Caricom states losing millions due to bad agricultural practices
The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) says Caribbean Community (Caricom) member states are losing millions through poor pre and post agricultural practices.
Addressing the second regional dialogue on Prevention and Reduction of losses and waste in Latin America and the Caribbean, here on Thursday, Katherine Baldwin, of the FAO’s Statistics Division said although limited, data on post-harvest food losses from some Caricom member states indicate that losses can range between 25 per cent and 55 per cent in commodities such as cassava and tomatoes at times up to 100 per cent for pumpkin exports.
Majeed Mohammed, one of the consultants, told the participants from the Caribbean and Latin America that based on research, the five critical loss points were identified as Agricultural Production; Post harvest handling and storage; Processing; Distribution and Consumption.
FAO consultant, Catalina Giraldo, said in Latin America and the Caribbean, the single largest proportion of the food loss occurs in the production and consumer segments of the food supply chain.
According to the FAO, food waste refers to the discarding or non-use of food that was fit for human consumption by choice or neglect.
The first regional dialogue was held in the Dominican Republic in 2015 with this dialogue being the second, held in collaboration with the island National Authority for the Zero Hunger Challenge Initiative. This is an initiative, which aims to achieve goal number 12 of the Sustainable Development Goal that is to reduce hunger and reduce food waste by half by the year 2030.
Source-CMC
Gov’t pursuing open skies policy
Transport and Mining Minister Mike Henry says the government is pursuing an open skies policy.
This is an agreement under which two or more countries allow unrestricted over flight and landing rights to one another.
In remarks read on his behalf by Jamaica Civil Aviation Authority Chairman, Phillip Henriques, at the opening of a new air traffic control tower at the Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston on November 16, Henry said the policy is being pursued to increase connectivity to the island and promote Jamaica as a regional hub.
“It will also encourage competition and expansion of international air services,” he said.
He noted that the policy will provide an environment that will encourage operations into Jamaica’s international airports.
In addition, it will facilitate the development of Jamaica’s international trade, investments, tourism and all sectors of air transport.
The Transport and Mining Minister informed that since 2010, Jamaica has negotiated bilateral air services agreements with more than 20 states.
These include Canada, Chile, Iceland, Singapore, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia, China, Brazil, Qatar, India, and the Czech Republic.
Henry indicated that as the travel industry prepares for a surge in growth, Jamaica needs to put in place innovations to enhance the safety, performance and security of the industry in tandem with the standards of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
Source-JIS
TURKS & CAICOS ISLANDS DPP VISITS ANTIGUAN HIGH COURT
The Acting Director of Public Prosecutions, Mrs. Angela Brooks was one of the attendees at the "Civil Recovery of the Proceeds of Crime Advocacy Workshop" held in Antigua. This invitation was extended to Mrs. Brooks by Mrs. Nicole Suter, from the Financial Crimes Legal Advisor, International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, U.S.
Mrs. Suter conducts practical training throughout the Caribbean territories on anti-money laundering and financial crimes matters.
The training took the form of a live mock trial conducted at the Antiguan High court. Antiguan High Court Judges, Her Ladyships Peraletta Lanns and Henry added the extra realism to the experience by presiding over the matters.
With the Turks and Caicos Islands being one of the 26 countries that comprises the CFATF from South and Central America and the Caribbean and with Turks and Caicos being slated in early 2017 to be evaluated on it National Risk assessment all training in the area of anti-money laundering, combatting terrorist financing and financial crimes is absolutely essential.
"The workshop afforded me the opportunity to work my way through the legislation and provided me with the real practical experience that one can only get from actually attending such an exercise. It is paramount that we at the ODPP continue to educate ourselves, attend and participate in such workshops so that we can be aptly equip to not only to assist the court, advise the police but to remain competent in our profession," said Mrs. Brooks.
Mrs. Brooks also had the distinct privilege to meet the acquaintance of the Attorney General of Antigua and Barbuda, Honorable Steadroy C.O. Benjamin. "It was such a pleasant and cordial experience to meet the Honorable Attorney General. He has a charming personality and he expressed his interest in visiting the Turks and Caicos Islands."
Mrs. Brooks also had the opportunity to meet the Antigua and Barbuda Solicitor General, Lebrecht Hesse and the Director of Public Prosecutions Mr. Anthony Armstrong.
