Connect Caribe pushes forward start of regional ferry service
The private sector-led ferry service, Connect Caribe, Monday announced that it had reached an agreement with the Caribbean Private Sector Organisation (CPSO) and the Dubai-headquartered Jampur Group enabling it to begin its ferry service much earlier than had been expected.
Pleion Group Inc., which described itself as a Caribbean and US-based company with offices in the United States, Barbados, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, and Jamaica, said its purpose is to trigger economic growth through business development in the Caribbean and beyond.
“We are excited, we have reached a milestone in the development and implementation of this project earlier than we had anticipated and the reason for that is that there are two major partnerships that have turbo-charged and accelerated the process of taking this maritime initiative from concept to reality,” Pleion Group Chairman Dr. Andre Thomas told a virtual news conference.
“The first would be our partnership with the CPSO whose data, guidance and leadership in the implementation of the project has served to really accelerate us. Their understanding of the trade landscape has been indispensable in guiding us in making strategic and logical decisions where this project is concerned,” he added.
He said that the second major announcement is “our partnership with our new partner, which is the Jampur Group,” which he described as a “very strong company operating out of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) working across the continent of Africa” over 30 years and has a fleet of ships.
He said the partnership will allow the Group to advance the Connect Caribe venture much faster than initially planned. Originally, it was envisaged that the ferry service, its first phase at least, would be operational by November 2024.
“We have entered into an agreement with them and they will be providing our first set of ships, which are being acquired as we speak and very soon will be on their way to the Caribbean waters.
“So the news that we have …the decision making in terms of our business development, our routes, our understanding of how to integrate our cargo platform with a travel platform, all that market information has been made available through our discussions with the CPSO and have been indispensable in accelerating that side of the business,” Thomas told reporters.
He said the Jampur Group has its own shipyard, repairing ships, noting that all aspects of the venture in the Caribbean are being met.
“We are very excited to announce this and so this will accelerate our launch date …that was due to be in the month of November. This definitely will accelerate it by a few months earlier and the approach that we are taking is going to be slightly different marked by the consultations we have had with the CPSO and also with the Jamour Group.
“So we are going to begin with a lot more ships, but slightly smaller ships that would go to many more places and we will begin with a very strong emphasis on the cargo element with also travel and then build towards having the two much larger cruise ships which we are actually working on and that would house over a thousand people each in the second phase of acquisition,” Thomas added.
Thomas said simultaneously, that the group is working on integrating e-commerce options to make payments easier and that the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS), a cross-border, financial market infrastructure, offered through the African Exim Import Bank is being seriously considered.
“I believe it (the PAPSS venture) will be game-changing for Caribbean economies,” Thomas said.
PSO chief executive officer, Dr. Patrick Antoine said this private venture has the backing of the body because there is a huge need for intra-regional transportation solutions.
“In working with them, our focus is going to continue to be to try to support the initiatives with Connect Caribe or other initiatives for this whole conundrum of successful connectivity in the Caribbean,” Antoine said, making references to the number of mandates given by the regional governments to the private sector group.
“One such is the project we are engaged in this morning, which is to contribute to a private sector solution to address the challenges of maritime transportation, and at the time the focus was on the southern Caribbean, which we defined as all of the countries in the Eastern Caribbean, plus Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, and Suriname.
“So we are very focused on that,” he said, noting that he is also pleased that together with Connect Caribe, they are achieving this mandate.
Source-CMC
Local & International scoreboard
Provo Premier League
SWA Sharks FC vs Academy Eagles FC - Final score (full-time) 1-1
Since this was the final game, it went into extra time and penalty shoot-out after regulation time.
