Category: CANA News

Chief Justice Ivor Archie Tuesday announced that he would retire as head of the judiciary on Wednesday, a few weeks after first hinting at the decision to do so.

In a three paragraph statement in which he reminded the country that during his address to the opening of the 2025-26 Law Term in September, he had indicated ‘that my departure from the Judiciary was imminent’, Archie said that the time had come.

Justice Ivor Archie (File Photo)

‘I wish to advise that that time has arrived and today I indicated to the Acting President that I will retire on October 22 2025.

‘Trinidad and Tobago has been good to me and I hope that I have been equally good to my country. It has been an honour to serve. I wish my successor every success in the period ahead. May God guide his or her path as this new endeavour is commenced,’ Archie wrote.

Last month, Archie, the country’s longest-serving Chief Justice after more than 17 years at the helm of the Judiciary, did not reveal the exact date that he would demit office, but indicated that he would not be around when the new law erm is observed once again next year.

‘I have decided to retire, not resign, at a time of my own choosing and not to wait until I reach the age of 70. There will always be unfinished business no matter when I leave, but I have decided to retire during this term, so this will be my last speech,’ he told the opening of the law term.

He said he chose the occasion to publicly announce his decision so he can assist in ensuring the smooth transition of his eventual successor, once that person is selected.

Under Section 102 of the Constitution, the Chief Justice is selected by the President after consultations with the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition.

‘The office of Chief Justice is not private property or something you own or cling to; it is a sacred baton held in trust for one’s successors and the nation. I am but a single runner in a never-ending relay, and the baton must be passed at some time,’ Archie said last month.

In his address he had thanked his judicial colleagues for their support lamenting over the inability of the Judicial and Legal Service Commission’s (JLSC), which he chairs, to properly manage a small minority of colleagues who commit minor transgressions, such as delayed judgments or inappropriate media engagement with the media.

”Short of impeachment, the Chief Justice and the JLSC have no means of sanction other than to write or have a conversation in the hope that mature reflection would bring about behavioural change,’ he said.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is warning of a resurgence of cholera in the Quest Department of Haiti, as it reports on the impact of ongoing gang warfare in the French-speaking Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country.

OCHA, the UN aid coordination office, said that the resurgence had been occurring over the past month and that health authorities have reported new cases in the commune of Pétion-Ville, following 11 weeks with no cases showing up.

Cholera cases in Haiti

It said that in just a single week between October 5 and 11, there were 139 suspected cases recorded, including more than 20 laboratory-confirmed. Five deaths were also reported.

Pétion-Ville, as well as parts of the capital Port-au-Prince, including the commune of Cité-Soleil, remain on red alert, amid concerns over cholera spreading at sites hosting internally displaced,’ OCHA added.

It said that Haiti’s Ministry of Health, with support from the UN-backed Pan American Health Organization (WHO) and humanitarian partners, has stepped up disinfection campaigns, community awareness activities, and the distribution of chlorine, safe water and hygiene kits in the areas that are most impacted.

OCHA said that war in several countries such as in Sudan, Kyrgyzstan and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are also affecting the health sectors in those countries.

The Canadian fertilizer company, Nutrien, regarded as the world’s top potash producer Tuesday announced that it has started a controlled shutdown of its Trinidad nitrogen operations at the Point Lisas facility, .

In a statement, the company said that the shutdown would become effective from Thursday this week.

Nutrient facility in Trinidad (File Photo)

It cited cited port access restrictions imposed by Trinidad and Tobago’s National Energy Corporation (NEC) and a lack of reliable, economic natural gas supply, which has reduced the free cash flow for the operations over time.

Nutrien said it will continue discussions with stakeholders and assess options for its other operations in Trinidad.

It produces roughly 85,000 tonnes of ammonia and 55,000 tonnes of urea per month through its operations in Trinidad and Tobago and the company said it expects to remain within its 2025 annual nitrogen sales outlook of 10.7 million to 11.2 million tonnes, supported by strong performance at its North American operations.

