Carib Scope

分类： politics

  • US$9 Million Grant to Fund Dams and Water Catchment Projects Across Antigua and Barbuda

    US$9 Million Grant to Fund Dams and Water Catchment Projects Across Antigua and Barbuda

    Antigua and Barbuda’s government has secured a $9 million international grant to build out critical water conservation infrastructure, a cornerstone policy initiative aimed at shoring up national food security and scaling up domestic agricultural output across the twin-island nation. The funding commitment was formally unveiled this Thursday at a post-Cabinet press briefing, following an update to the country’s Cabinet from Agriculture Minister Anthony Smith Jr. on the details of the financing package.

    The grant is channeled through the Caribbean Development Bank, under the Food and Agriculture Organization’s dedicated Soil and Water Management Programme, a regional initiative focused on boosting climate-resilient agricultural practices across Caribbean small island developing states. Maurice Merchant, Director General of Communications for the government, outlined that the financing will go toward developing dams, water catchment ponds, and other high-priority soil and water management assets distributed across Antigua and Barbuda.

    Merchant emphasized that this infrastructure project is a core plank of the administration’s broader national strategy to grow domestic food output, shore up water access for independent and smallholder farmers, and cut the agricultural sector’s heavy dependence on costly desalinated water for crop irrigation. “This initiative is set to meaningfully expand the country’s total irrigation capacity and deliver far more consistent, reliable water access to farming communities, especially when the nation faces drought conditions or extended dry seasons,” Merchant explained during the briefing.

    To date, government planning teams have already finalized site selection for 10 new water storage facilities: eight locations earmarked for standard-sized dams, and two additional sites designated for large-scale “super dam” construction. Once completed, these interconnected facilities will form a unified national agricultural water storage network that captures and retains rainwater for use by the farming sector, drastically boosting the resilience of Antigua and Barbuda’s agricultural industry amid growing patterns of aridity linked to climate change.

    Administration officials project that this targeted infrastructure investment will strengthen the country’s long-term food security framework by guaranteeing farmers a consistent, dependable supply of irrigation water, while simultaneously cutting operational production costs that come from purchasing expensive desalinated water for agricultural use. The $9 million grant stands as one of the largest recent investments in Antigua and Barbuda’s agricultural water infrastructure, aligning with the government’s ongoing policy priorities of expanding domestic food production and building national climate resilience across key economic sectors.

  • Interior and Police coordinate actions to strengthen citizen security in Verón

    Interior and Police coordinate actions to strengthen citizen security in Verón

    VERÓN-PUNTA CANA — As the Dominican Republic’s most high-profile tourist destination, Verón-Punta Cana is moving forward with a coordinated, multi-agency push to elevate public safety and reinforce peaceful community coexistence, led by the nation’s Minister of Interior and Police Faride Raful. Raful recently chaired the regional Security, Citizenship and Gender Roundtable, a convening designed to align cross-institutional strategies that address the unique security needs of the area, which draws millions of international visitors each year.

    The roundtable brought together key stakeholders from across national and local government, including senior representatives from the National Police, the General Directorate of Migration, the National Drug Control Directorate (DNCD), Digesett, the national road safety authority, COBA, and local municipal leadership. Over the course of discussions, participating agencies finalized a detailed actionable roadmap to tackle the region’s most pressing public safety challenges. Key priority areas outlined in the plan include intensified counter-narcotics operations to disrupt drug trafficking networks, enhanced border and internal migration control protocols, targeted measures to secure school environments and protect student populations, regulation to reduce excessive noise pollution that disrupts local communities, and expanded initiatives to cut traffic accidents and improve overall road safety.

    Beyond this specific regional meeting, the Security, Citizenship and Gender Roundtable framework was designed as a sustained collaborative platform. It bridges institutional gaps between national government bodies, local authorities, and community groups, creating a structured space to surface emerging public safety concerns, track progress on existing initiatives, and roll out coordinated prevention-focused interventions that reduce crime and strengthen the visible, trusted presence of state institutions across the region. The coordinated approach reflects the government’s priority of protecting both local residents and the critical tourism sector that underpins Verón-Punta Cana’s economy.

