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Improved online business registry launched

Business

Government in collaboration with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) World Bank Group has made it even easier for Dominicans to register their businesses or companies online.

A further improved phase two of the online application portal previously presented in 2015 was launched at the fort young hotel earlier today, Wednesday, June 29th.
Minister for Justice, Immigration and National Security, Rayburn Blackmoore, is proud of the project which he says will raise Dominica’s position on the list of countries where it is easier to do business. Dominica is currently 69 of 189 countries worldwide.
“If we are at 69, this means that we are doing something like less than half which is not too bad but of course, we have to strive for the top and that is going to require much more work on our part.
“I think sometimes we mark ourselves very hard but it is only late last year that we launched the first phase. The fact that we are here today Erika notwithstanding, is a clear manifestation that we are taking this thing very seriously,” he said.
This new phase of the project means an enhanced user interface and additional features which will make registration of companies seamless and quick.
This electronic platform streamlines a number of procedures of the Dominica social security, the Inland Revenue Department and the company and Intellectual Property Office, the three agencies most intricately involved in business registration.
Ocean Seuleiman of the IFC World Bank Group is project leader.  She spoke of some of the benefits of the project.
“The benefit is the fact that you will have easier access to information on registered companies, the procedure will be integrated via the electronic platform at the national level which is very important, regional integration not only with the region but with Latin America and the Caribbean, transparency and most importantly, security.”
She praised Dominica for being the first country in the Caribbean and Latin America to achieve this.
On average, the time to register a company has been reduced from twelve to five days.
The website for registration is www.cipo.gov.dm
Four hundred companies have already been registered via the upgraded system since it went live in May.

Sudden Deaths Due To NCDs

NCD

There is no cause for alarm regarding the recent sudden deaths in Barbados.

This assurance came from the Ministry of Health today, as it noted that these deaths were not the result of a new public health issue.
According to the Ministry, preliminary reports indicate that recent sudden deaths in Barbados were linked to “the usual causes of sudden death in Barbados and universally”.
Acting Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Kenneth George, outlined these as acute myocardial infarction (heart attack), stroke, brain haemorrhage, acute pulmonary embolism (clotting in the lungs) and acute arrhythmia.
Dr. George said: “According to autopsy reports, the majority of these deaths were the result of non-communicable diseases which were either poorly-controlled, undiagnosed, or untreated.”
The Chief Medical Officer stated that available statistics revealed only a slight increase in the number of sudden deaths in persons 60 years and under so far this year compared to last year. Statistics available up to June 16 this year showed 24 sudden deaths compared to 21 between January and June 16 last year. For that period in 2015, 11 men and 10 women died suddenly, while this year, the figures stand at 12 men and 12 women.
He however gave the commitment that a more detailed evaluation of historical data, with comparison of sudden deaths for the past five years, will be carried out and an update given to the public when it has been completed. Dr. George urged Barbadians to take care of their health by having regular medical check-ups and practising healthy lifestyle behaviours.

CARICOM Heads of Government Opening Ceremony

Heads of Government Conference

Opening Ceremony for the Thirty-Seventh Regular Meeting of CARICOM Heads of Government.

(CARICOM Secretariat Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana)     The Opening Ceremony for the Thirty-seventh Regular Meeting of CARICOM Heads of Government will be held on Monday 4 July from 5:00 p.m. at the Guyana National Cultural Centre, Georgetown.
The Opening Ceremony will be addressed by:

  • CARICOM Secretary-General, Ambassador Irwin LaRocque
  • President of Guyana, H.E. David Granger
  • Prime Minister of Jamaica, Hon. Andrew Holness
  • Prime Minister of Saint Lucia, Hon. Allan Chastanet
  • Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Dr. Hon. Ralph Gonsalves
  • President of Suriname, H.E. Desi Bouterse
  • Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, Dr. Hon. Keith Rowley
  • CARICOM Chairman and Prime Minister of Dominica, Hon. Roosevelt Skerrit

Accredited local and visiting media representatives  covering the Opening Ceremony are asked to be in place by 4:00 p.m. Photographers and videographers will be directed to your positions for the arrival of Heads of Government and other delegates and for the ceremony.
Overseas media houses are invited to follow the live stream of the Opening Ceremony provided by the CARICOM Secretariat and the Guyana National Communications Network, NCN, at the following Link:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZoMPyXyGaXo
The Ceremony will also be streamed live on: http://today.caricom.org/ and on Face Book Live at:https://www.facebook.com/caricom.org
Get the latest updates on the meeting at: http://caricom.org/cochog

SG welcomes Nicaragua to “CARICOM Family”

Nicaragua to CARICOM Family
CARICOM SG accepts the credentials of Nicaragua’s Ambassador to CARICOM H.E. Valdrack L. Jaentschke

(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana)

Secretary-General of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Ambassador Irwin LaRocque has emphasised that small states working together could make a difference.

