Friday, October 16, 2015
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Today’s Scripture
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Continue to live your lives in [Christ Jesus], rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. - Colossians 2:6-7 (NRSV)
Electricity power plant urgency Vol. XXX No. 32
Week Ending Friday, October 16, 2015
Price $3.00
by Bennette Roach Former Montserrat Utilities Ltd (MUL) Manager Peter White in December, 2013 along with Mr. Yogesh Gupta for Angelique Int. Ltd. signed a contract which began from December 5. The contract was expected to last 504
days to June 1, 2015. In fact later information said it would start in earnest in January 2014. This contract was to construct a power plant with a New 1.5 mw diesel Alternator installed intended to meet the uninterrupted
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needs of Montserrat and support the advent of geothermal energy which has to some extent been so far disappointing that a commencing date is nowhere in sight. The expansion project had begun September 30, 2011 and
was one of several with drawn-out processes. Tourism development, the access problem, purpose built ferry, for example, seen at the time as one of the weaknesses of the governments within the last ten years and in particular over
the last few years. Towards the end of January 2014, MUL confirmed that there were proposals before the Government, to the way forward as a result of the severe outages being experienced on island at the
time. By the end of May came the report that a refurbished the generator set with capacity of 1350 kilowatts, was installed after being tested and refitted to meet requirements. Presently a frequency of cont’d. on page 8
Public servants salary increments...pg 2
EU urges end to death penalty...pg 5
Blue Halo projects ongoing...pg 3
Man jailed for sex with children...pg 6
Dead fish in St. Lucia’s waters...pg 4
Police officers up on fraud charges...pg 7
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Friday, October 16, 2015
De Ole Dawg: Part Two The Economy Challenge A Leaky Tyre Economy? BRADES, Montserrat, Oct 1, 2015 – For many years, Montserrat’s economy has acted like a car with a leaky tyre. Pump it up with some new money, and there is some growth. But as soon as the stimulus goes away, pfft, it goes flat again; often at a very inconvenient moment: Why? Because, from the 1980’s on, our economy has been hit by several major shocks, starting with the offshore banking scandal and
collapse, and with Hurricane Hugo. Once the volcano crisis hit us from 1995 on, the economy shrank by a half and has never recovered. Other things just piled on. For years we depended on a ferry and a helicopter for access, and the thought of a new airport was a great hope. Yes, CRM and others were concerned that maybe the runway was short, maybe Thatch Valley was a better site, maybe, maybe. But when that first Twin
Otter plane landed, we were (CREDIT: On The Willows blog: http://onthewillows.com/2013/03/21/ lat-tire-moment/ ) cheering. Louis and the other MV Opale Ferry crew bid a tearful farewell, the Rapid Explorer came and went, and off we were – on the way to a brighter future. Then, tourism arrivals went down by one fifth, and the injection of money to build the airport was fading out. The 2007 Cricket World Cup did not live up to regional tourism hopes, oil prices shot up through the cont’d. on page 6
Third Geothermal well will be safe from Public servants to expect increments, but volocanic activity conditions may apply
As hopes build up especially as concerns rage about the reliability of the electricity supply in Montserrat, for the quick progress of the continuation of geothermal exploration and development, there comes the announcement about the third geothermal well. Following discussion as to the safety of the new location for the third and critical well, Montserrat Volcano Observatory (MVO) Director Rob Stewart says MVO has been studying the risks carefully. The third geothermal well will be safe from volcanic activity that reassurance has coming from the head of the Montserrat
Volcano Observatory Rob Stewart. The proposed site for the re-injection well is in St. Georges Hill. The Geothermal Well will be in addition to the other two facilities on the Cork Hill main road, Mr. Stuart says the MVO has been studying the risks carefully. He says that because the new drilling area is just into Zone V and is “a sort of controlled area”, “we’ve looked at it very carefully but the thing is once the well is drilled, people won’t be working there and we’ve agreed with a decision on how to design the well and have a sort of bunker around it.” Supporting the decision he explains: “I mean a pyroclastic
flow has never reached where they’re drilling a well, the pyroclastic surge has never reach there, but there’s an outside opportunity,” adding, “the wellhead itself will be protected, so even if it is hit by pyroclastic flow it will not be damaged and it will not damage the project.” He strengthened by confirming, “…and modeling it and we’ve come up with a solution that meets both the requirements of the geothermal design project but also meets the safety requirements we need.” Recent reports from DFID and government said that the location has been secured and work should begin soon.
