MURDER ARREST: ‘MAJOR VICTORY’
Kamal Ballantyne, 23, is charged with the offences of murder (Isiah Antrobus) and attempted murder of a minor.
by HAYDN HUGGINS
AFTER APPEARING IN COURT
just over a month ago on a gun charge, Kamal Ballantyne, a 23year-old mechanic of Glen, was again taken before the Court having been slapped with charges of murder and attempted murder.
The Constabulary has described Ballantyne’s arrest as a major victory for the police.
Intense investigations led to Ballantyne being arrested last Sunday, Jan. 16, 2025, and charged with the December 15, 2024 murder of Isaiah ‘Rich Gang’ Antrobus, a 23year-old baker of Kingstown Park, and the attempted murder of a male student.
A source close to the
Right: Isaiah ‘Rich Gang’ Antrobus, 23, was shot dead around 6pm on Sunday, December 15, 2024 in area known as “Gaza” in Glen.
investigations informed THE VINCENTIAN on Tuesday that the student was 11 years old and not 13 as reported in some circles.
Antrobus was gunned down, while the minor was shot in the arm during an incident at Glen around 6 p.m. on December 15.
Ballantyne, who was unrepresented, was not required to plead to the charges when he appeared before Senior Magistrate Colin John at the Serious Offenses Court on Monday.
were each granted $20,000 bail.
He was remanded and the matter was adjourned to February 27.
Ballantyne, along with Altha James, a 19-year-old porter, Javid Grant, a 20-yearold bag boy, and Vashon Thomas, a 20-year-old electrician, all of Glen, had appeared at the Serious Offenses Court on December 20, 2024, after being charged with possession of a Glock 9mm pistol without a license. They pleaded not guilty and
They were arrested after police officers from the Glen Mobile Unit intercepted a motor vehicle at Glen around 11:45pm on December 15, 2024, and found the Glock 9 mm pistol during a search of the vehicle.
Search warrants were subsequently executed at their homes during which an AR-15 automatic rifle, 71 rounds of prohibited 5.56mm ammunition, and 100 rounds of 9mm ammunition were found.
Javed Grant, Altha James and Vashon were charged with Kamal Ballantyne with possession of an unlicensed Glock 9mm pistol.
Tidbits about Marcus Garvey
MARCUS GARVEY
advocated that Africans control the wealth of Africa. He taught that control, control of resources, control of self, control of nation, requires preparation, Garveyism was about total preparation. He believed that Black people should be economically selfsufficient and establish an independent nation in Africa. This ideology became known as Garveyism. There is still no unified force in Africa
calling attention to the need for this kind of preparation.
Garvey’s ultimate dream was for the independence of all African Countries and the creation of a United States of Africa. The UNIA embarked on a plan to repatriate some Blacks from the United States and other parts of the African Diaspora back to Africa. Liberia, a country established in 1822 by the American Colonisation Society was
Joy over Marcus Garvey’s pardon
JANUARY 19, 2025,President Joe Biden issued a pardon to Marcus Mosiah Garvey, 100 years after Garvey was found guilty of mail fraud and sentenced to jail, in the USA.
Born in St. Ann’s Jamaica, August 17, 1887, Garvey died in June 1940 but his legacy continues to impact far and wide.
THE VINCENTIAN took to the streets for some reaction to Garvey’s pardon. Here are some samplings:
Ras St. Hillarie: Craftsman
According to the rights of every human, that is long overdue. It came about because of colour prejudice. We have to analyse this thing seriously and see what’s behind the pardoning. If Joe Biden say so, what is Black people doing? It is high time the world recognizes that there is a Master who made us. We have to learn to live in one peace with each other.
Edgar
That is long overdue. It is clear to the world that Marcus Garvey words are coming to pass. We have Africa/CARICOM Day, which is a dream of Marcus Garvey. Nine years before the 200th anniversary of the abolition of slavery, we have to keep the struggle to get the chains off our minds. That is the issue. That is why we have drumming for mental, spiritual and colonial awakening. Big up Garvey’s dream.
Ras Leo: Self-employed
That should have happened 100 years ago. You see who do it? Biden. Obama had a chance, he refused. They release one technically. That is only a token. We have to realise, we were on the right track. Repatriation is a must.
Garvey’s pardoning is long overdue. You have to look to the cases where the US government had against him. They have to be dismissed. But they make a start. They pardoning the man who acknowledges the King. Respect to Marcus Garvey.
Marlon Joseph: Marketing Officer
It is long overdue. The UNIA has been fighting for a long time to have this done. It is common knowledge that Garvey’s conviction was part of the CIA plot to discredit Marcus Garvey’s character and to sabotage the Black Star Line movement. This is a victory for us as Pan-Africanists and for Blacks on a whole.
Roger ‘Touch I’ Woodley: Security
It’s a wonderful thing. It
the intended geographical base of the UNIA’s African colonisation venture.
Garvey was an unapologetic black nationalist who influenced Malcolm X and generations of civil rights leaders. Advocates and congressional leaders had pushed for Biden to pardon Garvey for years, with supporters arguing that Garvey’s 1923 mail fraud conviction was politically motivated and an effort to silence the
was long overdue. He was a prophet. They owe that apology to the whole Black nation. I wish they could leave something great in his honour, a scholarship or things along that line to make up for the damage they have caused.
Priest Jah Winston: Ethiopia Africa Black International Congress.
Marcus Garvey is a foundation member. He leads the way as far as Black are concerned. Marcus Garvey comes as John the Baptist, fulfilling the scripture. The Priest showed us that Marcus Garvey, Emmanuel I, and Haile Selassie seal the Trinity. Garvey say you will have thousands appearing again to show us repatriation. Garvey’s teachings must be put on the school curriculum. We will like the Prime Minister to give us August 17 as a public holiday.
popular leader who spoke of racial pride and selfreliance.
Editor’s note: In this time where we’re facing so many threats, with our social justice struggles being pushed into a corner, the wonderful thing about this pardon is that it presents an opportunity to talk about some of things Garvey encouraged, like: entrepreneurship, selfconfidence, activism and liberation.
Kwame Lewis: Cultural activist
Kevin ‘Big Janks’ Cyrus: Chef
Mosiah Garvey Jr. ONH (17 August 1887 – 10 June 1940) was a Jamaican political activist, among other things.
Ras St. Hillarie Edgar Kwame Lewis
Ras Leo
Kevin ‘Big Janks’ Cyrus
Marlon Joseph
Roger ‘Touch I’ Woodley
Priest Jah Winston
V News 3
Aggregate still a problem
ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINEScontinues to face difficulty in finding material, especially aggregate, for use in the construction of roads and buildings.
“There’s a problem with aggregate,” Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves admitted while speaking on radio, WEFM, on January 26.
“You can’t have aggregate unless you have quarries, unless you have concrete batching plants and asphalt plants sufficient to produce for the market,” he continued.
And while the service from a batching plant and an asphalt plant might be less of a hindrance as far as the construction industry was concerned, the absence of proper functioning quarries, and their resultant inability to provide aggregate, amount to the greatest encumbrance relative to the implementation
of the physical infra-structural (capital) projects in the country.
According to Gonsalves, even though the money is mobilized to begin projects, these issues (above) weigh heavily against effecting scheduled completion of projects.
Meetings were held last week with administrative heads and this week, the PM said, he had arranged for another meeting involving the administrative heads and contractors to deal with the bottlenecks.
“And they can hold you back,” Gonsalves said adding that in 2024 the government spent some EC$460 million in capital projects, almost EC$100 million more of the capital budget than it had done in 2023.
Undoubtedly, the country
needed to increase its capacity to produce aggregate.
The alternative, the PM advanced, would be to encourage/facilitate the importation of aggregate but this, he recognized, would cost more than what it would be if the material was generated locally.
He said that the only other way the government would be able to assist was by offering temporary tax relief in order to get capital projects completed.
And in a subtle
Murder arrest: ‘Major Victory’
Continued from Frontpage.
Investigations into the discovery of the AR rifle and the ammunition led to Thomas being charged with having them in his possession, to which he pleaded not guilty when he appeared in Court on December 20.
Grandeisha Cain, a 21-year-old woman from Glen who reportedly posed in a photograph in her underwear while holding the AR-R rifle, was also charged with possession of the prohibited weapon. She also pleaded not guilty and was granted bail.
All the gun and ammunition matters are pending.
In a recent release, the police described the breakthrough in the investigations into Antrobus’ murder, and the attempted murder of the minor, as a ‘major victory’, for the constabulary, and highlighted Ballantyne’s arrest as being crucial, as, “police have been actively
investigating this and other homicides with unwavering resolve.”
The release assured that the police remain devoted to, “pursuing those responsible for violent crimes, and ensuring that justice is served”.
The organization extends its gratitude to members of the public who have provided information to assist in this and other investigations and encourages anyone with relevant information to come forward and assist the police in the fight against crime.
Constable 446 Nicos Hope of the Major Crime Unit (MCU) is leading the ongoing investigations into Antrobus’s murder.
Antrobus was detained for questioning last year in connection with the shooting death of Villa resident Martin ‘Jahson’ James on October 5, 2024, but was released without charge.
James died on the spot after being shot several times.
reference to what would have caused a situation of inadequate service of aggregate to the construction industry here, Dr. Gonsalves declared: “But if you want to have a quarry down in Richmond, you have people demonstrating when all the safeguards are in place because of politics,” Gonsalves said., adding, “So how are you going to build the roads, with what, bottle stopper?”
All of this relates to the still to be properly commissioned quarry at Richmond, in the North Leeward constituency.
In 2022, a St. Lucian company, Rayneau Construction, was granted the right to operate that quarry and to mine aggregate.
The plan was to produce enough aggregate stone to supply St. Vincent and the Grenadines as a priority. That plan is still to show any real sign of fruition.
There was much opposition
to the proposed mining activity, with questions raised about: the manner — some said clandestine - in which the agreement with Rayneau was arrived at; the disregard for consultation with the residents of the area; and the apparent non-existence of an appropriate, approved environmental impact study.
As recent the 2025 Budget debate, Parliamentary Representative for South Leeward, Nigel Stephenson, raised concerns about the environmental impact of the quarry in Richmond.
Stephenson also raised the issue of deforestation, explaining that an enormous amount of top soil was being displaced which he said can lead to an ecological disaster.
The North Leeward constituency is one of nine electoral seats that the ruling Unity Labour Party holds in the parliament. (DD)
Trump suspends aid: Dr. Gonsalves hopeful
US PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP signed an executive order temporarily suspending all US foreign assistance programmes for 90 days, pending reviews to determine whether they are aligned with his policy goals.
This, as expected, has not escaped the attention of governments across the region, especially those who are beneficiaries of US aid.
One such government is our own and Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, in an early
response declared that he was “hopeful,”…. hopeful that there might be exceptions to the executive order signed by President Trump and assigned to Secretary of State Marco Rubio for oversight.
Dr. Gonsalves referenced the fact that United States had committed to fund the construction of warehouses in the Southern Grenadines which are expected to enhance disaster preparedness there.
Speaking on radio on January 26, Dr. Gonsalves said,
“Authorities from the United States had approved to put some additional warehouse facilities on Canouan and Mayreau, and that the government was presently looking for possible parcels of land to be used”.
He remained hopeful that the temporary ban on foreign aid from the United States “does not affect plans for the construction of those warehouses.”
And even as he remained hopeful, the Prime Minister admitted that he was in fact waiting to hear officially, whether the ban on all foreign aid coming out of the US applied to such programmes, i.e. the warehouses as referenced.
Dr. Gonsalves added, “I know it applies generally, but there may be an exception to something like this because this means that a few dollars and cents for us has to go elsewhere,” he said. (DD)
See Back Page for related story.
The site of the Rayneau Construction quarry in Richmond, which was expected to satisfy, as a priority, the aggregate needs of St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
President Donald Trump signs an executive order that temporarily suspends US foreign assistance.
Attorney Grant Connell might just have introduced a new reference for use in the local courts.
Stories: HAYDN HUGGINS
A 30-year-old ‘Buddy Gutter’ farmer was yesterday fined $7,000 for what his lawyer, Grant Connell, described as ‘shake off’ weed.
Ashley Noel was ordered to pay the fine in six months, or nine months behind bars, after pleading guilty to
possession of 34 pounds of marijuana with intent to supply.
Connell, in mitigation, said that the marijuana before the court had no value since most of it was what was referred to as ‘shake off’ weed (bush and stalks), and the box in which most of it was contained was full of roaches.
Connell also expressed the view that marijuana in St. Vincent and the Grenadines no longer had any value since only two persons have the market.
When Prosecutor Renrick Cato asked why people still have the drug in their possession for sale, Connell replied, “Survival”.
He said Noel farmed “legal greens”, but was currently unemployed.
Connell gave the value of marijuana in SVG as $250 per pound as stated in an affidavit by head of the Cannabis Revival
Committee (CRC) Junior ‘Spirit’ Cottle, but reiterated that the marijuana before the Court had no value.
According to Connell, “That can’t even light fire”.
But the Court used the value of $350 per pound as suggested by the Prosecutor, resulting in the value of the 34 pounds amounting to $11,900.
Connell said that a friend brought the marijuana to Noel, and the defendant kept it for him, “hence the reason why the other occupants of the box were there”, Connell said, referring to the roaches.
In handing down the penalty, Senior Magistrate Colin John considered Noel’s assistance to the police, his genuine remorse, and that he had no previous convictions. He also earned a one-third discount for his early
guilty plea, and John applied the sentencing guidelines, weighed the aggravating and mitigating factors, and did the calculations discount for his early guilty plea.
