at
cost-of-living for Guyanese Oil project likely to cause
...highlightsroleofGovt.inbuffering inflationthroughcashgrants,subsidies charged with obtaining
Man pretending to be Housing Minister's father money by false pretense 2yearslater... Information yet to release oil and gas information
Teenarrested inconnection withmurder atMelanie
‘Apologise and retract –FormerGECOMLegal OfficertellsChairandCEO false statements or Commissioner of requested by Alfred Bhulai
…asIsraeliforceskilledatleast15PalestiniansinattackssincedawnonMonday face litigation’
th7 oil project likely to cause higher cost-of-living for Guyanese -Exxonrevealsstudy
...highlights role of Govt. in buffering inflation through cash grants, subsidies
ExxonMobil's seventh
proposed deepwater developmentintheStabroek Block- Hammerhead - can contribute to higher cost-ofliving, specifically resulting in increased cost of certain goodsandhousing.
This is according to an Environmental Impact
Assessment (EIA), conducted by the company's consultant, Environmental Resources Management (ERM). Volume Two of the 4232-page document highlights, “With rising wages and increased purchasing power (driven notonlybytheProjectbutby broader economic growth anddevelopmenttrends),the Projectcouldalsocontribute to increased costs of living (IDB2023).”
The study goes on to explain, “This could manifestinseveralways;for example, higher prices for in-demand goods and services, higher costs for housingindesirableareasof Georgetown, and/or higher costs for key goods in the supply chain (affecting both c o n s u m e r s a n d businesses/suppliers).”
Inflation
ERM noted that Guyana's inflation rate has risen above “historic levels in recent years” as experienced globally, although these levels subsequently settled below international and regional rates. Inflation refers to the increase in average price of goodsandservices. According to the study, “In Guyana, inflation increased from 2 1% in December 2019 to 6.9% in June 2021 (IDB 2022), settlingat4.7%attheendof December 2021 (Bank of Guyana 2022) In 2022, Guyana's inflation rate was 7.2%, as compared to a global rate of 8 8% However, in 2023, the national inflation rate was marked at 2% (compared to 6.8%globally)andpredicted to be 2.5% in 2024 (as compared to 5 8% globally).” ERM suggested thatthelowinflationratesin Guyana can be attributed to factors that include increasing oil production, whichprovidedrevenueand energy security as indicated by the Inter-American DevelopmentBank(IDB)in 2023 Further, the study pointed to the key roles of government in buffering the impacts from inflation. It states, “Additionally, the
Government of Guyana implemented subsidies and price controls on targeted goods to help mitigate imported inflation
Measures such as cash grants, fuel subsidies, and support for the agricultural sector helped stabilize food andenergypriceslocallyand further insulate Guyanese consumersfromhighercosts faced globally (Ministry of Finance2023).”
Stakeholders not feeling GDPgrowth
Meanwhile, ERM said several stakeholders in separate int
ws indicated experiencing higher prices in a short period of time in Guyana. This was particularly concerning for consumers who are yet to see the economic benefits of the massive growth in Gross DomesticProduct(GDP)the country has recorded since 2019.
Based on its assessment, the consultant found that food prices have recorded the greatest levels of inflation, particularly condiments/spices, vegetables / vegetable products, meat, fish, eggs, andpulses.
The EIA however
Agriculture, hospitality industries will service debt, float economy post oil -
VicePresidentBharrat
Jagdeo has assured Guyanese that once the country'soilindustryends, non-oil sectors like agriculture and hospitality will be able to service the country's debt and keep the economy afloat.
Jagdeo
Duringhisweeklypressconference lastThursday, Kaieteur News enquired about the non-oil sectors the government is currently investing in which the country could depend on to service debt and keep the economy afloatpostoil?
“So,wehaveidentifiedseveralnew growth polls, right, and we have identifiedtheseascreatingthewealthof the future. So, one of the growth polls would be agriculture, expansion of agriculture, major and agro industry, and that is why you've seen a lot of investments in terms of policy, infrastructure, and co-investments to expandthissector Webelievewehave great advantages in this area, because wehavealotoffreshwaterresources,”
heexplained.
About 80 per cent of the world is water stressed, however Guyana has a lot of water and arable land; two key ingredients for agriculture and will contribute to the country's massive exportsinthisarea.
For this reason, the government is heavily focused on food security, not just for Guyana, but the CARICOM region.
“The second area is hospitality
industry and eco-tourism.We believe, with the 12 new hotels here, and with promotionofeco-tourismnow,weare looking to expand that. This could create a massive sustainable flow of revenuetothetreasuryandalsocreate income for private people and job opportunitiesforthem,”Jagdeoadded.
explained, “The Bank of Guyana and other regional institutions acknowledge thatthistrendisnotuniqueto Guyana (Bank of Guyana 2024; IDB 2023). Based on the national Urban Consumer Price Index, food pricesrosebyapproximately 50 percent between March 2021 and March 2024 (Bureau of Statistics 2024). In contrast to the escalating price of food, price indices f o r h o u s i n g a n d transportation/communicati on in Guyana (specifically the Georgetown urban area) have been relatively stable since2020(BankofGuyana 2024).”
Thegovernmentbelievesthatsome of the gas that will be available once the Gas-to-Energy project comes on stream, will industrialise the country and use minerals like bauxite to move to“higherformsofvalueadded.'
According to Jagdeo, Information and Communication (ICT) is another sectorthatwillbeusefulasamajorarea “fornotjusttomaketheeconomymore productive, but also to ensure that we can,wecanexportthisasaservice.So, thesearelikejustafewoftheareasthat yeah, these are just a few of the areas that we we're working in the other sectorsoftheeconomy.”
With the falling oil prices and the ramped-uprateatwhichoperatorofthe (Continuedonpage09)
In concluding, the documentnotedthatprojectrelated potential impact will be focused on the Georgetown area as the national hub for goods and services, as well as for shorebases and services that support EMGL's offshore activities.
Further, project-related economicactivitywilloccur throughout the Project's life cycle- estimated for at least 20 years- which will yield long-termpotentialimpacts.
Map showing the location of the Hammerhead project in the Stabroek Block
VicePresident, Bharrat Jagdeo
KaieteurNews
24SaffonStreet, Charlestown,Georgetown,Guyana.
Publisher:GLENNLALL-Tel:624-6456
Editor-in-Chief:NigelWilliams
Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491. Fax: 225-8473, 226-8210
EDITORIAL
Death of access to information
In recent weeks, media workers and other rights activists have been picketing the office of the Commissioner of Information in protest of the nonfunctioning of that State agency and the lack of accountabilityandtransparencybytheofficeholder,Senior Counsel,CharlesRamson.
The response by President Irfaan was typical, "I have seen a few persons, most of whom are opposition critics, whoarethereprotesting.Ihaveseenthatimage.Butifyou look at who is out there and the agenda, it tells a different storytothepublic,”StabroekNewsreported.
Guyana has known no other commissioner of information since the Access to Information Act was enacted here in 2011. Ramson, a former attorney general hasbeenatotalfailure,deliveringnothingtoGuyanesewho seek the services of his office, but the current administration seems unbothered. This is probably not surprising to many especially those in the media because the PPP/C has been notorious for ducking and hiding important information from the public and someone like Ramsonistheperfectservantfortheirpolicy
It must be recalled that for Guyana to even get to the place where it has a Freedom of Information Act took tremendous lobbying and even protest. It is disappointing though, that to even get the act to work requires another roundofprotest.ThePPP/CespeciallyBharratJagdeohas longseenfreedomofinformationasathreat,hisrecordof suppressing media freedoms, threatening and insulting journalists and media houses is well documented Throughout his tenure, although it was under his presidencytheactcameintobeing,hedidnothingtoensure that it worked. Today, amidst all the global spotlight on Guyanaandtheadministrationboastsofbeingtransparent, we have in place, a defective FOI act and an obdurate commissioner that ensures the death freedom of information.
It is very unfortunate that in this age, we have leaders insistingonuntrammeledfreedomofactionforthemselves. However,theexperienceofcountriesthathaveenactedthe legislation for a while now, such as Canada, has demonstratedthatonthewhole,thegovernanceoftheState isenhanced.
Steven Langdon, a former Canadian MPand who had directexperiencewiththelegislationinCanadahadthisto say in a paper titled 'Transparency and Good governance theroleoffreedomofinformationlawsinCanada,'
“Improved governance has become an important goal ofStatereforminrecentyears.Internationaldevelopment theory has increasingly recognised that the effectiveness with which resources are allocated, the responsiveness to publicprioritiesandtheintegrityofStatefinancialsystems are all fundamental to poverty reduction and economic development. In turn, transparency has become a central defining characteristic of improved governance; open, participatory and accountable governments are what will help bring about stronger economic performance and greater social solidarity, by encouraging integrity and citizenengagement,therebybuildingthesocialcapitalthat theorists like Robert Putnam identify as bringing communities together and making democracy work. Yet transparency does not grow automatically As the World Bank Institute has noted, “openness can be embarrassing forgovernmentsandpublicservantsattimes,buttherecord should suggest to political representatives that openness and transparency are also crucial in the areas of effective financialmanagement,successfulpolicycoordination,and integrity-building.”
HeunderscoredthatthecorethinkingforFOILawsis the philosophy that all governmental work and actions shouldbeopentoacountry'scitizens,sincethosecitizens represent the basis of the government; their full
In our residency cases, the Courts ignored the intention of the legislature and the interpretation of executing agencies
DearEditor, In the case filed by Christopher Ram to block the 2019 house-to-house registration exercise, Justice George ruled (at paragraph 145 of her decision) that “Residency is only important in the context of identifyingwhereonewould be registered to vote, that is tosay,foradeterminationof one's polling place or station.” She concluded therefore that residency was p u r e l y f o r c r o w d management and was not an additional qualification to become an elector as permitted under Article 159(2)(c) of Guyana's constitution. Moreover, in her latest decision in the Carol Smith-Joseph case, she ruled that even for this particular management task, GECOMisnotauthorizedto verify that you live where you say you live. GECOM must assign you to a polling
place based only on the addressyouprovide(evenif you do not live there). This ruling, as she herself conceded, has rendered our electionlawsabsurd.
But, in this letter, I am mostly concerned with the reasoningbehindthejudge's ruling on residency in the 2019 Ram case, now having more thoroughly reviewed thewrittendecision.Igather from her explanation that, first, the references to residency in our electoral laws lack the fulness or completeness found in similar legislation in some Caribbean countries –which, for example, spells out the number of years a person must reside in the country immediately before the qualifying date The absenceofsuchdetailsinour residency laws, the Judge concluded, was of great significance; it meant that our laws did not belong to
participation in all decision-making requires such access to complete information, and governments should be doing nothingthatcannotbejustifiedandexplainedopenly
This concept, he said must be recognised, represents a complete turnaround in traditional concepts of governance that were based on State control over information, and the notion of an elite making decisions based on knowledge whichcannotbesharedwiththepublic.
In his paper, Langdon also drew attention to the new approachreflectedinArticle19oftheInternationalCovenant onCivilandPoliticalRights,inwhichtherighttoinformation is established as part of the guarantee of freedom of expression.Article19tiesFreedomofInformationtightlyto themostfundamentalpersonalfreedomsintheconstellation of human rights, freedom of opinion and expression: “Everyone has the right to the freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.”
This,hesaid,representedthephilosophicframeworkthat justifiedthefightforaccesstoinformation.Inpracticalterms, the drive for FOI has come from a series of considerations such as media freedom, which generates considerable pressuretobeabletoaccessallavailabledocuments,soasto enforceaccountabilityandexplaindecisionstoreaders.There is the corporate sector that has often sought information on whichtoraisechallengestotheincreasingrangeofregulatory rulings to which firms are subject in addition to specific environmentalconsiderations,withtheircomplexanalysesof effectsandtheirwebsofunexpectedconsequences.
As observed by Langdon and is currently the situation here, the expansion of civil society groups has also led to increasingly organized efforts to influence decisions, and information access has been needed to succeed in those efforts. Here in Guyana, access to information is also tied to anti-corruptionconcerns,therefore,establishingprinciplesof transparency and participation within society can serve as a countertocorruptpractices.
