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  • Wells announces plan to regulate funeral sector

    Wells announces plan to regulate funeral sector

    During Thursday’s 2026/2027 Budget Debate in the Bahamas House of Assembly, State Minister for Health and Wellness Owen Wells outlined a far-reaching legislative and administrative reform package aimed at modernizing the country’s healthcare sector, with new regulation of the funeral services industry highlighted as a key priority for protecting vulnerable grieving families.

    Wells emphasized that families place unparalleled trust in funeral service providers during periods of profound loss, creating a critical need for formal oversight to guarantee ethical, professional care. The upcoming Funeral Services Industry Bill will enshrine binding requirements for operator licensing, uniform professional standards, robust consumer protections, and formal accountability mechanisms, all designed to ensure services uphold the dignity that end-of-life care demands. While the core framework of the legislation has been confirmed, Minister Wells did not release further details on timelines for tabling the bill, proposed penalties for non-compliance, or the specific agency that will be tasked with enforcing the new rules.

    The funeral industry regulation is just one component of a broader push to expand and update healthcare sector governance. Minister Wells confirmed that the ministry is also advancing three other key legislative initiatives: a Patients’ Rights Bill, an updated Elderly Abandonment Bill, and ongoing work to embed other existing health legislation into force.

    The Patients’ Rights Bill will establish a formal, clear framework to guide interactions between patients and healthcare providers, codifying core protections including informed consent for medical procedures, patient confidentiality, guaranteed access to personal health information, mandatory professional conduct standards, and requirements for respectful treatment of all care recipients. For vulnerable older Bahamians, the revised Elderly Abandonment Bill will strengthen existing legal protections, set clearer care standards, and reinforce commitments to upholding the dignity and overall wellbeing of the country’s aging population.

    Beyond legislative changes, the ministry is pursuing structural administrative reforms to keep pace with its growing scope of work. For years, the ministry has relied on external legal support from the Public Hospitals Authority, the Office of the Attorney General, and the Department of Legal Affairs to handle regulatory and legal matters. As the sector expands and modernizes, Wells announced that a dedicated in-house Legal Unit will be established during the 2026/2027 fiscal period.

    This internal legal team will cut response times for pressing regulatory and legal issues, reduce costly delays in contract negotiations, strengthen public procurement processes, and ensure all ministry policies and programs are legally sound from their design stage. The new unit will also reduce the administrative burden on the Office of the Attorney General by handling routine and specialized health sector legal work internally, including licensing reviews, administrative actions, contract drafting, regulatory rollout, and clinical governance matters.

    To address longstanding coordination gaps across the public healthcare system, Wells also announced the creation of a Public Health Operations Task Force. The inter-agency body will conduct a comprehensive review of how core public health entities – including the Ministry of Health and Wellness, the Department of Public Health, Princess Margaret Hospital, Rand Memorial Hospital, the Supplies Management Agency, and other relevant stakeholders – interact and operate. It will map existing workflows, identify systemic bottlenecks and service duplication, and propose evidence-based practical solutions to streamline cross-agency coordination and improve service delivery for patients.

    Digital modernization of health records will also remain a key priority during the upcoming budget cycle. The ministry will continue rolling out universal Electronic Medical Records across all Department of Public Health facilities, while working to integrate these systems with other major public healthcare institutions. Plans are also in place to strengthen the national Health Information Exchange, allowing authorized care providers to securely access critical patient data when needed for treatment.

    Wells pushed back against any perception that these reforms are merely bureaucratic adjustments, noting that every proposed change is centered on people. “These topics may appear administrative in nature, but their purpose is people-centred and intended to protect patients, support families, assist healthcare workers and strengthen public confidence in our healthcare system,” he said. The government’s overall legislative agenda for the health sector is focused on four core goals: strengthening patient protections, updating outdated professional regulations, improving national public health preparedness, and supporting innovation in how care is delivered to Bahamian communities.

