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  • Public servant asked to pay for house they ‘did not qualify’ to receive — Minister

    Public servant asked to pay for house they ‘did not qualify’ to receive — Minister

    A parliamentary session in St. Vincent and the Grenadines on Thursday has sparked debate over housing programme eligibility and political accountability, after Housing Minister Andrew John revealed that his ministry has ordered a public servant to reimburse the government for a home allocated to the individual under the previous Unity Labour Party (ULP) administration. John made the announcement while responding to a question from opposition Senator Carlos James, who had requested data on housing projects completed under the National Housing Rehabilitation and Construction Programme during the second quarter of 2026.

    John did not release additional identifying details about the public servant, the total construction cost of the property, the specific amount the individual has been ordered to pay, nor confirmation of whether payment has already been processed. Despite this lack of detail, the minister used the case to push back against opposition claims that the current government is selling off subsidized homes originally earmarked for survivors of Hurricane Beryl, low-income households, and other vulnerable Vincentian communities.

    “We have so far asked one person to pay for a house that was given to [them],” John told the parliamentary body. “The reason why we have asked that person to pay for that house — well, there are reasons.”

    Outlining the explicit criteria the current administration uses to approve subsidized or state-backed housing, John confirmed that the recipient does not meet the government’s eligibility requirements. “One, that person was not affected by Beryl. Secondly, the person [is] not poor [or] indigent — is a public servant who can pay,” he explained.

    The minister argued that no individual who avoided hurricane impact and has the financial means to cover housing costs should receive a free house and land through political connections or arbitrary decisions by past governments. Speaking directly to opposition lawmakers, he emphasized that the previous administration’s practice of granting free public housing to politically connected individuals will not continue under the current government.

    “If your government thought it was okay to give them a house and give them land without making a contribution to it, that does not happen under our government,” John said. He added that the administration’s policy requires financially capable applicants to contribute to their housing costs, while ensuring all public assistance is directed fairly to people with proven need.

    “When they come and think that they are entitled because of their relationship with whomever or whatever party, we are saying to you, you, as all of us would have done during our time, will be paying for a house if you want a house, as long as you are working and you have not been affected by Beryl,” John added.

    The revelation came during a broader parliamentary discussion covering the National Housing Rehabilitation and Construction Programme’s overall management, assistance eligibility rules, and the speed of repair and construction work. John also released official project data for the second quarter of 2026, noting that the ministry completed or assigned 88 housing-related projects between April 1 and June 30. This total breaks down to 52 roof repairs or replacements, 12 new home builds, five bathroom additions, three bedroom additions, six general repair projects, six electrical upgrades, and four plumbing repairs.

    In addition to the public servant case, John levelled criticism at the outgoing ULP administration, accusing it of leaving behind millions in unpaid obligations to contractors and building suppliers. He said these outstanding debts have limited the current government’s capacity to scale up housing delivery, noting that the ministry is currently working to settle past bills while also meeting ongoing public demand for home repairs and new construction.

    John reaffirmed that the current government’s core goal is to achieve “fair and equitable distribution” of all housing resources, with priority given to genuine need over political party affiliation. As of Thursday’s session, the opposition had not issued a formal response to John’s account of the public servant case.

  • Regering verhoogt lonen landsdienaren met 15%, geen akkoord met vakbeweging

    Regering verhoogt lonen landsdienaren met 15%, geen akkoord met vakbeweging

    In a joint announcement released on August 27, the government of Suriname has ordered a 15 percent across-the-board salary increase for all civil servants and equivalent public sector employees, marking a major step to address long-running demands for wage adjustments amid the country’s ongoing economic pressures.

    According to the official statement, the salary increase will take effect immediately, with the adjusted pay and backdated disbursements scheduled to reach employee accounts by the end of September 2026. While the decision comes after a series of closed-door negotiations between government officials and national labor union representatives, both sides have explicitly confirmed that no final comprehensive agreement on public sector working conditions has been reached.

    Suriname President Jennifer Simons shared the outcome of the negotiations during a press conference immediately following the release of the statement, emphasizing that dialogue with the labor movement will continue in the coming months to resolve remaining sticking points.

