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President Dr Irfaan Ali will be leading public consultations in several regions across Guyana on the Government’s ‘Model Village’ – an initiative that seeks to create better communities with enhanced roads, drainage, irrigation systems and green spaces. These public engagements will commence today in several communities throughout Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara). According to a notice from the Government, the consultations will start from 09:00h at the Leonora Secondary School, West Coast Demerara (WCD). Meetings will also be held today at Zeelugt, Tuschen, Goed Fortuin, Parfaite Harmonie and Pouderoyen, culminating with a presentation on the proposed new Pouderoyen Market at 18:30h. Citizens are encouraged to participate in these engagements during which they will be able to share their ideas, raise community concerns and most importantly, help shape the future development of their communities. On Tuesday, the consultations will move to Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) with engagements scheduled for Kaneville (13:00h), Grove (15:00h) and Diamond (17:00h) on East Bank of Demerara (EBD). The Region Four public meetings will continue on Thursday at Melanie, Mon Repos, Good Hope, and Enmore on the East Coast of Demerara (ECD). In Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice), consultations are scheduled for Friday at Bush Lot, Bath and Hopetown. These engagements will continue over the weekend at Port Mourant, Rose Hall, Skeldon and New Amsterdam in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) on Saturday, and then conclude on Monday with meetings scheduled at Supenaam, Suddie, Charity and Anna Regina in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam).

This ‘Model Village’ initiative is being spearheaded by the Local Government and Regional Development Ministry alongside the Ministry of Housing, the Ministry of Public Works and the Ministry of Agriculture. During an appearance on the ‘The Guyana Dialogue’ programme back in June, Local Government and Regional Development Minister, Priya Manickchand, had disclosed that the Government plans to develop 21 model communities across the country that will feature better roads, drainage and irrigation systems and green spaces. “The model community will have…concrete drains, properly marked roads, streetlights, green areas or play parks, public buildings that are accessible and that work, just what a model community would look like…,” she outlined.

Develop neighbourhoods
According to the Local Government Minister, the Government’s goal is not to just distribute house lots but to develop neighbourhoods where families can thrive. “Where we develop communities or housing schemes, it’s an entire scheme developed, it’s planned out or drawn by urban planners, people with the appropriate qualifications where green spaces are identified, house lots are surveyed and mapped off, streets and drainage are planned into that housing area, schools areas left for primary as well as nursery schools and if necessary, secondary schools, places left for worship…,” she noted.
“It’s not just the handing out house lots, it’s a very layered approach to making sure people can live in communities, not just houses…it’s building neighbourhoods and communities, understanding that stronger families and stronger communities will give us a stronger country…its very conscious building,” the Minister added. Manickchand explained that there are challenges in implementing these features with existing communities. For instance, she said in Newtown Kitty, Georgetown, “we can fix the drainage, we can clean the alleyways and make them concrete so that the water is flowing but you can’t do much with how its already planned”. The President Dr Irfaan Ali-led administration is, in this term, focusing much energy of building out better communities, where families can thrive. The Government has been working to improve the functioning of Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDC) and other local authority areas by increasing their subventions so they can deliver better services to residents.
Additionally, heavy investments are being made to improve road networks, drainage and irrigation systems and install streetlights and safety features to make communities more welcoming. Millions are also being invested in creating recreational spaces to promote better lifestyles among citizens.

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Guyana’s Boxers were a high point for the local contingent on Sunday as the Central American and Caribbean Games continued in Santo Domingo Dominican Republic. However, there were many other notable performances, especially from the Women’s 3×3 Basketball team who left it all on the floor in a narrow, 1-point loss.

