southcoastnews

Apparently farming is notthe only activity of choicefor former bauxite work-

ers.The ranks of Manchester taxi

operators have swelled significantlyfollowing the lay-off of hundredsworkers from the WindalcoKirkvine and ALPART bauxiteplants which ceased production ayear ago. Since then, there has beena flood of new taxis on the roads ofthe parish as the newly unemployedbauxite workers invest their sever-ance payments in a motor vehicle forpublic transportation.

The public transportation sectorhas long been considered a cash cowfor persons looking to invest in somekind of business. A number of thempurchased vehicles which theydrove themselves or gave to a thirdparty to drive on consignment. Butwith so many persons moving in thatdirection, this has led to overcapaci-ty in the local transportation sector,resulting in lower earnings for play-ers.

Some drivers are reporting up toa 50% cut in the number of trips theymake daily because of the increasedactivity on their routes. Paul, anowner/operator who plies theMandeville- Mile Gully route, com-plains that he is hard pressed to seeand profit from operating his taxiafter he has paid off his car loan andserviced his vehicle.

“Bway yuh waan see, no moneynaa mek again inna taxi business,”he stated. Paul said that because ofthe number of taxis on the route, heis not able to make as many rips ashe used to.

“It tek long fi load and sometimeyou have to leave wid all two pas-senger because dem waan come outa di car because dem haffi a wait toolong.”

“Shatta”, another driver whotravels the Mandeville to

NCU/Knockpatrick route, is dread-ing the summer holidays when stu-dents of the various campuses alongthe route are on holidays.

“Bway, mi jus a go park the car'til September, because what deh panthe road caan buy gas an tire,” helaments.

He sees the influx of new opera-tors as the primary cause of thedecline in the number of passengershe transports on a daily basis.

David, who plies the Dunrobinroute, believes that the TransportAuthority is only interested in themoney they collect from issuinglicenses and spares no thought forthe capacity of the infrastructure toaccommodate increased numbers oftaxis.

“Yuh caan even find anywhere topark on the stand,” he argues. “Demjust waan yuh $30 grand, then noth-ing.”

Although agreeing that licensesare difficult to get on certain routes,he believes that once you have your“links” you can get through.

Dog eat dogWith no orderly 'first in first out' sys-tem of dispatch in place, it becomesa 'dog eat dog' situation, with theability of each taxi operator to loadhis vehicle often determining thenumber of trips he makes.

This has lead to an influx of'loader men' into the Manchesterpublic transportation system, a fac-tor that the local security forceshould monitor carefully, consider-ing the experiences of places likeDowntown Kingston and SpanishTown, where these loaders broughtincreased levels of crime and vio-lence.

For persons driving a taxi on con-signment, the stakes are evengreater. Not only do they have toearn enough to feed their families,they also have to meet their obliga-

tions to the owner of the car.Perceived harassment by the

police and Transport Authority arefactors that some operators feel areaffecting their ability to earn a liv-ing.

“Every minute the 'bway' dem astop you an waan gi yuh ticket or tekweh yuh car fi the least little ting,”stated one driver who asked that hisname not be used.

Fair criticism or not, it is note-worthy that over 200 infractions bytaxi operators were reported in thefirst month of operation of theManchester CCTV system, far out-stripping other types of crime wit-nessed.

The driver also decried the timeit takes to renew his road license andhave his vehicle certified fit, claim-ing several days of lost business inorder to comply with regulations,due to the inefficiencies in theprocess.

The competitive nature of thebusiness often results in some driv-ers operating in a dangerous manneron the roads as they seek to com-plete a trip within the shortest timeframe. To counter this type of behav-iour, the Manchester Chamber ofCommerce recently launched itsRide With Pride programme, whichseeks to influence the way taxi driv-ers operate.

Under the programme, bumperstickers are placed on route taxishighlighting a number that membersof the public can call to report oper-ators who not only do bad but also

those that operate in an exemplarymanner. Prizes will be presented ona quarterly basis to those driverswho demonstrate good drivinghabits.

With traffic congestion inMandeville at an all-time high, theincreased number of taxis on theroadways is a significant part of theproblem, especially when they blocktraffic while stopping haphazardly topick up passengers.

Taxis also park in unauthorizedareas including shopping plazas, gasstations and paid parking spots,

which in turn prevents motoristsfrom being able to find convenientparking, while robbing the ParishCouncil of vital revenue to assistwith road repairs. This the driverssay is not their fault due to the lackof adequate spaces in the taxi stands.

However, some taxi standsremain underutilised as driversrefuse to pay the small fee attachedto their use and choose to park alongthe roads instead, which also resultsin a cat and mouse game betweeninfracting taxi operators and thepolice.

World Press FreedomDay is celebratedacross the globe every

May 3rd, representing an oppor-tunity to commemorate the fun-damental principles of pressfreedom and to pay solemn trib-ute to journalists who have losttheir lives in the line of duty.

The theme of World PressFreedom Day on 3 May 2010 isFreedom of Information: TheRight to Know. Recalling Article19 of the Universal Declaration ofHuman Rights, which states thatthe fundamental right of freedomof expression encompasses thefreedom to “to seek, receive and

impart information and ideasthrough any media and regardlessof frontiers,”

UNESCO's celebration of WorldPress Freedom Day 2010 willhighlight the importance of free-dom of information as an integralpart of freedom of expression andits contribution to democratic gov-ernance.

Look at the special online fea-ture “Defending Press Freedom” athttp://www.america.gov/journal-ism-siege.html. It includes inter-views and profiles of worldwidedefenders of press freedom, arti-cles and links:

April 19 - May 9, 2010 • [email protected]• A community newspaper serving the parishes of Manchester and St. Elizabeth

$50Men Who Cook was a great success

Manchestertaxi crisis

6

Taxi drivers jostle for a passenger inside a Mandeville taxi stand.

2008 Press Assn. of JamaicaDouble Awardee

Celebrating World PressFreedom Day

Shereido Carter

While we applaud government's initiative to make theregistration of mobile phone SIM cards mandatory, wecontinue to query what progress is being made in rela-tion to plans for a national ID card that was announcednearly two years ago by the Prime Minister.

With crime and murder figures continuing to growrapidly, the enactment of a national ID system wouldgo a far way in identifying the perpetrators of crimeand could in effect result in as much as a 50% reduc-tion in crimes; murders in particular.

Current technology makes it possible to create aninteractive identification card with a magnetic stripsimilar to a credit card that can be used by police witha mobile terminal to quickly check the criminal statusor lack thereof of the cardholder. Proper support serv-ices would allow a person's legal status to be updatedin real time, so as to ensure that the information on thesystem is always current.

This card should be mandated for every Jamaicanover the age of sixteen and should be required to becarried at all times. After a requisite grace period, anyperson who is stopped by the police and do not havetheir ID card in their possession, should be detained (Idon't mean in a lock-up) until their card is presented ortaken by the police to where the card has been left soit can be recovered and their identity confirmed.

With over $2 billion in outstanding fines for traffic

violations on the books, the police through this IDcard, would be able to easily identify the offendingpersons and take steps to recover that substantial rev-enue for the national coffers. Persons who perpetuatesocial crimes like littering could also be brought tobook, as many currently escape because the police isunable to confirm their identity or residence.

Persons should be required to always register theircurrent address, which would also allow for effective-ly tracking the movements of criminals who oftenmove around to hide from law enforcement. Themovement and criminal activities of deportees couldalso be easily monitored.

This national ID should not be considered by govern-ment as another source of squeezing more blood out ofalready over-taxed citizens. No one should be able toclaim financial constraints as the reason for not havingan ID. Funding could instead be requested from one ofthe international agencies that have been assisting thecountry.

The argument will always be made that this kind ofsystem would prove intrusive in people's lives and thatgovernment would have too much power. However,with no other plan seemingly able to stop the scourgeof crime, I personally as a law-abiding citizen, amwilling to suffer some small inconvenience forJamaica to return to the wonderful place that mygrandparents keep telling me about.

Quick action on this project as well as the longstalled DNA Bill, will make a dramatic difference inbattling crime.

2 MANCHESTER & SOUTH COAST NEWS April 19 - May 9, 2010

SOUTH COASTNEWS

Unit 2- 10 Ward Ave.Mandeville, Manchester

Tel: 305-0435 (Claro)381-3564 (Digicel) 531-4785 (LIME)

[email protected]

Editor Clive Williams

WritersHoward HendriksShereido Carter

PhotographersClive Williams

Phillip LemonteCarl Levy

Jessica Williams

Special thanks to the JamaicaInformation Service

Editorial

Cabinet has approved the terms of referencefor the Conduct of the Sugar IndustryCommission of Enquiry in the sum of $13.5

million. The disclosure was made on April 21 during the

Post Cabinet Press Briefing at Jamaica House byMinister with responsibility for Information, DarylVaz. The Commission is to be chaired by ProfessorAlvin Wint.

The Commission will review the industry's regula-tory, institutional, cane pricing and marketingarrangements and will be instructive for the continueddivestment of public sector sugar assets.

To date, two of five estates have been divested. Theremaining are being restructured. The most recentreview of the industry was in 1987, twenty eight yearsago.

