Moontown

BARBADOS ADVOCATE  - DENIS KELLMAN’S COLUMN- THE DEBATE    (AUGUST 13, 2004)

This week the economy is back in focus and the report from Standard and Poors is only an admission that this country needs a radical change and the comment by Minister Lynette Eastmond on taxation reported in the Advocate August 10, 2004, shows that the Government is finally admitting that the focus needs to be on production and not on consumption as has occurred over the last ten years.

As it now stands, the current system allows government to interact with workers and businesses using their contribution as bait. A case study should be done on the effect of the Direct Tax System on production as it relates to the workers. It is clear that the Bajan worker has been encouraged not to produce at their maximum, something that I forewarned them about nearly four years ago, while speaking at a public meeting in Harts Gap.

Lately, I have had an opportunity to reflect on the productive workers of Barbados outside of those in the Civil Service, only to realize that all of them have been treated as drop-outs and that their contributions have been taken for granted. The workers I speak of are the Bus Drivers, Taxi men, Sanitation Workers, Agriculture Workers, Hotel Workers, Manufacturing Workers, Shopkeepers, Maids, Gardeners, Labourers, Vendors, Shop Assistants and Gas Station Workers.

These workers make a significant contribution to our country, but everyone scorns them as if they do not contribute to the economy. These workers must take full blame if their contributions to society are taken for granted by persons who they make look good.

The so called important people need these persons to make them look good in the eyes of the society. Yet when rewards are given, they are tokenized and dressed up as if they are not part of the society. I am yet to find out why the King and Queen of the Crop have to be dressed up in costumes every year as if they do not know how to dress appropriately.

The taxi drivers have been complaining about their tariff and to date they continue to behave like beggars and expect Government to treat them as equals. I have never begged to be someone’s equal and until the productive workers appreciate their importance and stop making politicians believe that we have to do everything for them, then it means that they would never be independent.

We have to understand that ability is measured in this country by the wrong means and the above groups must appreciate the fight that I am waging for them. I have always understood their contribution and that is why I live my life the way I do.

Your flight is mine and the only way I can help you is for you to have an appreciation of yourself and what you are doing. I am convinced that once these workers are treated as human beings and their important contributions are accepted by society, then you would see a change in attitudes leading to dialogue between them and society.

All that is required is for us to treat them like human beings, because a lot of them know that they are being looked down on. I have said already that many bright people are vendors and behave like Rasta’s just to get society to appreciate what they are doing.

Judge people on capability

We in Barbados must judge people on what they are capable of doing and not what we think they are qualified to do. If we continue to do this, then too many brilliant persons will be left by the wayside. This country needs more doers and until we recognize this, we are not going to take our country forward. We need everybody on board and we cannot continue to be forewarned without heeding the warning.

This week, the selectors have finally accepted that Courtney Browne is the right tonic for the West Indies team. Just this week I was lamenting that Jacobs behaves like a ball stopper and does not offer any advice to the captain or bowler. I have also said that those who want to replace Lara with Sarwan had to be mad. Experience is not something that money can buy, and those who think that ability can be ignored forever, got to be joking.

Leaders must be able to think for themselves and their opponents and cannot depend on time and failure for success. Browne as leader has been able to lead, produce and show his cricketers that he does not have to beg them for patronage. These players have shown that he has something that they want and that he does not need them to prop him up.

Diversion of focus

This week in Parliament, we discussed housing and it is clear to everyone that this debate was well planned to create discussion to take the focus off the economy. The talk about low income housing being delivered by the National Housing Corporation is the biggest joke of the century.  We must stop being insensitive and realize we are operating in a globalised world and we must use our best companies to keep out the outside competition.

The Democratic Labour Party was proactive in the early nineties and tried to implement policies that would have built a good foundation for localization, but lack of foresight caused persons and groups to stop us from being proactive, something we seem not to have learnt from.

Williams Industries have all the resources to solve our housing problems and we must move away from putting restrictions that put money in a too few hands at the expense of the poor. A housing policy for the poor must come with only CIF charges. In order for companies to provide valuable foreign exchange for us we must allow them to use Kellmanomics, which must be offered to all.

I am satisfied after studying this company that our housing needs for the poor and others can be solved by this company. It is true that he now lives in St. Lucy and he should not be victimized for being my constituent. He should be judged based on his proved ability. I was once told by a technocrat that my constituents believe in action and not talk.

