Concerns raised supplementary budget 3 months before elections Illegal costs billed to Guyana by Exxon GRA reviews report
to be revealed after over Govt’s $57.5B for second autopsy Suriname’s ruling party, opposition
nearly tied in parliamentary election
Six members of the
Guyana Defence Force (GDF) were formally honoured with the Border Defence Medal Class One and elevated in rank for their courageous actions duringahostileencounteralongthe CuyuniRiverearlierthisyear
Theawardwhichwasconferred by President Mohamed Irfaan Ali, President and Commander-inChief of the Armed Forces, recognises their exceptional bravery, tactical discipline, and commitment to the defence of Guyana’sterritorialintegrity
The decoration ceremony was held at the Colonel Ulric Pilgrim
OfficerCadetSchoolDrillSquare, where Chief of Defence Staff, Brigadier Omar Khan, MSS, presented the medals and new badges of rank in the presence of OfficersandRanks.
Thehonouredranks,Lieutenant Ansel Murray, Staff Sergeants Andre Fraser and Kevon Davis, Sergeant Kevin Henery, Corporal Troy Yorrick, and Lance Corporal Ezra Samuels, were part of a sixman patrol from the 1 Infantry Battalion conducting a resupply mission on February 17, 2025, whentheycameunderunprovoked firefromarmedmenpositionedon theVenezuelanbankoftheCuyuni
River
Despite being wounded, the patrol returned fire with courage andtacticalprecision.
Their actions not only saved lives but demonstrated the highest standards of military professionalismunderduress. They were evacuated the following day for medical attention.
In a statement posted on its Facebook page, the GDF said that Brigadier Khan commended the men for their combat instinct, discipline, and steadfast resolve underfire.
Heemphasisedthatthehonours
conferred reflect not only their heroic actions but also the critical importanceofpreservinglifeinthe theatreofdanger
“Thesesoldiersexemplifywhat it means to love and serve one’s country,” Brigadier Khan stated.
“Theirresponsewasnotjustbrave, it was deliberate, trained, and driven by duty Their actions inspire confidence across the Force.”
He further noted that the engagementisoneofseveralrecent incidents along the border, and the men’s performance highlights the importance of vigilance, preparedness, and tactical
proficiencyinprotectingGuyana’s sovereignty
The Border Defence Medal Class One is awarded to members of the disciplinary services who haveengageddirectlyinhostilities indefenceofthenation.
Theawardstandsasasymbolof national appreciation for the sacrificesmadebythosewhoserve underthreat,andwithdistinction.
The ceremony was a solemn andpowerfulreminderthatevenin the face of danger, the Guyana Defence Force remains resilient, prepared, and proudly committed to the defence of the motherland, theGDFsaid.
The body of 11-year-old Adriana Younge arrived in the UnitedStates(U.S.)onMondayfor a second autopsy and further forensicexamination.
Crediblesourcesconfirmedthat Adriana’s remains were flown out of Georgetown early Monday morning via the Cheddi Jagan International Airport. The flight madeitsfirststopinMiamibefore continuing to Atlanta, where two U S -based pathologists will conduct an independent forensic review
Sourcesclosetothefamilytold Kaieteur News that Adriana’s immediaterelatives,includingboth parents, her siblings, an aunt, and her grandmother, departed Guyana on Sunday evening to accompany the body and support the ongoing investigation.
Adriana’sbodywasdiscovered onApril24intheswimmingpoolof theDoubleDayInternationalHotel and Bar in Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo. Her body was found approximately 20 hours after she hadbeenreportedmissingduringa familytrip.
According to the family, after Adriana went missing, multiple searches were conducted around the hotel grounds, including the pool area, but she was not found. When her body was eventually discovered, her father, Subryan Younge,retrieveditfromthewater Family members observed visible bruisesandscratchesonherknees, elbows, face, hands, and toes. Strikingly, she was found in an upright, standing position in the pool and reportedly showed no signs of bloating, an indication typicallyassociatedwithdrowning.
A post-mortem examination (PME) was conducted onApril 28 by a three-member international pathology team: Dr Shubhakar Karra Paul of Barbados, Dr Gary Collins, Chief Medical Examiner of Delaware (U.S.), and Dr Glenn Rudner of Mount Sinai Hospital (U.S.).Theteamconcludedthatthe cause of death was drowning. However, they did not determine the time of death, nor whether
Adriana had inhaled pool or tap water
Unconvinced by the official findings,thefamilydecidedtoseek asecondautopsyintheU.S.despite government’s disapproval and policemishandlingofthecase.
The case has captured national attention and drawn international interest. According to their lead lawyerDr DexterTodd,atleast45 foreign pathologists expressed
interest in reviewing Adriana’s body Trinidadian pathologist Dr Daisleyhadinitiallybeenexpected to return to Guyana to conduct a review,butaftertheMedicalBoard of Guyana halted the approval process,thefamilyproceededwith international arrangements PreparationstotransportAdriana’s body to the U.S. began last Friday and were finalized over the weekend.
In an earlier interview with Kaieteur News, the family explained some of the things the U.S. pathologists will focus on duringthesecondautopsy
“They’re looking at things like how the body floated, how it was presented, and in relation to the marks that remain on certain parts of the body, which has raised concerns to them,” Dr Todd said. “They are saying it requires a second eye, to be sure, and that is whattheyarelookingat.”
WithAdriana’sbodynowinthe United States, her family and supporters hope the new forensic analysis will bring clarity to the mysterious circumstances surroundingherdeath.
Meanwhile, Guyanese police remain tight-lipped regarding the progressoftheinvestigation.Itwas last reported that Leonard McCoshen, a retired officer of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP),isinGuyanatoassistthe police force. However, the family continues to call for an international team to lead the investigation.
Azruddin
Mohamed on Monday
evening declared his candidacy for the upcoming general and regional elections- a move that will likely shake up the local political dynamics and draw intense scrutiny from the rulingPPP/Cadministration.
Mohamedandhisfather, are currently under US sanctions for allegedly smuggling gold out of
Guyana The younger Mohamedisalsothesubject of investigations over alleged false declaration on several luxury vehicles he imported here in recent years.Withhimdeclaringhis candidacy, Mohamed now has to form a political party and enlist candidates to competeacrossthecountry
His announcement
m
President, Irfaan Ali declared that September 1, 2025 will be general and regional elections, noting that he arrived at the date following discussion with the chairman of the Guyana ElectionsCommission.
In a recorded video
posted on his Team Mohamed’s Facebook page, Mohamedsaidthathestands, ready to raise his hand, “put my shoulder to the task, and dedicate my mind and heart to building a world-class Guyana where every citizen is treated equally, not through buzzwords, but through the hard work of rebuilding trust and forging genuineharmony.”
Referencing Guyana’s celebrationsof59yearsasan independent nation, Mohamed said across all 83,000 square miles of “our beautiful nation, including our magnificent Cinderella County of Essequibo. Every inch of this land belongs to us, and we will never surrenderwhatourancestors fought so valiantly to preserve ” The young businessman said the late presidents, Forbes Burnham andCheddiJagan,weremen of letters who dreamed of uplifting each and every citizen “They wanted to givetheirpeoplemoreandto leave no one behind. They were authentic leaders who understood that a nation’s strength comes from its people, not its politicians They did not close the door behind them, nor did they pull up the ladder so others couldn’t follow They laid a foundation for
e generations to build upon, they understood that true leadership meant creating
opportunities for those who comeafteryou.”
Emptychairs
Mohamed said he woke up yesterday morning and watched his children and nephews playing in ant
Independence holiday “I considered those families whowokewithemptychairs at their breakfast tables, missing loved ones who should be here to celebrate with us I thought of the families who have had to s c a l e b a c k t h e i r Independence traditions because eggs have become too expensive for egg ball, meattoocostlyforpepperpot and cook-up.These families are not dazzled by red carpetsrolledoutforforeign entertainers all while their own struggles go unnoticed. This is about protecting our children, from Mahdia to BerbicetoLethem.It’sabout lifting our people out of poverty,”Mohamedsaid.
He added that now more thanever,Guyaneseneedan independent nation with people-centered leadership that can transform the lives of its citizens forever “But leadership that serves only itself will lift only a handful of people while offering crumbs from its table to the masses.Ahundred thousand dollars is not a fair share for citizensofanoil-richnation. The answer to genuine love for Guyana is in the heart of everycitizen-wemustreject tribal voting and embrace a new vision: a truly equal Guyana-whereallareraised up - all get justice, all get wealth and where anyone who aspires can run for officeandnotbehuntedand persecuted. We call on the international community to stand watch, to ensure that democratic values prevail, and that the voice of all Guyanese,regardlessoftheir race, class or political affiliation, are heard, respectedandempowered.“ Internationalobservers Mohamed said he looks forward to the presence of international observers from organisations that endorse
The Guyana Revenue Authority(GRA)iscurrently reviewing the report of ExxonMobil’s US$19 6B audit,completedbythelocal c o n s o r t i u m , V H E Consulting.
theDeclarationofPrinciples for International Election Observation - and are committed to genuine, impartial monitoring “In Guyana, we welcome the return of trusted institutions such as the Commonwealth Observer G
oup, the Organization of American States,andtheCarterCenter We have seen strong examples of leadership on the global stage from the United Nations and we look forward to the continued support of CARICOM Presence matters. Empathy matters.”
Mohamedsaidthemarch to change Guyana, will not belongnow “Ihaveseenmy peopleoppressedandIwant more for them because Guyana deserves better Standingontheshouldersof
outpouringofpublicdemand I am stepping forward today asayoungmanwithavision for a new Guyana. It is with great honour and humility that I officially declare my candidacy for President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana in the upcoming elections this September 1st 2025.Iremaincommittedto serving with diplomacy, integrity and unfaltering dedication to the people of Guyana I want a Guyana where our children—yours andmine—cangrowupsafe, secure, and with their rightful share of the nation’s wealthandpromise.”
Finally, he said the people of Guyana must be
y’s
emocracy, vigilant,united,andunafraid to demand better come election day “So, as we approach a pivotal moment in our democratic journey, I leave you with this proud citizens of Guyana Remember: The oil beneath ourwatersistemporary The gold in our ground will one day be exhausted. But the potentialinourpeople,that’s renewable,that’spermanent, that’s what will carry us forward long after the resourcesaregone.”
Upon completion of its review, the Government of Guyana (GoG) said it will announce the disputed costs flaggedbytheauditteam.
This information was provided by the Natural Resources Minister, Vickram Bharrat In an invited comment, he explained that the disputed cost has not yet been revealed, since the final reportremainswiththeGRA forreview Bharrattherefore confirmed that the sum flagged by the team will be shared upon completion of thatprocess.
It should be noted that auditsarecriticaltoensuring that the country is not cheatedbytheoilcompanies through the procurement of goods and services from the company’scontractors.
T h i s p r o c e s s i s particularly important since the oil contract with ExxonMobilanditspartners provides for the operator to deduct 75% of the monthly revenues generated to clear its expenses. The remaining 25% is then shared with Guyana as profits. The reports provide a summary of key findings and recommendations by the auditteam.
Earlierthismonth,itwas reported that Ramdihal & Haynes Inc; Eclisar Financial; and Vitality Accounting & Consultancy Inc (VHE Consulting) completed the report and handed over same to the tax agency
The third audit, which commenced in November 2024, was initially expected to be completed by March, butanextensionwasgranted tothetimelinebytheGoG.It is important to note that the audit in question is the largest in the country’s history, yet auditors were granted a mere five months toconductthereview
In a statement to the med
a last week, the Ministry of Natural
Resources (MNR) provided an update on the two audits, previouslyconducted.
The first audit, covering theperiod1999to2017,was conducted by IHS Markit TheGovernment,inkeeping with its findings, has disputed approximately US$214 million in costs s
ExxonMobilanditspartners, and both Government and theco-venturershaveagreed toactivatetheprovisionfora sole expert, as enshrined in the Production Sharing Agreement(PSA).
The Government said it has submitted multiple nomineesforthesoleexpert.
resolution mechanism,
disagreements over the cost
ExxonMobil, acting on behalf of the co-venturers, has until May 31, 2025, to provideitsresponse. Meanwhile, MNR said the second audit, which examined costs incurred between 2018 and 2020, reviewed US$7.2 billion in declared expenses. Of this amount, US$65 1 million was not accepted by the Government “This was communicated to the coventurers and they have since provided updated submissions, which are
Government,” the Ministry noted.
The final reports for the first and second audits are available on the website of the Petroleum Management Programme via this link: http://petroleum.gov.gy/
PrintedandPublishedbyNationalMedia& PublishingCompanyLtd. 24SaffonStreet, Charlestown,Georgetown,Guyana.
Publisher:GLENNLALL-TEL:624-6456
Editor:NIGELWILLIAMS
Tel:225-8465,225-8491. Fax:225-8473,226-8210
Very few Guyanese, if asked to give an objective assessment of the Guyana Police Force, would have many goodthingstosay
Some of the servicemen and women would also find it hard to find positive things about their organisation. Poor pay,substandardworkplaces(policestations),armedgangs, drugsmuggling,andtheever-presentthreatofbeingposted intotheinteriorareonlyasmatteringofthechallengesfaced by the average police rank. Citizens would tell you of unprofessional conduct of many of the ranks; their deceptionandcorruptways.Sothequestionhastobeasked: “Whyisitthatpolicemendonotreceivemorerespectfrom thosesameaveragecitizens?”
