Friday government picks tax enforcement over new taxes as CBI launch nears
Prime Minister Godwin Friday has confirmed his government will enforce existing tax collection rather than raise taxes amid high risk of debt distress. Friday inherited what he has described as nearly $1 billion in public debt accumulated during the ULP’s 24-year governance. His NDP won 14 of 15 seats in the November 2025 election. The mid-2026 CBI launch is now positioned as a “sovereign capital mobilisation strategy” with proceeds flowing through the legislatively ring-fenced SVG Investment Fund. Opposition Leader Ralph Gonsalves continues to question the operational capacity behind the planned launch.
Sources: iWitness News, recent 2026 reporting; IMI Daily, February 2026.
Sandals SVG concludes Welcome Home Week 2026 — “Caribbean Roots and Rhythm”
Sandals Saint Vincent and the Grenadines successfully concluded Welcome Home Week 2026 under the theme “Caribbean Roots and Rhythm,” delivering an immersive celebration of Vincentian culture for diaspora and local visitors. The Welcome Home programme remains one of the most consistent diaspora-engagement events on the Vincentian calendar — and its successful conclusion across the political transition signals that the engagement infrastructure persists.
Source: iWitness News, recent reporting.
NASCAR rising star Rajah Caruth signed as SVG Tourism brand ambassador
NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series rising star Rajah Caruth, who has Vincentian roots, has been officially signed as brand ambassador for SVG Tourism Authority. The signing taps a fresh diaspora-pride channel — auto racing is a sport with substantial untapped Caribbean audience potential — and adds a younger, US-recognised face to the Vincentian tourism marketing mix.
Source: iWitness News, recent reporting.
Former consul general Rondy “Luta” McIntosh defends file removals from consulate
Former consul general of SVG to the United States, Rondy “Luta” McIntosh, has stated publicly that he removed only “personal files” from the computer he used at the consulate. The case sits inside a broader ULP-NDP transition controversy around inherited records and government-to-government documentation. Deputy PM and Minister of National Security St. Clair Leacock has said he was surprised by some of the items that came across his desk regarding what the previous administration had documented.
Source: iWitness News, recent reporting.
Argyle International Airport night flight suspension reflects infrastructure question
Night flights at Argyle International Airport have been suspended until Friday after a technical issue affecting the runway lighting system. The airport, built under the previous Gonsalves administration, remains the country’s primary international link for diaspora travel — and the operational stability of the facility under tightening fiscal conditions is one of the practical concerns Vincentians abroad are watching.
Source: iWitness News, recent reporting.