Carib Scope

博客

  • Antigua and Barbuda to Welcome 3rd Edition of Cultural and Educational Camp at Public Library

    Antigua and Barbuda to Welcome 3rd Edition of Cultural and Educational Camp at Public Library

    As summer break approaches and local families begin gearing up for the 2026 academic year, the Caribbean nation of Antigua and Barbuda is preparing to launch a robust four-week summer camp designed to keep children engaged, build new skills, and ease the transition back to the classroom. Dubbed WORK FU UM! Summer Camp 2026, the initiative will run from August 10 through September 4 at the Antigua and Barbuda Public Library, welcoming young participants between the ages of 4 and 16. Unlike traditional unstructured summer downtime, this program centers on a balanced mix of academic preparation, creative exploration, cultural connection, and youth development.

    The camp’s curriculum spans a wide array of activities crafted to expose young people to diverse learning opportunities and nurture their individual strengths. Participants will take part in structured educational sessions focused on back-to-school readiness, alongside creative pursuits including music, dance, and pageantry. The program also incorporates hands-on cultural activities, educational field trips, group community service projects, and interactive collaborative workshops that encourage teamwork and peer engagement.

    A core pillar of the initiative is its focus on connecting youth to Antigua and Barbuda’s unique national heritage. Through hands-on cultural programming, children will explore local creative traditions, gaining a deeper understanding of how culture shapes personal identity and strengthens community bonds. This cultural component sets the camp apart from standard summer programs, rooting learning in local context while fostering pride in regional heritage.

    For the academic portion of the camp, organizers have designed structured learning experiences to bridge the gap between summer break and the new school year. By offering targeted back-to-school preparation and age-appropriate educational content, the program helps children shake off summer rust and reorient to structured learning, reducing transition anxiety for both students and families.

    For parents and guardians, the four-week program solves a common summer scheduling challenge, providing a productive, supervised space for children during the final weeks of the break. Camp activities will run Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., aligning with typical working schedules for most caregivers. Registration will open on the first day of the camp, August 10, with a non-refundable registration fee of EC$300 required to secure a child’s spot. Interested families can get additional details by contacting Camp Director and Project Manager Peetron Thomas directly at (268) 775-1595. Organizers anticipate the program will deliver a meaningful, enriching experience that leaves participants prepared and excited for the upcoming academic term.

  • Warm-up win for Tridents

    Warm-up win for Tridents

    As pre-tournament preparations kick into high gear for the upcoming Caribbean Premier League, the Barbados Tridents gained valuable momentum on Thursday, notching a tight six-run victory against the Barbados Invitational XI in a memorial fixture hosted at Kensington Oval. The match was staged to honor legendary cricketer Sir Garfield Sobers, bringing together emerging local talent and the Tridents’ competitive squad for a high-stakes exhibition ahead of the main league campaign.

    After winning the pre-match coin toss, Tridents captain opted to set a target batting first, and the side delivered a solid total of 183 runs for the loss of eight wickets across their full 20-over allocation. Young batter Rivaldo Clarke led the Tridents’ scoring with a blistering half-century, reaching 50 runs off just 34 deliveries, with six well-placed fours peppering the boundary throughout his innings. Kadeem Alleyne contributed a quickfire 30 runs, while Kevlon Anderson added 28 and Shadrack Descarte chipped in with 21 to push the Tridents to a competitive total. For the invitational side, bowler Tariq O’Neale turned in an outstanding individual performance, claiming four wickets while conceding only 31 runs, and Kemar Hutson-Smith matched O’Neale’s economy to pick up two wickets for 31 runs.

    Chasing the 184-run target to win, the Barbados Invitational XI mounted a strong fight but ultimately fell short of the mark, finishing their 20 overs on 177 runs for seven wickets. Opener Shian Brathwaite produced a standout knock for the home invitational side, scoring an aggressive 81 runs off 51 balls. His innings included seven fours and four towering sixes that kept the run rate on track for much of the chase. Rashawn Worrell supported Brathwaite with 23 runs, and Zachary McCaskie added 16 late in the innings, but the invitational side could not close the gap in the final overs. For the Tridents, spin bowler Zishan Motara was the pick of the attack, taking two wickets for just 16 runs, while Jamar Layne claimed two wickets for 33 runs to seal the narrow win for the CPL side.