  • COE expands green alert to 14 provinces due to heavy rainfall threat

    COE expands green alert to 14 provinces due to heavy rainfall threat

    In response to severe weather forecasts from the Dominican Institute of Meteorology (INDOMET), the Dominican Republic’s Emergency Operations Center (COE) has broadened a green-level weather alert to cover 14 provinces, including the nation’s capital National District. The warning comes as forecasters predict a range of hazardous conditions: moderate to intense rainfall, severe thunderstorms, sudden strong wind gusts, and the potential for isolated hail across the affected regions.

    Meteorological officials attribute the unstable weather pattern to two interacting atmospheric systems: a passing tropical wave and an upper-atmosphere trough. According to current projections, the intensity of rainfall will slowly taper off as evening progresses, bringing gradual improvement to conditions across the alert zone.

    The full list of areas placed under green alert includes Santiago Rodríguez, Puerto Plata, Elías Piña, Espaillat, Santiago, Valverde, San Juan, Dajabón, Montecristi, Hato Mayor, El Seibo, San Cristóbal, Santo Domingo Province, and the National District. As the most common alert level for potential hazardous weather, the green designation signals that conditions require close monitoring and precautionary action from residents and local officials.

    To reduce the risk of weather-related incidents, COE has issued clear safety guidance for communities in the affected regions. Residents are strongly advised not to cross swollen rivers, creeks, or ravines, as fast-moving high water poses a major risk of flash flooding and drowning. The agency also urges people to avoid all recreational water activities until the alert is officially lifted, as unstable weather can create unexpected dangers for outdoor recreation.

    Emergency management teams and meteorological staff are maintaining continuous surveillance of the evolving atmospheric conditions. Officials have reminded the public to only rely on official government communication channels for the latest updates, ensuring residents receive accurate, timely information to adjust their plans and stay safe throughout the weather event.

  • Main Event loss widens as revenue falls across key business lines

    Main Event loss widens as revenue falls across key business lines

    KINGSTON, Jamaica — Main Event Entertainment Group Limited (MEEG), a leading Jamaican entertainment and promotions firm, has reported a deepening net loss for its second fiscal quarter, as broad-based revenue declines driven by extreme weather, shifting consumer behavior and competitive market shifts outpaced the company’s aggressive cost-cutting initiatives.

    Newly released financial results for the quarter ending April 30, 2026 reveal that the company’s net loss ballooned to $45.5 million, a nearly five-fold increase from the $9.3 million loss recorded in the same quarter last year. Revenue across the business dropped 15% year-over-year, falling from $306.4 million to $261.3 million, while gross profit contracted 19% to $134 million.

    When extended to the first half of the 2026 fiscal year, the financial downturn is even more pronounced. Half-year revenue plummeted 47% from $891.4 million last year to just $472.8 million this cycle, reversing a $64.3 million net profit from the prior period into a $111.1 million net loss. This poor performance reflects challenges across nearly all of the company’s core business segments: declines were recorded in entertainment and promotions, audio production, film, multimedia, and its M Style division. The only outlier was the company’s digital signage segment, which posted a robust 22% year-over-year revenue growth amid rising demand for digital out-of-home advertising.

    Company officials outlined a confluence of headwinds that have pressured operations in recent months. The Jamaican entertainment and events sector has become far more competitive, with many large event and production contracts being redirected to other players. Meanwhile, consumers pulling back on discretionary spending has led to a sharp rise in event postponements and cancellations, creating further revenue volatility.

    Broader macroeconomic and environmental shocks have compounded these sector-specific challenges. Jamaica’s national economy continues to absorb aftershocks from Hurricane Melissa, while elevated global energy costs and ongoing uncertainty tied to geopolitical tensions and volatile commodity prices have further squeezed business margins.

    In response to mounting losses, Main Event has implemented a series of cost-control measures, including terminating underperforming property leases, restructuring its workforce, and tightening spending on utilities and general overhead. Despite these efforts, quarterly operating expenses still rose 5% year-over-year to $196.9 million, widening the quarterly operating loss to $59.3 million from just $8.3 million a year earlier. For the first half of the fiscal year, operating expenses remained broadly flat at $406.6 million, but the sharp revenue drop pushed the company from a $79.2 million operating profit last year to a $136.2 million operating loss this cycle.

