#Ready Finance Guyana

[ready-finance-guyana]

Shopping can be a lot of fun if the stress of payments and budget constraints are taken out of the equation. One of the easiest ways to shop while keeping your monthly finances stable is by signing up for a shopping credit plan.

The introduction of a shopping credit plan enhances convenience and reduces stress when making purchases. By opting for credit-based shopping, you can acquire the items you desire and postpone the payment to a later date, conveniently dividing it into manageable monthly instalments. This means,

You can afford expensive products like laptops, smartphones and home furniture

You need not empty your savings in order to buy high-value items

You don't have to save up for months before making a purchase

You can easily handle an emergency shopping

You can choose a repayment term that best fits your financial abilities

You can shop with fewer budget restrictions

Different stores have different terms and conditions that come with their shopping credit plans. So, research the pros and cons well and apply for one that is created with customer convenience in mind. Look for a credit plan with no hidden fees and low or no interest rates. By choosing a consumer-friendly shopping credit solution, you will be able to enjoy shopping while keeping repayments simple and easy.

[claritypoolservice]

Water Wall in the Desert

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Water Wall in the Desert

At Clarity Pool Service of Las Vegas, we take our custom swimming pool design to a whole new level. Providing our clientele with spectacular swimming pools and outdoor living environments is our top priority. So not only do we deliver the modern custom swimming pool designs, but we also can design your complete outdoor kitchen & living area. But the best part about Clarity Pool Service is that we’ve partnered with HFS Financial to help you finance your outdoor living project. In a majority of cases, we can get you funded with zero out-of-pocket expenses upfront. You heard correctly, and now there’s no excuse to procrastinate about your swimming pool project another minute longer.

We invite you to call us today to schedule an on-site pool design consultation with the pros here at Clarity Pool Service of Southern Nevada. We can’t wait to exceed your expectations and deliver a custom pool that you and your family will enjoy for many years to come!

  Need A Pool Contractor? Time to Build a Pool! Las Vegas Pool Contractor Call Now!

  Schedule a Swimming Pool Service Consultation with Clarity!

Whether you're exploring the idea of building a custom swimming pool, or you would like us to maintain your existing one. Clarity Pool Services has you covered! We specialize in custom pool design & construction as well as every maintenance service in between, and after pool construction. We're avid supporters of being water smart here in the Las Vegas, Valley, offering "no-drain" eco-friendly water treatments that restore the quality of your swimming pool water without having to drain, refill, and re-introduce traditional pool treatment chemicals. We have a better solution known as the PuriPool Water Treatment Process. We also offer pool restoration and our bead blasting service that will eliminate unsightly calcium scale and other hard water remnants. Schedule a consultation today with Clarity Pool Service of Las Vegas, Nevada!

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The smart Trick of What To Do With A Finance Major That Nobody is Talking About

The de-risking of the correspondent banking relationships are really crucial to the Caribbean due to the fact that global monetary banks have been crucial not just to domestic economy but in its link to the international economy. Some services have actually already been choked off and there need to be a method for us to discover an initiative that integrates the security goals which we sign up for, and likewise at the same time, permit monetary intermediation such as trade funding, transfers of revenues, debt payments, et cetera, to continue. Thirdly, security. The small states of the Caribbean find it extremely hard to compete with transnational criminal offense connected to narcotics trafficking, worldwide terrorism, cybersecurity, et cetera.

has done an outstanding task in supporting these nations, but I think there is room to do more in the interest of our shared security. Security these days can only be defined as international and can only be responded to by cooperation amongst nations. Fourthly, in the trade area there are some excellent legislation in place for trade. Nevertheless, a number of the Caribbean countries are now service oriented nations and we require Learn more here to take a look at possibilities for promoting shared and useful worth chains which combine U.S. and Caribbean in services such as health care, education, and back office support. I think by combining the abilities on Capitol Hill with a few of the personnels in the Caribbean, these companies can stay competitive both here and in the U.S - What do you need to finance a car.

The Caribbean countries are coastal societies. Facilities, financial activity, population, the structure environment are all concentrated on a narrow strip on the coast, even for those countries which are not islands, for example, Belize and Guyana. It means that they are among the most vulnerable how to sell timeshare property countries to environment change. More resources require to be offered in a more available method to reduce environment modification and to assist these countries in making it through. And I point especially to the traveler industry which is critically dependent on the quality of that immediate coastal strip. Finally, energy (What does finance a car mean). The Caribbean, bar the exceptions of Trinidad and Tobago, depend greatly on importation of energy.

Solar, wind, and thermal all have possibilities, and to move the production of electrical power which is amongst the greatest expense in the world onto energy in less costly sources. That would serve to restore an entire series of financial activity, including production. What does leverage mean in finance. And I conclude, Mr. Chairman, by saying that all of these are interrelated elements that require to be resolved. If we might resolve them in one overall effort led by the U.S. and involving the advancement of banks, I think that they strengthen each other and it is time for a brand-new strong initiative in U.S. policy towards the Caribbean.

The Ultimate Guide To How To Owner Finance A Home

[The ready declaration of Mr. Bernal follows:] [GRAPHIC( S) NOT OFFERED IN TIFF FORMAT] ---------- Mr. Duncan. Well, thank you a lot for making the effort to be here. Mr. Meeks has actually concurred we are going to skip over him and go to the previous chairman of the complete committee, Ms. Ros- Lehtinen, for 5 minutes. Ms. Ros-Lehtinen. Thank you so very much and I excuse coming late. And we have another hearing which I am chairing on Syria, however thank you, Chairman Duncan and Ranking Member Sires, for holding this essential hearing. And I do not believe that we can discuss U.S.

Venezuela developed Petrocaribe in 2005 to assist affect lots of nations in the hemisphere and up to this point the technique has actually worked. However, now we see the collapse of the Venezuelan economy due to the fact that of the incompetence of the Maduro routine. So it gives the U.S. an opportunity to fill that space, and this is where we require the State Department and the Department of Energy to be extremely concentrated on this effort today since it is in our national security interest to coordinate an energy option; a strategy so that less nations in the Western Hemisphere would depend on an extremely unreliable Venezuela.

And I believe that we have actually got to be working with our partners, our allies in the Caribbean to assist them make the most of the abundant and inexpensive natural gas and the new advanced clean wind and solar technologies available. This method we strengthen our partners' economies, we buffer the region from the effects of Venezuelan collapse and take practical steps towards decreasing carbon emissions. So the crisis in Venezuela may trigger an oil supply interruption. What impact would such an interruption have on the Caribbean nations? Mr. Bernal. My associates are determined to make certain I carry a fair share of the load.

Thank you for that. The relationship with Venezuela is a long and complicated one. Venezuela started the Petrocaribe at a time when many Caribbean countries were really extremely extended economically and actually needed some help. However, the relationship has its intricacies. For example, Venezuela declares an extremely large share of Guyana which belongs to the CARICOM group. It likewise has extended its claims in terms of seaside waters based upon an island practically 400 miles away from Venezuela and mainland, so that the relationship is not all the Caribbean gaining from some financial backing. I think we are at a juncture where the relationship is going to end up being very unpredictable since of nobody understands precisely what will take place in the Caribbean with Venezuela.

The smart Trick of What Does The Finance Department Do That Nobody is Discussing

Numerous Caribbean countries are thinking beyond Petrocaribe because they don't assume that it will continue in its present form and they need to be considering options. This produces a juncture in which new efforts, consisting of from the U.S - How to finance an engagement ring. in energy, would be extremely welcome in the area. Ms. Ros-Lehtinen. Thank you extremely much, Mr. Chairman and Ranking Member Sires. Thank you. Mr. Duncan. Well, thank you. Thanks for requiring time to diminish here. The Chair will now go to Mr. Meeks. Mr. Meeks. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And thank you for being here, and excellent to see all of you who, you know, we trust very much with your expertise and because the Caribbean is incredibly crucial, I believe.

It is really, you know when you look at our hemisphere and we have actually got to ensure that we enhance and interacting. And I hear my coworkers in regards to particularly Petrocaribe, but I think that the concerns that are facing a great deal of the islands-- and I observe, for instance, Mr. Ambassador, you noted as number six in order of top priority the energy crisis, et cetera, in attempting to ensure. So I wish to look for out as it pertains to the islands themselves the things that are most pushing with them that would help them total with their economy, since I understand, for instance, you can't just rely on tourist or you can't simply rely on, you understand, they have the diversity of it needs to be there.

[adalidda]

Illustration Photo: Brubaker Farms, is both a diary and green energy producer in Mount Joy, PA, USA. The family farm owned by Luke, Mike and Tony Brubaker has approximately 850 cows and 700 young stock, producing 20,200,000 pounds of milk. Their methane digester can handle more than 41,859 metric tons of organic waste, to capture methane gas that fuels a low emission generator producing 225 kW. This powers the digester itself and farm operations. Excess power is sold to the local power grid, allowing the community to benefit from a green energy source. (credits: USDA Photo by Lance Cheung / Public domain)

PFAN funding for Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Projects

For Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Saint Helena, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe,Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago,Belize, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama,Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Vietnam,Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Republic of Moldova, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan,Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu , Vanuatu, Wallis and Futuna

The Private Financing Advisory Network (PFAN) is a global network of climate and clean energy financing experts, which offers free business coaching and investment facilitation to entrepreneurs developing climate and clean energy projects in emerging markets.

Sectors & Technologies

PFAN works with projects in a variety of sectors and technologies working towards climate change mitigation and adaptation.

Agriculture & Agribusiness

Biodiversity & Eco-system Services

Clean Cooking

Clean Technology

Climate Change Adaptation

Climate Resilience Infrastructure

Cooling

Energy Efficiency & Demand Reduction

Energy Storage & Conservation

Renewable Energy

Rural Electrification & Energy Access

Tourism

Urban Resilience

Waste Treatment

Water & Sanitation

Examples of eligible projects

Projects and businesses which deploy clean and renewable energy and/or climate change technologies for productive uses; Greenfield and brownfield utility projects, independent power producer and distributed generation projects (for both thermal and electrical energy); Existing projects which are operating at small or pilot scale and which are ready for scale-up; Projects which increase access to energy for remote communities, including rural electrification, off-grid and mini-grid projects, thermal energy and clean cooking solutions; New or expanding business ventures in clean energy and related technologies, including downstream projects (focused on deployment of existing technologies) and upstream projects (focused on development and commercialisation of a new clean technology); Mergers, acquisitions or joint ventures, which will add value to an existing clean energy / technology business.

Investment amount

The investment amount, or investment ask, should lie between US$1 million and US$50 million. This may be disbursed in smaller tranches as requested.

ONLY for energy access and rural electrification projects (clean cook stoves, solar home systems, mini grids) an exception is made, and the investment ask can lie between US$500,000 and US$50 million. This too may be disbursed in smaller tranches as requested.

Preparing your Project Proposal

The main document for your project application is the Project Proposal: a concise and credible plan that is straightforward and easily understood by evaluators and reviewers. It should provide enough detail to give evaluators a clear idea of your project’s rationale, structure and management, investment ask, returns and risks as well as climate benefits and any developmental, social and gender impacts.

Please click here to read the Guidelines for your Project Proposal https://pfan.bendorodigital.com/preparing-your-project-proposal/

PFAN is active in low- and middle-income countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, Southeast Asia, the Pacific Islands, Eastern Europe, Central Asia, Central America and the Caribbean Islands.

Application Deadline: October 31, 2021

Check more https://adalidda.com/posts/cLDZJFAZdhvREprLb/pfan-funding-for-climate-change-mitigation-and-adaptation

[thechasefiles]

The Chase Files Daily Newscap 2/5/2019

Good MORNING #realdreamchasers! Here is The Chase Files Daily News Cap for Tuesday 5th February 2019. Remember you can read full articles for FREE via Barbados Today (BT) or Barbados Government Information Services (BGIS) OR by purchasing by purchasing a Daily Nation Newspaper (DN).

