On a Monday official ceremony held in the capital city of Kingstown, the government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines formalized a landmark concession agreement with Global Ports Holding (GPH), the leading global cruise port operator, to oversee the management, large-scale development and long-term operation of the nation’s entire cruise port infrastructure, while retaining full state ownership of all underlying port assets. Government representatives at the signing framed the public-private partnership as a strategic move to elevate the Eastern Caribbean nation’s standing in an increasingly crowded and rapidly evolving global cruise market, with success metrics deliberately designed to extend far beyond simple headcounts of visiting vessels and disembarking passengers. The two-phase development roadmap laid out for the port network targets first an expansion of the existing Kingstown cruise berth, followed by a second phase that adds a brand new cruise pier west of the current Kingstown facility, alongside a dedicated berth for both large cruise ships and mega-yachts located in Clifton on Union Island. Attorney General Louise Mitchell confirmed that the contract mandates non-negotiable minimum capital investments from GPH of no less than US$20 million for the first phase and US$60 million for the second phase, as baseline requirements tied to the agreement’s 30-year exclusive operating term. Beyond direct port construction, policymakers project the expanded cruise ecosystem will unlock cascading economic opportunities for a wide cross-section of local stakeholders, including taxi operators, tour guides, street vendors, local artisans, restaurant owners, small-scale farmers and artisanal fishers who supply goods and services to cruise visitors. Prime Minister Godwin Friday emphasized that the core objective of the initiative is to translate rising cruise foot traffic into stable formal and informal jobs, increased revenue for local small businesses, and tangible improvements in household livelihoods across all communities in the archipelago. Minister of Ports Terence Ollivierre noted that the port network is being designed to function as a national economic platform linked to communities well outside the immediate port zones, and stressed that ongoing, multi-stakeholder collaboration between GPH, government regulators and local industry representatives will be critical to smooth execution as the project moves from planning to ground-breaking. The agreement also includes unprecedented provisions to embed local ownership and protect existing community interests: a dedicated special purpose vehicle will be set up to allow eligible Vincentian citizens to purchase up to 30% of the operating entity’s total issued share capital, with retail individual investors given top priority, and local institutional investors only permitted to access unclaimed shares if retail demand does not exhaust the full 30% allocation. Existing commercial tenants currently operating on port premises are granted guaranteed protection to continue their operations under their original lease terms for a full three years from the official start of GPH’s operations, with further eligibility to renew their leases indefinitely after that period as long as they remain in good standing with no contractual defaults. Senior government officials positioned the cruise port upgrade as a central pillar of a much wider national strategy to rebrand St. Vincent and the Grenadines as a distinct, high-value tourism destination anchored by three core brand pillars: vibrant local culture and festive celebrations, unspoiled marine paradise, and world-class nature and adventure experiences. Supporting parallel work to boost the country’s tourism competitiveness includes ongoing efforts to expand international air connectivity, add more high-quality accommodation inventory, refine global destination marketing campaigns, and upskill local hospitality workforces to raise overall service standards. GPH Founder and Chief Executive Officer Mehmet Kutman reaffirmed his company’s commitment to close collaboration with local government and industry partners, noting that the operator prioritizes the development of immersive, authentic onshore visitor experiences rather than just serving as a docking facility, and highlighted the untapped potential for the wider Caribbean region to capture a larger share of the fast-growing global cruise capacity and surging luxury travel demand. Environmental stewardship was repeatedly cited as a non-negotiable core condition of the entire development framework: both Prime Minister Friday and Tourism Minister Kishore Shallow stated that all tourism expansion work will be required to strictly protect the archipelago’s fragile coastlines, coral reefs, white-sand beaches, marine biodiversity and unique natural heritage, the very assets that draw international visitors to the destination in the first place. Friday also pledged that the government will maintain rigorous, ongoing oversight of every stage of the project’s implementation to ensure the national public interest remains the top priority for the full 30-year term of the agreement.