Nutrien Ltd. is a global provider of crop inputs and services.

The Director General of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), Dr. Didacus Jules, says the St Lucia based sub-regional grouping stands in full solidarity with Grenada and its people as the member state ‘navigates imponderable currents.

”We recognize the enormous pressures brought to bear on small states that strive to chart their own course in a turbulent world. And we affirm the right of every Caribbean nation to determine its destiny, free from coercion, free from fear, and faithful to its own conscience,’ Jules said, while delivering the keynote address at the official National Heroes Day celebration which was held on Monday, 24 hours later due to the inclement weather.

Dr. Didacus Jules addressing the National Heroes Day ceremony in Grenada on Monday night (CMC Photo)

Grenada is currently reviewing a request from the United States to temporarily install radar at the Maurice Bishop International Airport (MBIA) and the deployment of US military assets on or near Grenada.

A group comprising lawyers, educators, trade unionists and religious leaders calling itself the Coalition for a Zone of Peace has called on the government to say no to the request with former Senate president Chester Humphrey saying he is prepared to lead a peaceful protest and that the US request is a precursor to a possible invasion of Venezuela.

The Donald Trump administration has been building up a military presence off the coast of the South American country allegedly as part of its fight against the illegal shipment of drugs to the United States. Washington has confirmed that it has bombed several vessels, killing all but two people, in recent times as it puts its policy into action.

The highlight of the National Heroes Day celebration was a ceremony to turn the sod for establishing a Hero’s Park at the site of the former Riviera Hotel which is located alongside the Camerhogne Park in Grand Anse within close proximity to the Grand Anse beach.

‘And so, today, as Grenada honours her heroes and reclaims her legacy, she does so against a backdrop of mounting geopolitical pressure. Once again, the powerful seek to use the small as pawns in their great game of global dominance,’ Jules told the ceremony.

Reiterating that the Caribbean has long declared itself a Zone of Peace or a region that chooses dialogue over domination, cooperation over confrontation, the OECS Director General drew attention to a recent statement made by th former Jamaica prime minister PJ Patterson who described recent US drone attacks on vessels in the Caribbean waters as ‘fundamentally dangerous’ and a retreat from the longstanding declaration of the Caribbean as a Zone of Peace.

‘This is not naivety; it is wisdom born of hard experience. We have seen how great powers use small lands for proxy wars, and how the lives of ordinary people are left shattered in their wake,’ Jules said while giving his own opinion on the statement of Patterson.

‘At times like these, it becomes even more vital that we do not allow our internal differences – political, social, or ideological – to fracture the unity that our ancestors forged through struggle,’ he added.

Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell (CMC Photo)

Jules told the ceremony that the heroes whom Grenada are honouring did not fight for one faction or another and that they fought for the soul of Grenada, for the right of every Grenadian to stand tall in dignity.

‘We must ensure that the scars of the past do not become the wounds of the present. Our task is to transform pain into purpose, memory into motivation, history into hope,’ he said.

Though 2025 has been three years since declaring October 19 as National Heroes Day, the government is yet to name any person as a national hero.

However, the celebration has been centered on the life and work of the country’s first left wing leader, Maurice Bishop, who led his New Jewel Movement (NJM) in overthrowing the government of then prime minister Sir Eric Gairy, in the first coup in the English-speaking Caribbean on March 13, 1979.

But the People’s Revolutionary Government’s (PRG) rule ended in 1983 following a palace coup in which Bishop and several members of the administration were executed by a faction of his own government, leading to the a subsequent United States military invasion of the island.

In his address to the ceremony, Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell said as the country looks towards the future ‘let us do so, remembering that it is strength that is needed to heal.

‘That it is strength that is needed to forgive and it is strength that is needed to reconclie and it is that reconciliation that will give us the strength and reason to move forward together.’

He said on this occasion, Grenada must not only reflect on the history that led to the National Heroes Day, ‘but we should acknowledge how far we have come.

