(Kaieteur News) – Police are investigating the discovery of ten .32 rounds of ammunition, which were found on Monday, about 21:00hrs during an intelligence-led operation at Pouderoyen Tarmac, West Bank Demerara.

The ammunition that was found

During the operation, ranks conducted a search of an unoccupied wooden stall at the tarmac, where the ammunition was found concealed in a concrete block behind an old refrigerator, police said in a press release. The ammunition was removed and taken to the Vreed-en-Hoop Police Station, where it was lodged. No arrest was made.

Source: Kaieteur News

(Kaieteur News) – Guyana is set to remain the fastest-growing economy in Latin America and the Caribbean, with real GDP projected to expand by 23.7 per cent in 2026, according to the World Bank’s latest Latin America and the Caribbean Economic Update.

The World Bank’s October 2026 report places Guyana’s projected growth well ahead of every other country in the region, reflecting the continuing impact of the country’s oil-driven economic expansion.

The report projects Guyana’s economy to grow by 18.7 per cent in 2027 and another 15.3 per cent in 2028, following growth of 19.3 per cent in 2025. Guyana recorded growth of 43.8 per cent in 2024 and 33.8 per cent in 2023. The World Bank specifically identifies Guyana and Suriname as exceptions to the more tempered economic recovery occurring elsewhere in the Caribbean, describing their performance as being driven by oil expansions. Tourism-dependent Caribbean economies, by contrast, continue to face high energy and transportation costs.

The report’s projections show the scale of Guyana’s economic outperformance. While the wider Latin American and Caribbean region is expected to grow by only 2.2 per cent in 2026, Guyana’s projected expansion is more than ten times the regional rate. Regional growth was 2.4 per cent in 2025. LAC REU – Executive Summary Oct 2026.

However, the World Bank cautions that the region’s headline growth figures mask significant differences among countries. It argues that stronger economic performance is possible where governments pursue sound and durable policies capable of encouraging investment and strengthening market confidence.

The report also highlights artificial intelligence as a potential new engine of productivity across the region. It warns, however, that access to AI technology alone will not automatically translate into higher productivity. According to the World Bank, the major constraint is “absorptive capacity”—the ability of governments, businesses and workers to effectively adopt and use new technologies. This requires stronger human capital, digital infrastructure, usable data and better management practices.

Source: Kaieteur News

(Kaieteur News) – Mark Gentle, a 33-year-old gold miner of Durban Street, Lodge, Georgetown, was charged with Unlawful Possession of a Firearm and Unlawful Possession of Ammunition without Licence, contrary to Section 16(2)(a) of the Firearms Act, Chapter 16:05.

Mark Gentle

Gentle appeared on Tuesday before Her Worship Magistrate Caressa Henry at the Bartica Magistrate’s Court, where the charges were read to him. He pleaded not guilty to both charges and was remanded to prison until November 17, 2026.

Source: Kaieteur News

(Kaieteur News) – Home Affairs Minister Oneidge Waldron has sought to clarify remarks she made about a “confrontation” between a female police officer and Deputy Commissioner of Police Fizal Karimbaksh, who is facing allegations of rape, harassment and threats.

Waldron, during an online podcast, had said that a criminal investigation into the allegations was underway and that a confrontation between the two parties was expected to form part of the investigative process. “The confrontation has to be held with the team that is assigned and then after that confrontation then the matter will be adjudicated whether it is disciplinary action or criminal action. That will be for the criminal investigating department to determine and this team who is doing the investigation,” Waldron said.

Minister of Home Affairs, Oneidge Waldron

She had also indicated that because Karimbaksh is a Deputy Commissioner, a specific procedure had to be followed. Her comments, however, came under scrutiny from human rights and transparency organisations, including Red Thread and Transparency Institute Guyana (TIGI), which questioned the legal basis for such a confrontation. The groups pointed to Section 42 of Guyana’s Sexual Offences Act, which provides protections for complainants and restricts circumstances in which a complainant may be required to recount an allegation in the presence of an accused person or to be in the accused’s presence.

Responding specifically to Red Thread in a statement posted on Facebook, Waldron rejected what she described as an attempt to mischaracterise her comments.

“For the avoidance of doubt, I did not say that the complainant would be confronted by the accused. I did not mandate such a confrontation, and I have issued no instruction directing investigators to subject the complainant to any procedure contrary to the Sexual Offences Act,” Waldron said.

