Poverty & Social Development: A Caribbean Perspective

Saturday, July 29, 2006

Rambarran delivered a presentation on the 2006/2007 Budget presented by Prime Minister and Minister for Finance and Planning, Roosevelt Skerrit, focussing on the country’s recent macroeconomic performance in the context of the regional and international economic environment.

The Caribbean economist said: “In terms of fiscal performance, Dominica has shown what I consider to be the strongest fiscal consolidation effort in the Eastern Caribbean. As a matter of fact, in the wider Caribbean region, no other country except Jamaica can boast of a stronger consolidation effort, especially in the short space of three years.”

Dominica’s overall macroeconomic performance received good reviews from the leading economist.

“You have managed to raise the Revenue to GDP ratio, from 28% of GDP in the crisis to about 33% of GDP now. Part of that is aided by the fact that you have growth taking place. But there have been improvements in terms of tax administration and collecting revenues.

“In terms of interest payments, that was averaging 5% of GDP a few years aback. And now it is down to just under 3% of GDP. That reflects the fiscal consolidation effort and the success of the debt restructuring exercise.”

The reduction in the public sector wage bill was also noted by the leading economist. Dominica’s wage bill stood at 17% of GDP in 2002, among the highest in the Region at the time. At the end of the 2005/2006 fiscal year, the wage bill stood at 13.7% of GDP. The Government expects to reduce it further to 13.1 % by the end of the 2006/2007 fiscal year, falling to 12.25 % by fiscal year 2008/2009.

Rambarran also commended the Government for a significant improvement in the overall balance:” Moving from an overall deficit at the height of the crisis of just over 8.5% of GDP ... That has now swung to a small overall surplus of 0.3% this year.

“That really speaks to how much effort has gone into fiscal performance. It has been very commendable. And clearly you can see it in terms of the Public Sector Debt to GDP ratio, which has come down from a high of 130% which was clearly unsustainable, and now it is declining. The last number showed it at 86% at the end of the last fiscal year.”

Dominica’s performance under the IMF’s Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility arrangement was also described in favourable language: “When you look at Dominica’s performance under this PRGF programme, you do see a very good track record of macroeconomic performance. I have looked at programmes all over the world, especially PRGF programmes and I could tell you what I have seen here stands out globally in terms of fiscal effort.

“A lot of countries under PRGF programmes do not meet the performance criteria and even if they meet it, they don’t meet it with the kind of margins like Dominica. It has done quite well.”

This public announcement of the dramatic improvement in Dominica’s fiscal situation by Rambarran is considered to be good news for the Government and, more importantly, good news for the people of Dominica.

According to an official press release, Rambarran’s statements confirm that the Government of Dominica, under the leadership of the then Prime Minister, Pierre Charles, was right to embark upon a Programme of Economic Stabilisation and Recovery in June 2002, despite the considerable political risks.

The government says that Dominica’s economy is now on an upward growth trajectory and is also firmly on the path to fiscal and debt sustainability.

Copyright © 2003-2006 Caribbean Net News All Rights Reserved

In-depth look at a Caribbean giant
published: Sunday | July 30, 2006

Eric Williams and the Making of the Modern Caribbean

Author: Colin A. Palmer

Publisher: Ian Randle

Reviewer: Barbara Nelson

Drawing from extensive archival sources, including newly available British documents, Colin A. Palmer provides the first scholarly biography of Eric Eustace Williams, the man who founded Trinidad and Tobago's first modern political party in 1956 and became that nation's first Prime Minister.

Palmer says the study is not intended to be a full-scale biography of Williams, although it does have biographical attributes.

It is, however, a political history because it examines Williams' role in shaping the political development of the Anglophone Caribbean between 1956 and 1970.

The book is conceived as an intellectual history as Williams, a prolific scholar, was more than any other British West Indian politician of his time committed to the life of the mind and the world of books.

Early years

Palmer describes Williams, "the child of economically challenged parents," as an avid reader who attended Queens Royal College as a youngster, and "a dominant, haunting and polarising presence" in the life of Trinidad and Tobago.

Born in September, 1911, in a small house on Oxford Street in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad, Williams lived outside of his homeland during the years 1931-48. He completed undergraduate and postgraduate studies at Oxford and between 1939 and 1948 served on the faculty of Howard University in Washington, D.C.

Later, he served on the Anglo-American Caribbean Commission and its successor, the Caribbean Commission. He, however, used Trinidad as his base.

After he left the Caribbean Commission in June 1955, Williams began to give a series of lectures at the Trinidad Public Library to educate the people about their history and to promote a sense of West Indian nationalism. Soon, he moved out to Woodford Square in Port-of-Spain (which he renamed the University of Woodford Square) and lectured thousands about their history, topical matters and other issues.

Eric Williams, who always boasted of the ethnic diversity of Trinidad and Tobago, saw the opportunity in 1956 to establish a political party. With his supporters, he formally started the People's National Movement (PNM), Trinidad and Tobago's first modern political party. This was in preparation for the general elections scheduled for later that year.

In less than one year after the party was formed, the PNM candidates won 13 of 25 seats in the general elections that September. Eric Williams was sworn in as Chief Minister in October, and for the next 25 years dominated not only the PNM, but also the political life of his country.

