Caribbean Round-Up

Barbados

A teenager and a 21 year-old man have been charged with murder, aggravated burglary, arson and wounding with intent, after the fire at a clothing store in Bridgetown that claimed the lives of six women.

They are Jamar Orlando Bynoe, 19 and Renaldo Anderson Alleyne, 21.

They appeared in a Bridgetown court recently and were remanded in custody.

The young men are facing six counts of murder.

Barbados

CLICO Holdings Ltd (Barbados) has accepted an offer from the Weatherhead group of companies to purchase CLICO General Insurance.

Bernie Weatherhead, who heads the Weatherhead group, who owns several tourism-related businesses in an interview confirmed that CLICO Holdings had accepted his bid to purchase the insurance company.

CLICO General Insurance is described by Weather head as a sound company that has performed well in settling claims and meeting its regulatory requirements.

Weatherhead said the insurance company would widen his base by the addition of offices in every island.

Guyana

Hundreds of African “killer” bees have stung a rice farmer to death in Guyana. It is the second such death of a Guyanese farmer in recent weeks.

Police identify the latest victim as Jerome O’Brien Scoot, 45 from the Liverpool Village.

A statement said Scott and two other men were swamped by the bees as they headed home from a rice farm in Liverpool Village.

Jamaica

Jamaica has dropped four places to rank 95 out of 132 countries recording its third year of decline in the annual competitiveness index by the World Economic Forum (WEF).

The report also stated that only Iceland, which financially imploded, Mauritania and Burundi- the two least developed African states – have worse macroeconomic stability than Jamaica.

According to the Global Competitiveness Report (GCR) 2010-11, recently released by WEF, Jamaica fell 17 places over three years to 95. Jamaica’s rank was the fought highest in the Caribbean is under threat as Dominican Republic, up six places to l0l, is climbing at a faster pace than Jamaica is falling.

The GCI measures 12 criteria but Jamaica performed the worst on macroeconomic stability. Jamaica scored higher than some developed nations, in regards to financial market development at 46, technology readiness at 60 and infrastructure at 65.

Puerto Rico, the highest ranked Caribbean country at 41, has remained stable year on year. It was followed by Barbados at 43 where it remained year on year. Trinidad and Tobago followed at 84 but dropped two spots year on year, followed by Jamaica, the DR and last Guyana at 110 from 105.

Jamaica

Slain Special Corporal Garfield Anderson became the 13th police officer to be killed in Jamaica so far for this year.

Anderson was climbing off his bicycle at a shop in Westchester Drive, in Greater Portmore, when he was attacked by gunmen who shot and killed him, police said.

Residents speculated whether or not his killing may be linked to his foiling a murder attempt in the community about a year ago.

Jamaica

The outspoken chairman of the Jamaica Police Federation, Sergeant Raymond Wilson has landed in hot water over statements he made accusing the government of “blatant” corruption in its handling of the Christopher “Dudus” Coke extradition request.

Wilson faces the possibility of sanctions over his remarks.

The police Inspectorate Branch opened a probe into Wilson’s Sept. 1 statement to determine if he had broken any of the Jamaica’s Constabulary Force’s rules when he ruffled the government with his stinging address at the federation’s 67th Annual Joint Conference in Ocho Rios, St. Ann.

Wilson blasted the Bruce Golding administration for the money paid to United States law firm Manatt, Phelps and Phillips to lobby Washington in the extradition case of the former Tivoli Gardens don.

Coke is now in a New York jail awaiting trial on drugs and gun-running charges.

Trinidad

Fifty-three Haitian students have started classes at the University of the West Indies (UWI), St. Augustine, Trinidad, to complete their tertiary education.

The students recently arrived in Trinidad and Tobago on a specially-arranged Caribbean Airlines flight. They later attended a special orientation ceremony at the UWI.

The 41 engineering and 12 agriculture students, all of whom are in their final year of study, were accompanied by two lecturers, who will assist in the transition stages.

The students are part of a larger group of Haitian students displaced following the devastating Jan. 12, earthquake, who were granted scholarships by the university.

Trinidad

Trinidad and Tobago Finance Minister Winston Dookeran said the People’s Partnership government will finance 70 percent of its TT$7.7 billion budget by borrowing from the Inter-American Development Bank.

He said talks are going on with multi-lateral lending agencies and interest rates were now attractive for borrowing.

He expects to source 30 percent of the deficit on the local market.

Dookeran said government hoped to create growth in many ways, which would ease the debt burden.

The finance minister said if the oil price, pegged at $65.00, fall, adjustments would have to be made to the budget.

That, he said, could result in lower public expenditure or a possible tax increase.

U.S. Virgin Island

A U.S Virgin Islands hotel that struggled after Hurricane Hugo lashed the island in l989 and forced its closure is back in business with the help of $15 million from the government.

The Marriott Renaissance Carambola Beach Resort and Spa in St. Croix expects to employ 130 workers.

Governor John de Jongh said about 40 percent of the resort was still under construction.

De Jongh said the government grant financed the construction and erased an outstanding debt from the previous owner of hotel.

The resort recently opened.

The global financial crisis has forced the closure of several luxury resorts across the Caribbean in recent years.

Compiled by Azad Ali