Category: CANA News

President of Cricket West Indies (CWI), Dr Kishore Shallow has announced that he will not seek a third term in office when his term comes to an end.

In a statement streamed on CWI’s social media platforms on Sunday, Shallow, who was recently elected as a Member of Parliament and named Minister of Tourism and Maritime Affairs in St Vincent and the Grenadines, said while he will continue in his role at CWI, he will not seek re-election in 2028.

The 41-year-old Shallow took over leadership at CWI from Ricky Skerritt in 2023 and was re-elected unopposed in May of this year.

‘.I know that some of you may be concerned about my recent appointment to Cabinet and what it may mean for my continued service as president of CWI. Let me be up front and transparent with you as I’ve always been.

‘Admittedly, I have thought long and hard about this. My conviction is that the work ahead requires steady leadership and a commitment to completing the reforms already set in motion. It is for this reason that I will conclude my current term, but with the intention not to seek re-election,’ Shallow said in the pre-recorded statement.

In giving his reasons for not stepping down, Shallow said he wanted to complete the reforms which were needed to improve the state of West Indies cricket both on and off the field.

He said most of those reforms had already begun and he was committed to seeing out their completion during his tenure.

‘When I first accepted the responsibility of serving at CWI I did so with a clear objective; to help restore the integrity of the organisation and advance meaningfully governance reform. Our aim has always been to create a stronger foundation that can ultimately support improved performances on the cricket field.

‘While the journey has not been without its challenges, and we have not achieved every goal, we have made significant and measurable progress,’ Shallow maintained.

‘.My conviction is that the work ahead requires steady leadership and a commitment to completing the reforms already set in motion.’

The Organization of American States (OAS) Electoral Observation Mission (EOM) has issued key findings and recommendations aimed at strengthening St. Lucia’s electoral system.

Led by former Guyanese ambassador Dr. Riyad Insanally, the Mission reported that the December 1 polls were generally orderly and peaceful but noted several administrative challenges, largely due to the 21-day window between the issuance of Writs of Election and voting day.

The EOM found that while the Electoral Department maintained a state of readiness, its operational plan lacked clear deadlines for critical tasks such as delivering materials, assigning credentials, and training staff. It recommended adopting a full electoral calendar with defined timelines, improving data-sharing with the Civil Status Registry to keep the voters list up to date, and increasing voting booths-particularly for security forces during Advance Poll-to reduce wait times.

To ease congestion on Election Day, the Mission urged standardized procedures for checking voter credentials, installing multiple booths per station, and creating secure training environments for election officials. It also called for greater promotion of the Voter Record Search tool and the establishment of staffed information kiosks at polling places.

On legal matters, the EOM highlighted the absence of statutory deadlines for deciding election petitions and recommended introducing clear timelines. It also suggested expanding the Electoral Commission, developing a legal framework for registering political parties, and simplifying the symbol-allocation process.

The Mission repeated long-standing calls for a regulatory framework on political financing and stronger cooperation among oversight bodies. It further stressed that women remain underrepresented as candidates and urged measures such as party-level parity rules, gender quotas, financial support, and expanded leadership training to promote women’s political participation.

The police have intensified the search for two men who escaped from His Majesty’s Prison.

The escape of inmates Jose Almestica and John Burgos in October, from the Balsam Ghut facility has already led to intensified operations and tighter security checks at ports of entry and other strategic locations.

The police say they have also been examining CCTV and other footage as part of a territory-wide effort to track the fugitives.

Interim Acting Commissioner of Police Richard Ullger, in his first public message since his recent arrival here, assured residents that the force is using strengthened tactics to locate and detain the men.

‘At this time, the force is also doing everything we can do to search for, locate and apprehend the two escapees from His Majesty’s Prison,’ he stated. ‘This remains an urgent priority for us and we are adopting new measures and strengthened tactics to ensure they are returned to where they belong,’ he added.

Ullger said officers and staff are working extensively with digital evidence in their investigations.

