The reviews are in: months of rigorous rehearsal have paid off handsomely for the students of Operation Triple Threat (OTT) who can take pride in outstanding performances in A Very Special Christmas.
The latest production of the developmental performing arts programme unfolded at the Frank Collymore Hall this past weekend. Three daily shows culminated on Sunday with a matinee show that drew the largest audience.
In the first half, the musical elements were key to adding a unique and vibrant dimension to the traditional Christmas story. Even familiar carols like O Come All Ye Faithful were given a twist using more modern interpretations. Upbeat choices like The Virgin Mary Had a Baby Boy, made popular by Harry Belafonte, magnified the dynamic feel.
Director Janelle Headley stepped out of the box and pulled in contemporary selections like Pure Imagination from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory and Feel the Love, the 2020 hit from Freetown Collective X DJ Private Ryan, to seamlessly blend the scenes, offering a refreshingly innovative take on the narrative.
Close attention was paid to every detail, maintaining the high calibre with which the OTT brand has become synonymous. The set design was spot on, and the costuming worked in tandem with the lighting to captivate the audience.
However, the action was not restricted to the main stage. Throughout the production the performers traversed the hall, allowing patrons to feel immersed in the storyline, keeping the audience engaged.
In the second half, the production took on a more contemporary Christmas narrative, delving into the poignant tale of a family separated when the patriarch went off to war. The imagery skilfully guided the audience through the emotional highs and lows of the relationships within the family. The selection of music yet again played a crucial role, with the lyrics of Stevie Wonder’s Someday at Christmas proving especially fitting for the storyline. The musical selections enhanced the audience’s connection to the heart-wrenching and hopeful moments depicted in the modern Christmas tale.
The expansive cast spanned across all ages from four to 21. The production married the talent of current members with some of their alumni. Among them were Najidah Austin, Jabari Browne, Mishael Haynes, Makeda Lowe, Chad Montplaisir, and Shaquille Sealy.
The elation of having completed their task was palpable as the entire cast and production team came to the stage for their final bow, receiving the deserved cheers of the audience.
OTT’s first project next year is set to be the stage production of the classic musical, Annie, from April 12 to April 14. Fans can mark their calendars for what is sure to be a captivating and memorable theatrical experience. (STT)
A trial date for former calypso monarch Aziza Kebret Tsgaye Clarke has been set.
Appearing before Madam Justice Pamela Beckles in the No. 5 Supreme Court on Tuesday, Clarke, who is accused of assisting a now-convicted murderer, was informed that her hearing will begin on April 22, 2024.
The Bonnetts, Brittons Hill, St Michael resident is charged that knowing or believing that Hakeem Stuart had committed an arrestable offence of murder, without lawful authority or reasonable excuse, did assist him by transporting him in a motor car to impede his arrest by police on March 21, 2019.
Clarke was represented by Senior Counsel Michael Lashley, while State Counsel Tito Holder appeared for the prosecution.
Two men convicted for having guns and ammunition, in two separate cases, were ordered by the court to pay almost $40 000 in fines, some immediately.
In one case, Lavon Renaldo Godwin Alleyne had to fork over $10 000 to the High Court on Tuesday to avoid spending the next two years in prison for gun and ammunition possession.
The Bottom Close, Wildey, St Michael resident reappeared in Supreme Court No. 2 before Justice Randall Worrell, where he was ordered to pay the hefty fine forthwith for being in possession of a .22 short calibre revolver on November 6, 2015, without a valid licence. Alleyne had also admitted to having five rounds of ammunition without a valid permit on the same date.
Highlighting the seriousness of the offence, Justice Worrell said the mitigating factors – Alleyne having no previous convictions, his youth at the time of the offence, that no one was injured in the recovery of the gun, and a lack of evidence that the firearm had been used to commit any crimes – outweighed the aggravating factors.
Deeming a starting point of six years for both offences appropriate, the judge deducted two years for the mitigating factors. Then he gave discounts for the convicted man’s early guilty plea, the eight-year delay in the matter getting to trial, and his time spent in custody.
“The six months you spent on remand should have shown you the error of your ways…. It was an act of stupidity on your part to have a firearm,” Justice Worrell told Alleyne.
In addition to the $10 000 forthwith fine for the firearm, Alleyne has until March 31, 2024 to pay $5 000 for having the ammunition. Failure to pay the latter amount will result in him spending 614 days in Dodds Prison.
In the other matter, Nikolas Ishmael Raheem Hall of No. 1 Halls Village, St James was fined $20 000 for having a .32 revolver and $3 000 for possession of six rounds of ammunition, when he reappeared before Justice Laurie-Ann Smith-Bovell in the No. 4 Supreme Court on Monday.
He had pleaded guilty to the December 4, 2017 offences earlier this year.
The court heard that while at the traffic lights on Husbands Road, St James, police saw a motorcycle coming from Clermont Road with a helmet-less pillion rider. They said the man was continually pulling at his crotch area rather than holding on. The police signalled to the driver to stop, but he instead mounted the embankment, and the pillion rider jumped off and ran in a southerly direction towards Hinds Hill. The driver rode off.
The pillion rider, who was later identified as Hall, tried to make his way through some overgrown bushes but fell, and a gun fell from him.
