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Central Bank urges financial institutions to address BiMPay issues

Shawn Cumberbatch
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Central Bank urges financial institutions to address BiMPay issues

The Central Bank of Barbados is urging financial institutions to do more to fix the challenges, including the late payment of salaries and other delayed fund transfers, which have plagued the BiMPay payment rail during its first month of use.

Central Bank Governor Dr The Most Honourable Kevin Greenidge said the national instant payment system was working, pointing to the processing of 750 000 transactions worth $1.3 billion since it went live on June 12.

However, speaking during a press conference today at the Courtney Blackman Grande Salle, he said a number of the issues facing the system, including incorrect payroll formatting, difficulty accessing the tokens needed to connect to the Central Bank’s BiMPay e-wallet, inconsistent spending limits, and delayed transactions, needed to be resolved at the level of the financial institutions.

“One thing that makes a payment system easy for the public to adopt and on board include placing token access on the front page of bank apps where customers can find it, when we search across the world, these are things that matter,” Greenidge said in identifying the things the financial institutions needed to fix.

These include setting limits that reflect the customer profile, correcting account data and posting funds promptly. He said some institutions did not move with the “urgency” that was required, but they were working with them.

The Governor encouraged Barbadians to use BiMPay, “not just the rail but the app as well”.

“The core rail, I reassure you, is sound . . . it moved over $1.3 billion between financial institutions in payments, . . .  transactions, all of them are settled within seconds. We are requiring and insisting that the remaining customer experience problems be corrected,” he asserted.

“Those issues are being corrected, and what remains to be done will be done. We are addressing each issue. We continue to do so, institution by institution, and we will not stop until the service delivery works properly for the consumer from end to end.

“The system belongs to you; it belongs to Barbados, not to . . . financial institutions, to you. And I intend to see that it serves you.”

The six commercial banks and three largest credit unions are using BiMPay, as are the Accountant General and Barbados Stock Exchange. (SC)

Disabled jobless rate ‘a crisis’

Nationnews Desk
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Disabled jobless rate ‘a crisis’

The high unemployment rate among people with disabilities is not just a social issue but a national development crisis, according to executive director of the Caribbean Policy Development Centre (CPDC), Richard Jones.

Addressing the annual general meeting of the Barbados Council for the Disabled last Thursday, Jones said the exclusion of people with disabilities from the workforce represented a significant economic and social loss for Barbados.

In Jones’ address, titled Adapting To Survive: How Changing Demographics Are Reshaping the Future Of NGOs, he cited figures from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Barbados as the council marked its 50th anniversary.

“The broader point remains that too many persons with disabilities are excluded from meaningful work and enterprise. That is not simply a disability issue, it is a development crisis, an economic loss and a social failure,” he said, pointing to as many as 90 per cent of Barbadians with disabilities being unemployed.

He noted that a UNDP report found that people with disabilities “do not lack ability; they lack access to jobs, workspaces, public spaces, transport and recreation”.

“Barbados cannot speak seriously about inclusive growth while leaving so much human potential unused,” he added.

Jones said the consequences of exclusion extended well beyond employment.

“Exclusion from work, school, transport, recreation and public life creates isolation, loss of confidence, dependence where independence should be possible, overburdened families, exhausted caregivers and young persons with disabilities who may feel that society has no place for them,” he said.

He called for people with disabilities and the organisations representing them to be placed at the centre of national demographic planning, arguing that issues such as accessibility, transportation, housing, employment, care and assistive technology should become integral to Barbados’ development agenda.

Jones also appealed to Minister of Labour, Social Security and the Third Sector Colin Jordan for greater financial support for non-governmental organisations (NGO).

While welcoming the ministry’s recently announced $5 million fund to support faith-based organisations carrying out youth and community programmes, he argued that NGOs deserved similar assistance. (HH)

US$17.6b in climate investment pipeline

Shawn Cumberbatch
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US$17.6b in climate investment pipeline

Billions of dollars in projects, financing and entrepreneurial opportunities in the Caribbean have emerged from an inaugural summit that was recently held in Barbados to help remove climate investment barriers.

