Kaieteur News

Mikhail Rodrigues, known as “Guyanese Critic”

Rape allegations against my son “politically motivated”

…Police sent file for legal advice …Guyanese Critic did not show up to give statement to police - Mohamed says

Guyanese businessman Nazar “Shell” Mohamed has c a l l e d o u t s o c i a l m e d i a

c o m m e n t a t o r M i k h a i l Rodrigues also known as the 'Guyanese Critic' , saying t h a t t h e i n t e r v i e w h e broadcasted with a 17-yearold girl accusing his son

Azruddin Mohammed of s e x u a l a b u s e – w a s politically motivated.

I n a v i d e o p o s t e d Tuesday night on Facebook, Shell Mohamed defended his son and questioned the allegations. He also linked

t h e i n c i d e n t t o p e r s o n s working on behalf of the People's Progressive Party government. He said that the accusations were politically motivated, stating, “For this man to fabricate these lies… it has been confirmed that this was a plan by, you know, people that are very close to this administration.”

“I want to make it very clear that I have instilled in my family values,” he said.

Shell Mohamed added, “I'm very disturbed about it, because this is no joke, and I want to thank the public for s t a n d i n g w i t h A z r u d d i n because the plan was that if the public had bought into it and carried pressure. Then it w o u l d h a v e g o n e differently.”

He said that his son reported the matter to the police but, “up to today, the Guyanese Critic didn't show up at the station to give a statement on the issue and to identify who this individual is, what is really going on in

February 10, 2025.

A

ready, willing and able to

polygraph test, administered by competent professionals, be they at the FBI, Scotland

Y

corroborate his denial of the

begs belief that a minor child

public interview, with her face obscured but her parents

adult. M

reminded that there are laws that prescribe the manner in which these interviews are to

engaged the Police, first; s e c o

,

Moreover, Nazar's son Azruddin Mohamed told this

matter to the police, the day after the interview was aired b y G u y a n e s

Facebook. He said that the

Brickdam Police Station and he was told he will be contacted for further updates but have not heard from the police since then. However, w

Commander 4 'A' Simon McBean confirmed that the c a s e r e m

d e r investigation and that a file has been sent for legal advice.

Mohamed through his lawyers had vehemently and wholeheartedly refuted all claims of sexual misconduct, s e x u a l i m p r o p r i e t y o r predatory sexual behaviour against the minor child, and anyone else involved in the

our society I just can't understand how people can be so evil to do something like this.”

him.” The lawyers observed that what they considered to be worrying aspects of the interview They noted that it

answers ought to be given forthwith, as to whether or not the minor child sought the proper help, in the proper way

Mohamed's attorneys said that “Questions ought to be asked and answers ought to be given forthwith, as to whether or not the minor child sought the proper help, in the proper sequence. It is our considered view that any victim of sexual exploitation and/or predation, especially

h e n e c e

y medical, social healthcare a n d

o u n s e l

g professionals, and if as an after-thought the Media, last. If it becomes clear that that s e q u e n c e h a s n o t b e e n followed, there are more questions than answers as result of the interview.”

Mikhail Rodrigues, known as “Guyanese Critic”

Nazar “Shell” Mohamed and his son Azruddin Mohamed

Kaieteur News

Printed and Published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd. 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, Guyana.

Publisher: GLENN LALL-TEL: 624-6456

Editor: NIGEL WILLIAMS

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

EDITORIAL

Obesity and poor diet

World Obesity Day was observed on Tuesday and we were reminded of how important it is to eat a balanced diet and shun junk foods.

The Ministry of Health in a statement disclosed that obesity has emerged as a significant concern in Guyana, with rates steadily increasing among both adults and children. According to the World Obesity Federation, this year the obesity prevalence is projected to reach 20.2 percent for men and 35.5 percent for women, while 15.7 percent of children between the ages five and 19 will be affected. “Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and hypertension remain the leading causes of death in Guyana,” the Health Ministry highlighted in the statement.

Right here in Guyana in 2016, NCDs were responsible for 68 percent of all deaths in Guyana, with cardiovascular diseases alone accounting for 34 percent of these fatalities. Additionally, the risk of premature death from NCDs among individuals aged 30 to 70 is 31 percent. The ministry did mention that the country has undergone significant shifts, which contributed to the obesity crisis. “The rise of fast foods restaurants and increasing availability of processed, high-calorie foods have led to higher rates of unhealthy eating. Many of these foods are loaded with unhealthy fats, sugars, and sodium- major contributors to weight gain and obesity-related diseases. Sedentary lifestyles and low levels of physical activity have further worsened the situation,” the Health Ministry said.

It has long been established here that poor diet is common among many Guyanese, particularly among the more affluent who often do not spend much time looking after their health. As was mentioned by the ministry there is a high percentage of people dying NCDs and blamed this on the changing dietary landscape with more fast foods outlets available to citizens. Since the coming of oil, more and more fast foods franchises have set up shop here. The more affluent the country, the more the ailments that stem from poor diets. Guyanese are not averse to eating healthy The reality, however, is that they follow trends in the developed world. Fast food outlets proliferate in the developed world and they have now become part of the local landscape.

In the developed world, obesity is a challenge. Some of the largest people live in those countries where the economy is doing much better than Guyana’s and where people readily eat out at restaurants or simply pick up a meal that may not be all that healthy but one which satisfies hunger

The Ministry of Health has for many years been trying to get people to understand that what passes for fast food, while ready to be eaten, is actually contributing to ill health. Many are fattening and can lead to clogged arteries. What is surprising is that the average Guyanese knows that there are foods that help maintain good health. As children they learnt about green vegetables, fruits and the like. The marketplace abounds with these things and there is no shortage of shoppers. Most Guyanese do prepare their own meals, largely because they do not have much disposable income. However, there are those who have grown lazy, who would boast that they hate facing the kitchen, who would actually promote the restaurants. They see it as fashionable to emulate the people in the developed world. In fact, television, which is all about the country from which the signal emanates, actually is one of the media that promotes the country

It is the eating habits that are leading to the health issues. Some of the most obese people live in America and Europe. In fact, the American Medical Association has long recognized that obesity is a national issue. It traces this to eating habits. There is now a regular focus on these eating houses. Health experts routinely measure the quality of foods served.

The fact that a growing number of Guyanese need dialysis; that there are more and more people who are developing heart diseases and need corrective surgery; that

Months after still waiting on EPA’s response

DEAR EDITOR,

O n t h e 2 2 n d o f

November 2024 I sent an email as advised by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requesting two (2) documents related to the Gas to Energy project (GtE).

1. The Feasibility Study

Section 12.

2 T h e u p d a t e d EIA/ESIA for GtE Pipeline as required in Section 4 of t h e G t E E n v i r o n m e n t a l Permit.

To d a t e I h a v e

y written request. I know my email was received by the EPA as on the many times I

m b y telephone, to follow up on the status of my request, they always checked to see if in fact my email had been sent. The last time I called the EPA on this matter, more than three weeks ago, four of t h e i r l i s t e d t e l e p h o n e numbers when dialed had a recording which said this number is not listed in any directory The only number which is working was their hotline/emergency number During my repeated attempts to contact the EPA on this issue, this same recording

message was heard often on all of the EPA numbers, this was especially true during the seepage of an unknown substance in houses on the West Coast of Demerara when the EPA themselves reported that none of their numbers had been working for 2 weeks.

Each time I contacted the EPA after November 22, 2024. I was always told the same thing they would be in touch, but more than 3 months has passed, and it seems clear to me that I may have little chance of ever receiving these documents o r b e i n g g i v e n a n explanation as to why not.

All Guyanese who are to ‘ b e n e f i t ’ f r o m t h e G t E project are stakeholders and as such have a right to access this information. The EPA as the regulatory agency should be facilitating the right to information not i g n o r i n g o r i m p e d i n g requests. I wish to remind the EPA that they should also be guided by fundamental rights of Guyanese citizens as set out in our Constitution including:

• A r t i c l e 1 4 9 w h i c h guarantees Guyanese the

Right to a Safe & Healthy Environment, Article 146 which guarantees freedom of Expression - No person shall

be hindered in the enjoyment o f p a r t i c i p a t i n g i n t h e management and decisionmaking processes of the State.”

A n d C o n s t i t u t i o n a l guarantees are provided for violation of such rights

Article 25 which says it is the duty of citizens to participate i n a c t i v i t i e s f o r t h e i m p r o v e m e n t o f t h e environment & to protect the h e a l t h o f a l l G u y a n e s e

Article 13 which states: “The principal objective of State is to establish an inclusionary d e m o c r a c y b y p r o v i d i n g increasing opportunities for the participation of citizens, and their organisations, in t h e m a n a g e m e n t a n d decision-making processes of the State, with particular emphasis on those areas that directly affect their wellbeing.

Additionally, the Escazu agreement signed & ratified by Guyana guarantees the r i g h t t o a c c e s s environmental information, right to public participation in environmental matters, r i g h t t o a h e a l t h y environment, a safe and enabling environment for e n v i

t o r g i v e a n explanation as to why I have been unable to access these d o c u m e n t s I a l s o recommend the following:

• Publicize on the EPA website all environmental permits, feasibility studies a n d o t h e r r e l e v a n t documents.

• Ensure that there are full comprehensive ongoing people friendly accessible

Guyanese public on onshore projects and facilities, with full disclosure of hazard and potential hazards etc.

• Ensure that access to the EPA is always available

, especially in the face of environmental threats and risks.

•

environmentalist and civil

defenders with regard and engage constructively and respectfully with them and

expertise.

e protection and promotion of environmental defenders in environmental matters. In closing I hope the Envi

Yours sincerely, Danuta Radzik

My Love for Amna Ally & My Loyalty to the PNCR

DEAR EDITOR,

Amna Ally and I have recently made our political d i f f e r e n c e s p u b l i c , particularly as they relate to the PNCR. However, the truth is that these differences have existed for months, going into a year or more now Despite that, let the record reflect that I love Amna Ally dearly As a p e r s o n , s h e i s a g e m ,

something many don’t know and never got the chance to see because of her usual b u l l d o g a p p r o a c h . B u t having been in the party for several years now, I have come to know her well. I know she is a wonderful and loving person, though often guided by her emotions.

Amna, for her 50-plus y e a r s o f s e r v

there are more diabetics, is testimony to the eating habits of the local people. Where certain things never existed, they do now The government will boast that it is spending huge sums of money on health. What it will not say is that this spending is occasioned by people developing bad habits and therefore placing more pressure on the health services. The widely held view is that there should be more campaigns to educate people about a series of health habits. The same television that is importing the bad habits into our living rooms could be used to make people aware of the dangers inherent in emulating that which they see in the developed country To the country’s credit, by no stretch of imagination has obesity reached the proportions in the developed world and heaven forbid if it does. This could be avoided and must.

principle that she instilled in me: the party is bigger than all of us. In any democracy, respecting the choice of the m e m b e r s h i p i s c r u c i a l . During my time in the party, I saw Robert Corbin chosen multiple times as leader, and t h e s a m e w i t h D a v i d

Granger Many of us who did not support either of them s t i l l w o r k e d w i t h t h e m because, as Amna would always say, the party comes first.

Yet today, four years after the party chose Aubrey Norton, mind you, at a time when Amna Ally herself was the General Secretary she refuses to work with him and refused from Day one of his leadership. Didn’t even give him a chance. Can this be fair? This is the root of our d i f f e r e n c e s H e r r e c e n t public outbursts have now forced me to address the

matter publicly as well. The party made its choice, just as it did in the past. It must be r e s p e c t e d , a s s h e o n c e preached.

I recently learned that Amna’s bitterness toward Norton dates back to their y o u n g e r d a y s i n t h e YSM—more precisely, in the 1970s, when I hadn’t even dreamed of being born. Much of what she has written in her attempts to demean me is untrue, and the few truths were spearheaded by her Thank God it didn’t take me long to recognize her ulterior motive and step away from the cluster that was fixated on destroying Norton at all costs This vendetta has spanned decades but has never succeeded and clearly never will.

I was told that in her younger days, Amna was a (Continued on page 06)

PPP’s Neemak Haramism against the Mohamed’s Ending Wars

DEAR EDITOR

“You can always rely on the Americans to do the right t h i n g , a f t e r t h e y t r i e d e v e r y

h

n g

l s e ” T h o

e words are attributed to the (in)famous former British Prime Minister Sir Winston Churc

known for his quick wit.

However, recent events seem to be proving that to be true. On Friday 28, February 2025 in the White House President Donald Trump got angry because the Ukrainian President Zelinsky seemed very reluctant to make a deal for peace.

He charged Zelinsky of gambling with millions of lives and with a Third World War

President Trump is right. The Russian Special military operation in Ukraine has already cost the lives of more

t h a n a m i l l i o n p e r s o n s , mainly Ukrainian soldiers. Since the sharp exchange in the White House, the mainstream media in the US and Western Europe have been working overtime to criticise President Trump. They have sided with some

E u r o p e a n l e a d e r s a n d Zelinsky to continue the war against Russia to the last Ukrainian.

They seem oblivious to the tremendous sufferings of ordinary people. One of the propaganda lines they are using to justify their support for continuing the war goes like this. “If Russia wins President Putin will attack and conquer the rest of Europe.” Those who do not know the recent history of this conflict, and, there are many whose minds have b e e n p o i s o n e d b y

e mainstream media, would e

President Putin did almost e

situation.This war did not begin in February 2022 as it appears. It actually started s

overthrown in a coup. This was the day after the parties i n U k r a i n e a n d t h e I n t e r n a t i o n a l C o m m u n i t y had agreed that an early election would have been called.

