A Shattered Mother Cries Out For Justice!

SATURDAY, APRIL 20, 2019

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A shattered mother cries out for justice!

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Tom Nugent was on his way to a calypso event at Mindoo Phillip Park in 1999 when unknown assailants stabbed him to death near George Charles Boulevard. A government MP at the time speculated Nugent had been shopping for drugs!

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april 20, 2019 THE STAR

Easter Weekend comes alive with KFC Aqua Mele

(An over-my-shoulder T look at life)

Childish Things

By Michael Walker

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ost of us, hopefully perhaps all of us, change immensely throughout our lives. Some equate this with maturing; as we grow older we become wiser, again hopefully. Corinthians 1 in the King James Version of the New Testament contains this well-known, somewhat weary sentence: “When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.” These words, as reported by Paul, are profound in their meaning, but we, of course, are generally very selective in our interpretation of them. Some of us shed the burden of their childish obsessions earlier than others. I prefer to think of obsessions as addictions.

I started smoking long before I earned money of my own and could afford to buy a packet of cigarettes. In any case, in those days, it was illegal for kids to buy ‘fags’ as we called them. It was a matter of finding an accommodating shopkeeper who was willing to break the law by providing us with our "fixes’"—a bit like drugs today, I imagine. The most I could ever afford was five Woodbines.

As I grew older I graduated to exorbitant Black Russians but I don’t remember how much they cost. All I know is that I was willing to risk financial ruin to be able to cough my way through five a week.

I continued smoking after I got married and did not stop until I was forty, just before my working partner and dear friend Lars discovered he was dying of cancer. It started on the skin of his neck, ripped its way through his lungs, into his skeleton and finally his brain, which was the cruelest blow of all. His fine mind that had helped us produce best-selling books was reduced to creating page upon page of a single word: typewriter, typewriter, typewriter, while all the time believing he was writing a new masterpiece.

I actually gave up smoking because I discovered I hated the taste, coughing and spluttering of the first cigarette every morning. Stopping was easy once I had made up my mind. Instead of coffee, which was always accompanied by a cigarette, I took to drinking a glass of tepid water, which I hated.

I replaced pleasure with distaste. Even today, even though I have avoided lung cancer, I still suffer from my obsessive smoking and cannot be anywhere, inside or outside, with

smoke in the air. I have an allergic reaction, become ill and do not recover until at least six weeks later. I still have, believe it or not, the framed-behind-glass cigarette with the admonishment "Break in Emergency" that my wife gave me.

Alcohol was a different matter, though it took quite a while for me to acquire the taste; even in my mid-twenties I preferred a glass of milk with my meal rather than wine or beer.

And the strong stuff was anathema. Publishing is a notoriously alcohol-based profession but I was a late bloomer when it came to drinking.

However, I soon made up for lost time. I no longer drink alcohol. It wasn’t a conscious decision; I just lost interest; perhaps I grew up and put aside some childish things.

I have not been well lately, and my doctors in Sweden have spent an inordinate amount of time roaming around my body without finding much. My vital organs seem to be functioning well for my age so the ravages of cigarettes and alcohol have not affected me too much. In this world, as they say, there’s no justice; the Devil takes care of his own!

As for sex, well I’ll leave sex—one of life’s great obsessions—aside for the moment and move on to religion, which, when you think about it, has a lot in common with sex: it’s obsessive, addictive, and seems to offer solutions to everything for some people. And when you come to think of it, they both rely on faith, devotion and trust lasting forever. Just the other day I had visitors at my door of the Jehovah’s Witnesses type. I always treat them with respect and am even a tiny bit envious of their blind faith, even though I do not share their views, and we had a nice conversation.

I grew up in a very religious family; Chapel three times on Sunday; Methodist youth club every Tuesday; frequent social events each month; offered my life to Christ when I was 16 while kneeling on the carpet of our vicar’s living room floor; was even a Sunday School teacher, but I grew out of it.

And now, if I reach it, the next major event will be my eightieth birthday (if birthdays are major events) even though there is still a while to go, and I am free. Free at last, as they say, though I must admit that I never found my addictions inhibitive or my obsessions anything but enjoyable. In fact, I have revelled in my life and have no regrets.

I believe I have used every year well, and to the fullest extent have enjoyed the successes, the satisfaction and the company of all the wonderful, fabulous people that fate and my chosen path have led me to.

he most anticipated annual family Easter event, KFC Aqua Mele, is set for this weekend, April 21 and 22 at the Vieux Fort Recreation Park.

Since its inception in 2016, KFC Aqua Mele has been the signature Easter calendar event on the island uniting families and communities, creating a fun and exciting avenue to celebrate a traditional holiday. The event is produced by Rhythm FM Inc. (Rhythm 95.5 and Blazin 99.3) with presenting sponsor KFC.

With over $20,000 in cash and prizes to be won, families are encouraged to participate in a wide array of games.

Competitive events include small goals football tournament, archery target, boxing ring, bumper balls, RC car racing, kite flying, paintball, traditional games and more. To add to the Aqua Mele excitement, there will also be paintball and a bouncy castle for the little ones.

The days' activities are absolutely free, and food and drinks will be on sale. Activities begin at 12 noon. There will be live performances by the most popular Saint Lucian artists including Ricky T, Umpa, Kisha, Kripple, and more.

KFC Aqua Mele is an Easter

Aqua Mele has been entertaining families during the Easter weekend since 2016.

family event! Everyone, young and old, is encouraged to attend and participate.

The event would not be possible without presenting sponsor KFC; Gold sponsors:

Somersby Cider, Bounty Rum and Flow, and other sponsors: Pinehill, Crystal Clear, Piton, Sprite, Liat, Dutch Lady, Blue Waters, Excellent Stores and Busta Sounds.

Flow Customers now Connect Faster and Easier

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low customers can now share life’s special moments faster and easier with access to increased data plans. The new plans give customers up to 10GBS of data which is a massive upgrade to the existing pre-paid data packages. Flow launched the new plans on April 5, 2019 in the British Virgin Islands, Grenada, Dominica, St. Vincent and Saint Lucia and they will eventually be rolled out in all Caribbean markets.

“Life is about moments,” said Flow Country Manager, Chris Williams, “The new plans are designed to enable the millions of happy connections our customers make each day across our network. We have made it simpler for customers to connect and share without worrying about running out of data. We are no longer talking about megabytes, but rather

gigabytes of data! With so many options to stream movies, download music and share photos across our networks, we have given customers much more data with our new plans.”

Commercial Manager, Anselm Mathurin said, “The new pre-paid plans range from 1 to10GBS of data and many include additional benefits like free local minutes to call any network and free access to messaging on the most popular social media platforms like Snapchat, WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter (SWIFT).

The plans are also available in convenient sizes from 1 to 30 days to suit customers' needs.

“Customers will also see a refreshed look and feel in stores and around the island.

We enhanced the customers’ experience at our various

touchpoints including our retail stores and kiosks, contact centre help desk and our new and improved MyFlow self-care app.”

Addressing employees in a special launch event for the new plans, Williams said, “It’s a great time for our customers and our employees. We are determined to bring a level of passion to our customer service that will require every single employee to be focused on delivering the best experience for our customers. We must ensure that each of life’s most important moments, no matter how small or big, is easily captured, experienced, and shared, and we enable those moments. Every one of us must become ‘moment-makers’ for our customers.”

For more information on Flow’s new plans visit www.discoverflow.co

THE STAR

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april 20, 2019

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Family of Visitor to e-Litigation St Lucia Cry Out for Help Portal Two Decades Later!

Update

By Dr. Astrid Sjodin

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pril 17, 2019 was the 20th anniversary of the murder of our cousin, Tom Nugent, who traveled from Canada to Saint Lucia to celebrate my brother Steve Sjodin’s wedding. Tom was 23 when he was killed, newly graduated with a business degree from Queen’s University, excited about starting his adult life, full of plans and hope.

We know he met some people in Castries the night before he died. He wrote in his diary of his plans to meet "Vincie (Donald)" the next day.

We know he happily headed out on the afternoon of April 17.

The only other thing we know for sure is that later that day somebody stabbed Tom with a three-inch blade using enough force to pierce his sternum, severing his pulmonary artery.

At that moment our lives changed forever.

His mother has had to endure two decades of not knowing why someone murdered her only child, trying to understand how someone

or some people could have been so cruel as to attack him and leave him to die alone.

We, his extended family, have had to watch his mother suffer, wasting away, now stick-thin, completely reliant on others. Not a day passes when Tom isn’t with us—even our happiest memories are shadowed by the sorrow and fury of what happened to him.

We know that Saint Lucians are warm and kind.

We have family and friends on the island who reassure us that the people who killed Tom and those that witnessed it were scared, perhaps motivated by threats of retaliation if they spoke up. We’re hoping that since so much time has passed someone will be brave and strong enough now to share what they know about that awful night.

Facts will maybe help us move on from our agony of ignorance. I’m reaching out to ask if someone, anyone, can shed light on exactly what happened on April 17, 1999 in Saint Lucia, close to Marchand, where a much loved young man never made it to a calypso concert.

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Tom Nugent’s 1999 murder was turned into a political football, with one Labour MP suggesting in parliament he went to Mindoo Phillip Park looking for drugs on the night he was butchered near George Charles Boulevard. PM Kenny Anthony took a lot of heat for visiting Nugent’s family while on a visit to Canada.

Hewanorra International Airport Needs to Meet International Aviation Standards

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s part of its system of empowering members through timely provision of information on matters of value, the Saint Lucia Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture hosted a full house Executive Luncheon where the Saint Lucia Air and Sea Ports Authority shared its plans and vital information on the Hewanorra International Airport Development Project.

The Executive Luncheon was held on Tuesday April 9, 2019 at the Bay Gardens Hotel, Rodney

Bay.

Attendees paid close attention as they were guided through a very interesting and in-depth presentation by, Daren Cenac, Acting General Manager of SLASPA, and Gasper George, Communications Manager, who together outlined the reason and need for the Airport’s redevelopment. They also set out the rationale for some of the decisions taken regarding the construction of a new terminal in a different location, the expansion of the physical facility, the increase in the number of airplane parking spaces and, more importantly,

the separation of incoming and outgoing passengers.

The SLASPA team argued that the new HIA facility will be a state-of-the-art facility that synchronizes with the growing tourism industry and aligns with passenger and airline expectations. They also pointed out that the new facility will address a number of the current constraints which the existing facility now faces. These include; the inability to accommodate sufficient wide-body aircraft simultaneously, lack of dual taxiway, insufficient car park space and the size of the arrival

and departure terminal and co-mingling of arriving and departing passengers. The masterplan has a 30-year horizon. Attendees were also informed that construction is expected to start by June and the project has a 30-month implementation time frame.

Chamber members were also treated to a “fly through” which simulated the experience from the perspective of arriving and departing travellers. Questions of clarification on various issues were entertained and responded to at the end of the presentation.

he Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC) e-Litigation Portal went live in Anguilla on Monday 11 March, 2019 under the tagline 'Serving you on-time and Online'. The portal is for Court of Appeal proceedings and High Court civil proceedings, save for applications for probate and administration of estates, admiralty, and family proceedings.

The Court is pleased to share some statistical data on the e-Litigation Portal since it first went live in the British Virgin Islands on November 12, 2018, then in Saint Lucia on November 26, 2018 and now in Anguilla.

To date, across these three member states and territories, 98 law firms and 214 legal practitioners have registered.

Additionally, 128 commercial matters have been registered as well as one high court civil matter, ten appeals, one commercial appeal and one magisterial civil appeal.

Over the next few months the use of the system will be expanded across the three states where it is presently being used and will be extended to other member states in the near future in accordance with the phased approach adopted by the ECSC for implementation across its jurisdiction.

From all accounts the portal’s statistics in Saint Lucia, the BVI and Anguilla are very encouraging to the ECSC and it shows that the users are taking advantage of the benefits that the portal offers.

The rationale behind the portal was the ECSC’s thrust in providing improved access to justice for the citizens of the OECS, and keeping with best practices of the international court, while, at the same time recognizing the importance of keeping the system relevant and flexible to meet the ongoing

demands of the judiciary.

The operationalization of the e-Litigation Portal is a further step taken by ECSC in its drive to harness modern technologies with a focus on ICT to respond to the needs of the users while at the same time building efficiency and resiliency into the court’s operations.

The ECSC is in the process of preparations for the launch of a public education campaign to be rolled out across all nine Member States and Territories, aimed at providing information on the use and benefits of the e-Litigation platform as well as promoting the disaster resilience component and highlighting the potential boost to investor confidence, 'doing business' ratings, contract enforcement and other cross-cutting economic and social values.

The Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court was established in 1967 by the West Indies Associated States Supreme Court Order No. 223 of 1967. The ECSC is a superior court of record for the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), which includes six Independent States: Antigua and Barbuda, the Commonwealth of Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines; and three British Overseas Territories: Anguilla, The Virgin Islands, and Montserrat. The Court has unlimited jurisdiction in each Member State and Territory.

The ECSC asks that you stay tuned for further updates and roll outs in your country.

To learn more about the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court and the e-Litigation Portal please visit the website at: www.eccourts.org or call at tel: 758-457-3600

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April 20, 2019 THE STAR

Did Governor General Confirm Credit Unions’ Worst Fears? in direct protest against the board’s mode of operation.

Correspondent Currently four credit unions out of sixteen—the Civil Service, ew would dispute the Police, Mabouya Valley and contributions of the credit Workers—are running the apex union sector to Saint body of credit unions. The board Lucia’s social and economic has taken no steps to fill the development. Credit unions vacancies. embrace thrift and co-operative

Nevertheless, the FSRA principles; members are continues to recognize what encouraged to save for the some have described as benefit of all. In terms of “this rogue board”. It points lending, credit unions largely to the fact that although meet the need of the unbanked section 41 (1b) of the Act or people who under normal gives the FSRA the authority circumstances would have no, to order the board to call the or very limited, borrowing power meeting, it has refused to do at commercial banks. Based Since June 26, 2018, the St. Lucia Co-operative Credit Union League has been so. Instead, the FSRA called a on a 2017 Eastern Caribbean spiralling into more and more division. meeting scheduled for April 15 Central Bank Financial Stability replicating the agenda of the Report, the sector controlled meeting called by the League. them: that, based on the provisions chapter 12.06 of the Revised 48% of total loans for the year, • Secure active participation of section 50 (4) b of the CoLaws of Saint Lucia and by-law The meeting did not materialize which represents an increase in the democratic processes of operative Societies Act Chapter 34 of the by-laws of the League because the group of eleven from 45% in 2016. Obviously decided it was improperly co-operative control at all levels 12.06 of the Revised Laws make it mandatory that the credit unions control a huge constituted. It appears, to our and in the exercise of officer of Saint Lucia, “any director special meeting be called by share of Saint Lucia’s financial sources at any rate, that the responsibility. who is in default of debt owed the board within twenty days services pie.

FSRA has a strong interest • Provide information and to the Society, any financial of receipt of the request for

Notwithstanding the in keeping the League in the guidance to Credit Unions and institution or any creditor . . . the special meeting, provided importance of this sector, hands of “this rogue board”. other co-operative leaders and shall not constitute part of the that the request is signed by related sources worry that the The STAR was further personnel so that the societies management of a society until at least five shareholders and actions of some in the higher informed that in 2015 the they serve will offer the best his or her disability is removed; the purpose for the meeting is echelons of the movement could possible service to members Credit Union sector submitted but he or she may retain his or stated clearly and specifically. destroy the co-operative spirit to make such opportunity her membership of the society The original request was signed a position document to the in Saint Lucia. Most alarming is equitable. during the period of such by five credit unions; the second government on the highly that the Credit Union League— • Contribute to the contentious pending Codisability.” by six, and the third by eleven. the umbrella of all credit operative Societies Bill that is development of higher

On July 31, 2018, the

Notwithstanding that unions, with responsibilities intended to repeal and replace standards of credit union League again wrote to the those requests met all legal of promoting, developing and the existing Co-operative management, operation and Authority seeking guidance on requirements, the current representing all credit unions— supervision by advice and Societies Act. The sector’s whether the individual was duly board of the League continues may unwittingly be a coposition was communicated direction in the interest of qualified to hold office pursuant to ignore its own by-laws, conspirator in the annihilation of members and membership of through its representative to the above referenced section provisions of the Act and the small co-operatives. body, the League, following affiliated credit unions. of the act. However, on this wishes of its members by

There are sixteen credit extensive consultation with all Based on the outlined purpose occasion, by letter dated August refusing to call the meeting. unions in Saint Lucia, governed of the league, one would shareholders.

10, 2018, the Authority, instead Instead the board called by the Co-operative Societies

Since 2017, the Credit expect the apex body to be the of maintaining consistency and a meeting with its own Act Chapter 12.06 of the Union sector and the FSRA have epitome of good governance, exercising leadership, decided agenda. This meeting did not Revised Laws of Saint Lucia and accountability and transparency. to adopt a hands-off approach. been at a deadlock regarding materialize because the group by-laws of individual societies. certain clauses of the Bill. The

Our sources assure us the It drew the League’s attention of eleven stood its ground.

