Prominent Guyanese attorney Nigel Hughes, Managing Partner of Hughes, Fields and Stoby in Guyana, joins Caribbean Business Review following leakedinternal correspondence in which five sitting CCJ judges reportedly raised concerns involving panel composition, judicial influence and the exercise of authority at the Court’s highest level.

The issue goes beyond the leaked emails.

What happens when litigants begin questioning not simply ajudgment, but the process that produced it?

Hughes examines judicial independence, accountability andwhether the existing institutional architecture can credibly address concerns involving the Court’s leadership. We also explore what the controversy could mean for confidence in the CCJ’s Original Jurisdiction, the CARICOM SingleMarket and Economy (CSME), commercial dispute resolution and regional investment risk.

Also in this episode, Jamaica’s Property Tax Illusionexamines the revaluation of approximately 900,000 land parcels, international property-tax comparisons built on false equivalences, extensive exemptions and the country’s highest-and-best-use valuation framework.

We also examine FinCEN’s major US beneficial ownershiprollback, which permanently exempts US companies and persons from reporting requirements while foreign reporting companies remain subject to disclosure—raising wider questions about shifting standards in global financialregulation.

Plus, Market Watch and Global Pulse cover the US$750 millionPoint Lisas steel revival, Jamaica’s fiscal and FDI performance, Cayman’s record surplus, falling reinsurance pricing, Strait of Hormuz oil disruption, global energy and shipping pressures and the wider international economic outlook.

Caribbean Business Review | Season 4, Episode 7

Executive intelligence on Caribbean business, economics,markets, public policy, governance and regional integration.

Knowledge is Strength, but Information is Power.

What happens when a weather event becomes a balance-sheet risk?

In Episode 6 of Season 4 of Caribbean Business Review, Joseph Cox speaks with Cherri-Ann Farquharson, Manager of Sustainable Development at Environmental Solutions Limited, about why El Niño is no longer simply a climate or weather story. For Caribbean businesses, it is increasingly a financial, operational and competitiveness risk.

The conversation examines how extreme heat, drought, water scarcity and changing weather patterns can affect electricity demand, agricultural production, food prices, supply chains, insurance, infrastructure and the cost of doing business.

More importantly, El Niño's economic consequences may extend well beyond a single weather season. Cherri-Ann explains why businesses increasingly need to incorporate climate intelligence into financial forecasting, budgeting, insurance, investment decisions and business continuity planning.

The discussion also explores Caribbean microclimates and the importance of localized climate data; urban heat and development; climate-smart agriculture; pressure on electricity and water systems; floating solar; and whether climate risk is becoming so fundamental to economic activity that it should be considered alongside land, labour and capital as a factor of production.

Also in this episode: the CBR Briefing examines a different constraint emerging across Caribbean economies—labour scarcity.

As unemployment falls and skilled-worker shortages intensify, Caribbean businesses are recruiting increasingly across borders. Yet citizen workers, expatriate workers and the large informal labour market operate under different institutional rules. We examine how work permits, employer sponsorship, CSME Skills Certificates, locals-first policies and national immigration systems affect wages, worker mobility, productivity and competitiveness.

The central question: Are Caribbean labour-market institutions designed for an era of labour abundance still fit for an era of structural scarcity?

And in our opening commentary, we examine the growing challenge of misinformation in the Caribbean, the responsibility of governments to respond more effectively, and the difficult balance between protecting the integrity of the public information space and safeguarding freedom of expression.

Plus, Market Watch and Global Pulse track the key economic, financial and policy developments shaping the Caribbean and global economy.

In this episode: El Niño and Caribbean business risk • climate resilience • cost of doing business • financial forecasting • energy and water security • Caribbean labour shortages • CSME labour mobility • wages and productivity • misinformation and public confidence • Market Watch and Global Pulse.

Caribbean Business Review — Come for the Analysis. Stay for the Conversation.

The European Union is reviewing Caribbean Citizenship byInvestment (CBI) programmes, putting one of the Region's biggest sources of development finance under pressure. St Lucian Opposition Senatorand former CARICOM Single Market Director Leo Titus Preville joins host Joseph Cox to break down how Caribbean governments can negotiate CBI reform from a position of strength — not just defend the status quo.

In this episode of the Caribbean Business Review:

- Why the EU's scrutiny of Citizenship by Investment has intensified, and what's actually at stake for CARICOM and OECS economies

- A practical framework for regional diplomacy and CBInegotiation

- How transparency reforms could protect CBI programmeslong-term

- CBR Briefing: Belize's proposed Broadcasting Bill and whatit could mean for podcasters, streamers and digital media across the Caribbean

- Market Brief: sovereign credit ratings, tourism, regionalbanking, digital currencies, trade policy and the global economic outlook

The Caribbean Business Review delivers independent weeklyanalysis of Caribbean business, economics, finance and public policy — the data, context and strategic thinking behind the forces shaping the Region's future.

Knowledge is Strength, but Information is Power.

Follow for weekly episodes covering Caribbean economics,CBI, CARICOM policy and regional business news.

