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CSA celebrates 65 years

CSA

The Saint Lucia Civil Service Association was established as a trade union on May 16, 1951.

The Civil Service Association (CSA), on May 16, celebrated a milestone—its 65th anniversary.
President of the CSA, Yvonne Edwin, addressed the occasion by reflecting on the organization’s aims and ambitions.
“The CSA was formed in the late 1940s by a group of public officers who saw the need for an organized and structured approach to effectively address the problems confronting public officers. This formal grouping took the necessary steps which led to the registration of the Saint Lucia Civil Service Association as a trade union on May 16, 1951. Sixty-five years later our organization stands strong, resolute, and steadfast.”
Ms Edwin sees a positive future ahead for the organization.
“Brothers and sisters, the turbulent waters have receded and it is time to raise anchor and set sail to new horizons. In the true spirit of our motto ‘Optimum Dere, Optimum Expecti’ (Do the Best and Expect the Best) I bid a happy 65th anniversary to the Saint Lucia Civil Service Association. It is a milestone and a journey worth celebrating.”
Ms Edwin was elected President of the CSA on April 27, 2016.

Jones Satisfied Schools’ BMEX Exhibits

Ronald Jones
Education Minister, Ronald Jones and Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Senator Harry Husbands looking at some of the students displays at BMEX 2016. (E.Walker/MRD)

The Schools’ Exhibit at BMEX has once again gained the approval of Education Minister, Ronald Jones, who is satisfied with the level of work put in by students and teachers across the island.

“Every year this display gets a little more sophisticated. I’ve seen a lot of scientific effort, particularly this year. There are several very innovative pieces I’ve seen to help enhance agriculture to look at climatic issues . . . some of it is highly interactive,” he said following the tour on Monday at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre.
Commending the Media Resource Department for yet another successful activity, Mr. Jones, who is also responsible for Science, Technology and Innovation, added that he was “extremely impressed” with the creativity of the young people who displayed their items at BMEX.
While noting that some might say that there was not enough pushing of science, technology and innovation, the Education Minister said what he had seen at BMEX reflected differently.
He commended St. Leonard’s Boys’ Secondary for their solar energy project used to charge phones; The Lodge School for its combined chair/step ladder; and Daryll Jordan Secondary for its Mist project that aids with the growing of plants. Of the latter, the Education Minister said the concept could be adopted by those in agriculture for useful production of plants or vegetables.
Emphasising that the school in St. Lucy was known for good work, he reminded the media that the Caribbean Vocational Qualifications programme was started at that institution. Christ Church Foundation School and Christ Church Girls also came in for praise.
Mr. Jones assured those gathered that through the National Council for Science and Technology (NCST), the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Council and the Ministry of Labour, there would soon be a strategic framework to address the efforts at schools and within the wider community.
Acknowledging that for a long time what was happening in schools was not connected to the entrepreneurial world, he said: “Last year, we saw some good work being exhibited, so what we have to do now is have NCST mobilised to see how they can help in the further exploitation of the talent we have here.”
The Education Minister said it would take the actions of both the private sector and Government to create the kind of incentives necessary to move the students from this experimental stage to actual production.

Cabinet Announcement on Help for Progress

Belize Press Office

Belmopan. May 17, 2016.   Today, at its regular Tuesday meeting, Cabinet determined that there exist NO formal, nor legal, agreement between the Government of Belize and the NGO.

Help for Progress that authorizes Help for Progress personnel accepting application for refugees status in Belize, and to further conduct interviews and determine which applicant has a legitimate case or not.
All applications and the processing for recognition of refugee status, must be presented to the recently reactivated Refugee Eligibility Committee.  During the few years of inactivity of the Refugee Eligibility Committee, no entity was empowered to conduct interviews to determine whether refugee applicants for refugee status had a legitimate case for consideration.

The guidelines for consideration of refugee status are very rigid, and are only considered if the applicant can prove a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons such as race, religion, nationality and political opinion.

 Any entity other than the duly authorized Refugee Eligibility Committee involved in processing applications for refugee status considerations, should cease and desist from such activity.

 Cabinet also requested that all applications be directed to the Department of Refugees which is housed at the Ministry of Natural Resources and Immigration Building, for recommendation by the Refugee Eligibility Committee.

Hotel development project to employ hundreds

Choiseul, Saint Lucia

The Sunset Bay developers said the company will employ about 200 for the construction of the luxury hotel.

