Posts

Grenada lands second vice-chair seat at Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation

The National Telecommunications Regulatory Commission has secured Grenada the second vice-chair seat on the Executive Committee of the Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation. The appointment was confirmed during the 64th CTO Council Meeting and Commonwealth Digital Roadshow in Maseru, Lesotho. The seat carries a meaningful agenda-setting role on cross-Commonwealth telecoms policy, including spectrum, cybersecurity and small-states digital inclusion.

At home, the House of Representatives has passed legislation applying value-added tax to digital platforms and services. The change is technical on paper and visible in practice: subscription streaming, cloud storage, and a range of cross-border digital purchases now sit inside the same VAT framework that applies to domestic transactions. Treasury officials project meaningful revenue uptake; consumer groups have asked for clearer guidance on which services trigger the tax.

Growth forecasts hold near three percent as tourism corridors stabilise

CARICOM’s 2026 growth forecasting continues to put Saint Vincent and the Grenadines in the upper tier of regional expansion at 2.9 percent, anchored by tourism, fisheries and a steady recovery in the construction sector. The figures are part of a wider regional model that places several Eastern Caribbean economies above the wider Caribbean average.

In the Grenadines, the yacht-charter operating season is in transition as operators shift between the high winter-spring window and the lower summer base. Marine-based tourism remains the highest-yield-per-visitor segment in the country’s tourism mix, and operators are watching carefully for early signals on the winter 2026-27 booking pace.

High-speed shootout near Mile 4 turns the Philip Goldson Highway into a chase scene

A high-speed shootout brought the Philip Goldson Highway near Mile 4 to a standstill on Monday afternoon, with eyewitnesses reporting one SUV pursuing another and shots exchanged between vehicles. Police are working to identify the parties and recover the vehicles. No casualty figures have been confirmed at the time of publication.

In Belmopan, Cabinet has received an update on the technical review of recommendations from the People’s Constitution Commission and is signalling that the package will move to the House later this month. The Commission’s recommendations cover a wide field, from electoral arrangements to citizenship and rights guarantees, and represent the most comprehensive constitutional review since independence-era debates.

Mental-health helpline says 40% of calls now come from children and teenagers

Mental-health practitioners across Barbados are calling for a unified national response after the Barbados Union of Teachers reported that children and teenagers now account for forty percent of calls to the country’s national mental-health helpline. The figure, surfaced through union channels, has reframed what was previously discussed as a school-counselling problem into a population-level concern. Practitioners are pressing for coordination between Health, Education, and the Ministry of People Empowerment.

In the courts, a man has been remanded in connection with a fatal fire in Bank Hall. The matter was heard at Bridgetown Magistrates’ Court and adjourned for further hearings. Police investigations continue.

Police link 'Tall Boots' crew to two dozen home invasions across central Trinidad

Police investigators say four men killed during a major operation in central Trinidad last Saturday were members of a group they’re calling the “Tall Boots Crew,” named for the tall garden boots used during what officers describe as as many as twenty-four home invasions across Cunupia, Chaguanas, Freeport, Las Lomas and Longdenville over recent weeks. Acting Commissioner Richard Smith paired the briefing with a public message warning young people away from gang life. Police say they believe the group operated from a nearby hideout and rotated targets after midnight.

Police seize $6.4 million in marijuana off Andros as Operation Black Scorpion rolls

Marine police interdicted a vessel near Mars Bay, Andros earlier this week and seized hydroponic marijuana with an estimated street value of US$6.4 million. The interception is the largest single seizure reported in the Family Islands so far this year and adds to a steady run of maritime enforcement actions through the southern Bahamian chain.

In New Providence, officers attached to Operation Black Scorpion seized a firearm, ammunition and suspected drugs during a foot chase on Market Street on Monday evening. Police describe the operation as part of a sustained effort to disrupt gang-linked activity in the central New Providence corridor.

Speedeet & Wilar: De Great Mango War

Every week, join two twelve-year-old friends from Pike Street, Kitty as they navigate life in Guyana.

The mango fell on Speedeet’s side of the fence.

Everybody on Pike Street knew this. Speedeet knew it. The mango knew it. Even the dog from number seven — who wasn’t involved and had no business in the matter — had watched it fall and walked away like a witness who didn’t want to testify.

