Category: CANA News

The National Insurance Scheme (NIS) is reporting EC$1.03 billion (One EC dollar=US$0.37 cents) in total assets as at the end of December 2024, an increase of 3.5 per cent on the previous figures.

According to the 2024 Statement of Performance report, which provides a comprehensive assessment of the financial and operational performance of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and statutory bodies (SBs), as at December 2024, total assets increased to EC$1.03 billion in 2024, rising from EC$996.9 million in 2023.

‘The expansion was shaped by a 54.2 per cent rise in current assets, supported by a strong rebound in cash and cash equivalents and higher other current assets,’ according to the report which will be laid in the Parliament on Tuesday.

The report noted that in contrast, non-current assets declined by 2.4 per cent due to a reduction in other long-term assets, while net property, plant and equipment grew by 10 per cent.

‘Total liabilities rose by 3.6 per cent to EC$1.02 billion, largely on account of higher current and long-term social security obligations (future benefit payments), which reached EC$960.1 million in 2024. Overall, the entity maintained strong reserves, minimal liabilities, and improved liquidity,’ the report stated.

The NIS also experienced growth in revenue by more than 10 per cent during 2024.

‘The income statement for NIS shows that total revenue grew by 10.1 percent in 2024, shaped largely by stronger contribution inflows following the implementation of major reforms aimed at strengthening the sustainability of the fund.’

Further, gross profit rose in line with this outturn, while operating expenses increased at a similar pace, resulting in an 8.8 per cent improvement in Earnings Before Interest and Taxes (EBIT) from EC$33.3 million to EC$36.2 million.

‘Net profit fell by 21.2 per cent, however, due to a sharp contraction in finance income, which declined from EC$13 million to EC$0.2 million. Overall, the entity maintained strong operating performance despite weaker non-operating income,’ said the report.

Victor was sworn in as Opposition Leader on Monday, after reaching an agreement with the other independent opposition legislator, Anthony Charles, and ending 18 months of a stalemate n the Dominica parliament.

‘Honestly, I feel good. I think it is the continuation from where left off in 2024. I know persons have their concerns, they also have their views, but today myself and Honourable Charles, we had our discussions and today we are seeing the outcome of our discussions,’ Mrs Paul-Victor told reporters. Both Paul-Victor and Charles entered parliament as independent candidates after winning seats in the December 20, 2022 snap general election.

Last year, Prime Ministers Roosevelt Skerrit said that the non-appointment of an opposition leader ‘is not a crisis’ even as he acknowledged that the holder of the post has certain constitutional responsibilities.

In the general election, Skerrit led the ruling Dominica Labour Party (DLP) to a convincing victory winning 19 of the 21 seats following a boycott by the main opposition political parties.

Paul-Victor and Charles had agreed to a power-sharing arrangement in which they would alternate the position between them. But the accord fell through after Paul-Victor resigned in June 2024.

Charles had earlier told the state-owned DBS Radio that he had decided to throw his support behind Paul Victor, who had previously served for two years and that a letter with his signature had been sent to the Office of President, Sylvanie Burton.

‘Jesma and I have decided to solve the constitutional crisis that has been going on for a year. We have solved it,’ Charles told DBS Radio, adding ‘this is not a Jesma and Tony thing.

‘This is for the greater good of Dominica. We have solved it.Let’s not talk unity, but leave unity and improve our country as best as we can. It’s as simple as that. :ets be united and move forward with our country,’ he told DBS Radio.

Paul-Victor, who represents the west coast constituency of Salisbury, told reporters on Monday that she ‘can’t be the leader of the opposition without the support of Mr. Charles and vice versa’.

She said the country is aware of the circumstances that led to the breakdown of the previous arrangement adding ‘we have spoken about this, we have buried the hatchet, we know that things happen in politics and we are moving forward.

‘We have bigger things to deal with, we have issues of the country that we have to address and we have had a vacuum for a very long time ad we believe we had to take a decision to have a leader of the opposition to have a voice in parliament to deal with issues as the Constitution prescribes’.

The co-founder of the legendary reggae band Third World, Stephen ‘Cat’ Coore, died suddenly on Sunday evening, his publicist said in a statement. He was 69 years old and the third member of the band to have died since its formation.

