Carib Scope

分类： politics

  • Guyana draagt voormalig minister voor als kandidaat voor VN-secretaris-generaal

    Guyana draagt voormalig minister voor als kandidaat voor VN-secretaris-generaal

    On June 12, Guyanese President Irfaan Ali made a landmark announcement confirming that his government has officially put forward Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, the nation’s current permanent representative to the United Nations, as its candidate to succeed outgoing UN Secretary-General António Guterres, whose second and final term concludes at the end of 2026.

    In his official statement, President Ali emphasized that Rodrigues-Birkett’s nomination marks a pivotal moment that reflects both Guyana’s expanding global footprint and the small Caribbean nation’s growing ambition to contribute more meaningfully to the multilateral global system. The head of state pointed to Guyana’s recent assumption of a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council for the 2024–2025 term as evidence of the country’s rising international standing, highlighting its active engagement in critical global debates spanning peace and security, climate action, food security, sustainable development, and global energy security in recent years.

    Against the backdrop of this growing influence, Ali noted that the time has come for Guyana to put forward a candidate for the UN’s most senior diplomatic post. “Guyana has steadily emerged as an increasingly prominent and influential voice within the international community,” Ali stated, framing the nomination as a natural next step for the nation’s evolving global role.

    Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett is widely recognized as one of Guyana’s most seasoned and accomplished diplomats. She has served as the country’s permanent representative to the UN Headquarters in New York since 2020, a tenure that saw her play a central leadership role during Guyana’s ongoing Security Council term. Before taking up her current UN posting, Rodrigues-Birkett held multiple senior roles across global and national governance, including serving as Director of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Liaison Office in Geneva. She has also held several cabinet positions in the Guyanese government, including Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of Indigenous People’s Affairs, giving her decades of high-level experience in both domestic governance and international diplomacy.

    President Ali underscored that Rodrigues-Birkett brings the deep diplomatic expertise, extensive global network, and proven leadership skills needed to guide the United Nations through an era defined by overlapping global crises: ongoing armed conflicts, accelerating climate change, widespread food insecurity, and rising geopolitical polarization. “These challenging times demand a leader with the credentials and vision to unite the international community around shared solutions,” Ali noted.

    The nomination also marks a defining step in Guyana’s efforts to cement its presence on the global stage. If Rodrigues-Birkett is successfully elected, she will make history as the first person from Guyana to hold the post of UN Secretary-General, and only one of a small number of leaders from the Caribbean region to ever lead the world body.

    Over the coming months, the selection process for the new Secretary-General will unfold through intensive behind-the-scenes diplomatic consultations among the UN’s 193 member states. The final appointment follows an established procedure, requiring endorsement by the UN Security Council before formal approval by the UN General Assembly.

  • COMMENTARY: Why the IRC says the distributed renewable energy framework is far from final

    COMMENTARY: Why the IRC says the distributed renewable energy framework is far from final

    In recent days, widespread conversation has erupted across social media and public platforms in Dominica regarding the proposed Distributed Renewable Energy Generation Framework, which is currently undergoing review by the country’s Independent Regulatory Commission (IRC). After observing the discourse for some time, the head of the commission has stepped forward to correct widespread misinformation that has caused unnecessary anxiety among residents and stakeholders.

    The core misunderstanding that has spread through public conversation is the false claim that the framework has already been finalized, approved, and is ready to be imposed on the country’s electricity sector. The commission stresses that this could not be further from the truth. What is currently being discussed is nothing more than an initial working draft compiled by an external consultant, who pulled together regulatory models and approaches successfully used in other jurisdictions to create a starting point for public conversation. At this early stage, the document was never intended to serve as a final, binding policy.

    The entire purpose of the current process is to assess this draft, separate elements that fit Dominica’s unique energy landscape, electricity grid, and customer needs from those that do not, and ultimately craft a customized framework aligned with the country’s specific goals. Even more importantly, the commission emphasizes that the review process is still in its absolute earliest phases, far from any final decision.

