Black Immigrant Daily News

The second annual Antigua and Barbuda – United Kingdom Business Forum is currently taking place from the 6th to the 11th November, 2022 in London and Leicester.

The event seeks to identify, promote and connect trade and investment opportunities for Antiguan and Barbudan businesses in the UK market.

Exhibitors from across the country will have the opportunity to showcase their goods and services at various customised events to include the World Travel Market, one of the world’s largest global travel and tourism events.

Tuesday marked the first official day of the Forum which was opened with a welcome from High Commissioner Karen-Mae Hill. High Commissioner Hill thanked the exhibiting companies for their vision and courage to forge out into new markets.

She noted the numerous opportunities the Forum would provide for everyone from specially arranged private Business to Business meetings with potential business interests, networking events and from technical information sessions on accessing the UK market.

Her Excellency Lindsy Thompson, Resident British Commissioner in St. Johns also delivered remarks at the opening ceremony.

In her remarks, she paid testament to the considerable efforts at the Antigua and Barbuda High Commission, and at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Trade, and Immigration for organising the impressive programme. Commissioner Thompson noted the current trade relationship between the UK and Antigua and Barbuda totalled over XCD 1 billion in the year to June 2022.

Both nations wanted that to continue to grow. There was a real opportunity to shape a distinct, ambitious trading partnership and to deepen trade and investment links between our two nations. During the first day of full engagements, the exhibitors had the opportunity to listen to informative presentations and engage in round-table discussions with key stakeholders in the UK government and private sector.

Flora Robertson, from the Economic Partnership Agreements -Trade for Development team at the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office delivered a presentation on the CARIFORUM-UK Economic Partnership Agreement (the “EPA”).

The EPA is a comprehensive trade and development partnership designed to open up and enhance trade between the UK and Signatory CARIFORUM States.

In the presentation the exhibitors learned about the nature of preferential access that Antigua and Barbuda enjoys with the UK in goods and services, about the rules of origin stipulations and sanitary and phytosanitary measures that are necessary for their products to be allowed entry into the United Kingdom.

They also had the opportunity to ask any questions or address any concerns they might have about exporting to the United Kingdom.

The interactive roundtable sessions continued throughout the first half of the day where there were also presentations scheduled from David Marston and Alex Phillippidis, directors of Category Wins, a business management consultancy.

David and Alex provided producers with full insight into UK market trends and category specific insight so they are well positioned to use this insight to sell their products and brands to potential customers in the UK. This presentation was followed by private meetings with each exhibitor. The final scheduled presentation of the day was by Andy Thorne, the CEO of the British shipping company, Kestrel.

In the second half of the day, the exhibitors displayed their products at the World Travel Market at the ExCel Centre in London. The World Travel Market attracts some of the world’s biggest companies in the travel and leisure industry.

Here, they had a chance to network and provide samples to a wide variety of UK and International businesses – from local niche stores to large multinationals and conglomerates.

The Forum will continue on Wednesday where there will be a series of Business to Business meetings for the exhibitors as well as a consumer expo, book launch and film screening in partnership with the Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority.

Nine businesses are participating in the Forum: Grannie Annie Pepper Sauce, Neem Avenue, Crispa Chips, Shell Beach Sea Food Company, Sarafina Savoury Caribbean Pudding, 2SIX8 Craft Brewery, Antigua Distillery Ltd., Miss Ellie’s Stuffed Dumplings and BWC Enterprises.

Several public and private sector partners have contributed to making the Forum possible. The London Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the law firm Georgiev, Todorov & Co., the Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council, the UK Department for International Trade, Caribbean Export, the Antigua and Barbuda Investment Authority, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Immigration and Trade and the Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority.

CLICK HERE TO JOIN OUR WHATSAPP GROUP

NewsAmericasNow.com

Black Immigrant Daily News

SOURCE: SKNVibes

With regional air travel a disaster due to the collapse of LIAT, efforts to have it resuscitated have been hit by many snags, but the consensus is that any new efforts will need the buy-in from governments throughout the region.

