Category: CANA News

The total estimated damage to some local manufacturers following the passage of Hurricane Melissa has been placed at J$250 billion.

In a statement on Friday, the Jamaica Manufacturers and Exporters Association (JMEA) said based on its initial assessment, only 10 percent of the 600 companies under its membership are located in the most devastated parishes.

The loss is based on the reported impact on sales, infrastructure, and inventory.

According to the Association, courtesy calls were made to members in affected parishes. Forty-one members responded.

Of these respondents: 12 companies reported minor disruptions and are expected to resume full operations once electricity is restored.

Eighteen others experienced partial damage and are awaiting the restoration of critical utilities before resuming normal operations.

The remaining 10 companies were severely impacted, resulting in a complete halt in production.

The hardest-hit sectors include manufactured foods and beverages, wood and furniture production, cosmetics and personal care, and primary agriculture.

JMEA President Kathryn Silvera says 80 percent of manufacturers have since resumed normal operations, particularly in parishes that were not directly affected.

The JMEA also noted that to date, millions of dollars’ worth of goods have been procured from local manufacturers and delivered to the worst-affected parishes.

Jamaica’s Consul General to New York, Alsion Roach Wilson, who served in the post since 2019, has died. ‘I am deeply saddened to announce the passing today of Alsion Wilson, Consul-General of Jamaica at New York, at her home in New York,’ said Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Kamina Johnson Smith in a statement on Saturday.

The foreign minister praised Wilson’s dedication to the role, in which she was the eleventh person to serve.

‘Consul-General Wilson served Jamaica at the highest level of excellence during her tenure from July 2019 to present. Her accomplishments defy the time during which she served with deep commitment to country, the foreign service and indeed to Jamaicans at home and abroad,’ Johnson Smith said.

Wilson was trained in finance, with a celebrated Wall Street career during which she founded her own financial consulting firm, the Alsion Road Group

Wilson was recently conferred with the Order of Distinction in the rank of Commander, by the Government of Jamaica.

She is survived by her husband Omar and children Brian and Vanessa.

Jamaica’s Minister of Health Dr. Christopher Tufton, shared a tribute on Instagram, expressing his grief and admiration for Wilson.

‘My friend, there are no words to truly express the pain of your passing,’ Tufton wrote. ‘You were full of life, hope and purpose, always giving your best in everything you did. Even in your final days, through all the pain, you spoke with courage and optimism about the future.’

‘You showed what true public service looks like, with your dedication, professionalism and compassion. Beyond that, you were a loyal friend whose support and encouragement meant so much to me. I mourn your loss deeply, but I also celebrate the life you lived and the example you set. Your memory will always stay with me.’

Born in the central parish of St. Catherine, Alison Wilson migrated to the United States and attended Erasmus Hall High School in Brooklyn and later the American Business Institute, where she laid the foundation for a successful career in finance.

Before entering diplomatic service, she held senior positions at leading firms, including Vice President and Associate Director at Bear Stearns, Director of Finance at Greylock Capital Management, and President and CEO of The Alsion Roach Group, LLC. She also founded Cyberlock Solutions, a cybersecurity company.

She was appointed Jamaica’s Consul General to New York in 2019 by Foreign Affairs Minister Kamina Johnson Smith, bringing with her an extensive background in international finance.

Based at the Consulate General in Manhattan, she oversaw Jamaica’s interests in Bermuda, Puerto Rico, and 33 U.S. states, serving one of the largest and most active Jamaican diasporas in the world.

During her tenure, Wilson focused on strengthening ties between Jamaica and its overseas nationals, promoting trade and investment opportunities, and modernizing consular services. She also chaired the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Consular Corps in New York, where she worked to enhance regional collaboration and diaspora engagement among Caribbean nations.

The highly anticipated Horizon Vitality Series between Jamaica and England is in danger of being cancelled as the Caribbean island continues to pick up the pieces left behind by Hurricane Melissa.

