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A meeting between Congressman Hakeem Jeffries and Trump’s son-in-law (talk about sleeping with the enemy!!) crossed your Eyewitness’ feed, and triggered questions as to what Hakeem had been up to the last few years!! After all, there was a time – not so very long ago – when we appeared to’ve snagged our very own US member of Congress!! Not literally, of course, since Hakeem has Crown Heights in Brooklyn to represent!!
But during the PNC-provoked post-2020 political convulsions, he seemed to’ve been remarkably well briefed about the happenings in a country 2600 miles away!! Evidently his (extremely!!) close association with Rickford Burke of the Caribbean Guyana Institute for Democracy had also ensnared him in Guyanese politics!! He even denounced what he described as American “interference” in Guyana’s elections!! A new Benedict Arnold??
By 2022, he was warning – from a Guyanese-American Opposition gathering – that Washington wouldn’t tolerate racism in Guyana!! His role as understudying House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, plus his prominence in the Congressional Black Caucus, gave oomph to our opposition worthies’ – like the race-fixated Black Pudding man – narrative! Then came the curious part – the Congressman suddenly became rather less audible and visible!!
By September 2023, he was meeting President Irfaan Ali and other Guyanese officials in Washington!! More intriguingly, despite all the earlier sturm and drang about “discrimination”, the meeting produced no raising of the concerns that had previously dominated his Guyana interventions!! And thus began what might be called “The Great Jeffries Disappearance” – or the “Whatever happened to Jeffries?” mystery!!
There was no press conference announcing it, no congressional resolution declaring that the Congressman had finally discovered Brooklyn again, and no helicopter seen carrying him out of Guyanese politics!! To your Eyewitness here in Mudland, he simply became impossible to find!!
With Nancy having been sent out to pasture, was Hakeem preparing for pressing matters – such as the House Speakership – if the Democrats win the upcoming midterms?? Maybe his staff finally told him, “Congressman, Guyana has oil now, and they can afford their own political arguments!!” But the present silence contrast is rather amusing, innit?? Five or six years ago, Guyanese opposition politicians could summon a senior American politician who Pres Trump had called a “thug with a low IQ” and was the reason for dubbing Democrats “Dumocrats” – and now the sound of silence!!
That gotta have unsettled the Opposition!! After all, if THE Black American Congressman is willing to listen to both sides, what becomes of the so-called Opposition’s trump card of playing their race card!! The truth of the matter is Hakeem hasn’t disappeared at all – he’s looking at Pressie’s One Guyana!!
We’ve progressed to a point where a Black US leader has discovered there are actually two sides to our politics!!

…to Opposition Coalition??
To anyone with even a cursory acquaintance with our politics, the secret to the Opposition getting into office – without rigging, of course!! – was never a secret!! It could be summed up in one word – COALITION!! That’s right – and like The Sound of Music, we can start at the very beginning – here about politics, of course!!
After his PPP-Burnham was embarrassingly trounced by PPP-Jagan in the 1957 elections and as PNC by the PPP in 1961, Burnham was eased into power in 1964 by a coalition with D’Aguiar’s UF!! And having kicked out D’Aguiar, PNC had to rig all the way up to 1985!! And following a 23-year-old famine, it only returned in a coalition with the AFC in 2015!! And after Granger kicked the latter to the kerb, they’ve been out in the cold again!!
Your Eyewitness is writing this piece before any info about the Opposition’s Sanction Man-Norton meeting has been released.
If either of the two had any sense, they’d have discussed a coalition!!

…to the naysayers?
Your Eyewitness doesn’t want to jinx his Warriors or anything like that, but he gotta admit it’s hard not to sound smug when he notes their third straight win – three out of three!!
But he ain’t SPECULATING further!!

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The Suriname-Guyana Chamber of Commerce (SGCC) is calling for greater clarity from authorities in both countries over the suspension of the MV Canawaima ferry service while urging immediate support for stranded passengers and transport operators and answers on when a replacement vessel will be deployed.
The Chamber, in a statement issued Monday, said the disruption is affecting passengers, businesses, transport operators and the movement of goods between Guyana and Suriname and has renewed concerns about the reliability of the critical cross-border link.
At the same time, the SGCC made it clear that the safety of passengers and crew must take precedence over efforts to restore the service but called for greater clarity amid differing positions over how urgently identified issues with the vessel must be addressed.
The Chamber noted a clarification by Guyana’s Public Works Minister, Bishop Juan Edghill, that recent technical inspections involving maritime experts from Guyana and Suriname concluded that the Canawaima could remain in operation pending dry-docking within the next three months.
However, the Maritime Authority Suriname (MAS) has determined that certain outstanding matters should instead be addressed immediately.

