October 09 2015 - The Montserrat Reporter

Friday, October 09, 2015

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Today’s Scripture

Jonah ran away from the LORD. -

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Geothermal exploration to continue Vol. XXX No. 31

Week Ending Friday, October 09, 2015

Price $3.00

Jonah 1:3 (NIV)

But Opposition Leader, former Premier Rueben Meade has concerns about transparency Opp. Leader, Hon. Reuben T. Meade

Photos below Tour during geothermal education and information workshop

by Bennette Roach

Left: Dr. Ryan at second well location points to the area behind him southeast of the site Top left: bottom left of photo - right and below of bluff is area pointed out by Dr Ryan - group at Geothermal information workshop in April 2014 look from St. George’s Hill down on potential location of 3rd well bottom rt - 2nd geothermal well drilling bottom of Weekes

It can be seen as if recent Premier Reuben T Meade is attempting to make up for his years of rebuke of Premier Donaldson Romeo when he informed that he has written to the Governor seeking answers about land transactions concerning the site for the construction of a

More

Headlines...

third Geothermal Well.

The Opposition Leader Ruben Meade’s is expressing concern surrounding negotiations between the government and land owners regarding the sale of the land named as the sure site under which geothermal energy exists in significant

quantify, for a needed third well in the Weekes area.

In a recent opposition broadcast radio program after being called upon to be transparent during his recent tenure as cont’d. on page 8

C&W Premier League TV Rights...pg 2

Teachers Day...pg 5

Human trafficking charges...pg 3

CARICOM, UNICEF and child abuse...pg 6

Cameron avoids reparations issue...pg 4

ECCB Financial Information Month...pg 6

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Friday, October 09, 2015

‘Labour Speaks’ calls for incentives for teachers and nurses According to a ZJB report following former Trade Unionist Hilroy Bramble’s longtime weekly radio program called ‘Labour Speaks’, he is calling for nurses and teacher on Montserrat to be treated better.

Bramble reportedly aired his concerns about the treatment of members of both professions in an open letter addressed to Health and Education Minister Delmaude Ryan. He read the letter during his recent weekly radio program on ZJB radio, Bramble said teachers and nurses are overworked, abused and under paid. He called on the minister to provide incentives for teachers as a means of motivating them.

During his program Bramble supported his position: “When you want to increase productivity and high efficiency in Labor there is a word called incentives, Incentives because the tasks have changed. More is expected of today’s teacher than ever before, and Madam remember this, encouragement is half of laborer’s pay so when we need them to produce more we need to ensure that we put things in place that would give them the desire that impetus to do so.

“I feel madam that more could be done by way of getting more nurses into specialized nursing position, yes we have a nursing anesthetist, an intensive care unit nurse, a cater nurse, but how about another nursing medical practitioner, a pediatric nurse and obstetric nurse or a cardiac nurse.

“You see minister the nursing profession is a dynamic one and if we are to provide health care that is second to none, we have to ensure that we have personnel who will be able to professionally deliver the services not only that but it will give the community more confidence in the health system and the personnel who provides it.”

Cable & Wireless Communications scores with exclusive Premier League football rights from seasons 2016/17 to 2018/19 Starting next season, the Football Premier League will have a new home in the Caribbean. Cable & Wireless Communications Plc (CWC) today announced that it has won the exclusive rights to broadcast live all 380 matches per season of the Premier League across 32 Caribbean countries from 2016/17 to 2018/19. Commencing in August 2016, the Premier League will be available on the Caribbean’s newest sports network – Flow Sports. CWC was also awarded the mobile clip rights, allowing fans to follow the latest goals and action from the world’s best football league on any

mobile device.

The extensive coverage of live Premier League matches will form the centerpiece of Flow Sports’ programming schedule. The network will be launched in November 2015, with content that includes coverage of international and regional football, cricket, rugby, tennis and athletics, as well as CWC’s exclusive NFL and Rio 2016 Olympics coverage. Flow Sports will broadcast across the region from a new 4-K-ready, state-ofthe-art facility in Trinidad, offering 24/7 sports coverage in HD. Commenting on the exclusive rights award, John

Reid, President of CWC’s Consumer Division said: “We are thrilled to partner with the Premier League across the Caribbean. As the most popular league of the world’s greatest sport, the Premier League will be at the heart of Flow Sports, the region’s newest and largest sports network. We are excited as well to bring additional jobs, skills and investment into the Caribbean with our new Trinidad facility, truly showcasing the power of the new Cable & Wireless and our commitment to the region.”

CWC’s market research has shown that sports procont’d. on page 6

Friday, October 09, 2015

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Letters/Opinion

EDITORIAL Bring maturity, stop stalling and reinventing the wheel

We have stated few times already the fact that the current government came into power with little or no political experience, least in governance, that is managing a government. But there is no excuse that they were cajoled by the people on the one hand, and on the other by a government that failed in doing no more than creating ‘another’ Sustainable Development Plan (SDP) and a Strategic Development Plan (SGP) that had practically no consultation with the people. That SDP was dated from 2008 – 2020.

This was not discussed publicly or presented anywhere prior to or after in any forum. neither to any extent except right here in very terms. It would not be surprising however for anyone to realise that Montserratians and residents were prepared to be patient, to the surprise perhaps of a group that rallied behind the only person who they could successfully present as a leader to arrive, maybe unexpectedly powerfully at the helm with a 7-2 representation forming the government.

