Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic – A major infrastructure upgrade is underway at one of the Caribbean’s busiest air transit hubs, as Aeropuertos Dominicanos Siglo XXI (Aerodom), a member of the global Vinci Airports network, has formally contracted local firm Ingeniería Estrella to head up the comprehensive rehabilitation of Runway 17-35 at Las Américas International Airport (AILA). The transformative infrastructure project carries a total budget of more than US$20 million, with core goals centered on elevating aviation safety standards and boosting the airport’s daily operational efficiency.
分类： business
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Rising aircraft fuel prices to increase domestic airfares – AOAG president
Fresh geopolitical tensions between the United States and Iran have spilled over into global energy markets, sending shockwaves through Guyana’s small domestic aviation sector. The head of the country’s leading aviation industry body announced Monday that immediate price increases for aircraft fuel will translate to higher travel costs for passengers, particularly those flying to interior regions of the South American nation.
Learie Barclay, President of the Aviation Operators’ Association of Guyana (AOAG), confirmed that fare adjustments will take effect starting Tuesday, leaving domestic carriers with no alternative but to pass steep new fuel costs onto consumers. He noted that the sector had only recently implemented a fuel price reduction, leaving operators with no remaining buffer to absorb new upward price pressures.
“There is no waiting this out. We’ve just had a price reduction so there isn’t really a margin to do much absorption. The prices will definitely rise. I can’t tell you by how much… The prices are definitely going to rise starting tomorrow,” Barclay told local outlet Demerara Waves Online News.
Breakdown of the cost increases shows a dramatic divergence across fuel grades: aviation gasoline, the primary fuel for smaller piston-engine aircraft, will rise by 11 percent, while the acquisition cost of aviation jet fuel for larger turbine-engine planes is projected to jump by as much as 75 percent. Turbine-engine aircraft will bear the brunt of the price shock, Barclay said, though smaller propeller-driven aircraft will also face measurable cost increases.
As a small-volume fuel consumer with limited market bargaining power, Guyana’s aviation sector is disproportionately vulnerable to global price volatility, according to Barclay. “We are at the lower end of the usage. We don’t have the amount of clout in terms of what we buy so we are one of the countries that will be affected the most by this,” he explained.
While fares will increase, Barclay clarified that the percentage rise in ticket prices will be lower than the percentage jump in fuel costs, since fuel accounts for between 38 and 40 percent of airlines’ total operational expenses. Beyond direct fuel costs, the price hike is also expected to ripple through the sector, pushing up the cost of aircraft parts and other critical operational inputs.
Barclay added that the AOAG has not yet received any commitment or outreach from the Guyanese government regarding fuel subsidies to offset the increases, though he remains hopeful that policy discussions will be convened to address the crisis. To insulate the country from future global energy price shocks, the AOAG chief is calling for long-term investment in domestic or regional refining capacity.
“As a producer of raw materials, I think that we can produce our own avgas and avjet and bring the cost down,” he said, urging the government to move forward with plans to build a local refinery or secure access to a nearby facility.
The Guyanese government has already signaled it is exploring strategies to buffer the domestic market from global energy volatility caused by international conflict. It has actively courted Middle Eastern oil producers to construct large-scale bulk fuel storage facilities within the country, and President Irfaan Ali recently proposed that a share of Guyana’s crude oil could be processed at Trinidad and Tobago’s idled Petrotrin refinery once it resumes operations.
