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WEEK OF EXCELLENCE TO CELEBRATE EMPLOYEES

Excellence will be the watchword for workers, employers and Government,

when the annual Week of Excellence Programme is observed from Sunday,

February 22, to Saturday, February 28.

It will be held under the theme: Bridging The Gap: Todays Leaders,

Tomorrows Prospects,and starts with a service on that Sunday at the Kingdom

Empowerment New Testament Church of God, Cottage Land, St. George, beginning

at 10:00 a.m. Minister of Labour, Senator Dr. Esther Byer, will deliver remarks during

the service.

During the week, a number of presentations and panel discussions will be

held, commencing at 8:30 a.m. each day, for approximately 300 public and private

sector partners.

Prime Minister Freundel Stuart; General Secretary of the Barbados Workers

Union (BWU), Toni Moore; President of the Barbados Private Sector Association,

Alex McDonald; President of the Congress of Trade Unions and Staff Associations of

Barbados, Cedric Murrell; and Governor of the Central Bank of Barbados, Dr. Delisle

Worrell, will speak at the opening ceremony on Monday, February 23, at the Grande

Salle, Central Bank of Barbados.

There will also be a presentation by Lecturer at the University of the West

Indies (UWI), Dr. Dwayne Devonish, on the Findings of an Empirical Study about

Perceptions of Leadership Qualities/Traits and Factors Predicting Business

Success among Youth in Barbados.

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In addition, there will be a panel discussion involving Chairman of the Barbados

Entrepreneurship Foundation, Chris DeCaires, and President of the Barbados

Economic Society, Jeremy Stephen.

On Tuesday, February 24, the workshop will be held at BWU Solidarity House

and Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Joy St. John; and General Secretary of the BWU, Toni

Moore, will deliver opening remarks. The topics to be examined include Maintaining

the Fight Against Infectious Diseases in the Workplace; The Economic Impact

of Infectious Diseases in Todays Workplace; The Physical and Mental Impacts

of Chikungunya and Dengue Fever on the Workplaceand The Role of Nutrition

on Combating Non-Communicable Diseases.

Discussions will move to the BWU Labour College at Mangrove, St. Philip, on

Wednesday, February 25, and there will be presentations on Customer Service of

Tomorrow; Benchmarking: Nurturing Best Practices as the Way Forward;

Vector Control in the Workplace (Dengue Fever and Chikungunya): The

Protocolsand Maintaining the Fight Against Infectious Diseases.

The focus on Thursday, February 26, will be on business, and the speakers

will include Minister of Culture, Sports and Youth, Stephen Lashley; Director of the

Global Business Development at the Society for Human Resource Development of

the United States, Robert Garcia and Lecturer in Management Studies at UWI, Dr.

Paul Pounder.

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The panellists for the working session on The 3 Fs Finding, Funding, Formula,

will be Executive Director of the Barbados Small Business Association, Lynette

Holder; General Manager of Corporate and Commercial Banking at the Republic

Bank, Sean Husain; Manager of Mega Power Ltd., Joanna Edghill; Senior Credit

Officer of the Central Bank of Barbados Loan Guarantee Scheme, Joycelyn Holdipp;

and President of the Barbados Entrepreneurship Foundation, Celeste Foster.

Fridays workshop has been designed specifically for secondary school

children, and they will gather at The Productivity Council to hear from Dr. Dwayne

Devonish, Jeremy Stephen, and Training Officer at the Council, Karen Collins, who

will speak on Potential, Preparation, Prospects: Yes I Can.

The week will culminate on Saturday, February 28, with an initiative entitled:

Taking Service Excellence to the Streets, which is aimed at sharing information on

how to develop personal excellence with Barbadian workers. Officials from The

Productivity Council, Office of Public Sector Reform (OPSR), the BWU and the

Barbados Employers Confederation (BEC) will be involved in the promotion, which

will start at 9:00 a.m. at the City of Bridgetown Cooperative Credit Union, Lower

Broad Street, and will interact with people along Broad Street, Roebuck Street, High

Street and Fairchild Street.

The Week of Excellence Programme was initiated in 2003, and emerged in

response to the new market liberalisation and globalisation thrust, which increased

the need for productivity-focused businesses and effective competitiveness

strategies.

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It seeks to increase productivity awareness and excellence across the various

sectors and give stakeholders an opportunity to participate in critical dialogue on

those issues.

Those organisations which were a part of the initial organising committee

included the Social Partnership, The Productivity Council, the Central Bank of

Barbados, the Barbados Statistical Service and the Congress of Trade Unions and

Staff Associations of Barbados. However, it was expanded later to include the

National Initiative for Service Excellence, BEC and OPSR. (SA/BGIS)

NO: 134/15

BARBADOS EMBASSY IN BRAZIL VISITS PAR

As part of its mandate to develop relations with the Barbadian Diaspora, the

Embassy of Barbados in Brazil conducted a three-day visit to Brazil's northern state

of Par, last January 30 to February 1.