    To address concerns that policy would be developed behind closed doors without public input, the IRC proactively established a diverse stakeholder committee before work on the framework even began. The committee includes owners of existing distributed renewable energy systems, industry vendors, residential energy customers, representatives from Dominica’s key hospitality sector, and other relevant sector stakeholders. This broad membership was intentionally selected to ensure all voices can be heard, and all perspectives can shape the framework before any final votes are taken. To date, the committee has held only one introductory meeting, where members shared initial feedback, raised concerns, flagged elements that may not work for Dominica, and identified areas in need of adjustment. That is the full extent of progress made so far.

    One of the most heated sources of public confusion surrounds the proposed “buy all, sell all” energy model referenced in the consultant’s draft. Many residents with existing solar photovoltaic (PV) systems have raised alarms that this model would be forced on them, but the commission clarifies that the model is only one of many options under review. During the first committee meeting, concerns about the model’s impact on existing renewable system owners were raised immediately, and committee members acknowledged that key aspects of the approach may not fit Dominica’s context. That said, early discussion is already trending toward making participation in any grid connection or buy-sell arrangement voluntary, letting customers themselves decide whether they want to opt in. No final decisions on this point have been made.

    A second major source of misinformation involves rumors of finalised buy and sell pricing for distributed renewable energy, which the IRC says are completely unfounded. Pricing structures have not been settled, and will not be discussed and finalized until core framework elements including capacity thresholds, participation categories, technical safety requirements, and grid integration protocols are fully developed. Any pricing decisions will require detailed negotiation and analysis between the IRC and DOMLEC, the island’s main electricity provider, to ensure the model is fair, technically feasible, and financially sustainable for all parties.

    Contrary to claims that the framework is intended to restrict distributed renewable energy growth, the IRC stresses that the opposite is true. The entire project is designed to create a clear, fair regulatory environment that incentivizes expanded renewable energy adoption across the island. The commission recognizes that many Dominicans install solar and other distributed systems to gain energy independence, improve resilience after tropical storms, and lock in long-term energy cost savings, and these priorities are central to the drafting process. At the same time, the commission has a legal and ethical responsibility to ensure any new framework is technically safe for the national grid, fair to all customers, and sustainable over the long term for the country as a whole.

    For the past two months, the IRC’s work was prioritized to a comprehensive tariff review for DOMLEC, which delayed progress on the renewable framework. Now that the tariff review is largely complete, the commission will schedule additional committee meetings to advance discussions. After the stakeholder committee concludes its work, the revised draft will be released for a full, island-wide public consultation period, to capture additional feedback and concerns that may have been missed during early discussions.

    The IRC says it welcomes all constructive public engagement, including questions, comments, and fair criticism of the draft framework. However, it urges residents and stakeholders to distinguish between an early discussion draft and a final, binding regulatory decision – two very different stages of the policy process. The commission appreciates the widespread public enthusiasm for expanding renewable energy in Dominica, which it calls a positive sign for the country’s clean energy future, but it wants to reassure residents that no final decisions have been made, and official updates will be released regularly as the process moves forward. The public is encouraged to follow official IRC channels for accurate updates, and to continue participating in the process by submitting feedback to ensure the final framework reflects the needs and interests of all Dominicans.

  • Geotechnical engineer drills out GY$17 million from Jagdeo for defamation

    Geotechnical engineer drills out GY$17 million from Jagdeo for defamation

    On Friday, 12 June 2026, Guyana High Court Judge Fidela Lincoln-Corbin delivered a landmark defamation ruling holding current Guyanese Second Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo financially liable for defamatory comments he made against prominent senior engineer Charles Ceres back in 2019.

    The case stems from a press conference held on 27 June 2019, when Jagdeo was serving as Opposition Leader and General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP). At that event, Jagdeo made damaging public statements about Ceres’ 2019 land acquisition deal with his then-wife.

    In her written ruling, Judge Lincoln-Corbin confirmed that Ceres had presented unchallenged evidence proving Jagdeo either personally published or authorized the publication of the defamatory claims against the engineer. The judge ultimately dismissed all three of Jagdeo’s core legal defenses: justification, fair comment, and qualified privilege. She emphasized that Jagdeo failed to introduce any credible evidence to support any of his defensive claims, despite cross-examining Ceres over the course of the trial in an apparent attempt to validate his arguments.

