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  • Antigua and Barbuda Well Represented on Commonwealth Youth Forum Planning Taskforce

    Antigua and Barbuda Well Represented on Commonwealth Youth Forum Planning Taskforce

    A new cohort of 23 young leaders from across the Commonwealth has been selected to helm the international taskforce responsible for designing and rolling out the 2026 Commonwealth Youth Forum (CYF), which will take place alongside the 2026 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Antigua and Barbuda. This diverse group of emerging leaders will partner closely with three key stakeholders: the Commonwealth Secretariat, the Commonwealth Youth Council (CYC), and the government of Antigua and Barbuda, to bring the forum to life. Key responsibilities for the taskforce include refining the event’s agenda, drafting youth-led policy recommendations, and coordinating critical on-the-ground logistics to ensure smooth operations.

    Drawn from multiple Commonwealth regions and representing a wide cross-section of youth interest groups, the taskforce is centered on a core mission: pushing global policymakers to prioritize initiatives that drive inclusive sustainable development, shared economic prosperity, and targeted youth investment across the 56-nation bloc. Established in 2010, the CYF was founded to address a longstanding gap in global governance, ensuring that youth voices and concerns are not overlooked by national leaders ahead of CHOGM deliberations. Over more than a decade, it has evolved into one of the world’s most influential institutional platforms for young people to engage directly with heads of government and shape multilateral policy. The 2026 iteration of the forum is scheduled to run from 1 to 4 November in St. John’s, Antigua, carrying the official theme “Investing in Youth Agency—Co-Creating Pathways towards Shared Prosperity.”

    Host nation officials have reaffirmed their full commitment to supporting the taskforce’s work. Senator Shenella Govia, Minister of State in Antigua and Barbuda’s Ministry of Works and Housing and the 2026 CYF lead, emphasized the significance of the new cohort. “I’m pleased to announce the Official Commonwealth Youth Forum Taskforce; a team we are confident will design and deliver a successful forum that reflects the diverse perspectives of our Commonwealth youth and provide a meaningful platform for dialogue and action,” Govia stated.

    Jennifer Namgyal, Officer-in-Charge of the Social Development, Youth and Gender Directorate at the Commonwealth Secretariat, highlighted the outsized role the taskforce will play in centering youth needs across the bloc. “We are delighted to be collaborating with the official Commonwealth Youth Forum Taskforce, an important team of young leaders amplifying the aspirations of the Commonwealth’s 1.6 billion young people by highlighting their innovations, elevating their solutions to global challenges, and providing a global platform for their voices to be heard,” Namgyal explained.

    For taskforce co-chair Neema Sheikh Abdikadir Abdikadir, who also serves as CYC Vice Chairperson for Inclusion and Engagement and represents Kenya, the forum comes at a critical geopolitical moment. “At a time when young people are questioning multilateralism in the current geopolitical context, this CYF will enable young leaders and other stakeholders to build their skills and co-create solutions that will shape the future,” Abdikadir said.

    Donte Walter, the taskforce’s second co-chair and the host nation’s representative from Antigua and Barbuda, shared his pride in taking on the role. “I am deeply honoured to serve as Co-Chair of the Taskforce, representing the voices and aspirations of young people in Antigua and Barbuda and across the wider Caribbean region. I look forward to collaborating with fellow leaders and stakeholders to deliver a transformative and impactful youth forum, one that unites visionary youths, strengthens meaningful engagement, and empowers emerging leaders with the resilience and capacity to shape a more sustainable and inclusive Commonwealth,” Walter said.