Boxing
Terron Wintz and Desmond Amsterdam both produced commanding performances on Sunday to advance in their respective weight divisions at the Games’ Boxing competition.
Competing in the Elite Men’s 70kg division in the Dominican Republic, Wintz delivered a flawless display to defeat Saint Lucia’s Kyghan Mortley by a unanimous 5-0 decision, despite having a slow start.
All five judges awarded the contest to the Guyanese boxer, each scoring it 30-26 in Wintz’s favour following an impressive three-round performance.
Meanwhile, Amsterdam required even less time to book his place in the next round of the Elite Men’s 80kg competition.
The Guyanese stopped Dominica’s Daniel Ali Shillingford by Referee Stopped Contest (RSC) in the second round at the 1:10 mark after taking complete control of the bout.
All five judges had Amsterdam ahead 10-9 before the contest was halted, underlining his dominance inside the ring.
The victories continue Guyana’s campaign at the CAC Games boxing tournament, with both Wintz and Amsterdam progressing to the Quarterfinal of their respective divisions.

Basketball
Guyana’s Women started the day taking a dent to their quarterfinal hopes in a 13-8 loss to the hosts Dominican Republic. Ruth Adams and De Angelique Waithe both put up three points for Guyana while Dominican Republic’s Esmery Martinez hit a game- high 6 points.
However, when Jamaica lost to the same opponent (21-10), hope was restored for the Guyanese girls who moved on to Sunday afternoon’s quarterfinals by virtue of finishing second in Group D.
There, they met El Salvador, fighting hard but eventually suffered a 1-point loss, 15-14. This time Adams netted 6 points followed by Waithe with 5 and Anaya Clemons, 3. On the other hand, Hillary Martinez led the charge for El Salvador with 7 points, in addition to Guadalupe Vazquez’ 6.
The 3×3 Women’s team will now turn their attention to the placement games where they will compete for 5th place.

Squash
Daniel Ince was the lone Squash player to progress in the Singles’ division at the Games on Sunday but it was later short lived.

Ince started with a 3-1 victory over Dominican Republic’s Eduardo Curiel, 11-4, 9-11, 11-8, 11-4, in the men’s Singles Round of 32.
However, in the Round of 16, Ince fell to Colombia’s Miguel Angel Rodriguez 0-3 (1-11, 3-11, 0-11).
Samuel Ince- Carvalhal met a similar fate in the Round of 32, going down to Dominican Republic’s Chrisopher Fernandez 0-3 (5-11, 3-11, 6-11).
In the Women’s Round of 16, Guatemala’s Winifer Bonilla got the better of Mary Fung- A- Fat 3-1 (11-9, 10-12, 2-11, 6-11). The Guatemalans also got the better of Ashley Khalil as she faced off with Darlyn Sandoval. Sandoval took the game 3-0 (11-3, 11-6, 113).

Table Tennis
Over in the Table Tennis arena, Guyana’s Men’s team took an early hit with a 0-3 loss to the Dominican Republic.
The pair of Isaac and Ramon Vila got the better of Malachi Moore and Elishaba Johnson 3-0 (12-10, 11-6, 114).
Match 2 saw Jiaji Wu sweeping Shemar Britton 3-0 (11-6, 11-7, 11-8) while Ramon Vila defeated Johnson 3-1 (11-4, 11-6, 4-11, 11-9).

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Veteran jockey Colin Ross was on the saddle of Hot & Lucky as he piloted the underdog horse from Nathan Racing Stables to a maiden victory in Guyana.
In the absence of Js Racing Stables, Slingerz Racing Stables, Master Z and Jumbo Jet Racing Stables; Jagdeo Racing Stables was set to dominate the Emancipation Cup Kennard’s Memorial Turf Club, but it was Jockey Ross and trainer Deonarine Ramroop who pulled off a major upset.

