Tag Archives: caribbean

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Haitian Leader Won’t Quit, Talks of Power for Diaspora

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Haitian President Jovenel Moïse said Monday that proposed constitutional amendments would allow members of the country’s diaspora to run for the presidency and other high-ranking offices.

The announcement came during an online public address during which Moïse reiterated that he would not step down until February 2022 and urged Haitians to support the creation of a new constitution, which is due to be voted upon in April.

“It’s time to change it,” he said. “We can’t continue like this. The country is paralyzed.”

Moïse spoke on the first day of a two-day transportation strike that paralyzed parts of Haiti and forced the closure of banks, schools and businesses. Haiti also has been hit by ongoing, often violent protests in recent years against corruption and for better living conditions.

The proposed constitutional changes are expected to be made public this week as opposition leaders step up their demands that Moïse relinquish power on Sunday, arguing that his five-year term began when that of former President Michel Martelly expired in February 2016.

However, a chaotic election process led to the appointment of a provisional president for a year until Moïse was sworn in a year later.

Moïse also pledged to keep fighting a rise in kidnapping, saying he won’t allow gang members to scare people into not participating in the upcoming constitutional referendum or the general elections scheduled for later this year.

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El Salvador: 2 Killed at Campaign Rally Attack, Doctor Group Quits Over Violence

Gunmen opened fire on activists from El Salvador’s main opposition party, killing two people, a rare political attack that has shocked one of Latin America’s most violent countries.

The Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front (FMLN) supporters were returning from a A

The attack happened in the centre of the capital, San Salvador, on Sunday afternoon local time in front of one of the offices of the FMLN party. Five other people were injured

Party activists had attended a rally launching the campaign for mayor of FMLN’s candidate Rogelio Canales.

Nidia Díaz, a FMLN lawmaker, said she saw the car with the attackers block the path of an open-backed lorry carrying party supporters. “A man got out with a gun in his hand and started shooting,” she tweeted.

Police guard a truck that carried supporters of the political party Farabundo Marti Front (FMLN)image copyrightGetty Images
image captionThe FMLN supporters were returning from a campaign rally

El Salvador’s Attorney General, Raúl Melara, called the attack “serious”, saying: “The electoral battle cannot become a bloodbath”.

In a reference to the country’s civil war, San Salvador’s mayor, Neto Muyshondt, also condemned the attack, calling it a “step back” in El Salvador’s history.

According to a 1993 United Nations Truth Commission report, 80,000 people were killed in the conflict, which lasted from 1979 until a peace deal was signed in 1992.

The FMLN party was formed by left-wing rebels as part of the peace deal and quickly became an influential force.

It won the 2014 presidential election and its candidate, Salvador Sánchez Ceren, served as president until 2019.

In the most recent presidential election, however, the FMLN’s candidate lost out to Nayib Bukele of the centre-right Gana party.

Some FMLN politicians have accused President Bukele of inciting violence against their party and of “threatening anyone who doesn’t agree with him”.

Mr Bukele tweeted that all those responsible for the attack would “pay for their acts”.]

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Humanitarian Medical Group Suspends El Salvador Service Over Violence

SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador (AP) — Doctors Without Borders suspended its work in El Salvador on Sunday after one of its ambulances was waylaid on the outskirts of San Salvador.

Armed men forced the crew of the ambulance to stop and get out of the vehicle in a gang-dominated neighborhood in the township of Ilopango, the humanitarian group said.

It said the crew members were interrogated and roughed up, and threatened with guns, before they managed to leave the area. A doctor and a nurse suffered light injuries.

The group said it would not continue to take emergency calls unless the safety of its personnel was guaranteed. The group, also known as Medicos Sin Fronteras, said the incident was the first such attack since it started working in El Salvador in 2018.

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Tributes Paid to UK’s 1st Black Head Teacher, Dies at 81

Yvonne Conolly

TRIBUTES were paid this week to the country’s first woman black headteacher who moved to Camden from Jamaica with just £36 ($50) in her pocket.