    The warm-up fixture provided the Barbados Tridents with critical match practice ahead of their Caribbean Premier League campaign, allowing emerging and established players in the squad to test form and combinations against top local talent, while also honoring one of Barbados’ greatest sporting icons.

  • Man jailed for gun under pillow killed 1 week after release

    Man jailed for gun under pillow killed 1 week after release

    Just seven days after walking free from prison following a years-long sentence for illegal weapons possession, 30-year-old Akeem Ferdinand of Rockies, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, was shot and killed in his home community on Thursday. His violent death marks the latest in a growing wave of deadly gun violence that has pushed the small Caribbean nation’s annual homicide count to 31, according to local law enforcement.

    Police confirmed in an official statement released Friday that officers were dispatched to Rockies at approximately 8:05 p.m. Thursday after receiving multiple calls reporting the sound of gunfire in the area. When first responders arrived at the scene, they found Ferdinand, a local labourer, suffering from multiple apparent gunshot wounds across his body. A medical professional attended the scene and pronounced Ferdinand dead shortly after arrival, authorities confirmed, noting that a post-mortem examination will be carried out in the coming days to confirm the exact cause of death. As of Friday, investigations into the shooting remain ongoing, with no suspects named or motives publicly disclosed.

    Ferdinand’s death has put him back in the public eye, echoing repeated headlines he generated throughout his life, which included repeated run-ins with the law over illegal weapons charges. His most recent incarceration dated back to 2022, when he was handed a 75-month prison sentence for a 9mm pistol authorities found under his pillow during a 2021 search warrant execution. The search, carried out as part of an ongoing burglary investigation, found Ferdinand and a 15-year-old girl naked and asleep in his bed. Along with the unlicensed pistol, officers seized 19 rounds of 9mm ammunition and 552 grammes of cannabis that Ferdinand was accused of possessing with intent to distribute. He received an additional 24-month sentence for the illegal ammunition, ordered to run concurrently with his weapons sentence, and was fined EC$1,500 to avoid extra prison time for the cannabis charge. When officers first discovered the weapon, Ferdinand responded, “Jah! Boy, I ain’t even remember that dey dey,” but declined to answer further questions during formal police questioning. During a 2022 trial break, he made headlines again after expressing shock that a woman had posted a photo of herself posing with his unlicensed weapon on Facebook.

    That 2022 sentence came just months after Ferdinand completed a five-year prison sentence for a prior illegal weapons conviction. In 2017, he was originally handed a six-year sentence for possession of an unlicensed Uzi pistol and 12 rounds of ammunition, a sentence that was reduced to five years on appeal. At that 2017 sentencing, Ferdinand blamed alcohol for his offense, telling the Kingstown Magistrate’s Court, “If I wasn’t drunk that night, I wouldn’t ah come across that gun.” When a magistrate asked if alcohol led him to find the weapon, Ferdinand clarified, “It make me pick it up and walk with it when I should ah leave it there.”

    Ferdinand’s killing comes just 24 hours after another high-profile fatal shooting in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. On Wednesday, 52-year-old Michael Jackson, a resident of Yambou, was shot and killed by a police officer in Mesopotamia during an investigation into a reported theft of funds from a local bingo event. Authorities allege Jackson brandished a cutlass when the responding officer approached him to recover the stolen money, leading the officer to open fire.

  • AI in schools ‘should be encouraged with safeguards’

    AI in schools ‘should be encouraged with safeguards’

    As artificial intelligence continues to reshape learning landscapes across the globe, a prominent Barbados non-profit leader is calling for a deliberate, balanced approach to integrating the technology into school classrooms. Speaking exclusively to Barbados TODAY on the sidelines of the hands-on youth development workshop *Next Wave: AI + Entrepreneurship Experience*, hosted Friday at the Sugar Cane Club Hotel & Spa, Hibiscus Sports and Culture Foundation founder Akealii Hall laid out a nuanced framework for AI use that prioritizes original human thought over automated output.