According to reports by The Gleaner, Netball Jamaica and the England Netball Association have been locked in high-level discussions regarding the possible cancellation of the four-match series due to the extensive damage sustained during the hurricane. The series was set to feature two home games for Jamaica at the National Indoor Sports Centre in Kingston on December 6 and 7, followed by two away fixtures at the Copper Box Arena in London, England, on December 13 and 14.

Jamaica’s Sunshine Girls were already facing selection challenges heading into the series, as several of their top players made themselves unavailable for personal and professional reasons.

It is understood that captain Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard, along with Romelda Aiken-George, Shimona Nelson-Jok, and Latanya Wilson, have all withdrawn from the squad, while Shamera Sterling-Humphrey recently gave birth and Jodi-Ann Ward is recovering from surgery.

Their unavailability would have left the Sunshine Girls severely short-handed for the series, which was expected to serve as preparation for next year’s Netball World Cup qualifiers.

The Sunshine Girls won last year’s inaugural Horizon Vitality Series 2-1.

Prime Minister, Dr.Andrew Holness, says the official platform to mobilise support for Jamaica’s relief and recovery efforts in the aftermath of Category Five Hurricane Melissa will be modified. Speaking in Parliament this week,he said modification will enable donors to better interface with the platform and donate to a specific institution or institutions.

The supportjamaica.gov.jm online platform also aims to channel relief and coordinate recovery efforts.

Holness made the remarks while responding to a question posed in the House of Representatives recently regarding the supportjamaica.gov.jm platform and ‘whether there can be designation of the donation’.

‘My understanding is that there is a way to do it, but we’re going to modify the platform to ensure that it is more seamless, that you can visibly see how to designate to an institution,’ he said.

‘There is already a process for schools, for example under the National Education Trust (NET), and so I say publicly, if Jamaicans overseas want to donate directly to their school, they can do so through the National Education Trust, similar process, they have an online process.’

The Prime Minister pointed out that everything donated through the supportjamaica.gov.jm platform goes to the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM).

‘The intention is not to take away the donations from private entities. . What we’re saying is if you want to get the benefit of the waived duty, then you should send it. and once it’s recorded as a donation, ODPEM records it, then you benefit from the waiver and if you give funds, as we have said now, we will be able to direct it, we’re going to make it specific on the platform so that you can direct it,’ he said.

He further explained that although it comes through ODPEM, persons or entities are able to distribute the items.

‘But once you bring your stuff in, even if you put it under the name ODPEM, it’s yours, so you can take it and do whatever you want with it, but it’s important that the nation has a full account of everything that came in; that’s all that ODPEM is doing – full account,’ Holness said.

‘So, you can consign it to ODPEM saying that you want to go and do your own distribution, which by the way that’s what they’re doing. That’s what the entities that come in with their stuff, they don’t just come in and put it in their own warehouses and go; they come in, it’s assigned to ODPEM, we note it and then they go and do what they want to do with it, but we must know. we’re talking large things, container loads of stuff,’ he added.

The following is the CANANews and SPORTS Schedule for Saturday, November 8, 2025.

GEORGETOWN- The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) is mourning the passing of former President of the Republic of Suriname, Runaldo Ronald Venetiaan.

KINGSTON – The total estimated damage to some local manufacturers following the passage of Hurricane Melissa has been placed at J$250 billion.

GEORGETOWN – The Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) has grounded a plane and suspended a pilot for landing a plane in a non-designated landing area.

WASHINGTON – The Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS) , Albert Ramdin, is urging member states to ‘act with urgency’ to finalize and implement a comprehensive plan aimed at restoring stability and driving development in Haiti.

SPORTS

KINGSTON – The highly anticipated Horizon Vitality Series between Jamaica and England is in danger of being cancelled as the Caribbean island continues to pick up the pieces left behind by Hurricane Melissa.

The Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) has grounded a plane and suspended a pilot for landing a plane in a non-designated landing area.

The GCAA said the incident, involving an Air Services Limited Cessna 208 Grand Caravan, registered as 8R-THR, occurred on Thursday.