The success of World Cup 2007 will be measured by the expansion of business in the area surrounding Kensington. How the masses have improved their lives and the continued growth in the economy five years after. Getting the World Cup must be seen as an opportunity to get real development. It must be fashioned after the Olympics and World Cup Football.

Reclaiming land

A couple weeks ago, I said that Speightstown is being ignored by the B.T.I.I as it relates to car parks and that land should be reclaimed for a car park. It has since been announced that land to the East of Eddies will be used as a car park. I want to say that this is not suitable for the people of the north and is more suitable for an office complex for government. To solve the car parking problem, we must reclaim land to the north of the boardwalk.

B.T.I.I must understand the importance of Moon Town to tourism development and must support this major project that has not been provided by the taxpayers of the country. A car park is needed if this project is to continue to compliment the tourism product. It is popular with visitors who are free to enjoy the product without paying an entrance fee.

Can anyone tell me why Eddies was not on Spring Gardens after doing the R & D? Was it because he was asked to be forty-five inches tall, while his opponent was only asked to be twenty-five inches tall? You cannot keep a good man down.

We have been getting a lot of rain in St. Lucy and my constituents are being punished in a way that is not fair to them, they need over 110 roads, the Bridge at Pie Corner needs to be completed and Government needs to appreciate the complaints coming from the constituents of St. Lucy. I still believe that it is better for us to take the advice being given. We know that we are the only female parish and we should look for our match.

(Denis Kellman is the Parliamentary Representative for St. Lucy, Barbados)

            Government will be pushing ahead with plans to redevelop this island’s National Stadium.

            This disclosure has come from Minister of Sports, Dr. Esther Byer Suckoo, who said the economic situation had prevented Government from implementing its plans this year. But, she noted that Ambassador Ryan Brathwaite’s success at the International Amateur Athletics Federation’s World Championships in Berlin “has shown us that we can wait no longer”.

Dr. Byer Suckoo made the comments today at a ceremony to name the University of the West Indies Athletics Track in honour of Ambassador Brathwaite.

She revealed that she recently met with the 110 metres gold medal hurdler, who informed her that a better track was needed at the stadium. “We are hoping that with the provision of the necessary facilities, the other support that can be given to our athletes, and [with] the motivation Ryan has provided, we will see more of our athletes going on to succeed in the 2012 Olympics and meets thereafter,” she told the audience.

            In a wide-ranging address, the Minister said that through the National Sports Council (NSC), and Legacy Barbados, her Ministry was undertaking an audit of sporting facilities across the island, so as to determine what was needed at the local, regional and international levels.

Our aim is to provide better sporting facilities for our athletes in various disciplines and to do that we have to look at what we have currently, especially since Barbados is looking to host more international events, including the 20/20 cricket, women’s boxing and a sailing championship next year,” she explained.

            Dr. Byer Suckoo noted that the NSC’s Strategic Plan had been completed, while the Ministry’s own was currently being developed.

She opined that society had not put enough emphasis on sport. “We need to re-evaluate our thinking when it comes to the value of sport and realise that we cannot continue to cut from sport when things become tight,” she argued.

The Minister praised Ambassador Brathwaite, stating that he had become “a symbol of excellence”. She noted that his duties as an Ambassador would include helping her Ministry empower and motivate all young people. (SA/BGIS)

BARBADOS ADVOCATE – DENIS KELLMAN’S COLUMN – THE DEBATE (JULY 9, 2004)

The biggest problem facing the Caribbean at this stage of its development is an  appreciation of how its people function. This has occurred because most leaders are interested in a paper trail and cannot appreciate their gifted citizens.

When we have politicians who relate everything to what is occurring in their country, we will continue to have politicians who are very bright, but do not have an appreciation for their brothers and sisters within the region.

We are now discussing the free movement of labour within the region, instead of free movement of our people. We are so small minded that we believe in the various territories that we have an appreciation for our country and others do not have an appreciation for theirs. How many of us stop to think of whom we look up to and accept as persons from abroad but scorn our brothers and sisters within the region?

If we want to have an appreciation of our history, we must first understand that it started with Capital and Labour. Once this is understood then we must appreciate that the Caribbean has created a good for us and we need not continue looking back at our past, but we must continue measuring our progress and ensure that the baton is passed to us and not to persons who  were not there when the relationship was being developed.

