Carib Scope

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  • Gov’t orders VINLEC to cut fuel surcharge to contain power bills

    Gov’t orders VINLEC to cut fuel surcharge to contain power bills

    Amid a sharp global uptick in oil and fuel prices that is driving soaring energy costs worldwide, Prime Minister Godwin Friday of St. Vincent and the Grenadines has rolled out a package of targeted, temporary policy measures designed to block crippling spikes in electricity bills for residential households and small local businesses. The interventions were formally announced during a nationally broadcast address Wednesday focused on the country’s mounting economic pressures and the growing cost-of-living crisis hitting ordinary citizens.

    Friday opened his address by warning that rising fuel costs for power generation have already pushed up the fuel surcharge added to monthly utility bills, and without urgent government action, electricity costs would become financially unbearable for large swathes of the Vincentian population. He noted that VINLEC, the country’s state-owned national electricity provider, had already recorded a roughly 29% jump in fuel surcharges during the first quarter of this year, and that costs would continue climbing without intervention.

    At the center of the government’s three-month cost containment plan is a full waiver of two key taxes on diesel purchased exclusively for electricity generation: the customs service charge and the national excise tax. Friday emphasized that this policy represents a deliberate short-term sacrifice of public revenue, with the government expected to forego approximately $1.65 million in income over the three-month period. All savings generated by the tax waiver will be passed directly to consumers, rather than retained by the utility, he confirmed. “We as government are absorbing part of the blow, so that ordinary Vincentians do not have to absorb them all by themselves,” Friday stated, adding that the goal is to cap or even lower monthly electricity bills for end users.

    In addition to the tax relief, the government is mandating that VINLEC share the burden of elevated global fuel prices with consumers through a tiered discount program for fuel surcharges that activate once surcharges cross specific price thresholds. Friday framed this framework as a model of partnership and shared responsibility between the public sector, the state utility, and private citizens.

    Under the mandatory discount scheme, if the per-kilowatt-hour fuel surcharge exceeds EC$0.71, VINLEC is required to apply a 50% matching discount to the fuel portion of the cost calculation. If the surcharge rises even higher, crossing EC$0.77 per kilowatt-hour, the utility must cover 100% of any additional increase for residential customers. “This intervention means relief on utility bills and protection against runaway increases,” the prime minister said.

    Friday repeatedly stressed that protecting electricity affordability is foundational to protecting overall household financial stability and small business viability across the country. Unchecked electricity price growth would force families into impossible choices between covering basic needs, he argued, noting: “It means the difference between a bill that remains manageable and one that forces families to choose between electricity and groceries, both essential.”

    For small enterprises — from barbershops and tailors to neighborhood grocers, restaurants, bakeries, and small local manufacturing operations — the price controls will protect existing jobs, keep operating margins sustainable, and allow businesses to keep consumer prices affordable, the prime minister added. By capping electricity costs, the government also aims to slow the transmission of higher generation costs into the broader prices of goods and services, including food and products that rely heavily on power for refrigeration, lighting, and machinery.

    Beyond these short-term relief measures, Friday used the address to lay out the government’s medium- and long-term strategy to eliminate St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ exposure to volatile global fuel markets: accelerating a national transition to renewable energy, with a particular focus on utility and residential solar power. The administration already maintains a full 100% tax waiver on solar photovoltaic systems to encourage adoption, and Friday said the current crisis has only increased the urgency of this shift. “The current crisis is an opportunity, forced upon us, to move aggressively towards renewable energy production, especially solar,” he said.

    The transition will require updating national legislation to modernize regulations for electricity production and distribution, and Friday confirmed that VINLEC will be expected to take a leading collaborative role in driving this transition forward. The government is also engaged in ongoing discussions with regional partners through blocs including CARICOM and ALBA to negotiate more stable long-term government-to-government energy arrangements that strengthen regional energy security.

    The electricity relief package forms just one pillar of a broader 90-day cost-of-living strategy the government is rolling out to address rising prices across key household expenses. The wider plan also includes temporary interventions for pump fuel, cooking gas, freight charges, and food prices, including cuts to excise taxes and a 50% reduction in the customs service charge on imported petroleum products. These broader fuel measures are designed to cap price increases for gasoline and diesel at no more than $5 per gallon, a change that complements electricity price controls given the country’s reliance on diesel for both power generation and ground transport.

