Kaieteur News

CharteredAccountant, Christopher Ram

Ram accuses Exxon of false reporting

Amid growing concerns over the recently released financial statements of ExxonMobil and partners, Chartered Accountant, Christopher Ram has accused the oil giants of double standard in its reporting, which he said allows them to inflate current profits by treating costrecoveriesasimmediate revenuewhilehidingthetrue ongoing impact of future recoveries on Guyana's oil revenues.

E x x o n M o b i l Corporationanditspartners, Hess Corporation and China's CNOOC, recently reported a combined profit ofUS$10.4billionfromtheir oil operations in Guyana in 2024, marking a 64% yearon-year jump, according to ExxonMobil's financial statement. The surge was driven by expanded production capacity and favorable fiscal terms that continue to make Guyana one of the most lucrative oil plays globally, Yahoo Finance had reported ExxonMobil alone booked US$4.7 billion in adjusted earnings from its Guyana

operations last year, contributing substantially to its global earnings of

US$33 46 billion

Meanwhile, Hess posted US$3.1 billion in profits from the region, up from US$1 9 billion in 2023, while CNOOC earned US$2.5 billion, rising from US$1.5billion.

The Ministry of Natural Resources later issued a statementclaimingthatmost oftheUS$10.4Brepresented cost recovery Kaieteur News had queried based on Exxon's financial statement how it was possible for the oil major and its partners in the Stabroek Block to walk away with US$10.4 billion, while Guyana received a mereUS$2.6billion,despite a 50/50 profit sharing and Guyana's 2 per cent royalty agreement.

Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo in response said that the figures were consistent with the formula, “which saysthat14.5percentofthe 25 per cent which is set out for as profit sharing would result in those that configuration, and they wouldhave10.5percent.So that's consistent from what I saw It can't be any different in these years ” Jagdeo furthershared,“Theyhaveto get less profits than we would have received because of that formula They, they've spoken about

paying back the capital which is a different matter aboutpayingbackthecapital investedwhichcomesoutof the 75 per cent allocated of revenue allocated for that purpose So, we can't conflate the two, (they are) very different and it's consistent with the formula, and just to tell you that to giveyouanindicationifthey say$1.3trillion,wegotsince the beginning of oil that's less than this year's budget one year budget, that's what wegotfromthebeginningso that confirms what we have been saying because we passedfivebudgetssofar So entirelyclear.”

Warpedaccounting practice

However, writing in his

column, which was published by the Stabroek News last Friday Ram questioned the accounting practice of the oil companies. He said such warpedpracticeallowsthem to inflate current profits by treating cost recoveries as immediate revenue while hiding the true ongoing impact of future recoveries on Guyana's oil revenues.

“ W h e n c o m p a n i e s selectivelyapplyaccounting standards based on what makes their numbers look better,thatisnotcompliance –itisflagrantanddeliberate manipulation Both the Coalition and the PPP/C have failed to recognise the avarice of Exxon and its partners, signalled when, at

the very beginning, they overstated pre-production costs. Or when the local books failed to account for the proceeds of sale of interest in the Stabroek Block,”Ramwrote.

It should be noted that while ExxonMobil and the governmentofGuyanahave taken umbrage with this newspaperreportingthatthe oil major's profits for last year stood at US$10.4B, no such objections were made toreportsbyReuters,Yahoo Finance and other international agencies that quoted the same figure “Whattheoilcompaniesare expecting is that all Guyanese – and indeed Yahoo Finance, Reuters, Bloombergandshareholders

will believe that all these billionsofbarrelsofoilcome atnocost–or,inthecaseof Exxon, by

accountedfor63%ofitstotal operational expenditure in 2024, up from 51.2% in 2023 There's the wellknownsayingthatthereisno such thing as a free lunch. Our oil companies have profits free from of any cost of sales,” Ram wrote in his column.

Oillifts Ramalsoexplainedinhis column that for 2024 there were 225 oil lifts, four of whichwenttoGuyanainthe formofin-kindroyaltiesand 56 went to profit sharing (Government 28 and Oil Companies 28). That leaves 165lifts,allofwhichwentto the oil companies for cost recovery “The oil companiesdidnottellusthis breakdown, nor did the Government – which probably did not try to find out.This information comes from scouring the Bank of Guyana's Natural Resource Fund reports and the Minister'sBudgetSpeech.” Ram said that at approximately $80 million per lift, “those 165 cost (Continuedonpage6)

T&T wants stronger foothold in oil-rich Guyana ...new govt blames Rowley for missed opportunity

TrinidadandTobago'sMinister of Energy, Dr. Roodal Moonilal, last week criticised the former administration for throwing away what he described as a prime opportunity to establish the twinisland state's presence in Guyana's boomingoilandgassector

Speaking during the debate on the Finance (Supplementary Appropriation) Bill for the 2025 fiscalyear,Dr Moonilalsaiditwas a “sad reality” that despite over a centuryofexperienceinoilandgas industry, Trinidad and Tobago had no official government-led presence in Guyana or Suriname, two CARICOM nations now rapidly advancing in energy production.

“Imagine the territory with the most expertise, with the major infrastructure, human capital, had no footprint in Guyana and Suriname. None,” Dr Moonilal said.He added, “It was the service

contractorsofTrinidadandTobago whooftheirownwill,bytheirown hardwork,wenttoSuriname,went to Guyana… but they had no help fromthegovernment,none.”

ThoughGuyana'spopulationis more than 800,000, the minister outlinedGuyana'soilboom,noting that the country produces more barrels of oil daily than “it has people.”

MinisterMoonilalhadoutlined T&T's regional strategy to prioritise energy cooperation with Guyana, Grenada, and Suriname. He stressed that it is critical for T&T state enterprises to establish themselves as serious entities in Suriname, Guyana and Grenada.

“Thatisourvision,thatishowyou will become the hub, you will not become the hub by out producing Guyana…we will not become the hub by out producing Suriname withgas,”Dr Moonilalsaid Oil production offshore

Guyana'sStabroekBlock,operated by ExxonMobil Guyana Limited (EMGL),beganinDecember2019. Since then, production has grown to 650,000 barrels per day (bpd) from three sanctioned projects: Liza Phase 1, Liza Phase 2, and Payara This output is set to increasewiththeimminentstart-up of Yellowtail, the fourth development,laterthisyear Exxon already has two other sanctioned projectsunderitsbelt,theUaruand Whiptail.Thecompanyhasalready submitted the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for its seventh project, Hammerhead, with production targeted for 2029. The company has also filed an application for an eighth developmentnamedLongtail.

Dr Moonilal said Trinidad missedtheopportunitytocapitalise onthisboomduetowhathelabeled poor policy decisions by the previous government “We

discovered that even when there was a serious attempt by national energytogetinvolvedinGuyana… the government of Trinidad and Tobago at that time said no…they said it was too risky and national energy should not participate in Guyana in that way While you could have had a foothold in Guyana a few years ago,” T&T's energyministersaid.

Dr Moonilal stressed that the lack of strategic regional engagement not only lost Trinidad and Tobago potential foreign exchange earnings, but also employment and economic opportunities that could have been gained through cross-border collaboration “There was no concertedattempttogetafootprint into energy-producing countries… wherewecouldprovidehelp,raise revenue, collect taxes, generate foreignexchange,”hestated. Further, the minister reiterated

Trinidad and Tobago's Minister of Energy, Dr. Roodal Moonilal

that the current administration intends to correct course by strengtheningtieswithCARICOM nations such as Guyana, Grenada, and Suriname. The administration has set its sights on Guyana's oil resources to support the restart of its refinery, as well as access to Guyana'snaturalgas.

Chartered Accountant, Christopher Ram

ExxonMobil Guyana President, Alistair Routledge

KaieteurNews

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EDITORIAL

Opposition on more oil royalties

Opposition Leader Norton spoke smartly on oil royalties featuring on the September ballot. “The Guyanesecitizenshavetherighttovoteforanythingthey want. I believe many issues are on the ballot. Adriana Youngeisontheballot,themurderofthoseboysinBerbice is on the ballot, the level of incompetence and corruption ontheballot,andifpeoplewanttoput25percentroyalty,it should be done.” It pleases that Norton was unusually clearontheupsettingissueofthecurrentlow2percentoil royalties that Guyana receives. By any standards, oil royaltiesof2percentaremorethanobscene,theyinsultall the people of this nation. The 2 percent royalty from ExxonMobil must be kicked from where it is, and be replacedbyahighernumber,onemuchhigher

Whatisinteresting,isthemannerinwhichthePNCR leader phrased his answer “If people want to put 25 percentroyalty,itshouldbedone.” Putitontheballotwas whathemeant,anditshouldbeallowedtohappen. Hewas clear about that, which raises a longstanding question. What does he and his PNCR want for oil royalties? Are bothcomfortablewiththe2percentthatGuyanacollectsat present? Ifthisisnotso,thenwhatistheroyaltylevel,the minimum,thatNortonandthePNCRwouldbewillingto considerfair,oratleastastartingpoint? Hehastosaythis inthemostunambiguousmanner Althoughitwashelpful to hear Mr Norton giving Guyanese assurance that when his party is back in government, the drive will be for maximum benefits to flow to citizens, he didn’t go far enough. He needs to be specific, viz., this is the royalty percentthatwillbesatisfactorytoapossiblefuturePNCR government.

Further, he has to say so now, when Guyanese are weighing the pros and cons of the different leaders and groups fighting for their vote. Very clear and very straightforward, he must be, because the challenge for every eligible voter is how persuasive he is, how much trust can be given to him. On management of this oil, which has been in tatters from the time it was first discovered. There is that rushed, ill-thought out, and poorly finalized 2016 ExxonMobil Production Sharing AgreementbytheAPNU+AFCCoalitionGovernment,for astart. Thishasbeenfollowedbytheappallingleadership, incompetence,andsecreciessurroundingitsmanagement from the PPPC Government. The prime example of this has been the conduct of Guyana’s chief oil minister, Bharrat Jagdeo, who cuts a most pathetic figure as an oil steward. Whetherheopenshismouth,orkeepsittightly shut (‘I will not answer that question’), he reveals the povertyofhisleadershipinthisrichestsectoronwhichso muchofGuyana’sdestinyrevolves. Afigureofridiculehe hasmadehimselfinto,goingonforfiveyearsnow,andthis isnevermoreglaringthanwhenthenation’soilwealthis involved.

OppositionLeaderNortonhasn’tdonemuchbetterfor himself. He, too, has not been most forthcoming when questionsareputtohimonoil,andaboutwherehestands. HeanswersinalessvitriolicwaythanJagdeo,noquestion aboutthat,andhelooksbetterforit. Buttryingtodigan answerofsubstanceoutofMr Nortononoilhasn’tyielded much on which Guyanese can hang their hats. Citizens aren’t satisfied by his vague promises of what the PNCR would do, should it get back in government. Guyanese needmore,andtheywantmore,fromtheiroil,andnoneof theirleadersshouldbehedgingtheirpositionsonit.

Oneofthethingsthatcaughtourattentioniscentered onNorton’sanswertotheroyaltyissue. Hementionedthat Adrianna Younge and the Cotton Tree murders (Henrys) shouldbeontheballot. ManyGuyanesebelievethatboth arecrimes. Wetakethepositionthatthecurrent2percent royaltyisalsoanunsolvedcrime. Thereisonlyonewayto solve it: more royalties, as much as 25 percent. This doesn’tbelongwithpoliticians,butinvoters’hands.

DEAREDITOR

With elections around the corner, there has been much talk about Guyanese democracy Cheddi and Janet Jagan have ‘single handedly’ been responsible f o r t h e p o l i t i c a l dysfunctional context we now call Guyana that exists without that level of democratic culture that is essential for transforming groups of different people intonations.

Look around: unlike our traditionalCaricompartners who began their democratic experiment in about the 1950s, the socialisation process of Guyana and its political elites over the last three quarters of a century hasbeenwithinanautocratic context that resulted from the naive unilateral political behaviouroftheJagans.

Recently,Ireadanarticle stating that some American academics were planning to migrate to Canada because of ‘American descent into fascism’ under the present D o n a l d T r u m p

administration. Itreminded me of my time at the University in Wales in the United Kingdom, when Prime Minister Margaret Thatcherwasinading-dong battle with the trade union movement, particularly the coal mining unions, and in 1983wasabouttorunforher second term as prime minister A few academics considered her a threat to British democracy and stated their intention to migrate to Australia, etc. if T h a t c h e r a n d h e r Conservative Party should win the elections. She won and later defeated the trade unions, but to my recollection, no one migratedandalthoughunder tremendous stress from the dynamics arising from globalisation, migration and cultural adaptations, democracy, with which the British have been experimenting since the MagnaCartaof1215,isstill alive. According to one academic, the ‘The United Statesisintheprocessofan

autocratic takeover and it’s directed by a regime that I don’tthinkwillwanttoleave p o w e r ’ (https://wwwcbc ca/news/c anada/toronto/yaleprofessor-moving-touniversity-of-torontotrump-administration1 7494704) Others view what is taking place as reminiscent of the 1934 to 1945 Nazi capture of the German state that led to intolerable conditions and ultimately to the loss of some 80 million lives in WorldWar11.