    One positive note in the report is that the company fully repaid its outstanding long-term loan during the second quarter, eliminating all associated recurring interest costs moving forward. However, overall balance sheet metrics still declined: total assets fell 14% year-over-year to $1.05 billion as of April 30, 2026, down from $1.22 billion a year prior. Shareholders’ equity dropped 19% to $766.2 million from $946.8 million, a change driven primarily by accumulated losses reflected in retained earnings.

    Filings with the Jamaica Central Securities Depository (JCSD) confirm that MEEG Holdings Limited remains the company’s majority controlling shareholder, holding 205.5 million shares equal to a 68.5% ownership stake. Mayberry Jamaican Equities Limited holds an 11.24% stake, while Supreme Ventures Limited controls 10% of issued shares. Combined, the top 10 shareholders hold 94.5% of all outstanding issued shares, reflecting concentrated ownership of the Jamaican entertainment firm.

  • Rollins demands PLP disclose if Gardiner donated to campaign

    Rollins demands PLP disclose if Gardiner donated to campaign

    A fiery confrontation has erupted in Bahamian parliamentary budget debates, as Long Island Member of Parliament Dr Andre Rollins has launched intensified scrutiny over multi-million dollar government contracts awarded to a construction firm tied to a convicted US narcotics trafficker, calling for full disclosure of any campaign donations the trafficker may have made to the governing Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) over the past decade.

    At the center of the controversy is Top Notch Builders, a company that was granted a $35 million public-private partnership (PPP) contract to build the Eight Mile Rock administrative complex just 24 hours before the May 2017 general election. Public corporate registry documents from The Bahamas directly link Eric Gardiner, a man previously convicted of drug trafficking charges in the United States, to the firm, where he is listed as president and a director. Corporate filings further show that Top Notch Builders owns Complete Construction, the developer behind the current administration’s flagship Carmichael Village affordable housing initiative, which launched during the previous legislative term.

    In a surprising reveal, current Finance Minister Michael Halkitis has confirmed he previously held a director position at Top Notch Builders, though he maintains he stepped down from the role in 2021, citing disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Dr Rollins dedicated the bulk of his budget debate address to pressing for clear answers about the awarding process for the Eight Mile Rock contract. He is demanding confirmation of which government official approved the deal, whether the contract was put out for mandatory competitive bidding, and whether Gardiner has ever contributed to PLP campaign coffers. “Who in the government knew what, and when did they know it?” Rollins asked lawmakers. “Was the project open to a competitive bidding process, and if not, why not? Which minister of government was responsible for signing off on the terms of the agreement?”

    Additional context around the case dates back to a plane crash on a previous Election Day, when U.S. rescue teams recovered Gardiner alongside ten other survivors. Authorities reported Gardiner was carrying $30,000 in cash at the time of the crash, and multiple survivors were observed wearing clothing and accessories branded with PLP branding. Dr Rollins argues Bahamian voters have a right to know whether Gardiner made any campaign donations to the PLP after the 2017 awarding of the Grand Bahama contract.

    “This is important because it would help to explain why a company he is alleged to be a beneficial owner of would receive unusually favourable contractual terms by public contract,” he explained. “It would also help us to investigate which government ministers had direct involvement in the issuance of that eight mile rock government complex contract to Top Notch.”

    Dr Rollins also alleged that a controversial “poison pill provision” was written into the PPP contract, designed to make the agreement impossible for a new administration to cancel. He claimed that when the Minnis administration took office in 2017, officials would have been required to pay the full value of the contract, including all accrued principal and interest, if they chose to terminate the deal.

    “It’s unbelievable that any government would not have done its due diligence on the principal of Top Notch Builders,” he said. “And with a principal who has been already convicted of narcotics trafficking by the United States of America to get $50.6m in government money means… if one was so minded or had that amount of money to wash or clean, it would be a very convenient way to do so.”

    Broadening his critique to public-private partnership arrangements as a whole, Dr Rollins warned that without mandatory public disclosure and robust oversight, PPPs can easily be exploited as vehicles for money laundering. He added that full, nationwide implementation of the Freedom of Information Act would significantly improve government transparency and accountability by creating a verifiable public paper trail for all state contracts.