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Don’t feel ‘nice and dandy’ amid investigation, Bramble warns (+video)
During a parliamentary session on Thursday focused on debating legislation to formalize St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ membership in the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean (CAF), Foreign Affairs Minister Dwight Fitzgerald Bramble issued a direct warning to opposition senator Carlos James, a former tourism minister and North Leeward representative, that officials from the ousted 25-year Unity Labour Party (ULP) administration would face formal consequences if verified acts of public office misconduct are uncovered. The heated exchange was sparked by James’ public allegation that the 11-month-old New Democratic Party (NDP) government had illegally drawn funds from the national Contingency Fund, colloquially referred to as the “rainy day” reserve, a claim Bramble never confirmed as true. Pushing back sharply against the accusation, Bramble, a trained economist, laid out a litany of what he framed as the ULP’s reckless fiscal mismanagement over its decades in power. He noted that while national law caps government overdraft limits at EC$85 million, the previous administration had allowed the public overdraft to balloon to over EC$200 million, exposing the state-owned Bank of SVG to severe liquidity and operational risks. To mitigate that unsustainable overdraft, Bramble added, the ULP then issued short-term bonds at drastically inflated interest rates, moves that drove the country’s debt servicing ratio to crippling levels. Today, nearly 50 cents of every tax dollar collected by the NDP government goes directly to repaying debts incurred under the ULP’s watch. Bramble also highlighted that the former government left an estimated EC$178 million in unpaid invoices to local small businesses, vendors and suppliers, creating a “double whammy” economic crunch: local firms were left cash-strapped, leading many to fall into tax non-compliance as they struggled to stay operational. He further pointed out that for years, international financial institutions including the IMF had issued repeated warnings via their annual Article IV reports starting in 2016 that the ULP needed to rein in reckless fiscal spending to avoid economic collapse. At the time the NDP took office, the country’s current account deficit stood at 12% of GDP, equivalent to nearly EC$400 million, a gap that required a 15-percentage-point shift to reach the 2-3% current account surplus required for long-term sustainable growth. Bramble tied these fiscal failures to the recent June 30 Moody’s credit rating downgrade, which cut St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ long-term local and foreign currency issuer ratings from B3 to Caa1, shifted the outlook from stable to negative, and moved the country to the edge of “economic disaster” as the minister described it. He pushed back against ULP supporters’ social media claims that no downgrade occurred under the previous administration, noting that the downgrade sends a clear warning signal to global lenders, development partners and potential investors that the country’s fiscal position is precarious. Bramble added that Prime Minister Godwin Friday’s recent trip to the World Bank-IMF annual meetings in Thailand, which Bramble joined as part of the official delegation, was focused on securing partnerships and support to address these longstanding fiscal gaps. He rejected James’ attempt to frame his push for transparency around ULP-era Contingency Fund records as an admission that the NDP had drawn from the reserve, dismissing the logic as absurd, and reiterated that his administration would release full details of the ULP’s unreported misappropriation of Contingency Fund resources to the public in due course. Bramble concluded that the country’s new membership in the CAF development bank will expand the government’s access to alternative financing and partnership resources as it works to unwind decades of fiscal damage left by the previous administration.
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Brazil unlikely to favour negotiated settlement of Guyana-Venezuela boundary dispute- professors
Published on Tuesday, 27 October 2026 at 2:52 by correspondent Denis Chabrol, new analysis from two leading Latin American and Caribbean international affairs scholars outlines the projected diplomatic posture of re-elected Brazilian President Luiz Inácio ‘Lula’ da Silva toward the long-running Guyana-Venezuela border dispute over the resource-rich 159,500 square kilometre Essequibo Region.
The decades-long territorial feud traces back to the 1899 Arbitral Tribunal that formally demarcated the boundary between the two nations, a ruling Venezuela has repeatedly rejected. Caracas announced earlier in 2026 that it would refuse to recognize any forthcoming judgment from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) — the UN’s highest judicial body based in The Hague — arguing the court lacks jurisdiction over the matter, despite the ICJ already issuing a pre-trial ruling confirming its authority to hear the full substantive case. Venezuela has instead insisted the only durable resolution must emerge from bilateral negotiations framed around its own interpretation of the 1966 Geneva Agreement, the document that formally set the terms for resolving the dispute after the dissolution of British colonial rule in Guyana.
Against a backdrop of unconfirmed reports that the United States could abandon its longstanding public position of recognizing Guyana’s existing internationally demarcated borders and push Georgetown to enter new negotiations with Venezuela immediately after the ICJ issues its expected ruling in the coming months, the two experts project Lula’s Brazil will take a firm stance in support of upholding the court’s decision. Dr. Mark Kirton, Director of Guyana’s Centre for International and Border Studies and a veteran international relations scholar, notes that as South America’s largest economic and military power, Brazil will rebuff any externally driven pressure to force Guyana to the negotiating table to re-litigate settled territorial questions.