  • Defense uses Golding’s warning to Bahamas on campaign finance reform

    Defense uses Golding’s warning to Bahamas on campaign finance reform

    During recent legal proceedings connected to Jonathan Gardiner, attorney Susie Ribero-Ayala has brought forward new evidence that spotlights a long-running democratic gap in the Bahamas’ political system. To support her argument that the Caribbean nation lacks a rigorous, comprehensive campaign finance regulatory framework matching the standards of the United States, Ribero-Ayala submitted a 2024 report from The Tribune as court evidence, labeled Exhibit D. The report centers on critical commentary from Bruce Golding, former Jamaican Prime Minister and current chair of the Commonwealth Observer Group.

    Golding’s remarks pull back the curtain on years of unfulfilled political promises and inaction on campaign finance regulation in the Bahamas. He explained that successive Bahamian governments have consistently failed to enact meaningful reform, despite repeated calls and formal recommendations from multiple international observer missions. In a sharp, candid rebuke of ongoing political intransigence, Golding joked that international organizations could send monitoring delegations to the Bahamas for another hundred years, and their repeated calls for change would still be ignored by national policymakers.

    The former prime minister emphasized that democratic accountability on this issue ultimately rests with the Bahamian public. “It is their democracy. It is their future,” Golding stated, noting that while politicians can easily brush aside recommendations from the Commonwealth Secretariat and other international bodies, they cannot ignore the demands of their own electorate. Meaningful progress, he argued, depends largely on the level of public activism Bahamian citizens mobilize around the issue of campaign finance reform.

    Compounding the urgency of Golding’s critique is the revelation that current Bahamian Prime Minister Philip ‘Brave’ Davis has explicitly deprioritized campaign finance reform proposals in 2024, breaking earlier campaign pledges to advance the legislation. Golding warned that the Bahamas’ lack of regulation creates uniquely high risks for democratic integrity, specifically because the country’s small size means individual electoral districts have relatively small voter pools. This dynamic makes the political system especially vulnerable to unregulated private money influence and outright vote buying. Wealthy candidates or well-funded political parties can easily calculate the exact number of votes needed to win an election, then deploy their financial resources to purchase the required support, effectively undermining free and fair democratic processes, Golding explained. “This is something that worries us,” he concluded.

  • Gibson and co-accused’s constitutional motion to halt ongoing trial rejected

    Gibson and co-accused’s constitutional motion to halt ongoing trial rejected

    A high-stakes procedural battle in the Bahamian judicial system has concluded with the Court of Appeal upholding a lower court’s decision, rejecting an eleventh-hour attempt by five defendants — Adrian Gibson, Joan Knowles, Jerome Missick, Peaches Farquharson, and Elwood Donaldson — to bring their ongoing criminal trial to an early end. The appeal stemmed from the trial judge’s earlier refusal to grant the group’s requests for a mistrial, the dismissal of the seated jury, and the judge’s own recusal from the case, a ruling the five defendants argued had violated their constitutionally protected right to a fair trial.

    The defendants put forward a series of grievances to back their challenge: they claimed procedural irregularities during the jury selection and empanelment process, that the official 2023 approved jury list had never been disclosed to the defense, that one juror held an undisclosed connection to the prosecutor’s office that created implicit bias, and that the trial judge herself had demonstrated apparent bias against their side.

    In a unanimous ruling, a three-justice panel comprising Justices Evans, Charles, and Kokaram found that none of these claims rose to the level required to justify constitutional court intervention while the criminal trial was still in progress. The panel characterized the defendants’ constitutional motion as an impermissible collateral attack on active ongoing criminal proceedings, noting that all the issues raised could be addressed through standard trial procedures or, if the defendants are ultimately convicted, through a formal appeal after a verdict is reached.

