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Emphasising that services must be efficiently delivered to the people, President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali on Thursday announced that the Ministry of Finance will sanction those contractors who are dragging their feet in the construction of bridges along the main New Amsterdam Road in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne).

While engaging with residents of New Amsterdam and surrounding communities on Thursday at the State House, President Ali made it clear that excuses are no longer acceptable.

 

Speaking on bridge projects along the main road, the president said that although the project is visibly lagging, punitive actions have not yet been imposed.

“I am astonished that liquidated damages are not yet applied…from my information so far, these contractors seem disinterested in completing the bridges,” the president said.

As a result, the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Finance and the procurement head have been instructed to ensure these specific contractors do not receive new projects until the bridges are completed.

The finance secretary has been instructed to determine whether engineers have been delinquent in managing the project, and if so, to take the necessary administrative action.

 

President Ali reminded the audience that the finance secretary has the authority to enforce administrative requirements. If engineers fail to meet those requirements, corrective actions will be taken.

“There is no excuse anymore. There cannot be excuses. We pay for services from the government, and those services must be delivered efficiently… there are not shortcuts to this” the president said.

The People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) is rolling out massive infrastructural projects across the ten administrative regions, including the East Berbice-Corentyne region.

These include construction of a US$604 million highway from Palmyra to Moleson Creek is underway, which will make commuting easier for thousands of residents.

 

 

Other major projects include a new Berbice River Bridge resembling the new Bharrat Jagdeo Demerara Harbour Bridge, a new bridge across the Corentyne River and a massive industrialisation agenda.

The president is currently on a two-day outreach in Region Six with 47 community meetings planned over the two days. He is accompanied by his cabinet ministers and other government officials.

As part of President Ali’s directive to his cabinet, the full government will engage with residents frequently across all regions so that all citizens receive equitable service (Republished from the Department of Public Information)

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Daniel Persaud, an electrical engineer at the Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL), has been named the University of Guyana’s Valedictorian for 2025. Persaud read for a Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering in the Faculty of Engineering and Technology and secured a Perfect Grade Point Average (GPA) of 4.0, copping the coveted prize of the President’s Medal for Best Graduating Student with a bachelor’s degree.

Persaud, 33, will be amongst the three thousand seven hundred graduands who will be walking the university’s graduation stage when the nation’s premier tertiary institution hosts its series of convocation exercise from November 20 to December 6, 2025.

Upon hearing the news that he was named the UG’s 2025 Valedictorian, Persaud said that he was lost for words at first. “I couldn’t explain how I felt. I am humbled by it. I am honoured by it. I never envisioned me being here. I actually thought this would have been awarded to one of my classmates.” He attributed his high-achieving 4.0 GPA to a focused approach, reminding himself that “getting an A is not impossible, there is no reason to fail.”

Persaud explained that his academic success was not easily achieved, it required commitment, hard work and a drive to succeed. “The challenges were basically just balancing what was required at UG with what was happening at home. UG had lots of late nights, exams and lots of assignments to take care of and I also had many responsibilities at home.”

According to Persaud, the rigorous nature of engineering, especially the intense mathematics required, compounded the difficulty. “In engineering, there’s a lot of math, and I wasn’t good at math before coming to the university. There were definitely times when I questioned, ‘What are you doing here Daniel? Why did you choose this torture?’”

Persaud, a son of Wales, Region Three, acquired his secondary education at the West Demerara Secondary School. In his drive for academic success, he then continued his studies at the GuySuCo Port Mourant Training Centre and the Government Technical Institute in Georgetown.

Persaud’s journey to UG was not immediate. He recalled that prior to 2021 when he was accepted in UG, he had initially applied for admission, but he was not accepted since he did not meet the requirements at the time for admission. “I felt rejected when I did not get through at first. But looking back, if I had gotten accepted, I would have struggled without that GTI foundation.” He noted that he did not back down, he ended up using the opportunity to complete the necessary technical training at the Government Technical Institute (GTI) which provided him a stronger foundation to pursue his Electrical Engineering degree at UG.

Persaud’s academic pursuit at the University of Guyana was made possible through a scholarship from Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL), where he started working in 2013. The company’s leadership, he explained, “promotes growth for their employees.” He gave special mention to his manager, Mr. Khemraj Sukhdeo, who was also instrumental in pushing him forward. According to Persaud, he was not required to work while on the scholarship.