He admitted to the police that he got the firearm from a cock-fight in Orange Hill. He declined to give a written statement.
Justice Smith-Bovell considered the aggravating factors of the offence, noting the seriousness of the offence, that Hall had come into possession of the firearm during the illegal activity of cock-fighting, and that he was also found with drugs when he was arrested.
She added that his remorse, early guilty plea, and lack of previous convictions were mitigating factors.
The judge said that the court was satisfied that a non-custodial sentence was appropriate.
Giving a starting point of eight years, the judge deducted time for his early guilty plea, the delay in the matter being brought to trial, and the time Hall had spent on remand.
Hall, who had been represented by Senior Counsel Arthur Holder, was ordered by the judge to pay $12 000 forthwith for the gun, with the balance to be settled in six months, while the fine for the ammo must be paid in nine months.
Failure to pay either fine will result in Hall spending two years and 140 days behind bars.
The Barbados Police Service is seeking the public’s assistance in locating Christina Baksh, formerly of Hunte Street, Bridgetown, St. Michael.
Christina Baksh is asked to urgently contact Inspector Rodney Inniss at the Communications & Public Affairs Department at telephone numbers 437-3885 or 836-0976
Plagued with several environmental complaints over the years, St John’s Primary School is to be closed indefinitely, the Ministry of Education has announced.
And the Barbados Union of Teachers (BUT), the parent-teacher association (PTA) and the Member of Parliament for the area have supported the closure of the 100-year-old Glebe Land primary school which has a roll of 100 students.
In a late-night press statement, the ministry announced that “most” of the students would be relocated to Mount Tabor Primary School in Sherbourne. With the move, two primary schools remain to serve the parish, the other being St Margaret’s at Newcastle.
“The decision to close the school indefinitely was not as a result of environmental tests, but rather the collective costs incurred over the years without getting the desired results,” the ministry said.
“There has been no final decision on the future of the St John’s Primary School, but all options are being actively considered at this time.”
For the past several weeks, teachers have been refusing to enter the classrooms at St John’s Primary, complaining about mould and other environmental issues. Parents also joined in solidarity with the teachers and protested with their children outside the school gates. On December 4, the school was relocated to the Messiah’s House of Prayer Wesleyan Holiness Church at Massiah Street, two miles away.
PTA president Nicole Gill-Wilson said the closure of the school was “sad” but necessary, and also questioned what was in the findings of the latest environmental tests done at the school.
“For some of us parents, this is our alma mater. So we are sad it had to come to this but at the same time, we don’t think there was another solution. If something was probably done in the earlier stages, it may not have come to this, if the government was more proactive instead of being reactive to the situation,” she said.
“I would have asked if the school closure is a result of the environmental test at the school and I was told blatantly no, that that had no basis on the decision, which I think the ministry could have at least respected the parents enough to be transparent about why the decision was made . . . . I believe that the report would have had to say something significant for them to come to the conclusion of closing the school. There are other schools and institutions in Barbados with environmental issues and they are being corrected, and they are being reopened.
“So I think there is something more going on at St John’s and that is why it is being closed. So I wish they were more transparent about what it is. Tell us the real reason why the school is being closed. But we do agree that the children cannot go back into that school.”
Neither teachers nor parents were provided with the latest environmental test conducted by environmental hygienist Ian Weekes, who had to retest the school after the recommendations of the first study that was dated June 23, were not followed.
That test showed that “81.8 per cent of the surface sampled had predominantly or exclusively Cladosporium spores growth that ranged from light to heavy mould spore growth”. After three months, the test becomes invalid.
BUT President Rudy Lovell said he was pleased the students and staff would no longer be falling ill repeatedly.
BUT president Rudy Lovell.
“The BUT is extremely excited that the students and teachers at the St John’s Primary School would be relieved of the environmental issues that have been plaguing the school for so many years,” he said, adding that he was grateful that the ministry put plans in place to facilitate the students elsewhere.
“Those persons who were being impacted by the environment would now have a lease on the teaching and learning process without having to worry about the effects of the environment they occupied . . . . The school was worked on on several occasions and the problems kept coming back. So I see this as a positive step where the government can no longer continue to put money in a problem that has not been rectified.”
In Wednesday’s statement, the ministry said a meeting was held with teachers and staff about the school’s closure. A virtual meeting was also held with parents.Parliamentary representative for St John, Charles Griffith, was also part of the online meeting.
In that meeting, Deputy Chief Education Officer Joy Adamson said that after touring schools in St Philip and the other St John school, St Margaret’s Primary, Mount Tabor was the better option. She told the parents about the arrangements that would be made to the individual classes – which classes would be amalgamated with that of Mount Tabor’s and which ones would remain separate. She said transport would be provided to Mount Tabor and also pointed out that parents were free to transfer their wards elsewhere.
Gill-Wilson said several parents had transferred their children since the start of the school term, adding that she was among those who had opted to do so owing to the school’s persistent issues.
The parents were also informed that the students would be able to wear their St John’s Primary uniforms for the rest of the term, which ends on Thursday.