    The debate quickly devolved into a heated parliamentary exchange after Dr Rollins opened his remarks with sharp criticism of the role of big money in Bahamian politics and alleged procedural exploitation in the House of Assembly. Fox Hill MP Fred Mitchell repeatedly raised points of order arguing Rollins’ comments were not relevant to the budget debate, a position that was later upheld by House Speaker Patricia Deveaux.

    The back-and-forth escalated into a public clash between Dr Rollins and Speaker Deveaux, with both accusing the other of undermining The Bahamas’ democratic institutions. At one tense point, Dr Rollins warned the Speaker to be cautious, saying he did not want to see her suffer a negative health incident. “You could never,” Speaker Deveaux shouted in response. “Ten of you. Ten just like you could not bring my health event. Be careful. Boy look here. Don’t do that.”

  • Leonel Fernández rejects proposed tax measures

    Leonel Fernández rejects proposed tax measures

    MADRID — Speaking to a crowd of gathered supporters at Madrid’s Eventize Space, former Dominican president and current leader of the opposition People’s Force party Leonel Fernández has issued a sharp rejection of the tax policy agenda put forward by the ruling Modern Revolutionary Party (PRM), warning that new fiscal burdens would be untenable for Dominican households already grappling with soaring living costs and persistent inflation.

    Fernández’s public criticism came during an event that also marked the swearing-in of new People’s Force members from multiple political backgrounds. The new recruits include defectors from the ruling PRM, the Dominican Liberation Party (PLD), and the Democratic Hope Party (PED), alongside Dominican professionals, entrepreneurs, healthcare workers and community leaders based across Spain and other European nations.

    At the gathering, the opposition leader argued that the current PRM administration is pursuing policies that function as a full tax reform, only rebranded under an alternative name to avoid public backlash. He stressed that the strained economic environment facing ordinary Dominicans makes any new tax-based policy completely inappropriate, noting that the government has yet to deliver solutions for the country’s most pressing public challenges despite its pursuit of additional public revenue.

    Fernández made clear that the People’s Force will stand firm against any legislative or executive initiative that raises taxes or pushes greater financial strain onto working families. He emphasized that widespread public anxiety over rising inflation and the escalating cost of essential goods has not eased, and reaffirmed his party’s commitment to advocating for the interests of workers, students, women, youth and all marginalized social sectors across the Dominican Republic.

    Looking ahead to the 2028 national elections, Fernández framed the strong turnout and growing cross-border support from the Dominican diaspora in Europe as a major vote of confidence in the opposition bloc. He noted that the influx of new members from across the political spectrum and the expanding base among Dominicans living abroad reflects the party’s successful, ongoing push to build its presence within the country’s global diaspora community.

  • Court sentences Claudia Pérez “La Tora” to one year in prison for defamation

    Court sentences Claudia Pérez “La Tora” to one year in prison for defamation

    In a high-profile ruling that underscores growing enforcement of digital defamation laws in the Dominican Republic, well-known communicator Claudia Pérez — widely recognized by her public name “La Tora” — has been convicted and sentenced to 12 months of incarceration for defaming ruling party deputy Sergio Moya via digital channels.

    The judgment was delivered this week by Magistrate Octavia Carolina Fernández Curi, presiding over the Eighth Criminal Chamber of the National District based in the capital, Santo Domingo. Beyond the custodial sentence, the court ordered Pérez to pay 5 million Dominican pesos in moral damages compensation to Moya, who is commonly known by his nickname “Gory,” and instructed the convicted communicator to cover all associated court costs for the proceedings.

    Court documents confirm that Pérez made use of social media platforms and other digital telecommunications channels to distribute statements that the justice system ruled had severely harmed the sitting deputy’s public honor and professional reputation. The legal action stemmed directly from Moya’s private criminal complaint, in which he alleged Pérez had falsely tied him to organized criminal activity in her public postings.