On Friday, the authority said the actions would remain in force until the ‘outcome’ of the probe.

‘The GCAA is dedicated to ensuring thorough examination of the circumstances surrounding this incident to uphold the highest standards of aviation safety,’ the authority said.

An aviation industry source said while the pilot is experienced, it seemed that he was not properly briefed about the area.

The Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) has launched an investigation into an aircraft incident involving an Air Services Limited Cessna 208 Grand Caravan, registered as 8R-THR, which mistakenly landed at the site of the new Lumidpau Secondary School in Region Nine early Thursday . According to reports, the aircraft was en route to Karaudarnau in the South Rupununi when the pilot landed at the school compound – a non-designated area located a short distance from the Lumidpau airstrip.

During take-off, the plane reportedly struck and partially damaged the fence surrounding the newly constructed school.

Authorities have confirmed that no one was injured during the incident.

A resident, Dan Rickson, told reporters that the pilot appeared to be a Spanish-speaking national and may not have been familiar with the area.

‘The airstrip is just a short distance away from where the plane landed. It seems he didn’t realise it wasn’t the correct location,’ Rickson explained.

In a statement on Friday, the GCAA said the aircraft has since been grounded and the pilot suspended pending the outcome of the investigation. Air Services Limited has also been formally notified of the probe.

‘The GCAA is dedicated to ensuring a thorough examination of the circumstances surrounding this incident to uphold the highest standards of aviation safety,’ the Authority noted.

The investigation will seek to determine how the mislanding occurred and whether any procedural or navigational errors contributed to the incident.

The top United Nations development official in the region says nearly a third of Jamaica’s annual wealth has been wiped out by Hurricane Melissa. Kishan Khoday, Resident Representative for the UN Development Program (UNDP), told reporters at UN Headquarters in New York, via video conference, that approximately 1.5 million Jamaicans have been impacted by Hurricane Melissa – the worst climate disaster in the Caribbean nation’s history.

He said initial estimates of the damage added up to 30 per cent of Gross Domestic Product: ‘a figure that’s expected to rise.’

UNDP estimated that nearly five million metric tons of debris have been generated across western Jamaica following the devastating category 5 storm last week – equivalent to roughly 500,000 standard truckloads.

In addition, UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq said authorities have confirmed 32 deaths, while nearly 36,000 people urgently require food assistance, and more than 100,000 housing structures have been affected.

The UN said at least 30 communities are still cut off while electricity, telecommunications and even radio signals remain severely disrupted in some parishes.

The UN said Khoday told the story of one man he’d met called ‘Keith’, from New Hope in western Jamaica, who had sought shelter in a nearby structure as Melissa made landfall, kneeling behind plywood for hours as the storm raged.

‘When he emerged, he found his home, livelihood, and parts of his community in ruins,’ the UN said.

Khoday said Keith’s experience underscores ‘the harsh realities of the climate emergency, but was also a testament to Jamaicans’ resilience as they work toward recovery and rebuilding.’

The UN said more than 60 different organizations have joined the 16-member UN Disaster Assessment and Coordination team – part of the UN aid coordination office OCHA – as the aid operation continues under the direction of Jamaican authorities.

To support response and recovery efforts, the UN said UNDP has allocated an initial US$400,000 to assist with basic assessment work and provide early support to national partners.

Meanwhile, the UN said its World Food Program (WFP) is airlifting food from Barbados to support more than 6,000 households for up to a week.

In Cuba – which also suffered devastation, along with Haiti, due to the hurricane – the UN said around 120,000 people remain in shelters due to ongoing flooding, overflowing rivers, and landslides.

The UN also said that 29 communities remain isolated with extensive damage to housing, health facilities, and educational center

Haq said more than 45,0000 housing structures, nearly 500 health facilities and over 1,500 educational centers have also sustained damage in Cuba.

Afghanistan is set to host the West Indies for a T20I series just before the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.

