Carib Scope

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  • Minister Andrews tours major infrastructure projects across Carriacou

    Minister Andrews tours major infrastructure projects across Carriacou

    Grenada’s Minister for Carriacou and Petite Martinique Affairs and Local Government, Hon. Tevin Andrews, has recently wrapped up a thorough on-site assessment of multiple large-scale infrastructure developments across Carriacou, verifying that key projects spanning aviation, maritime transport, and road connectivity are on track to meet their completion timelines. The inspection tour comes in the wake of widespread destruction caused by Hurricane Beryl, and serves as a clear demonstration of the national government’s determined pledge to “build back better” — upgrading regional connectivity, strengthening socio-economic opportunity, and delivering infrastructure built to withstand future climate shocks.

    Among the most transformative projects underway is the Lauriston Airport Expansion and Night Landing Project. The initiative, which will eventually be renamed the Herbert Blaize Airport upon completion, is moving into its final construction phases. Terminal expansions, redesigned passenger check-in areas, and upgraded public seating are nearly finished, while installation of the long-awaited airfield lighting system for night landings continues to progress on schedule. The full project is set to wrap up and enter official operation in late August 2026.

    Work is also advancing steadily on the Windward Jetty Redevelopment, a climate-resilient overhaul of the critical maritime facility. After specialized heavy construction equipment was deployed to the site, building work on the redesigned structure has moved forward without major delays. Once completed between late July and early August 2026, the new jetty will restore and streamline local trade, commercial fishing operations, and passenger transit connections between Carriacou and neighboring Petite Martinique.

    Multiple road improvement projects are also actively underway across the island to address long-standing mobility challenges. On Bogles Road, crews are currently installing extensive new concrete pavement and upgraded structural drainage systems, upgrades that will cut down on commuting times, improve safety for school bus routes, and open up more reliable access for local agricultural producers. Two critical connecting corridors — the Mt Pleasant–Point Road link and the Beausejour–Cart Road link — are also undergoing full structural overhauls. Decades-old degraded roadways are being replaced with durable concrete pavements engineered to withstand the extreme weather patterns that increasingly impact the region, delivering long-lasting infrastructure for local residents.

    Minister Andrews praised the engineering teams and local contractors leading the work for their consistent professionalism and fast, efficient execution throughout the assessment. He noted that the simultaneous delivery of these transformative projects represents a historic, unprecedented investment in the future of the people of Carriacou. While acknowledging that temporary construction disruptions may inconvenience local residents, and asking the public for continued patience during this period of development, Andrews emphasized that these upgrades will deliver widespread long-term benefits: new local job opportunities, a major boost to the island’s critical tourism sector, and a durable foundational infrastructure that will support broad-based economic prosperity for years to come.

  • Senator calls for clarity on cost of drugs overhaul

    Senator calls for clarity on cost of drugs overhaul

    During Wednesday’s senate debate on the landmark Barbados Medical Products Bill, independent Senator Andrew Niles has publicly thrown his support behind long-overdue plans to modernize the Caribbean nation’s outdated pharmaceutical regulatory framework, while pressing the government to deliver full transparency around the overhaul’s public cost and long-term financial commitments.

    The core proposal at the center of the debate is the creation of the Barbados Medical Products Authority (BMPA), an autonomous governing body designed to take full oversight of the production, safety, and distribution of all medicines, medical devices, and health products sold and used across the island. Beyond regulatory modernization, the new authority is also a key pillar of Barbados’ national strategy to grow its domestic pharmaceutical manufacturing capacity and build an export-focused industry that can diversify the country’s economy.

    In his remarks on the floor, Niles was quick to praise the policy direction of the bill, calling the proposed institutional upgrade a critical and positive step forward for Barbados’ health sector. “The bill is absolutely fantastic. I can’t fault it,” he stated, emphasizing that the modernization of the country’s pharmaceutical system fills a long-standing gap in national health governance. However, he stressed that major questions remain unanswered, particularly around the full financial scope of the initiative.

