Public spending reduced region’s fiscal balances

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad - The region’s fiscal balances for 2012 deteriorated compared to 2011, mainly due to increased public spending. This according to the Economic Commission for Latin America and Caribbean’s (Eclac) report on the region’s growth prospects for 2013. It said in...
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Opposition blanks new security plan under Rohee

GEORGETOWN, Guyana, CMC – Leader of the opposition grouping, a Partnership for National Unity (APNU), retired Brigadier David Granger says the opposition will not support a new security reform programme outlined by Home Affairs Minister Ckement Rohee earlier this week. “We are committed...
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Still hanging in the balance

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados - Looking back, there were several issues last year that have been left hanging in the balance that one can only hope will be addressed this year. REDjet came with a lot of fanfare and hoopla, creating major excitement in a region whose population has begged on bended knees ove...
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US says it requested no request for alternate parade route

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC - The United States Wednesday said it had not requested any change to the parade route for this year’s Carnival celebrations, even as it “appreciated” the Trinidad and Tobago government’s commitment to security for diplomatic missions. Carnival c...
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Don’t ignore the Leucaena project

KINGSTON, Jamaica - A perfect example of the shortage of vision affecting CARICOM governments is their dropping of the ball on the Leucaena project in the early 1980s. Ambassador Byron Blake, former CARICOM assistant secretary general, reminded us of that last month during a sitting of the Jamaica O...
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Year of Environment declared in Haiti

President Michel Martelly on Tuesday declared 2013 as Haiti's Year of Environment and called on citizens to join government efforts to preserve the country's ecosystem. Speaking at a ceremony in northern Haiti to commemorate the 209th anniversary of Haitian Independence, Martelly also urged ...
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PNP, IMF - year one

KINGSTON, Jamaica - The first year of this new People's National Party (PNP) administration has been a mixed bag. Among the things under its control, there (have) been spectacular lows, but no spectacular highs. There have been promises kept and pledges broken. There has been talk on specific is...
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PM re-aligns Cabinet portfolios

ST JOHN’S, Antigua – Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer has announced what he described as ‘realignments’ to a number of cabinet portfolios. In his New Year’s Day message, the Antigua & Barbuda leader said the changes would affect the ministries of Information and Broad...
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LIAT chairman wants CARICOM summit on transportation

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad - Chairman of the cash-strapped regional airline, LIAT, is calling for a meeting of Caribbean Community (CARICOM) leaders early in 2013 to deal with transportation problems in the region. In a paper to the meeting of major shareholders of the Antigua-based airline over the w...
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