Based on documents made public by the PetroleumCorporation of Jamaica (PCJ), most of the activ-ities to search for oil off the Jamaican coastline

will be centered off the country's South Coast. The PCJ has invited formal bids from oil exploration

companies to prospect in 19 offshore blocks and 4 onshoreblocks as detailed on an accompanying map. This maprevealed that these additional blocks are all located off thesouth-east coast of the island. Other blocks off the southcoast have already been allocated to a number companiesoperating out of Canada, Australia and Hong Kong.

Environmentalists, tourism interests and residents arecarefully watching developments as concerns mount overthe effect that oil exploration could have on the naturalresources of the coastline. Plans to explore for oil are takingplace even as efforts are being made to increase the renew-able energy generation of the area with the ongoing imple-mentation of additional wind turbines in Manchester and St.Elizabeth.The period for submitting bid documents closes March 1,2011.

Commission of enquiryfor Sugar Industry

South Coast faces bruntof oil exploration plans

3MANCHESTER & SOUTH COAST NEWS April 19 - May 9, 2010

The Private Sector Organisation ofJamaica (PSOJ), in an on-going driveto disseminate information on its

Economic Policy framework, hosted abreakfast forum in Mandeville, Manchesteron April 20 at the Golf View Hotel.

The forum allowed members of theManchester business community to hear firsthand from the President of the organization,Mr. Joseph M. Matalon, his thinking as to whatwas the way forward for the country given thevarious local and international conditions thatwere affecting the business environment.

While addressing the various policies ofgovernment that affect the business climate andinvestment, Mr. Matalon made special refer-ence to government's taxation policy, callingfor the country's leadership to consider drasticcuts in the rates charged to businesses.

While admitting that the Jamaican govern-ment was initiating some level of tax reform,he lamented that this was being done in a"piece-meal basis". This Mr. Matalonexplained, did not encourage investment as thepresent tax measures lacked "consistency,cohesion and balance". He suggest instead, thatthe country should move towards a tax systemwith as low a rate as possible, but with a widerbase that brings more of the business commu-nity into compliance.

He also called for the removal of conces-sions and waivers, which would not be neces-sary if taxation rates were lower. This systemof waivers and concessions he said, was highlyinefficient and open to abuse. This, coupledwith the complex regulations and bureaucracyinvolved in doing business in Jamaica, createda deterrent to new investors being attractedhere.

The PSOJ President's Forum was sponsoredby cable provider Flow in association with theManchester Chamber of Commerce.

Speaking on April 29 during his contributionto the 2010/2011 Budget debate at GordonHouse in Kingston, Prime Minister Bruce

Golding announced a number of new andimproved benefits for National Housing Trust(NHT) mortgagors. The new benefits, he said, come against the back-ground of the prevailing harsh economic climatefacing Jamaica, and become effective on May 1 andJuly 1, 2010. Here's the overview:• Mortgage rates for all homeowners will bereduced by one per cent for persons earning fromunder $7,500 to over $20,000 weekly. That is, inter-est rates will move to seven, five, three and one percent respectively.• The new loan ceiling has increased by $1 millionto $4.5 million for scheme units, open market pur-chases and build-on-own-land developments. Forserviced lots, the amount has moved from $1.2 mil-lion to $1.5 million; construction loans haveincreased by $700,000 to $3 million; and homeimprovement loans from $1.2 million to $1.5 mil-lion.• Mortgagors aged 55 and over, who are first-timeapplicants, will now benefit from a two per centreduction in their interest rates. They must, howev-er, have been NHT contributors for a minimum of 10years.• There will be a new subsidy programme, that willsee the NHT allocate 40 per cent of its pre-tax sur-plus at the end of each quarter to provide subsidiesto selected mortgage applicants who earn less than$10,000 per week, and who have contributed to thetrust for at least 10 years.• The requirement that applicants for scheme unitsmust pay a minimum five per cent deposit, has been

discontinued. However, they are required to pay thelegal and professional fees associated with the trans-action.• The interest rate charged on interim constructionloans, has been reduced from eight to three per cent.This has been done in order to spur growth in theconstruction sector. However, it only applies to two-bedroom units that are built at a cost not exceeding$5.5 million, and studio units costing a maximum $3million. These loans are for a maximum three years.• There is to be a new deferred mortgage system forNHT contributors whose salaries make it impossiblefor them to buy a house. The applicant will be ableto qualify for a mortgage equivalent to 60 per centof the price of the house. The remaining 40 per centwill be converted into a deferred mortgage, which isto be repaid or refinanced at scheduled stages in thelife of the first mortgage. This is a limited benefitand will apply only to 10 per cent of the units in anyscheme, and will apply to scheme units only.

Matalon urges lower tax rates

New benefits for N.H.T mortgagors

Persons in attendance at the Forum listen attentively as PSOJ President Joseph M. Matalon gaves his vision of the way forward for the Jamaican economy.

Keith Smith, newly elected President of the Manchester Chamber ofCommerce, welcomes Flow’s Denise Williams and Carl Bright ofScotiabank to the PSOJ President’s Forum.

(l-r) Mandeville Mayor Brenda Ransay, Flow’s Managing Director Michele English andMandeville Councillor Sally Porteous in conversation at the breakfast meeting.

The deadline for the payment of propertytaxes for the 2010/11 period has beenpushed back to June 30, to allow per-

sons more time to make payments.The Inland Revenue Department had original-

ly set the deadline for April 30.Director of Public Relations at the Tax

Administration Services Department, MerisHaughton, is advising persons to take advantageof the extended period, to avoid penalties for latesubmission.

“Our computerised system will automaticallyapply a 10% penalty for all payments that comein after June 30, so we’re encouraging persons totake advantage of the additional two months tomake their property tax payments.”

Property tax deadline extended


Local TV content in demand on Flow So far, 2010 is shaping up to be a great year for local cable chan-

nels according to Flow, Jamaica's broadband provider of digi-tal cable, digital landline and blazing speed Internet.

Sharon Roper, Director of Marketing at Flow revealed that audienceresearch indicates that viewership of some local Jamaican channels isquite high. “Some are ranked in the top 40, in terms of viewership, on ournetwork of over 250 channels”, she stated.

Unfortunately, other channels are simply not doing as well, Roperlamented. “TEMPO, a regional channel that features Caribbean music and lifestyle,is actually ranked in the bottom 250 in our line up of channels”.

According to Roper, in addition to TEMPO's low ranking theCaribbean cable station has recently proposed a rate increase in its sub-scription fees. What this means is that Flow customers will have to paymore for their basic packages as TEMPO is offered as a part of the basicchannel line up on Flow.

“This is really unfair to ourviewers”, said Roper, “the majorityof whom simply do not watchTEMPO. As such we have beenforced to make a very difficult deci-sion of removing this channel fromour line up”.

Due to poor viewership andincreased rates, Flow will no longeroffer TEMPO on its network, effec-tive April 1, 2010.

Flow continues to offer a widerange of local and internationalmusic and lifestyle programming.Of the 22 local Jamaican andCaribbean channels offered on theFlow network, Hype, RETV, NegrilTV and MDTV all rank in the tophalf of the most watched channels.Flow is also proud of its local part-nerships, Shaggy TV being onesuch example.

Flow will continue to look forinteresting and innovative pro-grammes that our viewers want tosee.

“We have recently added twofaith-based youth channels, Smileas a Child and JCTV to give ourviewers more options. In the com-ing months we will also add addi-tional channels so Flow viewerscan look forward to more diverseand exciting content.”

Youngsters enjoying the view from the Black River bridge

Minister of Youth, Sportsand Culture, Hon.Olivia Grange, says

Jamaica will bid to host Carifestain 2012, which could be one of thehighlights of the country's 50thIndependence anniversary cele-brations.

Speaking at a dinner/receptiongiven by the Jamaica Trade Councilof Greater Philadelphia, honouringoutgoing Jamaican Ambassador tothe United States, His ExcellencyAnthony Johnson and Mrs. Johnson,Miss Grange said that Jamaica was"pulling out all stops" to ensure asuccessful bid.

"This will be a great way to high-light our 50th year of independ-ence," the Minister told the audienceat the function held at the MidAtlantic Restaurant in downtownPhiladelphia on Saturday, April 24.

She noted that a 50th AnniversarySecretariat has been established tobegin planning for the event. Thesecretariat will have a committeewhich will focus on working withthe Diaspora to plan a grand home-coming for Jamaicans.

She also extended an invitation toJamaicans all over the world to startplanning to be in Jamaica for this"grand once in a lifetime celebra-tion" of the country's half centurymilestone.

The Caribbean Festival of CreativeArts (CARIFESTA) was conceivedout of an appeal from a regionalgathering of artists who were at the

time participating in a Writers andArtists Convention in Georgetown,Guyana in 1970 and which coincid-ed with Guyana's move toRepublican Status.

The three main considerationswith regard to the staging of CAR-IFESTA are:

* the Festival should be inspira-tional and should provide artistswith the opportunity to discussamong themselves techniques andmotivations

* it should be educational in thatthe people of the Caribbean wouldbe exposed to the values emergingfrom the various art forms

* it should relate to people and beentertaining on a scale and in a fash-ion that would commend itself to theCaribbean people

The first CARIFESTA was heldin Georgetown, Guyana in 1972 andattracted creative artistes from over30 Caribbean and Latin Americancountries.