Throughout his time at UG, Daniel credits his success entirely to a strong support system. His parents, Sewchand Persaud and Jasoda Deokaran, encouraged him throughout his studies. His siblings, Nadeina Persaud and Debbina Persaud, were also supportive, but the cornerstone of his early education was his grandmother, Mabel Persaud, who, he said, “has been a support of my education from the time I started school up to the point of UG.”

Beyond his immediate family, he highlighted two key mentors. Chelsea Balkaran, whom he referred to as a “very special friend,” was the person who encouraged him to apply for the scholarship at DDL and guided him throughout the complexities of university life. “She was always a mentor… she did not want me to go through what she went through, so she taught me how to navigate UG,” the proud graduand said.

His academic partnership with friend Lemuel Williams was important for tackling the workload. “For me, this is the guy that knows everything about anything. There were many late nights, group meetings. We would utilize Zoom, sometimes Google Meet, and we would teach one another.”

Though the demanding schedule of the Faculty of Engineering and Technology meant he could not participate in any UG extracurricular activities, Persaud remains an active person outside of school, dedicating time to martial arts, cricket, a little football, and volleyball, among other activities.

Addressing current and future students, Persaud shared the wisdom passed down by his mentors. “Treat the negative you hear about UG as noise, take the challenge and come. There is so much you could learn at UG, not only lifelong skills, but the relationships you develop.” He urged peers to find study groups, be vocal in class, and engage with lecturers who, he believes, “are trying to help you grow.”

The Valedictorian encouraged his peers who are also graduating this year from the University of Guyana to serve their homeland as too often persons with key skills are looking outward for opportunities. “We are at a stage right now where we are building bridges, roads… we are experiencing rapid development… as our President says, transformation. Stick around, take advantage of the opportunities, don’t be afraid to share your ideas, dream big, innovate, be yourself.”

Having achieved the pinnacle of his undergraduate career, Persaud is hoping to continue his career at DDL while also pursuing his Master’s degree in a related field. He remains deeply grateful for his faith, noting that being Valedictorian is all thanks to “God and my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.”

The public is invited to celebrate with the University of Guyana at this year’s very special graduation events which will be streamed live on the University’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/uniofguyana and UG Broadcasting Service at https://broadcasting.uog.edu.gy/ The ceremonies will also be covered by local and international media.

The University of Guyana has produced upwards of 80,000 graduates in its 62-year existence – many of whom have gone on to serve at the highest levels in both the private and public sectors nationally and internationally (UG press release)

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By Danielle Swain in Belém, Brazil

danielle@newsroom.gy

“The forest is part of our life. It’s in our DNA.” Derrick John, Toshao of Moraikobai and Chair of Guyana’s National Toshao’s captured the sentiment guiding Guyana’s presence at COP30 in Belém, Brazil, where the climate summit enters its final days on Friday.

COP30 has unfolded with its usual blend of urgency and ritual. Delegates speed-walk between crowded hallways, juggling coffee cups, briefing notes and back-to-back side events. But beneath this diplomatic choreography, Guyana’s climate story has been asserting itself, shaped by the people who live the consequences of climate change every day.

Unlike many small states that rely heavily on foreign advisers to interpret complex climate policy, Guyana has chosen to feature its own local expertise. The small team presenting the country’s approach to forest protection and climate finance is made up of Indigenous leaders, environmental economists and homegrown scientists who helped build the systems now drawing international attention.

Guyana’s Lead Negotiator for the UNFCCC, Pradeepa Bholanath, and Derrick John, Chair of the National Toshaos’ Council, represent Guyana at the Opening of COP30 Negotiations in Belem. (Photo: Yusuf Ali/News Room)

Together, they form the backbone of Guyana’s presence in Belém, reminding the conference that effective climate policy is strongest when led by the people closest to the land.

“We know what has worked, what hasn’t”

Dr. Pradeepa Bholanath, Guyana’s Senior Director for Climate and REDD+, moves through the conference hall with the calm of someone accustomed to stitching large, unwieldy ideas together. She trained as an environmental economist in the United Kingdom, but her work representing Guyana’s positions at global climate negotiations, feels like bringing that training home.

“Environmental economics is about finding a balance between development and conservation,” she said, pausing between panels. “Seeing that come to life in the LCDS and representing our country here, it’s an honour.”

Dr Pradeepa Bholanath interacts with delegates during a technical session at COP30 in Belém. (Yusuf Ali/News Room)

Her voice, firm and undecorated, carries the weight of someone who has grown with the policy she defends. The Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS), once a fragile idea, is now a template for how small nations, forested or not, can hold their ground in a global system that often expects them to fail.