Police arrested Noel on Tuesday following the search of the downstairs of a house at ‘Buddy Gutter’.
The facts showed that Noel occupied the downstairs, and the search revealed several packages of marijuana at different places there, along with a large cardboard box in the living room containing several transparent taped packages of marijuana. Eighteen $10.00 bills, and fortyfive $5.00 dollar bills were found in a white envelope under a
mattress in the bedroom. When cautioned, Noel admitted, “Officer the
drugs is mine, me nah have nothing else to say”.
Bagga man charged with aggravated burglary
BARROUALLIEresident Shorn John will return to the Serious Offenses Court on February 27 on an aggravated burglary charge.
John made a brief appearance in that court on Monday but was not required to plead to the charge of entering the dwelling house of John Wilburn of Barrouallie, as a trespasser, on December 4, 2024, and stealing an HP laptop valued at US$300, a white apple air pod valued at US$100, a green notebook, valued US$10 and a brown American backpack valued at US$30, the property of Wilburn, and at the time, had with him a weapon of offense, to wit, a knife.
Prosecutor Renrick Cato did not object to bail, but requested suitable surety, and reporting conditions.
$7,000 for ‘shake off’ weed Brothers nabbed in gun, ganja haul
BROTHERS, Kemon Samuel, 35, and Desroy Samuel, 37, both of Chateaubelair, were each granted $15,000 bail with one surety on Tuesday after being charged in connection with the seizure of a 12 gauge shotgun, 27,240 grams of marijuana, and cash amounting to EC$27,657, during a police operation at Chateaubelair last Sunday.
The cash, made up of EC$9,500 and €6,700 (euros), is suspected to be the proceeds of illicit activity.
The brothers, who are represented by attorney Grant Connell, are charged with: possession of a black Maverick 12 gauge model 88 shotgun without license; possession of 26,786 grams of marijuana with intent to supply; possession of the drug for drug trafficking.
The Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) is expected to make an application for the forfeiture of the money.
The men pleaded not guilty to all three charges when they appeared before Senior Magistrate Colin John at the Serious Offenses Court on Tuesday.
Desroy pleaded guilty to a separate charge of possession of 454 grams of marijuana with intent to supply. He will be sentenced at the outcome of the other matters to which not guilty pleas were entered, as all the charges arise from the same facts and circumstances.
The brothers were granted bail on the condition that they surrender their travel documents and report to the Chateaubelair Police Station every Monday between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m.
Stop notices will be placed at all ports and entry and exit, and the matter was adjourned to February 28.
In a release which provided information related to the Samuel Brothers’ case, the SVG Police Force wrote, inter alia: “While the RSVGPF remains resolute in its stance against illegal drugs and firearms, we acknowledge that St. Vincent and the Grenadines has a legal framework under the Medicinal Cannabis Industry Act of 2018, which allows individuals to cultivate and supply cannabis for medicinal purposes under a regulated system. This Act provides a pathway for Vincentians to obtain licenses for legal cannabis cultivation, distribution, and research under the oversight of the Medicinal Cannabis Authority. Those who wish to participate in this growing industry are encouraged to follow the legal route rather than engage in illegal activities that could lead to severe fines or imprisonment.”
Desroy Samuel Kemon Samuel
Vincy in top 20 women entrepreneurs
by NELSON A. KING
THE PRESTIGIOUSNew York Times has named Vincentian Dr. Jacqueline James-Lyttle, the wife of international Soca star Kevin Lyttle, among the top 20 women entrepreneurs worldwide to look out for in 2025.
The Times’ NY Weekly Magazine describes Miamibased Dr. James-Lyttle as “the embodiment of unrelenting power, a visionary force redefining excellence across academics, athletics, entrepreneurship, philanthropy, and global leadership.
“Born in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, she defied the odds to become the first Black female engineering graduate from the United States Coast
Guard Academy, earning a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering,” the publication says.
“Not content with rewriting history in academia, she became a two-time AllAmerican scholar-athlete, cementing her dominance on and off the field,” it adds.
The publication says that Dr. James-Lyttle’s ascent continued at the University of Miami, where she secured a Master of Science and a Ph.D. in Civil and Architectural Engineering, “while driving groundbreaking research in energy efficiency and sustainability.”
As an academic, the magazine says Dr. JamesLyttle shattered glass ceilings, “paving the way for future
innovators.”
At the United States Coast Guard Academy and the University of Miami, it says Dr. James-Lyttle excelled as “a transformative educator, mentoring countless students and advancing the frontiers of sustainable engineering.”
The NY Weekly Magazine says her “trailblazing research, coupled with her leadership in fostering diversity, positioned her as a thought leader and role model in a domain historically resistant to inclusion.”
From academia to entrepreneurship
But it says academia was “merely the launchpad for her unparalleled entrepreneurial reign”, stating that Dr. JamesLyttle built an empire, “founding IMARA Engineering Consulting, which evolved into GFD Group Miami, a powerhouse delivering premier architecture, engineering, design, and construction management services across the US and the Caribbean.”
The publication says Dr. James-Lyttle’s entrepreneurial genius “knows no bounds”, adding that she co-founded a music conglomerate with her husband, “leveraging their combined power to elevate Soca music.”
The magazine says the couple also launched VONZUU, “a revolutionary technology poised to surpass Uber as the go-to transportation and delivery platform in the Caribbean.”
It says her ventures span industries and continents, leading Global 27, Inc., specializing in sustainable luxury developments, and creating KidsVille, “an innovative facility transforming childcare and entertainment.”
NY Weekly Magazine says Dr. James-Lyttle has “reshaped industries with a ferocity few can match through strategic real estate investments, luxury property development, music business development, Architectural Engineering design-build and restaurant ownership.
The publication says Dr. James-Lyttle’s “influence extends beyond business into the heart of global philanthropy”, co-founding the Janice Lyttle Foundation in
“orchestrating multimilliondollar initiatives to combat heart disease, provide disaster relief, and elevate community health.”
The magazine notes what when St. Vincent and the Grenadines was severely impacted by the 2021 volcanic eruptions and the devastation of Hurricane Beryl in 2024, Dr. JamesLyttle “mobilized resources and partnerships, delivering aid on an unprecedented scale.”
This type of recognition is not new to Dr. Jacqueline “Jackie” James-Lyttle as she was inducted along with five other new members into its Athletic Hall of Fame on Oct. 7, 2020 during the academy’s Hall of Fame Banquet.
A formidable force
NY Weekly Magazine says Esther’s Promise, Dr. JamesLyttle’s initiative for empowering at-risk women, and her US board service with Recapturing the Vision “underscore her relentless commitment to creating a better world.”
It says her achievements have earned her “elite recognition, from induction into the Coast Guard Academy Hall of Fame to accolades as a humanitarian and trailblazer.”
Named one of Miami’s most influential Black women, NY Weekly Magazine says Dr. James-Lyttle is “revered by institutions and global networks alike, commanding respect as a titan in business, engineering and philanthropy.”
It says “Dr. Jacqueline Patricia James-Lyttle is not just an entrepreneur; she is a global force of nature.
“Her indomitable spirit and unparalleled vision place her at the pinnacle of power,” the magazine says.
“As a military veteran, academic pioneer, business leader, and philanthropist, she has broken barriers, built legacies, and inspired countless individuals, proving the boundless potential of resilience and leadership,” it adds.
Honour still sinking in
Dr. Jacqueline Patricia James-Lyttle — a member of the American Society of Civil Engineering (ASCE), the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), the American Society of Heating Refrigerating and AirConditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), The Structural Engineering Institute (SEI) and the Architectural Engineering Institute (AEI) — told THE VINCENTIAN on Monday that “the weight and true honor of being named one of the top 20 women entrepreneurs to watch in 2025 is still sinking in.
“To have this recognition come from The New York Times makes it even more profound,” she said. “My dreams are big, and I often keep my head down, focused on achieving them. But in moments like this, when I’m encouraged to pause and take in the results, the feeling is nothing short of surreal.
“I am deeply grateful; there is no greatness without gratitude,” she added. “I’m thankful for my village, my circle, and all those who have cheered me on.
“I’m also appreciative of those who have struggled to support me, as they unknowingly fuel my inspiration,” Dr. James-Lyttle continued. “The beautiful journey continues.”
Dr. Jacqueline James-Lyttle –engineer, philanthropist and entrepreneur extraordinaire. (Photo Credit: Bridgett Lewis)
NCTI up and running with new CEO
Science, Technology.
Today it has the legal reach of an incorporated body.
PETRUS GUMBS, who headed the IT programme at St. Martin’s Secondary School and pioneered the STEM (abbreviation for four closely connected areas of study - science, technology, engineering and mathematics) Programme in SVG, has been elevated to the post of Chief Executive Officer of the National Centre of Technological Innovation Inc. (NCTI).
The NCTI is an ICT (information, communications technology) training institution that aims to narrow the digital divide, by increasing access to information and increasing participation in today’s global technology-related industries.
The NCTI, which commenced its operations in August 200 as the National Institute of Technology (NIT) and did so as a department within the Ministry of Telecommunications,
Driven by its commitment to establish a technology and innovation roadmap that will impact the development of the country, the NCTI will roll out shortly a number of training programmes, including a Fibre Optic Course in partnership with the Kingstown Cooperative (KCCU).
The KCCU involvement is seen, according to its manager -Eronne Evans, as a contribution to national development, in keeping with its mandate to cater for progress one member at a time.
The Fibre Optic Course will be implemented in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and twenty schools have already enlisted.
Instructions are to be provided at home based centers and Gumbs is anticipating an upsurge in interest by students.
Training will also be offered in the use of Microsoft software and other courses.
The inclusion of simulated mechanic shops, where persons of any age and gender can get information on “engines of all types,” added a new flair to technological education here.
Recognising that bridges and borders must be crossed to gain exposure, broaden contacts and hopefully bring success, the NCTI is working with the Trinidad and Tobago based Advanced Solution Technical Institute, whose Director is Dr. Ancil Peters.
Peters is committed to ensure that participants in courses he will lay out “are equipped to take care of the work at any level.”
He made it plain that NCTI was not taking over the Technical Vocational Education and Training module.
He expressed satisfaction with the range of study and hoped that students will find spheres suitable to their capacity, need and the environment.
“We want young people to have a sense of their own,” Peters stated.
The Advanced
Solution Technical Institute has regional and international connection, which can only impact positively on the operations and growth of the NCTI.
All of the forementioned was presented at the NCTI Conference which took place last week Thursday, January 23, at the National Insurance Service Conference Room, and at which Dr. Peters was the featured speaker.
The Conference also heard from Education Minister Curtis King and Finance Minister and
Camillo Gonsalves Minister King endorsed the partnership between the NCTI and the Advanced Solution Technical Institute.
Dr. Ancil Peters, Director of
He pointed to other entities which provided learning opportunities which can help persons/students to “enhance their skills, pursue their passion and contribute meaningfully to society.”
Minister Gonsalves pointed to the people spearheading the drive. He welcomed Gumbs,
adding “we are trying to leverage his brilliance.” Gonsalves complimented Dr. Jerrol Thompson whom he cited as providing the the architecture for the country’s technological base. Apollo Knights, NTRC Director, also came in for commendations. (WKA)
Petrus Gumbs now heads the NCTI and will see to an immediate roll out of new programming.
the T&T based Advanced Solution Technical Institute, delivered the feature address at the NCTI Conference.
The National Newspaper of St. Vincent and the Grenadines
Managing Director: Desiree Richards
Editor: Cyprian Neehall
Telephone: 784-456-1123 Fax: 784-451-2129
Website: www.thevincentian.com
Email: thevincentianpublishing@gmail.com
Mailing Address: The Vincentian Publishing Co. Ltd., P.O. Box 592, Kingstown, St Vincent and the Grenadines.
Editorial
Can’t ignore the BRICS
WITH ALL THAT SURROUNDSthe early days of the Donald Trump presidency in the USA, we might just be distracted from a development that could well affect “how we do business” and with “whom we do business” in the future.
Yes, many of us in the Caribbean will be excused for our preoccupation with Mr. Trump’s action against immigrants. To say the least, we will become “worried” about many of our friends and relatives who, while making it well for themselves so they can help support those they left behind, have still not had their immigration status regularized.
And while it is important that we keep abreast of developments as they relate to Trump’s determined effort to double down on immigrants without regard for law, decency or common sense, we cannot afford to lose sight of what is unfolding on the world’s economic stage.
While the USA is occupied with the early days of the Trump presidency and dealing with the chaos it created in Ukraine and Palestine, there is a group of countries, world powers in their own right, who are positioning themselves to dismantle the American dominance in the world economy.
This group of countries, officially the BRICS group + (herein referred to as BRICS group), is already a formidable bloc on the global economic stage, and is intent on causing a significant shift in the dynamics of world financing and trade.
Originally comprising five nations — Brazil, China, India, South Africa and Russia — the recent inclusion of Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates has expanded both the geographical reach and the influence of the BRICS group.
And those who have been observing the growth of the BRICS group will have noted that over the past decade at least, its original members have registered impressive growth in trade and GDP contributions.
World trade figures speak to the group’s merchandise export figures as a share of global merchandise exports as “doubling”, climbing from 10.7 per cent in 2000 to 23.3 per cent in 2023.
In contrast, the share of global exports of the G7 bloc, the group of western economies in which the USA
has a dominant role, has declined significantly, reflecting a shift in global trade from the traditional, established economies to new and emerging markets.
This is driven by the expanding economies of China and India, as the group’s influence finds footing in countries in the south, especially as it relates to the African continent.
