Carib Scope

作者： admin

  • Investeringswet meer dan lokmiddel kapitaal: Gebruik olie als motor voor bredere ontwikkeling

    Investeringswet meer dan lokmiddel kapitaal: Gebruik olie als motor voor bredere ontwikkeling

    As Suriname prepares to welcome billions in projected investment from its emerging offshore oil and gas sector, a new policy analysis is calling on policymakers to revise the country’s draft investment legislation, warning that an overly narrow focus on attracting capital alone could see the nation miss a once-in-a-generation chance to drive inclusive, long-term economic growth.

    Authored by policy expert Vincent Roep, the 72-page analysis *Investing in Sustainable Development* evaluates two key bills currently under consideration: the draft Investment Act and the legislation establishing the Suriname Investment and Trade Agency (SITA). Roep’s assessment draws on decades of global development experience and established economic growth models to examine the proposed framework’s strengths and critical gaps.

    The analysis acknowledges that the draft legislation marks a meaningful step forward for Suriname’s investment policy modernization. It creates a solid legal foundation that increases legal certainty for both domestic and foreign investors, aligns the country’s rules with widely accepted international standards for modern investment governance, and establishes a unified central agency to streamline trade and investment processes through SITA. These are meaningful improvements that update Suriname’s outdated regulatory landscape, the report confirms.

    However, Roep warns that these advances are not enough to guarantee broad-based benefits for Suriname’s society. Decades of global evidence show that resource-rich nations often fail to translate large natural resource investments into shared, lasting prosperity, falling victim to the so-called “resource curse” that leaves most citizens with few long-term gains. For Suriname, the true measure of investment policy success is not how much capital flows into the country, but whether that capital delivers tangible public goods: innovation, skills transfer, widespread formal employment, rising productivity, and much-needed economic diversification away from overreliance on fossil fuels.

    The draft legislation, the analysis argues, is framed almost entirely from the perspective of foreign investors. It devotes extensive attention to investor protections, equal treatment, streamlined permitting, and capital repatriation, but devotes barely any policy space to mandatory social and economic returns that investments must deliver. Explicit connections to critical policy priorities are entirely missing from the current draft, including links to innovation development, support for domestic enterprise expansion, public education and skills upgrading, and the upcoming national Local Content Policy that is meant to guarantee local participation in resource projects.

    For Roep, the Local Content Policy link is non-negotiable. The coming growth of the offshore oil and gas sector should not be an end goal in itself, but a catalyst for broad-based structural economic transformation. Investments should actively support the growth of domestic Surinamese companies, develop local supply chains, drive technological advancement, and fund the training of a skilled local workforce that can lead future economic expansion beyond the energy sector.

    The proposed SITA agency also carries untapped potential that is not reflected in current draft legislation, the analysis finds. Instead of operating only as a one-stop service desk for investors processing permits, SITA could evolve into a strategic development agency that actively aligns incoming investment with national priorities: export growth, small business entrepreneurship, innovation, and economic diversification. In that role, it could become a central driver of Suriname’s long-term economic transformation, the report argues.

    A key flashpoint identified in the analysis is the lack of explicit support for domestic small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Without targeted supplementary policy, the report warns, the vast majority of new investment opportunities will flow almost exclusively to large foreign firms, leaving local Surinamese entrepreneurs locked out of the benefits of the incoming economic boom. To address this gap, the report recommends amending the Investment Act to explicitly tie incoming investment to policies that support local businesses: helping them improve product quality, build innovation capacity, expand export access, and integrate into global value chains alongside foreign investors.

    Roep also calls for a critical re-evaluation of proposed tax incentives for foreign investors. While tax breaks can make a jurisdiction more attractive to capital, leading global economic bodies including the World Bank, OECD, and UNCTAD have long documented that such incentives only deliver broad public benefits when they are transparent, tied to clear national development targets, and evaluated regularly for effectiveness. In practice, policy stability, good governance, legal certainty, and high-quality public services are just as important to long-term investors as short-term tax breaks, the analysis reminds policymakers.

    In total, the report lays out 10 strategic recommendations to revise the draft legislation. These include adding explicit language that names sustainable development as the core overarching goal of the Investment Act, formally integrating investment policy with the upcoming Local Content Policy, expanding SITA’s mandate to operate as a strategic development agency, increasing public investment in education and vocational training to build human capital, strengthening support for domestic SMEs, and establishing a national monitoring and evaluation framework to track the social and economic impact of all incoming investments.

