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Minister of Health Dr. Frank Anthony recently lamented the enduring neglect of some mental health patients by their families.

Dr. Anthony, at a recent press conference, said this is a significant challenge in the mental health sector. He noted that some families refuse to accept discharged patients back into their homes.

Some patients have been hospitalised for as long as two decades, the health minister revealed.

However, a new law is expected to help address this.

The new Mental Health Protection and Promotion law caters to modern mental health services and specifically states that persons with mental illnesses should not be segregated from society.

“We have to now treat people when they have an acute problem and once that acute phase is passed and they are managed, then you discharge them.

“The challenge with that is that we have a lot of patients that have been with us, in some cases for more than two decades. And for many of them we can actually send them home, but the families of these patients they don’t want to accept them home,” Dr. Anthony stated.

He also acknowledged the difficulty of finding alternative arrangements for such patients and revealed that the local authorities are exploring alternative housing options for them.

“There is not much we can do, we will probably have to make alternative arrangements to see whether they go into homes or something but it has been a challenge for us,” the minister said as he reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to reducing the burden of mental illnesses.

As it relates to broader mental health services, Dr. Anthony outlined substantial progress such as mental health services are now available in almost all regions.

Psychiatry services also now extends to children with two available child psychiatrists. Mental health consultations also done via telemedicine now.

Meanwhile, with support from a consultant from India, a comprehensive mental health strategy is being developed.

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The seventh annual Mashramani Street Football Championship is expected to kick off on February 1. Thirty teams will compete for the coveted top prize in one of the country’s premier ‘small goal’ football tournaments.

The event’s host, Sports Management Inc. (SMI), disclosed in a press release that they plan to host the 2025 version of the competition.

The organisation indicated that the preliminary rounds would be hosted in communities before the grand finals, which will be held on February 15 at the National Park.

“Last year, we hosted the event on one night, and many teams complained about being left out and allowed to win the title. We have come up with a way to address that this year, given the number of teams that want to play in the tournament,” the SMI release said.

“We will host three preliminary nights in Pouderoyen, Back Circle, and Mocha before the grand finals at the National Park on February 15.

The semi-finals, third place playoff, and finals will be held at the National Park,” the release informed.

Stabroek Ballers are the defending champions in the tournament that featured 16 of the top teams last year.

In 2022, SMI hosted perhaps the biggest street football contest in Guyana’s history. It was called the Magnum Mashramani Cup.

Following a hiatus in 2023, the event’s sixth edition returned to the annual ‘small goal’ calendar last year.

“This event brings the weight of six years of hosting and developing similar tournaments across the country,” the release continued.

The release thanked ANSA McAL Trading, MVP Sports, Nigel Hinds Financial Services, Cevons Waste Management, ENet, Corum Group, Fireside Grill and Chill, Star Rentals and the Commissioner of Police Clifton Hicken for their continued support.

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The master plan for Silica City has been completed and the forthcoming development is expected to be an innovative one.

The master plan for Silica City was done by the University of Miami with a government oversight committee.

The master plan draws inspiration from Guyana’s natural surroundings that will result in an organic layout reminiscent of a tree. The road corridors will act as stems, connecting “leaves” or development blocks that house residential, commercial, educational, and innovation zones.

This was revealed in the Ministry of Housing and Water review of 2024.

“The masterplan has been completed for over 3000 acres of land and so the various aspects that is involved in putting together to ensure we are able to expand, is an ongoing exercise,” Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal revealed during a recent year-end press conference.

Silica City’s central districts, including the innovation and civic areas, form its core. It has unique landmarks such as retail hubs, research facilities, museums, hospitality centers and biodiversity institutes.

Blue-green infrastructure will enhance the city’s commitment to Guyana’s forest and waterways. The master plan also incorporates public parks, hydroponic farms, botanical gardens and eco-tourism attractions.

“The work that is involved in terms of silica city continues and certainly moving forward under this PPP tenure you will see in a major physical way the enhancement on Silica City,” Minister Croal stated.

