A five-member delegation led by Minister for Education and Human Resource Development Senator Franka Alexis-Bernardine met with parents on Saturday September 4th, 2010, to look at the areas of concern raised by the parents.

The two-hour meeting, which took place in a cordial atmosphere, provided the Ministry with a number of recommendations from parents.

On conclusion of the meeting the following actions were agreed upon:

1.Students of Grades 4, 5 & 6 of the St. Mary’s R.C School will turn out to school as scheduled, on Monday September 6th, 2010.  Classes for the other students resume next Monday September 13th, 2010.

2.The Ministry has agreed to make available three (3) temporary wooden classrooms, and address the issues of lighting and plumbing.

3.All other areas of concern will be addresses to ensure the smooth functioning of the school and the continued education of the students.

The Ministry is actively pursuing funding for the reconstruction of a new facility to house the school at LaFilette.

“Developing countries continue to face important difficulties, including funding gaps in their government’s budgets, as a direct consequence of the global financial crisis. This year, this EU mechanism will help 19 ACP countries maintain their level of public spending in priority areas, and therefore mitigate the social impact of the
economic downturn,” said Andris Piebalgs, Commissioner for Development
The Vulnerability FLEX (V-FLEX) mechanism is the European Union’s swift
response to help countries most affected by the economic downturn due to their poor
resilience to external shocks.

In 2010, it will provide, upon their request, support to:
Antigua & Barbuda, Benin, Burundi, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Central African
Republic, Grenada, Guinea Bissau, Haiti, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Democratic
Republic of Congo, Samoa, Sierra Leone, Togo, Tonga, Tuvalu and Zimbabwe. The
financing decisions in favour of Burkina Faso (EUR 14 million) and Grenada (EUR
3,5 million) have been adopted today. Financing decisions in favour of other
countries will follow during the course of autumn 2010.

15 countries have previously benefited from EUR 236 million funding under V-FLEX:
Benin, Burundi, the Central African Republic, the Comoros, Dominica, Ghana,
Grenada, Guinea Bissau, Haiti, Malawi, Mauritius, the Seychelles, Sierra Leone,
Solomon Island, and Zambia.

Background: The V-FLEX instrument works pre-emptively, based on forecasts of fiscal losses and other vulnerability criteria, helping to ease the impact rather than acting after the damage is done. It provides rapid and targeted grants and is acting as a complement to the loan-based assistance of the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and regional development banks with whose support it was developed.

V-Flex is demand-driven and targeted at countries with a high degree of economic,
social and political vulnerability, the right policies in place to fight the crisis and
sufficient absorptive capacity as well as a financing gap in their budgets where EU
support can make a difference by closing or significantly reducing this gap.

The EUR 500 million V-FLEX comes in addition to the EUR 1 billion Food Facility
adopted on 30 March 2009 and the allocation of EUR 200 million under the EDF in
2008 to help developing countries cope with higher food prices. At country level, it
complements other financial instruments under the budget of the EU and the
European Development Fund.

Gaston is expected to track slowly to the west to west-northwest for the next few days. Following this, a faster motion to the west-northwest is expected as high-pressure builds to the north of the system, taking Gaston in the general direction of the northern Leeward Islands. However, any possible impacts would be expected past Tuesday.

Easterly wind shear should result in slow re-strengthening over the next 2-3 days, followed by a faster rate of intensification. The experts predict that Gaston will develop Category Two strength before arriving in our area.

Presently, Gaston is regaining tropical storm strength far more slowly than forecasted. Beyond 72 hours, assuming the predictions for strengthening over the next 3 days holds through, it’s possible that Gaston may be stronger than forecasted.

Residents are strongly urged to continue to pay close attention to this developing system.

The DDM continues to closely monitor Gaston and provide weather updates at the Department of Disaster Management’s website (www.bviddm.com).