We must understand that our brothers and sisters who left this country to develop themselves cannot be seen as outsiders, but must be seen as bearers of new capital without a charge on our Foreign Reserves, but create a positive position for us by adding to the Foreign Reserves and must be treated with the same respect that has been provided to the International Institutions.

From the outset, I told Government to level with the returning nationals by informing them of their wants. We need the foreign exchange worked for by the returning nationals and cannot at this stage be seen as involving ourselves in conflict with them by believing that furniture and a car are the only important things to them.

We in the Caribbean would do well to do an opportunity cost analysis on the importance of inflows to a country vis a vis loans from international markets. We must take off our political blinkers that tell us we must lie prostrate to international investors and at the same time treat our local investors as beggars.

The same tax system that benefit the foreign investors should be offered to the local investors allowing them to concentrate more on increase Capital Expenditure instead of concentrating on how to increase Revenue Expenditure. Our system within the Caribbean allows investors to concentrate too much on how to maintain an asset and not how to expand.

A revolutionary approach must be encouraged to help the region to be more interested in expanding capacity which would help labour and capital at the same time. What is interesting about the present system is that it does not allow labour to benefit from the additional expenditure, because wages and salaries are always seen as a negative expense, whereas other revenue expenditure is not seen in the same light.

Caribbean leaders must now understand that globalization must be seen as a system to create a single market and economy in the world, something we have been trying to do within the Caribbean region. Localisation should have been the system used by this region for over ten years and we should have been in a position to see each other within the region as brothers and sisters before we attempt t o see outsiders as our brothers and sisters before accepting our own.

We must pool our resources in the Caribbean for the good of the Caribbean, allowing us to exploit the reserves to the benefit of all in the region. Having reserves and still buying from outside the region does not make developmental sense. We must retain these reserves for our advancement in the region.

(Denis Kellman is the Parliamentary Representative for St. Lucy, Barbados)

PEAS AND RICE; YAM PIE

MACARONI PIE; PASTA

GRILLED DOLPHIN; FRIED KING FISH

FRIED SNAPPER; BAKED CHICKEN

BBQ SPARERIBS; BAKED LAMB CHOPS

STEAMED VEGETABLES; TOSSED SALAD

COLE SLAW; BEEF STEW

FISH GRAVY

St. Lucia Star

Caroline Racine has climbed the ladder to the top and is aiming even higher!

Haitian-American travel executive Caroline Racine is nimbly climbing the corporate ladder at Choice Hotels International.Racine, who ran the company’s Caribbean Franchise Development efforts for two and a half years, is now Director of Diversity Sales within the organization’s global sales division, taking responsibility for the growing multi-cultural markets segment. Diversity and Multicultural Sales is a new division within the company’s Global Sales department and in the newly established role Racine will be responsible for developing strategic direct sales, marketing and e-commerce solutions to help propel Choice as a leader in what is becoming a very competitive market segment.

Jose Salvador Icaza, who previously assumed responsibility for franchise sales and development positions for the Cambria Suites and Sleep Inn brands, has been appointed Director of Emerging Markets and Caribbean Franchise Development, and will continue to build on the groundwork made by Racine in the region.

In another new and unique role, Icaza will be responsible for spearheading the organization’s Hispanic franchise recruitment efforts domestically in the United States and leading the company’s Caribbean franchise sales and development efforts for its 10 brands and the new Ascend Collection membership program. Launched about a year ago, Ascend Collection includes more than two-dozen upscale properties that are historic, boutique or unique, and provide guests with a distinctive and memorable travel experience. With Ascend, Choice Hotels aims to lend marketing and operational support to drive business directly to smaller, one-of-a-kind Caribbean properties.

While Racine works strategically in her new role to attract diversity and multicultural business to Choice, the travel executive has recently remained connected to the Caribbean region, assisting Icaza with his transition into his new role.

She was recently in Haiti with Icaza to help establish relationships with key tourism and hotel stakeholders. Next week, she will be in the US Virgin Islands for the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association’s Small Hotels Retreat to introduce Icaza to the small hotel community and to announce her new role with the company.

Racine said she is already fully immersed in her new assignment and looks forward to working with Caribbean leaders in the region’s global Diaspora.

Before joining Choice 11 years ago, Caroline Racine was lead account executive for America Online’s interactive partnership marketing initiatives. She has also served in various sales and marketing positions in organizations such as The Discovery Channel.

About 300 exhibitors participating in this year’s GuyExpo, which opens this evening at the National Exhibition Centre, Sophia, attended a seminar on Monday with Minister of Tourism Industry and Commerce, Manniram Prashad.