    The core message of the analysis is clear: Suriname’s investment policy should not be judged solely by how many foreign investors it attracts. Its ultimate success will depend on how much those investments contribute to rising productivity, homegrown innovation, stronger domestic enterprises, and shared lasting prosperity for all Surinamese people. The offshore oil and gas boom offers a unique, once-in-a-generation opportunity to deliver this transformation – but only if policymakers make the right structural choices today, Roep emphasizes.

    The analysis is being released one day ahead of a interactive entrepreneur forum hosted by Suriname’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KKF), which will bring together local business owners, investors, industry associations, and other stakeholders to discuss the two draft bills. Attendees will have the opportunity to share feedback, raise concerns, and contribute input to the final legislation, with sessions covering an overview of the Investment Act, SITA’s proposed role, opportunities for domestic and foreign entrepreneurs, and an open question-and-answer session. KKF aims to build broad consensus around the legislation to ensure it is future-proof and inclusive for all stakeholders.

  • Alexander: Let police complete Hadeed probe

    Alexander: Let police complete Hadeed probe

    Trinidad and Tobago’s Minister of Homeland Security Roger Alexander has publicly called on the country’s citizens to step back and let law enforcement investigators complete their work into the high-profile detention of local businessman Dominic Hadeed, his wife Genevieve Hadeed, and Genevieve’s maternal aunt Star Sabga. Speaking at an event held at the Roslyn Hall and Lounge in Tunapuna yesterday, Alexander issued a clear warning against the rising trend of what he labeled “trial by social media” and premature judgment in the court of public opinion.

    Alexander opened his remarks by stating he would not share any specific details about the ongoing investigation, noting that uniformed police officers require space to carry out their probe free of unwarranted external pressure. “What I can share with you at this time is that the police need to do their job, and I am one of the people who advocate that,” Alexander told attendees. He emphasized that law enforcement teams must be granted the space to pursue their inquiries both effectively and efficiently, without being swayed by widespread public commentary or ungrounded speculation about the case.

    “In order to do that job effectively and efficiently, they must be given that option, that opportunity to do that, without this set of crosstalk and the court of public opinion making statements and thing,” he said. “Do your job and let’s see where we go from there.”

    Alexander confirmed that the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) is advancing a targeted probe into the three detainees, and urged the public to wait for official conclusions before drawing any final judgments on the case. “All I can say is that the police are pursuing a particular type of investigation and we await the outcome,” he added.

    The minister also voiced criticism of the flood of commentary on the case across social media platforms, calling out premature public statements from political figures — including remarks from the country’s Opposition that left him surprised. “The court of public opinion and the social media advocates and the persons who are making various statements…I was taken aback even by certain pronouncements made by the Opposition,” Alexander said.

    He went on to defend the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), a cornerstone institution of Trinidad and Tobago’s justice system, highlighting the office’s critical role in upholding the rule of law. “The DPP holds an office in Trinidad and Tobago second to none,” Alexander said. Drawing on his own decades of experience as a former police officer, he shared that he has long observed the DPP carries out all official duties with extreme care and attention to detail. “He, from my knowledge and from my experience as an ex-police officer, is very meticulous in how he does things,” Alexander added.

    Alexander’s address wrapped up with a broader appeal to national values, urging all citizens to prioritize respect for the rule of law — a standard he argued should be taught to children from a young age within family households. “Respect the rule of law. If you start with it at home as a parent, you will see your sons and daughters growing up respecting that,” he said.

    He also warned that eroding public respect for legal and state authority carries profound long-term risks for the entire country. “When you as a citizen, or you as a society, or you as a country, start to pull away from that type of respect for authority, then what do you expect to happen?” he asked.

    In closing, Alexander called on the public to allow the formal judicial process to proceed unimpeded, and to commit to accepting the court’s final decision regardless of outcome. “Let us move away from that and return to the day when a citizen was proud to be a citizen in Trinidad and Tobago and allow the court, where everybody does run to, make a decision, and we respect the outcomes,” he said.

