March 9th 2010
VINCENTIANS CALLED UPON TO STOP LIGHTING BUSH FIRES
A desperate call has been made for Vincentians to stop the practice
of lighting bush fires. This call comes
from the combined force of the Royal St Vincent and the Grenadines Police
force, the Central Water and Sewerage Authority, the ST Vincent Electricity
Services Limited VINLEC and the Forestry Division in the Ministry of
Agriculture and Fisheries.
Commissioner of Police Keith Miller said that the fires had serious
implications and his fire fighters were overwhelmed by the frequency.
Commissioner Miller said that the starting of these fires was a reckless act, a
criminal offence and a dangerous practice.
General manger at the CWSA Mr Garth Saunders said that the water
systems in this country were less than 50% average at the moment and was not
sufficient to supply at least half of the customers. He also added that fires
were a serious concern to his establishment because water has to be taken from
the already stretched sources to control these fires.
CEO of VINLEC Mr Thornley Myers pointed out that bush fires destroy
the forest which has serious environmental implications and also put a drain on
the supply of the most precious commodity at the moment which is water. He said
that at the moment VINLEC was only using 2-3% of the hydro power, a drop of
nearly 18% that is usually used at this time of the year, making it heavily
dependent on fuel, hence making it a contributing factor in the rise in the
fuel surcharge.
So far there have been close to 100 bush fires recorded for the dry
season by the Forestry Department. St Vincent and the Grenadines has been
placed on a drought alert.
BONADIE-BAKER APPOINTED AS PERMANENT SECRETARY IN THE MINISTRY OF
EDUCATION
Mrs Nicole Bonadie –Baker now holds the position of Permanent
Secretary in the Ministry of Education. Mrs
Bonadie-Baker took up the position from the first of this month, replacing Mrs
Laura Browne who has retired. Bonadie Baker assumes the position with a wealth
of experience after having started the Education Project Management Unit in
2004. She headed the Unit since then until her recent appointment as Permanent
Secretary in the Ministry of Education.
Mrs Bonadie Baker expressed pleasure with her new position as she
is in a better position to ensure that projects which were started by the
Education Unit are sustained and continued. She further stated that she plans
to use her experience to help meet the challenges when they arise.
SVGCIC HOLD NATIONAL FORUM ON
BAICO SITUATION
The SVG Chamber of
Industry and Commerce (SVGCIC) will attempt to explain to the public the
British American Insurance Company Limited (BAICO) debacle during their first
national forum on the situation.
The forum which will take
place on March 18 is also expected to address the insurance sector under the
theme, “The Insurance sector: The Past, the Present and the Future”.
The Chamber says that
last year, BAICO was placed under judicial management. It goes on to say that
this was as a result of increasing financial and operational difficulties, and
a reflection of the grave problems experienced by its parent company, CL
Financial Limited, of Trinidad and Tobago.
The objective of the
forum is to provide a better understanding of the current financial turmoil
facing BAICO, lessons learnt from the experiences of our Caribbean counterparts
and the plans to stabilize and reform the financial sector. The Forum will take
the form of presentations by a select panel followed by a period for questions
and queries. The speakers and their respective topics include Leon Anderson,
Senior Director, Insurance, Financial Services Commission, Jamaica.
He will speak on “Insurance sector reform: Lessons learnt from the Jamaica
financial crisis of the mid-1990s.”
Brain Glasgow, Judicial
Manager, British American Insurance Company (St.Vincent) will be the second
speaker. He will inform on, “Insurance: What can policy holders of the British
American Insurance Company now expect?” The third speaker will be Mintue
Rose, Head, Insurance Supervisory Unit, Ministry of
Finance (St.Vincent and the Grenadines). Rose will address, “Insurance
sector reform: An overview of the plans for St.Vincent and the Grenadines.
NEMO HOST WORKSHOP
The National Emergency
Management Organisation NEMO will host a three day workshop from today to
Thursday March 11th on Results based Management RBM. RBM refers to a management philosophy and
approach, as well as a set of tools intended to improve both project management
effectiveness and accountability of the achievement of programme/project
results.
The Results based
management workshop will bring together senior civil servants from different
departments. The main objective of the workshop is to further enhance the
National Comprehensive Disaster Management Strategy, existing CDM Country Work
Programmes, Programme monitoring Framework and work plans of NEMO SVG.
The workshop will also
seek to improve the knowledge and capacity of key stakeholders as part of part
of the National Disaster Mangement organisation I use of the RBM and tool
submission of successful proposals.
The RBM workshop is
funded by the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency CDEMA through the
comprehensive Disaster Management Harmonized Implementation Programme. The workshop will take place at NEMO’s
conference room beginning at 8:30 am.
LIONS ARTS & CRAFTS EXHIBITION
The Lions Club of
Kingstown-SVG is making preparations to hold its second annual Arts & Craft
Exhibition next month. According to a
release from the organization, the exhibition will be held from April 28th
to the 30th at the Lions Den at Frenches Gate.
It will showcase a wide
range of local Arts and Craft and it will also give the artisans another avenue
to market their products. The exhibition
will be open to the public from 9:00am to 5:00pm each day and all the exhibits
will be available for sale on Friday April 30th.
The Lions Club of
Kingstown-SVG is also appealing to persons who wish to participate in this
year’s exhibition to contact Roxanne DeFreitas at Nightingale Book Store where
they can also collect their registration forms.
EVESHAM METHODIST SCHOOL CONVENE 10TH NATIONAL HEROES
DAY CELEBRATIONS
The Evesham Methodist
School will convene its 10th National Heroes’ Day celebrations this
Thursday. The event is being held as part of efforts by the school to create a
greater awareness and appreciation for our heritage.
A wide range of
activities has been planned for Thursday’s activity, under the theme “Valuing Our Heritage, Investing in the
Future”. Products from the Taiwanese Technical Mission, as well as the
Forestry Department will also be on display at the exhibition. The activities will begin from 1:30pm on
Thursday.
FLAIR NEWSPAPER TO BE RE-LAUNCHED
Preparations are underway
to re-launch the Flair Newspaper, which is expected to hit the streets at the
end of this month. A release from
Bonafide Publishing House, the re-branding of Flair has resulted in a new logo
design, yet retaining the unique and creative graphic designs, and attractive
layout.
Flair would be published
on Wednesdays and sold as a niche market tabloid locally, regionally and
internationally. It would be published
by Bonafide Publishing House and printed by SVG Publishers at Campden Park.
March
8th 2010
ULP ADMINISTRATION HAS PUT A DENT
IN THE LEVEL OF POVERTY
The ULP administration has put a dent in the level of poverty in St
Vincent and the Grenadines. This,
according to Senator Julian Francis, who moved a motion on poverty reduction,
in St Vincent and the Grenadines, in parliament, last week. Senator Francis
said that the ULP administration has placed poverty reduction at the centre of
its public formulation and implementation since 2001.
Senator Francis said that the NIS statistics show that some 10,000
jobs have been created by this administration and pointed to the difference
that the cell phone revolution made in St Vincent and the Grenadines with
regards to job creation. He also noted
that the increase in the number of vehicles here has helped in creating jobs
here.
COMPREHENSIVE
ROAD REPAIR PROGRAM TO COMMENCE IN ROCKIES SOON
A comprehensive road repair programme is expected to commence
shortly for the community of Rockies. That’s
word from Minister of Transport and Works Hon Clayton Burgin while responding
to a question in parliament last week. Minister Burgin said that the area has
already been assessed for work to commence and is expected to be completed by
June this year.
SENATOR
CECIL MCKIE OUTLINES VISION FOR YOUTH
Newly appointed government Senator Cecil ‘Ces’ Mckie, who also has
special responsibility for Youth and Sports has been outlining the vision that
he has in store for the nation’s youth. Senator
McKie gave an insight of his plans while speaking on yesterday’s Star Issues
programme on Star Radio. He also
outlined the different perspective from which he would be able to assist with
youth development.
GENDER
AFFAIRS DIVISIONS OBSERVE INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY
The Gender Affairs
Division in the Ministry of National Mobilization and the National Women’s
Committee will host a March and Rally to observe International Women’s Day
today. The United Nations has indicated
that activities this year will be celebrated under the theme “Equal Rights,
equal opportunities, Progress for all”.
The march and rally will be used to
highlight the need for greater public education to make ordinary men and women
aware of the role and contributions that women have made and continue to make
and how these contributions impact them in their daily lives.
The march is expected to begin at 3:00pm from outside the Financial
Complex, down Bay Street, on to Higginson Street, along Grenville Street and
proceed towards the Grammar School Grounds.
TWO DIE IN VEHICLE ACCIDENT
The police are
investigating the motor vehicular accident involving motor vehicle, P4037,
driven by Derald Thomas of Fair Hall, which overturned in the vicinity of the
Shell Gas Station, at Arnos Vale on Saturday March 6th.
According to a police
report Thomas died on the spot while passenger Mia Sutherland, 18 was
pronounced dead on arrival at the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital. Ronique
Sutherland, 23 and Calbert Shallow, 17 are patients at the Milton Cato Memorial
Hospital.
GARIFUNA
HERITAGE FOUNDATION ACTIVITIES
The Garifuna Heritage Foundation is preparing to hold a multi-media
exhibition throughout this week as one of its activities to mark National
Heroes and Heritage Month.
The activity which comes as a collaborative effort between the
Garifuna Heritage Foundation and the Alliance Francaise will be held at the
National Trust building in Kingstown. The
exhibition commences at 9:00 this morning and will be held under the theme
“From the Orinoco to exile”.
Artifacts such as maps and exhibits from the national archives as
well as historical food and religious items and music from the Garifuna culture
will be showcased during the exhibition.
A video on the Garifuna Heritage will also be shown all week
throughout the exhibition which ends on Friday.
This afternoon at 1:00 a presentation on the Garifuna culture targeting
the youths of St. Vincent and the Grenadines will also take place. The Garifuna Heritage Foundation is calling
on the entire Vincentian population to come into the National Trust building
during this week to view the exhibition.
GEMS
AND LIME TEAM UP
The JEMS Progressive Community Organization, Southeast Development
Incorporated (SEDI) and telecommunications company Lime are teaming up to host
an HIV and Aids public awareness event this Saturday.
JEMS said in a release that event will feature steel pan music from
the Southeast Youth Steel Orchestra, and artwork from the finalists of JEMS
recent HIV/Aid school poster competition.
Persons will also get the opportunity to meet members of the
recently established HIV/Aids peer counseling group, the JEMS Youth Ambassadors
for Positive Living.
Former President of JEMS Andrew Simmons said the event will
highlight the need for education and communication to engage young people in
helping to fight against the immune-destroying disease. The event take place in front LIME offices on
Halifax Street on Saturday, March 13th from 9.30 in the morning and
is expected to run until 1.30pm.
TWO FACE DRUG POSSESSION CHARGES
On March 5th,
Michael Simmons a 17 year old labourer of Mt Grenan was arrested and charged
for having in his possession 720 grammes of cannabis with intent to supply to
another at Fitz Hughes, while Alvin Edwards a 50 year old labourer of
Chateubelair was arrested and charged for having in his possession 302 grammes
of cannabis with intent to supply.
