US arrivals climb – Saint Lucia experiences a surge in Midwestern visitors resulting from non-stop flight service from Chicago.
On the heels of United Airlines’ December 2015 launch of non-stop service from Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) to Saint Lucia’s Hewanorra International Airport (UVF), visitor arrivals from the United States Midwest region have increased by a record-breaking 15 percent between January and April of 2016.
Overall travel from the United States experienced a 4.9 percent increase January through April, maintaining its position as Saint Lucia’s key source market, with more than 56,000 visitors. The month of April led the first four months of the year with a nearly nine percent (8.6%) increase in American tourist arrivals compared to 2015.
“It is exciting to see the direct correlation between United Airline’s new service from Chicago and the increase of American visitors from the Midwest region,” said Director of Tourism Louis Lewis. “Combined with the ongoing hotel development projects and new direct flights, Saint Lucia is primed to welcome new and repeat visitors.”
Saint Lucian hoteliers have embarked on a series of development and renovation projects across the island including Rex Resorts, Royalton Luxury Resorts, and the Harbor Club on the Rodney Bay Marina, which will result in the addition of more than 700 new rooms by the end of 2016.
“Together with our hotel partners we strive to provide visitors with an unforgettable experience, which begins before they even step on the island,” said Tracey Warner-Arnold, Deputy Director of Tourism. “The recent launch of a new destination website gives visitors access to a dynamic and responsive site with a map explorer component that highlights hotels, local restaurants, and a variety of activities throughout the island, including special markets such as weddings.”
Warner-Arnold noted that the Tourist Board has developed specialized campaigns designed to grow niche markets such as “Saint Lucia Rocks This Summer” for families; and Chocolate Heritage Month in August to spotlight the island’s cocoa history and culinary strengths.
St. Vincent & The Grenadines And The Republic Of China On Taiwan Signs Agreement.
Minister of Economic Planning, Hon. Camillo Gonsalves, said that this week’s signing of two agreements between the Governments of St. Vincent and the Grenadines and the Republic of China on Taiwan, is another product of the deepening bilateral relations between both countries.
Minister Gonsalves made this point on Tuesday 7th June at the signing of two agreements valued at 1.85 million US dollars in the areas of ICT and Records Management.
Minister Gonsalves gave assurance that St. Vincent and the Grenadines remains committed to its relationship with Taiwan, under its new leadership.
St. Vincent and the Grenadines and the Republic of China on Taiwan have enjoyed long and mutually beneficial diplomatic relations since 1981.
Ecuadorians Graduate from the Teach English Caribbean Program.
Forty-four Ecuadorian teachers are now equipped with the necessary skills to be better teachers and speakers of the English Language following the completion of the seven-month long Teach English Caribbean Program.
The Program is an expansion of the Go Teacher Program USA to the Caribbean. It is a mutual agreement between the Prime Minister of Ecuador, Rafael Correa and Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Hon. Dr. Ralph Gonsalves.
The program, which commenced on 9th November 2015, was designed to improve the English proficiency and pedagogical skills of the Ecuadorians English teachers.
Tuesday 7th June 2016, saw a Graduation Ceremony to mark the completion of this cohort of the Teach English Caribbean Program in St. Vincent and the Grenadines at Lecture Theatre 2 at the Villa Campus of the Community College.
Academic Co-ordinator of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Community College (SVGCC), Ms. Jannis Deane, who gave an overview of the program, said that the students now hold a Certificate of Proficiency in both English as a second language (ESL), and Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TSOL). “Today is a day of firsts,” Ms. Deane exclaimed. “This is the first cohort of Ecuadorian students to graduate from our institution with certificates in ESL as well as TSOL, this is also the first time that St. Vincent and the Grenadines has ever offered such a program. It is also the first time that St. Vincent and the Grenadines has ever participated in such a unique experience that has not only expanded our diplomatic ties, but has also offered quality educational opportunities to countries in South America,” Deane noted.
