By NAN Enterprise Editor
Information Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Fri. Feb. 19, 2021: Listed here are the highest headlines making Caribbean enterprise information this week:
REGIONAL
Two extra Caribbean islands have launched Distant Work Packages for high-end worldwide employees.
Curaçao and Montserrat are the newest Caribbean locations to get in on the motion, which was began by Barbados.
The brand new “@HOME in Curaçao” program is designed to “lengthen the size of keep on the island for distant employees,” and different long-stay candidates together with buyers.
Vacationers could keep within the Dutch Caribbean nation for as much as six months beneath this system. To qualify for the @HOME in Curaçao program, Curaçao vacationers should full an online digital software kind and supply supplies together with a replica of the applicant’s passport photograph web page, proof of cost for $294 in charges and worldwide insurance coverage together with COVID-19 protection the place obtainable. Native insurance coverage can also be obtainable, add Curaçao authorities officers.
Montserrat has introduced its Distant Employees Stamp. The 12-month, long-distance work visa will give professionals and entrepreneurs a chance to commerce in a routine at-home office for black sand seashores and cultural choices.
Software charges for the stamp are $500 for people and $750 for these accompanied by a most of three household guests. Particulars are here. Candidates should present proof of full-time employment, an annual earnings of minimal $70,000 and up-to-date medical health insurance protection.
SEE ALL OTHER ISLANDS WITH SMILIAR PROGRAMS HERE
DIGITAL READY?
Virtually fifty per cent of companies within the Caribbean haven’t been capable of meet their digitisation objectives.
This was revealed by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) in its Caribbean Digital Readiness Survey 2021. Within the survey, 42 p.c of respondents believed they have been on the right track to satisfy their objectives whereas 28 p.c stated they have been forward.
Solely 15 p.c imagine that their digital health is on a par with or forward of the leaders of their business.
Respondents within the survey included 92 senior executives from main companies, in a wide range of industries throughout the Caribbean, together with The Bahamas, East Caribbean, Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Guyana, Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago.
Some key findings of the survey included:
Greater than 80 p.c of companies within the survey are focusing their digital technique on modernising their model with new capabilities forward of doing what they’ve at all times performed quicker and extra effectively.
Virtually three-quarters (73 p.c) of respondents imagine that use of digital applied sciences and behaviours has boosted workforce productiveness. And over half (57 p.c) imagine it has elevated worker satisfaction.
Nicely over half (56 p.c) of firms count on no less than 30 p.c of their staff to work remotely greater than sooner or later every week a yr from now.
Almost half of respondents (46 p.c) imagine their organisation is behind in coaching employees with expertise for the digital period. They cited lack of time and finances as the highest obstacles to upskilling their workforce with the shortage of alignment/readability on roles and tasks regarding digital possession, and rigid or gradual processes as the most important challenges to their total digital transformation.
GUYANA
An impartial report commissioned by CGX Power Integrated says that the corporate is doubtlessly sitting on 4.9 million Barrels of Oil Equal (BOE) within the Demerara and Corentyne, Guyana oil blocks.
Nevertheless, there isn’t a certainty that the corporate can recuperate the oil or that it’s even commercially viable. CGX, which has a three way partnership with Frontera Power Company, had contracted McDaniel and Associates in September of final yr to judge its holdings within the Corentyne and Demerara Blocks. Based on a press launch distributed by MENAFN-Newsfile Corp, an impartial potential useful resource research has since been accomplished into CGX’s holdings.
Based on the report, there are a complete of 32 prospects within the two blocks, inclusive of 27 within the Corentyne Block and 5 within the Demerara Block. These prospects or potential wells doubtlessly have 4.940 million BOE un-risked and 884 million BOE in them.
The information comes as Rudolf Elias, the Chief Government Officer (CEO) and Managing Director of Suriname’s state oil firm Staatsolie, has posited that Guyana and Suriname ought to work along with the target of bringing its pure gasoline to shore.
THE BAHAMAS
The Bahamas is shifting to make its nationwide digital foreign money extra accessible by launching a pay as you go card for the “sand greenback.”
The Central Financial institution of The Bahamas has partnered with international cost big Mastercard and native cost startup Island Pay to create a card that helps the sand greenback central financial institution digital foreign money.
Based on an announcement, the cardboard is working beneath a brand new program from Mastercard and Island Pay, permitting customers to transform the digital foreign money to conventional Bahamian {dollars} and pay for items and providers. The brand new card might be accepted for funds throughout the Caribbean area and different places supporting Mastercard, the businesses stated.
The brand new answer relies on expertise from Island Pay, a digital cost startup primarily working throughout the Caribbean area. The corporate holds a license from the Central Financial institution of The Bahamas to function as a cost service supplier and digital cash establishment.
The Bahamas is named one of many first international locations on the planet to ever launch a CBDC. The sand greenback launched in pilot mode in late 2019 and have become obtainable throughout its whole archipelago in October 2020.
SINT MAARTEN
Moody’s Traders Service has positioned the Authorities of St. Maarten’s Baa3 issuer scores on evaluation for downgrade.The important thing driver for the evaluation for downgrade is the choice by the Netherlands, the only real funding supply for Sint Maarten’s authorities, to withhold sure liquidity funds which in flip resulted in cost delays on bilateral loans owed to the Dutch Treasury. The Netherland’s determination to briefly deny liquidity assist resulted from an ongoing political disagreement between the 2 governments on the tempo of home coverage reform in Sint Maarten.
The delays in offering liquidity assist additionally highlighted Sint Maarten’s restricted funding choices and amplified the challenges posed by Sint Maarten’s rising funding necessities. The evaluation could end in a repositioning of the ranking to include Sint Maarten’s rising funding wants and excessive dependence on a single supply of financing.The native and overseas foreign money nation ceilings stay at A3 and Baa1.
ANTIGUA & BARBUDA
Antigua Cruise Port has accomplished the development of its fifth berth, the latest pier at St John’s Port. The USD 30 million funding was began earlier than the pandemic and finalized in November 2020, regardless of “minimal interruption created by the unwelcome virus.”
The pier work was a part of the $80 million settlement signed in 2019 between World Ports Holding and the Authorities of Antigua and Barbuda to redevelop the cruise complicated. World Ports Holding has efficiently delivered on its dedication to finish the fifth berth and has repaid $21 million of debt on behalf of the federal government, which was tied to the development of the Nevis Road Pier.
BERMUDA
American Airways is to floor its service between Miami and Bermuda, it has been revealed, in line with the Royal Gazette
The airline will as a substitute fly to the island from Charlotte, North Carolina. Glenn Jones, the interim CEO of the Bermuda Tourism Authority, stated the transfer from the Florida airport could possibly be one for the island’s tourism business. He claimed the Charlotte market was “seemingly extra enticing” for leisure travellers.
SURINAME
In the meantime, American Airways will start a nono-stop Miami to Paramaribo flight on July 1st. The announcement come because the South American CRICOM nation is about to profit from its new discovered oil riches.