A ‘SUGARCOATING’ SOCIETY – A former Principal of Codrington College is charging that Barbadians have a tendency to avoid the truth about the issues plaguing the society. “We need not to close our eyes to the reality because we are developing a culture of sugar-coating things rather than facing them. We do not want to admit that they are there, and we find some way to make them look good,” Canon Noel Titus said, adding that it was time for Barbadians to take the proverbial wool from their eyes and realize what is happening in Barbados with the current spate of murders. “We are often in denial saying that this can happen in Trinidad, Jamaica or Guyana but not in Barbados. Recently, we have had to face the truth – nine murders in 31 days. If we go on at the same rate throughout the year, we would have more than 100  murders. I pray we do not have any more right now,”  he told the congregation at St Matthias Church on Sunday. The senior priest in the Anglican church joined with Minister of Elder Affairs and People Empowerment Cynthia Forde and agreed that three days of prayer allow Barbadians to be conscious of what is wrong in our society and what needs to be rectified. According to Canon Titus if Barbadians continue to follow the norms and customs which are popular, we would develop a spineless society. “If we continue to nurture [a society] where people do things just because everyone is doing it, then, in the end, we will develop a spineless society,” he told the congregation. Titus, said as with Jesus Christ in Luke 4 when he returned to his birthplace at Nazareth to speak and those in the synagogue wanted to hurl him off a cliff, people today do not like to hear the truth.  The priest said that one of the major problems in society was that persons were afraid of offending other people by speaking the truth. “One good reason is that we are still, what they say a ‘class-conscious people’. We do not feel that we should say things to offend certain persons and that is not something that affects the wider society, it affects the church,” he said. Canon Titus said christians must follow Jesus’ example and not be afraid to stand for what is right. “When we read the story in the Gospel let us take note of the fact that Jesus stood up. He did not look behind him to see who was supporting him. He wasn’t listening to hear whose voice would come to his assistance. He did what he was supposed to do and I believe that he is calling upon us to do what we have to do. Jesus is calling us at this time, to be honest.” Titus told the congregation. (BT)

MINISTER TELLS ACADEMICS JOIN THE FIGHT TO SAVE YOUNG MEN – The University of the West Indies’ (UWI) Cave Hill Campus is being called upon to rally its intellectual resources to help guide the country’s at-risk men away from crime. Minister of Entrepreneurship, Small Business and Commerce was reacting to January’s unprecedented spate of violence, which claimed the lives of nine people and which this weekend prompted some Barbadians to launch a season of prayer. Amid promises from the country’s law enforcement and political leaders of a firm response to the country’s social problems, Minister Sutherland was adamant that academic institutions also had a role to play in the fight. “Your role must be to mentor these young men and with the help of the village elders, guide in the development of their soft skills, to allow them not only to eek out a daily living, but to help them to develop legitimate business enterprises,” he said. Sutherland was addressing high-ranking UWI officials on Monday morning at the official signing of a memorandum of understanding between the university and Pitchlt Caribbean for the facilitation of new business development and entrepreneurial courses. “I can readily identify the need for our academic institutions to meaningfully embrace our young people, especially our at-risk male youths, who live in the catchment communities of the University of the West Indies,” he said, adding that in his opinion men were most troubled. “Males are challenged in this country and if you continue to look around at what is happening today, it’s not the females, it’s the males. Hence my deliberate mention of the males, and the need to rescue the males. “Room must be found to engage the ideas and innovations of our disadvantaged youth, including our males who are not wired to conform to the status quo and who, if left unchecked, will use their creative energies for less than desired, productive national outcomes and we continue to see that,” he said. Sutherland added that while many of Barbados’s at-risk youth may not necessarily thrive within a formal university environment, the university population had an obligation to find meaningful ways to engage surrounding communities. “Please note that I am in no way suggesting that these persons be brought onto campus in breach of the university admission policy or into any unfamiliar environment where intimidation would render them incapable of surviving. I am in no way suggesting that, but rather as academics raised by the village yourself and like myself, it is my view that you have a national responsibility to give back to your own and to develop these communities through relevant lifelong interventions,” he said. (BT)

BUSINESS BOOST – Barbados’ largest tertiary institution is answering the call for students to be equipped with the tools necessary to become businesses owners as more government retrenchment looms. The University of the West Indies’ Cave Hill campus is in the process of rolling out a number of programmes to help undergraduate, postgraduate and lifelong learners with the development of their own enterprises after graduation. Pro Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the institution, Professor Eudine Barriteau revealed this during the official signing of a memorandum of understanding today between UWI and LUMIN Consulting – an initiative which will assist business startups through online, face-to-face and blended short courses and certificate programmes. Baritteau also disclosed that the UWI has committed itself to developing the entrepreneurial skills of Barbadians, particularly victims of government’s on-going retrenchment exercise under the Barbados Economic Recovery and Transformation (BERT) programme. This assistance came through the Student Entrepreneurial Empowerment Development (SEED) initiative. “SEED responded to the national layoffs with an Entrepreneurs’ Clinic held during the Campus Research Week and Open Day. The clinic was well subscribed, and some of the persons counselled have joined the SEED programme this year. Plans are in train to stage additional clinics across the island this year,” she said. Professor Barriteau further disclosed that the center for professional development and lifelong learning would be rolling out three courses to help “unlock the potential of Caribbean Entrepreneurs . . . by providing opportunities to enhance their skills or learn new ones.” Among the courses identified for delivery in the near future include The Lean Startup for the Caribbean Entrepreneur, Investor Readiness for Caribbean Entrepreneurs and Entrepreneurial Finance. “Together, these account for the most immediate needs of a new business owner who is ready to take his or her product or service to the market,” she said, adding that “While much uncertainty looms in this economic climate, there is still a great opportunity for growth.” Minister of Small Business, Entrepreneurship and Commerce, Dwight Sutherland endorsed the move, noting that the region’s economic development was heavily reliant on the promotion of entrepreneurship. “We must pursue this type of training as a proactive and deliberate response to the current economic crisis in which this country has found itself, thus providing opportunity for the disenfranchised worker to reset his or her effort to pursue their dream,” he said. Sutherland was extremely vocal about the need for education, which positioned ordinary citizens to be business owners as opposed to just employees. “Entrepreneurial education generally puts emphasis on imagination, creativity and risk acceptance in business, unlike the traditional educational view where greater emphasis is placed on quantitative techniques, rather than the development of creative skills. “The goals of entrepreneurial education, among others must therefore be to promote the entrepreneur’s personal knowledge, enhance his or her ability to distinguish business opportunities and to develop his or her core knowledge and skillset capacity in order to create effective and flexible business solutions for our many at-risk small businesses; and there are many,” he added. Sutherland also stressed the need for the education process to “help the learners to learn how to learn.” “In understanding that learners need to appreciate by way of observation the reflection of the learning processes, especially since learners must make decisions, it is imperative that they are informed about how to obtain knowledge, how to reconstruct it and how to use this knowledge to make critical decisions for self, for business and more importantly for country.” Professor Barriteau further revealed that the Cave Hill campus was swiftly adapting to new trends in technology and would be rolling out two new courses in blockchain technology. While the two postgraduate courses are still pending approval from the board of graduate studies, these were on stream to be delivered in the second semester of the 2019/2020 academic year as electives in the Master of Science in Information Technology programme. “These courses, Introduction to blockchain I and Blockchain Applied will not only take students through the history of blockchain but will also focus on its applicability and the steps toward building their own applications,” she said. Barriteau added that the campus was swiftly improving its status as a smart campus. “Our smart campus app has already revolutionized the way how we communicate with staff and students. By the end of the student registration period last year, over 40% of the students enrolled were actively using the app. “So as you can see ladies and gentlemen, the University is at the vanguard of innovation in the region. We are therefore pleased to assist in unlocking the potential of Caribbean entrepreneurs,” she said. (BT)

CHINESE DONATE IT EQUIPMENT – The Chinese Government has made a donation of technology equipment to Barbados. This morning, the Government of the People’s Republic of China handed over 45 laptops, 35 desktops, and 10 tablets produced by top Chinese IT companies, to Minister of Home Affairs Edmund Hinkson. The majority of the equipment would be going to the Government Industrial School. During the handing over ceremony which took place at the Chinese Embassy this morning, on the Chinese Lunar New Year’s Eve, Ambassador Yan Xiusheng said the equipment could support capacity building, help Barbadians catch up with the rapid development of today’s digital world and bridge the digital gap with more and easier access to internet and advanced technology. The Ambassador also said that China and Barbados have always remained friends and close partnership since the establishment of diplomatic relations 42 years ago, and noted that in recent years, the level of friendly relationships between China and Barbados was reaching its best period in history in all aspects. “In the meantime, China always stands ready to provide necessary assistance for the economic and social development of Barbados under the framework of the South-South cooperation. In 2017 China provided teaching equipment valued 30 million RMB to Barbados’ schools to help improve the quality of education offered to Barbadian children. “Besides, from our own experience, China understands that agriculture and food security are the most critical issues for development. Therefore, China funded two agricultural projects in Barbados, with the amount of 45 million BDS,” he said. Ambassador Xiusheng also indicated that this year the People’s Republic of China would celebrate its 70th birthday. He said 70 years after its founding, China achieved many development miracles and now it was entering a new era under the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party and H.E. President Xi Jinping. “In the new era, Chinese people will continue to work hard to build a better life and realize the Chinese dream of national rejuvenation. And the Barbadian government, led by Prime Minister Mia Mottley, is also pioneering the Economic Recovery and Transformation plan, with the aim to boost a stronger and more sustainable economy in Barbados. “China is looking forward to the success of Barbados Economic Recovery and Transformation plan and stands ready to help the Barbadian government and people to fulfill their agenda,” the Ambassador said. Meanwhile, Minister of Home Affairs Edmund Hinkson who thanked the Embassy for the equipment said that the donation was a extention to a monetary presentation the Embassy made to assist with information technology education in schools. Hinkson said today’s donation was important and would allow residents of the GIS to be able to keep with the technological advancements of the global village. “At the click of a button you can access anything, any information in the world. You can correspond and communicate with anyone here in Barbados, from China. We totally appreciate this donation Ambassador, which would assist some of the most vulnerable young persons in our society to access information technology, to learn to use it, to be comfortable with it, to gain more knowledge, and to be able to be useful citizens after they leave,” Hinkson said. (DN)

NOT BUSINESS AS USUAL AT LIAT – A major shake-up is coming for struggling regional airline LIAT, as main shareholder governments await a detailed report on the airline’s operations. The pending changes which could determine the airline’s fate are expected in a matter of months. Among the changes will be the implementation of a performance index to help determine promotion and pay increases, possibly a new funding model and amendments to the labour laws in Antigua and Barbuda, where the airline is currently based. While it is still early to say if Barbados, the majority shareholder, would cut back on its contribution to the air carrier, Minister of Tourism Kerrie Symmonds gave Barbados TODAY a strong indication that there had to be some changes to how the airline was being subsidized. Antigua and Barbuda, St Vincent and the Grenadines and Dominica are other major shareholders in the airline. “I think that this is a discussion that the region has to have. The analogy has been used by some people that the way in which LIAT operates is a little bit unfair because several are benefiting but few are contributing, and that is in the context of the member states. So you don’t want them to be sipping milk through the fence via a long straw. We all have to be at the table together,” said Symmonds. “What we want to do, however, is to give all member states of the region an opportunity to rethink their involvement in aviation in the Caribbean. LIAT is working for all of us but we all have to pool some resources now to see how best we can get it to go forward. Obviously, as the principal shareholder, given the reality of Barbados’ economic situation we cannot continue to function in the way in which we did let us say 20 years ago or 15 or ten years ago. So we have got to rethink it and we are trying to do it by taking the rest of the region along with us,” he explained. It was in October last year that majority shareholder governments and their representatives from Barbados, St Vincent and the Grenadines and Antigua and Barbuda and Grenada met in a high-level meeting in Kingstown. Following the prime ministerial and ministerial meetings, LIAT was mandated to carry out a review of various aspects of its operations and provide a detailed report by the start of this year so that some critical decisions could be taken. However, still awaiting that full report, Symmonds told Barbados TODAY he was satisfied that the meeting was a “positive one” and member states “left on the same page”. “The message really was, you can’t continue to simply rely on Government subsidies but you have to become more competitive and more efficient operationally across the board,” said Symmonds. This is not the first time that the cash-strapped airline had to rethink its operations. Back in 2014 it had embarked on a 100-day restructuring programme that officials said would help to solve some of its issues including cutting unprofitable routes and putting pressure on non-shareholder governments to get on board. However, there has been very little movement to date. But Symmonds gave the assurance that the last meeting was not just another talk shop. “We have given LIAT some instructions that they are suppose to get back to us on. Issues such as the salary increases that they pay their staff. We wanted to have a principle of performance indexes built into the operation of LIAT. So to continue in LIAT from henceforth what we want to have is people’s promotion and their salary structures and so on, being indexed to the performance level of the individual holding the office, and that is across the board in LIAT,” explained Symmonds. Up to October 2016, when officials again started to examine the organizational structure of the airline, it hired close to 670 people despite a budget for only 630, and operated more than 570 flights to 18 destinations per week. With approximately 14 labour movements impacting on the airline across the region, Symmonds said it was hoped that the unions would “go back to their constituent members and get them to understand that “this is no longer going to be business as usual”. “We are going to need to have a commitment on the part of the union, first of all, to look at salary structures. Secondly, to look at the performance indexing criteria and also of course, to be able to look at the general operation structure of LIAT,” said Symmonds, who represented Barbados at the last meeting. “The way in which we roster and operate as pilots, as stewardesses, et cetera, the maintenance and repair operations, all of those things are strongly controlled by the unions. We need to have those operations brought into the 21st century and treat them not as an area of absolute strength for labour, but to make it more competitive so that the way in which the business called aviation functions around the world would apply to LIAT, because LIAT has lived in my view, in a very sheltered environment for a long time,” he indicated. He also pointed out that a part of the shake-up would include changes in the labour law in Antigua and Barbuda. He told Barbados TODAY that as a result of the labour legislation there, a “peculiar” relationship had developed between labour and the airline, and there was a “variance” when matched up against other destinations. “So those are things we had to look at. I do not as yet have a report in my hand that tells me there has been considerable progress on any of those fronts . . . They are a work in progress. We left it relatively open-ended,” said Symmonds, while indicating that he still expected a report “soon”. (BT)

