Carib Scope

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  • Symmonds defends price cap strategy amid global volatility

    Symmonds defends price cap strategy amid global volatility

    Escalating geopolitical unrest across the Middle East has sent global oil prices surging past the $100 per barrel threshold this week, putting Barbados’ pre-emptive energy protection policies to the test and pushing government officials to issue urgent public calls for widespread energy conservation. Though strategic hedging programs have so far created a critical temporary buffer for domestic consumers, long-term uncertainty over supply chain disruptions hangs over the small island developing nation.

    The latest price spike stems from overlapping threats to two of the world’s most vital maritime chokepoints for global oil trade. Already strained by intensifying U.S.-Iran tensions along the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly 20% of the world’s oil supplies pass, global markets were further rattled when Iran-aligned Houthi rebels in Yemen launched drone and missile attacks on two Saudi oil tankers traversing the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the key shipping gateway connecting the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean. The rebels have openly threatened to block the route, stoking fears of prolonged supply bottlenecks that could upend months of relative global oil market stability.

    In response to the market upheaval, both Brent Crude and West Texas Intermediate benchmarks have climbed rapidly, reversing months of gradual price declines and reigniting widespread fears that global inflation – which had started to cool in many regions – could spike once more. For small net oil importing nations like Barbados, which relies entirely on imported crude to meet domestic energy needs, the price surge poses an immediate threat to household and commercial budgets.

    Speaking to local outlet Barbados TODAY, Barbados’ Minister of Energy and Business Development Kerrie Symmonds confirmed that government officials are monitoring the unfolding crisis in the Gulf on a daily basis, and are moving to uphold existing price protection measures put in place earlier this year. “The Ministry of Energy has been carefully monitoring daily developments in the Gulf crisis between Iran and the United States, and I am especially concerned about the persistent impact this volatility is having on global fuel prices,” Symmonds said.

    To shield domestic consumers and transport operators from extreme global price swings, the Mia Mottley administration introduced a suite of fiscal and market-based measures in its March 2024 national budget. The centerpiece of these protections is a legally mandated retail price ceiling for gasoline and diesel, which prevents domestic pump prices from rising in lockstep with volatile global markets. Backing that price cap is a national strategic oil hedging program, designed to lock in bulk fuel purchase prices at fixed rates before market spikes hit, creating a financial buffer that absorbs sudden international price increases.

    When the first hedging round was launched in March, global benchmark prices were sitting at $106 per barrel. The government successfully locked in a fixed rate of $92 per barrel for 80,000 barrels of crude – enough to cover Barbados’ total domestic demand for a three-month period. As that first agreement neared expiration and market tensions remained elevated, energy officials executed a second hedging contract on July 8, locking in a new fixed rate of $78 per barrel even as global prices began climbing toward the $100 mark. As of this week, that agreement continues to insulate Barbadian consumers from the full impact of the global price surge, Symmonds confirmed.

    Despite this short-term success, energy analysts and government officials alike warn that small island developing states face unique structural vulnerabilities to prolonged global energy crises. Barbados’ heavy reliance on imported fuel for electricity generation, freight transport and everyday consumer travel means that sustained high crude prices inevitably spill over into other sectors – pushing up food distribution costs, increasing utility tariffs, and driving broad-based increases in the national consumer price index.

    Officials stress that while current hedging agreements deliver near-term price stability, market interventions cannot fully protect the Barbadian economy indefinitely if the Gulf military standoff and threats to global shipping lanes continue into the fall and winter. With global oil supplies already tightly constrained and insurance premiums for oil tankers sailing through Middle Eastern waters rising sharply, the cost of maintaining price caps and hedging programs will continue to mount for the government.

    Against this backdrop, Symmonds issued an urgent call for all Barbadians to adjust their energy consumption habits, calling for intentional energy conservation and cuts to unnecessary fuel use until the international crisis eases. “There is no end in sight to the instability that has taken hold in the Gulf, and it is therefore necessary for this country to seriously think about energy conservation because the financial pressures continue to mount,” the minister said.