Tourism diversification and CBI guardrails frame the Federation's spring agenda

Saint Kitts and Nevis continues to navigate a pivotal stretch on Citizenship by Investment policy, with the Federation’s CBI Unit working to keep the programme aligned with the higher diligence standards that have reshaped the regional CBI landscape over the past eighteen months. Officials have publicly committed to maintaining strict source-of-funds and applicant-screening standards, framing the programme’s medium-term value as dependent on regulatory credibility rather than volume.

On tourism, the Federation’s Ministry of Tourism continues to push diversification beyond the cruise channel into stay-over and niche-experience segments. The investment pipeline includes hotel-room expansion, marine-based experiences, and a stronger nature-product offering on Nevis. Stay-over numbers remain the focus metric.

Venezuela takes the floor at The Hague as Guyana waits for round two

The International Court of Justice convenes a second day of oral arguments today in the Essequibo case, with Venezuela taking its turn at the lectern after Guyana opened on Monday. Caracas presents from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and again from 3 to 6 p.m. Hague time. Guyana returns Friday for a second round, with Venezuela’s final response set for Monday, May 11. Hearings stream live on the Court’s website.

Antigua hosts Caribbean Travel Marketplace next week as minimum wage rises and parliament dissolves — Tuesday Brief

Caribbean Travel Marketplace 2026: May 12-15 in Antigua

The 44th Caribbean Travel Marketplace returns to Antigua and Barbuda from May 12 to 15, with registration now open through the Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association. Presented by CHTA, Marketplace is the region’s largest tourism trade forum, bringing together tour operators, wholesalers, travel advisors and Caribbean hospitality stakeholders.

CHTA President Sanovnik Destang said Marketplace remains “critical for industry professionals, especially as the region navigates shifting traveler expectations, policy changes, and market trends.” Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority CEO Colin C. James said the event “brings direct business to the region while allowing us to showcase the culture, hospitality, and connectivity that define our destination.”

Cunupia shootout leaves four dead as bp advances cross-border gas talks with Venezuela — Tuesday Brief

Cunupia: four suspects killed in home-invasion shootout

Eight men attempted to break into a home at Ramnarine Trace, Cunupia, on Saturday. Four were killed in the shootout that followed with police officers; two remain in custody. Police continued their search yesterday for the two remaining suspects linked to home invasions in the area.

Residents told the Trinidad Guardian they felt more at ease amid frequent patrols and heightened security activity in the community. Criminologists praised police for what they characterised as a decisive show of force. Internationally, criminologist Verla Depeiza warned that the Cunupia incident has heightened Barbados’ exposure to illegal firearms trafficking and called for tightened controls.

Dominica navigates US visa restrictions and deportee MOU as parliament watches reform tide — Tuesday Brief

US visa restrictions: travel bonds still in force

Dominicans applying for U.S. travel visas continue to face a travel bond requirement of between US$5,000 and US$15,000, refundable if the application is rejected, since the policy took effect January 21. The State Department had cited concerns about the country’s CBI program — specifically, the sale of citizenship to applicants from “rogue nations” — as one driver of the restriction.

Opposition parties and civil society groups have criticised the government, contending that local diplomats should have been able to ward off the visa downgrade. The Trump administration’s stance on Caribbean CBI programs continues to compress the regional citizenship investment market.

EV duties slashed and first National Disability Policy tabled as SOLARISE program launches — Tuesday Brief

DRIVE: EV import duties slashed from 45% to 10%

Effective May 1, 2026, the Government slashed import duties on fully electric vehicles less than four years old from 45 percent to 10 percent — a 35-percentage-point cut announced by Energy Minister Konris Maynard at the launch of the Decarbonised Roadway Initiative for Vehicle Electrification (DRIVE).

“This government is about accelerating the transition to electric mobility,” Maynard told the launch ceremony at the CUNA Conference Room. The DRIVE program promises lower upfront EV costs, lower operating costs (recharging vs gasoline), and lower maintenance costs (fewer moving parts).

Friday government readies mid-2026 CIP launch with residency mandate and ring-fenced fund — Tuesday Brief

CIP launch: mid-2026 with residency mandate

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines will launch a citizenship by investment program by mid-2026 featuring mandatory residency requirements and a legislatively ring-fenced investment fund, the St Vincent Times reports. The program positions the country’s late entry as an opportunity to study what other Caribbean states have done and adopt best practices.

