Black Immigrant Daily News

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The home of Anthony Wilson, located on Fyzabad Field Road, who was killed on Friday morning. – Photo by Marvin Hamilton

Anthony Wilson, 63, from Fyzabad, died on a couch after a man stabbed him at his home early Friday.

Wilson’s caretaker, a 47-year-old woman, escaped the same fate when she rushed to help Wilson as he took his last breaths.

Wilson, also known as Tony and Ouch, was a former security guard. The suspect, 49, had been staying at Wilson’s home for the past few months.

The police said they responded to a report of the stabbing death and arrived at the house at Forest Reserve Road at around 1. 15 am. They found Wilson’s body in a bedroom, sitting on a couch, with a wound to the chest.

The caretaker reported that she heard a commotion between Wilson and the man. She heard Wilson say, “Why did you do this to me?”

As she looked into the room, she saw the suspect holding a knife over Wilson. He had already been stabbed.

A close relative of the caretaker told Newsday that Wilson had gone into her bedroom moments earlier to find out if she wanted to charge her cell phone.

The caretaker, who was not in the bedroom, heard him saying, “Come off me. What you doing?”

She walked into the bedroom and saw the suspect holding the knife smeared with blood over Wilson.

“She was going toward Anthony to help him. But the man grabbed her by her neck. They had a scuffle, and she ran out of the house. He was running after her with the knife. She fell in mud in the yard,” the relative said.

“She is shaken up by the incident.

“She is soft-hearted. She would go out of her way to help other people.”

The caretaker alerted neighbours, and the suspect ran off into the darkness.

The caretaker has been living and caring for Wilson for about five years, and they became friends.

From what the relative was told, the suspect was allowed to stay at the house after being released from prison. The relative was unaware of why the man was in prison and for how long.

Media were stopped by security officials at the gate of Heritage Petroleum on the Fyzabad Field Road when they attempted to visit the home of Anthony Wison who was killed on Friday morning. – Photo by Marvin Hamilton

Newsday tried to go to the crime scene, but was stopped by security guards on Heritage Petroleum premises from going further along Forest Reserve Road.

South Western Division and Homicide Bureau Region III police were searching for the suspect up to Friday afternoon.

PC Ramsubhag of the Homicide Bureau Region III is leading investigations.

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Black Immigrant Daily News

CARICOM Member States, since the establishment of the Ministerial Taskforce (MTF) by H.E. President Dr Irfaan Ali, have been working towards the establishment of a sustainable agriculture insurance plan.

Over the last ten years, more Small Island Developing States within CARICOM have been devastatingly affected by the impacts of climate change. Within the last decade, there have been increased instances of flooding, drought, and volcanic eruptions which have resulted in many economies in the region being adversely affected.

Last year, Guyana experienced one of the most devastating floods in the country’s history which left almost 90% of the country’s agriculture sector completely destroyed. Other countries like Suriname, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Barbados, Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago have also suffered from natural disasters as a result of climate change.

During the 8th CARICOM Ministerial Taskforce (MTF) meeting, which was held today, regional officials discussed the progress made in establishing sustainable agriculture insurance products in vulnerable member states.

Prior to today’s meeting, Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha, in his role as Chairman of the MTF, outlined the need for the development of such a product given the fact that the impacts of climate change have, in recent years, proven to pose several economic challenges for vulnerable CARICOM countries.

While referencing Guyana’s most recent experience in 2021, Minister Mustapha had called the MTF to work towards engaging regional financial insurance institutions on the possibility of developing agriculture insurance products geared at strengthening the region’s disaster recovery efforts.

Last October, during the launch of Caribbean Week of Agriculture, Minister Mustapha said that the government was working to promote the idea of establishing agriculture insurance in Guyana and in the region.

“The MTF has received presentations on two areas which included a possible agriculture insurance product for the region by a regional company pioneering such a product in a member state and outlining the elements for the establishment of a regional agricultural insurance product. This is very critical for us, in the Caribbean, to implement such a product and ensure that our farmers are targeted,” Minister Mustapha said.

The MTF, through its Agriculture Insurance Technical working group, has been engaging various regional financial institutions on how a regional insurance product can be developed and introduced in the Member States.

During the meeting earlier today, Mr. Shaun Bough, Programme Manager, Agricultural and Agro-Industrial Development at the CARICOM Secretariat disclosed that the MTF’s Agriculture Insurance Technical working group recently met with representatives of GraceKennedy Limited, one of the Caribbean’s largest and most dynamic Food and Financial corporate entities, to discuss the progress made thus far with developing and implementing the such a product.

“Late last year, we received a presentation from GraceKennedy Insurance out of Jamaica. They had presented on a particular product that they have ongoing in that member state and expressed an interest in scaling up and introducing it to the rest of the region. They have indicated that they have now been able to put a dedicated project team to get this product up and running and that they are near completion of negotiating with their reinsurance to carry the product. They have also submitted an implementation work plan and programme to which they have committed to. All in all, it amounts to a possible product being introduced by the first half of 2023,” Mr. Bough said.

