CARICOM concerned over Guyana’s failure to approve anti-money laundering legislation
The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat Tuesday said it was “deeply concerned” at the failure of Guyana to approve the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Act (AML/CFT).
In a statement, the Guyana-based CARICOM Secretariat said the regional grouping was “at the continuing delay in Guyana’s progress towards implementing recommendations to address deficiencies in its anti-money laundering regime.
“CARICOM calls on all parties involved in the process to take all necessary actions without further delay to have the necessary reforms implemented,” it said.
The Organization of American States (OAS) said it was offering to help Guyana ensure that it enacts legislation dealing with anti-money laundering and terrorism.
OAS Secretary General, José Miguel Insulza, has called for the “timely approval” the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Act (AML/CFT) in the Guyana Parliament.
Insulza said that passage of the legislation “should bring the country up to standard on these matters”.
Guyana, already blacklisted by the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF) faces the possibility of further sanctions after government claimed that the opposition were again withholding support for the AML/CFT Act.
Government chief whip, Gail Teixeira, said the opposition controlled National Assembly appears to have put the legislation on “pause” after it failed to agree on amendments to the AML/CFT.
“We are now on pause for 24 hours or 48 hours,” said, Teixeira, who is also chairperson of the parliamentary special select committee which is considering the amendments.
But the leader of the small opposition Alliance For Change (AFC), Khemraj Ramjattan, said his party would not support the amendments unless the government agreed to operationalise and establish the Public Procurement Commission.
The Paris-based International Financial Action task Force (IFAFT) is due to meet later this week to consider among a review of the implementation of measures taken by a number of countries to address deficiencies identified in the last round of mutual evaluation report.
The February 12-14 meeting will also discuss the identification of jurisdictions with strategic deficiencies in their AML/CFT system and a review of the progress made by jurisdictions that had been identified at the October 2013 Plenary.
Last November, the CFATF announced that it had blacklisted Guyana after the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country failed to approve legislation to combat money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism.
In its statement, CARICOM said that it “remains deeply concerned” that failure to pass the AML/CFT could result in action by the (CFATF) which could have an adverse impact on the Guyanese economy and by extension the CARICOM region as a whole.
“Any action that reduces the ease or increases the cost of processing international financial or trade transactions will adversely affect trade and financial flows in the Region, retard the regional integration enterprise, limit the opportunities for growth in Guyana and the Region and result in hardship for the people of Guyana .
“CARICOM therefore urges that this matter be speedily resolved, by enacting the relevant legislation, in the interest of the people of Guyana and the Community,” It added.
Source-Caribbean Media Corporation
Caribbean faces threat of biggest tsunami ever recorded
The Caribbean could be at risk from a mega-tsunami that scientists warn could devastate coastlines from Florida to Brazil following a volcanic eruption in the Canary Islands.
The monster wave generated by part of a mountain collapsing into the sea would be the biggest ever recorded and would be an unstoppable force, travelling at speeds of up to 500mph.
The massive wall of water would likely make first landfall on the West Saharan coast of Morocco, where the wave could measure as much as 330ft from trough to crest.
The greatest destruction was nevertheless expected in the built-up coastal areas of the Caribbean, Florida and Brazil, according to a new forecast by Dr Simon Day of the Benfield Greig Hazard Research Centre at University College London.
The tsunami could reach heights of 130ft to 164ft throughout the region and travel several miles inland, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake.
Earlier research by Dr Day had predicted that a future eruption of the Cumbre Vieja volcano in the Canary Islands was likely to cause the western flank of the mountain to slide into the sea.
Dr Day, working in conjunction with Dr Steven Ward of the University of California, has now produced an updated model that predicts more accurately the size of the tsunami and the areas it will impact.
The model predicts that after the landslide the tsunami would travel a distance of almost 155 miles in just 10 minutes and would reach the Caribbean and Florida in eight or nine hours.
The forecast goes on to predict that a wall of water 164ft high could smash into the coasts of the Caribbean and Florida, while Brazil’s northern coast could be hit by a wave more than 130ft high.