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FLASH – Resumption of Haiti-Brazil flights of Zed Airlines
After a multi-week suspension triggered by dangerous hostile fire incidents targeting two of its aircraft, Zed Airlines has officially restarted commercial flight operations between Haiti and Brazil, marking a key milestone for the Caribbean nation’s international connectivity. On Monday, April 13, 2026, the carrier’s flight #9710 — operated on behalf of Zed by Aeroregional, with a 160-passenger capacity — departed Port-au-Prince’s Toussaint Louverture International Airport (AITL) en route to Brazil, establishing the first direct air link between the two countries since service was paused. This return to regular operations comes after a period of uncertainty following the attacks that damaged two of Zed Airlines’ planes, prompting the immediate suspension of all cross-border routes. In response to rising passenger demand for the Haiti-Brazil route and a broader push to regularize both migratory movement and commercial trade flows between the two nations, additional flights have already been scheduled to run through the remainder of April. Haitian government officials framed the resumption of service as a deliberate demonstration of the administration’s commitment to preserving Haiti’s access to global transportation networks. The country’s Ministry of Transport and senior leadership at Toussaint Louverture International Airport have confirmed they are maintaining full operational mobilization to deliver a secure, high-quality travel experience for all passengers using the airport’s international services. The restart of flights comes as stakeholders work to balance security concerns with the critical economic and social need for sustained international air connectivity, filling a gap that has disrupted travel and commerce for weeks since the gunfire incidents forced service to halt.
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Barbados, St Lucia forge blue economy ties over fish feed from waste
A senior delegation of fisheries industry stakeholders from Saint Lucia has arrived in Barbados to kick off a six-day peer-to-peer learning exchange centered on a groundbreaking local fish silage initiative that is redefining sustainable blue economic growth across the Caribbean.
The core goal of the visit is for the visiting delegation to gain a full, actionable blueprint to replicate Barbados’ innovative model, which converts discarded fish processing byproducts into two high-value agricultural goods: nutrient-dense animal feed and organic bio-fertilizer. By diverting thousands of tons of organic waste from overcrowded landfills and cutting regional reliance on costly imported feed stocks, the project has been widely recognized as a game-changing foundation for expanding the Caribbean’s sustainable blue economy.
At the official opening ceremony held at UN House in Hastings, Yvette Diei-Ouadi, a fisheries and aquaculture officer with the Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) Subregional Office for the Caribbean, formally welcomed the Saint Lucian team, outlining that the visit is structured around three key priority objectives. While mastering the technical process of turning fish waste into silage remains the central focus, the agenda also dedicates significant time to addressing a pressing market access barrier currently facing Saint Lucia. As Diei-Ouadi explained, Saint Lucia currently holds a ban on exporting fish and fish-based products to the United States, a restriction Barbados successfully overcame after years of targeted work. The island’s accumulated experience in lifting this trade barrier offers critical actionable lessons for Saint Lucia to follow.
Diei-Ouadi emphasized that Barbados’ trade success was not the outcome of a single standalone project, but the result of a coordinated sequence of targeted interventions launched all the way back in 2018. “It was never one single project – it was a whole suite of connected initiatives that brought us to where we are today,” she noted. “We started with very modest seed funding through FAO’s Technical Cooperation Programme (TCP), a small grant delivered at the formal request of the government of Barbados.”
The economic imperatives driving the fish silage model are impossible to ignore for Caribbean nations: imported animal feed makes up more than 70% of total livestock production costs across the region. By scaling local production of fish silage feed, Barbados has built a critical buffer against volatile global commodity market shocks, most notably the dramatic feed price spikes that followed the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Diei-Ouadi pointed out that the timing of the initiative put it in the spotlight exactly when regional actors needed it most. “Our project gained widespread attention when the Russia-Ukraine conflict sent grain and feed prices skyrocketing, and producers across the Caribbean were struggling with cost increases,” she said. “We were able to show that we had already developed a local solution that was completely insulated from global instability halfway across the world.”
Beyond its economic benefits, the project also tackles a pressing environmental challenge facing Barbados. Every day, hundreds of tons of fish waste are dumped in the island’s landfills, where anaerobic decomposition releases methane – a greenhouse gas more than 20 times more potent than carbon dioxide at trapping heat in the atmosphere. Diverting this waste to fish silage production eliminates these harmful emissions while creating economic value from material that would otherwise be discarded.
