2 Anthony Turner/Gleaner Writer NEW YORK: TEAM JAMAICA Bickle’s (TJB’s) 2026 Labor of Love Gala, held last Sunday at the Crest Hollow Country Club in Woodbury, New York, successfully raised US$150,000 (approximately JMD 23.8 million). The event was supported by partners including New York Knicks NBA All-Star captain Jalen Brunson’s Second Round Foundation, Resorts World New York City, Tower Isle Patties, and VP Records. Proceeds from the fundraiser will support the Queens-based philanthropic organisation’s hospitality and welfare services for Jamaican and Caribbean athletes competing at the annual Penn Relays Carnival, scheduled for April 23–25, 2026, at Franklin Field Stadium, University of Pennsylvania. TJB founder and CEO Irwine Clare Sr. highlighted the urgency behind this year’s target, against the backdrop of severe financial strain affecting schools and athletes from western Jamaica, many of whom were heavily impacted by Hurricane Melissa last October. “We had to ensure that the opportunity for them to participate was available,” Clare said. He revealed that the organisation will facilitate accommodation for more than 560 athletes from Jamaica and other parts of the Caribbean, covering approximately 1,250 room nights during their stay in the United States. “We have essentially bought out two hotels. From the time the athletes arrive in the US, we feed them, transport them, and ensure it is a true home away from home,” Clare noted. TJB has also intensified its efforts locally, investing tens of thousands of dollars in track meets and athlete development programmes following the disruption caused by Hurricane Melissa. “We were able to step in to ensure continuity in their preparation for the global stage,” he said. Beyond accommodation, the organisation’s support extends to meals, transportation, medical services, and now insurance coverage — creating a comprehensive system focused on athlete welfare. “It requires a significant level of funding. From the moment they arrive at the airport, we have systems in place to address every need,”Clare explained. Looking ahead to 2026, Clare noted a transition in sponsorship arrangements that marked a new chapter for the organisation. While Caribbean Food Delights — a long-time supporter — continues its partnership, its reduced role in athlete nutrition has paved the way for a more community-driven approach. “What has evolved is the nature of their involvement. That particular aspect has changed, but they remain a valued supporter,” Clare clarified. In response, TJB has shifted food preparation to Jamaican- and Caribbean-owned restaurants in Philadelphia, fostering economic reinvestment within the diaspora. “When we collect funds, we also spend a significant portion back into our community,” Clare emphasized. As the organisation looks ahead, Clare remains focused on expanding its impact rather than resting on past accomplishments. “We don’t sit on our laurels. Our achievements serve as a stimulus for greater things — opening new horizons and building new relationships,” he said. “The more funds we raise, the more we are able to reduce the financial burden on our athletes, especially given the impact of the hurricane,” Clare added. Supporters, sponsors, and members of the diaspora in attendance at the luncheon-style fundraiser included keynote speaker Blane Stoddard, who was honoured for his contributions to Caribbean athlete support; Sandra Brunson, co-founder of the Second Round Foundation; and Michelle Stoddart, senior vice-president of community development at Resorts World New York City. Musical entertainment was provided by DJ Papa Michigan, who had patrons singing along to classics such as Diseases, Sugar Daddy, and One Love Jamdown, alongside partners VP Records and Road International. From providing opportunity to preserving national pride, Team Jamaica Bickle continues to demonstrate that resilience is more than a theme. It is a mission in motion. IT IS not surprising that many people, including some regional governments, are having second thoughts about the Caribbean Community’s (CARICOM) endorsement of Trinidad and Tobago for a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council. There are more than whispers that this support should be reconsidered. WHILE THE Gleaner fully understands these concerns, it would not be in CARICOM’s interest to withdraw its endorsement. Doing so would cause irreparable damage to the community, potentially even triggering its collapse, or at the very least leading to Trinidad and Tobago’s withdrawal during the life of the current administration. In keeping with Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s stated insistence on transparency in CARICOM, leaders who have misgivings about Trinidad and Tobago’s likely posture on the Security Council should openly express their concerns to her. This approach echoes the recommendation of former St Vincent and the Grenadines prime minister, Ralph Gonsalves. However, doubts about Trinidad and Tobago’s candidacy should not be conflated with Port-of-Spain’s claim that the reappointment of CARICOM Secretary General Carla Barnett did not follow proper