  • AG Jeremie vows to go after ‘1% gangs’ funding PNM

    AG Jeremie vows to go after ‘1% gangs’ funding PNM

    In a dramatic parliamentary address delivered on June 10, 2026, Trinidad and Tobago’s Attorney General John Jeremie has laid bare extraordinary allegations against three high-profile individuals—businessman Dominic Hadeed, 52, his wife Genevieve, 42, and relative Star Sabga, 69—who now face preventive detention orders over claims they conspired to assassinate top government officials. The bombshell revelations came as Jeremie tabled a motion to extend the country’s ongoing state of emergency by three months, pulling back the curtain on a widening crackdown that blurs the line between elite financial power and organized criminal activity.

    Jeremie used the parliamentary platform to confirm a sweeping development: the U.S. government has revoked travel visas for multiple members of what he called Trinidad and Tobago’s “1%”, a cohort of wealthy and connected elites he accuses of operating as an organized criminal network. Acknowledging the U.S. intelligence community’s robust surveillance capabilities, he noted that American authorities had made an independent determination that these individuals’ activities warranted barring them from entry to the U.S., a move in which the Trinidad and Tobago government had no hand.

    The Attorney General pushed back against the common framing of gang activity as confined to working-class street groups identified by numeric names like Sixx, Seven and Eight. Instead, he argued, the Anti-Gang Act’s broad definition—covering any informal or formal grouping of two or more people engaged in criminal activity—applies equally to the country’s economic elite, who have built decades of unchecked influence. For ten years under the previous People’s National Movement (PNM) administration, Jeremie claimed, these elites thrived, exploiting their connections to secure unlimited access to U.S. dollars, while ordinary citizens are forced to queue for hours at banks to access just $200 in foreign currency for travel. These elite figures, he added, move hundreds of thousands of dollars in foreign exchange through their credit cards on a monthly revolving basis— a privilege out of reach for most Trinidadians.

    Jeremie went further, alleging the elite not only funded the PNM but were revered by the party and have effectively taken control of it, with opposition politicians acting as willing pawns for their interests. The revelation of visa revocations, he explained, came unexpectedly: a question from a journalist at Guardian Media Ltd, which Jeremie claimed is owned by the accused group, first piqued his interest. Though he initially ignored the query, he was later contacted directly by multiple elites who confirmed their U.S. visas had been revoked, he said.

    Stressing that the Trinidad and Tobago government cannot influence U.S. visa policy, Jeremie made clear that authorities retain full jurisdiction over illegal activity occurring within the country’s borders. “The days when wealth could shield elite criminals from prosecution and law enforcement scrutiny are over,” he warned, arguing that any individual who operates as a gang member—regardless of social standing—will face the same consequences as street-level gang members. “If your designation is within the 1%, or if you are Sixx, Seven or Eight, Teteron (a detention facility) awaits,” he stated.

    Directing a specific warning at those who have targeted him and Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, Jeremie alleged the group has hidden behind the media outlets it controls to attack the government, and that intelligence indicates they are now planning more direct violent action. “If you target me, as I expect you will, or my Prime Minister, as you have… if, as our intelligence suggests, you have in contemplation more and direct action, the indignity of the cells at Teteron await,” he said.

    Jeremie declined to elaborate on additional allegations, including irregular deals over valuable state lands that he claimed the group pursued up until the night of the last general election, noting that the matter is already under active review by the Commissioner of Police. He also accused the former PNM administration of turning a blind eye not only to white-collar gang activity but to the spread of street-level blue-collar gang violence across the country.

    Closing his address, Jeremie emphasized equal application of the law: an offense committed by a wealthy member of the 1% is no different than a crime committed by young working-class people in marginalized communities like Morvant and Laventille. While the government has no control over actions taken by its American ally, it will act firmly on evidence of criminal activity gathered by its own law enforcement, he confirmed, declaring that the era of unchecked influence for Trinidad and Tobago’s elite is definitively over.

  • Tributes pour in for Oscar B

    Tributes pour in for Oscar B

    The global Caribbean music community is gripped by sorrow this week following the passing of beloved, trailblazing soca performer Oscar “Oscar B” Benjamin, who breathed his last early Wednesday morning. The 57-year-old artist, a lifelong resident of Signal Hill, Tobago, had been battling health complications after suffering a severe stroke back in May, and his sudden passing came just hours before a community-organized benefit concert intended to cover his mounting medical costs and support his ongoing recovery.

