☕ Sunday Brief: Budget Debate Opens Monday, Cement Truck Kills on Demerara Bridge, and the Government Discovers 'Late Movers' Advantage'

Your daily satirical summary of Guyana’s four major newspapers. We read all four so you can enjoy your Sunday cook-up in peace. 🇬🇾

🎯 The Big Story: Budget 2026 Debate Opens Monday — Bring Popcorn

The National Assembly opens Budget 2026 debate on Monday, and if you thought $1.558 TRILLION was a lot of money, wait until you hear the politicians explain how every single dollar is going to change your life.

Minister Susan Rodrigues already set the tone, calling the budget “ambitious, bold” and saying it “puts Guyanese at the centre of prosperity.” Meanwhile, McCoy is warning about a “misinformation machinery” as debate opens. Translation: “If you disagree with us, you’re spreading misinformation.”

The opposition hasn’t even started talking yet and the government is already building the defence wall. Monday should be entertaining.

💰 Finance Minister Discovers “Late Movers’ Advantage”

Finance Minister Dr. Ashni Singh went on Hits and Jams 94.1 — because that’s where you discuss trillion-dollar budgets — and explained that Guyana has a “late movers’ advantage” in oil and gas.

“We are able to look around at the collective experience, what other countries did, what they did that worked,” he said, before adding that Guyana won’t repeat other countries’ mistakes.

Which is fascinating, because critics have been saying for years that the 2016 Exxon contract IS the mistake other countries will study to avoid. Ten times more oil blocks given away than industry standard? No ring-fencing? Paying the company’s taxes from our own share? That’s not “late movers’ advantage” — that’s “late to realising we got played.”

But sure. Late movers’ advantage. Sounds very academic.

🌉 Unlicensed Driver Kills on Demerara River Bridge

A cement truck rolled backward down the Bharrat Jagdeo Demerara River Bridge on Thursday, causing a multi-vehicle collision that killed one person and seriously injured another.

The driver? Twenty-three years old. From Anna Catherina. And — wait for it — not licensed to drive that type of vehicle.

Let that marinate. An unlicensed driver was behind the wheel of a heavy cement truck on the country’s most important bridge. The driver has been remanded; the truck owner granted bail.

Minister Edghill thanked first responders and engineers cleared debris from the bridge. All very professional after the fact. Nobody is asking who let this man on the bridge in the first place with no papers.

🏫 Opposition Says Tabatinga School Far From Ready

APNU and WIN visited the Tabatinga Secondary School construction site and came back with bad news: the school is “far from operational readiness.”

APNU MP Sherod Duncan led the site visit and said the state of construction suggests this school is nowhere near serving students anytime soon. This follows a pattern of infrastructure projects where timelines and reality exist in parallel universes.

The government has yet to respond, which usually means either “we’ll get to it” or “the opposition is lying.” Place your bets.

🏦 Guyana Development Bank: US$100M, No Collateral, No Interest

The government announced the Guyana Development Bank, backed by US$100 million, offering interest-free loans with no collateral for youth, women, and persons with disabilities.

Labour Minister Keoma Griffith called it a “game changer,” saying: “We have removed many of the barriers to persons who are seeking to access capital.”

Sounds wonderful on paper. But the details? “Systems are actively being built.” Translation: the announcement came before the infrastructure. Classic Guyana governance — announce the headline, build the thing later. Or maybe this is part of that “late movers’ advantage” Dr. Singh was talking about.

🇬🇧 Guyana and UK Strengthen Climate Partnership

President Ali visited the UK, and the two countries strengthened their climate and biodiversity partnership. The UK Deputy PM said Britain is “proud” to be a new signatory to the Global Biodiversity Alliance.

The Chronicle covered this like the Second Coming. Four paragraphs on how Guyana is not just an “environmental bystander” but a leader. Meanwhile, West Watooka is flooding and the government just installed a mobile pump.

Leadership indeed.

🌊 West Watooka Flooding — Mobile Pump Deployed

Region Ten residents dealing with flooding in West Watooka got some relief when the government installed a mobile pump on Thursday.

A mobile pump. For a problem that happens every single rainy season. You’d think after the third or fourth flood, someone would build a permanent drainage solution. But no. Mobile pump. Because nothing says “long-term planning” like a piece of equipment you have to truck in every year.

🔫 Man Shot Dead in Albouystown

Kevon “Author” Ridley, 28, a labourer from James Street, Albouystown, was shot dead Thursday evening when an unidentified man opened fire. Two others were injured. No arrests have been made.

Another day, another shooting, another investigation “continuing.” The streets don’t wait for budget debates.

🏇 Banks Classic Kicks Off Guyana Cup Season Today

On a lighter note, the Banks Classic horse racing kicks off today at Port Mourant Turf Club — the first event of the Guyana Cup Nomination Series. Ten races, $12.75 million in total prize money, sponsored by Banks DIH.

If you can’t make it to Port Mourant, just bet on whichever horse has the best name. That strategy works as well as any other.

🎭 Mashramani 2026 Launch — But Where’s the 400th Anniversary?

The Ministry of Education launched its Mashramani band Friday night as part of the Mash 2026 celebrations. Twenty scheduled activities are planned.

But a letter in Stabroek News raised an uncomfortable question: 2026 is the 400th anniversary of Africans in Guyana. Where are the commemorations? The writer noted that Indian Arrival Day got a 40-page Chronicle insert last year. Emancipation Day got nothing comparable. The Guyana Reparations Committee applied for Castellani House for a February exhibition to mark the occasion.

Silence from the government. Mash is scheduled. The 400th anniversary? Not so much.

🇻🇪 Venezuela Update: Maduro Captured, Guyana Still Watching

For those keeping track: it’s been almost a month since the US captured Maduro on January 3. Venezuelan VP Delcy Rodriguez is reportedly running things. Guyana’s border remains on heightened alert. President Ali says the security architecture is “fully active.”

WIN’s GECOM fight continues in the background — Azruddin Mohamed wants opposition-nominated commissioners replaced, GECOM Chair says she has “no” authority to make them resign. That saga will outlast all of us.

📊 Sunday Scorecard

That’s your Sunday Brief. Budget debate Monday — stock up on patience and snacks. See you tomorrow. 🇬🇾

For a pro-government perspective, see Uncle Ramesh’s take.