The SVGCC Academic Co-ordinator further said that the program of study was divided into two major sessions, English as a Second language, which was of three months duration and teaching English to Speakers of Other languages, which was also a three-month stint. She also said that the final month of the program was dedicated to a three-week practicum, where students taught in a number of primary and secondary schools in Kingstown and the Villa area.
Ms. Deane noted that the ESL courses were linked to language learning acquisition and included subjects such as reading, writing, listening, oral presentations, conversation, language structure and phonology. “The College’s state of the art language laboratory enabled the students to practice the four language skills, listening, speaking, reading and writing,” she said. she added that the program sought for a multiplicity of meaningful context, which will enable oral proficiency in English, and towards this end the Ecuadorian students were engaged in oral presentations in English in their country on the provinces or neighbourhoods in which they lived in Ecuador.
Ms. Dean added that they also researched on places of interest in St. Vincent and the Grenadines and gave presentations on these. “Additionally they participated in activities such as debates and expositions, conducted interviews with business owners and later gave presentations on these in class. These classes on the ESL Program tremendously helped the practitioners to improve their proficiency in the English Language,” Deane stated.
In terms of the TCL Program, she said that the students took courses in the pedagogical aspects of language learning and teaching, noting that they were exposed to current and conventional theories of learning acquisition and teaching practice.
In the students’ response, Ms. Gabreilla Monteros Loor, who delivered her speech in English said that the Teach English Caribbean Program has been very enriching for them in many aspects. She noted that the experience helped them to learn innovative strategies that are new in the educational system. She also said that they were able to interact with native speakers of the English Language who assisted them in their pronunciation of English and fluency.
Loor expressed gratitude to all who assisted them in achieving this goal, particularly to the Ecuadorian President, who gave them the opportunity to study abroad in order to improve their skills in teaching English. She also expressed gratitude to the Vincentian Prime Minister for extending the program to the Caribbean, noting that “without his endorsement this educational venture would not have been a reality”.
The Ecuadorian students received two certificates, one for the Teach English Caribbean Program and another for participating and successfully completing the Community Outreach Program. Several students also received special prizes and awards.
The first in a series of targeted and formalized interactions for the preparation of a Small Business Policy got underway on Wednesday, June 8th 2016.
This Micro, Small & Medium Enterprise Policy Development Consultation forms part of the Ministry of Commerce, Enterprise and Small Business Development’s drive to further enhance and develop the business sector.
These activities will ultimately lead to a Small Business Act for Dominica.
Executive Director at the Small Business Support Unit, Alexander Stephenson gave the opening remarks.
“Every one of us participating recognizes the need for a policy framework that will govern micro, small and medium-sized enterprises and entrepreneurship. This is so that pointed, strategic and synergistic support can be provided to all…particularly the youth, rural women, the physically challenged and persons with brilliant, creative and innovative ideas for transforming Dominica’s economy…
“A key outcome which I personally look forward to from this series of consultations is our definition of a small business.”
In her address, the Hon. Minister for Commerce, Enterprise and Small Business Development, Roselyn Paul stated that micro, small and medium-sized enterprises play a vital role in Dominica’s economy.
“The MSME sector is recognised globally as key to economic development of any nation. Here in Dominica, my Government recognises the importance of this sector as vibrant contributor to the economic and social transformation of Dominica. Already, we note that small businesses in Dominica continue to contribute significantly to the annual GDP and provide employments for over 60%. It is therefore imperative that we establish clear statements, mandates and guidelines to govern the functioning of that sector.”
She continued, “I commend the attempts which have been made so far although the work us not complete hence the establishment of my Ministry. We recognise the importance of this document and the need to complete it by year end.
“We also note that we must take a participatory and inclusive approach to ensuring a holistic and comprehensive policy for the MSME sector.”
She said to participants, “Today is the first of these consultation and you are the first group of participants. We therefore call on you to be open, frank and positive. Most of all, be solution-oriented to make a difference in the development of that policy. Your openness and frankness is required to arrive at clear, realistic positions to ensure that the MSME sector is built on a solid foundation.
