Caribbean News
TCI: CIBC FirstCaribbean responds to complaints about long lines and slow service
#TurksandCaicos, May 9, 2021 – One of the TCI preferred banks has offered a list of remedies to their clients who find themselves in long queues under the scorching sun, waiting for long hours to be served.
A highly disappointed customer reached out to our news organization to look into what their bank was doing to rectify the painful and repeated circumstance of towing long lines for long stretches of time, only to find one bank teller and no empathy.
This and other such queries prompted us to seek answers from the national manager as to why there seemed to be a struggle in delivering fast services to the customers; the steps the bank’s management was taking to onboard people to their e-systems and what they could do until in the interim to improve service to their thousands of customers.
In his response email, the manager of the CIBC FirstCaribbean, Larry Lawrence stated that the currently daunting long queues were due to the strict protocols adopted by the bank to protect and comply with the regulations set by the TCI authorities.
“Improving our clients’ experience and meeting their expectations is at the heart of what we do as a relationship-focused bank. Where we fall short, we immediately seek to revise our approach as best as we can for the benefit of all.
However, the reality is that the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in the need to adhere to strict protocols aimed at protecting both our employees and clients as they interact with us daily.”
In an emailed repl, to our emailed questions Mr. Lawerence further explained: “Our challenge is not unique, as other financial institutions or other places of business in general continue to deal with maintaining and adhering to strict social distancing protocols. FirstCaribbean will always continue to follow all guidelines as mandated by the authorities in this regard.”
But is the explanation sufficient, whether for CIBC FirstCaribbean, RBC or ScotiaBank, which comprise the offering of commercial banks in this jurisdiction. Is better service encumbered by health regulations or by a lack of will or creativity on the part of the banking institutions.
The manager assured the vast amount of transactions being performed in recent weeks were related to the Government Stimulus cheques and encashment services.
Even though the manager tied the slow service delivery to the current pandemic, the slow service delivery at the branch had been an issue prior to the Covid-19 pandemic.
A strong recommendation from Mr. Lawrence was for individuals seeking to cash cheques to open accounts with the banks and benefit from the full range of supporting services that will eliminate the need to visit the branch for these routine transactions.
According to Lawrence, having accounts at the bank, allows the customers to access effortless and free e-banking services, and use their drop box to lodge cheques, thereby avoiding long lines.
“We know that while there are some transactions that may necessitate a visit to our bank, we have enhanced our digital channels – online and mobile banking – to provide a continued safe, secure option for clients to bank at their convenience without having to visit the branch,” the manager added.
In his closing statement, the manager thanked the clients for their patience and understanding and promised the bank will continue working to improve their client’s experience.
By Deandrea Hamilton | Magnetic Media
October 14, 2025 – It’s being called political theatre — but for citizens, constitutional watchdogs, and democracy advocates across the Caribbean, it feels far more serious. Within a single week, two national parliaments — in Trinidad and Tobago and St. Kitts and Nevis — descended into turmoil as opposition members stormed out in protest, accusing their Speakers of bias, overreach, and abuse of parliamentary procedure.
For observers, the walkouts signal a deeper problem: erosion of trust in the very institutions meant to safeguard democracy. When Speakers are viewed as political enforcers instead of neutral referees, parliaments stop functioning as chambers of debate and start performing as stages for power and spectacle — with citizens left wondering who, if anyone, is still accountable.
October 6: St. Kitts Parliament Erupts
The first walkout erupted in Basseterre on October 6, 2025, when Dr. Timothy Harris, former Prime Minister and now Opposition Leader,
led his team out of the St. Kitts and Nevis National Assembly in a protest that stunned the chamber.
The flashpoint came as the Speaker moved to approve more than three years’ worth of unratified parliamentary minutes in one sitting — covering 27 meetings and three national budgets — without individual review or debate.
Dr. Harris called the move “a flagrant breach of the Constitution and parliamentary tradition,” warning that the practice undermines transparency and accountability. “No serious parliament can go years without approving a single set of minutes,” he said after exiting the chamber.
The Speaker defended the decision as administrative housekeeping, but critics were unconvinced, branding the move a “world record disgrace.” The opposition’s walkout triggered renewed calls for the Speaker’s resignation and sparked a wider public discussion about record-keeping, accountability, and respect for parliamentary norms in St. Kitts and Nevis.
October 10: Trinidad Opposition Follows Suit
Four days later, on October 10, 2025, the Opposition United National Congress (UNC) in Trinidad and Tobago staged its own walkout from the House of Representatives in Port of Spain.
The UNC accused the Speaker of partisan bias, claiming she had repeatedly blocked urgent questions, ignored points of order, and allowed government members to breach standing orders without consequence.
“The Speaker has failed in her duty to act impartially,” the Opposition declared in a statement. “Parliament is not the property of any political party or Presiding Officer.”
The dramatic exit was seen as a culmination of months of rising tension and frustration, with opposition MPs arguing that parliamentary rules were being selectively applied to silence dissenting voices.
Political analyst Dr. Marcia Ferdinand described the twin walkouts as “a warning sign that parliamentary democracy in the Caribbean is teetering on the edge of performative politics.”
“When chairs become political shields rather than constitutional referees,” she said, “democracy becomes theatre, not governance.”
A Pattern Emerging
While St. Kitts and Trinidad are very different political environments, both incidents point to the same regional fault line: the perception that Speakers — the guardians of parliamentary order — are no longer impartial.
In Westminster-style systems like those across the Caribbean, the Speaker’s authority depends not on power but on public confidence in fairness. Once that credibility erodes, parliamentary control collapses into confrontation.
Governance experts say the implications are serious: eroded trust between government and opposition, declining public confidence in state institutions, and growing voter cynicism that “rules” are flexible tools of political advantage.
Why It Matters
Parliamentary walkouts are not new in the Caribbean, but what makes these recent events different is their frequency and intensity — and
the regional echo they’ve created. Social media has amplified images of lawmakers storming out, with citizens from Barbados to Belize questioning whether the same erosion of decorum could be happening in their own legislatures.
Analysts warn that if this perception takes hold, it risks diminishing the moral authority of parliamentary democracy itself.
“Once opposition MPs believe the rules are rigged, and once citizens believe Parliament is just performance,” said one Caribbean governance researcher, “you’ve lost the most valuable currency in democracy — trust.”
Restoring Balance
Political reformers across the region are calling for tighter Standing Order enforcement, independent parliamentary service commissions, and training to strengthen Speaker neutrality. Civil society leaders say the public must also play its part by demanding transparency and refusing to normalize partisan manipulation of parliamentary procedure.
Whether these twin walkouts become catalysts for reform — or simply another episode of Caribbean political theatre — will depend on what happens next inside those chambers.
For now, democracy watchers agree on one thing: when opposition leaders feel the only way to be heard is to walk out, the entire democratic house — not just its Speaker — is in danger of collapse.
Angle by Deandrea Hamilton. Built with ChatGPT (AI). Magnetic Media — CAPTURING LIFE.
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