    In addition to the two co-chairs, the full taskforce roster includes Shacia Albertine (Antigua and Barbuda), Stanley Anigbogu (Nigeria), Eleala Avanitele (Tuvalu), Selena E. Jn Baptiste (Saint Lucia), Byron Christopher (Antigua and Barbuda), Lucia Ene-Lesikar (Tanzania/United Kingdom), Fathima Haneekah Rahil (Sri Lanka), Deborah Hatten (Antigua and Barbuda), Kaiesha Joseph (Antigua and Barbuda), Kristine Louisa (Antigua and Barbuda), Bodh Maathura (Sri Lanka), Desrie Markham (Antigua and Barbuda), Rondell Nedd (Guyana), Arielle Neely (United Kingdom, Turks and Caicos Islands), Eunice Oluwafeyisayo Oladejo (Canada), Christal Percival (Antigua and Barbuda), Vida Betances Reyes (Antigua and Barbuda), Janet Simon (Antigua and Barbuda), Vikrant Srivastava (India), Makiba Oliveia Ward (Antigua and Barbuda), and Amelia Williams (Antigua and Barbuda).

    Organizers project that roughly 300 youth delegates from across the Commonwealth will travel to Antigua to attend the four-day forum in 2026. Additional details about the 2026 CYF and the accompanying CHOGM are available through the Commonwealth Youth Programme, with further updates expected to be released in the lead-up to the event.

  • MP Chet Greene Announces Town Hall Meetings for Liberta and Cobbs Cross

    MP Chet Greene Announces Town Hall Meetings for Liberta and Cobbs Cross

    A new push for grassroots democratic engagement is launching in the St. Mary South constituency, as Cabinet Minister and sitting Member of Parliament E.P. Chet Greene has unveiled a planned series of public town hall forums designed to connect directly with local residents and capture on-the-ground feedback about pressing community issues.

    Two initial gatherings have already been locked into the official schedule, with the first forum set to kick off on June 18, 2026, at 7:30 p.m. in the community of Liberta. The second meeting will follow just four days later, on June 22, 2026, at the same 7:30 p.m. start time, hosted in Cobbs Cross. Additional sessions for other parts of the constituency are expected to be announced at a later date following the conclusion of these initial two gatherings.

    In a public statement announcing the initiative, Greene extended an open invitation to all constituents across St. Mary South to attend the forums, regardless of political affiliation. He emphasized that every resident’s ideas, lived experiences, policy perspectives, and unaddressed concerns carry weight, and framed the upcoming town halls as more than just informational sessions—they are a structured opportunity for local community members to actively participate in co-creating targeted solutions to the challenges their neighborhoods face.

    The MP added that the core mission of these meetings extends far beyond simply collecting input. The forums are intentionally designed to nurture a culture of respectful, productive dialogue between elected officials and constituents, as well as between community members with differing viewpoints. Greene stressed that a foundation of radical openness and collaborative problem-solving will guide all discussions, with the ultimate end goal of translating conversational insights into tangible, actionable projects and policy changes that deliver tangible benefits to both individual constituents and the wider St. Mary South community.

  • National Youth Ambassador Byron Christopher Attends Leadership Seminar in China

    National Youth Ambassador Byron Christopher Attends Leadership Seminar in China

    A new chapter of cross-border youth collaboration has opened as Byron Christopher, National Youth Ambassador of Antigua and Barbuda, travels to China to take part in a high-profile international leadership seminar centered on youth empowerment, economic partnership and inclusive global engagement.

    Hosted under the framework of the Global Development Initiative, the Seminar on Young Leaders gathers promising emerging leaders from every corner of the globe. Over the course of the program, participants engage in a structured schedule of academic lectures, site visits, and interactive cultural exchange activities designed to build connections and expand shared understanding.

    As confirmed by Antigua and Barbuda’s Department of Youth Affairs, the seminar’s instructional faculty is drawn from leading Chinese government bodies and academic institutions. This includes senior officials from China’s Ministry of Commerce and Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as respected scholars and researchers from the University of International Business and Economics, bringing diverse practical and theoretical expertise to the program.

    The curriculum covers a wide spectrum of pressing global topics, all curated to sharpen participants’ leadership capabilities and strengthen the foundation for future cross-border cooperation. Key modules include deep dives into the Global Development Initiative and its implications for youth participation, China’s path to modernization, global economic development and reform, breakthroughs in digital innovation, actionable strategies for sustainable development, international investment and financing, and effective cross-cultural communication practices.

