Moontown

Skerrit as he addressed the media this morning

The Prime Minister of Dominica Roosevelt Skerrit said ahead of the two-day intersessional CARICOM Summit this morning that a key issue on up for discussion is security in the Caribbean region.

Skerrit, also chairman of CARICOM, told the media that drug trafficking is one of the major concerns in the region to be addressed at the 21st Inter-Sessional meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of Caribbean Community.

“Security continues to be a major issue to all of us in the region and what we are seeking to do is see to what extent we can incorporate within the Caribbean region and of course with our extra regional partners to fight crime in the region. The issue of drug trafficking continues to be a major concern for us. You heard me here in Dominica speak very strongly and I will continue to do so,” he said at the Fort Young Hotel’s VIP room.

He noted that it is important however, that persons within the system do not get caught up in the drug trade, and efforts to fight this problem should come from the entire Caribbean society.

“And we have to ensure that we do not get our systems involved and participate in the drug trade. We have persons within the public service and private sector facilitating those criminals to peddle their trade throughout the region. So it is something that we‘ll continue to discuss which I cannot speak to publicly because of the security concern,” Skerrit said.

According to the CARICOM chairman, it is a continuing battle, and should therefore achieve a societal response. “It cannot only be heads of government and governments and governments themselves but all of us must play our part … In seeking to fight this difficult challenge that we’re faced with… certainly the issue of security will be on the agenda,” he added.

The meeting with CARICOM heads of government is currently ongoing at the Fort Young Hotel. (Dominica News)

HERMISHA ROLLE, STAFF REPORTER.

Photo credit: www.bangitout.com

While the world observes World Glaucoma Week, Dominicans have been informed that the illness is the leading cause of permanent blindness in the country.

Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases in which the optic nerve is damaged, leading to progressive permanent blindness.

Minister for Health Julius Timothy, in his address on World Glaucoma Week, disclosed that over one 1,600 Dominicans over the age of 50 years have glaucoma.

“About 50 percent of them don’t know that they have glaucoma,” Timothy disclosed, adding, “About 10 percent are legally blind from glaucoma.”

Timothy said while glaucoma is incurable, Dominica is giving attention to control the illness.

“Your government has put in place measures to ensure that patients can access affordable treatment for glaucoma. Patients can access eye care at each of the seven health districts. Some of the glaucoma eye drops are compounded at the central medical stores, to ensure that it is readily available at no cost to the patients in each of their health districts,” he underscored.

World Glaucoma Day was established two years ago to increase public awareness with regards to the illness.

Radio talk shows among other activities have been planned in observance of World Glaucoma Week from March 7 to 13 in

Dominica.

DNO CORRESPONDENT.

He argued that while the earthquake had exacerbated the situation of poverty in the country, the challenge was now to convert catastrophe into positive opportunity.

CASTRIES, St. Lucia, CMC – Former Jamaica Prime Minister PJ Patterson says the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) must safeguard its position at the steering wheel, as Haiti embarks on a long road to recovery following the effects of the January 12 catastrophic earthquake.

Patterson, who is the Caribbean Community’s (CARICOM) Special Representative to Haiti, issued the comments as he addressed a public education forum in St. Lucia ahead of his presentation of a special report to regional heads of government in Dominica on Friday, regarding CARICOM’s intervention in Haiti.

The former Jamaican prime minister contended that the 15-nation regional grouping cannot allow the spotlight to fade on the devastated country, stressing that now is the time to build a new economy and society in keeping with the targets set up by the United Nations.

Patterson is however adamant that Haiti, which recorded an estimated 300 000 victims as a result of the recent quake, must be allowed to create its own development plan.

He argued that while the earthquake had exacerbated the situation of poverty in the country, the challenge was now to convert catastrophe into positive opportunity.

“CARICOM is there to offer technical assistance and advice, to lobby and work alongside Haiti, very cognisant of the urgency in meeting their immediate needs according to their priorities but also ensuring that their long term interests are satisfied and not compromised,” he said.

“CARICOM must be the column or the steering wheel while Haiti must be in the driving seat, and we cannot and will not abnegate our responsibility in this hour of need.”

He noted that St Lucia and Dominica were uniquely poised to advance the rebuilding process in Haiti, saying the islands had the strong bond of language and a shared colonial history that brings them closer to Haiti than most other countries of the region.

“This makes your nations ideally suited to assume a leadership role as CARICOM establishes its physical presence in Haiti to assist the redevelopment,” he told the audience in Castries.

Patterson also made a case for Haiti’s future model of development to be consistent with its integration into CARICOM and the regional single market and economy.

“Future policy and planning for the country must therefore take this into account and be geared towards helping it to become a full beneficial member of the CSME,” he said. Patterson further noted that the Community had to assist the country’s economy to be assimilated into the regional economic integration.

