BASSETERRE, St. Kitts — Understanding the challenges being faced by international shipping agencies as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and its subsequent impact on the timely importation of goods into the Federation, the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis has taken the decision to extend its duty free concession on goods to January 31, 2021.

“My Government has been attentive to the concerns from various local couriers, shipping agents and their customers, as it relates to the delivery of goods by suppliers in the United States to their facilities in Miami” said Prime Minister Dr. Timothy Harris in his 2021 New Year’s Day Address to the nation. “The said goods should have arrived in the Federation in December, 2020. However, due to backlogs in Miami, these goods did not arrive by the December 31, 2020 deadline. Accordingly, our citizens and residents could not benefit from the usual US$200.00 concessionary allowance on their imports. In light of this, it is agreed that to facilitate non-commercial entities importing goods, the allowances will be extended to January 31, 2021.”

This means that gift packages of foodstuff up to 400 pounds in weight are allowed free of duty and taxes, and non-commercial imports are granted duty-free allowance of EC$540 or US$200 off the Cost, Insurance and Freight (CIF) value of goods.

Mindful of the economic impact of the pandemic locally, the Team Unity Government has also introduced new measures designed to ease the burden on business entities.

“We will extend the due date for the payment of Businesses and Occupation Licenses for all Businesses from January 31, 2021, until March 31, 2021,” said Dr. Harris. “The Inland Revenue Department will work with affected businesses to help them stay current with their existing tax liabilities by allowing them to enter low-interest payment plans to ease their cash flow situations. Taxi and tour operators unable to pay their Businesses and Occupation Licenses for 2020 and 2021 will be allowed to license their vehicles provided that they enter into a payment plan for the settlement of any outstanding Businesses and Occupation Licenses.”

In his 2021 Budget Address, Dr. Harris announced the extension of nine of the measures in the Government’s $120-million stimulus package.

Some of the stimulus measures that were extended to June 2021 are: The removal of VAT and Import Duty on hygiene items; the removal of Import Duty and Customs Service Charges on vegetables, fruits, fruit juices, cough and cold preparations and vitamins; waiver of payments for the consumption of water for individuals who have been laid off or have experienced a reduction in earnings as a consequence of COVID-19; 24 percent reduction of the Corporate Income Tax rate from 33 percent to 25 percent for businesses that retain at least 75 percent of their employees and the reduction of the unincorporated business tax rate by 50 percent.

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“My fellow citizens and residents, a New Year has dawned.

“We look to 2021 with much hope, much optimism and much excitement despite the challenges we faced in 2020,” said Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris, Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis, during his New Year’s Day address to the Federation.

“While the shadow of COVID-19 still hangs over us, there are many bright signs of a happy New Year ahead,” he said.

“Here in St. Kitts and Nevis, the future which we promise to deliver is a stronger and safer future for our young people, better jobs and wealth generation for our working population, expanding opportunities for our entrepreneurs, and support for each of our citizens and residents to realize their full potential.

“The future we will enjoy in 2021 and beyond depends solely on our ingenuity, ambition and industry today.

“The COVID-19 pandemic continues its impact on our Federation and the rest of the world. Nevertheless, this year we will rebuild our economy. We will rebuild our workforce and redouble our efforts to keep the Federation healthy and safe. All of us must come together to restore our economy and our standard of living to its pre-COVID-19 levels and above.

“Part of our plan will see a significant improvement in the delivery ethos of our people. Our employees in the public and private sectors must not only render loyal, but efficient, effective and courteous service.

“In 2021, we will begin to build out our pay-for-performance programme while we revisit the Regulations and Laws governing the public service. High performance must become the norm, and sterling performance must be identified and rewarded so others can be motivated to follow.

“Our future will be stronger and safer as we enhance the quality of our technology infrastructure and provide greater access to the benefits so derived.

“Our ICT build out will ensure wider use in every domain and facet of society. That is why in my 2021 Budget Address I lauded the projects to be unfolded by The Cable this year. They include:
• Provision of free Wi Fi hotspots in all Community Centres in St Kitts;
• Offering of up to 200 specially developed High Speed Internet Packages to approved entrepreneurs by the new Ministry of Entertainment, Entrepreneurship and Talent Development; and
• The deployment of a multi-million dollar fibre to the home network upgrade which would result in High-Speed Internet to all households in St Kitts.

