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NEWS IN BRIEF
Top News in the Print Media: The Jamaica Information Service,
The Gleaner & The Observer
From the Public Relations Department, Jamaica Information Service
Wednesday, September 3, 2003
The Ferry rides again
The Gleaner: Members of the public won't have to 'wave' the ferry goodbye as an 11th hour attempt by Port Royal residents and Member of Parliament Phillip Paulwell to save the ferry has ensured its resurrection within the next two weeks.
Riding the swell of pro-ferry public opinion, the Port Authority of Jamaica (PAJ) has donated one of the 45-foot vessels to the community of Port Royal. A co-operative, which will be formed soon under the auspices of Member of Parliament Phillip Paulwell, will oversee operational responsibilities for the vessel.
"It's really a gift to the people of Port Royal from the Port Authority for them to utilise the service. We are going to start off using the ferry for three days per week, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays to help the market people, and if it proves viable, we are prepared to see a full resumption of the service," Mr. Paulwell told The Gleaner, yesterday.
"We will be seeking sponsorship in the short-term, but it will have to be on its own soon because we cannot subsidise it fully."
Minister Paulwell unveiled big plans for the 'born-again' ferry.
"I want to transform the ferry into a Jolly Roger vessel, and have the people who man it dressing up as buccaneers," he said. "I want to use the ferry as a marketing tool to help kick-start the $100 million Port Royal project, and we are presently in discussions with professional investors to do just that."
Gastro-enteritis on the decline
The Gleaner: The rate of infection in the gastro-enteritis outbreak that gripped the country and claimed nine young lives in south eastern Jamaica is now on the decline.
Figures obtained from the Ministry of Health indicate that there has been a 14 per cent decrease in total cases reported in children under five, for the week ending August 15. This, when compared to the previous week, ending August 8. Furthermore, there has been an even greater decrease in cases involving children five years and older.
"There has been a 29 per cent decrease in those cases," Shermaine Robotham, public relations officer in the Health Ministry, told The Gleaner on Monday. This is also when compared to the cases reported in the previous week.
In July, the Ministry revealed that eight children had died after being infected by the rotavirus, the cause of viral gastro-enteritis or 'running belly'. In addition to the mortality rate, the Ministry was also concerned by the unusual surfacing of the rotavirus in the warm, summer months. Bacterial gastro-enteritis, caused by either salmonella or shigella, is the more common infection seen in the summer.
Patterson pushes for fund to fight poverty
The Gleaner: Prime Minister P.J. Patterson has thrown his support behind an international drive for small island developing states, such as Jamaica and others in the Caribbean, to get a fair share of a major facility to channel funding to halt and correct the degradation of land and the worsening of poverty that results.
He has urged the United Nations Convention to Combat Decertification (UNCCD), now holding its 6th conference in Havana, Cuba to set up a mechanism for this financing flow as well as for providing technical assistance to poor and vulnerable countries.
"If we are to deal with the issues of land degradation in any meaningful way, we need to remain focused on attracting financial and technical assistance, including support for technology transfer and capacity building," Mr. Patterson said. He added that, "Ja-maica urges this conference to accept the offer of the Global Environmental Facility to become a financial mechanism to this Convention."
The Prime Minister told the conference, which heard contributions from Heads of Government from countries in the Caribbean, South America and Africa, that the loss of land and the spread of dry and desert conditions were closely related to other problems such as urbanisation, natural disasters resulting from climate change and the inability of countries to feed their populations.
He noted that while the Caribbean was once famous for its large plantations, declining productivity from land resources now made it one of the most food insecure regions in the world.
He summed up the major challenges now facing the islands as including how to produce enough food to feed their own people, how to arrest the alarming rate of land degradation and how to reverse the spread of rapid urbanisation.
Poverty reduced by almost 50 % - Patterson
The Observer: PRIME Minister P J Patterson told a UN conference in Cuba yesterday that Jamaica had reduced its poverty level by close to 50 per cent in the last decade, mainly through a co-ordinated multi-agency approach that emphasised education, sustainable natural resource management and economic empowerment of its people.
Patterson told the conference that this accomplishment was bolstered by the establishment a national policy and programme for poverty eradication, that was in keeping with national needs and international commitments.
"But the fight against poverty can never end until each citizen enjoys the right to decent shelter, adequate nutrition, access to proper health care and acceptable levels of education in a competitive global economy," the prime minister said.
The prime minister was sharing Jamaica's ongoing initiatives to halt land degradation, eradicate poverty and encourage sustainable development with other heads of government including Prime Ministers Ralph Gonzalves and Keith Mitchell of St Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada respectively, Cuban President Fidel Castro, President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela, President of Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe and several other African leaders.
New regulations for export goods
The Gleaner: In just three months, local food manufacturers and distributors will have to meet new requirements to produce for and export goods to the United States.
As of December 12, 2003, the United States' Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will implement new regulations, mandated by the US Public Health Security and Bio-terrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002.
According to a Monday statement from the US Embassy in Kingston, currently included in the new measures are the "registration of domestic or foreign food facilities that manufacture, process, pack or hold food for human or animal consumption in the US", as well as prior notification to the FDA "of food imported or offered for import into the US"
The US Embassy also said that "information that must be included and retained in records that would identify the immediate previous sources and immediate subsequent recipients of food" will be specified.
"A fourth regulation identifies procedures under which the FDA would administratively detain food that presents a serious health threat to humans or animals," the Embassy said.
When registering, the owners, operators or agents of food facilities will be required to provide information, such as the name and address of each facility, and the categories of food the facility handles. After completing registration via the Internet, the individual will receive immediate confirmation of registration as well as the facility's registration number.
Registration can also be performed, though at a slower pace, by mail, the Embassy added.
