THE VINCENTIAN PDF-30-01-26

The Colonial Hospital became the Kingstown General Hospital and was renamed the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital in October 2000, in honour of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines’ first Prime Minister, Robert Milton Cato.

Daniel Cummings, Minister of Health, raised the likelihood that the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital (MCMH) could be closed.

MINISTER OF HEALTH DANIEL CUMMINGS, who was part of a Dr. Godwin Friday led delegation that last week Friday visited the construction site of the Acute Care Hospital at Arnos Vale, emphasized the critical role the new facility will play in strengthening the national healthcare system, and expressed his desire to see, among other things, the incorporation of a dedicated paediatric department within the development, something for which provision was not made in the original plan.

Should the project be expanded to accommodate his “desire”, the Minister gave indication that this country’s main tertiary level health care facility, the Milton Cato

Memorial Hospital (MCMH) could be closed.

This indication did not did not escape the attention of the opposition, and leader of the Opposition Dr. Ralph Gonsalves took to the airways to strongly oppose the government’s indication, that they intend to close the MCMH.

The closure was directly opposite to the position of the Dr. Gonsalves-led government under whose watch the project was initiated.

In keeping with that position, Dr. Gonsalves advocated instead, a refurbishing of the MCMH to provide three main areas of healthcare delivery: maternity, paediatrics and accident and emergency, to serve the Western end of the country.

Continued on Page 3.

Last day for reinstatement

TODAY, JANUARY 30,is the final day for persons affected by the vaccine mandate and who wish to be reinstated, to make known their intent in person at the ministry, department, institution at which they were previously assigned, or to the office of the Chief Personnel Officer (CPO).

This directive was given by Attorney General Louise Mitchell while addressing a press briefing on January 23.

Mitchell also disclosed that those who met the deadline as referenced

would be considered as having resumed work as of December 01, and would be appointed to similar or equivalent positions to the posts held previously. Appropriate letters of resumption of duties will be issued. They would be assigned, according to the AG, to ministries, departments at which they were working before being sent home. Where this was not possible, they will be appointed to posts matching their skills or qualifications in other ministries or departments.

Vacation Leave, Back Pay and more

As for vacation leave, the understanding is any vacation leave deemed to have been accrued during the period employees were at home, will be vacated.

Those resuming employment will work for three months before applying for leave accrued otherwise, before they were sent home.

For those individuals who have reached either the age of retirement or at an age to be considered for early retirement during the period they were out of work, it has been decided that they will be eligible for pension benefits under the existing pension laws.

To be eligible for pension including those who already reached retirement age while not employed, those individuals must resume work before making an application to proceed on retirement, and those seeking early retirement must do so under the normal procedure.

With respect to remuneration also known as back pay, for the period not on the job, Mitchell said that this matter has been deferred to a later date to facilitate a determination of the exact number of persons who would have resumed employment at the end of January.

For those who may have submitted applications to be transferred, Mitchell said that it was recommended that such individuals resume their previous duties before any request for transfer can be made.

As for those who have obtained employment elsewhere, e.g. in the private sector or overseas, and who do not intend to resume duties in the public service, it was recommended that they submit a formal request supported by suitable documentation, upon which they can be granted no pay leave for up to one year.

Affected workers at state owned enterprises, statutory bodies, auxiliary police and teachers employed by the government but assigned to assisted schools, are to be treated in the same manner as those employed by the central government.

Those individuals who did not wish to return, but have made requests for benefits will not be eligible for benefits, Mitchell said.

Louise Mitchell, Attorney general, gave a detailed explanation of the process and conditions that will direct the reinstatement of public sector workers sent home under the 2021 ‘vaccine mandate legislation.

Numbers returning, etc.

It was noted at the January 23 press briefing that a total of 92 persons affected by the ‘vaccine mandate in 2021 had resumed employment within the civil service. According to Attorney General Mitchell, there were 116 persons who had not yet returned to work prior to December 2025.

Of those, 100 have now resumed with 92 positions\ having been filled, “so there are only eight persons within those two ministries who have not yet resumed work,” Mitchell said.

The action as described is in keeping with an election promise of the New Democratic Party (NDP), to reinstate public sector workers who were dismissed under the Public Health Amendment Bill (2021), conceived by and passed with the full support of the Unity Labour Party government.

The process and conditions of the reinstatement were recommended by a committee (including the Cabinet Secretary, Director General of Finance and Planning, Chief Personnel Officer among others) set up by the NDP government and approved by Cabinet, Attorney General Louise Mitchell explained.

Interestingly, on February 12th, the Eastern Caribbean Court of Appeal ruled in favor of the St. Vincent (SVG) government’s decision to institute a COVID vaccine mandate for public servants in 2021. This after the government appealed the ruling, not in their favour, by Justice Esco Henry. Justice of Appeal Gerhard Wallbank, who dissented on the St. Vincent government appeal of the socalled vaccine mandate of 2021, described the government’s action as “draconian.”

$1bn Estimates presented

THE RECENTLY INSTALLED NEW DEMOCRATIC PARTY (NDP) administration presented the 2026 Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure which amounted to EC$1,885,609,985.

In presenting the Estimates, etc. during the January 20, 2026 sitting of Parliament, Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Dr. Godwin Friday noted that the figure represented a 2 percent increase over the approved budget for 2025.

He added that the 2026 Estimates comprised Recurrent Expenditure inclusive of Amortization and Sinking Fund contributions amounting to EC$1,308,319,855, and Capital Expenditure of EC$577,299,110.

Recurrent estimates, not inclusive of Amortization and Sinking Fund contributions, amount to EC$1.012,421.625.

The Current Revenue however amounts to EC$906,875,230 resulting in a

deficit of EC$105.5 million.

“We have had deficits over the years; our challenge is to shrink it over the years and that is the task that we will set our minds to,” Dr Friday said during his presentation in Parliament.

According to the Prime Minister, the 2026 Current Revenue reflected a 40 percent decrease in non-tax revenue and the end of the retroactive financing arrangement which was implemented by the previous government and the World Bank.

Tax revenue

Revenue from tax sources is expected to amount to EC$762.6 million with that from non-taxes amounting to EC144.3 million.

Tax revenue is expected to increase slightly up by 0.7 percent, the prime minister said.

International trade and transactions are expected to

MCMH to be closed

Continued from Frontpage.

As for the visit by Prime Minister Dr. Godwin Friday, and his delegation, it followed as another in an ongoing series of oversight of major national development projects.

Dr. Friday was accompanied by Minister Cummings as referenced; Deputy Prime Minister St. Clair Leacock; Minister of Youth Kaschaka Cupid; and Minister of Social Welfare Shevern John.

The delegation also included Her Excellency Fiona Fan, Ambassador

of the Republic of China On Taiwan, and Project Manager for the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Cecil Harris and other senior Government representatives.

The project is funded primarily by a US$125 million loan from Taiwan, though there is also World Bank and OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID) involvement.

The construction of the Acute Care Hospital is projected to be completed in less than 32 months from the

Dr. Godwin Friday, Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, presented Estimate of revenue and Expenditure for 2026 that reflected an increase over 2025.

increase by EC$4.5 million, taxes on income and profit is expected to increase by 6.5 percent or EC$129 million.

Non-tax revenue in 2026 is expected to amount to EC$144.3 million through the sale of goods and services amounting to EC$117.7 million.

Recurrent expenditure, salaries, etc.

On the Recurrent Expenditure side, inclusive of Amortization and Sinking Fund contributions amount to EC$1.31 billion and is made up of the Current Expenditure — EC$1,012,400,000 with Amortization amounting to EC$270.9 million and Sinking Fund contributions of EC$25 million.

Capital Estimates amount to EC$577.3 million, 17.4 percent lower than the approved figure for 2025, and is made up of $201 million from domestic receipts and

commencement of construction, which began in earnest following the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding in July 2024.

Dr. Friday highlighted the importance of the project and recognised the volume of work completed to date, even as he noted the need for additional skilled labour, a sentiment shared by Project Manager Harris who recognized the need given the magnitude and complexity of the project.

EC$573 million from external receipts.

Dr. Friday explained that salaries have increased by EC$39.1 million, the payment of pensions have increased by 0.6 percent or EC$400,000 and transfers are expected to go up by EC$27 million.

The amount allocated to pensions for 2026 amount to EC$93.5 million with EC$78.4 million for the payment of pensions and EC$15.1 for contributions.

Public debt

Dr. Friday told the nation that the country’s debt amounted to EC$3,539,759,270 as of

December 31, 2025, which according to him was a 13 percent increase over the 2024 figure. Domestic debt was now EC$993 million and the external debt amounted to EC$2.55 billion.

According to the Prime Minister, the main changes in the domestic debt was attributed to the balance owed by the public sector and loans which grew by 6.6 percent.

The overdraft facility, which Dr. Friday explained the Parliament had agreed to keep around EC$85 million had now increased to EC$200 million.

“But we will address that,” Dr. Friday said. (DD)

Work continues apace at the construction site of the Acute Care Hospital.

The Acute Care Hospital at Arnos Vale represents a major investment in the

Coach to compensate referee

Stories by HAYDN HUGGINS

A FOOTBALL COACHwho attacked and beat a referee during a football match at the Victoria Park, February 18, 2025, has been ordered to pay $5,000 in compensation.

The defendant, Keon Peters, the coach of team Awesome FC and also a school teacher, had initially pleaded not guilty to unlawfully and maliciously wounding Elron Lewis, Chairman of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Referees Association, and Head Coach of the national Under-19 football team.

However, during the middle of his trial at the Kingstown Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday, Peters changed his plea to guilty.

Of the $5,000 compensation, Senior Magistrate Tammika McKenzie ordered that Peters pay $300 forthwith or one and a half weeks in prison, $2,000 by Feb. 3, or nine months, and the balance of $2,700 by May 12 or one year in prison.

Peters was also sentenced to 24 months in prison, but that sentence was suspended for one year.

The facts showed that on the night of February 18, 2025, during a match at the Victoria Park, now

Independence Park, Peters’ team, Awesome FC, was playing against Chelsea, while Lewis was the referee.

At around 7:55pm, Lewis issued Peters a red card for using abusive language.

Peters, unhappy with the decision, aggressively approached Lewis and pushed him with his hands. Lewis responded by pushing Peters’ hands away and instructed him to behave himself.

Peters responded by saying, “Mark my words, this not done, I will deal with you,” and left the field.

After the final whistle, Peters re-entered the playing field from the area where the medical staff was positioned, and confronted the referee stating, “Elron, remember me? Mark my words, this isn’t finished.”

Around 8:30pm, during the half time break of the second match of the evening’s fixture, Lewis was sitting with Damali Phillips, when he felt a sudden and forceful blow to his back. He turned around and identified his attacker to be Keon Peters.

Peters then proceeded to push Lewis, which led to a brief physical altercation. They were separated by others

present.

Peters then drew a shiny object from his waist, turned towards Lewis and struck him across his eyes with the object, inflicting an injury.

Lewis attempted to defend himself. (Damali) Phillips intervened, but Peters pushed him away.

Kevin Michael, the assistant referee, also attempted to intervene, but Peters forcefully pushed his aside.

Peters sustained an injury to the left eye as a result of the incident. He reported the matter to the Criminal Investigations Department.

Lewis, who was called to the stand following the presentation of the facts, asked that the defendant be given a second chance, and recommended that he (Lewis) be compensated in the sum of $5,000.

“I am asking the Court not to send him to prison, he has his kids. I think I should be compensated, he suggested.

Lewis said he sustained a laceration close to his left eye, resulting in him having to be home for a week. He added that he also suffered emotional trauma.

He recalled that the incident was so serious that it led the referees strike to protest violence against referees.

Attorney Grant Connell, who represented

Peters, requested a reasonable fine along with compensation, and said that if the Court was minded to impose a custodial sentence, to suspend it.

Connell said that Peters is a teacher and makes $1,700 per month. He added that the defendant is expected to receive his bonus payment, and initiative of newly elected NDP Administration, and he is willing to pay the compensation.

“If he is making $1,700 a month, he would be getting more than double, he is one of the fortunate ones,’ Magistrate McKenzie responded.

However, when the amount for compensation was being considered, Connell said he was not sure whether the bonus will be paid

“I don’t trust no politician,” he told the Court, and explained that if the bonus is paid, he will use it to pay the compensation, but if it not paid, he would have to use his salary and something extra. He asked the Court to consider that Peters also has to eat and drink.

