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‘I admire what is happening here’
No.1081954
–– King Charles III says, acknowledges Guyana’s conservation efforts –– urges other countries to protect ‘nature’ resources 03 PAGE
His Majesty King Charles III wrapped up his two-day state visit to Guyana with a series of activities across Georgetown on Friday
Philanthropy alone will not address biodiversity loss 02 PAGE
–– President Ali challenges biodiversity alliance to turn pledges into investment, financing for conservation efforts
Opposition leader, police constable 09 remanded, could face up to five years in jail PAGE
–– $8M fine on cybercrime charge
Guyana has answers to address biodiversity loss
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–– but more global support, financing needed, VP Jagdeo says
Colombia’s vice-president hails Pres Ali’s biodiversity conservation leadership 04 PAGE
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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Saturday, October 31, 2026
Philanthropy alone will not address biodiversity loss –– President Ali challenges biodiversity alliance to turn pledges into investment, financing for conservation efforts
PRESIDENT, Dr Irfaan Ali has challenged the Global Biodiversity Alliance to prove that protecting nature can deliver jobs, investment and prosperity and not just another round of declarations. Addressing the alliance’s
second conference and financing forum at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre on Friday, Dr. Ali urged member countries to develop at least one finance-ready biodiversity project each before the next annual gathering. “The success of this con-
ference will not be measured by the speeches delivered … It will be measured by what happens next,” he said, adding: “Philanthropy is great, but it cannot be the basis and foundation upon which we view biodiversity,” The president called for
new ways to channel private capital into conservation, including a shared investment model for biodiversity reserves and common tax incentives across alliance countries. He argued that nature protection must be built into
President, Dr Irfaan Ali addressing Friday’s conference economic planning, rather than treated as a separate priority. Dr Ali made the argument that conservation must become part of countries’ economic planning, rather than being treated as a separate concern. Biodiversity-rich nations, he stressed, should be able to generate lasting benefits from protecting their natural assets, while supporting the livelihoods of the people who live alongside them. The financing challenge is substantial. The head of state cited a global biodiversity funding gap of about US$700 billion a year, and said recent international efforts had mobilised only US$1.8 billion— far short of a stated annual target of US$200 billion. “We can have all the conversations we want about protecting biodiversity, but unless we change the economics of conservation, we will struggle to achieve the scale of change we want,” the president said. He pointed to Guyana’s experience with forest financing as evidence that new approaches can produce results. Dr. Ali said the country had mobilised funds through partnerships and international carbon markets. Those resources, he said, were supporting more than 3,000 projects identified by
over 250 villages and communities, including work on livelihoods, infrastructure and local services. He said village priorities had been set through community plans, and stressed that investments should give Indigenous Peoples the opportunity to shape development in their own communities. PRIVATE SECTOR T h e p re s i d e n t a l s o urged private-sector leaders across alliance countries to explore a shared model for investing in biodiversity reserves. The proposal would bring reserves under a common brand, supported by shared values, regulations and a marketing platforms. Dr Ali called on policymakers to consider common tax and fiscal incentives for investments that protect biodiversity. He cited partnerships with development banks, universities and other institutions as part of the alliance’s work to build its capacity. The organisation, launched in July 2025 with 17 founding members, had grown to 147 members, he said. For the next 12 months, President Ali has set out three priorities: connecting science and innovation to See page 4
‘I admire what is happening here’
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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Saturday, October 31, 2026
–– King Charles III says, acknowledges Guyana’s conservation efforts –– urges other countries to protect ‘nature’ resources By Naomi Parris KING Charles III has praised Guyana’s efforts to protect its forests, and urged countries to restore biodiversity, as he and President Dr Irfaan Ali set out a vision for closer conservation partnerships. Speaking on the sidelines of the second Global Biodiversity Alliance Conference and Financing Forum at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre, the King said Guyana offered an important example of how forest protection and national development could be pursued together. “It’s wonderful for me to come back after 26 years to Guyana, particularly also my role as a patron of Iwokrama, which I see is still going strong,” King Charles III said. The King recalled his earlier involvement in supporting Guyana’s low-
carbon development approach, and said he hoped its experience would be replicated elsewhere. He called for urgent action to restore nature, including on degraded land, and highlighted agroforestry and mixed approaches to land management. “Here in Guyana, you have the most wonderful example of really special treasure of natural species. You have managed to keep an enormous percentage of your forest. That is an incredible achievement,” the King said, adding: “I admire what is happening here in Guyana, and I look forward so much to seeing how the balance can be struck between development and conservation.” He also reflected on the difficulty of assigning nature a monetary value, noting that its worth cannot be captured simply in financial terms. Protecting biodiversity,
he said, was closely connected to human health and the interests of future generations. King Charles last visited Guyana in February 2000, when he was still the Prince of Wales. President Ali, in his remarks, reiterated that Guyana had maintained its forests while pioneering international financing for conservation, with revenues supporting national development and thousands of projects. He described the country’s forests as living infrastructure that sustains ecosystems, biodiversity and community livelihoods. Dr Ali said: “We have maintained our forests, pioneered international financing for forest conservation and channelled revenues into national development and thousands of projects across our country. And now our ambitions continue to grow to encompass biodiversity,
President Dr. Irfaan Ali and Britian’s King Charles III during remarks at the second Global Biodiversity Alliance Conference and Financing Forum, held here in Georgetown Further, sustainable sustainable cities, and a nature. wider relationship between He cited work on re- Markets Initiative and people and nature.” vitalising Georgetown other partnerships, he The president said and developing a “village said, could bring governGuyana’s ambitions now of harmony” that would ments, businesses, comextend beyond forest con- bring together Indigenous munities and internaservation to include biodi- knowledge, traditional tional expertise together versity, sustainable cities crafts, sustainable liveli- to mobilise investment and a stronger relation- hoods and the protection and deliver practical benefits. ship between people and of nature.
Philanthropy alone will...
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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Saturday, October 31, 2026 From page 2
the needs of biodiversity-rich countries; unlocking finance and investment and demonstrating that conservation can support jobs, communities and national economies. “We do not pretend to have all answers. This room does not do that. Nor do we suggest that experience of one coun-
try can simply be replicated everywhere,” he said, adding: “I share our experience to show why we have learned that progress is possible, even when conventional thinking suggests otherwise. So now we need to take that attitude and ask the next question: how can we work together to change
the economy or biodiversity overall?” He urged members to consider how emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence and quantum technologies, could help monitor ecosystems and support scientific discovery. But he emphasised that innovation must
translate into practical benefits for countries and communities. Dr Ali also outlined Guyana’s plans to advance longterm conservation of a major forest landscape, saying the effort could double the country’s permanently protected area by 2030. He said further stakeholder
engagement, management planning and biodiversity monitoring would guide the next steps, with the aim of supporting research, sustainable livelihoods and responsible investment. Th president related: “We must move beyond traditional approaches to
biodiversity finance, and create new mechanisms that reward countries for conserving nature, mobilise private investment, and ensure biodiversityrich developing countries receive a fair share of the economic value of the ecosystem.”
COLOMBIA’S Vice President, José Manuel Restrepo, has praised President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali’s leadership in advancing global biodiversity conservation, noting that the Global Biodiversity Alliance has grown to more than 140 members in just over a year. Restrepo made the re-
marks on Friday during the opening of the Second Global Biodiversity Alliance Conference and Financing Forum at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC) in Liliendaal. He commended President Ali for bringing countries together to strengthen partnerships and advance
conservation efforts. “President Ali, Colombia thanks you for bringing us together. In little more than a year, this alliance has grown to more than 140 members. And that tells us something: many countries have been waiting for a place where good intentions become partnerships,” he said.
VP Restrepo noted that the alliance’s practical approach is important in ensuring that countries move beyond making commitments at international conferences and focus on delivering tangible results. The Colombian vice president also commended Guyana’s approach to balancing environmental
protection with economic development, noting that the country is demonstrating that conservation and prosperity can go hand in hand. Restrepo reaffirmed Colombia’s commitment to biodiversity conservation, explaining that the country is working towards protecting 34 per cent of its territory by 2030, having already surpassed its previous 30 per cent target. Moreover, he highlighted Colombia’s ABC agenda, which focuses on water,
biodiversity and communities, linking conservation efforts to the livelihoods and opportunities of its people. The vice president also outlined several financing mechanisms introduced by Colombia to support conservation, including the country’s first green taxonomy in Latin America, sovereign green bonds and the development of high-integrity carbon markets. (DPI)
Colombia’s vice president hails President Ali’s biodiversity conservation leadership
GUYANA CHRONICLE, saturday, October 31, 2026
Guyana has answers to address biodiversity loss –– but more global support, financing needed, VP Jagdeo says
THE urgency required to address the widening gaps in biodiversity and climate action risk falling behind on policy makers’ agendas amid immediate pressures including energy prices, food security and regional conflicts. This was according Guyana’s Vice President, Dr Bharrat Jagdeo, during his address at the Second Global Biodiversity Alliance Conference and Financing Forum on Friday. Dr Jagdeo urged global leaders to rebuild the sense of urgency to help galvanise climate action. He pointed to what he described as a lack of established financing for biodiversity; this is an issue Guyana is hoping to address with partners through the alliance. “There is no market for biodiversity credit currently,” he said, citing the absence of a compliance market or a major voluntary one. He also said public funding was not available at the scale required, with a financing gap of about US$700 million, and that international discussions had yet to settle on a final definition of a biodiversity credit. Recalling work by economists and climate researchers at the time, he said the cost
Guyana’s Vice President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo (Sachin Persaud photo) of acting early had been es- levels. timated at about 1 per cent Dr Jagdeo believes that of global GDP, compared Guyana poses the solution, with 5 per cent if action was hoping to replicate the model delayed. it used to enter the carbon “The first task before this market with its forest. body is to recreate the sense “We need now to give of urgency,” he said. answers to those, like we did Jagdeo cited global risk in that period when we were assessments that rank ex- working out this instrument treme weather, biodiver- of a carbon credit for the forsity loss and ecosystem col- est,” he said. lapse among the most severe The Vice-President also threats over the longer term. used Guyana’s experience to He warned that current cement that economic growth pledges, even if implement- and environmental protection ed, would leave the world must be pursued together. facing warming of about He said the country had 2.6°C above pre-industrial maintained a no-flaring poli-
cy and imposed a carbon tax on unscheduled flaring, while supporting the principle that oil and gas production should pay its full environmental costs. Dr Jagdeo said Guyana had committed to protecting 30 per cent of its land by 2030. He described more than 3,000 projects completed in 252 Indigenous villages using funds from the country’s Low Carbon Development Strategy, noting that those works had helped build local capacity to deliver projects. He reminded that about 20 per cent of the funds had gone to Indigenous communities, with the remainder supporting adaptation. Infrastructural projects, including the construction of 840 kilometres of canals and 125 kilometres of embankments, were intended to strengthen climate resilience while supporting economic development, he said. Dr. Jagdeo proposed forming working groups to develop technical analysis that can inform negotiators on biodiversity credits, including design conditions and responses to concerns about integrity, additionality, permanence, leakage, Indigenous rights, and accountable use of funds.
