NEMO announces national lockdown due to impending storm Elsa
A Tropical Storm warning is currently in effect for Saint Lucia. On the forecast track, the system will pass near Saint Lucia or over the Windward Islands on Friday, 2nd July 2021. Due to this it has been decided by NEMAC that there will be a national shutdown tomorrow from 4am on Friday.
The shutdown will remain in place until an ALL CLEAR is given by the Prime Minister or NEMO.
Therefore, the public is asked to remain indoors and not to venture out until such time.
Any information relating to the resumption of normal business activity will be disseminated thereafter. All Public Service Offices with the exception of the essential services will also remain closed until the announcement of the ALL CLEAR. The public are advised to stay alert and attentive to any announcements being issued by NEMO.
For additional information, please contact NEMO via telephone number (758) 452-3802/ (758) 468-2126 or email at admin@nemo.gov.lc. You may also visit our website at www.nemo.gov.lc
The upcoming National Health Insurance scheme (NHI) will ensure the poor and vulnerable are not left behind
Upon launch of the NHI system, the Government of Saint Lucia seeks to provide the more underprivileged elements of society with insurance coverage.
Chief Economist for Research and Policy in the Department of Finance, Janai Leonce, says the cost of coverage for those unable to afford will be subsidized by the state.
“One of the notions that the state is looking to do is where persons are poor and vulnerable and what not, to ensure that those persons are provided for with insurance policies that will allow them to access an array of services and benefits that they would otherwise not have, so care is being placed in the design of this that whatever is to be designed, the poor, the vulnerable and what have you, you will be proxy means tested to ensure that they meet the requisite standards for poverty and vulnerability.”
Further development of the NHI system will determine the most pragmatic model to produce a public safety net.
“One of the things we have been working with the World Bank and our other stakeholders as we are in the design element is to address which modality is best so would it be best for the state to purchase all of the policies then have persons who are poor and vulnerable receive from the state and also persons who are not poor and vulnerable who would like to purchase insurance to do that through the state as well or whether it be best to have the state simply focus on the poor and vulnerable and allow your non-poor to be able to access through their employer, through a provider of their choice or so forth “
The intent of the final phase of NHI is to include all demographics including the underprivileged and persons in retirement age.
Welcome the new Resident British Commissioner, Lesley Saunderson
The British High Commission announces the departure of Resident British Commissioner, Steve McCready, who has completed his tenure in Saint Lucia. For the last four years, Mr. McCready has represented the UK government and built a strong and close bilateral relationship with Saint Lucia. He forged vital partnerships spanning both government and civil society to tackle issues of concern to the UK and Saint Lucia.
Steve McCready
In a farewell statement, Mr. McCready said: “It has been a privilege to represent the UK in St Lucia as Resident British Commissioner. Whether in government-to-government cooperation on issues like climate change and border security, or working with civil society on rural agriculture or human rights, our countries’ close friendship and shared values were defining features. My memories of the people of Saint Lucia will always be framed by their passion, pride, professionalism, warmth and wonderful sense of humour. I wish my successor Lesley all the best, and I am sure professionally and personally she will enjoy the job as much as I have, in this most beautiful of Caribbean islands.”
As the High Commission bids Mr. McCready a heartfelt farewell, it is pleased to welcome the new Resident British Commissioner, Lesley Saunderson. Prior to this appointment, she was the Deputy Ambassador at the British Embassy in Cuba and has also served in Cambodia, India, Russia and Tanzania where she worked as an Adviser in the Prime Minister’s Office (Regional Administration and Local Government) for two years. She holds a Masters in Public Policy and Management, School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London. Ms Saunderson says, “I am delighted to be in St Lucia as the UK’s new Resident British Commissioner. I have had a very warm welcome from my new colleagues in the British High Commission which I know is typical of the Saint Lucian people. I look forward to meeting our current and new partners across the island. I want to continue our work and build a deeper and even more dynamic future together, building on the many links and values shared by our two beautiful islands.”
The British High Commission is also delighted to announce that the new High Commissioner to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, Mr. Scott Fursseddon-Wood, presents his credentials to Prime Minister of Saint Lucia, the Hon. Allen Chastanet, on Wednesday, 30 June, 2021. He will also present his credentials to the Director-General of the OECS, Dr. Didacus Jules later that day. During his two-day visit, the High Commissioner will meet with officials from various government and non-government entities.