"It was an awesome opportunity to network, to meet collogues in the profession and esteem officials from the beautiful islands of Antigua and Barbuda. I was honored to represent the ODPP and by extension my country Turks and Caicos."
Celebrate TCI's National Tree with the DECR
The first, annual Caicos Pine Awareness week will be held in December. The Department of Environment & Coastal Resources (DECR) have deemed the first week of December 'Caicos Pine Awareness Week', in order to celebrate our national tree and to draw attention to the plight of this unique pine species.
"Historically, Caicos pines were cut from the pine yards in North and Middle Caicos to use as Christmas trees in community tree lightings. Because of the impact of the invasive pine tortoise scale which has killed over 90% of the wild trees, this is no longer a feasible option – every single surviving Caicos pine is needed to perpetuate the species. This year for the first time, we are celebrating the National Tree and traditional Christmas tree with an honorific week of awareness and celebration," said B Naqqi Manco, Caicos Pine Recovery Project Manager and DECR Terrestrial Ecologist.
On the 3rd of December families, residents and visitors are all invited to a guided tour of the National Tree ramble, located in the Middle Caicos pine yard. The tour, led by Mr Manco, will start at 10am. Refreshments will be enjoyed afterwards, at the Conch Bar Community Centre. If you can't make it to the trail, be sure not to miss the lighting of the Caicos Pine 'Christmas' Tree, that evening at beginning at 6 PM at the DECR & Agriculture Office Garden (Rest House) in Kew, North Caicos.
Provo Primary will be assisting the DECR and the National Museum with a Caicos Pine Tree planting, on Monday, 5 December. The national tree is exhibited at the indigenous garden, at the National Museum's Heritage House, in the Village at Grace Bay.
"The Caicos Pine has been threatened by an invasive insect pest and Climate Change for a number of years; it has been the DECR's aim to combat this unfortunate problem and we hope that education and awareness will guide us as we strive to safeguard our national tree," explained Dr John Claydon, DECR Director.
The Caicos Pine Recovery Project (CPRP) was launched in 2008 and have been a long term collaboration between TCI partners and the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew (RBG Kew) in the UK. The current nursery is located in the government farm at Kew in North Caicos and holds more than 300 pines grown from seed collected locally. The Caicos pine, Pinus caribaea var. bahamensis, is endemic to the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) and the Bahamas, where it is the dominant species in the pine forest ecosystem. In TCI, it grows only in the islands of Middle Caicos, North Caicos and Pine Cay. Here this pine has been under threat of extinction in the past decade, because of a severe infestation by the non-native and pine-specific pine tortoise scale insect Toumeyella parvicornis. This scale insect has killed the majority of pines in TCI devastating the local pine yards in the past 10 years and few live healthy trees can be seen nowadays. The Caicos pine is now listed in the IUCN red list of threatened species as Vulnerable.
Elections Office Guidance on Dual Citizenship in the TCI
The following guidance is issued on Dual Citizenship and disqualification under the Constitution sent to us by the Elections office.
Section 49(1)(a) of the Constitution provides as follows –
"No person shall be qualified to be an elected member of the House of Assembly who, on the date of hi or her nomination for election –
(a) Is, by virtue of his or her own act, under any acknowledgement of allegiance, obedience or adherence to any foreign power or state; ..."
It is a matter for any prospective candidate to be satisfied as to his or her qualification for nomination to be an elected member of the House of Assembly and that he or she is not otherwise disqualified in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution and the Elections Ordinance. A process for this is provided in the Constitution and the Elections Ordinance.
In response to queries in the run up to the general elections in 2012, the then Attorney General expressed a view as to whether a person with dual citizenship was qualified to be an elected member of the House of Assembly if he or she had applied for a passport from a foreign country.
In October 2012, the then Attorney General expressed the following view which was widely publicized in the local newspapers and you issued guidance accordingly –
"What s.49 means is that a person with dual citizenship cannot be a member of the House of Assembly if he or she has applied for a passport from the country outside the TCI of which he or she is also a citizen. Applying for a passport would be an act by that person that acknowledged "allegiance, obedience or adherence" to a foreign power or state.
If that person's parents had obtained a passport from the foreign state for the person while he/she was still a minor, there would be no disqualification unless the minor had, once he/she became an adult, renewed that passport."
The then Attorney General expressed that view in heavy reliance on the UK case of Joyce v DPP [1946] AC 347. Thereafter, some prospective candidates renounced their citizenship in foreign states as a precaution rather than being challenged as not being qualified following their nominations.
