Bahamas

Territory added to EU ‘grey list’

admin — Mon, 20 Jun 2022 17:50:01 +0000

Territory added to EU ‘grey list’

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admin Mon, 06/20/2022 - 17:50

Thursday, March 17, 2022

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Territory added to EU ‘grey list’

The Virgin Islands has been added to the European Union’s “grey list” along with nine other jurisdictions in the Caribbean and elsewhere, the EU Council announced after its meeting on Feb. 24.

Besides the VI, the EU added the Bahamas, Belize, Bermuda, Israel, Montserrat, Russia, Tunisia, the Turks and Caicos Islands, and Vietnam, bringing the total list up to 25 jurisdictions.

Although the inclusion does not mean that any penalties or sanctions will be levied against the territory, according to the EU, the move represents a significant setback after the territory rushed through economic substance legislation at the end of 2019 in order to meet EU requirements on tax reform.

In a Feb. 24 press release, the EU Council said that the list reflects “ongoing EU cooperation with its international partners and the commitments of these countries to reform their legislation to adhere to agreed tax good governance standards.”

The countries on the grey list are working toward meeting the EU’s tax standards, the release stated.

According to the EU, criteria for the list cover tax transparency, fair taxation and preventing tax base erosion and profit shifting. The organisation called implementation of the list a “dynamic process,” and noted that the next revision is scheduled for October of this year.

Anguilla, Botswana, Costa Rica, Dominica, Hong Kong, Jamaica, Jordan, Malaysia, North Macedonia, Qatar, the Seychelles, Thailand, Turkey and Uruguay were previously added and remain on the grey list.

The blacklist, which remained unchanged after last month’s announcement, currently includes American Samoa, Fiji, Guam, Palau, Panama, Samoa, Trinidad and Tobago, the United States Virgin Islands, and Vanuatu.

VI response

At a press conference late last month, Premier Andrew Fahie urged onlookers not to view the move as a censure of the territory.

He said the grey-listing meant the VI has “substantially met all international tax standards set out by the EU, but that ongoing improvements are being made to implementing tax good governance.”

As a result, he said, it has been grey-listed while it implements policies and procedures in the territory’s Country-by-Country Reporting framework.

“No defensive measures flow from being on such list and the BVI is still a cooperative jurisdiction,” he said. “Once the BVI meets these commitments, it will be removed from the annex.”

He added that the territory “takes its international obligations seriously” and had already been finalising the necessary steps to ensure successful implementation of the recommendations.

This week, BVI Finance CEO Elise Donovan directed queries to the Premier’s Office. Director of Communications Dr. Arliene Penn said, “BVI’s addition to EU’s Annex II is a positive rating for us because it acknowledges that BVI is a cooperative jurisdiction that has implemented measures (in the case of the Country-by-Country Reporting) in accordance with the high international standards prescribed. The BVI remains highly committed to the transparency and international cooperation agenda.”

The EU has hinted for some time that it would seek to modify its requirements for the list, the latest iteration of which was announced last October.

In February 2021, the European parliament passed a resolution calling for a measure that would automatically blacklist British territories like the VI, the Cayman Islands and the Channel Islands that have a zero percent corporate tax rate — and that now have a weakened voice in the EU in the wake of the United Kingdom’s split from the organisation.

The resolution did not mention the VI at the time, but it came before the revelation that nearly two-thirds of companies named in the far-reaching Pandora Papers investigation last year were based in the VI.

Panama, which is already on the EU blacklist, was host to the second highest number.

World response

Meanwhile, the EU Observer reported late last month that tax-reform campaigners are already applauding the news.

Chiara Putaturo, a campaigner with the non-profit Oxfam, praised the move, but complained that the Cayman Islands was not included.

“If the [new] grey-listing … is confirmed, we will see some real tax havens finally at risk to be blacklisted [in the future],” she said. “However, there are still other tax havens that are left off the hook, … such as the Cayman Islands, because the criteria remain weak.”

History

As in other OTs, leaders in the VI have long criticised the EU’s blacklists as arbitrary and misleading, maintaining that the territory’s financial services industry is tightly regulated in keeping with international standards.

