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  • Voedselzekerheid en -veiligheid centraal tijdens agrarische beurs

    Voedselzekerheid en -veiligheid centraal tijdens agrarische beurs

    As the global agricultural community continues to grapple with pressing challenges from climate volatility to shifting supply chains, Suriname’s Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries (LVV) is preparing to host a landmark three-day agricultural fair, scheduled to run from May 1 to May 3. With nearly 200 registered exhibitors already signed on to participate, the event centers three core pillars that have become defining priorities for the future of the country’s agrarian sector: long-term food security, rigorous food safety, and climate-aligned sustainable development.

    Exhibitors who have secured booth space at the fair have expressed widespread enthusiasm for the upcoming gathering, which they frame as a rare opportunity to connect directly with consumers, industry peers, and potential investors. Their core goal is to introduce visitors to cutting-edge sustainable agricultural practices, innovative locally developed products, and new, accessible pathways to enter and thrive in the farming sector. Across the board, participating entrepreneurs have emphasized that the fair creates unique openings for cross-sector collaboration, business expansion, and open knowledge sharing — benefits that extend equally to early-stage startup ventures and well-established, long-standing agribusinesses.
    Beyond commercial opportunities, exhibitors have highlighted the fair’s broader social and economic impact priorities. These include expanding economic empowerment for young and senior farmers alike, boosting domestic local agricultural production, strengthening the national agrarian sector by reducing reliance on imported food goods, and delivering targeted support to small-scale and independent Surinamese producers. For participants, the gathering is far more than a trade show: it is a critical public platform to share ideas, spread technical knowledge, and drive tangible, inclusive development across Suriname as a whole.

    Quintis Ristie, a member of the fair’s organizing working group, noted that the event brings together all key stakeholders in Suriname’s agricultural ecosystem to advance shared goals around food security and sustainable production. Ahead of the fair’s launch, organizers held a preliminary teach-in session to provide participating exhibitors with detailed updates on event logistics, on-site rules, and available facilities — a step taken to ensure the gathering runs smoothly and remains well-organized for all attendees and participants. Even with this pre-event briefing, some exhibitors have called on the LVV event organizers to provide additional, more detailed clarity on official rules and participation terms to help them finalize their preparations.

    The fair is designed to serve as a centralized meeting point where producers, business owners, agricultural students, and local and international investors can gather to exchange innovative ideas and capitalize on emerging market opportunities. For general visitors, the event offers a hands-on chance to explore the full scope of new developments and opportunities across Suriname’s agricultural sector. Exhibits will cover a wide spectrum of practices and technologies, ranging from large-scale modern innovations such as smart irrigation systems and advanced farm mechanization to small-scale, accessible production methods suited for home-based food growing.

  • Minister ‘approved’ $250K from Lotto to contractor days before election

    Minister ‘approved’ $250K from Lotto to contractor days before election

    Fresh allegations of systemic misuse of public funds have emerged against St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ former Unity Labour Party administration, just months after the party lost its grip on power in the November 27 general election. The most prominent accusation centers on an unauthorized EC$250,000 payout from the National Lotteries Authority to a local contractor, earmarked for the long-delayed Langley Park Playing Field project, approved only eight days before voters headed to the polls.

    Internal documents obtained exclusively by iWitness News, whose authenticity has been verified by multiple senior insider sources, lay bare the questionable transaction. The contractor submitted an undated funding request to a senior NLA management official, referencing a prior conversation with a sitting ULP cabinet minister. The request, which contained several noticeable spelling and grammatical errors, listed vague planned works ranging from tree clearing and site grading to concrete work for on-site toilet facilities, with no formal cost breakdown or construction timeline attached. Despite the lack of detailed project documentation, the request carried a signature matching that of the former senior ULP minister, along with the date November 19, 2025 — just one week and one day before election day.

    What has raised further red flags for investigators and opposition officials now in power is the timeline of the payout. The contractor cashed the EC$250,000 check the very next business day after receiving it, walking away with the full sum in 2,500 EC$100 bills. When the NLA’s new board of directors, appointed by the incoming New Democratic Party government, conducted an on-site inspection of the Langley Park site in March 2026, inspectors found no evidence that any construction or preparatory work had ever been carried out on the project.

