Caribbean RoundUp

A Barbados-flagged cargo ship has arrived in Ukrainian the port of Chornomorsk to take a load of grain, according to Ukraine’s Minister of Infrastructure, Oleksandr Kubrakov.

Ukraine news agency said that Kubrakov announced that it was the first time a foreign flag ship has arrived at the port since Russia’s invasion began in February.

“The Fuller S is the first vessel to enter our seaport for loading since the beginning of the full-scale invasion,” Kubrakov wrote on Facebook.

“The guarantors of the agreement, Turkey and the UN have confirmed that it is possible for the vessel to enter the port of Chornomorsk,” he added.

Kubrakov said this event is also an important signal  to the market that the grain corridor is a safe and most important profitability business opportunity for ship owners to return to the Ukrainian ports. The final destination of the vessel after unloading was to be the Turkish port of Iskenderun.

“We are planning to quickly load the vessel and send it to the destination port. With that, we are ready to facilitate the capacity of the ports to handle at least 100 vessels a month,” the minister said.

Recently the Turkish and Ukrainian authorities said three vessels carrying a total of up to 80,000 tons of corn had been cleared to leave Ukrainian ports as part of a deal to unblock grain exports.

The  World Bank Group (WBG) recently announced the details of its global crisis response package to help the Caribbean and other developing countries navigate multiple, compounding crisis that are hitting the poor and most viable the  hardest.

“Multiple crises — including rising inflation, Russian invasion off Ukraine, large macro economic imbalance, and the shortage of energy, fertilized and food — are hammering the developing countries,” said the World Bank Group President, David Malpass.

He said the World Bank Group is responding with speed, scale and impact with financing to respond to food insecurity, protect people, preserve jobs  strengthen resilience and restore growth.

The Washington-based financial institution said details are set out in  Global Crisis Response Framework paper recently published “Navigating Multiple Crises, staying the Course on Long Term Development.”

Nearly US$9 billion is expected to be financed through trust fund, the World Bank said.

The WBG will make around US$170 billion in financing to support the multiple crisis response.

It said the WBG has already delivered US$53 billion of this support April-June 2022, as it step up support for food security and continue to deepen its pandemic response.

Dominica has been named the top island in the Caribbean, Bermuda and the Bahamas the 2022 Travel+ Leisure World’s Best Awards for the first time.

Travel+Leisure recognizes the top hotels, islands, cities, cruise lines, spas, and more around the globe, based on the results of the Travel+ Leisure World’s Best Awards 2022 reader’s survey.

Readers rated island’s on the following characteristics:natural attraction/beaches,  activities/sites, restaurants/food, people/friendliness and value.

Secret Bay, Dominica’s exclusive six star villa resort, captured the number one spot for resort hotels in the Caribbean.

The resort is a member of Relais & Chateaux, the most prestigious association of luxury hotels and restaurants in the world.

Guyana’s President Dr. Irfaan Ali has said that while his country was rapidly evolving as an oil and gas market, the economy will not depend solely on “treasured natural resource” for countrywide development.

Ali, who recently visited Washington for talks with senior government officials, said the essential resource was an important part of the country’s development trajectory.

He said, while hydrocarbon would bring essential revenue into Guyana, such income must be used to expand the economy, competitiveness, and opening up new opportunities.

Addressing a live broadcast forum hosted by the Atlantic Council’s Adrienne Arsht Latin America Centre, recently, Ali said the fund will be used to unlock the potential of several areas, which existed for a ĺong time, but were stagnant owing to a lack of resources.

“Guyana has all the natural resources to be a leading food producer in the region. But food production must be backed by the appropriate technology and investment infrastructure that will  ensure the agriculture is sustainable and resilient to climate change and the effect of climate change,” he said, noting that such an achievement requires capital.

“And this is one example of how the revenues from oil and gas can be deployed to position Guyana, not only for  the benefit of Guyana but position Guyana to contribute significantly to the food security of the region as s whole,” he added.

Ali said that the prosperity of Guyana must also bring wealth and success to the region.

The Jamaica government has confirmed that it spent an estimated Ja$18.2 million (US$145,000) in the failed campaign to get Minister of Foreign Affairs, Kamina Johnson-Smith elected as the new Commonwealth Secretary General earlier this year.

In June, Baroness Patricia Scotland successfully retained her post as Commonwealth secretary general, despite a strong effort by several members of the 54-nation group to remove her.

The Dominican-born Scotland had faced a challenge from Johnson-Smith, winning by 27-24 margin to remove her.

In a statement last week, the Office of the Prime Minister said Ja$18.2 million covered expenses related to air and ground transportation, COVID-19 tests, meal, accommodation, and public relations communication.

Undisclosed Jamaican private funders donated approximately Ja$15 million for public relations and true-leadership services from international marketing firm Finn Partners.

Additionally, the government spent Ja$25 million on the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting held in Kigali, Rwanda in June.

In the statement, the Andrew Holness government said it ran a clean, transparent, principle campaign that met the standards of accountability.

The Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) has extended “sincere condolences” to Cuba in the wake of the “unfortunate incident involving an enormous fire at an old oil storage facility on the province of Matanzas” recently. Flames have since engulfed a fourth tank at the oil storage facility in western Cuba as the raging fire consumes critical fuel supplies.

Fire fighters and specialist from Mexico and Venezuela are helping to fight the blaze in the province of Matanzas with boat, plane and helicopters as they spray foam on the containers.

Jamaica’s Prime Minister Andrew Holness has confirmed his attendance at Trinidad and Tobago’s 60th Independence anniversary celebrations.

Minister of Foreign Affairs and CARICOM,  Dr. Amery Browne made the announcement  last week.

Browne spoke of Holness visit during a reception at Jamaican High Commission Arthur Williams’s residence in Port of Spain for Jamaica’s independence jubilee which was commemorated a week ago.

Holness will arrived on Aug. 28 and depart on Sept. 1. Trinidad and Tobago’s Independence Day is Aug. 31.

Holness’ visit was first disclosed by Minister of Housing, Camille Robinson-Regis when she announced government will spend TT $7.5 million for the celebration on Saturday for the celebration.

A week ago, Holness led his country in its independence jubilee.