    Hosted to help young Barbadians unpack both the transformative potential and hidden risks of widespread AI adoption, the Friday initiative drew support from a coalition of local stakeholders including Youth Uprising, iTech Consulting, the Sugar Cane Club Hotel & Spa and the Legacy Foundation. Beyond introductory lessons on how AI works, the programme gave participants practical training in pairing human creativity with AI tools to launch new ventures: attendees learned to draft business plans, build viable business models, and pitch their ideas to stakeholders, all while leaning into human-led problem solving.

    Hall, who leads the foundation focused on youth skills development, argues that AI’s strengths make it a valuable auxiliary tool for education, not a replacement for independent student work. “There are a lot of benefits of it and it can definitely be used as a good tool within the classroom system, but it has to be used sparingly and knowledgeably,” he explained.

    One of the most productive use cases Hall identified is supporting students in refining work they have already completed independently. For example, AI can act as a powerful proofreading tool for finished essays, checking for punctuation and grammatical errors, and helping students polish their writing to more clearly communicate ideas that they already developed but may struggle to put into polished prose. Hall also noted that AI can streamline administrative work for student research projects, including School-Based Assessments (SBAs) required for the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) exams. After students complete the core research legwork — conducting surveys, distributing questionnaires, and gathering raw data themselves — AI can organize that information into structured data sets and analysis frameworks to save students time on manual formatting.

    Across every use case, however, Hall emphasized one non-negotiable rule: human work must always come first. He warned against allowing students to rely on AI as their primary problem-solving tool, stressing that preserving opportunities for independent critical thinking has to remain the core goal of education. “You want to always start by leading with humans first,” he said.

    The ultimate objective of the *Next Wave* workshop, Hall added, is to give young people a grounded, practical understanding of the AI tools they interact with daily. By teaching them to balance AI’s efficiency with human creativity and critical thought, the programme aims to equip a new generation of learners and entrepreneurs to use technology responsibly, rather than being controlled by it.

  • Saint Kitts and Nevis: Can It Become a Digital Finance Leader?

    Saint Kitts and Nevis: Can It Become a Digital Finance Leader?

    For small island nations, global economic leadership is often framed as a question of scale— but the twin-island federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis is rewriting that rulebook. With a population of fewer than 50,000 people, this Caribbean country has long built economic resilience through an outward-focused strategy, leaning into international tourism, cross-border financial services, and its popular citizenship-by-investment program to connect with global markets. Decades of membership in the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union have also delivered consistent monetary stability, laying strong groundwork for its next economic pivot: becoming a collaborative leader in regional digital finance.

    Unlike major global economies where fintech innovation emerges to solve the frictions of large domestic markets, Saint Kitts and Nevis faces a distinct challenge: its local consumer and business base is far too small to support a standalone, large-scale fintech ecosystem. Instead of competing head-to-head with established fintech hubs like Singapore, the United Kingdom, or Brazil, the federation has adopted a different strategic approach: positioning itself as a core connected node in a broader regional digital financial network, where collaboration trumps size.

    This strategy follows decades of deliberate economic transformation. Forty years ago, Saint Kitts and Nevis relied heavily on sugar production for its livelihood. Today, the economy is anchored by tourism, hospitality, real estate, and international financial services, with Basseterre, the capital on Saint Kitts, serving as the federation’s commercial and financial core. The country’s banking sector is led by major regional institutions including St. Kitts-Nevis-Anguilla National Bank, Republic Bank (EC), and CIBC Caribbean. Data from the International Monetary Fund puts Saint Kitts and Nevis’ GDP per capita above $25,000, making it one of the highest-income economies in the Caribbean on a per-person basis. As economic growth remains tightly tied to tourism, construction, and foreign investment, modern digital financial infrastructure and efficient cross-border digital payments have become critical to maintaining national competitiveness.