    In her ruling, Magistrate Fernández Curi confirmed that Pérez’s actions ran afoul of Articles 21 and 22 of the Dominican Republic’s Law 53-07, landmark legislation focused on high-technology crimes that explicitly penalizes defamation and slander committed through electronic mediums. Pérez is scheduled to begin serving her sentence at the Najayo Women’s Correction and Rehabilitation Center, a women’s prison facility outside the capital.

    Under the Dominican Republic’s existing criminal procedure regulations, Pérez retains the right to file an appeal of the ruling with a higher appellate court. If she chooses to move forward with an appeal, legal experts note she is also eligible to request a suspension of her sentence’s execution while the higher court conducts its full review of the conviction and sentencing.

    The court’s ruling also fully upheld the civil damages claim brought forward by Moya’s legal team. This case marks one of the most visible recent applications of Law 53-07 to digital speech disputes in the country, shedding light on how Dominican courts are addressing conflicts that arise from content posted to social media and other online platforms, an increasingly common source of legal tension in the digital age.

  • Jamaica launches ambitious movement to become ‘sports capital of the global south’

    Jamaica launches ambitious movement to become ‘sports capital of the global south’

    KINGSTON, Jamaica — Later this June, a groundbreaking cross-sector gathering will bring together top stakeholders from 10 key fields spanning athletics, commerce, tourism, public policy, investment, media, technology, education and athlete development to Kingston for the first ever Made4Goal Jamaica Global Sports Summit.

    Hosted across two full days on June 29 and 30 at the University of Technology, Jamaica, the landmark event centers on a bold strategic question: how can Jamaica translate its long-standing global reputation for producing elite, world-beating athletes into a fully developed, globally competitive domestic sports industry?

    In an official statement shared publicly, summit organizers framed the gathering as one of the most ambitious collaborative initiatives ever undertaken for Jamaica’s sports sector. It forms a core part of a broader national and regional strategy to position Jamaica as the leading sports hub of the Global South.

    The summit is organized by Absolut Ventures Limited, the creative team behind the world’s first and only televised freestyle football reality competition. Programming will focus on untapped opportunities that emerge at the intersection of sports, tourism, direct investment, emerging technology, infrastructure development, media, health and wellness, youth empowerment and broad-based national economic expansion.

    “Jamaica has already proven time and again that we can compete and outperform the very best nations on the global sporting stage,” noted Alrick McKenzie, founder and summit director of the Made4Goal Jamaica Global Sports Summit. “Our next critical step is building out the foundational systems, cross-border partnerships, scalable investment opportunities, and modern infrastructure that will allow sports to evolve into a far more powerful economic engine for our country. This summit exists to bring the right stakeholders into one room to hold these critical conversations and deliver tangible, meaningful outcomes for Jamaica.”

    Simon Preston, a veteran sports consultant, analyst and media officer with deep ties to Jamaica’s athletic sector, emphasized that the summit comes at a critical juncture for the nation’s sports ecosystem. He called it a timely and essential step toward building a more structured, sustainable future for the entire sector.

    “Jamaica already holds an extraordinary, globally recognized sporting brand, but the current opportunity lies in building a stronger, more interconnected ecosystem to support that brand,” Preston explained. “We host nearly 50 distinct sporting disciplines across the island, and this summit offers the perfect space for leaders across different disciplines to gather, share insights, learn from one another, and collaborate to build a stronger Jamaica.

    Preston went on to highlight the depth of Jamaica’s underleveraged sporting success beyond its globally famous sprinters: “Jamaica ranks eighth in the world for lacrosse, third globally for netball, and is home to the fastest male and female sprinters alive today. These impressive achievements are powerful assets we can leverage to help every domestic sporting discipline reach its full potential.”

    “The Made4Goal Jamaica Global Sports Summit creates a dedicated platform for substantive, solution-focused conversations around athlete development pathways, investment attraction, infrastructure improvement, technological integration, governance reform, sports tourism and commercial expansion,” Preston added. “If Jamaica is to fully maximize the global influence its sporting talent has earned, we must connect our world-class talent to real, scalable opportunities, and this summit is designed to lead that charge.”

