GEORGE TOWN, Cayman Islands – Jamaica Minister of Tourism, Edmund Bartlett says tourism is “the fastest and easiest way to transfer wealth from the rich to the poor” even as he noted that the Caribbean region needs to do more to retain more of the tourism spending.

CASTRIES, St. Lucia – The St. Lucia has approved a 30 percent subsidy on inputs for banana farmers in light of the rising cost of production and productivity challenges faced by stakeholders in the banana sector.

ST. GEORGE’S, Grenada – The Grenada government Tuesday said it had taken a decision to discontinue the 25 percent on the nonfuel charge associated with electricity supply by the island’s lone power company, noting that the company had been losing “significant revenue” as a result of the measure.

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados – Prime Minister Mia Motley Friday announced that Barbados would be seeking a new loan agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) this month, telling Barbadians “these are indeed rough waters”.

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad – Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley is heading a two-member delegation to the Netherlands on Friday for talks with the oil and energy company, Shell, according to an official statement issued here.

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados – The International Trade Centre (ITC) on Thursday launched a new report that highlighted more than US$1 billion in export potential between Africa and the Caribbean.

CASTRIES, St. Lucia –The St. Lucia government says it is anticipating investments in the tourism industry to surpass EC$320 million (One EC dollar=US$0.37 cents) as a result of negotiations with various investors during the first eight months of this year.

KINGSTON, Jamaica – Several local stakeholders have welcomed the new Caribbean Business Exchange (CBX) cable television channel.

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados– Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley will deliver the feature address at the inaugural Africa-Caribbean Trade and Investment Forum (ACTIF2022), this week that the organizers said should attract more than 900 delegates from the Caribbean and Africa.

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados – The Barbados-based Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) Wednesday said it is partnering with the Eastern Caribbean Securities Regulatory Commission (ECSRC) to develop a solution to improve the availability of funding to Micro Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (MSMEs).

KINGSTOWN, St. Vincent – With government accounts registering a deficit during the first seven months of the year, Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves says the Ministry of Finance is “holding things together, but it’s tight”.

SANTIAGO, Chile – The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) Tuesday warned of the challenges to be faced by countries in the region as they move to reactivate investment and growth in a context of growing external and internal restrictions.