Less than a month after the Caribbean Climate Smart Accelerator (CCSA) held the Climate Smart Summit 2026, it is reporting that US$17.6 billion in national and regional projects were identified during the June 16 and 17 gathering.

This was in addition to US$12.68 billion in development finance, US$37 million in philanthropic funding, and US$11.5 million in entrepreneurial investment opportunities.

The information was shared in the newlyreleased 2026 Climate Smart Summit Report and the organisers noted that “behind every number is a project, a partnership waiting to happen, or an opportunity to help move an idea into action.”

CCSA also said that “over the next 18 months, we’ll be working with Caribbean entrepreneurs, governments, investors, philanthropies and development partners to help turn the connections made at the summit into real progress in our region”.

This would involve “matching projects with investors, philanthropists and partners, tracking outcomes, mobilising capital and supporting the collaborations launched during the summit to accelerate climate action across the Caribbean”.

Reflecting on the recent event, CCSA chief executive officer Racquel Moses said in the Climate Smart Summit Report that the summit “was designed to answer one question: how do we move capital to the solutions that need it most? Over two days, we began turning that question into action”.

“We started with a simple premise. The Caribbean’s greatest opportunities are too comlex to be solved in isolation. They require collaboration, targetted matchmaking and a clear understanding of where capital, innovation and policy intersect,” she explained.

“Rather than simply convene conversations, we curated them. Entrepreneurs pitched investment-ready solutions to a carefully selected audience of investors, development finance institutions and philanthropic partners in the audience, creating opportunities for blended finance and strategic collaboration.

“Day one showecased US$11.5 million in climate-smart investment opportunities. Day two highlighted US$12.685 billion in development finance available for deployment, alongside more than US$17 billion in national and regional projects with the potential to scale,” she highlighted.

Food security

CCSA said the summit in Barbados was designed to acclerate climate-smart investment and implementation across the Caribbean. There were participants representing more than 49 organisations from 13 territories.

“Governments, development finance institutions, investors, entrepreneurs, philanthropists, private sector leaders, academia, civil society and regional organisations engaged directly with one another,” the report stated.

“With more than US$17 billion in projects in the room, ranging from investments to strengthen food security to national investment plans, and over US$12.7 billion in capital available to be mobilised across philanthropy, development finance and commercial finance, the summit prioritised meaningful person-to-person connections capable of unlocking partnerships, mobilising capital and advancing climate smart solutions well beyond the event itself.”

The report also shared that “across two days, participants explored practical approaches to strengthening climate resilience, expanding renewable energy, mobilising climate finance, accelerating innovation, advancing the blue economy, improving food security and supporting sustainable economic growth”.

CCSA said participants were challenged to “define the level of ambition, investment or commitment they were seeking or prepared to make toward advancing climate smart development”.

The organisation said that the investment opportunities identified at the saummit “represent a growing pipeline of climate-smart investment opportunities that will continue to be developed through the strategic partnerships established during the summit”.

“It was important to showcase opportunities of every size because that reflects the reality of the Caribbean investment landscape. Scale is not always measured by the size of a single transaction. More often, it is built one entrepreneur, one project and one partnership at a time,” the report stated.

“Innovation remained central to the programme. The Investor Forum provided six Caribbean entrepreneurs with the opportunity to present investment-ready climate solutions to development finance institutions, impact investors and funding partners.

“Selected from the Innovation Fund Caribbean pipeline, these ventures demonstrated the region’s growing capacity to develop scalable solutions in areas such as food security, climate-smart agriculture, the blue economy and circular economy innovation.

“Complementing the Investor Forum was the Climate Investment Marketplace, where entrepreneurs and project developers showcased national and regional projects seeking investment while advancing discussions on blended finance, project preparation, philanthropy and public-private partnerships,” it added. (SC)

Barbados, Antigua & Barbuda advance to second round of AmeriCup

Nationnews Desk
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Barbados, Antigua & Barbuda advance to second round of AmeriCup

Barbados and Antigua and Barbuda topped their respective groups to advance to the second round of the FIBA AmeriCup 2029 Pre-Qualifiers here on Sunday.