Money for AIDS
The Gleaner: The Jamaica AIDS Support (JAS) yesterday received a US$10,000 donation from the Jamaican Women of Washington (JWoW), which will allow for an improvement in the support and services it delivers to locals living with HIV/AIDS.
The cheque was handed over by chair of JWoW, Dr. Jacqueline Watson, President of Health Concepts International, at a function at the JAS' headquarters in St. Andrew.
JWoW is a charity organisation formed mainly by Jamaican women based in Washington D.C., United States of America.
Dr. Watson, who is a family and general practitioner, explained that the JAS was targeted for support because of the extensive work it had been doing in assisting people living with HIV/AIDS and given the prevalence and effects of HIV/AIDS in the Caribbean. She explained that the JAS was chosen through a rigorous selection process based on applications received.
"We wanted an organisation that was in business for a minimum of three years and most importantly, demonstrated strong fiscal management and we found that in Jamaica AIDS Support," Dr. Watson noted.
NWA terminates six road contracts
The Gleaner: The National Works Agency (NWA) has terminated agreements with six contractors for poor quality work done on the island's roads, since the beginning of the year.
Ivan Anderson, Chief Executive Officer of the NWA made the disclosure at the seventh annual general meeting of the Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF), held recently at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel in New Kingston.
The CEO said that the Agency was insisting on getting value for money. "Value for money means roads being done on budget, on time and most importantly, in keeping with the specifications that we set out to achieve," he stated.
The CEO pointed out that in order to achieve this, "it cannot be business as usual."
Mr. Anderson emphasised that it could not be acceptable for contractors to provide poor service and to continue to obtain work from the Government of Jamaica. "So we have set out to ensure that contractors who perform poorly have their contracts terminated, and over the past few months we have seen a number of announcements about contractors being terminated for poor performance."
He noted that the NWA had been embarking on a strong quality assurance programme, which involved getting the best staff to implement their projects, retraining staff, and supervising the projects. He added that the programme included the testing of materials, noting that to date, the agency had conducted some 5,000 tests on materials to verify that they are in keeping with specifications.
New bond sways local dollar
The Gleaner: Financial market analysts believe Government's US dollar indexed bond issue which opened yesterday helped to create some instability in the foreign exchange market over the past few days, but said it was returning to normal.
The Jamaican dollar, which has been trading at $59 to US$1 for some time, reached a high of $59.51 on Monday and appeared to be inching towards the $60 mark. However, at the end of trading yesterday, the Bank of Jamaica reported an average weighted selling rate of $59.48 for the US dollar, a gain of three cents on the previous day's.
Earle Harriott, a member of the Cambio Dealers Association of Jamaica, said judging from yesterday's trading activities, the local currency appeared to be stabilising and he had no doubt it would not depreciate significantly at this time.
The Bank of Jamaica was reported to have intervened in the foreign exchange again yesterday after staying out on Monday.
However, Mr. Harriot explained that the movement in the Jamaican dollar was somewhat anticipated as the 11.75 per cent US dollar indexed bond issue was expected to mop up US dollar liquidity and create a shortage.
In addition, he said, "we are coming up to the time of year when US dollars have always been in short supply" because it is the time when merchants seek to restock in anticipation of the upcoming Christmas season.
Dozens seek job with Portmore Municipal Council
The Observer: The newly established Portmore Municipal Council has been receiving dozens of applications for various jobs available at the council, according to the mayor of Portmore, George Lee.
"Even before the posts were advertised in the newspapers on Sunday, we had been receiving a steady stream of applications... we expect these to increase and I am very heartened to see how many persons, both those residing within and outside the municipality, are eager to be involved in its work," Lee told the Observer.
He said, however, that the emphasis is on finding qualified persons for positions in the areas of financial management, revenue generation, civil engineering, administration and physical and environmental management and planning. "It would be ideal to find that the most qualified persons live in the municipality, but we are not sacrificing quality for residency," added the mayor.
Home to some 160,000 persons, Portmore is now responsible for local financing and regulating functions including street lighting, road and drain maintenance, solid waste management, beautification, town planning and public order -- duties formerly carried out by the St Catherine Parish Council.
2 Jamaican firms get EU, CARIFORUM, Agri-business grant
The Observer: Two grants in agri-business marketing in Jamaica will tomorrow be presented to two local firms by Ambassador of the European Union, Gerd Jarchow.
The grants, totalling US$80,000, are the first to be approved under the joint CARIFORUM-European Union Research and Training Fund (CARTF), which supports agri-businesses in the small and medium sectors.
Ambassador Jarchow will hand over the cheques to A-Z Information Jamaica Limited and Profitable Corporate Solutions Limited, putting them in a position to finance the establishment of marketing information systems to push their agri-businesses.
The Jamaican companies went to the head of the line, becoming the first to get approval under the CARTF Management Information Projects, which was launched last October to reverse the shortcomings in marketing agricultural products in the Caribbean's small and medium agricultural sectors.
CARTF-MIP is part of a larger project to which the European Union has committed 4.6 million euro to promote agribusiness development in the 15 member-countries of CARIFORUM, the regional grouping of countries which have signed international trade and aid pacts with the European Union.
Tax Committee grants relief of GCT on some items
JIS: The Tax Measures Committee of the House has granted relief from the payment of general consumption tax (GCT) on some printed materials, fishing equipment and medical supplies.
The Committee was established to examine the measures to help bridge the budget deficit as outlined by Finance and Planning Minister, Dr. Omar Davies, at the beginning of fiscal 2003/04. Interest groups were invited to make submissions to the Committee outlining viable alternatives to the tax measures.
As such, all books, including novels, magazines, children’s picture books, printed music and maps, have been zero-rated. However, GCT of 15 per cent still applies to newspapers.
A deferment scheme, which was put in place for the importation of books and periodicals that were previously subjected to GCT, is no longer necessary and will be discontinued. The scheme allows importers to have a smooth cash flow by deferring their payment of tax at Customs.