    Visual materials released by the Department of Youth Affairs document Christopher’s active participation in the seminar’s academic sessions, alongside his engagement with fellow delegates from dozens of countries across the globe. For many participants, the event offers a rare chance to exchange ideas with peers from different national and cultural backgrounds.

    Per the Department of Youth Affairs, Christopher’s attendance at the seminar carries dual value for Antigua and Barbuda. Not only does it give the small Caribbean nation a formal voice in critical global development dialogues, but it also allows the young ambassador to gain firsthand exposure to diverse international perspectives on effective leadership, innovative problem-solving, and multilateral cooperation.

    More broadly, the seminar is part of a growing global push to involve the next generation of leaders in solving shared development challenges. By bringing young people together to build lasting cross-regional and cross-national partnerships, the program aims to lay the groundwork for more inclusive and effective global development outcomes in the decades ahead.

  • Senator Kendra Beazer Hosts British High Commissioner on Barbuda Visit

    Senator Kendra Beazer Hosts British High Commissioner on Barbuda Visit

    As Antigua and Barbuda accelerates preparations to host the 2026 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), a recent visit by the British Resident High Commissioner to Barbuda has put the small island’s ongoing work in climate resilience, sustainable development and community growth center stage, according to local Senator Kendra Beazer.

    Beazer, who served as host for the diplomatic visit, organized a full schedule of site visits and stakeholder meetings designed to give the visiting delegation a firsthand look at the strides Barbuda has made across key sectors, as well as its untapped potential for future growth. The itinerary was crafted to cover core priority areas for the island: it kicked off with discussions with local agricultural producers centered on advancing food security and strengthening sustainable livelihoods for farming communities. From there, the delegation traveled to Sir McChesney George Secondary School to engage with educators and students, before moving on to inspect large-scale environmental restoration initiatives at two iconic coastal sites, Palmetto Point and Coco Point. The tour also included a stop at Hannah Thomas Hospital to review local public health infrastructure and services.

    Beyond scheduled site visits, the High Commissioner’s delegation held interactive sessions with grassroots community members and elected local leaders, gaining on-the-ground insight into the needs and priorities of Barbuda’s resident population.

    In a statement following the visit, Beazer emphasized that the tour successfully showcased Barbuda’s cross-cutting progress, from sustainable agricultural development and proactive environmental stewardship to critical coastal habitat restoration, coral reef protection, and biodiversity conservation. The visit also underscored the island’s growing readiness to step into the international spotlight when delegates from across the Commonwealth gather for CHOGM in 2026.

    Beazer added that the diplomatic visit reaffirmed Barbuda’s standing as a leading example of resilience and sustainable development across the Commonwealth bloc. It also highlighted the critical value of forging cross-national and cross-sector partnerships to advance climate adaptation, expand community-led empowerment, and drive inclusive, long-term economic and social development for the island.

  • Chinese Ambassador Pays Courtesy Call on Health Minister Michael Joseph

    Chinese Ambassador Pays Courtesy Call on Health Minister Michael Joseph

    A high-stakes diplomatic meeting between senior officials from China and Antigua and Barbuda has underscored the deep, long-standing partnership between the two nations, with a renewed focus on expanding collaboration in healthcare and broader national development. At the headquarters of Antigua and Barbuda’s Ministry of Health, Wellness, Environment and Civil Service Affairs, the portfolio’s minister, the Honourable Michael Joseph, formally hosted Her Excellency Jiang Wei, China’s sitting ambassador to the Caribbean island nation, for an official courtesy visit this week.

    During the discussions, Minister Joseph opened by highlighting the decades of amicable relations and collaborative progress that have defined ties between Beijing and St. John’s. He specifically emphasized China’s outsized, positive contributions to Antigua and Barbuda’s ongoing social and economic advancement across multiple critical sectors. Beyond healthcare, Joseph noted that China’s support has transformed Antigua and Barbuda’s public infrastructure, expanded access to educational opportunities, and delivered critical technical expertise that has empowered local communities and institutions.