Competing in the Caribbean Pre-Qualifiers, Barbados played unbeaten in Group B to finish with a 4-0 record, while Antigua & Barbuda secured top spot in Group A with a 3-1 record.

The two teams join Costa Rica, which also advanced to the FIBA AmeriCup 2029 Pre-Qualifiers second round after winning the Central American Pre-Qualifiers last March.

Cuba, Jamaica, Nicaragua, and Venezuela will also compete in the next stage after being eliminated in the first round of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 Americas Qualifiers.

Barbados finished the tournament with a hard-fought 96-84 victory over St Vincent and the Grenadines.

Playing at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall, the game remained tightly contested through three quarters, featuring eight lead changes and multiple momentum swings, before Barbados delivered the stronger finish and put the game to bed in the final quarter.

Kyrone Alexander was the standout performer for Barbados, finishing with 32 points and 11 rebounds. His third-quarter explosion, when he poured in 12 points in a span of 2:41- including two three-pointers and multiple trips to the line -helped Barbados seize control and consolidate their advantage.

He received support from Rasheed Maynard, who added 22 points, while Carl Thorpe chipped in 19 points.

For St Vincent and the Grenadines, Shad Thomas led the way with 16 points.

Needing a win in their final game to finish at the top of Group A, Antigua & Barbuda thrashed Turks and Caicos 86-57.

Antigua & Barbuda seized control early, build a double-digit lead in the first quarter, and steadily extend the margin in a lopsided contest.

Xavier Spencer stole the spotlight with a double double of 27-points and 10 rebounds for Antigua & Barbuda, Preston Merrick poured in 26 points and Jamine Charles contributed 16 points and a game-high 12 rebounds.

Meanwhile, Ethan Taylor did everything he could for Turks and Caicos, tallying 25 points in a losing cause. (CMC)

Nicholls: Govt to study how freedom of information works in region

Carlos Atwell
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Nicholls: Govt to study how freedom of information works in region

Government should soon start conducting research into how well freedom of information legislation is working in the region.

After addressing the Barbados Association of Journalists & Media Workers’ (BARJAM) annual general meeting at the Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), The Pine, St Michael, on Saturday night, Minister of Home Affairs and Information Gregory Nicholls made it clear there was no Freedom of Information Bill before Parliament, but his intention was for preliminary work to begin looking at countries which had passed such laws.

“I’ve asked the ministry to conduct some wider research on freedom of information legislation and to compare how it has been implemented and what have been the results in relation to how the public in some Caribbean countries have been dealing with it. So that research is being conducted, and when that is done, I intend to engage with the Cabinet on all these matters,” he said.

Some of the countries in the region that have passed such legislation include Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, the British Virgin Islands, The Bahamas, Turks and Caicos, and the Cayman Islands, with varying levels of success.

BARJAM has been vocal in calling for a Freedom of Information Act to be enacted in Barbados for years, including current president Ryan Broome, who again made the call during World Press Freedom Day in May. He said such legislation was essential to strengthening transparency and accountability across public institutions.

The minister said he could not commit to a timetable for Barbados, as this was in its very early stages, adding there was much more to consider than many might think.

“I’m not only looking at the legislation, but I’m also looking at how the legislation has been implemented, because there is a process. You just don’t pass an Act and say, this is the law. It has to be something that society accepts as the standard that we will all operate by. Because today you might be a citizen, but tomorrow you might be, by way of election or appointment, involved in public administration, and then you have to operate by standards that you didn’t contemplate when you were a private citizen. So we need to make sure we draw the balance, but we need to have that discussion.

“How do we access the information? Time frames, all these things. What are the penalties for when the information is not given, such as information that is time-sensitive or information that is confidential? What is the time period for the information to be released? Who is responsible for redacting sensitive information? Who draws the line? Those are things that we have to settle.”

He added: “As I said, there is a discussion that we need to have, but it’s not something that we are prepared to rush into, because we need to make sure we get it right.”

Nicholls said he intended to table several proposals to Cabinet, one of which was “repealing and reforming” the Broadcasting Authority Act with a view to modernising it.

