Category: CANA News

St Lucia Kings reached 155 for eight in 20 overs after electing to bat against the St Kitts and Nevis Patriots in the fifth match of the Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League at the Daren Sammy National Stadium here on Wednesday.

ST LUCIA KINGS 155-8 in 20 overs (Jewel Andrew 58, Kamil Pooran 54, Charith Asalanka 14; Jason Holder 3-20, Saurabh Netravalkar 3-32).

The Barbados-based Caribbean Export Development Agency (Caribbean Export) Wednesday launched its flagship investment platform with a senior Barbados government minister underscoring the importance of foreign direct investment into the region.

Senior Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Christopher Sinckler, said that the Caribbean Investment Forum (CIF 2026) to be held here, October 5-7, has over the past five years built a strong and credible space for investors and for those entrepreneurs who take the time, the effort and spend the resources to innovate and bring good project ideas to the fore.

He said that from its inception in Trinidad and Tobago, through the rapid growth in the Bahamas and Guyana and to the expansive presentation in Montego Bay, Jamaica last year, the CIF ‘has really now firmly established itself as the region’s premier investment forum, bringing ideas to capital and intent to investments’. Caribbean Export said that the event to be held under the theme ‘Invest. Innovate. Accelerate’ is unlike traditional investment conferences and is designed as an investment facilitation platform that moves beyond dialogue to action by connecting investors directly with prepared projects, regional decision-makers and strategic financing partners.

Caribbean Export chairperson Dr. Lynette Holder, describes the CIF as an important milestone in strengthening the Caribbean’s investment ecosystem.

‘The Caribbean possesses tremendous opportunity, innovation and resilience. CIF 2026 represents our collective commitment to transforming opportunity into investment and partnerships that deliver sustainable economic growth across our region,’ Holder said.

Sinckler said that the CIF represents an opportunity for making a ‘clear proposition to global capital that the region is not only open for business but ready to surge returns on investments while intensifying transformative developments for all of the countries.

‘Our reality in the Caribbean is that we are often viewed as just a collection of small vulnerable markets sitting on the peripheries of the global economies waiting for some small slice of global development to pass our way.

‘The truth is that nothing could be further from the truth. Our region, ladies and gentlemen, is a stable, connected and increasingly innovative geopolitical and economic space that offers commercially sound opportunities in global priorities such as food security, clean energy, digital solutions, climate resilience and modern logistics.’

Sinckler told the launch that the Caribbean must present such an environment today and always given that investors are savvy who naturally prioritise returns on their investment.

‘We know that too. But they are also pressing for clarity, transparency on whether economies are sound and their political environments within which they operate are stable. They seek predictable policies, speedy approvals of projects from inception to execution, adequately skilled and flexible labour forces and the scaling of businesses beyond a simple national market.

‘These are key areas of interest to investors. Our responsibility, therefore, is to ensure that these characteristics which define our national and regional business space are known and marketed to those who are looking for solid investment opportunities.’

He said that a recent United Nations Trade and Development (UNCTAD) report showed that global capital, that is foreign direct investment, rose by six per cent to US$1.6 trillion last year.

However, flows to developing countries, including in the region, only grew by two per cent.

‘So this shows that capital is moving, but selectively to jurisdictions that are prepared, credible, and able to execute,’ Sinckler said, noting that he spent at least two years working with the Inter American Developmen Bank (IDB) in establishing a project preparation coordination mechanism to do exactly that for the Caribbean.

He said that there’s work to be done to secure a larger proportion of foreign direct investment and local investment as well,’ he said, adding that the Caribbean possess a number of advantages.

‘Established democracies, respect for the rule of law, well-educated citizenry, for a more strategic geographic …allows us to maintain deep ties with Europe, the Americas, and even now building stronger links with Africa and the wider global South.

‘But in order to fully cash in, as it were…we must be prepared to position ourselves at the cutting edge of knowledge, information, technology, and institutional flexibility. Deepening our knowledge of what investors want, how markets work is going to be essential to repositioning ourselves to pray open investment books nationally, regionally, and globally as well.

‘It means that our planning and policy making in both public and private sectors must be punctilious, must be increasingly evidence-based, data-driven, and empirical to the core. If we cannot empirically say what is happening, why it is happening, and more importantly, how to make something happen, we will always fall short of the promise and compromise on our expectation.’

