Carib Scope

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  • Family Appeals for Help to Find Missing Woman Shenett Jacobs

    Family Appeals for Help to Find Missing Woman Shenett Jacobs

    The family of Shenett Jacobs is turning to the wider community for urgent assistance to locate the 5-foot-4 woman who has been missing for weeks after she was last spotted in the Brown’s Bay/Nonsuch Bay region on July 25, 2026.

    Law enforcement and Jacobs’ relatives have released a detailed physical description to help members of the public recognize her: Jacobs has a brown complexion and hair that blends both black and grey strands. The clothing she wore when she was last seen included a bright yellow construction helmet, a heather grey long-sleeved shirt, deep green trousers, and a pair of grey Converse sneakers.

    Local authorities and the Jacobs family are emphasizing that every piece of information, no matter how insignificant it may seem to the holder, could prove critical to advancing the ongoing search. Anyone who has seen a person matching this description, or has any details that could shed light on Jacobs’ current whereabouts, is strongly encouraged to reach out either directly to her family or to the local police force as soon as possible.

  • Security : Report to the UN Secretary-General and BINUH on the situation in Haiti

    Security : Report to the UN Secretary-General and BINUH on the situation in Haiti

    In mid-July 2026, the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH) submitted its latest quarterly report on the situation in Haiti to the UN Secretary-General, offering a comprehensive update on political, security, humanitarian and institutional progress across the Caribbean nation since the previous assessment in mid-April 2026. The report outlines critical milestones, ongoing challenges and unmet needs that shape Haiti’s trajectory through the first half of the year.

    ### Key Timeline of Major Developments
    The quarter was marked by several high-profile diplomatic and institutional events. On May 16, UN Secretary-General made an official visit to Haiti, during which he issued a urgent call for expanded international backing for the country, reaffirming the global body’s commitment to sustaining a Haitian-led political process that addresses the nation’s longstanding crises. Eleven days later, on May 27, Haitian authorities inaugurated new Specialized Judicial Hubs focused on prosecuting mass atrocities, sexual violence and financial corruption — a key step toward strengthening the country’s fractured rule of law framework. On June 1, aligned with the timeline mandated by UN Security Council Resolution 2793 (2025), the new United Nations Support Office in Haiti was formally established, and the country’s multinational Anti-Gang Force officially launched operational activities to curb widespread gang violence.

    ### Progress on Political Dialogue and Electoral Preparation
    Over the review period, Haitian stakeholders and UN partners made steady progress laying groundwork for upcoming elections, starting with reaching a formal agreement on an electoral budget. From May 28 to 30, an international conference focused on refining the electoral framework was hosted in partnership with the State University of Haiti, bringing together global and local stakeholders to align on process standards. Inclusive consultations were also prioritized: private sector representatives met with organizers on April 16, followed by sessions with a broad range of civil society groups including women’s organizations, religious communities and media outlets on April 27.

    Public outreach efforts have also expanded: voter awareness sessions for first-time eligible voters were held in Port-au-Prince on June 2, Cap-Haïtien on June 18, and Les Cayes on June 23. To support fair and peaceful media coverage of the electoral cycle, training programs were rolled out for hundreds of journalists: 369 reporters across five Haitian departments received training backed by the UN Peacebuilding Fund and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), while a local media association supported additional training for 200 online journalists based in Haiti and in the Haitian diaspora between April and June.

    Parallel to electoral preparations, stakeholders advanced planning for a national Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration (DDR) program, holding consultations with national institutions and civil society groups between April 2 and 27 to secure the international funding and technical support needed to launch the initiative.

    ### Security, Rule of Law and Human Rights: Mixed Progress Amid Persistent Crisis
    The report documents uneven progress on security and human rights across the country. Partial state presence has been restored in the key municipalities of Delmas and Port-au-Prince, as well as at multiple institutional sites surrounding Port-au-Prince’s Champ de Mars, following security operations by the newly launched Anti-Gang Force. However, violence has intensified in the Artibonite and Centre departments, and gang activity has expanded into Haiti’s Southeast region. Deadly gang clashes continue to disrupt communities in La Plaine du Cul-de-Sac, encompassing the Cité-Soleil and Croix-des-Bouquets areas. Between March 1 and May 31 alone, 825 cases of sexual violence were documented by monitors, 84% of which were perpetrated by gangs as a tactic of control and intimidation.