UNION PUTS THE BRAKES ON TOURISM BODY’S PLANS – The Mia Mottley Administration has been forced to suspend the Cabinet-approved disbandment of the Barbados Tourism Product Authority (BTPA), just days before it was scheduled to take effect. The functions of the BTPA were to be officially transferred to the Barbados Tourism Marketing Incorporated (BTMI) today, thereby creating a single entity for the marketing and development of this country’s tourism. The transition and reorganization process was also expected to result in an undisclosed number of employees from both entities being sent home. But, upset at the manner in which the process was done, the employees’ bargaining agent, the Barbados Workers’ Union (BWU), would have none of it. So following an exchange of correspondence between chairman of the state enterprise Sunil Chatrani and General Secretary of the BWU Senator Toni Moore, (copies of which are in the possession of Barbados TODAY), the tourism body was forced to inform its staff on Friday that the redundancies and transition have been put on hold, pending the outcome of discussions with the union. This development was sparked by a letter dated January 24, 2019 from BTMI chairman Chatrani to Senator Moore informing her that they would be putting staff from both entities on the breadline on that date. “The execution of the Cabinet decision and the process of transition and reorganization will commence, and resultantly, there will be position redundancies in both entities and transfer of officers from the BTPA to the BTMI effective the 4th February, 2019,” the correspondence read in part. The chairman also asked Senator Moore for the union’s support in the matter “as we work together to ensure that this process is executed in the most sensitive and efficient manner”. He told her that the board was therefore inviting her to meet at a mutually convenient time, so that the “necessary updates can be provided”. But the BWU boss was not amused. And in reply some five days later, Senator Moore not only described the chairman’s letter as a low blow, but demanded an apology from the Government agency. “This is not the time for platitudes or cynical requests to execute anyone or anything in a sensitive or an efficient manner. Frankly, an apology is in order. You have then to approach this matter in a manner dictated by mutual respect and by your need to follow our agreed protocols,” the union leader insisted. In his reply the following day, Chatrani told Senator Moore the board had reviewed her concerns “and express sincere apologies that we were unable to engage with you prior to, or immediately after the Cabinet’s decision”. He said there were factors which did not permit this and the transition committee of the board was inviting her to a meeting on Friday, February 1 “where the necessary discussions can be had with respect to the caption [transition] and your concerns raised”. The tourism body head went on to say he strongly believe both parties could work together in the best interest of the employees and the nation. But in correspondence dated January 31, 2019, the BWU General Secretary told the BTMI Chairman that the union was not prepared to participate in any “token and rushed” meetings to achieve a last-minute deal before the proposed implementation date of Monday, February 4, 2019. “Instead, we stand ready to meet with in the absence of any predetermined expectations on your part, that February 4, 2019 will materialize as you have contemplated up until now,” Senator Moore wrote. She said the BWU would have been available to meet today at 10 a.m. where the union would go prepared to receive a presentation of the state agency’s proposal to restructure. The BWU boss also informed the BTMI head that she would expect some discussion would follow his presentation. A check this afternoon with the union revealed that that meeting is now scheduled for Thursday at 2 p.m. Because of the pending meeting, the BWU boss has told the Chatrani it could not now go ahead with the transition and redundancies today to prejudice the discussions. It was immediately following that letter that the chairman informed the staff in a memorandum dated Friday, February 1, “The transition process will not be completed on the 4th February, 2019.” He informed the staff that the date has been revised to take account of discussions with the union. The chairman was unavailable for comment. (BT)

VALUE-DRIVEN TOURISM – With Barbados’ tourism product a little more expensive as a result of recent taxes, Minister of Tourism Kerrie Symmonds is giving the assurance that careful and vigorous work is being undertaken so the destination could offer better value for money. Pointing to some measures that have already been put in place by the eight-month-old Mia Mottley-led administration to reinvigorate the tourism industry, Symmonds told Barbados TODAY he was aware that while tourist arrival numbers have been robust the spend is not where it should be. He said while it was critical that the offerings be refreshed, a holistic approach was needed. “So we are looking at a number of the existing attractions in Barbados, trying to identify areas where they can be strengthened or refreshed and then we are trying to build out green-field attractions,” he said on Wednesday while attending the Caribbean Travel Marketplace in Montego Bay, Jamaica. “It has to be a value-for-money proposition in Barbados. When people are going to pay a premium fare to come to Barbados they want to get a premium experience. You can’t put a five-star stamp on something and then offer them a two or three-star product. “So there are a number of issues we have to get absolutely right in Barbados and those are not necessarily tourism industry issues but they are supportive issues – things like the little spike in crime that we had over the course of the last few weeks and the reluctance of people to ensure they properly dispose of garbage and have an efficient system of collection and so on. Those are the things I think can create a negative impression and hurt the product even more than the prices,” he explained. As part of $1.2 billion austerity package announced last year, Government imposed a number of new taxes on the tourism sector. Chief among them was a US$70 Airline Travel and Development fee for trips to extra-regional destinations and a US$35 fee for travel within the Caribbean. A range of hotel room taxes from US$2.50 to US$10 per night have also been implemented and a ten per cent tax on shared accommodation such as Airbnb. The latest Central Bank report indicated that despite a 2.8 per cent increase in long-stay visitor arrivals, tourism output fell by 1.6 per cent last year, from 2.2 per cent in 2017, due to a decline in the length of stay and less tourist spend. Symmonds’ comments came on Wednesday afternoon just as the Central Bank was giving its economic review for 2018. He said while people were generally prepared to spend premium dollars to come to Barbados because of the reputation it has for safety and friendliness, he insisted that Barbados must give value for money if the country is to earn more from the industry. “My position on the tourism industry is that I have wanted to have it re-thought for a while, and that process is in train,” he said, as he highlighted the establishment of the new National Cruise Development Commission and ongoing upgrades at the Grantley Adams International Airport. Symmonds said he was yet to do a review of the revenue intake from the taxes, which took effect October last year. However, he said his ministry has been observing the reaction from the various markets. The tourism minister said while there was a shockwave initially with some believing that Barbados was pricing itself out the competition, that response did not match up with the record number of visitors this winter season so far and the future bookings. However, pointing out that it was not a clear-cut situation, Symmonds explained that while some markets including Canada, were performing well generally, there were some areas within the market where there was “increased price sensitivity”. “So that is something that I have sat down with the marketing team and discussed and we are looking at ways in which we can try to counteract that. All in all, I don’t think that we are having an exceptionally difficult time as a result of the tax imposition,” he said. Congratulating CEO of the Elegant Hotels Group Sunil Chatrani and others who received awards during the Caribbean Travel Marketplace this week, Symmonds said his wish was that the Elegant Hotels model would be replicated among the Intimate Hotels group. This group represents about 50 boutique hotel properties across the island. “They are going to be branded as a Barbadian product called Intimate Hotels, and certainly the intention is to have a variety of experiences under one brand in a similar way. Those discussions have begun and I think we are making some useful progress in that regard,” disclosed Symmonds, who was not in a position to give an update on the proposed Hyatt Centric project or Sam Lords Castle development. “Similarly, in so far as the hotel-related attractions are concerned, we are looking at areas for redevelopment and re-imagination of the concept so that entertainment areas like St Lawrence Gap and Second Street, Holetown are areas where I think we are going to be focusing on in 2019, with a view to trying to make them as cutting edge as possible in terms of the experience. So a lot of planning has gone into the latter part of 2018 and I think we are now at the stage where we are about to start the execution of some of those plans,” he said. (BT)

TALMA CALLS FOR COHESIVENESS IN TOURISM – Prominent Barbadian windsurfer, Brian Talma, is demanding tourism stakeholders and investors think outside the box as it relates to beach tourism. Speaking to Barbados TODAY shortly after the conclusion of Waterman Festival 2019 which featured two days of competition in water and beach sports, the owner of DeAction Surf Shop contended that developers ought to develop existing hot spots rather than venture into unchartered territory. “Throughout Barbados we need to develop different places. We do not invest in a place that is already developed,” Talma stressed. The veteran surfer argued that there were a number of beaches that could be further developed and further invested in for water sports activities aside from the popular Silver Rock in Silver Sands, Christ Church. “What these people need to do is to go and develop Long Beach. Long Beach is a very good place to go and do kite surfing. The reason nobody is there is because it is barren. When I came here 30 years ago it was barren too and I spent my money my sweat to develop what you see here today. This didn’t happen magically, it took 30 years of hard work,” Talma emphasized. Talma believed that the island’s tourism product was declining. He argued the various branches of the tourism sector worked in isolation, which did not help the promotion of the island’s numerous services. “We are not well connected,” Talma said while adding, “we need the tour operators to bring the tours here [Silver Rock Beach]. Whilst acknowledging that his business has been affected by the sargassum and the ongoing petition against his business because of the positioning of beach chairs and umbrellas, Talma told Barbados TODAY he wishes to promote organic tourism which incorporates the community and the commercial businesses in the area. “My vision is not only about the sea, but it is also about the people. My vision is way past what we are doing here in Barbados when it comes to tourism,” commented Talma. (BT)

LANDFILL SHAME – Some people are still rummaging for food and ancillary items at the Mangrove Landfill. A NATION team witnessed several people fervently digging through the garbage after it was deposited at the St Thomas national dump on Saturday. Janice Jones, acting general manager of the Sanitation Service Authority (SSA), which has responsibility for the facility, told the NATION yesterday: “This problem had surfaced from around 1997. Over time some of the fencing has become broken. We call in the police when we witness the theft of items from the landfill. But as soon as they see the police they run away – only to return after they leave.” At least six people were seen scurrying from the area as soon as security was called in, only to return as soon as they left. One of the men scavenging said: “I get regular checks and I safe. I ain’t out there robbing nobody. I ain’t got no bacteria on me. I hey hustling hard for what I want.” (DN)

OUTDATED LAW – Government is looking at reducing the offences for which teenagers may be confined to the Government Industrial School (GIS). According to Minister of Home Affairs Edmund Hinkson, outdated legislation that forces magistrates to send young adults who run into trouble with the law to the Industrial School for a minimum of three years, and a maximum of five years, is currently being reviewed. “We know that these children invariably come from the lower social economic class of our society. We know that the law that informs this aspect of our society are two pieces of legislation, one in 1926 and one in 1930. “In other words, both of them almost 100 years old now. We are actively looking to modernize this legislation, to reduce the offences for which our young people, not yet adults, will be confined to these schools because of infractions with the law,” Hinkson said. “We are in the process of reviewing a draft bill to bring to Cabinet and hopefully thereafter to bring to Parliament within the first half of this year because we owe it to our children,” he added. The minister, who spoke about the need to re-evaluate the pieces of legislation, as he delivered remarks at the handing over ceremony of technological devices from the Chinese Embassy to Government, said there was also a need to provide opportunities for children who have passed through the Industrial School, to have a chance at succeeding at life. “We know that a lot of Barbadians are sometimes uncharitable, and stigmatize young people because they might have been confined at an early age. The stigma travels with them, in a lot of cases for a large part, or for the rest of their lives. We have as a society to get rid of that thought and that psychological position, and to realize that everyone deserves a second chance,” he said. “It may not have been their fault, for instance, as a girl you are wandering in the night time. It may be that someone, and we know this for a fact, may be interfering with them at home, sexually, a stepfather, an uncle, and therefore they are on the road. “Why therefore should they be picked up and confined for a minimum of three years, which is what the law says right now, even though some magistrates sensibly vary that. “Or a maximum of five years in an institution because of that, rather than society looking at the reasons for wandering, and trying to deal with the core element of it. Why should children who may have psychological issues, or psychiatric issues, be so confined, rather than let’s look at the reasons that may have caused them to be the way they are?” The minister also said that the strengthening of the Probation Department was also being looked at, in addition to the island’s education policy as it relates to ensuring it caters to the residents of the GIS. “I have spoken with the Minister of Education Santia Bradshaw, in terms of seeing what our two ministries can do to enhance the educational opportunities of the girls and boys of the Government Industrial School,” Hinkson said.  (BT)

DO THE RIGHT THING – Social activist Sharmane Roland-Bowen says she feels violated by Government’s decision to engage former Commissioner of Police Darwin Dottin as a consultant on crime. Roland-Bowen, who is president of the Barbados Road Safety Association, said she was not motivated by vengeance but wanted closure on one of the most unsavoury periods of her life. Roland-Bowen is the widow of late detective Inspector Anderson Bowen who more than a decade ago blew the whistle on the Royal Barbados Police Force for allegedly engaging in illegal wiretapping. Roland-Bowen, a born-again Christian, told Barbados TODAY that she wanted justice. She said there was an abundance of evidence that illegal wiretapping had been conducted in Barbados and if the head of the force at the time was denying it then it meant her late husband was a liar, as well as everyone else who had spoken out about it. She said her husband had a civil suit before the Supreme Court with respect to illegal wiretapping at their home but he had died before the case’s completion. “After Anderson died, as his executor I did not continue the lawsuit because Mr Dottin was removed from the force by the Police Service Commission and that brought some measure of closure for me. But now the Government has brought him back and I feel violated, I feel as though I have been raped. This is not about Anderson anymore because he is gone, this is about me wanting justice and closure. “I picture in my mind officers sitting and listening to my most intimate conversations with my late husband, with my sisters, personal things out there. I am no criminal and I should not have been subjected to my home being bugged,” she lamented. In that civil suit to which she referred, her late husband indicated 12 instances of wiretapping in his affidavit. He also alleged in his court document that Dottin played taped recordings to him while in the commissioner’s office at Central Police Station. In Dottin’s response affidavit to the Supreme Court he did not deny the charges related to the wiretapping but linked the alleged action to national security. In that affidavit, Dottin stated: “With respect to the tape-recorded conversations referred to in paragraphs 22 to 32 of the applicant’s affidavit, I have formed the opinion that it is not in the public interest to disclose these as I believe that such disclosure would cause real damage in relation to the security of the island of Barbados.” In a probe carried out by the Police Service Commission and a subsequent report dated June 10, 2013, it was revealed that then-Assistant Superintendent Lila Boyce, née Strickland, corroborated Inspector Bowen’s allegations stating that she was present when “the Commissioner manipulated his laptop computer and played a recording of a telephone conversation between Inspector Bowen and another person”. Boyce said nothing in the conversation on the recording implicated Bowen in anything unlawful. Two Special Branch officers Sergeant Paul Lynch and Constable Erwin Bradshaw also gave sworn evidence that they had engaged in wiretapping on the instructions of Dottin. Lynch indicated there was a secret section of their operations called “political”. Among those tapped, the officers reported, were magistrates, members of the Police Service Commission, senior police officers including then Deputy Commissioner Bertie Hinds and the driver of former Prime Minister Owen Arthur. The Police Service Commission has indicated that it is in possession of some of these illegal recordings. A visibly aggrieved Roland-Bowen told Barbados TODAY that the police force was there to uphold the law and that if it wanted to carry out any such surveillance action it should be done within the law and not outside of it. She said there were people in the country who knew an injustice had been done but would pretend or act as though nothing had occurred. She stressed that she was not political and had spoken out when the Democratic Labour Party “was doing nonsense” in Barbados and believed that the current Government had now miss-stepped with Dottin. “I am calling a spade a spade. We must not allow politics and friendships to come before justice. That is wrong. This system has let me down. I need closure, by talking to the media, I am releasing some of what I am now feeling. I don’t think innocent people should be subjected to this. You cannot reward wrong,” she said. Roland-Bowen added she believed the pressure of being suspended in December 2005 for almost five years from a job he loved after going public with what was happening in the police force had contributed to her husband’s death. At that time Bowen called publicly on Dottin to quit in the interest of the organisation and the general public. Bowen was later exonerated and reinstated in 2010 but assigned as the provost officer at Central Station responsible for menial tasks which had never before been assigned to such a high-ranking officer. “He was one of the best detectives in the force, a street cop and he loved his job. But his suspension bothered him and he always studied it, complained of constant headaches, his pressure was very high, and he would sometimes ask me to put my hands on his forehead when it pained him. I believe this entire episode helped kill my husband and made me a widow prematurely,” she said. (BT)