“The critical issues, challenges and solutions to make this sector formidable would have to be articulated in this policy and so we cannot overemphasize the importance of your contribution.”
Minister Paul says she is committed to the completion, implementation and advancement of the policy.
She hopes that the final MSME Policy will be implemented through a coordinated and collaborative effort following formal adoption.
The series of consultations will be facilitated by Milton Lawrence who has extensive experience in the field having worked as consultant with organizations such as the Canadian International Development Agency, USAID, the United Nations Development Programme and the Commonwealth Secretariat.
He gave his hopes for the consultation.
“Hopefully, we can come up with a document and a series of recommendations that are reasonable, practical and workable. There is no point in asking people to do things that they either cannot do or are unwilling to do. We have to make sure that what we request is feasible and reasonable,” he said.
JHTA and HCP Publishing to Officially Launch Meeting Planner’s Guide
KINGSTON, JAMAICA, June 9, 2016-The Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association has partnered with HCP Publishing to produce its first ever Meeting Planner’s Guide, which will be officially launched at the Association’s Annual General Meeting slated for Saturday, June 11 at Sandals Ochi Beach Resort.
“We’re really excited about our partnership with HCP Publishing and even more excited about this publication. With the Our Jamaica Meeting Planner Guide, our aim is to target the one hundred billion dollar meeting and incentives market, showc asing Jamaican culture and expansive meeting and convention facilities. It’s very easy to use and has an attractive design that visitors will enjoy” said Nicola Madden-Greig, President of the JHTA.
The JHTA’s Our Jamaica Meeting Planner Guide is packed with venues/hotels, attractions, ideas for group experiences and fun activities. Planners can obtain pertinent information on all the hotels, meeting and convention facilities located on island. This solution will be of great benefit to planners and serves as a one stop shop to executing a flawless event in Jamaica.
Greig added, “In producing this guide, we focused on the further promotion of Jamaica’s brand image as ‘the place to go’ to induce the planners to hold business events in Jamaica, while keeping content and format that maximize the guide’s convenience.”
The guide will be used as an important marketing tool by both the Jamaica Hotel & Tourist Association and The Jamaica Tourist Board. The JHTA also produces the annual Our Jamaica Magazine, as well as the Our Jamaica Shopping, Dining and Attractions Guide.
World Accreditation Day 2016 and Recognition Ceremony for the Belize Bureau of Standards ISO 9001:2008 Quality Management System Certification
June 9th, 2016, the Belize Bureau of Standards (BBS) celebrated World Accreditation Day under the theme Accreditation: A global tool to support Public Policy. The event was hosted in the Cahal Pech Conference Room at the Radisson Fort George Hotel and Marina, in Belize City with participation of key stakeholders across public and private entities.
The Minister of State in the Ministry of Economic Development, Petroleum, Investment, Trade and Commerce Hon. Tracy Taegar Panton, in her delivery to the participants, acknowledged the importance of accreditation to trade, manufacturing, industry, security, and health citing its far reaching impact on national policy. The Minister spoke of the most recent wins in accreditation for the CARICOM Region highlighting various laboratories in Jamaica, Guyana and Grenada, not without mentioning that various laboratories in country are currently pursuing accreditation. These include the Citrus Research and Education Institute, the Belize Agricultural Health Authority, and the Belize Bureau of Standard which is only yet in the initial stages of this process.
The Minister of State, Chief Executive Officer Mrs. Amparo Masson, along with the Director and Staff of the BBS also took the opportunity to publicly announce that the Bureau has been certified to the ISO 9001:2008 Quality Management System. With this accomplishment the BBS is now proudly, the first government department to be certified to this international standard, joining only two other bureaux in the CARICOM Region, Jamaica and Suriname. This milestone puts the BBS on path to deliver on its mandate to build Belize’s National Quality Infrastructure.