“Brazil’s longstanding, unwavering commitment to the principle of juridically settled border inviolability means any foreign-influenced push to reopen negotiations on the Essequibo dispute after the ICJ ruling will not receive Brasilia’s backing, as such a precedent would create dangerous ripple effects that could even threaten the integrity of Brazil’s own internationally recognized borders,” Kirton explained, referencing Lula’s narrow run-off election victory the previous Sunday over right-wing challenger Flávio Bolsonaro, who had received public backing from U.S. President Donald Trump.
Kirton emphasized that Caribbean nations, particularly Guyana, should conduct a thorough, nuanced review of Lula’s re-election to map out collaborative opportunities, pointing to Brazil’s consistent track record of supporting UN-led international legal mechanisms to resolve the Essequibo dispute without external interference.
U.S.-based Venezuelan political science professor Dr. Alexandra Panzarelli echoed that assessment, noting that any U.S. push for post-ruling talks between the two nations could only be constructive if negotiations are strictly limited to implementing the ICJ’s decision, rather than reopening fundamental questions of sovereignty over the Essequibo territory. She stressed that Brazil has inherent national security interests in upholding international law along its entire northern frontier, and Lula’s long history as a trusted regional mediator with active diplomatic channels to both Caracas and Georgetown makes him uniquely positioned to shepherd a lawful, peaceful outcome. Unlike Bolsonaro, who would have likely aligned closely with Washington’s regional priorities, Panzarelli noted Lula will pursue an independent Brazilian foreign policy, and Brasilia has already publicly committed that it will never allow its national territory to be used as a staging ground for military action related to the border dispute, a critical guardrail against escalation.
Beyond the Essequibo dispute, Kirton outlined that Lula’s re-election clears a path for Guyana to deepen its ties with the BRICS alliance, leveraging Brazil’s status as a core member of the emerging multilateral bloc. He noted that Lula’s fourth presidential term will continue to prioritize longstanding Brazilian foreign policy pillars: unwavering multilateralism, accelerated action to curb Amazon deforestation, regional security cooperation, and deeper South American integration. The election result also carries broader geopolitical weight: after seven consecutive right-wing presidential election victories across Latin America since 2025 that had brought a wave of regional governments closely aligned with U.S. policy priorities, Lula’s win blocks the expansion of U.S. influence across the continent, denying Washington a key ideological ally in South America’s largest national economy and giving Brasilia new leverage to push back against unfair U.S. political and economic demands that have targeted smaller regional nations in recent years.
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After 23 years, SVG make Netball World Cup Finals
In a landmark moment that doubled as a heartfelt 47th independence anniversary present for the Caribbean nation, St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ national netball squad the Vincy Jewels clinched a long-awaited spot in the upcoming Sydney-hosted Netball World Cup Finals next year, following a pulsating 55-53 overtime victory over St. Lucia’s Piton Sparks at the regional qualifying tournament held in Barbados. The high-stakes match unfolded as a tight, back-and-forth contest from the opening whistle: St. Lucia edged ahead 11-10 in the first quarter, before the Vincy Jewels rallied to claim the second and third frames 24-22 and 36-33 respectively. Just as SVG appeared poised to close out regulation time, a brief lapse in focus from the squad allowed the Piton Sparks to level the score at 45 apiece, forcing two grueling seven-minute overtime periods where the Vincy Jewels dug deep to edge out their opponents for the decisive win. The historic qualification snaps a 23-year dry spell for the island nation, whose previous World Cup appearances date back to their 1979 debut in Trinidad and Tobago, a career-best 10th-place finish in England in 1995, and a 13th-place showing at the 2003 championships in Jamaica. Over the full seven-match qualifying campaign, the Vincy Jewels notched six wins and just one loss to accumulate 18 total points, securing the tournament’s second available World Cup berth. Individual honors also went the way of the SVG side, as star goal-shooter Mary-Ann Frederick took home two prestigious awards: she was named the tournament’s Most Accurate Goal-shooter for her exceptional 95.25% shooting rate, having sunk 341 goals from 358 total attempts, and was also voted the event’s overall Most Valuable Player. The other top qualifying spot went to regional powerhouse Trinidad and Tobago’s Calypso Girls, who capped an undefeated campaign with a 60-51 triumph over host nation Barbados, finishing top of the standings with a perfect 21 points from seven straight wins. Elsewhere in the final round of fixtures, the United States closed out their run in third place on 15 points (five wins, two losses) after routing the British Virgin Islands 80-6, a result that left the BVI rooted to the bottom of the table with zero points from seven consecutive defeats. Canada rounded out their campaign in fifth place with a narrow 42-40 win over Grenada, finishing on nine points from three wins and four losses, while Grenada settled for seventh place with just three points earned from a single match victory.
