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Barbados Team Off To Atlanta

Maxine McClean
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator Maxine McClean is leading the delegation to Atlanta for the upcoming event. (FP)

A team of representatives left Barbados earlier today to attend the Barbados Comes to Atlanta (BCTA) event, which will run from tomorrow, Thursday, May 26, to Sunday, May 29.

The delegation is being led by Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator Maxine McClean, and will include other personnel from the Ministry, as well as representatives from the tourism, cultural, business and investment sectors in Barbados.
The aim of the trip is to show off various aspects of this country and make crucial connections in several areas which should be beneficial to both places.
A statement from the Office of the Consulate General of Barbados in Miami, Florida, who is part of the organising team, stated that this year’s BCTA was “designed to expose Barbados to a relatively new market to rally in the North American Barbadian Diaspora [and] to kick off the celebration of our 50th Anniversary of Independence”.
Officials at the Consulate added that while the event had historically focused on marketing Barbados’ tourism assets, arts, culture and heritage, the itinerary had been tweaked to take advantage of Atlanta’s burgeoning status as a global city and center of excellence in international business, education, science and technology and healthcare services among others.
On Thursday, May 26, experts at colleges and universities in Atlanta will examine the Barbados model in the above-mentioned sectors, and present formal papers on Barbados’ current strategy, along with suggestions and ideas which could better prepare this country for the challenges of the 21st Century.
The programme for Friday, May 27, includes a full day of marketing presentations by the visiting team from Barbados, which are expected to inform the Atlanta business community and our Diaspora about investment and partnership opportunities across all sectors of the country.
On Saturday, May 28, there will be a “Bridgetown Market-type event”, to be held on Sweet Auburn Street. This event will coincide with Atlanta’s annual Caribbean Carnival and Jazz Festival.
Sunday, May 29, has been set aside for a morning church service of thanksgiving, to be followed by a town hall meeting. Later that evening, there will be a formal Gala and Awards Ceremony at which a 50th anniversary coffee table magazine will be distributed.
BCTA is being coordinated by three teams located in Miami, Barbados and Atlanta. The team in Miami is headed by Consul General, Colin Mayers, who spearheaded the effort to put on the “Barbados Comes To” event, while Team Atlanta is headed by Dr. Edward Layne, who is the Honorary Consul there.
Local team members include representatives from the Barbados Marketing Tourism Inc., Barbados Investment and Development Corporation, the Cultural Industries Development Authority, the Barbados Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Barbados Manufacturer’s Association and Invest Barbados.

The CARICOM Secretariat will host a conference and roadshow on Electric Mobility

electric car

The CARICOM Secretariat, the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) are collaborating to host a conference and roadshow on electric mobility.

The event will run from 30th May – 2nd June, 2016, and is intended to create deeper understanding and raise awareness on electric transport options and opportunities for the country.
The activities get underway with a consultation of select stakeholders. The consultation will gather information that will provide the platform for a macro-economic assessment of the potential impact of electric mobility in St. Vincent and the Grenadines to be conducted.
The following day, a dialogue will be held with key stakeholders to determine the country’s state of readiness for electric mobility. The dialogue will focus on the identification of stakeholder interests and the general requirements for successfully developing an electric vehicle market in the country. The preliminary results of the consultation and dialogue will be presented to an Electric Mobility Conference on Wednesday. The conference will also provide a forum for sharing best practices and other critical facts on electric mobility. Technical and economic performance of EV, infrastructure requirements, and common legislation practices for enabling the market for electric vehicles will also be discussed.
On Thursday, an Electric Vehicle Road Show will be held. The general public will have the opportunity to drive and understand the operation of electric vehicles. Also, the event will provide an opportunity for attendees to interact with electric vehicle suppliers and subject experts in the field of sustainable energy to gain understanding about how this technology can provide a cheaper and cleaner alternative to their transport needs. The road show will be held at the Heritage Square from 9.00 am to 3.00 pm.
For further information, please contact:
The Energy Unit of the Government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines:
Email: energyunit@vincysurf.com
Telephone: 1784 – 4512338

Grenada continues to make important progress in Restoring Debt Sustainability

paying dept

ST. GEORGE’S, GRENADA Tuesday, May 24, 2016: Grenada’s debt restructuring is nearing completion.