The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) announced on Friday that the two teams will play three T20Is between January 19 and 22 in the United Arab Emirates, as part of their build up to the World Cup.

The Men’s T20 World Cup will take place from February 7 to March 8, 2026, and is being co-hosted by Sri Lanka and India. Following their 3-0 series sweep against Bangladesh last month, the West Indies are currently in the midst of a five-match T20I series against New Zealand, which is tied 1-1.

They will also face South Africa soon after the series against Afghanistan in January.

Meanwhile, Afghanistan’s next T20I outing will see them feature in a three-match T20I series against Qatar, beginning Saturday.

Chief executive officer of the ACB, Naseeb Khan said the series presents an important opportunity for Afghanistan to fine-tune their preparations for the global event set to be hosted in February-March.

‘Competing against the West Indies on the brink of a global event presents an excellent opportunity for our team to finalize their lineup and enhance their preparations for the upcoming mega event in India and Sri Lanka,’ Khan said.

Director of Cricket at Cricket West Indies, Miles Bascombe also welcomed the opportunity for the regional side to get additional practice ahead of the World Cup.

‘Facing strong opposition in subcontinental conditions will help us sharpen our combinations and approach, and it also gives our players a chance to build confidence on surfaces similar to those we’ll encounter in India and Sri Lanka,’ Bascombe said.

The Caribbean Court f Justice (CCJ) Friday reserved its judgement in the case in which the Trinidad and Tobago-based political analyst, Derek Ramsamooj, is challenging the conduct of the State of Suriname following his detention in the Dutch-speaking Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country in 2020.

After two days of hearing arguments and submissions by lawyers for Ramsmooj as well as the Dutch-speaking Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country and the Guyana-based CARICOM Secretariat, CCJ President, Justice Winston Anderson, said that a ruling would be handed down at a later date. ‘We have benefitted from your written and oral submissions .I note that there are witnesses who gave evidence in this matter, we are grateful to you for your attendance,’ said Justice Anderson, who headed the five-member panel of judges that heard the matter.

‘We are of course reserving our opinion in this matter as you would imagine and we will let you know as soon as we have reached a decision so that we can notify you of the date of delivery,’ he added.

Ramsamooj, 64, who holds both Trinidad and Tobago and British passports, was summarily detained in Paramaribo in October 2020 and was not allowed to leave the country until September 2022. He suffers from a range of medical issues, including diabetes, hypertension, and severe coronary artery disease.

A presiding judge had ordered the authorities in Suriname to return his passports, noting that Ramsamooj had, at all times, demonstrated a willingness to support due process and had consistently stated his desire to clear his name through the legal routes.

The analyst, who has worked in several Caribbean countries, including Jamaica, Guyana, Grenada, St Lucia, and St Kitts and Nevis and who is the holder of a Certificate of Recognition of CARICOM Skills Qualification, was told by Suriname police on October 6, 2020, that they only wanted a statement to support an inquiry into operations at the Surinamese Post Savings Bank (SPSB).

Ramsamooj conducted customer surveys for the SPSB and bank employee surveys, as well as two country risk assessments of Suriname, in his capacity as an analyst and researcher. The financial institution paid for the activities.

The CCJ, established in February 2001 to replace the London-based Privy Council, also acts as an international tribunal interpreting the Revised Treaty of the Chaguaramas, which governs the regional integration movement.

In his application to the CCJ, Ramsamooj is seeking several relief measures, including a declaration that Suriname infringed his right to freedom of movement as well as his right to provide services.

In addition, Ramsamooj wants a declaration that Suriname infringed his right not to be discriminated against on the ground of his nationality, as well as a declaration that Suriname breached its obligations under Article 9 of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas (RTC) that governs the 15-member regional integration movement, CARICOM.

The lawyers for the political analyst said that Suriname failed to ensure their client was not subjected to arbitrary imprisonment, denial of counsel, denial of adequate medical attention/or discrimination on the grounds of nationality or the several rights identified in the Charter of Civil Society.

In addition, Ramsamooj is seeking damages and costs.