That’s the reason there was little concern but annoyance at the grave distraction created by rumours of coup and overthrow, and in some cases of the stupidity, selfishness, and greed that have plagued our politics far too frequently. So the problem that instead of coming with all clean hands, there is instead ignorance, the inexperience and all the ills that left no time for moving forward by researching and understanding what was just sitting there waiting for an awful explosion, whichever way you can think.

Consider that the former Premier had proposed early in 2011 and got HMG (UK Govt) to go ahead with him and the OTs. “We continue to anticipate a level of strategic investments encouraged and facilitated by the UK government, particularly given our understanding on the development of our Little Bay Town Centre. We would welcome agreement in a range of areas, including our port development, health services infrastructure, energy and housing.

On the services side, I would suggest that it would be helpful if Montserrat were to table its commitments in the WTO context to cover market access in services so as to reduce any local perception of political interference in the capture of international or UK investment in Montserrat as a potentially lucrative tourism destination. We also would wish to be transparent in the other services areas where we have comparative advantage. Our priority sectors are: Financial Services; ICT & E-commerce; Energy Services; Tourism Services; Professional Services; Education Services; Health and Wellness services; Recreational, Cultural and Sporting services.

HMG found favour and we know the eventual SGP and the infamous MOU (May 2012). But where is all of that today? Have we really been told what has gone wrong? Or do we know what went wrong? Look back at the little brief above and figure it out! Is it important that we know what went wrong? Is there a behaviour like it is 1998, 2008 or will we wait till 2018?

Much work went into arriving at the position which began long before 2011. The point is, stop waisting time, stalling, reinventing the wheel. This government needs to get out of the stupor and the shock which added to those things mentioned and are causing a kind of inaction. It is time to admit and own up to the findings. How lucky can they get? It is behavior like when a criminal wants to get caught! It is no ploy that members of the former administration keep raising matters that only remind the public of their failures and wrongdoings. In 2011 the broad objectives in a MontserratUK agreement on strategic investment, particularly in services include were increased investment in Montserrat; financial, tourism & other services; increased market access for Montserrat services suppliers in the UK market; and Enhanced competitiveness of Montserrat services and products.

There are, have been, so many things wrong, to be compounded by more wrong including mor of the same as well as the refusal to expose, the wrongs. What is the way forward? An understanding and appreciation of the challenges, that unlike many other OTs and islands Montserrat depends on its benefactors and mother country, EU primarily. That the money raised by Montserrat evolves from the finances we receive from those very sources.

Honesty and integrity and a desire for good governance to include all the people Montserrat, friends and residents; and we are supposed to think OECS, CARICOM, vital to the country’s progress and development.

The Montserrat Reporter Published by: Montserrat Printing & Publishing, Inc. - Editor: Bennette Roach Office: Davy Hill, Mailing Address: P.O. Box 306, Davy Hill, Montserrat, W.I. Typeset and Printed by Montserrat Printing & Publishing, Inc. - monp_p@candw.ms.

Tel. (664) 491-4715 Fax: (664) 491-2430 E-mail: editor@themontserratreporter.com or monrep@candw.ms - Web Site: http://www.themontserratreporter.com

Businessman on human trafficking charges

KINGSTOWN, Jamaica, CMC – A 61-year-old businessman is due to reappear in court on Monday after he was released on EC$80,000 (One EC dollar –US$0.37 cents) bail on human trafficking charges.

Adrian Deane appeared in court charged with three counts of engaging in human trafficking and will re-appear in the Serious Offences Court where a date for the preliminary inquiry is to be set.

Head of the Criminal Investigations Department

Ruth Jacobs, did not comment on the nationalities of the persons Deane is alleged to have brought to St. Vincent and the Grenadines, adding that human trafficking is a sensitive matter.

But media reports have identified them as Jamaican nationals.

The charges come three months after the United States State Department released its 2015 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report, in which it placed SVG on its Tier 2 Watch List, a downgrade of the 2014 ranking.

A Tier 2 Watch List groups countries that do not fully comply with the Trafficking Victims Protection Act’s (TVPA) minimum standards, but are making significant efforts to bring themselves into compliance with those standards.

In 2014, SVG was ranked Tier 2, which groups countries that do not fully comply with the TVPA’s minimum standards but are making significant efforts to bring themselves into compliance with those standards.

Trinidad, CMC – The Association of Caribbean Media Workers (ACM) ended its eighth Biennial General Assembly here on Sunday urging regional governments to recommit themselves to protecting all fundamental rights and freedoms particularly those related to freedom of speech and the press.

The ACM passed a resolution saying it is convinced that the freedom to receive and communicate information without interference from any public authority “is an essential tenet

of democratic governance and a fundamental principle upon which each Caribbean Community member state is based”.

The regional media group said that it is reiterating that the Caribbean Com-

munity has a “moral, political and legal obligation to its citizens to ensure that these rights are respected” and was calling on all regional countries “to take prompt and credible steps towards fulfilment of this goal, in so far as cont’d. on page 6

ACM urges regional governments to support freedom of expression and press

Our Scripture Verse Today Why Didn’t You Answer?

Jonah ran away from the LORD. - Jonah 1:3 (NIV) Sometimes when our son was playing in his sandbox he would act as if he hadn’t heard when his mother called him. One time she asked him, “Why didn’t you answer me?” With remarkable honesty he replied, “I thought if I pretended I couldn’t hear you, then you might leave me alone.”

