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The Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) has launched a major project to develop a National Standardisation Strategy (NSS) with support from the CARICOM Regional Organisation for Standards and Quality (CROSQ) and the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO).

Set to span the next three years, the initiative aims to address the country’s standards needs across all industries, creating a policy framework to align national goals with relevant international standards.

As part of this process, the GNBS is actively engaging stakeholders, encouraging contributions through a questionnaire designed to gather input on the development and adoption of new standards.

The strategy, which is expected to be finalised by the first quarter of 2025, will address key economic, social, and environmental priorities to strengthen Guyana’s National Quality Infrastructure.

To further involve the public, the GNBS is hosted an in-person awareness session at its Head Office in Georgetown on Thursday to provide a platform for stakeholders to engage directly with experts from CROSQ and UNIDO.

Standardisation is integral to the country’s development, ensuring products and services meet high standards of quality and reliability. Over its 40-year history, the GNBS has overseen the creation of more than 600 national standards, spanning various sectors from agriculture to oil and gas.

Through collaboration with industry professionals and the public, the GNBS is working to build a future where quality and safety are guaranteed across all sectors.

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Shaping up to be intense, the 2025 National Budget Debate got underway on Friday, exactly one week after Finance Minister Dr. Ashni Singh presented the $1.38 trillion spending plan.

Opposition Parliamentarian Juretha Fernandes opened the debate, raising concerns, particularly about the lack of adjustments to wages, pensions, and the minimum wage in light of the rising cost of living.

Her contribution was emphatic, though she opined that the trillion-dollar budget was not responsive enough to a rising cost of living.

Fernandes is from the Alliance For Change (AFC) party in the opposition and has the shadow responsibility for finance.

“This administration did not take inflation into account when increasing wages salaries and old age pension,” Fernandes contended.

She added, “No adjustment of minimum wage mentioned in the $1.3 trillion dollar budget.”

Opposition Parliamentarian Juretha Fernandes opened the debate

Throughout her 30-minute presentation, she addressed various budgetary measures and allocations and consistently advanced an argument that the government was not spending enough on poverty alleviation ventures and measures to empower people.

It was her comment about the government creating more menial jobs in the service industry through its support for new hotels that riled up Susan Rodrigues, the Minister within the Ministry of Housing and Water who started the debate for the government side.

Minister Rodrigues took umbrage at what she said was an apparent effort to disparage workers in this industry, a sector in which older members of her family worked and made an honest living.

Susan Rodrigues, the Minister within the Ministry of Housing and Water

In what was a clear division from the contribution of Fernandes, Rodrigues defended the budget, highlighting the government’s investments in infrastructure, social services, and various projects aimed at reducing poverty and improving quality of life.

Rodrigues began her robust presentation by declaring that the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) is empowering people in all segments of society.

“This administration, the PPP/C government, has policies that will take care of people from the cradle to the grave,” Rodrigues said.

Rodrigues then spent her 30-minute presentation, with a five-minute extension, disaggregating the 2025 National Budget and explaining how the allocations and measures will support Guyanese.

“We are building infrastructure to open opportunities, to increase trade, to reduce travel time, to open new lands for housing (and) to build new water treatment plants.

“This is what people want, this is how you use the wealth,” she posited.

The minister noted that investments in big infrastructure projects aren’t the only focus of the government nor are those ventures solely focused on in the 2025 National Budget. She said there are key investments in social services and productive sectors, measures that help the government achieve an overall goal of poverty alleviation and empowering people.

She contrasted the government’s focus now to the litany of unfulfilled promises from the APNU+ AFC government in office from 2015 to 2020. And she questioned whether the government should instead focus on doing less.

“I want them to tell the people of this country who are listening which project you want us to cut. Which housing scheme should we not build? Should we give out 500 lots instead of 50,000?” Rodrigues asked.

Like the spirited presentations that opened the debate, the Parliamentarians will all share their views on the budget over the next few days as the debate runs for a week. Following the conclusion of the debate, the Parliamentarians will then scrutinise the fiscal plan in great detail, during the consideration of the estimates.

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Hours after a fire destroyed the home of Sports Journalist Rawle Welch, the Guyana Fire Service in a statement said the fire was “supposedly caused by a lit six burner gas stove left unattended.”

As a result of the fire, three families are now left homeless; one person suffered first degree burns and a second house owned by Julius Browne is severely damaged. The first floor of Browne’s house was completely destroyed.