He pointed out the idea was not only to focus on broadcast and print media, but the entirety of content creation, as the various available platforms had to be regulated into a new regime.

He said he was pleased with the way the Barbados Government Information Service and CBC were operating, while lamenting the closure of legacy publisher The Barbados Advocate, adding Government would continue to be committed to journalism in Barbados and looked forward to continued interactions with BARJAM. (CA)

Man killed in Silver Hill shooting

Nationnews Desk
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Man killed in Silver Hill shooting

Update

Twenty-one-year-old Cammeron Ifill of Pasture Road, Bank Hall, St Michael, has been identified as the victim of a fatal shooting in Gall Hill, Christ Church.

Police said Ifill was killed at a residence in Byrons Lane around 12:15 a.m. on Monday.

According to preliminary investigations, Ifill was in a bedroom when an assailant approached the residence and fired several shots, striking him multiple times.

He succumbed to his injuries at the scene. A medical doctor later visited and pronounced him dead.

Police are continuing investigations into the shooting and are appealing to anyone who witnessed the incident or has information that can assist with enquiries to contact the Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-TIPS (8477), Police Emergency at 211, or the Oistins Police Station at 418-2612.

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Earlier Story

One man is confirmed dead after a shooting incident early this morning at Silver Hill, Christ Church.

More details as they come.

Sam Neill, Jurassic Park star, dies at 78

Nationnews Desk
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Sam Neill, Jurassic Park star, dies at 78

Sam Neill, the New Zealand actor best known for playing paleontologist Dr Alan Grant in dinosaur blockbuster “Jurassic Park” and whose career included more than 50 movies, has died at the age of 78.

A post shared on social media by his family said Neill’s death ​in Sydney “was sudden and unexpected but blessed by the fact that Sam remained cancer free.” In April, Neill announced he was ‌cancer free after a public battle with blood cancer.

Described by critics as “versatile” and “reliably excellent”, Neill landed starring roles across many genres, ranging from a submarine officer in the 1990 action-thriller “The Hunt for Red October” to the anti-Christ in 1981’s Omen III.

He also played countless anguished husbands, including opposite Holly Hunter in the Oscar-winning “The Piano” (1993) and opposite Meryl Streep ​in 1988’s “Evil Angels”, also known as “A Cry in the Dark”.

Born in Omagh, a town in Northern Ireland, Nigel John Dermot Neill moved to ​New Zealand when he was seven as his father, a New Zealander, retired from the army and wanted to ⁠return home.

At the age of 11, he changed his name to Sam. In his 2023 memoir “Did I ever tell you this?” he wrote that “to ​land in a primary school with a plum in the voice and Nigel for a name was asking for trouble.”

Sam was “easy to say, sounds friendly, sounds ​a bit blokey and has a touch of Labrador about it,” he wrote.

Neill described himself as a wonky, nerdy, unsporty, stuttering boy, but it was at school that he took his first tentative steps towards acting, earning minor roles in school plays including a bridesmaid in The Pirates of Penzance. “I liked getting a laugh,” he wrote in the ​book.

Neill’s big break came with the low-budget New Zealand film “Sleeping Dogs” (1977), garnering him sufficient attention to be offered roles in bigger-budget films in neighbouring ​Australia.

But even as his fame grew, he continued to return to New Zealand to work. At home, he was perhaps most adored for his role as the curmudgeon Hector ‌in ⁠the low-budget “Hunt for the Wilderpeople” (2016) directed by Taika Waititi.

He missed out on a chance for mega-stardom in the mid-1980s when he did a screen-test for the role of James Bond, but said his heart wasn’t in it and during his daylong audition he’d felt awkward.

“You never want to be the Bond that no one likes – that’s a fate worse than death,” he once told an Australian breakfast show.

Neill was nominated for three Golden Globe awards and two ​Primetime Emmys. He won three Australian ​television awards including one in 2025 ⁠for The Twelve.

In 2022, he accepted a knighthood for outstanding contribution to film after years of turning down the honour. He said he only accepted it because it was vital that all the arts were recognised.