While some may contend that Guyanese are generally very responsive to the police in their interactions, this responseismoreoftenaresultoffearthanrespect.Thereisa wide chasm between the two reactions, and in fact the reasonsfortheelicitedfeargototheheartofwhypolicemen are not more widely respected. There is, after all, the old adage that respect can only be earned and not demanded. Thefearthatthepoliceengenderintheheartoftheaverage citizenisnotofrecentvintage–andinfactiscoevalwiththe very origin of the organisation. Formed right after the abolition of slavery, naming it a “force” summarised its modusoperandiintheexecutionofitsduties.
Those duties, plain and simple, were to ensure by any means necessary that the ex-slaves would never be in a position to exact vengeance for their centuries of degradation. This colonial model of policing was not dependent on any mutually binding social contract. The Guyana Police Force was one of the most heavily armed fromitsinception,anditremainssotothisday
It would appear that, even though the rest of the world has moved on in their conception of the relationship betweenthepoliceandthecitizenry,Guyanaisstillstuckin the old mode. Nothing much has changed in the postindependenceera.Ithasbeenassertedthataconfrontational posture is inculcated into policemen right from their inductionintothepolicetrainingschools.Evenifnottrue,it certainly describes the attitude of most policemen when dealingwiththepublic.
Itappearsthattheyarenevertoldthatitisthepublicthat pays their salaries (meagre as they may be), and it is the publicthattheyaresupposedto“ServeandProtect”.
Thereareseveralotherreasonsforthepublic’sskittishness wherethepoliceareconcerned Therearetheencounterswith suspectswhoaresupposedlyarmed(oftenonlywithcutlasses), butwhoincrediblydecidetoturnaroundandattackthemore heavilyarmedpolicemen and are then killed. Very few are ever taken alive. Then there are the persistent allegations of roughinterrogations,torture,andevendeathwhileincustody One hears of inquiries, but somehow the practice keeps on croppingup Whilethenotoriousblackclothessquadhaslong been disbanded after persistent public outcry, its rough and readymethodsareapparentlybeingfaithfullyupheldbysome elementsoftheForce Anothersourceofthepublic’sdiscontent withthepoliceistheallegeddifferential treatment accorded bythemtothe“bigones”ofsociety
Butthepracticethatturnsoffcitizensthemost(andmost citizens) is the petty shakedown by traffic police that has become almost standard across the land Every effort of the administrationtotightenuponroadsafetyistakenaslicenceto extractmore“raises”
Theincentiveforthebeleaguered“JohnPublic”topay upisthenotsosubtlehintthattheycouldbehauledbackto the police station for the merest infraction (or even none). Since 2004, there have been a slew of reports and recommendations dealing with police reform.We urge the authorities to implement fully these recommendations. In the meantime, maybe they can also have the name of the institution changed to “Police Service”, as was approved unanimouslysometimeago.Onehopesthatthechangeof namemightsuggesttheneedforachangeofattitudeinthe police.
DEAREDITOR, Parliament has several committees that allow the government and the Oppositiontogettogetherto discuss and solve major issues facing our nation. Per our constitution “Standing Committees” article 119B (1) states, “There shall be parliamentary sectoral committees established by the National Assembly with responsibility for the scrutiny of all areas of Government policy and administration including: (i) NaturalResources; (ii)EconomicServices; (iii)ForeignRelations; (iv)SocialServices. Article 119B (2) states, “The Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson of each parliamentary sectoral committee shall be elected from the opposite sides of theNationalAssembly”. Unfortunately, many of
supposed to be used for this
n neglected. If the concern is one of a potential delay in finding solutions, the committeescanplaceatime limit for deliberations to ensure that the issues are addressed in a timely manner
Considering the current
concernsraisedoverthelack of an adequate oil and gas depletion policy, we must consider the constitutional framework under which such a policy can be constructed and reviewed beforeitspresentationinthe NationalAssembly Thishas not occurred and the opportunity to send it for further discussion and review in a standing parliamentary committee has also been neglected Currently, the depletion policy for the oil and gas sector is lacking price point triggersthatresultinactions being taken to maximum revenue and reduce margin losses. For example: when market prices fall below a specific point, it should trigger an adjustment in our production rate and storage usage levels For prices above a certain point, this shouldtriggeranincreasein productionandthereduction instoragelevels. These triggers should be calculated in accordance with the long-term leading indicators for the sector For example, we know that the US will be aggressively producing oil over the next five years to offset the inflationary pressures of the made in America policies being pursued This will
placedownwardpressureon oilpricesoverthe5yearsof PresidentTrumpsterm. It is also imperative that Guyanaaccepttheoffertobe a part of OPEC. They have extensive experience in the sectorandareconsideredby manytobetheprimaryprice leader and production level determining organization in theworld.Bybeingapartof OPEC,Guyanawillbebetter in sync with the key market forces that will determine our potential revenue levels over the long term. Our access will also increase to data, studies and resources needed to be successful in thesector
Thelasttimetherewasa major price drop in the sector,Guyanawasunableto findstorageforitsoil,while others were able to store theirs and then sell on the market at profitable prices. Wemustavoidrepeatingthe mistakesofthepast.
If we also consider our sovereign wealth fund (SWF) “depletion policy,” we can clearly see significant risks in the current approach being taken.
The depletion rate is currently extremely aggressive and in a high priceeconomicenvironment that has significant inflation
exposure As prices and interest rates increased, our SWF should have been reinvesting our funds in the stock and bond markets, w h i l e m i n i m i z i n g expenditures due to the negative and costly economic climate that high oilpricesusuallycreate.The current administration missed the boat on this. As prices and interest rates decrease, it becomes less expensive to invest in major national projects. Creating an opportunity when our SWF’s increased value would have been better leveraged.
Another boat missed by the current administration. The trends of oil prices and interest rates have been the long term global economic trends for decades. Instead, Guyana has taken the oppositeapproachwhichhas left our nation vulnerable to future major financial shocks and shifts in the global economy. It is important that we adjust accordingly and take a d v a n t a g e o f t h e constitutional framework that is currently in place to developstrongerpoliciesfor the administration of our nation’sbusiness.
Bestregards, Mr JamilChanglee
Dr Terrence Richard Blackman’s response to the Peeping column “Justice Must Not Be Selective” appears,atfirstglance,tobe a thoughtful rebuttal. But beneaththerhetoricalpolish, itisdeeplyflawed.
Dr Blackmanstarts on a falsefoundation.Statingtwo facts does not create equivalence A child drowned A hotel was burned.Thosearefacts.The griefofaparentandtheloss of property are not being equated.
T h e y a r e b e i n g a c k n o w l e d g e d Simultaneously Because justice, if it is to be meaningful, must have the bandwidthtoholdtwotruths atonce.
T o c l a i m t h a t acknowledging the destructionofaman’shome and business without e v i d e n c e o f wrongdoing somehow trivializes a child’s death is intellectually dishonest Thatisnotequivalence.That is fairness. And no, describing the police’s role
as a “fumble” does not excuse them On the contrary, it indicts them. Whether it’s called a blunder, failure, or a calculated dereliction, the pointremains:thepolicelied about the security footage. Theymisledthepublic.
And they must be held accountable—notinsteadof, but alongside those who lootedanddestroyedprivate property
Dr Blackman suggests that property can be rebuilt.
But can trust? Can livelihoods? Can a man’s nameberestoredoncetarred bypublicsuspicion,without charge, without evidence?
The original column never denied the pain ofAdrianna Younge’s family But the pain of one family does not license a nation to burn and loot.
Dr Blackmanclaimsthe hotel owner was wellconnected. But what does thatmean?Influence?
A voice? Perhaps. But what power insulates a man fromhavinghishomerazed, his business gutted, his staff unemployed, and his family
in fear? And all without a shred of evidence of any complicityonhispart. What privilege is that?
And let us not assume that wealth or alleged connections, however relative,cancelsouttheright tojustice.
Then there is this dangerous drift in Dr Blackman’s logic: that public violence must not be condoned, but must also be understood.
That is a seductive but slippery line Because if lawlessness is dressed up in s o c i o l o g i c a l language ”decades of institutional failure,” “ v a c u u m , ” “ r a g e conditioned by history”— then violence is not only being explained, it is being rationalized.
To understand is not to excuse.Butwhatweseehere is a selective application of understanding: understand the looters, but not those accused without evidence?
Understandthearsonists,but notthevictims?
Understand the torching of a hotel, but not the
silencing of workers who nowfeedtheirfamiliesfrom nothing. Thatisnotjustice.
The original Peeping Tom column (or at least my readingofit)didnotaskusto ignore the institutional failures that led to this moment.Itdemandsthatwe confrontallofthem—police ineptitude, mob violence, and public complicity
Selective outrage, even when dressed in poetic cadence,isstillselective.
And justice, if it is to meananythingatall,mustbe consistent,notconvenient.It must extend to the grieving family and the innocent businessman.
It must seek truth in the drowning of a child and the burning of a hotel and homes.
This is not superficial. Thisisfundamental.So,yes, Dr Blackman: justice must notbeselective.
Either we stand for all victims, or we stand for none. And we either reject mob rule—or we prepare to beruledbymobs.
Regards
RupnauthRamdyal
I recently came across a book on political party management, available at https://wwwkas de/c/docu ment_library/get_file?uuid= ac981334-ff94-4752-d8d375b54cdcd3f0&groupId=25 2038 which I think would make a valuable addition to localknowledgeonpolitical parties,theirroles,functions and effective management forwinningelections.
This has been shared to encourage the population as a whole to understand that they are the sole source of political parties, and when political parties fail, they must be replaced, otherwise weruntheriskofcorruption, mismanagement, our resources pillaged as has occurredunderboththePPP andPNC/APNU.
Having retired last year fromteaching,Iencountered some personal financial setbacks which adversely impacted my ability to host the first Annual General Meeting of the Democratic National Congress, and indeed, engage potential candidates on a personal level to execute larger tasks of developing a base of volunteers nationwide and building a list of members fortheparty.
The Party’s website needs funding to bring it online again, but larger funding issues such as financing advertising and outreaches around the country have been arrested by the success of the PNC and PPP in conditioning Guyanese into thinking that there are only two viable parties in Guyana, that they, Guyanese in general, are incapable of starting and successfully managing new political parties to win elections.
Thegovernment’srecent announcementofSeptember 01, 2025 as the day for General Elections comes as no surprise to anyone, as many including myself had suggested that they would indeed call elections earlier than previously announced toreducethetimeforsmaller parties to get their act together
The primary objective formylettersdatingbackto 2013 was to share my knowledge on managing Guyana’s economy so that we could all be on the same page in respect to the challenges we face as a nation, and what we have to do to address our problems so that we can have our economy managed in a manner that serves us all,
producing the economic prosperity we know is achievable with good government.Inresponsetoa numberofpersonswhowere inquiring about my next letter recently, I responded that there was nothing more towriteabout.Iamsatisfied that after twelve years those who have been reading and followingmylettersknowas much as I know There is nothing else to share GuyaneseknowasmuchasI do.
They know that both the PPP and PNC have been made fools of by the oil companiesinthe2016PSA, andarethelaughingstockof g
governments go. Guyanese know the PPPis a puppet of theoilcompanies,lessthana week ago going so far as to approve laws which favor the oil companies, throwing Guyanese and our coastal environment under the bus.
They know that Guyana’s economy is bursting with money so much so that the PPPisquitefinewithgiving the oil companies between US$1.2 billion to US$2.5 billion (G$249.6 billion to G$520 billion) annually by not renegotiating the 2016 oil contract, with the same hand giving families with school aged children US$250 (G$55,000). Those notinschoolhavenothingto get. This is what we are g e t t i n g f r o m t h e administrationofJagdeoand thePPP
They know that the PNC/APNU has been a disaster and a national reprobate, unfit for public officeafterbotching (Continuedonpage09)
DEAREDITOR, Iwouldliketorespondto articles published on GuySuCo in the Guyana TimesonMay21,2025,and titled ‘CEO steering company through structural reforms, not “bubbling on thejob”–GuySuCo’,andin the Stabroek News (SN) on May 22, 2025, and title ‘GuySuCo blames poor first crop on heavy, persistent rain’. In addition to a letter thatwaspublishedinSNand titled ‘Sugar industry producing 4.4x less than it did in 2015 largely because ofclosureoffourestates’.
There is no structural reformthatthecurrentCEO, PaulCheongcouldbedoing thatismoreintense,complex and complicated than what the management of GuySuCo underwent from 2016 – 2020 The then managementwasengagedin a reorganization process whichsawfourestatesbeing closed - Wales, East Demerara, Rose Hall and Skeldon, and yet the company produced two to three times more sugar than was produced from 2021 –2025 and earned over US$200M more in revenue. The previous management of GuySuCo produced 183,615 tonnes in 2016, 137,298 tonnes in 2017, 104,641 tonnes in 2018, 90,246 tonnes in 2019, 89,000 tonnes in 2020 and had a target of 143, 000 tonnes of sugar for 2021/2022.Whilefrom2021 t o 2 0 2 5 , t h e n e w management produced 58,995 tonnes in 2021, 58,025 tonnes in 2022, 60,204 tonnes in 2023,
47,130 in 2024 and now 15,980 tonnes for the first cropof2025.