The second floor also suffered damage and was occupied by Kevin Allicock, a national boxer and athlete along with his family.

Allicock said his mother was sleeping and was awakened by the smoke. He had left the house to go pick up his daughter from school when he received the call about the fire.

“I was riding down the road like crazy just to get here to see what I can save, but unfortunately I couldn’t save anything,” Allicock said.

Rawle’s wife, Cecile Welch received first degree burns to her right hand and right foot. Welch lived with his family Cecile, Jamaal Welch, Janelle Welch, Christon Welch and Azaria Welch.

The house on fire (Photo: Kaieteur News/Facebook)

The Fire Service said she was assisted by the Emergency Medical Technicians at the scene and transported to the Georgetown Public Hospital.

Rawle explained that he had just left his house to pick up his son from work when he received the call about the fire.

“I’m glad to know my family is intact.

“More than half my life I lived there, I gotta sit down and discuss with my wife what is the next move from here, we lost everything,” Rawle told reporters at the scene.

The Fire Service reported that the call about the fire was received at about 15:35hrs on Thursday.

“A team of eight firefighters led by Section Leader Liverpool arrived on the scene at 15:43 hrs. The crew deployed two jets working from tank supply to extinguish the fire but unfortunately the initial building and its contents, which measured approximately 12 by 8 meters, was destroyed,” the Fire Service said.

Meanwhile, the Fire Service appealed to the general public to ensure that all gas cylinders are turned off when not in use and to desist from leaving gas stoves unattended when in use.

“We urge the public to equip your homes with smoke detectors, fire alarms, and fire extinguishers, and to have an evacuation plan in the event of a fire.”

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It is not difficult to know what’s coming this Test match. It is an easy one to analyse, a straightforward one to predict.

West Indies will have prepared studiously for the challenge Pakistan will pose, and Pakistan, themselves, have made no secret they will double down on the nature of the surfaces they prepare.

The wicket might begin to break up when the two captains head out for the toss. Whoever wins will bat first, and spin bowling will feature right from the outset.

But forewarned is not necessarily forearmed. The challenge Pakistan pose with these surfaces that crackle in the winter heat is much easier to understand than to do anything about.

The outcome of the game hinges on West Indies’ execution; any mistakes they made in terms of understanding what kind of pitch this was will have been ironed out.

Kraigg Brathwaite threw the gauntlet down to his team at the end of the first Test, while encouraging them with the reminder they were ahead in the game at a few key stages, and there was significant room for improvement to offer them belief.

West Indies’ own spinners showed they could go toe to toe with Pakistan’s, and Jomel Warrican registered better figures than any of his Pakistani counterparts.

In Kemar Roach, they possess the best fast bowler on either side, on the few occasions that one will be required.

They even worked out how to make the sweep and reverse-sweep productive, if not necessarily risk-free.

And they found runs with the lower order, an inveterate Achilles’ heel of Pakistan’s bowling, no matter the conditions.

Aaqib Javed made an impassioned defence of the pitches Pakistan have begun preparing at home, but he knows he has not won everyone over yet.

Concerns about what it means for the country’s Test batting and fast bowling linger, and the only thing – the main thing, in his view – his style has got going for it is simple; it wins Pakistan Test matches.

Pakistan are aware they must continue getting these wins, because the moment results turn, that spring-loaded criticism is waiting to be unleashed.

In the spotlight – Shan Masood and Alick Athanaze

Pakistan cricket brings with it short attention spans, and Shan Masood knows he will not have much of it for the next nine months.

He has now been now been captain for just under the full WTC cycle, and this is Pakistan’s last Test in a disappointing year and a half of Test cricket.

Reports about his position as Test captain being vulnerable have surfaced more than once, and with a new cycle beginning at the end of the year, Pakistan will likely reevaluate at some point.

However, this game represents a chance to finish off strongly, and continue making his case.

With the bat, there are possible signs of a patch of form with a hundred and a fifty in his last three innings, and while he has not been viewed as the reason for an upturn in Test results, victory here will mean he finishes the cycle off with four wins in his last six Tests.

Alick Athanaze came into this series with runs against Bangladesh, and appears to have enjoyed batting in Pakistan more than most of his team-mates.

He scored 99 and 58* in the three-day game before the series in Islamabad, and was responsible for nearly half of his side’s runs in the fourth innings in Multan, becoming the only visiting batter to score a half-century.

