CaribPR Wire

• Mastercard is bringing contactless acceptance to the Butterfield Bermuda Championship, enabling fans to make fast, simple, and secure payments

CaribPR Wire, HAMILTON, Bermuda, Thurs. Oct. 28, 2021: Moving toward a world beyond cash, Mastercard is partnering with Butterfield to bring its cardholders a fully contactless payment experience at the Butterfield Bermuda Championship, an official PGA TOUR event that will be held at the Port Royal Golf Course in Southampton, October 25 to 31.

In addition to contactless acceptance at the Butterfield Bermuda Championship, Butterfield Mastercard cardholders will enjoy exclusive opportunities, which will make their experience and attendance to the event a priceless one. With this partnership, Mastercard demonstrates its continued commitment to provide consumers with Priceless experiences that bring fans closer to the action and to see the world’s best golfers compete.  “Alongside our partners at Butterfield, we’re committed to celebrating and supporting the shared passions of our communities and are thrilled to provide the resources needed to help Bermuda continue to thrive in an increasingly contactless world,” said Marcelo Tangioni, president of Mastercard’s Caribbean Division.

Technology has taken a front seat in our world due to the unexpected arrival of COVID-19. In this new world, Bermuda is leading the way as one of the world’s first countries that has eliminated the use of paper notes, choosing to go totally contactless. In 2018, Bermuda began the process of adding the “tap-and-go” technology, to enhance card security and give customers a quicker checkout process.  Card usage is high in general in the Caribbean region, especially in Barbados and Puerto Rico; while mobile payments were already gaining traction in 2020 and now have increased widely in markets such as the Bahamas, according to data provided by Finextra.

As a result of the challenges presented by COVID-19, consumers are adopting new payment habits at an accelerated pace, according to the Mastercard New Payment Index conducted in 18 countries, including several markets in Latin America and the Caribbean region. The study shows nearly 90% of in-person transactions globally take place at a contactless-enabled merchant, and nearly all merchant categories saw an increase in contactless transactions as a share of total in-person transactions year-over-year in the first quarter of 2021.

Using contactless payment methods while at sports events, such as golf, is especially convenient, as it reduces the inconvenience of carrying cash, including having to purchase local currency (if applicable), carrying large amounts of cash, or running out of cash in a restaurant, golf facility or other.  Places such as Bermuda that have adopted this method early – the first country to formally adopt a non-paper money economy will be Sweden in 2023—are positioned to attract technology-oriented, savvy, and affluent tourists to enjoy their sports events.

For more information about the Butterfield Bermuda Championship, please visit www.bermudachampionship.com. For more information about Mastercard and its technology-driven solutions for customers who are seeking priceless experience, please visit www.mastercard.com.

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About Mastercard (NYSE:MA)
Mastercard is a global technology company in the payments industry. Our mission is to connect and power an inclusive, digital economy that benefits everyone, everywhere by making transactions safe, simple, smart and accessible. Using secure data and networks, partnerships and passion, our innovations and solutions help individuals, financial institutions, governments and businesses realize their greatest potential. Our decency quotient, or DQ, drives our culture and everything we do inside and outside of our company. With connections across more than 210 countries and territories, we are building a sustainable world that unlocks priceless possibilities for all.

www.mastercard.com

About Butterfield Bermuda Championship

The Butterfield Bermuda Championship is an annual stop on the PGA TOUR. To date, the tournament has raised over $400,000 for local charities. This is the first PGA TOUR event ever held in Bermuda, highlighted by a field that includes a minimum of four Bermudians who qualify to compete via a Local Qualifying event. Scheduled for October 28 to 31 at Port Royal Golf Course in Southampton, the 2021 Butterfield Bermuda Championship will feature a field of 132 players, 72 holes of stroke play and a purse of US $6.5 million. This official FedEx Cup event will showcase Bermuda to the world with 14 hours of live Golf Channel broadcast. For more information, visit bermudachampionship.com and connect with the tournament on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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CaribPR Wire, NEW YORK, NY, Weds. Aug. 11, 2021: The Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA), has partnered with SuperWorld, a virtual world in Augmented Reality (AR), for the first time, to release the NFT “Caribbean Disaster Fighters” collection.

Caribbean Disaster Fighters is a campaign for disaster prevention and hurricane preparedness in the Caribbean region, developed by the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) and supported by the World Bank.

In preparation for the 2021  hurricane season, Caribbean Disaster Fighters and SuperWorld are issuing a series of collectible NFT cards representing every Caribbean nation, and available for purchase on the SuperWorld NFT Salon, a marketplace for art, collectibles and digital assets.

The initiative will include limited-edition, authenticated NFT cards created by renowned artists such as Lee Mad Muma, Dario de Siena, OhEmGee and Dr. Alderete, and endorsed by notable figures including musicians and cricketers from the Caribbean. Using blockchain technology, all NFT sales can be traced from the buyer to the country that benefits, with all proceeds going to CDEMA and local emergency agencies to support preparedness and relief efforts.

