Category: CANA News

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) Wednesday said that Grenada’s economy continues to navigate elevated global uncertainties effectively in the aftermath of Hurricane Beryl, the category four storm that hit the island on July 1, 2024.

‘Economic activity remains robust, with strong investment and construction more than offsetting a moderation in tourism inflows,’ the IMF executive board said following the 2025 Article IV consultation with Grenada, endoring the earlier staff appraisal.

The IMF said Grenada’s economy has proven resilient in the aftermath of Hurricane Beryl, despite elevated global uncertainties. Growth in 2025 is estimated to have accelerated to 4.4 per cent, driven by strong investment and construction activity. Inflation has continued to moderate, reflecting easing global food and fuel prices. The fiscal position remains comfortable notwithstanding a temporary suspension of fiscal rules and an estimated 2025 primary deficit of 3.2 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP).

According to the Washington-based financial institution, major public infrastructure projects will sustain buoyant construction over the medium-term, extending the gradual moderation in overall growth toward its long-term potential.

The executive board said current low inflation is expected to gradually normalise by 2028. ‘Grenada’s external position in 2024 is assessed as weaker than the level implied by medium-term fundamentals and desirable policies and the large current account deficit will remain elevated over the medium-term until construction import pressures subside. ‘Notwithstanding near-term fiscal deficit deficits amid reconstruction and other priority spending, the underlying fiscal position remains sound.’

The executive board said the downside risks to the outlook persist amid heightened global economic and geopolitical uncertainties.

It said these stem from Grenada’s high vulnerability to natural disasters and reliance on tourism and imports, even as moderate shocks to key tourism source countries or global commodity and shipping prices are assessed to have only modest impact.

Risks could be amplified by disruptions to the Citizenship by Investment Programme (CBI) and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflows, materialisation of risks in the domestic non-bank financial system or delays, or cost overruns in large investment projects. Faster-than-expected expansion in tourism capacity represents a key upside risk.

The IMF said a robust disaster resilience framework and government deposits provide important buffers against shocks.

‘The temporary suspension of the primary balance rule provided fiscal space for post-disaster reconstruction without disrupting other priority spending. Returning to the fiscal rules in 2027 is important to safeguard fiscal discipline and keep debt on a sustainable path. Continued expenditure prudence alongside revenue-enhancing measures would help preserve budget space for development priority investments.’

The IMF said that the perimeter of the primary balance rule could be better aligned with the general government debt anchor.

‘Capturing government off-budget and public on-lending-financed investments would help ensure the rule effectively restrains debt-creating spending. In the interim, such investments should be included in central government budget planning and adhere to equivalent reporting and auditing standards.

‘Recent progress in strengthening SOE (state owned enterprises) and statutory body oversight should continue with a view to eventually integrating these into the Medium-Term Fiscal Framework.’

The IMF executive board said that while the ambitious public investment projects address important development needs, the associated fiscal risks require careful management.

‘This includes continuing recent strengthening of project management to minimize delays or cost overruns, and a careful assessment of future operating and maintenance costs to avoid unfunded liabilities.

‘Plans to catalyse private investment, including around Project Polaris, underscore the need to operationalize the PPP framework. Strengthening management of CBI resources, continuing improvements to MTFF projections and clearing the backlog of audited government statements remain also important.’

The IMF said that accelerating system-wide credit growth and non-bank vulnerabilities call for careful monitoring. It said higher bank lending reflects a still-nascent reversal from long-subdued credit conditions, supported by ample liquidity and relatively strong asset quality in the region.

‘While credit unions show some encouraging asset quality improvements, ensuring loan loss provisions are sufficient and stepping up forbearance monitoring remain critical to safeguard against risks. Enhancing monitoring of reinsurance conditions and local market pricing in the general insurance sector remains important,’ the IMF said, encouraging the authorities to maintain recent momentum in strengthening the anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) framework.

The Washington-based financial institution said limited potential growth impact from Grenada’s FDI-driven tourism expansion highlights the need to strengthen the domestic foundations of growth.

It said this includes more closely coordinated efforts to facilitate local investment and business development, enhancing locally offered tourism services and intersectoral linkages, reducing goods trade frictions, and strengthening the economy’s human capital and productivity underpinnings.

‘Infrastructure project decisions should continue to pay close attention to disaster resilience in alignment with the updated National Adaptation plan.