Can Caribbean Citizenship by Investment survive the European Union's June 2028 ultimatum?

In this episode of Caribbean Business Review, Joseph Coxspeaks with Premier Mark Brantley of Nevis about one of the most significant policy challenges facing the OECS and the wider Caribbean.

The discussion examines why the European Union has demanded the closure of Citizenship by Investment programmes, the economic importance ofCBI revenues, the implications for fiscal sustainability and foreign investment, and the strategic options available to Caribbean governments.

Also in this episode, the CBR Briefing explores TheCaribbean's Technological Revolution: The Implementation Paradox, examining how digital transformation is reshaping public services, financial systems and economic competitiveness across the Region.

Topics discussed include Caribbean Citizenship by Investment(CBI), the European Union's June 2028 ultimatum, OECS economies, economic diversification, fiscal sustainability, foreign investment, digital transformation, public sector modernisation and the Caribbean economic outlook.

Caribbean Business Review is a weekly programme providingdata-driven analysis of Caribbean and global economic developments through executive briefings, market intelligence and interviews with regional leaders.

Hosted by Joseph Cox, Applied Economist and Publisher of the Caribbean Financial Dispatch.

Will higher regulatory fees strengthen Jamaicas financialsystem—or make insurance less affordable?

In this episode ofCaribbean Business Review, JosephCox speaks with Everton McFarlane, Executive Director of the Insurance Association of Jamaica, about the Financial Services Commissions revised fee structure and what it could mean for insurance affordability, consumer protection and the future of financial regulation in Jamaica.

The discussion explores whether rising regulatory costscould ultimately increase insurance premiums, contribute to creeping underinsurance, and affect financial inclusion. It also examines market conduct regulation, the transition toward a Twin Peaks supervisory framework and the balance between stronger consumer protection and maintaining a sustainableinsurance market.

This episode also features the CBR Briefing, CARICOM 51: Time to Open the Doors, examining whether greater transparency, institutional accountability and stronger implementation have become essential to CARICOMs future competitiveness.

Topics discussed: Insurance regulation • Financial Services Commission (FSC) • Insurance premiums • Consumer protection • Market conduct • Twin Peaks regulation • CARICOM • Caribbean public policy • Caribbean economics.

Follow Caribbean Business Review for weekly analysisof Caribbean business, economics, finance and public policy.

Can one of the world's fastest-growing economies still leavemost of its people behind?

In this episode of Caribbean Business Review, Joseph Coxspeaks with former Minister of Finance of Guyana, Winston Jordan, about Guyana's oil economy, sovereign wealth, economic development, fiscal policy and the challenge of transforming resource wealth into long-term nationalprosperity.

The discussion examines why rapid GDP growth does notautomatically reduce poverty, the importance of governance and fiscal discipline, the role of sovereign wealth funds, and how countries can avoid the resource curse while building long-term economic resilience.

Also in this episode, the CBR Briefing explores OptimisingPublic Wealth: Beyond Debt and Deficits. Market Watch examines regional fiscal performance, monetary policy, labour markets and investment developments acrossthe Caribbean, while Global Pulse reviews the latest developments in energy markets, global credit, artificial intelligence, international trade and the global economy.

Topics discussed include economic growth and poverty,sovereign wealth funds, fiscal discipline, public investment, governance, institutional capacity, oil economies, Caribbean development and long-term economic resilience.

Knowledge is Strength, but Information is Power.

Despite decades of strategies, declarations and policy commitments, the Caribbean remains heavily dependent on imported food. Why has progress been so slow, and what will it take to transform the region's food security ambitions into tangible outcomes? In Episode 21, the Season 3 Finale of Caribbean Business Review, Joseph Cox sits down with Sandiford Edwards, Principal Consultant at Soleil Solutions Consulting Limited, to examine the structural, political and cultural barriers preventing the Caribbean from achieving greater food security and agricultural resilience. The discussion explores why implementation continues to lag behind policy ambitions, the role of political will, financing, infrastructure and logistics, and how outdated perceptions of agriculture are discouraging a new generation from entering the sector. The conversation also examines the risks posed by aging farming populations, supply chain disruptions, climate-related shocks and growing import dependence.Topics discussed include: • Caribbean food security and agricultural resilience • Food imports and food sovereignty • Agricultural financing and rural infrastructure • Political will and policy implementation • Supply chain resilience and logistics • Climate change and food systems • Youth engagement and the future of farming • Regional cooperation and agricultural competitiveness. Also in this episode - CBR Briefing: The Case for a Caribbean Air Passenger Charter. A discussion on involuntary airline downgrades, information asymmetry and whether the Caribbean should establish its own Air Passenger Charter to strengthen passenger rights rather than relying primarily on foreignregulatory frameworks. This episode is essential listening for policymakers, development practitioners, entrepreneurs, farmers and anyone interested in the future of Caribbean agriculture, food security, economic resilience and regional development. Caribbean Business Review explores the issues shaping Caribbean economics, business, trade, public policy, innovation and sustainable development.