On Thursday, August 12 at 10:00 a.m. (CDT), Caribbean Disaster Fighters and SuperWorld will host a live virtual event on Zoom to kick off the initiative. To register, visit: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZckde-vqzkrGtIMvzggoWe3BkAH_l7z9pqX

“Many Caribbean countries have been battling the compound impacts of drought, COVID-19, volcanic eruptions and now the impending hurricane season,” said Elizabeth Riley, Executive Director (ag), CDEMA. “We wanted to use an innovative, inclusive approach to ensure that communities are empowered with the necessary plans, information and tools to tackle the disaster impacts that we as a region have been facing.”

“Supporting communities in times of crisis aligns perfectly with our mission to build a better world, and our hope is that the NFT drop will help raise both funds and awareness to help mitigate the effects of what is already a devastating hurricane season in the Caribbean,” said Hrish Lotlikar, SuperWorld Co-Founder and CEO.

This initiative is supported by the European Union’s Caribbean Regional Resilience Building Facility, the Canada Caribbean Resilience Facility, the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (managed by the World Bank), SuperWorld and Tik Tok. The campaign has been developed by the risk communications firm Pacifico.

For more information visit www.disaster-fighters.org/nft

Follow DISASTER FIGHTERS on Tik Tok, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/disasterfighter

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/disasterfighters

TikTok:   https://www.tiktok.com/@disasterfighters?lang=es

Twitter: https://twitter.com/disasterfight

Source: Disaster Fighters

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CaribPR Wire, NEW YORK, NY, Tues. June 29, 2021: TikTok Influencers, top West Indian cricketers and music stars are joining arms as the new “Disaster Fighters,” a team of influential figures, to disseminate informational messages on fighting the impact of hurricanes, volcanic eruptions, COVID-19 and other hazards.

Starting June 28th, West Indian cricketers, DJ Bravo of Trinidad and Tobago; St. Lucia’s Daren Sammy, and St. Kitts & Nevis’ Kieran Powell, have joined forces with musicians, Mr Killa of Grenada, Tafa Mi Soleil of Haiti and Ricky T of St. Lucia, for the TikTok campaign kick-off.

Popular Caribbean TikTok creators will go live and connect directly with the audience in real time to help spread hurricane preparedness messages and hear about the personal experiences of those who have lived through disasters. They will also invite users to show their support for the Disaster Fighters campaign by creating videos using the hashtags, #DisasterFighters and #HurricaneSeason.

A TikTok Challenge #MakeAPlan will be launched to inspire and encourage the general population in order to raise awareness about hurricane preparedness through creating and sharing creative videos, singing the famous Jahmar Hamilton phrase: “Make A Plan,” in a 10-second segment of the Disaster Fighters song.

The 2021 hurricane season runs from June 1st to November 30th. The impact of hurricanes in the Caribbean region is growing every year, and it’s important to alert nationals and send relevant preparedness messages. TikTok, the leading destination for short-form mobile videos has partnered with the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency, (CDEMA) on this regional prevention campaign to raise awareness about the hurricane season in the Caribbean Community, (CARICOM) region.

TikTok will support the Disaster Fighters campaign to encourage people to be prepared for the hurricane season and provide access to informational messages on preparedness before, during and after a hurricane. They will also engage in livestreams and the creation of videos to improve community preparedness and resilience to risks such as hurricanes in the region.

The initiative is supported by the World Bank, TikTok, the European Union’s Caribbean Regional Resilience Building Facility, the Canada Caribbean Resilience Facility, the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery and Binance Charity. The campaign has been developed by the risk communications firm Pacifico.

For more information visit disaster-fighters.org

And follow DISASTER FIGHTERS on

TikTok at https://www.tiktok.com/@disasterfighters

Twitter at https://twitter.com/disasterfight

Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/disasterfighter

Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/disasterfighters

MEDIA CONTACT:

For media interviews contact the Disaster Fighters team at [email protected]

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CaribPR Wire, NEW YORK, NY, Mon. May 31, 2021: A slew of leading Caribbean celebrities have adopted the new title of “Disaster Fighters” ahead of the 2021 Atlantic Hurricane Season, which climate scientists forecast will be above normal.

Top West Indian cricketers and music stars are joining arms as the new “Disaster Fighters” with The Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA), the regional inter-governmental agency for disaster management in the Caribbean Community, (CARICOM).

The creative campaign to fighting disasters this season, kicks off today, May 31, 2021, one day ahead of the start of the hurricane season, and aims at reiterating the importance of Caribbean nationals to be prepared, especially in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

West Indian cricketers, DJ Bravo, Darren Ganga and Stacey-Ann King of Trinidad and Tobago; Jamaica’s Chris Gayle; St. Lucia’s Darren Sammy, and St. Kitts & Nevis’ Kieran Powell, have joined forces with retired celebrity cricketing great, Sir Gary Sobers of Barbados and former cricketer turned music star Omari Banks of Anguilla, as well as musicians Mr Killa of Grenada, Tafa Mi Soleil of Haiti and Ricky T and QPID of St. Lucia, for the May 31st campaign kick-off.

