CARIBBEAN ROUNDUP
Antigua
Antigua and Barbuda recorded one
million visitors in 2018, topping the
figure in 2017.
This is according to figures released
by the Antigua and Barbuda Tourism
Authority (ABTA) recently.
Speaking during the recent budget
debate Prime Minister, Gaston Browne
said there were
“impressive” tourist
arrivals last year.
ABTA said the destination
attracted a total
of 1,081, 365 visitors in 2018, which is
an increase from 2017, when Antigua
and Barbuda hit the one million-visitormark
for the first time with 1,059, 924
visitors.
The Authority said the most impressive
growth was seen in stayover (air)
arrivals, where the destination attracted
more than 20,000 more stayover
visitors in 2018 than in 2017.
This brought the total number of
stayover visitors who arrived via the V.C
Bird International to 268,949, ABTA
said, which represented an 8.75 percent
increase. in stayover arrivals for the
year 2018.
ABTA said the destination also
received more cruise ship visitors, with
the cruise arrivals totaling 792,873,
while arrivals by yacht totaled 19,543.
Dominica
The Dominica government has
signed an EC$200 million agreement
with Irish-based telecommunications
company, Digicel, to meet the growing
telecommunication and information
communication and technology (ICT)
needs of the island.
The 15-year agreement ends a
50-year monopoly that
was previously enjoyed
by the British-owned
Cable & Wireless.
Deputy Prime Minister,
Reginald Austrie described the
agreement as a historic one, saying it is
a clear indication that the government’s
decision-making process is in keeping
with the principles of transparency
and non-discriminatory with an award
being made on merit and established
protocol.
Austrie said that five corporate companies
had submitted bids and the
Roosevelt Skerrit administration was
“satisfied that Digicel will provide the
government with a range of quality
services and deliver a robust, resilient
high capacity and smart network to
meet the growing telecommunication
and ICT needs within the public service
and to the people.”
He said the network had been designed
in keeping with the government’s thrust
to make the island the first climateresilient
country in the world.
Caribbean L 4 ife, Feb. 1–7, 2019
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The cruise port of St. John’s in Antigua, Caribbean. Getty Images / Jan-Schneckenhaus
Guyana
Guyana Police Commissioner Leslie
James has confirmed that an investigation
has been
launched into a report
of bribery and alleged
plans to move gold out
of the country against
former government Member of Parliament
(MP) Charrandass Persaud.
James told a press conference recently
the matter is a national security issue
which “will not be disclosed publicly” at
this point.
He said if the need arises, the necessary
actions will be taken to have Perdaud
return to Guyana.
Since Persaud voted in favor of the
opposition motion of no confidence
against the government, essentially
triggering its collapse, he has come
under severe attacks from APNU/AFC
MPs, officials of the Guyana government
and others.
Persaud has denied being bribed for
his vote. He said he voted to his conscience
and left the day after for Canada.
Jamaica
Authorities in the United Kingdom
are moving to deport a group of 50
Jamaicans who were convicted there for
a range of criminal offences.
Jamaican officials say the deportees
are expected to arrive on the island on
Feb. 26, 2019 on board a special chartered
flight.
They will be accompanied by more
than 100 British security personnel,
and law enforcement officials.
Jamaica’s National Security Minister
Dr. Horace Chang
has confirmed that
he has signed a document
recently giving
approval for the aircraft
to land in Jamaica. He said the
police have been alerted.
On arrival the deportees will be taken
to a facility for processing, where the
police will determine whether they have
an interest in further investigations.
St. Kitts
The development and implementation
of a drug policy for school will
be among matters to
be discussed when
health and family education
coordinators
and other stakeholders
from across the Caribbean Forum
(Cariforum) meet later this month in
St. Lucia.
The Guyana-based Cariforum Secretariat
is expected to develop the draft
model school policy that will be subsequently
reviewed and validated by
member states before submission to the
Council for Human and Social Development
for endorsement.
It is expected that the policy will
guide the countries in the formulation
of their national policies where necessary.
Legislation and the School Drug Policy
and the way forward will be central
features of the three plenary sessions.
St. Lucia
St. Lucia police are investigating
photographs on social media depicting
students in uniforms holding what
appear to be firearms.
Assistant Commissioner
of Police responsible
for Crime and
Intelligence, Wayne
Charlery, said the police have received
photos and presently the intelligence
team is investigating with regard to
those photos.
Consequently, he said, to that assessment
the police would decide how they
would move forward.
Charlery said the guns appear to be
real, adding “this is why we are taking
it so seriously.”
Trinidad
United States Ambassador Joseph
Mondello has slammed the Trinidad
and Tobago government for continuing
to recognize Nicholas
Maduro as president of
Venezuela.
In a release headed,
“Democracy and prosperity
require touch choices,” Mondello
Continued on Page 14
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THE NEWS FROM BACK HOME
Antigua records higher tourist arrivals
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