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Government takes steps to improve Judicial System

Justice

Government is taking steps to improve the dispensation of justice in Dominica particularly through the Magistrates Courts.

At a press conference on Friday, May 9th, Hon Minister for Justice, Rayburn Blackmoore indicated that insufficient staff consistently leads to a backlog of matters at the courts.  He added that difficulty securing and retraining legal personnel compounds the challenge.
The Minister says that in response to a call from the private sector to speed up matters at the courts, Cabinet took the following decisions earlier this month.
He listed, “appointment of two qualified magistrates one contract and one of those magistrates will deal specifically with civil matters;
“appointment of one lay magistrate on contract to deal specifically with uncontested traffic matters,  Litter Act offences and offences related to the environment and rent and liquor licenses;
“deployment of existing qualified magistrates to provide for one magistrate to deal specifically with juvenile and family matters, and the appointment of two additional clerical staff members.”
A new position of Court Administrator has also been created.
The Hon Prime Minister, Dr Roosevelt Skerrit has commended the work of the Ministry of Justice, Immigration and National Security in facilitating these new appointments.
However, the Hon Prime Minister indicated that legal professionals also have a responsibility to improve the system.
He said, “While we are inputting the resources and additional court, that in itself will not solve the problem if the court officers are not as diligent as they ought to be. Our hope is that all of the officers of the court, contrary to what people say, perceive and think, we, the executive do not get involved in the court system at all.”
These new appointments will cost Government about $300,000 annually.
Meantime, Cabinet, on the advice of the Ministry of Justice, has also approved a new position within the Police Force.
“At our last meeting of Cabinet, May 3rd, 2016, Cabinet approved the creation of a new position- Assistant Chief of Police effective July 1st, 2016. This is another measure to make this country one of the safest and most secure destinations in the region.”
The Hon Minister says this new position is to improve operations within the police force as it tries to keep up with the increasing complexity of crime on the island.
This new appointment is also in keeping with a decision to standardize police forces within the region.

DOMFESTA honours David Guiste

David Guiste

The Dominica Festival of Arts (DOMFESTA) is honoring local deceased artist, David Guiste.

Guiste was from the village of Petite Savanne, and lost his life during Tropical Storm Erika.
Acting Chief Cultural Officer, Jacinta David, spoke highly of Guiste’s work.
She then spoke of the art exhibition as being one of the ways in which Dominica’s artistes showcase their talents.
“The 2015 Independence Art Exhibition served as a vehicle to bring artists together to create shared memories of a disaster and hope for the future. These works of art assisted in building a collective memory of an important event which took place in Dominica-that of TS Erika.”
She adds that the Cultural Division continues to support local artists.
“The Cultural Division, through the Dominica Institute for the Arts (DIFA), is committed to providing practical, step-by-step assistance to all artists and those who are interested in arts. In so doing, we offer art classes every Tuesday from 4:30pm at the Old Mill Cultural Centre and at the art studio. We have classes for both children and adults.”
The showcase is available for public viewing throughout the Festival of the Arts.

Launch of New Water Security Program

G-WASP

St. George’s, 09th May 2016:  The Ministry of Agriculture, Lands, Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment jointly with the German Agency for International Co-operation (GIZ) launched the Grenada Water Stakeholder Platform (G-WaSP) on the 03rd May 2016 at the Public Workers Union Building in Tanteen.

The G-WaSP initiative functions as an umbrella partnership, bringing together all key stakeholders in Grenada, including public and private sector parties and community partners, involved in water resource management, major water usage and wastewater production.
Dieter Rothenberger, Head of GIZ programmes in Grenada, stated, “With a predicted reduction of approximately 20% of annual rainfall within this century, and a potential increase of extreme weather events due to climate change, Grenada is acutely vulnerable to risks related to water security.
These risks can have severe impacts on Grenada’s economic development, since sufficient water is a key ingredient for all economic sectors, but in particular for the tourism and agricultural sectors as well as food and beverage production.”
The approach G-WASP– which is the Grenada branch of the global International Water Stewardship Programme (IWASP) – will take is to identify, develop and implement measures to reduce the water risk for companies and communities, improve water availability and reduce pollution and flood events.
These processes will be undertaken and funded within G-WASP as partnership approaches jointly by public and private sector businesses and organizations as well as the local community groups and coordinated by GIZ.
The identification process will make use of a computerized water risk model which will highlight the potential effects to infrastructure and land and give an indication of economic costs Grenada is likely to face.
Due to Grenada’s water situation as a small island,  many approaches and partnership ideas focus on a whole watershed linked to the marine environment (or even to Marine protected Areas, MPAs) in a ridge to reef approach.
At the Launch event, Mr Jan Verweyen, regional Manager of IWASP from GIZ Headquarters in Germany presented the overall IWASP concept, while other stakeholders provided details of potential areas for partnership in Grenada, such as the Grand Etang Lake, Morne Rouge and Richmond Hill Watershed.
G-WaSP is being implemented in Grenada by the Ministry of Agriculture, Lands, Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment jointly with the German Agency for International Co-operation (GIZ), as part of the global IWASP programme, which is being implemented by GIZ Germany and funded by the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development and UK – Aid.