Nevertheless, the VI was grey-listed along with other jurisdictions in 2017. In March 2018, the EU concluded that the VI, the Bahamas and Cayman needed further technical guidance from the EU and had until the end of 2019 to adapt local legislation, which resulted in the Economic Substance Act being rushed through the House of Assembly in late 2018.

Thanks to this move, the VI was white-listed, alongside 16 other jurisdictions, in February 2020.

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Sue over blacklist, says economist

admin — Mon, 20 Jun 2022 17:40:01 +0000

Sue over blacklist, says economist

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admin Mon, 06/20/2022 - 17:40

Thursday, April 28, 2022

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Sue over blacklist, says economist

Caribbean countries that live in fear of being blacklisted by the European Union should band together and take legal action, according to Barbados-based economist and Caribbean policy expert Marla Dukharan.

“I felt like there should be some legal recourse that should be pursued collectively,” Ms. Dukharan said on Feb. 23 on the regional livestreamed show “Territories Talk,” hosted by Shaina Smith-Archer, chairwoman of the BVI Chamber of Commerce and Hotel Association.

The EU blacklist often comes under fire in the VI for being a moving target.

Ms. Dukharan said it is also unfair. EU member states such as the Netherlands and Ireland are “well known for their extensive money laundering and tax evading activities,” but have never been included on any EU blacklist, she said.

To her, this suggests Eurocentrism or even racism, and perhaps an effort to undermine countries that are “eating part of their pie,” she said of the EU.

Grey-listed

In February, the territory was added to the EU’s “grey list,” along with nine other jurisdictions in the Caribbean and elsewhere.

Besides the VI, the EU added the Bahamas, Belize, Bermuda, Israel, Montserrat, Russia, Tunisia, the Turks and Caicos Islands, and Vietnam, bringing the total on the list up to 25 jurisdictions.

Although the February inclusion does not mean that any penalties or sanctions will be levied against the territory, the move represents a significant setback after the VI rushed through economic substance legislation at the end of 2019 in order to meet EU requirements on tax reform.

The standards for inclusion on the EU lists have frequently changed, and Ms. Dukharan pointed out that the European Parliament itself has noted problems with the selection process.

In 2021, the legislative body proposed that the tax regimes of EU member states be scrutinised along with the rest of the world and subject to blacklisting if they don’t measure up.

“That tells you that you have a legal leg to stand on, because they, the policymakers, have acknowledged that we are not applying our own standards to our own member states, and that’s not fair,” she said. “Why is it that our countries have not come together, found a law firm that will represent us collectively, and taken them to court over this action?”

Fighting back

She added that even a statement from the Caribbean Community condemning the actions of the EU is simply “not strong enough.”

“I think if all of the countries came together from the Pacific and the Caribbean and agitated and protested, I think that there is a chance,” she said. “For example, if you appeal to the United Nations, you appeal to the World Trade Organisation, somebody is going to hear you. But when each individual little tiny micro state appeals individually, it is just white noise.”

She also recommended that countries that object to the blacklist expel EU ambassadors.

“The second thing I think we need to do is take diplomatic action,” she said.

With changing criteria, she noted, even countries that have satisfied the Financial Action Task Force and Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development standards still run the risk of being blacklisted.

“But we don’t have the courage to do these things because we are small and we are insecure maybe,” she said.

Current list

In a Feb. 24 press release, the EU Council said that the grey list reflects “ongoing EU cooperation with its international partners and the commitments of these countries to reform their legislation to adhere to agreed tax good governance standards.”

The countries on the grey list are working toward meeting the EU’s tax standards, the release stated.

According to the EU, criteriafor the list cover tax transparency, fair taxation and preventing tax base erosion and profit shifting. The next revision is scheduled for October.

Anguilla, Botswana, Costa Rica, Dominica, Hong Kong, Jamaica, Jordan, Malaysia, North Macedonia, Qatar, the Seychelles, Thailand, Turkey and Uruguay were previously added and remain on the grey list.

