Caribbean News
PM announces $885m Solar Energy Investment for Amerindian Villages at NTC Conference
In highlighting the ongoing transformation, the Prime Minister referenced Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo (Region 9), which currently has an installed generation capacity of 5.2 megawatts through a combination of fossil fuel generator sets, hydropower, and solar installations. However, only two megawatts are currently in use. According to the Prime Minister, this underutilised capacity presents significant potential for the development of agro-processing and micro-enterprise initiatives. He noted that such opportunities could support the growth of small-scale industries and value-added production, particularly in mango and cashew processing within the region.
The Prime Minister also highlighted several additional measures aimed at improving the lives and livelihoods of residents in the hinterland. He spoke of initiatives to enhance ICT connectivity and the opportunities this would bring.
“I’m using Region Nine as an example to show that we are serious about development in your communities. You are connected to the rest of Guyana through ICT; you are connected to the world, to the future. That is how we improve the delivery of medical services and education. Because you are now connected, you could access universities and colleges throughout the world.”
He reminded attendees that through this level of connectivity, many individuals from the hinterland have enrolled in the Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL) scholarship programme, while others have already graduated, thanks to the Government’s transformative agenda.
Meanwhile, the heads of the Guyana Energy Agency (GEA), the National Data Management Authority (NDMA), and the ICT Access for Hinterland Poor and Remote Communities (HPRC) Project Management Unit—all under the purview of the Prime Minister—provided comprehensive updates on the Government’s ongoing efforts to expand energy access, enhance digital infrastructure, and foster innovation and empowerment across Amerindian communities.
The GEA reported that, over the last five years, 37,230 solar home systems have been procured, primarily for hinterland households.
Additionally, 55 solar mini-grid installations are supplying more than 2.15 megawatts of electricity to schools, health facilities, village offices, and other public infrastructure. Noteworthy projects include the 1.5-megawatt and 0.65-megawatt solar farms in Bartica (Region Seven) and Mahdia (Region Eight), respectively, along with a 1-megawatt solar plant in Lethem (Region Nine). The Moco Moco and Kumu hydropower projects are also contributing to Region Nine’s energy grid. These interventions are reducing diesel dependence, lowering emissions, and improving access to essential public services.
The NDMA reported that 228 of the 253 targeted hinterland and Amerindian communities have been connected to high-speed internet under the Government’s 2024 connectivity rollout, benefitting more than 129,000 residents. These installations include government buildings, as well as 139 operational ICT hubs. The remaining 25 communities, which initially lacked reliable power or suitable facilities, are expected to be connected by August 2025 through specially designed solar-powered solutions.
To date, over 1,900 residents across 70 communities have participated in digital literacy and cybersecurity awareness training. These sessions cover critical topics such as safe browsing, password protection, and access to government e-services. The “Girls in ICT” initiative has also expanded into Region Nine, with completed sessions in communities such as St Ignatius and Aishalton. Additional training is planned for the year as part of the Government’s broader push for digital inclusion and youth empowerment.
The Office of the Prime Minister, through the HPRC Project Management Unit, reported that 140 ICT hubs have been completed to date. Of these, 10 are currently being retrofitted with digital equipment, while 30 hubs remain under construction. A further 20 hubs are slated for development, bringing the national total to 200 ICT hubs once fully implemented. These facilities are being equipped with laptops, printers, smart TVs, solar power systems, and security infrastructure to support digital access in remote communities.
To sustain these hubs, 192 ICT Hub Managers have been trained in areas such as ICT operations, facility management, and photovoltaic maintenance. Additionally, 32 ICT technicians have received professional certification in computer repairs, software configuration, and network systems. Approximately 1,518 community members have already benefitted from basic ICT training, with the programme aiming to reach 4,000 beneficiaries nationwide.
Under the grant component of the HPRC project, 180 Amerindian Village Councils and Community Development Councils have received funding of up to USD $40,000 per community to support the establishment and operation of these hubs. These grants are fostering employment creation, stimulating economic activity, and ensuring long-term sustainability at the community level.
Collectively, these initiatives are laying the foundation for a digitally inclusive and energy-resilient hinterland.