The Committee further decided to zero-rate fishing apparatus used by commercial fishermen, including outboard motors with power rating up to a maximum of 75 horse power (hp).
Items added to the list of zero-rated medical supplies include diagnostic reagents used in the testing of dextrose, glucose, protein and ketones in the body as well as urine; surgical gloves; artificial breathing apparatus and disposable diapers for persons with loose bowels.
The move to grant relief to these medical supplies is in addition to a decision taken previously to zero-rate all ‘List 4’ or prescription drugs. The tax committee further decided to exempt the services of private hospitals and diagnostic laboratories from the payment of tax. A decision is to be made regarding the addition of other over-the-counter drugs to the list of exempted items.
All tax relief measures are to take effect immediately.
Government expediting processing of documents
JIS: Effective September 1, 2003 arrangements entered into by credit unions, no longer have to be submitted to the stamp office for exemption notations to be placed on the relevant documents.
Minister of Development, Dr. Paul Robertson, made this announcement today (Sept. 2) at a press briefing on the work and progress of the Regulations, Legislation and Process Improvement Project (Regs and Legs) being implemented by his Ministry.
He explained that documents substantiating agreements between credit unions and their members, requiring registration at agencies such as the Registrar of Titles, the Registrar of Companies and Registrar-General’s Department, would now be submitted directly to the respective agencies for registration. By law, credit unions are exempt from the payment of stamp duties.
A similar arrangement has also been agreed to with licensed financial services institutions. Under this arrangement, these institutions will no longer submit documents to the stamp office for assessment and stamping. The institutions will now calculate the stamp duties applicable to documents evidencing loans to be granted to customers and remit the required duties to the Commissioner at the end of each month. The financial services institutions will sign the required agreements with the Commissioner during this month.
“The result of these arrangements will be a substantial reduction in the number of documents submitted to the stamp office, thereby allowing for a more expeditious processing of those documents which must be submitted to that office,” Dr. Robertson said, pointing out that benefits to the credit unions and financial services institutions would include a shorter documentation registration period with the elimination of one step in the process. This, he added would facilitate a shorter period from loan applications to loan disbursements.
8 get UK scholarships
The Observer: Eight young Jamaican professionals were awarded scholarships to study in the United Kingdom for the 2003/4 academic year.
The awardees, who had applied for the annual Chevening Scholarship Awards, were chosen from a field of more than 300 graduates.
Major David Cummings of the Jamaica Defence Force, who is one of the eight awardees, received a special scholarship, funded by the British High Commission.
All eight awardees will travel to the UK for the start of their courses in the next few weeks, and High Commissioner Peter Mathers will on Thursday host a farewell reception in their honour.
The Jamaican Chevening Scholars for 2003/4 are:
Samuel Blake - MSc in Criminology - Leicester University; Kirk Brown - MSc Environment & Development - Manchester University; Yvonne Chin - MA Television Journalism - Nottingham Trent University; Lorraine Smith - LLM in UK Human Rights & Public Law - Essex University; Jennifer Walker-Brown - MSc/PGC Forensic Psychology - Glasgow Caledonian University; Dale Bent - MSc Urban Governance for Development - Birmingham University.
Joint Chevening University of Nottingham Developing Solutions scholarship 2003/4 - Tracy Simone Falconer - MSc Molecular Medical Microbiology - Nottingham University
British High Commission - funded 2003/4 - Major David Cummings - MA in Defence - Cranfield University
British Chevening Scholarships are offered in more than 150 countries and enable talented graduates and young professionals to become familiar with the UK and gain skills, which will benefit their countries.
Jarrett returns to capture gold
The Gleaner: Jamaican sprinter Patrick Jarrett made a welcome return to the track after a two-year absence to strike gold at yesterday's IAAF/Goteborg Grand Prix meeting in Sweden.
The Jamaican, who was missing in action after he was found guilty of drug abuse, took the 100m sprint in 10.35 seconds. He finished ahead of the Swedish pair of Patrik Lovgren (10.69) and Aham Okeke (10.80).
Jarrett, 25, was found guilty of a doping offence under Sections 55.2 and 60.1 of the International Amateur Athletic Federation (IAAF) rules. He tested positive for the banned substance stanozolol at the National Championships in June 2001 and had to serve a two-year ban from the sport.
This is the same substance Jamaican-born Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson was guilty of taking at the Seoul, South Korea Olympics of 1988.
Jarrett was tested after finishing second to Chris Williams in the 100m at the 2001 Jamaican National Championships to earn himself a place in the team for the coming World Championships in Edmonton, Canada.
Currency
Selling rate:
US$1 = J$59.48
Cdn$1 = J$42.62
GBP = J$93.01
Contact: Angela Hamilton
For further information about any of these news items,contact the Public Relations Department at [email protected].<br />The Jamaica Information Service web page address is www.jis.gov.jm
Telephone: (876) 929-1919 / 926-3590-8,
Fax: (876) 926-6715
COMMENTARY
Wednesday, September 3, 2003
THE OBSERVER
Endorsing JCF’s Use of Force Initiative
The Jamaican police are often criticised for human rights abuses and it would be the most intransigent and myopic officer who would claim that much of it was not deserved. Far too much, in our view.
The good thing is that attitudes are changing. We sense an attempt on the part of the leadership of the constabulary to reform the force and modernise its practices so as to win back the trust and respect of the Jamaican people.
This, of course, is no easy job. Indeed, organisational cultures are not easily changed. And in the case of the Jamaica Constabulary Force, the attempt is to undo what has emerged from decades of practice: a paramilitary organisation that is largely distant from the people it is sworn to serve and protect.
Policing in Jamaica is not now a matter of consent between the citizenry and the constabulary. Little by little, however, we see initiatives which give us confidence that the situation is retrievable.