Vessel operational
The SGCC also cited a report by Suriname Nieuws Centrale on an August 21 assessment conducted by Marine Consulting & Survey. According to the Chamber, that assessment identified significant corrosion requiring further examination and remedial works but found no leakage and determined that the vessel could remain in operation for three months pending dry-docking.
The assessment also reportedly identified outstanding documentation and certification requirements, while further thickness measurements and repair works were scheduled to begin from Monday.
Against that background, the Chamber said the authorities should provide the travelling public and business community with a clearer picture of the vessel’s condition and what is required before operations can safely resume.
“Given the importance of maintaining public confidence in the safety and integrity of the service, SGCC encourages the relevant authorities to provide greater clarity on the outstanding requirements identified by MAS, the findings of the subsequent technical evaluations, and the works now considered necessary for the vessel’s safe return to operation,” the Chamber said.
It added that greater transparency would allow passengers and businesses to better understand both the reason for the suspension and the pathway towards resumption of the service.

Plight of passengers/operators
The Chamber also placed considerable emphasis on the plight of passengers and transport operators left stranded by the disruption.
Passengers encountered at the Moleson Creek terminal over the weekend included persons attempting to return to French Guiana through neighbouring Suriname. Some had begun their journeys with the expectation that they would be able to cross the Corentyne River using the ferry service, only to find themselves unable to continue as planned.
The SGCC said attention should now be focused on providing guidance and assistance to persons caught on either side of the river.
“Many travelled with the reasonable expectation that the service was operational and now face unplanned expenditure for accommodation, transportation, fuel and other necessities, with no certainty as to how long the disruption may continue,” it said.
The Chamber urged the responsible authorities and operators to give priority to those passengers by clearly communicating what immediate assistance or alternative arrangements could be provided, particularly for persons without the financial resources to sustain an extended and unexpected delay.

Restoring service
SGCC is also pressing the authorities in Guyana and Suriname for a coordinated plan for restoring the service.
It wants the two countries to provide an anticipated timeframe for the required works and return of the Canawaima to service and to say whether the present intervention will affect or accelerate the vessel’s planned dry-docking and maintenance.
The Chamber also wants to know what safe interim arrangements are being considered to maintain cross-border connectivity while the vessel remains unavailable.
“In this regard, SGCC respectfully requests clarification on when a replacement vessel will be deployed,” the statement said.
The Chamber argued that the latest disruption further demonstrates the need for a dedicated and appropriately inspected secondary vessel to provide redundancy when the Canawaima is unavailable. Ultimately, it said, investment in a new vessel is needed for such a critical bilateral transportation link.
The current disruption follows weeks of concerns surrounding the condition of the vessel.
Earlier this month, MAS raised several deficiencies following inspections of the Canawaima and indicated that the vessel could face restrictions if safety requirements were not addressed.
Following further work and a reinspection on August 13, the vessel was permitted to continue operating, with technical follow-up expected to continue. The ferry service was subsequently suspended again on Saturday, leaving travellers uncertain about when regular crossings would resume.
The management arrangement for the ferry also divides responsibilities between the two countries.
While acknowledging ongoing engagement between authorities in the two countries, the SGCC said cooperation must address not only the current suspension but also the recurring vulnerability of the cross-border connection.