  • PM calls for deeper trade and investment cooperation between Africa and the Caribbean

    PM calls for deeper trade and investment cooperation between Africa and the Caribbean

    Thousands of attendees gathered at Victoria Park in Grenville, Grenada, on Monday to mark African Liberation Day, where top political and community leaders used the commemorative platform to push for transformative, mutually beneficial economic and social collaboration between the African continent and Caribbean nations. Opening with a keynote address, Grenadian Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell framed closer cross-Atlantic cooperation as a catalyst for inclusive growth, innovation, and long-term sustainable development across both regions. Mitchell outlined a wide range of under-tapped areas for partnership, spanning creative arts, formal education, cultural industries, tourism, heritage preservation, youth exchange programs, and technological collaboration. Noting Grenada’s deep historical roots as part of the broader African diaspora, the Prime Minister emphasized that the island nation is fully committed to forging a modern, dynamic relationship with Africa built on equal mutual respect, shared ancestral history, and a collective commitment to unlocking new opportunities for all citizens. Mitchell articulated a bold, forward-looking vision for the future of Africa-Caribbean relations, stating that Grenada eagerly anticipates the day when seamless, meaningful connectivity between the two regions becomes a daily reality. “We long for the day when young Grenadians can study, trade, create and innovate with young Africans as naturally as they engage with North America and Europe,” Mitchell said. “We long for the day when African and Caribbean businesses can move goods, services, ideas and investments across the Atlantic with greater ease, confidence and purpose.” Aligning with the 2024 event theme “African Rooted, Diaspora Rising, Identity Reclaiming,” Tourism, Creative Economy and Culture Minister Adrian Thomas echoed Mitchell’s call, stressing the critical need for younger generations to reconnect with their ancestral identity and shared history. Thomas pushed back against long-standing colonial narratives, noting that Africa is far more than a ancestral homeland for diaspora communities—it is a dynamic continent brimming with untapped economic opportunity, groundbreaking innovation, vibrant cultural creativity, and enormous growth potential that represents the future for people of African descent worldwide. He argued that the time has come for African and Caribbean peoples to build their own independent systems and define their own collective worth, rejecting reliance on external powers to address systemic challenges rooted in a painful history. “Africa and the Caribbean must no longer sit idle and beg others to solve the very problems created by slavery, colonialism, exploitation, unfair trade and unjust global systems,” Thomas said. “We cannot continue to outsource our destiny. We cannot continue to wait for others to rescue us. We cannot continue to complain about the chains while refusing to break them.” St Andrew South-West Parliamentary Representative Lennox Andrews extended a warm welcome to visiting African delegations in attendance, encouraging guests to explore Grenada’s deep ties to African heritage across the country’s tri-island territory. Andrews invited delegates to visit iconic historical and cultural sites tied to the trans-Atlantic slave trade, including Leapers Hill, Belmont Estate, and the smaller sister islands of Carriacou and Petite Martinique. He also urged visitors to engage directly with local communities and experience unique Grenadian cultural traditions rooted in African heritage, such as Big Drum Dancing and Shakespeare Mas. Dr. Stephen Onigbinde, President of the Nigerian Community in Grenada and an Assistant Professor at St. George’s University School of Medicine who has served six years as a pro bono consultant at Grenada’s General Hospital, added that the process of reclaiming collective identity requires open, honest examination of history—including the devastating legacy of the trans-Atlantic slave trade and colonial rule. “The ability to look at history books and tell ourselves something is not right here, not out of hatred, but understanding that it is our responsibility to tell our own story,” Dr. Onigbinde explained. He also emphasized the urgent need to educate younger generations on the full, unfiltered truth of their ancestral heritage and collective identity. Beyond formal speeches and policy discussions, the African Liberation Day celebration in St Andrew featured a full slate of cultural programming, including live music, traditional dance performances, drumming circles, poetry readings, and artistic showcases, with participation from both local Grenadian community groups and visiting African representatives. The event was organized under the auspices of Grenada’s Ministry of Tourism.

  • PM Defends Cut to Fuel Dealer Margins

    PM Defends Cut to Fuel Dealer Margins

    Amid unprecedented skyrocketing fuel prices that have pushed pump costs to as high as $15 per gallon in Belize, Prime Minister John Briceño has publicly defended his administration’s controversial decision to slash profit margins for domestic fuel dealers, while signaling that large multinational oil companies operating in the country will be the next group called upon to make concessions to ease consumer burden.