Improving quality of economic data and institutional capacity is critical to support informed policymaking. Data deficiencies contribute to uncertainty in policy analysis and economic forecasts.

‘These include common gaps in the region in balance of payments coverage, monitoring of large investment projects, outdated CPI weights, and missing GDP expenditure data.

‘Capacity constraints from persistent staffing shortages and turnover warrant prioritized attention in alignment with the ongoing public sector functional review and staff regularization process,’ the IMF executive board added.

Scoreboard of the second T20I between West Indies and Afghanistan here at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Wednesday.

AFGHANISTAN

+Rahmanullah Gurbaz c Pierre b Joseph 1

Ibrahim Zadran b Forde 22

Sediqullah Atal c Sampson b Forde 53

Darwish Rasooli c Athanaze b Simmonds 68

Azmatullah Omarzai not out 26

Mohammad Nabi not out 7

Extras (b1, lb6, w5) 12

TOTAL (four wickets; 20 overs) 189

Did not bat: Gulbadin Naib, *Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmad, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fazalhaq Farooqi.

Fall of wickets: 1-9, 2-37, 3-152, 4-155.

Bowling: Forde 4-0-25-2, Joseph 4-0-35-1, Simmonds 4-0-39-1, Pierre 4-0-29-0, Motie 4-0-54-0.

WEST INDIES

*Brandon King c Rasooli b Ur Rahman 50

Alick Athanaze run out 8

Evin Lewis lbw b Ur Rahman 13

+Johnson Charles b Ur Rahman 0

Shimron Hetmyer c Zadran b Farooqi 46

Quentin Sampson b Ur Rahman 2

Matthew Forde c Nabi b Khan 6

Gudakesh Motie not out 9

Khary Pierre c Rasooli b Omarzai 11

Shamar Joseph c Khan b Omarzai 0

Ramon Simmonds c Zadran b Farooqi 1

Extras (lb1, w3) 4

TOTAL (all out; 18.5 overs) 150

Fall of wickets: 1-9, 2-38, 3-38, 4-106, 5-122, 6-123, 7-129, 8-143, 9-143, 10-150.

Bowling: Farooqi 3.5-0-28-2, Ur Rahman 4-0-21-4, Omarzai 3-0-20-2, Khan 4-0-19-1, Ahmad 2-0-32-0, Nabi 1-0-14-0, Naib 1-0-15-0.

Toss: West Indies elected to field first.

Result: Afghanistan won by 39 runs to lead the three-match series 2-0.

Player-of-the-Match: Mujeeb Ur Rahman.

Umpires: Ahmad Shah Pakteen, Muhammad Sabir.

TV Umpire: Izatullah Safi.

Reserve Umpire: Akbar Ali.

Match Referee: Hamimullah Hamid.

The leader of the main opposition We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) party, Azruddin Mohamed, says he looks forward to being elected opposition leader after the Speaker, Manzoor Nadir, said a meeting will be held on Monday next week to decide on the matter.

‘I will be even more excited and even more happy to push to represent the people,’ Mohamed said, after Nadir in a broadcast on the state-owned and government controlled National Communications Network (NCN) on Tuesday night, also took a swipe at sections of the diplomatic community that had been public in their calls for the election of an opposition leader. ‘I intended to convene the meeting for the election of the leader of the opposition, regardless of how that vote would go. If opposition members of parliament feel it morally right to elect an international fugitive, then the stain on our parliament and our country rests solely with them.

‘I have every intention of continuing my tenure as Speaker to honour and uphold the Constitution of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, without fear or favour, affection or ill-will. Also, I have an obligation to preserve the dignity of the House’, Nadir said in announcing that the meeting will be held at 10.00 am (local time)on the same day that the government presents the national budget to Parliament.

He described as absurd the statements made by the diplomats from the United States, Canada, European Union, and the United Kingdom in calling for the election of the opposition speaker following the September 1 regional and general election last year that saw the return of the ruling People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) to office.

‘Our 13th Parliament from the time it was convened on November 3rd, has been functioning. In excess of 90 questions and five motions have been received by the Clerk, analysed, processed and decisions communicated to Opposition members.

‘Among the comments made by some members of the diplomatic community include the election of the leader of the opposition in a speedy manner. To the US Ambassador I ask, who is the Leader of the Opposition in your country. Does the absence of an opposition leader interfere with your country’s democratic process?