Wayne Smith, executive director of Barbados Ruminants Farm Services, detailed how a cohort of young agricultural entrepreneurs repurposed an abandoned facility donated by the Ministry of Agriculture into a central production hub for the initiative. A key innovation that makes the model accessible to small local producers is its adoption of a biological silage production process that uses locally sourced molasses from Barbados’ domestic sugar industry, rather than relying on imported chemical acids to preserve the silage.
“It became clear very early that the biological method was the right path for our smallholder farmers,” Smith explained. “The acid-based process required importing key inputs, which drove up costs and created supply chain risks. The biological method gives small producers far more flexibility and control over their production.” Diei-Ouadi added that the choice to adapt the model to use local inputs proved its worth during the COVID-19 pandemic, when global supply chain disruptions made importing any inputs nearly impossible – leaving the local biological pathway as the only viable option to keep the project running.
The learning exchange also addresses a less technical but equally critical challenge: shifting entrenched mindsets within the regional agricultural sector. Discussions during the opening session revealed that some established veterinary services have been slow to embrace locally produced fish silage, continuing to prioritize more expensive imported commercial feed concentrates. Smith noted that multinational feed companies invest heavily in marketing to maintain market share, making it harder for local alternatives to gain traction. “When 70% of your total production cost goes to feed, you have no choice but to build local systems that bring that number down,” he emphasized.
The success of Barbados’ fish silage initiative has already spurred follow-on development, including the launch of the Youth Agribusiness Incubator Centre, which Diei-Ouadi described as a regional center of excellence for sustainable agricultural innovation across the Caribbean. The project has also built lasting community connections: a permanent WhatsApp coordination group created for fishers and producers remains one of the most active professional networks in the sector. Diei-Ouadi added that the initiative is already driving long-term change for fisheries governance: Barbados’ Ministry of Agriculture is now reallocating budget resources that previously covered fish waste removal costs to other high-priority fisheries development activities, since fishers now retain their processing waste to contribute to silage production.
As the Saint Lucian delegation prepares to begin hands-on technical training this week, the cross-island learning mission stands as a powerful example of targeted cooperation within the Caribbean Community (Caricom) as member states work toward the shared goal of cutting extra-regional food imports by 25% by 2030.
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Republic Bank introduceert online rekening openen via RepublicOnboard
In a major push to modernize retail banking services and enhance customer accessibility, Republic Bank has announced the launch of a groundbreaking end-to-end digital account opening platform named RepublicOnboard, announced in a recent public statement dated April 13.
Unlike traditional account opening processes that require mandatory in-person visits to a bank branch, the new solution empowers customers to complete their entire application from any location, at any time. Every step of the journey, from initial application submission to identity verification, is conducted completely online, cutting out lengthy wait times and paperwork that have long frustrated banking customers.
To complete their application, users simply upload digital copies of required documentation, including government-issued proof of identity, confirmation of residential address, and income information if available. Identity verification is finalized through a secure, encrypted selfie-check process that matches the user’s photo to their official identity document. Republic Bank confirmed that the new platform is directly integrated with its core banking infrastructure, a design choice that guarantees both high-level security for user data and a smooth, efficient onboarding experience. As an added convenience, customers are automatically enrolled in the bank’s existing digital banking services, including online banking and mobile banking apps, immediately after their account is approved.
The platform offers customers a range of account options to suit different needs, including the no-monthly-fee e-free checking account, a standard giro account, and a personal savings account. The e-free option, which charges no recurring monthly maintenance costs, is expected to be particularly popular among consumers who rely almost exclusively on digital banking services and have little need for in-branch support.
Republic Bank also emphasized that its existing ATM services will remain fully operational for customers following the launch. Account holders can still withdraw funds in both Surinamese dollars (SRD) and United States dollars (USD), with a daily withdrawal limit of SRD 20,000 that carries no extra transaction fees.Industry observers note that the launch of RepublicOnboard marks a key milestone in Republic Bank’s broader strategy to expand digital transformation and customer-centric service delivery across the regional banking sector. The move aligns with a global industry trend toward fully digital banking experiences, as financial institutions compete to meet rising consumer expectations for flexible, accessible financial services.