Final score SWA Sharks FC - 4 Academy Eagles FC - 3
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
INTERLEAGUE
Boston 3, Washington 2
Arizona 9, Baltimore 2
Colorado 3, Texas 1
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Minnesota 5, Toronto 1
Cleveland 7, Chi White Sox 0
Houston 9, Detroit 3
NY Yankees 10, Tampa Bay 6
Kansas City 4, LA Angels 2
Seattle 8, Oakland 4
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Miami 7, Philadelphia 6
Chi Cubs 5, Pittsburgh 4
St. Louis 4, Milwaukee 3
San Diego 4, LA Dodgers 0
San Francisco 6, Cincinnati 5
NY Mets 4, Atlanta 3
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PLAYOFFS
Indiana 121, New York 89 (Series tied 2-1)
Denver 115, Minnesota 107 (Series tied 2-2)
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE PLAYOFFS
Vancouver 4, Edmonton 3 (Vancouver leads series 2-1)
Florida 3, Boston 2 (Florida leads series 3-1)
MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER
Seattle 2, Portland 1
PUBLIC WEATHER FORECAST
Ice Spice says she was nervous to sample Sean Paul's "Gimme the Light".
Ice Spice is bringing back Y2k vibes with her new single, "Gimmie a Light." The song borrows from Sean Paul's 2002 hit "Gimme the Light," a sample she once doubted would get approved.
"I was nervous because we wanted to have a very authentic Y2K sample in there, and Sean Paul, he's legendary. And that song alone, his 'Gimme the Light,' is so iconic that I was so nervous to sample it because I'm like, 'This isn't going to get cleared, so what's the point?' But thankfully we got it cleared," she says in a recent interview with Apple Music's Zane Lowe. "Shouts to Sean Paul. He's so real."
"Gimmie a Light" was first heard in April during Ice's debut performance at Coachella, where she was "overwhelmed by the love" from her fans. She says it was "my most fun time on stage ever in my career up until this point."
The track previews what's to come on her forthcoming album Y2k, named after an era she wasn't born into. Ice Spice says she tapped her mother as inspiration as she worked on the project.
"Thankfully, I had my mom, so growing up I'd see her embody the Y2K aesthetic in its truest form," the rapper says, adding she also got some assistance from the internet.
As for why she named the album Y2k, Ice Spice says it came after an "ongoing process of 'What should we name the album?'" — which ended with the realization that she wanted the name to be short.
Ice's Y2k album is expected to drop sometime this year.
Source-ABC
Humanitarian workers, doctors describe 'horrific' situation in Rafah as Israel intensifies strikes
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that a U.S. threat to withhold some arms would not prevent Israel from continuing its offensive in Gaza, indicating it might proceed with an invasion of the packed city of Rafah against the wishes of its closest ally.
In a statement released Thursday, Netanyahu said "if we have to stand alone, we will stand alone. If we need to, we will fight with our fingernails. But we have much more than fingernails."
Israel's top military spokesman, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, also appeared to downplay the practical impact of any arms holdup. "The army has munitions for the missions it plans, and for the missions in Rafah, too -- we have what we need," he said in response to a question at a news conference.
Source-ABC
CXC denies leak examination paper
The Barbados-based Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) has denied reports on social media that “an examination paper” has been leaked.
Earlier this week, the CXC’s Registrar and chief executive officer, Dr Wayne Wesley told students from across the region that they have been prepared ‘to advance the economic competitiveness” of the Caribbean.
In a brief message marking the start of the May/June 2024 examinations, Wesley “it is that time of year again when candidates across the region are allowed to demonstrate the competencies they have achieved”.
In its statement, CXC said it “has been made aware of information being circulated on social media which suggests that an examination paper has been leaked.
“CXC wishes to advise candidates that this is a hoax. CXC frowns upon attempts by persons to spread false information and create panic for candidates preparing for examinations,” it added.
In May last year, CXC identified Jamaica as the country where its Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) Math Paper 02 examination paper had been leaked.
The CXC, established in 1972, is an institution that provides regional and internationally recognized secondary schools leaving examinations relevant to the needs of the region, assists in Common Entrance and other types of examinations as well as producing teaching materials and training teachers to use the CXC syllabi.
It also advises regional governments on education. The CXC also admits external entries from St Maarten and Saba of the Netherlands Antilles.
CXC has a comprehensive suite of qualifications to meet the needs of the region namely CSEC, Caribbean Certificate of Secondary Level Competence (CCSLC), Caribbean Vocational Qualification (CVQ), Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) and the CXC Associate Degree (CXC-AD).