In March of 2013, the Government of Grenada announced its intention to undertake a comprehensive and collaborative debt restructuring exercise in order to reduce the drag on the economy on account of the high debt stock and debt service payments.  So far, debt restructuring agreements have been reached with Taiwan and the holders of Grenada’s 2025 Bond for a 50% haircut.
Agreements have also been reached to reschedule outstanding debts to the United States of America, United Kingdom, France and Russia.  Negotiations with remaining creditors are ongoing and should be completed shortly.
The completed agreements have already contributed to a reduction in public debt from 107.6% in 2013 to 94.3% at the end of 2015.
On May 12th 2016, the Government of Grenada achieved an important milestone by successfully making its first payment to bondholders in accordance to the terms and conditions of the restructuring.
Payments to creditors on other completed restructured debts, including Taiwan and National Insurance Scheme (NIS) have already commenced.
In addition, Grenada continues to meet its obligations on a timely basis to its multilateral creditors (the World Bank (WB), the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), the International Monetary Fund (IMF), etc.).

Trade Saint Lucia launched

Trade Saint Lucia

Trade Saint Lucia, an initiative of the Ministry of Commerce, Business Development, Investment and Consumer Affairs, was launched yesterday.

The initiative combines the efforts of the Saint Lucia Trade Export Promotion Agency (TEPA), and the Small Business Development Centre (SBDC) with an aim to enhance business support services to the business sector.
“The creation of Trade Saint Lucia is part of a wider structuring effort of the Ministry of Commerce as we continually seek to improve our services to the local commercial sector, thereby providing an ecosystem that will enhance Saint Lucia’s international competitiveness,” Minister for Commerce, Business Development, Investment and Consumer Affairs, the Hon. Emma Hippolyte said.
“The SBDC with its core strength of capacity-building, long term consultations and startup assistance; and TEPA’s strength and focus in market intelligence, trade facilitation and export strategy; together under one roof, is the perfect union to lead Saint Lucia to economic prosperity.”
Barbara Innocent Charles, SBDC Director, spoke on the importance of micro-enterprises and the youth.
“The economy is such that we need to harness the capabilities of our people in Saint Lucia. We need to get our youth to realize their dreams, to tap into their skills and to contribute to this economy.”
Cabinet approved the creation of Trade Saint Lucia on March 21, with the entity coming into effect April. Trade Saint Lucia was created as a statutory body drawing on established resources.

Venezuelan President defends country

President Maduro Nicolas - Venezuela
President Maduro Nicolas - Venezuela

President Maduro calls for global awareness on the right to peace, independence and democracy in Venezuela.

Venezuelan Ambassador to Saint Lucia, Her Excellency Leiff  Escalona, addressed matters relating to the current situation in Venezuela via a press conference on Friday.
Ambassador Escalona said that President Nicolas Maduro has denounced international aggression against Venezuela.
“He stated that Venezuela is facing an attack via world media that seek to establish a false picture of uncontrollable social and economic decline in the country, leading to cause for a political militia intervention. He stressed that the media campaign against Venezuela is designed to generate an impression of chaos and violence, leading to intervention by the United States government.”
Her Excellency also said that President Maduro has called for strengthened solidarity among sister nations in dealing with this issue.
“The Head of State stressed that the homeland of Bolivia will continue to defend it sovereignty and the principle of no interference in their internal affairs. Finally, President Maduro says we need to launch a political and diplomatic counter-offensive and the mobilization of global awareness in defense of the right to peace, independence and democracy in Venezuela.”
It is hoped that media attacks against Venezuela will be curbed.

Minister Dillon Responds to Attacks on National Security

General Edmund Dillon

May 24, 2016: The Minister of National Security Major General (Ret’d) the Honourable Edmund Dillon is strongly condemning the slaying of two (2) servicemen which occurred overnight and also of those officers whose lives were cut short at the hands of criminals in the past.

