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Senior citizens across Guyana will start receiving the promised $20,000 travel allowance from Wednesday, July 8, 2026, Human Services and Social Security Minister Dr Vindhya Persaud announced on Friday. Over 90,000 senior citizens across Guyana are expected to benefit from this first-time annual transportation grant, representing an additional $1.9 billion in direct support for persons aged 65 and over.
The travel allowance forms part of the Government’s continued commitment to improving the quality of life for senior citizens. Combined with the Old Age Pension, which was increased to $46,000 per month in January 2026, the Government will provide more than $54 billion annually in financial support to pensioners nationwide. Senior citizens who receive their old age pension through banks or MMG will have the $20,000 travel allowance deposited directly into their accounts before the end of July 2026, eliminating the need to visit a distribution centre.

Meanwhile, pensioners who collect their benefits using the Old Age Pension Book are required to take their 2026 booklet to the nearest Ministry of Human Services and Social Security Probation and Social Services Office to have a $20,000 value stamp affixed to the first of the two additional pages located at the back of the book, which is marked “for official use”. The stamped voucher can then be cashed at any post office or other alternate payment venue, such as SurePay, MoneyGram, Bill Express or Western Union.
Minister Persaud stated, “This annual transportation grant is provided for the first time to pensioners. This $20,000 is here to ensure that you can travel with peace of mind. It is here to erase the worry of the journey and to keep you connected to the people and places you love and need to visit.” She further added, “We see you, and we will always smooth the path before you. Thank you for your lifetime of service. You will always be at the very heart of everything we do. Your Government continues to deliver on our commitment to you to continuously improve your quality of life.” Pensioners can access the travel allowance starting July 8 until the end of October 2026.
The senior citizens’ travel allowance was among the measures announced by the PPP/C Government during the presentation of Budget 2026 by Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh, reaffirming the Government’s commitment to strengthening social protection and providing meaningful financial assistance to Guyana’s senior citizens.

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– as $220M+ Anna Regina/Mainstay Airstrip commissioned

The newly upgraded $220 million Anna Regina/Mainstay Airstrip was commissioned on Friday to improve connectivity, strengthen tourism, expand agricultural opportunities, and drive economic growth across Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam).
The project was undertaken by several contractors, including Builders Hardware General Supplies and Construction, and ICAN Engineering and Construction, and forms part of a strategic component of Guyana’s expanding aviation sector.
At the commissioning ceremony on Friday, President Dr Irfaan Ali, who delivered the feature address, said the commissioning of the airstrip represents far more than the opening of a new aviation facility.
“This ceremony goes beyond this airstrip. It extends further than the length and width of the runway. Building an airstrip is about connection, inclusion, and One Guyana in action,” the President declared.
He explained that infrastructure remains central to the Government’s vision of ensuring that no community is left behind, noting that roads, bridges, ports, broadband connectivity, and airstrips all play vital roles in creating equal opportunities and narrowing economic disparities.
“In a country like Guyana, airstrips are not luxuries; they are lifelines. They reduce travel time and improve access to healthcare, education, business, and emergency services while unlocking opportunities for investment and development.”

However, the Head of State spoke of the unprecedented level of investment made in Region Two over the past five years, stating that it exceeds the combined investments made throughout the region’s previous history.
These investments, he noted, have transformed communities through improved education, healthcare, agriculture, and public infrastructure.
Reflecting on his visits to communities across the Pomeroon earlier in the day, President Ali spoke of what he described as an “extraordinary story of human transformation”.
He noted that communities that once struggled to access basic services are now producing trained teachers, healthcare professionals, and entrepreneurs, while young people aspire to pursue university degrees and professional careers.
President Ali emphasised that improved infrastructure, including upgraded airstrips, now allows faster emergency medical evacuations and disaster responses, potentially saving lives.
However, Public Utilities and Aviation Minister Deodat Indar recalled visiting the community in 2025 when residents raised concerns about deteriorating roads, bridges, and the condition of the airstrip. He said the commissioning demonstrates that the Government listens to communities and acts on their concerns.
According to Indar, the administration continues to prioritise community-driven development, ensuring that requests made by residents are assessed and translated into tangible projects.
In addition, the Toshao of Mainstay/Whyaka Village, Marsha Williams, expressed gratitude to the Government for investing in infrastructure that will directly benefit residents.
She said the upgraded airstrip will strengthen tourism by making the community more accessible to visitors seeking its renowned Blackwater Lake, beaches, nature trails, cabins, and cultural attractions.
Additionally, Williams noted that improved transportation will support farmers by creating greater opportunities for trade, investment, and the movement of agricultural produce while generating employment for local businesses, accommodation providers, craft producers, and entrepreneurs.
Meanwhile, the Minister within the Ministry of Public Works, Mandalall Ramraj, described the project as another example of the Government’s commitment to ensuring that development reaches every community.
He highlighted billions of dollars invested across Region Two in agriculture, drainage and irrigation, healthcare, education, and public services, saying residents are already experiencing the benefits through increased agricultural production, improved hospitals, upgraded schools, and expanded Government services.
The Anna Regina/Mainstay Airstrip forms part of the Government’s wider national infrastructure programme aimed at improving transportation, strengthening regional connectivity, and creating new economic opportunities throughout Guyana.
The massive investment is expected to enhance tourism, support agriculture, improve emergency response capabilities, and contribute to the long-term development of Mainstay, Region Two, and surrounding communities.