CARIFESTA 2010 should havebeen held in the Bahamas but due tofinancial constraints the country'sgovernment decided to pull out ofthe festival. As a result the regionaldirectors of culture took a decisionto reschedule the event to June 2011and invite interested member statesto submit bids to host the festival.So far no other country has offeredto sponsor the festival.The second CARIFESTA was heldin Jamaica in 1976.


Jamaica submits bid for Carifesta 2012

Splish splashingKids cooling off at Pon Di River near Porus, Manchester


According to Minister ofWater and Housing, Dr.Horace Chang, the

Government has committed bil-lions of dollars to the water sectoras it looks to develop the island'swater resources and improve onexisting infrastructure.

Dr. Chang, who was speaking atHood-Daniel Well CompanyLimited's 50th anniversary awardsceremony on April 12 at the GolfView Hotel in Mandeville, informedthat an investment framework hasbeen put in place to ensure that thecountry does not go back to a situa-tion where the water infrastructure isunderdeveloped and deteriorated.

Dr. Chang said that Jamaica hassufficient water to serve the popula-tion but needs investment to developthe water resources for distribution.

He pointed out that there wasenough water on the north coast tosupply the rest of the country, whileon the south coast, the water therecould supply all of St. Elizabeth andManchester and much more ofJamaica.

“What we have to do over the nextfew years, is to put in the fundingthat is required to develop the waterresources," he stated.

$500M for Mandeville water"We have committed nearly $30

billion to be invested in water,which is a major chunk of money.We intend to restore the urban areas,which include Mandeville, with ade-quate supply of water, and toincrease access to rural Jamaicafrom under 50 per cent to about 65per cent in a 36-month period," hesaid.

In that respect, a $500-millionprogramme scheduled to start in thefinal quarter of 2010 should effec-

tively correct Mandeville's longstanding water problems and pro-vide adequate supplies for the devel-opment of the parish's business andhousing development over the nextseveral years.

This would include the openingof two additional wells at Pepper inSt Elizabeth which provides sup-plies to Mandeville along with whatobtains from Porus in the parish.

Improvements to distribution sys-tems, including the replacement ofpipes and pumps are also on thecards. This should bring an addition-al six million gallons of potable

water into Mandeville and surround-ing communities.

He further revealed that plans areunderway to increase the number ofwells in sections of the island.

"We have focused on wellsbecause there has been no sign ofany fall in the aquifers as far aswater is concerned," he stated.

An aquifer is an underground bedor layer of permeable rock, sedi-ment, or soil that yields water forwells and springs.

In the meantime, the Ministernoted the importance of access topotable water for the developmentof communities. "Access to potablewater is a good indicator of the qual-ity of life in a country, and maybethe most essential element in thedevelopment process," he stated.

"If you put water in a rural dis-trict, you will find that returned res-idents will go back there to buildtheir homes and what they bringwith them lifts the quality of life in acommunity."

The Water Minister commendedHood-Daniel Well Company for 50

years in the well-drilling business,and supplying tractors and water-related accessories.

"The well drillers play a criticalrole," Dr. Chang said. "They arehighly skilled individuals and theyshould have our respect. The compa-ny has provided a critical service,one that we need more of. It is goodto see how you have stuck together,and have developed your skills," headded.

Gov’t investing billions in water sector

Minister of Water and Housing, Hon. Dr. Horace Chang (left), making a presentationto 42-year employee of Hood-Daniel Well Company Limited, Clarence Morgan, forlong and faithful service. Occasion was the company's 50th anniversary awards cere-mony held on April 12 at the Golf View Hotel in Mandeville.

Awardees at the Hood-Daniel Well Company.s 50th Anniversary celebrations

Mr. Morris accepting an award onbehalf of St. Thomas Sugar Company

Robert Lewis receiving a long serviceaward for 19 Years of Services

Delroy Stockhausen receiving a LongService Award for 15 Years of Service

Hon. Horace Chang talking with Hood-Daniel's Managing Director

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Windalco workers wonder when

With news coming thatsister plant in Ewarton,St. Catherine will re-

open in June, recently laid offworkers of the Windalco plant atKirkvine, Manchester are keepingfingers crossed that world eco-nomic conditions will allow thetimely resumption of operations attheir former employer.

Russian conglomerate UC Rusalwhich owns both plants, hasannounced plans to reopen itsEwarton plant in June - six monthsahead of schedule - on a partial levelof production.

Windalco made 762 permanentemployees redundant on March 3, ayear after suspending operations atthe Kirkvine, Manchester andEwarton, St Catherine refineries dueto a fall in demand for aluminum onthe world market.

Jamaica's Bauxite/alumina indus-try was the sector most hard-hit by

the global recession. Three of thefive plants operating in Jamaicaceased operations in 2009 removing42% of the capacity within theindustry. Total bauxite exports (incl.bauxite equivalent alumina)declined by 45%. However, whilethe re-opening of Windalco Ewartonaugers well for the local miningindustry, earnings from alumina willlikely stay down for 2010. The plantwill increase Jamaica's aluminacapacity for 2010 by 23 per cent.Windalco Ewarton is expected toproduce 321,000 tonnes of aluminaproduction in the second half of2010 from its 650,000-tonne capaci-ty.

With a great deal of idle capacityacross the world, and Jamaicanplants being numbered among theleast efficient, the Kirkvine andALPART (St. Elizabeth) plantscould be among the last to be reacti-vated.

On the positive side, there is talkof plans to adapt Kirkvine - the old-est and the least efficient ofJamaica's bauxite plants, to producechemical grade alumina instead ofthe more energy-consuming metalgrade product.

Also, the government is reported-ly close to selecting a contractor tosupply Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) tothe bauxite plants, which wouldhave the effect of cutting the energycosts for producing bauxite/aluminain Jamaica by two-thirds. Thesesteps are promising and could helprevive and make Jamaica'sbauxite/alumina more efficient inthe medium term.

In the short term, the formerworkers of Kirkvine can only hopethat world aluminum demand andprices increase to a point whereoperating that facility would becomeprofitable and lead to its speedyreopening.

The Jamaican Diaspora UK is preparing for thefourth Biennial Jamaican DiasporaConference, which will be held in Ocho Rios

from June 14 to 17 this year.A special pre conference meeting was held by the

group last weekend in Birmingham, to discuss a range oftopics and issues that will form part of the UK group'sinput on the agenda.

Diaspora Advisory Board member, Mrs. CeliaGrandison Markey, told JIS News that the meeting,which included a number of specialist workshops, washeld to ensure that Jamaicans in the United Kingdom(UK) had an input into the Jamaican convention.

"The general idea is to ensure that Jamaicans in theUK have an input into the convention and to identifymore readily with the Diaspora movement, with the con-ference and to see that they too can have a say in shap-ing the future (of the movement) and future confer-ences," Mrs. Grandison Markey said.

The one-day meeting also reviewed the conferenceagenda, and discussed the nomination process for theAdvisory Board members. The workshops focused onyouth involvement, the accountability of Regional Co-ordinators and looked at recommendations for ensuring

the financial stability of the UK group.Mrs. Grandison Markey said one topic on which more

time should be devoted was encouraging entrepreneur-ship among the younger members of the JamaicanDiaspora.

She said there were many aspiring young business-men and women within the Diaspora and that the confer-ence should engage them and highlight their work,encourage and offer assistance to them.

Acting Jamaican High Commissioner, Ms. JoanThomas Edwards, said this year's conference, which forthe first time is being held outside of Kingston, is takingplace at a time when Jamaica is seeking to find aresponse to the global financial crisis.

Ms. Edwards said that the Government has put plansin place to steer the country out of this crisis, and that"partnership with our nationals overseas is critical to theprocess."

She said the UK Diaspora must continue its efforts toestablish an effective lobby group to influence issues ofconcern to Jamaica and Jamaicans in the UK.

The Acting High Commissioner also urged Jamaicansin the UK to participate in the upcoming British nation-al elections.

UK Diaspora prepares forJamaican conference

In keeping with its mandate tobetter serve its customers, theU.S. Embassy in Kingston is

pleased to announce thatCaribbean Vibes has been selectedas concessionaire for the ConsularSection.

Visitors to the Section, whether forU.S. Passports, visas or other con-sular services, now have a new optionfor quenching their thirst and satisfy-ing their appetite.

The concession stand, is located inthe embassy's courtyard, just outside

the consular waiting room and pro-vides light snacks including bananachips, granola bars, freshly mademuffins, and a variety of juices.

Commenting on the new conces-sion stand, David Stone, ConsulGeneral at the U.S. Embassy said,“We are always looking for ways tomake the visa application process asconvenient for the applicants as pos-sible. We are very happy that we areable to provide this service for ourcustomers. We will continue to findways to make the consular process at

the American embassy as transparentas possible so that applicants are aswell prepared as possible and knowwhat to expect when they visit us.”

The concession stand is beingoperated by Kingston-basedCaribbean Vibes. Managing DirectorBevon Morrison expressed herdelight over the new project, saying,“This provides an outstanding oppor-tunity to serve the Jamaican peoplewith good, old-fashioned Americanand Jamaican hospitality.”

More than 30 energy min-isters and delegatesfrom 32 Western

Hemisphere countries spent twodays in Washington DC discussingcollaborative approaches to a low-carbon future and new partner-ships that will help address cleanenergy and energy security con-cerns in the region.