The visit was jointly organised by the Embassy, the Federal University of

Par, and the St. Mary Cathedral/Amazon Anglican Diocese under the theme:

Barbados in Par: History and Memory. Its aim was to forge closer ties with the

descendants of several Barbadian families who migrated to Par at the turn of the

20th Century.

The weekend programme of activities included a round table discussion on

Barbados and Amaznia, and the presenters included Professor Dr. Maria Roseane

Corra Pinto Lima from the History Faculty of the Federal University of Par and the

Bishop of the Diocese of the Amazon region, Bishop Saulo Mauricio de Barros.

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Professor Pinto Lima, whose 2013 doctoral thesis was titled: Barbadians,

Blacks and Foreigners: Work, Racism, Identity and Memory in Belm from the

Beginning of the 20thCentury, gave a presentation on Caribbean Black

Immigration to Par. Professor Pinto Lima has also played a key role in the

establishment of a Cooperation Agreement between the Federal University of Par

and the University of the West Indies. Bishop Mauricio de Barros spoke on his

postgraduate work Barbadians and the History of Anglicanism in the Amazon.

The Embassy was represented by Ambassador Goddard and First Secretary

Resa Layne. Ambassador Goddard, who gave an overview of political, economic

and social developments taking place in Barbados, also fielded questions from the

audience.

The programme for the visit included a welcome reception and lunch, where

descendants of Barbadians were met; a round table discussion at the Federal

University; and a Eucharistic service at the Cathedral of St. Mary. Of interest, St.

Marys is the sole Anglican Church in Belm where many of the descendants of

Barbadians have been worshipping for over 100 years. (Ministry of Foreign

Affairs/BGIS)

NO:135/15

INDEX OF RETAIL PRICES FOR NOVEMBER 2014

The Index of Retail Prices for November 2014 stood at 172.2 points,

representing an increase of 0.1 per cent when compared with the 172.1 points

recorded the previous month.

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Increases were recorded for Housing by 2.2 per cent; Alcoholic Beverages

and Tobacco by 1.8 per cent; Food by 0.5 per cent and Education,

Recreation and Miscellaneous by 0.1 per cent.

Decreases were registered for Fuel and Light by 3.5 per cent; Transportation

by 1.1 per cent; Medical and Personal Care by 0.5 per cent; Clothing and Footwear

by 0.4 per cent and Household Operations and Supplies by 0.1 per cent.

Between November 2013 and November 2014, the Index of Retail

Prices increased by 2.3 per cent, from 168.4 points to 172.2 points. The average

inflation rate for that twelve-month period was 1.8 per cent. (Economic Affairs

Division/BGIS)

NO: 136/15

DEADLINE FOR TOURISM SPEECH COMPETITION EXTENDED

The Ministry of Tourism has extended the deadline for its annual speech

competition. The new date for schools to submit their entries is now this Friday,

February 13.

The speech competition is part of the Ministrys Tourism Education

Awareness and Me (TEAM) programme, and is open to students between the ages

of 14 and 17, who attend any private or public educational institution in Barbados.

During the competition, participants are expected to speak on Experiential

Tourism, Intra-Regional Travel, or Destination Health and Safety. In addition,

contestants will be given a mystery tourism topic on which they will have to speak for

a maximum of one minute.

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The winning student will be designated Junior Minister of Tourism 2015, and

as part of their prize, will represent Barbados at the Regional Tourism Youth

Congress, being hosted by the Caribbean Tourism Organisation as part of its annual

State of the Industry Conference.

The aim of the speech competition is to develop students knowledge of

tourism issues and assist them with the preparation and presentation of speeches.

Persons may contact Marsha Armstrong 430-7500/55, or by email at

armstrongm@tourism.gov.bb,for further information. (KRM/BGIS)

ATTENTION NEWS EDITOR:

MINISTER OF SOCIAL CARE, CONSTITUENCY EMPOWERMENT AND

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, STEVEN BLACKETT, WILL VISIT AND TOUR

THE NEW ST. MARKS COMMUNITY CENTRE, THREE HOUSES, ST. PHILIP,

THIS WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, AT 1:00 P.M.

YOU ARE INVITED TO SEND A REPRESENTATIVE TO COVER THE

EVENT.

NO: 137/15

READING WEEK STARTS AT BELMONT PRIMARYBelmont Primary School today began its Reading Week with an official

opening ceremony, at its My Lords Hill, St. Michael, location.

The theme for the week is: One World, Many Stories: Reading Takes Us

Places.

