CARIBBEAN ROUNDUP
ANTIGUA
The Antigua and Barbuda government
has hinted at the possibility of
reversing a decision to end the state of
emergency (SoE) on Dec. 23 following
the discovery of a new variant of the
COVID-19 in South Africa recently.
Several countries, including the United
Kingdom, the United States and
some Caribbean countries (CARICOM),
have announced a travel ban on passengers
coming from
several African countries,
Mozambique and
Zimbabwe following
the discovery of the
Omicron strain, which
is now being described as a “variant of
concern.”
Prime Minister Gaston Browne said
the government may now have to consider
the decision to end the SoE this
month.
He said the SoE had been put in place
to curb the spread of the virus that has
so far killed 117 people and infected
more than 4,140 others since March
last year.
Browne said that as it stands now, the
policy initiative to lift the state of emergency
on the 23rd still stands, but it
could be reviewed and reversed depending
on any significant spread of this
new variant, adding that the local data
on the pandemic, though encouraging,
could be affected significantly.
He acknowledged the United Kingdom,
where cases of the new variant of
the virus have been detected, is Antigua
and Barbuda’s second largest tourism
market and as a result the island could
be among the first in the region to be
affected by Omicron due to the close
relationship with the UK.
BARBADOS
The Barbados-based Caribbean Development
Bank (CDB) has announced
plans to stage a two-day virtual Caribbean
Conference on Corruption and
Cybercrime to be held this month.
CDB said the conference
will allow for
tought-leaders from
across the world to
share and discuss new
challenges and solution
for corruption, compliance, and
cybercrime in the region.
It said speakers will experience global
and anti-money laundering specialists,
cybercrime professionals, development
bankers and law enforcement personnel
The feature speakers include Mouhamadou
Diagne, vice president, Integrity,
of the World Bank Group and Governor
of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank
(ECCB), Timothy Antoine.
The CDB said that the featured sessions
at the forum will include drivers of
corruption in the Caribbean, the role of
Caribbean Life, D 4 ecember 17-23, 2021
Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda Gaston Browne attends a signing ceremony with his China’s Premier Li Keqiang (not pictured)
at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing August 26, 2014. REUTERS / Diego Azubel / Pool, File
the private sector in curbing corruption,
money laundering and cybercrime.
CARIBBEAN
The Trinidad-based Caribbean Public
Health Agency (CARPHA) has signed a
memorandum of understanding (MoU)
with the British-based Global Vector
Hub (GVH) establishing a framework
for future collaborations in the field
of vector-borne diseases and capacity
building in the Caribbean and surrounding
regions.
CARPHA’ executive
director Dr Joy St
John and GVH’s director
Professor James
Loga signed the MoU
recently.
St John said vector-borne diseases
continue to affect CARPHA member
states.
He said the partnership with Global
Vector Hub and its global network
will significantly increase the resources
available to member states to create
more resilient health surveillance. CARPHA
and the GVH will share resources
and network connections to facilitate an
improved exchange of information on
vector control.
GUYANA
Guyana President Dr. Mohamed
Irfaan Ali has promised to focus on the
fight against crime, although according
to the latest statistics, there has been
a decrease when compared to figures
released in 2020.
Ali said the issue of crime is a major
concern for Guyanese nationals.
He said the government’s
targeted strategy
will include interventions
in regions
(hot spots) with high
crime rates.
The president said while crime
decreased 19.4 percent nationally,
Region One recorded a 13.4 percent
increase in crime.
He noted there is an increase population
on the region, which is leading to
social and economic issues for which
the resulting factor is crime.
The president in giving a live statement
on Facebook recently said the
government will also be investing significantly
in intelligence gathering.
HAITI
The Inter-American Development
Bank (IDB) has approved US$60 million
of non-reimbursable financing to
improve Haiti’s food security of rural
households, including
farmers, fishers, sea
food merchants and
rural workers, by promoting
rural productivity
and connectivity to rural markets.
The agriculture, fisheries and rural
infrastructure activities proposed in the
program will increase productivity and
income while promoting the sustainable
management of the critical resources on
which rural beneficiaries depend.
The program will support farmer’s
adoption of agricultural technologies,
improving food availability through
technical assistance, improving food
availability through increased production
and food access through higher
agricultural revenues.
JAMAICA
The Jamaican government recently
passed the Trafficking in Persons (Prevention,
Suppression and Punishment)
(Amendment) Act 2021, creating stiff
penalties for offenders.
The decision was made to amend the
monetary penalties to remove option
of fines in lieu of custodial
sentences as a
penalty for certain
egregious offenses and
increase the monetary
penalties under Section 15 of the Act.
The amendment also makes a consequential
amendment to Section 10
of the Child Care and Protection Act to
remove the option of fine in lieu of custodial
sentence.
Minister of National Security Horace
Chang, in closing the debate on the bill,
said the government is creating a legal
framework that punishes human trafficking,
while deterring persons from
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Antigua reconsiders covid SOE
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