“Our E-Government reforms will continue with our build out of E-payment platforms across key revenue collecting agencies, such as the Inland Revenue and Customs and Excise Departments. Our Land Registry, Departments of Health and Labour will enhance their information systems, all in a thrust to make government more modern, efficient, elegant, viable and responsive to the demands of an E-society.

“We are serious about people’s empowerment and development, hence our investments in our citizens will continue. Our tremendous investments will be employed to enhance the level of skills and general human resources of our people. We have budgeted $10 million to defray economic and other costs of our students’ participation in tertiary level training, at the University of the West Indies (UWI), University of the Virgin Islands (UVI), Monroe, and others.

“Tertiary level education makes the greatest contribution to our country’s growth and development. This will be complemented with our Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programme. New and improved learning spaces will be provided at our secondary schools in St Kitts and Nevis and at our Advanced Vocational Education Centre (AVEC) in St. Kitts. We shall commence construction of the Basseterre High School (BHS). It will be the most modern and cutting-edge secondary school in the region.

“Our health sector investments will enhance our primary health care delivery, step up our fight against Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) and a state-of-the-art Cardiac Unit at the JNF Hospital will be another significant deliverable. National Health Insurance (NHI) will advance closer to implementation in 2021. Of course, our major challenge will continue to be containment of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The availability of a range of vaccines is good news. Better news will be for vaccines that are safe and efficacious to become universally available. Your government has taken the proactive step to pay in advance to secure our access to vaccines. These are expected to be available by the first half of 2021.

“My government will work with all parties and entities to consolidate the early recovery of our economy. Our $192 million capital budget will see implementation of 113 projects including the BHS, road networks, health centres and JNF Hospital Phase III. Our solar energy project will commence. All these will result in more jobs and better incomes.

“Our hotel sector will continue to bring more rooms into operation for staycations i.e. vacation in place and quarantine purposes. Some 13 residential facilities namely: Royal St. Kitts Hotel, OTI, Oualie Beach Resort, Bird Rock Apartments Complex, Golden Rock Hotel, KOI Resort, Ocean’s Edge, Paradise Beach Resort, Park Hyatt, Potworks Estate Apartments, St Kitts Marriott Hotel and Marriott Vacation Club, have all been approved by the Task Force as sites for vacation in place or quarantine. We are open for doing business in a safe way.

“The opening of our borders fully in the last quarter of 2020 has resulted in a steady but very modest flow of arrivals providing a fresh lease on the livelihoods of our taxi operators, hotel employees and growth in businesses especially those which provide security services. Since the opening, and up to Sunday 27th December 2020, our airports: R. L. Bradshaw and Vance W. Amory International had a throughput of 862 flights and a passenger throughput of 2,323 passengers.

“My Government made a promise to create more jobs. And we shall deliver on that promise. We want to get our people back to work. For those unable to regain jobs we shall ensure that any severance payment due is paid. In 2020 we advanced $15.6 million to the Severance Fund.

“My government has budgeted a further $7 million for severance payment in 2021. These payments will be made as soon as practicable. Every effort will be made to improve the efficiency of processing claims in the future.

“In this regard, we expect a report to Cabinet shortly regarding the feasibility of setting up an E-platform for the Labour Department and Social Security to interface with each other on severance payments and related matters while observing and conforming with data privacy and data protection issues. This is in keeping with the new ethos of efficient and responsive government. Further, we shall move to implement actuarial recommendations on the Severance Fund, Long Service Gratuity and Unemployment Benefits. We are committed to these initiatives, and this evidences our advocacy for critical historical labour values that seem to have been diminished over the years. Moreover, this demonstrates our love and concern for workers. We will continue to protect our workers and ensure that their future is safe and secure. These are important Labour values, which further demonstrate our commitment that our workers are protected at all times.