Itisourhopethatratherthanlabelingtheongoingprotest at Ramson's office as political and trying to distance the executive from the abysmal performance of the commissioner,PresidentAliwouldcauseaninquirytobeheld intohisworkandensurethattheofficeoftheCommissioner ofInformationceasesfrombeinganotherhangoutspotforone ofthePPP'sbigwigs.
Residency qualification laws,theJudgeseemedtobe tellingus,mustbewrittenin a certain prescribed manner to claim their existence. If not, we are not just dealing with bad legal drafting Instead, we have a situation where they lose their entire ess
d become something else. In this case, they become polling station allocationrules.
What strikes me as missing from this explanation are (i) the longstanding intention of our parliament (the maker and writeroftheresidencylaws), (ii) the understanding of GECOM and the National Registration Centre (the State agencies responsible for implementing the laws), and the deference courts should accord to their interpretation, and (iii) the previous interpretations of our Courts themselves. All three missing elements (despite the stated lack of resemblance to typical Caribbean residency laws) pointed to the undisputed acceptance of our residency laws not only for polling stationallocation,butalsoas a qualification a voter must possess To reverse this establishedorderwouldtake more than an abstract argument based on the terseness of our residency laws.
Secondly, I gather from her ruling that the Canadian case Frank & Duong v Attorney-GeneralofCanada [2019], which she referenced, appeared to influenceherinthedirection that no residency requirement is a good thing inandofitself. Inthatcase, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that nonresidentsmayvotenomatter (Continueonpage5)
Time for a change at the GPF and MoHA
DearEditor, C R G e x t e n d s condolences to the Families affected by the recent police shootings.Itisneverpleasant for a parent to bury a child. Manyinoursocietyarenow calling for a change in the leadership of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) and the Ministry of Home Affairs. The recent excessive use of force that has resulted in death, the high level of corruptionintheGPFandthe continued poor discipline on the roads that reinforces the poorperceptionofthepolice must be stopped. The Police Commissioner and the Minister with responsibility for Home Affairs must be held accountable and CRG callsuponthegovernmentto have them take a leave of absence while a thorough review of the GPF is conducted. The Police are not carrying out their responsibilities in a professional manner and their procedures are not being followed. Misconduct has become rampant and the force is losing the support and respect of the communities they have been serving.
Itisinthebestinterestof the force that immediate changes are made so as to
regain the trust and the support of the communities whereourofficersserve.We must remove the bad apples within the GPF and we must provide them with stronger and better leadership. This will enable the GPF and all Guyanese to recreate a supportive environment "where all people are preventing crime and building a safer and secure Guyana". Reference: GPF's website.
Everyone knows that we are not to kill each other, especially in circumstances where our own lives are not at risk. By having mutual respectforeachother'slives, we can ensure that no one loses a loved one due to violence. There was a time when the police would react to physical threats or even armed threats that required forcewithashotintheleg.It appears that this has been replaced with a shoot to kill approach that lacks justification in many instances. The police have procedures outlining under what circumstances force is required and what kind of force should be used in each instance. These procedures must be respected and followed.Theywerecreated (Continueonpage5)
We must remember: it was the workers who lit the torch that led us out of the darkness of colonialism
DearEditor,
The United Workers Party's declaration that it would dissolve workers' organisations within its first 100 days in office, should it form the next government, demands a serious national conversation. It compels us to revisit the central role of thetradeunionmovementin
s h a p i n g G u y a n a ' s
development, and to questionwhetherapartythat openly threatens the institutions built by and for theworkingclassdeservesto seek, let alone receive, our vote.
Hubert Nathaniel
Critchlow, an African Guyanese and one of our officially recognised National Heroes, is the FatherofTradeUnionismin the British Empire. In 1905, atjust21yearsold,hebegan organising waterfront workers to demand dignity and justice in their working conditionsandtheirlives.
Fourteen years later, his
efforts led to the passage of theTrade Unions Ordinance (1919), legally recognising tradeunionsforthefirsttime in the British Caribbean.
This was not just a bureaucratic milestone it marked the beginning of a seismic shift in Guyanese society The trade union movement became the first mass-based social force, predatingeventheformation of political parties like the People's Progressive Party (PPP) in 1950 and People's National Congress (PNC) in 1957.
Critchlow lived and led in an era of imperial domination.Asablue-collar worker with no formal education beyond Fourth Standard (Grade Six today), he was the embodiment of thecoloniallyoppressed.Yet his intellect, vision, and strengthofcharacterenabled him to command the attention and respect of white colonial officials, including the Governor
himself.Thathe,withsofew resources and so many obstacles,helpedsetGuyana onaprogressivepathspeaks volumesabouthischaracter, and about the power of organisedlabour
There is no Guyanese today in high office, no businessowner,employer,or manager, whose success is nottiedtothefoundationlaid bytheworkingclass.Weare, in the main, descendants of
disenfranchised.
Thefightforrecognition, equality, and justice began with workers standing together,anditisafightthat continues,evenastheactors andtacticschange.
respectively It was labour, notpolitics,thatfirstdaredto envision a just society: one where workers and citizens wouldruletheirowndestiny
This conference laid the groundwork for the region's quest for social, economic, political, civil, and cultural self-determination.
AsProfessorJamesRose noted during the 80th anniversary of that conference in 2006, the Labour Movement's demandsincluded:
Socio-economic rights: Legal protection for unions, peaceful picketing, a 40hour work week, minimum wage, old age pensions, and nationalhealthinsurance.
education. Economic justice: State ownershipofpublicutilities, landreform,andcooperative marketingforfarmers.
The late Ashton Chase, trade unionist, attorney, and co-founder of the PPP, remindedusthatCritchlow's vision extended to the formation of a Caribbean Labour Federation, prison reform,theabolitionofchild labour, and electoral reform—includinguniversal adult suffrage (one-manone-vote), a goal only fully realisedin1953.
notonlyfordockworkersbut also represented East Indian sugar workers, earning their admirationandthenickname “BlackCrosby,”anodtohis fierce advocacy, which mirrored that of James Crosby, the Immigration Agent-General He respected the rights of all workers—regardless of race or ethnicity—and stood in solidarity w
stevedores to the sugar fields.
T
In 1926, when Hubert Critchlow and fellow Caribbean labour leaders gatheredinGeorgetownfora historic conference, Cheddi Jagan and Forbes Burnham were just children eight and three ye
Political rights: Federation, universal adult suffrage, limits on colonial governors, and free c
y
ld,
In our residency cases, the Courts ignoredthe intention...
Frompage4 how long they have lived outsideofCanada.Tellingly, the several examples from theCaribbeanthattheJudge cited showed that several other countries do not share Canada's open house approach. It is paradoxical that the brevity with which the Guyana residency laws are written (without any stated obligation to disclose where you lived and for how long prior to the qualifying date) producesanoutcomesimilar to Canada's. An overseas Guyanesecanflyinanytime before an election and register and vote. So, the absence of the expected wording in our residency laws may be exactly what our political stakeholders andlawmakersintended.
Thirdly,JudgeGeorgein her 2019 decision,
understandablyfussedabout t h e p o s s i b l e disenfranchisement that fresh H2H registration or verification could produce should residency be an additional qualification to vote Yes, re-registration places some onus on registrants, which in and of itselfcouldbeacceptedonce agreatergoodisachieved(as itnormallyis). Intherecent past, we have had such exercises in 1997, 2001 and 2008 Did the feared disenfranchisement occur?
The extremely high registration and voter turnoutnumberssuggestnot. In any event, it would have been useful for the judge to have sought evidence from GECOM if, as she thought, the matter carried importance.
Courtsareencouragedto interpret a statute in a way
that avoids raising constitutional problems or producing absurd results. Our two local courts have interpretedourelectionlaws inamannerthatundermines constitutional design, representative democracy, local government, electoral integrity, and public confidence. In this regard, a recent letter by Vincent Alexander should be required reading. Had they respected the intentions of our parliament and the established interpretation of our election and registration agencies – instead of their ownbeliefofwhatresidency qualification legislation should look like-- the country would not face the prospectofhavingoneofits most contentious elections ever
Sincerely,
SherwoodLowe
It is vital to understand: before there were votes, therewerevoices.Andthose voicesweretheworkerswho fought for the right to vote, starting in 1926 under the leadershipofCritchlow
As a fighter for workers' upliftment,Critchlowfought
movementshatteredcolonial illusionsofracialsuperiority and economic inevitability It gave birth to our democracy, our rights, and ournationhood.
To und
ne or dissolve that legacy is not justpoliticalmalpractice;it (Continueonpage16)
Time for a change at the...
Frompage4 to keep the GPF and those they serve safe. It is the responsibility of the leadership of the GPF to ensure that our officers follow these procedures Every time there is a breach in procedures their ability to lead comes into question. Unfortunately, there have been too many instances of this occurring and the GPF nowalsoreeksofcorruption thanks to the hundreds of charges brought against a high-ranking officer under the current leaderships' watch.
CRG also calls for the building of the new 12 story police headquarters to be halted until we are sure that the officers in charge are of the quality of character, we need to create an honest society where the citizens and the police can work together peacefully and in harmonytokeepoursociety safe. The current perception of the force sends a very different message. It is one that brings anger and strife. Our people are your people and this difference must
make it possible to find solutions to disagreements andconflictsthatdonotend inthelossoflife.Wearenow independent and free from colonial rule. It would be folly for us to take on the ways of an oppressor who would take our lives away easily When you see a man who looks like you, you shouldbeabletoreasonwith eachother Ifnootheroption exists the choice must be to preserve your own life and thosewhoselivesareatrisk. However,thetakingofalife mustnotbethefirstoption.It is someone's child and this perspective should be considered by all those involved.
I remember when there wasaseriouscrimewavein the country under President Burnham. A criminal was sentenced to three years in prisonforstealingfruitfrom someone else's tree. The crimeinthecountrydropped shortlyafter.Todaywehave criminals being released for littering and being given high paying jobs while the littering and garbage piles up, and there is little to no
regard for the cleanliness of our surroundings The attitude that this develops is one where the rule of law is disregardedbyallthosewho liveinsuchanenvironment. Does Guyana have to resort topubliccaningastheydoin Singaporeinordertorestore the rule of law? We must expect and demand better from ourselves and those aroundus.Itwillhelpchange attitudes and improve the appreciationfortheliveswe have and the lives of others. Our leaders and those leadingtheGPFmustsetthe example and do better It is timeforachange!
Regards JamilChanglee
Sexual Violence Affects Boys Too
DearEditor, "Whenachildisabused, the silence of adults is its ownkindofviolence."
—JeanetteWinterson
Aroundtheworld,1in13 boys experiences sexual abuse Many more are exploited or exposed to inapp
materials.Theseexperiences have long-term negative consequences on boys' health and well-being, with effectsthatripplethroughout society
Globally,sexualabuseis apainfulandpersistentissue that affects children of all backgrounds However, while girls are more frequently identified as victims, the sexual abuse of b o y s i s
ver
d hidden beneath layers of stigma, socio-cultural norms, and a lack of institutional and familysupport.
Sexual violence against b
frequentlydisregarded.Boys are often taught from a young age to be tough, selfreliant, and unemotional This social conditioning
makes it difficult for male survivors to come forward. Shame, fear of not being believed, and concern about being labeled as weak or confused about their sexuality often lead to silence.
Inmanycases,theabuse iscommittedbysomeonethe child knows family members, neighbours, teachers, or trusted community figures. These perpetrators often use manipulation, threats, or grooming techniques to maintain control and secrecy.Boys,likegirls,can be coerced, exploited, and emotionally damaged by sexualabuse.
The long-term effects of sexual abuse on boys can include anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, substance abuse, suicidal thoughts, difficulty forming healthy relationships, and involvement in petty to serious crimes Because malesurvivorsarelesslikely to access therapy or support services, their trauma often goes untreated. The lack of recognition of male victimhood can also cause
boystointernalizetheirpain, leading to behavioral issues, aggression, or school dropouts.Insomecases,they may come into conflict with the law—especially when their emotional distress is m i s u n d e r s t o o d o r misdiagnosed.
C h i l d L i n K , i n collaboration with the Child Advocacy Centres, has supported and received reports from over 400 boys who have experienced sexualabuse.Wearenowin the fourth year of the global campaign Blue Umbrella Day (BUD)—an initiative dedicated to raising awareness about the unique ways we can better care for andprotectboysfromsexual violence.