On the point of heavy persistent rain being the reasonforthepoorfirstcrop in 2025. Editor, 2025 is not the first year that rain fell in Guyana GuySuCo meticulously integrates weather conditions into its production planning and implementation – into planting and harvesting of sugar canes, so heavy persistent rain is an old excuse. Rain also fell in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020, and yet, production wastwotothreetimesmore than the production from 2021to2025.
Inrelationtotheletterby Mr Joel Bhagwandin in the Stabroek News and titled ‘Sugar industry producing 4.4x less than it did in 2015 largelybecauseofclosureof fourestates’.Now,2015was ten years ago Is Mr Bhagwandin telling the Guyanese people, that closure of the four sugar estates in 2016 and 2017, nine years ago, is the reason for GuySuCo is producing 58,995 tonnes in 2021, 58,025 tonnes in 2022, 60,204 tonnes in 2023, 47,130 in 2024 and now 15,980 tonnes for the first cropof2025,whilethesame GuySuCo produced two to threetimemoresugarduring the period when the estates werebeingclosed?
Mr Bhagwandin further stated in his letter the
f o l l o w i n g , ‘ T h e
APNU+AFC government closedfour(4)sugarestates, namely:Skeldon,RoseHall, Enmore and Wales. When the PPP/C government resumed office in 2020, work began to reopen only two of those estates: Rose Hall and Skeldon. As of 2022, according to the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) annual report, the reopened estates were not yet accounting for total production, which is understandable. It took a considerableamountoftime and resources to put back those estates into production. It was not an easy task then, and it is still not an easy task now’
GuySuCo under the
The PPP/C government has been fooling us while they are wasting our money Based on what Mr Bhagwandin is saying, GuySuCo’s current Chief Executivemustbesenthome without delay If under his management GuySuCo produced 15,980 tonnes of sugarforthefirstcrop2025, fromfiveestates,hemustbe firedwithimmediateeffect.
This should not only be about playing politics. In termsofmarketsforsugar,if GuySuCo produced 58,995 tonnes in 2021, 58,025 tonnes in 2022, 60,204 tonnes in 2023, 47,130 in 2024andnow15,980tonnes for the first crop of 2025, it means that the markets they hadin2020whenthey (Continuedonpage16)
APNU+AFC produced 104,641 tonnes in 2018, 90,246 tonnes in 2019, 89,000tonnes in2020from three operating estates –Albion, Blairmont and Uitvlugt, while the letter writer, the government and GuySuCo would want to haveusbelievethatwithfive estates - Albion, Blairmont, Uitvlugt, and the two reopened estates, Rose Hall andSkeldon,thecorporation produced 58,025 tonnes in 2022, 60,204 tonnes in 2023, 47,130 in 2024 and now 15,980 tonnes for the firstcropof2025.
The PPP/C’s motto, mantra and manifesto are to serve all carefully, consciously and competently
,
In this lovely land, landscaped with rivers, relatives and religions, its royal richness is reserved within the resourceful realms of her pristine plains and proud people. Guyana’s policies and principles are protected by a Parliament, rules, regulations, laws and orders are entrenched through its constitution, freedom of speech is guarantee but guarded by governance, freedom of
m o v e m e n t i s n o t
manipulated but is manifested by mobility and her sovereignty is sustained and secured by her fortified forcesandforeignfriends.
Ledbyyouth,vigourand vitalityfromavibrantPPP/C Government, this young nationisatacrucialjuncture of its historic economic recovery, progressive development, prosperous transformation,andpolitical and social integration. Its global acknowledgement, acceptance, recognition and
endorsement as a leading nation transgressing from poverty to prosperity, has become the apple of the eye intheSouthernHemisphere. On this unprecedented journey, she is envied by a few greedy ones but also found sound support, especially from her proud Caribbean sister islands and also from the rest of the internationalcommunity
As this country observes i t s 5 9 t h y e a r o f Independence, Guyana’s jurisdiction over Essequibo is once again challenged by its ambitious Western neighbour, the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela Venezuela is led by an authoritarian dictator, Nicolas Maduro, who is not accepted as the legitimate president by the rest of the world except her allies, Russia,China,Iran,Bolivia, Cuba, Honduras, and Nicaragua.
This external threat has seen Guyana garner immense reinforcement
from her friends to bolster her defence. On the eve of her celebration, Guyana is worried about a proposed election for governorship of the Cinderella County, Essequibo, from Maduro. A border dispute raised by Venezuela is currently awaitingadecisionfromthe International Court of Justice in The Hague Guyana has maintained respect for the Court’s patience as she awaits to abidebythedecision.
Meanwhile, the ICJ has issued an order restraining V e n e z u e l a f r o m perpetrating, penetrating or provoking any action which is deemed contradictory to the Provisional measures as indicatedbyitsDecember1, 2023 Order One of the clausesincludes,“Pendinga finaldecisioninthecase,the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuelashallrefrainfrom conducting elections, or preparing to conduct elections, in the territory of dispute, which the Co-
operative Republic of G u y a n a c u r r e n t l y administers and over which itexercisescontrol.”
Of great concern to Guyana, the Government, the citizens, more so, sympathizers to the PNC Party, is the recent walkout by that Party and its members,ledbyanirascible person,whocontinuestodig a hole for himself and take down his associates. Daily, he fades into the twilight of irrelevance as he acts irresponsibly,muchtotheire of those who helped to give himprominence.
At a time when the ship needs all hands on deck, the Oppositionchosetoabandon shipandleavetheirmatesto sink or face the heat by themselves How can Guyanese put their trust and fate in the PNC when they refuse to stand in solidarity to pass important legislation in defence of the nation? Little boys and girls cannot do the job that’s meant for big men and women. The
PNChasonceagainshamed thenation,embarrassedtheir supporters and let down the young people Guyanese will remember them when electiontimecomesaround.
After fifty-nine years of independence, the PNC still remains handcuffed in an abyss of blindness, blindsided by a visionless prospectus and shackled in the domain of tyranny As they continue to sideline national issues and attempt to stray the innocent with propaganda, the PPP/C Governmentpersistswithits upward trend to take this country from rags to riches. Currently embroiled in the Younge fiasco, the PNC is struggling to gain poor political mileage in impoverishing the family with false hopes, lies and absurdity
Under the mantle of the PNC, that Party for thirtythree years has consistently led this country and its people down the “Road to Perdition.” A party that is notorious for stealing and rigging referendums and elections, the PNC is bold, brazen and bare-faced to stop at nothing in order to
grab control through the backdoortogainpower!It’s an established fact and now theinternationalcommunity hasrelinquishedanyaffinity with their demonic behaviour, severed any affiliation with their systemic corruption and refused to be blindfolded with their lies, dishonesty andindignity
F r o m t h e conceptualization of the PNC Party, a devious Burnham has sired satanic influence to lay the foundation of doom and gloom, characterizing the epitome of violence, vengeance and vulgarism as arteries of poisonous offspring Although the brave Hoyte ventured into s o m e c o u r a g e o u s endeavours, he was shortlivedbythefirstfreeandfair election in 1992, which saw the PNC catapulted into twenty-eight years of being frustratingly sidelined! But they did not stay quiet Rather, in the interim, they sowed the seed of cutthroats, pirates and buccaneers to reap the benefitofavictoryby (Continuedonpage16)
I ’ v e o b s e r v e d
concerningbehaviourbythe Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), including tax evasion, taxpayer entrapment, potential malfeasance, and the targeting of government critics during the PPP/C Administration, particularly with court cases involving Mr Lall and Mr Mohamed inGeorgetown.
A class action lawsuit against the GRA could c o n s o l i d a t e t h e s e individuals and hold the agency accountable, requiring evidence of entrapmentandmalfeasance to protect against illegal actions.
W h i l e p r o v i n g systematic entrapment is challenging,acivilcaseuses a lower standard than criminal cases. The GRA’s actions, often masked as tax enforcement, raise complex issues about legality and potential misuse of power However, pursuing legal action against the GRA might distract from necessary administrative reforms.
Malicious prosecution
permits individuals to claim damageswithoutwaitingfor legalproceedingsiftheycan demonstrate a lack of probable cause. Engaging constructivelywithcriticsis crucialforfosteringdialogue and understanding Highlighting civic rights in legal actions protects citizens from oppressive government tactics Historically,instancesunder the previous PPP/C Administration, like the charges brought by the late GRACommissioner against a wealthy family critical of thegovernment,reflectthese concerns.
Recent court cases have also shown judicial scrutiny of GRA’s practices, including the rejection of a supplemental affidavit from the GRA’s Deputy Commissioner by High Court Judge Gino Persaud duetotimingandrelevance. Ultimately, maintaining fairness and transparency in legalproceedingsisessential for upholding civic rights and ensuring accountability ingovernmentactions.
Sincerely MOHAMED SHABEERZAFAR
Nineyearsafterthiscountrydiscoveredoil, mostGuyanesearetrappedintheir unchangingcyclesofpoverty,their grandparents’grimviewoflife’sunyielding cruelties.Thereshouldhavebeeneconomic independencethatflowsfrombeingpartand parcelofsharinginmassiveoilwealth.
WhatGuyaneseareforcedtolivewithisthe dependencecultivatedbyleaderscheating theirpromise.Thesamecallousleadersthen handthecitizensadollartokeepthemunder controlandhangingonastring.Bepatientis themantra,forthereismorelikethatcoming forthosewhobottleuptheirangry disappointment,andsubscribetothecon gamesoftrickstersmasqueradingasleaders.
Whathaschangedafter59yearsof Independence,otherthanfortheflag andaccentsofthosewhodon’tcall themselvesconquerorsbutpartners?
Rev.JimJoneshadhisKool-Aid,andhe alsohadpromisedindependencetohisflock th ofpartners.Inthisthe59 yearofGuyana’s Independence,oilhasbecomeatoxicbrew, andGuyaneseleaders,thenewJimJones.
With approximately 2,403 Venezuelan migrants entering Guyana on a monthly basis concerns continue to be raised as to where most of them have settled and government has been tight-lipped on its earlier plans to establish a settlement for them on the outskirts of Mabaruma, RegionOne.
Earlier this month, Stabroek News reported that a total of 2,403 Venezuelan migrants entered Guyana monthly between January 2024 and April 20, 2025, according to records from the Ministry of Home Affairs The figure, the newspaper reported was disclosed in Parliament in response to questions posed by APNU+AFC Member of Parliament Tabitha SaraboHalley
According to Stabroek News, Region 1 (BarimaWaini) continues to see the highest inflow, with the b o r d e r v i l l a g e o f Morawhanna recording a totalof452Venezuelanover the period Region 7 (Cuyuni-Mazaruni),
specifically through the ports of Eteringbang and Bartica, saw the highest overall intake, receiving a total of 1,242 migrants for the period Region 9’s Lethem recorded 440 Venezuelan arrivals, while Region 2 (Charity) reported a total of 190 migrants. Georgetown, in Region 4, recorded 79 Venezuelan migrants during the period. Regions 3 (Parika), 5, 6, 8, and 10 reported no new arrivals during the same timeframe Also, only recently Foreign Secretary, Robert Persaud disclosed some 100,000 persons of directorindirectVenezuelan ancestry are currently in Guyana.
Meanwhile, it has been three months since Minister of Home Affairs Robeson Benn informed the House via a written response that the Government of Guyana has established a settlement for Venezuelan immigrants on the outskirts of Mabaruma. There has since been no further information provided even though this publication has reached out
totheMinister
On February 17, 2025, Member of Parliament TabithaSarabo-Halleyasked theministertotelltheHouse about the arrangements made for the Venezuelan immigrants present in Guyana In his written response, he said that the government has established a settlement near to Mabaruma, “called Farm Corps.”
This publication contacted the minister to obtainfurtherinformationas to when the settlement was
established, how are the occupants determined and the current population. The ministersaidhewouldlocate the information and provide it Some days later, the Minister was again approached on the matter and he promised to provide the information and even noted contact information. The information is yet to be providedtothispublication. Shadow Minister of Foreign Affairs Amanza Walton-Desir was also contacted on February 17 subsequent to the Minister’s response to ascertain if she was aware of such a settlement and what information she could provide She told this publication via WhatsApp that“I’mdiggingmyselffor info,”asshewasnotawareit existed. Research by this publication on the said settlementyieldednoresults. It was reported by this publication back in July
2018 that then Minister of Citizenship, Winston Felix, saidplanswereinmotionfor the establishment of a homestead settlement area for the 260 confirmed Venezuelans, who were occupying areas in BarimaWaini (Region One). Felix said then that the resettlement area will allow the Venezuelans to be selfreliant. “It is intended that we[will]developsomething like a homestead where families are accumulated andeventually,wecanmove themintocashcropfarming. We can encourage them so thatinthefirstinstance,they can feed themselves, and if theyhavesurpluses,theycan sell.Wearelookingatcrops fortheirsustenanceandtheir immediate needs. Once you get that going, then the next thing is to guide them into areas in which they can sustain themselves The immediate outcome is that wewanttoseethemproperly settledandtheymustbeable tosustainthemselves…,”he said.
TheAllianceForChange (AFC) again recently raised concern over the number of Venezuelan migrants in the country, suggesting that the electoral process could also becompromised.TheAFC’s concerns were heightened following a sitting of Parliament where Home Affairs Minister Robeson Benn could not verify the figure that he had presented to the Parliament in relation to the number of migrants
here.
