Affordability Push at CARICOM: At the 51st CARICOM Heads of Government meeting in St. Lucia, leaders backed practical steps to ease the cost of living, including tax cuts on imported fuel, freight adjustments, cheaper intra-regional cargo, faster renewable energy rollouts, and plans to speed up an affordable regional ferry service. Private Sector Implementation Drive: In a parallel breakfast meeting, the OECS Business Council and CARICOM private sector groups focused on removing trade barriers, lowering transport and logistics costs, diversifying imports, and tackling the impact of the IMO net-zero rules on small island states. Regional Cargo Ferry Pilot: Trinidad and Tobago agreed to provide a vessel as a proof-of-concept cargo ferry while a permanent regional service is prepared, aiming to stabilize prices for essentials. Consumer Pressure on Essential Goods: Mia Mottley urged businesses to accept lower profit margins on a limited list of everyday essentials to protect household budgets. CBI Under EU Scrutiny: Multiple reports highlighted that Citizenship by Investment was largely absent from CARICOM’s public agenda even as the EU’s visa-free stance tightens, keeping investor-citizenship uncertainty front and centre for OECS economies. ECCB Monetary Focus: The ECCB Monetary Council met in Dominica to review stability and resilience priorities for the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union, including the “Big Push” agenda for energy, food security, digital transformation, and payments upgrades.