In addition to laying down Authority, despite having been management of the St. Lucia to section 50 (4) (b) of the CoAt this juncture, the board provisions for the establishment Credit Union League is at a shown that the Bill was flawed, operative Societies Act, Chapter notified member credit unions and good governance of refused to compromise and tailspin that started soon after 12.06 and the League’s by-laws. that the FSRA had directed individual credit unions, Section its AGM on June 26, 2018 when The response further expressed them not to call the special work with the sector to correct 214 of the Act makes provision the contentious provisions. a new board of directors was that the Authority expected that meeting until the Authority had for the creation of an apex Consequently the legislative elected. Soon after, an alarm the remaining directors serving conducted a full inspection body owned and governed by drafting consultant, in a memo was raised by a member credit on the board of the League, in of the League’s affairs. It is all credit unions. This apex union that one of the elected their good judgment, prudence important to highlight that since of March 31, 2017, stated that body is governed by an elected directors of the league had consensus was required on and corporate governance the current board took over, board of directors with term many clauses and reiterated undischarged court judgments practices, would make the functionality at the League has limits. The function of the apex that there were still many against him. This individual appropriate decision in the been brought to a standstill. body is stated under section issues to be resolved was previously disqualified circumstance. In a nutshell, The new board took office like 215 of the Act as follows: “The Notwithstanding that from serving at his credit union the FSRA said members should a whirlwind, our sources claim. national league or council shall level by the Financial Services there has been no further handle matters of this nature First it suspended all existing coordinate, assist and promote Regulatory Authority (FSRA), a internally. policies; completely ignored the consultation or attempt to arrive all registered societies and shall statutory body established to

In sustained efforts manager. Both staff and League at consensus, sources have perform such functions as may regulate providers of financial to address this issue, from directors tendered resignations. confirmed that the Authority be determined by its constituent services in Saint Lucia, again in September 2018, shareholders has met with the rogue board From August 2018 to February members.” Additionally, section consequence of undischarged to gain approval on the Bill. It of the League have been calling 2019, fifty per cent of the 3 (1) of the by-laws of the St. is believed that the Authority judgments. for a special general meeting of staff, including the manager, Lucia Credit Union League and the illegitimate board of

By letter dated March delegates. Section 40 (1-2-3) of have quit. Three out of seven outlines ten objectives, among the League have conspired to 2, 2016, the FSRA instructed the Co-operative Societies Act, directors have also resigned

By Special STAR

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mislead government in believing that credit unions have agreed to accept the Bill, as drafted. It is strongly believed that this is the main reason the FSRA has taken a side in this matter. It is also believed that the FSRA had a vested interest in seeing the back of the manager of the League who has since resigned, because she stood like a champion opposing the Bill.

Nevertheless, the Credit Union sector’s position on the Bill remains the same. The sector has provided clear evidence that the Bill is not “harmonized”, as claimed; the requirements are far more onerous in Saint Lucia’s Bill than what obtains in other OECS territories. The sector has made it known that the Bill will result in forced closures of several of the smaller credit unions in Saint Lucia, since they will unable to meet certain thresholds. A worrying aspect of the Bill, if passed, is that it will give the FSRA legal authority to close or merge those who fall out of certain thresholds. Also, the Bill misrepresents the structure of a co-operative entity under the global co-operative business model and therefore infringes on the democratic rights of owners or members of co-operative societies. For these reasons, the sector has expressed serious concerns regarding the future growth and development of co-operatives in Saint Lucia should this Bill be passed. Only four or five credit unions will survive.

In other OECS countries where the harmonized bill has been passed, although less stringent that Saint Lucia’s, the number of credit unions has been reduced significantly, in some instances by over 50%.

Our sources are of the view that the local regulatory authority, which is supposed to work toward developing the sector, is hell-bent on destroying it.

The governor general’s throne speech on April 9, wherein he announced the government’s intention to pass the OECS Harmonized Bill, seemed to add credibility to what our sources told the STAR. Shortly before we went to press, one of them said that should the Bill be passed in its current state, the big losers will be the ordinary people who cannot raise collateral to borrow from commercial banks.

THE STAR

april 20, 2019

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WiPay: We Pray, We’re All In for destruction. Such a man must therefore stop all Peter Josie fraternizing with women and men, period! It’s obvious that some politicians are being held to a higher standard than the n idea grabbed me when sample of the population from I read the STAR headline which they spring. story last weekend. It It’s also obvious to this activated a political chord I had writer that people who study turned to sleep-mode a long power-relations between men time ago. Wouldn’t it be nice, I and women tend to blame thought, to turn that aggravating powerful men who think every sad-story on its head, this holiest week on the Christian calendar? In consequence, I dedicate this piece to our embattled parliamentarians, believing they should be their brother’s keeper. In the rough and tumble world of politics, politicians receive sufficient tongue-lashing from those who will not tread into politics. The rest, who are naive enough to think that after Dr. Ubaldus Raymond there will be no more dirty games, are mistaken.

The following is therefore an Easter prayer for the elected and selected who represent this person in a skirt, whether island in high public office. married or single, is fair game.

First off, we should thank Men who unthinkingly engage God every day, and not during with women in obscene and Holy Week only, that we have unsavoury conversations, not yet been proven guilty of believing they are smart enough anything. It is unwise to pass judgment on any issue, personal to control the outcomes of their flirtations, are doomed to perish, or national, without first by today’s intrusive high-techknowing all the facts. macro. Such reckless sex

Secondly a person who has previously been framed and exploiters have not bargained defamed in order for some other on the Machiavellian twists of those who manipulate IT to gain a political advantage platforms in a determined ought to be extremely careful, effort to take down amateur knowing that he is marked

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philanderers. The third and best advice is to stop playing smart—you will be trapped.

The invasion of modern technology in our daily lives means that everyone who has ransom money to pay, or something of value to lose, can become a target. Today’s politicians and their cronies seem determined to use every weapon to enrich themselves.

They do this in and out of

free and independent press on the island. It seems that every aspiring journalist merely aims for name and face recognition and the fame and sexual rewards that this may bring.

Financial reward seems coincidental, except where bids are offered for dirty political work. It therefore does not surprise me when money is used to do the bidding of mischief makers whose poverty

the narrow trench of selfish individualism, but as brethren one of another in mutual dependence and support.

“Nothing does the Holy Bible, the rule and guide of our faith and practice, more strenuously teach; nothing does strict morality more strenuously demand. No household can fashion the home where dissention and selfishness toll the death of unity and peace.

No city can become a place of prosperous growth whose citizens care less, and do less, for its advancement. No government can stand firm whose adherents are blind to the unalterable law . . .

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office. In an earlier life, I used to think that a bloody revolution was the only way to instill the strict discipline that a strong, nationalist politics demanded.

I believed that it would also spare the younger generation from corrupt politicians that can manipulate the electorate. There seems little hope of success of a bloody revolution in the face of this ‘In God we trust’ crowd, who will sell their loved ones for a mess of pottage.

Today there is hardly a

was apparent only last week or the week before.

This prayer is dedicated to the island’s parliamentarians, especially those who have committed errors of judgment, and for people who have fallen short of the glory of God.

“In the providence of God, with the breath of life each of us became a member of the human family. In maturity we stand facing the needs and responsibilities of life. God never brought us into being to live in

No community can protect character where petty strife is born of mischievous tongue.

No city can become a place of prosperous growth whose citizens care little and do less for its advancement. No state can derive the benefit of its own resources whose people obey but the one law of individual inclination and greed. No government can stand firm whose adherents are blind to the unalterable law, ‘In union is strength, in harmony peace’.

“Although a few among many, you, my parliamentary friends, cannot shirk your share in this great responsibility. Your personal contacts with others may be circumscribed by the limit of the circle within which your daily life is lived; but your influence passing through and from those whom that circle may surround, may reach further than you can conceive.

It is therefore my wish and prayer this Easter-rising on which Christianity stands, that you are encouraged to do your best in that which you have promised to do. That you see in your neighbour what you desire your neighbour should see in you. To always remember that there is no claim more honourable, no characteristic more glistening with honest affection, no words more freighted with a man’s best love than to be called by your peers, your constituents and your fellow MPs, a kind and generous person.”

In the meantime, I pray Prime Minister Allen Chastanet carries out a full investigation into the latest matter concerning one of his ministers and that he will make a full disclosure to the nation when all the facts are uncovered. He must not repeat the mistake of a former leader by using language to frustrate the work of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) in case this latest matter has to be prosecuted in a court of law.

Montessori Goes I-Tal

n Tuesday, April 9, 2019, 19 grade-six students from The Montessori Centre, who are preparing for the Common Entrance Exam, visited the organic garden at BodyHoliday’s I-Tal venue, as part of their Easter retreat.

The students are currently participating in a programme that is meant to keep them meaningfully occupied while still focused on exam preparations during the Easter break.

The resort’s organic garden is being used as a model farm where visitors can learn more about organic agriculture, West Indian plants and modern sustainable farming.

The field trip commenced with a tour of the garden, hosted by husband and wife duo Damian and Ratoya Adjodha, eco-leaders at BodyHoliday and the I-Tal restaurant managers.

This venue is BodyHoliday’s latest addition to its dining experiences with a unique farm-to table concept. The tour culminated in enjoyment of a refreshing vegan snack and the spectacular panoramic view from I-Tal, over the stunning Cariblue Bay. According to the Deputy Managing Director, Mr Andrew Barnard, “BodyHoliday is delighted to welcome visitors of all ages to immerse themselves in the I-Tal farm,

and it is especially rewarding to share the insights and best practices of organic farming with the younger generation.

Educating on the benefits of healthy eating and sustainable living are a fundamental pillar for BodyHoliday, and we pride ourselves on the activities we undertake as part of our BodyHoliday Cares CSR initiatives, to install this knowledge into future generations.”

The BodyHoliday Cares initiatives focus around not only education but also mental wellness and visual wellness, and this community support is fundamental to the values of the resort.

Montessori School students had vegan snacks and a hands-on experience in BodyHoliday’s organic garden.

THE STAR

APRIL 13, 2019

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april 20, 2019 THE STAR

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Guy Joseph to KDA:

Show Me Your Plans And I’ll Show You Mine!

Dean Nestor

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uy Joseph’s penchant for getting under the skin of the House opposition has long been obvious. At last Thursday’s session the Castries Southeast MP proved his uncanny ability has not diminished. What began as a point by point rebuttal of the contribution by former prime minister, now the MP for Vieux Fort South, Kenny Anthony, quickly descended into a fish market exchange with a school of opposition sharks determined to gobble up Guy Joseph.

This was the essence

of Anthony’s contribution: “This budget has no soul, no character, no moral compass.”

Joseph opened his rebuttal by referencing passages from Rick Wayne’s ‘Lapses & Infelicities’: “Shortly after his party was elected to office in 1997, the new prime minister described his immediate predecessor as the worst Compton-made disaster . . . Instead of rising to his historic opportunity, Vaughan Lewis sank to the lowest common, moral and intellectual denominator. Not even Compton in his worst moments, ever sank so low.”

“That was in 1997,” Joseph pointed out, his eyes locked onto the Vieux Fort South MP’s face. “In 2006,” he said, “by

which time Lewis had landed on the SLP’s platform, even with a libel suit by Kenny Anthony pending against him in the courts, it was all water under the bridge.”

He then proceeded to describe the Vieux Fort South MP’s critique of the 2019/2020 Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure as without merit, given his own poor performance as Finance Minister.

Asked Joseph: “What can they find wrong with these Estimates of Expenditure? How can you, who has presided over a deficit budget for more than a decade, be expected to appreciate that the performance of the economy is better today?

You can’t, because to admit the

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Guy Joseph (pictured) was in fine form at last week’s House session as he took telling shots at his favourite soft target!

truth would be acknowledging you were a failure in your time.”

Anthony grumbled a non sequitur. “Explain PAJOAH,” by which he referred to a contentious ‘To Whom It May Concern’ letter signed by Guy Joseph. Hardly missing a beat, the Castries Southeast MP tossed back a grenade of his own: “I can explain that and Johnny John too.” It remains to be seen if there’ll be more of that come the next House session. Nevertheless, the skirmish at hand was shut down by the Speaker.

“What was the economic growth rate under the SLP?” asked Joseph rhetorically. “In 2012, -0.3%; in 2013, -2%; in 2014, 0.0%; in 2015, 0.3% That indicates the performance of the member from Vieux Fort South when he was prime minister.”

Joseph summed up: “Your

government only presided over negative growth, yet you’re gloating over the deceleration of economic growth under this administration? We may be growing at a slower pace, but you were declining at a slower pace!”

Anthony had touched briefly on the issue of Saint Jude Hospital. “That’s an insult to the intelligence of the people of Saint Lucia,” said Guy Joseph. “Mr. Speaker, he was the prime minister who presided over a project where over $100 million was spent but he could not show one word of planning approval. All of a sudden he is harping on about DCA approvals.”

Another Anthony came to mind: “He was set to construct a building in Vieux Fort, gave a direct award of $67 million to a preferred contractor . . .” His flow was interrupted

by Opposition Leader Philip J. Pierre on a rescue mission: “I’d like to ask the member some details. What was the building he referred to and who issued the direct award?”

“I’ve made my statement Mr. Speaker,” Joseph replied, which sparked another outcry from House opposition members. The Speaker intervened, before the Vieux Fort South MP stood up to speak for himself. “The honourable member is misleading the House. The Administrative building in Vieux Fort was under the construction of the National Insurance Corporation. Public tenders were invited for that building and Rayneau’s company won the tender. It’s a fact. No direct award was ever involved in the Administrative complex in Vieux Fort. I ask the member to withdraw his statement.”

At first Joseph resisted.

“If he cannot take my word, then I cannot take his word.” he said. But finally, at the Speaker’s insistence, he withdrew his criticism as it related to a direct award. But he was hardly through. “I err on the side of caution today!”

Still addressing Anthony as prime minister, Joseph issued this challenge: “Let us not forget why this subject is being discussed. Today, the member from Vieux Fort South wants to grandstand and say: ‘Bring me the plans for St. Jude.’

I say to him, show me your plan for St. Jude and I will show you mine.”

Reminiscent of his glory days, Anthony angrily slammed his fist on the table in front of him. Monday! Bring in your plans on Monday. He pointed a lance-like forefinger at the Castries Southeast MP. “Approved plans. You have none!”

“Bring yours,” an unruffled Joseph smiled. From his chair, the prime minister and member for Micoud South flung his own fistful of mud at his immediate predecessor. “After five years you still have no approved plans!”

THE STAR

comment 09

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april 20, 2019

Young People must be Involved in the Creation of their Immediate and Long-term Future!

Claudia Eleibox Mc Dowell

I

caught the first two episodes of People Solutions Ideas hosted

by James Fletcher and Embert Charles. Both featured young, bright minds on the discussion panel, none past 30. They explored topics and problems that confront young Saint Lucians, and possible remedies.

Among subjects touched on were the youth contributions to the escalating crime rate and the hunt for jobs that vaguely echoes the dystopian Hunger Games for freshly-turned-out Sir Arthur Lewis graduates. More than once I heard: “There are no opportunities for young people,” but the reasons for that took up little discussion time.

The main opportunity deficit discussed on PSI was jobs. The common complaint of employers about unskilled candidates coming into the work place was mentioned. The suggested solution was to teach students useful skills at school:

public speaking, social problem solving, appropriate dress attire and so on. It was also suggested that business houses offer such training as their corporate responsibility. I caught myself shouting: “Why don’t you also talk about employers that mistreat their young employees even when they are skilled? Some young people, who are trained, do two jobs’ worth of work and only get paid for one!”

Had I been taught my rights in school and what I am entitled to according to the Labour Code I would not have been cheated by some of my past employers.

I would have learned how to file my taxes. Some of the worst problems are encountered at government offices. PSI should have mentioned the next-toincompetent Labour Department; the thousands of hotel workers the politicians like to talk about, all without union representation

Another plight of the 20-something Saint Lucian: only a small percentage can attend university, and not all of them are crazy about employment at a hotel or call centre. A PSI

discussion should have included the fact that too often young people are forced to accept such employment because they have no other choice. Still, the youth unemployment rate in Saint Lucia remained steadily at over a third in 2017. What young people are presented with is an economy on crutches. Long-established business houses no longer exist; new ones survive only a few months and others remain open that cannot afford new paint for their outside walls.

Who is going to tell young entrepreneurs unable to find traditional jobs that they all can’t be bag makers, crochet designers, painters or soap makers? And that the market comprises about 179,000 people who need to shop in the supermarket despite ever rising prices. Of course, there are the millions of tourists that are taxied from their all-inclusive hotels to Soufriere, or from the cruise ships to the beach. But there seems to be no failsafe method by which to ascertain how much they spend while in Saint Lucia.

