Kaieteur News

Eloyde Simon

Hebrew Simon

‘War not the Mia Mottley at UNGA:

answer’

Nation News - Prime Minister MiaAmor Mottley usedtheUnitedNations80th General Assembly platform onFridaytowarntheUnited States and Venezuela that theirrisingtensioncouldput the southern Caribbean at risk, even as a result of an accident.

“I need not tell you, therefore,whatawarcando. It is not acceptable for our islands, our countries, to be viewed as collateral damage,” she said during a 30-minuteaddress.

Mottley said that in the Caribbean Sea, “we're now seeing a shocking violation o f a h e m i s p h e r i c understanding that the Caribbean be treated as a zoneofpeace”.

“There has been a buildup in military assets in the last few weeks in the Caribbean by both sides, by theUnitedStatesofAmerica and by Venezuela We believe that any such buildup could occasion just an

accident and, if it does, a simple accident can put the southern Caribbean at disproportionate risk,” she cautioned.

USstrike

On September 5, the US carriedoutastrikeonaship in the vicinity of Venezuela, killing 11 people it claimed were “narcoterrrorists” of the violent and deadly Tren de Aragua gang. However, Venezuela maintained that wasnotthecaseandrecently launched three days of military exercises, putting on display its Russian-built fighterjets.

“Isaysimplyforallwho canhearandforallwhoread and can listen – full respect fortheterritorialintegrityof each and every state in the Caribbean must be respected, and that includes all states. Almost all wars endasaresultofdialogue.

“Let us make a greater effort to have the necessary conversations to prevent war It is too simple,”

Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley th addresses the 80 session of the United Nations GeneralAssembly, Friday, Sept. 25, 2025 (APPhoto/ Richard Drew)

thereandinSudan.

The Prime Minister reminded the countries represented at the UN HeadquartersinNewYorkof the horror in Gaza, and the genocide and destruction of the conflict taking place

“Wehavenowgottentoa pointwhereallofourhuman sensibilities are offended by the continuous and disproportionate attacks on the Palestinian people, and thefailuretoallowaccessby

theinternationalcommunity to the survivors for the provision of humanitarian aid,” Mottley said. She also quoted Bob Marley, asking: “How can you be sitting theretellingmethatyoucare when every time I look around,thepeoplesuffer?”

The Prime Minister startedheraddressbystating that there was a series of crises for which the world had been unprepared – from the financial crisis started in 2008, a social crisis characterised by rising inequality and a global pandemic le

g to restricted movement and choices.

“All of this has been exacerbatedbythespreading of fake news. This distorts reality and threatens the stability of our societies, creating a platform for hate to thrive and prejudice to rise. But deeper than all of thesecrisesisabigger,more insidious crisis that is undermining our domestic

and global institutions that have promoted order, peace andprosperity Itisthecrisis oftruth,”shesaid.

Thisleadstotrustfalling apart, whether between neighbours, the governed and governing, in the social order or the health systems, she told the world leaders, diplomatsandotherofficials inattendance.

“Whenwelacktruthand we lack trust, law becomes theatre, news becomes spectacle and science becomes just another opinion Ourworldtoday worryingly resembles the world of 100 years ago, and this has become even more evident with the closing of our borders to both goods and to people,” Mottley pointedout.

Better, she said, can and mustbedonetosecurepeace acrosstheworldinthename of the children. And the international community mustfindimmediatefunding (Continuedonpage3)

Mottleysaid.

Exxon paid no taxes to Guyana but tells U.S. it paid over US$1.2B in 2024

ByDavinaBagot

American oil

m a j o r , ExxonMobilhas reported the payment of US$1.2B in taxes to the government of Guyana (GoG)fortheyear2024.

In a Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)filingmadeonFriday, thecompanyinaspecialized report to its shareholders explained that the document was prepared and furnished in accordance with the Securities Exchange Act, regarding Disclosure of Payments by Resource Extraction Issuers (the “Regulations”) on behalf of Exxon Mobil Corporation, itssubsidiariesandentities.

It includes cash and inkind payments made to Foreign Governments or the U.S. Federal Government with respect to commercial

development of oil, natural gas, or minerals involving exploration, extraction, processing,andexportofoil, natural gas, or minerals, or the acquisition of a license foranysuchactivity.

Exxon in the report explained, “The tax payments reported in this document do not equal our ultimate tax liability They

‘Warnotthe...

Frompage2

to support the children of GazaandSudanforthenext three months, which UNICEF estimated was US$66millionandUS$200 million, respectively, to reverse or mitigate famine, and provide water, sanitation and health interventions.

Lasting peace, she said, could never be achieved through violence but through justice as a guide anddialogue.

Reset

“In Gaza, as we saw, the international community must not condone the bombingofthosestateswho looktofacilitatepeace.Itis aredlinethatwemustnever cross Theworldneedsa reset.

“We must find, first and foremost, whether we still agree on the same values thatinformourcharter

Assimpleasthisseems,this isnecessaryinanyresetfor values we all know have

changed over the last 80 years.

And if it is not available to all of us to agree to those values,thenwemustatleast know who does and who doesn't.”

On Haiti, she said the UN Security Council and the international development system were well equipped and had the resources and power to deliver, but also urged dialogue with the United States “on the inescapable issue” of the flowofsmallarmsandlight weapons across this entire hemisphere.

“TheCaribbeancommunity is now being threatened by this incessant flow of illegally obtained weapons

elements which utilise them, but we will use the systems to deal with them

accordance with due process,” Mottley pointed out.

arethepaymentswemadeto the governments in the reporting year reduced by the amount of any refunds and do not include amounts for the purchase of tax credits.

For these reasons, we believethetotalglobaltaxes and duties expense listed in the companies' publicly available financial statements provide a more accuratereflectionofthefull scope of contributions made togovernments.”

Notably, with respect to taxes paid to the GoG, the companyreportedapayment of just over US$1.2B to the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA).

The document also includes other payments made by Exxon to the Guyanese administration during the period, including royalties, fees and production entitlements

Notably, a payment amounting to US$8.9M to the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport was also recorded for the purpose of “ i n f r a s t r u c t u r e improvements”. See table attached.

According to the SEC filing, ExxonMobil's global taxbillin2024wasUS$44B. “Our 2024 worldwide effectiveincometaxratewas

33% (excluding acquired entities),” the company stated.

Italsopointedoutthatin the United States, ExxonMobil's total expense for taxes and duties in 2024 was more than $9 billion. According to Exxon's 2024 financial statements, the company's earnings totaled nearlyUS$35billion.

Exxon's reporting on tax payments,specificallymade to the government of Guyana, comes at a time when the U.S government has raised serious concerns over the company's tax arrangementslocally

On Tuesday, three U.S Senators wrote to CEO of ExxonMobil, DarrenWoods about the company's tax

arrangements in Guyana

The lawmakers have given Exxon an October 23, 2025 deadline to respond to a seriesofquestions.

Read more here: https://kaieteurnewsonline.c

om/2025/09/24/u-ssenators-probing-exxonsguyana-tax-deal/ ExxonMobil, in joint venture with CNOOC and Hess (now Chevron), were contracted by the GoG to producehydrocarbonsinthe 26,800 square kilometer StabroekBlock.

In a statement issued to the media, it was explained that Senators Sheldon Whitehouse, Chris Van Hollen and Jeff Merkley requestedinformationonthe company's accounting of its

U.S.taxliabilityasaresultof the 2016 Stabroek Block PetroleumAgreement.

“The letter raises questions about whether American taxpayers are subsidizing ExxonMobil's foreign oil production in Guyana,whichthecompany carries out in partnership with a Chinese state-owned company,” the statement said.

The sweetheart deal

Exxon signed in 2016 states in Article 15 1 that the Contractor (ExxonMobil Guyana Limited) as well as its affiliates shall not be subjectedtotax,value-added tax, excise tax, duty, fee, charge, or impost in respect of income derived from petroleum operations, propertyheldortransactions exceptasspecifiedunderthe agreement.

Further, Article 15 4 states that the sum equivalenttothetaxesowed bythecompanywillbepaid by the Minister responsible for Petroleum to the Commissioner General of theGRA.

Itshouldbenotedthatthe contract also allows for the issuing of a receipt to ExxonMobil, indicating that it has met the local tax requirements to avoid the burdenofdoubletaxation.

Ascreenshot of the SEC filing that highlights taxes Exxon claimed it paid to Guyana in 2024

ExxonMobil CEO Darren Woods

KaieteurNews

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

Publisher:GLENNLALL-Tel:624-6456

Editor-in-Chief:NigelWilliams

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

EDITORIAL

Oil–howmuchmore

Betterlatethanneverisasayingthatcomforts. Often, those who were interested have moved on, and what develops later doesn't generate as much interest, as when theissuewashot. TheissueishowmuchoildoesGuyana have,anditisbackonthefrontpage,afteralongabsence. HowmanymorebillionsofbarrelsExxonMobilhasfound since its last disclosure in 2024 of a discovery, with the 500M Bluefin find? Some Guyanese are pushing for answers, but neither the PPPC Government nor ExxonMobil is as excited as before to talk about new oil discoveries, which popped up in the media, as if on some acceleratedschedule.

In2022,thecompanyannouncedninenewdiscoveries intherichStabroekBlock,foratotalof3.4Bbarrelsofoil, according to S&P It was a banner year for local oil discoveries,withGuyanaastapleinglobalnewsheadlines. In 2023, new oil discoveries dropped from nine to three, with a mere 800M barrels added to Guyana's reserves. In brief,therewasa66%declineindiscoveriesfrom2023to 2022, and a 76% fall in the quantity of oil found. It is a dizzyingdrop,andsilencehasreignedregardingwhythere iswhatwewilldescribeasthisbarrendiscoverypatch.

Undoubtedly, oil is not like shells on a sea shore. It is notbeggingtobepickedup,duetothephysicalproofofso muchofthisprecious,andindemandcommodity,strewnall around. We appreciate that exploring for oil can be a tedious,frustrating,andthanklessundertaking. Itcanbea hit-and-missoperation,withmanydryholesasthereward, beforecommercialstrikesofsignificancearemade,ifany at all. All that is acknowledged, but what bothers is that discoveries have plummeted so steeply and so quickly Moreprojectshavebeenapproved;morebillionshavebeen chargedagainstGuyana'soilrevenues. Thoseindicatethat ExxonMobil's field of operation has expanded, with its search for new oil intensified. Given the time that has elapsed since the last announcement of an oil discovery, alongsidethenewofficialclearances,Guyaneseareliving through what looks and sounds like a first. A series of feveredactivity,butnothingtoshowforallthateffort.

AfairquestioniswhetherthenowlegendaryStabroek Block is not such a legend after all. In other words, the richesattachedtoithavebeenblownoutofproportion,and thecurrentlackofnewdiscoveriesisasignofmoreofthe sametocome. DifferentGuyaneseatdifferenttimeshave weighedintoassertthattherearemorebillionsofbarrelsof oilequivalentintheStabroekBlock,andnotthe11.6Bthat is the last number from the government. One former top politiciandeclaredthatthetruereservesstoodat15billion barrels, for a start. More recently, another former senior politicalfigureadvancedthepositionthatGuyana'strueoil reserves are being hidden from citizens, and that those reserves could be double the standing 11.6B barrel figure, andeventhreetimesasmuch.

We wonder what is behind this new post-election position. This paper is on record with questions on new discoveries and the real level of Guyana's oil reserves. There wasn't much energy displayed by political figures when the reserve issue was repeatedly raised, when any typeofsustainedpublicinterestcouldhavehelpedsqueeze some answers from the PPPC Government's oil spokespeople, and from ExxonMobil itself. All that the companyalloweditselftoofferwasthatitwasprioritizing itsinterestson'monetizingknownoilandgasassets.' Itis nimble way to not answer directly whether more oil was discovered and how much of it. Further, ExxonMobil limited itself to saying that it has a duty to report to the Securities and Exchange Commission, once there are significantdiscoveries.

Meanwhile,ExxonMobil'sleadershavebeensellingthe worldonGuyana'soil. From'gems'to'crownjewels'have beenusedtoconveythemagnitudeofwhatislockedbelow the sea. Apparently, the gems and jewels are deeper underwater,andprovinghardertofind,withthediscoveries andbarrelsnowlikeneedlesinhaystacks.

Kaieteur M@ilbox

President Ali's policies on rice represent a responsible, peoplecentered developmental approach

DearEditor, I read with concern a recent commentary attributed to a former Minister, published on September 23, 2025 in the newspapers, in which he described subsidies to rice farmers as a “misuse of taxpayers' money.” This perspective not only diminishestherealitiesfaced by rice farmers but also overlooks the broader economic and food security implications of state support tothesector

President Irfaan Ali has been unequivocal in his government's policy stance: Guyana is committed to the continued growth and

development of its rice industry Atarecentmeeting held at Skeldon, the President reaffirmed his administration's pledge to support farmers through a comprehensive, multipronged strategy. This is the mark of a caring and r e s p o n s i b l e government one that supports, rather than abandons,itsfarmers.

To dismiss subsidies as wastefulistomisunderstand their purpose. Rice farmers are among the hardestworking citizens in our country They rise before dawn, toil in mud and flood (Monday to Sunday), face pests,unpredictableweather,

and now must contend with global price shocks completely outside their control. These families do not ask for handouts. They ask for fairness, and a fighting chance to remain competitive regionally. In such a context, state support isnotreckless—itisprudent andnecessary.

Subsidies in the rice sector are not giveaways.

They are targeted interventions fertilizer support, technical assistance, concessions, and other mechanisms that keep production viable

Without them, thousands of farmers would collapse under the weight of global

oversupply and falling prices, over the short term. Theconsequenceswouldnot only devastate rural families but also threaten national food security, rural employment, and the wider economy. Failing to act on the part of the Government of the day, in such circumstances would be the true misuse of public resources.

The administration's approachisnotaboutwriting blank cheques; it is about cushioning farmers against globalshocks,stabilizingthe rice industry over the short term, and preserving Guyana'scompetitiveedge (Continuedonpage5)

Kaieteur M@ilbox Kaieteur M@ilbox

Analysis of the votes in the Canje area

DearEditor,

In continuation of my earlier letter on the 2025 elections, I wish to share someobservationsonvoting patterns in the Canje area, with a focus on the communitiesfromCanefield to Enterprise, which fall underthatlocalNDC.

This area is of interest becauseoftheGovernment's decision to spend billions duringthelasttermtoreopen the Rose Hall Sugar Estate, which is located in this district and at the same time creatingover1,000jobs.The expectation, therefore, was that the governing party's performance in the 2025 elections would have reflected stronger voter support in this traditional sugar area for the PPP because of these massive investments But the evidence illustrates that it was not to be and we must

findoutwhythePPPlost6% of its popular votes in this area.

In 2015, some 3,559 personsvotedinthisarea.By 2025,thatnumberincreased by 849, bringing the total to 4,408 valid votes cast. The table below provides a comparativebreakdown: VOTINGPATTERNIN CANJE(CANEFIELDENTERPRISE)

The data reveals three keydevelopments:

1. APNU+AFC's decline: In 2015, the coalition secured 13.2% of thevotesinCanje.By2025, itssharefellto4.7%,(adding bothAPNUandAFCvotes), representing a sharp decline (64% decline) in its local supportbase.

2. PPPC's reduced share in the 100%:Despite reopening the estate and making significant investments in the area, the

PPPC's vote share fell by approximately 6% over the same period, from 86.8% in 2015to80.9%in2025.

3. Emergence of a third force:Anew political party, WIN, secured 14.4% of the vote despite being relativelynewtothepolitical landscape (only 3 months old). This signals growing appetite among sections of theelectorateforalternatives to the PNC and PPP Also, the WIN Team did not only score their support the PNC

traditional supporters in the Canjearea,butalsofromthe PPPsupportbase. These results suggest thatwhileinvestmentsinthe sugar sector brought more voters to the polls, it did not translate into increased percentage support for the governing party (the PPP). Instead,thereappearstobea m e a s u r e o f v o t e r dissatisfaction or disengagement that both major political parties must reflect on, and creates an

A Call for fairness in NIS Pension Entitlements

DearEditor,

Iwritewithdeepconcern and a heartfelt plea for intervention and review by the relevant authorities regarding the current structure of the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) pension entitlements, particularly as it relates to survivors' benefits and the one-offpensionpayment.

While the gesture of a one-off payment is a p p r e c i a t e d a n d commendable, there is a longstanding issue affecting many of our senior citizens. Under the current system, individuals who receive a survivor's benefit, often due

to the passing of a spouse, are not entitled to claim a pension of their own once they reach the qualifying age, even if they have dutifullymadecontributions throughout their working lives.

This revelation, which I only recently came to understand, is not just troublingitisunjust.

I m a g i n e t h e disappointment and distress of someone who has legally and consistently contributed to the NIS over the years, only to be told at retirement that they are ineligible for their own pension because they are receiving a

survivor's benefit.These are two separate entitlements, earned through the contributionsoftwoseparate individuals.Itisnotacaseof double-dipping, but rather a matter of honoring the contributions and dignity of bothparties.

Our senior citizens deservebetter Theydeserve a system that recognizes their years of labor, their sacrifices, and their rightful claims.

Denying them their own pensionnotonlyundermines the principle of fairness but alsoplacestheminfinancial uncertainty during a time when stability is most

needed.

I respectfully urge the authoritiestoreconsiderthis policy A thoughtful review and reform of the NIS pension structure could bring much needed relief to many elderly citizens who are currently navigating an unnecessarily complicated and discouraging claims process.

Let us not allow bureaucracy to overshadow compassion. Let us ensure thatthosewhohavebuiltour nation are not left behind in theirgoldenyears.

Yourssincerely,

Kissoon

President Ali's policies on rice represent...

Frompage4 at a time when major producers such as India, Thailand, and Vietnam are flooding the global rice market. Strengthening local production also protects consumers, preventing food inflationandtheimportation of higher-priced rice (with the associated added shipping costs). It is worth noting that close to 7,000

families are directly involvedinricefarming,and over 55,000 citizens benefit directly and indirectly financiallyfromthesector

poor attempt at addressing local issues like domestic violence are good reasons for women to vote against thePPPintheCanjearea.

opportunity for other politicalforces.

For the PPPC, the questionarises:why,despite heavy investments, has electoral support not grown in appropriate proportions?

ForAPNU+AFC,theresults reinforce the need that party torebuildtrustandreconnect w i t h t h e s e C a n j e communities where support has waned because of their poor reputation associated with the public attempt to “rig”the2020elections.The emergence of WIN underscoresthefactthatnew politicalplayerscanresonate with voters when traditional parties do not fully meet expectations.

Politically, the performance of the NDC which is dominated by the PPP and the RDC which is also dominated by the PPP canbetwoofthereasonsfor this decline in percentage support for the PPP in the area. But additionally, the poor political representation offered by Minister Zulfikar Mustapha and Minister Ashni Singh who were the P a r l i a m e n t a r y representativeforCorentyne between 2020-2025, can also be an explanation vs what someone like Mr Gobin Haribhajan and Dr Ramaya are offering as representation to the people duringthatsameperiod.

Addressing these concernsinacomprehensive way whether through a d e d i c a t e d C a n j e redevelopment plan that is people-centered and conceivedusingabottom-up approach or improved representation at the local, regional and Ministerial levels—will be essential if thePPPwishtobuildlasting trustinthiskeyconstituency andregainfullconfidenceby 2030. What is clear is that Minister Zulfikar Mustapha or Minister Ashni Singh cannot be considered as replacement for President IrfaanAliin2030becauseof t h e i r u n i m p a c t f u l performanceinEastBerbice during 2020-2025 period This reality translates to them being unelectable as a Presidential Candidate as comparedtoDrIrfaanAlior let is say a Mr Robert Persaudin2030.

The rice industry is facing global pressures, and without government intervention, Guyana risks

losing not only its competitive advantage but also the livelihoods of thousands of families President Ali's policies

Furthermore, the government has already committed to expanding storage capacity nationwide andexploringinvestmentsin facilities,includingstate-led initiatives, to help stabilize prices and protect both farmersandconsumersfrom volatility These are forwardlooking measures designed to secure the industry's resilienceforthefuture. It is important to situate this debate in the reality of 2025andbeyond.

represent a responsible, p e

n

d developmental approach aimed at preventing market failure while laying the groundwork for long-term competi

ss and profitability In conclusion, these interventions are not a misuse of taxpayers' money

They

tegic investmentsinfoodsecurity, rural livelihoods, and national economic stability

The rice industry is too important to be left exposed to the full force of international market shocks. Supporting farmers today ensuresthatGuyanaremains a reliable producer and bigger exporter tomorrow

This secures the well-being of thousands of citizens whose lives depend on this criticalindustry Editor, please accept, the assurances of my highest consideration Your good and great friend.

Sasenarine Singh, M.Sc.-Finance,ACCA Ambassador to the Kingdom of Belgium and Netherlandsand P e r m a n e n t Representative to the EuropeanUnionand P e r m a n e n t Representative to the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States.

Looking ahead to 2030, the lesson is clear: spending oftaxpayers'moneyaloneis not sufficient enough to securepoliticalloyalty Cash Grants do not work, more opportunities to secure a better standard of living is whatthePPPhasfailedtodo. Too much of the money spent by the PPP went to opening new opportunities for too few people, this Canje less is teaching us. Voters are looking for better services, improved job opportunities, reliable GPL services, better water services and stronger community engagement at the local level The Government officials only appear to listen to these votersatElectionstime.The

One the other hand, it appearsthatthePNC

(Continuedonpage8)

GECOM must have biometrics implemented ahead of 2030 elections -Patterson

Th e G u y a n a

E l e c t i o n s

Commission (GECOM) should take immediate steps to implement biometrics, interimleaderoftheAlliance for Change (AFC) David PattersonsaidonFriday “The time is now for G E C O M t o s t a r t implementing several reforms born out of the

experiences of the electorate, as well as the recommendations of the various observer missions. For the last five years, the

oppositions have been calling for biometrics. Early onthisyear,thechairperson, Miss Claudette Singh, indicated that biometrics is not only feasible, it's also necessary, and it's also the waytogo,”Pattersonsaidat his party's weekly press conference.

Patterson, like the 2025 Commonwealth observer mission, said now that elections are over, urgent stepsneedtobetakentohave biometrics a feature of the commission in time for the next general and regional

elections.

Members of the joint political opposition A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance For Change (AFC) a l o n g w i t h o t h e r stakeholders have been lobbying for use of a biometricdatasystematthis year's General and Regional Elections.

However, in June, Chairperson of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Justice (Ret'd) ClaudetteSinghruledoutthe useofbiometricsatthe2025

GWI urges hinterland residents to conserve water

-

as

Tprolonged dry season causing decrease in water levels

he Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) on Saturday urged residents and communities in the hinterland areas to practicewaterconservation.

According to a release from the agency, the prolonged dry season has significantly affected water supply in several hinterland areas,particularlyinRegion One.

GWI stated this has resultedinthedepletionofa number of surface water sourcesandhasnecessitated adjustments to their pumping schedules in order to manage the available capacity

“As part of these measures, residents in Santa Rosa have experienced adjustments to their water deliveryschedule.

GWI assures residents

that these changes are temporary and are being carefullymanagedtosustain service while longer-term solutions are being implemented,” the agency explained.

GWI noted that to strengthenresilienceagainst seasonal fluctuations, it will continue to pursue an aggressive groundwater developmentprogramme.

“A well was recently completed in the Rincon area, while works are ongoingtocompleteanother in Mora, along with two additionalwellsintheSanta RosaIslands. Theseprojects are expected to be advanced overthenextmonthandwill help to transition affected communities from surface water dependence to a more reliable groundwater system,”GWIstated.

GWI disclosed that decreasingwaterlevelshave been observed in other critical sources, including MabarumaSprings.

“We therefore urge all resi

nts in a

d communities to practice water conservation and exercise discretion in their

information widely within communities will also assist in ensuring that residents

measures GWI remains committed to providing safe and reliable water service to hinterlandresidentsandwill continuetoupdatethepublic as works progress,” the releasestated.

implementation.

A t t h a

, Commissioner Sase Gunraj told Kaieteur News that Justice Singh found that while biometrics is feasible, it could not have been implemented in time for the 2025elections.

The Chair reportedly considered a number of factorsthatwouldneedtobe in place before introducing biometrics; these include public consultation on the use of the system as well as trainingofGECOMstaffon the use of the biometric equipment.

“Inthatlight,thelinesfor change would be paying keen attention to budget 2026, which must include a substantial provision to cover the process of implementation of biometrics in GECOM. We have also, as a party, commence engagements with the opposition parliamentary parties, since,

asit'swidelyaccepted,we're not unknown,” Patterson toldreporters.

The politician stressed thatthoughtheAFChasnot secured a parliamentary seat, it has starte

opposition parties that will sitintheNationalAssembly tohaveaMotionputbefore the National Assembly demandingthatGECOMbe funded to implement biometrics.

On September 4, 2025, Kaieteur News reported that the Commonwealth observermissionofthe2025 General and Regional Electionsrecommendedthat the GECOM adopts biometric technology early forthenextelectioncycle.

At a press conference held at the Aiden by Best Western Hotel, the mission presented its interim report on the observations made prior and during the 2025 elections.

Chairman, Fekitamoeloa Katoa Utoikamanu, said the

group has noted that in responsetocomplaintsabout the non-adoption of biometric verification technology, which could assist with voter identity, GECOMhassaiditisfacing “technical, legislative, and administrative challenges”. She claimed that these challengeshaverenderedthe commission unable to e m p l o y b i o m e t r i c verification for voters in the 2025elections.

In this regard she advised, “We recommend thatearlyinthenewelection cycle,considerationbeagain given to the adoption of this technology.”

Kaieteur M@ilbox

Cricket is a legacy

DearEditor, Cricket not only has the powertounitethenation,but it can also help to shape the identity of the nation. A cricketgroundismorethana surface to play cricket. One can build a cricket stadium anywhere, but there are certain iconic cricket grounds that represent the legacy of cricket These cricket grounds are synonymous with cricket. They connect us to the past and legacy of cricket. We thinkofthelegendarygames thatwereplayedthere. These cricket grounds such as Lord's went through a major redevelopment to

become modernized which maintaining its historic atmosphere.