Premier and Hon. Minister of Finance Donaldson Romeo in his 2015/2016 budget presentation in March this year, had made provisions for increments to be paid to public servants. This week the Premeier said in a statement said: “As you know one of the first things our government did on entering office was to successfully negotiate for the payment of the (public
servants) increments.” Whispers that the government had forgotten their promise then prompted the Premier who explained: “This means that there is money in the budget for increments this year, but we have had to resolve some technical issue which has taken sometime, but we needed to get it right”. He then shared even hinting to speculations that
payment of increments will be linked to performance appraisals. “…at this moment it’s safe for me to say that we can expect to see the first payment of increments by December…We will deliver on our promise and that is to pay increments to those who deserve it and we expect that we will continue to negotiate for the same from this year on,” he said.
ISLAND OF MONTSERRAT IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE A.D. 2015 [PROBATE]
LEGAL NOTICE IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE
In the Estate of CASANDRA TOLITA BRAMBLE, deceased.
PROBATE DIVISION
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.
In the Estate of WALTER WADE deceased NOTICE is hereby given that after the expiration of fourteen (14) days from the date of this notice, an application will be made in the Registry of the High Court of Justice for an Order that Letters of Administration in the Estate of WALTER WADE who died on the 22nd day of May, 1971 be granted to ESTHA WADE his daughter and one of the persons entitled to share in the estate of the deceased. ALL persons claiming to be beneficially interested in the estate are requested to send written particulars thereof to the undersigned within 14 days from the date of this Notice. ANY person objecting to the issuance of a Grant to the Applicant should notify the Registrar of the High Court not later than 14 days from the date of this Notice. Dated the 14th day of October, 2014 BRANDT & ASSOCIATES Attorneys-at-Law
LEGAL NOTICE
ALL persons claiming to be beneficially interested therein are requested forthwith to send particulars to me the undersigned. 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. Dated this 5th day of October, 2015 JOYCELYN BRAMBLE Applicant
Friday, October 16, 2015
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Letters/Opinion
Blue Halo projects EDITORIAL keep on moving Electricity outages can begin the study case for the future “It was nineteen years ago that we left General Turning Road power station – we have had to produce electricity under conditions that are less than ideal…Our operators in particular would no longer have to run between containers sometimes in the elements, up and down stairs just to control the generators…,” said Chief Engineer Kendall Lee, speaking at the ground-breaking of the new power plant construction. DFID rep Dr. Kato Kimbugwe had worked long and hard to see the project reach this point as he recounted the launch of the project three years ago (2011), recalling also the challenges. We’ve had a number of challenges but ultimately the outcome has being something that we all have looked forward to…,” he had said. He continued. “This project is aimed at addressing one of the major constraints to Montserrat’s economic growth, and that is the power sector. The power sector in any country is critical to economic development. Therefore DIFID’s intervention in supporting the Government of Montserrat in implementing this project was made on the basis that we understand the importance of the energy sector, but also a part of our strategic growth plan for Montserrat which is aimed at getting Montserrat back to financial self-sufficiency.” MUL’s General Manager Peter White at the time said generating plant project dated back to 2003/4 when Mott MacDonald was engaged to do a study of the establishment of a permanent power station in the north. That power plant not yet in operation was expected to be functional in June this year, but given that it started several months later, one should be hearing of plans for its commendation of actually supplying reliable electricity. Not one new job was created for the last five years, while the plans for geothermal energy, fibre optic cabling, tourism development, the SGP, financed and promises of financing, good governance, all to change the landscape. Blame the ash! What Montserrat needs to get to grips with is the fact that, just like the power plant project languished since 2003, so too were other plans such as the eventual SDPs and SGPs emerging since the plan and creation of MDC. There construction of Gerald’s airport was a ‘mistake’, admitted by DFID who had agendas of their own, continued to pump, little by little funds which in the end appeared much to some, but with the expectation that Montserrat will flounder, fully knowing the weaknesses. They didn’t mind that monies were misspent and insufficient, because as admitted in 2008, ‘sustainable development’ had its negative and nonprogressive meanings. It was only when they were satisfied that the whole of Montserrat would not be overcome by volcanic activity, they said it was time to really stop making one step forward and one step backward, while money never enough, as the complaint was. Unfortunately some by then, had developed selfish and greedy plans of their own and paid no heed to the fact that HMG had become serious and ready. By then unnoticed by most including HMG representatives who allowed and joined in the silencing of the commentary and suppression of the perceptive, ignoring meantime, while also discouraging the call for succession planning throughout the political spectrum and public service. See