The new CDEMA ground-breaking initiative, supported by the Africa Caribbean Pacific – European Union Natural Disaster Risk Reduction (ACP-EU NDRR) Program, the Canada Caribbean Resilience Facility, the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (managed by the World Bank), and Binance Charity, aims at increasing community preparedness and resilience to risks, such as hurricanes, volcanoes, COVID-19, and other natural hazards affecting the Caribbean region, through a catchy disaster prevention song and music video that will be promoted on social media.

The month-long campaign that coincides with the beginning of the annual hurricane season and will feature important preparedness messages alongside the campaign song and music video on Tik Tok, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, as well as the campaign’s website, disaster-fighters.org.

In an unprecedented move for the campaign, CDEMA will implement its first-ever Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) marketplace to raise donations and support disaster preparedness and disasters in the region. Participating musicians, cricketers and other celebrities will donate signed balls, t-shirts and various memorabilia including exclusive, limited-edition collectibles, that will be auctioned to the public as part of the initiative’s fundraising efforts. Items will include unique, personalized messages from the “Disaster Fighters” celebrity team.

Fans and the public are encouraged to show their support for the initiative by purchasing collectibles signed by their favorite celebrities to assist CDEMA in the important and meaningful work it does.

“Many Caribbean countries have been battling the compound impacts of drought, COVID-19, volcanic eruptions and now hurricane season,” said Elizabeth Riley, Executive Director (ag), CDEMA. “We wanted to use an innovative, inclusive approach to ensure that communities are empowered with the necessary plans, information and tools to tackle the disaster impacts that we as a region have been facing.”

Tahseen Sayed, World Bank Country Director for the Caribbean, added: “The past year has been very challenging for the Caribbean. Although much of the region has managed the health effects of the pandemic through early actions, the socioeconomic impacts have been severe. It is more important than ever this year for Caribbean countries and people to be well-prepared for the hurricane season. We are pleased to support this innovative new campaign from CDEMA that aims to help communities protect themselves and their livelihoods.”

For more log on the initiative and the marketplace log on to disaster-fighters.org or on  Tik Tok, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter

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For media interviews contact CaribPR Wire at [email protected]

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GEORGE TOWN, Cayman Islands, March 19, 2021 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — Doctors Hospital (”DH”) in Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, announced they are seeking a judicial review of the vast unilateral concessions made by the government to Health City and Aster Cayman MedCity. According to DH, these concessions unfairly distort competition between healthcare providers on the Cayman Islands, and could ultimately compromise the quality of healthcare available.

DH challenges the fairness of the ongoing grant of financial concessions to Narayana Hrudayalaya Private Limited (”NHP”) by the Government of the Cayman Islands (”CIG”) for the current Health City development. Also, granting vast financial concessions to DM Healthcare (”DM”) for the Aster Cayman MedCity development, and the proposed financial concessions to NHP for the proposed development at Camana Bay is concerning.

CIG recently announced NHP will develop a new hospital at Camana Bay. The Premier reportedly stated, “concessions and duty waivers already in place for Health City would apply to the new facility” (Cayman Compass, 19 February 2021).

Concerning Aster Cayman Medcity, the Premier reportedly said DM would “not have to pay duty on medical equipment or supplies for 25 years after the commencement of construction of phase 1,” and an agreement to that effect would be executed that day (Cayman Compass, 21 December 2020).

DH acknowledges CIG’s intention to attract foreign investment to the Cayman Islands and welcomes it. However, DH firmly believes fair competition and a level playing field for all healthcare providers serves the best interests of all, especially the general public. Therefore, DH issued a pre-action letter to CIG on Monday, 8 March 2021, to which CIG has not substantively responded.

“We believe in fair and competitive marketplaces. Eliminating the gap between healthcare providers in Cayman is more important than ever. No market should be subjected to anticompetitive, monopolistic, or dominating behavior. The power held by these companies affects the Cayman economy, our democracy, and ultimately the health and well-being of our citizens. It is especially unfortunate for the many local-owned businesses who have been contributing to the country for years, shaping our community to what it is today,” says Dr Yaron Rado, Board Chairman and Chief Radiologist, Doctors Hospital.

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MIRAMAR, Florida, March 15, 2021 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ – Ryvex, LLC (www.ryvex.net) in partnership with SD Biosensor (www.sdbiosensor.com) have donated over 20,000 rapid Antigen tests to the OECS member states and Barbados. The kits donated have been approved by the WHO. The kits are scheduled to arrive this week to the different beneficiary island nations.

In response to the COVID-19 crisis, the donation will strengthen testing response at the country level, improve services delivery capacity, support initiatives to break the chain of transmission of the illness and improve case detection and management.