    According to Joseph, the gathering was far more than a routine diplomatic courtesy: it served as a targeted strategic session to map out shared priorities and identify actionable avenues for future collaboration that will strengthen and expand Antigua and Barbuda’s public healthcare system. For the small island nation, upgrading healthcare services remains a top policy priority to improve population outcomes and meet growing public demand, and Chinese partnership has been central to past progress in this area.

    “China has been an invaluable trusted partner throughout Antigua and Barbuda’s entire development trajectory,” Joseph said in remarks following the meeting. “As we continue our work to lift the health and quality of life for all our citizens, we are eager to deepen and extend this productive relationship.”

    For her part, Ambassador Jiang reaffirmed China’s unwavering commitment to deepening bilateral diplomatic relations and aligning cooperative projects with Antigua and Barbuda’s own national development goals. She stressed that sustained open dialogue and targeted collaboration would remain core to advancing shared initiatives that deliver tangible benefits to the people of both countries.

    By the end of the meeting, both officials publicly reaffirmed their shared commitment to preserving and strengthening the robust bonds of friendship and cooperation that have been the hallmark of relations between Antigua and Barbuda and the People’s Republic of China for decades. The discussions set the stage for further collaborative work in healthcare and other priority sectors in the coming years.

  • Lawyer questions need for gun court amid resource strain

    Lawyer questions need for gun court amid resource strain

    Against the backdrop of rising gun violence and a crippling backlog of cases in Barbados’ criminal justice system, a top defence attorney has publicly challenged the government’s plan to launch a dedicated firearms court, arguing that targeted investments in the existing judicial framework would deliver faster, more cost-effective progress on both issues.

    Defence counsel Shadia Simpson, in an exclusive interview with Barbados TODAY, did not mince words when weighing in on the executive branch’s latest policy proposal to tackle the island’s pressing gun crime crisis. The government has framed the specialized court as a critical intervention to speed up trial proceedings for firearm-related offences, which have contributed to growing public safety concerns across the island. But Simpson argues that the plan misallocates limited public resources at a time when foundational gaps in the current system are the real root of persistent delays.

    “I think that a specialisation in court is not necessary at this time,” Simpson stated plainly. While she openly acknowledged that gun violence remains a critical threat to Barbados communities, she pointed out that the jurisdiction already has structural provisions in place to handle serious weapon-related cases. Currently, the island operates eight active criminal courts, with one specifically designated to hear high-stakes matters including murder and firearms charges. “So I personally don’t think that we needed this at this time,” she added.

    At the core of Simpson’s critique is the strain that a new standalone court would place on already overburdened judicial support services. She emphasized that most administrative delays that slow case progression do not stem from a shortage of dedicated courtrooms, but rather from understaffing and outdated infrastructure across the system. For example, pre-sentencing reports, which are required to move cases toward resolution, often take months to complete because probation officers are already stretched far too thin across existing caseloads.

    “ We already have limited resources, so sometimes the sentencing reports, for example, take an extremely long time to reach the courts because the probation officers are stretched,” Simpson explained. “I just think that the resources could have been allocated better if you wanted to see a more efficient criminal justice system. And I don’t think that necessarily is the best use of resources to establish a specialised gun court at this time.”

    Notably, Simpson pushed back on one of the most common critiques of specialized courts: that creating one for gun crimes would open the door to a proliferation of separate tribunals for every high-profile crime category. Citing long-standing successful models across the Caribbean, she noted that jurisdictions like Jamaica have operated specialized gun courts for years, while many other regional systems maintain dedicated drug courts, with no major disruption to their overall legal frameworks. “I personally don’t have a challenge with it. It’s just that to me, if we want to clean up the backlog and we want to address crime, I just think that there are better ways to do it,” she clarified.

    One of the most significant practical barriers Simpson highlighted is the ongoing manpower shortage among criminal bar practitioners in Barbados. She warned that launching an additional court without expanding the pool of available defence attorneys and prosecutors would only exacerbate existing delays, rather than solving them. Currently, a small group of criminal lawyers already handle all cases across the eight existing criminal courts; adding another venue would force these already overworked practitioners to split their time across more dockets, slowing proceedings across the board.