TCI to Introduce Electronic Tabulating System for General Elections
In keeping with the 2020 Elections Amendment Ordinance, the voting process in The Turks and Caicos Islands is poised to see a vast improvement in efficiency and transparency with the implementation of the Electronic Tabulating System, specifically the DS200 Precinct Scanner and Tabulator (DS200), in the upcoming general elections.
As part of their commitment to ensuring the voting public has ample opportunity to familiarize themselves with this new technology, the Elections Department is hosting a live demonstration on Thursday, May 16 at the Edward C. Gartland Youth Centre. The event is scheduled to begin at noon and will provide a demonstration of the machines in action as well as allow persons to ask questions about the new machines and their impact on the voting process.
The new system promises to streamline the voting process, ensuring efficiency and accuracy by electronically tabulating each vote. By leveraging this system, voters can expect reduced wait times at polling stations while enabling the swift tabulation of results. This advancement will facilitate timely reporting and analysis, marking a significant step towards more expedited and transparent elections.
Speaking on these new initiatives, Election Supervisor Dudley Lewis said, “The introduction of the DS200 Precinct Scanner and Tabulator will increase the efficiency of the voting process and eliminate the need for the tedious hand count of ballots that previously lasted through the night. This simply means that winners will be announced as early as 8:00 p.m. on voting day, reflecting a more efficient and timely election outcome announcement.”
This innovative approach aligns with the 2020 Elections Amendment Ordinance, aimed at enhancing the electoral process through modern technology. It further underscores the commitment of the Turks and Caicos Islands Government to conducting elections that are efficient and uphold the highest standards of accuracy and transparency.
Lewis said, “In addition to the live demonstration scheduled for May 16, my department will conduct town halls and other outreach events to showcase the new voting technology for the general public, candidates, and the press, as well as provide training for poll workers.”
He continued, "We will hold training sessions with mock exercises in all electoral districts to help familiarize voters with the system before Election Day," he stated.
For further information and inquiries on voter registration and the Electronic Tabulating System implementation, individuals are encouraged to visit the Election Department’s website at www.gov.tc/elections. For inquiries, please reach out via phone at 649-338-2301 or email at electionsdept@gov.tc. Follow their social media pages on Facebook and Instagram @tcielectionsdepartment for updates and additional information.
Immigration advocates condemn new US rule on Caribbean asylum seekers
Immigration advocates have condemned a proposed new rule that they say will significantly impact Caribbean and other asylum seekers.
Many of the immigrants arriving at the southern border of the United States seeking asylum and refugee statuses, and travelling to major cities, such as New York, are nationals of Venezuela, Cuba, Haiti, Honduras and Nicaragua.
The new rules were published on Thursday by the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC), an umbrella policy and advocacy organization that represents over 200 immigrant and refugee rights groups throughout New York State, said that the new measure will seriously affect how asylum seekers will be screened.
The DHS also announced changes to policy guidance affecting Caribbean and other immigrants’ ability to seek asylum.
“The Biden administration’s proposed rule, accompanied by changes to policy guidance, is alarming and a setback to our humanitarian commitments,” NYIC’s president and chief executive officer, Murad Awawdeh, told the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC).
“These are not small or insignificant changes. They will limit people’s ability to access safety when they are most vulnerable and will have long term consequences on their ability to live with security in this country.
“The policy change allowing the use of classified information at any stage in immigration proceedings has the potential to be weaponized against Black and Brown communities, Muslims, and others, in ways reminiscent of the aftermath of 9/11,” Awawdeh added.
He said rather than double down on an enforcement-only approach that has failed for decades, “now is the time to act with courage and urgency to meet the needs of our current reality with solutions that work.
“We must move past the dysfunction of the past 30 years and work together to create a fair and orderly immigration system that includes a pathway to status for all those who call America home, while welcoming people with dignity,” he said.
DHS said the proposed rule is part of the Biden administration’s “continued efforts to enhance the security of our border and deliver more timely consequences for those encountered who do not have a legal basis to remain in the United States”.
DHS said it published, through US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) that would allow statutory bars to asylum to be applied much earlier in the process.