Testing is the key to getting back to normal. One of Ryvex’s goals is to contribute on finding solutions to help stop the spread of COVID-19, particularly among vulnerable populations that have been disproportionately affected by this pandemic.

Barbados seemed to have avoided a destructive COVID-19 pandemic. The Caribbean nation, home to around 287 000 people, registered fewer than 400 cases of the disease for the whole of 2020. But January, 2021, saw a surge. By the end of the month, Barbados had registered well over 1000 new cases of COVID-19. On Feb 3, 2021, it went into lockdown. On the same day, Saint Lucia, an OECS member state, declared a state of emergency. It has confirmed more than three times as many cases of COVID-19 this year as it did last year. Like Barbados, Saint Lucia has imposed a nightly curfew on its 180 000 or so residents. Community transmission of COVID-19 has also been established in other parts of the Caribbean, including Haiti, Jamaica, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago.

Ryvex remains committed in aiding with the efforts to contain the COVID19 pandemic in The Caribbean region through partnerships with public and private health institutions in the region.

Ryvex is the official distributor for SD Biosensor in The Caribbean region.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1456359/Ryvex_antigen_kits.jpg

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CaribPR Wire, Boston, Mass., Mon. Mar. 15, 2021: Award-winning filmmaker, writer, and producer, Jonas Nosile, invites the Haitian and Caribbean community to bring to life The Ransom.

This new film dramatizes a difficult and tumultuous journey of human suffering and resiliency, throwing light on the brutality faced by Taíno and African slaves in Hispaniola, while ending on a hopeful and positive note.

“Society has made great progress and come a long way, but this struggle for equality has been underway for more than 400 years—and still continues. The Ransom will show that the quest for equality is universal by telling the story of how, early in American history, a group of Africans brought to the Caribbean revolted to fight for their freedom and right this wrong,” said Nosile.

The Ransom tells this incredible story through Marie-Jeanne, a wealthy multi-racial Haitian woman living in France, who journeys back home for family affairs and is kidnapped. Her ransom, however, will require more than just money: she must travel back in time to reckon with her family’s complicity in Haiti’s tragic and violent history and face the truth about her own estrangement from her homeland. To be filmed in Panama and Haiti with ethnically accurate casting and with dialogue in English/Castellan/Spanish-Taíno creole/French, the movie will highlight the daily life of a once-thriving indigenous people and the desire for liberty of African slaves, all against the backdrop of the Caribbean sugar plantation system.

“As the world continues to deal with the negative effects of discrimination, racism, and imbalances of power, The Ransom provides a difficult but necessary reminder of the past and uses it as a catalyst for change. The rough yet resilient tale will tap the emotions of audiences around the world and keep this important part of our history alive. There couldn’t be a better time than now for a film with a social message,” said Nosile.

Jonas’s last project, “Haiti: Triumph, Sorrow, and the Struggle of a People,” won numerous awards, including the Associated Press Award for Best Documentary, and was nominated for an Emmy Award (Regional) in Outstanding Societal Concerns Programs. For The Ransom, he is teaming up with film veterans in Hollywood including veteran screenwriter Mark Richard, a former executive at LD Entertainment.

For more information about this film and to learn how the Haitian and Caribbean community can help bring it to fruition, visit http://theransommovie.com or email [email protected]

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CARICOM IMPACS will use Windward’s Predictive Intelligence platform to identify illicit maritime trade in the region

LONDON, March 3, 2021 /PRNewswire/ – Windward, the Predictive Intelligence company applying AI to transform global maritime trade, announced today that it has partnered with The Caribbean Community Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (CARICOM IMPACS), an organization of fifteen Member States and five Associate Members in the Caribbean as well as CARICOM’s Regional Security System (RSS), a treaty organization comprising of Barbados and other countries in the Eastern Caribbean. Windward’s AI-powered maritime intelligence platform will empower CARICOM IMPACS and RSS to support CARICOM Member States in their fight against drug trafficking and illegal activities in the Caribbean’s exclusive economic zones.

As the entryway to the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean Sea is a main stop-over in the trade route from South to North America and illicit activities such as drug trafficking and other types of smuggling are becoming increasingly commonplace, especially in light of recent sanctions placed on Venezuela. Despite a decrease in general maritime activity in the region during the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been an increase in illicit maritime activities in the Caribbean in recent months. Windward’s platform will support CARICOM Countries, through CARICOM IMPACS and RSS, in their fight against illicit activities by providing a real-time view of the maritime ecosystem and offering AI-powered risk assessments of vessels, companies, shipowners, and all other stakeholders in the maritime domain.

“Windward’s solution is key in our fight against illegal activities,” said Lieutenant Colonel Michael Jones, Executive Director (Ag) of CARICOM. “As illegal shipping methods are becoming more advanced, we turned to Windward’s industry-leading Maritime AI solution to assist in detecting these activities and flagging vessels that are suspicious, enabling us to assist CARICOM Member States to crack down on illicit trade, minimize and/or prevent illegal fishing, and surveil the maritime domain, beyond AIS monitoring.”

