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Education Minister Priya Manickchand on Wednesday said the results for this year’s sitting of the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) will be announced in June.

Minister Manickchand was at the time delivering remarks at the ministry’s S.T.E.A.M. Fair, being held at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre.

“We just concluded the NGSA last week, we already are able to tell you that the results will be in, on or before June 26 this year.

“The Caribbean Examination Council is already in possession of papers and will begin, I believe on Friday, to start doing some standardization, which means they’ve already batching and doing other things that they usually do,” the Minister said.

The examination, written on April 16 and 17, had the highest turnout of students across the country since the COVID-19 pandemic. The Education Ministry noted that Region Five had the highest attendance rate with 98.8 per cent.

Additionally, 115 special education needs pupils wrote the exams, while 91 wrote the exams in Spanish. The Spanish version of the secondary entrance exam was introduced last year.

Access to education has changed significantly and the ministry will continue its efforts to acquire universal education in Guyana at all levels. Currently, Guyana has accomplished universal education at the primary level.

The post NGSA results to be announced in June – Manickchand appeared first on News Room Guyana.

Storytelling, ring games, masquerade and the wake being used to invoke the recent dead are just some of the cultural practices, traditions and beliefs that some believe are changing or becoming extinct.

These cultural practices, passed down from generation to generation, are a direct link to a group’s identity. To preserve these in Guyana, UNESCO and Merundoi hosted an opening ceremony on Wednesday, at Herdmanston Lodge for a workshop on the ratification of UNESCO’s 2003 Convention on Intangible Cultural Heritage. The workshop was declared open to a small intimate crowd of creative, arts and culture enthusiasts.

The workshop will span a total of three days and will examine the 2003 convention, the ratification of the convention and a declaration on the way forward.

al creighton, jnr Director of the National School of Theatre Arts and Drama (Photo: Deandra Daniels/ April 23, 2025)

Intangible Cultural Heritage or ‘living heritage’ is important because it offers communities and individuals a sense of identity and continuity. It can promote social cohesion, respect for cultural diversity and human creativity, as well as help communities and individuals connect with each other.

“The technological age, the new alternative modes of entertainment, and particularly the very powerful social media. These things have had a devastating effect upon the survival of intangible culture”. Director of the National Theatre Arts and Drama, al creighton, jr stated.

In 2003, the UNESCO General Conference adopted the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. As of 2019, 178 states have ratified the convention. This encourages and supports countries to take the necessary measures to ensure that communities safeguard their living heritage.

David Brown, the UNESCO Global Facilitator for the 2003 Convention, shared fond memories of his first time visiting Stabroek Market in Guyana where some of Guyana’s unique cultures stood out. Brown heard the Guyanese creole being spoken in different dialects, experienced the smells and tastes of curries and pepperpots, the aroma of incense and admired the textured cloths on display. Buyers and sellers expressed themselves through dance, music and their mode of dress, hand crafted items and tea bushes.

“All of these things constitute and complement your intangible culture. You did find that cultures were being preserved by different groups but they were not communicating with each other so it did not have a cohesive hold,” Brown stated.

Benefits of the intangible cultural heritage workshop include ensuring the safeguarding of the cultural heritage at the national and international levels, strengthening both local and national identities and ensuring openness towards other cultures, access to the intangible heritage fund and Guyana can now count on the mutual commitment of all state parties.

As the United Nations specialised agency for culture, UNESCO is tasked with safeguarding living heritage and ensuring its transition to future generations.

The post From ring games to masquerade: Guyanese want to preserve country’s ‘intangible cultural heritage’  appeared first on News Room Guyana.

Last week, Mumbai Indians (MI) had straightjacketed Sunrisers Hyderabad’s (SRH) batters on an atypically slow surface at the Wankhede Stadium.

On Wednesday, they did the same in the reverse fixture at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad, cantering to a seven-wicket win after restricting SRH to 143 for 8.

Getting to that total was an achievement for SRH after they had slumped to 35 for 5, with Heinrich Klaasen hauling them to something like respectability with a superb 71 off 44 balls.

Respectable as the total may have been, it was far from enough to put pressure on MI, who raced to victory with 26 balls remaining, with Rohit Sharma continuing his return to form with a second successive half-century.

The defining performances of the match came from Trent Boult and Deepak Chahar, who picked up two new-ball wickets each as SRH slumped to the lowest powerplay score of the season, 24 for 4.

They were in danger of collapsing to a double-digit total when they lost their fifth wicket in the ninth over, but Klaasen and Impact Player Abhinav Manohar ensured that didn’t happen, putting on 99 for the sixth wicket in 63 balls.