“While other details continue to be fleshed out, the ministry is working with Mount Tabor to have the students and parents attend an orientation prior to the start of the new school term to familiarise both students and parents with the classes and new teachers where it applies,” the ministry’s statement added.
Expressing support for the closure of the school, MP Griffith said: “I believe that the best decision was taken on behalf of the students and on behalf of the staff. I remember, earlier this year or last year when the issue first came to light in terms of the problem with the mould, I met with the principal and staff members. We. . .the government tried to rectify the problem and the Ministry of Education would have done all that is necessary in terms of trying to find a solution for our youngsters so that they would not be disadvantaged. And I am pleased with the solution.”
In July 2014, Society Primary, another century-old school, was shut down amid claims of structural and environmental problems for many years.
The United Nations system in Barbados marked Human Rights Day and the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights with the UN’s top official here underscoring the document’s legacy.
Didier Trebucq, the UN Resident Coordinator for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, stressed the declaration’s role in a reception at UN House in Marine Gardens.
Addressing a diverse audience, including parliamentarians, civil society representatives, and diplomats, Trebucq highlighted the profound significance of understanding and upholding human rights that are deeply entrenched in global treaties and laws.
“We cannot commemorate this anniversary without acknowledging that human rights encompass much more than mere words in any document,” Trebucq said.
“Behind every social change that has enhanced justice, freedom, or inclusion, there has always been a person or a group of persons ‘fighting the fight,’ risking their lives,” he added while acknowledging the relentless efforts of countless individuals who have championed justice, freedom, and inclusion.
Considered a milestone document in the history of human rights, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted by the UN General Assembly in Paris on December 10 1948. Its 30 articles set down the fundamental rights and freedoms that all people are entitled to regardless of their race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.
Minister of Labour Colin Jordan echoed the UN official’s sentiments, emphasising the indispensable nature of equal rights in safeguarding all individuals within the country’s borders.
“Everyone should be treated fairly. Every person deserves dignity… [and] I assure you of the Government’s commitment to the human rights agenda, ensuring that discrimination has no place in this country,” he declared.
Canada’s High Commissioner, Lilian Chatterjee, also weighed in, stressing the fundamental role of human rights in nurturing democratic principles. She applauded the critical role played by human rights defenders in promoting awareness and equality, acknowledging the risks they often face in their advocacy.
The event showcased presentations from local human rights advocates, including The Most Honourable Kerryann Ifill, the president of the Barbados Council for the Disabled; Maria Marshall, UNICEF’s Youth Advocate for the Environment; and Ranako Bailey, co-founder and chair of WeTalkingBois.
The evening’s proceedings culminated in a one-minute candlelight vigil, intended to symbolise hope and underscore the collective commitment to upholding and protecting the foundational principles of human rights.
Adopted three years after the end of the Second World War and in response to the horrors of the Jewish Holocaust and other atrocities, the framers of the declaration intended a set of global rights to prevent such atrocities from happening again.
Although the Universal Declaration is not legally binding, its language on equality and non-discrimination has been included in many national constitutions. Its guarantee of freedom of expression has also contributed to the adoption of freedom of speech constitutional provisions, among other fundamental rights and freedoms. (RG)
President Dame Sandra Mason has urged Barbadians to extend their generosity to the less fortunate beyond the holiday season.
In her address at the Salvation Army’s Christmas hamper distribution ceremony at the charity’s headquarters in Bridgetown on Wednesday, she acknowledged the economic challenges many face but stressed the importance of consistently supporting those in need.
“The Salvation Army has always believed that need has no season, and we should honour the principle of peace and goodwill to all men. It is not only at Christmas that we should seek to be peaceful with ourselves and our neighbours; it should be something that we seek to emulate throughout our lives,” Dame Sandra urged.
While she noted that Christmas tends to be a time when donations are more forthcoming, she said focus must be placed on being good neighbours, regardless of the time of year.
“Just as the Salvation Army has been preaching for generations, we should be in service to our fellow man. We shouldn’t only be looking at Christmas time to hand out something; we should be giving all throughout the year,” the president said.
During the event, Dame Sandra helped distribute 2 000 hampers, saying it was a tradition she was privileged to be part of.
She also expressed gratitude to the Salvation Army for their continuous efforts in assisting the less fortunate and reminded recipients to be appreciative of the hampers.
“These hampers aren’t a right, they are a privilege, so be grateful for whatever you get in your hampers. I hope they make your Christmas a very merry one,” Dame Sandra told them.
In addition to the 2 000 hampers distributed at the Salvation Army’s headquarters, 2 000 more will be distributed at centres across the island.
(BB)
Minister of State in the Office of the Attorney General with responsibility for Crime Prevention, Corey Lane, has described the National Peace Programme’s (NPP) recently concluded Flip Yah Script Aftercare Programme as a pathway of empowerment for young people.
He praised the 60 young people who participated in the eight-week training session, saying their commitment and enthusiasm to learn were evident. Speaking at the closing of the programme, at Kingdom International Squarefoot Complex, in Lower Estate, St Michael, he said: “We are planting seeds in your life to make sure you flip the script. The script that some people are on is a path to destruction…. We must now water the seeds that you planted and we will fertilise them…. [By completing this programme], real opportunities, rewards and development are there for you.”