    Attendees can expect a full schedule of dynamic programming, including keynote addresses from industry leaders, intimate fireside chats, interactive panel discussions, hands-on skills-building workshops, dedicated networking sessions, and high-level strategic working sessions. Participants will include representatives from national sporting associations, elite active and retired athletes, C-suite corporate leaders, global venture capital and impact investors, senior tourism sector executives, national and local policymakers, and leading education stakeholders.

  • Afreximbank opens another financing door for Jamaica

    Afreximbank opens another financing door for Jamaica

    KINGSTON, Jamaica – For Jamaican enterprises seeking capital to scale operations, boost exports, and modernize production capabilities, the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank)’s expanding footprint in Jamaica represents far more than a routine diplomatic milestone. It opens a critical alternative funding channel that could reshape growth trajectories for businesses across the island’s key economic sectors.

    On June 2, Afreximbank hosted its inaugural Jamaica roadshow at Kingston’s AC Hotel, bringing its full suite of trade finance, direct investment, and business advisory services directly to local company leaders, domestic financial stakeholders, and senior government officials. The event came on the heels of two landmark developments: Jamaica formalized a partnership agreement with Afreximbank in July 2025, followed quickly by the pan-African lender’s approval of a $5 billion regional financing facility earmarked for Caribbean economies, Jamaica included.

    The core challenge Afreximbank is targeting is a practical, widespread pain point for Jamaican businesses: while many firms have demand for their goods and services, they lack the upfront capital to scale. Whether a manufacturer needs to purchase new equipment, a tourism operator wants to renovate hospitality properties, a logistics firm aims to expand distribution capacity, or a small producer wants to transition to large-scale commercial operations, access to flexible, affordable capital is often the rate-limiting step to growth. Afreximbank has positioned itself as a strategic financing partner to fill this gap.

    As a pan-African multilateral financial institution, Afreximbank’s core mandate is to fund and facilitate intra-African trade, as well as commercial exchange between Africa and global markets. Its expanding engagement in the Caribbean falls under its flagship “Global Africa” agenda, an initiative designed to strengthen economic and commercial ties between Africa, Caribbean nations, and the broader African diaspora worldwide.

    Delivering the roadshow’s keynote address, Jamaica’s Minister of Finance and Public Service Fayval Williams emphasized that collaboration between Kingston and Afreximbank is on a steady upward trajectory. “We recognize that for over three decades, Afreximbank has delivered targeted financing solutions that underpin trade and accelerate inclusive economic growth across the African continent,” Williams noted. “Today, its influence extends beyond Africa’s borders, with the bank building a growing, robust presence across the Caribbean.”

    She added: “It is undeniable that the partnership between Afreximbank and Jamaica continues to deepen. I encourage every Jamaican institution represented here today to strengthen their engagement with the bank, so that together we can unlock expanded opportunities for two-way trade and mutual investment between Jamaica and the African continent.”

    For Jamaica, the value of this partnership extends far beyond having another international financial institution express interest in the market. What makes Afreximbank’s entry unique is the breadth of its product offerings, which cover trade finance lines, growth capital for investment, strategic advisory support, and dedicated funding for key sectors from manufacturing and tourism to industrial park development and special economic zone expansion.

    This breadth of coverage matters because sustained trade growth cannot exist without expanded domestic production capacity. A manufacturer aiming to grow export volumes needs upfront financing for new machinery, quality certification, packaging, and working capital to support large production runs. A hospitality business requires capital to renovate properties, expand capacity, or rebrand for new target markets. Agro-processing and logistics firms need funding to scale output, meet new international regulatory standards, and serve larger regional customer bases. In every scenario, securing financing is the critical first step before any export growth can occur.

    Eric Monchu Intong, Afreximbank’s Group Managing Director for Client Relations and Regional Office Operations, emphasized that intentional industrial development must be the foundation of deeper trade ties between Jamaica and Africa. “At Afreximbank, we firmly believe that industrialization is the bedrock of sustainable trade and lasting economic transformation,” Intong explained. “To trade successfully with Global Africa, we must first build productive capacity at home.”

    He added: “Through strategic investments in industrial parks, special economic zones, and domestic manufacturing, Jamaica has a transformative opportunity to cut reliance on costly imports, grow the share of value-added exports, create new formal jobs, and strengthen overall national economic resilience. This development model has already delivered proven results across 18 African countries.”