As acknowledged by PSI,

it’s not only with jobs that young people face difficulties. What do they want? A young mother wants to be able to stay in the hospital if contractions are unbearable and unpredictable a week before the baby comes, without being chased out because beds are a scarcity. An 18-year-old with only a few days' unpaid vacation wants not to have to sacrifice a day to get an ID card done. Young women and children want to have confidence in their police force and not be frightened of the United States impact on local law and order. Above all, the way to know it’s unlikely they will suffer the fate of Chereece Benoit, Jezelle Georges and several other young women whose lives were suddenly taken from them—with impunity.

Young people also want to be able to trust the process of democracy; that the people chosen to conduct local and foreign policy will do so with dedication. One MP had that in mind during this week’s Estimates of Expenditure presentation when he said: “The management of the Saint Lucian

economy must be done in an environment of fairness and inclusion and with a level of fiscal responsibility so that our young people are not burdened with the debts that we are undertaking today.”

Alas, it seems young people are not the least interested in the activities of parliament. They’ve heard the words uttered by Pierre this week from the mouths of several other MPs from both sides of the House, words that have always proved empty.

As I write, Sir Louis BlomCooper comes to mind. In his 1998 report titled 'Public Life in St Lucia', he writes: “From the limited, but not unrevealing perspective of the Commission of Inquiry I have discerned a culture in St Lucia of studied indifference or, at the very least, inattention to the practice, even the concept, of public accountability — a cultural climate in which administrative torpor is often the consequence, and malpractices in government (including corruption) can thrive, unhampered by detection or, if and when uncovered, by disciplinary action.”

Additionally: “The new government in St Lucia has been uncomfortably aware of the past backwardness in good governance. That recognition is a necessary first step towards dispelling the culture . . .”

It’s not that People Solutions Ideas was void of important points. The show is new, it’s a laudable idea and it is to be hoped it will continue to offer young people opportunities to represent themselves at discussions centred on their immediate and long-term future.

This youth month, I encourage young people to not simply repeat, “There are no opportunities for us.” Understand what are the problems before you. Read more; listen, challenge and assist those who represent the youth in policy making. Very soon we will be the ones standing in the House of Assembly or receiving reports like Louis Blom-Cooper’s. Will we follow our present leaders and shelve report after costly report, in the process perpetuating the national attitude to corruption that shook BlomCooper to his core?

Enhancing Culinary Creativity, Safety and Presentation at the Anse La Raye Seafood Festival T he Saint Lucia Tourism Authority and the Ministry of Tourism have joined together in efforts to enhance the offering of the Anse La Raye Seafood Festival. Under the supervision of Chef Didier, 15 vendors and 30 vendors' assistants are receiving training in culinary creativity, safety and presentation.

Now into its fourth week, the six-week long programme has afforded not only theoretical practices, but also the 45 trainees are seizing opportunities to demonstrate their newly acquired culinary skills weekly, at the site of the seafood festival.

Senior Marketing Manager at the Saint Lucia Tourism Authority, Ms. Jackie Mathurin, noting the growing trend in culinary travel, says Saint Lucia has taken bold steps to create a niche around the island’s offerings especially with the cornucopia of benefits to visitors.

“With communities like Anse La Raye helping to drive our culinary market, we saw the need for skills development in an effort to infuse the use of more local produce and introduce more of our cultural identity and heritage to the world.”

Chairperson of the Anse La

Raye Seafood Committee, Aldric Evans, who operates a 100% local smoothie bar, is also mastering the art of creativity, safety and presentation.

“Working with Chef Didier is very exciting and the vendors are serious about advancing their skills. The seafood festival is the primary trade of most of the vendors and, with this training, we are becoming more equipped to deliver to international standards,” said Evans.

Following the Lenten season, the Anse La Raye Seafood Festival will get underway on Friday, April 26, 2019 when the public will have the opportunity to experience culinary delights made using the freshest ingredients.

The result of a practical exercise for Anse La Raye Seafood Festival vendors.

10 local

april 20, 2019 THE STAR

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Allen Chastanet delivers 2019-2020 Budget Address Executive Overview

‘Growth by Empowerment for a Better Future’ was the headline for the third budget presentation of The Honourable Prime Minister, Allen Chastanet which focused on the need to improve the quality of life indices for Saint Lucia’s citizens, an area in which the country has been lagging behind its Eastern Caribbean Currency Union (ECCU) neighbours. The prime minister spoke about the need to unlock opportunities that will create a better standard of living for every Saint Lucian through economic participation and wealth creation.

In 2018 the economy experienced modest economic growth of just over 3% along with a falling debt to GDP ratio. Additionally, the critical tourism sector saw increases in various key metrics including increases in stayover visitors, increased cruise ship arrivals and a robust investment pipeline for new projects which is expected to add a further 2,000 rooms to the island’s stock.

The government highlighted the urgent need to modernize the island’s infrastructure and public administration in order to provide opportunities for citizens. The government expects to deliver on this agenda through the adoption of a Medium-Term Development Plan which identified six key areas — Healthcare, Education, Citizens’ Safety, Tourism, Agriculture and Infrastructure — to achieve sustainable and inclusive growth by 2022.

The implementation of the Medium-Term Development Plan is to be managed by the formation of a Performance Management and Delivery Unit (PDMU) which will comprise leaders from both the private and public sectors with diverse experience and backgrounds.

Once the PDMU is fully functional, Cabinet Ministers will be responsible for the delivery of the goals under the development plan.

Medium-Term Development Plan

Under the MediumTerm Development Plan the government will invest $162 million in the health sector, with various initiatives including the design and implementation of National Health Insurance to be funded by the establishment of a National Health Fund.

The National Health Insurance, together with the final commissioning of Owen King-EU Hospital to be completed with the assistance of a third party in an advisory role, the completion of St. Jude’s Hospital at Augier and the opening and upgrading of a number of health centres and clinics across the island, is expected to positively impact healthcare.

Education is another critical element of the government’s development plan with the prime minister citing an education system that was “unresponsive” to the island’s development goals. In 2018, while overall unemployment stood at 20.2%, youth unemployment was 36.3% and continues to be a concern. To that end, the prime minister’s announcement of plans to improve the quality of technical education and the quality of school education is timely. This is expected to be achieved by having better trained teachers through partnerships with industry, and rationalization of course offerings among the strategies announced.

The prime minister also identified security as key to the improvement in the lives of people on the island, further underlining the role that safety and security plays in achieving development goals in the tourism sector. With further investment in citizens’ safety, the government identified a number of new initiatives to curb rising crime including the Safe City CCTV Project in Castries, community policing and the introduction of a parole system.

Through additional investment in citizens’ safety, the government has targeted a 45% reduction in serious crime and a 30% reduction in repeat

The Medium-Term Development Plan of Prime Minister Chastanet (pictured) has a deep focus on tourism and agricultural improvement strategies.

offenders by 2020.

The Medium-Term Development Plan also identifies three economic sectors where government will be most focused: tourism, agriculture and infrastructure.

The Tourism Pipeline

Tourism continues to be the foundation of Saint Lucia’s economy, attracting significant foreign direct investment in new projects. A number of new projects are expected including a Mariott Courtyard at Point Seraphine, a fourth Sandals Resort, the Choiseul Hotel Development, the Anse Sables Development and a four hundred room hotel at Choc.

The government has also identified the need to create a unique Saint Lucia experience that will appeal to a diverse and changing market. To that end, the government will seek to enter into formal agreements with sharing economy providers such as Airbnb which is expected to translate into a tourism sector that will trickle down to a wider supply base for goods and services.

The government will redevelop the Castries market at a cost of $32 million over

two years as well as embark on the wider beautification of Castries. These investments within Castries are expected to improve the experience for tourists and citizens which comes at a critical time as cruise ship arrivals continue to increase.

The preparatory legislative and regulatory framework for Village Tourism is another key element of the tourism strategy, with each village having its own unique signature offerings, reflective of the natural and cultural assets of the area.

The tourism market is competitive and so is open to external shocks. The initiative by the government to create a unique Saint Lucia experience is timely and will ensure the sustainability of this important sector.

Development of the Agricultural Sector

The prime minister highlighted growth in the agricultural sector as part of his Medium-Term Development Plan, with increases in the number of banana farmers and acreage under production as a result of the government’s Banana Productivity

Improvement Project. This continued support will be critical if this momentum is to be maintained.

The prime minister also highlighted other initiatives in terms of food production including aquaponics, hydroponics and agroprocessing. With the current pipeline of tourism projects and the ongoing commitment of the government to the tourism sector, there is a ready and available market for agricultural produce.

Further investment in the agricultural sector also presents an opportunity for the diversification of the Saint Lucian economy and will serve as an economic buffer in the event of global economic shocks that typically impact negatively on tourist travel. It is imperative that the government explore additional financial and market incentives to inject further growth in this very important sector.

Investment in Infrastructure

The need for investment in infrastructure continues to be on the priority list of the government. The poor condition of the physical plant, lack of

capacity and limited connectivity were identified as the island’s major infrastructural challenges.

Infrastructural development is therefore critical to the government’s Medium-Term Development Plan.

Six infrastructural development projects were identified which are expected to support economic activity in tourism, agriculture, retail and trade, including: • Rehabilitation of Millennium Highway and West Coast Road; • Reconstruction or rehabilitation of secondary roads and connector roads; • Development of a cargo and container facility at Cul-de-Sac; • Upgrade of the amenities and facilities for cruise ships at Port Castries; • Development of a Vieux Fort Cruise Port; • Re-development and expansion of Hewanorra International Airport to handle one million passengers by 2022.

The government proposes to commit $246.7 million or 15.5% of its budgetary expenditure to capital projects which will be further augmented through funding from grants, external loans and other debt instruments. However, while investment in infrastructure is critical to Saint Lucia’s growth and tourism thrust, it must be planned and executed in a sustainable manner as there is the risk of cost overruns which will add to the island’s growing debt stock. Further, there must be focus and attention on good governance and controls within the procurement process to ensure value for money.

Debt Management

With the increased investments in infrastructure and various tourism-focused projects across the island primarily funded by debt, Saint Lucia will be challenged to meet the ECCU public debt target of 60% of GDP. However, with the increased investment, the expectation is that there will be creation of economic capacity and further growth which should offset the increased debt levels.

[Continued on page 11]

THE STAR april 20, 2019 [from page 10] The government must manage this carefully and, while it is commendable that the debt to GDP ratio marginally improved in 2018 to 64.9% (2017: 65.2%), there are lessons to be learned from neighbours across the Caribbean where an unmanageable debt burden has resulted in significant structural adjustments, which has been a bitter pill to swallow.

European Union Blacklisting

Saint Lucia has been removed from the European Union (EU) Blacklist and placed on the Greylist pending changes to the tax regime. In 2018 several legislative amendments were made, including changes to pieces of legislation governing tax regimes as well as changes to the Income Tax Act, the Companies Act and the International Partnership Act.

Based on a letter received in February 2019 from the EU, there continue to be areas of

concern and Saint Lucia has committed to revisiting the tax measures highlighted and to making the required changes by the end of 2019.

Additionally, the prime minister indicated that in January 2019 Saint Lucia’s tax regimes were assessed by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development’s (OECD) Forum on Harmful Tax Practices and were found to be in compliance with their criteria.

Fiscal Measures

The prime minister announced several changes to the personal income tax system which is expected to benefit low income earners. These changes included a reduction in the tax bands and changes to the personal allowance.

(See page 17.)

Summary

The IMF has projected Saint Lucia to grow by 3.3%

in 2019. It must be noted that Saint Lucia’s growth is driven by various tourism projects and the short- to mediumterm outlook is favourable.

However, there remains a prevalence of downside risks with the current strategy and the government must be cautious while continuing the initiatives that it has embarked upon. Diversification of the economy is the key to managing these downside risks and the government is encouraged to explore opportunities beyond agriculture and tourism. In a global economy that is dataand knowledge-driven, there is a diversification opportunity for Saint Lucia through continued investment in Information Communications Technology and the training and development of a skilled workforce. The implementation of these measures will equip Saint Lucia for its continued journey to economic

development and growth.

Macro-economic Review Real GDP Growth Rate

The Eastern Caribbean Central Bank’s (ECCB) most recent estimates indicate that real GDP likely grew by less than 1% during 2018.

Projections suggest an acceleration of economic activity in the region of 2% during 2019, led by sustained growth in the tourism sector of 3.4% as well as a rebound in construction of 9.5% as planned public sector projects get off the ground. However, the associated increased capital expenditure could potentially derail the fiscal position, underscoring the need to contain current expenditure.

The ECCB suggests that on its current path, baseline projections will surpass the 60% debt-to-GDP target by

National Arts Festival Lauched

O

n Thursday April 11, at a fitting ceremony at its conference room, the Cultural Development Foundation (CDF) launched the National Arts Festival Artreach programme for 2019.

Senior Officer of Events and Production, Tyrone Harris, in his salutation address stressed, “Artreach endeavours to collect data; assess and instruct the CDF on the areas within the arts where assistance, collaborative training and development programmes are needed”.

Harris noted, “The National Arts Festival continues to provide a national platform for Saint Lucian Artists to showcase their work and talents. In staging this festival, the CDF hopes to create the foundation for the revitalisation (where needed) and the continued sustenance and development of the arts.”

The National Arts Festival Artreach 2019 will highlight, celebrate and honour the work and contributions of well-established artists in all genres of the arts.

Artreach 2019 kicks off with Poetry Night Live — Sounds of the Castries Underground on Cadet Street, Castries on Friday, April 26 from 7:30pm. The theme of ‘The Sky Beneath Us’ calls for dynamic performances

LOCAL

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Poet Vladimir Lucien (pictured) will be a performer in this year’s Sounds of the Castries Underground.

expressed through music, dramatization, and spoken word featuring acclaimed poet Vladimir Lucien and with performances by Headphunk and the Saint Lucia Writers’ Forum.

On Saturday April 27 a dance festival at the National Cultural Centre will feature top Saint Lucian dance groups of both youth and adults.

On Sunday April 28, from 7:30pm, the National Cultural Centre will be the home of Lucian humour for a theatre night as CDF and Youth SPAC collaborate on ‘The Big Job’ produced by Kiedel Sonny and Anthony Wilkie and directed by Kentillia Louis.

The festival climaxes with Vieux Fort North hosting this year’s Community Festival, which is an eclectic mix of theatre, dance, music, visual and traditional arts, literature and spoken word, and family outdoor activities for all ages.

All of this takes place at the Belle Vue Combined School from 10:00am on May 4 and 5.

The CDF also lauded its partnership with members of the public and especially the private sector. These partnerships ensure that the NAF, the finest art and cultural celebration in Saint Lucia, will continue and improve, and will guarantee that the festival not

only puts forward excellent showcases of talent, but that it will become a high quality festival in all its aspects.

The festival’s collaboration and work in opening up arts and culture to young and old alike continues to expand with the inauguration of the CIBC Francis “Leebo” De Lima Award for Aspiring Artists.

This award is in recognition and continuation of the work started by Francis “Leebo” De Lima with young aspiring artists in many areas of the arts. This auspicious award will carry on Leebo’s legacy and advocacy for aspiring artists in Saint Lucia as it recognizes and celebrates worthy individuals creating new and innovative contributions to Saint Lucian arts and culture over a sustained period of time.

The award recognizes aspiring artists in the musical arts, the field of production, literary arts, modern media, and visual and performing arts.

In attendance at the launch were Senator Fortuna Belrose, Minister for Culture and Creative Industries; Mr. Daniel Belizair, Chairman of the CDF board of directors; stakeholders representing various genres of the arts, and corporate partners for the National Arts Festival Artreach 2019.

2030.

Unemployment Rate

The unemployment rate remained constant at 20.2% at the end of 2018 and 2017. Youth unemployment persisted notably above overall unemployment at 38.5% in 2017 and females remained more likely to be unemployed than males, albeit with a marginally narrower gender gap. The working age population and the labour force both decreased by 0.4% to an estimated 142,800 and 102,005 persons respectively in 2018. As a result, the labour force participation rate remained unchanged at 71.4% in 2018. Females were estimated to account for 47,076 of the labour force while males made up the estimated balance of 54,929.

Total Public Sector Debt to GDP

Positive estimated economic growth for 2018

11

resulted in the public debt to GDP ratio falling to 64.9% from 65.2% in 2017. Central government debt accounted for 94% of the official public debt while the share of government guaranteed debt and non-guaranteed debt stood at 5.6% and 0.4% respectively at the end of 2018. Led by movements in central government debt, domestic public debt accounted for 51.1% of the total public debt and the remaining 48.9 % was categorized as external debt. Inflation Rate

The inflation rate stood at 0.1% for the end of 2017, while inflation grew to 2.6% at the end of 2018, despite declines in the price of clothing and transport of 9.4% and 1.3% respectively.