The guitarist was one of the early members of the Third World band along with with keyboardist, Ibo Cooper, pioneering fusion of reggae, soul, funk, pop, and rock that helped shape the reggae-fusion sound and propel Jamaican music onto the global stage. Cooper died from cancer on October 12, 2023 at the age of 71. Both men had received formal training at different music schools run by their aunt and mother respectively in Jamaica.

The band also lost singer Milton ‘Prilly’ Hamilton who died on 17 February 2025. Since its formation, Third World has also lost William ‘Bunny Rugs’ Clarke who died in February 2014 and Irvin ‘Carrot’ Jarette, who passed away on July 31, 2018.

The band achieved international acclaim with enduring classics such as Now That We’ve Found Love, 96 Degrees in the Shade, and Try Jah Love, becoming one of Jamaica’s longest-running and most successful bands.

Coore, who is celebrated for his exceptional musicianship, compositional brilliance, and deep musical knowledge, was awarded the Order of Distinction by the Government of Jamaica in recognition of his outstanding contribution to Jamaican culture and the creative arts.

He leaves behind his wife Lisa, his children, Shiah, Kanna, Stephen, and Ashley, his grandchildren, as well as extended family, bandmates, colleagues, and countless fans across the globe.

The Energy Chamber of Trinidad and Tobago says a revitalised Venezuela oil industry could potentially be one source for providing crude oil if the oil refinery in south Trinidad is re-started.

‘If the refinery does restart, as everyone in the industry hopes, then the refinery operators will have to find new sources of crude to import. A revitalised Venezuela oil industry could potentially be one source,’ the Energy Chamber said.

It said that over the past few years there has been a great deal of discourse in the country about the opportunities to import natural gas from Venezuela to Trinidad for processing into petrochemical or liquified natural gas (LNG) and re-exporting the final products to international markets.

It said that this continues to be a major area of interest and especially with the Dragon gas field.

‘While the current focus is on gas, there was a time in the past when Trinidad and Tobago imported substantial volumes of crude oil from Venezuela primarily as feedstock for the now mothballed Point-a-Pierre refinery.’

The Energy Chamber said that in the year 2000, Trinidad and Tobago imported over 18 million barrels of crude from Venezuela, which at the time represented over half of the country’s imported crude. It said that this is equivalent to just over 50,000 barrels per day roughly equal to the current domestic production of the country.

‘To some, it might be surprising that Trinidad and Tobago imported oil at all. However, this was done mainly to supplement domestic production for the refinery as local output fell. Annually, the country imported around 30 million barrels (over 80,000 barrels per day) of crude from sources around the world, including Venezuela, other parts of Latin America, Canada, Russia, and Africa.’

The Energy Chamber said that the crude oil that was imported from Venezuela did not all go to the refinery for processing and that there were some volumes from Venezuela that were imported, stored and the reexported.

‘There was also Venezuelan crude that was processed at Point-a-Pierre to create lube oils for export. ‘

The Energy Chamber noted that in the early 2000s PDVSA, the state oil company of Venezuela, were actually members of the Energy Chamber, then called the South Trinidad Chamber, regularly attending and speaking at the Trinidad and Tobago Energy Conference.

‘Over time, however, this relationship slipped, as did the imports of crude from Venezuela. The imports eventually stopped in 2009, after which other sources were sought. During the peak years, Venezuelan oil played a critical role in supporting refinery operations, supplying the volumes needed to sustain output.

‘The refinery has a capacity of approximately 175,000 barrels of oil per day. Domestic production from Trinidad and Tobago alone could not meet this demand; therefore, imports were necessary to keep the refinery operational.

‘In 2018, when the refinery closed, domestic production was 63,000 barrels per day. Production continues to slip, however, and domestic production now stands at approximately 53,000 barrels per day,’ the Energy Chamber said.

Following the United States military invasion of Venezuela ear;ier this year, President Donald Trump has indicated that Washington will run the South American country for the foreseeable future.

Venezuela is sitting on a massive 303 billion barrels worth of crude, about a fifth of the world’s global reserves, according to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA).

The Trinidad and Tobago government has already indicayed that it is exploring the possibility of regional and international partners being involved in the re-start of the state-owned oil refinery that was shut down in 2018 when the former government said the cost of upgrading the refinery would have loaded the company with an unsustainable debt burden estimated at TT$12 billion (One TT dollar=US$0.16 cents).