    Writing for the panel, Justice Kokaram clarified that the defendants’ complaints were not disputes over the existence of constitutional rights, but rather disagreements over the conduct of the trial — and that no extraordinary circumstances existed that warranted immediate constitutional review. The court specifically addressed the defendants’ key claim that seven of the nine seated jurors were not drawn from the official 2023 approved jury list, confirming that the assertion of fact was accurate but that the irregularity did not justify halting the trial. Justices emphasized the trial judge acted well within her authority to reject the request to dismiss the entire jury, and any challenge to the jury’s composition can be raised in a standard post-conviction appeal. The court also noted that no argument had been made that any individual juror selected was unqualified to serve.

    The panel similarly dismissed the bias claim tied to the juror’s alleged connection to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) office, pointing out that the defense never filed a formal application on this issue with the trial judge before launching their appeal. Claims that the trial judge had already formed a closed mind on the case and should have stepped down were also rejected, with the court finding the allegation had not been sufficiently proven, and could also be raised in a post-trial appeal if needed.

    The defense’s complaint that the DPP had failed to disclose the approved jury list was dismissed outright as a non-starter. The court noted the full jury list is a matter of public record, and the defense never submitted a formal request to the DPP for a copy. Justices added that in constitutional claims challenging alleged state conduct, the Attorney General, not the DPP, is the proper responding party.

    In its closing remarks, the court issued sharp criticism of the repeated procedural delays that have slowed the case, noting the trial has been pending since 2023 and this appeal has only added more unnecessary hold-up. The ruling reaffirmed a core principle of judicial procedure: constitutional motions cannot be used to interrupt ongoing criminal trials unless truly exceptional circumstances are present. “There has been no alleged constitutional breach that is so significant that will justify a departure from the well-worn investigation by an appellate court of any alleged miscarriage of justice,” the panel concluded.

  • China condemns US escalation against Cuba

    China condemns US escalation against Cuba

    In a formal statement delivered at a regular press briefing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun has issued a clear rebuke of unlawful unilateral sanctions, reinforcing Beijing’s long-standing position that such coercive measures lack any grounding in international legal frameworks.

    Guo’s comments came in direct response to new restrictive measures unveiled by the U.S. State Department on June 23, which targeted five Cuban entities and one individual over unsubstantiated claims that they generate illicit revenue for the Cuban government.

    Against this backdrop, the spokesman urged Washington to take immediate action to terminate its decades-long economic blockade of Cuba, as well as halt all other forms of coercive pressure targeting the island nation. He emphasized that the long-running U.S. embargo has systematically undermined the fundamental rights of the Cuban people to access basic resources, sustain livelihoods, and pursue long-term development, calling on U.S. authorities to end these violations immediately.

    Beyond addressing the latest sanctions, Guo reaffirmed China’s unwavering support for Cuba’s sovereign right to chart its own developmental path. Specifically, Beijing backs Cuba’s efforts to pursue a socialist development model tailored to its unique national circumstances, and stands firmly with the island in defending its territorial integrity, national sovereignty, and domestic security. The spokesman also reiterated China’s consistent opposition to any form of external interference in Cuba’s internal affairs.

    This latest statement from Beijing aligns with China’s long-held public stance on the U.S. embargo. For decades, China has repeatedly condemned Washington’s more than 60-year economic blockade of Cuba— which has been accompanied by growing coercive measures and heightened military threats in recent years—across multiple international forums and in official government communications.

  • Tsang wil 170 zandwegen verharden bij 170-jarig bestaan van OWRO

    Tsang wil 170 zandwegen verharden bij 170-jarig bestaan van OWRO

    During budget deliberations held in Suriname’s National Assembly, Minister Stephen Tsang of the country’s Ministry of Public Works and Spatial Planning (OWRO) has announced a landmark, symbolically charged infrastructure target: by the 170th anniversary of the founding of Suriname’s public works service, the department will complete paving work for a minimum of 170 unpaved sand roads across the nation.

