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Lawman: Accused reached for gun

Heather-Lynn Evanson
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Lawman: Accused reached for gun

A lawman yesterday recalled how accused Clarence Rudolph Watkins struggled violently with police before reaching into his waist for a gun.

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Caribbean Digital Transformation Institute launched

Shawn Cumberbatch
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Caribbean Digital Transformation Institute launched

Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs) in Barbados and the Caribbean now have some additional help in their quest to transform their operations digitally.

This comes with the introduction of the Caribbean Digital Transformation Institute (CDTI), which is being implemented by the Barbados-based Caribbean Export Development Agency in partnership with the Inter-American Development Bank and Compete Caribbean.

Speaking at the recent launch of the CDTI, Caribbean Export chairperson Dr Lynette Holder said there were “not merely launching an institute, we are institutionalising the future of a digital Caribbean”.

“The evidence suggests that Caribbean firms that adopt digital tools are significantly more likely to export, improve productivity and access new customers, and at the same time, however, a significant proportion of regional MSMEs have yet to fully integrate digital technologies into their operations, and many continue to face barriers related to skills, financing and infrastructure,” said Holder, who is also chief executive officer of the Small Business Association.

“So it is precisely within this context that the Caribbean Digital Transformation Institute emerges as both timely and necessary. This institute is a strategic response to a regional imperative.

“It is designed to equip our businesses, institutions and entrepreneurs, with the tools, knowledge and capabilities required to compete in an increasingly digital global marketplace.

“It will serve as a platform for building digital skills and fostering innovation from agribusiness and manufacturing to services and the creative industries.”

Caribbean Export executive director Dr Damie Sinanan said the CDTI came “at a very pivotal time for small- and medium-sized enterprises in the Caribbean region”.

“We like to say that we have to innovate, and we have to really move from a consumption-based society to become more future-driven businesses. But the fact is, the Caribbean region is lagging very far behind. We have to play catch-up,” he said.

“We view the CDTI as a really a strategic intervention designed to give small and medium-sized enterprises in the Caribbean the digital tools, e-commerce capabilities and operational efficiency that they need to thrive,” he noted.

“It’s really going to provide the type of capacity building support that will bridge the digital divide as an economic necessity towards building regional resilience, the CDTI will serve as a hub for capacity building, ensuring that no SME is left behind.”

He called the initiative “a very strong partnership between the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)
and the Complete Caribbean”.

“By pooling our resources and expertise, we view this as building a very robust support ecosystem for small and medium sized enterprises in the Caribbean region. We have to realise that we can’t do it alone, and we can’t work in silos. We have to spread and pool resources if we have to achieve the maximum efficiency possible,” Sinanan stated.

“So while we continue to pivot in this digital divide, the CDTI will focus on long -term sustainable sustainability. It will help businesses navigate this digital landscape so that they can withstand future economic and environmental shocks.”

Dr Sylvia Dohnert, private sector principal specialist at the IDB, saw the CDTI as “a response to the promise what digital technology offers to Caribbean businesses, but also the difficulties that businesses in the Caribbean face in digital transformation”.

Compete Caribbean executive director Kayla Grant called it “a powerful regional public good . . . that will strengthen the ecosystem supporting MSMEs and help to position the Caribbean firms to compete, innovate and grow in a digital global economy”.

“This initiative directly addresses one of the region’s most persistent challenges, and it’s this question of how we’re enabling our MSMEs to effectively adopt and leverage digital technologies in a way that will improve their productivity, but also how we’re helping them to access markets and to grow and to innovate,” she said.

“This technology extension services initiative, which will be coming soon in the future, it complements the CDTI. What the CDTI is essentially doing is helping to build capabilities and digital readiness.

“And then this technology extension services work that we’re doing will help to translate that knowledge and capabilities and hopefully support with concrete investments in digital technology and productivity, enhancing investments technology adoption, and also how we’re supporting in accessing the funds that firms will need.” (SC)

Straughn: Families should talk more

Kimberley Browne
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Straughn: Families should talk more

Government remains committed to safeguarding the elderly and other vulnerable people in Barbados, but Minister of Finance Ryan Straughn wants more families to openly discuss financial and property matters to avoid any contentious issues down the road.