Sinckler said that this means that the region must not only acquire the latest and best technologies, including artifical intelligence (AI) ‘but we must be prepared to train our human resources across the region to mobilise and use that technology to drive innovation, expedite implementation, and increase inclusivity in policy making and planning’

He warned that it is unlikely that these interventions will materialise if countries in the region as a whole, institutional flexibility does not become a core part of how they do business and how they engage people.

He suggested that rigid institutional systems in the region may very well be one of the most constraining features of the investment grid across the region, adding ‘I think we all know that many of our countries, Barbados included to some extent, have been tackling this issue of, quote-unquote, the ease of doing business for decades now with varying levels of success’.

But he lamented despite the successes notwithstanding, national laws, institutional architectures, and operational procedures across the region in public and private sectors, ‘are still too rigid and lacking flexibility.

‘Whether it is in customs procedure and port facilitation, tax policy, transportation, banking, and access to finance…increasingly, as we have seen, some labour market rigidities or lack of flexibilities relative to accessing certain skills across the region, we continue to, use another bad cliche, shoot ourselves in the foot.

‘And so, we cannot leverage our natural and our policy-created advantages if we fail to harness and unleash the hidden capacity and variety to which many this morning have mentioned and which you know exist in this region.’

Sinckler said that enough emphasis cannot be placed on the Caribbean regional market as a market for consumption and investment that can grow our economies and position the region to be world competitors.

‘Our investment proposition must include not only what can be built in the Caribbean, but the assets that Caribbean people can use to build things for the world, whether tangible or intangible, as we all can be not just consumers, but producers as well.

‘This region is not a series of disconnected jurisdictions, but one investment space, one in which capital, skills, goods and services are more relatively effectively a space in which we can create partnerships using platforms such as the Caribbean Investment Forum, as we have seen.’

He said Barbados is ready not because ‘we say we are ready..(but) because we have done the heavy lifting, and continue to do the heavy lifting in the past few years on rebuilding the foundations of our economy, and on which investment depends.

‘We have restored economic stability. We have strengthened our institutions. We have modernised our legislation and continue to do so. We are modernising infrastructure, including fast tracking, cutting edge digital technology, and technological investments that will allow us to become data sovereign, while accelerating the capacity for moving capital, goods, services, and information, as well as ideas, to more efficient and effective ways.’

Caribbean Export said that the launch signals the beginning of an ambitious international campaign designed to position the Caribbean as a competitive destination for sustainable investment while strengthening collaboration between governments, investors, development finance institutions and the private sector.

It will bring together international investors, policymakers, entrepreneurs, project developers, financial institutions and strategic partners to explore investment-ready opportunities across four transformational sectors, namely technology and digital transformation, logistics and transportation, agribusiness and food security as well as the green economy transition.

‘This forum is about bringing together the right people, the right projects and the right capital. We want investors to leave Barbados with qualified opportunities, meaningful partnerships and a clear pathway towards investment,’ said Caribbean Export’s executive director Dr. Damie Sinanan.

Trinidad and Tobago was rocked by a strong earthquake with a magnitude of 5.1 on Wednesday, the Seismic Research centre (SRC) of the St. Augustine campus of the University of the West Indies (UWI) has reported.

There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage.

The SRC said that the quake, which occurred at 4.14 am (local time) was located Latitude: 10.67N, Longitude: 62.53W at a depth of 75 kilometers (km).

It was felt 113 km west of the capital Port of Spain, as well as 77 km east of Carúpano and 124 km north east of Maturín in Venezuela, the South American country where the death toll from the powerful twin earthquakes that struck in late June has risen to 6,301.

The wait is finally over. Caribbean Premier League cricket is back in Jamaica, and Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport Minister, Olivia Grange, is rolling out the red carpet for fans, regional neighbours, and international visitors alike as the Jamaica Kingsmen prepare to make their home debut at the iconic Sabina Park.

The Kingsmen will host four blockbuster night matches this month, beginning Tuesday, August 11 against the Barbados Tridents, followed by clashes with the Guyana Amazon Warriors (August 13), Trinbago Knight Riders (August 15), and St Kitts and Nevis Patriots (August 18).

All matches are set for 7:00 p.m. starts under the Sabina Park lights.

‘We are back, and we are in it to win it,’ declared Minister Grange, whose passion for the game was unmistakable.