According to Dr Day: “The collapse will occur during some future eruption after days or weeks of precursory deformation and earthquakes.
“An effective earthquake monitoring system could provide advanced warning of a likely collapse and allow early emergency management organisations a valuable window of time in which to plan and respond.
“Eruptions of Cumbre Vieja occur at intervals of decades to a century or so and there may be a number of eruptions before its collapse. Although the year-to-year probability of a collapse is therefore low, the resulting tsunami would be a major disaster with indirect effects around the world.
“Cumbre Vieja needs to be monitored closely for any signs of impending volcanic activity and for the deformation that would precede collapse.”
Source-Caribbean 360
Italian PM Enrico Letta to tender resignation on Friday
Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta has said he will resign on Friday after his Democratic Party backed a call for a new administration.
Party leader Matteo Renzi had earlier called for a change of government at a party meeting, saying the country could not go on in "uncertainty".
Speculation has been rife that Mr Renzi wants to take over as prime minister.
He is eight years younger than Mr Letta and was elected leader of the party in December.
Mr Letta said in a statement that his decision followed "the decision taken today by the national leadership of the Democratic Party".
He said he would formally submit his resignation to President Giorgio Napolitano at the presidential palace on Friday.
Relations between Mr Letta and Mr Renzi had become increasingly fraught, the BBC's Alan Johnston reports from Rome.
The Democratic Party now hopes that Mr Renzi will be able to replace him, and form a new administration, correspondents added.
Mr Renzi has previously accused Mr Letta of a lack of action on improving the economy, with unemployment at its highest level in 40 years and the economy shrinking by 9% in seven years.
Correspondents say that although the prime minister has kept a careful lid on public expenditure, he has not been able to carry out much-needed administrative reforms and stimulate economic growth.
The latest political turmoil has so far had little impact on financial markets, in contrast with the volatility seen before the current coalition was formed.
Mr Letta did not attend Thursday's party meeting, which had been brought forward from next week.
At the meeting, Mr Renzi thanked Mr Letta for his "remarkable work" but said the country could not go on in "uncertainty".
He said his proposal - a new government to take over until the end of the current parliamentary term in 2018 - was a way out of the "morass"
Source-BBC
North, South Korea Resume Rare High-Level Talks
North and South Korea are holding a second round of high-level talks, with both sides looking for a compromise that would allow for the resumption of the reunion of families separated by the Korean War.
The talks Friday at the Panmunjom border village are a continuation of the highest level talks in seven years between the two foes, which technically remain in a state of war following their 1950s conflict.
At the first round of talks Wednesday, North Korea demanded Seoul and Washington delay joint military drills scheduled to occur around the same time as the family reunions later this month.
The North, which views the drills as preparations to invade, had previously called for the exercises to be cancelled. The U.S. and South Korea has said the drills are not aggressive in nature and must go on.
South Korean Unification Ministry spokesman Kim Eui-do on Friday echoed his government's position that the two issues remain separate.
"As we've already expressed several times, we reiterate the government's firm stance that the reunion of separated families and the U.S.-South Korean military drills are completely separate issues that cannot be linked," said Kim.
The war drills, known as Key Resolve and Foal Eagle, are set to begin February 24 and last for weeks. The family reunions are scheduled to occur between February 20-25.
In addition to its concern over the drills, the North also wants to resume lucrative South Korean tours to its Mount Kumgang resort area.
This is the first time senior North and South Korean officials have met since 2007.
The meeting was requested by Pyongyang, which has recently signaled it is ready to improve ties.
However, the South has insisted it will not do so unless North Korea agrees to take steps towards dismantling its nuclear weapons program.
It is not known whether the nuclear issue was among the topics to be discussed at this week's talks.
Source-VOA
Kerry in China Seeking Help in Easing Nuclear Tensions with N. Korea
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has arrived in Beijing for talks aimed at encouraging Chinese leaders to put more pressure on ally North Korea to end its nuclear weapons program.
Kerry arrived in the Chinese capital early Friday from South Korea, where he met Thursday with South Korea's president and foreign minister. The meeting followed the first-high-level talks earlier this week between North and South Korea in seven years.