The blacklist for “non-cooperative” tax jurisdictions, which remained unchanged after the February announcement, currently includes American Samoa, Fiji, Guam, Palau, Panama, Samoa, Trinidad and Tobago, the United States VI, and Vanuatu.

The post Sue over blacklist, says economist first appeared on The BVI Beacon.

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Caribbean tourism now bouncing back

admin — Mon, 20 Jun 2022 14:40:01 +0000

Caribbean tourism now bouncing back

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admin Mon, 06/20/2022 - 14:40

Thursday, June 2, 2022

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Caribbean tourism now bouncing back

The Caribbean’s tourism renaissance is well underway, with some destinations approaching or exceeding record visitor arrival numbers.

Tourism officials cite pent-up traveller demand, the elimination or significant reduction in travel restrictions, the return of airlift, attractive deals and packages being offered by hotels, and a range of destination and hotel choices and upgrades that are now in place as key factors for the rebound.

Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA) President Nicola Madden-Greig applauded the region’s tourism, health and government leaders for their work over the past two years to position the region’s largest industry to recover from the pandemic.

Madden-Greig pointed to the announcement last month by the World Travel and Tourism Council at its global summit in Manila, recognising the Caribbean and Latin America as leading the global tourism recovery.

“Today’s traveller has many choices when planning a Caribbean getaway, thanks to the efforts of so many. Over the past decade we’ve seen an explosion of new and upgraded hotels and infrastructure improvements.

During the pandemic many hotels and attractions used the time to improve on their product and service offerings, also recognising the changing needs of the discerning traveller.

“We continue to offer accommodation experiences which appeal to the full range of traveller interests. Beyond our world-famous beaches and waters, travellers can experience our diverse cultural, culinary and historic treasures. And we’ve worked diligently to put in place health safety protocols which are effective and as nonintrusive as possible,” she stated.

Madden-Greig noted that on average, hotels and resorts in the Caribbean will approach close to 80 per cent of their record pre-pandemic performance this year, with some destinations setting all-time records.

Cruise ships are returning, which is especially important to attractions, transportation providers such as independent taxis, and small- and medium-sized vendors. In addition, investment in new and upgraded hotels and resorts has not slowed.

“These are all great indicators which point to traveller confidence and demand for the Caribbean. We are seeing the fruits of years of hard work by the industry and governments throughout the region to invest in our tourism product and our people, and to broaden our appeal as we find new ways to provide a diverse and exciting experience for our visitors,” said Madden-Greig.

“Travellers to the Caribbean can discover our diverse offerings by land or sea, by a cruise vacation, or a coveted, longer in-destination stay for a more immersive experience.

“It has never been easier to do the Caribbean ‘your way’ and there are options for every interest and every budget. From high-end luxury accommodations on land or on sea to cozy cottages and apartments,” she added.

CHTA’s Acting CEO and Director General Vanessa Ledesma echoed these thoughts recently at the Caribbean Hotel & Resort Investment Summit (CHRIS). Pointing to data from ForwardKeys, Ledesma highlighted the strong interest in the region for summer and fall travel.

“This is reflective of the travellers’ mindset with the accessibility of the region, brand identity and management of the pandemic being key elements that are driving demand,” she said.

ForwardKeys, CHTA’s data partner, recently reported that the Caribbean and Latin America were leading the summer outlook in terms of the return of leisure travel, noting that five destinations – Aruba, Jamaica, Dominican Republic, Mexico and The Bahamas – were among the “most resilient” based on confirmed arrivals for the summer.

Developer confidence is also evident in STR’s most current pipeline report, with close to 30,000 rooms in development or under construction over the next five years.

Madden-Greig pointed to new challenges facing the industry, as inflation is resulting in higher operating and travel costs and the uncertainty in Eastern Europe impacts travel.

“While the cost of travel increases worldwide due to these and other factors, we will continue to focus on providing value and exceptional traveler experiences,” said the CHTA leader.