Ross came with a ‘Stat-looking’ ploy, and he took the early start with Hot and Lucky, setting the pace in the one-mile race. Hot & Lucky stopped the clock in one minute and 40 seconds; favorite horse Front Line Warrior got into fifth gear a bit late as Gryphon ran second. Front Line Warrior had to settle for third while Stormy Victory finished fourth.
This is Hot & Lucky’s second race in Guyana, after a third place in May. Hot & Lucky is owned by a special need teenager who was at center stage of an emotional win on Sunday afternoon.
Under glorious sunshine, the opening race got off to a flyer with the L Class race. Lion Heart stormed to victory finishing ahead of Doctor J, who ran second, while Perfect Trip and Sakar were the other top four finishers in that order.
In the nursery stakes, two-year-old Guyana bred maidens, JanoStar outshined the opponents with jockey Yovin Kissoonchand leading the charge. Chelsea ran closely for second while Princess Alesha finished third and Just in Time ran fourth.
The third race was the Emancipation Sophomore stakes two-year-old Guyana bred maidens. Boss Lady enjoyed a sweet victory, by ten lengths while Ocean Star ran in second spot. High Beam claimed third and Lady Cash finished fourth.
In the Emancipation mile stakes three-year-old Guyana bred maidens and of one race, Miracle Boy ran with bravery to finish in pole position while Glory Queen ran in second. Risen Star and Black Beauty finished in third and fourth respectively. Jockey Arvin Dhanraj and Yovin Kissoonchand were unseated from their horses.
Jagdeo Racing Stables took the top spots in race five. Theory of Colors took the lead from the inside to emerged as the victor in the H Class and Lower while stablemate Sydney ran comfortable for second. She WBO on Time ran third and Mufasa finished in fourth.
New-comer Turmalina Negra out of Brazil had withdrawn from the Emancipation Classic Stakes W Class Non- winner Open to F & G Class horses. The day got even better for Jagdeo Racing Stables as Oy Vey displayed pure dominance to clinch victory. Converter ran second while Qurbaan’s Kingdom came in third.
A host of the big horses were in rest mode ahead of the Guyana Cup which is slated for August 23 at Rising Sun Turf Club.
More than G$66 million in cash and prizes will up for the taking at the 18th running of the Guyana Cup. The top stables are expected to feature new horses for the most lucrative event in the history of Guyana’s horse racing.

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Months after several international companies submitted their proposals to develop the 165-megawatts (MW) Amaila Falls Hydropower Project (AFHP), the Guyana Government is now in the process of putting together the technical team to review the bids received. “Amaila Falls Project is awaiting evaluation right now. We’re putting together the evaluation team,” a senior Government official recently told the Guyana Times. Some five foreign companies are in the race for the AFHP after responding to the Government’s call for proposals, which closed in May. A joint venture (JV) between United States (US)-based OEC USA, GE Vernova, and Australia’s Worley submitted the highest bid of US$800,060,842, according to tender documents seen by this newspaper.
The OEC, GE Vernova, and Worley grouping had previously tendered to be pre-qualified for this project in 2023 before the Government eventually decided to reissue the Request for Proposal (RFP) last year. Coming in second with a US$668,000,000 proposal was a consortium of CAMCE-CMEC from China. China CAMC Engineering Co. Ltd. (CAMCE) and China Machinery Engineering Corporation (CMEC) have individually undertaken construction projects in Guyana’s public sector and have also bid for major gas-related projects here.