    In a morning press interview, Briceño laid out the government’s rationale for the policy change, emphasizing that every stakeholder across the fuel supply chain must contribute to absorbing the strain of global price volatility. “As a government, we feel that everybody has to do their part. Consumers are doing their part because they’re paying more. The government has been cutting taxes. So it was only reasonable or fair for the dealers also to take a cut,” the prime minister stated.

    Under the new adjustment, dealer margins have been reduced to less than $1 per gallon. Briceño acknowledged that fuel dealers overwhelmingly favor retaining higher margins, but argued that the current market dynamic has rendered the 2004 margin formula obsolete. That original framework was designed when fuel prices were far lower, and as global costs have surged in recent years, dealer margins have grown far larger than policymakers ever anticipated when the formula was established.

    “It was never foreseen back then that the prices would go to thirteen and fifteen dollars. So the higher the price was, the bigger their margin is,” he explained. He added that he received correspondence from a former Texaco executive confirming that Belize’s fuel dealer margins were already among the highest in the entire Central American region, even before the latest price spikes.

    Turning next to major operators including Puma and Sol, Briceño accused the large oil firms of increasing indirect costs for dealers – such as facility rent and percentage cuts on in-store sales – as fuel prices have climbed, effectively siphoning off a share of dealer profits already. Briceño said it is now time for these large corporations to make their own concessions to help lower consumer costs, noting that upcoming discussions between the government and company leadership will address this issue. “I think it is also incumbent on the companies to make some adjustments, and maybe that’s a discussion we’re supposed to be having,” he said.

    When pressed on criticism that the margin cut violates the 2004 formal agreement between the government and fuel dealers, Briceño offered a straightforward response: “We could argue every day whether we did or not. The point is we need to set the price.” He added that while dealers have sent formal correspondence to his administration raising objections, he has not yet reviewed the document. The prime minister expressed confidence that a constructive resolution will be reached, noting that he does not expect dealers to shut down operations in protest. “I believe that cooler heads will prevail. I don’t see them wanting to close down their gas stations,” he said.

    Briceño also disclosed new data on the government’s existing fuel-related relief measures, revealing that the administration has already cut more than $60 million in fuel taxes so far in 2026, with total projected tax cuts for the year expected to land between $60 million and $80 million. He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to continuing to lower fuel prices as global market conditions improve, but noted that the government will eventually need to recover a portion of lost fuel tax revenue to maintain critical public social programs that support low-income and vulnerable Belizean communities. These programs include universal free education, student scholarships, national school feeding initiatives, and affordable housing projects targeted at single-mother households. “Free education, scholarships, the feeding programme, housing for mostly single mothers — we have to help the poor people,” he emphasized.

  • $25M Spent, Still No “Rightful Magic Recipe” Against Sargassum

    $25M Spent, Still No “Rightful Magic Recipe” Against Sargassum

    For years, Belize has poured millions of dollars into countering an escalating threat to its coastline: massive, unchecked invasions of sargassum seaweed that smother popular beaches, cripple local tourism, and upend life in coastal communities. Yet despite the steady flow of funding and dozens of proposed solutions, government officials confirm no viable, scalable fix has emerged to turn the tide against the growing crisis.

    Andre Perez, Belize’s Minister of Blue Economy and representative for the rural southern region, recently shared the grim reality of the country’s anti-sargassum efforts in an interview with local outlet News 5. While dozens of entrepreneurs and innovators have pitched a wide range of strategies for repurposing and removing the invasive seaweed, none have delivered a permanent, workable resolution.

    “The truth is, nobody has cracked that perfect magic recipe that tells us exactly how to eliminate this problem,” Perez explained. He emphasized that the only truly effective approach to stopping sargassum damage requires intercepting and removing the dense floating mats of seaweed out on the open ocean, before they can drift ashore. Once sargassum washes up onto beaches, it quickly begins to rot, creating foul odors, driving away tourists, and disrupting coastal ecosystems. Without a reliable at-sea collection system, the damage continues unabated.

