by MAS. The Government is now seeking to put forward another alternative vessel to the Surinamese authorities, while simultaneously continuing discussions with MAS to determine whether the existing service can resume, even on a short-term basis. The Government also reminded travellers that immigration services remain available to persons using small boats to travel between

Guyana and Suriname. Persons travelling to Suriname by small boat are required to report to the Immigration Office at the Moleson Creek Terminal for processing before departure. Upon arrival in Suriname, they must report to the Immigration Office in New Nickerie. Travellers departing Suriname are likewise required to report to the respective immigration offices for im-

migration processing. The Government said it is continuing to pursue all available options to restore the ferry service and assured the public that “everything possible” is being done to have operations resume as soon as possible. It also thanked members of the public for their patience and understanding and apologised for the inconvenience caused by the suspension.

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Wednesday, August 26, 2026

Education investments paying off – Parag

- as more students excel at CSEC, CAPE - points to rise in top-performing students and improved results at government and hinterland schools MINISTER of Education Sonia Parag says the improved performance recorded at this year’s Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC)

and Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) examinations is evidence that the Government’s continued investment in education is yield-

ing results. In a video message posted to the Ministry of Education’s social media pages, Parag highlighted the increase in students achieving 12 or

more Grade Ones, noting that the number rose from 59 last year to 78 this year. “And as we were going through the results, I was pleasantly surprised because we moved from those who would have achieved 12 Grade Ones and more from the number 59 to 78, and I was very, very proud of that fact,” the minister said. According to Parag, the improvement reflects the impact of investments aimed at expanding access to education and strengthening the country’s education infrastructure. She pointed specifically to the construction of new schools in communities where educational facilities were previously unavailable, as well as efforts to bring education closer to students in hinterland, rural, remote and riverine communities. “It means that all of the investment that we’ve been making as a government in education, building schools where there were no schools, giving access to education to students who previously would not have had the benefit of having access so close to their communities, such as the hinterland, rural or

Minister of Education, Sonia Parag

remote areas, riverine areas as well,” Parag said. The minister said the impact of these investments was particularly evident in the performance of students from hinterland communities and schools that had historically struggled to achieve stronger examination results. As such, she described the improvement at those institutions as “drastic”, noting that a number of schools that had not previously performed at a certain level recorded significantly better outcomes this year. “Of course, you still have our national schools that are doing very well:

Queen’s College, the Bishop’s High, Saint Stanislaus College, Saint Rose’s, Saint Joseph, along with the private schools,” Parag said. However, she stressed that the latest results also demonstrated that outstanding academic performance is increasingly being seen across government schools. Further to this, the minister indicated that the majority of schools producing strong performances and outstanding students this year were government institutions, with only one exception. “So that in itself tells you that the investment has been working,” Parag said.

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Wednesday, August 26, 2026

Digital gold exchange among plans to modernise Guyana’s gold industry - platform expected to facilitate real-time transactions as sector embraces technology

Technical Consultant at the Ministry of Natural Resources, Dominic Gaskin

GUYANA is looking to establish a digital gold trading exchange as part of a broader strategy to modernise the country’s gold and jewellery industry and position the sector for greater domestic and international activity. This is according to Technical Consultant at the Ministry of Natural Resources Dominic Gaskin, who said the proposed exchange is among several strategic initiatives being pursued under a comprehensive development strategy aimed at transforming the industry into a modern, technology-driven sector. During an appearance on the Starting Point podcast, Gaskin said the digital exchange would require significant improvements to Guyana’s information and communications technology (ICT) and financial services infrastructure. He explained that the proposed platform is expected to facilitate a large volume of transactions in real time, requiring the country’s existing systems to be assessed and strengthened where necessary. “We need, for instance, one of the strategic initiatives is a digital trading exchange, a digital gold trading exchange,” Gaskin said. He noted that professional consultants in ICT and finance would be required to determine the specific infrastructure needed to make the

initiative functional, adding that the existing financial system would have to be capable of supporting potentially hundreds of transactions in real time. “I don’t know if the current financial infrastructure we have can facilitate that. I’m hoping it can, but that has to be done,” he said. Against this backdrop, he stated that the proposed exchange forms part of a wider effort to move Guyana’s gold and jewellery sector away from traditional methods and towards greater efficiency, productivity and technological integration. According to Gaskin, the overarching strategy seeks a structural transformation of the industry, including increased investment, production, sales and exports. The digital trading platform is also expected to support the broader ambition of making Guyana a recognised gold and jewellery hub by 2030 under the El Dorado Reimagined national brand. However, Gaskin stressed that the digital exchange cannot be developed in isolation, pointing to financial services as one of several critical areas that must improve if Guyana is to compete with established international gold and jewellery centres. He also identified security and logistics as major requirements, particularly given the high value of gold and jewellery being traded and transported.