Lane gave the assurance that even though the training had ended, the journey with the NPP would continue.
He told the young people who participated in the programme that their names would be included in the NPP’s database so there would be long-term follow-up with them.
In highlighting some next steps, Lane noted that 10 eligible young people from the programme would travel to Canada from January 20 to 28, next year, as part of the NPP’s New Horizon Youth Portal.
He also disclosed that some participants had expressed an interest in working on a farm and that initiative would be introduced.
“There are so many programmes that we have done, … we are doing, and…will be done,” he said.
The minister pointed out that the change agents were tasked with starting adventure clubs across Barbados, as he disclosed that 21 had been established. The setting up of the groups, he said, had allowed children to participate in hiking and crabbing, among other activities.
Lane pointed out that many high-risk and at-risk young people did not have anybody to talk to, provide them with necessary guidance, and make them feel cared for and loved.
He thanked all of the persons involved in the programme, including the facilitators; the Crime Prevention Project Unit of the Office of the Attorney General, and the NPP team.
During the training session, participants were exposed to business planning, business etiquette, résumé writing and interviewing techniques, budgeting, and financial planning, among others.
The Flip Yah Script transformative experience is one of the many avenues being used to fight crime in Barbados, by changing the way people think. (BGIS)
There is no more sinister threat to our immediate existence in the Eastern and Southern Caribbean and coastal Latin America than what is transpiring between Guyana and Venezuela, warns Prime Minister Mia Mottley.
And issue number one must be the preservation of peace, she underscored ahead of travelling to St Vincent and the Grenadines for the highly anticipated dialogue between Guyanese President Dr Irfaan Ali and Nicholas Maduro of Venezuela.
Mottley cautiously spoke on the contentious matter as she addressed Wednesday’s Barbados Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) business luncheon and discussion at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre.
“Our consciousness has been infused with the presence of war, from Ukraine and Russia to the war in Africa across many different territories, to the war in the Middle East. And the one thing that we have said in this region is that we don’t want to lose the region as a zone of peace,” she said.
Declaring that the time for conversation is never over when it comes to peace, Mottley said, “we hope that we can keep temperatures down,” even as she acknowledged that in every family there are arguments and fights.
“And you have to find ways, even when people are right, to be able to lower the temperature because you don’t want your neighbours to get involved or you don’t want nobody to get hurt by accident,” she added.
Tension has soared between Georgetown and Caracas in recent months over the oil-rich Essequibo region which has been administered by Guyana for centuries and on which President Maduro continues to make a claim.
Earlier this month, Venezuela was ordered by the United Nations International Court of Justice (ICJ) to refrain from aggravating the territorial dispute, ahead of a December 3 referendum in Caracas in which 95 per cent of voters supported declaring Venezuela as Essequibo’s rightful owner.
Ahead of Thursday’s talks, Maduro, in a letter to host Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves, expressed hope that the dialogue “becomes a starting point towards the return of direct negotiations”, while President Ali insisted that the conflict is off the table and the matter will be decided by the ICJ.
Prime Minister Mottley made clear that CARICOM is fully behind Guyana
and that peaceful resolution of the dispute must be through the Hague-based ICJ.
“This is a process where we need to leave all egos on the side and where we need to focus on the big picture, which is peace,” she said. “When the war broke out in Gaza and Israel, I made one statement internationally…and I said simply, ‘the peace will come’. But the question is: at what cost? In other words, how many lives will go, how much damage will be done and will the land be capable of sustaining life again?”
Insisting that she had every confidence that the region wants peace, Mottley added: “We need now to stretch every sinew in our body to ensure that the people of this region do not join the list in the rest of the world that are seeing war and disruption.”
(SD)
Former Governor of the Central Bank of Barbados, Dr Delisle Worrell, has suggested that the government prioritise spending on upgrading skills in the public service to boost its productivity.
Dr Worrell, who was governor during the Freudel Stuart administration from November 2009 to March 2017, made a case for funding these initiatives through tax revenue rather than relying on policy-based loans in the December issue of his monthly economic newsletter.
Highlighting the widespread complaints about implementation deficits in the Caribbean, he said these loans have failed to improve countries’ capacity to be internationally competitive or meet public policy goals.
He also argued that foreign borrowing diminishes rather than enhances a country’s ability to buy necessary consumables and inputs from abroad.
Dr Worrell, a member of the Bretton Woods Committee – a nonpartisan network of prominent global citizens promoting international economic cooperation and multilateral lenders as global forces for well-being – also wrote that just like an individual who borrows to pay rent, a government that secures a policy loan to improve skills and implementation capacity in the public service is weakening its finances, compared with the alternative of financing such upgrades out of tax revenues.
“To make matters worse,” he added, “in the Caribbean, more often than not, there is no measurable improvement in competitiveness or productive capacity that can be attributed to policy loans.”
Dr Worrell noted that there are many practical, political, institutional and managerial reasons why there has been no improvement in public sector productivity in the Caribbean.
He declared: “These are not problems that loan finance can solve.”
Responsible government borrowing should be limited to financing infrastructure and capital projects, Dr Worrell suggested. He asserted that all other spending on boosting public sector productivity should be covered by tax revenues.