Regarding the way forward as supported by CARICOM, the country had already indicated an initial focus on agriculture, light manufacturing and services. Hence, the rebuilding of the economic and social infrastructure, including substantial housing, should be seen as an important part of the way forward given their potential employment capacity, Patterson said.

In addition, tourism is seen as a key driver in the recovery process, given its linkages with agriculture, arts, crafts and culture.

Patterson stressed the importance of planning small business development in the context of climate change, sustainability and the creativity of the Haitian people, utilising the depth and diversity of the CARICOM cultural profile.

In this regard he expressed the hope that the private sector of Haiti and its CARICOM arm should gear up and equip itself for much of the work.

It was back in 1998 under Patterson’s chairmanship of CARICOM as then prime minister of Jamaica that Haiti was granted provisional membership in the regional grouping. (Dominica News)

PRESS RELEASE: Within just two months of the earthquake that devastated southern Haiti and left an estimated 1.3 million people homeless, humanitarian agencies distributing emergency shelter-material have reached more than 650,000 people – the halfway mark.

Tens of thousands of tarpaulins, tents, ropes, timber uprights and toolkits continue to pour into Haiti, helping to put some shelter over people’s heads ahead of the rainy season, which peaks in May.

“This is a great milestone,” said Gregg McDonald, who leads the Haiti-based team of specialists coordinating the shelter agencies, on secondment from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).  Last month, the IFRC took over as coordinator for shelter under the inter-agency humanitarian cluster system.

“To have reached so many people so quickly, especially in the conditions we’ve all had to contend with, is an achievement that should not be underestimated.  But despite this success, we’ve certainly not lost sight of the fact that we have many thousands more to reach.  The needs are still huge.  We are all working as hard as we can to keep pushing shelter relief out to those in need as fast as possible,” McDonald added.

The arrival of aid in Haiti was initially hampered by massive damage to the country’s infrastructure which saw the seaport closed, the airport clogged and roads blocked.  Much aid had to be flown into neighbouring Dominican Republic, then trucked to the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince.

“There is no doubt there were huge obstacles which held up deliveries when the aid operation began but we’ve overcome them one by one and, while conditions are still far from ideal, it’s vital that we continue to drive ahead together and get shelter to those who remain in need as quickly as we can.,” said Gareth Price-Jones of Concern, a shelter-cluster member agency.

Agencies working within cluster coordination have reached more than 80,000 people a week, since the quake on January 12^th.  It is hoped that two-thirds of those left without shelter by the quake will be reached by April 1^st, which agencies are taking as the on-average start of the rainy season.

The shelter-cluster is on track to reach all 1.3 million people on or before the original target date of May 1^st.

“The Haitian government and the humanitarian community will also step up efforts to identify houses that are safe to return to, and offer support to people staying with friends and relatives.  The number of those in need of emergency shelter may then have fallen slightly by May 1^st.  We will not let up until the job is done,” McDonald added.

DOMINICA RED CROSS.

RICE AND PEAS; MACARONI PIE

SHEPHERD’S PIE; COU COU

GREEN BANANAS; BBQ SPARERIBS

BBQ PIG TAIL; BAKED CHICKEN

FRIED PORK; SEA CAT

FRIED SNAPPER; FRIED STEAK FISH

GRILLED STEAK FISH; TURKEY STEW

FISH GRAVY; STEAMED VEGETABLES

TOSSED SALAD; COLE SLAW

World Bank president. *File photo taken from beta.thehindu.com

Chairman of CARICOM, Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit has told World Bank President Robert Zoellick that Dominica supports fully, a capital increase for the financial institution.

Both individuals met with the media this afternoon, to give an update on the ongoing CARICOM heads summit currently being held at the Fort Young Hotel in Roseau.

Skerrit said the increase would allow the World Bank to better respond to challenges confronting CARICOM.

“We also want to thank the World Bank for its pivotal role in Haiti, before the earthquake and after,” he said.

Skerrit also noted that CAIRCOM will continue to forge a deeper partnership with the World Bank.

“The World Bank has been very involved in the Caribbean over the years in projects like basic education reform. We are now seeing almost 60 percent increase in students attendance at secondary school,” he said.

Meantime,  Zoellick  confirmed the institution’s interest in assisting CARICOM Governments with their debt issues.

The debt situation is among matters being focused on at the meeting.

Zoellick said the World Bank is willing to look at the debt situation of each country, as the debt may vary in the different countries.

“What I had suggested to CARICOM in October is that we would try to look country by country at the debt profiles, because each situation is different … In some countries, the debt is significantly owed to their own private sector financial institutions or pension funds…We would outline country by country, some options for trying to deal with this,” Zoellick explained.