    For Caribbean fintech, regional integration has always mattered more than national boundaries, a reality Saint Kitts and Nevis has fully embraced. A fintech firm operating only within the federation would struggle to reach a viable customer base, so expansion across the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) and the broader Caribbean is not an option but a necessity. Fortunately, the country already shares integrated financial infrastructure with seven other Eastern Caribbean Currency Union (ECCU) members through the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB), a regulator that has emerged as one of the most innovative central banks in the region. Long before many larger global jurisdictions prioritized digital financial innovation, the ECCB began advancing digital payments, expanding financial inclusion, and piloting central bank digital currency (CBDC) technology. For Saint Kitts and Nevis, this regional cooperation unlocks access to cutting-edge innovation that would be prohibitively expensive and complex to develop independently.

    The ECCB’s DCash initiative, the Eastern Caribbean CBDC, put the region on the global fintech map, and Saint Kitts and Nevis has been a core participating market. Launched as one of the world’s first retail CBDC pilot programs, DCash was designed to let individuals and businesses across participating ECCU countries make secure, low-cost digital payments using a digital form of the Eastern Caribbean dollar. The initiative drew global attention because it proved that small island economies could lead financial innovation, rather than only adopting technologies developed in large global markets. While the pilot experienced temporary technical outages that underscored the critical need for strong cybersecurity and system resilience, the experience has shaped the ECCB’s ongoing work to build robust public digital payment infrastructure across the region.

    While Saint Kitts and Nevis has not yet cultivated a large ecosystem of homegrown fintech unicorns, residents and businesses already have widespread access to advanced digital financial services through regional fintech players that operate across multiple Caribbean markets. One of the most prominent providers is WiPay, a Trinidad and Tobago-based fintech that offers online payment gateways, merchant acquiring, digital invoicing, and e-commerce payment solutions across the Caribbean, including Saint Kitts and Nevis. WiPay’s platform allows local hotels, retailers, and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to accept digital payments from both regional and international customers. Another key regional player is CaribPay, which delivers payment processing and digital payment solutions for businesses across the Eastern Caribbean, helping merchants modernize their payment acceptance without needing to build and maintain complex in-house technical infrastructure.

    Traditional financial institutions are also keeping pace with digital innovation. St. Kitts-Nevis-Anguilla National Bank has invested heavily in upgrading its mobile banking and online service offerings, while Republic Bank (EC) continues to expand its digital banking capabilities across the Eastern Caribbean. Today, these established banks compete as much on digital customer experience as they do on traditional branch network size, marking a major shift in how the sector operates. Rather than chasing the goal of producing dozens of domestic fintech startups, Saint Kitts and Nevis is focused on integrating deeply into a regional digital financial ecosystem where specialized providers serve multiple small island economies from a shared infrastructure base.

    A key competitive advantage for the federation as an international financial center is its robust, internationally aligned regulatory framework. Maintaining global investor confidence is one of the government’s top priorities, and policymakers have deliberately balanced support for fintech innovation with strong anti-money laundering (AML), counter-terrorist financing (CFT), and prudential regulation. The ECCB continues to modernize financial supervision across the entire currency union, and domestic regulators have strengthened oversight frameworks to align with leading international standards. Far from viewing strong regulation as a barrier to growth, policymakers recognize that clear, robust governance delivers the certainty investors and innovators need to operate. For a small international financial center, a reputation for transparency and compliance remains one of its most valuable economic assets.

    Looking ahead, trusted interoperable digital identity is emerging as the next frontier for digital transformation across the Eastern Caribbean, and Saint Kitts and Nevis is well positioned to benefit from regional progress in this area. While digital payments have improved dramatically across the region in recent years, broader digital economic growth depends on secure, cross-border recognized digital ID. A trusted digital identity system would simplify customer onboarding for financial services, cut compliance costs, and improve access to both banking and government services by eliminating repeated physical identity checks. For a region where citizens, businesses, and travelers cross national boundaries regularly, interoperable digital identity could prove just as transformative as interoperable digital payments. When paired with expanded e-government services, it could reduce administrative burdens, boost financial inclusion, and improve overall economic competitiveness.