    To move forward with unresolved discussions, the two sides have agreed to establish a mixed joint working group tasked with developing detailed policy proposals. The panel will be composed of 8 government delegates and 7 representatives from various labor unions, and will be given a three-month timeline to finalize concrete plans for future adjustments to employment terms and the long-term financial framework for public sector salaries.

    The explicit emphasis on the lack of a final comprehensive agreement in the joint statement highlights that talks over public sector working conditions remain open, even with the immediate 15 percent wage increase now confirmed. Discussions over broader labor reforms and additional wage adjustments are expected to continue after the working group delivers its preliminary findings.

    The statement was signed on behalf of the Suriname government by Minister of Internal Affairs Marinus Bee, who also serves as chair of the presidential negotiation commission, and Vincent Fernandes, Director of the country’s Finance Department. Signatories on the labor side included senior representatives from two of the country’s largest union bodies, Ravaksur PLUS and BVL/ALS, alongside other labor movement leaders.

  • Deputy PM reports to Parliament on eye scare

    Deputy PM reports to Parliament on eye scare

    On Thursday, St. Vincent and the Grenadines Deputy Prime Minister St. Clair Leacock, 75, opened up to members of the national Parliament about his unexpected recent absence overseas, explaining that a sudden decline in his long-managed eye condition forced him to pause all official responsibilities to pursue urgent medical care abroad. The veteran lawmaker, who has served in national legislative bodies for 25 years and held the Central Kingstown parliamentary seat since 2010, said he chose to address the House directly to clear up any uncertainty among his constituents and the general public about his whereabouts and well-being.

    Leacock first revealed that his battle with serious eye issues dates back 13 years, when he developed retinal tears in both eyes that required emergency surgery and left him completely without vision for more than a week. Calling that period an extraordinarily unpleasant experience, he noted that the condition has required ongoing monitoring ever since. The latest health scare emerged on the very morning he was set to travel to Barbados to stand in for Prime Minister Godwin Friday at the funeral of iconic West Indies cricketer Sir Garfield Sobers, when he detected a sudden, worrying deterioration in his right eye’s vision.

    Recognizing the severity of the change, Leacock made the call to reschedule his official funeral duties and prioritize his health. Medical evaluations confirmed that immediate corrective intervention was necessary, and following his children’s recommendation, he opted to seek treatment in the United States rather than returning to Barbados, where his original surgery took place decades prior.

    Emphasizing that unplanned absences from parliamentary sessions are extremely out of character for him, Leacock told the chamber that in his quarter-century of service as both a senator and elected member of Parliament, he cannot recall ever missing a scheduled sitting. He confirmed he has now returned to his duties and is in overall good health, and shared his renewed commitment to proactive management of his eye health going forward. As part of that plan, he will undergo regular follow-up examinations over the next 12 months, which will require additional short trips overseas.

    Even during his medical trip, Leacock noted that he did not step away entirely from his ministerial responsibilities. He met with representatives of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Consulate in New York to work through ongoing matters tied to his portfolio, and indicated that he may share more details about that work when responding to an upcoming important parliamentary question. Parliamentary proceedings resumed as scheduled following his address.

  • ONE launches National Statistical Plan 2025-2028 to strengthen official data

    ONE launches National Statistical Plan 2025-2028 to strengthen official data

    In a formal ceremony held in Santo Domingo, the Dominican Republic’s National Statistics Office (ONE) has unveiled its third iteration of the National Statistical Plan (PEN) for the 2025-2028 period, a comprehensive strategic framework designed to unify and elevate the nation’s official statistical production, ensuring all public policy decisions are rooted in verifiable, high-quality data.

    As the successor to the 2013-2016 and 2021-2024 national statistical plans, this four-year initiative was developed in compliance with the requirements of Law 1-12, which governs the country’s 2030 National Development Strategy. The planning process included systematic updates to national inventories of statistical operations and administrative records, as well as broad consultation and validation workshops that brought together stakeholders from across the entire National Statistical System.