Energy and Energy Industries Minister Dr Roodal Moonilal said the Kamla-Persad Bissessar administration has given serious consideration to the ‘Interim Report of the Refinery Restart Committee’ led by former energy minister Kevin Ramnarine, last month.

Last December, Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar said her government would restart the state-owned Petrotrin oil refinery and that the findings of the committee ‘are clear, restarting the Guaracara Refinery is technically, commercially and financially viable even after seven years of closure and neglect’.

Premier David Burt is in Davos, Switzerland to participate in the five day annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) starting on Tuesday and bringing together, heads of state and government, global business leaders, and innovators to address the world’s most pressing economic and technological challenges. ‘This event offers a global platform to share Bermuda’s story, how a small jurisdiction can become a global leader through innovative regulation. In Davos, we will build on the progress Bermuda has made over the last eight years to announce new partnerships that will deliver continued investment into Bermuda, which will create jobs for the economy of the future,’ Burt said.

A government statement said that while in Davos, Premier Burt will participate in high-level discussions focused on financial inclusion, digital transformation, and the role of emerging technologies in building resilient economies.

It said these engagements will highlight Bermuda’s leadership as a globally respected, regulated hub for digital assets and its commitment to ensuring that technological innovation delivers tangible benefits for Bermudians.

In addition, Premier Burt will hold bilateral meetings with policymakers and leaders in global finance and technology, to advance Bermuda’s strategic objectives in digital finance and innovation.

Afghanistan reached 181 for three in their 20 overs after electing to bat against West Indies in the opening T20I here at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Monday.

AFGHANISTAN 181-3 in 20 overs (Ibrahim Zadran 87 not out, Darwish Rasooli 84).

Guyana says it has strengthened its border defences following recent political developments in neighbouring Venezuela.

Prime Minister retired Brigadier Mark Phillips said security forces, along with regional authorities, have intensified monitoring along the nation’s western border. Speaking on the ‘Starting Point’ podcast Prime Minister Phillips noted that Guyana Defence Force (GDF) troops are permanently deployed along the country’s borders with Venezuela, Suriname, and Brazil.

However, following the political upheaval on January 3, ‘Immediately, we went into a more heightened state of readiness. In fact, I would argue that the troops.were already in a heightened state of readiness’.

Phillips was making reference to the United States invasion of the South American country and seizing its leader Nicolas Maduro and his wife and transporting them to New York where they have since appeared in a Federal Court on drugs related charges.

Washington, which had been denying regime change in Venezuela, has since said it intends to run the country for the foreseeable future.

Guyana and Venezuela have a decades old border dispute with Caracas claiming the Essiquibo region, along the northeastern coast of South America and comprising roughly the western two-thirds of Guyana.

Prime Minister Phillips, addressing the possible ‘spillover effects,’ from the US action in Venezuela, said he travelled to Region One and met with members of the defence board, regional officials, law enforcement, and residents.

He noted that community members were already well informed due to improved internet connectivity in hinterland regions.

Phillip said that while authorities have not observed any unusual activity along the Guyana-Venezuela border, movement across the frontier has remained consistent, which he described as routine activity.

‘We will not fall into any false sense of security,’ he said, adding that the government ‘will continue to observe and ensure that any instability on the other side of the border does not spill over into Guyana’.

Prime Minister Phillips said Guyana’s priority remains safeguarding its territorial integrity and ensuring every citizen living in the border region continues to feel secure.

He also addressed regional responses to the situation in Venezuela, noting that while Caribbean Communityy (CARICOM) member states may express differing positions, each country must ultimately act in accordance with its own national interests.

‘Whatever pronouncements are made by our president, I totally agree with them because they are balanced and it is in keeping with Guyana’s national interests, Prime Minister Phillips said on the podcast.

Defence Minister Wayne Sturge says he remains optimistic that the Senate will give approval to the Law Reform (Zones of Special Operations (ZOSO) legislation that was passed during the early hours of Saturday morning in the House of Assembly.

