For half a decade, the Eastern Caribbean financial sector has been anchored on a bold vision: a central bank-issued digital wallet called DCash that would redefine how people manage daily transactions across the region. Unveiled as a public pilot in 2021 across four Eastern Caribbean nations — Antigua & Barbuda, Grenada, St. Kitts & Nevis, and St. Lucia — the project was framed as a revolutionary Retail Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) by the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB). It promised to transform everything from local market purchases of fresh goods to informal peer-to-peer payments, positioning the small island bloc as a global leader in fintech innovation. But a quiet policy shift buried in the ECCB Monetary Council’s 112th Meeting Communique, published May 4, 2026, reveals a major strategic course correction: the regional authority has officially suspended development of the DCash 2.0 upgrade, bringing the original CBDC experiment to a close while opening a new chapter for digital financial integration across the Caribbean. The decision to pull back on DCash 2.0 is not a full rejection of digital currency innovation, but rather a quiet acknowledgment of a core truth that often plagues new financial technologies: most consumers do not crave an entirely new currency. What they actually want is a faster, more seamless way to use the money they already hold. For small island developing economies like those in the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union (ECCU), this dynamic is even more pronounced: consumer trust in established financial systems far outweighs excitement for untested novelty. While locals were willing to test the DCash app for small, occasional transactions, they remained hesitant to move their salaries, long-term savings, and core monthly spending to a standalone digital system disconnected from their traditional bank accounts. This structural friction proved to be DCash’s insurmountable barrier. The project required users to adopt an entirely separate digital financial ecosystem, cut off from the incumbent banking infrastructure that most residents already relied on. Despite years of outreach and pilot adjustments, widespread mass adoption never materialized, prompting regional leaders to re-evaluate their approach. Instead of abandoning digital financial modernization entirely, the ECCB has reframed its priorities, shifting away from flashy retail-facing CBDC experiments to a far more practical, infrastructure-focused goal: building deeper, more interconnected financial markets across the region. Dubbing the shift an upgrade to the financial “pipes” of the ECCU, the central bank is now centering its work on the Fast Payment System (FPS), a project that upgrades the underlying infrastructure of existing local banks rather than building a parallel standalone system. The core objective of FPS is straightforward: to enable consumers and businesses to send standard Eastern Caribbean (EC) dollars to any recipient across the region instantly, at any time of day or night, using nothing more than a mobile number or a QR code. Under the new framework, cross-institutional transfers that once took multiple business days to clear will arrive in seconds, regardless of whether the sender and recipient hold accounts at different banks — for example, Republic Bank and the Grenada Co-operative Bank. This shift aligns with broader global open banking principles, which prioritize interoperability and seamless data and fund sharing between competing financial institutions. Even more consequential for regional economic growth is the ECCB’s new commitment to launching a pilot of the CARICOM Payments and Settlement System (CAPSS), a project designed to tackle one of the most long-standing barriers to intra-regional trade: the punitive “cross-border tax” on international payments. For decades, Eastern Caribbean businesses looking to pay suppliers in other CARICOM nations like Trinidad and Tobago or Barbados have been forced to convert their local currency to U.S. dollars first, incurring exorbitant wire transfer fees and unfavorable exchange rates that eat into already thin profit margins. By joining the CAPSS initiative, the ECCU is helping to build a unified regional settlement infrastructure that will allow businesses to conduct cross-border transactions directly in local currencies. Under the new system, participating central banks will handle currency settlement behind the scenes, eliminating the need for intermediate U.S. dollar conversions and cutting down on excessive fees. ECCB Governor Timothy Antoine has long promoted “The Big Push,” an ambitious regional strategy aimed at doubling the size of the ECCU economy by 2035. Viewed through that lens, the suspension of DCash 2.0 is far from the failure it might appear to be at first glance. It is instead a strategic adjustment, prioritizing tangible, widespread utility over the flashy optics of being an early CBDC adopter. The central bank is moving away from the crypto-adjacent hype that surrounded early retail CBDC experimentation and refocusing on the unglamorous, critical work of repairing the region’s fragmented, outdated cross-border banking infrastructure. In the global financial sector, the most transformative changes are rarely the flashy retail-facing apps that draw headline attention. More often, they are the incremental upgrades to the hidden “plumbing” that underpins all everyday transactions. For the Eastern Caribbean, that plumbing is about to get a much-needed upgrade.