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PM Friday’s Independence Message 2026
On October 27, 2026, newly inaugurated Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines Godwin Friday released a formal national address marking the 47th anniversary of the island nation’s independence from external rule, extending warm greetings to all citizens residing on the archipelago and across the global Vincentian diaspora.
Friday framed the annual independence commemoration as far more than a ceremonial celebration of national sovereignty: he positioned the milestone as a pivotal moment for collective reflection on the nation’s 47-year journey of self-governance, gratitude for generations of trailblazers, and renewed public commitment to the founding ideals that have guided national development since October 27, 1979. He paid explicit tribute to the early national leaders and grassroots activists who sacrificed personal comfort and security to lay the institutional, social, and cultural foundations for self-determination, granting the Vincentian people full authority to shape their own laws, public systems, and collective aspirations under a single national flag.
The prime minister highlighted the extraordinary resilience the nation has demonstrated across nearly five decades, navigating repeated catastrophic natural disasters, volatile global economic headwinds, and cross-border public health and supply chain disruptions that have threatened small island developing states worldwide. He extended heartfelt appreciation to every segment of the national workforce, including smallholder farmers, artisanal fishers, frontline healthcare staff, K-12 and tertiary educators, small business owners, public servants, and uniformed security personnel, whose daily contributions have steadily advanced national progress even during periods of severe adversity.
While celebrating past achievements, Friday emphasized that the nation cannot rest on its laurels, with critical unmet priorities remaining on the national agenda: expanding meaningful economic opportunity for young Vincentians, strengthening social cohesion across all island communities, enhancing public safety frameworks, protecting the archipelago’s fragile coastal and terrestrial ecosystems, and broadening shared economic growth that leaves no demographic or geographic group behind. He noted that nation-building is a continuous, intergenerational undertaking that demands intentional discipline, creative problem-solving, and unwavering cross-population unity.
As part of his forward-looking policy outline, Friday called for a deliberate shift in national governance approaches to deliver more equitable outcomes: prioritizing more efficient management of limited public resources, expanding targeted support for low-income and at-risk vulnerable populations, and scaling investment in low-cost, low-emission renewable energy infrastructure to simultaneously advance environmental conservation and long-term energy security. In his first major national address as prime minister, Friday stated that he accepts the public mandate entrusted to him with profound humility and unshakable resolve, recognizing widespread public aspirations for expanded economic mobility, higher living standards, accessible high-quality healthcare and education systems, and a fair social framework where hard work is rewarded and every citizen has equal access to pathways for success.
Friday’s administration laid out a clear governing vision for a stronger, more inclusive St. Vincent and the Grenadines, where opportunity is universally accessible, local communities are safe and self-sufficient, small and medium-sized enterprises can thrive, and every citizen has the ability to contribute meaningfully to national development. He stressed that no community should be left behind in the national development process, with targeted support to ensure young people can build stable, fulfilling careers and lives in their home country, agricultural and fisheries producers receive the technical and financial backing they need to grow their operations, all workers are guaranteed dignity and fair compensation, and the nation’s most vulnerable residents receive targeted care and pathways out of marginalization.
Directly addressing the nation’s youth population, Friday emphasized that their unique talents, innovative ideas, and ambitions are irreplaceable drivers of future national progress, noting that young people have an inherent right to participate in the decision-making processes that shape their long-term futures, and urging them to pursue excellence, embrace creative innovation, and take active leadership roles in local community initiatives. He also extended a special message to the global Vincentian diaspora, noting that their professional achievements, transnational investments, and enduring emotional ties to their home nation are invaluable national assets, and inviting continued partnership to strengthen cross-border bonds between Vincentians at home and abroad.