Praise for the Dominican’s technique has come from exalted quarters, with Brian Lara and Ian Bishop among his admirers, and if the visitors top six are to rise to the challenge their captain laid out for them, Athanaze is expected to have a significant role.

Team news

Pakistan have not yet named an XI, with Aqib Javed saying they would take a final look at the surface.

Pakistan (likely XI): 1 Shan Masood (capt) 2 Muhammad Hurraira 3 Babar Azam 4 Kamran Ghulam 5 Saud Shakeel 6 Mohammad Rizwan (wk) 7 Salman Agha 8 Noman Ali 9 Sajid Khan 10 Abrar Ahmed 11 Khurram Shahzad

West Indies, too, have yet to name a starting line-up. Jayden Seales misses out with a slightly niggle in his leg.

Kemar Roach is available again alongside Amir Jangoo.

West Indies: 1 Kraigg Brathwaite (capt) 2 Mikyle Louis 3 Keacy Carty 4 Alick Athanaze 5 Kavem Hodge 6 Justin Greaves 7 Tevin Imlach/Amir Jangoo (wk) 8 Gudakesh Motie 9 Kevin Sinclair 10 Jomel Warrican 11 Kemar Roach (ESPNcricinfo)

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West Indies Cricket- the present and the future- will be high on the agenda when CARICOM Heads of Government meet in Barbados on February 19-21 for their 48^th Regular Meeting.

The high-level assembly is expected to be held at the Wyndham Grand on the southeastern coast of the island.

Heads of Government will discuss several pressing issues for the Community, and the glorious game which has brought global glory to this region will again be in the spotlight as stakeholders aim to find solutions to the many challenges faced on and off the field.

Cricket West Indies (CWI) is expected to send a delegation to the meeting.

The likely heads will be President Dr. Kishore Shallow; and Chris Dehring, highly regarded Jamaica administrator, who will take up the position of CEO.

He takes up the post on February 1 and will be based at the headquarters at Coolidge Cricket Ground in Antigua.

CWI has found itself in several public spats with the Barbados Cricket Association and the Guyana Cricket Board over governance reform.

There is also the ongoing debate over the conclusion of last year’s men’s regional limited overs tournament, where both Barbados and Jamaica captains did not spin the toss.

The prospect of relegation to a lower tier in Test cricket has been mooted in international cricket circles. CWI has yet to make a public statement on the matter, but it is expected to be discussed at the CARICOM meeting.

On the field, the West Indies senior men’s and women’s teams continue to struggle.

The men’s Test team are bottom of the table in the ICC World Test Championship while the women will be required to compete at the qualifiers tournament to earn a berth at the World Cup in India later this year.

Other hot topics in use: Food and nutrition security, climate change and the climate finance agenda; the ongoing challenges in Haiti; security issues; digital resilience; external relations matters and the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME).

Other issues such as maritime and air transport and reparations will also occupy the attention of the leaders over the two-day period. (Sportsmax)

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The Guyana Police Force (GPF) received enforcement equipment valued at approximately $50 million to boost its traffic management and road safety efforts on Thursday.

The items were procured with financing from the InterAmerican Development Bank and will be dispatched to the various policing divisions nationwide.

The equipment includes speed guns with cameras, wheel clamps, single and dual-zone direction-sensing radars, portable speed bumps and 20 tablets to record data.

Additional items were procured for the Ministry of Public Works’ road safety interventions. These include digital speed measuring devices, LED-powered YIELD and STOP signs.

These upgrades aim to improve visibility and promote compliance with traffic regulations. They are valued at approximately $25 million.

Minister of Public Works Bishop Juan Edghill said the 2025 budget will allocate some $2 billion to procure traffic lights for key areas in Georgetown.

“You’re going to see a massive rollout of traffic lights based upon agreements with the traffic officers where the needs exist and also what is required for safety in the Georgetown area,” he explained.

Minister Edghill said the equipment is only half the solution to address the key issue of speeding in Guyana.

The minister also stressed the need for a culture shift along the roadways, recommending that citizens hold each other accountable.

“It must start with peer pressure. We have put laws in place to prevent drunk driving. We have moved the responsibility from just the reckless, careless person who wants to imbibe and then go on the road to drive,” the minister said.

Illegal Parking

The public works minister further said the items, specifically the wheel clamps, will be an instrumental part of the government’s efforts to curb haphazard parking along major thoroughfares.

