Amended
Firearms Act Passed Behind a Curtain
By
Helena Durand & Bennette Roach
CM John Osborne and Opposition Leader Hon Reuben Meade
“Having listened to you [both],” Speaker
Joseph Meade told Opposition Leader Hon Reuben Meade at the House on Tuesday,
“I am convinced that the explanation given by the Attorney General is
consistent with SR&O N0.59 of the Legislative Council. We shall proceed with
the Order Paper.”
That put paid to Mr. Meade’s arguments that the
Government, having agreed to recommit the Firearms (Amendment) Act Bill to the
Legislative Council, had done so only to have it read a Third time rather than a
First time, and that the amendments were being passed before Members had had a
chance to debate the Act.
The bill, which was passed at the last sitting of
Parliament, made its way back to the House for further amendments because His
Excellency the Governor Anthony Longrigg had rejected the amendments made by the
Government.
Instead of his signature on the amended Bill, a
missive signed by the Governor was forwarded to the Members of Parliament
suggesting that his amendments be brought before the House.
While neither party has revealed what aspect of
the bill was being amended, and what the Governor’s amendments were, this
paper was able to get copies of both the previous Bill and the newly amended
bill.
The Bill which was repealed cited for a first
offence “a term of imprisonment for ten years..” and in the case of a second
or subsequent offence, “to a term of imprisonment for life or for such lesser
term (not however, being less than ten years)…”
The Amended Bill passed on October 12, 2001 read:
For a first offence “a fine not exceeding
$5000;” and in the case of a second or subsequent offence, “to a term of
imprisonment for not less than seven years.”
These amendments were however, rejected by
Governor Longrigg who returned and suggested these amendments for passage in the
House on Tuesday:.
Clause 3. "Punishment
for the other offences.
32. Replace (a) and (b) with the following (a) and (b) and add (c).
(a)
in the case of a first offence to a term of imprisonment for five years; and
(b)
in the case of a first
offence, where such offence is possessing a single firearm or ammunition not
exceeding fifty rounds in violation of the provisions of paragraph (a) of
section 4(1), to a fine not exceeding $5000; and
(c)
in the case of -
(i)
a second offence or subsequent
offence; or
(ii)
a first offence committed by a
person, who prior to the commencement of this Act, was convicted of an
indictable offence, or an attempt to commit an indictable offence,
to a term of imprisonment for not less than
seven years."
At the passing of the Bill on Tuesday, Chief
Minister Osborne said, “I’ve
said before and I will say again, that I don’t think the Bill is fitting a
civilized society like Montserrat. Maybe in some countries where they have a gun
culture that these draconian or harsh penalties might well be some form of
deterrent for people who are gun happy. Montserratians are not like that.”
He said, “I’m prepared Mr. Speaker, to meet
with more learned people in law and the Hon Member, for us to look at the law
and come back with something that is more acceptable.”
However, despite Mr. Meade’s objections to the
“rushing” of the Bill and concerns raised by Member of Parliament Hon
Chedmond Browne and the Chief Minister himself, the Firearms (Amendment) Act,
was read a Third time and was “duly passed with amendments” on Tuesday.
In a radio interview former Chief Minister David
Brandt said although the Governor has the power to send a bill back to
Parliament, the Government of the day need not pass it in the manner suggested.
He expressed surprise at the acquiescence of the
Chief Minister to the Governor’s say so. “The Governor was dissatisfied with
what the Government passed in the last Legislative Council and sent them back to
pass an amendment which he proposed. They meekly obeyed. Up to now, the general
public whom the amendment will affect does not know what it says,” Mr Brandt
concluded.
Government's Narrow Passage
When the vote was taken on this now controversial
'Gun Bill' but for the two ex-officio members of the Legislative Council
(Honourables Attorney General and Financial Secretary), the government with
seven members in the legislature would have had only five votes out of the nine
to pass the bill. When the count was taken the two opposition members, one
government member voted against with another abstaining.
Speculations are that a vote of 'No Confidence'
in the House, which would exclude the ex-officio members could well prove
embarrassing to the Government. One NPLM party member has commented that the
"party needs to take care of its ranks."
Port
Dispute Leaves Island Short of Flour
Bakers and shopkeepers in Montserrat may
experience a shortage in flour this month. because the ship delivering the
imported commodity to M.S. Osborne Ltd. was forced to leave the dock with
eighty-five 100-pound bags and twenty-five 25-pound bags of flour still on
board.
Only sixty-five 100-pound bags were offloaded.
The ship is due back here on December 7.
Operations Manager at M.S. Osborne Nigel Osborne
said all of that could have been avoided.
He said he went to the Port on Monday to oversee
the offloading of the flour, but that unlike other such occasions, his men did not
accompany him because one man had hurt his back at the Port recently.
He said he requested of the Supervisor that the
stevedores offload the flour, palletize it, and shrink-wrap it before loading it
onto his company’s truck, but his request was refused.
<---
Nigel Osborne “I was told to leave the Port or they would
call security and have me removed, because I went to the stevedores myself,
asking them to off-load the flour and palletize them,” Mr. Osborne said.
He said he felt that it was their job to
palletize and shrink-wrap the commodity; therefore he refused to accept the
goods.
“However, by the time the Supervisor agreed to
have the stevedores do as I had requested, the ship had gotten clearance from
its agent and we could not offload any more cargo,” Mr. Osborne said.
J.R. Agency which represents the ship, said,
“The sea was rough, the ship had to get to another appointment and the men
were on the Port sitting there doing nothing. When the captain asked for
clearance, he got it.”
Although the Port Manager Roosevelt Jemmotte
refused to comment on the matter, a source at the Port said, “This thing has
been taken out of proportion. Some people just do not understand how things
work. How would you like it if someone came to your work place demanding you do
certain things? Especially if it is not your job?”
The source said the stevedores do not tamper with
goods at the port.
”If your goods, let’s use the flour; come loose in bags, the port does not
go and shrink wrap it for you. It is like everything else. You get what you
ordered. If you want it shrunk wrapped, you can speak to the Supervisor or the
Port Manager and something can be worked out, but you cannot demand they do it
for you.”
HMG Handouts
and Humble Acquiescence Won't Erase Foreclosures or Rebuild Lives
Those of us who are more conscious of and share
the responsibility for existence in Montserrat often get the question, "If
your economy is so nearly dead and with all the related problems, why are you
people still staying there?" It is a question when put in those terms that
is not that easy to answer.
So aside from the belief -- more a hope now --
that things will get better and that life here is as safe if not safer than in
many other countries, there is no clear plan that one can articulate as to the
way forward.
The hard reality is that the only businesses that
beneficially exist, although they both depend on the rest of us being here, are
the civil service and the construction industry. Every other business and
industry, except for a few, is being ground more and more into the ashes and
cannot identify with those who promote rising out of the ashes.
When Secretary of State Clare Short said that no
one in Montserrat must benefit (get rich) from the crisis aid that she would
approve for Montserrat, we could only have been looking at it from the
perspectives of her ministry's undertaking, "which seeks to work with
business, civil society and the research community to encourage progress which
will help reduce poverty."