  • ECTEL extends deadline for Pearl Allison Lake Scholarship applications

    ECTEL extends deadline for Pearl Allison Lake Scholarship applications

    For students across the Eastern Caribbean gearing up to apply for the prestigious Pearl Allison Lake (P.A.L.) Scholarship Fund, a last-minute extension has granted extra time to finalize their submissions. The Eastern Caribbean Telecommunications Authority (ECTEL), the managing body behind the award, recently made an official announcement pushing the new application deadline to 10:00 a.m. Atlantic Standard Time on Monday, July 27, 2026.

    This extension comes as a welcome reprieve for prospective candidates from ECTEL’s five Contracting States, which includes Dominica alongside other regional territories. ECTEL has issued a formal reminder to all eligible students to thoroughly review the full list of scholarship eligibility criteria and confirm that every required supporting document is included in their submission ahead of the cut-off. The authority stressed in its official press release that neither incomplete application packages nor materials received after the new deadline will be accepted for review.

    Notably, students who have already successfully submitted their completed applications do not need to reapply or take any further action at this time. Any candidates seeking additional information, including full application guidelines, a breakdown of required documentation, and access to the official online application portal, are directed to the dedicated scholarship pages on ECTEL’s official website.

    The application process for the 2026 cohort of the P.A.L. Scholarship requires two core documents: a completed student application form, and a referee form that must be filled out by a staff member from the applicant’s primary school.

    Established as a lasting tribute, the P.A.L. Scholarship Fund honors the legacy of Pearl Allison Lake, a long-serving member of the ECTEL Directorate who dedicated 20 years of her career to the organization before her passing in June 2024. Per ECTEL’s mission for the fund, the scholarship was created to celebrate Lake’s lifelong commitment to education and her deeply held conviction that learning is a transformative force that can open new life-changing opportunities for children across the region.

  • India’s Cockroach Janata Party Is Bringing Their Revolution To Your Screens

    India’s Cockroach Janata Party Is Bringing Their Revolution To Your Screens

    In an unprecedented fusion of digital activism, youth culture and grassroots protest, India’s Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) is redefining 21st century political resistance by bringing unfiltered footage of alleged government and security force brutality against demonstrators directly to global public screens.

    The movement, driven largely by Generation Z organizers, has flooded social media platforms with a diverse range of content — from meticulously edited video exposés to viral memes and shareable GIFs — designed to keep demands for systemic change at the forefront of public discourse and maintain pressure on ruling authorities to address protester grievances. Unlike traditional protest movements that rely on institutional media coverage, CJP supporters have built their own independent distribution network, ensuring accounts of state violence cannot be suppressed or distorted.
    “This is the only thing anyone is talking about right now,” said 19-year-old Singh, who participated in a mass demonstration Wednesday. “If nothing else, we are televising our revolution on our own terms.”
    Protest tactics have been shaped heavily by global pop culture, creating a shared visual identity that unites a diverse base of young demonstrators. Some participants have turned out to marches wearing homemade superhero costumes, while many others have adopted iconography from the hit Japanese manga *One Piece* — a symbol that has become a common marker of youth-led uprisings across the globe. This cultural integration is no accident: organizers say meme and pop culture references have become a unifying force that cuts across regional and class divides in India’s fragmented protest landscape.
    “In the middle of all the chaos, we collectively decided that if we wanted to rebel effectively, we needed a unifying language that everyone could connect with,” explained 18-year-old activist Yashvi Kumar. “That language is memes. They’re what bring us all together.”
    The commitment to exposing alleged state violence has come with significant personal risk for young CJP supporters, many of whom continue to document crackdowns even when facing direct danger. Teen activist Avanshika Singh has navigated clouds of tear gas that left her eyes stinging and burning to run through city streets, capturing smartphone footage of the chaos that unfolds during crackdowns. “The entire country today feels the sting of batons and tear gas with us,” she said, emphasizing that the documentation work ensures remote supporters cannot disconnect from the realities on the ground.
    The most recent wave of unrest followed a July 20 march to India’s parliament building that shut down major corridors of central New Delhi, as demonstrators occupied key roads and blocked access to official government buildings. According to reporting from Al Jazeera, security forces responded with excessive force at the protest site at New Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, deploying tear gas and baton charges that targeted women and child demonstrators. Reports confirm more than 100 student protesters were injured in the crackdown, which was carried out with explicit authorization from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s sitting government.