A case in point is the disclosure on Monday by Assistant Commissioner Alrick Lecky, that the police have agreed on a new policy on the use of force, which, when implemented, should result in fewer complaints against the force. The policy, according to Mr Lecky, who is in charge of the police's Corporate Strategy Co-ordination Unit, is now before the national security minister, Dr Peter Phillips, for ratification.
We look forward to the publication of the full document but are encouraged by Mr Lecky's promise of its basis in accountability -- on the part of the individual officer and the constabulary in general -- and respect for the rights of citizens in accordance with the constitution of Jamaica.
Of course, the major focus of most Jamaicans with regard to this policy is likely to be on the use of deadly force, given the past criticism of the police for alleged extra-judicial killings and indiscriminate use of firearms.
It is important, therefore, that Mr Lecky highlighted the fact that the policy demands the annual retraining and certification of police officers in the use of guns, and placed emphasis on the circumstances under which firearms should be discharged. There is, it seems, a call to restraint, without seeking to put the police or citizens in undue danger. The police officer is expected to be a rational, thinking person rather than an automaton with a gun extended from its mechanical hand.
But while, in the circumstance, it is the use of firearms and deadly force that will grab public attention, we note too that Mr Lecky was keen to point out that the new policy speaks to the use of force in general. Critical to this is the everyday interaction between the police and citizens in ordinary law enforcement situations.
"Our mission as law enforcement officials is to ensure that we execute our functions in such a manner that we do not infringe the rights of others," Mr Lecky said.
In other words, jack-booted intolerance has no place in the future. The police have not only declared their commitment to this ideal, but have signalled a willingness to be held accountable by the watchdogs of the society, including human rights groups.
It was not so long ago that the police saw these groups as irritants. But, according to Mr Lecky, they are now viewed as playing an important role in law enforcement for their activism and help to remind the constabulary of its accountability to the citizenry.
These new turns by the police will not all be embraced by the entire force. In many instances the leadership will have to fight an uphill battle for acceptance. If the High Command is serious, as we sense they are, then they must give to quarter for the cause is right.
Except for the views expressed in the columns above, the articles published on this page do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of the Jamaica Observer.
THE GLEANER
A Grave Security Risk
THE WARNING by Education Minister, Mrs. Maxine Henry-Wilson, in her television address to the nation, that no primary school student should be charged fees or barred from enrolment for non-payment of contributions requested by individual schools from parents, is surely a policy that the ministry itself should stand ready to enforce. Enlisting parents as a backup, although a pragmatic step, seems to suggest some degree of management slackness in the bureaucracy of the ministry, a lack of centralised control and proper forward planning.
The late distribution of textbooks used in the primary school system is a case in point. Apparently, this is an annual occurrence, part of the crisis that affects the opening of the new school term every September. The textbook issue is somewhat confused this year because the authorities, instead of having the books printed locally as had long been the practice, awarded the contract to an overseas company at a slight savings in cost. It appears, however, that the overseas supplier will be as late as the local printers in making the books available to the schools because, according to Mr. Edwin Thomas of the Ministry, that contract was awarded too late, for on-time delivery.
What is particularly irritating is the attitude of ministry officials like Mr. Thomas, who try to explain away the problem by pointing out that the lateness of textbooks is nothing new, as if this excuses its occurrence in the first place. Since 1984, free textbooks have been provided by government to all primary school children, some two million books this year at a cost of $51 million, covering subjects in mathematics, language arts and reading, science and social studies. They are, thus, the basic tools for conveying knowledge from teacher to pupil, a process which is disrupted when some schools do not get their allocation of books until October or November of the new school year.
Regardless of where the order for textbooks is placed, what matters from an administrative point of view is ensuring that the books get to the school on time. No excuse is acceptable for failure to do so. The fact that late delivery is a recurring decimal in the system is symptomatic of a cavalier attitude to performance responsibility, one that is all too prevalent in our national life.
MAJOR RICHARD Reese, recently-appointed head of the correctional service, has drawn public attention to the overcrowding in Jamaica's prisons, now with a population of 4,100 inmates in facilities designed for 2,700. What is worse, the Tower Street Adult Correctional Centre, which was designed to hold 650 persons, now houses 1,741 inmates, nearly three times more than it should. The situation, we suspect, is equally critical in police station remand centres. With crime continuing on the rampage, the nation will shortly face another emergency in dealing with convicted felons. In America, the ratio of prison inmates to 100,000 of general population is 244, compared with a ratio of 148 in Jamaica but the facilities in the United States are more numerous and many times the size of ours.
Overcrowded prisons present a grave security risk as witness the recent escape from the Denham Town Remand Centre of three dangerous criminals, just one in a series of breakouts from prisons and remand centres that over the years have been an embarrassment to the police and prison authorities and a source of anxiety for citizens. Government, recognising the gravity of the problem, has announced plans to build a new modern prison but so far has been unable to come up with the finance for its construction. The hope had been that private sector funds could be sourced for the capital costs involved.
Attempts have been made to mitigate the overcrowding problem by a policy of early release of prisoners being held for minor offences to make space for prisoners convicted of serious crimes. We agree with this policy, especially when it is applied to inmates incarcerated for smoking ganja or in possession of a few spliffs. But this early release policy or less custodial sentencing can only be taken so far. Eventually we will run out of prison space for hardcore prisoners who, in overcrowded cells, know how to break out almost at will. This situation is compounded by the present uneasy relationship with prison warders resulting from Government's justified attempt to deal with corruption in the service but which was so heavy handed it probably did as much harm as good.
Major Reese has a major challenge on his hands and we urge Government to give him the reasonable resources he needs to get the job done.
THE OPINIONS ON THIS PAGE, EXCEPT FOR THE ABOVE, DO NOT NECESSARILY REFLECT THE VIEWS OF THE GLEANER.