Dr. The Hon Timothy Sylvester Harris, Prime Minister of St Kitts and Nevis and CARICOM Lead Head with responsibility for Human Resource Development, Health and HIV and AIDS addressing the UN.
PANCAP – A best practice and regional coordination model for the world
(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) PANCAP shined at a Breakfast Caucus held on 8 June 2016 to brief Caribbean delegates and to cement a consolidated regional position for the plenary sessions and side meetings of the United Nations High Level Meeting which ends on 10 June.
Caribbean delegates from Government and Civil Society as well as development partners lauded PANCAP’s achievements and inclusiveness as a best practice and regional coordination model for the world; noting that the model could be adapted to address the challenges of other public health threats.
Development partners at the meeting, committed to advocate for continued external donor funding and to provide strong programmatic support to assist PANCAP in addressing the needs of key populations and to fill gaps in the response.
The PANCAP Director and Civil Society partner, the Caribbean Vulnerable Communities Coalition (CVC), highlighted the urgency of the challenges the region currently faces in relation to reduced external funding; stigma and discrimination that hinder key populations’ access to prevention, treatment and care services; and the continued existence of structural barriers such as policies and legislation.
In responding to the challenges highlighted, Dr. the Hon. Timothy Sylvester Harris, Prime Minister of St Kitts and Nevis and CARICOM’s Lead Head with responsibility for Human Resource Development, Health and HIV and AIDS emphasized the need for the region to come together to deal with these issues which he said was “the core of our development challenge”.
The Prime Minister who reminded the meeting that the health of the Caribbean region represented its wealth, thanked the civil society organisations for their leadership in reaching persons who would not have otherwise been reached. He called for critical action and for “more of our leaders to become the voice for reason and compassion in our society”, as well as for a new legislative agenda.
Prime Minister Harris committed to briefing regional leaders on the challenges and critical actions required for ending AIDS by 2030, at the upcoming Conference of Heads of Government scheduled for early July, in Guyana.
Dr Carolyn Gomes, Executive Director of CVC, in her address conveyed a sense of the urgency of NOW in the Caribbean as it related to HIV and AIDS.
“We have made great strides in eliminating mother to child transmission of HIV, but we have not removed a single discriminatory legislative or policy barrier that prevents vulnerable populations of men who have sex with men, of sex workers, of transgender persons, of migrants, of prisoners, or of marginalized youth from getting access to services”, she said.
“We must act NOW to ensure that the legal and policy barriers that maintain the untenable discrimination against vulnerable groups in the Caribbean and prevent their accessing services to which they are entitled, are removed and replaced by anti-discrimination legislation that protects the equality that we all are entitled to, as human beings, as citizens of our beloved Caribbean”, she added.
Dr Gomes urged Civil Society and States to work together to ensure the gains made in the Region’s fight are not derailed, and called for the leadership that the Caribbean was capable of.
Mr. Dereck Springer, Director of the PANCAP Coordinating Unit, highlighted PANCAP’s achievements and outlined the priority strategies that must be funded and implemented to eliminate AIDS by 2030 in the world and specifically in the Caribbean.
These he identified as: addressing structural barriers (policy and legislation) that impede vulnerable people’s access to services through the Justice for All programme; integration of HIV into health and socio economic development; reaching, testing and retaining persons living with HIV in treatment and care to achieve the end of AIDS; financial and institutional sustainability at national level through HIV investment and country ownership; pooled procurement and price negotiations for medicines and laboratory reagents; and addressing the underlying causes of vulnerability and risk: poverty, inequality and social exclusion.
Mr. Springer defined PANCAP’s future roles as helping Member States to ensure that the funds from the Global Fund continue to protect and sustain the gains, and that action takes place to achieve the strategic priorities. He called on all partners to take collective action in advocating for global and national HIV investment to fill the remaining gaps.
The Breakfast Caucus was co-chaired by St. Kitts and Nevis Minister of State with responsibility for Health, Hon. Wendy C. Phipps, and CARICOM Secretariat Assistant Secretary-General for Human and Social Development.