‘We should acknowledge and take pride that as a people we have come from a tradition of overcoming.our history has taught us that in spite of adversity we have an instinct to survive and bounce back bigger and better,’ he added.

‘So as our democracy matures we will continue to learn lessons from our past and we confront the reality of the present, we will continue to emphasis cooperation, dialogue, partnership, reconciliation and above all, the pursuit of peace must guide our relations with ourselves and the rest of the world.’

Section 16 of Grenada’s 2007 National Honours and Awards Act provides for establishing a Commission to be known as the Prestige Order of National Hero Commission.

The functions of the Commission are to make such investigations as it thinks fit to determine persons living or dead, upon whom may be conferred the Prestige Order of National Hero; and issue a report to the Prime Minister the result of those investigations.

The legislation says that the national hero title can be awarded to any person who was born in Grenada or who at the time of his or her death was a citizen of Grenada and gave outstanding service to Grenada.

Bangladesh won the toss and elected to bat against West Indies in the second One Day International here at the Shere Bangla National Stadium on Tuesday.

West Indies have made two changes with debutant Ackeem Auguste and Akeal Hosein replacing Jayden Seales and Romario Shepherd, while Bangladesh has made one change with Nasum Ahmed in for Taskin Ahmed.

WEST INDIES: Shai Hope (captain), Brandon King, Alick Athanaze, Keacy Carty, Sherfane Rutherford, Justin Greaves, Roston Chase, Ackeem Auguste, Gudakesh Motie, Khary Pierre, Akeal Hosein.

BANGLADESH: Mehidy Hasan Miraz (captain), Soumya Sarkar, Saif Hassan, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Towhid Hridoy, Mahidul Islam Ankon, Nurul Hasan, Rishad Hossain, Nasum Ahmed, Tanvir Islam, Mustafizur Rahman.

Umpires: Chris Gaffaney, Tanvir Ahmed.

TV Umpire: Jayaraman Madanagopal.

Reserve Umpire: Gazi Sohel.

Match Referee: Dean Cosker.

The following is the CANANews and SPORTS Schedule for Tuesday, october 21, 2025.

ST. GEORGE’S – The Director General of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), Dr. Didacus Jules, says the St Lucia based sub regional grouping stands in full solidarity with Grenada and its people as the member state ‘navigates imponderable currents.

PORT OF SPAIN – Trinidad and Tobago’s Prime Minister, Kamla Persad Bissessar, says she is not concerned if regional countries decide to withdraw their support for Port of Spain as it seeks a position on the United Nations Security Council for the period 2027-28.

BELMOPAN – The Belize government says it is extending the Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME)tax to the end of this year, urging those businesses to to take advantage of the opportunity to clear outstanding business tax penalties and interest.

PARAMARIBO – Rescue teams are continuing the search for four Guyanese nationals, now feared dead, after a fishing boat sank in the Saramacca River near Lareco last on Saturday evening.

UNITED NATIONS – The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is warning of a resurgence of cholera in the Quest Department of Haiti, as it reports on the impact of ongoing gang warfare in the French-speaking Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country.

SPORTS:

MIRPUR – West Indies require 214 runs to beat Bangladesh in the second One Day International here at the Shere Bangla National Stadium on Tuesday.

Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell says the construction of a National Heroes and Heritage Park is the beginning of an important journey for a place that will become a lasting symbol of national identity in Grenada.

‘This park will stand as a lasting symbol of our national identity, paying tribute to those who came before us-and those who sacrificed so much to shape the Grenada we know today,’ Mitchell told the official sod turning ceremony for the park on Monday evening.

He said it will be a place of reflection, relaxation, and education for Grenadians and visitors alike.

‘More than that, it will serve as a signpost of remembrance, offering strength and courage to inspire future generations,’ he told the audience to the event that was held on Monday, instead of a day earlier due to the inclement weather.

The Park which will be located in close proximity to Camerhogne Park, Grand Anse will also house a commercial plaza and Mitchell said that the moment is especially poignant as October 19, a date that resonates deeply in the hearts of Grenadians both at home and abroad.

