Carib Scope

标签： Barbados

巴巴多斯

  • Private/Public Sector Initiative patches potholes along South Coast

    Private/Public Sector Initiative patches potholes along South Coast

    Motorists traveling along Barbados’ South Coast are already benefiting from improved road conditions, after a private insurance firm stepped in to address a persistent public safety hazard through a targeted community initiative.

    Trident Insurance, a subsidiary of the ANSA McAL Group of Companies, has teamed up with the Barbados Ministry of Transport and Works to repair dozens of damaged potholes along the heavily traveled Highway 7 corridor. The work forms the centerpiece of the insurer’s ongoing corporate Road Safety programme, which launched earlier this month with an initial project to refresh faded crosswalk paint across high-traffic areas of the island’s south.

    The second phase of the programme kicked off on Sunday, when maintenance crews moved in to clear and resurface potholes along the stretch of Highway 7 running from the popular tourist hub St Lawrence Gap through to Bay Street. The overarching mission of the collaborative effort is to elevate road safety for all users across Barbados, protecting both people behind the wheel and pedestrians sharing the island’s road network.

    Tawania Hinds-Elcock, Marketing and External Affairs Manager for ANSA McAl, shared details on the project’s next steps in a public statement. She confirmed that the final phase of repairs for the South Coast segment is scheduled for Sunday, August 30, when crews will tackle the remaining stretches of Highway 7 still in need of maintenance. Hinds-Elcock urged motorists planning to use the route on that date to exercise extra caution and adhere to all posted temporary traffic control signs throughout the work zone.

    Beyond the immediate infrastructure improvements, Hinds-Elcock emphasized that the hands-on community project directly reflects the core values that guide Trident Insurance and its parent company. She noted that as part of the ANSA McAL Group, the organization remains deeply committed to driving tangible positive change, explaining that the group pursues this mission by “inspiring better choices for a better world through practical, community-focused action.”

  • Repeat offender jailed for supermarket theft

    Repeat offender jailed for supermarket theft

    A 59-year-old Barbadian man with a decades-long history of theft-related convictions has been handed another 18-month prison term, just months after completing a similar sentence for larceny. Troy Ryan Oneal Jordan, a resident of Vauxhall in Christ Church, entered a guilty plea this week at District ‘A’ Magistrates Court No. 2 to three counts of shoplifting stemming from an August 22 incident at the popular BJ’s Value Market location on Spooner’s Hill. Prosecutor Sergeant Kenmore Phillips detailed the sequence of events for the court, explaining that the alleged theft unfolded shortly after 9:30 a.m. that Saturday when Jordan entered the self-service grocery outlet. Surveillance and on-duty security staff, who already recognized Jordan from prior interactions, monitored his movements through the store after he made a beeline for the frozen meat section. According to Phillips’ account, Jordan placed a $104.78 pre-packaged ham directly into his personal backpack, before adding two $23.85 deodorants and a bottle of perfume valued at $12.45 to the concealed stash. Once Jordan passed all checkout points and approached the store’s main exit, the on-duty security officer moved in to intercept him. A search of his backpack immediately uncovered all four unreported items, leading to his arrest and subsequent court appearance. Speaking in his own defense during the hearing, Jordan told Magistrate Manila Renee that he had a change of heart mid-theft, claiming he was on his way back to return the concealed items when security stopped him. “I was stealing them but when I get to the front I tell myself, ‘Ya see this here? This is foolishness that I doing,’ and I was going to put dem back but I get hold before I could,” he told the court. Magistrate Renie, who originally sentenced Jordan to 18 months in prison on a separate theft charge last year, expressed frustration at the repeat offense, noting Jordan had only just been released from custody before committing the new shoplifting. “You are not learning. You were last here just last year and I gave you 18 months for something similar and you just got out of prison and back here again,” Renee said. The magistrate also pointed out that the vast majority of Jordan’s 39 prior criminal convictions are related to violations of the national Theft Act. Despite the pattern of repeated offending, Renee granted Jordan a sentencing discount for entering an early guilty plea that spared the court from spending additional time on proceedings. “You pleaded guilty at the earliest possible time and did not waste the court’s time and therefore I will give you 18 months even though you should be getting more time because as soon you got out you are back in trouble,” Renee ruled, handing down the new custodial sentence.