    A core foundational contribution of the new PEN is a country-wide gap assessment that mapped 880 high-priority indicators aligned with four key national and global frameworks: the National Development Strategy 2030, the National Multi-Year Public Sector Plan, the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, and the Montevideo Consensus on Population and Development. The assessment delivered clear insights into the current state of Dominican statistical production: 47% of the mapped indicators can already be fully measured using existing data resources, 33% require incremental upgrades to current collection and processing systems, and 20% suffer from substantial data gaps. The most severe gaps are concentrated in under prioritized areas including cultural statistics, construction and infrastructure tracking, social security reporting, and cross-cutting demographic and social statistics.

    ONE officials frame the identification of these unaddressed gaps as a core component of the institution’s commitment to governmental transparency and continuous improvement of the national statistical ecosystem. The entire plan is structured around three overarching strategic priorities that address the gaps and weaknesses uncovered in the assessment.

    The first priority is boosting the production and public dissemination of timely, accurate statistics. Key actions under this goal include expanding the use of existing administrative records and integrating non-traditional data sources into official production, as well as generating far more granular data disaggregated by sex, age, and geographic territory. Currently, administrative records already support 65% of the Dominican Republic’s official statistical operations, making expanded use of these resources a cost-effective path to improvement.

    The second priority centers on strengthening the legal and institutional foundation of the National Statistical System through the adoption of a nationwide quality assurance framework that standardizes practices across all participating institutions. The plan formally integrates the National Code of Good Practices for Official Statistics and adopts guidelines aligned with the Generic Statistical Business Process Model to bring consistency to data production workflows across all agencies.

    The third and final priority targets the expansion of technical capacity across the public sector, delivered through ongoing professional training for statistical personnel hosted by the National School of Statistics.

    A public perception survey conducted during the plan’s development process underscored broad confidence in the national statistical system: 94% of responding institutions, academic researchers, and regular data users reported that they trust the output produced by Dominican statistical bodies.

    Speaking at the launch event, ONE Director General Mildred Martínez emphasized that sustained high quality in official statistics is a collective responsibility. Beyond the work of ONE itself, she noted, reliable data depends on consistent standards and careful work across all public institutions and individual professionals tasked with collecting, processing, and documenting raw information.

    Representatives from the Dominican Ministry of Finance and Economy and the United Nations System used the launch to reaffirm the critical link between robust national development planning and trustworthy statistical information. They noted that the PEN will directly strengthen the monitoring and evaluation of all public policies by providing consistent, granular data to track progress toward national development objectives, including the country’s commitments under the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

    The initiative has received ongoing support from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), which has provided targeted technical assistance to strengthen Dominican statistical capacity and advance the use of disaggregated data that captures disparities across demographic and geographic groups.

  • G12 presents proposals to modernize Dominican Republic’s transportation system

    G12 presents proposals to modernize Dominican Republic’s transportation system

    In a high-stakes meeting with the newly appointed director of the Dominican Republic’s national transportation agency Juan Manuel Méndez, the G12 Group — one of the most influential collective organizations in the country’s transportation sector — laid out an ambitious multi-point policy package designed to modernize the nation’s public transit network, cut through chronic urban congestion, and dramatically lower national traffic fatality rates.

    William Pérez Figuereo, founding leader of G12 and president of the National Central of Unified Transporters (CNTU), formally presented the full slate of recommendations on the organization’s behalf. The proposals touch nearly every corner of Dominican mobility and road safety, ranging from systemic operational adjustments to long-term sustainability goals. Key priorities laid out by the group include implementing staggered start and end times for both workplaces and educational institutions to spread peak-hour demand across the day, expanding dedicated public transportation corridors to speed up commute times, integrating mandatory road safety training programs directly within transportation worker unions, accelerating the transition to zero-emission electric transit vehicles, and rolling out a nationwide Zero Scrap Plan to phase out aging, unsafe road vehicles.

    Beyond core urban adjustments, G12 has put forward targeted initiatives to address underserved communities and gaps in existing transit coverage. The organization calls for strengthened public transit service on overnight routes, expanded state-managed transportation services for K-12 students, and the introduction of a new “school safari” program designed specifically to connect students living in isolated mountain communities to their campuses, a longstanding unmet need in many rural regions of the country. G12 is also pushing for public awareness and incentive programs to encourage daily commuters to leave private passenger vehicles at home and shift to shared public transit options to cut down on congestion and emissions.