Speaking at a ceremony accepting the credentials of His Excellency Valdrack L. Jaentschke as Nicaragua’s Ambassador to CARICOM, Ambassador LaRocque stressed that working together in regional, hemispheric and international fora could ensure that the impediments to the development of small states would be addressed.
During the brief ceremony at CARICOM Secretariat Headquarters, Georgetown, Guyana, the Secretary-General noted the close cultural ties between CARICOM and Nicaragua, a fact also mentioned by Ambassador Jaentschke in his brief statement.
Secretary-General LaRocque said that relations between the two sides had been conducted primarily in the context of groupings such as the Central American Integration System (SICA), the Association of Caribbean States (ACS) the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), and the Organisation of American States (OAS).
“In going forward, as we share experiences and encourage greater people to people exchanges, CARICOM and Nicaragua relations will grow from strength to strength,” Ambassador LaRocque stated in welcoming Nicaragua to the “CARICOM family.”
Ambassador Jaentschke mentioned that Nicaragua, which is chair of SICA for the next six months, had declared itself a Caribbean Country through a constitutional amendment last September. As the first representative of his country to CARICOM, he said he looked forward to furthering co-operation and collaboration during his tenure.

Antigua's airport solar power plant exceeds expected performance

solar energy
Photo Credit: www.meeco.net

The clean energy approach of the twin-island state Antigua and Barbuda has set an example for the Caribbean.

The efforts are now showing reliable and impressive successes. In just six months the 3 MWp sun2live airport solar energy plant, thoroughly planned, installed, operated and maintained by the UK-based clean energy provider PV Energy Limited, has already generated revenues of more than 1 million US dollars. The ground-mounted solar power plant is located at the southwest shoulder of the V.C. Bird International Airport Antigua and feeds the national grid with the energy generated.
“Since its commissioning in December 2015 the solar power plant has already generated 2,5 million kWh and therefore saved 2,000 tons of CO2 emissions compared to the use of heavy fuel and diesel, which is the common way of generating electricity on the island”, states Thomas Beindorf, Chief Technical Officer of PV Energy Limited. “This has substantially exceeded our initial expectations. With special regard to the weather conditions, which have not been as good as expected, we are glad to have achieved this excellent result.” This was only made possible due to a highly professional and diligent project planning including the thoughtful positioning of the solar modules, a very good engineering and operations and maintenance on a regular basis.
Thanks to the solar energy plant, which covers almost the whole equivalent of the energy demand of the airport, the Caribbean Journal has chosen the V.C. Bird International Airport as the second best Airport of the Caribbean. “It is a pleasure to see, how clean energy solutions and technical innovations can positively influence the image of an island”, explains Shpresa Azemi, Admin Director of PV Energy Limited in Antigua and Barbuda.
The installation of the 3 MWp airport solar energy plant represents the first step of a 10 MWp clean energy project cluster, PV Energy agreed to implement for the Government of Antigua andBarbuda. In order to reduce the foreign exchange outlays for imported fossil fuel and the pollution caused by diesel, the Government of Antigua and Barbuda has decided to achieve 20 per cent of the electricity required by the country by utilising renewable energy technology. PV Energy Limited is already installing the remaining 7 MWp on further ground-mounted farms as well as on the roofs of Antigua’s government-owned buildings such as ministries, schools and hospitals.
About PV Energy Ltd.: PV Energy Limited was founded in 2010 and formed by the London-based property investor Prof. (hc) Peter Virdee and clean-energy provider The meeco Group. The meeco Group’s core business focuses on the energy sector and is headquartered in Zug, Switzerland. The group currently has over 50 employees working across 4 continents. As a leader in clean energy solutions, The meeco Group has delivered a remarkable compilation of projects totalling 370 MW across the globe. They continue to accomplish their mission by providing project developers, investors, governments, and private businesses with full turnkey clean energy solutions from development, financial structuring, construction management, right up to long-term operation and management.

ROC congratulates new government

Premier Lin Chuen

Premier Lin Chuen of the Republic of China (Taiwan) said he hopes Taiwan’s comprehensive bonds with Saint Lucia will be further cemented.

President of the Republic of China (Taiwan), Dr. Tsai Ing-wen, extended congratulations to Prime Minister Allen M. Chastanet on the victory of the United Workers Party at the Saint Lucian general election on June 6.
In her letter to the Prime Minister, President Tsai stated that Saint Lucia and Taiwan share similar democratic values and many similar experiences with national development – an area in which the two countries have become indispensable partners through close cooperation.
President Tsai added that she looks forward to working closely with the newly elected government of Saint Lucia to enhance the cordial ties and friendship between the two countries.
Premier Lin Chuen, head of the government’s Executive Yuan, also conveyed his best wishes to Prime Minister Chastanet.
He expects Taiwan’s comprehensive bonds with Saint Lucia to be further cemented for the betterment of mutual benefits, he said. The congratulatory letters were relayed to the new government by Ambassador Ray Mou, Embassy of the Republic of China (Taiwan) in Saint Lucia.