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Dear Editor,
After having my usual morning prayers, seeking the Lord’s protection from being confronted by stupidity in any form, I came across a video by the sanctioned opposition leader Mr Azruddin Mohamed claiming victory in the duty-free vehicle matter and once again attempting to place the blame on President Irfaan Ali and the PPP/C Government.
That unorthodox and laughable video, in my view, lacks substance and seeks to mislead the public.
Mr Mohamed claimed that President Ali knew about the importation of the vehicles before they were shipped and even referred to a so-called “conversation” as evidence. However, what was presented failed to substantiate such a serious allegation. Making accusations without credible evidence does little to strengthen one’s case.
What is particularly disturbing is the continued effort to portray the Government as the cause of circumstances that, according to public reports and official statements, allegedly arose from Mr Mohamed’s own actions.
It was not President Ali or the PPP/C Government that imposed international sanctions. It was not the Government that allegedly failed to pay billions of dollars in taxes or became the subject of allegations relating to gold smuggling and money laundering. Those matters have been publicly associated with Mr Mohamed and are being addressed through the relevant legal and regulatory processes.
In any democratic society governed by the rule of law, public officials have a constitutional obligation to uphold the laws of the country regardless of personal relationships. It would have been inappropriate for any president to place friendship above the responsibilities of public office.
Political disagreements are part of democracy, but accountability should not be dismissed by shifting blame onto others. If there are genuine legal grievances, the courts remain the proper place to address them. If Mr Mohamed is innocent, as he’s claiming, then he should jump on a plane and head straight to Miami to answer his cases because public opinion should not be influenced by emotional narratives unsupported by evidence.
It is time for the politics of blame to end and for all citizens, regardless of status or influence, to respect the institutions that safeguard the rule of law.

Yours faithfully,
Quincy Anderson

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In a move to strengthen and transform Guyana’s electricity sector, the Guyana Power and Light Inc (GPL) and Global South Utilities Power Enterprises Investment LLC (GSU) of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Friday inked a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The GSU engaged in talks with stakeholders from the private and public sectors before signing the MoU with GPL.
The agreement was signed by Head of GPL’s Executive Management Committee, Kesh Nandlall, and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of GSU, Ali Abdulla Ali Mohammed Alshimmari, establishing a framework for cooperation in three priority areas: power generation, renewable energy and smart electricity infrastructure.
The partnership aligns with GPL’s ambitious development plan, which aims to modernise Guyana’s electricity network, improve service reliability and resilience, increase generation capacity and integrate innovative technologies to meet the country’s rapidly growing energy demand. Speaking following the signing, Nandlall described the agreement as an important milestone in GPL’s continued transformation.

“This Memorandum of Understanding represents another significant step in GPL’s journey to build a modern, resilient and sustainable electricity sector for Guyana. This partnership with Global South Utilities creates opportunities to leverage international expertise, innovative technologies and strategic investments that will help accelerate the delivery of our development plan and ultimately provide a more reliable and efficient electricity service for the people of Guyana,” Nandlall said.
In addition, CEO of GSU, Ali Abdulla Ali Mohammed Alshimmari, welcomed the partnership, noting that the company is eager to contribute its international expertise to Guyana’s expanding energy sector. Under the MoU, GPL and GSU will collaborate on identifying, evaluating and developing projects within the power and energy sector. The agreement also provides for joint feasibility studies and the exploration of financing, technical cooperation and implementation strategies for future projects, with individual initiatives to be governed by separate definitive agreements.