Zoellick said he has offered to send off teams to countries, to “try to see whether one could develop a strategy that focuses on growth, good fiscal management [and] effective use of debt”.

CARICOM Secretary-General Edwin Carrington noted that the region has been struggling with a debt problem for some 17 years now.

He described the matter as “a perennial difficult one”. (Dominica News)

DNO CORRESPONDENT.

West Indies coach Ottis Gibson. - File

KINGSTOWN, St Vincent (CMC):

Seemingly recovered from their early series stuttering, West Indies will look to wrap up the series against Zimbabwe in the fourth one-day international of the five-match series which bowls off here today.

The hosts started the series with a shocking two-run defeat to the feisty touring side, but their emphatic 141-run win in the third game on Wednesday pointed to a decisive turning of the tide.

While their batting will remain a concern, the bowling has twice kept Zimbabwe under wraps, and new coach Ottis Gibson will hope this is the match when it all comes together.

Working for something big

“We’re moving forward but as I say to the players all the time, that’s just one small step. We’ve just got to keep our feet on the ground and keep planning for the next game,” Gibson said.

“We’re building towards something far bigger than where we are now. The guys have worked very hard since I’ve got here so I’ve got to commend them on the work they’ve done.”

Since their whipping in the first two matches, West Indies have rebounded well. Led by their bowlers, they limited Zimbabwe to 206 in the second ODI and then bundled them out for 104 in the third game.

The batting, though, has struggled but they have still posted in excess of 240 runs on two occasions.

Gibson said if the players continued to apply themselves with a high level of discipline, eventually they would begin to reap dividends.

“If we put in the work, and we work in the right way, and we come to work with a positive attitude, most days you will enjoy your work,” Gibson pointed out.

For Zimbabwe, they will seek to rescue a series which started with much hope after back-to-back victories, but which is now slowly being derailed as West Indies exert their superiority.

They won the one-off Twenty20 International by 26 runs and then carved out an upset win in the first ODI in Georgetown, to lay the foundation for a successful campaign.

Knowing that a defeat will condemn them to a series loss, the side will be expected to come out swinging to push the series down to a decisive fifth match at the Arnos Vale Stadium.

“We still believe in ourselves and each other - that doesn’t change after one game - and we know we can hit back in the fourth game on Friday,” Zimbabwe captain Prosper Utseya said.

Spin-based attack

Zimbabwe will again depend on their spin-based attack which has served them well so far, but they will need much more from their batsmen who have not shone since the opening one-dayer.

Following his 95 in the opening match of the series, opener Vusi Sibanda has managed just 5 and 0, and he will need to rediscover form if Zimbabwe are to flourish.

West Indies - Chris Gayle (captain), Adrian Barath, Sulieman Benn, David Bernard, Darren Bravo, Dwayne Bravo, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Narsingh Deonarine, Nikita Miller, Kieron Pollard, Denesh Ramdin, Ravi Rampaul, Kemar Roach, Darren Sammy.

Zimbabwe - Prosper Utseya (captain), Hamilton Masakadza, Elton Chigumbura, Charles Coventry, Graeme Cremer, Kyle Jarvis, Greg Lamb, Timycen Maruma, Shingirai Masakadza, Stuart Matsikenyeri, Chris Mpofu, Ray Price, Vusi Sibanda, Tatenda Taibu, Brendan Taylor. (Jamaica Gleaner)

Overturned truck was carrying Heineken been (Jamaica Gleaner)

Men looting Heineken beer from overturned truck.

A policeman uses his baton to disperse looters, including children, on the scene of an accident involving a Toyota motor car and a truck transporting Heineken beer along the Linstead bypass in St Catherine. The driver of the car was killed and the truck driver badly burnt as the vehicle caught fire before residents went on a looting spree. - photos by Ricardo Makyn/Staff Photographer

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Overturned truck was carrying Heineken been

Men looting Heineken beer from overturned truck.

Former State Minister for Transport and Works Joseph Hibbert

Former junior energy minister in the People’s National Party administration Kern Spencer.

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THE United States Department of State was blunt in its criticism of the Jamaican Government yesterday when it accused the administration of being lacklustre in relation to the fight against corruption in the public sector.

In its 2009 Country Report on Human Rights Practices released yesterday, the State Department argued that while Jamaican law provided criminal penalties for official corruption, the Government did not “implement the law effectively and officials engaged in corrupt practices with impunity”.

According to the document, the World Bank’s worldwide governance indicators reflected that government corruption was a serious problem.

Parliamentarians featured

Two current parliamentarians featured prominently in the 2009 report. They are former State Minister for Transport and Works Joseph Hibbert and former junior energy minister in the People’s National Party administration Kern Spencer.