The Member of Parliament for Christ Church East Central was speaking during debate on the Older Persons (Care and Protection) Bill, 2026 in the House of Assembly on Tuesday when he said that a lack of discussion can often lead to “angst” among families related to property transfer and inheritance.

“One of the challenges that we have in our society is we don’t like to talk about things in the family, whether it is medical history or, certainly, financial matters. We don’t like to talk about these things in families. 

“And I think one of the very things that bedevils families is the difficulty that some of us may have with making the decision as to who to leave the property to, and these are things that create some angst, as you would appreciate in helping to resolve these matters within families. And therefore, I believe that we need to do more within our communities, Straughn said. 

“I know the Financial Literacy Programme is embarking in more community engagement, but the reality is that a lot of our elderly persons worked hard, acquired property, they raised families, in this country. And whilst the Government has put in place mechanisms with respect to the deed of gift, as we articulated a few years ago, in relation to helping families to transition property ownership in these spaces, these are the things that we need to engage with our elderly population as to how they can transfer ownership, to . . . whomever – children, dependents – so that their rights certainly can be, yes, protected in that context, as part of how we support their livelihoods into their old age. 

“And whilst we are finalising the mechanism now for issues related to reverse mortgages and the like, to service the persons of this demographic, it is going to be important that we engage in some fairly aggressive education, if you like, such that persons that this Bill could potentially impact, that they understand how they can exercise and take advantage of said opportunities.” 

Straughn said it was important for the issues related to older people be discussed because Government did not want to see their hard work – whether it was the family home or “the acre of land that is available to come into production” – end up in a non-productive state and “become potentially, public nuisances”. 

“But perhaps worse is to have siblings fighting over what to do with the property, because that type of dysfunction, is really not healthy for a society.”

The minister added: “We really must encourage our elderly population that either through the process of the making of a will and those types of things, to actually make a decision as to who will take on the responsibility for these assets, such that there’s an orderly process with respect to how these things are discharged.”

He noted further: “The one thing that has held back the development of a number of families in this country is the failure of us creating an ecosystem that allows for some of these things to happen in a much seamless way.” 

The Bill was passed. (GBM)

A form of wickedness, says Springer

Nationnews Desk
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A form of wickedness, says Springer

The narrative of family members taking away the pension of their elderly mothers is a recurring concern for the authorities and civic groups.

But Member of Parliament for St Andrew Dr Romel Springer is also expressing disquiet that some women are eyeing the pension cheques of some male retirees who seem to give them up gladly.

He was making his contribution to the debate of the Older Persons (Care and Protection) Bill, 2026 in the House of Assembly on Tuesday.

“I’m sure that there are some older females who are also abused. Some people may argue that some men give away the money, and they give it away with glee. Some people do that. I am sure that that, in many cases, is the happiest money that they’ve ever spent, but that does not change the fact that it can be construed as abuse if it gets out of hand,” Springer said. 

He reiterated that there were people out there who “may take advantage of older women as well, maybe not as frequently as the other way around, but that’s the world that we live in”.

“I know there are men who will tell me that it’s not abuse. Matter of fact, they look forward to it. So it’s not abuse, but the simple truth is that, in some cases, it goes too far – when it gets to the point where you are giving away everything, and you can’t buy food for yourself, or you have to go back and beg back for money. 

“You’ve got to go back and beg back for money to buy something for yourself. And it gets that far, you can’t pay your bills, you’ll find yourself on the street,” he cautioned.

He said it was not right that “whenever you get a pension, somebody can find you, can change it for you, and spend it for you . . . that’s wickedness. So, I just wanted to put that in there because I know that is perhaps one of the most rampant forms of elder abuse that we see in this country. And because of our culture, and because of our history, we’ve come to not acknowledge that form of [behaviour] as actual abuse.”

Springer said he was glad that it was being addressed seriously to ensure that pensioners who fall victim to people like that can have some form of recourse. (JS)

‘Unforgettable’ Mother’s Day show in store

Diara Springer
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‘Unforgettable’ Mother’s Day show in store

The much-anticipated “Mum, This One’s For You ‘26” made its grand reveal at a media launch held at the Food Court in Sky Mall, promising another unforgettable celebration of motherhood on the island.