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Farming Without Chemicals? New $180K Bio Push Targets Sugar Crisis
As the sugar sector, one of Belize’s most economically vital industries, grapples with escalating threats from crop disease and climate-driven stress, stakeholders are shifting away from conventional chemical solutions toward innovative biological agricultural interventions. This week marked a key milestone in that transition, when the Climate Resilient and Sustainable Agriculture Project (CRESAP) distributed the first shipment of specialized biological agents to the Sugar Industry Research and Development Institute (SIRDI).
The delivery, valued at over $181,000, is the first of six planned shipments under the wider initiative, which forms a core part of Belize’s national strategy to safeguard its sugar production. Funding for the full $25 million program comes from the World Bank, marking a major international investment in sustainable agricultural transition for the small Central American nation.
The specific biological agents being rolled out include three well-documented beneficial microbes: Trichoderma harzianum, Bacillus subtilis, and Streptomyces lydicus. These naturally occurring microorganisms are targeted at controlling Fusarium, a widespread fungal disease that has decimated sugar cane yields across many tropical growing regions. Unlike synthetic chemical fungicides, these biological solutions work by leveraging natural microbial interactions to suppress pathogen growth, rather than relying on toxic synthetic compounds.
According to an official statement released by the Belizean government, the beneficial properties of these agents extend beyond disease control. The microbes are expected to stimulate stronger root development in sugar cane plants, boost overall crop resilience, and improve plant health even amid shifting climate conditions that have created more favorable environments for fungal outbreaks. Ultimately, the initiative aims to stabilize and increase sugar yields for Belizean farmers without continuing to rely on chemical inputs that can carry long-term environmental and health costs.
For Belize, where sugar production remains a cornerstone of rural employment and export revenue, the success of this biological push could set a precedent for other agricultural sectors grappling with climate change and disease pressure across the Global South.
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FIU urgent public advisories: Money Mule and Smishing scams
Grenada’s top financial oversight body, the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), has issued two urgent public alerts to warn local residents about two increasingly common financial fraud schemes that have targeted people in the country recently: money mule scams and smishing attacks targeting bank customers.
The first scam, the money mule scheme, preys on people seeking quick, easy side income by exploiting their personal bank accounts to move stolen funds out of Grenada’s borders. Scammers typically initiate contact through a friend or an unexpected online connection, offering a casual job that requires the target to simply allow funds to be deposited into their personal account in exchange for a cut of the money. Once stolen funds are transferred into the target’s account, the scammers instruct the target to withdraw the full sum and forward the majority of it to an overseas account via local money service remittance providers, letting the target keep a small portion as payment for their role. The FIU emphasizes that participating in this scheme is not a harmless side gig—it is a serious criminal offense. Anyone who agrees to let their account be used to receive and transfer these illicit funds can face charges for money laundering and handling proceeds of crime, which carry penalties including heavy fines and imprisonment. To avoid falling victim and facing legal consequences, the FIU urges residents to never share personal bank account details to support unvetted, illegitimate transactions, never withdraw or transfer funds that are not rightfully their own. If approached by scammers, individuals should contact their bank immediately and file a report with the FIU right away.
Alongside the money mule warning, the FIU also issued an alert about a surge in smishing attacks—fraudulent text messaging campaigns that specifically target Grenadian bank customers. These scams use fake text messages sent from local Grenadian phone numbers to trick recipients. The messages typically claim the recipient’s bank account has been suspended or that suspicious unusual activity has been detected, and include a clickable link that claims to let the user fix the issue immediately. While these messages and accompanying fake pages are often designed to look identical to legitimate bank communications, they are entirely fraudulent. If a recipient clicks the link, they are redirected to a convincing fake bank website that mirrors the design of a real local bank portal. When targets enter their full banking credentials—including their full name, account password, authentication codes, and registered email address—the stolen information is immediately sent to the criminals behind the scam. With this access, scammers can take full control of the victim’s bank account and linked email, then transfer all available funds out of the account within hours. Even if the account holds no balance at the time of the attack, the account and personal information remain permanently compromised.