“Your Team Unity government truly represents working class values. We deliver on them, and to increase worker empowerment my government will extend duty free concessions accorded to first time home builders to the Teachers’ Union, the Labour Union, and any of our Credit Unions and Banks which will undertake to build new offices or to make significant renovation of existing offices, and engage in approved residential developments within the next 12 months. This should spur further construction activity in our country and enhance the quality of our built environment. Applications will be processed within three weeks of receipt of same by the Ministry of Finance.

“Similarly, the FIRST mortgage programme offering duty free concession to first time homeowners remains open to applicants for the next 12 months. Applications will continue to be processed by the Ministry of Finance. This is the best time for our people to become part of an inclusive property-owning society. This will give meaning to our concept of people’s empowerment.

New Initiatives

“My Government has been attentive to the concerns from various local couriers, shipping agents and their customers, as it relates to the delivery of goods by suppliers in the United States of America to their facilities in Miami. The said goods should have arrived in the Federation in December, 2020. However, due to backlogs in Miami, these goods did not arrive by the December 31, 2020 deadline. Accordingly, our citizens and residents could not benefit from the usual US$200.00 concessionary allowance on their imports.

“In light of this, it is agreed that to facilitate non-commercial entities importing goods, the allowances will be extended to January 31, 2021.

“We understand that this crisis has affected different persons and segments of the economy in different ways. Therefore we will:

1. Extend the due date for the payment of Businesses and Occupation Licenses for all Businesses from January 31, 2021, until March 31, 2021.

2. Ensure that the Inland Revenue Department works with affected businesses to help them stay current with their existing tax liabilities by allowing them to enter low-interest payment plans to ease their cash flow situations.

3. Taxi and Tour Operators unable to pay their Businesses and Occupation Licenses for 2020 and 2021 would be allowed to license their vehicles provided that they enter into a payment plan for the settlement of any outstanding Businesses and Occupation Licenses.

Nevis

“We have ushered in the best working relationship between St. Kitts and Nevis. The historic and unprecedented support of the federal government and the new spirit of cooperation and unity advanced by my Team Unity Administration, have brought much to our citizens and residents on Nevis. Not least among them is substantial direct budget allocations totalling well over $220 million since 2015. Funding for projects on Nevis is now commonplace. We have given support for law enforcement: a brand new Police Station and Fire Hall at Newcastle, and installation of CCTV.

“We have also provided assistance in the following critical areas: the fight against COVID-19, the construction of Technical and Vocational spaces at High Schools in Nevis, the payment of economic costs for students from Nevis, joint procurement of pharmaceuticals, and for the operation of STEP in Nevis.

“You would recall the SIDF’s support for such important projects in Nevis as the new diagnostic wing at the Alexandra Hospital, the Mundo Track, and the new Nevis Treasury Building. For 20 years prior to your Team Unity Government there was no Federal Government structured program of support to the people of Nevis. Team Unity has been making a real positive difference. Team Unity is working for you.

“In order to further strengthen the bond of friendship, love, mutual respect and cooperation between our citizens and residents of Nevis and of St. Kitts, I shall this year, reorganize the functioning of the Federal Office in Nevis. The goal is to better serve our people in Nevis. We have advanced the bond between the Federal Government and the Nevis Island Administration and more importantly the people to people contact between Kittitians and Nevisians is at the highest and best level in history. A Federal Office that is courteous, efficient, and effective, will allow more to be done. It will allow and enhance access to my office by our citizens and residents on both sides of the channel, and relieve Nevisians of the inconvenience of having to travel to Basseterre to consult with their Prime Minister.

“My government will continue to do all it can for all of our citizens and residents. We do so out of love and consideration for all. This has been the reality for the last five years. From time to time we must remind ourselves that this is one State, one Federal government to serve all the people of the State. I am humbled that it is my government which has thus far in our Nation’s history, presided over the best personification of St. Kitts and Nevis as (in the immortal words of our National anthem) “a nation bound together with a common destiny.

“As we embark together on this new year of limitless promise, let us remain rooted that we are One People, whose destiny is inextricably linked not just by constitutional arrangements, but through history, geography, ties of family and friendship.