‘Every investigation now carries a digital footprint, our officers and staff are working tirelessly seizing and retrieving electronic devices, analysing CCTV, body-worn footage and much more, to ensure that justice is served and that offenders are held to account,’ he explained.

He urged residents to support the ongoing efforts by sending any useful information directly to the intelligence unit.

The police chief said visible patrols have also been stepped up following the recent armed robbery at Tortola Pier Park.

He added that public safety remains the greatest concern as officers continue to respond to major incidents across the territory.

‘We have increased patrols at the Pier Park and throughout the wider Road Town District to help reassure the public’s concerns and provide a visible security presence,’ he said.

Ullger praised officers for their work during what he described as a demanding and complex time in policing.

He said he has already seen their commitment since arriving in the territory. ‘In the short time I’ve been here, I have already witnessed the dedication, commitment, and courage displayed by our officers and staff,’ he noted.

He closed by pledging continued transparency and community partnership. ‘Today, I want to assure the community that I, together with the command team, will do everything we can to deliver a service that is professional, transparent, and worthy of your trust,’ he stated.

The police are continuing to investigate the murder of well known Kenyan born artist Mazola Wa Mwashighadi who was killed in the southern parish of St Elizabeth last week.

Mazola Wa Mwashighadi

The 61 year old made artist Jamaica his home decades ago and was well known and respected in the Treasure Beach area of St Elizabeth especially among hoteliers and other tourism interests.

He was one of two persons attacked during a recent a robbery.

According to police reports, explosions were heard and when he was rushed to hospital, Mwashighadwas pronounced dead.

The other victim, who is also a foreign national, remains hospitalised in serious but stable condition.

In reacting to the murder, Treasure Beach hotelier Jason Henzell expressed alarm and shock, stating that Mwashighadi was an active member of the tourism community and had plans for a gallery.

The visual arts community has also been plunged into mourning.

West Indies reached 457 for six in their second innings to draw the opening Test against New Zealand here at Hagley Oval on Saturday.

NEW ZEALAND 231 and 466-8 dec’d.

WEST INDIES 167 and 457-6 in 163.3 overs (Justin Greaves 202 not out, Shai Hope 140, Kemar Roach 58 not out, John Campbell 15; Jacob Duffy 3-122).

The Royal Ethiopian Trust has made a donation of US $5,000 to support the country’s Hurricane Melissa recovery efforts. The disclosure was made by Culture Minister, Olivia Grange at a press briefing here earlier this week.

Grange read a letter from the grandson of His Imperial Majesty, Emperor Haile Selassie, Prince Ermias Sahle-Selassie.

In a letter addressed to Prime Minister Dr. Andrew Holness, Prince Selassie says he has reached out to his friends worldwide to donate to the restoration programme in Jamaica.

Meanwhile, the Government will be allocating funds to churches to aid in clean up activities post Hurricane Melissa.

Local Government Minister Desmond Mckenzie mentioned the support, while stating that details of the allocation will be revealed at a later date.

He was speaking at the launch of the National Cleanup Programme in Westmoreland earlier this week.

The National Cleanup Programme targets the 16 most affected constituencies, beginning with those in the western parish Westmoreland.

Each constituency will employ about 200 workers.

The Government has allocated j$10 million to each constituency for the programme.

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar says her government will restart the state-owned Petrotrin oil refinery that had been shut down by the Keith Rowley administration in 2018 because of outstanding debts totalling billions of dollars.

‘My government will restart the refinery,’ she said in a statement posted on X, after indicating that she had received the ‘Interim Report of the Refinery Restart Committee’, led by former energy minister Kevin Ramnarine, earlier this week. She said that the ‘findings are clear: restarting the Guaracara Refinery is technically, commercially and financially viable even after seven years of closure and neglect’.

According to the prime minister, the ‘Committee confirms -Newer GOP plants remain in good condition, Time is of the essence as further deterioration could make a restart uneconomic, The ULSD plant is critical to capturing strong regional demand’.

She said that a ‘restart will create major jobs, contractor opportunities, foreign exchange, and revitalise fenceline communities. Trinidad and Tobago can once again become a leading regional supplier of refined products.