Producer Desmond Weekes did not mince words about the show’s standing. “This is the best show in Barbados,” he declared, urging audiences to honour their mothers not just in words, but in action.

The event takes place on Mother’s Day, May 10, at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre. The cast features a stellar line-up including Keanne Walters, MacFingall, Desmond Weekes and Phillip 7, among others.

A highlight of this year’s edition will be a performance by Patrick Forde, a renowned award-winning double-amputee dancer. Weekes spoke passionately about the inclusion: “Because I always include the differently abled too . . . we have to embrace each and every one of us, once you are a Bajan.”

The launch also offered a first look at this year’s cultural showcase and revealed a special tribute to Lorraine Sealy, who will be honoured as the first female Admiral of the Barbados Landship. Sealy was present at the launch to mark the occasion.

Scorpions hold on

Nationnews Desk
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Scorpions hold on

KINGSTON – Barbados Pride pressed for an unlikely victory, but in the end the Jamaica Scorpions held on to share the spoils in their second-round contest which ended in an exciting draw here yesterday.

An outright result didn’t look to be on the cards with the Pride holding a slim three-run first innings lead heading into Wednesday’s final day.

Resuming the day on 460 for five, Kyle Mayers and Leniko Boucher extended their partnership to 104 runs to carry the Pride to 542 for five.

Mayers, who had batted cautiously on Tuesday’s penultimate day, changed gears with his side needing quick runs, smashing six fours and five sixes during a knock of 84 off 130 balls.

Medium pacer Odean Smith got the breakthrough for the Red Force when he had Mayers caught, and
with ten runs added he also snared the wicket of Boucher for 24 to make the score 552 for seven. (CMC)

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Rowley wants govt to make public its crime plan

Nationnews Desk
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Rowley wants govt to make public its crime plan

PORT OF SPAIN – Former prime minister Dr Keith Rowley recently accused the Trinidad and Tobago government of seeking to downplay the crime situation in the country and that “the crime plan is a rolling state of emergency” with public manipulations as their greatest effort”.

In a statement posted on his Facebook page, following the latest wave of criminal activities, including the murder of a police officer at a Municipal  Police Station last Sunday, Rowley, who led a People’s National Movement (PNM) government from 2015 to early 2025, recall how “vociferous” the current administration when in opposition had been about the crime situation here.

“When I tried to address it by treating violent crime as a public health issue, they mocked and laughed and said it is only because of who is in office that we have a problem. Now, every day another violent incident occurs, and they try to downplay it.

“It is no longer the Prime Minister who should stop the killing. They claimed to have a simple crime plan that would turn things around to a satisfactory situation once they were given the reins of government. Now what!”

The ruling United National Congress (UNC) will on Saturday hold a public rally in central Trinidad marking the first anniversary of its April 28, 2025 general election victory with media advertisements making references to the “success” of the Kama Persad-Bissesar led-government since coming to office.

But Rowley in his social media page noted that “idiots and the criminally charged are in government, and the crime plan is a rolling “state of emergency” with public manipulations as their greatest effort.”

He questioned the presence of some government ministers and their contribution to the development of the country, saying “these are the leeches who cling and suck when they deserve to be brushed aside and stepped upon, yet they are carefully selected to protect and serve a leader who now thinks that the role of leadership is her entitlement.

“‎The voting and non-voting population chose this group of known individuals to run the country. Unfortunately, they bring nothing good to the table except hatred and bias towards others and a deep, abiding desire to use corrupt practices to protect and extract.

“This augurs for a very messy situation and damage to a lot of citizens and institutions. This then becomes the country, as hope shrivels and faith in the future is lost. When that happens, the quality of life for the whole population diminishes,”  Rowley wrote.

On Tuesday, former acting commissioner of police, Stephen Williams, said that there is a flawed perception by the two major political parties that a state of emergency (SoE) can be used to fight crime in Trinidad and Tobago.