FISHING FOR A DEAL – The contentious issue of Barbadian fishermen being arrested for fishing illegally in Trinidad and Tobago’s waters is being thrashed out at the prime ministerial level. Minister of the Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs Kirk Humphrey said the matter was receiving the “personal attention” of Prime Minister Mia Mottley who is engaging Trinidad and Tobago’s leadership to find a solution. “The Prime Minister has taken a personal interest in resolving the issue,” Humphrey said at the weekend. He was at the Argentine Embassy where Government and the embassy, in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organisation, unveiled a fish silage project designed to maximise the economic potential of the fishing industry.  Humphrey reported “quite positive” discussions between the two governments so far with regard to the fishing controversy: “We are pretty sure that we will come to some resolution on the matter very shortly.” However, he issued a caution to Barbadian fishermen about straying into other people’s fishing space: “We have to recognise that sovereign waters are sovereign waters and when you drift into somebody else’s waters, there is the potential for something to happen.” (DN)

PLUG FOR ‘SOLDIERS TO COPS’ – Former Attorney General Adriel Brathwaite is backing Opposition Senator Caswell Franklyn’s idea of converting soldiers into police officers in order to fill the current shortage in the constabulary. At the same time, Brathwaite is echoing Franklyn’s recent suggestion that whichever Barbados Defence Force (BDF) soldiers were chosen, they would have to be retrained as police officers. “The training is different . . . and we have to be very careful that we don’t do that carte blanche. The training of a soldier is completely different to that of a police officer,” the former Attorney General told Barbados TODAY. He recalled that his former Democratic Labour Party (DLP) administration had discussed how it could have one platform of training, so it would be easy for someone to transition from one organization to the other. “It might be easier for a police to transition to the Defence Force at a particular senior level. But at the junior level, you are talking different types of training; and I don’t think it would be in the best interest of Barbados for us to automatically go in that direction,” he warned. “Certainly you would have to do some retraining in terms of the soldiers,” the former AG added. He said it was for that reason the soldiers always accompanied the police whenever it came to policing duties and they were utilised. In putting forward the idea as a crime-fighting tool nearly three weeks ago, the Opposition senator and trade union leader told Barbados TODAY it made no sense spending more than $60 million in taxpayers money every year on an army that was not necessary in its present form. “The police force needs manpower. Crime is escalating and you ain’t got no more police. Right now we have a totally useless defence force that is not necessary. I am not saying send them all home. I am saying, redeploy them…just use the Defence Force as it used to be in the past . . . when it was the Barbados Regiment . . . for ceremonial occasions. Right now they are spending $60 something million dollars on the Defence Force a year,” Franklyn said. He said the fact that twice a year the Governor General signs an order allowing the army to assist the police, meant there was need for additional law enforcers. “Deploy them as police officers and let them do some useful work, rather than keeping them up there drilling and tending their uniform and shining their boots. They are not serving any useful purpose right now. There is no need for them,” the senator declared. “The Defence Force needs to be downsized. Some of those people can be made police officers with the necessary training and that will help with the crime situation,” he stressed. (BT)

LIMBO – Almost two years after his death, fingernail clippings belonging to Corey Antonio Best, which were taken by police and handed over to experts at the Forensic Sciences Centre (FSC) have yet to be analyzed. Senior forensic scientist at the FSC Len Sehntawali made the disclosure this morning as he gave evidence at the inquiry into Best’s unnatural death in the Coroner’s Court located at Cane Garden, St Thomas. The 33-year-old Best, formerly of Hopefield, Charnocks, Christ Church, was found hanging around 3 a.m. on April 13, 2017, in a cell at Oistins Police Station where he was in custody. Sehntawali told Coroner Manila Renee that he received two items from Police Constable Wayne Griffith on May 9, 2017, bearing the marks “Corey Antonio Best”; a sealed brown paper bag containing a blue jeans pants and a sealed evidence bag containing fingernail clippings. “The fingernail clippings were retained for further analysis,” the expert told the court, in the presence of the deceased’s mother, girlfriend and other family members. However, Sehntawali explained that he did not conduct any analysis on the fingernail clippings himself but passed it on to the DNA section of the FSC for analysis. He said he was still waiting on that section to inform him of the readiness to examine the fingernail clippings, 21 months after Best’s death. “So what is the hold-up?” asked the Coroner. “This is 2019 . . . you had it since 2017.” “Ma’am I do trace evidence, not DNA,” Sehntawali responded, before telling the court that the head of that department would be better able to answer that question. He gave the assurance, though, that the integrity of the samples would remain uncompromised “for years . . . as long as they remained frozen”. In relation to the blue jeans pants which officers alleged the deceased man used to hang himself, Sehntawali said his examination found no traces of blood. “The long blue jeans was received with the left and right leg regions tied in a loose knot. This pants was relatively clean and tested negative for the presence of human blood,” he said. Under cross-examination by Best’s family attorney Tristan Elcock, the forensic expert explained that macroscopic testing, which is a visual test with the use of a lighted lens was conducted on the clothing. He said a microscopic test, as well as a biological test, were also conducted on the pants. Sehntawali further explained that biological testing was limited to human blood. “If skin is there then blood would be there . . . my macroscopic test revealed that the pants was relatively clean . . . there were no other stains,” he added. He, however, explained that he had done tests in the past where blood was found, for example on rope “In this case, the material presented for analysis was soft and would affect the absence or presence of blood as [it] was not as abrasive as rope,” the forensic scientist said. Also taking the stand today was forensic analyst Michelle McComie, who disclosed that she was given a phial containing blood from the Royal Barbados Police Force bearing the distinguishing marks ‘Corey Antonio Best’, which was tested. McComie said the blood was negative for ethanol as well as 11 other drugs including cocaine and “presumptively positive for THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol ) or marijuana at a level of 52.73 ml. “This is considered a positive result [as] the minimum is 50 ml,” McComie explained. Acting Assistant Superintendent of Police Dale Stephen who was in charge of the Southern Division at the time of the incident, also gave evidence. Coroner Renee adjourned the inquest until Thursday when the court will make a site visit to the Oistins Police Station were Best was found hanging. (BT)

SHELL SHOCK – Police have recovered more than 120 shells from the scene of one shooting incident. This was revealed by Attorney General Dale Marshall, as he reiterated that not only Government, but every individual must play a part in arresting the scourge of rising gunplay and violence in the country. He was speaking during the video launch of an anti-violence song on Saturday evening in Melrose, St Thomas. Marshall, under whose portfolio the Royal Barbados Police Force now falls, was responding to a call from resident Elderson Smith to tighten the borders. They were at the Cloudy Chill Spot, for the launch of Open Ya Eyes featuring Joe Cloudy and Aja. “The police officers told me recently in a street, a very short street, shorter than 45 metres, they picked up over 100 spent shells in one night,” he said without naming the community.  (DN)

“PARTY” SMOKER MUST PAY – A Christ Church youth was fined $1 000 in two months for unlawfully having 0.7 grammes of cannabis on February 3, 2019. He is Jeremy Anson Jones, of Brewster Road, Worthing View, Christ Church, who pleaded guilty to the offence in the District ‘A’ Magistrates’ Court before Magistrate Kristie Cuffy-Sargeant. In apologising to the court, the mechanic said “I was in possession of marijuana. I did not want to be here,” adding that he only smoked at parties. He returns to court on April 4, 2019. (BT)

ACCUSED OWNS UP TO HIS PART IN DOMESTIC DISPUTE – A retiree will return to court today to hand in his passport after pleading guilty to assault. Thelma Lee Warren Jr., 69, of 21A Apartment 6, Joyce Mason Avenue, Jackson, St Michael, appeared in the District ‘A’ Magistrates’ Court before Magistrate Kristie Cuffy-Sargeant, charged with assaulting Stencha Augustin of No. 78, Crystal Heights, St James on February 2, 2019. According to Prosecutor, S/Sgt. Cameron Gibbons, the two were in a relationship for two years and she usually visited his home. On the day of the incident, Augustin, who also smoked marijuana and used cocaine, visited Warren’s home and he accused her of stealing US$700 from him. The prosecutor said that as a result, the two were involved in a dispute and Warren struck her in the face and placed a rope around her neck and beat her about the body. Eventually Augustin freed herself and reported the matter to the police. The medical record was unavailable and the magistrate adjourned the hearing until February 13, 2019. (BT)

REMAIN HONEST – On her first day back on the Bench after holiday, a Bridgetown magistrate reminded young attorneys not to “mix your clients’ money with yours”. Welcoming the staff and attorneys-at-law this morning Magistrate Kristie Cuffy-Sargeant of the District ‘A’ Magistrates’ Court sounded the reminder, warning, “You’ve spent five years studying hard, take back the profession where it ought to be,” she added. Her comments came following reports of the recent disbarment of an attorney-at-law. Among the cases coming before her today was one involving a first-time offender who uses marijuana daily, but who said he’s going to try to stop. Laron Rudolph Junior Marshall, of 15J Crest View Terrace, Eden Lodge, St Michael, told Magistrate Cuffy-Sargeant in the District ‘A’ Magistrates’ Court where he  pleaded guilty to unlawfully having five grams of cannabis on February 2, 2019. Marshall apologised to the court and his family and he was ordered to complete 80 hours of community service and was grant bail in the sum of $1 500.  He will return to court on April 5, 2019. (BT)

POLICE OFFER TIPS TO KEEP YOUR CHILDREN, CARS SAFE – Car Safety Tips: The Royal Barbados Police Force is reminding drivers and vehicle owners to exercise care when leaving their vehicle unattended. Remember this: Don’t leave valuables in your car in plain view, this practice makes you and your vehicle an automatic target as the item creates an easy target of opportunity for the would be thief. If you must leave valuables such as your handbag in your car while out and about, place those items out of sight. Before leaving your vehicle, place these items in your trunk or other secure compartment that can be locked. Motorcyclist secure your vehicle by placing an additional lock on your vehicle and if your  motorcycle comes equipped with a lock box or side pans secure your valuables in these or take them with you. Children and Strangers: Parents and guardians take note; ensure that your children or wards are educated about the dangers of taking rides from strangers. Ensure that your child knows who will be collecting them from school or any other activity they attend. If there is a change ensure that you communicate with the School or entity that your child is attending to ensure that they are aware of any changes to your regular routine. If for some reason you are unable to communicate this information in a timely manner, ensure that your child has a failsafe for example a special word that you share with them that helps them identify the person who is picking them up as someone safe. Lastly always reinforce they should never take rides from strangers and if approached by any stranger in an inappropriate manner to report it to a responsible adult they trust. (BT)

ST KITTS AND NEVIS PATRIOTS FRANCHISE SOLD TO CITY SPORTS – The St Kitts and Nevis Patriots franchise, part of the Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL), has been purchased by City Sports, Hong Kong - part of the City Group of companies. City Sports are not new to cricket franchise ownership. They own City Kaitak in the Hong Kong T20 Blitz as well as being the former owners of the Bloem City Blazers, a team who were scheduled to step out in Cricket South Africa’s now defunct Global T20 League. The company is headed by Sushil Kumar and Naren Kunder who are based in Hong Kong. Kumar has investments in event management, information technology, food and beverage and sports management. Kunder has business interests in the garments industry, stationary and electronics.  The Patriots team has been part of the CPL since 2015, finishing as runners-up in 2017 and in third place in 2018. The current team is led by Chris Gayle who has been at the forefront of the team’s success during his two years as captain. Chairman of City Sports, Sushil Kumar said: “We at City Sports are elated to be a part of the Hero CPL and having acquired the St Kitts and Nevis franchise we want to become part of the local community through the game of cricket. We want to promote the spirit of true sportsmanship and fair play, while at the same time creating a unique identity through our focus on performance and development.” “With a total economic impact for the Hero CPL 2018 being in excess of US$127million, we are looking to bring a greater economic impact to St Kitts and Nevis in 2019 and beyond. We are also hoping our investment into the St Kitts and Nevis franchise is a catalyst to further investment into the country and growth of its economy,” Kumar added. The former owner of the Patriots, Dr Uday Nayak, said: “As a firm believer in St Kitts and Nevis I will be continuing my investment in Kayanjet, We feel we have taken the Patriots as far as we can, and it is time for us to hand it over to more experienced hands. We are delighted to have found new owners like City Sports who have a history of investing in cricket and want to take the franchise forward. We wish them all the best for the future.” Pete Russell, COO of Hero CPL, said: "We have been delighted with the way that the St Kitts & Nevis Patriots franchise has grown since they first joined the league in 2015 and we are certain that the City Group can take the team forward to even greater success. This investment shows the high regard in which the CPL is held around the world and how the tournament continues to go from strength to strength. "St Kitts and Nevis has always been a big part of CPL since we first had games there in 2014 and we look forward to that continuing for years to come. We would like to express our thanks to Dr Uday Nayak, Mohammad Ansari and their team for the amazing job they have done with the Patriots over the years.” (DN)