Connell noted that Peters had no previous conviction, is a man of good character, is remorseful, relatively young and assisted the police.

The Magistrate placed

Magistrate disturbed by coach’s behavior

the seriousness of the offence at Level A, the highest level. She pointed out that the aggravating factors outweighed the mitigating, with regard to the offence, and for the offender, the mitigating outweighed the aggravating. She also expressed the view the $5,000 compensation requested by Lewis was a reasonable amount. Peters could not receive the full one third discount on his sentence, as he did not plead guilty at the first available opportunity. In fact, he waited until the middle of the trial to change his plea from not guilty to guilty.

Senior Magistrate Tammika McKenzie posited that sometimes one needs to see what life is on the other side (jail).

school teacher Keon Peters, who had attacked and wounded a referee during a football match at the Victoria Park, on February 18, 2025.

The Magistrate chided the 37-year-ol Largo Height man on Wednesday, just before ordering him to pay $5,000 in compensation to the Chairman of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Referees Association. Elron Lewis, for wounding him.

“I am very disturbed by your action as a teachers and sportsman,” she told Peters, who coaches the Awesome FC football team.

McKenzie note that Peters was a 37-year-old man who

helped youngsters, and therefore better was expected of hm.

She pointed out that the offence with which Peters was charged was a serious one, which carried a maximum penalty of seven years in prison.

“Sometimes I think the shock of seeing what life is all about on the other side is needed…” Mc Kenzie said, apparently referring to the prison life.

The Magistrate said Peters threatened to “deal” with Lewis. He then left the field, returned and attacked him.

“The man (Lewis) ain’t trouble him (Peters), he (Peters)

pursued him and struck him in his back.

“Didn’t he (Lewis) say he felt the blow, turned around and noticed that it was the defendant in his face?” she said, reflecting on the facts.

The Magistrate added that a tussle followed between them but they were separated for a brief moment. Then Peters pulled a shiny object from his waist and struck Lewis in the area of his eyes.

The incident was one of several violent incidents which erupted at football matches during that period. Referees had resorted to strike action for about six weeks to protest the violence meted out to them.

the defendant on suspicion of theft and took him to the Central Police Station.

Carpenter jailed for shoplifting

Stories by HAYDN HUGGINS

A 58-YEAR-OLD CARPENTER of Walvaroo is into his fifth day of a prison sentence for shoplifting.

Peter DaSouza was sentenced to eight months and six days in prison for stealing two tins of HS Ultra Gloss Tire Shine valued at EC$69.99, the property of Coreas Auto Supplies Limited.

DaSouza, who was unrepresented, pleaded guilty when he appeared before Senior Magistrate Tammika McKenzie at the Kingstown Magistrate’s Court on Monday.

The facts showed that at around 11:55am, on January 26, 2026, Zimron Williams, who is employed at Coreas Auto Supplies

Limited as a Technician, was in the Manager’s office, along with an IT Technician having a meeting, when Williams noted a man, later identified as DaSouza, entering the establishment with a book bag on his back, and a shopping bag on his shoulder. He was observed removing items from the shelf and placing them in the shopping bag.

Williams went to the aisle and asked the man if he needed help. He said “no” and proceeded to walk toward the exit door.

The man exited the store and Williams pursued him, shouting and running to get his attention.

The defendant did not answer and Williams kept on shouting while running

behind him along Bay Street.

Police Constable 628 Hector, who was dressed in plain clothes, was at the time walking in the opposite direction and saw what was happening.

The officer ran behind the defendant and caught him.

Within seconds, Constable 655 Caine, who was on duty in the area, arrived on the scene and rushed to the assistance of Constable Hector.

Williams reported to the officers, that the defendant had stolen some items from the store.

Hector searched the shopping bag in the presence Williams and the other officer, and found the two tins of HS Ultra Gloss Tire Shine. He arrested

Ginger thief jailed

40-YEAR-OLD

LABOURER of Redemption Sharpes, will spend the next month behind bars, for stealing a sack of ginger valued at $800, from a 68-year-old farmer from the same community.

Holder was sentenced to 18 months and 19 days in prison for the offence, but he will serve one month of that sentence immediately, while the balance of the 17 months and 19 days was suspended for 18 months.

Holder was also ordered to pay compensation of $3,700 of which $100 is to be paid forthwith, and the balance, $3,400, by December 31 or one year in prison.

Senior Magistrate

Tammika McKenzie handed down the penalties at the Kingstown Magistrate’s Court on Monday.

Holder had initially pleaded not guilty, but changed his plea to guilty when he returned to Court on Monday for trial.

The facts show that the Virtual Complainant, Lily Lewis, plants eddoes, cabbage and ginger among other crops.

On April 11, 2025, at about 11am, she went to her farm at Redemption Sharpes, placed the ginger in a sack, secured it in the field and went home. She returned to her land at around 6am on April 14, 2025 and observed that the sack of ginger was missing.

She reported the matter to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), where . Constable 142 Tyrik Kennedy took the report and recorded a written statement from Lewis.

Investigations were carried out during which the police received information pointing to Holder as having stolen the ginger.

Holder was subsequently arrested and volunteered a written statement admitting to the offence.

Magistrates and

Prosecutors have repeatedly called on the police to charge persons under the Agricultural Produce and Livestock (Prevention of Theft) Act, which provides for stiff penalties, jail time and seizure of vehicles used in the commission of a crime.

The Act, commonly called the Praedial Larceny Act, was passed here on November 20, 2007.

However, police continue to charge offenders for theft under the Criminal Code, which carries only maximum penalty of two years in prison.

Some of the calls for the Act to be enforced have come from Magistrate John Ballah and then Senior Magistrate Adolphus Delpleche, now retired.

The recently elected New Democratic Party (NDP) Administration is on record as saying that they intend to take a “zero tolerance” approach to Agricultural Theft (Praedial Larceny), as part of its plans to secure the agricultural sector. Towards this end, the Party pledged to strengthen laws, introduce specialized units, and implement modern equipment to protect farmers’ investments.

PC 38 Strough, stationed at the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), took a statement from Williams and visited the scene.

Investigations were carried out during which the CCTV footage at the store was reviewed, revealing the defendant removing the items from the shelf and placing them in a shopping bag. He did not give a statement, but said, “Let me pay for them.” He was subsequently charged with theft.

Shoplifting seems to become very prevalent in St. Vincent and the Grenadines in recent times, with persons being brought before the Court on an almost daily basis, charged with offences of this nature.

Bail granted in gun, ammo trial

A 41-YEAR-OLD CONSTRUCTION worker of Campden Park is slated to return to Court on March 2 on firearms and ammunition charges.

Appearing at the Serious Offences Court on Monday, Nicholas Charles pleaded not guilty to possession of a Taurus G3C 9mm Lugar semi-automatic pistol, and ten rounds of 9mm ammunition without licenses.

Prosecutor Renrick Cato did not object to bail, but requested sufficient surety and conditions.

Chief Magistrate Colin John granted bail in the sum of $10,000 with one surety, on condition that he surrender his travel documents and report to the Questelles Police Station every Tuesday and Thursday between 6am and 6pm.

Police reports were that on January 24, 2026, police apprehended Charles during targeted enforcement operations.

The National Newspaper of St. Vincent and the Grenadines

Managing Director: Desiree Richards

Editor: Cyprian Neehall

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Mailing Address: The Vincentian Publishing Co. Ltd., P.O. Box 592, Kingstown, St Vincent and the Grenadines.

Editorial

For the Leader of the Opposition

AS WE SAID IN AN EARLIER EDITORIAL, “Dr. Ralph Gonsalves is not going anywhere”, anytime soon or later.

Note that we said ‘Dr. Ralph Gonsalves’ and not Leader of the Opposition. That is because, Dr. Gonsalves is a tried and tested politician and a mean political strategist (election defeat or not).

Whether or not he has been sworn in as Leader of the Opposition, (a formality) he is the elected voice of non-government business in the House and the voice of some 40-42 percent of the electorate, and leader of the main Opposition party.

By the way, didn’t Dr. Gonsalves say that he has received at least one month’s allocation ($$) as Leader of the Opposition? The government system certainly respects him as such.

That said, as time rolls on and the Leader of the Opposition stays in focus, we are wont to offer some advice to this office.

Let us admit. Being a parliamentary opposition is no easy task, especially when the opposition numbers one.

Dr. Gonsalves sums up the opposition mandate as one “to oppose, expose and depose.”

When one examines this mandate and the inherent tasks, the leader of the opposition party, has four different tasks at the same time, each requiring different skills to effect.

First, there’s the immediate task of simply being the opposition: challenging the government, holding it to account and scrutinising legislation, without making itself monotonous (boring?), trite and irrelevant in the long run.

The Prime Minister and equally so the current Leader of the Opposition will admit that when government is vested with unprecedented powers, it is more necessary than ever that someone holds those powers to account.

To do so constructively is important; to do so as if grabbing at straws defeats the purpose of the Opposition.

The second key job is party management. If the truth be told, neither the Opposition Unity Labour Party nor the incumbent New Democratic Party is known to have put in place a leadership succession process, that will allow an encumbered morphing of the best

Affordability: A new Buzzword

talent therein.

As it stands, Dr. Gonsalves needs to engage the members of his party and the percentage of people who voted in his party’s favour, even as he maintains peace and stability within the party rank that are, at this stage likely to “rebel”.

The Leader of the Opposition, the lone elected Opposition member in the House of Assembly, must lead the party’s response so that it reflects the view of the majority and not that of himself which if he does, will translate into an impression of selfish intent, an inordinate desire to remain relevant, not realizing that to do so will ostracize many young and qualified voices.

Then there is the campaigning role that must not be ignored. A Leader of the Opposition must always be prepared for the next election. Whether or not that means that Dr. Gonsalves will lead the party (unlikely) into another general election, is less of an issue than sustaining the party so that it remains in campaign mode and focused on the next election.

This entails re-building popular support, energising the party and moving public opinion onto the Labour ground.

How long he remains as Leader and how that will affect the (immediate) future of the party will be left to be seen, though the advice would be for him to vacate the leadership as timely as possible.

Finally, the Leader of the Opposition is a PM-in-waiting. He or she must be ready to govern. The question is: Is the current Leader of the Opposition (Party) going to set himself up for another term as PM, or will he introduce a process that allows for a new PM-in-waiting, one who is able to offer a compelling and different programme for government.

So, Dr. Gonsalves, leading the opposition isn’t so much a job as it is multiple personality crisis. It’s a difficult role at the best of times, worst when age is not on the side of the holder of the office.

On another score, we recall the message: “The leader of the opposition does not retain officialdom everywhere, anywhere, or at all times. There are limits to it, just as there are limits for newspaper persons.” Just a thought.

AS THE GLOBAL WEALTHgap widens, a new buzzword has emerged in our lexicon. That word is affordable. It seems like every newly elected official thinks they can make living more affordable, and by extension, insinuates the previous administration did not do enough to address the cost of living.

To be clear, this is not confined to SVG. Those of us with access to the USA media will know that this word is at the centre of the feud between Republicans and Democrats. The funny thing is that most people understand that a government delivering an affordable standard of living is an elusive concept, always just outside the government’s reach.

Locally, our government proposed two specific remedies to offset the rising cost of living, including a one-month bonus and a reduction of the Value Added Tax (VAT).

As for the proposed change to the “one-month” bonus payment for all government employees, an election promise, I will leave those who feel shortchanged by this change to make their own arguments for why it’s not fair and just. For now, I don’t support the changes. I am, however, pleased that some consideration was extended to the pensioners. How about those other NIS recipients?

My question today remains the same: can the government afford the funding reductions that come with the VAT proposal? I know the rhetoric that goes with this pledge: it is going to make things more affordable; it is putting the money where the pain is; it is putting the power of the purse back in the hands of the people (new). In a lastminute, desperate attempt to win voters in the last election, the ULP added a few more items to the exempt (zero-rated) list, to no avail.

As an aside, it is very strategic when a government chooses to make an item currently subject to VAT zero-rated rather than exempt. To make an item exempt from the tax, legislative action is required. When an item is “zerorated” today, the tax is zero and can be adjusted at any time in the future with a simple administrative action.