    The Tobago Family and Friends Healing Concert had been planned weeks in advance for the Shaw Park Cultural Complex, scheduled to kick off Wednesday evening. Following confirmation of Benjamin’s death, event organizers and the Division of Tourism, Antiquities and Creative Industries operating under the Tobago House of Assembly announced the show would go forward as originally scheduled, but would be reimagined as a moving celebration of Benjamin’s life and his decades-long contributions to the evolution of Caribbean soca culture.

    Within minutes of the official announcement of his passing, tributes began pouring in from across the music industry, government circles, and the local Tobagonian community, all honoring the iconic artist’s legacy. In an official statement released Wednesday, Trinidad and Tobago’s Ministry of Culture and Community Development hailed Benjamin as “a cherished son of Tobago and a celebrated ambassador of our culture”, highlighting his journey from a young choir singer to one of the region’s most recognizable soca performers.

    Benjamin first nurtured his passion for music as a young member of his local church choir, before launching his professional musical career in 1982 when he joined the iconic Signal Hill Alumni Choir. Minister of Culture and Community Development Michelle Benjamin shared a heartfelt tribute to the late artist, noting that Oscar B devoted his entire life to spreading the joy of Caribbean music, delighting audiences across the globe, and proudly uplifting his home of Tobago every time he stepped onto a stage.

    “It is especially heart-breaking that he passed away less than 24 hours before the scheduled Tobago Family & Friends Healing Concert, an event organized by those who loved and admired him to support his recovery following his recent illness,” Minister Benjamin said. “While he may not have witnessed that extraordinary outpouring of affection, it stands as a lasting testament to the lives he touched and the deep respect he earned throughout his career.”

    Veteran soca legend Austin “SuperBlue” Lyons was among the first fellow artists to share his condolences publicly on social media. “Waking up to sad news this morning hearing my dear Friend Oscar B pass away. May you fly with the angels above until we meet again. Always enjoy watching your performance. You will be missed. Rest in Peace,” Lyons wrote in his social media post.

    Signal Hill Secondary School, Benjamin’s alma mater, also shared a tribute remembering the star as far more than a talented performer, calling him “a living legend” whose impact extended far beyond the stage. Former Minister of Tourism, Culture and the Arts Randall Mitchell also offered his condolences, writing: “Oscar, boy we had some really good moments. Thank you for the entertainment and the performances, always. Fly high and rest in eternal peace.”

  • TEEN’S FATAL RIDE

    TEEN’S FATAL RIDE

    A life brimming with extraordinary potential was cut short in a fatal roadway collision on Saturday, when 15-year-old Idris Hosein—widely remembered as a gifted scholar, emerging community leader, and dedicated Scout—died in a crash on Trinidad’s Churchill-Roosevelt Highway. What unfolded on that stretch of westbound highway has left family, teachers, and fellow Scouts grappling with unfathomable loss, as investigators work to piece together the full details of the incident.

    Official police reports confirm that the Barataria Police Station, under the leadership of W/A/Sgt Solomon-Rajkumar, received the alert about the fatal crash at 11:26 a.m. on June 27. Preliminary investigations outline that roughly an hour before first responders arrived, a 23-year-old driver from Arima was traveling westbound in a rented Nissan Tiida with two female passengers. When the driver attempted to merge from the middle lane into the left lane, Hosein’s motorcycle struck the rear left corner of the car. The impact threw the 15-year-old several meters across the roadway, despite him wearing a protective helmet at the time of the collision. He was pronounced dead at the scene, while the driver and his two passengers walked away from the incident without injury. Hosein’s father formally identified his son’s body following the crash.

    The 23-year-old driver has since been warned of pending prosecution under Section 73(1) of the country’s Motor Vehicles and Road Traffic Act. Crime Scene Investigator WPC Williams documented the collision site with forensic photography, and both the car and the damaged motorcycle were impounded at the Barataria Police Station as the investigation remains ongoing. W/A/Sgt Solomon-Rajkumar is leading continuing inquiries into the exact sequence of events.

    In an interview with local outlet *Express* at the family’s Cunupia home, Idris’s father Arif Hosein painted a picture of a young man who excelled in every area of his life, pushing back against unsubstantiated social media claims that framed his son as a delinquent. “He wasn’t just bright—he was a brilliant young man,” Arif said. “Every single term, he brought home awards for both academics and sports. He just picked his advanced science subjects to start Form Four, and we fully expected he would earn a university scholarship.”

