Procurement, Special Projects and Citizenship By Investment

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St. Kitts and Nevis is one of the smallest states within the Western Hemisphere as well as within  the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States. The Federation boasts a strong economy but even as it claims success in this aspect, there are serious concerns that its laws do not go far enough to minimize or stamp out corruption and corrupt practices. Attempts are now being made to remedy that situation through legislative amendments but progress is slow towards completion, especially the Tender and Procurement Legislation, which continues to be a major suggested area of corruption. For many years, there have been murmurs over the way successive governments have been operating the Tender and Procurement Processes, and whether they have been honouring the parameters of the laws of the land. 

With a population of more than 53,000, St.

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2023 Special Reports

Thousands Lost to Debit/Credit Card Fraud in Grenada 

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Businesswoman Dawseanne Williams did not foresee credit card fraud in her future when she made a simple and routine deposit into her local bank using one of its Automatic Teller Machines (ATM) in September 2022. 

In her rush to get home, Ms. Williams forgot to remove her card from the machine. Her folly triggered an excruciating episode that played out in a magistrate court where a young female suspect incurred a criminal record for the crime and the stolen returned to the owner. Business woman Dawseanne Williams

“As I was driving home, I began getting automatic bank alerts informing me about the amount of money deducted from my account for transactions, but I was driving home, I knew I was not conducting any transaction, so I stopped the car and checked my purse and to my astonishment, the card was not in my purse,” Ms. Williams recalled. “I had left it at the machine or loss it, it was a Friday night, so my option was to notify the bank but by the time I did I had lost more than EC$2000, and my hard earn cash was disappearing before my eyes and it appears that my options were limited to stop the transaction,” she continued. The bank with whom Ms. Williams has her account states on its website, under loss and stolen card, that it is the responsibility of the holder to safeguard the debit card.

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2023 Special Reports

Amidst Flooding Fears, Hope for Bridges Grows

School children and residents above the Rabacca Dry River struggle as rainfall and flooding increases

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The dramatic and powerful eruptions of the La Soufriere volcano on April 9, 2021, on the Island of St. Vincent and the Grenadines led to the evacuation of 20,000 people from the so-called “red zone.” – nearly 5 percent of the 110,000 population of the Caribbean country. While the eruptions and evacuations were deeply traumatic – including no drinking water for weeks – the last two years have been full of more struggles for the evacuees as the government and aid organizations have slowly replaced or rebuilt the housing lost during the disaster.

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2023 Special Reports

Domestic Violence Response During Covid

How the Trinidad and Tobago Government Fell Short. Survivors share their stories of lockdown abuse

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One of the last times Letty’s husband tried to rape her, she barricaded herself in her daughter’s room. “When he realized he’s not getting that, that’s when he start to threaten me. In the nights, I have to be sleeping in my pants”. “I don’t know how much women been through it, but when you’ve been getting raped in your own house, after you are closing off and say no, and say enough is enough … that’s what was going on with me,” she said. Warning: This story features accounts of domestic violence.

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2023 Special Reports

Prison – a Destination for Young Men?

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Instead of sitting in a classroom, 17-year-old “John” now sits in the Grand Bacolet Juvenile Rehabilitation and Treatment Centre. This center in St Andrew can be considered a detention center for juveniles in conflict with the law. John is serving 9 months after being sentenced by a Juvenile court for committing acts of housebreaking, stealing and drug possession. Additionally, he is facing additional penalties for escaping from the facility. This is not John’s first time at Grand Bacolet.

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2023 Special Reports

Can Guyana Avoid the Oil Curse?

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With enormous oil reserves, Guyana stands on the threshold of transformation. Its economy grew more than 60 per cent in 2022 largely because of an influx of oil revenues. But the nation’s rich resources come with promised opportunities and serious risks.

In 2023, the challenge is to ensure those financial resources are put to work improving education and healthcare for Guyana’s people, protecting its environment and diversifying the nation’s overall economy.

CIJN spoke with some of Guyana’s civic leaders who warn it can only be done if the government opens its books to the public and promotes a national dialogue about how this newfound wealth can be put to work.

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2023 Special Reports

Mental Break

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Although the data is still being gathered, lawmakers, experts, teachers, and parents give anecdotal evidence that the COVID-19 lockdowns created mental stress for young people, especially young men. This series explores this topic through the eyes, ears and hearts of all those who have a hand in the development of young men in Barbados.

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