    Niles argued that the sweeping transformation of Barbados’ pharmaceutical sector will require substantial upfront capital investment from the public purse, and that Barbadian citizens have a right to clear, detailed documentation of the commitments their government is making. He called for the release of full financial projections, including profit and loss forecasts, balance sheets, and cash flow analyses for the entire transformation project, to allow for public and legislative scrutiny.

    The senator rooted his call for transparency in ongoing, well-documented challenges facing the existing Barbados Drug Service, the public body that currently manages pharmaceutical access for the island’s population. For years, patients relying on the public health system have faced widespread drug shortages, forcing many to pay out of pocket for private alternatives or switch to less suitable substitute brands when their required medications are unavailable. Niles argued that these existing systemic strains make it even more critical to understand how the new BMPA framework will be funded and sustained long-term, to avoid repeating the shortcomings of the current system.

    Beyond domestic financing, Niles also warned that Barbados must prepare for fierce global competition if it moves forward with plans to develop an export-oriented pharmaceutical manufacturing sector. Major established players in North America, Europe, India, and across Africa dominate the global pharmaceutical market, with decades of infrastructure, brand recognition, and economies of scale that new entrants cannot easily match. “As you get into manufacturing of pharmaceutical drugs or pharmaceutical products for export, you’re going to come up against the weight of all weight in this world,” he noted. He added that while the project is likely within Barbados’ capacity, open discussion of its full costs and competitive challenges is a necessary step to move the initiative forward successfully.

    The debate over the Barbados Medical Products Bill comes as the island nation works to upgrade its health infrastructure and expand its economic footprint in the high-value global life sciences sector, with legislative progress on the bill marking a key milestone in that effort.

  • Tancoo: Higher fines; no new taxes

    Tancoo: Higher fines; no new taxes

    In a landmark parliamentary vote that underscored deep political divides between the ruling administration and the main opposition bloc, Trinidad and Tobago’s Finance Bill 2026 has been passed into law after Finance Minister Davendranath Tancoo firmly rejected opposition claims that the legislation would introduce new personal tax burdens for ordinary citizens. The final vote count delivered a lopsided result: 28 lawmakers supported the bill, no legislators voted against it, and all 13 opposition members from the People’s National Movement (PNM) chose to abstain from the final tally.

    During floor debate on the bill, Tancoo launched a sharp rebuke of the PNM Opposition, accusing the party of spreading deliberate misinformation to the public by claiming the 31-clause legislative package would bring new taxes for individual taxpayers. He dismissed these claims entirely, emphasizing that the bill is not a tax-raising measure but a comprehensive set of fiscal reforms designed to improve regulatory compliance, unlock private sector investment, and deliver on key campaign commitments made by the current UNC administration.

    While the bill includes no new personal income taxes, Tancoo confirmed that it does raise existing fines for tax and regulatory offenders to strengthen enforcement of fiscal laws. The only new fiscal structure introduced by the bill targets private companies operating drilling projects in marginal marine gas fields, requiring these firms to remit a set share of their production revenues to the national government. Beyond this energy-focused provision, Tancoo outlined that the legislation centers on four core priorities: delivering tangible tax relief for pensioners, expanding retirement benefits for frontline public safety officers, incentivizing charitable giving to national social causes, and boosting enforcement of existing tax regulations.

    Turning to the benefits for public safety workers, Tancoo explained that the bill addresses decades of unaddressed grievances from officers in the Police Service, Prison Service, and Fire Service. Many officers have long complained that they served in higher-ranking positions for extended periods leading up to their mandatory retirement, but never received the enhanced pension and retirement benefits tied to those roles. The new legislation fixes this gap: any officer who served continuously in an acting higher position for between one and three years before retirement will now have their pensions, gratuities, and other retirement allowances calculated as if they were formally appointed to that higher rank permanently.