GPL suspects sabotage behind major power outage
—says transmission line was inspected less than 24 hours before widespread electricity disruption THE Guyana Power and Light Inc. (GPL) has raised serious concerns about possible sabotage of the national electricity network following a major transmission line trip on Friday morning that triggered widespread power outages. In a strongly worded statement issued on Friday, the power company said it suspects that deliberate interference with its critical infrastructure might have caused the disruption, which affected homes, businesses and essential services across its network. According to GPL, the L2 Transmission Line, which runs parallel to the L4 Transmission Line between the Grove and Sophia Substations, tripped at approximately 08:12 hrs, resulting in a significant loss of electricity supply to the grid. The company disclosed that the transmission line had been inspected on
Thursday, October 29, less than 24 hours before the incident, and was found to be free of faults and vegetation. However, Friday morni n g ’s d i s t u r b a n c e w a s traced to an earth fault on the C-phase conductor, the lowest of the three conductors and the one closest to the ground. GPL said its technical teams subsequently conducted extensive inspections along the transmission line but found no vegetation, physical damage or other conditions that could explain the incident. “The facts are clear. The L2 line was inspected on October 29, 2026, less than 24 hours earlier, and was found free of faults and vegetation,” the company stated. It further asserted, “A line that is clean one day does not fail on its most accessible conductor the next without cause. GPL believes this points to deliberate in-
terference.” While the suspected sabotage has not yet been established, GPL said the circumstances surrounding the incident warrant a full investigation. The company condemned any attempt to interfere with the national electricity network, warning that such actions could have severe consequences for public safety and the country’s electricity supply. “Such acts are reckless and dangerous. They endanger lives, including the lives of those who carry them out. They also disrupt homes, businesses, hospitals and essential services across Guyana,” GPL stated. The power company made it clear that interference with its infrastructure would not be tolerated and pledged to pursue the matter through the appropriate authorities. “GPL will not tolerate interference with its infra-
structure. The company is pursuing a full investigation and will hand over any evidence of unlawful activity to the relevant authorities, so that those responsible can be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law,” the statement added. As part of its response, GPL announced that it is strengthening surveillance and security measures around critical transmission infrastructure to safeguard the national electricity network against potential interference. The company also appealed to members of the public to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities near transmission lines, towers and substations to GPL or the nearest police station. Meanwhile, GPL said its technical teams have been working diligently to restore electricity to affected customers and thanked the public for its patience and understanding.
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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Saturday, October 31, 2026
Turning biodiversity pledges into prosperity
GUYANA’S incredible biodiversity is receiving international attention and this is an important opportunity to show that protection of the natural environment and the pursuit of economic development are not mutually exclusive. Rather, with the right policies, conservation can be a driver of investment, jobs, better livelihoods and long-term national prosperity through sustainable finance and meaningful community participation. That was the key challenge laid out by President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali when he addressed the Second Global Biodiversity Alliance Conference and Financing Forum at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre at Liliendaal. His message was especially important in that it shifted the conversation away from the usual language of environmental pledges and pronouncements and more towards concrete results and investments that can be put to use. The president challenged alliance members to explain how protecting biodiversity can bring tangible economic rewards, and called on each participating country to get at least one finance-ready biodiversity project ready for next year’s annual meeting. He made clear that the success of the conference should not be measured by the speeches, but by what happens afterward. This is precisely the kind of accountability that the global conservation movement needs to have. Environmental conferences have always had lots of ambitious commitments, but have been weak on how to fund, implement and turn those commitments into improvements in people’s lives. Protecting forests, rivers, wetlands and wildlife is vital, but these goals need to be coupled with credible economic models that
ensure that communities benefit tangibly from their stewardship of natural resources. Guyana’s own experience provides a useful basis for such an approach. The country has tried to establish a development model through its Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) 2030, whereby the economic value of standing forests helps finance national priorities, while supporting climate resilience and community development. It is particularly important that a minimum 15 per cent of revenue from carbon-credit sales is returned to Indigenous villages and local communities. This mechanism allows communities to identify and implement projects based on their own priorities through Village Sustainability Plans. By June 2026, nearly 3,000 projects had been carried out in Indigenous communities, thanks to this financing framework. This shows how international environmental finance can be linked to local development rather than being limited to institutional programmes. Another significant addition to this initiative is the latest US$12.5 million commitment by four international philanthropic organisations to conservation in the Acarai-Corentyne corridor. Funding to protect the area has been pledged by the Bezos Earth Fund, Andes Amazon Fund, Nia Tero and Rainforest Trust, with support being conditional on legally binding protections against mining and other activities incompatible with conservation. This commitment is important not just for the financial contribution, but because it recognises that enduring conservation requires more than identifying environmentally sensitive areas and putting boundaries around them. It needs ongoing funding,
strong institutions, scientific research, community engagement, and legal protection that can be enforced. The corridor is especially significant for its ecological value. In a scientific survey in November 2024, researchers and Indigenous experts found more than 30 new-to-science species, as well as dozens of species not previously recorded in Guyana. Discoveries of this type highlight the need to protect these ecosystems before human activities and environmental pressures degrade the habitats that may contain species and ecological resources unknown to science. But the participation of Indigenous communities must be more than a token in conservation programmes. They have generations of knowledge of the forests, rivers, wildlife and ecosystems they live in. They should be involved in decision-making, governance, monitoring and the management of conservation resources. Their rights, including free, prior and informed consent, should be respected, and the economic benefits of conservation should flow to the people whose stewardship helps protect these landscapes. The president’s call for a more commercially sustainable approach to biodiversity protection is relevant again. Conservation cannot be based indefinitely on periodic philanthropy or short-term international projects. There is a need for countries to establish reliable and long-term financing mechanisms to maintain protected areas, while providing compensation for the economic costs of curtailing some activities, as well as alternative livelihood opportunities. Guyana’s biodiversity offers opportunities in fields such as sustainable tourism, scientific research, environmental monitoring, sustainable forestry, traditional knowl-
edge-based enterprises and other nature-positive economic activities. When developed properly, these sectors can create jobs while providing communities with economic incentives to protect the natural resources on which their livelihoods depend. The challenge is to make sure that these kinds of opportunities are developed responsibly, and that biodiversity does not become yet another resource to be exploited at the expense of the very ecosystems that conservation efforts are trying to protect. The growth of the Global Biodiversity Alliance also provides Guyana with an opportunity to shape international debates on how nature is valued and financed. The alliance was launched in July 2025 with 17 founding members and has since grown to 147, reflecting growing international interest in a coordinated approach to protecting biodiversity. Its increasing membership is encouraging, but the real test of its impact will be whether the countries involved can mobilise resources and implement projects that produce verifiable results. Such arrangements could help to reduce obstacles to private-sector participation, promote cross-border investment and provide greater certainty for investors interested in conservation-related projects. The alliance should also explore blended finance, biodiversity bonds and other innovative instruments that can combine public resources, philanthropy and private capital. These mechanisms were some of the financing approaches identified for discussion at the Georgetown forum. All investments need to be underpinned by sound regulations, transparent accounting, independent monitoring and clear, benefit-sharing arrangements. There also has to be accountability on how money for conservation is spent.
GuySuCo’s ‘accounting loss’ does not tell the whole story
Dear Editor,
I REFER to the letter captioned “This loss is unprecedented in GuySuCo’s history,” published in Kiskadee Watch on October 26, 2026. The writer is entitled to question the Guyana Sugar Corporation’s 2025 results. However, I beg to differ with the premise of the letter, which treats GuySuCo as though it were a private company whose worth begins and ends with the bottom line of its
income statement. That is a basic analytical error. I have never shied away from GuySuCo’s financial difficulties. In my 2019 position paper on the social and economic impact of downsizing the sugar industry, I stated plainly that the corporation was in serious financial trouble. I also argued that a state-owned industry of this scale cannot be judged on one facet of profitability alone. That position holds today. Consider what sits behind the loss:
employment costs account for about 77 per cent of total cost, supporting more than 8,000 employees and some 5,000 pensioners. Drainage and irrigation works cost about $2.6 billion, and those works protect adjoining villages, access dams and farmlands, not just cane fields. It is therefore misleading to say that $16.9 billion could have built 1,924 homes. That money was not burned. Most of it was paid to Guyanese workers and spent in sugar communities.
The deeper point is that GuySuCo is not, and has never been, a purely commercial enterprise. Its sole shareholder is the state, and the state’s objective is not to maximise dividends but to maximise national welfare. The corporation carries public functions that no private sugar company would take on: drainage that protects whole communities, employment retained on social grounds, and a livelihood base See page 8
AFC at 21: Guyana’s rendezvous with Faust 7
GUYANA CHRONICLE, saturday, October 31, 2026
THE moribund Alliance For Change (AFC) has reached 21 years of existence. The party issued a press statement in which it stated that 21 years of existence denotes maturity. This is a general attitude in life that 21 is a milestone. Unfortunately, for the AFC, 21 meets the party not with maturity but death. What follows below is a brief analytical reflection of the AFC coming from someone who started out in politics at age 17 when I was a polling agent for the PPP. Since then, I have seen it all. My experience living in Guyana and watching the AFC since its birth in 2005 has been an incredible story of political insanity never seen in the entire world before and is not likely to be seen around the world in the near future. The AFC’s statement on its attainment of 21 years of birth is an insult to the Guyanese people, to history and to those valiant souls that had a dream of changing Guyana but they ended up in the belly of the beast. Here is a brief, selected quote from the AFC’s emanation: “Twenty-one is the age of maturity into adulthood. For the AFC, this milestone calls for honest reflection.” The AFC has never offered Guyana that “honest reflection.” It cannot and will not. It promised that offering several times since it lost power in 2020 and has not done it. Now at 21, it still makes that promise. The looking back and the answers that it contains will never come for two reasons. One is that if done, it will be a monumental exercise in both political and moral dishonesty. Only one printed paper is available on the AFC, not as a party born in 2005 but the AFC in government between 2015 and 2020. This is the autobiography of Moses Nagamootoo. It contains rivulets of political masquerades and rivers of avoidance of the truths of the AFC’s power degeneracies. There is no written document on any kind of reflection by the AFC founders. We cannot include the book on oil by Raphael Trotman because it is simply a book on the EXXON contract and not on politics but even the 14 pages, he devoted to the AFC itself, the AFC in power and his role in
the AFC were misleading and deceiving. For example, Trotman stated that after the APNU+AFC won power in 2015, he was not offered a Cabinet seat. This is not only blatantly untrue. It is one of the most egregious lies ever told in the history of Guyanese politics. For a vivid and pellucid account of why Trotman did not become a minister in May 2015 when the AFC met to decide on its ministers, see part II of my series of the relationship between the PNC and the AFC when in government. It is on October 13, 2026 in the Guyana Chronicle. Trotman as a matter of principle, should face perpetual embarrassment over that fiction he printed in that book. So, the first reason why the promised reflection will not come and will never come is because the AFC people who are doing the looking back will not be able to face themselves after the mountains of deceptions, lies and fictions that will fill the reflection. Secondly, all of the founders and former ministers of the AFC, except David Patterson and Cathy Hughes, are gone from politics and are unlikely to write anything. In the history of post-Independence Guyana, only three small parties entered government. The United Force (UF) from 1964 to 1968 and the AFC and the WPA from 2015 to 2020. There are two other parties since Independence that formed the government – PNC and PPP. When the WPA got into power, it was already a moribund organisation and its three founding members – Drs. Clive Thomas, Rupert Roopnaraine and Maurice Odle were invisible faces in the APNU+AFC administration. They were simply inconsequential figures that went along with the power of mediocrity that characterised the working of the APNU+AFC regime. Of the four parties – PPP, PNC, UF, AFC - that had power, the AFC turned out to be the far more untrustworthy, cruel, dishonest, power-drunk party. I lived under the governments of the PPP and PNC for all my adult life and I can boldly state that no group of leaders in those two parties, including Forbes Burn-
ham and Hamilton Green, were made of nasty, smelly substance as what was found in the AFC. I am writing this as someone who has chalked up six years in social and human rights activism. Words cannot describe the Faustian mentality of the AFC leadership.
History must consign the AFC to dustbin. 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.
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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Saturday, October 31, 2026
GuySuCo’s ‘accounting loss’ does not tell the . .