The coup was instigated and financed by the United States. The reason for the US involvement was, firstly to get their hands on the rich

r e s o u r c e s i n U k r a i n e (already the multi-national giant Black Rock was given huge tracks of Ukrainian lands.) The other reason was

to get Ukraine into the Western Military alliance, NATO and to place nuclear weapons on its border with Russia.

That was a huge security threat to Russia and violated the established principles of the UN that no country should increase their own security at the expense of another

These measures of the US/NATO came just after the US had walked away from all the negotiated arms control measures that were made between the US and the Soviet Union in the 1970s and 1980s.

We can also recall the U.S. reaction to a similar event when the Soviet Union placed missiles in Cuba to p r o t e c t t h e i s l a n d f r o m constant US intervention

P r e s i d e n t K e n n e d y w a s ready to go to war Indeed, the world was on the brink.

T h e n e w p r o - U S government that was installed in Kyiv, headed by Petro

P o r o s h e n k o i m m e d i a t e l y began to take many hostile actions against opposition to him. That opposition came from Eastern Ukraine where the population was mainly

R u s s i a n s T h e h o s t i l i t y increased when those areas refused to accept the coup and held referenda which voted overwhelmingly to establish independent states.

The Poroshenko regime

t h e n b e g a n a m i l i t a r y operation against the break away states.

The civilian population w a s s u b j e c t e d t o d a i l y shelling and bombing by the newly minted Kyiv regime. Poroshenko’s attack was not confined to the military field but extended to the cultural

(Continued on page 16)

DEAR EDITOR,

M r N a z a r ( S h e l l )

Mohamed in social media remarks (Mar 4) revealed how he supported the PPP all his life and how his son’s life is now being threatened by

because he seeks elective office. I

s c h o o l e d b y m y

grandparents, it is called

“ N e e m a k H a r a m i s m ”

Jagan and the stalwarts of his era would not have been ‘neemakharam’ (ingrates) as some currently in the

government, those seek

They fear a defeat would result in prosecution and confiscation of ill-go

w e a l t h o b t a i n e d f r o m massive corruption.

Those in the know are familiar with Shell’s role w h e n t h e P P P w a s i n opposition.

When funds and support w e r e s c a r c e d u r i n g t h e difficult years of the 1980s, Shell was there.

You ask any activist, and they will tell you how much

Shell financed the party during struggling times.

lives o

bers of th

family in danger; warnings a n d t h r e a t s h a v e b e e n issued daily to Azruddin to

back off from politics as the party leadership fears A z r u d d i n w o u l d d e f e a t

them In Indian culture, as

He gave money for every PPP Congress except a few of the early ones.

D u r i n g 2 0 2 4 P P P Congress at the Convention Center, he gave the largest donation to host and feed delegates from all over the country

He was with the party

during the no confidence motion of 2018 and the appointment of Patterson as GECOM Chair

He provided support for court cases related to both.

He was very close with the party leadership (Irfaan and Jagdeo) during the 2020 general elections, providing support during the campaign as well as the multiple court

c a s e s o n t h e c o u n t i n g , recounting, declaration of the results, and swearing in of Irfaan Ali.

It is not forgotten that h e p r o v i d e d s e c u r i t y t o Irfaan during those many m o n t h s a n d

i o n f o r h i

d

r a n s p

swearing in on August 2, 2020 as well as during the e a r l y d a y s o f I r f a a n ’s

Presidency He worked behind the

s c e n e s d u r i n g t h e f i v e months from March 3 to

August 1, 2020 to combat r i g g i n g , a n d h e a n d a h a n d f u l o f o t h e r s convinced key figures (at G e c o m ) t o d e c l a r e t h e

outcome that represented

the will of voters Shell was with Irfaan

and Jagdeo all the time until the second half of last year He w

s a good man, a great person

Yours truly Dan Ramcharitar

President Ali continues to up-lift the nation Fire in Guyana is too frequent

DEAR EDITOR,

DEAR EDITOR,

Let me be clear from the outset, that no one, not His E x c e l

Mohamed Irfaan Ali, the young, handsome, generous and energetic President of Guyana, nor his secretariat have asked me to write on his behalf. I am writing this

y observation of the several

throughout the country, the rapid and robust growth of the economy, the upgrading and modernization of the

h e l i v i n g standards of its citizens Given his years in public service as the Minister of Housing and Industry and now as President, Dr Irfaan Ali has become an astute, experienced and or seasoned politician by any stretch of the imagination.

As the head of State, Dr Ali is bestowed with the extraordinary qualities of b e i

stern, no-nonsense and clear

, p r o a c t

, s

l f l e s s , courageous and reassuring. H e g i v e s h o p e t o t h e hopeless, rescue those who have lost their way, and embrace those who have been rejected or abandoned. His Excellency is very candid and has always been known to “call a spade a spade.”

He is courteous and is known for speaking the truth

especially against wrong doings even when it not polite or pleasant to do so.

A case in point was when the President summoned members of his cabinet, P e r m a n e n t S e c r e t a r i e s , engineers, key government o ff i c i a l s a n d d e l i n q u e n t

c o n t r a c t o r s t o a n e a r l y morning meeting at State House to explain the delay of several contracts by four months or more.

During the hour-long

e n g a g e m e n t w i t h t h o s e present, the President, in a

m e s s a g e , e x p r e s s e d h i s

frustration at the alarming rate of delays of several public projects across the country

H e w a r n e d t h e delinquent contractors and c o m p l a c e n t g o v e r n m e n t officials that the delays and m i s m a n a g e m e n t i n t h e execution of public projects will no longer be tolerated. It was a harsh missive to all for their lackadaisical attitude

t h a t h a s a l l o w e d inefficiencies to fester

H i s E x c e l l e n c y underscored the fact that contractors whose projects were not completed by the end of last year will face

t e r m i n a t i o n o f t h e i r contracts and blacklisting and that fines will be levied by the government on those w h o f a i l t o m e e t t h e i r contractual obligations.

His message was blunt a n d u n e q u i v o c a l t h a t systemic failures in public projects and inconvenience of the public will not be tolerated.

S i n c e b e c o m i n g President in August 2020, President Dr Ali has become a t r a n s f o r m a t i v e a n d

v i s i o n a r y l e a d e r H e i s humble, hardworking and respectful to everyone.

He is engaging and has been visible in the forefront to promote the interests of e v e r y o n e i n s e v e r a l

c o m m u n i t i e s a c r o s s t h e country

H i s “ O n e G u y a n a ” vision rests on the core belief to create a more equal and just society that guarantees everyone, regardless of race, religion, status or party affiliation the opportunity to lead productive and happy lives as well as reducing i n e q u a l i t

employment and income.

A n e x c e p t i o n a l a n d skillful leader, Dr Ali is good natured, intelligent, sensible, pragmatic, and is in sync with the grassroots. Not only has his policies liftedup the citizens, especially the less fortunate in society, b u t t h e y h a v e a l s o

n d r a i s e d t h e standing of the country from its underdeveloped ranking to a developing nation status regionally, hemispheric, and globally

What seemed impossible to achieve, His Excellence has attained it. The Head of State strongly believes in the goodness and gentleness of humanity and expressed the hope that his government will continue to uplift the people of Guyana and their living standards, the dignity of the elders and the future of the children.

Sincerely, Dr. Asquith Rose

n g throughout the country are becoming too frequent. The recent early morning fire that school children and school staff were able to escape has brought the issue of fire p r e v

a n d f i r e suppression to the forefront once again Whether it be government negligence, arson or an unexpected and an unpreventable occurrence we must relook at our approach to fire suppression It is time to agree on a nationwide solution and ensure its implementation We can no longer afford to hope for the best and not prepare for the worst No school in the country should be allowed to operate without a sprinkler system that is connected to a water pump house, which has high pressure water lines and a dedicated source of water that it can pull from. The s c h o o l s m u s t h a v e f i r e alarms that trigger a response at the closest fire station and e a c h s c h o o l m u s t h a v e working and reliable fire

y accessible locations. If a fire

proximity, one should be built and fully equipped to

occurs. It is only a matter of time until there is another fire that results in tragedy We must take immediate action to put in place what is necessary to

suppression occurs quickly when a fire begins Properly maintained fire extinguishers in every area of each school may seem expensive, but today we can afford it and more importantly we cannot afford not to have them The lives of our children must be given priority over other investments It is time to make our schools safe again. We were lucky this time that no lives were reported lost. H o p

h e i n j u r e d fireman will recover soon. Stay safe and be careful! With utmost concern, Mr. Jamil Changlee

My Love for Amna Ally...

From page 04 beauty, and in my mind, she still is My dear Amna, maybe you should get on Facebook and read the comments under every post not just mine, but those from all media houses It can’t be that so many people are wrong, and only you are right I will always love Amna Ally,

even if she has none for me But I cannot compromise my love for the PNCR This party is my political home, and I will not stand by while anyone no matter how dear to me attempts to destroy it Be good to yourself, my dear Amna. I still love you.

Ganesh Mahipaul

Cops probing illegal sale of lands by Buxton Foulis NDC

Police have been called in to investigate allegations of the illegal sale of state lands by the Buxton/Foulis Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC).

This was revealed by Attorney General (AG) and Minister of Legal Affairs,

A n i l N a n d l a l l S C o n Tuesday during his weekly programme “Issues in the News.” Nandlall revealed that residents of the NDC raised an alarm about the illegal sale. He noted the Government had already warned of the illegal sale of state lands. “We have made it clear already that any Local Authority that sells State lands, those who are the authors of that sale in that Local Authority will have to face the full force of the law,” the AG said adding that the custodian of state lands is t h

constitution and the laws of Guyana have not given it to any other person other than the president and there is a reason for that. These are elected [NDC] officials they a r e n o t e m p o w e r e d t o dispose of State lands,” the Attorney General noted.

He said a report has been made to the Guyana Police Force over the sale by the F o u l i s / B u x t o n N D C

“Hopefully an investigation will be commenced. I am h o p i n g t h a t t h e G u y a n a P o

swiftly and we can use this to set an example,” Nandlall said.

The AG has warned that the Government is looking into the illegal sale of State l a n d s b y c o u n c i

s o f Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs) and other local authorities.

During a segment of his

weekly 'Issues in the News'

selling public lands illegally

NDCs are not allowed to rent or sell public lands without express permission from the M

Government.

According to the AG, these lands include any state or reserve lands that fall within the area under the management of the NDC. And any councillor renting or selling land is doing so

received is that NDCs are

councillors themselves are buying the lands …So we intend to take serious action

– Nandlall

unsanctioned rental or sale is illegal and both the buyers and sellers are engaging in fraudulent activities.

Nandlall had previously issued a public warning to defaulting councillors and buyers. If the warning is not heeded there would be dire consequences.

The AG emphasised that any unsanctioned rental or sale is illegal and both the

previously stated that the

reports that some of the

(LAAs) have been selling

Attorney General (AG) and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall SC

lands within their NDCs

municipalities are governed by the Ministry of Local Government. He noted that warning letters were sent to them from the Ministry of Local Government but the issue still persists. “NDCs have no power to rent or sell

lands, public lands, reserved lands, within their NDCS

permission of their Minister

These persons are elected to the NDCs, nobody elected them to sell public property,” N

y stated.

New app launched to enhance hiring process, provide

interregional connection

Guyana's labour market is set to be revolutionised with the launch of the Ministry of Labour's SkillsConnect App.

The App was developed by the National Data Management Authority (NDMA) to connect employers with potential employees through a digital platform, regardless of their location in the country

Employers can post advertisements for job openings while employees can market themselves and their skills on the platform.

Minister of Labour Joseph Hamilton launched the App on Tuesday

He acknowledged the need to bridge gaps in Guyana's labour force and highlighted the app's ability to accomplish this goal.

Some of the App's features include: Spanish translation for foreigners, rating system for both employers and employees,

advertisements, and a communication system between employee and employer.

The app is part of President Irfaan Ali's vision for a more digitised Guyana with functional and efficient systems.

previously tedious processes.

Last year, the Ministry of Housing and Wa

Authority (CHPA), launched the Electronic Planning and Development Single Window

applications.

Minister Hamilton emphasised that more digital transformations are underway, saying, “At every level of government, we want to, in the shortest time possible, have all agencies or government facilities, all ministries having a more systematic and efficient relationship with the public.”

The Labour Ministry intends to launch more apps to diversify the labour market and advance training opportunities. Persons can download SkillsConnect via the Google Play Store or Apple Store. (DPI)

Minister of Labour, Joseph Hamilton

Members of the National Data Management Authority (NDMA) team

Cr y a tear for Guyana!

Guyana has entered a dark era. This is a time when the nation stands at the crossroads of its own soul.

T h e n a t i o n i s n o w weighed down by the heavy shadow of a government that has thrown every ounce of decency to the wind in its relentless pursuit to retain

p o w e r B y a n y m e a n s possible. Fair or foul. It is all fair game.

This darkness that now shrouds Guyana is not a nostalgic return to the brutal dictatorship of Burnham’s

e r a N o , w h a t w e a r e witnessing today is a new breed of malice, one that is far more insidious, far more t o x i c , a n d f a r m o r e d a n g e r o u s F o r w h i l e Burnham may have been a tyrant, there was still some

m e a s u r e o f r e s t r a i n t a sense, albeit fleeting, of a generally government trying to keep its actions within the confines of the law What we see today is far worse; the government of the People’s

P r o g r e s s i v e P a r t y / C i v i c (PPP/C) has descended to the lowest of lows, turning institutions of the state into weapons, corrupting every fibre of governance with a venomous hatred for anyone who dares to challenge their authority

The current government has made it abundantly clear that it is not enough to merely o p p o s e t h e m o n p o l i c y grounds; no, they will not a l l o w p o l i t i c a l d i s s e n t without branding the critics them as enemies of the state These enemies they say will be dealt with The PPP/C is now bent on making an example of those who dare raise their voices against them. And they do so with such ferocity that it would

m a k e e v e n t h e m o s t

h a r d e n e d a u t h o r i t a r i a n regime blush.