“Even though the number of migrants who are subject to these bars is small, this rule would enable DHS to more quickly remove those who are subject to the bars and pose a risk to our national security or public safety,” DHS said.
It said US federal law bars individuals who pose a national security or public safety risk from asylum, specifically those who have been convicted of a particularly serious crime and participated in the persecution of others.
DHS said such migrants are inadmissible on national security or terrorism-related grounds and that while anyone, who is deemed to pose a public safety threat is taken into custody, the asylum eligibility determination is not currently made until later in the process – at the merits adjudication stage of the asylum and withholding of removal claims.
“Today’s proposed rule would permit asylum officers to consider these bars to asylum and withholding of removal during initial credible fear screening, which happens just days after an individual is encountered.
“This will allow DHS to expeditiously remove individuals who pose a threat to the United States much sooner than is currently the case, better safeguarding the security of our border and our country.”
Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas said the proposed rule is “yet another step in our ongoing efforts to ensure the safety of the American public by more quickly identifying and removing those individuals who present a security risk and have no legal basis to remain here.
“We will continue to take action, but fundamentally it is only Congress that can fix what everyone agrees is a broken immigration system,” he added.
From May 12, 2023 through May 1, 2024, DHS said it has removed or returned more than 720,000 migrants to 170 countries around the world.
Source-CMC
Veteran Mathews picked for Caribbean showpiece
Veteran all-rounder Angelo Mathews will feature in his sixth Twenty20 World Cup after being named in Sri Lanka’s 15-man squad for next month’s showpiece in the Caribbean and United States.
The stalwart, who turns 37 on the second day of the tournament and was only recalled to the shortest format at the start of the year following a three-year absence, was a member of the Sri Lanka side which captured the title at the 2014 edition of the tournament in Bangladesh when they edged West Indies in a rain-affected semi-final in Dhaka.
Mathews has played 87 T20 Internationals and 207 T20s overall and will be the most experienced side member, led by leg-spinning all-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga.
Former T20 captain Dasun Shanaka has also been included along with One-Day International skipper Kusal Mendis and Test captain Dhananjaya de Silva.
Rookie speedster Matheesha Pathirana, 21, who has played only six T20Is but is currently campaigning in the Indian Premier League with Chennai Super Kings, will form part of an impressive pace attack that includes Nuwan Thushara, Dushmantha Chameera and left-armer Dilshan Madhushanka.
Left-arm spinner Dunith Wellalage, also 21, and 23-year-old off-spinner Maheesh Theekshana will join Hasaranga to form the spin attack.
Sri Lanka will compete in Group D of the June 1-29 tournament, alongside South Africa, Bangladesh, Nepal, and the Netherlands.
They open their campaign on June 3 against South Africa at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York before traveling to Dallas for their second game against Bangladesh four days later.
The will then clash with Nepal in Florida on June 11 before playing their only fixture in the Caribbean when they take on the Netherlands in St Lucia on June 16.
Sri Lanka will leave for the World Cup next Tuesday.
SQUAD – Sri Lanka squad: Wanindu Hasaranga (captain), Charith Asalanka, Kusal Mendis, Pathum Nissanka, Kamindu Mendis, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Angelo Mathews, Dasun Shanaka, Dhananjaya De Silva, Maheesh Theekshana, Dunith Wellalage, Dushmantha Chameera, Nuwan Thushara, Matheesha Pathirana, and Dilshan Madushanka
IMF warns ageing population, climate change threaten’s favourable economic outlook
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) Wednesday said that while the economic outlook for St. Vincent and the Grenadines is “favourable” it however faces challenges from an ageing population and climate change.
An IMF delegation, led by Nan Geng, visited Kingstown from April 23 – May 7, for the 2024 Article IV consultation discussions on economic developments and macroeconomic policies.
In a statement, the IMF said in addition the challenges facing the economy are taking place amid the “still high public debt.
“Policies need to be calibrated to continue to build buffers and resilience and support sustainable and inclusive growth while safeguarding debt sustainability and financial sector stability.”
The economy rebounded strongly in 2022-23, returning to pre-pandemic output levels, the IFM said, adding that growth reached 3.1 per cent in 2022 and is estimated to have accelerated to 5.8 per cent in 2023.