In addition to the St. Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister, the caucus was attended by 62 delegates including the First Lady of Haiti, nine Ministers of Health, permanent secretaries, national technical partners, civil society and development partners, Member States permanent representatives to the United Nations, the UN Special Envoy for HIV in the Caribbean and the media.
PANCAP is a Caribbean regional partnership of governments, regional civil society organisations, regional institutions and organisations, bilateral and multilateral agencies and contributing donor partners which was established on 14 February 2001. PANCAP provides a structured and unified approach to the Caribbean’s response to the HIV epidemic, coordinates the response through the Caribbean Regional Strategic Framework on HIV and AIDS to maximise efficient use of resources and increase impact, mobilises resources and build capacity of partners. Caption: Dr. the Hon Timothy Sylvester Harris, Prime Minister of St Kitts and Nevis and CARICOM Lead Head with responsibility for Human Resource Development, Health and HIV and AIDS addressing the UN.
As the Crop Over season approaches, the Central Bank is encouraging the public to be vigilant when completing cash transactions so as to avoid falling victims to counterfeiters.
“All Barbadian banknotes, and especially the new series, contain security features that are hard to duplicate and at the same time easy to identify,” explained Octavia Gibson, Deputy Director, Currency.
“Counterfeiters are not targeting the security features but are simply photocopying notes. The public needs to distinguish paper copies from the real cotton banknotes.”
The Bank disclosed that it is often during times of high commercial activity that criminals will attempt to pass fake money. “Counterfeiters are counting on you to be too busy, too distracted to check your money,” Gibson warned.
“Check the back and front of your notes. Learn three or four security features and check for them every time. Learn the feel of paper and the feel of genuine banknotes, know the security threads on each denomination, know the two watermarks on each banknote. Become very familiar with your notes.” Security Features of the 2013 Series
• When the notes are held up to the light, the face of the person featured on the note and the denomination of the note, in numbers, appears on the left of the note.
• Near the centre of the note, there are short reflective bars that run from the top to the bottom of the note. On the $2, $5 and $10, these bars are silver and wave-like, while on the $20, $50 and $100, the bars change colour from red to green as the note is moved around. In both instances, the bar becomes a complete line when the note is held up to the light.
• On the right side of the two highest denominations, there is a holographic patch. The dominant image is a pelican ($50) or a dolphin ($100). When the note is tilted, that image, as well as the background images – broken tridents, Pride of Barbados flowers and the note’s denomination – appear and disappear and change colour.
• Under UV light, the waves and broken trident in the centre of the note fluoresce. On the $2, $5, and $10, these glow in a shade of green, while on higher denominations, they glow in two colours: pink and green ($20), green and yellow ($50) and yellow and green ($100). The serial numbers off all denominations also fluoresce. Security Features of the 2007 Series
• When the notes are held up to the light, the map of Barbados appears on the left of the note. To the right of the map, there is another, smaller image: the broken trident on the $2, $5 and $10; and a Pride of Barbados flower on the $20, $50 and $100.
• Near the centre of the note, there are short reflective bars that run from the top to the bottom of the note. On the $2, $5 and $10, these bars are silver and wave-like, while on the $20, $50 and $100, they are thicker and straight. In both instances, the bar becomes a complete line when the note is held up to the light.
• On the right side of the two highest denominations, there is a highly reflective foil patch. On the $50, it is an aquamarine pelican, while on the $100, it is a gold dolphin. In both instances, the image is overprinted with a Pride of Barbados flower.
Images of the new notes and more information about the security features of this and previous series can be found on the website of the Central Bank of Barbados and the Central Bank also provides free training sessions to companies and other organizations on request.
The Dominica Labour Party has retained its seat in the Soufriere Constituency.
Voters of Soufriere, Scott’s Head, Galleon and Pointe Michel went to the polls on Tuesday, June 7th and chose the DLP’s Denise Charles; newcomer to the scene, over returning United Workers Party candidate, Hidges Adams.