Windward’s Maritime AI is powered by hundreds of behavioral analytics models and over 10 billion data points, giving authorities the power to make smarter decisions, faster. Relying on thousands of case studies and a vast array of parameters including vessel routes, Dark Activities, and unusual changes in course, Windward’s platform analyzes existing behaviors to predict in real-time which entities are likely to be involved in illicit activities. Windward’s solution is the new global standard in maritime control, enabling government bodies to protect their borders, national interests, and citizens. The partnership with CARICOM IMPACS and RSS comes on the heels of Windward’s announcements of a partnership with the EU’s Maritime Analysis and Operations Centre-Narcotics (MAOC-(N)) in October 2020 and the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, Frontex in January 2021.

“We are thrilled that CARICOM has chosen Windward to help protect its territorial waters throughout the Caribbean,” said Ami Daniel, CEO and Co-Founder of Windward. “The Caribbean Sea is a major point in the trade route of illegal substances leaving South America and of sanctioned oil leaving Venezuela. Using Windward’s Maritime AI technology and real-time insights, CARICOM is strengthening its defenses against these activities and enhancing the transparency needed into the global maritime domain to protect its borders.”

About Windward

Windward is the leading Predictive Intelligence company fusing AI and big data to digitalize the global maritime industry, enabling organizations to achieve business and operational readiness. Windward’s AI-powered solution allows stakeholders including banks, commodity traders, insurers, and major energy and shipping companies to make real time, predictive intelligence-driven decisions, providing a 360° view of the maritime ecosystem and its broader impact on safety, security, finance, and business. For more information visit: https://wnwd.com/.

About CARICOM

The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (IMPACS) was established by the Twenty Seventh Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government in July 2006, in Bird Rock, St Kitts and Nevis, as the implementation arm of a new Regional Architecture to manage CARICOM’s action agenda on crime and security.

At this Meeting, the Heads of Government signed an Inter-Governmental Agreement establishing the Agency as a legal entity, with direct responsibility for research, monitoring and evaluation, analysis and preparation of background documents and reports, as well as project development and implementation of the regional Crime and Security agenda.

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CaribPR Wire, PARAMARIBO, Suriname, Feb. 09, 2021: Tookitaki, a global regulatory technology (RegTech) company that enables financial institutions to develop sustainable compliance programs, today announced a partnership with Hakrinbank, a leading South American bank based in Suriname, to fortify its Anti-Money Laundering (AML) detection and alerts management capabilities.

To improve its legacy system and augment its ability to better detect, prioritise, investigate, report and prevent financial crime, Hakrinbank chose Tookitaki to deploy the RegTech’s cutting-edge AMLS offering into production, harnessing the bank’s unique mix of customer, account and transaction data.

In the past, the alert handling at the Hakrinbank was mainly manual because of the number of false positives (alerts that do not represent suspicious activity). The bank wanted a system that could reduce the alert volume while not increasing the risk of missing any suspicious activity. Tookitaki was selected after demonstrating superior suspicious AML pattern detection using a modern solution architecture that can replace the bank’s existing systems over time and provide a migration path for future Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) capabilities.

Tookitaki’s Anti-Money Laundering Suite (AMLS) is an award-winning, end-to-end, machine learning solution with modules around transaction monitoring and names screening. This solution complements current legacy systems, reduces false alerts, and detects ‘missed’ suspicious cases, augmenting both the efficiency and effectiveness of AML compliance processes. The solution will help Hakrinbank prioritize alerts smartly, use AI to increase detection accuracy and improve investigation efficiency through an easy-to-manage user interface.

Mr Abhishek Chatterjee, Founder & CEO, Tookitaki, said, “Tookitaki continues to be a trusted partner of global banks to develop sustainable compliance programmes. Working with Hakrinbank provides us inroads into the Caribbean’s dynamic financial services market. It is a great opportunity for us to detect new and emerging financial crimes, help mitigate compliance risks and ensure banks and financial institutions are aligned to regulatory compliance requirements.”

“This strategic investment and partnership with Tookitaki will enable us to lead the transformation of better risk management by shifting from conventional rules-based AML practices to a future-proof, fully-automated AI-based AML approach. Hopefully through this journey, we are also able to alter the perception of the Caribbean region as high-risk. With increasing digital transactions, fighting money laundering has become more complicated than it previously was, but we are committed to tackling this menace through this partnership,” stated Mr. Rafiek Sheorajpanday, CEO of Hakrinbank.

Last year, the European Union blacklisted a handful of Caribbean jurisdictions due to inadequate AML and tax transparency practices. However, governments in the region and regulatory bodies such as the Financial Action Task Force of Latin America (GAFILAT) are working closely to take steps to tighten anti-money laundering regulations, while in parallel financial institutions are embracing AI to improve detection and investigation abilities. The region has introduced its own initiative, such as the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF) to improve governance.

Tookitaki AMLS is the industry’s first AI-based enterprise AML analytics solution in production across transaction monitoring and screening processes with proven performance.