    To tackle the country’s persistent road safety crisis, G12 is calling for coordinated cross-agency action to drive down annual traffic deaths, demanding that the Dominican traffic enforcement agency DIGESETT and the national transit regulatory institute INTRANT expand their operational presence to all 157 of the country’s municipalities. This universal presence would strengthen regulatory enforcement, expand community-focused road safety education, and improve traffic management capacity in every region of the nation, closing gaps that have left rural and lower-income communities underserved.

    One of the most impactful proposed regulatory changes targets heavy freight transportation, which contributes disproportionately to urban congestion and infrastructure wear. G12 recommends implementing targeted restrictions that ban large trucks and other heavy commercial vehicles from core metropolitan area main roads during all peak and midday hours between 6:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m., redirecting these vehicles to the use of outer ring roads to keep central artery traffic flowing smoothly for commuters and public transit.

    Closing out the presentation, Pérez Figuereo reaffirmed G12’s longstanding commitment to collaborative problem-solving with national and local transportation authorities, emphasizing that the group’s core goal is to advance shared solutions that cut accident rates, improve daily mobility for all Dominicans, and build a public transportation system that is more efficient, better organized, and far safer for road users of all kinds. The submission of these detailed proposals underscores G12’s stated intention to maintain an active, influential role in shaping the policies and development initiatives that will drive the transformation of the Dominican Republic’s transportation sector in the coming years.

  • Now expired documents show Mohamed’s boat was certified, inspected

    Now expired documents show Mohamed’s boat was certified, inspected

    On a pre-dawn raid in late August 2026, Guyanese opposition leader Azruddin Mohamed faced the detention of his private vessel, the *Prince AZ II*, after a joint police-coast guard maritime patrol stopped him for failing to produce valid operating documentation. What followed has since clarified the situation while raising new regulatory questions over the incident.

    Shortly after the Maritime Administration (MARAD) released an official statement claiming neither Mohamed nor his vessel held valid operating licenses, the opposition leader announced Thursday that he had located the missing paperwork. However, the discovered documents reveal a critical issue: both the operating license and the required certificate of inspection expired seven years prior, in September 2018. Both documents were originally issued in December 2017.

    Public records from the license lay out the vessel’s approved operating parameters: the fiberglass passenger-cargo vessel is cleared to carry up to six passengers and two crew members, operate with two 600-horsepower outboard engines, and is restricted to routes along the Demerara and Essequibo rivers and their tributaries. The inspection certificate adds further restrictions: the vessel is prohibited from traveling during nighttime hours between sunset and sunrise, and must be crewed by one Grade 3 boatmaster and one Category 4 deck rating.

    The sequence of events that led to the detention began on Tuesday, August 25, when Mohamed and five fellow parliamentarians from his We Invest in Nationhood party traveled via the *Prince AZ II* to Port Kaituma and Mabaruma. The trip was organized to meet with survivors and family members of victims of the July 2026 sinking of the state-owned ferry MV Barima, a major public incident that has already sparked political debate in the country.

    According to official police accounts, joint patrol officers spotted the vessel traveling along the Demerara River toward Friendship at approximately 9:50 PM that night, well after the sunset curfew listed on the expired inspection certificate. Officers activated their sirens to order the vessel to stop, but it reportedly failed to comply and accelerated away, prompting a short pursuit before it was finally intercepted and detained at the Friendship wharf. The vessel and all occupants were then escorted to the Ruimveldt marine police base in Georgetown ahead of further review.

    Mohamed has defended his position, noting that he previously held a valid personal captain’s license, but cannot currently produce it because the Police Force’s Special Organised Crime Unit seized a collection of his personal documents earlier in 2026.

    Legal analysts who have reviewed the case say that there is a key legal distinction between operating a vessel with no license ever obtained versus operating with documentation that has lapsed. Even so, they note that a seven-year expiration window is likely to be viewed as a serious violation by Guyana’s maritime regulatory authorities, which will have final say over any potential penalties.