It is why we continue to say that DFID is the
wrong agency to have been working with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO)
when coming to our aid in this on-going crisis. Montserrat's case is not just
one of "progress and alleviating poverty."
One huge, killing problem faced by many is that
of having to repay a mortgage for a house or property, private or business, in
the exclusion zone. The banks are reportedly taking people to court for
non-payment of loans made for properties they hold as securities in the
exclusion zone. Only if you are living in Montserrat is it a problem; if you now
live overseas, don't come back; or don't let your bank or Inland Revenue know
that you are on island, and you won't risk being hauled before the court or
prevented from leaving.
And who should be taking the lead? How can a
civil servant exist, if he had a loan on a house in Plymouth or elsewhere, now
submerged in volcanic material, irrecoverable, which he cannot pay off from
insurance settlement? Having had to either build again or rent, how can he still
pay that outstanding portion for a property he or his children will never see
again?
It is the same for anyone else. Why and with what
conscience HMG and local government continue to allow civil servants have their
funds deducted from their salaries. So they do not run the risk of going to
jail, but they starve just the same or deny themselves some other basic
necessities for healthy existence. There's one reason why the same civil
servants have difficulty when they see funds being paid to others, businesses or
otherwise without really understanding that it is more often than not for
services duly rendered or properly due.
So the banks say if the government is doing it,
why shouldn't we? And then we remember that government has majority shares in
Bank of Montserrat Ltd. and to the best of our knowledge has no policy
directives or suggestions for the banks or financial institutions, some who
struggle to find enough funds help fellow Montserratians survive.
But getting back to the only guaranteed
businesses on the island. Most of the construction being done in Montserrat
involves capital projects and will include the building of much needed homes.
But as Labour Speaks suggests, there are no real development projects. Dr.
Lowell Lewis reduced himself to responding to issues outside of his own
ministerial portfolio, seemingly the spokesman for his government on all issues,
including his own, the controversial airport issue.
To remind the people that there will $20 million
in circulation and that that will bring considerable revenue to the island is
more than misleading, taking all circumstances on board. A few of those will
reveal that in construction the view is taken that there is a 60-40 percent
split between labour and materials on a given project.
Simple mathematics shows that $8 million will be
spent outside Montserrat,, since nearly all material except sand, stones and
blocks is imported, and even some of that is imported. That leaves $12 million
dollars to be paid to labourers, architects, contractors, etc.
Then we are told that almost 60 percent of the
labour force are non-Montserratians who send about 60 percent or $7.2 million
out of Montserrat to support their families overseas. That leaves $4.8 million
dollars to be circulated in Montserrat between now and June, some of which will
be spent shopping regularly in Antigua. Based on estimates, that
suggests a further $270,000 over that period. That now leaves $4.53
million dollars, which translates to 22.65 percent of the $20 million, which is
further reduced when Montserratians living here must also send sums overseas to
support their own families abroad.
Meanwhile our leaders boast the desire to bring
Montserrat out of grant-in-aid while refusing to seek the necessary support for
revenue-bearing developmental projects, non-existent at worst and quite marginal
at best, to encourage or support investment in the island.
There is also the complete lack of understanding
about money coming into the country in currency or kind, as against money being
spent outside of the island. There is a deplorable attitude of those responsible
to understand the "spend local and buy local," so very critical and
necessary to support any island economy.
The lame promise to Montserratians in Antigua,
"I am not here to tell you to come home, but to tell you that whenever you
want to come home, Montserrat is yours and every door will remain open to
you," is hypocritical. What, when the John Osborne government has agreed to
exclude relocated and evacuated Montserratians from benefiting from the new
housing program of $10 million? People are interested in positive statements of
directions and signs of progress.
To date government has managed to bring on the
ground projects that were approved during the time of the previous
administration. It is sad that they had to spend so much energy doing that while
not in the meantime putting some real development strategies in place. Well, why
don't we know about them and why is it so easy to find every excuse? Why
shouldn't we, for example, have more offshore banks being registered in
Montserrat? Are we waiting to figure out a way that a few individuals can cream
the market before we get moving? That is only one of the several initiatives we
can work on that do not require too much infrastructure.
As long as we sit back and wait on the HMG for
their handouts, while we cuddle with them in the blocks to our development, it
will not be just the economy, but the population that will become extinct.
Except
for the editorial, opinion articles expressed in these pages are not necessarily
those of the Montserrat Reporter editors, employees or advisers.
Readers are encouraged to submit commentary articles.
All viewpoints, unless libelous, in poor taste, or anonymous, are
welcome. Send your contributions to
The Editor, P.O. Box 306, Olveston, Montserrat, W. I., e-mail: editor@montserratreporter.org
or monrep@candw.ag. Manuscripts
will not be returned unless accompanied by a return stamped envelope.
The Montserrat Reporter is a privately owned independent newspaper.
Jus
Wonderin items may be called in at telephone 491-4715 or Fax 491-2430
'Everyone
Wins' In Forgiveness
What
man among you having a hundred sheep and losing one of them would not leave the
ninety-nine in the desert and go after the lost one until he finds it?
Luke 15:4
Pursuit
is an integral activity of love, and what a joy it is to be pursued by God. Not
even our failures can erase the ardor God has for us. Our security rests on the
foundation of a divine love that is uncompromising in its fidelity. Ultimately
we have nothing to fear, for God never stops pursuing us with a love that offers
forgiveness and joy.
The words of today's Gospel reveal God's love,
but they also show what our own love can be like. When we pursue others with
forgiveness, we offer them a healing of their hearts. We do others what God does
for us. And we ourselves share the healing because our act of forgiveness
results in our peace of heart. Everybody wins.
Today we honor the Scared Heart of Jesus, a heart
so large that everyone can find a welcoming home in it. May we find in this
shared home our source of unity with one another.
Lord, thank
you for pursuing me, for not giving up on me. May I imitate you by not giving up
on others.
Fr. Kenneth E Grabner, C.S.C.
Repentant
Prayers, Yes, But Also Ones of
Thanks
Dear Editor,
Please allow me to congratulate the organisers of
the Pray for Montserrat Week. It was a very timely and well put together
program. I would like to also express my appreciation for the group of people
who traveled from the USA and other Caribbean islands to be with us. I’m
hoping that we will soon see the fruits of their/our labour.
I do agree that Montserrat really needed prayer,
prayer for all the crimes, sins and injustices that we commit every day. We must
keep that prayer wall standing when our visitors leave. Let’s not only pray
for a week and stop, we need to pray every day as the preacher said, “as if
our life depended on it.”
Prayer must be encouraged in every school, home,
office, car, bus and wherever we are at any given time. Although the prayer for
Montserrat was organized by the Montserrat Christian Council (MCC), I wonder if
the Lord spoke to Catholics to organize a visiting priest, Fr. Kevin O'toole, to
have a teaching on prayer last Tuesday night. Was it coincidence that eight
young persons publicly declared their intentions to follow the Lord last Sunday
when they were confirmed in the Catholic Church? Was it a coincidence that
teachers from both primary and secondary schools were there to hear the eight
young persons make such a lifelong commitment?
