4 Barbados has collected more than $150m in additional corporate taxes under new global rules, but business leaders warned on Friday that unless public services are modernised quickly, the island risks losing companies to more efficient jurisdictions. The Qualified Domestic Minimum Top-up Tax alongside the Pillar Two framework – which establishes an effective 15 per cent tax floor for large multinational enterprises and a nine per cent rate for domestic companies – has delivered a dramatic boost to public finances. Barbados introduced the tax to align the tax system with international standards and protect its corporate tax base. The Pillar Two reforms, led by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the grouping of the world’s richest nations, are part of a global shift to curb profit shifting by multinational companies. Central Bank data indicates that corporate tax collections linked to the global business industry have risen by well...

65 The Bay Primary School attended by National Hero Sir Garfield Sobers is set to be renamed in his honour as part of a broader effort to preserve the cricket legend’s legacy for future generations. Prime Minister Mia Mottley made the announcement on Friday as Parliament paid tribute to Sir Garfield, revealing that more than 300 signatures had already been submitted to the Cabinet Office in support of renaming the school the Sir Garry Sobers Primary School. The proposal is expected to go before the National Honours Advisory Council. “I would be surprised if there was anybody in Barbados who would find any difficulty whatsoever with the immortalising of a man from the Bayland, for his name to be attached to the school that will be responsible for the rearing of the majority of children coming from that community,” Mottley said. She said the renaming would serve as a lasting...

290 A Bayland man has been granted bail and ordered to stay away from his neighbour after admitting to wounding him during a confrontation that escalated into a knife incident. Magistrate Jared Richards made clear to Marius Maycock that people who take the law into their own hands often end up in trouble.   The Clarkes Avenue resident pleaded guilty to unlawfully and maliciously wounding Leon Cornette on August 2.   The District ‘A’ Traffic Court heard that Cornette had been living in the area for over 30 years and Maycock, his girlfriend and her son for the past two years. Cornette and Maycock are not friends but Maycock’s girlfriend and Cornette are.   Prosecutor Station Sergeant Vernon Forde said that on Sunday, after an argument between Maycock and his girlfriend’s son, she contacted Cornette to speak to her son. Cornette arrived at the house and Maycock came out with a knife in...

26 Potholes have quickly become the dominant complaint on the newly launched Pearly digital platform, with thousands of Barbadians logging road defects and tracking the nearest Transport Board bus, according to its developer has told Barbados TODAY.  Touch Star founder and Chief Executive Officer Ramon Dummett disclosed that usage of the app has surged past initial expectations, with thousands of people actively logging infrastructure issues and utilising its public bus locator. While the software offers a broad array of administrative tools, road conditions have dominated the public reporting portal. Ramon Drummett, Touch Star founder and chief executive officer. (Contributed photo) “The biggest thing that people see every day is potholes,” Dummett said. “Because most people use the roads, potholes are one of the biggest things that we see coming in.” The platform has recorded well over 10 000 downloads to date, representing a major shift towards digital civic engagement, Dummett...

Police are investigating the discovery of a decomposed body in a bushy area at Upper Belle, Canefield, Hothersal, St John, on Wednesday morning. According to The Barbados Police Service, the body was found around 9:15 a.m. while detectives from the Southern Division were investigating the disappearance of a man who was last seen on July 28. Officers were directed to the location, where they discovered the body. A medical doctor visited the scene and conducted an examination. Police have classified the matter as an unnatural death and said investigations are continuing. Anyone with information that could assist investigators is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-8477, Police Emergency at 211, or the Oistins Police Station at 418-2608 or 418-2609

497 The City’s iconic ‘Swing Bridge’ is creating mounting challenges for businesses along Lower Bay Street, proprietors have told Barbados TODAY, reporting a noticeable loss of income. Barbados Port Inc. (BPI), which manages the historic 150-year-old bridge – officially the Chamberlain Bridge – has implemented fixed daily opening schedules, resulting in the bridge being closed to pedestrian traffic for extended periods until further notice. The Chamberlain Bridge under restricted pedestrian crossing. (Photo Credit: Emmanuel Joseph) Notices posted at both ends of the lift bridge — which connects the lower end of the Careenage in the City to the southern commercial district — outline the new operating hours. The bridge is raised from 5.00 a.m. to 8.30 a.m., 10.45 a.m. to 1.00 p.m., and 3.00 p.m. to 6.00 p.m. Pedestrians are allowed to cross between 8.30 a.m. and 10.45 a.m., 1.00 p.m. and 3.00 p.m., and from 6.00 p.m. to 5.00...

0 Senior Counsel Andrew Pilgrim has welcomed the Caribbean Court of Justice’s landmark ruling, quashing a three-month prison sentence imposed on a man convicted of trafficking a small quantity of cannabis.  However, he said he was disappointed the region’s final appeals court stopped short of restricting imprisonment for minor marijuana offences. “It is a good ruling for us, obviously, but it didn’t go quite as far as I was hoping it would have gone,” Pilgrim said. Last week, the CCJ unanimously quashed the prison sentence imposed on Danny Lamar Husbands, finding that the offence did not cross the custodial threshold set out in the Penal System Reform Act. Husbands pleaded guilty to unlawful trafficking of a small quantity of cannabis and was sentenced to three months’ imprisonment. The CCJ substituted the prison term with a six-month bond to be of good behaviour, with a $675 fine payable in the event...

47 Scores of patrons turned out in vibrant colours, bold prints and floral-inspired looks at the Soca & Wine: Lux Tropix held at The Concorde Experience on Friday night. From the entrance, it was evident that no detail had been spared in creating a premium experience. Organised by Hits and Jams Entertainment in collaboration with Zulu Entertainment, the premium Crop Over event transformed the Christ Church venue with branded décor, including tropical floral displays and gold accents that reinforced the event’s luxury aesthetic. Scores of patrons filled The Concorde Experience for the premium Crop Over affair. (Photo Credit: Leanne McGregor) Patrons gather beneath the retired Concorde aircraft during Soca & Wine Lux Tropix at The Concorde Experience. (Photo Credit: Leanne McGregor) A patron enjoys the music while dancing near the front of the stage. (Photo Credit: Leanne McGregor) Guests were greeted with welcome gifts that included a branded cup, a...

54 The Ministry of Education Transformation is developing a globally recognised high school certificate from its new ocean and climate schools, entering partnership discussions with international organisations to offer the certificate, Minister Chad Blackman has announced. With the Barbados Climate School under construction, its marine and coastal counterpart, the Oceania Innovation Hub, on Tuesday launched its second Blue X Accelerator programme, Blackman described the certification plan as part of the government’s wider push to prepare students for emerging opportunities in the blue economy and climate resilience. He said: “This is a very bold and deliberate strategy of the Government of Barbados, as I said, to be able to help young people to be able to lead the world that they must inherit, and part of that leadership also must be to give them the tools to understand climate and ocean diplomacy.” Blackman explained that many global decisions, including international protocols...

12 The government’s drive to reduce the food import bill is being hampered by a lack of data from farmers on what they are planting, when crops are being planted and when they are expected to be harvested, farm minister Dr Shantal Munro-Knight has told Barbados TODAY. She said: “One of our issues that we have within the ministry is not being able to get sufficient data from farmers. That will help us with our production targets. If we don’t know what the farmers are planting, when they are, when they’re going to plant them, and then the harvest, it then becomes difficult to set targets and then also as well see where we are and that is one of the things that we’ve been butting up against consistently.” Dr Munro-Knight said the lack of information makes it difficult for the Ministry of Agriculture to establish production targets and track...