‘Forty-two years ago, on this very day, Grenada experienced one of the most tragic and defining events in its history. For those who lived through the events of October 1983, the memories remain vivid-etched into the very soul of our nation,’ he said.

‘It was a day when the promise of genuine independence was shattered. The pledge to build ‘not just a society, but a just society’ was left unfulfilled. The vision of a new dawn was eclipsed by clouds of fear and uncertainty. And the Grenadian psyche was bruised, bearing wounds that ran deep,’ said the Prime Minister.

‘But today, as we honour those who came before us, we also look forward-with hope, with purpose, and with unity. We recommit ourselves to building a future that reflects the values of justice, dignity, and resilience. A future where our children can thrive, our elders are respected, and our communities are empowered,’ he added.

‘On this National Heroes Day, we not only reflect on the tragedy of October 1983, but we celebrate how far we have come. We take pride in the fact that as a people we have come from a tradition of overcoming.

‘ Our Grenadian spirit knows all too well how to use courage to stifle doubt, faith to counter fear and wisdom to inspire hope,’ he said while pointing out that Grenada’s history has taught us that despite adversity, we have an instinct to survive and bounce back.

‘As our democracy matures, we will continue to learn lessons from the past as we confront the realities of the present: cooperation, dialogue, partnerships, reconciliation and peace must guide our relations with ourselves and with the rest of the world,’ Mitchell told the ceremony.

The Energy Chamber of Trinidad and Tobago is maintaining that while cross-border gas creates an exciting value proposition in the short term, it needs to be done at the same time as creating a better fiscal environment for improving future domestic production.

The Energy Chamber said future investments are critically needed at this juncture in Trinidad and Tobago, noting that ‘production is still falling, and growth of production is unlikely to materialize in the short term, so the impetus must be to stabilize domestic production’.

It said that the challenge in Trinidad and Tobago is that the country is a mature oil and gas producer and does not offer attractive propositions when it comes to investment.

‘Other countries with more exciting and attractive subsurface potential are seeing increased inflows of capital. Often, these new energy jurisdictions also offer more competitive fiscal and commercial terms, which makes it easier to attract investments.’

The Energy Chamber acknowledges that the energy sector is a major contributor to the government’s taxation revenue stream and that over time, the sector’s contribution as a percentage of the total has been falling due to declining production and volatility in international pricing.

It said nevertheless, the sector is the highest taxed sector in the local economy and that operations of upstream companies result in over 30 different taxes, levies, and fees.

The chamber said that the ones that are unique to the sector are the Petroleum Profit Tax (PPT), Supplemental Petroleum Tax (SPT), and Royalties.

‘Companies engaged in upstream operations in Trinidad and Tobago are subject to a special fiscal regime, principally governed by the Petroleum Taxes Act (PTA). The primary tax paid is the PPT.

‘This is 50 per cent of taxable profits, whereas other companies in the country pay 30-35 per cent corporation tax. SPT is chargeable on the gross income (derived from the sale of crude oil) less royalties and overriding royalties paid on the crude oil sold. ‘

The Energy Chamber said that the tax is computed separately in respect of land and marine operations and is a quarterly tax based on the actual gross income for each quarter.

‘In Trinidad and Tobago, the royalty tax on energy producers is a flat rate of 12.5 per cent of the total quarterly revenue for crude oil, condensate, and natural gas. This tax is also based on production volume rather than profit.

‘These three taxes make up the majority of the taxes earned by the government from the energy sector. PPT, on average over the past 10 years, made up about 43 per cent of the taxes paid each year by the upstream companies. SPT accounted for about 23 per cent, and Royalties were about 33 per cent’.

The Energy Chamber said that in 2015, there was a major shock to the energy sector with booming shale oil production, which caused a glut in the market that drove prices down. It said this resulted in profitability in the energy sector falling dramatically and that this was a major contributor to the fall in revenue from the sector in 2015 and 2016.

In addition, several major upstream companies benefitted from the application of capital allowances during this period, which reduced PPT.