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Wednesday, August 26, 2026

Called to Serve: Michael Gouveia’s journey through healthcare, faith and service

WHAT does a healthcare administrator really do? For Michael Gouveia, Coordinator of Indigenous People’s Communities of the Department of Regional Health Services of the Ministry of Health, the answer goes far beyond paperwork, meetings and spreadsheets. His responsibilities, he explains, start at the bottom of a healthcare facility and

end at its roof, and everything in between. When he visits a facility, the assessment can begin outside the facility, taking into account its fence, bridge, compound and lighting and security systems. The emphasis inside is on waiting areas, access to water and washrooms, patient comfort, examination rooms, wards, privacy, infectious diseases, handling, pharmacies,

kitchens, laundry and other aspects of service delivery. “If the grass is tall, we’re worried. We worry when the pharmacy shelves are not well stocked. “We worry if diabetic patients aren’t getting the meals they’re supposed to get,” Gouveia said in a recent phone interview. The scope of the work reflects a simple reality. He said, “Healthcare administration is about making

sure every piece of a facility works properly so that patients get the level of care they deserve. But Gouveia had not intended to make a career in health care. He started his career in agriculture. He was at the Guyana School of Agriculture for nine years and then at President’s College for another ten. But he came to appreci-

people’s lives is really satisfying,” he said.

Coordinator for Indigenous People’s Communities within the Ministry of Health’s Regional Health Services Department, Michael Gouveia

ate administration over the years and grew more and more interested in the impact effective management could have on people’s lives. “If we can manage the resources that we have properly, that can really maximise the benefit of the investments that we are making,” he said. That philosophy would later be central to his work in the health sector. A YEAR OF MYSTERY President’s College was restructured in 2010 and about 42 employees lost jobs, including Gouveia. For nearly a year, he searched for work, taking construction jobs to support his family. At the time, his wife was pregnant, he already had four kids, had just bought a house and was paying a mortgage. “I was home for 360 days looking for a job,” he remembered. Then, one Friday afternoon, he got a call from the Public Service Commission that his appointment as Coordinator for Indigenous People’s Communities at the Ministry of Health had been approved. And “When can you begin?” he was asked. “Can I start today?” he replied immediately. The same day he picked up his appointment letter and reported for duty the next Monday. “I never looked back,” Gouveia said. He joined the Ministry in 2011 and quickly saw the impact his work could have on people’s lives. “Seeing the changes in the healthcare system in

FROM COMMUNITY TO PUBLIC SERVICE One of his initial postings was to the Matthews Ridge Hospital and the Arakaka Health Centre. The visit was of particular importance. Gouveia was born in the area of Port Kaituma and Arakaka is nearby. His family, including members of the Gouveia and Phillips families, still live in the area. On that first trip he found a health facility in poor condition. He recalled the building was infested with wood ants and termites, overgrown bushes and a neglected compound. “I said, ‘I can do something about this,” he recalled. Years later he returned to a renovated facility. “It was a thing of beauty,” he said. Still a powerful reminder of how things can change over time. “I listen to the criticism that the public makes of the healthcare system, especially on social media,” says Gouveia. “I think it’s important to have constructive criticism. But he also appreciates the perspective of those who have witnessed the industry evolve over many years. “We’re open to constructive criticism,” he said, adding that criticism could be tough when it did not appreciate the progress made. He admitted that the views expressed are often based on personal experiences, such as poor customer service or difficult situations at a specific venue. “One bad experience,” he said, “can be someone’s view of the larger health care system.” But he argues that Guyana’s health sector has made great strides. “We have done a lot. We did all the right things? “No, no, not at all,” he said. “There’s still a lot of work to do. But we are moving at a rate of development and transformation we have not seen before.” SERVICE OUTSIDE THE OFFICE Gouveia’s dedication to public service goes beyond his work at the Ministry of Health. He holds a Master’s in Public Health (2023) and is pursuing his PhD. He is also a Pastor with the Full Life New Testament Church TURN TO PAGE 17

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Wednesday, August 26, 2026

Called to Serve: Michael Gouveia’s journey through...