DEAREDITOR

,

Our energetic Head of State, Dr Irfaan Ali, emphasized that “Technical education is not diminished

education technical educationisamorepractical orientation of what the country needs, what the world needs. By no ways or means are you lesser if you areintechnicaleducation.”

He was spot on and his s e r i o u s n e s s a n d commitment to TVET reverberated when he made thiscall,whiledeliveringthe keynote address at the commissioning of a brand new$356.5millionPractical Instruction Centre (PIC) at the St Ignatius Secondary School.

Let this sink in:

“According to the definition by UNESCO and the International Labor Organization (ILO), TVET refers to “aspects of the educational process involving, in addition to general education, the study of technologies and related sciences,andtheacquisition of practical skills, attitudes, understanding and knowledge relating to

occupants in various sectors of economic and social life” (UNESCO and ILO, 2001). Further elaboration explains that“Inadditiontotechnical knowledge and aptitude, increasing emphasis is on “ s o f t e r ” s k i l l scommunication, negotiation and teamwork TVET is dispensed in public and private educational establishments, or other forms of formal or informal instruction, aimed at granting all segments of the society access to life-long learningresources.”

So,locally,ourcountryis really on top when it comes to global development and makingthelandequippedto be a major world force. Getting back to President Ali,henotedthat“Whenyou look around the world, you wouldseemanytechnicallyorientedpersonsinbusiness, i n n o v a t i o n , a n d entrepreneurship Because once you’re technically oriented, you are naturally innovative.” These strong remarks formed part of his address he delivered to residents of Region Nine, asking them to “ to

Like the UK, the people of the USA have had a substantial association with the democratic process, and forthisreasonmypositionis more optimistic While America has had nearly 250 years of democratic governance, the first German democratic constitution was enacted in 1918 and lasted until end of the World 11 in 1945 Indeed, just about 65 years before Hitler came to government, what we today call Germany was a mishmash of warring independentprincipalities.It is thanks to Chancellor Otto vonBismarckthattheywere brought together as a single state that he ruled from 1871-90, but he ‘failed to rise above the authoritarian proclivities of the landed squirearchytowhichhewas b o r n ’ (https://wwwbritannica co m/biography/Otto-vonBismarck). For the most part, then, dictatorship was still the natural order of things when the Nazi party was formed in 1910 and when it took government in 1934.

embrace technical and vocational education as a pathway to sustainable employmentandsuccess.”

ThisPICinRegionNine is one of six new Technical and Vocational Education andTraining(TVET)centres that are being constructed across the country, in order t o p r o v i d e m o r e opportunities for this necessary form of training nationwide All of this emanating from the investment of some $2.6 billion that was allocated in the2025NationalBudgetto enhance the delivery of TVET programmes nationwide.

Let us bear in mind that the principal objective of TVET is to train youths and adults alike, readying them for the labor market. With technical revolution and innovations in science and technology, labor market needs have significantly evolved New challenges must be met in order to match the education proposed with vocational demands In that regard, Guyana and many other countries are in the process

America has had centuries of democratic socialisation and cultural diversity, the latter being fundamentallybuttressedby the former One only needs to consider the difficulties the Trump administration must overcome at the judicial, state, and national levelstogetitswayonsome ofitsmorequestionable (Continuedonpage06)

‘Making and reforming the autocratic mind’ Pushing TVET and making Guyana Globally Competitive

of reforming their education system, with a view to training youths to meet national, regional or internationalmarketneeds.

This is a fact that can be easily verified by mere observation and I want people to check on it. It is that in some fields, particularly those with high demand for skilled workers like construction and automotive, TVET graduates generally command higher starting salaries. This is not surprise as Technical and Vocational Education and Training institutions have stepped up and are now playing crucial roles in driving sustainable development, economic growth, and workforce empowerment across the globe By offering specialized training aligned with market demands and t e c h n o l o g i c a l advancements, TVETs are instrumental in bridging the education-employmentgap. I advocate that our leaders in government continueinthistrend.

Yourstruly RaymondAnderson

Fickle youth

DEAREDITOR

It is difficult to understand having endorsed the leader for president the young member from the youth arm has chosen to walk away (NewsRoom 3June29).It’sasifhedidnot believe or support his own endorsement Was he

encouraged to take this course of action? Fickle! Fickle! Fickle! Where is the stamina to stick and overcome the adversities? The youth’s political future might be over before it has begun.

Regards

ShamshunMohamed

West Indies cricket

DEAREDITOR

, Please allow me to express my views as it relates to the state of West IndiesCrickettoday

Those of us, who were privileged to experience the mightofWestIndiesCricket in the 70s and 80s, find it a verydifficultpilltoswallow for what passes as cricket today Weofthe70sand80s, still hold Test Cricket as the true format of that glorious game. To us T20 is just entertainment. ODI is our alternate version to Test Cricket. For me, I would set up all night watching games played in different time zones to ours. That is how muchIlovemycricket.

Soyoucanimaginehow pleased I was when WI bundled out Australia, undoubtedly the most powerfulteamtodayforjust 180 runs in the 1st Innings. At that point in time, I proclaimed that WI was on top.

WhenWIbattedIfeltthe oldfrustrationsbeginningto step in, on my part. WI was soon reduced to 72 – 5. A face-saving 67 runs partnership for the 6th wicket then ensued. Two controversial umpiring decisions and inept batting saw WI crawling to a slim lead of only 10 runs. In my mind that lead should have been upwards of 50 runs giventhetimethatwasleftin thematch.

Thesecondinningswasa total disaster Save and except for Shamar Joseph and Justin Greaves, WI batted without backbone The seven dropped catches did not help their cause any, which brought into sharp focus the old adage –“Catches win matches ” Were those catches taken, WI might have found the winning target far less than the301theywereset.

Editor,Iwouldtherefore like to make a few suggestions.

Firstly, the batsmen displayed an acute lack of mental toughness. With 2 daysplustoget301runsand being all out in just 33.4 overs, speak volumes of the mental capacity of our

batsmen. Therefore, the Management of WI cricket has to devise some sort of program to toughen our players mentally I am tempted to suggest a program similar to the GDF’s Officer Cadet Training Secondly, the selection of the team, in my mindneedstobeaddressed.

Brandon King, with all of his exploits in white ball cricket,lookedoutofsortsin theredballformat.

JohnCampbelloptedfor at20typeofshotquiteearly inhisinningsandgotout.He displayed total disregard for the state of the game at that givenpoint.

Up to now I cannot see the point in playing Jomel Warrican. As a specialist spinner, he bowled only 8 oversinthematchandmade 3 runs batting twice. That is misuseofresources.

This also highlights the fact that t20 types shots are creeping in to test cricket. Most times these shots, whileentertaining,lookugly intheTestarena.

Having said my piece please allow me to suggest the team for the 2nd Test Match Kevin Imlach to open with Kraigg Braithwaite. Keacy Carty at 3; Shai Hope at 4- He has demonstrated that he can absorb pressure in the event of the loss of early wickets; Royston Chase at 5; John Campbell at 6 to shepherd the tail; Justin Greaves at 7; Alzarri Joseph at 8; Shamar Josephat9;GodakeshMotie at 10; and, Jayden Seales at 11. With this combination we should give a better account of ourselves in the nettwoTests.

Yourstruly, CarlParkerSnr. TestCricketDie-Hard

Violation of Democracy to deny Independents right to seek Office

D

EARE

DITOR

, Ithasbeenbroughttomy attentionthatacourthearing (in front of Chief Justice Roxanne Myers) was heard last Wednesday on a matter pertaining to whether an independent can run for office.Thechallengeislong overdue as Guyana’s laws deny one’s right to be truly independent of others Denying anyone the right to run for elective office is a gross violation of democraticrights.

The court is probably asked to determine its constitutionality and to permitanindependenttorun foranyofficeinthecountry A candidate must not be forced to have political affiliation.

In virtually every country, certainly in every traditional democracy, like theABCE countries, and all Commonwealth and CARICOM countries, an

independent can seek elective office. Guyana is a soleexception.Accordingto Guyana’sROPA,acandidate c a n n o t r u n a s a n independent; he or she must run as a member of a party for any national office. That part of the act undermines democracy For the local election, ROPA allows independents to run. Why the law allows independent candidates to run for local andnotnationalofficeisnot clear

That in itself is unconstitutional The law must be consistent in allowing or not allowing an independent to run for all offices.TheUSAjustheldan electionlastJune24andlast November. Independents wereontheballot.Dozensof other countries including Canada, UK, New Zealand, India, recently held elections Independents wereontheballot.

In Guyana, to run as a candidatefornationaloffice, onemustformapartyandbe associated with at least 65 other individuals who must alsobecandidatesforoffice. And the party must have a Presidentialcandidate.

That very idea violates the principle of being an independent candidate and violatesone’srighttorunfor office without being forced (mandated) to be associated withothers.Whileonehasa right to be associated with a party or movement, he also enjoys a right not to be associated with it. One may want to run as a Member of Parliament and not for President.

Onemaywanttorunfor one of the 25 geographic seats and not a top up seat. Senior and King Councils I engaged in the Caribbean saythataspectsofROPAare unconstitutional as they contradict Guyana’s

constitution; lawyers in India also form the same conclusion.

Therearecountlesscases i n C o m m o n w e a l t h jurisdictions where laws denying independents of seeking office were struck down by constitutional or appealcourt.Ms.Myershas an opportunity to create historyinGuyanabystriking down aspects of ROPA that are inconsistent with rights grantedintheconstitution.

ROPA has several contradictions with the constitution including the onethatmandatesapersonto run for office only in associationwithaparty.

The constitution grants rightofassociationandnonassociation. In the CESS case in Trinidad (1975), in which Guyanese Dr Fenton Ramsahoye and Ramesh Maharajappearedaslawyers forplaintiff,theappealcourt

(Continuedonpage09)

Stop the fear mongering about the Mohamed’s

DEAREDITOR,

A recent report in SN (Jun 27) on American sanctionsfordrugtrafficking (inUSA)isbiased.Ichecked with DEA The report specifically mentioned fentanyl. Guyana is not now nor ever tied with fentanyl. TheUSAissendingastrong message about fentanyl to ChinaandMexicoandothers with which the drug is connected. Other reports on

drug trafficking mentioned Guyana.

And the report from secretary Rubio on fentanyl made no specific references toGuyanaorGuyanese.The SNreportinjectedthenames ofGuyanese.

On sanctions, the Mohamed’swereandarenot sanctioned for drugs or fentanyl They are sanctioned for not paying taxes to the Guyana

government No one associated with Mohamed’s is sanctioned As the American Ambassador stated, one can only be sanctioned if one conducts business with the Mohamed’s. Associatingwiththemor running as a candidate with them or signing their nomination forms or voting for them will not lead to sanctions The Americans historically have not interfered in elections on sanctions Guyanese can freely associate with the Mohamed’s.

The PPPis fearful of the support of Azruddin and as such are driving fear in the population not to support WIN.ThefactisAzruddinis very popular on the ground includinginthePPPbase.

Yourstruly,

DannyRamnarine

Nomoreprimarytopsby2026–EducationMinistersays

By 2026, Guyana will completelyeliminatetheuse of “primary tops”, and will ensurethateachchildacross the country get quality access to education within theirresidence.

This is according to MinisterofEducation,Priya Manickchand.

The primary top is a long-standing, substandard educational arrangement in which students who passed their NGSA but lack access toanearbysecondaryschool are taught secondary-level content in their old primary schools, often by untrained teachers.

Minister Manickchand said in 2020, there were

some 1,278 children in primary tops. “We moved from placing 1,278 children in a primary top… to today, placing 267 children in a primary top and by 2026, thatwillbezero,becausethe schools we are currently constructing will be finished”, the education minister relayed last Wednesday, during the announcement of the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) results at the Arthur Chung ConferenceCenter She emphasised the inadequate conditions of these setups, saying, “If you’re from the hinterland, the East Bank, or Region

Three, you know what a primary top is It’s not optimal education. You go back to the primary school anddosomesecondarywork withuntrainedteachers.”

To resolve this bugbear, Manickchand stated that 39 newsecondaryschoolshave either been built or under construction across the country, stretching from R e g i o n s O n e t o Georgetown. Of these, 22 are located in the hinterland regions; Regions One, Seven, Eight, and Nine, where access to secondary education has been limited. She noted, “In 1992, there were only three secondary schoolsinthehinterland.By

2015, that number grew to 13.Between2015and2020, not a single secondary school was built We’ve changedthat.”