About Tookitaki
Tookitaki Holding Pte. Ltd. provides enterprise software solutions catering to anti-money laundering and reconciliation spaces. Headquartered in Singapore, the growth-stage company is innovating the US$100-billion regulatory compliance space by bringing in machine learning-powered solutions that are actionable, scalable and explainable. The uniqueness and robustness of Tookitaki innovation in the field of regulatory compliance have been acknowledged worldwide. In 2020, the company won the Regulation Asia Awards for Excellence, WITSA Global ICT Excellence Award and G20TechSprint accelerator. In 2019, the company was selected as a Technology Pioneer by the World Economic Forum, recognizing its ability to shape the AML industry and the region in new and exciting ways. Tookitaki is backed by institutional investors like Viola, SIG, Illuminate Financial, Jungle Ventures and Spring Seeds, an investment arm of the Singapore government.

About Hakrinbank
The Hakrinbank, founded 85 years ago, is a full-service bank that continually strives to operate in a customer-oriented way with a primary focus on the business segment and the middle- and higher-income consumer segment. Our ambition is to be the ‘preferred bank’ for our focus customer segments through a sublime customer experience. The Hakrinbank is strongly rooted in the Surinamese society and makes an important contribution to the development of various sectors, companies, families and the society.

As one of the leading financial institutions in Suriname, Hakrinbank is working on their roadmap of providing digital and innovative products and services. Recently we launched our e-commerce platform hoppa! and our mobile wallet Mopé. Currently we are working on enhancements and new products and services such as a new Online and Mobile Banking platform.

When banks increase their digital and innovative products, it leads to an increase in cybersecurity and financial crime risks, which was one of our greatest sources of threats. Preventing fraud and money laundering requires adequate measures. Hence, strengthening our enterprise risk management framework and also creating more risk awareness has a primary focus within the organization. In that regard we have drawn up full scale Cybersecurity, Fraud and ML/TF prevention programs. Aware of our leadership position in the financial sector in Suriname, we are committed to embracing the use of Artificial Intelligence to augment our AML/CFT capabilities and to lead the way in dealing with this threat to us and our country. The partnership with Tookitaki will enable us to achieve these goals.

Hakrinbank selecciona Tookitaki para garantizar monitoreo de cumplimiento financiero sostenible

• Tookitaki implementará su Suite Antilavado de Dinero (AMLS) líder del sector para ayudar a Hakrinbank a detectar y prevenir delitos financieros
• La implementación mejorará de forma significativa el sistema Antilavado de Dinero (AML) legado actual y el espacio de análisis de datos

CARIBPR Wire PARAMARIBO, Suriname, Feb. 09, 2021: Tookitaki una empresa mundial de tecnología regulatoria (RegTech) que permite que las instituciones financieras desarrollen programas de cumplimiento sostenible, anunció hoy una asociación con Hakrinbank, un banco líder sudamericano con sede en Suriname, para fortalecer sus capacidades de detección y gestión de alertas de Antilavado de Dinero (AML).

A fin de mejorar su sistema legado y aumentar su capacidad para detectar, priorizar, investigar, informar y prevenir mejor los delitos financieros, Hakrinbank seleccionó a Tookitaki para implementar la oferta AMLS de vanguardia de RegTech en la producción, aprovechando la combinación única de datos de clientes, cuentas y transacciones del banco.

Anteriormente, el manejo de alertas e Hakrinbank era principalmente manual debido al número de falsos positivos (alertas que no representan actividad sospechosa). El banco buscó un sistema capaz de reducir el volumen de alertas sin aumentar el riesgo de desaprovechar cualquier actividad sospechosa. Tookitaki fue seleccionada después de demostrar una detección superior de patrones AML sospechosos utilizando una arquitectura de solución moderna que puede reemplazar los sistemas existentes del banco a lo largo del tiempo y ofrecer una ruta de migración a futuras capacidades de inteligencia artificial (IA) y aprendizaje automático (ML).

La Suite Antilavado de Dinero (AMLS) de Tookitaki es una solución de aprendizaje automático galardonada e integral con módulos en torno al monitoreo de transacciones y detección de nombres. Esta solución complementa los sistemas legados actuales, reduce alertas falsas y detecta los casos sospechosos “no identificados”, lo que aumenta la eficacia y efectividad de los procesos de cumplimiento AML. La solución ayudará a Hakrinbank a priorizar alertas de forma inteligente, usar la IA para aumentar la precisión de detección y mejorar la eficacia de la investigación a través de una interfaz de usuario fácil de administrar.

El Sr. Abhishek Chatterjee, fundador y director ejecutivo de Tookitaki, dijo: “Tookitaki continúa siendo un socio de confianza de los bancos globales para el desarrollo de programas de cumplimiento sostenible. El trabajo con Hakrinbank viabiliza grandes avances en el dinámico mercado de servicios financieros del Caribe. Es una gran oportunidad para detectar delitos financieros nuevos y emergentes, ayudar a mitigar los riesgos de cumplimiento y garantizar que los bancos e instituciones financieras estén alineadas con los requisitos regulatorios de cumplimiento”.