She explained that she was communicating information provided to her about the investigative process.

“The conduct of a criminal investigation is a matter for investigators, operating within the parameters of the law. I neither design nor direct the day-to-day investigative procedures of the Guyana Police Force,” she said.

Waldron accused Red Thread of attempting to turn her remarks into an instruction to violate the complainant’s rights, calling that interpretation “false.” The Minister also criticised what she described as Red Thread’s “predictable selectivity” in its public advocacy.

“On matters involving the PPP/C Government, it readily emerges from the shadows, often with sweeping condemnation before establishing precisely what was said and in what context,” Waldron said. She argued that advocacy is important in a democracy but contended that “selective advocacy” should not be used to attribute positions to public officials that they did not express.

Waldron also pointed to what she said was an important part of her position that had been overlooked her public call for Karimbaksh to be placed on administrative leave while the investigation is conducted.

“I publicly stated that, in my view, Deputy Commissioner Karimbaksh should be placed on administrative leave pending the investigation,” she said. The minister maintained that both the complainant’s rights and the accused officer’s right to due process must be protected. “The complainant is entitled to the full protection afforded by law, including the applicable protections under the Sexual Offences Act. Equally, the person against whom allegations have been made is entitled to due process,” she said. Waldron said investigators must ensure that both protections are upheld and insisted that the matter should be determined by evidence rather than public pressure. “I remain resolute that the investigation must be professional, impartial and thorough. Let the investigators investigate. Let the evidence determine the outcome. And let the law take its course,” she said.

Source: Kaieteur News

(Kaieteur News) – ​The Ministry of Education has expanded access to specialised education in Region One with the official opening of the region’s first Special Education Needs and Disabilities (SEND) school in Mabaruma.

The new SEND school at Mabaruma.

In a press release the ministry said the 57th of its kind nationally, the new school can accommodate up to 30 learners. It currently has an enrolment of 15 learners and four staff members who are trained in Special Education Needs and Disabilities.

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Teachers engaging students at the school.

The establishment of the Mabaruma SEND School represents another important milestone in the Ministry’s ongoing efforts to strengthen inclusive education and ensure that learners with special educational needs and disabilities have access to the personalised support, resources, and learning opportunities they need to reach their full potential.

​Through the provision of specialised educational support within the region, learners and their families will have greater access to educational services without having to travel outside of their communities to receive the assistance they require.  Moreover, the Mabaruma facility will not be the only SEND school in Region One, as similar initiatives are planned for the other two sub-districts – Moruca and Matarkai.

Source: Kaieteur News

(Kaieteur News) – Police in Regional Division # 8 are investigating the discovery of a quantity of cannabis which was found on Saturday between 11:00hrs and 12:00hrs, during an operation conducted at 111 Miles Mahdia Arcade, Region #8.

The ganja that was seized by police ranks.

During the exercise, ranks conducted a search at Mahdia Arcade, during which a black plastic bag containing a quantity of leaves, seeds and stems suspected to be cannabis was found concealed in an old refrigerator.

The suspected cannabis was escorted to the Mahdia Police Station, where it was weighed and amounted to 470 grams before being lodged. No arrest was made.  Investigations are ongoing.

Source: Kaieteur News

(Kaieteur News) – Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha on Tuesday handed over approximately $60 million in vehicles to the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) to strengthen its extension services and enhance national surveillance, monitoring and control of the Carambola Fruit Fly (CFF).

The fleet comprises five pickup trucks, six All-Terrain Vehicles (ATVs) and 12 motorcycles and was procured under the Agricultural Infrastructure Development Programme (AIDP), for which the Cooperative Republic of Guyana received financing from the CARICOM Development Fund (CDF).

Minister of Agriculture Zulfikar Mustapha hands over the keys to the vehicle to an official of NAREI.

During the handing-over exercise, Minister Mustapha underscored NAREI’s critical role in supporting the development and modernisation of Guyana’s agriculture sector through research, extension and technical support to farmers, the Agriculture Ministry said in a press release.

“NAREI is the premier research institution in this country. We have been ensuring that NAREI has the facilities and is well equipped to provide the necessary guidance and services as we advance our food security efforts,” Minister Mustapha said.