New Day Care Center at St. Mark Nearing Completion

Day Care Center - St. Marks

ST. GEORGE’S, GRENADA, May 9, 2016 – GIS: Residents of the parish of St. Mark will soon have access to a newly constructed day care center and library facility.

The much anticipated project, which is being carried out under the Basic Needs Trust Fund (BNTF), is nearing completion.
More than twenty (25) male and female workers have been employed on the site.
This facility features a day care center, outdoor playground, library and conference room, among other amenities.
Member of Parliament for St.Mark Clarice Modeste says she is pleased with the progress of work and would be excited to deliver this facility to the people of St. Mark.

The Good Food Revolution Project

Agriculture

Under the auspices of RISE Saint Lucia, the project aims to revolutionize food production by removing toxic chemicals and harmful GMOs from the Saint Lucian food chain.

The Ministry of Sustainable Development, Energy, Science and Technology and the Ministry of Agriculture has partnered with RISE Saint Lucia to host an Organic Farmers Training Workshop.
The workshop is part of RISE’s Good Food Revolution Project which  aims to create a national environment that promotes healthy food consumption, revolutionizing food production by removing toxic chemicals and harmful GMOs from the Saint Lucian food chain. It is also a call to action for farmers, retailers and consumers to grow, buy, and consume organic.
The training workshop began on May 3 with a group of 40 farmers. The focus of the workshop was to create an understanding of a farm as an agro-ecosystem; a living ecosystem that produces food.
The first block of training will continue over the next three months with sessions designed to train growers in advanced organic practical techniques following a “field-school” format. To obtain a certificate of completion, participants must start their own organic test plots and document the entire process.
The workshop will also introduce farmers to the organic certification process; to regional and international standards; and to organic business plan development.
The final session will be a forum for growers to put forward and explore ideas to create a vibrant and lucrative organic production industry in Saint Lucia.
Participants will receive donated organic farming supplies and tools, and a three-part manual as incentive for successfully participating in the program.
The Good Food Revolution has to date received funding in part from the UNDP GEF SGP, Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) and the Saint Lucia Hotel and Tourism Association (SLHTA).

Barbados And Guyana Hold Talks

Maxine McClean
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator Maxine McClean in discussion with Guyana’s newly appointed Consul General Cita Pilgrim. (B.Hinds/BGIS)

Barbados and Guyana share the distinction of having gained independence in the same year, and it is only fitting that the two countries participate in some way in each other’s independence activities.
That was the general consensus when Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator Maxine McClean, met with Guyana’s newly-appointed Consul General, Cita Pilgrim.
The officials indicated that one such activity could focus on school children in each country, the general idea being that children in Guyana could research and write an essay on Barbados, while those in Barbados do the same with Guyana. According to Minister McClean, this would be educational for students in both countries.
Speaking to the excellent relations Barbados and Guyana maintained over the years, Senator McClean pointed out that as two newly-independent countries, they had shared a High Commissioner in the United Kingdom.
She added that the closeness remained today, and was evidenced in the signing of three Barbados Guyana Joint Commission documents which saw cooperation in a number of areas, including education, agriculture and tourism.
Ms. Pilgrim agreed that the Joint Commissions were a step in the right direction, and noted that they were instrumental in deepening relations between the two countries. She added that as the new Consul General, part of her focus would be to change how Guyanese are perceived by some Barbadians.
There was also some discussion on relations with the African Caribbean and Pacific Group of States and how to facilitate youth entrepreneurship in both countries.
During the meeting, Senator McClean presented Ms. Pilgrim with an Exequatur, a legal document allowing her to be officially recognised as Consul General and to carry out the duties required for that post.