As such therefore, there is a shift in numbers that reflect a broader shift in global power, creating a new dynamic which the Caribbean we must move quickly to understand, reflect on and act accordingly.
This is a situation, to put it simply, in which our traditional political and trade partners no longer dominate the global economic order; they no longer set the rules of international trade, finance and even governance.
To reiterate, we in the Caribbean have to wake up quickly to this reality of new, diverse voices that each day gain more and more prominence on the world stage.
The current period in economic, financial and trade dynamics is a challenging one — challenging because it sets itself up to openly attack the traditional power structures with the aim, they purport, of offering a more equitable global economy, driven by genuine representation and inclusivity.
This reality should not escape the Caribbean governments who oversee economies that have been tied to western economies in terms of trade and finance.
This is not to say that the BRICS group offers the panacea to all economic and finance challenges facing the developing world.
For, it too, has to be mindful of internal differences — political systems and thought, economic and development priorities, regional concerns (see the China-Taiwan issue) - and move to deal with this before it can be stable enough to influence compelling, structural changes in the global trade/economic order.
Notwithstanding its own challenges, as the BRICS it continues to grow, i.e. evolves into the major force that it is destined to be, it must be committed to fostering a world of many interest centres but balanced nonetheless, The BRICS has the potential to reshape the global landscape.
The Caribbean must not ignore this reality.
Community policing is not Neighborhood Watch
NOT FOR THE FIRST TIME,our Police Force is calling for the formation of Neighbourhood/Community watch groups (NWG), to help curb the rampant and indiscriminate killing among the nation’s “gang members.”
Speaking on a popular morning talk show, Cop Chat on WEFM, a few months ago, Corporal Edson Smith said that national security was not solely the responsibility of the government and the Police Force and he urged groups in high-crime communities across St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) to take a proactive approach and organize themselves as a means of protecting their communities. I suppose the Police Commissioner (Ag) has decided that “desperate times call for desperate measures,” to quote Hippocrates, the famous Greek physician.
Many of us concerned with the excessive killing among mostly young people of our nation have been asking for years now for a proactive approach toward policing our streets. I/we are pleased to see the policymakers begin to recognize the need to do something different since we cannot simply hope our gang members will wipe each other out in due course.
Well, Corporal Smith, I hope you are not too late. My experience tells me that the best time to start a Neighborhood Watch Group (NWG) is not after the killing but before. At this point, the police and the government are responsible for stopping the killing; please don’t ask us to step out and step up after the police force has allowed things to get out of hand.
Please note that I am not saying that NWGs are unnecessary or not valuable, but most people I know will not leave their homes to meet you or any other until you make it safe for us to do so. I’ll be the first to admit that watch groups can promote relationship-building, but without the proper guidance, they can also give residents a false sense of security.
I want to remind my neighbour and the police that residents should never be seen as replacements for law enforcement or other security measures. Sometimes, community watch groups can do more harm than good when group volunteers attempt to take law enforcement into their own hands. I am sure many of us can remember the story of the Florida young man, Trayvon Martin, who George Zimmerman killed
for walking through “his” neighborhood?
Now, I want to discuss the differences between Neighbourhood Watch Groups and Community Policing. For example, a NWG arranges neighborhood cookouts, block parties, and game nights where neighbors can gather. They also organize events like community clean-up drives and other volunteering programmes to encourage community involvement and cohesion. These activities foster a sense of security and safety among community residents and lead to a general reduction in crime.
Police officers are usually asked to provide training in identifying and reporting suspicious activities to the appropriate authorities. They can also guide effective communication strategies and help build strong relationships between the community and the police. They can also provide crime prevention materials, like brochures, to educate residents about crime prevention strategies.
Community Policing (CP) is more than getting to know your neighbours, checking on older adults who live alone, or forming youth groups. CP requires a change in the organization from top to bottom. Police must be allowed to build relationships with community members and groups. When police officers spend time building relationships with residents and workers, they become trusted members of the community. From top to bottom, we must embrace the change required to implement community policing effectively.
The story of the Gonzales community in East Port of Spain, Trinidad, is the best example of how a CP effort failed before it ultimately succeeded. After more than a year of planning, the programme was rolled out in February of 2006, but by the end of the year, the commander was reassigned along with many other officers. By mid-2007, everyone was ready to abandon the CP. In 2008, the programme was re-staffed and became a success story.
We must remember that a CP programme must engage other interest groups such as schools, probation offices, parole offices, health services, public works departments, and child support services, if it is to be successfully implemented.
Horatio
Dr. Shallow is the man
WE ARE HEADING into another general election, and this is a good time to think about what kind of representatives we want in our parliament.
Mr. Editor, you have gone on regard as saying that our current group of parliamentarians have been ‘kicksing in parliament’. I think you mean that our reps have been short-changing us and very few of them see the need to make things better, to raise the bar, preferring to spend time cross-talking, and spitting piccong and harsh words against one
another. I don’t think it is wrong to say that it is time to think about getting some new faces and voices in our parliament. I know some of you would tell me that we had three new faces and voices in our last parliament — Bramble, Brewster and James. But tell me, have they shown themselves willing and ready to take our parliament to a higher level?
One person who stands out as a good choice for parliament is
Dr. Kishore Shallow. Not only is Dr. Shallow a qualified and intelligent man, but he is resourceful and knows what he wants for his people. He has shown that he isn’t afraid to tackle big and sometimes delicate issues.
That we can see in him, being Head of one of the most scrutinized regional bodies — Cricket West Indies. Who would have even thought that a young man, not yet 45 years old, from a small island like ours could be elected to head such a
body? History shows us that this is no easy seat to occupy. But Dr. Shallow has weathered whatever has come or been thrown his way and has come out stronger.
To be Head of Cricket West Indies and come out without a scratch is not just one feather in his cap but a whole “bird full” of feathers.
Yes, Mr. Editor, we need parliamentarians who are honest (and this also means people who do not lie), hard-working, and ready to put the people first. Dr. Shallow
strikes me as being one of those individuals. He represents the kind of change our country needs right now and the type of leadership for the future.
With people like Dr. Shallow putting themselves up as candidates, I have hope for the future.
Charles, Edinboro
What NDP needs to do to win Trump is serious
THE NEW DEMOCRATIC PARTY,led by Dr. Godwin Friday, will be making yet another attempt to defeat the Unity Labour Party, when General Elections are called this year. The party MUST first be commended for choosing a good slate of candidates to contest the elections. This, however, is just the beginning. The NDP has much work to do to win the General Elections. Here are seven ways the party can achieve this goal.
1. The party MUST present a united front during the election campaign. No cracks should appear. Let the cracks appear on the other side.
2. There MUST be vigilance and assertiveness by NDP agents on polling day. Win the elections on polling day; don’t try to win in the Courts.
3. The campaign managers and organizing committees of the NDP MUST sit down to meticulously plan effective campaign strategies
to win this battle against ULP. Be on the ground early and work tirelessly, in every corner of the various constituencies, to spread a message of hope and substance. No constituency MUST be taken lightly, not even the constituencies that are considered strongholds of the NDP. Take nothing for granted.
4. NDP must continue to use the media, public meetings and rallies to educate the electorate, and its candidates should make regular visits to homes within their respective constituencies to continue to vigorously highlight the failed policies of the ruling government. NDP must also choose this opportunity to put forward its own policies and programme for social and economic development of St Vincent and the Grenadines. Remain focused! Avoid gutter politics.
5. NDP MUST NOT be dismayed by the seemingly superior financial resources of the
time.
6. NDP should highlight strong key points during the campaign where the ULP has faltered badly, but seems to want to divert attention elsewhere. For instance, the seemingly hurried efforts of the ULP to construct new buildings, while existing building structures, owned by the government, have not been properly maintained in 15 years, with some in great need of repairs or refurbishment.
7. During the campaign, NDP should constantly provide strong evidence to show how poor the ULP has been in government. The party MUST highlight the many areas which have been terribly neglected by the government in the last two decades, while explaining how the NDP would address those areas of concern if or when they form government.
Man On The Ground
Making a killing from Beryl
ADOLPHUS JAMES(Abukai), Rapete, Stephenus Pope, Philbert Bowens and the crew of M V Guidance 2 lost their lives directly from the passage of Hurricane Beryl. Some of the deaths subsequently may be due to Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome.
The main disaster that is affecting us since the passage of Beryl is an economic one. Our people must have a source of productive income. To this end, an employment agency should have been created to channel the major portion of the available financial resources. We must continue to pay our bills and taxes.
Those who already have jobs must continue their work. Our community would benefit when they work well.
What has happened is that the unemployed were not given the opportunity to fill relief jobs that they qualify for and in too many cases, people were being paid for multiple jobs. Additionally, there are rules for handling relief funds. The role of the middleman is minimized or eliminated. Funds by and large should go to those doing the work, mainly the builders.
While help is available, getting it to those in need is a challenge. Some helpers have apparently been turned away. One major challenge is to find housing for builders. While it is reasonable to expect houses already repaired to make space available to builders, this is not happening in some cases.
The lack or limited services from credit unions and telephone
companies are hindering the rebuilding process. Another stumbling block is the absence or very limited one-day access to goods and services on mainland St. Vincent from the Southern Grenadines. Residents want to go to St. Vincent, conduct business and return on the same day. The service needs to be available by air or sea at least once per week.
With all that is happening, some think that they own everything including jobs, materials, information, distribution and rather than helping, are hindering the rebuilding process. They seem to want to make a killing from Beryl.
Anthony G. Stewart, PhD
IT HAS BEEN some time since I sat down to pen a letter to your publication, and seeing that this is my first for the year allow me to wish you and your staff a healthy and prosperous New Year.
What I am about to say is not to soften anything about the fact that Donald Trump is a most dastardly person, driven by impure intentions, but if history is anything to go by, he is not the first president of the USA that has targeted immigrants.
From what I have read up here “Immigrant rights advocates and criminology professors say the Trump administration wouldn’t have to conduct large workplace raids or round up immigrants in the streets”, and that his deportation thrust could begin immediately targeting the estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants in the U.S.
Trump’s numbers will eventually be accounted for, but in the meantime, we must note that what Trump is out to do is nothing new. Long before Trump, Woodrow Wilson, judged to be a rightwing racist president, kicked out 700 thousand Mexican workers between 1917 and 1918. And President Dwight Eisenhower, a military man, deported 1 million in 1955.
So, you see, Trump is not new in this regard, a reflection of white America. This time around though, we have to factor in the large number of Caribbean people some who hold US citizenship, legal residency status and yes, the hundreds of undocumented people of Caribbean descent, as being among Trump’s target.
And in case you might be not be aware, all immigrants – even if they have legal status –can face deportation if they’re accused of serious crimes like murder, domestic violence, drunk driving, sexual assault, or murder. And Congress, Trump’s Congress, is now considering a bill that would let officials deport immigrants for less serious crimes like shoplifting.
And in case anyone reading this thinks that Trump is bluffing, reports are that Mexico denied a U.S. military plane access to land Thursday, frustrating Trump’s plan to deport immigrants to the country.
The report also said that two Guatemala-bound Air Force C-17s, carrying about 80 people apiece, flew deportees out of the U.S. Thursday night. A third flight, slotted for Mexico (see above) never took off.
Trump is serious; he has the support of Congress and white America who voted for him. This is no joke. Caribbean people in the USA have to be on their guard.
Garnet, NY.
ULP. It is the issues that matter; not the ‘handouts’ at election
BOSVG and NIS: Success under ULP Government
THE ISSUE
THE MASSIVE SUCCESSESof the ULP government over the past 24 years in transforming SVG for the better and uplifting the lives, living, and production of our people have been achieved not only by the efforts of the central government alone but very much so also through the endeavours of state-owned entities (statutory bodies, wholly-owned state companies, or joint state and private sector companies). Always, of course, in tandem with the people of SVG and our friends overseas.
Vital to the progress of SVG since 2001 have been the Bank of SVG (BOSVG), formerly the wholly-owned state bank, the National Commercial Bank (NCB), and the National Insurance Services (NIS). The BOSVG is owned 63 percent by the State (43 percent by the government, 20 percent by the NIS); the other 37 percent is owned by the St. Lucian Eastern Caribbean Financial Holdings (20 percent, in which our NIS also has shares) and 17 percent by individual Vincentian shareholders, including the workers at BOSVG. The NIS is wholly-owned by the government which guarantees all beneficiaries, including pensioners, their benefits.
The NCB was founded in 1977 by the Labour Party government under Milton Cato; it was refashioned as the BOSVG less than 10 years ago. The NIS was established in 1987 by the James Mitchell NDP government on the basis of a draft Bill first introduced by Cato’s Labour government in July 1984 shortly before the general elections of 1984 which was won by the NDP.
BOSVG
The journey of BOSVG from the status of the smallest commercial bank (NCB) to that of the largest, stongest commercial bank in SVG has been absolutely remarkable. A summary of this journey as reflected in the relevant numbers between 2001 and 2024 is as follows:
These numbers tell a huge success story. But the journey has not been easy; and success was not assured. The truth is that in 2001, the ULP government met a bank (NCB) which was badly-managed and tottering on the edge of insolvency. It was a small, under-capitalised bank with wayabove the acceptable limits of bad loans (“impaired loans”) and mired in liquidity challenges. This condition was especially shaky in a world of a more or less monopoly concentration of industrial and finance capital (“banking capital”). In SVG, Barclays Bank, Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, Bank of Nova Scotia, and Royal Bank of Canada ruled the commercial banking roost. Further, the audited accounts of the NCB reflected poorly on the bank’s operation and management in that for the three financial years prior to 2001 (1998, 1999, and 2000) the independent auditors accorded the bank’s accounts the poor rating of “a qualified opinion”. Moreover, in December 2000, the NCB lost its corresponding banking linkage with the Bank of America (its only corresponding bank in the USA) and was on the verge of losing its corresponding banking relation with the Bank of Montreal – the only one it had in Canada. Additionally, the workers at the NCB were the only commercial banking employees in SVG without a pension scheme. Please note that the Ottley Hall — Union Island Projects had bad loans at the NCB amounting to $40 million. NDP highups were using the NCB as their
personal piggy-bank. The NCB was in a terrible mess; so much so that a Trinidad-based bank offered to buy it in 2001 for a meager US $500 thousand.