    In the justice and prison sector, systemic overcrowding and prolonged pretrial detention remain acute crises. On May 28, BINUH supported a criminal justice monitoring committee in convening 26 key institutional stakeholders to address the growing problem of extended pretrial detainment. As of June 30, official prison statistics recorded a total inmate population of 7,563, including 413 women, 263 minor boys and 20 minor girls. The system is operating at 313% of its designed capacity, and 82% of all incarcerated people are being held without a conviction, highlighting deep systemic failures in Haiti’s judicial process.

    On the human rights front, accountability and capacity building efforts moved forward: in April, 40 allegations of potential summary executions by Haitian National Police officers were referred to the General Inspectorate of the Haitian National Police (IGPNH) for investigation. Between April and May, 149 civil society representatives across eight departments received training on data collection methods to support anti-corruption efforts. From May to June, more than 1,300 officers and 30 commanders of specialized Haitian National Police anti-gang units completed human rights and operational training. All 270 members of the new Anti-Gang Force received specialized training on child protection and the prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse. Peacebuilding and integrity education programs, supported by the Peacebuilding Fund, continued operating in 15 primary and secondary schools across Port-au-Prince.

    ### Dire Humanitarian Crisis With Severe Underfunding
    The report confirms that Haiti’s humanitarian crisis remains one of the most severe in the world, with 6.4 million people — half of the country’s total population — in need of life-saving humanitarian assistance. As of mid-2026, 1.47 million Haitians are internally displaced by violence, representing 12% of the national population. Funding for the 2026 humanitarian response plan remains critically low: as of June 15, only 25% of the total $880.3 million required has been secured, leaving aid organizations unable to scale up life-saving support for vulnerable communities across the country.

  • Saint Lucia triumphant at WISG

    Saint Lucia triumphant at WISG

    After years of disrupted regional sporting events driven by the global COVID-19 pandemic and 2024’s Hurricane Beryl, the 2026 Windward Islands School Games delivered a thrilling underdog story, as host nation Team Saint Lucia overcame a shaky opening day to clinch its first overall championship title since 2019.

    Saint Lucia’s 62-member delegation got off to a disappointing start, recording a fourth-place finish in the opening athletics competition that left many spectators questioning their path to the top spot. But the young Saint Lucian athletes refused to let the early setback define their tournament, mounting a remarkable comeback across the seven-day event that secured them a first-place finish with 37 total points.

    Consistency across multiple disciplines proved to be the foundation of Saint Lucia’s championship run. Beyond sweeping three core sports—netball, women’s volleyball, and men’s football— the home side also earned silver medals in both men’s and women’s basketball, as well as men’s volleyball, turning their early disappointment into a dominant overall performance.

    The tournament’s memorable final act unfolded on Friday, when Saint Lucia capped off their campaign with a clean 3-0 sweep of Dominica at the Francis Baba Lastic Grounds in men’s football. This decisive win came on the heels of two other critical victories that secured Saint Lucia’s perfect 3-0 record across their three title-winning disciplines: a win against Grenada in women’s volleyball at the Beausejour Gymnasium, and an upset defeat of defending netball champions St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

    Dominica emerged as Saint Lucia’s closest competitor, finishing the tournament strong with late wins in men’s and women’s basketball on Thursday, followed by a men’s volleyball victory on Friday afternoon. However, fourth-place finishes in both netball and women’s volleyball left the side trailing far behind the hosts, ending with a total of 29 points to secure the second-place spot.

    Two-time defending overall champions Grenada, which claimed titles at the 2023 and 2025 editions of the games, finished third with 27 total points. The Grenadian delegation retained its dominance on the athletics track, taking top spot in that discipline, and also earned a second-place finish in men’s football. But consistent mid-table performances across the remaining five events—with none finishing higher than third—prevented the side from climbing back to the top of the overall standings.