A new US$200 million dollar foreign investment in Choiseul is poised to raise the standard of living for residents and spur economic growth in Saint Lucia.
The new luxury development, Sunset Bay Saint Lucia, plans to have 40 villas and about 110 rooms on property.
The developer, GP Group, is a leading European-based construction and project development company. GP’s CEO of Overseas Operations, Christo Pancheff, said Saint Lucians will benefit from several employment opportunities.
“During construction we are trying to [employ] about 200 local people. After we finish, [we are looking to employ] at least 250 or 300 people for the maintenance service.  Also, we would like to [put in] a beer garden, and a sports centre . The idea is to evolve that part of the island.”
Director of the Saint Lucia Tourist Board (SLTB) Louis Lewis, said the project promises to change the lives of that community.
“We are very excited about the prospect of this development project in Choiseul, and the opening up of the south-west of the island which has not been utilized for tourism purposes. It creates an opportunity for employment in that part of the island. It also is happening at a time when the demand for the destination is strong so we have every reason to believe that it will be successful.”
The earmarked development site is Sab Wisha in Choiseul. CIP Saint Lucia and the developers say that the ecosystem in the designated 25 acre property will not be negatively impacted. These assertions are based on an Environmental Impact Assessment carried out in the early stages of the project.

Fish to assist in mosquito control

Aedes aegypti mosquito

The Ministry of Health has added another weapon to its arsenal in the fight against the Aedes aegypti mosquito, with the opening of a fish rearing facility at Graeme Hall, Christ Church.

Eighteen tanks have been set up at the facility to rear guppies, tilapia and swordfish, which when fully grown will be placed in wetlands and other potential mosquito breeding sites across Barbados.
Minister of Health John Boyce, at the opening of the facility last Friday, said the aim was to utilise green energy resources offered by the sun to provide clean energy in the rearing of mosquito larvae-eating fish.
He welcomed the initiative, noting that mosquitoes had been responsible for morbidity among thousands of Barbadians over the years through the transmission of various diseases. He stated that dengue fever was now endemic in Barbados, and more recently, the chikungunya and Zika viruses had emerged.
He revealed that at the end of April this year, the Ministry recorded 18 confirmed cases of dengue fever and 474 suspected cases. There were no confirmed cases of chikungunya but 74 cases were suspected and there were 18 confirmed cases of Zika and 763 suspected cases.
The construction of a facility to provide fish to assist in the biological control of mosquitoes was therefore timely, Mr. Boyce said, and he thanked everyone involved in the conceptualisation and completion of the project, including the environmental health officers at Graeme Hall led by Denis Mascoll; the Global Environment Facility of the World Health Organisation; and the Pan American Health Organisation.
He added that the Environmental Health Department of the Ministry of Health could now boast to be an established point of distribution of another biological mosquito control to communities and localities across the island.

DASPA update on Douglas-Charles Airport Project

In April 2016, a GIS News team visited the Douglas-Charles Airport after the Melville Hall River flooded its banks again six months after Tropical Storm Erika.

In an effort to ensure resilience against flooding, construction of a river wall began as well as dredging to mitigate the damage of future occurrences.
GIS’ cameras visited the airport at that time and spoke with CEO of DASPA, Benoit Bardouille.
At that time restoration work had already begun.
Bardouille revealed that the river wall’s structure would be different this time. He explained that the wall would be more protective and accompanied by rock armour.
The DASPA CEO also explained that some dredging had already taken place.
Work began in December 2015 and is expected to be completed before the start of this hurricane season.
With the onset of what is anticipated to be busy hurricane season, Lourianne Graham-Carter met with the DASPA CEO on Wednesday, May 11th to get an update on the Douglas-Charles Airport project.

Probe Into "Unscrupulous" Manufacturers

Donville Inniss
Industry Minister Donville Inniss. (FP)

Industry Minister Donville Inniss has vowed to launch a formal investigation into allegations that companies are placing ‘Made in Barbados’ labels on products that they have imported.

Speaking to reporters on Sunday after a tour of the Barbados Manufacturers’ Exhibition, more commonly known as BMEX, Mr. Inniss stated that there were times in the past when Customs found items, in particular apparel, that were falsely labelled, and those items were denied entry or were charged the appropriate rate of duty.
His comments come after Executive Director of the Barbados Manufacturers’ Association, Bobbi McKay, raised the issue at the official opening of BMEX 2016 on Friday night, and hinted that some “unscrupulous practices” were occurring on the market where some products were labelled ‘Made in Barbados’, when they were not.
Noting that it was an ongoing matter, Mr. Inniss outlined that his staff at the Department of Commerce would continue to work closely with the Barbados Investment and Development Corporation (BIDC), and Customs in particular.
“Items coming into Barbados and being allowed through our ports of entry are fundamentally the responsibility of the Customs Department but we are certainly working on behalf of local manufacturers….So I have noted the concern by the BMA and certainly by Tuesday we will have our staff formally investigate, and take all actions to ensure all importers stay within the law of Barbados,” he stated.

Walk for a Green Belize 2016

DOE

Last year the Department of the Environment (DOE), in conjunction with the Belize Solid Waste Management Authority and the Belize Audubon Society, carried out a Walk For A Green Belize activity.