  • Biz community seeks bigger cushion from oil price shocks, inflation ease

    Biz community seeks bigger cushion from oil price shocks, inflation ease

    As global crude oil prices continue to swing wildly and send shockwaves through small import-dependent economies, two of Barbados’ most influential business and industry groups are sounding the alarm: without coordinated, immediate government intervention and long-term structural reform, the island nation will face intensifying inflation that erodes household purchasing power and cripples key economic sectors.

    Leaders from the Alliance Owners of Public Transport (AOPT) and the Barbados Private Sector Association (BPSA) have outlined layered threats stemming from the global oil crisis, and are pushing for a combination of short-term financial support and long-term strategic shifts to insulate Barbados from volatile global energy markets.

    For Barbados’ public transport sector, which relies entirely on imported diesel and gasoline to keep services running, the spike in global fuel prices has created an unsustainable financial bind. Roy Raphael, chairman of the AOPT, explained that operators are currently absorbing hundreds of dollars in daily losses from skyrocketing fuel costs, and are blocked from adjusting fares to offset these expenses by government price regulations.

    “Our sector is one of the largest consumers of liquid fuel in the country, so every uptick in global oil prices hits us immediately and hits us hard,” Raphael said. “When fuel costs rise, we need additional revenue just to cover our basic operating expenses – but raising fares right now is not just unfeasible, it’s unfair to the traveling public, who are already grappling with their own rising cost of living.”

    Compounding the pressure of higher fuel costs is a steady, years-long decline in public transit ridership that has already squeezed profit margins to breaking point. Adding to that, chronic congestion on Barbados’ major roads forces buses to idle for extended periods, burning expensive fuel without generating any additional revenue from trips.

    “With fewer passengers paying fares and fuel costs climbing every month due to global market shifts, we have nowhere to turn but to the government for support,” Raphael added. The AOPT is calling for targeted government subsidies to help the sector offset rising fuel costs, paired with structural traffic reforms to cut unnecessary fuel consumption. The group has proposed introducing dedicated transit lanes for public transport and emergency vehicles on all major highways, a change that would cut journey times, reduce idle time, and improve overall operational efficiency.

    “Adopting dedicated lanes aligns with international best practices for public transit,” Raphael noted. “Giving public service vehicles clear, unobstructed lanes will cut down on congestion-related fuel waste, which directly offsets a portion of these rising operational costs we’re facing.”

    While the public transport sector faces immediate, acute pressure from rising pump prices, the broader Barbados private sector is bracing for far-reaching ripple effects that will touch every corner of the island’s economy, BPSA chairman James Clarke warned. Clarke emphasized that today’s oil market volatility is a global phenomenon, and Barbados’ heavy reliance on imported goods and raw materials means the island cannot escape its impact.

    Clarke laid out the scale of the global shift: oil benchmarks have swung dramatically since the start of the year, rising from roughly $65 per barrel to peaks above $120, and have now settled at a far higher trading range than Barbados businesses planned for. Compounding this volatility is ongoing maritime insecurity along critical global shipping chokepoints, including the Strait of Hormuz, the Red Sea and the Suez Canal. These security risks have forced major shipping lines to divert from the shorter traditional routes to longer, more circuitous paths around the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa, which adds days to voyage times and dramatically increases fuel and labor costs for carriers. These added costs are ultimately passed down to importers and consumers in Barbados.

    “When shipping lines have to take a longer route, that means more fuel burned, more crew time, higher overall operating costs,” Clarke explained. “Those costs trickle down to every product that comes into this country, from food to consumer goods to raw materials for local manufacturing.”

    The knock-on effects extend far beyond retail consumer goods, hitting two of Barbados’ most critical economic pillars: agriculture and tourism. For agriculture, higher oil prices drive up the cost of fertilizer production, pushing up input costs for local farmers and increasing the island’s food import bill. For tourism, which is the backbone of the Barbados economy, sharp spikes in jet fuel prices are forcing airlines to raise ticket prices, which could deter international travelers from booking trips to the island. Clarke noted that jet fuel prices have more than doubled since the start of the year, jumping from around $100 per barrel to a peak of $220 in April, and remain far above pre-crisis levels.

    “All of these factors add up to one outcome: higher prices across the board for every Barbadian,” Clarke said.