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Loss-and-damage fund may come to fishing industry’s aid
As the Caribbean fishing sector slowly rebuilds from the catastrophic damage wrought by Hurricane Beryl two years ago, a landmark United Nations climate fund is preparing to deliver targeted new grant funding to support recovery efforts across the region.
The Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage (FRLD), created under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, was designed specifically to support climate-vulnerable nations grappling with the irreversible impacts of climate-driven extreme weather. Now, the fund’s executive director Ibrahima Cheikh Diong is on the ground in Barbados, the small island nation that led global advocacy to establish the financing mechanism, to collect government funding requests ahead of the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season, which kicks off next month.
Barbados has emerged as a global leader in pushing for equitable climate finance, with Prime Minister Mia Mottley becoming one of the most prominent voices in international climate negotiations and a key architect of the fund’s operational framework, the Barbados Implementation Modalities (BIM). On Tuesday, Diong held talks with Deputy Prime Minister Santia Bradshaw to outline the fund’s planned support, a day before he revisited the Bridgetown Fisheries Complex – the facility that bore the worst of Hurricane Beryl’s damage, losing dozens of fishing vessels and sustaining major structural harm.
Earlier this year, the FRLD rolled out a $250 million early intervention grant package under the BIM framework, a milestone for developing nations that bear the brunt of climate change despite contributing the least to global emissions. For Diong, the return trip to Barbados carries deep personal and symbolic meaning: he was on the island in the thick of Hurricane Beryl in 2024, and witnessed firsthand the storm’s destruction and the Barbadian people’s resilience during the initial rebuilding phase.
“I was in Barbados in the middle of Hurricane Beryl. I had a chance to go on the ground and see the damage caused by the hurricane, the resilience of the people of Barbados and the work the government has been doing in rebuilding. So, coming back here, I would like to go back and visit on the ground and see what has happened since the last time I was here,” Diong said.
He added that the visit is also an opportunity to update the Barbadian government on the fund’s progress, acknowledging that Mottley has been the mechanism’s most vocal global champion. “It was here in Barbados a year ago that we launched the Barbados Implementation Modalities (BIM). It is very symbolic to come back and brief the government on progress we have made so far. The whole purpose of the meeting is really to update [Deputy Prime Minister Bradshaw] on the progress we made; and looking ahead, where do we stand on the fund, and hopefully get some support from the government in continuing to advocate for this fund.”
To date, the FRLD has secured $820 million in converted pledges from donor nations around the world, with $440 million already transferred and ready for disbursement. A year ago, the fund’s board approved the $250 million early intervention program, which provides 100% grant funding rather than loans to avoid adding to indebted developing nations’ debt burdens – a response to repeated calls from vulnerable countries that cannot afford to take on new borrowing to recover from climate disasters.
Per the BIM agreement reached in Barbados, at least 50% of all early intervention funding is earmarked for Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and Least Developed Countries (LDCs) – a group that includes Barbados. Initial allocations to eligible countries will range from $5 million to $20 million, with individual nations setting their own funding priorities based on their specific recovery and resilience needs.
Diong is currently facilitating a two-day workshop for CARICOM member states to help governments prepare their funding requests, and reminded regional representatives that June 15 is the firm deadline for submission, with no extensions planned unless the FRLD board votes to approve one. After requests are submitted, the FRLD board will meet in late July to finalize allocations before forwarding recommendations to the fund’s trustee, the World Bank, for disbursement.
“It’s up to the countries, based on their needs, how much they would like to come to FRLD for funding, or other funds as well; ultimately, knowing that when you put that US$5m to US$20m it will be enough to meet their demands. So, we are looking at the gaps we are filling in, and making sure that what we provide can be put to use very quickly, so we can respond,” Diong explained.