    One of the most significant personal tax concessions included in the bill comes via an amendment to the Income Tax Act, contained in Clause 21(a). Starting January 1, 2026, all income earned from approved deferred annuity plans and approved pension fund plans will be fully exempt from income tax. To qualify for the exemption, deferred annuity policies must be purchased by a legal resident of Trinidad and Tobago and mature when the holder is between 50 and 70 years of age, and the exemption applies equally to all qualifying plans approved before, on, or after the January 1, 2026 implementation date.

    To encourage greater charitable giving to national public interest initiatives, the bill amends three core pieces of legislation: the Exchequer and Audit Act, the Income Tax Act, and the Corporation Tax Act. Under the new rules, both individual taxpayers and registered companies that make contributions to government-established national-purpose funds will qualify for generous tax deductions. For individuals, the maximum deduction is capped at the lower of 20% of total annual income or TT$20,000, while for companies the cap is set at the lower of 15% of chargeable annual profits or TT$100,000. Tancoo specifically noted that these new incentives will directly support high-priority initiatives such as the national Women’s Health Fund, which works to address period poverty among women and girls across the country.

    In a key move to stimulate new investment in the country’s critical energy sector, the bill creates an official classification for “marginal marine gas fields” — defined as offshore shallow water gas reserves that have no more than 300 billion cubic feet of recoverable contingent resources, carry an internal rate of return below 15%, are scheduled to begin production after January 1, 2026, and receive formal certification from the Minister of Energy. To encourage development of these smaller, previously undeveloped reserves, the legislation sets a moderate 8% royalty on net natural gas produced from qualifying fields, and offers investors a 130% capital allowance on all qualifying project expenditure, which can be claimed in 20% annual installments over a five-year period. Tancoo used the opportunity to criticize the former PNM administration, calling its energy negotiators “amateurs” who wasted millions in public funds on international travel and entertainment while failing to secure major investment deals. He countered that under the current UNC government, Trinidad and Tobago has attracted significant new investment from global energy giants including ExxonMobil, BP, Shell, and Perenco.

    The bill also brings long-sought reforms to the controversial Landlord Business Surcharge introduced by the current administration, replacing what Tancoo called the former PNM’s “imaginary” property tax system based on hypothetical rental income. The new legislation clarifies that the one-time TT$2,500 registration fee for the surcharge is applied per landlord, not per individual rental property, meaning landlords with multiple properties will only pay a single fee. Additionally, any amount a landlord pays in Landlord Business Surcharge can now be fully credited against their annual personal income tax liability, reducing overall tax burdens for small property owners.

    Following targeted consultations with domestic gaming operators, the government also made significant adjustments to the new gaming taxes rolled out in the 2026 national budget. The annual tax on non-roulette amusement games has been cut in half, from TT$25,000 to TT$12,500, while annual taxes on electronic roulette devices have been reduced from TT$200,000 to TT$120,000, bringing the rate in line with existing taxes on casino operations. To ease cash flow pressures for operators, the government has also scrapped the requirement to pay the full annual tax bill upfront, replacing it with equal quarterly installment payments. Any excess tax already paid by operators between April 1 and June 30, 2026, will be fully refunded. Finally, the bill raises the maximum number of amusement games permitted on certain licensed premises from 20 to 33, while imposing strict penalties — including a TT$25,000 fine, up to one year of imprisonment, and possible license revocation — for operators that exceed the legal limit.

  • St. Kitts-Nevis Defence Force introduces digital combat uniforms

    St. Kitts-Nevis Defence Force introduces digital combat uniforms

    BASSETERRE, Saint Kitts – In a key step forward for the ongoing modernization of the Federation’s national military, the St. Kitts-Nevis Defence Force (SKNDF) formally introduced its new line of digital combat uniforms for all infantry, Coast Guard, and reserve units this week. The official launch, held June 10, 2026, was paired with a public route march that doubled as a commemoration of the 59th anniversary of the 1967 defense of Camp Springfield, a defining moment in the nation’s military history.

    Acting SKNDF Commander Major Kayode Sutton framed the introduction of the digitally-patterned uniforms as a substantial milestone in the force’s ongoing evolution. In comments delivered ahead of the march, Major Sutton emphasized that the new uniforms followed full legislative review and formal approval from the country’s policymakers, marking a transparent, institutional progression for the military.