procedures and is therefore null and void. The Barnett issue is fundamentally technical and legal in nature, and one that CARICOM may choose to resolve politically. The Security Council seat, by contrast, is strictly a political matter requiring a different approach. The 10 non-permanent members of the Security Council are elected for rotating two-year terms. Trinidad and Tobago has long coveted a seat and secured CARICOM’s endorsement – during the tenure of former prime minister, Keith Rowley – to replace Panama when its term ends in December. The election is slated for June. So far, Trinidad and Tobago faces no challenger. Earlier this month, its foreign minister, Sean Sobers, claimed the backing of more than 100 countries. That support, however, could erode if CARICOM’s endorsement is perceived to have weakened, potentially prompting another Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) country to enter the race. REGIONAL OUTLIER The souring regional mood, particularly in the Eastern Caribbean, is understandable. Since the United National Congress (UNC) returned to office a year ago after a decade in opposition, Ms Persad-Bissessar has belittled, insulted, and alienated regional partners, while vigorously embracing Donald Trump’s controversial Caribbean policies. For example, when the US president ordered the military to destroy suspected drug-smuggling vessels in the Caribbean Sea – effectively the summary, extrajudicial execution of criminal suspects dressed up as acts of war – Ms Persad-Bissessar cheered him on, urging him to “kill them violently”. When CARICOM leaders reaffirmed the long-standing declaration of the Caribbean as a zone of peace, she ridiculed the idea as fanciful. She also labelled CARICOM an “unreliable partner” and a failing institution whose members prioritised dictators over partners. She supported Mr Trump’s capture and rendition of Venezuela’s president, Nicolás Maduro, and reportedly made her territory available to the United States to assist the effort. When the Americans imposed visa restrictions on Antigua and Barbuda and Dominica over concerns about their citizenship-by-investment programmes, Ms Persad-Bissessar mocked those governments for “bad-mouthing” the United States and warned her own citizens to “behave yourselves”. The public row over the Barnett matter has further cemented perceptions of the Trinidad and Tobago prime minister as a regional outlier, even if some of her underlying ideological positions – stripped of caricature – may be shared by others in the Caribbean. Nevertheless, it has fuelled growing questions about whether Trinidad and Tobago can be an effective steward, or an appropriate representative of CARICOM, on the Security Council, even though the seat would be held in its own right. UNIQUE CHALLENGES Dr Gonsalves has noted that it is customary for CARICOM states to endorse each other for positions in international bodies, but that the Security Council bid presents unique challenges. “The way Kamla and the Trinidad and Tobago government have gone and become the principal cheerleaders for Donald Trump, CARICOM has to get clarification from her at the highest level,” Dr Gonsalves said this week. He continued: “You can’t support Trinidad and Tobago on the understanding that it will help craft resolutions at the Security Council and then have discussion when they are in the chair supporting the blowing up of boats, or marching in lockstep with every position of the United States, contrary to CARICOM’s interests. If she is an outlier on fundamental questions of global foreign policy and security, and within our hemisphere, she cannot be CARICOM’s candidate.” Dr Gonsalves articulated openly what others have thought or whispered. Some have reasoned that the veto power of China and Russia would limit potential damage from Trinidad and Tobago’s automatic alignment with the United States. However, the value of CARICOM and the regional integration project is too great for this issue to be ignored or allowed to fester. CARICOM cannot do an about-face. But it can engage in frank discussions about shared fears, principles, and alignments. CARICOM can’t reverse T&T backing EDITORIAL moya.thomas@gleanerjm.com Moya Thomas anthony.smith@gleanerjm.com Anthony Smith - Chief Executive Officer 2 Dave Rodney/Gleaner Writer NEW YORKERS woke last Monday morning to an alluring invitation from the Jamaica Tourist Board, urging tri-state residents to book now to travel to Jamaica Carnival in April 2026. The sizzling television segment that was broadcast on the New York Living morning show on PIX 11 was hosted by popular television personality Marysol. The segment was loaded with vibrant and exciting images of the sexy side of carnival in Jamaica, as well as iconic images of resort areas and breathtaking attractions across the island. The interviewee and spokesperson for Jamaica was Victoria Harper, district sales manager for the Jamaica Tourist Board (Northeastern USA) who did an excellent job in selling the multi-layered magnets that pull visitors to Jamaica year after year. “Jamaica Carnival is an explosion of colour, music and culture,” Harper, a former Miss