    St. Vincent and the Grenadines, the defending netball champions, rounded out the top four overall with 19 points. Despite losing twice to Saint Lucia in netball, the side still claimed second place in that discipline, and also earned silver medals in both athletics and women’s volleyball. Fourth-place finishes across the other four events kept the team out of the top three overall.

    This 2026 iteration of the Windward Islands School Games marked the first time the event has been held in consecutive years since the 2018-2019 cycle, after pandemic-related shutdowns and the impact of 2024’s Hurricane Beryl disrupted the normal scheduling of the regional youth sporting competition.

  • I was never fired, I resigned – Dr Ubaldus Raymond

    I was never fired, I resigned – Dr Ubaldus Raymond

    A long-running political misstatement in St. Lucia is being corrected, as former United Workers Party (UWP) public service minister Dr. Ubaldus Raymond has produced official government documentation to disprove repeated opposition claims that he was fired amid an official investigation into misconduct more than six years ago.

    The correction comes amid a current, undisclosed police investigation into sitting cabinet minister Richard Frederick, where the opposition UWP has publicly called on Prime Minister Phillip J Pierre to suspend Frederick from his ministerial post immediately for the duration of the probe. To bolster their demand, UWP representatives have repeatedly referenced the Dr. Raymond case, claiming that former UWP Prime Minister Allen Chastanet fired Raymond when an investigation into his alleged misconduct was launched — setting a precedent the current government should follow.

    But that narrative does not align with official records, according to Dr. Raymond, who spoke out publicly during a Thursday appearance on the popular Hot 97 talk show Newsspin. He pushed back on the claims after multiple callers repeated the false narrative during the program’s on-air discussion of the current Frederick investigation.

    The public narrative around Dr. Raymond has been shaped by two separate public scandals spanning the late 2010s. In 2017, nude photos purported to be of the minister were leaked alongside intimate text messages, leading two 18-year-old women to be charged with blackmail. The case concluded after the pair issued a formal public apology in open court, with no charges or allegations filed against Dr. Raymond. Two years later, in 2019, explicit audio recordings of a private conversation between Dr. Raymond and a Trinidadian woman were leaked to the public. In response to the public fallout, Dr. Raymond took an immediate leave of absence, as confirmed by the Attorney General’s Chambers at the time. Contrary to opposition claims, Dr. Raymond says he stepped down voluntarily, and Prime Minister Chastanet merely accepted his formal resignation.

    “To put it on the record: saying I was dismissed by Allen Chastanet is wrong. I have heard this claim repeated many times, but this time I decided to call in to set the record straight,” Dr. Raymond told Newsspin’s host. “I resigned, I was not dismissed. I stepped down because I believed, as a matter of principle, that a minister who believes they are under investigation should step aside to allow the process to proceed unimpeded. The official record makes clear there never was any investigation. Had I known that at the time, I would not have resigned.”

    Dr. Raymond added that ongoing repetition of the false claims has caused lasting damage to his personal and professional reputation, and that he had stayed silent long enough without defending his name. He emphasized that he has never been accused of any criminal or ethical wrongdoing, noting that the only misconduct that occurred was the blackmail plot against him in 2017. “No one has ever brought any credible allegations against me. A wrong was committed against me, which is why police arrested two individuals, who later apologized in open court,” he explained.

    In follow-up comments to St. Lucia Times, Dr. Raymond shared two official letters that confirm his account of events. One document, dated January 4, 2023 and addressed to his legal representative from the Attorney General’s Office, explicitly states that the office never conducted any investigation into the former minister, as it lacked the mandate to open such a probe in the first place.

    The second official letter, issued July 2, 2025 by Royal Saint Lucia Police Force Commissioner Verne Garde in response to a formal request for clarification from Dr. Raymond, confirms that a full review of all internal police records found no history of criminal investigations, no pending probes, and no planned prosecution against the former minister. “After a thorough review of our internal records and all investigative departments, the Office of the Commissioner of Police informs you that there are currently no criminal or ongoing investigations in regards to you. Consequently, there are no plans for prosecution against you. Furthermore, there is nothing adverse or otherwise found to discredit you,” Garde wrote in the official correspondence.