By Deandrea Hamilton | Magnetic Media
October 14, 2025 – It’s being called political theatre — but for citizens, constitutional watchdogs, and democracy advocates across the Caribbean, it feels far more serious. Within a single week, two national parliaments — in Trinidad and Tobago and St. Kitts and Nevis — descended into turmoil as opposition members stormed out in protest, accusing their Speakers of bias, overreach, and abuse of parliamentary procedure.
For observers, the walkouts signal a deeper problem: erosion of trust in the very institutions meant to safeguard democracy. When Speakers are viewed as political enforcers instead of neutral referees, parliaments stop functioning as chambers of debate and start performing as stages for power and spectacle — with citizens left wondering who, if anyone, is still accountable.
October 6: St. Kitts Parliament Erupts
The first walkout erupted in Basseterre on October 6, 2025, when Dr. Timothy Harris, former Prime Minister and now Opposition Leader,
led his team out of the St. Kitts and Nevis National Assembly in a protest that stunned the chamber.
The flashpoint came as the Speaker moved to approve more than three years’ worth of unratified parliamentary minutes in one sitting — covering 27 meetings and three national budgets — without individual review or debate.
Dr. Harris called the move “a flagrant breach of the Constitution and parliamentary tradition,” warning that the practice undermines transparency and accountability. “No serious parliament can go years without approving a single set of minutes,” he said after exiting the chamber.
The Speaker defended the decision as administrative housekeeping, but critics were unconvinced, branding the move a “world record disgrace.” The opposition’s walkout triggered renewed calls for the Speaker’s resignation and sparked a wider public discussion about record-keeping, accountability, and respect for parliamentary norms in St. Kitts and Nevis.
October 10: Trinidad Opposition Follows Suit
Four days later, on October 10, 2025, the Opposition United National Congress (UNC) in Trinidad and Tobago staged its own walkout from the House of Representatives in Port of Spain.
The UNC accused the Speaker of partisan bias, claiming she had repeatedly blocked urgent questions, ignored points of order, and allowed government members to breach standing orders without consequence.
“The Speaker has failed in her duty to act impartially,” the Opposition declared in a statement. “Parliament is not the property of any political party or Presiding Officer.”
The dramatic exit was seen as a culmination of months of rising tension and frustration, with opposition MPs arguing that parliamentary rules were being selectively applied to silence dissenting voices.
Political analyst Dr. Marcia Ferdinand described the twin walkouts as “a warning sign that parliamentary democracy in the Caribbean is teetering on the edge of performative politics.”
“When chairs become political shields rather than constitutional referees,” she said, “democracy becomes theatre, not governance.”
A Pattern Emerging
While St. Kitts and Trinidad are very different political environments, both incidents point to the same regional fault line: the perception that Speakers — the guardians of parliamentary order — are no longer impartial.
In Westminster-style systems like those across the Caribbean, the Speaker’s authority depends not on power but on public confidence in fairness. Once that credibility erodes, parliamentary control collapses into confrontation.
Governance experts say the implications are serious: eroded trust between government and opposition, declining public confidence in state institutions, and growing voter cynicism that “rules” are flexible tools of political advantage.
Why It Matters
Parliamentary walkouts are not new in the Caribbean, but what makes these recent events different is their frequency and intensity — and
the regional echo they’ve created. Social media has amplified images of lawmakers storming out, with citizens from Barbados to Belize questioning whether the same erosion of decorum could be happening in their own legislatures.
Analysts warn that if this perception takes hold, it risks diminishing the moral authority of parliamentary democracy itself.
“Once opposition MPs believe the rules are rigged, and once citizens believe Parliament is just performance,” said one Caribbean governance researcher, “you’ve lost the most valuable currency in democracy — trust.”
Restoring Balance
Political reformers across the region are calling for tighter Standing Order enforcement, independent parliamentary service commissions, and training to strengthen Speaker neutrality. Civil society leaders say the public must also play its part by demanding transparency and refusing to normalize partisan manipulation of parliamentary procedure.
Whether these twin walkouts become catalysts for reform — or simply another episode of Caribbean political theatre — will depend on what happens next inside those chambers.
For now, democracy watchers agree on one thing: when opposition leaders feel the only way to be heard is to walk out, the entire democratic house — not just its Speaker — is in danger of collapse.
Angle by Deandrea Hamilton. Built with ChatGPT (AI). Magnetic Media — CAPTURING LIFE.
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