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NEWS IN BRIEF
FOR GENERAL DISTRIBUTION
Top News in the Print Media: The JIS, The Gleaner & The Observer
From the Overseas Department, Jamaica Information Service
Monday October 06, 2003
NEW HEALTH PLAN FOR SENIORS
The Observer: Some 80,000 National Insurance Scheme pensioners will be able to access a new state-run health plan, which is expected to come on-stream next month.
The plan will complement the recently introduced National Health Fund by offering additional benefits such as covering the cost of hospitalisation, surgery and doctors' visits. As with the NHF, health cards will be issued to beneficiaries, and the plan will cover the cost of some prescription drugs.
Last Friday (Oct. 03), State Minister in the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, Senator Floyd Morris, told the Observer that health cards would be issued to the seniors when they collect their monthly pension benefits.
SPOT MARKET WEIGHTED AVERAGE RATE
CURRENCY -- PURCHASES -- SALES
___US$_______59.5912_____59.7951
__CAN$_______42.9581_____44.0143
___GB£_______94.4673_____98.5540
COLOMBIA, PANAMA TO HELP
The Observer: As the country's murder toll creeps past the 700 mark with more than 90 people killed in September alone, national security minister Peter Phillips announced Thursday that the Jamaican government has sought help from Panama and would soon be looking to Colombia for assistance.
"We have strengthened our collaboration with new partners. We will be signing a co-operation agreement with Colombia in the coming weeks and we have entered into arrangements with Panama and other authorities in Latin America to share intelligence," Phillips said.
These alliances, he said, were especially aimed at breaking the insidious links between the drug trade and gun running, problems which have been blamed for a significant portion of the island's murders.
PARLIAMENT TO GET BLAIR REPORT SOON
The Gleaner: Parliament should receive a comprehensive report on the operations of the Office of the Political Ombudsman within two weeks.
Political Ombudsman, Bishop Herro Blair last Friday he deadline for submission but refused to discuss what is contained in the report, including a few matters he admitted were outstanding from last October's General Election.
"I have just concluded my report. It's in print. I am required by law to turn in a report on an annual basis. My report should be submitted to Parliament within two weeks. It will be a public matter once it's placed on the table of the house and that is all I can tell you about that," Bishop Blair said.
SANDALS REWARDS TOP TRAVEL AGENTS
The Observer: More that 15 top travel agents and partners in the industry, from across North America and the United Kingdom, on Saturday received awards for pulling in visitors to the Caribbean region.
The awards were presented by chairman of Sandals and Beaches Resorts International, Gordon "Butch" Stewart, at the company's 10th Annual Ultra Awards Celebration at the Beaches Turks & Caicos Resort.
JIS NEWS
Monday October 06, 2003
INCREASE EFFICIENCY
Minister of Commerce, Science and Technology, Phillip Paulwell, has reminded Jamaican producers about the effects of globalisation and increased competition, urging them to enhance efficiency and put key marketing strategies in place, in order to remain viable in the marketplace.
“Jamaican goods and services are going to be under increased competition. It doesn’t matter which market you are trying to supply, because tariff barriers are no longer there to protect local companies. You are going to be faced with competition from imports,” Mr. Paulwell told the gathering at the second annual Marketing Challenge Competition, at the Knutsford Court Hotel in Kingston.
“The challenge really is to see how we can differentiate and enhance our efficiency so that our prices are more reasonable and also how we present ourselves to the world. To a large extent, the community of marketers will have to come to the fore,” the Minister pointed out.
AIRPORTS ECONOMIC REGULATIONS APPROVED
The Airports (Economic Regulations) (Licence) Regulations, 2003 has been approved by the House of Representatives unopposed, and is to take effect from September 30, 2003.
The Regulations provide the framework for the application of airport charges at Sangster International in Montego Bay and Norman Manley International in Kingston, as well as the general commercial terms governing these charges.
State Minister of Transport and Works, Dr. Fenton Ferguson at Tuesday’s (Sept. 30) sitting of the House, piloted the regulations under section 21 (1) of the Airports (Economic Regulation) Act, 2002, which was passed in January and came into effect on December 31, that year. The main purpose of this Act is to provide the regulatory framework for the privatisation of airports.
COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS
Minister of Water and Housing, Donald Buchanan has challenged rural communities to actively participate with government, in the construction and development of their own water supply systems as the public sector could not by itself unable to sustain the level of investment required to fund water supply and sanitation systems.
He was speaking at the recent opening of the Rural Water and Sanitation Programme (RWSP) workshop on Build and Operate (BO) contracting for community managed water systems. Mr. Buchanan stated that water supply expansion had been almost exclusively undertaken by government, using the utility approach.
CULTURAL DIVERSITY TO BE ON SHOW
The cultural diversity of Jamaicans will be the focus of this year’s Heritage Week, which will be celebrated from Sunday, October 12 to Sunday, October 19.
Executive Director of the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC), Marcia Hextall, said homage would be paid to the cuisine of Jamaica’s varying ethnic groups as well as their different cultural dress.
Addressing the weekly Think Tank session at JIS, the JCDC Executive Director informed the gathering that this year’s Heritage Week theme is ‘Embracing Our Heritage, Out Of Many One People’.
Reflecting on the theme, Miss Hextall said that the influence of ethnic cultures such as Indian, Chinese, African, and European, would be given their due recognition “for their collective social and cultural impact in making Jamaica’s identity that more unique”.
JIS HERITAGE DEBATE COMPETITION
Forty high schools from across the island are scheduled to participate in this year’s Jamaica Information Service (JIS) Heritage Debate Competition. This represents a 34 per cent increase, or 11 more than the number of participants in the competition last year.
The 2003 competition will have its official launch next Monday, October 6 at the Mount Alvernia High School in Montego Bay.
Speaking at the weekly JIS Think Tank session, Regional Manager of JIS, Winsome Vanhorne Christie, said that although the number of participating schools had risen, plans were already in place for the inclusion of even more schools next year.
Contact: Celia Lindsay
For further information about any of these news items,contact the Overseas Department at
[email protected]
. The Jamaica Information Service web page address is
www.jis.gov.jm
.Telephone: (876) 926-3740-8 / 926-3590-8, Fax: (876) 926-6715
COMMENTARY
THE OBSERVER
CALLING DR PHILLIPS TO ACCOUNT
Monday October 06, 2003
DR Peter Phillips, the security minister, has, by any measure, an exceedingly difficult job.
The country's problem of endemic violence has fashioned an environment of fear. And the fact, and perception, of corruption in public institutions have undermined the confidence and trust that are necessary to fight crime.
So, the cancer continues to ravage: more than 700 murders so far this year, many cases of shooting, robbery and rape. Many thousands of cases of crime also go unreported.
The fact is, people can't be bothered with reporting crime anymore. They have little confidence -- with good reason -- in the capacity of the police to solve cases of crime and secure conviction. This lack of confidence is not only in the technical competence of the constabulary. People believe deeply that the police force is highly corrupt.
This newspaper believes that there are many good, honest, competent and hard-working people in the constabulary, but even the leadership of the force has conceded that there are problems.
Both the police commissioner, Mr Francis Forbes and Dr Phillips are well aware that rebuilding public trust, which is critical to fighting crime, cannot be achieved only by adding to the numbers in the force, passing legislation to trap criminals and acquiring technology. All of which are, of course, very important.
But of equal importance is public perception about the management of the constabulary -- at all levels. There has to be a new, corporate approach to leadership. People have to be accountable.
Indeed, many of these issues were addressed in the report by the National Committee on Crime and Violence, including a proposal for the removal of up to half of the top officers of the constabulary.
That report is nearly two-years-old. Much have been said and written about it. There was almost universal embrace of its prescriptions.
Yet, we do not sense any attempt to implement it with the energy and rigour expected in responding to what it is, if the truth be told, a national crisis. In fact, last week the human rights group, Jamaicans for Justice, announced that they have resigned from a consultative committee that was established to oversee the implementation of the committee's report.