Another Chinese company, China Gezhouba Group Company Limited-HYI, submitted a bid to the tune of US$432,338,377 – the third highest proposal. In addition, Chinese state-owned, Sinohydro Corporation Limited, came in fourth with a US$416,866,949.21 proposal. The fifth company that bid for the project was a JV comprising India-based Afcon Infrastructure Limited and Scandian Infrastructure AB from Sweden. However, no figure was listed for this JV in the tender document seen this newspaper. Back in October 2025, the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), which has responsibility for the energy sector, published the RFP invite for the Amaila Falls Hydro project under a Build-Own-Operate-Transfer (BOOT) model. According to the RFP document, the project is expected to deliver a minimum installed capacity of 165-MW including the hydro dam, powerhouse, substation, and a 23-square-kilometre (km²) storage reservoir, consistent with environmental studies and permits. However, it was noted that the size of the hydro may be re-engineered to take into account of changes in turbine technology thus allowing more than 165-MW to be generated and transmitted. Under the revised RFP, developers are required to assume all geotechnical risks associated with the project and must demonstrate proven capability and financial capacity to deliver large-scale hydro projects. Only firms or consortia that have successfully built at least three hydro projects of 100-MW or more in the last 10 years will be considered.
The People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government has been keen on reviving the Amaila Falls Hydropower Project, which has been on the cards since 2011 but was blocked by the A Partnership for National Unity+Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) Coalition both in and out of office.
The 165-MW project was the flagship initiative of the Bharrat Jagdeo-crafted Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS). However, the project failed to take off despite having a developer in US-based Sithe Global, which was backed by investment major – The Blackstone Inc.
In August 2013, Sithe Global announced that it was pulling out of the project, which it said was too large to continue without national consensus, citing the lack of consensus in Guyana’s Parliament. At the time, the then-A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and Alliance For Change (AFC) opposition parties, holding a majority of seats in the National Assembly, had both voted down key pieces of legislation, which consequently halted the project.
Then during its term in office from 2015 to 2020, the APNU+AFC Coalition regime, again, shelved the project. The revival of the 165-MW hydropower project was one of the promises made by the ruling PPP/C in its 2020 Elections Manifesto, and again in the 2025 Manifesto. In November 2021, the AFHP was awarded to China Railway First Group (CRFG) but negotiations fell through after the company wanted to change the BOOT model which Government rejected. A revised RFP was then issued in 2023 and four companies – Rialma S.A. (Grupo Rialma) from Brazil; China International Water & Elec. Corp; Lindsayca CH4 Guyana Inc., and a group made up of OEC, GE Vernova and Worley – had submitted tenders to be pre-qualified for the Amaila Falls Hydropower project. Those bids were under evaluation for several months before the Government decided to eventually retender the project with new technical requirements last year.

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Coming off their winning of the first leg of the Inter Schools Championship, District 4, bolstered by the in-form President’s College posse impressed once more to garner 60 points and walk away with their first ever ExxonMobil Guyana National Kayaking crown, when the second segment was staged recently on the waters of the Demerara River alongside the Watooka Guest House in the mining town of Linden.

Unlike last year when they flattered to deceive, the President’s College led District 4 team proved too much for their closest rivals District 10, winners in 2022 and 2024; who were guided by students of the New Silvercity Secondary School to finish second with 52 points
Occupying the third spot were the 2023 champions District 9 Rupununi with 46 points, as their challenge was spearheaded by students of St. Ignatius Secondary on 46 points.
The defending champions District 7 Upper Mazaruni had to settle for fourth place, two points behind District 9 as they tallied 44 points, ahead of District 3 Essequibo Islands-West Demerara with 39 points, District 2 Pomeroon Supeenam 30, District 10’s Kwakwani Secondary 28, District 5 West Coast Berbice 19, District 1 Barima-Waini 13, District 8 Potarao-Siparuni 12 and District 14 East Bank Demerara-Mahaica on the carpet with seven points for 11th place.
The annual kayaking championships once again were promoted by Dr. Deon Anderson’s Elite Kayaking and Nature Tours with major sponsorship coming from ExxonMobil Guyana
This year’s winners at this year’s fifth kayaking schools’ championships collected $500,000, the championship trophy, the runners-up grabbing $350,000 and second placed trophy and silver medals, and third place finishers $250,000 and a trophy and bronze medals. The cash vouchers will be distributed where the students get support for their academic pursuit and a percentage goes to the district.

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The Guyana Government is already seeing the benefits of investing in renewable energy projects such as the two mini-hydropower plants in Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo), which has reduced the use of fossil fuel by more than 20,000 drums for electricity generation. Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Guyana Energy Agency (GEA), Dr Mahendar Sharma, made this announcement during the latest edition of the Energy Perspectives Podcast, titled “Powering Guyana’s Low-Carbon Future”. “Lethem, for example, now benefits from two hydropower plants, totalling 2.2 megawatts (MW)… and while mini-hydro is still expensive, the savings are significant. You are offsetting and displacing diesel use… More than 20,000 drums of diesel have already been avoided based on what is being produced from the hydropower and because you don’t have to generate that energy from diesel,” Sharma stated. In December 2024, the 0.7 MW Moco Moco Hydropower Plant was commissioned with the capacity to generate approximately 4,565 megawatt-hour (MW/h) electricity annually. Months later in July 2025, the 1.5 MW Kumu Hydropower Station was operationalised to bring approximately 9,700 MW/h of clean energy annually.