The damage had already been done, though, as 144 proved to be no challenge at all for an MI team that seems to be building ominous momentum after the customary slow start to their season. After winning just one of their first five games of IPL 2025, they have now won four out of four.

SRH, meanwhile, are second from bottom with just two wins in eight games. They took a net run rate hit too; theirs is now -1.361, only marginally better than bottom-placed Chennai Super Kings’ -1.392. (ESPNcricinfo) 

The post IPL 2025: Mumbai go third as Boult and Rohit blow Sunrisers away appeared first on News Room Guyana.

The Vryman’s Erven housing scheme in New Amsterdam, Berbice, is currently inundated with floodwaters as a result of heavy rainfall in recent days.

Many streets in the area are submerged, and despite no rain on Wednesday, the flooding persists in this municipality.

Residents are fed up with the ongoing issue, which has plagued them for over a decade.

One resident pointed out that the drains are clogged with thick vegetation, causing the streets to vanish under water after even a brief downpour.

Flooding at Vryman’s Erven housing scheme

In these dire conditions, some residents are forced to carry their footwear, navigating the floods with great difficulty, while others must seek refuge in higher ground, like Angoy’s Avenue.

Taxi services are similarly affected; many refuse to operate on flooded streets, and those that do have significantly increased their fares from $500 to $1000.

The New Amsterdam Mayor and Town Council acknowledged the problem in a Facebook post, stating,” Dear citizens of Vryman’s Erven. We have experience another block at our Smythfield culvert.  We are working on getting the stuff cleared from the GWI pipes that run across the culvert. Thank you for your patience.”

The post Vryman’s Erven housing scheme grapples with severe flooding appeared first on News Room Guyana.

The Ramkarran family helped shape Guyana’s political landscape and in recognition of those contributions, a street in Bel Air, Georgetown, was this year named ‘Ramkarran Street.’

The once unnamed street is home to the prominent Guyanese family.

Ralph Ramkarran, during an interview with the News Room on Wednesday, said his family lived here for many years. He made the proposal to have the street named after their family because of their history in the community that was once a plantation, back in December 2024. It was approved by the Mayor and City Council in January 2025.

“Because my great-great grandfather came here in 1875, indentured to Plantation Bel Air, and the Ramkarran Family, in different names, continue to live here throughout the period for 150 years, we thought that it would be a fitting memorial to my father,” Ralph said.

Ralph Ramkarran during his interview with the News Room on Wednesday. (Photo: News Room/ April 23, 2025)

Bany [no last name], the first Ramkarran to live in Bel Air, arrived in Guyana on January 19, 1875. He was among the first East Indian immigrants who arrived in Guyana to work on the plantations. He eventually resided in Bel Air, where the plantation was.

Ralph’s late father, Boysie Ramkarran, was a politician and unionist who also lived here.

“The most significant position was General Secretary of the Guyana Agricultural & General Workers Union (GAWU) and he held that position for about ten years but it was a very turbulent period in Guyana’s political life and the Union was not recognised at those times and there were some very long and brutal strikes,” Ralph said.

Mr. Boysie’s political career started after he joined the Political Affairs Committee (PAC) which led to the formation of the People’s Progressive Party in 1950. In 1953, he won a seat at Parliament and eventually became a Minister (he was a minister two times for separate ministries). In 1954 he was imprisoned for breaking emergency regulations.

Ralph himself followed in his father’s footsteps and got involved in politics; he is a former speaker of the National Assembly.

“Given the Bel Air family’s deep connections to the country’s political development, Ralph thought it fitting that the Ramkarran name be etched in the place they have called home for decades.”

“I always had the idea, for many many years, decades. I acted on it last year

“When I went to him [Georgetown Mayor Alfred Mentore] he said he would be happy to put forward a proposal if I were to make it,” Ralph said.

He is happy that the history of Bel Air and his family’s contributions to the nation are tied to the newly-named street.

The post Bel Air street renamed in honour of the Ramkarrans appeared first on News Room Guyana.

Troyden Trellis, 30, of Savannah Park, New Amsterdam, Berbice, has been remanded to prison following his appearance at the Reliance Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday.

He appeared before Magistrate Michelle Matthias. The Court heard that on Thursday, April 17, Trellis murdered 53-year-old Hemchand Utan during a robbery.

He was not required to enter a plea to the indictable charge at this stage.

During the proceedings, Police Prosecutor Sergeant Mark Edwards informed the court that the case file is complete. Edwards sought three weeks to make the necessary disclosures, a request that Magistrate Matthias granted without hesitation.

On the day of the incident, police apprehended Trellis, recovering a vehicle, a 9MM pistol, and a motorcycle used in the commission of the crime.

Trellis is scheduled to reappear in court on May 19, with the matter now transferred to the New Amsterdam Magistrates Court.