    The Langley Park Playing Field has been a flashpoint of political controversy in the North Windward constituency since 2020, when then-ULP Member of Parliament Montgomery Daniel first promised the facility ahead of that year’s general election, on the campaign trail in September 2020. “We would establish a playing field at Langley Park so that we will be able to move on,” Daniel told voters at the time, and he went on to win a fifth consecutive term in office for the ULP.

    By May 2023, with no visible progress on the project, then-opposition NDP candidate Shevern John seized on the unfulfilled promise as a core example of the ULP administration’s failed development commitments in the constituency. Speaking at an NDP campaign rally that month, John called out the ULP for performing two empty groundbreaking ceremonies for the same project without ever allocating budget to move construction forward. “Where is the playing field today? Where is it? It is nowhere because they have not allocated anything for it. They have no development plan for the people of this constituency,” John told supporters.

    In January 2025, during the annual budget debate in parliament, Daniel again reiterated the ULP’s pledge to deliver the playing field that year, saying, “At Langley Park, we continue to do several road programs. We continue to build a number of houses, and this year we will have the playing facility established in that area.” But by October 2025, on the eve of the general election, John again highlighted the project as a symbol of the ULP’s broken promises, noting, “There has been two groundbreaking ceremonies for the same playing field and nothing can be delivered.”

    After John won the North Windward seat and the NDP secured a majority in the November 2025 election, the new MP and cabinet minister reaffirmed her government’s commitment to finally delivering the long-awaited community facility to Langley Park residents. During the 2026 budget debate, John told parliament that the incoming administration would follow through where the ULP failed. “The Langley Park playing field, which … had a groundbreaking twice — twice, Madam Speaker. … We will ensure that it is graded properly and that the necessary infrastructure are in place so the people of Langley Park can play their games there,” she said.

    The newly uncovered transaction is one of multiple alleged cases of improper use of state resources being investigated by the new NDP administration, following the ULP’s election defeat late last year.

  • Onstabiel weer met verspreide buien

    Onstabiel weer met verspreide buien

    This official weather forecast, issued early on April 27, outlines a full day of variable conditions across the Netherlands, starting with a mixed morning pattern. Early risers can expect an alternating mix of sunshine and cloud cover to open the day, with patchy light fog predicted for inland areas. This fog is expected to lift and dissipate completely as the morning progresses, clearing conditions for the rest of the day. As the clock moves into midday and afternoon, cloud cover will build steadily across the country. This increase in cloud cover brings with it the chance of scattered rain showers and thunderstorms, which can grow locally intense and bring sudden gusty winds to affected areas. The highest risk of precipitation remains concentrated in inland regions, though isolated storm cells can still pop up in coastal zones as well. The risk of isolated showers will continue through the evening hours and into the overnight period, before conditions gradually calm down across the entire nation. Humidity levels will stay elevated throughout the day and night, creating a sticky, oppressive feel for residents across the country. Daytime temperatures will range between 30 and 33 degrees Celsius, with the hottest readings recorded in inland locations. Overnight temperatures will only drop to around 24 degrees Celsius, keeping conditions warm even after sunset. Winds will remain light to moderate, blowing consistently from an east-northeasterly direction.

  • Olieprijzen stijgen door vastgelopen VS-Iran vredesgesprekken

    Olieprijzen stijgen door vastgelopen VS-Iran vredesgesprekken

    Global energy markets faced fresh upward pressure on oil prices Monday, as stalled peace negotiations between the United States and Iran pushed benchmark crude to a near three-week high, just as a new independent report revealed global military expenditure climbed to its highest level in 16 years last year.

    Brent crude, the global benchmark for oil prices, jumped more than 2% to settle at $107.97 per barrel on Monday, its highest point recorded since mid-March. Market analysts attribute the sharp rally primarily to the breakdown of diplomatic talks between Washington and Tehran, which has extended existing uncertainty over energy export supplies from the Middle East. Persistent tensions around the Strait of Hormuz — a strategic chokepoint through which roughly 20% of global oil supplies pass daily — remain a core driver of elevated price risk, with ongoing regional conflict pushing Asian liquefied natural gas (LNG) prices far above pre-war levels already.