    In response to these systemic threats, both industry groups are calling for a dual-track policy approach from the Barbados government: immediate measures to contain short-term cost pressures, paired with urgent action to accelerate the country’s transition to energy independence. The BPSA is pushing for faster deployment of renewable energy projects, widespread adoption of energy efficiency measures for both households and businesses, and a re-evaluation of global supply chain sourcing strategies to reduce exposure to volatile international energy and shipping markets.

    “This crisis is a wake-up call for us to double down on the things we can control to insulate our economy from global shocks,” Clarke said. “We need to get renewable energy projects online as quickly as possible, prioritize energy conservation across all sectors, and work with our regional neighbors to build a more resilient, less oil-dependent local economy.”

  • No Bus Stop Shade? CitCo Says “Modern Bus Stops” Are Coming

    No Bus Stop Shade? CitCo Says “Modern Bus Stops” Are Coming

    In response to public outcry over inadequate waiting conditions for transit users, Belize City Council has confirmed it will move forward with a city-wide upgrade of bus stop infrastructure, tied directly to the ongoing expansion of its electric bus fleet. The issue was brought to public attention in mid-July 2026, when local outlet News 5 received a report detailing the experience of an elderly Belize City resident who was forced to endure extreme heat while waiting for public transit without any shade or shelter at their stop. Council representative Miller acknowledged that the resident’s complaint was entirely valid, confirming that a structured upgrade plan has already entered its initial implementation phase.

    The first milestone of the initiative will be the construction of a state-of-the-art modern bus shelter directly in front of Battlefield Park, a high-traffic location in central downtown Belize City. Beyond this new flagship stop, the council has plans to roll out additional new stops and carry out comprehensive renovations to existing outdated shelters across the city, all aligned with the addition of new electric buses to the municipal transit fleet.

    Miller addressed a key question from the public: why shade structures and proper shelters were not included in the initial rollout of the e-bus program. He explained that the project launched as a limited-scope pilot initiative, designed solely to test whether electric buses could operate effectively and viably in Belize’s context. With a constrained budget allocated for the pilot phase, non-critical infrastructure upgrades like bus stop shelters were not factored into the original project scope, even as council leadership has discussed adding them for some time.

    The pilot has now exceeded expectations, according to Miller, who noted that the e-mobility program has proven popular among local residents and is now a permanent addition to the city’s transit network. With the program’s success confirmed, the council is now ready to allocate funding for the supporting infrastructure that commuters need. “As residents deserve an upgraded bus service, they also deserve not to have to wait for buses in a place that is not conducive,” Miller emphasized, highlighting that improved waiting conditions are a core part of the city’s commitment to delivering quality public transit to all residents.

  • Antigua and Barbuda Monitoring Results of Under-16 Social Media Bans

    Antigua and Barbuda Monitoring Results of Under-16 Social Media Bans

    The government of Antigua and Barbuda has announced it will not rush to implement new digital restriction legislation, instead opting to first analyze the outcomes of similar policies rolled out in other nations before making a final decision.

    According to senior official Merchant, the administration is taking a deliberate, evidence-based approach to this policy question. Rather than adopting regulatory measures on digital activity without clear data, the government is prioritizing a thorough review of how comparable restrictions have functioned in jurisdictions that have already put them into place.

    “What are the concrete outcomes that these countries have seen after putting their policies into effect?” Merchant stated in comments on the proposal. “Our entire process hinges on evaluating those results first, only then will we move forward with a clear determination that fits our national context.”

    Beyond the review of international results, Merchant also highlighted a key practical challenge that any future digital restriction framework would face in Antigua and Barbuda: enforcing regulatory controls in the face of tech-savvy younger populations. He openly acknowledged that many young people in the country have advanced digital skills that allow them to quickly identify and work around official digital limitations, creating significant enforcement hurdles that policymakers must account for before moving forward with any new legislation.

  • 27 July deadline for applications to Pearl Allison Lake Scholarship Fund

    27 July deadline for applications to Pearl Allison Lake Scholarship Fund

    The Eastern Caribbean Telecommunications Authority (ECTEL) has announced a key update for aspiring scholarship applicants: the submission deadline for the 2026 Pearl Allison Lake (PAL) Scholarship Fund has been pushed back to 10 a.m. Atlantic Standard Time on Monday, July 27, 2026. This decision comes as a benefit to prospective candidates, granting them extra weeks to finalize their application materials, resolve any outstanding requirements, and submit complete packages for consideration.