Minister Dillon is expressing condolences this morning to the families of Special Reserve Police Constable Jason Cyril John of the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service and Corporal Jerry Leacock of the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force.
The Minister noted that criminal attacks will not be tolerated against the protectors of this country’s laws and Constitution, and he will do all that needs to be done as he leads the fight to annihilate the menace to society.
Minister Dillon underscored that law enforcement agencies must do what is required within the law and focus their crime fighting efforts on ridding Trinidad and Tobago of the scourge of a few deadly criminal elements bent on destroying this country and depriving the many of their right to safety and security.
Early this morning Minister Dillon summoned all Operational Heads from the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force (TTDF), the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) and the Intelligence Agencies to an emergency Operations Meeting to reinforce the execution of the Ministry of National Security’s crime fighting strategies. The Operations Meeting focused on deterrence, detection and prosecution.
Regarding information pertaining to threats to the State, the Minister of National Security is calling on all citizens to not be guided by rumours and remain calm and vigilant and report any suspicious activity. He gave the assurance that this country’s intelligence agencies are working to authenticate the origin of such threats and findings will be generated in a timely and accurate manner.
Minister Dillon wishes to assure citizens that the Ministry of National Security and its agencies will continue to work together to do all that is necessary to ensure the safety and security of all.

Minister Grant praises individuals and businesses who help create a better tourism product

Caribelle Batik
Chairman of the St. Kitts Tourism Authority, Nick Menon, Achievement of Excellence Award, Caribelle Batik, CEO of the St. Kitts Tourism Authority, Raquel Brown. (photo courtesy of the St. Kitts Tourism Authority)

Basseterre, St. Kitts, May 24, 2016 (SKNIS): The 2016 St. Kitts Tourism Experience Awards, held under the theme “Celebrating Excellence Changing Lives,” recognised a number of individuals and businesses, who represent the very best in the tourism industry.

At the May 21 event, held at Carambola Beach Club, Minister of Tourism, Honourable Lindsay Grant, said that the over achievers have often gone above and beyond the call of duty according to their job descriptions to ensure that St. Kitts is providing only the best experience possible to visitors and simultaneously to residents.
“I cannot stress enough how important it is that we continually strive for excellence in this business as it is the memory of the experience that we provide that will ensure that people will keep returning to those restaurants, to those hotels, to the shops, the activities providers and in fact in our island overall,” said the minister.
The tourism minister said that in the travel and hospitality market place today, research overwhelmingly indicates that consumers are placing greater importance on experiences. Visitors want to understand what it is about a destination that makes it special and unique.
“They no longer want sand, sun and sea,” said the minister. “They are increasingly looking to be enriched in some particular way by their destination of choice. They want to explore beyond their hotels. They want to be immersed in their local culture, they want to sample our culinary experiences and creations made with locally sourced ingredients that they might not have tasted before. They want to interact with the locals and learn what it truly means to ‘lime’.”
Minister Grant said that these are the types of experiences the country needs to provide “if we want people to choose to come to our destination instead of another.” He added that “fortunately we are well positioned to provide just such experiences as these which consumers are now demanding.”
The minister said that St. Kitts and Nevis are blessed with an “unspoilt lush natural landscape, a rich heritage and a time honoured tradition and most important of all, we have the most welcoming, genuinely friendly people.” He added that this however is not enough.
“We must continually and consistently strive for excellence to improve upon the experiences that we provide as competitive destinations around the world are striving to do the very same thing that we are striving to achieve,” said Minister Grant.
The awardees are as follows:

  1.       Kittitian Experience Award | Sprat Net

2.       Achievement of Excellence Award – Business | Caribelle Batik
3.       Achievement of Excellence – Individual | Oneil Mulrain – Rainforest Guide
4.       Pillar of the Industry Award – Individual | Larry Armony – Brimstone Hill
5.       Pillar of the Industry Award – Business | Delisle Walwyn
6.       Sustainable Tourism Award | St. Kitts Eco Park
7.       National Champion | Wingrove Hicks
8.       The People’s Choice Award | Gregory Degrasse
9.       Employee of the Year | Mary Pemberton – Caribelle Batik
10.    Minister’s Award Category | Diannille Taylor- Williams

Fletcher contests spurious claims

James Fletcher

Dr. James Fletcher responds to a social media “notice” claiming that public officers will be negatively affected if the current government is re-elected.