the status – can’t go back to failure and what to do with the unprepared. Our claim is by no means merely speculative. It is often claimed that Montserrat’s failure is the desire of HMG. Their attitude of indifference and refusal to react to questions as to their knowledge of some situations and circumstances, turning a blind eye, open support by ignoring corruptible planning and behavior leaves the discerning and anyone to wonder. The partnership plan from 1999 notwithstanding, was far from a hands-off plan when it came to Montserrat whom they acknowledged as special if not unique, easy to understand because of traumatic volcanic crisis. They admitted this also. Those with only little understanding may find this line difficult to understand or accept especially if one knows the runnings of government and the politicians and the public servants for the last 17 or more years. But when consideration is given to the appearance of Governor Davis who we now describe as soulless at his departure, and the dedicated DFID Dr. Kimbugwe, who left his post here with little glory if any, both wishing they could have left a different Montserrat, questions are in order, and there are answers, aplenty. They were both in a position to stem a situation which brought about their sadness and the demise of a government, with an unprepared replacement. Oh, and with a public service declaration not to help the private sector, which by the way cannot claim it exists. And yes, with a policy not to assist non-nationals! The case at the beginning and the Kimbugwe economic growth quote can now be recalled and put into perspective.
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
Part of the WAITTE Institute Blue Halo project which began here on Monday is conducting a scientific assessment of Montserrat’s coastal waters. They have visited nearly fifty sites and surveyed fish and the coral on twenty site on the second day of their study.
WAITTE Institute Science Manager Andy Esteph says a preliminary findings will be released to the public before the final report is produced. They hope to have a preliminary findings shortly after maybe even within a week to provide a general overview of where they went,
“What our impressions were of the places that we have found,” he said, “we will have some very rough characterizations that we can provide in a quantitative sense - the amount of fish biomass per site but there will be a more detailed report that will come out later…”
The Finance Minister Dr Peter Phillips wants the international community to pay urgent attention to the Caribbean’s economic troubles to avoid grave social consequences The European financial website, emergingmarkets.org, has quoted Dr Phillips as saying populations in the Caribbean will lose patience with international institutions if they fail to provide the resources to modernise infrastructure. According to Dr Philips, the Caribbean is facing a particularly difficult situation where growth is low while debt and vulnerability to climate change are high. He was speaking on the weekend during meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank in Peru, where finance ministers are exchanging ideas on the challenges facing the region. In an interview with financial publication, The Banker, Dr. Phillips further argued that the Caribbean has justifications for concessionary rates from multilateral institutions: He says while he’s confident Jamaica will achieve its target of a 96 per cent debt-toGDP ratio, that target is still not satisfactory. However, Dr Phillips says without help from the international community, Jamaica will not be able to achieve the necessary growth to lower the debt to GDP rate at a faster pace.
Our Scripture Verse Today Deep-Rooted Faith Continue to live your lives in [Christ Jesus], rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. Colossians 2:6-7 (NRSV) Here in Texas, it can get very dry and stay that way for a long time. Many plants that grow well in the wet spring wither and die because they aren’t drought resistant. But there are always some plants that continue to grow no matter how long drought lasts because their roots grow deep and reach down to sources of water underground. This allows them to endure the worst droughts.
In life, we often face a similar situation. When life is good, we can sometimes forget how much God does for us. It is only when we have problems — the “droughts” of life — that our faith is truly tested. If our faith in God is shallow, when the going gets tough, our faith does not grow. But if we have a deeply rooted relationship with God, then we can endure any problem this world can bring. With this kind of faith we know that God is with us even when we are facing the worst circumstances. No matter what, God’s living water runs deep and never fails. Mark A. Carter (Texas, USA)
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St Kitts-Nevis government reaffirms plans to build another courthouse BASSETERRE, St Kitts (SKNIS) -- The government of St Kitts and Nevis is working to have another courthouse built in Basseterre in order to help reduce the backlog of cases in the court. During the debut of the Team Unity government’s new weekly call-in radio show “Working for You” on Wednesday, Prime Minister Dr Timothy Harris disclosed that discussions are underway with the chief justice of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court regarding this initiative. “We have said publicly that we will pursue the operationalization of a second
High Court in Basseterre, St Kitts
court in St Kitts and Nevis to ensure that many of the matters now backlogged in the court could come to proper resolution because justice delayed would be justice denied,” the prime
minister said. “We are in discussions with the chief justice in relation to the execution of that mandate which we have from the people,” he added.