He said: “Experience suggests that a prudent government should borrow only to finance infrastructure and capital projects. All other expenditures are to be funded from tax revenues, including spending to raise public sector productivity.
“Policies to improve productivity come with increases in current expenditures because of the greater remuneration needed to secure the services of persons with higher levels of skill.”
Dr Worrell, who founded the bank’s research department during his tenure as an economist from 1973 to 1998, argued against the use of policy loans for such purposes.
The former technical advisor with the International Monetary Fund specifically targeted Caribbean governments, contending that borrowing for policy change has not yielded the expected results.
“The failure of lending for policy change is reflected in the fact of the widespread and enduring complaints, everywhere in the Caribbean, about ‘implementation deficits’,” he said.
“It turns out that disbursements of policy loans have not been reflected in improvements in the capacity of Caribbean governments to devise and implement strategies to improve international competitiveness, to replace imported fossil fuels with renewables, or to pursue any of their announced policy objectives.”
He argued that foreign borrowing does not increase a country’s capacity to purchase necessary consumables and inputs from abroad; rather, it reduces that capacity.
“If an individual borrows $100 to pay this month’s rent, they make themselves poorer, because they have no money to pay next month’s rent, and in addition, they now owe an extra $100 plus interest. Borrowing, for an individual or a country, only makes sense if it increases your spending power in the future, through an increase in earnings or by savings on purchases,” Dr Worrell said.
He underscored that the rationale for policy loans is that improved implementation of economic policies has the potential to make the country a more attractive destination for foreign investment.
The economist indicated that such investment would increase the country’s capacity to earn – as in the case of new hotel construction – or save foreign currency, as for investment in renewable energy.
But, he added: “In order to raise the national capacity to devise and implement better policies, you need to recruit and equip public servants with higher levels of expertise and experience, a process which involves an increase in recurrent expenditures, in contrast to a one-time project such as the building of a new hospital or rural access road.”
He explained that when the loan matures, the need for finance continues because the new staff still has to be paid their monthly salary. (EJ)
The Mottley administration intends to restructure the Barbados Water Authority (BWA), the Prime Minister has told business leaders, likening the water utility and regulator to a “salmon tot retriever or a good ol’ common dog” that is unable to excel as a state-owned enterprise in multiple roles.
“If ever there was a need for an entity to be world-class, it has to be the Barbados Water Authority and, therefore, I am giving the country the commitment that over the next few years, we’ve brought some of our very best and brightest brains in the country to be able to come to the table to deal with the management of the board and to ensure that we can make the transition because without water we have nothing,” she said.
She made the remarks to the Barbados Chamber of Commerce and Industry during its annual business luncheon and discussion forum at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre.
Mottley hinted at the eventual breakup of the institution in a colourful, homespun summation of the national water and sewerage corporation that in 1980 replaced the Waterworks Department which regulated the extraction and distribution of potable water since the 1890s.
She did not elaborate on what agencies would be formed out of the separation of the authority’s regulatory powers, sewerage services, and finding, extracting and distributing water, nor did she state which, if any, of the resulting entities would be in private sector hands.
“We have a single entity that is supposed to be regulatory, that is supposed to be distribution, that is supposed to be augmentation, and that is supposed to do research as well, and everything. You end up with a salmon tot retriever or a good ol’ common dog, as [you’re] not . . . able to secure excellence in each of the four areas. So governance has to be addressed frontally,” Mottley said.
She indicated that the mission of retired business executives David Wright and Dodridge Miller as the BWA’s chairman and deputy chairman respectively is “to get to the bottom of that”.
The prime minister added: “A lot of the systems that we have, tens of millions of dollars, were spent by the last government and we are no better in respect of some of the systems, particularly the IT systems, because it is a headache so we are getting to the bottom of that.”
But one of the more vital areas identified for urgent attention was water augmentation, she said, noting that with the climate crisis, pinpointing additional sources of water – whether from groundwater resources or desalination – will be critical.
She said: “You have heard much debate locally, and I want to address it too, about the debt for climate swap that we’re doing with the upgrading of the South Coast Sewage Treatment Plant, and will therefore be able to have tertiary treated water to replenish our aquifers and for agricultural purposes.
“For those who use disparaging terms for what we are doing . . . we will be using cleaner water than is going in the aquifer now and cleaner water than what is irrigating the crops now because you will be treating the water rather than using and letting untreated water go towards those purposes.”
Alluding to Barbados’ landmark debt-for-climate deal, she said the country was saving money as it was repurchasing $600 million of its debt to finance the sewage project
“This will allow us to help finance that plant over the next 18 months to two years with the help of the Inter-American Development Bank which is taking 40 per cent of it,” she said. “The European Investment Bank which we got the clearance from then when I was in Europe last month and also the Green Climate Fund (GCF) which takes a little longer and we may have to have some bridging finance to make up for the time, but the beauty of the GCF is that it is grant money so that will help us replenish the acquirer in St Philip and also will help us deal with agriculture.”