Consumer prices increased as high prices were recorded for food and non-alcoholic beverages up 3.0%, housing gas and utilities up 17.3%, and communication up 0.5%. These price increases were transmitted through imported inflation.

SAINT LUCIA DEVELOPS FAÇADE IMPROVEMENT PROGRAMME

T

he manual to guide operationalizing and implementing the Façade Improvement Programme for targeted business in the Castries Central Business District (CBD) has been completed through the work of a local consultant.

The manual details the eligibility criteria and procedures that govern the administration and disbursement of the grants.

It also provides all the tools needed to manage the programme, with details of the process for the grant application, the rules for award/ rejection and disbursement, and guidance to monitor and evaluate the façade improvement works that will be funded under the project.

Under the programme, business/property owners within a defined area of the Castries CBD will be eligible for 50:50 matching grants to improve their store fronts, based on the eligibility criteria presented in the manual. The programme is expected to be implemented later this year.

Why a Façade Improvement Programme for

Castries? The programme is aimed at improving the aesthetic appeal and attractiveness of the Castries CBD, with the intrinsic benefit of enhancing the economic viability of these businesses from retail customers and visitors.

Some of the specific objectives of the programme are to: 1) Promote conservation and/or reconstruction of historic façades that may regenerate a designated area as part of an integrated multi-sectoral investment strategy; 2) Enhance the image and overall economic viability of businesses by improving the function and appearance of individual building façades; and 3) enhance the visual experience in the city, by creating harmonised enhancements and appearances of structures within the specified area.

The programme will also provide complementary business support services to targeted local businesses to assist them with improving their operations and offerings, especially retail businesses that cater to tourists.

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COMMENT

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april 20, 2019 THE STAR

Cyber Mercenary . .

Scorned Woman F

or the insatiable bottom feeders among us it seemed a feast was on offer, everyone invited, no charge. Who could ask for anything more? The menu promised hot sex, leaks, a variety of videos, dick pics galore, and the arcane excitements of dot-connecting Looshan style. Long before the talking heads got down to delivering the goodies, their surrogates were busy whetting appetites throughout the Red Zone: more titillation courtesy the senator Ubaldus Erectus speaking words of lust to an unidentified Trinidadian siren; more indisputable proof that the government is interested only in “friends, family and foreigners”—not necessarily in that sequence. Conceivably the more ambitious of our politicians, the obvious and the ill-disguised, reminiscent of a time shortly after John Compton was laid to rest, were licking their chops in greedy anticipation of the delivery at last of Allen Chastanet’s silvery head—the most discussed empty promise of the year 2018.

Chef Boyardee served his mostly unemployable early morning audience an irresistible tidbit: a recorded phone conversation between a woman who spoke in a Trini-accented let’s-get-it-on voice and a rut-crazed familiarsounding religious Lothario.

After more than five years of hosting Zafè Moun, Boyardee knew well what tickled his viewers. And it had nothing to do with Shakespeare; neither passages from Derek Walcott’s What the Twilight Says. Several times Boyardee appealed to his audience to resist calling him

to say who was the recorded sweet-talking man. They would be given ample time to do so the following morning, he promised.

If on this Rock of Sages there existed some who were uncertain of the man’s identity, they soon were put out of their misery courtesy Richard Frederick, host of Can I Help You?—especially renowned as the man patriotic public servants seek out whenever they feel the need to spill their guts in the best interests of the nation, especially if what they need to spill can somehow be associated with Allen Chastanet and his relatives, close and distant.

Two Thursday evenings ago Frederick apologized profusely to his parish priest and fellow ardent churchgoers for missing out on a number of god-related activities, so busy was he helping the poor and the voiceless. Then he ripped into a woman he identified as “that lump of useless protoplasm” who had dared to place before his “countless thousands of Facebook fans” the absurdity that he, not the economic development minister, had penned a particularly contentious “to whom it may concern” letter that featured Guy Joseph’s signature.

Soon he arrived at the night’s entree, earlier publicized on Zafè Moun. Frederick served a potpourri that was at once noisome and exhilarating, depending on the receiving nose. It also tended at times to have dizzying impact on the more discerning. For instance, when the Can I Help You? host claimed that seconds before our April 6 edition went to press I had made a last-minute

And then they will open their mouths and say locals set up Ubaldus. Crap! Allen, all the investigations you want to do, come to me. Talk to me. And ya’ll blaming Labour Party, blaming this? Blaming that?

Ubaldus, there’s no one else to blame but yourself.”

The message as I understood it: Ubaldus was culpable for something or adjustment to the paper’s front other not quite kosher. Perhaps page. A discombobulating Frederick referred to the girl announcement, to be sure, that in a distributed video “that left me wondering whether was seen wining” on him at a key members of my presumed Savannah Park carnival party loyal staff were as trustworthy for the band Tribe? Despite the as earlier I had believed. poor lighting, the expression on Frederick’s revelation also the face of Ubaldus when he opened up the possibility that realized his moves were being my phone may be tapped. I videotaped by a fellow reveler hasten to add that none of reminded of the famous deer in this causes me much concern, the headlights! since I tend to say and write Frederick (referring without shackles. What I speak to a TT$10,000 promise to on the phone, I often repeat the “wining” woman): “All of on radio and on TV. There was that is to sweeten the young nothing unusual about the cited lady. Whether he owed her or adjustment; it’s the nature of not, I don’t know but it is to the beast. If you know your sweeten her to get into doing business as well as I know what he wants her to do to mine, you’ll know what is or win cooperation from Ubaldus is not deserving of special to establish business with the treatment. government of Saint Lucia.”

But back to the earlier

The message as I mentioned potpourri and understood it: Someone (WiPay some further food for thought, CEO Aldwyn Wayne?) had made courtesy the host of Can I an offer of money to a woman Help You?: “It appears that the in an effort to win Ubaldus’ government of Saint Lucia has assistance in establishing a given instructions to cause business arrangement with this girl, the girl that was seen the Chastanet government. wining on Ubaldus, to cause Frederick had, but chose her to do certain things. But I not to play, recordings of a want to give y’all a ball by ball Trinidadian lawyer offering commentary with everything the woman “money, all sorts that happened and y’all of things, opportunities, to understand 1) why this is bigger sign a document saying she than Ubaldus; 2) why Chastanet lied and made up the story.” I will have immense difficulty wondered what might that story touching Ubaldus.” be. I imagined it might hold

The message, as I condemning secret information understood it: Richard Frederick related to the woman’s recorded was in possession of classified conversations with Ubaldus and information that somehow Aldwyn Wayne—with whom the Chastanet government she had borne a child some six was manipulating a female in years ago and with whom she Trinidad “to cause her to do endures a relationship made in certain things.” I wondered hell, with occasional heavenly whether the promised “ball-by- respites. ball” might be connected with

Frederick: “I have Frederick’s possibly perverted [recorded] convos with that “certain things.” lawyer telling the young lady Frederick: Y’all heard? there are big people in Saint

Lucia that want this document.

So tonight when I heard the release from the [Saint Lucia] AG’s office I was not surprised.

They are pressuring her to sign a document, hoping they can buy enough time to come out with this piece of document to say there was no authenticity in everything that was circulated.

I have the recordings of the lawyer saying that those big people know that the document is not meant for Trinidad; it is meant for Saint Lucia.”

I must admit to some confusion here. Who were the local big people who would like the Trini woman to say her recorded titillations and the shocking responses of Ubaldus Raymond and Aldwyn Wayne amounted to bad fiction, not so pure imaginings? Or that the recorded exchanges held meanings beyond common comprehension? What might the woman say to make the recordings inauthentic, the work of voice impersonators?

Who exactly from Saint Lucia was pressuring Wayne’s former squeeze to produce this vital it-wasn’t-me document?

Frederick also claimed to have recordings that prove the woman was told she would disappear if she did not cooperate with the big people in Saint Lucia. “So it appears the government of this country will do almost anything; even to the extent of having this young lady kidnapped if she does not sign a document essentially saying that everything is fake,” Frederick asserted. “But she has stood her ground. She was even threatened, and I have that recording as well, that she would be extradited to Saint Lucia if she did not sign!”

What! Can a Trinidadian citizen who has not committed a crime in Saint Lucia, who, for all I know, has never placed a painted big toe on local soil, be “extradited” to this country?

How is that possible? By what authority? In all events Frederick dared any to suggest he was bluffing, that he did not have in his possession recorded evidence of local big men threatening the Trini woman.

Dueling talk show Left to right, former senate preside

Such a challenge, he said, would leave him no choice but to expose even more devastating information.

Finally there was this from Richard Frederick: “Chastanet the prime minister pretends he don’t know who is behind WiPay. He pretends he doesn’t know the directors of WiPay, that it is just another company that government may do business with. But folks, Chastanet has withheld extremely pertinent information that at least leads to conflict of interest. It is his understanding, he says, that the ministry of the public service is in dialogue with WiPay.”

Actually, the record proves a Choice News reporter did ask the prime minister, “What exactly is our relationship with WiPay?” To which Chastanet responded: “We don’t have one yet. WiPay is a company that has been engaged with Saint Lucia and other countries. They have a technology process to be able to handle financial transactions. So, for example, if a ministry wants to take online payments, then there’s the technology to permit that. So it’s certainly one of the companies . . . my understanding is that the ministry

THE STAR

COMMENT 13

www.stluciastar.com

april 20, 2019

. . . Or Just Another n Gone Berserk!

g talk show hosts take aim at WiPay and its many unanswered questions! ate president Mr. Claudius Francis and one time Castries Central MP Mr. Richard Frederick.

of the public service has been in discussions with them. I’m not sure if there’s been an agreement so far with WiPay. That’s all I know so far.”

No one asked “Who’s behind WiPay?” as Frederick claimed, and the prime minister really had no need to “pretend he doesn’t know.”

One final word from Can I Help You? “When Ubaldus agreed to resign, that very Friday someone who is authorized to speak on behalf of government called two friendly government houses to apprise them of the latest development. Rick Wayne was called; HTS was called.

Rick had already designed the front page of his STAR newspaper for the following day, Saturday. And he had a totally different front page.

But obviously, in keeping with the trending news, Rick quickly changed his front page to be in sync with the developing story.”

Really? Trending news?

Trending where? But what a relief to discover my friend may not have a mole at the STAR after all. No one “with authority to speak for the government” called me that certain Friday to tip me off about Ubaldus Raymond’s resignation. As for HTS,

on the evening in question, close to 8 p.m. that is, Andre Paul alerted his audience to “breaking news” that the senator had thrown in the towel.

Paul revealed as his source “social media.” Anything to avoid saying HTS had picked up on the STAR’s front page that’s normally available online every Friday between 5-6 p.m.

On both scores, therefore, Mr. Frederick had been, er, misled.

So now, let’s drop in on Straight Up, with Claudius Francis. Suffice it to say his report was for the most part at odds with Frederick’s. Claudius began by speculating the reason he’d been “sent all of the tapes” could be the sender considered him irrevocably trustworthy, that he would protect his source no matter what, and that the sender “may be very fearful of the vindictiveness of the state”—what state?— and wanted to ensure someone other than the anonymous sender was also in possession of the tapes. “They sent them

for insurance,” added the insurance executive-cum-show host. Francis revealed he had taken a call just before his show aired from an inquiring investigative Trinidadian journalist in relation to the WiPay episode and Francis had informed him, “I am not enough acquainted with the facts of the story to offer anything with any degree of definitiveness.”

In Claudius’ own telling, the reporter had told him that when the story first broke in Saint Lucia the Trinidad media considered it a matter between consenting adults and of no special interest to Trinidad consumers. But after listening to Richard Frederick’s show online “they became more interested because lawyers in Trinidad seemed to be implicated.”

Also that the CEO of WiPay had said he was “pretty tight with a government minister in Trinidad.” Moreover, that “if what was said on Richard Frederick’s show about a lawyer telling the young lady

about possibly disappearing that they [reporters] would be asking the police in Trinidad if they were aware of the situation, and if so what they planned to do on this matter that was tantamount to a threat on life and limb.”

Claudius revealed he too had watched the Frederick show and concluded, by the way the host presented his evidence, “Mr. Frederick would make a far better defense attorney than a prosecutor.” I gathered Claudius was saying that when it comes to prosecuting, as was his role on the evening of his show, Frederick sucked. Referencing the DuBoulay family, Claudius recalled that when Allen Chastanet took office in 2016 it was bruited about that Dunstan DuBoulay was among candidates being considered for the position of governor general. “I am on record as saying,” Claudius recalled, “that although the optics might not be right for some on account of him being the prime minister’s father-in-law, as far as he was concerned there were few who might’ve made a better governor general.” So when he discovered Dunstan and his son were listed as directors of WiPay, along with the WiPay CEO from Trinidad, it never crossed his mind “that Dunstan and Richard would be involved in this thing.”

Being the research freak that he and others consider him to be, not without cause, he discovered that Dunstan DuBoulay and the chairman of WiPay in Trinidad had long been friends. It was he who had encouraged Dunstan to “partner with his company in forming a local subsidiary.” It was only after Dunstan had agreed that he met Aldwyn Wayne. These details coincide with my own story in last weekend’s STAR.

His investigations had also convinced Claudius there was nothing untoward or usual about Dunstan and Richard DuBoulay’s relationship with WiPay. As for the involvement of Pinkley Francis, the chairman of Invest Saint Lucia, Claudius found it unsettling that he was also listed as an investor in the

local WiPay subsidiary. “If the chairman is to have shares in the business he attracts to Saint Lucia,” he observed, “that ain’t good from my perspective. Bad optics.”

Actually, Pinkley Francis did not attract WiPay. He was invited on board by Dunstan DuBoulay because he owns 12-years-old IBS, generally considered the leading technology integrator in Saint Lucia. But more on that later.

At last Claudius turned his focus to Dr. Ubaldus Raymond. For the benefit of “those UWPees who claim the video is fake,” he said, “when those pictures were taken of that girl we all saw taking a little grind on him, I can tell you, that was the first time Ubaldus met her.” He excoriated Raymond for allowing himself to be “coerced” into “wining on a woman’s backside on an evening when Adventists normally engage in the observation of their Sabbath.

For that he deemed Dr. Raymond a hypocrite, especially considering his unfair harsh criticism in 2006 of then prime minister Kenny Anthony, who had through no fault of his own chosen a Saturday as Nomination Day. Claudius declared he had no other interest in Raymond’s behavior while in Trinidad.

As for the woman in the grinding video, Claudius claimed that even after listening to all the tapes he still knew just three things about her: her name, that she may be a teacher and that she is a Trinidadian native. On the other hand, he said, a visiting Martian after hearing the recordings would in a few minutes know all there is to know about Dr. Raymond, save perhaps his date of birth. “With all of his experience,” Claudius sneered, “you want to tell me the man couldn’t smell something fishy in the air?”

As incredible as it may sound, whatever reached Raymond’s nostrils during his phone conversations with the unidentified Trini woman only encouraged

him to suck in more of her aroma. But then, even the woman’s oft-bitten baby daddy and WiPay CEO had sensed no reason to be suspicious. As earlier hinted, even though he is married to another woman with whom he has a baby just three months old, he remains connected to the other woman, as incredible as that sounds. But that’s for another show. Suffice it to say Claudius made none of the connections that Frederick underscored during his show.

Some heavy questions remain. For example: Why were those often cited recordings made in the first place? Nowhere on those tapes is Aldwyn Wayne heard referring to recordings of any kind. In any case, considering his wife and his own near impeccable image at home and in other places with WiPay subsidiaries, why would he permit to be made a recording of his private, somewhat salty conversations with a former flame forbidden from calling him at home? The most important question centers on how those tapes made their way from Trinidad to Saint Lucia into the hands of individuals sworn to bury Allen Chastanet before his time. At any rate, politically. Tune in next week for the shocking answers.

We may as well close with a few more words from Richard Frederick: “As I was saying, some reporters assisted [with putting the show together]: We had Janeka Simon who did a wonderful job in her reporting.

Her skill is just remarkable.

There were others. Miguel Fevrier . . . some other guys . . .

I believe that being a young police officer from the age of seventeen and then a lawyer thereafter, my investigative skill is beyond repute.”

He returned to the prime minister’s marital relatives.

“I will still hold that the DuBoulays are reputable people but they got involved in this web.

It’s too glaring. The situations of conflict of interest are too glaring for comfort.” Of course that could change by the next time Richard Frederick asks: “Can I Help you?”

14 LOCAL

april 20, 2019 THE STAR

www.stluciastar.com

Looshan Life from the Perspective of a Resident Non-national!

Technology Already in Place to Track Bomb Hoaxers

By Jack de LePine

T

his being my first ever letter to a newspaper, I find myself a tad apprehensive.

However, the situation is such that it seems imperative that I share my thoughts.

I am a retired foreigner who has lived mainly in Saint Lucia (approximately eight months per year) since January 2011. I came because of a close relative who was then working on the island and has since left, whereas I remained. I did so because I love this island, its people, customs, ambience, languages and generally everything about the place. I will admit, however, that local politics appear rather baffling to me as a foreigner (born in Martinique, raised in the USA, schooled both there and in Paris).