Both men appeared at the
Serious Offences Court and pleaded guilty. Simmons was fined $900.00 to be paid
in 3 months or 4 months in prison while Edwards was fined $450.00 to be paid in
2 weeks or 4 months in prison.
BEDO CELEBRATES 1ST
ANNIVERSARY
The Belmont Educational
Development Community Organisation, BEDCO celebrated its 1st
anniversary on Sunday.
A cultural package was
held on Sunday at the newly built Belmont Look-Out site to celebrate this
event. BEDCO has responsibility of co-managing the Belmont Look-Out site.
Sunday’s event was aimed at generating an increase of membership as the current
members gave testimony about their experience since the group’s inception. The
event included singing, dancing, poems as well as performances by school based
bands.
March 5th 2010
ECIB & FS SAVINGS AND
INVESTMENT COURSE COMMENCES TODAY
The 6th Savings and Investment Course which opens
today has been oversubscribed by Vincentians throughout the state. This statement was made by Local Coordinator of
the Eastern Caribbean Institute of Banking and Financial Services (ECIB &
FS), Cheryl Rodriguez who highlighted that thus far two hundred and eighty-nine
have graduated locally from the program since its inception in 2007.
Mrs. Rodriguez they have forty five participants for this
hosting of the activity which will run for ten weeks at the University of the
West Indies Open Campus. Mrs. Rodriguez
further explained the main objectives of the seminar and the topics which the
program will cover.
She added that the program also comes as part of the Eastern
Caribbean Currency Union’s (ECCU) public education program to promote economic
development within its member states.
VINCENTIAN
WOMAN APPEARS BEFORE MAGISTRATE COURT ON DRUG RELATED CHARGES
A Vincentian woman was on Tuesday
remanded after she appeared before Magistrate Hazel Octive-Hamilton, at the
Georgetown Magistrates’ Court in Guyana. According to Kaiteur News, It’s
alleged that Alisha Joseph attempted to export 7 kilos 422 grams of cocaine at
the Cheddi Jagan International Airport on February 23rd. She pleaded not guilty to the charge. In a
bail application, her lawyer said that the accused has two young children.
When told by the magistrate that this
was not a special reason for bail to be granted, the lawyer opted to tell the
magistrate that bail should be granted since the jail was overcrowded. Police
Prosecutor Joel Ricknauth objected to bail and asked for the matter to be
transferred to Providence Magistrates Court. That application was subsequently
granted by the magistrate. Joseph is scheduled to make another court appearance
tomorrow.
WINFRESH
ENCOURING FARMERS TO UTILIZE PROPER WATER MANAGEMENT PRACTICES
Officials from WINFRESH formerly WIBDECO are encouraging farmers
throughout the region to utilize proper water management practices during the
current dry season. This call was made
by Representative from WINFRESH, Freemont Lawrence. Mr. Lawrence said farmers
should prune unwanted suckers to reduce competition between plants for water
and nutrients in the soil.
Mr. Lawrence added that farmers should also spread the leaves
that they cut from the banana plants on the ground to help control the Black
Sigatoka Disease as well as to conserve water in the soil.
March 4th 2010
MINISTER CALLS ON GENERAL PUBLIC TO DO THEIR PART IN DEALING
WITH DRY SEASON
Minister of Health Hon Dr Douglas Slater has issued a call for
the general public to do their part in dealing with the current dry season that
is being experienced.
During his ministerial statement in parliament today Dr Slater
said that the dry weather situation which is being experienced throughout the
region is also causing significant problems to this country. The Minister said
that since November we have had only 30% of rainfall as we normally do around
that period and as a result several water catchments have been severely
affected.
Dr Slater said that the Dallaway system which supplies water for
some 40% of its population here is down some 70% of its capacity, the Jennings
system which provides for approximately 25% of the population is down 80% of
its capacity while the most severely affected the Montreal and Majorca systems
are under 50% of their capacity.
Minister Slater pointed out that water is being trucked to the
most severely affected areas and that water is being shipped in bulk to the
Grenadines. He urged that leaks be reported promptly to the Central Water and
Sewerage Authority as well as that all dripping taps be tightly closed. He also
noted that meteorological reports have indicated that this dry spell may go as
far as the month of June.
CECIL MC KIE
SWORN IN AS SENATOR AND MINISTER OF STATE
Newly appointed
Governmnet Senator Cecil ‘Cess’ McKie made his debut in parliament today. Mc Kie was sworn in earlier this week, as
Senator and Minister of State, in the Ministry of National Mobilisation, Social
Development and Gender Affairs, with special responsibility for Youth and
Sports.
He received
congratulations from both sides of the House including Prime Minister Hon Dr Ralph
Gonsalves and opposition leader Arnhim Eustace.
SVG CO-OP CREDIT UNION LEAGUE
CONDUCTS TRANING PROGRAMME AMONG SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS
The St. Vincent and the Grenadines Co-operative Credit Union
League is in the midst of a training programme aimed at sparking an interest in
cooperatives and entrepreneurships among secondary school students. The League said in a release that the
programme is a joint effort with the Ministry of Education. The training
program comprises five modules which will be delivered in 3-hour seminars held
quarterly each year.
It combines visual displays with interactive methods of
instruction on traditional and modern forms of Co-operative practice, the
structure, the governance and operation of co-operatives and the role of co-operatives
in national development among other topics. The league says it hopes the
instruction will encourage young people to pursue the co-operative philosophy
and entrepreneurship as a successful way of life as well as to provide an
understanding of the importance of co-operatives in socio economic
development. The seminars opened on
February 25th with a program held at the Co-operative League Center
at Kingstown Park.
HON
CONRAD SAYERS SWORN IN AS DEPUTY SPEAKER
Conrad Sayers Parliamentary representative for the Central
Kingstown constituency was sworn in as Deputy Speaker of the House of Assembly.
He has assumed this position as Senator Rochelle Forde who held this position
has demitted office.
ULP
SUPPORTERS SHOW SUPPORT FOR GOVERNMENT OUTSIDE PARLIAMENT
Supporters for the Unity Labour Party (ULP) decked in red line
the streets directly outside the Parliament Building to show their support to
the governmnet of this country. The
support actions include dancing, singing, chanting as well as displaying
placards. The placards bear messages such as endorsing the many achievements of
the government such as the excellent 2010 budget, the education revolution, the
Housing programme among others.
VINLEC’S FUEL STORAGE CAPACITY TO RECEIVE MAJOR BOOST
The Fuel storage capacity of the St. Vincent Electricity
services Limited, Vinlec, is expected to receive a major boost when the
Lowman’s Bay Electricity Generation Project is completed.
Thornley Myers Chief Executive Officer of VINLEC who was on a recent
visit to the site outlined the benefits of the project’s development. The
visiting delegation was led by Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves. Mr. Myers
said that the project was designed to accommodate VINLEC’s immediate and long
term fuel needs. Mr. Myers also noted that the project would be better able to
facilitate VINLEC’s transition from light to heavy fuel.
IADC TO UNVEIL WINNER OF LOGO COMPETITION
A prize giving
ceremony will be held next week by the International Airport Development
Company, the IADC to unveil the winning entry in its recently concluded logo
competition. A release from the Company
says that the ceremony will take place on Monday March 8th at the
IADC’s conference room.
The ceremony will also
be used to award prizes to the competition’s overall winner as well as two
consolation winners. The competition ran on radio from November 27th
to December 14th last year and the IADC says some 33 entries were
submitted. The Company says that the
logo is intended to make the IADC more visible and to help with its marketing
and promotional thrust. The three finalists will receive their prizes on
Monday, March 8th at a ceremony which will commence from 2:00pm.
HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY MEETS TODAY
Three bills will receive a second reading
when the House of Assembly meets today.
They are the Constitution of St. Vincent and the Grenadines (Amendment)
Bill 2010, the Community Baptist Church Incorporation Bill 2010 and the Full in
the Spirit Pentecostal Church Incorporation Bill 2010. The Finance Bill 2010 will also get its first
reading.
There will be a Motion on Poverty Reduction
and a Motion on Economic Citizenship, both to be moved by Julian Francis. A third motion on the Special Registration
Period Voter will be moved by the opposition leader, Arnhim Eustace. And four questions are also listed on the
Order Paper by the Opposition for oral answers.
ANNUAL ‘WORSHIP IN THE CITY”
The
annual “Worship in the City’ event organized by the Vermont Miracle Tabernacle,
the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Youth for Christ and the New Life
Ambassadors took place in capital city Kingstown last Sunday. It attracted hundreds of Vincentians, who
were singing, jumping and praising God in the Market Square.
During
the event, various Pastors and holy persons used the opportunity to pray for
St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Prayers were done for Prime Minister Dr. Ralph
Gonsalves and his cabinet while persons also prayed for, national security,
young mothers, finances and unity among local churches among other things.
One
of the organizers of the event Pearl McMaster said that the large turnout at
the event showed that SVG needs prayer in a time like this. She commended the
various churches for coming together to worship, “at a time when Christians can
pray for the country”. She described the event as a success as it showed unity,
“and to hear the voices and singing is really encouraging”.
NURSING SHORTAGE ACROSS THE ENGLISH SPEAKING CARIBBEAN
A new report from the World Bank says that Nursing shortages across the English-speaking Caribbean
limits access and quality of health services and affect the regions
competitiveness. According to the
“Nurse Labor and Education Markets in the English-Speaking CARICOM - Issues and
Options for Reform Report”, the region is facing a rapidly growing shortage of
nurses as demand for quality health care increases due to an aging population,
and high numbers of nurses emigrate drawn by higher paying jobs in Canada, the
UK and the United States.
It says these shortages have tangible
impacts that may compromise the ability of English-speaking CARICOM countries
to meet their key health care service needs, especially in the areas of disease
prevention and care.
In addition, the shortage of highly trained
nurses reduces the capacity of countries to offer quality health care at a time
when Caribbean countries aim to attract businesses and retirees as an important
pillar of growth. The World Bank
estimates that there are 7,800 nurses working in the English-speaking CARICOM,
roughly one-tenth the concentration in some OECD countries.
Sector Director for Human Development in the
World Banks Latin America and Caribbean region Evangeline Javier says Nurses
are the bedrock of highly functioning health systems in all countries, and they
must adopt policies that aim to train more and at the same time retain quality
nurses.
March 3rd 2010
STUDY ON PERSONS LIVING WITH
DISABILITIES
Minister of Health Hon Dr Douglas Slater says that the study being
conducted by a Cuban team of health officials along with local community aid
workers on the social educational and epidemical aspects of persons living with
disabilities here will help to improve the lives of such persons.
Dr Slater while speaking on Star Radio this morning said that this
study is a follow-up on a previous study conducted by the Social Investment
Fund (SIF) which disclosed that over three thousands (3000) persons live with
varying disabilities in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
He added that the end result of this study is to take action to
alleviate suffering of disabled persons.
Minister Slater also called on the general public to cooperate with the
field workers. The Cuban team has
specialists in Neurophysiology, Genetics, Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT), and
Psychology.