“Esta inversión estratégica y asociación con Tookitaki nos permitirá liderar la transformación de una mejor gestión de riesgos, al cambiar de prácticas de AML basadas en reglas convencionales a un enfoque de AML totalmente automatizado y comprobado para el futuro. Esperemos que a través de esta jornada, también podamos cambiar la percepción de la región del Caribe como de alto riesgo. Con el aumento de las transacciones digitales, la lucha contra el lavado de dinero se volvió más complicada que antes, sin embargo; estamos comprometidos a abordar esta amenaza a través de esta asociación “, dijo Rafiek Sheorajpanday, director ejecutivo de Hakrinbank.

El año pasado, la Unión Europea puso en la lista negra a un puñado de jurisdicciones del Caribe debido a prácticas inadecuadas de AML y transparencia fiscal. Sin embargo, los gobiernos de la región y organismos reguladores como el Grupo de Acción Financiera de América Latina (GAFILAT) están trabajando en estrecha colaboración para tomar medidas para endurecer las regulaciones contra el lavado de dinero, mientras paralelamente, las instituciones financieras están adoptando la IA para mejorar las capacidades de detección e investigación. La región presentó su propia iniciativa, como el Grupo de Acción Financiera del Caribe (GAFI) para mejorar la gobernanza.

Tookitaki AMLS es la primera solución de análisis de AML empresarial basada en IA del sector en producción a través de procesos de monitoreo y selección de transacciones con un rendimiento comprobado.

Acerca de Tookitaki
Tookitaki Holding Pte. Ltd. ofrece soluciones de software empresarial dirigidas a los espacios de antilavado de dinero y reconciliación. Con sede en Singapur, la empresa en etapa de crecimiento está innovando el espacio de cumplimiento regulatorio de US $ 100 mil millones al incorporar soluciones impulsadas por el aprendizaje automático accionables, escalables y explicables. La singularidad y robustez de la innovación de Tookitaki en el campo del cumplimiento regulatorio son reconocidas en todo el mundo. En 2020, la empresa ganó los Premios Regulation Asia a la Excelencia, el Premio WITSA Global ICT Excellence y el acelerador G20TechSprint. En 2019, la empresa fue seleccionada como pionera en tecnología por el Foro Económico Mundial, en reconocimiento a su capacidad para moldear el sector de AML y la región de maneras nuevas y emocionantes. Tookitaki cuenta con el respaldo de inversores institucionales como Viola, SIG, Illuminate Financial, Jungle Ventures y Spring Seeds, una rama de inversión del gobierno de Singapur.

Acerca de Hakrinbank
Hakrinbank, fundado hace 85 años, es un banco de servicio completo que se esfuerza continuamente por operar de forma orientada al cliente, con enfoque principal en los segmentos de negocios y de consumo de medianos y altos ingresos. Nuestra ambición es ser el “banco preferido” para nuestros segmentos de clientes focalizados mediante una magnífica experiencia de cliente. El Hakrinbank está fuertemente arraigado en la sociedad surinamesa, y hace una importante contribución al desarrollo de diversos sectores, empresas, familias y la sociedad.

Como una de las principales instituciones financieras de Suriname, Hakrinbank trabaja en su plan de acción para ofrecer productos y servicios digitales e innovadores. Recientemente lanzamos nuestra plataforma de comercio electrónico, hoppa! y nuestra cartera móvil Mopé. En la actualidad trabajamos en mejoras y nuevos productos y servicios como una nueva plataforma de banca en línea y móvil.

El aumento de productos digitales e innovadores de los bancos conduce a aumento de la ciberseguridad y riesgos de delitos financieros, una de nuestras mayores fuentes de amenazas. La prevención del fraude y el lavado de dinero exige medidas adecuadas. Bien así, el fortalecimiento de nuestra estructura de gestión de riesgos empresariales y también la creación de mayor concienciación de riesgo tienen un enfoque principal dentro de la organización. En ese sentido, elaboramos programas a escala completa de ciberseguridad y prevención de fraude y avado de dinero y financiamiento del terrorismo (LD/FT). Conscientes de nuestra posición de liderazgo en el sector financiero en Suriname, mantenemos nuestro compromiso de adoptar el uso de inteligencia artificial para aumentar nuestras capacidades Antilavado de Dinero y contra el Financiamiento del Terrorismo (ALD/CFT) y liderar el camino para lidiar con esta amenaza para nosotros y nuestro país. La asociación con Tookitaki nos permitirá alcanzar estos objetivos.

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TORONTO, Oct. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ – SQL Power (www.sqlpower.ca), the global leader in financial regulatory and advanced analytics technology is proud to announce the implementation of their supervisory platform, the SQL Power Suite, on September 22, 2020 at the Trinidad and Tobago Securities and Exchange Commission (TTSEC).