(RG)
Two days before the godfather of Barbadian entertainment Richard Stoute will be laid to rest, family, friends, and former participants in his teen talent competition were among the scores of people who showed up to pay their respects as he lay in repose at the Empire Club in Bank Hall. There was a mix of tears, laughter, and applause as the occasion was used to pay tribute to him in song and word today. Here, grandsons Jason and Jermaine Mounter look lovingly at a man whom many others said was like a father to them.
St Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves on Thursday welcomed Guyana’s President Dr Irfaan Ali and Venezuelan leader Nicholas Maduro for high-level talks over their longstanding border dispute.
Guyana’s delegation includes Attorney General Anil Nandlall and Minister of Foreign Affairs Hugh Todd.
President Maduro’s delegation includes his Vice President Delcy Rodriguez.
Prime Minister Mia Mottley is also attending the meeting. Ahead of the meeting, Mottley said there would be no quick fix to the dispute.
“This is a patient process, it is a process where we need to leave all egos at the side, and where we need to focus on the big picture which is peace. I have every confidence that those of goodwill in the region, as all of us are, want peace,” Mottley said.
The public is advised that the District ‘A’ Civil and Maintenance Court, which was located at the St. Matthias Magistrates’ Court Complex, St. Matthias, Christ Church, will now be temporarily relocated to Court Number 9, Supreme Court Complex, Whitepark Road, St. Michael.
Persons with matters that were or are set down for hearing on the following dates are asked to take note of the new dates and times when these matters will be heard.
1. All matters that were scheduled for hearing between the 26th of October 2023 and the 9th of November 2023, as well as matters set for the 18th of December 2023, will now be heard on Monday, December 18th, 2023.
2. All matters that were scheduled for hearing between the 10th of November 2023 and the 23rd of November 2023, as well as matters scheduled for the 19th of December 2023, will now be heard on Tuesday, December 19th, 2023.
3. All matters that were scheduled for hearing between the 24th of November 2023, and the 15th of December 2023, as well as matters scheduled for the 20th of December2023, will now be heard on Wednesday, December 20th, 2023.
4. Matters scheduled for hearing on the 21st and 22nd of December 2023 will be heard on those dates as scheduled.
The Registration Department regrets and apologises for any inconvenience these changes may cause.
KINGSTOWN, St. Vincent, SOURCE – CMC -Talks between Presidents Irfaan Ali and Nicolas Maduro began here on Thursday as efforts continue to ease the tensions between Guyana and Venezuela over the ownership of the Essequibo Region that Georgetown has administered for years and claimed by Caracas.
The talks over the Essequibo region, which makes up about two-thirds of Guyana and is home to 125,000 of the country’s 800,000 citizens, are being facilitated by the Community of States of Latin America and the Caribbean (CELAC) and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).
Speaking to reporters at the Argyle International Airport, host Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, said he remains optimistic about the outcome and that the meeting is taking place at a venue commissioned in 2017 and built with support from Cuba and Venezuela.
“In this facility where we are holding this meeting there is the input of Cuba, Venezuela, Mexico, (and) we have here the CARICOM Development Fund. You see the choice of location in a symbolic sense,” he said noting that his government had received “important start-up resources” from the Trinidad and Tobago government.
“So this is a place for us, a place of fresh hope, oneness, a time of despair,” Gonsalves said, reiterating that he is “a facilitator and an interlocutor” and not a moderator for the talks that are also being attended by several leaders of CARICOM, including its chairman, Dominica’s Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit.
“So I am, in a sense, the focal point bringing it together here but this has taken several weeks to get going and I commend the courage of both President Ali and Maduro, their perspicacity, their foresight and I am relying on their maturity and wisdom and their patience and a calm.”
“This is not, metaphorically, in cricketing terms a T20 international, it is not a one-day international. It is part of a test series, home and away games except to say both home and away games look destined to be played in St. Vincent and the Grenadines with an umpire whom both sides trust and respect,” he added.
President Irfaan Ali arrives in Kingstown.
Last Sunday, Venezuela staged a referendum in which it said 95 per cent of the votes cast were in support of the annexation of the Essequibo region and President Maduro announced soon afterwards that foreign companies working in Essequibo would have to withdraw within three months.
He said he was also proposing a special law to prohibit all companies that work under Guyana concessions from any transaction and that Caracas would be creating a military unit for the disputed territory but that it would be based in a neighbouring Venezuelan state.
Prior to the referendum, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) had ruled that Venezuela must not take any action to seize Essequibo, which has been administered by Guyana for more than a century.
In its ruling, the Court said “both parties shall refrain from any action which might aggravate or extend the dispute before the court or make it more difficult to resolve.
“The court emphasizes that the question of the validity of the 1899 Award and the related question of the definitive settlement of the land boundary dispute between Guyana and Venezuela are matters for the court to decide at the merits stage,” it added.
Maduro on arrival, gave brief comments to the press, but spoke in Spanish.
President Nicolas Maduro with Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves at the airport.
President Ali, who is scheduled to hold a news conference following the end of the talks, said that “facts” are what will dictate the meeting.
“I’m taking the facts with me and the facts remain that the 1899 Award clearly defines the border between Guyana and Venezuela,” Ali said on his arrival here.
Gonsalves said both Ali and Maduro are “ wise and mature men” and he expects patience and calm during the discussions.