Yvonne Conolly, who has died aged 81 following a long battle with myeloma, had to be accompanied by a “minder” on the day she took over Ring Cross primary school, Islington, in 1968.

“All hell broke loose” with “all sorts of nasty” racist abuse, she had recalled in a wide-ranging interview with the New Journal last year.

But she had also said that before taking the top job at Ring Cross, she had enjoyed five happy years as a teacher at George Eliot School, Swiss Cottage.

Living in 12 Canfield Gardens, near Finchley Road tube, her first impressions of the country she would call home were of her street’s “tall distinctive red brick buildings” and how she was left “gawking in amazement at the high ceilings in the flat as this was an unusual feature in residential buildings in Jamaica”.

SEE ALSO UK’S FIRST BLACK FEMALE HEADTEACHER: ‘I HAD TO HAVE A MINDER WITH ME ON MY FIRST DAY IN THE JOB’

A pioneer of the Windrush generation, she had come to London with an expat teacher friend called Elizabeth Heybeard on what at the time was described as a “banana boat”.

“I was also aware of the tube trains passing at the back of the building. John Barnes the department store was smack opposite, and it was there that Elizabeth encouraged me to get a store card….. now the John Lewis Partnership Card.

“The flat was rented, and on the ground floor. I was given the smallest room for which I paid £6 per month /week. I think of this period of my life in London as one of much joy.”

On top of her teaching, she had taken a job as a baby sitter, cleaner and typist.

“I can now clearly remember a curious typing job with an eccentric archaeologist who translated a script from Hebrew to English at a furiously fast pace, with me barely able to keep up,” she said.

“I was also completely unprepared for the effect that Jewish religious holidays would have on children’s attendance at George Eliot, and on me. Nearly half my class would be absent on those days. I remember seeing the children and their families as they slowly walked along the road between St John’s Wood and Swiss Cottage at Passover, in what seemed a solemn procession.

“Parents were usually dressed in black on that occasion in those days. That led me to read about the Second World War with more rigour and intensity than I would otherwise have done.”

She added: “I have a special memory of the Swiss Cottage pub. It was there that the District Inspector of schools in Islington took me for lunch to celebrate my appointment to the headship of Ring Cross school. The daughter of the landlord then, Alison Pickup, was in my class at George Eliot.”

After accepting the job at Ring Cross in December 1968, Ms Conolly was subjected to repeated attacks in national newspapers and would receive hate mail at home.

She had said: “It was on that basis that I decided to create the Caribbean Teachers Association. I realised at the time there were not many black teachers in the system, and if there were, they weren’t being promoted. We sat down and looked at strategies, how you write an application, and do interviews.”

Ms Conolly, who lived in Finsbury Park, was in October awarded the 2020 Honorary Fellow of Education award at The Naz Legacy Foundation by Prince Charles, who described her as “a pioneer of the Windrush generation must be cherished by us all”, adding: “I cannot begin to imagine the character and determination she must have shown to lead the way for black educators 50 years ago.” She was made a CBE in the new year’s honours list.

Ms Conolly had backed las year’s campaign for Beckford Primary School to be named after its former headteacher Beryl Gilroy.

The school had agreed to change its name – after a major Jamaica sugar plantation slave owner William Beckford – following the Black Lives Matter protests.

But a vote of parents and pupils saw the West Hampstead School be chosen instead.

On the concept of changing buildings names, Ms Conolly had said: “I have a theory that you are never ever going to get rid of racism completely. We are not going to get rid of burglary, or fraud. Let’s not kid ourselves. Wherever human beings go, there will be some discrimination, prejudices and lack of empathy.

“I remember when one school inspector asked me whether they could touch my hair. And I remember people looking at me washing my hands, thinking the water would run brown. Were they being racist, or just ignorant?”

She said racism “used to be crass – ‘no dogs, no Irish, no blacks’”, adding: “Now it is very different, more subtle. That’s why institutions have to question themselves at every point. They need to think about how fair they are really being.”