Many times we treat God in the same way. God has called us, yet often we pretend not to hear. We ignore the Spirit who is nudging us in a certain direction through scripture, or we turn away when we sense the urge to speak to someone or offer a helping hand to a stranger. We are God’s creation, yet God has given us the

freedom to choose to turn away from opportunities to serve.

For years, out of fear or busyness, I made the choice to turn away.

But turning away left a separation between God and me. Something was missing, and life felt incomplete. I finally realized that I could draw close to God by responding to the nudges and calls. The first few times were scary. But I followed God’s leading and now give thanks for the blessings this has brought me. Relationship with God brings a whole new dimension of fullness to life. Hobbies, leisure activities, and even work tasks take on new meaning and joy when we do them to praise God. Gale A. Richards (Iowa, USA)

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Friday, October 09, 2015

British PM avoids reparation issue, outlines aid package to the region (Adapted) Jamaica, CMC– Britain’s Prime Minister David Cameron Wednesday acknowledged the “wounds of slavery run very deep” but avoided speaking on the issue of reparation as being called for by Caribbean countries, outlining instead an aid package for the region and a commitment to strengthen relations.

Cameron, the first British prime minister to visit Jamaica for the last 14 years, told a joint sitting of the Parliament that the slave trade was on “from which history has drawn the bitterest of lessons.

“Slavery was and is abhorrent in all its forms. It has no place whatsoever in any civilized society and Britain is proud to have led the way in its abolition.

“That the Caribbean has emerged from the long dark shadows that it casts is testament to the resilience and spirit of its people. I acknowledge that these wounds run very deep indeed but I do hope that as friends, who have gone through so much together since those darkest of times we can move on from this painful legacy and continue to build for the future,” Cameron said in his only remarks to the transatlantic slave trade.

Earlier, Jamaica’s Prime

Minister Portia Simpson Miller told the legislators that she had brought up the issue of reparation during the bilateral talks with Cameron on Tuesday.

“Let it be clear that Jamaica is committed to a spirit of mutual respect, openness and understanding as we seek to actively engage the UK on the matter,” she said, noting the role of Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries in establishing the Reparation Commission headed by Barbadian academic Sir Hilary Beckles, who in an open letter to Cameron said that reparation justice is an issue that cannot “be further ignored, remain under the rug, or placed on back burners”.

Prime Minister Simpson Miller said “at the same time

we remain unshaken in our conviction that there is more than unites us as a people and government”.

Opposition Leader Andrew Holness said while he appreciated the view expressed “that our relationship should be forward looking, nonetheless we also believe that there must be genuine commitment to finding ways pof repairing what is universally agreed to be the wrongs of the past”.

Prime Minister Cameron said he strongly believes that the UK-Caribbean relationship now “is more important that it has even been for both of us.

“I am serious about the need to strengthen the bond between the UK and the Caribbean. That is why my government changed the UK’s air

passenger duty rules to end the unfair penalty that hit people travelling to and from the Caribbean.

“I come here today not just with words of friendship but with a real down payment o n B r i t a i n ’s commitment to you,” he said announcing an

make a difference for people across the Caribbean.

Cameron said the roads, bridges, ports which he described as “critical economic infrastructure that would set the foundations for growth and prosperity and in turn reduce poverty, while helping the region become more resilient to the risks of climate change.

“Let me be clear this 300 million is not soft loans, not tied aid, it is cash grants. It is up to you in this room and in the region to decide how best

aid package of 360 million pounds (One British pound =US$1.51 cents) in new financial commitments for the region including a 300 million pound fund for infrastructural development.

He said he was also launching a new UK-Caribbean Infrastructure Partnership Fund to build new tangible things that would

to spend it on the things that your country needs most. I am confident that this support will make a decisive difference to the economic future of this region,” Cameron said.

He also announced 30 million pounds for “attracting investment and improving governments and 30 million pounds to help make your hospitals more resilient to natural disasters.

“We need to make sure that if a hurricane strikes crucial health centers can remain operational to treat the wounded and together this represents a quadrupling of Britain’s support. It will make us the largest donor to the region. It will create jobs and save lives and you can take it literally as a concrete statement of my commitment to the Caribbean”.

Cameron told legislators that he wanted both the United Kingdom and the Caribbean to seize these opportunities, adding “we are all in a global race to see success, jobs and prosperity for our nations and our peoples”.

He said the dynamism of

globalization is creating new opportunities for prosperity, but also tough new competitive pressure.

“Countries around the world are all trying to work out, how to build more, how to make more to sell more,” he said noting that the policies of his administration had put Britain back on the road to economic growth.

“But we can never be complacent. Every country in the world needs to seek out new sources of trade, investment and growth,” he said defending his visits to “far flung areas of the world.

He said his government has set a target of exporting one trillion pounds by 2020 “and to achieve this we need to build markets worldwide and that must include here in the Caribbean”.

He said given the strengths of the bonds between Britain and the Caribbean “I think our economic ties and our cooperation should be much closer still.

“This would benefit both of us and I am delighted to announce today the UKExport Finance, our export credit agency is boosting its support for the region,” he said, adding that this would help British exporters to sell to the Caribbean with confidence and help local firms take advantage of these opportunities.