These two mini-hydropower facilities were rehabilitated by Sri Lankan firm – Vidullanka PLC, under a US$12.85 million programme funded by the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB). In addition to hydropower, the $472 million 1.0 MW Lethem Solar Farm, which was commissioned in August 2022, is also supporting the generation of clean energy across Region Nine. According to the GEA Head, “It is the only site in Guyana that benefits from this hybridised-type of energy supply – hydro, solar and diesel – powering the people of Lethem… The solar is there to provide support. In fact, the two hydros have been supplying most of the energy in Lethem. More than 60 per cent of the energy comes from renewable sources for the town of Lethem.”

Only back in February, Sharma had disclosed that the two mini-hydro plants in Region Nine were already reducing the country’s carbon footprint and saved 17,000 plus drums of diesel at the time.

He said the cost of that the fuel saved then had amounted to some 27 per cent of the capital investment on the two mini-hydro projects. Sharma had outlined the importance of hydropower to Guyana’s energy mix, noting that it brings a greater level of predictability and availability when compared to other renewable sources. “So, hydropower is going to be an important part of our energy matrix and we have to scale these up,” he had stated.

In fact, the GEA Head revealed that efforts were underway to explore the setting up of more mini-hydro projects across the country especially in hinterland areas where the demand is growing. During recent podcast, Sharma pointed out that the much more work has been done across Guyana to advance renewable energy sources, especially solar. In fact, he noted by the end of this year, approximately 56 solar mini-grids will be established in hinterland communities across the country. Dr Sharma said the mini-grids will provide electricity to public and community buildings in hinterland areas, utilising solar photovoltaic (PV) technology supported by battery storage and small distribution networks. “This year, we’ll have about 56 solar mini-grids spread across the hinterland communities. These mini-grids are usually drum-mounted solar PV panels with a small room for batteries and a small distribution network. We’re taking power to public and community buildings,” he explained. The GEA Head noted that the mini-grid programme complements another initiative launched in 2023, which saw the distribution of more than 37,000 small solar home systems to residents in hinterland communities. “Previously, it was a solar panel with a charger that powered some lights and a fan and charged your mobile devices. But we’re going beyond that with the policies that GPL (Guyana Power and Light Inc.) has implemented, including the net billing policy. You and I can benefit from solar technology too,” he said. Dr Sharma said residents now have the opportunity to invest in solar energy systems for their homes, adding that the GEA has launched an awareness campaign to educate people on how they can incorporate solar technology into their households. Moreover, he added that Guyana’s renewable energy capacity is set to receive a major boost by the end of the year, with solar PV installations expected to bring the country’s total solar capacity close to 50 MW as Government and Private Sector investments continue to diversify the national energy mix. Dr Sharma also highlighted other major energy projects being advanced, including the Gas-to-Energy (GtE) Project, which he said will allow Guyana to utilise its indigenous natural gas resources to generate electricity and reduce the need for fuel imports. “And that gas will displace the need for imports and will utilise an indigenous resource now, gas, an indigenous resource, to generate power,” he said. He noted that the GtE Project is not the only initiative being pursued, with the Government already announcing additional phases of the project to further expand generation capacity. Beyond natural gas and solar development, Dr Sharma said Guyana is also advancing other renewable energy projects, including the Amaila Falls Hydroelectric Project, which is expected to add 165 MW of hydropower capacity to the national grid. With investments across solar, hydropower, and natural gas, the GEA CEO said Guyana is moving towards a more diversified and sustainable energy system aimed at improving reliability while supporting the country’s low-carbon development goals.