‘The spirit of ‘We Are Tallawah’ remains strong in the hearts of Jamaican cricket fans. That same passion, pride, and fighting spirit now continues with the Jamaica Kingsmen.’

The return of a Jamaican franchise to the CPL represents more than just cricket.

Minister Grange hailed the public-private partnership that made it possible, involving her Ministry, the Ministry of Tourism, the Caribbean Premier League, and Kingsmen Sports Enterprise.

The arrangement, she noted, is designed to maximise value for Jamaica through tourism promotion, youth development, women’s cricket advancement, and the global showcasing of Brand Jamaica, all while keeping additional costs to the public purse to a minimum.

‘This partnership allows us to advance grassroots cricket for our boys and girls, support the development of women’s cricket, and highlight the best of Jamaican culture and entertainment on an international stage,’ Minister Grange explained. ‘Come for the cricket. Stay for the culture.’

With an unmistakable sense of pride, the Minister extended a warm welcome to the diaspora and regional visitors, encouraging them to take advantage of specially curated travel packages available through Visit Jamaica.

‘There is no better place in the region to watch, feel, and celebrate T20 cricket than right here in Kingston,’ she proclaimed. ‘When you come to Sabina Park you will not only see world-class cricket, you will experience Jamaica: our music, our food, our energy, and our people.’

Minister Grange issued a rallying cry to fans across the island and beyond, urging them to pack Sabina Park and demonstrate the unique atmosphere that only Jamaican supporters can deliver.

‘Let us fill Sabina Park. Let us show the region and the world the unique atmosphere that only Jamaica can provide,’ she said. ‘We Are Tallawah, and now we rise with the Kingsmen.’

Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha has held talks with representatives of the Private Sector Commission (PSC) to discuss developments in Guyana’s poultry industry after the authorities agreed to the temporary importation of approximately 330,000 pounds of chicken per week

During the meeting Mustapha outlined a number of measures being implemented by the government to maintain stability in the poultry market and ensure that consumers continue to have reliable access to chicken at reasonable and stable prices.

He said that the government, in collaboration with stakeholders in the poultry industry, is closely monitoring production, supply and market demand to ensure that any temporary supply gaps are addressed in a timely manner.

A statement issued following the meeting on Monday, said that as part of this approach, arrangements have been put in place to facilitate the temporary importation of approximately 330,000 pounds of chicken per week.

It said that the imports will complement local production and help to maintain adequate supplies on the domestic market while local production continues to strengthen.

Mustapha said that the measure is a ‘temporary and carefully’ managed intervention, designed to safeguard consumers while at the same time protecting and supporting Guyana’s local poultry producers.

The New Guyana Marketing Corporation (New GMC) is facilitating the importation process, with the chicken to be distributed through local distributors and suppliers across the country. Mustapha said that the process will remain subject to monitoring and oversight to ensure that the intervention achieves its intended purpose and that the market remains stable.

He also highlighted government’s commitment to strengthening the poultry industry over the long term, adding that attention is being given to expanding storage and cold-storage capacity within the sector.

Mustapha said increased storage capacity would provide producers with greater flexibility to manage production and market supply. During periods when production is high, poultry could be properly stored and subsequently released onto the market when demand increases, helping to create greater predictability and stability for both producers and consumers.

He said the government’s approach is focused on maintaining a strong, resilient and sustainable poultry industry, while ensuring that consumers have access to an adequate supply of affordable chicken.

Mustapha said that the government will continue to work closely with poultry producers, importers, distributors and other private-sector stakeholders to monitor the market and respond where necessary.

‘The objective is to ensure that there is a reliable supply of chicken for consumers while creating the conditions for our local poultry industry to continue expanding and becoming more resilient,’ Mustapha said.

The statement said that the engagement with the PSC forms part of the government’s ongoing consultations with the private sector as it works to strengthen Guyana’s agricultural value chains, improve market stability and ensure food security.

‘Government remains committed to supporting local production while taking the necessary measures to ensure that consumers are protected and that the poultry industry continues to grow in a stable and sustainable manner,’ the statement added.

The Montserrat government says it has advanced efforts at strengthening relationships with Martinique and Guadeloupe in a number of areas that can directly impact the development of of the British Overseas Territory.