The Energy and ClimatePartnership of the Americas (ECPA)meeting was co-hosted April 15-16by the U.S. departments of State andEnergy, the Inter-AmericanDevelopment Bank and theOrganization of American States(OAS). U.S. Department of EnergySecretary Steven Chu convened themeeting.

“We've had two days of very pro-

ductive discussions,” Chu said April16 as the meeting ended. “There'swidespread agreement that we needto move forward with a clean energyagenda for the Western Hemisphere.Together we reaffirmed the need topromote clean energy developmentand deployment, enhance energysecurity, and fight energy povertythrough individual and collectiveactions among governments, the pri-vate sector and civil society.”

The meeting is the latest in aseries of gatherings that began inApril 2009 at the Fifth Summit ofthe Americas, held in Port of Spain,Trinidad and Tobago. There,President Obama invited all coun-tries of the Western Hemisphere tojoin in an energy and climate part-

nership. ECPA is a voluntary mech-anism through which all WesternHemisphere governments may leadmulti-country energy initiatives.

Five countries in the region -Brazil, Canada, the United States,Mexico and Venezuela - are amongthe 20 largest producers of worldreserves of fossil fuels. Yet, OASSecretary General José MiguelInsulza said in an address to atten-dees, 40 million people there stillhave no access to electricity.

This, he said, “translates intoinefficient sanitation, weak educa-tion systems and the inability todevelop productive, income-gener-ating activities.” He warned thatproblems caused by climate changewould exacerbate the challenges.

Growing co-operationOn April 15, Chu announced new

projects that include efforts toadvance electricity interconnectionsin the Caribbean, support biomassdevelopment in Colombia, promoteearthquake-resistant energy infra-structure, and create an EnergyInnovation Center at the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)to expand project development andfinancing.

“Dozens of countries from acrossthe Americas have come togethertoday to promote clean energyfuture for our hemisphere,”Secretary Chu said. “By expandingour cooperation and collaborationon key energy and climate issues,we will lay a foundation for broad-based economic growth while help-ing to protect our environment.”The initiatives include:

• Caribbean Electrical GridInterconnection: The Department ofEnergy will provide technical sup-

port, including hosting a workshop,to begin exploring the potential for aCaribbean-wide transmission sys-tem that would give the regionaccess to electricity from renewableenergy sources.

• Innovation Center: DOE andIDB will coordinate resources forregional projects and activities in thecenter. It is the latest in a series ofRegional Clean Energy Centersthroughout the hemisphere, includ-ing a Costa Rican Energy EfficiencyTraining Center, a Wind Center inMexico, an Energy EfficiencyCenter in Peru, and a RenewableEnergy Center in Chile.

• Biomass Resources inColombia: Under its Low CarbonCommunities of the Americas initia-tive, DOE announced a project todevelop a technological plan forpower generation through heatingsugarcane and palm residues at veryhigh temperatures.

• Earthquake Preparedness: Inresponse to recent earthquakes inHaiti, Chile and Mexico that high-lighted vulnerabilities to energyinfrastructure, DOE will host anearthquake preparedness workshop,bringing together leaders in theregion to hear from experts, includ-ing U.S. national laboratories.

• DOE and Argentina's Ministryfor Federal Planning, PublicInvestment and Services signed amemorandum of understanding thatpromotes cooperation between DOEand the Argentine EnergySecretariat on clean-energy tech-nologies.


Concession stand now available to applicants at U.S. Embassy

The Americas moving forward on clean energy

By Cheryl Pellerin

Wind turbines in rural South Manchester. The 40th Anniversary Earth Day was celebrated on Thursday April 22, 2010

(This is a product of the Bureau ofInternational Information Programs,

U.S. Department of State. Web site:http://www.america.gov)


As you take a relaxing ride up the BlackRiver on one of those popular riversafari tours, spare a thought for those

who lost their lives two hundred years ago inan incident that has gone down in infamy.

The British ship Zong, out of Liverpool, sailedfrom Africa en route to Jamaica on September 6,1781.

A slaver, it had taken on more captive Africansthan it could safely transport. Three months into

a journey that was plagued by bad weather andinept navigation, this overcrowding together withmalnutrition and disease, led to the death of sevenof the crew and approximatelysixty captives.

When he realized the dire sit-uation he faced, the captain of theship one Mr. Luke Collingwood,decided to lighten the load. Backin those days, Africans capturedinto slavery were considered tobe property, rather than humanbeings and the captain foundhimself with a large number ofdying 'cargo' on his hands. If hedelivered them and they diedonshore, the Liverpool ship-own-ers would have no compensation,but if they died at sea they were covered by theship's insurance.

In the law of the times, as cargo, slaves werecovered by the "jettison clause", which coveredthe loss of this human cargo at £30 a head. Inwhat became known as the Zong Massacre,Collingwood called his officers and proposed thatthe sick slaves should be thrown overboard.Although the First Mate James Kelsall initiallyvoiced his opposition, the plan was eventuallyagreed, and so, over three days in the mid AtlanticOcean, 122 sick human beings were thrown overthe side: 54 on November 29, 42 on November 30and 26 on December 1. Another ten, in a displayof defiance at the inhumanity of the slavers,threw themselves overboard and, in the words ofa contemporary account, "leaping into the sea,felt a momentary triumph in the embrace ofdeath."

When the ship arrived in port at Black River,St. Elizabeth, it was claimed that the slaves hadbeen jettisoned because it was required "for thesafety of the ship" as the ship did not haveenough water to keep them alive for the rest ofthe voyage. This claim was later disproved as the

ship had 420 gallons of water left when it arrivedin Jamaica on December 22.

The ship's owners filed an insurance claim, butthe insurers disputed it, backed by the evidence ofthe First Mate. In the court case, even with theFirst Mate's testimony that the ship had plenty ofwater and Jamaica was near, the court sided withCollingwood and the owners. The insurersappealed.

The Solicitor General for England and Wales,

John Lee notoriously declared that "the case wasthe same as if horses had been thrown overboard"but Chief Justice Lord Mansfield ruled that theship-owners could not claim insurance on theslaves because the lack of sufficient waterdemonstrated that the cargo had been badly man-aged.

No officer or crew were charged or prosecut-ed for the deliberate killing of those 133 persons.Indeed, John Lee, declared that a master coulddrown slaves without "a surmise of impropriety".

He stated, “What is this claim that human peo-ple have been thrown overboard? This is a case ofchattels or goods. Blacks are goods and property;it is madness to accuse these well-serving hon-ourable men of murder. They acted out of neces-sity and in the most appropriate manner for thecause. The late Captain Collingwood acted in theinterest of his ship to protect the safety of hiscrew. To question the judgement of an experi-enced well-travelled captain held in the highestregard is one of folly, especially when talking ofslaves. The case is the same as if wood had beenthrown overboard.”

Wow.

A black day in Black River

A storyboard about the Zong Massacrewas unveiled in 2007 by Black RiverMayor, Jeremy Palmer (left)

Residents of six communi-ties in South East St.Elizabeth have much to

rejoice about as electricity servicecame to their communities onFriday April 16.

The electrification of the six com-munities: Bull Savannah, Top Hill(Down Country), Rose Hall (WoodHall), Neif Mountain, MountPleasant and Ivor Cottage, wasundertaken by the RuralElectrification Programme (REP)through $11.2 million in funding

from the Constituency DevelopmentFund (CDF).

Member of Parliament for theconstituency, Mr. Franklyn Witter,speaking at the official lighting cer-emony in Ivor Cottage, said thatthere are plans in place to switchbring service to other areas.

"I have other projects like thesein the constituency; those lights willbe turned on in another two weeksor so," he said.

He told the residents that the elec-trification of their communities will

enhance economic activities as wellas increase the value of their proper-ties.

"It is going to make your life bet-ter not only in relation to the servicethat you will get from the JamaicaPublic Service (JPS) but in terms ofthe economic development that willflow as a result of having electricityin your community," he noted.

A total of 17 communities acrossSt. Elizabeth have received electric-ity in recent times.

Cabinet endorsed severalboard appointments inApril to continue to give

oversight to public sectororganizations and committees. The following appointments wereannounced by Minister withresponsibility for Information,Daryl Vaz at the Post CabinetPress Briefing on April 21.

• The Chase Fund, Chairman,Mr. Phillip Henriques; • Kingston Freezone Limited,Chairman, Mr. Neil Seaton; • Montego Bay Freezone, Mr.Neil Seaton; • The Fair Trading Commission,Mr. Derrick McKoy; • Jamaica National AccreditationAgency, Mr. Simon Roberts; • Standards Council - Bureau ofStandards Jamaica, Chairman,Dr. Artnel Henry; • National Environment andPlanning Agency; Ms. ShirleyWilliams • Natural Resources Conservation Authority; Ms. Shirley Williams • Town and Country PlanningAuthority, Ms. Shirley Williams.

Minister of Finance andthe Public Service, Hon.Audley Shaw, has said

that Cabinet will meet soon to con-sider the proposal to introduce aflat tax for micro, small and medi-um-sized enterprises (MSMEs).