    Tsang emphasized that targeted upgrades to national infrastructure sit at the core of his ministry’s current policy agenda, with particular focus placed on residential communities where residents regularly face impassable sand roads, widespread flooding, and limited access to essential services during rainy seasons. “As a symbolic milestone tied to our department’s legacy, we have set the goal of paving at least 170 roads in time for our 170th anniversary,” the minister told the assembly.

    The anniversary target forms one key component of a broader long-term strategy to overhaul and expand Suriname’s national road network. Currently, the country counts roughly 5,000 kilometers of public roads, combining both paved and unpaved routes, with a large share of that network classified as being in fair to poor condition, according to ministry data. Beyond the immediate 170-road target, Tsang outlined the government’s broader ambition to systematically reduce the number of unpaved sand roads across the country. “Our end goal is to see every sand road in Suriname paved,” he stated.

    At the same time, Minister Tsang openly acknowledged the enormous scale of the challenge ahead. The ministry estimates that the total backlog of required road maintenance and rehabilitation work amounts to tens of billions of Surinamese dollars, and current available public funding is only sufficient to address a small fraction of this unmet need. Regardless of the funding constraints, the department has committed to continuing targeted investments in both major arterial highways and local residential streets in the coming years, pursuing a mixed approach that combines rehabilitation of existing paved roads with new paving projects in areas still only accessible via unpaved routes.

    OWRO officials note that road upgrades deliver far more benefits than improved transportation alone. Paved roads directly boost quality of life for local communities, improve access to schools, healthcare facilities and commercial hubs, and catalyze inclusive economic development in underserved residential areas. Additionally, the ministry projects that upgraded infrastructure will cut vehicle maintenance costs for ordinary residents, while also allowing emergency response services to reach remote, outlying neighborhoods faster and more safely.

    As one of Suriname’s oldest continuously operating government institutions, the approaching 170th anniversary of the public works service represents a natural moment to deliver tangible, visible improvements to the Surinamese public, Tsang explained. Whether the 170-road target will be met on schedule will depend in large part on the fiscal space the ministry is allocated in coming national budgets, but the minister reaffirmed that the broader ambition remains unchanged: to steadily increase the share of paved roads and systematically reduce the number of unpaved sand routes across Suriname.

  • Antigua to Raise Passenger Head Tax on International Travellers by US$10

    Antigua to Raise Passenger Head Tax on International Travellers by US$10

    In a post-Cabinet press briefing held Thursday, Director General of Communications Maurice Merchant has unveiled a new policy initiative from the government of Antigua and Barbuda: a $10 increase to the international passenger head tax, designed to establish consistent, sustainable funding for critical regional governing bodies.

    Under the approved plan, the head tax levied on international visitors entering Antigua and Barbuda will rise from its current rate of $40 to $50. All additional revenue generated by this adjustment will be specifically allocated to covering the Caribbean nation’s outstanding and future financial commitments to two foundational regional agencies: the Eastern Caribbean Civil Aviation Authority (ECCAA) and the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC).

    Merchant emphasized that both organizations deliver core public functions that deliver direct benefits not only to Antigua and Barbuda, but to all member states across the Eastern Caribbean. The ECCAA, he noted, bears responsibility for upholding rigorous aviation safety standards across the entire region – a function that is critical to supporting the Caribbean’s tourism-dependent economies. Meanwhile, the ECSC serves as the backbone of the Eastern Caribbean’s judicial framework, guaranteeing consistent and effective administration of justice across multiple island nations.

    Cabinet made the decision to move forward with the tax adjustment after concluding that Antigua and Barbuda must uphold its obligation to contribute its fair share to the operations and long-term stability of these organizations, given the substantial, ongoing benefits the country derives from their work. “Adequately funded regional institutions are essential to safeguarding the interests of citizens, supporting economic growth and preserving regional integration,” Merchant stated in his briefing.

    Officials have structured the revised tax rate to create a steady, predictable revenue stream to meet existing and upcoming financial commitments, while deliberately minimizing the direct financial burden placed on international visitors. The tax increase is also framed as part of the Antigua and Barbuda government’s broader commitment to responsible, prudent fiscal management, and to honoring its treaty and financial obligations within the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States and other inter-island governing bodies.