“We have to de-escalate and in the de-escalation, we may find possible solutions certainly in this particular case to address matters consequential to the border controversy.
“We have two leaders who are mature and wise… and I expect them to apply their maturity and wisdom and patience and calm,” Gonsalves said. (CMC)
SOURCE: CMC – Guyana’s President Irfaan Ali Thursday said that his administration is “unwavering” in its position regarding the ownership of the Essequibo region that is being claimed by Venezuela as the leaders of the two countries entered their “third phase” of discussions here.
Ali, speaking at a news conference, told reporters that Georgetown would not support any “partnership, any trade, any collaboration, any cooperation, the issuing of any licences and the granting of concessions within our territorial space and within our sovereign space.
“I made it clear that the controversy must be resolved at the ICJ (International Court of Justice) and we are unwavering and resolute in ensuring that Guyana’s case is presented, defended and at the ICJ …which of course is binding on all the parties,” said Ali, who showed reporters a wrist band he is wearing with the map of Guyana on it.
“This is Guyana, “ he said.
The discussions here are being facilitated by the Community of States of Latin America and the Caribbean (CELAC) and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).
The second phase of the deliberations between President Ali and Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro, was attended by CARICOM leaders, CELAC, Brazil and UN observers.
Both Guyana and Venezuela have laid claim to the Essequibo region, which makes up about two-thirds of Guyana and is home to 125,000 of the country’s 800,000 citizens.
Ali, who had earlier briefed regional leaders ahead of the first round of talks with Maduro, told reporters that he made it clear “that the process leading up to the ICJ is part of the Geneva Agreement and that the Geneva Agreement provides for a UN Secretary-General to determine where the controversy must be finally determined.
“And it is a UN Secretary-General, acting within the confines of the Geneva Agreement who determined that that is the ICJ,” Ali said, adding that Guyana has agreed with all the regional partners that the priority is peace.
“Every threat of force or the use of force must be denounced and that every party must take responsibility. We made it very clear that Guyana is not the aggressor. Guyana is not seeking war, but Guyana reserves the right to work with all our partners to ensure the defence of our country.
“All our partnership is based on the defence of our territorial integrity and sovereignty,” President Ali said, adding that as “we move forward in the next phase of the meeting and in keeping with the invitation which sought to enable a process of dialogue on consequential issues, not on the issue before the ICJ , that the shape and form of that dialogue …is the next phase of these meetings”.
Ali said that both parties have committed to ensuring that the region remains a zone of peace and within the “sovereign space of Guyana we will continue to do everything that promotes the development and to ensure the defence and protection of what is ours in accordance with international law”.
Ali told reporters that the earlier phases of the discussions “were clearly outlining our positions, and now we are moving to the next phase and I am not going to delve into that phase…”
“Up to what I have updated you all, that’s where we are,” Ali said, adding, “the dialogue is ongoing”.
Negotiations for the Public Private Partnership (PPP) for the operation of the Grantley Adams International Airport (GAIA) could be complete early in the New Year, Prime Minister Mia Mottley has disclosed.
In an update to business leaders on Wednesday, she was upbeat about the progress of the $300 million deal that will pave the way for airport development, including the creation of a hemispheric hub for cargo, and expanded airlift.
“The bottom line is, is that we are deep into the discussions and Cabinet has been advised that by the end of January, we hope we can finish the negotiations. I’ve seen some plans for the airport; they are amazing and functional at the same time,” she said at the Barbados Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) business luncheon and discussion at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre.
In July this year, GAIA Inc signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with The Office of His Highness Sheikh Ahmed Dalmook Al Maktoum of Dubai and Agencias Universales S.A. of Chile for the investment arrangement.
Mottley served notice that major expansion is in line for both the island’s main ports.
Turning her focus to the Bridgetown Port, Mottley disclosed that Cabinet last week decided to have the enfranchisement of the workers and the National Insurance and Social Security Service (NISSS) in the new holding company for the Bridgetown Port.
Concerning the port’s expansion, she said the time had come for the country to think outside the box and focus on exploiting the advantages of Barbados’ geographical location.
“Barbados is more in line with Panama than even Jamaica or The Bahamas. You have to go north to Jamaica and north to The Bahamas and Barbados is not only in line with Panama, Barbados is the closest then to also making sure that we reach Africa, which is going to be the largest market.
“If we want to reposition this country, now is the time for us to do it with the investments that we make in the airport and the seaport to be that logistics hub that literally will compensate for our lack of population.”
The prime minister said there would be opportunities for the private sector to invest as the island makes the transition to a logistical hub. (SD)
The Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc (BTMI) has launched its 2024 Destination Barbados summer campaign, Find That Feeling.
Marketing Director Anderson King gave tourism stakeholders a glimpse into the campaign on Wednesday during the Barbados Hotel and Tourism Association (BHTA) quarterly conference at the Hilton Barbados Resort.
He said the summer period would be an exciting time as there were several national and international activities taking place such as the 2024 Cricket World Cup, Crop Over and We Gatherin.
And he encouraged local businesses to partner with the BTMI, noting that they would receive a stimulus package and have a good opportunity to showcase their unique offerings.
The summer campaign is centred around highlighting the feelings that fill people when they go on vacation.