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Myanmar Coup: Govt. Leaders Confined by Military, US Sanction Threat

Hundreds of lawmakers from Myanmar’s Parliament are still confined inside government housing in the country’s capital, a day after the military staged a coup and detained senior politicians including Nobel laureate and de facto government leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

The takeover came the morning that lawmakers from all of the country had gathered in the capital for the opening of the new parliamentary session and followed days of worry that a coup was coming.

One lawmakers told the AP that he and about 400 parliament members were able to speak with each another inside the compound and communicate with their constituencies by phone, but were not allowed to leave. The lawmaker spoke on condition of anonymity out of concern for his safety.

Military Junta Back in Charge: The man installed by army leaders as Myanmar’s new president is best known for his role in the crackdown on 2007 pro-democracy protests. Myint Swe was the army-appointed vice president who was elevated after the military arrested civilian leaders and declared a one-year state of emergency. But while Myint Swe is president, the real power lies with the country’s top military commander, Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing. He has been commander of the armed forces since 2011 and is due to retire soon, clearing the way for him to take a civilian leadership role if the junta holds an election as promised, Elaine Kurtenbach and Victoria Milko report.

U.S. Sanctions: President Joe Biden threatened new sanctions on Myanmar, calling the coup a “direct assault on the country’s transition to democracy and rule of law.” Myanmar has been a Western democracy promotion project for decades and had been a symbol of some success. But over the past several years, there have been growing concerns about its backsliding into authoritarianism. Global opprobrium toward Suu Kyi has been acute over her resistance to rein in or condemn brutal massacres and the forced exodus of Rohingya Muslims by the Burmese army. Matthew Lee reports.

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England: Mass Door-to-Door Testing for New COVID Variant

Drive-in Covid testing outside Twickenham stadium. Photograph: Amer Ghazzal/REX/Shutterstock

Tens of thousands of people will be tested in a door-to-door “two-week sprint” to halt the spread of the South African coronavirus variant as cases were found across England.

Squads of health officials, firefighters and volunteers have been established to deliver and collect PCR test kits door-to-door and mobile testing units will be sent to each area. Wastewater could also be tested to determined the prevalence of the strain.

The new South Africa variant, which is more transmissible than the original virus, appears to show a slightly “diminished” response to vaccines, and may eventually require a booster shot, Public Health England (PHE) said.

The health secretary, Matt Hancock, said that cases indicating community transmission were discovered in eight areas from Surrey in the south of England to Sefton in Merseyside.

Labour said the “deeply worrying” news bolstered the argument for closing UK borders and enforcing hotel quarantine for all new arrivals.

Hancock ordered testing of around 80,000 residents in postcode areas where cases were found which did not originate from travel. He said the goal was to “stop the spread altogether of these new variants” and “bring this virus to heel”.

“If you live in one of these postcodes where we are sending in enhanced testing then it is imperative that you stay at home and you get a test even if you don’t have symptoms,” Hancock told a Downing Street press conference. “This is so important so that we can break the chains of transmission of this new variant.” He said it was “a stark reminder that the fight against this virus isn’t over yet”.

There is no firm research on the efficacy of the AstraZeneca vaccine against the variant, though laboratory research is under way, said Dr Susan Hopkins, PHE’s Covid strategic response director.

A briefing document on the response seen by the Guardian described the plan as “a two-week sprint” and said Hancock “has ordered an attempt at eradication of the new variant if at all possible”.

Eleven cases unconnected to travel were found in eight postcode areas, health officials announced. They are W7 in Ealing, N17 in Haringey, CR4 in Merton, WS2 in Walsall, ME15 in Kent, EN10 in Hertfordshire, GU21 in Surrey and PR9 in Merseyside and Lancashire.

They emerged from routine genomic screening of around 5% of positive PCR test results dating back to 18 December. Consequently they are likely to be just a fraction of the actual community transmission. Some 94 cases of the virus linked to travel from South Africa have also been identified.