This year’s official independence anniversary theme, “Hand in Hand, Uplifting Our Nation,” echoes the core message of the beloved 1979 patriotic anthem “We’re Out to Build a New St. Vincent,” and embodies the fundamental reality that the nation’s future is a shared collective responsibility, Friday noted. While national governments can set policy direction and lead institutional action, he emphasized that durable, long-lasting progress can only be achieved through coordinated effort across ordinary citizens, local community groups, public and private institutions, and the global Vincentian diaspora. United, the nation can build a prosperous, compassionate, ecologically resilient country fully prepared to seize emerging global economic and social opportunities.
Friday closed the address by calling on all Vincentians to reaffirm their commitment to the core shared national values of hard work, personal integrity, cross-community unity, and love of country, urging residents to support one another, invest in the next generation of young leaders, care for marginalized community members, and collaborate in the shared public interest to advance the beloved island nation. He concluded with warm wishes for a happy 47th Independence Anniversary for all Vincentians worldwide, and a prayer for continued divine blessing over St. Vincent and the Grenadines. The address is classified as an opinion piece, with the prime minister’s views not necessarily reflecting the editorial stance of publisher iWitness News. -
Brandweer zet waterkanonnen in bij brand op vuilstortplaats Ornamibo
On October 27 at 01:23 local time, multi-agency emergency response teams in Suriname launched extensive operations to suppress an active blaze at the Ornamibo landfill, a site that has generated hazardous smoke pollution for nearby residential communities. Firefighters are collaborating closely with staff from the Public Green Space and Waste Management departments, deploying high-pressure water cannons to target active fire hotspots. To sustain the firefighting efforts, crews are drawing water directly from the nearby Parakreek creek using specialized pumps, eliminating the need for long-distance water transport that would delay response times.
Anwar Moenne, acting director of the waste management authority, confirmed to local outlet Starnieuws that all available personnel and resources are being mobilized around the clock to bring the fire fully under control and eliminate the disruptive, health-impacting smoke exposure for surrounding residents. Formal operational agreements have been finalized with the fire department to structure ongoing suppression work, with crews scheduled to remain on site for as long as required to extinguish all remaining smoldering patches.
Parallel to suppression efforts, a formal investigation into the fire’s origin is already underway. Moenne noted that the blaze ignited in a section of the landfill where spontaneous combustion is extremely unlikely, leading officials to not rule out arson as a potential cause. “All signs point to intentional ignition at this stage,” Moenne explained, adding that investigators will review activity logs and interview potential witnesses to identify any parties responsible for starting the fire.
The acting director emphasized that full extinguishment of the blaze remains the top operational priority, to allow nearby residents to return to normal daily routines without the nuisance and health risks of constant heavy smoke. He also highlighted the extreme strain currently facing the national fire service, which has been stretched thin by a recent surge in wild and grassland fires that require crews to respond to multiple callouts every day amid a longstanding personnel shortage. Moenne extended official gratitude to all responding firefighters, praising their dedication to containing the landfill fire despite their already overwhelming workload to prevent the blaze from spreading to adjacent green spaces and residential areas. -
Harish, je wordt getest…
Suriname’s Minister of Justice and Security Harish Monorath, who previously publicly issued a stark warning to criminal elements that he would enforce the law without compromise, stating firmly “No test me,” is now himself at the center of a growing controversy over a disputed employment agreement he signed in his former role as supervisory board president of the Telecommunications Authority Suriname (TAS).
The contested contract, dated November 1, 2021, was signed with Wendy Jap-A-Joe, who had received a five-year presidential appointment as TAS director. The document outlines an open-ended employment relationship that includes a suite of highly generous benefits: a gross monthly salary of $4,000 before contributions and additional allowances, tax-free reimbursements, performance bonuses, vacation pay, full medical coverage, and the right to retain an official service vehicle for free upon departure from the role. It also stipulates a minimum 24-month notice period if TAS terminates Jap-A-Joe’s employment for reasons unrelated to misconduct, with a clause requiring payout of up to 36 full months of salary plus all associated emoluments under specified circumstances. Legal experts note that if these clauses are deemed legally valid, the agreement functions as a crippling financial liability for the public institution.
Local telecommunications legislation explicitly requires that the director’s employment terms be set by the competent transport, communication and tourism minister, following consultation with the supervisory board and formal approval from the Council of Ministers. A supervisory board president has no legal authority to bypass this formal procedure to unilaterally sign off on such a binding agreement. According to available records, neither past nor current ministers of Transport, Communication and Tourism, former TAS commissioners, nor the Surinamese president were aware of the existence of this contract, raising urgent questions about how a deal carrying such massive public financial implications could be finalized entirely outside official oversight channels.