The latest suggestions forwarded by Antigua and Barbuda were for regional governments buying shares as a contribution so that any new LIAT could service their respective destinations.

Now, Dominica’s Prime Minister, Roosevelt Skerrit is more blunt in his assessment, saying that the airline needs money in order for it to be a viable solution to the current issues.

Since the airline collapsed because of the mitigation measures following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, intra-regional travel has become a challenge; in some cases more expensive, or travellers have to be rerouted through international destinations such as the United States and the United Kingdom in order to return to the region.

During a recent interview with SKNVibes on the sidelines of the 2022 Annual Meeting of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank in Washington DC, St. Vincent and the Grenadines Finance Minister, Camilo Gonsalves said the previous model of several islands bearing the brunt of the operating cost of the airline is not viable.

“Other countries could not be free riders in the process. Every country has to chip in if we are going to have an effective regional travel solution … So, what we have done at the level of the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) is to get a general agreement from all the governments of the region that whatever replaces LIAT, whatever comes thereafter, is going to have to have buy-in and support from all the countries that the airline serves,” Gonsalves opined.

He lamented on the previous talk of the bottoms-up LIAT would be rescued by the private sector, stating that it was only a fallacy since no company has stepped forward to contribute to the airline.

That, he pointed out, has left regional governments to fill the gap when it comes to making intra-regional travel more sustainable as borders have reopened to boost tourist arrivals.

The Caribbean Development Bank is leading the talk on intra-regional travel and the resuscitation of LIAT.

“The CDB is currently finalizing a study that will tell us a number of things: in this post COVID environment, what is the optimal aircraft we should use; what is the optimal number of aircraft we should use; what is the optimal location of a hub for the aircraft; what are the likely profitable routes and what are the routes that are unprofitable, but nonetheless necessary; to what extent can the profitable routes subsidize the unprofitable routes; and what is the formula by which all governments will have to chip in for the upkeep of this regional airline,” disclosed Gonsalves.

Skerrit, who recently announced snap elections in Dominica, reminded that it was only four territories within the region that saw the importance of LIAT “as a public good”.

“There is no private entity that is going to solve our regional air travel problem. Governments must invest in it! And so the Government of Dominica is committed to being part of the new LIAT or any company that is prepared to play the role that LIAT played for some many decades,” he added.

The incumbent Prime Minister, when asked by SKNVibes on the way forward for regional travel and what his Government is willing to put forward, stressed that the airline needs money in order to move forward and combat the challenges facing citizens and residents across the region.

“What we need is very simple. We all need to put money on the table. That is the solution to the problem. People criticize the issue of LIAT’s management and so forth…what we need is money! Let us simplify the process: do we need five or six planes? What do these five or six planes cost? What kind of management structure do we need to put in place? What kind of board structure should we put in place? And let us get it going,” was Skerrit’s response.

Also at the Annual Meeting in the US, Guyana’s Finance Minister, Ashni Singh told SKNVibes  that his country is willing to support any initiatives put forward, since the people of the Caribbean nation face the same pains as those within CARICOM.

“Frankly speaking, we do not have the kind of international air connectivity that we need in Guyana, particularly given the current growth trajectory. We also remain committed to a viable solution to this problem, and we remain engaged across the region, we remain engaged with our counterparts in devising viable solutions for addressing the challenges for air travel within the Caribbean,” noted Singh.

But as regional heads and financial institutions continue to thrash out the way forward, citizens and residents will have to bear the brunt of the problem as ticket prices continue to skyrocket to move from one destination to the next, and in some instances they are being forced to overnight.

SOURCE: SKNVibes

CLICK HERE TO JOIN OUR WHATSAPP GROUP

NewsAmericasNow.com

Black Immigrant Daily News

News

Man workign on a computer at home. Photo source: thebalancecareers.com –

A 29-YEAR-OLD Westmoorings woman and a 35-year-old Debe man were arrested and charged for robbing several men who were lured via popular dating websites.

Police said they received reports from several men who said that on separate occasions, they were lured by a woman via online dating websites, to West Park Villas in Westmoorings with promises of a “good time.”