    “You don’t knock things until you try them, yes, but to me one of the challenges is the fact that again you don’t have the manpower,” Simpson cautioned. “I don’t know if there are going to be prosecutors assigned, but you still have the same handful of attorneys who practise at the criminal Bar who are now going to not only be stretched between the eight existing criminal courts, but now who are expected to also be in these courts as well. So I personally don’t think that it may have the desired results.”

    Beyond understaffing, Simpson added that the shift between multiple specialized court venues would add unnecessary logistical complexity to case management, further slowing the delivery of justice. She noted that lawyers are already able to manage mixed caseloads more efficiently when cases are heard at a single venue, rather than forcing practitioners to travel between separate specialized locations throughout the workweek.

    Simpson did acknowledge that the sharp rise in gun-related crime across Barbados demands urgent, decisive action from policymakers, and said that the legal community would reserve final judgment until the policy is implemented and its outcomes can be assessed. Still, she argued that addressing foundational gaps in the existing system would have delivered more immediate, sustainable improvements in both case backlogs and public safety.

    For example, lower courts across the island still rely heavily on manual, paper-based processes, with no digital transcription of proceedings. Magistrates still write court notes by hand, creating unnecessary delays when records need to be accessed for trial progression. Even with these gaps, Simpson maintains that the existing eight criminal courts are fully capable of handling firearm-related cases more efficiently if they receive adequate targeted funding and support.

    “I certainly think the existing framework could handle it,” she said. “For example, we are now waiting in some instances for two to two and a half months to get a pre-sentencing report, and the probation officers are extremely stretched. They’re working with limited resources and they have to service some courts, so we understand the constraints.”

    “In the magistrates’ court, for example, we aren’t even to a place where there are transcripts available from the proceedings. You still have magistrates writing by hand. If we had tried to deal with those foundational things first, we could get matters moving through the system a lot faster.”

  • Nieuwe leden Tuchtcolleges beëdigd; behandeling tuchtzaken kan worden hervat

    Nieuwe leden Tuchtcolleges beëdigd; behandeling tuchtzaken kan worden hervat

    After weeks of halted proceedings that left dozens of complaints against legal professionals unaddressed, Suriname has marked a key milestone for judicial integrity with the formal swearing-in of new members to two of the country’s most important legal oversight bodies: the Disciplinary Board for Notaries and the Disciplinary Board for Lawyers. The ceremony, held Friday at the Presidential Palace, was presided over by Suriname President Jennifer Simons, officially closing a period of gridlock that threatened the continuity of disciplinary oversight.

    The backlog emerged when scheduled swearing-in proceedings for the new boards were delayed, forcing the suspension of all active complaint procedures against members of the two professions. With the inauguration of the new board members, the Suriname government confirmed this Friday that the continuity of disciplinary adjudication and ongoing efforts to strengthen the rule of law in the country are now secured.

    In her opening remarks at the ceremony, President Simons emphasized the non-negotiable role these two disciplinary bodies play in upholding professional integrity across Suriname’s legal sector. Tasked with investigating public and private complaints against working lawyers and notaries, the boards hold the authority to impose a full range of disciplinary sanctions when professional misconduct is confirmed, from formal written warnings to permanent removal from professional practice.

    “Surinamese citizens place enormous trust in their lawyers and notaries to protect their most critical personal and financial interests,” Simons told the newly inaugurated board members. “As independent disciplinary bodies, you are tasked with strictly enforcing standards of professionalism, quality, and integrity. I have full expectation that you will carry out this weighty responsibility with honor and conscience, as we work collectively to strengthen our country’s rule of law.”

    Speaking on behalf of the Disciplinary Board for Lawyers, board member Nailah van Dijk expressed gratitude for the public trust placed in the new cohort of members. She framed disciplinary law as an indispensable tool, designed not only to protect the rights of citizens interacting with the legal system but also to safeguard the reputation of the legal profession itself and the integrity of the broader judicial process. Van Dijk noted that the board’s work requires unwavering independence, rigorous and careful assessment of all facts presented, and the courage to take firm action when established professional norms are violated.