The Energy Chamber said historically, royalty payments were made by crude oil producers, but this however was changed in 2017 when royalties were applied to natural gas producers as well.

‘This, along with price recovery, aided in stabilizing the tax collection from the energy sector. During the period 2015 to 2020, PPT payments fell, for the first time, below 50 per cent of the total tax collected from these three items. It fell to as low as 12 per cent in 2017. At this time, royalty payments played a more important role in the tax structure during those years.’

The chamber said that SPT was introduced as a windfall tax in the 1980s to enable the government to share in the windfall revenues accruing from spikes in the international oil price, but today it no longer operates in that vein, representing simply a further tax charge on the income of upstream producers. It also has a direct impact on the commerciality of an upstream project in a licensed area.

‘Today, the tax does not serve the purpose for which it was originally intended since price and cost structures have changed substantially since the 1980s. It does, however, now contribute to around 23% of the tax from the sector.

‘While these taxes contribute substantially to the government’s revenue and are a benefit to the nation, they create an issue for upstream producers to re-invest into capital projects in the country, since margins are squeezed tightly.’

The Energy Chamber said that these taxes, along with other tax challenges like VAT refunds owed to the major oil and gas producers, create significant problems.

It said the VAT refunds owed to individual companies are in excess of the cost of drilling new wells.

West Indies defeated Bangladesh in the Super Over to win the second One Day International here at the Shere Bangla National Stadium on Tuesday.

Scores

BANGLADESH 213-7 in 50 overs (Soumya Sarkar 45, Rishad Hossain 39 not out, Mehidy Hasan Miraz 32 not out, Nural Hasan 23, Mahidul Islam Ankon 17, Najmul Hossain Shanto 15, Nasum Ahmed 14, Towhid Hridoy 12; Gudakesh Motie 3-65, Alick Athanaze 2-14, Akeal Hosein 2-41) and 9-1.

WEST INDIES 213-9 in 50 overs (Shai Hope 53 not out, Keacy Carty 35, Alick Athanaze 28, Justin Greaves 26, Ackeem Auguste 17, Akeal Hosein 16, Gudakesh Motie 15; Rishad Hossain 3-42, Nasum Ahmed 2-38, Tanvir Islam 2-42) and 10-1.

Opposition legislators Tuesday walked out of the Parliament accusing the Speaker, Juliet Holness, of preventing them from asking questions of the Water and Environment Minister, Matthew Samuda.

The walkout came after Opposition Leader Mark Golding, sought to intervene and sought an answer as to why his members were not being allowed to ask questions of Samuda regarding the country’s preparation for the approaching tropical storm, expected to impact the island in the next 48 hours.

Empty opposition seats in the Jamaica Parliament on Tuesday after members staged a walk out.

Samuda had earlier made a statement to the House, updating legislators on the passage of Tropical Storm Melissa and the preparations being undertaken by the Andrew Holness government.

The Speaker had sought to make it clear that apart from the Opposition spokesperson who is allowed five minutes to respond to a statement by the Minister in keeping with the Standing Orders, other members, whether Opposition or Government, must ask questions only.

The Opposition Member of Parliament (MP) for St Mary South Eastern, Christopher Brown, was repeatedly asked to take his seat by Speaker Holness as she refused to let him ask a question about outstanding payments to contractors.

‘Members, it is very evident that the questions are not in respect of this statement by minister. The member from Westmoreland Central (Dwayne Vaz) – his question was not in respect of the statement made by the minister And neither is this question being asked by the member from St Andrew South East (Robinson),’ she said, as the opposition legislators sought to ask questions.

But Golding said he was ‘very concerned by the way the proceedings are being conducted,’ adding ‘we are attempting to ask questions arising from the statement. The statement was a wide-ranging statement.’

But the Speaker maintained her position and Golding then led a walkout of Opposition members during what is only the third sitting of the new parliamentary term following the September 3 general election that saw the ruling Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) returned to office for an unprecedented third consecutive term, although with a slightly reduced majority by winning 34 of the 63 seats.