Hurricane Beryl made history as the earliest-forming Category 5 hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic, hitting Barbados as a Category 3 storm in 2024 when it passed roughly 150 kilometers south of the island. While the storm only caused moderate damage to general public infrastructure and did not spark a full-scale humanitarian crisis, it completely destroyed most of Barbados’ fishing fleet, which is only now slowly recovering. Total economic losses from the storm reached $193 million, equal to 0.15% of Barbados’ total GDP. 58% of that total came from physical damage, 36% from ongoing economic losses, and 5% from unplanned recovery costs. Four key sectors – tourism, fisheries, agriculture, and environmental infrastructure – accounted for 84% of all storm-related impacts. Beryl’s unprecedented early formation and disproportionate impact on Barbados underscores the growing volatility of global climate patterns, which continues to amplify the climate vulnerability of Caribbean SIDS that face existential risk from rising seas and intensifying extreme weather.
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SLBMC Medical Director Pays Tribute to Nurses on International Nurses Day
Every year on May 12, the global healthcare community pauses to mark International Nurses Day, a moment dedicated to honoring the outsized contributions that nursing professionals make to public health and patient wellbeing around the world. This year, Dr. Shivon Belle Jarvis, Medical Director of Antigua and Barbuda’s Sir Lester Bird Medical Centre, used the annual observance as an opportunity to deliver a heartfelt message of appreciation to her facility’s nursing staff, lauding their unshakable dedication to patient care and framing their work as foundational to the future of effective healthcare delivery.
In her address, Dr. Jarvis emphasized that the global public health goal of “Health for All” is entirely unachievable without the consistent, frontline contributions of nursing teams. Unlike many public health initiatives that rely on high-level policy or cutting-edge technology, universal access to quality care stands or falls on the daily work of nurses, who are often the first point of contact for patients and the most consistent presence throughout a person’s care journey.
Against this backdrop, Dr. Jarvis outlined clear institutional responsibilities to support the nursing workforce. She argued that fostering leadership pathways, funding and facilitating ongoing professional development, granting meaningful autonomy within frameworks of shared hospital governance, providing structured mentorship opportunities for early-career nurses, and prioritizing the mental health and wellness of nursing staff are not optional perks—they are core obligations that every healthcare institution must meet to retain and empower its teams.
Beyond institutional commitments, Dr. Jarvis called for sustained, targeted public and private investment in the nursing profession globally. Adequate resourcing, she noted, is the only way to create an environment where nurses can grow their careers, avoid burnout, and continue delivering the high-standard care that patients depend on. She closed by reminding nursing staff that their core professional values—commitment to patients, camaraderie with colleagues, and empathetic care—are the guiding principles that will drive the entire healthcare sector toward a brighter, more equitable future. “You are Our Nurses, you are indeed our future, and lives will continue to be saved once you are empowered,” she told the facility’s team in her closing remarks.
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Venezuela’s acting president defends country’s territory and rejects Trump’s 51st state remarks
On Monday, as Venezuela wrapped up its arguments before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague in a long-running territorial dispute with neighboring Guyana, acting Venezuelan President Delcy Rodríguez pushed back firmly on an unexpected remark from former U.S. President Donald Trump, who said he was “seriously considering” the idea of Venezuela becoming the 51st U.S. state.
Speaking to reporters on the final day of public hearings over the resource-rich Essequibo region, Rodríguez made clear that Venezuela has no intention of giving up its sovereignty to become part of the United States. The acting president, who assumed office in January after a U.S. military operation removed former President Nicolás Maduro from power, emphasized that Venezuela will stand firm in protecting its national sovereignty, territorial integrity, independent history, and self-determination. “We are not a colony, we are a free and sovereign nation,” she stated.
To date, the full context and motivation behind Trump’s remark remain unconfirmed. The White House did not issue an immediate response to requests for clarification on the comment, which is not an isolated statement: Trump has previously made similar offhand remarks about annexing Canada. Later, White House spokesperson Anna Kelly declined to elaborate on any potential Trump administration plans for Venezuela during an interview with Fox News, noting only that the U.S. president is well-known for challenging established norms and praised Rodríguez for what she described as extremely productive cooperation with the United States. Rodríguez for her part added that Venezuelan and U.S. officials have maintained open lines of communication, focused on building mutual cooperation and understanding.