Paramountcy of the party

has now been superseded by elite capture of the state

State institutions are no longer separate from the will of the ruling party They are being weaponized for the express purpose of going after perceived rivals We are no longer living in a free society It is a society in which the government’s very survival

d e p e n d s o n q u a s h i n g opposition, on making an example of anyone who dares to stand in their way It is a government that is bent on silencing voices that seek to expose their corruption and mismanagement.

T h e g o v e r n m e n t ’ s relentless pursuit of its critics has taken a horrifying turn into the grotesque, a descent into a realm of baseless

a c c u s a t i o n s , f a b r i c a t e d

c r i m e s , a n d c o n c o c t e d scandals that have no basis in reality. Except in the fevered

imaginations of those in power

There was a time in G u y a n a w h e n h a v i n g political differences could lead to a debate, a clash of ideas, or perhaps even a moment of reckoning for policy reform. Today, having a different opinion means having your name dragged

t h r o u g h t h e m u d , y o u r character defamed, and your very existence placed under t h e m i c r o s c o p e o f

g o v e r n m e n t - b a c k e d propaganda. This is not a political disagreement; this is an attack on freedom itself.

T h e g o v e r n m e n t i s determined and obsessed

w i t h s e n d i n g a s t r o n g message to anyone, even

t h o s e w h o t h e y m e r e l y suspect wants to run for political office. And to this end they are weaponizing state institutions. But the w e a p o n i z a t i o n o f s t a t e institutions is not the only threat hanging over Guyana The press now finds itself

under siege In a country w h e r e t h e g o v e r n m e n t controls vast swaths of public advertising, the very power of the state’s financial resources is being wielded as a threat to undermine the free press The press is facing the threat of state advertisements being

criticize the regime If a journalist dares to ask the wrong question or publish an unflattering story about the government, they risk losing the very lifeblood that keeps their newspaper afloat This is not merely a blow to press freedom; it is an existential

independent journalism in Guyana. And yet, this is the reality that the PPP/C has chosen to impose on the nation.

Social media, a frontier for dissenting voices, has become a battleground for

propaganda machine. Under

democracy, social media is now a tool for scandalizing, demonizing, and bullying anyone who dares to stand in opposition. The venomous

m government-affiliated trolls has poisoned the political and social discourse. Serious accusations are being flung a r o u n d w i t h a b a n d o n , creating an atmosphere of fear and uncertainty The government’s foot soldiers, e n g a g e i n t h e m o s t despicable acts of character assassination. This is not political engagement; this is the stoking of fear and hatred to silence any opposition to the ruling party’s cling on power

And behind it all, there are the lies—the lies that have been carefully crafted to intimidate, to coerce, and to divide. Lies told with such

DEM BOYS SEH

Puppet got one wuk-do wah de puppeteer seh!

A puppet don't got no mind of it own. It don't got no voice of it own. It don't even got a soul. Puppet only got one wuk—to do wah de puppeteer tell it to do. If de puppeteer seh jump, de puppet does jump. If de puppeteer seh clap, de puppet does clap. If de puppeteer seh talk, de puppet does move it mouth, but is not it words—it just de voice coming from behind de curtain.

Dem boys seh some puppets does look real fancy Dem does wear suit, tie, sometimes even a lil gold pin pon de jacket. But don't be fool. De strings still deh attach. Is just that some puppeteers does use invisible thread.

De real problem is when puppet start to believe it is a real boy That is when de

conviction and malice that even the most discerning of m i n d s c a n b e c o m e disoriented in the fog of misinformation. It’s no coincidence from where that this campaign of lies and fear is emanating. The puppet masters pulling t h e s t r i n g s a r e e a s i l y identifiable. And yet like any fascist regime, they seek to

justify their actions. Cry a tear for Guyana today, for we have entered an era where truth is the first casualty, and freedom will s o o n b e c o m e a d i s t a n t memory The ruling party has shown us its true face, and it is one of unbridled f

desperate desire to maintain power at any cost.

(The views expressed in this article are those of the a

opinions of this newspaper.)

confusion does start. Puppet start fuh puff up it chest, point finger, act like it running things. But dem boys know de truth—de puppeteer still deh behind de curtain, pulling de strings, making de puppet dance. Puppet don't ask question. Puppet don't make decision Puppet only got one job—follow de script. And if de puppeteer ever decide fuh cut de string, puppet does tumble to de ground, lifeless, like a rag doll. Dem boys seh watch carefully If yuh see somebody always repeating de same lines, always with de same people, and always doing de same thing, check fuh string. Yuh might just be looking at a puppet! Talk half. Leff half.

H@RD TRUTHS

Ashni Singh deals with debt, I deal with him

To maintain the civil level of these contributions, D r A s h n i K S i n g h i s recognized as a Guyanese of

c o n s i d e r a b l e e d u c a t i o n

H o l d i n g t o t h e s a m e standard, it is mindboggling that his education has led to such a conversion of his intelligence. He claimed it, I accepted it. An uncivil man, of which there are many in Guyana, would have used p e r v e r s i o n a n d n o t conversion.

I am who I am. The issue

i s d e b t , G u y a n a ' s d e b t

o v e r h a n g i s w h e r e t h e difference widens. The one doing the honors was the erudite Dr A.K. Singh. At

t h e r e c e n t l y c o n c l u d e d Energy Confab, he smartly transformed from what was tantamount to a Russian made machine gun to an American bazooka. Could have been Chinese, but aw s h u c k s , w h a t d o e s i t matter...?

I provide the subtitles of the erstwhile Singh's posture on Guyana's debt in my own w o r d s P e o p l e b o r r o w Private citizens, businesses,

g o v e

, t h e y

borrow So, what's the big deal about Guyana's billions in loans owed to every Tom, Dick, and Ha

challenge for a simple man is h

n with the erudition of Dr A.K. Singh. They should be pardoned for thinking that wearing a suit and soaring o r a t o

l y ( s l e e k l y anaphorically too) makes them look less shallow than they actually are.

Here is the substance of Dr. Singh's position on debt, Guyana's debt: a) everybody with a functioning braincell b o r r o w s ; b ) t h e 2 4 3 % national debt-to-GDP ratio is inspiring; c) the Oil Fund has enough billions to liquidate the entire external debt; and d) Guyana is on a long-term economic ascent. On behalf of all Guyanese, I thank Dr Singh for his singular inputs

i n t o t h e n a t i o n a l d e b t discussion. I examine them one by one.

People borrow Yessir! Using other people's money

is a practice as old as the oldest bank, or box-hand c o l l e c t e d i n a d v a n c e Bankers do it. Borrowers do the same. My only hang-ups are how much is borrowed and how rapidly Recall that oldest saying: borrowing is easy, paying back is what makes bad friends. So as not t

Guyana, that dreadful 'B' word was dropkicked in the context of payback. What I am saying to Dr Singh is that often one can borrow too

m u c h G u y a n a h a s borrowed too much, that encouraging ratio properly considered. That ratio is now put under a small, low intensity microscope.

W h a t p u s h e d u p Guyana's GDP? Oil, sir. W h a t i s t h e m a j o r contributor [component by far] to Guyana's stupendous GDP growth? Asked and answered again: the black blood of Allah, my Lord Ashni. Warning: though civility is sustained here, our f

iendship m

w get strained. Oil prices start to f a l t e r, t h e n d r o p l i k e a

boulder (or even a brick), a n d t h e r e s u l t i s t h a t Guyana's staggering GDP f i g u r e s c o u l d n o s e d i v e Since oil has pumped up GDP to such an extent here, any continuing slippage in oil prices will sure as hell deflate Guyana's GDP in a manner that hurts. A 10% drop could be managed. But at US$60-65 or lower a barrel, local GDP starts to buckle. In a flash, the hearty debt-to-GDP ratio extolled by the minister goes from n i c e n u m b e r s t o a nightmarish scenario. How t r o u b l i n g o r p u n i s h i n g depends on how much oil drops and for how long. Guyanese are crying out today amid countless oil s p l e n d o r s . W i t h plummeting oil prices and a shrinking GDP, Guyanese m a y n e e d a b l o o d transfusion.

The honorable minister of money also expounded on the three billion greenbacks held in the Oil Fund. When that money and the external debt money owed are put next to each other, it is a wash, according to Minister Singh.

The Oil Fund stood at

The Guyana Water Inc. (GWI) is set t o s p e n d s o m e $266 million for the drilling of new potable water wells in communities across Region One.

T h i s i s a c c o r d i n g t o information released by the National Procurement and T e n d e r A d m i n i s t r a t i o n B o a r d ( N P TA B ) o f f i c e , which awarded the contracts f o l l o w i n g t h e n a t i o n a l bidding process.

A c c o r d i n g t o t h e information provided, GWI went out to tender seeking contractors to drill potable water wells in a number of v i l l a g e s l o c a t e d i n Mabaruma, Region One. The areas identified are: Aruka Mouth, Unity Square, and Waikarabi Aruka and the contractor undertaking these p r o j e c t s w i l l b e F a b r a

US$3.1 billion at the end of last y e a r, w h i l e t h e total debt was at U S $ 5 9 b i l l i o n

B e i n g t h e c u t e , slingshot numbers man that he is, Dr Singh was smooth enough to steer the enraptured foreign section of his audience to external debt (US$2.2 billion). He even h a d o v e r

Singh's point about Guyana

leftover in the kitty Now t h a t

management.

If I were a Guyanese c o m p a n y t h a t l e n t t h e government money, there is

apprehension about how my

Where will the money come from to service (payment of principal and interest) the US$3.7 billion in local debt? With local debt pushed to a s

o r s ' operations feel the pinch, their expectations diluted, and their credit lines wobbly With less oil income coming in, will outside debt be taken to service local debt? On what terms? Or, there will b

restructuring local debt?

economic trajectory.' Yank the oil cushion (income) from under Guyana, and

c trajectory takes some blows,

Check on agriculture and nonoil sectors, and their contributions to local GDP S

shakes, and definitely drops. I n s u m , D

g h ' s assumptions are too heavily skewed towards boosting the brighter side.

There is that other side, where potential economic m e n a c e l u r k s T h e government itself gave that bell a jingle or two recently (The views expressed in this article are those of the

newspaper.)

Enterprise for $66,000,000. I n M a b a r u m a , t h e villages of Three Brothers, Morawhanna, Black Water Savannah and Hobo Hill will have water wells drilled by Rasheid Con

undertake similar works at Barasina, Canal Bank, and F

$64,930,000. Meanwhile, in the Moruca District, Fabra

Enterprise will be drilling a water well in Manawari at the value of $69,000,000. A total account of the contracts revealed that the agency will be expending $266,970,000.

projects will form part of the $23.1 billion budgeted for the water sector this year With the aim of achieving 100 percent potable water coverage by the end of the year, at the recently held f

Housing and Water Collin Croal during his remarks stated that they have plans of drilling 51 water wells in R e g i o n O n e t h i s y e a r Minister Croal noted that 24 wells will benefit Mabaruma

planned for Moruca.

BLUNT BLUNT BLUNT BLUNT

Mae’s School flattened by fire

…owner says building was uninsured, Govt. pledges support

By Francwa Fortune

Fire of unknown origin

o n We d n e s d a y m o r n i n g

d e s t r o y e d M a e ' s S c h o o l located in Subryanville. The owner said the facility was not insured as he scrambles to put contingency systems

i n p l a c e t o e n s u r e t h e students' learning is not disrupted.

President Dr Irfaan Ali has since met with the owner, staff, and several parents during which he emphasised that, despite the school being

p r i v a t e l y o p e r a t e d , t h e students are the nation's children. As such he said the g o v e r n m e n t w i l l s u p p o r t efforts to ensure their swift

r e t u r n t o l e a r n i n g T h e Ministry of Human Services and Social Security will also provide counseling services for the children, parents, and teachers affected.

A special committee has

b e e n e s t a b l i s h e d , c o m p r i s i n g t e a c h e r s , p a r e n t s , a n d o w n e r s , t o develop a plan for moving forward.

In addition, Georgetown I n t e r n a t i o n a l A c a d e m y ( G I A ) h a s a g r e e d t o accommodate 350 students,

w h i l e v a r i o u s o t h e r

a l t e r n a t i v e s a r e b e i n g explored for the remaining students to ensure they can resume classes as swiftly as possible, including offers from other privately-owned

i n s t i t u t i o n s t o a s s i s t i n accommodating students.

Kaieteur New was told that the fire started sometime around 07:45 hrs David Sugrim one of the owners said that around this time he received a call from his wife informing him of the inferno. “My wife called me and tell me there is a fire at the school, by the time she reached here and I reached here the top of the building w a s a l r e a d y c o m p l e t e l y burnt,” David Sugrim told this newspaper at the scene.

He explained that their main focus is on the children

a n d t h e M i n i s t e r o f

E d u c a t i o n , P r i y a Manickchand has pledged her assistance. However, he said they will be utilising the play field, where they will be e r e c t i n g s o m e a i rconditioned tents as early as n e x t w e e k S u g r i m h a s estimated his losses in the billions. Sugrim, late last year acquired the school from former owner Mayfield

French Rodrigues.

, firefighters were battling to contain the blaze. A staff member told the media that she was in the building when a child ran to her informing her that there was a small fire in a Grade Four class room. She then raised an alarm throughout the school and then proceeded to assist with the evaluation process.

“I was going to take breakfast after I change off, and a lil child come to me and said Miss a small fire is in Grade Four Gold. I drop everything that I was doing and run and halla for the cleaners and run upstairs to try to clear out the building w

member recounted.