Additionally, Mr. Bough indicated that the MTF’s technical working group has also engaged the Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility (CCRIF).

“At our last meeting, we received a presentation from the CCRIF which indicated that they had several products available but in particular, they had a livelihood product that they were ready to go to market with. The technical working group also met with them recently and they indicated that they are prepared to launch their Livelihood Protection Policy in December 2022. They’ve also indicated that their insurance partner will be Garden Insurance Group Limited and that they identified Belize, Grenada, Jamaica, St. Lucia, and Trinidad and Tobago as countries to launch the pilot for the product. This productis also intended to be up and running by the first half of 2023,” he noted.

The need for agriculture insurance has become more critical as governments are usually responsible for providing the resources to support affected groups in the aftermath of natural disasters.

Since taking office, the government has been working with its regional partners to strengthen its disaster readiness and recovery plan as climate change continues to pose a threat to various productive sectors across the region.

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Black Immigrant Daily News

The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund IMF concluded the Article IV Consultation with St. Vincent and the Grenadines, on Monday November 14, 2022.

The IMF says the economy is projected to grow by five percent this year, supported by large-scale investment projects and recoveries in tourism and agriculture.

Growth is projected to strengthen further in 2023 as large-scale construction projects get into full swing.

The report says that the authorities’ decisive policy responses to the COVID-19 pandemic and the volcanic eruptions —supported by two IMF Rapid Credit Facility (RCF) disbursements and financing from other International Financial Institutions—helped protect lives and livelihoods and contain economic scars.

Output decline in 2020 was the lowest in the ECCU and the economy is estimated to have grown by 0.8 percent in 2021 supported by strong post-volcanic eruption reconstruction activity.

Nevertheless, the recovery is facing headwinds from inflation pressures reflecting higher import prices. Despite the authorities’ strong efforts to contain fiscal deficits, critical responses to the shocks pushed up public debt to about 89 percent of GDP as of end-2021.

The financial system has weathered the shocks relatively well so far with adequate capital and liquidity buffers.

External inflation pressures are expected to raise the annual inflation to 5.8 percent in 2022.

The outlook is subject to significant downside risks, stemming primarily from an abrupt slowdown in trading partners’ growth, potential delays in investment projects including due to supply chain disruptions, and the ever-present threat of frequent natural disasters.

The authorities seek to rebuild fiscal buffers over the medium term and are balancing the need to support the vulnerable, building resilience, and maintaining fiscal prudence. While the primary deficit is estimated to widen as the port construction starts, the primary balance excluding pandemic-, volcano-, and port-related spending is expected to improve from -0.4 percent of GDP in 2021 to 1.6 percent in 2022.

They also remain committed to reaching the regional debt ceiling and the medium-term fiscal strategy set out in the 2021 RCF.

The IMF Executive Directors commended the authorities’ proactive responses to the pandemic and volcanic eruptions that reduced economic scarring and contributed to a small positive growth in 2021.

They noted that while the outlook is favorable, supported by large-scale investment projects and continued recovery of agriculture and tourism, it is subject to significant downside risks and the economy remains vulnerable to shocks.

Directors agreed that near-term priorities continue to be health and reconstruction spending and supporting the vulnerable, while maintaining fiscal prudence.

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Black Immigrant Daily News

The Streets of capital City, Kingstown are expected to be cleared of informal street vending by the end of this month

This was disclosed by Prime Minister, Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, as he delivered the feature Address at the opening of the Uptown Vegetable  Market yesterday.

https://www.nbcsvg.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/RALPH-VENDORS.mp3

Meanwhile,  Project Officer Sharie Roberts-Dougan said the relocation of the vendors will be done in phases.

https://www.nbcsvg.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/SHARIE-VENDORS.mp3

The Kingstown Board will provide the necessary rules and regulations under which the vendors would operate.

Warden at the Kingstown Board Clayton Burgin has reiterated that there will be no vending on the street of Kingstown for persons who have a space within the markets.

Mr. Burgin was speaking at the opening ceremony for the uptown and downtown markets.

He said any unwarranted structures must be removed from the streets by Monday November 28th.

https://www.nbcsvg.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/NO-STREET-VENDING.mp3

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Black Immigrant Daily News

One man is dead following a shooting at Bush Hall, Yard Gap, St Michael.

Police spokesman, acting inspector Rodney Inniss told Loop News that around 2:15 pm, today, Friday, November 18, Police Operations Control Room received a report that a man was shot and lying motionless on the ground.

Officers arrived at the scene and discovered the man’s body. He was pronounced dead by a medical doctor.

Investigations are ongoing.

Anyone who may have witnessed or has any knowledge of this incident or the perpetrators involved are advised to call police at 430-7240, Police Emergency 211, or Crime Stoppers at 1 800 8477 (TIPS).

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