Back to the topic at hand, I do not support any proposed reduction in VAT. No cleverly worded cliché can erase the strain on the Vincentian at the grocery store, on their light bill, and around the

provincial kitchen table. I do not think most Vincentians worry about the VAT on their light bills; they are more concerned about the energy surcharge, which includes a VAT. Let’s face the fact that the downward pressure on our people is imported inflation, something over which we have limited control. Our problem is not the 16% VAT. VAT is the primary source of revenue for funding essential services such as public safety, road repairs, and recreational facilities.

While I am not totally sold on the “VAT Holiday,” I am not as opposed to that idea. For the most part, the savings consumers realize are reinvested in the economy through additional purchases. A permanent VAT reduction reduces revenues otherwise available to the government for services such as education and health care.

I understand that it might be impossible for the government to renege on the promise; “it is what it is”, but let’s not make another “deadly” promise. The government needs to conduct a thorough cost analysis before any further revisions to our tax structure. At the end of the day, what is it going to cost, and what are they offsetting those giveaways with? Are they going to reduce spending on something, or are they going to raise taxes on something else?

I believe it’s essential we frame any new tax reform as an investment in addressing the cost of living. Under that view, I would prefer to broaden the discussion and ask questions such as: Is this the right investment for the problem? What else could we have done with government funds to address the cost-of-living crisis? Is the loss in revenue worth the benefit? Do we need to take further steps in restructuring our tax policies to be more progressive? Whatever, we must continue the conversation toward making the country more affordable for Vincentians in the long term, beyond the election cycle. Tax cuts can be beneficial, but the long-term economic impact must be studied to guide future policy. Horatio.

Of this and that ⁄.

Party and Government

DURING THE TENUREof the ULP (in government), there was no separation between party and the government. The present government appears to be following that since taking office post the November 27, 2025 general election. I must admit that it’s

a thin line between party and government. You have to be extremely disciplined to uphold the difference.

Anytime government resources are used for a project, it’s a government project, not a party project, and the government’s performances are

highlighted on API.

I am a follower of the NDP New Times programme from its inception. Now that the party is the government, I suggest that thought be given to changing the format of the programme.

Leadership

My national hero

AS WE CAMEto the end of the series “From Joshua to Gonsalves reign - leaders of our nation”, we recognize that THE VINCENTIAN issues of Nov.7th and 21st, gave a clear-cut prediction of the outcome of the Nov. 27th general elections. (See page 9 in each of those issue — articles at the bottom right of the page.)

Looking back from whence we came, we see each leader as a link in a chain that extends yesterday, today, and forward in time and outward across borders and boundaries.

But there is one individual, not included among our national leaders, who I take the liberty of showcasing, of whom we would have been proud had he got the opportunity to lead this country,

That man is Egerton ‘Eggie’ RichardsSunrise on Jan.10, 1929, sunset on Jan. 12th, 2014.

From primary school he went into the teaching profession, and also became a tailor before joining the police force. He joined his uncle on the Mt. Bentinck Estate

and became the lead mechanic.

On the side he set up a trucking business transporting cane. Richards also went into the scrap metal business. But politics was not far from his mind.

He made his debut in electoral politics in 1957 when as a candidate of the St. Vincent Labour Party, he unsuccessfully challenged Ivy Johsua (wife of E.T. Joshua) for the North Windward seat.

Undaunted, Richards later joined the PPP and ran against the mighty Milton Cato in three successive elections, between 1961 and 1967in the East St. George constituency. He lost on each occasion.

He ended his frontline political journey in 1983 in a three-way byelection in the central Leeward seat. He lost again this time as a candidate for the shortlived St. Vincent National Movement.”

He ended his electoral political journey but remained an active voice for Vincentian politics, and became a lone voice at times, in opposition to Sir James Mitchell

whose NDP had won all the seats in the 1989 elections.

But in between all his politics, Richards was employed as manager of the Diamond Estate.

And during that time, he was able to establish his own state-of-the-art farm, producing high quality milk, pork and poultry. He was keen on adding value to everything that was grown in St. Vincent.

Richards also owned two boats -Alva and Caya - which he used to transport banana to St. Lucia for transshipment to England, i.e. before the Geest boat started to come to port Kingstown.

But perhaps his most significant economic venture was when he founded Metrocint Insurance Co., officially launched on Dec. 31, 1968, and from whence he became known as Uncle Metro.

To this can be added his purchase and operation of the Olive’s Hotel and THE VINCENTIAN newspaper.

Uncle Metro is my National Hero. Long live to his offspring!

Christian Democrat.

A few weeks ago, I listened to a press conference. The host or main speaker, who is seven stairs away from entering the house of the eighty-year-olds, was talking about getting his party back on track, after the humiliating defeat at the polls.

He has to be joking. What happened to the younger party members? Many of them are blaming him for the humiliating defeat.

In international football, any team losing a match fourteen to one, after being top of the league for twenty yearsthe captain, coach, manager and support staff would have all resigned instantly.

I hope that host main speaker gets over the shock soonest and relinquishes the party leadership. Let younger blood shape the party’s future.

The Environment

There seems to be an increase in respiratory ailments throughout the nation.

I am wondering if the reckless burning of waste all over the place (especially in the country (rural areas) is contributing to the problem.

The burning of rubber, cloth, plastic etc. is being done almost daily. You cannot enjoy the comfort of your own home. There are things being burnt for many, many hours, which give off a smell that can make anyone sick. It becomes more offensive and disturbing at night.

Nobody seems to be concerned about the effects of smoke on our health and the

A Lesson in Leadership and Gratitude

“Be mindful of others – You never know when you might need them.” (Gittens 2026)

LAST SUNDAY, a simple decision to cut down a mango tree in my backyard revealed a deeper truth about leadership and the consequences of overlooking and undervaluing people. The mango tree had long served as a habitat for fowls that roosted there nightly. Though their early-morning noise was sometimes inconvenient, it was

the sound that woke me and prompted me to prepare for work. Once the tree was cut, the birds were forced to relocate, settling instead on a neighbour’s fence. The disruption was immediate. This ordinary act reflects what often happens in workplaces today. Decisions are made without fully considering the people affected–particularly employees whose contributions are constant but often overlooked. Like the fowls in the tree, workers can become so familiar that their value is

unnoticed until they are displaced or gone.

Leaders must be aware of the needs of their employees and lead with integrity, setting an example through their actions and treatment of others. At the same time, workers must ensure that they continue to learn new skills so that when different opportunities or challenges come their way, they are still able to adapt and remain relevant in a changing job environment.

Yvette Gittens

environment. It’s the responsibility of the Public Health Department to educate persons about the negative effects of burning stuff- coal pits included.

This should be done regularly on radio (all) and television, and also in the print media.

Observer.

PEOPLE ARE ASKING:

SHOULD ANY FORMER PRIME MINISTEr get security if he/she is still a member of parliament?

Why is our Prime Minister moving around with the same security setup as the former Prime Minister when it was heavily condemned by the Opposition?

When will the Traffic Department be equipped with instruments that measure noise, speed and alcohol levels of drivers?

What is being done about the vehicles that put out clouds of smoke, creating a health and environmental problem? Isn’t it time we introduce emission tests?

Is the new government going to have workers do road cleaning more than twice per year?

Is the Acute Care Hospital at Arnos Vale being constructed on flood-prone land?

Why can’t we have the traffic lights at the Sion Hill intersection and along Bay Street reactivated?

Have the chairpersons of Statutory Boards and State Corporations/Companies resigned their positions as protocol demands?

CED host business workshop

AS A KEY COMPONENTof the OAS funded Unlocking Opportunities through Climate Change Initiatives (UOCCI) project, the Centre for Enterprise Development (CED) successfully conducted a Community Programme for Entrepreneurial Development (CPED) Workshop in Barrouallie. Facilitated by Business Consultant Catilda James, the workshop aimed to equip local community groups and

entrepreneurs with the essential skills and tools to build climate-resilient businesses. Participants engaged in practical training focused on identifying risks and opportunities and developing sustainable business models. The session was well received, with participants leaving with actionable ideas for enhancing existing enterprises and launching new ventures.

Raelene Bulze, one of two students from the Barrouallie Technical Institute (BARTEC) who attended the workshop, shared her immediate plans: “I’m thinking about how I can enhance my aunt’s shop and keep her records for her.” Looking ahead, she added, “I’m thinking after this programme that I would want to develop my own electrical business. So, these ideas really and truly will enhance what I have planned for my future.”

Another attendee, Mr.

Elton James, found the session “very edifying” and called for more programmes like it to be held on the leeward side of the country. “I would encourage that we have more programmes like this as a refresher,” he stated, suggesting a follow-up to build on the foundation laid.

The UOCCI project focuses on strengthening the capacity of underserved communities, enabling them to not only withstand environmental challenges but also to create sustainable livelihoods. By fostering entrepreneurial solutions, the project empowers communities to become active agents of their own economic and environmental resilience.

This workshop in Barrouallie represents the ongoing commitment of the UOCCI project and CED to ensure that communities across St. Vincent and the Grenadines are better prepared to aid themselves and others in the face of a changing climate.

The project continues with the CED Business Clinics in Marriaqua and Georgetown on February 24th and 25th respectively. A three-day Climate Change Adaptation Workshop is also scheduled for February 24th to 26th. Community groups and other interested persons can contact CED for more details at 451-2235. (CED)

Launch of new motor vehicle registration decals

Media release from the INLAND REVENUE DEPARTMENT

THE GENERAL PUBLIC is advised that effective Wednesday, 28th January 2026, the Inland Revenue Department will begin issuing its new motor vehicle licence decals to persons making motor vehicle licence payments.

The new licence decals will feature additional motor vehicle registration details, specifically the registration number, year, model and colour, as well as a clearly visible licence expiration date. The new licence decals are made from a more durable material and the enhanced design allows for clearer visibility by the police, increased security and more effective prevention of motor vehicle registration fraud.

Over the past weeks, the Department has been working to integrate the necessary requirements to facilitate the launch of the new motor vehicle licence decals. During

that time, the Department was unable to issue licence decals to persons with motor vehicles bearing the last digit “1”.

The Department recognises that these persons may have been inconvenienced as a result of not being able to pay their motor vehicle licence due by the end of January 2026. The Department sincerely regrets any inconvenience that may have been caused as a result.

In order to allow sufficient time for payment compliance, the Department has extended the licence payment deadline for motor vehicles bearing the last digit “1”, originally due by the end of January 2026, to Friday 6th February 2026.

Please note that at this time, all motor vehicle registration decals will be issued from the Department’s main Kingstown Office. The Department will provide further updates on when the out-district rural and Grenadines offices will begin issuing licence decals.

Talent and Borderless

“The power of human creativity transcends borders, politics, and prejudice.” — Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll (born 1977), Colombian singer, songwriter, dancer and philanthropist

KOFI ANNAN (1938-2018), the Ghanaianborn former Secretary General of the United Nations, who served in that capacity from 1997 to 2006, has left us with many wise sayings. He is recorded as saying, “No one nation has a monopoly on wisdom, creativity, or innovation.” Recent technological advances reinforce the idea that talent is borderless. For example, we are seeing increasing evidence that citizens from developing countries continue to make names for themselves and their nations in athletics, music, mathematics, the sciences, and business. Such individuals provide ample evidence that intelligence, innovation, and creativity transcend nationality, language, religion, culture, and geography. Talent is a universal human potential, waiting to be revealed, cultivated, and shared.

Advances in technology, especially during this digital age, facilitates global migration and the rise of remote collaboration. Individuals in the most remote parts of the world, influenced by access to the Internet, can engage in mind-boggling innovations on a personal basis or in collaboration with other like-minded individuals. As one young person recently shared with me, “The sky is no longer the limit; technology allows us to move beyond the skies.” Today, we realize that brilliance can emerge from anywhere. Our children must therefore be reminded that opportunities, not origin, determine how far talent can go. We therefore need to encourage and guide them to explore the world that is opened to them in the various disciplines and to realize that other likeminded individuals, often with limited resources, have broadened the boundaries of knowledge having nurtured the mindset to better their best efforts and to explore new territories of the mind. Jesus Pazos, former Chief Executive Officer of Neal & Massy Limited (Trinidad and Tobago) once reminded us that, “You cannot discover distant lands by remaining on shore.” The spirit of exploration and innovation must be encouraged. We need to support a culture where individuals are motivated to calculate risks and be prepared to be proactive in pursuing their dreams and ambitions with passion. We should encourage them to contemplate possibilities for personal and corporate advancement and not be daunted by the challenges that may lie ahead. History is replete with examples that illustrate how talent flourishes beyond borders. Some of the most influential innovations in technology of the 21st century have emerged from global technology. The Caribbean has also contributed to some of these developments. For example, Guyana’s Robert Collymore (1958-2019) made a significant contribution to the expansion of telephony in Kenya, East Africa, via his involvement as Safaricom’s Chief Executive Officer. During his tenure, he played a pivotal role in scaling M-Pesa, Safaricom’s mobile money platform, turning it into a globally acclaimed financial innovation that revolutionized financial inclusion in Kenya and beyond. In addition, engineers in India design software in Silprojectslley; talented artists in Nigeria create viral digital

content and inspires millions worldwide; scientists from dozens of countries work in unison on project like the International Space Station. These accomplishments provide ample evidence that human creativity will thrive when the barriers of prejudice and geography are removed. The digital revolution has dismantled many of the obstacles to innovation and progress allowing anyone with determination and skill to influence national and international development. We can therefore appreciate why successive governments in India and China have invested time, effort, and money in creating and sustaining competitive advantage through an enhanced mindset that encourages innovation and a proactive culture.