We on Montserrat have a lot of repenting to do,
but sometimes as humans we find ourselves so deep in repentance that we forget
to be thankful. Yes thankful for the many blessing that the Almighty has
bestowed on us people of Montserrat.
We Montserratians are among some of the most
blessed people on this earth. Blessed with the opportunity to see God’s
Creation continuing on this earth. We see the creation of God’s world continue
before our very eyes. Yes the volcano is God’s creation continuing and we are
fortunate to witness it from the front row. What a Blessing! We see a mountain
grow, beaches made in areas where there were none, land areas increased, rocks
created and much more. Could we ask for a greater blessing?
We are blessed because for every life that comes
on earth something must die, and the land in the south had to be destroyed for
us to witness the continuation of creation.
We are blessed because many more lives could have
been lost if God was not with us. It is my contention that no lives should have
been lost. The only problem with this volcano is that we as human beings did not
handle it in the most humane way. We did not take care of our fellow man the way
God commanded us to. It could have been worse. We are blessed because the
destruction in the South will be our bread and butter in the future.
We are blessed, with all the problems and
hardships, we are slowly rebuilding. Children are going to school, people are
working, no one on Montserrat does not know where his or her next meal is coming
from. We have Meals on Wheels, the elderly are given more attention than
pre-volcano, crime is still very low, utilities are expensive but still
available, we have freedom of speech and religion. Our island will be one of the
best in the Caribbean when our British educated people return years from now. We
are blessed, we went through four Chief Ministers in the last six years without
the shedding of a drop of blood. Our justice system still functions, our leaders
still lead from some place.
Yes we must always pray and repent, but we must
also be thankful. There are so many things to be thankful for that it will take
about two newspapers at least to list them. Montserrat, give thanks, thanks for
people like Sir Howard and Lady Fergus, persons who achieved during our
so-called darkest hours. Give thanks, the Reporter gave us a voice outside when
they wanted to move us. Oh yes we have so many reasons to be thankful.
Thankful Montserratian
National Hero’s
Day On Way for Nation
The Government of Montserrat is to establish a
programme of national awareness, which will explore the possibility of having a
National Hero’s Day, Chief Minister John Osborne said recently.
He made the announcement at an award ceremony
held in honour of Sir Howard Fergus.
Mr. Osborne said Montserratians are exposed to
the foreign media, especially our youth; and they emulate personalities in
sports and music that bear no relationship to Montserrat’s history and
culture.
He called that unacceptable and said it is up to
the leaders, teachers, and community activists to provide opportunities and not
excuses for Montserratians to dream and aspire to greatness.
Mr. Osborne said that every school child in
Montserrat needs to be exposed to information in history and culture so that
they can learn about Montserrat’s heroes who have persevered against great
odds to contribute to the development of Montserrat.
It is against this background that the NPLM
Government proposes to embark on a programme of national awareness.
Sarita Francis, Permanent Secretary in the Office
of the Chief Minister, said the office will work with interested persons in the
community in collaboration with the Department of Culture to develop a plan of
action.
BrambleTells
Teachers Of Their New Challenges
Hylroy L. Bramble, General Secretary of the
Montserrat Allied Workers Union (MAWU) told teachers at the Teachers Convention
on Monday that education is experiencing a technological revolution.
He said, “While teaching requirements of
yesteryear (which have served us all in good stead) were applicable then and
which could be considered the foundation of teaching for today must never be
forgotten, the requirements of today differ greatly.”
He said the difference is that teaching now
demands a level of qualification and education, which was never demanded before.
“We are caught in the maelstrom of a global
economy, of globalized market, global factors of trading, of treaties, of
medicine and other factors that demand a higher level of understanding. We
cannot achieve these through mediocrity. Hence it is our responsibility to
ensure that if our teachers are to deliver quality education to our children, we
need to have them properly trained and qualified to carry out this task.”
He welcomed the theme of the Convention, which
was "Qualified Teachers For Quality Education," and noted its
timeliness.
He said whether at a regional or national level,
teachers have recognized the need to be highly qualified, enhancing their
ability to deliver quality education, adding, that second-rate teachers cannot
hold their own in the arena of higher demands, tougher standards, more rigorous
assessments, and expanded use of technological skills.
“Comrades, the teacher must not and cannot be
complacent in the quest to become qualified. Therefore it is essential that
every teacher search for opportunities to develop their knowledge and skills for
their own personal advancement and to satisfy any employment requirement that
may be set by government to successfully carry out their education and
development plans.”
He said that the government and Ministry of
Education should ensure that the country’s teaching force have access to
programs for continued improvements of their professional skills and the
opportunity to acquire the knowledge and skills needed to prepare and instruct
students for this century and beyond.
In conclusion, Mr Bramble said it would be remiss
of him if he ended without mentioning teachers'
pay.
“All I will say, however, is that while we are
calling for you to be qualified and for you to deliver quality education, we
must also deliver to you a quality salary for the sterling work you continue to
perform…the powers that be must recognize and understand that teaching, like
learning, is a continuous process and you must be paid well if we want you to
deliver quality.”
Sir Howard Fergus
Relieves Governor on Vacation
His Excellency the Governor, Mr. Anthony Longrigg
and his wife Mrs. Jane Longrigg left the island yesterday for a period of
overseas leave.
The Governor is expected back on island some time
in December.
During his absence, Sir Howard Fergus holds the
post of Acting Governor. It is a post that Sir Howard has held on numerous
occasions in the past.
Montserrat Census
To Be Unveiled Soon
The preliminary results of the 2001 Population
and Housing census, which began in May this year, could be available shortly,
according to Chief Statistician Teresina Bodkin.
Ms. Bodkin said in a radio interview that
population data have become a very critical issue to Montserrat, because of
migration, which began in July of 1995, and the subsequent dislocation and
greater migration of Montserratians.
She said population size is one of the criteria
people use to gauge the viability of any economy.
“ I think it’s a huge concern to everybody
just now, so even if we have an increase of five persons it’s really a big
deal to us. So I do understand the anxiety, but I would remind people that again
it’s a process; and again we have to ensure the quality of the information
that we’re bringing.”
A
World–Class Education For Montserrat
Rickford Archer and Elijah Silcott
Former schoolteacher Mr Elijah Silcott applauded
the Montserrat Union of Teachers (MUT) on their annual teachers convention on
Monday, noting the chosen theme ‘Qualified Teachers For Quality Education was
timely, particularly at this rebuilding stage in the island’s history.
He believes there is nothing more important for
Montserrat’s future development and prosperity, “Than giving our children of
today a world class education” and that it must be ensured that the children
can master the basics and meet the highest standards necessary to succeed in
today’s knowledge-based global economy.
However, he said to achieve this, “the
Government and Education Administration in Montserrat must ensure that all
schools are provided with highly qualified and motivated teachers who can
deliver high quality education to our children.”
Mr. Silcott who chaired the convention noted that
when the island would have attained qualified teachers, and would have
recognized the resultant output in quality education; receiving quality
remuneration should not be overlooked.
“The measurement of remuneration must be done
by the power of the salary to attract and keep qualified individuals,” Mr.