This absorbing book about the indefatigable and charismatic Williams has eight chapters:

Chapter 1: Intellectual Decolonisation sets the context for understanding Williams' positions and actions regarding the West Indies Federation.

Chapter 2: The Challenge of Political and Economic Integration.

Chapter 3: The Struggle for Chaguaramas.

Chapter 4: Eric Williams and the Golden Handshake - that is the parting gift on the occasion of the nation's independence. This chapter also discusses Eric Williams the human being.

Chapter 5: Courting Grenada. When Williams undertook the futile task of integrating Grenada into unitary statehood with Trinidad and Tobago.

Chapter 6: Bleeding Guiana. Williams tried to mediate the racially-inspired internecine warfare in British Guiana.

Chapter 7: Eric Williams, Africa and Africans. Looks at his attitudes to these.

Chapter 8: The Economics and Politics of Race. Here, the author looks at the racial question in Trinidad and Tobago and shows how the language of race became a metaphor for the society's ills.

The study ends in 1970 with a look at the suppression of the Black-Power inspired February Revolution. This was a horrible, personal and political crisis for the controversial Williams.

Eric Williams wrote Capitalism and Slavery, considered by the author to be his most important and enduring book. He knew first-hand the psychological damage experienced by colonised peoples and that forced him to assume the burden of helping to make the people of Trinidad and Tobago whole again.

A place in history

I found the word pictures of the ambitious and brilliant Williams very intriguing - he was "possessed of a caustic tongue", "spoke the language of the intellectual" but "drew his strength from ordinary citizens" and was "never ambivalent about the necessity for a Federal Union."

Palmer demonstrates very clearly how the development of the Caribbean was interwoven with the evolution of a regional anti-colonial consciousness, and affirms that the capacity to imagine a different and better future for a people and the possession of the will to challenge and lead them to achieve their possibilities has secured for Williams a central place in the history of the modern Caribbean.

Colin A. Palmer is Dodge Professor of History at Princeton University and author, editor, and co-editor of numerous books, including The Modern Caribbean.

(Williams) knew first-hand the psychological damage experienced by colonised peoples and ... assume(d) the burden of helping to make the people of Trinidad and Tobago whole again.

© Copyright 1997-2006 Gleaner Company Ltd.

This point was made in IICAs Barbados 2005 Annual Report: The Contribution of IICA to the Development of Agriculture and Rural Communities.

According to the report, IICAs work in Barbados focused on several on-the ground technology applications, with the erection of a greenhouse in St. Lucy and the establishment of a vermicomposting project in St. Andrew.

The organisation also renewed its efforts with youth, women and organic farmers, providing support for their institutional strengthening and training. IICA also made progress with respect to the manufacture of indigenous craft bearing the Barbados Blackbelly sheep logo. IICAs AgroTourism Linkages Centre recorded five significant achievements in 2005, the first being the approval by the Organisation of American States (OAS) of a regional project in support of AgroTourism linkages in the amount of US$444 000. The three-year project is aimed at strengthening linkages between Agriculture and Tourism linkages in seven countries. The other four milestones were the co-ordination and co-hosting of an international workshop on AgroTourism with funding and support from two European Union (EU) partners during the Caribbean Week of Agriculture (CWA); the official signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between IICA and the Caribbean Hotel Association (CHA) at the CWA; the launch of a new Distance Learning Course on Agro-Eco Tourism, and partnership with the Barbados Hotel and Tourism Association (BHTA) on the Culinary Alliance of Barbados.

IICA also provided support to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MAR) with respect to the training of MAR officers in Canada, and sponsorship of their participation in meetings of World Trade Organisation (WTO) in Geneva as well as in meetings in the region dealing with agricultural health and food safety issues. In addition, the institution also supported the participation and training of women and youth farmers and agro-entrepreneurs in several national and regional meetings, covering development and investment opportunities in the Botanicals Industry, Agro-Tourism and Organic Agriculture.

The reports executive summary highlighted the contribution of the IICA and the development of rural communities in Barbados for the year 2005. The results of IICAs programme of work is reported under the following seven areas: Facilitating competitiveness and global trade; promoting food safety and agricultural health; strengthening rural communities; hemispheric integration; developing human capital; environmental management; and institutional modernisation.

The primary focus of IICAs Technical Cooperation Agenda for Barbados in 2005 was on deepening relations with the various stakeholders at the national, regional, hemispheric and international levels through collaboration on interventions that would impact on rural livelihoods. The Offices Agro-Tourism Centre received a tremendous boost to the tune of US $119 000 from the OAS to initiate projects in seven Caribbean countries. Collaboration among IICA, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), and Ministries of Agriculture in the Region, resulted in some 105 persons being trained throughout the region in compost production using earthworms. Thirty-one persons were trained in Barbados. The Office remained committed to the Association of Women in Agriculture (AWIA), and the Barbados Agricultural Forum for Youth (BAFY) by supporting their participation at local and regional workshops, while donating computers to AWIA and the Organic Growers and Consumers Association (OGCA) to aid in their organisational management.