In Region One, five secondary schools are being built, with one completed and another set for completion by the end of June. Contracts have been awarded for schools at Hosororo and other key locations, with schools in Waramuri and Kwebanna expected to be finished by August. In Region Seven, schools are being constructed at Jawala, Philippi, Karrau, and Isano. Region Eight will see new secondary schools at

‘Making and reforming the

Frompage04

policies to understand that much of the freedoms modern Americans cherish rest on a democratic foundation.

My assessment tells me that mostofthosewhosupported Trump did so with the understandingthathewould improve and not destroy the democraticprocess.

Forexample,theirattackon the ‘deep state’ is in their perception an attack on bureaucratic malformations

t h e y b e l i e v e a r e underminingthedemocratic state.

So, like the British, the democratic groundings of theUSaretoostronganditis highly unlikely to give way to the autocratic extremes somepredict. Perhapstoo,itisnotsucha

bad thing for the resilience ofthedemocraticstatetobe periodically tested and progressivelyreformed.

What the above teaches is what is well known:

‘political traditions play a crucial role in shaping governance, influencing political behaviour, and maintaining cultural continuity within societies.’ Ifdemocraticsocialisationis so important for the formation and maintenance of a democratic state, Guyana’sautocraticstatusin notsurprising.

UnlikeanyotherBritish Caribbean state, its entire history has been that of autocraticrule.

At the level of the state, Guyana modern political history,startingfromaround the1950s,consistedofabout

15yearsofcolonialpolitical manipulation to keep the PPP from government, 3 decades of the PNC’s continuing this process, about one decade of democratic experimentation and 3 decades of PPP autocraticrule.

In his West on Trial Cheddi Jagan complained that the British had gerrymandered the 1957 elections against him so badly that he had a meeting with the colonial secretary and accused him of rigging the system so that the PPP willlose.

The colonial secretary agreed that such had indeed been the intention! Of course, such a brazen response was clearly intendedtosendthemessage to the Jagans that the West

Kopinang, Monkey Mountain, and Maikobi. In Region Nine, eight schools are under development or completed, including institutions at Yupukari, Katoka, Tapachinga, Morinao, Nappi, Masara, Karasabai, and Karaudanau, the latter of which will also serve children from Bashaizon and Achiwib. A secondary school is also being built in Orealla to serve students from both OreallaandSiparuta.

M a n i c k c h a n d emphasis

Minster of Education Priya Manickchnad

at this expansion is not only about infrastructure, but about transforming the national education narrative by shifting focus on quality secondary education across every region instead of students going to primary tops or trying to attain a top schoolonthecoast. “It’sno longer going to be about whether you got into a secondary school on the coast. It’s about how well your school in the village is doing,” she stated. “We’re alreadyprovidingthesame

(Continuedonpage16)

autocratic mind’...

was in possession of his 1951 letter to the international communist movement requesting help to take not only Guyana but theentireCaribbeanintothe dictatorial communist fold. What Cheddi did not understand was that no one would have allowed him to use his ethnic base to i n t r o d u c e S o v i e t communism and thus end liberaldemocracy. By even preventing the introduction of alternative democratic pathways when it was offered to the PPPby the colonial authorities, its behaviour set in train not only the Venezuela border p r o b l e m , b u t t h e autocratisation of the Guyanesemindandbothare stillwithustoday Forbes Burnham did not

beginelectionmanipulation: he was merely the benefactor of a quite legitimateposition.

At the level of the parties,boththePPPandthe PNC began their lives as a form of that democratic centralist monstrosity in which the party leadership, and particularly the leader, has total control over the members.

About a decade ago, the PNC discarded democratic centralism and is today much more transparent and democraticthanthePPP If nothing else, the factional struggle that has justbeentakingplacewithin thatpartyisatestimonytoits better democratic credentials and the teething problemsitstillfaces.

For the most part the

entire population and the political elite in Guyana are more like those of Nazi Germany; they only have a most tenuous intellectual commitment to democracy When this is added to decades of ethnic political disassociation, it is no surprisethatthePPP,likethe Nazi party, has captured the stateandatthiselectiontime has unleashed all the elements of elections m a n i p u l a t i o n : gerrymandering, vote buying, digitally hacking to change the narrative of the debate,spreadingfakenews or simply inventing the results, andseekingtodupe theinternationalcommunity into legitimizing a poorqualitypoll.

Regards Dr HenryJeffrey

Ram accuses Exxon of false reporting...

Frompage3 recovery lifts represent roughly $13.2 billion in value flowing to the companies. “From analysing their financial statements, we can determine that only 22 lifts ($1.8 billion)wenttoactualcurrentyear expenses, while a staggering 143 lifts ($11.4 billion) represented recovery of prior years’ costs.” Ramsaiditisworthnotingtoothat expenses included a significant element of non-cash expenses as well, such as decommissioning, amortisationandleaseprovisions. The numbers become even more puzzling when we consider that despite receiving only 28 lifts ($1.9 billion) as their legitimate profit share, the companies reported over $10.4 billion in profitsintheirfinancialstatements –morethanfivetimestheiractual profit oil entitlement This suggestsatroublingpatternwhere massive historical cost recoveries are treated as current profits, a fundamental distortion that

demandsimmediateinvestigation, attention, transparency and disclosure,” the chartered accountantsaid.

Touching on International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) rules, Ram said Guyana is an IFRS subscribing country and companies operating here should provide information to enable a reader to understand and appreciate the numbers. “Yet the 2024financialstatementsoftheoil companies create more confusion than clarity Under IFRS, the principleoftransparencydemands thatfinancialstatementsprovidea true and fair view of a company’s financial p

ion and performance.

Readers should be able to understandthesourceofrevenues, the nature of expenses, and how profitsaregenerated.Yetwhenwe examine these oil company statements, we find a labyrinth where massive cost recoveries somehow contribute to profit

calculations without clear explanation of how historical reimbursements become current earnings.”

The chartered accountant said the fundamental question becomes: “Are these companies meeting their IFRS obligations to provide clear, understandable financialinformation?

When a company receives $11.4 billion in cost oil recovery but reports this in a way that inflates profits to $10.4 billion –

entitlement is only $1.9 billion –somethingisseriouslywrongwith eithertheiraccountingpracticesor theirdisclosurestandards.”

He said IFRS requires that companies explain material transactions and their impact on financial performance “Yet nowhereinthesestatementsdowe see adequate explanation of how the petroleum sharing agreement works, how cost recovery differs from profit generation, or why

relationship to actual profit oil received. This is not a matter of disclosure–asimportantasthatis.

It is an attempt to distort and deceive.it’safundamentalfailure to meet international accounting standardsthatGuyana,asanIFRS jurisdiction,shouldbeenforcing.”

He said it defies any logical, decentaccountingrulethatExxon and partners would recognise hundreds of billions of Guyana dollars in deferred tax liability which they will never pay but refuse to recognise on their books expendituretherecoveryofwhich is guaranteed by the Agreement. “Thatisnotanoversight. That is false accounting. Just think about the boldness of their position. They carry massive deferred tax liabilities on their balance sheets which they know they will never pay since these taxes are paidoutofGuyana’sgenerouscost recovery and tax certificate

mechanisms.Yettheyforgetbasic accounting principles when it comes to their guaranteed unrecoveredcosts,”Ramnoted.

He said the general rule of accounting is that expenditure incurred in one period to be recovered in a future period, even in the absence of any contractual arrangement, is recognised as assets.“Eventhatpartofthemotor carinsurancepremiumthatcovers months into the next accounting period is treated as a prepayment in business accounting. The 2016 PSA makes cost recovery a c

tract

ight, not a discretionaryhope.

Yet these companies treat guaranteed cost recovery as uncertain while booking tax obligations they will never pay as concrete liabilities Had they applied that principle, they would have treated the recovery as the exchange of an asset (cash or oil) for another asset (recoverable costs).”

BLUNT BLUNT BLUNT BLUNT

split The

Guyana earned US$2.6B from oil in 2024, paid US$2.4B in taxes for oil companies that same year

In 2024, Guyana's Natural Resource Fund(NRF)received nearly US$2.6 billion in oil revenues. But for that same year, the Government of Guyana out of its share of profit oil, was required to pay to the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) about US$2.4billioninincometax for the three oil companies operating in the Stabroek Block.

Guyana shouldering

ExxonMobil Guyana Limited (EMGL), Hess

Guyana Exploration Limited, and CNOOC PetroleumGuyanaLimited's tax burden is in accordance with the 2016 Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) governing the Stabroek Blockoperation.

Article 15 4 of the Petroleum Agreement states thatthesumequivalenttothe taxes owed by the company will be paid by the minister responsible for petroleum to the Commissioner General of the Guyana Revenue Authority(GRA). The contract also allows fortheissuingofareceiptto ExxonMobil, indicating that it has met the local tax requirements to avoid the burdenofdoubletaxation.

Currently, oil is only being produced from the Stabroek Block which is estimatedtohold11.6billion barrels of oil. EMGL is the operatorofthatblockwitha 45 per cent interest, while Hess Guyana holds 30 per centandCNOOCPetroleum Guyana Limited holds 25 percent. The NRF Act states that petroleum revenues, which include oil sales and royalties, shall be directly paid into a bank account denominated in US dollars and held by the US Federal Reserve Bank in NewYork.

article titled “Guyana paid over $500B in taxes for Exxonandpartnersin2024,”

For 2024 the NRF received US$2 57 billion or GYD$536billion. OnSundayJune29,inan

TotalEnergies Acquires

25%

Stake in Suriname's

TotalEn

s acquired a 25% stake in Block53offshoreSuriname from Spain's Moeve, formerly known as CEPSA, as part of Moeve's broader divestment from nonrenewableassets.Theblock l i e s a d j a c e n t t o TotalEnergies' $10.5 billion Gran Morgu project, which reached a final investment decision in October 2023 andisestimatedtoholdover 700 million barrels of recoverableresources.

53 marks the completion of

statementsfor2024obtained from the deeds registry, it was revealed that Guyana had to pay $260 billion in taxesforExxon,$219billion in taxes for Hess, and $23 billionforCNOOCatotalof GYD$502billionorUS$2.4 billion.

For 2024 EMGL recorded an operating profit before taxation of $1.255

trillion.

The company reported a tax expense of $260 billion and a total comprehensive incomeof$995.1billion.

Hess' $219 billion in taxesfor2024isanincrease from the $131.56 billion in 2023. For that same year, Hess Guyana recorded a staggering $840 billion in profits.

As for CNOOC, the company reported US$2.5 billion in profit for 2024. CNOOC's 2023 tax expense was$37billionandin2024it dropped to almost $23

billion.

TheStabroekBlockPSA stipulates that the blockpartners are allowed to recover75percentoftheoil produced to recover their investment costs; the remaining 25 per cent is considered profit, which is split between Guyana and the Stabroek Block consortium,givingeach12.5 percent However, the consortiumpaysa2percent royalty from its share to Guyana. From its 14.5 per cent,Guyanathenhastopay taxesfortheoilcompanies.

Article 15 5 of the contract states, “Within one hundred and eighty (180) days following the end of each year of assessment, the minister shall furnish to contractor proper tax certificates in contractor's n a m e f r o m t h e Commissioner General, Guyana Revenue Authority evidencing the payment of the contractor's income tax under the Income Tax Act and corporation tax under the Corporation Tax Act. Such certificates shall state the amount of tax paid individually on behalf of contractor or parties comprising the contractor and other particulars customary for such certificates.”

Block 53 from Moeve President announces second ferry for Essequibo by September

m upstream operations across Latin America, following the sale of its assets in Colombia and Peru. Since 2022, Moeve has divested 70% of its oil and gas portfolio, in line with its “Positive Motion” strategy aimed at shifting over 50% of operating profit to sustainable businesses by 2030.

Block 53, operated by Houston-based APA Corporation (45% stake), also includes Petronas (30%) as a partner The acquisition will allow TotalEnergies to expand its presence in Suriname, whereoilandgasproduction has yet to begin but where significant exploration success mirrors the early stages of neighbouring Guyana'senergyboom. Moeve'sexitfromBlock

These include green hydrogen, advanced biofuels, and other lowcarbon technologies In recentyears,Moevehasalso exited Abu Dhabi and its retailLPGbusinessinSpain and P

ug

, w

th transactions valued at €1.5 billion and €275 million,

y The acquisitionbyTotalEnergies reinforces its strategic footprint in Suriname and supports its long-term upstream ambitions in the region.(OILPRICE.COM)

Asecond ferry will begin servicing theParikatoSupenaamEssequiboroute by September, President Dr Mohamed IrfaanAliannouncedonSaturday

President Ali made the announcement while addressing a gathering at the People's Progressive Party/Civic(PPP/C)concertattheAnna Regina car park, the Department of Public Information reported The contract for the new ferry has already beensigned,hesaid. “My friends, the years ahead are filled with opportunities for Essequibo,” the president stated “When the PPP guarantees you, you know it will be done.”