Trinidad & Tobago and Ghana Sign MOU

Prime Minister Rowley in Ghana
Prime Minister Rowley at the inspection of the Ghanaian Guard of Honour. (Photo Courtesy The Office of the Prime Minister)

May 9, 2016: The Trinidad and Tobago delegation, led by Prime Minister Dr. the Honourable Keith Rowley, continued with their hectic schedule in Ghana today (Monday 9th May 2016).

The day began with Prime Minister Rowley paying an official visit to His Excellency John Dramani Mahama, President of Ghana, at Flagstaff House, Kanda, Accra. Dr Rowley’s reception from President Mahama commenced with an inspection of the Guard of Honour and a twenty-one gun salute.
Thereafter, both leaders and their respective delegates engaged in official bilateral talks which resulted in the signing of a General Cooperation Agreement between the Government of Ghana and the Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. The Minister of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs, Senator Dennis Moses, signed on behalf of Trinidad and Tobago while his Ghanaian counterpart, Ms Hannah Tetteh, did so on her country’s behalf.

In addition to the government to government agreement, a Memorandum of Understanding on joint identification and development of commercially viable natural gas projects was also signed by Thomas Manu, Ag CEO of Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) and Mr Gerry Brooks, Chairman of the National Gas Company (NGC).
Thereafter, President Mahama hosted Dr Rowley and the Trinidad and Tobago delegation to a State luncheon.
Following the luncheon the delegation was accompanied by President Mahama and other high-ranking officials on a tour of the Tema Oil Refinery and the Volta Aluminum Company Limited (VALCO). Both leaders addressed the management and workers at the Refinery and VALCO to their great enthusiasm.
Coming out of today’s meetings and activities, both leaders acknowledged their interest in further exploring opportunities for mutually beneficial collaborative efforts with a view to economic development in both countries.
The final activity for the day was a cocktail reception for the business community at the Mövenpick Ambassador Hotel.
Signing the General Cooperation Agreement
The Minister of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs, Senator Dennis Moses, and his Ghanaian counterpart, Ms Hannah Tetteh, sign the General Cooperation Agreement

Signing a Memorandum of Understanding
Thomas Manu, Ag CEO of Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) and Mr Gerry Brooks, Chairman of the National Gas Company (NGC) sign a Memorandum of Understanding on natural gas projects while Minister of Energy and Energy Industries, the Honourable Nicole Olivierre (right), looks on.

SLHTA’s Virtual Agricultural Clearing House

Tropical Produce.jpg

The VACH is an electronic platform through which hotels and restaurants can obtain information on the availability of crops, and as a result, facilitate an increase in the sale of local produce.

The Saint Lucia Hotel and Tourism Association (SLHTA) has been working to develop initiatives targeted at strengthening linkages between the tourism and agricultural sectors.
Following the March 1 appointment of an Agriculture/Tourism Liaison Officer Donette Ismael, one of the key initiatives is the implementation of a Virtual Agricultural Clearing House (VACH) program.
The VACH is an electronic platform through which hotels, restaurants, and food and beverage distributors obtain information on the availability of crops, thereby facilitating an increase in the sale of local produce, and encouraging import substitution.
“I envision an agricultural sector with an enhanced capacity to supply quality and price-competitive produce that meets the demands of the hospitality industry,” Ms. Ismael said.
The virtual agricultural clearing house is currently operational, but will be officially launched at the SLHTA’s 52nd AGM Tourism Linkages Tradeshow on May 19.
Farmers interested in being a part of the VACH can contact Donette Ismael at 758.485.9816 or dismael@slhta.com.
The SLHTA cannot guarantee the sale of any agricultural crops and is not responsible for the pricing, quality, delivery and distribution of the agricultural produce.

CARICOM’s strategic relationships critical in changing global environment: SG

CARICOM

(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana)     The critical importance of CARICOM maintaining traditional relationships and building new ones was underscored by Secretary-General Ambassador Irwin LaRocque as he addressed CARICOM Foreign Ministers who are gathered in St. Vincent and the Grenadines for the 19th Meeting of the Council for Foreign and Community Relations (COFCOR).