FROM PAGE 16

of God and serving at Faith Tabernacle International, Timehri. Gouveia has considerable demands placed upon him by his professional, academic and pastoral responsibilities but he sees a common purpose in all of them. “One of the things that we do in the church is that we want to see people live a successful life, live a happy life and a decent life in society,” he stated. “The intersection of faith and healthcare is in the desire to improve the lives of others,” he said. “I twin that here, when I talk about the work at the Ministry of Health, I see the big picture,” he said. And what’s the long view? “It’s about people. Gouveia says their goal is to make the world’s people live longer, better and happier lives. That philosophy informs his view of public administration, too. He believes that systems are not an end in themselves. They matter because people rely on them to work.

THE PEOPLE IN THE SYSTEM “There are a lot of professionals behind the scenes to make the healthcare system work,” Gouveia said. Ministers, doctors and nurses may be easily recognised by the public but the work of administrators and other professionals, responsible for implementing policies, solving problems and managing resources, may be less visible. “Sometimes the criticism is at the Minister of Health, but while the Minister, provides policy direction and leadership there are many professionals working behind the scenes every day to implement those policies, solve problems and make sure that the system is working well”, he said. “The problem,” he said, “is successful systems don’t get a lot of attention until something breaks. “People don’t wake up and say, ‘The supply chain has worked great today. They only notice when something is not. A recent visit to the Enmore Regional Hospital made that real sharp for me.” Gouveia took his pregnant daughter-in-law to an appointment at the facility. She commented on the mod-

ern, clean surroundings and the pleasant service from the staff. Gouveia said the experience immediately took him back to his first visit to Arakaka and the harsh conditions he encountered there. He said it reminded him of the progress that has been achieved in the health sector. THE HUMAN CHALLENGE While highlighting the transformation of health facilities and the expansion of technology and equipment, Gouveia noted that human resources remain one of the biggest challenges in the sector. His work in regional health services puts him on top of the list for getting skilled professionals to the communities where they are needed, especially in hinterland areas. He says the responsibility is more than just hiring and placing workers. It’s about thinking about the professionals themselves – their families, their ambitions, their situations, and ensuring communities receive the services they require. “Serving in the hinterland must be an important part of a healthcare professional’s journey,” he said. “Young professionals should be prepared early to understand the broader meaning of serving their country.” He brings the same principles to healthcare that he brings to his pastoral work: compassion, empathy and dignity: a constant theme that emerged after more than an hour of discussion on administration, infrastructure, staffing, technology and service delivery. Gouveia has been on both ends of service throughout his career, from spending 360 days looking for work to helping to strengthen healthcare services in communities across Guyana’s hinterland. His journey, he says, has served to underscore the importance of opportunity, the responsibility that comes with it and the impact committed people can have. Michael Gouveia’s goal is simple: helping people live longer, live better, and live happier lives. “He believes that behind the systems, facilities and technology, there is a simple human responsibility, to serve.

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Wednesday, August 26, 2026

Warapoka leading tourism in Region One

Villagers and visiting team from the GTA, in the process of identifying a suitable location for the Eco- Lodges

Toshao of Warapoka Village, Jeremy Boyal

THE Warapoka in Region One, sees a bright future in Tourism and agriculture with the Toshao Jeremy Boyal undertaking to further spread the knowledge of the two disciplines to

other communities. “What we are doing now, we want to develop a local package for other community members who are around Santa Rosa which is the largest community. We want to

have a local package, something like a day activity so people can experience what tourism looks like”, he said. Toshao Boyal said that would include, canoeing, tasting of the alaka, some traditional activity as well, birdwatching. “…Especially when we have an active eagle nest, we want to have that as one of the main attractions,” he said. Boyal stated that several communities in the region have expressed interest in pursuing tourism. He explained that they need help in the “know how” which his

village is willing to provide. “For example, we had Imbotero, who is within region one but we brought them over to our village. We show them community tourism and how you do it. So, we want to as well have Asakata and Santa Rosa, because we have made some mistakes and we don’t want them to make the same mistakes. So, we want them to come to us we have the interaction. We share with them, our successes and our failures as well, so that will help them to grow faster,” he stated. The village has also gotten the support from the gov-