Benn initially told the House that there are only four regions in Guyana that have a total of just over 15,000 Venezuelan migrants. However, he later withdrew that figure. In a statement, theAFC had said that it became even more suspicious because a release from the Government last year stated that well over 40,000 Venezuelans are here.Thestatementsaidthat inaddition,inDecember,the Go
of Venezuelan migrants in Linden, Region 10 although the Home Affairs Minister told the National Assembly that migrants are only presentinRegions1,2,4and 8.
AFC Chairman, David Patterson had told reporters thatwhileonthefaceofit,it seems as a mistake on the partoftheMinister,theexact information was recently featured at a symposium organized by University of Guyana.“TheAFCisdeeply concernedthatinanelection year,wherethevastmajority of Guyanese has expressed concerns about the bloated Voter’s electoral list and the rumours that thousands of Venezuelans whether entitled or not has been includedontheGECOMlist, that the agency task with monitoring and regulating this group cannot provide a factual account of the persons in the country,” Pattersonsaid.
By now, the stench is impossibletoignore.Itseeps out of the headlines, finds persons turning up their noses in quiet conversations and settles in the public’s nostrils The issue is g o v e r n m e n t procurement specifically, thewideningperceptionthat public contracts are being handed out not on merit or through competitive bidding, but through the opaque and deeply suspect mechanism of selective tendering to friends and favoured persons.This is no longer a murmur on the margins It is a roar demanding investigation andverification.
The time has come for theAuditorGeneraltoact.A
special audit of government procurement practices, focusing especially on the prevalence of selective tendering or no tendering at all, is no longer merely advisable.Itisimperative. Let us be clear: public procurement, in theory, is a pillarofgoodgovernance.It ensures that taxpayers’ money is spent wisely, that public works are delivered efficiently, and that merit—not favouritism—is theoperatingprinciple. In practice, however, it has become something far more sinister Across ministries and regions, across sectors and agencies, therearerumourscirculating from sources who normally do not dabble in gossip,
suggesting that some persons are being handed contracts, not through competitive public bidding, but through shadowy processes that raise serious questions about legality and ethics.Selectivetenderingis the euphemism But we know what it often amounts to: backroom deals, closed doors, and the exchange of favors. It is the antithesis of transparency And when applied unlawfully, it constitutesanoutrightabuse ofpublicfunds.
The damage done by such practices is not merely financial though the mone
e significant The deeper injury is to public trust. When citizens begin to
Frompage05
theeconomyandtryinginvainforaboutfive months to rig the 2020 elections, hoping to ultimate return Guyana to dictatorship. Guyanese know of the systemic corruption existing under the PPP with known governmentministerssuingpeopletoshutup and not call their names. Yes, Guyanese know that both the PPP and PNC have committedtogivingawayasmuchasUS$49 billion in unpaid taxes and lost royalties to theoilcompaniesoverthelifeofthedeclared reserves,moneyGuyaneseareverymuchin needofbutwillneverseewitheitheraPPPor PNCledgovernment. Whatcanwedowith US$49billion? Guyaneseknoweverything. It’sallthereontheinternet,undermyname, in the newspapers, on Facebook. Enough talk.
Guyanese just need to run through that
book I shared and start acting, organizing themselves, identifying candidates to represent them and get themselves ready with a full slate of candidates to offer Guyanese.
Because where the PPP and PNC want you to believe that you can’t, I want to tell youthatyoucan,arecapable,andbetterthan bothofthem. Iwanttotellyouthatyouare nottheloserstheywanttomakeyoubelieve are, but winners, champions for yourselves, champions and kings and queens of your families, champions for your children. This year2025willbeayearofaccounting. Time to put the PPP and PNC behind us. Happy 59thIndependencetoallGuyanese,andmay weworktogethertobringbettergovernment toGuyana.
Yoursfaithfully CraigSylvester
Dem boys seh is not de election date dat shock people, is how early it announce. There months in advance Even de governmentownsupporters want know why de government announce elections three months in advance Since when politicians get so generous with time? Dem boys seh degovernmentain’tstupid. Dey want see who really serious ’bout running. Dey wantseewhogotbootsand who barefoot. Dem want see de competition because dem nah only running fuh election, dem running scared Dem scared of losing dem one-seat majority
But hear dis one—soon asAzmosehherunningfuh President, one bald-headed manstartruntoo…straight
todetoilet.Demboyssehis likehebowelsgetsummon by de devil himself. Every ten minutes is a new explosion He suffering f r o m G u y a n e s e ‘runnings’—deonethatnah respectpositionorpampers. Demboyssehdemanso frighten Azmo might grab that one precious seat dem holding on to like wedding ring,hebladderandbowels decidefuhresignearly Now de man stocking up pon Lomotil, Imodium, and adult diapers. He send fuh industrial-size toilet paper like is hurricane season.Even hebestfriend asking if is food poisoning or fear poisoning. Because it nah look like medication ganstopdah‘runnings’ Dem boys seh he might evengatfuhcharterajetto go Miami—dem claim is
believe that government contracts are auctioned to friends, donors, or insiders ratherthan awarded through an open and fair process, democracy itself begins to erode.
Wehaveseenthismovie before.Thecastmaychange, but the plot remains the same: inflated costs, substandard work, and, eventually, some ritualistic sacrifice an official suspended or reshuffled, a press conference held, promises made. Then the cycleresumes.
What is needed now is not a performance. What is needed is accountability And that begins with independentoversight.
TheOfficeoftheAuditor General, by virtue of its mandate and credibility, is uniquely positioned to conduct a comprehensive audit of government procurement activities over thepastfiveyears.Thisaudit should focus on identifying how many contracts were a w a r d e d t h r o u g h competitive bidding versus selective tendering or no tendering at all; whether proper justification existed for the use of selective processes;andwhetherlegal r e q u i r e m e n t s a n d procurement regulations werefollowed.
It must also seek to q u a n t i f y t h e c o s t implications of these practices. How much more
did the public pay because competition was stifled? How many companies were locked out of opportunities due to unfair tendering? Which ministries and agencies are repeat offenders?Thisisnotsimply an exercise in number crunching. It is a test of our institutions.Canwehonestly say that the systems designed to protect the public interest are functioning? Can we trust that procurement rules are beingfollowed—orarethey just legal wallpaper, meant to impress but easily peeled awaywheninconvenient?
The political class will not welcome such an audit. There will be protestations about timing, accusations of politicization, and procedural objections. But the Auditor General must resist these diversions. His office does not serve political masters; it serves the public. And the public has every right to know whether its money is being spentwithintegrity
Letusalsodispensewith the lazy rationalization that selective tendering or no tendering at all, is faster, or thatitdeliversresults.Speed is no justification for opacity Efficiency without accountability is merely corruptiononadeadline.
If procurement officials believe they have acted properly, then they should have no fear of scrutiny A
special audit would, if nothing else, help restore confidence. It would show that there is still some measure of oversight in a systemthattoooftenappears impervioustoconsequence.
But if there has been wrongdoing—and let’s not pretend the suspicion lacks foundation—then the audit must trigger consequences. Not just administrative wrist-slaps,butprosecutions where warranted. Because favouritism in public procurement is not a victimless offence The victimsareallofus:citizens deprived of better roads, schools, hospitals—because contracts went to cronies insteadofthemostqualified bidder
This is not a left-right issue. It is a right-wrong issue. And the right thing is for the Auditor General to step in, decisively and independently. That office doesnotneedtobeaskedto dotheaudit;ithasthepower toinitiateit,andshould.
Lettheauditbegin.
(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinionsofthisnewspaper.)
medical emergency, but we know is fuh find one American doctor fuh plug up all de escape routes. Bucket loads, dem boys seh he done full two cesspit and de election campaign nah even start yet!
PoliticsinGuyanadon’t needsennapodorsalts.Just one bold businessman and suddenly one man deh crouch down like school childrenwithbellycramp. Lehwejusthopedeman get treatment, or at least stay hydrated. Because if Azmo keep campaigning, we gon need more than votes—we gon need vicks, vinegar,andprayer Demboysseh,oneman seh he running fuh president… while another justrunningtodelatrine. Talkhalf.Leffhalf
What if such and such had happened, then where would Guyana be today?
What if the tide of politics hadtakenadifferentturnon March3rdor4th,2020,what kind of Guyana would Guyanesehaveasamatterof realityandaprospecttoday?
The clock cannot be turned back, but the mind is not inhibited by any such mechanicallimitations. The mental does not obey the laws of physics (the environmental), sometimes it even defies gravity (the tribal), overcomes the flight of time (the wounds of memory).
Whatif...Whatifinthose firstraucousandevent-filled days of the post March 2, 2020 interval, the PNC-led coalition had graciously bowed out, readied itself to fight another day Wiser
Stronger Smoother That dayhascome,anditistoday inthispivotalyearnumbered 2025. How much better would the PNC, now the opposition, have positioned itself as a force to be reckoned with, and not the pathetic pushover that even its own people now condemn. Those who are nottooembarrassedtodoso publicly I think that there would have been the good and the bad. The former evidenced in some probable traces of goodwill; the latter more
s unprecedentednature. The good is that the victorious PPP may have been inclined to be less vengeful, more open to specks of the inclusive Some specks observed, no matter how minute, how far apart. Adifferenttoneinthe
always rude, abusive conversations, lesser frequencyintherevilements and their naked intensity Those may have meant something, then again, maybe not; nor have lasted so long as to make a difference. Conveniently, the interval from March to
August and all that pulverized this nation provided the grounds, generated the instincts, for the PPP of Dr Jagdeo and company to introduce the vindictive and then sharpen its claws, expand its toxic presence. Relative to the bad, I think that the compulsivestealing,thevast rivers of corruption in their many undulations would have been worse than ever seen in this country The PPP has had the gift of the first curse, oil The
forbidden fruit in the hand and under total control. Of course, it had to be sampled and sampled. And then sampled some more in biggerandbiggerbites. The reality of Guyana is that there is the PPP that is hopelessly addicted to thievery and other forms of white-collar banditry For some, it is rum or coke (the powdered kind). For the PPP, from head to toe, it is money Oil money Loan money The money of widows and children, and others of that wretched brigade.
Having looked forward andnottrappeditselfforfive months, and then five years, the PNC and its political cohorts would have positioned themselves, and strengthened their value, for 2025. The moment is upon us, and there is the PPP and the PNC. One is sleek and powerful, but as vulnerable asasharkstuckinasandpit. The other that should be in the forefront of the hunt todayisstilltryingtopickup the pieces from 2019-2020 and since. In my brief presence in this country, the Guyanesepeoplehavenever been readier for change, for patient nurturing, energetic cultivation. Change that is viable. A change that is inspiring. Apresencethatis credible,becauseitisvisible, audible,andrepresentssome element of the less corruptible. My God! Are Guyanese of all stripes disappointed to the point of nausea at the corruptions of the PPPGovernment cabals. The cabal of leaders. The
cabal of family And the cabalofthoseflauntingtheir foulgains,whilehidingtheir origins. NeedIsaymore?
G u y a n e s e a r e
d i s e n c h a n t e d a n d disillusionedanddespairing, andithasnothingtodowith depressed world market prices or depressed demand. Those two are favourable, yet huge swaths of Guyana are trapped in hunger and poverty,whilethePPPsteals bread out of their mouths, and then adds further injury by deceiving them, and taking the people for utter fools. And I must add, dancing unconcernedly at the top, while our soldiers brave untold dangers at the bottom by the rivers. All those stand as a rich harvest waiting for the PNC or anybody with the will and character to capitalize. It is content to lurk in the shadows -formless, toothless,andspiritless.
The issue for me is not where is the PNC andAFC, but what if… What if, they went down a different road, looking to regroup and gathering strength. While the scoundrels in the PPP Government seized the riches of Guyana, the PNC couldn’t focus on anything else, and so the oil curse frozethebrainofitsthinkers, andguidedthemtoprioritize theself-defeating.
Thus, Guyanese absorb the public spectacle of those playing two cards that don’t persuade, but degrade: of who should be the leader, and how much is the split. From my perspective, those are red herrings with a
difference. Theirscalespeel off,andwhatIseearenotred herrings that deceive, but green mail that all but informsvoterstostayhome. I ask indulgence for using that Wall Street term and stretching it to fit the Guyanese context Stay home, because what is the choice? Whereisit? Where is the difference, the programme, the leadership in which some vestiges of trust can be gambled? Where is the energy, the passion,thevision? Haveall those been cramped by the Americans? There it is, oil again,anditscursethatisnot in any textbook, or expert treatise.
Inthemostdemandingof times,thereisalossofface, loss of place, and loss of a kindunseeninthisland. The lossofaracethatisnoteven genuinelycontested.
In sports, there is a history of throwing a fight, fixing a game. In politics here,Ibelievewithsustained fervor that there is an election season that has already been thrown (and fixed) even before it began. What if What if the opposite had taken hold? Then, perhaps, Guyanese wouldhavehadsomethingin which to trust, to hope Instead,theyhaveDrs.I.Ali and B. Jagdeo. They stand untouchable.
(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinionsofthisnewspaper.)
Guyana the only country in the world that produces all the food it needs -studyfinds
BBC-Outof186countries,onlyGuyana produces enough food to self-sufficiently feed all its citizens without foreign imports, accordingtonewresearch.