The key point in the Joyce case was that Joyce obtained a British passport by falsely stating he was a British subject. He was not. But having obtained a British passport it was held by the court in the UK that he owed allegiance to the British Crown while that passport was valid, notwithstanding that he had no British nationality. Thus, the possession of that passport was the only basis for his allegiance. There were public policy considerations at play in that case relevant to the law of treason. It is arguable that Joyce would therefore be good authority to disqualify a person who did not have the nationality of a foreign State but applied for and obtained a passport from that State.
It is arguable that the Joyce case is not good authority for disqualifying a person who has the nationality of a foreign State by operation of the law of that State on the basis of their birth in that foreign state (and thus not "by virtue of his own act") and who obtains a passport as evidence of that nationality. The allegiance which such a person owes to the foreign State derives from his nationality, the possession of a passport evidencing that nationality being merely incidental. The application for a passport cannot add a new "allegiance", because the allegiance already exists.
Since then, this issue was considered in the Supreme Court of the Turks and Caicos Islands by Ramsay Hale CJ in the case of Selver v Smith, Missick and Others (Petition No. CL 237/12, written judgment delivered on 9th January 2013) where she decided that the acquisition of foreign citizenship of the United States by naturalization (as opposed to by birth and which had not been renounced by nomination day) is a disqualification. It also appears that the Chief Justice accepted the proposition from a US expert, (which she was entitled to do) who did not cite any authority to support his opinion that the mere use of the passport effectively placed the subject under an acknowledgement of allegiance to the United States. That decision was heavily influenced by the Jamaican case of Vaz v Dabdoub (unreported Claim No. 2007 HCV 03921 delivered on April 11 2008; CA 45/2008 and CA 47/2008, written judgment delivered on March 13 2009). The decision in Vaz v Dabdoub relied on Joyce v DPP.
Since then, the issue arose again in another British Overseas Territory of the Cayman Islands in the case of Hewitt v Rivers and Others ( Cause No. 198 of 2013, written judgment delivered on August 9 2013) and was considered in a lengthy review of the historical origins of such provisions and the relevant case law in the UK, the Commonwealth and the Caribbean, including the Joyce case and the 2013 Selver case in the Turks and Caicos Islands. US law experts also gave evidence in the Hewitt case and cited US settled case law in support of their opinions.
The Hewitt case, in distinguishing the Vaz case and the Joyce case established clear authority for the proposition that if an Islander is born in a country outside of the Turks and Caicos Islands, which bestowed on him or her at birth the nationality of that country (e.g. the United States or the Bahamas) she or he would not be disqualified from being nominated to be an elected member of the House of Assembly by virtue of the fact that she or he had applied for renewal of his or her passport after she or he reached the age of 18 years.
Smellie CJ made clear in his very full judgment that a passport is only evidence of a nationality. It is not in itself a pledge of allegiance to a foreign power. Such a person would only be evidencing a nationality that she or he already had through the act of his or her parents in allowing him or her to be born there, and merely obtaining a new passport would not amount to an acknowledgement of allegiance by the person concerned.
The Hewitt case is also authority for the proposition that an Islander who obtains a foreign citizenship other than by operation of law through birth, such as through naturalization or comes under an acknowledgement of allegiance to a foreign power or state through taking an oath, service in their armed forces, other public office in that foreign state requiring such an oath.
The Hewitt judgment was held in November 2013 to be final by the Cayman Islands Court of Appeal, which included the President of the Court of Appeal in the Turks and Caicos Islands, Mottley JA.
On the basis of this latter judgment, I am of the opinion that an Islander who is also a citizen of a foreign state, having not acquired that citizenship, by virtue of his or her own act and merely having acquired that foreign citizenship through birth alone would not be disqualified under section 49(1)(a) of the Constitution, even in circumstances where such a person has applied for or renewed a passport of that foreign state. However, were an Islander has acquired citizenship through naturalization or has acknowledged allegiance to a foreign power or state through naturalization or taking an oath, service in foreign armed forces or through some other act and has not renounced that citizenship or renounced that allegiance, such a person would be disqualified under section 49(1(a) of the Constitution.
Regards,
Lister Dudley Lewis
Supervisor of Elections
Volkswagen plans 30,000 job cuts worldwide
Volkswagen has announced plans to cut 30,000 jobs worldwide with about 23,000 of the losses borne in Germany.