The Senate meets on Tuesday to debate the measure, and unlike the Lower House, where the government enjoys the necessary two-thirds majority to have ensured its passage, the Kamla Persad-Bissessar administration will need support at least from four independent legislators for the measure to become law.

In the Parliament over the weekend, where the government enjoys a 28-13 majority, the bill passed by 27-11 majority with no abstentions.

Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar said the state of emergency (SoE) which government declared last July and extended three months later will end on January 31. Former prime minister Stuart Young said the country is ‘seeing dangerous developments under the UNC (United National Congress) government. The Zones of Special Operations Bill that they forced through parliament after 3 am on Saturday 17 January 2026 is dangerous and will lock down specific neighbourhoods’.

Young said during the debate that the ‘government stood here in the exact House and Chamber and told the country that the state of emergency is not their crime plan. The evidence and history have proven it to be untrue.

‘It is their crime plan and today we are here to pass legislation that is taking away even the protection that he Constitution provides in a state of emergency and we are giving persons without oversight the ability and the power to just lock down areas in Trinidad and Tobago,’ Young said, adding ‘are we becoming a police state’.

But Sturge, speaking at a news conference held at the headquarters of the United National Congress (UNC) on Sunday, accused the opposition of using race to oppose the legislation.

He dismissed as a false narrative, suggestions that the prime minister, acting on her own, could declare areas of the country controlled by the main opposition People’s National Movement (PNM) as areas ‘to be subject of ZOSOs with the loudly implicit suggestion that zones could be declared to target a particular race.’

He told reporters that the bill allows Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar as chair of the National Security Council, in consultation with the Commissioner of Police (CoP) and the TT Defence Force Chief of Staff, to declare certain areas in the country as ZOSOs for a maximum of 180 days.

Sturge said that sitting members of the National Security Council are Attorney General John Jeremie, Homeland Security Minister Roger Alexander, Works and Infrastructure Minister Jearlean John are of African descent and he, Sturge is ‘a proud black man’.

Sturge said Police Commissioner Allister Guevarro, who provides critical advice to the Council, ‘is a man of African descent and a proud one and an effective one’ and that the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force (TTDF) Chief of Staff and the commanding officers of the Coast Guard, Air Guard and Regiment, are ‘all of African descent.’

He said the upper echelons of the police and the TTDF comprise a large number of people of African descent.

Sturge said the alleged narrative which the PNM is advancing is a hollow one.

‘Black and brown people are the majority in this country. This is not West Virginia, Kentucky, Mississippi,’ Sturge said, noting that the composition of the Security Council ‘should put to rest the divisive narrative that continues to be peddled’.

During the debate, opposition legislator, Keith Scotland said the bill would affect the constitutional rights of freedom of movement, enjoyment of property and the right to due process. Scotland compared the SoE to the zones bill.

‘I wish to caution this House in replacing one extraordinary security measure with another, under a different name but with the same dire consequences.’

But Sturge said it is his hope ‘that going forward, they (PNM) abandon the playing of the race card.

‘Many communities in this country have been left behind because the previous government abdicated its responsibility to the most vulnerable communities,’ Sturge said, adding that the PNM left these communities in this way ‘so that they could be exploited for political gain’.

Sturge said the legislation is not an SoE and does not have the sweeping powers granted to the security forces by an SoE. He said the bill clearly states this is so because the entire nation cannot be declared a zone of special operation.

He said the bill makes provisions for certain areas in the zones to be cordoned off for a maximum of 24 hours and a curfew to be imposed within the cordon for a maximum of 72 hours. The curfew exists only in the area of the zone where the cordon is, and not the entire zone, rejecting claims by some social media bloggers that all people within the cordon and the zone will be subject to arbitrary arrest, search or detention by the authorities.

‘Where cordons and curfews are imposed, operations will be surgical and timely and would target only those persons and premises who are subject to what we call in law ‘reasonable suspicion,’ which is a safeguard.’

Meanwhile, the Trinidad and Tobago Chamber of Industry and Commerce (TTCIC) is calling for communication on the implementation and impact of ZOSOs saying it has noted the government’s intention to deploy ZOSO as part of its security response.

The private sector group says that while crime and public safety remain issues for national stability and economic activity any special security measure should be implemented within defined time frames and as part of a wider strategy that includes social and economic considerations. It said the private sector is focused on how ZOSO measures may affect commercial activity.