The core focus of Rodríguez’s visit to The Hague was defending Venezuela’s decades-old claim to the Essequibo region, a 62,000-square-mile territory that makes up nearly two-thirds of Guyana’s current national land area. Long a source of tension between the two South American nations, the dispute has gained new urgency in recent years amid major offshore oil discoveries that have turned Guyana from one of South America’s smallest and poorest economies into a fast-growing major energy producer. The region itself is already rich in gold, diamonds, and valuable timber, while nearby offshore blocks currently produce roughly 900,000 barrels of oil per day – a volume nearly matching Venezuela’s current daily production of around 1 million barrels.
Venezuela has laid claim to Essequibo since the Spanish colonial era, when the jungle territory fell within the boundaries of Spanish colonial holdings that would later become independent Venezuela. However, an 1899 arbitration ruling mediated by representatives from Britain, Russia, and the United States set the international border along the Essequibo River, awarding nearly the entire disputed territory to Guyana (then a British colony). Venezuela has long rejected that 1899 decision, arguing that a 1966 Geneva agreement signed to resolve the dispute effectively invalidated the 19th-century arbitration ruling and called for negotiated settlement between the two parties.
The dispute escalated after 2015, when energy giant ExxonMobil announced a major commercial oil discovery off the Essequibo coast. In 2018, Guyana formally brought the case to the ICJ, the United Nations’ highest court for inter-state disputes, asking judges to uphold the 1899 border ruling. Tensions flared further in 2023, when then-President Maduro organized a national referendum on converting Essequibo into a Venezuelan state and threatened to annex the region by force. Maduro was removed from power and captured by U.S. forces during a January operation in Caracas, and is currently being held in New York to face trial on drug trafficking charges, to which he has pleaded not guilty.
Rodríguez did not reference the 2023 referendum in her ICJ remarks, but told judges that only bilateral political negotiations, not a binding judicial ruling, can resolve the century-old border dispute. She accused Guyana of acting opportunistically by bringing the case to the court while the negotiation mechanisms outlined in the 1966 Geneva agreement were still fully operational. “At a time when the mechanisms established in the Geneva agreement were still fully in force, Guyana unilaterally chose to shift the dispute from the negotiating arena to a judicial resolution,” she told the court. “This change was not accidental; it coincided with the discovery in 2015 of the oil field that would become world-renowned.”
When the hearings opened last week, Guyana’s Foreign Minister Hugh Hilton Todd framed the dispute as a long-standing threat to Guyana’s sovereign existence, telling the panel of international judges that the conflict “has been a blight on our existence as a sovereign state from the very beginning,” noting that 70% of Guyana’s current territory is at stake in the ruling.
Court observers expect the ICJ will take several months to issue a final, legally binding ruling on the case. Venezuela has repeatedly stressed that its decision to participate in the public hearings does not constitute consent to the court’s jurisdiction over the dispute, nor recognition of the court’s authority to issue a binding ruling on the border question.
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Jamaican Man Pleads Guilty to Cannabis Trafficking Case
More than a year after law enforcement seized nearly a quarter-million dollars worth of cannabis at a major Caribbean port, a Jamaican national has formally admitted guilt to drug trafficking offenses. Damar Sappleton, who has resided in the Bendals area of Antigua, entered his guilty plea on Wednesday before High Court Judge John Spencer, wrapping up the initial phase of a high-profile narcotics case stretching back to early 2024. The legal proceedings originated from a coordinated joint enforcement operation conducted by local police and customs officials on 8 March 2024 at Deep Water Harbour. During a routine inspection of cargo at the busy port, officers uncovered 41 pounds of concealed cannabis stashed inside two unmarked shipping boxes. Investigators later assessed that the seized narcotics would have carried an estimated street value of approximately $246,000 if sold on the local market. Following his plea, Sappleton was immediately remanded into official custody, with his sentencing hearing scheduled to take place at the High Court on 5 June. Legal observers note that the conviction closes a key chapter in a major anti-narcotics enforcement effort at the island’s primary commercial port, which remains a common transit point for drug trafficking operations targeting the Caribbean region.