    Alongside the GY$15 million in defamation damages owed directly to Ceres, Jagdeo was also ordered to pay an additional GY$2,150,000 to cover Ceres’ court costs. The ruling also addressed co-defendants Tusika Martin, Editor-in-Chief of the *Guyana Times*, and the newspaper outlet itself. After reviewing the full audio recording of the 2019 press conference that was entered into evidence, Judge Lincoln-Corbin found that while the outlet’s news headline did not clarify the piece was a report on the press conference, the body of the article constituted a fair and accurate summary of Jagdeo’s original remarks. As a result, the judge awarded discretionary costs of GY$1 million to Martin and the *Guyana Times*.

    Ceres, a globally recognized geotechnical engineer and groundwater hydrologist with more than four decades of professional experience, was represented in court by attorney Darren Wade. Jagdeo’s legal team was led by barristers C.V. Satram and Ron Motilall.

    Shortly after the ruling was issued, Wade announced on his Facebook page that Ceres plans to appeal the court’s decision as it relates to *Guyana Times*, and will also push for a higher damages award against Jagdeo. Even so, Wade publicly urged the vice president to resolve the matter immediately by paying the ordered damages rather than pursuing an appeal. “Mr. Bharrat Jagdeo, please pay up as soon as possible. Do not let anyone convince you that there is any real prospect of success on appeal,” Wade stated.

  • ‘Todeh Fih Me, Tomorrow Fih You’: Technicians To Sue Building Authority

    ‘Todeh Fih Me, Tomorrow Fih You’: Technicians To Sue Building Authority

    In a high-stakes standoff that threatens to reshape Belize’s construction industry and raise barriers to affordable housing for working families, roughly 100 architectural and engineering technicians are gearing up to launch a constitutional challenge against sweeping new regulations imposed by the country’s Central Building Authority (CBA). The Association of Architectural and Engineering Technicians of Belize (AAETB) has announced it will contest three key policy changes: the updated Belize Building Code, 2022 amendments to the national building regulations, and a controversial CBA ruling issued on April 20, 2026.

    That CBA decision went into effect just over two weeks after it was announced, on May 1, 2026, and immediately barred the CBA from accepting construction drawings prepared by technicians for any structure larger than 1,200 square feet. Under the new rules, only registered members of the Association of Professional Architects of Belize or the Association of Professional Engineers of Belize qualify as “registered design professionals” eligible to submit plans for mid-sized and large projects.

    AAETB leaders argue the policy rollout was fundamentally undemocratic and legally flawed: the new restriction was introduced with only 10 days of public notice, and no prior consultation was held with the technicians who would bear the brunt of the change. The association says the abrupt shift has already thrown hundreds of existing active construction contracts into chaos, and effectively stripped independent technical professionals of their right to earn a living in their field of expertise.

    Legally, the group contends that the new regulations violate multiple core protections enshrined in Belize’s constitution. These violations include infringement of the fundamental right to work, unequal treatment under the law that discriminates against technical practitioners, and unlawful deprivation of professional property and livelihood without just compensation.

    Beyond the immediate impact on its members, the association has sounded the alarm about harmful spillover effects for ordinary Belizean households. For decades, architectural and engineering technicians have offered design and drafting services at far more affordable rates than fully registered professional architects and engineers. Their exclusion from the larger project market will inevitably drive up the cost of construction plans, at a time when already sky-high building costs have put homeownership out of reach for a growing share of the population.

    In a defiant statement outlining the group’s position, AAETB emphasized that technicians have long been the unsung foundation of Belize’s construction sector, and do not create any unmanageable safety risk to the public. “They are its backbone,” the statement read, signaling the organization’s commitment to seeing the legal challenge through to secure its members’ livelihoods and protect affordable building options for all Belizeans.

  • Miriam Blanchard resigns as Roseau North MP due to health concerns

    Miriam Blanchard resigns as Roseau North MP due to health concerns

    In a formal announcement made public on Friday, June 12, 2026, veteran Dominican political leader Miriam Blanchard has officially stepped down from her post as Parliamentary Representative for the Roseau North Constituency, confirming that pressing health concerns have prompted her decision to leave public office.