The Minister, who was closingthe 2010/11 Budget Debate in theHouse of Representatives on April21, said that the move aims toaddress concerns regarding the easeof paying taxes and tax complianceamong small business operators.

"The Government believes thatsupporting MSMEs and investing inour entrepreneurs is the way to grow

the economy. It is against this back-ground that Government has con-centrated heavily on creating anenabling environment for MSMEsto flourish and unlock their poten-tial," he stated.

The measure is expected to com-plement the increased loan facilitiesannounced by Prime Minister, Hon.Bruce Golding for the sector, whichwould be made available through theDevelopment Bank of Jamaica(DBJ).

The DBJ will now have an addi-tional $2 billion to lend to smallbusiness operators.

New areas for investmentsbetween Jamaica and theUSA, will be one of the major

assignments for Ambassador-desig-nate to that country, Audrey Marks.

Prime Minister Golding has mandat-ed Ambassador Marks to identify waysof improving the network with both theJamaican and US business entitiesacross the US. He has also urged her toencourage US citizens of Jamaicanextraction to assert their political powerby becoming more involved in what istaking place around them and to maketheir votes count.

“This is something I have beenencouraging Jamaicans to do, in much

the same way that Jamaicans in the UKhave done”, Mr. Golding said.

Ambassador-designate Marks paid acourtesy call on Prime Minister BruceGolding at Jamaica House on April 22,during which several priority areas ofco-operation between both countrieswere discussed.

Mr. Golding said far more needs tobe done to encourage investmentsbetween Jamaica and the US becausethat country is still the place to look tofor the bulk of investments.Ambassador-designate Marks is expect-ed to leave to take up her assignmentearly next month.

Mr. Raymond Anthony St.Elmo McIntyre hasbeen appointed by His

Excellency, the GovernorGeneral, Sir Patrick Allen as thenew Chair of the NationalContracts Commission (NCC).

He replaces the Hon. ShirleyTyndall, OJ, who resigned from theposition effective February 1, 2010.The appointment took effect onApril 16, 2010.

Mr. McIntyre, who will serve asthe Chair of the NCC until May 16,2013, is a Registered Architect, aFellow of the Jamaican Institute ofArchitects, Chairman of theArchitects Registration Board andManaging Director of APECConsultants Ltd., a major projectplanning, design and managementfirm. A graduate of JamaicaCollege, he holds the B.Arch. andM.A. degrees from the University ofSheffield.

Mr. McIntyre, who has previous-ly served as a NCC Commissionerbetween 1999 and 2006, has alsorendered several years service as apublic official in the Ministry ofWorks in the respective capacities ofArchitect, Executive Architect,Senior Executive Architect andChief Architect.

In keeping with the provisionswhich are contained in Section 1 (a)(i) of the Third Schedule to theContractor General Act, Mr.McIntyre was appointed by theGovernor General from a panel ofthree (3) candidates who wereselected by the Contractor General.The NCC, which is a statutory com-mission, is composed of a panel ofeight (8) members, all of whom areappointed by the Governor General.

The NCC's principal objectivesare the promotion of efficiency inthe process of the award and imple-mentation of government contractsand ensuring transparency and equi-ty in the awarding of contracts. It isprimarily responsible for reviewing,evaluating and endorsing, all recom-mendations for the award ofGovernment contracts which areover $10 Million in value whichemanate from the country's morethan 190 Procuring Public Bodies.

The NCC is also responsible forregistering contractors who aredesirous of bidding on Governmentcontract and tendering opportunitieswhich are over $275,000 in value.The body was established in 1999via an amendment to the ContractorGeneral Act.

The Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture, the HonourableOlivia Grange, MP has said that the Government's decisionto select the nation's children as the focus of this year's

Labour Day provided “an opportunity for the country to re-affirmour commitment to our children and to demonstrate to them howmuch they mean to us.”

Minister Grange was speaking at the launch ceremony for Workers'Week and Labour Day on April 29 at the Half Way Tree TransportCentre, where she provided an overview of the Government's plan forthis year's observance under the theme, “Our Children... Show Them WeCare.”

Minister Grange said that the Labour Day Planning Committee hadincreased collaboration with the Parish Councils, the KSAC and thePortmore Municipality and that there would be 14 projects for nationalfocus this year with strong support of the municipal authorities.

“As part of our commitment to increasing participation of citizens,especially at the community level, this year we take a different approachwith the National Projects. We will have 14 projects for national atten-tion, twelve (12) parishes and one for each Municipal body - KSAC andPortmore.”

“The National Planning Committee has been and, will continue,working closely with Government Agencies as well as those workingwith children, Parish Councils, Parish Committees and Members ofParliament in each parish, to decide on the project of national focus inthe parish and to see to its success.”

This year, Labour Day will be observed on Monday, May 24, 2010.People can register their Labour Day projects at their Parish Council, theSocial Development Commission, the Jamaica Cultural DevelopmentCommission, and the National Labour Day Secretariat at the Ministry ofYouth, Sports and Culture.


Prime Minister Bruce Golding in discussions with Jamaica's Ambassador Designate to the United States of America, busi-nesswoman Audrey Marks during her courtesy call on him at Jamaica House on April 22. PM Golding has urged her to helpidentify more investment opportunities between Jamaica and the US.

National Contracts Commissiongets new Chairman

PM briefs new J’canambassador to the US

New Boardsapproved byCabinet

Labour Day 2010 to focuson children

South East St. Elizabeth communities get electricity

Gov't ponders flat tax ratefor MSME sector Have interesting news

about your community?Email us at:

[email protected]


Mrs. Jacqueline Mighty, CEO, of COK Sodality Co-op Credit Union. welcomingmembers to the H.E.L.P.S seminar

COK Sodality members receiving their Recession HelpKits from

Rev. WayanWellingtoncaught duringhis animatedpresentation

A section of the attentive audience which attended the seminar

Assistant Professor of ManagerialEconomics at NCU, Mr. KirklandAnderson

COK Member Relations Manager Audia Hoo (right), fieldingquestions from persons who attended the H.E.L.P.S seminar

COK Credit Union H.E.L.P.S ManchesterThe COK Sodality Credit

Union is hosting a series ofseminars at their branches

islandwide. Entitled Helping through Empower-ment, Learning & Practical Steps(H.E.L.P.S), the seminars are gearedtowards empowering members of theCredit Union to manage effectivethrough recession conditions.

The local leg of H.E.L.P.S washeld at the Mandeville branch ofCOK Sodality on April 28. Presentersprovided insightful information on anumber of factors affecting econom-ic and spiritual well-being.

Mr. Kirkland Anderson, AssistantProfessor of Managerial Economicsat Northern Caribbean University(NCU), explained the workings ofthe financial market and the way itaffects the everyday life of

Jamaicans. He spoke of ways inwhich persons could use the chang-ing economic conditions to their ben-efit.

In a very thought-provoking pres-entation, Rev. Wayan Wellington ofthe Bethel Bible College inMandeville, made a strong connec-tion between spiritual well-being andfinancial security. He revealedthrough biblical reference, the factthat poverty was not a requirement ofbeing religious.

For his part, Mr. Samuel Ashley ofthe Consumer Affairs Commission,charged members of the credit unionto always be aware of their rights asconsumers and to not be afraid toseek redress when these rights areabused.

Representatives of COK Sodalityalso provided information on the var-

ious investment and financingoptions offered by the credit union.The seminar was opened by COKSodality CEO, Mrs. JacquelineMighty.

Mr. Samuel Ashley represented theConsumer Affairs Commission

13MANCHESTER & SOUTH COAST NEWS April 5 - 18, 2010

The Auto Zone

Science students at the MileGully High School now havea laboratory and equipment

to adequately complete therequired School- BasedAssessments and other tasks setout in the Caribbean ExaminationCouncil syllabus and school cur-riculum.

The Integrated Science laborato-ry was officially opened onThursday April 22.

Acting Principal of the school,John Clarke, says the new lab, builtwith the assistance of the MutualBuilding Societies Foundation(MBSF) and Food for the Poor,which contributed some science

equipment, will go afar way in strength-ening the school'sperformance in sci-ence subjects.

“We have beenseeing improve-ments in the sciencesalthough the gradesare not where wewant them to be. Butwe expect that theirperformance willimprove now that wehave a laboratory,” athankful Mr. Clarke

said, noting that for the first timethis year the school entered studentsfor the Caribbean SecondaryEducation Certificate (CSEC) exam-inations in Physics.

Mile Gully High is one of sixupgraded high schools benefitingfrom the Centres of Excellence pro-gramme established by the MBSF.As one of its main areas of focus, theprogramme seeks to boost perform-ance in the sciences by ensuring,among other things, that all sixschools have functioning IntegratedScience labs.

“The labs may not be as modernas we would like, but we intend tomake them functional and reducethe degree of disadvantage that thestudents in these schools face,” com-ments Llewelyn Bailey, ProgrammeManager of the MBSF.

“This requires partnership and wethank Food for the Poor for theirassistance and invite other corporateentities to partner with us to improvethe delivery of education in ourschools,” Mr. Bailey adds.

Nationally, student performancein the sciences continues to lagbehind other subject areas althoughthere was a slight improvement inpasses last year. The average passrate in the sciences was 62.1% in2009, three percentage points betterthan the preceding year.