Britain announces fund for Caribbean development CMC – Britain has announced an over 300 million pound (One British pound =US$1.51 cents) development package for the Caribbean.

cont’d. on page 7

Friday, October 09, 2015

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Teachers Day gets noticed in Montserrat Earlier this week, around the world UNESCO’s Teachers Day was celebrated on October 5, 2015, the date being so celebrated since 1962.

Around the world, senior students dress up as teachers and take up their roles, giving out lectures and teaching the students of primary level. By doing so, the students get a hands-on experience and realize how it feels to be a teacher.

In some schools feasts are arranged and in some reunions are organized between the old students and teachers. People call up their childhood teachers and let them know that they are still remembered, giving them immense happiness and appreciating them for all that they did for them.

Most students offer gifts like greeting cards, flowers, chocolates, pens, show pieces, books, make comments on their teachers, etc. to their teachers on this special occasion. A gift reflects the love and respect for the teachers by their students. Each one of us has been a student at some point

which has enormous potential for selffulfillment and joy.”

“The pride a dedicated teacher feels when a student or a former student of our lives, therefore Teachers’ Day should be celebrated by all of us and not just the teachers and students alone.

World Teachers’ Day this year calls for the empowerment of teachers to build sustainable societies and in Montserrat to mark the day, ZJB reported that teachers have been encouraged at perseverance despite the challenges in the teaching profession. Director of Education Glenn Francis give these words of encouragement as Montserrat join the Global Observance of the Day on Monday. Although there are challenges that the director says teaching profession can be extremely gratifying.

Glenn Francis told ZJB reporters: “Life and work of a teacher is a difficult one but one

excels and surpasses expectations Is unmatched, when a former student now an adult approaches you and gives you credit for the influence you had on his or her life,” no doubt speaking as a former teacher and principal of the MSS, he continued.

“The fulfillment you feel is unsurpassed in any other realm of human activity. It makes you feel

that the long night of work preparation and of grading assignments were well worth it, at the same time when the former student gets

into trouble with the law or fails to lead a successful life you are burdened by a sadness which is equal in intensity to the joy which is felt when one has succeeded.”

UNESCO leading the celebration wished to highlight the importance of empowering teachers to achieve inclusive and sustainable global development. The Day comes just after the adoption of the new Sustainable Development Goals by the United Nations’ General Assembly and represents the first opportunity to set out a roadmap for teachers in the new Education 2030 agenda.

ZJB reporters visited schools and spoke to some children who singled out some and paid tribute to their teachers.

Following is a sample of what these very young had to say about their teachers.

“I think teachers are very smart and they teach us what they have learned from their school time.” “… because she’s kind, she’s

Antigua President of 68th UN General Assembly charged with bribry Newsday – Antiguan born president of the 68th United Nations General Assembly, John W. Ashe, and five others, including a billionaire developer from the Chinese territory of Macau, were charged on Tuesday in connection with a multimillion-dollar corruption scandal that took place between 2011 and 2014, court records show.

Accroding to Newsday. com, a complaint brought by the U.S. attorney for the Southern District charges that the five, including billionaire Bg Lap Seng, also known as David Ng, paid bribes to Ashe, the ambassador for Antigua and Barbuda, in exchange for “benefits from the UN and the

government of Antigua and Barbuda.”

Among the allegations are that Ashe “accepted over $500,000 of bribes” facilitated by three of the defendants -- Ng, Jeff C. Yin and Francis Lorenzo -- in an effort to build “a multi-billion dollar, U.N.-sponsored conference center in Macau, China.”

In exchange for those payments, the complaint

asserts, Ashe “submitted a U.N. document to the U.N. Secretary General, which claimed that there was a purported need to build the U.N. Macau Conference Center.”

In addition, the complaint charges, Ashe received more than $800,000 in bribes from “various Chinese businessmen” arranged through two of the other defendants -listed in the complaint as

Shiwei Yan and Heidi Hong Piao.

Authorities charged that, as part of the scheme, Ashe “shared a portion of the bribe payments” with senior Antiguan government officials, including the prime minister.

The indictment states that Ng Lap Seng is a Chinese national and “the head of a major real estate development company” based in Macau. Prosecutors have estimated his fortune at about $1.8 billion.

Yin, also known as Yin Chuan, is listed in the complaint as an assistant to the general manager of NGO1, a New York subsidiary of the Macau Real Estate Development Company established in 2009. Lorenzo

helpful and she taught us songs and made us watch movies.”

“They are fun, they like to give us work and we get it right,” naming his favorite teacher, “because she don’t lash, she like to make us watch movies and play games.”

“They are very great and they are kind. If you don’t know how to do something you can just ask them, they will simply help you and I like teachers because their helpful and kind.”

“Teachers play a big role in my learning.” Naming another teacher at St. Augustine, “one specific teacher…, she played a big part in my life, taught me allot in Grade 5 at the St. Augustine Primary School. All my teachers form since then have just played a big part in my life, so I appreciate teachers, I love all my teachers. I try to respect all of them.”

“I like teachers because they are so special.”

“Teachers are very important and they correct you when you do something wrong.”

“I like teachers because they play with children and they teach

is the honorary president, the complaint states.

Yan, also known as Sheri Yan, and Piao, also known as Heidi Park, are naturalized U.S. citizens born in China and reside “principally in China,” according to the complaint.

Yan is the chief executive of NGO and Piao, according to the complaint, is the finance director.

