The Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA) says that Jamaica can expect more tourist arrivals from China as current trends are in support of this claim.
Jamaica’s overall tourist arrivals rose by 2.2 percent to 773, 108 arrivals for the period January to April 2016 when compared to the corresponding period last year. This is due in part to an increase in arrivals from China, statistics from the Jamaica Tourist Board revealed. An overall increase of 6.9% was experienced in arrivals from this region for the first five months of the year especially when compared to the same period last year. Omar Robinson, President of the JHTA said “The Chinese market is one of the fastest growing markets over the last decade, with increased spending on outbound travel. Jamaica stands to benefit a great deal, as the Yuan continues to strengthen and Chinese expenditure increases globally especially on travel”. He continued “Air China currently has flights from Beijing to Havana Cuba three times a week and we anticipate that with increased travel to Cuba in the coming months Jamaica will see spill overs from those Cuban visitors; as part of the multi-dimensional travel previously discussed by the Minister of Tourism”. Statistics released from the Jamaica Tourist Board revealed that Chinese arrivals from January to April 2016 stood at were 3,254 a 5 percent increase from last year when compared to 3,100 for the corresponding period. Last year the growth margin was boosted since travel requirements were relaxed considerably in 2014 to allow Chinese visitors to enter the island and stay for up to 30 days without a Visa. Jamaica’s Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett is expected to start a tourism promotion campaign aimed at targeting the Chinese market, in a bid to attract more tourists and has said that the country expects a heavy influx of Chinese tourists this year.
The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat is continuing to ensure that key stakeholders are well informed about the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) and its significant benefits.
On Thursday, July 21, the first of a series of one-day CSME sensitization workshops kicks off in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Approximately 35 participants from the private sector and rural communities will convene at the Beachcombers Hotel for information sharing and dialogue regarding the CSME. The activity is facilitated under the 10th European Development Fund (EDF) CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) and Economic Integration Programme (EIP).
Presentations will be made by resource persons from the CARICOM Secretariat and will include topics such as the current status of the CSME; the CSME as a platform for private sector growth and development; and facilitating agricultural trade and investment in the CSME. The presentations will be followed by dialogue sessions in which participants can share their experiences and clarify issues surrounding the CSME. At the end of the workshop, participants should have a better appreciation of the benefits of the CSME for their respective communities and how to take full advantage of them. The workshop will also be attended by representatives of the Ministry of Trade in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
The series of workshops will continue in the coming months and are scheduled to take place in Barbados, Belize, Guyana, Jamaica and Suriname. This initiative forms part of a larger public education and awareness programme on the CSME in which certain stakeholder groups such as tertiary students, youth, teachers and the wider public are targeted.
Air Canada is increasing the number of flights to Barbados from Montreal, Canada for the 2016 winter season.
From Thursday, December 22, flights out of Montreal will increase from three to four weekly, arriving on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursday and Saturdays. It is projected that this increase in flights will see a 28 percent rise in visitors to the island.
Director of the Barbados Tourism Management Inc. (BTMI) in Canada Peter Mayers, described the additional service as a boon for Barbados. “The Montreal rotation’s growth is a sure sign that the route continues to perform well and is testimony to the long, strong relationship we have with Air Canada. This is also a great opportunity for Barbados to leverage Air Canada’s global network and their Montreal hub,” he pointed out.
Air Canada also recently announced an increase in flights out of Toronto, beginning later this year in November, which are expected to allow more Barbadians and friends of this country to join in the celebrations for the 50th anniversary of independence.
Government has an ambitious agenda to upgrade and enhance the functions of the island’s air and sea ports for both commercial and non-commercial purposes.
The Minister for Infrastructure, Ports, Energy and Labour, Hon. Stephenson King,
spoke recently about government’s intention to improve Saint Lucia’s ports.
“We do have the responsibility for ports, and this government has a very ambitious agenda to continue its program which was started in 2006/2007,” Minister King said. “We intend to improve and redevelop the Hewanorra International Airport, to upgrade the George F. L Charles airport, and also to enhance and redevelop Port Castries both as a commercial and tourist port.
“But most significantly, we intend to assess the potential of Port Vieux Fort as a commercial port, and also the potential for expansion to a tourist port within which there will be transfers of passengers from the airport to cruise ships for cruises.”
Additionally, the minister commented on the critical role and responsibilities allotted to his ministry. The minister said his aim is to ensure that all aspects of the ministry’s portfolio are addressed proactively, methodically and efficiently.