‘To my dear friend, Sebastian (Sigouin) from the Canadian High Commission, your great great democracy took six months to produce a budget last year, and your country has the unique distinction of having a person who was never elected to Parliament serve as a Prime Minister. A person imposed on the citizens of Canada by the former Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau. ‘We acknowledge with gratitude, much appreciation, the work of the Diplomatic community, historically for the support of democracy in our country,’ Nadir said.

Nadir has so far not called the constitutionally required meeting of opposition legislators to elect the opposition leader amid speculation that he has been instructed by the Irfaan Ali government not to do so because Mohamed, the front runner for the position is facing extradition to the United States on fraud and other related charges.

President Ali has denied the accusation and Attorney General Anil Nandlall is on record as saying that electing Mohamed as opposition leader would tarnish the country’s image.

WIN is the party with the second highest number of seats in the Parliament with 16, surpassing the coalition A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) that had commanded the position in the last parliament.

Earlier this week, the leader of the minority opposition, Forward Guyana Movement (FGM), Amanza Walton-Desir, has threatened to boycott next Monday’s 2026 national budget presentation to Parliament if an opposition leader is not selected by that time.

On Tuesday, Mohamed, who failed in his quest to have a meeting with Nadit, told reporters that he wanted the government to know ‘we won’t take this lightly.If we have to arrange peaceful protests, we’ll hit the streets next’.

In his address themed as ‘Address to the Nation,’ Nadir said he has been bombarded with ‘vile aspersions’ which he said were hurled at him by Mohamed, whom he described as ‘an international fugitive offender’.

‘I have found myself in this difficult position to hold the election of the leader of the opposition when I know that the presumptive Leader of the Opposition to be elected as an international fugitive’

Nadir was also critical of the daily Stabroek News newspaper for its reporting on the issue and repeatedly stated that he is not a fugitive and has never been sanctioned as he described as ‘nasty’, the statements that have been thrown in his direction by Mohamed and the WIN party.

He also used the broadcast to deny claims of corruption.

Mohamed said that Nadir bowed to local and international pressure in recent weeks for the country’s democracy to benefit from that constitutional office.

‘International pressure – the international community spoke, the people of the country were upset, even their (PPP/C ) own supporters and then today (Tuesday) I mentioned that we won’t take it lightly,’ he said.

Mohamed said that since the Speaker’s announcement, he has been inundated with congratulatory messages after a ‘long, journey, a long fight’.

The WIN Leader maintained that whatever he had said recently about Nadir were facts and do not reflect on the desired independence of his office as Speaker of the 65-seat National Assembly.

APNU parliamentary leader, Dr Terrence Campbell, had said on Tuesday that he filed a High Court action for the scrapping of the Teaching Service Commission because President Ali’s appointment of that body was done without consulting the opposition leader.

Afghanistan defeated West Indies by 39 runs in the second T20I here at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Wednesday.

Scores

AFGHANISTAN 189-4 in 20 overs (Darwish Rasooli 68, Sediqullah Atal 53, Azmatullah Omarzai 26 not out, Ibrahim Zadran 22; Matthew Forde 2-25).

WEST INDIES 151 in 18 overs (Brandon King 50, Shimron Hetmyer 46, Evin Lewis 13, Khary Pierre 11; Mujeeb Ur Rahman 4-21, Azmatullah Omarzai 2-20, Fazalhaq Farooqi 2-28).

The following is the CANANews and SPORTS Schedule for Wednesday, January 21, 2026.

WASHINGTON – The International Monetary Fund (IMF) Wednesday said that Grenada’s economy continues to navigate elevated global uncertainties effectively in the aftermath of Hurricane Beryl, the category four storm that hit the island on July 1, 2024.

KINGSTOWN – Prime Minister Dr. Godwin Friday has described as ‘very fruitful’ discussions he had with the Carbbean Community (CARICOM) chairman and St. Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister, Dr. Terrance Drew on Tuesday.

HAMILTON -The Bermuda government says any future relationship with the 15-member regional integration grouping, CARICOM, will be carefully structured to preserve the island’s fundamental characteristics.

GEORGETOWN – The leader of the main opposition We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) party, Azruddin Mohamed, says he looks forward to being elected opposition leader after the Speaker, Manzoor Nadir, said a meeting will be held on Monday next week to decide on the matter.

PORT OF SPAIN -The state-owned National Gas Company (NGC) has defended its decision to increase natural gas prices by more than 75 per cent, saying ‘at present the proposed price of gas for the contract year 2026 is non-negotiable’.