Top News in the Print Media: The Jamaica Information Service,
The Gleaner & The Observer
From the Public Relations Department, Jamaica Information Service
Wednesday, September 3, 2003
The Ferry rides again
The Gleaner: Members of the public won't have to 'wave' the ferry goodbye as an 11th hour attempt by Port Royal residents and Member of Parliament Phillip Paulwell to save the ferry has ensured its resurrection within the next two weeks.
Riding the swell of pro-ferry public opinion, the Port Authority of Jamaica (PAJ) has donated one of the 45-foot vessels to the community of Port Royal. A co-operative, which will be formed soon under the auspices of Member of Parliament Phillip Paulwell, will oversee operational responsibilities for the vessel.
"It's really a gift to the people of Port Royal from the Port Authority for them to utilise the service. We are going to start off using the ferry for three days per week, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays to help the market people, and if it proves viable, we are prepared to see a full resumption of the service," Mr. Paulwell told The Gleaner, yesterday.
"We will be seeking sponsorship in the short-term, but it will have to be on its own soon because we cannot subsidise it fully."
Minister Paulwell unveiled big plans for the 'born-again' ferry.
"I want to transform the ferry into a Jolly Roger vessel, and have the people who man it dressing up as buccaneers," he said. "I want to use the ferry as a marketing tool to help kick-start the $100 million Port Royal project, and we are presently in discussions with professional investors to do just that."
Gastro-enteritis on the decline
The Gleaner: The rate of infection in the gastro-enteritis outbreak that gripped the country and claimed nine young lives in south eastern Jamaica is now on the decline.
Figures obtained from the Ministry of Health indicate that there has been a 14 per cent decrease in total cases reported in children under five, for the week ending August 15. This, when compared to the previous week, ending August 8. Furthermore, there has been an even greater decrease in cases involving children five years and older.
"There has been a 29 per cent decrease in those cases," Shermaine Robotham, public relations officer in the Health Ministry, told The Gleaner on Monday. This is also when compared to the cases reported in the previous week.
In July, the Ministry revealed that eight children had died after being infected by the rotavirus, the cause of viral gastro-enteritis or 'running belly'. In addition to the mortality rate, the Ministry was also concerned by the unusual surfacing of the rotavirus in the warm, summer months. Bacterial gastro-enteritis, caused by either salmonella or shigella, is the more common infection seen in the summer.
Patterson pushes for fund to fight poverty
The Gleaner: Prime Minister P.J. Patterson has thrown his support behind an international drive for small island developing states, such as Jamaica and others in the Caribbean, to get a fair share of a major facility to channel funding to halt and correct the degradation of land and the worsening of poverty that results.
He has urged the United Nations Convention to Combat Decertification (UNCCD), now holding its 6th conference in Havana, Cuba to set up a mechanism for this financing flow as well as for providing technical assistance to poor and vulnerable countries.
"If we are to deal with the issues of land degradation in any meaningful way, we need to remain focused on attracting financial and technical assistance, including support for technology transfer and capacity building," Mr. Patterson said. He added that, "Ja-maica urges this conference to accept the offer of the Global Environmental Facility to become a financial mechanism to this Convention."
The Prime Minister told the conference, which heard contributions from Heads of Government from countries in the Caribbean, South America and Africa, that the loss of land and the spread of dry and desert conditions were closely related to other problems such as urbanisation, natural disasters resulting from climate change and the inability of countries to feed their populations.
He noted that while the Caribbean was once famous for its large plantations, declining productivity from land resources now made it one of the most food insecure regions in the world.
He summed up the major challenges now facing the islands as including how to produce enough food to feed their own people, how to arrest the alarming rate of land degradation and how to reverse the spread of rapid urbanisation.
Poverty reduced by almost 50 % - Patterson
The Observer: PRIME Minister P J Patterson told a UN conference in Cuba yesterday that Jamaica had reduced its poverty level by close to 50 per cent in the last decade, mainly through a co-ordinated multi-agency approach that emphasised education, sustainable natural resource management and economic empowerment of its people.
Patterson told the conference that this accomplishment was bolstered by the establishment a national policy and programme for poverty eradication, that was in keeping with national needs and international commitments.
"But the fight against poverty can never end until each citizen enjoys the right to decent shelter, adequate nutrition, access to proper health care and acceptable levels of education in a competitive global economy," the prime minister said.
The prime minister was sharing Jamaica's ongoing initiatives to halt land degradation, eradicate poverty and encourage sustainable development with other heads of government including Prime Ministers Ralph Gonzalves and Keith Mitchell of St Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada respectively, Cuban President Fidel Castro, President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela, President of Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe and several other African leaders.
New regulations for export goods
The Gleaner: In just three months, local food manufacturers and distributors will have to meet new requirements to produce for and export goods to the United States.
As of December 12, 2003, the United States' Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will implement new regulations, mandated by the US Public Health Security and Bio-terrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002.
According to a Monday statement from the US Embassy in Kingston, currently included in the new measures are the "registration of domestic or foreign food facilities that manufacture, process, pack or hold food for human or animal consumption in the US", as well as prior notification to the FDA "of food imported or offered for import into the US"
The US Embassy also said that "information that must be included and retained in records that would identify the immediate previous sources and immediate subsequent recipients of food" will be specified.
"A fourth regulation identifies procedures under which the FDA would administratively detain food that presents a serious health threat to humans or animals," the Embassy said.
When registering, the owners, operators or agents of food facilities will be required to provide information, such as the name and address of each facility, and the categories of food the facility handles. After completing registration via the Internet, the individual will receive immediate confirmation of registration as well as the facility's registration number.
Registration can also be performed, though at a slower pace, by mail, the Embassy added.