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Dear Editor,
There is understandable public concern about the cost of living. This is not a new topic but has been a hot one in every country since 2020. In developed and developing countries, Governments are battling with this issue. In Guyana, our Government has been very proactive in tackling this problem through demand-side and supply-side policies.
Indeed, almost every conceivable policy option available has been deployed by the Government to address the cost-of-living issue. By now, we should all be aware that the Government removed taxes on essential items, supplies, and equipment used by farmers, as well as fuel, a key input in every sector, including agriculture. You will also recall that independent agencies such as the IDB and IMF commended the Government for implementing these tax-reduction measures, which were deployed alongside a raft of other measures to boost disposable income.
However, not everyone is totally pleased with the outcome of the policies. This is evident from the continuous public outcry. As a responsible leader, President Ali and his Government have not only expanded the policy toolkit but have also signalled their intention to implement other innovative measures to address this issue. His actions suggest that the President is continuously working and not pretending that the ‘cost of living problem’ has been resolved to the satisfaction of every citizen.
His proposal to establish farmers’ markets across Guyana is especially important. When implemented, we should see a dramatic reduction in food prices, especially for foods grown at home. This is because the middlemen in the value chain add a significant markup to the farm-gate prices they pay farmers for their produce. While allowing farmers to receive better prices, this solution will also provide significant ease for consumers.
From his public pronouncements, it is also evident that President Ali intends to go beyond retail markets. President Ali has consistently encouraged farmers to scale up their activities so they can improve efficiency and lower prices for locally grown food. His Government is also helping farmers increase output by providing equipment, technical support, and other interventions (e.g., fertiliser, shade houses, etc). In the near future, the SME Development Bank will also provide farmers with affordable financing so they can form clusters that allow them to benefit from economies of scale and lower production costs. These initiatives will certainly translate into lower food prices in the medium and long term.
While these solutions will not provide immediate benefits, they will deliver a food production system that makes food more affordable and accessible. In the medium to long term, they will also address the underlying causes of high food prices.
In the meantime, it is reasonable for citizens to consider how their own spending choices affect their household budgets. The Government has a duty to create the conditions under which the Private Sector can produce affordable food. Consumers, however, also retain some control over where and how they spend. If they make rational decisions, they can enjoy significant relief in the short term.
Thus, where a household can choose between a high-priced imported product and a comparable locally produced alternative, choosing the lower-cost option may stretch that household budget. Similarly, where fresh produce is available at a traditional market or farmers’ market at a lower price than in a supermarket, it is sensible to compare prices and choose the cheaper option. Likewise, preparing meals at home can be more economical than regularly purchasing restaurant or takeaway food.
This is not an argument that every household has unlimited choices or that Government should not respond decisively to cost of living issues. But the advice from the President for households to spend prudently is not an insult to the public; it is practical and common-sensical advice that every household is expected to understand when managing limited resources.
The public debate, therefore, should be less about manufactured outrage and more about practical solutions. While Government must continue to curb the cost of living through various fiscal and monetary policies, citizens, where possible, should compare prices, support local produce, and make choices that maximise value for their money. This is not controversial. It is common sense.

Kind regards,
Kevin Persaud

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Formal talks between opposition parties – the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) – ended on Monday without agreement on key issues such as opposition representation of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) and the Local Government Commission (LGC). The meeting was held at the Brandsville Hotel in Georgetown and included representatives of WIN, led by United States (US)-sanctioned and indicted Oppositon Leader Azruddin Mohamed and members of APNU, led by chairman, Aubrey Norton. WIN, the main parliamentary opposition party, had invited APNU to the meeting to discuss nominees for the LGC, the status of the three opposition-nominated GECOM Commissioners, the scrutineers involved in the registration process at GECOM and the election of the Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) of Region Ten (Upper Demerara-Berbice)
However, the meeting ended with no agreement on these important matters. Both Mohamed and Norton provided little details concerning the discussions, telling reporters following the more than one-hour long meeting that a joint statement will be issued. In the joint statement was not issued up to press time on Monday.