Hopkins said that with the R value now under 1 “we can reduce these cases of the new variant”. But other scientists warned it may be too late to eliminate it. Prof Rowland Kao, chair of veterinary epidemiology and data science at the University of Edinburgh, said: “It is probable that it’s quite widespread if [we are] already seeing community cases across eight authorities. The surge testing will be more about slowing it down, than any absolute expectation that it will get rid of it.”

Success partially depends on the public complying with test requests and Gabriel Scally, visiting professor of public health at the University of Bristol, said: “This process is extraordinarily intensive and probably won’t succeed.”

The shadow home secretary, Nick Thomas-Symonds, described the developments as “deeply worrying”. “It shows the UK government’s quarantine system is not working with the country being exposed to dangerous strains of the virus and new cases now appearing,” he said. “While door-to-door testing is welcome … how can the home secretary justify keeping our borders open to Covid, allowing around 21,000 people to arrive every day?”

Direct flights from South Africa to the UK were banned from Christmas Eve but a plan for forced hotel quarantine, announced in January, has yet to be launched.

The briefing document on the “surge-testing” plan states: “There is now no evidence that this variant causes more severe illness, or that the regulated vaccine would not protect against it. Virus variation and mutation occurs naturally. The more we suppress new variants the more we will avoid variants which cause problems for treatment or vaccination.”

But one public health official questioned the approach of using postcode areas “because it assumes infected people don’t have contact with others outside the postcode”. They described the approach as “experimental” but said it could help develop a template for responding to future mutations of the virus.

Ruth Hutchinson, director of public health for Surrey, said door-to-door testing was “a precautionary measure – the more cases of the variant we find, the better chance we have at stopping it from spreading further”. “It’s really important to say that there is now no evidence that this variant causes more severe illness, so you don’t need to worry,” she said.

Door-to-door testing is set to start in Hertfordshire on Thursday. It has previously been used by authorities in high-infection areas such as the London borough of Redbridge, Leicester and Oldham.

Dr Alison Barnett, a regional director at PHE South East, said: “The most important thing is that people continue to follow the guidance that is in place: limit your number of contacts, wash your hands regularly and thoroughly, keep your distance and cover your face. If you test positive by any method, you must isolate to stop the spread of the virus.”

• This article was amended on 2 February 2021. Sefton is in Merseyside, not Lancashire as stated in an earlier version.

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US: Biden Must Tackle Far Right Extremists, Soaring Gun Sales

With far-right domestic terror threats on the rise, experts are urging President Biden to go beyond his initial executive actions and ensure national security forces are better equipped to address homegrown threats.

Biden is coming under pressure to shift resources and boost intelligence sharing following the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, when law enforcement agencies were caught flat-footed by hundreds of violent protesters who stormed the building in support of former President Trump.

And the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) last week warned that the U.S. may face heightened threats from “ideologically-motivated violent extremists.”

“All of this existed before Trump and it will certainly exist post-Trump. I think his role was really to accelerate and spur the ideology and the reaching of new folks,” said Margaret Huang, president of the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), which monitors hate groups and extremism.

This Comes as Gun Sales Soar

Gun sales are on the rise across the U.S. with some experts predicting that gun reform policies championed by the Biden administration as well as the continuing uncertainty around the pandemic will keep gun sales high in 2021.

A record number of background checks were performed in the past year, according to data released by the FBI, reaching over 39.6 million background checks for firearms in 2020.

And while there’s no official data on exactly how many guns are sold in the U.S., background checks serve as a good proxy, according to Adam Winkler, Author of the book “Gunfight: The Battle over the Right to Bear Arms in America.”

Experts attribute the demand to fear and uncertainty that was sparked by the coronavirus pandemic, protests over racial injustice from last summer and the 2020 presidential election.

The pandemic gripped the U.S. in March, leading businesses small and large to shut down, and leaving millions of people unemployed.