O n e o f t h e s c h o o l ' s accounting staff members, Shamane Pieters-Smith told this publication that herself and colleagues were in the school in their office, while the building's top floor was ablaze as they were unaware of the approaching danger She was then later informed at approximately 08:20hrs by a security that the school was on fire. “Our office is way at the back, so when everybody done exit then the guard remembered us and come and call we out” she said. Charmaine George the canteen attendant recounted h e r e x p e r i e n c e f o r t h i s p u b l i c a t i o n S h e t o l d Kaieteur News that she was in the building, and had a l r e a d y c o m m e n c e d

p r e p a r i n g m e a l s f o r t h e students as a few of them had placed their orders. She added that she saw students leaving the building and the head security of the school informed her that the school was on fire and they needed assistance in making sure that the students evacuated

safely “I was in the building, we had just stared cooking

a n d I s e e t h e c h i l d r e n running so I peep to see what was going on, when I see the school was on fire, I told the girls to turn off everything and we run out. I was only able to grab my vehicle

keys, ” she recalled A teacher told Kaieteur News that she was running late for work and when she arrived, she was told to park away from the school because they saw smoke coming from the building. “When I turn in the street one of the parents told me to pull in the corner because smoke coming out of the school. By the time I park and coming out the whole school was on fire…”

the teacher said.

In an official statement to the media the school said urgent systems are being put in place to ensure that their s t u d e n t s ' e d u c a t i o n a l j o u r n e y a n d s e m e s t e r continue uninterrupted.

For its part the Ministry of Education in a statement recounted the minister's visit t o t h e s i t e a n d w h a t transpired. “During her visit, M i n i s t e r M a n i c k c h a n d expressed her deep concern for the affected students, teachers, and families. She pledged the full support of the Ministry of Education and Government of Guyana to ensure that the students of M a e ' s S c h o o l w i l l b e a c c o m m o d a t e d a t p u b l i c

schools to continue their e d u c a t i o n s e a m l e s s l y , especially Grade 6 and 11 students who will be sitting t h e N a t i o n a l G r a d e S i x

Assessment (NGSA) and

C a r i b b e a n S e c o n d a r y E d u c a t i o n C e r t i f i c a t e (CSEC) examinations,” the ministry said.

A c c o m p a n y i n g t h e minister was a team of senior officials from the Ministry's Examinations Division and School Support Services

“The Ministry of Education will continue to engage with the school's administration, p a r e n t s , a n d o t h e r

stakeholders to ensure a smooth transition for the affected students and to provide ongoing support as needed.”

Fully engulfed

Andre Holder Divisional

O f f i c e r i n C h a r g e o f

Operation for Guyana Fire Service (GFS) told the media

t h a t w h e n f i r e f i g h t e r s arrived on the scene the top flat of the school was fully engulfed in flames and all occupants were out of the building. During the battle with the blaze two of the firemen were injured, and were subsequently rushed to t h e G e o r g e t o w n P u b l i c H o s p i t a l C o r p o

attention.

Holder revealed that on a normal fire call about four f

y dispatched and based on updates or additional calls more would be deployed. However, in the instance of the Mae's School fire he saw it fit to have all the fire

included. A total of nine fire attendants responded to the fire. He stated that initially

approach to the fire but as the situation escalated, they had to reshape their approach to a defensive one because the combustibles in the building were numerous and it was a threat to the lives of the fire fighters.

“These two firefighting appliances the Bropnto sky lift, these are what actually saved the day given the fact that initially we could not have gained

(Continued on page 17)

The flattened structure of Mae's School following the fire

President Irfaan Ali meeting with staff and parents of Mae's School

A Banks DIH water tender was deployed to assist with the fire-fighting

A fire of unknown origin on Wednesday morning swept through the Mae's School located in Subryanville, Georgetown

35 contractors bid below engineer’s $70M for L eonora Market extension project

The 35 contractors who applied for the contract to execute extension works at the Leonora Market in Region Three, have all submitted bids lower than the government engineer's estimate of $70 million.

The project which is being undertaken by the Ministry of Public Works was advertised for bids with an estimated cost attached of $70,276,260.

During the recent reading of bids for the project, a total of 35 companies submitted their bids to the National

P r o c u r e m e n t a n d Te n d e r

A d m i n i s t r a t i o n B o a r d (NPTAB) office. Of the 35 bidders the lowest bid placed was $51,724,050, while the highest was $69,439,650.

According to NPTAB, the bidders are as follow: Dale

C h o w k a i a n d S o n s

Construction - $64,692,863; S & D C o n s t r u c t i o n -

$ 6 9 , 4 3 9 , 6 5 0 ; I K h a n

C o n t r a c t i n g S e r v i c e -

$64,063,965; Z&J Enterprise Inc. - $67,750,200; TNSA

C o n s t r u c t i o n a n d G e n e r a l Transportation - $69,033,195; Grimmond's Electrical and Tr a n s p o r t a t i o n S e r v i c e s -

$ 6 7 , 4 2 4 , 5 9 5 ; M K H a n i f

C o n s t r u c t i o n S e r v i c e -

$ 6 8 , 8 2 3 , 1 9 5 ; M a h a m a d Haseeb Bacchus Enterprise Construction - $67,874,520; M u l t i t e c h E n g i n e e r i n g Services Inc. - $67,697,700; V N V C o n s t r u c t i o n a n d Supply Inc. - $64,295,385; Pantheon Construction Inc.$67,996,110; AMIC General

C o n t r a c t i n g S e r v i c e s$ 6 5 , 9 7 3 , 9 1 5 ; P a r a m d a i ' s Construction - $67,833,150; R&P Engineering & General Construction - $66,751,125; AY N C o n s t r u c t i o n a n d

G e n e r a l S e r v i c e s -

$ 6 8 , 8 5 6 , 9 0 0 ; K h a n ' s

C o n s t r u c t i o n a n d

Tr a n s p o r t a t i o n S e r v i c e s -

$ 6 6 , 4 8 8 , 1

; J H u s s

' s Construction & Supplies$ 6 5 , 2 8 1 , 0 2 0 ; V N a r i n e C e n t r a l L u m b e r Ya r d$ 6 7 , 6 3 3 , 6 5 0 ; a n d G D ' s Construction and Supplies$61,087,425.

F a b

$55,000,050; MK Contracting - $68,956,650; JPM's General Construction and Engineering Services - $65,518,535; C. Persaud and Son Construction

- $ 6 3 , 7 4 7 , 0 2 3 ; T o n y ' s Construction- $66,279,150; V K E x c a v

R e n t a l$ 5 1 , 7 2 4 , 0 5 0 ; M o d e r n

Construction and Trucking Service - $60,549,510; A

N

Construction - $64,473,150; Country Side Recycling -

$ 6 5 , 4 7 9 , 0 5 0 ; D u n d a s

C o n s t r u c t i o n I n c -

$ 6 9 , 1 3 1 , 2 6 5 ; a n d M K

Enterprise - $61,000,000.

This publication reported t h a t b a c k i n 2 0 2 2 , t h e government through the Local Government Ministry signed a $149 million contract to build a brand new tarmac to b e t t e r a c c o m m o d a t e t h e vendors there. That project

w a s a w a r d e d t o S & D

Construction to construct an 8000sq. meter tarmac, which would accommodate some 700 vendors. The ministry had noted at the time that the new i n f r a s t r u c t u r e c o m e s a f t e r over five decades of vendors operating at Leonora near the main access road.

Following that contract, another tender was out in 2023 for phase two of the market structure. It was stated on the N P TA B w e b s i t e t h a t t h e contract for that phase was

a w a r d e d t o I n d u s t r i a l

F a b r i c a t i o n s I n c f o r $237,652,015. Together the two contracts bring the total spent on the market to $386 million.

K a i e t e u r N e w s a l s o reported that the move to upgrade the market tarmac at Leonora was first announced back in April 2022 when P r e s i d e n t I r f a a n A l i a n d several ministers had visited t h e a r e a t o a d d r e s s t h e concerns of vendors there.

F u r t h e r, t h o s e b i d d i n g were DJ General Construction and Supplies - $67,361,654; Black's and Son Construction - $68,915,175; PP Building Contracting - $57,248,100; A & N E n t e r p r i s e$ 6 5 , 8 4 9 , 5 9 5 ; M e t a l a n d

President Irfaan Ali and his team at the newly constructed market space at Leonora back in November 2024. (Photo courtesy, President Irfaan Ali)

Manickchand

Guyana Digital School to address students' weak areas with targeted activities -

Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand introducing the Guyana Digital School to students. (Photo from Ministry of Education Facebook page)

l a u n c h e d a c o u n t r y w i d e campaign to raise awareness to the soon-to be launched

G

Government hopes the s

education in the country by helping students strengthen

R

d North Ruimveldt Multilateral School in Georgetown. There they demonstrated how the platform works, explained its

students to register for the

technical team, visited St.

g Manickchand's engagement with students and teachers, s

platform's student-centered design. She explained that it p

u s t digital textbooks. In addition, it offers a wide range of interactive content and tools aimed at enhancing students' ( C

Ministry, the Guyana Digital School is being guided by the Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL), to ensure the students have a smooth and efficient transition to el

Oil price tumbles to three-year low …as fears grow over trade war

(FINANCIAL TIMES) Oil prices fell for the third day in a row, tumbling nearly 3 per cent to the lowest level in three years as fears rise that US President Donald Trump's trade war will slow economic activity and cut crude demand.

Brent crude, the international benchmark, dropped as low as $68.33 on Wednesday, the lowest since December 2021. West Texas Intermediate, the US marker, declined more than 4 per cent to $65.22. The moves came after the US Energy Information Administration reported a larger-than-expected rise in American crude oil stocks, adding to concerns about a slowdown in economic activity after Trump confirmed new trade tariffs this week on Canada, Mexico and China. Crude inventories rose by 3.6mn barrels in the past week, far exceeding analyst estimates.

The EIA data was the latest in a series of negative indicators for demand.“The key worry for markets at the moment is Trump's tariffs, the retaliation from affected coun

Macpherson, head of commodities at Investec. He added that the price was “at risk of a deeper correction”. Wednesday's drop added to losses since Monday when Opec+ surprised the market by confirming it would proceed with a previously delayed plan to pump more crude starting in April by ending long-standing production cuts.

The cartel's decision means eight members of the producer group, including Saudi Arabia and Russia, will increase production by a combined 120,000 barrels a day in April and a combined 2.2mn b/d barrels a day over the next 18 months. Opec+ has repeatedly cut production in recent years to push up crude prices, regularly ignoring calls from the US to boost output to lower the cost of fuel, particularly for American consumers.

Three different sets of output cuts mean Opec+ members are producing almost 6mn b/d less than their combined capacity, representing about 6 per cent of global oil supply.Saudi Arabia has shouldered the majority of the cuts to date, reducing its own production by 2mn b/d in the past two years. The Financial Times reported in September that for the first time in several years, Saudi officials were ready to bring back production, even if it led to a prolonged period of lower prices. Amrita Sen of research group Energy Aspects said Wednesday's drop was exacerbated by WTI prices falling below levels at which US producers had bought put options to hedge their price exposure. “Liquidity and growth fears have been weighing on broader sentiment that has dragged crude below key price levels and have now triggered further moves downwards,” she said.

Donald Trump has pledged to 'drill, baby, drill'

Credit:Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images

Over 500,000 cash grant cheques

distributed, 100,000 more to go - AG

G o v e r n m e n t h a s successfully distributed over 500,000 of the $100,000 cash grant cheques, with a p p r o x i m a t e l y 1 0 0 , 0 0 0 remaining to be handed out,

a c c o r d i n g t o A t t o r n e y General Anil Nandlall.

N a n d l a l l m a d e announcement on Tuesday evening during his weekly show “Issues in the News.”

During his programme he

c

n

d

d

success of the programme far outweighed any issues faced.

He said for every one problematic transaction, 200

o c e s s e d smoothly “

completed.

We are completing the exercise, an exercise of this magnitude, an exercise that

s of this unp

listeners.

The Attorney General c

encounter difficulties? Yes, we did, and we are not a s h a m

encountered.”

Nandlall also addressed concerns about individuals who may have registered for the cash grant but died before the cheques were ready He explained that the first relative of deceased individuals can collect the grant.

The AG highlighted that u n d e r t h e

d e d Deceased Persons Estate Administration Act, which was updated on November 25, 2024, states that any first relative, such as a spouse or child, can collect the cash g r a n t o n b e h a l f o f t h e deceased.

“ We p e r m i t t e d a n d a u t h o r i s e d a n y p e r s o n ,

organisation, entity, Bank, company or Government, who has money for any deceased person to pay that money to a duly authorised first relative of the deceased, up to $750,000 and what you have to do is to show the evidence of the death of the

produced, and the person who is seeking to obtain the money must be either the spouse of the deceased, the surviving spouse or a child of the deceased.”

“

relationship as a child, you

deceased will be stated as your mother or father

i n g yourself to be a spouse, then a marriage certificate ought to suffice. If you were in a common law union with the deceased, then in our law, we

marriages,” Nandlall added.

In this instance persons are urged to bring forth anyone, who can support the spouse that they were in a common law union with the deceased. Nandlall also criticised opposition members who, in his view, failed to recognise the programme's benefits, instead focusing on a few

effort.

“And of course, they

recognise the benefits of this initiative to the Government,

minds, they are taking into account the political benefits which they are surmising w

negatives so as to drown out

success of the programme. B

abysmally.”

A 47-year-old house wife was on Wednesday remanded to prison when she appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates' Court to answer to the charge of obtaining money by false pretense. The defendant, Vimla Sankar of Quintin Street, Betsy Ground, East Canje Berbice appeared before Acting Chief Magistrate Faith McGusty Sankar was not required to plead to the indictable charge which alleges that she obtained money from Totaram Lalbachan and Errol Pitt under false pretense. The prosecution told the court, that Sankar pretended that she was in the position to obtain plots of land for Lalbachan and Pitt. During the period of May to December 2024 Sankar reportedly collected $2.4 million from Lalbachan and $3 million from Pitt.