In addition, the borderless nature of talent invites a greater understanding of diversity; it challenges stereotypes and prejudices. We build stronger societies and ignite creativity and invention when we recognize that intelligence and imagination are not limited to ethnicity, nationality, or background. An individual’s unique experiences, combined with those from others who have been socialized differently, can create and sustain initiatives that would otherwise go amiss. Many cosmopolitan cities and countries can showcase examples of outstanding projects, products, and services that have emerged as a result of immigrant entrepreneurs. For example, we are encouraged and feel justly proud of Caribbean nationals who migrated to developed countries and launched companies that create jobs and drive innovation in their adopted countries. The earlier example of Robert Collymore attests to this.

Although the United States of American now appears to be focused on ridding itself of a significant segment of their immigrant population (not only those who appear to be radical or have a criminal record) their society benefited significantly from welcoming talent from all corners of the globe. It is readily observed that nations gain fresh ideas and renewed energy when they harness the intellect and skills of natives and non-nationals.

Based on the foregoing, we understand and appreciate that talent is borderless. We laud Caribbean governments and institutions that enact policies and structures to ignite imagination and innovation. Such progressive approaches to development encourage citizens to pursue their dreams and ambitions with passion. We are encouraged by the realization that many individuals have accomplished great feats even though faced with systemic barriers such as poverty and limited education. Human potential is regularly unlocked when citizens are motivated to push beyond their limitations to make dreams real reminding us that skills and creativity are not constrained by geographic space and physical location. Talent is borderless.

The weak must suffer what they must

WRITING IN THE 5TH CENTURY BC, the Greek historian Thucydides wrote, ‘The strong do what they can, and the weak suffer what they must.’ The quote reflected the power dynamics of the ancient world, where powerful countries dominated the affairs of weaker nations. The use of such raw power is back in vogue.

This kind of thinking prevailed for a long time. In 1884, European nations carved up Africa among themselves, disregarding the indigenous peoples. One hundred and fifty years later, the continent’s potential is stifled. Instead of a United States of Africa with the strength and power such an entity portends, there are 54 nations with 38 different currencies, most requiring visas for entry.

The same kind of divisions are found in Asia. One people, brothers and sisters, were divided along religious and political lines. India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh emerged from the mess. China, Japan, Korea and Vietnam all draw swords at each other. In this century alone, Japan invaded Russia (1905) and China (1931), China attacked Vietnam (1978), and Russia invaded Hungary (1956) and Czechoslovakia in 1968, Afghanistan (1979) and Ukraine in 2022.

As early as 1823, the United States of America, in a projection of power, declared the Monroe Doctrine, which essentially claimed the Americas as its sphere of influence and warned other nations not to venture into its hemisphere. Washington intervened at will in Cuba, Puerto Rico, Haiti, Guatemala, the Dominican Republic, Chile, Grenada and Venezuela.

The misadventures of mainly European powers led to rivers of blood.

King Leopold of Belgium stole the Congo from its people, held it as his personal estate and killed upwards of 10 million Congolese in what was clearly a genocide of epic proportions. European excesses led to World War I and World War II, with a combined death toll of over 100 million people. In WW11, Russia lost 27 million citizens and China 20 million. Most shocking to the European mind was that Hitler, the German leader, scapegoated and exterminated an estimated six million Jews. The word genocide took on new meaning as Europeans, shamed by the deadly massacre, proclaimed Never again. Such hypocrisy prompted Aime Cesaire, the brilliant Martinican anticolonialist, Negritude intellectual, to mockingly declare that Europeans were belatedly concerned about genocide because the depraved savagery and brutality boomerranged to Europe.

It was out of this inferno of death and deprivation that the United Nations and the so-called rules-based order emerged. Peaceful settlement of disputes was said to be a priority. Independence, sovereignty, and noninterference in the internal affairs of states became bedrock principles governing world affairs. By 1960, two states, with capitals in Washington, DC, and Moscow, had become dominant players in international affairs. Both were armed with apocalyptic nuclear weapons. Neither side openly provoked the other because of the doctrine labelled Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD). And then the unthinkable happened. The Soviet Union collapsed, and the United States became the world’s dominant power, prompting some to declare prematurely a victory for ‘liberal democracy’ and the end of history.

But the bargain which the USA made to crush the Soviet Union backfired. China, lured into breaking with the Soviet Union by President Nixon in the 1970s and benefiting from massive Western investments (some estimates show that 50 per cent of all direct foreign investment went to China) over the next 40 years, emerged

as a rival and industrial powerhouse. By 2010, China had lifted hundreds of millions of people out of poverty, built massive, advanced cities, built up its technological prowess, and methodically began spreading its influence across Asia, Africa, and Latin America.

By 2015, Russia, which had stumbled badly under the drunken leadership of Boris Yeltsin, began to reassert itself. India was also emerging as a significant economic power with a strong industrial and technological base. In South America, Brazil, a vast land with energy, agricultural and economic potential, joined with South Africa to form BRICS.

China’s Silk Road Initiative, which aims to enhance global trade and economic connectivity by developing infrastructure across Asia, Europe, Africa, and South America, attracted attention.

Significantly, other countries with strategic resources and geopolitical locations, such as Cuba, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, and Saudi Arabia, joined BRICS. More ominously, the BRICS nations began a slow but determined shift away from the US dollar as the global currency of international trade. The more trade and exchange are conducted in other currencies, the more American influence wanes. These developments, which threaten the US dollar’s continued dominance, are driving much of the US’s reckless aggression worldwide.

These developments, which are never discussed on BBC, CNN, FOX and other mainstream media, help to explain the invasion of Iraq and Libya. Saddam wanted to trade in currencies other than the US dollar, and Gaddafi proposed establishing the gold dinar as a continental currency to back a United States of Africa. The Biden regime’s decision to blow up the Russian Nord Stream pipeline in September 2022, which was intended to sell upwards of 110 billion cubic meters of gas to Germany, thus creating greater economic integration in Europe, must also be seen in this context.

Donald Trump 2nd term represents a quickening of these aggressive actions. The January 3, 2026, invasion and kidnapping of President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, and the demands from Washington that Venezuela break all ties with Russia, China and Iran, the American piracy on the high seas and seizure of Venezuelan oil tankers, the extrajudicial killings of Trinidadian, Venezuelan and Colombian citizens under the flimzy pretext that they were drug traffickers, the continued economic stranglation intended to starve Cubans to death as well as C threats of military action in Cuba, the demands that small, fragile Caribbean states accept refugees from the US in clear violation of international human rights law, the threats to invade and occupy Greenland and American imminent military attack on Iran all represents a desperate last ditch attempt by the US ruling elite to reassert America’s dominant place in the world.

But alas, the empire’s strength lies mostly in its military might and brute force. Its soft power has waned. It may be too late for the leaders in Washington, complicit in the genocidal bloodbath in Palestine, to burnish America’s image. But not before its reckless military actions turn the world into crisis, conflict and destruction. Send comments, criticisms & suggestions

Urgent!! Societal repair in SVG

I SINCERELY BELIEVE that over eighty-five percent of our Vincentian society are intelligent enough, to have come to the conclusion that the prevailing trends in our nation are distinctly out of harmony with the quality of life we thought we had been in pursuit of seven decades ago,. Are there any sincere patriots who will disagree with the opinion that the general trend is unsatisfactory?

That being the case, it is prudent that we do the honest introspection to determine where we went wrong and identify those factors and elements that were responsible for our failure, to have pursued with determination, the paths which we had in earlier years determined had good prospects, for the enhancing of our socioeconomic being.

Our intelligentsia, our scholars, those persons who have the training and who seemed naturally to have been regarded as having the capacity, should understand, that they have a responsibility to the community, to point out with a view to correcting any elements which have the potential to work against our best interest. With so many issues that have impacted negatively on us over the extended period, it is reasonable to conclude, that our intelligentsia have been crippled by indifference. That is sad!

One of the areas where

this indifference, this paucity of commitment to the welfare and advancement of the society had been exposed most accurately, relates to the mismanagement of the banana industry, which had for several decades contributed significantly to the socio-economic wellbeing of the citizens. The industry had always had its challenges, as there were droughts, windstorms, diseases and low prices, but the resilience of the people had always seen the resurgence of the industry. And so that weekly income of over six thousand banana farmers, buttressed our economy, and over thirty thousand people were employed and had a regular income every week.

One had expected more interest to be shown by the Chamber of Industry and Commerce in view of their orientation, but even they too were distinctly indifferent. They seemed not to realize that the erosion that had been taking place just beyond their shadow, would one day reach their way, and remove the sand which formed the mound on which they were standing.

So here we are today, we are being stifled in the economic vacuum that the collapse of the banana industry has left us in.

And yet just a few months ago, the “rascal-

us” politicians who had been given the honour to lead, had been energetically endeavouring to convince us, that we Vincentians had never had it so good.

On November 27th last, the people empathetically dealt with the “Ralphecal polluting material” in an emphatic popular declaration that they

needed change. They had had enough of the roguish arrogance with which they had been burdened themselves for twenty-five years. It had been traditionally identifiable in this beautiful land of ours, that when the large families prospered, the communities prospered. It is not so today!

What a sad squandering of opportunities we have seen palpably played out in the first quarter of this third millennium! We are now in a strong position to repair the crippling of our society and those of us who are able must endeavor to give our new administration the needed support, so that they could succeed in the realization

of the goals they have undertaken to pursue. The repair work that faces us could well take the rest of this century, considering the prevailing global reality.

The untrustworthiness and naked rascality we have been accommodating with seeming indifference must be dealt with.

LeRoy Providence.

International Customs Day 2026 Message

(Editor’s Note: The follow was submitted by Selwyn Da Silva, Comptroller of Customs and Excise Department.)

THE WORLD CUSTOMS ORGANIZATION (WCO)will celebrate International Customs Day (ICD) on Monday, January 26th, 2026. The WCO is dedicating 2026 to “Customs protecting society through vigilance and commitment.”

Department firmly within the global Customs Community, opening doors to enhanced cooperation, capacity building, and alignment with international best practices.

This guiding theme emphasizes that Customs’ daily vigilance and commitment to stemming the everevolving range of threats at borders are fundamental for our societies to flourish economically and socially.

This year’s celebration carries special significance for the Customs and Excise Department of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. It marks our first International Customs Day as a proud member of the World Customs Organization, having officially joined on October 17, 2025. This milestone places our

The Department plays a vital role as a conduit for economic wealth creation, contributing to national development. Our mandate fuels trade, protects revenue, safeguards society, and strengthens the economic foundation upon which businesses and communities thrive. We are gatekeepers and enablers of growth. Over the past year, we have demonstrated this role with exceptional clarity. Our department has consistently achieved, and in many instances surpassed its revenue mandate. This achievement reflects the dedication of our officers, the effectiveness of our systems, and the integrity of our processes. It also reinforces the trust placed in us by the Government and the people we serve.

Revenue collection is only one dimension of our mission. We are also embracing the future. Digital transformation is beginning to take root within our Department, reshaping how we operate, how we communicate, and how we deliver services.

From the gradual shift toward paperless processes to the introduction of new digital tools, we are laying the foundation for a Customs administration to ensure that trade is Safer, Smarter, and Faster. This transformation is not merely technological, it is cultural. It requires new skills, new mindsets, and a shared commitment to innovation. As global trade evolves,

so too must our partnerships. We recognize that effective border management cannot be achieved by Customs alone. That is why we remain deeply committed to strengthening public-private partnerships. Collaboration with importers, exporters, brokers, port operators, and other stakeholders is essential to building a trade environment that is predictable, secure, and efficient. When we work together, we reduce bottlenecks, enhance compliance, and create opportunities for all.