BlueUmbrellaDayisled byFamilyforEveryChild,a UK-based global network, and is supported by 51 countries working together to haveApril 16th officially recognized as the International Day for ProtectingBoysfromSexual Abuse. Want to help make a change?
SupporttheBUD (Continueonpage16)
BLUNT BLUNT
Natural Resources Ministry now Exxon's mouth-piece
The Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) on Saturday found time to respond to an article published by Kaieteur News on April 6, 2025 where the publication warned that an oil spill can hit this country's shorelines before a capping stack successfully plugs a leaking well.
One would believe that this agency, funded by taxpayers, would have the best interest of Guyanese at heart but even if it chooses to represent Exxon Mobil, that it would be balanced in its approach.
The Ministry conveniently found time to defend the oil giant, which is well able to do so for itself, but has failed to respond to other pressing articles published by the same newspaper, relating the third audit of the company's expenses and another on the release of the final audit report for the second review of the oil giant's US-multibillion costs - to name a few.
It is time for the Ministry to give up the role of Exxon's mouth-piece and instead do what it is supposed to do.
Police seemed intent on Ronaldo Peters dying - says PNCR will support families of murdered men
Opposition Leader
AubreyNortonsaidfromall indications, it would appear that the police officers who placed 21-year-old Ronaldo Petersinthebusafterhewas shotlastweekwantedhimto die; a move he cannot comprehend.
The People's National Congress Reform (PNCR) leader visited the homes of Peters and fellow Lindener KeonFogenayonMondayto offersupporttothefamilies.
The two men were shot hours apart last week in the mining town. Peters, a fatherofone,waskilledlast Monday evening by police sergeant Michael Kendall, whosaidthattheyoungman waswantedforrape.Kendall had claimed that in an attempt to arrest Peters, his firearm went off. However, surveillance footage which showed him running behind Peters with a gun,
counteracted the police's claim Shortly after, the police officer was seen fetching the injured man by hisclothes.
The shooting death evoked a massive protest in the township on Tuesday, where 32-year-old Fogenay, a bystander, was shot in the eye and killed by another policerank.
During a telephone interview on Monday with the Kaieteur News, Norton said he spoke with residents in the area who shared details of what took place after Peters was shot last Mondayevening.
“One of the things I found very interesting today isthatIwastoldthatafterthe boy (Ronaldo Peters) was shot,thepolicetooktheboy andcarryhimtothehomeof some girl they alleged he raped, and then before they carryhimtothehospital.So,
itbecamecleartomethat… ifyouknowyoushootaman, you put he in a vehicle and youcarryinghetoverifythat thisistheperson,beforeyou carryhetothehospital.They wereintentonhimdying…I got that out of the people in the area there today, and I found that interesting, because I didn't see the (need),” he told this publication.
New Parika Port to include marina for tourism activities – Pres. Ali
President Irfaan Ali has announced that thenewParikaFerryStellingandWaterfront Development Project set for Region Three will include the construction of a marina to supportthecountry'stourismsector
The President made this announcement while engaging residents at the Hydronie MarkettarmaconFridayevening.Hewasat time speaking of the planned projects his governmentwillsoonexecuteintheregion.
Specifically talking about the new modern port for Parika, the President said with a tender already out for the project and bids scheduled to opened in May, the governmentislookingtohavethefirstphase oftheprojectbeginbeforeJulythisyear
“Wearegoingtolaunchthefirstphaseof convertingParikaStellingintoaport.Aport that will ship directly to the region and the firstphaseofthatproject,thetenderswillbe opened on the 2nd of May and we hope that constructioninthefirstphasewillcommence longbeforeJuly,”hementioned.
The Head-of-State said that at the new port facility, various sectors including logging, mining and farming, would benefit fromtheabilitytoshipdirectlyfromParikato theCaribbean.
“Buttosupporttheport,wealsohaveto invest in some key infrastructure here. So, youwillhaveCustomsandImmigration,you will have a modern Fire Service, a modern Coast Guard, a modern Police Service but importantly to support our farmers, we will investinamodernstoragefacility,amodern processing facility, a modern and an important cold storage facility to extend the lifespanofyourcrops,”hetoldresidents.
This port, which will pave way for new opportunities, the President announced that in the planned phases, it will bring with it a marinafortourismactivities.
Whilehepreferrednotto delve too deeply into details ofthediscussions,hesaidhe is aware of one event which one of the families has planned and that the PNC/R willparticipate.However,he preferred the family, rather than himself or his party members,toprovideupdates ontheeventsbeingplanned, lest persons suggest it is for politicalgain.
N o r t o n w a s accompanied by Regional Chairman, Deron Adams and His Worship, Deputy MayorDominiqueBlair
The families of the two men have already been bolstered with legal support from attorney-at-law Dr DexterToddandhavebegun submitting statements to investigatorsoftheRegional
Man
on
Leader of the Opposition Aubrey Norton during the engagement with the families
SecuritySystem(RSS).
On Sunday, Todd held talks with Linden Mayor, Sharma Solomon, before he met with the relatives of the men who were killed:
men.
bail for allegedly assaulting child's mother
A40-year-oldmanwasplacedon$25,000 bail on Monday, when he appeared at the GeorgetownMagistrates'Courttoanswertoa chargeofassault.
Kaieteur News reported that a tender for thefirstphaseoftheproject-theconstruction of concrete pile foundation, land reclamation,andstellingdecksuperstructure works-waspublished.
The project which falls under the MinistryofPublicWork'scapitalprogramme for the year, forms parts of the $9.9 billion that was budgeted to the agency to improve thecountry'srivertransportationservice
Kaieteur News also reported that the upgrading of the stelling is to facilitate the arrivalofthenewRegionalFerryServicethat issaidtooperatetoGuyanafromParika.
PresidentAli,attheopeningceremonyof th the 46 Regular Meeting of the Heads of Governments of CARICOM in February 2024,saidthatGuyana,TrinidadandTobago andBarbadoswillsoonlaunchaferryservice aimed at improving intra-regional transportation.
The Parika Stelling, which borders the Essequibo River, does not only serve as a passengerloadingandoffloadingarea,butis also a waterfront where farmers take their producefromthehinterlandtosell.
According to him, “Amarina so that we can have boats utilizing the marina here in Parika to support the tourism sector so you will have sailing, boating in the Essequibo River,wewillmakethefacilitytoensurethat itcanaccommodatecruiselinerscominginto Parika so that the Essequibo tourism circuit can be further explored and the tourism opportunitythatwillcomewiththat.”
TaishanShankswaschargedforallegedly assaulting Racquel Williams, the mother of his child on April 14, 2025 at 36 Princess Street, Georgetown. Shanks pleaded not guiltytothechargewhichwasreadtohimby SeniorMagistrateFabayoAzore.
He was represented by Attorney-at-law JermaineJarvis,whotoldthecourtthatonthe
day of the incident, his client and Williams had an argument, during which Shanks advisedhischild'smothertotakethecarand go for a drive to 'cool off'. Jarvis said the women left in a rage, threatening that she would be making a report to the police. He saidhisclientwaslatercharged.
Theprosecutiondidnotobjecttobail,but requestedthatthedefendantmakenocontact with Williams. Magistrate Azore granted Shanksbail.Heisscheduledtoreturntocourt onMay12,2025.
Landscaper on bail for
allegedly harming man
A59-year-oldlandscaperwasreleasedon $25,000 bail on Monday, when he appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates' Court to answer a charge of assault causing actual bodilyharm.
Murtland Cameron of Lot 59 Station Street,Kitty,Georgetown,waschargedwith assaultingDanielIwuamadionApril2,2025 at Survival Snackette on Vlissengen Road, Georgetown.
Cameronpleadedguiltywithexplanation after the charge was read to him by Senior MagistrateFabayoAzore.
IwuamaditoldthecourtthatCameronhit himwithawood.
Magistrate Azore recorded a not guilty pleaafterhearingCameron'sexplanation.He was granted bail and will return to court on May12,2025.
Hetoldthecourtthateverydayhewould go to the snackette to make several purchases. On the day in question, he said Iwuamadi began to abuse him verbally Cameron said that a family member of Iwuamadialsoattackedhimwithabottle.He laterattemptedtofileapolicereport,butthe rank at the station refused to take his statement.
President Irfaan Ali
Ronaldo Peters and Keon Fogenay In a statement, Solomon said Dr Todd met with some family members and witnesses of the shootingofboth
By the time the first
container ship from
China the Liu Lin
Hai—steamed into a port in Seattle in 1979, filled with Chinese-made goods, historywasbeingmade.This voyagewashistoricbecause it was the first time in 30 years that a Chinese container vessel had docked intheUnitedStates.
America had already begun its slow, inexorable waltz with the East. It was not love at first sight. It was necessity, expedience, and, perhaps, the quiet hope that the dragons of the East would learn to purr like kittens of the West. What emerged, however, was something neither nation quite foresaw: a binding economic symbiosis, both complex and fragile, which no bluster or bravado, even from Donald Trump, can easilyuntangle.
It is now 2025, and once again,theUnitedStatesflirts with the idea of decoupling from China a word as smooth as silk but as heavy as iron It is a notion favoured by President Donald Trump and echoed bysomeinWashington,who dream of factories returning to American soil, of supply chains shorter and nearer, and of a world no longer reliantonBeijing'sindustry
Yet this dream is curiouslyblindtoreality To attempt such a decoupling now is akin to pulling apart Siamese twins joined not merely at the hip, but at the brainandthewallet.
The American and
Of Silk and Steel
Chinese economies are not adversaries locked in a wrestling match; they are partners in a strange and delicate ballet. Consider the iPhone, a gadget that has becomeasessentialasshoes and spectacles. Designed in California, its parts are sourced from South Korea, Japan, Germany, and yes—assembled in China. Peel away the layers of aluminumandglass,andyou findnotaproductofasingle nation, but a global artifact. It is stamped “Designed in America” and “Made in China” not out of whim, but because no other route delivers both efficiency and affordabilitytotheAmerican consumer.
This is not a story of a one-way street. China, too, needs the United States. It needs access to American t e c h n o l o g y , i t s semiconductor innovations, its agricultural exports. In 2024, China imported some US$27 5B in agricultural commoditiesfromtheUSA, second only to Mexico Chinese factories depend on American soybeans, Boeing airplanes, and software systems. The vast web of mutual need binds the two nations tighter than any treatycouldeverhopetodo.
Trump's effort to curb China's ascent to throw sand in the gears of its economic machine through tariffs, bans, and sanctions—was built on a premisebothunderstandable and shortsighted. The desire to protect American manufacturing is a noble
Dem Boys Seh...
one The wish to retain technological superiority is rooted in prudence. But the means blunt instruments of policy wielded with the subtletyofahammer—have often done more harm than good. If China, Mexico and Canadagettogetherandstop buying US agricultural commodities,thefoodsector intheUSAwillcollapse.
But the reality of economic integration is also cultural, educational, even a
students crowd the halls of American universities, bringing not only billions in tuition revenue but also fostering human ties that endure long after diplomas are printed American brands Nike, Apple, Starbucks—carry symbolic weight in Chinese cities, fo
nal connections that transcend mere commerce It is difficult,ifnotimpossible,to reduce such relationships to a ledger about trade deficits orseverthemwithadecree.
Topretendthattheriseof China can be arrested by tariffs is to misunderstand both the nature of modern economiesandthetrajectory of history China's ascent is not theft; it is evolution. It has moved from a land of sweatshops to a nation of innovation. Its engineers no longer merely imitate—they invent. Look at what it has done with DeepSeek. Its companies now compete at the high end of the market. Artificial intelligence, electric vehicles, renewable energy: these are the new
Is dogs and cats running de country now
Dem boys seh Guyana waiting pon de census to find out if de population grow or shrink.Butwhiledemcountingpeople,dogs andcatsdonetekover!
Every corner yuh turn, one skinny dog limping cross de road or one pregnant cat peepin' from a drain Dem animals multiplyingfasterthanelectionpromises.
Dem boys seh de stray animal population might soon be de only thing in Guyanagrowingfuhsure.Atthisrate,dogs gon start forming village councils and cats gonbeapplyingfuhhouselots.
People deh worrying if more people lef decountrythancomein.Butwhatfuhworry whenstraydogsalreadysettingupbaseinde cityanddecountryside?Onelilpuppyfrom lastyeardonehavepuppiesdisyear.Andde mother cat from de corner shop now got grandchildren.Isgenerationsoffour-legged squatterslivingrentfree.
