Two men sentenced to six strokes, fined for robbery of SGU student

TWO men who were arrested and charged for the crime of robbery with violence to a student of St George’s University (SGU) appeared before Magistrate Karen Noel at the St. George’s No. 2 Court on Monday, August 19, 2013.

The defendants pleaded guilty to the charge and they were sentenced to six strokes and fined $2 500. If the men fail to pay the court, they will serve four years at Her Majesty’s Prisons. They were also ordered to pay compensation in the sum of EC$1 000 to the complainant, in default, an additional four years’ imprisonment.

Jason Buchanan, 25 years unemployed of Mt. Annan, St. Andrew and Troy Edgar, 25-year-old labourer of Woodlands St. George, were arrested and charged on Sunday, August 18, 2013 for the crime of robbery with violence to a St. George’s University student, which occurred on the True Blue main road on Friday, August 16, 2013.

The university student, who resides in True Blue, was beaten and robbed of his cell phone and in excess of EC$1 000.

In other police news, September 26 is the date set for the first appearance in court of a St. David man charged with rape. Police investigators have arrested and formally charged Troy Daniel for raping a
26-year-old female from St. David. The complaint was made against him on July 30, 2013. Police said that Daniel has been granted bail in the sum of $20 000 with two sureties.

Also facing a sexually-related charge is Rawle Searles, a 45-year-old Mechanic who resides at Grand Mal. He was charged on three separate counts of sexual intercourse with a female, after it was alleged that he was involved sexually with an 11-year-old student of St. Mark.

Bail has been fixed in the sum of $15 000 with two sureties on each count and he is due to appear in Court at a later date. (LS)

C’bean should embrace technology

THE yields from some of the vegetable crops grown in the Caribbean region are much lower than what has been achieved in other countries around the world, such as Brazil and Mexico.

According to Professor Chandra Madramootoo, Dean of the Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences at the McGill University, Quebec, Canada, the countries of the Caribbean should look to embrace technology to improve these yields.

He explained that the lack of research and development and by extension the inadequate use of technology is counted among the vulnerabilities of the Caribbean region in its quest to achieve food security.

With that in mind, he said embracing new initiatives would help to cut down on the region’s food imports, which have been rapidly rising above the exports. He made the remarks while in Barbados recently to speak at a seminar on the topic of “Global Food Security Implications for the Caribbean”.

“We are not keeping up with the technology investments and new germplasms, improved practices, cropping practices, fertiliser practices – there is a big accomplishment that can be made just by dealing with technology,” he said.

Turning his attention to exports from the Caribbean, he noted that there is only a narrow band of the crops exported from the region, adding that the Caribbean mirrors what is seen globally in terms of the percentage contribution of agriculture to the gross domestic product (GDP).

“Every single country in the region has witnessed a decline, and in some countries a sharp decline, of the contribution of agriculture to GDP… We need to keep reiterating this message and I am pleased that the Minister of Agriculture recognises that we need to reinvest in production, R&D [and] training to bring those contributions of agriculture to GDP higher if we want to address that food import bill that we have seen,” the professor said.

Referring to some of the products being imported, the Canada-based educator said that the Caribbean region is in “very bad shape” in terms of the commodities being brought in and consumed. He noted that in almost every case there has been an increase in the consumption of carbohydrates, proteins, fats and oils, while there has been a decrease in the consumption of fruits and vegetables. He said that this has been responsible for the rising trends of obesity among females  as compared to males. (JRT)

Regional financial institutions fighting rapid growth in identity theft and credit card fraud

IDENTITY theft has increased “exponentially” in the Caribbean, but regional financial institutions are continuously collaborating in the fight against such threats to card-based transactions.

This is according to Denver Frater, Regional director and chief security officer for the Security and Investigation Department of Scotiabank in the Eastern Caribbean, who will be addressing the topic of payment card fraud on October 2 at the Crime Stoppers International Conference in Barbados.

Denver Frater, Regional Director and Chief Security
Officer for the Security and Investigation Department
of Scotiabank in the Eastern Caribbean.

Frater explained that while card payments are increasingly being favoured by customers for convenience, criminals have been attempting to exploit this to fund their enterprises.

“A common criminal trend is identity theft. The incidence of identity theft has increased exponentially within our region in recent years, and the main perpetrators are members of organised criminal organisations, involved in activities such as the illicit drug trade and money laundering. These kinds of threats, if not scrupulously identified and managed, can have devastating effect on countries, let alone small economies.”

However, Frater stressed that payment cards were safe and that regional and international financial institutions were not standing idly by while their customers were being targeted.

“Separate and apart from the efforts of individual financial institutions in establishing their own monitoring, compliance and risk management, investigative and educational awareness programs, collectively the Caribbean Bankers Association, in collaboration with critical stakeholders, which include law enforcement authorities, have been engaged in regular scheduled discussions relating to the current situation, new fraud trends and old fraud trends, which have resurfaced. Best practices are shared and responses are developed to mitigate and/ or eliminate these threats,” said Frater.