Tests underway, water suppy shut down in St. Lucia after dead dead fish found in river source Caribbean360 CASTRIES, St. Lucia, – Authorities are testing a water source in a village in the south east of St. Lucia, following the discovery of dead fish. The Water & Sewerage Company Inc. (WASCO) said the water supply to Micoud had been compromised and the Water Resource Management Agency (WRMA) and the Environmental Health Branch (EHB) of the Ministry of Health has been informed of the discovery of the dead fish in the river source within their watershed, for their immediate investigation. “WASCO is itself conducting detailed water tests to determine the contaminants which may have led to the death of the fish and crayfish,” the water company added in a statement. Once the results of the tests are obtained, WASCO said a determination would be made on the next course of action. Although it is still awaiting the results and has not identified the cause of the fish kill, WASCO advised members of the public that the use of poisonous substances to harvest fish and crayfish for sale is very dangerous, as it compromises the water supply as well as people’s lives.
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Caribbean tourism chief urges industry to refresh and ramp up
Karolin Troubetzkoy CASTRIES, St Lucia -A Caribbean tourism leader said the region has to keep refreshing its product to ensure its people can continue to benefit from the revenue generated by the industry. “Tourism is by far the
biggest sector of our economies in the Caribbean and we ought to ensure our hotels and other visitor facilities continue to improve because our people rely on revenue from the sector for education, health, culture and environmental conservation,” asserted Karolin Troubetzkoy, first vice president and president-elect of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association. “We cannot rest on our laurels because the global tourism market is growing rapidly and many countries are actively competing with us for the new business,” said the St Lucia hotelier, who observed that the Caribbean is likely to face some challenges as a result of the
easing of travel restrictions for Americans to visit Cuba. For many Caribbean destinations, the United States is the largest market for tourists. Troubetzkoy, who along with her husband Nick owns and operates the award-winning Anse Chastanet and Jade Mountain, two of St Lucia’s most admired hotels, praised this weekend’s first Caribbean Hospitality Industry Exchange Forum (CHIEF) for pointing the way to effective refreshing of the industry. “CHIEF has astutely identified three areas we should be focusing on: operations, sales and marketing, and the need to go green,” she said. Attracting and training the right personnel are the keys to successful operations, Troubetzkoy contended. “The personal touch is one of the most important elements. A tourist who connects positively, even on a perfunctory level, with at least one staff member, has a very high chance of returning.” She also believes it is important to ask: “Are we deliver-
ing the Caribbean dream and are we maximizing the guest experience to increase repeat visitation?” For sales and marketing success, Troubetzkoy encourages hoteliers to pay attention to guest reviews and turn them into a positive reputation builder. “If you receive a negative review, embrace it, reply quickly and explain how you can use their experience as a teaching opportunity.” Positive reviews can serve as opportunities for hotels to tell their story and to embark on effective public relations, advertising and social media strategies. Troubetzkoy, who will address the October 2 to 4 conference in Puerto Rico, urged the industry to use data collection to dive into new markets. “The Caribbean is a maturing market so it is important to refurbish and renovate hotels and resorts,” she added. “As we do so, we must use the occasion to go more green and see the return on investment increase,” she contended.
