Government Information Service Newsletter - Vol. 1, Issue 12 - 2020

NEWSLETTER GOVERNMENT INFORMATION SERVICE

Vol. 1, Issue 12

Thursday, Sept. 24, 2020

GOVERNMENT TO TAKE SWIFT ACTION

DETAILS ON PAGE 03

TO IMPROVE PHYSICAL PLANNING INSIDE PAGE 03

GRENADA COMMITS TO PROTECT THE OZONE LAYER

PAGE EMERGENCY WORK ON LA BORIE 04 ROAD 95% COMPLETE PAGE TYRELL BAY MARINA BOASTS OF 05 HIGH OCCUPANCY

E-LEARNING DEVICE DISTRIBUTION CONTINUES

AND MUCH MORE...

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PRIME MINISTER SPEAKS FURTHER ABOUT CABINET CHANGES Prime Minister, Dr. the Rt. Hon. Keith Mitchell, has consistently stated that his mid-term Cabinet reshuffle is intended to broaden the experience of Government Ministers and improve their versatility in handling the affairs of the State, while at the same time, providing an opportunity for Government to enhance its overall performance.

In a radio interview on Sept. 16, Dr. Mitchell was asked about the rationale for reassigning the various portfolios. With respect to the Ministry of Finance, he explained that while is it is the norm for leaders to retain responsibility for finance, it is not the first time he has assigned that portfolio to another minister. Dr. Mitchell expressed full confidence in the capability of Hon. Gregory Bowen, who will assume responsibility for the Ministry of Finance, Economic Development, Physical Development, Public Utilities and Energy.

For the first time, the Prime Minister has added Youth Development to his portfolio.

He noted that young people, in particular, are significantly challenged by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, as it has affected their education, their socialization, which helps to build character, and their ability to participate in sports.

The appointment of Hon. Peter David as Minister for Agriculture, Forestry and Lands has been labelled a demotion by some, but Dr.

Prime Minister, Dr. the Rt. Hon. Keith Mitchell

Mitchell said such a notion is an insult to the nation’s farmers.

Dr. Mitchell said, “Minister David is considered one of the more people-oriented ministers in this administration and it makes sense to have him bring that particular strength to the agriculture sector and create a greater connection with farmers and other stakeholders.”

Referring to the appointment of Senator Norland Cox as the Minister for Infrastructure

Development, Transport and Implementation, Dr. Mitchell said, “Although he is not an elected representative, as a senator, he has demonstrated the maturity, communication and people skills required for the position.”

With regard to the separation of Hospital Services from the general Ministry of Health, Dr. Mitchell said it was critical to do so, for the health sector.

The changes in the ministerial appointments will take effect on Monday, Oct. 5, 2020.

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GOVERNMENT TO TAKE SWIFT ACTION TO IMPROVE PHYSICAL PLANNING The Government of Grenada is moving aggressively to improve physical planning operations in Grenada.

Prime Minister and Minister for Finance and Planning, Dr. the Right Honourable Keith Mitchell, has stated that planning is a critical part of the country’s development and it must be treated more seriously than it currently is.

At a meeting with top officials associated with physical planning, on Sept. 17, Dr. Mitchell said, “I am very concerned about the level of ad hoc and arbitrary building that is becoming prevalent across the country. Government will be moving quickly to examine the whole structure and make drastic changes. We must protect the integrity of our development process before it causes irreparable damage to our country,” he said.

Dr. Mitchell underscored the importance of achieving greater compliance with planning policies, regulations and notices.

He said, “We must act quickly to provide more enforcement power, with respect to physical

planning. It is not acceptable that a stop notice is given and the contractor and/or owner simply ignores this and continues building. That amounts to lawlessness. People cannot be ignoring the laws of the land.”

The Minister for Finance and Planning also cited discrepancies in the approval times and the historic stigma of corruption that has been attached to the Physical Planning Unit and the Prime Minister, Dr. the Rt. Hon. Keith Mitchell Planning Authority.