“Our two islands must always work together if we are to reach our fullest potential. We have seen how that cooperation over the last five years made us a leader in the region and the hemisphere, on so many developmental and performance indices, including the United Nations Quality of Life Index, the World Justice Project Rule of Law Index and debt to GDP ratio. We will rise or fall together, but rise we must. It will take all of us working together, pooling and engaging our talents and resources, to continue to make our beloved Federation the best example of a progressive, well managed small island state.

“As a true son of our beloved Federation, I know that our shared prosperity must extend and manifest equally for all our people, from my father’s hometown of Cotton Ground, Nevis, to my mother’s in Tabernacle, St. Kitts.

“It is my pledge as Prime Minister to do all that I can always, to foster this endeavour. As Prime Minister with unbreakable familial ties to both islands, I will do all I can at such a time as this to make my beloved Federation the best example of a progressive and united small island state. I enlist the fullest support of all our citizens and residents to make it a reality.

“May we, this year and beyond, have the faith to believe with all our hearts that our people and our collective purpose will build a greater Nation. May we always do as much as we can, engaging our industry, ingenuity, creativity and innovation, in order to leave a Nation more beautiful and prosperous than we inherited. May we this year and beyond work to build and maintain our communities together. We must share the burdens and the problems of our brothers and our sisters and more importantly solve them together. We will continue to strive for and maintain unity of family, community and Nation on this path of self-determination and prosperity for all.

“We should never backtrack from the All-of-Society approach which has worked so very well this last year. I am trusting in Almighty God, and in our resilience and spirit of shared responsibility, as we work to make St. Kitts and Nevis the Garden of Eden which Marcus Garvey envisioned it to be.

“May God’s blessings be upon us all, this New Year and may He continue to bless the Federation of St Kitts and Nevis. I thank you for the honour and privilege to serve you and my beloved Country,” concluded Dr. Harris. “Happy New Year to All! May God continue to favour us in St Kitts and Nevis and may He keep us safe.”

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Israel’s virus surveillance tool tests its democratic norms

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TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — In the early days of the pandemic, a panicked Israel began using a mass surveillance tool on its civilians, tracking people’s cellphones in hopes of stopping the spread of…

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(CNN) The Trump administration will soon take steps toward designating Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism as an 11th hour effort to create hurdles for the incoming Biden administration, which is likely to pursue warmer ties with Havana.

A senior administration official told CNN that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is expected to make the designation in the coming days. A second official confirmed that discussions are taking place, although the timing is uncertain. ]

The Cuban government has already denounced the move, which is one of a series of bold initiatives the Trump administration is taking as it attempts to leave a lasting imprint on US foreign policy with just three weeks left before President Donald Trump leaves office.

Currently, only three other nations bear the US terrorism designation: Iran, North Korea and Syria. Sudan was recently removed from the list as part of its agreement to normalize ties with Israel.

Such a designation would impose restrictions on US foreign assistance, a ban on defense exports and sales, certain controls over exports and various financial restrictions.

It would also result in penalization against any persons and countries engaging in certain trade activities with Cuba.

The New York Times was first to report that Pompeo was considering the designation. A State Department spokesperson declined to comment on Tuesday, saying “we do not discuss deliberations or potential deliberations regarding designations.” The White House declined to comment on the record when reached by CNN.

Momentum to get the designation through had waned in recent months when one of the original advocates for the plan, Mauricio Claver-Carone — a hawkish Cuban-American attorney — left the National Security Council to become president of the Inter-American Development Bank.

However, others within the administration, including Elliott Abrams, Trump’s special representative for Venezuela, and senior Western Hemisphere official Michael Kozak, as well as Florida Republican Senators Marco Rubio and Rick Scott, all supported following through with the idea — despite a lack of support from most of the State Department’s Cuba desk, according to a former administration official.

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https://news.cgtn.com/news/2021-01-01/New-Year-s-Eve-fireworks-from-around-the-world–WHbtJw1lDy/index.html

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CHARLESTOWN, Nevis — The following is a New Year’s Day Message from Hon. Mark Brantley, Premier of Nevis.

“Fellow citizens, residents and visitors,

“As we lower the curtains on 2020, I bring warmest greetings and good wishes for 2021. 2020 is behind us with all of its memories and challenges its successes and failures,” said Hon. Mark Brantley, Premier of Nevis.