Jamaica USA and Miss Jamaica World runner-up told New Yorkers. “It’s our biggest street party featuring soca music, reggae, elaborate costumes and the authentic Jamaica energy. What sets it apart is the combination of the now decades-old carnival tradition alongside Jamaica’s unique vibe, from our music to our food to our warm hospitality,” the JTB manager added. Since the event is still several months away, Marysol asked why it is necessary to book so early. “The early bird catches the worm,” Harper replied. “Booking now means significant savings with early-bird packages offering significant savings on event tickets, costumes, air and accommodations.” Those visiting for Jamaica Carnival are also urged to combine Kingston with other resort areas like Montego Bay, Ocho Rios and Port Antonio for a full-bodied extended stay so as to maximise the range of experiences that Jamaica has to offer. “The vibe is electric, the energy contagious, and the memories are everlasting,” Harper implored, with seductive flashes of cool, cascading waterfalls dancing across the television screen. Jamaica Carnival has rapidly evolved into one of the most dynamic cultural tourism events in the Caribbean. Earlier this year, the 2025 edition attracted over 52,000 participants and generated an estimated US$35 million during the peak week alone. For 2026, the prelude activities start as early as April 8 and the magnificent road march will take place on Sunday, April 12. Jamaica Carnival 2026 out the gates early with NY tv promotion WHEN HE responded last week to the Independent Fiscal Commission’s (IFC) warning that the government’s ongoing inability to meet its capital spending targets could weaken Jamaica’s growth prospects, Prime Minister Andrew Holness focused primarily on contractors who fail to deliver projects on time. “There are many issues that would cause the underutilisation of the capital budget,” Dr Holness said, “But, the one that is of interest to us is how contractors execute projects and the speed in which they execute projects … If they don’t perform, the budget cannot be expended and the growth of the country is slow.” His Ministry of Economic Growth and Infrastructure Development (it was until recently growth and job creation) was addressing the problem by developing a programme to help domestic contractors build capacity, the prime minister said. Dr Holness is no doubt right about the shortcomings of contractors, and how their weaknesses contribute to the slow execution of projects. But, as he intimated, this isn’t the whole story. It is questionable that it is even the major one. There are great shortcomings, too, in the government’s procurement architecture. This is not only in oversight rigidities, against which public officials often complain, and some of which the government sought to remedy with recent amendments to the Public Procurement Act. But a larger, and more pressing issue, as this newspaper has raised before, is the numbers, and quality of the personnel, who are asked to annually manage and monitor scores of billions of dollars of procurement, utilising various bidding/sourcing regimes and contracting schemes. PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCE This requires – or ought to – the highest level professional competence, and sufficient staff, so that it is done with the highest level of professionalism, and in a timely manner, to protect taxpayers’ interest and deliver on national priorities. In other words, the expertise required by public servants to manage bids to spend huge amounts of money should be no less than would be expected in the private sector. The anecdotal evidence suggests that despite improvements in recent times, significant deficits remain. The IFC, which became operational in January, reviews, and reports on, the government’s fiscal operations, to determine whether it is on track to lower, and maintain, Jamaica’s debt to no more than 60 per cent GDP, as set out in law. That target is likely to be met by the end of the current fiscal year, two years ahead of schedule. In its review for the first quarter (April to June) of the 2025/2026 fiscal year, the commission repeated a concern it raised in January in its report for the third quarter of the 2024/25 fiscal year: of under-spending on capital projects and the potential consequences thereof. The IFC noted that in the 2024/25 fiscal year, self-financing public bodies (some of which oversee major public sector infrastructure/development projects, generated an overall surplus of $88.9 billion, or 2.5 per cent of GDP. This was 158.4 per cent ($34.4) billion above the original target. The much larger surplus was mainly the result of these bodies underspending on capital projects by $49.1 billion. SLOW EXECUTION The slow execution of capital projects continued in the new fiscal year, lagging across central government and public bodies between April and June by $20.4 billion, a shortfall of 50.37 per cent on the projected spend. Given this “underwhelming” pace of execution, and the evidence of previous years, it seems unlikely that the total capital budget of $163.8 billion will be spent by the end of next