    ECTEL officials have urged eligible students hailing from all ECTEL Contracting States to take advantage of this extended window to thoroughly review the scholarship’s eligibility criteria and compile all mandatory supporting documentation before the new cutoff date. Important notes for applicants: submissions that arrive after the deadline, or applications that are missing required information or documentation, will not be reviewed by the selection committee. For students who have already successfully submitted their complete applications, no further action is required – their materials will remain under consideration as scheduled.

    Full details on the PAL Scholarship Fund, including official application guidelines, eligibility rules, and access to required forms, are hosted on ECTEL’s digital platforms. Eligible applicants can access the 2026 cohort online application form directly, while the separate referee form, which must be completed by a staff member from the applicant’s primary school, is also available for download and submission through the authority’s official channels.

    Beyond the application update, the PAL Scholarship Fund carries deep institutional meaning for ECTEL. It was established to honor the legacy of Pearl Allison Lake, a beloved and long-serving member of the ECTEL Directorate who dedicated 20 years of her career to the organization before her passing in June 2024. Lake was widely recognized for her unwavering commitment to expanding educational opportunities for children, and she consistently advocated for the transformative power that access to learning can bring to young lives. The scholarship fund stands as a permanent tribute to her values and service, carrying forward her mission of supporting the next generation of learners across the Eastern Caribbean.

  • Govt says Minister Frederick on vacation leave

    Govt says Minister Frederick on vacation leave

    A Caribbean government is navigating growing political pressure after its top housing official moved forward with a pre-planned annual vacation, just weeks after the minister was brought in for police questioning tied to an ongoing criminal probe.

    Richard Frederick, the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Urban Renewal, began his approved leave that will run through August 27, according to an official announcement released by the Office of the Prime Minister this Friday. To guarantee no disruption to public services during Frederick’s absence, the government has implemented pre-established contingency measures for portfolio handover: Shawn Edward, currently serving as Infrastructure, Ports Services and Energy Minister, will take over all duties related to the Housing and Urban Renewal portfolios, while Senior Minister Stephenson King — who already holds oversight of Public Service, Transport, Information and Utilities Regulation — will add Local Government responsibilities to his existing role.

    The Prime Minister’s office emphasized in its official statement that this temporary reallocation of ministerial duties follows long-standing government protocol designed to maintain uninterrupted governance whenever a sitting minister takes scheduled annual leave. “The Government thanks the public for its understanding and remains committed to the uninterrupted delivery of services throughout this period,” the statement read, making no mention of the ongoing criminal investigation or any linkage between the probe and Frederick’s scheduled time off.

    The controversy surrounding Frederick emerged earlier this month, when local police confirmed they had questioned the minister in connection with a criminal matter. No charges have been filed against Frederick to date, and the minister himself has issued a public denial of any wrongdoing. Despite the lack of formal charges, the country’s main opposition party, the United Workers Party, has ramped up public calls for Frederick to resign immediately or be removed from the cabinet by the current administration.

    The situation puts the ruling government in a delicate position, balancing adherence to standard administrative procedures for ministerial leave against growing public and political pressure to address the unanswered questions raised by the police investigation.

  • Poker run returns to spotlight coastal communities, marine tourism and Dominica’s blue economy

    Poker run returns to spotlight coastal communities, marine tourism and Dominica’s blue economy

    This weekend, Dominica’s western coastline is set to welcome hundreds of fishing lovers and recreational boaters for an annual two-day celebration of the island’s deep maritime heritage, designed to drive visitor spending and economic growth for small local coastal communities.

    According to official event organizers, the first activity on the schedule kicks off Saturday, July 25, in the coastal village of Toucari: the long-running annual Sport Fishing Tournament, which draws competitive anglers from across the entire island for a day of friendly competition on the Caribbean waters.

    The following day, July 26, will see the launch of the much-anticipated Poker Run Dominica 2026, a one-of-a-kind leisure boating experience that prioritizes scenic exploration over speed. Unlike traditional powerboat races, this event tasks participating teams with traveling by sea from Le Village at Rockaway in Canefield all the way to Toucari, stopping at pre-marked checkpoints along the stunning coastal route to collect a single playing card at each stop.