“It’s crucial to bring the local context,” she added. “We’ve lived this experience for almost 20 years. We know what has worked, what hasn’t.”

Outside the pavilion, rainclouds from the Amazon drift low. Inside, Dr. Bholanath prepares her team for the next negotiation.

Climate change as a lived reality, not a conference debate

Across the pavilion, Lucina Singh talks about climate adaptation with a delegate. She grew up loving biology, and the fascination never left her.

“I like understanding ecosystems,” she said. “How things connect, and how humans influence them.”

This is her second COP, but her responsibilities are anything but junior. Singh is helping finalise Guyana’s first national adaptation plan, an effort that stretches across health, education, agriculture, biodiversity, and water. Her job, as she sees it, is not just to follow global expectations but to prepare her country for what climate change will force upon it.

“We’re a small country, but we’ve done so much,” she said.

Dr Pradeepa Bholanath and Lucina Singh discuss Guyana’s climate priorities during a technical meeting at COP30 in Belém. (Yusuf Ali/News Room)

The words are shaped by the knowledge that Guyana’s climate leadership didn’t materialise overnight, it was built, often painstakingly, by people like her.

Beside her, Raja Gokul, a climate coordinator with the Department of Environment and Climate Change (DECC), talks about discovering climate change during an environmental chemistry course.

“For me, it was the biggest problem the world was facing,” he said. “I wanted to be part of the solution.”

Now he represents Guyana’s LCDS, a strategy he describes as “widely respected”, a phrase that is less boastfulness and more acknowledgment of hard-fought credibility.

Dr Pradeepa Bholanath and climate coordinator Raja Gokul sit together during a COP30 working session in Belém.(Photo: Yusuf Ali/News Room)

Indigenous leadership at the negotiating table

But the most striking presence in Guyana’s technical core may be Toshao Derrick John.

In a field where Indigenous knowledge is often referenced but seldom centred, his voice has weight.

“Forest is a global asset,” he said. “And for Indigenous people, it’s part of our life. It’s in our DNA. If anything concerns forests, our voices must be part of the decision.”

For him, standing in the Amazon, the world’s largest rainforest, carries its own symbolism.

Toshao Derrick John raises a point during a COP30 panel in Belém, highlighting Indigenous perspectives in the climate dialogue. (Yusuf Ali/News Room)

“It gives me a sense of ownership,” he said. “Growing up in the jungle and being here, at COP30, in the heart of the Amazon, it means everything.”

His perspective is shaped by decades of advocating for communities once isolated from national decision-making. “Things have changed,” he said. “Indigenous people have a seat at the highest level now. It’s something I’m proud of.”

A small state shaping global climate work

At one of the side events, Preeya Rampersaud explains Guyana’s global role with the clarity of someone who has had to defend it often.

“Guyana isn’t just talking about climate action, we’re leading it,” she said proudly. “Our experience in forest conservation and carbon markets is inspiring action globally.”

Preeya Rampersaud presents Guyana’s forest and climate work during a COP30 side event in Belém.(Photo: Yusuf Ali/News Room)

Her role, supporting the Guyana Co-Chair of the Forest & Climate Leaders’ Partnership, brings her into rooms where the decisions of 40 governments collide. It is a job that would seem outsized for a country of Guyana’s population, unless one understands how deeply prepared the team behind ‘the land of many waters’ is.

A different kind of climate story

At COPs, climate narratives are often framed in grand terms, megafauna, megaprojects, global tipping points. Guyana’s story is more intimate. It is a story of people who grew up near rivers and forest trails, who discovered climate change in classrooms and laboratories, and who now find themselves at the centre of global negotiations for their country.

They are not visiting experts.

They are not consultants passing through.

They are Guyanese who know the forest not as theory, but as home.

And at COP30, that may be the most radical but necessary message of all.

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The body of 38-year-old Chandini ‘Savi’ Persaud was found at the Stewartville seawall area on the West Coast of Demerara on Sunday, days after she was last seen.

Police Headquarters, in a statement, said the woman had been missing since November 14, 2025.

On Sunday, November 16, a dead body was found at the seawall. The scene was processed, and the body, which was at the time unidentified, was transported to the Ezekiel Funeral Home, awaiting identification and post-mortem examination.

However, the body was positively identified as Chandini on Thursday, November 20. Police said a friend of Chandini visited the funeral home and positively identified the body by means of a tattoo.

Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the discovery and subsequent identification of the woman’s body. No marks of violence were seen and no foul play is currently suspected, however, a post-mortem examination is pending as investigations continue.

