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Ban on the use of plastic items

plastic items
Minister of State, Joseph Harmon

Proposed ban on the use of plastic items for cabinet’s consideration.

A proposed plan that could affect a ban on the use of plastic items will be presented to Cabinet for its consideration; a move that is supported by the Department of Environment.
Minister of State, Joseph Harmon made the disclosure today while addressing the Ministry of the Presidency’s Department of Environment’s Earth Day celebrations at State House.
“We would have introduced to cabinet a memorandum prepared by the Department of the Environment, which Cabinet will consider seriously. It a very solid piece of document, a very solid memorandum.”
Minister Harmon, who also has responsibility for the environment, said he has already asked the Department of Environment to have the technical officers be present at that cabinet session to properly explain the measures proposed to ban plastic.
The department’s head, Ndibi Schwiers said the document is a simple draft that is seeking to reduce on a short-term basis, the importation of the single-use of plastic items. It is hoped that by 2020 there will be a complete ban on the product.
Earth Day 2018 is being celebrated under the theme “end plastic pollution”. Data from the day’s proceeding showed that nearly two million single-use plastic bags are distributed worldwide every minute. One million plastic bottles are bought every minute around the world. That number is expected to top a trillion by the end of 2021.
One million seabirds and 100,000 marine animals are killed every year from the ingestion of plastics in the ocean.

Attendees
Attendees at the event at State House today

“Free Souls” dance group
Members of the “Free Souls” dance group performs Michael Jackson’s “Earth Song”

According to Minister Harmon, plastic remains a useful material. However, it is also responsible for the degradation of the earth.
As part of the government’s commitment to care for the earth and preserve its eco-systems, Minister Harmon said several measures have has been implemented to curtail the use of plastic receptacles in Guyana. In January of last year, the administration had tabled and passed an amendment to the Customs Act, which stipulated that importers of plastic containers pay an environmental levy to the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA).
The levy was not a revenue collection initiative, but a measure to encourage the recycling and reduction of the use of plastics.
Speaking also at the event today, Minister of Business, Dominic Gaskin said the use of plastic bags must be addressed with urgency.
“Guyana has a big problem with single-use plastic items and this needs to be addressed with urgency if Guyana is to become the green state that we all look forward to.”
Minister Gaskin observed that there needs to be a long-term solution to address the issue of plastic pollution in the country, so that “we can be green and clean again”.

Anti-Violence Campaign rolling out

anti-violence campaign

The Ministry of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation will launch a comprehensive anti-violence campaign early next month to address the issue of violence in schools.
Themed: Peace Begins with Me, the campaign is supported by the UNICEF office for the Eastern Caribbean Area, and will target parents, students, teachers and the community in general, with the understanding that everyone has a role to play in addressing school violence.
The Ministry designated its first Peace Ambassador, Princess Margaret Secondary School student, Ayra Newton, on Tuesday, March 27, under the Schools’ Positive Behaviour Management Programme (SPBMP) (SPBMP).
The peace campaign will feature consultations with students from secondary schools at the Savannah Hotel, Christ Church, to find out what problems students are facing and how these could be tackled. The Ministry will also recognise more Peace Ambassadors, and students will be part of a public education campaign, where they will share their views on how to walk away from, or deal with violent situations.
One of the campaign’s highlights will be a Pledge Day for Peace, which will be held on Friday, May 11. Students from all schools will be expected to make a peace pledge against violence. A ‘peace space’ will also be created at secondary schools for students, which will serve as a sanctuary where they can reflect or cool off, if faced with contentious situations.
Early Childhood Educators will also be included in the campaign, and they will participate in workshops addressing child protection issues among young children at the Savannah Hotel, on May 29 and May 30. Additionally, teachers and principals across the board will receive training in Crisis Management throughout the year.
Senior Education Officer with responsibility for SPBMP, Janice Reid, said violence in schools did not affect any particular age group.  
“The Anti-Violence Campaign will include all nursery, primary and secondary schools.  As the agency responsible for the welfare of students, it is the mantra of the Ministry to create peaceful schools, where all students, teachers and parents feel safe to learn, teach and visit,” she emphasised.