Silcott said, adding that the power of the teachers salary should be able to
“purchase goods and services including food and clothing, and to meet the
demands of the rising cost of electricity, water, cable and other essential
services. The time therefore has come when proper human resource management
principles must come into play and the qualified teachers receive a proper
remuneration without having to resort to go slows, sick-outs, strikes or other
forms of industrial actions.”
Minister for Education Hon. Idabelle Meade who
declared the convention officially opened, praised the teachers for a job well
done in positively molding the minds of Montserratians for generations.
She believes the hard work, dedication,
commitment, tenacity and camaraderie at all levels of the school system augurs
well for the island’s future.
“Throughout the length and breadth of our
country, teachers have been among the movers and shakers on all levels, and the
socio-economic contribution is immeasurable,” she said.
Mrs. Meade said too that the public service has
also benefited from the teaching profession directly and indirectly, in that
several senior civil servants were teachers and some continue to share their
knowledge even on a part time basis.
She noted the appropriateness of the theme
chosen, and said it reflected the current thinking of the Government and the
Ministry of Education.
Mrs. Meade said in recruiting new teaching staff,
all efforts are made to ensure that the academic qualification is not
compromised, and that the process of continued training is considered an
integral part of the education plan.
She advocated continued training because she
said, the students of this century are more demanding, expect more and have
access to far more information than any previous generation. This she said means
“the challenges that confront teachers, and your ability to meet the
continuous global shifts, will most definitely add to the increasing demands on
the profession. It is important for all teachers to truly understand the value
of their work, the impact they have in shaping minds, and affecting the way and
the direction of our country.”
Featured speaker for the event Government
Psychologist Rickford Archer, noted that
“Without conducive conditions for success, it is not merely
this batch of students or that batch of students who fail; the entire country
fails because the education produce fails to discharge the national
requirements.”
Hon. Joseph Meade and Herman Francis
Former teachers Professor Howard Fergus and
Speaker of the House Hon. Joseph Meade were presented with awards for their
contribution to the teaching profession.
PM
Bird To Sue Observer And Derrick
A press release from the Office of Antigua and
Barbuda’s Prime Minister Lester Bird, stated that Mr. Bird has instructed
attorneys to initiate legal proceedings against The Daily Observer and Samuel
“Fergie” Derrick for malicious libel captured in yesterday’s front-page
story “More MBS Bobol.”
The release did not mention the actual words that
is moving the Prime Minister to legal action, but reports Mr. Bird
who is also a lawyer as having said: "Apart from the fact that this
is a most dastardly attack upon the character of men who have earned their high
reputation for integrity, Fergie Derrick's article is contemptuous of the
Commission of Inquiry and the Commissioners are empowered to take appropriate
action."
The release further stated that
the Prime Minister also stated that he had taken "careful note of the
statement" that he was the beneficial owner with Dr Norman Athill of a
Florida Company which purchased pharmaceuticals in 1981 and after for the
Medical Benefits Scheme at inflated prices.
He declared, "I wish the public to know that this statement is not
only libelous, it is a blatant lie, and I instructed my attorneys to take
appropriate legal action against Fergie Derrick and The Daily Observer."
The release ended by quoting
Mr. Bird further, "Every person in public life has to endure
comments from the media, that is perfectly right in a democracy where press
freedom and other liberties are upheld…There is a difference between freedom
and abuse…"
Family Doubts
Claim Of Police Cell Suicide
Trinidad, CMC - The relatives and friends of
25-year old Javon Husbands want an investigation into his death in a police
station cell.
Mr. Husbands was found Tuesday evening hanging in a cell in the La Horquetta
Police Station in the eastern region of Trinidad.
Police said Mr. Husbands, a singer, committed suicide but his friends and
relatives believe he was murdered. They find it strange that three people have
died by hanging so far this year in the cell at the police station.
Mr. Husbands was placed in the cell Tuesday after being charged with possession
of marijuana. Police said that an hour later, they found him hanging from an
iron bar with his blue vest around his neck.
A post-mortem conducted yesterday by pathologist Dr Hughvon DesVignes determined
that Mr. Husbands died of asphyxiation.
FedEx Tells Barbados, Region It's Here to Stay
Barbados, CMC - The United States-based courier
service, Federal Express (FedEx), on Thursday assured Caribbean customers that
it was committed to maintaining operations in the region.
F. Michael Murkowski, Vice President of Marketing, Customer Service and
Communications of the Latin America and Caribbean Division, was responding at a
press conference to rumours he attributed to some of its competitors that FedEx
was no longer committed to the marketplace.
"FedEx is committed not only to the
Caribbean but to Barbados," he said. "We have made significant
investments in Barbados with the expansion of our facility in 1999."
"We recently upgraded our aircraft .... We have the broadest network of
feeders in the Caribbean of any express company. We have 46 aircraft and 56
daily flights. We have been here for 18 years and we're going to be here for a
long, long time," he added.
He said Barbados, which is one of the top five Caribbean markets in terms of
packages volume and employs about 50 people, was an important part of the FedEx
global network.
Caymanian
Legislator Seeks to Oust Leader
A motion was made in the Cayman Islands
parliament Thursday to oust the Leader of Government Business, Kurt Tibbetts.
Under the Caymanian system of parliament, the Leader of Government Business is
the highest-ranking elected official in the country.
But he has no power under the constitution to block attempts to remove him from
the Legislative Assembly.
The motion against Mr. Tibbetts has been brought by supporters of a newly formed
political party, led by the Tourism Minister McKeeva Bush.
Maharaj Goes to
Court To Foil Panday Ruling
Trinidad, CMC -- The issue over who will lead
Trinidad and Tobago's ruling United National Congress (UNC) into the December 10
general elections headed for the law courts yesterday.
Deputy Political Leader of the divided party, Ramesh Maharaj, moved to file an
application to the court for judicial review of a decision of the Elections and
Boundaries Commission (EBC) to recognise his rival, UNC Political Leader and
Trinidad Prime Minister Basdeo Panday, as the person entitled to use the name of
the party and the symbol in the elections.
Mr. Maharaj, who leads a breakaway faction of the national executive, and Mr.
Panday, who is supported by the party's membership, asked the EBC to settle the
issue as each faction has been claiming the right to contest the elections using
the name of the party and symbol.
The EBC's decision lies solely with Panday's position as the undisputed leader
of the UNC. "What is not in dispute is that there exists one UNC and it has
one undisputed political leader," said EBC chairman Oswald Wilson.
The EBC noted there was a dispute over who holds the post of UNC general
secretary, and the validity of meetings of the UNC national executive, National
Congress and special National Assembly.
OECS Forum to Woo Telecom Investors
OECS Member States will step up efforts to build
a vibrant Telecommunications Sector with a three-day Investors Forum in St.
Kitts/Nevis from Thursday to Saturday next week at the Jack Tar Hotel in St.
Kitts.
The event is being organized by the OECS
Secretariat, the Eastern Caribbean Telecommunications Authority (ECTEL), the
World Bank and the St. Kitts/Nevis government, in hopes of informing and
stimulating investment in the telecommunications sector.