Royal Navy Task Group in Caribbean for the 2021 Hurricane Season
The Royal Navy has formed a task force in the Caribbean to provide immediate assistance to the region throughout the 2021 Hurricane Season.
RFA Wave Knight has now joined the patrol ship HMS Medway to significantly enhance the assistance available in the event of a natural disaster. The two ships arrive in Barbados on 25 June for a short visit. They will be working with authorities in Barbados and across the region in the coming weeks to plan, prepare and co-ordinate any response if needed.
Backing up the ships, there are hundreds more people – and additional equipment – held at very high readiness in the UK, ready to fly into the region and support disaster relief efforts.
HMS Medway provides the Royal Navy’s permanent presence in the Caribbean and is now into her second storm season. She has been joined by the Royal Fleet Auxiliary support ship Wave Knight, with a Royal Navy Wildcat helicopter embarked alongside specialist personnel, equipment and supplies for disaster relief, including highly-skilled troops from 24 Commando, Royal Engineers.
The Task Group Commander, Brian Trim, said: “While we hope for the best, we must prepare for the worst. These ships are the first-responders of the UK’s plan for disaster relief in the Caribbean. We are all are proud to be working together with local authorities, helping people when they need it most. “We have worked hard over the last few months to get ready for this role, and we will keep on training and preparing, learning from and cooperating with our partners in the Caribbean.”
Earlier this month, RFA Wave Knight delivered an assortment of aid from the people of Barbados and the World Health Organisation to St Vincent.
Individually and together, the two ships provide support and reassurance to Britain’s Overseas Territories and to Commonwealth states in the region. They are on hand to deliver aid in the event of natural disasters and work with local authorities to prevent drug trafficking out of the region.
The ships are making a brief visit to Bridgetown, Barbados following two weeks of exercises at sea. Together with US, French, Dutch and Canadian ships, they have participated in Exercise Tradewinds off Guyana. This US-led annual exercise was an excellent opportunity to practise cooperation at sea with other navies and coast guards in the Caribbean.
Lieutenant Sam Stallard, HMS Medway’s navigator, said: “It’s been really great to work with our partners during Tradewinds. After two weeks of training together, it will be much easier to cooperate in the months ahead.”
The Department of Justice wishes to inform the public that the services offered by the Department of Justice in the Martex Building on Brazil Street (Main Office, Accounts Section and Legal Aide Authority) will be closed on Monday 21st June 2021 and Tuesday 22nd June 2021 to facilitate the deep cleaning of the building.
The Department of Justice is grateful for your kind co-operation and regrets any inconvenience caused. We look forward to resuming normal service on Wednesday, 23rd June, 2021.
Caribbean Students to Benefit from CXC® MOU with Western Illinois University
The Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC®) has welcomed another partner into the fold with the Thursday, 17 June 2021 signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with the Western Illinois University (WIU). Due to the COVID-19 travel restrictions, this signing was held virtually and broadcast online on CXC® TV.
Under this agreement, Caribbean students seeking to take advantage of degree programmes at WIU will benefit from the matching of coursework requirements at WIU against the CXC® syllabus, which will allow for more seamless matriculation. The CXC® Associate Degree and the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination® (CAPE®) qualifications will also be recognised by WIU. As such, students can use their CAPE® qualifications to fulfil partial credit requirements towards their bachelor’s degree, allowing them to complete their degree in less than four years. This has significant cost-saving implications for students at the undergraduate level and means that the prospect of further studies for these students will be more easily within their reach.
Dr Wayne Wesley, Registrar and CEO of CXC®, noted that “the signing of this MOU is in line with CXC’s transformational agenda and its commitment to the people of the Caribbean, and opens another pathway for students to receive quality tertiary-level education.”
In his remarks at the signing ceremony, Dr Martin Abraham, Provost and Academic Vice President of WIU noted that he and his team are “delighted to partner with CXC® in recognition of the CAPE® subjects and the CAPE® Associate Degree. We recognize the quality and rigor of the curriculum, and we are delighted to ensure that the outstanding students from the Caribbean receive full credit for their hard work when they enroll at Western Illinois University.”
In addition to the opportunities provided for students, another key feature of the MOU is the collaboration between CXC® and WIU on research for the digital transformation of the
education system as well as the collaboration on faculty and staff development, to advance teaching, learning and assessment in the Caribbean.