    In the end, Saint Kitts and Nevis never aimed to build one of the world’s largest fintech sectors. Its strategic goal is far more aligned with its strengths: deepening regional integration through shared digital payment infrastructure, interoperable digital identity, and cross-border digital financial services. By leveraging innovative regional fintech providers and partnering with the ECCB on cutting-edge digital initiatives, the small federation is proving that small market size does not equal small influence. It is setting an example for other small open economies, showing how collaborative regional strategy can carve out a meaningful, influential role in the global digital finance landscape.

  • DNA dringt aan op duidelijkheid over oorzaak massale vissterfte

    DNA dringt aan op duidelijkheid over oorzaak massale vissterfte

    In the wake of a mass fish mortality event along Suriname’s Saramacca River that has sparked public and legislative concern, authorities are still working to pinpoint a definitive cause, according to the country’s Minister of Oil, Gas and the Environment Patrick Brunings.

    Addressing questions from members of the National Assembly on Thursday, Brunings confirmed that final research results are still pending, with additional environmental data currently being collected to clarify what led to the large-scale die-off. Lawmakers have pressed for urgent clarity on potential pollution sources, active industrial operators in the affected river basin, and concrete policies to prevent a repeat of the environmental disaster.

    Brunings defended the government’s rapid response in the immediate aftermath of the fish deaths, noting that a dedicated response team was deployed immediately to collect water and tissue samples that form the core of the ongoing investigation. All collected data is currently undergoing comprehensive analysis, and full findings will be shared publicly once finalized, Brunings said. These results will also guide the development of long-term action plans to address environmental risks in the region.

    The minister added that the ministry is currently compiling a complete public register of all concession holders and operating companies along the Saramacca River. Information from past inspections conducted by the National Environmental Authority, as well as the full list of regulatory requirements companies must meet to hold river-area concessions, will be shared with the National Assembly in the coming weeks.

    In a key announcement, Brunings confirmed the government will partner with the Ministry of Public Health and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) to conduct a wide-ranging biomedical study of communities living in affected areas along Suriname’s river systems. The research will not be limited to the location of the recent mass fish deaths, and will focus on detecting potential long-term exposure to harmful chemicals and mercury among local residents. The collected data will serve as a baseline reference for long-term monitoring of public health trends across the region.

    Brunings also provided an update on separate ongoing research into mercury vapor emissions linked to artisanal and small-scale gold mining. An initial round of testing, focused primarily at gold purchasing facilities, has already been completed. A second round of more advanced testing required specialized equipment that was sent to Canada for calibration, which has now been returned to Suriname. The new round of testing will cover gold buying operations and other sites across the country where harmful emissions are suspected to occur.

    Lawmakers across the National Assembly have repeatedly emphasized that significant gaps in transparency remain around the fish mortality event. Members have called for full disclosure of which companies and individuals hold concessions in the area under investigation, referencing recent comments from President Jennifer Simons that pointed to potential links to activities within a concession held by mining firm Grassalco. Legislators have pushed for details on the exact boundaries of active concessions, the legal status of ongoing operations, and whether any formal prevention plan has been put in place to stop future environmental disasters.

    During Thursday’s debate, assembly members highlighted that even as the investigation into the Saramacca River event progresses, unregulated use of toxic chemicals in mining operations continues in other inland areas of Suriname. They have demanded the government outline immediate short-term measures to prevent a similar incident from occurring elsewhere.

    The debate also covered Suriname’s current rules around the import and use of mercury, cyanide, and other toxic chemicals common in gold mining. Lawmakers have repeatedly called for stricter regulatory oversight, better industry governance, and a long-term structural overhaul of the gold sector, warning that waiting for another environmental catastrophe to act is unacceptable. Members also asked for clarification on the role of the Ministry of Oil, Gas and the Environment in reviewing permit applications for mining operations and gold purchasing facilities.