“This was supported by large public and private investment and a robust recovery of tourism, which were partly offset by a drop in agriculture due to lingering effects from volcanic eruptions [of April 2021) and the historic high temperature in 2023.”
Meanwhile, stayover arrivals approached pre-pandemic levels in 2023 supported by significant improvement in airlift.
“Formal employment surpassed pre-pandemic levels in 2022 and is estimated to have continued to grow in 2023, fuelled by the recovery in tourism and higher demand in other services.”
The IMF, however, said recent compounded shocks have left a lasting negative impact on the employment of young men.
“As regards public finances, even though non-interest current spending was significantly reduced, the fiscal deficit is estimated to have widened in 2022-23 largely due to the phasing of port-related spending and temporary factors.
“Public debt declined from its peak in 2021 to about 87 percent of GDP in 2023 but remains well above pre-pandemic levels. The external position improved in 2022-23 supported by recovery in goods exports and tourism receipts,” the IMF said.
St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ public debt, as at September 30 last year, stood at EC$2,444,470,403, (One EC dollar=US$0.37 cents) a 12.8 per cent increase year-on-year, Minister of Finance Camillo Gonsalves told Parliament in January as he presented the EC$1.6 billion EC$1.6 billion Budget for 2024.
Domestic debt was EC$638.5 million or 26 per cent of the total while external debt was EC$1.8 billion or 73.9 per cent. Total debt service for 2024 was estimated at EC$282.9 million or 37 per cent of current revenue.
The IMF said it welcomes the government’s continued commitment to reaching the regional debt target and the medium-term fiscal strategy set out in the 2021 Rapid Credit Facility.
“This includes further strengthening tax administration, continued containment of the growth of wages (as manifested in the prudent public sector wage growth over 2023-25 agreed in the recent round of negotiation) and non-priority current spending, and prioritising capital programmes to balance the needs for a resilient recovery with safeguarding debt sustainability.”
It said that as such, the primary balance is expected to improve to a surplus of about 3¼ per cent of GDP from 2026 once the large-scale projects are near completion.
“This would put the debt-to-GDP ratio on a downward path from 2025 and, if sustained, reach 60 per cent before the regional target date of 2035.”
The IMF said growth is projected at 4.9 per cent in 2024, which implies that economic activity would surpass the level projected for the medium term before the pandemic.
“Near-term growth will be supported by continued recovery in tourism and strong investment on infrastructure, particularly the port project.”
Inflation is projected to ease to around 2 per cent by yearend on account of lower imported inflation.
“Risks to the outlook stem primarily from an abrupt global slowdown, commodity price volatility, potential delays in investment projects, and the ever-present threat of natural disasters and climate change.
“On the upside, stronger-than-expected tourism development and agriculture sector recovery could enhance growth and improve the external position.”
The IMF said that coordinated reforms to the National Insurance Services (NIS) and Public Sector Pension System (PSPS) are needed to improve their efficiency, sustainability, and fairness.
The IMF said it welcomes the recently launched pension reform package to bolster the NIS’ financial sustainability “in view of the rapid population ageing and the still low contributions compared to generous pay-outs.
“Additional measures to ensure NIS’s long-term sustainability and further enhance its efficiency and fairness could be considered, including linking retirement age to life expectancy and applying a uniform accrual rate across years to promote long careers,” the IMF said.
“Reforming the non-contributory PSPS to better align it with the NIS is urgently needed to improve fairness and reduce fiscal costs.”
The IMF further said that building resilience to natural disasters and climate change remains “a priority”.
It said that the government has stepped up efforts to strengthen structural and financial resilience, including by incorporating resilience features into new infrastructure, adopting a Disaster Risk Financing Strategy, tapping Green Climate Fund, and enhancing the disaster management plan and legislation.
“Efforts to transition to renewable energy are ongoing, including the introduction of new solar projects and a new revenue-neutral import tax regime to promote cleaner motor vehicles,” the IMF said.
It said that ongoing work to modernise the Electricity Act and update the National Energy Policy would help provide an enabling environment to support the transition.
Source-CMC