Last Sunday, lawyer Gerold Sewcharan, representing the TAS supervisory board, formally contested the contract’s legal validity, adding that there is preliminary suspicion the document may have been drawn up long after its stated 2021 date — a serious allegation of backdating that has not yet been proven. On Monday, judge Robert Praag ruled against all claims submitted by Jap-A-Joe, issuing an immediate order barring her from acting in any official capacity on behalf of TAS, requiring her to vacate the TAS premises and transfer all work-related files and responsibilities within 24 hours. The disputed employment contract has been temporarily suspended, with a full substantive court case scheduled to determine its final legal status; the judge did not formally rule the document falsified or backdated in his interim decision, but the ruling has amplified calls for full transparency around the contract’s creation process.
A separate parallel concern has emerged that all salaries, allowances and benefits paid to Jap-A-Joe were processed directly through TAS accounts, entirely outside the national public finance oversight body Cebuma, while Jap-A-Joe also held full signing authority over institutional funds. No formal records exist showing who authorized these payments, or on the basis of what legally approved employment terms they were disbursed.
Independent auditors and public oversight bodies are now being urged to launch a full, sweeping financial and administrative audit of TAS, a public entity that processes millions of US dollars in annual revenue. The audit would trace all incoming funds over recent years, track spending on salaries, vendor contracts, international travel and other institutional costs, and verify the total amount of public revenue that has been remitted back to the national treasury. Investigators will be expected to produce verified findings based on official annual financial statements, bank records, board meeting minutes and independent auditor reports, expanding the scope of inquiry beyond Jap-A-Joe’s contract to cover the entirety of TAS’s financial governance and supervisory mechanisms.
Minister Monorath is not being presumed guilty of wrongdoing in advance, but as a senior government official who has repeatedly demanded strict adherence to the law from members of the public and criminal groups, he is now obligated to fully disclose every detail of his role in signing the contested document. TAS is a public state institution, not private property for the benefit of individual officials, and all public funds require full public accountability. The minister’s own earlier warning that no one should test the boundaries of the law now applies directly to himself, as public scrutiny mounts over the unapproved agreement he signed. -
Persrechter: Wet voorziet in bestuur TAS na vertrek directeur
On October 27, the Suriname cantonal court formally dismissed all three legal claims filed by former Telecommunications Authority Suriname (TAS) director Wendy Jap-A-Joe against the regulatory body, following a ruling overseen by Judge Robert Praag and explained in detail by press judge Alida Johanns during a public briefing on Monday.
Jap-A-Joe had based her legal challenge on the first clause of her employment contract, arguing that she retained full executive authority to act as TAS’s director indefinitely until a formal successor was officially appointed. However, the court ruled this interpretation of her employment terms was legally invalid, citing clear, pre-existing frameworks laid out in Suriname’s Telecommunications Facilities Act. Per Article 2 of the legislation, TAS directors serve fixed five-year terms, while Article 4 explicitly outlines a structured interim governance protocol for periods when the director position is vacant: first, a designated deputy director assumes leadership duties, and if no deputy director is in place, the TAS Supervisory Board (Raad van Commissarissen, RvC) holds temporary full governing authority. The court emphasized that this formal legal provision eliminates any contractual claim Jap-A-Joe attempted to invoke to remain in post.
Two separate summary proceedings heard by the court on Sunday ruled fully in TAS’s favor, imposing strict binding injunctions on Jap-A-Joe. She is now prohibited from carrying out any official acts on behalf of the telecommunications regulator, with a cumulative penalty of 10,000 Surinamese dollars per violation, capped at a maximum total fine of 1 million SRD. She is also barred from entering TAS’s office premises; if found on the property, she and her accompanying security personnel must leave immediately, and the RvC is authorized to enlist law enforcement support to enforce this order if required, as the security staff are not formal parties to the legal dispute.
The court further mandated that Jap-A-Joe transfer a comprehensive set of TAS assets and materials to the authority within 24 hours, covering all administrative, operational, financial, legal and human resources files, official correspondence, formal decisions, ongoing project data, operating licenses and concessions, banking records, payment obligation documents, physical keys, official vehicles, work computers, mobile devices, and all associated account passwords. A recurring penalty of 5,000 SRD per hour of non-compliance with this handover requirement has been imposed, applicable to every item listed in the full court ruling.