Pitt told the court that the initial cost for his land was $6 million, however, Sankar told him that he can pay an installment of at least half of the original cost. Magistrate McGusty remanded Sankar to prison and adjourned the matter to April 2, 2025.

WANTED VACANCY

Wanted Driver Diamond/ Grove E.B.D with Larry license. Contact: 677-6620

Need a grocery shopper, ship chandler or visa application preparer: USA, Canada, UK ETA. 626-7040.

Elevate your brand with our professional Graphic design services. Call: 619-0007, 6295526.

For low cost repairs for AC units, refrigerators, freezers, gas stoves, washing machine, dryers, etc. Call: 6294946, 225-4822.

Electrical Repairs- transformer, powertools, vaccum, water pump, air cooler, etc @ Friendship, EBD. WhatsApp: 659-5664, Call: 627-7835.

SALE

For Sale 6 used American made Dental chairs excellent condition. Contact Mr Vino on 661-3030 or 626-8918.

Small Farmers mini Tractor, complete plows - coutock plows. Cantact : 624-0646.

VEHICLES FOR SALE

One Unregistered Nissan X-Trail 2016 model, Mode Premiere. Call : 649-0956.

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

DRESSMAKING

Learn to cut & sew at Enid's Dressmaking classes located 66 Sixth St. Albertown. sewing also done here! Call: 6437966/ 223-9106.

LAND FOR SALE

62.3 Acres of land for sale

10.183 acres Location

Lowwood Demerara River Region 4. Contact : 6642164 / 672-0100.

PROPERTY FOR SALE

Lot 138 being a portion of block 5, Part of plantation Vryheid's Lust , Location on the East Coast Of Demerara. Call : 616-7306.

ENTERTAINMENT

Family fun Aracari Resort! crystal clear pool, safe kids & adult sections, music & food. W.B.D. Call : 2642946-9

General Domestic, Cook , iron, clean house ECT. Apply Keyfood Mc Doom village next to the post office. 3day work.

Vacancy exists for porter, driver, cashier Apply 16 Vlissengen Rd, Kitty Email: humanresource.survival@ gmail.com

One night Watchman needed. Call: 731-2125.

Pump Attendant (6am-2pm & 2pm-10pm).Mobil Providence E.B.D, Call: 265-7306. Email:Mobilramsburg@ gmail.com

Maid for East Bank area. Call: 615-9132.

Driver must be able to assist in workshop at Eccles, age 23-50, Car/ Van licence. Call: 615-9132 or 645-8443.

Male cleaner for Eccles. Call: 615-9132 or 645-8443.

Male cleaner for yard in East Bank area, two (2) days a week, call 619-9132.

One excavator operator to work in the interior. Call : 6605010.

Enthusiastic, customer- focused sales rep for Georgetown , able-bodied sales driven. $90k / Month + benefits . Whatsapp : 688-6868

Experienced female Accounts Clerk to assist in all administrative function of the company. Call: 662-0469, Email: bakshwork@gmail.com

Experienced Driver Expeditor. Call: 231-0363.

Handyman to work in Eccles area. Call: 231-0363.

Hiring Labourers for the purpose of cleaning drains and alleyways. WhatsApp: 6578957/ 619-8062.

Desk staff, Receptionist, Supervisor, Room attendant @ 33 South Road Lacytown. 25-50 years old. Call: 2250198.

Handyman with knowledge of plucking chicken. C/Ville area $6,000 daily & Cashier/ Counter staff, $5000 Daily. Call : 227-5222 / 617-4662.

ACCOMMODATIONS

Aracari Hotel renovated rooms ,A/C, TV, Restaurant, bar, pool, gym Stay 7 nights, 1 Free! Call: 264-2946.

Jagdeo honoured with Sustainable Development Leadership Award

Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo has been honoured internationally for his advocacy in driving sustainable development and positioning Guyana as a global leader in forest conservation and climate action.

Jagdeo was bestowed with the prestigious Sustainable Development Leadership Award at the World Sustainable Development Summit in New Delhi India on Wednesday, the Department of Public Information (DPI) has said. Prime Minister Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips received the award on behalf of the vice president.

The meeting, convened

by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), brings together world leaders, representative of global institutions and practitioners to discuss sustainable development. The Summit’s climax is the prestigious Sustainable Development Leadership Award which recognises global visionaries whose leadership has had a transformative impact on sustainability and climate action.

According TERI, the accolade was bestowed on Jagdeo for his role in driving the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) and for pushing Guyana as a major player in forest conservation.

“His role as a member of the United Nations SecretaryGeneral’s Advisory Group on Climate Finance and his efforts in championing sustainable development while advancing his country’s aspirations and safeguarding its natural wealth for future generations exemplify the principles of the Sustainable Development Leadership Award,” the release stated.

The Guyanese leader is among 15 prominent persons from across the globe to receive the honourary Sustainable Development Leadership Award. He is among the Former Prime Minister of India, Dr. Manmoham Singh and

Former Prime Minister of Japan, Mr.s Yukio Hatoyama, among other leaders to be recognised for their role in climate action.

Vice President Jagdeo has played a pivotal role in driving global climate policy and sustainable development. In fact, under this presidency, he spearheaded the development of the Guyana’s Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) in 2009, securing Guyana as the lead in forest conservation. In 2010, Jagdeo was awarded the United Nations Champions of the Earth prize for his leadership in environmental conservation.

Guyana Digital School to address students’...

From page 14 learning and comprehension.

“What the digital school will do…is to provide all the content required for CSEC (Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate ) in multiple formats, ensuring that students have a richer, more engaging learning experience,” the education Minister explained. She continued, “Instead of just reading from a textbook, students will have access to video lessons explaining key concepts, interactive crosswords and games to reinforce those concepts, and quizzes and practice tests to gauge their understanding along the way.”

“A core principle of the Guyana Digital School is inclusivity. There are no limits on the number of students who can register or benefit from the platform. Students from any region, community, or school in Guyana are welcome to sign up, and there are no eligibility restrictions. Whether students are enrolled in a traditional school or seeking extra support outside regular class hours, the platform is accessible to all,”

the education Ministry said in its statement. It is stated that schools has set an initial target to register 5,000 students who will actively use the platform within the first phase of the rollout. The system however has the capacity to accommodate far more learners, “ensuring that as interest and demand grow, the platform will scale to meet the needs of Guyana’s diverse student population,” the minister said in the statement. Currently, the Guyana Digital School offers 13 CSEC subjects, with 35 weeks of content already developed and available to students upon registration. In the coming weeks, the platform will continue to expand its offerings, ensuring students preparing for a broad range of CSEC subjects can access the resources they need to excel. Students can choose to register for all 13 subjects or focus on specific ones based on their academic goals and personal interests. The subjects currently offered include Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Mathematics, Information Technology, Principles of

Business, Principles of Accounts, Electronic Data Preparation and Management (EDPM), Office Administration, Integrated Science, English A, Modern Languages (Spanish), and Social Studies. Importantly, the platform operates on a self-paced learning model, meaning there are no strict deadlines for completing materials. Students can progress through the content at their own speed, revisiting challenging topics as needed or moving more quickly through areas they grasp easily. All materials remain accessible, allowing students to structure their learning around their individual schedules, balancing schoolwork with extracurricular activities, family commitments, or other responsibilities. The Ministry stated, “The Guyana Digital School represents a major investment in 21st-century education, equipping students with digital literacy skills that will serve them well not just in their academic pursuits, but also in their future careers.”

By combining traditional academic content with modern

Ending Wars...

From page 05 life of the people. This included banning the Russian language, burning books printed in Russian among other things.

The breakaway states appealed to Russia to recognise them and/or take them as part of Russia. Russia only acceded to the demand of the population in the Crimea.

They did this after the population voted overwhelmingly to link up with Russia in a free and fair referendum. Moreover, the local Parliament met and also voted to join Russia. Russia embraced them because its navy’s headquarters was in the Crimea. It did not recognise the other states of Donetsk and Ludanks. Instead, it worked with the international community to allow greater autonomy for the areas where the population was Russian. Moreover, the ban on the Russian language was to be removed. (Does this sound as if President Putin wanted to expand and take over Europe?)

Two such agreements were signed in Minks, the capital of Belarus, known as Minks 1 and 2. Those agreements were guaranteed by France and Germany.

Unfortunately, France and Germany played a treacherous role. Later they themselves admitted that they signed that agreement to have more time to pour in more weapons into Ukraine to fight Russia. Clearly therefore, they were preparing Ukraine to attack Russia to get her into a war so that they

digital tools, the platform fosters independent learning, critical thinking, and technological confidence skills vital in today’s fast-changing world. The first official cohort of students is set to begin using the platform next week. The Ministry of Education is confident that the Guyana Digital School will be an invaluable tool in improving learning outcomes, closing achievement gaps, and ensuring that every student, regardless of location or background, has access to highquality education. Students can register for the Guyana Digital School at: digitalschool.moe.edu.gy. The Guyana Digital School was first announced in April 2024 by President Irfaan Ali, who said it is part of government’s broader push to increase access to high-quality educational resources for students across the country, particularly those in remote and hinterland areas where access to physical classroom resources can sometimes be limited. The school will be officially launched by President Ali in the coming weeks.

would try through military support and economic sanctions to weaken and destroy Russia. We have heard many US and other Western leaders saying this was a good war because their soldiers were not dying, it was Ukrainian soldiers for Western powers’ benefit. The old divide and rule tactics, was clear in evidence President Donald Trump has recognised that the war of attrition was really costing too many lives and had expressed his intentions to put a stop to it.

Instead of being praised and congratulated he has become the target for great attacks from the alliance of the deep state and the military industrial complex. On the issue of the need for peace he is right! He stands on the side of justice and is on the moral High ground.

His stance is exposing the European Union, Turkey, Canada for what they are, warmongers who care little for human lives and more on the side of profits and power. Churchill comments were spot on. Let me hope that the US will adopt the right position in the middle east and stop the Israeli land grab and genocide. We hope that this will come sooner, rather than later. In the meantime, let’s continue to demand and work for Peace and Justice for all!

Regards

Donald Ramotar Former President

20 women to undergo training in electrical installation, PV technology

Tw e n t y w o m e n w i l l receive the requisite training in electrical installation and b a s i c s o l a r p h o t o v o l t a i c (PV) technology following the launch of the Female

A p p r e n t i c e s h i p Tr a i n i n g programme on Wednesday The two-year course will be facilitated through the Board of Industrial Training (BIT) and seeks to close the gender gap in the energy sector Kessa Adams from Port Kaituma in Region One is among the beneficiaries who welcomes training. “I applied to do nursing but I never got in. I told myself to give this a try It will help out a lot because so far it doesn’t really have anybody in our

community who is skilled in solar It is hard because we have to hire private people to come and do it,” the young woman said.

Leandrea Caesar from Soesdyke is also eager to learn about electricity and solar PV “I will have a certificate which will help me to get a more stable job,”

C a e

Wilson from Region Two decided to capitalise on the training opportunity since she always had a knack for fixing various issues in her household.

She is happy that two persons from her community

Human Services Minister, Dr. Vindyha Persaud alongside the participants and other stakeholders of the training programme

benefit the community and o

n m y community, it is difficult to get someone because you

have to bring people from far away The amount of money that you will have to pay that person can be used to pay

community,” Wilson said.

Amara Singh from Region Nine said the programme

(DPI)

UG launches Tech Talk Series

The University of Guyana’s Faculty

o f E n g i n e e

i n g and Technology (FET) is

remain at the forefront of t e c h n o l o g i c a l advancements Under the

l e a d e r s h i p o f n e w l yappointed Dean, Dr Kofi

D a l r y m p l e , F E T h a s l a u n c h e d i t s Te c h Ta l k

s e r i e s a n i n i t i a t i v e designed to expose students to real-world engineering

a p p l i c a t i o n s , g r o u n d b r e a k i n g i n n o v a t i o n s , a n d d i r e c t insights from experts in the field.

The inaugural session, held on February 20, 2025, at F r e s h R e s t a u r a n t , Georgetown, featured Ram Fish, CEO of 19Labs and a former Apple executive. Dr

D a l r y m p l e , f o u n d e r o f

OnCall Health Inc , has collaborated with Fish on advancing telemedicine in Guyana, making this event particularly meaningful. In a press release the university

s a i d w i t h s t u d e n t s , professionals, and aspiring engineers in attendance, the discussion sparked critical c o n v e r s a t i o n s a b o u t problem-solving, emerging technologies, and the role of engineering in transforming lives.

T h e e v e n t a t t r a c t e d a r o u n d 2 5 p a r t i c i p a n t s , including UG enginee

n e o f t h e k e y messages from Fish’s talk w a s t h e i m p o r t a n c e o f cultivating a mindset of deep technical engagement a n d r i g o r o u s p r o b l e ms o l v i n g H e s h a r e d a

reinforced my commitment to pushing boundaries and viewing failure as a stepping stone to success.”

Lemuel’s project focuses on FANETs (Flying Ad-Hoc Networks), an autonomous U AV n e t w o r k u s e d i n

d i s a s t e r r e s p o n s e , environmental monitoring, a n d s e a r c h - a n d - r e s c u e operations.

His research aims to d e v e l o p e n e r g y - e f f i c i e n t routing protocols to address t h e p o w e r c o n s u m p t i o n c h a l l e n g e s o f U AV s , balancing flight and data transmission needs.

great, especially learning about the emerging business o p p o r t u n i t i e s w i t h t h i s technology.”