GECOM Commissioners
Notwithstanding the APNU losing its position as the main parliamentary opposition in the 2025 elections, the party has shut down any considerations of removing any of the current APNU–appointed commissioners at GECOM to make way for new Commissioners to be appointed by the new main parliamentary opposition WIN. Upon the receipt of legal advice, US-indicted Mohamed had written President Dr Irfaan Ali on June 30, seeking the appointment of his three nominees as GECOM Commissioners. Mohamed nominated lawyers Roysdale Forde, Siand Dhurjon and Damien Da Silva to replace APNU-backed GECOM commissioners Desmond Trotman, Vincent Alexander and Charles Corbin. GECOM has since explained that “it has no locus standi in relation to the nomination by the Leader of the Opposition of persons for appointment as Members of the Guyana Elections Commission.” GECOM explained that the nomination and appointment of commissioners are matters governed by Article 161(3)(b) of the Constitution. “GECOM is not the authority vested with responsibility for determining the validity of such nominations or appointments. Accordingly, the Commission cannot properly intervene in, adjudicate upon, or resolve any impasse concerning persons nominated by the Leader of the Opposition for appointment as Commissioners,” GECOM’’s statement further reads. GECOM’s seven-member commission comprises the Chairman, three Government appointed Commissioners and three opposition Commissioners. The appointments are governed by the Constitution (Amendment) Act No. 2 of 2000. A new set of commissioners can be appointed when the Government changes.
However, many times the same Commissioners simply switch sides from being Opposition nominated to becoming a Government nominated. With no fixed terms being stipulated in the Constitution for their appointment, Commissioners usually serve until they resign or otherwise become unable to serve. Alexander has been one of the Commissioners since the early 2000s, outlasting Government changes across the 2011, 2015, and 2020 elections. Corbin was also appointed in the early 2000s. Trotman was appointed in 2017 to replace a commissioner who passed away that year. This impasse is expected to be addressed by the ongoing constitutional reform process launched by the Government. The Constitution Reform Commission (CRC) has already formally invited public written proposals for constitutional changes, with submissions open until December 31, 2026. Among other things, the Commission said it will consider proposals relating to electoral reform, including the composition of GECOM, the method of appointing its chairman and members and its jurisdiction over national registration and the electoral process.

GECOM scrutineers
Mohamed has also raised concerns over the absence of representatives from WIN or the other opposition party, the Forward Guyana Movement (FGM), among the 69 opposition scrutineers being paid by GECOM. Mohamed complained that, despite WIN’s efforts to engage the other opposition party on appointing scrutineers representative of all parties, all of the scrutineers are APNU-backed.
According to GECOM, while the Leader of the Opposition submitted correspondence dated June 3, together with supporting documentation relating to the consultation undertaken and the proposed appointments, the CEO subsequently received correspondence from APNU formally objecting to the proposal.

LGC
Mohamed had hosted consultations with the other parliamentary opposition parties before submitting recommendations for the LGC, following a request from Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance Gail Teixeira. Mohamed then submitted the names of three persons to sit on the LGC. They are Leola Narine and Leslyn Lowe of his WIN party and Nicholas Chesney from FGM – a move which excluded representatives of APNU. APNU nominees Joan Romascindo and Ronald Daniels were not selected.

RDC
During the inaugural council meeting on October 10, 2025, WIN candidate Mark Goring and rival candidate Dominique Blair of APNU tied 9–9 after a single round of voting. The stalemate exists to date, prompting WIN to file legal actions against Regional Executive Officer (REO) and Clerk of Council, Dr Gregory Harris. Region Ten remains the only administrative region operating without an elected regional chairman and vice chairman following last year’s elections.

Next meeting
No date has been fixed for follow-up talks between WIN and APNU. At Monday’s dialogue, WIN’s delegation included the Opposition Leader, Opposition Chief Whip Tabitha Sarabo-Halley; Odessa Primus, Natasha Singh, Vishnu Panday and Duarte Hetsberger. APNU was represented by Norton along with Ganesh Mahipaul, Dexter Todd, Coretta McDonald, David Hinds, General Secretary Sherwin Benjamin, Attorney-at-Law Ronald Daniels and Regional Councillor Shanika Haynes.

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The Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) has launched an investigation into an aircraft accident at the Baramita Airstrip, North West District (NWD) on Monday.
This was confirmed by the Director General of the GCAA, Colonel Egbert Field, who stated that the single-engine Cessna Caravan, attached to Air Services Limited (ASL) with registration number 8R-GZR, overran the runway and ended up being stuck in the mud. He noted that while he remains informed by a team that was deployed to the area, he could safely say that the aircraft, which departed the Eugene F. Correira International Airport at Ogle, East Coast Demerara (ECD), did not suffer any major damage. In addition, he added that the police and several passengers on board were also unharmed.