In the summer of 2020, nationwide protests erupted after the killing and shooting of several Black Americans including George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Jacob Blake. The majority of the protests were peaceful, however, violence broke out in Minneapolis, Minn., as well as Kenosha, Wisc. among other cities.

Most recently, the presidential election caused months of spotty unrest with protestors across the country alleging that the election was “stolen” from former President Trump as a result of widespread voter fraud. Tensions came to an apex when a mob of Trump’s supporters breach Capitol security early in January.

Winkler said that people may look to guns for protection in uncertain times.

“People feel uncertain,” Winkler said. “And when you’re feeling uncertain, and you feel like you’re vulnerable, a firearm is one of the things that you might look to to provide you with protection.”

Official data from the FBI on the number of background checks conducted in January is expected in the beginning of February. However Mark Oliva, communications director for The National Shooting Sports Foundation, said it’s unlikely that demand will slow down in the near future.

“There’s every indication that it’s not going to slow down anytime soon,” Oliva said. “I think if you walk into any retailer right now, you’re going to see that gun case and that gun shelf is still pretty sparsely populated. That tells me that there’s still an unmet demand.”

Heading into 2021, America is getting acclimated to President Biden, who ran on a strong pro-gun reform platform.

Biden’s platform includes banning the sale of assault weapons and high-capacity magazines and requiring background checks for all gun sales. Gun safety advocacy groups have praised his platform as one of the toughest of any presidential candidate.

“Simply put, a Biden presidency is the gun lobby’s worst nightmare. But it’s a dream come true for anyone who cares about gun safety in America,” said Rob Wilcox, deputy director of policy and strategy at Everytown for Gun Safety.

Nico Bocour, governmental affairs director for gun reform advocacy group Giffords, predicted that America will see some gun reform measures within Biden’s first 100 days in office.

“We believe that, you know, within the first 100 days, there is going to be a background checks bill that you will see passed,” Bocour said. “There is widespread support for universal background checks, this is something that the public has shown tremendous amount of support for over the years that support is increasing.”

However, Philip Van Cleave, president of the Virginia Citizens Defense League, predicts that Biden’s platform will drive more people to buy guns simply out of fear.

“If suddenly they said well you’re not going to be able to buy any more cereal while everybody would run out and clean out all the cereal out of all the stores, [and] get theirs before it disappeared,” Van Cleave said.

“Same thing with guns, every time they threatened to take them away people decide it’s time to buy one, and those that have one decide maybe to buy another one.”

Winkler said this happens because for some Americans, having a gun is also a political act, rather than for self defense.

“Many in the gun community go out and buy guns as a form of protest,” Winkler said. “Having a gun is not just having a tool for self defense in America today. Many, many people who were part of that gun community, buy guns as a political act, at least in part.”

TagsDonald Trump gun sales Pandemic Gun reform

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Antoine reappointed ECCB Monetary Council Governor

BASSETERRE, St. Kitts — The Monetary Council of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank has approved the reappointment of Timothy N. J. Antoine as Governor.

The new five-year term commences on February 1.

In conveying the Monetary Council’s decision, Chairman of the Monetary Council Dr The Honourable Timothy Harris remarked:

“The Council commends the Governor for his stewardship over the past five years and especially over the past year. Governor Antoine has led the Bank with vision, empathy and with a keen eye for innovations that have helped to lift the people of our region.”

In commenting on the Monetary Council’s decision, Governor Antoine thanked the Monetary Council for its support throughout his first term and its confidence reposed in him to continue to lead the Bank.

“It is my distinct privilege to serve the governments and people of our Currency Union. I look forward, with the support of the Council, Board and our team, to the implementation of the Programme of Action for Recovery, Resilience and Transformation and the rollout of the Bank’s new strategic plan. Our pursuit of socio-economic transformation continues.”