The development concept m used for Silica City was the Regenerative Design approach. This design is based on a whole living system approach that encompasses humanity, health and wellbeing, local economy, environment, nature, built intervention, climate and community.

This means the systems in place and infrastructure are interrelated.

Once completed, the main thoroughfare within the new city will be a green parkway with a major portion of the road to be designed for riding, landscaping and will not allow vehicular use.

The project has set aside some 3,800 acres of land, and work on the infrastructure is already underway with 110 houses being constructed.

In addition to green areas and other facilities, the state-of-the-art development will include smart homes outfitted with the newest energy-saving technologies.

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The Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) has organised two practice matches for the Guyana Harpy Eagles as the defending champions prepare for the commencement of the 2025 Regional Four-Day season on January 29.

One of the two matches will be a day/night fixture as this season, Cricket West Indies will reintroduce the pink ball to First-Class cricket.

The last time a pink ball First-Class match was held at the National Stadium, Providence, was during the 2018-19 season.

In a release on Sunday, the GCB indicated, “These games are set to play a vital role in forming a robust squad to retain the Four-Day Championship title. The games will also provide a good platform for players to impress selectors.”

The board believes the matches “will enable our players to enhance their skills in a competitive environment.”

Both are Four-Day matches at the National Stadium, Providence, and the pink ball match is scheduled to commence on January 9, while the other, a traditional red-ball encounter, will be from January 15.

Tagenarine Chanderpaul and Kemol Savory, one of whom could lead the Eagles in the first match against Barbados Pride, as Tevin Imlach will likely be unavailable due to West Indies duties, will lead the teams in the practice matches.

Kevin Sinclair and Gudakesh Motie will also be out, which makes these matches key for fringe players to stake a claim.

A noticeable absentee from the squads named in the press release was Ronaldo Alimohamed, who played in six of the seven Regional Four-Day matches last season.

The all-rounder is a contracted player, and it is understood that he recently recovered from an injury.

Kemol Savory’s XI: Matthew Nandu, Raymond Perez, Zeynul Ramsammy, Kemol Savory (Captain & Wicketkeeper), Akshaya Persaud, Richie Looknauth, Junior Sinclair, Ashmead Nedd, Nityanand Mathura, Thaddeus Lovell, Isai Thorne, Chris Harry, Demeter Cameron, Joshua Persaud.

Tagenarine Chanderpaul’s XI: Tagenarine Chanderpaul (Captain), Sachin Singh, Adrian Sukwah (Wicketkeeper), Kandhiya Ramkaran, Usherdeva Balgobin, Kevlon Anderson, Jonathan Van Lange, Veerasammy Permaul, Riyad Latiff, Joshua Jones, Nial Smith, Sylus Tyndall, Jonathan Rampersaud, Rampersaud Ramnauth.

The GCB also invited six additional players, Antony Adams, Afraz Ali Budhoo, Yeudestir Persaud, Golcharran Chulai, Romeo Deonarine, and Bruce Vincent, to compete.

Match Schedule

Match One

Dates: Thursday, January 9, 2025

Venue: Guyana National Stadium, Providence

Start Time: 14:00h (Day/Night encounter)

Match Two

Dates: Monday, January 15, 2025

Venue: Guyana National Stadium, Providence

Start Time: 10:00h

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President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali said the previous government must be held accountable for the rapid decline in key sectors of the economy during its term in office.

The Guyanese leader compared the performance of the forestry and bauxite sectors during the tenure of the A partnership for National Unity + Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) Government with his administration’s performance.

President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali

In a detailed presentation during a live broadcast on Sunday afternoon, the head of state explained that it is crucial to contextualise the sectors’ development, taking into consideration the grave state of affairs that occurred between 2015 and 2020.

“It is important because this year we’ll be making decisions that compare leadership policy programmes between two governments: the government that destroyed the sector between 2015 and 2020, and that’s the APNU-AFC government, and what we did,” he said.