Governments of the OECS recently embarked on a programme of telecommunications
liberalization and the introduction of competition in the sector. They have
introduced new legislation and pioneered the establishment of the regional
regulator ECTEL -- considered a model in telecommunications regulation.
There is marked interest in investment in the Sector and the OECS is moving
speedily to put in place all the facilitating infrastructure for
telecommunications, as well as the information and Communication industry.
Bermuda Counts its Blessings In Wake of Hurricane Michelle
HAMILTON, Bermuda, CMC - Bermudians are counting
their blessings after dodging he full force of Hurricane Michelle which
claimed the lives of 16 people in Central America, Cuba and Haiti.
Offices closed early and many flights were cancelled as Michelle headed towards
the island Tuesday night.
But the island escaped virtually unscathed despite gusts of more than 60 mph.,
as what remained of Michelle merged with a cold front coming off Canada.
A few electricity outages were reported but power was quickly restored,
officials said.
Three weeks ago a storm, which later developed into Hurricane Karen, hammered
the island, knocking out power to most homes in the island.
Most Trinidad Parents Favor Testing of Children for Drugs
Trinidad, CMC -- A recent survey taken among 300
parents by the non-governmental organization Citizens for a Better Trinidad and
Tobago (CBTT), showed that more
than 75 percent of them had no objections to their children being tested for
illegal drugs.
This was revealed by president of the group, Harrack Balramsingh, who addressed
students and teachers at a closing function of the fourth annual Alcohol and
Drug Awareness Week.
Mr. Balramsingh said while some parents stated that they did not want their
children tested, the majority indicated they would like to know if their
children were on drugs.
He said he believes that thousands of students
will test positive for illegal drugs if tests are taken in the nation's schools.
He commended the Ministry of Education for supporting the Alcohol and Drug
Awareness Week and for encouraging school principals to make students more aware
of the grave dangers of substance abuse.
He also said that many teachers and principals could attest that young students
are also using alcohol, cigarettes and illegal drugs in the schools.
$10-million IDB Loan Approved for Jamaica
CMC - The Inter-American Development Bank
Wednesday announced the approval of a US$10 million loan to Jamaica to provide
water and basic sanitation services to poor rural communities.
The project will also test the effectiveness of a
new service model that could eventually be extended to rural areas throughout
the country, the bank said.
"The programme is designed to encourage community and private sector
participation in the provision of service, and IDB resources will also
strengthen the Ministry or Water and Housing, the agency that will carry out the
project," according to a statement from the Washington-headquartered
institution.
Antigua Government Pays UWI Tuition Debt
Antigua, CMC - The Antigua and Barbuda Government
has paid up more than EC$7 million (US$2.6 million) in debt to the University of
the West Indies (UWI), Education Minister Dr. Rodney Williams has confirmed.
The payments cover tuition costs at the university.
Dr. Williams said his Ministry "was committed to ensuring that the students
at the various campuses of the (UWI) are able to focus on their various courses
instead of on penalties associated with non-payment of economic costs."
Sixty-one Antiguans and Barbudans are studying at the three campuses - Cave Hill
in Barbados, Mona in Jamaica and St. Augustine in Trinidad.
Antigua's Half Moon BayTo Reopen Late Next Year
CMC
-- One of Antigua and Barbuda's flagship hotels, the Half Moon Bay, plans to
reopen in late 2002 after being closed for more than six years.
The owners, H. M. B Holdings Ltd., said in a statement that they have secured
financing to carry out extensive renovations and pay off debts.
The company said the resort, located on Antigua's scenic southeast coast, will
be renamed the Half Moon Bay Resort, Golf & Country Club.
It added that severance to all employees, various debts to government entities
and other liabilities will be paid "before the end of the year."
"We had promised them that they would be the first people to get paid and
we keep our promises," said Managing Director Natalia Querard.
"We are thrilled that we are able to attract lenders to a hospitality
project of this size, particularly given the difficulties of funding tourism
projects at this time, and general global economic conditions," Mr. Querard
added.
The 300-bed resort will feature a redesigned and enlarged golf course and
improved facilities consistent with a five-star resort, the company statement
said.
The Half Moon Bay was closed after being damaged by Hurricane Luis in 1995 and
remained shut in the face of reports that the property was under-insured and by
legal action by one shareholder who intended to force the company to be
dismantled.
The government passed a bill in the House of Representatives about two years ago
seeking to take over the operation but was stopped by legal action.
Trinidad
Elections Body Gives Nod to Panday Slate
Compiled
from dispatches
Trinidad, CMC - Trinidad and Tobago's Elections
and Boundaries Commission (EBC) said Wednesday that it would recognize a list of
candidates contesting next month's general elections on behalf of the ruling
United National Congress (UNC) party led by political leader Basdeo Panday.
Deputy political leader Ramesh Maharaj, deposed attorney general, leads the
opposing faction that has been insisting the party and symbol belonged to the
National Executive.
He said he would take the issue to court.
EBC Chairman Oswald Wilson said while there were several contentious issues by
the two factions, what was not in dispute was that there was one UNC party and
that it has an elected leader.
Meanwhile, Opposition Leader Patrick Manning
vowed to investigate all alleged shady dealings of the current administration if
his People's National Movement (PNM) wins the December 10 general election. He
said the country was currently experiencing "wholesale pilfering of the
treasury and the public purse."
That comes on the heels of a poll
showing that as much as 71 percent of the people interviewed were of the view
that Trinidad and Tobago's ruling UNC cheated in the December 2000 general
elections.
The St Augustine Research Associates (SARA) headed by Political Scientist Dr.
Selwyn Ryan conducted the poll. A total of 992 people were sampled in five
marginal constituencies.
St. Lucia's PM Anthony Confident of Re-election
Barbados, CMC -- Prime Minister of St. Lucia Dr.
Kenny Anthony is confident that his governing Labour Party (SLP) will win a
second five-year term at the snap general election planned for later this year.
The election, coming well before the May 2002 due date, is expected to be held
within a week of the December 10 general election in Trinidad and Tobago.
But Dr. Anthony, a 50-year-old lawyer who rose to power for the first time at
the last election, declined to confirm the date.
"What I can say is that when it takes place
the 'Star' (symbol of his St. Lucia Labour Party) will be shining very brightly
and Labour will be back in government for a second term through the good
judgement of the electorate," he told the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC)
in a telephone interview Wednesday from his home.
"Our performance record in every sector is there to be objectively assessed
and cannot be wished away or be diminished by the negative politics of our
opponents."
At the May 1997 election, the SLP decimated the main opposition United Workers
Party (UWP) with a 16-1 seat victory, securing some 44,153 votes or 60 percent
of the ballots cast, to the UWP's 26,325 or approximately 36 percent.
St. Lucia's parliament is to be dissolved shortly and the updated official
electoral register will be made available to all contesting parties ahead of
nomination of candidates for the 17 parliamentary constituencies that must take
place no less than 14 days before voting day.
Nevis Circuit
Court Opens New Assizes
Nevis -- A special sitting of the High Court of
Justice, Nevis Circuit, took place on Tuesday at the High Court in Charlestown
to open the New Law Term and November assizes on the island.