    Beyond academics, Idris was deeply committed to the scouting movement, where he had risen to become one of the group’s youngest youth leaders. “When the older Scouts couldn’t master knot-tying, they came to Idris. He loved teaching the younger kids the basics—friends would even come to our house just to practice with him,” his father explained.

    Arif also addressed the circumstances of his son’s ride, clarifying that Idris had only ever been allowed to ride a small training motorcycle under direct adult supervision, and did not have permission to operate the larger, higher-powered bike involved in the crash. “I would never let him take that bike out on his own,” he said. “He knew how strict I am about safety. That bike costs around $80,000, but if I’d known he’d taken it without permission, I’d have smashed it to pieces with my sledgehammers to make sure he never made that kind of mistake again. That’s how seriously I take safety.”

    The grieving father says he is still searching for answers, struggling to understand why Idris left home with the motorcycle that day, and whether anyone encouraged the unsupervised ride. “My last conversation with him was Friday night—I told him I loved him, and he said everything was fine at home. The next morning I got the call about the crash,” Arif said. “This isn’t who he was. He never did anything like this. I need to know who encouraged him, where he was going, and why this happened.” He also noted unconfirmed witness accounts of a second motorcyclist in the area shortly before the collision, but acknowledged that no concrete evidence has yet emerged to confirm that detail.

    Andrew Buckmire, Group Scout Leader at Idris’s school, St Mary’s College, says the 15-year-old stood out from his peers for his uncommon maturity, relentless work ethic, and natural ability to lead. “He was far more than a typical Scout,” Buckmire said. “He threw himself into every program we ran, and he was always there when we needed him.” Buckmire explained that Idris consistently demonstrated practical skills and knowledge well beyond his 15 years, often teaching even older Scouts new skills: “He was ahead of everyone when it came to hands-on experience and physical skills. He taught most of the boys how to fish, how to operate our program engines—even when they were years older than him.”

    Buckmire added that Idris never shied away from responsibility, and could always be counted on to see any task through to completion. “He always went the extra mile. When everyone else was tired and ready to quit, Idris stayed to finish what needed to be done,” he said. “I never had any worries about giving him important tasks—I knew he’d get them done right. If he ever had a question, he’d always come double-check with me, no exceptions.”

    Buckmire described Idris as respectful, humble, and firmly rooted in his values, noting that even as a Muslim student at a Catholic school, he always felt comfortable asking for time to pray, and was fully respected by the entire school community. “He never sought attention or bragged about his skills,” Buckmire said. “He was quiet, but his presence was felt through how well he got things done. To my knowledge, he never had a single disciplinary issue at school. This whole tragedy is completely out of character for who he was. It’s just so devastatingly unfortunate.”

    The scouting community, Buckmire says, will feel the loss of Idris deeply. “He was an impressive Scout and a genuinely good person. So many of his peers are going to miss him terribly,” he added.

  • After 8 years, no sign of Sharday

    After 8 years, no sign of Sharday

    Eight years has passed since 20-year-old nursing student Sharday Emmanuel stepped out of her family’s home in Mamoral, Central Trinidad, hailed a taxi for Chaguanas, and vanished without a trace. For her father, Junior Emmanuel, every day since has carried the same hollow pain: he is certain unidentified burnt human remains found a year after his daughter’s disappearance belong to Sharday, but years of bureaucratic delays and flawed forensic testing have left his family without closure, and the person he believes responsible still free.

    The case of Sharday’s disappearance echoes a grim pattern in the southern Trinidad community, coming just seven years after the murder of 12-year-old Mercedez Layne, whose battered body was found not far from where Sharday’s suspected remains were discovered in an abandoned Santa Flora oilfield. In 2019, local authorities recovered a woman’s skeletal remains and pieces of burnt clothing from the oilfield site, but the body was never officially identified. Within days of the discovery, Junior Emmanuel connected the site and evidence to his missing daughter, and reached out to the Southern Homicide Division of the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) to review the case.

    Emmanuel was granted access to crime scene photographs of the remains, and two details immediately confirmed his worst fears: the burnt clothing recovered included a pleated skirt matching one Sharday owned, and the abandoned oilfield was an area Sharday was known to visit with a male acquaintance. For seven years, Emmanuel has waited for forensic DNA testing to confirm what he says he already knows, but the process has been mired in repeated setbacks. Senior TTPS homicide officials confirmed the first DNA test, run on a sample provided by Junior Emmanuel, returned an inconclusive result—though no official written documentation of the finding has ever been shared with the family. A second sample collected from Sharday’s mother, Marilyn Emmanuel, was sent for testing years ago, but the family has still not received a formal result.