He stressed that the tools handed over will mainly be used on cars and some canters.

The Ministry of Public Works is in the process of procuring 200 more wheel clamps specifically for trucks.

“We don’t want to stop economic activities. We want to make sure that while you’re doing your business the general public is safe,” he emphasised.

IDB Country Representative for Guyana Lorena Salazar also noted that citizens should be more conscious of their conduct on the roadways to curb the issue of speeding.

Commissioner of Police, Clifton Hicken and Deputy Commissioner of Police, Ravindradat Budhram also delivered remarks and assured that the equipment will be used to bolster road safety. [DPI]

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Residents of Seaforth Street and Campbell Avenue in Campbellville, Georgetown will soon enjoy improved drainage infrastructure and a more secure neighbourhood.

On Thursday, President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali held a community meeting with the residents where he pledged these enhancements.

Residents highlighted the ongoing drainage issue in the area as well as the need for more street lights and improved garbage collection.

While the government has already completed some 3.2 kilometres of roadworks and accompanying drainage infrastructure in the area, residents complained that frequent flooding still persists.

President Ali said the government will compile a comprehensive drainage programme for the community using local labour and equipment from the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) within a week.

“NDIA will bring their equipment and we will fix the drainage. In a week’s time we will start works there. We will work with GPL [Guyana Power and Light] and public works for the streetlights,” the president told the residents. 

The announcement was met with satisfaction, as residents acknowledged the community’s significant improvements, largely attributed to the government’s consistent investments in road infrastructure and recreational facilities.

The president further assured those gathered that the government will work with the Georgetown City Council to address the community’s garbage collection concerns.

This meeting joins a string of others held this month as the government ramps up community engagement to foster greater development at that level.

President Ali has been firm on the 2025 budget’s community development focus and has already pledged that the national street lighting programme will be further expanded this year.

The head of state was accompanied by Minister of Public Works Bishop Juan Edghill; Minister within the Ministry of Public Works Deodat Indar, along with the Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Charles Ramson Jr.

The $1.38 trillion fiscal plan was presented to the nation on Friday last. It is 20 per cent larger than last year’s and contains a slew of measures to benefit Guyanese in every sector and level. [DPI]

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A Police Service Commission Tribunal has been established to investigate disciplinary charges against Assistant Commissioner of Police, Calvin Brutus, following allegations of serious misconduct during his tenure as Deputy Commissioner of Police.

The charges stem from actions carried out between August 2020 and July 2024, and the tribunal is set to delve into claims of breach of discipline and discreditable conduct.

The Police Service Commission, an independent constitutional body empowered under Article 212 (1) of the Constitution of Guyana, oversees disciplinary control within the Guyana Police Force, particularly for officers holding ranks above Inspector.

The commission, acting in accordance with the Constitution, has appointed a Tribunal to investigate Mr. Brutus, with Ms. Shoshanna V. Lall as Chairman, and Mr. Keoma Griffith and Mr. Seelall Persaud serving as members.

The Tribunal, which convened for the first time on 22nd January 2025, is tasked with investigating two specific allegations against Brutus:

1. Improper Use of Welfare Fund
   Brutus is accused of directing the payment of over GYD $13.6 million from the Guyana Police Force’s Welfare Fund on 11th January 2024, in violation of Police Standing Orders.

 

1. Falsification of Police Records
   In December 2023, Brutus allegedly caused records at the Quartermaster Stores to be falsified, leading to a payment of over GYD $101 million for goods purportedly supplied by 3D Construction, despite the transaction being false.

These charges are not criminal in nature and the Tribunal emphasised that it would not interfere with the ongoing criminal proceedings in the Magistrate’s Court and would respect Brutus’ right to a fair defence. The Tribunal says it will uphold the principles of natural justice throughout its investigation.

As per standard procedure, the Tribunal’s proceedings will be conducted in-camera, excluding media and public access. Recordings of the hearings will not be permitted, except for official transcriptions.

Brutus, who is currently on administrative leave, was notably absent during the Tribunal’s initial meeting on 22nd January 2025. A medical certificate, dated 21st January 2025, was presented, claiming Brutus was unfit to attend due to back pain and muscle sprain.

However, upon summoning the attending doctor, the Tribunal was informed that the symptoms described did not warrant the level of incapacitation indicated. The medical certificate was subsequently recalled on 23rd January 2025.