  • Leacock remanded over Huntes Street shooting

    Leacock remanded over Huntes Street shooting

    A 30-year-old self-employed individual has been ordered to serve 28 days in Dodds Prison following his initial court appearance on charges linked to a public shooting incident earlier this August. Jason Andre Leacock, a resident of 1st Avenue Friendship Terrace in St Michael, made his first court appearance before Magistrate Manila Renee at the No. 2 District ‘A’ Magistrates Court to face the multi-count indictment.

    Court documents outline four separate allegations tied to the events of August 8 on Huntes Street, a busy public thoroughfare. Prosecutors claim Leacock discharged a firearm without legal authorization, acting in a way that placed two people — Mary Rouse and Renee Rouse — at immediate risk of fatal harm or severe bodily injury. He additionally faces a charge of unlawful possession of a firearm without a valid license issued by local authorities.

    The final charge alleges that Leacock damaged a concrete pillar on a residential property owned by Mary Rouse. Prosecutors contend he either intentionally damaged the property, acted with reckless disregard for the potential damage to the structure, and that his actions placed Mary Rouse’s life at deliberate or reckless risk of harm.

    Leacock is represented by defense attorney Simon Clarke. Under local court procedures for indictable offences, the defendant was not required to enter a formal plea during this initial hearing. He has been ordered to remain in custody at Dodds Prison for the next 28 days, and his case is scheduled to resume in court on September 21 as legal proceedings move forward.

  • BRA to reissue 25 807 land tax bills

    BRA to reissue 25 807 land tax bills

    On Monday, Barbados’ Minister of Finance Ryan Straughn publicly confirmed a miscalculation in residential land tax bills that has impacted 25,807 residential properties assessed at values above $450,000, following a recent adjustment to the country’s property tax-free threshold. The mistake stemmed from a failure to update progressive tax bands after policymakers raised the tax-exempt threshold for residential real estate from $300,000 to $400,000 earlier this year, leaving affected property owners facing incorrectly inflated tax charges.

    Speaking at a press conference hosted at the Barbados Revenue Authority (BRA) headquarters on Roebuck Street, Straughn laid out the corrected progressive tax structure that will apply to all residential land tax calculations moving forward. To eliminate any confusion, he clarified that the updated bands are structured as follows: 0% tax on the improved property value up to $400,000, 0.1% on any value portion falling between $400,001 and $550,000, 0.7% on the portion between $550,001 and $950,000, and a 1% rate for any value above $950,000.

    Straughn emphasized that the error only impacts properties valued above $450,000; more than 62,000 residential properties assessed between $400,000 and $450,000 were calculated correctly under the new threshold, and their bills will not need to be reissued. Explaining the root cause of the administrative mistake, the minister noted that when the tax-free threshold was raised from $300,000 to $400,000, the remaining taxable bands were not shifted upward automatically as required under the new policy. Under the old threshold, the first taxable bracket ran from $300,001 to $450,000 at the 0.1% rate. After the threshold adjustment, this initial taxable bracket should have expanded to cover from $400,001 to $550,000 — a $150,000 range — but instead only covered $50,000, pushing the higher 0.7% rate into effect thousands of dollars earlier than it should have, resulting in overbilling.

    The minister acknowledged that the error has caused unnecessary inconvenience for affected property owners, confirming that BRA teams have already identified the issue and are working at full speed to resolve it. To prevent the same administrative error from happening again in the future, Straughn announced that new programming protocols will be implemented to automatically adjust tax bands whenever the tax-free threshold is modified in upcoming policy adjustments. “Going forward, we will continue to review our property tax framework,” he said. “The reality is that the bands really should have been programmed automatically to shift with threshold changes from the start, so any future adjustments will include this automatic update to make tax calculations as seamless as possible for property owners.”

    In addition to correcting the billing error, the government has adjusted payment deadlines to give affected homeowners extra time to settle their corrected obligations. Land tax is typically due by March 31 of each year, but corrected bills for impacted properties will carry an issue date of August 31, with extended discount deadlines aligned to 2026. The revised timeline offers a 10% discount for in-person payments completed by September 30, 2026, a 5% discount for in-person payments made by October 30, 2026, and a 10% discount for all online payments and bank transfers submitted by December 1, 2026.