To protect against smishing attacks, the FIU outlines clear safety guidelines that all bank customers should follow. Consumers should never click links included in unsolicited text messages or emails claiming to be from their bank, and should never share personal or banking-sensitive information through SMS links or third-party web portals. One-time passwords and two-factor authentication codes should never be shared with any third party, even someone claiming to be a bank representative. Instead of clicking links from messages, users should always manually type their bank’s official web address into their browser to access their account. Any message claiming account issues should be verified by calling the bank directly through its official publicly listed contact number. If an individual realizes they have already fallen victim to a smishing attack, they are instructed to contact their bank immediately to lock the account, change all passwords for both online banking and linked email accounts, and submit a full report to the FIU for investigation. A key reminder from the FIU: no legitimate bank will ever ask customers to verify or restore their account access via a text message link. The core rule of thumb for consumers to avoid this scam is simple: don’t click, don’t share, don’t send sensitive information.
This public advisory is released by the Financial Intelligence Unit of Grenada, with the outlet NOW Grenada noting that it does not take responsibility for opinions or content shared by contributing official bodies, and provides a channel for users to report abusive content if encountered.
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GTA targets high-yield growth and MICE Opportunities in Guyana
After four days of targeted industry discussions and collaborative engagements, the Grenada Tourism Authority (GTA) has wrapped up a high-stakes sales mission in Guyana, laying new groundwork for expanded tourism cooperation between the two Caribbean neighbours. The core goal of the mission was to strengthen existing bilateral tourism partnerships and unlock untapped growth pathways that benefit both island nations.
A central priority of the GTA’s outreach centered on the fast-expanding Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Events (MICE) sector. During one-on-one and group sessions with Guyanese corporate stakeholders, GTA representatives showcased Grenada’s world-class event infrastructure and proven ability to host everything from small executive retreats to large-scale regional professional forums. These presentations positioned Grenada’s tri-island destination as a flexible, attractive option for the Guyanese business community seeking unique event locations outside traditional markets.
Beyond corporate and MICE-focused travel, the mission also included structured technical briefings with local travel trade partners in Guyana. These sessions updated industry stakeholders on the latest developments across Grenada’s tourism ecosystem, from ongoing upgrades to airlift connectivity between the two countries to the rapid expansion of Grenada’s luxury and boutique accommodation offerings. Representatives also outlined plans for new custom-curated travel experiences tailored to the varied preferences of Guyana’s local population and large expatriate community.
Tornia Charles, Chief Marketing Officer at the GTA, emphasized the strategic logic behind the mission, noting that Guyana’s rapidly evolving economy has driven equally rapid shifts in the travel habits and expectations of its residents. “This mission was designed to align our tourism product with those shifting demands, ensuring that Grenada’s business and experiential offerings directly meet the rising expectations of this maturing market,” Charles explained.
The outcomes of the in-country engagements align closely with the GTA’s broader regional development goals, with insights and feedback collected during the mission set to shape the authority’s future marketing campaigns and trade support initiatives.
Melinda Telesford, Marketing Executive at the GTA, added that the on-the-ground engagement gave the GTA team unparalleled insight into the needs of Guyanese travelers. “This mission allowed us to go beyond the surface and truly understand the pulse of the Guyanese traveller. We found a remarkable alignment between Guyana’s growing professional class and Grenada’s diverse experiential offerings, which will allow us to curate a bespoke marketing roadmap for this market moving forward,” Telesford said.
By targeting both the fast-growing corporate MICE segment and the rising demand for premium leisure travel, the GTA is moving beyond conventional destination promotion to build a long-term, sustainable cross-Caribbean tourism corridor. This strategic positioning ensures that as Guyana’s travel market continues to mature, Grenada is well-prepared to welcome a new wave of discerning, experienced travelers seeking unique Caribbean getaways.
Disclaimer: NOW Grenada does not assume responsibility for opinions or statements shared by contributing parties. Users may report content violations through designated official channels.