Dem boys seh de government still can't releasedecensus.Butdestrayanimalsdon't need no census. Just walk down Regent StreetorpassbyStabroekandyuhgonseea whole new voting bloc forming — Dog
frontiers,andChinaisracing toward them, not trailing behind.
The wiser path for the UnitedStatesisnottoretreat into economic nationalism, but to double down on its own strengths: education, innovation, and supply chains. It is to invest in its people, its infrastructure, and its institutions. It is to compete not by walling off the competition, but by outpacingitintheopenfield. The ColdWar taught us that isolation breeds stagnation. Engagement, however difficult,breedsprogress.
between the U S and Chinese economies is not a trap—itisanexampleofthe inter-connectedness of our world. It is the result of decadesofchoices,bargains, and compromises made by companies and consumers alike.
Trump's policies risk being remembered not as boldstrokes,butasmissteps. They are misguided efforts toreversethetidebyerecting wallsafterthebreacheshave occurred.
Americamustremember that its strength lies not in building barriers. The road ahead
domination but coexistence, not about exclusion but evolution.Andthat,perhaps, is the real challenge—not to fightChina,buttogrowwith it,wiselyandwell.Butdon't tell that to Trump; he is simply stone deaf to such sentiments (The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinionsofthisnewspaper.)
Agriculture, hospitality industries will...
Frompage3 Stabroek Block ExxonMobil has been pumping Guyana's crude definitely shorteningthelifeoftheindustry,therehave been questions on what the country's economywilllooklikepostoil.
LatSeptember,Jagdeotoldthemediathat the investments the government is currently making in infrastructure will prepare the country to sustain its economy after oil has beenexhausted.
He explained that the power plant will
facilitate lower rates for electricity and will therefore create the atmosphere to move further into the manufacturing sector
Building more farm-to-market roads and processing facilities like tissue culture labs will allow for further progression of the agriculture sector “So you have to plan for thedaywhenoilisnolongeravailableordoes not generate the same sort of income that it willgeneratesayaboutthreeyearsfromnow becausewearenotatpeakrevenuefromoilas yet,”theVPnoted.
PartyandCatCoalition.
Is time fuh serious action De government need to launch a national neuteringandspayingprogramme.Justfuh deanimals.
Orbetteryet,demboyssehparentsmust stop giving bicycle and toy gun for Christmasandstartgivingapetinstead.Let lil Johnny tek care of Fluffy and Rover insteadofcussingdemandpeltingdemwith biscuitpaper
Dis is not just bout aesthetics. Is bout publichealth,decency,andhowwetreating creatures dat depending on we. If we cyan tekcareofdeweakestamongwe,thenwhat kindasocietywebuilding?
Demboysseh,ifleffso,isnotmangon inherit de earth in Guyana — is de strays. And when dat happen, is dem dogs gon be voting and dem cats gon be counting de ballot.
Tek warning! Spay and neuter now, before de meow and bow-bow tek over parliament.Orhavetheyalreadydoneso… judgingfromthesoundofthings. Talkhalf.Leffhalf.
Rogue cops – only a few around
On each occasion that I hear the platitude of 'there're only a few rogue cops' an angry shout has to be suppressed. A few rogue cops only, stand as a copout. It pushes a crisis condition into cartoonish region
People can fool themselves, are free to play these games with whomever parties (no pun embedded) along those lines. For emphasis: the assertion of 'a few rogue cops only' has no relation to Guyanese reality, is a hodgepodge of tomfoolery,
insipidity, and what Guyanese rightly label as stupidee.
I beg to separate from this standard, and encourage fellow citizens: Follow me.
I recommend thisjourneyfor all Guyanese, be they true patriotic believers, pretenders, anxiety attack sufferers,orverbaltricksters.
When the ordinary constable on the street shakes down a citizen under some easy convenience, he does so not just for himself.
The words of the corporal or
sergeant manning the supervisor's desk back in the
o f f i c e s h a r i n g o u t assignments ring with the menace of a bounty hunter: 'mekshoreyuhcumbakwith good news.' Good news means that the constable had a good shift because the shakedowns were good and hearty
Thedeskofficer,inturn, needs no reminding that the one above him is waiting for hispieceoftheaction.
It could be traffic duties, or that other lucrative one among many others. To check on and manage properly reports of noise nuisance. Go through the motions of removing plugs from power outlets, or what looks like wires, while the pocket is heavier than when the offending business establishment was first entered.
There is a protocol in the sequence of these matters, what is now fixed Guyanese culture Fixup with management and the noise nuisance complaint is
miraculously fixed. Some fixes, those turn out to be, when 15 minutes afterwards (or less), the music returns like just before the Titanic picked a fight with an iceberg. Itendedupwiththe oceanfloorasarestingplace for its troubles. Traffic and titanic volumes of music are onlytwoofthemorepopular exploits practised by what I amtoldarea'fewroguecops only.' Notsofast,comrades; thatlineisolderthanthePPP and PNC combined, and just as tricky as the two of them. There is more of the same blend, involving this patented falsehood of a 'few rogue cops only.' Few only, sowhyworry?
Before I go forward, it must be noted that politicians,whetherrulingor in the running for ruling, can only come down so hard on the police. Come down too roughly on the group, and its members are discovered to possess a special giftmemories longer than an elephant and a crocodile combined. The result of this
awareness by both sides in this shaky formula is there is this fancy dance step about a few rogue cops only The police get to keep its socalled integrity; the political craftsmen get to hold onto their prospects by seemingly doingtheirduty
I confess openly to having some admiration for the artistry of a 'few rogue cops only.' Who wants to risk cops downing tools, or going on extended sick or toiletorlunchbreaks? Allof them at once? Did somebody ask, what about thelaw? Sincewhendidthat matter here? An what about thepublic? Well,whatabout thepublic? Andwhothehell isthepublicanyway? When citizens are being hustled daily, harassed daily, and shovedarounddaily,without anybody in authority really giving a damn, how come they matter so much now? I moveon.
Ever hear about the big strike? It is also like that dangerous cigarette of yore: LuckyStrike. Allsmokeand all toxic to Guyanese interests. Get a hold of thisfactpattern. Ajunior rank stumbles into a hefty narcotics situation, starts compiling his heftier file. Whenthatcomestolight,the senior man calls him in, and takes away his file. And his case. Goodbye collaring a dealer or a network; networking and working towards understanding takes over Goodbye best cop award. Forget about the good folks at CANU. There are always theYankees to do such dog work. Further, local sleuths have earned a reputation for shoddy work andslipshodcasefiles. Deficient or deliberately dumbed down? Some magistrates and judges still complain about the quality of what comes before them. They may have some idea of whocomesbeforethepeople related to an alleged murdererandwhatcomesup in the conversation. In a nutshell, there is a five-letter word that begins with an m. Itisnotmatrimony
I don't think many Guyanese care that I miscounted.
This is the milieu, a section of it only, in the environment and in the police, and yet there is this awful persistence fromTom, Dick, and Harry, along with Mary and Julie (to keep everybody happy) with this farceabouta'fewroguecops only.'
I would like to know what is their definition of a 'few'. Therearegoodcopsin the Guyana Police Force. Let that be said without qualification or hesitation. My concern is that there are sofewgoodcops. The swamp of roguery is that long, and that far gone.
(The views expressed in this article are those of the a u t h o r a n d d o n o t necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)
Commissioner of Information yet to release oil and gas information requested by Alfred Bhulai
Commissioner of Information, Charles Ramson SC has failed to deliver oil and gas information requested by prominent Guyanese EngineerandEnergyTechnologist, AlfredBhulai,sometwoyearsago.
Bhulaiwasamonganumberof other Guyanese that shared their experience in utilizing the Access toInformationAct(2011)duringan organized picket exercise, outside the Office of the Commissioner of Information on East Street, GeorgetownonFriday
He shared, “I tried to get informationabouttheamountofoil andgasextractedandtheiranalysis.
This is vitally important information because our very safetydependedonit.Icouldn'tget it from the Ministry of Natural Resources.Icouldn'tgetitfromthe EPA. So, I eventually tried the CommissionofInformation.”
Bhulai explained that after reading the Act thoroughly, he found the Commissioner's office where he met and spoke with Ramson The former Science teacher recalled that the Commissioner was very cordial andhelpfulinguidinghimonhow tomaketherequestforinformation.
After following the steps outlined, Bhulai submitted his application and received an
acknowledgement from Ramson the next day However, he noted, “Since then, nothing, and this is now two years - two years and nothing. The Act says in 30 days you should respond and acknowledge and approve or disapprove He (Ramson) only acknowledged, and if after sixty days, there was no answer, the information will be deemed to be inaccessible.”
Bhulai believes that the Act is flawed, as it bestows the Commissioner with too much power According to him, “That's whyIhaveherebadlaw WhatI'm particularlydisappointedabout,the Commissioner has powers of discretion and Section 38 (of the Act) gives him the power, you know, in case, if he decides that there's something, some danger to the health and safety, or some lack
ofpublicaccountability,hecanstep in.Butheneverdidit.Imean,Iam extremely disappointed with the present Commission of Information.”
Over the past three weeks, protestors gathered outside the Commissioner's office demanding that Ramson fulfill his duties in accordance with the Access to Information Act or vacate the office.
The activity was supported by the members of the press, Red Thread, Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC), Transparency Institute Guyana Inc (TIGI), Opposition Members of Parliament, lawyers and other membersofcivilsociety,including former Georgetown Mayor, Ubraj Narine.
Attorney-at-Law, Christopher Ram who organized the protest pointedoutthattheActhasbeenin existence for about 14 years, with the Commissioner appointed for about 12 years, to no effect. He argued that the legislation and office has been non-functional, withRamsonfailingtoevensubmit Annual Reports to the National Assembly despite the Office being allocatedsome$40Mannually On Friday, Ram explained that the next step will be to write President Irfaan Ali, seeking a meeting to discuss concerns relating to theAct and the failures oftheCommissioner.Beyondthat, the lawyer is prepared to take the matter to court and inform the regional and international community He said these bodies havebeenmisledandliedtobythe Government of Guyana about the workings of the Access to InformationAct.
Alfred Bhulai shared his experience in attempting to access information from the Commissioner of Information during a protest on Friday
Teenarrestedinconnection withmurderatMelanie
An 18-year-old man from Buxton, East Coast Demerara, is wanted by police in connection with the murder of a Cuban national from Melanie Damishana.
Police have identified the suspect as Tyrese Blair, whoselastknownaddressis Lot 44 Buxton Middle Walk,EastCoastDemerara.
Blair is wanted for the offence of murder committed on 54-year-old Jose Aurelio Ramirez on SundayatMelanie.
According to police, Ramirez was found with multiple stab wounds around02:40hrs.Policesaid theincidentwasdiscovered
whenananti-crimepatrolin the vicinity of the Melanie market area observed an
Melanie Fire Station on the southern side of Market Road.
Emergency medical technicians were seen attending to Ramirez and a femaleCubannational.
“Ramirez's body was examined and bore what is suspected to be several stab wounds. (One slash to left wrist, wounds to left chest, on right bicep, to right rib, and on the chin),” police said in a statement on Monday R a m i r e z w a s pronounced dead at the
Wanted: 18-year-old Tyrese Blair
scene.Hisbodyiscurrently at the Memorial Gardens Funeral Home awaiting a post-mortemexamination.
No injuries were found on the woman. She was interviewed and is assisting withtheinvestigation.
Meanwhile, one suspect is already in custody while investigationscontinue.
AnyonewhoseesTyrese Blair or has information about his whereabouts is
Ramirez's body that was found at Market Street, Melanie Damishana, ECD
asked to contact the police on227-1149orreporttothe nearestpolicestation.
Residents in the area told Kaieteur News Sunday
motorcycle were seen approachingRamirez.
One of the suspects, armed with a knife, reportedly stabbed the victimmultipletimesbefore robbing him of cash and fleeingthescene.
Fire contained at Linden sawmill – GFS
The Guyana Fire Service (GFS) reported on Monday that it was able to contain the massive fire which erupted at the Waaldijk sawmill's waste dump in Amelia's Ward, Linden.
Consequently, the Fire Serviceassuredthatthereisno current threat to nearby communities.Itsaidhowever, that firefighters will remain on-sitetocontinuemonitoring thearea.