Judge Johanns clarified that the three separate rulings issued this week also include a dismissal of Jap-A-Joe’s earlier defamation claim, in which she had demanded public retractions of media reports she alleged harmed her reputation. The court noted that the summary proceedings did not issue a final, binding ruling on the overall legal validity of Jap-A-Joe’s original employment contract, only confirming that the specific clause she cited to retain executive authority was no longer enforceable. Jap-A-Joe has been ordered to cover all legal costs associated with the three cases. -
Bouw kinderziekenhuis AZP van start binnen zorgproject van USD 13 miljoen
A landmark new chapter for specialized maternal and pediatric healthcare in Suriname formally kicked off on a recent Monday, as officials marked the official commencement of construction and renovation works at the Academisch Ziekenhuis Paramaribo (AZP), the country’s leading academic hospital. This initiative forms part of the broader GranMorgu Health Care Project, a joint $13 million investment from TotalEnergies EP Suriname and APA Suriname Corporation earmarked for critical upgrades at both AZP and ’s Lands Hospitaal, with phased completion scheduled through 2028.
The official groundbreaking ceremony was attended by senior representatives from the Surinamese national government, AZP leadership, and executives from the two partnering energy firms. Unlike standard infrastructure overhauls, the program extends far beyond physical building renovations: it encompasses full modernization of care facilities for mothers, newborns, and pediatric patients, alongside procurement of state-of-the-art medical equipment, redesigned clinical spaces, and targeted improvements to working conditions for frontline healthcare staff.
One of the flagship components of the upgrade is the full expansion and renovation of the Academic Pediatric Center Suriname (APCS), AZP’s dedicated children’s care hub. The redesigned facility will introduce a purpose-built pediatric emergency department with a separate, dedicated entrance, ensuring children requiring urgent medical attention can receive care in a child-friendly, low-stress environment completely segregated from general emergency patient flows. Teams will also carry out full modernization of the hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU), two life-saving departments that deliver critical intervention for severely ill premature infants and children requiring round-the-clock intensive medical support, in addition to full refurbishment of all maternity wards.
Careful, patient-centric design has been prioritized across all new pediatric spaces, with explicit accommodations for family presence during a child’s hospital stay. According to Dr. A. Juliana, medical head of APCS, one of the project’s most distinctive features is the installation of a fold-out parent bed adjacent to every pediatric inpatient bed, allowing caregivers to remain with their children throughout their entire hospital admission. This design choice is intended to foster a more child-centered care ecosystem that prioritizes not just clinical treatment, but also the overall well-being and emotional support of young patients. Dr. Juliana noted that the launch of the works marks the long-awaited realization of a decades-long ambition held by Suriname’s pediatric care community.
The investment extends far beyond the walls of Paramaribo’s hospital campuses. In parallel with the facility upgrades, AZP will significantly expand its existing Pediatric Outreach Program to make specialized pediatric care accessible to remote communities outside the capital, including the settlements of Apoera, Kwamalasamutu, Brownsweg, and Moengo. The expanded program will deploy regular mobile medical visits, run telehealth virtual consultation platforms, deliver targeted skills training for local community health workers, and establish formal collaborative care pathways to bring specialized pediatric expertise directly to patients in outlying regions. This model is designed to eliminate the need for families across Suriname to travel hundreds of kilometers to Paramaribo for even routine specialized pediatric consultations or follow-up care.
During the launch ceremony, Suriname’s President Jennifer Geerlings-Simons publicly praised doctors, nurses, and all frontline healthcare staff who deliver care under high operational pressure, emphasizing that their consistent dedication is the foundation of high-quality national healthcare. She urged care teams to continue driving iterative improvements to service standards, noting that coordinated cross-sector collaboration and phased, targeted investments will deliver tangible, lasting improvements for both patients and care providers. Minister of Health, Welfare and Labour André Misiekaba echoed these remarks, stating that the modernized facilities will create a care environment where children receive not only clinically excellent treatment, but also feel safe and supported during their hospital stays.
