KINGSTON, Jamaica - The Jamaican and Venezuelan governments are to work out a new payment deal under PetroCaribe, which could see Jamaican cement being sold in that market under a special arrangement.
The Energy Minister, Phillip Pauwell says, the Venezuelan government gave its assurance the deal will continue during a PetroCaribe summit on the weekend.
Paulwell says the Jamaican Government is grateful for the continuation of the deal by the Nicolas Maduro-led government.
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KINGSTON, Jamaica - The Bahamas government says it will establish a separate entity to regulate the civil aviation sector in the country.
Prime Minister Perry Christie said his administration will be establishing the Civil Aviation Authority to serve as a regulator, taking away that function from the Civil Aviation Department that also acted as a service provider.
Christie said the government has received funding from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) to establish the new entity.
ST JOHN’S, Antigua – Minister of Labour Dr Errol Cort has reassured the aviation industry that “extensive” consultations would have to take place before government acts on suggestions to designate that industry an essential service.
“I am aware of the recent call by the CEO of LIAT for the aviation sector to be named an essential service in this country,” Dr. Cort said.
“While we are open to all ideas before we move ahead of anything, there will certainly be extensive consultation on that and any other matter.
KINGSTON, Jamaica - Concerns surrounding State-owned airlines in Caribbean Community (Caricom) countries clearly exist amongst a wide cross section of the community. Evidence of this arose not only from the fact that fellow writer on Caribbean affairs, David Jessop, tackled this issue in the same week that I did, but also from the comments that have been sent to me.
This commentary features some of the comments that I have received.
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – Trinidad and Tobago will host a meeting of Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and Canadian public and private sector officials to share best practices, Prime Minister Kamla Persad Bissessar has announced.
The Organization of American States (OAS) will organize, together with the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA), a Forum to Strengthen the Regulation of Political Parties and Political Financing in the Caribbean, May 8-9, in Bridgetown, Barbados.
The event will bring together 42 participants, representing electoral management bodies as well as governing and opposition parties from 14 Member States from the Caribbean, to discuss strengthening the regulation of political parties and political financing in the region.
A close ally of a charismatic but divisive politician killed by two assailants in Curacao said Monday he believes the lawmaker was slain in some sort of politically motivated attack on the Dutch Caribbean island off the coast of Venezuela.
AMSTERDAM, Netherlands, CMC - Prime Minister Mark Rutte Monday condemned the assassination of Helmin Wiels, the leader of the largest political party in Curacao's coalition government who was shot dead late Sunday in the Punda section of the Dutch island's capital.
Rutte spokesman Henk Brons said it is not yet clear whether the Netherlands will assist the police investigation, and if so how.
WILLEMSTAD, Curacao - The leader of the largest political party in Curacao's coalition government was shot dead late Sunday in the Punda section of the Dutch island's capital, media reports here said.
Helmin Wiels of the Pueblo Soberano Party (Sovereign People Party) was reportedly shot in a drive-by shooting around 5 pm (2200 GMT).
With his death, the coalition government, with a one-seat hold on power here, has been plunged into crisis.
ST JOHN’S, Antigua – Noted financial crime expert and money-laundering author Jeffrey Robinson said if Caribbean governments wait it out, the United States’ Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) will not be around in five years.
“FATCA worldwide is still born. FATCA will eventually die because there will be too many big jurisdictions who will simply refuse to comply,” he said.
“It won’t work because there will be non-compliance by the Caymans and there will be non-compliance by Switzerland … The Chinese are not going to report.”