The additional ferry service will play a crucial role in connecting communities,businessesandindustries inRegionTwotothoseinRegionThree and beyond.Another ferry service will also improve transportation, reduce congestion, and support regional trade and food distribution. To further advancetheregion'sagriculturalsector, the president also revealed that the design for two state-of-the-art rice

storagefacilitieshasbeencompleted.

The government intends to develop aricestabilisationmechanismthatwill guarantee farmers more success in the industry in its next term. President Ali said that farmers have a great future ahead,asthegovernmentwillestablish a co-investment development fund to enable them, small business owners, and those in the manufacturing industries to easily access financing, thereby creating wealth transfer at the community, regional, and individual levels.

Region Two has an extraordinary future with several major projects underway,includingtheconstructionof amodernLimaRegionalHospitalanda nursing school. He reaffirmed that the People's Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) is the only political party that represents national unity, love, development, and the well-being of all Guyanese. While it has not officially launched its campaign, the president believestheturnoutandsupportthusfar reflect the public's support for a bright future for Guyana under the PPP/C

leadership.

“IfyoucareaboutGuyanaandyou care about your future, then there is only one choice… the People's Progressive Party Civic, ” the president declared. Meanwhile, President Ali warned against political promises from the opposition, stating thatthePPP/Chasalreadydeliveredon pensions, salaries, and support for farmers,andwillcontinuetodosowith consistency, as proven in the last five years.

Thegovernmentplanstoaccelerate progress,promisingthatwhatliesahead will surpass what has already been delivered. “We are ready to push the gears into overdrive as we confront the next five years. And if you think you are seeing development, you have not seen anything yet. Wait until the next five years, and you will see what Guyana will become,” the head of state declared. He also addressed concerns about Venezuela's territorial claims, stating that the PPP/C will continue to diligently defend Guyana's borders.

EMGL President, Alistair Routledge

President of CNOOC Petroleum Guyana Limited, Lian Jihong

CEO of Hess Corporation, John Hess

The PPP is instigating election hostility

There’s a story, now well-etched

in Guyana’s political folklore. It’s the s t o r y o f W h i m village specifically, the northern side of Whim, which for years, under the PNC, remained cloaked in darkness, not due to any technical limitation, but because of the personal vindictiveness of thenPresidentForbesBurnham.

Electricity, a basic amenity, flowed freely to neighboring villages and even to the southern side of Whim where the police

station, court, and government quarters were

s i t u a t e d B u t t h e predominantly IndoGuyanese residents of the northern side were denied thatsimplenecessity

One day, the PNC plannedacampaignmeeting in Whim deep in PPP territory and Burnham himself was slated to speak. ThePPP,inastunningactof political theatre, tied two donkeys and a horse at the site of the meeting. As the story goes, a heckler demanded to know when Whim would finally receive

electricity Burnham,known forhissharptongue,replied, “Why donkey and horse want electricity?” It was a cruel jab, one that reduced the residents to animals and mockedtheirdeprivation.

Fast forward to today, and it seems the PPP has learned more than a few tricks from the man they claim to despise. Last week, Team Mohamed ventured into another PPPstronghold as part of their outreach campaign. But instead of being met with democratic civility,theyweregreetedby a n e f f i g y o f a donkey—eerily echoing the Whim incident decades

earlier Later, they encountered open hostility from a mob of PPP supporterswhoattemptedto chase them out of the community This wasn’t an isolated incident Across several PPP-dominated areas, Team Mohamed has faced varying degrees of h a r a s s m e n t a n d intimidation.

Let’sbeblunt:thisisnot democracy This is not what free and fair elections look like.Andthisiscertainlynot the behavior of a party that

claims to be the standardbearer of democratic values in Guyana. What is deeply ironic if not outright hypocritical—is the PPP’s long-standing narrative that it is the victim of electoral intimidation They have, with no small measure of self-righteousness, claimed thattheircampaignsinPNC areas have been met with stones,jeers,andevenurine. And yes, those acts too deserve condemnation. But when the same PPP turns aroundandincitesorenables the same brand of hostility against its opponents, it forfeits the moral high ground. Worse, it fuels a cycle of retaliatory violence thatcanonlyendintragedy

The PPP’s efforts to monopolize political space and chase out those they deem unworthy of contesting elections is not just wrong—it’s dangerous. It portends a campaign season marred by tit-for-tat aggression, community flashpoints, and eventually, electoral violence. Political incitement in ethnically sensitivecommunitiesisnot a game. It is a match tossed into a barrel of dry

Violation of Democracy to deny...

Frompage05

overturned a lower court’s ruling that had required the plaintiff to join with others, establishingtheprecedentof ‘independence’. That will render at least one aspect of ROPA as unconstitutional, allowing anyone to seek office without having been coerced to run under the

bannerofaparty In USA, the constitution doesnotaddresstheconcept of elections – how one can seek office; political parties are not mentioned in the constitution The court allows citizens to run for officeasamemberofaparty as well as independent individuals to seek office.

gunpowder

This is not 1964. This is not 1997. Guyana has come too far economically, socially, and politically—to regress into a state of fear, division, and voter suppression The nation cannot afford another round of “chase dem out” politics, where communities become no-go zones for political opponents, and where differences in party affiliation are treated as declarationsofwar

WhatthePPPleadership needs to understand—and quickly—is that democracy dies not with a bullet, but with a sneer, a shove, and a shouted order to get out. By failingtocalloffthedogsof intimidation, the PPP risks turning this campaign season into a tinderbox. A party that feels secure in its support does not resort to hecklersandhostility Itdoes

not need to weaponize its supporters against rival candidates. And it certainly doesnotneedtobehavelike Burnham, whose legacy of political pettiness they once sovehementlyopposed.

Make no mistake: if this conduct continues unchecked,itwillembolden extremists on all sides. The PPP will not be able to control the backlash when it begins its own campaign rallies in areas where it is weak. The very tactics they nowcondonemaybeturned against them, and the result will not be democratic debate,butcivicdisorder

Guyanesevotersdeserve better They deserve rallies, not riots. They deserve to heareveryvoice,notjustthe one that currently holds power They deserve to cast their ballots free from fear, not amid the howls of political mobs. The election

campaign must be peaceful, fair, and open to all. History islitteredwiththeremainsof democracies that allowed political intolerance to masquerade as strength. If thePPPcontinuesdownthis path, it may soon find itself the architect of the very political hostility it has long claimed to oppose. In the end, the question is not whetherdonkeysandhorses need light—but whether the PPP still believes that the people of Guyana deserve thelightofdemocracy

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

Guyana should allow independents to run for all offices Independents provide voters with nonpartisan choices, and the country needs them more now than ever before because of widening racial polarization.

Yoursfaithfully, VishnuBisram

DEM BOYS SEH

Christmas Backpay or July Jumpstart?

Publicservantsinarealpickledisyear

Demboyssehdegovernmentgoneandput dem in a sweet-and-sour situation like sour cherry with sugar pon top. Imagine youget8%increasefor2025,butnowyuh gotta decide: tek it in July or wait fuh de usualbackpayinDecember

Dis is wha de PPPC government good at year-end surprise, like Santa Claus in redandblack.Everyyear,demdoesdelay deraise,thencomeDecember,dembussa bigretroactiveandpublicservantssmiling alldewaytoCourtsfuhbuyflatscreenand blender Everybody happy Is de one time peopledoesfeellikedemgetbonus even though is dem own money dem getting back. But dis year different. Is election season.Degovernmentwantfuhlookgood early. So dem seh, “Tek de 8% now, nah wait fuh Christmas.” But dem boys seh if you tek it now, wha you gon get in

December?Dryriceandpeppersauce?

Public servants got to choose: get a lil boost now and spend it out by September, or wait and collect de big sweet backpay just in time fuh Christmas barrel. Some peopledoneplanfuhbuywashingmachine with dat backpay Others plan fuh pay off delilboxhandowesincelastyear Nowall demplansupinsmoke.

Demboyssehdisisrealtorture.Islike choosing between pepperpot in July or blackcakeinDecember Somepeopleseh, “Givemedemoneynow,medonebroke.” Othersseh,“No,lehwekeeptraditionalive backpay at Christmas sweet.” So is up to deworkersnow.Tekitorwait?

Demboyssehonethingsure ifyoutek it now, start saving. Because come December, Santa Jagdeo not bringing nutten. Talkhalf.Leffhalf.

H@RD TRUTHS

28 Vs 28

The PNC had its 28 years,thePPPhasits28. In thislittleessaytitled28v28, when put side-by-side, what did Guyana get, how has Guyanese of different generations fared? It's a limited comparison. But I try with some higher profile areasofhowtheyearsofthe two local political dinosaurs stackup.

ForbesBurnhamtookthe media under his wing, then clamped his elbows to his ribcage Media, what media? Where is it, who dares to be it? The Mirror managed a thin existence, offered a dissenting voice. Control the info flow, first

quantity, then quality, and mental cripples and dependents are spawned Burnham did his business; now check the record of the later day bigger Burnham. His name is Burnham the Bigger There is also Li'l Bee, or Burnham the Younger The latter works crudely, woefully, to outdo the original Burnham to be his better imitator in today's PPP Recall that Burnham emerged from the PPP originally So, from which good folks did he learn that the independent media is an existential threat, must be neutralized? WhatBurnham did by the spoonful, the

PPP's Bigger Burnham and Badder Burnham have done by the spadefuls. Guyana had two radio stations, a couple of newspapers, and no television, during the Burnhamera. InthePPPera of The Bigger Burnham, there are offline, online, and out-of-line news houses galore,gallonsofTV,andthe irony of freedom of speech on probation, malevolent attacks, and jail time menacing. BurnhamBplus. PPPA+.

Next, Burnham studied the Guyana Police Force, and said, 'nah bhai, dah nah gun wuk. Ah have tuh duh sumthin' bout dah.' He did.

Special Branch converted to a baseball bat to beat Guyanese back into the Stone Age, and groveling. Like North Korea's Kim Jong Un, he termed that democracy, the divine right of maximum leaders. The English aimed higher: the divine right of kings. He wasingoodcompany Look at what Americans are railingovertodayintheland ofthefree,homeofthebrave (and the depraved). No to kings, no to depots, no to tyrants. I make a special

Department(throughtheUS Embassy) -please deport some of those robust AmericanstoGuyana. Asit was with Burnham in the PNC's 28 years of police mismanagement-unsolved crimes, political enemies

massaged-so it has been in the 28 years of the PPP's creeping, now sweeping, command of the police apparatus From 'Free Arnold Rampersaud to Free MarkBenschop. FromPNC opponents ending up on the wrong side of bombs to many PPP opponents being assassinateddifferently

One area that Burnham didn't touch was narcotics. In contrast, the narcotic and money laundering trades flourishes in the PPP's 28 years. From 28 years of darkness to 28 years of ecstasy. For masterminds, theirPPPprotectors. CANU and SOCU, but the US still bails Guyana out of those stews. Burnhamhadhebaad ways; dem PPP bannas wusserer

Then Burnham targeted the commanding heights of the economy They all

swiftly crumbled. Commodity prices scapegoated. Today, theBiggerBurnhamhas the same scapegoat tied nearby Command the economy and command corruption (to one's advantage). LFS had his national development ministry, which has now mutated into the PPP's “national development priorities ” He built monuments that lasted, had flops that pauperized. The PPP build sandcastles that deliver migraines, spinal s e p a r a t i o n s , a n d miscarriages. Miscarriages with millions, now billions since oil. Every public agency is now a full-fisted, full-throated gangster enterprise.

Pre-oil, cash trickled; torrents flow post-oil discoveries Deh seh Burnham was a big teef. How much house he leff, how come he chirren ain't own an oil block, or real estate blocks? Whisper unexplained wealth, and almost every PPP name glitters in red. Now that is whatIcallteefin. Burnham had difficulty in the PNC's 28 to get loans. Say loans today, and fromAustralia to Zimbabwe jump up and holler,tryus,cometoJesus. The Chinese, Saudis, Qataris,andUAEsshrug,so Jesus is out. Moh teefin' de pore peeple monee. My Lord,myGod!

Further,Burnhammoved on religion, included imported ones that left immense blots on Guyana's names Nowadays, the Bigger Burnham's indulgence for religions is simple. Shut up. Put up.

Fix up. Seen and known, withfixingupandtalkingup the PPPin the once spiritual temples, tabernacles and turrets.

This is how Gautama, Brahma, the Messiah, and theprophetfromMeccafare inGuyana.

Regarding bashers, spoilers, naysayers, Burnham didn't like them, but controlled himself. He loved verbal sword-fencing, at which Cheddi Jagan was dogged, enduring Did Burnhamdegradehim? Yes, very sophisticatedly Abuse him in the vulgar, cowardly ways that his PPP counterparts of the last 28 years inflict on their perceived tormentors? No. His green-uniformed street thugs took care of such nuisances, with one allegedlyinthePPP

The PPP has its cybermasked psychos to do its dirty work. In Burnham's years, the fear was physical; whatthePPPbeganslowlyis now a waterfall Both physical and psychological fears haunt fainthearted Guyanese. Write a line, prepare to lose job, rights, evenhead.