“Acting might look ​easy, but it’s actually very hard. In fact, if it looks like it’s easy, it means that the ​actor is doing something ⁠very hard, very well,” he said of his job.

The actor, who was married and divorced twice, spent much of his later years in Australia and at his vineyard in New Zealand’s Central Otago.

Earning plaudits for his wine, Neill started releasing Pinot Noir on land he owned in central Otago under the label “Two Paddocks” ⁠in 1997, ​a process he described as both enthralling and labour-intensive.

He often entertained fans by posting pictures ​of animals on his farm, many named after his celebrity pals including a hen called Laura Dern and a bull called Graham Norton. Recently, he has publicly opposed plans for a ​new mine in the area.

He is survived by two sons and two daughters. (Reuters)

Mikey blows away field to lift both Party Monarch titles

Sherrylyn Clarke
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Mikey blows away field to lift both Party Monarch titles

Mikey Mercer set the bar impossibly high, convincingly winning both titles to be crowned the undisputed Banks Party Monarch when the competition was held at the National Botanical Gardens yesterday.

Mercer earned 100 points each in the Sweet Soca and Power Soca categories, and a massive pay cheque of  $200 000. He took the crowd along with him during the rendition of Real Feters and whipped them into a patriotic frenzy with Like A Bajan in the Power Soca competition.

“It is honestly overwhelming,” he said in an interview after the results.

“It feels really good. A lot of work; a lot of, lot of work went into this, to this year. I am just thankful that it paid off.”

Mercer said when he goes into competition he hopes to win, but also tries to do his best in each performance. He was quite satisfied with what he gave the audience today, the payoff from hours of preparation, vocal training and fitness that saw him losing ten pounds.

He expressed full thanks to his team and support.

Mikey was one of only two competitors whose songs made the cut for both sections.

The other was his Soka Kartel mate Mr Blood, who was second in the Sweet Soca with 68 points to earn $50 000 for Crop Over Forever.

Khiomal was third on 61 points, earning $40 000 with Back To When and fourth place went to Ross on 52 points with Come and Go, a payday of $20 000.

Reigning People’s Monarch Shaquille GFG was second in the Power Soca category with Afterall. The tribute to his father earned 75 points and $50 000.

Third place went to Lil Rick with Best Ting. He got 62 points and a cheque for $40 000, while Nikita was fourth and won $20 000 with Extraordinary, for which the judges gave 55 points. (SAT)

Sinner fends off Zverev in power battle to retain Wimbledon crown

Nationnews Desk
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Sinner fends off Zverev in power battle to retain Wimbledon crown

Italian top seed Jannik Sinner resisted an all-out onslaught by an inspired Alexander Zverev to retain his Wimbledon crown in a thunderous final and claim a fifth Grand Slam title on Sunday.

Zverev, in his first Wimbledon final hot on the heels of winning ​the French Open, threatened an upset after taking an intense opening set, but eventually ran out of firepower as Sinner found another gear to win 6-7(7) 7-6(2) 6-3 ‌6-4.

The destiny of the title was still on a knife edge nearly three hours into an absorbing contest but second seed Zverev’s resistance finally cracked after a nasty tumble in the third set and Sinner surged on to the title.

Sinner, 24, became the first Italian to win a Wimbledon singles title last year by beating Carlos Alcaraz, and now joins an elite list of 10 men to successfully defend it in the professional era.

It was a 10th successive victory ​for Sinner over Zverev but this time he was pushed to the limit by the 29-year-old who had been bidding to become the first German man to win the Wimbledon title ​since Michael Stich in 1991.

Zverev’s first serve percentage hovered around 80% for much of the match while his forehand, often his Achilles heel at big ⁠moments during his career, proved a fearsome weapon as he went toe-to-toe with his opponent.

Sinner’s second-round meltdown at the French Open and then a close shave in the first round here against Miomir ​Kecmanovic a fortnight ago raised doubts about his form and condition.

But he ended the tournament showing why he is the best in the world, not dropping a single service game in a semi-final defeat of ​Novak Djokovic and in a ferocious final.