    The new tax rate will not go into effect immediately. It will only be implemented after all required legislative and administrative procedural steps are completed, with additional details on the rollout timeline set to be released to the public at a later date.

  • Daniel Lugay to share vision for Roseau North at UWP public meeting, ahead of by-elections

    Daniel Lugay to share vision for Roseau North at UWP public meeting, ahead of by-elections

    Dominica’s main opposition United Workers Party (UWP) has scheduled a key public outreach event for Friday, June 26, 2026, kicking off at 6:30 PM in the Tarish Pit community, as the party positions itself for an upcoming by-election triggered by a sudden parliamentary vacancy. As outlined in an official notice from the party, the gathering will center on giving Daniel Lugay, UWP’s candidate for the Roseau North constituency, a platform to lay out his policy vision, outline local development plans, and restate his dedication to serving the area’s residents.

    The vacancy that prompted the impending by-election opened earlier this month, when sitting Roseau North Member of Parliament and former government minister Miriam Blanchard formally submitted her resignation in a letter dated June 9, 2026. The resignation was publicly announced by the party on June 12, with Blanchard citing ongoing health concerns as the core reason for her decision to step down mid-term.

    In a statement following the announcement of Blanchard’s departure, the United Workers Party extended sincere gratitude to the outgoing legislator for her years of public service, highlighting her meaningful contributions to national progress both in her role as a cabinet minister and as the elected representative for Roseau North.

    UWP Political Leader Dr. Thomson Fontaine noted in a recent address that Blanchard’s exit clears the way for a by-election in the constituency, which he characterized as a historically strong base of support for the UWP. Fontaine confirmed that electoral rules require the by-election to be held within three months of the vacancy occurring, and he made clear that the party has already begun preparations to compete for the seat. Reassuring local voters of the party’s readiness, Fontaine affirmed that UWP is fully prepared to retain and hold the Roseau North parliamentary position once the by-election is officially called.

  • Jamaica Opposition Legislator Urges Special Minimum Wage for Tourism Workers

    Jamaica Opposition Legislator Urges Special Minimum Wage for Tourism Workers

    During a Tuesday sitting of Jamaica’s parliament, opposition legislator Damion Crawford has called on the national government to carve out a separate, special minimum wage for workers in the country’s critical tourism sector, arguing that the unique demands and working conditions of the industry justify targeted policy action.

    Crawford framed the proposal as a core component of equitable national development, noting that tourism stands as one of Jamaica’s largest GDP contributors and foreign exchange earners. The call comes just after the country’s Lower House passed an order to raise the general national minimum wage by JMD $1,000, lifting the weekly 40-hour workweek rate from $16,000 to $17,000. This general increase is set to take effect on July 1, 2026, but Crawford says tourism workers deserve additional, tailored consideration that the general adjustment does not provide.

    In his address to parliament, Crawford outlined a series of distinct financial and professional burdens that fall disproportionately on tourism employees across the country. Unlike many general workers, tourism staff often face irregular, unpredictable shift schedules that regularly extend into late-night or early-morning hours—periods when commuting is not only higher risk, but also more costly, he explained. Additionally, most major tourism hubs across Jamaica carry significantly higher cost of living for local residents, a market reality that pushes up daily expenses for workers without any corresponding adjustment to their base pay.

    Beyond tangible financial burdens, Crawford also highlighted the largely uncompensated emotional labour that is a core requirement of most tourism roles, a factor he said is rarely accounted for in industry wage structures. “One of the number one reasons for burnout in the hotel sector is emotional labour,” he noted, explaining that workers are often required to maintain a constant friendly demeanor even when faced with customer disrespect, and must prioritize guest needs over their own basic needs like eating on schedule.

    This is not the first time wage disparities for Jamaican tourism workers have sparked public attention. Just two years ago, widespread industry protests erupted driven by anger over persistently low pay and widespread job insecurity across the hotel sector. At the time, one hotel maintenance worker interviewed by *The Jamaica Gleaner* reported earning an average of just $37,000 per fortnight, and joined other workers in calling for legislative changes to lift industry-wide remuneration standards.