The pass rates seem to be evenlower among upgraded highschools. Due, in part, to the lack oflaboratory resources, all six upgrad-ed high schools under the Centres ofExcellence programme have shownweaknesses in the sciences, withvery few entries and even fewerpasses in Chemistry, Biology,Physics, Integrated Science andMathematics.

Describing the lab as good stake-holder collaboration, EducationOfficer in the Ministry of Education,Ms. Nordia Birthwright-Hill, said"this is an excellent example of theprofound impact of collaborationwith the school community, the pri-vate sector and the Ministry ofEducation. This lab will enhance thelearning of science here at Mile

Gully High, and sci-ence must apply to thestudent's everyday life,the passing of exami-nations, and gaining aprofession in science,"she emphasised.

Science student atMile Gully High,Rashada White statedthat, "we can learnmuch better, we won'tonly see the experi-ment in our text books,but now we can provethings for ourselves.”

"I feel excited aboutit. it will allow studentsto enhance their learn-ing capacity. Teacherswon't have to do a lotof writing on theboards, they can nowuse the technology toachieve results," saidanother student, KimaiWilliams.

Mile Gully joinsMcGrath High inLinstead, St. Catherine,

which recently received assistancefrom the MBSF to purchase equip-ment for its laboratory. Otherschools under the programme-

Seaforth, Green Pond, Porus andGodfrey Stewart High Schools- areto benefit from similar capacity building projects later thisyear.

The MBSF is a joint initiative ofthe Jamaica National BuildingSociety and The Victoria MutualBuilding Society. The Centres ofExcellence programme, which isbeing funded by a $100 millionfacility, is poised to achieve its goalby 2012.


Mile Gully High gets new science lab

Mr. Llewelyn Bailey, Programmes Manager, Mutual Building Societies Foundationexpressing his delight to be participating in the opening ceremony for the Mile GullyHich School Science Laboratory.

These Grade 11 students areamong those who will find thenew science lab extremely benificial in preparing theirScience SBA’s

Mrs. N. Birthwright-Hill, Education Officer with theMinistry of Education, cuts the ribbon to officially open the Mile Gully High School Science Lab.

Mark Clarke, (centre), Head of the Science department at Mile Gully High, assiststwo students of the school in demonstrating the concept of refraction to LlewelynBailey, Programmes Manager, Mutual Building Societies Foundation and DoreenAlexander, Manager, JNBS Mandeville Branch, inside the new science lab.

A student makes use of one of several electronic micro-scopes in the new Mile Gully High science lab.

Minister of Water andHousing, Hon. Dr. HoraceChang, on Friday April 16

commissioned the Parottee well inSt. Elizabeth into service.

This new water supply will servesome 2, 500 persons in the parish.

The well, which was out of servicefor some time, was rehabilitated at acost of about $53 million, and will pro-vide potable water to residents inParottee, Hopewell, Pondside, HillTop, Stonefield, Cherry Gardens, SpiceGrove, Thatchfield, Aelington,Fullerswood, Vineyard, Cataboo, andparts of Watchwell, Barbary Hall andFort Charles.

In addition, through funding fromthe Jamaica Social Investment Fund(JSIF), more than 3.3 kilometres ofpipelines was laid to also connect thenearby community of Greenfield to thesystem.This well will greatly assist residents,especially during the current period ofdrought, which is significantly affect-ing the parish. Currently, many resi-dents have to be purchasing water fromindependent truckers at great cost.

Dr. Chang informed the residents atthe commissioning ceremony thatthere will be an ongoing project toremove old pipelines, and to identifyareas in the system where leaks exist.

He also said that Government wascommitted to investing in waterresources in the parish, as St. Elizabethcontributes significantly to the nationaleconomy.

"This Government is committed tospending the kind of money required toensure that the people of St. Elizabethhave adequate water supply.Improvement in water supply will pro-vide opportunity for economic devel-opment, farmers will farm more, peo-ple will return to live in St. Elizabeth,more houses will come, and peoplewill set up businesses in the area," hesaid.

The water pump which is currentlyrun by a generator, will operate initial-ly for eight hours daily, but would beup to full capacity within four weekswhen the Jamaica Public ServiceCompany power lines are connected.

Minister of Agriculture andFisheries, and Member of Parliamentfor South West St. Elizabeth, Hon. Dr.Christopher Tufton, in his remarks dur-ing the ceremony, stated that the com-missioning of the Parottee well "is amilestone for the community, and aftertoday, many of you will have theopportunity to get potable water."

According to Councillor for theMountainside division, DerrickSangster, the system would be used tofill a reservoir at Hill Top, which willthen gravity-feed water into the com-munities below.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries is toembark on a new phase in the drive to safeguardJamaica's lobster population, to ensure its long

term sustainability.Chief Technical Director in the Ministry, Dr. Marc

Panton, has explained that the thrust is underpinned by revi-sions to the Fisheries Act, with regard to the fishing for lob-ster, particularly where this occurs outside the season, whichruns July to March.

Speaking at the closing ceremony for the ImprovingJamaica's Agricultural Productivity Project (IJAPP) fisheriesextension training course, held at the Fisheries Division onMarcus Garvey Drive in Kingston, recently, Dr. Pantonpointed out that the new thrust entailed among other things,the hiring of a Praedial Larceny Prevention Co-ordinator.Part of his role, initially, has to do with the lobster season interms of ensuring that no harvesting of lobster occurs outsideof the season.

"He is putting together, in collaboration with the Ministryof National Security, the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF),the Coast Guard/Jamaica Defence Force (JDF), a pro-gramme to go out and start to check and make sure that ourrestaurants and other areas that utilise lobster, are in compli-ance with the Fisheries Act (and) we are going to be enforc-ing that very aggressively," Dr. Panton said.

Currently, inspectors are often treated with scant regardwhen they attempt to carry out their duties, often being madeto wait for hours before being allowed to inspect some facil-ities, particularly north coast hotels.

"We will be out there with inspectors and… under theFisheries Act, all JCF members, Island Special ConstabularyForce (ISCF) and the Jamaica Constabulary Force are offi-cially, fisheries inspectors. And so, they have a right to go inand inspect and be able to determine whether or not illegalactivities are taking place," he added.

The five-week training course formed part of the capaci-ty building activities being implemented under IJAPP's sus-tainable marine fisheries management component. Just over

30 persons, inclusive of instructors and officers, participatedin the course. They will serve as extension officers to theover 40,000 fishermen and women islandwide.

The IJAPP is a three-year project, being funded at a costof just over C$5 million by the Canadian InternationalDevelopment Agency (CIDA), the Inter-American Institutefor Co-operation in Agriculture (IICA) and the Ministry ofAgriculture and Fisheries. In addition to the sustainablemarine fisheries management component, the project willalso focus on expanding green house production.

MANCHESTER & SOUTH COAST NEWS April 19 - May 9, 2010 15

Human well-being andsustainable economicprosperity depend

upon our good stewardship ofthe Earth's vital ecosystems.

Water ecosystems servemany functions essential forhuman society: They providefood resources, biodiversity,habitats for wildlife, high waterquality, regulation of waterflows, and natural storage thathelps us absorb shocks likefloods and droughts.

An inherent tension existsbetween man's short-termdemand for water resources tofuel economic growth and thelong-term necessity of sustain-ing the vitality of host ecosys-tems. For most of history, man'scapacity to alter basic ecosys-tem balances has been limited;when one local resource wasdegraded from overuse, wemoved onto the next.

Nature, over time, restoredthe one that had been depleted.But from the mid-20th century,mankind's industrial prowess,sheer population size, and vora-cious demand for resourcesreached a capacity capable ofaltering and disrupting funda-mental ecosystem equilibriumson a planetary scale.

Unprecedented degradationOver the last half-century,

mankind has degraded Earth'slife-giving water ecosystems toan extent unprecedented inhuman history. In 2005 the firstcomprehensive environmentalaudit of the planet, theMillennium EcosystemAssessment, reported alarming-ly that 15 of Earth's 24 majorecosystems were being usedunsustainably.

Freshwater ecosystems andcapture fisheries in particularwere singled out as “now wellbeyond levels that can be sus-tained even at current demands,much less future ones.”

So much water today is with-drawn from 70 major rivers,including the Colorado, Yellow,Nile, Indus, and Euphrates, thaton many days of the year theyno longer reach the sea. Atthese reduced volumes, riverdeltas once rich in marshwildlife and agriculture insteaddry up and, even many tens ofmiles inland, succumb todestructive saltwater intrusionsfrom their sea mouths.

The large dams built on near-ly all the world's major water-ways often impede the passageof spawning fish and fertilizing

silt for cropland. Lakes, rivers,and groundwater are increas-ingly choked with toxic syn-thetic chemicals that mutatenatural processes and enter thehuman food chain.

Polluted rivers, oceansUp to half the world's wet-

lands, including such treasuresas Florida's Everglades, van-ished or were severely damagedin the 20th-century drive toobtain more arable land andfreshwater for agriculture.Wetlands are nature's sponges,protectively absorbing andgradually releasing floodwa-ters, replenishing undergroundaquifers, filtering out pollutantsand excess nutrients, and help-ing moderate regional climates.