    Importantly, the correction applies exclusively to residential properties; all non-residential land tax calculations remain unaffected by the error. For homeowners who have already paid their incorrectly inflated tax bills, BRA will open refund requests starting September 1. Eligible property owners can choose to receive a cash refund for their net overpayment, request that the overpaid amount be credited to their 2027 land tax obligation, or apply the extra funds to cover any existing outstanding tax arrears.

    As of the announcement, Straughn confirmed that BRA has already received $35.9 million in payments from affected taxpayers, but he noted that this total is not the total amount eligible for refund. The final overpayment sum will depend on how many taxpayers opt for refunds versus credits toward future tax bills. Corrected paper bills are currently in production, and the Barbados Post Office is scheduled to begin distributing them to affected homeowners before the end of August.

    Trevor Forde, BRA’s Director of Tax Audit and Compliance, encouraged all residential property owners to register for the BRA online portal to access their updated tax information faster. Homeowners can use their existing bill number and map reference number from a previous land tax statement to log into the portal and view their corrected bill immediately, without waiting for the paper copy to arrive by post. Forde also reminded taxpayers that online payments qualify for the maximum 10% discount, making digital payment both faster and more cost-effective for property owners.

  • Symmonds warns of economic exposure from volatile oil markets

    Symmonds warns of economic exposure from volatile oil markets

    For a small island nation like Barbados, decades of heavy reliance on foreign-sourced fossil fuels have created a critical economic vulnerability that leaves the country exposed to sudden, devastating shifts in global energy markets, the country’s top energy official has warned. Speaking at a national public forum focused on the state of Barbados’ energy sector held at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre, Minister of Energy, Business Development and Consumer Affairs Kerrie Symmonds outlined how ongoing global geopolitical instability – particularly disruptions threatening key oil transit chokepoints like the Strait of Hormuz – can trigger extreme price volatility that directly passes through to household and business costs across the country.

    With more than 90% of Barbados’ total fossil fuel demand met through imports, the country has no buffer to absorb sudden crude price swings, which pose a persistent threat to the island’s overall economic stability. Symmonds clarified that supply chain access has not been the immediate challenge for Barbados; instead, the core risk lies in the country’s full exposure to unpredictable global cost fluctuations. “The potential for geopolitical instability to drive up international oil prices and consequently the cost of energy to Barbadians is at the core of our concerns. We are in a very vulnerable situation with respect to that, and it is a vulnerability that the government of Barbados will not ignore,” he told attendees.

    To underscore the scale of the risk, Symmonds shared official import data showing a dramatic surge in national energy spending over the past five years. Using 2019 as a pre-crisis baseline, the country spent $728 million on imported fossil fuels that year. But global market shocks triggered by international events sent that figure skyrocketing in subsequent years. The 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, a conflict entirely outside of Barbados’ control, caused import costs to jump 54% year-over-year, pushing the annual fossil fuel import bill to a staggering $1.123 billion.

    Even after global oil prices retreated from their 2022 peaks, costs have remained far above pre-crisis averages. In 2023, total fossil fuel import spending hit $1.1 billion – 40% higher than 2019 levels – and in 2024, expenditures stayed at $951 million, which is still 31% above pre-conflict benchmarks. Symmonds emphasized that these elevated energy costs do not stay isolated to the energy sector; they ripple through every corner of the domestic economy, pushing up overall inflation, straining the country’s limited foreign exchange reserves, and driving up the cost of living for all Barbadians. “So we see the pattern of surging energy prices impacting everything. And quite frankly, there’s a knock-on effect as we all in here know across our economy with respect to the cost of electricity, with respect to the cost of transportation… and most importantly with respect to the question of the cost of living for all of the consumers in Barbados,” he said.

    When global crude prices spiked sharply earlier this year, jumping from roughly $60 per barrel in January to more than $106 per barrel by March, the Barbadian government implemented emergency short-term measures to cushion the blow for consumers. For the first time in the National Energy Company’s history, officials launched an oil hedging program to lock in fixed prices for imports. The initial hedge was set at $92 per barrel, which protected domestic consumers from the worst of the market peak over a three-month period. A follow-up hedge was secured at $78 per barrel, continuing to shield Barbadian consumers even as global benchmark prices stayed around $93 per barrel.