Reflecting on the progress made in 2025, online payments became a reality and the Vincy Single Window for Trade (VSWiFT) was established, with the CARICOM ECertificate of Origin being the first service onboarded. This year, 2026, will see other services coming on stream as well including the upgrade of the Automated System for Customs Data (ASYCUDA) with several dynamic modules such as Ecommerce, Risk management and Post Clearance Audit to name a few.

The Department recognizes the rapid growth in online trade and intends to manage e-commerce in a more efficient, structured, and datadriven manner, ensuring that this expanding sector contributes fairly to revenue, complies with regulations, and supports legitimate business activity. By modernizing our approach, we will position our country to benefit fully from the digital economy.

As we celebrate International Customs Day 2026, let us acknowledge the progress we have made and let us also look ahead with determination. Our membership in the WCO, our digital transformation efforts, our strong revenue performance, and our commitment to partnership all point to a department on the rise. The work ahead will require discipline, creativity, and unity of purpose, and I am confident that we are ready.

To every Customs officer and employee, every partner agency, and every stakeholder: thank you for your dedication, your professionalism, and your belief in our mission. Together, we will continue to build a Customs administration that protects our nation, facilitates trade, and drives economic prosperity.

Happy International Customs Day 2026!

Gonsalves challenges SpeakerÊs decision

DR. RALPH GONSALVES, Leader of His Majesty’s Opposition in the parliament of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, has raised the concern that this country could well be seeing “the beginning of a creeping dictatorship”.

His comment was made on Star Radio on Monday 26th January, in response to a decision by the Speaker of the House - Ronnia Durham Bascombe, to deem as inadmissible (not to appear on the Order Paper) three questions submitted by the Opposition for oral answers at the sitting of parliament on Thursday 29th January, 2026.

Dr. Gonsalves had earlier, in a letter dated January 25 and addressed to the Speaker of the House, taken umbrage with the Speaker’s decision to dismiss the three questions.

Question one was directed at Minister of National Security St. Clair Leacock and had to do with whether the Minister had visited and met with staff of the prisons, and had begun a

process aimed at prison reform.

The second, directed at Daniel Cummings, Minister of Health, requested Minister to acknowledge that a swarm of flies was currently plaguing the land, and to say what action has been taken to address this in keeping with ensuring the health safety of all citizens.

The third was directed at Prime Minister Dr. Friday who was being asked to address why and under what arrangements his son was serving as his aide/assistance.

Dr. Gonsalves questioned the Speaker’s decision challenging her that the questions did not infringe the standing orders and general rules of the House of Assembly, e.g. framing of questions.

He took a more sweeping position against the speaker by questioning her authority and impartiality, making reference to her recent engaging in partisan politics (re. general elections campaign) and

of her holding recently “the office of President of the Women’s Arm of the New Democratic Party (NDP) which constitutes the government.”

Dr. Gonsalves also reminded the Speaker about the “importance of parliamentary questions,” as “one of the principled ways of holding a government to account,” which his government recognized during its period (2001 — 2025) by allowing the opposition fair reign on the facility of question time in parliament.

Dr. Gonsalves proffered that in the circumstances of a denial of a parliamentary practice, that the impression could be left that the Speaker was shielding the government from answering questions it would rather not answer.

The question therefore, “What if anything does the government have to hide?” was followed by a suggestion that there should be a review of the decision to deem the questions inadmissible.

Another Speaker-LOTO row

In another incident involving the Speaker and Dr. Gonsalves, he disclosed during a radio programme on Star Radio last Wednesday that he was barred from attending a meeting of the Finance Committee, where the 2026 budget estimates were scheduled to be formally presented ahead of their tabling in the House of Assembly on Thursday. According to Dr. Gonsalves, the Speaker of the House of Assembly informed him in writing that he could not participate in the meeting because he has not yet been sworn in by taking the Oath of Allegiance or making the required declaration to sit as an elected Member of Parliament.

He explained that the correspondence indicated he could attend the meeting only with the permission of the

RIGHT: Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, Leader of the Opposition, is ensuring that he is not going to let a numerical disadvantage affect his role.

committee’s chairman, Prime Minister, but would not be allowed to vote.

Meanwhile, Dr. Gonsalves and two opposition senators — Keisal Peters and Carlos James - were duly sworn in as members of the House during yesterday’s (Thursday) sitting of the House.

And Dr. Gonsalves made his first presentation in the Parliament as Leader of the Opposition during the same sitting.

Vincy publisher celebrates 11th anniversary

Story and

photos

by NELSON A. KING US CORRESPONDENT naking@verizon.net

BROOKLYN, New Yorkbased Palatial Publishing, LLC, on the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther, King, Jr. Day, Jan. 19, celebrated its 11th Anniversary with an inaugural small business showcase at Major R. Owens Health & Wellness Community Center in Brooklyn.

Kingstown native Kamla Millwood, the founder, president and CEO of Palatial Publishing, LLC, who produced the event, told THE VINCENTIAN that the showcase brought together 127 registered vendors, representing nonprofit organizations, small businesses, funding agencies, insurance providers, authors, and community service organizations.

author I publish, every entrepreneur I mentor, every artist I manage, and every business I advocate for is rooted in one belief: When people are given access, support, and visibility, they rise. And when they rise, entire communities rise with them.”

Millwood, the daughter of late, veteran Vincentian-born journalist Kenton Kirby, said she was registering vendors up to an hour before the venue opened, testimony to the overwhelming support the event attracted.

In fact, she said, “Many of the vendors, who participated, are entrepreneurs I personally mentor. I help them develop or redesign their logos, strengthen their branding, improve their marketing, and prepare themselves to present professionally and

Changing the business economic trajectory

Millwood said what she does through Palatial Publishing, LLC is not simply business — “it is purpose in action.

“I build platforms that unlock opportunity, amplify unheard voices, and transform communities,” Millwood said. “Every program I create, every

Millwood said she carries “a deep cultural legacy of strength, service, and collective responsibility,” stating that she was “raised to understand that success is not meant to be hoarded; it is meant to be shared.

“That belief shapes every decision I make and fuels my commitment to building systems that lift others while building sustainable institutions for the future,” she said.

In addition, she said she works to change the economic trajectory of businesses.

In one year alone, she said she helped certify over 171 businesses as Minority and Women-owned Business Enterprises (M/WBE) and Minorityowned Business Enterprises (M/BE), “unlocking access to government and corporate contracting opportunities.

“And, I am not slowing down,” Millwood declared. “My goal is to double that number this year, because economic inclusion is not optional; it is essential.

“I also lead by example: Palatial Publishing, LLC is a certified M/WBE company, proving that I operate within the same systems of opportunity I help others navigate,” she added, revealing that some of the businesses she certified were also vendors at her 11-Year Anniversary and Small Business Showcase,

More than consulting

Millwood said while she works directly with entrepreneurs to refine their business models and position them for long-term success, she does more than consulting.

“I advocate, and I fight for the businesses I serve,” she said, pointing out that she regularly provides testimony before New York City Council, using her voice to push for policies, funding, and protections that support small businesses, minority-

owned enterprises, and community-based organizations.

“I do this because true empowerment requires not only strategy, but systemic change, and I am committed to representing my community wherever decisions are being made,” she said.

And her reach does not stop at city or state lines… her reach is global.

She disclosed that she “proudly” serves as manager and publicist for international gospel artist, Trinidadian-born Gerard Placide, “guiding his brand, media presence, and professional growth across borders.”

Millwood said she also publishes internationally, working with authors such as Devon Morgan in the United Kingdom, while also publishing and promoting USbased authors including Vincentian Caren Charles DeFreitas, NYA Wilson, Lori Ann Denis and Kufunya IFE. Through literature, music and media, Millwood said she ensures that “voices across the Diaspora are seen, heard and celebrated.”

Choosing those who can inspire

Stating that she brings leadership, advocacy and inspiration into the same room, Millwood said she welcomed New York State Senator Roxanne Persaud, the Guyanese-born representative for the 19th Senate District in Brooklyn, to open her small business showcase, affirming “the importance of community-based economic development.”

At the same event, Millwood said she invited Guest Speaker Marlon Rice, candidate for New York State Senate in the 25th District, to “speak directly to the people about leadership and civic responsibility.”

Additionally, she said she welcomed, at the showcase, Mark Meyer Appel, founder of The Bridge Multicultural and Advocacy Project, to honor the

legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., “reminding us that justice and unity must be lived, not just remembered.”

Kenton Kirby Scholarship

For the first time in Palatial Publishing, LLC’s history, Millwood said, during the showcase, she “proudly awarded” the US$1,000 Kenton Kirby Scholarship for a journalism student in loving memory of her dad.

“My father dedicated his life to telling our stories and elevating our voices,” she said. “Through this scholarship, I am ensuring that his mission continues through the next generation of journalists, who will speak truth, protect community narratives, and shape public understanding.

“What I do is build bridges; what I do is create access; what I do is speak truth in rooms of power; what I do is transform systems - one business, one student, one story at a time,” she added. “And what I will continue to do is grow Palatial Publishing, LLC into a global platform for empowerment, excellence, and enduring community impact.”

Sports Fair aims at Sports For All

THE HOSTING OF THE SECOND EDITIONof the St Vincent and the Grenadines Olympic Committee’s (SVGOC) Sports Fair, on the grounds of the Diamond Track Facility, last Saturday, January 24, 2026, brought to light the importance of community involvement and the promoting the Sports for All concept.

That was one of the take-aways, as shared by Keith Joseph, General Secretary of the SVGOC. The event showcased the work of some affiliates of the SVGOC, and was aimed at

Rosette

Stronghold of the Hairouna Karate Federation (HKF).

Left: A youngster getting a course in Sailing.

creating an awareness of sports as a primary contributor to the wellbeing of the people of St Vincent and the Grenadines.

Speaking to the potential of the Sports Fair, Joseph assessed, “It will be a good idea to reach out to the different communities to organize something like this, with three of four sports gathered in one community, and introduce the sports because at the end of the day what we want is a healthier nation”.

Joseph believes that

community engagement is the basis for a nationwide spread.

“The first impact is to get people to understand that sports is important, and sports is a part of life. Secondly, that they can do careers in sports; they can move to different levels. They can represent the country in different capacities. The idea is to make sports intelligible, and it is not just running around”, Joseph underscored.

That Saturday’s event coincided with Team Athletics SVG’s hosting of their Relay Fest, was described as being strategic.

“That was deliberate because we knew that we were having the Relay Fest, so that would provide an audience and encouraged other disciplines to see what

others are doing”, Joseph commented.

Meanwhile, Rosette Stronghold, a Committee Member of the Hairouna Karate Federation (HKF), foresees growth in the Sports Fair.

“I really like the idea of the Sports Fest.

Bringing all the sports together in one location where everybody can have an idea in what is being offered in St Vincent and the Grenadines. What is available to our young people. It is a great opportunity not just for the sports themselves to give the public the idea of what they offer”, Stronghold related.

Those SVGOC affiliates who participated in Saturday event displayed the paraphernalia, literature as well as offereddemonstrations of basic techniques involved in their respective disciplines.

Patrons were encouraged to try the newly acquired knowledge.

The affiliates represented at the Sports Fair were: Team Athletics SVG, Hairouna

NPC- SVG craving greater visibility

EXPECT A RAMP UP in the activities of the National Paralympic Committee (NPC)SVG, as that organization seeks to have an imprint on the local sporting landscape. Thanks to the St Vincent and the Grenadines Olympic

Committee (SVGOC), the NPC- SVG was granted an outlet to gain publicity and visibility at the Sports Fair held last Saturday, January 24, 2026, at the Diamond Track Facility. Appreciative of the opportunity, Rudi Daniel, President of the NPC- SVG, believed that it was worth the while.

“We are not part of the St Vincent and the Grenadines Olympic Committee, but we were invited and gratefully grabbed the occasion to show what we have and what we are about”, Daniel said.

The NPC- SVG chose the sport of Bocce to demonstrate at the Fair, which turned out to be a hit as sportsmen and women, and members of the general public, were enthused at

trying something new.

Delighted at the response, Daniel admitted that it fitted into the grander scheme of things as they are on the pathway to be “more visible”.