In Seoul, Kerry told reporters China has a unique and critical role in persuading Pyongyang to resume talks on its nuclear program. He acknowledged Beijing's help in recent months, but said China can do more as the leading supplier of fuel and banking services to North Korea.
In the absence of the so-called six-party talks, which the North quit in 2009, Pyongyang has rebuilt some of its nuclear facilities and alarmed a host of regional and Western governments with several underground nuclear tests.
Washington has been critical of what it sees as China's attempts to gain control over contested parts of the East and South China Seas. Last week U.S. officials called on China to clarify or amend its vast maritime claims, suggesting they may be inconsistent with international law.
The Asia trip is Kerry's fifth visit to the region since becoming the top U.S. diplomat last year. In addition to South Korea and China, he visits Indonesia on Saturday.
In Indonesia, the last leg of Kerry's trip, he is set to deliver a major speech on climate change. Analysts say the archipelago nation is especially vulnerable to climate change.
From Jakarta, Kerry heads Monday to the United Arab Emirates to meet Gulf leaders on Iran nuclear talks, Syria's civil war and Middle East peace talks.
Some have accused the White House of focusing on the Middle East at the expense of its so-called economic and military "pivot" to Asia.
Source-VOA
Mali Arrests Ex-Defense Chief over Paratrooper Killings
Authorities in Mali have arrested the country's former defense minister, General Yamoussa Camara, in connection with the killings of 21 paratroopers loyal to ousted president Amadou Toumani Toure.
Details of the charges were not immediately clear Thursday. But Reuters news agency quotes a senior military official alleging that Camara tried to cover up the April 2012 killings.
Authorities arrested Mali's former junta leader General Amadou Sanogo last November and charged him with murder and assassination in connection with the deaths. Sanogo led the March 2012 coup that toppled former president Toure.
The bodies of the missing "Red Beret" soldiers were found late last year in a mass grave near the capital, Bamako. Authorities say they were killed during a counter-coup attempt one month after the rebellion was launched.
After seizing power, Sanogo named Camara defense minister, a post he held until Sanogo handed power last year to a transitional government. Under the transition agreement, Camara then served as a senior adviser to the interim presidency.
The 2012 coup caused instability in Mali and allowed al-Qaida-linked Islamists to seize the country's north. The militants were driven from major Malian cities during a French-led intervention in 2013.
Efforts are now under way to re-establish order under newly-elected President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita.
Massive Winter Storm Hits US Atlantic Coast
Millions in the eastern United States are digging out while a million more in the South are in the dark after a huge winter storm moved across the eastern third of the country.
The storm hit the southeast Wednesday and moved up the Atlantic coast Thursday into New England.
More than 30 centimeters of snow fell on parts of the the mid-Atlantic, closing down the federal government and schools, and grounding thousands of flights.
In the normally mild south, ice is the problem, bringing down trees and power lines. About 1 million homes and businesses in Georgia and the Carolinas have no electricity.
The storm is blamed for at least 12 deaths.
This has been an unusually harsh winter in the United States, with deadly cold in the Midwest, rare ice storms in the South, and the most snow the East has seen in several years.
TCI COMMITS TO REDUCED CARBON EMMISSIONS & LOWER ELECTRICITY COSTS THROUGH ALTERNATIVE & RENEWABLE ENERGY
History was made yesterday during the fourth Meeting of the Cabinet when the Government of the Turks and Caicos Islands, under the leadership of Premier, Dr. Rufus Ewing, further demonstrated its commitment to move the Turks and Caicos Islands towards alternative, renewable and cost-effective energy sources and away from that of the, now extremely costly, dependency on fossil fuel.
A Post-Cabinet Release on the Cabinet meeting, held in Providenciales yesterday, commented that Cabinet discussed and agreed to put forth the Draft Revised Energy Policy for wider consultation.
