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Dear Editor,
There is a new low in Guyana’s politics, and this is where the leader of the Opposition and leaders in the APNU felt that they could thrive opportunistically to secure partisan points, and assign blame to the ruling party rather than focus on healing the wounds of this nation and determine accountability by awaiting the findings of the Commission of Inquiry (COI) and recommend systemic reforms.
These Opposition elements are of the opinion that when they feign this high level of outrage, this will not only boost their public image, but also weaken the Government, thus paving a way for eventual removal from office. When the Government and its Ministers are vehemently attacked by the Opposition, the focus is shifted away from the officials who are directly responsible for the day-to-day operations of the MV Barima, the Transport and Harbour Department, and the Maritime Administration Department. In a CoI these are the people, including the Captain, engineers, and the crew members, who must be intensely examined and cross-examined to provide answers in order to determine and assign culpability. Moreover, survivors will have their say. Unfortunately, the Opposition is of the opinion that Ministers Edghill and Indar are already found guilty for this national tragedy and must pay the ultimate price of removal from office. This is quite ludicrous and without any merit, legal or otherwise. These Ministers are not culpable in any way, so the question is why the incessant wailing for their removal from office?
The protests, which were engineered by the Opposition, especially the fugitive offender who has nothing to lose, have once again sought to open old wounds of division which President Irfaan Ali and his loyal team have spent great time and effort to heal. It is a shame to witness extremely complex issues, both social and infrastructural, being reduced to the vociferous chanting of misdirected emotional slogans which were meant only to create hate and mistrust. Is this what a responsible Opposition must do? We have travelled too far as a nation to revert to this Neanderthal mentality where we view our fellowmen as adversaries, rather than as our friends and allies, working together to build this nation. I must compliment the Vice President, Dr Jagdeo, for the dignified calm and statesmanship he displayed at Linden; the Opposition leader can learn a lot from him.
When lives lost are treated as mere propaganda tools, the message which gets transmitted to the public is that human lives are not worth anything. We have seen from the first day of the tragedy the leader of the Opposition was busy sharing videos on his Facebook page. It is outrageous to view the dead bodies of loved ones being treated with such cheapness, but publicity is the name of the game. I would hate to see the bodies of my parents or children be displayed floating in the Atlantic. Such callousness is inexcusable. This is gross disrespect to the victims and their families, but now it is about scoring cheap political points.
Then to add insult to injury, the private grief of the families is being dragged into the public domain under the pretext of demonstrating grief and compassion. The political agenda is clear as daylight, and the crocodile tears fool no one.

Yours sincerely,
Haseef Yusuf

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Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL) officially held a ground-breaking ceremony for a major new facility expansion in St Kitts and Nevis on Thursday. The ceremony followed an official high-level meeting at Government Headquarters between St Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister (PM) Dr Terrance M Drew, senior leadership from DDL and representatives from Guyana’s BK Group of Companies.
“The investment is especially significant because it speaks to a larger Caribbean ambition. DDL is a distinguished CARICOM enterprise, headquartered in Guyana, investing and expanding within another CARICOM member state. This is the regional integration impact. For decades we have spoken about a Caribbean single market economy, about the movement of capital, the expansion of regional trade and the need to build stronger Caribbean enterprises. Projects such as this demonstrate vision and demonstrate what that vision looks like when translated from policy into productive economic activity. We must increasingly create the Caribbean in which the Caribbean capital can move confidently across the Caribbean, all for our benefit. We therefore, in St Kitts and Nevis, welcome this investment.”

The PM explained that the expansion forms part of the overarching goal of economic diversification and sustainability. “For us, sustainability is not limited to renewable energy or environmental protection. It is a comprehensive development philosophy. It requires us to build an economy that is diversified, productive, resilient and capable of creating meaningful opportunities for all people. Small Island Developing States like ours cannot build resilient economies by remaining overwhelmingly dependent upon a narrow range of economic activities. We must manufacture more; we must add greater value locally; we must expand our export capacity, as was mentioned by the Chairman. We must earn more foreign exchange, as he also mentioned, and we must create products and services capable of competing successfully within CARICOM and across the international market space. The investment by DDL advances precisely that objective.”
On the side-lines, speaking with WINN FM, the PM emphasised the importance of the expansion.