The complaint also charges Ashe with filing “false and fraudulent” U.S. income tax returns in 2014 and 2015, alleging he “omitted a total of more than $1.2 million of income” -- including bribes received

allot,” this one naming yet another teacher, this time from Brades,... is my favorite teacher because I stayed with her in Grade 3 and Grade 4.”

“My favorite teacher,” as this child names the same teacher,

“because she is always responsible for teaching and I also like when she corrects me.”

Yet another who named another teacher, “My favorite teacher is teacher…because she is my mother.”

More at https://www. google.co.uk/search?q=teachers +day&espv=2&biw=1241&bih =569&tbm=isch&tbo=u&sourc e=univ&sa=X&sqi=2&ved=0C DkQ7AlqFQoTCLvivbWdu8gCFYa -FAodls0NQw&dpr=1.5

and the salary he paid himself as president of the UN General Assembly, thereby “substantially understating” his income.

It was not immediately clear how many of the defendants have actually been arrested at this point. Reuters is reporting that the charges stem from the arrest last month of Seng, who was accused of lying to U.S. customs officials about his reason for bringing $4.5 million in cash into the U.S. from China between 2013 and 2015 -- stating it was for gambling, buying art, antiques and real estate.

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Friday, October 09, 2015

CARICOM, UNICEF to strengthen Every kid on earth could go to Caribbean Child Abuse Policies school if the world’s 1,646 richest people gavve 1.5 percent The Empire Files – Telesur Child rights activists and policy makers from the 15-country bloc are developing a CARICOM strategy to prevent violence against children, at a time of a grave concern about sexual abuse of adolescents and disturbing child violence statistics in the Caribbean.

CARICOM representative Morella Joseph says research has made it clear that there has been no reduction in incidents of violence against children in the region in recent years.

It is for this reason that CARICOM countries say they are making child protection a priority and devising a regional strategy to tackle it.

“These issues have a devastating impact on children, threatening their survival, their development, and their protection and participation in society with serious psychological, developmental and socioeconomic implications,” she said.

For many islands, the biggest concern in relation to violence against children is the sexual abuse of females between the ages of 12 and 15.

The head of human services in Saint Lucia says the issue is truly disheartening and stamping out violence requires commitment from Caricom countries and a willingness to work together.

“I have no doubt in our own way we all try to end this violence. We recognize however that it is a collective response; it’s not just a Saint Lucia response or Dominica or a Barbados response but has to be a regional response,” said Elizabeth Lewis.

UNICEF officials say while strides have been made towards preventing all forms of abuse against

children, there is a lot of work to be done to achieve this goal.

Those responsible for shaping the policies to protect the Caribbean’s children say the goal is to ensure a violence, exploitation, and abuse-free environment.

In 2013, a number of Caribbean islands launched the ‘Break the Silence’ campaign, as part of a larger initiative to end child sexual abuse.

Campaign organizers say challenges include: human and technical limitations, mobilizing males to join the cause and addressing the social and moral norms that prevent the reporting of abuse.

In 2015, the CARICOM and UNICEF partners are hoping to hammer out a comprehensive and effective framework for tackling abuse.

This content was originally published by teleSUR at the following address: “http://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/CaricomUnicef-to-Strengthen-Caribbean-Child-AbusePolicies-20150930-0020.html”. If you intend to use it, please cite the source and provide a link to the original article. www.teleSURtv.net/english

Samantha Cowan (ITV) All together, the world’s top billionaires make more than $5 trillion a year.

As the world recovers from the 2009 financial crisis, the number of billionaires has doubled.

Meanwhile, 870 million people live in extreme poverty. The old expression “The rich get richer, and the poor get poorer” continues to hold true.

That statistic, along with many other staggering figures, comes from international antipoverty group Oxfam’s recent report detailing the gaps between the rich and the poor. An extremely small group of people—85, to be exact—holds the same amount of wealth as half of the world’s poorest population. From March 2013 to March 2014, that group of 85 elites became $668 million richer every single day.

“In a world where hundreds of millions of people are living

without access to clean drinking water and without enough food to feed their families, a small elite have more money than they could spend in several lifetimes,” said Mark Goldring, Oxfam’s chief executive.

The world has 1,646 billionaires. All told, their wealth amounts to $5.4 trillion. To put that in perspective, the figure is more than double France’s gross domestic product in 2012.

Oxfam’s report details just what could be done if these billionaires received a 1.5 percent tax increase. For example, that money could send every child to school or have saved 23 million lives by providing people with the means to invest in health care. Oxfam claims this wide disparity is hindering its ability to end global poverty.

That’s because economic inequality leads to inequality in practically every other aspect of life. Without financial stability, health care, education opportunities, and future income, opportunities are limited. It becomes a cyclical problem, perpetuated generationally. Even in the U.S.—

where we’re taught that with ambition and drive we can pull ourselves up by our bootstraps and succeed despite modest beginnings—almost half of all children with low-income parents will become low-income adults, according to Oxfam.

With money and political cronyism comes power: As the rich maintain high political positions or financially support those in them, they’re able to back legislation to protect their interests.

That means tax loopholes and unregulated accounts.

Oxfam wants to change this with its “Even It Up” campaign.

“The good news is that this growing inequality is not inevitable. It can be resolved,” said Goldring. The organization devoted half of its report to detailing ways to dig people out of this disproportion. Its plan proposes further government regulation, closing the gender pay gap, raising the minimum wage, and ceasing of massive corporate tax breaks.