VW, still dealing with the aftermath of the emissions-cheating scandal, aims to rejuvenate its core brand, and develop new electric and self-driving cars.
VW says it will create 9,000 jobs as part of investments in new products.
The cuts should bring annual savings of €3.7bn (£3.2bn; $3.92bn) by 2020. VW and unions have been hammering out a plan to revive its fortunes since June.
Volkswagen chief executive, Matthias Mueller, said it was "the biggest modernisation programme in the history of the group's core brand".
"The VW brand needs a real shake-up and that is exactly what the future pact has turned out to be," he added.
The car giant - which employs 610,000 people in 31 countries - wants to increase the brand's profit margin from 2% to 4% and to do this it will need to improve productivity at its German plants by 25%.
It has 120,000 workers in Germany so the cuts represent a fifth of employees in its heartland.
Volkswagen has pledged there will be no compulsory redundancies and the top staff representative in Germany, Bernd Osterloh, said the new models would be built there: "The next generation of electric vehicles will be made here in Germany, not abroad."
Source-BBC
DDME Host GIS for Secondary School Students in Providenciales
The DDME will observe for the first time in Turks and Caicos Islands, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Day on Wednesday, 16th November 2016, at the DDME Conference Room, 1316 Customs Complex, Off Leeward Highway, Providenciales from 9:00am to 2:00pm. The media is encouraged to attend.
Geographic Information Systems or GIS Day is an international event that celebrates and recognize the innovative ways in which GIS technologies are used to provide increased efficiency and the delivery of critical services to citizens by government agencies and private corporations. This technology is employed to address problems and challenges in many critical areas including emergency response, environmental protection, health care, public works, zoning and land use, business site selection and many other areas.
In the TCI, students and teachers from the High Schools in Providenciales will be visiting DDME; which will be transformed into an interactive geography zone for a day of hands on learning. Activities are designed to show students practical applications for GIS and will feature displays by businesses that employ GIS in their daily operations. Businesses that will be featured at this event include: Fortis TCI, Provo Water Company, Department of Environment and Coastal Resources (DECR) and Survey & Mapping Department.
By observing GIS Day in Turks & Caicos, students will learn how the geography that they are learning in school and new technology can work together to save lives, monitor hazards and benefit society. It is DDME's objective to get students excited and open their eyes and mind to the possibilities of careers involving geography, disaster management and other areas in emergency response.
TCI RECOGNIZES World Diabetic Day
Monday November 14th the world observes World Diabetes Day. This year's theme is "Eye on Diabetes" and is as timely as any point of focus on this non communicable chronic disease. It is noted worldwide that half of the people who are living with diabetes remain untested and undiagnosed. This would mean that in any one place the number of people who have been screened and are aware of their condition represent only half of the community who are actually living with diabetes. This is a dangerous figure generally, yet when put in the context of our society it paints an even grimmer picture.
Diabetes is basically of two types, namely type one and type two. Type one occurs in less than ten percent of people diagnosed and sets in early in life, often in children or teens. Type two is the more prevalent and happens during adulthood. The body either doesn't have enough insulin produced or is unable to use it effectively. Insulin regulates our blood sugar levels and keeps our body's internal environment at a balanced level so we function without damaging our cells.
Our numbers currently show that we have diagnosed some 1506 people living with diabetes. Yet according to the calculation made before it means that we are actually looking at numbers closer to 3012. Due to the nature of diabetes which maintains either abnormally high or abnormally low blood sugar levels, there is tissue damage which takes place that changes one's life in a very permanent way. Many who are diabetic experience partial or complete loss of vision, loss of limps, liver and even kidney damage. The longer it takes to diagnose the condition the longer we can have damage done to our bodies that may be irreversible.
Our goal must be to keep an eye on diabetes by taking the steps we know that will diagnose early, help those diagnosed to treat with the condition effectively and effectively manage once a plan has been developed. For those who believe that it's inevitable because they have had a family history of it, we urge even greater vigilance. Though there are links to hereditary factors that point to likelihood, it's not an absolute and inevitable condition. With proper screening to detect, proper diet to keep our health in check and maintenance of exercise and good activity levels we can avoid, or stave off diabetes for a long time.