Photo Caption: Dr Wayne Wesley, Registrar and CEO of CXC® and Dr Martin Abraham, Provost and Academic Vice President of WIU after the virtual signing of the MOU.
Bitt awarded as the 2021 Central Bank Digital Currency Partner
For its work on the DCash pilot, global fintech company, Bitt, was awarded as the 2021 Central Bank Digital Currency Partner by the industry’s leading information resource – Central Banking Publications.
The announcement came during the virtual Central Banking FinTech and RegTech Global Awards which celebrated the innovations and achievements of central banks and technology partners around the world, in the areas of financial and regulatory technology.
Rachael King, Chair of the Central Banking Awards Committee and Associate Editor of Central Banking, stated that, “[Bitt] provided a central bank with a complete end-to-end CBDC solution, from technology development through to marketing and training for consumers and stakeholders”.
Chief Executive Officer, Brain Popelka, proudly commented, “It’s immensely gratifying to be recognised by the thought-leaders of your industry, especially when it’s for your work in charting a new course. The pandemic was certainly a challenging time, but we’re proud that our team was able to persevere and launch the world’s first CBDC in a currency union”.
Bitt is the technology partner for the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank’s (ECCB) DCash pilot, which was publicly launched on 31 March 2021. This pilot provides a live cross-border case study of Bitt’s Digital Currency Management System (DCMS) within every level of the financial ecosystem within a currency union including the central bank, financial institutions, government agencies, businesses, organisations and consumers.
Popelka acknowledged everyone involved in the ongoing CBDC pilot, “Thank you to the Governor and staff of the ECCB for engaging and trusting Bitt as a proud partner on this historic journey. On behalf of our board, investors and the entire team at Bitt, thank you – Central Banking – for awarding Bitt as the 2021 Central Bank Digital Currency Partner”.
Commenting on the award, Simon Chantry, Co-Founder of Bitt, stated: “Thank you to Central Banking for recognising our achievements with the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank and the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS). We look forward to a lot more to come.”
The Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC®) has engaged with regional governments and other key stakeholders from across the region on the conception and planning of CXC 2021 regional examinations and registers its appreciation for their enriching contributions.
A Special Meeting of Council was held on Tuesday, 25 May 2021 and members reviewed and accepted a report from CXC’s School Examinations Committee (SEC), that made recommendations on the strategy for the 2021 regional examinations, which emanated from discussions at CARICOM’s Council of Human and Social Development (COHSOD) 28th Special session on 12 May 2021.
CXC 2021 Regional Examinations Strategy
After careful deliberation and consideration of all the pertinent issues, Council (made up of Governments from across the region), agreed that the revised strategy for the 2021 regional examinations shall be as follows:
To maintain the administration of all papers
CXC® will administer the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination® (CAPE®), Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate® (CSEC®) and Caribbean Certificate of Secondary Level Competence® (CCLSC®) Examinations in their original format; that is, for CAPE® and CSEC® Papers 01, 02 and 031 (School-Based Assessments [SBA]) or Paper 032 for private candidates, and for CCSLC®, Papers 01 and 02.
To delay sitting of the regional examinations by a further two weeks This will provide candidates with extra time to prepare for the examinations. Therefore, examinations will commence on Monday, 28 June 2021.
a) Exam Duration – CAPE®/CSEC®- 28 June 2021–30 July 2021
b) Release of Results – Last week in September to the first week in October, as previously communicated.
Extension of Submission of School-Based Assessment (SBA)
The deadline for the submission of SBAs will be extended to 30 June 2021 for all CSEC® and CAPE® examinations.
The Special Council Meeting took note of the Concessions that CXC® has already put in place to date, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, it is important to note that further consideration will be given during the grading process, to account for the likely psychosocial impact on students’ performance, to further ensure that they are not disenfranchised.
On-site Moderation
CXC® has also introduced a new level of flexibility for the delayed conduct of on-site moderation, with an absolute deadline now set at 31 July 2021.
Concessions The Concessions which have already been put in place in light of the COVID-19 pandemic include:
School Based Assessments (SBAs)
CXC® reduced the SBA requirements by as much as 50 per cent in some subjects.
Delayed Examinations
Examinations have been delayed by 6 weeks. A further delay of two weeks to 28 June 2021.
Submission of SBAs The deadline for the submission of SBAs has been extended by 6 weeks.
Release of Broad Topics CXC® released the Broad Topics on Monday, 10 May 2021 and territories have submitted queries, to which CXC® has been responding. In this regard, a review is currently underway.