“This is particularly important in our highly competitive global marketplace. Despite these challenges, we anticipate over the coming weeks and months to see a proliferation of deals and special offers by the industry to continue to appeal to travellers’ desire to come to the Caribbean,” she said. (PR)

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Digitising music is the way to go

admin — Mon, 20 Jun 2022 14:30:01 +0000

Digitising music is the way to go

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admin Mon, 06/20/2022 - 14:30

Thursday, June 9, 2022

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Digitising music is the way to go

Acquiring revenue from the sale of digitised music, subscription and streaming services, is still a mystery for many Caribbean performers, song writers, producers and others involved in the music production.

However, a special project led by Barbadian entertainment consultant Derek Wilkie, and financed by the Caribbean Development Bank’s (CDB) Creative and Cultural Industries Innovation Fund (CIIF), is putting artistes from several Caribbean countries much closer to accessing these platforms and monetising their creations. According to statistics from the American music industry, subscription and streaming revenues reached US$10.07 billion in 2020, making up the vast majority of revenues for the entire music industry.

Wilkie, however, is concerned that too many regional artistes are absent for this lucrative space. As a result, he is working to ensure that Caribbean performers with existing musical work and those creating new music, are armed with the knowledge and capabilities to exploit the fullest economic gains possible from their creativity.

The accelerator, facilitated by the Barbados Investment and Development Corporation, with contributions from regional partners the Caribbean Export Development Agency (CEDA) and Compete Caribbean, catered to Caribbean performers, composers, and authors of musical works to help them transition from the physical distribution of music to the modern mode of digital distribution.

The project, which received US$40,000 in CDB funding, attracted 22 participants from Grenada, St Vincent, Guyana, Barbados, and Trinidad and Tobago, who were exposed to insight from the some of the leading experts in the area. Of the original funding US$10,000 was offered as a grant prize to one participant to develop a marketing and business plan for a new release.

Wilkie, the lead project facilitator, explained: “A great team of internationally regarded music professionals including Ivan Berry, Devon Carty and Spencer Mussellam, the label manager of Believe Music, based in Canada was assembled. Believe Music is a huge player in the digital music industry. They are a distribution partner who receive content and then they filter it out to all of the streaming platforms like Spotify, Apple Music and others.”

The lead facilitator is a founder member of the Barbados Copyright Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (COSCAP) and a former chair of the Caribbean Copyright Link, the body set up to facilitate the region’s performing rights organisations. “We in the region are producing a lot of work and putting it out there but we are, for the most part, doing it incorrectly. For example, people are releasing new music, uploading it to YouTube and other streaming platforms without any sort of metadata. The metadata is the DNA of the song.

“It says who is the producer, composer, the author, the publisher and it carries unique code numbers that identify the music when it is streamed globally. This allows you to get royalties coming through the system for us to get paid,” the entertainment executive disclosed. Without that data, he disclosed, the music of Caribbean artistes could be downloaded and streamed millions of times without the revenue from royalties ever paid to the rightful owners.

The CDB’s CIIF-funded project is an attempt to address this situation by training and equipping regional writers, producers, authors and publishers with practical real-world experience in the processes. Participants are from across the Caribbean from Guyana, through the Eastern Caribbean and The Bahamas in the South.

“We held a 4-day session to hear from them first, learning what they are doing and giving them the best leads and possible strategies for new releases in a digital medium.” The music executive added: “It was interesting to hear from some of them what they were doing.”

A frequent lament emerging from participants was their inability to realise revenue even when it appeared their music was gaining significant traction online. As Wilkie explained, “You can’t get royalties if no one knows that you are to be paid because you are not in the system correctly.” “A lot of time was also spent during the project on marketing and the procedures required before releasing new music and what needs to be done on a global basis to create an audience,” Wilkie pointed out.

Conceding there was still so much for Caribbean creatives to learn about operating in the digital space, he recommended more collaborations between bodies such as COSCAP, the Jamaica Association of Composers Authors and Publishers, and intellectual property rights partners around the world.