    But while the hedging program delivered temporary relief, Symmonds stressed that short-term financial tools cannot fix the structural vulnerability created by dependence on imported fossil fuels. “The lesson I think is very straightforward. We cannot control geopolitical events. But what we can do is to strengthen our resilience to their consequences,” he said. Looking ahead, the minister argued that the only path to long-term energy price stability and permanent protection from unpredictable external shocks is accelerating the transition to locally generated renewable energy, upgrading the country’s national power grid infrastructure, and rolling out widespread national energy conservation initiatives. “The larger issue facing the energy sector in Barbados still has to be confronted. And that issue turns on the question of stability. It turns on the question of predictability. And frankly, ladies and gentlemen, it turns on the question of us being able to ensure that our consumers get the lowest, most practical rate,” Symmonds added.

  • BAMP flags rise in respiratory illnesses ahead of new school term

    BAMP flags rise in respiratory illnesses ahead of new school term

    As Barbados prepares to welcome students back to school amid a sharp uptick in respiratory infections including COVID-19 and influenza, local medical leaders are sounding a clear call to action: keep sick children at home to slow transmission of the contagious viruses. The urgent advisory comes from the Barbados Association of Medical Practitioners (BAMP), whose president Dr. Lynda Williams is urging all residents to adopt targeted preventive measures amid the ongoing surge.

    In an official public statement released over the weekend, Williams aligned BAMP’s guidance with a recent alert from Barbados’ Ministry of Health and Wellness, which confirmed a significant jump in reported cases of both COVID-19 and seasonal influenza across the island. To help residents quickly identify COVID-19 infections, Williams advised anyone experiencing flu-like symptoms to use rapid antigen tests, which are widely stocked at most private pharmacies across the country.

    She also offered key guidance to avoid inaccurate results, noting that testing too soon after exposure or failing to collect a proper nasal swab can lead to false-negative readings. If an initial test returns negative but COVID-19 exposure is still likely, Williams recommended repeating the test 24 to 48 hours after the first attempt. For those seeking PCR testing, the gold standard for COVID-19 detection, services are available at the Eunice Gibson and Branford Taitt polyclinics Monday through Friday between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m.

    Beyond testing, Williams outlined core public health precautions for all Barbadians. She advised anyone showing symptoms of respiratory illness to isolate at home, avoid unnecessary trips to workplaces, and wear well-fitting masks when visiting public indoor spaces. She also reinforced the importance of basic everyday protective habits: frequent handwashing or use of alcohol-based sanitizer, regular disinfection of high-touch surfaces, and maintaining adequate ventilation in enclosed spaces. She clarified that running air conditioning alone does not replace the need for fresh air circulation, as closed systems can trap viral particles indoors.

    In a notable update, Williams confirmed that updated COVID-19 vaccines are currently out of stock across Barbados. She did recommend that high-priority groups including healthcare workers, frontline tourism employees, older adults, and people living with chronic underlying conditions get the seasonal influenza vaccine to reduce their risk of severe illness, noting that new 2026-2027 formulations of the flu shot are expected to arrive in the country soon.

    Paediatrician and neonatologist Dr. Clyde Cave, speaking to local outlet Barbados TODAY, echoed BAMP’s core guidance, emphasizing that parents hold a critical role in preventing large outbreaks once school resumes. Cave explained that seasonal spikes in respiratory illness are predictable, noting that the annual Crop Over festival typically drives an increase in cases each year, a pattern that became well-documented during the COVID-19 pandemic. A second wave of transmission almost always follows when children return to crowded classroom spaces, he added.

    Cave stressed that among all recommended precautions, keeping symptomatic children home from school and daycare is the most impactful step to cut chains of transmission. “The big thing really for school is not sending children who are sick to daycare or school,” he said.

    He acknowledged that the advice creates practical challenges for working parents, who often struggle to arrange emergency childcare at the last minute. Even so, Cave emphasized that isolating unwell or potentially exposed children early is critical to stopping transmission before it spreads to classmates, teachers and other family members. By the time a child has been experiencing runny nose, sneezing or fever for a few days, he explained, they have likely already spread the virus to multiple other people. He urged parents to monitor children closely for any new symptoms after they have been in close contact with someone who is ill.

  • Battery plan to unlock stalled solar

    Battery plan to unlock stalled solar

    Barbados is pressing forward with a landmark 125-megawatt grid-scale battery storage initiative, a key policy move designed to stabilize the country’s national electricity network, unlock nearly 33 megawatts of idle or restricted solar generation capacity, and put the nation on track to hit its ambitious 50 percent renewable energy penetration target by the end of 2027.