According to the Chamber, there is concern about how restrictions connected to ZOSO could affect communities and businesses if the measures are not explained to the public. The organisation said limits on movement, operating hours, or access to specific areas could affect workers, customers, supply chains, and business transactions.

‘Restrictions on movement, operating hours, or access to communities if not clearly communicated and carefully managed may affect workforce mobility, customer access, supply chains, and cash flow, particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises.

‘The TT Chamber therefore underscores the importance of clear protocols, advance notice, and ongoing engagement with affected businesses to minimise disruption, preserve confidence in the operating environment, and ensure that security objectives are achieved without unintended consequences for lawful economic activity.’

It said that communication between authorities and the business community should continue throughout the period of any ZOSO and that such engagement would support economic activity while allowing security objectives to be pursued.

Police Monday launched a week long gun amnesty providing what law enforcement officials say is a final opportunity for individuals to surrender illegal firearms and ammunition ahead of an intensified crack down on crime.

Assistant Commissioner of Police, Luke DeFreitas, said the amnesty will run from January 19 to January 23 in the first instance and then resume on January 26 for three days. ‘Weekends on record are very active periods for the use of illegal weapons in illegal activity and so anyone caught with firearms, the weekend that separates the two periods will not be subjected to the amnesty, DeFreitas said.

The initiative also targets licenced firearm holders, whose licenses have expired.

‘The facility for paying theses licences is closed on Saturday and Sunday, so not to deprive them of these two days we have deliberately skipped them and given them the entire seven days to be able to make these payments.

The police said the amnesty is specific to illegal weapons and ammunition and does not cover weapons seized during police operations. It also does not grant immunity for offences committed with the surrendered weapons.

‘Any firearm surrendered will be subject to ballistic testing and should it be found that it is aligned in any way to the commission of any past offence, persons will be made to answer,’ he said, adding that amnesty is not a ‘cash for gun’ programme.

‘We will not be paying for the surrender of firearms,’ he said, adding ‘we would advise that persons intending to surrender a firearm, make a call to a police station to a police officer or any prominent citizen of their intention to surrender that firearm.

‘It leads to evidence of intent that you genuinely intended to surrender that firearm,’ DeFreitas said, adding that guns to be surrendered should be unloaded with no bullets also in the barrel.

‘It must be secured within some carrier or bag, box or safe, wrapped in a blanket. We encourage persons to take a direct route to the intended point of surrender’

Police Commissioner Verne Garde said that following the amnesty, the police will embark on an operation to rid the island of illegal weapons.

‘I think it is really time that the Royal St. Lucia Police Force puts dowj its feet on some of these more serious matter. You cannot have little boys and girls in St. Lucia doing stupidness and the rest of us cannot live the way we suppose to live,’ he said.

Meanwhile, police are investigating the death of a man who was shot in Micoud, south east of here over the weekend.

Police said that the unidentified man sustained a gunshot wound to the head and that the circumstances surrounding the incident remain unclear.

The following is the CANANews and SPORTS Schedule for Monday, January 19, 2026.

GEORGETOWN -Guyana says it has strengthened its border defences following recent political developments in neighbouring Venezuela.

PORT OF SPAIN – The Energy Chamber of Trinidad and Tobago says a revitalised Venezuela oil industry could potentially be one source for providing crude oil if the oil refinery in south Trinidad is re-started.

ROSEAU – Former opposition leader, Jesma Paul-Victor, has been re-appointed to the position, more than 18 months after Dominica has been without a person in the post.

PORT OF SPAIN – Defence Minister Wayne Sturge says he remains optimistic that the Senate will give approval to the Law Reform (Zones of Special Operations (ZOSO) legislation that was passed during the early hours of Saturday morning in the House of Assembly.

WASHINGTON – The executive board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has approved a disbursement of US$415 million for Jamaica under the Rapid Financing Instrument’s (RFI) large natural disaster window.

WASHINGTON – Caribbean economies have demonstrated notable resilience in the face of global economic headwinds, according to a new report from the Inter-American Development Bank Group (IDB Group).

SPORTS:

DUBAI – Afghanistan elected to bat after winning the toss against West Indies in the opening T2oI here on Monday at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.