ANTI-MONEY LAUNDERING AND
COUNTER FINANCING OF TERRORISM FORUM
A forum to discuss anti- Money Laundering and Counter Financing of
Terrorism is taking place today. It is organized by the Chamber of Industry and
Commerce. According to Officials from
the Chamber, participants for the discussion will be drawn from the relevant
businesses which are listed under schedule One of the
proceeds of Crime and Money Laundering Prevention Act 2001. These businesses include Domestic and
Offshore Banks, Credit Unions and Real Estate Agents among others.
The Facilitators for today’s discussion are Grenville Williams and
Cozell Crease from the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU). The session is taking place at the Chamber of
Industry and Commerce conference Room.
MINISTER OF CULTURE HON RENE
BAPTISTE SAYS THERE IS A LOT TO LOOK FORWARD TO FROM FILM, FINE ARTS AND
FASHION INDUSTRIES
Vincentians have been told that there is a lot to look forward to
from, the Film, Fine Art and Fashion Industries, here. That’s according to Culture Minister Hon
Rene Baptiste as she spoke at the closing of the Film, Fine Art and Fashion
travelling exhibition at the Methodist Church Hall in Kingstown yesterday.
Plans were also announced to join forces with the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs to take a delegation to China on a Cultural exchange mission.
She said another mission of this nature will also travel to India. Minister Baptiste said she would like to see
more designs in art and craft and film showcasing the Vincentian heritage and
history. She has also urged local designers to showcase more of the History of
St. Vincent and the Grenadines. The
travelling exhibition was held at several venues throughout the country
including Sandy Bay, Park Hill, San Souci, Rose Hall and Questelles.
SVGA IN READING UK HOST ANNUAL “MEMBERS, FAMILY FRIENDS PARTY
The St Vincent and the
Grenadines Association (SVGA) in Reading UK hosted their ever popular annual
“Members, Family Friends Party” at the MAPP Centre to celebrate the
togetherness and extend the event to fund-raise to support both the Haiti
Earthquake Disaster victims and the under-privileged children in St Vincent and
the Grenadines.
A Children’s Party was
held in the afternoon to give the younger generations an opportunity to
participate in activities, as the need to identify with St Vincent & The
Grenadines is acknowledged by Miss Marcella John the organiser of the event.
The evening event was
brought to order by Dudrey Browne, the Vice Chair and MC for the
evening. His Excellency Cenio E Lewis in his very encouraging
speech echoed praise for the vibrant Reading Association and offered
encouragement and support to members. Included in his edifying speech on
progress from SVG were references to the Argyle Airport, the education
revolution, support for children and housing programme. As is tradition, a Vincentian is presented
with an award for their contribution to the betterment of Vincentians in
Reading and the community as a whole.
GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS AND
REPRESENTATIVES FROM CIVIL SOCIETY ATTEND COUNTER-HUMAN TRAFFICKING SEMINAR
Government officials and representatives from civil society will be
engaged in a 2-day counter human trafficking seminar from today. The seminar, which is the first of its kind
to be held here, will be facilitated by Chissey Mueller and Stephen Warnath
from the International Organization for Migration, IOM.
Participants are expected to follow the IOM’s Counter-Trafficking
Module on Capacity Building to acquire a basic understanding of human
trafficking during the training session.
And Miss Mueller says she hopes the instruction will better enable
participants to correctly identify and manage cases of human trafficking here.
Through its counter-trafficking work in the Caribbean, the IOM has
identified the areas of forced labor, sexual exploitation and domestic
servitude as trends prevalent throughout the Caribbean.
But Miss Mueller says it’s difficult to estimate the true scale of
human trafficking in the region. The Ministry of National Mobilization is
collaborating with the U.S. Department of State’s Office to Monitor and Combat
Trafficking in Persons and the United States Embassy in Barbados on this
initiative. The session is taking place
at the Fisheries Conference Room.
IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT VILIGANT
IN EFFORTS TO REDUCE INCIDENTS OF FRAUD
The local Immigration
Department has pledged to remain vigilant in its efforts to reduce the
incidents of fraudulent immigration documents in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. This commitment was reaffirmed by Chief
Immigration Officer, Stanford Hamilton.
Mr. Hamilton said there
has been a significant reduction in the number of fraudulent documents in
recent years. Mr. Hamilton said the
advent of the machine-readable passports have resulted in reduced processing
times at the department.
March
2nd 2010
2008 RHODES SCHOLAR LUKE BROWNE NAMED AS
POSSIBLE CANDIDATE FOR THE ULP
Prime Minister Gonsalves on a radio program
on Sunday announced that this country’s 2008 Rhodes Scholar, Luke Browne has
been identified as the possible candidate for the ULP to contest the East
Kingstown seat.
Dr. Ralph Gonsalves said that Hans King,
who was earmarked as the candidate, has decided to step aside after Luke Browne
expressed an interest in contesting the East Kingstown seat. The Prime Minister however stated that the
Constituency Council meeting for selection of candidates has to be
formalized. PM Gonsalves also said that
Luke has demonstrated that he has a bright future in the field of politics.
VINCENTIAN COMMUNITY HEALTH AIDS AND CUBAN MEDICAL
WORKERS CONDUCT STUDY ON PERSONS LIVING WITH DISABILITIES
Twenty Vincentian community Health Aids and
twenty Cuban Medical Workers are conducting field work in some North Windward
communities to conduct a study of persons living with disabilities here. The Government of St. Vincent and the
Grenadines through the Ministry of Health and the Environment and the Ministry
of Social Development is collaborating with the Cuban Government to conduct the
Lives to Live Study.
Coordinator
of the Study and Epidemiologist, Dr. Jennifer George, is responsible for
collating the information, analyzing data gathered, and facilitating logistics
on the ground. George said that
teams are already in the field working with individuals from Georgetown, Fancy,
Owia, Overland and surrounding areas.
Dr.
George said the field workers will mainly visit homes that are known to have
persons living with disabilities and that said persons who are in need of
medical care will be attended to by Cuban Specialists.
CED FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT SEMINAR
A
Financial Management Seminar on Basic Record Keeping organized by the Centre
for Enterprise Development (CED) will take place here next week. The seminar is intended for Business Owners,
Managers, Accounts Clerks, and other interested individuals responsible for
financial management in their organization or those just wishing to understand
the fundamentals of Financial Management.
The CED
says participants will get an understanding of the basics of book keeping and
learn how to record and depreciate fixed assets, record credit sales and
payments, reconcile bank statements, and prepare petty cash books.
They
will also learn how to record cash sales and payments, prepare, analyze and
interpret financial statements, as well as record keeping for Value Added Tax
(VAT) purposes. The Seminar will be held
from March 8th to 12th at the CED Conference Room under
the theme “Taking Charge of Your
Business’ Money: Keeping the Books”.
CMMB HOST PENSION FUND MANAGEMENT WORKSHOP
Caribbean
Money Market Brokers (CMMB) and First Citizens Bank will host a one-day
workshop on Pension Fund Management on March 9 in St. Lucia and March 10 in St
Vincent. During the workshop, participants can look forward to obtaining a
thorough understanding of Pension Plans including: Types of Pension Plans, the
roles of pension fund stakeholders; Pension Fund Investment Management Process;
Investment Policy Statements, Recent Global Trends in Pension Fund Management,
Modern asset management strategies employed by fund managers.
The workshop presentations will also be
tailored to reflect the particular regulatory and other requirements specific
to the region whilst also making comparatives to the global environment. An excellent team of experts and advisors
have been assembled to make these presentations and each participant is
guaranteed a dynamic and interactive workshop with valuable deliverables.
March 1st 2010
NEW
GOVERNMENT SENATOR SWORN IN
Cecil McKie, was sworn in as Government Senator and Minister of
State in the Ministry of National Mobilisation, Social Development, Gender
Affairs, Youth and Sports, at a ceremony earlier this afternoon.
The
ceremony took place at Government House and was witnessed by Governor General
Sir Frederick Ballantyne, Prime Minister Hon Dr Ralph Gonsalves, government
officials, and Mc Kies family and friends.
Governor
General Sir Frederick Ballantyne congratulated McKie on his appointment and
cautioned him of the challenges that lies ahead.
Prime
Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves also congratulated Senator Mc Kie and indicated
that he would make a tremendous contribution based on his background. And Senator McKie expressed gratitude to the
government and people of St Vincent and the Grenadines for the opportunity to
serve his country.
ULP ADMINISTRATION
POLICIES CREATED 10,000 MORE JOBS
The
ULP administration’s policies have created 10,000 more jobs here in St Vincent
and the Grenadines. That’s word from Prime Minister Hon Dr
Ralph Gonsalves while speaking on a radio program yesterday.
The
discussion focused on the benefits of the 2010 Budget. Dr Gonsalves explained
that the government’s policies have so far increased the country’s wealth. He
credits the government’s counter cyclical fiscal approach with the increase in
the country’s working population.
Dr.
Gonsalves explained that the government’s decision to run a small current
account deficit to support this counter cyclical fiscal policy will help to
consolidate its gains in reducing poverty.
CUBAN DOCTORS IN SVG TO CONDUCT LIVES TO LIVE
STUDY
The Government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines
through the Ministry of Health and the Environment and the Ministry of Social
Development is collaborating with the Cuban Government to conduct a
comprehensive study of the social, educational and epidemical aspects of
persons living with disabilities in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. A Press Conference was held earlier today by
the Ministry to brief the public of the study and what it entails.
Dr. Douglas Slater, Minister of Health and the Environment,
said that this study is a follow-up on a previous study conducted by the Social
Investment Fund (SIF) which disclosed that over three thousand (3000) persons
live with varying disabilities in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. He added that the end result of this study is
to take action to alleviate suffering of disabled persons.
According to Dr. Slater, the project will adopt the
name of a similar study completed in Cuba entitled, “Lives to Live.” He said that the study will investigate the
possible causes and consequences of disabilities, and to gather and analyze
findings. He said that a major attempt
of the study is to make the lives of persons with disabilities more livable as
the name of the study suggests.
The Cuban team has specialists in Neurophysiology,
Genetics, Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT), and Psychology. She added that a team was currently working
with persons from Georgetown, Fancy, Overland and environs.
VINCENTIANS IN NEW YORK HOST VINCY LIME
Vincentians residing in New York will soon
have an informal forum for meeting, sharing ideas and acquiring services. This would be so when the Consulate of St.
Vincent and the Grenadines in conjunction with Friends of Crown Heights, host
Vincy Lime with a Purpose this weekend.
The event will be held on Saturday March 6th
at Friends of Crown Heights Center #2 at 671 Prospect Place between Bedford and
Franklin Avenues. It is envisaged that
this will be the first of what will become a regular fixture in the New
York-Vincentian social calendar.
NEW TELECOMMUNICATION ACT TO BE
IMPLEMENTED SOON
A new
telecommunications Act is expected to be implemented here soon. Minister of Telecommunications Hon Dr Jerrol
Thompson who made the announcement says the revision of the existing act is
necessary in order for the country to keep abreast with the ever changing face
of the information, communication and technology sector in the country.