Samantha Cowan is an associate editor and helms TakePart’s weekend coverage

FINANCIAL INFORMATION MONTH Bank of Montserrat, Ltd. Retirement - An extension of Living Whether it's relaxing on rendezvous beach, hiking through Oriole trail, traveling around the world, or simply lounging around the house, we all have retirement dreams.

You may not be thinking about your golden years, but preparing for the transition to retirement now can make life easier down the road. If you are considering retiring in 10 years, 20 years, or even 30 years, you really need to be planning your strategy for how you will make this happen. You will need an income, insurance, a place to live, along with some goals. This almost sounds like the lecture my parents gave when I graduated from secondary and later from university.

The sooner you realize that retirement is just an extension of living, the better equipped you will be to plan for this event.

By definition, retirement planning is the process of establishing a retirement income goal and gathering information about your potential sources of retirement income. The information is then used to help determine if your projected retirement cash flow is adequate to fund your needs. Retirement planning involves setting aside enough money during one's working years to provide income during retirement. It is about more than investing and saving. It’s also about enjoying your life after you decide to retire from your career or job.

We’ve all had days when we just didn’t think we could bear to continue working at our job. In the back of our minds we are secretly yearning for the day when we could tell our boss we are quitting. This is especially true when you are close to retirement age. You know it’s just a matter of time until you can take that amazing leap into freedom. But, is

it going to be an amazing leap or a devastating crash? The fact is retirement isn’t for everyone. Unless you have some definite goals and plans about your future away from your job, you might be quite disappointed in retirement.

Financial wealth is important when planning for your retirement but you should also plan for the free time you will have once you retire. Many people have no idea what life might be like once they have retired from active work life.

It can be the most rewarding experience or the most disappointing time you’ve ever had. You need to think about the financial side of retirement but the emotional and mental changes and readiness can be far more devastating than money issues.

Imagine not having anything to do at retirement, not having to get up or go to bed at any set time. You can eat, sleep, watch TV, take a walk, or just do nothing any time you want. Sounds like fun doesn’t it? Some people can enjoy this lifestyle indefinitely but most will be bored within a few weeks. If you’re retired, this could be your lifestyle for the rest of your life unless you make other plans. The rest of your retirement life could be 20, 30 or 40+ years; can you do nothing for that long? Think about it seriously.

When you start thinking about retiring, also start thinking about what you plan to do once you retire. Are you going to pursue a hobby, travel, volunteer, work? Just sitting around waiting to die shouldn’t be an option. Once you retire, you’re going to have lots of free time so you need to prepare yourself mentally and emotionally to handle this time.

Develop a plan by making a list of your interests and your goals. Prioritize this list with what is most important first. You might want to come up with a list of about 1000 things you want to do before you die. Remember, with today’s growing life expectancy you will probably be retired as long as or longer than you were working. If you have a spouse or partner, be sure to inform him or her of your intentions and your list. If they are also retired, make a combined list.

If they are still working, you might have to compromise on when you will do some of the things on your list.

Estimate roughly how much money you'll need to live on in retirement. A ballpark figure is a good starting place, and you can use a good online retirement calculator to get an estimate.

It may be difficult to consider that kind of long-term planning for retirement when you're trying to meet college bills, your mortgage, and other obligations, but it's worth peace of mind to start preparing for it as early as possible. In fact, compounding of earnings is so powerful that those who start saving for retirement in their 20s can amass large nest eggs with relatively little effort, as long as they invest regularly.

If you take a realistic look at your finances and learn where you are and what you need to do to develop a very specific plan against your lifestyle goals, you can have a successful retirement.

Article brought to you by the Bank of Montserrat Limited in conjunction with ECCB Financial Information Month.

Friday, October 09, 2015

Page g 7

Prime Minister David Cameron, the first British prime minister to visit Jamaica in 14 years, said that the funds would infrastructure projects across the Caribbean, including roads, bridges and ports.

He confirmed this during his visit to Grenada when he said via video during his visit to a School: “I want Britain to build on strong relations with the Caribbean, where our connections run so deep,” he said. “ He said the regional infrastructure fund, which will be delivered in collaboration with the Barbados-based Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) and would help support economic growth in the Caribbean.

“I believe this money could help to unleash trade across the region with new roads, new bridges, and new

port infrastructure to help speed up freight movements,” he said following bilateral talks with Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller on Tuesday night.

Cameron, who is ending his one-day official visit here on Wednesday, the development could also help benefit British businesses that have the knowledge and expertise in infrastructure improvements.

Cameron said he would be ensuring Jamaica gets some of the nine million US dollars that Britain recently pledged for climate-change financing over the next five years.

He said with 60 per cent of the population of the region living within one and a half kilometres of the coast, much more needs to be done.

During the bilateral talks, Prime Minister Simp-

son Miller said that she had raised the issue of reparation for slavery saying she told her British guest that while she was “aware of the obvious sensitivities”, Jamaica was “involved in a process under the auspices of the Caribbean Community to engage the UK on the matter”.

On the eve of his arrival here, Chairman of the CARICOM Reparation Commission, Sir Hilary Beckles in an open letter to Cameron said that reparation justice is an issue that can no “be further ignored, remain under the rug, or placed on back burners”.

Sir Hilary said that while Jamaica would open its heart to welcome the British leader, he must also be aware of the issue of reparation for slavery.