“After the aircraft overran the runway, it slid off the runway and ended up in the mud, which played a major part in bringing the plane to a halt. The pilot and passengers were quickly evacuated from the aircraft, but based on initial reports, no injuries were reported,” Field told the Guyana Times. Furthermore, he stated that a preliminary investigation will determine what caused the aircraft to overrun the runway. On April 10, 2026, a single-engine Cessna aircraft, bearing registration number 8R-YAC, crashed shortly after taking off from Mahdia, Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni), leading to the death of the pilot, Nicaraguan national Captain Ryder Castello. It was reported that the aircraft departed Mahdia at approximately 08:10h on a cargo shuttle flight bound for Imbaimadai, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), with an expected arrival time of 08:40h.
However, it failed to report its arrival, prompting a flight progress check at 08:44h. At the time, weather conditions in the area were reportedly poor, with heavy rainfall and reduced visibility. The GCAA swiftly responded to the incident, initiating protocols for a missing aircraft involving a Cessna 208 operating along the Mahdia-Imbaimadai route. Search efforts led to the visual identification of the suspected crash site by two Trans Guyana Airways Cessna Caravans and a Britten-Norman Islander. Subsequently, a Guyana Defence Force (GDF) rescue team, comprising special forces and medical personnel, was deployed to the location.
After a day of rescue and recovery missions, Captain Ryder Castello was found and transported to Georgetown. Three months after the incident, investigators were wrapping up their final phase of the probe. To date, the findings of the crash are yet to be released.

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…says it will continue engaging regulatory agencies

The Natural Resources Ministry on Monday said it will continue engaging ExxonMobil and relevant regulatory agencies following a small fire that was detected onboard the Liza Unit Floating Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel.
Operations on the FPSO were suspended on Sunday following a small fire onboard in the laundry room.
In a statement on Monday, the Ministry noted that ExxonMobil said that the appropriate response procedures were immediately initiated and that all personnel aboard the vessel are safe and accounted for.
“The Ministry of Natural Resources wishes to note that the relevant regulatory authorities will conduct the necessary follow-up to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident. The Ministry remains committed to prioritising the safety and well-being of workers and ensuring the highest standards of safety across offshore operations,” the statement noted.
According to ExxonMobil, heat detectors aboard the Liza Unity FPSO were activated in the laundry room of the living quarters, indicating a small fire, which was quickly extinguished. Operations were suspended as part of the established safety response and will resume following completion of the necessary checks.
Up to press time, ExxonMobil had not responded to media queries about the resumption of operations or the extent of the damages.
The Liza Unity, built by Dutch shipbuilder SBM Offshore for the Liza Phase Two Project, is one of four FPSOs currently being operated by ExxonMobil in the Stabroek Block offshore Guyana. With an installed capacity to produce approximately 220,000 barrels of oil per day (bpd), Liza Unity was the second FPSO built for the Stabroek Block development and started production in February 2022. The US oil giant is preparing to fire up its fifth FPSO offshore in Guyana – the Errea Wittu, which only arrived in Guyana last week for the US$12.7 billion Uaru development.