From page 6
in rural areas where alternatives remain scarce. Part of its accounting loss is, in effect, the price of these functions. A private investor would rightly look at the bottom line alone. The government cannot, because it is the government that ultimately bears the cost of unemployment, lost tax revenue and rural decline if the industry fails. The proper question, therefore, is not whether GuySuCo made a profit, but whether the economy is better or worse off with the industry operating than without it. Answering that question requires a different measure. This is where the writer’s analysis falls short: accounting profit is not economic profit. Accounting profit records only what passes through GuySuCo’s books, at the prices the corporation pays. Economic profit goes further and charges for opportunity cost, that is, what the same labour, land and capital could produce elsewhere. For a state enterprise, the test is wider still. It must count the benefits that never reach the income statement, and it must recognise that much of what the books record as a cost to GuySuCo is income to the nation: wages earned by Guyanese families, taxes paid to the Treasury and payments to local suppliers. Development
institutions routinely apply this logic, known as social cost-benefit analysis, to public investment. By that measure, the case for keeping the industry running is clear. In my 2019 position paper, I estimated the full cost to the economy of shutting down the sugar industry: the wages lost to sugar families, the income tax and NIS contributions no longer paid, and sugar’s contribution to GDP. On my estimates, the social and economic cost of closure was about eight times higher than the cost of keeping the industry afloat, even at an accounting loss. Put differently, every dollar the Treasury spends to keep GuySuCo running prevents roughly eight dollars in losses to sugar communities and the wider economy. That does not mean the industry should be kept as it is indefinitely. It means it must be sustained until it is gradually restructured and resized, and until investors come in to transform and make it more viable at scale. Some will argue that the same labour and land could be put to better use elsewhere. In many sugar communities, that alternative does not yet exist on a scale that could replace what sugar provides. To be fair, that calculus is shifting. Guy-
SuCo’s own annual report shows skilled workers leaving for oil and gas and other sectors, which raises the opportunity cost of labour, and that is precisely why mechanisation matters. Then there is the multiplier effect. When a cane harvester at Albion or a factory hand at Blairmont is paid, that money goes to the village shop, the market vendor, the minibus operator, the hardware store and the hire car driver, who in turn pay wages and buy supplies. Part of it is saved, adding to the deposit base that commercial banks lend to businesses and households. Applying a conservative, illustrative multiplier of 1.3 to 1.5, which allows for the high import leakage of a small, open economy, the $22 billion employment bill supports somewhere in the region of $29 billion to $33 billion in economic activities, much of it concentrated in rural Berbice, Demerara and West Demerara. Take that away, and the village economies built around the estates will not simply adjust; they will contract. We have seen this before. When Wales, Enmore, Rose Hall and Skeldon were closed between 2016 and 2018, some 7,000 workers were sent home. The cost of that decision never appeared on GuySuCo’s books; it was borne by families, village businesses and the wider economy. The 22.8 per cent rise in costs must also be read in the context of operating conditions. The industry had only 39 opportunity days against an estimated 75, cane-harvester attendance averaged 48
per cent, and carry-over cane still bore the effects of the El Niño drought. It took 15.65 tonnes of cane to produce a tonne of sugar, against a budget of 12.84. The minister has also acknowledged that keeping workers on at Enmore and Skeldon adds to production costs (Guyana Times, February 11, 2026). None of this excuses weak performance, but it shows where the turnaround must focus. The government is not ignoring this. During the 2026 budget debate, Minister of Agriculture Zulfikar Mustapha presented a five-year strategic plan for GuySuCo (Guyana Chronicle, February 4, 2026; Kaieteur News, February 4, 2026). He reported that over 41 per cent of cultivation is already mechanised, with a move to between 50 and 60 per cent, and stated that “managers have to be more accountable now” (Department of Public Information, February 10, 2026; Guyana Times, February 11, 2026). GuySuCo’s accounting loss is real, and accountability is warranted. But to reduce the debate to a single number, and then convert it into houses not built, is to measure a national industry with the wrong yardstick. The right test is the net economic return to Guyana, and whether the turnaround plan lowers the fiscal cost of each unit of social benefit, year after year. Simply put, GuySuCo must be judged on its economic profit, not on its accounting profit alone. Yours faithfully, Joel Bhagwandin
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GUYANA CHRONICLE, saturday, October 31, 2026
Opposition leader, police constable remanded, could face up to five years in jail –– $8M fine on cybercrime charge
OPPOSITION Leader Azruddin Mohamed was remanded to prison on Friday after a magistrate refused to grant him bail on a new criminal charge, with his existing criminal cases among the factors considered in the decision. Mohamed, who is US-sanctioned and indicted, was jointly charged with Police Constable Ryan Greene over the alleged unauthorised disclosure of sensitive surveillance footage from the Government’s Safe City surveillance system, in exchange for $800,000. The duo appeared before Magistrate Abigail Gibbs at the Sparendaam Magistrate’s Court, where they were jointly charged with unauthorised granting of access to or giving of electronic data, contrary to Section 9 of the Cybercrime Act. The indictable charge did not require either accused to enter a plea. Both men were denied bail and remanded to prison until November 24. Section 9 of the Cybercrime Act criminalises the intentional and unauthorised sharing of certain electronic data, including information that is commercially sensitive or constitutes a trade secret, information relating to the national security of the State, and data stored on a computer system that is protected against unauthorised access. A person found guilty of the offence faces a penalty of three years’ imprisonment and a $3 million fine on summary conviction, or five years’ imprisonment and an $8 million fine if convicted on indictment. A significant consideration in Mohamed’s bail application was his existing legal entanglements, including the criminal proceedings arising from an October 12 shooting incident outside the Kitty residence of Senior Superintendent of Police Prem Narine, who heads the Police Force’s Special Branch Unit. He is also facing extradition proceedings initiated by the United States. The Guyana Chronicle understands that Magistrate Gibbs, in considering the prosecution’s objections and the provisions of the Bail Act 2022, took into account that Mohamed had previously
been granted bail in those matters but was now accused of committing another offence while on bail. The presiding magistrate considered the nature and seriousness of the latest allegations and the possibility that Mohamed could commit further offences if released. Having regard to those considerations, the magistrate refused his application for bail. Greene, 20, of Guyhoc Park, Georgetown, was also denied bail and remanded. The prosecution, led by King’s Counsel Darshan Ramdhani, strongly objected to bail for both accused, arguing that the investigation had uncovered evidence pointing to their involvement in the unauthorised extraction and transfer of electronic data from the Guyana Police Force’s Command Centre. Ramdhani told the court that investigators were still pursuing additional evidence, including communication records between Mohamed and Greene, and were attempting to locate Mohamed’s driver, Eugene Thorne. He maintained that the prosecution had a strong case, supported by statements from Greene and other police ranks, as well as video recordings documenting the alleged extraction of data from the Command Centre. The prosecutor further indicated that investigations into other possible offences were continuing, with some additional charges already prepared. A heavy police presence surrounded the courthouse during Friday’s proceedings, with members of the public kept at a distance from the court precinct. Reporters were also barred from entering the courtroom, which was accessible only to family members of the accused. Mohamed, 39, of Houston, Greater Georgetown, was represented by a legal team led by Senior Counsel Roysdale Forde, alongside attorneys Nigel Hughes and Damien DaSilva. Greene was represented by attorneys Dr Dexter Todd and Darren Wade. Following the hearing, Forde said the defence would pursue bail through the higher courts. “We are immediately making applications to the
High Court for the bail of Mr Azruddin Mohamed. If it is refused, we will be going to the Court of Appeal. If it is refused there, we will be going to the CCJ,” he told reporters. The latest charge stems from allegations that Greene, who was attached to the Police Force’s Command Centre, obtained surveillance recordings relating to the October 12 shooting outside Narine’s residence and supplied them to Mohamed in exchange for $800,000. The footage reportedly relates to an incident in which Mohamed claimed he was the target of an assassination attempt. He subsequently made portions of the recordings public at a press conference, maintaining that they supported his account of what transpired. However, Attorney-General Anil Nandlall, SC, has contended that the recordings were obtained to assist Mohamed in his defence against the criminal charges arising from the October 12 incident. During High Court proceedings on Friday, in response to a habeas corpus application filed by the opposition leader’s attorneys, Nandlall disclosed that another police rank, Constable Ashton Chappel, had been implicated in the alleged breach. According to the Attorney-General, Chappel admitted to downloading the recordings, transferring them to a flash drive and handing the device to Greene. Nandlall also disclosed that Mohamed had contacted Chappel in connection with the footage. He also revealed that investigators were seeking Thorne as part of the continuing investigation. The October 12 incident had already resulted in charges against Mohamed, Thorne and videographer Mario Mohamed. They were charged with unlawful possession of a .32 Taurus pistol and three rounds of ammunition without valid licences, as well as attempting to obstruct the course of justice. All three pleaded not guilty and were granted $750,000 bail. Azruddin ‘s latest remand also comes against the backdrop of the extradition proceedings involving him and his father, businessman
Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed
Police Constable Ryan Greene
Magistrate Abigail Gibbs
Nazar Mohamed. The United States is seeking the surrender of the Mohameds to face an 11-count indictment filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. They jointly face allegations including conspiracy, mail fraud, wire fraud and money laundering, while Azruddin is separately charged over the alleged importation of a 2020 Lamborghini Roadster SVJ into Guyana. According to U.S. prosecutors, the charges stem from an alleged years-long scheme in which large quantities of gold were exported from Guyana using false customs declarations and undervalued invoices, allowing more than US$50 million in taxes and customs duties to be evaded. Investigators also allege that reused government export seals were used to fa-
cilitate shipments, one of which, valued at approximately US$5.3 million, was intercepted at Miami International Airport. The allegations underpin sanctions imposed in June 2024 by the United States Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) against the Mohameds and several of their associated companies. U.S. authorities accused them of participating in gold smuggling, tax evasion and public corruption, allegations the father and son have repeatedly denied. The investigation involved years of cooperation between Guyanese and American law enforcement agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Department of Homeland
Security (DHS). They were each granted $150,000 bail in the extradition proceedings, with conditions requiring them to surrender their passports and report weekly to the Ruimveldt Police Station. The extradition matter is scheduled to resume on Monday, November 2, before Chief Magistrate Judy Latchman at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts. The extradition proceedings, which commenced on January 6, have now been ongoing for nearly 10 months, but only two prosecution witnesses have testified so far. They are Sharon Roopchand-Edwards, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, and Senior Superintendent Narine.
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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Saturday, October 31, 2026
MoM targeting behaviour change among men, boys nationwide—Top Cop
AS Men on Mission marks its fourth anniversary, Commissioner of Police, Clifton Hicken, has called for the initiative to deepen its efforts to change the behaviour of men and boys and expand its reach across all 10 administrative regions. Hicken said the initiative was established to encourage men to become better fathers, positive role models and responsible members of their communities, while helping young boys develop the capacity to become future leaders. “The idea is to change behaviour among men and youths and ensure that we understand the importance of being positive role models for children,” the Police Commissioner said. He recalled that when the initiative was launched, the heads of the Joint Services were required to make presentations, following which approximately 200 participants were mobilised. “I remembered when
Commissioner of Police, Clifton Hicken the initiative was launched, their potential. the heads of the joint serHicken said, “They vices had to go and do a started moving across arpresentation and coming eas to ensure that men, out of that presentation, first of all, change their life we had about 200 and from where they used to be something people on the to be better fathers.” ground,” he said. He added that young According to him, the boys must also be develJoint Services subsequent- oped to recognise their poly worked alongside those tential and prepare themmanaging the initiative selves for leadership. to engage men in various The Top Cop added, communities and encour- “The youngsters in terms age positive changes in of boys. They develop their lives. capacity with the full poHe said the focus was tential to ensure they are not only on helping men leaders of tomorrow.” become better fathers but Hicken acknowledged also on ensuring that boys the importance of expandreceived the guidance and ing the initiative beyond support necessary to fulfil individual communities,
noting that Guyana has 10 administrative regions. “That could not have been done from an isolated area. We have 10 administrative regions,” he said. “We are moving this from boundaries to boundaries.” Men on Mission was launched by President Dr Irfaan Ali in October 2022 to encourage men to assume greater responsibility in their families and communities. The initiative seeks to address social challenges affecting men and boys, including domestic violence, drug abuse, gang violence and the absence of positive male role models. Its activities include mentorship, counselling, youth empowerment, vocational training, commu-
nity outreach and humanitarian assistance, including housing support for vulnerable families. The programme operates under the Office of the President and receives support from members of the Joint Services, government agencies, volunteers and private-sector partners. The initiative has continued to receive increased financial support from the government, with its budgetary allocation rising steadily from $500 million in 2023 and 2024 to $700 million in 2025 and a further $900 million in 2026. The programme has also expanded its housing assistance, with the National Coordinator reporting in June 2026 that 166 homes had been completed
for vulnerable families. The initiative has also extended housing assistance through the distribution of building materials to hundreds of beneficiaries. A total of 54 persons received such support in 2024, increasing significantly to 303 in 2025, while another 50 persons have benefitted so far in 2026. National Coordinator of the Men on Mission Initiative, Lieutenant Colonel Bhageshwar Murli, said in an earlier interview this year that the programme has grown into a nationwide movement aimed at transforming lives and building stronger communities. “Men on Mission has grown tremendously since its launch and continues to expand across all ten administrative regions. What started as a small initiative has now become a nationwide movement involving volunteers, professionals, members of the joint services, private sector partners and ordinary citizens who are passionate about community development,” Lieutenant Colonel Murli stated.