    Siegline Wijnhard, the newly appointed chair of the Disciplinary Board for Notaries, echoed the call for unwavering independence and impartiality in processing all complaints. She emphasized that the role of the board carries enormous responsibility, requiring careful balancing of broader public interests against the rights of individual notaries who are the subject of complaints. Wijnhard confirmed that the new board would maintain the independent course charted by previous iterations of the body, prioritizing fair and unbiased adjudication above all other considerations.

    The newly formed Disciplinary Board for Notaries will serve a four-year term running from June 1, 2025, to June 1, 2029. Wijnhard will lead the body as chair, with Maytrie Kuldip Singh appointed as deputy chair. Sitting members of the board include experienced jurists Jane Jensen and G. Blom, while Sandra Nanhoe-Gangadin and Kitty Astwood-Olff have been named alternate members.

    For the Disciplinary Board for Lawyers, Robert Praag will serve as the new chair, with Alida Johanns stepping into the role of deputy chair and M. Wesenhagen taking up the position of board secretary. Van Dijk and mr. Lilawati Punwasi-Raghoebier will serve as sitting members representing the legal profession, with mr. Benito Pick and Sardha Sitaram appointed as alternate members.

  • Beckles defends MP’s ‘N-word’ comparison

    Beckles defends MP’s ‘N-word’ comparison

    A brewing political firestorm in Trinidad and Tobago has taken center stage this week, after ruling People’s National Movement (PNM) Member of Parliament for Laventille West Kareem Marcelle made explosive remarks accusing the United National Congress (UNC)-led government of weaponizing the PNM party label as a racial slur targeting Afro-Trinidadians. Speaking at a public PNM gathering held at the Laventille Community Community Centre on Thursday night, Marcelle doubled down on scathing criticism of the ruling administration, claiming that government officials use the phrase “PNM people” as a modern-day racial slur, equating it to the anti-Black N-word in public discourse, particularly on social media.

    Marcelle went on to allege that the current UNC government holds overt hostility toward Black Trinidadians and residents of working-class districts historically aligned with the PNM, including Beetham, Sea Lots, Maloney, Arima and Carenage. He issued a direct challenge to Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, calling for an early national election and claiming PNM supporters are fully prepared to oust the UNC and elevate opposition leader Pennelope Beckles to the office of prime minister. The incendiary remarks drew immediate cheers from the PNM supporters in attendance, but sparked widespread debate across the nation’s political landscape.

    In the aftermath of the speech, Marcelle has stood firmly by his comments, pushing back against claims that his words were intended to stoke racial division. Speaking to reporters outside Parliament, locally known as the Red House, in Port of Spain on the following day, Marcelle clarified that his criticism was aimed exclusively at the current UNC government leadership, not at private UNC supporters or any specific ethnic group. He argued that his remarks were a direct response to a pattern of disparaging and discriminatory behavior by UNC officials toward PNM-aligned constituencies.

    To back his claims, Marcelle cited multiple past incidents: a recent incident where a UNC minister referred to PNM attendees at a San Juan candlelight vigil as “vagrants” and “rats in white jerseys”; a deeply disrespectful comment made by a sitting UNC minister toward former PNM legislator Camille Robinson-Regis as she mourned the death of a former colleague and her children in a house fire 18 months prior; and the trivialization of the fatal shooting of 9-year-old J’Layna Armstrong in Belmont, when government officials framed the tragedy as a problem exclusive to PNM-held districts. Marcelle argued that online commentators have deliberately misrepresented his words to paint him as racially divisive, and that any reasonable observer would understand his remarks targeted government policy and rhetoric, not a racial group.

    Now, opposition leader Pennelope Beckles has stepped forward to publicly defend Marcelle, arguing that his comments have been widely misinterpreted by critics and that he was only giving voice to long-simmering frustration among his Laventille West constituents. Beckles emphasized that Marcelle’s remarks reflected the on-the-ground sentiment of residents in the constituency, many of whom have lost jobs through government-led work programs including CEPEP, URP and the national reforestation initiative, and who overwhelmingly feel the current government has abandoned their communities.