    The House of Assembly received Blanchard’s formal resignation letter dated June 9, 2026, which formally notified legislative leadership of her intent to vacate her parliamentary seat. For close to 10 years, Blanchard has stood as one of the most influential figures in Dominican politics, holding multiple senior cabinet positions across key government portfolios. Her career in public service included leadership roles overseeing infrastructure, national planning, economic development, labor policy, public service reform, and small business growth across the island nation.

    Among her most notable contributions was her central leadership role in steering the country’s large-scale reconstruction process after Tropical Storm Erika devastated large swathes of Dominica, leaving widespread destruction in its wake. Beyond disaster recovery, Blanchard also played an integral part in advancing dozens of national development initiatives that have shaped the country’s growth trajectory in recent years.

    In an official press statement released by the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) shortly after the resignation announcement, Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit offered a heartfelt tribute to Blanchard’s decades of commitment to the Dominican people, calling her contributions to the nation extraordinary.

    “As I reflect, I look back with immense gratitude on Miriam’s decision to answer the call to enter public life, choosing to raise her hand and be counted when the country needed selfless service,” Skerrit said in his remarks. He emphasized that throughout her tenure in government, Blanchard served with clear distinction, and maintained unwavering commitment to advancing the nation’s interests even as she privately navigated ongoing health challenges.

    The Prime Minister lauded Blanchard’s well-documented perseverance and deep dedication to public good, noting that she gave every part of herself to serving Dominican communities. He called on the nation’s citizens to stand with Blanchard as she turns her full attention to recovery, adding that now it is the country’s turn to lift her up and hold her in their thoughts and prayers.

    Skerrit also highlighted Blanchard’s relentless advocacy for the residents of her Roseau North constituency, noting she consistently worked to ensure local communities could access and benefit from national development gains. Expressing deep confidence in Blanchard’s well-known strength and resilience, the Prime Minister extended his wishes for comfort and restored health during this period of healing.

    To address the vacancy left by Blanchard’s departure, Skerrit gave formal assurance that constituent services and parliamentary representation for Roseau North will continue without disruption. He also confirmed that a by-election will be held to fill the empty seat within the timeline mandated by Dominica’s Constitution.

    Concluding his tribute, Skerrit said Blanchard’s public service legacy will remain a foundational part of Dominica’s ongoing progress, and pledged ongoing support from both the national government and the Dominica Labour Party for Blanchard and her family as she enters this new phase of her life.

    Joseph Isaac, Speaker of the House of Assembly who formally accepted Blanchard’s resignation letter, also issued a brief statement of thanks. “On behalf of the House of Assembly, I thank Hon. Blanchard for her service to her constituents and to the people of Dominica and wish her very best,” Isaac said.

  • Staat betaalt al ruim SRD 918.000 aan dwangsommen in zaak Baitali

    Staat betaalt al ruim SRD 918.000 aan dwangsommen in zaak Baitali

    A months-long legal dispute between the Suriname government and local construction firm Baitali N.V. over a major IDB-funded infrastructure tender has left the administration squeezed between a binding court ruling and warnings from its international financier, with hundreds of thousands of Surinamese dollars already paid in default penalties. The conflict centers on the rehabilitation of two key arteries: Van ’t Hogerhuysstraat and Slangenhoutstraat, a project backed by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).

    When bidding opened for the contract in December 2024, five private construction firms submitted formal proposals. Baitali N.V. tabled the lowest bid at roughly $19.3 million USD, but in a surprise decision in March 2025, the Ministry of Public Works and Spatial Planning (OWRO) awarded the contract to Kuldipsingh Infra N.V. for a higher sum of $22.7 million USD.

    Baitali immediately challenged the award, arguing its bid had been wrongfully invalidated and that evaluation criteria had been applied without transparency or objectivity. The firm first filed an objection with the ministry’s internal Project Implementation Unit (PIU), then escalated the complaint directly to the IDB. When Baitali received no adequate response to its claims, it brought the case to Suriname’s civil courts.

    In a subsequent summary judgment, the district court ruled largely in Baitali’s favor, finding the company had been improperly excluded from the tender process. The court’s ruling ordered three key actions: the original award to Kuldipsingh Infra must be withdrawn, the entire tender process must be reopened with Baitali’s bid reinstated as a valid submission, and all work on the project must be halted immediately.