A statement from the Office of the Premier said that Premier Reuben Meade had led a delegation to the French islands and that the visit provided the delegation with an opportunity to engage with key ministerial and government officials, and stakeholders in the health, business, construction and agricultural sectors.

It said the government views these relationships as opportunities to expand Montserrat’s access to expertise, markets, training, technology and specialised services.

‘The delegation explored the establishment of and resuscitation of a Memorandum of Agreement to facilitate services for the referral of patients requiring emergency medical care to Martinique and Guadeloupe respectively. Such Agreements would also seek to provide additional options for specialised care when required,’ the statement said.

It said that the discussions also examined opportunities for training to include the exchange of medical professionals, telemedicine, oncology services, adding ‘these discussions represent an important step towards broadening the range of medical services and emergency care options available to the residents of Montserrat.

The delegation also met with representatives of the Chamber of Commerce in Guadeloupe, where discussions focused on building commercial networks and creating possible opportunities for Montserrat businesses.

They also explored opportunities for grants and support for entrepreneurs, start-ups and small businesses, with the objective of identifying additional avenues of assistance for local business development.

The discussions also explored hydroponics, sustainable farming methods to include the manufacture of fertiliser. The objective being, to support farmers in adopting more sustainable and efficient agricultural practices, while increasing local food production and resilience the statement said.

‘The government of Montserrat will continue to work with its partners in Guadeloupe and Martinique to advance the areas identified during the mission and to convert discussions into tangible programmes and opportunities for the people of Montserrat,’ the statement added.

The Barbados-based Development Bank (CDB) Tuesday said it is financing a US$27.1 million initiative to scale up hydrometeorological services and multi-hazard early warning systems in Belize and Trinidad and Tobago.

The CDB said that the initiative is being funded through its partnership with the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and is intended to strengthen the ability of the two Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries to anticipate, prepare for and respond to climate-related hazards and extreme weather events.

The project is being financed primarily through a US$24.1 million grant, approved by the GCF with the CDB also providing US$1.2 million in grant financing while US1.88 million in counterpart funding will come from the governments of Belize and Trinidad and Tobago.

The project will be implemented by the Caribbean Meteorological Organisation (CMO), the region’s specialised institution for meteorology and climate services, in partnership with national meteorological and disaster management agencies in the beneficiary countries.

The CDB said that the initiative will strengthen the countries’ capacity to detect, monitor, analyse, forecast and communicate information on weather, water and climate-related hazards.

It will also support improvements in disaster risk management, climate information services, institutional capacity, and the delivery of timely warnings to vulnerable communities, helping to reduce loss and damage from increasingly frequent and severe climate-related events.

Belize and Trinidad and Tobago, like many other Caribbean countries, continue to face growing threats from climate change, including hurricanes, flooding, droughts, heatwaves and sea-level rise. Strengthened early warning systems are recognised as one of the most critical and cost-effective tools for protecting lives, livelihoods, infrastructure and critical economic sectors.

Director of CDB’s Projects Department, L. O’Reilly Lewis, said the intervention reflects a shared commitment by CDB and GCF to building resilience in vulnerable Caribbean countries.

‘This investment, made possible through the Green Climate Fund’s support, represents a critical step in strengthening climate resilience in Belize and Trinidad and Tobago.

‘As climate-related hazards become more frequent and severe, robust early warning systems are essential to protecting communities, safeguarding key economic sectors and preserving development gains.

‘The project advances CDB’s strategic focus on accelerating climate action, strengthening institutions and building social and environmental resilience, while creating a model that can inform similar investments across the Caribbean,’ Lewis said.

The project is aligned with CDB’s Strategic Objectives 2026-2035, particularly its emphasis on Social and Environmental Resilience, Strengthening Institutions, and Accelerating Climate Action. It also supports the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 11, Sustainable Cities and Communities, and SDG 13, Climate Action.

The Jamaica Kingsmen won the toss and elected to bowl first vs the Barbados Tridents in the fourth match of the 2026 Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL) here on Tuesday.

TEAMS:

Barbados Tridents XI: Chris Green (c), Quinton de Kock, Brandon King, Sherfane Rutherford, Gudakesh Motie, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Rivaldo Clarke, Johann Layne, Kevlon Anderson, Ramon Simmonds, Daniel Samms.