“Performing rights organisations in the region, at this point, are unable to properly monitor the vast amount and volume of music that is being streamed and released. “There are millions of songs streamed every day and somebody has to analyse it. We don’t have wherewithal to do that in the Caribbean and so we need reciprocal agreements to make sure we get paid as well.”

Despite the trepidation of some regional creatives to enter the digital music and streaming space, Wilkie assured that once undertaken correctly, streamed music can become a reliable source of income. He added: “With the digital platforms, people are still uploading back catalogues released many years ago. We are talking about millions of songs that people are trying to get in the streaming environment . . . . You have got to digitise, create the metadata, link it and upload it.”

As proof of how a well-coordinated approach to content distribution works, Wilkie referenced his working partnership with The Orchard – the world’s largest distributor of audio and video content and Believe Music (Canada).

(IMC1)

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We have a sport to build

admin — Sun, 19 Jun 2022 19:10:01 +0000

We have a sport to build

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Friday, June 17, 2022

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We have a sport to build

The recent showing of the St Vincent and the Grenadines Senior Men’s Football Team, Vincy Heat has evoked much discussion as to the state of this country’s football. And, there is nothing better to adjudicate than results.

From the team’s four matches in Group B of League C of the Concacaf Nations League played June 3, 6, 10 and 13, the Vincentians have been able to muster a single point.

A 1-1 draw versus Nicaragua on June 6 here at the Arnos Vale Playing Field was the lone occasion to shout about and muster any hope.

In between, Vincy Heat suffered a one- nil defeat to The Bahamas, along with 2-0 and 4-1 losses to Trinidad and Tobago.

Thus, St Vincent and the Grenadines is rooted to the bottom of the group, with the return home leg against Bahamas and the away fixture versus Nicaragua, both slated for next March.

Getting a positive result from the Bahamians here on home soil is the best bet, as the Vincentians will undoubtedly be looking to stave off relegation to League C.

But what the results of the Nations league matches have pointed to is the status of St Vincent and the Grenadines’ football.

Evidently, many of the vagaries and deficiencies of our football were glaringly and cruelly exposed.

This is not to say that they are new; however, it pointed to the lack of growth in our football, since St Vincent and the Grenadines was able to end as runner up of their group in the inaugural Nations League in 2018/2019.

It is no gainsaying that the success of a country’s senior men’s team is the gauge of all development programmes that are rolled out by the respective Football Associations and Federations.

Indeed, this is so, hence the hue and cry, bashing and criticisms that emerged when the acid test was put to the team for the two weeks.

The state of St Vincent and the Grenadines’ football did not begin with the poor results in the Nations League, but the culmination of a series of events.

This column though had sounded a warning in a previous exposition, leading up to the first match against The Bahamas on June 3, not to expect Vincy Heat to light up the group.

The caution has come to fruition, leaving many to point fingers and ask questions of many persons involved in the sport.

Let truth be told, fixing St Vincent and the Grenadines’ football will not be an overnight phenomenon, as there is a multiplicity of debilitating issues confronting the growth and development of the sport.

Yes, football is all about results, therefore the measuring rods will come out every time there are adverse outcomes.

To begin to rectify our football, there has to be a cultural shift in the manner in which things are done in St Vincent and the Grenadines, generally.

Our laid -back ways of operation would only work to some extent, but when it comes to competitive sport, it is a different ball game.

Moreover, there has to be an overhaul of the way football is structured and administered.

But are we prepared to “suck salt”, as it were, take some poundings from others, before we can see the light at the proverbial tunnel, which at this juncture looks dark and gloomy?
Hence, it will require tough decisions, change of personnel, among other adjustments before corners are turned.

Critically though, do we really have that desire to make football the pride and joy among the sporting disciplines practised here St Vincent and the Grenadines?

If so, then persons of like mind, with a love and passion for success have to be the forerunners and change makers, otherwise we should resign ourselves to play football solely for recreational purposes.

It is equally pertinent that our desires are commensurate with a willingness to invest and have clear, unambiguous objectives for football.

We cannot have champagne tastes, but are contented to have mauby pockets.

Certainly, the Nations League matches are instructive as the detour signs have been posted; it is for the drivers to bring out their administrative compasses and steer football in a different direction.