    Once all teams reach the final destination in Toucari, the team that has assembled the strongest five-card poker hand from their collected cards will take home the event’s grand prize of 10,000 Eastern Caribbean dollars. Since the final result depends entirely on the luck of the draw rather than how fast teams complete the route, organizers designed the event to encourage participants to slow down, soak in the coastal scenery, and engage with the local communities along their journey.

    What started as a small niche gathering for boating enthusiasts has grown into far more than a simple weekend of recreation, event leaders note. Over the years, the annual festival has become a key economic driver for small coastal villages, with visiting participants and spectators pouring extra revenue into local restaurants, bars, retail shops, and other neighborhood small businesses.

    “One of the most rewarding parts of organizing Poker Run year after year is seeing how directly it lifts up the communities that open their doors to our participants,” shared Jael Joseph, Marketing and Promotions Lead for Poker Run Dominica 2026. “Every year, guests get to explore hidden corners of Dominica that they would never get to experience from land, and along the way, they put money directly into the pockets of local vendors, food service workers, entertainers, and small business owners. This creates sustained economic momentum that lasts long after the event wraps up. This festival is all about celebrating our beautiful coastline and making sure the communities that call it home get to share in the benefits of our growing tourism sector.”

    The weekend of activities will conclude with a closing celebration in Toucari, where participating boaters, local residents, and visiting spectators will come together for live local music, community-led festivities, and the official prize-giving ceremony to honor the tournament and poker run winners.

    Organizers say the steady growth in attendance and public interest for the event mirrors a broader global shift in travel preferences: more and more visitors are seeking authentic marine-focused tourism experiences that complement Dominica’s already world-renowned eco-tourism brand, which draws millions in annual tourism revenue to the island. Organizers also extended public thanks to the Government of Dominica for its official endorsement of the event, as well as to private sponsors, volunteer workers, local community partners, and participating small businesses whose collective support makes the annual festival possible each year.

    Members of the public, both local and visiting, are invited to attend all scheduled activities over the weekend, offering a chance to experience Dominica’s unspoiled coastline firsthand while directly supporting the coastal communities that form the backbone of the island’s growing marine tourism sector.

  • Belize City’s Sargassum Bill: $10,000 Now, Could Need Up to $325K for Seasons Ahead

    Belize City’s Sargassum Bill: $10,000 Now, Could Need Up to $325K for Seasons Ahead

    By July 24, 2026, the persistent problem of invasive sargassum seaweed has pushed the Belize City Council to pursue long-term mitigation strategies, after the local government already allocated thousands of dollars in emergency funding to clear shorelines along the city’s coastline.

    Deputy Mayor Eluidge Miller shared details of the city’s ongoing response in a Thursday briefing, noting that cleanup operations are currently reactive: crews are only deployed when official forecasts predict large, disruptive influxes of the floating brown algae that threatens Belize’s coastal ecosystems and tourism economy. To address an early-July sargassum bloom, the council arranged to rent a specialized seaweed harvester from the Hol Chan Marine Reserve, running a three to four day clearing operation that cost an estimated $10,000. That price tag covered only the harvester rental and its operating crew; extra costs for dump trucks, fuel, and supporting heavy machinery pushed total spending for this initial cleanup even higher.

    Unlike larger coastal management agencies, Belize City does not own its own specialized sargassum removal equipment, meaning every emergency cleanup requires renting gear from outside partners, adding unplanned costs to the city’s annual budget. To address this gap, the council is currently evaluating a new removal approach recommended by the national government’s Sargassum Task Force: adapting standard excavators for sargassum clearing, a method that has already delivered successful results in other coastal regions of Belize.

    An internal engineering assessment completed earlier this month framed sargassum blooms as a permanent, recurring seasonal challenge for Belize City, rather than a one-time environmental event. The assessment called for creating a dedicated, sustained funding stream to support ongoing cleanup and mitigation work. According to the report’s projections, a fully resourced emergency response program would cost roughly $170,000, while a comprehensive year-round seasonal maintenance strategy to keep shorelines clear through peak bloom periods would require between $250,000 and $325,000 in total funding.

    Miller emphasized that city leadership is under no illusion that the sargassum problem will resolve on its own. “I don’t think it’s a problem that will go away,” he said, confirming that the council is actively building institutional and financial capacity to tackle the ongoing challenge consistently in coming years.