According to the TTSEC, the Electronically Advanced Submission interface or EASi platform will revolutionize the way in which the securities industry is regulated, as it puts market players front and center in navigating the system, from submission and renewal of applications to disclosure filings among other important services.

The implementation of the EASi platform also comes in the midst of a national public health crisis (and global pandemic) when the demand for contactless delivery of services is paramount to ensuring business continuity and the stability of the economy, whilst safeguarding public health. The integrated system allows for a greater degree of transparency in the regulatory process and will strengthen confidence in the local securities market.

“I am confident that the TTSEC digital transformation initiative (EASi) will be a huge success, and will serve as a showcase implementation for all Security Exchange Commissions around the World,” said Sam Selim, President and CEO of SQL Power.

The SQL Power Suite is the most robust financial regulatory (SupTech) solution on the market, delivering the ultimate in regulator flexibility, efficiency and transparency; increasing the likelihood of timely successful intervention while providing all interested parties with the ultimate confidence in the regulated market.

About SQL Power:

Founded in 1989, and headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, SQL Power Group Inc. is a global application software firm specializing in data collection, data integration, business intelligence, and regulatory implementations.

Since implementing the first supervisory solution in Canada in 2009, SQL Power has been at the forefront of financial regulatory software innovation – rolling out the world’s first fully-integrated XBRL-based data collection, risk management, case management and advanced analytics solution that evolves seamlessly with evolving Global Financial Standards.

The SQL Power Supervisory Platform is an end to end solution for financial regulation. The platform is multilingual, modular and includes: Data Collection, Registration and Licensing, Case Management, Risk Management, and Onsite inspection solutions. The platform also comes bundled with built-in Advanced Analytics capabilities and a world-class Business Intelligence Tool.

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A Massive Library of Europe’s Most Popular TV Series now Available Ad-Free

CaribPR Wire, Miami, FL, September 23, 2020: Europa+ (Europa Más) is now streaming the latest and most popular TV series from across Europe to audiences throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. Designed for European Ex-Pats, people of European descent and the large community of those passionate about European culture throughout the region, Europa+ offers viewers a variety of the latest and best European shows to link them to their roots, culture and tastes.

Available for US$5.99/month in most markets, the service draws a curated list of programs from the libraries of well-known European content producers like BBC Studios, Studio Canal, TF1, ZDF, NordicWorld, Studio 100, Spiegel and Mediaset. Programs are presented ad-free, in High Definition and their original language – all with subtitles and the majority sub-titled in Spanish and English.

A 7-day, risk-free trial is available at www.europamas.com

Europa+ offers a unique alternative to existing SVOD and traditional television services throughout Latin America and the Caribbean — more than 1500 hours of the latest and most popular European TV series and specials are easily found by genre, language, and sub-title options.  It is available on iOS, Android, Apple TV, Roku and Amazon Fire TV devices and all shows are available for download for later viewing on portable devices.

“For nearly 30 years, Castalia Communications has forged a track record of successfully launching new media ventures worldwide,” said Luis Torres-Bohl, President of Europa+ and its co-owner Castalia Communications.  “Our mission has always been to enable the many and different voices of our world the opportunity to be heard.”

“We provide programming that makes Europeans living and working in Latin America and the Caribbean feel more connected to home,” said Europa+ COO and Managing Director Rubén Mendiola. “Europa+ viewers will have the most compelling and newest European dramas, comedies, documentaries, reality, nature, motor shows, kids’ toons and more at their fingertips.”

Europa+ is an OTT service owned and operated by Mexico City-based investment fund, Innokap, and Atlanta-based Castalia Communications Corporation.

Additional Media assets can be found here:  http://files.europamas.com/index.php/s/QfFp8m0cvqPiOzu

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About Europa+

Europa+ (Europa Más) is an OTT digital video subscription service owned and operated by Mexico City-based investment fund, Innokap, and Atlanta-based Castalia Communications Corporation. The service brings together the very best in current European programming from the UK, Germany, France, Italy, and other European countries, making it exclusively available to viewers throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. Europa+ content is available on major mobile, web and connected TV streaming devices and can be downloaded and viewed offline where rights allow. All content is available ad-free in one place for US$5.99 in most markets.  Headquartered in Atlanta, Europa+ has offices in Miami, Lima, Peru, and San Luis Potosí, Mexico. www.europamas.com

About Castalia Communications

Castalia Communications is an international media business development company based in Atlanta, Georgia. Since 1991 Castalia has been the creator and distributor of many linear channels and thousands of programming hours from world-renowned media and technology companies.  With an excellent reputation and a broad network of contacts in Latin America, the United States and Canada, the company also continues several long-term collaborations in European and Asian markets. For additional information, call (770) 396-7850 or visit www.castaliacommunications.com

Contacts:

Brad Pitts | Europa+

(561) 307-9238

[email protected]

Bertha Ortega | Castalia Communications

(201) 207-7823

[email protected]

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