Jamaica Kingsmen XI: Shayan Jahangir (wk), Reeza Hendricks, Kirk McKenzie, Keacy Carty, Rovman Powell (capt), Andre Russell, Hassan Khan, Keemo Paul, Hunain Shah, Vitel Lawes, Jediah Blades

Umpires: Christopher Wright, Gregory Brathwaite

TV Umpire: Zahid Bassarath

Reserve Umpire: Carl Tuckett

Match Referee: Reon King

The Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) says it will introduce the inaugural Caribbean Tourism Research Forum as part of this year’s State of the Tourism Industry Conference (SOTIC) to be held in Guyana in October.

SOTIC will be held under the theme ‘Tourism Futures: Smart, Sustainable, and Inclusive’.

CTO said that the three-hour forum will take place on October 6 creating a dedicated platform to advance research, innovation and evidence-based decision-making across the region’s tourism sector.

Designed as an accessible and engaging research exchange rather than a conventional academic conference, the forum will bring together academics, researchers, tourism practitioners, destination representatives, development partners, students and other interested delegates to share recent findings and explore practical solutions to the Caribbean’s most pressing tourism challenges.

‘The Caribbean Tourism Research Forum reflects CTO’s commitment to ensuring that the future of Caribbean tourism is informed by credible research, regional collaboration and practical application,’ said Aliyyah Shakeer, CTO’s director of research.

‘By creating stronger connections between researchers, policymakers and industry leaders, we can better equip our destinations to make informed decisions that support a smarter, more sustainable and more inclusive tourism industry.’

The CTO said that the programme will feature two research showcase sessions, the first being ‘Emerging Research from Caribbean Universities,’ which will highlight recent or ongoing work from universities and research institutions, while the second ‘Research in Practice: Applied and Destination Insights,’ will focus on studies addressing specific policy, planning, market or destination-management challenges.

It said presentations may examine topics including visitor behavior and changing travel patterns, tourism demand and forecasting, sustainable and regenerative tourism, climate resilience, community-based tourism, workforce development, artificial intelligence and digital transformation, destination competitiveness, market intelligence, economic impact and product development.

The CTO said that the forum aims to raise the visibility of tourism research conducted across the Caribbean, demonstrate how applied research addresses real destination and industry challenges, and identify opportunities for collaboration among universities, tourism organizations, governments, development partners and the private sector. It reinforces the importance of evidence-based tourism planning and decision-making.

The CANAWAIMA Management Company (CMC) JV Tuesday said that it has been in discussions with its Surinamese counterparts regarding the services being provided by the CANAWAIMA Ferry Service (CFS).

In a statement issued by the Ministry of Public Works, it said that it had taken note of media reports emanating out of Suriname ‘suggesting that the Maritime Administration of Suriname (MAS) has given notice to the CANAWAIMA Management Company Suriname, that specific action needs to be taken as it relates to the CANAWAIMA Ferry’

But it said that ‘over the last several days, the Guyana side of the Joint Venture has been engaging their Surinamese counterparts’ and that ‘we anticipate out of those engagements, a resolution to this matter’.

According to the media reports, MAS in an August 7, 2026 letter, has given CMC JV a final opportunity to remedy the remaining deficiencies on board the ferry and that the letter follows earlier correspondence dated 26 July 2026, in which the company was instructed to send a plan of action regarding the inspection report of the ferry to the MAS within one week of receipt.

On August 5, 2026, the MAS conducted another inspection on board and during this this re-inspection, it is reported to have found that a majority of the previously identified deficiencies had not yet been remedied.

The MAS has therefore given the company a final opportunity to submit a plan of action, which must contain a clear timetable for rectifying the identified deficiencies, carrying out the necessary major repairs, and the planned drydocking of the vessel.

In addition, the maritime authority has determined that various safety matters must be in order by August 13 at the latest. If the required measures have not been implemented by then, the MV CANAWAIMA will be subject to a sailing ban effective from August 14, 2026

But in its its statement, CMC JV said that ‘Guyana commits itself to the letter and spirit of the Joint Venture signed between Guyana and Suriname, and is committed to ensuring a safe transport link by way of an efficient and seaworthy ferry.

‘Please be advised, that based upon the Joint Venture agreement, Guyana supplies ALL fuels, lubricants and batteries to facilitate the daily operation of the ferry while Suriname takes care of the maintenance and dry docking of the vessel,’it added.