GSU brings extensive international experience in the development, financing and operation of power and energy infrastructure projects, particularly in emerging markets. Through this collaboration, GPL expects to benefit from global best practices and advanced technologies that will support the modernisation of Guyana’s electricity network.
The partnership is expected to play a key role in advancing renewable energy integration, strengthening generation capacity and introducing smart electricity infrastructure that enhances operational efficiency, improves system reliability and better serves customers across Guyana. As GPL continues to execute its development plan, the company remains committed to forging strategic partnerships that will accelerate infrastructure development and ensure the delivery of a reliable, resilient and sustainable electricity supply to support Guyana’s continued economic growth.

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Now that another school year has ended, our children will be proceeding on an extended holiday break for approximately two months. This is quite a lot of time they will have at their disposal, and it would benefit them if they are encouraged to utilise it in a constructive fashion. Certainly, parents have a critical role to play in ensuring this happens.
Some students who have not done well during the past year, or perhaps those who encounter difficulties in certain key areas in any subject, could use the time to do remedial academic work to catch up with the rest of their colleagues.
Also, some children usually go off on “summer” camps hosted by religious/youth groups or other organisations, including Government-sponsored programmes. This is another effective way in which our children could spend their time wisely, as they would be given an opportunity to interact with their peers and engage in extracurricular activities that would help them become better-rounded individuals.
The bottom line is that it is necessary for them to be meaningfully engaged, as it is well known that those who have achieved success in life or have gone on to do great things are the ones who have utilised their time wisely.
It is a known fact that many of our young people are falling prey to the use and trafficking of illicit drugs and engaging in criminal activities, completely destroying their lives and a great future they could have had if better choices were made and the necessary support systems were put in place to ensure their proper upbringing.
Every effort must, therefore, be made to ensure this segment of our population reforms itself and leads more productive and rewarding lives.
To begin with, institutions such as the family and religious groups need to take their roles more seriously, as they did before.
Historically, the older generation managed to transmit their beliefs, values, traditions, customs, and institutions to the younger members of their societies and contributed in some way to their disciplined upbringing.
This was achieved largely due to the impact of agencies of socialisation, such as the family, religious organisations, and schools to a large extent. Today, the impact of these institutions has been challenged and undermined by new forces, particularly television, the internet, and pop culture as a whole.
We believe that if our adolescents are to move from less mature and irresponsible ways of thinking and acting to making more mature and responsible judgements and engaging in activities that are the hallmark of a socially productive adulthood, certain support systems must be provided.
In addition to the various interventions the Government should make, numerous organisations, including the private sector, could rise to the occasion and contribute more towards saving our youth population. They need to come on board and sponsor programmes that would see our children and young people become well equipped with the necessary skills to develop themselves and society as a whole.
Coordinating and sponsoring such programmes during the “summer” break, when children are away from school for a long period, is a good way to start.
These programmes should include assessment and identification of ways to build competency and skills supportive of healthy behaviours to help individuals as they mature into adulthood. Such programmes need to be engaging and interesting in order to attract youths, and they should have elements of excitement and challenge to retain participants’ interest.
Successful programmes typically incorporate specific components, such as providing a sense of belonging, promoting supportive relationships with adults, and affording opportunities to enhance decision-making and leadership skills.
Furthermore, sports could also play a very important role in bringing the youth population back on track so that they could interact with their peers and elders in a more meaningful and dignified manner.