He noted that strengthening institutions such as NAREI forms part of the Government’s wider food-security agenda and its efforts to position Guyana as a major agricultural producer within the Caribbean.

“Our President, as you know, is placing a lot of emphasis on food security, not only at the local level, but also at the regional level. We want Guyana to be the premier food producer in CARICOM, and we are moving aggressively in those efforts,” he said.

Some of the pick-up trucks handed over to NAREI.

Minister Mustapha pointed to the significant increase in public investment in agriculture over the years, noting that the sector’s budget has grown from approximately G$18 billion to G$113 billion in 2026. He said these investments are geared towards providing the infrastructure, equipment, technology and other resources necessary to improve productivity and strengthen the services available to farmers.

He also reminded NAREI’s employees of the important responsibility they have in ensuring that the Government’s policies and programmes are effectively implemented. “As employees of this institution, you play a very important role. You are tasked with the responsibility of executing the Government’s policies, and this is why we are working to provide, as best we can, the necessary facilities,” he said.

Minister Mustapha also urged staff to safeguard the new vehicles and ensure they are used strictly for their intended purposes.

“I urge that you use them in the best interest of the country and for their intended purposes. Let’s not abuse these very critical assets,” he added. The investment will significantly improve the mobility of NAREI’s technical and extension personnel, particularly in farming communities and areas where access can be challenging. A major focus will be the strengthening of Guyana’s national CFF surveillance network, allowing officers to conduct regular trapping, monitoring and field inspections, particularly in major fruit-producing areas.

Several ATVs were also donated to NAREI.

The Carambola Fruit Fly Programme is a national initiative aimed at preventing the establishment and spread of the destructive pest. Effective surveillance, early detection and rapid intervention are critical to protecting Guyana’s expanding fruit industry and supporting the country’s efforts to achieve pest-free status and safeguard access to export markets.

The additional transportation will also strengthen NAREI’s engagement with farmers and communities through extension visits, farmer education and public awareness, while allowing officers to respond more effectively to agricultural issues in the field.

Through continued investments in research, extension, infrastructure, technology and institutional capacity, the Government is working to ensure that agencies such as NAREI are adequately equipped to execute their mandates while protecting farmers’ livelihoods, food security, agricultural production and Guyana’s expanding agricultural trade.

Source: Kaieteur News

(Kaieteur News) – Member of Parliament Ganesh Mahipaul is calling on the Commission of Inquiry (COI) into the capsizing of the MV Barima to publicly guarantee that survivors will not be left to shoulder the financial costs associated with giving evidence.

Mahipaul’s call comes as the Commission prepares to formally begin its proceedings. In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Opposition MP said survivors of the tragedy have already endured an “unimaginable experience” and should not have to worry about whether they can afford transportation, accommodation or meals in order to testify.

“I therefore call on the Commission to make it clear, publicly and without ambiguity, that no survivor should be financially burdened because they have chosen to come forward and testify,” Mahipaul said.

Member of Parliament Ganesh Mahipaul

He argued that survivors travelling from outside Georgetown should have their airfare or other reasonable transportation costs, accommodation and meals covered for the period they are required to attend the Commission. For survivors living in and around Georgetown, he said, transportation to and from the Commission and meals should also be provided where their attendance is required for testimony. Mahipaul said these provisions would remove practical barriers to participation and demonstrate that the Commission genuinely wants to hear from survivors.

“These are not unreasonable demands. They are basic measures that can remove practical barriers and demonstrate to survivors that the Commission genuinely wants to hear from them,” he said. The MP noted that while arrangements have been announced for public consultations and support sessions with affected families in Regions Three, Four, Five and Six, as well as Region One, he has not seen or heard sufficient public information from the Commission specifically assuring survivors about the expenses associated with giving testimony. “That needs to change,” he declared.

Mahipaul said survivors’ evidence could prove to be among the most important testimony before the Commission and warned that financial difficulties should never prevent someone from coming forward. “Their voices must not be lost because someone cannot afford a plane ticket, transportation, a hotel room or meals while fulfilling their civic responsibility to testify,” he said.

The Commission’s secretariat, headed by Secretary Javed Shadick, has announced that proceedings will commence this week. According to the announced schedule, affected families from Regions Three, Four, Five and Six are expected to participate in consultations at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre following the formal opening. The Commission team is then scheduled to travel to Region One, with engagements planned at the Kumaka Waterfront on October 12 and the Port Kaituma Waterfront on October 13.