Kaieteur News reported Monday that the aftermath of the five-day blaze was affecting elderly residents in theSouthAmelia'sWardarea. The fire, which began last Wednesday evening, ripped through the waste dump, activating responses from the Regional Democratic Council's Regional Disaster Preparedness and Response Protocol and the Civil Defence Commission (CDC)
andtheFireService. Linden Mayor, Sharma Solomon had relayed that the fire did not appear to have been deliberately set as there were some environmental conditions, including improper waste disposal in a 200-foot-deep gully filled with flammable wood materials. Solomon, who is directly responsible for the affected constituency, had acknowledged support from theMinistryofHomeAffairs, but urged the government to provide proper firefighting equipment and resources to the municipality in the event ofanysuchrecurrence.
T o r e a d m o r e ; https://www.kaieteurnewsonli ne com/2025/04/14/elderlyresidents-of-south-ameliasward-developing-respiratorycomplications-due-to-smokefrom-aftermath-of-saw-millblaze-mayor/
$100,000 bail on
A 3 2 - y e a r - o l d
businessman was placed on $100,000bailonMondayafter he was charged with the unlawful possession of ammunitionwithoutbeingthe holderofafirearmlicence.
Lall appeared before Magistrate Tariq Mohamed at theBarticaMagistrates'Court, where the charge was read to him.Hepleadednotguiltyand wasgrantedbail.
The matter has been adjournedtoMay20,2025,for furtherproceedings.
The accused, Deodnauth Lall of Airy Hall, Essequibo Coast, was arrested on April 10, 2025, after he was reportedlyfoundinpossession with several rounds of ammunitionwithoutholdinga validfirearmlicence.
The aftermath of the fire
Granted bail: Deodnauth Lall
Conditions at Gaza hospitals ‘beyond description’ after Israeli attacks, WHO
…asIsraeliforceskilledatleast15Palestinians inattackssincedawnonMonday
BBC - The Israeli strike on alAhli hospital destroyed its laboratory and damaged its emergency room, according to AnglicanDioceseofJerusalem.
TheWorldHealthOrganization has said conditions at hospitals in Gaza are "beyond description", afteramajorfacilitywasputoutof servicebyanIsraeliairstrike.
Spokeswoman Dr Margaret Harris told the BBC it was seeing "attack after attack" on hospitals and healthcare workers, and medical supplies were critically low due to Israel's blockade of the territory
On Sunday, staff at al-Ahli hospitalinGazaCitysaidanIsraeli strike had destroyed its laboratory and damaged its emergency room. They did not report any direct casualties,butsaidachilddieddue todisruptionofcare.
TheIsraelimilitarysaidithita "command-and-control centre" usedbyHamastoplanattacks.
The hospital is run by the ChurchofEngland,whosebishops saidtheyshared"grief,sorrowand outrage"withPalestiniansoverthe attack and called on Israel to provide evidence to support its claim.A ceasefire in Gaza ended when Israel resumed its air and ground campaign four weeks ago, sayingthatmilitarypressurewould forceHamastoreleasethehostages itisstillholding.
According to the Anglican Diocese of Jerusalem, the twostorey genetic laboratory was demolished and the pharmacy and emergency department buildings were damaged Surrounding buildings were also damaged, includingStPhilip'sChurch.
The diocese said the Israel militarygavea20-minutewarning to hospital staff and patients to evacuatebeforetheattack.
There were no casualties as a result of the strike, but one child whohadpreviouslysufferedahead injurydiedasaresultoftherushed evacuationprocess,itadded
Later, WHO Director General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the UN agency had been told by al-Ahli's director that the emergency room, laboratory, emergency room X-ray machines, and the pharmacy were "destroyed".
The hospital was forced to move50patientstootherhospitals, but 40 patients in a critical condition could not be moved, he added.”Hospitals are protected under international humanitarian law. Attacks on health care must stop. Once again we repeat: patients, health workers and hospitalsmustbeprotected."
The Israeli foreign ministry said it was a "precise strike on a
single building that was used by Hamas as a terror command and control centre" and where there was "no medical activity take place".
It also stressed that an "early warning" was issued, and that the strike was "carried out while avoiding further damage to the hospital compound, which
remainedoperationalforcontinued medical treatment" Hamas condemnedtheattackasa"savage crime"andrejectedtheclaimthatit was using the facility for military purposes.
On Monday, the Church of England'sHouseofBishopssaidin a statement they were "dismayed that hospitals have become battlegrounds in Gaza" and that Israelhad"yettoprovideclearand compelling evidence to substantiate its claim" that the hospitalwasbeingusedbyHamas.
"Againstthatbackdrop,wecall for an independent, thorough and transparent investigation into this attackaswellastheallegedmisuse ofthehospital."
The bishops also said that "the extremely limited time given to staff and patients to evacuate the hospital was a further assault on fundamental human rights and basichumandignity".
WHO representative Dr Rik Peeperkorn meanwhile told the BBC that al-Ahli was now unable to receive new patients pending repairs, and that this would "heavilyimpacttraumapatients".
"Al-Ahli was a key trauma hospital north of Wadi Gaza. It is the hospital with the only functional CT scanner north of Wadi Gaza," he said, referring to the valley that effectively divides theterritoryintwobecauseitisan Israeli-designated"no-go"area.
The charity Medical Aid for Palestinians also quoted an orthopaedic surgeon at al-Ahli as saying that the level of care the hospital could provide to the 40
remaining patients was "quite similartothatofahostel".
"We are unable to perform any surgical procedures, as these patients require laboratory diagnostics,pharmacysupport,and emergency referrals in case of complications - all of which have ceased entirely due to the recent attack,"DrAhmedal-Shurafasaid.
Dr Harris warned: "We're seeing attack after attack on hospitals, healthcare workers, ambulance workers... the very peoplethatarereliedon,whogive theiralltosavelives.Buttheydon't givetheiralltolosetheirlives."
On 23 March, the Israeli military struck the surgical department of Nasser hospital in the southern city of Khan Younis, killingHamasfinancechiefIsmail Barhoumandoneotherperson.
Hamas said Barhoum was being treated for injuries that he sufferedinanearlierIsraeliattack. Themilitarydeniedthis,sayinghe was in the hospital "in order to commitactsofterrorism".
That same day, 15 emergency
paramedics, were shot and killed byIsraelitroopsinnearbyRafahas they responded to a report of woundedpeople.
The Israeli military said the troops "opened fire due to a perceived threat" and that six of those killed were "Hamas terrorists", without giving evidence.TheRedCrescentdenied theallegationandaccusedIsraelof a"full-fledgedwarcrime".
On Monday, the International
CommitteeoftheRedCrosssaidit had received information that a ninth paramedic who had been missingsincetheattackwasbeing held "in an Israeli place of detention".
The ICRC's head of subdelegation in Gaza, Adrian Zimmermann,alsowarnedthatthe widershortageofmedicalsupplies "puts the life and the wellbeing of Gazans who require healthcare servicesatrisk".
Dr Peeperkorn said they were running critically low because Israel had not allowed in any deliveries of humanitarian aid for morethansixweeks.Headdedthat the WHO had stockpiled some supplies in its warehouses during the recent ceasefire, but that the Israelimilitarywasnotfacilitating transfers between northern and southernGaza."Lastweek,wehad a discussion with one of the medical specialists at al-Ahli. He was telling us that they had to use the same surgical gowns and the same surgical gloves for various operations,whilewehavesurgical glovesandgownsinourwarehouse in Deir al-Balah [south of Wadi Gaza]," he recalled. "We want to bring them, but we are not facilitated "The Israeli military launched a campaign to destroy Hamas in response to an unprecedented cross-border attack on7October2023,inwhichabout 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.More than 50,980 people have been killedinGazasincethen,according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry
A ceasefire deal that began in Januaryandlastedtwomonthssaw Hamasrelease33Israelihostages–eightofthemdead–andfiveThai hostages in exchange for about 1,900 Palestinian prisoners and a surge in humanitarian aid entering Gaza.
Israel resumed its offensive on 18March,blamingHamas'srefusal to accept a proposal for an extension of the agreement's first phaseandthereleaseofmoreofthe 59hostagesitisstillholding,upto 24 of whom are believed to be alive.
Hamas accused Israel of violating the original deal, accordingtowhichtherewouldbe a second phase where all the remaining living hostages would behandedoverandthewarbrought toapermanentend.
On Monday, Aljazera reported that Israeli forces killed at least 15 Palestinians in attacks on Gaza since dawn according to medical sources, with the latest strikes targeting tent shelters in the north andsouthoftheenclave.
AHamas delegation led by the group's chief negotiator left Cairo on Monday without making any progress in talks with Egyptian mediatorsaimedatreachinganew ceasefire agreement, a senior Palestinian official familiar with thetalkstoldtheBBC.
"No breakthrough was achieved due to Israel's refusal to commit to ending the war and withdrawingfromtheGazaStrip," the official said.”Hamas showed flexibility,regardingthenumberof hostages to be released in order to makeprogress.ButIsraelwantsthe hostages back without ending the war,"heclaimed.
Israelhassaiditiswaitingfora responsetoitslatestproposal,sent attheendoflastweek.
Itisunderstoodtohavereduced slightlythenumberofhostagesitis demanding should be released in exchange for an extension of the truceandtheentryofhumanitarian aid.A group of hostages' families, known as the Tikvah Forum, said onMondaythattheparentsofEitan Mor had been told by Prime MinisterBenjaminNetanyahuthat the government was working on a deal that would see 10 hostages freed-downfrom11or12.
‘Apologise and retract false statements or face litigation’ –FormerGECOMLegalOfficertellsChairandCEO
Former Legal Officer of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Kurt Da Silva on Monday demanded that GECOM's Chairperson and Chief Elections Officer (CEO) issue a public apology and retraction for “false allegations”madeabouthim in two press releases or be preparedtofacelegalaction.
In letters datedApril 14, 2025 and addressed to the GECOM Chair, Justice (Ret'd) Claudette Singh and theCEOVishnuPersaud,Da
Silva outlined the
“ f a l s e h o o d s a n d mischaracterizations” perpetuated against him and its damaging effects against hisprofessionalconduct.
In a detailed letter to Justice Singh, Da Silva expressedhisdeepregretand concern regarding the press release issued by GECOM on 9April 2025 titled 'NonRenewaloftheEmployment ContractofGECOM'sLegal Officer'.
DaSilva served as the Commission's legal officer for the past three years. His contract was up for renewal and according to him, he received an exemplary performance appraisal from the Chairperson and an a c c o m p a n y i n g recommendation for his contract'srenewal.
L a s t w e e k , t h e government-nominated commissionersvotedagainst the renewal of Da Silva's contract and their position was supported by the
Chairperson. The GECOM Chair and government commissioners posited that his submissions in the Carol Smith-Joseph v AG, C o m m i s s i o n e r o f Registration & GECOM case were contrary to instructions.
However, the attorney madeitclearthathiswritten submissions in the said case wassubmittedandcirculated totheChairperson,CEOand all commissioners. In his lengthylettertotheGECOM Chair,DaSilvamadeitclear that the press release issued by GECOM was “replete with false and misleading statements” about his professional conduct and legalsubmissions.
“I was especially surprised and disheartened to see such inaccuracies published with the apparent a u t h o r i t y o f t h e Commission.You,morethan anyone, are aware of the actual sequence of events andthelackofveracityinthe allegations made. In fact, upon reading the press release, I reached out to you immediately to inquire if it originated from your office and to urge that it be retracted. I implored that it bereplacedwithastatement acknowledgingthefalsityof itscontents.Youevensaidto me that you would tell them t o t a k e i t d o w n Unfortunately, no corrective action has been taken,” Da Silva said in his letter to JusticeSingh. As a consequence, the
GECOMCEO, Vishnu Persaud
GECOM officer said that he wasleftwithnochoicebutto address the matter formally through his letter, to set the recordstraight.
“…The content of my legal submissions was not a surprise to GECOM. For several months, I apprised you and the Commission of the relevant legal issues and my considered position on them,” the attorney said while detailing every communication on the subjectinthelengthyletter
He said Justice Singh was alerted to the constitutional requirement that voters in Regional Democratic Council (RDC) electionsmustresideintheir respectiveregions.