    Beckles also reaffirmed the PNM’s long-standing core commitment to multiracial solidarity, a principle that has anchored the party since its founding 70 years ago. She added that the opposition’s broader criticism of the UNC extends far beyond PNM-held constituencies, noting that the ruling party has failed to deliver on the vast majority of campaign promises it made ahead of taking office, broken promises that have negatively impacted voters across every district in Trinidad and Tobago, regardless of which party holds the seat.

  • People can get sick, lose their lives

    People can get sick, lose their lives

    During a heated Senate debate yesterday, Finance Minister Davendranath Tancoo has robustly defended controversial increases to legal penalties outlined in the new Finance Bill, framing the tougher measures as a non-negotiable safeguard for public welfare rather than an overreach of government power.

    Tancoo pushed back against opposition criticism, arguing that the current, overly lenient fines have devolved into little more than a trivial operational cost for repeat violators who flout industry and safety regulations. “A weak fine essentially tells offenders that they can break the law, pay a negligible sum, and go right back to business as usual,” he stated during proceedings. “This administration will not enable lawlessness.”

    Taking direct aim at the opposition People’s National Movement (PNM), Tancoo claimed the party’s longstanding comfort with unregulated practices made its opposition to the new penalty structure entirely predictable. “When they come here to argue against consequences for breaking the law, no one should be surprised,” he said. “This mindset appears to be rooted in the very veins of the PNM. They have come to this parliament only to drum up sympathy for a position that puts convenience before public safety.”

    To underscore the stakes of weak regulatory enforcement, Tancoo pointed to decades of deadly contaminated product incidents around the world, opening with a 2011 Associated Press report that linked antifreeze-tainted vinegar to 11 deaths and over 120 illnesses in China. He noted that similar fatal events involving unsafe, unregulated products ranging from counterfeit vinegar to locally produced illicit spirit “babash” have been recorded across more than 30 countries, spanning every inhabited continent from North America to Southeast Asia. The full list of affected nations includes Brazil, Australia, Cambodia, Costa Rica, the Czech Republic, El Salvador, Estonia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Italy, Kuwait, Laos, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, Nigeria, Norway, Peru, the Philippines, Russia, Serbia, Spain, Turkey, Uganda, and the United States.

    “When products are manufactured, distilled, transported or sold without proper regulatory standards, the consequences stretch far beyond simple financial losses,” Tancoo emphasized. “People can get sick. People can lose their lives. It is the government’s fundamental duty to guard against those real-world dangers.”

    The minister argued that any legitimate product market requires clear legal standards, meaningful accountability, and proportionate consequences for rule-breakers. He challenged the opposition to justify their stance to the families of people who have been killed or harmed by unsafe, unlicensed production practices. “When the Opposition makes light of distilling without a licence, let them explain that to the families of persons who have been injured or who have died from unsafe alcohol and unsafe practices,” he said.

    Tancoo extended the same safety argument to the new penalties for violations of the Motor Launches Act, specifically calling out the opposition for dismissing overloading of passenger vessels as a minor offense. “They spoke about party boats as though passenger safety is any little thing. But overloading a vessel is not any little thing. Operating without proper safety equipment is not any little thing,” he said.

    Carrying passengers beyond a vessel’s legal capacity, he noted, carries a constant risk of catastrophic tragedy, and it is the sitting government, not the opposition, that is left to confront grieving families when disaster strikes. “When a vessel is overloaded and tragedy strikes, it is not the Opposition who must face the grieving family. It is not the Opposition who must look into the eyes of a mother, a father, a child, a spouse, and explain why basic safety rules were treated as an inconvenience,” he said.

    He further highlighted that unlicensed, non-compliant operation often voids insurance coverage, leaving victim families with no path to fair compensation after an incident. Tancoo stressed that no responsible government can wait for mass casualties to act, arguing that allowing weak fines to become a routine cost of cutting corners amounts to sacrificing public safety for private convenience. “No serious government can say that the life of a passenger is worth less than the convenience of an operator. No government that cares about people can allow this status quo to stand,” he said.