Option to Defer Candidates have the option to defer some or all of their Examinations to either January or June 2022. CXC® has further extended candidates’ opportunity to indicate their intent for deferral to 31 May 2021.
Acceptance of SBAs in January/June 2022 from deferred candidates For the first time, CXC® will accept SBAs in January 2022 for candidates deferring to sit examinations for subjects offered in that period.
St Vincent & the Grenadines
Council also noted that CXC® continues to work with representatives from the Ministry of Education in St Vincent & the Grenadines to ensure that its candidates will not be disenfranchised as a result of the volcanic eruption.
Council believes that these decisions are made in the best interest of our stakeholders across the region at this time and will continue to engage and collaborate with all stakeholders to ensure that there is equity and fairness for all candidates, that the integrity of the regional examinations remain intact and that the health and well-being of our stakeholders remain paramount.
Bee City Cluster Project – A week-long Honey Certification Scheme Training Program for beekeepers
In 2019 Export Saint Lucia successfully presented a proposal for funding for a cluster project, funded by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) through Compete Caribbean, towards the development and eventual export of Saint Lucia honey. The “Bee City” Cluster project has various components, including creating a profile for Saint Lucia honey, marketing, and promotion in international markets.
Monday, April 26th 2021, saw the commencement of a week-long Honey Certification Scheme Training Program for beekeepers, extension officers, and other stakeholders. The program will train the beekeepers in the National Standard SLN 99 towards the implementation of the afore-mentioned certification scheme. This training program will ensure that stakeholders in the apiculture sector are fully aware of the requirements needed to produce a sustainable product along the supply chain and export more of the product soon. It is expected that once certified, our honey product will have unopposed entry into all other trading markets to which Saint Lucia has access.
Sunita-Daniel – CEO Export Saint Lucia
CEO of Export Saint Lucia, Ms. Sunita Daniel, stressed the importance of meeting market demand as the world has become highly health-conscious. She said, “The world has taken a positive turn towards healthy eating. Vegetarianism, veganism, and even religion sometimes dictate what we can and cannot permit into our temples”. Miss Daniel alluded to the turn away from simple sugars towards more healthy alternatives as sweeteners. She continued that “Our honey can fill that void and satisfy both the healthy eater and the person looking for an alternative sweetener. As we speak, we have researchers and marketers on the ground in international markets developing a strategy for market entry and searching for prospective buyers. However, we are aware that currently the domestic demand outweighs supply and as such honey production will have to increase.”
Through strategic partnerships, Ms. Daniel further explained that the Bee City Project is currently in the process of securing partnerships with certified honey production facilities to ascertain extraction and bottling are always done in a controlled and certified space that meets international requirements.
According to participant Mr. Peter Mitchell, the workshop is one of the critical aspects needed to develop Saint Lucia’s apiary industry. He said, “This workshop is timely, and facilitators have been able to impart knowledge and guidance, especially regarding the proposed certification of honey. We are happy about this intervention and the positive impact that the project will have on the apiary industry”.
It is expected that through this program, there will be an increase in production to meet the demand of the domestic and export markets.
Caribbean Airlines Cargo will expand its freighter service from May 02.
Caribbean Airlines Cargo will update its schedule and increase its weekly freighter capacity by 200,000 pounds to meet the growing demand for air cargo services on the Miami-Kingston-Miami and Miami-Trinidad-Miami routes.
The schedule will include four (4) weekly flights between Miami and Trinidad as the carrier launches a new Monday flight. Caribbean Airlines will be increasing its capacity between Miami and Kingston on Tuesdays by upgrading the aircraft which operates the service. Additionally, the airline will move its Monday flight between Miami, Kingston and Montego Bay to Sunday.
The carrier’s freighter schedule also includes a third weekly flight between Miami and Kingston and weekly flights on the Miami-Trinidad-Guyana-Miami and Miami-Barbados-Trinidad-Miami routes.
In addition to the direct freighter services, onward carriage of cargo is available throughout the entire Caribbean Airlines network and beyond.
Caribbean Airlines Cargo Freighter Schedule
Visit https://cargo.caribbean-airlines.com/#/contact_customer for customer support contacts throughout our network or call: Trinidad & Tobago: 868-669-3000 option 4; International toll-free (US): 855-295-5000 or send email: cargo@caribbean-airlines.com