One such stakeholder is Crime Stoppers International, with which Scotiabank has entered into an alliance in their fight against ‘white collar crimes’.

Frater said this important partnership had resulted in the development of a number of initiatives, designed to reduce incidence of theft, fraud and corruption in the work place and beyond. Calling Crime Stoppers track record in fighting such crimes “enviable”, he also said its global reach was important in the fight against international criminal networks.

Region has seen considerable economic growth over past decade

“Today, people in the Caribbean and Latin America are more empowered than they were 20 years ago,” says the Executive Director of the UN Population Fund (UNFPA).

Dr. Babatunda Osotimehin is of the view that the region has seen considerable economic growth over the past decade, and social protection programmes in many countries are ensuring that more people, including the poor and disenfranchised, are benefiting from this growth.

Speaking at the opening of the Regional Conference on Population and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean, Dr. Osotimehin said that the region has seen important progress in gender equality and in women’s participation in the social, economic and political spheres.

However, he stressed that much work remains in order to achieve full gender equality; increase the capacity of women to exercise their sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights; reduce gender-based violence; improve the balance between women’s productive and reproductive lives; and in so doing increase their ability to participate much more fully in the economy, in political processes and in public life.

Dr. Osotimehin further emphasised that promoting gender equality in a post-2015 world includes finishing the work of the Millennium Declaration.

He pointed out that unfortunately, the MDGs that are most off-track are those directly linked to achieving gender equality, such as reducing maternal death and ensuring universal reproductive health and rights. This, he said, is despite overwhelming evidence that gender inequality significantly slows economic growth in both rich and poor countries.

The four-day conference, one of the largest intergovernmental meetings in recent years, was attended by more than 800 delegates, including representatives from more than 30 Latin American and Caribbean countries, who discussed a regional population and development agenda beyond 2014. (TL)

Study presents benefits of developing a major trade, investment bank

GRENADA and other Caribbean countries, which are members of the ACP group, can benefit from the establishment of a major trade and investment bank to serve the 79-member African Caribbean and Pacific (ACP).

This is according to a study funded by the European Union. It said that financing gaps worth more than Bds$800 billion (US$400 billion) in ACP countries can be improved by setting up the bank.

The study found that the venture is not only viable, it could also spur sustainable growth by helping local ACP firms secure financing in four key areas: infrastructure, trade, small, medium and micro-enterprises (SMMEs) and large industrial projects.

The ACP Secretariat said it is now seeking feedback from stakeholders on the findings, including two other “financing vehicle” options, namely an ACP Invest Company or capacity-building scheme for existing bodies in the regions.

“The outcome of the study is not entirely surprising. Countries in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific have considerable potential for growth, if not already performing in leaps and bounds,” said the Secretariat’s Cabinet Chief, former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Dr. Obadiah Mailafia, who is steering the ACP Bank project.

“They will need suitable financing to keep up the momentum. In order to fully capitalise on their potential, the ACP needs to give a boost to its citizens and private sector, and enable them to do business effectively,” he added.

“The ACP is made up of 79 nations, with a population of 932 million people. The institution we envisage would have to be a world class financing entity, with cutting edge competencies anchored on excellence.

“We invite the international development community and the surplus-rich emerging economies to invest in this project, which is capable of making a huge difference to the life chances of almost a billion people,” Mailafia said.

Funding lacking

The feasibility report found that despite generous funding by international, regional and local financing bodies, such as the World Bank or national development banks, “the variations on the key drivers of success... have not enabled them to originate, develop and finance programmes and projects that resulted decisively in meaningful industry development, firm start-up and growth, and export performance targets across the ACP region”.

In fact, for Sub-Saharan Africa alone, an estimated US$200 billion of financing needs for SMEs and US$225 billion for trade, remains unmet every year, in addition to US$20-40 billion worth for infrastructure, and USD$22 billion for large industrial projects in gas, mining, manufacturing, agri-business and services.

In the Caribbean, most gaps are for SMMEs and large projects, with hardly any bank, local or foreign, addressing the financial needs of small businesses.

While Pacific SMME needs are already covered by other facilities, the region still lacks financing to fully realise the potential of large scale projects in tourism, mining and petroleum, fishing/agriculture, and the emerging under-sea mining industry.

“The ACP Bank, or any similar institution set up, would have distinctive capacities and expertise suited for the economic and financial situations in African, Caribbean and Pacific countries. These can be quite specific, according to levels of development, the local business culture, and local needs and expectations...

“ For member states and their private sectors, services offered would include project development, co-investing and advisory services, promotion of SMME financing and the availability of competitive trade finance lines of credit, for instance,” Mailafia said.

He said the project would also support regional projects, while being a strong advocate for regional integration amongst ACP countries.