“I further observed that, duetothe2022amendments to the National Registration
GECOMChairperson
Justice(Ret'd), Claudette Singh
necessitate procedural changes – specifically, the extractionofseparatevoters' lists for General and Regional Elections (with each list subjected to claims and objections to ensure the appropriate residency criteria), and the use of separateballotpapersforthe two elections. You did not disagree with these conclusions when we discussedthem.”
He added: “In fact, I memorialized this in a formal memo titled; “ResidencyRequirementfor General and Regional Elections” dated 25 November 2024, which I submitted to both you and theCEO.Youcirculatedthat memo to all Commissioners on 2 December 2024.At no time did you or any Commissioner express disagreement with the
Mother demands justice, after daughter allegedly forced to drink bleach by classmates
The mother of the 13year-old Wakenaam Secondary School student who was allegedly forced to drink bleach by her three classmates in a school washroomlatelastmonth,is demanding justice for her daughter
Kavita Persaud said she believes the disturbing incident is being “swept under the rug ” She expressedfrustrationthat,to date,thestudentsaccusedof inflicting harm on her daughter have not been held accountablefortheiractions.
“It's unfair; it's totally unfair, what they do to my daughter Fuh know that them (the alleged bullies) dehatschoolforthemEaster term test and (her daughter) out of school, and sincefromthestarting,them supposed to get suspend from the school, ” a distraughtPersaudstated. Underscoring her unwavering stance, she added, “I just want to get justicefor (herdaughter), them have to face some disciplinary action. What if this happens to somebody else's child?”Persaud confirmed that an investigationintothealleged attack has been initiated.
While her daughter will be transferredtoanotherschool for her safety and wellbeing, the mother remains resolute in her pursuit of justice and appropriate disciplinary measures againstthoseinvolvedinthe allegedassault.
The 13-year-old student was allegedly ambushed in the school washroom on March 31, by three classmates who had
reportedly subjected her to bullying for approximately three years During the incident, the teen was reportedly blocked, physically assaulted, held down, and forcibly made to swallow bleach. Following the attack, the bullies reportedly threatened the victim before fleeing when theyheardteachersnearby
The victim subsequently confided in her mother, who then engaged with the parents of the accused students and the school
Followingdiscussionsatthe school, the young girl reportedly fell ill and was hospitalised for four days at theWestDemeraraRegional Hospital The Ministry of Education is investigating the allegations surrounding thisincident.
particularly you, fully informed,andtowhichIwas met with either explicit support or, at minimum, no objection or contrary instruction.”
FormerLegal OfficerofGECOM, Kurt
memo's contents; to the contrary, my understanding from our conversations was that you found my legal analysissound.”
Da Silva noted that the CEO raised practical questions about his submissions but he was advised by Justice Singh to 'waitandsee'whattheChief Justice decides. He made it clear that the Chairperson at no point communicated her d i s a g r e e m e n t o r dissatisfaction with his submissions or that his handlingofthecasegaverise toany“compellingcase”for the non-renewal of his contract.
He said that GECOM's claim of new circumstances arising resulting in his contractnotbeingrenewedis farfromthetruth.
“It is misleading to describe my court submissions as “new circumstances” arising after my performance review While the appraisal stated that it covered the period ending 10 February 2025, it was not completed and circulated by you until 5 March2025.Bythattime,all pleadings and my written submissions in the court matter of Carol SmithJosephvAG,Commissioner of Registration & GECOM had already been filed and circulated to you, the Chief Election Officer (CEO), and all Commissioners. In other words, you and the Commission were fully aware of my involvement in that case before finalizing my appraisal, and notably, my strong performance appraisal was issued with thisknowledgeinhand.” DaSilvaemphasizedthat the “new circumstances”
referred to by the Commission in its press release were “matters on which I had kept the Commission, and more
“If anything, the only new development after my appraisal was the Chief Justice'sdecisioninthecase, which vindicated GECOM's position. (I will address that shortly ) It is therefore unfounded to suggest that something unforeseen arose that justified reversing your favourable view of my performance,”hesaid.
R e s p o n d i n g t o GECOM's claim that his submissionsbeforethecourt “carried extreme potential fortheemergenceofharmful effects…” Da Silva said the statement is “baseless and appearscalculatedtoportray my court submissions as reckless, when in fact they werefirmlygroundedinlaw and aimed at protecting the integrity of the electoral process.”
“My submissions to the Chief Justice were predicated on ensuring GECOM's full compliance with the express provisions of the Constitution and election laws There is nothing about insisting on constitutional compliance that would logically erode public confidence in GECOM — if anything, the opposite is true. Far from undermining credibility, my position was that GECOM must conduct registration and elections in a manner t h a t u p h o l d s a l l constitutional requirements, thereby bolstering legitimacy.”
Further, the former GECOM Counsel said that he never advocated or impliedthatelectionsshould be delayed. Contrarily, he said that the remedies he proposed to reconcile the residency requirement were operational:issuingseparate ballots and separate lists for General vs Regional elections (with the regional list undergoing the usual claims and objections process to filter out nonresidents).
“Theseadjustmentswere practical and could be implemented without violating any election timeline. At no point did I suggest that an election shouldbepostponed;indeed, I am acutely aware that any postponement beyond constitutional deadlines (apart from what the Constitution itself provides (Continuedonpage18)
Da Silva
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Confusion erupts at Region 3 land allocation exercise
... minister says new date for those turned away
Confusion broke out on Monday at the West Demerara Secondary School as over 1,000 hopeful Region Three residents turned up at the Ministry of Housing and Water’s land allocation exercise, only to be turned away.
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The event was part of the Central Housing and Planning Authority’s (CH&PA), flagship ‘Dream Realised’ programme aimed at allocating house lots in the new Wales Housing Development.
While some 1,000 persons received house lots on Monday, hundreds more who had gathered early in the morning were left frustrated when they could not be accommodated.
Minister of Housing and Water Collin Croal told Kaieteur News that persons were indeed turned away, but assured that the ministry is working to accommodate everyone.
“Yes, persons had to be turned away, that’s a fact, and I want to say to them, all will be addressed,” Minister Croal stated. “We only opened up for 1,000 persons today. Those who did not get through, we have taken note of most of them, and we will deal with those as a priority on the next allocation exercise.”
Minister Croal explained that the allocation exercise was opened to applicants who had submitted their applications up to December 31, 2024, as the ministry worked to reduce backlogs for Region Three and all other regions except Region Four by July.
“Prior, we were working with 2019 and earlier. Now we’ve opened it up to December 2024. All pending applications will be attended to or offered a house lot before July,” he said.
“Anyone who applied before December 31, 2024, and has not yet been offered will be considered.”
Kaieteur News understands that the confusion may have arisen from persons turning up to the exercise without even applying for a house lot.
Minister Croal however denied this. There were also concerns from attendees about poor conditions while waiting. Persons were seen standing for long periods because of poor seating accommodation.
“They were given tents,
Reg. 1 RDC to spend $211M to build health centres at Moruca & Mabaruma
The Regional Demo cratic Council (RDC) of Region
One intends to construct several health centres in communities located in Moruca and Mabaruma at an estimated cost of $211 million.
This is according to an invitation for bids issued by the RDC.
The bids are scheduled to be opened on April 29, 2025 at the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) office.
Health centres will be constructed at Cloud Land, Moruca at an estimated cost of $43,500,000, Arawanza and Haimaruni also in Moruca at an estimated cost of $42,000,000, each.
In Mabaruma, a health hut will be built at Mabaruma Settlement at an estimated of
$42,000,000, while a health centre will be constructed at Aruka Mouth at an estimated cost of $42,000,000.
This publication understands that the projects will form part of the $2.3 billion which was allocated for health services in Region One this year.
Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony on numerous occasions said that the government is constructing health centres and posts across the country to complement the regional hospitals and ensure modern facilities for healthcare workers across the regions.
This is aimed at decentralizing and expanding the range of public healthcare services provided to citizens, enhancing accessibility for communities nationwide.
and we were using the West Demerara Secondary School as a holding area,” he said. Meanwhile, the ministry in a statement noted that the allocation exercise targeted various income brackets, including low, moderate, middle, and high-income applicants, with house lots being distributed at Plantation Lorenzo and Plantation Viva La Force.
The ministry said that since 2020, over 44,500 house lots have been distributed across Guyana, including approximately 9,000 lots in Region Three across 12 housing areas.
However, the region still
From page 5 is historical amnesia.
faces a backlog of around 14,000 applications.
“The ministry is working aggressively to clear applications submitted up to the end of 2024 in all administrative regions, with the exception of Region Four, where efforts are focused on significantly reducing the backlog,” the ministry stated.
In addition to the new allocations, over 700 Certificates of Title and Transports are also being distributed in Region Three to previous allottees.
To date, more than 340 ownership documents have already been handed over.
We must remember: it was the workers... future to those who would casually discard it, is to dishonour that sacrifice.
The right to vote, and the freedom to associate, were not gifts handed down. They were won by sweat, blood, and struggle. Millions across the world have died for the right to vote, and countless more continue to defend it. To forget this, or to entrust our
We must remember: it was the workers who lit the torch that led us out of the darkness of colonialism. And it is up to us to ensure that torch is never extinguished!
Sincerely
Lincoln Lewis
Sexual Violence Affects Boys Too...
From page 6 campaign by signing the international petition online. Your voice can help create a safer world for boys. Visit our social media pages for the link, or go directly to: Breaking the silence around male sexual abuse is not just about justice—it’s about healing. It’s about giving boys back
their voices, their dignity, and their future. As a nation, Guyana must commit to protecting all children—girls and boys alike—from the trauma of sexual abuse. Because when we protect boys, we protect the strength and soul of our society.
Sincerely, ChildLinK Inc
Scenes from the house lot allocation exercise (Credible Source photo)
New Port Kaituma market estimated to cost $122M
The Ministry of
L o c a l Government and Regional Development is preparing to spend approximately $122 million toconstructamarketfacility at Port Kaituma, Region One. Bidsfortheprojectwere opened recently at the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) office. It was revealed that eight contractors have applied for thecontract.
Belowarethecompaniesandtheirbids:
RegionalDemocraticCouncilRegionFour ConstructionofNewBeterverwagtingSecondarySchool.
According to the information provided, the contractors bid between $74 million and $112
million for the contract
The Local Government Ministry, which has responsibility for several market facilities across the country, was allocated some $2.7 billion to enhance the
ExtensionofLaluniPrimarySchool.
infrastructure of several marketsthisyear
The Port Kaituma market project cost comes underthesaidallocation
Meanwhile, Kaieteur News understands that
infrastructural works are being done at market spaces to enhance the environment and make it safer and comfortable for vendors to ply their trade
MinistryofLocalGovernment&RegionalDevelopment ConstructionofPortKaitumaMarket.
Supply&DeliveryofTwoNewThirty-two-SeaterBuses.
Man pretending to be Housing Minister’s father charged with obtaining money by false pretense
Gavin Rodrigues
broughtbeforetheVreed-enHoop Magistrate’s Court on Monday to answer a charge of obtaining money by false pretense.
The accused, Gavin Rodrigues, of Lot 15 Robb Street,Bourda,Georgetown, allegedly impersonated the fatherofMinisterwithinthe Ministry of Housing and Water, Susan Rodrigues. He reportedly solicited money
from individuals under the pretense of facilitating the allocationofhouselots. Rodrigues was arrested on April 11 and later formallycharged. The charge was read to him during his court appearance before Magistrate Ravindranauth Singh.Hepleadednotguilty and was granted$50,000 bail.
The matter was adjourned to June 23, 2025 forfurtherproceedings.
Afro-Guyanese continue to be marginalized in Guyana – Alexander
C h a i r m a n o f
International Decade for People of African Descent
Assembly -Guyana (IDPADA-G) Vincent
Alexander told a United Nations forum on Tuesday that while the Government of Guyana continues to call
for reparations, the administration has failed to implement a single, dedicated national policy to repairtheinternallegaciesof enslaved Africans in Guyana.
D e s c r i b i n g t h e government's disposition as nothing but “hypocritical,”
Alexander noted that Minister of Labour, Joseph Hamilton's presentation to the Fourth Session of the PermanentForumforpeople of African descent earlier Tuesday was devoid of substancewhichprovedlack of support for persons of Afro-Guyaneseroots.