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Dear Editor,
Aubrey Norton’s attempted to dissect a book by reading its cover, and a number of other individuals have come forward to provide their own “reviews” of Dr Baytoram Ramharack’s “The Wismar Massacre”.
Their general arguments are that the book’s title is inaccurate, as the event at Wismar cannot be termed a “massacre”; that the book should have touched on the broader historical context in which the incident was situated; and that there is quite a bit of whataboutism: “What about this, that, and the other?”
Surprisingly, many Guyanese continue to post biased comments on social media without even reading the book. Added to this is the multitude of individuals who promote a false equivalence between the Wismar massacre and the tragic explosion on the Sun Chapman. No conclusive evidence exists to suggest that the Sun Chapman explosion was caused by human sabotage, an issue addressed in detail by the author.
The fact is that all those who vented on the basis of a mythical cognition of the term “massacre” seek to connote numbers in the hundreds and beyond. But five people were killed in the Boston Massacre of 1770, five in the Greensboro Massacre of 1989, and seven in the St Valentine’s Day Massacre of 1929, among other incidents documented as massacres.
How would these critics describe the Lusignan Massacre by the Fineman Gang from Buxton, which shot nine innocent victims in the early hours of January 26, 2008, including five sleeping children? Such events certainly comprise violence, injuries, terror, murders, rapes, arson, displacement, asymmetrical power, defenceless victims, intentionality & cruelty, and the indiscriminate targeting of Indo-Guyanese. Remember also that Forbes Burnham, speaking in the Legislative Assembly on June 3, 1964, referred to the ethnically motivated violence against Indo-Guyanese in the Wismar-Christianburg area, explicitly describing it as a “massacre”.
In effect, the issue of terminology is not only a Don Quixotic wail, but one engendered by ethnic reaction and nothing else. Besides, contrary to numerous assumptions made, Dr Ramharack’s book definitely does not negate any desire to label any other incident of that period if such incidents meet the valid and objective criteria that characterise the Wismar Massacre – the tragic event.
The references to and suggestions about the larger historical context are not only invalid but also serve as a deflection in relation to Dr Ramharack’s book. His book has a specific focus for which the author conducted extensive, painstaking research over two decades, including interviews with numerous people who had direct or anecdotal experiences to share. And the book was peer-reviewed by a committee of experts. The fact is that anyone who desires a book on the broader historical context can make that their specific goal. That was what Dr Ramharack did – he set a goal that was desired, and he achieved it with brilliance.
Whataboutism is used to shift focus, undermine whatever is under discussion (in this case, the book), and create false equivalences. It serves to reduce the brilliance and profundity of Dr Ramharack’s efforts and the resulting output – his book, “The Wismar Massacre”. And, of course, it reflects the relative ignorance about and inability to discuss, argue, or critique the book, its contents, and the incident itself. More critically, it seeks to deny Indo-Caribbeans the right to accurately document, present, and share their own narrative while claiming historical ownership of it.
It is also interesting to reflect on the fact that Austin’s Bookshop in Guyana refused to carry Dr Ramharack’s book. This response was the result of an ethnic reaction to the book. The History Department at the University of Guyana did not follow through with a request for an on-campus discussion with students on the subject, and a discussion planned with Dr Baytoram by a group in England was subsequently cancelled after an initial agreement.
These efforts are tied to an ongoing silence of the voices of the Wismar refugees and a denial of their experiences, which have been documented by an official Commission of Inquiry report and the eyewitness accounts of the series of events associated with the Wismar Massacre. The book is best critiqued by a reading of it.

Yours sincerely,
Victor Punt
Dr Vishnu Bisram
Doolcharran
Hanomansingh
Vassan Ramracha

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The charred remains of 93-year-old Rosa Singh were discovered among the debris of her gutted Castillo Housing Scheme, Georgetown home, on Friday. Reports are that the nonagenarian was at home alone when a fire of unknown origin broke out in the building.
As the fire was detected, residents contacted the Guyana Fire Service (GFS), and within minutes, firefighters arrived at the scene where they observed the two-storey wooden building fully engulfed in flames.

As such, ranks from the Central Fire Station immediately went into action, and they were able to contain and extinguish the blaze. However, it was during the operation that they were made aware that the elderly woman was unaccounted for.
Following the successful suppression of the fire, firefighters conducted a thorough search of the premises and discovered the woman’s charred remains.

At the scene, family members were too distraught to speak as they broke down in tears. The now-deceased woman was occupying the home with her son, who was also not home at the time of the blaze.
The upper flat of the house was completely destroyed while the lower flat was flooded due to the firefighting operation. News of the woman’s death quickly spread through the community, leaving relatives and residents in a state of shock.
Rosa Singh was just weeks away from celebrating her 94th birthday – a milestone that will now be marred by grief and sorrow. The GFS has launched an investigation to determine the cause of the inferno.
Meanwhile, it extends its condolences to the grieving family at this difficult time.

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