Gov’t to Develop Bunkering Industry

Bunkering Industry
Minister of Transport and Mining, Hon. Robert Montague (left), in conversation with Chairmain of the Maritime Authority of Jamaica, Mrs. Corah-Ann Robertson-Sylvester, at the Gala Dinner of the International Bunker Industry Association Caribbean Bunker Conference held recently at the Hyatt Ziva Hotel in Montego Bay.

Minister of Transport and Mining, Hon. Robert Montague says the government is to aggressively pursue the development of Jamaica’s bunkering industry.

This, he said, will be done through the facilitation of investment and ensuring that the necessary administrative and regulatory framework are in place.
Minister Montague was addressing the gala dinner of the International Bunker Industry Association (IBIA) Caribbean Conference at the Hyatt Ziva Hotel in Montego Bay recently.
Citing a 2012 Commonwealth Secretariat Commissioned study, Mr. Montague said Jamaica could benefit from the generation of up to 900 job opportunities and increased economic activity of approximately US$3 billion, if the country grows its share of vessels passing through the Panama Canal and bunkering (refuelling) in Jamaica, to ten percent.
“It therefore goes without saying that any industry, such as bunkering which has the potential for positive economic gains and employment, will be a target for priority action for the Government.
We are therefore aggressively pursuing strategies to realise the projected growth levels,” he stated.
The study, commissioned on behalf of the Maritime Authority of Jamaica (MAJ), sought to identify the potential and the required framework, to position Jamaica as a bunkering location in the Caribbean.
At the time, Jamaica’s share of vessels passing through the Panama Canal and bunkering in the country was approximately five percent.
“In addition to pointing to the fact that a successful and competitive bunkering hub will have a positive impact on the dynamism of the Jamaican maritime cluster; perhaps of greater interest to this Government, is that since bunkering forms an important eco-system within the wider maritime cluster, it provides great prospects for significant economic impact,” he said.
The conference was hosted jointly by the Maritime Authority of Jamaica and IBIA from April 17 to 19.

British High Commission in Antigua and Barbuda

British High Commission

PM Browne welcomes decision by UK to open British High Commission in Antigua and Barbuda.

Antigua and Barbuda will again be host to a British High Commission. The UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office announced on Thursday, 19th April its decision to establish a mission in Antigua and Barbuda a decade after closing its last mission in 2008.
The United Kingdom is one of Antigua and Barbuda’s largest trading partners and one of the most important source markets for tourism. The two countries have enjoyed a long, rich history and the UK is considered a key ally and friend of the country.

On receiving news of this decision, Prime Minister Gaston Browne, who was in London last week, where he led a delegation at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting said, “this mission signals Britain’s intention to be a truly global Britain and the importance Britain places on the Caribbean. Antigua and Barbuda has had a long shared history with the United Kingdom. As we look to the future we are eager to work even more closely with our UK friends to strengthen trade, investment and develop cooperation in areas of mutual interest including climate change, issues of security, advocacy for reform in ODA rules and the sustainable use of our ocean spaces.”
Also, reacting to the decision was the Foreign Minister, the Honourable E.P. Chet Greene MP. Minister Greene welcomed the decision by the UK Government to open a High Commission in Antigua and Barbuda at this critical point in time in global relations. He stated: “This will allow Antigua and Barbuda to potentially serve as a hub for identified areas for UK trade and investment into the Eastern Caribbean”.
The Mission is expected to open in Antigua and Barbuda in January 2019.