I remember when the Providence National Stadium was built My parents while visiting me wereveryproudthatGuyana had a National Stadium. It was a massive undertaken consideringthatareawasall cane fields at one time. The National Stadium is welldesigned and has hosted many national events. But does it serve as a legacy cricket ground? It should be what it is--- a National Stadium.

I look at the deplorable conditions of the Bourda

cricket ground and it breaks myheart.ButIseepastthose conditions to the legendary cricketers that played there andthememoriesIhadthere asachild.Thereareplansto build more cricket sites in Guyana Why can't we remodernize the Bourda cricket ground and make it the premiere cricket site of the Nation and the Caribbean, giving it that intimatecharmitoncehad.It willserveasafocalpointof unity and national indentity It will be known simply as "The Bourda Cricket Ground".

Bestregards, DanielSingh

Elections are over; it is time to remove all campaign flags and emblems from public spaces

DearEditor, Since1968to2020there is an untidy, distasteful and rudely act by all political parties.

During the election season they display their flags,bannersandpostersall overGuyana.

This I encourage, since all political parties have a right to display and support theirpurposesaspoliticians. However, Editor after

elections are over and a winner is declared no political leader of any party encourages or instructs their supporters to remove their flags, their banners or their posters They leave the unsightly advertising for manymonths.

Editor, recently in Garnett Street, Newtown, I sawapartysupporterputting up a flag for his party as he wasthere,andheremoveda

distastefulwoodwithaparty flag that was there from since the campaign happenedin2020. I support party campaignsandcommercials but I beg for the decency, their principle and their truthfulnesstoGuyanatolet theirsupportersremovetheir flags, posters and banners and help make Guyana beautiful.

FrankDeAbreu

Interim leader and Chairman of theAFC

David Patterson

BLUNTNESS ON INDECENCIES!

In case you haven’t heard, please be informed that as part of our continued effort to channel positive changes in our country, our publisher, Dr. Glenn Lall, has dedicated our Page Seven to be “BLUNT” about on-going indecencies in our land that should matter, not only to us at this publication, but the entire nation.

SUNDAY–

SEPTEMBER21,2025

Policeinasorrystate

Ayoungwomanisterribly scarredinanacidattack.

Thepolicesayithasvideo butcannotproduceitin court.Amanisarrestedand thepolicesayheconfessed totheattack.

The man claims that his wife was detained, used to coerce him into that confession. Now the man is outonbail.Thepolicearein

ashabbyandsorrystate.

Itistimethatitgetsitsact together There is a new minister in charge of the police. The question is how much improvement she can deliver

That's how bad the GuyanaPoliceForceis.How farthepolicehavefallen?

MONDAY–

SEPTEMBER22,2025

Oppositionintatters

The APNU lost the elections by a huge margin. The APNU lost key people, then more people The APNU lost crucial Regions (strongholds). The APNU lost its meager credibility WhatdoestheAPNUhaveto hold on to? What do Guyanese have as a viable politicalOpposition?

WhatdoGuyanesethink of leaders who hold-on for dearlife?Whatarethemerits for staying, when so much was lost under one's watch? The PPPC Government is seeminglyalreadybacktoits oldtricks.ThePPPCleaders areallpromises,fromwhich they promptly distance. The PPPC Gov't doesn't mean to change.ThePPPCleaderhas better live up to their promises, or they will learn. Let the lot of APNU be a warning, a lesson taken to heart.

TUESDAY–SEPTEMBER23,2025

Oldhabitsclearlydie hard

Kit Nascimento has chosen to end his public life not with dignity, but with disgrace. His recent letter, written in defense of the fiascohepresidedoveratthe President's press briefing, is nothingshortofpathetic. Instead of admitting failure, he sought to justify the unjustifiable- restricting questionsfromreportersand blacklisting others. This is

the same Kit who once served as a leading figure in theForbesBurnhamregime, under which some of the darkest days of media repression unfolded Old habitsclearlydiehard.

What struck us most in hisramblingmissive,onehe didn'tdaresendhere,washis attack on our publisher and his labeling of this newspaper as “the greatest threat to press freedom.”

That claim is laughable. All KaieteurNewshaseverdone i

corruption,andurgethosein power to do better for the people.

At his age, Kit is simply singingforhissupper.Itisa shame to see a man in the twilight of his life stoop so low for relevance. He is a liability to media transparency, a humbug to pressfreedom,andheshould do the decent thing and step aside.

WEDNESDAY–SEPTEMBER24,2025

Ourroadways

Our roadways remain dangerous.Toomanydrivers treat the roadways as racetracks Minibus operators, in particular, are notorious for reckless overtaking,louddistractions and a callous disregard for passenger safety The result isdailyaccidents-somefatal.

This culture of indiscipline did not emerge overnight, it has been nurtured by years of turning ablindeye.Publiceducation must go beyond posters and slogans It must be persistent, targeted, and reinforced from the classroom to the licensing office.

New drivers must be trained not just in how to operateavehicle,butinhow to respect human life Licenses should not be

handed out like tokens; r

newal processes must be mandatory Road deaths in Guyana have reached the level of a public health crisis. Every statistic represents a human being.Behindeachheadline is a grieving family and a community in mourning This is not an issue that can wait until after the election cycle It requires urgent, sustained, and coordinated actionnow

THURSDAY–SEPTEMBER25,2025

SolidaritywithGaza

Today a group has planned a day of prayer and fasting for the people of Palestine. Those of us who can,mustsupportthiseffort. Gaza is burning. The ground is being scorched as Palestinian men, women, and children are forced to flee from what was once their homes. The Israelis warmachineandtheirallies, those who are responsible for what is this barbarous inhumanity are so shameless,sodepraved,that they see no contradiction in “humanitarian area” dripping from their callous lips.

Day after gruesome day, dozens of Palestinian civilians,withnoconnection to the combatants,are killed in their beds, what is left of theirstreets,asiftheyarethe lowest forms of animals. Those hunted down with impunity,anderadicatedlike unwanteddogsfromtheface oftheearth.

Anancientmaximisthat thegreatestevildoersarenot the actual perpetrators of blatant evils. The greatest evildoers are the ones that support those who only know devastation, and have the diabolical written all overtheirsoul.

Analysis of the votes in the Canje...

Frompage5 (APNU) faithis now sealed intheseareaswherethePPP has strong support and with good reasons Their performance at representing these areas remains extremely poor Further their public attempt to “rig” the 2020 elections are also addinguptoanoutcomeofa lack of momentum for the

PNC/APNU in these areas.

ThiscantranslatetothePNC led APNU losing the opportunity from now at winning the 2030 elections andmaydoevenworsethan itdidin2025. In the case of the WIN party, they have momentum butitistooearlytomakeany prediction on them since we have to observe their

representation in and out of the National Assembly on behalf of the people. Will they implode like the Forward Guyana Movement withtheirpettysquabblesor will they deepen their discipline with and eye on theprizein2030?Interesting daysaheadforGuyana.

Sincerely, SurujdaiJuglall

Education in Guyana must pass the test of quality, not optics

Educationhaslong been in crisis in Guyana, and while the Irfaan Ali government deserves some credit for recognizing this, the response so far has leaned more toward optics than outcomes. There is a tendencytomeasuresuccess in education by the number of schools opened, the insertion of “smart”

technologies, or the visibility of programmes

like GOAL These initiatives,whilenotwithout merit,maskthefactthatour education system is failing to produce an adequate number of ably qualified graduates.

Behind the ribboncuttings and photo opportunitiesliesasobering reality. Nearly half of our students fail the National Grade Six Assessment, which determines entry into secondaryschool.

For those who do gain admission, far too many fail to complete their secondary education.Thisisinaddition to the fact that Guyana has yet to achieve universal secondary education in the firstplace.

The Education Sector Plan2021–2025makesclear that drop-out rates are alarmingly high, and even among those who finish secondary school, the

outcomesremaindismal.

The starkest evidence of this failure comes from the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) results. In the critical subject like Mathematics pass rates remain stubbornly low English has improved but shouldbefarhigherthanthe presentpassratesrecorded.

These subjects are the foundation for higher education and employment. Yet a majority of students attempting them are unable to matriculate. We cannot pretend that an education system is working if the majority of its graduates cannot meet the basic thresholds required to participate meaningfully in theworkforce.

This, then, is where our measure of education success must shift. It is not abouthowmanyschoolsare opened or how many cash grants are distributed. It is notaboutMinistersshowing uptoberatecontractors.

Thetestofoureducation system is the quality of students it produces the skills, competencies, and character of our graduates.

On that score, Guyana is currently holding a failing grade.

One critical impediment to progress has been the splitting of responsibilities betweenregionalauthorities

and the central Ministry of Education. This bifurcation

implementation of cohesive policy

Anational education strategy requires unified command and consistent execution; otherwise, local variations and bureaucratic overlaps will continue to dilute impact. Unless this structural flaw is addressed,

fragmented.

Another deep-seated problem has been the chronic lack of technical

Education Ministry itself. This has hindered effective planning, monitoring, and evaluation.

Too often, the Ministry has had to rely on foreign consultantsandinternational agencies to craft its education policies For instance, the current Education Sector Plan (2021–2025) was produced with heavy involvement from foreign experts Likewise, the push toward equity in education over the p

essentially driven by an

n Development Bank (IDB) project While external support has its place, overreliance signals a dangerous void in local

DEM BOYS SEH

Make hay while the sun shining!

Demboyssehisnuffpeopledoes wear “busy” like is a medal. Yuh ever notice how some of dem does brag? “Man, I been up till 3 o’clock this morning doing this presentation.” Like is something to be proud of. Dem boys seh that ain’t achievement—that is punishment fuh bad planning.

Oldpeoplegotasaying:wahraincan’t full,dewcan’t.Inotherwords,ifyuhain’t consistentfromearly,last-minutescramble can’t save yuh But Guyanese love scramble. We does wait till deadline deh knockingpondedoorbeforewestarttyping likemadpeople.Nextthing,eyered,brain slow, and yuh presentation sounding like half-cookedmetemgee.

Goodplanningdoessaveyuhfromthem midnightmarathons.Ifyuhspendalil’time steadyeveryday,thenwhendeadlinereach, yuh cool, calm, and collected. Dem boys seh real hard work ain’t about losing sleep and looking like a jumbie in de office next morning Real hard work is steady,

capacity

Guyana needs its own cadre of technical education p

analysts, planners, curriculum specialists, and policy architects—who can design and implement strategies tailored to our unique challenges Education policy should not be imported wholesale; it should be built from within, informed by local realities and supported by robust data.

Too many decisions are made more on political expediency and tradition than on rigorous evidence. Takeforexamplethisideaof a transportation grant which will now be eligible to both those children who have to walk or paddle to school, as wellasthosewhoaredriven to school in their parents MercedesBenz.

A truly modern education system demands constant evaluation: Which teaching methods yield the best results? Which schools

are underperforming and why? What are the socioeconomic drivers of school dropouts? Without this kind of data-driven approach, reform is little morethantrialanderror

To its credit, the government appears to have recognized this gap and is making moves to bolster technicalcapacitywithinthe Ministry

Thatisastepintheright direction, but it must be accelerated and deepened.

Buildingschoolsandrolling out technology may be politically attractive, but without a strong technical core, these initiatives will not deliver the desired results.

At the heart of this discussion is a simple but profound truth that education is not about buildings,itisaboutpeople. Itisaboutpreparingchildren to become capable adults who can think critically, solve problems, and contribute productively to

society

A system that graduates thousands of students who cannot read, write, or calculate at the level required for the world of work is a system that has failed, regardless of how many new schools dot the landscape.

If Guyana is serious abo

recalibrate its measures of success. Instead of counting schools and computers, we should be counting how many students matriculate, how many gain employable skills, how many go on to tertiary education, and how manyareabletothriveinthe labor market. Anything less isself-deception.

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

...asmanfatallyshotatFriendshipbackdam Hunting trip turns deadly

Po l i c e a r e investigating the fatal shooting of

29-year-old Lakeram Persaud of Kaneville, East Bank Demerara, which occurred Saturday at Friendship Backdam, EBD. The suspect, 64-year-old hunter Rockie Blackman of Bachelor’s Adventure, East Coast Demerara, is in

c u s t o d y a s s i s t i n g investigators. Blackman, a licensed firearm holder for over two decades, was

reportedly carrying his 12gauge Remington shotgun during a hunting trip with Persaud and two long-time friends Wayne Gordon, 58, and Jacob Summer, 29.

According to police investigators, the men were huntingfor‘Cappdara’when they were attacked by Africanbeesandscatteredin different directions. Gordon and Summer reported hearingagunshot.Whenthe swarm subsided, they searchedfortheirfriendsand

discovered Persaud lying in a trench with a gunshot wound to the back of his head.

Police recovered an empty shotgun casing about four feet from the body Persaud was taken to the DiamondRegionalHospital, where he was pronounced dead by Dr James Blackman, Gordon, and Summer have been arrested. All three had their hands swabbedforgunshotresidue asinvestigationscontinue.

consistenteffort—likeputtingonebrickata time till de house done build. Not waiting till de roof leaking before yuh decide fuh buyzinc.

Butno!Guyaneselikedrama.Demlike de rush. Dem like to tell story: “Boss, I knock out that report in two hours flat last night.”Demboyssehwhatyuhreallydois knockoutyuhownsleep,andhalfyuhbrain cellswithit.

Planning is like seasoning meat. Yuh season it steady, let it soak, and it taste sweet Yuh rush it last minute, and everybody chewing tough meat, cussing under dem breath Same thing with work—steady and early does give the best result.

So,demboysseh,stopworshippingde last-minute hustle. Do yuh wuk bit by bit, day by day Yuh body gon thank yuh, yuh brain gon thank yuh, and best of all—yuh bed gon get to keep yuh at night. And rememberwahdeolepeoplesay;Toomany cookscanspoilthebroth! Talkhalf.Leffhalf.

Each time a minister dabbles

I put the simplest of hypotheticals before fellow Guyanese, especially the thinking ones, the ones with a compassionate compass.

Some may see the hypothetical, while others what is beyond ordinary; projectstheextraordinary On each occasion that a minister of the government, (PPP,PNC,AFC,WINetal) pockets a million Guyana dollars, think of the ripple effectofthatflashyaction. It doesn't matter whether past

g o v e r n m e n t , n e w government, or government of the future, because the scenario, the formula, stays thesame. So,whathappens when one minister hugs a million dollars?Amillion is a thousand thousands. So,

when a minister snares a million, what he or she has just done is to deprive one poorGuyanesefamilyofone mealforapprox.threeyears. When I say poor, I mean poor, as in dirt poor: barefoot, seat-of-the-pants (patched) dragging poor With the permission of readers,Iamusing$1,000as thebaselineforabasicmeal. Twopintsrice.One-pintsplit peas. Quarterpintoil. One onion. One piece firewood. Quarter pint kerosene. Call it 'shine rice' or veggie rice, orkitree;butitisgroundzero basic. A thousand dollar should cover those ingredients, provide a Guyanese family of four, withali'lbambaileftback.

Now there are two ways tolookatthatmilliondollars that disappeared into the capacious folds of a minister's suit pocket. One familyisshortedofonemeal dailyforthreeyears,giveor take. Or, 1000 Guyanese familiesarestarvedofameal for one day, because a minister was more into selfhelpthanhelpingthepoorin Guyana. From now on, the roadgetslongerandstickier Trickier,too.

What is the damage done, when a minister lifts $100milliondollars? Bythe way, $100 million is chickenfeed money, when the scale of special circumstances and special arrangements in Oil Guyana isconsidered. Icouldmake theargumentthatthereisn'ta single minister alive today, who is not a Guyanese billionaire. Idon't. Though Ijustpresentedthedefinition of what is euphemistically labeled “unexplained

wealth.” But back to the issue of when $100 million attractsaminister Itmeans that 100,000 Guyanese families, those that the World Bank identified as existingon$1100aday,just lost out on one meal for one day It'stimeforthe$64,000 question (two of them, in fact) and remember that this is not an American Gameshow, but the horror show that is a tragic daily affair in Guyana for too many Guyanese. Think minimum wage earners in both the private and public sectorsinGuyanaforastart.

What's the result when a dozen, or two dozen, ministers are busy commandeering first a million dollars, then a hundredmillioneach,which may be so regular as to be r o u t i n e ? I t i s a consideration, a blow, that staggersthemind,doesn'tit?

Now, extend that to the supporting cast. Think of senior public servants who are also intimately woven into the fun and festivities, who number not in the dozens, but in the hundreds. Suddenly,thesumofwhatis taking place is not an abstraction, is not bloodless nor painless, is not some remote cyberspace soap opera. Amillion,a hundred million, a billion, then several of the latter, represents a huge punch in the throat that travels to the stomach. Who don't have enoughtoeat,suddenlyfind that they can't breathe deep enough. Whenbudgetshave been one hit record after another, then it shouldn't surprisethatthedancinghas been nonstop. The excited

players come up with new moves, find new grooves to exploreandexploit.

So, whenever one minister,or21ofthem,picks up a million (or a hundred), the truth of the matter is no l o n g e r l i m i t e d t o disagreements of too much emphasis on too much sand and stone and cement and seashells for ornamentation. The raw reality is of the humandramathatunfoldsin dreary day following drudgery-filled day in Guyana. It involves poor citizens crying out to the heavens about why they are gettingbatteredbyatwo-byfouracrossthenoseona24/7 basis. They can't see, they can't hear, they can't smell. And,worstofall,becauseof those hard, unrelenting, and remorseless blows, they havelosttheirtasteforfood. So, the next time that a minister looks richer than Gautam Advani, or more dazzling than Elizabeth Taylor and Priyanka Chopra together,rememberthislittle hypothetical that reaches high and travels far A minister with a million is a marvel. With a hundred million, there's a miracle minister Ontheminusside of such richness, stand the swaths of hungry Guyanese thatweresacrificedtoenrich the multimillion dollar labors of many ministers, publicservants. (The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinionsofthisnewspaper.)

Wallaba Primary School teachers seek refuge as living quarters now

inhabited by rats

…WINcallsforurgentGovt.intervention

The current state of the teachers living quarters at the Wallaba Primary School

WeInvestinNationhood(WIN)

party on Saturday called on Education Minister, Sonia Parag to make an urgent intervention at the Wallaba Primary School in Region One, wheretheteachers'livingquartershavebeen reportedly infested by rats, bats and other pests.

After just three weeks of the new school term, the Opposition party highlighted that the building also has no electricity, forcing teacherstoseekrefugewiththeircolleagues.

Moreover,WIN said some teachers have beenreceivinghalf-salaries.

“Despite repeated complaints to the educationauthoritiesandpromisesthatitwill becorrected,nothingwasdone.

They are having to deal with heavy bureaucracy,goingthroughseveralchainsof command and to no avail,” the party explained.

Itnotedthatfrustratedparentshighlighted these and other concerns, adding that government continues to neglect hinterland schools while the bulk of resources are investedinschoolsonthecoastwherethereis morevisibility

Meanwhile,WINinaseparatestatement raisedconcernthatno“properarrangements” havebeenmadesincethe2020Madhiadorm fireforstudentswhoarewritingtheNational Grade Six Assessment and are likely to be placedthere.

Thepartysaid,“ChildrenfromKarapow, Chenapow, Kamanah, Kamana, Muruwa, Wailang, Kamana, Sandhill, Karisparu, Micobie, and Kopinang are deprived of

access to education, as the Paramakatoi and Kato Secondary schools are overcrowded, the dorms are full and it is impossible for students from these areas to travel daily throughthemountainousterrain.”

The unavailability of rooms at the two secondary schools in the Region has reportedly resulted in low attendance and even drop outs which lends to other issues suchasdruguseandteenagepregnancies.

Tothisend,WINargued,“Theneglectof our young people in the hinterland is unconscionable.

Thisadministrationabandoneditsdutyto protectandeducatethenation'schildren.We have highlighted the issue, and we urge the MinistryofEducationtoresolvethismatter.”

WIN believes students in Region Eight should, at minimum, have access to stable internet and the option of online learning in theinterim.

In an invited comment, Public Relations OfficeroftheMinistryofEducation,Rehana Ahmadexplainedthatataskforcewassetup recentlytoaddressissuesplaguingtheseand otherschoolsacrossthecountry

InastatementonThursday,theEducation Ministry said the task force will examine repairs to damaged infrastructure and other issuesaffectingthehinterlandregion.

Additionally, Minister of Aviation and Utilities,DeodatIndarwhoisalsopartofthe team committed to address all issues under hisremitinsixweeks.

Paraghassaidherteamwillensureissues affectingstudentsandteachersare“resolved ashurriedlyaspossible.”

SchoolfortheDeaftobe completedinNovember

Guyana'sfirstschoolforthedeafis on schedule to be completed in November 2025, the Ministry of Education announced on Saturday.

Subject minister Sonia Parag visited the project site located at Cummings Lodge, East Coast Demerara (ECD) with Permanent Secretary Shanielle Hoosein-Outar; Assistant Chief Education Officer with responsibility for Special Education Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Dr Keon Cheung; and Head of Buildings, GerronParkertomonitortheongoing constructionoftheschool.

“The project, valued at

G$194,472,570, is being executed by Superior Supplies and General Construction and is on schedule for completion in November 2025,” the ministryinformed.

Kaieteur News understands that once completed the facility will

provide a modern learning environment for 30 learners who are deaf while also serving as a resource

Omai deploys fourth drill rig at Wenot gold pit

Canadian company Omai Gold Mines, has added a fourth drillrigtoitsgoldprojecthere in Guyana as the it pushes ahead with an aggressive explorationprogramme.

Minister of Education, Sonia Parag and her team at the School for the Deaf project site on Saturday

hubfordeafyouth,offeringprograms that foster inclusivity, personal development, and community engagement.

“Withcompletionexpectedinjust a few weeks, the new school represents a transformational

milestone in Guyana's education sector,deliveringonthegovernment's promisetocreateinclusive,equitable, and empowering spaces for all learners,”theministryrelated.

The sod was turned for the new schoolinJanuary

Omai holds a 100% interest in the past-producing Omai gold project in Guyana, located in Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni).TheOmai property hosts two orogenic golddeposits:theshear-hosted Wenot Deposit and the adjacent intrusive-hosted Gilt CreekDeposit.

In a recent update, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Executive Chairman of Omai Elaine Ellingham noted that the company's 2025 programme has so far completed 43 holes totaling 23,500 metres, including six recentholesatWenot.

“We are very pleased with our recently announced, significantly increased, updated Mineral Resource Estimate(MRE).

TheNI43-101Reportwill be filed on SEDAR+ in the nextcoupleofweeks.

Today's new drill results from Wenot, were completed at the end of the resource drilling program, but assays were received after the cutoff date for the MRE These results will contribute to the updated Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) expected in early Q1/26,” Ellinghamstated.

The CEO noted that the new results will help strengthen the company's updated economic outlook for theproject.

Further, Ellingham disclose that a fourth drill arrivedatthepropertyandhas commenced drilling at the eastern end of Wenot pit. She said this rig is focused on testingthelimitsofthedeposit inthisarea.

Omai CEO said, “The two otherdrillsaretestingfromthe southsideofWenot.

The current drilling at Wenot is focused on optimizingtheresourceforthe upcoming PEA by drilling

largegapswithinthedepositin ordertoreducethestripratio.

These holes and are also expectedtofurtherexpandthe resource.”

Ellingham underscored that at the Wenot pit, the ongoing drilling is designed notonlytoexpandtheresource butalsotoreducethestripratio byfillinglargegapswithinthe deposit. She said results are also expected to increase confidence in key zones, converting Inferred resources intotheIndicatedcategory

Ellinghamadded,“Workis underway on an updated PEA andwewillprovideanupdate on progress and milestones in anupcomingnewsrelease.”

Moreover, she said results arependingforsomeareasthat were drilled but stated that those areas have shown promise for higher-grade, near-surface mineralization that could improve the project economics.

Omani's project combined update MRE results is: 2,121,000 ounces of gold (indicated), a 7% increase, averaging 2.07 g/t Au in 31.9 million tonnes (Mt) and 4,382,000 ounces of gold (inferred), a 92% increase, averaging 1 95 g/t Au in 69.6Mt.

The property's 2024 MRE outlined 2.0 million ounces of gold indicated and 2.3 million ouncesinferred.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Executive Chairman of Omai Elaine Ellingham

The Waterfalls Waterfalls

isa ayersL

Promoting his cultural heritage through community efforts and advocacy…

Toshao and Indigenous conservationist, conservationist

Romario ‘Kapohn’ Hastings is a, ‘Special Person’

Lisa Lay ers

Bornand raisedinChenapouVillage RegionEight,Patamonabeauty,LisaLayers enjoysfishingandsocializingwiththeeldersand youthsofhervillageduringherrecreationaltime.This indigenousbeauty’smaingoalistobecomeasuccessful entrepreneur.ShealsohopestoonedaybecomeChenapou’sfirst femaleToshaotohaveachanceatenhancingthedevelopment withinhervillageandupholditsintegrityandimpartiality Lisa’s favorite quote is by Helen Hayes, “The expert in anything was once a beginner.” (Photo credit: Shutter Studios 592)

Is the UN still beneficial to small countries?

BySirRonaldSanders

On September 23, 2025, U S

P r e s i d e n t

Donald Trump used his addresstothe80thsessionof theUNGeneralAssemblyto question the Organization’s purpose.

He is not alone; leaders worldwide have asked the samequestion.“TheUNhas such tremendous potential,” he said, but it is “not even coming close,” and “empty words don’t solve war.” On that point, many would agree.

H o w e v e r, m a n y countries contend that the UN falls short because real control rests with a few powerful states that wield veto power in the Security Council to serve perceived nationalinterests.

In consequence, the principlesoftheUNCharter - and at times international humanitarian law - are set aside, raising serious doubts aboutthesystem’sfairness.

AstheGeneralAssembly met, the point was driven home.

By September 25, 2025, Israel had intensified operations in Gaza City and elsewhere, with rising

c a s u a l t i e s , m a s s

displacement, and a deepening humanitarian emergency

The Integrated Food

S e c u r i t y P h a s e

(IPC)

confirmed famine in Gaza Governorate on August 22 and projected expansion to other areas by late September

Global anger over the war and civilian suffering has broadened diplomatic responses In the days around UNGA, the United Kingdom, Canada, France, Australia, and Portugal recognized the State of Palestine Taken together, 157oftheUN’s193member states - about 81% - now recognizePalestine.

In his address, President Trump argued that recognizing Palestine would “reward” Hamas for the October2023attacks.