The day's proceeding began with a church service
at St. Paul's Anglican Church, followed by an Inspection of Guard of Honour by
His Lordship, the Hon. Mr. Justice Frederick Bruce-Lye, Resident Judge in the
Federation.
Justice Bruce-Lye read the Chief Justice's Speech
as the sitting of the November assizes opened during an official ceremony at the
High Court.
Four persons were called to the Bar: One
Nevisian, Farida Hobson, who will be working at her father's law firm, Theodore
Hobson & Associates; and three Jamaican nationals, Denise Lee, Brian Barnes
and Joan Mattis. Messrs. Barnes and Lee are attached to the law firm of Daniel,
Brantley & Associates, Nevis, while Ms. Mattis is working in the Attorney
General's Office, St Kitts.
Six cases are schedule to be heard in this
assizes. Charges include burglary, robbery, house breaking and larceny, causing
grievous bodily harm, and shooting with intent.
Photo: (3) Nevisian Farida Hobson takes oath
administered by Registrar of High Court of Justice, St Kitt-Nevis Ms Perletta
Lanns (1) Justice Federick Bruce-Lye inspects guard of honour (2) Registry Staff
sing Each Step I take
Antigua's
Opposition UPP Calls Pre-convention Talks
Antigua,. CMC - Antigua and Barbuda's opposition
United Progressive Party (UPP) convened a public forum yesterday to discuss the
challenges and opportunities of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Single Market
and Economy.
The discussions preceded the UPP's 5th biennial convention this weekend.
Top regional and local experts on the subject were invited to speak at the
session, part of the UPP's "programme to sensitize the public of Antigua
and Barbuda on current regional issues."
The UPP's two-day convention takes place tomorrow and Sunday, when party leader
Baldwin Spencer will face a challenge from lawyer Harold Lovell.
Belize Defence Force Receives New Trucks
BELMOPAN, Belize -- The Ministry of Defence
announced this week that a handing-over ceremony for additional defence
equipment was held at Price Barracks, Ladyville.
The British High Commissioner, H.E. Phillip Priestley, on behalf of the United
Kingdom Government, handed over to Rt. Hon. George Price, Minister of Defence,
seven F550 trucks, valued at $665,000.
The funding of this equipment, through the Defence Assistance Program, is part
of the continued interest in the security of Belize by the United Kingdom and
supports the Government of Belize initiatives for a strong and competent Belize
Defence Force.
ILO
Jobs Forum Seeks Global Rescue Package
A Global Employment Forum held at the
International Labour Organisation (ILO), citing the need for urgency in dealing
with a growing worldwide jobs crisis, recently launched a 10-point plan aimed at
reversing mounting unemployment and poverty due to the dual impacts of global
recession and the terrorists attacks of September 11.
Some 700 world political and economic leaders
have adopted the Global Agenda for Employment, which will seek to mitigate a
stunning reversal in the global economy that threatens to plunge 24 million
people into joblessness, and millions more into poverty.
The 10-point plan provides a framework for
marshalling such forces as international trade, information technology,
entrepreneurship, environmental sustainability, monetary and fiscal policy,
education and training, health and safety, labour market policies, social
dialogue to create jobs and alleviate poverty.
It will be submitted for further action to the
ILO’s Governing Body meeting, which opens next week.
Director-General of the ILO Juan Somavia said the
ILO would seek to unite its social partners behind a common front with the
United Nations and its agencies and the World Trade Organisation to forge a
global alliance for employment.
Opposition leader promises action oncorruption
Trinidad, CMC
- Trinidad and Tobago's pposition Leader, Patrick Manning, gave an undertaking
Tuesday to investigate all shady dealings of the current administration if his
party wins the December 10 general election.
Manning said the country was currently experiencing "wholesale pilfering of
the treasury and the public purse."
"I want to make it clear that if the People's National Movement (PNM) wins
the elections as we confidently expect to win, there will be an investigation
into Inncogen and we will bring to justice anybody who is found to have
transgressed any of the laws in Trinidad and Tobago in that matter," he
told reporters.
Ruling party cheated in 2000 election
Trinidad, CMC - A poll published here has found that as much as
71 per cent of the people interviewed were of the view that Trinidad and
Tobago's ruling party cheated in the December 2000 general elections.
The poll was conducted by the St Augustine Research Associates (SARA) headed by
Political Scientist Dr Selwyn Ryan. A total of 992 people were sampled in five
marginal constituencies, 489 of whom were male and 503 female.
By Peter Adrien
We
want results! Our people are impatiently waiting for the West Indies team to
dominate. The West Indian cricketing public is anxiously praying for, and wishes
they could hasten the gestation of the young cricketers. Recently the progress
of the team has been the subject of conversation in the bars and the rum shops;
on the streets and on the fields; in the highways and the by-ways; in the
corridors and in the board rooms.
After
almost a decade of painful adjustment which saw the team descending from the
pinnacle to the abyss; since the advent of Richie Richardson in 1991, the proud
people of the West Indies, the descendants of unruly slaves and rebellious
peasants, have dreamt of re-establishing themselves in the international sport
and leisure industry as a champion team.
Caribbean
people have been pressured to make such a demand from the institution that has
been its functional basis for self expression, as the developments in
international politics and economics have left them very little hope of carving
out a place for themselves in either international politics or in global
capitalism.
Like
the previous generation had done so successfully in the immediate
post-independence period, the Caribbean people are turning to West Indies
Cricket, one of the few institutions that have given them international credence
as a people. The other successful institutions are music (particularly the
pioneering work of Reggae Superstar Robert Nestor Marley, the musical ambassador
and cultural visionary), and education, that is, literature and economics
(through the path-breaking work of St. Lucian Nobel Laureates Derek Walcott
(Literature) and Sir Arthur Lewis (Economics).
The
previous generation established the decolonisation process by forcing the hand
of the colonial masters in recognizing the brilliance of Barbadian Sir Frank
Worrell, as the first black de facto Prime Minister of the West Indian nation,
thereby paving the way for the partial independence that we enjoy today. But the
masses had to wait for cricket team to turn the corner before it could
orchestrate the social and political revolution, thereby establishing the West
Indian nation (even if it would fail after only four years of experiment, from
1958 to 1960) on the world stage.
Now
the people, particularly the black diaspora, are calling on the team again at a
time of crisis. They need the cricket to produce the goods and to deliver a
competitive output when hope is seemingly turning into hopelessness. A West
Indian friend of mine residing in Manchester yearns for the day of deliverance,
for the day of domination, for the day of supremacy. He wrote me, “I do think
we will come out on top. The boys are hungry and when you are hungry you just
want to eat….I would love to see my West Indies at the top again.” This is
the desire of the West Indies!
What
have the West Indies Team achieved thus far under the new leadership Guyanese
Carl Hooper? Since March 2001, the new-look West Indian team, which emphasises
youth, growth and development, lost the recent home series 1-2 to the
second-place team, South Africa, but gave a fair account of themselves,
particularly with the dominating victory at Sabina, Jamaica, which was the
fitting farewell gift to the legend, Dr. Courtney Andrew Walsh, the highest
wicket-taker in Test cricket.
