CARIBBEAN ROUNDUP
Antigua
The Antigua and Barbuda government
is moving to establish a forensic
laboratory to ensure that the likelihood
of there being any miscarriage of justice
is significantly reduced in 2020.
This is according to
Minister of Public Safety,
Steadroy “Cutie”
Benjamin who said
that this year there are
plans are in place to ensure the ease and
speed of gathering data for analysis and
for use in legal proceedings.
He said the police department is
very concerned about solving crime
and to use the best possible information
and scientific developments to assist in
resolving those issues, adding in that
regard, great attention will be paid this
year to develop our scientific and forensic
potential. “We shall be looking at
establishing a forensic laboratory here
in Antigua, where we can analyze information
and analysis bits of evidence to
help in solving crime,” Benjamin said.
Barbados
Australian oil and gas giant BHP
Petroleum, has been granted an offshore
exploration license for the Carlisle
Bay and Bimshore blocks.
Barbados Energy
Minister Wilfred Abrahams
said this latest
development has been
a long time in coming
and the government is eager for BHP to
get started.
He said while the government of Barbados
is aggressively pursuing renewable
and alternative energy initiatives,
it also recognizes the importance of
diversifying the island’s energy portfolio
to include offshore oil and gas
development.
Abrahams said with prudent management,
Barbados’ offshore oil and gas
sector can offer significant opportunities
for the Barbadian people, not only
terms of revenue generation but also
in relation to institutional strengthening,
capacity building, job creation and
technological advancement.
Subsequent to the signing of the
licenses in April 2015, BHP submitted
mandatory Environmental Impact
Assessments (EIA) and Environmental
Plans (EP) for approval by the Minister
for the Environment.
The issuance of the effective licenses
marks the culmination of thorough
negotiations between the two parties
and grants BHP the exclusive rights to
explore for petroleum and undertake
appraisal activities in the license areas.
Pursuant to the issuance of the effective
licenses, BHP will commence the
first three-year licenses phase, which
includes conducting 2D seismic surveys
on the two exploration blocks.
Caribbean Life, F 4 ebruary 21-27, 2020
Updated daily at www.caribbeanlifenews.com
ROM Prime Minister of Dominica, Roosevelt Skerrit addresses the United Nations General Assembly at U.N. headquarters.
Dominica
The Dominica government has
warned that it is prepared to table “draconian”
legislation in a bid to recover
more than EC$250 million in outstanding
taxes.
Prime Minister,
Roosevelt Skerrit told
a news conference
that, as of the end of
December last year,
taxes amounting to more than $257
million were outstanding and urged
defaulters to begin speaking with the
Inland Revenue by Ash Wednesday (Feb.
26).
Skerrit, who is also Finance Minister,
said the case of corporation
taxes, the outstanding amount owed
was EC$77.1 million, personal income
tax EC$66.2 million, pay as you earn
(PAYE) amounting to EC$15.1 million
and Value Added Tax (VAT) estimated at
EC$73.9 million.
The prime minister said that among
the measures his administration is contemplating
to recover the outstanding
fees include legislation.
Skerrit said the funds were needed
given the destruction caused to the
island by the passage of Hurricane
Maria three years ago and the fact that
Dominica has been seeking assistance
from friendly governments to meet its
obligations.
Grenada
Grenada Prime Minister, Dr. Keith
Mitchell has criticized people he said
were using the coronavirus as a means
to “create panic, fear, and distrust”
among the population as he commended
China for taking actions aimed at
halting the spread of the virus that so
far has killed more than 1,000 people in
the Asian country.
Speaking at a recent
military parade, to
mark the island’s 46th
anniversary of political
independence from
Britain, Mitchell said that the virus has
shown that occurrences in one part of
the world, have unavoidable implications
for other parts.
He said while Grenada has “taken
decisive action” to help prevent the
virus from penetrating the island’s border,
it was also working with various
organizations such as the World Health
Organizations (WHO), Pan-American
Health Organization (PAHO) and the
Trinidad-based Caribbean Public Health
Agency (CARPHA).
Mitchell said that “it is therefore
alarming and nothing short of mischievous
that elements among us, some
of whom we expect to demonstrate
a greater level of responsibility, are
using the situation to create panic,
fear and distrust among our people, by
making irresponsible statements that
have implications for the health of the
Associated Press / Craig Ruttle, File
nation’s people.”
Guyana
A subsidiary of China Zhonghao
Company – Falls- has signed a distributor
contract with Jamaican Bunkering
West Indies Petroleum (WIP)/Island
Lubes Distributors Ltd.
Under the contract
Falls will become the
exclusive distributor
in Guyana of BP Castrol
products for the
Marine, Mining and Power Generation
category which offers a variety of oil
and lubricants used in the oil and gas
industry, with the products supplied
out of BP Castrol’s North American production
facilities.
According to a statement from Falls,
the range of products includes a wide
range of diesel lubricants.
Falls said, the exclusive distributorship
is a major accomplishment and
the company prides itself in owning and
operating “the largest and most modern
fuel storage facility in Guyana”.
St. Lucia
The Governor of the
St. Kitts-based Eastern
Caribbean Central
Bank (ECCB), Timothy
Antoine recently led a
four–member delegation for talks in
St Lucia on the performance and pros-
Continued on Page 18
THE NEWS FROM BACK
HOME
Dominic threatens tax dodgers
/www.caribbeanlifenews.com
/www.caribbeanlifenews.com