ernment and the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs to relocate the guest house which is currently in the centre of the village. This move will cause less disruption to community life, provide more privacy and a more nature-based experience for the tourists. The village also received support from the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) in identifying a potential nature-based site for the construction of eco lodges. The GTA conducted assessments and discussions to identify a suitable location. “Considering import-

ant eco-lodge development principles such as privacy, comfort, environmental sustainability, and the overall experience we want our guests to enjoy when visiting Warapoka,” the village stated in a Facebook post. This marks an important milestone for the village and signals the journey toward a major tourism development project. “It represents another important step in strengthening community-based tourism while protecting and showcasing our natural environment,” the village said. (DPI)

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Wednesday, August 26, 2026

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, August 26, 2026

Promotech Guyana Inc. and Danny’s Auto Sales golf…

Persaud takes round seven honours in National league PATANJILEE Persaud produced an outstanding performance to win Round Seven of the Promotech and Danny’s Auto Sales NTFGL (National Top Flight Golf League) Tour #2 at the Lusignan Golf Club. By producing that performance, he surged to the top of the overall standings ahead of the final round. Persaud returned an im-

pressive net 65 to secure the overall victory and eight points, while also claiming back-nine honours with a net 31 for an additional two points. His 10-point haul moved him to 19 points overall, giving him a narrow lead in what has developed into a fiercely contested championship race. The penultimate round, played under excellent golfing conditions on the lush

fairways of the Lusignan Golf Club, produced some of the best scores of Tour #2 as players battled for valuable points with just one round remaining. Rohan Albert delivered one of the day's standout performances, posting a blistering net 31 on the front nine to claim front-nine honours and two points. He followed that with a net 34 on the back nine to finish with an im-

pressive net 66 overall. His performance earned him second place and five additional points, giving him a total of seven points for the day. Joseph Szeplaki continued to keep himself firmly in championship contention with a strong net 69, finishing third and collecting three points. Brian Hackett secured fourth place and two points, while Maxim Mangra, who had previously

posted a net 71 in a make-up round, claimed fifth place and the final point available. The high standard of play was evident throughout the field, with several players recording respectable scores between net 72 and 75 but narrowly missing out on championship points. With one round remaining, the battle for the Tour #2 title is set for a dramatic conclusion. Persaud leads the standings with 19 points, followed closely by Mangra and Anand Persaud on 18 points each, while Szeplaki remains within striking distance on 17 points. Just two points separate the top four players, setting the stage for an exciting final round on Sunday, September 13. All four leading contenders are expected to compete together in the Marquee Group, ensuring that every shot and every putt will carry added significance as they battle for the championship. The NTFGL extends its sincere appreciation to its sponsors, Promotech Guyana Inc. and Danny’s Auto Sales, for their continued support of the league and competitive golf. With the championship still wide open and only one round left to play, the stage

ENGLISH RACING TIPS WOLVERHAMPTON 09:00 hrs Bridget's Baby 09:30 hrs Lovely Dark Angel 10:00 hrs Diamondinthedark 10:30 hrs Boilermaker 11:00 hrs Fighting Poet 11:35 hrs Desiderata 12:10 hrs Victoria NEWBURY 11:10 hrs Regal Tiger 11:45 hrs Flick Of An Eye 12:20 hrs Saturn Star 12:55 hrs Somers Isles 13:30 hrs Cloud Forest 14:00 hrs Bold Shout 14:30 hrs Livemore KEMPTON 13:20 hrs Al Wathba 13:51 hrs Kaindy 14:21 hrs Ribenska 14:51 hrs Bintknight 15:21 hrs Society Kiss 15:51 hrs Hot Silk