A major achievement of the Office in Barbados was its support for the strategic development of three competitive products, namely Barbados Blackbelly sheep, hot peppers and herbals. In the area of Agro-Tourism Linkages, the Office conducted a series of roundtable policy meetings aimed at documenting the policy initiatives, identifying stakeholders, and quantifying the levels of linkage between the two sectors. The Agro-Tourism Committee hosted a booth at the National Agricultural Exhibition  AgroFest, showcasing art, craft and souvenirs produced from Barbados Blackbelly sheep. The AgroTourism Committee also supported a workshop for artisans on the manufacture of craft and souvenirs based on the Barbados Blackbelly Sheep logo. Approval for US$119 000 was received from the OAS for a regional Agro-Tourism project involving seven countries. The official signing of the project took place in Barbados and the programme was officially launched in six countries by the end of the year. In October, during the Caribbean Week of Agriculture (CWA), the Office coordinated an international Agro-Tourism workshop, funded by the Centre for the Development of Enterprise (CDE) and the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Co-operation (CTA), and supported by the Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO) and Government of St. Kitts & Nevis. Eighty five participants were in attendance and a framework for a regional agrotourism strategy was developed.

Additional developments in Agro-Tourism included the inclusion of IICA on the newly established Culinary Alliance of Barbados and submission of proposals to the CHA for a pilot Adopt-A-Farm project for five Caribbean countries. As IICAs nominated representative to the Board of the Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO) and the advocacy committee of the CHA, the Representative attended Board meetings, and also delivered presentations on the role of linkages in sustainable tourism development.

The prevailing relationships between cultural practices, the environment and indigenous knowledge clearly justify attention when looking into patterns of changes, and the impacts of technological innovations, and economic expansion on the well-being of indigenous people.

The ever-increasing drive of globalization typologies have heightened the scope of transformational processes by weighing heavily upon some traditional and cultural modes on the division of labor, livelihoods and capabilities.

For indigenous people the realities behind these structural changes, and their impacts on their traditional livelihoods and the conservation of their biodiversity call for concerted efforts to mitigate the effects and disparities associated with massive economic adjustments.

The issues at bay provide some interesting perspectives, specifically when approaching the diverse facets linked with equity in cultural and economic opportunities. And to move further into this debate a dialogue set by the Development Gateway: dgCulture and Development Group examine one aspect liaised with the problematique of cultural diversity, and the context to drive social and economic development for indigenous communities.
These starting points, highlighting the necessity to converge toward rational assessments and expansion of public discussions about these issues, and the increasing needs to guarantee capabilities, and participation in decision-making.

An Assessment of Gender Integration in UNFPA Materials Produced Between 1997 and Early 2005

Available in the following formats:

Pdf:

This report presents the findings of the evaluative inquiry carried out by the Division of Oversight Services in 2005 with the objectives to assess the quality, packaging and design of gender-related messages being communicated to UNFPA staff as well as the utility and utilization of these materials. The assessment was conducted using the 'appreciative inquiry approach', which seeks to identify what works well and what leads to good practices. The report presents good practices of communication of gender concepts and their mainstreaming into all UNFPA materials; reveals challenges and promotes a common understanding of what should be done at the organizational level to institutionalize strengths and achievements in current practice.

Copyright (c) United Nations Population Fund, 2003. All rights reserved

Transnational Migration: A Prospective View

The dynamics of transnational migration have been over the last couple of years, part of growing scholarly research to better comprehend and integrate policy measures that take into account various experiences and perspectives in terms of human development, rights and the outlooks between inclusion and exclusion.

In a nutshell to get better comprehension about the patterns driving transnational or international migrations, researchers and policy-makers have to investigate and merge a long line of variables, amidst which family, households and gender are also integral parts within the institutionalized social relationships that mold migratory flows and settlement.

In a recent presentation by ECLAC: “International migration from Latin American and the Caribbean to Ibero-America: characteristics, challenges and opportunities”, the steps to enlarge understandings and policy measures vis-à-vis international migration (in the Ibero-American context) are reviewed in the lights of the challenges, and opportunities that come to play with the Latin American and Caribbean settings.

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Pro-Poor Budgeting: Myth or Reality? The Social Investment for Children Initiative in Jamaica

The combination of pro-poor budgeting in Poverty Reduction Strategies has garnered for development policy and administration some critical assumptions when it comes to the implementation of programs, and the relevance of some policy decisions.

As a matter of fact, to bring about changes and efficiency in the policy arena the supply of information and the role of evidence-based practices are paramount to capture the right determinants about poverty and inequality measures. And along those lines the current trends vis-à-vis pro-poor budgeting have been unveiling distinctive paths, where matters of governance and participatory-policy making become essential to address concerns liaised with the different objectives and choices brought about by the PRSPs.

As an interesting element to broaden development alternatives, the advent of budget work highlights the necessity to streamline research in regards to the impacts of budgetary strategies and policies to tackle public expenditures, and social interventions. For such elements are closely associated with the costs behind the implementation of PRSPs.

In this debate, comparative analyses of objectives are crucial in order to carefully weigh the impacts of evaluation mechanisms when it comes to choices and the harmonization of policies between programs.

As an example, an interesting initiative in Jamaica follows up the process behind Children’s budget (here) and its overall impact on social investments and government allocations to the social sector.

