LIAT airlifts Red Cross relief supplies to St Lucia

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Tuesday, December 31, 2013 | 10:30 AM

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados – Regional airline LIAT is working with the Barbados Red Cross Society to airlift emergency supplies and foodstuff to people affected by severe flooding in St Lucia last weekItems of relief include canned goods, bottled water, baby pampers, milk, formula and cereal, toiletries and other needed emergency supplies. “Whatever it takes, we will do it to get urgent relief to our brothers and sisters in St Lucia,” said Jean Holder, Chairman of the Board of Directors of LIAT, who has asked airline staff to help provide emergency assistance for those afflicted in Dominica, St Lucia and St Vincent.Director General of the Barbados Red Cross Society Edmond Bradshaw said his organisation is “very grateful for the support of LIAT, its chairman and staff for the excellent support they have given us to help the victims of the floods in St Lucia.”“LIAT has always exhibited goodwill to the Red Cross and to the people of the Caribbean and we compliment them on another valiant effort to help those affected in St Lucia,” he added.LIAT’s airlift went out Monday with more to follow as the Red Cross advises, the airline said.Like our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/jamaicaobserverFollow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamaicaObserver

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LIAT airlifts Red Cross relief supplies to St Lucia

Incomplete applications hampering KSAC"s property tax relief programe

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Claudienne EdwardsThursday, September 12, 2013

APPROXIMATELY 66 per cent of the 286 applications made to the Kingston and St Andrew Corporation for discretionary property tax relief since April 1 are incomplete, Kingston Mayor Angela Brown Burke has disclosed.Mayor Brown Burke told Tuesday’s council meeting that since the new property tax increases took effect, only 97 of the applications have met the stipulated requirements. She said the KSAC has since contacted 148 of the affected individuals to request the additional information needed.“Let me remind individuals to make sure the following is properly filled out on the form: valuation number of property, tax payable and age of applicant. Please be mindlful also that the application form must be signed by the applicant and documentary proof of income provided,” the mayor said.She said that parish review committees have been reactivated to deal with the applications for special discretionary relief, particularly for seniors, pensioners and people with fixed incomes who are experiencing hardship.Meanwhile, investigations have been completed for 41 of the 97 applications that met the requirements and 20 have been placed before the committee for consideration. To date, only four applicants have been granted relief, the mayor said.Meanwhile, Brown Burke said that the number of traders licensing their businesses has increased significantly since the council’s trade licence drive started in 2011.“Last fiscal year, we were only able to collect $4.6 million up to the end of July. This is a whopping 87 per cent increase over the corresponding period,” she said.She said that the name-and-shame phase of the campaign would be starting soon.“Note that very soon we will be publishing the names of those traders who have so far refused to live up to their statutory obligations,” the mayor warned.BROWN BURKE… our aim is to improve efficiency and effectiveness

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Incomplete applications hampering KSAC"s property tax relief programe

HMS Lancaster to bolster hurricane relief efforts

SHOULD a hurricane strike between now and December, Jamaicans can be assured that the island’s disaster relief efforts will be bolstered by the HMS Lancaster, the British naval ship that is currently patrolling Caribbean waters and helping with the fight against narco-trafficking.

Forecasters have predicted an above-average 2013 hurricane season, which began on June 1 and ends November 30. And, despite a lowering of the outlook at the beginning of August, they said the remainder of the season could see up to 14 named storms, eight of which should develop into hurricanes, with three becoming major systems — meaning that they will be category three or stronger.Already, the season has seen four storms in Andrea, Barry, Chantal and Dorian.Last Friday, during a press tour of the vessel while it docked at the Kingston Harbour, officer-of-the-watch Lieutenant Oliver Beckler told journalists that the 400ft by 25ft frigate carries around a capable team consisting of engineers, medics, fire-fighters and logistics personnel.“In the event of hurricanes, the team will be in close proximity,” he said.The team will assist with disaster relief and humanitarian services such as providing para-medical assistance, search-and- rescue missions and engineering tasks.He said that the team will also be able to help people in communities that are marooned — distributing food and undertaking emergency rescue missions — with the use of the Lynx helicopter on board.The vessel was deployed to the Caribbean in May and will be in the territory until December.Prior to visiting Jamaica, the frigate visited Bermuda, the Cayman Islands, Turks and Caicos Islands, British Virgin Islands, Anguilla and Monsterrat. While in Anguilla, the team assisted the Royal Anguilla Police Force in a drug bust.When the frigate leaves the Caribbean in December, a similar vessel — the RFA Wave Knight — will be assigned to the region.The HMS Lancaster left Kingston Harbour on Monday en route to Puerto Rico.Lieutenant Oliver Beckler points to the Lynx helicopter as he addresses journalists on board the HMS Lancaster as it docked at the Kingston Harbour last Friday. (PHOTO: LIONEL ROOKWOOD)

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HMS Lancaster to bolster hurricane relief efforts