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Health Minister Completes Visits to Antigua’s Public Clinics for Nurses Week
As Nurses Week drew to a close across Antigua and Barbuda, the nation’s Minister of Health has completed a full circuit of public health clinics spread across the country, capping off a week of activities designed to honor the contributions of frontline nursing staff.
The scheduled tour, planned intentionally to coincide with the annual recognition of nurses, gave the top health official a first-hand opportunity to engage directly with nursing teams at every public clinic, hear their on-the-ground challenges, recognize their daily efforts, and gain unfiltered insight into the operational needs of local primary care facilities.
Throughout the week of visits, the minister met with nurses across rural and urban clinics, discussing a range of pressing topics from staffing shortages and equipment gaps to workplace support and ongoing professional development opportunities. Unlike formal pre-arranged inspection visits, this tour was structured around open dialogue, with many nurses sharing unvarnished feedback about the conditions they face while delivering care to local communities.
In remarks following the completion of the tour, the health minister emphasized that nursing staff form the backbone of Antigua’s public health system, noting that their consistent, compassionate work is central to keeping communities healthy and ensuring the entire public health network functions effectively. The minister also reaffirmed the government’s commitment to addressing the key concerns raised during the visits, with a focus on improving working conditions, expanding training opportunities, and upgrading outdated infrastructure across public clinics in the coming months.
The tour comes as Antigua’s health sector continues recovering from the lingering impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, which placed unprecedented strain on frontline nursing workers across the nation. Health sector observers note that this high-profile engagement from the country’s top health official signals growing government recognition of the need to prioritize nursing workforce issues as part of broader public health system reform.
Community health advocates have welcomed the move, saying that direct engagement between leadership and frontline staff is a critical first step toward resolving longstanding gaps in primary care delivery across Antigua. Many expect that the insights gathered during the tour will translate to tangible policy changes that benefit both nursing staff and the patients who rely on public clinic services every day.
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Driver’s Family Expresses Condolences After Fatal All Saints Road Accident, Cooperating With Investigation
A devastating fatal accident on All Saints Road on May 12, 2026 has left two families and an entire local community reeling from grief, as the family of the driver involved has broken their silence to share their profound sorrow over the loss of Okeen Lightfoot, the victim who died in the incident.
In an open statement addressed to the victim’s family, loved ones, and the broader community, the driver’s relatives said their entire household has been left heartbroken and deeply shaken by the tragic chain of events that unfolded that Tuesday. They emphasized that no language can adequately capture the depth of their regret for the loss of life and the overwhelming suffering this tragedy has inflicted on all those touched by it.
The family extended their unreserved, deepest condolences, spiritual prayers, and heartfelt sympathy to Lightfoot’s family and loved ones, acknowledging that countless people are navigating crippling pain, complicated grief, and a desperate search for clarity in the wake of the sudden, violent incident. “Our son and our entire family are deeply shaken and devastated by what has happened,” the statement read.
Citing respect for the ongoing official investigation into the crash, the driver’s family noted that they are constrained in what details they can share publicly at this stage of the process. Even so, they stressed to local residents that they are fully cooperating with law enforcement and other authorities as investigators work to unpack every circumstance and factor that led to the accident.
The statement closed with a note of solidarity for all those impacted by the crash. “Our thoughts and prayers remain with everyone affected by this tragedy — for the family who lost their loved one, for all first responders involved, and for all those carrying emotional pain in the aftermath of this incident,” the statement concluded, signed sincerely by the entire family of the driver.
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Parmessar terug in DNA na ziekenhuisopname wegens chikungunya
Less than two weeks after being hospitalized for an unexpected acute illness, National Democratic Party (NDP) parliamentary faction leader Rabin Parmessar has made a full recovery and returned to his post in Suriname’s National Assembly (De Nationale Assemblée, DNA), where he was formally welcomed back by fellow legislators in a plenary session held Tuesday.
DNA Speaker Ashwin Adhin opened the Tuesday session by extending warm greetings to Parmessar on behalf of the entire legislative body, expressing sincere relief and joy at his return to parliamentary work. “We could not be happier to have you back among us once again,” Adhin said in his opening remarks.