Sir Hilary, a historian and Vice Chancellor of the

C&W wins Premier League TV rights cont’d. from page 2 gramming is a key decision driver for customers purchasing TV and broadband packages. Approximately 70% of customers identify as being ‘sports fans’, with the Premier League dominating sports viewing in the Caribbean.

Reid added: “As the region’s leading quad play operator, we look forward to bringing Caribbean sports fans closer to the action with our innovations in mobile and online viewing. With our Flow ToGo application and access to mobile clips, fans won’t miss any of the

excitement that truly defines this tremendous sports asset.

Flow Sports will be available in our basic subscription package, meaning more games for more fans, and instantly positioning Flow as the home of sports in the Caribbean.”

Phil Bentley, Chief Executive of Cable & Wireless Communications said: “Following our merger with Columbus and our re-branding to Flow, the agreement with the Premier League is yet another example of the growing momentum building across the Caribbean, delivering significant ad-

ditional revenue synergies through cross-selling and upselling, as well as improving customer loyalty. This is set to accelerate over the next few years.”

Richard Scudamore, Chief Executive of the Premier League said: “We are very pleased that Cable & Wireless Communications has chosen to invest in Premier League broadcasting rights in the Caribbean.

“We look forward to welcoming them as a new partner and are sure they will do excellent job making the competition available to fans across the region.”

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (l) and Prime Minister David Cameron (r) - Copy.jpg

Cameron avoids answering ...cont’d. from page 5

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (l) and Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller University of the West Indies (UWI), said that the legacies of slavery “continue to derail, undermine and haunt our best efforts at sustainable economic development”.

Cameron is due to address the Jamaica parliament on Wednesday, but one legislator, Mike Henry, has urged colleagues to turn their backs on him if he does not address the reparation issue.

Freed of expression and speech cont’d. from page 3 it may require the advancing, passage and promulgation of Freedom of access to Information legislation and regulation.

The ACM said it was urging CARICOM countries t0 “recommit themselves to protecting all fundamental rights and freedoms as enshrined in respective constitutions and in particular to uphold provisions of freedom of speech, of expr5ession and of the press”.

The ACM also passed another resolution on “Im-

punity Against Journalist” and urged all organisations representing media workers and those committed to upholding freedom of expression to “show their support for all efforts to reduce the scourge of impunity for crimes against journalists”.

Veteran Trinidad and Tobago journalist Wesley Gibbings has been elected president replacing Clive Bacchus of St. Kitts-Nevis.

Apart from Gibbings the other members of the new ACM executive are first Vice President Jabari

Fraser of the Media Workers Association of Trinidad and Tobago with Guyana Journalist Association member, Dennis Chabrol the second vice president.

Onel Sanford Belle of the Media Workers Association of St. Lucia was elected as General secretary with Jewel Forde of the Barbados Media Association as the assistant secretary general.

The other executive members are Nazima Muller of Guyana and Rohan Powell of the Press Association of Jamaica (PAJ).

MONTSRERAT

ISLAND OF MONTSERRAT IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE A.D. 2015 [PROBATE]

REGISTERED LAND ACT, 1978

In the Estate of CASANDRA TOLITA BRAMBLE, deceased.

NOTICE OF APPLICATION TO REPLACE LOST LAND CERTIFICATE

LEGAL NOTICE

TAKE NOTICE that an application was filed in the Land Registry by the following person for the replacement of his Land Certificate, which has been reported lost:

NOTICE is hereby given that after expiration of (14) days from the date hereof, application will be made in the Registry of the High Court of Justice for an order that Letters of Administration in the Estate of Casandra Tolita Bramble late of Barzeys, Montserrat who died on the 30th of September 2015 at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham, England be granted to Joycelyn Bramble, Davy Hill, Montserrat, the mother of the deceased and one of the persons entitled to a share in her Estate.

ALL persons claiming to be beneficially interested therein are requested forthwith to send particulars to me the undersigned.

SECTION 34

NAME Randolph Riley

REG. SECTION/REFERENCE DATE ISSUED St. John’s 14/04/078

August 13, 2013

TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that anyone who objects to the issuance of a new Land Certificate or who has knowledge of the lost Land Certificate must within the period of fourteen (14) days from the date of publication of this notice in the newspaper inform the Registrar of Lands in writing.

FURTHER any person objecting to the issuance of a Grant to the Applicant should notify the Registrar of the High Court of Justice whose address is: Office of the Registrar General, Brades, Montserrat, not later than fourteen (14) days from the date of this notice.

TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that in the absence of any objections or information as to the existence of the lost Land Certificate within the time specified, the Registrar of Lands may proceed to cancel the original Land Certificate and issue a new Land Certificate in its place without further notice.

Dated this 5th day of October, 2015

Dated this 6th day of October 2015

JOYCELYN BRAMBLE Applicant

Sgd. Lovetta A. Silcott REGISTRAR OF LANDS (AG.)

Page 8

Friday, October 09, 2015

www.themontserratreporter.com

Opposition Leader calls for transparency

Paul Lewis the first Premier he is calling for the negotiation process to be transparent.

“I’m not going to go into the cost of the land because I’ve written to the governor already raising my objection, because anytime your find that the proper systems are

not followed and you’re trying to do things which are not correct we will fight it, because there has to be transparency and there has to be good governance,” he said, driving his point, “and the governor is responsible for ensuring that there’s good governance, so she has an obligation to respond to the request of the leader of the opposition.”