    “It’s a very important day for us,” Major Sutton said. “We remain unwavering in our commitment to the defense of Saint Kitts and Nevis, and we will continue collaborating closely with our regional and domestic security partners to guarantee the Federation stays safe and secure for all citizens.”

    Led by Major Sutton, the formation of unarmed uniformed personnel departed from the historically significant Warner Park at the start of the march, navigating through downtown Basseterre along Victoria Road, Cayon Street, and Church Street before pausing at Government Headquarters. There, Prime Minister Dr. Terrance Drew, who also serves as the Federation’s Minister of National Security, delivered brief commemorative remarks and conducted a formal inspection of the marching troops.

    Following the stop at Government Headquarters, the contingent continued along Liverpool Row, Fort Street, and Central Street before progressing along Burdon Street, returning to Cayon Street, and moving up Springfield Road to their final destination at Camp Springfield, the site of the 1967 defensive action honored during the event.

    Looking ahead, Major Sutton confirmed that the rollout of the new uniforms is just one component of a broader, sustained modernization agenda for the SKNDF. Advanced, ongoing training for all personnel will remain a core priority of the force’s upgrade efforts as it adapts to evolving national security needs in the region.

  • Prime Minister Drew: Climate Change Demands Urgent Action as Federation Faces Severe Drought

    Prime Minister Drew: Climate Change Demands Urgent Action as Federation Faces Severe Drought

    BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – June 11, 2026 – As the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis grapples with one of the most intense drought events recorded in recent decades, Prime Minister Dr. Terrance Drew, who also oversees the National Emergency Management Authority (NEMA), has sounded a clear call for immediate, decisive action to address climate change, warning that the crisis is no longer a hypothetical future risk but an immediate threat reshaping daily life for all citizens and residents across the island nation.

    Speaking before the National Assembly on Thursday, Drew framed the ongoing dry spell as a critical national challenge fueled by overlapping climate drivers: the cyclical weather pattern of El Niño, compounded by the long-term impacts of human-caused global climate change. He detailed how steadily climbing regional temperatures, shifted seasonal rainfall patterns, and growing volatility in extreme weather events have combined to put unprecedented strain on the Federation’s already limited freshwater supplies.

    According to Drew, the current crisis underscores the foresight of the St. Kitts and Nevis government’s flagship Sustainable Island State Agenda (SISA), a strategic framework designed from its launch to proactively tackle emerging climate hazards and build long-term national adaptive capacity. For small island developing states (SIDS) like St. Kitts and Nevis, which face disproportionate climate risk despite contributing very little to global emissions, these shifting conditions are not abstract statistics, he emphasized.

    “Rising temperatures, changing rainfall patterns, and increasingly unpredictable weather events are realities that small island developing states, such as ours, must now confront with urgency and determination,” Drew told legislative representatives.

    The Prime Minister openly acknowledged the widespread hardship the drought has imposed on local households, small businesses, and community groups across the Federation, moving to reassure the public that the national government is fully mobilized to respond to the emergency. “We understand the frustration and inconvenience that families, businesses, and communities are facing. This government does not minimize those concerns – these are serious issues, and we are responding to them with seriousness and resolve,” he said.

    Drew recalled that climate resilience has been a core policy priority for his administration since it took office in August 2022. Immediately upon assuming power, the government prioritized targeted investments to shore up national water security, after reviewing long-term climate forecasts that warned of growing drought risk and potential freshwater shortages across the islands. “We were only elected in 2022 and right away we got to work, Madam Speaker, because when we went into office, we picked up what was on the desk: a forecast that showed St. Kitts and Nevis would experience significant drought and water shortages. That is why we invested so much from day one,” he explained.

    To date, the government’s proactive interventions include expanded groundwater drilling programs, the construction of a large-scale new desalination plant, comprehensive upgrades to aging water distribution networks, and the installation of upgraded pipelines and pumping infrastructure to boost water output and improve service reliability across St. Kitts.