EU defends decision to abolish death penalty, urges Caribbean to follow suit BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – The head of the Delegation of the European Union to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, Mikael Barfod, says he is optimistic that Caribbean countries will do away with the death pen” European Day against the Death Penalty” on Saturday, Barfod said Europe remains pleased that there have been no executions in Barbados since 1984. “The last execution in any of our countries was seven years ago , in St. Kitts and Nevis, and Grenada has not had an execution since 1978. “We are acutely aware that the death penalty remains on the books for Barbados and the member states of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) for historical reasons. However, changes are occurring.” He said that the mandatory death penalty was discontinued in the OECS countries due to the 2002 Eastern Caribbean Court of Appeal ruling which deemed it unconstitutional. “We congratulate Barbados on the initiative to also abolish the mandatory Death
which is almost complete. In line with this tendency and given the existence of a de-facto moratorium because of the length of time since an execution has been carried out, the next step should be taken: accepting a legal moratorium.” But the European diplomat acknowledged that with the increase in crime, particularly murders, in recent times, there have been renewed calls for the death penalty. “Despite the support that the use of the death penalty still receives in Caribbean communities, I challenge leaders to show more courage, launch a public debate and lead the way in the fight against the death penalty,” Barfod said. He said that Europe regards the death penalty “as cruel and inhumane, and scientific research has shown that the death penalty in no way acts as a deterrent to crime. “Its abolition is essential for the protection of human dignity, as well as for the progressive development of human rights. This is a moral issue about the value
Mikael Barfod (File Photo)
of human life. As a deeply religious Caribbean society this is one of the basic tenets that as a community we hold dear. Sentiments such as ‘it is cheaper to kill them than to keep them in prison’ have no place in this era of civilization” He said there is a worldwide movement against the death penalty and even in the Caribbean it was abolished in Suriname in March of this year. “In the region, Haiti and the Dominican Republic have also abolished capital punishment. The historic milestone of over 100 death penalty free countries has been achieved,” Barfod added. He said that the international outcry against the death penalty is also well present in the United Nations (UN) framework and that
in 2007 the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution establishing a moratorium on executions with the goal of abolishing the death penalty, and every other year such a resolution is put to vote. “I take this opportunity to urge your leaders to vote in favour of such a moratorium or at least to abstain, instead of voting against it, reflecting the situation of no executions on the ground for almost 10 years. “For those who may yet be not convinced, I make a call for a debate between the stakeholders, including the church and the legal fraternity. Let us put the facts to the test and come up with a position based on principles and not on emotions and historical customs. The EU remains strongly committed to this fight,” Barfod added.
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Man jailed for having sex with three children CASTRIES, St. Lucia, CMC – A High Court judge has sentenced a Castries man to 37 years imprisonment after he was found guilty of having unlawful sexual intercourse with three minors ages seven to 11 years. Justice Francis Cum-
berbatch sentenced George Jn Baptiste to 20 years imprisonment for the offence of unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor aged seven years; seven years imprisonment for the offence of gross indecency with a minor aged 10 and five years
imprisonment each on two counts of unlawful sexual connection with minor seven and 11 years respectfully. The court was told that the incidents occurred on August 5, 2011 at Maynard Hill in the capital, Castries. One of the children had
been left in the care of her grandmother and had gone to the home of the accused to play with the other two girls after lunch. The defendant who is a relative of one of the girls arrived shortly afterwards and asked the children if they
wanted ice-cream. He gave one of the girls money to purchase the ice cream and on her return took the children to nearby bushes where he also performed oral sex on two of the children. Jn Baptiste pleaded guilty to the two counts of
unlawful sexual connection and not guilty on the counts of unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor and gross indecency. His sentences will run concurrently and deductions will be made for time spent awaiting trial.
Hundreds of people in Antigua not receiving treatment for HIV ST. JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC – The Clinical Care Coordinator in the Antigua and Barbuda Health Sector, Dr Maria Pereira, says hundreds of HIV positive people here are not receiving treatment. “Since the end of June, 2015, the number of persons who have tested positive for HIV in Antigua and Barbuda is 1,078 and of those, about 264 have died and 251 are in care
treatment. So there are quite a number of persons who are HIV positive and who are not in care treatment,” she said. Dr. Pereira said that she was recommending that everyone who is aware of his or her status to access treatment, aware that “it might be difficult to access because sometimes many of us know in society there is a lot of stigma, discrimination associated with the
virus”. She said Antigua and Barbuda was lagging in its application of World Health Organization/Pan American Health organization (PAHO/WHO)) guidelines which call for among other measures that people with HIV to be given anti retroviral drugs as soon as possible after diagnosis. Dr. Pereira said that the advice from the two UN organizations has been
constantly evolving and that the island is still following old policy guidelines. “The new thinking is that once a person has been diagnosed HIV positive the medication should start immediately be4cause the research has shown that that gives the person the best outcome. “Right now here in Antigua and Barbuda, we adhere to the policy of the WHO which states that
once a person CD4 counts hits 500 cells per cubic millimeter or less then we start the antiretroviral medication. “We have stuck into that policy because we have found that it works for us,” she said, noting that she expects the policy to change in the coming months in keeping with the latest WHO advice. But she acknowledged that implementing the new
policy would be expensive and “it is always changing and it is not there cast in stone. “I suspect strongly that in the next 18 months to two years that this policy will change,” she said, adding “remember this will take a lot of resources….but once the person takes the medication and they have a low viable load and they have a high CD4 count they can live a normal life”.