It became difficult for anyone knowing the history of the previous government’s record to understand when the ex-Premier said,

cont’d. from page 1 “We cannot wait until a deal has been signed,” as he then demands, “ tell the people what the deal is going to be. Let people have an objection, and if they so wish or have a discussion on it, and you must follow the appropriate procedures for buying land with taxpayers’ money,” he declared.

The Opposition Leader had raised the matter in the Legislative Assembly the week before, but Minister of Communications and Works Paul Lewis said negotiations with the land owners are ongoing and it would not have been prudent to give too many details, Lewis promised to give more information “once talk have been concluded.”

Meanwhile DFID representative on island Martin Dawson reported that an agreement was reached with the land owners although he declined to give a figure on how much it would cost the government.

“We’ve obviously, I would say, had to pay a little bit higher premium than would have been expected, but it’s all part of the process and we have obviously reached a compromise with the landowners,” he said.

He explained. “I think it is a fair price considering you know what we will be doing in that area and the potential use of the land and also bearing in mind as Ron Bearsley said, at some stage we will be moving to the next phase which is regarding surface works and a plant being built,” noting, “so I think that that’s all I will say on that if that’s ok.”

He was obviously pressed when he said further: “I can understand that will be interesting that! I think the process of the finalization on the land is being secured now as we speak.

It will probably be inappropriate for me to talk about figures, but I think the general feeling from the groups that are involved in this process for us from Government, from DFID side, is that we’ve reached a compromise, we’ve reached a satisfactory price and let’s proceed,” with somewhat of a lament, “the important thing now is to move ahead with the drilling.”

Premier Donaldson Romeo

Martin Dawson, DFID

Former Antigua Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer

Former Antigua PM says he didn’t know Ashe donation was bribe money

ST. JOHN’S, Antigua,– Former Antigua prime minister Baldwin Spencer has broken his silence about his acceptance of money from an ex diplomat charged in connection with a bribery scheme, saying he had no reason to believe it was dirty money and insisting that bribes were never necessary to secure an audience with him while he was in office.

S p e n c e r, c u r r e n t l y Leader of the Opposition, sought to clear his name amidst calls for him to resign, following the arrest of former permanent representative to the United Nations Dr. John Ashe on tax evasion charges linked to his alleged acceptance of US$1.3 million in bribes.

Ashe, who served at the

UN mission between 1989 and 2014 and was president of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) from September 2013 to September 2014, allegedly received more than US$1.3 million in bribes in 2013 and 2014, in exchange for supporting Chinese business interests. It is also alleged that he shared some of his bribe money with politicians from Antigua, including the prime minister at the time, to secure an audience with them.

Former diplomat John Ashe allegedly accepted bribes while president of the UN General Assembly.

“While I am deeply saddened by the circumstances in which Dr. Ashe now finds himself, based on the court

document, he gravely misrepresented the United Progressive Party (UPP) government by implying that bribe money was necessary to gain an audience with me or my colleague ministers. That was never the case during the 10 years of our administration,” Spencer insisted in a statement.

He added that he had absolutely no reason to distrust Ashe – a man recommended for a knighthood in Antigua and whose expertise in a number of critical areas was widely acknowledged – or be suspicious of the source of the funds he gave to the UPP during its 2014 election campaign.

“Dr. Ashe was asked for assistance in raising funds among persons and organizations of goodwill and, as such, I did not hesitate to accept, through him, donations for the exclusive benefit of the United Progressive Party,” Spencer said.

“I have never had reason to doubt Dr. Ashe’s integrity.

As a senior, seasoned, and highly respected diplomat of more than 20 years’ good standing, Dr. Ashe served the Government of Antigua

& Barbuda – both the ALP [Antigua Labour Party] and the UPP administrations – with distinction. During his tenure, this country benefited from a number of initiatives and alliances with friendly governments and organizations, and he never, at any time, gave me reason to look askance at him or the contributions he spearheaded.”

At the same time, Spencer said he never has and does not condone any criminal activity that resulted in donations to the UPP. Spencer did not make any mention of the call for his resignation, but hit out at those whom he said sought to exploit the current situation “for political grandstanding”.

He insisted this was no

time to gloat, but to reflect on what the development had done to the country’s image, the integrity of the UN, and to relations between Antigua and the United States and the rest of the world.

The ALP government as well as the UPP have both distanced themselves from Ashe’s alleged activity.

The 61-year-old has not been charged with bribery, only two counts of filing false federal tax returns because of his failure to declare the money he allegedly received. He and his wife underreported their income to the IRS by more than $1.2 million in tax years 2013 and 2014 alone.

But bribery and bribery conspiracy charges have

been lodged against five others, including Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN for the Dominican Republic Francis Lorenzo, who allegedly facilitated the payments; and Ng Lap Seng, alias David Ng, a billionaire real estate developer from the Chinese territory of Macau who allegedly provided the bribe money.

Prosecutors say Ashe used the bribe money to support a lavish lifestyle that included spending $59,000 on hand-tailored suits in Hong Kong in 2013 and 2014; buying two Rolex watches in 2014 for $54,000; year paying $40,000 to lease a new BMW X5 later that year; and a $69,000 membership at a South Carolina country club.

Photo caption: Opposition Leader Baldwin Spencer denies knowingly accepting bribery money while he was prime minister.

Former diplomat John Ashe allegedly accepted bribes while president of the UN General Assembly.