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Tropical Shipping makes donation to World Paediatric Project

admin — Sun, 19 Jun 2022 19:00:01 +0000

Tropical Shipping makes donation to World Paediatric Project

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Friday, June 17, 2022

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Tropical Shipping makes donation to World Paediatric Project

Tropical Shipping St Vincent & the Grenadines has made a donation of EC$ 2700.00 towards the work of the World Paediatric Project (WPP).

A cheque in that sum was handed over on Monday, June 13 by the Sales manager of Tropical Shipping, Maxine Howard to Executive Director Caribbean World Paediatric Project, Lauren McIntosh, at the shipping agency’s office in Kingstown, a release states.

Howard expressed pleasure in donating to the organisation and spoke of Tropical Shipping’s commitment in honouring its corporate social responsibility through its giving committee whereby children in need of medical assistance are offered assistance.

World Paediatric Project is a non profit organization which focuses on providing critical paediatric services to children in St. Vincent and the Grenadines and the Eastern Caribbean. It has had a presence in St Vincent and the Grenadines since 2002 and has helped more than 3400 Vincentian children with a value of services in excess of EC$84 million.

McIntosh extended sincere appreciation to Tropical Shipping for the financial support given to WPP in its mission to provide care to children in SVG and across the Eastern Caribbean.

Tropical Shipping also affirmed its commitment to the success and well-being of individuals and businesses throughout the Caribbean and The Bahamas, which it serves.

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US$15,000 up for grabs at Flow InKnowvation Small Business Fridays

admin — Sun, 19 Jun 2022 19:00:01 +0000

US$15,000 up for grabs at Flow InKnowvation Small Business Fridays

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US$15,000 up for grabs at Flow InKnowvation Small Business Fridays

Telecommunications provider Flow Business is encouraging Caribbean entrepreneurs to take their business to the next level by participating in its next event series targeted at small businesses, with US$15,000 in cash and prizes up for grabs.

In a release, the company said that over a period of three weeks, on June 17, June 24 and July 1, Flow Business will once again celebrate Small
Business Fridays with its free series of InKnowvation virtual events showcasing inspirational keynote speakers and interactive workshops aimed at providing small business owners with the digital know how they need to grow and thrive.

“This is about the barber shops and salons, cafes and eateries, community shops, contractors,entrepreneurs, and all self-starters – whether you’re a team of 10 people or a team of one. “These clients may be lesser in size when compared to clients in the enterprise space; however, the contribution of small businesses to our way of life can never be underestimated,” vice president, B2B, C&W Communications, Nicolas Collette is quoted as saying.

The theme for the series is ‘Pivot to Success: Transforming Your Business for the Digital Age’. Three deserving start-ups will share US$15,000 in cash and prizes as part of a business pitch challenge.

To take part, business owners should register for the events at flowbusiness.co/events, and they will receive instructions on how to submit their two-minute video pitch. Entries must be received by Sunday, June 19, the company said in its release.

“We’re proud to support Caribbean entrepreneurs with the best connectivity solutions coupled with the essential know-how, practical help and direct investment that provides them with the opportunity to take advantage of this digital age, and ultimately, grow their business and our communities,” Collette added.

More than 2,500 business people are said to have participated in the last series, and over 230 entries received for the pitch challenge, “so we once again invite all small business owners and entrepreneurs to attend and take advantage of this valuable opportunity.”

The first virtual conference from the Cayman Islands takes place on June 17 with Frank Schilling, the founder of Name Administration Inc and Uniregistry, delivering the keynote address.

The second session from The Bahamas takes place on June 24 and the final session from Jamaica on July 1, with Marc Farrell, founder of Ten to One craft rum company delivering the keynotes.

Other presenters include online business coach and Flow Ambassador, Keron Rose; chief executive officer of Jamaica-based online food delivery service QuickCart, Monique Powell; artist manager for musical acts Sheneesa and Ding Dong, Romecih Major; and TV host and content curator, Yendi Phillips.