By contrast, most countries that spoke, including Caribbean states, condemned Hamas while reaffirming that Palestinians have a right to statehood alongsideIsrael.

Hostage releases and an endtoindiscriminateattacks were widely demanded, as was a political track that p u r s u e s t h e institutionalization of two states.

Countries also stressed that grave concerns about violations of international humanitarian law must not be conflated with antisemitism. Criticism of the policies and actions of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government is notacommentaryonJewish people anywhere The

suffering and perseverance of Jewish communities are partofhumanity’scollective memory; invoking that history to shield present policies from scrutiny is unjustifiable and diminishes t h e f i g h t a g a i n s t antisemitism.

Perhaps the clearest divergence between

President Trump and most UNGAspeakers-especially smallstates-wasonclimate change.

The President called climate change “the greatest con job ever perpetrated on the world” For small islands, this is not ideology but survival: stronger storms, rising seas, and soaring insurance costs are already eroding economies.

As Palau’s President Surangel Whipps Jr put it duringUNGAweek,“Those w i t h t h e g r e a t e s t responsibility and the greatest capacity to act must do far more,” noting that an advisory opinion by the InternationalCourtofJustice grounds this in international law

Talking about CO emissions,themaindriverof climate change, President Trump argued that Europe’s cutshadbeen“wipedout”by a global rise “much of it comingfromChina,”adding that “China now produces more CO than all the other developed nations in the world ” Small states acknowledge the point,

saying that it reinforces the caseforallmajoremittersto cut. Notably, on September 24,2025,Chinaannounceda target to cut its greenhousegas emissions by 7–10% belowpeaklevelsby2035.

S m a l l s t a t e s , contributing least to CO emissions yet suffering most, would agree with UN Secretary-General António Guterres, who put the issue plainly at a UNGA climate meeting: “The science demands action. The law commands it The economics compel it. And peoplearecallingforit.”He warned that current pledges areinadequateandlinkedthe climatecrisistoawiderriskmultipolarity without effective multilateral institutions“courtschaos.”

This exchange signals tougher terrain across UN institutions, including the Paris Agreement and COP talks.

The U.S. has stepped back,whileChina’sassessed share of the UNFCCC budgetissettoriseunderthe newly approved 2026–27 budget.

This is a bureaucratic increase,notanewvoluntary climate-finance pledge. Even so, U.S. policymakers should worry that their

absenceleavesmorespace for others to shape norms andagendas.

Smallstates,includingin the Caribbean, want the United States engaged, not only for its resources, but because U S climate impacts spill across the neighbourhood, driving up insuranceandtransportcosts

that already-strained Caribbean and Central American economies struggletoabsorb.

Caribbean states share President Trump’s oftenstateddesireforworldpeace. They welcomed his remarks on the war in Ukraine, following a meeting with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the margins of theUNGA.

He said he now believes Ukrainecantakebackallits territory and urged quicker progress.AnyU.S.initiative tosecuresuchadevelopment would be welcomed across theCaribbean.

So, is the UN still of value to small Caribbean states, despite big-power domination of Security Council decisions, influence over the UN’s budget and priorities, and sharp differences on vital matters? The answer is still yes, but withclearlimits.

TheUNremainstheonly place where all states are present, where the record is public, and where small countries can put their concernsontheagendaand–iftheyarebraveandastutequestion major powers Specialized agencies still deliverconcreteservicesthat benefitsmallstates. Butcredibilityisstrained when rules are applied unevenly, financing is volatile,scienceistreatedas optional, and equity of membershipisdenied.

Small states do not have t h e l u x u r y o f disengagement The task is to use what still works, while being clear that constraints come from members,nottheCharter

(The author is the Ambassador of Antigua and Barbuda to the United States and the OAS, and Dean of the OAS Ambassadors accredited to the OAS. Responses and previous commentaries: www.sirronald sanders.com)

Sir Ronald Sanders

WEEK-IN-REVIEW

SUNDAY

‘Don’tquit’…AFCsends urgentdelegationto begHughestostayon

The National Executive Committee (NEC) of the Alliance For Change (AFC) has assigned a delegation to meet with former leaderNigelHugheswiththehope of him retracting his days’ old resignation.

T h e N E C m e t a t a n extraordinary session to consider, among other things, Hughes’ resignation, the AFC said in a statement.

Hughesresignedfromtheparty on Wednesday In his resignation letter,hetookfullresponsibilityfor the distressing loss the party suffered at the September 1, GeneralandRegionalElections.

The AFC contested the electionsandscrapedamere3,610 votes, upsetting any chances of securing a single seat in the NationalAssembly

“While recognizing Mr Hughes’ clear intention to act responsibly and uprightly by accepting responsibility for the Party’s electoral misfortunes, the NEC unanimously expressed its gratitude to him for his heroic effortsandinvaluablecontributions before and during the campaign. The NEC further affirmed that the responsibility for the Party’s electoral performance rests collectivelyontheentireexecutive, and not on Mr Hughes alone,” the AFCreportedonSaturday

Further,theNECdirectedthata delegation of its members meets with Hughes to appeal to him to continue serving as Leader until a NationalConferenceisconvenedto electnewleadership.

“In the interim, the Party’s Chairman, David Patterson, will fulfill the duties as Leader,” the AFCsaid.

Meanwhile,thepartynotedthat history is replete with examples of political movements reduced to zero seats in representative assemblies that have nevertheless managed to recover and return stronger

“In this regard, work has already commenced on a comprehensive SWOT assessment of the AFC’s 2025 electoral performance, with emphasis on identifying what is needed for the Partytoregainitsstanding.”

Further,theNECreaffirmedits committed to rebuilding and repositioning theAFC as a strong, credible, and people-centered political force. “The Party remains dedicated to serving the people of Guyana,defendingdemocracy,and advancing the interests of all citizens,”thepartysaid.

“We call on all members, supporters, and well-wishers to

remain united, steadfast, and engagedastheAFCundertakesthis process of renewal. Together, we will overcome this moment of difficulty, and together, we will ensure that the AFC rises again to play its rightful role in shaping a brighter future for Guyana,” the statementconcluded.

On Thursday, Kaieteur News reported that General Secretary of theAFCRaphaelTrotmansaidthat itiscommonforleadersofpolitical parties “to fall on their sword” in cases where there are devastating defeats.

Trotman was responding to queries by Kaieteur News about Hughes’resignationwhosubmitted hisresignationonWednesday Hughes, who assumed the leadershipofthepartyinJuly2024, had campaigned feverishly across country on a slogan he adopted “better must come,” admitting that he had much to offer Guyana. He saidthecountryneededabreakand was willing to pool his ideas with otherstofashionanewandmodern Guyana.

Butwiththecrushinglossatthe polls, Trotman said the move by Hughes “is the honourable

worldwide However, it is the party’s leadership and members to acceptorrejectthatoffer.”

He said however, that the resignationissomewhatsurprising, since there was no indication that thepartyleaderwascontemplating resigning. “Recently as Saturday last, the executive met and the meeting was chaired by Mr Hughes. There was no hint that he was considering resigning, and no indication from within the executive that anyone wanted him toresign,”hesaid.

At the time of Hughes’ recognition, the AFC said that the party’s constitutional provisions would be used to guide the way forwardshouldheremainadamant inhisdecision.

Girl,8,diesinParikaaccident

An eight-year-old girl, on Friday,waskilledinanaccidenton the Parika Backdam (main access road),EastBankEssequibo.

The child was identified as SupriyaKhanofNaamryckKoker, EastBankEssequibo.

The Guyana Police Force (GPF) in a statement on Saturday said that the accident occurred “at about 15:05 hours and involved Motor Pick-Up GAB 8162, driven by 22-year-oldArifAlli of Parika, East Bank Essequibo, and an Electric Cycle (bike), operated by 32-year-old Imran Khan of Naamryck Koker, along with 8year-old Supriya Khan, who was thepillionrider.”

Reportsarethattheelectricbike was heading east along the road when the pick-up, which was proceeding in the same direction behind the electric bike, attempted topassthebikeand,intheprocess, collided with Imran and Supriya Khan.

The collision resulted in both Imran and Supriya Khan falling

ontotheroadandreceivinginjuries abouttheirbodies.

“Supriya Khan was picked up by the driver of the Pick-Up in an unconscious state and taken to the De Kinderen Public Hospital, whereshewaspronounceddeadon arrivalbyadoctor,”policesaid.

Imran was also rushed to the hospital and admitted He was treated for a fractured skull Meanwhile, Supriya’s body was takentotheEzekielFuneralHome where it awaits a post-mortem examination.

“Breathalyser tests conducted on22-year-oldArifAllishowedhis BAC at 128% and 134% Investigationsareongoing,”police said.

The police reminded that the legal limit is .35 micrograms of alcohol in one’s system, however, the “results of the two breathalyer tests conducted on the driver were 128 and 134 micrograms,” respectively

MONDAY

‘Guyanabeingfooledon trueoilreserves’-Former FinanceMinisterJordan …believes true figure

“double or triple” 11.6 billion barrels touted by Govt.

Former Minister of Finance, Winston Jordan believes the Stabroek Block oil reserves is far more oil than the 11 6 billion barrelsannounced.

Jordan, who served under the previous APNU+AFC coalition government from 2015 to 2020, appeared on Sunday as a guest on “The Countdown” hosted by AndrewWeekes.

The former minister said that even at the current pace of extractionbyExxonMobilGuyana Limited(EMGL),hebelievesthere isenoughoiltolastanother30to40 years.

The question of Guyana’s true reserves gained attention in 2024. That August, the Ministry of Natural Resources announced that reserves grew by 600 million barrels to 11.6 billion, following

eightnewdiscoveriessincethelast update in April 2022. But Exxon disputed the government’s figure, providingitsownlowerestimateof below11billionbarrels.

“Ibelievequitehonestlythatwe are being fooled and we are doing nothing about it, about how much oil has really been discovered,” Jordan said, citing the last eight new discoveries made by the oil company

Hearguedthattherehasbeena blackout on information about the trueestimateofGuyana’soilfinds. “All those 11.6 billion barrels that they are telling us I believe it is doubleortriplethat.So,wegotoil that could last us 40 years or 50 years even at the present extraction,”Jordannoted.

Jordan further estimated that at a conservative US$60 per barrel, Guyana stands to earn massive revenues “That’s huge money comingtoasmallcountryinterms of population, 10 years’time with good investment and all these things, all of us here could be not super rich but we should have a decentstandardliving,”headded.

Oil was discovered offshore Guyana in 2015 and by December 2019, production commenced Exxon has already received government approval for six developments in the Stabroek Block The first four are in operation,producinganaverageof 650,000barrelsofoilperday(bpd) with an installed capacity of 900,000bpd.

The company has also submitted applications for a seventhproject,Hammerhead,and an eighth, Longtail. The company is aiming to bring all eight developments into production by the end of the decade, with a combinedtargetof1.7millionbpd.

Following the disclosure by government that the Stabroek Block oil reserves grew to 11.6 billion barrels, EMGL came out disputing the figures released by government, providing its own resourceestimate.

The company’s country manager, Alistair Routledge at a press conference last year said the Stabroek Block reserves are less than11billionbarrels.

Routledgewasaskedhowmany of the eight discoveries were appraisedforthecompanytoarrive atthenewresourceestimateof11.6 billion barrels. He explained, “The government released a number of 11.6 billion oil equivalent barrels, ExxonMobil’s estimate is lower than that number our number remains a little under 11 billion oil equivalent barrels.” Furthermore, he noted that the company is obligated to make such reports to the US Securities and Exchange Commission,makingthepointthat Exxon was not keeping the figures away

Explainingthevariation

Continued on page 17

Nigel Hughes

8-year-old, Supriya Khan

Former Finance Minister Jordan

Frompage16 betweenExxon’sfigurescompared to the reserves announced by government, Routledge noted that the state conducts independent studies,althoughitissuppliedwith databythecompany “Theyalsodo independent studies (and) verificationswithotherconsultants and the work that they do themselves and the GGMC and Ministry of Natural Resources so it’s quite normal to have a slightly different view of the number,” he reasoned.

Touristguidestabbedto deathatHeritagecelebrations

A21-year-oldtouristguidewas stabbed to death during the early hours of Sunday morning during Heritage celebrations in Annai Village, North Rupununi, Region Nine. Dead is John Elliot, a tourist guideattachedtoAttaLodgeanda resident of Surama Village, North Rupununi. Police said Elliot was killed around 01:30hrs. A female police officer attending the celebrations reportedly saw when Elliotwasattackedandkilled.

Sherecalledthathewasstabbed during a confrontation with three young men, one of them identified as a Juvenile (16-year-old school dropout) The other two youths have been identified as brothers, 20-year-oldRonaldoWilliams,and 18-year-old Orlando Williams, of AnnaiVillage.

The police rank alleged that it was the 16-year-old who fatally stabbed Eliott in the chest during theconfrontation.

Police ranks later found him hiding out in the home of the brothers,buttheywerenotaround. He was arrested and taken into police custody He was questioned in the presence of his mother and

deniedstabbingElliot.

Heclaimedthatitwasoneofthe brothers, 18-year-old Orlando WilliamswhokilledElliot.

“Efforts are being made to apprehend the two other suspects, police said Meanwhile tributes pouredinfollowingElliot’skilling.

His employer, Atta Lodge in a Facebook Post stated, “Atta Rainforest Lodge mourns the loss of our colleague and dear friend, JohnElliott.Johnwasaremarkable person who was passionate about birding, and biodiversity conservation, and it showed through his interactions with his peers and visitors His great personality, warm smile and commitment to excellence will be missed We offer our deepest condolences to his family and friendsatthisdifficulttime.”

TUESDAY

Govt.approvesExxon’s Hammerheadproject …nowordonanyadditional fiscalbenefitsforGuyana

The Government of Guyana (GoG) on Monday announced the approvalofaPetroleumProduction Licence (PPL) for ExxonMobil GuyanaLimited(EMGL’s)seventh development in the Stabroek Block, the US$6 8 billion Hammerheadproject.

The announcement was made by the Ministry of Natural Resources in a statement on Mondaymorning.Attheendofthe review process of Exxon’s Hammerhead Field Development Plan (FDP) the ministry approved the FDP and issued the HammerheadPPL.

The Stabroek Block which is estimated to hold 11 6 billion barrelsofoilisoperatedbyEMGL,

who holds 45% interest. The other block partners Hess Guyana Exploration Ltd holds 30% interest, and CNOOC Petroleum Guyana Limited holds 25% interest.

TheHammerheaddevelopment is located in the south-western portion of the Stabroek Block offshore Guyana and targets the Hammerhead reservoir Hammerhead was announced as Exxon’s ninth commercial discovery in August 2018 The Hammerhead-1 well was drilled in a new reservoir, encountering approximately197feet(60metres) of high-quality, oil-bearing sandstone reservoir The well was safely drilled to 13,862 feet (4,225 metres) depth in 3,773 feet (1,150 metres)ofwater

First oil from the Hammerhead project is expected by 2029. The projectwilluseaVeryLargeCrude Carrier (VLCC) conversion-type Floating Production, Storage, and Offloading (FPSO), which will be built by Japanese shipbuilder, MODEC. Notably, a total of 445 million barrels of oil is forecast to be produced with an estimated daily production capacity of 150,000barrelsofoilperday(bpd). Hammerheadoilproductionwillbe facilitated through 10 production wellsand8injectionwells.

Hammerhead is expected to boost Guyana’s overall production capacity at approximately 1 5 million bpd, with the FDP projecting this by the second quarterof2029.

Additionally, the ministry stated that the associated gas produced from the Hammerhead Projectreservoirwillbetransferred to the Gas-to-Energy (GtE) pipeline network. Hammerhead is expected to boost energy security, drive industrial growth and create employmentacrossvarioussectors, furtherpositioningGuyanaasakey player in the global energy landscape.

Notably, MNR said the HammerheadPPLfeaturesnotable improvements when compared to

previous licences in several areas.

“Some of these include its alignment with the Oil Pollution Prevention, Preparedness, Response and Responsibility Act 2025; improved management of production levels and new conditions to cover offspecification fluid discharges and the transfer of associated gas from the Hammerhead development to theGas-to-Energypipeline.

Theseenhancementsreflectthe government’s ongoing commitment to responsible resource management and sustainable development,” the ministry

In April 2024, Exxon sanctioned its sixth project named Whiptail Shortly after, Exxon began its work to seek regulatory approval for the Hammerhead project and earlier this year, the Environmental ImpactAssessment (EIA) for the Hammerhead project w a s s u b m i t t e d t o t h e Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).Thecompanyhadalsomade apartialsubmissionoftheproject’s FDPbackin2024.

Followingthesubmissionofan application for the Hammerhead project, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo, the country’s chief policymaker on oil and gas was asked on multiple occasions whether improved fiscal terms would apply to ExxonMobil’s seventh development. Jagdeo’s most recent disclosure inApril, he statedthatathoroughassessmentis being done and once completed, Guyanese would be informed of additionalfiscalbenefits.

Moreover, Hammerhead adds totheothersixsanctionedprojects under Exxon’s belt.These include, Liza One, Liza Two, Payara, Yellowtail,UaruandWhiptail.The first four projects are already in operation, producing an average 650,000 bpd, with an installed

capacity of 900,000 bpd

Construction is underway for the Uaru and Whiptail, with Uaru anticipated to start production in 2026, and Whiptail is anticipated

forstartupin2027.

Earlier this year, Exxon also submitted an application for an eighth project, Longtail. The oil companyisaimingtobringalleight developments into production by the end of the decade, targeting a combined output of 1 7 million bpd.

The agreement governing the Stabroek Block extends favorable terms to the oil companies According to the agreement, Stabroek Block partners can recover 75% of oil produced to cover investment costs The remaining25%isconsideredprofit and is split equally between Guyanaandtheconsortium,giving each 12 5% However, the consortiumpaysa2%royaltyfrom itssharetoGuyana.FromGuyana’s 14.5% total take, the government must pay the oil companies’taxes. The deal stipulates that the sum equivalenttothetaxesowedbythe companies must be paid by the Ministerresponsibleforpetroleum totheCommissionerGeneralofthe GuyanaRevenueAuthority(GRA).

Exxon

For their part, Exxon in a statement on Monday announced that it made a final investment decision for the Hammerhead development after receiving regulatoryapprovals.

“We continue to set a new standardinGuyana–advancingan impressive seventh project just 10 years after first discovery, said President of ExxonMobil UpstreamCompanyDanAmmann. “In collaboration with the people andGovernmentofGuyana,we’ve helpedbuildathrivingnewoil-andgas industry in the country that is creating jobs, supplier opportunities, profits and followoninvestments.”

Furtheritwasdisclosedthatthe final investment decision for the Hammerhead project increases funds committed for seven approved projects to more than US$60 billion. It was also stated thatmorethanUS$7.8billionhas Continued on page 18

Stabbed to death during Heritage Celebrations, John Elliot

MinisterofNaturalResourcesVickramBharrat(secondfromright) andofficialsfromExxonMobil,HessandCNOOC

Frompage17 been paid into Guyana’s Natural Resource Fund (NRF) since production in the Stabroek Block startedin2019.

Thecompanyalsooutlinedthat there are currently some 6,200 Guyanese working in support of Stabroekblockoperations,whichis about70%oftheworkforce.Itwas noted too that the Stabroek Block partners have spent more than US$2 9 billion with Guyanese supplierssince2015.

Policeprobemissing $5MfromGECOM …severalstaffers arrested,questioned

The Guyana Police Force (GPF) has launched an investigation into the alleged larceny of $5 million from the Accounts Department of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM).

Several employees from the department are currently being questioned in connection with the missingfunds.

Crime ChiefWendell Blanhum confirmed the investigation to Kaieteur News, stating, “several GECOM employees are assisting the police in relation to a report of simplelarcenyinvolvingthesumof approximately $5 million Guyana currency,propertyofGECOM.”

GECOM’s Public Relations Officer, Yolanda Ward, also acknowledged the incident. While declining to provide specific details, she confirmed that the Commission is addressing the matter “I will not speak on the issue.Icanonlysaythatthereisan internalinvestigation,andonceitis completed, we will issue a statement,”Wardsaid.

KaieteurNewsunderstandsthat

the conclusion of the September 1 GeneralandRegionalElections.In preparation for the elections, GECOMhadhiredtemporarystaff to work on polling day Kaieteur Newsspokewithonesuchworker, whoconfirmedthatpaymentswere scheduledforSeptember17.Those who could not collect their paymentsonthatdayweretoldthey coulddosothisweek.

Unfortunately, due to the ongoing investigation and the discovery of the missing funds, temporary staff members have not yetreceivedtheirpayments.

WEDNESDAY

U.S.Senatorsprobing Exxon’sGuyanataxdeal …demandanswersonpossible massivetaxevasioninAmerica

Three United States (U S) Senators on Tuesday wrote to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of ExxonMobil, Darren Woods about thecompany’staxarrangementsin Guyana.

The company, in joint venture with CNOOC and Hess (now Chevron), were contracted by the Government of Guyana (GoG) to produce hydrocarbons in the

the cash was discovered missing over the weekend, prompting the immediate involvement of the police in the matter. The matter gained public attention after the newly formed We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) party claimed on Monday that GECOM was experiencing financial irregularities. According to WIN, theirsourcesallegedthatmorethan $50 million was unaccounted for andthatseveralstaffmembershad been arrested However, police have so far confirmed the missing amounttobe$5million.

The revelation has placed GECOM under public scrutiny, especially coming just weeks after

26,800 square kilometer Stabroek Block.

Inaccordancewithtermsofthe 2016 Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) the companies paynotaxestothecountry.Guyana nonetheless issues a tax receipt, indicating that those obligations weremetlocally Thisisfrequently usedtoavoiddoubletaxationinthe country that the company is registered.

In a statement issued to the media, it was explained that U.S. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse, ChrisVanHollenandJeffMerkley sent a letter on Tuesday to ExxonMobil CEO Darren Woods requesting information on the

company’s accounting of its U.S. tax liability as a result of the 2016 Stabroek Block Petroleum Agreement.

“The letter raises questions aboutwhetherAmericantaxpayers are subsidizing ExxonMobil’s foreign oil production in Guyana, which the company carries out in partnership with a Chinese stateowned company,” the statement said.

It was explained that current U.S. tax rules offer a loophole for big multinational oil companies drilling in a foreign country to shrink their tax bills. “Closing this loophole would save American taxpayers an estimated $71 5 billion over ten years,” U S officials have said. The Senators noted,“Weareconcernedaboutthe possibilitythatAmericantaxpayers may be subsidizing ExxonMobil’s foreign oil production, which they do in partnership with a Chinese state-ownedcompany”.

The trio made it clear that payments to a foreign government arenottaxesandcannotqualifyfor taxcredit.

“Payments to a foreign government in exchange for an economicbenefit[suchastheright to extract oil and gas] are not considered taxes at all and thus cannotqualifyforaU.S.foreigntax credit.Howeverspecialrulesallow ‘dual capacity’taxpayers to divide up such payments into creditable taxesandnon-creditablepayments.

While it is not difficult to distinguish between taxes and payments for economic benefits, current rules allow contracts to be structured in a way that blurs the distinction. This loophole is a particularboontobigmultinational oilcompanies,”addedthesenators.

According to a 2021 IMF report, U.S. effectively subsidises BigOilandthefossilfuelindustry to over US$600 billion annually

Congressional Republicans added even more subsidies with their Beautiful-for-Billionaires bill, which included a US$167 billion tax giveaway to companies like ExxonMobil that ship jobs and profits overseas In February, Whitehouse and Rep Lloyd Doggett (D-TX) reintroduced the NoTaxBreaksforOutsourcingAct whichwouldreversethespecialtax rate for offshore profits that’s half

thedomesticrate.

Congressional Republicans also included a special US$427 millioncarveoutfortheoilandgas industry to shirk the Corporate Alternative Minimum tax that DemocratsincludedintheInflation Reduction Act to p

companies from lowering their liability by abusing tax loopholes. Whitehouse and other Senate Democrats sent a letter in early September to Treasury Secretary ScottBessentslammingTreasury’s decisiontocreatenewloopholesin the corporate alternative minimum tax for the largest and wealthiest corporations.

In the letter the senators referenced a 2024 Treasury Department proposal, which they said would have closed this loophole by limiting the portion of a payment that would qualify for a U.S.FTCtotheequivalentamount of tax that the dual capacity taxpayer would have owed the foreigngovernmentifitwasanondual capacity taxpayer “In other words,itwouldpreventacompany likeExxonMobilfromshrinkingits U.S. tax bill by claiming a larger U.S. FTC than any other company operating in the country that was not paying for the right to drill on land owned by Guyana. Closing this loophole would save U S taxpayers an estimated $71 5 billionovertenyears,”thesenators wrote.

They added: “Big oil companieslikeExxonMobildonot need any more government subsidies.Accordingtoa2021IMF report, U.S. effective subsidies to the fossil fuel industry are over $600billionannually.Republicans added even more with their “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” which included a $167 billion handout to companies like ExxonMobil that ship jobs and profits overseas, as well as a special $427 million carveoutfortheoilandgasindustry to limit or avoid the Corporate Alternative Minimum tax that is intended to prevent companies from erasing their tax bill with specialbreaks,”theletterread.

As such, the senators said they would like to better understand whether U S tax dollars are subsidising “your partnership with China to drill for oil overseas. We ask that you answer the following

questions about how the 2016 PA with the Government of Guyana has affected ExxonMobil’s U S federaltaxliabilitybynolaterthan October23,2025:

BasedonArticle15.4ofthePA, did ExxonMobil provide income tax returns to the Government of Guyana, and for which years? Did ExxonMobil directly pay the GovernmentofGuyanaanyincome taxin2024and/or2023,ordidthe GovernmentofGuyanamakesuch payments on ExxonMobil’s behalf out of the government’s share of profitoil?

Foranyincometaxpaymentsto GuyanamadebyExxonMobiloron its behalf, what portion, if any, did ExxonMobilclaimasU.S.FTCsin 2024and/or2023?

Did ExxonMobil claim any U.S. FTCs on any payments to the Government of Guyana in 2024 and/or2023?

If ExxonMobil claimed any U.S. FTCs in 2024 and/or 2023 on payments to the Government of Guyana, please explain what provisions of the U S Internal Revenue Code or regulations the company used to justify the claim and provide a model of how the calculation of creditable tax was made using illustrative numbers that are consistent with actual results.