The following flights will operate today:

·          LI 364 – From Barbados and Dominica

·         LI 766 – From Barbados and St. Lucia

·         LI 662 – From Barbados and Guadeloupe

·         LI 610 – From St. Vincent

·         LI 544/545 – Antigua, St. Kitts, Antigua – Estimated to depart at 4:40pm

·         LI 557/558 – Antigua, Dominica, Antigua – Estimated to depart at 4:10pm

·         LI 563 – Antigua, Dominica, Barbados – Estimated to depart at 4:25pm

·         LI 309 – Antigua, St. Lucia, Trinidad – Estimated to depart at 4:50pm

·         LI 311 – Antigua, St. Vincent, Grenada, Trinidad – Estimated to depart at 6:50pm

·         LI 367 – Antigua, Barbados – Estimated to depart at 7:10pm

·         LI 305 – Antigua, Trinidad – Estimated to depart at 7:40pm

·         LI 512 – From Guyana and Barbados

·         LI 770 – From Barbados and St. Lucia

Passengers should note that all flights north of Antigua except LI 544/545 to/from St. Kitts are cancelled.

LIAT wishes to advise that passengers who decide to travel but are unable to complete their journey due to disruption caused by weather conditions, will not be provided with meals, transportation, hotel accommodation etc. Passengers with onward connections are advised to contact the respective carriers.

Passengers should be aware that there are likely to be some disruptions and delays to the schedule due to prevailing weather conditions.

Burke

ST GEORGE’S, Grenada, CMC – The Grenada government says it is holding talks with a Korean investment company that has indicated a willingness to invest billions of dollars in selected government projects on the island.

Finance Minister Nazim Burke has confirmed that talks were taking place with SuWang One World after local officials of the company accused the Tillman Thomas government of dragging its feet on a lucrative deal.

But Burke said the government has adopted a cautious approach to the project and has already made a number of changes to an initial agreement the two parties were preparing to sign.

“We continue to do our due diligence with respect to this company and persons. We have been asked to sign an agreement. We are not satisfied that the agreement in its existing form would meet Grenada’s needs,” Burke told reporters.

“We felt that it would require some improvement both in language and substance and we have said so to the Group. We have said so to the group that we are taking a closer look at what’s involved because we want to do what is right for Grenada.

“There is an agreement that has been prepared and signed by the other side saying if you are interest sign it. We are saying we are interested in doing business but we are unable to sign that agreement in its existing form” Burke said.

“We have drafted an alternative agreement and we have shared it with the company involved. If there is an opportunity there we want to grab it but we also have a responsibility to ensure we know who we are doing business with,” he added.

Local representatives of SuWang One World, Antonio Bailey and Junior Francis were quoted in the local media as saying that the company is awaiting Prime Minister Thomas’s signature on an agreement to trigger the immediate release of more than two billion US dollars.

In May, Prime Minister Thomas signed an initial memorandum of understanding after meeting with a visiting delegation from Suwang here and last week, two government officials signed an aide Memoir after a visit to Taiwan to hold further talks with company officials.

Burke said that the money would be used to fund a list of state projects including the airport and hospital.

“We thought that meeting was going to take place in Korea. Finally, we learnt that meeting was going to take place in Taiwan. We sent a delegation to Taiwan. The company expressed a desire to conclude a further agreement with Grenada in respect of the project. We were further introduced to persons that we were not aware of at the time that we had the initial engagement”.

Government representatives who met with the company officials in Taipei last week have described the company as comprising a group of Korean, Taiwanese, Chinese and Japanese Americans.

Mitchell

ST. GEORGE’S, Grenada, CMC – The political arm of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) said it plans to ask the Tillman Thomas Government to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate allegations of corruption against the previous Keith Mitchell administration.

Newly appointed Public Relations Officer Vincent Roberts said the role of a special prosecutor is needed since the office of Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) is not setup to handle such investigations.

Earlier this year, DPP Chris Nelson confirmed that his office was investigating allegations against members of the previous government but no further announcement has been made since.

“The NDC is in the process of making a proposal to the government. The people are saying that we must do something about the allegations of corruption and we are proposing the need for a (full time) special prosecutor to look into these things” Roberts told journalists at a news conference.