Addressing the same forum,Alexander noted that
Afro-Guyanese - the descendantsoftheenslavedc o n t i n u e t o b e systematically marginalized a n d r e m a i n disproportionately at the bottom of the economic and socialorder
The IDPADA-G chair pointed out that education, landrights,entrepreneurship and political representation in Guyana all reflect this exclusion.Hetoldtheforum that the government of Guyana has not taken any equitable action to address thestateofpeopleofAfrican descent.
“Allowmetopaintatrue narrative about the state of Afro-Guyanese our schoolcurriculumcontinues to omit the history and contributions of the
Guyanese of African
descent…”Alexandersaid.
The IDPADA-G chair saidtoothat,Ancestrallands acquiredthroughthehistoric village movement are being s e i z e d w i t h o u t compensation through institutional and legal manipulations.
He stressed that in spite of legal provisions, a functioning Human Rights Commission is yet to be constituted,20yearson.
“The Government of Guyana whilst vocally supporting reparations abroad as was done here todayhasnotimplementeda single dedicated national policy to repair the internal legacies of enslavement Instead, African Guyanese are blamed for their circumstances and demeanedbypublicofficials as lazy or unworthy. The currentgovernancestructure entrenches this exclusion even within the Ethnic Relations Commission which is in attendance Which is here today represented by someone other than someone of A f r i c a n d e s c e n t notwithstanding the African community asking otherwise ” Alexander said as he called on the forum to support a quest for justice and equality for the peopleofAfricandescent.
Meanwhile, Minister of Labour Joseph Hamilton told the forum that the development of AfroGuyanese, and Guyanese as a whole, in Guyana's multiethnicnation,isapriorityfor theGovernment.
His presentation did not focusonlivedexperiencesof Afro-Guyanese. He instead generalized his statement to
the forum but speaking broadly of government initiatives.
He said “We have e m b a r k e d o n a transformative agenda which is rapidly changing the economic and physical infrastructureofthecountry Thisisdeliberatelymatched with initiatives that ensure greater inclusion and participationofallcitizensin the goods, services and opportunities available, to reduce poverty, geographic disparities, ethnic insecuritiesandinequality.”
Hamilton focused on education and human resource development and how this approach has transformed the lives of Guyanese,includingpersons ofAfricandescent.
HenotedthattheGuyana Online Academy of Learning has awarded thousands of scholarships over the last 4 years, providing free online education.
“Thisisaimedatcreating a modern workforce, including by facilitating access for residents of rural and remote areas.As of this year Free Education at the tertiary level is now offered to all Guyanese. An Annual CashGrantisgiventoevery child from nursery to secondary levels Technical Vocational Education Training(TVET)isfreeatall technical institutes, thus making people more skilled and employable. Guyana is moving towards the increaseduseofAIincluding by establishing Digital Academy,” Hamilton told theforum.
In terms of the right to housing and shelter, the Minister said that Guyana's
massive national housing programme over the last 4 years alone has distributed over forty-four thousand house lots benefitting over 200,000people.
“Notably 43% of the ownersarewomen.
No ethnic group is excluded In addition, several subsidies are provided for low-income households such as mortgage relief at low interest rates,” Hamilton said.
‘Apologise and retract false statements or...
Frompage15
for) would itself be unlawful,”hesaid.
Additionally, Da Silva said he took pains to forewarn the Commission's leadership about the potential consequences of every legal argument he put forward.
“ N e i t h e r t h e Commission nor you, MadamChair,everindicated to me that my approach was erroneous or likely to cause harmful consequences If thereweregenuineconcerns onthisfront,theycouldhave been addressed when I circulated my written submissions (5 March) or at any point before the oral hearings of the court matter on 17 and 28 March 2025.
Instead, no feedback whatsoeverwasgivenbythe Commission to suggest my arguments were deemed problematic.
Theonly“consequence” that materialized was the CEO's personal discomfort with my legal stance, which he voiced in his own press statement. But even then, when I brought that development to you, you counselled an internal
resolution (discussed below), not that my arguments were wrong Therefore, any after-the-fact claim that I acted recklessly orinerrorisinsupportable.It appears to be a narrative invented to justify a predeterminedoutcome,”Da Silvastated.
In support of his arguments, DaSilva made it clear that his approach has beenvindicatedbytheCourt as the Chief Justice, in her ruling, dismissed the Applicant's case, expressly relying on portions of his submissions in her reasoning.
“Infact,theChiefJustice adopted points that were raised exclusively in my submissionstoconcludethat theApplicant'sinterpretation should not be accepted. The
outcome of the case
GECOM'sfavour—directly undermines any suggestion that I was arguing for the otherside.
Thepressrelease'sclaim
to the contrary is inexplicable and seems intended only to mislead readers into thinking I betrayed my client, which couldnotbefurtherfromthe truth.”
Da Silva made it clear that he was never directed not to pursue the line of argument he took “My mandate, as always, was to d e f e n d G E C O M ' s compliance with the law, whichIdidtothebestofmy ability and in which I succeeded,”hesaid.
InresponsetoGECOM's claim that he acted outside his scope, Da Silva made it clear that is a deliberate misrepresentation of the Legal Officer's role and responsibilities He reminded that the CEO was not his “principal” but GECOMwas.
“In other words, the CEO's legal interests were not separate from GECOM's; he is a functionary of the Commission Thus, any implication that I owed exclusive loyalty to the CEO's personal views, even iftheydivergedfromthelaw or the Commission's duty, is incorrect.Regardless,evenif oneweretotreattheCEOas a “principal” for operational purposes, he gave me no instructionsthatIdisobeyed. At no time did the CEO instruct me to refrain from making a particular argument.”
He reminded Justice Singh that she was his principalatalltimes.
“You,MadamChair,asa formerjudgeandtheheadof theCommission,weremyde factoprincipalformattersof legalstrategy And,asIhave documented, you agreed with my legal position throughout the pendency of
the case. Thus, I was fully within the scope of my authority and duty in advancing the arguments that I did. I did not “favour” theApplicant;Ifavouredthe law and GECOM's compliance with it, which ultimately protected GECOM's interests The press release's portrayal of this as a dereliction is not only unjustified but appears deliberately crafted to mislead the public into thinkingIactedimproperly.”
Meanwhile, in a terse letter to the CEO, Da Silva denounced all statements madeagainsthim.
“Your unilateral public denunciation has severely damaged my reputation by falsely suggesting professionalmisconductand recklessdisregardofduty It impliesIactedinopposition to my instructions, thereby misleading the public about m y i n t e g r i t y a n d professional ethics Such public mischaracterization by a senior official of your standing carries substantial weight, further exacerbating the damage to my professional standing,” Da Silvastated.
The attorney has given b o t h t h e G E C O M Chairperson and CEO an ultimatum to apologise and retract by April 22, 2025 or facelegalaction.
“I must still demand that you immediately and formallyretractthefalseand misleading statements made inyourpressstatementof20 March 2025 and issue a public apology clearly acknowledging these inaccuracies and the harm caused. Should you fail to issue this retraction and apology by Tuesday, 22 April 2025, I will have no alternative but to pursue all available legal remedies, includinginitiatinglitigation againstyoupersonallyandin your capacity as Chief Election Officer,” Da Silva saidhetoldtheCEO.
Minister of Labour, Joseph Hamilton
Beckford brace Slingerz to fourth win on the trot, as Santos topple Den Amstel...
Frompage25 crushing win and three points.
The excitement shifted to Sunday, Slingerz FC impressed the crowd yet again with another wellexecutedwin.
Sunday’s fixture featured two clashes, one between Slingerz FC and Western Tigers FC, which eventually saw crowd favourites (
z) securing their fourth win of
theseasonviaaconfident31 performance Kemar Beckford starred with a brace,openingthescoringin the 11th minute and doubling the lead shortly afterhalftime(54’).
LeoLovelladdedathird in the 68th, effectively putting the match out of reach.
Western Tigers pulled one back through Joshua Browne in stoppage time (90+5’), but it proved too
littletoolate. Meanwhile,in the final fixture of the weekend, Santos FC carved out a narrow 2-1 win over Den Amstel FC in a hotly contestedaffair
Den Amstel struck first via Deon Alfred in the 17th minute, but Akil Plass equalized just after the halfhour mark (31’) to reset the tone.
With the match finely balanced, Shem James delivered the decisive blow
in the 77th minute, earning Santos their second win of thecampaign.
The ongoing success of the Elite League is made possible through the generous sponsorship of Turbo Energy, Guyana Beverage Inc., Blue Water Shipping, and the National MillingCompanyofGuyana Inc. (NAMILCO), all of whomcontinuetopowerthe growth and visibility of footballinthecountry
GCC, Ogle, East Bank...
Tuesday April 15, 2025
ARIES(Mar.21–Apr.19)
An unexpected event might cause you to be temporarily separated from your partner today,Aries.Confusionabout the incident and your mate's role in it might plague you. You might doubt his or her motives.
TAURUS(Apr.20–May20)
You might have a sore throat and mild cold symptoms today, Taurus. It may affect yourabilitytowork.Chances are that you're an active person.
GEMINI(May21–June20)
Spendsomequalitytimewith your partner today, Gemini. Perhaps he or she is a little jealous of your friends or feeling left out. Perhaps you've received invitations latelythatarejustforyou.
CANCER(June21–July22)
Youmaywanttotakeadayoff from your obligations, Cancer, perhaps to take care of unfinished creative projects.Chancesarethismay notbepossible.
LEO(July23–Aug.22)
You may reminisce today, Leo. Perhaps you're thinking aboutfriendsandfamilywho livefaraway Youcouldfeela bit nostalgic, not to mention blue, thinking about times longpast.
VIRGO(Aug.23–Sept.22)
Moneymattersmightbeabit tangled today, Virgo. There may be an unexpected delay in receiving funds due you. Your bank statement may haveyouconfused.Gettingto the bottom of things may prove a bit frustrating but not necessarilyimpossible.
LIBRA(Sept.23–Oct.22)
ou may need reassurance today, Libra. Trouble with friends or a romantic partner mayhaveyoufeelingunloved, insecure, and emotionally blocked. You may see the situation as more serious than othersdo.
SCORPIO(Oct.23–Nov 21)
Youmayfeelalittleunderthe weather today, Scorpio. You mayevendevelopsnifflesora sore throat. If so, consider goingtothedoctor
SAGIT(Nov 22–Dec.21)
You might feel lonely and insecureduetolackofcontact withaclosefriendorromantic partner,Sagittarius.Youmight wonder if the person has forgottenyouorsimplydoesn't careanymore.
CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19)
Juggling work and home may s
ay, C a p
c o r n W o r k responsibilities may weigh on your mind to the point where they interfere with the harmonyofyourhomelife.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20–Feb. 18) If you have to deal with some disappointment today, try not to let it get you down, Aquarius. You may receive a letter or phone call that brings less than favorable news Perhaps someone you were hoping to see won't be able to makeit,
PISCES(Feb.19–Mar.20)
You may be worried about your financial situation today, Pisces.Youmightfeelatugat your purse strings. If you've experienced a delay in receivingsomefundsyouwere expecting.
West Indies Women’s World Cup...
Frompage24 continuedtoshowpromise, finishing with 1-29 from her10overs.
However,anyhopesthe West Indies had of chasing down the target quickly crumbled in a disastrous start to their innings
Captain Hayley Matthews was trapped lbw by Pakistan skipper Fatima Sanaontheveryfirstballof theinnings,settingthetone for what would become a shambolicchase.
Despite brief resistance f r o m t h e m i d d l e order Aaliyah Alleyne (22), Shabika Gajnabi (21)
a
(17)—the Caribbean side wasbowledoutforjust126 in39.2overs.
Frompage23
L
Krisnalall,SteffonSeymour and Huzhayfah Ali had 2 wicketseach.
Everest 162-10 off 34 overs, Varun Mangal (36), Kevin Benn (27). Bowling forEastBank,JovindDucan (4-33) and Altaf Rahim (327).
DCCbeatFairfieldby7 wicketsatDCCGround Fairfield 71-10 off 20.3 overs Saeed Sattaur (31), bowling for DCC Ezekiel Wilson (2-6), Wavell Allen (2-18), Makai Dowlin (213).
DCC 72-3, Inderjit Nanan (23*) and Kishawn Silas (18*). Bowling for FairField,MoinPersaud(236)andDeodatRamdeo(110).