Under visionary political leadership, a reform programme fashioned with the assistance of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB) vastly improved governance at the Bank, and astute management, the NCB was strengthened within the wider context of facilitating financial stability particularly in the wake of the altered world situation consequent upon the terrorist attacks in the USA on September 11, 2001, and its knocks-on effects.
Similarly, in the aftermath of the worst global economic depression of September 2008 and its awful aftershocks, further alterations were put in place at the NCB in conjunction with the Caribbean Development Bank and under the guidance of the ECCB to enable to survival and sustainability of the Bank. Later, there was a further strategic shift in banking gears to reclaim and strengthen our national patrimony. And as the ownership and direction of commercial banking in the region changed, the BOSVG led the way in the Eastern Caribbean in the purchasing of First Caribbean International Bank (a joinder earlier of Barclays Bank and CIBC). The BOSVG purchased the local operations of FCIB.
Budget 2025- A missed opportunity
(Excerpts of Leader of the Opposition, Honourable Dr Godwin Friday’s 2025 Budget presentation) Cost
of Living Crisis
THE MINISTER ACKNOWLEDGESthe high cost of living when he speaks of the effects of inflation. But he seemed to suggest the worst is over and inflation levels “are trending in the right direction”. P.19
I don’t know who does his grocery shopping because most Vincentians will tell you cost of living is crushing them and that there is no easing of it. It is getting worse. The high and increasing cost of living is crushing people. Families are finding it impossible to make ends meet. At least he agrees with me that this is not a time for new taxes.
In the aftermath of the hurricane, it was expected that relief assistance would be provided to those who lost their income or livelihood. And some of that has been provided. And also, assistance with recovery and rebuilding of home etc. But long before Beryl, people all across the country were catching hell. And were calling on government for relief. The Berylrelated relief measures are short term. He says so himself. So, they can’t deal with the ongoing cost of living crisis. Relief is needed. Put people at the heart of the budget by increasing direct supports to put more money in people’s pockets long term and tackle the cost of living. We have put forward a plan. What I said at our convention in Petit Bordel last year that there needs to be a concerted plan to bring relief from the crushing cost-of-living crisis which people are feeling. One of the measures that we can do that immediately is to reduce the VAT, as we have recommended from 16% to 13%, and ensure that the reduction in prices is passed on directly to the consumers.
The Other Measures:
* Create a VAT free shopping days at key points in the year (August and December), to enable families to buy at a lower price.
* Create an annual bonus for all public sector workers to ease cost of living and redress hardship from low wages.
* Create a bonus payment for those on public assistance and those at the lower end of the NIS payment scale.
* Review import duties on items such as motor vehicles and reduce costs and red tape at the Customs to make things more affordable for persons.
When rising prices are brought under control, we can review the measures.
Rebuilding Our Country’s Economy
We cannot have a country without a growing economy. And going around the world begging for handouts or borrowing because the money is made available is not a substitute for economic development.
Moreover, it is not sustainable: The handouts dry up as our friends get tired of us begging and we have to find new friends of less reputable character to rely on. Borrowing eventually makes the national debt too large and it becomes increasingly burdensome for our people, who bear more and
more taxes to repay the loan because you can’t borrow to repay debt. When this government float bonds to repay debt, as this government does, that does not reduce the debt; it merely substitutes one creditor for another, and in fact, increases the debt because invariably bonds cost more than the loans from countries and multilateral agencies they pay for. To put it colloquially: you digging a hole to fill a hole, and in our case a deeper hole.
The problems of the economy now are a product of the ULP government. They have been in power for nearly 25 years. They cannot continue to blame Mitchell and the NDP for the economic problems–low growth, high unemployment; low wages; declining agriculture, etc. They boast about it, so they must take the blame for the mess that it has become. They created the mess. They have made a country that is falling apart.
Tourism
Post pandemic boom, here and all over the Caribbean, maybe all over the world. Cruise tourism clearly is experiencing high growth in numbers. There must be a plan to get a certain percentage of cruise visitors to return as stay over visitors. Give cruise visitors a great experience so that they would want to come back to stay longer. We are not doing that right now. So little effort appears to be made to woo and keep them. Sites like Villa boardwalk, Fort Charlotte, Pirates of the Caribbean at Wallilabou, Fort Hamilton all were allowed to run down, and the road to Montreal Gardens remains poor.
Stay over visitors are up. I agree the numbers would be even better had it not been for hurricane Beryl. But there is a bottleneck, being the shortage of hotel accommodation, especially on the mainland. We must make every effort to overcome this problem. Government can’t build the capacity needed.
Yacht visitors increased also. Though Beryl was a big setback. I was so happy when over the Christmas season port Elizabeth harbor was full of yachts, especially New Year’s Eve. Numbers have declined since but still there appears to be regularly good numbers in the harbor. I expect the same to be true in other yacht ports in the country. The vexing problem of yacht burglary continues and St. Vincent and the Grenadines remains on the list of places in the region for yacht crime. More effort is needed to apprehend and prosecute the perpetrators, and to dissuade others. Let us make hay while the sun shines. With the increase in numbers, we must capitalize on all opportunities to increase the spending of visitors also. This means better services, upgrading existing tourist sites and creating new sites. We have some seriously spectacular landscape and scenery in our country. From the magnificent beaches in the Grenadines, the absolutely gorgeous Tobago Cays, and the thrilling mountainous terrain, especially in Northern part of the country.
Encouragement
“Encouragement is like water to the soul; it makes everything grow.” Chris Burkmenn.
MANY READERS who are familiar with the New Testament in the bible may have initially conjured up images of Barnabas when reading the headline for this essay/article. Barnabas, whose name means “Son of Encouragement” (Acts 4:36), was an outstanding companion of the Apostle Paul. He was a Levite who was born on the island of Cyprus. His original name was Joseph. However, the disciples gave him the nickname “Barnabas” because of his encouraging nature. It was this same Barnabas who encouraged the Jerusalem disciples to be more trusting of Paul (previously known as “Saul of Tarsus”) who had vigorously persecuted Christians prior to his conversion on the road to Damascus.
We all have the potential to be an encourager (like Barnabas) as we see others struggling with mental, spiritual, emotional and/or physical challenges. This is possible when we care enough to show empathy; to put ourselves in someone else’s struggles and seek to intercept with intent through providing a listening ear and/or a word of encouragement.
Encouragement is a simple yet profound act that has the power to transform lives for the better. It has the ability to ignite hope and rekindle energy in individuals who may have given up on their noble dreams and ambitions following failure or disappointment. It involves providing support, inspiration, and confidence to others, and aiding them to overcome obstacles that may otherwise derail them from the pursuit of their noble ambitions. It is not limited to providing words of reassurance or giving praise; it goes beyond these to recognizing the individual’s potential, appreciating their efforts, and inspiring them to continue the pursuit regardless of the setbacks, obstacles, detours, or challenges. Dr. Robert Schuller (1926-2015), the American Christian televangelist and motivational speaker, notes it well when he reminds us that we will all encounter tough times but that “tough times never last but tough people do.” Encouragement aids the refocus that may often be necessary to empower individuals to keep going following tough times that may emerge through broken relationships, financial disaster, sickness, accidents and the myriad of life’s setbacks.
Empathy and understanding are foundational to expressions of encouragement. Spoken and written words of encouragement reveal that we can identify with their struggles, are conscious of their pain or setback, and are confident that they still possess what it takes to succeed. This may sometimes involve sharing our experiences after having been in a similar position. For example, an individual going through bitter divorce proceedings may gain strength from a divorcee who expresses empathy and can testify of how they developed strength to go through the proceeding and the “emotional pruning” that accompany such events. Such expressions of care and concern can appear like the healing balm for deep wounds that may initially appear to be unbearable. The act of encouragement can convey a simple yet profound
message: “This is not beyond you. You have what it takes to go through this. You are not alone, and I have confidence in your ability to succeed.” It is normal to experience self-doubt and to lose confidence when life’s tragedies appear, or fear of failure is evident. Encouragement can assist in the rebuilding of self-confidence. Encouragement has the capacity to eradicate negative feelings and to provide a source of strength that encourages resilience and persistence. Individuals who are revived can testify of how the words and actions of others reminded them of their worth and capabilities; drawing them away from the chasms of defeat and rekindling the desire to succeed even against great odds. The example of Les Brown (born 1945), the African American motivational speaker, beckons to be mentioned here: Les was diagnosed as “educationally subnormal” during his childhood and told that he could not accomplish much academically. He believed this to be true until a teacher intercepted him and convinced him of the inaccuracy of such a statement. Those words of encouragement provided him with the mental turnaround that resulted in him becoming one of the world’s most renowned motivational speakers.
It is not surprising to observe how encouragement assists in creating and sustaining strong bonds between people. It is normal and expected that the individual who receives encouragement will develop an affinity for the one who cared enough to intercept with intent and to inspire. In addition, relationships can be strengthened when written and spoken words encourage the pursuit of noble ambitions; a sense of trust can emerge and be strengthened through such activities. The sense of acceptance and of belonging can be most exhilarating.
Many examples exist in the realm of academia, sports, and politics to remind us that encouragement is a powerful motivator. It ignites hope and determination, enabling individuals to commit to taking on life’s varied challenges and to push beyond their limitation. Knowing that there is someone in our corner encouraging us to persist even as we encounter challenges and difficulties can make a world of difference. Such caring and concerned individuals encourage us to better our best efforts and to embrace the philosophy to constantly improve our performances. They remind us that, even when we fail, failure is not final and that as good as we are we can be better.
Based on the foregoing, we understand and appreciate that encouragement is one of the most powerful tools we have for creating and sustaining positive change in the lives of others. It builds self-confidence, fosters a sense of appreciation and acceptance, and motivates people to reach their full potential. By offering encouragement, we not only help others to grow, but we also contribute to creating a more compassionate, supportive, and empowered world.
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Justice delayed is Justice denied
‘The poor and ordinary workers among us have never really lived. They spend their entire lives preparing to live. And then they die.’ Maxim Gorky.
GORKY’S STATEMENTis true of workers everywhere, but the Russian writer’s statement has a particular resonance in SVG. The majority of our population is either poor or hard-working. Most grind out a living and find it exceedingly difficult to keep body and soul together. Even when they are wronged, the system conspires to deny them everything, including elementary justice.
Michelle Andrews is exhibit A. A young woman joined the police force to make ends meet. On one faithful November morning in 2008, she was confronted by the most powerful political figure in our country. Her assigned task was to protect and secure his family. He cared nothing about her except for an apparent animalistic desire.
From that day on, Andrews’ life changed for the worse. Exposed by the most powerful as the person who accused him of sexual assault and rape, she was failed by the police high command and condemned by a significant section of our society who disbelieved her claim. She was labelled an enemy of the state. Only a few among us demanded justice for Michelle Andrews.
A year ago, the overwhelming pressures of life overtook her. She suffered a brain aneurysm.
Last Friday, Michelle Andrews, courageous and dignified to the very end, died. Those who bear moral and ethical responsibility for her death mindlessly carry on without the slightest expression of remorse.
More exhibits! Cjea Weekes. In February 2022, Cjea joyously rode pass the Questelles police station on a motorbike. The police, alleging a traffic violation, began a high-speed chase that ended in Cjea Weekes’ death. Before he died, Cjea told his mom, who worked at the official residence of PM Gonsalves at the time, that the police vehicle landed on him as he lay on a badly eroded road at Twenty Hill. Cjea’s family brought a wrongful death claim against the state. Cjea’s mom is ill and currently fighting for her life in the United States.
A caring power elite would swiftly move to settle the matter so as to bring some relief to the grieving parents and provide some financial assistance to the family. Not this heartless bunch who currently occupy the corridors of power. More than two years after his death, the coroners’ inquest promised by the state to investigate the death of Cjea Weekes has not commenced.
Okeno Fergus collided with state power in March 2019. He was shot by police officer Mohammid Lavia outside a fete in Sandy Bay. He was falsely accused, tried and convicted by state authorities. The Court of Appeal exonerated him. Justice of Appeal Davidson Baptiste, while rendering the Court’s decision, condemned the magistrate, a former police commissioner, for switching the burden of proof from prosecutors to the accused man.
Fergus brought a personal injury claim alleging assault and battery. The state refused to settle. Justice Henry ruled in Fergus’ favour and remarked, ‘I cannot understand what would drive a police officer to treat a resident of any country in the way Cpl. Lavia behaved towards Mr. Fergus that morning. It was inhumane, merciless, aggressive, high-handed handed and totally undeserved. The court cannot
countenance such conduct in a democratic society where the rule of law pervades the administration of justice and the society. If ever there was a case that attracted exemplary, aggravated and substantial general damages for loss, damage, physical, emotional and mental injury, this one certainly does.’