is set for a thrilling finish to NTFGL Tour #2. Round Seven Results: 1st: Patanjilee Persaud — Net 65 — 8 points 2nd: Rohan Albert — Net 66 — 5 points 3rd: Joseph Szeplaki — Net 69 — 3 points 4th: Brian Hackett — 2 points 5th: Maxim Mangra — Net 71 — 1 point Front Nine: Rohan Albert — Net 31 — 2 points Back Nine: Patanjilee Persaud — Net 31 — 2 points Overall Standings After Round Seven 1st: Patanjilee Persaud — 19 points Joint 2nd: Maxim Mangra — 18 points Joint 2nd: Anand Persaud — 18 points 4th: Joseph Szeplaki — 17 points There was also a club tournament that was played alongside the League tournament. Hardeo Ghanpat emerged victorious with a Gross 89, HC 28 and Net 61. Avinash Persaud earned a Best Gross of 76, Mohanlall Dinanauth earned the title of Longest Drive and Bridgelall Harry copped Nearest to Pin. SOUTH AFRICA RACING TIPS FAIRVIEW 08:15 hrs Sabrage 08:50 hrs Travel Master 09:25 hrs First Officer 10:05 hrs New Day 10:40 hrs Moscow Miss IRISH RACING TIPS BELLEWSTOWN 10:51 hrs Rocky's Howya 11:25 hrs Whats New 12:00 hrs Goin ' 12:35 hrs Red Glory 13:05 hrs Fastnet Crystal 13:38 hrs Direct Approach 14:08 hrs Syosset 14:38 hrs Blue Trix AMERICAN RACING TIPS SARATOGA Race 1 Atlas Eye Race 2 Unit Economics Race 3 Furry Fox Race 4 Vajra Race 5 Al Mowashaah Race 6 Golden Symphony

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, August 26, 2026

Prasidh and Suthar share six to keep India in driver's seat (ESPNCRICINFO) - Sonal Dinusha was fighting a lone battle unbeaten on 85 as play came to a close on day three, Sri Lanka still 238 runs behind India's 503 for 9 declared, with just two wickets in hand. At the crease alongside him was Lahiru Kumara, who had done well to hold his own during a 50-ball vigil for eight runs. Dinusha's fifty was his third such score in this series as he showcased the resolve that had been sorely lacking across Sri Lanka's innings - he was one of only five batters to face at least than 50 deliveries in the innings, of which two of them were certified tailenders in Kumara and Keshara Nuwantha. For India, it was Prasidh Krishna and Manav Suthar that did a majority of the damage with both picking up three wickets apiece. But what would be even more frustrating for the hosts, is that India's bowlers had for the most part not really done enough to merit such a batting capitulation. Kamil Mishara received a spicy bouncer from Krishna, one he could only fend through to Dhruv Jurel behind the stumps, while on the second evening both Lahiru Udara and Prabath Jayasuriya can claim bad light had impaired them. But the rest of Sri Lanka's batters fell almost exclusively against the run of play. Kamindu Mendis looked excellent until he

swatted a pull straight to midwicket, Pasindu Sooriyabandara chopped on a non-threatening quicker one from Ravindra Jadeja, while Niroshan Dickwella tickled one down leg to Jurel for a three-ball duck. Even Keshara, who had done so well to hang with Dinusha, lofted an ambitious inside out drive of Suthar to mid-off. But amidst those moments, there were periods where Sri Lanka looked good on a pitch that had not deteriorated quite as fast as expected. The most prominent of these was when Sooriyabandara was out in the middle. His 87-run stand for the fourth wicket with Kamindu was the best of the Sri Lankan innings, with both batters looking untroubled during their stay. Having weathered Krishna's attacking early burst, the pair capitalised on India's lacklustre spin-bowling efforts. Sooriyabandara in particular showed adeptness at using the depth of the crease, frequently cutting late, while also employing the sweep effectively. But it would be Krishna that delivered the breakthrough once again, persisting with a hard length as Kamindu picked out midwicket with acres of space around him. Dhananjaya de Silva joined him after that but the Sri Lankan skipper arrived just as India got their act together after lunch. This period was far more focused and it led to a lovely Suthar delivery that kissed the outside edge

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER

(Wednesday August 26, 2026) CUMMINGS ELECTRICAL COMPANY LTD-83 Garnett Street, Georgetown (Tel:225-6158) Answers to yesterday’s quiz: (a) GAW defeated SLK by 7 wickets (b) Dwayne Pretorius (GAW) Today’s Quiz: (1) Who are the inaugural CPL champions? (2) Who were the losing finalist in that season? Answers in tomorrow’s issue

on Dhananjaya's forward defence, a tough break for one of Sri Lanka's better players of spin. This brought Dinusha to the crease and once more Sri Lanka's batters looked in command, but after 62-ball stand of 34, Sooriyabandara chopped one on from

Jadeja. At 94kph, it was quicker than the deliveries that had preceded it, but Sooriyabandara who had fought hard for his 80 off 133 - especially having been out for a golden duck on his debut last time out - would have been miffed at being dismissed in such a manner.