APPEAL IT – A former England captain and Test cricket’s second highest wicket-taker have joined a chorus of criticism over a one-match suspension imposed on West Indies captain Jason Holder. The International Cricket Council (ICC) yesterday confirmed Holder’s suspension and a 40 per cent fine on his match fee after West Indies were found to have maintained a slow over rate during a crushing ten-wicket victory inside three days in the second Test in Antigua. The suspension, imposed by ICC match referee Jeff Crowe,  after West Indies were ruled to be two overs short of their target after time allowances were taken into consideration, has irked former England captain Michael Vaughan and former Australia leg-spinner Shane Warne. In a post on Twitter, Warne, who took 708 wickets in 145 Tests during in an illustrious career, urged Holder to appeal the decision. “The Test didn’t go three days.  Can you please appeal this @JaseHolder98! What a ridiculous decision. Where’s the common sense here? “P.S. Congrats on a wonderful series win too. “International cricket needs a strong Windies team and hopefully this is just the start,” Warne wrote. After Holder responded by saying “thank you”, Warne offered further support in another tweet.  (DN)

DISGRACED! – Defending champions Weymouth Wales are back on top of zone one standings while Clayton’s Kola Tonic Notre Dame’s misery continues as they were pummelled 12-0 by Barbados Defence Force Sports Programme in the Barbados Football Association’s Premiership last night. Played at the Wildey St Michael AstroTurf, Wales now on 17 points took over the number one spot ahead of University of the West Indies Blackbird (15) who lost 2-0 against Paradise in the opening out-of-zone match yesterday afternoon. Senior national midfielders Akeel Applewhaite and Jomo Harris in the fifth and 88th minutes were the goal scorers for the Dover-based Paradise team in what was a physical game. Shamari Mark of UWI and Mario Williams of Paradise were both red carded in the 65th minute for aggressive behaviour towards each other. That loss by the UWI side in the opening match against Paradise allowed the two-time reigning league champions (Wales) to capitalize in the second match of the evening against Youth Milan. Wales went ahead through attacking midfielder Romario Harewood when he outpaced the one-man defence from 25-yards and took a shot inside the 18-yard box that was beautifully slotted into the right far post of the goal bar in the 18th minute. It did not take long for Wales to worm their way past Youth Milan’s defence yet again thanks to midfielders Rico Graham and Hadan Holligan who were like the engines that kept things flowing and six minutes later the men in green went ahead 2-0 before half-time. (BT)

BDFSP IN 12-0 ROMP – It was a football match with a cricket score. Omani Leacock scored a hat-trick as the Barbados Defence Force Sports Programme (BDFSP) inflicted the heaviest defeat of the season when they used all the weapons in their arsenal to hammer Notre Dameby a massive 12-0 margin. Playing at the Barbados Football Association (BFA) Wildey Turf, the Dames, who have struggled in the Premier League ever since former coach Renaldo “Pewe” Gilkes stepped away from the job, were off to a nightmare start in the final game of the triple-header. No sooner had referee Andrew Herbert blown the whistle to start play, Dames goalkeeper Shakib Kellman was taking the ball out of the back of his net. BDFSP wing-back Rashad Smith, who was deployed further forward on the night, did well down the left side to beat a defender before crossing the ball into the box in time for Antonio Arthur, at the back post, to make the score 1-0. The Dames, led by a frontline that includes national forwards Dishon “Eto’o” Howell and Zeco Edmee along with Dwayne Mars, weathered what proved to be a goal storm for the next 21 minutes before the BDFSP struck again.  (DN)

LAST MEETING FOR CRITERION REFERENCED TEST TOMORROW – Parents and guardians are reminded that the final meetings on the Criterion Referenced Test and National Assessment will take place tomorrow, Tuesday, February 5, at 5 p.m. The venues are The Ellerslie School, Black Rock, St Michael; St John’s Primary School, Glebe Land, St John; and the Lester Vaughan School, Cane Garden, St Thomas. The test assesses pupils in Infants B, Class 2 and Class 3. (BGIS)

For daily or breaking news reports follow us on Instagram, Tumblr, Twitter & Facebook. That’s all for today folks. There are 329 days left in the year. Shalom! #thechasefilesdailynewscap #thechasefiles# dailynewscapsbythechasefiles

[ready-finance-guyana]

Shopping cannot be avoided. Whether it is to buy essential and important products like home appliances, or for an indulgence such as a classy recliner chair you always wanted to add to your living room, shopping requires you to spend money. While some products are affordable and easy to purchase, there are many items that are expensive and often impossible to buy. For times when you need to buy something but do not have the necessary funds, you can benefit from a good shopping credit solution.

A shopping credit plan allows customers to buy what they want when they want and pay back in smaller monthly payments. There are many features to look for when choosing a shopping credit plan, and one of them is multiple payment options. With multiple payment options, customers have many ways to pay back for the purchased products.

For example, Courts Ready Finance shopping credit in Guyana accepts payments through GTT mobile money, SurePay and online payment. Having multiple options makes repayments convenient and hassle free. Therefore, when signing up for a credit plan for shopping, check what payment options they have and go with the one with maximum convenience.

[claritypoolservice]

Time to Build Your Swimming Pool!

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Time to Build Your Swimming Pool!

The Heat of the Summer is Approaching – Time to Call Clarity Pool Service and Build Your Dream Swimming Pool

Okay, if you’re feeling the warmth of the sun all ready, you are a valid Las Vegas resident. Anyone who’s been here more than a couple of Summers will tell you it comes on quickly. Summer that is! It’s like one day you’re enjoying the cool Winter feeling air, and then all of a sudden, we’re dropped back into the heat of Summer. A time of the year that will have you sweating in areas of your body you didn’t even realize you could sweat in. If you can relate to that statement, it sounds like you are more than likely a veteran of Las Vegas. In other words, it gets hot here in our desert. Right about when you start wishing you lived in Colorado, your brain starts coming up with alternatives that don’t include you selling your home and lugging your family over to a new state to set up shop. The next thought is a custom swimming pool.

At Clarity Pool Service of Las Vegas, Nevada, we specialize in building traditional and custom swimming pools. There’s nothing we love more than designing and building beautiful pools and outdoor living environments that our clients enjoy every summer. It’s almost mandatory to have a pool here in our city. If you’re new to this fantastic town, then you’ll probably smile at that comment. But I’ wasn’t joking, sadly. At Clarity Pool Service, we strive to become the cure for the typical Las Vegas, Summer. From the preliminary on-site design consultation to the finished pool and outdoor living environment, we want to exceed your expectations where it concerns your plans to transform your dirt backyard into a desert oasis. Give Clarity a call today to speak with one of our pool design professionals. You can reach our office at (702) 839-9265, or you can visit our “New Pool Construction” page to learn more about how Clarity Pool Service would build your pool project. You can learn more and visit our past project photo gallery below.

Schedule a Swimming Pool Service Consultation with Clarity!

Whether you're exploring the idea of building a custom swimming pool, or you would like us to maintain your existing one. Clarity Pool Services has you covered! We specialize in custom pool design & construction as well as every maintenance service in between, and after pool construction. We're avid supporters of being water smart here in the Las Vegas, Valley, offering "no-drain" eco-friendly water treatments that restore the quality of your swimming pool water without having to drain, refill, and re-introduce traditional pool treatment chemicals. We have a better solution known as the PuriPool Water Treatment Process. We also offer pool restoration and our bead blasting service that will eliminate unsightly calcium scale and other hard water remnants. Schedule a consultation today with Clarity Pool Service of Las Vegas, Nevada!

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[all-things-caribbean-blog]

I attended the first panel of the three day symposium entitled, “Indigenous Geographies and Caribbean Feminisms: Common Struggles against Global Capitalism,” in honour of Berta  Cáceres, a Honduran environmental activist and  indigenous leader of her people who was murdered for struggle against capitalism and the fight for indigenous people.

The panel that I attended was, “Activism against Capitalism and the state,” and I have to admit that I absolutely loved and enjoyed this panel session as it brought to life many of the theories that I study, but it was interesting to know the indigenous groups are actually fighting against capitalism in the way that they know best. There were speakers from Belize, Guyana, Suriname and the USA and it was interesting to know how each of their communities fights against capitalism.     

The first speaker was Norma Thomas from Guyana who is a member of the Executive Committee of National Toshaos Council which is a committee that assists various Indigenous groups throughout Guyana and she is an Akawaio leader. I liked hearing her speak as I heard a bit of the indigenous accent. She spoke about how she was up front and centre at the protest against the construction of the 1970 Upper Mazaruni Hydro Power that affected the community. She spokes about as a result of the project many indigenous communities were threatened and had to migrate. In the 1980’s many communities were broken up and the land were taken from by the state for mining purposes. She went on to explain the social effects such as women, men and families that were being affected. As a result of the mining, there was an increase in teenage pregnancy, rape and alcoholism. She also highlighted the environmental issues such as pollution, malaria, typhoid, mercury pollution and an increase in cancer amongst the women due to the mercury pollution as well as skin rashes.

Miss Thomas as well as numerous indigenous communities struggled with the state and have written to the government and petitioned to address the land issues as the government continued to give mining concessions within the indigenous land. As a result, the struggle had been highlighted in the news media. Miss Thomas without a doubt has a strong and independent character. 

Fanon says that, “ in colonised countries, members of the indigenous populations are made to feel inferior if they do not conform to the cultural norms of the colonizers,”

I could safely say that this is not the case with Ms Thomas, she does not feel inferior to the colonisers and she stands up for what she believes and fights against  the inequality and injustice causes by the oppressors.

  Miss Audrey Christiaan from Suriname was the second speaker She started off her section by telling the audience a story about how her family migrated to the city and they had a good life as her father worked in the bauxite industry and her mother worked in households and earned a ‘good pay.’ She lived five minutes walking distance from her high school and her home had all the amenities for a comfortable life. What was interesting to hear was the fact that her father made it his priority to send for his family in the village and she maintained a strong relationship with her family from the village. When she returned to the village on occasions, she was warmly welcomed with different types of fish and meat and traditional clothing that was used in cultural activities.  When she spoke, the audience felt her love of the village.

However, she describe what was known as “culture shock” when she moved to the city and the pressure of the city as well as the language barrier made it difficult for her to manage in the city. She explained that as a result of these hardships some women, including her mother, give their children up for adoption in hopes that they will have a good future in the developed nations. However, the child will never have a bond with his mother, his people or the village and his culture. This is because of the barriers such as no shelter, finances, acceptance by other races and the language barrier. She highlighted that in the city there is no institute to help women with education and language barriers that cripple the indigenous people when they migrate to the cities.

She mentioned that we need to change what is written in our history books, a similar statement made by guest lecturer Tracy Assing, who stated that we need to readjust what is found in our history books, re education is very important because people have no sense of indigenous history and we take things for granted because it is part of our lives.  Additionally, Miss Audrey stated that we learn more about the European culture than we do of our own. She believed that there needs to be an action plan for indigenous people to stay in the city while also maintaining their indigenous roots and heritage. She said that indigenous people are victims of colonialism and we must stay strong in our beliefs and traditions. Fanon once said that, “the oppressed will always believe the worst about themselves,”  However, Ms Audrey represents the fight against this oppression and the fact that she is not willing to give up and accept defeat, she is ready to fight.

Miss Hollis France from the USA was born in Guyana and does research primarily in two of Guyana’s indigenous village communities, Wowetta which deals with cassava processing and Surama which is an eco tourist site. She made a very powerful statement about “neoliberal ontology” which merges from the belief that economic resources should be privately owned.  She also mentioned two important terms, pure and practical ideology which is where people of the community prepare the crops, reap the land and about the manner in which people think. She highlighted the fact that governments around the world have embraced the idea of privatisation, hence, in Guyana there is open mining and logging if resources for foreign investment. As a result, this has led to what she calls “the externalities” or the unintended consequences suc as the destabilizing the environment.

What was interesting was the manner in which indigenous communities are fighting against the neoliberal policies for the community’s well being. For instance, in the villages there is a rotating labour arrangement where women involved in processing cassava work for the first three weeks of the month and for the last week they are off, and the next month another group will work. This reveals “an ethic of care” as groups enjoy one month off and as this is a subsistence based community, they now have time to take care of their families and farms and it ensures that these aspects of life are attended to.

Similar, she mentioned that both men and women work in the ecotourism section and share a bottom’s up approach, where the management is local and profit is shared by the engagement and not by entitlement.

These women and villages are finding ways to build solidarity by embracing the indigenous community. We need to also do this by rendering our support to their effort and we need to take an active voice in Government policies and we need to be more vigilant. It is as Fanon said, “ the object of therapy for the feelings of inferiority and despair caused by colonial domination should not be to promote adaptation to the status quo, but to put the distressed person in a position to choose between passivity and action in response to colonial domination.” I believe this is exactly what the indigenous communities are doing, they are not being passive, but they are taking an active role in the injustice that they are experiencing and not taking no for an answer.

This panel session was a complement to the beliefs that Berta  Cáceres stood for, she once said, “ we have no other spare or replacement planet. We have only this one, and we have to take action.” These women and indigenous communities fight for what they believe in and they stand together in the struggle against capitalism and colonial powers. They are a strong representation of what the world should strive to become one day.

-AAM

[thechasefiles]

The Chase Files Daily Newscap 1/30/2019

Good MORNING #realdreamchasers! Here is The Chase Files Daily News Cap for Wednesday 30th January 2019. Remember you can read full articles for FREE via Barbados Today (BT) or Barbados Government Information Services (BGIS) OR by purchasing by purchasing a Midweek Nation Newspaper (MWN).