Transport‘A’beatPolice by 6 wickets at Police Ground
Police 56 all out, Joash Samon (12). Bowling for Transport ‘A’, Riyad Latif 4-11andAfrazKhan2-1.
Transport ‘A’ 57-4, Miyhiem Khan (18) Bowling for Police, Collis Hardcourt (3-19), Jomar Adams (1-16). Transport B alsobeatDCBSelectXIby 7wickets.
Action continues this week.(CliftonRoss)
kept the pressure on throughout.
Run outs once again proved costly for the West Indies, with Zaida James, Shemaine Campbelle, and others falling to lapses in judgment Their batting never recovered from the early setbacks, and by the halfway mark of their innings,theyhadlostseven wickets for fewer than 100 runs.
The result leaves the West Indies in a precarious position with just one win from three matches and a net run rate that may come backtohaunttheminatight qualificationrace.
FatimaSanaledtheway for Pakistan with the ball, claiming 3-16, while Rameen Shamim (2-26) and Nashra Sandhu (2-31)
For Pakistan, the victory was a crucial boost to their own qualification hopes, while for the West Indies,thepathtotheWorld C
difficult.
Young guns flourish at Moo! National Junior’s Squash C/ship
As the curtains came crashing down at the Georgetown Club on Saturday following an electrifying week of squash,
two young names stood tall among the champions at the 2025Moo!NationalJunior’s Squash Championship:Justin Ten Pow and Kaylee
Lowe. HostedbytheGuyana SquashAssociation (GSA) in collaboration with the Moo! brand, this year’s tournament was nothing short of historic,
- Ten Pow cops Player of the Tournament, as Lowe cart off with three titles
not just for its competitive edge but also for its inclusion oftheDoublescategory,afirst in over 60 years of the championship’sexistence But even amidst this landmark change,itwasthebrillianceof TenPowandLowethatlitup thefinaldayofaction
Triplecrownglorywentto thepromisingKayleeLowe,if therewasaqueenofthisyear’s championship, it was undoubtedly Kaylee Lowe
Entering the U19 finals with the U15 and U17 Girls’titles already secured, Lowe faced herbiggestchallengeyetinthe U19Girls’divisionagainstthe talented Rylee Rodrigues
What was expected to be a cautious cat-and-mouse contest quickly turned into a display of raw determination andstamina
Lowe, showing maturity beyond her years, controlled the tempo of the match with confident rallies and clever shot placement Her aggressive play-style and relentless pace proved too muchforRodrigues,asLowe sealed the victory in straight sets:11-6,11-8,11-3,afitting exclamation mark on her triple-titlecampaign
JustinTenPowalsostood tallintwoseparateevents,first in the Boys’ U17 division wherehesettledthepromising Bulkan3-0totakethecoveted crown ThelittlemasterJustin TenPowshowedwhyhe’sone of the brightest stars rising
Louis Da Silva cops Moo! Boy’s U19 title. NandishrajSingh no match for the dazzling Da Silva.
through the ranks After a composedperformanceinthe earlier rounds, he entered the U15finalwithonemission:to defendhistitle Hisopponent, a familiar face, the in-form Ethan Bulkan, fresh off his U13 triumph, in the back of his head he knew it was no easytask.
But Ten Pow was unfazed Using a mix of finesse, speed, and tactical awareness, Ten Pow played a c l i n i c a l m a t c h , outmaneuvering Bulkan in straight sets to claim a commanding 3-0 win His abilitytostaycomposedunder pressure and unleash winning shots when it mattered most showcased a maturity rarely seenatthislevel Thewinnot onlyreaffirmedhisdominance in the U15 category but also the ability to dominate other divisions, wrapping up a phenomenal championship run. Though Ten Pow and Lowe stole much of the
spotlight, the tournament was brimming with talent. Louis Da Silva bulldozed through the Boys U19 division without dropping a set,whileEllaFernandesand Rafael Braithwaite impressed in the U11 divisions Ethan Bulkan’s spirited play earned him the Most Promising Player (Boy), and Tehani Munroe walked away with the Most ImprovedPlayerawardafter herU13Girlstitlewin.
The 2025 edition of the Moo! National Junior’s Championship was more thanjustaseriesofmatches, itwas,acelebrationofyouth talent, fierce competition, and the promising future of Guyanesesquash.Withstars like Justin Ten Pow and Kaylee Lowe leading the charge, the Golden Arrowhead looks to be in safe hands heading into the regional and international squasharena.
2025 DCB U19 Inter-Association…
Unbeaten GCA storm to 2025 title
Jonathan Van Lange in company of a few teammates accepting this DCB U19 Inter-Association title from GCB executive/CWI Director Shaun Massiah.
Georgetown emerged as thisyear’sDemeraraCricket
Board (DCB) InterAssociation U19 InterAssociation 50-Overs Champions,afterterrorizing the competition with curtains coming down on a highly-competitive tournament.
Inthefinalroundplayed this past weekend at Lusignan Ground, East Coast inflicted a brutal 7wicketthrashingontheEast Banklads.
Battingfirst,EastBank’s decision after winning the
toss backfired as they were knocked over for 67 all out 31.1overs
Deonarine Dindial (12) and Saayad Lakeram (11) tried but the East Coast duo of Nityanand Mathura (5-8) andNeeranBani(3-20),had otherideas.
East Coast then raced to 70-3 in 10.4 overs after a scorching innings from Lakram Sukhdeo 39* (4x4 1x6), which negated any efforts from Vamol Lall (221)andAltafRahim(1-16).
Mathura copped the match award for best player
- Balgobin, Latiff among tournament MVPs among MVPs
eye-catching 62 top innings of94. In the end, the title went
to the Georgetown Cricket Association (GCA) who dominated this year’s U19
Inter-Association, playing unbeaten to the very end. (CliftonRoss)
performances this year saw thePlayerwiththemostruns in the tournament Award going to the talented Sachin Balgobin, with 277 (29x4 14x6), including a record 214*.
Award for most wickets went to the sensational Riyad Latiff, who had 11 scalps with his best returns being5-24.
MVP of the tournament AwardalsowenttoLafitfor his 11 wickets with the ball and 98 runs with the bat, sadly missing a ton with his
2025 MCYS/GCB One Guyana National Under-21 Inter-Club Super50 Knockout Tournament…
GCC, Ogle, East Bank among winners as Demerara Zone heats up
The Demerara Zone of the ongoing Ministry of Culture Youth and Sports /GCB One Guyana U21
Inter-club Cricket tournament, featured a numberoftopperformersas action continued in the nationwide competition this pastSaturdayandSunday At Malteenoes Sports ClubGround:
OglebeatMalteenoesby 190runsEastBank Ogle posted 316-7 after 48oversthankstoMohendar Singh clobbering 153 (14x4 5x6) while Alex Mangra chippedinwith42. Bowling for Malteenoes suffered as four bowlers
returned a wicket apiece before their team was shot down for 126-10 in 44.5overs, despite Joshua Bollers (34) and Vickash Asaram(31).
Bowling for Ogle was ledbyAjayGainda4-15and SamuelHeeralall3-22. GCC beat MMZ by 207 runs At the MMZ Ground on the West Side, GCC racked up 334-7 in 50 overs after national all-rounder Thaddeus Lovell pummeled 176 with 11 fours and a whopping17sixes. Bowling for MMZ, Kelvin Raymond 2-39, Udeshram Seetaram 2-44
and Navendra Sankar 2-52 toiled for their wickets, as their batting collapsed to 127-10in25.1over,despitea fighting 48 from Sachin Balgobin.
Spinners Aryan Persaud 5-22,JoashCharles2-29and KrishaSingh2-5ledGCC’s bowling.
Others results from this past Saturday and Sunday’s game: East Bank Eagles beat Everestby137runs EBE 299-10 50 overs, JosiahLim(106),Deonarine Dindial(55).
Bowling for Everest ReuelPrashad,Feyad (Continuedonpage21)
Mohendra Khan
Deonarain Dindyal
Josiah Lim
West Indies Women’s World Cup hopes in jeopardy after crushing defeat to Pakistan
SportsMax - The West Indies Women suffered a majorblowtotheirhopesof qualifying for the ICC Women’s World Cup after falling to a comprehensive
65-run defeat against Pakistanintheirthirdmatch of the ICC Women’s World CupQualifieronMonday
After a stuttering campaignthatbeganwithan
11-run loss to Scotland and was briefly revived by a narrow six-run win over Ireland, this latest result leaves the regional side’s qualification ambitions
hangingbyathread.
Batting first at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, PakistanWomenposted191 all out, a modest but competitive total built on a
patient 54 from SidraAmin, with support from Muneeba Ali (33) and Sidra Nawaz (23) The West Indies bowlersworkedhardtokeep the scoring rate down, with Hayley Matthews (2-30), Afy Fletcher (2-39), and KarishmaRamharack(2-55) among the wickets. Young spinnerAshminiMunisar (Continuedonpage21)
Tucber Park Cricket Club receives cricket gear from Minister Zulfikar Mustapha
The Tucber Park
Cricket Club (TPCC) of New
Amsterdam was the recipient of a quantity of Cricketgearcomplimentsof MinisterZulfikarMustapha. MinisterMustaphawasa part of a governmental delegation led by President DrIrfanAlithatwasinEast Berbice Corentyne, Region Six area over the past weekend.
The Tucber Park Cricket Club, which is based at the Berbice High School Ground, is the latest cricket club to beacceptedasafullmember of the Berbice Cricket Board.
The Club quickly rose up the ranks and acquired first division
Beckford brace Slingerz to fourth win on the trot, as Santos topple Den Amstel
The rumble of football action echoed once again at theNationalTrainingCentre overtheweekendasSeason VII of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) Elite League delivered four
thrilling fixtures, showcasing a blend of raw talent and top-tier football. With goals galore and emphatic performances, Monedderlust FC, Guyana Police Force FC, Slingerz FC, and Santos FC each securedthreepointsinwhat proved to be a weekend packed with drama and dominance.
Saturday’sdoubleheader sawBerbice’sMonedderlust
FC steamroll newly
promoted Mainstay
Goldstar FC with a commanding5-0victory Mainstay, still searching for their first win of the season, were handed their fifth consecutive defeat in a one-sided encounter. Rayan Rose opened the scoring in the20thminutebeforeJaden Thom added another on the stroke of halftime (45+1). Thesecondhalfcontinuedin the same vein with Tyrone
Delph bagging a brace (60’, 67’) and Terrence Lewis nettinginthe58thminuteto completetherout. In the second fixture of thenight,theGuyanaPolice Force flexed their muscles againstAnn’sGroveUnited, inwhatwasconsideredasan emphatic statement by the policemen, who eventually routed Ann’s Grove United
FC 6-0 in a clinical display. Nicholas McArthur struck twiceearly(15’,18’)before Ryan Hackett added a stoppage-time goal to close out the first half with a 3-0
lead The Policemen continued to dominate after the break, with Daren Benjamin (72’) and Neron Barrow(78’,90’)sealinga (Continuedonpage21)
status and is now rated among the top clubs in thecounty
Over the short span of time, the TPCC club has been making tremendous strides and has so far produced a number of top players at all levels for Guyana.
Some has so far gone on to represent the West Indies Players such as Shamar Joseph, Romario Shepherd and Female Player Tremaine Smart come to mind Presently the club holds the distinction to having three currentGuyanafastbowlers in its line up in Joseph, ShepherdandNialSmith.
Areleasefromtheclub states that, “With our robust youth development
programme, the gear will no doubt be of immense value to our youngsters as we look to nurture the future of Guya
’s Cricket.”Mustapha,whois the current Minister of Agriculture, hails from Berbice and has over the years been making contributions to various sports and communitybased organization in the county
A number of other organizations in Region Six also benefited from the Minister’s largess over the weekend - a gesture which u n d e r s c o r e s t h e government’s commitment to youth and community development through sports and recreation. (Samuel Whyte)
Slingerz’duo Kemar Beckford and Leo Lovell inspire 3-1 victory
Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha at centre, hands over two bags of cricket gear to coach Julian Moore of the Tucber Park Cricket club at left.
- GFF Elite League Season VII weekend continues Beckford brace Slingerz to fourth win on the trot, as Santos topple Den Amstel topple
Young guns flourish at Moo! flourish National Junior’s Squash C/ship
- Ten Pow cops Player of the Tournament, as Lowe carts off with three titles