OECS Director General Dr. Didacus Jules applauded the reappointment of Governor Timothy Antoine, pointing to the many innovations that he has spearheaded at the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank:

“Governor Antoine’s tenure has been characterized by a highly collaborative approach to the shaping of the Eastern Caribbean Economic Union. He has been a passionate champion of financial inclusion and under his watch, the ECCB is the first central bank in the world to have issued a digital version of its currency.

“While being agile and innovative, he has nevertheless maintained the delicate balance between the boldness of vision and deliberation in action that has helped to maintain the viability of the EC Dollar in a period of unprecedented uncertainty and volatility. The OECS Commission looks forward to the deepening of collaboration with him as he embarks on his renewed mandate.”

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Federation celebrates Social Security Board’s 43rd anniversary

BASSETERRE, St. Kitts — Hon. Eugene Hamilton, Minister of Social Security, has commemorated the 43rd anniversary of the St. Christopher and Nevis Social Security Board with the following statement.

“Fellow citizens, and residents, as Minister of Social Security, I am honoured to greet you on the occasion of the 43rd anniversary of the St Christopher and Nevis Social Security Board, observed on February 1,” said Hon. Hamilton. “It was Act No 13 of 1977, and all of its attendant and related Regulations, which provided the legal framework through which the policies and operations of the Board, give life to its mission, “to provide the best possible benefits to all eligible persons, guaranteed by sound financial management and efficient administration.

“Since February 1, 1978, Social Security has remained true to its mission to serve all citizens and residents of our Federation, by providing its varied complement of benefits, as well as through its far-reaching corporate social responsibility programs.

“In 2020, Social Security played a vital role in sustaining the economy of St. Kitts and Nevis, during the crisis brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, with its rollout of the COVID-19 Relief initiative.

“Over 8,500 persons were provided with the COVID-19 fund grants, which served as stimulus payments in respect of the period, April to June 2020 in the first instance, and again in September 2020. This was a significant complement to the overall stimulus regime, orchestrated by our Team Unity government, as its initial early response, to the financial challenges facing so many of our people, when international and local commerce and industry, began to buckle, under the weight of the pandemic.

“This support, (unmatched by any other institution), was instrumental in keeping our economy afloat and provided much-needed support to the insured populace.

“To date, a total of $22 739 441.94 has been disbursed to registered insured employees and the self-employed.

“This level of support is unprecedented, and I am advised, that it has been the only one of its kind across the region.

“It underscores the importance of Social Security as a crucial social safety net and fundamental economic pillar of our society.

“Indeed, it also bears out our mantra that Social Security touches lives ‘from the cradle to the grave.’

“Despite the many challenges that we face as a country, as a region and globally, we are resolute nonetheless in our quest, to ensure that our Social Security Fund, which has been cited as being the strongest in the OECS, continues to stand firmly and reliably in the gap, as it assures guaranteed protection for our people, as well as being a source of economic resilience for our country, as a whole.

“You should all be well aware, that our Social Security Fund holds a reserve of $1.6 billion dollars.

“It remains a strong and resilient safety net for the thousands of workers who contribute to the fund weekly, and monthly, as the case may be, in preparation for timely responses to their various contingencies, and very importantly, for the assurance of a secure source of income in their retirement years.

“As a mature fund now 43-years-old and serving the entire nation through the provision of pecuniary payments for short term benefits such as sickness, maternity and funeral grant; the long-term branch comprising of age, invalidity and survivors pensions; and the employment injury branch; we are mindful that the time is now upon us, to effect those changes that will support the Fund’s long term viability.

“There is a common-sense obligation upon us, to look at the best model of benefits and contributions, the best model of investment and the best model of administration; to implement reformed models of contributing to the fund base and of providing benefits.

“Needless to say, this will entail continuing consultation with all stakeholders (as we have been doing over the past years)….with the various sectors among our people….with experts in the field, and of course with our hard-working practitioners.

“The goal is to develop and implement the best model: ….one that will serve the people who benefit now and one that will serve those who will be relying on Social Security for future benefits.

“As the year progresses, Social Security will ramp up its discussions on matters pertaining to reform.