The study, published in Nature Food, investigated how well each country could feed their populations in seven food groups: fruits, vegetables, dairy, fish, meat, plantbasedproteinandstarchystaples.
Worldwide, the study found that 65 per cent of countries were overproducing meat and dairy, compared to their own population’sdietaryneeds.
It also found that Guyana, located in South America, was the only country that could boast total self-sufficiency, while ChinaandVietnamwereclosebehind,being
able to produced enough food in six out of sevenfoodgroups.
Just one in seven of the tested countries were judged self-sufficient in five or more categories.
Guyana was the only country found by thisstudytoproduceenoughfoodtofeedits peopleinallsevenfoodgroups.
At the same time, there was a global shortfall in nutrient-dense plants, with less than half of countries involved in the study producingenoughplant-basedprotein–such asbeans,chickpeas,lentils,nutsandseeds–orstarchycarbs,andonly24percentgrowing enoughvegetables.
EuropeandSouthAmericawere Continued on page 15
PARAMARIBO, May 26 (Reuters)Suriname’srulingpartyanditstopopposition rival won almost the same number of parliamentaryseatsinanelectiononSunday, setting the stage for complex coalition negotiations that will determine who becomesthecountry’snextpresident.
TheSouthAmericannationisonthecusp ofapredictedoilboom,butcampaigningfor theballotfeaturedlittledebateaboutwhatthe nextgovernment,whichwillholdpoweruntil 2030,shoulddowiththeincome.
With43pollingstationsyettobecounted, results showed the opposition National DemocraticParty(NDP)-foundedbyformer President Desi Bouterse, who dominated Surinamese politics for decades but died a fugitive last year - had won 18 seats, with 79,544votes.
The ruling Progressive Reform Party (VHP) of current President Chan Santokhi won17seats,with75,983. Smaller parties, now potential
Abhelakh
kingmakers,wontheremaining16of51total seats.Anunknownnumberofvotesfromthe uncounted polling stations remained to be addedtothetallyasofearlyMonday Turnout so far was 58% of about 400,000 eligible voters.
Negotiationsbetweenpartiestochoosea presidentandcabinetministersfortheformer Dutch colony, independent since 1975, were alreadyexpectedtotakeweeksevenpriorto thetightresult.
A two-thirds majority in parliament is requiredtoelectthepresident.
FIRSTMAJOROFFSHOREPROJECT
Santokhi, a 66-year-old former police commissionerwhohascampaignedtoremain in office, won more votes than any other lawmaker,justunder40,000.
“We asked for a mandate and this is the mandate that the people have given. With that,wenowhavetomoveforward.Itisupto ustohavetalkswithotherpoliticalparties
Continued on page 15
TheRegionalDemocraticCouncil(RDC) of Region Three intends to construct health centres at Parfaite Harmonie on the West Bank of Demerara and at Maryville on LeguanIsland.
The Regional Administration in its invitation for bids stated that projects are estimated to $100 million, with eac project costing $50 million each These projects among others will form part of the region’s $13 billion allocation it received out of the nationalbudget.
This publication reported that Minister of Health,Dr FrankAnthonyon numerous occasions said the government is constructing health centres and posts across the countrytocomplementtheregionalhospitals and ensure modern facilities for healthcare workersacrosstheregions.
This is aimed at decentralizing and
expanding the range of public healthcare services provided to citizens, enhancing accessibilityforcommunitiesnationwide. It was reported in the media that since assuming office, the government has enhancedhealthcareaccessthroughthe construction of 25 new health centresandhealthpostsacross the country. Notably, close to380healthfacilitiesare operating in the country ensuring that efficient
availabletoallcitizens.
K
understands that the health centres that are being constructed offer a ide range of services, including maternal and child health care, family planning, general outpatient services, chronic disease management, school health programs, pharmacy services, and home visits, ensuring comprehensive health supportforallresidents.
President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali on Sunday night renewed his call for unity, vigilance and shared responsibility in driving the nationforward.
He made the remarks as he joined hundreds of citizens at the Albion Sport Complex in Region Six for the flag raising ceremony to mark Guyana’s 59th Independence Anniversary Flanked by members of the joint services, the president opened his remarks by reflecting on Guyana’s journey from colonial subjugation to sovereign nationhood, stating that independence was not simplyapoliticalact,itwasa commitment to the ideals of freedom, democracy and collectivedestiny
“My fellow Guyanese,
independence was never just a matter of geography orautonomy.Itwasasacred promise, a pledge that the p e o p l e o f G u y a n a ,
regardless of race, religion, class, or creed, would together build a future rootedindignity,equity,and equalityofopportunity.
Wehavewalkedtheroad for59years,sometimeswith a sure footing, sometimes unsteadily,butnever,never
Continued on page 18
The Ministry of Education is preparing to construct an annex at the St. Joseph’s High School, Georgetown with financing from theWorldBank.
This is according to a request for bids issued by the Education Ministry,whichnotedthatbidsare scheduledtoopenonJuly1,2025at the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board office.
According to the ministry, Guyana has received financing from the World Bank towards the cost of the ‘Guyana Strengthening Human Capital through Education Project’andintendstoapplypartof theproceedstowardsthecontract.
Kaieteur News reported in August 2022, the government signing a US$44 million loan agreement with theWorld Bank. It was reported that the project focusesontheexpansionofaccess to quality education at the
secondary level and improving technical and vocational training (TVET). The project supports the piloting and national rollout of a new curriculum for Grades Seven to Nine and finance textbooks for Grades Seven to Eleven. It also catersforthedevelopmentofanew TVETsectorpolicyfor2022-2030
and improving the delivery of TVET at secondary and postsecondaryinstitutions.
Notably,someoftheprojectsthe ministry has undertaken and issued tenders for under the ‘Guyana Strengthening Human Capital throughEducationProject’include theconstructionoftwonewblocks
attheSt.StanislausCollegevalued at $665,298,205. Back in March, the sod was turned to commence constructionforthisproject.
The ministry had also issued a tender stating that under this loan item,itwouldberehabilitatingand upgrading the Hope Secondary SchoollocatedontheEastCoastof
Demerara, constructing the New Christianburg Multilateral School in Region 10, and build the Prospect Secondary School on the EastBankofDemerara. Construction on that US$8.1M school is currently underway and when completed, it is anticipated thatitwillcaterfor1,000students.
Tw
o international dancehall artists, Vybz Kartel and Spice, paid emotionaltributeto11-yearold Adriana Younge during theBadderationconcertheld Saturday night at the National Stadium in Providence, East Bank Demerara(EBD).
Younge’s mysterious death has gripped the nation and drawn international attention.Theyounggirlwas reportedmissingonApril23 duringafamilyoutingatthe Double Day International Hotel and Bar in Tuschen, EastBankEssequibo.Nearly 20 hours later, she was discovered dead in the hotel’s swimming pool According to the family, after Younge went missing, multiple searches were conducted around the hotel grounds, including the pool area, but she was not found.
When her body was eventually discovered, her father, Subryan Younge, retrieved it from the water Family members observed that her body bore marks on the knees, elbows, face, hands,andtoes.Shewasalso found in a standing position in the pool, with no signs of bloating,whicharetypically
associatedwithdrowning.
Three international pathologists determined that the child died from drowning However, no determination was made regarding the time of death orwhetherpoolwaterortap water was discovered inside of the child’s lungs. Public
outrage has mounted in response to the handling of theinvestigation,withmany Guyanese at home and abroad, along with international supporters, calling for transparency and justice. Vigils, marches, and other memorials have been held in Adriana’s honour
acrossvariouscountries.
Duringtheearlyhoursof Sunday morning at the concert,artistESpice,whose real name is Grace Latoya Hamilton took a moment to speak directly to the audienceaboutAdriana.She said,“Ihavebeenseeingalot of things on social media, and I’m a mother My son is 17andmydaughteris14.So I want to take this opportunity to speak on Adriana.Adriana,Iloveyou, and I just want to dedicate this moment of my show to chant Adriana My heart goes out to Adriana.” Spice then led the crowd in chanting Adriana’s name before performing a gospel songintribute.
Meanwhile, Vybz Kartel whose real name is Adidja Azim Palmer also publicly acknowledged Adriana’s death for the first time and offeredhisowntribute:“For Adriana. We have eyes, we see. God rest her soul in the name of Jesus. But we have totakethisthingcalledlifeto bespecial,asitreallyis,”he said, before dedicating a songtohermemory
Beyond the stage, Adriana’sdeathhasinspired gatherings far beyond
Guyana’sborders.Vigilsand candlelight memorials have taken place in Queens and Brooklyn, New York, and have even extended to Bridgetown, Barbados. In Barbados, a condolence
book was opened in Adriana’s memory, where Guyanese nationals were
j o i n e d b y l o c a l sympathizers, many of whom learned about the tragic incident through social media. Amid the overwhelming support for Adriana, her family remains steadfast in their pursuit of the truth surrounding her death.
TheCaribbeanCommunityhasexpressedconcernforthe border controversy with Venezuela and underscored the Community’s“steadfastsupport”.
th In a message to mark Guyana’s 59 Independence Anniversary, CARICOM, Secretary-General, Dr Carla Barnett acknowledged the country’s “significant developmentalprogress”,whichshesaidhasbeenachieved concurrentwithitsprotectionofthecountry’sextensive Continued on page 17
ByDavinaBagot
With elections a mere three months away, Guyanese have raised concerns over the recent approval of an additional $57 5B for government spending, a mere 106 days after the passage of Budget 2025.
Highlightingconcernsin this regard were Shadow Finance Minister, Juretha Fernandes, Leader of the AllianceForChange(AFC), Nigel Hughes, former Finance Minister, Winston JordanandAttorney-at-Law, ChristopherRam.
For his part, Ram
n of an additional $57.5 billion in supplementary funding two d a y s b e f o r e t h e announcement of the September 1 elections and thedissolutionofParliament raises questions regarding thequalityandthoroughness of the budget process, fiscal responsibility, and election spending The Chartered Accountant pointed out that this year’s budget was approved to the tune of $1 382 trillion, with an unprecedented sum now added during an election period The appropriation includes approximately $46 5 billion for capital expenditure and $12 billion forrecurrentexpenditure.
Ram reasoned, “Less than five months after receiving $132.5 B in the 2025 Capital Budget, HousingandWaterhasbeen allocatedadditionalfunding. Since 2020, Housing has beentheprincipalagencyfor
b y t h e Consolidated Fund The
President’s Silica City project is financed from Housing with limited public transparency or reporting, which continues patterns of concern regarding this ministry’s accountability mechanisms over the past decade.”
Further,henotedthatthe OfficeofthePrimeMinister was allocated more resources for cash grants withnoreportingonthetwo previous tranches of $30 billioneach.Moreover,Ram toldthisnewspaperthatwith an additional $30B more for power generation and the Gas-to-Energy (GTE) project, rising costs are likelytoaffectitsviabilityas an economic investment Ram concluded, “With only eight months of tax collections available to finance this expenditure, the increased deficit requires funding through increased borrowings or drawdown from the Natural Resource Fund. If the PPP/C loses the elections, the problem will fall into the lap of its successor If it wins, it will have five years to manage thefiscalconsequencesofits
Frompage11
basedonthis,”Santokhi,whohasnotruledoutcooperation with any other party, told local newspaper the Suriname Herald.
TheNDPissettobackitspartyheadJenniferSimons,a doctor who served as parliamentary speaker for a decade until2020,forpresident.
Simonswassecondinvotetallies,winning34,750votes.
The NDPwill not work with theVHP, NDPVice Chair SergioAkiembototoldreporterslateonSunday
NDPfounderBouterseleftofficein2020,theyearafter he was convicted in the 1982 murders of 15 government critics.
Whentheconvictionwasupheldin2023,Boutersewent intohiding,dyingattheageof79atanunknownlocationon ChristmasEve.
Suriname’s first big offshore energy development, the GranMorguoilandgasproject,issettobeginproductionin 2028.
extravagance.”
Electioneering andthePPP
Meanwhile, the AFC’s Juretha Fernandes sees the p a s s a g e o f t h e supplementary budget as “electioneering”.Infact,she urged Guyanese to remain vigilant of the government’s expenditure over the next months The Shadow FinanceMinisterarguedthat the supplementary budget, threemonthsafterapproving a National Budget is an admission on the part of the administration that it has failed to effectively manage theeconomy
More alarmingly, according to the Member of Parliament (MP) is the fact that the government has not yet expended the monies approved under the programmes it sought additional funding for Coupled with the fact that elections are now set for September 1, Fernandes said, “You understand the players and what they are trying to do. Basically, fill their pockets with money, p a r t i c u l a r l y f o r electioneering and that is what we have been trying to alert persons to for the
Frompage10 generally closer to being self-sufficient than other countries.
But small island states, countries on the Arabian Peninsula and low-income countriesweremorelikelyto rely on foreign imports for food. And six countries –Afghanistan, United Arab Emirates,Iraq,Macao,Qatar andYemen–didnotproduce enoughofanyfoodgroupto be considered self-sufficient inthatcategory.
longest while and believe it ornot,Iwillnotbesurprised if they try to get even more money because that’s how theyhavebeenoperating.”
Fernandes pointed to the cash grant allocation and infrastructurebudgetsaskey examples. She argued that $9B was allocated for Hinterland Roads under the Ministry of Public Works, however government requested an additional $1.5Bforanexpandedwork programme.