Illegal Importation of Africanised bees from Trinidad

Africanized Bees

The Ministry of Agriculture and lands wishes to inform the General Public especially individuals already in or interested in joining the beekeeping sector that it is illegal to import bees from other regional islands as well as internationally.
Persons seeking to bring in Africanised bees from Trinidad are asked to stop immediately as these bees would destroy our native bees and very harmful to the Grenadian population.
The Ministry is also asking all persons engaged in beekeeping and not registered as a beekeeper with the ministry to kindly do so.
The Ministry have a farmer’s registration process where all farmers registered with the ministry are issued an Identification card.
Once again Africanised bees also known as killer bees are very dangerous and shouldn’t be allowed into our island.
The ministry would treat this matter very seriously. Any information about persons bringing Africanised bees from Trinidad can be reported to:
Quasi Williams,
Veterinary and Livestock Division,
Ministry of Agriculture and Lands
440-2708/3078/3083

GNDZ-Kidz $1.1 Million dollar Fundraiser

GNDZ-KIDZ

A major medical fundraising project has started in Grenada with the full backing of the island’s Health Ministry.
The initiative which is aimed at raising funds to source and ship a container of medical equipment and supplies for the General Hospital Pediatric Ward and Eye Clinic, among other departments, was officially announced on April 13 at the True Blue Bay Resort by G. Swank.
Swank, is one of the founders of the “GNDZ-KIDZ” project, a medical charity founded in May 2017, by himself and Jean Mallipudi. The charity benefits Grenada’s children and recently assisted the Pediatric Ward at the General Hospital.
Earlier today members of the organization were engaged in a fun and games exercise at the hospital’s pediatric, medical and surgical wards utilizing previously donated items.
The project’s most recent fundraiser was a trivia night, co-hosted with the International Federation of Medical Student’s Association IFMSA, at the True Blue Beach Resort.
Several medical students, Health Minister – Hon. Nickolas Steele, Permanent Secretary – Ms. Pauline Peters along with senior managerial and nursing staff from the General Hospital, attended that activity.
The trivia night fundraiser was supported by a number of individuals and organizations including such as the Marie Fielden, True blue Bay Boutique Resort, Aquanauts, Mt. Cinnamon Resort, New York’s Finest Bagels Island Fever and other generous donors/contributors.

Four-Year Climate Change Project

Climate Change

Jamaica to Benefit from Four-Year Climate Change Project

Jamaica is among three Caribbean islands to benefit from a four-year initiative that will help the country prioritise and invest in ecosystems that specifically reduce its risk of disasters related to climate change.
The Dominican Republic and Grenada are the other two islands to benefit from the Resilient Islands by Design Project, which runs from 2017 to 2021.
The objective of the project is to combine cutting-edge conservation science with the world’s leading expertise in disaster response to develop tools and test solutions that use nature to ensure protection of coastal communities in the Caribbean islands.
These include the use of coral reef and mangroves, which can reduce wave energy and reduce wave height.
Funded by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, the project is being led by The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).
Addressing the launch at The Knutsford Court Hotel in Kingston on April 12, Minister without Portfolio in the Economic Growth and Job Creation Ministry, Hon. Daryl Vaz, expressed pleasure at the approach the project is taking to ensure the protection of coastal communities.
“I believe this hands-on approach is best, as it will help the targeted communities to think, plan and act to ensure their resilience and to position themselves to seize opportunities to integrate climate change considerations into their communities, businesses and lives in a transformative way,” he said.
Mr. Vaz added that this has to be the desired approach, “particularly as the underlying forces that are driving climate change are rooted in the physics that govern our planet, and we cannot ignore these anymore”.
He urged Jamaicans and other people around the world to begin planning and thinking in concrete ways to integrate climate considerations in “all relevant plans and projects to deal with the rising temperatures and seas, deadlier disasters and changing economic circumstances” that now exist.
“Building climate resilience is urgent, particularly as Jamaica and countries in the Caribbean are becoming increasingly urbanised. Where to build and how to build and the role the ecosystem services can play in order to develop and prosper within the new climate change reality (are) to be major considerations in the planning process,” he stressed.
Meanwhile, Chargé d’Affaires of the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany, Helmut Domas, said the Resilient Islands by Design Project is among a list of projects being funded by his government to benefit Caribbean countries.
“The International Climate Initiative funding made available by the people and the Government of Germany for climate protection and resilience has directed the Caribbean region as a priority target, as we recognise that the Caribbean islands are the most vulnerable when it comes to the destructive influences of adverse climate phenomena,” he said.
These, he noted, include unseasonal heavy rains, drought conditions and category five hurricanes.
Director General of the Jamaica Red Cross Society, Yvonne Clarke, said the project falls very much in line with what her agency has been doing across Jamaica and “fits beautifully into the (agency’s) strategy”.
For her part, Deputy Director of the Caribbean Division of the TNC, Marcie Eggers, urged a proactive approach in finding natural solutions to address climate change risks.
She noted that the introduction of the project is timely, especially in light of 2017’s active category-five hurricanes, Irma and Maria, which resulted in US$150 billion worth of economic losses.