Sonal Dinusha led another lower-order fight (Aug 25, 2026 • AFP/Getty Images)

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, August 26, 2026

Boxing quartet gets South American Games opportunity after Commonwealth disappointment THE Guyana Boxing Association (GBA) has named Keevin Allicock, Shakquain James, Emmanuel Pompey and Akeelah Vancooten to represent Guyana at the 13th South American Games in Buenos Aires, Argentina, from September 12 to 26, giving the quartet another opportunity to compete internationally after missing the Commonwealth Games. The selection comes after the boxers were all denied the opportunity to compete at last month’s Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, despite travelling with the Guyana delegation and preparing to enter the ring. The boxers were rendered ineligible after mandatory once-in-a-lifetime genetic sex test results were not returned before the competition began. The requirement stems

Guyana’s boxing team for the South American Games (L-R): Emmanuel Pompey, Akeelah Vancooten, Lennox Daniels (coach), Kevin Allicock and Shakquain James

from World Boxing’s recently introduced Sex Eligibility Policy, under which all competitors aged 18 and older must undergo a PCR genetic test to verify their biological birth sex before competing

in sanctioned events. The test detects the SRY gene, which identifies the presence of Y-chromosome genetic material. Under the policy, athletes determined to be male at birth are eligi-

ble for the men’s category, while those determined to be female at birth may compete in the women’s division. GBA President Steve Ninvalle said sending the four boxers to Argentina

fulfils a commitment made following the disappointment in Glasgow. “We’re happy that boxers are getting a chance to compete after not being able to do so at the Commonwealth Games,” Ninvalle said. He said the association had promised the athletes another opportunity to represent Guyana at the next major event, and the South American Games now provide that platform. The group will once again be under the guidance of National Coach Lennox Daniels and, according to Ninvalle, have remained focused on their preparations since returning from Scotland. The GBA is hoping the boxers can continue Guyana’s strong tradition at the South American Games, which have been held every four years since 1978. Boxing has consistently

contributed to Guyana’s medal tally at the Games. At the 2022 edition in Asunción, Paraguay, Allicock won bronze in the 57kg division, while Desmond Amsterdam claimed bronze at 80kg. Their medals, alongside Nicolette Fernandes’ silver in women’s squash singles, accounted for Guyana’s three medals at those Games. The 2018 edition in Cochabamba, Bolivia, also saw boxing produce two bronze medals, with Allicock earning another third-place finish, then in the 56kg category, while Collin Lewis took bronze at 64kg. Guyana finished that edition with five medals, with Leslain Baird’s silver in the javelin, while Winston George and Jenea McCammon claimed bronze in the men’s 400m and women’s 100m hurdles, respectively.

Archery Guyana, THAG partner to showcase destination Guyana at the 2026 Archery Championships THE Board of Directors of Archery Guyana is pleased to announce a continued collaboration with the Tourism & Hospitality Association of Guyana (THAG) to create a vibrant tourism and hospitality presence during the 2026 Caribbean Development Championships (CDC) and Inaugural Caribbean Cup, being hosted in Guyana from October 21–25, 2026 at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence. The collaboration forms part of a broader national effort to position Guyana not only as an emerging sporting destination in the Caribbean, but also as one of the region’s most distinctive destinations for eco-tourism, heritage, culture, cuisine, adventure and hospitality. Through the partnership, THAG and Archery Guyana will work together to introduce visiting athletes, coaches, officials, delegates, families and spectators from across the Caribbean and the Americas to the many experiences Guyana has to offer. A key component will be the promotion of Explore Guyana Magazine, together

with QR-enabled access to digital tourism resources, allowing international visitors to discover Guyana’s tourism attractions, hospitality providers, eco-adventures, cultural experiences, cuisine, entertainment and community-based tourism offerings before and during the championships. The initiative reflects the growing importance of sport tourism and the Orange Economy, bringing together sport, tourism, culture and the creative industries to generate economic opportunities, strengthen local businesses and enhance Guyana’s international visibility. President of Archery Guyana, Mrs. Vidushi Persaud-McKinnon, said the championships provide an opportunity to showcase Guyana well beyond the competition field. “When we invite the Caribbean archery family to Guyana, we want them to leave with more than medals and memories of the competition. We want them to discover Guyana our people, our culture, our food, our biodiversity and our extraordinary hospitality. Sport gives us the

