CARIBBEAN ROUNDUP
BARBADOS
Barbados Minister of Home Affairs,
Wilfred Abrahams says his ministry is
looking into the electronic monitoring
of prisoners from the Dodd’s Prison.
In delivering the feature address during
the recent passing out parade of 21
new prison officers, he noted that electronic
monitoring was used in 30 countries
worldwide and it was a generic plan
that encompasses several
monitoring techniques
and approaches.
He said it is a form
of digital integration
often in the form of a wrist bracelet
or ankle shackle that can monitor the
location of an offender. It is sometimes
used to reduce the use of imprisonment,
monitor compliance, reduce re-offending,
thus reducing the prison population
.He added that electronic monitoring
in some cases allow offenders to
remain at home as if under a curfew
and ensured that they did not go into
certain areas prohibited as a condition
of their release.
First time offenders of minor crimes,
those convicted of non-violent crimes
whose imprisonment would exacerbate
their economic and social livelihoods,
would be among those most likely to
benefit from an electronic managed system.
GUYANA
Guyana’s Vice President, Dr. Bharrat
Jagdeo has said the budget for this
year will be financed partly by Guyana
oil revenues.
This will be Guyana’s
first withdrawal from
the Natural Resource
Fund (NRF) since Guyana
started collecting
oil revenues in early 2020.
In an interview with National Communications
Network (NCN), Jagdeo
said oil revenues will reduce the reliance
by Guyana on borrowing.
He noted that the fiscal deficit this
year, in this budget, would be lower than
the fiscal deficit in last year’s budget.
Jagdeo said the country is now spending
more on big capital projects and as
they come on stream, the fiscal deficit
may widen.
However, because oil revenues will
help to address the deficit, financing
needs will be reduced.
Jagdeo said a significant part of the
borrowing started with the previous
government — Guy$90 billion a year —
was coming from the domestic market.
As this will not happen to such a
degree, Jagdeo said more funds will be
left in the domestic market for private
Caribbean L 4 ife, February 4-10, 2022
Guyana’s Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo has announced that part of this year’s budget will be fi nanced partly by Guyana oil revenues.
REUTERS/Truth Leem/File
sector lending.
This, the vice president said, was part
of the government’s strategy to deliver
an element of sustainability in finances.
GRENADA
The Grenada government says it will
table in Parliament a paper regarding
the use of marijuana
for medicinal purposes
and will do so ahead of
the next general election
constitutional due
in 2023.
Prime Minister Dr. Keith Mitchell
told a news conference that the minister
of agriculture with the support from
the Cabinet had in fact been working
with stakeholders “as far as this important
issue is concerned.”
Mitchell said there is a “paper” that
has already gone to Cabinet on the
marijuana issue following discussions
at the regional level “and our positions
have been informed by some of the discussions.
“That paper will be laid before Parliament
for public discussion before it
becomes law and therefore that is not
a wait for the next election. We are not
waiting,” he said.
Mitchell said “we support the limited
use of marijuana for medicinal purposes
and other basic purposes.”
HAITI
The Canadian government has
pledged US$39 million to the government
of Haiti to assist the Frenchspeaking
Caribbean Community (CARICOM)
nation with security and other
projects.
This was the result of a virtual threehour
meeting led by Canadian Prime
Minister Justin Trudeau recently.
Also present were foreign ministers
from more than a dozen countries-
including the United States, France and
Mexico – and United Nations representatives.
“The increase in violence is only worsening
the already precarious humanitarian
situation, said
Trudeau, ahead of the
close-door meeting.
“We must work
together to restore
stability and to protect
the safety and well-being of the Haitian
population,” he said.
Canada pledged US$39 million, while
other countries promised to improve
Haiti’s security to support efforts to
hold successful elections.
The nation is also committed to
boosting Haiti’s National Police as it
responds to spikes in violence, brazen
gangs committing kidnappings and at
least 20,000 residents left homeless due
to turf wars.
The foreign ministers expressed deep
concern about Haiti’s instability since
the July assassination of President Jovenel
Moise.
JAMAICA
Minister of Health, Dr. Christopher
Tufton said has hinted at the possibility
of Jamaica not achieving the target
of having 65 percent of the population
vaccinated against the
COVID-19 virus by the
end of March.
He told reporters
that the vaccination
uptake remains low
and that the focus has now shifted from
the vaccination target which was set
early last year.
“Right now, we have admistered
about 1.2 million doses……just under
600,000 have got a full compliment,
whether the single dose or the double
dose. So we are way below the target.
We are 22 percent fully vaccinated. We
Continued on Page 8
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Guyana dips into its oil revenues
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