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Dear Editor,
The Ministry of Natural Resources writes in response to an article published on August 21, 2026, “Solomon calls on President to release figures behind 39.8% profit-oil claim.” The article rests on a material misunderstanding of how Guyana’s share of petroleum revenue is calculated. Given the public importance of this matter, the Ministry sets out below, in plain terms, the correct figures and the reasoning behind them.
First, Guyana’s share of oil profit has never been 39.8 per cent. It is 50 per cent. It was 50 per cent in 2016, 50 per cent in 2019, and it is 50 per cent today. That has never changed. So where does 39.8 per cent come from? That number is not our share of the profit. It is our share of every single barrel produced, before costs are even taken out. It is a different number measuring a different thing, and mixing the two up is what caused the confusion.
Here is the simple math behind it. Out of every 100 barrels produced, about 20 go to the oil companies to pay back what they spent finding and developing the oil. That leaves about 80 barrels as profit. Guyana gets half of that profit, and half of 80 is 39.8. That is the entire calculation. No Minister decides it. It comes straight out of the agreement signed in 2016, and anyone with a calculator can check it in seconds.
Next, the audit numbers the article raised are good news for Guyana, not bad news. It pointed to large sums under audit, about US$214 million, US$65 million, and US$19.6 billion, as if they were a problem. They are the opposite of a problem. When our auditors strike out a cost the oil companies tried to claim, that money does not disappear. It simply stops being “cost oil” and becomes “profit oil” instead, and profit oil is split 50-50. So every dollar an audit disallows puts extra money in Guyana’s pocket, not less. Take the two audit cases already settled: US$279.5 million. If every cent of that had been thrown out, Guyana would gain about US$140 million from it, not lose a cent.
It also matters that three different words mean three different things. “Under review” simply means the auditors are still checking the expense. It is not an accusation of wrongdoing. The US$19.6 billion figure is about 36 per cent of all money invested so far, which is a measure of how thorough our audit is, not a measure of theft. “Disputed” means the auditors have questioned an expense and it has not yet been settled. “Disallowed” means it has been struck out for good, and as shown above, that outcome helps Guyana. Put together, the two matters actually resolved so far amount to about half of one per cent of the US$55 billion recovered by the companies. That is the true size of the issue, worth chasing to the last dollar, but nowhere near large enough to threaten our 39.8 per cent share.
Two myths deserve to be retired here as well. The first is that the 75 per cent cost-recovery cap meant the companies got 75 per cent of the oil. That is wrong. The cap only limits how fast they can be repaid. It never let them recover one dollar more than they actually spent. The second is that finishing cost recovery two years early was bad for Guyana. The opposite is true. It happened because production and prices were strong, and it means we reached the high-earning 39.8 per cent stage of the deal sooner rather than later. The 12.5 per cent share people criticised for years and the 39.8 per cent we get now come from the very same clause; the low number was simply what you get while costs are still being repaid quickly.
What does this look like in real barrels and real dollars? The Stabroek Block is producing roughly 900,000 barrels a day. Guyana’s own cargoes have grown from about three million barrels a month to ten or twelve million barrels a month. On top of our share of profit oil, we also collect a two per cent royalty on every barrel sold, profit or no profit, and that alone brought in US$306 million in just the first six months of 2026. And because Guyana’s 50 per cent belongs to one owner, the State, while the companies must split their 50 per cent three ways, Guyana actually lifts more oil from these waters than any single oil company does.
We will keep publishing, every month, the production figures, the cargoes lifted, the royalty collected, and exactly how the entitlement percentage was calculated, so any citizen can check our arithmetic for themselves. On live audits still in progress, we will not negotiate in public. Announcing our position while a dispute is still open would only weaken our own hand and could cost the country money. Outcomes will be reported once they are final; that silence protects your interests, it does not hide anything from you.
The oil belongs to the people of Guyana. On that point, everyone agrees. What the people also deserve is an honest explanation of how their share is worked out, and a division sum is not evidence of a scandal. We welcome every question. We simply ask that the questions start from the right numbers.