(Cabinet) Considered the Turks and Caicos Islands Draft Energy Policy including establishment of an Energy Council. The overarching objective of the policy is to reduce the cost of electricity and to improve energy security and environmental sustainability. Cabinet approved the policy for public consultation prior to final adoption. This follows the Turks and Caicos Islands expression of interest to join the ten island challenge, an initiative of the Carbon War Room, which supports the Government's plans to move towards renewable energy sources.
Excerpt from Governor’s Office Post-Cabinet Press Release
This comes on the heels of several Caribbean Governments recent signing, and agreement, to the implementation of alternative and renewable energy sources in their respective countries in the not-too-distant future, not least among them was the Turks and Caicos Islands.
At what has been deemed a total success, last week Ministers and other heads of Governments throughout the Caribbean gathered in Tortola, British Virgin Islands for a week-long meeting, organised by the Carbon War Room, a non for profit organization chaired by Sir Richard Branson, founder and chairman of the Virgin Group. Our Governor, H. E. Peter Beckingham and Hon. George Lightbourne, Minister of Government Support Services were present to represent the Turks and Caicos Islands.
Among the many topics discussed was the astronomically high electricity costs faced by the residents and business owners of the Turks & Caicos Islands. While the outrageous costs came as a shock to most, Sir Richard Branson asserted that there is still hope for savings, “Islands in the Caribbean have extremely high electricity costs and the new renewable projects could help reduce those costs.
The highlight of the week was the signing of an agreement by four Caribbean Countries, namely St. Lucia, St. Kitts-Nevis, the British Virgin Islands and the Turks and Caicos Islands, demonstrating their commitment to the implementation and use of alternative and renewable sources of energy like solar, wind and the earth’s heat for the generation of electricity.
This comes amid on-going negotiations between the Turks and Caicos Islands Government and Fortis TCI, the country’s sole provider of electricity. In recent years, due to the soaring and often unpredictable costs of the world’s fuel energy, residents have been hit with a staggering account for the Fuel Factor, which often equates some ninety-eight percent of electricity watt usage and a whopping forty-eight percent of the total monthly bill.
The benefits to the production of a renewable energy source plant in the Turks and Caicos Islands are tremendous and through its implementation, the Government aims to reduce consumer costs and corporate expenditure, while also creating significant opportunities for the unemployed through the creation of “green jobs” thereby freeing up resources for the advancement of entrepreneurship and capital investment in other much-needed social programs by the public sector.
Several other Caribbean countries have already begun the work to reduce dependency on fossil fuel by introducing programs engineered and steered by the Carbon War Room. Among them is Aruba who committed to being fossil-free by 2020 and has already seen a reduction in annual energy costs by US$80M after only five years.
This year will see the commencement of efforts in the Turks and Caicos Islands, as we focus on the Island of West Caicos which has the potential for solar, wind, ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) and other Green technologies. This is according to Jonathan O’Dea, Senior Representative for Kew Capital, developers of the 24 sq. kilometre site.
On returning to the country, Governor Beckingham commented that while the road ahead would be challenging, “we (Government) must work closely with utility Fortis to see how we and they can build on their initial plans for solar and wind power."
When asked for his thoughts on alternative energy for the Turks and Caicos Islands, Hon. Lightbourne stated, “I am determined that we should see the introduction of alternative energy generation and believe this initiative will have a positive impact across the entire social spectrum and reduce operational overhead for the public and private sector(s) alike.”
The exploration of renewable energy which began in earnest in 2011 with a draft policy being developed by Fortis TCI in collaboration with the Interim Government, was revived just last year after a return to elected Government. The Premier, Dr. Rufus Ewing, along with Minister of Finance, Hon. Washington Misick and Minister of Government Support Services (GSS) Hon. George Lightbourne, met with the Heads of Fortis TCI, to discuss the Turks and Caicos energy sector and in particular the high cost of electricity, and left with Fortis’s agreement to support Government’s initiatives to introduce alternative energy sources and Government’s commitment to develop a new Energy Policy including renewable energy strategies.
GOVERNOR CHAIRS NEW CRIMINAL JUSTICE ADVISORY GROUP
His Excellency the Governor, Peter Beckingham, chaired the first meeting of the new Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) Criminal Justice Advisory Group at his official residence Waterloo, Grand Turk, on Tuesday, 11 February 2014.