With the success of its first installment, the Tech Talk series is set to become a flagship initiative for FET Dr Dalrymple envisions it as a bridge between academia a n d i n d

v i d i n g students with direct access to experts, emerging trends, and real-world applications in engineering, business, and technology

ges

In answering a question posed by Dr Dalrymple on

“Healthcare isn’t just about

t’s about ensuring communities g e t t h e c r i t i c a l m e d i c a l supplies they need.” He and his team have developed a long-range drone logistics

s y s t e m t o t r a n s p o r t medication, blood samples,

a n d e s s e n t i a l m e d i c a l

s u p p l i e s t o G u y a n a ’ s hinterland regions.

compelling story from his time at Apple, where senior executives worked closely with engineers to resolve a minor yet complex issue “At Apple, when there is a problem, you aim to solve it by getting to the r o o t c a u s e n o t a t e m p o r a r y f i x , ” F i s h e x p l a i n e d “ T h e s e t e m p o r a r y f i x e s a l w a y s come back to haunt you, usually at the worst time possible. Always strive for s t r u c t u r e d , d e t a i l e d , quantitative analysis. ” F i s h a l s o u r g e d students to “fall in love with the problem, not the s o l u t i o n ” E n g i n e e r s , h e noted, often get attached to a s i n g l e i d e a , b u t t r u e i n n o v a t i o n c o m e s f r o m a d a p t a b i l i t y a n d o p e nminded thinking F i s h h i g h l i g h t e d 19Labs’ work in Guyana,

This project, backed by a US$500,000 grant from the I n t e r - A m e r i c a n Development Bank (IDB) L a b , i s b r e a k i n g geographical barriers and r e v o l u t i o n i s i n g r u r a l healthcare delivery

For students passionate about drone technology and autonomous systems, this discussion was especially e x c i t i n g L e m u e l , a n e l e c t r i c a l e n g i n e e r i n g student at UG whose finaly e a r p r o j e c t f o c u s e s o n d r o n e c o m m u n i c a t i o n networks, found inspiration in Fish’s experiences.

“My fascination with flight started when I was young, and it has since evolved into an obsession with aerospace technology,” Lemuel shared.

“ H e a r i n g a b o u t t h e challenges Mr Fish and his team faced in developing a custom Unmanned Aerial

System (UAS) for rural healthcare was inspiring. It

Beyond the technical aspects, Fish’s talk also shed l i g h t o n t h e b u s i n e s s opportunities emerging from t h e s e t e c h n o l o g i e s F o r many students, this was an e y e - o p e n e r D a n i e l , a n e n g i n e e r i n g s t u d e n t , remarked, “The event was

collaboration,

inspiring discussions that

engineers and innovators.

Mae’s School flattened by fire...

From page 12 entrance into the building. They assisted in exterior firefighting and high angle

explained. He expressed his gratitude to Banks DIH Limited and Sheriff Security Services who assisted the GFS with water tenders to help douse the flames. He added that access to w

waterways will always be an issue when fighting a fire, and on the morning of the fire it was a challenge

because the GFS was not prepared for what they saw Nevertheless, within a short space of time they w

several other water assets to the scene. Established in 1992, Mae’s Schools has grown to be one of the most prestigious, and successful private schools, committed t

education at all levels. The school caters to the

children from play school to the secondary level.

The University of Guyana’s Faculty of Engineering and Technology has launched its ‘Tech Talk’ series

Supreme Cour t rejects Trump's request to

keep billions in foreign aid frozen

(CNN) A divided

S u p r e m e C o u r t o n

We d n e s d a y r e j e c t e d t h e

T r u m p a d m i n i s t r a t i o n ' s request to keep billions of

d o l l a r s i n f o r e i g n a i d a p p r o v e d b y C o n g r e s s frozen.

However, the court did not immediately say when the money must be released, allowing the White House to continue to dispute the issue in lower courts.

The ruling was 5-4.

The order was unsigned

b u t f o u r c o n s e r v a t i v e justices dissented – Samuel

A l i t o , C l a r e n c e T h o m a s ,

N e i l G o r s u c h a n d B r e t t Kavanaugh. That put five

justices in the majority, Chief Justice John Roberts, Amy Coney Barrett, Elena

Kagan, Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson.

The majority noted that

g i v e n a c o u r t - o r d e r e d deadline to spend the money

l a s t w e e k h a d a l r e a d y passed, the lower courts

s h o u l d “ c l a r i f y w h a t obligations the government

m u s t f u l f i l t o e n s u r e

c o m p l i a n c e w i t h t h e t e m p o r a r y r e s t r a i n i n g order.”

In a strongly worded dissent, Alito wrote that he was “stunned” by the court's decision to permit the lowercourt judge to order the administration to unfreeze the foreign aid at issue in the

c a s e . A l i t o a d d e d : “ A federal court has many tools to address a party's supposed

n o n f e a s a n c e S e l fa g g r a n d i z e m e n t o f i t s jurisdiction is not one of them.”

While the ruling was 5-4, it was “extremely modest,” said Steve Vladeck, CNN Supreme Court analyst and professor at Georgetown University Law Center “The unsigned order does not actually require the Trump a d m i n i s t r a t i o n t o immediately make up to $2 b i l l i o n i n f o r e i g n a i d payments; it merely clears the way for the district court to compel those payments, presumably if it is more specific about the contracts that have to be honored,” Vladeck said. “The fact that four justices nevertheless dissented – vigorous ly –from such a decision is a sign that the Court is going to be divided, perhaps along these exact lines, in many of the m o r e i m p a c t f u l Tr u m prelated cases that are already on their way.” The appeal raced to the

high court within days –

e x c e e d i n g l y f a s t b y t h e federal judiciary's standards. It is the second case to reach the justices dealing with T r u m p ' s m o v e s t o consolidate power within the e

US President, Donald Trump

g power in January

At the center of the case is billions in foreign aid from the State Department and the US Agency for International Development that Trump froze in January as he sought to clamp down spending and bring those agencies in line with his agenda.

Several nonprofit groups that rely on the funding for g l o

ogra

, assertin

t h a t t h e a d m i n i s t r a t i o n ' s moves usurped the power of C o n g r e s s t o c o n t r o l government spending and violated a federal law that dictates how agencies make decisions In a brief on Friday, the groups described the administration's actions as having a “devastating” impact.

They told the court that the funding “advances US i n t e r e s t s a b r o a d a n d improves – and, in many cases, literally saves – the lives of millions of people across the globe.”

“In doing so, it helps stop problems like disease a n d i n s t a b i l i t y o v e r s e a s b e f o r e t h e y r e a c h o u r shores,” the groups said. US District Judge Amir Ali on February 13 ordered that much of the money continue to flow on a temporary basis while he reviewed the case. Days later, the plaintiffs a r g u e d t h a t t h e administration was defying that order and continuing to block the spending and Ali then ordered the Trump administration to spend the money at issue by midnight Wednesday Ali was named to the b e n c h b y P r e s i d e n t J o e Biden.

T h e T r u m p administration rushed an emergency appeal to the Supreme Court hours before that deadline, urging the court to at least pause it for a few days.

The administration is making “substantial efforts” to review payment requests and spend the money, the government argued, but it couldn't turn the spigot on fast enough to meet the Ali's timeline.

The groups that sued h a v e b a l k e d a t t h a t explanation, arguing that a small number of political a p p o i n t e e s w i t h i n t h e administration “are refusing to authorise essentially any p a y m e n t s ” “ T h e government has not taken 'any meaningful steps' to come into compliance,” the groups said a Supreme Court filing earlier Friday Roberts, acting alone, gave the administration a b r i e f r e p r i e v e o n Wednesday, issuing what's known as an “administrative stay” that pushed pause on the case so that both sides c o u l d s u b m i t w r i t t e n arguments.

The chief justice handles emergency cases rising from the federal appeals court in Washington, DC. Among the g r o u p s c h a l l e n g i n g t h e freeze are the AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition, a New Yo r k

i o n w o r k i n g t o s p e e d H I V prevention and the Global Health Council, based in Wa s h i n g t o n , D C , w h i c h represents other groups that a d m i n i s t e r h e a l t h

programmes The Trump administration revealed in court filings in the case that it is attempting to terminate m o r e t h a n 9 0 % o f t h e USAID foreign aid awards.

“ I n t o t a l , n e a r l y 5 , 8 0 0

U S A I D a w a r d s w e r e terminated, and more than 500 USAID awards were retained,” a filing from the administration said.

“The total ceiling value of the retained awards is approximately $57 billion,” the filing said. In addition to t h e U S A I D a w a r d t e r m i n a t i o n s , “approximately 4,100 State awards were terminated, and approximately 2,700 State awards were retained,” the government told a lower court, referring to the State Department.

Aid programs around the world have ground to a halt due to the sweeping funding freeze and review of billions of dollars of assistance. It also comes as the Trump administration has either p l a c e d t h e m a j o r i t y o f USAID's workforce on leave or terminated them.

Democrats celebrate

US President, Donald Trump

ruling

O n C a p i t o l H i l l , Democrats said the ruling shows that Trump's power to f r e e z e s p e n d i n g i s n o t unlimited.

“That money had already been appropriated, things were already in action, and so I think the Supreme Court ruled the right way, and now the administration needs to unfreeze them and allow those contractors and the work to be done,” said Rep. Gregory Meeks of New York, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Commitee. Rep. Pramila Jayapal called it “a very

important ruling” from “a Trump-dominated court.” “I think it reinforces … that Congress has authorization to appropriate money, and that people rely on that a u t h o r i z a t i o n f o r t h o s e programs, and that when you do the work, you should get p a i d w h e n i t ' s b e e n authorized,” the Washington state Democrat told CNN.

Asked if she's confident the payments will be turned on, Jayapal said she's not confident about anything, “but I hope that the Trump a d m i n i s t r a t i o n w i l l p a y attention to the Supreme Court.”

China says it is ready for ‘any type of war ’ with US

(BBC NEWS) China has warned the US it is ready to fight "any type" of war after hitting back against President Donald Trump's mounting trade tariffs.

The world's top two economies have edged closer to a trade war after Trump slapped more tariffs on all C h i n e s e g o o d s C h i n a q u i c k l y retaliated imposing 10-15% tariffs on US farm products.

"If war is what the US wants, be it a tariff war, a trade war or any other type of war, we're ready to fight till the end," China's embassy said on X, reposting a line from a government statement on Tuesday It is some of the strongest rhetoric so far from China since Trump became president and comes as leaders gathered in Beijing for the annual National People's Congress.

On Wednesday, China's Premier Li Qiang announced that China would again boost its defence spending by 7 2 %

"changes unseen in a century were unfolding across the world at a faster pace." This increase was expected and matches the figure announced last year Leaders in Beijing are trying to send a message to people in China that they are confident the country's economy can grow, even with the threat of a trade war. China has been keen to portray an image of being a stable, peaceful country in contrast to the US, which

Beijing accuses of being embroiled in wars in the Middle East and Ukraine. China may also hope to capitalise on Trump's actions relating to US allies such as Canada and Mexico, which have also been hit by tariffs, and will not want to ramp up the rhetoric too far to scare off potential new global partners The Premier's speech in Beijing on Tuesday emphasised that China would continue to open up and h

e i g n investment China has, in the past emphasised that it is ready to go to war

Last October, President Xi called for troops to strengthen their preparedness for war as they held military drills around the self-governing island of Taiwan. But there is a difference between military preparedness and a readiness to go to war The Chinese embassy in Washington's post quoted a foreign ministry statement in English from the previous day, which also accused the US of blaming China for the influx of the drug fentanyl. "The fentanyl issue is a flimsy excuse to raise US tariffs on Chinese imports," the foreign ministry spokesperson said.

"

Pressuring, coercion or threats are not the right way of dealing with China," he added.The US-China relationship is always one of the most contentious in

the world. This post on X has been widely shared and could be used by the China hawks in Trump's cabinet as evidence that Beijing is Washington's biggest foreign policy and economic threat.

Off icials in Beijing had been hopeful that US–China relations under Trump could get off to a more cordial

inauguration. Trump also said the two leaders had "a great phone call" just a few days before he entered the White House. There were reports that the two leaders were due to have another call last month. That did not happen. Xi had already been battling persistently low consumption, a property crisis and unemployment.

China has pledged to pump billions of dollars into its ailing economy and its leaders unveiled the plan as thousands o

People's Congress, a rubber-stamp parliament, which passes decisions already made behind closed doors. China has the world's second-largest military budget at $245bn but it is far smaller than that of the US. Beijing spends 1.6% of GDP on its military, far less than the US or Russia, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. However, analysts believe China downplays how much it spends on defence.

Guyana and India discuss further collaboration in renewable energy

Prime Minister, Brigadier (Ret'd), Mark Phillips on Tuesday met with India's Union Minister of New and R e n e w a b l e E n e r g y, t h e Honourable Pralhad Joshi, along with senior officials from the ministry earlier in India. Discussions focused on continued collaboration in r e n e w a b l e energy—specifically in the areas of wind, solar, and hydro power

D u r i n

n g , Prime Minister Phillips and M

supporting renewable energy initiatives in the Caribbean.

building in Guyana, with plans to replicate the project across multiple Caribbean nations.

New and Renewable Energy,

Guyana's Ministry of Public W

Guyana values India as a key development partner across all sectors. Additionally, the Prime Minister, who was joined by Guyana's High Commissioner to India, HE

M

D

acknowledged the success of the Indian Technical and E c o n o m i c C o

(ITEC) programme, which has significantly benefited various sectors in Guyana, including the rice industry.