Yours sincerely,
Ministry of Natural
Resources

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President Dr Irfaan Ali has underscored the importance of “justice without vengeance and truth without hatred” in his message to the nation in observance of Youman Nabi.
According to President Ali, the words of the Holy Prophet Muhammad resonate deeply with the country in the wake of the MV Barima tragedy.
Some 100 persons lost their lives when the cargo and passenger ferry sank off the coast of Guyana on July 18.
“The Holy Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, taught that a community must never become indifferent to the suffering of another. He taught examples of mutual love, compassion, and sympathy. He taught that the body is one; when any limb of it aches, the whole body aches. Those words are of particular resonance for Guyana at a time when our nation has been touched recently by profound tragedy. In the hush of sorrow, let our differences fade like mist before the sun; let our compassion rise like a tide; let our shared humanity become our shelter and our strength,” President Ali expressed in his message to the nation on the occasion of this day.
He highlighted that Youman Nabi is a time when Muslims remember the birth and life of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, and according to President Ali, “it is the occasion when we reflect upon the profound legacy of a man whose life not only transformed Islam but also the nature of human civilisation.”
President Ali noted that Muslims do not celebrate not merely his birth, but the values he brought into the world, including faith and humility; mercy and compassion; forgiveness and patience; truth and justice; and unity and peace.
“The Prophet’s life also teaches us that, while we may grieve deeply, grief must not become despair, sorrow must not become hatred, and tragedy must never become a chisel of division, nor a spark for suspicion, nor a seed for strife. This is the Prophet’s timeless way: seek truth, but without fury; pursue justice, but without malice; correct what is broken, but without vengeance; and not engage in the reckless assignment of blame before the facts are known,” the Head of State said.
His message comes as authorities seek to investigate what went wrong in the deadly ferry accident, ensure those responsible are held accountable, support those affected, and put systems in place to prevent future incidents.
“On this Youman Nabi, let us therefore draw from the example of the Holy Prophet. Peace and blessings be upon him. The courage to seek truth, the wisdom to pursue justice, and the humanity to embrace those who suffer. Let us mourn together, comfort one another, and stand together. Let neighbour not turn against neighbour, nor grief against grief. Let tragedy become not a wedge that separates us but a bridge that brings us closer,” President Ali said.
“May the spirit of Youman Nabi illuminate Guyana with faith and compassion, justice without vengeance, truth without hatred, and togetherness beyond our differences. May God Almighty bless Guyana and its people, comfort every grieving heart, and guide our nation towards greater compassion, justice, peace, and unity,” he added.
Already, a five-member international Commission of Inquiry (CoI) has been established to investigate the circumstances surrounding the MV Barima tragedy, and groundworks are expected to begin next month.
Additionally, three members of the Transport and Harbours Department (T&HD) have been charged with 72 counts of murder and have been remanded to prison.
Moreover, President Ali has established a safety and compliance audit team to undertake a comprehensive review of the safety and compliance standards governing marine vessels operating in Guyana. The team will examine compliance with applicable maritime safety requirements and make recommendations to strengthen oversight, improve enforcement and ensure that vessels, operators and regulatory systems meet the highest practicable standards of safety and accountability.
Those impacted by the tragedy continue to receive various forms of support from the Government under the HEART Initiative launched by the Guyanese leader.