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IMF Says Eastern Caribbean Is Doing Well, by Amanda Banks, Tax-News.com, London 26 July 2006

David O. Robinson, head of an International Monetary Fund staff mission to the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union (ECCU) countries, said recently that most Eastern Caribbean countries are benefiting from good economic conditions in the United States and the United Kingdom.

Said Mr Robinson:

"Recent economic outcomes have been strong — growth for the ECCU region accelerated in 2005 to about 4½ percent, largely due to a recovery in tourism, and increased construction activity ahead of the 2007 Cricket World Cup. While inflationary pressures have emerged due to the strong economic activity and higher world oil prices, inflation has remained in the low single digits, anchored by the regional monetary arrangement at the ECCB. Fiscal positions also improved, with the central government primary balance (the overall balance of the government minus interest payments) recording a small surplus for the first time in nearly a decade.

"Buoyed by continued growth in the region's main tourism markets — the United States and the UK — as well as the ongoing high level of construction activity, near-term growth prospects remain strong in most countries. This supportive environment provides a window to enhance the flexibility of the region's economies that will be important to enable the region to take advantage of the new opportunities provided by the CSME (Caribbean Single Market and Economy) and the increasing globalization of the world economy, as well as to adjust to the further decline of trade preferences for bananas and sugar. Sustaining growth once the impetus dissipates from the construction boom ahead of the Cricket World Cup will be key to maintaining and further improving living standards in the region.

"Despite the improvement in fiscal outcomes seen in 2005 and restructuring agreements reached with creditors in three countries — Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, and Grenada — debt burdens remain high throughout the region. Interest outlays by countries in the region restrict the fiscal space available to pursue social agendas and address emerging concerns such as HIV/AIDS. Important reforms to place the fiscal balances on a firmer footing are underway in many countries—including through the introduction of value added taxes—and it is essential that improved fiscal positions are sustained. In this context, care will be needed to ensure that public sector investments are yielding adequate social rates of return and that tax incentives are not unduly eroding tax bases."

The IMF mission is visiting the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union countries during July and August to conduct the Fund's 2006 ECCU regional discussions. It will visit the six IMF member countries of the ECCU — Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines — and key regional institutions, including the Caribbean Development Bank, the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB), and the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS).

The IMF mission visited Antigua and Barbuda during July 17-19, 2006. The IMF team thanked the authorities of Antigua and Barbuda for 'insightful and open' discussions. Said Mr Robinson: "The authorities are implementing a bold reform agenda designed to strengthen prospects for private investment and to restore normalcy in fiscal and debt relations. The recent surge in private investment and strengthening of the fiscal accounts are early signs that these efforts are bearing fruit. We wish them every success in their continued efforts."

Amidst those perspectives, the Haitian government sees those pledges from donors as ways to tackle economic and social development schemes, and to stabilize its national security in the lights of rising violence.

In fact, in the eyes of some government officials, the potential of foreign aid disbursements could lead to sustainable development, and long-term reinforcement of the Haitian sovereignty.

As interesting as those arguments can be, several questions also emerge vis-à-vis the Haitian case, and the prospects of Aid Effectiveness. Let us recall among other things that increased aid has to be carried out in parallel to substantial reforms, and effective policy measures. Where such measures could be aimed to address matters of absorption capacity, and adjustments towards some constraints that might be liaised with the political economy framework.

Not trying to be over-simplistic about these matters, the effectiveness of aid, and the future of Haiti can be highly dependent on two factors, namely: Political Sustainability, and Quality, where those two characteristics could certainly help to bolster the country’s capacity to target specific social and economic programs, and at the same time strengthen their political jostling.

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ACS intensifies its efforts on Caribbean Sea Initiative

Tuesday, July 25, 2006

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad: The First Meeting of the Follow-Up Commission for the Caribbean Sea Initiative, will be held on Thursday, July 27, 2006, at the Association of Caribbean States (ACS) Secretariat in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago to move ahead in the work undertaken by the ACS in this respect.

The ACS hosted its first meeting on the Caribbean Sea in May of 2003, at which time the Technical Advisory Group (TAG) had examined the status of the proposal for securing the international recognition of the Caribbean Sea as a Special Area in the context of Sustainable Development.

The ACS Ministers, at their ordinary meeting in Port of Spain in March of this year, agreed on the creation of a Follow-Up Commission which would build on the work already done by the TAG, devising a work programme not only to implement the Caribbean Sea Initiative and the UNGA Res. 59/230, "Promoting an Integrated Approach to the Caribbean Area in the Context of Sustainable Development", but more importantly to ensure that a future resolution captures more of the essence of the proposal from the ACS. The Commission's composition will also benefit from participation of representatives of the ACS Member States.

As ACS Legal Adviser, Sheldon McDonald, explains, "This new structure is qualitatively different from the TAG. The former, while doing valuable work was purely advisory. This Commission is an inter-governmental agency, with a multi-disciplinary composition to ensure that it is able to tackle all the critical issues involved in securing acceptance by the international community of the need to declare the Caribbean Sea a Special Area in the context of sustainable development."

Though this first meeting is expected to deal with the Commission's structure, financing and procedures, its future activities are essential to the implementation of the Caribbean Sea initiative, which will bestow on the peoples of the Greater Caribbean the power to tackle the uses and abuses of the Caribbean Sea. This will be achieved by seeking to ensure greater harmonisation of the planning and implementation of the numerous activities which directly and indirectly impact upon the Caribbean.