The Shadow Finance Minister was keen to point out that the $9B provision approved in this year’s Budget is nowhere close to being expended, yet the administration is seeking more funds to finance its “electioneering”.
Fernandes is of the firm view that the recently allocated sum will not be used to finance projects that can be completed before the year but this would be used as a cosmetic approach to woo voters “They have these election promises but will these roads be done between now and elections? No they will not but they want to tell people oh we budgetedforthis.”
Focus. “There are valid and oftenbeneficialreasonswhy a country may not produce the majority of the food it needs.”
For instance, a country might not have enough rain, good-quality soil or stable temperaturestogrowenough foodforitspopulation.
Stehl said it could be cost-effective,too,toimport food from regions better suitedtoproducingit.
T h e M e m b e r o f
Parliamentremindedthather colleaguesduringthedebate onthesupplementarybudget raisedanalarmoverthefact that more money is being sought even though the budgetedamountisstilltobe exhausted.
Meanwhile, on the $100,000 cash grant for Guyanese18yearsandolder, Fernandes said the National Assembly was informed by Prime Minister Brigadier Ret’d Mark Phillips that 12,100 more citizens are expected to register He was however unable to say what regions these persons are likely to register in. “When questionedonwhereyouare getting this 12,100 figure from he basically could not answer so its like they are pulling this figure out of the sky,”sheargued.
To this end, the MP urged, “We as a people, the Opposition and citizens at large needs to be very vigilant at this time on how government is expending resources and the quality of work they are delivering in ourcommunities.”
Failuretomeetthreshold
AFC Leader Nigel Hughes contended that a
supplementary budget, three months after the national budgetisaglaringindication of government’s inability to manage the economy Like Fernandes,theLeaderofthe AFC also believes in the possibility of another supplementary budget prior to this year’s election in Septemberislikely Accordingtohim,“They want to continue to plunder the national resources for their private benefit ” Moreover,Hugheswaskeen to point out that the funds sought by government and approved in the National Assembly,bywayofitsoneseat majority does not meet the required threshold. He reminded that the additional resources should be budgeted for urgent and unforeseen expenses. “That is the requirement and they have not satisfied that threshold.”
BreachofFMAA
Flagging a breach of the Fiscal Management and AccountabilityAct(FMAA) was former Finance Minister, Winston Jordan. Duringapublicbroadcaston social media, he said, “AccordingtoSection24(4) of the Fiscal Management and Accountability Act of 2003 the minister when introducingasupplementary appropriationbill,astheone that was just introduced, shall present to the National Assembly the reason for the proposed variation and provide a supplementary document describing the impact that the variations, if approved will have on the financialplanoutlinedinthe annual budget ” Jordan pointed out that there has been no such document presentedtotheHousebythe governmentinitsrequestfor supplementary
The project is led by TotalEnergies (TTEF.PA), opens new tab. Discovered reserves may allow Suriname to compete with neighbour Guyana - whose economy grew 43.6%lastyear-asaprominentproducer Guyanatheonlycountryintheworldthatproduces...
“Low self-sufficiency is not inherently bad,” Dr. Jonas Stehl – researcher at Göttingenandfirstauthorof thestudy–toldBBCScience
“However, low levels of self-sufficiencycanreducea country’s capability to respond to sudden global food supply shocks such as droughts, wars or export bans,”hesaid.
Tofindthisout,ateamat the University of Göttingen, Germany and the University of Edinburgh, UK measured howmuchfoodeachcountry produced Then they compared this to what was neededtomeettheircitizens’ nutritional requirements, according to the World Wildlife Fund’s Livewell diet The Livewell diet describesitselfas“aflexible diet that involves rebalancing our protein consumption toward plants, eating more vegetables, pulses and wholegrains, and fewer foods high in fat, salt andsugar.” Debates about the
sufficiency have risen in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemicortheonsetofthe Russia-Ukraine war – when instability disrupted the reliable supply of food to importingcountries. Stehl added that the “resurgence in interest” in national food selfsufficiencymightalsoreflect broader political shifts, “including growing nationalism and a desire among some to reduce dependence on foreign countries.” Stehl said: “Building resilient food supply chains is imperative forensuringpublichealth.”
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From page 06 a challenged one-seat majority at the 2015 election.
A puerile Granger was no match as a ranger to harness an existential proclivity to win the mother of all elections in 2020. Thanks to the astute presence of an array of observers at all levels, a vigilant ABCE persisted to be proactive and coherently concerned for democracy. The international community was conscious of an attempted rigging mechanism
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by the PNC to indulge in defrauding the result of the election and forge a win for themselves.
It has been fifty-nine years of freedom from British Imperialism as an independent
country, including fifty-five years as a Republic state since Guyana relinquished the British Monarchy as the head of this nation. Through the translucent lens of a telescope for a fulfilled future and
under the transparent lens of a microscope for current conditions, the PPP/C Government remains steadfast in accountability, responsibility and productivity. Their motto, mantra and manifesto is to
serve all carefully, consciously and competently. Happy 59th Independence Anniversary, fellow Guyanese.
Yours respectfully, Jai Lall
From page 05 produced 89,000 tonnes, they do not have all of those markets in 2025. These would be regional and international markets. Additionally, in terms of molasses, if these are the production figures for the past five years, then the company is not providing the markets with the amount of molasses that was supplied from 2016 to 2020. Finally, under the
APNU+AFC government, the idea was to reorganize the industry and retain three operating estates and improve the production to 143,000 by 2021/2022. Annually, Albion was a $9 billion dollars business in Region Six, Blairmont was a $5 billion business in Region 5 and Uitvlugt was a $4 billion business in Region Three, hence, the thinking of the APNU+AFC government
was to maintain these estates as vibrant businesses in these regions, so that the over 200 businesses which were feeding off the productivity of the corporation, would have continued to be robust. Is Mr. Paul Cheong telling us that 8,000 employees produced 15,980 tonnes of sugar for the first crop and over a period of five months (January – May 2025)? Then what has hap-
pened to the sugar and molasses markets and those 200 businesses, if GuySuCo is producing a meagre 15,980 tonnes of sugar over five months? The government must be more accountable for how they are using our money and managing the economy.
Sincerely,
Citizen Audreyanna Tho mas
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The Ministry of Public Works through itsTransport & Harbours Department is
preparing to spend
a p p r o x i m a t e l y
$4,817,113,934 to complete phaseoneofthenewmodern Port Facility at Parika, RegionTwo.
With two tender openingsfortheproject,one on May 16 and the other on May 23, the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB)officerevealedon its website on Friday that a total of 24 bids were received for the project Notably, one of the bidders, the agency stated, “No supportingdocumentseento
identifyBidder.”
The Public Works
Ministryhadissuedatender for phase one, noting that works are slated to be executed in three lots. In its tender document, the ministry stated that Lot 1 entails the construction of ‘concretepilefoundationand stelling deck superstructure works’, Lot 2 deals with ‘river defence and land reclamation works (northern foreshore)’, while Lot 3 coversthe‘riverdefenceand land reclamation works (southernforeshore)’ According to NPTAP information, Lot 1 is estimated to cost $3,466,752,184.76, Lot 2 is
Belowarethecompaniesandtheirbids:
Transport&HarboursDepartment
ConstructionofaNewPortFacility atParika-Phase1Lots1-3.
$675,180,875, and Lot 3 is estimated to cost
$675,180,875.
Kaieteur News reported that the project, which falls under the ministry’s capital programme for the year, formspartofthe$99billion
that was budgeted to the agency to improve the country’srivertransportation service
Additionally, the new modern port is aimed at increasingtradeandtourism alongtheEssequiboCoast.
HinterlandElectrificationCo.Inc.
ConstructionofaControlRoom forLethemPowerCompanyInc.
MinistryofEducation
ConstructionofVreed-en-HoopSecondary School,WCDRegionThree,Lots1-4.
MinistryofHomeAffairs
ConstructionofProcessingBuildingat CANUHeadquarters,RegionFour
Frompage14
natural eco-systems. In her congratulatory message to President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali, Dr Barnett also acknowledged the country’s prominence in the international and regional diplomatic sphere and its “strong commitment to upholding international law and ensuring that the voice oftheCaribbeancontributes to shaping the discourse of globalsecurity”.
Guyana’s efforts in the CARICOM Quasi Cabinet on matters related to Agriculture, Agricultural Diversification and Food Security and its “leadership of CARICOM’s efforts to reduce the Region’s food import bill by 25% by the year 2030 has led to significant progress in the sector” were also noted in the Secretary-General’s message,Barnettsaid.
“As one of the world’s fastest growing economies, fuelled by the petroleum sector, Guyana has made significant developmental progress. Notably, this has been achieved even while ensuring the protection of the country’s extensive n
Guyana can also be justifiably proud of its prominence in international and regional diplomacy. Guyana’s non-permanent membership of the United Nations Security Council has been backed by a strong commitment to upholding international law and ensuringthatthevoiceofthe Caribbean contributes to shaping the discourse on global security,” the CARICOMSGsaid.
Dr Barnett said CARICOM anticipates that
Guyana will continue its outstanding work in the multilateral sphere, including through its upcoming presidency of the SecurityCouncil,toadvance the regional agenda on priority issues such as climate change and the multifacetedcrisisinHaiti.
“Within CARICOM, Guyana plays a central role in advancing regional integration, not only as the Community’s headquarters country,butespeciallyinthe d i s c h a r g e o f i t s responsibility for Agriculture, Agricultural Diversification, and Food Security in the CARICOM Quasi-Cabinet where its leadership of CARICOM’s efforts to reduce the Region’sfoodimportbillby 25%bytheyear2030hasled tosignificantprogressinthe sector The role being played by Guyana in developing digitaleducationandtraining, regionaltransportationand,by youpersonally,inchairingthe Prime Ministerial SubCommittee on Cricket, will undoubtedly redound to the benefit of the people of the Region,”Dr Barnettsaid However, she noted that the border controversy with Venezuela remains of perennial concern “You may be assured that CARICOMissteadfastinits support for Guyana’s sovereignty, security and territorial integrity. Your Excellency, as Guyana continues to pursue its developmental agenda, I extend my warmest regards and best wishes to the Government and People of this bountiful nation for its sustained prosperity and enhanced well-being,” Dr Barnettsaid.
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israeli strikes killed at least 52 people in the Gaza Strip on Monday, including 36 in a school-turned-shelter that was struck as people slept, setting their belongings ablaze, according to local healthofficials.Themilitary said it targeted militants operatingfromtheschool.
Israel renewed its offensive in March after ending a ceasefire with Hamas.
Ithasvowedtoseizefull control of Gaza and keep fighting until Hamas is destroyed or disarmed, and until the militant group returns the remaining 58 hostages, a third of them believedtobealive,fromthe Oct. 7, 2023, attack that ignitedthewar
Israel began allowing a trickle of humanitarian aid into Gaza last week after blocking all food, medicine, fuel or other goods from entering for 2 1/2 months.
Aid groups have warned of famine and say the aid that has entered is nowhere near enoughtomeetingmounting needs.
A new aid system supported by Israel and the UnitedStatesbutrejectedby U N agencies and aid groups was expected to begin operations as soon as Monday, despite the resignation of theAmerican leadingtheeffort,whosaidit wouldnotbeabletooperate
independently
Israel says it plans to facilitatewhatitdescribesas the voluntary migration of Gaza’s over 2 million population, a plan rejected by Palestiniansandmuchof theinternationalcommunity Hamas warned Palestinians on Monday not to cooperate with the new aid system, saying it is aimed at furtheringthoseobjectives.
Israel’s military campaignhasdestroyedvast areas of Gaza and displaced some 90% of its population. Many have fled multiple times.
Ultranationalists march ineastJerusalem,breakinto UNcompound
I n a s e p a r a t e d e v e l o p m e n t , ultranationalist Israelis gatheredinJerusalemforan annual procession marking Israel’s1967conquestofthe city’s eastern sector Some protesterschanted“Deathto Arabs” and harassed Palestinianresidents.
Asmallgroup,including a member of parliament, brokeintotheeastJerusalem compound of the U N agency for Palestinian refugees, which Israel has banned.
The UNRWAcompound hasbeenmostlyemptysince January, when staff were asked to stay away for securityreasons.
Therewasnoimmediate commentfromIsraelipolice. Rescuers recover
Bodies of Palestinians killed in the Israeli army airstrikes are brought to Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, Monday, May 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)
charredremains
The strike on the school in Gaza City’s Daraj neighborhoodalsowounded dozens of people, said Fahmy Awad, head of the Health Ministry’s emergencyservice.Hesaida father and his five children were among the dead. The Shifa and al-Ahli hospitals confirmedtheoveralltoll.
Awad said the school was hit three times while people slept. Footage online showed rescuers struggling to extinguish fires and recoveringcharredremains.
Israel’s military said it targeted a command center insidetheschoolthatHamas and Islamic Jihad militants used to gather intelligence for attacks. Israel blames
civilian deaths on Hamas because it operates in residentialareas.
A separate strike on a homeinJabaliyainnorthern Gazakilled16membersofa family, including five women and two children, according to Shifa Hospital, whichreceivedthebodies.