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One thing is crystal clear. When sections of the formal media and some social media commentators chose to deliberately misrepresent and completely twist President Irfaan Ali’s comments on lifestyle changes in Guyana, they were knowingly being public mischief-makers, creating public distrust and sowing division. Many of the social media commentators did not even listen to what President Ali said. They merely regurgitated what they read either from other social media activists or from what a section of the formal media reported. Worst yet, some of these commentators relied solely on a blazing newspaper headline; they did not even bother to read the actual story.
Some time ago, around 2005, when I was Minister of Health, addressing a workshop dealing with risk factors for cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancer, and other chronic diseases, I urged that Guyanese reduce intake of salty, sugary, ultra-processed imported food. The next day, the Kaieteur News’ blazing headline was that the Minister of Health said that Guyanese ate too much. The story itself, hidden somewhere in the paper, by-and-large, adequately explained what was actually said, but commentators and opposition politicians, nevertheless, seized on the false headline.
The headline was deliberately concocted because at the time the VAT bill was passed in Parliament, and the headline was designed to misinform people that VAT was crafted for people to eat less. It was skilful linking of two separate news items to spread a false narrative. The story itself acknowledged that sugary, salty, ultra-processed food was universally regarded as a social determinant of diseases, completely different from the mischievous headline. But the blazing headline is what registered in people’s heads. The intention clearly was to present the Government in a bad light by misinforming people with wicked misrepresentation.
It is in this context that I highlight the controversy that has arisen out of President Irfaan Ali’s media conference held on August 18. Responding to a question on rising cost-of-living, President Ali explained that the cost-of-living problem is one that every country in the world is facing today. There were common, propelling, interconnected economic, geopolitical and environmental factors. Geopolitical conflicts, including the wars in Ukraine, Gaza, and Iran, and the violent conflicts in Sudan and other places, have led to rising fuel and fertiliser costs, important factors in food production, transportation and the economies of countries, which have played a major role in increasing costs. There has been significant disruption of the global supply chain, with lengthy delays across the Panama Canal, that have affected prices of goods in the Americas. There have been increasing climate-related disasters that have contributed to rising costs.
I was disappointed, but not shocked, that the formal media and social media commentaries from those who are anti-Government reinterpreted and misrepresented much of what President Ali said at the press conference. In fact, the reports and commentaries on the press conference ignored much of the contents and sought to politicise a statement of fact that the President made relating to changes in lifestyles that have consequences for how families and the Government prioritise spending in Guyana.
In addressing the rising cost-of-living problems that Guyana faces, the President never blamed the Guyanese people. The President asserted that rising cost-of-living expenses are a consequence of a complicated set of factors, including international geopolitics, much of which is out of the control of Guyana itself. The President conceded that, although various actions by the Government have contributed to containing the rise, the various interventions have not been enough to completely contain the rise.
He promised that the Government will continue to expand interventions, with actions and policies taking cognisance of changes in people’s lifestyles, examining ways to contain the rise in cost of living while accommodating changes in people’s lifestyles.
It is a fact, an incontrovertible one, that Guyanese eating out more, increasing the contribution of imported sugary and salty food in our diet, changing shopping habits, including preferences for supermarket purchases, and other activities are increasingly becoming part of the lifestyle of citizens. This phenomenon of preferring restaurant food, relying more and more on imported food, and shopping in supermarkets which offer wider choices in products is not new but has significantly increased over the last few years. Home cooking is becoming less prominent in a family’s daily life. There are many reasons for these changes. Families have greater liquidity, more people are working, the transformation of the traditional lifestyle of women being at home has changed, etc. We see in every community, more and more restaurants cropping up. It is not just a Guyanese phenomenon; it is intensifying across the Caribbean and the world. It is the reason why CARICOM imports more than US$6 billion in food.
At no point did the President in his remarks characterise this phenomenon of changing lifestyles as good or bad. He was simply acknowledging changing lifestyles among our people, and, therefore, the Government’s actions and policies must also address cost-of-living challenges, not only by examining what more can be done to address the global issues but also with policies and actions which can accommodate the changing lifestyles of Guyanese.
Yet the headlines and the reports of what President Ali stated were framed as the President blaming citizens for the rising cost of living. At no point did the President blame citizens; at no point did the President seek to frame the problem as the Government doing all it could and that it was now up to the citizens; at no point did the President prescribe that citizens eat less, stay home, boycott restaurants and supermarkets, etc. Those who are pushing this false narrative are being barefaced, dishonest, and mischievous.
Twisting President Ali’s words is despicable, wicked misinformation, underlining the deficit in honesty among sections of the formal media and social media commentators. Such shameless, mischievous misinformation erodes public trust, pervert free speech, and sow division.

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The Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) Under-13 Inter-County Super 50 competition continued on Monday with Essequibo and Berbice recording victories in their respective matches.
At the Lusignan Community Centre Ground, East Coast Demerara (ECD), Essequibo produced a convincing six-wicket victory over GCB Select XI.
The Select XI won the toss and elected to bat but struggled against an impressive Essequibo bowling attack, being dismissed for 117 in 35.3 overs.
Astin Peters top-scored with 17 from 25 balls, while Isaac Hussain contributed 16 from 34 deliveries. Saif Hussain was the outstanding bowler for Essequibo, claiming five wickets for just 12 runs.
Essequibo made light work of the chase, reaching 118 for four in 22.1 overs. Julian Singh anchored the innings with a composed 47 from 47 balls, while Ugesh Ramnarine added 16. Kishan Bhikhan was the best of the Select XI bowlers, with two for 28.

Meanwhile, at the LBI ground, Berbice defeated Demerara by 24 runs in another keenly contested encounter.
Berbice, batting first after winning the toss, posted 146 all out in 38.1 overs. Deonarine Chattergoon led the batting with 23, while Alden Hope made 20 and Jayden Garner contributed 14.
Caleb Bastian was the pick of the Demerara bowlers, taking four for 29 from eight overs, while Huzaifah Shadir claimed two for 20.
Demerara’s reply ended at 122 all out in 34.5 overs. Rakeeb Latif top-scored with an unbeaten 30, while Bastian added a quick 29 from 21 balls. Aiyan Persaud chipped in with 20.
Justin Southwell spearheaded the Berbice bowling effort with three for 15 from seven overs, while Lamar Lafleur took two for 15 and Deonarine Chattergoon claimed one for 18.
Berbice held their nerve to secure the 24-run victory, with Bastian named Man of the Match for his all-round contribution.

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