    “After two DNA tests, one inconclusive and one we never got the official results of I’m hopeful that the Homeland Security Minister can get involved and see for himself how the burnt remains fabric and the picture we have of Sharday wearing the same material and pattern matches…and send those remains to get tested again,” Emmanuel said in a recent interview. He believes police previously questioned the man he suspects of harming Sharday, but released him due to the lack of confirmed DNA evidence, letting the alleged perpetrator remain at large. “The authorities know exactly who is responsible for her disappearance but because of the inconclusive DNA result she is still considered a missing person and the demon responsible walks among us,” he added.

    The past eight years have irrevocably broken the Emmanuel family, their patriarch says. “Life for my wife and myself has never been the same…not a day goes by without us calling Sharday’s name and remembering the 20 years we had her for,” he shared. Sharday’s brother Cassiel has coped with his grief by never speaking of his sister, a silence the family understands even as it deepens their pain. In the years since Sharday vanished, Cassiel has welcomed three children and is preparing to marry—milestones Sharday will never get to experience, though her young nieces and nephews already know her from family photographs. “We try our best to smile through the pain we feel every single day but inside is an emptiness that never goes away,” Emmanuel said.

    The story of Sharday’s disappearance only became public when Emmanuel shared it at a United National Congress (UNC) anti-crime symposium in January 2024, where he publicly called out what he calls “inexcusable police incompetence” in the stalled investigation. When the UNC won the 2025 general election, Emmanuel hoped the new government would prioritize his case, but he has yet to hear from any party officials. He has now turned directly to newly appointed Minister of Homeland Security Rodger Alexander, requesting an in-person meeting to push for a new round of independent DNA testing.

    Reconstructing Sharday’s final days has uncovered devastating new layers of pain for the family. On the morning of June 27, 2018, Sharday was captured on surveillance camera at a Chaguanas shopping mall after leaving her home—then all trace of her disappeared. Her boyfriend was supposed to meet her that morning, but when he arrived late she did not answer his calls, prompting him to alert the Emmanuels, who knew immediately something was wrong. “Sharday would not stay away from her mother. They were extremely close and Sharday loved her family,” Emmanuel said, confirming his daughter never would have chosen to leave voluntarily.

    As the family searched for clues among Sharday’s friends, they opened what Emmanuel describes as a Pandora’s Box that upended their entire world: they learned Sharday had been trapped in an abusive relationship, and was planning to leave her abuser shortly before she disappeared. Voice notes shared by Sharday’s best friend, sent in the weeks before her disappearance, revealed the young nursing student had planned to tell her father about her “secret life” and feared for her safety. “This broke my heart and I now more than ever wanted to find the person who took my little girl away,” Emmanuel said.

    Local media outlet Express reached out to Minister Alexander via WhatsApp Tuesday to share Emmanuel’s request for a meeting and ask if he would intervene in the case. As of publication, no response has been received.

  • DNA-leden uit westen vragen impuls voor landbouw, wegen en visserij

    DNA-leden uit westen vragen impuls voor landbouw, wegen en visserij

    During ongoing national budget deliberations in Suriname, two sitting members of parliament representing the country’s western districts of Coronie and Nickerie have publicly called on the national government to prioritize targeted, large-scale investment in key local sectors to reverse uneven regional development that has left the resource-rich region falling far behind national growth trajectories.

    Speaking on behalf of his constituency Coronie, National Assembly member Le-Roy Doorson, who represents the National Democratic Party (NDP), painted a stark picture of the once-thriving regional agricultural sector. Once celebrated as one of Suriname’s most productive agricultural hubs, Coronie now counts only one active commercial rice farmer among its residents, Doorson told fellow lawmakers during the budget debate. He has urged the administration to introduce targeted policy measures designed to revitalize the district’s legacy rice and coconut sectors, while also improving access to underutilized agricultural land to draw new participants into the industry.

    Beyond agriculture, Doorson highlighted a series of long-standing unaddressed infrastructure and public governance issues that are holding back Coronie’s development. He called out the poor condition of the critical East-West Connector road, persistent seasonal flooding that disrupts livelihoods, the urgent need to encourage young people to pursue careers in farming, and a lack of government transparency around public land allocation within the district. All of these issues, he argued, require immediate government attention to unlock Coronie’s economic potential.