“I feel very positive about this investment. This is a significant investment. We’re going to make St Kitts and Nevis the northern Caribbean hub for DDL, and this speaks to the collaboration between us and Guyana. It also speaks to the confidence that investors have in St Kitts and Nevis to make us the hub for significant CARICOM companies. It says a lot about what we have to offer in St Kitts and Nevis. This will create jobs at different levels, directly and indirectly, so we know that this will have a tremendous impact. We heard one thing tonight, that it will triple the number of persons already who work here, and that is, of course, good for us. It will increase exports and bring in more foreign exchange, things that will impact our economy in many different ways. So I’m very, very happy.”
The new facility will significantly expand Demerara Distillers’ manufacturing presence in the Federation. It incorporates a new packaging line designed to scale up production of value-added regional products, with a focus on juices and milk.
Group Chairman Komal Samaroo noted that this expansion aligns with the wider Caribbean “25 by 25” food security initiative spearheaded by Guyanese President Irfaan Ali. Samaroo also suggested that the facility will be used to export products to neighbouring islands. “So we hope that with this facility, we could ship products from Guyana into St Kitts and supply them to other islands that are nearby. So this becomes our export hub. I think that’s a very important integration of our operation that helps both Guyana and St Kitts.”
The project targets the development of value-added food security, primary agricultural processing, and specialised local expertise. Alongside manufacturing, the parent company, DDL, plans to invest in enhanced localised staff amenities, including a dedicated medical centre and expanded professional training tracks.
“Its significance, however, cannot be measured only in buildings, machinery and production, because the ultimate measure of development must always be its impact, its impact on people. We therefore look forward to the employment that was mentioned, that we need to be created, the skills that will be developed, the careers that will be built, and the opportunities that will emerge for our contractors, suppliers, entrepreneurs and all other enterprises.” Demerara Distillers (St Kitts and Nevis) Limited has been operating within the Federation since 1996. Over the last three decades, it has evolved into one of the country’s primary manufacturers and regional distributors of premium beverages and spirits. (St Kitts and Nevis-WINN)

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– says Party fully committed to “people-centred” governance-style

General Secretary (GS) of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Dr Bharrat Jagdeo says the governing party is well-positioned ahead of the 2031 General and Regional Elections, citing its people-centred approach. Jagdeo, who currently serves as Vice President (VP) in the present Administration, made these remarks following a successful public day event in Linden, Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) earlier this week. According to Jagdeo, that engagement, which saw scores of residents in attendance, demonstrates the ruling party’s commitment to remaining open, accessible, and responsive to the needs of Guyanese.
“What you [saw there] is just typical of the PPP management style. We have always been accessible to the people on the ground, and we continue to do so – from the President [Dr Irfaan Ali] to almost all the Ministers. We kept that essential feature of the party open,” the GS posited. This approach, he emphasised, is different from the aloofness displayed under the previous People’s National Congress (PNC)-led A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) Coalition regime during the 2015 to 2020 period.

After losing the 2020 General and Regional Elections to the PPP/C, the Coalition partners had a major fallout and contested the 2025 polls separately, churning out an even more dismal performance, with the APNU being demoted as the main parliamentary opposition and the AFC booted from the National Assembly.
On the other hand, the PPP/C strengthened its parliamentary presence with a seven-seat majority after securing a landslide victory at last year’s elections. Though still several years ahead, Jagdeo is confident that the party is well-positioned for another win at the next polls.
“I see people talking about [2031]. We’re on solid grounds for [2031]. They’ll be shocked to see what will happen in [2031] … We have a full nearly five years ahead of us. Elections are going to be held in 2031, so we have nearly five years ahead of us to continue working on solving people’s problems. And we intend to put all of our efforts into that work,” Jagdeo declared. During Tuesday’s public day in Linden – a traditional stronghold of the opposition – scores of residents turned out to participate in the event held at the Watooka Guest House. Jagdeo had said that this demonstrates that residents were more concerned about addressing issues affecting their daily lives than being influenced by politics.
“It shows that people don’t care too much for the politics when it concerns their lives,” he stated. The VP had noted that the outreach allowed Government officials to address a range of concerns raised by residents, particularly issues relating to housing, land leases and public assistance. “So, as is typical of many of these public days, the issues surrounding housing and leases for land, some public assistance, and a lot of issues are similar issues. Not a surprise because we have encountered similar issues across the country,” Jagdeo said. The VP added that the Government remains committed to resolving these matters across the country, including in Region 10. “The Government is committed to working to resolve all of these issues for people everywhere in our country, regardless of where they live. And the people of Region 10 are no exception,” he said. Moreover, VP Jagdeo noted that the Government would continue focusing on long-term development rather than being distracted by criticism or short-term measures.
“We will just continue doing what we are doing, which is keeping a focus on what matters most to our country and our people. We’re not going to be distracted by extraneous noise and by those who try to knock us off this course that we have defined,” he said.
He further stated that while some Government initiatives may take time to produce results, they are aimed at creating sustainable progress and economic opportunities.
“Sometimes the things that we work on yield results in the long term. So, they’re not as attractive as what some may propagate – the short-term fixes. But it’s the long-term issues that matter most to the country because they create sustainable progress and wealth for our people and lead to a prosperous life,” Jagdeo said.
The VP also highlighted Government spending on public sector wages and salaries, noting that public servants are now earning significantly more compared to when the Administration returned to office.
“Whilst we’re addressing short-term help, and a lot of people have received short-term help, you just look at the wages and salaries built in the public sector. It has gone up phenomenally. It means more public servants are earning literally over $100 billion more per year since today and since we returned to office,” he said.
Throughout the day, Linden residents continued to turn out in large numbers for the Public Day, where they engaged officials on matters involving housing, education, agriculture, the National Insurance Scheme (NIS), and other sectors.