“At this time of the year, many of us adopt New Year resolutions in anticipation of the challenges that lie ahead. Equally, the genesis of the year affords us the opportunity to recalibrate and recommit ourselves to working for a brighter and better future for ourselves, our families, our community and our nation.

“The year gone by can be summed up in one expression – COVID-19,” he said. “It can be defined as challenging, unpredictable and unique. Indeed, it was the winter of our discontent. The virus proved to be, not only a pandemic and public health crisis, but also an economic crisis on a global scale. Due to the restrictions imposed in March of 2020, when the virus began to spread around the world, international travel came to a screeching halt. This resulted in massive hotel booking cancellations and temporary closure of hotels and restaurants. We were not spared the resulting horrors. Economies such ours, with tourism as their mainstay, were ravaged. No country was spared the onslaught of COVID-19; regardless of its size and might, it was brought to its knees by the coronavirus.

“Throughout 2020, the virus challenged families, communities, health care systems and governments in an extraordinary way. Our vulnerabilities as a nation were exposed when the planes stopped landing, supply chains slowed down and the possibility of an outbreak loomed at our shores. Equally troubling was the anxiety about unemployment and the ability of our health care system to respond to an outbreak. Our people were faced with the harsh realities of unemployment and overdue mortgage, rent and vehicle payments.

“Your government did not sit idly by but, with a sense of urgency and swiftness, responded meaningfully, in that:
• Through Social Security, we offered a stimulus package of $1,000.00 per month for those hardest hit with unemployment;
• The Nevis Island Administration offered a stimulus package of $1,000.00 to all students studying abroad and unable to return home;
• An amnesty on all work permits and residencies was offered to ease the burden experienced by employers and non-nationals;
• The unincorporated business tax was reduced;
• Payments of electricity and water bills were waived;
• A waiver of fees on alien holding licences was offered;
• Unprecedented assistance was given to our farmers and fishers; and
• We provided masks to every household, church and school on Nevis.

“Fellow citizens, the virus is still with us. I therefore urge all of our citizens to have faith in God, who has proven His faithfulness time and again. I call our nation to an unprecedented period of prayer to match this unprecedented state of affairs. Let us pray that the Spirit of Almighty God will continue to saturate every rank of Government and all of those in authority so that the rein of wisdom will bridle every compulsion to abandon integrity in the face of adversity, and that a steadfast spirit will harness every action towards greater good.

“I can assure you, on this first day of the new year, that your government will leave no stones unturned or any chapters unread in our efforts to assist our citizens through this daunting period.

“We must applaud and commend our people for the way in which they responded to the COVID crisis. When called upon, they acted with courage, discipline, poise and understanding. Responding to adversities is one of our strongest virtues – our national character. We have weathered many storms in the past and have always displayed extraordinary resilience and the ability to rebound.

“We may have been knocked down and bruised on many occasions, but we have never tasted defeat and have always emerged victorious.

“In spite of the seismic economic shock we experienced in 2020, we saw numerous gains on many fronts, as we continue to work together for the consolidation of a united, peaceful and prosperous Nevis.

“In 2020 much to our delight, our island experienced a 37 percent decrease in our overall crime rate. We acquired two new ambulances at the same time at the Alexandra Hospital – a first in our island’s history.

“We witnessed the completion of the Brown Hill and Craddock roads, along with other secondary roads throughout the island. We saw the commissioning of the water treatment and filtration plant at Hamilton, which now provides us with an additional 300,000 gallons of water per day.
“We saw the commencement of the Technical and Vocational, Education and Training (TVET) building at the Gingerland Secondary School.

“We witnessed the opening of the brand new state of the art $5.5 million Newcastle Police Station and Fire Unit.

“We saw the construction of 20 new affordable homes, including at the University Heights project. We experienced the unparalleled increase in farm and livestock produce by the Department of Agriculture.

“We witnessed the opening of the Yes to Success (YTS) Success Skills Training and Diversion Centre at Pinney’s; and we saw the commencement of work at the $5.5 million Pinney’s Park Project.