    To date, the financial toll of the crisis has already been steep. Perez confirmed that the island town of San Pedro alone has spent $25 million on ongoing beach cleanup efforts to clear rotting sargassum from its shorelines. For other hard-hit coastal communities including Hopkins, Caye Caulker, Seine Bight, and Placencia, the Belize Tourism Board (BTB) provides up to $10,000 per month to support local cleanup work. Even with this consistent funding and effort, however, the sargassum invasions keep intensifying.

    The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) currently rates large stretches of Belize’s coastline as facing “High Coastal Risk Levels” for sargassum wash-ups, and long-term forecasts indicate the 2026 season will bring even worse conditions than previous years.

    In response to the crisis, a handful of pilot programs in southern Belize are testing experimental strategies to turn the invasive seaweed into usable products, including agricultural fertilizer, decorative art, construction bricks labeled “sarga-blocks”, and sand supplement for public works projects. These initiatives prioritize ecological at-sea collection to prevent sargassum from reaching shore in the first place. While Perez praised these exploratory efforts as welcome steps forward, he acknowledged that none of the programs have yet demonstrated they can work at scale to solve the crisis. “We have yet to see it working,” he stated of the ongoing trials.

  • Pierre defends crime strategy in St Lucia, amid public calls for death penalty in homicide incident

    Pierre defends crime strategy in St Lucia, amid public calls for death penalty in homicide incident

    Public anger over violent crime has forced St. Lucia’s top leadership to confront growing national frustration, with Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre standing by his administration’s multi-pronged approach to public safety while calling for reasoned, constructive discourse from citizens.

    Pierre laid out his government’s position during a pre-Cabinet press briefing held May 26, with official details of his address shared in a written statement from the Office of the Prime Minister. The discussion comes at a tense moment for the Caribbean nation: last week’s fatal shooting of Joy St. Omer, a young mother, sent shockwaves across the country, igniting fierce public debate and spurring online petitions pushing authorities to reinstate and enforce capital punishment as a response to rising violent crime.

    In his remarks, Pierre did not dismiss the public’s anger. He acknowledged that widespread frustration over persistent crime is shared across the political spectrum and among all caring residents of St. Lucia. “I’m very concerned. I continue to be concerned, and I’m sure all politicians, all well-meaning politicians, are concerned,” he said. However, he pushed back against rushed, emotion-driven takes on social media and talk shows, urging the public to embrace what he called “mature” engagement with the complex issue. “It’s complex. So let’s not believe we’ll get answers on the talk show,” he added.

    The prime minister emphasized that the government is prioritizing a long-term, integrated strategy that ties together four core pillars: aggressive law enforcement, targeted prevention programs, rehabilitation for at-risk populations, and sweeping institutional reform to fix gaps in the justice system. He pointed to a series of already launched initiatives already delivering results, including the Swift Justice Project and the Criminal Backlog Reduction Court, which opened in March 2026. Official data notes that the specialized backlog court has already cleared roughly 100 long-pending criminal cases in just a few months of operation.

    Additional ongoing efforts, per the prime minister’s office, include expanding virtual court hearings at the Bordelais Correctional Facility to reduce delays, completing refurbishment work on the Soufriere Courthouse, and developing St. Lucia’s first-ever National Crime Prevention Policy, which centers on youth intervention programs and community-based initiatives to curb violence before it occurs.

    Pierre also addressed common critiques of the government’s resourcing of law enforcement, acknowledging that the sector faces ongoing budget constraints. He came to the defense of the country’s Health and Security Levy, a dedicated funding mechanism that generated $40 million last fiscal year to support policing and national security operations. Moving forward, the administration continues to expand its public safety workforce: 80 new law enforcement officers are set to be recruited imminently, following recent hiring rounds for the national fire service and correctional facility staff. “It’s a holistic approach that we take, and we are going to continue,” Pierre said. “So we are going to continue doing it, but it’s challenging.”

  • Gov’t rolls out tax cuts to keep food prices in check

    Gov’t rolls out tax cuts to keep food prices in check

    Six months to the day after his New Democratic Party won national office, Prime Minister and Finance Minister Godwin Friday of St. Vincent and the Grenadines announced a sweeping set of targeted policy interventions on Wednesday, May 27, 2026, designed to curb runaway food price inflation driven by spiking global fuel and shipping costs.