Palestinian militants, meanwhile, fired three projectiles from Gaza. Two fellshortwithintheterritory and a third was intercepted, according to Israel’s military
Official involved in Israel-backed aid plan resigns
Israel plans to roll out a new aid distribution system runbyagroupknownasthe Gaza Humanitarian
Foundation, made up of fo
nitar
a
, government and military officials, that would set up distribution points guarded byprivatesecurityfirms.
Israel accuses Hamas o
providingevidence
The foundation said in a statement it would begin delivering aid Monday and would reach a million Palestinians around half of Gaza’s population bytheendoftheweek.
U N agencies and major aid groups have refused to cooperate with the system, saying it would force more displacement, fail to meet needs and violate
humanitarian principles that prohibit a warring party from controlling humanitarian assistance They also say there is no evidence of systematic diversionofaidbymilitants.
Jake Wood, the American heading the foundation, resigned Sunday, saying it had b e c o m e c l e a r t h e foundation would not be allowed to operate independently. It’s not clear who fundsthegroup.
Hamas-led militants killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducted251peopleinthe 2023 attack More than half the hostages have been returned in ceasefire agreements or other deals, eight have been rescued and Israeli forces have recovered the remains of dozensmore.
Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed a r o u n d 5 4 , 0 0 0 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry It says more than half the dead are women and children but does not distinguish between civilians and combatants initscount
The offensive has destroyedvastareasofGaza. Hundreds of thousands of people have been forced to shelter in schools and squalid tent camps for well overayear
Frompage12 separately and never hesitantly Now our path forward is clear The road to prosperity lies before us, ” the president emphasised.
Thepresidentcalledon citizens to reach across religious, ethnic and geographic lines, to forge ahead not as six separate peoples, but as a unified people He reminded citizens that while independence brought sovereignty, it also came with the responsibility to uphold democratic principles.
There were years when that promise was betrayed, when elections were manipulated, ballots were abused and power was taken, not entrusted ”
As Guyana looks to host the 2025 general and regional elections this year; the head of state made an appeal to every Guyanese to defend the democratic spirit of the nation. He warned the crowd against voices that seek to divideandmislead,calling instead for a campaign grounded in performance, ideasandvision
“It must be about performance, competition of ideas and vision. It must
He continued by e m p h a s i s i n g t h a t democracy must never be taken for granted, as it forms the foundation for national development and serves as a mirror of the nation’s conscience He said, “History has taught us that democracy is not self-sustaining. It is fragile and it demands constant vigilance.
be about track record, not empty rhetoric These elections must be marked with love, unity, strength of character, dignity and after the ballot circus and the results are announced, it must be about one government governing for O n e G u y a n a , ” the presidentremarked.
He noted that a proclamation to dissolve Parliament will soon be issued in accordance with theConstitution.
PresidentAlialsocalled on Guyanese to stand in solidarity and defend the country’s territorial integrity in light of Venezuela’s continued aggressions.
Guyana’s boundaries were settled by the 1899 Arbitral Award, stating that Guyana’s territory is a settledfact.
He declared, “We are not aggressors, we are protectors, but let no one mistake our peacefulness for weakness in our sovereignty
I f o u r l a n d i s threatened, we shall rise as one nation, one people with one destiny We shall rise not in fear, but in fear’s loyalty to the land that gave us birth and which we love unconditionally We shall defend this nation with every beat of our hearts, every muscle in our body, every fiber of our souls. We will never waver, never falter,neversurrender.”
According to the president, from every savannah, riverbank, village,andcommunity,the flag of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana flies w i t h p r o u d defiance—defiance against
historicalinjustices,foreign ambitions, and all forces that once questioned the legitimacyofourjourney
He also promised to servewithdignity,prideand trust, and to continue working with the men and women of the Government and the uniformed services tobuildastrongerRepublic.
“Let us hand our children not just sovereign land, but a strong, just and flourishing nation,” he urged.“MayAlmighty God bless each of you, and may God bless and protect our beloved Republic, ” according to the head of state.AsGuyanacelebrates its 59th anniversary of independence,PresidentAli remindedthenationthatthe work of building and defending Guyana belongs toeverycitizen,andthebest daysareyettocome.(DPI)
The second is to ensure that development is inclusive and reaches every citizen, leaving no one behind, to which the president said Guyana is no l o n g e r s e e k i n g development; we are achieving it. He explained, “The coming years will be marked by even harder work as we continue building blocks of transformation. Our infrastructure transformation is beyond a n y o n e ’ s w i l d e s t imagination. We are t r a n s f o r m i n g o u r infrastructure to connect G u y a n a w i t h o u r neighbors, to promote trade, to increase the economic space in which we operate, to expand our markets, and to remove the constraintsthatexistwithin ourcountry.”
SportsMax - Despite another strong performance with bat and ball from captain Hayley Matthews, the West Indies Women suffered a 17-run loss to EnglandWomentocloseout theirT20Internationalseries at the County Ground in ChelmsfordonMonday
The West Indian captain ledthebowlingeffortwith332fromherfouroverswhile debutant Jahzara Claxton was excellent in support, picking up 1-15 from her fourovers.
The West Indies were restrictedto127-8intheir20 overs,losingby17runs.
Matthews was once againthestandoutperformer
Heather Knight made a 47-ball 66* while skipper Nat Sciver-Brunt hit 37 as the hosts posted 144-5 from their20oversafterbeingput intobatbyMatthews.
with the bat with 71 off 54 ballsincluding11foursanda six while Realeanna Grimmond and Shabika Gajnabi hit 15 and 14, respectively
Lauren Bell, Em Arlott, Charlie Dean and Linsey Smith all picked up two wicketsforthevictors.
The West Indian reply got off to the worst possible startwhenQianaJosephwas bowled by Bell off the very
firstballoftheinnings.
Matthews and Zaida Jamesthencombinedtoadd 34 for the second wicket before James fell to Arlott forseven.
Grimmond joined Matthews and they added a further 29 for the third wicket.
Amazingly, Grimmond survived three dropped catches in consecutive balls in the first five balls of the 11th over before she finally fell off the last ball of that
ARIES(Mar.21–Apr.19)
Overall,theforecastfortoday is fairly good. The aspects seemtofavorfiguringoutthe meaning of all that's transpired over the past several weeks It's an opportunity for you to take a leisurely
TAURUS(Apr.20–May20)
Have you felt somewhat lost forthepastfewdays?Thefog maylifttodayandenableyou to situate yourself at last. You'reprobablyeagertosettle a question that has nagged at you and interfered with your judgment.
GEMINI(May21–June20)
You may have been feeling somewhat disillusioned. Perhapsyoulostsightofyour goals or misplaced your faith in yourself. You'll feel some reliefbeginningtoday
CANCER(June21–July22)
Youmightbetemptedtosettle certain matters by radical means. The visionary part of you means you're painfully aware of the world's wrongs. You see no reason not to take actiontocorrectthem.
LEO(July23–Aug.22)
Today will be fairly calm in terms of outside events, but yourinnerworldislikelytobe in a rush of activity Today you wish you could find the solutiontoyourheartachesas well as your career predicaments.
VIRGO(Aug.23–Sept.22)
You have a lot of thinking to do about your professional goals, Virgo. You'll go over the elements to see if there isn't some way to approach thingsdifferently
LIBRA(Sept.23–Oct.22)
Youjustcan'tdoeverythingat once, Libra. How do you expect to reduce your stress and recuperate while at the same time continue to be a superstar performer in every areaofyourlife.
SCORPIO(Oct.23–Nov 21)
Thisisagoodmomenttoadapt your logic and reason to reality, Scorpio. If you don't, you're going to run into some
ems Everyone knows that you find newideasplentiful.
SAGIT(Nov 22–Dec.21)
It'sgoingtobealittledifficult t
y, Sagittarius. You, who can be easily influenced by others, will be listening to and criticizing everything that peoplesay
CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19)
Haveyoubeenreviewingyour
y, Capricorn? Of special interest is your cultural background. What educational, social, and religious environment were you born into? What are its values?Intheend.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20–Feb. 18) It's time to elevate your senseofself,Aquarius.You're justasgoodasanyoneelse,so why don't you believe it? The problem is that you're very sensitiveabouthavinganego. Even though you know everyonedoes.
PISCES(Feb.19–Mar.20)
Today your intellectual and expressive abilities should receive a boost from the planets.It'sanexcellenttimeto organize your thoughts about presentingaproject.
overtoleavetheWestIndies 63-3withnineoversleft.
Matthews,undeterredby wickets falling at the other end, brought up her second fifty of the series halfway throughthe13thover
West Indies were 97-3 four balls into the 16th over when rain stopped play, affectingthemomentumthat the West Indian captain was building.
Not long after the
Frompage24 win over his cramping compatriot Terence Atmane but local hope Caroline Garcia made her final appearance at Roland Garrosina6-46-4defeatby AmericanBernardaPera. Navarro was shown the door after a 6-0 6-1 hammering by Spain’s Jessica Bouzas Maneiro before 12th seed Elena Rybakina survived a scare against Julia Riera to beat the Argentine qualifier 6-1 4-66-4.
resumption,hopesofaWest Indian consolation victory were dashed when Gajnabi, Jahzara Claxton (0) and Matthewsallfellwithinfour balls of each other to leave the score at 113-6 one ball intothe18thover The West Indians lost two more wickets, Jannilea Glasgow for one and Afy Fletcher for six, eventually ending their innings 127-8 off20overs.
The Guyana U20
Women’s National Team continued their training campattheGuyanaFootball Federation’s(GFF)National Training Centre (NTC), as theypreparetorepresentthe nation at the 2025 Concacaf W o m e n ’ s U 2 0 Championship.
The squad will enter the tournament as the only Caribbean nation to have
reached this final qualification stage for the FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup.
With the countdown to the tournament intensifying, theLadyJagshaveremained focused on fine-tuning their
tactical readiness, sharpening technical execution,andbuildingteam chemistry As part of the programme, the players
were afforded the opportunity to share the pitch with members of
women’s contingent of Police FC a club that features several former senior and junior national players.
While the exercise provided valuable match exposurefortheLadyJags,it was also an inspiring experience The shared
momentsbetweentheyoung national hopefuls and some o f t h e s e a s o n e d professionals created a spirited atmosphere filled with encouragement, m e n t o r s h i p , a n d camaraderie.Theinteraction offered the girls a chance to learn from those who once donned the national jersey andcontinuetogivebackto thesport,bothonandoffthe field.
Also adding a special dimension to the day’s activities was a brief meetand-greet between the U20 players and participants of the ongoing GFF-Blue
Water Shipping U15 Girls’ Tournament. The encounter brought together two generations of female footballers,eachinspiredby the other, with one group strivingtoearnaplaceonthe international stage and the other just beginning their journey
The U20 squad, known locally as the Lady Jags, commenced their camp earlier this week in preparation for Group A competition in Costa Rica, where Guyana is set to face regional giants in a highly competitivegroup.
Guyana’sFixtures:
• May 30: USA vs Guyana
• June 1: Guyana vs CostaRica
• June 3: Puerto Rico vs Guyana
All matches will be held at the Estadio Alejandro MoreraSotoinCostaRica.
As preparations continue, the Lady Jags along with our experienced technical staff remain determined to represent Guyana to the best of their ability, bolstered by the support of the football fraternity and moments like today that go beyond the game.
BBC Sport - Kylian Mbappe has won the European Golden Shoe for the first time after scoring twice in Real Madrid’s 2-0 defeat of Real Sociedad on Saturday
The France international scored31leaguegoalsinhis debut season in Spain, meaning he also won La Liga’stopscorerprize.
A double in Real’s final game of the season secured Mbappe top spot in the rankings ahead of Sporting striker Victor Gyokeres (39 goals) and Liverpool forwardMohamedSalah(29 goals).
ThoughGyokeresscored eightmoreleaguegoalsthan Mbappe,hefinishedrunnerup because a weightedpoints based system decides therankings.
Goals scored by players competing in Europe’s top five leagues - Premier L e a g u e , L a L i g a , Bundesliga, Serie A and Ligue 1 - are worth two points.
Goals from those who play in leagues ranked sixth to22ndinUefa’scoefficient, including the Portuguese PrimeiraLiga,areworth1.5 points.
Mohamed Salah needed a hat-trick in Liverpool’s final Premier League match against Crystal Palace on Sunday in order to share the prizewithMbappe.
The Egypt international scoredonceina1-1draw Mbappe is just the third Realplayertowintheaward, after Hugo Sanchez (1989-
90) and Cristiano Ronaldo (2010-11, 2013-14 and 2014-15).
Gyokeres - who has been heavily linked with a summer move to Arsenalhad no chance of catching M
previousweekend
After scoring in his side’s 3-1 defeat of Lisbon rivals Benfica in the Portuguese Cup final on Sunday, the Sweden international finished the season with 53 goals in 51 gamesinallcompetitions
The top five in the rankings were as follows: Mbappe (62 points), Gyokeres(58.5),Salah(58), Robert Lewandowski (54), HarryKane(52).
Th e G u y a n a
Under-19 squad bowled off their preparatory camp ahead of theupcomingCWIRegional U19 Championships with a solid workout session in the Cinderella County, Essequibo.
Guyana’s next batch of stars commenced the
f weekend encampments,
Guyana Harpy Eagles
assistant coach and head coach of the squad, Garvin Nedd
Players will be put through a number of intense training regimen among other physical activities, whichwillfocusonensuring the youngsters enter the tournamentinpeakphysical condition, physically and mentally
The first net session was held at the Anna Regina Stadium in Essequibo as
well as session at the Essequibo Hostel outdoor nets.