Prime Minister Goodwin Friday has framed the initiative as not a “revenue-at-all-costs” scheme but a “sovereign capital mobilization strategy” designed to finance development and climate resilience without increasing national debt. All proceeds will flow through the Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Investment Fund (SVGIF), a legislatively established vehicle designed to prevent funds from entering recurrent spending or political discretion.

Grenada balances deportee MOU and US military requests as Keith Mitchell weighs in — Tuesday Brief

Mitchell weighs in on national affairs

Former Prime Minister Keith Mitchell, who led Grenada through multiple terms and remains an influential voice in national politics, has spoken publicly on current national matters. The intervention comes during a period of policy realignment as Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell’s government navigates several major files — the deportee MOU, the U.S. military presence question, and the CBI program tightening.

Deportee MOU and US military pushback

The Mitchell government has signed a memorandum of understanding to accept U.S. deportees, joining Guyana, Dominica, Antigua, St. Kitts and St. Lucia. But the government has also been notably uncomfortable with U.S. requests to set up military radars and other facilities on Grenadian soil, citing the country’s 1983 invasion experience as historical context.

Guyana defends Essequibo at ICJ as oil critics warn of resource curse — Tuesday Brief

ICJ oral hearings move into legal focus

Guyana’s legal team opened the first round of oral arguments on the merits of the Essequibo border controversy before the International Court of Justice on Monday, with British attorney Edward Craven urging the Court to impose remedial measures and Guyana telling the bench that Venezuela “took part in” the 1899 arbitration it now seeks to invalidate.

International lawyer Paul Reichler told the Court that allegations of U.S.–British collusion in that arbitration are “implausible and unsupported by the historical record.” Foreign Affairs Minister Hugh Todd framed the case as “existential” for Guyana. Former Foreign Secretary Carl Greenidge testified that Venezuela had insisted on arbitration in the late nineteenth century and bound itself to the outcome.

Mottley moves on St James security after triple killing as mental health calls surge — Tuesday Brief

Mottley: top security meeting after St James triple killing

Prime Minister Mia Mottley moved quickly into a meeting with the island’s top security officials following Sunday night’s shooting in St James that left three men dead, Barbados Today reports. Detectives are actively hunting the gunmen, and Commissioner of Police Richard Boyce warned that anyone sheltering the shooters will be pursued.

Criminologist Verla Depeiza warned that the recent deadly security breach in Trinidad and Tobago heightens Barbados’ exposure to illegal firearms trafficking, calling for urgent tightening of controls on small-arms entry through regional ports.

NIA head warns NaRRA rebuild must protect transparency as fuel cap lifts and India pushes trade — Tuesday Brief

“Cut with care” — NIA head on NaRRA transparency

The head of the National Integrity Action used the platform of post-Melissa reconstruction to warn that faster rebuilding under the Natural Disaster Recovery and Reconstruction Authority (NaRRA) must not come at the cost of transparency and oversight. The warning, reported by the Jamaica Observer this morning, lands as the Government accelerates contracts under the rebuilding framework established after Hurricane Melissa devastated western Jamaica in October 2025.

Polls open one week as energy shock and Crown-land program reshape election stakes — Tuesday Brief

Polls open in one week — Bahamas votes May 12

Voters across The Bahamas head to the polls May 12 to choose representatives in the 41-member chamber, with 54 multimillionaires of the 130 politicians offering themselves as candidates between the governing Progressive Liberal Party and the opposition Free National Movement. Leading the FNM’s wealthy slate is former Los Angeles Lakers champion and movie actor Rick Fox, who has declared $470 million in assets, $5 million annual income, and $14.5 million in receivables according to filings.

Saint Lucia signs ILO Convention 144 as Alfred opens season with world-leading 60m time — Tuesday Brief

ILO Convention 144: tripartite framework signed

The Government of Saint Lucia has signed International Labour Organisation Convention No. 144, paving the way for the establishment of a National Tripartite Advisory Council. The framework institutionalises consultation between workers, employers and the government on labour standards and industrial relations matters — a structural commitment to the social dialogue model.

Saint Lucia is also embarking on a significant enhancement of its industrial relations framework involving public and civil servants, with workers and employers engaged in the redesign.