Caribbean Report 03-01-2000

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1. Headlines: (00:00-00:29)
2. Almost 7% of the American banana multinational Chiquita was bought by a group of investors from Panama. Food prices have fallen resulting in a drop in Chiquita’s stock prices by 10% of what they were valued 8 years ago. Leslie Goffe reports that these problems make Chiquita more favourable for acquisition, joint venture or other transactions by the Panamanian investors. (00:30-05:07)
3. Sugar crop is under attack by cane farmers in Trinidad and Tobago. Farmers are disgruntled and threatening strike action if the government does not pay an outstanding debt under 2.4 million USD. Tony Frazier reports the dissatisfaction among cane farmers who agreed to sell canes at the agreed price existing for 4 years in hope of the government paying them a bonus of over 20 million. Only a few farmers are being compensated. (05:08-07:30)
4. The Prime Minister of the Dominican Republic announces on New Year’s Day that there will be elections at the end of Janauary. This has caught the Opposition parties off-guard, as neither the Labour nor the Freedom Party has their full quota of candidates. (07:31-10:17)
5. The effects of the millennium bug were over-exaggerated said Caribbean computers experts. Ken Richards reported that the expected impact of the bug did not materialize. And Chris Alleyne, CEO of Sunbeach Internet Service Company feels that too much funds were allotted by governments globally to combat a non-existent problem. (10:18-12:41)
6. New Years Eve on Sydney Harbour is ablaze with fireworks. If Sydney looked like that, then London would go down in history as the millennium city. Both landmarks are fantastic sites but both were unprepared just hours before the big event. The Dome organizers have still not sent out invitations to more than half the guests invited to the Queen’s millennium party. (12:42-15:28)

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