    Joining the call for greater investment was Rawien Raghoenandan, a National Assembly member from the ruling Progressive People’s Party (VHP) representing neighboring Nickerie district. Raghoenandan outlined his own constituency’s most pressing priorities, starting with widespread gaps in reliable drinking water access for local residents. He also noted that Nickerie’s large fishing community needs a modern, upgraded docking facility to support their operations, called for urgent remediation of the uncontrolled waste dump located along H.D. Soekoeweg, and stressed that the aging Henar Bridge requires immediate structural repairs and upgrades to remain safe for public use.

    Across multiple political factions in the National Assembly, lawmakers have echoed the core argument put forward by the two district representatives: western Suriname holds significant untapped economic potential across agriculture, fishing and other key sectors, but unlocking that growth will require tangible improvements to core infrastructure and targeted public investment that has not yet been forthcoming. The assembled representatives have formally called on the Suriname government to integrate investments in agricultural development, fisheries expansion and core regional public services into the final implementation plan for the upcoming national budget, to address the growing development gap between the western region and more prosperous areas of the country.

  • New Title? ‘Just Call Me Gassy Dread,’ PM Browne Tells Antiguans

    New Title? ‘Just Call Me Gassy Dread,’ PM Browne Tells Antiguans

    In a surprising display of lighthearted humor that has captured the attention of the entire nation of Antigua and Barbuda, Prime Minister Gaston Browne has openly embraced an unexpected viral nickname bestowed on him by local citizens – ‘Gassy Dread’.

    The unusual moniker began circulating across social media platforms and local community conversations in recent weeks, quickly gaining traction as a playful talking point among Antiguans. Instead of dismissing the joke or issuing a formal rebuke, which many would expect from a sitting head of government, Browne leaned into the moment during a recent public address to his constituents.

    When addressing the crowd, the prime minister acknowledged the nickname directly, telling Antiguans that they need not tiptoe around the playful title. “Just call me Gassy Dread,” he reportedly told attendees, breaking the tension of typical political speech and drawing laughter and applause from the audience.

    The moment has quickly become a viral talking point across Caribbean social media, with many members of the public praising Browne for his willingness to engage with informal public culture and show a more approachable, human side of political leadership. Political observers note that the move signals a refreshing break from the often stuffy formality that surrounds high-level political office, allowing voters to connect with their leader on a more personal level.

    While the origin of the nickname remains rooted in casual local wordplay linking Browne’s first name Gaston to the playful adjective, its unexpected adoption by the prime minister has turned a minor online joke into a defining moment of people-focused political communication in Antigua and Barbuda.

  • WATCH: PM Browne Wants Antiguans to Own Part of New Yeptons Beach Hotel

    WATCH: PM Browne Wants Antiguans to Own Part of New Yeptons Beach Hotel

    Antigua and Barbuda’s government is reshaping the proposed Yepton Beach hotel development into an inclusive public-private partnership (PPP) designed to open ownership stakes to domestic citizens and institutions, rather than ceding full control to foreign investors, Prime Minister Gaston Browne announced Saturday.

    Speaking during his regular weekly segment on Pointe FM, Browne outlined that the revised project structure aligns with the administration’s overarching policy goal: expanding local involvement across the nation’s $1.3bn tourism industry, the country’s primary economic driver, by creating clear investment pathways for ordinary citizens and state-backed entities. Unlike the country’s historic approach to tourism development, which sees the government sell land outright to foreign developers, the administration will maintain a permanent equity holding in the Yepton Beach project under the new framework.

    “We’re pursuing a public-private partnership structure,” Browne explained, noting that the model is crafted to guarantee the nation captures multiple layers of benefit from the resort development. Beyond the short-term gains of construction activity and new local jobs, the PPP structure will allow Antiguans and Barbudans to share in the long-term revenue and profits generated by the coastal hotel.

    Under the proposed arrangement, key domestic institutions including the national Social Security Scheme will be invited to take equity positions alongside the selected private developer and international hospitality brand. This structure creates accessible opportunities for Antiguan and Barbudan citizens at all income levels to hold shares in the high-potential resort project, a departure from the country’s long-standing status quo.