However, the study cautioned that very high level political backing – up to Heads of State level – is necessary to get the venture off the ground, especially in mobilising the initial capital sum of two billion US dollars. Highly skilled personnel will also be required to manage the bank spanning nearly 80 countries and three continents.

Moreover, the bank must be rated within the next five to seven years, with a minimum implementation period of two years. In comparison, the other two options proposed would take less money and time.

ACP officials and specialists are expected to mull over these issues in coming months, before making recommendations to the Council of Ministers, the SCP Secretariat said.

Chronic Illness still a concern

THE incidence of chronic diseases remains a major health and development concern for the Caribbean region.

According to Professor Trevor Hassell, Chairman of the Healthy Caribbean Coalition (HCC) and Chairman of the National Chronic Non Communicable Diseases Commission, it is important, therefore, that steps be taken to encourage the adoption of healthy lifestyles across the region. He made the comments while speaking to the media following a presentation to those attending the Anglican Church Province of the West Indies’ Congress 2013, which was held at the Cave Hill Campus.

Archbishop of the West Indies and Bishop of Barbados,
Dr. John Holder (centre), prepares to sign the petition as
Chairman of the Healthy Caribbean Coalition (HCC),
Professor Trevor Hassell (right), and Manager of the HCC,
Maisha Hutton, look on.

The professor lamented that as it stands, only five per cent of persons living in the Caribbean region consume the required number of fruits and vegetables and that only half of people in the region engage in an appropriate level of physical activity on a regular basis. He said that these factors have contributed to the rise in chronic diseases and account for more than six out of every ten deaths in the region.

“The opportunity was presented for me to share the story with this unique audience, because the Anglican Church in the Caribbean has a very significant voice and has played a major role in the development of the region. The church itself, the Anglican Church, has recognised its responsibility in this area of chronic disease, and so, in a resolution, for example, in November last year, the Anglican Dioceses in the Caribbean passed a very important resolution around chronic diseases,” he added.


He noted that one provision of that resolution was an agreement to work with the HCC in its efforts aimed at tackling chronic non-communicable diseases. To that end, he said that one of the things which found favour with the audience yesterday, was the recommendation that perhaps the Caribbean, at the very highest political level, could be promoted as a healthy lifestyle region.

“So many of our ills in the Caribbean could be reduced if we all pursued at the institutional level, at the level of the family, at the level of the individual … a healthy lifestyle,” he added. (JRT)

End cervical cancer now

EFFORTS are under way, through an electronic petition, to garner half a million signatures from throughout the Caribbean, which will be used to encourage the political directorate to support programmes to help end cervical cancer.

Word of this came last Friday, from Chairman of the Healthy Caribbean Coalition (HCC), Professor Trevor Hassell, moments after Archbishop of the West Indies and Bishop of Barbados, Dr. John Holder, affixed his name to the document, which has so far attracted 4 000 signatures. The signing took place at the close of the morning session of Day Five of the Anglican Church Province of the West Indies’ Congress 2013.

Professor Hassell explained to the media that cervical cancer is a major problem in Latin America and the Caribbean, with over 30 000 women dying in these regions every year, which he said is unfortunate, as 95 per cent of such deaths can be prevented.

It is for this reason, he said, that the HCC, together with the cancer societies and foundations throughout the Caribbean, launched the petition, which will seek to encourage Heads of Government within the region to put programmes in place to enhance screening for cervical cancer, as well as programmes to prevent, control and better manage the disease.

“This is the first petition of its kind undertaken in this form around health in the Caribbean, and it has thus far obtained nearly 4 000 persons who signed in support of it, and I would like to use this opportunity to encourage everyone to sign the petition,” he said.

The professor added, “The Archbishop His Grace, this morning, signed as the leader of the Anglican Church in the Caribbean, as a clear and significant statement of his personal commitment, and the commitment of the Anglican Church in the Caribbean, towards meeting this objective of better prevention, control and treatment of cervical cancer, using the electronic petition as a vehicle or tool for doing so.”

He said that the petition was started just over a month ago, and while to date they have not been promoting it in a significant way, the intention is to intensify their efforts over the next six to nine months to get the 500 000 signatures.

“We might not achieve this objective, because it is very ambitious, but we are an ambitious organisation, and in any event, whatever is the ultimate number, we will then present that at a Heads of Government of CARICOM meeting or similar such meeting, trying in doing so to get some level of commitment in response to the petition,” he said.

He made the point as he noted that there are a variety of reasons why the death toll is so high and they differ from one Caribbean country to another. The HCC Chairman said that they include inadequate pap smears and the absence of HPV vaccine programmes, and a lack of knowledge among at-risk populations about the importance of pap smears.

With that in mind, he also lamented that due to a lack of adequate resources throughout the region, there has been poor reporting on the results of pap smears.

To that end, he is urging persons to log on to www.endcervicalcancernow.org to sign the petition, and do their part to ensure that Caribbean women have increased access to affordable cervical cancer screening.