“We have travelled to Paris Para Olympics and before that at the Tokyo Para Olympics, as well as the Parapan Games in Peru and Chile. Those were attempts to let people know that we are out there”, Daniel recalled.

Readers will real that St. Vincent and the Grenadines made its Paralympic debut at the Tokyo, Japan 2020 Paralympic Games, when swimmer Dexroy ‘Oney’ Creese competed in the S9 50m freestyle.

Karate Federation, SVG Tennis Association, SVG Sailing Association, SVG Rugby Union, SVG Netball Association, SVG Volleyball Association and the SVG Cycling Union.

In addition, the National Paralympic Committee of SVG was afforded an outlet to show what they are all about, whilst a health team from the SVG Medical Association was on hand to provide health tips as well as carry out on the spot Blood Pressure and Sugar tests.

And in revealing NPCSVG’s plans for 2026, Daniel shared: “We do have a project coming up where we are inviting locals as a committee, to suggest what we can do. We are going to put that information out there so more

people can get involved, especially persons with disabilities, encouraging them to play sports”.

Durrant and his son trying the sport of Bocce.

Daniel reasoned that his organization has to get integrated, and therefore has to work in concert with national associations and federations.

“Part of this scenario is that

we can show the other sports people what we have so we pull them in. When we have para-athletes we still have to work with the national associations and federations, who will provide the coaches. We have to get integrated”, he concluded.

Petit Martinique Ice Facility restored

THE FULLY RESTORED SOLARPOWERED Ice facility in Petite Martinique has reinstated a critical lifeline for the island’s fisheries sector and the livelihoods of more than 50 local fishers.

On Grenada’s smallest inhabited island, the day begins at sea. Not only a tradition–fishing represents income, food security, and survival. In July 2024, livelihoods were placed on hold following severe roof damage to its ice-making

facility caused by Hurricane Beryl. In response, the Sandals Foundation last year partnered with Sustainable Grenadines Inc. (SusGren) to commence urgent repairs to the facility, ensuring safe storage, reduced spoilage, and maintaining the value of daily catch from shoreline to market.

The project, valued at some US$35,0000, forms part of a wider effort of the Sandals Foundation to strengthen resilience in the coastal

community increasingly exposed to extreme weather and climate disruption.

“When disasters strike, recovery must do more than replace what was lost–it must strengthen what remains,” said Heidi Clarke, Executive Director of the Sandals Foundation. “This project reflects our commitment to supporting communities while protecting the natural environments they depend on. By restoring this facility, we are helping families earn a living today and strengthening their resilience for tomorrow.”

For Executive Director of Sustainable Grenadines Inc., Orisha Joseph, the newly repaired facility has significantly enhanced the output of Grenada’s fisheries sector. “Restoring the facility was critical to helping fishers return to normal operations while strengthening the community’s ability to withstand future climate impacts. Partnerships like this ensure recovery efforts are practical, locally driven, and built to last.”

Beyond an improved infrastructure, the Sandals

Foundation also facilitated fishers being trained in sustainable practices, marine conservation, and climate change adaptation. To further strengthen the health of the marine space, an underwater cleanup was also facilitated to remove debris and restore nearshore ecosystems.

Petite Martinique plays an outsized role in Grenada’s fisheries sector, contributing roughly 15% of national fish exports. Ensuring the continued operation of its ice facility is therefore essential–not only for the island’s economy, but for national food security and long-term fisheries

Repairs supported by the Sandals Foundation restored the ice facility’s roof, ensuring safe storage, reducing spoilage, and protecting the value of the catch.

Rock Gutter’s Lament

It’s better to think them near homethe school much more distant than the sea which claimed them. Some say all mammals are kin, there’s ancient salt in our blood… as their essence glides the wild Atlantic’s watery paths, in some comforting sense maybe they are home…

These were snatched when bursting with life and this blue sea seems suffused with innocence; we hear the splash of children playing when breaking waves toss their foaming plumes; peals of youthful laughter in flights of seagulls wheeling low.

I shall still think them free spirits, cross-current that soften fishermen’s rip tides; salt— tanged sea winds filling the sails of graceful ships.

Steve J. Wyllie

Published in book ‘The Village in Us’ 2023

“When the Islands wept”

Tonight the sea is quieter, as if the waves themselves are mourning.

St. Vincent holds its breath, and the Grenadines bow their heads in salt and sorrow.

A light has gone out not just in a home, but in a people.

From Kingstown’s hills to Bequia’s shore, tears fall like rain that knows no season.

We cry for the laughter now living in memory, for the hands that built, the voice that guided, the heart that loved this land beyond words. Gone yet everywhere.

The breadfruit trees stand still, listening. The wind carries names we cannot say aloud without our throats tightening. Even La Soufrière seems to grieve, her silence heavy with respect.

0 island strong, island tender, we are used to storms but this loss came without warning, and it broke us open. Still, we stand together, because love taught us how.

In church pews and roadside candles,

in whispered prayers and sleepless nights, we mourn not alone, but as one nation stitched together by pain and hope.

Rest now, beloved soul. You are carried in our songs, our stories, our sea. And though St. Vincent weeps tonight, we will rise because you taught us how to endure

Yanic Sayers 2026

The PoliticianThe Mushroom

Sometimes the politician Reminds me of the mushroom

Which shoots up where it has not been planted. And not content with sharing the sweet soil In which it has the good fortune to be growing It must deport itself like a precious flower Arrogantly casting its shadow on the ground beneath.

Till along comes the heavy foot of fate marching Marching, marching, marching to the sure measure of time, And that once proud crown is crushed Back into the dung whence it came, And the only mourner to its demise Is but a worm, A worm!

by: LEAP, Kingstown

Caution against VAT cuts

THE CENTRAL BANK OF BARBADOShas

warned against major cuts to the 17.5 per cent Value Added Tax (VAT), arguing that such a move could harm economic stability and fail to bring meaningful relief to those most affected by the high cost of living.

Governor Dr. Kevin Greenidge set out the Bank’s position on Wednesday in response to a question from Barbados TODAY during a press conference to review the country’s economic performance for 2025.

Speaking against the backdrop of pledges by some opposition parties contesting the February 11 general election to cut VAT as a means of easing the high cost of living – if they form the next government – Dr Greenidge contended that any such decision would not be economically wise, particularly if it involved a wholesale reduction.

The bank chief told reporters that if a cut were to be implemented, his recommendation would be to craft a policy that is strategically targeted rather than across the board.

“If you reduce the VAT because it is broad-based, it impacts everyone. So, first of all, you are going to get effects going to persons who don’t need it, versus persons at the bottom and the vulnerable, who need it. Depends on your objective. If your objective is cost of living, then persons who are better off and can afford to deal with it, who don’t even see cost of living as an issue… probably getting better or the same benefits as those who can’t. That’s the first thing.

“The second thing is that in most countries… when you take off the VAT, you are hoping that the merchants and the wholesalers pass on that to the customers. That’s not necessarily the case. So, you have to hope for a pass-through effect. ….

“The effects that are going to go to the consumer are limited. And the evidence has shown, it is not always what you expect it to be. You would then have to put a way in place to measure and monitor all prices to say ‘well, I gave you 15 per cent of X amount in VAT, but I don’t see it in the final product.’ And that costs you money. You might spend more money monitoring than you get.”

Dr. Greenidge added: “I think, if you are talking about cost of living, ask yourself who you are trying to impact. If it is growing companies or persons, you focus on those groups. Then you design policies… we say in economic jargon, targeted measures for those groups. There is room sometimes when you reduce VAT, but the objective is different. The usual objective is not to do with the cost of living.” He said it is usually done when the VAT system is performing well and the aim is to achieve a general reduction for the benefit of the productive sectors.

“Usually, you get something. But you get much more bang when it is targeted policy.” (Credit: Barbados Today)

IÊm freaking out

Dear George,

I AM TWENTY-TWO YEARS OLD and I had sex with a 19-year-old girl. Now, she is saying she thinks she could be pregnant.

George, I cannot afford to be responsible for a pregnancy right now. Further, the father of the girl is known to be very “ignorant” and if he finds out I got his daughter pregnant, I know he would want to finish me.

In addition, the girl is saying that she has something else to tell me. I am hoping it is not what I’m thinking since there have been whisperings that she could be HIV positive, which I didn’t believe.

All of this is freaking me out with all sorts of scenarios running through my mind, some of them not so good.

Feeling all messed up.

Dear Feeling all messed up,

Many of the fears you are experiencing right now can be alleviated by having an honest, open conversation with this girl. In the meantime, it would be useful for her to get a full medical check so that all of your questions can be answered.

Whatever the outcome, I hope you learned some important do’s and don’ts.

George

Agreeing to be a drug

Dear George,

A FRIEND OF MINE confided in me that he has agreed to transport drugs for a “contact” of his. I tried my best to talk him out of it but his mind is made up.

He hasn’t given me any details - about where, to whom or when — but he is asking me not to tell his mother and his girlfriend who has a young child for him.

George, this sounds like a very dangerous operation. As I said, I tried taking him out of it

but I am not getting through to him. Should I be loyal to him and not tell his girlfriend and mother?

Wondering

Dear Wondering,

You have done your duty which is to try to dissuade this friend from taking a course that can only lead to his destruction and by extension, hurt those closest to him. He is an adult and ultimately must take responsibility

mule

for his actions.

I would not advise that you discuss this with his girlfriend or mother since you have no concrete information. To do so, you could end up being blamed or accused of also being involved should anything goes wrong.

Do not give up on trying to discourage your friend from taking a pathway he might otherwise regret. That’s the most you can do in this situation.

George

Trying for an erection

Dear George,

LATELY,my husband has been having difficulty getting and maintaining an erection. I told him it is just a phase but he is convinced that by drinking all sorts of stuff, like linseed, sea moss, okra punch and different herbs, he could improve his situation.

It has been two weeks now since he has started on this campaign and I have not seen any change. How can I get him to just chill and accept the fact that he is getting old?

Concerned wife

Dear Concerned wife,

You cannot dismiss your husband’s concern and blame it on “old age”. Perhaps

you should try convincing him to see a sex therapist and/or a medical practitioner to properly diagnose his condition. In this way, you can become his main support in dealing with his situation.

Having said that, the drinking of okra punch, linseed and sea moss might do more good than harm. You may have more to gain than lose from this practice.

George

Leisure

ARIES (Mar. 21- April 20)

Group endeavors will provide you with entertainment. Your temper may get the better of you if a colleague has tried to ruin your reputation. Focus on your domestic scene. Get together with friends or relatives. You must steer clear of overindulgent individuals.

TAURUS (Apr. 21- May 21)

There are ways of making extra cash if you put your mind to it. Things will be emotional with your mate. You need time to put your house in order and sort out what you are going to do about your personal direction. Accommodate others but not before you do your own thing. Do the proper safety checks before you go out.

GEMINI (May 22-June 21)

You will have original ideas for ways to make extra money. Be honest in your communication and don't lose your cool. You may have difficulties with in-laws or family members. Rewards for past good deeds will highlight your day.

CANCER (June 22-July 22)

Socializing will be more than just entertaining. You will feel the limitations if you have been overdoing it. Opportunities to make advancements through good business sense are evident. Think twice before you say something you might regret later.

LEO (July 23-Aug 22)

Don't let yourself get rundown. Don't let individuals with wild schemes talk you into a financial deal that is not likely to be successful. Be aware of any deception on the part of those you deal with. Authority figures may be less than accommodating if you have done something deceitful.

VIRGO (Aug. 23 -Sept. 23)

Don't let others bait you into arguments. You may feel a need to make changes to your legal documents. Older relatives may be a burden. If you've been really busy, try to schedule some time to spend with loved ones.

LIBRA (Sept. 24 -Oct. 23)

Your partner could make you angry if they steal your thunder or embarrass you in front of others. Channel your energy into passionate interludes with your lover. Don't let others make you feel guilty or insecure. Try to keep any mood swings under control; they may result in alienation.

Scorpio (Oct. 24 - Nov. 22)

Get together with friends and catch up on reading and letter writing. You have worked hard and the payback is now. Don't get involved in secret affairs or underhanded involvements. You should be able to get a lot done.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23 -Dec. 21)

Your ability to see other people's points of view will allow you to come to reasonable agreements. You can get ahead if you play your cards right. Your doubt could lead to insecurity. Partnerships will be favorable and contracts can be signed.

