By: Wayne Forbes /GTV Editor February 13, 2026 Jamaica’s 2026/27 Budget: Tax Measures, Historical Context, and Impact on Households Is This the Government with the Longest Run of New Taxes? The claim that the current administration has imposed new taxes for the longest period is not supported by available data. Jamaica’s tax system has evolved continuously since 1664, with regular adjustments across all governments. The current JLP administration’s latest tax package is it

By: Wayne Forbes /GTV Editor February 12, 2026 Abandoned in the Aftermath: The Devastation of Parottee and the Silence of Floyd Green The coastal community of Parottee, St. Elizabeth, once a vibrant hub of fishing and tourism, now stands as a haunting skeletal remains of its former self. Following the catastrophic landfall of Hurricane Melissa in late October 2025—a record-breaking Category 5 storm—the community was left submerged and shattered. While the winds have long sin

By: Wayne Forbes /GTV Editor February 12, 2026 The Digital Frontier: Critically Discussing the "Fintech Watch" on NCB Jamaica In the Caribbean’s financial landscape, the National Commercial Bank (NCB) Jamaica has long been the undisputed titan. However, the rise of financial technology—or fintech—has forced this legacy institution to look over its shoulder. The "Fintech Watch" on NCB is not just a trend; it is a critical shift in how Jamaicans manage money, characterized by

By: Wayne Forbes /GTV Editor February 12, 2026 The Cost of Connectivity: Assessing NCB’s “Negative Maintenance” After Hurricane Melissa In the wake of Hurricane Melissa, which struck Jamaica in late October 2025 as a historic Category 5 storm, the National Commercial Bank (NCB) has found itself at the center of a storm of a different kind. While the bank has aggressively pushed a digital-first agenda through fintech innovations like Lynk, the aftermath of the hurricane has e

By: Wayne Forbes /GTV Editor February 12, 2026 Today, Thursday, February 12, 2026, the Governor-General of Jamaica, His Excellency the Most Hon. Sir Patrick Allen, delivered the Throne Speech at the ceremonial opening of Parliament, marking the start of the 2026/2027 legislative and budget year. The speech, delivered under the theme of recovery and resilience, outlined the government’s strategic priorities following the significant impact of Hurricane Melissa in late 2025. H

By: Wayne Forbes /GTV Editor February 12, 2026 Sovereignty at the Crossroads: Jamaica’s State Opening of Parliament Amidst Monarchy Debates Today, February 12, 2026, the historic George William Gordon House in Kingston hosted the ceremonial State Opening of Parliament. Against a backdrop of military parades and the traditional arrival of the Governor-General, the air was thick with more than just ceremony. As Jamaica prepares for the 2026/27 fiscal year, the nation finds its

By: Wayne Forbes /GTV Editor February 12, 2026 On Tuesday, February 10, 2026, the administration of Prime Minister Dr. Andrew Holness reached a definitive crossroads in its economic strategy as final regulations for the casino gaming industry were debated in Parliament. This legislative push, presented as a cornerstone of Jamaica’s modern tourism product, has ignited a fierce national debate. Critics and supporters alike are now asking: Is Jamaica being steered toward becomin

By: Wayne Forbes /GTV Editor February 12, 2026 Between Fact and Friction: Analyzing the "Epstein Files" and the Origins of COVID-19 The recent unsealing of thousands of pages related to the Jeffrey Epstein case—popularly known as the "Epstein Files"—has sparked a firestorm of public interest. While the primary focus of these documents remains the systemic exploitation of minors and the high-level connections of a convicted sex offender, a secondary narrative has emerged in o

A Mandate for the Future: Mia Mottley’s Historic Third Term and the New Caribbean Geopolitics In a resounding affirmation of her "Building the Next Barbados" agenda, Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley and her Barbados Labour Party (BLP) secured a historic third consecutive landslide victory in yesterday’s snap general election. While final official tallies are being certified, preliminary results indicate that the BLP has once again swept the vast majority of the 30 parliamenta

The Starlink Storm: Pragmatism, Procurement, and the Battle for Accountability in Jamaica The halls of Jamaica’s political landscape are currently echoing with the fallout of the "Starlink Controversy," a saga that reached a fever pitch following an intense televised exchange between Minister of Science, Energy, Telecommunications, and Transport, Daryl Vaz, and TVJ’s Janella Precius (often referred to in public discourse alongside colleagues like Janella Maitland). At the he