Money for AIDS
The Gleaner: The Jamaica AIDS Support (JAS) yesterday received a US$10,000 donation from the Jamaican Women of Washington (JWoW), which will allow for an improvement in the support and services it delivers to locals living with HIV/AIDS.
The cheque was handed over by chair of JWoW, Dr. Jacqueline Watson, President of Health Concepts International, at a function at the JAS' headquarters in St. Andrew.
JWoW is a charity organisation formed mainly by Jamaican women based in Washington D.C., United States of America.
Dr. Watson, who is a family and general practitioner, explained that the JAS was targeted for support because of the extensive work it had been doing in assisting people living with HIV/AIDS and given the prevalence and effects of HIV/AIDS in the Caribbean. She explained that the JAS was chosen through a rigorous selection process based on applications received.
"We wanted an organisation that was in business for a minimum of three years and most importantly, demonstrated strong fiscal management and we found that in Jamaica AIDS Support," Dr. Watson noted.
NWA terminates six road contracts
The Gleaner: The National Works Agency (NWA) has terminated agreements with six contractors for poor quality work done on the island's roads, since the beginning of the year.
Ivan Anderson, Chief Executive Officer of the NWA made the disclosure at the seventh annual general meeting of the Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF), held recently at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel in New Kingston.
The CEO said that the Agency was insisting on getting value for money. "Value for money means roads being done on budget, on time and most importantly, in keeping with the specifications that we set out to achieve," he stated.
The CEO pointed out that in order to achieve this, "it cannot be business as usual."
Mr. Anderson emphasised that it could not be acceptable for contractors to provide poor service and to continue to obtain work from the Government of Jamaica. "So we have set out to ensure that contractors who perform poorly have their contracts terminated, and over the past few months we have seen a number of announcements about contractors being terminated for poor performance."
He noted that the NWA had been embarking on a strong quality assurance programme, which involved getting the best staff to implement their projects, retraining staff, and supervising the projects. He added that the programme included the testing of materials, noting that to date, the agency had conducted some 5,000 tests on materials to verify that they are in keeping with specifications.
New bond sways local dollar
The Gleaner: Financial market analysts believe Government's US dollar indexed bond issue which opened yesterday helped to create some instability in the foreign exchange market over the past few days, but said it was returning to normal.
The Jamaican dollar, which has been trading at $59 to US$1 for some time, reached a high of $59.51 on Monday and appeared to be inching towards the $60 mark. However, at the end of trading yesterday, the Bank of Jamaica reported an average weighted selling rate of $59.48 for the US dollar, a gain of three cents on the previous day's.
Earle Harriott, a member of the Cambio Dealers Association of Jamaica, said judging from yesterday's trading activities, the local currency appeared to be stabilising and he had no doubt it would not depreciate significantly at this time.
The Bank of Jamaica was reported to have intervened in the foreign exchange again yesterday after staying out on Monday.
However, Mr. Harriot explained that the movement in the Jamaican dollar was somewhat anticipated as the 11.75 per cent US dollar indexed bond issue was expected to mop up US dollar liquidity and create a shortage.
In addition, he said, "we are coming up to the time of year when US dollars have always been in short supply" because it is the time when merchants seek to restock in anticipation of the upcoming Christmas season.
Dozens seek job with Portmore Municipal Council
The Observer: The newly established Portmore Municipal Council has been receiving dozens of applications for various jobs available at the council, according to the mayor of Portmore, George Lee.
"Even before the posts were advertised in the newspapers on Sunday, we had been receiving a steady stream of applications... we expect these to increase and I am very heartened to see how many persons, both those residing within and outside the municipality, are eager to be involved in its work," Lee told the Observer.
He said, however, that the emphasis is on finding qualified persons for positions in the areas of financial management, revenue generation, civil engineering, administration and physical and environmental management and planning. "It would be ideal to find that the most qualified persons live in the municipality, but we are not sacrificing quality for residency," added the mayor.
Home to some 160,000 persons, Portmore is now responsible for local financing and regulating functions including street lighting, road and drain maintenance, solid waste management, beautification, town planning and public order -- duties formerly carried out by the St Catherine Parish Council.
2 Jamaican firms get EU, CARIFORUM, Agri-business grant
The Observer: Two grants in agri-business marketing in Jamaica will tomorrow be presented to two local firms by Ambassador of the European Union, Gerd Jarchow.
The grants, totalling US$80,000, are the first to be approved under the joint CARIFORUM-European Union Research and Training Fund (CARTF), which supports agri-businesses in the small and medium sectors.
Ambassador Jarchow will hand over the cheques to A-Z Information Jamaica Limited and Profitable Corporate Solutions Limited, putting them in a position to finance the establishment of marketing information systems to push their agri-businesses.
The Jamaican companies went to the head of the line, becoming the first to get approval under the CARTF Management Information Projects, which was launched last October to reverse the shortcomings in marketing agricultural products in the Caribbean's small and medium agricultural sectors.
CARTF-MIP is part of a larger project to which the European Union has committed 4.6 million euro to promote agribusiness development in the 15 member-countries of CARIFORUM, the regional grouping of countries which have signed international trade and aid pacts with the European Union.
Tax Committee grants relief of GCT on some items
JIS: The Tax Measures Committee of the House has granted relief from the payment of general consumption tax (GCT) on some printed materials, fishing equipment and medical supplies.
The Committee was established to examine the measures to help bridge the budget deficit as outlined by Finance and Planning Minister, Dr. Omar Davies, at the beginning of fiscal 2003/04. Interest groups were invited to make submissions to the Committee outlining viable alternatives to the tax measures.
As such, all books, including novels, magazines, children’s picture books, printed music and maps, have been zero-rated. However, GCT of 15 per cent still applies to newspapers.
A deferment scheme, which was put in place for the importation of books and periodicals that were previously subjected to GCT, is no longer necessary and will be discontinued. The scheme allows importers to have a smooth cash flow by deferring their payment of tax at Customs.