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Vincy Heat head coach not prepared to renew contract

admin — Sun, 19 Jun 2022 18:40:01 +0000

Vincy Heat head coach not prepared to renew contract

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Vincy Heat head coach not prepared to renew contract

The St Vincent and the Grenadines Senior Men’s Football Team, Vincyheat may be without their current head coach, Kendall Mercury for the remaining fixtures in the 2022/23 Concacaf Nations League.

Vincyheat was defeated 4-1 by Trinidad and Tobago’s Soca Warriors on Monday, June 13 at the Haseley Crawford Stadium in Trinidad in the final game of this round, after going down to the Trinidadians 2-nil at Arnos Vale last week Friday.

Mercury, who had expressed cautious optimism about his team’s chances revealed after the 4-1 defeat that he is not prepared to renew his contract when it comes up for renewal on January 2, 2023.

The Vincyheat head coach who holds a UEFA ‘A’ License, is working to acquire his Professional License, and said he is sad that the senior men’s team was not able to advance to the next group, and now has to fight to remain in League B, and avoid relegation to League C.

He is convinced that the St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) premier team coaches need to change their mindset if the national team is to improve its performance, noting that the national coach can only work with the resources he is given.

Mercury is not happy with the results of the matches played by Vincyheat to date in the 2022/23 Concacaf Nations League campaign, and expressed, “I have let down the standards that I set for myself.”

Following three losses and a drawn game, the VincyHeat head coach identified three key areas which contributed to the poor showing. The physical fitness levels of the players and the levels achieved on the BEEP test leading into the tournament is not what is required to compete successfully at both Concacaf and FIFA levels, Mercury noted. Too many of the new players complained of the physical work required of them, which the senior players kept informing them was nothing compared to what they did in 2019.

He said while this lack of required physical fitness also affected the tactical awareness of the players individually and collectively, the mental toughness of the players was the biggest hindrance.

Mercury told SEARCHLIGHT that the players’ mental toughness was affected by their social life and many issues outside the field of play, including delayed issuing of contracts which also impacted that critical component of a footballer’s overall fitness.

Speaking immediately after the game in Trinidad, Mercury said, as was the case in previous games, too many soft and sloppy goals were conceded too early. He said it is painful when compared to the 2019 results, but it is something he will have to live with.

“I was not satisfied with the physical preparation of the team,”Mercury said.

At the post-match press briefing last week Friday following Vincyheat’s 2-nil home defeat to Trinidad and Tobago, Mercury had this to say: “Since we started back with the two friendlies in Dominica, our first match in The Bahamas on match day two, here against Nicaragua, we gave up soft goals,” and noted that, “the Trinidadians did not create either of those two goals.”

He added, “not just today” is St. Vincent and the Grenadines leaking “soft goals”.

“For me it is a Vincentian thing where finishing is concerned, and finishing affects the goalkeeping. I said it before. We play more mini-goals, small-goals soccer, so where are the strikers going to come from? If we keep playing small-goals soccer around the community, there is no goalkeeper between the small goals,” he pointed out.

“…I have to keep working on the training ground to try to rectify the issue of finishing.”

Whether Vincy Heat has a window to improve its performance in the remaining games of the 2022/23 campaign is up to the bosses at the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Football Federation, Mercury said for “…sometimes people need to have a rude awakening for them to learn.”

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A U.S. military base in the country in the twilight of the dictatorship

admin — Sat, 18 Jun 2022 21:40:01 +0000

A U.S. military base in the country in the twilight of the dictatorship

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admin Sat, 06/18/2022 - 21:40

Thursday, June 16, 2022

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A U.S. military base in the country in the twilight of the dictatorship

On November 23, 1956, a Directed Missile Base was inaugurated in the town of Sabana de la Mar, El Seibo province, by virtue of an agreement signed in 1951 between the governments of the D.R., the U.S., and Great Britain.

The facility was in operation until 1962 when the 10-year agreement expired and was extended by mutual agreement for one year in its final phase.

The common interests explain Great Britain’s participation in the base’s objectives and that similar bases were located in British colonial possessions.