Before the official results were in, celebrations had already begun in Pointe Michel and Soufriere. By the time all polling stations had reported, mini motorcades and street jams were in full swing.
DLP supporters of all ages including sitting Constituency Representatives crowded the streets late into the evening.
At each of the 11 polling stations of the district, Charles won by more than twice the number cast for Adams.
In the end, Charles won 70% of the votes with 1,342 leaving 560 Xs for Adams, 30 spoiled ballots and 2 rejected ballots.
“I feel great,” Charles told GIS News, “today is an important day for the Soufriere Constituency; we have made history. We have rejected the politics of hate and destruction and awe have said loudly and clearly that we are ready to come together to build our constituency.”
The new Parliamentary Representative outlined her plans to focus on the people.
“I look forward to continuing on the platform which we have built in this constituency. As I mentioned throughout the campaign, I’m going to focus on the people- developing their skills.”
She went on to list small business, fishing, sports and farming development.
Charles emphasised that she intends to work on creating a skilled human resource equipped to take advantage of the upcoming opportunities.
Political Leader of the DLP and Hon Prime Minister, Roosevelt Skerrit congratulated Denise Charles saying that the landslide win sends an unfiltered message.
“Clearly, the results are a total and absolute rejection of the politics of Lennox Linton and the United Workers Party- the politics of division, hate and negativity. The people here are sending clear message that they do not want this in Dominica,” he said. “They want to be encouraged, motivated, they want to be given hope and they want a leader, a Government and a party that will elevate them and make life better for them. People are fed up with this negative talk that Lennox Linton is preaching in Dominica. Dominican politics have never known this before. People are ending a clear message that they do not want this kind of politics in Dominica.”
He adds that the DLP Government is grateful to the people of this constituency and pledges to never forget them.
Hon Dr. Skerrit says it is now time to turn all eyes towards the upcoming economic boom in the south.
“She has a number of very exciting projects coming on stream in this constituency. There is the Jungle Bay Resort with 60 villas or 120 rooms; Bois Cotlette with 35 villas creating construction jobs, permanent and sustainable jobs for literally hundreds of people. Plus there is Petit Coulibri which will be open very soon. So this constituency is where the action is going to be for the next few years.”
He added that work will continue in the meantime to solve issues of education, youth employment and fisheries.
“I believe that in the next couple of weeks or so, we will sign the agreement with Sam Raphael of Jungle Bay and, as he has indicated, work will commence before the end of 2016.
“These are not pie-in-the-sky promises, these are real practical, genuine commitments which we are making to the people of this constituency.”
Asked about Government’s intentions for Denise Charles, the Head of Government said her task now is to represent the people well and continue the excellent work of her predecessors, Sam Martin and Ian Pinard.
St. Kitts Music Festival is committed to providing avenues for local artists
Basseterre, St. Kitts, June 09, 2016 (SKNIS): The St. Kitts Music Festival Committee remains committed to providing avenues for local artists to showcase their talent.
Mr. Alistair Williams, Executive Director of the Music Festival in the Tourism Events Unit, told the audience of the Government’s radio and television programme “Working for You”, that while the initial aim of the festival was not to promote local artists, the festival has in the past, and will continue to provide an avenue to showcase local talent.
“We felt that we have an obligation to promote our local artists because there are quite a few of them here on the island and they have produced some phenomenal stuff.”
Mr. Williams indicated that over the years the local artists have put on some spectacular performances.
“They have lived up to every expectation. They have punched above their weight in terms of performing on the same stage with their colleagues from the region and even internationally,” adding, “I am particularly proud of the level at which they have performed over the years.”
Mr. Williams explained that it is the hope of the committee to “ensure that our local artists are well positioned and could walk away from the festival if nothing else learning something extra about the business and so on.”
He further stated, “I always tell the artists to think of the music festival as a stepping stone to greater things because you never know who is in the audience.”
The St. Kitts Music Festival Committee has also provided other opportunities for artists to improve their craft by offering developmental/empowerment workshops.