Summation of PNC 28 versus PPP 28. Burnham was baad, real baad. The Burnhams in the PPP28 are bigger, badder, wusser in everyarea. Takeitfromme.

(Theviewsexpressedin this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the o p i n i o n s o f t h i s newspaper.)

Mohamed, ANUG sign coalition pact

Inamajormoveaheadof theSeptember1generaland regional elections the fledgling-ANewandUnited Guyana (ANUG) has officially joined forces with We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) under the WIN banner, to contest the 2025 General and Regional Elections.

Asigning ceremony was held on June 28, 2025, at WIN's Head Office, where Mr Azruddin Mohamed, PoliticalLeaderofWIN,and Dr Mark France, Political LeaderofANUG,signedthe

agreementonbehalfoftheir respective parties, ANUG said in a Sunday morning statement.

“This historic step reinforces the growing strength and momentum of the WIN campaign. With ANUG's addition under the WIN banner, the movement gains valuable electoral experience and national reach, making ANUG the first political party to officially join the WIN platform,” the statement noted.

Both parties reaffirmed theircommitmenttoaclean, fair, and respectful campaign,and“together,we callonthepeopleofGuyana to be part of this new political direction. We are confidentthatthisagreement will enhance our collective capacity to deliver meaningful change and marks the beginning of a broader national movement to unify and uplift Guyana. We invite all Guyanese to join us on this exciting journey toward a stronger, more inclusive future,” the

…as founders of ANUG resign from party

statementended. Meanwhile, shortly after thenewsbrokeoftheparties coalescing, founders of ANUG: Ralph Ramkarran andTimothyJonaspostedon their facebook pages that they had resigned from the party.“GoodMorningMark.

AsyouknowIhavenotbeen active in ANUG for about five years now and I have paid no membership dues. I am therefore unclear of my status.IntheeventthatIstill remain on the books as a member, I hereby formally tender my resignation,” Ramkarran wrote. For his part,Jonassaid:”Thisserves to inform that today I resigned as a member of A NewandUnitedGuyana.”

It is believed that the resignations of both men come amid fears of any backlash from the United States given that the Mohameds have been sanctioned by that country forgoldsmuggling.

BackinJunelastyearUS Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) had announced sanctions on

Guyanese billionaire Nazar Mohamed,hissonAzruddin Mohamed and government official Mae Thomas. The OFAC made allegations against the Mohameds for a series of corruption –includinggoldsmuggling.It is alleged that Thomas, the Permanent Secretarey (PS) for the Ministry of Labour, misusedherpositiontooffer benefits, like government contractstotheMohameds.

Meanwhile, on the issue of WIN coalescing with ANUG many expressed surpriseasMohamedinMay this year had made it clear thathewillnotbeteamingup with any of the Opposition parties ahead of the September1,2025elections, saying then that he was confidentinhisabilitytowin onhisown.

Although he is yet to announcethenamesofsome of his candidates, the businessman had revealed that he was in discussion with members of all three major political parties – the ruling People's Progressive Party (PPP), the A

Partnership for National Unity and the Alliance For Change(AFC).Accordingto him, “We have a lot of candidates now from the PPP, APNU and AFC. All parties want to come on board.Verysoonwewillput outallthisinthepublic.”

Whenaskedifheintends to coalesce with any of the oppositionparties,theyoung Mohamed responded in the negative. He made it clear,

“Wehavethestrengthtowin theelectionsonourown.We didasampleofabout80,000 persons throughout this country,wesampledandwe got 65% of the votes and that's why they (the government) are behaving like this sheer political persecution.” Post elections, he said he is willing to partner with any of the political parties in the best interest of the country

“When it comes to making right decisions for the benefit of the country, when it comes down that road, we willdecidebutrightnow,we will not coalesce going into the elections,” Azruddin Mohamed explained Similarly, he said he is willing to partner with the PPP, APNU or AFC in the National Assembly on decisions to benefit the country

Leaders and members of ANUG and WIN during the signing ceremony on Saturday

Leaders of WIN and ANUG, Azruddin Mohamed and Dr. Mark France respectively sign the coalition pact

86 killed by Israeli attacks on Sunday as Trump pushes for ceasefire

Local health authorities said Israeli strikes killed 81 people in the past 24 hours. (Credit: AP)

(BBC) At least 86 people were killedastheresultofIsraeliattacks in the 24 hours before midday on Sunday, the Hamas-run health ministrysaid.

Three children were among those killed in a strike on the socalled "safe zone" of al-Mawasi, theirparentssaid.

Trump on Sunday reiterated callsto"makethedealinGaza"and "getthehostagesback."

Israel has ordered Palestinians to evacuate from parts of northern Gaza ahead of increased military action, as US President Donald Trumppushesforaceasefiredeal.

People in neighbourhoods across Gaza City and Jabalia have beentoldtomovesouthtowardsthe coastalareaofal-MawasiasIsraeli military operations "intensify and expandwestward."

OnSaturday,Trumphadsaidon Truth Social that Israel's Prime MinisterBenjaminNetanyahuwas

Palestinians gather around a crater caused by an Israeli strike on a displacement tent camp in Gaza on Saturday. (Credit: AP)

Residents evacuate from areas of Gaza City on Sunday

intheprocessofnegotiatingadeal withHamas"rightnow".

Meanwhile, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesman Avichay Adraee said on Sunday that the Israeli military was operating in north Gaza "to eliminate terrorists andterroristinfrastructure".

Medics and residents told R e u t e r s t h a t m i l i t a r y bombardmentsincreasedinGazain

the early hours of Sunday, destroyingseveralhouses.

Gaza'sHamas-runcivildefence agency told news outlets that at least 23 people had been killed on Sundayalone.

Medics said five people were killedinanIsraeliairstrikeonatent housing displaced people in alMawasi near the southern city of KhanYounis-anareawherepeople

in the north had been told to evacuateto.

Five members of the Maarouf family, including three children, werekilled.”Theybombeduswhile we were sleeping on the ground," their mother Iman Abu Maarouf said."Wedidn'tdoanythingwrong. My children were killed, and the restareinintensivecare."

Their father Zeyad Abu Maarouf told Reuters that the family had arrived in the "safe zone" a month ago after Israel told themtogotoal-Mawasi.

The BBC has contacted the Israelimilitaryforcomment.

The increased military action comes as mediators begin new efforts to end the war and release the remaining hostages held by Hamas.

On Thursday, a senior Hamas official told the BBC mediators

have intensified their efforts to brokeranewceasefireandhostage release deal in Gaza, but that negotiations with Israel remain stalled.Qatari mediators have said theyhopeUSpressurecouldhelpto achieve a deal, following a truce between Israel and Iran that ended the 12-day conflict between the countries.

Earlier in the week, Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid said Trump should not "intervene in a legal process of an independent state".Israel launched its military campaign in Gaza in response to Hamas's 7 October 2023 attack, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.

Sincethen,56,500peoplehave been killed in Gaza, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry

Norton lays out plan to diversify GUYSUCO under APNU Govt.

Opposition leader, Aubrey Norton said Friday that a new A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) government will see the revitalisation and refashioning of the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuco) into an entity that will house a number of viable and practical financial arms, including sugarcaneproduction.

Addressing the media at his party's weekly press conference, Norton said the ailing industry could be involved in alternative economicactivities.

“To that end, we will diversify its portfolio by using its assets (suchasitslandandworkforce)for new business ventures, including a

e, food crops, manufacturing, and housing development. For us, therefore, GUYSUCO need not remain exclusively an agriculture-based entity Withinvestmentsintraining and equipment, for instance,

Spokesperson of the PNC on Oil and Gas Elson Low

GUYSUCOcanbecomeoneofthe largest builders of homes and communitiesinGuyana,”hesaid.

The presidential hopeful said there is much potential that in the sugarcaneplantitselfwhereitcan be utilised to produce raw and processedsugaraswellasethanol, bagasse board, livestock feed and thecogenerationofelectricity. He said these are opportunities that

will attract more workers as compensation, job opportunities, and working conditions improve. We believe that GUYSUCO can become a net contributor to national revenues rather than a drainonthenation'sresources,”he added.

Leader of the Opposition, Aubrey Norton

undertaken by both private investorsandthestate.

“Several of the strategies we outlined above for the agri-sector and food security will also help a new GUYSUCO, such as prioritising the building of a fertiliserplantandclosingthetime gap between research results and commercial applications. With these reforms, a new GUYSUCO

Furtherprobingfromthemedia to add 'meat' to his statement, he told reporters that his government will make the corporation super viable but not just with sugar, as there are alternative areas that couldbeexplored.

“We mentioned aquaculture, whichisanotherpossibility,andwe also said that it doesn't have to restrict itself to sugar Apart from its diversification in agriculture, you can train the existing workforce in construction, etcetera, and not only guys who, but there are other industries that canbecomeinvolvedinlargescale production of housing,” he explained.

He said further that the government housing policy has failed since it really is only a land distribution policy with no mechanism in place for citizens to actually build and own a home. With the current demand for housing, he is proposing that elements of GuySuco be transformed so that it could be involved in other services that are lucrative, beneficial to the citizens ofGuyana.

“We would also, of course, remindGuyanesethatifyoulookat the coalition's performance from 2015onward,yousawmuchbetter performance in GuySuco. You've actuallyseenadeclineinGuySuco in some years, something like 60 percentlesssugarbeingproduced, and we've seen, actually, the government shoot its targets by as much as 60 per cent so that just, I think, first of all, gives you a baseline in terms of the level of performance at minimum you wouldanticipate,”hesaid.

People's National Congress Reform spokesperson on oil and gas, Elson Low added that somethingthePeople'sProgressive Party Civic government missed is the question of generating free fertilisertoallowtheusethenatural gas,convertingitintofertiliser

“Ithink,reallydroppedtheball onthisparticularissue,because,of course,thepipelinetoprovidethat naturalgashasbeenfinishedsince theendof2024andyetthey'veput inplacenosystemstomakeuseof that, even as the gas energy plant eventually comes on stream. So, what has happened is that agriculture has been stifled by that lack of preparation and foresight,” hesaid.

Lowreasonedthatitisnotonly GuySucothatwillbenefitfromthe fertiliser,butthewideragricultural sector, as it could reduce food pricesby20to30percent. He said if GuySuco is going to

be diversified and have access to low-costfertiliser,thenitwouldbe a boost in terms of productivity. Thismeansthatwhileproductivity improves, workers could be paid moretohaveabetterqualityoflife.

“We're focused not just on keeping GuySuco workers in the existing systems for political reasons, but rather on looking at ways to improve their lives, to move them forward, just the same as we're looking to improve the livesofallGuyanese,”headded.

OnJune17,PresidentIrfaanAli announced government's plans to diversify the GuySuCo beyond sugar and its by-products by producingrice,corn,andcassava.

“We have to think strategically of how we will expand the role of GuySuCo. And perhaps it is time forustoreimagineGuySuco'srole altogether Why must its mandate stop only at sugar? GuySuCo can and must become a hub of rural economic development,” the presidentsaid.

Despite the government pumpingbillionsofdollarsintothe sugarcorporation,thecompanyhas failedtomeettargetsand,moreso, becomeprofitable.

President Ali said that GuySuCo'sland,infrastructureand knowledge base could support the productionofothercropsaswellas livestock operations, agroprocessing hubs, farmer trading and extension services, fabrication andengineeringservices.

“The global machinery industry historically recruited machinists and fabricators from GuySuCo.Wehavetoleveragethis human capital and human potential. And in embracing this futurethatIspeakof,therewillbe some exciting opportunities. Crop diversification

diversification,” the president announced.

PresidentAli said that the plan to diversify GuySuCo will benefit sugarworkers.“Wedon'tonlywant the sugar workers to rely on their income from sugar We want to convert acreage of land into highyielding production, high-value production, but production that is ownedbytheworkers,”hesaid.

PresidentAlialsorevealedthat the government plans to co-invest with workers to establish new economic activities and that more than 20 business proposals have already been submitted for manufacturing and other ventures inEnmore.

“That is why we have to put in this infrastructure so rapidly,” he added, highlighting the urgency of thesedevelopments.

Looking ahead, the president also announced that an additional 3,000 hectares of land will be c o n v e r t e d t o s u p p o r t mechanisation in 2025. This is in addition to the more than 5,000 hectaresalreadyconverted.