The Committee further decided to zero-rate fishing apparatus used by commercial fishermen, including outboard motors with power rating up to a maximum of 75 horse power (hp).
Items added to the list of zero-rated medical supplies include diagnostic reagents used in the testing of dextrose, glucose, protein and ketones in the body as well as urine; surgical gloves; artificial breathing apparatus and disposable diapers for persons with loose bowels.
The move to grant relief to these medical supplies is in addition to a decision taken previously to zero-rate all ‘List 4’ or prescription drugs. The tax committee further decided to exempt the services of private hospitals and diagnostic laboratories from the payment of tax. A decision is to be made regarding the addition of other over-the-counter drugs to the list of exempted items.
All tax relief measures are to take effect immediately.
Government expediting processing of documents
JIS: Effective September 1, 2003 arrangements entered into by credit unions, no longer have to be submitted to the stamp office for exemption notations to be placed on the relevant documents.
Minister of Development, Dr. Paul Robertson, made this announcement today (Sept. 2) at a press briefing on the work and progress of the Regulations, Legislation and Process Improvement Project (Regs and Legs) being implemented by his Ministry.
He explained that documents substantiating agreements between credit unions and their members, requiring registration at agencies such as the Registrar of Titles, the Registrar of Companies and Registrar-General’s Department, would now be submitted directly to the respective agencies for registration. By law, credit unions are exempt from the payment of stamp duties.
A similar arrangement has also been agreed to with licensed financial services institutions. Under this arrangement, these institutions will no longer submit documents to the stamp office for assessment and stamping. The institutions will now calculate the stamp duties applicable to documents evidencing loans to be granted to customers and remit the required duties to the Commissioner at the end of each month. The financial services institutions will sign the required agreements with the Commissioner during this month.
“The result of these arrangements will be a substantial reduction in the number of documents submitted to the stamp office, thereby allowing for a more expeditious processing of those documents which must be submitted to that office,” Dr. Robertson said, pointing out that benefits to the credit unions and financial services institutions would include a shorter documentation registration period with the elimination of one step in the process. This, he added would facilitate a shorter period from loan applications to loan disbursements.
8 get UK scholarships
The Observer: Eight young Jamaican professionals were awarded scholarships to study in the United Kingdom for the 2003/4 academic year.
The awardees, who had applied for the annual Chevening Scholarship Awards, were chosen from a field of more than 300 graduates.
Major David Cummings of the Jamaica Defence Force, who is one of the eight awardees, received a special scholarship, funded by the British High Commission.
All eight awardees will travel to the UK for the start of their courses in the next few weeks, and High Commissioner Peter Mathers will on Thursday host a farewell reception in their honour.
The Jamaican Chevening Scholars for 2003/4 are:
Samuel Blake - MSc in Criminology - Leicester University; Kirk Brown - MSc Environment & Development - Manchester University; Yvonne Chin - MA Television Journalism - Nottingham Trent University; Lorraine Smith - LLM in UK Human Rights & Public Law - Essex University; Jennifer Walker-Brown - MSc/PGC Forensic Psychology - Glasgow Caledonian University; Dale Bent - MSc Urban Governance for Development - Birmingham University.
Joint Chevening University of Nottingham Developing Solutions scholarship 2003/4 - Tracy Simone Falconer - MSc Molecular Medical Microbiology - Nottingham University
British High Commission - funded 2003/4 - Major David Cummings - MA in Defence - Cranfield University
British Chevening Scholarships are offered in more than 150 countries and enable talented graduates and young professionals to become familiar with the UK and gain skills, which will benefit their countries.
Jarrett returns to capture gold
The Gleaner: Jamaican sprinter Patrick Jarrett made a welcome return to the track after a two-year absence to strike gold at yesterday's IAAF/Goteborg Grand Prix meeting in Sweden.
The Jamaican, who was missing in action after he was found guilty of drug abuse, took the 100m sprint in 10.35 seconds. He finished ahead of the Swedish pair of Patrik Lovgren (10.69) and Aham Okeke (10.80).
Jarrett, 25, was found guilty of a doping offence under Sections 55.2 and 60.1 of the International Amateur Athletic Federation (IAAF) rules. He tested positive for the banned substance stanozolol at the National Championships in June 2001 and had to serve a two-year ban from the sport.
This is the same substance Jamaican-born Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson was guilty of taking at the Seoul, South Korea Olympics of 1988.
Jarrett was tested after finishing second to Chris Williams in the 100m at the 2001 Jamaican National Championships to earn himself a place in the team for the coming World Championships in Edmonton, Canada.
Currency
Selling rate:
US$1 = J$59.48
Cdn$1 = J$42.62
GBP = J$93.01
Contact: Angela Hamilton
For further information about any of these news items,contact the Public Relations Department at [email protected].<br />The Jamaica Information Service web page address is www.jis.gov.jm
Telephone: (876) 929-1919 / 926-3590-8,
Fax: (876) 926-6715
COMMENTARY
Wednesday, September 3, 2003
THE OBSERVER
Endorsing JCF’s Use of Force Initiative
The Jamaican police are often criticised for human rights abuses and it would be the most intransigent and myopic officer who would claim that much of it was not deserved. Far too much, in our view.
The good thing is that attitudes are changing. We sense an attempt on the part of the leadership of the constabulary to reform the force and modernise its practices so as to win back the trust and respect of the Jamaican people.
This, of course, is no easy job. Indeed, organisational cultures are not easily changed. And in the case of the Jamaica Constabulary Force, the attempt is to undo what has emerged from decades of practice: a paramilitary organisation that is largely distant from the people it is sworn to serve and protect.
Policing in Jamaica is not now a matter of consent between the citizenry and the constabulary. Little by little, however, we see initiatives which give us confidence that the situation is retrievable.