    The sudden price surge has compounded existing inflation concerns among investors and policymakers, coming just ahead of a week packed with high-stakes monetary policy meetings from major central banks around the world. Traders have now largely priced out any expectations of interest rate cuts this year, as higher energy costs are expected to keep core inflation stickier than previously projected, prolonging tight monetary conditions.

    In a separate report released Monday, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) announced that global military spending rose 2.9% in 2025 to reach $2.89 trillion, marking the 11th consecutive annual increase. Total global military expenditure now accounts for 2.5% of global gross domestic product, the highest share recorded since 2009.

    Despite a 7.5% drop in U.S. military outlays in 2025 — driven primarily by the pause in new military aid funding for Ukraine — the United States remains the world’s largest military spender by a wide margin, with total expenditure hitting $954 billion last year. SIPRI analysts emphasize that the 2025 drop is almost certainly temporary: U.S. Congress has already approved a $1 trillion+ military budget for 2026, with projections indicating spending could rise to as much as $1.5 trillion by 2027.

    European military spending recorded the most dramatic regional growth last year, jumping 14% to $864 billion. The increase is largely fueled by the ongoing war in Ukraine, as NATO member states across the continent have ramped up defense budgets to boost collective security. Both Russia and Ukraine also substantially increased their own defense outlays in 2025, marking the fourth full year of open conflict between the two nations.

    By contrast, both Israel and Iran recorded slight drops in military spending last year. Israel’s expenditure fell 4.9% following a partial de-escalation of conflict in Gaza, while Iran recorded a 5.6% drop — its second consecutive annual decline in military outlays.

  • ABLP Leader Browne Dismisses UPP Plans as ‘ChatGPT Manifesto’ at Mass Gathering

    ABLP Leader Browne Dismisses UPP Plans as ‘ChatGPT Manifesto’ at Mass Gathering

    As the April 30 general election in Antigua and Barbuda enters its final stretch, incumbent Prime Minister Gaston Browne launched a scathing attack on the opposition United Progressive Party (UPP) at a massive campaign rally Saturday night, dismissing the party’s entire policy agenda as a hastily generated “ChatGPT manifesto”.

    Addressing a crowd of roughly 10,000 gathered supporters of the governing Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party (ABLP), Browne used the viral AI tool to frame the opposition’s proposals as unvetted, unplanned, and economically unviable. The biting jab quickly became one of the most memorable and provocative lines of the entire election campaign, drawing loud, enthusiastic reactions from attendees and cementing the ABLP’s core narrative ahead of polling day.

    In his remarks, Browne argued that none of the UPP’s campaign pledges are backed by rigorous economic analysis or detailed implementation frameworks. He warned voters against what he framed as dangerously unrealistic campaign promises, noting that the opposition has failed to run the numbers to verify if their pledges are affordable, viable, reliable, or sustainable for the small island nation.

    “The opposition is just throwing vague, flashy promises out into the world with the sole hope of luring voters to the polls,” Browne told the crowd. “They have no clear roadmap to turn these pledges into action, no planning to back up their big words.”

    The Prime Minister went on to warn that the UPP’s unfunded, poorly planned proposals would carry severe long-term economic consequences for the country. He laid out two potential outcomes of an opposition win, arguing that a UPP government would either push Antigua and Barbuda back into crippling levels of national debt, or be forced to impose crippling new taxes on working and middle-class citizens to pay for their uncosted plans.

    Browne contrasted this projected path with his own administration’s 10-year track record on fiscal management, highlighting that the ABLP government has cut the country’s national debt from 110% of GDP in 2014 to just 61% today. “We pulled our country out of a fiscal hole, and we will not go back to the days of massive debt,” he emphasized.

    Saturday’s rally, one of the largest campaign events of the entire election cycle, blended political messaging with live entertainment and perfectly encapsulated the ABLP’s overall election strategy: framing the vote as a clear choice between proven, tested governance and untested, risky opposition proposals.

    With just days left before voters head to the polls, Browne’s “ChatGPT manifesto” jab is expected to remain a central talking point in national political discourse as both the ABLP and UPP ramp up get-out-the-vote efforts to secure victory on April 30.