CountriesoftheAmericasapproveOASresolutiontoaddressmentalhealthcrisisintheregion

Saint John, Antigua and Barbuda,27June2025(PAHO)—

At the 55th General Assembly of the Organization of American States(OAS)lastweekcountriesof the Americas adopted a resolution that places mental health at the center of the hemispheric agenda and supports the Pan American Health Organization(PAHO) in its work to improve access to mental health services The resolution, which promotes the improvement of mental health services and suicide prevention across all ages, urges Member States to enhance public and private investment through a patient-centered, rightsand equity-based approach that emphasizes community-based

care,prevention,andrecovery

As part of the new resolution, and in coordination with PAHO, OAS Member States will establish

collaboration, scale-up access, and promote the implementation of community-based mental health initiatives in the Americas. The resolution also calls for the formation of an Inter-American working group to develop a regional action plan aligned with PAHO strategies, as well as the potential creation of a regional mental health fund to bolster priority mental health initiatives, amongotherpriorityactions.

“To move toward a more

prosperous region where everyone can achieve the highest possible levelofhealth,wecannotcontinue totreatmentalhealthasanisolated health issue. Instead, we must recognizethefundamentalrolethat

n strengthening human capital, economicsustainability,andsocial well-being and growth", said Dr JarbasBarbosa,PAHODirector

During the General Assembly, PAHO and the Government of Antigua and Barbuda also organizedasideevent:“Unitingthe AmericasforMentalHealth:From Commitment to Action" which convened Ministers of Foreign Affairs from countries of the Americatoshare,forthefirsttime,

progress and challenges in addressing mental health and to reinforce the priorities and opportunities for regional collaborationandaction.

The event brought together high-level authorities, including the Prime Minister ofAntigua and Barbuda, Gaston Browne; the President of Chile, Gabriel Boric, theOASSecretaryGeneral,Albert R Ramdin, and the Assistant SecretaryGeneral,NestorMendez, who was part of the PAHO HighLevel Commission on Mental HealthandCOVID-19.

In2023,theCommissionissued a report outlining a package of priority mental health policy and strategy actions to be incorporated

into countries' post-pandemic recovery strategies.These include: elevating mental health at the national and supranational levels; integrating mental health into all policies; and increasing quality financing for mental health among others.

Over 160 million people in the Americas live with a mental disorder, many without access to quality health care. Suicide rates remain alarming, with over 100,000 lives lost each year Globally, poor mental health is projectedtocostUSD16trillionby 2030 in lost productivity, further straining national economies and hindering progress towards developmentgoals.

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Guyana to expand global tourism footprint with

medical, sport, eco-tourism – President

Guyana will no longer be the “best kept secret” of South America, according to President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali.

Speaking at the commissioning of the King’s Hotel and Residences in Georgetown on Friday, President Ali said the nation is now poised to emerge as a dynamic new frontier for global tourism. He stated that Guyana is actively targeting niche and high-value segments, such as medical tourism, wellness and spa retreats, agro-tourism, sports, and entertainment.

“We are now talking to some of the top-notch medical tourism facilities to estab-

lish their footprint here,” the president disclosed, adding that local investors are also being encouraged to help shape this future.

“We must be known as a destination for wellness and spa tourism, and we will have to bring people in because we want to create, in the rainforest of Linden, the best wellness experience,” he said. From luxury eco-lodges in Pakuri to marina developments along the Demerara River and a port at Parika, Guyana is positioning itself as a tourism destination deeply connected to its natural landscape. But, the president said, the government is thinking even bigger.

Plans are underway to construct a world-class indoor stadium with a 15,000 capacity, designed to host boxing matches, concerts, and even Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) championships.

“The facility we want to build must be able to host the NBA playoffs,” he said, stating that a proposal was made to regional leaders to form a Caribbean NBA team, taking advantage of the region’s close proximity to the United States. “These are the things we are thinking about, because we are in a season [of bold ideas],” President Ali said.

With these plans in motion, the head of state

stressed that his administration is not offering ‘vague promises,’ but executing a clear and cohesive agenda to drive demand, attract investment, and reshape the economy. The vision includes welcoming three million people through Guyana’s ports in the future, supported by world-class infrastructure, professional services, and a public-private ecosystem ready to deliver. As new hotels like the King’s Hotel rise and the skyline transforms, President Ali made it clear that this is just the beginning of Guyana’s global ascent.

“We are not stopping. The journey has just begun,” the president declared. (DPI)

Govt. promises to plug $4B to upgrade Parika to int’l port facility

An international port facility will be constructed at Parika in Region Three, allowing Guyanese businesses to ship their goods to countries in the Caribbean region and beyond. The new port will help to modernise the country’s export process and significantly boost regional trade.

With an initial investment of approximately $4 billion (US$20 million), the port will feature state-of-the-art cold storage, packaging and agroprocessing facilities, which will extend the shelf life of produce.

President Dr. Mohamed

Irfaan Ali made the announcement last Thursday during a community meeting with residents at Hubu on the East Bank of Essequibo. He explained that plans for a dedicated ferry service to transport goods across the region are already in motion.

“But to prepare for those markets too, we have to ensure that we are building the infrastructure. We have to ensure that we’re investing in drainage and irrigation so that we will have the best lands available,” President Ali said. “We have to invest in your productivity and your yield. We have to invest in helping

you reduce your transportation costs.”

To improve docking for regional ferries, expand parking facilities, and streamline speedboat operations along the Essequibo and Demerara routes, the government has invested $46.6 million to upgrade the Parika Stelling.

In April, President Ali said critical investments will be made to support this key infrastructure, which will include customs and immigration offices, a modern fire service, a coast guard outfit and police services. The port will also be able to accommodate cruise liners and give tourists

access to the Essequibo’s rich untapped beauty and biodiversity. A marina will also be factored into the port to facilitate sailing up the Essequibo River. This mega project complements other developments such as the transformative Gas-to-Energy project, Vreed-en-Hoop Shorebase, housing, road, drainage and irrigation infrastructure designed to bring immense opportunities for all Guyanese. The president pointed out that the region will benefit from a slew of remarkable investments in various sectors in the coming years. (DPI)

Miner stabbed to death at Baramani backdam

Two men are in police custody for the murder of a miner on Saturday at Baramani Backdam, Cuyuni River, Region Seven.

The victim has been identified only as “Riley” and according to police, he was reportedly stabbed to death between 00:30 and 02:00hrs near a mining camp.

Police said another miner found his body. The two men in

custody have since admitted to police that they were involved in his killing.

“The suspects led investigators to the crime scene, where significant evidence, including suspected murder weapons (knives) and the victim’s blood-stained clothing were recovered” police said.

No more primary tops by 2026 – Education Minister says...

From page 06 resources, the same teachers. The shift now is to ensure that quality matches access.”

Meanwhile, this year, children from the hinterland regions have excelled in their NGSA, earning top schools in

the country.

During the question-andanswer segment, when asked whether data exists comparing performance between coastal and hinterland schools, the minister confirmed that such analysis is being compiled and will be shared in future reports. “We do look at that,” she said. “Dr. Manning at CXC does standard analyses, but we will certainly add this for future evaluations.” As the government continues to close the educational gap between urban and rural regions, Manickchand stated, “We’re not just fixing a system, we’re building a new one where every child, everywhere in Guyana, has a real chance at a high-quality education.”

Wanted

Maid. Call:

1282.

As someone

deeply engaged in Guyana’s education sector, I find myself both hopeful and cautious about the growing role of artificial intelligence (AI)inclassrooms.

The promise is real, AI can level the playing field, offering personalized learning even to students in remote villages At STEMGuyana, we’ve seen this firsthand through our AI-Integrated Pathway OnlineAcademy

It has provided powerful insightsandvaluablelessons that have motivated us to continue strengthening our educationalmodel.

Our geography has a l w a y s p r e s e n t e d challenges, long travel distances, limited access to qualified teachers, and

Advancing Education, Technology & Innovation

The Human-AI Partnership; A Guyanese Education Perspective

inconsistent infrastructure AI presents a solution. A childinRegion9couldnow receive math support as effective as a peer in Georgetown.

We’ve deployed AI tutors and adaptive learning tools that give real-time feedback,freeingteachersto focus on deeper, more humanaspectsoflearning.

Thisisn’tjusttheory;it’s happening at STEMGuyana where learners are engaging in data-driven, contextawarelessonsw ith measurable impact.

The Ministry of Education has rightly emphasized digital transformation and ICTintegrationinitspolicies (MOE ICT Policy and Master Plan, 2021) Our national strategy is aligned w i t h S u s t a i n a b l e Development Goal 4, which

pushes for quality education forall,andAIisbecominga necessary part of achieving that goal (Education Sector Plan2021–2025).

However,ourexperience has also shown us the limits ofoff-the-shelfAItools.

Too often, students are confronted with unfamiliar

y, or expressions that dismiss our localdialects.

One of our own challenges at STEMGuyana was finding ways to adapt AI-generated content to reflect Caribbean life, values,andidentity

When an AI assistant flags our vernacular as incorrect or omits regional writerslikeWilsonHarrisor Jan Carew from literature recommendations, we see a

risk, our students might become tech-savvy but culturally detached. That’s why we’re investing in creating culturally responsive content that affirms identity while b u i l d i n g g l o b a l competencies.

Education in Guyana is inherentlypersonal.

The teacher who believes in a student’s potential, the classroom discussion that stirs critical thought, these are irreplaceable. No algorithm can replicate empathy, intuition,orinspiration.

T h e M i n i s t r y ’s Education Sector Plan stresses the importance of holistic development, beyond just academic outcomes (ESP 2021–2025, p 5) Our work at STEMGuyana supports this

too, even while we scale learningthroughtechnology, we continue to train facilitators who guide, mentor,andinspire.

Our AI-Integrated

Pathway Academy didn’t emerge without growing pains.

Frominternetchallenges to content localization, we’ve learned to ask hard questions; Is this tool appropriateforourlearners? Doesitenhance,notreplace, the role of the teacher? Are we reinforcin

confidence?

These lessons have pushed us to rethink our model.

We now design with intentionality, placing equal value on digital efficiency and cultural integrity. We believethisapproachshould guidenationaleffortstoo.

Clearly I do not fearAI ineducation,Ifearusingit uncritically

If we’re serious about preparing Guyanese students for a complex world, we need tools that are both cutting-edge and culturallyanchored.

We must lead with human wisdom, allowing AI to amplify, but not define, our educational goals

At STEMGuyana, we remain committed to building that hybrid future, one where AI serves our communities, reflects our values, and supportsourteachers.

Because when we shapeAI to fit our people, not the other way around, we unlock its true potential.

At least 13 University students dead, 8 missing and 6 survived after boat sank in Cap-Haitien

(HaitianTimes)Atleast 13 students from Anténor Firmin University (UNAF) areconfirmeddeadandeight remainmissingafterasmall, overloadedboatcapsizedoff the coast of Cadras Beach near Labadie on Saturday, June28,authoritiesandlocal sources told The Haitian Times.

Thegroupof27students, mostly from the computer sciencefaculty,hadtraveled to the beach to celebrate the endofthesemester Theoneengine vessel, which was carrying a generator and radio speaker, overturned as theywerereturningtoshore around 5:00 p m amid reportsofstrongwinds.

Rescue teams managed to save seven students from the water, though one later died from injuries. As of Sunday, search efforts continue for the eight students still unaccounted for “I drank Barbancourt withtheguysbeforetheyleft

campus,” said Upsendy Dorsainvil,afourth-yearlaw student at UNAF, who declined the trip due to safetyconcerns.

“Hourslater,Iheardthat they died This is frustrating They should’ve gone back in two trips. There were too many of them. Strength to their families.

This is a huge loss,” he said, speaking from a bar in Richardville, a hillside neighborhood of CapHaïtien.

Thevictims’nameshave not yet been released, and UNAF has not issued an official statement University officials and the Cap-Haïtien town hall have yet to be available for interviews.

According to multiple sources familiar with the incident, the boat was likely overwhelmedbybothrough conditions and excessive weight, contributing to the deadly outcome Small

watercraft and jet ski operators in the area rushed toassistoncetheboatbegan sinking.

The survivors were transported to Hôpital Universitaire Justinien in Cap-Haïtien for emergency care.

Beyond grief, the tragedy has sparked a wider reckoning about maritime safetyinthenortherncoastal city, where boats are frequently used for both personal and professional travel, often without standardized regulations or enforcement.

“This gives me a lot of problems,” said Woodjery André, a fourth-year administration student at UNAF who works security atahomeinCadras.

“You can be alive today and die tomorrow without evenbeingsickoranything. Imagine knowing someone andwithoutthemevenbeing sick, today they’re here and tomorrowthey’regone.”

Small motor boats at a shore in Labadie, a northern commune known for its exquisite beaches, in August 2024. (Photo by Stevenson Pierre Joseph for The Haitian Times.)

US strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites

set up hunt for missing uranium

(Reuters) The U.S. and Israeli bombing of Iranian nuclear sites creates a conundrum for U N inspectors in Iran: how can you tell if enriched uranium stocks, some of them near weapons grade, were buried beneath the rubble or secretlyhiddenaway?

F o l l o w i n g l a s t weekend’s attacks on three ofIran’stopnuclearsites-at Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan - President Donald Trump said the facilities had been “obliterated” by U S munitions, including bunker-bustingbombs.