On August 12, 2022, Mr. Fergus instructed me to write to DPP Sejilla Mc Dowall requesting that she bring charges against Officer Lavia. It was suggested that the officer be charged with wounding with intent and reckless endangerment. The letter was copied to PM Gonsalves as Minister of National Security and then Chief cop Colin John. None of the three state officials acknowledged the letter.
On January 27, 2025, another letter was written to DPP Mc Dowall requesting a fiat from her office that would allow for the private prosecution of Officer Lavia’s reckless, wrongful, and intentional shooting of Okeno Fergus. The letter was copied to PM Gonsalves, Minister of National Security and Commissioner of Police (Ag) Enville Williams.
Karl Marx correctly said that laws are power in defence of the dominant idea. He could not be more correct. If you need further proof, think about the nurse from Owia who got a slap on the wrist for possessing 60 kilos of cocaine, while a young man from Murray Village got 10 years for 6 kilos.
A young lady from Campden Park was spared jailed time by the magistrate for being in possession of liquid cocaine and ordered to pay a hefty fine. The then DPP would have none of it. The matter was appealed, and she was sentenced to three years. Evidently, the Owia nurse was fronting for someone with connections high up in the state administration.
If you need more evidence of our two-tier system of justice, think about teacher Adriana “Dre’ King, whose case for obstructing the PM’s path to the legislature was dismissed by Magistrate Ballah and promptly appealed by the Director of Public Prosecution. ‘Dre’, a stellar teacher from all reports, is denied the opportunity to shape young minds all the while made to struggle economically on half pay.
If you remain unconvinced, we take you back to November 2008 when police officers beat Jemark Jackson into a coma, forcing him to spend seven days in the intensive care unit. The police who were tried and convicted were defiantly reemployed. They remain on the Force to this day. Jackson was shot and killed in 2022.
A personal injury claim brought on his behalf in 2009 remains languishing in the courts. The state continues to fight liability, thus denying Jemark’s family just compensation.
Dr Martin Luther King Jr. said the arc of history is inexorably bent towards justice. Plain Talk does not share such optimism. We draw strength to go on from Julius Malema, a South African revolutionary politician who instructs, ‘Fighters; we must never get tired. We cannot afford to get tired. If we ever get tired in the fight for justice, the enemy of our people wins.’ Send comments, criticisms & suggestions to
Ken Boyea was a big tree
WHEN A BIG TREEfalls many birds are left without safe nesting places, there is a reduction of fruit available and the exposed earth is more easily eroded by the elements.
Ken Boyea has been for several decades a strong and important player in the socioeconomic life of our precious country and his influence has been almost ubiquitous.
His management style had been always positive and exuded hope to prosper, reflecting the spirit and vibrancy of high-level entrepreneurship.
The young men who have served under him have exhibited noticeably high levels of commitment to teamwork and organization, and that cannot be disputed.
Even with his heavy business schedule, he had maintained significant involvement in the sustaining of the sporting spirit of our land and that has been well appreciated by the people.
When the news broke relative to the threatened weakening of KEN BOYEA’s business, the impact was heavy, for though in that period dozens of smaller businesses had to be closed, it was probably thought that Ken Boyea’s business firm had the resilience to weather the storm, the economic drought. But a dispassionate examination of the state of our economy which had been in serious decline for over six years, should have prepared us for that blow.
No matter how capable the management of a business firm is, when the economy is dead, that business cannot prosper and its ability to meet its financial obligations will be negatively affected.
I am contending, that had we conscientiously asserted ourselves and vigorously pursued the realization of the promise we had so seemingly sincerely made in 2001, to aggressively enhance the recovery of the
agriculture industry, the economy would have been strengthened and the fortunes of our business people would have been improved.
But the reality of the circumstances facing us today seems to suggest that Dr. Gonsalves and his government have been really playing games, with the docile people in the agriculture sector. And in that “PHRAUDD”, he has had the support of persons who had seemed once, to be of the element of patriotic maturity, committed to the defending of the people’s interests. Today, those persons have turned out to be distinctly traitorous, as they have been absorbed by the distinctly untrustworthy Gonsalves’ organization which has been in charge of the country for the last twenty-four years.
Look how many plans have emanated from the Ministry of Agriculture over the last fifteen years! They were impressively advertised but there has been no implementation and the farming community has not had the courtesy of an explanation from the Ministry of Agriculture, of the reasons for the failures.
Instead, there have been several instances, where the Minister of Agriculture Saboto Caesar has been blaming the farmers unjustly. One relates to the destruction of banana production by the ‘black Sigatoka’ disease. It had been reported to the authorities in 2009, that the dreaded disease had begun to affect our banana plantations here, but there was no distinct response from the Ministry of Agriculture until 2011. Yet we have had the Minister blaming the farmers, for not
cutting back their affected fields.
It is widely held, that had the Ministry of Finance honoured its responsibility, to ensure that the Pest and Disease Control measures had been affected, as they had been contracted to do, Mr. Ken Boyea’s company and dozens of other local businesses, would yet have been surviving today.
Ken Boyea our ‘Big Tree’ might well have been with us a few more years, providing welcome shade, safe nesting
places, and healthy fruits, while protecting our precious corrosive authority.
Jehovah will give the Boyea family the strength to cope with this heavy loss. They can take some comfort in the fact, that he had been successful in making a superlative contribution to our society and will be remembered with honour by our people for a long time.
May our brother Ken
now rest in peace!
Remembering Ken Boyea
by Luke Browne
I ATTENDED THE OFFICIAL FUNERAL for renowned entrepreneur Ken Boyea last Thursday. I think he had a great and fitting send off for a man who left a towering legacy on the business landscape of SVG, the Caribbean and the world. I am happy I had an opportunity to write an article about Mr. Boyea for my Entrepreneurs of SVG article series that was published in 2014. As I sat in the pew at the church, I reflected on that article.
I grew up admiring Mr. Boyea from a distance. He was many years my senior. Indeed, he was born in 1937 and I was born almost 50 years later in 1985. He was a very popular figure renowned for the fact that he brought the KFC franchise to SVG. In those days, KFC was definitely true to its slogan of being “finger-licking” good.
In 1996, Mr. Boyea was named the 1st ever Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean. This was no mean achievement. He was aptly described in a tribute at the funeral as a force of nature who was born in the countryside, attended Grammar School and liked playing cricket and tennis.
He studied Mechanical Engineering in the UK, served as the Chief Engineer and General Manager of what is now VINLEC, was nicknamed “Chief”, spent time working in other OECS countries before becoming the General Manager of ECGC from around its inception in 1977 to 1997.
When I was writing my article on Ken Boyea, I had the honour and privilege of interviewing him and learning from his vast experience — it was no longer simply a matter of admiring him from a
distance. I was able to sit with him at close quarters and drink from his legendary cup of wisdom.
I like the language which Joel Providence used to describe Ken Boyea in an article that was published in 2012 at the time of the 35th anniversary of ECGC. Mr. Providence said that Mr. Boyea ‘had a clear and unique vision for ECGC, knew the mechanics of the industry along its entire value chain and engineered operational growth and development’. I think that this language is entirely appropriate for describing a Mechanical Engineer turned CEO and entrepreneur.
Mr. Boyea maintained high standards and had excellent negotiation, recruitment, problemsolving and team leadership skills. He knew how to bring out the best in his employees. Generally speaking, he enjoyed the respect and admiration of his staff. In 2012, Mr. Boyea opened a supermarket which he called the Aunt Jobe’s Market and which has evolved through change of ownership into what we now know as Massy Supermarket.
I am not saying that Mr. Boyea’s career and life was all smooth sailing. He went through difficult periods. He parted ways with ECGC on acrimonious terms, had a bitter separation from one of his sons who played a leading role in the management of his companies, and encountered financial problems at the twilight of his career. He had an appetite for risks. He spent some time in politics and experienced mixed political fortunes. Nevertheless, he stayed the course and attained the business crown.
At a tourism event that took place on 4th July 2006, Ken Boyea said that he would like to see SVG become a unique and unforgettable tourist destination, and he called for the development of a Marquee Hotel with large conference facilities on mainland St. Vincent. He lived long enough to see this dream come true.
Ken Boyea had a special personal style, charm, charisma and magnetic personality, He was one of the most distinguished sons of St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
Boyea “The Big Tree”
LeRoy Providence
Ken Boyea
Message to mark International Customs Day
by Selwyn Da Silva Comptroller of Customs and Excise Department
St. Vincent and the
Grenadines
THE CUSTOMS AND EXCISE DEPARTMENT
joins the family of the World Customs Organization (WCO) in celebrating International Customs Day on January 26, 2025, under the theme: “Customs Delivering on its Commitment to Efficiency, Security, and Prosperity”. It is no coincidence that this theme reflects the strategic mission of our department, which is to contribute to the development of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines through fair revenue collection, to protect the borders, and to facilitate legitimate trade and travel.
The Digital Transformation Project, a government initiative established to transform the country digitally, has mandated the Customs Department to embrace innovative solutions to simplify the complex, ever-changing demands of international trade. In a time when demand exceeds supply, efficiency defines the pace at which a small, vulnerable economy such as ours will grow, develop, and become prosperous. I am humbled to be leading the process of transforming the Customs and Excise Department of St. Vincent and the Grenadines into a paperless department, while leveraging the latest technology to enhance Customs processes and generally
reduce transactional costs to traders. The year 2025 will witness the onboarding of a number of paperless initiatives that will bring tangible benefits to all our stakeholders.
The St. Vincent and the Grenadines Single Window for Trade (VSWiFT), a component under the Digital Transformation Project, will begin to evolve in the next six months. The Single Window will allow a cross-border trader to make a single submission of import and export documentation without having to go to multiple locations across different government agencies to obtain licenses, permits, certificates and other documents to fulfill regulatory requirements. This integrated platform
will expedite the clearance process, minimize delays, and facilitate smoother trade flows. The ultimate goal is to reduce the bureaucratic burden and create a more conducive environment for businesses to thrive, thereby fostering economic growth.
This coming week will see the launch of the epayment portal, having completed the pilot phase with five major importers and brokers. The service will now be opened so that it can be utilized by all businesses and brokers. The introduction of the Customs ePayment portal not only provides another mode of payment, it has revolutionized the way we do business using credit cards. With ePayment, our
stakeholders can now complete their transactions swiftly and securely from the comfort of their homes or offices. This initiative has not only enhanced efficiency but also reduced the risk of errors and fraud, ensuring a more transparent and accountable process. By leveraging technology and embracing digital solutions, we are positioning ourselves as a modern, forwardthinking Customs Administration, ready to meet the challenges of the future. Consequently, there is a call for the trade community to also embrace technology and partner with the Customs Administration to build a competitive and robust trading infrastructure that will
Selwyn Da Silva, Comptroller of Customs and Excise
stimulate economic investment.
In commemorating this auspicious, day, a week of activities will be held, commencing with a prayer breakfast and culminating with a cocktail. The activities are meant to bring awareness of the work of the Customs and Excise Department as well as to show appreciation to the staff for their hard work and unwavering commitment to duty. We are committed to digitally transforming our department to ensure the efficiency, security and prosperity of our multi-island State.
College lecturer delivers holiday cheer
IN THE SPIRIT of the holiday season, community activist and ICT lecturer at the St Vincent Community College- Darron Rodan John, took the initiative to distribute over fifty (50) grocery bags to residents of the South Windward constituency.
This act of kindness brought not just food but also a sense of warmth and cheer to families and individuals who have long contributed to the community, making their holiday season a little brighter.
Reflecting on the activity, John stated, “ It was a joy to bring a little extra warmth and cheer to those who have given so much to our community over the years. Community activism and service remain at the heart of
what I do, and I am committed to ensuring that no one is left behind.”
The grocery bags, marked with the label “Christmas 2024 in South Windward Sweet Ohhh,” represent John’s dedication to fostering unity and compassion within the community. The initiative highlights his ongoing commitment to building a stronger and more caring South Windward.
As John looks forward to continuing his community service efforts, he expressed gratitude for the support received this far, saying, “Together, we can build a stronger and more caring South Windward. Thank you all for your continued support, and I look forward to working with you in 2025.”
This initiative is part of John’s broader vision of community development, which has been at the forefront of his activism for over 15 years. Residents have not just acknowledged but also praised his efforts as an embodiment of selfless service, making them proud to have such a dedicated community leader.
John enters the New Year steadfast in his dedication to serving the people of South Windward, emphasizing that community service and activism are central to his mission.
The grocery bags - all ready for distribution to deserving members of the South Windward community.
Although he is tipped to be the ULP standard bearer for the South Windward constituency in the upcoming General elections, he was quick to point out that his
activism has been consistent over many years, testified by his work with and in several community organisation. (Contribution)
Darron John making a personal delivery to a community member.
Darron Rodan John sees his Christmas outreach as just another demonstration of dedication to building “a stronger and more caring South Windward.”
Tribute V
On the passing of Celeste Kia Imani Williams: A ‘thank you’ from the Williams family
FROM October to December 2024, our lives were profoundly altered by the news related to our beloved Celeste and her subsequent passing on 5th December 2024.
During this time, while our hearts were heavy with grief, the overwhelming outpouring of love, support, and prayers from so many provided our family with comfort and strength, reminding us that we were not alone on this journey.