    Closing his address, Tancoo made a direct appeal to Independent senators to throw their support behind the legislation, urging them to back measures explicitly designed to protect the nation’s citizens. He also issued a public challenge to opposition members, expressing confidence that patriotic, right-minded members of the public will ultimately support the bill’s public safety goals.

  • Attzs: More fees, penalties create a burden for consumers

    Attzs: More fees, penalties create a burden for consumers

    During Tuesday’s Senate debate on the 2026 Finance Bill, independent Senator Dr. Marlene Attzs has drawn policymakers’ attention to underaddressed risks stemming from the legislation’s wide-ranging package of increased fines, higher fees, stiffer penalties, and expanded compliance mandates. While she concedes that many individual provisions in the bill, which amends more than 20 separate existing laws, are justifiable on their own merits, Attzs argues that the cumulative impact of rolling out dozens of new obligations at once risks placing unbearable additional strain on households already struggling with cost-of-living pressures and small businesses operating on thin margins.

    Attzs emphasized that ordinary citizens and economic actors do not experience public policy in isolated chunks; they feel the combined weight of every new tax, surcharge, filing requirement, and compliance rule layered on top of existing obligations. “Every new requirement may appear manageable when considered alone, but when stacked one atop another, they create a cumulative burden that ripples through every part of the economy, raising business operating costs, housing costs, and ultimately the final prices consumers pay,” she explained.

    To illustrate her point, Attzs pointed to Clause 30 of the bill, which raises licence fees and penalties under the Spirits and Spirit Compounds Act. Cost increases imposed at early stages of supply chains do not stay confined to regulated entities, she noted, instead passing through wholesale and retail markets to land on end consumers. She further warned that policymakers often fail to distinguish between the legal incidence of a new charge, which falls on the entity legally required to remit payment, and its economic incidence, which often shifts to the most vulnerable groups that lack the bargaining power to absorb extra costs.

    Beyond cumulative cost concerns, Attzs also questioned the core logic behind widespread penalty increases across sectors including gambling, tobacco, pesticides, and forestry. While she acknowledged the Finance Minister’s argument that penalties must be substantial enough to deter unlawful activity, she pushed back on the assumption that harsher sanctions alone automatically translate to higher compliance rates. Effective regulatory systems, she argued, rest on three equally important pillars: public education, accessible facilitation for regulated actors, and consistent enforcement. Stiffer penalties will not improve outcomes if compliance pathways are convoluted, public information is scarce, and regulatory agencies lack the resources to carry out consistent, fair enforcement. In that scenario, penalty increases exist only on paper, she said.

    Attzs highlighted Clause 15 as a key example of this gap: the provision doubles the maximum penalty for unapproved copra product manufacturing from $4,000 to $8,000, drawing public concern over impacts on small-scale producers of homemade coconut oil and vinegar. While Attzs agreed that regulatory product standards are necessary, she pointed out that most producers affected by this change are not large corporations with in-house compliance teams and legal counsel. They are often cottage industry operators, rural households, women-led micro-enterprises, and people working to supplement low household incomes.

    She pressed the government to outline what support measures will be put in place to help these small-scale operators transition into formal compliance with regulatory requirements. “If we are increasing penalties for non-compliance, we have an obligation to build accessible pathways to compliance at the same time, especially for groups with limited resources and limited familiarity with complex regulatory processes,” Attzs said.

    Closing her remarks, Attzs posed a core question for legislators: “Are we trying to build a culture of compliance, or are we trying to impose a culture of punishment?” Effective legislation, she argued, requires more than just larger fines and harsher sanctions. It depends on capable, resourced institutions, clear and accessible regulations, public trust, and practical support to help stakeholders meet requirements. To that end, she proposed targeted adjustments including phased implementation of new rules, widespread public education campaigns, warning notices for first-time minor offenders, and graduated penalties that align with the severity of the violation. These measures, she said, would foster long-term compliance rather than simply imposing disproportionate punishment on the most vulnerable.