After the Second World War, the so-called “Cold War” and its effects on our region began in 1945, encouraging military dictatorships and tyrannical regimes at the service of U.S. geopolitical interests. As is well known, Trujillo benefited greatly from this circumstance.

Sabana de la Mar, bordered by the Bay of San Lorenzo, is a sub-bay of the Bay of Samaná, whose strategic position has been highly valued since ancient times by different powers, which led to attempts to control it for geostrategic purposes.

Therefore, it was not by chance that this project was installed in that location.
“Located in any other part of the island, Samaná would be nothing more than a large peninsula forming a large bay. Placed where nature has placed it, it is one of those maritime positions such as are not found but two or three on the map of the world” (Sir R, Lepelletier de Saint Remy, Santo Domingo, Dominican Society of Bibliophiles, 1978. p. 197).

Communication center
The base established at Sabana de la Mar was part of the system of similar bases established by the U.S. from Cape Canaveral, Florida, to the southeast of Puerto Rico. The network of bases consisted of two bases in Florida (Cape Canaveral and Jupiter), four in the Bahamas (Grand Bahama, Eleuthera, San Salvador and Mayaguana), one in the Turks (Grand Turca), one in the Dominican Republic and the last one in the chain located in Puerto Rico.

The Patrick Base at Cape Canaveral was the headquarters for launching guided missiles, and the others had the mission of controlling the aircraft in flight, for which they had sophisticated equipment.

When the base was inaugurated in Dominican territory, different types of guided missiles were being tested, capable of transporting atomic explosives across the ocean, without a pilot, which represented a far-reaching achievement in military technology at the time.

The projectiles were launched across the Atlantic Ocean in a test area extending more than 5,000 miles from Cape Canaveral, Florida, to the island of Asuncion in the southern Atlantic, where they fell into the sea.

The Sabana de la Mar Station served as a communications hub for relaying scientific information between Cape Canaveral and Puerto Rico.

The financing of the project was the responsibility of the U.S. government; however, the availability and access to critical resources (the necessary land and water) was the responsibility of the Dominican government.

Members of the 1962 Council of State.

The State-owned part of the land and part was privately owned; a small portion of the private property was obtained through purchase, and most of it was obtained through donation, supposedly voluntary, by the owners. There was at least one case of appropriation because the owner refused to sell due to disagreement with the price offered.

The endowment at the base, from the construction phase, undertook actions aimed at generating social impact in the region. For example, public health supported the national authorities in controlling mosquitoes through fumigation campaigns carried out by military personnel.

Remains of the base
During the ten years that the base was in operation, between military personnel stationed there and native women of the community, some 30 marriages took place, none of which ended in divorce, according to the testimony of a then married woman, now a widow, interviewed by the author of this text.

The effective operation of this military infrastructure ceased on October 22, 1962, and using a public act on November 6; the facilities were handed over to the Dominican Government represented by Donald J. Reid Cabral, member of the Council of State; representing the government and the U.S. Air Force, Ambassador John Bartlow Martin, and Brigadier General Harry J. Sands.

Speaking for the U.S. Government, Ambassador John Bartlow Martin said that he was “very pleased to be here in Sabana de la Mar next to the beautiful bay of Samaná,” adding that “the act symbolized the spirit of cooperation between both governments…

Today, 700 miles away on another Caribbean island, a base of a different nature, is also being dismantled under very other circumstances…”, thus referring to the famous “October Crisis” or “of the missiles” in Cuba. Three days earlier, El Caribe newspaper published an eight-column headline, “U.S. verifies dismantling of Russian bases in Cuba.” Strange coincidence.
The Señorita Elupina Cordero municipal hospital now occupies the central infrastructure of the former military base.

Infrastructure

– Service center
What remains of the U.S. military base in Sabana de la Mar is today part of the Miss Elupina Cordero municipal hospital. Part of the land was private.

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We have a sport to build

admin — Sat, 18 Jun 2022 14:30:01 +0000

We have a sport to build

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admin Sat, 06/18/2022 - 14:30