“What makes a holiday memorable is the experiences that create lasting memories and emotional attachments; the unforgettable trips that are constantly in your daydreams and evoke a myriad of feelings; a sense of escapism when you are transported to a blissful paradise; the joy that ignites your soul when you see your long-distance loved ones or simply the contentment of just being able to relax. These are the feelings you can find on a holiday in Barbados,” King said.
King said the BTMI’s teams at various international travel booths will also highlight the island’s culinary offerings and dining experiences, promote wedding offerings, Bajan culture and festivals, sporting activities, heritage and natural attractions, and talk about community, family and the feeling of belonging. The beauty of the island will also be showcased as well as its luxurious features.
During his presentation, the marketing director also said the objective of the campaign was to reinforce and promote Barbados for its primary proposition of sun, sea and sand while highlighting unique and diverse Bajan experiences.
While Barbados has diversified tourism offerings, he said, the BTMI still had to push the sun, sea and sand concept as it was still the number one attention-grabbing feature of the island.
Referencing a recently conducted ranking survey, King said the beach was the most loved feature with a sentiment score of 53 per cent. (SZB)
Chief Welfare Officer Deborah Norville said Thursday that welfare cheques for this month, dated December 1 and 15, have been issued and clients should have either received them already or will very soon.
She said the next cheques to be issued will be dated December 29, 2023 and are for January 2024.
Additionally, the Welfare Department has made special provisions for its clients during the holiday season.
Norville disclosed that food vouchers will be given to persons who request them as assistance and who do not normally receive cash grants. She assured every effort is being made to accommodate persons who have indicated that they are in urgent need of a food voucher during this holiday season. (BT)
In a significant development for the tourism industry, workers are set to benefit from a national agreement aimed at ensuring proper pay and working conditions, General Secretary of the Barbados Workers’ Union (BWU) Toni Moore has announced.
Moore disclosed the details during a rally for hotel workers at Solidarity House, the union’s headquarters at Harmony Hall, on Thursday night – the eve of the official start of the winter tourist season.
The provisions of the deal, which Moore expects to be passed into law in the new year, cover a range of contentious issues that have been at the centre of a rancorous public spat between the union and the tourism industry’s trade association.
The agreement, which has been endorsed by the Social Partnership, establishes a baseline of conditions that the industry must follow to receive concessions from the government, Moore said.
“It sets the floor of conditions below which no participant with the government, in terms of receiving concessions, will be able to fall. Otherwise, you simply can’t benefit from the concessions that the government provides,” she said.
She indicated that the framework agreement is expected to be signed next week.
Moore said: “[There] will be a tripartite signing with the Government of Barbados, labour, the Barbados Workers Union, and the Barbados Hotel and Tourism Association, and I believe the private sector because it will also raise and improve the level of the social partnership.”
The general secretary, who is also the Member of Parliament for St George North, said she expected legislation to go before Parliament by February to enforce the agreement. The law would be based on the Labour Clauses, and Public Contract Act and make provision for minimal standards at the national level.
“The collective agreement with the Barbados Hotel and Tourism Association (BHTA) and the BWU is over 60 years old and is the standard,” the union leader told the rally. “That is what is being used as the basis of the national agreement. Will it include all areas of the collective agreement? We can’t say that yet, because that is what is yet to be negotiated over the next two to four weeks.”
The BWU General Secretary said some specific issues were raised over the last three months during talks led by Prime Minister Mia Mottley, Minister of Tourism Ian Gooding-Edghill and Minister of Labour Colin Jordan.
Several of those issues have been at the centre of a protracted war of words between the union and the hotel association in recent months. Among them are the payment of service charges to workers, contracts linked to the seasonality in the industry, meal allowances, and uniforms, Moore indicated.
“And then there will be other issues that will be, we imagine,extrapolated from the collective agreement that will form the basis of the national level agreement,” she added. “It has been the experience over the years, [that] the parties to the collective agreement with the BWU have significantly decreased, even though they maintain their affiliation to the BHTA.
“It is okay to be a member of the BHTA to get concessions. But they can opt out as a member of the BHTA from being obligated to the collective agreement . . . . So really, what a national agreement does is force you . . . . You don’t have the opportunity to opt in or to opt out, the choice is only one or two things – do you want concessions or not? If you want concessions, then you have to follow the standards, and that is not only for hotels but it is for the entire tourism sector. You want the concession? Adhere to the minimum standards.”
Moore further added the national agreement will also help to establish a minimum wage for the industry. Other terms and conditions are expected to be included in the schedule of the agreement.
Regarding timelines, Moore expressed optimism about the attainability of the BWU’s goals for the industry, particularly given the finite end of the tourism high season. The union leader stressed the importance of establishing and meeting timelines to instil confidence in workers
Next week’s signing of the deal will demonstrate the commitment of both the union and the government to uphold standards and accountability in the tourism industry, she declared.
Moore said: “It’s going to be very important for those timelines to not only be established but to be met and guaranteed to give workers confidence that the union has represented their interests, that the Government of Barbados is serious about holding the sector and bringing [it to] account [and] to assure them the minimum standards of decency. And their work was happening next week, [with the] signing of the framework agreement at the national level.” (RG)