The inaugural meeting, apart from deciding on procedural issues, will begin to tackle the mandate to develop an action-oriented programme of work. Additionally, the meeting will plan the strategies to be utilised to ensure that the issue is fully ventilated at the Sixty-First Session of the UN General Assembly later this year. In this regard, plans are already advanced for the holding of a special meeting of the Commission at the UN Headquarters coinciding with the debate on resolution 59/230.

The Association of Caribbean States is the organization for consultation, cooperation and concerted action in trade, transport, sustainable tourism and natural disasters in the Greater Caribbean. Its Member States are Antigua & Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Jamaica, Nicaragua, Panama, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad & Tobago and Venezuela. Its Associate Members are Aruba, France on behalf of French Guiana, Guadeloupe, and Martinique, and the Netherlands Antilles.

Senate Approves Bill to Establish Caribbean
Accreditation Authority

Minister of State in the Ministry of Education
and Youth, Senator Noel Monteith

A Bill to establish the Caribbean Accreditation Authority for Education in Medicine and other health professions was approved by the Senate on July 21.

Minister of State in the Ministry of Education and Youth, Senator Noel Monteith, who piloted the Bill, said the need for a regional accreditation body came about after the United Kingdom government confirmed its intention to abolish legislation that recognised overseas qualifications of medical practitioners, such as those within the Caribbean.

He pointed out that the removal of accreditation was seen as being critical, noting that "this, therefore, obviated the need to continue with the reviews of the previously recognised qualifications, such as that of the University of the West Indies (UWI), leaving a void of accreditation by an internationally recognised body".

Accreditation for persons training in medicine at the University College in the West Indies, which preceded the UWI was previously issued by the University of London.

However, after the UWI was granted its independence in 1962, graduates of the UWI's medical programme subsequently received automatic recognition from the General Medical Council (GMC) of Great Britain. Accreditation status from the Council allowed graduates the ability to register and practise in other British Commonwealth countries.

Accreditation by the GMC continued over the years, with the Council members visiting the UWI and the other medical schools that were subsequently established in other Caribbean territories, to examine their syllabuses, the levels of qualifications, and the support mechanisms for medicine.

Notwithstanding the discontinuation of accreditation by the GMC, Senator Monteith told the Senate that, "this move by the GMC had nothing to do with the quality of the programme offered by UWI", but was instead, a direct result of a commitment to their region within the European Union.

The State Minister pointed out that in light of this, for the UWI and other medical schools in the region to remain attractive to regional and international students, their programme offerings had to be recognised to be of international standard, at home and abroad.

He further informed that the proposal to establish a Caribbean Accreditation Authority was approved and endorsed by a number of CARICOM groups, inclusive of the Council of Human and Social Development, the Conference of the Heads of Government, and the Legal Affairs Committee in 2003.

Eight countries in the region are signatories to the agreement to establish the Authority. They are Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Grenada, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, and Suriname.

As a consequence of the Accreditation Authority, Senator Monteith said that medical accreditation programmes of medical schools in the participating CARICOM countries would be certified.

Additionally, the Authority will seek "to have mutual recognition with other established medical accreditation bodies and will be responsible for an ongoing review of the accreditation standards", he noted.

Membership of the Authority, he said, would comprise three persons nominated jointly by academic institutions in the community offering training in medicine, other than dental and veterinary medicine; one person nominated jointly by academic institutions in the community offering training in dental medicine; one person nominated jointly by academic institutions in the community offering training in veterinary medicine; two persons nominated jointly by regional organisations representing civil society; two students enrolled in training programmes in medicine at the academic institutions in the community and nominated by the institutions; two persons from outside the region who have expertise in the accreditation of training programmes in medicine or health professions; one person representing the Caribbean Association of Medical Councils; three representatives, each appointed by a contracting party selected by the Secretary General on a rotational basis; and the Executive Director, who shall be an ex-officio member.

In her contribution to the debate, Opposition Senator, Shirley Williams expressed concern on the matter of funding, and the amount of financial allocation to be made to the Accreditation Authority.

"I would like to know how we calculated the budget and what Jamaica's contribution is. Whilst we do agree with the concept and welcome the formation.we want to know what the financial input is going to be from taxpayers," Senator Williams queried.

Responding, Senator Monteith explained that there was a standard formula that was utilised by CARICOM in determining the funding that each member state contributed to the Authority. He disclosed that Jamaica's annual contribution to the Authority was US$64,052.82 per year for the first three years.

Also making their contributions to debate were Leader of Opposition Business, Senator Anthony Johnson and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator Anthony Hylton.

Senator Johnson said that in seeking to establish the Authority, it was important that beyond the Caribbean, "the world believes that our Authority will be objective and independent".

He argued that there must be a system in place whereby the Authority functioned independently of the UWI.

"We have to ensure also that the relationship between this body and the other bodies is objectively stated," the Opposition Senator said.

In his address, Senator Hylton pointed out that at the recently concluded CARICOM Heads of Government meeting in St. Kitts, a decision was taken to expand the categories of persons, for which the free movement provisions of the revised Treaty of Chagauramas would apply immediately.