    Energy Minister Kerrie Symmonds announced the progress during a major State of the Energy Sector address, noting that 60 megawatts of the planned storage capacity has already been awarded through competitive tender processes, with construction and installation scheduled for completion by mid-2027. The remaining 65 megawatts of storage is in active planning stages, bringing the total investment to the 125-megawatt benchmark outlined in the government’s energy transition roadmap.

    In his address, Symmonds emphasized that widespread renewable energy adoption in Barbados cannot succeed without confronting the interconnected technical, regulatory, financial and institutional barriers that have slowed progress to date. The minister pointed out that roughly 33.1 megawatts of already licensed solar capacity is currently either operating at just 50 percent of its maximum output or remains entirely unconnected to the national grid, a bottleneck created by the grid’s limited ability to absorb variable renewable energy generation.

    To clear this backlog of delayed connections, the government has introduced a transparent, publicly trackable priority connection queue that gives preferential access to solar licensees who agree to pair their generation assets with new battery storage systems. Under the structured timeline, these prioritized projects will be brought fully online within an eight-month window, with clear, mandatory milestones to keep projects on schedule.

    “I want these licensees to know now, in the clearest possible terms, that they have not been forgotten and that a structured, prioritized, and time-bound process will now be followed in order to bring their investments fully online,” Symmonds told attendees.

    Symmonds framed the current grid constraints as a “victim of our own success,” noting that the rapid growth of residential and commercial solar adoption across the island outpaced projections for grid modernization, creating the current bottleneck. Resolving these constraints is also a critical step to reduce Barbados’ vulnerability to global energy market volatility, he added, since the country relies almost entirely on imported fossil fuels for traditional power generation.

    “As a country that imports virtually all of its fossil fuels, we simply cannot control developments in the international markets, but we must take the deliberate steps available to us to reduce our vulnerability to their consequences,” Symmonds said.

    The government’s long-term strategy centers on building a hybrid electricity grid that integrates variable renewable energy, backup natural gas generation, and utility-scale energy storage to deliver reliable, affordable power. To broaden public participation in the energy transition, Symmonds also unveiled plans for the Barbados Energy Special Purpose Vehicle, a new structure that will allow local financial institutions and individual Barbadian residents to take an equity stake in new energy infrastructure projects. Under the proposed framework, local credit unions, pension funds, insurance companies and individual investors can acquire up to 49 percent of equity in new battery storage projects, while lead project sponsors will retain a 51 percent controlling stake initially.

    “This approach will allow Barbadians not only to build storage infrastructure required to strengthen the national grid, but also it will create economic opportunity for every Barbadian to participate economically in the country’s energy transition,” he explained.

    Alongside infrastructure investment, the government is updating statutory guidelines to streamline ministerial exemption powers under the existing Utility Regulation Act, while preserving the independent oversight role of the Fair Trading Commission and maintaining existing consumer protection safeguards. With a longer-term national target of 70 percent renewable energy penetration by December 2029, the Barbados Light & Power Company has been formally directed to update its integrated resource and resilience plan to reflect the new policy direction.

    The revised plan will evaluate a full suite of emerging low-carbon technologies, including onshore and offshore wind, biomass, green hydrogen, waste-to-energy and marine energy, alongside expanded demand-side management and energy conservation measures, all aimed at building a more resilient, affordable and sustainable electricity system for Barbados.

  • Tuach now ranked number 11 in the region

    Tuach now ranked number 11 in the region

    Barbadian professional surf athlete Chelsea Tuach has secured a notable jump in the regional rankings, climbing to 11th place following an impressive joint fifth-place result at the iconic Super Girl Surf Pro competition hosted in Oceanside, California. Held between August 21 and 23, this tournament stands as the world’s largest professional women’s surfing event, drawing a stacked field of 112 elite surfers from across the globe. Against this fierce competition, Tuach fought her way through five grueling preliminary rounds to earn a spot in the event’s final competition days.

    In post-event comments, Tuach emphasized that the Super Girl Surf Pro holds unique personal meaning, beyond just its status as a top-tier professional competition. “This event is very special for me because its core mission is inspiring the next generation of athletes to believe in themselves and pursue their dreams,” she explained. “As the biggest all-female surfing competition in the world, it draws the sport’s top talent, so every heat is a tough challenge. I’m really proud to walk away with a top-five finish.”