They argue that the process has been too slow. The Independent Jamaican Council for Human Rights is sympathetic to the JFJ's concerns.
We understand the many sensitivities and political hurdles to be faced in implementing such a reform programme, but it is time, we believe, to call Dr Phillips to account.
Yes, he faces difficulties. But in the circumstance, he must be willing to face them and insist on doing what is right, not what, at the moment, is politically expedient.
Dr Phillips should know that the longer he tarries, the more good will he dissipates and the more difficult the challenge becomes.
============================================
THE GLEANER
A WAR OF ATTRITION
THE NEWS stories come with distressing regularity. They go like this: A Palestinian suicide-bomber blew up a bus or a restaurant or a night club in an Israeli town today, killing several persons.
Then there is the response: The Israeli Defence Force raided a Palestinian refugee camp today, killing several people in reprisal for the suicide bombing by a Palestinian yesterday in which several Israelis were killed.
Now the latest news is that at least 19 people were killed and 50 others injured when a female Palestinian suicide bomber set off an explosion on Saturday in a beachfront restaurant in the northern Israeli town of Haifa.
In retaliation Israeli helicopter gunships fired missiles at no fewer than two Palestinian targets in Gaza City.
These latest occurrences will invariably serve to mark a further collapse of the peace efforts between the Israelis and the Palestinians, with the prospect being that tensions in the area will escalate into further flare-ups of hostilities between the two, with devastating consequences.
This appeared even plainer on the cards, with Israel launching an airstrike yesterday deep inside Syria, targeted at what the Israelis said was a training camp used by Palestinian extremists.
Where will the hostilities go from there?
It seems that so much blood has been shed on both sides, that it is time that the Israelis and the Palestinians, their mentors and their sponsors discard the so-called 'Road Map', take a fresh new look at their situation and make a determined effort to arrive at a peaceful settlement, once and for all.
In the absence of this, the war of attrition between Palestinians and Israelis will drag on and on, with both sides continuing to count their losses, and eventually drawing in their allies, with devastating consequences for the world at large.
FOR GENERAL DISTRIBUTION
Top News in the Print Media: The JIS, The Gleaner & The Observer
From the Overseas Department, Jamaica Information Service
Monday October 06, 2003
NEW HEALTH PLAN FOR SENIORS
The Observer: Some 80,000 National Insurance Scheme pensioners will be able to access a new state-run health plan, which is expected to come on-stream next month.
The plan will complement the recently introduced National Health Fund by offering additional benefits such as covering the cost of hospitalisation, surgery and doctors' visits. As with the NHF, health cards will be issued to beneficiaries, and the plan will cover the cost of some prescription drugs.
Last Friday (Oct. 03), State Minister in the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, Senator Floyd Morris, told the Observer that health cards would be issued to the seniors when they collect their monthly pension benefits.
SPOT MARKET WEIGHTED AVERAGE RATE
CURRENCY -- PURCHASES -- SALES
___US$_______59.5912_____59.7951
__CAN$_______42.9581_____44.0143
___GB£_______94.4673_____98.5540
COLOMBIA, PANAMA TO HELP
The Observer: As the country's murder toll creeps past the 700 mark with more than 90 people killed in September alone, national security minister Peter Phillips announced Thursday that the Jamaican government has sought help from Panama and would soon be looking to Colombia for assistance.
"We have strengthened our collaboration with new partners. We will be signing a co-operation agreement with Colombia in the coming weeks and we have entered into arrangements with Panama and other authorities in Latin America to share intelligence," Phillips said.
These alliances, he said, were especially aimed at breaking the insidious links between the drug trade and gun running, problems which have been blamed for a significant portion of the island's murders.
PARLIAMENT TO GET BLAIR REPORT SOON
The Gleaner: Parliament should receive a comprehensive report on the operations of the Office of the Political Ombudsman within two weeks.
Political Ombudsman, Bishop Herro Blair last Friday he deadline for submission but refused to discuss what is contained in the report, including a few matters he admitted were outstanding from last October's General Election.