Prime Minister reiterates call for reparations for slave trade
By Nelson A. King UNITED NATIONS, CMC – St. Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves has called for reparatory justice from the major participants in, and beneficiaries of, the transatlantic slave trade. Addressing the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) here on Tuesday, Gonsalves said that the impacts of native genocide and the institution of slavery on Caribbean states have resulted in a “legacy of underdevelopment” and “an historic bundle of wrongs to be righted”. He told the international community “our quest for justice is supported by the 33 members of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States and numerous progressive nations globally. “The fate of our indigenous peoples and the legacies of slavery and colonial exploitation are neither partisan political talking points nor historical afterthoughts. They are an ever-present modern reality, whose redress remains a noise in our blood and an echo in our bones,” he told the 70th Session of the UNGA. “The discussion and engagement with those who benefitted immeasurably from their monstrous crimes must begin in earnest. We are resolute in our pursuit of a just redress and the furtherance of our collective healing and humanization. These issues must form part of the Post 2015 development conversation; and as part, too, of our combined efforts to uplift the Decade for Peoples of African Descent.” But he said at the same time it pains him to speak and demand appropriate redress on the subject of retroactive stripping of citizenship of persons of Haitian descent born in the Dominican Republic and their forcible deportations to Haiti, a country to which many of these victims have only a “vague ancestral connection. “I am aware that certain domestic complexities prompt this deep-seated institutionalized intolerance and discrimination,” he said. “We in the Caribbean Community are pledged to work with our Caribbean family in the Dominican Republic to assist in ending this tragedy at the heart of our Caribbean civilization, but the authorities
in the Dominican Republic must demonstrate a good faith not merely in words but in deeds. Gonsalves said St. Vincent and the Grenadines cannot remain silent or indifferent in the face of “this gross violation of human rights,” stating that “this is not a migration issue of the type that is currently engulfing the European Union. At its core, Gonsalves said is an international human rights issue “of the gravest kind upon which United Nations must pronounce unambiguously. “Accordingly, we demand a full and just resolution of this cynical denial of human rights,” he said, urging the United Nations to stand “in firm opposition to those who obstruct and make ill-founded arguments rooted not in international law and universalist values but in a jingoistic abuse of the concept of sovereignty in a quest to perpetuate a status quo which is plainly wrong”. In his address, Gonsalves also expressed deep concern about “the sharpening of rhetoric between our longtime friends and allies in Guyana and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.” He noted that their border dispute, which dates back to the 19thcentury, has long been constrained by the ties of brotherhood, solidarity and international cooperation. “Accordingly, we call for renewed and reinvigorated diplomatic engagement in the management and ultimate resolution of this vexing issue,” he urged. On Taiwan, he also appealed to the United Nations that celebration of its 70thyear be one not only action but of “inclusion, outreach and redress of calcified injustices. “As such, we must move beyond our inexplicable exclusion of Taiwan from the work of the specialized agencies of the United Nations. “The perspective, experience and example of Taiwan as an active and responsible global citizen are self-evident arguments in support of their greater inclusion and participation,” Gonsalves said, adding that
Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves addressing UNGA Taiwan’s continued exclusion can neither be explained nor justified by any rational and forward-looking global gathering. Prime Minister Gonsalves said the Caribbean continues to be heavily impacted by climate change. “Our existential struggles in the face of climate change inform our posture in the frustratingly meandering negotiations to arrive at a legally-binding agreement within the parameters of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. “We are two months away from a deadline for reaching such an agreement at COP 21 in Paris, but the precariousness of our global plight is not matched by the ambition of our partners,” Gonsalves said, adding that the the posturing and recalcitrance of some majoremitters suggest that COP 21 may be yet another empty diplomatic dance that prioritizes process over progress.” Gonsalves said St. Vincent and the Grenadines and other islands and coastal states will not settle for any agreement that does not “comprehensively and unambiguously bind major emitters to deep and ambitious emissions cuts, and meaningful financing commitments to fund adaptation and mitigation efforts in the most vulnerable countries”.