Carl
and his boys followed that with a one-nil Test series victory against the lowly
Zimbabwe in Zimbabwe, and upstaged the vintage Indian team in the triangular
one-day tournament that preceded the two-match Test series. These victories are
significant when seen against the backdrop of the pains that the Caribbean
cricketing public has known. It has been an experience in excruciating pain. It
has been heartaches such as watching in horror as their once great team, which
had arrogantly and stylishly dominated world cricket for two decades, started a
painful decline in the mid-1990's, from world beaters to international whipping
boys, only to reach rock-bottom when they were dismissed for 54 in Lords and 63
in Leeds in 2000. The hungry cricketing public will therefore cling to anything
that engenders hope.
These
victories may not have the reminiscence of dominating or humiliating victories
that West Indians were accustomed to in the 1980s, but coming after humiliation
by lowly Kenya, whitewashed or backwashed by New Zealand in New Zealand, South
Africa in South Africa and Australia in Australia, but the successes, whether
against the lowest of the low or the highest of the high, were refreshing to a
near-demoralized cricketing public.
This
is why these developments give hope and inspiration to Carl Hooper, the leader.
As an intelligent cricketer, he does not offer the Caribbean people sustained
victories, but offers the expectant supporters everywhere a cheering hope. He
noted, "I can see that our young players are developing. In two to three
years this side will be something to be reckoned with. There will be ups and
downs, but we can get stronger and better and bring this side back to what it
once was. We haven't done too badly in the last 6-7 months. We began with a home
series against South Africa, and even though we didn't win it, we were more
competitive (West Indies had been pummeled five-nil in South Africa) and then
had a good African tour. From the South African tour we have been trying players
who would form the nucleus of the 2003 world cup squad and I think we have gone
a long way towards identifying certain players. The likes of Chris Gayle, Marlon
Samuels and Ramnaresh Sarwan are very exciting prospects.”
The
Captain sees the tough challenge against Sri Lanka as a challenge for the
younger players, but it's also a good tour for them to figure out how to play
world class spinners. If they pass the test, it will do wonders for their
confidence. And it will do us well. Therefore it is not just about getting
output from the new team but learning the tricks of the trade. Quality output
from unfinished inputs (our young cricket) called for patience!
And
the first Test match, which begins on November 13, will be a real
test of patience for both players and supporters.
Let us rally with patience!
Peter
Adrien is an author, a syndicated sports analyst
and freelance photographer. He can be contacted via telephone (869) 465-4813
or E-mail: Adriens@caribsurf.com
PHOTO CAPTION:
Carl Hooper is leading like a warrior
(Photo: Peter Adrien)
WORK RELATED STRESS
by Ms. Gwendolyn White Psychiatric
Nurse
Psychological
stress can be defined as an emotional state that people experience in situations
where they perceive an imbalance between the demands placed on them and
their ability to meet these demands.
Work-related stress could be defined also as being the harmful
physical and emotional responses that occur when the requirements of the job do
not match the capabilities, resources or needs of the worker.
If
work-related stress is not recognized, acknowledged and managed appropriately,
it can lead to serious illnesses ranging from heart disease to mental disorders,
to productivity decreases and to substantial rehabilitation costs.
Employers
and employees need to agree that work-related
stress is a serious problem, which can lead to poor
health and low productivity. It is not an illness but people’s reactions
to excessive pressure and demands. It can affect employees at every
level, including managers and executives, and has nothing to do with being a
wimp.
Causes
of Work-related Stress
Frequently
cited causes of work-related stress are organizational change, inadequate
communication, too much work, time pressure, meaningless work, uncertainties,
inadequate skills, poor work environments, inadequate equipment, conflicting
demands of work and home, poor relationships with colleagues, lack of support,
lack of opportunities, emotionally demanding work e.g. (fire-fighters, police,
emergency personnel) poor introduction of technology and discrimination.
How
Do You Recognize Work-related Stress?
Work-related
stress is often reflected in a person’s behavior
Typical
behavioural changes that indicate stress are reduced performance, deteriorating
relationships, indecisiveness, irritability, absenteeism and health complaints,
with symptoms ranging from boredom, insomnia, fatigue depression,
listlessness, diarrhea, cramps, constipation, palpitations, itching, confusion and inability to concentrate and
feelings of being overwhelmed. In
extreme cases, stress can manifest
itself in the form of aggressive and threatening behaviour (e.g violence and
bullying) that then in turn can lead to stress by other employees.
Principles
for a Stress-free Environment
Communicate
and apply the organization’s stress management policy in a top down approach,
i.e. demonstrate that management is serious about the prevention of
stress.
Ensure
that people are employed in accordance with their capabilities and skills.
Provide
employees with genuine opportunities to participate in decisions concerning
issues such as their roles, workloads, responsibilities, occupational safety,
career developments and future employment prospects.
Stressful
jobs are high in demand and low in control. Create an organizational culture
where employees have a sense of control and ownership of their work.
Open
and honest communication is the key to
the prevention of work-related stress.
Agro Terrorism Threatens our Food Supply. Be Prepared
By Claude
Gerald
Montserrat’s food production potential cannot
escape the worsening instabilities prevalent in the wider world. Globalization,
competitive markets, international terrorism and our increasing reliance on food
imports emphasize our vulnerabilities. This is most worrying.
Jamaica’s agriculture minister recently issued
a challenge to local farmers to produce more and rely less on imports, pointing
out that the attack on the U.S compels preparation and action. If the day should
come when the ship or plane cannot bring us foreign food, we should be able to
feed ourselves. Both the private and public sector should take pre-emptive
actions to build resilience in our food systems. Tough times are on the horizon
and the ability to feed the nation is a prime undertaking.
There are inherent time lags in producing
agricultural commodities and these depend a great deal on how one combines
one’s scarce resources. A hungry man does not wish to hear about lags: he
wants food now and therefore preparing to grow and harvest requires much
planning. Fighting over food is a vulgar foreboding that is preventable.
We are long removed from the days when we had
solid control over what we eat. Everyone engaged then in some form of gardening
that sustained the household. For a multitude of reasons this is not so anymore.
The supermarket is the focus as we continue to disconnect with tilling
the soil for fresh food needs. When the supply dries up we trouble and resort to
canned foods as inferior substitutes. Fresh locally grown foods that thrive in
our environment, use our soil, and water and exchange our oxygen and carbon
dioxide must be superior to those from foreign environment. A oneness exits.
Locally grown foods when eaten promote physical and spiritual connections with
man, the cleaner the better. Our
locally grown foods anchor us to the earth, the source of our origin, in a super
special way for our benefit.
It discomforts to learn that the threat of
agro-terrorism is considered a real possibility as a spill off of the World
Trade Center troubles. If quantity and quality are victimized in any of the many
markets for primary and processed foods in the U.S., it will heighten the panic
that exists there and the repercussions for islands in the Caribbean with
trading links to the mainland could be disastrous. The things we take for
granted will no longer hold and new modalities will be needed to address our
food needs. Terrorism knows no limits and seeks to impact most nastily. Talk of
suffocating consumers who open canned foods or to microbially infected liquid
foods emphasizes our vulnerability in dramatic ways.