  • Pringle ‘Not Ready Yet,’ – PM issues Warning to Voters- ‘Don’t Risk the Future of This Country’

    Pringle ‘Not Ready Yet,’ – PM issues Warning to Voters- ‘Don’t Risk the Future of This Country’

    With just days remaining before Antigua and Barbuda’s critical April 30 general election, incumbent Prime Minister Gaston Browne used a massive rally drawing roughly 10,000 enthusiastic supporters to launch a sharp broadside against opposition leader Jamale Pringle, arguing that the challenger is unprepared to take the reins of national leadership.

    In a speech that anchored his ruling Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party’s final campaign push at one of the election cycle’s largest public gatherings, Browne doubled down on his central message: casting the upcoming ballot as a stark binary choice between proven, steady governance and untested, risky change. “Let us be honest, Jamale Pringle is just not ready yet,” Browne told the assembled crowd. “This is not a time… to risk the future of this country with proven failures.”

    Browne centered his entire address on the question of leadership readiness, repeatedly urging voters to prioritize proven capability over fresh faces at the polls. “This is not a time for you to stand back. This is not a time for you to watch on… this is not a time for you to risk the future of the country,” he said, calling on attendees to rally behind “certainty, with reliability, and strong leadership.”

    Beyond targeting Pringle personally, Browne turned his fire to the opposition United Progressive Party (UPP) as a whole, highlighting deep internal rifts that he claimed disqualify the group from governing. “The UPP is in chaos. They’re divided. They’re struggling for power. They’re literally pulling in different directions… sinking their ship,” he said, following up with a pointed rhetorical question: “If they can’t run a party, how can you expect them to run a country?”

    The incumbent also dismissed the UPP’s campaign policy pledges, arguing the proposals lack rigorous planning and threaten to undo years of economic progress made under his administration. “They’re making big promises, but they have no plans. They have not done the math… no analysis to determine affordability, viability, reliability, or sustainability,” Browne said.

    He pointed to his government’s signature economic achievement — a steep reduction in the national debt — as evidence of his administration’s competent stewardship, noting the debt ratio has fallen from 110% of GDP in 2014 to just 61% today. Browne warned that an opposition victory would reverse these gains, warning voters that a UPP government would either balloon national borrowing back to unsustainable levels or impose crippling tax hikes that would push the country back into the arms of the International Monetary Fund. “We brought down the debt from 110% in 2014 down to 61% today. We’re not going back there,” he said. “They will drive the country into massive debt once again… or they will tax you out of existence… and take you back to the IMF.”

    Wrapping up his address, Browne returned to his core theme of tested leadership, urging supporters to turn out confidently on polling day to back his administration’s proven track record. “This is your time… to stand tall with confidence, with pride, and with dignity,” he said.

    Saturday’s event, which mixed formal political appeals with entertainment for attendees, served as a high-profile demonstration of the ruling party’s momentum in the final stretch of the campaign. With polling day fast approaching, both major parties have ramped up their outreach and campaigning efforts to secure an advantage on election day.

  • Column: Wanneer loyaliteit boven bekwaamheid gaat…

    Column: Wanneer loyaliteit boven bekwaamheid gaat…

    Across nations, a deeply entrenched, destructive pattern continues to plague public governance: key leadership and senior positions are consistently awarded not to the most qualified, experienced candidates, but to partisan loyalists rewarded first and foremost for their unwavering allegiance to ruling political power. This long-standing, stubborn practice inflicts lasting damage on public institutions and imposes steep, widespread costs on society as a whole.

    What often begins as a seemingly harmless gesture of gratitude—a senior role or lucrative position handed out to a faithful party supporter—quickly snowballs into systemic dysfunction when the appointee lacks the necessary professional expertise and hands-on experience for the role. The ripple effects of these unqualified appointments stretch far beyond individual government departments: widespread administrative inefficiency, stalled public projects, and all too often, overt corruption and widespread mismanagement become the new norm.

    The recent scandal at Canawaima Management Company, where the entire board of commissioners was replaced after just a few months of chaotic leadership, followed by revelations of excessive negotiation payments to the union chair, is far from an isolated incident. In fact, conflicts of interest have become the rule rather than the exception in political patronage appointments, when loyalty is prioritized over proven competence.