CARICOM HOLDS OUT HOPE FOR PEACEFUL SOLUTION IN VENEZUELA – Caribbean Community (CARICOM) leaders Monday held talks with United Nations Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, as well as the permanent representatives of Canada, Russia, the European Union and the African Union, on the ongoing political situation in Venezuela. A communiqué issued following the talks at the United Nations noted that the Caribbean leaders had expressed their “grave concern over the untenable situation” in the South American country and “strongly urged that further deterioration would seriously aggravate the plight of Venezuelans”. “The Caribbean Community is steadfast that the region must remain a Zone of Peace,” the communiqué stated. The United States is leading a number of western and Latin American countries in recognising the Venezuelan Opposition Leader, Juan Guaidó, who last Wednesday declared himself the interim leader of the South American country. But Russia, China and Cuba are among countries that are supporting President Nicolas Maduro, who was sworn into office earlier this month for a second consecutive term as head of state. Washington and its allies have accused Maduro of suppressing democratic rights in the country and have called for his removal. Caracas has broken off diplomatic relations with Washington and Maduro has accused the powerful North American country of engineering a coup to remove him from office. The CARICOM delegation, which was led by its chairman and St Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Dr Timothy Harris and including his Trinidad and Tobago counterpart, Dr Keith Rowley and Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley, had during their deliberations with Guterres” emphasised its commitment to the tenets of Article 2(4) of the UN Charter which calls on states to refrain from the threat or the use of force. CARICOM has been consistent in the critical importance it accords to the key principles of non-interference and non-intervention. “CARICOM reaffirmed the view that there was an urgent need for meaningful dialogue leading to a peaceful internal solution for the Venezuelan people. The Caribbean Community is resolute in its belief that it is never too late for dialogue since the consequences of no dialogue will be dire,” said the delegation that also included Grenada’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Peter David and the CARICOM Secretary General Irwin LaRocque. The communiqué noted that the United Nations Secretary General extended his offer of good offices, circumstances permitting, “to facilitate dialogue and negotiation between the parties” and that CARICOM “indicated its readiness to work assiduously to bring the parties to the negotiating table”. The communiqué noted that as a result, the CARICOM leaders Monday engaged with various officials from Canada, the Russian Federation, the European Union and the African Union as well as with President Maduro and the Foreign Minister of Mexico “with a view to reduce tensions and build a platform for dialogue”. “Further engagements will take place in the next few days as the situation remains fluid,” the communiqué noted. Earlier, in a statement, the Office of the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, had stated that the regional leaders had expressed optimism that the UN would assist in establishing the roadmap towards peace and security for Venezuela. According to a statement, Prime Minister Rowley expressed hope that in the not too distant future there will be significant improvement and a diminishing of tensions in Venezuela. “We believe in the coming days there will be work towards dialogue so that the internal difficulties in Venezuela can be approached without intervention and interference from those who may have a different approach,” Rowley said in the statement. The statement noted that “coming out of the meeting the CARICOM delegation is satisfied that if the conditions for such can be met the UN will assist in establishing the roadmap towards peace and security for Venezuela and the region”. The meeting with the UN Secretary General followed an emergency meeting of CARICOM leaders last Thursday where it was decided that the regional body should engage the global organisation. Following the discussions here, the CARICOM delegation held a meeting with the Canadian Ambassador to the United Nations, Marc-Andre Blanchard, and are also expected to meet with officials from Russia, China and Venezuela. The 15-member CARICOM grouping has remained divided on the issue and earlier this month, Jamaica, Haiti, the Bahamas, Guyana and St Lucia supported a resolution at the Organisation of American States (OAS) in not recognising the second five-year term of Maduro, while Dominica, St Vincent and the Grenadines and Suriname voted against the measure. St Kitts and Nevis, Trinidad and Tobago, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, and Belize abstained during the vote while Grenada was not present. In the statement that followed Thursday’s conference, the regional leaders nonetheless “reaffirmed their guiding principles of non-interference and non-intervention in the affairs of states, respect for sovereignty, adherence to the rule of law, and respect for human rights and democracy. “Heads of Government reiterated that the long-standing political crisis, which has been exacerbated by recent events, can only be resolved peacefully through meaningful dialogue and diplomacy,” the statement said, noting that they have “offered their good offices to facilitate dialogue among all parties to resolve the deepening crisis.” Last weekend, a senior UN official told the UN Security Council that all actors must exercise maximum restraint and avoid any further escalation. “The protracted conflict in [Venezuela] has had a grave impact on the population, with high levels of political polarisation, growing humanitarian needs and serious human rights concerns,” said Rosemary DiCarlo, Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs. She urged all parties to respect human rights and the rule of law, warning that the situation could spiral out of control. Diplomats from St Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Dominica and Antigua and Barbuda also addressed the UN Security Council meeting. (MWN)

ARTHUR SCOFFS AT IMF DEAL – Barbados essentially gave up a chunk of its sovereignty when it signed on the dotted line to receive the US$290 million loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). This is the suggestion of former Prime Minister Owen Arthur, who argued that pre-conditions of the IMF arrangement demonstrated scant respect for the sovereignty of Barbados. Speaking this morning at the University of the West Indies Global Belt and Road Research Symposium at the Errol Barrow Centre for Creative Imagination, UWI Cave Hill Campus, Arthur charged that by subjecting itself to an independent IMF oversight, Government had surrendered exclusive rights provided by the constitution of Barbados. “There is a need for all international organizations to exhibit respect for the sovereign rights of all nations. In relation to this matter, the Constitution of Barbados vests exclusive powers in the Cabinet of Barbados within the context of the exercise of collective responsibility. Yet, the recently concluded IMF programme requires that there has to be an independent evaluation committee to oversee the way in which the Government of Barbados carries out the agreement,” said Arthur. The former Prime Minister, who also held the portfolio of Minister of Finance from 1994 to 2008, suggested that the concept of independent oversight implied that Barbados and other countries that accessed IMF funds were incapable of managing their own affairs. “The Government of Barbados must live up to terms of its agreement with the IMF but it should not have to answer to any entity in carrying out its executive powers on the matter. Joint commissions for overseeing the carrying out of obligations are common but the concept of an independent commission carries the stigma, that left to themselves, countries that benefit from access to the IMF resources will indulge in anticipated wrong doing,” he said. In making his argument Arthur pointed out that such conditions were not part and parcel of financing options available in China. “Thus far, China has entertained no such misgivings in its relationship with Caribbean countries and it is to be anticipated that none will arise in the future,” he said. Arthur further argued that this was not the only manner in which Government has shot itself in the foot where the IMF arrangement is concerned, having agreed to conditions that several of the sanctioning countries could not be bothered to attain themselves. “Barbados has recently had to agreed to an IMF programme central to which has been the agreement to reduce its debt to GDP ratio and to realize the largest primary surpluses of any country in the world. Both of these will take a toll on the wellbeing of our people. That fiscal consolidation programme had to be sanctioned by countries like Japan and Italy, which has the highest debt to GDP ratio of any country in the world, and are doing nothing about it,” lamented the outspoken economist, suggesting that the IMF has prevented Barbados from using measures that have served advanced countries quite well in the past. “Under that programme, Barbados had to agree that it would not use any restriction or any other devices that can hurt international prosperity as a means of solving our balance of payment problems or to protect its small and medium-sized industries. Yet we too easily forget that in the early stages of their development, the advanced countries of today used protectionist devices to safeguard their domestic enterprises to telling effect,” he stressed. (BT)

‘ADJUSTMENT FATIGUE’ – A leading political economist is warning the Government that Barbadians may soon suffer structural adjustment fatigue under the current International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme and that alternative concessionary financing may be necessary. As a matter of fact, head of the Sir Arthur Lewis Institute of Social and Economic Studies, (SALISES) Dr Don Marshall suggested that while Barbadians are prepared to bite the austerity bullet, the current mood indicates that patience is wearing thin even though the programme is in its early stage. “The reality is that the measures and the austerity are hard. Barbadians are prepared like Kittians, Grenadians and Jamaicans to give it a go. However the political leadership as well as the political ruling elite will be wise to take note of the domestic mood and the capacity for adjustment fatigue,” Marshall told Barbados TODAY.  He therefore contended that Government must seek to buffer the possible social fallout by pivoting to other sources of concessionary financing such as China. “We are right now in a four-year arrangement that requires us to perform at levels of permanent surplus target, in terms of our budget, of six per cent. They [IMF] have asked us to sustain that six per cent for the majority of the four years as a pre-condition for assessing any further loans from the IMF and other support institutions. We have to be in a position now with the Chinese monies on offer to be able to leverage globalization much wiser,” said Marshall The political economist argued that the global financial order is much broader than what the “IMF would have the region believe”, noting that there is a shift towards China, as the Asian nation is emerging as another pillar for alternative financing. “We must not shut off this option but look at it, see what loans we can gather. We have to note that it provides you with the fiscal space to do things and make critical decisions. Certainly in Barbados’ case I would recommend that just after we meet certain targets that we should look to diversify our reliance from the IMF and associated agencies and move towards lending coming from China at this point,” he said. He noted that like any other lender the Chinese lending would come with some conditions. However he argued that these conditions were less onerous than those imposed by the IMF. “There is evidential research from Peru to Brazil and some small island Pacific states that this lending has helped. Vanuatu has benefited from this, having emerged from very devastating cyclone and hurricane to reach levels of development thanks to Chinese lending,” Marshall pointed out. The UWI lecturer asked to square his position against the fact that action taken under the IMF-approved  Barbados Economic Recovery and Transformation (BERT) programme, has earned positive feedback from two credit rating agencies. Earlier this month, regional ratings agency, the Caribbean Information and Credit Rating Services Limited (CariCRIS), upgraded Barbados’ local currency rating to CariBB with a stable outlook, up from CariD, while projecting economic growth of about one per cent this year.  The upgrade came two months after the New York-based Standard & Poor’s (S&P) raised its long- and short-term local currency sovereign credit ratings on Barbados to ‘B-/B’ from ‘SD/SD’ (Selective Default). However Marshall made it clear that these measuring sticks do not paint an accurate picture. “If you are in an IMF program, you’re joining a particular elite idea and agreement about how these economies ought to run. The credit rating agencies are part of that consensus. So I’m not surprised by the upgrades and so on. You could impress creditors but not voters. You could impress party supporters, but you may not really impress a citizenry,” he explained. (BT)

NO COMPROMISE ON SECURITY AT PORTS – The introduction of kiosks at the Grantley Adams International Airport will not allow persons to “ease” into Barbados. That assurance has been given by Minister of Maritime Affairs and the Blue Economy Kirk Humphrey, who has also reassured Barbadians that they have no reason to fear. Speaking during debate on the Immigration (Amendment) Bill 2019 in Parliament today, he said countless Barbadians had made lives for themselves and their families by migrating. And while he said he had no issues with non-nationals coming to the country in search of better, he maintained that the kiosks were not being used for that purpose. “If anybody understands the Barbadian story, the Barbadian story is an immigrant story . . . if Barbadians want to benefit from our capacity to go to other people’s countries then we must allow people to come to this country too,” Humphrey said. “We have these fears, and this idea that we are putting in place these kiosks so anybody could come amuses me…there are pros and cons to having these machines, of course there are, but there are pros and cons around immigration period. In fact, there are very few issues I think as polarizing as immigration is to many people and there are very few persons who find themselves in the middle.” Humphrey said he had never been of the view that persons come to Barbados with the intention of taking more than they could give. In fact, he said any check of the records would show that the prison was not populated by immigrants. “These are fears fueled by xenophobia that in many cases we inherited because of the way we perceive ourselves as a people. We fear our own selves,” he insisted, while adding that the Barbados Labour Party’s (BLP) constitution referenced the idea of regionalism. “Issues that pertain to immigration are complex and issues pertaining to immigration are rooted in something that is deep and rooted in something that is philosophical. We have come to a point in Barbados where we recognize that we have to do things differently.” (BT)

THIRD AIRPORT ATTEMPT TO START FEB 1 – Due to increased border patrol security at the Grantley Adams International Airport (GAIA), immigration officials are no longer needed in the airport’s departure lounge. Minister of Home Affairs Edmund Hinkson today revealed that these officials would be relocated from that area along with some of those from the arrival hall. He admitted that while the move had been attempted unsuccessfully on two previous occasions he believed it would be successful this time around. “The Cabinet of Barbados has agreed that the immigration department officials will be removed from the departure hall as of February 1. This has been tried on two previous occasions and on both occasions immigration officials were reinstated there. Both administrations have tried this, only to put immigration back in. “We are confident that we can try this again because of the enhanced border security details that are now available and that have been put in place because of the APIS (Advanced Passenger Information System), the real-time transmission of information of each and every passenger that is now available to the authority of Barbados and that is the main reason why immigration was restored in the past,” Hinkson said. “The public of Barbados can be fully satisfied that we will not compromise the security of our borders in any way,” he assured. Hinkson said currently there were times when there was a backup of people after they had booked into the departure lounge sometimes because of the “three layers of security” with which passengers were confronted. That he said began with a guard situated outside the departure hall who checked passports to ensure the picture and the holder of that passport matched, followed by a further checked by immigration officials inside and then for a baggage inspection check. “Of necessity with one of the layers there is a backup and long lines of people, some of whom need to board the flight because the flight is going to leave soon, people are getting nervous and all of this can negatively impact on your experience in Barbados even though you’ve had a great time,” Hinkson said. “Therefore Cabinet has decided to remove one of the layers and we are satisfied that this can be done.” He said immigration officials would still remain at the airport to question suspicious persons. (BT)

EASIER PROCESS WITH NEW EQUIPMENT – The installation of additional kiosks at the Grantley Adams International Airport (GAIA) will not only decrease the waiting time for persons arriving in Barbados, but will also free up immigration officers to do other important duties. That is according to Minister of Home Affairs Edmund Hinkson, who made the comments during debate on the Immigration (Amendment) Bill 2019, this morning in Parliament. In introducing the bill, Hinkson said while there were currently 17 kiosks at the GAIA, government was looking to install more to make life easier for visitors and locals alike on their arrival in Barbados. He said the amendment would formalize the use of the kiosks and provide for the replacement of ED (Embarkation/Disembarkation) forms, which all persons travelling to Barbados were required to complete. According to him, the forms were outdated and required persons to provide unnecessary information. He also described the stamping of passports as “redundant and repetitive”. The minister explained that the kiosks would scan the passport, take a photo and prompt the passenger to respond honestly to a series of questions, all using biometrics. “The practical aspect is that 17 kiosks were purchased by the previous administration, we came and found them, 16 are functional at the present time and it is our intention as soon as financial resources allow, to get more kiosks, because with our growing tourism market and arrivals and of course increased travel we anticipate that the17 that are there would not be adequate enough in the long term,” Hinkson said. “This whole process ties into the whole context where we are making life easier for all those, whether local citizens or tourists who arrive in Barbados.” Hinkson said all persons over the age of 19 would be allowed to use the kiosks which he expected would greatly reduce the current waiting times. “For a tourist, the point of contact in Barbados at the airport is their first point of contact and we all know first impressions count a lot. The typical tourist wants to get off the flight, get out the airport, go on the beach, go and drink some Bajan rum, you want to start enjoying your vacation. You don’t want to be held up at an airport more than is necessary,” he said. However, Hinkson gave his assurance that security would not be compromised. (BT)