Hardened terrorists will foul the American food system at some time to
the detriment of us all. As fear rises shipping times are being lengthened and
this could become more sporadic and costly overall.
The American way of living is contagious. We
embrace it solidly. It sets the pace in eating and other habits. The American
economy is strong at best of times and their food industry is well integrated
with scale of operation such that they can produce at lowest cost; hence
affording comparative advantages that allow for efficient storage, transport and
marketing. The ability to do so facilitates their landing food and food products
on island at cheaper rates than we can produce.
This to a large measure is attractive to local
businesses that trade in food but is danger- filled for the consumer: one has no
guarantee on the quality and nature of any consignment and shiny uniform foods
are not necessarily nutritionally wholesome. For example, premature harvesting
or forced ripening designed to compensate for shipping time can compromise
quality considerably at destination. Additionally the consumer cannot swear for
growing conditions or the nature of inputs, all of which influence the final
product.
It is estimated that between 80 and 90 percent
for any size basket of goods bought is imported. This includes edible and
non-edible products thus emphasizing our near absolute dependency on the outside
and whatever impacts on that process. The food import bill is already
considerable at 13 pecent of total imports (7.8million of 58 million) and is
higher than when the population was about 10,000. We import from extra-regional
sources vegetables that we can grow: parsley, broccoli, carrots, cabbages, sweet
pepper; fruits too, some of which are so foreign that we have to make an effort
to adjust to the taste, and we become addicted to this foreign taste to the
detriment of local food producers, the pocket book and our health.
Our situation is unique: we are transient. We
have lost nearly two-thirds of our land space to the volcanic eruption and some
well-seasoned and adaptable farmers, mainly to the U.K.
Space available is under competition from other sectors and thus good
farmland is not abundant. Livestock rearing is limited and can no longer be
extensive. The vagaries of the weather pose a separate challenge. Successful
farming is tightly linked to timely rainfall.
So the challenge is on and the responsibility rests with each person to
pull skills and energies for the urgent tasks that must come sooner than later.
(To be
continued)
Claude
Gerald is an agricultural economist with an abiding interest in the
socio-economic and political development of Montserrat. E-mail
ceegee15@hotmail.com
Buckle Up (15/10/99)
Your safety is really the crux
Of concern, instead of ‘big bucks,’
Seat belts are recommended
Save for those undefended
Standing up on the backs of our trucks.
Musical Chairs
John Osborne is needed abroad,
Requiring a fill-in by Claude
At the PublicWorks post
While Lowell plays 'host'
In the deputy role we applaud.
Jus wonderin whether they plan an official
dedication after they finish the Cathy Buffonge Commemorative Guardrail on
Fogarty Hill.
Jus wonderin if the acting Minister of
Communications and Works will stop building roads to nowhere.
Jus wonderin if the tourism returns to Montserrat
will be increased pro-rata to the increased number of persons from Government
who went to the Tourism World Fair.
Jus wonderin if me sing calypso again wha me ago
get this time.
Jus wonderin when GOM a go give awe our share of
de money wey dem give de others in Antigua Englun an other places.
Jus wonderin who de female officer a run race
wid.
Jus wonderin if de people who live in de Brades
shelter a go get one room a piece in de new houses weh a build in Lookout.
Jus wonderin tell me this, wah wrong, weh de
trouble deh and wah a happen to Montserrat.
Jus wonderin me de fan give you all a big hand
for all de jokes and smiles you put pan we faces.
Jus wonderin if me should write one book on jus
wonderin and get it published.
Jus wonderin why dis woman always have one worry
look on she face.
Jus wonderin if man to man is unjust what is
woman to woman.
Jus wonderin if everything else legal now except
for the passport.
Jus wonderin is saying hi to its favourite
officer and fan.
Jus wonderin about the jus wonderin girls dem.
Jus wonderin why one so rosy, one so slim, one so
shapely and one so sexy.
Jus wonderin if laughter is the best medicine
what is anger.
Jus wonderin how many start feeling the Christmas
vibes.
Jus wonderin what cost there is to love that is
ordered by Him.
Jus wonderin what happen to dem oder ministers
mouth dat a the surgeon have to be always sewing up wounds for them.
Jus wonderin why the government don't start to
encourage people back home by building houses available to them and the rest of
the people still living in Montserrat, instead of fooling dem about wanting dem
to come back home and telling dem the door open to dem own homeland, lek de
people dem a prodigal people.
Jus wonderin seriously what signs we can look for
if dis island will ever get back viable again.
Jus wonderin why the back-bencher don't stop
harassing the man when he criticizes the nonsense and go and get his ministers
to do something more positive to improve the lot of these suffering people.
Jus wonderin what the Com minister sees that
visitors will see in Salem to discourage them to come back.
Jus wonderin if now de projects drop if business
pick back up in Salem and wherever.
Jus wonderin why it is so easy to get scholarship
from DFID to study masonry and so difficult to get for IT.
Jus wonderin what more it take than to copy
Antigua, or better yet Cayman or BVI legislation and let this country start
earning some revenue.
Jus wonderin what role HMG and DFID play in
preventing that.
Jus wonderin if there is any seriousness to get
even sustenance to this country much more prosperity.
Jus wonderin why no action is taken officially
rather than encouraging people to do wrong, 'don't pay' and still tell the law
'mek dem pay.'
Summary
Report of Proceedings of the Legislative Council 6th November, 2001
In the Legislative Council on 6th
November, 2001 -
I
The following Statutory Rules and Orders were Laid on The Table:-
SR&O
No.24 of 2001 - Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court Civil Procedure Rules 2000
II
The following Bill had its First Reading:-
Financial Services Commission Act
2001
First Reading
-
6th November, 2001
The object of this Bill is to set up an
independent Financial Services Commission to supervise financial institutions.
A copy of this Bill can be accessed at the Clerk
of Council's Office Government Headquarters Brades, The Public Library, Brades
or the Attorney General's Chambers, Palm Loop.
III
The following Bill was amended, recommitted and passed following a
further Third Reading
Firearms (Amendment) Act 2001
First Reading
-
20th September, 2001
Second Reading
-
12th October, 2001
Third Reading
-
12th October, 2001
Amended and Recommitted -
6th November, 2001
Third Reading
-
6th November, 2001
Amendment
Clause 3. "Punishment for the other offences
32. Replace (a) and (b) with the following (a) and (b) and add (c)
(a)
in the case of a first offence
to a term of imprisonment for five years; and
(b)
in the case of a first
offence, where such offence is possessing a single firearm or ammunition not
exceeding fifty rounds in violation of the provisions of paragraph (a) of
section 4(1), to a fine not exceeding $5000; and
(c)
in the case of -
(iii)
a second offence or subsequent
offence; or
(iv)
a first offence committed by a
person, who prior to the commencement of this Act, was convicted of an
indictable offence, or an attempt to commit an indictable offence,
to a term of imprisonment for not less than seven years."
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