But the U N nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, which monitors Tehran’s nuclearprogram,hassaidit’s unclearexactlywhatdamage was sustained at Fordow, a plant buried deep inside a mountain that produced the bulk of Iran’s most highly enricheduranium.

IAEA chief Rafael Grossi said on Monday it was highly likely the sensitive centrifuges used to enrich uranium inside

Fordow were badly damaged. It’s far less clear whether Iran’s 9 tonnes of enriched uranium - more

than400kgofitenrichedto close to weapons gradeweredestroyed.

Western governments are scrambling to determine what’sbecomeofit.

Reuters spoke to more than a dozen current and former officials involved in efforts to contain Iran’s nuclear program who said the bombing may have provided the perfect cover for Iran to make its uranium stockpilesdisappearandany IAEA investigation would likely be lengthy and arduous.

O l l i H e i n o n e n , previously the IAEA’s top inspectorfrom2005to2010, saidthesearchwillprobably involve complicated recovery of materials from damagedbuildingsaswellas forensics and environmental sampling, which take a long time.

“There

e inaccessible, distributed under the rubble or lost during the bombing,” said Heinonen, who dealt extensively with Iran while at the IAEAand now works at the Stimson Center thinktankinWashington. Iran’s more than 400 kg

A satellite view shows an overview of Fordow underground complex, after the U.S. struck the underground nuclear facility, near Qom, Iran June 22, 2025. MAXAR TECHNOLOGIES/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights.

ofuraniumenrichedtoupto 60% purity - a short step from the roughly 90% of weaponsgrade-areenough, if enriched further, for nine nuclear weapons, according toanIAEAyardstick.

Even a fraction of that left unaccounted for would be a grave concern for Western powers that believe Iran is at least keeping the option of nuclear weapons open

Elderly man killed in accident on Linden Highway

Police are investigating the death of Calton Jacobs, called‘Country’,a67-yearoldGuyaneseLabourerwho livedatObamaDrive,South

Amelia’s Ward in MackenzieLinden.

The incident occurred between 16:10 hrs on 28th and 06:40 hrs on 29th of June, 2025 at said address, policesaidinarelease.

According to police enquiries disclosed that Jacobs lived alone in an unfinished two-storey woodenandconcretehouse, inapartlyfencedyard.Itis alleged that Jacobs was sufferingfromAsthma.

According to Collin Ceres, a 40-year-old Contractor from South

Amelia’s Ward, the deceased (Jacobs) was his friendandhe(Ceres)would visithimregularly

Ceresstatedthaton28th June 2025, at about 16:00 hrs, he visited Jacobs at his home and gave him a small Coca-Cola and a Smalta to drink. Ceres said he spent about 10 minutes with Jacobs,thenwentaway Ceres further stated that he observed Jacobs looking unwell, and he saw that the areaaroundhislefteyewas bruised and swollen, and there were also bruises on hisforehead.

Ceres said he offered to take Jacobs to the hospital, butherefused. Ceresfurthermentioned

that at about 06:40 hrs this morning (29th June 2025), hereturnedtoJacobs’home where he saw him lying motionless in front of his house and, as a result, he informedthepolice.

The police visited the scene and, on arrival, the body of the deceased man was seen lying motionless onhisbackontheground. It was about five feet away from the front of his house with the doors open. Thebodywasexaminedand abrasions (bruises) were seen on his left eye which appearedtobeswollen.Old abrasionswerealsoseenon his forehead, left hand and leftabdomen.

The scene and body

were video recorded, photographed and processed by the crime sceneranks. No blood stains were seen in or around the house andyard.

While conducting searches at the scene, 269 grams of Cannabis was foundinJacobs’storeroom. Thebodywasremovedand escorted by D/Cpl Peters to the Linden Hospital Complex,whereitwasseen and examined by a doctor on duty who pronounced it dead.

The body was escorted toPensionerFuneralHome, where it is awaiting a PME.Investigations are in progress.

There are indications that Iranmayhavemovedsome of its enriched uranium beforeitcouldbestruck.

IAEA chief Grossi said Iran informed him on June 13, the day of Israel’s first attacks, that it was taking measures to protect its nuclear equipment and materials

While it did not elaborate, he said that suggestsitwasmoved

Elderly man killed in accident at Long Creek

Po l i c e a r e

investigating a fatal incident which occurred on Sunday afternoon at Long Creek, Soesdyke-LindenHighway

Dead is Winston Hibbert, a 78-year-old motorcyclist.

In a press release police said the incident involved a motorcycle (# CG 8545), black and red incolour,ownedbyAlwin Hibbert and driven at the time by Winston Hibbert (now-deceased), both from Lot 181 Long Creek Village, Soesdyke-Linden Highway

Enquiries disclosed that the motorcycle was proceeding north along the western driving lane of the highway at a fast r a t e w h e n t h e motorcyclist lost control a

concrete kerb on the western side of the road As a result of the impact, H

motorcycle and sustsined injuriestohisheadandbody

A

from persons in the area, the motorcyclist was at a funeral in the community, consuming alcohol and was heading home at the timeoftheincident

He was not wearing a safetyhelmet

He was picked up in a

n

c i o u s condition, placed into a passing motor vehicle and taken to the Linden HospitalComplex

There he was seen and examined by a doctor on duty and later succumbed to his injuries while rece

treatment

The body was then escortedbythePolicetothe Linden Hospital Complex Mortuary for cold storage, awaiting a Post-Mortem Examination.

PowellsignswithDubaiCapitalsforGlobalSuperLeague

West Indies

allrounder

R o v m a n

Powell is set to bring his explosive talents to the ExxonMobil Guyana Global Super League (GSL), having been signed by reigning ILT20 champions Dubai Capitals ahead of the tournament’s launchinGuyanafromJuly 10to18.

The former West Indies

T20captainandILT20Final MVP, is expected to be the centerpiece of the Capitals’ high-octane batting lineup. Known for his powerhitting and match-winning presence at the crease, Powell’s addition underscores the franchise’s ambition to extend its dominancefromtheUAEto theCaribbean.

The Dubai Capitals, who lit up the International

LeagueT20 with their titlewinning run, have assembledadynamicsquad featuring a potent mix of international stars and Caribbeanfirepowerforthe Guyana-based tournament. Backing Powell will be Barbados-born big-hitter Kadeem Alleyne and leftarm pacer Dominic Drakes, whosespeedandexperience will spearhead the bowling attack.

The squad also includes internationaltalents such as Pakistani pacer Farhan Khan, Canadian left-armer Kaleem Sana-Ur-Rahman, andUAE’sZeeshanNaseer Sri Lankan wicketkeeperbatter Niroshan Dickwella, Afghanistan’s Sediqullah Atal, and South African spinner Keshav Maharaj addfurtherdepthandglobal flairtothelineup.

Dubai’s campaign will

Monday June 30, 2025

ARIES(Mar.21–Apr.19)

You'll find that things are slipping nicely into place for you today, Aries Your persuasivemannerandgentle nudges are just enough to get peoplewhereyouwantthem.

TAURUS(Apr.20–May20)

When faced with ten entrees onthemenu,itmightbehard for you to choose just one. Feelfreetoordertwoormore, Ta u r u s D o n ' t l e t indecisiveness slow you down.Atthesametime.

GEMINI(May21–June20)

Your dreams won't come true unless you believe in and act onthem,Gemini.Nooneelse is going to do it for you. Unless you have a fairy godmother, you need to take mattersintoyourownhands.

CANCER(June21–July22)

If people hassle you or give you a hard time about your appearance today, pay them nomind,Cancer Youhavethe righttoliveyourlifeanyway youwantto.

LEO(July23–Aug.22)

Reachforthepotofgoldatthe end of the rainbow, Leo. It's closerthanyouthink.Indeed, your dreams are completely within your reach, and there are huge forces at work helping you achieve your goals.

VIRGO(Aug.23–Sept.22)

Today is your day to dream and dream big, Virgo. Think aboutwhatitisthatyouwant most out of life. Aim your arrow to the stars and pull back your bow as far as possible. There's no limit to howfaryoucango.

LIBRA(Sept.23–Oct.22)

Expand your mind to its furthest reaches today, Libra.

opportunity opening up for you in which you can make great strides in a creative realm.Followthemusic.

SCORPIO(Oct.23–Nov 21)

Your mind may seem rather cloudy today, Scorpio, but don't let this hinder you. In fact, you'll find that you can use this feeling of fantasy to your advantage. Try to bring moremagicintoyourlife.

SAGIT(Nov 22–Dec.21)

Today is an excellent day for you,oneinwhichyou'llfinda great deal of strength in your emotions, Sagittarius Trust that your instincts are serving youwell.

CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19)

Things might get a bit confusing for you today, Capricorn. Don't feel like you needtomakesenseofitall.In fact, this task may be impossible. Just be yourself. Let your creative nature shine through.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20–Feb. 18)Mixyourrealitywithabit of fantasy today, Aquarius. Allowyourfeettocomeoffthe ground for a little while. Give yourselfarest.Takesometime to meditate and clear your mindofyourdailyworries.

PISCES(Feb.19–Mar.20)

Let yourself go into high creative mode and drift into a whole other world, Pisces. Escape your present reality and explore your fantasies through any sort of artistic endeavor Dreamasbigasyour mindallows.

begin with a blockbuster clash against Australia’s Hobart Hurricanes XI on Friday, July 11 at the GuyanaNationalStadiumin Providence,settingthetone for what is expected to be a high-energycompetition.

This year’s GSL brings togetherfiveelitefranchises from across the cricketing world: Hobart Hurricanes XI (Australia), Rangpur Riders (Bangladesh),

Zealand), the host

Guyana Amazon Warriors (WestIndies),andtheDubai Capitals. With

The Beharry Group proudly announces its sponsorship of the ExxonMobilGuyanaGlobal Super League (GSL), marking its inaugural partnershipwiththepremier internationalcricketevent.

Through its flagship brands, Champion and Indi, the company steps onto the global stage to support a tournament that celebrates sporting excellence and culturalunity

Suresh Beharry,

Executive Chairman and Beharry Group CEO, said: “The Beharry Group is proud to support the Global Super League as a first-time sponsor through our ChampionandIndibrands.

This partnership reflects

our commitment to celebrating excellence, uniting communities, and elevatingGuyana’spresence ontheglobalstage.Welook forward to an exciting tournament that brings together world-class cricket and unforgettable experiencesforfansathome andabroad.”

As part of this collaboration, The Beharry Group is also launching the L i t t l e C h a m p i o n s competition - a schoolfocused initiative in partnership with the Global SuperLeaguewhichwillsee childrenfromacrossGuyana invited to attend the GSLas TheBeharryGroup’sguests.

Theprogramisdesigned to engage youth across the country and foster a deep connectionwiththesportata formativeage.

MalissaSylvester,Group Chief Marketing Officer, The Beharry Group, said: “Through the Little Champions competition, the Beharry Group in partnership with Global Super League are giving schools across Guyana the opportunity to experience the excitement of worldclass cricket live at the GuyanaNationalStadium.

This initiative is about inspiring the future generation of cricketers, ignitingtheirpassionforthe game and showing them what’s possible through dedication,commitmentand teamwork.”

AsoneofGuyana’smost recognized conglomerates, TheBeharryGrouphaslong championed national pride a n d c o m m u n i t y development.

This new alliance with the GSL exemplifies the Group’senduringmissionto contribute meaningfully to initiatives that bring people together and put Guyana in theinternationalspotlight.

The Global Super League, a multi-national cricket event attracting elite talent and a worldwide audience,ispoisedtodeliver high-octane action and festive engagement across theCaribbeanandbeyond.

With The Beharry Group’s involvement, fans can expect dynamic brand experiences and impactful community outreach programs that reflect the spiritandflavourofGuyana.

Jamie Stewart, Global SuperLeagueDirector,said: “It’s a great pleasure to welcome one of Guyana’s

most pre-eminent business houses, Edward B. Beharry & Co, as a sponsor of this groundbreakingevent.

The Group has long connected Guyana to the world and the world to Guyana, via its fully diversified business activities, as well as being a producer of some of the nation’s most beloved brands.

Wearedelightedthattwo of those brands, Indi and Champion, will help schoolchildren from around the country attend their first international cricket match as part of their Little Championsinitiative.”

MalissaSylvester,Group Chief Marketing Officer, The Beharry Group, said: “Through the Little Champions competition, the Beharry Group in partnership with Global Super League are giving schools across Guyana the opportunity to experience the excitement of worldclass cricket live at the GuyanaNationalStadium.

This initiative is about inspiring the future generation of cricketers, ignitingtheirpassionforthe game and showing them what’s possible through dedication,commitmentand teamwork.”

AsoneofGuyana’smost recognized conglomerates, TheBeharryGrouphaslong championed national pride a n d c o m m u n i t y development.