    Assembly members have framed the Saramacca River mass fish death event as a critical wake-up call to strengthen enforcement of mining rules, crack down on unauthorized chemical use, and improve compliance with national environmental regulations. Beyond regulatory reform, they have called on the government to immediately outline short-term protective measures for inland communities that rely on Suriname’s river systems for food and livelihoods.

  • Credit to captain Chase

    Credit to captain Chase

    West Indies men’s cricket team head coach Daren Sammy has opened up about his side’s recent ICC World Test Championship campaign, highlighting the steady, impactful leadership of Test captain Roston Chase in the wake of a drawn two-match series against Pakistan. The series ended all square at 1-1 after Pakistan secured an eight-wicket victory over the Caribbean side in the second Test, hosted at Port of Spain’s Queen’s Park Oval in Trinidad. This result came on the heels of a solid 1-0 series win against Sri Lanka that West Indies claimed back in July.

    Sammy emphasized that Chase’s leadership has been the most uplifting takeaway from the back-to-back Test campaigns. Through the challenging moments the squad and coaching staff have navigated in recent months, the captain’s consistent communication and shared understanding of the team’s long-term goals have proven critical to maintaining team morale and focus. “Roston has never lost his voice in the dressing room,” Sammy noted, adding that Chase maintains remarkable emotional balance regardless of match outcomes: he does not get overconfident after big wins, nor does he let defeat drag down his leadership, a trait that has cemented his status as a reliable anchor for the side. Sammy also praised Chase’s improving individual on-field performances, alongside the hard work of his entire coaching staff, noting that he is proud of the clear progress the entire program has made over the course of the summer.

    Reflecting on the two back-to-back Test series against Sri Lanka and Pakistan, both part of the ongoing ICC World Test Championship cycle, Sammy said the entire squad has stayed committed to the team’s development process. He pointed to the Sri Lanka series as a particularly standout performance, where the Caribbean side reached significant batting and bowling milestones that had eluded the team for more than a decade. “Against Pakistan we enjoyed the competition, but the look on everyone’s faces after the final Test was one of clear disappointment,” Sammy admitted. “The players knew they had not capitalized on opportunities that would have given them the series win.”

    Even with the disappointing end to the Pakistan series, Sammy was quick to commend every player and staff member for staying aligned with the team’s plan, buying into the group’s definition of success, and tuning out external criticism and noise. The head coach added that the team’s batting unit has consistently delivered critical runs throughout the 2024 summer Test window, but identified second-inning batting performance as a key area for continued improvement. He also reserved praise for his bowling attack, noting that the unit has consistently managed to take all 20 opposition wickets in Test matches – a mark of progress that Sammy says he is particularly proud of.

    Looking ahead, West Indies is set to wrap up their 2024 Test calendar with a series in Bangladesh, and Sammy says the squad is already focused on finishing the year on a high note. A series win in Bangladesh, he added, would be the perfect icing on the cake for what has already been a period of steady growth for the side. “We’ve been clear with every player about our collective and individual goals,” Sammy said. “It’s critical that everyone stays on the same page about what we want to achieve, and exactly how we plan to get there.”

  • NASCAR star Rajah Caruth returns to SVG for historic homecoming

    NASCAR star Rajah Caruth returns to SVG for historic homecoming

    Rising NASCAR star and St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ appointed Sporting Ambassador Rajah Caruth is set to return to his home country for a high-profile public homecoming visit between August 12 and 16, according to an official announcement from the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Tourism Authority (SVGTA).

    One of the most promising young talents in global motorsport, Caruth has centered his Vincentian heritage throughout his rapid professional racing ascent, leveraging his growing global platform to draw new international attention to the small Caribbean island nation as a travel and cultural destination.

    In its official press release announcing the visit, the SVGTA framed Caruth’s homecoming as a dual-purpose milestone: a celebration of the driver’s groundbreaking professional achievements, and a chance to motivate the country’s next generation of aspiring athletes, while putting the archipelago’s natural beauty, rich cultural traditions, and renowned hospitality on display for audiences across the Caribbean and the wider world.