On reaching the apartment, the men said, they were invited inside by the woman only to be confronted by a gunman who would then rob them of cash, jewellery and other valuables.

Police from the St James CID investigated and later arrested the couple.

They were charged on Monday by WPC Harry with false imprisonment, robbery with violence, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and demanding monies by menace.

The couple appeared before Port of Spain magistrate Maureen Baboolal on Tuesday.

The woman was granted bail in the sum of $200,000 while the man was denied bail and advised of his right to apply to a Judge in Chambers. The cases were then adjourned.

NewsAmericasNow.com

Black Immigrant Daily News

Half-centuries from Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan helped Pakistan beat New Zealand in dominant fashion to book its place in the T20 World Cup final.

Rizwan scored 57 runs and Azam added 53 as Pakistan made easy work of a 153-run chase on a placid Sydney wicket. It finished with 153-3 in 19.1 overs.

That came after Shaheen Afridi took 2-24 to help restrict New Zealand to a sub-par 152-4 from its 20 overs.

Pakistan awaits the winner of Thursday’s semifinal between India and England in Adelaide. The final will be played in Melbourne on Sunday.

“Luckily the half-century came in the semifinal. It was a tricky pitch,” Rizwan, who was named player of the match, said. “We decided to attack against the new ball. Our start to the tournament wasn’t good, but we kept believing.”

Opting to bat after winning the toss, New Zealand got off to a poor but eventful start.

Finn Allen hit a boundary off the first ball and survived a close leg-before-wicket shout off the second via review. He was then immediately out lbw off the next delivery.

New Zealand captain Kane Williamson and Devon Conway (21) put on 34 runs for the second wicket before the latter was run out at the end of a powerplay.

The Black Caps were then reduced to 49-3 in eight overs as Mohammad Nawaz sent back Glenn Phillips (6).

Williamson scored 46 off 42 balls, including a four and a six, and anchored the New Zealand innings. He put on 68 runs off 50 balls with Daryl Mitchell for the fourth wicket.

Afridi returned to dismiss Williamson in the 17th overs. Mitchell hit three fours and a six in completing his half-century off 32 balls.

Pakistan’s excellent ground fielding and the wicket’s slow nature then denied New Zealand the chance to launch any type of attack in the final overs.

In reply, Azam and Rizwan belied their poor form to put on a century stand for the first wicket.

They scored 50 off 34 balls and reached 100 off 70 deliveries. In all, they put on 105 runs off 76 balls to set Pakistan on course for an easy win.

Azam was out shortly after reaching his half-century off 38 balls. Meanwhile, Rizwan scored 50 off 36 balls before being dismissed in the 17th over.

By then only 21 runs were needed off 18 balls and Pakiston closed it out with five balls to spare, as Mohammad Haris finished with 30 from 26 balls.

Powerplay performance was the difference between the two sides. While New Zealand was restricted to 38-2 in its first six overs, Pakistan scored 55-0 in the powerplay.

“We were put under pressure early. Pakistan bowled very well,” Williamson said. ” We were able to wrestle back momentum with an unbelievable knock from Mitchell. We felt it was a competitive total. Babar and Rizwan were outstanding and we were outplayed.”___By CHETAN NARULA

Associated Press

NewsAmericasNow.com

Black Immigrant Daily News

News

GUNNED DOWN: St James couple Korey Clarke and Samantha Patrick. –

THREE men have been charged with the murders of Korey Clarke and Samantha Patrick.

Clarke and Patrick, both aged 30, were gunned down at their Aboud Circular, Dundonald Hill, St James home on October 27.

The couple died while shielding their seven-month-old daughter who was sleeping nearby on the bed.

Police said the men were arrested during a joint exercise involving Homicide Bureau investigators and the Western Division Task Force on Friday morning.

On Tuesday, Director of Public Prosecutions Roger Gaspard, SC, instructed police to charge the trio with two counts of murder, unlawful possession of firearms and unlawful possession of ammunition.

The exercise involved the assistance of Insp Grant and other officers of the Western Division. The couple’s funeral was held on Wednesday morning in St James.

NewsAmericasNow.com