Minister
Thompson who was speaking at the launch of an e-marketing initiative of the ICT
sector also noted that there have already been tremendous strides made in the
local ICT sector. Dr Thompson pointed out that they have to make sure that ICT
business is something that flourishes in St Vincent and the Grenadines and that
the sector remains vibrant.
The
Minister also noted that the Ministry will undergo a transformation to match
the change in legislation, a process which is expected to begin within a few
months.
22 FARMERS EXPRESS INTEREST IN JOINING
PINEAPPLE GROWERS COOPERATIVE
Twenty
two farmers have already expressed interest in becoming members of the newly
established Pineapple Growers Cooperative, Pingco. PINGCO was formally established last week,
after three months of discussion involving the Ministry and the Taiwan Technical
Mission.
The
Ministry of Agriculture says that the Cooperative is ready to take off after
its by-laws were passed and its first general meeting was held at the Community
Centre in Spring Village.
More
than 40 farmers, agricultural officers and experts from the Mission attended
the meeting in which Renford Byam and Agricultural Officer and Supervisor from
Region One, Dan Richards, called for regional and local pineapple farmers to
become members of the Cooperative as a means of improving their production, delivery
and marketing abilities of the crop.
In
addressing the meeting, the Chief of the Mission, Chin-Yu Lee shared successful
experiences and updated techniques of the pineapple cooperatives in
Taiwan. He said the Mission will donate
10 rolls of plastic film valued at $1,000 to PINGCO to encourage production and
extension. The Mission has also assigned an expert, Carlos Lai to regularly
visit the PINGCO members’ fields and offer assistance to improve and market
their produce. An executive committee was
also formed at the meeting.
They are President, Norgie Tucker – Vice
President, Christiana Alexander – Secretary, Enid Ferdinand, -- Assistant
Secretary, Rudolph Charles – Treasurer, Wellington Dodds -- Public Relations
Officer, Lester Williams and Committee Member Vasilca Lewis.
INTERNATIONAL
WOMEN’S DAY
Activities to Mark International Women’s Day were
today expected to be outlined by the Ministry of Social Development.
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Social
Development, Rosita Snagg said that while the launch of
activities to mark International Women’s Day are launched today they are
also preparing for Child Abuse Awareness and prevention Month which will be
observed in April.
Mrs.
Snagg has also encouraged that men participate in the activities to mark
International Women’s Day.
JURY FINDS GLASGOW NOT GUILTY ON
MANSLAUGHTER AND
CAUSING DEATH BY DANGEROUS DRIVING CHARGES
A
nine member jury on Wednesday found Nigel Don Juan Glasgow not guilty on two
separate charges of manslaughter and causing death by dangerous driving. Glasgow of Coconut Range at Campden Park was
accused of causing the death of Carlos George of Layou on the Pembroke public
road on Christmas Eve 2 years ago.
The court heard that about 1.30 pm on the December 24th
2008, both Glasgow and George along with another person were headed to
Buccament in a car when its rear right wheel broke off near the Pembroke
highway. Reports indicate that the
driver lost control and the vehicle crashed into a wall on the public
road. George suffered head injuries and
died the following day at the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital.
CIC HOLDS FORUM ON MONEY LAUNDERING AND
TERRORIST FINANCING
Vincentians
will have an opportunity to discuss issues relating to money laundering and
terrorist financing when the Chamber of Industry and Commerce holds a forum on
the topic this week. The forum is being
held to encourage compliance with relevant AML/CFT laws and regulations in
order to protect the reputation of the country’s jurisdiction.
It
will highlight how compliance with applicable laws and regulations can prevent
businesses from becoming victims of illegal activities, such as money
laundering and terrorist financing. The
session will be facilitated by Acting Director of the Financial Intelligence
Unit Grenville Williams and Legal Officer Kozel Creese.
It
will provide an opportunity for participants to voice their concerns about the
application and implementation of relevant laws and regulations. It’s scheduled to take place on Wednesday at
the Chamber Conference Room from 9:00am, under the theme “Comply today for
Survival tomorrow”. Earlier this
month, St. Vincent and the Grenadines was among seventeen other Caribbean
Countries named by the French Authorities as being uncooperative tax havens.
February 26 2010
STAR FM
CELEBRATES 2ND ANNIVERSARY
Star FM is today celebrating
its 2nd anniversary. Star FM which is owned by the
Unity Labour Party began operations on February 26th 2008.
The station which transmits on 98.3 and 104.7 FM frequencies,
host several
popular programs including Star Street Beat, Ralph on Star, Star
Issues, ULP Speaks, , Health Corner, Vincy Stars, Retro Stars Rewind, Religious
programs,
ULP Women’s View Point and Star Preteens the only radio program
in SVG hosted entirely by children. Star FM boasts a high quality outside
broadcast unit that transmits live coverage events.
Manager of the Station Julian
Francis has indicated that the station will be adding some new programs from
early March.
He also indicated that new equipment will soon be installed to
replace some which
were damaged by sea blast and heavy winds during the last year.
This will enhance coverage
to the North Windward and North Leeward areas
on the 104.7 frequency.
The small full time staff of
nine will interact with the public on air over the next few days allowing
listeners to call in and express congratulations.
Star FM prides itself on offering positive and factual programs
aimed at educating the public. The Management
of STARFM express gratitude to is listeners, advertisers and various guest on
their programs for their contribution and support over the past two years, and
look forward to being of greater service to the people of St Vincent and the Grenadines .
FORESTRY
DEPT OFFICIALS CONTINUE TO SPEAK OUT AGAINST HIGH RATE OF BUSH FIRES
Officials of the Forestry
Department are continuing to speak out against the high rate of bush fires that
are occurring here. Forestry Officer Joel Poyer is of
the view that 80% of bush fires which have occurred in the state have been set
deliberately.
Poyer revealed that between December 2009 and now 46 fires have
been recorded on the Leeward side of the island with approximately 36 or more
on the Windward side.
Poyer made mention of the
damage caused to the 18 year old Zion Hill forest reserve on the Leeward side
of the island, where 1.5 acres of the 14 acre reserve was destroyed. He added
that the fire destroyed $35,000 worth of trees including Mahogany, Neem,
Eucalyptus, Yellow Pois, Mangoes and Guavas.
Mr Poyer suggested that to
prevent bush fires, persons should only light fires if it necessary. He also
said that persons should not leave fires unattended, contain the fires in drums
if possible to secure the area so that the fire will not spread and also to
seek the Ministry of Forestry’s permission to light fires on crown land.
FARMERS,
STUDENTS AND EXTENSION OFFICER ATTEND WORKSHOP
Sixty farmers, students and
extension officers are now better able to improve their pumpkin cultivation.
A workshop was held last week by the Region 3 Office of the
Ministry of Agriculture and the Taiwan Technical mission at Orange Hill Farm to
introduce farmers to the use of plastic film and compost to improve pumpkin
cultivation.
The workshop introduced a
better method of applying a two side silver black plastic film which can
control weeds, save labour, expel insects by sun beam reflection, hold moisture
in the soil and prevent fertiliser from being washed out by rain.
LIBERTY
LODGE BOYS CENTRE HOLDS BENEFIT FOR HAITI RELIEF EFFORT
The Liberty Lodge Boys
Training Centre is holding a benefit activity to raise funds for the Haiti
Relief Effort.
It includes a food sale, a music concert and a craft sale and all
the proceeds will go to the Red Cross’s Haiti Earthquake Relief Fund.
The Centre’s Steel Band is listed among the performers at the
event which is taking place under the Singer Gallery.
6th SAVINGS
AND INVESTMENT COURSE COMMENCES NEXT FRIDAY
The Sixth Savings and
Investment Course, organized by the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank, ECCU, the
Eastern Caribbean Institute of Banking and Financial Services and the
University of the West Indies will commence here on Friday March 5th.
The ten-week Course will cover topics relating to Personal
Finance and Investment Basics.
A release from the National
Commercial Bank says one of the main objectives is to help participants to
learn how to better develop basic budgeting techniques, improve your money
management skills and learn the basics of investing.
The sessions will be held University of the West Indies Open
Campus. The course will run for ten weeks on every Friday of the month.
A short opening ceremony will
be held at 5pm on March 5th with addresses from Local Co-ordinator, Cheryl
Rodriguez, The ECCB’s Resident Representative, Elritha Dick, President of the
Eastern Caribbean Institute of Banking and Financial Services Errol Allen and
Resident Representative of the U.W.I. Dr Adrian Fraser.
Over three hundred individuals have graduated from five courses
here, joining over 1,200 in the Eastern Caribbean.
February 25th 2010
WORLD BANK
PROVIDES US$2.3M TO SVG FOR E-GOVERNMENT PROJECT
The World Bank is providing
US$2.3 million to this country for an E-Government project that forms part of a
wider Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) initiative. St. Vincent
and the Grenadines’ Ambassador to the United States, LaCelia Prince signed the
agreement with World Bank officials in Washington on Tuesday, as part of the
OECS E-Government Regional Integration Project.
Ambassador Prince said that
the OECS E-Government programme is a direct response to the developmental
challenges, which countries like St. Vincent and the Grenadines face, on
account of their small size and vulnerability to external shocks.
She also added that with the
loss of trade preferences, the unreliability of traditional markets and the
knock-on effects of the global financial crisis, small vulnerable economies
find that they have to up the ante in order to improve their competitiveness.
She said the government has determined that a key element in developing a
“modern, competitive, post-colonial economy” is the improvement of the public
sector by enhancing its efficiency and the delivery of services.
Prince said the agreement
provides for the implementation of a public sector strategy focusing on
improving the delivery of public sector services; improving internal
efficiency, including lowering costs of public service delivery; and improving
coordination between government agencies. In addition, it
calls for increasing transparency, through the use of Information Communication
Technology (ICT), “with the overall objective of contributing to regional
integration.”
She said implementation of the project will begin in the first
quarter this year, and is expected to be fully operational by August 2013.
MINISTRY OF
CULTURE FINE ARTS, FILE AND FASHION EXHIBITION CONTINUES
The Ministry of Culture’s
Fine Art, Film and Fashion Exhibition series for 2010 continues today.
The Ministry says this year the program runs from February 22nd
to March 2nd and will visit seven communities.
So far the exhibition was held at the Sandy Bay Resource Center
and had a visit from students at the Sandy Bay Secondary School, the Park Hill
Government School and the San Souci Resource Center.
The exhibition today is
taking place in Bequia at the Town Hall while on Friday it will be at the
Questelles Resource Centre. On Monday the
exhibition will move into the Rose Bank Community Centre.
The final presentation will
be held at the Methodist Church Hall starting at 9:30 am followed by a closing
ceremony at 5:00pm.
SVG RATED
AS THE TOP DESTINATION IN THE CARIBBEAN BY A LEADING TRAVEL PUBLISHER
A leading international
publisher of travel deals and destination advice has rated St. Vincent and the
Grenadines as the top destination in the Caribbean.
New York-based Shermans Travel Media, LLC – which offers
travel-deals e-newsletter and bulletins, as well as provides information about
air deals, hotels, vacation packages, and cruises – listed, in its
February/March magazine, St. Vincent and the Grenadines as #1 among the top 10
destinations in the region.