Exhibitors moving furniture into the main auditorium yesterday as preparations for this evening’s opening continued. (Photo by Jules Gibson)

According to a press release from the GuyExpo 2009 Committee, this year’s turnout is the largest and an indication of the huge public and private sector participation anticipated.

At the seminar held in the main auditorium of the National Exhibition Centre, Prashad expressed satisfaction with the level of participation and special interest shown by exhibitors and investors.

According to the release, the minister told the gathering that their turnout is being viewed as a display of their preparedness and confidence in Guyana’s economy.

GuyExpo, Guyana’s largest trade and investment exposition, was started in 1995 by the Guyana Office for Trade and Investment (Go Invest), the Guyana Manufacturers’ Association and the Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce as a bi-annual event to showcase locally produced goods and services.

In 2004, however, the event became an annual one and is seen as the longest sustained exhibition in the Caribbean. The release noted that in the same year, the growth and interdependence of the international trade organizers opened the exhibition to Caricom and other regional exhibitors.

The last GuyExpo which was held in 2007 attracted in excess of 70,000 patrons, including special invitees and guests, and more than 300 exhibitors, displaying a wide range of products, craft and services. Exhibitors, according to the press release, came from Barbados, India, China, Brazil and Jamaica, among other countries.  GuyExpo is now a national occasion which has been placed on the ministry’s annual calendar of events. This exposition and trade fair offers business associates the opportunity to meet, network and negotiate with international companies and establishments, as well as showcase their skills, talents and creative works.

GuyExpo, which ends on October 6 is being held under the theme, ‘Promoting Business in a Low Carbon Environment’. It fuses a wide cross-section of producers of handicraft, furniture, garments, jewellery, horticulture, pharmaceuticals, tourism and information technology as well as Guyanese culture.

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa – The West Indies batting flopped and former India youth captain Virat Kohli stroked an unbeaten half century that steered his side to a comfortable seven-wicket victory as the ICC Champions Trophy ended its group phase yesterday.

In a match that became meaningless when India realised their hopes of advancing were scuppered by Australia’s win over Pakistan, the Indians comfortably chased a target of 130 and won with more than 17 overs to spare at the New Wanderers Stadium.

West Indies, beaten in their previous matches by Pakistan and Australia, were sent to bat and crashed to 129 all out in 36 overs.

India replied with 130 for three in 32.1 overs with man-of-the-match Kohli unbeaten on 79 at the finish.

The result left West Indies bottom of the Group A standings – on zero points – without a win and Australia on top with five followed by Pakistan (4) and India (3).

West Indies had looked insecure from the start against the moving ball and skidded quickly to 31 for four in the 11th over as Praveen Kumar and Ashish Nehra ripped through the top order.

“Our batting has been inexperienced and we have to work on that,” West Indies captain Floyd Reifer said.

“We bowled and fielded well,” he added.

Kumar started the slide when he had Andre Fletcher caught at slip without scoring in the first over of the innings.

The 19-year-old Nevisian Kieran Powell, in for the injured Dale Richards, fell next – caught behind for five off Nehra, who removed Devon Smith (21) in the same over, also gloved by captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni at 27 for three.

Reifer’s dismal series continued when Kumar dislodged him for one.

Vice-captain Darren Sammy (23) and Dave Bernard (22) battled in a 32-run sixth-wicket stand after Travis Dowlin (14) had fallen at 57 for five, but India’s bowlers were rampant against the inexperienced Caribbean side.

Missing their top flight players because of the players’ contracts dispute with the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB), the West Indies innings declined steadily as India tried to maximise any chance they had of reaching the semis.

A loss for Australia to Pakistan in a game that was nearing a finish at SuperSport Park in Centurion, would have kept India’s hopes alive and they ran through the remainder of the Windies innings.

Nikita Miller stroked a defiant 17 not out while Kumar (3-22) and Nehra (3-31) shared six wickets and spinner Harbhajan Singh picked up two for 14.

India endured an early slip in their reply and were 12 for two in the fourth over after Kemar Roach (1-27) bowled Gautam Gambhir (6) and Rahul Dravid (4) was run out by Bernard.

Kohli joined Dinesh Karthik and the pair posted a 92-run third-wicket stand that set up the easy victory.

Karthik (34) fell to pacer Gavin Tonge (1-36) when India were 26 runs away from the target and Kohli, who captained India to the ICC World Youth Cup last year, completed the job.