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GUYANA CHRONICLE, saturday, October 31, 2026
‘We want to see more British companies doing business with Guyanese companies’ –– Finance Minister tells forum at King’s Hotel
ADDRESSING Guyanese and British business leaders during a business engagement which was convened as part of the state visit by His Majesty King Charles III on Friday at the Jewelz by King’s Hotel on Waterloo Street, Senior Minister in the Office of the President with Responsibility for Finance Dr Ashni Singh highlighted that Guyana’s rapid economic growth has not only changed Guyana but has also changed the country’s relationship with the world, not least our economic, trade, and commercial relationship with the United Kingdom. Minister Singh declared “Guyana is open for business, and we want to see more British companies doing business in Guyana”. Attending the high-level event were High Commissioner of the United Kingdom to Guyana, Joseph Fisher; His Majesty’s Trade Commissioner for Latin America and the Caribbean, Amy Barklam; Chief Executive Officer of UK Export Finance, Tim Reid; UK’s Trade and Investment Manager for the Caribbean, Tyrone Rambacchus; Chairman of the British Chamber of Commerce, Faizal Khan; Chairman of the Private Sector Commission of Guyana, Gerry Gouveia Jr.; President of the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry Kathy Smith; visiting members of the British private sector and members of the Guyanese private sector. Delivering remarks to members of both the UK and Guyanese private sector, the minister highlighted, “total trade between our two countries reached approximately £6 billion over the last five years, expanding from some £350 million in 2021, to about £1.7 billion last year. Guyana is now, by a considerable distance, the UK’s largest trading partner in the Commonwealth Caribbean, accounting for almost half of the UK’s trade with the region”. He added further that the UK has also been a steady development partner in recent years, and the clearest measure of that is the UK Export Finance’s (UKEF) growing risk appetite for Guyana. “In just five years, UKEF has raised its country ceiling for Guyana several times, from £750 million in 2021 to £2.1 billion in 2024, to £3 billion in October 2025 and to £3.5 billion currently, a clear vote of confidence in our economic performance, our prospects, and our creditworthiness.
Senior Minister in the Office of the President with Responsibility for Finance Dr Ashni Singh addresses Guyanese and British business leaders during a business engagement which was convened as part of the state visit by His Majesty King Charles III on Friday at the Jewelz by King’s Hotel “This envelope is accessible to both government and private-sector importers in Guyana and may take the form of either direct lending or guarantee support for borrowing,” Dr. Singh emphasised. He also acknowledged UKEF’s competitiveness in the world of export-credit agencies, including its openness to financing up to 100 percent of a project’s value with a minimum British content requirement of 20 percent. Dr Singh recognised UKEF’s support for Guyana and alluded to Guyana’s recent Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) risk classification upgrade. “With UKEF’s support, less than two weeks ago, Guyana’s OECD country risk classification was upgraded from Category 5 to Category 4. This was Guyana’s second upgrade in four years. It places Guyana in the same category as Brazil, Colombia, Panama and South Africa. Over the last four years, only two other countries have received two upgrades. In practical terms, this lowers the risk premium on officially supported export credit for Guyanese transactions, and makes British goods and services bought through UKEF more competitive to Guyanese buyers.,” the finance minister explained to the business forum. He further noted that, more recently, UKEF provided Export Credit Guarantee support for a €61.43 million loan from Santander Bank, to construct a new arrivals terminal at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, adding that when completed, the new and upgraded terminal facilities would further enhance Guyana’s tourism, trade and investment landscape. The minister also listed other projects in the country being supported by UKEF
including the major upgrade already underway to the equipment fleet of the Guyana Fire Service being undertaken with yet another British company, as well as other projects being supported by other UK funding agencies such as the UK Caribbean Infrastructure Fund which has provided financing for the upgrade of the 121 kilometres all-weather highway from Linden to Mabura Hill. This is the first phase of the Linden to Lethem corridor and is one of the most important trade routes in northern South America. “Incidentally, this road will extend beyond Linden and continue all the way to the Berbice coastline and will terminate with a deep-water port and an industrial complex in Berbice using gas from our second pipeline, the buildout of all of which presents obvious opportunities for British business, across the entire spectrum from EPC contractors, consulting engineers, operators, off-takers, and other service providers,” he added. Minister Singh emphasised that this is only the foundation and outlined many of the various sectors in which British companies can invest in Guyana including oil and gas, the extractive industries, infrastructure, agriculture, services, aviation and tourism. “I provide these only as examples of the vastness of opportunities that are available for British business in Guyana and in partnership with Guyanese companies and Guyanese citizens. And, UKEF will undoubtedly be an integral part of the journey immediately ahead to ensure that these opportunities are realised. Guyana is open for business, and we want to see more British companies doing business in Guyana with Guyanese companies and Guyanese nationals [sic],” he concluded. (Ministry of Finance)
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Venezuela’s reopening could open new doors for Guyana
GUYANA CHRONICLE, Saturday, October 31, 2026
–– Ambassador Neumann tells WTCG conference AS Venezuela’s economy begins to reopen, Guyanese businesses may be positioned to benefit from a wave of new trade and investment opportunities, according to former Venezuelan Ambassador to the United Kingdom Vanessa Neumann, who urged Guyana to use the moment to build a diversified, resilient economy that does not rest on oil alone. Delivering the keynote address at the recently concluded World Trade Centre Georgetown (WTCG) International Trade and Investment Conference 2026, Ambassador Neumann told business leaders, investors, policymakers and international delegates that Venezuela’s evolving circumstances carry real commercial promise for its neighbour, accord-
ing to a WTCG press release. Ambassador Neumann said Venezuela’s reconstruction and development needs could create openings for Guyanese firms in food supplies, logistics, construction, maintenance and technical services. She expressed hope that Venezuela’s recovery would benefit both Venezuelans and Guyanese, observing that a neighbour’s recovery need not come at Guyana’s expense. She was careful to add that opportunity should not be mistaken for certainty. Commercial access, she cautioned, should not be confused with political legitimacy or institutional stability. Guyanese companies exploring the Venezuelan market must ensure that transactions are lawful, buyers
are credible and payment arrangements are dependable. She underscored the importance of resolving differences peacefully through international law, and encouraged businesses and policymakers to monitor developments in official policy, maritime activity, border conditions and insurance arrangements. The Venezuela opportunity, she suggested, fits into a larger challenge. Ambassador Neumann argued that Guyana’s ambition should extend beyond becoming a successful oil-producing nation to becoming a successful country: one that is secure in its sovereignty, competitive in its businesses and generous in the opportunities it provides its citizens. The true measure of development, she said, will be
not just the wealth generated from natural resources, but also the capabilities Guyana retains and builds through transparent, productive and mutually beneficial partnerships. She warned against making long-term investment decisions on the assumption of permanently high oil prices. Focusing on the conflict involving Iran and its effects on trade, energy markets and shipping, she outlined three possible scenarios over the next six to 12 months, from continued shipping disruption and higher prices, to de-escalation, to further escalation hitting critical infrastructure and supply chains. Volatility, she said, deserves more attention than any single price prediction. She urged businesses to diversify critical suppliers, verify delivery capacity, maintain affordable operational buffers and review freight, insurance and price-adjustment arrangements, so they can withstand simultaneous pressures from delayed shipments, higher input costs and slower customer payments. Any expansion of regional trade, including with Venezuela, depends on secure waters. Ambassador Neumann called for stronger maritime security co-operation with regional and international partners through shared reporting, joint training and effective mechanisms for responding to incidents at sea. Shipping operators, ports, offshore companies and insurers should be part of a coordinated effort, she said, describing maritime security as an essential condition for attracting and sustaining investment, rather than simply a defence expense. She pointed to emerging technologies such as Quartermaster’s SmartMast platform, which combines vessel-mounted cameras, radio sensing, onboard artifi-
cial intelligence and satellite communications to improve maritime awareness. A carefully structured pilot, backed by independent performance assessments, cybersecurity safeguards and clear data-access arrangements, could extend surveillance through participating commercial vessels, she suggested. Ambassador Neumann acknowledged the importance of Guyana’s local-content framework, but argued that the next stage should help local companies move into higher-value activities, develop recognised technical expertise, win more sophisticated contracts and eventually compete internationally. DIVERSIFYING PARTNERSHIPS Diversifying partnerships, she stressed, must not come at the expense of high standards or Guyana’s ability to make independent decisions in its national interest. O n t e c h n o l o g y, s h e identified cyber-secure automation as a strategically valuable investment for Guyana at this stage, cautioning against adopting artificial intelligence simply because it is fashionable. Meaningful automation, she noted, does not always require AI; often the greatest gains come from systems where information is entered once, consistently verified and properly recorded. She identified ports and customs as areas where better integration of documentation, inspection decisions and cargo tracking could improve efficiency without weakening regulatory oversight. Turning to tourism as a route to diversification, she stressed that investor confidence depends on secure property ownership, contractual rights and the continuity of lawful business
arrangements. Hotel and tourism investments require large, longterm capital commitments and confidence that titles, leases and legitimate operating rights will be respected. Property rights, she said, must protect Guyanese owners and foreign investors alike while respecting Indigenous and community rights, environmental safeguards and lawful public-interest acquisition procedures. A predictable environment would spread the benefits through demand for local agriculture, construction, transportation and cultural experiences. Ambassador Neumann closed by challenging participants to turn conference connections into tangible deals. She proposed a voluntary 90-day follow-up mechanism through WTCG to track business introductions, negotiations, export-readiness efforts and obstacles facing prospective partnerships. She encouraged international partners to bring investments that leave lasting capabilities behind, including technology local people can master and transparent commercial agreements that withstand scrutiny. Her closing message was that true sovereign strength lies in a country’s ability to choose its partners, resolve disagreements, withstand external shocks and place economic opportunities in the hands of its citizens. The WTCG International Trade and Investment Conference 2026 brought together business leaders, investors, policymakers and trade promotion organisations from Guyana, the Caribbean, South America and beyond to identify practical approaches to expanding trade, investment and economic co-operation, particularly for Guyana and the smaller economies of the Caribbean.
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GUYANA CHRONICLE, saturday, October 31, 2026
NELA hosts national orientation sessions for recently promoted education leaders –– sessions aim to strengthen leadership, boost management, professional accountability
THE National Education Leadership Academy (NELA), through the Ministry of Education, has successfully conducted two national orientation sessions aimed at strengthening leadership, management, and professional accountability among recently promoted education leaders across Guyana’s public-school system. According to a Ministry of Education (MoE) press release, the first session, held on October 23, 2026, targeted headteachers and principals, while the second session, held on October 28, 2026, catered to deputy headteachers, senior masters/mistresses, and heads of department. More than 2,000 educators from Guyana’s 11 education districts participated in the sessions, representing recently promoted teachers through the Teaching Service Commission (TSC) and the School Boards Secretariat (SBS). The orientations form part of NELA’s ongoing commitment to preparing education leaders to perform their responsibilities effectively, foster positive school environments, improve teaching and learning, and contribute meaningfully to the national education development agenda.
The orientation sessions focused on 10 critical areas of school leadership and management: 1. Roles and Responsibilities – Clarifying the duties, expectations, and professional obligations associated with leadership positions at different levels of the school system. 2 . Tr a n s f o r m a t i o n a l Leadership – Encouraging leaders to inspire their colleagues, build a shared vision, motivate staff, and lead positive change within their institutions. 3. Record Keeping – Strengthening the maintenance and management of accurate school records to support accountability, informed decision-making, monitoring, and planning. 4. Conflict Resolution and Management – Equipping leaders with strategies to address disagreements professionally, manage workplace challenges, and promote harmonious relationships among staff and other stakeholders. 5. Team Building and Teamwork – Promoting collaboration, mutual respect, shared responsibility, and collective efforts towards achieving school goals. 6. Instructional Supervision – Emphasising the importance of monitoring
teaching and learning, providing constructive feedback, supporting teacher development, and improving classroom practice and student achievement. 7. Positive Discipline – Encouraging fair, consistent, and constructive approaches to discipline that promote respect, responsibility, safety, and positive behaviour among students. 8. Time Management – Developing the capacity of school leaders to prioritise responsibilities, organise activities, meet deadlines, and make effective use of instructional and administrative time. 9. Attendance and Punctuality – Reinforcing the
importance of regular attendance, punctuality, professional conduct, and the
effective use of school time by both staff and students. 10. Staff Welfare – Highlighting the responsibility of school leaders to support staff well-being, recognise professional contributions, foster a positive working environment, and promote staff morale. The sessions were designed to go beyond the formal assumption of new positions by helping participants understand the practical demands of leadership and the standards expected of them as they assume greater responsibility within the education system. Effective school leadership is central to improving educational outcomes.