President Ali reminded listeners that the sectors support more than 30,000 families countrywide.

He emphasised that the PPP/C has been consistently accountable during the period that it has been in government, and continues to own its track record of advocating for sustainable development. However, he pointed out that the same cannot be said for the APNU+AFC.

“I heard one of the leaders of the APNU+AFC saying they’re not concerned about four years ago, or they don’t have to answer for that period. But you have to be accountable for the period you were in government,” he stated.

President Ali said it comes as no surprise that the opposition is unhappy with its dismal track record while in office because it reveals a lack of polices and creative ideas which led to a complete destruction of Guyana’s economy.

Guyana boasts one of the largest standing forests in the world

In the forestry sector, the head of state said that two of the sector’s largest investors, Baishalin International Forest Development Inc. and Barama Company Limited were forced to cease operations.

“This was as a result of direct policy intervention that shut these large investors down, affecting thousands of jobs,” the president asserted.

This loss had a debilitating ripple effect, since the companies supported key infrastructure that empowered small miners with access to a wider market. With their departure, the cost of production increased dramatically and the market dwindled.

“All the incentives were removed. There was no support in terms of infrastructure to support the small miners. The export of the total production, which had reached a peak of 500,000 cubic metre annually in 2015, fell to 400,000 cubic metres by 2020. Exports of the forestry sector declined by 35 per cent,” President Ali explained.

He further noted that this resulted in a loss of foreign currency and led to a plummeting of employment rates; from 22,000 in 2015 to less than 14,000 by 2020.

Moreover, severe fees were imposed on small and medium-sized loggers, increasing from $450 million in 2014 to $910 million by 2019. This represents a 118 per cent increase in fees.

Samples of bauxite produced in Guyana

“They want to run from this record, their 2015-2020 record, when they imposed a 118 per cent increase in fees for small and medium sized loggers. What resulted? When we left office, the Guyana Forestry Commission had a surplus of $211 million. By the time we got to 2020, that surplus was completely eroded. Due to the dwindling cash flow, the commission was unable to pay staff,” he said.

The president further contended, “And worse than that, the bonus that the People’s Progressive Party/Civic Government gave the forestry workers was removed. That was the state of affairs of the forestry sector when we came back into government.”

President Aliadded that the bauxite sector faced similar hardships, with 50 per cent of its workforce being put on the breadline between 2015 and 2020.

“During the APNU+AFC Government’s tenure, there was no investment in Guyana. There was absolutely no investment in the hinterland roads, in the mining roads and in the infrastructure to support bauxite mining and forestry.

When we came back in government, we had to reinvest in those infrastructures and expand those infrastructures. That is the difference between the APNU+AFC Government that killed everything, killed the productivity of this country, and the PPP/Civic that has built back and is taking our country forward on an upward trajectory,” the head of state asserted.

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Construction of the US$35 million Mackenzie-Wismar Bridge in Linden, Region Ten, is now 31 per cent completion, with significant advancements anticipated by the end of the year.

The update was provided during a site visit on Sunday morning, led by President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali.

The mega project, executed by China Railway Construction Corporation Limited, includes the construction of a four-lane 220-metre-long precast concrete bridge that includes essential safety features such as lighting and sidewalks.

President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali during a briefing on the progress of the bridge

During a brief presentation by the contractor and technical personnels, it was noted that work on the bridge began on April 8, 2024, and is expected to be completed on April 7, 2026.

A temporary trestle bridge has also been constructed to facilitate transport without placing additional load on the existing bridge. This structure is operational and allows uninterrupted passage for emergency vehicles and vessels.

The next phase of the project will focus on the pile foundation. Installation of the drilling platform is scheduled to begin on January 5 and this will be followed by pile construction in early February.

The pile foundation works will proceed round the clock to meet deadlines. Construction of the girder fabrication yard, which is integral to the project, is set to start in March.

All preliminary designs and surveys have been completed, while detailed design revisions are underway. Temporary facilities for workers and equipment have been fully established, and materials for the pile foundation are expected to arrive on-site by January 20.