  • Eerste Heritage Month moet Surinamers dichter bij elkaar brengen

    Eerste Heritage Month moet Surinamers dichter bij elkaar brengen

    On August 1, Suriname launched a landmark new national initiative with the official opening of its first-ever Heritage Month, an event designed to center the country’s collective past, celebrate its abundant cultural richness, and build a unified vision for its shared future. The opening ceremony unfolded in two symbolic stages: it began at the Queen Wilhelmina monument adjacent to Fort Zeelandia, where government officials, foreign diplomats, and cultural sector representatives gathered before undertaking a ceremonial walk to Palmentuin. This stroll was intentionally staged to represent the journey from honoring historical memory to fostering connection, cultural exchange, and national solidarity. President Jennifer Simons, hailed by event host Clifton Braam as the founding visionary behind Heritage Month, led the official opening and unveiled the initiative’s official logo, with plans to embed the annual celebration as a permanent fixture across the country’s education, cultural, and community spheres.

    The overarching theme for this inaugural edition of Heritage Month is “However we came together, this is how we move forward together” — a framing that reflects the nation’s commitment to embracing its full, complex history to strengthen collective purpose. In her keynote address, President Simons emphasized that Heritage Month is far more than a series of cultural events; it is intended to grow into a lasting, cross-sector program that brings together education institutions, academic researchers, and government policymakers to deepen public understanding of Suriname’s shared history and narrow persistent social and regional divides. “Suriname is not just home to diversity — we are diversity,” the head of state stated. She shared her hope that the initiative will help all Surinamese grow increasingly aware of their shared responsibility to one another, adding, “I hope that all Surinamese will increasingly recognize that we are our brother’s keeper.”

    Organized around four sequential core themes — origins of ancestral communities, the journey of Suriname’s forebears, centuries of coexistence across groups, and documenting progress for future generations — the Heritage Month program is designed to both reflect on the past and actively build a cohesive shared national identity, according to the Suriname Communication Service. Minister of Internal Affairs Marinus Bee noted that cultural heritage is a living, evolving reality, visible in the daily lives of families, the multiplicity of languages spoken across the country, long-held traditions, and vibrant local communities. Bee stressed that entrepreneurs, artists, and the tourism sector all play critical roles in preserving and promoting Suriname’s unique national identity. “Heritage Month is not a nostalgic look backward,” he explained. “It is an invitation to look forward, to build bridges between young and old, between urban centers and rural districts, between the past and the future.”

    Minister of Education, Science and Culture Dirk Currie underscored the critical importance of documenting Suriname’s history from the perspective of its own people, rather than outside narratives. He noted that education and academic research must ensure that younger generations not only learn where Suriname comes from, but also understand how its diverse modern society took shape. Currie also highlighted the underrecognized economic value of cultural heritage: by growing the creative sector, supporting traditional crafts, and expanding cultural tourism, heritage preservation can both protect cultural identity and drive new job creation and inclusive economic growth. “A large part of our history was written by the people who enslaved us,” Currie said. “That has to change.”

    Rachel Pinas, chair of the presidential working group for Heritage Month, called the opening a historic turning point for the nation. She explained that August 1 was intentionally selected as the launch date to ensure the initiative creates space to honor Suriname’s full history, including its Indigenous roots, colonial era, the experience of chattel slavery, indentured contract labor, and all subsequent waves of migration. Pinas referenced Article 8 of Suriname’s constitution, which enshrines equality and bans discrimination, noting that Heritage Month is intended to reinforce these foundational values and ultimately secure a permanent, structural place in national education and community life. “Today we are making history,” Pinas emphasized. “With the opening of the first Heritage Month, the Republic of Suriname makes a deliberate choice to embrace our shared history as the foundation for our shared future.”

    The first Heritage Month will run from August 1 through August 31. Throughout the month, community and national events will be hosted across every region of the country, focused on celebrating Suriname’s tangible and intangible cultural heritage, highlighting its extraordinary cultural diversity, and deepening public understanding of its collective shared history.