The post Man, 30, remanded for murder of Edinburgh businessman appeared first on News Room Guyana.

While continuing to lobby for the removal or reduction of U.S.-imposed tariffs, Guyana is actively exploring alternative strategies to ensure its exporters and broader economy remain competitive globally. This is according to the country’s Chief Investment Officer Dr. Peter Ramsaroop during an exclusive interview with the News Room on Tuesday.

The Guyanese Government has been engaged in ongoing dialogue with the United States regarding new tariffs, including those placed on Chinese-manufactured ships and the tariffs affecting various imports.

“The government has been actively engaging the U.S. across the board on the tariff issue,” Ramsaroop stated.

“Some of the numbers initially circulated were standardised estimates and, when examined more closely, reflect a much smaller impact. Nonetheless, we’re advocating strongly on behalf of exporters,” he added.

Despite the temporary pause on the 10% baseline tariff, Guyana believes that exporters should not suffer competitive disadvantages, especially as the measure is being applied uniformly across jurisdictions.

Rather than relying solely on tariff negotiations, Guyana is positioning itself as a hub for manufacturing and investment, inviting global businesses, particularly from the Asia region, to consider relocating production facilities to the Caribbean.

“Why sell your car to CARICOM? Why not come and build it here in Guyana?” the Chief Investment Officer quizzed.

“That’s the opportunity we’re putting forward—bring your manufacturing to the region and take advantage of the benefits available here,” Dr. Ramsaroop added.

Citing Guyana’s vast reserves of natural resources, including an estimated 1.5 billion tonnes of bauxite, he highlighted the country’s potential for downstream industries such as glass and solar panel production.

“Why should we be importing solar panels from China or Indiana when we have the silica and the capacity to manufacture them right here?” he added.

Guyana is also leveraging its preferential trade relationships, including duty- and tariff-free access to the European Union under the CARIFORUM-EU Economic Partnership Agreement. This arrangement allows CARICOM member states, including Guyana, to export their products to the EU without additional duties or tariffs—an opportunity the government is encouraging local producers to fully capitalise on.

Emphasising a stable investment climate, the government is promoting a long-term, integrated development strategy that includes infrastructure, education, healthcare, and macroeconomic stability—conditions which, the official said, have already begun attracting international attention.

The post Guyana wooing more investors, examining other alternatives amid tariff pressures appeared first on News Room Guyana.

See below the full release issued by Demerara Distillers Limited: 

TOPCO (a member of the Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL) group of companies) has initiated a voluntary recall of specific batches of the TOPCO 1L Unsweetened Orange Juice. This action follows consumer feedback, received last week, indicating a deviation in the standard sensory profile (both aroma and taste) in some Unsweetened Orange juice products.

Based on these consumer reports, tests were conducted, and a decision was made to recall from the trade all TOPCO 1L Unsweetened Orange Juice recently produced in Batches 1, 2, and 3. This recall was issued on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.

Our tests have confirmed that, of the entire TOPCO 1L range, only the Unsweetened Orange Juice product has been affected. Our Quality Assurance and Production teams are working diligently with the equipment manufacturer and other specialists to conduct a comprehensive review of our supply chain and workflow, aiming to pinpoint the root cause of this isolated issue.

We urge consumers who have purchased TOPCO 1L Unsweetened Orange Juice from the identified batches to return the product to their place of purchase for a full refund.

TOPCO assures all consumers that we remain committed to the highest standards for quality and food safety.

We thank our customers for their vigilance and for reporting the matter, allowing us the opportunity for a swift response. Your trust is important to us, and we are working to maintain it.

In the meantime, all other TOPCO Juice products are available for purchase and remain unaffected

The post TOPCO voluntarily recalls unsweetened orange juice after complaints  appeared first on News Room Guyana.

The Hydrometeorological Service of the Ministry of Agriculture on Tuesday held its National Climate Outlook Forum at Herdmanston Lodge.

Specialist meteorologist with responsibility for climatology, Komal Dhiram, explained that the usual May / June rainy season is likely to last longer than it usually does.

“In addition to seeing above normal rainfall, we are also seeing an increase in the number of wet days as compared to the normal amount of wet days that you would see in the 90-day-period” Dhiram stated.

He added, “You might have noticed that there has been an early transition into the rainy season and this is something that we have identified in our bulletins earlier this year.”

Because of this forecast, he advised persons to ensure that there is proper drainage and irrigation. He also urged farmers to plan appropriately as there is a higher change for extreme rainfall.

The hydro-meteorological service noted that in low-lying and areas with poor drainage, flooding is likely. Persons should exercise caution in efforts to safeguard life and property.

The post Prolonged May/June rainy season expected- Climatologist appeared first on News Room Guyana.