"I have just concluded my report. It's in print. I am required by law to turn in a report on an annual basis. My report should be submitted to Parliament within two weeks. It will be a public matter once it's placed on the table of the house and that is all I can tell you about that," Bishop Blair said.
SANDALS REWARDS TOP TRAVEL AGENTS
The Observer: More that 15 top travel agents and partners in the industry, from across North America and the United Kingdom, on Saturday received awards for pulling in visitors to the Caribbean region.
The awards were presented by chairman of Sandals and Beaches Resorts International, Gordon "Butch" Stewart, at the company's 10th Annual Ultra Awards Celebration at the Beaches Turks & Caicos Resort.
JIS NEWS
Monday October 06, 2003
INCREASE EFFICIENCY
Minister of Commerce, Science and Technology, Phillip Paulwell, has reminded Jamaican producers about the effects of globalisation and increased competition, urging them to enhance efficiency and put key marketing strategies in place, in order to remain viable in the marketplace.
“Jamaican goods and services are going to be under increased competition. It doesn’t matter which market you are trying to supply, because tariff barriers are no longer there to protect local companies. You are going to be faced with competition from imports,” Mr. Paulwell told the gathering at the second annual Marketing Challenge Competition, at the Knutsford Court Hotel in Kingston.
“The challenge really is to see how we can differentiate and enhance our efficiency so that our prices are more reasonable and also how we present ourselves to the world. To a large extent, the community of marketers will have to come to the fore,” the Minister pointed out.
AIRPORTS ECONOMIC REGULATIONS APPROVED
The Airports (Economic Regulations) (Licence) Regulations, 2003 has been approved by the House of Representatives unopposed, and is to take effect from September 30, 2003.
The Regulations provide the framework for the application of airport charges at Sangster International in Montego Bay and Norman Manley International in Kingston, as well as the general commercial terms governing these charges.
State Minister of Transport and Works, Dr. Fenton Ferguson at Tuesday’s (Sept. 30) sitting of the House, piloted the regulations under section 21 (1) of the Airports (Economic Regulation) Act, 2002, which was passed in January and came into effect on December 31, that year. The main purpose of this Act is to provide the regulatory framework for the privatisation of airports.
COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS
Minister of Water and Housing, Donald Buchanan has challenged rural communities to actively participate with government, in the construction and development of their own water supply systems as the public sector could not by itself unable to sustain the level of investment required to fund water supply and sanitation systems.
He was speaking at the recent opening of the Rural Water and Sanitation Programme (RWSP) workshop on Build and Operate (BO) contracting for community managed water systems. Mr. Buchanan stated that water supply expansion had been almost exclusively undertaken by government, using the utility approach.
CULTURAL DIVERSITY TO BE ON SHOW
The cultural diversity of Jamaicans will be the focus of this year’s Heritage Week, which will be celebrated from Sunday, October 12 to Sunday, October 19.
Executive Director of the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC), Marcia Hextall, said homage would be paid to the cuisine of Jamaica’s varying ethnic groups as well as their different cultural dress.
Addressing the weekly Think Tank session at JIS, the JCDC Executive Director informed the gathering that this year’s Heritage Week theme is ‘Embracing Our Heritage, Out Of Many One People’.
Reflecting on the theme, Miss Hextall said that the influence of ethnic cultures such as Indian, Chinese, African, and European, would be given their due recognition “for their collective social and cultural impact in making Jamaica’s identity that more unique”.
JIS HERITAGE DEBATE COMPETITION
Forty high schools from across the island are scheduled to participate in this year’s Jamaica Information Service (JIS) Heritage Debate Competition. This represents a 34 per cent increase, or 11 more than the number of participants in the competition last year.
The 2003 competition will have its official launch next Monday, October 6 at the Mount Alvernia High School in Montego Bay.
Speaking at the weekly JIS Think Tank session, Regional Manager of JIS, Winsome Vanhorne Christie, said that although the number of participating schools had risen, plans were already in place for the inclusion of even more schools next year.