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After acquiring Hess Corporation’s 30 per cent stake in the oil-rich Stabroek Block, Chevron says Guyana has strengthened its portfolio and has recognised the significant exploration potential that the basin holds. “We’ve got a strong presence in Guyana…but there’s still exploration potential there,” Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Chevron Corporation, Mike Wirth, said during the company’s second quarter earnings call on Friday. Just over a year ago on July 18, 2025, Chevron finalised its $53 billion acquisition of Hess Corporation and according to Wirth, the Hess assets are already generating strong free cash flow – something he attributed to the combined portfolio including the prolific Guyana Basin.

Hess had held a 30 per cent interest in the Stabroek Block offshore Guyana, which is operated by ExxonMobil with a majority interest of 45 per cent while CNOOC holds the remaining 25 per cent stake. With the acquisition, Chevron now holds that 30 per cent nonoperating interest in the Stabroek Block, which contains more than 11 billion barrels of discovered recoverable oil-equivalent resources, adding a long-cycle growth opportunity that is expected to support Chevron’s portfolio into the 2030s. “Guyana is a world-class asset with significant resource depth that is expected to extend high-margin oil growth into the 2030s,” the Chevron Chairman stated. Currently in the Stabroek Block, ExxonMobil is operating four Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessels – Liza Destiny, Liza Unity, Prosperity and One Guyana – and is now gearing up for its fifth development project, Urau. This project will utilise the Errea Wittu FPSO, which set sail for Guyana in June, and remains on track for startup by the end of this year, increasing capacity by 250,000 barrels per day. Approval has already been received for the sixth development, the Whiptail Project, to come on stream in 2027, while the Longtail Project, which is eighth development here, is on the path toward final investment decision. Exxon is already evaluating the potential for a ninth FPSO offshore Guyana.

Future explorations
Even as production continues to grow, the Stabroek Block partners are equally confident about future explorations offshore Guyana. In fact, Chairman and CEO of ExxonMobil Darren Woods, during the company’s second quarter 2026 Earnings Call also on Friday, stated that they are awaiting the International Court of Justice’s (ICJ) ruling on the border controversy case between Guyana and neighbouring Venezuela to resume exploration in the Stabroek Block. “We obviously have a large chunk of acreage, which is in force majeure, waiting for the ultimate ruling from the International Court of Justice… we feel there’s an opportunity then to start shooting seismic and understand what that acreage potentially holds. We’ve got more work to do in the acreage,” Woods had noted. On Friday, both ExxonMobil and Chevron reported profits for the second quarter of 2026 that surged on the rising oil prices due to the Middle East conflict. Exxon’s second-quarter profits stood at US$14.5 billion, more than doubling from about US$7.1 billion during the same period in 2025. On the other hand, Chevron’s net income soared to US$12 billion – a nearly 400 per cent increase compared to the US$2.5 billion recorded in the corresponding period last year, and the company’s highest quarterly profit in at least six years.

In fact, the Chevron’s Wirth said on Friday that the company achieved deal synergies of US$1.5 billion from last year’s acquisition of Hess, which came earlier than anticipated and above the initial $1 billion synergy target set when the deal was closed. “[July] also marks the one-year anniversary of the Hess acquisition. We pulled value forward, capturing 50 per cent more synergies than initially targeted with $1.5 billion [USD] realised six months ahead of schedule. The Hess assets are generating strong free cash flow, which has been roughly double the incremental dividends and accretive to shareholders on a per-share basis,” Wirth stated.

Fantastic year
Meanwhile, in a separate interview on CNBC recently, Chevron’s Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Eimear Bonner spoke about the Chevron and Hess merger one year after its finalisation. “It’s just been a fantastic year,” Bonner said, adding that “We’re fully integrated.” According to the CFO, Chevron is already benefiting from the quality of the combined portfolio and the talented Hess employees who bring deep expertise, the acquisition is expected to extend growth into the 2030s. She too added that acquisition has expanded Chevron’s position, especially with the Guyana basin.

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