Join with us as we observe world diabetes day and keep the focus on keeping our community well taken care of. Let's live a healthier lifestyle that keeps the ability to avoid this debilitating condition or treat with it once detected early well within our grasp. Encourage family members and friends to stay vigilant and supportive as we keep an eye on diabetes.
TCI REMEMBRANCE DAY EVENTS SUNDAY 13th NOVEMBER 2015
The Turks and Caicos Islands will commemorate Allied, Commonwealth and British personnel who fought in the two world wars of the 20th Century and in subsequent conflicts, on Remembrance Day on Sunday, 13 November 2016.
His Excellency the Governor, Dr. John Freeman, will place a wreath at the War Memorials on Grand Turk and the Deputy Governor will lay a wreath at the War Memorial on Providenciales.
The Grand Turk Remembrance Day Service will be held at St. Mary’s Pro-Cathedral, Front Street, at 9:45am. Immediately following the service all uniform groups will attend the Ecumenical Service at Revival Faith Center – The Potters House.
The Providenciales Remembrance Day Service will be held at St. Monica’s Anglican Church, Leeward Highway, Providenciales, at 12:30 pm.
Other participating organizations that will also lay wreaths at each service include: the Hon. Premier; the Leader of the Opposition; TCI Ex-Serviceman Legion; the Commissioner of Police; TCIG Medical Department; the Scouts, Guides and Brownies; Rotary International; Soroptimists International and the Red Cross.
Reflecting on Remembrance Day the Governor said: 'Remembrance Day is a time for reflection. A time to recall with deep gratitude the sacrifices made by others on our behalf. A time for quiet prayer and thanksgiving.'
PDM on its Kick Off Campaign
The PDM is excited about the reception of its message rolled out around the Turks and Caicos Islands in its Kick Off Rallies and other events.
Last week, we were more than pleased with the attendance, spirit and responses at and to our 3 major Kick Off Rallies on Providenciales, North Caicos and Grand Turk.
"Our people are ready for change and it is evident that they are committed to achieving that on December 15, 2016. They have also welcomed the PDM's effort to lift the campaign from the doldrums and to keep their content issues related and centered. We promised the people of this country that we will share how we intend to uplift their spirits and to show them how we will improve their lives from day one. We are excited about our Team and our Message and Plans and this excitement has been buzzing up and down the length and breadth of the Turks and Caics Islands. There is more to come and our people are listening to the plans and listening to the agents for change because we are the superior team with superior plans. We will continue to keep issues centered and will condemn any other actions," says Party Leader, Hon Sharlene Cartwright Robinson.
Party Leader continued, "Tomorrow on November 16, 2016, a Press Statement will be delivered at our Party's Headquarters in Providenciales at 11am. We will announce the remainder of our Campaign Schedule and will invite you the people of these Islands to follow us and listen to real change presented by real change agents. Once our candidates are officially nominated on Friday, November 18, 2016, we will continue on the delivery of our message around the Islands with our constituency rallies."
She continued, "We are equally pleased with our first debate participant Hon Keno Forbes who last evening strongly articulated his and our Party's platform and vision very well. We are excited that young people are coming forward to share in the leadership of their country and are standing shoulder to shoulder and even above those who are senior. We are pleased with the reviews and the unprecedented excitement around this Debate.
We must however chide the PNP Chairman on his Release following the debate on which he made an issue of the fact that Hon Forbes does not reside in South Caicos and that this should be a prominent thought for consideration. Our response is simply that this is a desperate attempt to deflect voters from his vision and ability to bring real change to South Caicos and to discount the fact that though persons are not resident on a particular Island that they are not aware of the issues nor feel the pain of the people they continue to keep connected to. There are many persons who for lack of opportunities had to leave their Island home be it South Caicos or any of the Islands outside of Providenciales and to discount their ability to contribute because of the failure of his Party's Government in South Caicos over the past 40 years is nothing short of desperate. South Caicos has not fared off better for having representatives living on the Island and the record will reflect that. It is our Party's collective vision to reverse this so that there will be more persons who can remain at home be it in South Caicos, North Caicos, Middle Caicos, Grand Turk and yes even Salt Cay. "
Deputy Party Leader, Hon Sean Astwood stated, "We promised the people a campaign that they have never before experienced and I am pleased that the responses are positive to our brand and our message. We will not disappoint you the people and while others will resort to lies and personal attacks, we will continue to focus on what matters to you. We will focus on those bread and butter, around the table issues that will impact your life."