If U.S. FTCs were claimed on anypaymentstotheGovernmentof Guyana, how much did they lower thecompany’sU.S.federaltaxbill for2024and/or2023?

Does the 2016 PA between ExxonMobil and Guyana make a distinction between taxes owed to the Government of Guyana and payments for economic benefits? a.Ifso,pleaseprovidethespecific language and ExxonMobil’s interpretationofhowitaffectsyour U.S. federal tax liability under currentrules.

What was ExxonMobil’s rationale for including CNOOC as a partner in its 2016 PA with the GovernmentofGuyana?

Whitehouse and other Senate Democrats sent a letter in early September to Treasury Secretary ScottBessentslammingTreasury’s decisiontocreatenewloopholesin the corporate alternative minimum tax for the largest and wealthiest corporations.In2024,ExxonMobil Continued on page 28

Towards a better life with your psychologist BULLYING PART 2

Bullyingisconsideredaformof interpersonal trauma. And yes, bullying is a form of abuse, specifically the abuse of power to cause repeated psychological, emotional, or physical harm to another person. Yes, Bullying is widely considered a form of violence. And in Guyana, there is noZEROTOLERANCEapproach, structure and programme in place toaddressbulliesandthebullied.

TYPESOFBULLYING

Bullying manifests in various forms,yettherepercussionsremain uniformly detrimental Bullies employ these distinct forms to furthertheirdestructiveagendaand inflictharmonothers.

Physical bullying encompasses the use of physical actions to intimidateorinjureanindividual.

Verbal bullying relies on language to distress or threaten a person.Thisincludesname-calling, ridicule, persistent teasing, mocking, and threats This behavior is often observed within parliamentary discussions, which subsequently influences interpersonal relations within homes, educational settings, and communities.

Social (or relational) bullying involves actions that damage an individual’s social standing or reputation This may include disseminating false information, ostracizing an individual from a group, or revealing compromising details.

Cyberbullying occurs through digital platforms and involves sending malicious or threatening messages, sharing embarrassing images or videos, or propagating falsenarrativesonsocialmedia.

Additionally, other forms of bullyingcanbeclassifiedunderthe previously mentioned categories, whichinclude:

Emotional or psychological bullying, characterized by actions intended to intimidate, humiliate, ormanipulateanindividual.

Prejudicial bullying targets individuals based on protected characteristics such as race, religion,orsexualorientation.

CONSEQUENCES OFBULLYING

The consequences of being subjected to bullying encompass a range of issues, including psychological, physical, mental, economic, and financial ramifications. These effects begin from the onset of bullying and can persist throughout an individual’s life, unless addressed through psychotherapy Children who experience bullying within academic settings often encounter symptoms of depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem. These issues significantly impair their identity and sense of purpose, potentially leadingtomaladaptivebehaviorsin adulthood.

Furthermore, suicidal ideation

is a direct consequence of prolonged exposure to bullying. Individuals who endure bullying over time may experience feelings of hopelessness and helplessness. Oncetheyreachthisstate whether during childhood, adolescence, or adulthood they may perceive suicide as a more favorable alternative to enduring the ramifications of bullying, which stem from the self-imposition and projectionbytheiraggressors.

The adverse effects of bullying also manifest in academic challenges and emotional distress, includingemotionaldysregulation, hypervig

e, and a compromised nervous system Additionally, poor academic performancecanleadtoissuessuch as eating disorders and posttraumatic stress disorder, which may subsequently hinder physical development, menstrual cycles, workplace productivity, employment opportunities, overall life satisfaction, and cognitive resilience, along with impairing interpersonal relationships and spiritualconnections.

Behavioral issues resulting frombullyingincludeanincreased propensity for aggression, substance abuse, and self-harming behaviors.The physical symptoms can present as headaches, stomachaches, and general bodily pain,allstemmingfromthechronic stress associated with bullying. Social isolation, the likelihood of substance abuse, and the emergence of personality disorders, such as borderline personality disorder and avoidant personalitydisorder, areadditional potentialconsequences.

The cumulative costs associated with bullying vastly exceedtheexpendituresrequiredto effectively combat bullying in Guyana. The financial and social toll on villages, communities, and government institutions is substantial, influencing workplace productivity and the overall functioning of society Therefore, addressing bullying in educational settings necessitates a coordinated approach involving multiple agencies, ministries, and stakeholders, including law enforcement,correctionalservices, military organizations, religious institutions, and mental health professionals.

It is essential to recognize that bullyingisnotsolelyaproblemfor children; rather, it represents a broaderissuethatconcernsfamilies and society as a whole Consequently, a comprehensive adult-led initiative is required to mitigate the impacts of dysfunctional environments—be it in homes, educational institutions, governmental bodies, or social agencies on the developing mindsofyoungindividuals.

BULLYINGINSCHOOLS

To effectively combat bullying in educational institutions, it is imperative that the issue is first acknowledgedandaddressedatthe levelofgovernment,organizations, and community leadership. Key figures—including the president, ministers, CEOs, directors, and religious leaders—must reassess their behaviors and lifestyle choices,settingapositiveexample for the younger generation. This approach, while straightforward, canyieldimpactfulresults.

Several foundational structural andprogrammematicmeasurescan beimplementedtoraiseawareness ofthebullyingissue.

First, it is essential to initiate discussions about bullying. This could involve a dedicated one- to two-monthcampaignduringwhich bullying is examined in classrooms, accompanied by daily general assemblies lasting approximately one hour The campaign should begin with defining bullying, exploring its various forms, examining its detrimental effects, and discussing appropriateresponses.

Students should be encouraged to volunteer as both victims and perpetrators in order to foster empathy and understanding Educational materials, in both printed and video formats, should be made readily available, displayed prominently within

accessibleviamobiledevices.This initiative should aim to educate students on the nature of bullying, the motivations behind such behavior, and the consequences faced by those who are targeted. Establishing clear behavioral expectationsiscrucial.

Toreduceincidentsofbullying, schools must adopt unambiguous definitions of bullying along with an established policy All students should be made aware of the school’s stance on bullying, including the consequences that will be enforced for perpetrators, the support systems available for victims, and the resources accessibletobothgroups.

Incidents of bullying occurring outside of school by school-aged children should be reported to law enforcement and addressed by a NationalAnti-BullyingTaskforce.

It is vital to foster open communication and to reconstitute the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) to specifically focus on addressing bullying. This should involve securing unwavering pledges of support to provide necessary resources and to collectivelybrainstormsolutionsto combat this pervasive issue that is negatively impacting lives for generations.

Building children’s selfconfidence is also essential. A review of the school curriculum is

By Dr. Telford Layne Jr. PsyD, MSc. Postgrad, BSc. Clinical and

necessarytoincorporatelifeskills, psychological grounding techniques, self-awareness, and emotional regulation into a dedicated subject, commencing in earlyeducation.Teachersshouldbe adequately trained, or specialists should be engaged to conduct sessions two to three times a week toaddresstheseimportanttopics.

Addressing bullying in schools necessitates a proactive and responsive approach, engaging parents and children in therapeutic interventions until notable behavioralchangeisachieved. Itisimportanttorecognizethat individualswhoengageinbullying may be psychologically imbalanced, possibly displaying traits associated with personality disorders, such as antisocial personality disorder Additionally, they may originate from challenging home environments characterizedbytrauma,leadingto bullying as a maladaptive coping mechanism. Therefore, addressing thisissuerequiresacomprehensive family-basedapproach.

Developmental Psychologist - Psychoanalyst Unwrapping Gift -Clinic

RiRi finally hashergirl!

PEOPLE - Rihanna couldn’t be more thrilledtoaddababygirltothefamily

A source exclusively shares with PEOPLE that the beauty mogul and mom of three, 37, is “over the moon” about welcoming her first daughter, Rocki Irish, with rapper A$AP Rocky The insider adds thatthecouple’snewaddition,whomthepair welcomedatCedars-SinaiMedicalCenterin Los Angeles, has “already brought a whole newenergytothefamily.”

“She’sobviouslysogratefulforherboys — all three of them — but she’s been ready forsomemoregirlyenergy,”thesourcetells PEOPLE. “She’s over the moon about her babygirl.”“It’salreadybroughtawholenew

energy to the family,” the insider continues.

“She’salwaysdreamedofhavingalittlegirl. She’s been shopping a lot and is so excited aboutdressingherdaughter It’sawholenew world for her.” The source also shares that baby Rocki is “everything she hoped for,” adding that Rihanna is feeling “incredibly blessed.”Another source tells PEOPLE that theFENTYBeautyfounderandtheDon’tBe Dumbartist,36,are“sohappy”toaddagirlto their family “They’re so happy to finally have a girl,” the insider tells PEOPLE. “They’ve wanted this for a while and can’t believeitactuallyhappened.”

“TheylovethatRZAandRiotgettogrow upwithalittlesister,allsocloseinage,”the

Rihanna welcomed a baby girl on September 13, 2025

source shares. “Ri’s always wanted a big family, and she’s excited to do all the girl stuff. Rocky’s just been saying he feels lucky.”

The source also reveals that the newly minted family of five is only having family andacoupleofclosefriendsovertoseethem astheyadjusttobeingparentsofthree.

EDUCATIONMONTH–GNBSCONTINUESTOINVESTIN STANDARDSEDUCATIONTOBUILDACULTUREOFQUALITY

The key to a safer, smarter,andmore

competitive

Guyana begins with education. At the Guyana

National Bureau of Standards (GNBS), this reality drives our mission to empower both children and adults with knowledge on standards,measurement,and qualityineverydaylife.

As September marks Education Month under the theme “Quality Education for National Development”, the GNBS reinforces its commitment to standards and quality by equipping young minds with the tools to embrace standards as a way of life. From school lectures to competitions to trainings, the Bureau

continues to plant the seeds of awareness that will grow into a future defined by quality

Throughout the year, the GNBSconductedinteractive lecture sessions with secondary school students

y, introducing them to the concept of standards, their role in daily life, and cons

nd responsibilities.

Student

also exposed to the use of accurate and approved measurements, and the wide rangeofcareeropportunities inStandardisation. Thesesessions arelively and practical, encouraging students to see how standards shape everything

fromthefoodtheyeattothe safetyoftheirenvironment.

But lectures are just one part of the Bureau’s robust S

programme. At the primary schoollevel,theGNBShosts the biennial Standards in A

h encourages pupils to learn a

d measurements and compete at the intra-and extraregionallevels.

The next competition is slated from April to June, 2026.

Meanwhil

, at the secondary level, the Bureau also engages students t

Competition This year’s

competition, to be held in RegionTwoduringNational Quality Week (NQW) in October, will focus on the theme “Shared Vision for a Better World. Aspotlight on SDG 17: Partnership for Goals.”

FocusingonStandardsas a f r a m e w o r k f o r partnerships, the contest aims to inspire students to think critically about how standards can drive innovation, strengthen industries, and support sustainableinfrastructurefor national and global development.

At the CARICOM RegionalLevel,theGNBSis also collaborating on Standards Education In September, the Bureau participated in a three-day Train-the-Trainers Quality

Infrastructure (QI) Sensitisation Session, designedformembersofthe CARICOM Regional Organisation for Standards and Quality – Marketing, Information,Knowledgeand Education Committee ( C R O S Q - M I K E Committee) and educators across the Caribbean. The

training, which was tailored toCSECsyllabi,T-VET,and University programmes, focused on the role of standards, metrology, certification,inspection,and testing in industries such as food, construction, retail, and tourism. Educators will now integrate this knowledge into their teaching, preparing students for their examinations and future careers; and ultimately, encouraging safe practices and a culture of qualityacrosstheCaribbean Community

GNBS also offers specialized training for businesses throughout the year to strengthen industry and regulatory capacity

These training courses

included training on

National and International Standards such as the ISO 9001:2015 Quality M

45001:2018 Occupation

Health and Safety Standard, and the GYS 170:2021

Generalrequirementsforthe operation of a laboratory In September, trainings were conducted on Internal

S O Management Systems and on Understanding the Requirements of ISO 9

Management Systems

Participants walked away with the knowledge and skills to conduct effective audits, evaluate findings, and implement systems that drive quality, compliance andcontinualimprovement. T h r o u g h t h e s e educational initiatives, GNBS demonstrates that standards are not abstract rules but essential tools for safety,innovation,consumer protection, and sustainable development. By investing in the standards education for youngpeopleandsupporting lifelong learning in the public and private sectors, theBureauislayingastrong foundation for a society where standards are understood, embraced, and appliedateverylevel.

Formoreinformationon GNBS Standards Education activities,contacttheBureau at 219-0062-66, WhatsApp 692-4627, or email info@gnbsgy.org

Guyana Association of Women Judges launched its first magazine

The Guyana Association of Women Judges, GAWJ launched its first magazine titled‘Justice’lastThursday, 11th September 2025, at the CaraLodgeHotel.

The event was small, intimate, and saw members and special invitees come together to celebrate the launch of the magazine, which chronicles the history and work of women in Guyana’s judiciary, and shares resources for use in the fight for equity and accesstojusticeforall.

According to its Editorin-Chief, Justice Nicola Pierre, the magazine is prompted by the need to record the history and work ofwomeninthejudiciary,to recognize that the fight for women’sforequality,equity, and safety, in all spheres continues, and to bring together the community and

resources to advocate for equalityandequity

During her remarks, Justice Priscilla ChandraHanif, President of Guyana Association of Women Judges stated that ‘Justice is not just a magazine. It is a platform. A platform for reflection, for education, for inspiration; it will highlight notonlythevoicesofwomen judges, but also the issues that affect women, children, families, and communities across our nation. It will encourage dialogue, promote mentorship, and showcase the humanity behindtherobe.’

Thisfirstissuechronicles the presence of and contribution by women to Guyana’s Judiciary, and the important work that Guyana’s women judges havebeeninvolvedin

Continuedonpage40

The digital copy of the GAWJ’s magazine ‘Justice’

Members of the GAWJ, and specially invited guests at Cara Lodge during the Launch of ‘Justice’

Lieve Blanckaert torepresentherhomelandatthe MissGrandInternational2025

Blanckaert is a model and entrepreneur

By Shania Williams

Pageantry continues to evolveasoneofthemost

recognized global platforms for culture, service, and empowerment, and Guyana is steadily carving its place in this arena For the first time in pageantry, Lieve Blanckaert will representherhomelandattheMiss Grand International (MGI) 2025 competition.

According to MGI website, the pageantextendsfarbeyondbeauty With the theme “Entertaining the World with Beauty,” it merges fashion, culture, talent, and innovation into a global entertainment experience Contestants are positioned as more thantitleholders—theyareelevated asglobalambassadors,influencers, and cultural representatives with the power to redefine soft diplomacyandnationalidentity

Blanckaert, who was crowned MissGrandTexasinJuly,willnow take the international stage in October in Thailand, proudly carrying the Guyanese flag. Her victory in Texas marked a major milestone,achievedjustsixmonths after her return to national competitionatMissWorldGuyana 2024, where she placed as First Runner-Up.

The beauty queen’s journey in pageantryspansoveradecade.She firstenteredthespotlightwhenshe won the Miss India Guyana 2015

crown, and later came close to the titleatMissUniverseGuyana2023, whereshesecuredtheFirstRunnerUp position. Despite setbacks, her persistence and dedication to the craft have shaped her into one of Guyana’s most consistent and resilientbeautyambassadors.

Beyond the crown, Blanckaert wears many hats. She works as an Operations Manager, is a professional model and entrepreneur, and is the founder of Habitual Lifestyle, a platform dedicatedtopromotingholisticand intentional living Through her initiatives, she has mentored children, organized community drives, and championed self-care andwellnesspractices.

Now, as Miss Grand Guyana 2025,sheisreturningGuyanatothe Grand International stage after nearlyadecadeofabsence.Shewill be competing in Thailand in October Speaking with The Waterfalls, Blanckaert described her participation as a calling rather thanacompetition.

“From the time I was 17, pageantryhasbeenmorethanjusta stageforme,ithasbeenaplatform to serve, to inspire, and to give back,” she said. “Over the last decade, I’ve dedicated myself to representing Guyana with pride, whether through mentoring children, organizing community drives, or advocating for holistic living through my platform, Habitual Lifestyle. Competing at

Miss Grand International feels like a natural continuation of that purpose, especially as this system stands for peace and unity, values that are deeply rooted in who I am andwhatIbelievein.”

The Miss Grand Guyana emphasized the historic nature of herjourney “Guyanahasnothada representative in Miss Grand International for nearly a decade, andIfeltstronglycalledtobringus backtothisglobalstage.Thisisnot just about wearing a crown, it’s about carrying the stories of our people, our culture It’s about showingtheworldthatGuyanahas abigheartandapowerfulvoice.”

Blanckaertemphasizedthather mission at MGI is to use the platform to champion compassion over conflict. “My goal is simple butprofound,tousethisplatformto amplify the message of peace, to remind the world that compassion and dialogue are stronger than conflict,andtoshowyounggirlsin Guyanaandbeyondthatresilience, authenticity,andservicearethetrue marksofbeauty Iwantmyjourney to stand as proof that with faith, perseverance, and a sense of purpose, dreams can be realized, and history can be made,” she explained.

InsteppingontotheMissGrand International stage, Blanckaert hopestonotonlybreaksbarriersfor Guyana but also shines a light on the transformative power of pageantry

Lieve Blanckaert representing Guyana at the Miss Grand International 2025

Lieve

By Arrianna Mahase, STEM Guyana Advisor

My name is Arrianna Mahase, and I am 26 years

old. I first joined STEMGuyana at the age of 18, while I was a student at the University of Guyana. The first time I heard about the programme was through a friend who was already volunteering. At the time, STEMGuyana was looking for three students to represent Guyana at a robotics competition in Washington,DC.

I decided to tag along, honestly with no hopes of beingselected.Upuntilthen, I was never the student chosen for competitions or special events at school. I just thought it would be a good way to volunteer my time and maybe offer some of my software and coding skills. What I didn’t realize wasthatthisdecision—one Imadesocasually—would completely change the courseofmylife.

Once I joined, I quickly discoveredtherewasmoreto robotics than just coding. I gotatasteofthemechanical and design aspects, and I endedupfallinginlovewith them. To my surprise, I was selectedtorepresentGuyana at the inaugural FIRST Global Challenge in 2017, where our team proudly placed10thintheworld!

From there, my journey with STEMGuyana grew deeper In 2018, I was again selectedasastudentmember of the team. From 2019 to 2023, I had the privilege of serving as a coach, and in 2024 and 2025, I stepped intotheroleofadvisor

Lookingbacknow,Ican see how that one small decision — simply tagging along with a friend opened the door to years of growth, opportunity, and experiences that continue to shapemylifetoday

Communication& Confidence

Before STEMGuyana, I wasterrifiedofspeakingup. I rarely shared ideas, answered questions, or even asked them. Growing up in Guyana — at least in my time—therewasacommon culture that children should be “seen and not heard.” If you gave a wrong answer, you were punished. If you askedwhatwasconsidereda “stupid” question, you were

Advancing Education, Technology & Innovation in

‘LESSONS THAT SHAPE ME’ FromSTEMGuyanatoEverydayLife

shamed. Over time, that made me stay quiet even when I had something valuabletosay.

At STEMGuyana, things were different. Our sessions were heavily discussionfocused Everyone was encouraged to share their ideas and, most importantly, to ask questions We were constantlyremindedthat*no questionisastupidquestion* That shift in culture made a worldofdifference

Still, the early days weren’t easy I remember when news agencies visited ourteam—Iwouldliterally hide under the table or rush into the washroom just to avoid being interviewed. I was overwhelmed with nerves.

Ms Karen Abrams, noticing this, gently but firmly pushed me out of my comfortzone.Atfirst,itwas something small, like introducing myself to visitors. But that practice slowly grew into bigger moments: Speaking to Members of Parliament, addressing Former First LadySandraGranger,Prime Minister Mark Phillips, and evenPresidentIrfaanAli.

The biggest leap came when I had the honour of representing Guyana at the UnitedNationsCommission on the Status of Women. Whatoncefeltimpossible— standing and speaking with confidence — had become second nature Over the years, I went on to do countless interviews, host events, and lead meetings. Today,inmybusiness,those sameskillscontinuetoserve me I feel comfortable leading meetings with my team, addressing issues directly, and settling conflicts — another lesson thatstartedatSTEMGuyana. What began as a fear of speakinghasturnedintoone ofthemostpowerfultoolsin m y p e r s o n a l a n d professionallife.

Research& CriticalThinking

A n o t h e r l e s s o n STEMGuyana gave me was the importance of research and critical thinking. Before joining, I thought research was something you only did whenyouhadabigprojector whenateacherassigneditat s c h o o l B u t a t

STEMGuyana, research became part of everyday problem-solving.Whether it was figuring out why the robot wasn’t working, learningaboutanewsensor, or exploring strategies to compete with other countries, we had to dig deep, read widely, and think carefully about the informationwegathered.

This constant practice trained me to never accept thingsatfacevalue.Instead, I learned to ask questions like: What is the source? Is this reliable? What other optionsareoutthere?*Most importantly,Ilearnedhowto break down big problems into smaller, manageable parts — a skill that has become invaluable in both lifeandbusiness.

Today, I use those same research skills almost daily in my business. Whenever I need to make a decision — fromadoptinganewsystem, to managing finances, to improving customer service — my first instinct is to investigate thoroughly I compareoptions,weighpros andcons,andthinkcritically about the long-term impact. That approach helps me avoid rushing into decisions blindly and instead build strategiesthatactuallywork.

Looking back, I can see that STEMGuyana didn’t just teach me how to research;ittaughtmehowto think.And that ability — to think clearly, question

carefully, and solve problems step by step — is one of the most powerful toolsIcarrywithme.

Listening&Openness

One of the most transformative lessons I gainedatSTEMGuyanawas learninghowtolisten—not just to hear words, but to truly understand Before STEMGuyana, I often felt defensive when people disagreed with me Like many of us, I was used to environments where disagreements felt like personal attacks But throughtheprogram,Ibegan to see that listening is not about preparing to argue back; it’s about opening yourself up to learn somethingnew

Our team discussions were filled with strong opinions and different

approaches, and at first, I struggled. Over time, I realized that every disagreement was an opportunity to broaden my perspective. STEMGuyana taught me to pause, listen carefully, and ask myself: *What can I learn from this person’s point of view?* ThatshiftchangedthewayI communicateforever

Another part of this growth came from the opportunities I had to travel through STEMGuyana and the FIRST Global Challenge. Traveling gave meachancetoseewhatwas possible beyond my own environment. It helped me broaden my horizons, meet hundreds—ifnotthousands — of new people, and build friendshipsacrosstheworld, someofwhichIstillvalueto this day Those experiences made me more open to different foods, religions, cultures, and lifestyles and they taught me not to feel offended when someone’s perspective or preference differedfrommine.

In my business today, this lesson shows up constantly Whether I’m interacting with customers or employees, I meet people with different cultures and preferences than my own.

Instead of reacting defensively, I’m able to approach them with openness and respect. This shift allows me to build stronger relationships, resolve conflicts more peacefully,andcreateamore inclusiveenvironment.

STEMGuyanadidn’tjust teachmehowtobuildrobots —ittaughtmehowtobuild bridgesbetweenpeople.

BigPicture& BusinessApplications

Looking back, the le

communication, confidence, research, critical thinking, andopenness—haveshaped notjustwhoIam,buthowI run my business Every system I implement, every decision I make, and every interaction I have with employees or customers draws on the skills and mindsetIdevelopedthrough STEMGuyana.

C o n f i d e n c e a n d communication skills help me lead meetings, address challenges,andspeakclearly to my team and clients.

Research and critical thinking ensure that decisions are well-informed andstrategicallythoughtout, fromimprovingprocessesto introducing new ideas or

solutions. And openness — learning to understand and respect diverse perspectives — allows me to create a workplace and customer experience that is welcoming, inclusive, and adaptive.

STEMGuyana also taught me the value of resilience and teamwork Just like building a robot or p r e p a r i n g f o r a n international competition, running a business requires collaboration, problemsolving,andpersistence.The experiences I had representing Guyana on the world stage, meeting incredible leaders, and connecting with people from different cultures remindedmethatanythingis possible if you approach it with curiosity, preparation, andanopenmind.

U l t i m a t e l y , STEMGuyana gave me more than technical knowledge — it gave me a mindset A mindset that embraces challenges, seeks solutions, and values growth Every day, as I navigate the complexities of business and life, I see the imprint of STEMGuyana in thewayIthink,act,andlead. And for that, I am endlessly grateful.

Frompage18

Guyana Limited (EMGL) the operatoroftheStabroekBlockwas granted a tax waiver by the GoG amounting to over US$1.3B. This is according to the company’s financials which indicate a tax expense of GY$260,155,788,763 forlastyearalone.Duringamedia conferencewithlocaljournaliststo discuss the company’s performance, EMGL refused to field questions on the tax certificates issued by the GoG and directed journalists to government officials.

The sweetheart deal Exxon signedin2016statesinArticle15.1 that the Contractor (ExxonMobil Guyana Limited) as well as its affiliates shall not be subjected to tax, value-added tax, excise tax, duty, fee, charge, or impost in respect of income derived from petroleum operations, property held or transactions except as specifiedundertheagreement.

Further,Article 15.4 states that the sum equivalent to the taxes owed by the company will be paid by the Minister responsible for Petroleum to the Commissioner General of the GRA. It should be noted that the contract also allows for the issuing of a receipt to ExxonMobil, indicating that it has met the local tax requirements to avoid the burden of double taxation.

Guyanaloses Kaieteur News had reported that the since oil production commencedinDecember2019,the country lost over US$10B in taxes to the Stabroek Block CoVenturers, as a result of the tax holiday granted by the 2016 Petroleum Agreement. During the same period, the country’s Natural Resource Fund (NRF) received paymentstotalingjustoverUS$6B, inclusiveofprofitsandroyalty

According to the December 2024 NRF report, a total of US$6,049,759,409 was paid into the NRF since 2019, including US$786,190,162 in royalty This therefore means that Guyana and Exxon shared approximately US$10 5B in profits during the period.

It can further be deduced a whoppingUS$42Binrevenuewas generatedbetweenDecember2019 and December 2024, since 75% of the total revenue was deducted by ExxonMobil for cost recovery. As such, at a 25% tax rate, it would mean that Guyana lost over US$10B in taxes to the Stabroek Blockpartnersaloneinfiveyears.