Dhoni rued their opening game loss to Pakistan and said that result cost them a spot in the last four.

“I think we didn’t play to our potential in the first game.

“The loss was very crucial,” he said.

In the semi-final schedule, Australia will face England tomorrow and New Zealand face Pakistan on Saturday.

During the recently held annual Sea Trade Convention in Hamburg Germany, cruise officials were able to maintain the calls of many cruise ships, while managing to get new vessels from several cruise lines to put the twin-island state on their itinerary as early as 2010.

The convention was held from 15 – 17 Sept.

Director of the Antigua Pier Group (APG) Conrad Pole, Cruise Marketing Consultant of the APG Avonelle Pole and President of the Antigua and Barbuda Cruise Tourism Association (ABCTA) Nathan Dundas represented the twin-island state.

Antigua and Barbuda attended the meeting under a Caribbean Village banner along with the main Caribbean Cruise destinations to include Jamaica, Barbados, Trinidad & Tobago, Curacao, Martinique, Guadeloupe, Cartegena and Santa Marta, Colombia among many others.

Dundas said the convention was hailed as a success for all participants, including the representatives from Antigua and Barbuda.

He said they were able to engage in productive meetings with the various cruise lines.

Meetings were held with Aida Cruise, Hapag Lloyd Cruises, Fred Olsen Cruise Lines, Asuka 11, MSC cruise lines, Silverseas, Club Med and TUI cruises.

Dundas told the AntiguaSun that Aida Cruises confirmed they would be making 11 calls to Antigua and Barbuda for the next winter season 2010-11.

He further stated that even though the vessel from Hapag Lloyd cruise line will only be making one call to Antigua, it is one of the high-end cruise lines, from which stakeholders would be looking to benefit.

The ship can only make one call because it is on a world cruise.

“Fred Olsen representatives indicated their commitment to continue calling to Antigua as one of the premier destination ports and as such we will continue to see the calls of their three ships Boudicca, Black Watch and The Braemar in the Caribbean,” Dundas added. The president believes that it is significant that the Asuka 11 has chosen to bring one of their ships to Antigua because this is the only English-speaking island that they will be visiting.

“The vessel which, will arrive from San Juan Puerto Rico, is expected to be a highlight for our destination. We will be planning in conjunction with the Ministry of Tourism and the Culture Department a special welcome for these passengers,” Dundas told the SUN.

This is the first time that the ship will be calling in Antigua and Barbuda.

“It is the first time that Antigua will be having Japanese guests calling on our port, so we definitely have to be thinking long term on this one as we will be looking to host this new market not just once but many times after,” Dundas said.

The ship carries approximately 800 passengers and 400 crewmembers.

Nadisha Hunter, Gleaner Writer
Clarke

Better treatment of a major women’s health issue has started in Jamaica.

The presence of fibroid tumours are becoming more and more of a common issue among Jamaican women. It is a problem which causes pain in the pelvic region, an abnormally enlarged abdomen, and pressure on the urethra and bladder, resulting in urinary frequency and even kidney failure.

Dr Freddie Clarke, consultant radiologist at X-ray and Diagnostic Ultrasound Consultants Limited, noted in a release recently, that the minimally invasive process, which the country began using in mid-August, has been shown to be a safe and effective treatment option for women to consider.

“This procedure most often obviates the need for surgery whether it be hysterectomy, which removes the entire uterus or myomectomy which removes the fibroids only,” Dr Clarke said.

Growth

He added that with the procedure, Uterine Fibroid Immobilisation (UFE), the blood that flows to the fibroid is blocked, interrupting its growth and resulting in considerable reduction in its size.

Fibroid tumours are usually benign growths, the doctor explained, which arise from the muscular wall of the uterus and can range in size from very tiny to as large as an advanced pregnancy.

He said women who are being considered for UFE are required to do a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Scan of the uterus to determine if the fibroids can be embolised, to detect alternate causes for symptoms and to identify unsuspected cancer.

He added that recurrence of treated fibroids with UFE is very rare.

“On average 90 per cent of women who have had the procedure experienced significant or total relief of heavy bleeding, pain or bulk-related symptoms,” he noted.

Tumour embolisation procedures for various conditions have been performed for the past 30 years in Jamaica.

UFE is an internationally established form of treatment and Dr Clarke said he hoped Jamaican women would utilise the option.