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Police officers among Outgoing ECTEL four on fraud charges chairman wants CASTRIES, St. Lucia, CMC – Two police officers were among four people who appeared in court on Tuesday following investigations into alleged fraudulent claims made to the NAGICO Insurance Company. A police statement said that Constables Iker Lubin and Terry Chedy have been charged with the offence of conspiracy while two other men, Dave William and Mathias William faced charges of conspiracy, perverting the course of justice and attempted to obtain property by deception. All four men have been granted bail, the police statement said.
stronger regulatory mechanism
Symposium to celebrate 50 years of Sahara dust research on Barbados Barbados, CMC – 50 years after the discovery of Sahara Dust in the atmosphere over Barbados, the island is hosting Friday an international symposium to mark the occasion. “Our hope is that the symposium will generate greater awareness of atmospheric and climate research in Barbados and lead to future research initiatives that broaden the current understanding of the effects of Sahara Dust on the human and environmental health of the region that will ultimately inform future public health and environmental policy locally, as well as global policies to combat climate change,” said Dr. David Farrell , the principal of the Caribbean Institute for
Meteorology and Hydrology (CIMH). The symposium is being held under the theme “Celebrating 50 Years of Sahara Dust Research on Barbados”. Original scientists, Dr. Tony Delany of the National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, Colorado, and Professor Joe Prospero of the University of Miami, will be participating in the symposium that will also feature renowned atmospheric scientists from the region and around the world who are researching Sahara Dust impacts on weather, climate, public health and public policy. “The concentration of African dust in Barbados trade winds is often so high
as to raise concerns about the impact on air quality and human health. “We need to understand how dust might impact health in Barbados and the Caribbean. We also need to anticipate how, with changing climate, concentrations of dust might change with time in the Caribbean region,” Professor Prospero said. Participating organisations include: NASA, the University of the West Indies, the University of Puerto Rico, the University of Miami, the University of Arizona, the University of Bristol (UK), and Germany’s Max Planck Institute for Meteorology, Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research and Institute for Atmospheric Physics.
Joke Cor ner Doctor’s Mistake A famous doctor was being interviewed by the news media. Looking to spice things up a little, one reporter asked if the doctor had ever made any serious mistakes. “Well, yes,” the doctor sighed. “I once cured a multimillionaire.” “How was that a mistake? The reporter asked. The doctor shook his head wearily. “I did it in one visit!”
Passing the baton: Grenada’s Telecom Minister Gregory Bowen (left) greets new ECTEL Chairman Vincent Byron Jr of St. Kitts-Nevis BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, CMC – Grenada’s telecommunications Minister Gregory Bowen is calling for strong regulatory mechanisms to deal with the changing telecommunication landscape in the Eastern Caribbean. “In ECTEL (the Eastern Caribbean Telecom Authority) today we’re celebrating 15 years and we’re challenged with the merger of two major telecommunications…providers and it is in this context that we must continue this next year of the regulatory process,” Bowen told the ECTLEL Council meeting here. The British telecommunications giant, Cable and Wireless Communication (CWC) has acquired Columbus Communication in a deal valued at US$3.025 billion. The companies said the merger will enable the combined company to significantly accelerate its growth strategy, improve service delivery to customers in the region, offer customers a comprehensive portfolio of high-quality products and services, and strengthen their position against larger competitors. But while Barbados, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago have given the merger their approval, the Eastern Caribbean countries, notably those served by ECTEL have
not done so. Bowne told the meeting that they have taken note of the absence of the Electronic Communications Bill, saying its passage played a significant role in the behaviour of the two providers. “We are bombarded with a plethora of complaints, immediately the merger has been approved, the requests for prices increase, and not only request but a demand, because so far as the providers are concerned, there is nothing law to prevent them from so doing,” he said. Bowen, who has been replaced as ECTEL chairman by St. Kitts and Nevis’ Attorney General and Minister of Communications Vincent Byron Jr, urged ECTEL ministers, holding their 32nd Council Meeting, to deepen cooperation in the interest of the people of the sub-region. “As we look back at our tenure, we must leave to the peoples of the region something positive in the sense that the telecommunications cost will not unduly go up, and this is not from a nostalgic point of view, this is because telecommunications and energy, both these two could cause the demise of the economic transformation of
our countries in the region.” Byron in his address described the telecoms sector as being at a crossroads. “Here in St. Kitts we… have been a long time host to Cable and Wireless. At one time they were a sole provider and the merger with Columbus is now one in which the new entity [will] launch…here shortly, but it is an area…we will be looking at, and we hope that it is done in a proper way, that…this entity will abide by the existing regulations, by our statues and that as it is in all the other islands, we would want to welcome this new body in a way that we feel happy and comfortable with them”. He said the government expects a well regulated and fair environment for all. “We as a people want the best possible service, quality of service at reasonable rates, proper rates as established by regulators and we hope that these very basic principles are not violated in any of our territories. We will be monitoring this very closely and we hope that this is adhered to by our service providers.” The ECTEL gathering ends on Friday with a workshop on the “Regulatory Challenges for Broadcasting in the New Digital Environment.”