“The DPP and his office have not really been strengthened to deal with these issues. Research shows that in situations like these a special prosecutor is usually the most appropriate means to deal with these issues.”

The NDC swept to victory in elections two years ago after an aggressive campaign on a promise to pursue corruption allegations which have hounded former prime minister Mitchell and his former deputy Gregory Bowen.

Recently, a United States Court of Appeal cleared Bowen of any wrongdoing in a matter involving American investor Jack Grynberg while Mitchell has repeatedly denied collecting a US$ 500,000 bribe in exchange for granting a German fraudster a diplomatic passport.

“There are many cases probably yet unheard by the public which will be brought in due course. Investigations are being done. However there is need for dedicated attention,” Robert said.

“We are proposing as a party to the government that steps be made to move quicker and answer to the calls of the people to do something and produce the evidence. We heard people saying we cannot go into a next election and not having dealt with the issues of corruption.”

Roberts has suggested corruption in the way the Mitchell administration severed ties with the Republic of China on Taiwan in the wake of Hurricane Ivan’s devastation six years ago.

“There are many issues of corruption dealing with the way in which the government switched relationships from Taiwan to China,” Roberts alleged.

“There is evidence that there is something improper involved in that relationship. The evidence is there but it needs to be looked at from a prosecutorial point of view. Is there sufficient evidence to charge and what the charges to be made.”

No official reaction has come from Beijing’s Embassy in St. George’s but the statement is reported to have angered Chinese diplomats here.

Mitchell

ST GEORGE’S, Grenada, CMC – Opposition Leader Dr. Keith Mitchell has blamed the polices of the two year-old-Tillman Thomas administration for the problems conforming the Grenadian economy.

In a radio broadcast on Thursday night, Mitchell, who served as prime minister of this Caribbean island for 13 years, said that listed the 15 percent Value Added Tax (VAT), stalled projects and the decision by the government to disband several welfare programmes for among the factors contributing to a weak economy.

He said unemployment has increased to more than 30 per cent with some analysts suggesting it could be as high as 40 per cent as the island grapples with a downturn in the economy.

“Since this government took office some of these flag ship projects have been stalled some are left in limbo and some have been stopped before they could see the light of day”. Mitchell said in the broadcast.

“This government has spitefully and indiscriminately disbanded or altered some of the fruitful programmes our government implemented which had a focus on the poor or unemployed”.

Mitchell was referring to free milk, food basket and paid job training programmes for school leavers which were among projects discontinued when the new administration came to office following general elections in July 2008.

Mitchell, who has left for a visit to the United States where he will discuss local issues with Grenadians residing in North America, has blamed the hike in prices and the drop in living standards on the taxation policies of the government.

“Today because of government’s misguided policies including the introduction of a 15 per cent Value Added Tax in the worst of economic times, the people have to contend with continued price hikes and a reduction in the standard of living.

“The fact is that the government’s tax policies have not worked and will not work. They have been hurting people and they have stifled economic activities,” he added.

However, Finance Minister Nazim Burke has denied Mitchell’s allegations regarding the performance of the government.

Burke says the government met a struggling economy hampered by the lowest credit rating in the Organisation of Eastern Cariobbean States (OECS) as ranked by the US-based rating agency, Standard and Poor’s.

He said there is  also an EC$1.7 billion dollar (US$629 million) public debt which is 107 per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) or 47 per cent higher than the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB) benchmark of 60 per cent.

“This was the situation we faced so how is it that you are now turning it around and making it appear that somehow we were the ones who created this problem and because the NDC came into office things have changed,” Burke told a news conference on Friday.

“These are harsh economic times so the suggestion that it is because of this government that we are facing the condition that we are facing in the country today is totally dishonest. The only thing I found impressive about his presentation last night was his suit”.

Prime Minister Thomas is schedule to address the nation on Tuesday on the state of the local economy.