Dr. Mitchell said, “It has been brought to my attention that some persons seeking permission to build wait several months for approval while other applications seem to be fast-tracked through the system. This is not right or fair. There must be equity in the approval process. Relatedly, we must also move quickly to change the historic perception that there is corruption in Grenada’s physical planning process. We must have suitably qualified persons to undertake the work and they must operate within the ambit of the law and must be held accountable for their actions.”

Dr. Mitchell acknowledged the improvements made with respect to addressing the backlog of applications, but he stressed the need to continue finding ways to improve the overall planning function.

One of the imminent changes will be the establishment of a Physical Planning and Development Control Authority, with responsibility for overseeing all Planning and Development matters, including environmental protection.

GRENADA COMMITS TO PROTECT THE OZONE LAYER Grenada commits to establish advanced measures for ozone layer protection by 2021.

Grenada commemorated World Ozone Day and the first ever Green Cooling Technology Road Show on September 16, under the theme “Ozone for Life – 35 Years of Ozone Layer Protection”.

The inaugural road show formed part of the Grenada Green Cooling Communication Strategy initiative of the National Ozone Unit, which seeks to generate awareness on the advantages of green cooling technologies, promote alternative refrigeration and air-conditioning technologies that are environmentally friendly and energy efficient, among others.

This year marks the 35th anniversary of the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer and signals the progress made by governments and industries to cut 99 percent of all ozone-depleting substances.

Energy Minister, Hon. Gregory Bowen, explained that in recent years the refrigeration and air conditioning sector in Grenada has experienced significant growth. He said in 2019 Grenada signed onto the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol and has since been working towards instituting measures that will protect the ozone layer.

He said, “The establishment of labelling standards for refrigerated containers and a code of practice to address the safe use, handling, transportation and storage of refrigerants, including flammable refrigerants. The establishment of a centre of excellence and a regional training hub at the T.A Marryshow Community College, for training and

capacity development of refrigeration and airconditioning technicians, in alternative low global warming potential technologies. Additionally, there are a number of other measures that are in advanced stages of development and are expected to be established in the year 2021. These include the development of a National Cooling Action Plan; the establishment of energy efficient labelling and minimum energy performance standards for the refrigeration and air conditioning sector. The implementation of the harmonized systems customs classification calls for the disaggregation of all refrigerants.”

Six air conditioning and refrigerant companies were represented at the event. They too are committed to the cause of promoting technologies that are environmentally friendly and energy efficient.

Jeanne Walcott of Cooling Tech said, “On a commercial level we will be introducing the R4513A and R454B refrigerant. The R454B refrigerant is a mixture of HFO and HFC gases. It has lower toxicity and lower flammability and is composed of 68.9 percent of R32 refrigerant with a global warming potential of 465.38 and, most importantly, a zero ozone depleting potential.”

Tonia Charles of Total Engineering also gave information on what her company is doing.

She said, “We do intend to introduce the more environmentally friendly refrigerant, which is the R32. Our technicians are also trained to use both and we have made it a point or a commitment to ensure that all our technicians gets additional training as time goes by and, of course, within the office, we as well are committed to providing or continuing our green efforts.”

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EMERGENCY WORK ON LA BORIE ROAD 95% COMPLETE

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Minister for Infrastructure Hon. Gregory Bowen

Work on a section of the La Borie main road, which feeds into Hope Vale, is now 95 percent complete.

Minister for Infrastructure Development, Hon. Gregory Bowen, who visited the construction site on Sept.

17, is pleased with the progress and quality of work.

It entails the construction of a retaining wall and box culvert, which forms part of the $48.6 million Feeder Road Project that was awarded to Hanover Construction Company Limited.

Hon. Bowen said, “I am very pleased, but first of all I want to commend the users - the people in the area that spoke with the contractors. I spoke with them as well and there weren’t any complaints whatsoever, because everyone knew what the condition of this particular area was - the break - and now they’re seeing that the road is being repaired. I think they went a couple weeks over, as is expected.