The travel and destination
concern rated Curacao as #2; Jamaica #3; Grenada no. 4; Antigua #5; British
Virgin Islands #6; Anguilla #7; St. Lucia #8; Dominican Republic #9; and
Vieques, Puerto Rico, #10.
St. Vincent and the
Grenadines’ #1 ranking comes as the upscale travel website, Jetsetter.com, in
January ranked two of its islands as “tops” in the world that are considered to
be “off the beaten track.”
Mustique and Canouan in the
Grenadines were rated the top two islands among 10 identified as the best
getaways.
JEMS YOUTH
AMBASSADORS FOR POSITIVE LIVING ATTEND WORKSHOP
JEMS Youth Ambassadors for
Positive Living will meet on Saturday for an all-day workshop aimed at
developing strategies to reduce the incidents and the impact of HIV and Aids
here. JEMS president Andrew Simmons says ‘youth-to-youth’ initiatives, such as
its Youth Ambassadors for Positive Living programme have been extremely
successful in reaching young people.
It’s based on a successful
international model, which has been proven to encourage positives lifestyles
and it trains young people to counsel their peers on facts about the virus. The
organization says it’s hopeful that Saturday’s workshop will encourage more
young people to enjoy living healthy, purposeful lives while becoming positive
role models for their peers in the process.
The Youth Ambassadors for
Positive Living programme is funded by a grant from the United States Peace
Corps and the United States Agency for International Development, USAID.
Saturday’s workshop takes place at the JEMS Headquarters building
and community center in Enhams from 9:00 AM .
RAS TAFARI
WORKING COMMITTEE HOLDS CONFERENCE
The Ras Tafari Working
Committee will hold a conference this weekend to climax the activities for
Black History Month 2010. The Conference
will be held by the Rastafari Working Committee in collaboration with the Black
History Month Committee under the theme; “Unity Gives Strength and assures
Success”.
During the conference there
will be two panel discussions on “Business in this current Economic Climate”
and the “View of the Rastafari Movement- Including visits to Ethiopia”. The
event will be held this Sunday February 28th at the Green House Conference
Center in Buccament running from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm.
SVG
COMMUNITY COLLEGE TO STAGE POETRY EVENING
The St. Vincent and the
Grenadines Community College division of Arts, Sciences and General Studies
will stage a poetry evening this Friday. The event is
being staged as part of a series of cultural activities this month to celebrate
Black History Month 2010.
The event will take place at
the Library Pavilion at the college the school. It is entitled “Verses of
Resilience”.
The evening will feature guest poets and poets from the school as
well an Afro-Cultural Fashion exhibition of the works of the Community College
designers and prominent local artists. Other activities for the month’s
celebrations also included a poetry competition on a Black History Month theme.
The winning poem will be
announced and read at the Poetry evening on Friday.
There was also be a screening of the
film ‘500 Years Later’ and a lecture entitled “Spirit of Insubordination:
Vincentian Women in the 19th Century”.
EPIC TO
RETURN TO SVG TO COMPLETE RESEARCH AND OUTREACH
Environmental Protection In the Caribbean (EPIC) is returning to St Vincent at the
beginning of March to complete research and outreach for the first
comprehensive Seabird Breeding Atlas of the Lesser Antilles. Field Research
Manager Katherine Lowrie says they will be working closely with the Government
Officials and conservation organizations to collect any existing information
about seabirds.
There are also plans to speak
to schools and residents about their work while gaining local knowledge.
She says it is hoped that people will begin to realize the value
of seabirds and start to conserve them.
The Environmental Protection
Group will do a presentation to interest groups on Monday March1st at the
National Trust Building in Kingstown, beginning at 10:00am.
VINCENTIAL
BORN US CITIZEN HELD FOR COCAINE POSSESSION AT GUYANA’S AIRPORT
A Vincentian-born United
States citizen is currently in police custody after she was found with seven
kilograms of cocaine at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport yesterday
morning.
The woman who has since been identified as Anesha Joseph, was
caught around 08:20 hours by ranks of the Police Narcotic Branch.
This newspaper was told that
the woman was about to board a Delta flight, which was destined for the United
States. Police Narcotic Ranks reportedly searched the woman’s two suitcases and
the cocaine was found concealed in folders, packets of soymilk and in books.
She was immediately taken into custody and investigations
are ongoing. Charges are likely soon.
Last Monday, two Jamaica-born
British nationals were nabbed at the CJIA with one kilogram each of cocaine
concealed in wigs. The two women and a local
hairdresser have since been charged and remanded in connection with the cocaine.
February 24 2010
GOVERNMENT’S
HOUSING PROGRAM THE BEST
Deputy Prime Minister Hon Sir
Louis Straker has described the government’s current housing program as the
best by any governmnet of this country. Sir Louis who
was speaking at the ULP’s 16th annual convention on Sunday was listing the
advancements made in the country by the ULP administration.
He stated that the housing program is designed to provide proper
housing for the poor people of this country and that many Vincentians are now
enjoying the benefits of the housing revolution.
Sir Louis also spoke of the health revolution and the Home Help
for the Elderly programme which was introduced by this governmnet.
MINISTRY OF
HEALTH COMMENDED BY PAHO ADVISOR
The Ministry of Health has
been commended for its efforts in providing the right environment to protect
adolescents from risk factors such as drugs, alcoholism, teenage pregnancy, and
STDs.
The commendation came from Family and Community Health Advisor
for the Pan American Health Organization, Dr. Betzabe Butron, while delivering
an address at the opening of a consultation on Adolescent Health Policy
Development.
Dr. Butron said St. Vincent
and the Grenadines is taking the lead role in trying to improve the health of
the Adolescent Population here. Dr. Butron said
the Ministry of Health must partner with other Ministries and Non-Governmental
Organizations to protect adolescents who are exposed to different risk factors
present in the community, family and schools.
MINISTRY OF
EDUCATION PARTNERING WITH NATIONAL FAMILY PLANNING UNIT
Senior Education Officer
Carlton Hall says the Ministry of Education is pleased to partner with the
National Family Planning Unit to develop an adolescent Health Policy for St.
Vincent and the Grenadines.
Hall said this move is timely
as St. Vincent and the Grenadines is in the process of consolidating the
investment in the young people through the Education Revolution.
The consultation is being held under the theme “Healthy bodies,
healthy minds, Vibrant Future.”
THE CHOICES
PEOPLE MAKE HELP DETERMINE THEIR DESTINY SAYS PASTOR HOLLIS CHARLES
Pastor Hollis Charles Guest
Speaker at the Pan Against Crime Concert, which took
place in Georgetown on Saturday noted that the choices people make can help to
determine their destiny. He urged
persons to put God first in their lives. He said young people must have a
vision because it gives direction, motivation and creativity.
Pastor Charles noted that if
one does not have a vision their life will become passive. He further stated
that it comes with obstacles and opportunities and urged persons to turn away
from crimes and to be positive in thoughts and deeds.
Saturday’s Concert saw a
number of performances from leading and upcoming orchestras.
Pan against Crime is being held under the theme “Play a Pan,
Arrange a Song, Build the mind, Down with Violence and
Crime.” Saturday’s concert was held in commemoration of the second anniversary
of the initiative.
ADOLESCENT
HEALTH POLICY CONSULTATIONS
Healthy bodies, healthy
minds, Vibrant Future.” is the theme under which the consultations on
Adolescent Health policy development are being held.
The consultations are being hosted by the Ministry of Health and
the Environment in collaboration with the National Family Planning Programme
(NFPP) and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and are being
facilitated by PAHO Official Mrs. Claudia Brann from Canada.
Speaking at the opening
ceremony Mr. Harvey Farrell, Health Officer, quoted from a PAHO document on
Adolescent Health, which stated that Adolescent health no longer, needs
justification since many practices in this time of their life have lasting impact.
Sister Naomi Prince,
Coordinator, NFPP, said that there is a need for a clearly defined Adolescent
Health Policy document. She welcomed
the different contributions by key stakeholders especially the adolescents who
will be directly affected by the document. The
consultations will conclude on February 26th.
YOUTH
BUSINESS TRUST LAUNCHED
Young entrepreneurs in St.
Vincent and the Grenadines now have another avenue through which they can
source financing and institutional support. This support is
being offered by the Youth Business Trust, which will be officially launched
here in March under the theme: ‘Empowerment for Youth Entrepreneurship’.
Chairperson of the Trust,
Kyron Barker, said its aim is to reduce youth unemployment through the
provision of business financing and mentorship and that the Thrust will seek to
harness the enterprising skills of the country’s youths.
A quantity of office
equipment was yesterday handed over to the SVG Youth Business Thrust to aid in
the preparation of its offices. The donation
was made by the Regional Management Office, a project funded by the European
Union and the islands of Dominica, Grenada and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
The equipment was valued at
EC$50,000 dollars.
In related news..
The Chamber of Industry and
Commerce says it will continue to promote projects that stimulate entrepreneurship
particularly among young people. President of
the Chamber, Angus Steele made this disclosure while speaking at the ceremony.
Mr. Steele endorsed the
mandate of the Trust in helping to stimulate economic activity through the
nation’s youths and added that small businesses are the backbone of economic
activity in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
February
23rd 2010
FORMER ST. LUCIAN PRIME
MINISTER APPEALS TO VINCENTIANS TO RETURN THE ULP TO OFFICE
Former St Lucia Prime
Minister Dr Kenny Anthony on Sunday appealed to Vincentians to maintain the
status quo by returning the ruling Unity Labour Party (ULP) to office and not
place the country in incapable hands at the upcoming general election.
Addressing the 16th convention of the ULP, Anthony said the people
of St Vincent and the Grenadines should not follow the mistake of St. Lucians
and elect a government that has no idea how to deal with the socio-economic
crisis facing the country.
He said St Lucian voters had
removed his administration in 2006 despite it having improved the economy and
infrastructure on the island in favour of the United Workers Party “under an 81
year old leader, who died within weeks of his accession to office” and since
then it has become increasingly clear that the people of St. Lucia have paid a
price for their decision.
PAN AGAINST CRIME
CELEBRATES 2ND ANNIVERSARY
Pan against Crime, the
pro-active initiative to reduce violence and crime in St. Vincent and the
Grenadines held a concert in Georgetown on Saturday 20th February to celebrate
its 2nd anniversary and to collect donations for the people of Haiti who were
recently hit by a devastating earthquake.
Speaking at the event Prime
Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines and initiator of Pan against Crime,
as well as Parliamentary representative for North Central Windward Hon Dr.
Ralph Gonsalves noted that over the past three years this country has seen a
decline in crime and expressed the belief that the program is having an impact
on the nation’s youth.
COMMISSIONER OF POLICE
CALLS FOR BROADCASTING CONTROL STANDARDS
Commissioner of Police Keith
Miller is calling for broadcasting control standards to prevent radio
personalities from abusing, insulting and maligning people’s
character. Commissioner Miller also pointed out that plans are
being made to expand the Police Youth club.
The Programme was done
in collaboration with the Social Investment Fund SIF, which used the occasion
to donate a set of pans to the Georgetown Steel Orchestra in the hope that it will
help to bring the communities together to fight against crime and poverty in
the area.
