Good morning, Guyana! ☕
Welcome to Sunday, where hotels sprouting like rice in wet season, your medical history going digital, and our women cricketers doing what the men can’t — winning consistently.
Today’s menu: New $18M hotel, digital health records launch, private banking for rich people, cash grant flip-flop, Women’s T20 Blaze dominance, Fruta Conquerors drama, Mashramani launch, Carifesta Avenue still delayed, and Kaieteur asking if we’re Exxon’s servant.
Let’s go! 🇬🇾
🏨 HOTEL #9: Plaza Court Opens, Regular Guyanese Still Window Shopping
The US$18 million Plaza Court Hotel opened Saturday — 60 rooms, rooftop bar, presidential suite. President Ali declared: “The boom has already begun!”
This is the SEVENTH major hotel in ONE year. Nine in five years. Tourism up 22% with 453,000 arrivals.
| Stat | Number |
|---|---|
| New luxury hotels (5 yrs) | 9 |
| This hotel cost | US$18M |
| Room rate per night | Your rent |
| Guyanese who can afford it | Tourists only |
Ali wants hotels to “collaborate, not compete” to sell “Brand Guyana.” Translation: Don’t undercut each other’s prices.
💻 YOUR HEALTH RECORDS GO DIGITAL: Festival City Goes First
The US$3.3 million National Electronic Health Record System launched Saturday. UK company RioMed building it. Promise: no more paper, doctors see your full history instantly.
Reality at the clinic: Two lines (old system, new system), triple the wait time, and your 20 years of records reduced to “registered today.”
Georgetown Public Hospital goes paperless by April. Mobile app coming. Data Protection Act penalties: $20M for individuals, $100M for institutions who leak your business.
Question nobody asking: What happens when GPL cuts and the backup needs a backup?
💰 PRIVATE BANKING: Services for People Who Already Have Money
GBTI launched private banking Friday. President Ali called it “a marker of progress” for our “sophisticated economy.”
Same speech, he said banks should go to BUS PARKS to help minibus drivers open accounts.
So we’re simultaneously launching elite banking for wealthy clients AND financial literacy at the bus park. Both called “inclusive.” The gap between rooftop bar and bus park never clearer.
💵 CASH GRANTS “NOT SUSTAINABLE” — Says Man Who Promised $100,000
President Ali Friday: Governments must “resist the temptation to rely on cash handouts.”
Timeline:
- Campaign: Cash grants coming!
- December: $100,000 for every adult in Budget 2026!
- January: Cash grants aren’t sustainable, you know.
Schrödinger’s stimulus: simultaneously promised and criticized until you open the budget.
🏏 WOMEN’S CRICKET: Actually Winning While Men Drama Continues
CWI Women’s T20 Blaze — Guyana Undefeated:
| Match | Result | Top Performer |
|---|---|---|
| vs Windward Islands | Won by 7 runs | Shakiba Gajnabi (38) |
| vs Jamaica | Won by 4 wickets | Shemaine Campbelle (50*) |
Captain Campbelle leading from front with an unbeaten half-century. Defending champions looking strong for back-to-back titles.
Monday: Guyana vs Trinidad & Tobago, 2:30 PM.
The women collecting trophies while the men’s team collecting drama. Priorities, people!
⚽ FOOTBALL: Fruta Conquerors President Quits, FIFA Badges Handed Out
The Resignation: Martin Massiah, one of the youngest Elite League presidents at 30, quit Friday after just 11 months. Delivered digital transformation, first-ever fan merchandise, Tucville upgrades — then walked. Translation: Running a football club harder than it looks.
The Recognition: GFF presented FIFA badges to six Guyanese match officials:
- Referee Shavin Greene: Promoted to CONCACAF Tier 2 (two levels from Elite!)
- Assistant Referee Kleon Lindey: 12 CONSECUTIVE years on FIFA List
Greene officiated a World Cup Qualifier and the Caribbean Cup Final in 2025. We’re producing world-class referees even if the league still struggling.
🎭 MASHRAMANI 2026: Same Festival, New Theme
Official launch Saturday at Railway Courtyard. Theme: “Expressing Our Culture Through Innovation and Creativity.”
Mini parade, costume unveilings, super concert. Hundreds gathered for the vibrancy.
Budget 2026 coming soon. Mashramani right after. Government hoping you’ll be too busy wining to ask hard questions.
🛣️ CARIFESTA AVENUE: Still Delayed, Still Promising
Minister Edghill admits the road widening missed its December 2025 deadline. Contractors given “additional work.”
Translation: It’s taking longer. Surprised? Nobody.
🛢️ KAIETEUR CORNER: “Is Guyana a Vassal State?”
GHK Lall with the uncomfortable questions: “Since oil arrived, Guyana crawled on its belly.” He says leaders can’t tell Exxon or America “no.”
Chronicle counter: Everything lucrative! Gas-to-Energy coming! Development everywhere!
The math: 500M barrels from Liza fields at $75/barrel = US$37.5B extracted. Guyana still getting 12.5% profit + 2% royalty while Exxon takes 75% for “costs.”
🏥 QUICK HITS
Region Ten: Mabura Health Centre ($54M) and Upper Demerara Hospital digital X-ray ($120M) commissioned.
Motorsport: South Dakota Circuit getting upgrades for GT Challenge de las Américas. International racing coming!
Mining: Rockstar Quarry (US$8.1M) approved near Bartica. 600,000 tonnes annually, 58 jobs.
📊 WEEK AHEAD
| Day | Event |
|---|---|
| Monday | Women’s T20: Guyana vs T&T |
| Tuesday | Criminal Assizes opens (126 cases) |
| This Month | Budget 2026 |
| Jan 31 | Bayrock Stadium opens |
Final Thought: Nine hotels for tourists. Private banking for millionaires. Women’s team winning. Roads still delayed. Progress for some, patience for the rest.
For the pro-government view, see Uncle Ramesh’s response.
Sources: Guyana Chronicle, Stabroek News, Kaieteur News, Guyana Times