Exxondefends It was reported that EMGL President, Alistair Routledge defendedthelocaltaxarrangement. He said the country is ultimately receiving taxes through the profit share arrangement and 2% royalty requirementsimbeddedinthedeal. Routledge told Kaieteur News, “In effect, that profit-sharing

royaltyistax.Inothersystemslike whetheryouarerunningadifferent local business, you pay corporate tax – in effect it is the same. It is givingatax,arevenuetothestate. It is remitting revenue to the state…while it is not called tax in the Petroleum Sharing Agreement in effect that’s what it is It is paymentstothestateinlieuofthere beingataxagreement.”

R e a d m o r e h e r e :

https://kaieteurnewsonline.com/20 25/02/13/despite-not-payingtaxes-exxon-boss-says-profitsharing-and-royalty-is-same-asgiving-guyana-tax/

Exxonunabletosaywhen Guyanawillreceivefull50% profitshare…asmore projectsbeingapproved

As Guyana continues to grant

, ExxonMobil, the country’s chance of enjoying larger profits from its resourceisbeingfurtherdelayed.

Under the 2016 Production SharingAgreement(PSA),75%of oil produced monthly is recovered by the operator as cost The remaining 25% is then split between the oil companies and Guyana Further, the contract stipulates that only after all costs have been recovered can the partnersenjoy50/50oftherevenue

generatedasprofits.

During a media engagement earlier this year, Exxon’s Business Services Manager, John Colling was unable to say when Guyana’s share of profit would increase underthelopsidedarrangement.

He conceded, “Currently, a significantportionoftherevenueis being allocated for cost recovery ExxonMobil Guyana and its partners have invested US$40B to date and have only recovered US$33B,sothereisacostrecovery ongoing.”

“In the future once all of the costs have been recovered a larger component of the revenue will be availableforprofitoil,forsplitting betweenEMGLanditspartnersand the government of Guyana and we expectbytheendofthedecadethat the government of Guyana will be receiving US$10B a year in profit oil and royalty which is equivalent toGY$2trillion,”Collingadded.

When asked to specify when this would be possible, the Business Services Manager noted that there are a number of factors that drive future performance but hisfocuswastocoverresultsupto 2024. He was therefore unable to give a clear indication of the year Guyana could receive the lion’s shareofitswealth.

“Welookatanumberofprices, welookatanumberofscenariosso Ican’tbemorespecificthantosay

in general we look at all the differentassumptionsweexpectby the end of the decade for that number to approximate US$10B a year,”hesaid.

Colling was keen to note that EMGL and its partners have committed to invest over US$55B insixprojectsthatwereapprovedat thetime,addingthatfactorssuchas oil price and startup date of those Floating Production Storage and Offloading vessels (FPSOs) could affect the timeline for cost recovery

According to him, Exxon believes the Stabroek Block is “highly profitable” as seen since theinceptionandstartupofitsthree major projects. “We are seeing the profits and we are seeing those profits flowing to the government ofGuyana,thepeopleofGuyanaas well as the partners who have investedsubstantially,”hesaid.

OnMonday,thegovernmentof Guyanaannouncedtheapprovalof aseventhoilproject,Hammerhead pegged at almost US$7B This means that more expense has been added to the cost bank, further delaying Guyana’s chance of enjoyingahigherprofitshare.

Thisisparticularlytroublingas experts predict oil price to decline significantly in the years ahead, as demand declines for the commodity, due to the shift to cleanerenergysources.

It is also important to note that this state of affairs is as a result of the lack of ring-fencing. A ringfencing provision would ensure thateachoilprojectpaysforitself, increasingtherevenueavailablefor profitsharingbetweenthepartners.

THURSDAY

Pres.AlicomplainstoUN aboutVenezuela’saggression

President Irfaan Ali, on Wednesday, outlined the repeated threats and aggression Guyana faces from its Spanish-speaking neighbour,Venezuela.

Ali was at the time addressing world leaders gathered in New York for the United Nations GeneralAssembly

Venezuelahaslonglaidclaimto more than two-thirds of Guyana’s territory, the resource-rich Essequibo region The GuyanaVenezuela border controversy is currently before the International CourtofJustice(ICJ)todetermine the validity of the 1899 Arbitral Award that determined the land boundary between Guyana and Venezuela.

Despite a December 2023 agreement between President Ali and Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro committing to regional peace – Venezuela has been involved in aggressive tactics towardsGuyana.

“Guyana, a small and peaceful state. We have endured repeated threats and aggression from the BolivarianRepublicofVenezuela,” Alisaid.Thepresidentoutlinedthat the ICJ has on separate occasions affirmeditsjurisdictioninthecase and issued provisional measures orderingVenezuela to refrain from altering the status quo “Yet, Venezuela persists with unilateral laws and threats of annexation, flagrantly violating international law, the UN Charter, and the very principlesthatsustainglobalorder If the rights of a small state can be trampledupon,andlegallybinding orders ignored, what protection remains for any nation under internationallaw,”Alistated.

Moreover,henotedthatdespite Venezuela’s threats, Guyana continues to repose confidence in international law He noted, “For us, the principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity and noninterferencearenotnegotiable.We will not cower to coercion, intimidation, or unilateral action. Wethankourinternationalpartners andalliesfortheirsolidarity.”

Notably, on March 1, 2025, a Venezuelan naval vessel entered Guyana’s waters and approached Exxon’s Prosperity Floating ProductionStorageandOffloading (FPSO)vesseloperatingintheoilrich Stabroek Block and radioed that the FPSO was operating in disputedterritory Inanothermove, Venezuela elected a governor and legislativecouncilof“Guayana Continued on page 29

President IrfaanAli joined world leaders for the opening of the 80th United Nations GeneralAssembly (UNGA) in NewYork.

President IrfaanAli

Frompage28

EsequibaState”,anameVenezuela has given to Guyana’s Essequibo region.

Empoweringwomen

Meanwhile, President Ali also spoke about promoting women’s rights, noting that this year marks the30thAnniversaryoftheBeijing Declaration and Platform for Action He said the declaration remains a blueprint for achieving gender equality which, despite transformative strides, remains significantly unrealized in most partsoftheworld. Accordingtothe President,inGuyana,thedividends of strategic investments in leadership and capacity building for women and girls, are evident. Hesaidmorewomenhaveassumed leadership roles in government, in parliament and in public and privatesectors.“Wehaveachieved gender parity in education at all levels and advanced the socioeconomic empowerment of women through land and home ownership and diverse job opportunities in traditional and emerging sectors To enable women to participate equally and competitively in the workforce, government is offering childcare supportwhichwillincludedayand nightcarecentersforchildren.”

SustainableDevelopmentGoals

Turning his attention to the Sustainable Development Goals, President Ali said the survival of ourpeople,oureconomies,andour planet depends on accelerating the SDGs.Hesaiditrequiresapeoplecentered approach that prioritises ending poverty and hunger, ensuring protection of children, supportforpersonswithdisabilities and empowerment of young people “Peace, stability, and sustainable development cannot exist in isolation from the urgent need to address climate change, whichposesanexistentialthreatto the most vulnerable and to our shared future. Guyana repeats the call for accelerated, unified global actiontolimitglobalwarming.”

He said this country continues to match “our words with actions;

protecting our forests, investing in sea and river defences, improving drainage and irrigation, and restoring mangrove ecosystems to protect our people, our land, and ourlivelihoodsandourplanet. Our Low Carbon D

Strategy 2030 demonstrates that

environmental stewardship can advancehandinhand. Asthefirst countrycertifiedundertheREDD+

Standard,andasuccessfulsellerof

demonstrating that nature has tangible value and that innovation and responsibility can and must be rewarded,” President Ali told the assembly

He added: “We call on the internationalcommunitytodeliver predictable, accessible climate finance, to support adaptation and resilience, and to embrace naturebased solutions We once again commend Prime Minister Mottley andtheBridgetowninitiativeasthe path toward sustainable financing forclimateaction.”

“Theyaregivingawayour patrimony”–Pattersonsaysas Govt.approves7thoilproject withoutadditionalbenefits

While the A Partnership for National Unity and Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Coalition was accused of “selling out” the nation’s patrimony in the lopsided

deal with ExxonMobil and partners, the ruling People’s Progressive Party (PPP) governmentisnowbeingblazedfor “givingaway”Guyana’swealth.

Former Minister and Member of Parliament (MP), David Patterson in an interview with Kaieteur News blasted the administration for handing ExxonMobil another license to produce oil in the Stabroek Block, without seeking additional fiscal benefitsforthecountry

On Monday, government signalled a green light to ExxonMobil for its Hammerhead project, a seventh offshore development in the Stabroek Block.

Patterson believes that while theapprovalisbeingcelebrated,the government has essentially given away the nation’s resources to the American oil giant, by failing to secureanyadditionalrevenue.

According to him, “While the governmentwillbecelebratingthe approval of the seventh development, in reality what they are doing is giving away our patrimonywithnoadditionalfiscal benefitstothecountry.”

The Chairman of the Alliance ForChange(AFC)waskeentonote that Guyana is no longer an emerging market, with four Floating Production Storage and Offloading vessels (FPSOs) in operation, almost six years after firstoil.

He told this publication, “The conditions that prevailed in approvingthatfirstFPSOnolonger exist – this and all other future developments should be renegotiated to ensure greater benefits and safeguards to the citizens.”

Patterson who previously shadowed the Minister of Natural Resources, in the Opposition benches of the NationalAssembly, arguedthatatimemustcomewhere citizenssaytoExxonandtheGoG “enoughisenough.”

“They(Exxon)aremakingalot of profit. The country is making a lot of money, but we are not receiving it,” he stated. With the startup of its fourth projectYellowtail- in August this year, Exxon is set to produce 900,000 barrelsofoilperday(bpd).

Meanwhile, shifting his attention to the environmental aspect of the offshore oil and gas operations, Patterson mocked that the seventh project will proceed along the “traditional lane” where the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) approves a specific rate of production which willlaterbeexceededbyExxon.

Tothisend,henoted,“Itmakes ashamofthewholeEIA.Youdoing public consultation that you’re goingfor250,000barrels,butthen within 6 months, you’ve exceeded thatnameplatecapacity Ofcourse, the field development document not even available So, it’s just simply a continuation of this stewardship.”

The former MP added that while Guyanese are happy for the continuation of oil production, the f a c t r e m a i n s t h a t k e y environmentalsafeguardscontinue to be trampled on while government allows the multinational oil giant to reap the hogofthiscountry’sresources.

‘Soldourpatrimony’

A passionate and almost angry Bharrat Jagdeo while functioning asLeaderoftheOpposition,under the APNU/AFC tenure in office said the Coalition “sold” the countryto“foreigners”becausethe

administration failed to include ring-fencing to shore up profits from the 2016 Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) with ExxonMobilandpartners.

“They sold us out to the foreigners The oil companies, everytimethereisafindoutthere, our people should be sad because nothing comes our way We are gonna renegotiate those contracts because that’s not what we had in mind,”Jagdeosaid.

He added, “When we were in theearlydays,wewerecoaxingthe people (ExxonMobil) to go along. They(Coalition)cameintooffice–three billion barrels of proven reserves and they gave up zero royalties, no taxes, no ringfencing.”

The General Secretary of the PPPand chief policymaker for the oilandgassectorhasnowchanged his stance on these issues. In fact, President Irfaan Ali made it clear that he has no interest in writing Exxon to renegotiate the lopsided Production Sharing Agreement (PSA), signed by the previous administration.

Stakeholders have argued that due to the drastic changes in the Stabroek Block, Guyana would be well within its right as a sovereign nation to demand greater benefits for its resources. In 2016 when the agreement with ExxonMobil and its partners were made, the country’soilreservesstoodatajust three billion barrels Today the StabroekBlockisestimatedtohold morethan11.6billionbarrelsofoil. This means that the reserves have almost quadrupled while the country continues to receive a thin slice of the pie, with the oil companies enjoying over 85% of therevenuegeneratedeachmonth. Accordingtothe2016PSA,Exxon can deduct up to 75% of Guyana’s oil monthly to cover its expenses. The remaining 25% is split with Guyanaequallyasprofits,withthe country earning an additional 2% from the contractor’s share as royalty

FRIDAY

1.8Mbarrelsofoilproduced from4thprojectinfirstmonth

The US$10B Yellowtail project, Guyana’s fourth offshore developmentintheStabroekBlock has produced just over 1.8 million barrels in its first month of operation.

Thisisaccordingtothedailyoil production data published on the Ministry of Natural Resources website See link attached: https://petroleum gov.gy/datavisualization

Yellowtail achieved first oil on August 8, this year The crude oil f

Arrowhead, is being produced by the‘OneGuyana’Floating Continued on page 30

Former MP, David Patterson

TheYellowtail project is operated by the ‘One Guyana’FPSO

Frompage29

ProductionStorageandOffloading vessel(FPSO).

ExxonMobil Guyana Limited (EMGL), the operator of the block commenced startup at just 13,000 barrelsandgraduallyincreasedthe vessel’s production The highest production rate documented for August was 98,000 barrels

Production is usually done in a phased manner during startup to ensure the equipment performs

optimally to achieve safe operations.

With the startup of Yellowtail, Guyana also recorded its highest daily rate of production onAugust 23, 2025 at 754,000 barrels.When fully operational, the Yellowtail project will produce 250,000 barrels of oil per day (bpd). This will increase the country’s daily capacity to 900,ooo barrels Currently, the three other FPSOsLiza Destiny, Liza Unity and Prosperity- average a daily output of650,000barrels.

KaieteurNewsunderstandsthat the two companies previously contracted by the government of Guyana (GoG) will be responsible for the sale of the resources

produced at Yellowtail Governmentislikelytoinvitebids next month for new marketers. It was reported that United Kingdom (UK) companies, JE Energy and BB Energy won new contracts last yeartomarketGuyana’scrudeoil.

JE Energy had been contracted asthemarketerofoilcomingfrom theLiza-1platformwhichusesthe Liza Destiny FPSO, while BB Energy had been contracted as the marketerforoilfromtheLiza-2and Payara platforms which use the Liza Unity and Liza Prosperity FPSOs,respectively

It is unclear which of the companies have been selected to sellGuyana’sshareofprofitoil.

Inkeepingwiththetermsofthe 2016 Exxon contract, 75% of production is recovered by the operator as cost The remaining 25%issharedequallywithGuyana as profit oil Additionally, ExxonMobilpays2%ofitsshareof profittotheGoGasroyalty By 2030, ExxonMobil Guyana expects to have total production capacity of 1 7 million oil equivalent barrels per day from eightdevelopments.

GuyanesedemandCARICOM severtieswithIsrael …callfornationwideboycott ofIsraelibusinesses

Religious leaders in Guyana united with the Solidarity with Gaza movement on Thursday in calling for the Government of Guyana and the private sector to immediatelyendtheirpartnerships with Israeli companies. They also urged CARICOM (Caribbean Community) to stand united in cutting all diplomatic ties with

The Solidarity with Gaza group held a day of prayer and fasting for the current killings in Palestine by Israel. The activity was held in front of the CARICOM Headquarters, Turkeyen, E.C.D.

Israel, a country accused of committinggenocideinGaza.

The group organised a day of prayerandfastingforthepeopleof Palestine outside CARICOM headquarters at Liliendaal, Georgetown A number of Guyanese-most of them members of civil society, turned up to show support to end the war that has killed hundreds of thousands of Palestinians,includingwomenand children over the last two years. JoiningthemwasformerPresident of Guyana Donald Ramotar and a number of religious leaders represent the various religious backgrounds in Guyana Present were Reverend Patricia Sheeratan Bisnauth, Shiek Haseeb Yusef and FatherRonaldFernandes.

Together with a Lebanese Guyanese activist with the Solidarity with Gaza Group they heldapressconferencecallontheir fellowGuyanesetotakeastandfor Palestine.Theactivisttoldthepress that her organisation is part of the Boycott Diverse and Sanction (BDS) a global movement that successfully ended apartheid in SouthAfrica.

She noted if BDS is intensified against Israel it can be very effective in ending the genocide in Gaza and urged Guyana’s Private Sectoranditsgovernmenttoendall partnerships it has with Israeli companies. “And I really want to drawattentiontodaythreedemands that we have from BDS…we have three things that we want to focus on in Guyana,” she said before highlighting the partnerships that two major enterprises in Guyana havewithIsraelicompanies.

She said that currently a major telecommunication and internet service provider in Guyana has teamedupwithanIsraelicompany that develops and manufactures platforms for DSL Fibre and 5G which has ties with an Israeli telecommunications provider that supplies the Israeli Defence Force w i t h c o m m u n i

n s technologies.

The activist noted too that a beverage company in Guyana has also partnered with another Israeli companyinGuyanathathasdirect ties with the Israeli Government. “And finally, we are calling on the Government of Guyana and the Ministry of Agriculture to immediately end their partnership with Israeli company Talico Incorporated. They are partnering with them to develop a large-scale hydroponic production system in Guyana”,sheadded.

Meanwhile, Former Ramotar echoed calls for CARICOM to cut diplomatic ties with Israel. “Being silent is being complicit”, he said while adding that he believes that CARICOM can do more advising the organisation to take a page out of Belize’s book, the only country in this region to break ties with is Israel.

He called on CARICOM leaders to stand united for the cause “We should not allow ourselves to stand divided… (we must) also call for their expulsion from the United Nations, they do not belong there.” The religious leaders agreed with them that all sectorsinsocietymustuniteforthe cause.

Reverend Sheeratan-Bisnauth

representing the Guyana’s Presbyterian church, said: “We see childrenbeingstarvedasaweapon, thisisbarbaricitisevil…”

In a passionate address to the 80thSessionoftheUnitedNations General Assembly on Tuesday, President Irfaan Ali, reminded world leaders of the dark shadow looming genocide in Palestine The Guyanese leader reiterated his country’s condemnation of the attacks by Hamas on Israel on October7,2023,andcalledforthe immediate release of all hostages. However, he noted, “Israel’s actions have long shattered any pretense of legitimate selfdefense.”

Thepresidentcontinued,“What

we are witnessing is not warfare, but mass extermination a systematic slaughter and displacement of Palestinian men, women, and children. Those who escape the bombs and bullets are condemnedtodieslowly,starvedof food,water,andhope.Thisisawar crime.”

He underscored that the international community must not remain paralysed while an entire people is annihilated “Impunity must never triumph over justice,” he declared. President Ali further noted,“Wemusttakeurgentaction to halt the genocide, return the hostages and accelerate our efforts towards the Two-State Solution We urge Qatar, Egypt and the United States to continue their effortsinthisregard.”

According to Al Jazeera, since thebeginningofthewaronOctober 7,2023,atleast65,419Palestinians have been killed and 167,160 wounded, with thousands more believed to be buried beneath the rubble Israel launched what campaigners say is a war of vengeanceafter1,139peoplewere killed in Israel in a Hamas-led attack in October 2023.About 200 were taken captive by the Palestinian fighters, out of which morethan40stillremaininGaza.

SATURDAY

‘Guyaneseofficialscouldbe questionedbyU.SGovt.over falsetaxreceiptsissuedto Exxon’–FormerEPADirector

The United States (U S) government could haul Guyanese officials in for questioning as part of a possible investigation into the ‘false’ tax receipts issued to Americanoilgiant,ExxonMobil. This is according to former executive director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA),Dr VincentAdams.During an Alliance For Change (AFC) press conference on Friday, the petroleumengineerraisedconcerns over the letter issued to Chief ExecutiveOfficerofExxon,Darren WoodsonTuesday,whichrequires the company to share information onitstaxpracticesinGuyana.

Inaccordancewithtermsofthe 2016 Production Sharing Agreement (PSA), Exxon and its partners, CNOOC and Hess (now Chevron) pay no taxes to the country Guyananonethelessissues a tax receipt, indicating that those obligationsweremetlocally Consequently, Senators Sheldon Whitehouse, Chris Van Hollen and Jeff Merkley in a statement,saidAmericantaxpayers couldbesubsidisingExxonMobil’s foreignoilproductioninGuyana.

On Friday, Dr Adams noted that Guyanese have been highlighting this issue for years only to be ignored by the Government of Guyana After representatives of a non-profit organisationintheU.S,OilandGas GovernanceNetwork(OGGN)met withtheSenators,thearrangement was immediately placed under the microscope.

Dr Adams, who is also a member of the Guyanese contingent, said Mike Persaud and Dr KenrickHunteweretheOGGN representatives that met with the SenatorsinFebruary2025.

Dr Adams who functioned in the U S Department of Energy described the matter as “very serious”whichmaybeinvestigated

Continued on page 31

Former Executive Director of the EPA, Dr. VincentAdams

Frompage30 by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), which is responsible for taxesintheUSA.

“The big issue is that of course it’s not about Guyana, it’s about what they believe to be a loophole that Exxon, even beyond the loophole is very questionable as to whether this is legal or not as to when they submit a certificate that they did not incur expenses for Exxon,”hesaid.

TheformerEPAbossnotedthat it is Guyana’s government that is responsible for paying taxes on behalfofExxon.Thecompanythen presents that receipt to the US government to claim tax credits which amount to billions of US dollars.

“What the senators are saying thishereisrobbingthetaxpayersof the United States ofAmerica,” Dr Adamssaid.

According to him, “Several options could be taken by the senators within the laws of the United States and of course, I am not in that area but I am very sure they could very well be a possibility, especially with government officials who signed thesereceipts…(they)mayhaveto come in to answer questions eventually, depending on where it goesintermsoftheinvestigation.”

He could not say whether Exxon is likely to face penalties in the US for the likelihood of tax evasion.

In 2024, ExxonMobil Guyana Limited (EMGL) the operator of the Stabroek Block was granted a tax waiver by the GoG amounting tooverUS$1.3billion.

This is according to the company’s financials which indicate a tax expense of GY$260,155,788,763 for last year alone.

TheExxonDeal

The sweetheart deal Exxon signed in 2016 states in Article 15.1 that the contractor (ExxonMobil Guyana Limited) as well as its affiliates shall not be subjected to tax, value-added tax,

excise tax, duty, fee, charge, or impost in respect of income

eum operations, property held or transactions except as specified undertheagreement

Further,Article 15.4 states that the sum equivalent to the taxes owed by the company will be paid by the minister responsible for petroleum to the Commissioner GeneraloftheGRA.

Thecontractalsoallowsforthe issuingofareceipttoExxonMobil, indicating that it has met the local tax requirements to avoid the burdenofdoubletaxation.

Nandlalltoleadteam toParisforparking meterarbitrationcase

Attorney General and Minister ofLegalAffairs,AnilNandlall,SC is set to lead a delegation from Guyana to Paris to testify in arbitration hearing in a case brought against the government over the controversial parking meterproject.

A press release posted via Nandlall’s Facebook page outlined that witnesses from Guyana will testify in the arbitration proceedings between Smart City

Solutions Holdings Inc. v Cooperative Republic of Guyana (the ParkingMeterCase).Thematteris scheduled to be heard before the InternationalCentreforSettlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) in Paris, France from Monday, September29toSaturday,October 4 Guyana is being sued for damages of US $100 million arisingfromacontractexecutedby the former government for the implementationoftheGeorgetown parking meter project, which was ultimately abandoned following strongpublicopposition.

According to the release, witnesses scheduled to testify for andonbehalfofGuyanaareformer Minister of Communities, Ronald Bulkan and former Georgetown Mayor and City Council councillors Malcolm Ferreira and Bishram Kuppen. In addition, a former Chancellor of the Judiciary will also testify as an expert witness. The case was registered withICSIDonDecember22,2021. A tribunal to hear the matter was constitutedonSeptember20,2022, comprising Dr Campbell Alan McLachlanKCofNewZealandas president, with arbitrators Stephan Schill of Germany, appointed by theclaimant,andMarceloKohenof Argentina, appointed by the respondent. Guyana is represented in the proceedings by the Washington-based law firm Foley Hoag and the Attorney General’s Chambers.

Citizens protest the parking meter project back in 2016

“themidnighttraintonowhere”

Emily woke up withastart.She didn’t know whyatfirst.Thehousewas quiet, the moonlight shining through her curtains. Then she heard it—a faint chugga-chugga, chugga-chugga and a soft toot!

Her eyes widened. In the middle of her bedroom floor,rightbetweenherbed and the dresser, was a tiny traintrackglowingsilverin the moonlight. And sitting onthetrackswasalittletoy train, no bigger than her cat.Steampuffedoutofits chimney, curling into the airlikecandysmoke.

Emily rubbed her eyes. “Am I dreaming?” she whispered.

The train’s golden headlight flicked on, and a tiny voice called, “All aboard the Midnight Train to Nowhere!” Emily gasped.“Noway.”

Shejumpedoutofbed, grabbed her flashlight, and tiptoed over The train’s doorsslidopenwithading! Inside, she saw rows of miniature red velvet seats. The whole cabin glowed withawarm,magicallight. “Emily?” came a sleepy voice. Her little brother, Daniel, padded in, rubbing his eyes and clutching his stuffed giraffe. “Why are you awake? And what’s thatsound?”

Emily pointed. “Look! Atrain!Inmyroom!”

Danielblinked.“Cool,” he said Then, without hesitation,heclimbedin.

Emily followed quickly The doors closed with a whoosh, and before shecouldsayanything,the

trainwhistled,“Toot-toot!”

Thewheelsspunfasterand f a s t e r until—whoosh!—the train zoomed straight through her wall as if it were made ofmist.

The train rattled down glowing silver tracks that hunginthenightsky Stars twinkled all around, and the moon seemed so close Emily felt like she could touchit.

The conductor, a tiny clockworkrobotwithbrass buttons and a shiny hat, clanked down the aisle. “Tickets,please!”

“But we don’t have tickets,” Emily said nervously

The robot tipped his hat.“Noworries.Firstride isfree.Butremember—the Midnight Train only runs untilsunrise.Afterthat,the tracksdisappear.”

Daniel’s eyes went round. “So we have to be backbeforemorning?”

“Exactly!” the robot said.“Nowsittight—we’re arrivingatourfirststop.”

The train slowed, and outsidethewindowsEmily saw rows of toy soldiers marching in perfect lines. Trumpets blared, and a parade of toy drums thundered Teddy bears rodeatopwind-upcars,and kites danced above them likebanners.

“Wow!” Daniel whispered “It’s a toy parade!”