Walk For A Green Belize is a clean-up activity conducted by numerous organizations, students, activists, both government and non-government agencies, and the general public. The activity resulted in the collection of 2,363 (20 to 55 gallon-sized) bags of garbage yielding a weight of approximately 16,541 pounds!
As we gear up for the celebration of World Environment Day 2016 (June 5), the DOE is once again collaborating on the “Walk For A Green Belize” cleanup. This event is aimed at building awareness and sustaining a culture of an environmentally friendly and conscious Belize! This year, the “Walk For A Green Belize” will be held on Saturday, May 21 st , 2016 along the entire George Price Highway encompassing a total of 77 miles of roadway. It will begin at 7:00 a.m. and expected to conclude by 11:00 am. In order to ensure the safety of the volunteers cleaning up both sides of the highway from Benque Viejo del Carmen to Belize City and up through Ladyville area, the Police Department, Department of Transport and City Traffic will be mobile along the George Price Highway to caution drivers to drive with extreme care.
The DOE would like to remind motorists, passengers and the general public travelling along Belize’s roadways that littering is a violation of our laws for which a ticket can be issued and carry a fine of $100.00 for a person and $500 for a company. Littering creates a huge environmental challenge in terms of land and water contamination and impacts to wildlife and landscape aesthetics.
Through this medium, the DOE is inviting all interested persons to join us in this important effort, as well as invite the media houses to cover this important event.
For further information, please contact:
Chief Environmental Officer Department of the Environment,
Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Forestry, the Environment & Sustainable Development Market Square, Belmopan
Tel: 822-2548/2819
Fax: 822-2860
Email: envirodept@btl.net or envirodept@ffsd.gov.bz
Website: www.doe.gov.bz

Toledo Maya Land Rights Commission

Mayan Community in Belize
Mayan Community in Belize (Photo: http://www.ambergristoday.com/)

The Toledo Maya Land Rights Commission is obligated to ensure that the Maya people do not become voiceless in the process of implementing the CCJ order as it relates to Maya customary land rights. The Order did not cede the autonomy of villages to any group.
The Commission is therefore disappointed by the statements made by the Toledo Alcalde Association as it relates to a meeting held on Monday, May, 16, 2016. The planned meeting was held and present were 32 of the 36 village leaders, the participants were very engaged and welcomed the opportunity to commence dialogue with the Commission. What was not allowed was an interruption to the planned meeting, but an offer was made to meet with the Steering Committee a mutually convenient time.
The Commission will proceed with its consultations with elected leaders of all villages in the Toledo District and Punta Gorda Town. The Commission has a very clear Terms of Reference and will not be distracted with actions that undermine a process that is transparent and inclusive.

CARICOM moving to Institutionalise a Gender Sensitive Results-Oriented Culture across the Community

CARICOM - RBM

(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana)     The Caribbean Community (CARICOM), in June 2016, will initiate the implementation of a “Gender Sensitive Results-Based Management (RBM) System” to build a results-oriented culture around the operationalization of the CARICOM Strategic Plan, 2015 – 2019.

Following extensive planning and project design which commenced in December 2014, in August 2015, the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) approved funding for the Project entitled “PROMOTING THE PRINCIPLES OF MANAGING FOR DEVELOPMENT RESULTS – FURTHERING THE REGIONAL INTEGRATION PROCESS.”
As a first step, the CARICOM Secretariat, in collaboration with CDB, established a RBM Leadership Group comprising representatives of CARICOM Member States, Community Institutions and the Secretariat, to drive the project and serve as RBM implementation champions. The RBM Leadership Group will be chaired by the Deputy Secretary-General.
The Secretariat also engaged the services of an experienced Canadian consulting firm, Le Groupe-Conseil Baastel Itee (Baastel), to work with the Leadership Group. Baastel has worked in the past with a number of Regional Governments and Institutions to design and implement RBM systems and conduct monitoring and evaluation activities among other assignments. The scope of work of this Consultancy includes the conduct of a situation and needs analysis across the Community; the design and implementation of the RBM system at the Secretariat; training of key stakeholders across the Community; and preparation of an Action Plan for building the results-oriented culture within the Community.
The CARICOM Strategic Plan, approved by Heads of Government in 2014, accords focused attention to a narrow range of priority areas over the Plan’s five-year lifespan, which takes into consideration the Community’s human and financial resource limitations.  Following the execution of the Community Operational Plan 2015, a two-year Community Operational Plan 2016-2017 has been developed to drive the Strategic Plan’s implementation. It draws on the consolidated work of the CARICOM Secretariat and the Community Institutions. This process is supported by Member States through their national activities.
The collaboration among the Strategic Plan’s implementing partners is expected to bring focus and alignment to the execution of the Community’s programmes and projects while improving transparency and accountability. The RBM system will provide these partners with a common framework within which implementation, monitoring and evaluation functions and report on progress made in advancing the regional integration efforts will be fulfilled.
The Office of the Deputy Secretary-General, and specifically the Strategic Management Unit is the key driver of this process.
See more on CARICOM Strategic plan (2015 – 2019):–http://caricom.org/STRATEGIC%20PLAN%202016_opt.pdf

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