By: Wayne Forbes /GTV Editor February 11, 2026 Beyond the Schoolhouse Door: Is it Time for Purpose-Built Storm Shelters in Jamaica? As the 2026 Atlantic Hurricane Season looms, the familiar ritual of anxiety is gripping the "Breadbasket" parish. For the residents of Southern St. Elizabeth, the scars of the past two years are not just psychological—they are etched into the landscape. Following the catastrophic passage of Hurricane Melissa in October 2025, which struck as a re

By: Wayne Forbes /GTV Editor February 11, 2026 The Guardian as the Gunrunner: JCF Constable Arrested in Portmore Arms Bust The thin blue line between law enforcement and the underworld grew thinner last night following a high-stakes interception on Port Henderson Road, Portmore. A 21-year-old Constable, assigned to a unit in Trelawny, now finds himself on the wrong side of a jail cell after a routine traffic stop unmasked a mobile arsenal. The Bust on "Back Road" At approx

The "Victory" That Never Came: Daryl Vaz’s Premature Celebration and the $150M Question By: Wayne Forbes /GTV Editor February 11, 2026 In today’s press briefing, Energy Minister Daryl Vaz stood before the nation with the air of a man who had successfully crossed the finish line. Cloaked in the rhetoric of "Promise Kept" and "Delivered," the Minister attempted to frame the post-Hurricane Melissa power restoration as a triumph of government intervention. But for thousands of

A critical analysis of Senator Kamina Johnson Smith’s explanation during the February 11, 2026, press briefing requires looking at the tension between Jamaica’s diplomatic obligations, its economic vulnerabilities to U.S. policy, and the specific line of questioning from TVJ’s Jamila Maitland regarding the Cuban oil crisis. Context: The 2026 Cuban Fuel Crisis The briefing took place against the backdrop of a severe energy collapse in Cuba following the U.S. administration's

Clarity in Question: The Income Tax Debate and the Finance Minister’s Rocky Presentation The recent debate in Gordon House over the Income Tax (Amendment) Bill served as a stark reminder of the complexities of fiscal policy and the high-stakes nature of parliamentary oversight. While the government sought to codify promised tax reliefs, the session was defined less by the legislation itself and more by a contentious exchange that left Minister of Finance Fayval Williams faci

The Cost of Command: Rhetoric, Ultimatums, and the Cycle of Extrajudicial Violence in Jamaica The recent shooting of a young man in Kingston—a case marred by "missing identity" and conflicting reports—has once again ignited a firestorm of debate over the conduct of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF). This incident does not exist in a vacuum; it is the latest chapter in a long-standing history of summary executions and extrajudicial killings that disproportionately target y

The Public Sector: Power and Exploitation

Smoke and Mirrors: The Hollow "Pre-Melissa" Victory at Cornwall Regional The recent pronouncements by Dr. Delroy Fray, Clinical Coordinator at the Cornwall Regional Hospital (CRH), and the silence of Health Minister Dr. Christopher Tufton, should not be met with applause, but with a profound sense of alarm. To celebrate that Cornwall Regional has returned to its "pre-Melissa functionality" is not a mark of success; it is a confession of systemic failure. By boasting that th

Stagnation in the Shadows: Jamaica’s Corruption Crisis and the Holness Administration The release of Transparency International’s 2024 Corruption Perception Index (CPI) has cast a long, sobering shadow over Jamaica’s governance. For the seventh consecutive year, Jamaica has failed to improve its score, stagnating at 44 out of 100. This lack of progress is not merely a statistical plateau; it is a critical indictment of the systemic corruption that continues to permeate the J

Investment or Indebtedness? A Critical Look at the UK’s J$7.5 Billion Climate Commitment to Jamaica In a flurry of diplomatic handshakes and press releases, the United Kingdom recently underscored its commitment to Jamaica’s survival in the face of a heating planet. The figure—roughly J$7.5 billion (approx. £38 million)—is earmarked for strengthening food security and climate resilience. On the surface, it is a generous lifeline for a nation battered by increasingly erratic