In a rapidly changing global environment, the need was critical for CARICOM to reinforce engagements such as those recently held with the United Kingdom (UK), and the United States of America, and that which will be advanced with the Foreign Ministers of Sweden and the Kingdom of the Netherlands during this Meeting of COFCOR, the Secretary-General noted.
Ambassador LaRocque said that the 9th UK-Caribbean Forum which took place in The Bahamas 10 days ago, confirmed the UK’s renewal of interest UK by increasing its development support to the Caribbean over the next four (4) years.  More than £360 million in grant-finance will be allocated to the Region in bilateral programme support, including for infrastructure development for eligible countries.
The Secretary-General said the opportunity was maximised to inform the UK that the de-risking strategies being adopted by certain international banks, which have resulted in the withdrawal of correspondent banking services from banks in the Community, threaten dire consequences for the economic viability of CARICOM Member States.
He added that the UK was also made aware that the constant unfair labelling of the Region’s offshore financial services sector as non-cooperating tax jurisdictions, which has increased since the revelations of the so-called Panama Papers, has had an adverse impact on that critical sector of CARICOM’s economies.
“The issue of graduation of our Member States due to classification as Middle Income Countries, which has made it difficult to access concessionary development financing, was exemplified by the criteria used by the UK in the planned disbursement of the grant financing which they are providing,” the Secretary-General said.
Those three issues, along with security, were also discussed last week with another traditional partner, the United States, at meetings in Washington, he informed.
“Energy security has been playing an important role of late in the Region’s relations with the US. This issue has taken on a new dynamism since the April 2015 Summit with President Obama. During the United States-Caribbean and Central American Energy Summit last week in Washington D.C., leaders of the Community engaged with the US Vice-President and representatives of regional and international institutions on energy related issues.  At the conclusion of the Summit, the US Government reaffirmed its commitment to support the Caribbean’s transformation of its energy systems, an area in which the Community has been making significant efforts,” the Secretary-General said.
Noting that the year 2016 was one in which the Community must continue the momentum established in 2015, he said the move towards normalisation of relations between the US and Cuba, which was the focus of a Minister’s retreat on Monday, represented a welcome development in hemispheric relations.
The Secretary-General noted the increased visibility the Community has earned at the regional and international levels by providing leaders to two important bodies for CARICOM, namely Baroness Patricia Scotland as the new Secretary-General of the Commonwealth; and Ambassador June Soomer, as the Secretary General of the Association of Caribbean States. They join Ambassador Patrick Gomes, who assumed the post of Secretary-General of the ACP in 2015, and Dr Carissa Etienne, Director of the Pan American Health Organisation, who took up her post in 2013.
In his remarks, Secretary-General LaRocque offered commendations to Barbados and Guyana, as they celebrated 50 years of Independence. In congratulating them on this milestone, he said it must be recalled that these two countries “pioneered the idea of joint diplomatic representation, with one High Commissioner serving both countries in London in the months after Independence.”
He told the Foreign Ministers that such an example of co-ordination should be an inspiration as they engaged on a diverse range of topics, in seeking to advance CARICOM’s strategic interests and the general development of “our beloved Community.”

Government Announces Limited Access to Sarstoon

Sarstoon River Belize
Courtsey Google Maps

Belmopan. May 9, 2016.    The Government of Belize (GOB) rejects the demand made by the People’s United Party for the immediate rescission of the Sarstoon Prohibition Regulation.

At the time of passage Government gave two rationales for the Regulation. One was to avoid the possibility of any harm coming to Belizeans going to the Sarstoon in organized numbers to make a political point, given that tensions had reached a fever pitch with Guatemala. The latter’s armed forces, especially its navy at the Sarstoon, were on a declared hair-trigger mobilization.
The second reason for GOB’s position was to allow an opportunity for Belizean diplomacy to work. We felt confident that Guatemala would be obliged, under the confidence building measures, to change its stance and negotiate with us over the Sarstoon on the basis of respect for our rights.
We believe that we have now obtained objective 2, and we expect formal bilateral negotiations, in which we invite the Opposition to participate as equal partners, to start shortly.
As a result, we also believe that the military tensions regarding the Sarstoon are no longer as explosive as they were when we passed the Regulation. But until the negotiations actually begin, we are not comfortable enough to conclude that all danger has been eliminated regarding large-scale, civilian political expeditions to the Sarstoon.
We are satisfied, though, that in view of the progress already made we can operationalize the stance we took at the press conference on Tuesday, May 3, 2016. Therefore, all non-political, legitimate Belizean civilian traffic into the restricted area will immediately be given lawful authority, under the Regulation, to proceed. The only requirement for this is that they check in at our Sarstoon Forward Operating Base (FOB) so that our military can confirm the legitimate nature of their use of the river.
GOB notes that the BDF not only remains permanently at the Sarstoon FOB, but continues to go upriver to effectuate the rotation at Cadenas, as was done last Tuesday.
We also make clear that while there will be no immediate rescission of the Regulation, we do reserve the right to repeal it before it expires if no sufficient further progress is made with the bilateral Belize/Guatemala diplomatic engagement.

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