"While any arrangements contained in the Bill anticipate that it is the higher level of the medical profession, such as the doctors and veterinarians who will be impacted, the nurses themselves in short order will form part of this arrangement, and that I think will further facilitate the free movement of goods, persons, and services within the single market arrangements," he added.

COUNTDOWN TO DENBIGH - Caribbean agriculture officials to flock show this year
published: Monday | July 24, 2006

KINGSTON (CMC):

CARIBBEAN FARMING officials will trek to Jamaica early next month for the Denbigh Agricultural Show as they scout out opportunities for marketing their produce.

Organisers of the annual show say they have received confirmation of attendance from officials in Bermuda, Trinidad and Tobago and St. Maarten for the August 5 to 7 event, set to take place at Denbigh, Clarendon.

Attendance requests have also come in from The Cayman Islands and Barbados, said Lawrence Madden, chief executive officer of the Jamaica Agricultural Society, hosts of the show.

Mr. Madden said the CARICOM Single Market, pressed into operation earlier this year, had ignited interest in regional players in the farming sector who are eyeing the Denbigh show as a marketplace to promote their goods.

He said the event also had the potential to bring increased investment and trade to the local economy.

But the appeal of Denbigh has extended beyond the Caribbean, with interests in North America and Europe also clamouring to participate in the show.

"We have had serious enquiries from the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Belgium and the Netherlands, and the list is expected to increase," Mr. Madden said. "We are unsure of the role that the international countries will play this year, as we are still awaiting details of their objectives."

Business leaders across Jamaican communities in these countries have displayed interest in the show, viewing it as a fillip to their 'Eat Jamaican' campaign. The JAS CEO said they saw the show as an economic venture and an opportunity to vacation in Jamaica.

This is the 54th staging of the agricultural show.

Eastern Caribbean Nations Benefiting from U.S. Economic Growth

International Monetary Fund reports on Eastern Caribbean economy

By Eric Green
Washington File Staff Writer

Washington -- Most Eastern Caribbean countries are benefiting from good economic conditions in the United States and the United Kingdom, says the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

In a July 19 statement, the IMF said the near-term growth prospects in most of the Eastern Caribbean's countries "remain strong" as their economies are "buoyed" by tourism from the United States and the United Kingdom.

The IMF said a high level of construction activity in the Eastern Caribbean also is improving the region's economy.

IMF official David Robinson, who will head a staff mission by his organization to the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union countries in July and August, said his visit will focus on the "economic prospects, opportunities, and challenges" facing that currency union. The six countries in that group are Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

Robinson said growth in the region has been strong, largely due to a recovery in tourism, and increased construction activity in preparation for the 2007 Cricket World Cup, which will be played in a number of countries in the Caribbean region. The Cup's championship match is scheduled for April 28, 2007, in Bridgetown, Barbados.

The IMF official said that while "inflationary pressures" in the Eastern Caribbean have emerged due to the strong economic activity and higher world oil prices, inflation in the region has remained in the low single digits.

Robinson said the economic growth would help the region take advantage of new opportunities provided by what is called the Caribbean Single Market and Economy, which is designed to enhance the region's competitiveness by providing for the free movement of goods and services, labor and capital in the Caribbean.

In addition, Robinson said the region needs to take advantage of the "increasing globalization of the world economy, as well as to adjust to the further decline of trade preferences for bananas and sugar." However, sustaining growth "once the impetus dissipates from the construction boom ahead of the Cricket World Cup will be key to maintaining and further improving living standards" in the region, Robinson said.

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) operates an Eastern Caribbean program that provides about $17 million annually to promote economic development, legal reform, trade-capacity building and HIV/AIDS assistance to the region's small island countries. USAID operates an office in Barbados that directly administers the Eastern Caribbean program.

The full text of the IMF statement on the Eastern Caribbean is available on the fund’s Web site.

For more on U.S. policy, see The Caribbean.

(The Washington File is a product of the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)

Member of Parliament for South Eastern Clarendon and Opposition Spokesman on Labour, Rudyard Spencer, has recommended that the Ministry of Labour and Social Security undertake a comprehensive study to determine the quantity and quality of persons employed in the public sector.

Mr. Spencer, who was making his presentation in the 2006/07 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives yesterday (July 19), said the role and objectives of each ministry, department and agency needed to be more clearly defined.

On another matter, Mr. Spencer urged the government to expedite legislation to deal with the issues of the disabled, noting that the National Policy on Disability in Jamaica that was passed by Parliament in 1999 had no legal sanctions and was therefore, not enforceable.

He also indicated that he was supportive of concerns raised by the Disabilities Foundation Association over the need for the construction of new sidewalks that better facilitated access for the disabled.

Mr. Spencer expressed concern about the lack of accessibility for persons with disabilities at emergency shelters.

"I urge the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management to ensure that this deficiency is corrected as we enter the hurricane season,"
Mr. Spencer said.

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HIV/AIDS in the Workplace: The PAHO Case

Addressing HIV/AIDS as a workplace issue harbors for governments, and corporations the settings of clear priorities in order to strengthen public support, and policy measures taking into account the impacts of such pandemic on human capital, capabilities and economic growth.