    Delivering a nationally televised address from Kingstown’s Administrative Complex, flanked by cabinet members and senior public officials, Friday framed the relief package as a balanced response to immediate household financial strain and long-term economic resilience, noting that soaring global commodity costs have hammered this small island developing state, which relies almost entirely on imported energy and most core food supplies.

    “While we work to fix the broader economic challenges we inherited, everyday families are already feeling the squeeze of rising costs,” Friday stated. “Responsible leadership requires balancing fiscal stability with protecting the social programs that matter most to our people. That is why we are taking decisive action to cut household living costs and ease the burden on working Vincentians.”

    Breaking down the drivers of local food price hikes, Friday highlighted that global benchmark Brent crude prices surged 68% between January and May 2026, climbing from roughly $64.50 per barrel to over $108. For a nation dependent on imported fuel, these price increases pass directly through to transport, refrigeration, and agricultural production costs — and ultimately to grocery shelves.

    Among the most impactful immediate measures is a temporary 90-day elimination of the customs service charge on all liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), widely used for cooking across households and small food businesses. Friday noted that international LPG prices have jumped 27% since January 2026, rising from $0.70 per gallon to more than $0.90. Without intervention, these increases would push up local 20-pound cylinder prices for households to above the current EC$40.30, and 100-pound commercial tank costs beyond the current EC$192.40, raising prices for prepared food across the country. Over the 90-day period, the government will absorb roughly EC$504,368 in foregone revenue to keep cooking costs stable. “Cooking gas is not a luxury — it is a necessity for every family’s dinner table,” Friday emphasized. “This revenue is better left in household pockets to help them weather this crisis, and we will keep monitoring global markets to protect Vincentian families.”

    To address another key driver of imported food inflation — skyrocketing shipping costs — Friday announced structural reforms to the country’s import tax system. Earlier this year, a standard 20-foot shipping container of essential goods from the U.S. to Kingstown cost between $2,200 and $3,000; rates now run as high as $4,800. Under the previous tax regime, import duties were calculated based on both the value of goods and total shipping costs, including carrier surcharges, meaning tax amounts rose automatically every time shipping rates increased, with the full cost passed to consumers. The new policy will remove all shipper surcharges (including fuel and congestion fees) from taxable import value, and fix the benchmark freight rate used for tax calculations at January 2026 levels. “This reform will cut the landing cost of imported goods, block imported inflation from passing fully to consumers, and stop the constant ratcheting up of food prices every time global logistics costs spike,” Friday explained.

    For long-term food security, the administration is rolling out targeted support for domestic agricultural producers to cut reliance on volatile imported food supplies. Local farmers will receive subsidized seed and a 50% discount on fertilizer to boost domestic output of staple foods. Friday added that the government is also closely tracking construction input costs, particularly cement, and stands ready to implement a full VAT waiver if prices cross a critical threshold to protect ongoing housing projects and construction jobs.

    To guarantee that the fiscal concessions actually reach consumers rather than just boosting business profits, Friday announced that the National Cost of Living Task Force will conduct weekly price monitoring across retail and food service sectors. “Relief must reach the people who need it, not just pad corporate margins,” he said.

    The prime minister acknowledged the heavy fiscal constraints his administration inherited from the previous government, including a 2025 debt-to-GDP ratio of 113% and a central government overdraft more than double the legal limit, exceeding $200 million. Despite these challenges, Friday argued that prioritizing short-term foregone revenue to protect household food budgets was the only responsible choice, framing the full package as a “fiscally responsible shield against extraordinary global pressures.”

    “My government knows that many Vincentians are anxious about what comes next,” Friday said in closing. “But we are not powerless against global challenges, and you will not face this crisis alone. Together, we will move from pressure to progress, from uncertainty to stability, and from emergency relief to long-term resilience.”

  • Vacancies: Real Value Supermarket IGA

    Vacancies: Real Value Supermarket IGA

    A local grocery operation at Grenada’s Spiceland Mall, Real Value Supermarket (IGA), has launched an open recruitment drive for multiple senior and mid-level management roles to expand and strengthen its operational leadership team.

    The available positions cover four key roles across the retailer’s core business divisions: Food & Beverage Manager, Grocery Manager, Food & Beverage Supervisor, and Front End Supervisor. These roles are critical to maintaining the supermarket’s daily operations, service quality, and team management across its food, grocery, and customer-facing departments.