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Friday, October 16, 2015
www.themontserratreporter.com
Day tour operators, taxi and tour guides prepare to improve the tourist experience The struggle to develop the tourism product seem to be receiving some attention with efforts to maintain day tour trips to Montserrat in an organised way. The Montserrat Tourist Board was abandoned and tourism, according to the MDC shut-down report ‘improperly’ subsumed into the Montserrat Development Corporation. A tourism director was installed. She had just begun to bring life to tourism which had been void of direction over the previous four years when she became one of the casualties of the Shut-Down of MDC which was supposed to be liquidated in short order. One of her first moves even while the Shut Down committee was in operation a tourism task force was created to move forward with the tourism rebranding and immediate action taken to upgrade the day tour experience beginning with ensuring that taxi drivers and tour guides were trained in various aspects of their involvement with tourists and the public and in particular visiting the southern half of Montserrat. A ZJB report this week
announced the start of commercial tours into Plymouth scheduled for December. The report stated that this follows months of preparation by the Tourism department and other agencies. The Tour operators are expected to enhance travel experience for visitors to Monserrat, to date several
site investigations, consultations and trading have taken place to prepare all stakeholders involved. In this regard the Disaster Management Coordination Agency (DMCA) explained their involvement in bringing about the preparation and training to ensure that health and safety plans
Cont’d. from page 1 power outages have reemerged and has brought to the fore there has been silence of the noncompletion of the new power plant at Brades which was initially due to be completed in June this year. A series of outages in early December 2013, was guaranteed by MUL to be mere coincidence beginning almost immediately following news out of London, UK where a report from the joint OCT Ministerial Council meetings, boasted on the energy efficiency in the Territories. Now new General Manager David Thompson says that the frequent power outages have been caused by problems with three of four generators at the power station. He said the problems were the result from recent damage caused by storms. He gave a full rundown of the problems and told ZJB thus:
“We have suffered two blows recently one on the 2nd October when the turbo charger from one of the generators was taken out and we’re having trouble getting that working back again, so that’s working but it very much under power. “Then in June the storms on the 8th October, when there’s a lot of thunder and lightning about. We think we had a lightning strike in the yard and that has affected one of the alternators which is attached to one of the generators. We’ve got two generators that have been damaged by the storms recently, which is not good because we need two out of four at any one time. “One of the other generators is due for overhaul, it’s getting a bit tired, needs perking up but it’s having to work because the other generators are out, so we’ve got problems with three of them
and the fourth one is feeling the weight because of that as well. So, at the moment all four generators are suffering for one reason or another, but very different reasons in each case. So we’ve got problems. We know that and we apologize.” He said most of the interruptions are island wide, and he explained: “Sometimes we can put one feeder, the north feeder or the south feeder on, but I’ve just been talking about the generators…So these generator problems are over and above sort of the normal - we wouldn’t expect this many generator problems at any one time. We would expect occasional distribution problems, accidents, storms, which are still happening…” With those difficulties, questions for MUL and the Government, when will the explanations and regular dependable electricity be available?
Martin Dawson, DFID
Power plant problems
gency procedures.” he said, continuing, “We don’t want to look at a logistics relating to radio communication and of course certifying the persons who will be allowed to operate in Plymouth.” Darroux said it would mean that any person who wanted to do a tour in Plymouth or tours into Plymouth, “would have to use certified taxi drivers and tour guides who would be aware of things like every day first aid, emergency procedures for Plymouth, radio communications and things like that.”
are approved and in place. Mr. Billy Darroux is Director of DMCA he says, “We would have seen areas of this health and safety procedures that we needed to consolidate and improve on so we have dealt with that.” He said the next step would be approving that health and safety plan, take applications from the persons who want to conduct tours in Plymouth. “We need to look at making sure everybody’s versed with emer-
Speaking for the benefit of the various operators, he told them, “You would have participated in the training, in all the training modules put through by the Department of Tourism but more importantly for Plymouth, you’d have to do every day first aid, procedures, training - one the procedures for emergency operations in Plymouth and of course radio communication.” As noted earlier training had begun last year and into the beginning of this year. Acording to reports, the Tourism Department is planning another set of training in the next few weeks.