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Principal Pamela Ifill, addressing her charges stressed, in the words of Dr.

Seuss, the more you read, the more things you will know: the more you learn, the

more places youll go. Noting that these words s till rang true today, she said it was

through the act of reading that children and adults alike were exposed to new and

exciting ideas and experiences that helped them to become productive citizens of

our nation.

Reading is one of the most marvelous adventures that anyone can have and

Madeleine LEngle, award winning childrens author, believes that a book can be a

star, a living fire to lighten the darkness, leading out into the expanding universe. In

other words, reading takes us places - it gives us somewhere to go, without us

leaving our homes, classrooms, or wherever it is that you make your reading corner.

Where else can you encounter kings and queens, giants and dwarfs, villains and

heroes, or travel to exotic lands like Africa, India, France or Saudi Arabia? Ms. Ifill

stated.

The students were reminded too that reading helped to develop critical

thinking skills, which would enable them to make good decisions and positive

choices. The ability to read contributes to your personal sense of pride and well-

being, and opens up greater opportunities that you can take advantage of in order to

become responsible, industrious adults, the Principal observed.

Education Officer, Pauline Millar, spoke of the privilege of having compulsory

education for males and females and the young students heard that sacrifices were

made by their fore-parents because literacy was the only inheritance that they had

to offer.

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Tomorrow, Tuesday February 10, Seeds International will make a

presentation at 9:00 a.m., and there will be a professional development course on

Using Technology to Teach Reading, from 2:15 p.m.

Wednesday, February 11, will be poetry reading at 9:00 a.m.by George

Francis and Adrian Greene, as well as Read Aloud Sessionswith various guest

readers. A Parents and Teachers Literacy Eveningfocusing on Language Arts will

be held at the school on Thursday, February 12 from 5:00 p.m. Education Officer,

Shamin Ally, will facilitate this session.

The curtain comes down onFriday, February 13, with adramatic portrayal of

stories which students have read, at 9:30 a.m. The stories relate to persons of

African American and Caribbean descent. (JG/BGIS)

ATTENTION NEWS EDITOR:

YOU ARE INVITED TO SEND A REPRESENTATIVE TO COVER THE

READING WEEK AT BELMONT PRIMARY, ODESSA MCCLEAN ROAD, MY

LORDS HILL, ST. MICHAEL.

NO: 138/15

FIRE INSPECTION FEES

Members of the public applying for a safety inspection for the first time are

asked to note that effective Wednesday, April 1, fees must be paid when the request

is made to the Barbados Fire Service (BFS).

The BFS is also advising that fees for re-inspection for compliance must also

be paid before the certificate is collected.

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All fire safety inspections certificates issued by the BFS are valid for only one

year from the date of inspection. Persons may renew their certificates by writing a

letter requesting the inspection to the Chief Fire Officer, Barbados Fire Service,

Level 5, Post Office Building, Cheapside, St. Michael, at least two months in

advance. (JRB/BGIS)

ATTENTION NEWS EDITOR:

MINISTER OF TOURISM AND INTERNATIONAL TRANSPORT, RICHARD

SEALY, IN HIS CAPACITY AS CHAIRMAN OF THE CARIBBEAN TOURISM

ORGANISATION (CTO), WILL HOST THE ANNUAL STATE OF THE CARIBBEAN

TOURISM INDUSTRY PRESS CONFERENCE TOMORROW, TUESDAY,

FEBRUARY 10, AT CTO HEADQUARTERS, BAOBAB TOWER, WARRENS, ST.

MICHAEL, AT 11:00 A.M.

YOU ARE INVITED TO SEND A REPRESENTATIVE TO COVER THIS

EVENT.

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STATEMENT ON ALMA PARRIS AND PARKINSON SECONDARY SCHOOLS

The Ministry of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation (METI)

continues to pay close attention to calls from the Barbados Union of Teachers for the

Ministry to address issues at the Alma Parris and Parkinson Memorial Secondary

Schools.

METI is acutely aware that matters of this nature require due diligence. For

this reason, METI is taking deliberate steps to treat to the concerns of the Union in

order to ensure that any conclusion reached will be in the best interest of all parties

concerned. The Ministry, as always, is especially committed to the preservation of

the teaching and learning environment at all public educational institutions across the

island.

It might appear that the course of action being undertaken by the METI is not

moving at the pace anticipated by the Union. However, it must be borne in mind that

the Ministry has a responsibility to ensure that all parties are given the benefit of due

process.

Until such time as we have completed conducting a thorough investigation

and reviewed all of the findings raised before us, it would be imprudent to draw

conclusions or proceed with any definitive course of action.

In the interim, the Ministry continues to seek solutions to these complex

problems. (Ministry of Education/BGIS)

2015-02-09