    To be considered for these openings, candidates are required to hold proven practical work experience in relevant retail or hospitality management roles. The hiring committee also highlights three core competencies that successful applicants must possess: strong leadership capabilities to guide frontline teams, excellent customer service skills to meet the high expectations of local shoppers, and the proven ability to coordinate cross-team work and oversee end-to-end daily store operations.

    Interested candidates have two convenient channels to submit their applications: they can send their updated professional resume via email to [email protected], or drop off a printed copy of their application directly at the supermarket’s in-store customer service desk. The retailer frames its recruitment around a simple, customer-centric mission: building a collaborative team dedicated to delivering quality food and shopping experiences for the local community.

    As a note for publication on the NOW Grenada platform, the outlet clarifies that it assumes no responsibility for the opinions, statements, and third-party content included in this contributor-provided recruitment notice. Users who encounter any abusive or inappropriate content related to this posting are invited to submit a report via the platform’s designated reporting channel.

  • PM announces measures to keep fuel prices down

    PM announces measures to keep fuel prices down

    Six months to the day after the New Democratic Party won office in St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG), Prime Minister Godwin Friday announced a targeted 90-day relief package in a national address from Kingstown on Wednesday, cutting import-related taxes and fees on fuel to cap retail gasoline and diesel prices amid a crippling global energy cost surge.

    Friday framed the intervention as a necessary response to what he called a “difficult global reality”, where skyrocketing crude oil prices and elevated global shipping costs have created a crisis for small, fuel-dependent developing nations like SVG. Between January and May this year alone, the price of Brent crude jumped 68%, climbing from roughly US$64.50 per barrel to more than US$108 per barrel. As a small island nation that relies 100% on imported fuel, SVG would feel these price hikes immediately and directly, he emphasized.

    Without proactive government action, Friday warned, SVG’s retail fuel prices would have surged to among the highest in the Eastern Caribbean, with ripple effects across every corner of the national economy. Based on current global market conditions, passing full import cost increases directly to consumers would have pushed gasoline prices up by an estimated EC$5.60 per gallon — a more than 42% jump from the current rate of EC$13.22. That would have taken gasoline to nearly EC$18.82 per gallon. Diesel would have climbed from EC$12.56 per gallon to roughly EC$17.71, while low sulphur diesel would have risen from EC$12.93 per gallon to almost EC$17.85, he projected.

    Such dramatic increases would not only harm private motorists, Friday explained. The cost shock would quickly filter through to higher public transport fares, elevated grocery prices, steeper electricity bills, increased operating costs for farmers and businesses, and ultimately a crippling spike in the cost of living for every household across the country.

    Declaring that his government “refuses to sit back and allow that to happen”, Friday outlined two key policy changes to cap retail pump prices for three months: a cut to fuel excise tax, and a 50% reduction in the customs service charge applied to imported petroleum products.

    Under the intervention, prices will be held at fixed capped rates: EC$16.92 per gallon for regular gasoline, EC$16.26 per gallon for standard diesel, and EC$16.40 per gallon for low sulphur diesel. The prime minister clarified that the policy works by having the SVG government absorb a portion of global price increases through forgone public revenue, transferring direct savings to consumers. The state will cover roughly EC$1.90 per gallon of gasoline and EC$1.45 per gallon of diesel that would otherwise be passed to consumers, he said.

    The relief package is specifically designed to protect three core groups: ordinary motorists, public transport operators, and fuel-reliant local businesses and producers. For average household vehicle owners, the intervention prevents a sudden massive monthly jump in fuel expenses, putting meaningful savings back into family budgets to cover basic needs like groceries. For minibus operators, taxi drivers, farmers, and fishers — whose core operating costs are directly tied to fuel prices — the policy keeps operating expenses far lower than global market conditions would otherwise force, helping to prevent widespread price increases across food and transport services. Friday added that by capping fuel costs, the government is also slowing the pace of broader inflation across the SVG economy, delaying the need for producers and service providers to pass higher costs to consumers. He noted that with the new capped prices, SVG will remain among the Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) countries with the lowest fuel prices, rather than becoming one of the most expensive.