There were days that they could not work, but as we see the work is being done and completed in a very good manner. The walls at the side that have been completed and now we’re looking to just finish here, put it back in a state that it can be motorable, but we will come back because we have to do a lot more work in this area. So, I think I’m pretty pleased with the progress so far, albeit we’re a week out ,but we understand why - the weather.”

Reginald Simon, Quality Control Officer at Hanover Construction, told the GIS that despite some interruptions, he is pleased with the overall quality of work.

Simon said, “Presently I’m very happy to announce that we took twenty working days to complete this task. We had four rainy days which affected the project slightly, but we’re still in good schedule to complete on Saturday of this week.

Basically, what we did is a retainer wall of a height of ten feet, with a cascade system at the back to take all the water which is coming through a cylinder, which is four feet wide and twenty feet long, so the water is coming down from the hillside, goes to the cylinder and then goes down Quality Control Officer at Hanover Construction into the cascade within - Reginald Simon the retaining wall. So, presently, today we are resurfacing the area and trying to complete in order to do the preparation for asphalt mix on Friday, as long as the weather permits. We will be doing some relocation of some staircases going towards the house, and also steps going towards the house. We will be rectifying that also within the next couple of days.”

TYRELL BAY MARINA BOASTS OF HIGH OCCUPANCY

Carriacou’s Tyrell Bay Marina boasts of high occupancy, notwithstanding the challenges posed by COVID-19.

Owner of the Marina, Jerome Mc Quilkin, told GIS that so far there is an increase in yacht arrivals.

More than 1000 yachts have received hauling, along with other services at the Marina, 170 of which are presently stored on the Marina’s dry dock.

Mc Quilkin said construction is ongoing at the Marina and as a result space is limited. He explained that due to the high occupancy rate and more than seventy reservations, managing the limited space is a priority for the marina.

Mc Quilkin said, “We are over, in excess in excess of over 50 percent more than we had last year and we still have a lot of bookings to come in and we’re doing serious space management right now to really utilize all the space that we have available to us.

We have a lot more to come in, but as we get deeper into the season boats that are launched. We have a lot of boats from

Owner of the Tyrell Bay Marina Jerome Mc Quilkin

up north. So, as we launch those we have space for others to come in. So we rotate the space and we manage the space that we have available. We have bookings for probably 70 or 80 boats still, but if they all arrive tomorrow we couldn’t take them all.”

He said COVID-19 has affected the number of yachts that visit the island, especially around this time of year. However, he is grateful for the opportunity to provide employment to workers and a safe haven for yachts.

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“Our percentage occupancy has been growing every year, so we’re not surprised to see other numbers at the levels they are now, however, we have benefitted from other yards, primarily in Trinidad, that are still almost closed. So, the boats that would’ve gone to Trinidad, in Grenada, very few of them have gone to Trinidad.

So, a lot of those boats are in Carriacou and Grenada. Is that down to COVID, or because of COVID? I think we have to say yes, but we’re enjoying the bonus, if you like. COVID has hurt a lot of people, a lot of businesses, so it’s good that this is a positive factor of COVID rather than a negative one.”

Mc Quilkin commended the Ministry of Health and the Government of Grenada for the measures and protocols implemented to protect citizens. The protocols, he said, are extremely useful for the smooth operation of his facility.

EDUCATION CORNER

E-LEARNING DEVICE DISTRIBUTION CONTINUES

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The education sector in Grenada is experiencing exciting times with the distribution of E-Learning devices to students at the start of the 2020 Michaelmas term.

The blended learning initiative will build on the use of technology, which became a part of students’ daily school life, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Of the 24,000 devices purchased for teachers and students, 1550 were delivered to schools as of Sept. 11.

Students at the Grenada Seventh Day Adventist Comprehensive (GSDAC) and the J.W. Fletcher Catholic Secondary Schools, two of the schools that have already received the devices, are confident of the far reaching benefits, especially since technology is now a way of life.