“The year 2021 is also the 25th anniversary of the introduction of Self-Employed Coverage. On July 1st, 1996, Social Security extended its coverage to the self-employed: a sector that continues to grow despite the economic downturn. I take this opportunity to commend you who are self-employed and implore you to not only register but to remain compliant at all times. Your failure to do so could result in hardships later on in life.

“I commend also those self-employed persons who remained vigilant and diligent throughout the years, and who can now boast of a pension earned solely from self-employed contributions.

“The example of your deserving qualification for pensions should serve as an inspiration and motivation for others to do likewise and to put themselves in a position to proudly extend their hands for their own just rewards.

“As we move towards the future, it is important to reflect on the past and to take account of a few key indicators of our progress.

“Allow me to highlight the following:
• Number of Contributors in the first year of operation….12,119 —
• Number of Contributors in 2019……….. 30,437
• Contributions collected in the first year of operation .. $3.3 million
• Contributions collected in 2019………… $99.6 million
• The number of Pensioners has grown to 6,620 persons
• Benefits paid in the first year of operation was $174,000
• Benefits paid in 2019……. $101.4 million
• Between 1978 to 2019, Social Security has paid a combined total exceeding $1.0 Billion dollars in benefits.

“The figures I have outlined magnify the scope of work of Social Security and represent support to the insured in times of need.

“In short order, we will be publishing the 2018 and 2019 financial statements on the website of the Social Security Board.

“This increased level of access and transparency will provide all with a first-hand look at the operations of Social Security over the past couple of years and into the future

“As a socially responsible corporate citizen, Social Security continues to make its mark in Education, Housing, Healthcare and National Security.

“This level of national investment has rewarded us bountifully and can be seen in the increased number of trained professionals, improvement in our housing stock, greater efficiencies in healthcare, and reduction in the level of crimes.

“We are confident also, that this support has in fact trickled back into social security, as contributions from employers and the self-employed, and has added great value to our overall performance as an institution.

“As we say goodbye to our 43rd year of operation and embark upon our 44th, we applaud the work of the forefathers of Social Security, former Ministers, Boards, Directors, Staff and Contributors…and all presently serving in their various capacities…. all who have played and those who are continuing to play a role in securing Social Security.

“In that regard, (by way of reflection) I make special mention of the late Messers Richard Llewellyn Caines (former Chairman of the Board)…..Douglas Washington Richardson (the last surviving member of the first Board of Directors in 1978) who transitioned to glory during the past year 2020. Their services are remembered along with the services of all others.

“Throughout this anniversary observance, we welcome you to support the activities of the Board including:

Corporate Worship
Sunday, February 7, Shiloh Baptist Church on Nevis, (9.00 am)

Employers Forum
Monday, February 15

Panel Discussion – The Road Ahead: Social Security Reform
Wednesday, February 24, (live ZIZ TV and NTV 8 PM

“These activities are meant to provide the opportunity to give God thanks for his continued mercies and to engage the public in our ongoing consultative dialogue. I entreat the general public to pay keen attention to social security matters not only in St Kitts Nevis but around the region and the world.

“Indeed, we can learn much from the experiences of others even as we share our own with them.
I speak of such institutions and entities as:
• The International Social Security Association (ISSA);
• the International Labour Organization (ILO);
• The Inter-American Conference on Social Security;
• The Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB) ;
• The CARICOM Heads of Social Security Organisations; and
• The World Bank, among others.

“We, should all be aware, that these institutions and partners are well-positioned, to lend valuable support to our efforts at making our Social Security more meaningful and purposefully.

“This has great significance, especially at this constantly evolving period in our development, when we, are at the cusp of implementing other very important social safety nets for the protection and enhancement of the lives of our people.

“As we step into what can be considered to be a new chapter in the annals of our institution, we look forward to 43 more years of yeomen service to the people of this great nation,” concluded Hon. Hamilton. “I wish us all an enjoyable and productive observance…. and I pray God’s continued blessings on Social Security and upon us all.”