    This is where the promise of the partnership meets its key test. Afreximbank is not only pitching expanded trade between Africa and the Caribbean; it is also advocating for broader systemic progress: more domestic manufacturing, more value-added production, more export-ready small and medium enterprises (SMEs), and stronger local investment enabling environments. Even with the $5 billion facility in place, financing alone cannot solve Jamaica’s production capacity gaps.

    Local Jamaican businesses still need to develop bankable project proposals, maintain transparent, standardized financial records, outline clear, actionable expansion blueprints, secure credible commercial partners, and build the operational capacity to fulfill large, consistent export orders. Local public agencies and domestic financial institutions will also need to collaborate to structure access: will smaller Jamaican firms be able to access the facility directly, or will most funding flow through large domestic banks, major established corporations, and government-backed projects?

    This structural question is make-or-break for Jamaica’s SME community, which forms the backbone of the island’s private sector. If access requirements are overly complex and burdensome, the benefits of the facility will likely be limited exclusively to large corporations and major infrastructure projects. But if financing can be structured to flow through local intermediaries and tailored to meet the needs of export-ready small and medium firms, it can dramatically expand the number of Jamaican businesses able to participate in and benefit from growing Africa-Caribbean trade.

    The $5 billion Caribbean regional facility gives this new partnership meaningful scale, but the funding will only deliver tangible value if it reaches viable projects that generate increased output, new formal jobs, expanded export volumes, and durable, mutually beneficial trade links between Jamaica and Africa.

    For Jamaica right now, the opportunity is unambiguous: at a time when hundreds of local companies are eager to expand beyond the constraints of the small domestic market, Afreximbank’s entry adds a valuable new source of growth capital to the market. The next critical question that remains unanswered is: are Jamaican businesses ready to leverage this opportunity?

  • Shantae Foreman finishes second in long jump at NCAA championships

    Shantae Foreman finishes second in long jump at NCAA championships

    The second day of the 2024 NCAA Division 1 Outdoor Track and Field Championships delivered a string of stunning upsets, personal bests, and historic records at Eugene Oregon’s iconic Hayward Field on Thursday, headlined by a once-in-a-generation 100-meter run from University of Georgia’s Adejah Hodge.

    The British Virgin Islands Olympian left spectators and competitors stunned as she crossed the 100m semi-final finish line in a blistering 10.63 seconds with a legal +0.9 m/s wind reading. The time not only smashed her previous personal best of 10.77 seconds set in April, it also elevated her position as the world’s top-ranked 100m sprinter this season, and broke both the collegiate and championship meet records. The prior mark of 10.75 seconds, set by American star ShaCarrie Richards in 2019, stood for five years before Hodge’s historic run. The result also ranks Hodge’s performance as the fifth-fastest women’s 100m in history globally.

    In the women’s long jump, Clemson University’s Shantae Foreman pulled off one of the day’s biggest personal breakthroughs to claim a surprise second-place finish. The Jamaican athlete jumped 6.69 meters, with a +0.2 m/s wind reading, an massive improvement of 22 centimeters over her previous outdoor personal best of 6.47 meters. That mark, which Foreman had matched twice before — first at the 2021 World Athletics U20 Championships in Nairobi, Kenya, and again at the NCAA East Regional just two weeks prior — was left far behind, and Foreman’s new jump catapults her into the top 10 all-time for Jamaican women in the event. Now, she enters Saturday’s triple jump competition as the overwhelming pre-event favorite to claim the national title.

    Multiple other athletes from Caribbean nations competing for U.S. collegiate programs earned spots in upcoming finals through strong semi-final showings. University of Florida’s Gabrielle Matthews turned in a rare double qualification, advancing to both the women’s 100m and 200m finals after impressive performances. In the 100m, Matthews clocked 11.02 seconds (+0.6 m/s) to secure her spot, behind Florida State University’s Shenese Walker who ran 10.94 seconds (+0.3 m/s). Texas’s Carleta Bernard just missed out on a finals spot, finishing with a 11.17 second run that left her outside qualification.