Hibbert was accused of accepting bribes from British bridge-building company Mabey and Johnson, a charge he denies. According to the human-rights report, “Despite a recommendation from the contractor general for charges of corruption and perjury, the former junior minister continued to hold his seat in Parliament.”

The report also mentioned the trial of Spencer, who is facing fraud and corruption charges in the Cuban light-bulb affair.

Another issue highlighted in the report is the scant regard by government officials and civil servants to file financial declarations with the Corruption Prevention Commission.

According to the human-rights report, “more than 5,000 civil servants failed to file or filed late or incomplete financial declarations required under” the Corruption Prevention Act.

“The DPP’s (director of public prosecutions) office has the authority to identify non-compliant officials and send their cases to the magistrate’s office, but the Government did not levy any fines on officials during the year,” the report stated.

- Edmond Campbell

Two current parliamentarians featured prominently in the 2009 report. They are former State Minister for Transport and Works Joseph Hibbert and former junior energy minister in the People’s National Party administration Kern Spencer. (Jamaica Gleaner)

Another United States report points to failings of Jamaican authorities

Arthur Hall, Senior Staff Reporter

Just over one week after the United States flayed Jamaica in its annual Narcotics Control Strategy Report, the country has received another low grade from the Americans.

This time, it is the annual US Country Report on Human Rights Practices which has tarnished Jamaica’s name in the international community.

However, the country’s image could be burnished somewhat by news that the Government is fast-tracking plans to deal with one area of criticism from Washington - the holding of children in adult facilities.

The Ministry of National Security yesterday announced that it was moving swiftly to provide secure accommodation for children now being held in police lock-ups because of lack of space in existing juvenile remand centres.

According to the security minister, following Prime Minister Bruce Golding’s announcement in Parliament last week, he received a report from the Jamaica Defence Force on Tuesday on the time frame for renovation works to be carried out at a proposed juvenile centre in St Mary.

But the ministry said even as that is taking place, steps are being taken to transfer the children from police lock-ups to the former remand centre at Metcalfe Street.

“This is a highly secure facility which can accommodate all the children now being held in custody. Minor modifications will be carried out immediately to facilitate its use as a juvenile remand centre,” the security ministry said in a release minutes after the US State Department’s annual human-rights report was posted.

Though not as damning as the Narcotics Control Strategy Report, the human-rights report points to several oft-repeated concerns of the State Department and raises new issues.

“While the Government generally respected the human rights of its citizens, there were serious problems in some areas, including unlawful killings committed by members of the security forces,” the report said in a repeat of claims it has made over the years.

“Abuse of detainees and prisoners by police and prison guards, poor prison and jail conditions, impunity for police who committed crimes, an overburdened judicial system and frequent lengthy delays in trials, violence and discrimination against women” were also pointed to by Washington as major problems.

Extrajudicial killings

The report noted that there were no allegations of politically motivated killings by the Government or its agents but expressed Washington’s concern about possible extrajudicial killings by members of the security forces.

“According to official statistics, there were more than 200 shooting cases involving the police as of October 31 (2009), resulting in 241 fatalities for the entire year. Sources indicated that many police killings were unreported, with police meting out the justice they see as unavailable through the judicial system,” the report claimed.

The Government was given commendation for its progress in taking cases of police shootings before the courts but the report claimed that “no police officer accused of human-rights violations has been convicted since 2006″.

The fire at the Armadale Juvenile Correctional Centre last year, which resulted in the deaths of seven girls, was highlighted by the State Department to underline its recurring concern about the state of penal institutions in the island.

The Government received kudos for freedom of the press and the level of Internet, academic, religious and cultural freedom Jamaicans enjoy.

‘Oppressive’ libel laws

But the report pointed to calls from the local media for a review of the libel laws which have been described as “oppressive”.

The level of human trafficking, prostitution and violence against women also raised alarm bells in Washington.

“Although the law prohibits prostitution, it was widespread, particularly in tourist areas. Trafficking in women for prostitution and sex tourism continued to be a problem. There is no legislation that addresses sexual harassment,” the report stated.

It added: “There was no societal pattern of abuse of children; however, there were numerous reports of rape and incest, particularly in inner cities.”

As usual, the alleged intolerance of Jamaicans to homosexuals figured prominently in the report as Washington said it remained concerned about acts of violence based on sexual orientation.

“Gay men were hesitant to report incidents against them because of fear for their physical well-being. Lesbian women were subject to sexual assault as well as other physical attacks.”

Government officials yesterday said any response to the latest report would come after Cabinet meets next week. (Jamaica Gleaner)

arthur.hall@gleanerjm.com

47 of the children now in police lock-ups are charged with serious offences:

Murder 3Illegal firearm 12Shooting 1Possession of an offensive weapon 2Wounding 9Rape 5Carnal abuse 5Robbery with aggravation 7Assault 3