    In opening his address, the prime minister acknowledged the difficult fiscal trade-offs the government is making to implement this relief package. His administration inherited a challenging economic situation when it took office six months prior, including a national debt-to-GDP ratio of 113% and a government overdraft exceeding EC$200 million — more than double the legal limit. Despite these significant fiscal constraints, Friday argued that responsible governance requires prioritizing household and business stability, framing the fuel relief package as a core part of his administration’s “people-first governance model”.

    He described the intervention as “a fiscally responsible shield against extraordinary global pressures”, noting that the government is willing to accept short-term revenue losses to prevent a far more damaging economic shock for consumers. Friday also linked the fuel relief measures to a broader government push to curb rising living costs across key sectors of the SVG economy, announcing additional upcoming plans to stabilize electricity and food prices for residents.

  • OP-ED: A proactive and urgent regional strategy to address the threat of El Niño

    OP-ED: A proactive and urgent regional strategy to address the threat of El Niño

    Latin America and the Caribbean, a region that underpins global food security, is facing an unprecedented dual threat that puts agricultural output, rural livelihoods, and regional social stability at grave risk: the extreme El Niño event forecast for 2026, paired with the ongoing global fertilizer shortage. What makes this confluence of crises particularly dangerous is that each challenge alone is enough to upend regional farming, but together, they threaten to create a catastrophic perfect storm that will impact millions of agricultural producers and undermine food access across dozens of nations. Meteorological forecasts have placed the probability of a strong El Niño developing this year at exceptionally high levels, and the phenomenon is expected to bring wildly uneven impacts across the region: catastrophic flooding and torrential rainfall in some zones, and prolonged, crippling drought and water scarcity in others. What keeps climate and agriculture experts up at night is the deep uncertainty around just how intense this extreme event could ultimately be. For the Southern Cone, particularly parts of Argentina and Brazil, the El Niño event may bring a silver lining: increased rainfall that could help replenish parched soils and support a rebound in major crop yields. But the outlook is far grimmer for Central America, the Caribbean, and large swathes of northern South America. Across these vulnerable areas, the risks are stark: massive crop yield declines and outright harvest failures, reduced livestock output, broken supply chains that disrupt agricultural markets, and sharp, sudden spikes in staple food prices. These impacts are not abstract hypothetical risks—they are patterns that have played out repeatedly in recent El Niño events, and the economic costs to producers and consumers already run into hundreds of millions of dollars. Beyond immediate production losses, the crisis tends to ripple outward into long-term hardship for rural communities: overburdened producer debt, outmigration from struggling rural areas, and widespread nutritional decline as households are forced to cut back on quality food. For small and medium-sized producers, who make up the backbone of regional food production, this overlapping uncertainty creates impossible planning choices. When climate patterns are unpredictable, it becomes nearly impossible to decide which crops to plant, how much capital to invest, or what level of fertilizer to apply. Add skyrocketing fertilizer prices and persistent supply shortages to the equation, and many producers have no choice but to cut fertilizer application rates, reduce the total area they plant, or shift to less nutrient-demanding, lower-yield crops—all changes that immediately drag down total production and output. Unlike past decades, however, today’s science and technology give the region the unique ability to anticipate the arrival and potential impacts of climate events like El Niño and its counterpart La Niña. In this day and age, it is no longer acceptable for governments and regional bodies to take a reactive approach, waiting to act until drought has already parched fields, floods have destroyed homes and crops, and food prices have spiraled out of control. The only way to meaningfully reduce harm is to act ahead of the event. That is why regional agricultural leaders are calling for an urgent shift to a coordinated, proactive regional resilience strategy. It is critical that the region convene a broad hemispheric dialogue focused on building agri-food resilience, bringing all key stakeholders to the table: national governments, multilateral international organizations, producer associations, the global financial sector, academic institutions, and private industry. The shared goal of this collaboration must be to build robust anticipation capacity that protects both agricultural production and rural livelihoods across the region. In this effort, international technical cooperation bodies have a uniquely important role to play: they already have established frameworks for political and technical coordination, deep working relationships with national governments, producers, private companies, and international financial institutions, putting them in the perfect position to negotiate regional cooperation agreements, coordinate proactive preparedness measures, and organize emergency aid and solidarity responses if a crisis does unfold. A number of concrete public-private collaboration mechanisms can be advanced immediately. These include cross-regional climate and agricultural coordination platforms, pre-negotiated agreements with fertilizer producers and logistics firms to guarantee steady fertilizer access for the most vulnerable areas, innovative climate-focused financial tools developed in partnership with public and private banks, widespread expansion of accessible climate index insurance for small producers, and joint technology adaptation programs designed to bring modern tools to small and medium-sized farming operations. Private sector participation is non-negotiable for these strategies to become viable and scalable across the region. Fertilizer manufacturers, large agribusiness operators, financial institutions, technology firms, and agricultural export chains all hold core responsibilities and critical resources that make them essential partners in building shared agricultural resilience. Another top regional priority must be strengthening early warning systems and turning raw climate data into actionable decision-making tools that reach producers directly. Latin America and the Caribbean already generate an enormous volume of high-value meteorological and agricultural data, but too often this information fails to reach the producers who need it most in a timely, usable format. Beyond early warning, the coordinated strategy should prioritize widespread adoption of drought-resistant crop varieties and efficient water management infrastructure, paired with updated agronomic management practices that leverage cutting-edge technologies such as GPS mapping, agricultural drones, and soil moisture sensors to boost productivity and resilience. Importantly, leaders frame this dual crisis not just as a threat, but as a unique opportunity to build a new, more resilient agri-food governance system rooted in cross-regional cooperation, technological innovation, and proactive forward planning. As a region, Latin America and the Caribbean produce food for billions of people across the globe, feeding their own populations and meeting critical demand in global markets. Protecting this vital productive capacity is not just a domestic economic priority for the region—it is a strategic priority for global development, rural stability, and global food security. This commentary comes from Muhammad Ibrahim, Director General of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA).