“My mandate calls for a comprehensive review of where we are, ongoing programs, ongoing projects, and also a realization of the commitment of this new government to grow the economy, to be able to design the necessary programs and engineer these programs in response to economic growth on the island. So it is one that calls for not halting, but proceeding with the existing agenda, and at the same time, for a review in order to reposition ourselves to respond effectively and efficiently to this new government’s agenda.”
Hon. Stephenson King said the ministry has a duty to respond to and satisfy the needs of the people.
Commonwealth Secretary-General: We will turbo charge Commonwealth trade advantage.
The Commonwealth will “turbo-charge” efforts to increase trade advantages for its 53 member countries, following the United Kingdom’s decision to leave the European Union, Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland told parliamentarians today (July 20).
The Secretary-General was giving evidence to the International Relations Committee of the House of Lords, in the UK Parliament, after completing her first 100 days in office since taking up her post on 1 April 2016. She was invited to answer questions about her priorities for office, the value of the Commonwealth today, and its role in helping to steer its members through what the committee described as a “very unsettling and rather dangerous” world.
Responding to questions about the impact of United Kingdom’s recent referendum result to leave the European Union, she said that, while the Commonwealth respects the choice of the country’s voters, so-called ‘Brexit’ is causing “real concern” and anxiety in countries which had become used to having a strong voice in the EU through the UK, Malta and Cyprus.
In her written statement to the committee, the Secretary-General stressed that a slow-down in the UK economy and uncertainties in both the UK and the EU will be felt by members who are trade dependent or linked by their currencies to Sterling.
In her exchanges with the parliamentarians, the Commonwealth Secretary-General however said she was “hugely positive” about the commercial and economic opportunities within the Commonwealth. “Much more energy, if that’s possible, will go into enriching the Commonwealth relationship and looking to see how we can strengthen that which we were already doing,” she said.
The United Kingdom will host a Commonwealth Trade Ministers Meeting in 2017 and the next Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in 2018.
Pointing to a major report published by the Commonwealth Secretariat in 2015 which showed that bilateral trade costs between Commonwealth countries are on average around a fifth lower – or 19 percent – than between other trading partners, she said it was a “seminal piece of work”, adding: “What it does is to identify the benefit of having a shared platform, of the same language, same common law, same legal structure, similar institutions.”
Secretary-General Scotland pledged to “turbo-charge” her efforts to encourage and support Commonwealth countries to work together to increase the 19 per cent trade advantage even further. She told the committee about initiatives by the Commonwealth Secretariat to help countries make their civil justice systems faster, easier and more efficient to enable trade, including the creation of a Commonwealth Office of Civil and Criminal Justice Reform, best practice models for contracts and templates for legislation and regulations.
Referring to the mandate given to the Commonwealth Secretariat from the 2015 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, Secretary-General Scotland also responded to questions about efforts to address radicalisation and terrorism and to deal with migration concerns.
Replying to questions about the Commonwealth Charter, she said: “The Charter isn’t just an aspiration, it has become an expectation. People may not all be there now, but we need all of our members to maintain that aspiration that that’s where they will be in due course.
On the prospect of new countries applying to join the Commonwealth, the Secretary-General added: “That’s something which is very warming to know, that the special nature of the relationship that is seen from the outside by people is such that many want to join. I do see the Commonwealth as a stabilising, entity at a very difficult time, an anchor for many of countries.”
In her written statement, the Commonwealth Secretary-General noted that the Commonwealth Secretariat, which is working to support the Sustainable Development Goals, the Paris climate agreement and the Commonwealth Charter, is seen as a “valued partner by member states as we advocate for global change”.
During her first 100 days in office, the Secretary-General said she had begun to deliver on the mandate given to her by leaders at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Malta. This includes advocacy to tackle the existential threat of climate change, promoting trade, good governance and human rights, providing new opportunities for the young people, and ending violence against women and girls and promoting gender equality.
In June, the Secretary-General launched a new Commonwealth Hub to bring together Commonwealth organisations – including the Royal Commonwealth Society, the Commonwealth Games Federation, the Commonwealth Local Government Forum and the Commonwealth Foundation – in a collaborative, dynamic and innovative way.
Minister of Trade and Industry, Senator the Honourable Paula Gopee- Scoon address members of the committee at the Inaugural Inter-Ministerial Committee Meeting for SEW.