La Shawna Forde, Executive Officer, THAG; Vidushi Persaud-McKinnon, President, Archery Guyana; Beaunce Atkinson, Marketing Coordinator, THAG; and Oslyn Kirton, Executive Director, THAG

platform; tourism allows us to tell the fuller Guyanese story.” THAG Executive Director Mrs. Oslyn Kirton welcomed the partnership, noting the important role sport tourism can play in expanding Guyana’s tourism economy. “Tourism should be one of Guyana’s new frontiers for economic growth. Sport

tourism creates opportunities for communities, businesses, creatives, hospitality providers and young people alike. Partnerships such as this with Archery Guyana allow us to showcase authentic Guyanese experiences while ensuring visitors engage meaningfully with our people, culture and destinations.”

The collaboration was discussed earlier in the year at a meeting held at THAG’s office on Waterloo Street, Georgetown, where the representatives explored opportunities to connect the international archery community with Guyana’s tourism and hospitality sector. THAG has also demon-

strated its support for Guyana’s growing role within the international archery community through its support for the World Archery Americas (WAA) General Assembly held in June 2026 in Tlaxcala, Mexico. This partnership will continue with THAG maintaining a visible presence during the upcoming championships at the Guyana National Stadium, providing an important link between the sporting event and the wider tourism and hospitality industry. The CDC and Inaugural Caribbean Cup are expected to bring athletes, officials and supporters from across the Caribbean and the wider Americas to Guyana, providing a valuable platform for local tourism operators, restaurants, attractions and other businesses to engage with an international audience. For Archery Guyana, the partnership represents an important part of its vision for the championships: to host an international sporting event that creates a lasting legacy not only for archery, but for Guyana.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, August 26, 2026

GOA supports CAC BEI are inaugural champions with 61-run win over Annandale Body Building team Beharry Group National U-19 schools T20 final

By Sean Devers

– Essequibo Classic set for Next Month THE Guyana Olympic Association recently made a sizable contribution to the country's travel and other expenses for the Central America and Caribbean championship in Guatemala. Nine bodybuilders are confirmed to represent Guyana at the championships with the team set to leave Guyana tomorrow (Thursday, August 27) for the competition. At the 2025 CAC championship held in St. Lucia, Guyana racked up 12 medals, with gold from Lindon Burnett, Rawle Greene, and Romelton Siland. Meanwhile when the team returns, they will hit the ground running next month, on September 26th, with the inaugural staging of the Essequibo Classic Bodybuilding Competition set for the Anna Regina Secondary Schools auditorium. GBBFF's Videsh Sookram says this first event is years in the making. ‘It is important to hold a competition in Essequibo because it is our aim as the new federation to have bodybuilding all over our country, and by enlightening the whole country about the sport, we will get the best talent to represent our country and keep putting Guyana

on the world map. Why I say keep putting is because we are already there; we have Rosanna Fung, who is now ranked number 1 on the IFBB wellness roster; she is number 1. We have Nicholas Albert, who just qualified for the Olympian top 5 in the competition.

He said they are also taking some of the top national athletes to give the region a fabulous show. ‘We are out to get the best talent from all the regions, so by hosting a competition in Essequibo, we will be taking some of our veterans to Essequibo to compete and to have the best athletes from Essequibo take part.'

Videsh Sookram and Melitha Anderson collecting sponsorship from GOA president Godfrey Munroe

Sookram says they will conduct an outreach before to engaging sponsors and athletes ahead of the bodybuilding showcase. GBBFF acting president Sookram says they are working along with officials from the Ministry of Culture, Youth, and Sport; the Tourism Ministry; and the regional executive in the county to pull off the event.