CHAIRMAN OF CARIBBEAN PAN
AFRICAN NETWORK COMMENDS PRIME MINISTER GONSALVES
David Commissiong, President
of the People’s Empowerment Party and Chairman of the Caribbean Pan African
Network has described St Vincent and the Grenadines one of the most fortunate
countries in the world.
Mr Commissiong was at the
time speaking at the Unity Labour Party’s 16th Annual Convention which was held
on Sunday under the theme “Standing firm for another term”. He
made the disclosure while applauding Prime Minister Hon Dr Ralph Gonsalves for
the excellent leadership role that he is playing not only in St Vincent and the
Grenadines but throughout the region.
He commended Prime Minister
Gonsalves for being able to continue to bring tap into and work with
traditional North American and European partners to bring development partners
and benefits to this country even in this era of the world
recession. He also commended Dr Gonsalves for the critical
leadership role which he is playing in building the International Pan African
Movement.
Mr Commissiong indicated that
his organisation has put forward a proposal to work with the African Union as
well as CARICOM for the benefit of the Caribbean people through a Secretariat
which should be set up here.
SVG RED CROSS SOCIETY
EXPRESS THANKS TO CONTRIBUTORS TO HAITI APPEAL
The St Vincent and the
Grenadines Red Cross Society is expressing sincerest thanks and appreciation to
all individuals, corporate citizens, banking institutions and civic
organisations who have made contributions to their
Haiti appeal initiative.
A release from the Red Cross
Society says that as of February 8th deposits made by some one hundred and thirty
six individuals, corporate citizens, banking institutions, civic and community
organisations, schools and schools and groups and the radio stations together
totaled an amount of one hundred and sixty six thousand, six hundred and
seventy eight dollars and twenty nine cents.
MINISTRY OF HEALTH, NFPP
AND PAHO HOST CONSULTATIONS
The Ministry of Health and
the Environment in collaboration with the National Family Planning Programme
(NFPP) and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) hosted the first of four
days of consultations on Adolescent Health Policy Development which began on
February 22nd and ends on 26th February. The opening ceremony took place
at the Methodist Church Hall, Kingstown.
The aims of these
consultations are to encourage adolescents to lead healthy lifestyles and to
reduce risky healthy and social practices in adolescents and youths between the
ages of 10-19. The consultation will be facilitated by PAHO Official Mrs.
Claudia Brann from Canada.
Minister of Health and the
Environment, Dr. Douglas Slater who delivered the feature address stated that
results from previous studies conducted in St. Vincent and the Grenadines
revealed that more young people are engaging in antisocial activities.
According to Dr. Slater, he was very worried when he saw the results and thus
served to accelerate their efforts in achieving this Adolescent Health Policy
document.
Minster Slater said that they
are striving by 20/20 for perfection in the development of young people.
He added that Cancer of the Cervix is affecting a number of young women today
and that one causal factor attributed to the development of Cervical Cancer is
early sexual contact in girls.
Minister Slater told
adolescents present that they have a responsibility to get the facts, analyze
them, and act accordingly. He also said that they are responsible to
guide adolescents but at the end of the day they have to make their own
decisions. He reminded them that education is still one of the best ways
to rise from poverty.
LABOUR MINISTER HON RENE
BAPTISTE DELIVERS FEATURE ADDRESS AT CTAWU CONGRESS
Occupational Safety Health
administration Environmental and Health issues, job preservation, productivity
and rules of employment were some key areas that Labour Minister Hon Rene
Baptiste talked about whilst delivering the feature address at the Commercial
Technical and Allied Workers’ union 19th biennial congress which took place last week.
Minister Baptiste official
declared the congress open and commended President of the CTAWU, Ms Alice
Mandeville, for her dedication to the service of the CTAWU and asked for a
standing ovation on her behalf.
The minister stated that she
has always had an open door policy to trade unions and is always willing to
listen and dialogue. She added that decent work ethic must be reflected in the
attitude of workers amidst their demands for better working conditions and
salaries.
Minister Baptiste urged local
trade unions to keep abreast of what is happening regionally in the trade union
sector and to continually seek areas for improvement. She asked that trade
unions support the government’s efforts to expand social security safety nets
and develop labour laws.
According to minister
Baptiste, she is disappointed that trade unions have not lobbied more
collective bargaining training and renewed the call the tripartite committee to
meet during the course of the year.
The Minister of Labour also
challenged the leadership of the CTAWU to awake and resurrect the allegiance of
their broad-based membership to engage in trade union activities and
demonstrate this solidarity on National Workers Day at Heritage Square on May 1st.
PINEAPPLE PRODUCERS
FARMERS CO-OP TO BE LAUNCHED TODAY
After four months of planning
and organization, a Pineapple Producers Farmers Cooperative will be launched
here today. The Cooperative, which comprises farmers from Lowmans
Hill to Richmond, who grow Pineapples, will be launched at the Spring Village
Community Centre.
According to Regional
Agricultural Officer Dan Richards the idea grew out of a training session
organized last October, in which the farmers expressed a need to have in place
an organized system of marketing and provision of relevant technical
information and assistance necessary for profitable pineapple production.
Assisted by the Taiwanese
Technical Mission, the group was able to formulate its by-laws which will be
outlined to the perspective members at the launching ceremony. Some
fifty Pineapple Farmers are expected to attend the session, which begins at
1:30 this afternoon.
February 22nd 2010
ULP READY FOR NEXT GENERAL
ELECTIONS
Hundreds of supporters of
the ruling Unity Labour Party turned out in their numbers yesterday at the
party’s 16th annual
convention, which took place at the Campden Park Secondary
School. The convention was held under the theme "Standing
Firm For Another Term".
Delivering the feature
address at the event, leader of the party and Prime Minister Dr. Ralph
Gonsalves stated that his party is ready to go into the next General Elections.
Prime Minister Gonsalves
made mention of the advancements made by the party over the last nine years,
and gave the assurance that his administration will continue to pursue the
plans and programs for the further development of the country. Dr.
Gonsalves said his Government was also instrumental in reducing the level of
poverty over the years.
DR. KENNY ANTHONY
DELIVERS FEATURE ADDRESS AT ULP CONVENTION
Guest speaker Dr Kenny
Anthony leader of the St Lucia Labour part has urged those present to ensure
that they remain relevant to and involved in the process of nurturing the party
in Government.
Dr. Anthony said because of
the changing times, the party must have a new vision in order to take St.
Vincent and the Grenadines to another level. Dr Anthony also applauded
Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves for the remarkable economic performance of
this country.
MINISTRY OF EDUCATIONS
HOLD LANGUAGE CONFERENCES FOR FIFTH FORMERS
Language conferences have
commenced today by the Ministry of Education for fifth formers who are
registered for the 2010 CXC/CSEC examinations in foreign. The
Ministry said that the objective of the conferences is to review the components
of the CXC/CSEC Examinations and to promote interaction in the target language.
The Spanish conference began
at the North Union Learning Resource Centre for schools in Zone One today and
the French conference is scheduled to take place on Friday, March 5th, at the Girl Guides Headquarters.
The theme of the conferences is ‘Today Let’s Communicate in the Target
Language’. They are being held in conjunction with the Association of Teachers.
HONEY INDUSTRY ON THE
REBOUND
The Ministry of Agriculture
has indicated that the honey industry has rebounded after suffering a major
setback in 2000 when production sunk to an all time low and there existed only
2 domesticated hives. A release from the Ministry says that 96 new
apiaries are now being operated by 42 beekeepers.
Extension Officer, Allan
Williams says plans are well in advance for a further developmental drive to
regain dominance of the existing honey market which has been recently flooded
by products from aboard. Among the planned activities being carried out will be
a training session for 12 persons who have expressed interest in establishing
apiaries.
The training, which will
introduce new beekeepers to Honey Bee farming, will take place at the Dumbarton
Agricultural Station this week. The sessions are a joint venture with the
Apiculture Committee, a group of Beekeepers working to form a Honey Producers
Association here.
SPIRITUAL BAPTISTE
LEADER LAID TO REST
Thousands of Spiritual
Baptists, family, friends and well wishers from St Vincent and the Grenadines,
the region and internationally has today paid their final respects at the
funeral of a stalwart of the Spiritual Baptist fraternity, His Eminence Most
Reverend Cosmore Matthias Pompey.
He was the head of the
Spiritual Baptist Archdiocese and the Lord’s anointed of the faith. His funeral
took place at the St Mary’s Spiritual Baptist Cathedral at Overland. He
has been a spiritual Baptist for over 55 years. He passed away at his home at
Overland on February 11th.
He was 76 years old at the time of his death.
BEDCO CELEBRATES FIRST
ANNIVERSARY
The Belmont Educational
Community Organisation BEDCO, is celebrating its first
anniversary with a week of activities. A release from the organisation
states that a church service was held at the Belmont St. Elizabeth Baptist
church, yesterday to kick off the activities.
BEDCO is expected to meet
today with the Director of Youth in the Ministry of National Mobilisation, Mr
Carlos Williams who will highlight the role and importance of the community
groups in today’s society. The meeting will take place at the Belmont
Governmnet School at 6 pm.
On February 23rd the organisation will be conducting a house to
house membership drive which is being done in recognition of the need of
togetherness and to strengthen the relationship among residents within the
community. And on March 7th
BEDCO will host their anniversary rally at the newly constructed Belmont
Lookout site, where there will be performances and a presentation of the
members, brief remarks from area representatives, BEDCO’s chairman and other
invited guests.
The organisation’s main
objective is to promote and inculcate a positive, healthy lifestyle and
environmental habits within the community and surrounding areas including
Fairhall, South wood, Glamorgan, La Croix, Ginger Village and Fairbian Pasture.
MINISTRY OF FOREIGN
AFFAIRS HOLDS PROTOCOL WORKSHOP
The Ministry of Foreign
Affairs is today staging a one-day ‘Protocol’ workshop today focusing on
procedures and practices that should be implemented by persons who interact
with diplomats.
According to a release from
the Ministry the workshop will cover various subject areas including: Who is a
diplomat? – Rights and privileges afforded to diplomats – and appropriate Code
of Conduct.
Participants are being drawn
from airline companies and public agencies such as the Immigration and Customs
Departments, the Police and persons in the hospitality industry.
The Resource persons for the
event will be Deputy Director of the Foreign Policy and Research, Sandy
Peters-Philips and Senior Foreign Service Officer, Earl Paynter.
The workshop preceded a short opening ceremony which was addressed by Foreign
Affairs Minister, Sir Louis Straker and the Director of Foreign Policy and
Research, Maxwell Charles.
SEVENTH DAY ADVENTIST
CHURCH DONATES TO RSVG POLICE FORCE
The St. Vincent and the
Grenadines Police Force (RSVG) received a number of Bibles and Magazines from
the Seventh Day Adventist Church in a session held at the Criminal
Investigation Department Office last week.
The session heard remarks
from Evangelist Eugene Benjamin from Antigua. Evangelist Benjamin in his
address spoke about his life of sin up until the age of 17; he said he believed
this was the result of his dysfunctional family as he often had to watch his
father beat his mother. He took the opportunity to appeal to gang members and
all persons to change and give their lives to Christ. He then told members of
the CID that the best bullet proof vest they could ever put on is the word of
God.