Ministers attend inaugural Inter-Ministerial Committee Meeting on Single Electronic Window.
Senator the Honourable Paula Gopee-Scoon, Minister of Trade and Industry chaired the Inaugural Inter-Ministerial Committee Meeting for the Strengthening of the Single Electronic Window (SEW) for Trade and Business Facilitation on Wednesday July 20, 2016 at the Ministry’s Head Office.
In her first Address to the Committee, Minister Gopee-Scoon stated that ‘the Strengthening of the Single Electronic Window for Trade and Business Facilitation Project will seek to improve the trade performance and business facilitation environment in our country’. Minister Gopee-Scoon praised the TTBizLink services for the work done thus far and called for more work to be done to improve Trinidad and Tobago’s ‘Ease of Doing Business’ ranking and the country’s competitiveness.
She emphasised that ‘the interoperability between Ministries and the involvement of the Customs and Excise Division is pivotal to the success of the project’. She noted that the project includes three important components.
Firstly, enhancing and expanding the services of the SEW which will focus on upgrading the current SEW to international best practices. Secondly, the enhancing of the interoperability of SEW by the exchange and analysis of data between the SEW and the information systems at the Ports at Port of Spain and Point Lisas and the Customs and Excise Division, as well as the information systems of strategic trading partners of Trinidad and Tobago. Thirdly, the modernization of the governance and the institutional framework of the SEW which will modernize the governance and institutional framework of the SEW by addressing the deficiencies in the regulatory framework, process architecture, and strengthen the institutional governance of the SEW.
Mr. Randall Karim, Director-Strategy, Business Facilitation and Programme Management, Ministry of Trade and Industry gave a detailed presentation on the ‘Introduction to the Strengthening of the SEW Project’. The strengthening of the Single Electronic Window Project is an Inter-American Development Bank-funded Project undertaken to support the enhancement and expansion of the current Single Window.
Involved in the detailed and extensive two hour discussions were the Honourable Terrance Deyalsingh, Minister of Health; the Honourable Fitzgerald Hinds, Minister of Works and Transport; and the Honourable Maxie Cuffie, Minister of Public Administration and Communications; Mr. Glen Singh, Comptroller of Customs; Mr Jerry Hospedales, Ministry of Finance; and Mrs. Walda Dottin-Matthews, Advisor to the Minister, Ministry of Planning and Development.
Other members of the Committee include the Honourable Colm Imbert, Minister of Finance; Senator the Honourable Clarence Rambharat, Minister of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries; and the Honourable Stuart Young, Minister in the Ministry of the Attorney General and Legal Affairs.
Signing ceremony for Japan’s grant aid for Provision of Disaster Reduction Equipment.
The National Emergency Management Organisation (NEMO), the Environmental Management Unit within the Ministry of Economic Planning, and the Ministry of Transport and Works are among the Government Departments and Ministries that will benefit from the latest Japanese grant aid.
The aid falls under the Economic and Social Development Program for the provision of disaster reduction equipment, and was negotiated on 14th April 2016.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Commerce, Hon. Sir Louis Straker, hosted the Non-resident Ambassador of Japan to St. Vincent and the Grenadines, H. E. Mitsuhiko Okada, on Monday, 18th July at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs conference room. Together, they signed the exchange of notes to seal the decision for Japan to provide aid in the form of disaster reduction equipment.
In his welcome address, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Nathaniel Williams, applauded Japan’s continued support towards the work of the United Nations and its continued interest in ensuring global peace and security.
As the National Emergency Management Office (NEMO) stands to benefit directly from the provision of disaster reduction equipment, its Director, Mr. Howie Prince, recalled that the Marriaqua flood mitigation project was one of the earliest disaster risk reduction projects funded by Japan’s grant aid.
Ambassador Okada, stated that he was honoured to be in St. Vincent and the Grenadines for the signing ceremony for the Economic and Social Development Program. To this end, he expressed gratitude to Minister Straker for hosting the ceremony.
According to Ambassador Okada, the funds to procure disaster reduction equipment amount to approximately US$1,906,000. He added that the types of equipment will be identified by the respective government ministries in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
The hurricane season is upon us, stated Ambassador Okada, and the Caribbean is especially vulnerable to natural disasters such as distructive storms and heavy flooding during this period. In light of this, he said that the grant will be beneficial to the people of St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
Hon. Sir Louis Straker, highlighted that the Government and people of St. Vincent and the Grenadines are privileged and honoured to have warmer relations with the Government and People of Japan since 15th April 1980.
