SENATE REJECTS BOND ISSUE BILL.

Governor Charles Turnbull's hopes of raising US$130 million through issuing bonds to avoid retrenchment were shattered when the senate rejected the bill, reports CANA (October 2, 1999). In spite of a warning that 2,500 Government employees es could be laid off if the bill was not approved, seven senators voted against it and seven sided with the Governor in the 15-member chamber. One senator was absent. Turnbull had lobbied the senators, saying that there would be chaos if the money cannot be realized to bail the territory out of its financial chaos. In addition to the threatened layoffs, state employees would have to endure payless days, he said. SOURCES OF INFORMATION\fN Caribbean UPDATE derives its information from numerous sources, including personal contacts with key government and corporate officials. We receive reports and press releases from international agencies, governments, corporations, and chambers of commerce. We subscribe to the daily service of Caribbean News Agency (CANA), based in Bridgetown, Barbados, which provides coverage of significant news in the region.

We scan various major trade publications in fields that include tourism, manufacturing, agribusiness, and shipping.

We also receive numerous publications from, or about, the region. These include: The San Juan Star and Caribbean Business (Puerto Rico); The Tico Times (Costa Rica); Central America Report (Guatemala); U.S.-Cuba Trade & Economic Council (New York, N.Y.); Multinational Monitor (Washington, DC); Island Properties Report (Woodstock, VT); Travel Weekly (Secaucus NJ). CALENDAR (Readers are invited to submit information on relevant activities, at least 45 days prior to date of your activity.

Mail to: Caribbean UPDATE, 52 Maple Ave., Maplewood, N.J. 07040. U.S.A. Fax: [phone]. Email: [e-mail]. Some dates are tentative, all are subject to change; readers are urged to reconfirm prior to making travel plans.

If you would like Caribbean UPDATE distributed at your meeting or conference, please contact us at least 10 days in advance of the event: Tel. [phone], or 973-762-1565. Fax: [phone].

November 1-3: V Americas Business Forum (ABF-99), Toronto, Canada. The ABF will bring together around 1,000 business leaders from 34 countries across the region in a vital exchange of ideas on key issues relating to hemispheric trade. Details: Hector Almendrades, Centre for Trade Policy and Law (CTPL), Social Sciences Research Building, Room 106, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, Ontario K1S 5B6, Canada. Tels. [phone]; [phone] ext. 8108; Fax [phone]. Email: [e-mail]. Online information is available by accessing: www.abfcanada.com November 6-13: 3rd Annual Dive Festival, Bonaire, Dutch Caribbean. Includes evening events, parties, daily dives. Details: Tourism Corp. Bonaire, Tel: 800-BONAIRE. Website: 2: 2: 222.bonaire.org/rg/ November 7-10: 4th Eastern Caribbean Hotel & Resort Development Conference, St. Lucia. More than 150 delegates from the U.S. and Caribbean are expected.

November 10-12: Latcom Inc. has announced that its annual CaribeCom trade fair in San Juan, Puerto Rico, one of the leading telecommunication events there, will be held at the Caribe Hilton. The trade fair, now in its 17th consecutive year, is expected to attract up to 3,500 participants to the 130-odd booths.

November 11-13: Virgin Islands Charteryacht League hosts semi-annual charter yacht show on St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. Designed for brokers. Details: 800-524-2061 or 340-774-3944. Or: Amy A. Atkinson, Martin Public Relations. Tel: [phone].

November 15-16: Annual Ibero-American Summit, held this year in Havana, Cuba. Attended by heads of state from Latin America, Spain and Portugal. November 17-19: International Banking Conference, Miami, Fla. Jose Angel Gurria, Mexico's secretary of finance and public credit, and Jeffrey Sachs, director of the Center for International Development of Harvard University, will be among the speakers featured at the 33rd Annual Assembly of the Federation of Latin American Banks (FELABAN) at the Hotel Inter-Continental in Miami. Details: Tel: [phone], or visit FIBA's Web site at www.fiba.net.

December: The 6th Joint Commission between Cuba and the Caribbean Community -- CARICOM -- will take place in Cuba's eastern Santiago de Cuba province, according to official sources.

December 7-11: 23rd annual Miami Conference on the Caribbean & Latin America, Inter-Continental Hotel, Miami, Florida. Up to 1,500 participants gather annually. A major forum for interaction between business and government leaders from the hemisphere and beyond. Details: C/LAA, 1818 N. St. NW, Suite 500, Washington DC 20036. Tel: [phone]. Fax: [phone]. Email: [e-mail] 2000 January 25-29: U.S. Medical/Healthcare Exhibition, Havana, Cuba. PWN Exhibicon International LIC (based in Westport CT) has as confirmed that the U.S.

Medical/Healthcare Exhibition has been licensed by the U.S. Dept. of Treasury. Individuals authorized to participate include executives and representaties of U.S.-based companies and their subsidiaries that manufacture, distribute, market and retail health care sector informational materials, medical equipment, medical instruments, medical supplies, medicated products, medicines, and pharmaceuticals. Details:

Peter W. Nathan. Tel: [phone]. Fax: [phone].

February: FERCORI Trade Show. Consumer products, including some food. San Jose, Costa Rica. Details:

Lcda. Flor Carreras, President and/or Arch. Francisco D'Arsie, Gerente General, PO Box 1843-1000, San Jose, Costa Rica. Tel: [phone]-6331. Fax: [phone].

February: Exposicion y Feria Ganadera de Perez Zeledon (livestock show), Costa Rica. Details:

Mr. Roberto Carranza, Coordinator, Mercadeo y Agroindustria, PO Box 598, San Isidro General, Costa Rica. Fax: [phone]. Tel: [phone], Ext. 218.

March 15-20: Expocomer. Panama's premiere international trade shows. Covering sectors such as consumer goods, toys, food and beverage, clothing, hardware products, interior decoration, computers, telecommunications, sporting goods, services, medical products, etc. Details: Expocomer, P.O. Box 74, Panama 1, Republic of Panama. Tel: [phone] or 507-227-0034. Fax: [phone] E-mail: [e-mail]. Contacts: Roberto Appleby, Executive Director. Roberto Zuniga, Sales Executive.