In his first public address since his hospitalization, Parmessar thanked the dozens of colleagues, supporters and medical staff who extended support to him during his recovery. He specifically credited the quick response from fellow DNA members who arranged for immediate medical care when he first became ill, a timely intervention that he said made a major difference in his treatment outcome.
Parmessar confirmed Tuesday that official test results completed earlier that day confirmed he had been infected with chikungunya, a mosquito-borne viral infection that causes severe joint pain, fatigue and other acute symptoms. He emphasized that he would not have been able to recover so quickly without the constant support he received from the parliamentary community and medical teams. “It is only because of the thoughtful, prompt care and support from everyone that I am able to stand here again today,” Parmessar said.
The NDP leader also extended special thanks to clinical staff at Suriname’s Academic Hospital, where he received treatment. He noted that his return to work coincided with International Nurses Day, using the opportunity to highlight the critical work of nurses and frontline medical staff across the country, who continue to deliver care under challenging working conditions.
“I feel incredibly blessed to have received such outpouring of attention, high-quality care, and warmth from every single person during my illness,” Parmessar added, closing his remarks.
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Classic 1893 UK Grand Piano Donated to Government House Museum
A rare and exquisitely crafted 1893 mahogany grand piano, built by the world’s oldest continuously operating piano manufacturer, the UK-based Broadway Company (Broadwood), has found a new permanent home at Government House, following a formal donation from local patron Melanie Etherington to Her Excellency Lady Williams. The instrument joins the venue’s expanding curated display of Georgian-era furniture and historical artifacts, deepening the collection’s ability to tell the story of the period’s material culture.
This donation carries far more historical weight than a typical artifact gift, as it connects to a centuries-old legacy of artistic collaboration between the Broadwood firm and some of the world’s most iconic composers. The company’s storied lineage of instrument making includes pivotal encounters with musical legends: a matching Broadwood concert grand, built around the same era as Frédéric Chopin’s 1848 tour of the British Isles, was personally commissioned for the composer’s historic performances across the country. Decades earlier, in 1818, company founder Thomas Broadwood personally gifted Ludwig van Beethoven a six-octave grand piano crafted from the same premium Spanish mahogany used for the 1893 instrument now entering Government House’s collection. Beethoven himself wrote in a letter to Broadwood that the instrument immediately sparked new creative inspiration, a testament to the deep, long-standing symbiosis between master piano builders and the composers who rely on their craft.
Accepting the donation on behalf of Government House, Her Excellency Lady Williams expressed sincere gratitude for Etherington’s generosity and thoughtful contribution to preserving historical context. “We are extremely thankful to thoughtful donors like Ms. Etherington, who help us to build the narrative about what type of period furniture would have populated Government House centuries ago,” she said during the handover ceremony.
Documentation provided by the donor confirms that the piano remains fully functional today, while retaining its original refined aesthetic that made it a standout luxury item when it was first sold. At the time of its original construction, the piano was purchased for £110 — a substantial sum equivalent to well over £10,000 in modern currency, a clear marker of its premium quality and high status when it was new.
The donation comes as the Government House Museum, which recently held a soft opening to the public following extensive renovations, continues to build out its carefully assembled collection of period pieces in the beautifully restored historic building. This rare piano adds not just a piece of furniture, but a tangible link to global musical history that will be preserved and accessible for future visitors to experience.
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Elias: NH ‘secretly disbarred’
A major construction industry leader in Trinidad and Tobago has leveled serious allegations of improper procurement practices against the state-run Housing Development Corporation (HDC), claiming his firm was secretly blocked from competing for 11 contracts under a suspended $3.4 billion national housing development initiative.
Emile Elias, executive chairman of NH International (Caribbean) Ltd (NH), the country’s largest local housing contractor, told local media outlet the Express that his firm was unfairly excluded from the bidding process entirely, rather than being rejected after a standard competitive tender review. In response to the exclusion, NH filed a formal challenge with the Office of Procurement Regulation (OPR) on April 21 this year, seeking an independent review of the HDC’s April 8 award notice for the 11 project contracts.
