Barita Investments shareholders have approved an additional public offering (APO) of at least 160 million new ordinary shares.

The approval was given at the company’s extraordinary general meeting held last week Tuesday.

Directors can upsize the offer by a further 80 million shares in the event the invitation is oversubscribed.

The new shares are intended to raise capital for the benefit of the company with the general public to be invited to subscribe.

The other terms and conditions of the offer will now be decided.

This APO will be Barita’s second in about a year. The company raised $13.5 billion in an APO last September.

WiPay and Cashy partner to launch cash back offers in Caribbean

The Exclusive Cash Back platform in the Caribbean has partnered with WiPay to bring cash back offers to the region and drive more paying customers to local businesses.

WiPay CEO Aldwyn Wayne said the company is pleased to extend the American cash back network to the Caribbean.

Wayne explained that if a Caribbean business uses WiPay and someone from the US uses a card issued by a US bank with cash back features enabled, they will be able to get cash back as a reward from spending at that location.

Under the partnership, Cashy will launch cash back offers to over 50 million US travellers to the Caribbean, and WiPay merchants will have their businesses and offers advertised to a massive new audience.

Belize Kyash launched

The Belize Bank has launched E-Kyash, the first digital mobile wallet in the country. The solution was fuelled by the novel coronavirus pandemic which has made social distancing a public health necessity.

The new payment method does not require citizens to be customers of the Belize Bank or any other such financial institution. The wallet uses smartphones, telephone numbers and 4G data.

Users will simply need to visit designated E-Kyash retail operators, and carry out a process that is similar to topping up prepaid cellphones with calling credit.

Following that process, the user can then make purchases and payments, or send, and receive money from another E-Kyash user.

The Belizean Government is now in talks with Belize Bank and the National Bank of Belize to integrate these kinds of digital wallets in the public service.

NCB grants paid paternity leave

Fathers at the National Commercial Bank (NCB) can now access paternity leave upon birth or adoption of their child.

The company made the announcement last week, noting that the initiative is aimed at helping to improve the overall employee and organisational health.

The policy caters to fathers married, or who have been in recognised common-law unions for at least six months. Employees can take advantage of paternity leave up to three times per year, for births, adoptions and stillbirths.

General manager of the Group Human Resources and Facilities Division at NCB, Euton Cummings, said allowing fathers’ access to paternity leave will help them invest in their family lives.

He added that the policy will open the door for the creation of better parenting relationships, father-child bonding and post-partum support for mothers.

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