Amidst those prospects, there is a need to mainstream and mobilize resources along with the private sector as to work toward the expansion of institutional and human resources policy frameworks to target and mitigate the spread of HIV/AIDS and its impact on the workplace, and communities.

As a prime example of those pursuits, the PAHO human resources policy on HIV/AIDS highlights these objectives. And can set off further insights/reflections about this process, if we position interventions within the realms of partnerships between governments and corporations. These avenues set to initiate the development of CSR practices, and capacity building on health and education about this matter.

The harmonization between public sector organizations and the procurements of pharmaceutical services and products for the Caribbean zone has been part of ongoing efforts to address and deter counterfeit trafficking.

As part of a regional initiative undertaken by the OECS, the setting of a major framework program, underlines a shift in thinking toward the establishment of partnerships between governments and suppliers, and the development of new standards to tackle procurement policy, and the management of products and services entering the Eastern Caribbean.

Development Policy…. And Transformational Diplomacy

It has been interesting to notice over the last couple of weeks of new developments touching the world of Foreign Aid (U.S. Style) vis-à-vis the adoption of a development policy framework that encompasses, distinctive approaches linked to diplomacy and defense.

Along those arguments, a joint project lead by the Brookings Institution and the Center for Strategic and International Studies brings about these transformational directions by stressing the relationships between global poverty, pandemics and transnational threats.

Thus, aiming toward these routes is supposedly framing the constructions of informed policy based practices to arm policy-makers with sound evidence about the effectiveness, and futures of the U.S. Foreign Assistance Framework…….

Stimulus to go back

The proposed single focal sector for the new round of EU support to Antigua and Barbuda is “Fiscal and Public Sector Modernization” to support the continued Government efforts to implement relevant fiscal and public sector reforms.

In this regard, ninety percent of the EURO 3.12 million under the 10th EDF will go towards that focal sector. The EURO 3.12 million represents a small increase in the EU’s support to Antigua and Barbuda over the 9th EDF allocation of EURO 2.6 million whose focal sector was Human Resources Development.

Among the programmes currently being implemented through EU funding include 8th EDF - Drug Demand Reduction Programme, a Strengthening of Technical and Vocational Education Project (STAVEP), a Broad Based Education Sector Study for Antigua & Barbuda, and the establishment of a Non State Actors Advisory Panel.

Preparation work is progressing for the eventual construction of a Learning Resources Centre (LRC) and six classrooms as well as expansion of the physical facilities at the Antigua and Barbuda Institute of Continuing Education (ABICE) and the engineering workshop at the Antigua State College.

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So says Agriculture Minister, Senator Erskine Griffith, who has charged that research corporations, particularly in developed countries, have taken the lead in exploiting the latent value of biodiversity and the indigenous knowledge which exist in respective local communities. He was at the time addressing the launch of a two-day National Agricultural Conference at the Savannah Hotel.

Noting that Barbados must take advantage of the intellectual property present in sugar cane, cotton, black belly sheep and other products, Minister Griffith contended: We must ensure that real economic benefits accrue to the country when researchers, whether local or foreign, develop new products that are based on local material or knowledge which presently exist in the public domain.

He pledged his Ministrys commitment to aid research and development within the sector in an effort to ensure its survival in spite of changing circumstances in the international market.

In addition to lending its support to the development of new products, as well as new varieties of existing ones, to promote competitiveness, he said plans were also in the pipeline to transform research and development within the Ministry of Agriculture.

Researchers, he underlined, would be encouraged to engage in a greater degree of organisation and management, in addition to drawing on the principles of science and technology.

Meanwhile, according to Senator Griffith, the Ministry would be positioning itself to better assume its primary responsibility for coordinating all agricultural research and development in the island. It will also be aiming to promote new technologies through the use of adaptive research, on-farm demonstrative activities and collaborative programmes with various farmers organisations, commodity associations and agricultural cooperatives.

Some 18 research papers are expected to be presented during the two-day meeting, which has attracted representatives from various segments of the sector. Studies have been concentrated on the black belly sheep; the West Indian fruit-fly; fuel cane; coral bleaching; attitudes of the local sector towards climate change; pig farming and the sugar cane sector, among other areas.

The conference is designed to bring into the public domain new or emerging scientific knowledge; foster a culture of scientific excellence in research; and create a forum for the sharing of information and research findings among practitioners.

Haitian Diaspora Reconnection Forum:

Expectations and prospects

Tuesday, July 18, 2006

by Vario Serant
Caribbean Net News Haiti Correspondent
Email: vario@caribbeannetnews.com

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti: While meeting in Paris with President Rene Garcia Préval, the French leader Jacques Chirac revealed plans to begin a co-development program in Haiti.

Haitians learned of the plans on July 12 at the Diaspora Reconnection Forum in Port-au-Prince. At this time, the French ambassador in Haiti described the concept of co-development as a method of showing how training efforts can enhance the capacity of migrants to contribute towards developing their native country.

Several foreign diplomats who participated in the two day forum, including US ambassador Janet A. Sanderson, congratulated the Diaspora for continued progress in developing the country. She also encouraged greater visibility of the Diaspora, which constitutes a positive and critical force in favour of progress in Haiti.