Mahipaul said the Commission should communicate directly with survivors to ensure that every person willing to testify understands what assistance will be available. “If we genuinely want the truth about what happened aboard the MV Barima, then we must create an environment in which survivors feel welcomed, respected, supported and protected, not burdened,” he said. He ended with a pointed appeal: “The survivors have already paid a price. They should not have to pay to be heard.”

Source: Kaieteur News

(Kaieteur News) – Sita Singh Davenport, a Guyanese woman whose extraordinary life took her from the theatre stages of Georgetown to the glamour of the European modelling world, has died.

Davenport, who was born in Guyana on August 25, 1946, passed peacefully on October 1, 2026, in St. Petersburg, Florida, following a long illness. She was 80. Her death marks the passing of a woman remembered not only for her beauty and talent, but also for her pioneering contribution to Guyana’s theatre, beauty and fashion landscape.

Sita Singh Davenport

According to a statement issued by her sister, Supriya Singh Bodden, CCH, Davenport was among the performers in Mother Courage, a production which debuted in Guyana in the late 1960s. Her connection with the arts remains etched into the history of the Theatre Guild, where her photograph still hangs in the lobby. But theatre was only one dimension of Davenport’s creative life. A trained aesthetician and hairstylist, she established Coiffure d’Elegance in Guyana during the 1960s, one of the country’s early Parisian-inspired salons. The establishment reflected her flair for beauty, fashion and style at a time when such influences were beginning to reshape Georgetown’s social and cultural scene.

Davenport later moved to London, where she pursued a successful modelling career. Her life there brought her into the orbit of the celebrity culture of early 1970s Europe, where she encountered famous singers, actors and personalities and experienced a lifestyle far removed from the Guyana in which she had been born. Yet, according to her family, it was not the glamour, beauty or celebrity associations that ultimately defined Davenport. It was her heart.

“She was extraordinary,” her sister recalled, describing a woman with a “limitless, caring and loving heart” for everyone she encountered. Davenport remained deeply connected to her family and was known for looking out for its members with great love, while also giving back to the communities in which she lived. She leaves behind her daughter, Gina Gajraj.

She was the daughter of the late barrister-at-law Sugrim Singh and the late Chandra Singh, and sister of the late Krishna Singh, Dr. Ranjit Singh, her twin sister Savitri Prashad, Chiquita Rahaman, Kamal Matthews, Sorojini Alli, Andrani Singh, Nandini O’Connell and Supriya Singh Bodden, CCH.

She was also a beloved aunt to Rikesh, Dino, Nicholas, Natasha, Johann, Maya, Julian, Nadira, Emily, David, Graham, Amjad, Saara, Adam, Farah, Zahrah, Khalil and Javed. Her best friend, Ana Heitman Ardon, also mourns her passing.

Source: Kaieteur News

(Kaieteur News) – Guyana has assumed a two-year leadership role within the Caribbean Aviation Safety and Security Oversight System (CASSOS), with the regional body convening its 29th Board of Directors Meeting in Georgetown on Friday.

The meeting, held at the Aiden by Best Western Hotel, was chaired by Director General of the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), Lt. Col. (Ret’d) Egbert Field, A.A., marking the first CASSOS board meeting under his chairmanship.

The meeting, held at the Aiden by Best Western Hotel, was chaired by Director General of the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), Lt. Col. (Ret’d) Egbert Field.

According to the GCAA, all CASSOS member states were represented at the meeting, which focused on several key regional aviation priorities.

Among the issues discussed were the full implementation of the CARICOM Multilateral Air Services Agreement (MASA), strategic organisational restructuring, measures to strengthen CASSOS’s financial sustainability and the advancement of the One Stop Security initiative.

The discussions, the GCAA said, reflected a shared commitment among Caribbean countries to strengthen cooperation and advance regional aviation standards.

CASSOS is a specialised unit within CARICOM responsible for enhancing aviation safety and security oversight across the Caribbean. Guyana will hold the CASSOS Chairmanship for the 2026–2028 term, placing the country at the forefront of regional aviation leadership and efforts to maintain Caribbean standards in line with global aviation best practices.

Source: Kaieteur News