Artur Nunes da Silva, General Director of TotalEnergies EP Suriname, explained that the project’s core mission is to strengthen national healthcare infrastructure, expand equitable access to specialized care services, and support the development of local clinical expertise. He added that the upgraded facilities will deliver a far more modern, comfortable experience for patients and their families, while equipping doctors, nurses, and all hospital staff with world-class working resources to deliver care. Claudia Marica-Redan, General Director of AZP, framed the groundbreaking as a transformative milestone on the path to a modern, equitable national pediatric healthcare system for Suriname, noting that every child in the country has an inherent right to high-quality medical care, and families deserve full confidence that their children are receiving the best possible support. Wayne Martoredjo, Deputy Country Manager of APA Suriname Corporation, emphasized that the investment delivers benefits far beyond physical hospital upgrades, as the combination of central facility modernization and community outreach programming ensures families across the entire country, not just those in Paramaribo, can access high-quality specialized care.
The project followed a lengthy, detailed preparatory planning phase to minimize disruption to ongoing clinical services, as all construction works will be carried out while AZP remains fully operational to deliver uninterrupted care to existing patients. Construction works are scheduled to run from October 2026 through May 2028, with Zhen Jiang No. 2 Construction Engineering Co., Ltd. serving as the primary contractor, and IBT Engineering alongside Blik Bruining & Partners overseeing all architectural supervision and quality control. All components of the project will be rolled out in sequential, low-disruption phases, with the delivery and installation of new medical equipment also scheduled to take place incrementally. The official launch event concluded with a public unveiling of the commemorative project billboard and a formal stone-laying ceremony to mark the start of construction. Across all its components, the $13 million GranMorgu Health Care Project is designed to both drastically improve life-saving care for severely ill children and newborns in Paramaribo, and close long-standing equity gaps in access to specialized maternal and pediatric care for communities across all of Suriname. -
Nevis honours Ernestine Wilks with commemorative stamp
In a heartfelt public ceremony held on October 23, 2026, the Nevis Island Administration, in partnership with the Nevis Post Office, unveiled a new 30-cent commemorative stamp dedicated to celebrated local centenarian Ernestine Alberta France Wilks, a lifelong resident of Scarborough Village in St. James Parish, to mark her milestone 100th birthday.
Born in 1926 just a few years after the conclusion of World War I, Wilks turned 100 on May 19 earlier that year, joining an exclusive group of long-living residents: she is one of six centenarians currently residing on the island of Nevis, and the ninth documented centenarian across the entire Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis.
The initiative to honor 100-year-old community icons with official postage stamps was designed to create a permanent, widely distributed tribute that would carry their legacies far beyond local borders, according to the Honourable Spencer Brand, the Nevis government minister with oversight of postal services. During the unveiling event, Brand emphasized that Wilks was a foundational figure whose decades of quiet, diligent work helped build the thriving Nevis the community knows today. “We gather today to recognize an extraordinary woman who has reached the rare milestone of 100 years of life,” Brand told attendees. “A postage stamp travels across countries and continents, so now people all over the world will learn the name of Ernestine Alberta France Wilks. She was born into humble circumstances in a period of global chaos, yet she spent every year of her life choosing kindness and resourcefulness, proving that our circumstances at birth do not define the impact we can make. On behalf of the Nevis Island Administration Cabinet, all residents of Nevis, and the dedicated team at the post office, I want to thank Wilks’ family for sharing this remarkable woman with our community, and for letting us join in celebrating this once-in-a-lifetime achievement.”
Wilks’ granddaughter Angelica Browne accepted a custom plaque bearing the design of the new 2026 commemorative stamp on behalf of the entire extended Wilks family, expressing deep gratitude to government and postal staff for creating such a meaningful tribute to a woman who serves as the beloved matriarch spanning five generations of relatives, with roles as a mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and great-great-grandmother. Deputy Postmaster Marva Parris noted during the event that the commemorative stamp marks a historic intersection, bridging the tangible, century-spanning living history represented by Wilks with Nevis’ fast-advancing digital future.
Over her 10 decades of life, Wilks has become a beloved local legend known for her unshakable resilience, relentless work ethic, and boundless devotion to her community and family. She learned agricultural work at a young age, and for decades supplemented her income by baking and selling her famous homemade sugarcakes across the island to provide for her nine biological children, plus numerous additional children she welcomed into her home and cared for as her own. The new commemorative stamp will now preserve her story, her acts of quiet generosity, and her contributions to Nevis’ social fabric in official postal history, ensuring her legacy will be recognized by generations of residents and global visitors for decades to come.