  • No word on minimum pension rise despite NIS “making surpluses”

    No word on minimum pension rise despite NIS “making surpluses”

    GEORGETOWN, Guyana – At a public event Wednesday announcing expanded digital payment options for National Insurance Scheme (NIS) pensioners, senior leadership of Guyana’s 57-year-old social security agency highlighted five consecutive years of investment surpluses and rapid contributor growth, but offered no clear timeline for a long-awaited increase to the agency’s minimum old-age pension.

    The event brought together NIS General Manager Holy Greaves, Guyana’s Finance Minister Dr. Ashni Singh, and members of the NIS Board of Directors to mark a key expansion of pension access: starting immediately, NIS pension payments can be received through popular local and global financial services including Mobile Money Guyana, MoneyGram, and Bill Express.

    During remarks at the ceremony, NIS Board Chairman Ramesh Persaud emphasized that the agency’s financial position has strengthened dramatically over the past half-decade. “The NIS…is in a very strong position today for the last five years. The NIS has been making surpluses that we are reinvesting for the future pensioners of the organisation, and again, I think that that’s a very well-meaning accomplishment,” Persaud said.

    Officials attributed the agency’s solid financial performance to broad-based economic expansion across Guyana’s traditional and emerging industries, which has driven a sharp rise in the number of active workers contributing to the social security system. Finance Minister Dr. Singh detailed that over the past five and a half years, NIS has added nearly 70,000 new contributors – a 38% jump from the 2020 baseline. The number of self-employed workers enrolled in the scheme has also doubled over the same period, reaching almost 9,000.

    “These numbers reflect the dynamics in the Guyanese economy because more persons are working, more persons are employed, more employment opportunities, there’s more investment, private investment, more employment opportunities are being created, more persons are working, more entrepreneurial opportunities are being created, and more persons are entering entrepreneurial activities and becoming self-employed persons,” Dr. Singh explained.

    When pressed by reporters on whether the agency’s improved financial standing would lead to an imminent increase to the NIS minimum pension, Persaud deferred all decision-making authority to the Finance Ministry, which oversees the NIS’s administrative and policy framework. “That is in the domain of the Minister of Finance to provide guidance on…The Board is independent but the structure of the NIS is that it is under the administration of the Ministry of Finance and those fiscal and policy decisions are guided by the Minister of Finance,” Persaud told Demerara Waves Online News. Dr. Singh declined to provide any comment on the question of a pension adjustment when approached.

    According to official data published on the NIS website, the last adjustment to the minimum old-age pension took effect on January 1, 2025, when the monthly rate was raised from GY$35,000 to GY$43,075. Today, that minimum payment is less than half of Guyana’s current minimum public sector salary, which stands at GY$102,346 per month, highlighting the gap between pension benefits and baseline living costs for many retirees.

    In an interview with reporters, President Irfaan Ali reaffirmed his administration’s broad commitment to expanding and strengthening social welfare programs across Guyana, which currently include universal cash grants for eligible adult residents, school-aged children, people living with disabilities, pensioners, and other vulnerable groups.

    “The ecosystem surrounding different segments of the population, including the pensioners, is being continuously analysed so I would say as the year’s analysis continues in the new budget and subsequent budgets, we will continue to look at ways in which we can improve and expand social benefits to the population,” President Ali said.

    While the government has already finalized all policy and spending measures for the 2026 national budget, President Ali did not rule out a future pension increase, but stopped short of confirming a specific timeline for the adjustment. He stressed that any change to pension rates would be implemented only once it fits within the government’s broader social support framework and is sustainable for the national economy.

    “We are not only looking at this from a single barrel perspective. We are looking at this from a wholistic perspective and whilst we have concluded our policy initiative for 2026, we are continuously looking at these issues and at the appropriate time, once the economy can afford it and once it falls in the broader framework of social support, we will be looking at it,” the President told Demerara Waves Online.