GEORGETOWN, Guyana, CMC - The Private Sector Commission (PSC) and Transparency Institute of Guyana Inc. (TIGI) Tuesday said they intend lobbying the Guyana government to beef up the necessary institutions to deal with corruption. In a joint statement, the two organisations agreed that the “perception of corruption of Guyana is too important to be ignored and negatively impacts on business and investment”.
KINGSTON, Jamaica - It is most unfortunate, but a number of Caribbean countries have been stained by corruption that has not gone unchecked in the international community. Drug trafficking, money laundering, human trafficking, police killings, facilitating tax evasion, bribery of politicians, human rights abuses of every kind, corruption in governance, and lack of transparency in public procurement are but a few of the ills affecting the region.
KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Paula Llewellyn Tuesday said her office cannot at this time properly initiate criminal prosecution against any member of the Jamaica government over the failure to submit certain information to the Office of the Contractor General (OCG).
In a statement, the DPP said that she also made the decision not to initiate criminal proceedings against the Cabinet Secretary after closely examining the documentary material provided by the OCG along with 51 exhibits.
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – The Police Social and Welfare Association (PSWA) Tuesday said it is “more worried now” regarding the move by the coalition People’s Partnership government to precept soldiers into the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS). The PSWA met with National Security Minister Austin Jack Warner and the leader of Government Business, Dr. Roodial Moonilal, to discuss the Defence Force Amendment Bill which the government intends to use as one of the planks in the strategies to deal with the rising crime situation here.
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – Opposition politicians, trade unionists and non-government organisations have accused the Kamla Persad Bissessar government of seeking to impose an undeclared state of emergency in Trinidad and Tobago as it battles to deal with the escalating crime situation in the twin island republic.
THE VALLEY, Anguilla, CMC – The Europe Union Ambassador to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean Mikael Barfod has held talks with Chief Minister Hubert Hughes and Governor William A. Harrison ahead of the disbursement of EC$13.3 million (One EC dollar = US$0.37 cents) under the island’s Medium Term Economic Strategy (MTES).
The EU is providing an overall aid package of EC$38.5 million to Anguilla to help boost economic growth and development on the British Overseas Territory.
GEORGETOWN, Guyana - THE revolutionary PetroCaribe initiative that allowed signatory nations to benefit from subisdised Venezuelan fuel and the role its architect, Hugo Chavez, the late President of Venezuela, played as a patron in Latin American and Caribbean integration were among the highlights of an afternoon of reflection on Monday, six days after his death.
ST. JOHN’S, Antigua - There is no doubt that the former president of Venezuela, Hugo Chávez, left an indelible mark on the world and his very recent death on March 5 gave many people a reason to pause and remember. Chávez was no stranger to controversy. In some cases, he almost seemed to thrive on it. He was brash and outspoken and minced no words; especially as it related to his opinions on the United States of America as one of the new global imperialists. Around the world, there were admirers and critics. Some people loved him and some hated him.
GEORGETOWN, Guyana - Much comment has been made, following the recent death of President Hugo Chávez, emphasizing forebodings about the fate of the PetroCaribe initiative and other forms of assistance, including the creation of the Alba; and the effects of any disappearance of these initiatives on the economic welfare of the Caricom countries, among other countries of the hemisphere.
St. John’s Antigua- Leader of the Opposition Gaston Browne is warning government could be forced to renew its arrangement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as it faces increased difficulty meeting financial obligations. “Antigua & Barbuda will remain in an IMF programme for at least another three years because the government is not in a position to pay them,” Browne said. “Clearly the government is not in a position to pay. So what the IMF is going to do is that they are going to roll us over into a next IMF programme.”