    Tuach also noted that surf conditions at the Oceanside venue are notoriously unpredictable and challenging, even for seasoned competitors. Despite these difficulties, she managed to lock in two high-scoring rides in every heat leading up to finals day, when the tournament shifts to a head-to-head elimination format. One of her standout performances came in the round of 16, where she defeated Vaihitmahana Inso, the current top-ranked surfer from Hawaii. Her run ultimately came to a narrow end in the quarterfinals, where she fell to American surfer Mia McLeish by a slim margin of just 0.63 points.

    This top-five result extends a remarkable period of consistent performance for Tuach, who most recently claimed a silver medal at the CAC Games held in the Dominican Republic. Looking ahead, the Barbadian surfer is already preparing for her next competition: a WSL 4000-level event kicking off next week. “I’m looking forward to putting together a few more strong heats and continuing to climb the rankings in the coming weeks,” Tuach added.

  • Customs seizes guns, drugs in $8m border haul

    Customs seizes guns, drugs in $8m border haul

    Against a backdrop of shifting transnational smuggling trends, Barbados’ Customs service has announced a series of major interdictions at the island nation’s ports of entry, while publicly laying out the multiple operational, financial and reputational challenges the department currently faces. The disclosure came from Acting Comptroller Lynette Padmore during an address Sunday marking the 121st anniversary of the Barbados Customs and Excise Department, delivered at the Power in the Blood Assembly church in Tudor Bridge, St. Michael.

    Padmore detailed that customs officers posted at air ports, sea ports and the national General Post Office had seized 12 unauthorised firearms, approximately 900 rounds of ammunition, and nearly 1,000 kilograms of illicit plant material. That plant shipment alone carries an estimated street value of around $8 million. Beyond these hauls, teams also intercepted cocaine, methamphetamines, prohibited tactical equipment including camouflage gear and tasers, and unauthorised drones, expanding the scope of evolving threats the border agency must counter.

    In her remarks, Padmore warned that criminal smuggling networks are exploiting every potential entry point to move illegal cargo through Barbados’ borders, arguing that fragmented, agency-specific approaches to border security leave the nation vulnerable. “Most territories now face similar challenges, and Barbados will remain exposed to these evolving threats if every agency operates with a singular mentality,” she said. “The level of awareness relevant to some synthetic drugs and the porosity of our borders will continue to be problematic should we not collectively reinforce our intention towards the protection of our borders.”

    To address this gap, Padmore confirmed that Barbados Customs is already engaged in coordinated targeted operations alongside local, regional and international law enforcement partners to tighten border controls, disrupt smuggling rings and investigate financial fraud. She highlighted the department’s participation in two key ongoing initiatives, Operation Calypso and Operation Core 8 in 2025, noting that these collaborative efforts have already delivered measurable progress in halting narcotics trafficking, countering financial crime, disrupting human trafficking and shutting down other transnational illegal activities. “Interagency cooperation through planned operations benefit from collaboration and the employment of various measures to assist with interdictions,” she added.

    Beyond border security, Padmore also released new revenue data for the department, showing that between the 2023 financial year and July 2026, Customs collected a total of $5.47 billion in government revenue. However, she noted that total potential revenue was reduced by more than $3 billion due to a combination of statutory concessions and waivers granted to the local business community, as well as fraudulent tax evasion tactics including importer undervaluation of goods and under-invoicing. “This figure could have been higher were it not affected by the loss of over $3 billion in revenue which has been foregone through concessions and waivers to the business community or from the fraudulent tax evasion practices of undervaluation and under-invoicing which continues to threaten the financial systems and mutual trust between Customs and some of our stakeholders,” Padmore explained.

    The department is also grappling with an institutional knowledge gap following the retirement of a large cohort of veteran staff, leaving a workforce heavy with new recruits still building core job skills. “We now have quite a few relatively new staff who are now learning the fundamentals of Customs. Training is therefore essential at this juncture, and we are meeting it head on,” Padmore said. To address this, 18 officers are set to begin an intensive valuation training workshop run in partnership with the Caribbean Regional Technical Assistance Centre, while the entire department will take part in the National Transformation Initiative’s Art and Heart of Service culture shift programme. All officers have already completed expanded training covering a range of high-priority topics: small arms and light weapons identification, illicit trafficking modus operandi, detection of illicit firearms produced via 3D printing, specialised marine enforcement, synthetic drug detection, artificial intelligence for cybersecurity, and data analytics.