    The entire multi-day visit will be filmed and distributed by TEMPO Networks, a regional media organization that holds official partnership status with both Caruth and the SVGTA. Per the tourism authority, TEMPO’s regional and global media channels will amplify coverage of Caruth’s return, highlighting the nation’s deep cultural roots, unique heritage sites, and top-tier tourism offerings to lift the country’s profile in key international travel markets.

    Caruth is scheduled to touch down at Argyle International Airport on Wednesday, August 12, where SVGTA officials will host a formal VIP welcome ceremony for the ambassador. Immediately after his arrival, credentialed members of the press will gain access to a brief welcome press conference in the airport’s VIP lounge.

    Right after the press engagement, Caruth will join a ceremonial motorcade led by members of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Race Car Association. The procession will travel to Barrouallie, the coastal hometown of Caruth’s mother and the community that forms the core of his Vincentian family heritage.

    Barrouallie will host a lively community street celebration in honor of Caruth’s return, bringing together local residents, long-time supporters, and visiting fans to recognize one of the country’s most successful global sporting representatives. The public event will feature traditional Vincentian cultural performances, live musical entertainment, interactive community activities, and dedicated meet-and-greet opportunities for fans to connect with Caruth, all centered on celebrating national pride and shared heritage.

    On the second day of his visit, Thursday August 13, Caruth will lead an inspirational public symposium at Kingstown’s Peace Memorial Hall, kicking off at 10 a.m. local time. The symposium will bring together secondary school students, young athletes, aspiring industry professionals, and local motorsport fans for an open conversation about the values of perseverance, intentional purpose, and achieving success against the odds. The SVGTA has encouraged all interested attendees to register for the event in advance via its official digital portal.

    Shafia London, CEO of the SVGTA, emphasized that the homecoming visit carries far more meaning than a simple celebration of one athlete’s career success. “Rajah is a proud Vincentian whose story proves what young people can achieve when they show up with hard work, dedication, and belief in themselves,” London explained. “We hope his journey inspires Vincentians both at home and living around the world, while giving us a valuable platform to share the culture, warmth, and one-of-a-kind experiences that make St. Vincent and the Grenadines such an extraordinary destination.”

  • Aantal agrarische bedrijven met 41 procent gegroeid

    Aantal agrarische bedrijven met 41 procent gegroeid

    Over a 17-year period ending in 2025, the total number of agricultural operations across Suriname has expanded by 41%, rising from 10,234 registered enterprises in 2008 to 14,409 as of last year, according to newly released official census data. Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries Minister Mike Noersalim framed the sharp growth as clear evidence of the agri-food sector’s enduring vitality and outsized importance to Suriname’s national economy.

    Minister Noersalim unveiled the full findings of the 2026 Agricultural Census Statistical Report at an official launch event held Friday in Torarica. Beyond tracking the overall growth in farm numbers, the comprehensive national census also delivers granular insights into the age demographics of farming professionals across different regions of the country, revealing stark geographic divides in generational composition.

    Data from the report shows that aging workforces are a pressing challenge for the commercial agricultural sector concentrated in Suriname’s coastal districts. The capital district of Paramaribo stands out with the highest average farmer age across the nation, at 56.5 years old. In contrast, inland districts including Brokopondo and Marowijne report far younger average demographics among active agricultural workers, creating a sharp contrast with coastal aging trends.

    For Minister Noersalim, the census data does more than document the current state of Suriname’s agriculture sector—it also maps out clear priorities for future policy intervention to support sustainable long-term growth. To build on the rising number of agricultural enterprises, the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries (LVV) is prioritizing expanded access to affordable capital for producers. The ministry is pushing to broaden credit access through the National Development Bank of Suriname (NOB), a change that would allow both new entry-level farmers and established operations to secure capital more easily to scale up their activities.

    Alongside financial reform, the ministry is also launching targeted initiatives to attract more young people to pursue professional, modern careers in agriculture, with the goal of accelerating generational turnover in aging regional sectors. To achieve this, LVV is strengthening strategic partnerships with domestic education institutions. “We are building out collaborative academic ties with training and higher education providers including ADEK, PTC and USTI, while also holding targeted outreach sessions at the primary school level to spark early interest in agricultural careers,” Noersalim explained in his launch address.