March. “The IFC notes that the underspending does not represent true savings, but rather a delay or slowness in the pace of execution of projects and programmes,” the agency said. “This is of considerable concern particularly with regard to capital projects amid the adverse implications for economic growth.” While contractor inefficiencies contribute to the failures, a significant constraint is the slow pace at which projects get off the ground, from conceptualisation to procurement. That, in part, is the outcome of layers of bureaucracy, which have grown to close loopholes which were exploited by corrupt officials. The Gleaner supports recent moves to rid the system of some of the in-built inertia – but not at the expense of accountability and protection of taxpayers’ resources. Among the answers to such legitimate concerns, as we suggested nearly a year and a half ago, is the development of a cadre of highly trained, certified, accredited and decently paid procurement professionals. In other words, the government should attract the best talent to what should be seen as a prized, specialist profession. Clear career paths should be developed in the public sector for this group. This means that the government must cooperate with universities and other institutions on specialised training, as well as continuing education programmes for procurement specialists. Need: procurement specialists THE WEEKLY GLEANER | OCTOBER 16 - NOVEMBER 13, 2025 | www.jamaica-gleaner.com | NEWS EDITORIAL rjm.com anthony.smith@gleanerjm.com Anthony Smith - Chief Executive Officer combination of the now decades-old carnival tradition alongside Jamaica’s unique vibe, from our music to our food to our warm hospitality,” the JTB manager added. Since the event is still several months away, Marysol asked why it is necessary to book so early. “The early bird catches the worm,” Harper replied. “Booking now means significant savings with early-bird packages offering significant savings on event tickets, costumes, air and accommodations.” Those visiting for Jamaica Carnival are also urged to combine Kingston with other resort areas like Montego Bay, Ocho Rios and Port Antonio for a full-bodied extended stay so as to maximise the range of experiences that Jamaica has to offer. “The vibe is electric, the energy contagious, and the memories are everlasting,” Harper implored, with seductive flashes of cool, cascading waterfalls dancing across the television screen. Jamaica Carnival has rapidly evolved into one of the most dynamic cultural tourism events in the Caribbean. Earlier this year, the 2025 edition attracted over 52,000 participants and generated an estimated US$35 million during the peak week alone. For 2026, the prelude activities start as early as April 8 and the magnificent road march will take place on Sunday, April 12. Carnival out the arly with omotion WHEN HE responded last week to the Independent Fiscal Commission’s (IFC) warning that the government’s ongoing inability to meet its capital spending targets could weaken Jamaica’s growth prospects, Prime Minister Andrew Holness focused primarily on contractors who fail to deliver projects on time. “There are many issues that would cause the underutilisation of the capital budget,” Dr Holness said, “But, the one that is of interest to us is how contractors execute projects and the speed in which they execute projects … If they don’t perform, the budget cannot be expended and the growth of the country is slow.” His Ministry of Economic Growth and Infrastructure Development (it was until recently growth and job creation) was addressing the problem by developing a programme to help domestic contractors build capacity, the prime minister said. Dr Holness is no doubt right about the shortcomings of contractors, and how their weaknesses contribute to the slow execution of projects. But, as he intimated, this isn’t the whole story. It is questionable that it is even the major one. There are great shortcomings, too, in the government’s procurement architecture. This is not only in oversight rigidities, against which public officials often complain, and some of which the government sought to remedy with recent amendments to the Public Procurement Act. But a larger, and more pressing issue, as this newspaper has raised before, is the numbers, and quality of the personnel, who are asked to annually manage and monitor scores of billions of dollars of procurement, utilising various bidding/sourcing regimes and contracting schemes. PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCE This requires – or ought to – the highest level professional competence, and sufficient staff, so that it is done with the highest level of professionalism, and in a timely manner, to protect taxpayers’ interest and deliver on national priorities. In other words, the expertise required by public servants to manage bids to spend huge amounts of money should be no less than would be expected in the private sector. The anecdotal evidence suggests that despite improvements in recent times, significant deficits remain. The IFC, which became operational in January, reviews, and reports on, the government’s