Public Service Day Logo Competition

Public Service Day

The UN General Assembly, in its resolution 57/277 of 2003, designated June 23rd as Public Service Day.

Many countries around the world observe this day in celebration of the value and virtue of public service to the community by highlighting the contribution of the public service in the development process and recognizing the work of public servants.
The Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, every year joins with the rest of the international community in observing and commemorating the day with a week of activities. The activities to mark the day are facilitated and coordinated by the Public Sector Reform Unit in the Service Commissions Department.
In order to foster a spirit of deeper collaboration between all levels of the public service, public service day events are oriented to promote greater public awareness, knowledge sharing and experience exchange among members of the public service. To this extent a ‘logo’ is essential to enhance the event’s outreach, visibility and symbolization.
Objective
The main purpose of this competition is to develop a brand (meaning a logo) to be used by the Public Sector Reform Unit during the week of activities to mark Public Service Day in June each year. This logo should reflect the purpose of the event, which will promote the following objectives for the Public Service of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines:

  • Creating avenues for the exchange of experiences, innovations, ideas and good practices in the public service;
  • Enhancing professionalism and motivating public servants;
  • Highlighting the relationship among the public, private and social sectors;
  • Improving the quality of service delivery through the experience of citizens.

Eligibility

  1. The contest is open to all officers of the public service.
  2. The Logo should reflect the purpose and objectives of Public Service Day.
  3. Individual, Team or Group submission is acceptable.

Submission guidelines, Prize and Due Date

  • The contest is open from March 30th to April 30th, 2018 and only one submission per person or team/ group is accepted;
  • Submissions must include a template which should be filled out with the information of the participant or team. This template is attached;
  • All entries (submission template, including logo) should be submitted via email to the Public Sector Reform Unit (PSRU) for the attention of Miss Andrea Hazell, Research Officer, email: ahazell@gov.vc . A printed copy should be submitted also.
  • The submissions will be evaluated by a committee composed of the PSRU and relevant Public Service Day team members. The winner will be informed in May 2018 at the launch of Public Service Day week of activities.
  • The winner will receive a prize on the day of the launch in May 2018.

Logo design guidelines and parameters

  • The logo will be featured on Public Service Day banners, Government of Saint Vincent and Grenadines’ website, social media, communication platforms and other mediums. The logo should therefore be eye-catching and legible;
  • Submitted logos cannot contain third parties’ copyrighted materials and may not include images or licensed images that have been previously published;
  • It is preferable that the participant or team create and edit their own brand;
  • The logo can include images, pictures, words or any figure that can identify the event and its objectives.

Intellectual property
The intellectual property of the selected brand will be transferred to the Public Sector Reform Unit.
Winner and recognition
The winning logo will be used as the official brand for Public Service Day activities. The winner will be recognized as the entry (person or team) that proposed the best logo in any information and communication materials as well as any activity promoted by the event.
Contact Information
Please contact Miss Andrea Hazell, Research Officer, or Mrs. Emma Jackson, Deputy Director, for more information about this initiative at email: ahazell@gov.vc, ejackson@gov.vc or ext 579.
Submission Template
Click here for the information sheet which must be completed and submitted together with the logo.