The report tabled in the Parliament showed that revenue had contracted six per cent to an estimated EC$151 million (US$55.9 million) and “for the first time since the telecommunications sector was liberalized, operators reported a decline in the revenue even as the number of subscribers of mobile grew some 16%”.

The report noted that although internet service revenue grew an impressive 76 per cent “this was not sufficient to offset the decline in revenue from fixed and mobile voice services which fell 12%” adding that the “telecommunications sector was not spared the impact of the global economic decline”.

NTRC said that the telecommunications sector recorded an overall increase in market penetration and that mobile phone penetration continued to increase, moving from 99 per cent in 2008 to 105.2 per cent last year.

“Fixed line penetration did not share the same fate, as this market recorded a two per cent decline in market penetration as more customers opt for mobile services.

“The fixed internet penetration increased some 2.5% from 2008,” said the report noting that investment in the telecommunications sector is estimated to have contracted by 10 per cent to EC$40 million (US$14.8 million) or two per cent of Gross Domestic product.

The report also noted that the number of persons directly employed in the sector decreased by 12 per cent.

However, the number of mobile subscribers for 2009 increased by more than 9,000 to an estimated  115,424 with the NTRC indicating that prepaid subscribers accounted for  92 per cent  of the entire market.

It said that mobile originated local traffic increased 23 per cent and was recorded at more than 141 million minutes. Cellular phones subscribers sent almost 18 million text messages during the 2009, 20 per cent more than the previous year.

Produce donation

Levera Resort Development continued its long term Community Outreach program with a further donation this month of fruits and produce to a number of homes for children and the elderly.

The following locations received donations: the Fr. Hilarion Cheshire Home; Father Mallaghan Home for Boys; Summer Program at the Catholic Church, Victoria, St. Mark; Charles Memorial Institution, Victoria, St. Mark; Hillsview Home for the Aged in Gouyave; Queen Elizabeth Home for Children; Dorothy Hopkin Home for the Disabled; Bel Air Home for Children.

This on-going relationship, which began in 2009, is a result of the Company’s keen interest in developing the important link between agriculture and tourism in Grenada and the positive benefits that can be created for the community, both economically and socially.

At the centre of this initiative is the Levera Resort Development on-site garden, which includes shade houses and an irrigation system.  Currently a mix of lettuce, tomato, cucumber, okra, watermelon, sweet potato, eggplant and pumpkin are grown for donation purposes.

The garden project at the Levera Resort Development has resulted in over 2,000 pounds of fresh produce being donated to a number of homes for children and the elderly over the past year.  The Company plans to further develop the garden in order to grow specialty herbs and spices, and to have this fully operational when the resort is up and running.

“We are strongly committed to this project and highlighting the increasingly important economic impact the linkage between tourism and agriculture can provide.  As a result of requests and feedback, we have been able to assist directly in providing the fresh fruits and vegetables necessary for the healthy diet of residents and pupils at these institutions. The donations will continue throughout the season and for many more to come,” said Ms Nikki Renwick, Project Coordinator, Levera Resort Development.

The Marketing and National Importing Board (MNIB) said that it would import the fruit on a fortnightly basis until local farmers are able to meet consumer demands.

“We are just coming out of a drought and everybody knows the situation with black sigatoka (leaf spot disease),” said MNIB Chairman, Byron Campbell, adding “we have to supply our customers and it was decided that we will resume the importation of bananas because what we are presently receiving from local farmers cannot meet local demands”.

He said that MNIB would be ordering a 20 foot container every fortnight “until we can sustain ourselves locally.”

In 2009, Grenada was forced to import bananas from its neighbouring Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country because of low production levels here.

Campbell said the imported bananas imported carry the Fairtrade label ensuring that the fruit is of a certain standard and quality. Fair trade adopts an organised market-based approach designed to help producers in developing countries obtain better trading conditions and prices for their products.

Campbell said that the MNIB would be adopting several initiatives including the supply of fertilizers and increases prices as incentives to get local farmers increase production levels.

Grenada is one of the four Windward Islands exporting bananas to the United Kingdom market.