SPORTS:

DUBAI – West Indies elected to field after winning the toss against Afghanistan in the second T2oI here at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Wednesday.

The Bermuda government says any future relationship with the 15-member regional integration grouping, CARICOM, will be carefully structured to preserve the island’s fundamental characteristics.

Home Affairs Minister, Alexa Lightbourne, said that administrative visa processing changes do not diminish the standing, dignity, or value of countries.

She said language suggesting that such changes ‘downgrade’ countries and their citizens is neither diplomatically appropriate nor reflective of the mutual respect that should characterize regional discourse.

Her statement comes in response to concerns about United States immigration restrictions affecting various Caribbean countries.

Earlier this week, the shadow minister of home affairs, Michael Fahy urged that Bermuda adopt a cautious approach with regards to gaining full membership of CARICOM after the United States limited immigration from almost every Caribbean Community country except Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana and Suriname.

‘The question is not whether regional co-operation has value,’ said Fahy, adding that the question ‘is whether full membership in a bloc whose members have just been collectively downgraded by our most important economic partner serves Bermuda’s best interests at this time’.

In November 2023, the David Burt government announced that it was moving ahead with plans to join CARICOM, following approval from the United Kingdom to do so.

But in July last year, Fahy called for a referendum to be held before Bermuda seeks full membership of CARICOM and that he was seeking to determine the date on which a Green Paper would be published regarding full CARICOM membership for Bermuda.

In his latest statement on the CARICOM issue, Fahy said that while the recent announcement by Washington does not stop citizens of the 75 listed countries, including the Caribbean, from visiting the US, it reflected a ‘clear downgrading of their favourability status in the eyes in the US Government’.

‘Whether you agree with or oppose the policy of the administration of the US president is beside the point. The reality is that this shift has occurred and Bermuda must now carefully and pragmatically assess its implications.’

Fahy said that good standing with the US greatly impacted Bermuda’s business and financial markets, as well as tourism and aviation to the island, adding that the relationship meant approaching CARICOM membership with ‘extreme caution’ and lending ‘thorough scrutiny’ to any decision involving it.

He said that the US is one of Bermuda’s most important economic partners – and that joining the network as a full member during a time of international tension could risk the relationship.

But in her statement, Lightbourne said that Bermuda’s British Overseas Territory (OT) status, constitution and legal system, robust financial services regulatory framework, tax structure, and established bilateral relationships would remain.

‘The suggestion that regional cooperation would compromise these foundational elements misunderstands how Bermuda would approach any such arrangement,’ she said, adding ‘this government and our ministry remain committed to thorough public consultation and transparent decision-making regarding CARICOM’.

Lightbourne said that this includes assessment of economic implications, stakeholder engagement, and ensuring Bermudians have access to accurate, complete information about what any regional relationship would and would not entail.

She said the government’s first commitment is to protecting Bermuda’s economic interests and international reputation.

‘Regional cooperation represents an opportunity, not a risk. Bermuda’s prosperity has always depended on strategic engagement with the wider world, not isolation from it.

‘The Ministry of Home Affairs will continue to approach this matter with the careful consideration it deserves, grounded in evidence rather than speculation, and focused on Bermuda’s long-term strategic interests,’ Lightbourne added.

Police say they have arrested a 25-year-old man, whom they have described as a ‘suspected serial rapist’ following a strong of sexual offences across multiple parishes between 2023 and this year.

A police statement said that detectives assigned to the Counter-Terrorism and Organised Crime Investigation Branch (C-TOC) have arrested and charged Ackiel Davis of the northeast coast town of Portland with rape, grievous sexual assault, use of a computer for malicious communication and production of child pornography.

They said the most recent charges stem from an incident involving a 16-year-old girl and that following intensive investigations, Davis was taken into custody last Wednesday, and subsequently placed on an Identification Parade on Tuesday, where he was identified and subsequently charged.

Police said that their investigations reveal that Davis obtained explicit images and videos of females, including minors, and used these materials to blackmail them. He reportedly threatened to leak the content on social media unless the victims complied with his sexual demands. In the current case, it is alleged that the complainant submitted out of fear, during which time the suspect recorded sexual acts.

C-TOC has confirmed that Davis is a repeat offender currently before the courts for similar crimes committed between 2023 and 2024 involving four other complainants. At the time of his latest arrest, Davis was out on bail.