A total of 120 copies of
small Bibles were given to the Police force with the promise of 900 magazines
to be distributed each month evenly for each officer. The magazines cover
Health, Family Life, Social Issues and Spiritual Doctrine.
Commissioner of Police Keith
Miller expressed his extreme gratitude for the Magazines and Bibles and for
allowing their department to be the first ones to read from the Traveling
Bible. Inspector Nicholls from the Complaints and Public Relations Department
read from Isaiah Chapter 43 verses 1 – 5.
SVG UK HIGH COMMISSION
AND SEVENTH DAY ADVENTIST IN UK ORGANIZE FUNDRAISER FOR HAITI
The Sands Seventh-day
Adventist Men’s Christian Fellowship (Sands SDA MCF) have organised another
Spiritual/Cultural Fundraising event which will take place in High
Wycombe. The event will celebrate St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG’s)
‘National Hero’s Day’ and raise funds for needy Children in SVG &
Haiti. It has been organised in association with High Commission for SVG.
The evening of spirituality
and culture will start with a Thanksgiving Service commencing with the entrance
of SVG’s national flag. After a short recess, when traditional Vincentian
cuisine will be available for purchase, the Cultural section showcasing
performances by various talented International and Vincentian Diaspora
groups/individuals will begin.
H.E. Mr Cenio E. Lewis, High
Commissioner said that he is proud of the Vincentian Diaspora in the UK ,
stating that within hours of the unfolding tragedy caused by the earthquake in
Haiti their mission received numerous enquiries from the diaspora
requesting advice on how they as individuals and groups could help Haiti.
Many of the Vincentian
Associations quickly donated a portion of their reserves or raised specific
funds and are continuing to do so. In addition The Mission has been told
by some of SVG Association Chairs that a portion of their fundraising
activities will be donated to what will be an ongoing and long term appeal of
assistance for Haiti.
The Spiritual Cultural event
organized last year by the Sands SDA MCF raised in the region
of £1100 which was donated to the High Commissioner’s Special Fund which
assists school children in need in SVG.
February 19th 2010
ULP HOLDS 16TH ANNUAL CONVENTION ON SUNDAY
Members and hundreds of
supporters of the ruling Unity Labour Party will meet this Sunday for the
party’s 16th annual
convention. The Convention which is being held under the theme “Standing
firm for another term” is set to take place at the Campden Park
Secondary School.
The Open Session begins at
9:30 am on Sunday Morning and will feature addresses from the Political Leader
and Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves; Deputy Political Leader Sir Louis
Straker. The guest speaker for the event is leader of the St Lucia Labour Party
Dr Kenny Anthony. There will also be fraternal greetings from regional party
affiliates. The Closed Session in the afternoon will discuss plans
and the way forward for the Unity Labour Party.
PAN AGAINST CRIME 2ND ANNIVERSARY
Prime Minister Hon Dr Ralph
Gonsalves will address the Pan against Crime Programme concert which will
resume on Saturday in Georgetown. A release from the Police Public
Relations Department says that the event marks the 2nd anniversary of the Pan against Crime Campaign
which was launched in February 2008.
Two of the nation’s top pansides
Starlift and Potential are slated to perform. Other performances
will come from the Georgetown and the St Benedict Steel Orchestras, the
Georgetown Government School and the Police band.
The Social Investment Fund
will officially hand over the steel pans to the Georgetown Community. Since the
launch of the Pan Against Crime Program, the Social
Investment Fund has assisted eight communities in establishing new steel
bands. Pastor Hollis Charles of the Georgetown Bethel Assembly is
expected to deliver an exhortation. The concert is scheduled to begin at 4:30
pm at the Hard Court at Chili.
SPORTS FOR LIFE CENTRE
LAUNCHED
The Sport For
Life Centre will be launched here today with the aim of inspiring children and
young people who need personal development support. It will provide
sport, education and healthy lifestyle training in a structured program
delivered by qualified teachers and coaches.
The Learning Centre will be
based at the Media Centre at the Arnos Vale Playing Field. It will consist
of Saturday Morning sessions which will be divided between cricket coaching and
IT Learning. The launching ceremony takes place at the Arnos Vale
Media Centre at 2:30 this afternoon, with Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves
delivering the feature address.
SVG HOTEL AND TOURISM
ASSOCIATION LAUNCHES NEW WEBSITE
St. Vincent and the
Grenadines has made a number of accomplishments in its Tourism sector and the
new Hotel and Tourism Association website will further enhance the delivery of
local tourism services. That’s word from the Minister of Tourism
Hon Glen Beache while speaking at launch of the St. Vincent and Grenadines
Hotel and Tourism Association new website this week.
Minister Beache however
cautioned that while the internet plays an integral part in the promotion of
the country’s tourism product and accommodations, hard copy promotion in
magazines must still continue. Minister Beache also called on the
St. Vincent and Grenadines Hotel and Tourism Association and other stakeholders
to assist with the Policing of the newly developed Tourism sites citing that
their guests will be using the sites as well.
PRIME MINISTER RESPONDS TO
FRANCE’S DECISION TO LIST SVG AMONG UNCOOPERATIVE
TAX HAVEN
This country’s Prime Hon Dr.
Ralph Gonsalves has responded to the decision taken by France to name St.
Vincent and the Grenadines on a list of jurisdictions that it considers to be
uncooperative tax havens. Earlier this week, France named eighteen
nations as being uncooperative tax havens and threatened to impose higher taxes
on French companies that have operations in those jurisdictions.
Speaking in Parliament
this morning, Prime Minister Gonsalves said he is surprised with this new
development. Dr. Gonsalves said this country has been cooperating with
the relevant authorities in establishing Tax Information Exchange Agreements
and gave an update of the status of TIEA’s signed and being pursued.
NWM GENERAL SECRETARY NOEL
JACKSON ATTENDS BARBADOS ANNUAL WEEK OF EXCELLENCE CELEBRATIONS
The General Secretary of the
National Workers Movement and President of the National Labour Congress, Trade
Unionist Noel Jackson will leave the state to attend the Barbados annual week
of Excellence celebration. Mr Jackson has been invited by the Barbados National
Productivity Council to witness the Barbados annual week of Excellence
celebration.
During the week, the social
partners, employer, government and workers will come together to give
recognition to special performances by members from within the tripartite
grouping.
Mr Jackson is also a member
of the local tripartite committee.
GUIDES, RANGERS AND
BROWNIES JOURNEY TO BEQUIA FOR WORLD THINKING DAY CELEBRATIONS
Bequia will come alive
tomorrow when hundreds of Girl Guides, Rangers and Brownies converge on the
island to commemorate World Thinking Day. World Thinking Day which
will be celebrated under the theme “Girls Worldwide Say Together We Can End
Extreme Poverty and Hunger” is the joint Birthday of the founders of the Girl
Guides movement, Lord and Lady Baden Powell.
Tomorrow’s ceremony will
begin with a march from the Famous Almond Tree through the streets of Port
Elizabeth ending at the Bequia Anglican Primary school where a Guide’s own
service will be held. Other highlights for the day will include the
enrollment of twenty five guides and twenty brownies from Bequia as well as one
from Mainland St. Vincent.
Following the luncheon break
a rally will be held when Guides from the various companies will showcase their
guiding skills and talents. Parents of the Guiding Family both from
Bequia and mainland St. Vincent have been invited to attend. The
delegation will leave from the Grenadines Wharf at 8:00 tomorrow morning and
the March in Bequia begins at 10:00 am.
CIC HOLDING OUTREACH
PROGRAMS
Executive Director of the SVG
Chamber of Industry and Commerce, Shafia London says they are currently holding
several outreach programs in the rural areas of the country. She
made this statement earlier this week during a discussion which was held
between the Food, Agriculture and Nutrition Committee within the Chamber and
livestock and crop farmers in the state regarding the Feasibility of forming a
National Farmers’ Cooperative.
Miss London said there is
normally a disconnect with the rural areas of the country because quite often
persons in those areas are not aware of what is taking place within the urban
areas especially in Kingstown in a number of different sectors. She added
that at the Chamber they hope that these outreach programs can sensitise
residents of the rural areas on relevant issues from the Chamber which will be
related to them.
SAVINGS AND INVESTMENT
COURSE
The Sixth Savings and
Investment Course, organized by the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank, ECCU, the
Eastern Caribbean Institute of Banking and Financial Services and the
University of the West Indies will commence here on Friday March
5th. The ten-week Course will cover topics relating to Personal
Finance and Investment Basics.
A release from the National
Commercial Bank says one of the main objectives is to help participants to
learn how to better develop basic budgeting techniques, improve your money
management skills and learn the basics of investing. The sessions
will be held University of the West Indies Open Campus. The course will run for
ten weeks on every Friday of the month.
A short opening ceremony will
be held at 5pm on March 5th
with addresses from Local Co-ordinator, Cheryl Rodriguez, The ECCB’s Resident
Representative, Elritha Dick, President of the Eastern Caribbean Institute of
Banking and Financial Services Errol Allen and Resident Representative of the
U.W.I. Dr Adrian Fraser. Over three hundred individuals have
graduated from five courses here, joining over 1,200 in the Eastern Caribbean.
February 18 2010
PRIME MINISTER
GONSALVES REBUTTS AND DISMISSES SEVERAL CLAIMS MADE BY THE OPPOSITION LEADER
Prime Minister Hon Dr Ralph
Gonsalves has rebutted and dismissed several claims made by the opposition NDP
in relation to the International airport project at Argyle. Dr
Gonsalves was at the time speaking at a news conference yesterday afternoon.
The Prime Minister said that the opposition is in a state of disarray on the
issue of the construction of the airport.
Dr Gonsalves explained
the process in which the work is being done on the project. Prime
Minister Gonsalves also outlined the areas in which countries who pledged their
assistance for the project will actually assist.
A BILL TO PROVIDE FOR
INCREASE IN PARLIAMENTARY SEATS TO BE TAKEN TO PARLIAMENT
A Bill will be taken to
Parliament tomorrow to make provision for the increase in the number of
Parliamentary Seats here. Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves said
that the Bill will allow for the seats to be increased from fifteen to
seventeen. Dr. Gonsalves said the change would not necessarily
affect the seats in the Grenadines.
CHIEF NURSING OFFICER
REFUTES CLAIMS THAT NURSES ARE BEING LAID OFF
Chief Nursing Officer in the
Ministry of Health and the Environment Sister Audrey Gilkes has refuted claims
that nurses are being laid off in St Vincent and the Grenadines.
Sister Gilkes was speaking
this morning on Star Radio. She explained that in 2005 the governmnet made a
deliberate policy to train more nurses than can be absorbed in the country with
the main aim of meeting national needs for registered nurses and alleviating
poverty.
Gilkes also noted that the
nursing students were made aware of the situation upon interview and had all
agreed to the terms and conditions. She said that the students all signed a
scholarship agreement to pursue their studies which has a commencement and
conclusion date. Sister Gilkes also pointed to what the
students were entitled to under the scholarship agreement.