Statement by Minister for the Public Service on a Social Media notice on the Public Service

My attention has been drawn, as Minister for the Public Service, to a notice that is being circulated on social media suggesting that the Labour Government has plans for the Public Service after elections that will negatively impact the livelihoods of public officers.
I wish to respond to the following claims that have been made in the social media notice titled “Attention Public Servants.”
There is absolutely no truth to the claim that public officers on temporary appointment will be placed on contract for two years. It is also patently false that officers who are on contract, or any other officers for that matter, will be dismissed if they score less than 85 percent on their appraisals.
There are no plans to change the pension arrangements for officers on permanent establishment. In other words, the claim that when officers on permanent establishment retire they will not receive a gratuity but will receive only a monthly pension are outrageous and an absolute fabrication.
Finally, there are absolutely no plans to implement the 5 percent salary reduction. Because of our collective sacrifice we have been able to close the fiscal gap and stimulate growth in our economy. We need to continue to build on these gains and catalyse even more positive sustained growth in our economy.
I can however state with a high degree of confidence that the Labour government intends to undertake the following measures in the public service in its new term of office:
Establish a state-of-the-art modern training facility for public officers at Union, in what was previously Spinners, to equip public officers with the necessary skills to operate even more efficiently and effectively.
Initiate a comprehensive programme to upgrade and enhance the information technology skill sets of public officers.
Create a child care facility on the Waterfront to provide a safe place for the public officers who work on the Waterfront to keep their children in the period between the dismissal of school and the end of the work day.
Continue the Employee Assistance Program to provide support to public officers who may be experiencing distress that is impacting on their ability to function in the work place.
Integrate the new Unified Communications System in the operations of all government offices so that public officers may communicate more effectively with each other, using voice-over-IP technology and having greater ability to host teleconferences and video conferences.
Continue to address the several occupational health and safety issues that plague some of the Government offices, so as to ensure that our public officers are not exposed to hazards in the work place.
Complete the digitization of all government records and make it possible for processes such as leave management to be done quickly and more efficiently on an online platform.
Integrate the successful 311 Contact Centre with the emergency 911 and 999 services for greater efficiency and more efficient response times.
Complete the Vieux Fort Administrative Complex to provide public officers in the south and the general public with modern, spacious premises to work and transact business
Make it possible for more government services, such as renewal of driver’s licences and application for birth certificates, to be done online via the Government of Saint Lucia’s web portal.

Proposed Changes to Litter Act for Cabinet Soon

Tidyman

Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Hon. Desmond McKenzie, said changes to the Litter Act are to go before Cabinet for approval shortly.

He said the proposed amendments provide for, among other things, an increase in fines for littering.
“While we are working to make the country clean, we have to bring to book those who continue to spoil the beauty of the country,” he said.
Minister McKenzie was speaking to JIS News at the National Labour Day Project at the Gregory Park Basic School in Portmore, St. Catherine.
He noted the significance of the national project, which included major clean-up activities in the Gregory Park and Washington Mews communities.
He said the areas were shown to have a large number of mosquito breeding sites.
“Jamaicans have to recognise and accept that we are a tropical country, so we are prone to many of the problems associated with mosquitoes and it is going to be important that as a people we are committed to having a clean Jamaica,” he said.
Labour Day was observed under the theme: ‘For Health’s Sake…Keep It Clean’.

HIV/AIDS Commission Survey Under Way

HIV ribbon

A survey on HIV-related knowledge, attitudes, beliefs and practices, among adults aged 15 to 49, is under way in Barbados and will run until December.

The survey, which is being conducted by The National HIV/AIDS Commission, began earlier this month and seeks to measure the impact of the National AIDS Programme.
Interviewers will visit a sample of households in select areas to conduct the survey, and will be carrying identification cards issued by the National HIV/AIDS Commission. Any information collected will be kept in the strictest confidence.
Persons are encouraged to give their fullest cooperation, and may call the Commission for additional information at its new telephone numbers 535-1701, or 535-1702.

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