  • Pierre: Emancipation unfinished without economic freedom

    Pierre: Emancipation unfinished without economic freedom

    As the 2026 Emancipation Day observance unfolded across the Caribbean, Philip J. Pierre — who holds dual roles as Prime Minister of Saint Lucia and Chairman of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) — delivered a landmark address calling the project of full emancipation incomplete, arguing that genuine liberation for the region’s people must extend beyond formal political rights to include equal economic opportunity, robust food security, and widespread shared prosperity.

    In his official holiday message, Pierre pushed back against the common framing that emancipation was achieved the moment chattel slavery was formally abolished. Political independence and formal civil liberties, he emphasized, are hollow on their own. Caribbean communities have long waited for inclusive economic systems that generate sustainable wealth, fairly compensate hard work, and open pathways to upward mobility for coming generations, he said.

    “Political freedom alone is not enough. Our people deserve economic freedom. They deserve opportunity. They deserve ownership. They deserve prosperity,” Pierre told the region in his address.

    Outlining his vision for what complete emancipation would look like, Pierre stressed that the Caribbean must build local, regional economies that allow young people to build meaningful careers without leaving their home countries, give local entrepreneurs the space to thrive, and recognize the critical contributions of small-scale farmers, artisanal fishers, and domestic manufacturers.

    Pierre also wove two pressing contemporary policy priorities into the long-running narrative of emancipation: food sovereignty and affordable clean energy security. No Caribbean nation can claim to be truly free or fully secure, he argued, if it remains dependent on imported food and cannot provide its people with energy that is accessible, reliable, and aligned with global climate goals.

    Turning to the historical legacy of chattel slavery, Pierre reminded audiences that Emancipation Day is not merely a ceremonial holiday — it is a permanent reminder that freedom was not granted voluntarily by colonial powers. It was won through relentless struggle and enormous sacrifice by enslaved people themselves.

    “Freedom was never handed to our ancestors. Freedom was demanded. Freedom was fought for. Freedom was paid for with sacrifice, with courage and with an unbreakable faith,” he said.
    Pierre also highlighted the lasting structural inequities that followed formal abolition: when enslaved people were granted formal freedom, they were left with no land, no accumulated wealth, no compensation for centuries of forced unpaid labor, and few pathways to economic opportunity. Meanwhile, the colonial powers and enslavers who profited enormously from their exploitation retained all the wealth they had extracted, he noted.

    Addressing the ongoing regional movement for slavery reparations, Pierre clarified that the push for restitution is not rooted in a desire to assign blame or seek revenge. Instead, it is a demand for historical truth and long-delayed justice for the systemic harm and intergenerational trauma caused by centuries of chattel slavery.

    Closing his address, Pierre called on all Caribbean people, across member states of CARICOM, to carry forward the unfinished work of their ancestors, continuing the push to build a region that is more just, more economically integrated, more united, and more prosperous for all. The best way to honor the sacrifice of those who fought for emancipation, he urged, is to build equitable societies that open new doors of opportunity for every future generation of Caribbean people.

  • NCF pays tribute to late musician and mentor Mark Lord

    NCF pays tribute to late musician and mentor Mark Lord

    The Caribbean nation of Barbados is this week reeling from the loss of one of its most beloved cultural figures, celebrated vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and mentor Mark Lord, who passed away in the early hours of Saturday. Over a 60-plus year career, Lord carved out an unforgettable place in the country’s cultural history, his voice becoming one of the most recognizable and defining sounds of modern Barbados.

    In an official statement released following Lord’s death, the National Cultural Foundation (NCF) paid tribute to the late artist, describing his voice as the very essence of Barbados’ national heart and soul. His distinctive rich, smooth vocals carried all the warmth of home, the quiet pride of citizenship, and the unyielding spirit of the Barbadian people, the foundation noted. Through generation-spanning classics including *My Country to Me* and *I Heard a Love Song*, Lord crafted a catalogue of music that still connects with audiences of all ages, serving as a lasting reminder of how song can unite communities, lift up spirits, and preserve a people’s shared cultural identity.