M

extended gratitude for the warm hospitality extended to

Omai completes 2024 drill programme at Wenot Pit

Canadian mining company, Omai Gold Mines Corp. has completed its 2024 drill programme, focusing on expanding the Wenot deposit at its 100%-owned Omai Gold Project in Guyana In a statement on Wednesday, the company announced assay results from the final three holes drilled last year, with results from an additional eight holes at Wenot still pending from its 2025 drilling activities.

The 2024 drill programme consisted of 26 diamond drill holes totaling 13,716 meters. The objectives were to identify mineralisation in under-explored sections of the 2.5 km Wenot deposit, extend known mineralisation to depths of 400-450 meters, and increase shallow drilling at West Wenot, which has potential for a starter pit.

Recently the company announced that it has raised $25.3 million through a private placement deal to fund its gold exploration and development projects.

In January, Omai launched its 2025 drilling programme, building on the success of its 2024 exploration efforts at one of its mining deposits in Guyana. Omai said that it aims to deliver an updated Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) by the second quarter of the year and a revised Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) by the third quarter of 2025.

Elaine Ellingham, President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Omai Gold Mines, noted the significance of the latest results. “The balance of results from the last three drill holes from 2024 mark a strong finish to last year's drill programme. I n p a r t i c u l a r, h o l e 9 7 i n t e r s e c t e d h i g h - g r a d e g o l d mineralization of 5.21 g/t Au over 19.3m - showing increased grade over nearby hole 90 that was drilled from the north side,” she stated.Ellingham also highlighted the progress of the 2025 drilling campaign, which began in January with an initial plan for 10,000 meters. She said, “Our 2025 drill program commenced in January, with an initial planned 10,000m but we will potentially expand this with further success. To date, an additional 8 holes have already been drilled for a total of 4,880m.”Moreover, the company is also targeting new areas for exploration. “Two of these holes were drilled at the Camp Zone approximately 1km west of Wenot along the shear corridor, in an area with no historical open pit mining but a few previous holes with encouraging mineralization,” Ellingham explained.Omai holds a 100% interest in the gold project, which encompasses two gold deposits: the shear-hosted Wenot Deposit and the adjacent intrusive-hosted Gilt Creek Deposit. The Wenot deposit could produce 1.84 million ounces of gold over 13 years. In 2024, the company unveiled an enhanced Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) for its gold project located in Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) Guyana and has plans to update its 2 million ounces gold estimate, this year Omai previously produced 3.7 million ounces between 1993 and 2005 from the mine but shut down when gold prices were much lower

India's Prime Minister, the Honourable Narendra Modi, during his visit to Guyana.

decision to confer Prime Minister Modi with Guyana's

High Commissioner to India,

Horatio, was also present at the meeting.

Prime Minister Phillips is on a four-day official visit to India to participate in the 24th edition of the World

hosted by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI).

Prime Minister Brigadier (Ret'd) Mark Phillips met India's Minister of New and Renewable Energy Hon. Pralhad Joshi and other senior officials in India on Tuesday. (Office of the Prime Minister)

BCB director wants Simmons to continue as head coach until 2027 World Cup

c

Bangladesh head coach until the 2027 ICC Men’s ODI World Cup.

Fahim said the board

discussions with Simmons soon, and is hoping to get him for the role on a long-

term basis The contract extension was one of several topics discussed during a board meeting in Dhaka on Monday Simmons was appointed in October last year on an interim role. During his fourm

, B a n g l a d e s h won just one series, a 3-0 T20I series win against West Indies in St. Vincent last December

The team made an early exit from the Champions Trophy, too, after losing to India and New Zealand Their last game, against Pakistan, was washed out.

Despite that, Simmons has won the approval of both the BCB president Faruque Ahmed and director Fahim, the two most influential figures in the current board.

“The contracts of our

h e a d c o a c h a n d s e n i o r assistant coach was till midMarch,” Fahim said.

Thursday March 06, 2025

ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19)

Difficult predicaments could arise today if you try to exert your will over others without having the most honorable intentions, Aries. It could be that you're using someone else's fear of you to control him or her

TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20)

The fire within you is raging today, Taurus, and you should be careful how you wield this p o w e r B e p r o u d a n d triumphant. Walk with your shoulders back and head high. Freedom is important.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20)

There may be a great deal of fuss over something that seems quite insignificant to you, Gemini. Try to see the beauty and importance of everything around you.

CANCER (June 21–July 22)

Things are coming to a critical point for you today, Cancer, and you may find that other people openly object to your actions. It's OK to be a bit selfish if the situation is appropriate.

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22)

Feel free to speak more loudly today, Leo. You'll find that things fall into place more easily if you speak y

n d directly in the presence of others. Bring your internal power under your control.

VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22)

You should bask in a glorious splendor today, Virgo. There's a great deal of power at your disposal. You'll find your ego is healthy, charged, and ready for the battlefield.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22)

Add more sunshine to your day, Libra. It may be time to stir up your inner passion and l e

confidence than you have been lately Make sure you heal yourself by letting the people around you hear your truth.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov 21)

You'll find that your spark can easily turn potential energy into kinetic energy, Scorpio. Don't underestimate the power of your words. Realize the profound impact they have on others and take responsibility

SAGIT (Nov 22–Dec. 21)

D o n ' t d w e l l o n y o u r f l u c t u

Sagittarius. Look at the larger

elements are coming together in your favor

CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19)

This is your day to shine in all your glory, Capricorn. There's no need to hold anything back. You'll find that you have a great deal of love to share. Your heart is likely to go to extremes today in order to prove its love.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20–Feb. 18)Try not to lose sight of your o

s , Aquarius. There's a great deal of power and manipulative energy in the air today that could throw you off course if you aren't careful.

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20)

Recharge today by getting outside and stretching your arms to the sky, Pisces. Be proud and courageous. You have the power to turn an

“We are satisfied with them, so we will get in touch with them for renegotiation. If we can’t get into an understanding with them, we have to think about other options. We are hopeful of r e a c h i n g a m u t u a l understanding with them. We are thinking of extending their contracts till the 2027 World Cup.

“We will speak to him formally very soon. I have seen him from up close. I am convinced he will do well with the Bangladesh team. I h a v e a l s o s e e n t h e interpersonal relationships he has with the local coaches and the players. I think he w i l l d o w e l l h e r e , ” h e concluded.

Simmons, a former West Indies player, has coached the regional side on two separate occasions. His first stint was from 2015-2016 during which he oversaw a historic T20 World Cup victory in 2016.

His second stint lasted from 2019-2022. He has also had stints coaching Ireland, Afghanistan and Zimbabwe and is the current head coach of the Karachi Kings in the Pakistan Super League.

Bangladesh Cricket Board director, Nazmul Abedeen Fahi, wants Phil Simmons to continue in his role with the team until 2027.

NZ overpower SA to make Champions Trophy final

New

B B C S p o r t - N e w Zealand powered their way into the Champions Trophy final with a thumping 50-run win over South Africa after c e n t u r i e s f r o m R a c h i n R a v i n d r a a n d K a n e Williamson.

The Black Caps opted to bat first in Lahore and posted a tournament-record 362-6 in a superbly paced one-day innings.

It was built on a 164-run partnership for the second wicket between Ravindra a n d W i l l i a m s o n , w h o registered their fifth and 15th ODI hundreds respectively

D e s p i t e b o t h f a l l i n g shortly after reaching three figures, New Zealand kept going and plundered 110 runs from the final 10 overs thanks to the big hitting of Daryl Mitchell, who made 49 from 37 balls, and Glenn P h i l l i p s , w h o f i n

h e d unbeaten on 49 from 27. Facing a daunting total, albeit on a pitch that could hardly have been friendlier to the batters, South Africa a t t e m p t e d t o m i r r o r t h e Kiwis’ approach.

The chase started well, with Proteas skipper Temba Bavuma and Rassie van der

Dussen putting on 105 for the second wicket.

H o w e v e r , u n l i k e Ravindra and Williamson, they were unable to kick on, with New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner dismissing t h e m b o t h - a n d t h e dangerous Heinrich Klaasen - in a brilliant spell during the middle overs. With the requir

inging up

67-ball century from the last ball of the match, they

finished well short on 3129.

New Zealand will now

travel to Dubai to face

India in Sunday’s final, hoping to win the trophy

for a second time, 25 years

on since they won their

only ICC white-ball title

Scores: New Zealand

362 for 6 (Ravindra 108,

Williamson 102, Mitchell

49, Phillips 49* , Ngidi 3-

7 2 , R a b a d a 2 - 7 0 ) b e a t

South Africa 312 for 9

( M i l l e r 1 0 0 * , v a n d e r

Dussen 69, Bavuma 56,

Santner 3-43, Phillips 227, Henry 2-43) by 50 runs.

2025 CWI CG United Women’s Super50 Championships Guyana vs. Trinidad & Tobago

Low-scoring affair ends in No Result at Warner Park

Bad weather forced a No Result as Guyana battled

T r i n i d a d a n d T o b a g o yesterday at Warner Park w h e n t h e C G U n i t e d

W o m e n ’ s S u p e r 5 0 Championships continued in St. Kitts.

Unlike their previous innings, Guyana failed this trip to post a significant total, scraping to 108 all out in 45.2 overs to complete their worst batting game to date.

Shabika Gajnabi tapped

i n t o h e r i n t e r n a t i o n a l experience as she anchored the innings with a 96-ball 51 ( 4 x 4 ) , a m i d s t a d i s m a l batting card.

The mix of pace and spin from the trio of Amelia Khan (3-18), Captain Karishma

R a m h a r a c k ( 3 - 1 4 ) a n d

S t e f f i e S o o g r i m ( 2 - 2 1 ) , w o r k e d w e l l f o r t h e Trinidadians, with a wicket each from veteran Anisa

M o h a m m e d a n d S a m a r a Ramnauth.

With a small total to a c q u i r e , T r i n i d a d u n f o r t u

innings cut short at 16-2, perhaps staving off a loss or being denied an easy win.

Prior to the stoppage of play, Trinidad lost two quick wickets in openers Shunelle Shawh (2) and Djenaba Joseph (9) fell to the in-form pair of spinner Plaffiana M i l l i n g t o n ( 1 - 1 1 ) a n d seamer Cherry-Ann Fraser (1-4).

The loss left Trinidad r e e l i n g s l i g h t l y b u t t h e experienced duo of Britney C o o p e r ( 4 * ) a n d Mohammed (0*) out in the middle, never got to settle as the match was eventually called off after just 8 overs.

The ladies will now shift their attention to Friday’s Third place playoffs match a g a i n s t t h e J a m a i c a n s Conaree Sports Club, from 10:00h. (C. Ross)

Zealand made it to the final after beating South Africa. (Associated Press)

Steffi Soogrim grabbed two wickets in a good bowling performance alongside her skipper and teammate.

Season Seven GFF Elite League gets under way this Sunday

With just days remaining before the official kickoff of Season Seven of the country’s premier football tournament,

t h e K F C E l i t e L e a g u e , anticipation is at an all-time high. The stage is set for another exhilarating season of the

G u y a n a E l i t e F o o t b a l l League as the nation’s top 10 clubs prepare to battle for supremacy and a lucrative GY$2.5 million cash prize.

Sponsored by fast-food

g i a n t K F C , t h e h i g h l y anticipated seventh edition of the tournament is set to commence on Sunday, March 9 at the National Training Centre, promising intense competition andhigh-quality football action

Defending champions, G u y a n a D e f e n c e F o r c e Football Club (GDF FC), will be aiming to retain their title after dominant campaigns in the last two seasons (2024 and 2025) However, they are

e x p e c t e d t o f a c e s t i f f

c o m p e t i t i o n , p a r t i c u l a r l y

f r o m 2 0 2 4 r u n n e r - u p

S l i n g e r z F C , w h o h a v e bolstered their squad with key international signings in t h e o ff s e a s o n M a i n s t a y Goldstar FC, having earned

p r o m o t i o n t h r o u g h t h e league’s qualifiers, is also set to make its mark in this year ’s competition.

The other teams set to c o m p e t e i n t h i s y e a r ’s tournament include Fruta

C o n q u er o r s F C , Wes ter n Tigers FC, Guyana Police Force FC, Ann’s Grove United FC, Santos FC, Den Amstel FC, and Monedderlust FC

Last season, the league

a t t r a c t e d o v e r 1 1 , 0 0 0

attendees throughout the tournament, witnessing a

t o t a l o f 9 0 g a m e s Meanwhile, the organisers are hopeful that even more fans will turn out this year

E n t h u s i a s m i s a l r e a d y

e v i d e n t , w i t h t h e tournament’s official social

m e d i a p a g e ( F a c e b o o k )

g e n e r a t i n g s i g n i f i c a n t engagement as fans gear up for what promises to be a fiercely contested season.

S o f a r, G e o r g e t o w nbased clubs have dominated the league. GDF FC has secured three championship titles, Fruta Conquerors FC h a s w o n t w i c e , w h i l e Vergenoegen-based Slingerz FC has claimed one title s i n c e t h e t o u r n a m e n t ’s inception. It has been nearly a decade since a club outside of Georgetown last won the league Speaking on this trend, President of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF),

Wayne Forde, attributed the dominance of Georgetown teams to the lack of support for clubs outside the city. He emphasized that increased s u p p o r t f r o m f o o t b a l l

e n t h u s i a s t s i s c r u c i a l t o leveling the playing field

“This is largely due to the lack of support for teams outside of the city,” Forde stated “For this to change, we encourage football fans to come out and support their favourite teams, regardless of its jurisdiction ”

Forde also noted that this year’s tournament will feature a m o r e f a m i l y - f r i e n d l y a t m o s p h e r e , a i m

experience for patrons

The Elite League has firmly established itself as the country’s premier football competition, providing a platform for both local and i n t e r n a t i o n a l p l a y e r s t o showcase their skills KFC’s

c o n t i n u e d s p o n s o r s h i p underscores its commitment to f o o t b a l l d e v e l o p m e n t i n Guyana, elevating the sport’s profile and creating more opportunities for players The substantial cash prize further raises the stakes, ensuring fierce competition in every match With the return of toptier action, fans can expect thrilling matchups, standout performances, and intense rivalries as the country’s top 10 clubs vie for the ultimate prize. While all eyes will be on reigning champions GDF F C a n d a s t r e n g t h e n e d Slingerz FC, the unpredictable nature of the league means every team has a shot at glory Another team to look out for is Fruta Conquerors, who is no stranger to success, and with a n e w p r e s i d e n t , w e l o o k forward to how they will tackle their season seven campaign As the countdown

c o n t i n u e s , e x c i t e m e n t i s building for what promises to be a memorable seventh edition of the GFF Elite League. The action kicks off t h i s S

ceremony, followed by

starting at 18:00 hours.