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Within the next 10 days, the 14 remaining squatters occupying the Cummings Park area, which falls within the flight zone of the Eugene F Correia International Airport, are expected to be relocated.
After years of concerns over squatting within the flight path of the airport at Ogle, the remaining occupants of the Cummings Park settlement are set to be relocated as the Government continues efforts to remove illegal settlements from the area.
The relocation exercise forms part of the Government’s ongoing efforts to remove illegal settlements from the airport’s flight zone due to the significant safety risks posed to both aviation operations and residents.
In 2025, the Government intensified efforts to clear the area, encouraging occupants to apply for house lots through the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA).

At the time, some 40 individuals applied for house lots and began the process of relocating to allocated lands, while several other families were assisted by the Ministry of Housing and Water in securing allocations and relocating.
Formal removal notices were also issued, with authorities warning that persons who continued to occupy the area illegally or refused to cooperate would face enforcement action. The Housing Ministry maintained that the area falls within a strict zero-tolerance squatting zone and stressed that its actions were aimed at safeguarding public safety and ensuring the land is used in keeping with national development objectives.
Providing an update on Friday, Chief Executive Officer of the Central Housing and Planning Authority, Dr Martin Pertab, reiterated the need to relocate the remaining informal settlers because of the dangers associated with living within the airport’s flight path.
Community Development Officer attached to the CEO, Rawle Aaron, said only 14 settlers remain from an original 89 occupants, with several families already relocated to De Endragt and other communities along the East Coast of Demerara.
Aaron explained that house lots have already been allocated and homes constructed at the relocation sites to facilitate the move. He added that the remaining settlers have been given 10 days to vacate the area, while the CH&PA continues to work closely with residents to complete the relocation exercise.
Earlier this year, a public communications consultant for the Eugene F Correia International Airport, Kit Nascimento, alleged that opposition political parties had approached the squatters and encouraged them to remain in the area despite repeated warnings from airport authorities.

He said the squatters had established accommodation in a zone where housing is strictly prohibited because of its proximity to the airport’s flight path. According to Nascimento, airport authorities had first informed the occupants approximately two years ago that they could not remain there and would have to relocate. However, instead of leaving, he said, the settlement continued to expand.
As of February 2026, Housing Minister Collin Croal, during an episode of the Guyana Dialogue, said officials had engaged and started relocating persons from the dam between the Ogle Airstrip and the Cummings Lodge Housing Scheme.
He emphasised that the Government would not recognise new squatting and had made it clear that illegal occupation in sensitive zones would not be allowed to continue.
Croal said a small group of squatters, initially estimated at about eight to nine persons, had been identified occupying land within the Ogle flight zone, specifically along a dam reserve near existing housing developments.
He explained that the location is not suitable for alternative road routing or settlement because the dam serves as an important access reserve and falls within a protected aviation area.
He noted that the land lies between the airstrip and the Cummings Lodge Housing Scheme, where development is already restricted. According to the Minister, aviation authorities have advised that no additional houses can be constructed in that corridor due to flight-path safety requirements associated with operations at the Ogle Airstrip.
Croal said the affected persons had been informed that they would have to relocate and that contravention notices had been served. He explained that the area is important as a reserve for access and is also located within a flight zone.
The Minister further noted that the Government could not construct additional houses on a portion of land between the Ogle Airstrip and Cummings Lodge because the Civil Aviation Authority had advised that further development in the area could affect the flight path.

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