Thetraindoorsopened, and the children stepped out. The soldiers saluted, their painted faces smiling stiffly. One teddy bear handed Daniel a flag made of ribbon. Another gave Emilyacandycanebaton.

“Join the parade!” they chanted.

Emily and Daniel marchedproudlyalongside them. But soon the whistle blew again The robot conductor called, “All aboard!Timeisticking!”

How to Make Paper Pumpkins for Fall by Dinah

Materials:

Colouredorpatternedpaperof choice

·PaperCutter

·DoubleSidedTape

·HotGlueandGlueGun

·Sticks

·Twine

·Scissors Instructions

Cuteachpieceofpapervertically into five 1.5" wide strips. Then cut each strip into one 7", two 9", and keep the remaining two at 11" Important:Remember,youneedtwo sets for one pumpkin So, each pumpkinistwopiecesofpaper–two 7", four 9", and four 11" strips. Fold each piece into accordion strips Pictured here is one sheet of paper Next tape the TWO SETS at same lengths together with double sided tape and form a circle.You will end upwithonecirclefromthe7"strips, two circles from the 9" strips, and two circles from the 11" strips. Create the 7" medallion by gluing withahotgluegun.Justplaceasmall dab in the center and hold a few secondsuntilitisdry.Next,glueeach medallion together respectively starting with the 7" on top, then 9", then 11", then 11", then 9" on the bottom Hot glue a stick, paper leaves, and twine on the top of your pumpkin.

byUncleRoy

IfeelsonicewhenIeat

Icecream,cookiesandfruitcake, Chocolate,candyandothersweets, Aswellasburgers,pizzaandmilk-shake.

Ialsogetveryhappy WhenIcelebratemybirthday Gotothepark,seawallandcreek, AndenjoyChristmasandotherholidays.

Butthethingthatmakesmefeelthebest, Andmakesmeproudindeed, IswhenItrytohelpsomeone, Orgivethemsomethingtheyneed.

Istartbydoingmoreworkathome, Thentrytomakemyfamilyfeelgood; NextIamkindertoallmyfriends, AndhelpmyneighboursinanywayIcould.

The siblings waved goodbyetothetoysoldiers and hurried back to the train. The train rushed on, diving through a tunnel made of shimmering puzzle pieces. When they emerged,EmilyandDaniel gasped. They were in a jungle but instead of trees, giant puzzle pieces stood tall, their branches locking together in strange shapes.

The ground was a checkerboard of game boards, and vines of jump ropesdangledfromabove.

“Look!” Daniel pointed A troop of monkeys swung from vine to vine, but their bodies weremadeofjigsawpieces clicking together with every move. One monkey landed in front of them. “Help!”itsqueaked “We’ve ost our missing piece!”The childrenlookedaround Sure enough, the monkey had a biggaprightinthemiddleof tschest

Emilyspottedsomething shinyin

(Continued on page 40)

Connect these islands with bridges until each island can be reached from any other island, and each island has as many outgoing bridges as its number You may only connect islands vertically or horizontally and bridges may not cross. There may be one or two bridges connecting pairs of islands, but no more than two. Each puzzle has a unique solution that can be found without making guesses.

Make the most of your life by taking positive steps to improve how you deal with others

Although the other peopleinourlifecanhelpto give some meaning to it, each of us has the greater responsibility to work towards making it worthy and able to carry out the various functions that are needed to live usefully and righteously Can you remembersometimeinyour life when you felt that life was not being fair, and you want to condemn someone for treating you badly?

Then you are not alone, for all of us at some time or another have the same experience. Some people may take the high road and give to benefit of the doubt to the other party, and work tomakethesituationbetter

But there are many otherswhowouldgiveinto

the idea that lashing out is the way to deal with the problem, and would get themselves in trouble for doingso. Infact,whenthey behave in this way, they wouldnotbedoinganything to improve the situation but only make it worse. One good example of this is the current events in which one section of the society in somecountrieshastendedto re

violently,whentheyfeltthat theyweretreatedinabiased manner

If and when you experience any friend, r e l a t

v e o r o t h e r acquaintance wanting to retaliate for some wrong they felt was done to them, you would be doing everyone a favour if you

The most valid way to make your life matter is to make yourself to be the best person you can be.

advisethemtodesist. Make them see, as you have, that there is a much better and effective solution to the problemthanyieldingtothe temptationofrevenge,andit isuptoustoworktobecome better persons so that others treatusmorerespectfully

There are also other waysinwhichyoucanreach out to your friends and lead them into understanding your approach to the proper solution of the problems they would be faced with in their everyday lives. You can start a discussion group in which you get them to

interact and spread your ideas of good behaviour You can also single out anyone who seems to be having problems, and try to show them the right course to follow You can get someonefromthechurchor other organisation to speak toyourgrouponthismatter Just believe that you can make a huge difference ifyouarewillingtotakethe trouble to help. No act of kindnessgoesunpaid,andit will always come back to you in the end and give you the satisfying feeling that yourlifereallymatters.

TheChoiceIsYours

Ateverytimeandineveryplace,of whateverpeopleyoubelong,Ifyou observelifewithaclearhonesteye,you cannothelpbutsee –Lifeiscastintwoclearmoulds,andyours isthefreedomtochoose;Yourchoicewill determineyourfatefornow,andalleternity.

Ononehandthereistheidleside,withmany pleasuresthatcalltoyou,Itiseasyassliding downahill,butfilledlaterwithdestructionand sorrow,Theothersidehasitshardships,with disciplineandsacrificestoendure,Butalways resultinginabrightfuture,fullofpromiseand hopefortomorrow.

Itisforustocarveoutthelifewehopewill beusefulandgood,Sohewhoispreparingto mouldhisdestinymustbesuretopassthetest, Andtrytobejustatalltimestooneandall,as wellasmovehimselfonwardWithcareand forethoughttochoosethepaththatwouldleadto hisbest.

Iamagaininvitingourreaderstowritetome aboutanyproblemtheyarefacing,oranything thattheywouldliketosharewithothersonthis page. Pleasebeadvisedthatyourmessageswill betreatedrespectfullyandconfidentially,andany responseImakewillnotmentionyourname. As ateacherandcounsellorformanyyears,Ican assureyouthatIwillbeabletoprovidesolutions tomostofyourproblems.

Myemailaddressisuncleroy1992@yahoo.com

From where I stand... We can’t heal if we tiptoe around race

We l o v e a slogan in Guyana.“One

G u y a n a , ” “ S o c i a l Cohesion,” “Unity in Diversity.”However,wecan agree that slogans in this case, are incapable of holding together the fractures that have been deepeningfordecades.

If we are really serious abouthealingandbuildinga nationthatworksforall,then we have to first do the uncomfortable work which istotalkhonestlyaboutrace.

An indigenous friend told me recently that in his village some believe that “Africans are thieves”, a stereotype he himself believedasachild.

That honesty struck me, confirmingjusthowmuchof our divisions are sustained by what we’ve been told, what we’ve inherited, and never had the chance to interrogate together Prejudicesarecommonplace and narratives about who “steals,” “owns,” “rules,” andwho“belongs”classified into unquestioned truths And because we tiptoe around race in public life, theygounchallenged,thatis

until they show up in our voting patterns, hiring practices,socialinteractions, andourpolitics.

For every Indo-

Guyanese who recalls Burnham’s years with pain, there is likely an AfroGuyanese who carries scars from PPP policies that excludedthem.

For every Indigenous or indeed Chinese Guyanese there is a stereotype that misrepresentstheirlivesand cheapens their heritage. So, until those truths are spoken aloud, without fear and or shame, they will continue to hauntus.

This is why voices like David Hinds matter, even when they make us uncomfortable.Hischoiceof words and tone may offend but the very discomfort his comments expose, tells us that we lack the maturity to talk about race openly

without immediately shutting down the conversationordismissingit asracist.

If we cannot face our owndiscomfort,howwillwe everfaceoursharedhistory?

T h e t r u t h i s , conversationsaboutracewill

neverbeeasy

They will make us uncomfortable.Butisn’tthis discomfortworthembracing ifithelpsustoconfrontwhat has long been left unresolved?

I have fel

remember the first time I heardtheterm“houseslave” used in the Guyana context. My initial reaction was rejection but once I read Malcolm X and understood the historical context and intent,itnolongershookme. I understood what it was pointing to, although the language was sharp and not partofmyownvocabulary

Weareasocietycarrying layers of pain from slavery andindentureshiptocolonial divide-and-rule, and the betrayals of postindependencepolitics.These experienceshaveleftbehind narratives and falsehoods passed down in silence and whispered prejudices. And because we have never truly unpacked them, we remain divided.

Dr Walter Rodney understood this He reminded us that race and class in Guyana are

intertwined.

The poor across all our ethnic groups share more with each other than with their elites.Yet the divisions remain, manipulated by politiciansandreinforcedby history

I

By Janelle Persaud

As Frantz Fanon argued inBlackSkin,WhiteMasks, colonised people often internalise the very narratives that diminish them.WeinGuyanahavenot beensparedthisinheritance, clearly

Andsowefindourselves here, where even talking about race feels taboo Hinds, provokes outrage because his words drag into the open the wounds we pretendarehealed Iftheonly responseistoshuthimdown, we lose the opportunity to confront the real issues beneaththelanguage.

Other societies have learned this lesson. South Africa,afterapartheid,knew it could not leapfrog into reconciliation without first digging up the truth Rwanda, after genocide, could not move forward without confronting its pain directly These truth commissions were not perfect, but they created spaces where citizens could finally say what had been buried.As bell hooks wrote, “Moving through pain to understandingistheworkof love.”

Guyanawillnotarriveat cohesion or unity without a similar reckoning. To my mind, one of the first things t h e O n e G u y a n a Commission can do is to

kickstart a truth-telling process that acknowledges our legacies of race and class.

But that must sit alongside action What mightthatlooklike?

At minimum, a sober review of whether existing policies or programmes systematically advantage or disadvantage any group; an honest look at access; who actually benefits, who is excluded, and why; and deliberate work on how government language, symbols, and institutions signal inclusion or alienation.

Othersocietiesshowthis is possible. South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission, for all its flaws, paired truth-telling with amnesty and some institutional reforms that gave the process teeth Rwanda’s gacaca courts worked because they were rooted in community Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission did not end injustice overnight, but it forced policy shifts around Indigenous schooling, land use,andculturalrecognition. Noneofthesewaseasy Each shows that healing requires conversation and concrete steps that prove inequities arebeingconfronted.

In Guyana, this will be

difficult. Ours is a multiethnic society where every group has its own claims of exclusion and its own dance with poverty That tension willnotdisappearbutwecan start by committing to an honest reckoning, and then carefully, deliberately, building policies that broaden access and build trustacrossdivides.

Yet what we must guard against are superficial solutions-slogansdressedup a s s u b s t a n c e a n d performance masquerading as progress. We’ve seen it before in the vulgar plastering of lipstick on the pig that was APNU+AFC government’s Social Cohesion Ministry and now the odious pantomine of “OneGuyana”. Itisnotenoughtogather people for staged unity events or to repeat soothing mantrasabouttogetherness.

From where I stand, we cannot afford to tiptoe around the issue of race and wemustacknowledgethatit will be uncomfortable Maybe, if we hold space for each other through that discomfort, we can move f r o m f e a r t o w a r d understanding.

Until we are ready to do this,sloganswillcontinueto fail us, and “One Guyana” will remain just that — a slogan.

Fusi n

Creative Studio

...CAPTURING THE SPECIAL MOMENTS THAT LAST A LIFETIME

“My

advice to aspiring photographers would be this: If not you, then who? Just start creating for yourself first, and the growth will follow from there.”

through the Guyana Learning Channel.

In an exclusive interview with The Waterfalls, Norville revealed that his photography journey started on October 5, 2020, when he purchased his first digital camera.Henotedthatittooksome time before he was able to fully establishhisbusiness,butoverthe years, he has been dedicated to crafting his skills and honing his artistry, turning his passion into a career

Whenquestionedwhatinspired himdownthispath,Norvillestated that there is not a specific moment or person that inspired him to get intophotography

ByAllyiahAllicock

“It just happened, and I felt an immediate connection Norville said.

He shared, “Photography represents stillness to me. The abilitytocaptureamomentintime andfreezeit;hasaprofoundimpact not only to me as a photographer butalsoonmyclientsasrecipients ofthoseimages.”

stories with an amazing team of young creatives, which helps educate and inspire Guyanese youths.

He said that for him, each photographbecomesmorethanjust a picture. “It’s a moment that peoplecanconnectwithpersonally and a memory that can be shared with generations to come, showcasing history, love, admiration,”hedisclosed.

Speaking on his journey, the young man related his skills for photography came through trial anderror “Ifirstlearnedthebasics of photography and operating a camera during class sessions at V75 (Nexus Hub) under the guidance of Mohamed Chand,” he recalled.

According to him, that experience provided him with a solidfoundationandfromtherehe kept pushing himself, practicing, experimenting and refining his craftovertheyears.

has since blossomed into a fulfilling career spanning more than four years, where he has had theopportunitytocollaboratewith a wide range of clients and fellow creatives from d

backgrounds.

He expressed that his support system during his photography journeyhasbeen“good”.

He recalled that at first, his mother did not fully understand why he was eager to pursue photography,butshestillgavehim the support and patience, during a difficult time in their life and “I’m deeplygratefulforthat.”

He mentioned that he also had amazing support from friends. “It wasn’t just, ‘That’s a great image,’ but rather, ‘This could be better’ and that kind raw critique pushed metogrowandimprovemyskills,” hepointedout.

Aswecontinuetohighlightthe many dreams and passions of youngentrepreneursinoursociety Today we focus the lens on photographer and videographer, JamieNorville.

Manyofyoumayknowofthis talented young man, but for those whodonot,Norvilleisthecreative behind the popular photography business called Fusion Creative Studio Twenty-five-year-old, Norville is also a senior videographer and video editor within the Ministry of Education

He explained that during his second year while studying computer science GTI, he started playing around with phone photography and from there this passion sparked. He continued to pursueitstepbystep.Eventually,it turnedintoacareer

Being able to hone his craft as an entrepreneur in the creative industry, Norville said working at theGuyanaLearningChannel,has given him the privilege of crafting

Describing his style of photography is not one he can put into simple terms. He elaborated that while some persons might say he has a specific look, he does not quite view it that way “Every image I craft is a reflection of myself,asifI’mleavingorgivinga part of me in the process. This makes each session unique, becauseeveryclientorindividualI captureexperiencesadifferentside of me and a different emotion throughmywork,”hementioned.

Further, he noted that what began as a passion for photography

While there have been great moments along the way, he also made mentioned the challenging times during his journey. Norville told this publication that over the years, he has faced several challengeswithhisbusiness.Some of which include creating and setting fair prices for photoshoot sessions, learning how to communicate effectively and helping clients feel comfortable in front of the camera, and managing the reality that his business has been completely self-funded from thestart.

“While funding everything on myownwasnoteasy,ittaughtme resilience,resourcefulness,andthe i mportance of reinvesting in myself and my craft,”hestated.

Fortunately,hesaid,he had the opportunity to learn from fellow photographers and creatives in the industry who shared valuable knowledge with him.

“And because of that I’ve grown more confident in setting standardsthatreflectthequalityof my work while also meeting client’s expectations. I was once told ‘Some people may say your pricesaretoohighbutthosearen’t the clients you’re looking for The peoplewhoseeyourvalueswillbe theoneswillingtopayforit.’That

Continued on page 40

Young entrepreneur, Jamie Norville

Afew outstanding pictures captured by Jamie Norville.

Celebrating Amerindian Heritage Month

As Guyana marked Amerindian Heritage Month, indigenous leaders and youth advocates are taking center stage to reflect on identity, culture, and the future of theircommunities.

On August 15, 2025 last, the Amerindian Peoples Association (APA) hosted the third in-person edition of Ina MaimuYetatokon, a panel forum designed to amplify Indigenous perspectives. The title, drawn from the Patamona language, translates to “Listen to OurVoices.”

Thisyear’sdiscussionwasheld under the theme “Shaping Tomorrow – Indigenous Youth VoicesonAspirations,Challenges, and Building a Better Future” and featured six dynamic young Indigenousleaders.

Together, they explored the hopes,struggles,andopportunities facing Indigenous communities, while offering fresh perspectives on how youth can help shape a more inclusive and sustainable future.

Two dynamic voices—Crystal Atkinson and Aaliyah Simon delivered compelling

INDIGENOUS VOICES LEADING THE WAY

lectures that underscored the importance of tradition, balance, and youth inclusion in shaping the nation’spathforward.

Crystal Atkinson, a proud Lokono and Waro woman from SantaRosa,RegionOne,servesas the youth representative of the Amerindian Peoples Association (APA) and Chairwoman of the SantaRosaAPAUnit.

Speaking passionately, she remindedtheaudiencethatheritage is more than a celebration of the pastbutalivingforcethatconnects identity, community, and future generations.

Atkinson highlighted how her ancestors lived in harmony with nature, that is guided by values of respect, gratitude, and sustainability Shesharedpractices that are rooted in her indigenous culture.

young, and protecting the sick remain cornerstones of communal life.However,sheemphasizedthat modern technology, urban migration, and the loss of indigenous language pose new challenges.

Atkinson urged balance rather than rejection or blind acceptance ofmodernity

She pointed to tools like social media, language-learning apps, and drone technology as ways to preserve culture while navigating contemporary life. “Progress does notmeanforgettingwherewecame from,”shesaid.“Itmeanscarrying our ancestors’ teachings into the future, standing tall with one foot planted firmly in tradition and the other stepping confidently into tomorrow.”

land protection. Simon, who holdsabiologydegreefromthe University of Guyana, works as a Public Relations and Project ManagementCoordinatoratthe Iwokrama International Centre forRainforestConservationand Development.

She also co-founded the University of Guyana Indigenous Students Society,thefirstofitskind, dedicated to preserving and sharing indigenous cultureoncampus.

Simon warned that climate change poses direct threats to indigenous survival, from farming disruptions and food insecurity to destructive fires and water contamination causedbymining.

She stressed that indigenous communities, who depend directly on forests,rivers,andtraditional f a r m i n g , f a c e disproportionateimpacts.

Highlighting her work withIwokrama,shedescribed howindigenousknowledgeis already shaping modern conservation strategies and called for its integration into nationaldecision-making.

Most importantly, Simon advocatedforyouthinclusion

alreadyprovingtheirabilitytolead. “Youthshouldnotjustbeincluded in conversations,” she said, “but their perspectives must be taken seriously Afterall,wearetheones who must live with these decisions.”

Both Atkinson and Simon spoke on the theme of Heritage Month: celebrating identity while

shaping the future. Their words remind the country to honor indigenous heritage not as something nostalgic, but as a source of wisdom, and innovation. Atkinson concluded stating, “A celebration of resilience, a celebration of wisdom, a celebration of both being rooted andrisen.”

She emphasized that indigenous values such as sharing, caring for elders, nurturing the

Adding to the month’s reflections,AaliyahSimon,bornin Pocori Village at St. Cuthbert’s Mission, spoke on youth perspectives in climate action and

i n l e a d e r s h i p a n d policymaking Through initiatives like Iwokrama’s WildlifeClubs,whichnurture environmentalstewardsfrom childhood, young people are

Scenes from the theAmerindian PeoplesAssociation (APA) third in-person edition of Ina MaimuYetatokon

Joel Valenski's Forever: A vow of eternal love

ByShervinBelgrave

Trending on Guyana's airwaves is Joel Valenki's Forever, “a love song” with a twist.

Not only are the lyrics powerful and deep but the rhythms that accompany his melodious voice is not what weareaccustomedtohearing in a love song and that could

Valenski said that the song was produced about a year ago but the music video was onlyrecentlyreleased.

Thevideoisaboutaweek oldandhadbroughtlifetothe alreadytrendingsong.Itadds a deeper meaning to lyrics whichValenksidescribedasa vowofeternallove.

“A lot of times you are

Built for the stage, Joel Valenski.

The multi-talented Joel Valenski

Valenski representing Guyana proudly at one of his events

be the reason why more people are gravitating to this Guyanese hit. Forever is a fusion of different beats and sounds, a mix of Bollywood, chutney, Soca and even a bit ofR&Bthatturned-outtobea perfect blend produced by Joey2Koolproductions.

Speaking with this publication on Friday, the rising star and artiste, Joel

hearingthevowthateitherthe man or woman say that they will love their partner forever”, he explained while adding “together they move the moon and stars for each other, anything one of them askstheotherwilldowithout questionsoit'salittlebitlikea vow… but in poetry and musical form”. He made it

(Continuedonpage42)

Promoting his cultural heritage through community efforts and advocacy…

Romario ‘Kapohn’ Hastings Toshao and indigenous conservationist, is a, 'Special person'

The Kako Toshoa stands along his leaders from the district

It is evident that promoting indigenous culture and advocating for his community,isetchedintheDNAof Toshao,RomarioHastings.

Hastings, who is known to manyas'Kapohn,'nevershiesaway from speaking up on behalf of indigenous peoples regardless of theirtribeororigin.

His advocacy has earned him much deserved recognition among hispeersandeldersandledtohim being selected as the youngest ToshaotoserveKakoVillageinthe UpperMazaruni,RegionSeven.

In his capacity as a young

Brazilian etc many of them striving to emancipate themselves fromthevestigesofcolonialism.It is the struggle of the Indigenous community within and outside of Guyana that inspires me…” he said.

Hisadvocacyandeffortshould come as no surprise given that the youngleadergrewupintheheartof thecultureintheUpperMazaruni.

Outside of his work as village

professional.Initially, he revealed that his intention was to have a medicalcareer However,whenhe

Indigenous leader, Hastings has hadtheprivilegeofrepresentinghis villageatvariouskeyforums.This week'sSpecialPersonhasshowna steady commitment to preserving thecultureandliftingthevoicesof indigenous folks everywhere. He believesIndigenousleadershavea common language that crosses borders.

“Movements and ideologies motivatemeoftenthanaparticular group of people do. In fact, I draw inspiration from a wide cross sectionofleaders-African,Native American, Hawaiian, Peruvian,

b e c a m e employedattheEPAin2018,inthe field of forestry and mining after completing his first degree, the young leader found his calling in conservation.

Heexplained,“Ialwayslonged to work directly with hinterland c

completing my Masters in Water Resources Management in the Netherlands, I returned home to work within my district as a ProgrammeCoordinator.”

TheToshaobelievesHinterland communities have a huge human

resource gap which stifles the potential growth across various sectors and local institutions includingVillageCouncils.

“There are little incentives to work in remote villages but progressive growth and social empowerment requires deliberate commitment to service,” the Toshaoadded.

He explained that his current work spans diverse thematic areas such as land rights and resource management, social issues, governance, indigenous rights, global and national policy,

explained.

VILLAGELIFE

Hastingsspenttheearliestyears of his life between the villages of Phillipai and Kako in the Upper MazaruniRegionSeven. Heisthe first of three children for his parents, Mario and Beulia Hastings.

Henotedthatwhiletheyarean Indigenous family, it's interesting how his paternal and maternal lineages are geographically dispersed,whichcementsmyroots hereinUpperMazaruni.

“Ihavetwosisters…Igrewup

environmental monitoring, which underscoresthecrosscuttingissues facedbyIndigenouspeoples.

Atacommunitylevel,Hastings is focused on developing a foundation for environmental managementandconservation.

He revealed “One of my flagship projects in which I am personally invested is communityledtourismdevelopment.Ibelieve Kako Village has the potential to drive community-led sustainable growth hinged on its strong conservation ethos. In particular, the Kako River tells a story of identity, resilience, and cultural sustainability upon which our projectisbased.”

“We are therefore building the foundation for a conservationbased economy,” Hastings

inthevillageforatleast11yearsof my life. Within this time, I spent a year in Phillipai as my parents worked there. I returned to Kako into Grade 3 and remained until Grade6.Myparentshadremained in Phillipai so I mostly spent my early childhood with my grandparents and relatives,” he explained.

Hastingscreditshisindigeneity and Christian upbringing for his worldview, life's values and philosophy

“I am big on community and family, service to people and community, empathy, care and reciprocity I inherently value nature and the environment. I believe in education of our minds through nature as much as we are (Continuedonpage41)

Romario 'Kapohn' Hastings is being crowned a leader in his village Kako

Toshao Hastings speaks at a forum representing his people

Hastings during his some recent work with Conservation international

Toshao Hastings is pictured with Indigenous elders

Businesses join battle against traffic congestion

Businesses have partnered with the Guyana Police Force (GPF) in a bid toeasetrafficcongestion.

Operations Director of GaicoInc,KhishanSinghin arecentepisodeofSpotlight, said that the private sector has frequently met with the Ministry of HomeAffairs to tackletheissue.

Hesaidtheprivatesector isconsiderateoftheirtiming inoffloadingcargo.

Notwithstanding, he reminded that Guyana is a developing state with rapid advancements,whichmakes it difficult to dedicate roadways for specific vehicles.

Singh said too that the railway road will assist in how the private sector handlescargoinGuyana.

Additionally, Executive Director of the Guyana Manufacturing & Services Association, Govindra Raghubansi also pointed to G u y a n a ' s r a p i d development.

“ A reason for this growth is that, you know, there's a lot of construction, oil and gas going on,

...toreviewtimingofoffloadingofcontainers

manufacturing is growing”, hesaid.

Raghubansi emphasised that,thoughthereisroomfor improvement for the traffic situation in Guyana, there has been an increased amount of container ships comingtoGuyana.

Last month, Traffic Chief Mahendra Singh said that the “police can only do so much”, in relation to the traffic congestion that continuestoplaguecitizens.

“All we can do is have ourpresenceontheroad,”he was quoted as saying in an iNewsGuyanawhilestating that in many cases, traffic

buildup is caused by poorly executedorderofroadworks or heavy-duty machinery breaking down on the roadways.

Meanwhile, the private sector said it is open to the City Revival plan as announced by President IrfaanAli.

“So, we're excited, and we'revery,verysupportive”, saidSingh.

President Ali last week unveiled the Georgetown City Revival Plan, an

revitalising the capital

infrastructure, drainage, road works, sanitation, and urbanbeautification.

Accordi

Department of Public Information, President Ali, speaking during a press briefing at the Office of the President, stated that the plan will form part of a broadernationalstrategyfor

development, beginning with the capital and its surrounding region He emphasised that poor

governance and inefficiency in managing the city could nolongerbeaccepted.