    Though the Surinamese state initially filed an appeal against the court’s decision, the appeal was later withdrawn at the request of OWRO Minister Stephen Tsang, cementing the ruling as a legally binding final judgment. Even after the ruling took effect, however, the state failed to implement its terms promptly, leading to accruing daily penalty fines.

    As of the ministry’s latest public statement released Friday, the state has already paid out 918,450 SRD in accrued penalty fines for the delayed implementation of the court order. The conflict gained an additional layer of complexity when the IDB, the project’s primary funder, issued its own findings: the bank concluded Suriname’s original tender process followed all applicable rules, and it found no evidence of corruption or procedural misconduct. While the IDB stated it would ultimately respect the final decision of Suriname’s domestic authorities, it also explicitly warned that altering the original tender outcome could carry negative consequences for the project’s financing.

    In January 2025, Baitali returned to court to escalate the dispute, arguing the state had still not complied with the binding ruling. The firm is now requesting that daily penalty fines be increased to 1 million SRD per day, and the case remains pending before the district court.

    The impasse has placed the Surinamese government in an unprecedentedly difficult position. On one side, it faces an unappealable court order that requires full compliance under continued penalty. On the other, it relies on the IDB’s financing for the infrastructure project, and the bank has explicitly backed the original tender outcome. The final resolution of the standoff will likely depend heavily on the outcome of Baitali’s ongoing lawsuit seeking stiffer penalties, leaving the future of the long-delayed road project uncertain.

  • Protest being held in support of Cuba

    Protest being held in support of Cuba

    On a coming Saturday, Cuban solidarity activists based in Barbados are set to hold a two-hour public demonstration outside the United States Embassy located in Wildey, St. Michael, to voice their fierce opposition to Washington’s long-running restrictions on the island nation of Cuba.

    Lalu Hanuman, coordinator of the local advocacy group the 13th June 1980 Movement, laid out the core grievances driving the protest. According to Hanuman, the demonstration is specifically organized to condemn what the group frames as the illegal and unethical economic blockade that the United States has imposed on Cuba for decades. In recent months, Hanuman notes, the blockade has severely restricted Cuba’s ability to import critical fuel supplies, which power essential public services ranging from public hospitals and schools to core community infrastructure that residents rely on daily.

    The activist, an attorney by profession with a long record of social advocacy, detailed the devastating human cost of the ongoing restrictions. He explained that the blockade has already pushed Cuba into a humanitarian crisis, with preventable deaths occurring among patients waiting for urgent surgical procedures, and a sharp upward turn in the country’s infant mortality rate that reverses years of public health progress. Beyond the immediate impact of the fuel shortage and broader economic restrictions, Hanuman also called attention to past violent actions by American forces in regional waters, which he says have resulted in the deaths of more than 200 people after boats were targeted and blown up across the Caribbean and Pacific.

    Hanuman is urging all Barbadians who oppose the ongoing blockade and its humanitarian fallout to join the picket, which is scheduled to kick off at 10:00 a.m. local time on Saturday. The demonstration aims to amplify regional calls for an end to the decades-old trade and financial restrictions that have disproportionately harmed ordinary Cuban citizens for generations.

  • Kareem stands by his statements: ‘They wicked, evil and racist’

    Kareem stands by his statements: ‘They wicked, evil and racist’

    A brewing political controversy has taken center stage in Trinidad and Tobago’s Parliament this week, after Opposition Member of Parliament for Laventille West Kareem Marcelle doubled down on comments he delivered at a constituency rally Thursday night that triggered fierce online backlash.

    Facing growing calls to retract his remarks over accusations of anti-ethnic rhetoric, Marcelle arrived at Port of Spain’s Red House for Friday’s parliamentary sitting and pushed back firmly against misrepresentation claims. Speaking directly to reporters on the ground, he emphasized that his critical remarks were exclusively targeted at the ruling United National Congress (UNC) administration, not any ethnic or religious community within the nation.