The full encampment will commence two weeks
Members of the Guyana U19 squad putting in some work at the Anna Regina Stadium ahead of the upcoming CWI Regional U19 tournament.
priortotheteam’sdeparture aheadoftheJune29startto theCWItournament
Recently,Neddtoldthis newspaperthathewaskeen
The much-anticipated Inter-Ward Seven-a-Side Knockout Football Championship, popularly known as the Deputy Mayor’s Cup, has officially beenrescheduledtokickoffonFriday,June6 attheiconicPoliceSportsClubGround,Eve Leary
Inamajornewdevelopment,theGuyana Police Force (GPF) has confirmed its full participation, signaling their commitment to thishigh-energytournament.
The GPF Football team, known for its strength and discipline, joins 31 other teams inthechaseforover$1.5millionincashand prizes, making this one of the most exciting editionsyet.
OriginallyslatedforanApril30start,the tournament faced a series of delays over the pasttwomonths.
However, after productive discussions between Tournament Coordinator Lennox Arthur and Commissioner of Police Clifton Hicken,theeventisnowlockedinforitsnew date. According to Arthur, “All systems are goodforJune6.”
The tournament will span four nights, followingastraightknockoutformat.Onthe openingnight(June6),16teamswilltakethe field, eight will advance, and eight will be eliminated.Theremaining16teamswillplay on Saturday, June 7, with another eight advancing.
The winners from each of the first two nightswillthenfaceoffonWednesday,June 11,withsuccessfulteamsearningaspotinthe quarterfinals, scheduled for June 14, where
the2025championswillbecrowned
The action begins at 6:00 PM this Friday with Police Force Ballers facing TeamUprisingintheopeningfixture
The night continues with Pouderoyen vsSwanFC,followedbysixmoreexciting matchups, featuring teams such as Uitvlugt, Herstelling, Den Amstel, Liliendaal, Stabroek Ballers, Campbellville, Team Taliban, Agricola, Back Circle, Kitty, Bent Street, and Albouystown.
With the GPF’s endorsement, the tournament introduces new awards honouringtopfigureswithintheforce.
The Most Valuable Player (MVP) will receive the Clifton Hicken Trophy, the Top Goal Scorer will earn the Ravindradat Budhram Trophy, and the Most Disciplined TeamwilltakehometheErrolWattsTrophy
What’satStake?
Firstplacewinnerswillsecure$500,000 alongwithchampionshiptrophyandmedals, second place finishers will cart off with $300,000 in cash and trophy while third and fourthwillhaveachancetowalkawaywith $200,000and$100,000,respectively
With official endorsement from both Deputy Mayor Denise Miller and the Commissioner of Police, this year’s Deputy Mayor’sCupisshapinguptobethepremier Inter-Ward football showdown in the country
All roads lead to Police Ground, Eve Leary, from June 6 to 14.The only question leftis:Whowilltakehomethecrown?
on working tirelessly with this young batch of stars as they seek to bring another titlehomethisyear Nedd was also adamant
that sticking to the basics and utilizing a number of tactics like assessing conditions, knowing opposing team players,
assessing wickets among others aspects, are some of the areas he plans to focus on during the encampment phase
In a continued push to develop all aspects of amateurboxing,theGuyana Boxing Association (GBA) will host a Referee and Judges Certification Programme from May 29–31, under the expert guidance of International Boxing Association (IBA) Three-Star Referee and Judge,JamesBeckles.
Arelease from the GBA informed that, the Trinidadian, Beckles, who holds the highest officiating rankgrantedbytheIBA,will be leading the certification process aimed at raising the standard of officiating in Guyana, following the country’srapidgrowthinits boxingprofile. His visit, according to
GBA president Steve Ninvalle, comes at a crucial time as the nation experiences a resurgence in talent, particularly among youth and elite amateur ranks.
“While our focus is usually on the athletes, the GBAisequallycommittedto developingeveryfacetofthe sport,”Ninvallestated.
“Beckles’ presence and leadership of this programme is an important stepinensuringwemaintain internationalstandardsinthe ring and beyond. Impacting the sport all around is important to the GBA, but it’s especially important for the development of boxing inGuyana,”Ninvallestated.
T h e t h r e e - d a y
certification course will not only focus on theoretical knowledgebutalsopractical application. To that end, the GBA will host a national
boxing tournament from May30toJune1,whichwill serve as a live evaluation groundforparticipants.
Beckles will oversee the
tournament, assessing the performance of aspiring referees, judges, and technicalofficials.
Guyana has recently earned recognition on the international stage, with Abiola Jackman becoming the first Guyanese boxer to win a gold medal at the A M B C E l i t e Championships.
Ninvalle credits this milestone to the GBA’s tiered development system and its commitment to exposing local talent to internationalarenas.
Presently,Guyanaboasts one IBA Three-Star coach, Sebert Blake, following the passing of the respected Terrence Poole (MS), who had also attained that elite status.
The addition of highly trained officials is seen as another critical pillar in sustainingandenhancingthe country’sboxinglegacy
“Our boxers deserve the best support system possible, and that includes competent, certified officials,” Ninvalle noted.
“With Beckles’ support, we’re not just improving officiating, we’re building the future of boxing in Guyana.”
TheGBA,Ninvallesaid, continues to show that its mission goes far beyond the ring,ensuringthateveryjab, hook, and point scored is governed with fairness, expertise, and world-class standards.
PARIS, (Reuters) -
Defending champions Iga Swiatek and Carlos Alcaraz powered into the second round of the French Open but fourth seed Taylor Fritz and four-times Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka were unable to avoid the Roland GarrostrapdooronMonday Fritz’s fellow American and ninth seed Emma Navarro became another notable victim on an overcast day while former runners-upCasperRuudand Stefanos Tsitsipas breezed throughwithnoproblemsin thedaysession.
World number one Jannik Sinner meets local hopeArthur Rinderknech in the evening on Court Philippe Chatrier as he bids to turbo-charge his hunt for moreGrandSlamtitlesafter coming back from a threemonth doping ban this month.
Swiatek continued her bid to become the first woman to win four straight French Open crowns in the professional era since 1968, thrashing Rebecca SramkovaofSlovakia6-363 for her 22nd successive FrenchOpenmatchwin. “It feels great. I think it wasagreatfirstroundanda really solid performance,” Swiateksaid.
Spaniard Alcaraz
enjoyed a similarly troublefree first-round match, easing past Italian qualifier Giulio Zeppieri 6-3 6-4 6-2 before saying he was surprised to find his groove sosooninthetournament.
“Iexpectedaworselevel forme,”saidAlcaraz.
“Thefirstroundofevery tournament is never easy to adapt your game to the conditionsandgetusedtoit. I’mreallyproudaboutit.It’s great to have these feelings inthefirstround.”
Fritz failed to hit his stride in a 7-5 3-6 6-3 6-1 defeat by Daniel Altmaier, the German who famously stunned Sinner two years ago.
For former world number one Osaka, it was a disappointing opener with an error-ridden display in which she was hampered by a finger problem and fell 67(1) 6-1 6-4 against Paula Badosa.
Swiatek, who served a short doping ban last year and has unusually been withoutatitleonthetourthis year,neededtimetofindher level with Sramkova initially offering more resistancethaninher6-06-2 loss to the Pole at the AustralianOpen.
So, my back’s great, my bodyfeelsgood,Ifeelbetter than I did in the last
Poland’s Iga Swiatek in action during her first-round match against Slovakia’s Rebecca Sramkova. (REUTERS/Lisi Niesner)
Olympics.’
Sramkova held serve untilSwiatekbrokehertogo 4-3 up before bagging the firstset.
The 28-year-old world number 42 broke Swiatek at the start of the second to open up a 2-0 lead, but her opponent reined her in with two breaks of her own, winningsixofthenextseven gamestowrapupvictory
RADUCANUBATTLE
Swiatek next faces Britain’s Emma Raducanu, whobattledformorethan2-
1/2 hours before securing a 7-54-66-3winoverChina’s WangXinyu.
The former U.S. Open champion, who has slipped down to 41st in the world, had to have her blood pressure checked during the firstsetbutcamebacktowin thematch,helpedalsobythe Chinese player’s staggering 54unforcederrors.
Osaka, sporting a cherry blossom-themed outfit, complete with matching nails, had to work hard to snatch a first set from
Badosa but the tables were turned with the 10th seed breaking her twice to race throughthesecondset6-1.
The Japanese former worldnumberone,whotook a medical timeout, paid the price for a slew of unforced errors — at 54, twice as manyasBadosa.
Ruud,thefinalistin2022 and 2023, had little trouble against veteran Spaniard Albert Ramos Vinolas as he advanced with a 6-3 6-4 6-2 victoryGreece’s Tsitsipas also earned a straight-sets
win over Argentine Tomas Etcheverry to set up a second-round encounter against Italian qualifier MatteoGigante. Stan Wawrinka fell 76(6) 6-3 6-2 to Briton Jacob Fearnley but the 2015 championsaiditwasnotthe end of the road for him although he is 40 and in the twilightofastellarcareer FrenchfavouriteRichard Gasquet extended his farewelleventaftera6-22-6 6-36-0
(Continuedonpage21)
KFC Guyana has reaffirmed its strong support forthenation’sBlindCricket team as they gear up for the 11th Regional Blind Cricket Tournament in Barbados, which gets underway today andrunsuntilMay28th.
Through its Chief Executive Officer, Paul Subryan, the fast-food chain hosted the national squad for lunch on Wednesday, offering a morale boost ahead of the week-long competition Subryan lauded the team’s unwavering spirit and dedication in a statement releasedaftertheevent.
“This incredible team continues to inspire us with t h e i r u n w a v e r i n g determination, resilience, and passion for the game,” hesaid.
“They remind us that true vision isn’t just about what we see but what we believe, strive for, and achieve We are proud to stand behind these athletes as they break barriers and
make Guyana proud”, wishingthemallthebeston andoffthefield.
The Guyana Blind Cricket Association (GuyBCA) has selected a 17-member squad blending experienced campaigners with exciting new talent
The team will compete in a 40-over round-robin format andaT20championship
Experienced West IndiesblindcricketerKevin Douglas will captain the side HisfellowWestIndies representatives, Ganesh Singh and Leroy Phillips, will support him, bringing valuable international experiencetothesquad In a significant step towards inclusivity, the squadalsofeaturesfourWest Indies female blind cricketers in, Rosemarie Ramitt, Robecka Edinboro, Ackila Smith, and Crystal Aulder This highlights the growing strength and diversity within Guyana’s blindcricketsetup.
The team will be guided by a management team
comprising Coach Travis Mohamed, team manager
Mahendra Algu, and physiotherapist Shaniyah English.
The GuyBCA has expressed gratitude to various corporate entities and private citizens for their contributions, with special acknowledgement given to the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport for their consistentsupport.
Guyana will join other
BBC Sport - The New York Knicks produced a stunning comeback to claim a first win in their NBA Eastern Conference play-off finals against the Indiana Pacers.
Defeat would have left the Knicks 3-0 down in the seven-game series, but New York - who were 20 points down towards the end of the second quarter - now only trail2-1.
Karl-Anthony Towns starred with 20 points in the fourth quarter to snatch a crucial106-100victory
Withhissidetrailing8070 at the end of the third quarter,Towns-whoplayed fewer than 28 minutes in game two - scored 15 points inthefirstfourminutesofthe quarter before adding a furtherfive.
“When I got a chance to do what I do in the fourth, I was going to make sure I seized the opportunity,” Townssaid.“Ijustwantedto
Karl-Anthony Towns scored 20 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter. (Getty Images)
go there to give our team a chancetowin.I’mjusthappy Iwasabletodothat.”
NewYorksurvivedalate Pacerssurgetoholdonfora hard-fought win, with Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart securing the victory with scoresinthefinalseconds.
“Hemadesomebigplays for them,” Pacers forward Pascal Siakam said of Towns.
“We couldn’t get stops when we needed them. And offensively, we didn’t have ourusualpop.
“We didn’t have the ball movement that we usually do.”
Gamefourwilltakeplace in Indianapolis today, Tuesday at 20:00 local time (01:00BSTonWednesday).
regional teams in Barbados, all vying for the coveted titlesinbothgameformats.
Guyana Squad: Kevin Douglas (captain), Ganesh Singh, Leroy Phillips, Anthony Robinson, Roell Sumner, Musa Haynes, Robecka Edinboro, Rosemarie Ramitt, Crystal Aulder, Ackila Smith, RobindraRamnauth,Patrick Howard, Seon Mitchell, Teshawn Rodney, Asif Khan, Dimitry Waldron, JoshuaAugustin. Management Team: Travis Mohamed (coach), Mahendra Algu (manager), S h a n i y a h E n g l i s h (physiotherapist).
- Kickoff confirmed for this Friday
The much-anticipated 2025 Deputy Mayor’s Cup set to kickoff this Friday at Eve Leary ground.
The much-anticipated 2025 Deputy Mayor’s Cup set to kickoff this Friday at Eve Leary ground.
Hayley Matthews again led from the front in a losing cause.
Matthewsbrilliancenotenoughas EnglandWomencomplete3-0T20ISeries sweepoverWestIndiesWomen
The Lady Jags go through simulation drills during practice.