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Bus Operators Say 75% of Earnings Now Goes Just to Fuel
A looming public transportation crisis is set to upend daily travel for thousands of Belizeans, with independent bus operators announcing they could suspend all services within days if the national government fails to deliver urgent financial support. The warning, delivered by Philip Jones – president of the Belize Bus Association and a veteran city bus operator – paints a dire picture of an industry pushed to the breaking point by spiraling operational costs and institutional gridlock.
The crisis traces back to a decision from Belize’s Cabinet last Friday, when policymakers delayed acting on two critical demands from the association: a long-requested fare adjustment and a targeted fuel subsidy to offset global price spikes. Jones describes the financial pressure facing association members as “colossal”, a burden that has already made daily route operations unsustainable for dozens of small operators.
Global market volatility driven by ongoing Middle East conflict has sent fuel prices surging across Belize, eating into operator revenues at an unprecedented rate. Jones confirmed that 75% of the average operator’s daily earnings now go exclusively to covering fuel costs – leaving almost no disposable income for mandatory vehicle maintenance, employee wages, or even earnings for the business owners themselves. “Many days we don’t get a salary as owners,” Jones explained, highlighting the cascading impact of rising energy costs across small transportation businesses.
Tensions have also spilled over into long-simmering friction between independent operators and the state-linked National Bus Company (NBC). Jones reports that association members have lost faith in the Minister of Transport to advance their interests, accusing the minister of withholding support to pressure independent operators into aligning with the state-run NBC. The operators have already raised allegations of anti-competitive practices by NBC, including so-called “sniper runs” where state-owned buses cut off independently scheduled routes to pick up passengers first, further eroding already thin profit margins for small businesses.
In a push to break the current deadlock, Jones has begun drafting a formal letter requesting a direct meeting with Prime Minister John Briceño to address the crisis. The association is also renewing a long-standing demand for a representative seat on the national transport board – a position the group has been denied since Jones first formally requested the representation in writing back in September 2025. Without immediate intervention from the prime minister, Jones warns, commuters across the country who rely on independent bus service for work, school, and essential travel could be left stranded without notice.
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OWOS schort beraad op na constructief overleg met EBS-directie
A major breakthrough has been reached in labor tensions at Suriname’s primary energy provider, De Energie Bedrijven Suriname (EBS), after the company’s recognized employee union, OWOS, announced it would suspend previously announced industrial action. The decision came following a productive round of talks between union leadership and EBS senior management, OWOS chair Marciano Hellings confirmed in an interview with local outlet Starnieuws.
The negotiation session was led by EBS Chief Operating Officer Robert Pancham, with Technical Director Rishidath Mathoera and Chief Financial Officer Felicia Zerp also in attendance. This meeting marked the first constructive dialogue between the two sides after a lengthy period of deadlock, according to Hellings, who emphasized that the tone of the talks marked a positive shift in labor relations at the firm.
Both sides signed off on a clear set of binding agreements during the discussion. A key deadline has been set: by the end of this week (Thursday), the parties are expected to finalize negotiations on the 2025 collective labor agreement, and will immediately launch talks on the 2026 agreement once that milestone is completed.
Another critical commitment reached during the talks requires EBS management to publish an official position on the controversial 40K allowance by April 30, with the principle of pay equity mandated as the core starting point for the stance. The agreement also specifies that all other outstanding personnel issues must either be fully resolved or officially placed on the formal processing track by the same end-of-April deadline.
Following the negotiation, the full set of outcomes was presented to OWOS’s general membership assembly, which voted to approve a temporary suspension of the planned industrial action. Hellings explained that the membership body chose to grant both the union leadership and EBS management sufficient time and space to implement all agreed-upon measures within the set deadlines.
A follow-up general assembly has already been scheduled to convene after April 30 to review progress on all commitments. At that meeting, members will vote on whether to end the industrial action threat permanently or resume the planned work stoppage if the agreed terms are not met.