Contact: Celia Lindsay
For further information about any of these news items,contact the Overseas Department at
[email protected]
. The Jamaica Information Service web page address is
www.jis.gov.jm
.Telephone: (876) 926-3740-8 / 926-3590-8, Fax: (876) 926-6715
COMMENTARY
THE OBSERVER
CALLING DR PHILLIPS TO ACCOUNT
Monday October 06, 2003
DR Peter Phillips, the security minister, has, by any measure, an exceedingly difficult job.
The country's problem of endemic violence has fashioned an environment of fear. And the fact, and perception, of corruption in public institutions have undermined the confidence and trust that are necessary to fight crime.
So, the cancer continues to ravage: more than 700 murders so far this year, many cases of shooting, robbery and rape. Many thousands of cases of crime also go unreported.
The fact is, people can't be bothered with reporting crime anymore. They have little confidence -- with good reason -- in the capacity of the police to solve cases of crime and secure conviction. This lack of confidence is not only in the technical competence of the constabulary. People believe deeply that the police force is highly corrupt.
This newspaper believes that there are many good, honest, competent and hard-working people in the constabulary, but even the leadership of the force has conceded that there are problems.
Both the police commissioner, Mr Francis Forbes and Dr Phillips are well aware that rebuilding public trust, which is critical to fighting crime, cannot be achieved only by adding to the numbers in the force, passing legislation to trap criminals and acquiring technology. All of which are, of course, very important.
But of equal importance is public perception about the management of the constabulary -- at all levels. There has to be a new, corporate approach to leadership. People have to be accountable.
Indeed, many of these issues were addressed in the report by the National Committee on Crime and Violence, including a proposal for the removal of up to half of the top officers of the constabulary.
That report is nearly two-years-old. Much have been said and written about it. There was almost universal embrace of its prescriptions.
Yet, we do not sense any attempt to implement it with the energy and rigour expected in responding to what it is, if the truth be told, a national crisis. In fact, last week the human rights group, Jamaicans for Justice, announced that they have resigned from a consultative committee that was established to oversee the implementation of the committee's report.
They argue that the process has been too slow. The Independent Jamaican Council for Human Rights is sympathetic to the JFJ's concerns.
We understand the many sensitivities and political hurdles to be faced in implementing such a reform programme, but it is time, we believe, to call Dr Phillips to account.
Yes, he faces difficulties. But in the circumstance, he must be willing to face them and insist on doing what is right, not what, at the moment, is politically expedient.
Dr Phillips should know that the longer he tarries, the more good will he dissipates and the more difficult the challenge becomes.
============================================
THE GLEANER
A WAR OF ATTRITION
THE NEWS stories come with distressing regularity. They go like this: A Palestinian suicide-bomber blew up a bus or a restaurant or a night club in an Israeli town today, killing several persons.
Then there is the response: The Israeli Defence Force raided a Palestinian refugee camp today, killing several people in reprisal for the suicide bombing by a Palestinian yesterday in which several Israelis were killed.
Now the latest news is that at least 19 people were killed and 50 others injured when a female Palestinian suicide bomber set off an explosion on Saturday in a beachfront restaurant in the northern Israeli town of Haifa.
In retaliation Israeli helicopter gunships fired missiles at no fewer than two Palestinian targets in Gaza City.
These latest occurrences will invariably serve to mark a further collapse of the peace efforts between the Israelis and the Palestinians, with the prospect being that tensions in the area will escalate into further flare-ups of hostilities between the two, with devastating consequences.
This appeared even plainer on the cards, with Israel launching an airstrike yesterday deep inside Syria, targeted at what the Israelis said was a training camp used by Palestinian extremists.
Where will the hostilities go from there?
It seems that so much blood has been shed on both sides, that it is time that the Israelis and the Palestinians, their mentors and their sponsors discard the so-called 'Road Map', take a fresh new look at their situation and make a determined effort to arrive at a peaceful settlement, once and for all.
In the absence of this, the war of attrition between Palestinians and Israelis will drag on and on, with both sides continuing to count their losses, and eventually drawing in their allies, with devastating consequences for the world at large.