Overfishing depletes theworld's oceans, which are turn-ing more acidic from theabsorption of carbon dioxide,and becoming more filled withrubbish. Oceans provide onequarter of mankind's food. Yetone-third of the planet's oceanfisheries have disappeared; oncurrent trajectories, a total col-lapse is forecast by 2050.

Excess fertilizer runoff fromfarmland and other syntheticchemicals produce huge algaeblooms that deplete oxygen off-shore where rivers meet theseas. One lifeless “dead zone”the size of the state ofMassachusetts where no fishcan survive exists in the Gulf ofMexico near the mouth of theMississippi River. A floatingisland of fingernail-sized plas-tic and other debris twice thesize of France has formed in thecenter of the Pacific Ocean,where pieces are eaten by fish,which are later consumed byhumans.

Most ocean life is concen-trated along the continentalcoasts, often feeding off ourbeautiful coral reefs. Theseocean “rain forests” teem withvarieties of animal and plantlife. Yet little by little these vitalmarine ecosystems have beenpolluted, overfished, anddegraded of their splendiddiversity.

For the first time in humanhistory, civilization's well-being and survival dependsupon understanding the naturalprocesses and limits of Earth'secosystems, and learning to livein balance and harmony withthe planet's total environment.

Water systems: Earth's vital networks

Parottee well now operational

Around the world, water ecosystems face environmental degradation By Steven Solomon

Steven Solomon is author of WATER:The Epic Struggle for Wealth, Power,

and Civilization

Lobster police gets training

In one of its most successful hostingsin recent memory, the 11th annualMen Who Cook food fair was an

overwhelming success. Thousand packed the Alpart Farm on

Spur Tree Hill on April 25 to sample thevaried and delicious fare prepared by localbusinessmen and celebrities. Hosted annu-ally as a major fund-raising project by theLions Club of Mandeville, for a $1,000ticket, patrons had the choice of four pro-teins from the numerous food stalls, a taskwhich proved extremely difficult becauseof the overwhelming choice that wasavailable.

Although it is hard to single out specif-ic chefs due to the overall high quality ofthe offerings, crowd favourites includedthe roast chicken and shrimp offered byBarita Investment's Ian McNaughton, PaulSimpson's lamb, John O Minott's curriedgoat, Karl Bright's shrimp and artist Mark

Cameron's vegetarian dish. As usual, there was a long line of

patrons impatiently waiting on NewtonCoote's suckling pig. In promoting theupcoming World Skills Competition,HEART Trust/NTA showed off the culi-nary skills of their trainees with an excel-lent BBQ pork dish. And while we couldgo on and on, suffice to say, no one wenthome at the end of the day without lickingtheir fingers at least once.

The afternoon was made complete byactivities for the kids and an entertainmentpackage featuring the Alpha Boys Bandand Lloyd Lovindeer. Some of the ladiesin attendance took advantage of the SoftSheen booth and had their hair styled,while other persons sought and receivedinformation from a number of sponsorcompanies that had representatives at theevent.


Men who cook serve up delectable delights

John O Minott of Baronhall Farm and his curried goat proved popular with the ladies

Super Plus boss Wayne Chen did curried chicken the old fashioned way.

Barita Investment’s Ian McNaughton was an early ‘sell off’.

There was plenty available for those with a sweet tooth

Kids working up an appetite The Soft Sheen stylists were kept busy throughout the day

No time for any long talking

Probably going back for a second round

Paul Simpson, now with new investment house Proven, ‘proved’ to bejust as popular as he was last year

The crowd just kept growing and growing throughout the day

Lloyd Sinclair (in background) of All Seasons Jerk Centreseems delighted with the reaction to his Jerk pork and jerkchicken

Officials from the U.S.Department of theTreasury, the Federal

Reserve Board and the UnitedStates Secret Service recentlyunveiled the new design for theU.S. $100 note.

Complete with advanced technol-ogy to combat counterfeiting, thenew design for the $100 note retains

the traditional look of U.S. currency.“As with previous U.S. currency

redesigns, this note incorporates thebest technology available to ensurewe're staying ahead of counterfeit-ers,” said Secretary of the TreasuryTim Geithner. “When the newdesign $100 note is issued onFebruary 10, 2011, the approximate-ly 6.5 billion old design $100s

already in circulationwill remain legal ten-der,” said Chairmanof the FederalReserve Board BenS. Bernanke. “U.S.currency usersshould knowthey will nothave to tradein their olddesign notes when thenew notes begin circulating.”

The redesigned $100 noteincludes two new advanced counter-feit-deterrent security features, inaddition to effective security fea-tures from the previous design. Thefeatures are easy for consumers andmerchants to check when verifyingauthenticity.

The blue 3-D Security Ribbon onthe front of the new $100 note con-tains images of bells and 100s thatmove and change from one to theother as you tilt the note. The Bell inthe Inkwell on the front of the noteis another new security feature. Theimage of the bell changes color fromcopper to green when the note is tilt-ed, an effect that makes it seem to

appear and disappear within thecopper-colored inkwell.

The new design forthe $100 note

retains threeeffective securi-

ty features fromthe previous

design: the portraitwatermark of

Benjamin Franklin,the security thread,

and the color-shiftingnumeral 100.

The new $100 note also displaysAmerican symbols offreedom, includingphrases from theDeclaration ofIndependence and thequill the FoundingFathers used to signthis historic docu-ment. Both are locat-ed to the right of theportrait on the frontof the note.

The back of thenote has a newvignette ofIndependence Hall

featuring the rear, rather than thefront, of the building. Both thevignette on the back of the note andthe portrait on the front have beenenlarged, and the oval that previous-ly appeared around both images hasbeen removed.

Although less than 1/100th of onepercent of the value of all U.S. cur-rency in circulation is reportedcounterfeit, the $100 note is themost widely circulated and mostoften counterfeited denominationoutside the U.S.

For a more detailed description ofthe redesigned $100 note and its fea-tures, visit www.newmoney.govwhere you can download or orderfree training materials, which areavailable in 25 languages.

The Jamaica Motor Show was held at theManchester Shopping Centre in Mandeville onSaturday March 27.

Cars suitable for a variety of budgets and tastes wereon display as auto dealers attempted to rev up businessduring the current slow market for automobiles.

A number of persons turned out to consider purchas-ing a vehicle or to just dream. Banks, finance companies,

insurance agencies and other businesses offering supportservices to the automotive industry were on hand to assistpersons who were on hand to splurge on a new vehicle.

According to Ian Lyn, President of the Used Car DealersAssociation, the show was one in a series being heldacross the island encourage business. At the show, pur-chasers benefited from discounted prices on some modelsas well as other incentives.

17MANCHESTER & SOUTH COAST NEWS April 5 - 18, 2010

US Embassy Press Attaché Nancy Pettit addresses a room full of guests at the unveil-ing of the redesigned $100 note in Kiev, Ukraine on April 21, 2010. Speaking at theevent are US Embassy Counselor for Public Affairs Christopher Fitzgerald, USAmbassador John Tefft, and National Bank of Ukraine Department Director for CashCirculation Oleh Daschenko.

That’s the one for me, this policeman seems to be saying.

Some of the cars on display at the Mandeville Motor Show

Members of the COK Credit Union were on hand to assistpersons who needed vehicle financing

This Suzuki SRX model drew a lot of attention

(Left to Right) US Embassy Economic Counselor GregoryPhillips and US Embassy Information Officer JamesFennell unveil the new $100 note design in Lima, Peru onApril 21, 2010.

New design US$100 note unveiled

Mandeville motor show

Minister of Finance and the PublicService Audley Shaw hasdescribed the use of information

technology in schools as essential to improv-ing Jamaica's current productivity-per-per-son rate, which he says is declining everyyear.

"One of the problems we are having here inJamaica today is low productivity.Collectively, when you measure our produc-tivity-per-capita, our productivity levels forthe last 15 years have been declining everyyear," Shaw said at a graduation exercise inMandeville recently.

"Information technology can become animportant tool in the process of enhancingreading and comprehension and these are fun-damental building blocks to a literary and pro-ductive society," he added.

According to Minister Shaw, Jamaica's pro-ductivity-per-person should be on par with

"our sister nations" Trinidad and Tobago andBarbados which have seen "significantincreases in productivity-per-person over thepast 15 years".

"In that same period our per capita incomehas moved from $US2,500 to under $US4,000per person. Barbados and Trinidad on the otherhand, have seen their per capita income movefrom the $US3,000-$US4,000 range to as highas $US15,000 per person," he revealed.

The finance minister's comments came dur-ing his address at the 11th graduation ceremo-ny for teachers who participated in an e-Learning Jamaica Project at Manchester HighSchool.

Six hundred and twenty-three teachers from12 schools in Manchester and one in Trelawnywere certified in the area of basic informationand communication technology skills.

According to Avril Crawford - CEO andProject Manager, e-Learning Jamaica

Company Ltd., the e-Learning programme isgeared towards training teachers to utiliseinformation technology-based communicationtools in the classroom to deliver a more excit-ing and interactive approach to learning.

The e-learning programme is financed inpart by the Universal Access Fund (UAF), partof which is earned from a levy on incominginternational telephone calls

To date, approximately $7 billion has beencollected through the Universal Access Fund.