    In the 200m semi-finals, Matthews continued her strong form by lowering her own personal best to 22.22 seconds (+1.7 m/s) to take second place behind Hodge, chopping 0.19 seconds off her prior top mark of 22.41 seconds.

    University of Georgia’s Dejanae Oakley, the current world leader in the women’s 400m, put on a dominant display in the 400m heats, cruising to a win in her semi-final heat with a 49.93 second clocking. The result secured her place as the top qualifier heading into Saturday’s final, where she will look to improve on her second-place finish at the 2023 championships.

    In the women’s 100m hurdles, Ohio State’s Janela Spencer clocked a season’s best 12.77 seconds (+1.2 m/s) and Texas Tech’s Tonie-Ann Forbes ran 12.86 seconds in the same wind conditions to secure their spots in the final. Clemson’s Oneka Wilson just missed out on qualification, crossing the line in 12.93 seconds (+1.0 m/s). In the day’s only field event for other competing athletes, Purdue University’s Britannie Johnson placed 20th overall in the women’s shot put with a throw of 16.02 meters.

  • Fire destroys businessplace, house in Westmoreland

    Fire destroys businessplace, house in Westmoreland

    On a Thursday morning just before 10 a.m., an out-of-control fire swept through a commercial building and connected private residence in the Big Bridge community of Westmoreland Parish, Jamaica, leaving a local small business owner with nothing after years of hard work and a recent rebuilding effort. The origin of the blaze remains undetermined as investigators from the Jamaica Fire Brigade continue to comb through the charred remains of the property.

    Two fire response units from the nearby Savanna-la-Mar Fire Station were dispatched to the scene after emergency calls came in, confirmed O’Neill Kerr, District Officer for Investigation with the Jamaica Fire Brigade. No lives were lost in the incident, though a small number of people sustained minor injuries while attempting to extinguish the fire before first responders arrived.

    The business lost in the fire is a neighborhood variety store operated by a local woman who identified herself only as Sharon. The shop stocked a wide range of daily essentials for community members, from plumbing hardware and personal hair care products to household detergent, groceries and beverages. Sharon recalled the moments she discovered the fire, explaining that she first spotted flames spreading through the middle section of the building, wedged between a residential stove and a refrigerator. She had just been retrieving bottled products from the back storeroom when she noticed the smoke and fire, she said. Immediately after making the discovery, she alerted her husband, who was speaking with a friend at the front of the store. By the time he reached the fire’s starting point, the entire space between the two appliances was already fully engulfed in flames.

    Sharon and her husband, assisted by a neighboring resident who joined the fight from the back of the property, attempted to put out the blaze themselves before firefighters could arrive. The group disconnected a water pipe from a large on-site water tank to access water, passing buckets of water to Sharon’s husband, who was inside the building battling the spread. However, the fire grew too quickly for their efforts to make a meaningful difference.

    For Sharon, the destruction comes as an especially devastating blow, following recent hardship that she had only just started to recover from. After a recent hurricane passed through the region, her shop was burglarized, with thieves taking nearly all of her inventory and assets. She had spent time and resources rebuilding the business, restocking the store just one day before the fire, on Wednesday, because she prioritizes keeping goods available for her regular customers. Even worse, she had purchased a brand new point-of-sale software system less than a week before the fire, and that new equipment was also destroyed in the blaze. All of her personal belongings, including her mobile phone, purse, and important identity documents such as her driver’s license and passport, were inside the connected dwelling when the fire hit, meaning she now faces the lengthy process of replacing every critical document. With four children between the ages of 8 and 17 to support, Sharon says the total loss represents a crippling setback that has left her struggling to process her emotions.

    Kerr told reporters that in the immediate aftermath of the fire, investigators are still in the early stages of their work, and it is too soon to confirm the exact cause of the blaze. Fire investigation teams have already been deployed to the site to collect evidence and assess the scene, he said, and work is ongoing to pinpoint what sparked the fire. Kerr added that officials have also not yet been able to calculate the total monetary value of the losses from the blaze, as the assessment process is still in its early phases.

    This report was contributed by Anthony Lewis.