This new alliance with the GSL exemplifies the

Group’senduringmissionto contribute meaningfully to initiatives that bring people together and put Guyana in theinternationalspotlight.

The Global Super League, a multi-national cricket event attracting elite talent and a worldwide audience,ispoisedtodeliver high-octane action and festive engagement across theCaribbeanandbeyond.

With The Beharry Group’s involvement, fans can expect dynamic brand experiences and impactful community outreach programs that reflect the spiritandflavourofGuyana.

Jamie Stewart, Global SuperLeagueDirector,said: “It’s a great pleasure to welcome one of Guyana’s most pre-eminent business houses, Edward B. Beharry & Co, as a sponsor of this groundbreakingevent.

The Group has long connected Guyana to the world and the world to Guyana, via its fully diversified business activities, as well as being a producer of some of the nation’s most beloved brands.

Wearedelightedthattwo of those brands, Indi and Champion, will help schoolchildren from around the country attend their first international cricket match as part of their Little Champions initiative ” Schoolchildrenfromaround the country attend their first international cricket match as part of their Little Championsinitiative.”

Suresh Beharry, Executive Chairman and Beharry Group CEO, celebrate the partnership with Global Super League Director, Jamie Stewart.

Mickey Arthur to oversee Rangpur’s

GSL title defence remotely

(ESPN Cricinfo)Mickey Arthur will next month oversee Rangpur Riders’GlobalSuperLeague title defence even though he won’t be present in Guyana, thevenueofthetournament. Arthurwillbe7500kmaway in Derbyshire, from where he will do the job remotely, accordingtoRangpur’steam directorShanianTaneem.

Arthur had a similar

arrangement with Pakistan where he oversaw strategies remotely during his stint as team director while he also fulfilled his responsibilities asheadcoachofDerbyshire in2023.

Rangpur will return as defending champions in the GSL’ssecondseason,which beginsonJuly10.Theother teams in the tournament are Dubai Capitals, Central

Stags, Guyana Amazon Warriors and Hobart Hurricanes.

Arthur was Rangpur’s head coach when they won the GSL’s inaugural edition last year Since he will be concurrently coaching Derbyshire in Division Two o f t h e C o u n t y Championship, he will not be physically present at the GSLthistimearound.

Hetmyer gets Orcas over the line again in MLC

Shimron Hetmyer did it for Seattle Orcas second game in a row (Sportzpics for MLC)

“As the English County Championship is ongoing and Mickey is coaching Derbyshire County Cricket Club,heisunavailableatthe moment,” Shanian said during a jersey unveiling ceremony in Dh

appointing Greg Smith as ourheadcoach.

He is someone Mickey fullytrusts.Mickeywillstay connected with the players and continue to offer his input. Greg will lead the team under Mickey’s guidance.

“MickeyArthur was our head coach during the previous Global Super League and the last edition of the Bangladesh Premier League We have strong confidence in his abilities. While forming our squad, we remained in constant touch with him and discussed which players would perform well on Guyana’spitches.”

Rangpur will be led by Nurul Hasan, who has been their captain since 2023. They have also retained SoumyaSarkar,SaifHassan,

Kamrul Islam Rabbi and Harmeet Singh from their 2024 squad. Their overseas contingent includes West Indies batter Kyle Mayers, South Africa wristspinner Tabraiz Shamsi, Pakistan allrounder Iftikhar Ahmed and Afghanistan opener IbrahimZadran.

They have not picked Shakib Al Hasan, however, even though the tournament is taking place in the West Indies.

Shakib,aformerAwami LeagueMP,hasnottraveled to Bangladesh since the fall of the Awami League government last year He nowresidesintheUSA.

“ShakibAl Hasan is still one of the most valuable players not only in Bangladesh but in any franchise league of the

world,” Shanian said. “It is notthatwedidnotwanthim in the squad, but we know thesituationofthecountryat thismoment.Shakibstillcan featureinthestartingeleven of any franchise team. But keepingthecurrentsituation inmind,wewerenotableto takehiminthesquad.”

Rangpur will start the tournament against the Guayana Amazon Warriors intheeveningmatchonJuly 10,theopeningday Rangpur Riders squad: Nurul Hasan, Soumya Sarkar, Mohammad Naim, Mahidul Islam, Kamrul Islam Rabbi, Mohammad Saif, Abu Hider, Rakilbul Hasan, Yasir Ali, Kyle Mayers, Tabraiz Shamsi, Ibrahim Zadran,Akif Javed, Iftikar Ahmed, Harmeet Singh,KhawajaNafay

(BBC Sport) - Shimron Hetmyer starred againasSeattleOrcaschased203tobeatLos Angeles Knight Riders by five wickets and make it consecutive wins in Major League Cricket.

Orcas needed five to win from the final overbutonlymanagedtwofromthefirstfour balls.HoweverHetmyer,whohitafinal-ball six to secure a win on Friday, clubbed Shadley van Schalkwyk’s misjudged yorker back down the ground for six to secure the winwithoneballtospare.

He finished 64 not out off 26 balls, with fourfoursandsixsixes.

Knight Riders posted 202-4 with West Indies all-rounderAndre Russell making 65 notoutfrom39ballsafterbeingpromotedto three.

HewassupportedbycompatriotRovman Powell,whofinishedunbeatenon43from21 balls.

ThewinliftsOrcastofourthastheylikely battleitoutforthefinalplay-offspot,while Knight Riders are bottom after one win in sevenmatches.

Earlier in the innings USA duo Aaron Jones(73off38)andShayanJahangir(43off 21) shared 119 for the second wicket after Josh Brown was dismissed off the second ball.

Mickey Arthur was Rangpur’s head coach during their run to the 2024 GSL title (Getty Images)

Global Super League commences ticket sales today

Cricket fans in Guyanaareinfor

a season of double the excitement starting today, Monday, 30 June,assupportersattending the ExxonMobil Guyana GlobalSuperLeague(GSL) will have an exclusive opportunity to secure early access to tickets for the highly anticipated Guyana

Amazon Wa

s Trinbago Knight Riders clash at the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) on 6 September

Aspartofalimited-time ticket bundle, fans who purchase four tickets to

either of the first two GSL home matches featuring the Guyana Amazon Warriors will unlock the ability to purchase two tickets for the CPLshowdown in the same stand (Red, Orange, or Green), while supplies last. Availability is limited, and fans are encouraged to buy earlytoavoidmissingout.

M

Rangpur Riders – 10 July,

7:0

AmazonWarriorsvsCentral Stags–11July,7:00pm. CPL Match Eligible for Early Access: Guyana A

Trinbago Knight Riders – 6

S

, 7:00pm(Maximum of four CPLticketsperperson).

Tickets for the bundle promotion will be available inpersononlyattheAmazon Warriors box office, located at 223-224 Camp Street, Georgetown, from Monday 30JunetoWednesday3July

Beyond the pitch, GSL delivers an unforgettable fusionofcricketandculture. Fans will enjoy world-class musical performances from Caribbean stars including Patrice Roberts, Ravi B, Mical Teja, and Nadia

Batson – all included in the GSLticketprice.

Sir Clive Lloyd, Chairman of the GSL, expressed his enthusiasm: “We are excited to partner with CPL to offer this amazing bundle package to cricket fans. And with the addition of incrediblemusic actslikePatriceRobertsand NadiaBatsonalsotakingthe stage, it truly is a dream package of sport, culture, andentertainmentatGSL.”

The Camp Street box office will be open from 8:30am to 4:30pm Monday to Friday and 9:00am to 1:00pmonSaturday

Tickets for the bundle promotion will be will available in person only at the Amazon at Warriors box office (Getty Images)

MontraJaguarscrowned Berbicezonechampionsin KaresOneGuyanaT10

Mo n t r a Jaguars are the first team to book their spot in the national finals of the third Kares One Guyana T10 Tapeball Blast after a testing outing in the Berbice zone, which concluded Sunday afternoon at the Port MourantGround.

Mantra, a team predominantly made up of national players from Berbice, defeated CorrivertonSpartansby51 runs after a pulsating day ofaction.

Mantra posted an imposing 139-2 from 10 overs, ledbyAnthony Bramble, who made 64 (1x4;6x9s), and Raymond Perez (34) Then, their bowlers managed to restrict the spirited Spartansto88-5.

Charles France with 28 from 17 balls offered some fight back as Nial Smith bagged 3-8 fromtwoovers.

M o n t r a w o n

$ 3 0 0 , 0 0 0 w h i l e Spartans got $100,000 In the semi-final, Montra overcame Sip & Play Warriors by five wickets while Spartans topped Cotton Tree Die Hard by 28 runs in the other

Attention now turns to t h e E a s t B a n k Demerara/West Coast DemerarazonesetforJuly 5-6.

T h e N a t i o n a l playoffs are set for A u g u s t 3 a t t h e National Stadium.

The Kares One Guyana T10 Tapeball Blast has ga

nered support from: Kares Engineering Inc, the Office of the President, the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, KFC Guyana, Star Rentals, B

, Impressions, Avinash Contracting and Scrap Metal, Shawn’s Mini Mart, Giftland Group of Companies, Kris Jagdeo Construction C

Restaurant & Lounge, Windsor Estates, The New Doctor’s Clinic, GuyOil, ANSA McAL, S

Navin Construction, Demerara Mutual Life Insurance, Continental

Rovman Powell

(ESPN Cricinfo)Steven Smith is on track to be fit for Australia’s second Test against West Indies in Grenadaafterthecompound dislocation he suffered against South Africa at Lord’sduringtheWorldTest Championshipfinal.

Smith has spent the last weekinNewYorkwherehe hashadanetagainstatennis ball and an “incredi-ball” (a soft cricket ball) and rejoined the squad in Barbados on Saturday evening following their three-day victory in the openingTest.

Hestillneedstotickoffa few protocols with the medical staff, with Tuesday’strainingsessionin Grenadalikelytobethekey day,butheadcoachAndrew McDonald expected him to be ready to return at No. 4, which is likely to see Josh InglisdropoutoftheXI.

“It’s really about functionality around the finger rather than anything else,” McDonald said “There’ll be no risk to longterm health of that finger He’ll return and I think it’s likely he’ll play Leading into the next game, he’ll have the main session two daysout.

“He’ll[also]traintheday before[thematch].Ifthatall goes well, then I’d expect StevetoresumeatNo.4.”

WhenSmithsufferedthe injury, dropping a catch offered by Temba Bavuma onthethirddayatLord’s,he was told he would need to wearasplintforeightweeks. He won’t be able to field in the slips on his return and will need to patrol the outfield somewhere, which mayneedsomemanagement

Smith on track to return and to reclaim No. 4 spot in Grenada

theAustraliaAseriesagainst Sri Lanka A in Darwin, whichstartsnextmonth.

The first four-day game of the ‘A’ series begins on July 13, which would run concurrently with the final TestinJamacia.

“If we do have a surfeit of batters then we’ll explore

match opportunities for sure,” McDonald said. “I think we’ve done that with the fast bowlers over time. We’ve sent Scott Boland backfromIndia.

So if we feel as though we’re carrying too many, we’lllookforgametime.

“[But]it’salongwayfor

playerstogethereaswell.If wereleasesomeoneandthen someonehastocomeinlate, then it’s a big journey So we’vejustgottobalancethat out.”

However, McDonald indicated that Labuschagne wassettobepartoftheODI squad that will face South

AfricaintheTopEndduring August.

“He’s important in our one-day structure,” he said.

“[With]SteveSmith’srecent retirement, Glenn Maxwell retiring as well. We don’t want to compromise oneday cricket in the build towards2027.”

given the problems he has hadwithhiselbow

“We want to keep him [Smith] at four and build around that rather than potentiallyriskingtoomany movesintheorder”

While there is no question that Smith, if fit, willresumehisroleatNo.4 the problems at the top of Australia’s order have prompted the debate about whether he should resume the No 3 job to allow CameronGreentocomeina positionlower

“In terms of why we see him as No 4, I think we’ve settled on that,” McDonaldsaid

“Wecouldslidehimup higher if we wanted to He’s been excellent at numberthree

But I think if you look at the last 12 months at No. 4 and his ability to stabilise that position, two down, arguably our greatest batter, we want to keep him at four and build around that rather than potentially risking too manymovesintheorder.”

Knowing that Smith may only miss the first Test, McDonald was also keen not to create further uncertainty in the batting order which is why Travis Head has not moved from his No 5 position despite beingaseniorplayer

Should Smith be available for the remainder of the series, there is a possibility that Marnus Labuschagne, who was dropped for the first time in the format since 2019 ahead of the first Test, may be released from the squad in order to play some cricket, either for Glamorgan or in

Montra Jaguars crowned Berbice zone champions in Kares One Guyana T10

Sports

Fans will enjoy world-class

from

Global Super League commences

musical performances

Caribbean stars including Patrice Roberts, Ravi B, Mical Teja, and Nadia Batson

Montra bulldozed their way to the title