    Drew stressed that the nation’s approach to climate adaptation must be rooted in long-term strategic planning, intentional resilience-building, and sustained investment. “Our objective remains clear: to build a modern, resilient, and sustainable water system capable of delivering reliable access to water for every citizen and resident of Saint Kitts and Nevis,” he said.

    The national government has maintained close collaborative partnerships with regional and international stakeholders to advance these critical water security goals, including the Republic of China (Taiwan), whose financial and technical support has accelerated progress on key infrastructure projects.

    As climate change continues to exacerbate extreme weather and water scarcity risks for small island developing states across the Caribbean region, the government of St. Kitts and Nevis reaffirmed its commitment to rolling out practical, community-centered solutions that strengthen national resilience, protect vulnerable populations, and safeguard critical natural resources for future generations.

  • Civil Liberties Group Says Barbudans Must Approve Major Changes to Land Ownership

    Civil Liberties Group Says Barbudans Must Approve Major Changes to Land Ownership

    A prominent civil society group in Antigua and Barbuda is drawing a clear line in the sand over proposed changes to Barbuda’s longstanding land framework, insisting that no major alteration to the island’s land ownership rules, governing structure or long-term development strategies can move forward without the free, informed and uncoerced consent of Barbudan residents. The Antigua and Barbuda Civil Liberties Movement has raised sharp alarms about ongoing pushes to expand freehold private land ownership and usher in large-scale high-end real estate development across the Caribbean island, arguing that the proposed shifts touch on fundamental constitutional rights, the future of local self-governance and the core principles of democratic participation for the island’s population. In an official public statement, the organization anchored its position in the country’s founding legal document, pointing specifically to Section 123(1) of Antigua and Barbuda’s Constitution. This provision formally designates the Barbuda Council as the primary institution of local self-governance for the island, and the group maintains that both the council and the community it represents deserve full, meaningful consultation before any decisions that reshape Barbuda’s lands, natural resources and long-term trajectory are finalized. The movement emphasized the deep historical value of Barbuda’s communal land tenure system, noting that for generations this structure has shielded local residents from predatory land speculation, prevented the dangerous concentration of land ownership in the hands of a small elite, and guaranteed that future generations of Barbudans will retain access to land on their native island. The group has issued a formal call to the national government, urging officials to honor the constitutionally enshrined role of the Barbuda Council and ensure that all proposals related to land ownership, land management and infrastructure or residential development are carried out with complete transparency and full, inclusive public participation from the Barbudan community. Crucially, the organization clarified that it does not oppose all new development or foreign investment on the island. Instead, it maintains that responsible economic growth and incoming investment can coexist with full respect for Barbuda’s traditional communal land tenure system and its locally rooted democratic institutions.

  • Soeropawiro: Burgers mogen niet de dupe worden van herziening grondconversie

    Soeropawiro: Burgers mogen niet de dupe worden van herziening grondconversie

    A decades-long effort to expand land ownership for everyday citizens hit a major legal snag recently, and now the Minister of Land and Forest Management (GBB), Stanley Soeropawiro, is moving to reassure the public that ordinary participants will not pay the price for government missteps. In an official statement responding to growing public debate over the country’s land conversion policy, which allows tenants to convert long-term land leaseholds into full private ownership, Soeropawiro made clear that protecting citizens who acted in good faith is the government’s top priority.

    The minister confirmed that the national administration has formally acknowledged serious unresolved legal questions surrounding key components of the previous iteration of the conversion program. Independent reviews of the policy found that multiple approved conversion processes failed to align with existing national land laws and regulatory frameworks. In response to these findings, the government has ordered a full policy overhaul and a case-by-case re-evaluation of all previously issued conversion approvals.

    Speaking exclusively to local outlet Starnieuws, Soeropawiro emphasized that residents who took advantage of the conversion scheme did so with the full expectation that the government program was legal and would deliver them long-term security for their land parcels. “That is exactly why this administration holds one core principle above all else: ordinary citizens must not be made victims of ambiguities or legal flaws in government land policy,” he said.