A student at the GSDAC, Rhonol Toussaint, said, “Well I’m happy for the tablet because it’ll help us get lots of work done when we are home. Some of us don’t have gadgets, so it’s a big plus for us.”

Kassia Morin, a student who is also in her final year at the GSDAC, said, “Now I’m getting a tablet it will be very helpful for me to accomplish most of my work and my SBAs. So, I’m willing to work harder while I get it. I also have to take care of it because I’m not too sure if I’m having it for too long, because at the end of Form 5, I know I have to return it.”

Another GSDAC Form 5 student, Isaiah Tannis, is grateful for the device provided.

He said, “First of all, it would be a great privilege that children could have this E-learning tablet, because there are some students with no devices and they don’t have no means of getting online studies, so that will a great privilege and a good start-off for them that they can access their classes online. There’s one device at my household, so at times I have to use it and my sister have to use it, so there was a bit of challenges with the number of devices that were available at the time.”

Joshua Richardson said it was difficult trying to engage in e-learning without a device. He is pleased with the current development.

“I’m very happy for the tablet indeed, because I mean it was a struggle. I did not have a device in the first place to do schoolwork online. But now, because we have the tablet, we can use it at an advantage to get our subjects and get ourselves forward,” Richardson said.

The Government of Grenada and, by extension, the Ministry of Education, have been highly commended by parents, who will be engaged in their child’s learning experience during this process.

Kimnasha Douglas, a parent, shared her thoughts on the device distribution.

“I’m feeling happy because knowing that she have to come to school and the books she has to carry to and from school was rather forceful, it was very heavy for her to carry and at least she will get an ease up, as she proceeds to and from school on a daily basis,” she said. “The children would be able to focus on their schoolwork and knowing that they have such a device, it would keep them occupied and they will always be there learning and doing all their schoolwork and try to do it on time.”

PRIME MINISTER ENCOURAGES 2020 PBC GRADUATES TO CONTINUE PBC’S HISTORY OF EXCELLENCE Prime Minister, Dr. the Right Honourable Keith Mitchell, has encouraged the 2020 graduating class of the Presentation Brothers College to continue the history of excellence the school is known for.

In a message to the graduates of his alma mater, Dr. Mitchell said, “I have high hopes for all of you. As you join me and thousands of others as alumni of this noble institution, I encourage you to go forth and make your mark on the world.

COVID-19 may have changed the world that we live in, but it has also created opportunities for innovation. You don’t necessarily have to fit into an existing mold, you can find your own niche and become pioneers.”

Dr. Mitchell acknowledged the challenges this particular graduating class faced, having to complete their secondary education in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

He said, “COVID-19 has created challenges for us all, but here you are today as proof that good

things are still possible, even in periods of adversity. Your presence here means that you have conquered the challenges brought about by a global pandemic and today, you celebrate that victory.”

The Prime Minister expressed confidence that the new graduates are well poised to embrace Prime Minister, Dr. the Rt. Hon. future challenges.

Keith Mitchell

He said, “Having to adapt to a new style of learning at a crucial time in your secondary school education was an important life lesson. I want you to take this with you as you journey through life. In future, when times get difficult just remember there will be a light at the end of the tunnel. Embrace the struggles or challenges that you face, be-

cause they are part of life’s journey, but don’t for a moment think that you will not succeed at whatever you put your mind to.”

On a lighter note, Dr. Mitchell, an avid cricketer and fan of the sport, shared memories of playing cricket for PBC in the 1960s, the school winning a national cricket championship and him later being selected to captain the combined Windward and Leeward Islands Youth team.

EDUCATION CORNER

NEW SANITARY BLOCK FOR ST. DOMINICS R.C. SCHOOL

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Parliamentary Representative Hon. Oliver Joseph cutting ribbon

The new sanitary block at the St. Dominic’s R.C. School, constructed at a cost of EC $196, 800, was officially handed over during a ceremony at the institution on Sept 17, 2020.