    A remarkably gifted artist, Lord mastered a range of roles beyond live performance: he was an accomplished songwriter, guitarist, keyboardist, recording engineer and composer. His musical versatility allowed him to move seamlessly between genres, from tender ballads and rhythmic reggae to traditional folk, spirited calypso and rousing gospel. He built a long career performing across Barbados’ hotel entertainment circuit, and headlined dozens of major concerts across the island throughout his career. Even within the competitive calypso space, Lord found success, performing under the stage name Lord Mark at the iconic Battleground Calypso Tent. He earned a spot in the semi-finals of the prestigious Pic-O-De-Crop competition with his acclaimed work *Great Kings of Africa*.

    What many remember most fondly about Lord, however, is his commitment to lifting up the next generation of Barbadian talent beyond the spotlight of the stage and recording studio. From his home in Bayville, he quietly dedicated decades to mentoring young aspiring musicians, helping them nurture their craft and find their unique artistic voices. For his decades of unparalleled contributions to Barbados’ cultural landscape, Lord received the high honor of the Pride of Barbados Award during the We Gatherin’ 2025 Honours for the parish of St Michael, a recognition of 60 years spent preserving the nation’s musical heritage and lifting up his local community through his art.

    Lord’s death comes as Barbados is already mourning the loss of two other towering national figures: National Hero The Right Excellent Sir Garfield Sobers, and legendary Merrymen musician Sir Emile Straker. Today, the nation says, another treasured cultural voice has joined that immortal pantheon of national greats, leaving behind a legacy that will echo through Barbados’ cultural life for generations to come.

    The entire NCF community, from its board of management to frontline staff, has extended its deepest heartfelt condolences to Lord’s family, close friends, fellow musicians and the wider Barbadian cultural sector.

    “Though the final note of his earthly performance has been sung, Mark Lord’s melody will never fade,” the foundation said. It lives on in every heart touched by his music, every artist he inspired, and every Barbadian who proudly sings *My Country to Me*. May he rest in eternal peace, and may his voice continue to resonate in the great eternal choir, where every song is sung in perfect harmony.”

  • Infantino’s FIFA Future in Question

    Infantino’s FIFA Future in Question

    Just months ahead of the 2026 FIFA presidential election, the future of incumbent leader Gianni Infantino at the helm of global football’s governing body has been thrown into serious doubt, after two of FIFA’s most powerful continental confederations launched coordinated calls for a sweeping leadership review in the wake of a collapsed controversial private investment scheme.

    The scrapped proposal, which had been spearheaded by Infantino’s leadership team, would have permitted private external investors to acquire minority stakes in a newly created FIFA commercial entity. This entity would have overseen the broadcasting and marketing rights for all of FIFA’s premier competitions, including the men’s and women’s World Cup, the organization’s most lucrative and culturally significant asset. The plan drew widespread backlash from across the global football community almost as soon as details were leaked, with critics arguing that the initiative was developed in near-secrecy, with no meaningful consultation with key stakeholders including player associations, fan groups and confederation leaders. Opponents also warned that opening up FIFA’s top competitions to private investment would reposition the World Cup — a unifying global sporting event — as a mere profit-driven commodity for wealthy investors.

    In an official statement released after FIFA confirmed the plan’s collapse, European governing body UEFA hailed the abandonment of the scheme as a landmark win for the entire global football ecosystem. However, the confederation used the moment to level sharp criticism at Infantino’s tenure, pointing out that the lack of transparency around the investment proposal directly contradicts the core commitments of accountability and open governance that Infantino ran on when he was first elected to the FIFA presidency in 2016, in the wake of a widespread corruption scandal that toppled the previous leadership.

    Joining UEFA in its call for action is the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (Concacaf), which went even further in its rebuke. The continental body called the botched investment plan clear evidence of systemic poor governance and failed leadership at FIFA’s top level, adding that a full, independent review of the current leadership is now an unavoidable necessity to restore trust in the organization.

    The timing of this controversy could not be more damaging for Infantino, who is currently gearing up to run for a fourth consecutive four-year term as FIFA president in the election scheduled for March 2026. To date, FIFA’s leadership has not issued any official response to the criticisms from UEFA and Concacaf. The Italian-Swiss executive has not been without backing, however: Qatar’s national football association, which hosted the 2022 men’s World Cup under Infantino’s tenure, has publicly voiced its support for the incumbent, praising his work to expand the reach of football across emerging markets around the world.