Headteachers/principals, deputies, senior masters/mistresses, and heads of department are expected to provide direction, maintain professional standards, support teachers, manage resources responsibly, and ensure that teaching and learning remain at the centre of school operations. By addressing these 10 areas, NELA seeks to build a stronger cadre of education leaders who are confident in their roles, capable of making sound decisions, committed to accountability, and prepared to work collaboratively with teachers, parents, communities, and education officials.
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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Saturday, October 31, 2026
Police say Mohameds family-led actions near State House unlawful
POLICE say Thursday’s procession towards State House, orchestrated by the Mohamed family, was unlawful because no written permission was sought or granted. What started as a demonstration of about 20 persons, primarily including the Mohameds family, outside of the St George’s Cathedral
later became a “march” by the group of persons towards State House. Notably, this was on the occasion of the visit of King Charles III to Guyana, and during a state reception in his honour that was attended by senior members of the family’s WIN party, Odessa Primus and Tabitha Sarabo-Halley.
Commander of Region 4A, Simon McBean, said the group assembled at St. George’s Cathedral and moved as a procession without applying to the Chief Officer of Police. He stressed that peaceful protest is a constitutional right, but said a march through a public place requires permission under the
Police say Thursday’s procession towards State House, orchestrated by the Mohamed family, was unlawful because no written permission was sought or granted Public Order Act, Cap. 16:03. Section 5(1) of the Act states that no person shall hold or take part in any public procession, other than a funeral procession, unless the Chief Officer of Police has first given written permission. Under section 5(2), anyone wishing to hold a procession must apply in writing at least 48 hours beforehand. If permission is granted, the Chief Officer sets the routes and times and may give special orders, which everyone taking part must obey. McBean said the group was removed from the vicinity of State House and regrouped at Middle and Carmichael Streets as a picketing exercise. He added that the use of a noisy instrument was also unauthorised, as no permission was given.
Section 13 of the Public Order Act makes it an offence to take part in a procession prohibited under section 5, or to breach the conditions of a permit. On summary conviction, offenders are liable to a fine of $26,000 and four months in prison. Separately, section 306 of the Criminal Law (Offences) Act makes taking part in any route or unlawful assembly a misdemeanour, punishable by up to one year in prison. The Guyana Police Force said that over the past two weeks, several groups picketing in Georgetown tried to use noisy instruments without the permission required by section 12(1). Officers intervened and educated protesters. Three applications were later submitted, and the Chief
Officer denied all three because the noise would have unduly disturbed residents and businesses. The Force said it remains committed to peaceful protest but must balance that right against the community’s right to go about daily life, and urged organisers to follow the statutory processes. Thursday’s action is the latest in a series of demonstrations that have been unlawful in several instances. The protests have largely been mobilised by the Mohamed sisters, Hadiyyah and Hana, and other family members, who have drawn a small group of about 20 people. The demonstration drew strong condemnation because it took place near State House during the King’s visit.
GUYANA CHRONICLE, saturday, October 31, 2026
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King Charles III wraps up state visit 16
GUYANA CHRONICLE, Saturday, October 31, 2026
––– after several stops, engagements across Georgetown
in Region Five (Mahaica-Berbic), through The King’s Foundation. At the Umana Yana, the King met members of the National Toshaos Council, led by its Chairman, Toshao Derrick John. He also toured an indigenous arts and crafts exhibition. He later joined President Ali at a reception with British businesses and local stakeholders on trade and investment partnerships. The visit was the
HIS Majesty King Charles III wrapped up his two-day State visit to Guyana on Friday afternoon at the Kingston Seawall, where he was briefed on the national mangrove restoration programme aimed at protecting Georgetown’s coastline. Accompanied by First Lady Arya Ali, First Son Zayd Ali, and Minister of Agriculture Zulfikar Mustapha, the King toured the Kingston Seawall Esplanade before greeting Georgetown residents at the bandstand. This was his final engagement before departing for Antigua and Barbuda. “I explained how these natural barriers help reduce coastal erosion and flooding, protect agricultural lands, support fisheries, and create sustainable economic opportunities for communities,” Minister Mustapha said in a statement. He noted that Guyana’s mangrove restoration programme demonstrates the
government’s commitment to environmental protection, climate resilience, and sustainable development. At the seawall, the King also met participants in the Wilton Park Commonwealth Sustainable Cities Initiative Dialogue, which is examining practical steps towards sustainable urban development ahead of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM). The British monarch arrived in Guyana on Thursday at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA), where he was received by President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali; Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Hugh Todd; Minister of Finance Dr. Ashni Singh; and heads of the Disciplined Services. He later held audience with President Ali at State House before attending a State reception on the lawns of State House that brought together representatives of communities
across Guyana to mark 60 years of Guyana–United Kingdom relations. There, the King sampled ‘Royal Welcome,’ a rum crafted in his honour. On Friday morning, the King, Patron of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, joined veterans and citizens at the Georgetown (Rabbit Walk) Memorial to honour Guyanese, British and Commonwealth service personnel who died in service. There, he was accompanied by Prime Minister Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips and heads of the Disciplined Services. The King also visited the historic Promenade Gardens, where he was immersed in the rich cultural expressions and artistic traditions that make Guyana unique. The tour was facilitated by Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Priya Manickchand; Minister within the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, Steven Jacobs; and Minister within the
Ministry of Housing, Vanessa Benn. He then attended the Second Global Biodiversity Alliance (GBA) Conference and Financing Forum at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC), alongside President Ali and Vice-President Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo. The King toured exhibition booths, including those of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Protected Areas Commission (PAC), the Iwokrama International Centre, South Rupununi Conservation Society, and the North Rupununi Women’s Group. He praised Guyana for keeping a large share of its forests intact, and congratulated President Ali on establishing the GBA. President Ali noted that Guyana and the King will build on nearly two decades of partnership on forest conservation, with joint work now underway on the revitalisation of Georgetown and a Harmony Village at Moraikobai,
King’s first to Guyana as monarch, and his first since February 2000, when, as Prince of Wales, he became Patron of the Iwokrama International Centre. He has backed Guyana’s Low-Carbon Development Strategy since its launch in 2009. The King now heads to St. John’s, capital of Antigua and Barbuda, where he will join his spouse, Queen Camilla for CHOGM 2026 from November 1 to 4. (DPI)
GUYANA CHRONICLE, saturday, October 31, 2026
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Six countries sign on to Global Biodiversity Alliance
SIX countries have joined Guyana’s Global Biodiversity Alliance (GBA), further strengthening international co-operation to protect and restore the world’s biodiversity. The newest members – Colombia, Rwanda, Panama, India, France and the United Kingdom – were formally welcomed during the official opening of the conference, where representatives received their membership certificates from President Dr Mohamed
Irfaan Ali. Those receiving the certificates included Colombia’s Vice President José Manuel Restrepo; Rwanda’s Minister of the Environment, Dr Bernadette Arakwiye; Panama’s Minister of the Environment, Juan Carlos Navarro; India’s High Commissioner to Guyana, Chinmoy Naik; French Ambassador to Guyana, Olivier Plançon, and Head of the International Forest Unit at the United Kingdom’s Common-
wealth and Development Office, Maggie Charnley. With the addition, the alliance’s membership has increased to 147. The Second Global Biodiversity Alliance Conference and Financing Forum is being held from October 30 to 31, 2026, at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre in Liliendaal, under the theme, “Investing in Nature: From Global Commitments to Practical Action.” (DPI)
GUYANA CHRONICLE, Saturday, October 31, 2026
The newest members – Colombia, Rwanda, Panama, India, France and the United Kingdom – were formally welcomed during the official opening of the conference
GUYANA CHRONICLE, saturday, October 31, 2026
GWI Water Quality Laboratory earns GNBS recertification
GWI received recertification from GNBS this week, reinforcing the company’s commitment to strengthening laboratory operations, maintaining public confidence Photo credit- GWI/Facebook T H E G u y a n a Wa t e r Incorporated’s (GWI) Water Quality Laboratory earlier this week successfully received recertification under the GYS 170:2021 Standard from the Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS), following a comprehensive audit in September 2026. The laboratory has been certified since 2018 and continues to demonstrate its commitment to maintaining high standards in water quality testing and reliable laboratory operations. On behalf of GWI, Laboratory Manager, Ms. Angela Fordyce, and Quality Analyst, Ms. Crystal Wall, received the certificate and plaque. According to the water company, the achievement reflects the team’s continued dedication to accuracy, consistency, and quality assurance in support of
GWI’s mandate. Fordyce, in her speech, expressed appreciation to the GNBS team for its thorough evaluation process, and emphasised the importance of rigorous quality monitoring in ensuring the Department effectively executes its mandate. She stated, “We are extremely excited to receive our recertification. This just shows that we have been consistent, and I want to thank our team because they have put in the work and the effort and it shows. This shows that other organisations and entities can trust our results.” Fordyce also credited the laboratory team for its dedication to meeting these requirements, highlighting that the achievement reflects the collective effort involved in maintaining the laboratory’s quality management systems. The GWI noted that
maintaining certification requires consistent attention to laboratory procedures, documentation, quality control, and the reliability of testing results. The GYS 170:2021 Standard establishes requirements for laboratory operations, providing a framework for maintaining effective quality management practices and supporting the accuracy, consistency, and reliability of laboratory processes. For GWI, continued compliance with the standard is particularly important given the Water Quality Department’s responsibility for monitoring and assessing water quality. The successful recertification reinforces GWI’s commitment to strengthening its laboratory operations and maintaining public confidence in the quality monitoring processes that support water service delivery across Guyana.
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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Saturday, October 31, 2026
GDF, Indian Armed Forces explore expanded defence co-operation
THE Guyana Defence Force (GDF) and the Indian Armed Forces are discussing ways to expand co-operation in training, equipment, and technical support across the land, air, maritime, and cyber domains. The discussions commenced with the Chief of Defence Staff, Brigadier Omar Khan, MSS, and the Indian High Commissioner to Guyana, His Excellency Chinmoy Naik, meeting a visiting Military Training and Advisory Team (MTAT) led by Colonel Jaydeep Koley, Colonel, Co-ordination-Perspective Planning. The visit builds on ongoing military engagement between the two countries, including Brigadier Khan’s November 2024 visit to India. During that visit, he met senior defence officials and toured military equipment manufacturing facilities and
The joint meeting being held to explore expanded defence co-operation discussed opportunities for training, equipment acquisition, and closer military collaboration. Brigadier Khan welcomed the multidisciplinary team and emphasised the importance of aligning bilateral co-operation with the GDF’s operational requirements. High Commissioner Naik reaffirmed India’s commitment to sustained defence engagement with Guyana and encouraged the GDF to draw on the team’s expertise in determining areas for further military support. The Adjutant General, Colonel Lloyd Souvenir, MEM; Colonel Administration and Quartering, Commander Roger Nurse, MEM; the Inspector General, Colonel Natasha Stanford-Francis, MEM; and other senior officers also attended the opening engagement. The discussions examined the GDF’s existing capabilities, operational requirements, and potential areas for Indian military assistance. Commander Nurse will serve as the GDF’s coordinator for the defence- cooperation process. Commander Nurse welcomed the consultations and expressed confidence that they would lay the groundwork for further collaboration. As part of the visit, the Indian team is scheduled to tour GDF bases and units, including the Air Corps, infantry battalions, and Coast Guard facilities to assess capabilities and identify specific areas where Indian support could be applied. The findings will guide future co-operation towards priority capability requirements, ensuring any resulting assistance aligns with the GDF’s operational needs and its responsibility to defend Guyana.