Minister Straker noted that Japan is to be admired because it has had more than its share of disasters – natural and man-made, yet this has not deterred it from looking outward to see how it can help developing countries to better themselves. The Deputy Prime Minister was effusive in his gratitude to Ambassador Okada for what the Japanese Government has done for St. Vincent and the Grenadines, what they are doing, and what they will continue to do for the country.
Another exercise conducted by the Regional Security System (RSS), will conclude this Friday, 22nd July, in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, according to a release issued by the Public Relations and Complaints Department of the Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force.
The RSS basic course aims to train participants in the basic military skills required in order to take their respective places in a section of the Special Service Unit (SSU), of Special Patrol Group (SPG) within their respective countries.
At the conclusion of the program participants will become proficient in Human Rights, Narcotic Interdiction, Eradication and Prosecution, Operations During Disaster, Handling and firing Personal Weapons and Pass Tests on Elementary Training (TOET), on Personal and Alternative weapons.
The Training is also expected to cover other areas such as acting as a member of the fire team/section on an operation or exercise; living and operating in a jungle theatre; acting as a member of a crowd control/dispersal group and acting as a member of a boarding party on a coast guard vessel.
Friday’s closing ceremony will be attended by Commissioner of Police, Mr. Michael Charles; Deputy Executive Officer of the RSS, Mr. Bertie Hinds; Superintendent of Police of the RSS, Mr. Glen Paul of Grenada and Assistant Superintendent of Police and Assistant Staff Officer, Training, RSS, Mr. Randy Connaught. The closing will also be attended by Deputy Commissioner of Police, Mr. Reynold Hadaway and other gazetted officers of the Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force.
Thirty-three participants, inclusive of five females drawn from six of the RSS member states, will participate in the closing ceremony, which commences at 4:00 p.m. at the Old Montrose Police Station.
Prime Minister of Barbados, Freundel Stuart, discusses the country's cultural policy just prior to unveiling the winning design at yesterday's 50 Monument Design Competition, Main Guard, Garrison. (C. Henry/BGIS)
Prime Minister Freundel Stuart has expressed the view that this country’s cultural policy has to be so managed that it does not become divisive, but inclusive and a force to unite the nation.
Mr. Stuart made the comments yesterday during a ceremony at the Main Guard, Garrison, to announce Taisha Carrington as the winner of the Barbados at 50 Monument Design Competition.
The Prime Minister said the majority of people in Barbados were of African descent. “We are not being fair to the facts if we try to give the impression that only black people in this society have contributed to its history and to its development; all experience and all facts contradict that.
“The European strand of our history and therefore the European strand of our culture or way of life has also contributed significantly and massively to all that we know here in Barbados…,” he stated.
Mr. Stuart added that other strands had been added and he spoke about the Asiatic element and the increasing presence of Chinese in Barbados.
He continued: “Confronted with all of this, when you come to define Barbadian culture, you look at its lineaments…how it is made up. Can you afford to just accentuate the African dimension of the culture, to the exclusion of the others or can you afford to accentuate, which has been the case I can tell you for a good part of Barbadian history, the European part of the culture to the exclusion of all others? Or more recently, can you afford to accentuate the Asian part of the culture to the exclusion of all of it?
“I say no, we have to accord all the strands of our culture due reverence because they have all in their separate ways contributed to the development of Barbados… We have to respect those strands and be sensitive to the imperatives of our very rich history.”
Mr. Stuart said the monument which would be unveiled for Barbados’ 50th anniversary of independence would embody the history and contributions of those racial and cultural strands.
The public is asked to note that the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs is aware that two flavors of Betty Crocker Cake Mix have been recalled.
These include Betty Crocker Delights Super Moist Party Rainbow Chip Cake Mix (called Betty Crocker Super Moist Rainbow Bit Cake Mix in Canada) and Betty Crocker Delights Super Moist Carrot Cake Mix by General’s Mills.
However, the Standards Administration Unit of the Department is currently working with importers and distributors to ascertain whether the affected items have been imported into Barbados.
Detailed information relating to the products affected may be obtained by visiting the Barbados Government Information Service’s download entitled: “Betty Cocker Product Recall July”
In addition, all persons who have travelled and bought any of these products from overseas for their personal use should check to confirm that they do not have any of the recalled products.