Private sector provides much needed suppor t to Guyana Hockey girls ahead of PAHF Jr Challenge girls PAHF

Treceived solid support from

sector in their effort to raise the funding to participate in the Junior Pan Am qualifiers in Barbados this month.

In addition to support from the Ministry of Sport

sponsorship from Sabor, the local breakfast and lunch cafe that offers local and Caribbean cuisine with a Latin flare. Sabor had been a sponsor of the team back in 2023 which was the last time that Guyana participated in junior international hockey

A

g

r corporate sponsors are C&V Shipping, which is a wellknown shipping agency that facilitates cargo in and out of Guyana, Kestrel which is the

A g e n t f o r t h e C h i n e s e behemoth Cosco line along with other vessels, Moo milk which has taken the local market by storm and is distributed by Acado, King Ocean Line, one of the major lines plying the USA to G u y a n a r o u t e a n d J o h n Fernandes Limited, a longstanding supporter of sports in Guyana.

Meanwhile, President of the Guyana Hockey Board, Philip Fernandes expressed

great appreciation for these sponsors coming on board and underlined the fact that, without sponsors, very little can be achieved in amateur sports.

Fernandes went on to

state that he was present in

a meeting with President

Ali who commented on the

role of the private sector in

s p o r t a n d e n c o u r a g e d

administrators to explore these avenues more.

T h i s e n c o u r a g e d t h e

Guyana Hockey Board to

reach out and Fernandes was very complimentary of

the willingness of these brands to support the girl’s hockey team.

“There are not a lot of o p p o r t u n i t i e s , e s p e c i a l l y for young female athletes, i n s p o r t

Philip Fernandes shares moment with Guyana’s U21 Girls team at a recent practice session.

Here’s a glimpse of the newly branded uniforms set to be worn during this year ’s PAHF Jr Challenge.

GFF head, Wayne Forde eager to kickoff Season Seven of the Elite League.

By Samuel Whyte

F o u r o u t s t a n d i n g cricketers from Region Six,

East Berbice, Corentyne, were on Saturday February

1 s t h o n o u r e d , w i t h t h e unveiling of two billboards featuring their images at different locations in the

r e g i o n T h e c r i c k e t e r s

r e c o g n i z e d w e r e K e v i n Sinclair, Gudakesh Motie,

R o m a r i o S h e p h e r d a n d

S h i m r o n H e t m y e r , a l l international cricketers who have excelled in the sport and represented, Berbice, Guyana and the West Indies at the international level globally Some are playing franchise cricket in major leagues across the world. The recognition ceremony served as a testament to how hard work and dedication can lead to success.

T h e f i r s t u n v e i l i n g ceremony took place at the entrance of Patrick Dam,

A n g o y ’ s Av e n u e , N e w

Amsterdam where Kevin Sinclair spent most of his life. The second ceremony was held at the Berbice Bridge entrance, Palmyra,

E a s t C o a s t B e r b i c e , featuring Gudakesh Motie,

R o m a

o S h e p h e r d a n d Shimron Hetmyer Among those in attendance were

Executive Officer, Narindra

B

cricketers for their outstanding achievements He highlighted their dedication and talent and t

ambassadors

“These young men are no longer just ordinary citizens, they a

p

sta

models, and icons of Berbice, Guyana and the West Indies Every time they step onto a cricket field, whether in Australia, India, Dubai, or anywhere in the world, they are not just representing t h e m s e l v e s , t h e y a r e representing their village, their county, their country and the West Indies,” Minister Bharrat said. The Minister noted that t h e g o v e r n m e n t r e m a i n s committed to the development of sports, not just through infrastructure but also by supporting athletes in their careers “These players have followed in the footsteps of greats like Rohan Kanhai, John Trim, Basil Butcher, J o e S o l o m o n , R o y F r e d e r i c k s a n d A l v i n Kallicharran. They carry the expectations of the nation on

their shoulders. Win or lose, Guyana stands fully behind t h e m , ” M i n i s t e r B h a r r a t sated.

Sinclair, in addressing t h e g a t h e r i n g , e x p r e s s e d gratitude for the recognition a s h e r e f l e c t e d o n h i s journey He was high in praise for his grandfather who made great sacrifices and played a pivotal role in his cricketing career

“It feels overwhelming today This isn’t just about me, it’s an example for every young person out there. If I can do it, they can too,” Sinclair said “What makes this even more special is that my grandfather is alive to witness this moment. He gave up his job to train me in our backyard from the time I was about seven years old. That sacrifice motivated me to keep pushing forward.”

S h e p h e r d , w h o h a i l s from Baracara, up the Canje R i v e r, s p o k e a b o u t t h e

support from the Guyanese community, fellow cricketers

a n d h i s f a m i l y H e emphasized the importance of dedication and perseverance Motie who hails from the Corentyne, expressed his gratitude to the Government and people of Guyana for

their role in making the billboard initiative a reality

The billboards which are strategically placed at highv i s i b i l i t y l o c a t i o n s ,

motivation for young athletes across the region

A n o t h e r We s t I n d i e s

cricketer Shamar Joseph, who also hails from Baracara, was recognized last year, with the unveiling of a bill board by The R o t a r y C l u b o f N e w Amsterdam That billboard is situated at the Berbice High S c h o o l g r o u n d i n N e w Amsterdam.

Guyana Harpy Eagles

m i d d l e - o r d e r b a t s m a n Kevlon Anderson cracked his 4th first class ton as G u y a n a H a r p y E a g l e s finished a fruitful first day

a g a i n s t t h e J a m a i c a Scorpions when the 4th Round of the CWI Regional

4 - D a y C h a m p i o n s h i p s resumed yesterday

Anderson retired hurt with an ankle tweak, for exactly 100 off 161 balls with 10 fours and a pair of sixes to help Guyana post a 1st innings 260-5 after 90 overs.

Opener Matthew Nandu continued his late run of form, grinding for his 61 off 195 deliveries with five f o u r s , w h i l e Ta g e n a r i n e Chanderpaul (32) looked good upon his return.

K emol S av ory (18* ) and Gudakesh Motie (6*) will be tasked with today’s

workload, as medium-pacer Odean Smith (3-46) and l e g - s p i n n e r T a m a r r i e Redwood (2-89), look to add to their tallys.

A f t e r l o s i n g Chanderpaul following a 5 5 - r u n o p e n i n g

A

h

partnership took Guyana to 168-1 at Tea.

The duo reached their fifties with little trouble before the big Anderson injury threw a wrench in the wheels.

Captain Tevin Imlach ( 1 8 ) a n d a l l - r o u n d e r Ronaldo Alimohamed (10) got into double fig

leaving much work for Savory and company

D a y 2 ’s a c t i o n w i l l resume from 11:00h today at Sabina Park, Jamaica. ©. Ross)

Bush Lot United Sports Club, West Coast, Berbice, recently benefitted from one box of red cricket balls from this joint initiative between Anil Beharry and Kishan Das of the USA.

The balls were presented

by Rajbance H

aj on behalf of the project. Akash Ramdewar, who participated in the recently concluded Guyana Cricket Board Inter C o u n t y U n t e r 1 5 Tournament, collected the balls on behalf of his club. He thanked this project and promised that the balls will be used for the development of their young cricketers.

T h i s i n i t i a t i v e w i l l continue to strive to make every community a safer and b e t t e r p l a c e T h e y a r e pleased to be part of the d e v e l o p m e n t o f y o u n g cricketers in Guyana. Their aim is to keep them off the streets and get them actively involved in sports, cricket in particular

To t a l c r i c k e t r e l a t e d items received/purchased so f a r : $ 5 6 0 , 0 0 0 i n c a s h , t h i r t e e n c o l o r e d c r i c k e t uniforms, one set of stumps, two trophies, thirty three pairs of cricket shoes, thirty

seven pairs of batting pads, forty six cricket bats, forty p a i r s o f b a t t i n g g l o v e s , twenty eight thigh pads, three pairs of wicket keeping pads, six arm guards, two c h e s t p a d s , t w o b o x e s , thirteen gear bags, thirteen bat rubbers, six helmets, one fiber glass bat, one pair of floppy hat, sixteen boxes and four of white cricket balls, thirteen boxes of red cricket balls, one bat cone and twenty eight footballs.

In addition to the above, gear with value of over $600,000 was donated by S h e i k M o h a m e d , f o r m e r

N a t i o n a l w i c k e t keeper/batsman. All cash collected is being used to p u r c h a s e c r i c k e t g e a r requested and not available at the time.

To d a t e , n i n e t y - f o u r players, male and female, from all three counties of G u y a n a h a v e b e n e f i t e d directly from cash, seven gear bags, two trophies, four arm guards, thirty-three bats, four boxes, six helmets, thirty-five pairs of cricket shoes, twenty-one pairs of batting pads, twenty four thigh pads, one bat grip, thirty seven pairs of batting

g l o v e s , o n e p a i r o f w i c k e t k e e p i n g p a d s a n d three pairs of wicketkeeping

g l o v e s M a n y o t h e r s benefited indirectly In addition, two clubs in the Pomeroon area benefited from two used bats along with several others have received cricket gear of various sort.

C

items, used or new, are distributed free of cost to young and p r o m

Guyana.

S k

recipients. Talent

and

Rajbance Hemraj on the left and Akash Ramdewar at the hand over.

Guyana and West Indies cricketer Kevin Sinclair unveils a billboard in his honour.

GFF holds Technical Meeting with Elite League Clubs ahead of new season

Th e G u y a n a

F o o t b a l l Federation (GFF)

c o n v e n e d a t e c h n i c a l meeting with the ten (10) Elite League clubs to discuss key aspects of the upcoming season, including rules and r e g u l a t i o n s , c o m p e t i t i o n format, fixtures, and any concerns from participating teams.

The meeting provided a platform for open dialogue, a l l o w i n g c l u b s t o

s e critical matters regarding the l e a g u e ’s o p e r a t i o n s T h e GFF assured all stakeholders that their concerns would be a d d r e s s e d e q u i t a b l y , reinforcing its commitment to fairness and transparency in the administration of the competition.

Additionally, clubs were briefed on the federation’s v i s i o n f o r t h e l e a g u e ’s c o n t i n u e d d e v e l o p m e n t , with a focus on elevating standards and introducing n e w m e a s u r e s a i m e d a t

GFF

enhancing the competition.

T h e F e d e r a t i o n a l s o underscored its intent to take the league to new heights this season, setting the stage for a m o r e

tournament.

GFF President Wayne Forde, who was present at the meeting, reaffirmed the federation’s commitment to continuous engagement with its stakeholders.

“The GFF has always stood ready to engage in h e a l t h y a n d c o n s t r u c t i v e dialogue because we firmly believe that collaboration is key to football’s growth in G u y a n a W h i l e t h e federation holds the rights to the Elite League, this is the people’s league—our clubs, our players, our fans are the h e a r t b e a t o f t h i s competition,” he noted.

Forde added, “As such, we are fully committed to ensuring that the league o p e r a t e

vision for long-term success.

O

o n building a competition that not only showcases the best of Guyanese football but also

Female Referees to Par ticipate in CFU’s International Women’s Day Capacit y-Building Course

Two of the Guyana

F o o t b a l l F e d e r a t i o n ’ s ( G F F ) f e m a l e r e f e r e e s , Denisha Isaacs and Kenisha Prescott, will represent the country at the Caribbean

F o o t b a l l U n i o n ( C F U )

C o u r s e f o r C a r i b b e a n

Wo m e n M a t c h O ff i c i a l s , scheduled for March 7-9, 2 0 2 5 , i n A n t i g u a a n d Barbuda.

The initiative, organized b y t h e C F U R e f e r e e Committee and the CFU Secretariat, aligns with the CFU’s strategic focus on referee development and is being hosted in collaboration

w i t h t h e A n t i g u a a n d

B a r b u d a F o o t b a l l Association.

The course is exclusively for female referees on the F I F A I n t e r n a t i o n a l Refereeing List, reinforcing t h e c o m m i t m e n t t o advancing the standards of officiating in the region.

Participants will undergo

i n t e n s i v e p h y s i c a l a n d theoretical training, focusing on the Laws of the Game,

p o s i t i o n a n d m o v e m e n t , m a

psychology of officiating, and the referee as a brand. A key highlight of the course will be a daylong w

Day dedicated to issues unique to Caribbean female referees. T

serves as a genuine platform for player development and opportunity,” Forde stated.

T h e E l i t e L e a g u e remains Guyana’s premier

club football competition, playing a crucial role in the development of local talent and the broader foo

landscape.

Participants listen to GFF President Wayne Forde during the technical meeting with the ten Elite League clubs.

Kenisha Prescott

Denisha Isaacs

for a

beneath one of the billboards.

Shepherd, Motie, Sinclair Minister Bharat and other officials pose

picture

Matthew Nandu acknowledges his fighting half-century

In-form batsman Kevlon Anderson celebrates his hundred yesterday.