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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Saturday, October 31, 2026
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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Saturday, October 31, 2026
Why has CAF abandoned plans to hold Afcon every four years?
AFTER a shock announcement 10 months ago that the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) would be held every four years, the governing body of football on the continent has reversed course. The Confederation of African Football (CAF) will instead retain the tournament’s traditional biennial staging, with its president Patrice Motsepe saying the U-turn
was based on “advancing, protecting and promoting” the interests of the African game. The first indication that the frequency of AFCON was being reconsidered came at CAF’s strategy conference in Cape Verde earlier this month. Questions are now being asked about the decision-making process and what this means for the fu-
Sadio Mane’s Senegal won AFCON 2025 but the result was later overturned in favour of Morocco, and the Court of Arbitration for Sport will determine the ultimate destination of the title
Dream wins to set up WNBA finals decider
ATLANTA Dream denied the Golden State Valkyries their first WNBA title after an 80-69 win forced the series into a seventh and deciding game on Sunday. The Valkyries, who led 3-2 heading into the game in Atlanta, got off to a slow start, trailing 32-15 at the end of the first quarter. That proved pivotal as the hosts maintained a healthy buffer throughout the game, leading 46-26 at half-time. Despite not being at her best, Golden State Valkyries star Gabby Williams was the game’s top scorer with 26 points, while Angel Reese led the rebounding charts
with 14. Kiah Stokes kept Reese, who is in her first season with the Dream after being traded from the Chicago Sky, quiet in Game Five, but was unable to replicate that performance. The 24-year-old delivered another standout performance after her Game Two display made her the youngest player, and only the third overall, to record at least 30 points and 15 rebounds in a Finals series. It was a superb performance from Karl Smesko’s side, who had no room for error as they kept what has been a thrilling series alive.
Atlanta Dream had previously had a record of zero wins and 10 defeats in the Finals, following 3-0 series defeats in 2010, 2011 and 2013
ture of African football. Why was the planned change controversial? AFCON has predominantly been held every two years since its first edition in 1957, barring two three-year gaps in the 1960s and one year between the 2012 and 2013 tournaments. On the eve of the 2025 finals in Morocco, Motsepe
announced all that would change from 2028. The South African said the shift to a four-year cycle was, in part, to help the global calendar “be significantly more synchronised and harmonised”. In recent years AFCON has been staged midway through the European club season, leading to recurring
disputes over the release of African players. FIFA general secretary Mattias Grafstrom was sitting aside Motsepe when the plan was announced, and critics highlighted that the scheduling change favoured football’s world governing body more than the African game. “I think the general sen-
timent around the continent has been that the two-year cycle has served the continent very well,” Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) official Sydney Mungala told the BBC. “The idea of pushing it to a four-year cycle was a bit of a surprise, maybe a concern, to the bulk of the African federations.”
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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Saturday, October 31, 2026
Regal Legends, Ariel/Trophy Stall and Regal Masters flawless on opening day
REGAL Legends ended the first day of the third edition of the Vice-president T20 Softball Cup unscathed while Ariel/Trophy Stall Masters and Regal Masters are already through to the final of the Masters Over40 category which also featured Avengers Masters. Playing at the Gandhi Youth Organisation (GYO) ground on Woolford Avenue, Regal Masters defeated Parika Legends by seven wickets
in their first encounter before returning in the afternoon session to whip Jai Hind by six wickets, thereby moving closer to a semi-final spot. Set 197 for victory, after Parika Legends were bowled out for 196 in 19.5 overs, Regal Legends achieved the target in 18 overs led by 62 (four fours and four sixes) from Khemchand Dindyal and an unbeaten 46 from Lloyd Rooplall. Earlier, Oswald “Papa”
Chandla top scored with 46 (four fours and four sixes) for Parika Legends as Dindyal returned to claim three for 28, Nandram Samlall two for 18 and Roy Persaud two for 34. Winning the toss for the second game and once more opting to field, Regal Legends restricted Jai Hind to 188 for nine in their 20 overs with Mangali hitting 44. David Harper took three for 35 Roy Persaud two for 28 and Dindyal two for 41.
Women’s Division One League: GDF hit 11 as Police sweep past Ann’s Grove DEFENDING champions Guyana Defence Force sent an emphatic message to the rest of the division in their first match of the 2026-27 Women’s Division One League, dismantling Western Tigers 11-0 to kick off their title defence in blistering fashion. The holders required just three minutes to open the floodgates at the Guyana Football Federation’s National Training Centre, with Abiocie Heywood pouncing quickest to slide home a loose ball after an initial save. Glendy Lewis doubled the advantage two minutes later with a composed tap-in from Sandra Johnson’s cross, before Johnson added her own on 18 minutes with a close-range finish. GDF captain Glengie Lewis then effectively put the game out of reach before the interval, unleashing a pair of venomous strikes from the edge of the penalty area in the 22nd and 23rd minutes to make it 5-0 at half-time. There was no let up after the resumption as Jalade Trim took centre stage with an
Part of the action in the Women’s Division One league
electric second-half hat-trick. Trim struck in the 38th minute before conjuring the highlight of the evening four minutes later with an audacious backheel finish, later completing her treble with a 52nd-minute strike. Glendy Lewis notched her second in the 36th minute, while Zorina Alli delivered the final blows with a well-taken brace in the 50th and 56th minutes to seal a devastating double-digit rout. Earlier in the evening,
CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Saturday, October 31, 2026) CUMMINGS ELECTRICAL COMPANY LTD 83 Garnett Street, Georgetown (Tel:225-6158) Answers to yesterday’s quiz: (1) Roston Chase (2) Najimul Hossain Shanto Today’s Quiz: (1) Who is the WI debutant in the current Test against BANG? (2) Who is the TV umpire officiating in the current WI/BANG Test? Answers in tomorrow’s issue
fellow title hopefuls Guyana Police Force launched their own campaign with a routine 5-0 win over Ann’s Grove United. The law-enforcement side had to work hard in an attritional first half, with Tiandi Smith’s 16th-minute tap-in at the far post from a Sasha James corner, the only difference between the teams at the break. Police found their clinical edge in the second half, however, spearheaded by a sparkling Janelle Edmondson treble. Edmondson found the net in the 34th, 44th, and 55th minutes, while Martha Chance capped off a dominant second period with a crisp finish in the 46th minute. The action continues on Friday, when high-flying GDF take on River’s View FC in the 18:00hrs kickoff, before Monedderlust FC square off against Santos FC at 20:00hrs. Admission is $1,000, with all sides competing for a $1m winner’s prize. (Modified Press Release)
Rooplall with 65 (one four and eight sixes) led the way for Regal Legends while Surujdeo Ramdeen scored an even 50 with four fours. Jai Hind had earlier won from Trophy Stall Lions in their first game, played at GNIC. Batting first, the Berbicians reached 211 for six with Mangali hitting 55 and skipper Mark Sampson 47. Trophy Stall Lions were bundled out for 96 in 12.3 overs with Lynden Lyght’s 28 being the top score. Azeem Khedaroo took four for 24. Led by a robust 109 which included nine fours and 11 sixes from Uniss Yusuf, Fisherman Masters defeated Parika Legends by 76 runs in an afternoon fixture, played at GNIC. Batting first Fisherman Masters reached 300 for five in their 20 overs. Zameer Hassan (66 not out) and Zakir Salim provided valuable support for Yusuf. When Parika batted, Dubraj Singh lashed 87 with seven fours and six sixes while Surendra Manchand made 46 (one four and five sixes). Bliss Basters also opened their campaign with
Regal Legends first day heroes, Lloyd Rooplall and Khemchandra Dindyal
a 31-run victory over Trophy Stall Lions, batting first and reaching 224 for four and restricting their opponents to 193 for six. Latchman Yadram’s 101, with 14 fours and three sixes led Bliss Batters batting while Sohan Bedessie contributed 60. Wayne Jones hit an undefeated 42 for Trophy Stall. Ariel Trophy Stall Masters, led by a blistering 114 from Sanuel Kingston and an equally attacking 73 from Richard Latiff raced to 317 for three in the Masters Over-40 category. Kingston smashed seven fours and 10 sixes while Latiff’s knock included 12 fours and three sixes. Opponents Avengers Masters were left high and
dry on 223 for nine when their 20 overs expired, Regal Masters also won from Avengers at the Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) ground in Queenstown in the second game. Patrick Rooplall smashed eight fours and seven sixes in 93 while Nicholas Chase was unbeaten on 78 (six fours and three sixes) as Regal Masters tallied 257 for three in their 20 overs. In reply, Avengers limped to 170 for seven in their 20 overs, losing by 87 runs. With only three teams in the category, Avengers were eliminated with Ariel/ Trophy Stall and Regal Masters advancing to contest Sunday’s final. (Frederick Halley)
Anderson ‘shocked’ by Lancs exit and unsure if he will continue
ENGLAND legend James Anderson says he is “sad” and “shocked” by his release by Lancashire and has not decided whether to continue his career at another county. Speaking at length on the Tailenders podcast for the first time since being told he will not have his Lancashire contract renewed, the 44-year-old said the decision made him question whether there is “something fundamentally wrong with me as a person”. Anderson, England’s leading wicket-taker and a Lancashire legend, took 50 wickets in the County Championship and served as captain last season but he was told by Lancashire’s new hierarchy they want to build an attack for the future. “I went in for what I thought was a conversation about how the team moves forward,” Anderson said. “It wasn’t a great year for the team. Being captain, I thought it was a chat about that. “A couple of minutes in I realised it wasn’t a conver-
James Anderson is England’s all-time leading Test wicket-taker with 704 dismissals
sation. I was being told they thought the best way for the team to move forward was without me. “I was quite shocked. It was quite brief.” Lancashire’s decision was made by their incoming director of cricket, Paul Farbrace, who held a meeting with Anderson and Lancashire’s new chief executive, Richard Kenyon. Despite Anderson’s wickets, the club finished second bottom in Division Two of
the County Championship. In 2024, England also chose to move on from their record wicket-taker in similar circumstances as they attempted to refresh and build an attack for the 2025-26 Ashes in Australia. “All of the way through the season myself and the head coach were like ‘is it something we are doing? Could we be doing more to help the team?’” Anderson said. “I finished the season thinking ‘was it something I did? Was I doing something wrong?’ - and then I get this news. “Now I am thinking that even more. “I am thinking ‘this is happening again. Is there something fundamentally wrong with me as a person?’ Your head just sort of races. “I wanted to see my career out with Lancs. “I don’t know if my career is done, we will have to wait and see, but it would be nice at some point if someone would let me retire.”