Three business days after NH submitted its application, the OPR’s three-person review panel—led by chair Rev Joy Abdul-Mohan with members Susan Torry and Joy Joseph-Lara—dismissed the challenge without holding an oral hearing. The panel cited NH’s failure to meet procedural requirements outlined in Section 50(20)(a) of the 2015 Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Property Act (as amended) and Regulation 4(b) of the 2021 Challenge Proceedings Regulations. The core reasoning for the dismissal was that the application was submitted after the statutory deadline for challenges to pre-qualification or preselection decisions by state procuring entities.
Elias pushed back against this ruling, noting that the OPR’s decision relies on a fundamental misreading of his firm’s challenge. Six days after the dismissal, NH sent a follow-up letter to the OPR asking for procedural clarification and highlighting what the firm calls the regulator’s error in the dismissal.
In its correspondence with the OPR, NH outlined that the only pre-qualification notice published connected to the program was released by an HDC subsidiary in the Sunday Express on July 20, 2025. That notice was explicitly marked for internal use only, and was not tied to any specific housing project under the $3.4 billion program. Per Trinidad and Tobago’s public procurement law, this notice did not qualify as an official pre-qualification invitation for the current contracts, so NH never launched a challenge to it—a fact the firm clearly stated in all 11 of its review applications, noting that the pre-qualification challenge section of the application forms was not applicable to its case.
Elias explained, “When we challenged, we did not challenge on the basis that we had a pre-qualification for the project and our pre-qualification was not accepted. We did not challenge that because there was no pre-qualification for any project as defined under the act.”
Instead of challenging a pre-qualification outcome, NH’s core complaint centers on the HDC’s refusal to run an open, competitive bidding process for the contracts, and alleged breaches of statutory requirements for transparency, non-discrimination, equity and fairness in public procurement. Elias emphasized that NH and the general public had no advance knowledge that procurement for these projects was underway until the HDC published its formal award notice on April 8, 2026. “There was simply no invitation for pre-qualification issued by the HDC in relation to the projects, and NH, like the wider public, only became aware that procurement proceedings were afoot in relation to these projects when it had sight of the notice,” the firm’s letter to the OPR reads. “NH could not, therefore, challenge something that it knew nothing about.”
As the head of the country’s largest housing contractor, Elias called the exclusion baffling. “How could you invite tenders and somehow contrive not to even invite NH? Remember, we did not tender and say, ‘Look, our price was higher and we did not get the job.’ Nothing like that. We were not allowed to tender. We were secretly disbarred, and all of this, I am sure, will come out in the OPR investigation.”
In a surprising move, Elias confirmed that NH has no plans to pursue immediate judicial action over the dismissal, instead placing full confidence in the OPR to conduct a transparent and thorough investigation into the allegations. “We will permit the OPR to complete its investigations without additional court proceedings acting as a kind of distraction. The big point is this country is relying on the OPR to prevent the abuses of the past, and these abuses took place in all governments. OPR is our best chance of stopping all of this from happening, hence my unwavering support, as well as that of the Joint Consultative Council (JCC),” he said.
Elias also raised additional red flags about the qualifications of some of the firms that were awarded contracts under the program. He noted that multiple awardees are trucking companies and small hardware retailers with no prior experience constructing residential housing, despite the large size and technical demands of the $3.4 billion program. A search of the national companies registry revealed that some firms awarded multi-million-dollar contracts hold only $2 in total share equity, split between two $1 shares, a fact Elias says warrants further scrutiny from regulators.
The $3.4 billion housing program was suspended by the HDC earlier this year at the OPR’s instruction, following a whistleblower submission that raised concerns about irregularities in the public-private partnership procurement process. Last weekend, the Sunday Express published additional allegations of potential collusion between two winning contractors and a senior HDC official connected to two of the 11 awarded contracts.
When contacted for comment on the latest allegations, HDC chairman Feeroz Khan declined to speak on the record. “Given that the matters relating to the procurement process in question are currently engaging the attention of the Office of the Procurement Regulation, senior counsel has advised that the matter is sub judice, and hence it would be improper to comment on same,” he said.