“The mismanagement and inefficiency through which the city is managed cannolongerbetolerated.It istimeforus,ascitizensand as a country, to take charge of the situation. We are

advancing the rescue of Georgetown,” President Ali declared.

DPI stated that over the past five years, the government has invested billions of dollars into improving Georgetown's infrastructure,including (Continuedonpage41)

Executive Director of Guyana

Manufacturing & ServicesAssociation, Govindra Raghubansi

Operations Director of Gaico Inc., Khishan Singh

WANTED VACANCY

Sales Rep needed, ages 1830 years. Knowledge of vehicle model will be an asset. Contact: 619-1237.

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Drivers to drive Canter & Porters to work in Warehouses. Experience will be an asset. Call : 673-7373.

Wanted one Maid. Call: 6801282.

One male Gardener to work at New Haven, Belair. 7am4pm Mon-Fri & Sat if required $6600 per day. Call: 611-7839.

Live- in Waitress to work in a bar. Contact : 221-2785/ 659-1930, whatsapp available on the cell number.

Supervisor for supermarket and Accounts clerk for Charity, Excavator Operators for Pomeroon. Contact : 688-0417/ 654-7162/ 6875814/ 223-5273

Security, Males sales clerk, Cashier for Charity. Cook to work T A & S Fastfood in Charity. Contact : 688-0417/ 654-7162/ 687-5814/ 2235273

Wanted one sales person, age 20-30 years. Call : 6807402.

Care giver for elderly Woman in Georgetown. Tele : 650-5496.

FOR SALE

T RUCK TIRES 295/ 75R22.5 $40K EACH. FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL/WHATSAPP: +592688-3201.

VEHICLES FOR SALE

1 Honda CRV, includes TV, music system, alarm, reverse camera, spoiler, low mileage PTT Series (first owner). Call: 649-0956.

General Domestic, Apply at Keyfood Mc Doom Village next to the post office. 4 day work.

Vacancy for Hotel & Restaurant Manager and Accountant. Apply in person Lot 29 Sussex Street, Georgetown. Tele: 757-8231.

Qualitea Cafe is hiring 2 Cooks & 3 Front staff at MovieTowne Mall. Apply: 618-8460 / mariellebristol@gmail.com

Security Guard for Day / Night apply with written application at Cameron & Sheperd / csmain@cameronands hepherd.com

Now hiring 2 Experienced Cashier to work at F & R Supermarket, Located in Vreen en hoop. Weekly $40,000. Call : 619-0707 / 617-2822.

Vacancy exist at American Construction Inc - Canter driver to procure & delivery construction materials to site.Call : 225-5818 / 656-0603 (Whatsapp) Carpenter, Mason, Painter and Labourer needed. Contact : 683-4700 / 712-4700.

SERVICES

VISA Application for USA, Canada, UK, ETA, ETC. Naturalisation guidance + application filling & Building Plans. Tel: 626-7040.

Bus Services for school children in Central Georgetown, Monday - Friday $5,000 per week. Pick up and drop off. Call : 643-6210.

ENTERTAINMENT

FOR RENT

Top flat to rent, only for business, 29 Creen & Durban Street,Newburg. Contact : 604-9875.

Bachelor apartment for rent. Call: 602-6734 Between 6 AM- 10 AM.

Office space in Sheriff Street, Quamnia Street. Contact Ray's Realty 627-9685.

Brothers killed brother-in-law over bike

Police are investigating the alleged murder of 27-yearold Assis Joel of Maruranau Village, South Rupununi, which occurred around 16:00 hrs on Friday.

Two suspects—Hebrew Simon, 20, and his brother Eloyde Simon, 32, both farmers of Maruranau Village— have been arrested and are in police custody assisting with investigations.

Reports indicate that Joel lived with his common-law wife, Judith Simon, and their three children, ages 7, 4, and 2. The suspects are Judith’s brothers.

At around 08:00 hrs on September 26, the suspects visited their sister’s home to

celebrate her youngest child’s birthday. They later joined the victim under a fruit tree, about 70 feet from the home, where they consumed local wine (Kari).

By 16:00 hrs, the wine was finished. Judith walked her husband back to their home and asked her brothers to leave. Instead, they returned, requesting to borrow Joel’s motorcycle. When he refused, an argument erupted into a violent fight.

According to Judith, one of her brothers allegedly stabbed Joel with a kitchen knife, breaking off the handle in the process, before both fled the scene.

The suspects, Eloyde Simon and Hebrew Simon, remain in police custody assisting with the investigation.

The knife was left in front of the house.

At 18:00 hrs, Eloyde Simon was captured by Community Policing Group (CPG) members and handed over to the police.

Shortly after, Hebrew Simon was also arrested at his home. Both men reportedly confessed during police interviews.

A post-mortem examination is being arranged as investigations continue.

Guyana Association of Women Judges launched...

From page 24 outside of the courtroom, including public education, engaging and liaising with judicial sisters regionally and internationally, and teaching and mentoring the next generation of local legal minds through internships, mooting, and debate competitions. The magazine contains ar-

ticles on trusts in matrimonial property law in Guyana, on the implementation of the Equality Article 29 of the Constitution of Guyana, on judicial activism in domestic violence cases,/and spotlights two groundbreaking cases - Tot Lampkin v A.G which deals with the State’s duty to protect domes/c vio-

lence victims, and the CCJ case of Nicholson and Nicholson which sets out a methodology for using a gender based lens in statutory interpretation.

These stories and learning are important, and it is important that they be told. You can access the digital magazine via this link: https://

heyzine.com//flipbook/ 5d8d0d5291.html The Guyana Association of Women Judges was formed in 2016, but incorporated under the Companies Act, Chapter 89:01, Laws of Guyana, as a not-for-profit organization. The organisatoin’s goals are purely charitable and educational.

‘Fusion Creative Studio’ – capturing the special...

From page 35 advice stayed with me and continues to guide how I approach business,” he related. Grateful for it all, Norville said there is more he is looking to achieve with his craft.

For him, the long-term goal is to expand his business to greater heights.

Norville said, “My advice to aspiring photographers would be this: If not you, then who? Just start creating for yourself first, and the growth will follow from there.”

With that being said, our featured entrepreneur is of the

view that young entrepreneurs today have the potential to boost our society, not only on a regional level, but also on an international scale.

He disclosed that Guyana is filled with talented individuals and we need “our young entrepreneurs to be visionaries who are willing to push the limits and challenge the normal status quo, driving innovation and growth forward for the future.”

To this end, he noted that there are ways small businesses can be boosted locally. He suggested that he

would like to see more exposure in the local market, whether through advertising, news outlets or social media.

This he noted will create opportunities for real business growth.

“For me, that growth isn’t just about finances, it’s also about building meaningful connections with local companies and collaborating with other creatives. To further support the growth of local businesses, agencies like the Small Business Bureau (SBB) offer grants and loans to entrepreneurs,” he explained.

Norville further mentioned that access to loans and grants from those agencies, would further help boost local business growth by providing resources to expand operations, invest in equipment, and support creative projects that benefit the community.

For persons interested in booking the services of Fusion Creative Studio, feel free to contact Jamie Norville via WhatsApp at (592) 661-6551, or through Instagram and Facebook @Fusion Creative Studio.

“the midnight train to nowhere”...

From page 44 the bushes. She ran over and found a puzzle piece shaped like a heart. Carefully, she pressed it into the monkey’s chest. Click!

The monkey’s face lit up. “Perfect fit! Thank you, clever girl!” The other monkeys cheered and tossed Emily and Daniel a necklace made of game tokens. “A gift for your journey!” they said.

Penitence public road, Durban Street, Bent Street. Princess Street & Charlestown. Contact: Ray's Realty 627-9685. PROPERTY FOR SALE

But once again, the whistle blew. The glowing tracks shimmered faintly, and Emily felt a tiny tug in her chest, as if time was running out. “Come on, Daniel!” she urged, pulling him back aboard the train. The train grew faster and faster, zooming past comets and over moonlit clouds. Then, with a sudden jolt, it slowed.

They arrived at a wide, glowing valley filled with mountains of toys. Broken dolls, forgotten cars, stuffed animals missing ears—all piled high, glowing softly in the starlight.

“This is…” Emily whispered. “The Kingdom of Lost Toys,” the conductor said solemnly. Daniel’s mouth fell open. “It’s where all the toys go when kids lose them.” They wandered down a path lined with blocks. Old dolls waved gently. A one-eyed teddy bear sat on a throne made of building bricks. He

wore a paper crown and looked tired but kind. “Welcome, travellers,” the teddy said. “You ride the Midnight Train. Few children do.”

“Why are all the toys here?” Emily asked.

“Because children forget them,” the teddy sighed. “But every toy still remembers the laughter of play. We wait, hoping to be loved again.”

Emily’s heart squeezed. She thought of her old doll tucked in the back of her closet, gathering dust.

“I promise I’ll never forget my toys again,” she said softly. The teddy smiled. “That’s all we ask.” Suddenly, the sky began to lighten with the first glow of dawn. The train whistle shrieked loudly.

“Hurry!” the robot conductor called. “The tracks are fading!”

Emily grabbed Daniel’s hand. “We have to go!” They ran back onto the train as the kingdom waved goodbye.

The one-eyed teddy raised his paw in farewell. The train rocketed through the sky, faster and faster. Emily and Daniel held on tight as the stars blurred into streaks of light. Then, with a final whoosh!, the train screeched to a stop—back in Emily’s bedroom. The glowing tracks vanished. The train gave one last toot! and shrank smaller and smaller until it was just a tiny toy train sitting on the floor. Daniel yawned. “Was it real?” Emily picked up the train. It was warm in her hands, and dangling from her wrist was the necklace of game tokens from the Puzzle Jungle. She smiled. “Yes. It was real.” They climbed back into bed just as the sun peeked over the horizon.

And from that night on, whenever Emily saw the toy train in her room, she whispered, “Maybe tonight, we’ll ride again.”

La

Businesses join battle against traffic congestion...

Frompage39 drainage upgrades, road w o r k s , h o u s i n g development, and the construction of a high-span bridge over the Demerara River

Theseimprovements,aimed at enhancing quality of life and driving economic growth, will now be supported by the newly launched city revival plan.

The plan is being

i m p l e m e n t e d i n collaboration with the King’sFoundation.

The plan envisions a transformed, sustainable “Garden City” that

reflects Guyana’s biodiversity, cultural h e r i t a g e , a n d commitment to inclusive development. Several flagship projects have b e e n p r o p o s e d , including:

Recreational spaces and heritage restoration:

R e h a b i l i t a t i o n o f historic sites such as the old Transport and Harbours building and the former train station

The latter will be repurposed to house a museum and training hub

Stabroek Waterfront

D e v e l o p m e n t : A

modernisati

targeting the waterfront and market districts, with design

hat showcase Georgetown’s identity as the “land of many waters ” U r b a n g

Restoration of urban landscapes and tourismoriented upgrades to d

visual walk-through of Guyana’s history.

Sustainable growth clusters: Expansion into agro-integrated zones, green infrastructure and transport links, and the revitalization of the city’s historic civic core, including Stabroek Market andWater Street P r e s i d e n t A l i underscored that the plan is aligned with Guyana’s L o w C a r b o n Development Strategy (LCDS) 2030, ensuring that all initiatives promote environmental sustainability, economic resilience, and social inclusion

Key priorities under the city’s urban framework

include housing and infrastructure expansion, i m p r o v e d w a s t e management and sanitation, increased flood resilience and climate adaptation, protection of the city’s h e r i t a g e , a n d t h e development of a modern transport system aimed at easingcongestion.

The president further stressed that stakeholder engagement, across the private sector, municipal authorities, government ministries, and civil society, will be crucial to the plan’s success.

“We are progressing with a clearly defined plan for the city. Every stakeholder will play a criticalroleinadvancingthis transformation of our capital.Georgetownmustbe repositioned as one of the finestcitiesintheworld,”he affirmed.

In addition to the transformation of G e o r g e t o w n , t h e government also intends to pursue demonstration projects such as the outer Georgetown low-carbon markettownandtheSilicon City master plan, both of whichaimtopilotmodelsof sustainable urban development.

US revokes Colombian president’s visa over ‘reckless and incendiary’ remarks

BBC-TheUShassaidit will revoke Colombian President Gustavo Petro’s visa, after he urged US soldiers to disobey his American counterpart Donald Trump during remarks at a rally in New York. The State Department described Petro’s comments at a pro-Palestinian street protest on Friday as “recklessandincendiary”.

The Colombian leader was in the US for the UN General Assembly, where earlier this week he called for a criminal inquiry into the Trump administration’s airstrikes on alleged drugtrafficking boats in the Caribbean. He was already on his way back to Bogota when the US announced it would cancel his visa, Colombianmediareports.

Petro shared a video on social media of him addressing a large crowd through a megaphone in SpanishonFriday

He called for the formation of a “world salvation army, whose first taskistoliberatePalestine”.

“That is why, from here in New York, I ask all soldiers in the United States Armynottopointtheirrifles at humanity,” he said

“Disobey Trump’s order!

Obey the order of humanity!” Petro added: “As happened in the First WorldWar,Iwanttheyoung people, sons and daughters of workers and farmers, of both Israel and the United States, to point their rifles not toward humanity, but toward the tyrants and towardthefascists.”TheUS State Department strongly criticised the remarks, saying he had “urged US soldiers to disobey orders andinciteviolence”.

It wrote on social media thattherevocationofhisvisa was “due to his reckless and incendiaryactions”

Colombia’s Interior Minister Armando Benedetti wrote on X on Friday night that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visa should have been annulled ratherthanPetro’s

“But since the empire protectshim,it’stakingitout on the only president who was capable enough to tell himthetruthtohisface,”he said Relations between Petro – who leads Colombia’s first ever leftwing government – and the Trump administration have worsenedinrecentmonths.

The Colombian leader

usedhisspeechattheUNto launchanexcoriatingrebuke of US strikes on boats suspected of being used to transportdrugs,arguingthey were not about controlling the drug trade but serving a need to use “violence to dominate Colombia and LatinAmerica”.

He said some of those killed by the strikes may have been from Colombia, which is the world’s biggest cocaine producer, and claimed US officials were alliedtodruggangswhilehis government was persuading farmers to not grow coca. Petro likened the air strikes to an “act of tyranny” in an interview with the BBC. Washington contends the actionsarepartofaUSantidrug operation off the coast of Venezuela, whose president it accuses of runningacartel.TheUSalso denied visas for Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president,and80Palestinian officials, blocking them from attending the UN General Assembly, despite w o r l d l e a d e r s conventionally being permitted to attend the body’s headquarters regardless of their relations withtheUS.

Toshao and indigenous conservationist, Romario ‘Kapohn....

Frompage38 taught in classrooms. I have come to realize that my upbringing taught me the very values that were r e i n t r o d u c e d a n d repackaged as modules in my undergraduate and postgradclassrooms,”headded CULTURAL PRESERVATION

Speaking about his cultural preservation, the young leader shared the view that preservation of Indigenous culture has been disjointedfromitscore.

H e h e l d t h a t “Preservation of Indigenous culture cannot be separated from the conservation of indigenous territories, strengthening land rights, and the active transfer of Indigenous knowledge and culture to the next generation.”

This viewpoint has influenced Hastings current residency and employment withinhishomeland He works directly with leaders, advocating their priorities, communicating indigenous perspectives at various forums; personally acting as an Indigenous communicator within the digitalsphere.

“My prof

comm

d

ec

intersects with the communities’ priorities forcing me to navigate through policy makers, NGOs, Indigenous institutions and most importantly-thepeople.”

“The most important task I believe, however, is the communication of being Indigenous. Policy makers and even the regular Guyanese do not quite understand what Indigenous cultureis,whycertainthings matter to us, why we think theway,wethinkandsaythe thingswesay,”hesaid

“Wehavenotarticulated this well enough or consistently that most of howweareknownfeelslike a historical and cultural footnote.ItisthisthatIhave attemptedtochangebutitis greater than I am,” Hastings asserted. Apart from his advocacy in this regard, the youngleaderisamemberof the Nine Nations youth group which is focused on building spaces for indigenouscreatives.

TOSHAO

young Indigenous

leader told The Waterfalls that being a Toshao was always on his radar but he wasnevercertainofwhenit willbetherighttimetostart his work. When he was approached last year for consi

villagers,hemerelyreturned to work as a Programme

Coordinator in the community Hastings said that he had doubts on accepting the trajectory since he understood the demands of the leadership from his dad. “Toshao-ship is a complete service and dedication to community While the law allows for simultaneousemployment,a full commitment requires almostallofyourtime,with little room for personal investment It entails administration of the council, planning for the community, representation atalllevels,negotiationwith d e v e l o p e r s a n d stakeholders, organization of the community and council, coordination and managementofprojectsand programmes, rules enforcementandmanytimes asagrievancemediator,”he

said.Hesharedtheviewthat the office of a Toshao is yet to manifest and execute its full scope of duties and responsibilities simply because of the limitations induced by human and financialresources.

Nevertheless, during his tenure, the Kako Village Toshao aims to build stronger partnerships with relevant institutions; develop village rules and other administrative protocols; explore feasible alternative livelihood v e n t u r e s , e x p a n d community infrastructural development; access donor financing for other key livelihood and cultural initiatives; produce a community development and land use plan, and a competitivetourismproduct augmented by a strong watershed conservation programme This week’s, Special Person finds great fulfillment in community meetings, particularly listening to elders, women, andyouth.

“When leaders like Sonia Guajarara speak, or even my dad - a bold Akawaio leader, and the

othersbeforehim,itignitesa flame of ambition and motivation… It’s a joy to serveasavoiceandagentfor thepeople.Myexperienceof navigating two worlds has been invaluable, allowing metoactasabridgebetween dominant cultures, ideas, andsystems,andthevalues, perspectives, and worldviews of my community” The village leader continued, “I deeply valueoursenseofspaceand territory, which sets my culture apart. It offers a unique understanding of freedom, belonging, and the true meaning of home, people, and community I cherishthismost.”

WORK/LIFEBALANCE

As it is with numerous professionals, finding balance is a common challenge, for Hastings. At times, he even feels it’s nearlyimpossible.

He revealed that “Some days my professional responsibilitiesconsumeme and most of my days, other days it’s my family, and more often than not, leadership requires nearly every moment of my time. Asitstands,mycalendarfor

therestoftheyearisalready filled with projects, meetings,travels,andmajor commitments.”

Infact,hewasoncetold by colleagues and former leaders that this role would requirestrongsupport-even a partner by his side—and only now does he fully understandwhatthatmeant.

“Thankfully,” Hasting said, “my family remains my foundation and unwavering support.”

While he strives to achieve work/life balance, the young Toshao considers hisgreatestaccomplishment tobehelpingtoinspireanew generation of Indigenous youth who proudly embrace their identity and heritage, while finding renewed curiosity to reconnect with theirroots.

“From time to time, I receive heartfelt smessages across my social media accountsfromyoungpeople andeldersalike,sharinghow they’ve been motivated to reflect inwardly and take stepstowardpositivechange in their own lives and communities. It’s the most heartwarming experience,” herevealed.

Nearly half of Gaza war deaths reported in areas

Aljazeera - At least 91 Palestinian people were killed on Saturday in relentless Israeli attacks throughout the Gaza Strip, includingatleast45inGaza City, as the military intensified its widely criticisedgroundinvasion.

Gaza’s Government Media Office slammed Israel for misleading the Palestinian people with threats to evacuate to the central and southern governorates by portraying them as “safe humanitarian zones”, while continuing to strikethosesameareas.

Accordingtoastatement issued on Saturday, 1,903 people have been killed in 133 attacks on central and southern Gaza since the forced displacement from Gaza City began on August 11, some 46 percent of all reported deaths across the enclaveduringthatperiod.

The office said that this shows civilians are being directly targeted, despite being told to move south, and called on the international community to intervene, warning that continued global inaction amounts to a “green light” forfurthermassacres.

Reporting from central Gaza, Al Jazeera’s Hani Mahmoudsaidthatsincethe early hours of Saturday, Israeli attacks have increased in Gaza City and more casualties have been arrivingatal-ShifaHospital.

“Just in the past few m i n u t e s , w e h a d

Israel called ‘safe’

…91 killed on Saturday; Hospitals shut down in Gaza City as Israeli attacks escalate.

Palestinian people run for cover during an Israeli air strike on a high-rise building in Gaza City after the Israeli army issued a forced displacement order [File:YousefAl Zanoun/AP]

confirmation of a family evacuatingonaroadinsidea vehicle when it was struck by a drone missile. Four people were reported killed onthespot,”hesaid.

“Hundreds of others have been on the move as Israelidronesandfighterjets chasethemfromoneplaceto another,”headded.

Hospitalsattacked Some hospitals in Gaza City have shut down as Israeli attacks escalate, with plans to seize the city and displace more people each day

Earlier on Saturday,

people in one of the city’s main hospitals, the Jordan Field Hospital, were forced to evacuate all 107 patients and their entire staff after facingheavybombardment. Hospitals in Gaza have long been on the brink of collapse amid relentless Israeli strikes Most are operating in horrific conditions, unable to provide even basic medical supplies,suchasanaesthesia and antibiotics, while the doctors, who are going hungry themselves, struggle totreatstarvingpatients.

The few hospitals still

partially functioning in central Gaza have become overwhelmedwithwounded and sick people fleeing bombardment in the north.

Many arrive in need of urgent medical care that cannotbeprovided.

“Displacement has worsened the situation inside hospitals in the south, ” a displaced Palestinian told Al Jazeera.

“Now you can see that insteadofonepatientinone bed,medicalstafftriedtofit twopatientsinonebed.”

Dr Khalil Digran, who works at Al-Aqsa Hospital,

said that Israeli forces deliberately attacked alRantisi Paediatric Hospital inGazaCity,theStrip’sonly specialised medical facility forchildren.

“GazaCityandthenorth are left with just two health facilities that are barely functioning:al-Shifaand alAhli Hospital,” Digran told AlJazeera.

“As for the remaining health facilities in central and southern Gaza, Israeli actions are already adding more pressure on these facilities and threatening to bring their service to a total halt.”

MohammadKhoudary,a displaced Palestinian, told Al Jazeera: “Ever since we becamedisplaced,myfather has been impacted and has becomeverysad.

“This has affected his health; he has become dehydrated. I am hoping they will be able to transfer himtoAl-AqsaHospital.”

Hamassayshasnotseen ceasefireplan

Meanwhile, on the globalstage,protestscalling for a ceasefire took place

Saturday in Berlin, Germany, Liverpool in the United Kingdom, and elsewhere.

Hamashassaidthatithas not received United States President Donald Trump’s Gazaceasefireplan,evenas Trump this week repeatedly expressed optimism that a dealisclose.

Incommentstoreporters on Friday, Trump said, “It’s looking like we have a deal on Gaza.” He offered no details and gave no timetable. Israel has not yet madeanypublicresponseto Trump’scomments.

A Hamas official who spoke to Al Jazeera on condition of anonymity said the Palestinian group “has not been presented with any plan”.

Trump is due to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, whose hard-right governing coalition is opposed to ending the Gaza waruntilHamasisdestroyed

Joel Valenski’s Forever: A vow of eternal love...

Frompage37

clear that at the time he and his producer, Joel Browne (Joey2KoolProduction) wrote Forever he was yet to find his eternallovebuttwoweeksafterthe song was produced, he got a taste ofForever

“I was doing a shoot and I looked onto my phone and one of my friends posted a girl and normallywhenIamdoingshoots,I don’t check those things but I lookedatthephoneandIamlike, ok, she was very beautiful, a very beautiful woman and yuh know it startedwestarttalkingandsoforth soitwaslikeloveatfirstsightfor

me” , he recounted while reminiscing on his very own love story

Valenski stopped short from saying if his love story inspired Forever’s music video but it depictsloveatfirstsightandwhile narrating the video’s storyline, it waslikehewasjourneyingbackto the day he had set eyes on the girl hisfriendhadposted.

“So it’s basically like I lose myself I met the girl and for the first time I saw her it wasn’t planed, I was there doing my own thingshewastheredoingherown thing”, Valenski said as he explained the storyline of his

music video. He continued, “I wantedtogettoknowherwhichI proceeded to do and then as the storybuildsyoucanseethatweget to know each other more and we started dating and then no matter what I do I always had her in my mind, sitting I am singing about her and while I am doing something, she is always on my mind… so it’s like love at first sight”. Joel Valenski the church boy Listening to Valenski speak aboutForeverwasenoughforthis newspapertorecognizethatheisa multi-talentedrisingstar“hanging out”withthe“rightcompany” Valenski’s musical career

began at an early age. He was a churchboywhoplayeddrumsand later realized that he had magical voice to sing with his drums and othermusicalinstruments. He burst onto the scene as one of the winners of Guyana Talent Search.

MentoredbyJoelBrowne,and other successful Guyanese talents like Calvin Burnett and Faith Corrica, Joel Valesnki who hails from Mon- Repos, East Coast Demerara(ECD)isnowanartiste in demand and even represented Guyana at Carifesta XV held in BarbadoslastAugust. HeisamemberoftheKaieteur

Folk Group who recently performedatPresidentIrfaanAli’s Swearingincermony

Valenski has since performed at a number of major events, including the One Guyana Concert, Pageants, Republic and Independence Day events (Mashramani & Guyana Carnaval).

Valenskiisnotonlyasingerbut alsoamodelwhoplacedinthetop 3ofMr.IndiaWorldwideGuyana. His first ever single, Fovever, is streamed across all music platforms, like YouTube, Spotify, TikTok,FacebookandevenApple Tunes.

Op-Ed: Small States, Big Principles

… Advancing the Right to Information

ByEricFalt,UNESCO Representativeand RegionalDirector, UNESCORegional OfficefortheCaribbean

Each year on 28 September, the global community marks the International Day for

Universal Access to Information. This is not a symbolic date It is a powerful reminder that

democracy demands daylight and that citizens have a right to know how decisions are made, how public money is spent, and howthoseinpowerareheld toaccount.

Nowhereisthisprinciple

more vital, or more promising, than in the Caribbean. The small states

of the region, often overlooked on the global stage, have consistently punched above their weight when it comes to defending democraticideals.