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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Saturday, October 31, 2026
Phillips’ century, Duffy’s four-for topple India ... India could manage only 172 for 9 in their chase of 260
NEW ZEALAND had to break all-time records to be a challenge for India. Glenn Phillips’ century and Michael Bracewell with a balls-per-boundary ratio of just over two carried the team to the highest T20 score on these shores, including domestic matches. Faced with a target of 260, India felt scoreboard pressure for the first time and the options they took to dispel it didn’t work. (scores: New Zealand 259 for 7 (Phillips 107, Bracewell 65, Mayank 3-48) beat India 172 for 9 (Tilak 35, Duffy 4-23, Santner 2-24, Fisher 2-40) by 87 runs A changed Phillips For all the highlight reels he produces, Phillips uses
orthodox methods to start his innings. He takes it slow, sets himself up and once he’s around 30 or so, he explodes. But as a response to batting first at Eden Park, a ground famously chase-friendly, he changed his game. The second ball he faced was top of off stump but he short-arm pulled it in the air over midwicket. With the powerplay about to end, he moved across his crease to drag a length ball from Prince Yadav into the leg side for four. By that time he was already 26 off 14. He took a while to get to fifty - 31 balls - but his next 10 produced 40 runs. Nitish Kumar Reddy missed his yorkers. Phillips hit four sixes in a row to pro-
duce a 32-run over. Another six - which he knew would go - handed him his century. He was celebrating with the ball still in the air, a long way from hitting the sightscreen. Bracewell turns it on Tim Seifert is New Zealand’s surprise weapon. He plays 360 degrees but he’s had a poor series. So India has been faced with orthodox batters hitting orthodox areas in the field and they’ve used it to their advantage. Bracewell is not orthodox. He doesn’t have a great rate of success but when he comes off, he comes off big At Eden Park, he walked in 112 for 4 in the 11th over. India used the match up that was in their favour and it didn’t work. Bracwell hit
Bliss Batters – New Over-50 Legends team on the block
Some members of the Bliss Batters team. Skipper Anand Persaud is fourth from left
BLISS Batters Legends are the latest team to join the ranks of the Over-50 ranks. Comprising mostly players from New York and Guyana and led by seasoned campaigner, Anand Persaud, popularly known as “Pandit,” the team made its debut yesterday in the third edition of the Vice-president T20 Softball Cup. Speaking to Chronicle Sport, prior to their first game versus Trophy Stall Lions at the GNIC ground, Georgetown, Persaud was quick to point out that “Blissfullness” originated from the name Anand, hence Bliss Batters. Persaud also disclosed that the name was chosen by manager Dayanand Mangu and his son Vijay, both of whom are based in New York. According to Persaud, the intention is to compete in all Over-50 tournaments at
home in New York, Guyana, Florida and farther afield if possible. Persaud is happy with the present combination of the team, describing it as very strong and feels they have an excellent chance of emerging as winners of the Vice-president tournament. Persaud however stressed that participating and enjoying the tournament at the end of the day is also extremely important to his team members. Touching on the composition of the team, Persaud disclosed that among the key players are Mohamed “Stiffy” Rafeek, National Under-19 coach Yadram Latchman, all-rounder Ram Tulsi, hard-hitting batsman Sohan Biddesse, Ravi Etwaroo of Cricket Zone New York fame who also sponsored the uniforms and player/coach, Mark Babb. Anoth-
er prominent sponsor is Car Zone, based in Guyana. Persaud expressed appreciation to all the players, both in New York and Guyana and also to the organisers, Georgetown Softball Cricket League (GSCL) for the role it has been playing in tournaments like the Vice-president T20 Softball Cup. A veteran, Persaud said he has been in cricket, both hard and softball for more than 50 years. Prior to migrating to the USA, he skippered McGill Super Stars and Malteenoes Sports Club in youth cricket. Persaud also captained several softball teams in New York and had the distinct pleasure of leading Trophy Stall to victory in the New York Softball Cricket League (NYCL) Independence Legends Over50 title in 2024. (Frederick Halley)
the offspin of Naman Dhir for two fours and a six in the 12th over. Then they gambled with left-arm spin against left-hand batter and it got worse. Bracewell hit Axar Patel for 4, 4, 6, 4 in the 14th over. On the back of just losing a wicket, New Zealand piled on 54 runs in three overs. The unorthodoxy of Bracewell came to the fore when India turned to their best bowler of the match. Mayank Yadav came steaming in looking for the blockhole in the 17th over and kept getting scooped for six. New Zealand made 84 runs behind the wicket. Nearly 36% of them came off Bracewell’s bat at a strike rate of 300. This is what New Zealand had been missing, a batter who posed a different threat. Bracewell hit 10 boundaries in 25 balls. The partnership produced 115 runs in 41 balls. Duffy’s impact Hitting the middle of the pitch and benefitting from a little variation - whether it is extra bounce or the ball holding up a touch - is one of the best defensive ploys a fast bowler can use in batter-friendly conditions. Jacob Duffy hasn’t really been keen to do that. Then he saw Sanju Samson effortlessly hitting the first ball of the chase pitched up - for four. Immedi-
ately he went for his bouncer and took Samson out. In this series, Duffy has bowled a good length or fuller (25 balls, 52 runs, two wickets) twice as many times as he’s gone short (13 balls, 23 runs, two wickets). He was late to get clued in but once he was, he finished with 4 for 23 India’s batters play like they’re immune to scoreboard pressure. On Friday, they felt it. Abhishek Sharma was tied down by balls at his pads. New Zealand was desperate not to give him his hands. He was 16 off 10. Then Matt Fisher started angling the ball across the left-hander, letting him unleash that free-flowing swing of his bat. But with 259 on the board, the bowling side could afford these mistakes and Fisher showed the wherewithal to do the one thing that a bowler absolutely has
to in T20 cricket, complicate run-scoring. He went crossseam. He generated extra bounce. Abhishek caught the ball high on the bat despite its free-flowing swing and was dismissed. Scoreboard pressure accounted for Shreyas Iyer as well. Desperate to make the most of the last over of the powerplay, he gave up his stumps to be bowled. The mis-hits and miscalculations resulted in wickets at Eden Park. In Wellington, they didn’t. New Zealand’s bowlers did better, of course. They went hard length, they mixed up their pace and made it riskier to play the big shots. But the key was the outrageous total they had on their back. Cricinfo’s forecaster had them nearly 96% favourites at the end of the first innings. They just needed to close the game out.
CRISTIANO Ronaldo’s hat-trick helped Al-Nassr to a 5-3 win against AlKholood in the Saudi Pro League and took the Portugal striker to 985 career goals. With the game evenly poised at 2-2 following goals from Angelo Gabriel and Sadio Mane for Al-Nassr, Ronaldo secured the win for his side by scoring three times in 15 second-half minutes. His Portugal team-mate, Joao Felix, contributed four assists, including for two of Ronaldo’s goals. It was the 67th hat-trick of the 41-yearold’s career as he continues to chase another milestone in a glittering career. He has scored seven of his hat-tricks for Al-Nassr - along with 44
for Real Madrid, 10 for Portugal and three each at Manchester United and Juventus. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner has won league titles in England, Spain, Italy and Saudi Arabia and is the all-time top goalscorer in men’s international football. He has spent almost four years at Saudi Pro League champions Al-Nassr, with whom he has one year remaining on his contract. In August, he hinted at retirement by saying it was “probably” his last year playing. Al-Nassr are defending champions in the Saudi Pro League and sit second in the table, although they have a game in hand on leaders Al-Qadsia. (BBC Sport)
Cristano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr are second in the Saudi Pro League table
Glenn Phillips’ 46-ball century was pure fire • Getty Images
Ronaldo closes in on 1,000th goal with hat-trick
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Cape Town set for classic finale – what does history suggest could happen?
A GRIPPING series has the finale it deserves. Having effectively began day four on 40-4, South Africa batted on and on against Australia in Cape Town to move from a position where defeat looked likely to one where a series victory is a real possibilityIn being bowled out for 387 in the final over - with Ryan Rickelton making 101 and Wiaan Mulder last man out for a brilliant 115 - South Africa set the tourists a target of 288 for victory. Third Test, Cape Town (day four of five) (Scores:South Africa 329 & 387: Mulder 115, Rickelton 101 Australia 429: Inglis 102; Harmer 4-104 Australia need 288 to win) History a good omen for Australia Australia’s target is such that should they chase it on day five, it would be the second-highest fourth-innings chase in the 62 previous Tests on this famous ground. The highest? That’s a good omen for Australia. They chased 331 for a
four-wicket win in an epic Test against the Proteas in 2002, when Ricky Ponting hit a brilliant 100 not out. There have been five other scores above 288 in the fourth innings at Newlands - all of which were made in defeats or when salvaging a draw. For much of the afternoon and evening sessions, as Australia’s bowlers tired, this surface appeared flat enough to score. When Rickelton and Mulder applied themselves, few opportunities were created. They were able to progress to their third and fourth Test centuries respectively. It took a run out to end Rickelton’s knock, after which Marco Jansen pulled to deep square leg and Gerald Coetzee was also run out three dismissals down to batter error in a collapse of 4-61, which left South Africa nine down and 251 runs ahead. That Mulder and number 11 Kagiso Rabada flogged 36 before the close, suggested run-scoring is not impossible. Pitch turning more but batters more secure None of those late runs
were made under the pressure of a chase, however. The wicket of Simon Harmer in the final session, bowled shouldering arms by a ball from Nathan Lyon which turned back sharply showed the difficulty ahead. Harmer dismissed Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Josh Inglis and Alex Carey in Australia’s first innings - all recognised batters. The 37-year-old Essex legend, who once considered playing for England, will be crucial. As ever in such scenarios, the pitch will play its part. The PitchViz rating CricViz’s way of assessing the difficulty of a surface jumped to 6.6 in the final session, comfortably the highest (thus most difficult) rating of the Test. After settling down in the morning, the ball, as would be expected as a Test progresses, was turning significantly more in the final session than at any point across the previous four days. Interestingly, however, South Africa’s false shot percentage was just 11% across day four, a drop from 18% on
Wiaan Mulder reached his century during a final-wicket partnership with Kagiso Rabada
day three. Uneven bounce has not yet been a factor but one ball to Rickelton shortly after tea also shot low. Head the key man? Intrigue is added by the fact that whoever wins this Test will end the series top of the International Cricket Council’s Test rankings. One man appears to likely to play a huge part in the outcome.
Faced with a target of 205 in the first Ashes Test almost a year ago, Australia opener Head thrashed a sensational 123 from 83 balls to turn a tricky chase into a riotous charge to victory over England. There was a time, between 2008 and 2019, when Australia had a poor record in situations such as these. In that period they failed in 14 of their 17 fourth-in-
nings chases when set targets between 200 and 350. That has changed in recent years, however, with Cummins’ men having pulled off pursuits of 282 and 279 since 2023, in addition to the Perth victory last year. Few sides have been better in key moments in the modern era. Saturday will provide another chance for Australia to deliver under pressure,(BBC Sport)
F1 has never had anyone like me - Hamilton
LEWIS Hamilton says he is unlike any driver Formula 1 has seen before and reaffirmed a determination to keep racing into his mid-forties. The seven-time world champion recently said he wanted to continue in the sport to fulfil a dream of racing in Africa, having campaigned for a Grand Prix there for many years. F1 has signed a 10-year deal with the central-east African country of Rwanda starting in the early 2030s which will be a first race on the continent since 1993. The Briton said F1 had “never had anyone like me in the 70 years” of the sport and he felt like he was “built differently”. Hamilton will be at least 45
Lewis Hamilton joined Ferrari in 2025
when that race takes place - the same age as Aston Martin driver Fernando Alonso, who is continuing
in F1 next year - but he told a news conference before this weekend’s Mexico Grand Prix that he should be considered a special case. “Of course there are challenges up ahead that I can’t foresee that come with age. But along this journey there have been so many pre-conceived ideas like that your reaction time drops off,” he said. “Did you see my reaction time in the last race? It was faster than some of the youngest people here. “As long as you are willing to sacrifice everything, which I am right now – I can’t say in four years whether I will want to continue doing what I’m doing – but I am still all in. I will be for the foreseeable future.” Alonso turns 46 next sum-
mer, and hinted when he announced his new contract last month that he is likely to continue for at least another season beyond that. Hamilton is battling to finish second in the drivers’ championship this season. The Ferrari driver is in a fight with four other drivers to end the season behind runaway leader Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes, who is 21 years Hamilton’s junior. Antonelli is poised to clinch his first world title this weekend in Mexico City, while there are just 31 points separating Mercedes’ George Russell in second from McLaren’s Lando Norris in sixth. Hamilton is third, one point behind Russell, five ahead of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and eight
ahead of the other Ferrari driver, Charles Leclerc. Hamilton struggled during his first season with Ferrari, but has enjoyed a much more positive campaign this time around including victory in the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix in June. Hamilton said he has proven that he can still compete at the highest level. “Time will tell whether I’m here in the 2030s. I never want to overstay my welcome in the sense of not having the performance,” he added. “I don’t want to be driving around with that having really dropped off. “Everyone assumed that last year and I have proved everyone wrong. I’ll continue to try to do so.”(BBC Sport)
Deonarine’s century carries West Indies into Shield...
finish. Lyght hit 18 fours and five sixes as Rest of the Caribbean posted 355 for seven after electing to bat. Johan Branch contributed 72 from 61 deliveries, with seven fours and three sixes, while Shazam Ramjohn made 36, Asif Chan 35 and
Rudy Hinds 21. Hugo Ludik was Namibia’s most successful bowler with two for 15. Namibia was dismissed for 181 in 30.2 overs despite Henry Hayes’ 50 from 38 balls, containing nine fours and a six. Ludik added 32, Nicolaas Buys 24 and Jaco
Schoonbee 23. Hinds led the bowling with three for 19 from 4.2 overs, while Ramjohn took two for 24. Romaine Roye, Anand Bharat, Jeunick Mingo, Devindra Maharaj and Varindra Maharaj claimed one wicket each. Meanwhile, Wales defeated
Colombia by nine wickets after dismissing them for 64 in 27.4 overs. Iroshan De Silva took four for 22, Simon Jones three for 19, Gareth Edwards two for six and Dylan McPhee one for 16. Christopher Laas provided Colombia’s main resistance with 36
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from 46 balls, striking four fours and a six. Wales reached 67 for one in 13.1 overs. Owain Hopkins made 31 before falling to Bogala Krish, while Sion Morris finished unbeaten on 19 and Nicholas Morgan on one.