fiscal operations, to determine whether it is on track to lower, and maintain, Jamaica’s debt to no more than 60 per cent GDP, as set out in law. That target is likely to be met by the end of the current fiscal year, two years ahead of schedule. In its review for the first quarter (April to June) of the 2025/2026 fiscal year, the commission repeated a concern it raised in January in its report for the third quarter of the 2024/25 fiscal year: of under-spending on capital projects and the potential consequences thereof. The IFC noted that in the 2024/25 fiscal year, self-financing public bodies (some of which oversee major public sector infrastructure/development projects, generated an overall surplus of $88.9 billion, or 2.5 per cent of GDP. This was 158.4 per cent ($34.4) billion above the original target. The much larger surplus was mainly the result of these bodies underspending on capital projects by $49.1 billion. SLOW EXECUTION The slow execution of capital projects continued in the new fiscal year, lagging across central government and public bodies between April and June by $20.4 billion, a shortfall of 50.37 per cent on the projected spend. Given this “underwhelming” pace of execution, and the evidence of previous years, it seems unlikely that the total capital budget of $163.8 billion will be spent by the end of next March. “The IFC notes that the underspending does not represent true savings, but rather a delay or slowness in the pace of execution of projects and programmes,” the agency said. “This is of considerable concern particularly with regard to capital projects amid the adverse implications for economic growth.” While contractor inefficiencies contribute to the failures, a significant constraint is the slow pace at which projects get off the ground, from conceptualisation to procurement. That, in part, is the outcome of layers of bureaucracy, which have grown to close loopholes which were exploited by corrupt officials. The Gleaner supports recent moves to rid the system of some of the in-built inertia – but not at the expense of accountability and protection of taxpayers’ resources. Among the answers to such legitimate concerns, as we suggested nearly a year and a half ago, is the development of a cadre of highly trained, certified, accredited and decently paid procurement professionals. In other words, the government should attract the best talent to what should be seen as a prized, specialist profession. Clear career paths should be developed in the public sector for this group. This means that the government must cooperate with universities and other institutions on specialised training, as well as continuing education programmes for procurement specialists. Need: procurement specialists KLY GLEANER | OCTOBER 16 - NOVEMBER 13, 2025 | www.jamaica-gleaner.com | NEWS EDITORIAL moya.thomas@gleanerjm.com Moya Thomas anthony.smith@gleanerjm.com Anthony Smith - Chief Executive Officer ner Writer st Monday morning on from the Jamaica g tri-state residents amaica Carnival in ment that was broadmorning show on PIX elevision personality oaded with vibrant xy side of carnival in ages of resort areas across the island. esperson for Jamaica ales manager for the eastern USA) who did e multi-layered magaica year after year. xplosion of colour, former Miss Jamaica runner-up told New arty featuring soca stumes and the auat sets it apart is the combination of the now decades-old carnival tradition alongside Jamaica’s unique vibe, from our music to our food to our warm hospitality,” the JTB manager added. Since the event is still several months away, Marysol asked why it is necessary to book so early. “The early bird catches the worm,” Harper replied. “Booking now means significant savings with early-bird packages offering significant savings on event tickets, costumes, air and accommodations.” Those visiting for Jamaica Carnival are also urged to combine Kingston with other resort areas like Montego Bay, Ocho Rios and Port Antonio for a full-bodied extended stay so as to maximise the range of experiences that Jamaica has to offer. “The vibe is electric, the energy contagious, and the memories are everlasting,” Harper implored, with seductive flashes of cool, cascading waterfalls dancing across the television screen. Jamaica Carnival has rapidly evolved into one of the most dynamic cultural tourism events in the Caribbean. Earlier this year, the 2025 edition attracted over 52,000 participants and generated an estimated US$35 million during the peak week alone. For 2026, the prelude activities start as early as April 8 and the magnificent road march will take place on Sunday, April 12. aica Carnival 26 out the es early with v promotion WHEN HE responded last week to the Independent Fiscal Commission’s (IFC) warning that the government’s ongoing inability to meet its capital spending targets could weaken Jamaica’s growth prospects, Prime Minister Andrew Holness focused primarily on contractors who fail to deliver projects on time. “There are many issues that would cause the underutilisation of the capital budget,” Dr Holness said, “But, the one that is of interest to us is how contractors