The event was attended by Education Minister, Hon. Emmalin Pierre; Parliamentary Representative; Hon. Oliver Joseph, Head of Rural Development, Byron Campbell; members of the Basic Needs Trust Fund (BNTF) and the principal and staff of the school.

To date, Campbell said Government, working with the BNTF program, has completed 37 development projects and is currently in its ninth program, 2017 to 2020.

He said, “The refurbishment of the St. Dominic R.C. School sanitary block is one out of eleven projects that have been approved by the Cabinet of Grenada for implementation in this cycle. The total funding for the BNTF nine program is about $10.3 million. The CDB’s contribution is $8.6 million and the balance about $1.7 Million is financed by the Government of Grenada.

Let me say that what is notable here in the BNTF Program, is that Grenada qualified for incentive funds, meaning if you do very well, there’s an incentive and I want to compliment the BNTF staff, the Government of Grenada to have received the incentive funds of $1.7 Million, as a result of its exceptional performance this is very important.”

Education Minister Hon. Emmailin Pierre, and Parliamentary Representative Hon. Oliver Joseph

to BNTF. Because BNTF is the body that ensures that projects like that take place, because it fits exactly with Government’s development plan reducing poverty, ensuring proper facilities and I was saying to myself, I hope this facility will open for the new school term. So, I asked someone in BNTF, if we would have it for the new school term and they gave me the assurance that, yes, it will be done.” Hon. Joseph said.

Education Minister, Hon. Emmalin Pierre, said upgrading school facilities is in keeping with Government’s agenda to ensure the environment is conducive, especially in this COVID-19 period. Minister Pierre said het challenge of school repairs is one that becomes overwhelming for Government at times.

The ribbon was cut by the Parliamentary Representative, who is happy that the project has been completed in time for the new school term.

“For 2020, into the early part of 2021, our Government is investing over $52 million in the upgrade and rebuilding of schools - a lot of monies into just the upgrades and construction of schools, but that does not include additional resources - when a pipe just got busted or something just got broken, you have to have additional resources and, so, it is extremely important for us, today, to recognize the staff and the leadership of BNTF, because the work that has been taking place there through the Ministry of Finance has contributed significantly to increased resources that we can undertake as a country, projects like these, and I do believe they deserve another round of applause for their hard work,” Hon Pierre said.

“As parliamentary representative, the situation was brought to my attention and I came to look at it and had one of our construction men do some little work on it, but the real cost was almost $200,000. So, then I had to turn

To ensure safety and protection during this period, Government is spending $22 million dollars, plus an additional $2.9 million for sanitization and supplies, for schools for the Michaelmas term.

MEET THE FARMER

AGRICULTURE CORNER

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BERTRAND JOHN

Fifty-nine-year-old Bertrand “BJ” John has been involved in agriculture for more than 30 years.

His decision to become a farmer was influenced by his family. “Since I was a kid, I was a farmer. My mommy and daddy had lands. I took part in gardening back at the River Sallee Government School. Even when I went to Mc Donald College there was a school garden that I was involved in.” John’s educational journey also included many areas in Agriculture. He said, “I like farming. I thought if I wanted to farm properly, I would have to do formal training. I studied in many countries, including the United States, Jamaica and several other places. Agriculture, Economics; Business Management are just some of the areas I studied in.”

John specializes in bananas, plantains, soursop, watermelons, paw paw and cantaloupes, all of which he produces on a large scale. He explained why he focuses on these crops.

He said, “There is a market base for them. We’ve tried a lot of crops before, such as pineapples, tomatoes, lettuce and those kinds of things.

We realized that if someone plants one acre of tomatoes or lettuce that they can just flood the entire domestic market, so it made no sense that we got into it on a large scale.”

His major markets include the supermarkets, St. George’s University, the Marketing and National Importing Board (MNIB) and other vendors. He noted that understanding soil type and needs are important.