    For residents who have already completed required payments but have not finalized their conversion process, Soeropawiro announced that each case will undergo a thorough individual assessment. If a review finds that the conversion cannot legally proceed, or that an existing approval has lost its legal validity, the government will issue a full refund of all payments submitted by the applicant.

    The GBB underlined that the re-evaluation process is not designed to disadvantage residents who participated in the program. Instead, the overhaul aims to build a new land conversion framework that is legally sound, fully transparent, and equitable for all. Soeropawiro added that the end goal of the reform is to restore public confidence, ensuring that all citizens can count on the legal validity and long-term security of their property rights for years to come.

  • Refining domestic crude oil: A path of great effort that continues to yield results

    Refining domestic crude oil: A path of great effort that continues to yield results

    Against a backdrop of decades-long economic pressure and a tightening U.S. energy blockade that cut off access to imported crude oil, Cuba’s iconic Hermanos Díaz Refinery in Santiago de Cuba has delivered a landmark demonstration of national resilience: the successful processing of 20,000 tons of domestically produced crude oil, a feat that defies long-held industry assumptions and underscores the island nation’s drive for energy self-sufficiency.

    The refinery, one of only four operating in Cuba and originally expanded and modernized in the 1980s to process imported light crude, has a long history of adapting to crisis. Between 2016 and 2021, the facility faced mounting challenges: steep production declines, consistent financial losses, and a damaging brain drain of skilled engineers, technicians, and operational staff. It was not until 2024 that a team of in-house specialists achieved a pivotal technological breakthrough, developing a proprietary solvent that upgraded imported heavy crude from 16 degrees API to a medium-grade crude suitable for full distillation into usable petroleum derivatives.

    This innovation transformed the refinery’s trajectory. Led by more than 700 on-site workers, widespread incremental technological upgrades, and a culture of collective innovation, the facility returned to profitability, stopped the outflow of skilled personnel, and resumed production of critical products including naphtha, gasoline, drilling fuel, fuel oil for national thermoelectric plants and distributed power generation, asphalt, and raw materials for Cuba’s key nickel industry. “If we had resigned ourselves to the technological limitations that made refining heavy crude seem impossible at the end of the last decade, the future of this critical industry would have been very uncertain,” noted Irene Barbado Lucio, general director of the refinery, which operates under the state-owned Cuban Petroleum Union (Cupet). “United, we overcame what seemed unbeatable.”

    That spirit of collective problem-solving was put to an even greater test in 2026, when the long-running U.S. blockade, tightened under the Trump administration and maintained through subsequent policy, succeeded in cutting off all consistent access to imported crude. Coercive U.S. pressure forced international suppliers to halt oil exports to Cuba, leaving the nation at risk of running out of naphtha — a core input required to continue operating domestic oil extraction wells. Facing an existential energy crisis, the refinery’s leadership turned to the only available option: leverage their existing crude upgrading technology to adapt to domestic crude, following the self-sufficiency principles long embedded in Cuba’s revolutionary approach.

    After intensive research and process adjustments, the refinery ran its first test batch of domestic crude in March 2026, successfully producing naphtha, diesel, and fuel oil — and keeping the nation’s domestic oil fields operational. While initial results were promising, the unique properties of Cuban crude — high viscosity, high sulfur content, and high acidity that causes accelerated corrosion — required targeted facility modifications. To address these challenges, engineers prioritized processing crude from western Cuba, which has more favorable flow characteristics and lower viscosity than other domestic deposits, while rolling out incremental upgrades across the refinery.

    By the middle of 2026, the team had scaled operations to process 20,000 tons of domestic crude, exceeding the performance of the initial pilot run. The facility successfully produced solvent naphtha for domestic oil wells and fuel oil that is already powering the Antonio Maceo Thermoelectric Power Plant, with evaluations underway for its use in the nickel industry. While the diesel produced does not yet meet full commercial standards, it can be blended with higher-quality residual stocks to create usable fuel. To optimize the refining process for Cuban crude’s unique properties, specialists have implemented multiple targeted upgrades: rehabilitated crude washing systems, introduced a new corrosion-neutralizing product called Vapen 220 pe to counteract corrosive acids formed during distillation, built a dedicated collection line for pollutant gases from the vacuum distillation tower (which are then burned in refinery furnaces to cut emissions and protect worker health), and reconfigured pipeline infrastructure to improve the flow of high-viscosity crude.