    The national agricultural census initiative was made possible in part by financial backing from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), with technical and expert support provided by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA). Noersalim extended gratitude to the thousands of Surinamese farmers who shared their data and on-the-ground experience with census researchers, as well as project lead Sheila Aldjah and the full team of field enumerators, administrative staff, and ICT specialists who delivered the final report.

    Minister Noersalim emphasized that the completion of the census and publication of the report marks a starting point, not an end point, for sector-wide improvement. He noted that the detailed demographic and sector data will now serve as a foundation for evidence-based policy development and targeted, actionable reforms for Suriname’s agriculture industry. “The counting work is finished, but our shared mission begins today,” Noersalim said. “Let us turn these numbers into decisive action, into sustainable growth, and into a resilient, youth-driven agricultural sector that future generations can build on with pride.”

  • Opposition wants OPR probe into police posts

    Opposition wants OPR probe into police posts

    A formal complaint backed by opposition political figures has landed at the doorstep of Trinidad and Tobago’s Office of the Procurement Regulator, calling for an immediate investigation into the public procurement process for a major national security infrastructure project: the construction of 30 new joint army-police outposts across the country.

    Dated August 7, 2026, the complaint was submitted by attorney Randall Mitchell, a former government minister from the opposition People’s National Movement (PNM), on behalf of public activist Wendell Eversley. Senior Counsel Stuart Young, who also serves as an opposition Member of Parliament and former prime minister, provided formal instruction for the case. To support their claims, complainants attached a copy of a August 7 front-page news report from the *Express* titled “Row erupts over police post”, which first publicized growing controversy around the initiative.

    The project in question was first announced by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar on August 3 this year, as a core expansion of the government’s national security strategy. According to local media reports, construction work on the outposts has already begun or is set to start imminently — yet nearly all key details of the procurement process have remained hidden from public view, the complaint argues.

    In the letter addressed directly to Procurement Regulator Beverly Khan, the legal team formally filed the complaint under Section 41 of the 2015 Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Property Act, the country’s core legislation governing public spending on contracts. Mitchell emphasized that Eversley filed the challenge as a concerned citizen, focused on the lack of transparency around how public funds are being committed to the project.

    “Under existing law, the Office of the Procurement Regulator is explicitly empowered to investigate any public complaint alleging suspected irregularities or breaches of procurement regulations,” Mitchell noted in the correspondence.

    The complaint outlines six distinct grounds justifying a full investigation, centering on the complete absence of critical public information about the process. To date, the government has not publicly named which public body is leading the procurement, identified the source of funding for the project, disclosed what procurement method was used, released any records of tender advertisements or competitive bidding processes, named the selected contractors, or revealed the total value of the program or the cost of each individual outpost.

    Even if the government used a limited, non-competitive bidding process justified by urgency, emergency, or national security needs, the complaint argues that no public explanation or formal approval for this exception has been released. The legal team also raised unanswered questions about the identity and beneficial ownership of selected contractors and subcontractors, the due diligence and evaluation processes used to select firms, and lingering questions about potential conflicts of interest related to a specific private company linked to the work.

    Additional unaddressed concerns include whether the 30-outpost project was tendered as a single contract or split into multiple awards, and whether any intentional division was used to avoid competitive procurement rules. All of these gaps add up to reasonable suspicion that the process may not have complied with legal requirements for transparency, accountability, integrity, fairness, and value for public money, the letter argues.

    The legal team has called on the regulator to obtain and review the full, complete procurement record for the project, to verify all key details from responsible entities to contract values, and confirm whether the award of contracts and start of construction complied with the 2015 Act and accompanying regulations.

    Given that construction is already underway or set to begin shortly, Mitchell has urged the regulator to prioritize the complaint as an urgent matter, and to take all available regulatory action to ensure compliance with the law while the full investigation is completed. The letter also requests formal written acknowledgement of the complaint, a official reference number, and confirmation of what next steps the regulator plans to take.