“Crops require nutrients and water every day, plus sunlight in order to

manufacture food. A lot of people think that these exist in the soil in very large quantities, which may not be the case. In terms of production, I give the plants very little fertilizer - just what is required every day. Just like we humans require food, it is like that for plants,” he said.

Along with his eight fulltime employees, he cultivates more than 30 acres of land and also practices a bit of hydroponics. He explained that the market is his biggest challenge.

“With the advent of COVID-19, there are a lot of people that have been cultivating vegetables. The market base is so small that we tend to have a problem with regards to distribution and marketing of a lot of the produce,” John explained.

He also said he has been a victim of praedial larceny.

“Over the years, I have lost $200, 000 due to praedial larceny. They steal my soursop and my other crops. However, this year through assistance from the Ministry of Agriculture, I was able to procure security equipment for my farm. Just recently, this device helped us to make a big breakthrough as well. An entire gang was caught stealing,” John revealed. He said his aspiration is to create a model farm.

John said, “When we started off, we had just one little house that I lived in and one garden hose and a sprinkler. We moved that from here and there to have the farm irrigated. Today, we have reached to a level where the entire farm can be irrigated. We have tanks. I’m not after money. I want this to be something educational, so young people can see that there is money to be made in agriculture.”

MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE -

PEST ALERT

Have You Seen this Pest in Your Garden?

A high infestation of Scale Insects has been observed on several plants, which includes soursop, croton, plums, mango, guava, frangipani.

Take Action: • Cut and burn infested branches • Treat with horticultural oils, insecticidal soaps and contact or systemic insecticides • Report infestation to the Pest Management Unit, Ministry of Agriculture, on (473) 440-0019 or email pmugda@gmail.com

AGRICULTURE CORNER

SELECTING PLANTING MATERIAL FOR TANNIA

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Provided by Troy Augustine, Agronomist in the Ministry of Agriculture

Tannia acts as a host for the Moko disease which affects the banana industry. Planting material should not be taken from Moko infected areas, since the infected material can transmit the disease to clean banana-growing areas.

Care should be also taken to ensure that planting material affected with Tannia Burning Disease is not selected, since this disease causes rapid decline and death of the plant.

Considerations: 1. Planting material should be obtained from tops, sprouting corms, or cormels of healthy and vigorous plants.

2. Planting material should be cleaned of all roots and washed off all soil. Damaged corms or planting material with any signs of decay should be discarded.

3. Planting material should be dipped in fungicide for 15-30 minutes before planting, to control the pathogens which cause Burning Disease of tannia.

Fungicides include Ridomil or Rizolex, at the rate of 30g per U.S. gallon of water or Carbendazim at the rate of 5-10 ml per U.S. gallon of water.

Use of Cormels as planting material: • Sprouting cormels would have their roots trimmed, excess cormel cut away and one or two of the leaves removed.

• Use of mother/mama or main corm as planting material

• This is cut into small pieces each bearing one or two eyes. Excess flesh is removed to prevent rotting. These pieces can be planted directly in the prepared holes. When the material is scarce, the pieces can be multiplied using the “minisetting” techniques.

NEW PUBLIC HEALTH REGULATIONS MEANT TO CREATE SAFE MECHANISM

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HEALTH MATTERS

Government has published new regulations for controlling the spread of COVID-19, under the Public Health Act, which means they are no longer under the Emergency Powers Regulations.

The Public Health Act regulations, which were gazetted on Sept. 16, came into effect on Sept.17.

Under the Public Health COVID-19 Regulations 2020, some exemptions are being made with regard to wearing face masks. Children under the age of five, those with medical, physical or mental illness or disability, which inhibits their ability to wear a face mask, and people who cannot put on or remove a mask without severe distress, will be exempted.

However, people who need to go into a business place will have to remove the mask briefly for identification purposes. Masks will also not be required for people who are on beach, once they are no less than six feet from any person outside of their household. The same rule applies for those visiting a public

park.

The new regulations also provide for all businesses to operate, except those which are directed by order by the Health Minister to shut down or are given specific conditions under which to operate.