I remember quite vividly as I first arrived in 2011 how generally poor and rundown the streets, roads, buildings and vehicles looked. The population, however, seemed mostly happy, joyous, always ready to lend a helping hand and offer greetings and a smile. Over the years I have noticed a gradual change in peoples’ attitudes.

A perceptible dissatisfaction and morosité has been gaining ground in the overall thinking of the people.

I first felt it shortly after the application in October 2012 of the 15% VAT levied on most retail sales (which was predominately perceived by the public at large, as an immediate 15% decrease in monthly revenue and buying power).

At that time I understood the prevalent unhappiness, and attributed it to the reduction of purchasing power felt by all but the most prosperous.

I even credited the election defeat of the SLP (the party which instituted the detested VAT) to the establishment of that tax. Over the past several years nevertheless, I have noticed gradual improvements in the standards of living on the island.

For example, when I first

The bomb hoax at CIBCFirstCaribbean International in Castries (pictured) is still not resolved, but police warn perpetrators it’s only a matter of time before they’re caught.

T

he recent bomb threats, now confirmed as hoaxes, which occurred at George F.L. Charles Airport It would be much more beneficial to everyone to acknowledge that no faction is and CIBCFirst Caribbean all good, nor all bad.

International Bank are nothing new, and are merely two more arrived, vehicles were often in Rodney Bay and elsewhere. the population.Yet, when I notches on a decades-long belt. older looking, dilapidated, with They must have many patrons ponder some of the situations However, what seemingly is dings and dents, frequently to be open every night, most of described above, I cannot help becoming a trend is the relative billowing dark smelly clouds whom are not tourists. Yet the but wonder: if the situation is success of law enforcement in of exhaust smoke. Today most opposition party is constantly really as bad as suggested, then tracking down the perpetrators vehicles one encounters are harping as loudly as possibly, how on earth are these things of these hoaxes. new or recent. And while every proclaiming that things are possible?

Although investigations once in a while one runs into a very bad and that the financial

How can people afford new into the March 29 bomb hoax at truck, bus or car which releases situation of the population at vehicles, expensive phones, CIBC are still ongoing, a suspect quantities of choking exhaust large is in dire straits. And the (which are being purchased was arrested and charged in gases, gone are the days of said population swallows the throughout the island), frequent each of two previous incidents: when two to three of every six party line, hook and sinker too. nightclub and/or restaurant last year, a French international cars were eyesores. In Saint I am fully aware of the disparity outings, and new flat screen and, earlier this year, a Saint Lucia today most of those between the north and the TVs? Are things as bad as they Lucian journalist, both for bomb owning a TV have a flat screen south of the island in standards say? Can they possibly be? threats at George F.L. Charles (of varying sizes, of course, of living, and the inherent Or are the people just being airport. depending on their individual reasons for those differences. I moutons, believing and doing

ACP for Crime Intelligence resources, but a flat screen have nevertheless noticed in my as they are told? Sometimes Management Wayne Charlery, nonetheless). The Courts stores travels throughout Saint Lucia someone from outside can during an interview last week whose prices look like they are that there are now very few old, better see and evaluate the with the STAR, revealed that beyond the reach of most Saint dilapidated, wooden houses, as situation than those in the the police already have the Lucians seem to be doing a was common even ten years centre of it, especially if political technology for tracking down brisk business. The quantity of ago. aspirations and/or financial bomb threat perpetrators. new or recent luxury cars (Audi, New enterprises are interests are involved! A classic “Yes, the technology is there,” Mercedes Benz, Lexus, BMW, opening in the south (i.e. Ojo case of not seeing the forest, for he said. “However, what we etc) is astounding. Even the labs), employing scores of new the trees! need to do now is to take a look taxis and mini buses are spiffy recruits. As a retiree living on a The factionalism so at our laws. The legislation is and new looking. fixed income, just as everyone intensely evident on such a not as strong as it should be in

The supermarkets never else, I am subjected to the small, struggling island will that regard.” seem to be able to keep up with vagaries of VAT or other taxes eventually be detrimental to

Charlery explained that the popular demand for goods, which reduce my purchasing all. It would be much more despite the available technology, as can be judged by how often abilities, e.g. 12.5% VAT, greatly beneficial to everyone to investigating a bomb threat is they run out of stock of various increased annual vehicle acknowledge that no faction no simple matter, given how popular and sundry items. licensing costs or, yet again, is all good, nor all bad. tech-savvy the average Saint Commuters sport iPhones, a new 70% duty on imported Recognition of the benefits Lucian is nowadays. But he also Samsung Galaxy9 phones and furniture, applicable as of April achieved by one’s adversaries made a point of saying that the other expensive devices on mini 1, 2019; unfortunately not an is not necessarily a fault, and use of every communications buses. Nightclubs play loud, April Fool joke! Accordingly, I it would behove all parties to device can be traced through disturbing outdoor music every understand and share some tone down the rhetoric in the the telecommunications night until 2 a.m. for customers of the frustrations felt by interests of the common good.

companies on island. Those companies were crucial to bringing the last airport bomb hoax investigation to a close and will be crucial to solving the most recent one.

“What we would like to say is, although we have all of these new devices and so on, there’s one origin for it—the telecommunication companies, whether it’s Digicel or Flow.

So from there, now we get our work done and I must say that, within the law, we’re getting all the cooperation possible.

There are scenarios within the law that provide for assistance from the telecommunications companies.”

The ACP hopes that public knowledge of that fact will go a long way in deterring would-be bomb hoaxers, and compared such a crime to an act of terror.

Referring to the March 29 bank incident, Charlery said.

“If you look at the last bomb hoax, it would have crippled a lot of businesses; and I think on that particular day a lot more businesses in other areas, closed down prematurely. So, we don’t want to encourage that sort of thing at all. When I think about it, I tend to equate a bomb hoax, a bomb scare, with an act of terror. If the law looks at it that way, I think that will not only help with police investigations, but also help with deterring would-be criminals.”

---Dean Nestor

THE STAR april 20, 2019

O

Religious Leader Says Handshake Incident In Parliament “Distasteful”

utspoken religious leader Seth Ampadu has described an incident that happened in parliament on Wednesday night as “distasteful”. Former Prime Minister Doctor Kenny Anthony did not accept the hand offered by current Prime Minister Allen Chastanet for a handshake.

Chastanet had earlier greeted other opposition parliamentarians with ease in the same manner. A video recording of the handshake incident has been circulating on social media.

Superintendent Methodist Minister Seth Ampadu, who this week preached a message of reconciliation in his Easter message, described the action as “very unfortunate”.

“Leaders are there to bring the people together,” he asserted. According to the Methodist Minister, parliament is the heart of the nation.

“If this incident happens in parliament where everybody is watching, it is very distasteful,” Ampadu continued, “As a church we are praying for our leaders to unite the nation, but if they continue to behave this way then where are we going?”

According to the outspoken clergyman, politics should not divide people. “The fact that we have different political ideologies—it does not divide us. We need to understand that we are one people. We are Saint Lucians—we are representing the people. So we may have our differences as political leaders, but we should not go to that extent that when someone is going to greet you, you just turn your back,” Ampadu said.

He noted that observances marking Easter are underway in which the churches are calling for unity. “If this thing happens, then what kind of signal are we sending to the community?”

“We are appealing to our leaders that they should show an example to the people so that the nation would unite since we can see clearly that the nation has been divided into these two political parties. But let us understand that the nation was there before politics, so politics should not divide

NWU Youth Council to hold 2nd Annual Congress

T

www.stluciastar.com

he National Workers Union Youth Council (NWUYC) will hold its 2nd Annual Youth Congress under the theme ‘Trade Unions; A Youthful Perspective’ on Friday, April 26, 2019 at the Financial Administrative Centre at Pointe Seraphine, Castries.

The Congress, which will bring together forty young workers from all the union’s branches, will be addressed by Nikoli Edwards of Trinidad and Tobago.

The event will create a platform for these young workers to recognize and appreciate the role of trade unions in national development, especially as young people continue to be critical to the growth and longevity of the trade union movement.

This Congress comes at an appropriate time as it coincides with the celebrations in Saint Lucia of youth month, and it provides an avenue to execute the NWUYC’s mandate: ‘To be the catalyst for the advancement and development of young workers through advocacy, empowerment and equal opportunities’.

LOCAL

15

What hard feelings does the former PM have towards his successor?

us,” Ampadu declared.

Just Tuesday, Prime Minister Allen Chastanet posted a photo of government and opposition MPs all sitting together, on his official Facebook page. The post attracted several positive comments.

---St Lucia Times

REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST SAINT LUCIA CARIBBEAN REGIONAL PROGRAM (CARCIP)

COMMUNICATIONS

INFRASTRUCTURE

IDA Credit #51170 Assignment SPECIALIST

Title:

ENGINEER/ENVIRONMENTAL

SAFEGUARDS

Reference No. : SLU-CARCIP-CS-IC-EESS-01-19 The Government of Saint Lucia (GOSL) has secured financing from the World Bank towards the implementation of the Disaster Vulnerability Reduction Project (Project No. 127226, IDA Credit 5493-LC SCF PPCR Loan #TF017101, SCF PPCR Grant #TF017143)), Caribbean Regional Communications Infrastructure Program (Credit #5117 -LC: Project No. P114963) and the Renewal Energy Sector Development Project. In effort to strengthen the capacity of the existing Project Coordination Unit within the Department of Economic Development, Transport and Civil Aviation the GOSL seeks to engage the services of an Engineer/ Environmental Safeguards (ES) Officer in (i) managing, monitoring, reporting and effectively implementing the environmental safeguards polices as per the World Bank’s Environmental Assessment Policy (OP/BP 4.01) and consistent with the Environmental Management Framework developed for the aforementioned Projects.

The Consulting Services include coordinating and monitoring the implementation of all construction and civil works activities for compliance with the Environmental and Social Management Framework for the Projects, providing overall environmental management oversight, support and advise to the client in addressing the environmental issues at all the stages of execution of works and in environment related training/awareness raising and coordination activities. The assignment is on a full time basis and is expected to start June 1, 2019.

Specifically, the Consultant will be responsible for executing the following tasks: Coordinate and monitor the execution of works to provide guidance during implementation of civil works Supervise the work of consultants engaged to prepare preliminary studies with a view to ensuring quality, and consistency with project objectives; Review and provide technical assessments of engineering designs; Review monthly reports prepared by Engineering Consultants; and Ensure that all technical inputs and cost estimates related to the construction are accurate, and consistent with the approved Contract.

Ensure effective quality control systems are implemented and that contractors work in compliance with technical specifications and World Bank quality standards, EMF and SMF; Coordinate the planning and implementation of environmental safeguard activities Conduct Environmental screening and prepare / update an (the) Environmental Management Plan (EMP) for all civil work activities Assist with updating of indicators by collecting data / information on physical, and socio-cultural environmental elements related to civil works activities Sensitize stakeholders including contractors on the provision of ESMF and specific EMP activities to be complied by contractors and users; Provide orientation to contractors and workers on application of labor camp management and Occupational Health and Safety guidelines and supervise the compliance of those guidelines; Work closely with key agencies including line ministries, beneficiary agencies, environmental health, Physical Planning, Solid Waste Management Ensure citizen engagement by conducting regular workshops

Work closely with the Social Safeguards Officer of the PCU The Terms of reference may be obtained on the website of the Government of Saint Lucia (www.govt.lc/consultancy) The Department of Economic Development, Transport and Civil Aviation now invites eligible individual consultants (“Consultant”) to provide the Services.

Interested eligible candidates must provide information indicating that they are

qualified to perform the services and are invited to submit their CV (Curriculum Vitae), including employment records, description of similar assignments, experience in similar conditions, availability of appropriate skills, previous remuneration, etc.

Unsuitable applications will not be acknowledged. Applicants whose qualifications and experiences are in line with the Terms of Reference will be short-listed and invited to attend an interview for further consideration.

Minimum qualifications and Experience Requirements for Shortlisting are: At least a Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental/Civil/Construction Engineering, Environmental Management or other related field; At least 5 years working experience as a civil engineer; At least 3 years’ experience working in complex environments and large infrastructure and/or civil works, particularly in the field of construction technical project documentation development as well as construction supervision; Excellent and proven experience in dealing with contractors and local partners; Working experience in the area of implementation and monitoring of technical/ construction projects; methodological and calculation skills; Work experience with Government, Community groups, private sector and/or donor funded projects and other relevant institutions will be an added advantage.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Requirements Additional knowledge, skills and abilities that will be required of successful candidates include: Ability to address and manage all aspects of monitoring of construction (legal aspects of positioning, procurement, law and knowledge of construction contracts, construction information technologies, and follow-up).

Ability to communicate effectively in written and oral formats and to prepare reports; Functionally computer literate, possessing operational skills in word-processing and spreadsheet application, including software programs such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Microsoft Project; Appropriate involvement and/or experience in similar projects in Saint Lucia; and experience working in developing countries in general and in the OECS Region in particular, is a plus.

Ability to communicate accurate information concerning processes, policies and procedures to project stakeholders; Ability to handle stakeholders tactfully, courteously and diplomatically; Must be of high integrity, transparent, and accountable; Knowledge of how to undertake Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs); Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with relevant agencies and groups involved in the implementation of the project; and Knowledge of the World Bank’s Environmental Safeguard Policies (OP 4.01).

The attention of interested Consultants is drawn to paragraph 1.9 of the World Bank’s Guidelines: Selection and Employment of Consultants under IBRD Loans and IDA Credits & Grants by World Bank Borrowers 2011 revised July 2014 (“Consultant Guidelines”), setting forth the World Bank’s policy on conflict of interest.

A Consultant will be selected in accordance with the Individual Consultants (IC) method set out in the World Bank’s Guidelines: Selection and Employment of Consultants under IBRD Loans and IDA Credits & Grants by World Bank Borrowers 2011 revised July 2014 (“Consultant Guidelines”).

Further information on the assignment is contained in the Terms of Reference which can be obtained from the Project Coordination Unit.

Expressions of interest must be delivered in a written form to the address below (in person, or by mail, or by fax, or by e-mail) by April 24, 2019.

CARCIP Project Coordinator Project Coordination Unit Department of Economic Development, Transport and Civil Aviation Attn: Project Coordinator 2nd Floor, Finance Administrative Centre Trou Garnier, Pointe Seraphine Castries Saint Lucia E-mail: slupcu@gosl.gov.lc / christopher.roberts@govt.lc Website: www.finance.gov.lc

16 health

april 20, 2019 THE STAR

www.stluciastar.com

KIM’S KORNER

A

A Slip of the Wrist

nyone can slip and suffer injuries trying to break a fall. The force that is transmitted through your arm as you reach out can result in Colles fracture, what we would call a wrist fracture. But it isn’t just falling that can result in this type of fracture; it can also be caused by a car or bike accident or any trauma that places force through the hand.

A Colles fracture is named after Irish surgeon Abraham Colles who, in 1814, before X-rays, identified this fracture based on the obvious deformity that it causes. It is not actually a fracture of the wrist but in fact is a fracture of the radius bone in the forearm. The wrist is made up of eight small bones.

The forearm has two: the larger bone, the radius, which sits closer to the wrist bones, and a smaller bone, the ulna, which runs along the outside of the arm, in line with the little finger.

Colles fractures are more common in women than men and occur more often in the young or the elderly. Weaker bones and the presence of osteoporosis may be the cause.

People who have poor balance and have been diagnosed with osteoporosis may be advised to wear a wrist guard. However, it only minimizes the risk and does not necessarily prevent all

A Colles fracture is more common in women, young and old.

fractures.

A Colles fracture may be obvious immediately, especially if there is pain, swelling, bruising and an obvious deformity. Diagnosing a Colles fracture may be as simple as just looking at the wrist but an X-ray may be required to determine the severity of the fracture. In extreme cases there may be numbness in the area that may indicate there has been damage to the median nerve.

Once diagnosed, the first step is to try to minimize the swelling and the best way to do this is by using ice. It is also important to remember any rings you may be wearing, and to remove them. Swelling may not be immediately obvious but, as the body prepares for action to heal and protect the injury, there will be swelling.

The most important part of the treatment process is to assist the bones in healing in the best way possible. If there

is little displacement in the bone, the orthopaedic doctor may perform what is known as a closed reduction. This involves moving the bones back into place without making an incision. Next, it is important to ensure that the bones are not able to move; in most cases this will be as simple as applying a cast to immobilise the bones and allow them to knit back together. This cast will typically stay on for about six weeks.

For people who have a

lot of swelling, a strong splint may be used until the swelling reduces. Splints are also used for people who are not overly active and pain is minimal. For example, in the frail or elderly a strong splint will be used instead of a heavy cast.