Williams, served as a police officer for 41 years and was acting commissioner, from 2012-2018, says the time has come for the government and the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service to pursue meaningful and deliberate crime fighting initiatives.

“SoE could never be a strategy. I started with the flawed process, flawed thinking because right now the present government has in fact followed the PNM with the perception that an SoE can be a strategy,” he said on a television programme. (CMC)

Call for proactive disaster systems

Colville Mounsey
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Call for proactive disaster systems

Barbados must move beyond reacting to disasters and invest in systems that anticipate and reduce their impact, says Director of the Department of Emergency Management (DEM) Kerry Hinds.

Delivering the feature address at the World Food Programme’s Disaster Risk Financing and Anticipatory Action regional workshop at the Courtyard by Marriott yesterday, Hinds said the country’s experience with increasingly severe climate events meant that a proactive, people-centred approach was essential.

“Resilience is not simply about rebuilding what was damaged or what was lost. It is about ensuring that as we recover and move forward, we invest in proactive approaches that strengthen our capacity to anticipate and prepare for hazards,” she told regional participants.

Her comments came as Barbados has already begun preparations for the 2026 Atlantic Hurricane Season, even as the region continues to grapple with the lingering effects of recent storms.

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‘Let AI lift routine workload’

Ashada Joseph
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‘Let AI lift routine workload’

Administrative professionals are being urged by the Governor of the Central Bank of Barbados to use AI rather than resist it.

Dr The Most Honourable Kevin Greenidge, addressing the Administrative Professionals’ Day Conference at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre yesterday under the theme Beyond the Desk: Elevating Excellence, Empowering Professionals, acknowledged that fear and anxiety around AI are valid.

However, he assured the more than 200 attendees that they were better positioned than they thought to benefit from it.

“AI can lift some of that routine weight from your shoulders. The repetitive drafting, the sorting of data, the filtering of that information to find out what matters. When you lift that routine weight, then you are free to spend more time and energy on the work that genuinely requires the human touch. Judgement, relationships, problem solving and the correct leadership that holds an office together,” he said.

He implored the professionals to understand both the capabilities and limitations of AI, stressing the need to verify the outputs, protect sensitive and confidential information and ensure humans remained in charge of the final product.

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Brace for heat, drought, region urged

Nationnews Desk
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Brace for heat, drought, region urged

Caribbean governments, businesses, farmers and other stakeholders are being urged to prepare themselves for potentially severe climate extremes as a developing El Niño is expected to bring hotter and drier conditions across the region in 2026 and 2027.

El Niño is a climate pattern characterised by the warming of ocean surface temperatures in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean, occurring every two to seven years.

It represents the “warm phase” of the El Nino-Southern Oscillation cycle, causing weakened easterly trade winds that allow warm water to shift eastward, disrupting global weather patterns and causing significant environmental impacts.

Warning

Climatologist at the Barbados-based Caribbean Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology (CIMH), Dr Cedric Van Meerbeeck, is warning that this El Niño event is likely to bring periods of reduced rainfall and increased humid heat, which can affect water availability and agriculture, and increase the likelihood of heat stress and dry conditions.

The CIMH said that without adequate planning, the socioeconomic impacts from cascading and compounding hazards will be significant. Historically, El Niño is linked to severe droughts – such as those in 2009-2010 and 2014-2016 – and also increases the risk of extreme heat, wildfires, and marine heatwaves that can trigger coral bleaching.

Similar combined impacts were also observed during the record heat years of 2010, 2023, and 2024.

Areas already experiencing drought, particularly in the Eastern Caribbean, may see slower recovery of water resources during the upcoming wet season, which could begin as early as May 2026.

Although El Niño is typically associated with quieter Atlantic hurricane seasons, Van Meerbeeck stressed that risk remains, as a single hurricane or intense rainfall event can cause significant damage, as demonstrated by Hurricane Andrew in the Bahamas in 1992 and Tropical Storm Erika in Dominica in 2015. 

Co-director of the University of the West Indies Climate Studies Group Mona, Professor Michael Taylor, said: “What we are seeing in the forecasts is the emergence of a potential multi-hazard regime – where heat, drought, and marine impacts can occur together and reinforce each other”. (CMC)

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