    For decades, tourism development in Antigua and Barbuda has followed a template where foreign investors hold full ownership and operational control of major resorts, with local participation restricted almost entirely to low and mid-level employment roles. Browne emphasized that shifting this dynamic is a core priority for his administration. “We want our people to have ownership,” he stated.

    Beyond expanding local economic inclusion, retaining a government equity stake will also unlock long-term fiscal benefits: the public sector will profit from future gains in the property’s value, creating a sustained stream of public revenue instead of a one-time payout from a land sale. Browne added that the balanced strategy supports both inclusion and growth: it enables citizens to build personal wealth through direct participation in profitable tourism assets, while still maintaining the open investment climate that attracts international capital and well-known global hotel brands to the country’s shores.

  • Senate of Antigua and Barbuda is scheduled to meet Today

    Senate of Antigua and Barbuda is scheduled to meet Today

    In a plenary sitting held on June 16, 2026, the House of Representatives of Antigua and Barbuda approved a broad slate of legislative proposals, constitutional motions, and international ratifications, advancing five major bills to the Upper House for upcoming debate.

    The five bills heading to Upper House deliberation cover a wide range of policy priorities, from legal modernization to border security and immigration reform. The first, the Fatal Accidents Bill 2026, is designed to update the country’s outdated legal framework for damage claims stemming from fatal incidents, and will fully repeal the decades-old existing law, Fatal Accidents Act, Cap 166, replacing it with updated regulatory language. The Magistrate’s Code of Procedure (Amendment) Bill 2026 targets Section 38 of the existing Magistrate’s Code of Procedure Act, CAP 255, refining the statutory rules governing how search warrants are issued by judicial authorities. The Electronic Crimes (Amendment) Bill 2026 revises Section 18 of the 2018 Electronic Crimes Act, with changes focused on strengthening provisions related to production orders for digital evidence and updating penalties for entities or individuals that fail to comply with court-ordered information requests.

    On immigration and border management, two bills address longstanding policy gaps and bring domestic rules in line with global standards. The Immigration and Passport (Amendment) Bill 2026 establishes a formal amnesty program that allows undocumented residents to apply to have their immigration status formalized, creating a pathway to legal residency for eligible individuals. The Advanced Passenger Information and Passenger Name Record Bill 2026 introduces formal regulatory frameworks for the collection, transmittal, sharing, and secure storage of passenger data for people entering, departing from, or transiting through Antigua and Barbuda, aligning the country’s border security protocols with current international best practices.

    In addition to the five bills bound for the Upper House, the sitting also approved two procedural motions that will be taken up by the upper chamber. One motion authorizes the compulsory acquisition of land for public use, specifically to build a secure entry and exit corridor and supporting public infrastructure for the planned National Performing Arts Centre. The second motion sets procedural arrangements for the Governor General’s official opening of Parliament scheduled for May 26, 2026, including the delivery of the traditional Throne Speech outlining the government’s upcoming policy agenda.

    Beyond the legislation moving to the Upper House, the House of Representatives approved a series of additional resolutions during the same sitting, including four international treaty ratifications that strengthen Antigua and Barbuda’s global engagement. These include ratification of an addendum to the Multilateral Competent Authority Agreement on the Automatic Exchange of Financial Account Information, a global transparency agreement designed to combat cross-border tax evasion. Members also approved ratification of the 1986 amendment to the Constitution of the International Labour Organization, updating the institutional framework of the global labor standard-setting body. A reciprocal visa exemption agreement between the governments of Antigua and Barbuda and the United Arab Emirates was also ratified, allowing citizens of both nations to travel visa-free between the two countries, a move expected to boost tourism, trade, and people-to-people ties. The final ratification approved by members was a 2016 protocol amending Articles 50(a) and 56 of the Convention on International Civil Aviation, signed in Montreal, which updates global civil aviation governance rules.

    The sitting also concluded the formal appointment of a new Public Accounts Committee, required under Section 98 of Antigua and Barbuda’s Constitution, which exercises legislative oversight of government spending to ensure public funds are used appropriately and transparently. The committee will be chaired by Hon. Jamale Pringle, MP for All Saints East and St Luke, with other members including Hon. Trevor Walker, MP for Barbuda; Hon. Anthony Smith Jr, MP for All Saints West; Hon. Michael Freeland, MP for St George; and Hon. Melford Nicholas, MP for St John’s City East.

    Official multimedia coverage of the full June 16 sitting has been released by the Government Information Service of Antigua and Barbuda.