I have directed the Ministry of Energy to evaluate the Report and present the best restart options for Cabinet consideration.

‘The Guaracara Refinery is a national asset with enormous potential for economic growth, employment, and energy security. A final feasibility and restart recommendation will be submitted early in 2026,’ she added.

In March this year, the Rowley administration said that it had accepted the recommendation of an evaluation committee that recommended Oando PLC, one of Africa’s largest integrated energy solutions providers, as the preferred bidder for the lease of the Guaracara refinery.

The government said that the was based mainly on Oando’s strong financial track record, particularly its US$1.5 billion acquisition of ConocoPhillips’ assets in Nigeria.

The evaluation committee noted that Oando and the CRO Consortium-comprising three Trinidadian companies and INCA Energy, an American company-had similar capabilities in operating refineries. Still, Oando’s ability to secure substantial financing in the upstream oil sector gave it an advantage.

Trinidad Petroleum Holdings Limited (TPHL) owns Guaracara Refining Company Ltd, which operates the country’s only petroleum refinery. It also owns the Paria Fuel Trading Company subsidiary, which imports refined petroleum products and stores and distributes them domestically.

The government said then that in itys discussions with the evaluation committee that ‘we have to protect the assets of Paria also always to ensure that we can provide domestic fuel to our population and to make sure that anybody interested in restarting the refinery doesn’t just take Paria’s assets.’

A statement from the Office of the Prime Minister on Friday, said that the submission of the interim report is in keeping with the Committee’s Terms of Reference (TOR) which mandates the submission of the Interim Report within four (4) months of its effective start date of Committee deliberations.

‘The Committee held eleven (11) meetings, reviewed numerous documents on the refinery’s operations and financials pre closure, its preservation post closure, received presentations from experts, developed models for cost and economic evaluations and conducted visits to the refinery at Pointe-à-Pierre to inspect the conditions of these assets.’

According to the statement, the Committee was tasked with, inter alia, reviewing the technical assessment and readiness of the Refinery, as well as its infrastructure and utilities and developing a plan for its restart within the earliest timeframe.

‘The Interim Report examines the technical commercial feasibility, estimated capital requirements and human resource demands of a possible approach to the restart of the Guaracara Refinery. The Prime Minister considers the health and safety framework of paramount importance as any restart must meet rigorous health and safety protocols to ensure the protection of human life, environment and assets.

‘The Interim Report notes that despite its closure seven years ago, the restart of the Refinery is technically, commercially and financially viable given the current market demands for refined products and crude availability. The closure of the Refinery for seven years has led to degradation of the units and supporting utilities and offsites.

‘However, the Committee concluded that the newer plants which were part of the Gasoline Optimization Programme (GOP) were in relatively good condition. The Committee also concluded that time was of the essence as further deterioration of the units and supporting utilities would eventually render a restart un-economic. ‘

The statement said that the report recommends four phases to the restart process based on favorable economics, ease of repairs, availability of resources and availability of capital expenditure.

‘The report also identifies the significance of remedial works on the new Ultra Low Sulphur Diesel (ULSD) plant which has not been commissioned, but which is important to Refinery economics given the regional and extra-regional demand for ULSD and the move to increasingly stringent sulphur specifications in refined products.

‘The report notes that restarting the Refinery will create significant direct and indirect jobs and local-contractor opportunities and generate foreign exchange, thereby stimulating the national economy with benefits for the fenceline communities that once supported the Refinery’s operations. A reactivation will also reposition Trinidad and Tobago as a major regional supplier of refined products as well as strengthen regional energy security and resilience.

‘The Committee noted that in the year of closure 2018, the refinery was making an operating profit,’ the report added.

When the refinery was closed in 2018, the then finance minister Colm Imbert 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) of which TT$5.780 billion is due in August 2019.