CAPRICORN (Dec 22.- Jan. 20)

You can enjoy entertainment if you join in and follow the crowd for a change. Dead end projects could plague you. Hard work will payoff if you refrain from expressing your opinion to superiors. You need to spend some time reflecting on past experiences and involvements.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 21.- Feb. 19)

It's time to reconnect with some of the people you used to know. Opportunities to get together with people in powerful positions could help you get ahead. You will be entertained and intrigued by the logic foreigners possess. Your ability to be a self starter will help get things done and motivate others.

PISCES (Feb. 20-Mar. 20)

Be honest if you wish to solve the problem. You can make personal changes that will enhance your appearance and bring you greater popularity. Take time to listen to the problems of family members. Relatives will not agree with the way you are dealing with your personal problems.

ACROSS

1.Top soccer scorer Hamm 4. “__ Ballou” 7. “Dancing Queen” singers 11. Actress Gershon 13. Volcanic sprinkling 14. Burglar’s booty 15. Pay heed 16. Life’s story, for short 17. Stare in amazement 18. “…a man __ mouse?” (2 wds.)

20. Flying saucer (abbr.)

22. Evanston, to Chicago, e.g. 25. Loaf’s outer part

29. Whole number

30. Small change 31. Whether or __

32. Edison’s initials

34. Strike gently

35. Seasonal songs

38. Damages 41. Thong 42. Baby’s first apparel

43. Surgeons, e.g. (abbr.)

45. Three (Ital.) 46. E-__

49. New York time (abbr.)

51. C&W singer McEntire

55. Depraved 56. Potato blemish

57. Slip 58. Implored 59. Like Lucy’s hair 60. Compass pt. DOWN

1.Film studio inits. 2. Roman 3 3. “Raggedy” doll 4. Joel Grey-Liza Minnelli musical 5. “__ was saying …” (2 wds.) 6. Olden “you” 7. Clinton’s vice President (2 wds.)

8. Long scarf 9. Strike with one’s fist 10. Broke a fast

12. Pueblo material

19. Oriental __ 21. Broadcast watchdog agcy. 22. Nose, slangily

23. Speak 24. Intertwine the hair

26. Undo

sneakers 27. “Brenda __” 28. Recipe amts. 29. Strike with one’s fist 10. Broke a fast 12. Pueblo material 19. Oriental __ 21. Broadcast watchdog agcy. 22. Nose, slangily 23. Speak 24. Intertwine the hair 26. Undo sneakers 27. “Brenda __” 28. Recipe amts. 29. Overnight lodgings 33. Released, as energy

36. Served soup 37. Flowery

(abbr.) 39. __ for the course 40. Imitators 44. Fortuneteller 46. Best on a team

Leewards Women aBLAZE

THE LEEWARD ISLANDS WOMEN, aka Stormers, maintained their unblemished record into the final of the 2026 CWI Women’s T20 Blaze, on their way to capturing their first ever T20 Blaze title.

In a tense final, played last Friday at the Arnos Vale Playing Field, the Leewards earned a six-run victory over Barbados Pride under the Duckworth Lewis System (DLS).

The Leewards won the toss, opted to bat, and ‘on the bat’ of the in-form Shawnisha Hector, who blasted her way to 58 (2x6, 7x4) off 44 balls,

eventually got to 111 for six in their 20 overs.

Barbados were 79 for five after 16 overs, 33 runs away from the victory target with 24 balls left, when persistent showers forced the match to be abandoned, with DLS evaluating that Barbados needed to be 86 at that point to claim the title.

Meanwhile, Trinidad and Tobago beat defending champions Guyana by 7 runs to take third place. Scores: Trinidad and Tobago 104 for 7 from 20 overs, Britney Cooper 46. Ashmini

Tanisha Hector – Leeward Islands allrounder – scored the most runs in the competition. Dougal James, President of the SVG Cricket Association, makes the presentation.

Munisar 4 for 14; Guyana 96 all out in 19 overs. Shabika Gajnabi 32, Karishma Ramharack 3 for 13.

And the Windwards ended an overall dismal performance when Jamaica trounced them to claim the fifth place. Scores: Windward Islands 62 for 9 from 20 overs. Zaida James 24. Vanessa Watts 3 for 5; Jamaica 65 without loss from 3.4 overs. Rashada Williams 21 not out, Chedean Nation 23 not out.

Outstanding performers in the Tournament were awarded as follows: Shawnisha Hector (Leewards)- most runs (136) and best all-rounder (9

Windwards open with big Super50 win

Windwards females celebrate a well-earned victory over T&T.

THE WINDWARD ISLANDS FEMALES opened their 2026 CWI Super50 Cup fixture, played last Tuesday at the Sion Hill Playing Field, with a resounding 91-run win over defending champions Trinidad and Tobago.

The Windward Islands

looked a different team from that which lost each of their matches in the just concluded T20 Blaze, coming out this time in convincing style to register 225 for 7 from 50 overs. All-rounder Jannillea Glasgow top scored with 73 and captain Zaida James hit

38. Nadia Mohammed took 2 for 42. Trinidad and Tobago replied with 134 from 33 overs. Britney Cooper hit 28 and Lee-Ann Kirby 31. West Indies leg spinner Afy Fletcher weaved her magic to be the top Windward Islands bowler with figures of 4 for 23. Glasgow also featured with 2 for 14. In another Tuesday encounter, albeit a disappointingly lowscoring affair, played at Cumberland, Guyana beat Jamaica by 5 wickets.

Jamaica posted 76 from 27 overs. Chrishana McKenzie hit 25. But the Jamaicans had no answer to top T20Blaze wicket-taker Ashmini Munisar, who snared 4 wickets for 23 runs.

Guyana made seemingly hard work of their victory chase eventually getting to 77 for 5 from 27 overs, with a top score of 23 from Shabika Gajnabi.

And Barbados, also on Tuesday, revenged their defeat in the T20 Blaze when they ran away with a 79-run victory over the Leeward Island Females, in their match ayed at Park Hill.

Barbados made 144 from 47 overs, allrounder Naijanni Cumberbatch leading with 74 not out.

Shawnisha Hector brought over her good bowling form from the T20 Blaze, taking 4 for 19.

The Leewards disappointed, to say the least, and were skittled for 65 in 25 overs.

Shamilia Connell bagged 4 for 17 and captain Aaliyah Alleyne, 3 for 3.

Matches in the Super50 Cup continue on Friday 29th January

Ashmini Munisar – Guyana’s off spinner – was the competition’s leading wicket-taker. She received her award from Dougal James.

wickets, 5 catches); Ashmini Munisar (Guyana) - most wickets, 13; Naijanni Cumberbatch (Barbados) - most catches, 6; wicket-keepers Rashada Williams (Jamaica) and Mandy Mangru (Guyana) — most dismissals, 7 each.

The teams moved into the CG United Women’s Super50 Cup on Tuesday with matches scheduled for the Sion Hill, London and Cumberland playing fields.

Trinidad & Tobago are the defending Supe50 Cup champions.

Stories by: I.B.A. ALLEN

Afy Fletcher, 4 for 23, helped destroy T&T.

Right: Naijanni Cumberbatch, 74, anchored Barbados to a victory over the Leeward Islands.

with: Guyana versus Trinidad and Tobago at Park Hill; Jamaica versus Barbados at Sion Hill; Leeward Islands versus Windward Island at Cumberland.

The final round of matches is cared for Saturday 31st January, 2026.

Jannillea Glasgow’s top score of 73 was instrumental in Windwards’ victory over Champions T&T.

A vehicle on offer during VSPL

SOME LUCKY FOOTBALL FAN or any member of the general public can drive away with a vehicle thanks to a partnership forged by the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Football Federation (SVGFF) and Bargain Auto Rentals.

Soon, the two entities will be launching a raffle of a vehicle, as part of the promotion and marketing of the Vincy Soccer Premier League (VSPL).

Brenslee Bobb, owner of Bargain Auto Rentals, outlined plans for the raffle at a Press

Conference hosted by the SVGFF at its Conference Room, on Tuesday, January 20, 2026.

Excited about helping the sport, Bobb said, “This is a new way of sponsoring Football across St. Vincent and the Grenadines. The idea of the initiative is to raffle a brand-new vehicle within six months”.

Bobb underscored that apart from the raffle of the vehicle, “We will also be giving away cash prizes to MVPs and other players”.

Contending that Football needs that type of injection at this juncture, Bobb commented, “It is [a] way of making the competition more competitive and players to play at a higher level, knowing that you are not only winning on the field but off the field also. The goal is not about the funds that the raffle will bring in; it is also a win for Football”.

Looking ahead, Bobb is optimistic that more is in store.

“This is not just a one-

Sports Minister affirms

Gov’t support

SPORTS MINISTER,

Hon. Kaschaka Cupid affirmed his government’s commitment to work to advance all sports in the country.

Addressing a press conference (Mon. Jan. 19) that featured the launch of the Vincy Soccer Premier league (VSPL) and the FIFA U17 Male Concacaf Qualifiers to be held here next month, Minister Cupid said:

“The Government is committed to advancing all sports not just football, even though football historically is the most popular sport in the country. We realize the benefit of producing world class athletes, sportspersons…it will advance and promote our country, so when our athletes are successful on the international stage, our country benefits from their performances. It is imperative therefore, that we support all sporting disciplines.”

All of this, the Sports Minister inferred, was predicated upon the availability of resources and in giving real meaning to working towards producing the best athletes we can, Cupid disclosed that “we (government) are in the process of lighting four playing fields, in London,

Dauphine, Layou and Fitz Hughes, and we are hoping to achieve this in the next three to four months.”

Cupid also highlighted the partnership between his Ministry and the SVG Football Federation, describing it as an important step in the national effort of developing the country’s youth.

In addition, he welcomed the hosting of the Concacaf U17 Qualifiers as “an

excellent opportunity for our young boys to engage in active competition and to showcase their talent on the international stage.”

The VSPL is scheduled to kick off on Jan. 30 and the Qualifiers to be played at the Arnos Vale Playing Field are set for Feb. 5, 7 and 10, featuring SVG against the USA, St. Kitts and Nevis and the Dominican Republic respectively.

I.B.A. ALLEN

off initiative, it is a longterm relationship that we are hoping to build with the Football Federation and the Football community and family”, he projected.

And Bobb is not ruling out having the MVP of the VSPL getting a “vehicle at the end of the league”.

The VSPL gets going this Friday, January 30, 2026, at the Brighton Technical Centre with a double header.

Kicking off at 7pm, System Three meets BESCO Pastures, with Layou taking on Je Belle from 9pm.

Seeking honours are ten clubs: North Leeward Predators, Hope International, Layou, CamdoniaChelsea, Je Belle, BESCO- Pastures, Awesome, Avenues, System Three and Bequia United.

Brenslee Bobb, owner of Bargain Auto Rentals, spoke of future collaboration with the SVG Football Federation.

The VSPL will be held

over a six-month period with ninety matches scheduled.

SVGFF to revamp Coaching Certification

THE APPOINTMENT of a Head of Coaching Education will be the first step in the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Football Federation (SVGFF) revamping of its local certification of coaches.

Otashie Spring, President of the SVGFF, confirmed this to THE VINCENTIAN on January 21, 2026.

He revealed that this organization has to get in place soonest, ahead of Coaching Education, as this position is a prerequisite and an alignment with current day practices.

“It is a position that needs to be filled because we have earmarked it as one of our targets for 2026. We must finalise the Coaches Convention of Concacaf and this is a criterion that must be satisfied”, Spring related.

U19 Cricket Training Squad named

A SQUAD OF U19 CRICKETERShas been selected to begin training towards selection to the National U19 Male Cricket team, for participation in the 2026 U19 Windward Islands Tournament, dates to be announced.

The training period will include a series of 50 overs practise matches.

The players were selected from a series of scouting sessions conducted throughout the country, and have been divided into two teams for purposes of the training.

Spring said that under the new order, the matter of certifying coaches will go through a more rigorous and judicious process, hence other vetting mechanisms will be put in place.

“Additionally, we have to activate an education audit board to vet the instructors, so that is something that will be coming very soon as well”, Spring revealed.

The SVGFF President underlined that when the personnel is put in place, there will be a retooling and reassessment of the current crop of locally certified coaches.