In cases where there has been a big displacement of the bones, or there are more than two fragments, surgery may be indicated. Depending on the severity of the fracture, the orthopaedic consultant may choose to apply internal fixation such as metal pins, plates or screws, or external fixation that looks like a metal frame around the arm, holding the bones in place. Once the cast, splint or frame is removed after six weeks, then movement is encouraged. At first the wrist will be very stiff and simple movements and tasks will be

difficult.

Where recovery is slow and pain still a factor, physiotherapy may be prescribed to help with achieving full function.

Treatment will involve a variety of modalities depending on whether you have had surgery or have been treated conservatively, in a cast alone, but may include, electrotherapy for pain; hot wax, stretching, mobilisations and massage for improving the range and, of course, strengthening exercises as, after being immobilised for six weeks, the whole arm may be stiff and weak. The important point to note with this type of fracture is that return to full function can be a long process and can take up to a year; in some cases, it never quite gets back to normal.

So, the next time you are dashing around and the floor is wet, take care not to slip.

Kim Jackson is a UK-trained physiotherapist with over 20 years’ experience. She specialises in musculoskeletal pain and dysfunction including back pain and sciatica, stroke and other neuro conditions plus sports physiotherapy, having worked with local, regional and international athletes and teams treating injuries and analysing biomechanics to improve function and performance. She is registered with the Allied Health Council and is a member of PASL. She currently works at Bayside Therapy Services in Rodney Bay, O: 458 4409 or C: 284 5443; www.baysidetherapyservices.com

STATEMENT BY DR. GALE RIGOBERT ON STYROFOAM CONTROL

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he Government of Saint Lucia is committed to improving the health and environment of the nation. As I indicated in my announcement in August 2018, and as studies have shown, food service containers made from polystyrene and expanded polystyrene, also known as Styrofoam®, along with plastics have continued to negatively affect the health of citizens and the cleanliness of our environment.

In this regard, the Department of Sustainable Development, in partnership

with other key agencies such as the Saint Lucia Solid Waste Management Authority, the Department of Economic Development, Ministry of Commerce, the Department of Finance and the Customs and Excise Department, have over the last months worked towards the development of a suitable strategy to eliminate singleuse plastics, polystyrene and expanded polystyrene from our market and environment.

To further demonstrate the Government’s commitment to safeguarding the health and environment of our island, I

wish to announce, in keeping with a decision of the Cabinet of Ministers, that Saint Lucia will be implementing a ban on the importation of Styrofoam® and selected plastic food service containers as of June 1, 2019.

Therefore, any Styrofoam® and the selected plastic food service containers landed after May 31, 2019 will not be released by the Customs and Excise Department. These items will be phased out over a one-year period commencing June 1, 2019 until May 31, 2020.This approach will allow all stakeholders a chance to

exhaust their current stock of Styrofoam® and the selected plastic food service containers and to source environmentally friendly alternatives. The importer will bear the associated costs for disposal of any seized items.

In the first instance, the Government will be phasing out the importation of: 1. All Styrofoam® food service containers including cups, plates and hinged take-away containers; 2. Other selected plastic cups, plates and containers.

Thereafter, a ban on the use of these products will become effective immediately on June 1, 2020.

As a country, we can only successfully achieve our goals if we work together. I therefore invite the private sector, non-government organisations, schools, the media, faith-based organisations and residents to give full support as we endeavour to preserve our fragile environment for ourselves and future generations.

Minister for Economic Development Dr. Gale Rigobert.

THE STAR april 20, 2019

LOCAL

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PM Announces Tax Reform

THE BANK OF NEVIS LIMITED VACANCY The Bank of Nevis Ltd was incorporated on August 29th, 1985 under the laws of the Federation of St. Christopher and Nevis and opened its doors for business to the public on December 9th, 1985. It was created out of a desire to provide banking services to the local community with the hope that this would assist with the development of the island’s economy. The Bank of Nevis Limited offers comprehensive services including a variety of deposit accounts with attractive rates of interest, credit and debit cards and loans.

The Bank of Nevis Limited invites applications from suitably qualified persons to fill the position of:

During this year’s Appropriation Bill, Saint Lucians were guaranteed that filing for tax returns would be an easier process.

I

n a Budget address that focused on people-centric growth and bringing relief to Saint Lucians, Prime Minister Allen Michael Chastanet announced Personal Income Tax Reform that would see thousands of low income earners pay less and in some cases no personal income taxes. This is an initiative in keeping with the government’s promise of less onerous taxes on the people of Saint Lucia.

Under the theme ‘Growth

by Empowerment for a Better Future’ the Minister for Finance presented the Appropriation Bill 2019-2020 which focused on “opportunities that will propel every Saint Lucian to an acceptable standard of living and offer the chance to build wealth for themselves and their families.”

Part of this plan, explained the prime minister, was the reform of the personal income tax system to make it simpler, more progressive and less burdensome.

During his presentation to the House of Assembly on Monday April 15, 2019, the prime minister explained the challenges and disadvantages of the current system, among them the burdensome filing of a number of documents.

Many individuals find the tax computation complicated, with the four tax bands and four tax rates; the system is not sufficiently progressive, as the greatest burden of taxation does not always fall on the higher income earners.

Prime Minister Chastanet explained that the new regime seeks to provide income tax relief to lower income earners.

“A large number of low-income

employees will no longer be required to pay personal income tax, while others will benefit from reduced tax liabilities,” said Chastanet.

“However, high income earners will be expected to pay more as a result of the progressive nature of the tax system. As such, the new regime is expected to be revenue neutral with no adverse impact on the government’s revenue collections from PAYE.”

Expected to come into effect 1 January, 2020, the new system will be as follows: • The personal allowance will be increased from $18,000 to $23,000. What this means is that for an average income earner, the first $23,000 of annual income will be tax free; • There will be three (3) tax bands with the following rates: (i) The first $0 to $10,000 of chargeable income will be taxed at a rate of 10%; (ii) the next $10,001 to $20,000, at a tax rate of 20% and (ii) the remaining amounts above $20,000, at a tax rate of 30%; • Limit the amount of total deductions that can be claimed up to a maximum or cap of $25,000 in any given year; • Restrict the number of allowable deductions to the following four (4) categories: housing deductions, future and financial benefits, medical deductions and child and education benefits.

The prime minister then demonstrated in detail how progressive this new system will be with low earners as beneficiaries.

“An employee with annual earnings of $26,000 and allowable deductions of $5,000

pays tax of approximately $300 under the existing regime.

However, under the new regime, this employee will not pay any tax, resulting in a savings of $300,” he noted. “An employee with annual earnings of $50,000 and allowable deductions of $10,000 pays tax of approximately $2,900 under the existing regime. However, under the new regime, this employee will pay $2,400, which is a reduction of $500.”

The Minister for Finance further noted that pensioners and persons 60 years and over, will not pay any tax on the first $31,000 of their income compared to $24,000 under the current regime. Preliminary assessments of the proposed reform showed that for a given year, over 11,000 persons or approximately 50% of filers will pay lower personal income taxes under the proposed regime.

The prime minister added that the greatest number of beneficiaries under this reform are individuals earning incomes ranging from $20,000 to $30,000 and $30,000 to $40,000.

“In these two income brackets, some 3,570 and 3,280 individuals will benefit.

My government anticipates significant tax savings for the majority of individuals who will be better off under the proposed tax regime,” stated Chastanet.

The prime minister said it is anticipated that the entire country will benefit from the new tax regime and this will have a spill-over effect on the economy as a whole as consumer spending power will increase.

17

OPERATIONS MANAGER Position Summary: The Operations Manager is responsible for the management of the Operations Department.

This includes the direct supervision of the Bank’s Operations function in keeping with the standards and policies of The Bank of Nevis Limited. The Operations Manager is also responsible and accountable for the effective management of the department with a robust emphasis, strong concentration and focus on pricing and profitability, competitive advantage and service excellence. He/she must have the ability to motivate, inspire, foster teamwork and create an environment in which the team can thrive and grow. This position focuses on protecting the Bank from money laundering and similar financial and non-financial risks by ensuring strict adherence to the AML/CFT principles, and all other policies and procedures that govern the department and with a zero tolerance for non-compliance. Additionally, this role is responsible for the efficient and effective processing of the end-to-end execution of transactions with precision and accuracy. The Operations Manager is the primary interface with customers providing the highest level of financial services and is responsible for fostering employee development. Leading and adhering to the Service Standards is mandatory.

Reports to: General Manager Main Duties and Responsibilities include but are not limited to: • Pricing and profitability - implementing the bank’s deposit pricing policy in order to maintain targets set for liquidity and profitability; • Maintaining the bank’s competitive position in the market for deposits by marketing the bank’s deposit products, ensuring operational efficiency and maintaining high customer service standards; • Protecting the bank from money laundering and similar financial and non-financial risks by ensuring that each customer is properly known to the bank; • Efficiency, timeliness, and accuracy in processing and reporting on deposit transactions; • Ensuring that all aspects of the bank’s daily operations are in full compliance with the relevant laws and regulations; • Training and Development of employees within the department; • Participating in the development of the bank’s corporate strategy;

• Monitor the bank’s deposit products and services (including automated teller machines (ATMs) and direct deposit); • Ensure that the bank’s AML/CFT policies and procedures are rigorously followed through the deposit process, with particular emphasis on Know Your Customer (KYC) procedures and Source of Funds declarations; • Ensure that appropriate controls are implemented to guarantee the integrity and accuracy of all account transactions; • Ensure that appropriate disclosures on deposit account characteristics, including earnings, fees and ATM usage, are made to consumers at account openings and on request; • Establish, monitor, and evaluate the effectiveness of internal controls for all account related and operations activities; • Ensure that the handling of dormant accounts meets legal requirements and technical requirements and satisfy internal control procedures; • Ensure full adherence to the Service Standards; • Ensure vigorous management of the Personal Performance Planning process; • Actively participate on the Asset Liability Committee (ALCO); Required Qualifications and Experience: Qualifications - any or a combination of • Certificate in Banking/Financial Services; • A diploma in Banking/Financial Services; • An Undergraduate Degree in Banking/ Financial Services; • An MBA would be an asset; Experience • No less than 15 years Banking Experience, covering areas of general banking up to supervisory level.

Required Skills/Competencies: • A Service Excellence Professional • Leadership Skills, both interpersonal and technical.

• Ability to lead, build, coach and train a team.

• Strong decision making, delegating, time management and analytical skills.

• Human resource management, knowledge of industrial and labour laws, interviewing, business development, communication and emotional intelligence.

• Expert knowledge of the Bank’s operating system, policies and procedures, basic accounting and budgeting, basic knowledge in detecting fraud.

• He/She must have the ability to interact

comfortably and confidently at all levels within the organization, with customers, shareholders and other stakeholders.

All applications should be submitted with detailed Curriculum Vitae and the Bank’s application form which is available on the bank’s website www. thebankofnevis.com.

Applications should be submitted no later than April 30, 2019 to: Human Resource Manager The Bank of Nevis Limited P O Box 450, Main Street Charlestown, Nevis Email: - info@thebankofnevis.com Please note that only those candidates selected for an interview will receive an acknowledgement.

18 LOCAL

APRIL 13, 2019 THE STAR

www.stluciastar.com

What’s Easter without Spring Flowers?

By Rose-Marie Rampal

I

had already eaten all the Peeps and Cadbury chocolate eggs my mother could buy without sending us to the dentist after Holy Week. It was gearing up to be one of the best Easter breaks of my school days. My sister and I had made our own kites with sticks and twine and, by the time school was about to close, we had already broken and remade them several times. I had a splendid pink dress to attend church on Easter Sunday with tiny, floral appliqué near the hem, but it was nowhere near as extravagant as the layered frock I had selected, with the help of my mother, for the very last day of school.

The reason: I was to participate in my very first Easter Bonnet Parade. I had spent weeks choosing the right hat and the optimum shades of artificial flowers, foliage and tulle that would complement the dress. I loved the bursts of pink, yellow, green and other pastels that Easter meant and even

My first Easter Bonnet Parade was somewhat of a dampener on the wonderful Easter break I thought I’d have.

though I did not know that these existed before, a bonnet parade was a perfect way for me bask in the delightful tones. For the first time I’d be wearing a pair of wedge heels to go with my dress and bonnet, which also has itty-bitty flowers attached.

When I got to school on Holy Thursday, I realized that many of my classmates were wearing their uniform and, compared to those who did dress up, I looked exorbitantly floral.

I suppose at seven or eight years old, feeling ridiculous

MARKETING OFFICER Invest Saint Lucia is seeking a Marketing Officer to plan, develop and execute marketing campaigns and provide marketing support to the Organisation.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: • Develop and implement the internal marketing programme • Plan, develop and deliver campaigns within required timelines • Improve the destination marketing process, ensuring engagement with other key agencies to market

Saint Lucia • Conduct market research and analyses in collaboration with the Research & Development Officer • Monitor marketing industry news and trends • Develop and manage promotional campaigns • Work closely with the Corporate Communications Officer to execute the annual marketing plan • Evaluate the effectiveness of all marketing activity • Prepare reports as required • Develop and execute digital marketing strategies • Manage social media platforms QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE: • Bachelor’s degree in Marketing or Business Management with a marketing specialisation • Minimum 3 years’ post qualification experience in a similar role • Excellent research and organization skills • Ability to negotiate with clients and advertising agencies • Strong and confident communicator • Graphics and web design skills • Proven ability to work in a demanding, deadline-driven environment • Proficient in Microsoft Office REMUNERATION Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience. Applicants for the above post should submit a resume including two letters of reference and certified copies of relevant qualifications to: POST OF MARKETING OFFICER ATTENTION: SENIOR MANAGER HUMAN RESOURCES Invest Saint Lucia First Floor, Heraldine Rock Building P.O. Box 495, Castries, Saint Lucia or via email at info@investstlucia.com Deadline for submission of applications is Friday 3rd May 2019 at 4:30p.m.

Only applicants who meet the required qualifications and experience will be acknowledged.

wasn’t my first reaction, but I did feel outstanding, which still is something I didn’t always mind. I was most disappointed that my classmates (or their parents) were not interested

in a project as exciting as an Easter bonnet.

The compliments rolled in and all the teachers wanted to know how my mother and I manipulated so many artificial flowers onto the white hat. The other students either adored my ensemble, or they regretted not dressing up too, which made me hope that they would the following year. The few others who did muster up Easter bonnets were just happy to see that they had company.

By lunch time, I learnt that the Easter Bonnet Parade had turned into a competition and that I would have to model my masterpiece in front of all the school to contest for the grand prize. And that didn’t faze me; I had already won before the competition started.

In the two o’clock sun I was shoved onto a line by my teacher with the other ten or so hatted pupils. We were about to strut for our lives since we were given the great responsibility of having Easter bonnets. When it was my turn, I strode across

the field, like I learnt from “modelling training” in the last Jounen Kwéyòl event at school, and I held up my tiny crocheted purse on the arm that faced the audience while taking little spins in all the right spots so the judges could see all angles of my lovely bonnet. I grinned and waved like the queen to the hundred or so people watching, and I knew they were entertained because they were smiling and clapping too. I watched the other contestants walk across, impatient to hear the results.

Finally, after some deliberation, they announced the third runner-up, then second runner-up, then, for the first runner-up they called my name!

Second place? Who the hell was the winner? I was devastated.

The first-place winner was announced to be the youngest child in the bunch, four years old, almost five. There was nothing wrong with her hat except that it was a very ugly dark brown, and it had no flowers!

ST. VINCENT AIMS TO DOUBLE HOTEL ROOMS S

ome 1,000 new hotel rooms will open in St. Vincent “in very, very short order”, Minister of Finance, Camillo Gonsalves says. He told the signing ceremony for a US$50 million loan to build hotels in St. Vincent that the new rooms “effectively, double, the hotel stock on mainland St. Vincent but add another level, sort of another star”.

The 1,000 rooms include the 392 that his government is building in two hotels at Mt Wynne and Diamond and 400 by private investors at Black Sands resort at Mt WynnePeter’s Hope. A further 200 rooms are expected to re-open at Buccament Bay Resort, which has been shuttered since December

2016, and which new investors hope to reopen by December 2019.

The finance minister said other potential hoteliers have shared with the government, designs for an additional 50plus room in that same southern cone of St. Vincent. Gonsalves said: “If you had a lot of 3-star hotels operating in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, now you are going to have four- and five-star hotels operating in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, whereas those types of hotels, traditional in our context, existed as small boutique hotels in the Grenadines.”

He said that once there are 1,000 additional rooms of hotel stock on St, Vincent, the island will have the critical mass of rooms to attract more frequent flights from the major carriers in North America, Latin America,

and the United Kingdom.

Gonsalves said that one of the impediments the government faces in getting flights from the United Kingdom is that there are not enough hotel rooms.

“The American Airlines that flies from Miami to St. Vincent and the Grenadines seats 127 people. The Virgin Airlines or the British Airlines that flies from England seats 350 people. And so, a plane of that size coming with any degree of regularity requires more rooms.” He said that the UK carriers are eager to come to SVG but are constrained by the room stock. “And we have to increase our room stock to increase our plane arrivals. So, it is a critical part of making the Argyle International Airport work,” Gonsalves said.