TIME NOT RIGHT – Opposition Leader Reverend Joseph Atherley has questioned the timing of Government’s decision to remove Immigration officials from some sections of the Grantley Adams International Airport (GAIA). Minister of Home Affairs Edmund Hinkson had earlier revealed that Cabinet had taken a decision to move personnel from the departure and arrival halls effective February 1. However, during his contribution to the Immigration (Amendment) Bill 2019 in Parliament this afternoon, Atherley queried whether government had properly thought through the move. “While I, in principle, have no problem with the removal of such because we see it happening elsewhere, at the same time we still have to admit that it is still in place in very many places in this world and we have to utilize those systems when we travel to other people’s countries,” Atherley said. “But the point is this, it has to do with the timing. Today as a country we are trying to wrestle the evil of that rising tide of serious gun violence and criminal activity to the ground. Today we are becoming increasingly aware that the phenomenon of violent crime is not a matter that is localized, but that it is organized trans-regionally, trans-nationally and therefore the issue of cross border activity becomes a critical consideration. I find it a bit challenging that when we are faced with that rising spectre of criminal violence and we are met with an understanding that part of the dynamic contributing to that is cross border travel and movement, I find it a little challenging as to the timing of removing officers from the departure point at the airport.” He admitted that while he was not against the shift, he believed it had to be done at the proper time. “I have no problem with their removal at the right time and over time, but it is this government that must judge and it is this particular minister that must judge whether or not this is the appropriate time to do that,” the Opposition Leader maintained. Atherley however, said he had no problem with the introduction of additional kiosks, once it was properly managed and once issues of privacy were appropriately dealt with. (BT)

BARBADOS KEEPING UP WITH TECHNOLOGY –Any use of technology which will improve the efficiency of how business is conducted in Barbados should be welcomed. That is the view of Minister in the Ministry of Transport, Works and Maintenance Peter Phillips, who has wholeheartedly supported the introduction of kiosks at the Grantley Adams International Airport (GAIA). While saying that the new kiosks would remove the sometimes lengthy wait in lines at the airport, Phillips said all departments of Government needed to be up-to-date with technological advancements. “We have come to the time in this country where we have to make full use of the technology that there is available to us and we want Barbadians to know that we are working on this,” Phillips said during debate on the Immigration (Amendment) Bill 2019 in Parliament this morning. “It is a work in progress. It is not something that will happen overnight as there are many areas and aspects you have to consider and even in that you have to make sure that the security is tight. Everybody wants to make payments online and so on, which is good and which is the intention, but in doing all of that we have to make sure that all of the systems are in place. “This Act would have gone through several processes, several reviews and even went through a pilot project to ensure it was working the way we want it to work,” he added. Phillips said that even at his ministry, they were currently looking at ways in which to introduce technology in an effort to speed up processes. “The truth is that with the introduction of any new system there is more often than not some teething problems and we want persons to bear with us and to actually share with us comments on the experience, so that if something needs to be tweaked or corrected it can be improved. “That is where we want our country to be. We must be at the cutting edge where technology is concerned and where the use of technology is concerned in all areas, not just at the airport or at the seaport, but in all areas across the business area within the country,” Phillips said. (BT)

SANDALS HAILS PROGRESS AT ITS SHOWPIECE BEACHES HOTEL - Deputy Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Sandals Resorts International (SRI) Adam Stewart says he is pleased with the progress of the multi-million dollar Sandals Beaches Resort currently under construction in Barbados. “For us being in Barbados is an absolute honour and a privilege and we are incredibly proud of how we are built and having the Sandals brand there,” Stewart told Barbados TODAY on the sidelines of the 26th annual World Travel Awards. That event formed part of the Caribbean Travel Marketplace being held in Jamaica this week. “[Sandals Beaches Barbados] is coming on. In terms of design it is one of our finest masterpieces that we have ever done. It will be an incredible hotel. We are getting there slowly but surely. We spent an absolute fortune on the beach works making sure that it is prepared and the site is ready and it is stunning. West end Barbados it is as good as it gets,” said Stewart, as he commented on the progress of the US$400 million project. After several setbacks, it was last year that officials officially started minor construction along the beach, at what was formerly the old Almond Beach Resort in St Peter. The project is expected to last about 27 months and employ about 1,800 people throughout the process. Earmarked to be Sandals’ most elaborate property, Beaches Barbados will consist of about 600 rooms, a number of unrivalled amenities including a six-lane bowling alley, water slides, an on-property train, a zip line and numerous global gourmet restaurants. Between its two properties – Sandals Barbados and Sandals Royal Barbados – the company currently employs over 1,200 Barbadians in full time positions. Stewart said that number would easily double when the hotel is completed by the end of next year. He said he was especially proud of the company’s investment in Barbados’ struggling economy and its contribution to employment. “We have our two Sandals properties – Sandals Barbados and Sandals Royal Barbados – and if you think about it, in a space of seven years our company would have invested just shy of US$800 million and at that point will be employing permanently, somewhere in the order of 3,000 to 3,300 Bajans,” said Stewart. “If you look all around the Caribbean there are very few companies that have invested that much money in a lifetime let alone in a seven-year period. So for us, we are very proud of that,” he said. While stating that SRI was not yet up to speed with government’s proposed hotels development plan for Barbados’ southwest coast from the Savannah Hotel in Christ Church to the Paradise Beach in St Michael, Stewart said there were no immediate plans for future investments in the Barbados market from his company. Sandals started its first operation in Barbados in 2013. (BT)

ABRAHAMS: YOU WILL PAY FOR ABUSE OF SEWERS - Abusers of the south coast sewerage system will feel the full weight of the law if found guilty of misuse. The warning has come from Minister of Energy and Water Resources Wilfred Abrahams one week after a manhole at Rendezvous, Christ Church, was found to be “weeping”. He told THE NATION the “slight blip” was “picked up immediately” in the process of “careful monitoring” of the system. A bypass pump on Worthing, Christ Church, was checked and serviced and all the lines connected to or near that pump flushed to correct the problem. “What we realised when we removed the covers, was that the sewers were full of grease again. We pumped off a lot of it to clear out the sewer line, but I guess with the inflow of tourists for cricket and with the heavy operations on the South Coast, the businesses are back to their practice of dumping grease down in the sewer,” Abrahams explained. (MWN)

BWA: THREE PUMPS WORKING AGAIN - Barbados Water Authority (BWA) crews have completed emergency repairs on three out of four pumps impacted by a power outage at the Applewhaites Pumping Station. These have all been successfully reinstalled and are working. Repair work on the fourth pump is ongoing. With these three pumps back in operation, the BWA is now pumping more water into the distribution network. Consequently, the water supply to a number of districts in St James, St Thomas and St Joseph that experienced outages or low pressure over the past two days, should gradually return to normal as the pressure increases. As is usually the case, the BWA remains committed to assisting any customers still affected by outages via water tanker until their supply returns to normal. (MWN)

CLEAN UP LAND – Landowners who don’t upkeep their properties are being put on notice. Minister of Environment and National Beautification Trevor Prescod, has issued this warning, asking the owners to ensure their estates were cleared of bush and the dreaded cow itch vine.  “All land owners whose lands are in that kind of state, overrun by bush, especially with cow itch, I would like to encourage them to do what is right to make sure they debush and clean their land so the state would not have to intervene.” He cautioned that if the state had to do the cleaning up on private property, “then the owners can rest assured” the bill would be sent to them. His comments came in the wake of the ongoing removal of bush from around Blackman And Gollop Primary School, which on several occasions has been affected by cow itch. (MWN)

FALLEN TREE LEAVES ROAD IMPASSIBLE – A tree has fallen across the road at Quarry Road, Blackmans, St Joseph. As a result, the road is impassable, and motorists are asked to use an alternative route. A team from the Ministry of Transport, Works and Maintenance is on the scene.  (MWN)

IRRESPONSIBLE! – An incensed member of the Police Service Commission (PSC) has described Prime Minister Mia Mottley’s recent attack on the body for its handling of promotions in the Royal Barbados Police Force (RBPF) as highly irresponsible. Retired Deputy Commissioner of Police and former top crime sleuth Keith Whittaker has taken Prime Minister Mottley to task for the statements she made last Friday at a news conference at Parliament Buildings to address the current upsurge in gun violence in the island. Mottley launched a verbal assault on the then Guyson Mayers-led PSC as she promised to deal with the issue of promotion which she said had eroded the morale within the police force. “We are satisfied that the greatest cannibalization of the Royal Barbados Police Force took place in the last few years. It cannot be allowed to happen again. You cannot attack an institution and expect it to prosper…You cannot have successive Commissioners of Police making recommendations for promotions in the police force based on their perceptions of performance and merit and discipline, and then have a Police Service Commission completely ignoring those recommendations and choosing to promote who they want on criteria known only to them,” she told reporters. But in an equally strident rebuke, Whittaker, who represents the interests of the force on the PSC, this morning lambasted the PM Mottley for lumping everyone on that constitutional body and labelling them in the same manner. “It is a very irresponsible act…and it is not fair to get on national TV and lambast the Police Service Commission without being aware of all the facts,” the respected former senior cop told Barbados TODAY. Noting that he was not a political person, the retired senior police officer said it was sad that Barbados had come to this juncture. “I am not interested in no politician or no political party. I am interested in Barbados and the Royal Barbados Police Force. And that is what I am trying to do on the PSC. I am transparent in everything that I do. Tell her that. If they find the chairman [former] political, that is a matter [for them]; I am not political,” Whittaker stressed. Whittaker told Barbados TODAY he was hurt by the Prime Minister’s comments. “After serving 40 years in the Royal Barbados Police Force, it hurts me to know the excellent service that I gave in the force and then I could be pulled in the gutter by the Prime Minister lambasting the PSC…putting all in one basket. I am not in that,” he declared. Whittaker, who was in charge of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) for lengthy periods during his four decades in the force and linked to the apprehension of some of Barbados’ most notorious criminals, sought to defend his reputation as a “professional”. “I have a proper character…integrity…I serve; I get shot at; I get dynamite pelt at me for fighting for this country; I get urinated on while waiting for criminals … for this country… and then to be labelled like that. I’m annoyed. “All of these things I did for this country, then to be lambasted by a Prime Minister. It is wrong…to me. I’m hurt,” he lamented. Meanwhile, Whittaker told Barbados TODAY he was not sure if the Prime Minister had consulted with the PSC on the appointment of former Commissioner of Police Darwin Dottin to be a consultant to the sitting COP Tyrone Griffith. The PSC, which is headed by new chairperson Margot Greene QC, is responsible for advising the Governor General on appointments in the police force, and to remove and exercise disciplinary control over persons holding or acting in such offices. Apart from Greene and Whittaker, the other members of the commission are the Reverend Vaughn Watson, Neville Lewis and Shirley Farnum. This is the first time that a retired commissioner of police has been returned as a consultant to the force and/or government on matters related to crime. The Police Act makes no provisions for the appointment of such a consultant to a sitting Commissioner of Police nor obliges a sitting Commissioner of Police to adhere to any advice given by a civilian consultant. Neither former PSC chairman Guyson Mayers nor current chairman Greene could be reached for comment.  (BT)

MURDER NO. 9 – A Grazettes St Michael mother is crying her heart out as she mourns the tragic loss of a son. As police carry out investigations into the circumstances which led to the death of 29-year-old Jabar Lashley who allegedly died at the hands of a teenager, his grieving mother Marcia Clarke told Barbados TODAY that while she would not publicly speak out about what she was told caused her son’s death, she would say that he should not have died senselessly. “Jabar should not die like this. I don’t understand how he died like this. This is senseless,” Clarke lamented as she dealt with the pain of losing the last of her three boys. Police public relations officer Sergeant Michael Blackman said that sometime around 4:30 p.m. on Monday, Lashley was at Dore’s Sport Bar, at Gunsite Road, Brittons Hill, St Michael, where he was involved in an altercation with a juvenile. The young man was rushed to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital by a private vehicle, where he died around 10:40 p.m., after undergoing surgery. “The juvenile is currently assisting police with investigations,” Sergeant Blackman said. An emotional Clarke, recounting her son’s last moments alive, said when she got to the hospital after she received the devastating news, doctors told her what no mother would ever want to hear. “They told me that he only got a ten per cent chance of surviving,” Clarke recalled. “But ten per cent ain’t no chance to live. You would talk about 50/50, but at ten per cent you could as well say he dead. When they told me ten, I say Jabar gone. Actually, he was just there like he passed already because he wasn’t breathing or nothing. So I just hold he hands and tell he that I love him,” she said. The 53-year-old mother said she last saw the former Ellerslie Secondary student on Sunday when he came to her home for lunch and they had an enjoyable time chatting and laughing. At that same time, they made plans to attend Lashley’s eight-year-old son Xaier Mayers’ school’s sports which were held today. “The sports was supposed to be today. Then I hear this thing happen. I don’t know how my son gone. I trying to be good, but my heart hurting me. He was too sweet to go down like that. He got a family. That little boy believes in Jabar. He likes Jabar so bad. He left a sweet eight-year-old boy. He liked jokes. When it comes to jokes you would get Jabar laughing. He would come and blow the car horn shouting ‘mom I here, mom I here’. He was a sweet boy,” the mother said. Clarke said she spent most of the day waiting to hear Jabar blowing the horn signalling for her to get out the house for them to head to the school sports. Meanwhile, Shakira Mayers, the mother of Lashley’s son and partner of 10 years, said she would be the first to admit that Lashley was not perfect, but he was a loving boyfriend and a caring father to their son and also her firstborn. Speaking at her Bibby’s Lane, St Michael home where Lashley also lived, Mayers said she spoke to the man who told her he would marry her someday moments before he was stabbed. “The last words he said to me was ‘be outside’ and I said whatever Jabar. I say just come. Then when I saw the time coming up I was rushing to get outside and then my friend called to ask me if I heard. I was like heard what? . . . I just left work. I didn’t know how I was getting to the hospital but I just left,” Mayers said. “He had surgery. Then they took him to the recovery room and we went and we saw him, and he was still breathing, I believe with the machine,” the 30-year-old recalled. Mayers said she has heard “so many stories” about the incident that she does not know what to believe. “There are so many flip sides to this story, but I know one side got to be true,” an emotional Mayers said. Lashley was also supposed to collect his son from at the barber where he dropped him off for a haircut, not too far away from where the incident took place. “When he saw that his dad was taking long to come back for him he knew something was wrong. He was supposed to go back to him, and in that short space of time this happened. I didn’t even know where the children were. Jabar couldn’t talk to tell me where the child was. It was such a rough evening,” Mayers said. “He and his son had a really good relationship, so I know he is hurting. But he is such a sweet son. He telling me ‘mummy you got to be strong. Don’t cry. Just be strong and remember the fun times that you and daddy had. We gine be alright’. But I know he is hurting. They born like a day apart,” the young woman said as she spoke about her Xaier who attended his sports today. Barbados TODAY understands that the altercation came about after Lashley spoke to the alleged perpetrator about a matter which involved the breaking and entering of his vehicle. Gunsite Road was quiet when Barbados TODAY visited just after midday. As Police carried out investigations, several residents said they were shocked about the incident which they believe should never have happened. One resident who is familiar with the teenager said he has had a troubled upbringing and sometimes made decisions that caused him to have to face the juvenile system. (BT)