  • SMC meet CCCS for U16 basketball glory

    SMC meet CCCS for U16 basketball glory

    The stage is set for an exciting all-local finale in the Secondary Schools Under-16 Boys’ Basketball Tournament, with two top contenders, St Mary’s College (SMC) and Castries Comprehensive Secondary School (CCSS), set to battle for the championship trophy this Thursday.

    Both teams earned their spots in the title game after dominating their semi-final matchups held earlier this week. SMC, the two-time defending champions gunning for an unprecedented third consecutive title, delivered a lopsided 40-12 win over Entrepot Secondary School (ESS) to lock in their finals berth. In the other semi-final, CCSS upset last year’s runner-up Leon Hess Comprehensive Secondary School (LHCSS) with a confident 38-25 victory, booking their first championship appearance in recent years.

    The SMC vs ESS semi-final got off to a sluggish start, with both teams struggling to find their offensive rhythm early. But SMC quickly pulled away in the later quarters, outscoring ESS by a wide margin to seal the blowout win. SMC’s star forward Daelan Magloire bounced back from a underwhelming performance in his previous outing to lead all scorers, putting up an impressive 18 points alongside five rebounds, two steals and two blocked shots. Guard Ernel “EJ” Mason continued his consistent tournament run, chipping in 10 points, eight rebounds and four assists for the defending champs. Big men Zaieef Mann and Jaydin Monrose dominated the glass, each grabbing eight rebounds to anchor SMC’s strong interior defense and rebounding advantage.

    For a outmatched ESS, forward Yanis Mathurin led the team with four points, while guard Kobe Francis notched three points, seven rebounds, four assists and two steals in the losing effort. Center Judea Gregg was a bright spot on the interior, pulling down nine rebounds and adding two points for Entrepot Secondary.

    In the second semi-final, CCSS – who finished third in last year’s tournament – proved their growth and dominated the game against the higher-ranked LHCSS. Leading the way for CCSS was David Chandler, who put together a monstrous all-around performance: 18 points, 12 rebounds, five steals and three blocks, anchoring every phase of the game for his side. Hanniah Martial added six points to the final score, while forward Kinnai St Croix notched six rebounds and five steals, and guard Leshon Francis matched St Croix’s steal total with five of his own to shut down LHCSS’s offensive opportunities.

    The annual Secondary Schools Under-16 Boys’ Basketball Tournament is hosted this year by Saint Lucia’s Ministry of Education, Youth Development, Sports and Digital Transformation. All eyes will turn to the Beausejour Gymnasium this Thursday, May 28, when two undefeated red-badged teams face off for the coveted national under-16 crown. SMC will look to extend their historic three-year win streak, while CCSS will aim to pull off an upset and claim their first title in the tournament’s recent history.