He is scheduled to appear in court on February 10, to answer to the previous matters, while a date is being finalised for the new charges.

‘Davis exploited the digital space to target and terrorise vulnerable individuals, including minors, through a calculated pattern of blackmail and sexual violence,’ said Superintendent of Police, Victor Barrett.

‘The fact that these offences were committed while the accused was already on bail for similar crimes is a blatant disregard for the safety of our citizens,’ said Barrett.

Aaliyah Alleyne played a starring role with both bat and ball to carry Barbados Women into the final of the T20 Blaze with a resounding 22-run victory over defending champs Guyana Women here on Wednesday.

Playing in a must-win game, the captain led from the front in an unbeaten knock of 38 off 36 balls, which rescued her side from the precarious position of 32 for four and got them up to 92 for eight from their 20 overs.

Alleyne then returned to grab two wickets as Guyana were bundled out for 70 in 19.4 overs.

With the win, Barbados secured a second-place finish in the standings to qualify for the final against Leeward Islands Women on Friday and ensure a new champion will be crowned in this year’s tournament.

Barbados endured a horrible start to their innings, losing Eboni Brathwaite for four, Trishan Holder for two and Naijanni Cumberbatch for eight, to slump to 18 for three.

But even as wickets continuously fell around her, Alleyne remained steadfast in a disciplined knock that contained two boundaries and held the innings together.

She formed crucial partnerships with Shakera Selman, who made 10, and then shared an unbroken stand of 18 with number nine batter Shanika Bruce, who ended on seven not out.

Kaysia Schultz sliced through Barbados’ middle order to finish with 4-13 from her four overs.

Needing to score at just over four and a half runs an over, Guyana began their chase in the worst possible fashion with Naijanni Cumberbatch dismissing openers Sheneta Grimmond and Realeanna Grimmond for ducks with just one run on the board.

Things then went from bad to worse when Shemaine Campbelle was caught behind for just one four runs later.

Shabika Gajnabi and Mandy Mangru shared a brief 23-run partnership, but once Alleyne trapped the latter lbw for 11 Guyana’s innings capitulated.

Gajnabi tried her best to hold the innings together in a brave, unbeaten 41 off 44 balls, inclusive of two fours and one six, but she received little support from the other batters, with none reaching double digits.

For Barbados, Theanny Herbert-Mayers took 3-16, Alleyne grabbed 2-11, Cumberbatch finished with 2-16 and Keila Elliott 2-21.

Suriname says it does not want its economic future to depend solely on oil revenues, but regards sustainable tourism as a strategic pillar for the development of the Dutch-speaking Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country.

‘Our country may be small, with approximately 600,000 inhabitants, but we have an exceptional amount to offer,’ Vice President, Gregory Rusland, told a panel discussion at the World Tourism Forum here.

He told the panel that sustainable tourism is an important alternative for the period when offshore oil revenues will decline and that Suriname is open to anyone who wants to invest in the tourism sector.

He said Suriname is one of the three carbon-negative countries in the world and that the country is open to international cooperation and investments in tourism that respects nature, culture, and local communities.

‘Even in Africa, you don’t see some cultures like we do anymore,’ Russia said, as he presented Suriname to the international audience as a unique and authentic country with 93 per cent pristine rainforest, indigenous and tribal communities that have preserved their cultures, and a society in which a synagogue and a mosque exist peacefully side by side.

He said to maintain this unique position, Suriname does not favour mass tourism, but would focus on higher-quality tourism, where visitors are willing to pay more for an authentic experience, tranquility, nature, and ecotourism.

‘It is important that Suriname does not lose its current status,’ he said, with the panel widely in agreement that sustainable tourism is a shared responsibility of governments, entrepreneurs, travelers, and local communities.

Rusland said that sustainable tourism is often wrongly perceived as expensive, while it actually creates value when travelers also give back to the places they visit.

‘The Surinamese government is committed to supporting everything necessary to further develop sustainable tourism,’ Rusland said.

St. Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Dr. Godwin Friday has described as ‘very fruitful, the discussions he had with the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) chairman and St. Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister, Dr. Terrance Drew on Tuesday.

The talks were also attended by CARICOM Secretary General, Dr. Carla Barnett and other officials.

Prime Minister Drew said that while he would not go into the details, the meeting discussed matters of health, trade, business, the movement of people, and, among other things, geopolitics.