FATHER SUCCUMBS TO STAB WOUNDS – Shakira Mayers last spoke to her boyfriend Jabar Lashley on Monday evening when she contacted him to pick her up from work at 5 p.m. He never showed up. Lashley, 29, was involved in an altercation at Gunsite Road, Brittons Hill, St Michael, and was stabbed. He was transported to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, where he died after 10 p.m. “Last time I saw him alive was on Monday morning when he took me to work. We spoke about 4:30 yesterday [Monday] evening when I called him to let him know to collect me from work for 5 p.m.,” his girlfriend said. Mayers said when she first heard the news, she did not think it was that serious, but made her way to the hospital immediately. “It’s only when I got at the hospital around 6 p.m. that I knew something was wrong. There was so much traffic on the road so it took me a while to get there. “The doctors spoke to us after 10 and told us things weren’t looking good. He was just there with machines helping him to breathe. I stayed all night hoping that he would wake up; then we were told he was gone,” she said, fighting back tears. (MWN)

HOLDER REMANDED ON WOUNDING CHARGE - A Christ Church businessman charged in connection with the incident that left another man with severe injuries to his hand, has been remanded to Her Majesty’s Prisons at Dodds, St Philip for 28 days and will return to court on February 26. Corie O’Neil Holder, 39, of 179 Regency Park, Christ Church, appeared in the District ‘A’ Magistrates’ Court before Acting Magistrate Anika Jackson and was not allowed to plead to the indictable charge of unlawfully and maliciously wounding Alban Mottley of Newbury, St George, on January 15, 2019, with intent to maim, disfigure or disable him. The incident is alleged to have taken place at Station Hill, St Michael. Prosecutor, PC Kenmore Phillips had asked the court not to grant bail because of the seriousness of the offence and the complainant was at the hospital awaiting surgery. His counsel, attorney-at-law, Kendrid Sargeant had described him as a fit candidate, but the acting magistrate remanded the businessman because of the medical report and after checking his antecedents. (BT)

DRUG ACCUSED GRANTED BAIL – Ken DaCosta Murrell pleaded guilty to two drug charges but not guilty to two charges involving a policeman. As a result, he was granted bail in the sum of $750 and the matter has been adjourned until February 12 to the Traffic Court. Murrell, 37, of Second Avenue Park Road, Bush Hall, St Michael, appeared before acting Magistrate Anika Jackson in the District ‘A’ Magistrates’ Court on four charges.  He pleaded guilty to the unlawful possession of cocaine and having apparatus fit and intended for use in connection with cocaine, but not guilty of resisting PC Jason Chambers and unlawfully and maliciously wounding the same policeman.  The incidents allegedly occurred on January 28, 2019. The unemployed man is represented by attorney-at-law, Naomi Linton. (BT)

$375 FINES – A Bridgetown magistrate has issued her second warning in a week, that using marijuana is still illegal in Barbados, despite the fact that discussion was ongoing about medicinal marijuana, Acting Magistrate Anika Jackson presiding in the District ‘A’ Magistrates’ Court made the remarks after two accused Roxanne Rosette Gill a 31-year-old hairdresser of Newton Crescent, Pine, St Michael and 57-year-old self-employed Anthony Hyvestra Blenman of Maxwell Coast Road, Christ Church were jointly charged with unlawfully having cannabis worth $10 on January 28. They both pleaded guilty. When the matter was called, they appeared without counsel but the court was informed that attorney-at-law Mohia Ma’at was on his way to represent the duo. According to the facts outlined by Prosecutor, PC Kenmore Phillips, police officers went to Newton Crescent, Pine, St Michael and saw a parked car with Blenman in the front passenger seat with the door open and Gill standing by the open door. When lawmen  approached the vehicle Gill removed a white cigarette from her mouth, put her hand in her pocket and then passed a white piece of paper to Blenman and started to walk away. When asked to open the folded paper, police saw one greaseproof wrapping, one paper wrapping and a partially burnt cigarette with vegetable matter, suspected to be cannabis, and Blenman said “I tell she police coming to give me the spliff.” The defence counsel submitted that the two were not charged together, adding that police came back for Gill about an hour after they had taken Blenmanaway. In begging for leniency, Ma’at said that Gill is a mother of two and lived with her family including parents and siblings, and Blenman is a senior and his prior offences dated back to the 1980s. The two apologised to the court. The acting magistrate said that they were adults and ought to have known better. She fined them $375 each, payable in three months or on default, three months in jail. (BT)

MITCHELL’S CRY – It seems Cricket West Indies (CWI) president Dave Cameron will not be copping a break from Grenada’s Prime Minister Dr Keith Mitchell anytime soon. Just days after West Indies’ 381-run demolition of England at Kensington Oval within four days, Mitchell, has poured cold water on the West Indies win, warning once again that unless there is a change in the current administration of CWI, instances like the weekend victory over England in the opening Test will remain one-off occurrences. The veteran leader who has been one of Cameron’s staunchest critics over the past three or more years argued that sustained success on the field could only be achieved by proper leadership and management, and a governance system “that promotes the interests of the players”. “We have seen West Indies perform well in a particular game in the past but as one who understands the game well, I know you cannot make a final judgement on the performance of a team by one game,” Mitchell said. “As they say in areas of intellectual activity, maybe that’s a one-off. I don’t like one-off. I like it to be clear there’s a permanent change in attitude.” He added: “As I have said over and over, unless the administration changes, I do not think we will see the kind of performance we need to.” Mitchell is a former chairman of CARICOM’s Prime Ministerial subcommittee on cricket and has continued to lobby for governance reform in West Indies cricket. During his tenure, he found himself at odds with the current Cameron-led administration when he endorsed the CARICOM-commission Governance Report, which among other recommendations, called for the “immediate dissolution” of the current board and the appointment of an interim board “whose structure and composition will be radically different from the now proven, obsolete governance framework.” CWI dismissed the recommendation as “impractical” and an “unnecessary and intrusive demand”. Mitchell agreed while there was an abundance of talent in the region, West Indies were suffering from a lack of leadership. “I always believe we have the talent in the region; I never think we are short of talent,” he pointed out. “Maybe we will not see a Gary Sobers or Brian Lara emerging, but we have the talent to ensure that we can extract the maximum performance, but it requires the leadership, management and governance system that promotes the interests of the players and the unity of the region as a whole. “I think that is the fundamental thing that is lacking and I hope we see a change in that regard.” Cameron has copped criticisms from Mitchell and others despite greater financial reward being obtained by a greater number of players under his tenure and more age-group cricket being played around the region. CWI has also been part of the Caribbean Premier League introduction in the region, as well as the regional Professional Cricket League Meanwhille, West Indies face England in the second Test of the three-match series starting on Thursday in Antigua with speedster Shannon Gabriel and wicketkeeper Shane Dowrich having recovered from minor injuries picked up in the opening Test. Gabriel limped out of the fourth day’s play at Kensington Oval last weekend with a bruised toe while Dowrich also sat out proceedings with a sore back. West Indies team manager, Rawl Lewis, confirmed today there were no major injuries in the squad as they chased a historic series win. “[There are] no worries at all. There will always be little niggles after a hard Test match but they are all ready to go,” Lewis said. He added: “We practised from 2 pm to 5 pm and everyone was there nice and healthy and strong and looking pretty good.” Gabriel had little impact in the opening Test claiming just two wickets but worked up a fair turn of pace in the second innings before having to go off after lunch. Dowrich, meanwhile, batted outstandingly in the second innings to finish unbeaten on 116 but was replaced by Shai Hope behind the stumps for the entire fourth day. West Indies named an unchanged squad for the upcoming Test but have added fast bowler Oshane Thomas as a 14th man, after the Jamaican acted as cover for fellow pacer Alzarri Joseph for the first Test in Bridgetown last weekend. (BT)

FORMER TEST MEN LAUD WI – Former Test players John Shepherd and Robin Bynoe say consistency and self-belief must be the benchmark for the West Indies team after their stunning and emphatic 381-run victory over world number three ranked England last weekend at Kensington Oval. Like most fans, Shepherd and Bynoe were surprised by the performance of Jason Holder’s men, who defied all odds to beat England in four days. “I was surprised at the win. I wanted them to be competitive. I didn’t want them to just roll over, but they did much more than that. The West Indies were brilliant. They defied all expectations. “Let’s be fair. I would say 80 per cent, maybe more, never thought West Indies would have won, or at least would have won by the margin they won by,” said Shepherd, who played the first of his five Tests on the 1969 tour of England. (MWN)

FAN’S CHANCE OF A LIFETIME – Never mind the result. For one English fan, watching the first Test between West Indies at Kensington Oval was a dream come true. John Edge has wanted to visit the Caribbean for 50 years to watch a Test match. The 70-year-old, however, didn’t have the time or the money to come over to the West Indies. He finally made it last week, thanks to the help of his family and others. It wasn’t even a disappointment that England suffered a massive defeat by 381 runs. “It’s absolutely brilliant. It’s a dream come true. It has been on my bucket list of the last 50 years. I can’t praise enough how much I wanted to be here,” Edge told NATIONSPORT “I am a cricket fan. I like England, I like West Indies. It was just an ideal place to watch a game of cricket.”  (MWN)

BFA KICKING FOR THE FUTURE – The Barbados Football Association (BFA) is set to start the Future Tridents Development Programme when the National Youth Cup competition kicks off on February 9. This was revealed by technical director Ahmed Mohamed during a recent exclusive interview with THE NATION. Working under the tagline Train With The Best, Play With The Best, the new competition during its first year will see eight elite teams fielded from the Under-13 Division. The second year would see the introduction of the top players in Under-15s, while year three is set to include the Under-17s. “Starting this year, the players would be able to train three times a week step by step. The main goal is to focus on the players’ development, as it takes five to seven years on average to develop a player. The Future Tridents Development Programme is not about winning, it is about development,” he explained.  (MWN)

URGENT O NEGATIVE BLOOD DONATIONS NEEDED – The Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) Blood Bank is issuing an urgent appeal for O negative blood donations. A positive, A negative, AB, B positive and B negative blood donations are also needed. Donated blood will help replenish the QEH Blood Bank’s supply to ensure that blood is readily available for patients with serious medical needs such as cancers, blood disorders, premature babies, cardiac procedures and trauma victims. Volunteers between the ages of 18 and 70, who weigh at least 110 pounds, and are in generally good health are asked to donate blood at the National Blood Collecting Centre located at Ladymeade Gardens, St Michael, between 8 a.m. and 3:15 p.m. on weekdays or 8 a.m. and 12 noon on Saturdays.  (MWN)

PAUSE FOR PRAYER - At midday on Friday, all of Barbados is being invited to pause for one minute to pray for peace in response to the spate of violence currently being experienced. The initiative, which has as its theme Pause for a Cause, is being spearheaded by the Ministry of People Empowerment and Elder Affairs. Minister in that Ministry, which also has responsibility for Ecclesiastical Affairs, Cynthia Forde, met today with faith leaders to garner support for three days of prayer and reflection from midday Friday, February 1, through Sunday, February 3. The Minister explained that while everyone is asked to pause at midday on Friday to pray, persons are also encouraged during the 72 hours to attend any gathering for prayer and reflection. Churches, mosques and other places of worship will be opened to facilitate this. The Minister urged the full participation of the population in the Weekend of Prayer and Reflection, noting: “Whatever we do during this weekend, it should be reflective. Some of our people are falling through the cracks and it is time to seek divine intervention to get the country back on track.” Activities are also being planned for February, as part of this initiative. These will include a Day of Love, Peace and Commitment on Wednesday, February 13, and a faith-based consultation to devise strategies aimed at helping persons in communities to develop coping skills, particularly in the area of conflict resolution.(BGIS)

For daily or breaking news reports follow us on Instagram, Tumblr, Twitter & Facebook. That’s all for today folks. There are 335 days left in the year. Shalom! #thechasefilesdailynewscap #thechasefiles# dailynewscapsbythechasefiles

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