Participating schools and graduates of thecourse were:Bellefield High School - 62 graduatesBishop Gibson High School - 20 graduatesChristiana High School - 103 graduatesCross Keys High School - 50 graduatesdeCarteret College - 63 graduatesHolmwood Tech. High School - 32 graduatesManchester High School - 53 graduatesMay Day High School - 51 graduatesMile Gully High School - 53 graduatesPorus High School - 54 graduatesThe Woodlawn School of

Special Education - 16 graduatesTroy High School (Trelawny) - 33 graduatesWinston Jones High School - 33 graduates


IT crucial to boosting productivity - Minister Shaw

3M sponsors nationalnetball development

IT students at Porus High School

Minister of Youth Sportsand Culture, Olivia“Babsy” Grange, has

commended The 3M Companyfor its sponsorship of theJamaica Netball Association'sDevelopment Squad.

Speaking at a recent press con-ference at Netball House in St.Andrew where the 10-million dol-lar 3M sponsorship wasannounced, Minister Grange saidthat Government was heartened tosee the response from the privatesector regarding the sponsorshipof sports. Netball, she said, was amost deserving sport to be select-ed as 3M made its entry into sportssponsorship.

“It is also great that the spon-sorship will focus on theDevelopment Squad since it formsthe pool from which futureSunshine Girls are drawn to main-

tain netball's status as Jamaica'smost successful team sport,” shestated.

The Sports Minister praisedJNA President Marva Bernard andher team for their effort on behalfof Jamaica's netball.

Miss Grange also commendedGC Foster College of PhysicalEducation for the role it has beenplaying in the development ofsports in Jamaica.

“I have big plans for GC Fosterwhich includes the establishmentof a centre of excellence at theCollege.”

3M's Sales and MarketingManager, Ms. Shana Davis saidthat the $10M sponsorship willbegin in 2010 and last for fouryears.

“We are also happy to announcethat most of the funds will be uti-lized to establish the 3M Netball

Academy. This entity will beresponsible for recruiting, trainingand honing the skills of our futureSunshine Girls,” she stated.

“The survival and continuedsuccess of the senior squad restssquarely on the JNA's ability tocontinue to mine and developyoung talent. ”

Ms. Davis lauded netball as asport that had the enviable reputa-tion of being competitive andexciting without the negatives ofdrugs and indiscipline.

Before the start of the pressconference, Minister Grange wason hand to see off Jamaica'sUnder-16 netball squad whichdeparted this afternoon for the10th staging of the Jean PierreYouth Netball Championship inBarbados.

This year, the fifteenthWorld Book andCopyright Day is being

celebrated in the context of theInternational Year for theRapprochement of Cultures(2010).

The opportunity will be provid-ed today to review the role of booksin our constantly evolving world.Policy decision-makers, publishers,educators and civil society as awhole will need to consider onceagain the most effective ways ofpromoting that irreplaceable toolfor knowledge: the book. Booksimprove our knowledge of othersand of their philosophies, and there-fore enhance our understanding ofthe world. They also provide devel-opment opportunities, for all agesand, in particular, for young people.

Books cannot be celebrated with-out sparing a thought for the 759million people who can neither readnor write, two-thirds of whom arewomen. Freedom to read, to receivean education, to access remote cul-tures and research findings isnonetheless a fundamental human

right. Everyone must be able toenjoy the right to education.Freedom of circulation is also anessential requirement for everyoneto have access to books.Translation of course plays a signif-icant role in the transmission ofknowledge derived from books.Innovative publishing policies thatmeet the needs and aspirations ofevery human being are, however,also required.

In the light of the emergence ofnew forms of books, of changes inthe design, production and access tocontents of books, it is urgent torecall that there can be no bookdevelopment without respect forcopyright. This is particularly thecase at a time when digitization fur-ther exposes books to risks of illicituse.

To make the fifteenth celebrationof World Book and Copyright Day,I invite all partners, communitiesand UNESCO networks to joinforces to promote respect for copy-right and ensure that books taketheir rightful place in the social,educational and cultural spheres.

Books are works of art and science,and vehicles for ideas. They mag-nificently materialize creativediversity, generate universal knowl-edge and contribute to interculturaldialogue. They are instruments forpeace.

Today (23 April 2010), let us cel-ebrate every aspect of books acrossthe world.

Governor-General theMost Hon. Sir PatrickAllen has urged students

across Jamaica to make reading alife-long habit.

He was speaking at King's Houseon Monday April 26 at the reading

of a Proclamation to declare May 4as Read Across Jamaica Day.

The Governor-General observedthat reading was a catalyst for theacademic success of students, andwas also a significant tool in theirpreparation for Jamaica's future jobmarket and global competitiveness.

“Investment in education is cru-cial to the country's well-being andthe long term quality of life of itspeople. The nation is urged to focuson the importance of reading andthe need to motivate children toread and master other basic skills inthe education process,” theGovernor-General said.

Meantime, President of theJamaica Teachers' Association,Michael Stewart, who accepted theProclamation on behalf of the JTA,reiterated the commitment of the

teaching fraternity to the educationof students. He said education willdrive the country's post-recessionrecovery and theJTA remains com-mitted to thatprocess.

Read AcrossJamaica Day seeksto foster interest inreading by bringingtogether the entirecommunity to par-ticipate in the pro-motion of literacy.It forms part ofactivities to markEducation Week,which will beobserved from May2 to 6.


Celebrating World Book Day

Make reading a habit says GG

Message from Ms. Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO, on the occasion ofWorld Book and Copyright Day 23 April 2010


Prime Minister BruceGolding has welcomed thereturn of the Ladies Pro

Golf Association (LPGA) toJamaica as a boost to the coun-try's image as a sports destination.

Mr. Golding was speaking at theJamaica launch of the LPGA-sanc-tioned Mojo 6 Raceway Golf tour-nament held recently at theCaymanas Country Clubhouse in StCatherine.

Called the “sprint of golf”, theraceway-style tournament with apurse of US$1 million is scheduledfor May 1 and 2 at Cinnamon Hillgolf course in Rose Hall, St James.

“What this tournament is going todo for us is quite significant…thekind of publicity that it is going togive us is far beyond the value of theprizes…the interest it can show ofJamaica as a tourist destination butalso as a country that has demon-strated its excellence in sport isinvaluable and it is something thatwe must seek to exploit and maxi-mize the benefits of in every proba-ble way,” Mr Golding said.

The Prime Minister praised theMinister of Youth, Sports andCulture Olivia “Babsy” Grange, forbringing the LPGA event to Jamaicaand said that the achievement was

“reflective of the creativity that shebrings to the difficult task that shehas been given”. The Prime Minister noted that gov-ernment's overarching vision forsports is a strategic one, and that theTrelawny stadium was an integralpart of it.

“We have been criticised for notallowing the Trelawny stadium tobecome a university campus. Wehave held back on that because theMinister is pursuing a strategic planto expand tourism to include sportstourism as an important element ofthat package…It still represents asignificant asset that can help us inpromoting Jamaica as a premiersporting destination.”

Tournament a first for LPGAThe Cinnamon Hill tournament is

highly anticipated by golfing enthu-siasts as it will be the first time thatthe LPGA will participate inRaceway Golf. The LPGA top sixgolfers are already signed on to play.The event is expected to be viewedby about 100 million persons on theCBS network in the USA. Jamaicangolfer Jody Munn will also partici-pate along with at least one teenfrom the Jamaica Golf AssociationJunior Golf Programme.

Mr Golding, who noted that golfwill be returning to the Olympics in2016, also said that the tournamentwould be a good inspiration for localgolfers to improve the game at

home.Golf has been played in Jamaica

since 1865 with the country is saidto have the first course outside ofEurope, which is at the Manchester

Club located in Mandeville. The Mojo 6 tournament was con-

ceived by Mojo Marketing andMedia.

Sponsors of the LPGA Mojo 6 tournament and participants field questions at the launch ceremony

LPGA Mojo 6 golf tournament a majorboost to Jamaican sports tourism

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Goule, Campbell continuetheir winning waysManchester's top male

and female junior mid-dle distance runners

recently celebrated major mile-stones in their careers.

Manchester High's Natoya Gouleended her high school “Champs'unbeaten, earning 15 gold medalsover 6 years of competition. Sinceshe began competing in class three,she has triumphed in several mid-dle-distance events including the800 metres, 1500 metres and 3000metres, setting several records overthe years.

Her international career has alsobeen distinguished. In this her finalyear competing at the CariftaGames, she added another threegold medals to her tally, bringingher haul to 12 individual and fourrelay gold medals over six years ofcompetition. She leaves behindrecords in the 800 and 1500 events.

Natoya now heads to junior col-lege in the USA where she is expect-ed to continue her outstanding per-formance.

Bellefield High's Kemoy Campbellcreated history when he competed atthe recent Penn Relays, held in

Philadelphia in the US. Leadingfrom the get go, Campbell ran a per-sonal best 8:20.14 to become thefirst Jamaican to win at that distanceat the event, which is usually domi-nated by Jamaican sprinters.

HE also registered another win atthe Carifta Games in fine style whenhe obliterating his previous recordin the 3000m by an amazing 6 sec-onds to add to the 1500M gold hehad won earlier at the meet.

Campbell's junior career alsoends this year and he is expected togo out with a bang at the JuniorCAC games in July where he willcompete along with Goule.

Kemoy Campbell

Natoya Goule

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