The purpose of the group is to enhance and promote the safety and well-being of the Turks and Caicos Islands’ society through the effective and efficient administration and development of criminal justice.
Its specific aims are to advise the Governor on the implementation of his constitutional roles in relation to criminal justice, including:
• The crime reduction strategy for the TCI
• Sentencing and non-custodial options (e.g. restorative justice, community service, electronic tagging, community re-integration
• Rehabilitation initiatives (e.g. parole, probation, Rehabilitation of Offenders Act)
• Juvenile Justice Issues
• Interventions for the mentally ill
• Victim and Witness Support
• Training and Professional Development for officials
Governor Peter Beckingham said: “This new group will provide an opportunity to consider some of the most important strategic issues relating to the administration of criminal justice in this country. Our first meeting allowed me to gather a range of views relating to juvenile justice which I found stimulating and informative.”
The Group decided it should meet about every four months, and to consider particular topics of interest across the criminal justice system.
The current members of the Group consists of:
1. Governor Peter Beckingham
2. Representative of the Premier’s Office (to be finalised)
3. Attorney General (acting) Rhondalee Knowles
4. Director of Public Prosecutions JoAnn Meloche
5. Chief Justice Edwin Goldsbrough
6. Member of the Judiciary/Senior Court staff (to be finalised)
7. Commissioner of Police Colin Farqhuar
8. Superintendent of Prisons Ian Sargent
9. Director of Social Development (to be finalised)
10. National Youth Director Angela Musgrove
TCIG Begins Consultations on Draft National Emergency Plans
The Government of the Turks and Caicos is set to begin the development of national emergency plans in an effort to enhance the country’s capabilities toward preparedness and response to natural and man-made threats.
As part of the process, the Department of Disaster Management and Emergencies (DDME) has partnered with Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) to address the existing gaps in disaster risk management planning by engaging a team of consultants to guide the development of draft emergency plans for designated priority areas. The project is being funded under CDEMA’s Comprehensive Disaster Management / Harmonised Implementation Programme (CDM/HIP) Country Directed Fund.
The development of these emergency plans is in keeping with the national focus on Comprehensive Disaster Management (CDM) in conjunction with the Turks and Caicos Islands Country Work Programme. The initiative is one of several to fine-tune TCI’s national disaster plans as well as to formulate a strategy for transitioning to the development of sectoral disaster risk management plans and related Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) that will hone preparedness and response interventions.
The DDME has identified the need for standardised procedures and guidelines for managing and coordinating response efforts. While TCIG has a comprehensive commitment to enhancing national capacity for disaster risk reduction, the areas listed below have been prioritised in this initial phase are:
1. National Disaster Risk Management Plan (to be reviewed and updated)
2. National Damage Assessment Plan
3. Maritime / Cruise Ship Accident Plan
4. Oil Spill Contingency Plan (to be reviewed and updated)
5. Port Contingency Plan
6. External Affairs Plan
The consultancies will also assist in the development of :
1. Procedures for cooperation with stakeholders both government –based and as well as the private sector and in some instances with international organisations and governments of other countries during a threatened hazard alert or in the event or aftermath of a disaster and or emergency.
2. Procedures clarifying the roles and responsibilities required to execute the emergency function prior to, during and after a hazard specific national crisis, emergency or disaster will form the core of the plan.
The consultants are Arturo Lopez Portillo Contreras, specialist in National Disaster and Damage Assessment Plans and Dr. Balfour Spence whose specialty includes among other things the development of National Oil Spill and Port Contingency Plan. Others include Mr. Jamell Robinson, the team leader; Ms. Heather Stager, specialist in community-based vulnerability assessments and Mr. Paul Saunders a specialist in Maritime / Cruise Ship Accident Plans.
Key stakeholders in TCI’s Disaster Management Organisation will also contribute to the development of more robust plans that aim to enhance capacities to manage impacts from the any of several hazards that threaten the Turks and Caicos Islands.