“Fellow citizens, when faced with the grim reality of the pandemic, your government remained steadfast and undaunted by the challenges imposed. Had it not been for our fiscal prudence and sensible common-sense approach to our economic affairs, we would have fared far worse. It was only through the strategic implementation of our sound economic policies that we were able to weather this terrible storm.

“Equally, our achievements in 2020, in spite of our battered and ravaged economy, must also be attributed to the discipline, commitment and diligence of our people. I wish to congratulate all on your selfless efforts and sacrifices, both individually and collectively. The spirit of solidarity and self-sacrifice shown, when tested, was commendable and heartening.

“On this New Year’s Day, I would like to thank everyone in our country – those in the villages and communities, government and civil society – for the work done in the past year, in ensuring that our country remained the success that it is. Special mention must be made of our front line workers, who provided hope in our moment of despair and, in our darkest hour, lit a candle. Our Covid-19 Task Force on Nevis led by Dr. Judy Nisbett will long be remembered for their sacrifice on behalf of us all.

“Today, I also think of Nevisians who live abroad and of the many in the Diaspora who have their roots in Nevis. I am deeply moved by their loyalty and love of country. The Nevisian spirit is alive in them and continues to be part of their everyday life.

“Last year, we would have learnt many lessons, chief among which was that our health is only as good as that of the person next to us. We were reminded of our shared efforts, our common humanity and our interdependence. Therefore, in the year ahead, let there be a renewed confidence in our collectiveness. Let the spirit of solidarity and self-sacrifice reign supreme. Let our “they” become “we” and our “them” become “us”. Let us continue to stand guard over the values which are dear to us and which remain the foundation of our society – values such as respect, compassion, kindness and love, which define us as Nevisians.

“May 2021 is a transformative year for all of us. May it be a year in which we fan the flames of love, peace and harmony and put aside all animosity and acrimony. May we elevate our political discourse and interaction, and cast aside all political discord and gamesmanship. May we, in all of our doings, strive for common ground, mutual understanding and the narrowing of our differences.

“In the new year and beyond, may we continue to be our brother’s keeper and our sister’s helper.

“I wish you a healthy and happy New Year and God’s continued grace, mercy and protection.

“Thank you.”

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BASSETERRE, St. Kitts — Following the official opening of their headquarters in Phillip’s Village, the Explorer’s Youth Clubs now have a permanent place to call home.

The new 10,420 square foot building was opened by Prime Minister and Minister of National Security, Dr. The Honourable Timothy Harris, at a December 31 ceremony. It features a number of amenities for the members of the 12 Explorers Clubs across St. Kitts. Each club is expected to have weekly sessions there when the threat of COVID-19 ends.

Project Engineer, George Gilbert of the Public Works Department, congratulated Myron Percival and his company, M&D Construction for the excellent work in building the $2.47 million facility. Gilbert said that the sleeping rooms with accompanying bathrooms for males, females, and staff will allow camping events. Also featured are a recreation room, offices, a common dining room and kitchen, and a laundry area. There are three 500 gallon water storage tanks on the roof.

In his remarks, Prime Minister Harris referred to the incredible growth of the Explorers Movement, which started in July 2017 with the launch of the Mol-Phil group. Since then, other communities have joined including Tabernacle, Shadwell, Cayon, Newtown, Lodge, Old Road, Dieppe Bay, St. Peter’s, St. Paul’s, Trinity, and Newton Ground.

Dr. Harris said that there are over 1,200 Explorers. He expects the numbers to continue growing as other communities have signalled an eagerness to establish clubs.

“This is a legacy development in the context of law and order in our country,” said the Prime Minister. “This is a legacy initiative that generations after us will speak to as being an important stabilizer of our society and contributing to the advancement of St. Kitts and Nevis.”

He said the government remains committed to the empowerment of young people as well as the rule of law within society. This is reflected in the record amounts allocated to related ministries for the 2021 fiscal year.

The Ministry of National Security was allocated more than $86.1 million. The Ministry of Education received over $103 million, while the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture was allotted over $10 million.

Prime Minister Harris appealed to parents, businesses, and other stakeholders to join with the government in building a stronger and safer future for all.

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