    Padmore added that the department is also pursuing broader digital modernisation, with its in-house information technology team working to integrate artificial intelligence and smart automation systems to boost operational efficiency and effectiveness. Even as it advances these improvements, the department is facing ongoing public criticism over its performance, and Padmore acknowledged that rebuilding public trust will require deliberate systemic change. “We are aware that recent times have caused this department to be constantly criticised and to be the subject of unfavourable responses which must now be adjusted,” she said.

    Outlining the full scope of current challenges, Padmore cited limited operational resources, persistent revenue leakage, widespread undervaluation of imported goods, and growing national security risks from narcotics, illegal firearms, and human trafficking. Despite these headwinds, she closed with a confident pledge that the department would work collectively to turn its performance around and rebuild public confidence. “We are all equal, and together we can restore our image, renew our efforts, and seek to change our current direction,” she said. “Our core values of professionalism, integrity, accountability and transparency must guide our approach to our daily tasks, and like a phoenix, we will rise again.”

  • McIntyre eyes Junior Worlds after Peru triumph

    McIntyre eyes Junior Worlds after Peru triumph

    Rising Barbadian junior triathlon star Luke McIntyre touched back down on home soil on Monday, his mind already turned to the biggest test of his young career: the World Triathlon Junior Championships, scheduled to kick off in Spain in just one month’s time. McIntyre’s recent run of outstanding form reached a new high on Saturday, when he claimed top honors in the Junior Men’s division at the 2026 Americas Triathlon Junior Cup hosted in Lima, Peru. The victory came on the heels of an intensive two-week elite training camp in Paraguay, where the young athlete honed his craft ahead of the competition.

    This is far from McIntyre’s first taste of cross-sport success: earlier this year, he claimed a gold medal in the men’s 5000m at the CARIFTA Athletics Championships on the island of Grenada, cementing his status as one of the Caribbean’s most promising multi-discipline young talents. In Lima, he crossed the finish line with a winning time of 58 minutes and 26 seconds, outpacing a stacked field of top-ranked junior competitors from across the region. His standout performance earned public praise from Mia Amor Mottley, Prime Minister of Barbados, who extended her congratulations via an official post on her Instagram account.

    Reflecting on the lead-up to his win, McIntyre emphasized how much he gained from both the training camp and the Lima race itself. “I traveled alone to join the World Triathlon-hosted camp in Paraguay as a member of the Team Americas triathlon selection,” he explained. “Across those two weeks, I got in solid training and picked up so much new experience – it was an incredibly valuable time. After the camp wrapped up, our group moved on to Lima, and I was able to pull off the win in the junior men’s race there.”

    McIntyre said he remains deeply satisfied with his performance in Peru, and is already relishing the chance to represent both his home nation of Barbados and Team Americas in future elite competitions. “Right now, all my focus is on the Junior World Championships at the end of September in Spain,” he added.

    While McIntyre has long been a contender at the junior level, 2025 has marked a major breakthrough for the young athlete, who says he is focused on maintaining his consistent upward trajectory. “I’m really loving the steady progress I’m seeing across every one of my triathlon disciplines,” he noted. “Triathlon isn’t really about raw finishing times, because every course has its own unique challenges that change how you race – positioning matters far more. But it’s impossible to miss how much my running has improved since CARIFTA and the Barbados national junior and senior championships.”

    McIntyre added that his steadily dropping race times have given him a major confidence boost heading into international competition, letting him step onto the start line knowing he has what it takes to compete with the world’s best juniors. “The World Championships in Spain at the end of September is the final stop on my schedule this triathlon season, and it’s definitely the thing that’s top of mind for me right now. After that, I’ll start building toward next year’s competition schedule,” he said.

    McIntyre’s success is not limited to his household: his younger sister Laila is also carving out an impressive name for herself in regional endurance sports. A silver medallist in the women’s 1500m at this year’s CARIFTA Championships, Laila just added another silver medal to her collection at the Caribbean Junior Road Cycling Championships in Belize, and is set to return to Barbados on Tuesday.