execute projects and the speed in which they execute projects … If they don’t perform, the budget cannot be expended and the growth of the country is slow.” His Ministry of Economic Growth and Infrastructure Development (it was until recently growth and job creation) was addressing the problem by developing a programme to help domestic contractors build capacity, the prime minister said. Dr Holness is no doubt right about the shortcomings of contractors, and how their weaknesses contribute to the slow execution of projects. But, as he intimated, this isn’t the whole story. It is questionable that it is even the major one. There are great shortcomings, too, in the government’s procurement architecture. This is not only in oversight rigidities, against which public officials often complain, and some of which the government sought to remedy with recent amendments to the Public Procurement Act. But a larger, and more pressing issue, as this newspaper has raised before, is the numbers, and quality of the personnel, who are asked to annually manage and monitor scores of billions of dollars of procurement, utilising various bidding/sourcing regimes and contracting schemes. PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCE This requires – or ought to – the highest level professional competence, and sufficient staff, so that it is done with the highest level of professionalism, and in a timely manner, to protect taxpayers’ interest and deliver on national priorities. In other words, the expertise required by public servants to manage bids to spend huge amounts of money should be no less than would be expected in the private sector. The anecdotal evidence suggests that despite improvements in recent times, significant deficits remain. The IFC, which became operational in January, reviews, and reports on, the government’s fiscal operations, to determine whether it is on track to lower, and maintain, Jamaica’s debt to no more than 60 per cent GDP, as set out in law. That target is likely to be met by the end of the current fiscal year, two years ahead of schedule. In its review for the first quarter (April to June) of the 2025/2026 fiscal year, the commission repeated a concern it raised in January in its report for the third quarter of the 2024/25 fiscal year: of under-spending on capital projects and the potential consequences thereof. The IFC noted that in the 2024/25 fiscal year, self-financing public bodies (some of which oversee major public sector infrastructure/development projects, generated an overall surplus of $88.9 billion, or 2.5 per cent of GDP. This was 158.4 per cent ($34.4) billion above the original target. The much larger surplus was mainly the result of these bodies underspending on capital projects by $49.1 billion. SLOW EXECUTION The slow execution of capital projects continued in the new fiscal year, lagging across central government and public bodies between April and June by $20.4 billion, a shortfall of 50.37 per cent on the projected spend. Given this “underwhelming” pace of execution, and the evidence of previous years, it seems unlikely that the total capital budget of $163.8 billion will be spent by the end of next March. “The IFC notes that the underspending does not represent true savings, but rather a delay or slowness in the pace of execution of projects and programmes,” the agency said. “This is of considerable concern particularly with regard to capital projects amid the adverse implications for economic growth.” While contractor inefficiencies contribute to the failures, a significant constraint is the slow pace at which projects get off the ground, from conceptualisation to procurement. That, in part, is the outcome of layers of bureaucracy, which have grown to close loopholes which were exploited by corrupt officials. The Gleaner supports recent moves to rid the system of some of the in-built inertia – but not at the expense of accountability and protection of taxpayers’ resources. Among the answers to such legitimate concerns, as we suggested nearly a year and a half ago, is the development of a cadre of highly trained, certified, accredited and decently paid procurement professionals. In other words, the government should attract the best talent to what should be seen as a prized, specialist profession. Clear career paths should be developed in the public sector for this group. This means that the government must cooperate with universities and other institutions on specialised training, as well as continuing education programmes for procurement specialists. Need: procurement specialists THE WEEKLY GLEANER | OCTOBER 16 - NOVEMBER 13, 2025 | www.jamaica-gleaner.com | NEWS EDITORIAL THE WEEKLY GLEANER | APRIL 16 - MAY 14, 2026 | www.jamaica-gleaner.com | EDITORIAL / NEWS Mission in motion From left: Sandra Brunson, mother of New York Knicks NBA Allstar basketball player Jalen Brunson; Irwine Clare, TJB; Michelle Stoddart Resorts World New York City, and TJB honouree Blane Stoddard, at the gala last Sunday. CONTRIBUTED Team Jamaica Bickle raises US$150k to support Jamaican athletes competing at 2026 Penn Relays
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