According to the SVGFF Secretariat, the Head of Coaching Education, among other responsibilities, will design and deliver coaching courses and licence pathways, along

Team A will be led by Kevin Joseph and includes: Jorden Charles (vice-captain), Cody Slater, Kasean Hoyte, Damali Phillips, Delroy Tittle, Shamyia Nanton, Amar Lavia, Lee-J Phillips, Shane Roberts, Kazado Henry,

Otashie SpringPresident of the

with implementation of the CONCACAF’s Coaching Convention standards.

Spring assured that with the Head of Coaching Education fully operational, certification of coaches will be more structured and follow a different pathway.

Loud Talk

THE ICC T20 WORLD CUP is topical. Action begins in India and Sri Lanka Saturday February 7. West Indies play Scotland in India. By that time, Netherlands and Pakistan will have ended their game and India and the USA game will be swinging. West Indies face England Wednesday February 11 in Sri Lanka.

Sunday February 15 sees an important match in which West Indies will keen on making amend having stumbled to Nepal in recent downgrading performances.

If things go array against Italy Thursday February 19, that will be the worst nightmare W.I. fans can imagine.

Super Eight matches start February 21. Semifinals are scheduled for March 4 and 5 leading to Sunday March 8 final.

Other teams vying for the title are India, Namibia, Netherlands, Pakistan and USA in Group A, Australia, Ireland, Oman, Sri Lanka, and Zimbabwe in Group B, and Afghanistan, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa and United Arab Emirates; Group D.

Focus will be on the West Indies, the most talked about team in the competition. Everyone is befuddled with the state of West Indies cricket. Whether on of or the field, we do everything to attract attention.

Team selection has always been an issue. The Caribbean has its intricacies, trappings of colonialism that see the region at loggerheads.

Cricket is the most unifying force in the region. Everyone revels in success, and venom spurts when things go wrong.

Kerosene is added to the West Indies bucket that is always filled with gasoline. Grains of matches are as plentiful as the number of territories that make up the region.

Ironically, the West Indies team strive and perhaps relish bouts of adversity. We are a melting spot of ingredients. We represent a mixture of almost every tribe on earth.

That is a reason why the squad is adored globally. There is also a social factor. People support the West Indies not just because they represent the people on the margins, but also for their flair.

We will put side oversights, acts of isolation, and even discrimination in any form. We overlook discrepancies and cling to a hope of success even though we create the factors which make our participation more hostile that it ought.

Arguments over team selection will go on long after the awards are handed over. We have become so immersed in the dynamics that we cherish hopes of triumph whatever the situation is.

We cherish the hope that pendulum swings our direction whatever the conditions. We are masters of the art of deception and no one knows what happens behind closed doors.

What we look for is a sense of regional solidarity when the team enters the arena. It is a battle. When tension heightens, West Indies supporters hold their faith. We act on emotion, rather than face the reality. When the consequences surface we bathe in them.

Vincentians overlook the omission of their nationals and embrace the team’s success or bash everybody when they are flattened.

Caribbean people have that history of makes and breaks. How we stay together is a wonder. Sometimes the signs are invisible, but the wonders are plain. Other times the signs are glaring and when the wonders appear we operate in a sense of denial.

There will be lots to ponder on. Sports have been a bastion of regional power play. We make a mockery of our potential. We give it away on an altar of illusion, blinded by the ties that bind us, and grasp at the straws that won’t prevent us from drowning.

Sampson in WI World Cup Team

FOR ALL INTENTS AND PURPOSES, the only surprise in the 15-member West Indies squad selected to compete at the 2026 ICC World Cup is hard-hitting middle order Guyanese batsmanQuintin Sampson.

All the other selectees have been around West Indies teams for some time.

Sampson, the breakout player of the 2025 edition of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL), made his international debut for the West Indies cricket team in January 2026 against Afghanistan.

He joins five Guyanese colleagues in the World

Cup squad, the others being Shimron Hetmyer, Shamar Joseph, Gudakesh Motie, Sherfane Rutherford and Romario Shepherd.

The squad is led by Shai Hope and in addition to the above, also includes Johnson Charles, Roston Chase, Matthew Forde, Jason Holder, Akeal Hosein, Brandon King, Rovman Powell and Jayden Seale.

As preparation for the World Cup, the squad assembled in South Africa for a 3-match T20I series against the Proteas from January 27-31.

The West Indies lost their first match in that

HP revels in Relay Fest

HIGH PERFORMANCE (HP), coached by Chester Morgan, a qualified World Athletics coach, copped gold in eleven events, when Team Athletics SVG held its 2026 edition of the muchanticipated Relay Fest, at the Diamond Track Facility, last Saturday, January 24.

The HP females were simply dominant, copping seven wins. These included the Girls 1600m Sprint Relay, the Under-11 Girls 4 x 80m, 4 x 100m as well as the 4 x 150m, the Girls Under-15 Swedish Medley, the Under-20 Girls 4 x 400m and the Girls Under-20 Swedish Medley.

The Under-13 Boys 4 x100m, 4 x 200m, along with the Swedish Medley and the Boys Distance Relay, completed High Performance’s take at the Relay Fest.

series by 9 wickets: W.I 173 for 7 from 20 overs, South Africa 176 for 1 from 17 overs.

The 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup is being played in India and Sri Lanka from 7 February to 8 March 2026.

No fewer than 20 countries, divided into four groups (five each), are expected to compete in a preliminary round, from which the top two teams from each group go into a Super Eight round, followed by the semi-finals and then the final.

West indies are drawn in group C alongside England, Bangladesh, Nepal and Italy.

Some distance behind HP was the St. Vincent Grammar School, who secured five golds in the Under-15 Boys 4x 100m, 4 x 400m, Swedish Medley, the Under-20 4 x 100m and the 4 x 400m Open.

U19 Cricket Training Squad named

Continued from Page 21.

Meanwhile, Mustangs, Troumaca Secondary and the C.W. Prescod Primary School all secured three golds each. Mustangs, in the Under-13 Girls category won the 4 x 100m, the 4 x 200m and the Swedish Medley, with Troumaca Secondary taking the Under-15 Girls 4 x 100m, Girls

Brenson Williams, Rondon Hall, Tyrese Hackshaw, Deron Charles, Trent Williams, Jeshorn Johanny.

Team B comprises: Jawayne Adams (captain), Elran Glasgow, (vice-captain), Ahmaud Williams, Glasley Henson, Dowayne Phillips, Ozaid Edwards, Zack Thomas, Alston Bobb Jr, Lebron Douglas, Eddon Baptiste, Olani Slack, Deandre Dougan, Alexander Jordan, Christiano Adams, Jamaine Keal, Ronaldo Warren, Dexter Baynes.

4 x 100m Open as well as the Under-17 Boys Swedish Medley.

The C.W. Prescod Primary bossed the Under-11 Boys age group, as they took 4 x80m, the 4 x 100m and the 4 x 150m.

Pouching two first places was IT DAT Academy, winning the Boys 1600m Sprint Relay and the Under-17 Boys 4 x 400m.

And with a solitary gold was the Girls’ High School, who finished ahead of the field in the Under-15 Girls 4 x 400m.

The other competing entities were Lodge Village Government, X-Ceed Sports Club, X-Cel Trak and Field, St. Martin’s Secondary, Kingstown Anglican and St. Joseph’s Convent Kingstown.

‘No to gang control…,’ National Security Minister

The scene pf a mass killing (five deaths) in Kingstown that emphasized the extent of gang rivalry in SVG.

Continued from Backpage.

force, supported by improved leadership and specialised training, while cautioning that meaningful reform will take time.

Leacock further advised citizens to cooperate with law enforcement, warning that fleeing from police or resisting arrest often escalates encounters into violent confrontations. Addressing economic factors, he pointed to a contradiction between

labour shortages in sectors such as construction and agriculture and the number of young men who remain unemployed. He questioned claims that work is unavailable, noting the ongoing demand for masons, carpenters, and

labourers.

As a parliamentary representative, Leacock said he intends to personally challenge young men in his constituency who are idling on the streets, directing them to available job opportunities. He also issued a warning that gun violence and criminal behaviour will not be tolerated under his watch.

“Gun slinging and violence will not fester while I am Minister of National Security,” Leacock said.

RICK NICK’S CAFE

Miss Monica Simone Particia Jack (also known as Miss Jack) of Lower Edinboro

Sunrise: 14th January 1944

Sunset: 9th January 2026

She is survived by her only son Gevon Jack, Grand Children: Leo Hoffmann Jack and Fyn Hoffmann Jack, Sisters: Florence Harvey and Melba Jack, Nephew and Nieces: Don Carlos Jack and Rosette Jack, as well as many other relatives and friends.

Monica Jack was a true “Nation Builder.” Her steadfast commitment to the youth of St. Vincent, dedication to teaching, and tireless work as a community activist have created a lasting legacy that will always be remembered and missed by so many.

DANIEL 12:3

"Those who are wise will shine as bright as the sky, and those who lead many to righteousness will shine like the stars forever."

Thank you for your life of service, your grace, and your endless love. You will forever be in our hearts. Rest in peace Miss Jack.

AI REAL ESTATE

NIS TO CONSIDER PENSION INCREASE

THOSE WHO ARE CURRENTLY receiving National Insurance Services (NIS) pensions and who might have anticipated an increase in those payments by this time, would been enthused with the news that consideration of same could well come in 2026.

Speaking on We FM on Sunday, Stewart Haynes, NIS CEO, there could “a potential increase” (whatever that means) in pension payments in St Vincent and the Grenadines, and that the NIS was “planning for that.”

Haynes disclosed that the NIS was in a much better financial position now than it was three years ago, positioning it to consider an increase for pensioners.

NIS pensions payments have remained unchanged since 2014.

That “freeze”, along with increasing contribution rates, and adjusting the retirement age were measures introduced at the time, to ward off a potential cricsis in the system

by 20234, Haynes explained.

The reality is, though, that any recommendation for an increase in pension payments would have to be justified by the findings of the 13th Actuarial Valuation, which is currently in the data analysis phase.

That review is expected to be completed by June 2026 with recommendations ready for consideration by July.

Source of Finance

In the meantime, (since 2014) the financially stable position of the NIS has made it a source of funding for statutory corporations and other national and state sponsored programmes and initiatives.

In addition to investing in “real estate” (e.g. former Bottlers (St. Vincent) Ltd. Kingstown property, and the lands along Murray’s Road that were earmarked for construction of a Hall of Justice and a parliament

building), and financing to the tune of $52 million the Holiday Inn Express and Suites at Diamond, the NIS has made loans to VINLEC, CWSA and the National Lotteries Authority.

According to Haynes, the NIS partnered with the Bank of St. Vincent and the Grenadines in financing the development of generation plants for VINLEC.

The loans made to the CWSA were for the development of capital projects.

And as far as the NLA was concerned, monies on loan from the NIS was for, among other things, the upgrading of playing fields.

The CEO NIS described these loans as “impact investments”, which aim to generate a financial return while also driving social and economic development of the country.

The National Insurance Services, formerly the National Insurance Scheme,

Stewart Haynes, CEO NIS, heightened the expectation of NIS pensioners with talk of a ‘potential increase’ in pension payment.

was operationalized in 1987. It replaced the National Provident Fund which was established in 1970 as the first

dedicated state-operated social protection services for the people of St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

‘NO TO GANG CONTROL…,’ NATIONAL SECURITY MINISTER

by KENVILLE HORNE MINISTER OF NATIONAL SECURITY St. Clair

Leacock has declared a zero-tolerance stance against criminal gangs, insisting that “no criminal element must be allowed to own any square inch of St. Vincent and the Grenadines or force citizens to live in fear.”

Leacock, in a radio broadcast on Wednesday, offered a frank assessment of the country’s crime

situation, describing it as “not good,” despite recent statistics showing a decline in homicides. He acknowledged that many citizens continue to feel unsafe, pointing to the growing number of applications for gun licences as evidence of what he described as a developing “crime culture.”

According to the minister, crime cannot be addressed through increased policing alone. While rejecting an approach based solely on “more boots and more

hardware,” Leacock said a broader strategy is required–one that combines law enforcement with social intervention, economic engagement, and institutional reform.

He called for a nationwide effort involving the media, churches, schools, families, and sports figures to speak out collectively against violence. Leacock urged these influencers to discourage young people from criminal activity by stressing the realities of

prison life, stating that meaningful change can occur if “the whole nation speaks as one loud voice.”

The minister also highlighted systemic challenges within the police force, noting that officers and leadership are often “victims of the political culture,” where political influence can undermine professional policing standards. He said plans are underway to build a more direct and professional police

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