‘While the company continued to incur persistent losses, the gasoline optimisation programme saw its cost rise from TT$2.45 billion in 2005 to TT$12.6 billion when it was completed in 2013, the cost of the unfinished gas-to-liquids plant rose from TT$1.55 billion to TT$3.15 billion and that the cost of the ultra-low sulphur diesel complex rose from TT$791 million to $2.89 billion ‘

He said while the project is 98 per cent mechanically completed, it cannot be operated because the structural specifications were not followed, meaning that the foundation is faulty and cannot be used. It would take TT$2.5 billion to rectify the defects, Imbert added.

Opposition Senator Professor Floyd Morris has called on the government and key stakeholders to ensure that persons with disabilities are not left behind in the national recovery effort. Morris warned that in past disasters, the disabled community has often been overlooked and said this moment presents a critical opportunity to correct that pattern.

He stressed that disability inclusion is not charity, but a fundamental human right.

He also urged lawmakers to push for lasting policy changes and challenged corporate Jamaica to demonstrate that inclusion is being built into the country’s post-hurricane recovery in a real and meaningful way.

‘It can be done and it must be done if we are talking about rebuilding an accessible Jamaica for all. The schools that are required to be reconstructed must be built with accessible features for children with disabilities. The health facilities that are going to be reconstructed must be built with accessible features for persons with disabilities. Those houses that will be built, whether they are container homes or concrete homes, must make accessible provisions for persons with disabilities. It cannot be that we are going to be reconstructing our society and continue the isolation and exclusion of persons with disabilities,’ he said.

Morris, who is visually impaired, Alison called on the Jamaica Public Service to ensure careful placement of light posts during the restoration process.

‘I am looking forward to JPSCo when they are installing their light poles across this country, they must stop installing it in the middle of the sidewalk that impede and restrict wheelchair access and cause all sorts of problems for blind persons across this country. They need to take those light poles to the edges of private property, where it borders private property and government road, not in the middle of sidewalks.’

Morris was speaking at the recent International Day for Persons with Disabilities 2025 public forum.

Two visiting cruise passengers were robbed in separate assaults along Seven Mile Beach in broad daylight earlier this week.

According to a press release issued Friday evening , on Wednesday afternoon two masked men approached the visitor and forcefully removed a gold coloured chain from around his neck.

The report added that a woman who came to help was assaulted by the robbers. They pushed her to the ground, causing minor injuries to her leg, but she did not require medical help.

Police officers conducted a search but did not find the suspects.

Shortly afterwards, the police received a report of a second mugging at an undisclosed resort also on Seven Mile Beach.

It’s reported that a female cruise ship visitor told police she had been approached by a man who was behaving aggressively.

He stole her wallet and phone, but she was not injured.

Both robbery incidents are being investigated by the police,

The Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association (GGDMA) has issued a renewed call for miners nationwide to ramp up gold declarations to meet the 2025 national production targets. In a statement on Saturday, the association stressed that the mining sector’s sustainability depends on transparency, compliance, and a firm rejection of illicit trading channels.

The GGDMA reminded miners that gold must only be sold to the Guyana Gold Board (GGB) or authorised buyers.

These authorised buyers include dealers licensed by the GGB and licensed traders approved by the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC).

According to the association, miners must avoid unregulated ‘roving traders’ or illegal landings, where illegal gold buyers operate without documentation.

The GGDMA warned that such operations are often tied to smuggling networks, which rob the state of taxes and royalties and contribute to wider criminal activities.

Miners are also being urged to keep records of all their transactions, including receipts, to protect their interests and ensure their contributions to the national economy are correctly recorded.

The association further advised miners to verify the legitimacy of gold buyers before selling. Lists of approved dealers and traders are available on the GGB and GGMC websites.

Additionally, the GGDMA reminded miners that it is illegal to pay workers with gold, or what is commonly known as the ‘Blai box’. Gold sales must only be completed through authorised buyers or the Gold Board.

The association urged genuine small and medium-scale miners to dissociate themselves from rogue elements and criminals who disguise illegal mining and smuggling under the label of small-scale operations.

It noted that since the current administration has reinstated several incentives beneficial to the mining industry, miners must play their part by ensuring full declarations.

The GGDMA affirmed its support for the Government’s ongoing efforts to increase gold production and declarations while cracking down on smuggling and illegal mining operations.