  • CHOGM 2026 Outreach Reaches More Than 300 People in Two Days

    CHOGM 2026 Outreach Reaches More Than 300 People in Two Days

    As the countdown to the 2026 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) continues, Antigua and Barbuda’s national preparatory efforts have entered a new phase of public engagement. The CHOGM 2026 Outreach Committee has expanded its nationwide public education drive by launching a targeted Government Office Outreach Tour, which connected with more than 300 stakeholders across multiple workplaces in just its first two days of operation.

    This grassroots initiative was developed with one core goal: to ensure that residents of Antigua and Barbuda from all sectors and backgrounds gain clear, accessible information about the upcoming summit, understand the far-reaching significance of the small island nation serving as host, and know the concrete steps they can take to contribute to a successful, globally impactful event.

    The outreach tour kicked off with an informative session at the Directorate of Gender Affairs, before moving on to a collaborative engagement with energy firm PDV Caribe. During both sessions, organizers shared key details about the 2026 summit, its strategic and economic value to Antigua and Barbuda, and the diverse roles that individual citizens and local organizations can play in welcoming visiting heads of government, official delegates, and international guests from across the 56-nation Commonwealth bloc.
    Briana Anthony, who serves as both Public Relations Officer and Outreach Lead for CHOGM 2026, emphasized that the committee’s top priority is centering public inclusion and transparency in all preparatory activities. “CHOGM 2026 is not just a high-level conference for global leaders—it is a landmark national moment for Antigua and Barbuda,” Anthony explained in an interview during the tour. “We want our people to grasp just how meaningful this opportunity is, and more importantly, to understand that every citizen has a part to play. This on-the-ground outreach brings the conversation directly to people where they work and live, framing CHOGM as a shared national opportunity that everyone can contribute to.”
    Anthony added that the early public response to the tour has reinforced the value of the committee’s grassroots approach. “The feedback and enthusiasm we’ve received so far have been really encouraging, and it confirms why this targeted outreach is so necessary,” she said. “As we get closer to the summit, we are fully committed to expanding these engagements and reaching people across every sector of our economy and society. The more informed our citizens are, the better prepared our entire country will be to welcome the Commonwealth with open arms.”
    Jeressa Jeremy, Communications Officer at the Directorate of Gender Affairs, echoed that sentiment, noting that equipping staff with accurate information was a key part of the agency’s contribution to national preparations. “It was critical for our whole team to be up to date on CHOGM 2026 and understand what it means for Antigua and Barbuda to host this major international gathering,” Jeremy said. “We were thrilled to collaborate with the Outreach Committee to bring this important information directly to our staff, and support the national push for broad public engagement.”
    For PDV Caribe, the collaboration brought a special focus on including older members of the organization that might otherwise be overlooked in national outreach. Jellette Ralph, General Manager of PDV Caribe, explained that the firm prioritized ensuring its retired pensioners had full access to information about the summit. “We made a deliberate effort to include our pensioners in this awareness drive, because hosting CHOGM is a moment that touches all generations of Antiguans and Barbudans,” Ralph said. “We were happy to partner with the Outreach Committee to make sure our pensioners stay connected to this major national event, and understand that they also have a role to play in its success.”
    The cross-sector collaboration behind the outreach tour has extended beyond public and private sector institutions, with small local businesses also stepping up to support the national effort. Three local female-owned beauty and wellness businesses—Hair by Amie, owned by Amie Cham; Tucker on the Girl, owned by Cecil Joyce; and Her Luxenail Lounge, owned by Michaela Harris—generously donated prizes for lucky attendees at the first two outreach sessions, helping drive engagement and excitement for the summit.
    The Outreach Committee issued a formal statement thanking the three business owners for their generous contribution to the national campaign, noting that grassroots support from local entrepreneurs is a key part of building broad national buy-in for the event.
    Looking ahead, the Government Office Outreach Tour is set to continue expanding across Antigua and Barbuda in the coming weeks. The committee plans to roll out new engagements across additional government offices, private sector companies, primary and secondary schools, local communities, and other key stakeholder groups to ensure no segment of the population is left out of preparatory efforts.
    As the country continues its preparations to host the 2026 CHOGM summit, the Outreach Committee is renewing its call for all citizens and organizations across Antigua and Barbuda to seek out information, get involved in local preparations, and ready themselves to play their part. For the country’s lead organizers, CHOGM 2026 is a shared national milestone—and every member of the Antigua and Barbuda community has a role to play in making it a success.