  • Tax Service Sets GST-Free Laptop Rules

    Tax Service Sets GST-Free Laptop Rules

    As the 2026 back-to-school season approaches, the Belize Tax Service Department (BTSD) has released a comprehensive set of regulatory guidelines for retailers taking part in this year’s highly anticipated two-day GST-Free promotional event. The tax exemption program, scheduled to run on August 15 and August 29, is designed to ease the financial burden of educational spending for students, guardians, and teaching staff across the country, while establishing clear protocols to ensure the tax concession is distributed fairly and administered with full transparency.

    Under the new rules, consumers will be eligible to purchase one laptop completely free of General Sales Tax on each of the two designated event days. To prevent misuse of the tax break, participating retail businesses are required to complete strict identity verification for every customer claiming the exemption. All purchasers must present a valid government-issued photo identification, such as a Belize Social Security card or national passport, to qualify for the tax-free purchase.

    In addition to identity checks, retailers bear the responsibility of documenting a full range of transaction details for regulatory records. Required information includes the customer’s full name, government identification number, purchase invoice number, exact date of transaction, laptop brand and specific model, the device’s unique serial number, and the final selling price. All invoices for GST-free laptop purchases must also prominently display the clear notation: “GST Free – Back-to-School Tax-Free Days 2026,” and all supporting transaction documentation must be retained as part of the business’s permanent GST filing records.

    To streamline regulatory oversight, the BTSD has set strict reporting deadlines for participating retailers. Businesses must submit a complete summary of all GST-free laptop sales from the August 15 event no later than August 21, while sales from the August 29 event must be reported by September 4. Following the conclusion of the initiative, BTSD officials confirmed that the department will conduct thorough post-event compliance reviews, cross-checking submitted sales data against business records to identify any irregularities.

    The department has also issued a stern warning to businesses about the consequences of abuse. Any retailer found to be knowingly facilitating or participating in misuse of the GST concession – such as helping customers claim multiple unauthorized tax exemptions or falsifying transaction records – will face serious penalties. These consequences may include full reassessment of the business’s overall GST liability, accrued interest on unpaid taxes, substantial financial penalties, and additional legal action where appropriate.

  • Family Continues Appeal for Milagro Garel as She Fights for Recovery

    Family Continues Appeal for Milagro Garel as She Fights for Recovery

    In the early days of August 2026, a well-respected leader in pediatric healthcare across Belize remains in critical care, spurring her family to call for continued public solidarity and assistance amid her fight for recovery. Milagro Garel, who serves as Country Director for global non-profit World Pediatrics in Belize, suffered a life-threatening massive brain aneurysm earlier the same week.

    Following the medical emergency, Garel was emergency airlifted across the border to Guatemala by air ambulance on Thursday night, where she has been admitted to an intensive care unit for specialized, round-the-clock medical treatment. As clinical teams work diligently to stabilize her fragile condition, Garel continues to battle for her life, according to updates shared directly by her family.

    News of Garel’s sudden hospitalization has triggered an outpouring of support from across Belize and the global pediatric health community, with colleagues, long-time friends, and extended family members sharing tributes to her decades of public service. For more than 20 years, Garel has dedicated her career to expanding access to critical, life-saving medical care for vulnerable children and families across Belize, a legacy of service that many supporters have highlighted in their messages of hope.

    In a moving public post shared across social media platforms to spread awareness of Garel’s situation, family member Kristi Gonzalez remembered Garel as the unifying core of their extended family, noting that she has dedicated her entire life to lifting up other people through even their most overwhelming challenges. “She has spent her life moving mountains for others,” Gonzalez wrote. “Now it is our turn to move one for her.”

    Beyond calls for prayer and social sharing of Garel’s story to build broader awareness, Garel’s family is asking members of the public who are able to contribute financial donations to help offset the steep costs of her emergency transport and ongoing intensive medical care. Donations can be made directly to the designated Atlantic Bank account held by Joseph Garel, account number 10010449.