Bahamas

The Securities Commission of The Bahamas (SCB) is warning citizens against investing in a company named Incomemax, which appears to be an organization that purports to act as an investment platform and could potentially be involved in a Ponzi scheme.

SCB said that Incomemax “may be conducting activities in or from within The Bahamas that are either registrable/licensable or illegal under one or more of the acts.”

“The Commission hereby advises the public that Incomemax and its agents/representatives are not registered with or licensed by the Commission. Furthermore, its activity may be such that it constitutes a violation of one or more of the acts.”

The SCB said that the company appears to be an organization that purports to act as an investment platform and is very active on social media, most notably Instagram, Facebook, and Telegram.

Caribbean

The Barbados-based Caribbean Climate Outlook Forum (CariCOF) says a Caribbean heat season with heat waves will most likely begin as early as April and gradually ramp up, but it is unlikely to match 2023 and 2024.

CariCOF, in its latest Caribbean Climate Outlooks for the upcoming period April to June, said this is due to neutral El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) conditions in the Pacific, combined with unusually warm waters around the Caribbean and temporarily cooler waters in the eastern Tropical North Atlantic.

CariCOF says rainfall intensity and shower frequency should rise towards May in the Bahamas, Guianas, and Greater Antilles, or June in Belize and the Lesser Antilles, “resulting in a high to extremely high potential for flooding, flash floods, cascading hazards, and associated impacts.

“Episodes of Saharan dust intrusion will likely be frequent, the more frequent these are, the more dryness and heat, and the more erratic the occurrence of severe weather,“ CariCOF added.

CariCOf said moderate, or worse, short-term drought has developed in the central and northern Bahamas, the Cayman Islands, and parts of St. Croix, St. Maarten, and St. Bart’s.

It said long-term drought is evolving in Belize, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, St. Bart’s, St. Vincent, southeast Suriname, and northwest Trinidad.

Dominica

Health authorities are monitoring irregular suspected cases of leptospirosis and dual outbreaks of influenza and gastroenteritis.

“While preliminary rapid test has shown positive results, we are waiting for confirmatory testing from Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), and its many symptoms can resemble dengue and influenza,“ said National Epidemiologist Dr. Shalanddin Ahmed.

The Ministry of Health says it is also “closely monitoring dual outbreaks of influenza (flu) and gastroenteritis (stomach flu) as the country faces a significant rise in cases, particularly in vulnerable populations such as young children and those with weakened immune systems.

“This unprecedented situation is prompting increased efforts to mitigate the spread of both illnesses across communities,“ the ministry said, noting that there has been a substantial increase in cases of both influenza and gastroenteritis in recent weeks, which the health departments reported.

The ministry said in a statement, “Flu cases are higher than anticipated for this time of year, with the number of hospitalizations steadily rising. Symptoms of the flu include fever, chills, cough, body aches, and fatigue.

“Concurrently, gastroenteritis, characterized by nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and stomach cramps, is spreading rapidly, especially in community settings such as schools and daycare centers, and largely within the one-to-14-year age groups.”

The ministry, along with various stakeholders, said they have “implemented comprehensive strategies to curb the spread of both the flu and gastroenteritis“ in response to the ongoing outbreaks.

Grenada

Marketing agents with Grenada’s Citizenship by Investment (CBI) program will begin receiving a standard commission of US$30,000 per approved application under a new commission structure from April 1 this year.

Under the CBI program, foreign investors are granted citizenship in return for making substantial investments in the country’s socio-economic development.

In March 2021, the then Keith Mitchell administration announced the commission structure for CBI applications through the National Transformation Fund (NTF). This structure requires an applicant to deposit a certain amount of money into the fund instead of investing in a real estate project.

It provided for the dozens of agents to receive a commission of US$25,000 for every approved application for the first 60 applications, US$30,000 for applications between 61 and 80, and US$35,000 for applications above 81.

However, according to an advertisement published on the Investment Migration Agency website dated March 26, 2025, marketing agents will now receive a standard commission of US$30,000 per application, whether one approved application or 100 applications.

“This change is part of a strategic initiative to introduce a new, more efficient structure,“ it added. To ensure accurate performance tracking, the application count will be reset annually on Jan. 1, aligning performance tracking with the calendar year.

“The commission structure will undergo an annual review and may be revised as necessary based on performance or market conditions,“ it added.

“These updates aim to streamline the commission process and reward performance in a more structured and efficient manner,“ it said.

Guyana

The Guyana government says it will hold talks with local exporters as Caribbean countries continue to examine the magnitude of the sweeping tariffs announced by United States President Donald Trump on their respective economies.

Trump has announced far-reaching new tariffs on nearly all US trading partners, which economists and other traders say are designed to dismantle much of the global economy’s architecture and trigger broader trade wars.

While Trump announced a 90-day suspension of the measure except China, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo told reporters that the Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance and Public Service, Dr. Ashni Singh, will meet with local exporters who may be affected by the tariffs.

Jagdeo said that while oil and gas, gold, and aluminum exports will be exempt from the higher tariff rates, businesses relying on income from exporting agricultural produce/products may be significantly impacted.

The vice president, speaking at his weekly news conference, said that discussions with local exporters will assess the tariffs’ impact.

“We want to learn all about this … to see if there is anything we (government) can do because it is one thing to talk about the reciprocal tariffs, but there is a 10 % tariff in place (now),“ he noted.

Jagdeo said that, importantly, the government plans to use the 90-day window to engage diplomatically with the US government on these trade matters. Guyana is among 75 countries that have already contacted Washington on the tariffs.

Jamaica

Jamaica continues to record a significant decrease in murders this year, with figures released by the Jamaica Constabulary Force ( JCF) showing a 35.9 percent decline from Jan. 1 to April 5 compared to the same period last year.

According to the figures, the country has recorded 191 murders so far this year, as compared with 298 for the corresponding period last year.

The JCF said Westmoreland, St. James, St. Ann, Manchester, Eastern Kingston, and St. Catherine all registered declines in murders, registering between 16 and 66.7 % declines for the year.

However, in some areas, such as Portland, St. Andrew South, and St. Mary, it has recorded an increase, with some areas reaching as high as 200 %.  

Compiled by Devika Ragoonanan