    In an earlier written statement shared across his social media channels, Marcelle refuted the viral misquote that had circulated online, denying he ever claimed “Indian people do not like us… we do not like them.” He clarified that his speech to Laventille West constituents stuck strictly to political critique of the incumbent government’s policies and actions toward opposition-held districts. “This UNC Government, by their words and actions towards our communities, simply do not like us. And guess what? We do not like the UNC either. And I make no apologies for stating that fact,” Marcelle reiterated Friday.

    The PNM (People’s National Movement) MP went on to outline a series of grievances against the ruling administration, claiming UNC officials have systematically targeted opposition-aligned citizens. He alleged the government has slashed funding for corporations controlled by PNM, and terminated or refused to renew employment contracts for thousands of workers suspected of supporting the opposition. Marcelle also accused cabinet ministers of shifting blame for rising national crime rates onto PNM-held constituencies, and recalled that ruling party officials recently labeled PNM supporters attending a public vigil as “vagrants in white jerseys.”

    “Does this sound like a Government that likes or loves people from PNM constituencies? Or does this sound like a Government that simply hates us?” Marcelle asked, framing his criticism as a fair response to years of unequal treatment. He also reaffirmed his campaign pledge to Laventille West voters: if the PNM wins the next government, his first priority will be securing an equitable share of national resources for his constituency, after years of what he calls deliberate underinvestment under UNC rule.

    Marcelle hit back at what he calls the UNC’s coordinated campaign of “fake news and false narratives” twisting his words to stoke racial tension. He stressed that the PNM, founded by Dr Eric Williams, has a long-standing core commitment to representing all races and creeds across Trinidad and Tobago. “I am proud to be part of Dr Eric Williams’ political party called the PNM, a party where we stand with and represent every single creed and race in Trinidad and Tobago,” he said.

    Closing his remarks, Marcelle urged his base to ignore what he describes as ruling party propaganda, and reiterated the opposition’s resolve to oust what he labeled a “wicked, evil and racist” UNC government in upcoming elections. While the original speech has gone viral on social media platforms, drawing widespread criticism from observers who argue its wording stokes racial division, Marcelle has maintained consistent denial of any racial intent, repeating that his critique is rooted exclusively in partisan political conflict.

  • FOD seeking major overhaul of public transport system ​

    FOD seeking major overhaul of public transport system ​

    Barbados’ main opposition organization Friends of Democracy (FOD) has launched a far-reaching engagement project targeting long-standing systemic flaws that have undermined safety, professional standards and service consistency across the island nation’s public transport sector.

    Moving beyond traditional partisan criticism, FOD has launched a series of targeted consultations with three key stakeholder groups: daily commuters, established licensed transport operators, and senior industry representatives. The goal of these discussions is to collect on-the-ground insights into the deep-rooted challenges facing the sector, which will inform a concrete, long-term policy blueprint for reform. Jamal Martindale, FOD’s spokesperson for Transport and Works, emphasized that the initiative prioritizes actionable solutions over political rhetoric in a public statement shared this week.

    Early conversations have already centered on one non-negotiable priority: a full overhaul of existing safety protocols to protect both passengers and transport workers. Martindale drew particular attention to the growing proliferation of unlicensed “pirate” transport operators across the island, a trend that creates major public safety gaps due to a lack of legal oversight and valid insurance coverage.

    “Illegal passenger transport must be understood first and foremost as a public safety issue,” Martindale explained. “Passengers who step into unlicensed vehicles often don’t realize they are exposing themselves to catastrophic risk if an accident happens, especially when there is no valid passenger liability insurance in place. Every Barbadian has the right to know that when they board a public transport vehicle, they are riding with a properly licensed, regulated, and insured service.”

    Safety is a two-pronged crisis, Martindale added, noting that legitimate licensed operators face growing threats to their personal security. Drivers and conductors of public service vehicles (PSVs) have reported a sharp, worrying increase in criminal targeting, particularly during late-evening and overnight shifts. Reports of robberies, physical assaults, and other criminal acts against on-duty transport staff have become far too common, he said.

    “We cannot ignore the safety concerns that licensed operators deal with every single day. Reports of robberies, assaults, and other criminal activity continue to harm drivers and conductors, especially when they work evening routes,” Martindale said. “These valid concerns must be taken seriously if we are going to build a safer, more reliable transport system that works for everyone.”