He said they expect to see the best regional talents coming out of the region’s 7-8 gyms. The event will crown Mr. and Ms. Essequibo and a champion for the Essequibo Classic. The classics are the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports, Fitness Express, and Viyas Enterprise.

at 61-4, for 14 after taking his runs tally PRE-TOURNAto 376, the noise MENT favourites, level of the partiBerbice Educasan crowd reached tional Institute a crescendo. (BEI) destroyed After Ryan Annandale SecMcPherson (11) ondary by 61 departed at 62-5, runs, in the final Hemraj returned to of the Beharry the middle, adding Group National five to his score beU-19 schools T20 fore Kevin Singh cricket tournabowled him at 72-6 ment. in the 17th over. NINE grounds Demetrius Reid, across three coununbeaten on 10 and ties with 54 matchRay Ramnauth addes, and yesterday ed 20 crucial runs it came down to between them bethe final and most fore Ramnauth was important match run out for 10 off at the Enterprise IBE captain and MOM Gilbert Griffith with the the last ball of the Community Centre Championship Trophy 20th ground where the Sanjay DinEast Coast Demerdyal had 2-24 for ara zone champions were t o u r n a m e n t ’ s l e a d i n g Annandale, who were bunoutclassed by the Berbice run-scorer with 362 runs from dled out for 31 as no batter seven matches, with a highest reached double figures. Zone winners. The star-studded Berbice score of 114 not out, joined Man-of-the-Match Grifschool, boasting four Na- opener Arush Hemraj, and fith took his wicket tally to 20 tional Youth players includ- together they steadied the with 3-2 and got support from ing their captain, National ship with a responsible 29-run DeJonge, who had 3-9. U-19 left-arm spinner Gilbert partnership before Hemraj Meanwhile, the Ministry Griffith, were restricted to (19) retired hurt with a pulled of Education, led by a 49-run a below-par 92-7 after their hamstring. stand between former GuyAmsterdam and Griffith ana U-19 and Berbice senior 20 overs. They then dismantled An- added 15 in sweltering heat player Jonathan Rampersaud nandale for an embarrassing before Sanjay Dindyal re- (31) and Naeem Khan (17), moved the BEI captain for 10 reached 105-5 in an exhi31 in 14 overs. Annandale’s ploy to bowl in the 10th over. bition match reduced to 10 Brandon Grimmond, an- overs from 15. first on a fast outfield and track which held no terrors other player with National Darren Monoher had 4-18 was justified when Skipper U-16 experience, fell to Ruel for the Beharry Group, who and National U-16 all-round- Dindyal for a duck in the next could only reach 77-5 in their er removed Tucber Park bat- over, as two wickets fell for a 10 overs despite 17 from Terter Lemuel DeJonge for a run, leaving IBE on 45-3. rance Dindyal and an unbeatWhen Amsterdam, a Guy- en 16 from Siddiq Rahaman. duck in the first over. Luke Amsterdam, the ana U-16 batter, was run out Rampersaud had 2-10.

BEI celebrates their title

Beharry Group National U-19 schools T20 final

BEI are inaugural champions with 61-run win over Annandale

PAGE

Guyana begins preparations to host 2027 CARIFTA games GUYANA has officially begun the process of preparing to host the 2027 CARIFTA Games, marking a historic milestone for the country as it prepares to stage the premier youth and junior track and field competition in the Caribbean for the first time since the Games began in 1972. North American, Central American and Caribbean Athletic Association (NACAC) President Michael Sands visited Guyana as part of the initial preparations for the country’s hosting of the Games and on Monday toured the National Track and Field Centre at Lenora, West

Demerara, which will serve as the principal venue. Sands was accompanied by NACAC official JohnPaul Clarke during the visit. The delegation met with Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport Charles Ramson Jr., Minister within the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport Steven Jacobs, Director of Sport Steve Ninvalle, National Sports Commission (NSC) Vice-Chairperson Cristy Campbell and Guyana Athletics Association President Sheryl Hermonstine at the Lenora facility. The visit provided an opportunity for the NACAC delegation and Guyanese

Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports Charles Ramson Jnr along with Minister Within the Ministry Steven Jacobs, National Sport Commission and other officials tour the Leonora Track and Field facility

officials to assess the country’s readiness and discuss the requirements associated with staging the prestigious regional championship. Discussions focused on Guyana’s preparedness, infrastructure, organisation and other key areas neces-

sary to deliver a successful CARIFTA Games. The engagement also represents the beginning of a collaborative process between NACAC and the local sporting authorities. The 2027 edition will carry particular significance for

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Guyana, which has never previously hosted the CARIFTA Games despite, being a longstanding participant in the competition and producing several outstanding athletes who have competed at the regional and international levels.

The CARIFTA Games were first held in Barbados in 1972 and were formalised to commemorate the transition from the Caribbean Free Trade Association (CARIFTA) to the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 26, 2026