From Jamaica's early adoption of universal adult suffrage in 1944 to the steadfast commitment acrosstheregiontopeaceful transfers of power and constitutional governance, Caribbean states have long shown that democratic leadership is not a function ofsize,butofwill.

Therighttoaccesspublic information is the next frontierinthattradition,and one that urgently demands attention.

Trinidad and Tobago led the way by passing a Freedom of InformationAct in 1999 that came fully into effect by 2001 Jamaica followed with its Access to Information Act in 2002, making it one of the earlier adoptersinCARICOM.The Cayman Islands Freedom of

Information law became operational in January 2009 and has been highly ranked in the international comparisons.

These are not mere bureaucratic reforms. They are foundational shifts that allow citizens to demand clarity, expose inefficiency, andparticipatemeaningfully ingovernance.

But laws on paper are only part of the story. Implementation across the region remains uneven. In too many cases, public authorities lack the training, resources,orpoliticalwillto respond to information requests within mandated timeframes Appeals mechanisms are slow or inaccessible And public awareness of these rights remains low In some Caribbean countries, ATI lawsarestillabsententirely, leaving citizens in the dark and critical public records beyondreach.

This is not a trivial gap. Access to information is not just a legal nicety; it is a driver of development, equity,andaccountability.It empowers a parent to understand how a school's budgetisallocated.Itallows aninvestigativejournalistto expose procurement irregularities. It enables an environmental activist to track government permits for large-scale projects that impact fragile ecosystems. And it gives a young entrepreneur a fighting chance to access data on government tenders, grants, andinvestmentincentives.

The evidence is clear: when citizens can access information, trust in institutions improves Corruptiondecreases.Public services perform better The

state becomes a servant, not agatekeeper

Globally, access to informationisrecognizedas a cornerstone of sustainable development. Target 16.10 of the UN Sustainable Development Goals calls on all states to “ensure public access to information and protect fundamental freedoms.” Caribbean states have committed to this target,butcommitmentmust bematchedwithaction.

To support this effort, UNESCO has developed a Model Law on Access to InformationforSmallIsland Developing States (SIDS). Thisframeworkistailoredto the unique realities of small administrations. It reduces the legislative burden by offering language aligned with international best practice, while remaining realistic for countries with limited staff and budgets. It is not an abstract tool but a practical roadmap that can fast-track reform without reinventingthewheel.

Access to information is also a factor in global transparency and anticorruption rankings. These scores affect everything from foreign direct investment to development assistance to international creditratings.Inaregionthat must compete globally and diversify economically,

strengthening ATI frameworks is not just good governance It is good economics.

Take the Cayman Islands, for example Its Office of the Ombudsman, which has responsibility for ATI matters, regularly publishes data on compliance, appeal decisions, and public authority performance. This

New Amsterdam to get new magistrates' court

The Supreme Court of Judicaturehasindicatedthat plansareunderwaytohavea new Magistrates' Court

construc

d in New Amsterdam,RegionSix. According to a recent invitation for bids issued by theJudicature,proposalsare being sought for the design andsupervisionaspectofthe constructionofthecourt. Proposals are to be submitted to the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) office on October 21, 2025 During the presentation of the 2025 national budget, it was

level of transparency has helped bolster investor confidenceandhasbecomea hallmark of institutional maturity On the other hand, in states where ATI legislation is missing or dormant, public frustration grows, and cynicism follows.

The time for hesitancy has passed. Caribbean governments should no longer view access to i n f o r m a t i o n a s a bureaucratic burden. It is a s t r a t e g i c a s s e t .

The Caribbean has long demonstrated that small states can stand tall on the worldstagebydefendingbig principles.

It is time to do so again, bymakingtherighttoknow alivedrealityforall.

Strengthening ATI frameworks builds more resilient, inclusive, and competitive democracies. It is a lever for citize empowerment, institutional trust, and regional credibility OnthisInternationalDay for Universal Access to Information, Caribbean states should act decisively. Wherelawsexist,strengthen implementation, allocate resources, and promote public awareness. Where laws do not exist, adopt them.Thetoolsareready,the models are tested, and the globalbenchmarksareclear.

construction of magistrates' c

y traditionallyexisted. We are now at a phase where we are building magistrates' courts in areas where they never existed before…What more can a government do to demonstrateitscommitment to ensuring access to justice for all its people wherever theyarelocated?” Nandlall also mentioned that there are now over 50 courtfacilitiescountrywide.

expandingandupgradingof thephysicalinfrastructureof thecourts. Atthecommissioningof the Friendship Magistrates' Court earlier this year, Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Mohabir Anil Nandlall SC said that the establishment of new courts is part of government's broader investments to ensure equitableaccesstojustice. Quoted in a Department of Public Information (DPI) article at the time, the AG said, “Theadministrationof justice is crucial to a civilised society…We have

GuyaneseOlympianIanRobertsdetainedbyUSImmigrationagents

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP)—Federalimmigration agents targeted the welllikedleaderofIowa’slargest school district in a traffic stopFridayandarrestedhim after he fled into the woods, leaving educators and community members stunned.

U S Immigration and CustomsEnforcement(ICE) said Des Moines Public School Superintendent Ian Roberts,aGuyanese,wasin thecountryillegallyandhad

noworkauthorization.

R o b e r t s , w h o represented Guyana at the 2000 Olympic Games in the 800m, was considered an ICEfugitivebecausehewas subject to a final removal order issued in 2024, the agencysaid.

ICE said that it targeted Roberts for arrest by initiating a traffic stop on Friday while he was driving inhisschool-issuedvehicle.

After he fled, officers discovered his vehicle

abandoned near a wooded area He was eventually located and taken into ICE custody with the help of IowaStatePatrolofficers.

Roberts was brought to Woodbury County’s jail in northwest Iowa late Friday afternoon, according to jail andICErecords.

It was unclear if Roberts had an attorney to represent him.

PhilRoeder,thedistrict’s spokesperson, said he was supposed to meet Roberts at

a school event Friday morning, but Roberts sent a text saying he could not makeit.Roedersaidhegota videocallfromRobertssoon after and watched officials detainhim.

Roeder told The

Sunday September 28, 2025

ARIES(Mar.21–Apr.19)

Today you will have all the energy you need to deal with long-term family problems. Indeed, you'll probably clash with some of your relatives. But this situation won't cause anyseriousissues.

TAURUS(Apr.20–May20)

You enjoy caring for others andyouinterveneregularlyin their lives to guide them. Ironically, today you're the one who needs advice. You'll probably need to get away from it all in order to get a clearviewofyourownlife.

GEMINI(May21–June20)

We all have to make compromises in order to live in contemporary society.You may have strong beliefs, but it's difficult to combine your idealsandasociallife.

CANCER(June21–July22)

You'vealwaysfelttheneedto free yourself from society You need to feel independent at any cost. You may need to face certain relationship problemsatthistime.

LEO(July23–Aug.22)

You may feel annoyed about the attitude of some of your groupoffriends.Unlikethese people, you're very openmindedandyoucandealwith situations as they arise Indeed, you have a natural ability to adapt to every situation.

VIRGO(Aug.23–Sept.22)

Today, Virgo, you'll be submerged under a lot of emotions. In a way, you'll be revisiting your childhood

Youmaybeveryedgy Thisis agooddispositioninwhichto analyzeyourlife.

LIBRA(Sept.23–Oct.22)

You really know how to seduce,Libra.Thereisaspark inside of you that spreads naturally to those around you. You have a big reservoir of sensitivity and emotion that couldgrowtoday

SCORPIO(Oct.23–Nov 21)

You're a very active person, Scorpio, but today you'll probably be disappointed. If you ask those around you to help with your activities, they most likely won't understand yourneeds.

SAGIT(Nov 22–Dec.21)

Nothing much is happening today, yet you seem worried and tense. You'll have to use this day to your advantage. Think about your life. You'll also think about the needs of yourrelativesintheyears.

CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19)

You often need to thrive on personal emotions.Today will benoexceptiontotherule.For instance, you could try to captivate the attention of peopleyouadmire.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20–Feb. 18) You shouldn't try to fight the feelings that run through you today Don't even try to rationalize them These feelingsareprobablyrelatedto emotions dating back to your childhood You shouldn't avoidoranalyzethem.

PISCES(Feb.19–Mar.20)

You'll be lost in your thoughts today, analyzing your life and relationships.You'll be asking yourself if your existence is meeting your standards. You will ponder what to expect from the future and from the peoplearoundyou.

Associated Press that the district has seen “nothing that would suggest that he’s not a citizen.” The district said Friday afternoon that a third party was hired to conduct a comprehensive background check on Roberts and that Roberts completed an I-9, which requires workers to present documents showing that they were authorized to work. District officials also stated they had no knowledge of an order of removalissuedin2024.

Roberts, who has described himself as a longtime gun owner and hunter, was in possession of

aloadedhandgun,$3,000in cash and a fixed-blade huntingknifewhenarrested, ICE said.Alongtime leader at school districts across the nation, the 54-year-old began his term as superintendent of Des MoinesschoolsinJuly2023.

In that position, he oversawadistrictthatserves more than 30,000 students andnearly5,000employees.

The state board of educational examiners

i s s u e d R o b e r t s a professional administrator license in 2023, which remainsactive.

In a joint statement, the presidents of unions representing teachers and other school employees in Des Moines and across the statesaidtheywereshocked byRoberts’detention.

They described his compassion for all students of all backgrounds as “a

beaconoflightinoneofthe state’s most diverse school districts.”

Before coming to Iowa, Roberts had previously worked as superintendent of the Millcreek Township School District in Pennsylvania. The district said in an email they were aware of the reports but declinedfurthercomment.

ICE said that Roberts enteredtheU.S.onastudent visa in 1999. The next year, he competed for Guyana in the Olympics in track and field.

ICE pointed to a prior weapons charge for Roberts butprovidednodetails.

Court records in Pennsylvania show that Roberts pleaded guilty in January 2022 to a minor infraction for unlawfully possessing a loaded firearm in a vehicle, and was fined $100pluscourtcosts.

41 goals scored on opening day...

Frompage51 of the show, scoring four goals in the 5th, 16th, 20th, and 26th minutes. Michael Harris added a brace with goals in the 13th and 21st minutes With such a commanding performance, Santa Rosa have already stakedtheirclaimastheteam tobeatthisyear WestRuimveldtPrimary also impressed, dispatching St Aloysius Primary 4-0. Ceon Rajkumar opened the scoring in the first minute, before Yanique Cadogan tookover,nettingarapidhattrick in the 4th, 7th, and 9th minutestosealthewin.

Leonora Primary enjoyed a similarly strong start,securinga4-0winover Clonbrook Primary Jhonathan Melvin bagged a hat-trick, while Akeem Johnson added his name to the scoresheet in the 21st minutetosealthevictory

PotaroPrimaryovercame Winfer Garden 3-1, with goals from Marek Timmerman (25’), Raheem Persaud (30’), and Ramario Smith (31’) Meanwhile, Tucville Primary defeated Stella Marris 2-0, and Redeemer Primary edged Smith Memorial 3-2 in a thrilling encounter St Gabriel’sPrimaryalsomadea strong statement with a 3-0 win over St Stephen’s Primary Several matches ended in draws. St Pius PrimaryandAgatashPrimary played to a goalless draw, as did Marian Academy and

Georgetown International Academy (GIA) Genesis Academy and Ann’s Grove Primarysharedthespoilsina 2-2 stalemate The tournamentismadepossible through generous support fromCourtsOptical,thetitle sponsor, as well as MVP Sports, Sterling Products Limited, SkyTec Enterprise, and Demerara Mutual. It is endorsed by the Ministry of Education and supported by the Ministry of Culture, YouthandSport.

GBF shortlist 20 ahead of FIBA Women’s Caribbean Championship

Caribbean title, the first since1996.

“We believe we have a roster capable of going all the way, especially with the championship being played right here on home soil,” Singhsaid.

The GBF has turned to former national standout Abdullah ‘Zico’ Hamid to lead the charge from the sidelines.

Hamid, who represented Guyanaasbothaplayerand coach, will be flanked by assistant coaches Willon Cameron and Warren Wilson, both bringing years of local and regional experiencetothebench.

Thesquad,theGBFsaid in a release, represents a balance of homegrown talent and overseas reinforcements.

Headlining the list are theRamlallsisters(Amisha, Arshia, andAsha), all based in the USA, alongside seasoned Europe-based professionalJoyAdams,and exciting newcomer Brooklyn McDavid, who Singh hailed as a key figure in the GBF’s expanding overseaspipeline.

“Brooklynrepresentsthe growth of our programme internationally She’s a welcome addition who we expect will bring a new dimension to Guyana’s game,”Singhnoted.

The core of the roster also includes players who featured earlier this year against Suriname in the h i s t o r i c Wo m e n ’s International Series, staged

RuthAdams is a professional basketball player, looking to make her debut for Guyana

under the patronage of PresidentIrfaanAli.

The Shortlist players are Shanill James, Keisha Copperfield, Jamaicy Ogle, Breann Ritchie, Akeelah Campbell (Linden), Junelly Paddy (Berbice), Kean Andrews, Kassidy Wilford, Brianna Benjamin, Rehaica Romain (Linden), Natalia Clarke (Kwakwani), S h e r e s e L e a c o c k (Kwakwani), M a l i a S a m u e l s (Kwakwani), Petal Leacock (Kwakwani), Brooklyn McDavid (USA), Ruth Adams (USA), Joy Brown (USA), Amisha Ramlall (USA), Arshia Ramlall (USA) and Asha Ramlall (USA).

The 2025 edition of the Caribbean Championship is expected to feature several of the region’s top national teams, with spots at the F I B A W o m e n ’ s

CentroBasket Tournament ontheline,acrucialqualifier for the prestigious FIBA Women’sAmeriCup.

According to the GBF president,“withtheblendof youth, experience, and international exposure, we believe Guyana is ready to makeadeeprun.Theplayers know what’s at stake, winning at home in front of our fans would mean everything.”

Guyana’s women’s programme will be chasing history, hoping to repeat the feat of 1996, when Head Coach Linden “Sancho” Alphonso guided the side to a 67–55 victory over Jamaica in the final of the CARICOM Basketball Championship in Port-ofSpain,TrinidadandTobago.

Nearly three decades later,Singhbelievesthestars are aligned for another goldenmoment.

Wins for Essequibo, Demerara as GCB U13 Inter-County action gets underway

Demerara and Essequibo racked up commanding wins yesterday when action in theGuyanaCricketBoardInter-CountyU13 tournament bowled off today with a firstrounddouble-headerfirstround.

DemerarabeatBerbiceby55-runs

At the Lusignan Ground, Demerara batting first, made a reasonable 167-10 in 39.4 overs and had a string of contributions from opener Nathaniel Ramkhelawan (28), Lomar Seecharran (19), Afraz Khan (20*) and 13 runs apiece from Mario Singh and JasaniCraig.

Berbice had a decent bowling outing, with Kelvin Henry (2-32), Afraz Ali (2-14) and Khemraj Bharrat (2-14) leading the charge.

In reply, Berbice Ali stroked 55 while skipper Shahid Gajnabi hit 22 as Berbice slippedto112allout,aftersolidreturnsfrom theDemeraraduoofRamkelawan(3-4)and

DeshawnRamnauth(2-15),toinspireahuge win.

EssequibomaulGCBXIby120runs

OveratLBI,TheCinderellaCountyboys rackedup196alloutthankstoabrisk59off 47fromopenerTimothyRamdat(5x44x6). HelpcamefromthelikesofMarcanthony Obermullerwhohit30off20balls(2x33x6) and Marcus Thomas who had a modest 36 with3sixes.

Medium-pacer Aaron DaCosta starred with 4-36 while skipper Tyler Nedd (2-14) andAndrew Narine (2-29) grabbed wickets fortheGCBXI.

TheSelectXIwerethenroutedfor76all outinside30oversthanksto3wicketsfrom IshwarTillackandFayadBaksh’returnsof23.

Only opener Ravindranauth Naikarran (13)andNicholasMadramatoo(11)reached double-digitsinahorrendousloss.

WiththeFIBAWomen’s Caribbean Championship set for the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall, November 9 –

17, the Guyana Basketball Federation (GBF) has unveiled a 20-player shortlist, with President

Michael Singh expressing confidence that Guyana can defendhomecourtandclaim thenation’ssecondwomen’s

Edghill, Britton, and Van Lange dominate at GTTA Senior National C/ships

The Guyana Table

T e n n i s

Association (GTTA) National Senior Championships lit up the National Gymnasium last evening, with the seasoned combinations of Chelsea Edghill,ShemarBritton,and JonathanVanLangestealing thespotlight.

In the Mixed Doubles

main draw, Edghill and Britton showcased their international pedigree, carving a path through the bracket with surgical precision.

After dispatching C Singh and J. Trotman 3-0 and overcoming Nivea Clarkson and Colin France 3-0 in the semifinals, the duo faceda

formidable challenge in Shemar Sukhai and Crystal Wong.

The final was a tense tactical battle filled with blistering forehands, lightning reflexes, and deft pushes at the table

After dropping the third set, Edghill and Brittonregainedcontrolto claim the crown 3-1, u

composure on the national stage

Meanwhile, in Men’s Doubles, the dynamic pairing of Jonathan Van Lange and Shemar Britton provedunstoppable

With a blend of youthful energy and international class, they stormed to the title, dropping only one set throughoutthecompetition. In the final, they o v e r c a m e t h e experienced duo of Elishaba Johnson and Niran Bissu 3–1 (11–8, 7–11, 11–9, 11–7), having earlier dismissed Malachi Moore and Colin Wong 3–0 (11–5, 11–4, 11–7) in the semifinals Britton’s t

Nepal topple West Indies for first-ever win...

Frompage51 forthefirstsixoftheinnings.

Malla hit another six, off Obed McCoy thistime,totakeNepalto68for2attheend oftenovers.HeandPaudeladded58off45 balls before both holed out against debutant legspinnerNavinBidaisee.

Gulsan Jha and Dipendra Singh Airee tried to keep the momentum going, but Bidaisee struck again, getting rid of Jha to finish with 3 for 29 from his four overs. Towards the end, Holder denied Nepal a strong finish by picking up three wickets in the19thover (Cricinfo)

precision, combined with VanLange’scrispforehand drivesandsharpreflexesat the net, proved a winning fo

challengers

With the Mixed and Men’s Doubles crowns in thebag,theGTTANational Senior Championships

continue over the next two weekendswithSinglesand o t h e r c a t e g o r i e s , promising more high-level tabletennisaction.

Olympian Chelsea Edghill (left) and Shermar Britton won the Mixed Doubles title at the GTTANational Championships

Jonathan Van Lange and Shemar Britton won the Men’s Doubles at the GTTANational Championship.

12th Annual Courts Optical Pee Wee Football Tournament kickoff …St.

The St John the BaptistArmy (Primary) cruising to the line at MoE ground (Kester Williams photos)

ByKesterWilliams

Petra

Organisation

officials, along with Chain Managerofthetournament’s title sponsor Courts Optical and other key stakeholders, gathered yesterday at the Ministry of Education GroundonCarifestaAvenue to witness the grand kickoff of the 12thAnnual Pee Wee Boys’ Under-11 School FootballTournament.

In sweltering heat, 32 enthusiastic school teams filledthefield,signalingthe official start of the 2025 edition of the tournament. Thecompetitionbeganeven before the first whistle, as schoolstookpartinaspirited March Past ceremony, each proudly dressed in uniforms that reflected their values, heritage,andidentity

Among the impressive

displays, it was St. John the Baptiste Primary that stole the show Sporting vibrant replicas of the iconic FC Barcelona kit, the Barticabased school marched in unisonwithastrikingbanner thatshowcasedtheirmission and motto Their nearflawlesspresentationearned themthecovetedMarchPast Trophy

The trophy was

John the Baptiste Primary tops March-Past

The 12thAnnual Courts Optical Pee Wee U11 Football tournament underway. Chain Manager, Richard Simpson opening the 2025 tournament with the official kickoff

presented by Courts Optical Chain Manager Richard Simpson and Demerara MutualSalesandMarketing Coordinator Oceola Van Doimen, both of whom shared inspiring messages duringtheceremony Representing Demerara Mutual, Ms. Van Doimen addressed the players: “Todaymarksthebeginning of the 2025 Pee Wee U11

Football Tournament. Here we have 32 teams, coming together in the spirit of competition, sportsmanship, andfriendship.”

In his remarks, Courts Optical’s Richard Simpson p r a i s e d t h e P e t r a Organisation: “I must applaudthededicationofthe Petra team. I’ve personally seenthembeginplanningfor thenexteditionimmediately

after the previous one ends—this is the kind of commitment that ensures success.”

Followingtheceremony, Simpson had the honor of performing the official kickoff, marking the start of what promises to be an exciting six weeks of football in the 2025 Courts Optical Pee Wee U11 Tournament.

MSC Ground nears completion of landmark upgrade

Minister Charles Ramson Jr, along with Engineer Sherwin Moore during their inspection of the MSCGround in Linden.

ByRawleToney

The Linden community is on the cusp of a sporting revolution as infrastructural works at the historic Mackenzie Sports Club (MSC) Ground near completion.

Yesterday, Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport

Charles Ramson Jr, Chairman of the National Sports Commission Kashif Muhammad, and officials fromtheMinistrytouredthe stadium site alongside contractors to assess ongoingworks.

According to the Ministry, the project,

currently at 80 percent completion, is firmly on schedule and expected to be delivered before the end of 2025.

The redevelopment marks one of the most a m b i t i o u s s p o r t s infrastructure undertakings in Linden’s history, setting the stage for the Region 10 communitytore-emergeasa premierhubforathleticsand entertainment.

Firstconstructedin1956, the MSC Ground has long been a cultural and sporting landmark in Region 10 and Guyana.

Minister Ramson noted

that the ground’s transformation is modeled after the design of the GuyanaNationalStadiumat Providence, including a sophisticated underground drainagesystem.

One of the marquee f e a t u r e s o f t h e redevelopment is the installation of internationalstandard stadium lights, an inv

d between $360 million and $370million.

This ensures that the MSC Ground will not only rival facilities across the Caribbean but also enable Linden to host night-time fixtures at both regional and international levels, as it did in the past before it deteriorated New stands, equipped with bucket seats, will also enhance the spectatorexperience.

Theproject,whichbegan in 2022, represents a cornerstone of the government’s wider drive to modernize Guyana’s sporting infrastructure When completed, the MSC Ground will stand as one of three world-class sports facilities in the country, adding momentum to

Guyana’s growing reputation as a destination formajorsportingevents.

Crucially, while the final bill for the Linden upgrade is still being tallied, the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport has stressed that the completedprojectwillcost significantly less than the controversial Durban Park facility, which absorbed

over $1 3 billion under the previous APNU/AFC administration.

That venue, now deteriorating and largely unused,hasbecomeastark reminder of mismanaged investments By contrast, the MSC Ground is being hailed as a carefully planned and functional development with lasting value

In earlier reports, engineers revealed that the undergroundworks,valued at approximately $200 million, mirror the stateof-the-artsystemsinstalled atProvidence

T h e s e i n c l u d e catchment basins, herringbone layouts, and perforated piping to ensure optimal drainage and longtermdurability

The Mackenzie Sports Club Ground

41 goals scored on opening day of Courts

Pee Wee football

…Melvin, Cadogan, Christian and Edwards shine with hattrick, Larose nets four

ceremonial March-Past at the Ministry of Education

champions Santa Rosa Primary, along with St John theBaptistPrimary,Leonora

Ruimveldt Primary, began their 2025 campaigns in

Scintillating action as Petra-Courts Optical Boys U11 gets underway U1

ByKesterWilliams

The highly anticipated 12th Annual Courts Optical Pee Wee Under-11 Boys’ Football Tournament, organised by Pe

Organisation, got underway inspectacularfashion,witha remarkable 41 goals scored across fourteen matches, setting an exciting tone for theweeksahead.

Nepal topple West Indies for first-ever win against an ICC Full Member

Rohit Paudel top-scored for Nepal with 38 off 35 balls (AFP/Getty Images)

Nepal created

history as they beatWestIndies by 19 runs in Sharjah for theirfirst-everwinagainsta Full Member across formats. They had beaten Afghanistan in a T20I in 2014, but Afghanistan was anAssociatebackthen.

Evenifyoukeepthewin asideforamoment,itwasa historic occasion for Nepal; their firstT20I againstWest Indies and the start of their firstbilateralseriesagainsta FullMember

They made it even more special by outplaying the two-time world champions ineveryfacetofthegame.It was a complete team effort byNepal.

Six of their batters hit at least one six, six of their bowlers took at least one wicket,andtheywerebyfar thebettersideinthefield.

Leading a second-string West Indies side that

featured four debutants, Akeal Hosein opted to field afterwinningthetoss.

Nepal did not start well and both their openers were back in the pavilion by 3.1 overs. Kushal Bhurtel was beaten by an arm ball from Hosein and was stumped. Aasif Sheikh stepped out to Jason Holder but miscued the lofted shot and was caught by a backpedalling mid-on.

Untilthefinaloverofthe powerplay, Nepal had hit justtwoboundaries. Their captain Rohit Paudel doubled that count with back-to-back fours off debutant Ramon Simmonds in the sixth over, but it was KushalMallawhoprovided therealmomentum. He first smashed Fabian Allen to the long-on boundaryforafourandthen, in the spinner’s next over, depositedoneintothestands (Continuedonpage49)

dominant fashion, all securing emphatic victories tocloseouttheopeningday Bartica-basedStJohnthe Baptist Primary dismantled Georgetown’s St Therese’s Primary 6-0, with standout performances from Aaron Christian and Neymar Edwards, both of whom nettedhat-tricks.

Defending champions Santa Rosa Primary picked up right where they left off last year, thrashing Region Three’s Goed Fortuin Primary6-0.

TazLarosewasthestar

(Continuedonpage47)

Christian opened the scoring in the very first minute, before Edwards doubled the lead just two minutes later Christian wentontocompletehishattrick with goals in the 14th and 24th minutes, while Edwards added his in the 16thand27th,roundingoffa comfortablevictory

PHOTO NAME: Rohit Paudel

Aaron Christian (right) in action for St John the Baptist, had a hat-trick in the opening match against St Theressa Primary (Kester Williams photo)

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…Melvin, Cadogan, Christian and Edwards shine with hattrick, Larose nets four nets

Rohit Paudel’s Nepal beatAkeal Hosein’s West Indies in Sharjah (Cricket WestIndies photo)