Water supply to be boosted in Tobago

Water supply
Photo courtesy consumoymercados.icso.cl

June 30, 2016: Water supply to be boosted in Tobago. Water is imperative for life. That is why the Division of Infrastructure and Public Utilities (DIPU) is working to ensure that more water becomes available to homes and businesses in Tobago.

DIPU Assistant Secretary Handel Beckles said the Division’s collaboration with the Water and Sewage Authority (WASA) is expected to achieve this goal. Beckles said the contract for the South-West Water Waste Treatment Plant has already been awarded, and other initiatives are planned.
“[There is a] new mains laying project under the (NSDP) programme being implemented in 2016, (and other plans) include the refurbishment of Water Treatment Plants at Highlands Kings Bay, Courland, Richmond and Signal Hill, those have since been completed,” Beckles said.
The Division is also considering a new wells programme.
Meanwhile, WASA has commissioned three new wells which Beckles said will produce 1.1 million gallons of water daily. “(These are) as follows: the Mary’s Hill well, 350,000 gallons, the Carnbee well, 350,000 gallons, and there’s a well off the (Claude Noel) Highway between Rockley Vale and Calder Hall that’s producing 400,000 gallons.”

ECCB wants explanation from Commercial Banks

ECCB and Commercial Bank

ST.GEORGE’S, GRENADA, JUNE 30TH, 2016- GIS:  In light of customer’s complaints about an increase in bank charges, the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank is calling on the bankers association of all ECCU states to educate and inform the customers.
Governor of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank Timothy Antoine addressed the issue at a press conference on Tuesday June 28th.
“The demand for improvements in compliance will not go away and a lot of these things are being originated not by the Central Bank, not by the governments, not even by the banks themselves but by international development,” Governor Antoine said.
Governor Antoine says the law does not give the ECCB the power to regulate bank fees and charges.
He says a committee has been set up at the highest level of the ECCB Monetary council to look at the issue.
Part of the reason for the rise in fees he said is that profitability is down.
“At the highest level of the ECCB, the monetary council, that matter has been discussed and a committee has been set up – a working group to come back with a report as to how we can address these issues,” Governor Antoine added.

Grenada Economy is expected to grow by three percent

economy

ST. GEORGE’S, GRENADA, JUNE 30TH, 2016- GIS:

Grenada’s economy is expected to grow by three percent this year, having grown more than five percent last year.

During a national address on Wednesday June 29th, Finance Minister Dr. the rt. Keith Mitchell pointed to several strong positive indicators in various sectors.
He is optimistic that the overall rate of job creation will improve, due to developments in the construction service and tourism sectors.
In the tourism sector, growth was led by a 32% increase in arrivals from the leading US market and cruise ship arrivals increased by nearly 35%.
There was also a significant increase in the volume and value of nutmegs and mace production.
“The construction sector is projected to continue its positive growth in 2016 with ongoing private sector developments being complemented by the implementation of public sector investments including the construction of the Parliament Building, several activities under the Disaster Vulnerability Reduction Project and several road developmental projects,” Prime Minister Mitchell said.

Dalhousie University proud of accomplishment with local CFB College

Suzanne Johnson, Manager of International Projects at Dalhousie University

Basseterre, St. Kitts, June 29, 2016 (SKNIS):  The newest collaboration between the Clarence Fitzroy Bryant College (CFBC) and Dalhousie University in Canada has been described as a progressive move forged to create more leaders in society.

Speaking at the recent launch of the Agriculture Business Competency-based Programme at the CFBC, Suzanne Johnson, Manager of International Projects at Dalhousie University, said the communities in Canada where her institution is based and the Nova Scotia Community College, (both are in Nova Scotia) are very similar to the communities in St. Kitts and Nevis and that has helped to make the relationship “great.”
She stated that both parties, in St. Kitts-Nevis and in Canada, are committed to the successful growth of small regions that can assume a leadership role on the international level. “That is what has brought us together,” she said.
Ms. Johnson noted that the progamme development began in September 2013 and was designed to enhance labour market opportunities with an emphasis on youth. It however, has an adult component to ensure that older, experienced farmers and adult educators can be a part of it. Successful candidates become more employable with the new skills, thus making it easier for them to move through CARICOM (Caribbean Community) under the free market.
“I think the milestone of accomplishing the fact that we have established the first national vocational qualification for Agribusiness Management in the region is a fantastic accomplishment,” she added.
Various stakeholders have been engaged to ensure that the programme has the requisite support necessary. Over the past three years, capacity training has taken place. At CFBC alone, Ms. Johnson said that 65 staff and faculty have received training in project and financial management, labour market intelligence gathering, competency based education and training, environmental sustainability and entrepreneurship, occupational skills analysis, curriculum development and more. Over five members also spent time in Canada learning about student services, mainstreaming of crosscutting themes such as gender, environment and entrepreneurship, assessment and evaluation, social marketing etc.
The Dalhousie University representative said she was looking forward to attending the first graduation of cohorts in 2017 and reaffirmed that work will continue with local stakeholders to “increase food production, enhance food security, and improve the nutritional status of the population for a healthy nation.”

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