Despite the recall, Brutus failed to attend the Tribunal’s second session on 23rd January 2025, prompting the Tribunal to issue another summons for his appearance on 27th January 2025. The Tribunal described his continued absence and attempts to avoid service as efforts to evade the proceedings.

The Tribunal has a strict 28-day mandate to complete its investigation, ending on 19th February 2025, unless an extension is granted. The findings will be submitted to the Police Service Commission for further action.

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To ensure traffic is better controlled, Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill said a sum of $2 billion has been earmarked to purchase traffic lights this year.

As such, a “massive” roll out of traffic lights is expected wherever necessary.

The traffic lights will not only be limited to the major highways and intersections.

The money, Edghill said, is contained in the 2025 National Budget, in which a sum of $209.3 billion is allocated to the Ministry of Public Works.

“We have budgeted in 2025, $2 billion for the procurement of traffic lights to help with what is happening across the country.

“This $2 billion that I am talking about for traffic lights is not to address programmes that are currently being funded and done this is outside of that to ensure that we have better management,” Edghill said while speaking at an event on Thursday.

The initiative, according to Edghill, is aimed at improving management of traffic on the country’s roadways, an area which has been under “strong” review.

He noted that discussions have begun to develop police guidelines which will be made public once available.

Meanwhile, he said President Dr Irfaan Ali has established a Task Force headed by the Prime Minister, Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillip and traffic ranks from various divisions who will soon complete their work.

“People must not be afraid to drive in Guyana,” Edghill said.

When installed, Edghill said drivers who destroy the public infrastructure will faced consequences.

“We have had trucks, cars hitting out traffic lights in the city. Heroes highways we would have to put in some traffic lights to deal with the control at major intersections,” he said.

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In an effort to better manage traffic and promote road safety, the Guyana Police Force (GPF) has received $50 million worth of modern equipment to utilise in the execution of daily operations.

The items include speed guns with cameras, wheel clamps, speed radar signs, direction sensing radars, portable speed bumps and 20 tablets to record data.

Apart from the Force, the Ministry of Public Works, received digital speed measuring devices and LED powered yield and stop signs, amounting to an additional $25 million.

Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), Country Representative, Lorena Solórzano Salazar handed over the items to Commissioner of Police, Clifton Hicken on Thursday during a ceremony at the GPF Headquarters, Eve Leary.

The items include speed guns with cameras, wheel clamps, speed radar signs, direction sensing radars, portable speed bumps and 20 tablets to record data (Photo: GPF/ January 23, 2025)

The equipment were procured with funds remaining following the completion of the Sheriff to Mandela road project, which was funded by the IDB.

The equipment will be distributed across the various policing divisions across the country. But before this is done, Traffic Chief, Senior Superintendent Mahendra Singh told the News Room that they would have to be calibrated.

“What was given to us has not been quality assured to calibrate. So the technical people will now assess them…and we will now proceed to have them calibrated and/or deployed appropriately in areas where speeding is contributing to most if not all of the accidents,” Singh said.

The GPF also received 20 tablets to record data. (Photo: News Room/January 23, 2025)

More importantly, he said the equipment are in keeping with modern technology.

“So we more than appreciate what was given to us and we will put it together to achieve a desired effect and as we will them into use you will know,” Singh said.

Deputy Commissioner of Police, Ravindradat Budhram gave assurance that the equipment will be “properly” cared and maintained.

“These equipment will be properly placed in our inventory, will be cared and used in the appropriate manner.

“We will use it at the best of our ability to ensure lives are saved on our roads,” Budhram said.

The items include speed guns with cameras, wheel clamps, speed radar signs, direction sensing radars, portable speed bumps and 20 tablets to record data (Photo: GPF/ January 23, 2025)

The safe use of the country’s roadway is an ongoing effort which is being promoted through various initiatives by the authorities.

However, to effectively address this issue, Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill said there is a need for a change in culture at the individual level as it relates to traffic and the use of the roadways.

“It got to start with peer pressure. We got to talk to each other. If you drinking tonight sir, you can’t drive.

“…We got to calm people down…So these items that are being handed over is an intervention that is designed to deal with these who can’t control themselves,” Edghill said.

Similar sentiments were echoes by Ms Salazar, who said citizens also ought to be conscious in the manner in which they traverse on the roads.

“We at the IDB will continue to support in this effort in this effort, ensuring safer and more orderly roadways because it’s better to lose one minute in life than a life in one minute,” she said.

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