THE STAR

THE CUTTING EDGE

You never know what can happen in an operating theatre.

It can start with doctor jokes and end with bits and pieces of doctor equipment that can’t be found after surgery.

By Tony Deyal

I

n 1998 I left the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) and took up a job with Petrotrin, the national oil company of Trinidad and Tobago. Petrotrin was recently shut down by the government and, with it, the hospital. This is a recollection of one of my longer visits and is dedicated to the dedicated and friendly staff who worked there.

They wheeled me into the operating theatre. I was wearing the back-to-front “gown” that all hospitals insist on, and nothing else. I have long surmised that the idea of the gown is to ensure that you know you are naked, vulnerable and totally in the hands of the doctors. The anaesthetist, surrounded by masked nurses, was in the middle of a joke about being so forgetful that he left home without any underwear.

It was the naked truth, he insisted. Even though the sedative they had slipped into me was already pulling me down into unconsciousness I remember offering the doctor my boxers, seeing that I had no need of them at the time.

I had no idea what went on behind the masks so I could not judge the reaction to my offer.

At the same time I thought that masks were a good idea for occupations like surgery and bank-robbery. They guaranteed anonymity and freedom from recognition if things

LOCAL

www.stluciastar.com

april 20, 2019

went wrong. That was not a comforting thought.

The anaesthetist came over to me and said jokingly as he waved a hypodermic, “I am going to give you a little Viagra here.” Just before sinking into complete oblivion I remember telling him, “In which case please don’t put me to lie down on my stomach.”

As the surgery progressed, instead of my whole life flashing before me what happened is that a string of “doctor” jokes went through my head. Like the one about the doctor who told the patient she had acute appendicitis and she blushed, saying coyly, “You really think so, Doctor?”

There was the woman who told the doctor that her husband thought he was invisible. “Tell him I can’t see him,” the doctor snapped. “Next!”

There was the doctor who told the patient, “There is no specific cause for your complaint. I think it’s due to drinking.”

“In that case,” the patient said, “I’ll come back when you’re sober.”

A shopkeeper whose son had swallowed some twentyfive cent pieces called the hospital to find out about his son’s condition. “No change yet,” the doctor told him.

Then there was the doctor who failed as a kidnapper because nobody could read the ransom notes.

There is also the tragedy of the man who came home from a visit to the doctor looking very

worried. When his wife asked him what the problem was, he explained that the doctor told him that he would have to take a pill every day for the rest of his life. His wife shrugged, “So what? Lots of people have to take a pill every day their whole lives.”

“Yes,” the man said disconsolately, “but he only gave me four pills.”

At some stage my mind brought up the fact that surgeons absent-mindedly leave bits and pieces of equipment in people. According to the Mammoth Book of Oddities, Dr. Hector Vasconcelos from Trinidad left surgical gloves, a surgeon’s mask and two surgical instruments inside his patient’s stomach. In fact, between 1962 and 1979 a legal insurance society in Britain reported 946 cases that involved leaving swabs, instruments, needles and other paraphernalia inside patients after their operations.

The leftovers have now reached about 4,000 a year.

At the Petrotrin hospital a “freelance” ENT specialist left a bandage in my wife’s sinus after surgery and had the gall to demand money for the second operation to take out the bandage.

Tony Deyal was last seen saying that after surgery he kept seeing Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and Goofy in front of his eyes.

It turned out to be a Disney spell.

19

Poet Laureate of Barbados to deliver Patricia Charles Memorial Lecture

T

he University of the West Indies Open Campus Saint Lucia, in collaboration with the JQ Charles Group of Companies, will be hosting the 9th annual Patricia Charles Memorial Lecture on Thursday April 25, 2019, at 7:00pm.

The lecture venue will be the conference room of the Financial Administrative Centre in Pointe Seraphine, Castries.

Patricia Charles was a former Resident Tutor of the School of Continuing Studies in Saint Lucia (now the UWI Open Campus), who dedicated her life to the furtherance of the arts, education and culture in her adopted home, Saint Lucia.

Established in 2010, the Patricia Charles Memorial Lecture celebrates Mrs. Charles’ life and work, and has become a much-anticipated fixture on the Open Campus Saint Lucia’s annual calendar of events.

Delivering the lecture this year will be Esther Phillips.

She won the James Michener fellowship to the University of Miami where she gained an MFA degree in Creative Writing, 1999. She also won

the Alfred Boas Poetry Prize of the Academy of American Poets for her poetry thesis/collection and went on to win the Frank Collymore Literary Endowment Award in 2001. Her publications are: Chapbook, La Montee (UWI, 1983); When Ground Doves Fly (Ian Randle Publishers, Kingston, 2003); The Stone Gatherer (Peepal Tree Press, 2009); Leaving Atlantis (Peepal Tree Press, 2015.)

Esther Phillips represented Barbados at the Poetry Parnassus Festival in London, 2012 and her poem Word was selected by BBC Scotland to represent her country at the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

Her poems appear in several anthologies, including Poetas de caribe anglophono (Casa de las Americas) and Give the Ball to the Poet (CambridgeHomerton)), and in 2014 her poetry was recorded for the Poetry Archive in the UK which regards her as “one of the significant poets writing in English”.

Most recently, some of her poetry has been translated into Spanish as part of a PEN project

Esther Phillips.

implemented by the University of Puerto Rico. The bi-lingual collection will be published by Peepal Tree Press later this year.

Esther Phillips is the editor of Bim: Arts for the 21st Century, founder of Writers Ink Inc. and the Bim Literary Festival & Book Fair. She is producer of the CBC radio programme What’s That You’re Reading? as well as Chair of the Frank Collymore Literary Endowment. Esther Phillips was appointed Poet Laureate of Barbados in February 2018.

Her provocative lecture title.

‘The Poet as Seer: An Examination of the Poet’s Role in the Society’, is one which will no doubt lend itself to much thoughtful and animated discussion post-lecture.

The public is invited to attend what is certain to be an engaging presentation.

ADVERTISEMENT SAINT LUCIA TOURISM AUTHORITY

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Position : Chief Executive Officer Reporting To : Board of Directors Primary Functions: Overall management of the Saint Lucia Tourism Authority, including oversight of the development of the Authority’s marketing and destination services, general administration. Organize, co-ordinate and direct the programmes of the Board in marketing, promotion, publicity; to utilize and deploy the resources of the Board in the best interests of the development of tourism to Saint Lucia, to liaise and co-operate with other appropriate agencies, institutions and individuals both in public and private sector within Saint Lucia and overseas.

Qualifications and experience: A Bachelor’s Degree in an appropriate discipline such as Tourism Business Management and Marketing.

At least 5 years’ experience with executive level responsibilities Characteristics : Chief Executive Officer will be expected to be able to exercise authority, accept considerable responsibility, be capable of directing and supervising staff. He or she should be adaptable with excellent communications skills. A demonstrable track record in tourism at an executive level will be an advantage. The capacity to work long hours and travel away from home is mandatory.

Remuneration: Commensurate with experience and qualifications, but a competitive package will be offered.

Application: Applications are invited from suitable qualified persons, with full Curriculum Vitae and at least two references to be received by the Board before the 26th April 2019 Applications to be addressed to the Chairman, Saint Lucia Tourism Authority, PO Box 221, Castries, Saint Lucia, and can also be sent to:njohn@stlucia.org.

20 health

april 20, 2019 THE STAR

www.stluciastar.com

Speaker to write Promising to Governemt and Health Sector Opposition Leaders Strategy regarding House Rules! announced in T New Budget A

ffordable access to quality healthcare is among the key areas of focus for the Government of Saint Lucia as it continues to empower the People of Saint Lucia. Prime Minister Chastanet announced that during the coming financial year EC$162 million will be invested in the health of Saint Lucians at all levels.

A major part of the island’s health strategy is the full operation of Owen KingEU and the completion of St. Jude Hospital, as well as the design and implementation of a National Health Insurance and the strengthening of primary and public health.

With regard to National Health Insurance the prime minister stated that the government will ensure that adequate provisions will be made to cover the poor and most vulnerable within our society. He noted that consultations will be held with stakeholders and the aim is to ensure affordability, choice and full participation of all Saint Lucians.

During his Budget address the prime minister also provided an update on OK-EU, noting that the Dialysis and Physiotherapy Units, and all outpatient services with the exception of the Oncology Clinic, have already been transferred to OK-EU Hospital and that full commissioning of the Laboratory and Imaging services, which has already commenced, will be followed by the full transition of all inpatient services. The prime minister added that plans for the physical relocation of all staff, equipment and services from Victoria Hospital are well

advanced.

The prime minister further explained that the decommissioning of Victoria Hospital will mean that services such as the Cuban Eye Health Programme, the Sexually Transmitted Infection Clinic and the Oncology Unit are to be relocated to enable the sanitization of the premises for the prevention of disease transmission, as follows: •The Cuban Eye Health Programme to the old Turning Point facility, at an estimated cost of $1.45 million; •The Oncology Unit to the National Mental Wellness Centre, at an estimated cost of $1.2 million; •The Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) Clinic to the Castries Wellness Centre, at an estimated cost of $2.3 million.

The prime minister then moved to the St. Jude Hospital Reconstruction Project in Vieux Fort and explained that it will deliver a 90-bed facility that will cater for both inpatient and outpatient services.

The project will involve the construction of: a new wing to incorporate all the functions and services of the existing east and surgical wings; integration through retro-fitting of some existing buildings to achieve a fully functioning hospital to match the services of a level 4 facility; and revision of the internal layout of buildings to be integrated for functional efficacy and standards compliance.

Funding has been secured for the project which will last 18 months.

he SLMDA’s recent election of Dr. Merle Clarke, to replace Dr. Alphonsus St. Rose as president, was barely covered by the media.

But the matter was sufficiently significant to warrant heated exchanges during last Wednesday’s Appropriations Bill debate, triggered by Castries Southeast MP Mr. Guy Joseph. The fireworks started with an assertion by the Dennery North MP Shawn Edward, who attempted to revive an unsubstantiated tale about the government being responsible for the death of St. Jude patient Curtis Marius last August, when St. Rose was still the St. Lucia Medical and Dental Association’s main man and a consistent critic of the Chastanet administration.

The Castries Southeast MP’s response: “The member for Dennery North touched on a very sore point this morning,” he said, “imputing that a patient had died at the renal unit as a result of the hospital not being fully operational.”

Edward quickly jumped up from his chair in defence mode: “I did not attribute blame to any hospital. What I said was that subsequent to the young man’s passing, the president of the Medical Association came out publicly and stated that it could have been as a result of the support services not being available that the patient succumbed.”

At the Speaker’s urging, Joseph rephrased his own statement: “The member for Dennery North seemed to be suggesting a doctor had insinuated the patient died because of inadequate hospital facilities. But that’s just one doctor’s opinon. The doctor who was in charge of the unit, who is herself a professional, came out and offered a contrary opinion.

The member for Dennery North, if he wanted to be fair to the discussion, could have given the points of view of both doctors.”

This was the second opinion of the other doctor, a consultant nephrologist at

MP Guy Joseph says new SLMDA President Dr. Merle Clarke (pictured) is the target of vicious SLP attacks on Facebook.

OK-EU at the time: “I disagree with the SLMDA’s stance on this particular issue. Even if the patient had crashed ten feet from an Emergency Room, this is what you had to do: get a flat surface and start CPR. So I disagree completely with the notion that the patient passed just because we don’t have an Emergency Room. That is false categorically!”

Joseph shed further light on another tragic incident.

“Less than a month after that,”he said, “somebody died in the office of the then president. Was it negligence?

Was it inadequate facilities in the doctor’s office?”

The opposition reaction was unusually uproarious.

The Castries South MP, Dr. Ernest Hilaire (not a medical practitioner), stood up on a point of order. “You cannot do that,” he said, referencing Guy Joseph’s pointed questions.

He slammed his hand down on the table in front of him. “This must not be allowed in the

parliament. This is disgraceful behaviour. The member is taking this parliament to the lowest levels and is bringing the parliament into disrepute.

We criticize each other, we may challenge each other, but for a member to stand in this honourable house and claim that a doctor out there caused the death of a patient in his office . . . Mr. Speaker we have to draw the line.”

The Speaker was having none of that. When finally he had brought the opposition noise to an acceptable level, he addressed the Castries South MP: “You are using words the member did not. He did not use some of the words you used.

Some of the words that you used are much stronger than what the member said. The member asked the question whether there was a possibility something may have happened.

He never used the words that you used.”

Another back and forth ensued, this time between

Hilaire and the Speaker. The government side cited the earlier remarks of the Dennery North MP, Shawn Edward. A clearly frustrated Speaker, after the din had died down and he could be heard, announced a “critical need” for a review of the House Standing Orders.

He said he would be writing to the leaders of both sides of the House on the matter.

Among matters forbidden by the House rules: members may not read their speeches during debates; no personal attacks on members’ reputations; no questioning or commenting on matters in the press; no offensive language in the chamber; no delivering of speeches in a language other than English.

Lately opposition members having been wearing red party stars on their lapels. Will the government follow suit and feature neckties with the UWP flambeau?

---DN

THE STAR

INTERNATIONAL

www.stluciastar.com

april 20, 2019

21

America Before Earth Day: Smog and Disasters Spurred the Laws Trump Wants to Undo A

huge oil spill. A river catching fire. Lakes so polluted they were too dangerous for fishing or swimming. Air so thick with smog it was impossible to see the horizon.

That was the environmental state of the nation 50 years ago. But pollution and disasters prompted action. On April 22, 1970, millions of people throughout the country demonstrated on the inaugural Earth Day, calling for air, water and land in the country to be cleaned up and protected. And that year, in a bipartisan effort, the Environmental Protection Agency was created and key legislation—the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act and the Endangered Species Act—came into force.

Now, the Trump administration has made eliminating federal regulations a priority, and an increasing number of environmental rules are under threat.

Here’s a look at five environmental disasters that shifted the public conversation and prompted, directly or indirectly, lawmakers to act.

The first Earth Day was celebrated in America; the rest of the world quickly caught on.

revising a five-year plan for offshore oil and gas leasing, which conservationists say would harm marine life and could also pose a danger to humans.

The Cuyahoga River Fire

On June 22, 1969, the Cuyahoga River near Cleveland caught fire—both literally and in the public imagination. A few The Santa Barbara Oil Spill months later the conflagration

On January 28, 1969, an became a big story in Time oil rig exploded off the coast of magazine, which described the Santa Barbara, Calif., spewing Cuyahoga as a river that “oozes three million gallons of crude rather than flows.” oil into the ocean in one of the

The story prompted worst environmental disasters outrage throughout the country, in the history of the United where many rivers, after States. At the time, there were no federal measures in place to decades of industrial pollution, were too dangerous for regulate offshore drilling. swimming, fishing or drinking.

After the spill local officials (The main photo in Time was pleaded with the federal actually of the Cuyahoga when government to end oil it caught fire 17 years earlier, in exploration off the California coast. But it was not until 1978 1952. The river had burned at that the first federal regulations least 13 times.)

The fire, fueled by an oil were passed.

Just over 40 years after the slick on the river’s surface, and resulting media coverage Santa Barbara rig blowout, on galvanized the outrage into April 20, 2010, an even worse broader public action. spill, known as the Deepwater It culminated in the Horizon disaster, resulted in the passage of the 1972 Clean tightening of federal rules.

Water Act. That measure,

But this past January, the like the Clean Air Act, was Trump administration said it an extension of earlier laws. would reopen vast areas of United States coastal waters to But the piecemeal nature of new offshore oil and gas drilling the earlier rules had resulted in a lack of oversight and projects. Shortly thereafter, regulatory control. The 1972 the administration began the act coordinated the rules and process of rolling back safety gave regulatory authority to the regulations on existing rigs. nascent E.P.A.

Ryan Zinke, the interior

Since the law’s creation, secretary, has also proposed

waterways across the United States are markedly cleaner, though half still fall short of national goals. Recent decisions, though, could lead to backsliding.

The E.P.A. has suspended the Obama-era Waters of the United States rules, which sought to clarify which waterways are considered part of the national water system.

Smaller bodies of water, like intermittent streams and wetlands, have been in a legal gray area since the 1972 act despite having significant impact on water quality.

Scott Pruitt, the E.P.A. administrator, also removed Clean Water Act decisionmaking authority from regional offices, leaving him the sole arbiter.

The Love Canal Disaster

In the late 1970s, residents of Love Canal in Niagara Falls, N.Y., began complaining of odd smells, rashes and liquid leaching into the basements of their homes. Decades earlier, the Hooker Chemical Company had dumped toxic waste in the canal and buried it. Outraged, the residents of Love Canal organized and were eventually relocated from their town.