Shared Services Sector Making a Major Impact

global shared services

Shared Services Sector Making a Major Impact

Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ) Director General, Dr. Wayne Henry, says the global shared services (GSS) sector, of which business process outsourcing (BPO) is a part, is a key pillar in the country’s economic growth and diversification strategy.
Dr. Henry said marked growth in the BPO labour force is one area in which the sector’s impact has been most evident, noting that there are about 60 firms now operating locally that employ approximately 26,000 persons, according to data from the Business Process Industry Association of Jamaica (BPIAJ).
Additionally, he said information from Jamaica Promotions Corporation (JAMPRO) shows that the industry generated an estimated US$400 million in revenue in 2016, pointing out that the sector is “on a growth trajectory”.
“The real estate, renting and business activities industry, which contains a subset of the BPO sector, has grown from 7.6 per cent in 2006 to 10.3 per cent in 2016 as a share of the services industry,” he noted further.
Dr. Henry, who was speaking at the 2018 Labour Market Forum at the Terra Nova All-Suite Hotel in St. Andrew on Wednesday (April 11), said the positive trends are also evident internationally.
Citing Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited’s 2017 global shared services survey, he said 73 per cent of respondents reported productivity increases of five per cent, up from 70 per cent of participants in 2015.
The report also found that while transactional processes remain predominant within the sector, the adoption of more complex knowledge-based processes is on the rise, which, according to the survey, has doubled, and in some cases tripled, since 2013.
Additionally, Dr. Henry said the survey indicated that the number of operators executing more than three functions continues to rise, moving from 20 per cent in 2013 to 31 per cent in 2015 and 53 per cent in 2017, and that organisations are increasingly emphasising proximity to existing operations or headquarters, as cost remains a top priority when establishing or relocating activities.
In this regard, he said, Jamaica’s proximity to North America is viewed “favourably” by local BPO investors.
“It is, therefore, evident that there is strong potential for the global shared services sector to support both domestic and global growth. We recognise that advancing the development of global shared services within Jamaica, while ensuring integration with other sectors and concurrent improvements in the quality of labour available to the sector, is critical. This cohesive approach is evident in the Five-Year National Strategy for the Development of Jamaica’s Outsourcing Industry, which was approved by Cabinet in 2015,” Dr. Henry said.
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Audrey Sewell, who also spoke at the forum, noted that the strategy targets, among other goals, doubling the sector’s employee complement by 2020.
Among the initiatives, which she said have been undertaken to successfully implement the strategy are (a) establishing an Information and Communications Technology/Business Process Outsourcing (ICT/BPO) Task Force, and appointing a National BPO Coordinator to drive and oversee implementation and updating of the industry’s development work plan; and (b) recruiting an in-market broker to ensure that all elements, which will guarantee the industry’s success, are in place.
 
Mrs. Sewell explained that the in-market broker works with the task force and oversees the sector’s activities and performance to ensure that Jamaica is competitively BPO-ready and attractive in all aspects.
This, she pointed out, includes strengthening the enabling environment, particularly in relation to the policy and incentive framework; labour market enhancement; infrastructural development; and market penetration.
“These initiatives have paid off, as the sector continues to enjoy a high employment growth rate and has outperformed many of the other (industries),”
Mrs. Sewell said.
This year’s 10th staging of the Labour Market Forum was held under the theme ‘Enabling Growth and Development: Unlocking the Potential of the Global Shared Services Sector’.
It was jointly organised by the Planning Institute of Jamaica and the Labour Market Information Technical Advisory Committee, with support from the Inter-American Development Bank.

Change In Fuel Prices

fuel prices

Effective midnight Sunday, April 15, the retail prices of gasoline and kerosene decreased while the price of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) increased. The price of diesel is unchanged.
The new retail price of gasoline is Bds$3.31 per litre, down from $3.44 per litre, a decrease of 13 cents. The price of diesel remains at $2.60 per litre while the price of kerosene moves from $1.41 per litre to $1.36 per litre, a decrease of five cents.
The retail prices of LPG moves from Bds $168.69 per 100 lb cylinder to $169.88 per 100 lb cylinder, an increase of $1.19. The price of the 25 lb cylinder moves from $47.27 to $47.57, a 30 cents increase. The new price of the 22 lb cylinder is $42.03, up from $41.76, an increase of 27 cents; while the price of the 20 lb cylinder is up by 24 cents from $37.97 to $38.21.
These price adjustments are in keeping with Government’s policy of allowing  retail prices of petroleum to be reflective of those on the international market.

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