To her Jamaican community, we extend our deepest gratitude for providing Celeste with a safe and nurturing home away from home. Our heartfelt appreciation is extended to the students, faculty and staff of the UWI Mona Campus, VINSA, the students of the Leslie Robinson Hall who organized a vigil in her honor, the doctors and nurses of the UWI Hospital, Ms. Tracy Plummer and Ms. Sonia Grosset her devoted caretakers, our cousin Mrs. Charmaine Salmon, Ms. Jennifer Sirjue, her cherished friends Breanna, Maya, Shaq, Shari, Enkeshi, Kitty, Bianca, Marci, Jide, Lauren, Britney, Myka, Raffique, Shawn, Kyra, and Ariane. Your prayers, hospital visits and unwavering presence at her side demonstrated extraordinary love and compassion.
To her Vincentian community, words cannot express our gratitude for the love and support you showed Celeste throughout her short life. Special appreciation to Chevonne, LaToya, Mirage Productions, her godfather Lance Olliver and his wife Maferne. To her dearest friends Iman, Querise, Shiann, Tiffany, Tyeis, Rheanna, Toni, Ariana, Jade, Jada and countless others, your presence illuminated her life, and your bond brought her immeasurable joy.
We also extend our sincere appreciation to all who attended her funeral and those who joined via the live stream, the Eveready Funeral Home, the Comptroller and staff of the Customs and Excise Department, The Ministry of Finance, our neighbours, family and friends in the wider Caribbean and North America and all those who stood by and with us during this difficult time.
Thanks to those who took the time to write tributes and read tributes at Celeste’s funeral service. While we
wept during the tributes you gave us immense joy by your wonderful utterances. Special thanks to our friend and neighbour Joel Providence, the SVG Beauty Shows Committee, Mirage Productions, Dr. Lisa Vasciannie, Ms. June Barbour, Mr. Ajomo Baker, Mr. Perry Cummings Jr, Mrs. Marjorie Browne, Ms. Breanna Lionel, and Mr. Shawn Green
To Skinny Fabulous and Machel Montano, Rodney Small and his band, the Kingstown Methodist Church and particularly Reverend Gillian Murray, we say thank you.
As we continue to grieve this monumental loss, we humbly ask for your prayers for her brothers Adrian and Joshua as they navigate this challenging period.
Celeste’s light and love touched so many despite her youthful age. The love and kindness you showed us reminds us of the remarkable legacy she has left behind.
May we honour her memory by cherishing the relationships she forged and valued by carrying forward her spirit of compassion, warmth, love, and joy.
We are forever grateful for the roles you all have played in her life and for the support you have given us and continue so to do.
Although her sojourn on earth has ended, we will continue to cherish the memories she left us.
Rest in Peace CELESTE KIA IMANI. We will always love you.
Celeste Kia Iman Williams
TAMEED application period extended
MEN WHO OWNand operate or aspire to start businesses in St. Vincent and the Grenadines are being provided with an opportunity to be a part of a men’s empowerment project that will set them on the path towards entrepreneurial success. The Centre for Enterprise Development Inc. (CED) today announced an extension for applications to its Technical Assistance for Men’s Employment and Entrepreneurship Development (TAMEED) programme.
The six-month project, is funded by the Church of Jesus Christ of LatterDay Saints, aims to empower men by equipping them with the necessary skills, resources, and guidance to achieve sustainable employment and entrepreneurial success.
The new deadline for applications is Friday, 14 February, 2025.
The project will address the challenges men face in today’s competitive job market and business environment by providing tailored support and practical solutions. The objectives are to: enhance their employability by equipping men with industry-relevant technical and soft skills to secure stable and well-paying jobs; foster entrepreneurship by supporting aspiring entrepreneurs in
starting, managing, and scaling successful businesses; and bridge skill gaps by addressing skill deficiencies in targeted industries, ensuring participants are job-ready and competitive.
The project also seeks to promote economic growth by enabling participants to contribute meaningfully to their communities and the broader economy.
The TAMEED project will provide career development: through comprehensive training in technical skills, resume building, and interview preparation; entrepreneurship support through workshops on business planning, financial management, and market strategies; and mentorship and coaching for personalized guidance and advice. There will also be networking opportunities to connect with industry professionals, investors, and like-minded peers and access to resources for funding options, and information to ensure participants’ success.
The project will primarily cater to men aged 18 and above, including recent graduates, mid-career professionals, and those looking to pivot into entrepreneurship. It
particularly focuses on individuals facing barriers to employment or seeking guidance in navigating the complexities of launching a business.
The CED is encouraging men who own and operate MSMEs to apply to be a part of the TAMEED project, which will select 40 participants.
(Source: CED)
Raising awareness of biodiversity
Forestry Officer Felicia Baptiste delivering one of the presentations in the recent round of biodiversityrelated sessions with school in Sandy Bay and Georgetown.
THE VOLCANIC ERUPTION EMERGENCY PROJECT (VEEP) — implemented under the Forest Biodiversity and Watershed Project another round in a series of educational presentations across schools on mainland Saint Vincent.
The presentations were aimed at raising awareness of biodiversity preservation and watershed protection.
The recent round of presentations were made on Wednesday, January 22, when Forestry Officers from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries, Rural Transformation, Industry, and Labour led sessions at the Sandy Bay Government School, Sandy Bay Secondary School and the
Georgetown Government School.
The sessions highlighted watershed challenges, and the importance of reforestation, soil and water conservation and sustainable practices.
Previously, the initiative reached 13 schools from 1 October to 20 November, 2024. These schools ranged from Fitz Hughes Government School, in North Leeward, to Tourama/Overland Government School, North Windward.
This initiative aligns with the Forest Biodiversity and Watershed Project’s mission to implement strategies for soil and water conservation, reforestation, and environmental sustainability across affected regions. By integrating community involvement and educational outreach, the project strives to safeguard Saint Vincent’s unique biodiversity while addressing post-volcanic challenges.
The Forest Biodiversity and Watershed Project responds to the environmental devastation caused by La Soufrière’s eruption and Hurricane Elsa. The project is a collaborative effort between the Economic Planning Division (Ministry of Finance, Economic Planning and Information Technology)/VEEP & the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries, Rural Transformation, Industry and Labour. (Submitted)
Students of the Georgetown made good and enthusiastic use of the interactive component of the sessions.
BOSVG and NIS: Success under ULP Government
Continued from Page 10.
The NCB, and later BOSVG, joined the ULP government in path-breaking initiatives including the “no-down payment” for housing mortgages for public servants and the student loan programme for university education (in conjunction with the NIS). Meanwhile, innovative banking products and revolutionary systems of management and customer service were introduced to bolster the BOSVG.
THE NIS
The strengthening and reforming of the NCB/BOSVG in challenging economic circumstances globally and regionally, with national repercussions, mirrored a similar process at the National Insurance Services. Again, similar ingredients propelled the NIS to further advances and successes.
The raw data on the NIS advancements since the end of 200 tell a compelling success story:
The NIS in 2024 paid out $97.3 million in benefits, touching the lives of thousands across SVG as follows:
(i) Contributory Pension Payments to over 10,000 retirees. This includes old-age pension (5,688), early age pension (1,917), survivors (1,771), invalidity (200), and others.
(ii) Non-contributory pension payments to 296 persons.
(iii) Support for workers: Payment for sickness, maternity, and employment injury benefits totalled $5,4 million, providing replacement income for 10,400 workers.
(iv) Maintaining National Provident Fund (NPF) payments: $1.2 million.
(The NPF is the precursor to the NIS; NPF ceased collecting contributions under the system since 1987 but there are still NPF beneficiaries alive).
Of course, the NIS is an important plank in the socio-economic development of SVG through various investments and social initiatives. Please note that the NIS investment exposure to the government is only 11 percent of its total investment portfolio – way below the accepted norm of 30 percent regionally and globally.
The NIS reforms piloted by the government recently has put the NIS on a sound actuarial footing for a further 35 years, without further requisite reforms, barring extraordinary, cataclysmic circumstances. These reforms were effected openly, transparently, and sensibly.
OTHER STATE ENTITIES
The ULP government has strengthened immeasurably the performances of hitherto existing state entities such as VINLEC, CWSA, the SVG Port Authority, the Housing and Land Development Corporation, the Government Printery, the National Sports Council, the National Cultural Foundation, the Arrowroot Industry Association, and the National
Broadcasting Corporation. It has reformed and established legal entities out of pre-2001 Organisations, namely: the National Lotteries Authority, the Carnival Development Corporation, the Commerce and Intellectual Property Office, the SVG Postal Corporation, the Agricultural Input Warehouse, the SVG Bureau of Standards, the SVG Community College, the Agency for Public Information, and the Central Procurement Board.
Further, and vital to the overall transformation of SVG for the better, the following entities have been created by the ULP government: the Argyle International Airport Company; the Buildings, Roads, and General Services Authority (BRAGSA); the National Parks, Rivers and Beaches Authority; the Student Loan Company, the Farmers’ Support Company; the Medicinal Cannabis Authority; the Zero Hunger Trust Fund; the Contingencies Fund; the Petro Caribe (SVG) Limited; National Accreditation Board for Tertiary Education; the Sector Skills Development Agency; the National Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (NTRC); the Office of the Supervisor of Insolvency; National Emergency Management Office; Financial Intelligence Unit; and Financial Services Authority.
Moreover, in the process of uplifting good governance and modern public administration, the ULP government has strengthened immensely the following constitutional or legal offices: Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions; Office of the Director of Audit; Office of the Supervisor of Elections; Passports and Immigration Department; and the Office of the Attorney General.
By any measurement, this has been an outstanding record of institutionbuilding, good governance, and effective nation-building in the people’s interest. The ULP has ben a magnificent reform government.
Taken for a ride
Dear George,
I’VE BEENcorresponding with this guy from Toronto for the past 8 months. We met on a dating site and I was sure this was my match made in heaven. He was kind, very generous and respectful.
I finally got to visit him and because, as he said, his house had plumbing problems and he was staying with his mom, he booked me in a hotel and we agreed to split the cost.
The first night together was like a movie scene. He had champagne and cheese and the works. But, the first disappointment was soon to come - all I got from him was six minutes of sex this after he had bragged so much about what he could do in bed.
I staying in Tornoto for two week and saw him five times including when he picked me up at and took me back to the airport.
Since my return I have found out that he is married with children and I have not called him. I’ve made the decision to cut him off with no explanation. I believe he will know
why, wouldn’t he?
Highly disappointed
Dear Highly disappointed,
It is always good not to get your expectations up too high.
There would have been much you would not have known about this man and you should have stepped cautiously.
He certainly did a great job on setting you up for an emotional fall, and he would know why you have not contacted him since your return so it’s no use explaining what he already knows.
You should be thankful your experience did not take a turn for the worse. Do not let this one poor example of a man cause you to blanket all men as terrible.
George
Caught in a real mess
Dear George,
ILIVE ALONEin a onebedroom house, and my girlfriend had a sleepover a few weekends ago. I told her my boyfriend visits me sometimes, especially on weekends, and we agreed it wouldn’t be a problem.
She showed up on Friday evening, and her boyfriend, who has his key, showed up that night after eleven when I was asleep. He did not know my friend was there.
He went into the bathroom while my friend was in the shower thinking it was me. He said he entered the
bathroom naked as he would customarily do, and was shocked to see another woman there. The morning all my friend could tell me, over and over, was how endowed my boyfriend was.
My concern now is that I cannot trust her not to try to seduce my boyfriend. On the other hand, my boyfriend is accusing me of being sexually and intimately involved with her which was why I didn’t tell him about her coming over. He thinks I am cheating and I’m afraid he will cheat on me with my friend. This is messed up.
Cloudy Mind
Dear Cloudy Mind,
There has to be trust in the relationship in order for it to work. Your girlfriend may be who she is but you have got to trust your boyfriend to conduct himself in a dignified manner anytime he’s around her, whether or not you’re there. If your boyfriend is not satisfied after you offer him a good explanation and apology then it’s up to him to decide what his next move is going to be and whatever it is, it should be communicated to you in a timely manner.
George
No longer enjoying the sex
Dear George,
GOOD SEXhas gone out of my marriage of twenty-five years and I am at a loss as to how to communicate this to my wife. When we first met she was the liberal type, open to any and every thing. Now I think she has gotten very comfortable in the relationship and so much so that she would not even touch me if I don’t touch her. Sex is never on her mind and when it happens she just lies there like a log. Sometimes I feel as though I’m taking advantage of her or raping her. How do I address this without her getting her feelings in the way?
Not Happy
Dear Not Happy,
You have no choice but to sit your wife down and tell her what’s on your mind. Explain to her how much you would like to recapture the spark that once was present and discuss the possible reasons for things being the way they are.
That said, it would be a bad idea if both of you see a relationship/sex therapist to get some answers and ideas on how to revitalize the relationship.
Couples can get very comfortable and take each other for granted and all it takes sometimes to get things back on track is a loving nudge from either partner. Things can get going again once you are willing to put in the necessary work. Keep at it! George
SVG joins Go Public! Fund Education
SAINT VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES (SVG) became the first country in the Caribbean to join the “Go Public! Fund Education” campaign during a two-day workshop held by the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Teachers’ Union (SVGTU), Education International (EI), and the Caribbean Union of Teachers (CUT).
The workshop for SVGTU executive members, held from January 20 and 21, was an opportunity to present the campaign’s objectives and develop advocacy plans to support the union as it organizes to address the teacher shortage, empower members, and ensure full funding of public education. Oswald Robertson, president of the SVGTU, welcomed the “Go Public! Fund Education” campaign and the workshop, which, he was confident, will benefit the union’s members: “It is really a great pleasure for us to launch this very important
initiative. Our teachers will benefit from it, and so will the students, the nation as a whole. Because education is the key to sustainable development.”
He added:
“Quality is fundamental to what we do. Whereas sometime the employer talks about quantity, quality must be embedded.”