  • Elections: The CEP in Chile and Brazil prepares for the diaspora vote

    Elections: The CEP in Chile and Brazil prepares for the diaspora vote

    A high-stakes diplomatic and electoral mission is underway in South America as a three-member delegation from Haiti’s Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) visits Chile and Brazil to lay the groundwork for Haitian diaspora participation in upcoming national elections, while building collaborative ties between Port-au-Prince and the two South American nations.

    Led by CEP Vice-President Jaccéus Joseph, alongside council members Patrick Saint-Hilaire and Marie Florence Matthieu, the tour kicked off on August 18, 2026, with a first stop in Chile, where the delegation held two pivotal working sessions focused on advancing electoral cooperation and diaspora voting logistics.

    The first meeting was held with Chile’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, where representatives centered talks on future collaboration across key electoral domains. Core discussion topics included specialized training for Haitian electoral body staff, institutional capacity building for Haiti’s electoral system, and cross-border knowledge sharing of proven strategies and best practices for running successful voting operations for overseas citizens. Following the talks, Chile’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs committed to coordinating closely with the Chilean Electoral Service (SERVEL) to deliver on the agreed cooperation framework with the CEP.

    The delegation’s second working gathering in Chile brought together CEP representatives, Chilean government officials, and SERVEL leadership. Attendees zeroed in on the practical details of organizing the upcoming vote and the specific requirements to remove barriers to Haitian residents in Chile exercising their right to participate in Haiti’s electoral process.

    After concluding its sessions in Chile, the CEP delegation traveled onward to Brazil to continue the mission, with the same set of core objectives focused on diaspora voting and bilateral electoral cooperation.

    For Haiti’s electoral body, the South American tour represents a key step forward in ongoing work to expand access to voting for Haitians living outside the country’s borders. Beyond enabling diaspora participation, the mission also aims to formalize and strengthen long-term cooperation mechanisms between Haiti’s electoral institutions and their foreign counterparts in Chile and Brazil.

  • SOVA waarschuwt DNA: wetswijziging staatsbeslagen tast rechtsbescherming aan

    SOVA waarschuwt DNA: wetswijziging staatsbeslagen tast rechtsbescherming aan

    Suriname’s national legal body, the Surinamese Order of Advocaten (SOVA), has issued a formal plea to the country’s National Assembly (DNA) to reject a proposed piece of legislation in its current form, arguing the bill would go too far in limiting court-ordered seizures of state assets and undermine core rule of law principles.

  • King Charles to visit three regional countries

    King Charles to visit three regional countries

    This autumn, the United Kingdom’s King Charles III will embark on a multi-stop Caribbean tour alongside Queen Camilla, with the journey centered around his attendance at the upcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM). The official visit is scheduled to kick off on October 27 in the Bahamas, a Caribbean nation that counts Charles as its ceremonial head of state – one of 14 such countries outside the UK that retain this constitutional link.

    Following their time in the Bahamas, the royal pair will travel to Guyana for a special state visit that commemorates six decades of formal diplomatic and bilateral ties between the UK and the South American Commonwealth nation. The final leg of the tour will bring King Charles and Queen Camilla to Antigua and Barbuda, the host nation of this year’s CHOGM, where leaders from across the bloc will gather in St John’s starting November 1.

    As the symbolic head of the Commonwealth, a 56-nation association of independent states mostly sharing historical ties to the British Empire, King Charles holds a central, ceremonial role at the organization’s flagship gathering. Held once every two years, CHOGM brings together heads of government from across the global bloc to address transnational shared challenges, deepen cross-regional cooperative ties, and advance collective sustainable development goals across member states.