While the residents of Love Canal were not the first or only community to confront the toxic legacy of industry, their plight caught the attention of national media, and ultimately, helped prompt the creation of the Comprehensive Environmental

Response, Compensation, and Liability Act, commonly known as the Superfund. Passed by Congress in 1980, the law meant that chemical and petroleum companies would be taxed to create a cleanup trust fund.

Over time, however, the trust fund has dwindled, with taxpayers increasingly footing cleanup bills. In the E.P.A.’s 2019 budget, staff cuts have been made, while some people nominated for key positions have direct links to polluting industries. In December, the administration also rejected a proposed rule that mining companies prove they have the money to clean up pollution left behind at their sites.

The Smog-Filled Skies

Pittsburghers used to say that if you wore a white shirt to work in the morning, that the shirt would be as gray as the air by lunchtime. In cities and towns throughout the country, Americans didn’t just breathe the air, they could all but touch it. In the nation’s National Parks, air pollution clouded the views.

This was the United States before the 1970s Clean Air Act. There was no single smog event that led to the act. In the years leading up to its passage, though, “You had growing awareness in the scientific community about problems like smog,” said Eric Schaeffer, the executive director of the Environmental Integrity Project.

“You had the beginnings of an understanding that it was bigger than any state agency could manage.”

The act was an overhaul and extension of the 1963 Clean Air Act. It enabled the newly created E.P.A. to set standards related to six key pollutants that were known to harm human health.

In recent months the Trump administration has signaled its desire to undo some of parts of the act. Mr. Pruitt, the E.P.A. administrator, has said that Obama-era car emissions standards designed to reducegreenhouse gasses and other pollutants linked to respiratory diseases and heart disease are set “too high.”

The Near-Extinction of the Gray Wolf

In the early 1970s, the gray wolf was teetering on the edge

of extinction in the lower 48 states. Throughout the earlier part of the century, the wolf was largely considered a trophy and was hunted and skinned for its fur to within an inch of the species’ life.

In its company were dozens of other species at risk of dying out, with few laws to protect them.

In 1973, shortly after the first Earth Day, with the American public increasingly aware of the importance of biodiversity, the Endangered Species Act was signed into law by President Richard M. Nixon. The act was designed to prohibit the killing or harassing of protected species or damaging the habitats necessary for their survival.

Shortly thereafter, the gray wolf was listed as “endangered” under the act and—alongside the bald eagle, American alligator and dozens of other species—began to slowly recover in some areas.

Scientists estimate that the act has directly prevented the extinction of more than 200 species.

The act has long been a point of contention between industry and conservationists, and has come under criticism from previous administrations.

But under the Trump administration, at least 63 separate legislative efforts to weaken the act have been undertaken since January 2017, according to the Center for Biological Diversity.

Among them were the delisting of various species that conservationists argue are not fully recovered, like grizzly bears in Yellowstone National Park. The attempts to water down the act are “among the worst” by any administration, said Bruce Stein, the chief scientist of the National Wildlife Federation.

---New York Times

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april 20, 2019 THE STAR

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Does the Easter Bunny have a Sustainable Supply Chain?

I

n my family, the kids have always loved the Easter Bunny. What’s not to like?

Every year, the Easter basket is full of candy—and as everybody knows, it’s the Easter Bunny who filled it!

The tradition of the Easter Bunny, at least in part, seems to go back to Osterhase or Oschter Haws—the Easter Bunny of Germanic and Northwest European roots. This Easter bunny, however, was a bit judgmental. As Wikipedia puts it, the Easter Bunny “originally played the role of a judge, evaluating whether children were good or disobedient in behavior at the start of the season of Eastertide".

In our house, with three rambunctious sons, the Easter Bunny has had to be much more forgiving!

What about those eggs?

There appears to be some confusion over where the eggs come from. Apparently, phrases like “do bunnies lay eggs” are searched up to 10,000 times a month.

Let’s be clear, the Easter

Bunny brings the eggs, he doesn’t lay them. Rabbits are symbols of fertility (after all, they do breed like rabbits).

Eggs, too, are symbols of fertility (for obvious reasons).

The two, I suppose, were merged in pagan legend and transferred over to Christianity centuries ago in Europe.

Where does the chocolate come from?

Somewhere along the line, real eggs became chocolate eggs—and let’s be honest, chocolate eggs are what the kids want most. This makes Easter big business for chocolate manufacturers. In fact, it is estimated that $2.6 billion was spent on Easter candy in general last year, making it the 2nd most popular candy-buying holiday after Halloween. And it is estimated that Cadbury makes over 500 million of these delicious cream eggs (flashback to my youth) every year.

This requires the need for a lot of chocolate that has ingredients sourced from all over the world.

Somewhere along the line, real eggs became chocolate eggs!

At the very source of the Easter egg supply chain is its main ingredient, the cocoa bean. To keep up with the growing demand for chocolate, over 3 million tons of cocoa beans are harvested annually, with over 90% coming from individual farmers who survive solely on the income cocoa brings. It is also estimated that 60% of the global cocoa supply comes from West Africa, where objectionable child labour practices are a concern.

So, to tackle the issue,

most major chocolate manufacturers have launched sustainability programmes aimed at: · Eradicating child labour from the supply chain · Lifting cocoa farmers out of poverty · Enabling carbon and forest positive practices · Producing products with 100% sustainable ingredients

There are also organisations such as Fair Trade and Rainforest Alliance that provide certifications for cocoa

products which consumers can use to minimize the environmental impact of cocoa production.

In the end, though, such programmes need real, verifiable traceability if they are to succeed.

What’s needed is an immutable record to demonstrate the ethical provenance of cocoa used in Easter candy. With technologies such as blockchain, a manufacturer can track all the farmers it works with and verify

and trace the cocoa as it is transported, warehoused and processed across the supply chain. Using mobile phones with geolocation, the blockchain could record the exact location of the cocoa beans for every order. This could then be tracked as it gets transported and transformed into liquid chocolate and finally moulded into delicious Easter treats.

Imagine if you could scan the QR code on your Easter egg to ensure and evaluate the ethical sourcing of the raw materials to make the chocolate.

So, this Easter, give some thought to where the chocolate eggs in your basket come from.

But don’t stop there. The need for ethical sourcing doesn’t end with chocolate. Other examples include coffee beans, the raw materials for apparel, and the minerals and metals used in high tech products. Blockchain is a promising solution to help make ethical sourcing a reality, but only a sustained and clearly articulated expectation for full transparency from customers will lead to change.

---Forbes

France's 3 Richest Families lead $700 million Fundraising Effort for Notre Dame F rance's three wealthiest families are coming to the rescue of a national icon, spearheading a fundraising drive to rebuild Notre Dame that has topped $700 million.

The billionaires behind luxury giants LVMH Group, Kering and L'Oreal on Tuesday pledged a combined 500 million Euros ($565 million) after a massive fire ripped through the Paris cathedral.

LVMH (LVMHF) and its CEO Bernard Arnault have promised 200 million Euros ($226 million). The donation has been matched by the Bettencourt Meyers family, which controls L'Oreal (LRLCF). The Pinault family, which operates luxury conglomerate Kering (PPRUF), has pledged 100 million Euros ($113 million).

The three fashion

dynasties have invoked patriotism and shared cultural identity in explaining their generosity following the devastating fire. Other French companies have also written big cheques: the oil and gas company Total (TOT) has promised 100 million Euros ($113 million), while tech and consulting firm Capgemini will give1 million Euros ($1.1 million).

Combined with other donations from companies including French bank Crédit Agricole, the total amount pledged by business and wealthy donors has reached $700 million. LVMH (LVMHF), which owns Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior and Givenchy, said in a statement that its donation showed "solidarity with this national tragedy"

and that funds would be used to rebuild this "extraordinary cathedral".

The fashion house went on to describe Notre Dame as a "symbol of French heritage and unity". LVMH said it would make its creative and financial teams available to help with rebuilding and soliciting donations.

Arnault, its CEO, is the third richest person in the world, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. His net worth comes in at $90.4 billion, more than that of Warren Buffett or Mark Zuckerberg.

In addition to its fashion lines, LVMH controls high-end alcohol brands such as Dom Pérignon, Hennessy and Veuve Clicquot, as well as popular beauty retailer Sephora.

Kering, which is the home for brands including Gucci and

Yves Saint Laurent, was first out of the gate Tuesday with its donation. "This tragedy is striking all the French people, and beyond that, all those attached to spiritual values," François-Henri Pinault, the CEO of Kering, said in a statement.

"Faced with this tragedy, everyone wishes to give life back to this jewel of our heritage as soon as possible," added Pinault, who is the son of the billionaire businessman François Pinault. The Pinault family is worth an estimated $37.3 billion, per Bloomberg.

François-Henri Pinault, who manages the family's businesses, is married to actress Salma Hayek. Kering also owns fashion brands such as Alexander McQueen and Balenciaga.

The Bettencourt family

owns a 33% stake in L'Oreal, which controls brands like Maybelline, Lancome, Garnier and Kiehl's. Francoise Bettencourt Meyers, the richest woman in the world, is worth $53.5 billion, according to Bloomberg.

She inherited the stake from her mother, Liliane Bettencourt, who died in 2017.

Bettencourt Meyers is the granddaughter of the company's founder, Eugene Schueller.

The blaze at Notre Dame on Monday devastated large parts of the 850-year-old church, including its iconic spire. The fire was extinguished after nine hours.

French President Emmanuel Macron has promised to rebuild the site, saying Monday that France will launch an international

fundraising campaign to assist with the effort.

The process will be expensive and lengthy, and it could take time to begin in earnest. Immediate steps will need to be taken to prevent further damage, since the structure is now particularly vulnerable to water damage.

It's tough to estimate the total time and cost of the restoration.

The Venice Opera House, which was gutted by a blaze in 1996, reportedly reopened eight years later after 60 million Euros ($68 million) was spent.

When Windsor Castle, one of Britain's royal residences, was severely damaged in a fire in 1992, it reopened nearly five years later at a cost of £36.5 million ($47.8 million).

--CNN

THE STAR

INTERNATIONAL 23

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april 20, 2019

US president Donald Trump 'angered' by Mueller report into obstruction of justice

“Give us 100% of your passion and we will give you 100% of our attention”

Food and Beverage Cost Controller JOB SUMMARY As a Food and Beverage cost controller, you are primarily responsible for managing cost to maximize the profitability of the Food & Beverage Department.

All applicants must meet the following MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS • Minimum 5 years’ experience in the position • Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting or a similar qualification • Good leadership and interpersonal skills • Ability to manage a team.

• Effective ability to supervise and motivate staff to maintain optimal department operation and staff development.

• Ability to communicate effectively with internal and external customers exercising patience, tact and diplomacy.

• Must demonstrate a high degree of competence in Excel • Knowledge of Adagio would be an asset.

• Analytical approach to problem solving.

• Good negotiation skills • Flexible working hours

Attorney General William Barr speaks about the release of a redacted version of special counsel Robert Mueller's report during a news conference.

(AP: Patrick Semansky)

U

nited States Attorney General William Barr offered a spirited defence of President Donald Trump ahead of the release of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report on Russia's role in the 2016 US election, but revealed that it detailed ten episodes of potential obstruction of justice by the president.

Mr Barr said Trump's personal lawyers "were given the opportunity to read a final version of the redacted report before it was publicly released".

"After nearly two years of investigations, thousands of subpoenas, hundreds of warrants and witness interviews, the special counsel confirmed that the Russian government sponsored efforts to illegally interfere in the 2016 presidential election but did not find that the Trump campaign or other Americans colluded in those efforts," Mr Barr said.

He said "significant portions" of the Mueller report could have been kept secret had Mr Trump claimed executive privilege, but the President had not.

Mr Barr, the top US law enforcement official and a Trump appointee, gave a news conference at the Justice Department as he sought to shape the narrative on a watershed day in Mr Trump's tumultuous presidency.

He emphasised that Mr Mueller did not conclude there was collusion between Mr Trump's campaign and Russia. The attorney general previously said Mr Mueller had not exonerated Mr Trump on the question of whether the president had committed the crime of obstruction of justice by trying to impede the Russia inquiry.

At the news conference, Mr Barr said the report details "ten episodes" involving Mr Trump and "discusses potential legal theories for connecting these actions to elements of an obstruction offence".

Mr Barr himself had concluded that Mr Trump had not committed obstruction of justice. He and Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who appointed Mueller as special counsel in May 2017, "disagreed with some of the special counsel's legal theories and felt that some of the episodes examined did not amount to obstruction as a matter of law".

He said regarding Mr Trump's actions, it was "important to bear in mind the context". "President Trump faced an unprecedented situation. As he entered into office, and sought to perform his responsibilities as President, federal agents and prosecutors were scrutinising his conduct before and after taking office,"

Mr Barr said.

"Yet, as he said from the beginning, there was in fact no collusion.

"There is substantial evidence to show that the President was frustrated and angered by a sincere belief that the investigation was undermining his presidency, propelled by his political opponents, and fuelled by illegal leaks."

Prior to Mr Barr's press conference, Mr Trump posted a video to Twitter of him repeating the words "no collusion", underscored with dramatic music.

Moments after Mr Barr concluded his news conference, Mr Trump posted an image of himself on Twitter surrounded by fog with the words: "No collusion. No obstruction. For the haters and the radical left Democrats — GAME OVER."

"The Russian government sought to interfere in our election process but thanks to the special counsel's thorough investigation, we now know that the Russian operatives who perpetrated these schemes did not have the cooperation of President Trump or the Trump campaign," Mr Barr said.

--Reuters

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES 1. Control the Food & Beverage Cost. 2. Provide accurate food cost from recipes. 3. Prepare variance analysis for food & beverage 4. Provide analysis for Accountant and Food & Beverage Manager in order to provide solutions for cost variances.

5. Ensure that POS pricing is up-to-date and accurate.

DRIVERS WANTED •

•

•

•

MUST BE AT LEAST 28 TO 40 YEARS OLD WITH A MIMIMUM OF 2 YEARS DRIVING EXPERIENCE AND A VALID DRIVERS LICENCE (C, E ENDORSEMENTS) MUST POSESS A SECONDARY SCHOOL EDUCATION (GRADUATED) WITH A MINIMUM OF 6 CXC PASSES INCLUDING ENGLISH AND MATHEMATICS MUST BE WILLING TO WORK WEEKENDS AND PUBLIC HOLIDAYS APPLICANTS WITH A BACKGROUND IN THE TOURISM SECTOR WILL BE GIVEN PRIORITY Please mail printed applications to: Drivers Wanted P.O CHOC 8115 (Mega J) Choc, Castries OR Email to: Driverswanted8@gmail.com

SEEKING TO HIRE LIVE-IN FEMALE WITH CONSIDERALE HOUSEKEEPING, COOKING, AND WAITRESSING EXPERIENCE. APPLICANT MUST HAVE A DRIVERS LICENSE WITH A MINIMUM OF 5 YEARS DRIVING EXPERIENCE. PERSONS 30 YEARS AND OVER MAY APPLY. ATTRACTIVE SALARY AND BENEFITS. INTERESTED PERSONS CAN CALL

450-8909

6. Continuously seek improvement in F&B controls.

7. Check daily food & beverage revenues submitted by income audit for accuracy of covers and average check.

8. Prepare daily and monthly cost reports and report on any variance.

9. From time to time conduct spot checks.

10. Check and ensure that no goods are issued from stores without proper requisitions and approval.

11. Prepare daily staff meal cost report.

12. Organize stock counts, monthly closing procedures and prepare all relevant journals.

13. Check invoices against receiving record and compare them with purchase orders to ensure that proper procedures were followed.

14. Post actual stock results and print RM inventory valuation report.

Remuneration We pay for talent. If you think you have that talent, please send your resume to hr@ capmaison.com.

Deadline Friday 26th April 2019 Please note that only suitable applications will be acknowledged.

Mission Statement WE ARE IN THE BUSINESS OF CREATING POSITIVE EXPERIENCES AND UNFORGETTABLE MEMORIES FOR ALL GUESTS WHO STAY WITH US AT CAP MAISON THROUGH THE WARM AND CARING NATURE OF OUR TEAM. IN DOING SO, WE HOPE THAT THEY WILL ALL CHOOSE TO RETURN AND WILL RECOMMEND US TO FRIENDS AND FAMILY.

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In whom we trust!

MPs make friendly for the camera. (From L-R) Front row: Parliament Clerk Lyndelle Gustave; Honourables PM Allen Chastanet, House Speaker Andy Daniel, Opposition Leader Philip J Pierre; and Deputy Parliament Clerk Esmalene Cox. Second row: Honourables Lenard Montoute, Edmund Estephane, Ezechiel Joseph, Alva Baptiste, Dominic Fedee, Guy Joseph, Dr. Gale Rigobert; and Sergeant Morgan. Third row: Honourables Moses Jn Baptiste, Ernest Hilaire, Shawn Edward and Sarah Flood-Beaubrun. Top row: Honourables Herold Stanislas, Dr. Kenny Anthony, Bradley Felix and Stephenson King.

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