He went on to stress that teacher salaries are very low. “In fact, we will be getting a 2.5% raise at the end of this month, but half of that has already gone into taxes and other financial burdens imposed by the government.”
SVGTU Assistant General
Secretary Tishanna Reid said that “the ‘Go Public! Fund Education’ campaign and the United Nations’ recommendations advocate for
equitable, quality public education. They will help unions promote better funding, working conditions and professional respect, and enable educators to deliver effective teaching. Together they ensure education systems prioritize inclusiveness and sustainability and recognize teachers as essential contributors to societal progress,” said Reid.
Meanwhile, SVGTU Public Relations Officer Fiona Charles Williams stressed:
“The ‘Go Public! Fund Education’ campaign and the UN recommendations add an international layer to the SVGTU concerns with regards to its members and the national education standards. As a multi-island state, it is important that we meet the needs of our members. The ‘Go Public!’ campaign, along with the UN recommendations offers a platform for the future
of education in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.” Go Public! Fund Education is an urgent call for governments to invest in public education, a fundamental human right and public good, and to invest more in teachers, the single most important factor in achieving quality education. The ‘Go Public! Fund Education’ campaign is an initiative by Education International urging governments worldwide to invest in public education,” SVGTU Executive Committee member Reba Cozier said. “The SVGTU has partnered with EI and CUT to launch this campaign in SVG to advocate for teachers in critical areas, including better working conditions and salaries. Through this partnership we will be able to strengthen the public education system in SVG.
Below: Oswald Robertson, President of the SVGTU, (right) welcomed the “Go Public! Fund Education” campaign as a benefit to teachers, students and the nation as a whole.
Angelo Gavrielatos, Campaign Manager – Education International – highlighted the shortage of teachers as a worldwide phenomenon and the need to do something about it.
Leisure
ARIES (Mar. 21- April 20)
If you go shopping, only take what you can afford to part with. Your sensitive nature will allow others to read you well. Partnerships could prove to be lucrative. Your talents are likely to be discovered.
TAURUS (Apr. 21- May 21)
You can help them more than they can help you. Tempers will mount if you’re too pushy at work or at home. Your mind will be on matters that deal with secret affairs. You will be quite excitable this week.
GEMINI (May 22-June 21)
Resist any idle chatter. Your involvement in organizational events could open doors to new and exciting opportunities. Social events will lead to a strong and stable relationship. You can make major accomplishments while on short trips.
CANCER (June 22-July 22)
Ask those in key positions to help you overcome the delays and to support your concerns in order to move on. You are best to keep hard feelings to yourself. Don’t be taken advantage of by any fast talking salesperson trying to part you from your cash. If you go shopping, only take what you can afford to part with.
LEO (July 23-Aug 22)
Be sure to get involved with those who can introduce you to unusual forms of entertainment. You can make money but not through harebrained schemes or gambling. Positive changes regarding your personal status are evident. Your contributions will be valued and helpful.
VIRGO (Aug. 23 -Sept. 23)
Do not blow situations out of proportion. Listen to a good friend who is truly looking out for your best interests. Get back into the swing of things. Social events may lead to a romantic interlude.
LIBRA (Sept. 24 -Oct. 23)
You may find yourself changing plans for some form of entertainment. You can expect to have some problems with skin, bones, or teeth if you haven’t taken proper care of them. Stay away from social unpleasantness. Travel will be favorable.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24 - Nov. 22)
You can accomplish a great deal. You will have to check your cash flow before you decide to indulge in hobbies or entertainment that may be beyond your budget. The experience will be good. Help if you can, but more than likely it will be sufficient just to listen.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23 -Dec. 21)
Get together with friends who like to participate in indoor sports. You must not let others talk you into doing things that will probably limit you financially at a later date. Be sure to spend time helping children with projects that are too difficult for them to accomplish alone. Investments that deal with property will be lucrative; however, upsets with family members may be likely.
CAPRICORN (Dec 22.- Jan. 20)
Discuss your objectives with peers or lovers. Disputes on the home front may be hard to avoid. Listen, but don’t make any rash decisions. You may find your mate somewhat perturbed.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 21 -Feb. 19)
It’s a good time to make changes to your living quarters that will give you more space. Mingle with those who can further your goals. You can make money through solid investment plans. Travel is evident, but be cautious while in transit.
PISCES (Feb. 20-Mar. 20)
Take some time out. Your ability to take hold of a situation will surely bring you popularity and leadership. Don’t draw too much attention to yourself at work. You can make favorable changes in your home environment.
ACROSS
1.Chip Carter’s sis 4. Chances 9. Sandwich letters
12. Pint-sized
13. Desirable quality
14. Confederate, for short
15. Great quantity
16. Not sooner
17. Turkish title
18. Sensible
20. Singer Jenny
22. Flank
25. Mamas’ mates
28. Bee’s weapon
31. Actress Dorothy
32. “Jeopardy!” champ Jennings
33. Unforgiving
36. “At __ Hop”
37. Levin and Gershwin
39. Dispossessed
41. More agreeable
43. Housekeeper’s bane
44. Numeral suffix
46. Tried and __
49. After Thurs.
51. Time of
waiting 54. “Treasure Island” monogram
56. Company’s head (abbr.)
57. Church official
58. Pinch
59. Trick 60. Cranky 61. Retirement benefit agcy.
DOWN
1.Punching tool
2. Cat call
3. Abominable Snowman
4. Capital of North Carolina
5. “This __ recording” (2 wds.)
6. Concorde letters
7. Actor Howard 8. __ steak 9. Shiloh’s daddy (2wds.)
10. Table part
11. Vague schedule info (abbr.) 19. Social
Security no.
Carp
Narc’s org.
Was mistaken
Tennis ace Arthur
Tool hut
Rind 29. Garr or Hatcher
Idleness
“Law & Order:__” 35. Study of the past 38. Witness
Middle (abbr.)
LAST WEEK’s SOLUTION
Sublease
Cairo’s river
Flower containers
Yale students
Watchdog agcy.
50. Early brand of car 52. Drs. 53. Play the horses
Masseur’s employer, perhaps
Clubs to get bigger pay day
A tOTAL OF $235 900 will be paid out as prize money for the 2024- 2025 St. Vincent and the Grenadines Football Federation’s National Club Championships. This confirmation came when clubs met at the Conference Room of the SVGFF, on Thursday, January 23, 2025, to receive their Club Licensing Certificates, a donation of footballs, as well as
presentation of start-up funds to Tier Two Clubs and drawing for slots.
The prize money allocation shows an increase of 25% on the amounts distributed for the previously held 2022/2023 championships.
Showing the largest increase is Tier One or Premier Division, with overall prize money up by 45%, bringing the total disbursement to
such, $100,500 among ten clubs in Tier One.
The winner will collect $30 000, second place$24 000, third place- $18 000 and fourth place- $12 000.
The remaining positions get $4000, $3500, $3000, $2500, $2000 and $1500 in descending order.
The Premiership is played in a full league format, with the ten clubs meeting each other
twice.
The distribution in Tier Two of the First Division, which is set to kick off February 1, and played in a cup format, sees the champion club pocketing $ 15 000, second place- $12000, third place- $9000, fourth place- $6000, whilst all losing quarterfinalists get $2000.
Meanwhile, as for the Senior Women’s competition to be played 11 vs 11, the winner’s purse is $12 000; second place- $10 000, third place- $8000 and fourth place- $6000.
Those outside the top four, in order of positions get $3000, $2500, $2000, $1500, $1000 and $500.
Another component of the Women’s Division is the 7 vs 7 competition, with the competing clubs placed in groups.
The club emerging first is assured $6000, second place- $5000, third place- $4000, fourth place- $3000 and the four losing quarter finalists$500 each.
During the 2024-2025 National Club Championships, there will be two age group divisions: Under-15 and
Bequia Football League elects Executive
THE BEQUIA FOOTBALL LEAGUE(BFL) has a new Executive. This follows on the hosting of elections and Congress last Tuesday night, January 28, 2025, at the Bequia Community High School.
The new BFL’s President is Patrick Hutchins, with Lez Malcolm, the Vice- President. Holding the post of Treasurer is Youri Phillips, with Wayne Peters, the General Secretary. Hutchins, Malcolm and Phillips were elected unopposed, whilst
Peters retained his position.
The Executive is completed by four Committee Members- Ralph Stowe, Thaddeus Forde, Dane Douglas and Sophia Pollard.
They were chosen from a list of eight other nominees, which included Tonisha Marshall, Francila Gregg, Kemo Bynoe and Seliza Hazel.
The executive has a term life of three years.
Tuesday’s elections were overseen by Dominique Stowe,
First Vice- President of the SVGFF, along with Colin John and Wollis Christopher.
In an interview after the confirmation of his presidency, Hutchins disclosed his vision, noting, “I will like to see Bequia Football become vibrant as it used to be, when you had so many teams that you could fill the length of the park (Clive Tannis Playing Field) in a March Past. We had a B Division, a thriving Under-17 Division that was exciting with players moving from Under-17 to the big teams as we will call it”.
He cited the continued development of youth Football on the islands as a priority concern.
In pursuit of achieving its mission, Hutchins said that he and his Executive will banks of the knowledge and experience of Stowe and Peters, who have served the BFL for many years, to give that guidance.
Stowe, Peters and Marlon James comprised trio who guided the league for several years, following the dismantling of the previous Executive led by Clayton Ollivierre.
Under-17.
For winning the Under-15, that club is earmarked $3000, second gets $2000, third - $1000, with fourth place earning $500. The sum of $300 each goes to those clubs eliminated at the quarter final stage.
And, the Under-17 winners earn themselves $4000, the second- place pockets $3000, third place- $2000 and fourth place- $1000.
System Three back in the fold
AFTER FORFEITING PARTICIPATIONin the 2022/2023 National Club Championships, because of its non-compliance with the stipulated Club Licencing procedures, the System Three Sports Academy is back in the fold, and will compete in the 2024-2025 edition.
However, having forfeited their place in the topflight, System Three restarts in Tier Two, commonly called the First Division.
System Three Sports Academy heads up Group B, that also includes Brownstown, DESCO, Sparta, Richmond Hill, Gren Hill, Glenside Ball Blazers, K & R Strikers, Pride and Joy, QCESCO, Sharpes FC and Sharpes 09.
Reports are that System Three will field a formidable team, as many of the seasoned players have returned to the club determined to return the Academy to Tier One.
Chosen as the seeded club in Group A is Largo Height, the demoted outfit from the 2022-2023 Premier Division.
Group A sees Largo Height joined by Roxdale, Bequia United, RSVG Police, Volcanoes, Owia United, 1998 Hillside Rollers, Strike Force, Greiggs, Parkside Rollers, Toni Store Jugglers, Hill View and United Strikers.
The draw for places took place on Thursday, January 23, 2024, at the SVGFF’s Conference Room.
Following the determination of the groups, clubs go into action this weekend, February 1 and 2, 2025, as they seek to become the two to earn promotion to the next edition of the championships.
According to the format of Tier Two, the four top clubs emerging from the round-robin phase of group play, advance to the quarter finals.
The two finalists arising from the semi-finals will gain promotion to Tier One.
Apart from the promotions, the first and second place clubs are guaranteed $15 000 and $12 000, respectively.
The third-place club gets $9000 and fourth place- $6000. And, all losing quarter-finalists get $2000.
Acting General Secretary of the SVGFF- Peter Edward (left) and First Vice President of the SVGFF- Dominique Stowe, giving clarity to some of the clubs’ concerns.
Some members of the recently elected BFL executive (from left) Sophia Pollard, Dane Douglas, Youri Phillips, Patrick Hutchins, Ralph Stowe, Wayne Peters Phillips.
System Three’s Ian Sardine (right) accepts his Academy’s $5000 start up cheque from Third VP of the SVGFF- Dwight Roberts.
SVGTA puts Interim Committee in place
THE PLANNEDelection of a new Executive of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Tennis Association (SVGTA) last Saturday, January 2025, at the Murray’s Heights Hotel Conference Room, did not materialise.
However, an Interim Committee has been installed to run the affairs of the organization over the next year.
Froth with issues of governance over the years, persons present preferred to
forgo the elections, as encouraged by President of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Olympic Committee- Stephen Joachim and endorsed by former President of the SVGTAAnthony Mc Kenzie.
Joachim, in offering guidance to the process going forward, pointed to the concern of having matters of the organisation’s constitution sorted among other things, before installing a duly elected Executive.
Saturday’s meeting named ten persons to the
Interim Committee: Anthony De Freitas, Praye Griffith, Taj Ballantyne, Anthony Mc Kenzie, Yanick Grant, Amarlia Benn, Grant Connell, Corey Huggins, Sebastain Cyrus and Mark Cyrus.
The Interim Committee, which is expected to be trimmed, will make known their principal officers and their roles in due course.
The pathway was made clear for new persons to be in control of the affairs of the SVGTA, as outgoing President of the SVGTA, at the start of Saturday’s Meeting informed, neither he nor any of his remaining Executive members was interested in continuing.
“It is time to pass the baton to another group of persons to carry the association forward,” Nash told the meeting and promised to cooperate with the new Executive when elected.
He was given until Wednesday 29th January to
hand over all documentation to the Interim Committee, who will meet on that date at the National Tennis Centre, Villa. Nash served as President of the SVGTA from 2016. Among the highlights of his tenure, was the return of the International Federation (ITF) Under-18 tournament, with St. Vincent and the Grenadines now hosting two such back-to-back events.
However, under Nash, there was a constant roll over of Executive members, many of whom ceased to function or resigned from their posts.