    Today, the facility continues ongoing infrastructure upgrades to improve production traceability, reduce fuel loss, strengthen fire suppression and lightning protection systems, and expand spill containment measures to protect nearby Santiago Bay. The milestone aligns with broader national innovation efforts led by the Petroleum Research Center, centered on thermoconversion technology that Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez has highlighted as a core part of the nation’s push for energy independence. Díaz-Canel noted that the achievement breaks a long-standing taboo in Cuba that domestic crude was only suitable for direct burning in thermoelectric plants, opening new pathways to make full use of the nation’s own energy resources.

    While the 20,000-ton milestone does not yet meet all of Cuba’s national petroleum product demand, it represents a critical technological advance that unlocks more efficient use of Cuba’s own energy resources. The unsung team of refinery workers and specialists, many working long overtime hours with little public recognition, continues to iterate on processes to expand capacity and improve output, ensuring that critical economic sectors can keep operating even when imported oil is denied to the island through U.S. coercion.

    For industry leaders, the achievement is far more than an energy milestone: it is a testament to the Cuban people’s ability to innovate and endure even the most severe external pressure. As Barbado Lucio put it, every small adjustment made each day brings the nation one step closer to mitigating the harms of the blockade and building a sustainable, self-sufficient energy future.

  • Calls for Answers After Leaks Reveal Extensive Payments to Mira Siblings

    Calls for Answers After Leaks Reveal Extensive Payments to Mira Siblings

    A deepening public controversy has placed a senior Belizean government official under growing pressure for answers, after internal leaks from the national payment system uncovered hundreds of unexplained public procurement transactions awarding state supply contracts to the minister’s immediate family members.

    Oscar Mira, the elected area representative for Belmopan, is at the center of the unfolding scandal, after documents pulled from the government’s Smart Stream financial platform revealed that multiple state agencies overseen by Mira have directed hundreds of monthly payments to his siblings for the provision of food and goods. The leaks have sparked fresh, widespread debate over the lack of effective transparency and accountability mechanisms for public spending across Belize’s government institutions. News Five investigative reporter Shane Williams first uncovered the records and sat down with Ministry of Defense CEO Francis Usher to discuss the scope of the payments and the status of the controversial contracts.

    The leaked records, which date all the way back to 2020, show that the vast majority of payments were made to Jenny Armstrong Mira, Oscar Mira’s sister, for the delivery of vegetables and other food staples to a range of high-budget state entities, including the Belize Defense Force, the Belize Coast Guard, and the Western Regional Hospital. The documents show tens of thousands of dollars in monthly public funds transferred to Jenny Mira’s supply business, with one single transaction date—February 17, 2024—recording seven separate payments for Ministry of Defense supplies totaling more than $43,500.

    While the total value of the vegetable orders has raised eyebrows among watchdogs, senior defense officials argue that the large expenditure is a reflection of operational scale, not malfeasance. “We buy a full range of produce from cabbage and lettuce to tomatoes, apples, and grapes, depending on seasonal availability,” Usher explained in the interview. “We purchase a very high volume of vegetables to feed hundreds of active service members daily, so it is natural that we see a high volume of payments. The Mira family is not our only vegetable supplier; we work with multiple vendors across all procurement categories, and sometimes non-produce items like eggs are incorrectly categorized with vegetable orders in the system. It is not an unusual level of activity for our department.”

    The leaks have also prompted lingering questions about whether the food supplies that public funds have paid for are actually reaching the service members they are intended for. For years, scattered complaints about inadequate rations for troops deployed in remote field locations have circulated among serving personnel, but Usher—who recently retired from active military service before taking up the CEO role—has firmly rejected allegations of missing or insufficient supplies.