    When unqualified individuals hold critical decision-making positions, policy choices are shaped not by evidence and public need, but by narrow political interests. Public projects fall behind schedule, public funds are misallocated or wasted, and the quality of services delivered to ordinary citizens declines sharply. This pattern breeds widespread public frustration and erodes trust in government: how can citizens be expected to trust a system that hands power to politically compliant individuals instead of the most capable candidates?

    Real-world outcomes repeatedly confirm this damaging trend. Whether the roles in question are senior leadership in government agencies, regulatory oversight positions, or board seats at state-owned public organizations, proven expertise is too often traded away for partisan loyalty. Even at the national civil aviation authority, a core agency responsible for the safety of air travel, unqualified leadership has undermined both service quality and public safety. This is not merely an internal administrative issue—it carries severe, tangible consequences for all of society. Unqualified leaders are far more vulnerable to external manipulation and far more likely to make costly, harmful decisions that put the public at risk.

    It is long past time to break this toxic political culture. All public sector appointments must be rooted in the principles of meritocracy: professional knowledge, proven experience, and unwavering integrity should be the only criteria for selection. Only through this shift can nations build strong, accountable public institutions that prioritize the public good and earn back the trust of citizens. Unfortunately, the same damaging pattern of patronage reappears with every change of government, perpetuating the cycle of dysfunction.

    Society deserves public leaders who are selected not just for their partisan alignment, but for their proven professional competence. At the end of the day, every member of society pays the price for unqualified governance: through higher costs, compromised public safety, and the permanent erosion of trust in democratic institutions.

    Reversing this decades-long trend requires bold political courage and a deep commitment to public accountability, to build a fairer, more effective system where competence is the deciding factor in all public appointments. Only then can nations build a future where the public good is truly placed at the center of governance.

  • Na ziekteverzuim werken luchtverkeersleiders volgens normaal schema

    Na ziekteverzuim werken luchtverkeersleiders volgens normaal schema

    A sudden, widespread shutdown of air operations at Suriname’s busiest international gateway last weekend has pulled back the curtain on decades of unresolved systemic issues plaguing the country’s air traffic control sector, just as the nation prepares for an expected oil-driven economic boom next year.

    On Saturday, the control tower at Johan Adolf Pengel International Airport was left completely unstaffed after multiple air traffic controllers called in sick, bringing nearly all flight activity to a standstill. Normal operations only resumed Sunday as controllers returned to their scheduled shifts, according to the Suriname Air Traffic Controllers Association (SATCA).

    SATCA has repeatedly emphasized that the incident was not a deliberate strike or organized work stoppage, but rather the inevitable outcome of a chronic understaffing crisis that left no available backup personnel to cover unexpected absences. In a statement released Sunday morning, the Presidential Cabinet confirmed that the situation had been normalized following direct intervention by Suriname President Jennifer Simons, and a formal meeting between the president and SATCA leadership has been scheduled for Monday to address the root causes of the crisis.

    Tensions have been building for months between air traffic controllers and Transport, Communication and Tourism Minister Raymond Landveld, whom SATCA no longer trusts to negotiate meaningful reforms. Landveld delegated all discussions on controller concerns to a special negotiation commission, but SATCA reports the commission has not held any substantive contact with the association since February 26, and failed to deliver any actionable solutions to address long-standing grievances. This stalemate led SATCA to demand direct talks only with the president, a request Simons has agreed to grant.

    A key flashpoint in the dispute is a recent policy change that cut the maximum monthly overtime hours for controllers from 60 to 30, which eliminated all available backup shift coverage that relied on overtime work. Beyond staffing, SATCA is also demanding the president address severe wage inequality within the Aviation Authority’s operational divisions, a long-running imbalance that has driven a steady brain drain from the sector.

    Years of excessive workloads and perceived undercompensation have pushed dozens of experienced controllers to leave the profession entirely for other opportunities. Two controllers have retrained to become commercial pilots for foreign carriers, while many others have left Suriname altogether to take up aviation roles abroad with better pay and working conditions.

    Industry observers note that these challenges are not new: the Suriname air traffic control sector has struggled with persistent underperformance and understaffing for decades. Even basic safety protocols are regularly breached, the association confirms: a prohibited operating model called Single Person Operation, where only one controller plus a single assistant handle all air traffic duties during a shift, is now common practice rather than a rare exception.