Gregg takes SVGCC Table Tennis Title
LAMONT GREGGis the new SVG Community College Open Category Individuals Table Tennis champion after brushing aside all challengers in the 2025 edition dubbed “Serves Up 25”.
Gregg, a St. Vincent Grammar School student, came from one set down to defeat the Troumaca Ontario
Secondary School’s Kimoni Shoy, 1-13, 11- 9, 11-8, 11-3, in the Open Category final, played at the College’s Student Union Building on Friday, 24th January.
On route to the top spot Lamont Gregg beat his schoolmate Kristian Christopher 11-9, 11-5, 11- 4 in the quarter finals, and then got passed Thomas Saunders Secondary School’s Oran-Jay
Gaymes to officiate in St. Eustacius
MOETH GAYMES, St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ lone International Umpire Awardee (IUA) in the sport of Netball, has been called up to officiate in the Golden Rockers Invitational in St. Eustacius, January 31 to February 2, 2025.
Effectively, it will be Gaynes’ first opportunity to officiate overseas, since receiving his international accreditation in September 2024.
His overseas ‘debut’ since accreditation as referenced, could have come earlier. He was appointed to the African Netball Cup, from December 9 to 14, 2024, in Namibia, but that did not materialize, because of some logistical issues.
The Golden Rockers Invitational is a threematch series between the host and St. Maarten. Gaymes, along with Wayne Benti and Makeba Clarke of St. Lucia and Barbados, respectively, are the three umpires for the series.
Before his elevation to full international status, Gaymes in January, 2023, was an International Talent Identified Umpire.
With close to two decades of experience umpiring
the sport regionally, Gaymes has been an umpire at the OECS level as well as the World Netball Qualifiers.
He counts his performance in the World Netball Qualifiers in Jamaica, 2022, as pivotal in his incremental advancements.
Williams, 11-5, 11-5, 11-9, in the semifinals. He dropped only two sets during the five-day competition.
Kimoni Shoy beat Macahlie Hazelwood of the St. Vincent Grammar School, 11-6, 11-9, 5-11, 11-8 in the quarter finals, before coming from two sets down to outlast J’Quan St. Hill of the SVGCC Division of Arts, Sciences and General Studies, 8-11, 8- 11, 11-9, 1210, 11-5, in what was an absorbing semifinal battle.
Locally, Gaymes ensures that other umpires are brought up to speed, as he heads the training exercises.
Apart from being an IUA, Gaymes is also St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ lone FIFA accredited Football Referee.
Third Place was taken by Oran-Jay Williams who had the better of J’Quan St. Hill, 1012, 11-7, 11-6, 11-7. I.B.A. ALLEN
Outgoing President of the SVGTA - Brian Nash.
Interim Committee - From left standing - Mark Cyrus, Yanick Tash, Sebastian Cyrus, Grant Connell, Anthony Mc Kenzie. Seated from left - Corey Huggins, Praye Griffith, Amarlia Benn, Taj Ballantyne, and Anthony De Freitas.
Moet Gaymes
Lamont Gregg is the new SVGCC Open Category Individuals Table Tennis champion.
KimonI Shoy took the second spot.
Sports V
Regional championship on
BY TOMORROW, Saturday February 1, the first round of the Regional Championship ends. Windward Islands might have rued their decision to send in Jamaica to bat having won the toss at the Arnos Vale Playing field.
With US $250,000 up for grabs, teams will be anxious to make the best use of this year’s chances. Good performances will also enhance players’ chances of breaking through.
Teams get first innings points, as part of this year’s new deal. Kookaburra balls are being used for at least two rounds of the schedule according to West Indies cricket officials. And players will have at least one game using the ‘pink ball’ when matches are set to start at 1 pm.
Vincentians will an opportunity to witness cricket after the normal working hours when Windwards welcome Trinidad and Tobago Red Force from February 5, again at Arnos Vale.
The first day of the Jamaica-Windward Islands Volcanoes match was played out before a sparse ground. The players might have been disappointed with the support, even though the ground was open to everyone free of charge.
Spectators were comfortable with the surrounding, but having been spoiled by the facilities displayed during the ICC World Cup and also when Bangladesh played the West Indies in December, they were disappointed with the information the score board offered.
The crowd would have hoped that the Windward Islands Volcanoes would have sparked some form of explosion when they took the crease yesterday Thursday. Up to that time, Jamaica, propped by Jermaine Blackwood whose century was the first of the championship produced a reasonable total.
Sunil Ambris saw Blackwood’s approach close up and if he needed any motivation, that was the right tonic. They can be regarded as rebounding cricketers, but they must have evidence to merit a recall.
John Campbell, another potential returnee player hit 79.
Players have to show more than one innings, for consistency is required. Selectors will hope that performances at the regional level are a ploy to break into the squad, only for a return to mediocrity.
The Volcanoes move to Dominica for their third round fixture against the Combined Campuses and Colleges from February 12.
The fourth round sees Windward Islands Volcanoes and Leeward Islands Hurricanes in St. Lucia starting March 5. Action continues for the Windwards against defending champion Guyana Harpy Eagles at Providence, Guyana, from March 12.
Round six sees Windward Islands Volcanoes again at the Darren Sammy Cricket Ground in St Lucia for the Barbados Pride battle April 2. Windwards’ seventh game is against West Indies Academy carded for the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium April 9.
Besides the money for the champion and runners up, players have ambitions to fulfil. Given the level of West Indies cricket as seen by their rankings on the global scale, there is room for emerging talent. Players have to seize the moment.
CWI going without BCA and GCB
CRICKET WEST INDIES (CWI) president Dr. Kishore Shallow has made a final plea to the Barbados Cricket Association (BCA) and the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) to attend a special meeting of the CWI Board scheduled for next month, to discuss issues relating to governance reform.
But even as he reaches out to the two CWI members, Dr. Shallow has asserted that whether or not the two territorial boards attend the meeting, a decision will be made on the matter.
“This time, I can state with a measure of certitude that we are going to proceed and progress with governance reform at that special meeting,” Dr. Shallow emphasized.
Neither the BCA nor the GCB attended the CWI meeting on December 6 to vote on governance reform,
causing the meeting to be adjourned because a quorum was not met. That meeting was called with the intention of voting on the Wehby Report’s recommendations.
“Governance reform has been on the table for well over two years and we have had meetings with shareholders and other stakeholders,” Dr. Shallow disclosed, “so there have been opportunities to discuss this matter”
Explaining that the meeting is another platform that can be used to present their cases/positions which Dr. Shallow said his Board has noted, in appealing to the BCA and GCB, went further, saying, “I urge them, and I have done so directly, and now I want to urge them publicly to come and attend the meeting and discuss the matters.”
One of the issues at
bay is the idea of a rotational policy for the CWI presidency which the BCA has proposed.
Dr. Shallow has already said, “It is nonsensical in my opinion,” adding that he did not see it reducing the “politics in cricket.”
The BCA and GCB had complained that CWI had ignored their calls for discussion to review how the president and vice-president of CWI are arrived at.
But Dr. Shallow, in provided further insight as per the discussion on this matter said, “In fact, when the suggestion was discussed at the Governance Committee level, it was rejected. And we discussed it also at the CWI level and there too it was rejected, because there is no meaningful way of how this thing will work.”
The CWI Board of Directors is comprised of
Dr. Kishore Shallow has given notice to Barbados and Guyana that the CWI Board will proceed with discussion/decision on governance reform with or without them.
12 Member Directors (representing the territorial members) and 4 Non-member Directors.
(Source: CaribbeanCricket.com)
Tie in Bilateral Cricket Series
TEAM
Grenada, with victory in the fourth and final match, rose out of the depth of backto-back defeats to even the inaugural Under-23 Bilateral Cricket Series against St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG).
Grenada’s victory in the final match was a resounding 7-wicket one with scores being: SVG 117 all out in 38.2 overs, Grenada 118/3 in 19.5
overs.
O-Jay Matthews, 25, Newton Browne Jr, 20, led the batting for SVG, with: Deshonte Thomas, 0-315-3, Enoch Toussaint, 5-2-26-2, Kirt Murray. 8.2-2-20-2 and Tiron Charles, 6-2-22-2, sharing the spoils on behalf of Grenada.
Grenada’s unencumbered path to victory was led by Seandell Regis, 50 not out, Divonie Joseph Smith, 29 and Jerel Jeremiah, 28. Matthews had a good all round performance for SVG returning bowling figures of 7-329-3.
Vincentian Jahiel Walters scored the most runs, 147 with a top score of 69, and was also named Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the series. Left arm fast bowler Kirtsen Murray of Grenada took the most wickets, a
total of 7 scales, and had the best figures of 3-23, while Vincentians left arm spinner Kirtney Franklin (captain) and slow left arm orthodox Watson Seaton tied for second on the most wickets chart, with 6 wickets each.
Commenting at the conclusion of the Series, Javid Harry, assistant coach of the Vincentian national team said: “The series showcased young talent and provided a platform for development. Both teams demonstrated great sportsmanship and competitiveness. I will recommend further skills training especially in the fielding department and mental toughness in close matches, as well as concentration drills to help with focus.”
Stories: I.B.A. ALLEN
Jahiel Walters was adjudged the MVP of the Series.
Trump begins deportation
From Backpage
The Caribbean citizenry therefore, awaits a response from Caricom on this issue, understanding, as one observer said, the particular relationship the Caribbean enjoys with the USA.
That relationship is characterized by extensive economic linkages, cooperation on counternarcotics efforts and security, and a sizeable U.S. foreign assistance programme.
Migration from the Caribbean
International agencies, not least the World bank, have deduced that over the last 50 years, the Caribbean, with an estimated population of 44 million people, (source: United Nations) has lost more than five million people, through immigration — legal or otherwise. This translates into a net-migration rate that is one of the highest in the world.
This migration pattern has contributed to population decreases across the Caribbean, albeit, to varying rates. (ES)
AI REAL ESTATE
CARIBBEAN NATIONALS LIST RELEASED TRUMP BEGINS DEPORTATION
THE U.S. IMMIGRATION and Customs Enforcement (ICE) recently released updated data on non-detained individuals with final orders of removal/deportation. Needless to say, this sparked renewed attention to the large number of Caribbean nationals affected.
Among the over 1.4 million noncitizens on ICE’s non-detained docket as of November 24, 2024, a significant number hail from English-speaking Caribbean nations (see Table below), with majority of the 1.4 million people are from Mexico, El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala.
Key observations on Caribbean List
Jamaica’s figure of 5,120 significantly surpasses other Caribbean nations, reflecting its sizeable diaspora in the U.S. Trinidad and Guyana round out the top three, indicating their strong representation in migration patterns. The smaller countries, like St. Vincent and the Grenadines with a number of 127, while contributing fewer individuals, still have notable representation on the list.
Challenges in Deportation
ICE has cited multiple reasons for
delays or inability to deport individuals despite final orders, including:
* Legal protections under international conventions;
* Diplomatic or logistical challenges;
* Lack of travel documents from home countries.
The data underscores the complexity of U.S. immigration enforcement and the significant impact on Caribbean nationals, particularly from countries with longstanding migration ties to the U.S.
Not only has there been an outpouring of spontaneous reaction to the list, but its release has reignited debates on immigration policies and their effects on Caribbean communities across the United States.
Continued on Page 39.
PLANE CRASHES IN DOMINICA: FRENCH LAUNCH INVESTIGATION
FOLLOWINGconfirmation of the discovery of a missing aircraft’s wreckage in the mountainous terrain near La Plaine, Dominica, with four (two crew, two passengers) French nationals on board, French authorities, based in Martinique, have launched a judicial investigation into involuntary manslaughter.
The aircraft, a Cessna described as being in excellent condition prior to its disappearance, departed Dominica at 3:46 p.m. on Sunday 26th January 2025, en route to Martinique from Douglas-Charles Airport, Dominica, before crashing under poor weather conditions.
Heavy rains and strong winds in Dominica and a Yellow Vigilance alert in Martinique for heavy rain and thunderstorms are suspected to have played a role.
Joint efforts by French civil security and Dominican rescue teams located the crash site on Monday afternoon, approximately three kilometers west of La Plaine.
The discovery of the wreckage and a search of the surroundings turned up three bodies with no visible signs of life and with the search continuing for the fourth persons, the mission
shifted from rescue to recovery.
The rugged and challenging conditions have made recovery operations difficult so much so operations have been confined to daylight hours. French authorities have provided additional resources to assist with the recovery efforts.
Up to press time on Thursday, there was no word on the fourth missing persons.
The wreckage of the Cessna aircraft that crashed in the La Plaine mountains in Dominica last Sunday, Jan. 26. (Photo Source: DOM767)
As for the judicial investigation into involuntary manslaughter launched by the French authorities, it cited potential breaches of prudence or safety regulations.
The investigation, led by the Prosecutor of Fort-de-France, will seek to uncover the circumstances that led to the tragedy. A specialized Air Transport Brigade from Paris and the Gendarmerie of Air Transport of Lamentin will spearhead the inquiry.
As per the definition in most dictionaries, a judicial investigation is
“a formal legal investigation conducted into a matter of public concern by a judge, appointed by the government.”
In law, involuntary manslaughter is used to refer to the unintentional killing of a person through gross negligence or recklessness.
The victims have been identified as: Pilot: Jean-Benoit A. (23); Co-pilot: Marving B. (41); and passengers Kylian B. (23) and Marcelline M. (25). (Source: DOM767)
The U.S. Government believes every country is obligated to accept the return of its citizens and nationals who are ineligible to remain in the United States.