A case in point is the disclosure on Monday by Assistant Commissioner Alrick Lecky, that the police have agreed on a new policy on the use of force, which, when implemented, should result in fewer complaints against the force. The policy, according to Mr Lecky, who is in charge of the police's Corporate Strategy Co-ordination Unit, is now before the national security minister, Dr Peter Phillips, for ratification.
We look forward to the publication of the full document but are encouraged by Mr Lecky's promise of its basis in accountability -- on the part of the individual officer and the constabulary in general -- and respect for the rights of citizens in accordance with the constitution of Jamaica.
Of course, the major focus of most Jamaicans with regard to this policy is likely to be on the use of deadly force, given the past criticism of the police for alleged extra-judicial killings and indiscriminate use of firearms.
It is important, therefore, that Mr Lecky highlighted the fact that the policy demands the annual retraining and certification of police officers in the use of guns, and placed emphasis on the circumstances under which firearms should be discharged. There is, it seems, a call to restraint, without seeking to put the police or citizens in undue danger. The police officer is expected to be a rational, thinking person rather than an automaton with a gun extended from its mechanical hand.
But while, in the circumstance, it is the use of firearms and deadly force that will grab public attention, we note too that Mr Lecky was keen to point out that the new policy speaks to the use of force in general. Critical to this is the everyday interaction between the police and citizens in ordinary law enforcement situations.
"Our mission as law enforcement officials is to ensure that we execute our functions in such a manner that we do not infringe the rights of others," Mr Lecky said.
In other words, jack-booted intolerance has no place in the future. The police have not only declared their commitment to this ideal, but have signalled a willingness to be held accountable by the watchdogs of the society, including human rights groups.
It was not so long ago that the police saw these groups as irritants. But, according to Mr Lecky, they are now viewed as playing an important role in law enforcement for their activism and help to remind the constabulary of its accountability to the citizenry.
These new turns by the police will not all be embraced by the entire force. In many instances the leadership will have to fight an uphill battle for acceptance. If the High Command is serious, as we sense they are, then they must give to quarter for the cause is right.
Except for the views expressed in the columns above, the articles published on this page do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of the Jamaica Observer.
THE GLEANER
A Grave Security Risk
THE WARNING by Education Minister, Mrs. Maxine Henry-Wilson, in her television address to the nation, that no primary school student should be charged fees or barred from enrolment for non-payment of contributions requested by individual schools from parents, is surely a policy that the ministry itself should stand ready to enforce. Enlisting parents as a backup, although a pragmatic step, seems to suggest some degree of management slackness in the bureaucracy of the ministry, a lack of centralised control and proper forward planning.
The late distribution of textbooks used in the primary school system is a case in point. Apparently, this is an annual occurrence, part of the crisis that affects the opening of the new school term every September. The textbook issue is somewhat confused this year because the authorities, instead of having the books printed locally as had long been the practice, awarded the contract to an overseas company at a slight savings in cost. It appears, however, that the overseas supplier will be as late as the local printers in making the books available to the schools because, according to Mr. Edwin Thomas of the Ministry, that contract was awarded too late, for on-time delivery.
What is particularly irritating is the attitude of ministry officials like Mr. Thomas, who try to explain away the problem by pointing out that the lateness of textbooks is nothing new, as if this excuses its occurrence in the first place. Since 1984, free textbooks have been provided by government to all primary school children, some two million books this year at a cost of $51 million, covering subjects in mathematics, language arts and reading, science and social studies. They are, thus, the basic tools for conveying knowledge from teacher to pupil, a process which is disrupted when some schools do not get their allocation of books until October or November of the new school year.
Regardless of where the order for textbooks is placed, what matters from an administrative point of view is ensuring that the books get to the school on time. No excuse is acceptable for failure to do so. The fact that late delivery is a recurring decimal in the system is symptomatic of a cavalier attitude to performance responsibility, one that is all too prevalent in our national life.
MAJOR RICHARD Reese, recently-appointed head of the correctional service, has drawn public attention to the overcrowding in Jamaica's prisons, now with a population of 4,100 inmates in facilities designed for 2,700. What is worse, the Tower Street Adult Correctional Centre, which was designed to hold 650 persons, now houses 1,741 inmates, nearly three times more than it should. The situation, we suspect, is equally critical in police station remand centres. With crime continuing on the rampage, the nation will shortly face another emergency in dealing with convicted felons. In America, the ratio of prison inmates to 100,000 of general population is 244, compared with a ratio of 148 in Jamaica but the facilities in the United States are more numerous and many times the size of ours.
Overcrowded prisons present a grave security risk as witness the recent escape from the Denham Town Remand Centre of three dangerous criminals, just one in a series of breakouts from prisons and remand centres that over the years have been an embarrassment to the police and prison authorities and a source of anxiety for citizens. Government, recognising the gravity of the problem, has announced plans to build a new modern prison but so far has been unable to come up with the finance for its construction. The hope had been that private sector funds could be sourced for the capital costs involved.
Attempts have been made to mitigate the overcrowding problem by a policy of early release of prisoners being held for minor offences to make space for prisoners convicted of serious crimes. We agree with this policy, especially when it is applied to inmates incarcerated for smoking ganja or in possession of a few spliffs. But this early release policy or less custodial sentencing can only be taken so far. Eventually we will run out of prison space for hardcore prisoners who, in overcrowded cells, know how to break out almost at will. This situation is compounded by the present uneasy relationship with prison warders resulting from Government's justified attempt to deal with corruption in the service but which was so heavy handed it probably did as much harm as good.
Major Reese has a major challenge on his hands and we urge Government to give him the reasonable resources he needs to get the job done.
THE OPINIONS ON THIS PAGE, EXCEPT FOR THE ABOVE, DO NOT NECESSARILY REFLECT THE VIEWS OF THE GLEANER.