In addition to the bridge, the Ministry of Public Works will oversee the construction of access roads and a roundabout to improve connectivity.

President Ali has instructed the ministry that these works should be expedited through tenders to ensure their timely completion.

“All that we have to do must be completely designed and the engineer bidding document ready for advertisement by next Saturday,” he said.

Addressing a large gathering of residents who came out to welcome him, the president emphasised that in addition to the bridge, the government is investing billions in infrastructure to transform Linden’s landscape and enhance the livelihood of residents.

He said that members of his cabinet have visited the region frequently in the last six months, compared to what the previous APNU+AFC Administration did during its entire term in office.  

“You had more visits because we are committed to the development of people, and we are committed to working with people for their individual and community development,” the president stated.

The president also toured the MacKenzie Sports Ground to assess progress on its transformation into a modern sports facility.

International standard stadium lights have already been installed and significant progress has been made in constructing spectator stands and pavilions for athletes.

The president was accompanied by Minister of Public Works, Bishop Juan Edghill; Minister within the Ministry Deodat Indar; Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal; Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Hugh Todd and Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Charles Ramson Jr. [DPI]

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See below the full statement issued:

In Guyana, where every street is a concert as the people dance to the reggae, soca, dancehall and chutney music, ‘Anisah Khan’, DJ Anisah has been changing the game, literally and figuratively. It has been a windy road to the throne and is filled with many happy hours that show that hard work and having a good time can go hand in hand.

For Anisah, who grew up in Georgetown, music has always been a deep passion—a love rooted in a hobby she developed while studying Business Administration at the University of Guyana in the early 2010s.

Unlike most partygoers at the events she attended, Anisah was captivated not by the dancing or the social atmosphere but by the intricate artistry of the mixes and the skillful manipulation of sound. The first time she operated a DJ console, she was hooked. “It felt like pure magic—the way the DJ fiddled with everything,” she recalls. “I thought, ‘That’s it. That’s what I want to do.’”

However, her passion was met with skepticism. Being the only female DJ in Guyana at the time came with its share of challenges. “People would say things like, ‘Seriously? Girls don’t do that,’” Anisah remembers. “But I didn’t let it stop me. I kept practicing on my own, learning everything I could, on my own.”

Her first gig was at a local party, equipped with a borrowed mixer and a heart full of determination. “I was a tad bit nervous or maybe very nervous” she confesses. “But when people started dancing, I forgot about everything else. That was the moment I realized I wanted to be behind the ‘turntables’.”

DJ Anisah doesn’t just mix tracks—she creates stories. Her sets blend reggae, dancehall, Afrobeat, hip-hop, and unexpected twists that keep listeners on their toes. “Just like narrating a story, mixing music is about flow and feeling,” she explains. “I follow the vibe of the crowd—it’s a conversation with bass.”

When asked what makes her happiest, she smiles. “It’s when I drop a beat that sends the whole place into a frenzy. That’s the magic I live for. ”Being a woman in a male-dominated industry isn’t all fun and games. “You have to prove yourself… and then prove it again,” she says, rolling her eyes with a grin. “But I’ve learned to let my mixes do the talking.”

The best part? Inspiring others. “When girls see me DJing and say, ‘I want to do that,’ my heart just melts. “I tell them, ‘Don’t let anyone tell you where you belong. If you want to DJ, you DJ.’”

As her popularity soared, Anisah took a leap into entrepreneurship, opening her very own music lounge-  The Villagio Restaurant and Bar. Nestled in the heart of Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown at the Giftland Mall, it’s a lively hub where her curated mixes set the perfect vibe for a night out. “It’s like having my own stage every day,” she beams. “I get to create the atmosphere, connect with people, and share my love for music in a whole new way.”

Her unique blends have become the soul of the establishment, drawing a loyal crowd eager to experience her signature sound. “It’s surreal seeing people groove to my mixes in my own space. It’s a dream come true.”

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