Showing support, the Canadian ambassador said, "At the time where Haiti must face new challenges, the Diaspora has perhaps a responsibility more considerable than others."

Claude Boucher emphasized, "People of the Diaspora undoubtedly have better living conditions and access to more resources than those of the fellow-citizens of the country."

Approximately three hundred delegates from the United States, Canada and France gathered for the Diaspora Connection Forum along with select representatives from other nations.

Participants urged authorities to clarify ambiguity within the Haitian Constitution regarding dual nationality. The businessman Samir Mourra was especially interested in this topic, as the former presidential candidate was ousted due to his American nationality.

In accordance with the recommendations of the Diaspora's representatives, the Minister for Haitians living abroad announced the impending creation of a commission focused on dual nationality.

Jean Généus advised the commission to circumvent the current constitutional obstacles to achieve its goal within a faster time frame.

According to article 284-2 of the Constitution, an amendment obtained by a legislature "can come into effect only after the installation of the next elected president".

The same article stipulates that "the president under the government of which the amendment took place cannot profit from the advantages which result from this".

In addition to the commission on dual nationality, the Minister for Haitians living abroad announced development of an investment forum to assist with effective integration as a provision within the framework for Diaspora members.

The Haitian Diaspora, predominantly in North America, is estimated at more than one million people. Money transfers between Haitians in the U.S. and loved ones in Haiti exceed one billion U.S. dollars annually.

Scholarship - Post Graduate Management Diploma Programme

The Mediterranean Institute of Management (MIM), the international component of the Cyprus Productivity Centre, in collaboration with the Commonwealth Fund for Technical Co-operation (CFTC) is offering a scholarship for a Post - Graduate Management Diploma Programme for 11 months commencing September 2006, in Cyprus.

The programme provides management education to university graduates from developing countries working in the private sector and in semi-government organizations.

Details regarding the content of the programme, admission requirements application procedures, and the application deadline can be obtained from the Training Division, Church Street, St. John's.

Interested persons should contact the Division as soon as possible for the relevant information regarding the MIM Programme.

Jaquis Browne
Communications Officer
Ministry of Education
Tel: (268) 462-4959 (Overseas) (268) 462-0192 Ext. 214
Fax: (268) 462-4970
Email: jacquis.browne@antigua.gov.ag

©Copyright 2005 - Government of Antigua and Barbuda. All rights reserved.

IICA's Caribbean Pavilion showcases regional products

Web Posted - Mon Jul 17 2006

A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed by the Inter-American Institute for Co-operation on Agri-culture (IICA) and the Caribbean Hotel Association (CHA) is bearing fruit. The two agencies initialled the MOU last October in St. Kitts for joint collaboration on the promotion of agro-tourism linkages.

Under the theme, 'Staging the Caribbean Experience'. IICA, with financial support from the Caribbean Development Bank, hosted a Caribbean Pavilion showcasing pro-cessed foods, and botanical and craft products from 20 companies around the region.

The Pavilion was designed as a Caribbean Village by Rosemary Parkinson (artist and world famous author of Caribbean Culinaria) and Maurison Randall (event planner).

The centrepiece of the Village was a typical Rum Shop, where delegates were amply supplied with Angostura 1919 and 1824 Special Rums and Carib-bean Club rum punch (in four flavours), as well as Cockspur and Cavalier Rum. Angostura also supplied Angostura Bitters, as well as jerk and spicy sauces and marinades.

A Cook Shop featured samplings of jerk chicken and beef, accompanied by an array of Barbadian hot sauces, which included A.M. Enterprises, Kibaazi, Native Treasures, Windmill and Jays. Aunt Mays Sweet Tings featured rum cakes from Bakers Choice and Tortuga RumCakes, as well as Bucanneer rum cake of Jamaica, and cookies and crackers from WIBISCO.

Anne Marie Whittaker of Native Treasures displayed versatility in showcasing traditional confections (chocolate rum balls, fudge and jujube) for turndown service, along with her sauces and tenor pan playing. The Barbados Invest-ment and Development Corporation (BIDC) expedited delivery of items by having their US office ship the items to Miami for the show.

The Herbal corner featured The Herbarium's line of natural Caribbean skin and body products from Trinidad. Caribbean Ex-port provided samples of Spa Exotiques by Carib-bean Blue, as well as craft from Earth & Fire and Art Utile.

Visitors to the booth included Berthia Parle (CHA); Sue Springer (Executive Vice President, Barbados Hotel & Tourism Association); Dr. Hudson Husbands (former Chairman of the Barbados Tourism Authority); Ed Bushell, Barbados Consul in Miami; and Minister of Tourism, Noel Lynch.

At the panel discussion on linkages, chaired by CHA outgoing President Berthia Parle, Ena Harvey, IICA Representative in Barbados, indicated that for the Caribbean Hotel Industry Conference (CHIC) 2007, her wish list is that the Caribbean Pavilion would be placed at the entrance to the show and that the Taste of the Caribbean chef and bartender competitions would feature 100 per cent Carib-bean food products, and would be sponsored by the major food processing companies from across the region. She also announced that a Directory of Caribbean food and herbal products and services will be launched by IICA in time for CHIC 2007.

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Sustainable tourism practiced in St. Lucia