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Everest Cricket Club (ECC) are set to embark on a four-match goodwill tour to Paramaribo, Suriname, from November 21 to 24, 2025, to participate in the nation’s 50th Independence anniversary celebrations.

The tour will see the Everest Masters and Everest Second Division teams play back-to-back T20 fixtures against Suriname A and Suriname B, respectively, on Saturday and Sunday at the Dr Snellen Park.

The cricket series is a significant part of Suriname’s Golden Jubilee festivities, marking 50 years of independence from the Netherlands (gained on November 25, 1975).

For the Everest Second Division side, this goodwill tour is being viewed as the start of a new chapter, aiming to provide players with valuable foreign exposure to different conditions and an opportunity to showcase their talent.

The Second Division squad will be led by former national youth left-arm spinner, Javed Rasheed, with wicketkeeper Denesh Mangal as his deputy.

The Second Division squad features promising youth leg-spinner Nityanand Mathura, seasoned all-rounder Ariel Tilku, and solid batters Varun Mangla, Anthony Sanchara, and Stuart Hoppie. Travis Mohamed will function in a Player/Coach role.

Captain Rasheed is looking forward to an “exciting and action-packed weekend.”

“The tour will serve as an ideal opportunity for the young squad to gain valuable experience and playing time on foreign soil,” Rasheed said. “It also serves as an opportunity for the squad to gel and bond together as we aim to strengthen our camaraderie on and off the field.”

Meanwhile, the Everest Masters’ unit is preparing for a return to familiar territory. Rajesh Singh, the Masters’ Captain, acknowledged some key absentees but expressed confidence in his touring contingent.

“We are looking forward to playing in Suriname again. The hospitality is usually exceptional, and the cricket is competitive,” Singh commented. “Some of the core players are unavailable for various reasons but the touring guys are ready to be good Guyanese ambassadors once again.”

The Everest Masters team includes experienced players such as Anil Beharry, Rohan Sarjoo, and Chanderpaul Singh.

Everest Masters Team; Rajesh Singh (Captain), Anil Beharry, Rohan Sarjoo, Chanderpaul Singh, Latchman Yadram, Suruj Ramdeen, Basil Persaud, Troy Gonsalves, Stephen Alick, Hemraj Garbarran and Julian Mohabir.

Everest Second Division team; Travis Mohamed (Player/Coach), Javed Rasheed (Captain), Feeyad Lakeraj, Stuart Hoppie, Ariel Tilku, Denesh Mangal (Vice Captain and wicketkeeper), Varun Mangla, Anthony Sanchara, Orwin Jordan, Ruel Prashad, Nityanand Mathura, Anek Hemnarine and Anesh Hemnarine.

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Honorary doctorate recipient Professor Clement Sankat has encouraged graduates of the University of Guyana to embrace lifelong learning as they contribute towards developing the nation.

Professor Sankat spoke at UG’s first Convocation Ceremony for this year. The ceremonies celebrating some of the nation’s most distinguished contributors across engineering, culture, agriculture, and the arts commenced on Thursday. Sankat, Director of the Guyana Technical Training College Inc., received his honorary doctorate, recognising for his decades of leadership in engineering education and vocational training.

He urged graduates to stay future-focused and reminded them to commit to lifelong learning, seek mentorship, and focus on safety and sustainability in all fields.

“Commit to lifelong learning, your degree is just your foundation it is not the finish line. Technology, standards and global expectation change quickly, keep learning.

“Guyana is rising… your country needs your skills, your mind and your commitment. The rewards will come,” Sankat said.

He said that during his decades of commitment to studies and national development, he learned that this is not the finish-line. More importantly, Sankat said that Guyana is at a remarkable time with endless opportunities for growth. He encouraged graduates within the faculties to incorporate technology because this is the thing of now and no longer a thing of the future.

“Guyana stands at one of the most remarkable moments in its modern history. A nation small in size but rich in natural resources,” he said.

Egbert Carter was also honoured during Thursday’s proceedings.

Legendary civil engineer Egbert Carter was also honoured during Thursday’s combined ceremonies for the Faculties of Agriculture, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Engineering and Technology. With a six-decade career that includes his work on the Berbice River Bridge and major heritage restoration projects, he is honoured for his “unwavering dedication” to national development.

Several other distinguished individuals will be receiving Honorary Doctorates from the University of Guyana this year. Those who will receive during the course of three days – Thursday to Saturday – are: Sir Ronald Sanders, Komal Samaroo, Nicolette Fernandes, Grace Nicols, John Agard, Mohindra Persaud and Terry Gajraj.

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