    “Who feels it knows it. I came directly from active service, and I know firsthand the challenges that soldiers and coast guards face,” Usher said. “I would never turn my back on the men and women serving this country. I am committed to ensuring they get full value for every public dollar spent, and that taxpayer resources are protected with full accountability at every level of procurement.”

    Usher also noted that the Mira family has been a contracted supplier to the defense ministry for decades, dating back to previous administrations led by the United Democratic Party, but that the family’s contract volume has been dramatically reduced in the current 2026 financial year. “They did not secure a full vegetable supply contract this year. All awards are determined through open evaluation of tender bids against published criteria, and the contracts have not even been finalized yet. For the vegetable lot, another bidder delivered better value for taxpayers, so that is the vendor we selected,” Usher explained.

    When asked if the cut to the Mira family’s contracts was tied to Oscar Mira no longer holding the position of Minister of Defense—and thus losing direct influence over procurement decisions—Usher rejected any connection outright. “I can say categorically that when Oscar Mira was Minister of Defense and I served as his CEO, he never once pressured me to award all vegetable contracts or any other contracts to his family’s business,” Usher confirmed.

    Usher later clarified that, while Jenny Mira’s vegetable contract was not renewed this year, Oscar Mira’s brother Stanley Mira did successfully win one of the 28 open tender lots, securing a contract to supply rice and beans to the defense ministry. News Five has repeatedly reached out to the entire Mira family for comment on the allegations and the leaked records, but has not received any response as of publication. This report was compiled by investigative reporter Shane Williams for News Five.

  • Strategic visit of the haitian PM to the base of the Gang Supression Force

    Strategic visit of the haitian PM to the base of the Gang Supression Force

    In a high-stakes move to advance the Haitian government’s nationwide campaign to reestablish public order and state sovereignty over violence-plagued areas, Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé carried out a strategic working visit to the Gang Suppression Force (GSF) headquarters in Tabarre on Wednesday, June 10, 2026.

    The prime minister was not alone in the visit: he was joined by Vladimir Paraison, the acting director general of the Haitian National Police (PNH), for talks with a cross-institutional senior delegation that included GSF Special Representative Jack Christofides, Daniela Kroslak — Deputy Secretary-General and head of the United Nations Support Office in Haiti (BANUH) — and Major General Erdenebat Batsuuri, commander-in-chief of the FRG.

    Central to all closed-door and open discussions was a shared agreement to ramp up coordinated joint security operations across Haiti. The core priorities laid out during the talks included reestablishing long-term stable security, recapturing swathes of national territory currently controlled by armed gang factions, and consolidating the tactical and strategic gains that security forces have already secured on the ground.

    During the visit, Fils-Aimé reiterated the Haitian government’s unshakable commitment to rooting out remaining pockets of gang-related violence and insecurity. He emphasized that a top policy goal is guaranteeing unimpeded, safe movement for all Haitian citizens across every region of the country, a basic right that has been disrupted by years of gang activity.

    Beyond diplomatic and strategic discussions, the prime minister conducted an on-site inspection of multiple operations coordination rooms and ongoing infrastructure development projects at the base. A key site on his inspection itinerary was a set of new dormitories currently under construction, which are designed to accommodate incoming additional contingents that will boost the GSF’s on-the-ground intervention capacity.

    Fils-Aimé also carved out time to meet with the base’s on-site medical personnel, where he conducted a first-hand review of the healthcare and support systems in place to serve security force members deployed to frontline anti-gang operations. He used the meeting to publicly commend the professionalism, courage and relentless dedication of all security and support personnel deployed to advance Haiti’s national security goals.

    Closing out his visit, Fils-Aimé reaffirmed his personal commitment to shaping government policy and action around the on-the-ground realities facing security forces. He stressed that the administration will continue to provide full support to the GSF and allied security bodies as they carry out their critical mission, with the end goal of speeding up the full restoration of legitimate state authority across every corner of Haiti.