    As Suriname prepares for a major oil boom projected to start next year, experts warn the brain drain crisis is only set to worsen, repeating a pattern already seen in neighboring Guyana, which faced similar staffing shortfalls after its own oil sector expansion. Already, the trend of skilled controllers leaving is accelerating, and without urgent reforms, the country will be unable to meet growing air traffic demand tied to the incoming energy boom.

    President Simons has acknowledged the scope of the crisis, stating that a structural, long-term solution is needed. She has confirmed that the problem extends far beyond just filling empty staffing slots, and that addressing wage inequality and upgrading outdated, aging air traffic control equipment will also be key priorities in the upcoming talks.

  • GTUC president calls for cost of living subsidies

    GTUC president calls for cost of living subsidies

    As Guyana kicked off its annual Labour Week celebrations on Sunday, April 26, 2026, the country’s leading trade union chief has amplified pressure on the ruling administration to roll out broad new consumer subsidies, blaming cascading global conflicts for driving up everyday costs for working Guyanese.

    Norris Witter, president of the Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC), made the appeal immediately after he joined fellow union representatives in laying a ceremonial wreath at the Hubert Nathaniel Critchlow monument, located on the grounds of Georgetown’s Parliament Building. The annual tribute opens the country’s Labour Week, which honors the legacy of Critchlow, widely recognized as the founding father of Guyana’s trade union movement.

    Speaking to reporters after the ceremony, Witter traced the current cost-of-living crisis in Guyana back to two overlapping global conflicts: the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, and the escalating tensions in the Persian Gulf. According to Witter, these dual crises have severely disrupted global supply chains, exacerbated fossil fuel shortages, and driven up prices for a wide range of essential goods nationwide.

    To counteract these inflationary pressures, Witter argued that targeted government subsidies — what he called the “invisible hand of the State” — are the most effective immediate tool to stabilize prices for basic commodities. The call comes as transportation providers across the country have already implemented fare hikes: public buses, private taxis, and domestic airlines have all raised ticket prices in response to sharp spikes in global fuel costs.

    Witter criticized the incumbent People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPPC) administration, arguing that the broad subsidy package the GTUC demands would require political will that the current government has so far failed to demonstrate. He accused the PPPC of overly aligning with Western geopolitical interests instead of prioritizing the economic needs of Guyanese workers, and called on the government to adopt a more inclusive approach that accommodates diverse perspectives from across Guyanese society.

    Currently, the government already implements limited energy-related subsidies: it covers extra fuel costs for the state-owned Guyana Power and Light utility and Guyana Water Incorporated to prevent them from passing higher fuel expenses on to residential and commercial customers. The administration has also eliminated all taxes on gasoline and diesel, and state-owned petroleum firm Guyana Oil Company (GUYOIL) sells fuel at below-market rates to act as a price anchor for private fuel importers and distributors.

    Witter acknowledged that many union members expect private and public sector employers to raise wages and salaries to help workers keep up with rising costs. However, he emphasized that the ultimate responsibility for taming inflation falls on national policymakers. “Even though the unions will have a right to engage the employers for meaningful increases, we must not lose sight of the fact that it is political managers who manage the national economy, who have that foremost responsibility to ensure that the kinds of policies and programmes are put in place to arrest the increase in the cost of living,” Witter said.

    Witter’s comments echo recent criticism from former Guyanese Finance Minister Winston Jordan, who has also called on the PPPC government to take stronger action to address the cost of living. Jordan recently recommended that the government distribute an interim salary increase to public workers using funds already allocated in the 2026 national budget, then revise the entire budget to cut non-essential spending on low-priority infrastructure projects. He has also faulted the administration for failing to roll out a public fuel conservation education campaign and implement formal policies to crack down on predatory price gouging by retailers and suppliers.

  • LIVE NOW: PM Skerrit update on effects of heavy rainfall

    LIVE NOW: PM Skerrit update on effects of heavy rainfall

    The content submitted for news processing only contains social media sharing prompts: “Share”, “Tweet”, “Share”, “Pin”. No complete, substantive news text related to a specific event, topic or development is included in the user’s input. Without the core body and key information of the original news, it is impossible to carry out a complete in-depth analysis, core point extraction and structured rewriting of a formal news report. This incomplete input fails to provide the necessary basic information required for the requested news processing work.