KINGSTON, Jamaica, Gleaner - Bank of Jamaica governor Brian Wynter said the ongoing negotiations between the government and the International Fund has contributed to speeding up the depreciation of the Jamaican dollar against the United States dollar. At the same time, Wynter said the above average decline in the value of the currency during the October to December 2012 quarter reflected excess demand for foreign exchange.
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KINGSTON, Jamaica, Observer - THE Caribbean Policy Research Institute (CaPRI) has concluded that Jamaica cannot do without the proposed loan agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) at this time. However, the think tank, established to promote evidence-based policy dialogue within Caribbean societies, says that, while the Government's debt reduction programme is necessary and effective, it is "insufficient" to ensure that the country gets on a path of fiscal sustainability.
ST JOHN’S, Antigua (CMC) - A five-member team from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), has arrived in Antigua to conduct reviews of the island’s economic performance under the multi-million dollar Stand By Agreement (SBA) with the Washington-based financial institution. The team is headed by Geoffrey Bannister and has already held meetings with various public and private sector representatives to discuss economic developments in Antigua and Barbuda.
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, Advocate - Americans are travelling once again to the Caribbean and visitor spending is beginning to rise. This was part of Chairman of the Caribbean Tourism Organisation, Beverly Nicholson-Doty’s, State of the Industry Report presented recently. “All indications are that Americans are coming back to the Caribbean in their customary numbers. US arrivals went up 4.1 per cent in 2012 when compared to 2011, holding steady with the pre-recession levels of five years earlier. US numbers increased in all of the reporting countries,” she stated.
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, Advocate - Other countries within the region would do well to learn from Barbados in terms of this country’s care for its elderly population. That is according to Caribbean Programme Co-ordinator and acting PAHO/WHO Represen-tative for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, Dr. Ernest Pate. He was speaking at the Multi Stakeholders Consultation on Healthy Ageing at the Savannah Beach Hotel yesterday. Pate pointed to Barbados’ record number of centenarians, maintaining that Barbados is ahead of other Caribbean countries in terms of elderly care.
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – Less than a week after he led the Barbados labour Party (BLP) into its second consecutive defeat, Owen Arthur, has been replaced as leader of the party. Mia Mottley, a former attorney general, who in 2010 lost the leadership of the BLP, was named as the new leader, by BLP executive member Gline Clarke flanked by 13 parliamentary members. The BLP lost the 2013 general election by a 16-14 margin.
CHARLESTOWN, Nevis, CMC – Leader of the main opposition Nevis reformation Party (NRP), Joseph Parry, is accusing the new administration here of victimisation and sending home at least 100 workers since it took up office following the January 22 Nevis Island Administration (NIA) election. Parry said the Concerned Citizens Movement (CCM) government of Premier Vance Amory is intent on “dismantling every programme that we developed during our term of office. “Under the guise of saving EC$250,000 (One EC dollar = US$0.37 cents) monthly- over 100 persons have been sent home without a job. Mr.
BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, CMC - The United States Peace Corps says it is phasing out its operations in St. Kitts and Nevis, and Antigua and Barbuda after five decades of successfully meeting the their needs for trained people in education, health, agriculture, environment, youth and development, and community economic development.
MIAMI, CMC - A Jamaican national convicted of killing a Florida state trooper with a pipe bomb has been granted a temporary reprieve one day before he was to be executed by lethal injection. A United States federal district on Monday stayed the execution of Paul Augustus Howell, 47, allowing defense attorneys more time to appeal his case. Michael Ufferman, one of Howell’s attorneys, speculated however that prosecutors may appeal the judge’s ruling. Howell was convicted of killing Florida Highway Patrol Trooper Jimmy Fulford in February 1992.
KINGSTOWN, St. Vincent, CMC – A radio station has paid EC$206,122.37 (One EC dollar=US$0.37 cents) to Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, representing the full payment for a defamation judgement the prime minister won following statements made by a radio host almost 10 years ago. “All the money was paid, but we paid in two tranches,” said social activist Junior Bacchus, who helped raise the money on behalf of Nice Radio.