“There’s no better place, honestly, to play tennis,” Sinner said as he cradled the pineapple-topped Challenge Cup.

“I’m standing here. You can feel the nerves in a Sunday morning when you wake up, that this is a very special day, and you never know how many times you can come back. So I never take things for granted.

“It always takes two players. We try to give everything we have, I’m very ​happy about the win but mostly very happy also about the level we played.”

On a hot and breezy Centre Court, an intense 65-minute first set full of heavy-metal tennis boiled down to tiny ​margins.

Only one break point was on offer in the opening 12 games with Sinner missing his chance at 4-3 on the Zverev serve when he uncharacteristically framed a forehand wide.

The pace and accuracy of Zverev’s forehand shook Sinner ‌early on ⁠while the 6-foot-6 German dropped only eight points on serve in the opening set.

Zverev reached set point first in a high-quality tiebreak but was passed at the net after chasing a drop shot.

He then saved set point with an ace and when his chance came again, the free-flowing German cracked away a forehand to end Sinner’s run of winning 14 successive sets against him.

Frustration began to show on Sinner’s face early in the second set as he could make no impact on Zverev’s service games with the German striding around the court in confident fashion.

But ​in the day’s second tiebreak, Zverev wavered for ​the first time and Sinner turned up the ⁠heat to level the match.

The booming serves and ferocious ball-striking continued into the third set but just when Zverev threatened to strike, the match suddenly veered towards Sinner. (Reuters)

US Senator Lindsey Graham dies after sudden illness

Sherrylyn Clarke
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US Senator Lindsey Graham dies after sudden illness

United States Senator Lindsey Graham, a longtime Republican from South Carolina and ally of President Donald Trump, has died “from a brief and sudden illness”, a spokesperson for his office told CNN. He was 71.

First elected to the US Senate in 2002, Graham came to embody the evolution of the Republican Party as a critic to Trump who turned fiercely loyal, eventually growing to be one of the president’s closest advisers on Capitol Hill.

But even as his fealty to Trump was unquestioned, the senior senator continued to be a vocal spokesperson for US intervention and leadership across the globe – often breaking with the more isolationist bent of Trump’s supporters.

Graham made a name for himself as a foreign policy hawk who ardently advocated for military intervention in Iran and Iraq and was a leading voice for the unwavering US support for Israel and Ukraine. His political career was intrinsically connected to his close relationship to two giants in the Republican Party: first with the late Senator John McCain of Arizona and then with Trump.

Graham died on Saturday, according to his X account, shortly after returning from a visit to Ukraine – one of many he made after the Russia’s 2022 invasion. Emergency responders were dispatched to a DC address for Graham around 8:30 p.m. ET for a report of someone suffering from chest pains, according to audio of the dispatch on Broadcastify. The audio indicates someone called in from Baltimore and was heading to the home.

A spokesperson for Graham did not disclose further details about the senator’s illness.

“Senator Graham’s family appreciates prayers at this time and asks for privacy during this incredibly difficult period,” the spokesperson said.

Trump told CNN’s Jake Tapper that he had spoken with Graham just hours earlier, when the senator had returned from Ukraine. The president said they discussed his voter ID legislation – the “SAVE America Act” – and Graham’s recent travels.

“He said, ‘I’m tired because it’s a long trip’, but other than that, he was he was fine,” Trump recalled.

“What a terrible loss it is,” the president added. “He’s a great politician. He was a natural. Very few of them. He was a natural politician. Got along with everybody.”

Graham began his political career in the early ’90s after serving as a city and county attorney in South Carolina. He was elected to the House in 1994. He also served in the US Air Force as a prosecutor and defence attorney.

His early life was marked by the deaths of his mother and father within 15 months of each other when he was an undergraduate; his father died of a heart attack, his mother from cancer. Graham helped raise his then 13-year-old sister, Darline, and later adopted her.

He never married nor had children.

First elected to the US Senate in 2002, Graham was running for a fifth term in this fall’s midterm elections, and his death will have implications for legislative business in the Senate – where Republicans slim margin is already under stress with the absence of Senator Mitch McConnell. (CNN)

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