CARIBBEAN ROUNDUP
Antigua
LIAT, the Antigua and Barbudabased
regional airline returned to the
skies recently.
The first schedule flight left the VC
Bird International Airport in Coolidge,
Antigua on Nov. 1 and arrived at the
Melville Hall Airport in Marigot, Dominica.
It was also announced that on Nov.
8, 2020, the airline was expected to
begin regular flights
to a limited number of
destinations and is initially
expected to operate
five days a week.
According to reports, the courtappointed
Administrator, Clevland Seaforth
disclosed that a permit has been
granted to the airline to fly to the US
Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.
Facing increased debt and the economic
impact from the pandemic, LIAT
in July received a stay from liquidation
when the government of Antigua
and Barbuda secured an order for his
administration.
The airline owed creditors in excess
of US$37 million.
Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, St.
Vincent and the Grenadines and Dominica,
the major shareholders of the airline,
have written to the administrator
agreeing to write off their debts estimated
to about $25.9 million.
Barbados
The International Monetary Fund
(IMF) is proposing that Barbados
should receive an additional US$66 million
under the island’s Extended Fund
Facility to help address the emerging
fiscal deficit resulting from COVID-19
pandemic.
This was revealed in
a statement from IMF
representative in Barbados,
Bert van Selm,
at the end of the Washington based
institution’s fourth review of Barbados’
Economic Recovery and Transformation
(BERT) program supported by the
Extended Fund Facility.
In the statement, van Selm said:
“The COVID-19 pandemic has had a
major impact on Barbados’ economy,
with a double-digit decline in economic
activity projected for 2020. Tourism
came to a virtual standstill between
March and June 2020: airlift declined
precipitously, most hotels closed, and
occupancy plummeted at facilities that
remained open. In early June, the island
cautiously started reopening the economy
for international tourists, after
the authorities effectively halted local
transmission of the disease. However,
tourism arrivals remain at a fraction of
normal levels.”
Van Selm said the IMF staff supports
the easing of the fiscal stance and,
Caribbean Life, N 4 ovember 13-19, 2020
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United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres poses for a photograph during an interview with Reuters at U.N. headquarters
in New York City, New York, U.S., Sept. 14, 2020. REUTERS / Mike Segar, File
subject to approval by the IMF executive
board, proposes an augmentation
of the Extended Facility in the amount
of US$66 million to help finance the
emerging fiscal deficit.
Guyana
United Nations Secretary General,
Antonio Guterres has praised leaders
within the Caribbean Community
(CARICOM) for their leadership in the
wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, even
as they confront shocks to their economies,
the tourism sector,
trade and remittances.
The secretary general
was addressing a
virtual meeting of the regional body
recently.
The UN chief said the pandemic’s
socio-economic impacts have been
worse that the virus itself for some
developing countries, including the
Caribbean.
He highlighted his push for a relief
package equivalent to at least 10 percent
of the global economy, as well as
an appeal for debt relief.
The secretary general emphasized
his full support of the Caribbean and
vision on becoming the first fully climate
resilient region in the world.
Grenada
Grenada is bracing for an impact on
the month-long lockdown in the United
Kingdom which will have a negative
effect on the island’s tourism industry.
Grenada went into lockdown in late
March as part of measures aimed at
controlling and containing the spread
of the coronavirus virus after confirming
its first case of the
virus, that killed one
million people and
affected 47.4 million
globally since the first
case was detected in China last December
.Minister of Tourism, Clarice Modeste
Curwen said the four-week British
lockdown will have a negative impact
on the island’s tourism industry.
She said during the discussions with
the airlines offering the UK service, it
was disclosed that the load factor for
both airlines was acceptable for the
service to continue.
Since resuming the international
commercial passengers’ flights, the
minister of tourism said more than
2,000 passengers had arrived at the
Maurice Bishop International Airport.
St. Vincent
St. Vincent and the Grenadines will
assume the chairmanship of the United
Nations Security Council last week.
A statement from the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs said the one-month stint is
the island’s first and only presidency
during the country’s term on the US
Security Council, and forms part of the
island’s responsibility as a non-permanent
member.
The ministry said:
“St. Vincent and the
Grenadines’ presidency
of the United Nations
Security Council, during
the month of November, aims to
address contemporary challenges, climate
change and its security consequences
and the nexus between development
and peace and security.”
It said key events for the month will
include a virtual news briefing to be
conducted by Prime Minister Dr. Ralph
Gonsalves.
Gonsalves will one day later, chair
the UN Security Council Virtual Open
Debate under the agenda theme “Peacebuilding
and Sustainable Peace Contemporary
Drivers of Conflict and Insecurity.”
St. Kitts
The St. Kitts-Nevis government says
it is opting out of the “CARICOM Travel
Bubble,” citing a number of health
concerns to its citizens
and residents as
the region continues
to grapple with the
impact of the COVID-
19 pandemic.
Prime Minister Dr. Timothy Harris
said participating in the “CARICOM
Bubble” with countries of higher risk
Continued on Page 16
THE NEWS FROM BACK HOME
UN praises CARICOM covid efforts
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