    To address these overlapping safety threats, FOD is calling for urgent modernization of the public transport network’s core security infrastructure. The group is pushing for expanded, high-resolution surveillance systems across high-risk routes and terminals, stronger collaborative security partnerships with local law enforcement agencies, and more robust, fast-acting emergency response mechanisms for operators facing crisis.

    Beyond beefing up general security, FOD argues that accelerating the rollout of contactless, digital fare collection systems will cut down on the amount of physical cash carried by PSV crews, a key factor that makes operators targets for robbery. This simple policy shift, the group says, would act as a powerful deterrent to would-be criminals.

    In addition to physical security, early consultations have revealed widespread demand for higher professional standards across the entire sector. In response, FOD is lobbying to mandate standardized, ongoing training programs for all public transport operators and vehicle owners. The proposed training curriculum would cover a wide range of critical competencies: customer service, emergency first aid, de-escalation and conflict resolution, passenger assistance, basic financial literacy, and public safety awareness.

    “Public transport operators are often the first point of contact for thousands of Barbadians every single day,” Martindale noted. “Because of this vital public role, they need to have all the necessary skills to serve our citizens professionally, safely and effectively.”

    FOD’s review also highlighted a stark equity gap in service distribution across the country. While high-traffic, lucrative urban corridors enjoy frequent, reliable service, rural and geographically peripheral communities are chronically underserved – a problem that grows even worse during off-peak hours, leaving many residents stranded for work, school, or medical appointments. The opposition group stresses that any future restructuring of the public transport network must be rooted in empirical data to guarantee equal access to service for all Barbadians, no matter where they live.

    When it comes to addressing the crisis of unlicensed pirate operators, FOD says it is encouraged by the cooperative stance of existing regulated industry stakeholders. Rather than pushing for a harsh, punitive crackdown on informal operators, the group supports a structured, supportive framework to help unlicensed drivers enter the regulated system through legalization.

    “We are encouraged by the willingness of industry stakeholders to work constructively with individuals currently operating outside of the regulated system,” Martindale said. “We support efforts to help these operators become licensed, insured, and compliant with the law, so that they can contribute positively to the national transportation network while upholding the safety of the travelling public.”

    FOD confirmed that it will ramp up consultation activities across Barbados over the coming weeks, as the group works to finalize a full, comprehensive policy framework for public transport reform. “The men and women who transport thousands of Barbadians to work, school, medical appointments, and back to their homes every day play a critical role in our national economy and in the daily lives of our citizens,” Martindale said. “They deserve our recognition, our full support, and a transportation system that truly works for everyone.”

  • Nieuwjaar op 18 juni erkend als nationale gedenkdag; geen vrije dag

    Nieuwjaar op 18 juni erkend als nationale gedenkdag; geen vrije dag

    In an official announcement made public last Friday, Suriname’s Ministry of Home Affairs has formally recognized Javanese New Year as a national commemorative day, confirming the annual observance will not carry the status of a paid public holiday for 2026.

    Minister of Home Affairs Marinus Bee confirmed that the cabinet’s decision grants this year’s Javanese New Year, which falls on Thursday, June 18, official national commemorative standing. This institutional recognition, the government clarified, is intended to highlight the deep cultural and historical significance of Javanese New Year within Suriname’s diverse multi-ethnic social fabric, marking the first time the observance has been elevated to formal national status.

    Unlike Suriname’s existing national holidays and major commemorative days, Javanese New Year will not be classified as equivalent to a Sunday for scheduling purposes, a designation that automatically triggers time off for public and private sector workers. As a result, government offices, educational institutions, and private businesses will remain open and operate under standard working hours on June 18, unless individual organizations issue separate internal decisions to close for the day.

    For Suriname’s sizeable Javanese community, Javanese New Year is an annual cultural celebration centered on reflection, gratitude, and the ritual marking of a new cycle of life. The decision to grant official recognition comes as the South American nation continues to formalize recognition of cultural traditions tied to its diverse immigrant populations, who have shaped the country’s social and cultural identity since the colonial era.