NCCP TO PROVIDE A SAFE
ENVIRONMENT FOR CITIZENS AND VISITORS
The mission of the National
Commission on Crime Prevention (NCCP) is to provide a safe, secure, friendly
and tranquil environment for Vincentian citizens and visitors.
In keeping with their
mission, the NCCP has enlisted the assistance of the religious leaders in St.
Vincent and the Grenadines, with the aim of “Building a Culture of Peace” in
this country.
Mrs. Jenita Lewis, Director
of NCCP, during a prayer breakfast earlier this week called on Vincentians to
support their fight against crime and violence and urged participants to work
hand in hand to eradicate crime. She highlighted the success of the Pan Against Crime initiative and said that three hundred (300)
youths graduated from their summer programme last year. Also, Lewis
stated that the Police Youth Club is presently an addition to the NCCP’s
portfolio.
INITIATIVES BY NCCP HAVE
HAD A POSITITVE IMPACT ON CRIME SAYS SIR VINCENT
Sir Vincent Beache, Consultant
Advisor to the Prime Minister and Chairman, NCCP, said that the initiatives by
NCCP such as the Cadets and Pan Against Crime have had
a positive impact on crime reduction in the society.
Sir Vincent said that the
discipline instilled through these programmes lasts a long time and presently
there is 80% coverage of students in secondary schools. He added that
where youths are favourably occupied, they have less time to commit
crimes. Sir Vincent said that the church is a very powerful force
and it can do a lot more in helping to reduce crime in our society.
The event was held at the
Roman Catholic Pastoral Centre, Edinboro. At this prayer breakfast,
intercessory prayers were offered on behalf of the country after which there
was an open forum to discuss the “Role of Churches in Crime Prevention.”
MINISTER OF
TELECOMMUNICATIONS, SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY URGES VINCENTIANS TO BE THRIFTY AND
SPEND WISELY
Hon Dr Jerrol Thompson
Minister of Telecommunications, Science and Industry has stated that he hopes
Vincentians can learn to be thrifty and spend wisely and learn from the people
of Haiti especially in these times of the Global financial
downturn. He made this statement during a media briefing
yesterday, while updating the nation on his recent visit to Haiti.
Minister Thompson said while
eighty percent of Haitians are said to be poor they still economize and says he
hopes that Vincentians can learn from this. He also added that
practicing thrift does not mean persons have to stop spending completely but
instead persons should budget their spending and save for later days.
VINCENTIAN KILLED
IN TRINIDAD
A Vincentian has been shot
and killed in Trinidad yesterday. According to reports from the
Trinidad Guardian newspaper the 36-year-old man from St Vincent came to
Trinidad for Carnival and was robbed and shot dead at Ramkissoon Trace, San
Juan, yesterday.
The incident occurred around
12.45 am. Police said North Eastern Division officers responded to a report
that a body was seen lodged between a wall at Lamp
Post No 50, off the Old Santa Cruz Road. When officers got to the scene, they
found Carlos Richardson with gunshot wounds to the chest and forehead.
The victim was identified by
his mother, a Trinidadian from Morvant, after she viewed the body at Ideal
Funeral Home, Petit Bourg, San Juan, yesterday
afternoon. Police said they believed the victim was robbed and shot for the
gold jewelry he was wearing. The only item the robbers left on Richardson was
his gold watch.
Officers also said they
believed Richardson was shot as he attempted to flee his attackers by jumping a
wall, but fell between the wall at a nearby house. Constable Ameer Mohammed and
other officers of the Region II Homicide Bureau are continuing investigations.
CIC EAGER TO SEE MORE
PRIVATE SECTOR GROWTH
The Chamber of Industry and
Commerce says it’s eager to see more private sector growth which it believes is
a key factor in driving national development. President of the Chamber,
Angus Steele said he’s confident that growth in that sector will promote future
development even as the nation faces a number of challenges.
However, Mr. Steele
applauded the government’s efforts so far to improve the local business
environment. Mr. Steele said the Chamber is aware of the current
limitations but said if private sector growth is not accelerated then the
country faces the possibility of becoming even more vulnerable to global
threats.
JEMS YOUTH AMBASSADORS
WORKSHOP
The JEMS Youth Ambassadors
for Positive Living will meet for a one-day refresher workshop next Saturday,
February 27th. The workshop is targeting all youth and young adults who
attended the training workshops in October and November 2009.
Based on a successful international
model, the Youth Ambassador program encourages positive lifestyles, and trains
youth and young adults to counsel their peers on the facts surrounding HIV and
AIDS.
The purpose of the program
is to decrease the incidence and impact of HIV and AIDS in St. Vincent, and to
increase the number of youth and young people setting positive lifestyle
examples and enjoying healthy, purposeful lives.
The workshop takes place at
the JEMS Headquarters in Enhams next Saturday from 9:00am. The Youth
Ambassadors are asked to take along copies of their original skits and poems
and to wear their Youth Ambassador T-shirts.
February 17 2010
PRIME MINISTER GONSALVES
TO TAKE LEGAL ACTION AGAINST A RADIO STATION AND TALK SHOW HOSTS
Prime Minister Dr. Ralph
Gonsalves to take legal action against a local radio station and two talk show
hosts for statements relating to monies deposited at the state-owned National
Commercial Bank. Prime Minister Gonsalves was speaking last evening
on the Tuesday night program here on Star Radio. He said that he
would take legal action against the two radio talk show hosts as well as the
radio station which airs two advertisements sponsored by the opposition New
NDP.
Dr Gonsalves said that he
would not give any unauthorized leak the dignity of a response and also made it
clear that no money deposited in the bank by the government is
tainted. He is promising also to sue “those who prepared the ad”,
noting “every time the ad is played it is a defamation”.
Dr Gonsalves noted that he
was instrumental in the passing of the anti-money laundering laws in parliament
and the establishment of the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), which
investigates suspicious financial activities.
PRIME MINSITER
GONSALVES’ LAWYER ISSUE STATEMENT
A statement has been issued
today by lawyers of Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves, stating that the current
radio advertisements on behalf of the opposition NDP is the recent
manifestation of calculated political dishonesty. The statement
says that the advertisement is riddled with lies, misinformation and is gravely
defamatory of the Prime Minister.
The statement further
reveals that the first lie and misinformation concerns the alleged million
dollars in cash deposited at the National Commercial Bank, which the NDP seeks
by allegation to accuse Dr Gonsalves of being involved in drug trafficking or
illicit receipt of the proceeds of drug trafficking and money laundering.
The second lie and
misinformation according to the release is where the NDP alleges that the Prime
Minister was afraid to answer allegations of rape and indecent assault in the
court. The advertisement falsely infers, among other things, that he used or
misused this position as Prime Minister to avoid answering the said
allegations.
HON DR JERROL THOMPSON
RETURNS FROM HAITI
Minister of
Telecommunications, Science and Industry, Dr. Jerrol Thompson yesterday gave an
account of his recent trip to Haiti, saying that the earthquake-ravaged country
will require long-term assistance if life there is to return to
normalcy. Minister Thompson said while he witnessed some of the
most heart-wrenching images of his life, he has also come away from Haiti with
a number of lessons learned.
The Minister pointed out
that one of the major reasons why Haiti was so devastated by the earthquake is
the fact that in Port au Prince many building codes are ignored and buildings
are built on every remaining plot of land. He however pointed put
that here in St. Vincent and the Grenadines people must adhere to the building
guidelines to avert a catastrophe of this nature.
Minister Thompson said at
present it would take one thousand trucks working twenty four hours per day for
an entire year to clear the amount of rubble in Haiti. He added
that the country needs long term assistance and noted that he hopes the relief
efforts can continue for as long as the Haitian people would require this
assistance.
DISTRICT DISASTER
COMITTEEE MEMBERS MEET
Members of the District
Disaster Committees throughout St Vincent and the Grenadine
will come together during a one day symposium tomorrow. A
release from the National Emergency Management Organisation NEMO says that the
symposium which will be held under the theme “Creating proactive communities
for sustainable disaster risk reduction in 2010 and onwards.
NEMO says that the symposium
is aimed at building the capacity of district committees to engage communities
in district reduction activities, including project proposal writing,
development, funding and implementation. The revised District
disaster plan will also be presented to communities for implementation at the
community level and opportunities for training and development will also be
offered.
NEMO says that it recognizes
that the district disaster committees are important pillars in the organisation
and are the first line of support and defence in any disaster before outside
assistance can arrive. This one day symposium will take place at
NEMO’s conference room at 8:30 am. This is the second symposium to be held by
NEMO. The first was held in May last year.
OECS/TOBAGO CAYS MARINE
PARK WORKSHOP
The OECS Secretariat and the
Board and Management of the Tobago Cays Marine Park will host the Workshop in
Union Island today. The ceremony will hear addresses from Permanent
Secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office, Godfred Pompey; Permanent Secretary
in the Ministry of Health and the Environment Lanceford Weekes; Head of the
Environment and Sustainable Unit of the OECS Secretariat Keith Nichols and
Director of Grenadines Affairs, Edwin Snagg.
The opening ceremony will
precede a two-day workshop in which participants from across the six
independent OECS States will have an opportunity to learn from the approaches
of the Office of the Tobago Cays in implementing the OECS Protected Areas and
Associated Livelihoods (OPAAL) Project. It will also provide an
environment in which other OECS Member States participating in the OPAAL
Project can share best practices, learn from and exchange with the Tobago
Cays. The workshop takes place at the Catholic Church Hall in
Clifton Union Island from 9:00am.
GOMEA METHODIST SCHOOL
LITERACY COMPETITIONS
The Gomea Methodist School
will be staging a number of competitions next week as part of its continued
efforts to promote literacy. The activities will be held to
celebrate Literacy Week from February 22nd to 26th, under the theme: ‘Reading Opens
Doors’. The competitions, which include reading and spelling,
are aimed at motivating students to be able to read. The week’s activities will
culminate on Friday with a Literacy Family Night.
JEMS TO HOLD REGIONAL
CONFERENCE
The JEMS Progressive
Community Organization is preparing to hold a major regional conference later
this year. President of the JEMS Progressive Community Organization,
Andrew Simmons made the announcement during News Conference hosted by LIME last
week to launch their partnership.
Mr. Simmons said that from
October 28th to November 3rd they will host the Caribbean Youth Environment
Network (CYN) Conference which will have seventy-five Caribbean youth delegates
coming to St. Vincent and the Grenadines to host a series of discussions. He
added that the discussions will focus on the Environment and Climate change.
February 16 2010
ULP HOLDS 16TH ANNUAL CONVENTION
Members and Supporters of
the ruling Unity Labour Party ULP will meet on Sunday for the Party’s 16th Annual Convention. Preparations
are being finalized for the Convention, which is set to take place at the
Campden Park Secondary School.
The Open Session begins at
9:30 am on Sunday Morning and will feature addresses from the Political Leader
and Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves; Deputy Political Leader Sir Louis
Straker and a Guest Speaker. The guest speaker for the event is leader of the
St Lucia Labour Party Kenny Anthony. The Closed Session in the afternoon will
discuss plans and the way forward for the Unity Labour Party.
CONSTITUTION REFORM CRITICAL FOR COMMONWEALTH CARIBBEAN