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Nevis COVID-19 Task Force commended for vigilance, proper quarantine accommodations

Hon. Mark Brantley, Premier of Nevis and Minister of Health and Tourism in the Nevis Island Administration.

CHARLESTOWN, Nevis — Nevis Premier Hon. Mark Brantley has commended the Nevis COVID-19 Task Force for its efficiency in keeping Nevis a COVID safe destination.

During a January 28 press meeting, the Premier who is also the Minister of Health and Tourism in the Nevis Island Administration commended the efforts of the Task Force, especially in regard to ensuring quarantine procedures and accommodations are kept at a high standard.
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NEVIS Water Department to collect Solid Waste Levy in May

CHARLESTOWN, Nevis — The Solid Waste Levy will no longer be collected by the Nevis Electricity Company Limited (NEVLEC) as of May 2021.

Hon. Mark Brantley, Premier of Nevis, who is also the Minister of Finance and the Minister responsible for Public Utilities in the Nevis Island Administration (NIA) made the announcement at his monthly press conference on January 28.

“The Nevis Water Department [NWD] will be collecting the Solid Waste Levy on behalf of the Nevis Island Administration instead of the Nevis Electricity Company Limited during the second quarter of 2021,” said Hon. Brantley. “The necessary legislative changes, regulations, policies etc. will be put in place.”

Brantley used the opportunity to announce that due to health concerns, the NWD offices will relocate elsewhere in Charlestown.

“The Nevis Water Department will be relocating their offices soon to better serve the public and to avoid a potential rising health issue with the presence of mold at their old office,” said Brantley. “The offices, including the billing section, will be in the Solomon Arcade located opposite the War Memorial in the heart of Charlestown.”

NWD’s disconnection programme will be implemented on March 1, for non-payment, the Premier sought the public’s cooperation.

“The Water Department is asking all people, entities and businesses that are in arrears to settle all outstanding debts with the Nevis Water Department as soon as possible,” he said. “The department will implement a disconnection programme due to non-payment starting March 1.

“You’re given, I believe, ample time,” said Brantley. “Your full cooperation and understanding will be greatly appreciated as we seek to improve the services to the general public.”

Brantley explained the department decided to embark on the disconnection programme because of the vast amount of outstanding bills owed.

“Now why are we engaging in this?” asked Brantley. “The numbers are simply staggering; the numbers are staggering and the kind of people and businesses on the list for not paying for water will make even the hardest heart cry.

“I believe that all of us must play our part, said Brantley. “It cannot be fair that the single mother who is currently unemployed is trying to find a little money each month to pay for water and big companies and wealthy people in the community are refusing to pay. The same is true of electricity.”

The Premier added that it appears there are some persons in the community who are refusing to settle their bills.

“There seems to be a cadre of people in the community who feel that these things ought to be free for them … but the minute that water goes off … are off to the media, social media.

“They abuse everybody because there’s no water in the pipes but somehow, we seem to forget that the staff has to be paid; that the generation of water to bring it to your homes cost money, and that water is currently a heavily subsidised commodity,” said Brantley. “They say water is life but is one of the cheapest commodities that is available.”

Brantley said the time had come for people to be responsible citizens. He added that the Nevis Island Administration is not seeking to put any additional burden or hardship on the people of Nevis. He urged persons to make the necessary payments on their outstanding bills.

“We understand the situation, but I go back to my analogy, it is unfair for the single mother, the struggling father, the old grandmother to have to find the resources to get water and electricity while persons who we know can pay, business that we know can pay refuse,” explained Brantley. “We are getting serious, and I’m making the announcement openly that persons can go in, do the right thing, and if you cannot pay all that is okay.

“Go in and make an arrangement but at least demonstrate you are a responsible citizen, and that you understand that we cannot run these departments on air or ether,” he concluded. “We need those who are consuming to pay for what they consume, and so we encourage you to do the right thing.”

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