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IMC O40s World Cup...
Deonarine’s century carries West Indies into Shield final
NARSINGH Deonarine struck an unbeaten 110 as West Indies defeated the United States by 29 runs at the National Stadium, Providence, on Friday to reach the Shield final of the IMC Over-40s Cricket World Cup. Deonarine led a recovery that carried West Indies to 284 for four from their 45 overs before Imran Khan and Devendra Bishoo took three wickets each to dismiss the Americans for 255 in 43.2 overs. West Indies will now contest the final to decide fifth place in the competition. Deonarine was named man of the match, with his son, Dariel Deonarine, receiving the award on his behalf. Elsewhere, Darren Stevens smashed an unbeaten 231 as England overwhelmed South Africa to secure third place, while Rest of the Caribbean defeated Namibia in the 11th-place playoff and Wales recorded a comfortable victory over Colombia. At Providence, Deonarine’s 116-ball innings, containing 12 fours and two
sixes, helped West Indies overcome a difficult start after choosing to bat. Openers Sewnarine Chattergoon and Randy Thomas made 28 apiece, but the hosts slipped from 49 without loss to 50 for three. Chattergoon fell to Nadeem William before Aamir Shahzad dismissed Larry Farnum and Jason Mohamed without scoring in the ninth over. Thomas struck four boundaries in his 37-ball innings before being bowled by Krishna S, leaving West Indies at 74 for four in the 15th over. Deonarine and captain Denesh Ramdin then added 160 runs to put the innings back on course. Ramdin contributed 72 from 63 deliveries, including five fours and a six, before retiring hurt with the score at 234 after 39 overs. Khan maintained the momentum with an unbeaten 35 from 24 balls, hitting five fours as he and Deonarine added another 50 runs to complete the innings. Shahzad finished with two for 52 from nine overs,
The Americans’ reply was led by Petson Matthews, with 110 from 90 deliveries, featuring 11 fours and three sixes
while Krishna took one for 31 from eight and William one for 74 from nine. The Americans’ reply was led by Petson Matthews, who matched Deonarine’s score with 110 from 90 deliveries, striking 11 fours and three sixes. Trevor Benn bowled Prasanna Ramaswamy for nine before Mohamed removed Zeshan Muhammad for 36. Captain Ankur Kassal then fell to Reno Mittelholzer for 10, leaving USA at 59 for three. Matthews and Sudhindra Shetty added 66 before
President Ali to captain Caribbean in CHOGM cricket match
PRESIDENT Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali will trade the polished corridors of summit diplomacy for the batting crease on Sunday, captaining a Caribbean side at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in a landmark Commonwealth fixture. Kenya’s Deputy President, Kithure Kindiki, will square off against him at the toss, taking the reins of a diverse Wider Commonwealth outfit as leaders descend on Antigua for the 2026 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM). Billed as ‘One Commonwealth, One Team – A Commonwealth Cricket Celebration’, the encounter sees politics step aside for leather and willow in St John’s. President Ali will have plenty of regional political clout in his dugout, with Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne, The Bahamas Prime Minister Philip Davis, and St Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Dr Godwin Friday, all confirmed to take the field alongside delegates from Belize and
President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali
Dominica. Kindiki’s Wider Commonwealth ranks bring an equally expansive footprint to the turf. Spanning traditional cricket heartlands and emerging sporting nations, his provisional squad draws on representatives from India, Pakistan, South Africa, and Bangladesh, alongside envoys from Botswana, Malta, Mauritius, Mozambique, Samoa, and Seychelles. With summit agendas tight, several nations will
deploy senior ministers and seasoned diplomats with the bat in hand, with final team sheets to be confirmed on the morning of the match. The tactical direction off the pitch promises just as much pedigree as the action on it. West Indies icon, Sir Vivian Richards, will oversee the Caribbean side as honorary manager, while former England captain, David Gower, will don the blazer to direct the Wider Commonwealth from the boundary. Staged under the CHOGM banner of ‘Accelerating Partnerships and Investment for a Prosperous Commonwealth’, the afternoon is designed to foster camaraderie well away from the negotiating table. The headline clash will be swiftly followed by a high-octane curtain-call: a ten-overs-a-side Commonwealth Future Stars Under-23 fixture, pitting emerging Caribbean prospects against the best of the wider Commonwealth circuit.
Khan dismissed Shetty for 26. Khan also removed Devin Hariichha for four and Natwar Agarwal for 21, while Rakesh Maharaj bowled Mahendra Krishnappa for nine. William contributed 11 before falling to Bishoo, who then claimed the crucial wicket of Matthews, caught by Ramdin with the total at 250 for nine. Bishoo completed the victory when
Krishna was stumped by Thomas for one, leaving Vinod Periagaram unbeaten on six. Khan returned three for 51 from nine overs and Bishoo three for 71 from 8.2. Benn claimed one for 18, Mohamed one for 14, Maharaj one for 47 and Mittelholzer one for 48. At the Georgetown Cricket Club, England secured third place with a commanding 278-run victory over South Africa after piling up 431 for three from 45 overs. Captain Stevens dominated with 231 not out from 142 balls, hammering 19 fours and 14 sixes. Ryan Canning supported him with an unbeaten 100 from 71 deliveries, including 10 fours, while Ben Frazer struck 74 from 46 balls with eight fours and three sixes. England had been reduced to 10 for two after James Duffy and Jaden Levitt
departed for five and four respectively. Frazer and Stevens rebuilt with a 150-run partnership before Stevens and Canning added an unbroken 271 for the fourth wicket. Ryan Reeves took one for 54 and Rashad Mia one for 69 for South Africa. Iresh Saxena then claimed five for 14 from six overs as South Africa was dismissed for 153 in 30 overs. Taqi Abbas supported with three for 17, while Steven Naylor and James Hamblin took one wicket each. Reinhardt Strydom led South Africa with 59 from 62 balls, including six fours and three sixes. Chris Thompson made 39 from 33 deliveries, but their efforts could not prevent a heavy defeat. At Everest, Andrew Lyght Jr struck 153 from 94 balls to power Rest of the Caribbean to a 174-run victory over Namibia and an 11th-place TURN TO PAGE 30
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Chase, Warrican lead strong Windies fightback following batting collapse
DHAKA, Bangladesh, CMC – Captain Roston Chase and Jomel Warrican spun a web around Bangladesh’s batters to help West Indies rebound from a poor batting display and take control of the opening Test at the end of the third’s day play here on Friday. Chase and first-innings hero Warrican shared five wickets between them as Bangladesh, armed with a slender 27-run first innings lead, ended the day precariously placed at 79 for six in their second innings at the Shere Bangla National Stadium. It left them with an overall lead of just 106 runs, with their entire top order back in the pavilion and facing an uphill task of posting a formidable total for the visitors to chase. The West Indies would have been relieved to end the day on top after a familiar batting collapse cut short their hopes of establishing a handy first innings lead. Resuming the day on 134 for four, Tagenarine Chanderpaul deservedly got the seven runs required for his third Test half century when he turned a delivery from left-arm spinner Taijul Islam to midwicket for a quick single off the 164th ball he faced. Together with overnight batter Justin Greaves, they extended their partnership to 65 before pacer Shoriful Islam had Chanderpaul
GUYANA CHRONICLE, Saturday, October 31, 2026
Tagenarine Chanderpaul topscored for the West Indies with 56 in their first innings Jomel Warrican (left) and Roston Chase shared five wickets between them to leave Bangladesh 79 for six.
caught at slip for 56 off 184 balls, as he drove loosely at a full delivery to make the score 162 for five. Greaves and Chase then added 51 runs for the sixth wicket and looked set to take the Windies to lunch in a comfortable position until Naeem Hasan trapped the former lbw with the last ball of the morning session for a well-played 46. The West Indies’ batting then unraveled after the lunch break, as they lost their last four wickets for 11 runs. Hasan was the main architect of that collapse, claiming
the wickets of Shamar Joseph for four and Jomel Warrican and Jayden Seales for ducks to see them lose three wickets without scoring. Chase, who was dropped on 27, was left unbeaten on 43 off 60 balls. Hasan finished with 4-33, while fellow spinners Mehidy Hasan Miraz took 2-65 and Taijul Islam 2-76. Bangladesh didn’t get off to the best of starts, with pacer Shamar Joseph having Tanzid Hasan caught by Chase at gully for a duck. First innings centurion Shadman
Islam and skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto temporarily halted the slide of wickets during a 27-run stand for the second wicket, but once Chase bowled Islam through the gates with the first ball of his third over the floodgates opened. Two balls later, the off spinner had Towhid Hridoy caught at mid on for a duck as he attempted a big heave through the onside to reduce Bangladesh to 28 for three. And in his next over Chase had Shanto lbw for 10 after he missed a straight delivery as the home side found themselves in more trouble at 33 for four. The heavens opened up shortly
after, forcing the players off the field and leading to an early tea imterval. On resumption, Warrican trapped Litton Das lbw for four and he also bowled Miraz for nine, to leave Bangladesh 53 for six and facing the possibility of being bowled out. But Jaker Ali, a concussion substitute for Mominul Haque, along with Hasan, added 24 valuable runs in their unbroken stand before bad light ended play early, with both batters finishing the day unbeaten on 18. Chase has so far taken 3-25 and Warrican 2-19.
Desert Vipers become first sports franchise to join Global Biodiversity Alliance DESERT Vipers have taken their environmental campaign to the diplomatic stage, unveiling a bespoke sustainability kit alongside President, Dr Irfaan Ali and West Indies batter Shimron Hetmyer at the second Global Biodiversity Alliance Summit in Georgetown. The UAE-based franchise, which has increasingly carved out an identity as cricket’s foremost eco-crusaders, became the first professional sporting outfit to join the alliance. Spearheaded by the Guyana government, the platform brings together international bodies, indigenous leaders, and scientists with the ambitious target of safeguarding 30% of the planet’s land and marine habitats by 2030. For Hetmyer, an ambassador for the franchise and a native son
President, Dr Irfaan Ali and Guyanese cricketer Shimron Hetmyer at the second Global Biodiversity Alliance Summit in Georgetown (PHOTO: News Room/Yusuf Ali)
of Berbice, sharing a stage with the head of state underscored a conscious effort to leverage crick-
et’s cultural currency for planetary advocacy. The new kit prominently in-
corporates the Global Biodiversity Stripes—designed by University of Derby academic Professor Miles Richardson—which graphically illustrate the 73% decline in monitored global wildlife populations since 1970. The summit launch served as the apex of the franchise’s Styrex 2026 Guyana Biodiversity Campaign, an outreach initiative run in conjunction with the Guyana Tourism Authority and Nature Wave during the ExxonMobil Guyana Global Super League. Rather than confining their green credentials to corporate boardrooms and press releases, the Vipers brought citizen science directly to the grassroots. Players swapped boundary ropes for binoculars across Georgetown’s Botanical Gardens, the National
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Park, and the Guyana-China Friendship Park during dedicated BioBlitz events. Educational workshops were held at landmark nurseries of Guyanese cricket, including the Georgetown Cricket Club at Bourda, Demerara Cricket Club, and Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club in Berbice. The grassroots push catalogued 1,604 biodiversity sightings across 606 distinct species, drawing over 200 in-person participants and a substantial digital following that generated an estimated GYD 8.66 million in community social value. In a sport often preoccupied with runs and strike rates, the Vipers are making a calculated bet that the game can catalyse environmental literacy across the Caribbean and beyond.
| Saturday October 31, 2026