Alcoa optimistic about aluminium price

Alcoa, which is moving to sell its stake in Jamalco, is depending on an aluminum deficit to help its stock price continue the nearly 50-percent increase it’s seen so far this year.

Prices for the metal have risen about 10 per cent in 2014, and analysts predict a global aluminum deficit will correct years of  market saturation.

Aluminum’s good fortune has come as the automobile market has turned its attention to utilizing the light metal for producing cars.

Alcoa, which accounts for 7% of  the world’s aluminum output, has placed an emphasis on cutting production to help offset the surplus.

News came in June that Alcoa will pull out of  Jamaica within two years and sell its mining interests to Noble Group.

Alcoa has a 55 per cent stake in Jamalco, with the remaining 45 per cent held by the Government through its holding company Clarendon Alumina Production.

The plant is managed by Alcoa.

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Alcoa optimistic about aluminium price

Alcoa optimistic about aluminium price

Alcoa, which is moving to sell its stake in Jamalco, is depending on an aluminum deficit to help its stock price continue the nearly 50-percent increase it’s seen so far this year.

Prices for the metal have risen about 10 per cent in 2014, and analysts predict a global aluminum deficit will correct years of  market saturation.

Aluminum’s good fortune has come as the automobile market has turned its attention to utilizing the light metal for producing cars.

Alcoa, which accounts for 7% of  the world’s aluminum output, has placed an emphasis on cutting production to help offset the surplus.

News came in June that Alcoa will pull out of  Jamaica within two years and sell its mining interests to Noble Group.

Alcoa has a 55 per cent stake in Jamalco, with the remaining 45 per cent held by the Government through its holding company Clarendon Alumina Production.

The plant is managed by Alcoa.

View the original article here

Alcoa optimistic about aluminium price

Joe optimistic about Downsound"s future

Joe Bogdanovich

Downsound Records has been a major player in the Jamaican music industry for more than a decade.

Since setting up shop locally in the 1990s, the company, which is owned and operated by American businessman Joe Bogdanovich, has become the driving force in the local music industry.

“We’ve been here for a while now and we’ve worked with a lot of people in various areas of the business. We’ve built up a good reputation as a successful, management, music production and events company,” Bogdanovich said.

The Downsound boss is extremely optimistic about the future of his company. “So far, we have done a lot and we have accomplished great results, but I believe the best is yet to come. Right now, I am working with a great stable of artistes,” he said.

Ninja Man, Harry Toddler, Nature, Don Husky and Naazir are just some of the artistes signed to the company.

Bogdanovich also said the success of his company and its artistes is not based on luck, but dedication to hard work.

“Downsound is a professional organisation, we don’t believe in luck, we believe in hard work. I have a great team of people working with the artistes daily to ensure that we get the right results. All the artistes are constantly rehearsing, writing and recording songs. If you come to our offices, you will see that we don’t play around, we mean business,” added the businessman.

‘Downsound is a professional organisation, we don’t believe in luck, we believe in hard work.’

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Joe optimistic about Downsound"s future

Braeton producer optimistic about new rhythm

Barrington ‘Barry Cash’ Reynolds producer of the ‘Martha Stick’ rhythm. – Anthony Minott photos

Braeton producer, Barrington ‘Barry Cash’ Reynolds, is quite optimistic that his latest project ‘Martha Stick’ rhythm will create a buzz on the streets of Jamaica.

Reynolds, the CEO of Jafrican Music, said that he has been working on this particular project with a number of young artistes to put out a ‘decent production’ for the people.

Reynolds works from his Braeton Phase 3 home, where he expects lead artiste Wazzi and a supporting cast of dancehall artistes, such as Pesty, the son of veteran DJ, Rohan Irie, Red Starr and JR will bring success to this relatively new production house.

Wazzi’s song on the rhythm shows him expressing himself to the woman of his dreams. “True love the girl seh, this is a song about a girl who wants true love, and I’m the one she needs it from,” Wazzi said in a recent interview. He admitted that the music industry is quite competitive and artistes must come with their ‘A game’ all the time.

“I come to set the pace, it’s quite competitive on the streets, and I’m working towards being on top. You have to bring it 100 per cent. Music is everything to me,” he disclosed.

Also on the rhythm, Red Starr and JR, record about the type of girl they want, while Pesty hits out against men that boast about being a “gallis, but nah get nothing”.

Wazzi, who is obviously a versatile artiste, is also on Reynold’s three-track reggae CD compilation, which also features Reynolds himself, Junior X, Xyclone, and Meilo Smooth.

Reynolds is not new to music as he has worked with the likes of Fab 5 and Grammy award-winner Toots Hibbert.”It’s really exciting times for this production house, and we are waiting to see the feedback we get from the general public, as we are already getting a lot of support from the community,” Reynolds said.

Wazzi, the lead artiste on the Martha Stick rhythm.

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Braeton producer optimistic about new rhythm

Caricom secretary general optimistic about region"s future

GEORGETOWN, Guyana (CMC) — Caribbean Community (Caricom) Secretary General Irwin La Rocque says 2014 promises new directions for the 15-member regional integration movement as it seeks to deliver more immediate and tangible benefits to the people of the Caribbean.

In his end-of-year message, the Dominican-born LaRocque said 2013, which marked the 40th anniversary of Caricom, underscored the determination and commitment of the region to forge a common destiny as small unified states in this unique corner of the world called the Caribbean.He said the anniversary theme of “Celebration and Renewal” remained relevant “as we bask in our Caribbean-ness, rekindle the spirit of community and continue our integration quest with an outlook that is shaped by new thinking and different approaches”.He said that outlook would be influenced by the necessity for appropriate responses to the current global environment which has placed member states in dire straits, stymieing growth and development and denying the Caribbean the wherewithal to create a better standard of living for the people of the region.“Indeed, the vulnerability of our member states and their capacity for resilience came into stark relief last week in St Vincent and the Grenadines, St Lucia and Dominica, when severe weather visited death and destruction and caused a setback to development efforts there,” said the secretary general.The weather system has also been blamed for the deaths of 15 people so far and governments of these three Caribbean countries say they would require hundreds of millions of dollars in the rehabilitation exercise.La Rocque said that the new outlook would also be shaped by the review and reform of the integration movement being undertaken at the request of regional governments, adding “we are on schedule to achieve early in the new year one of our key milestones — the completion of the draft Five-Year Strategic Plan”.The plan was crafted following consultations with stakeholders across the region and sets out a common vision, identities priority areas of focus over the period and also addresses issues of implementability including the roles and responsibilities of all participants in the community’s architecture.“Unsurprisingly, sustainable economic growth and development emerged as one of the primary areas of concern for stakeholders across the spectrum with whom the Change Team interacted over the past year, and it is our intention, through the efforts of the recently established Caricom Commission on the Economy, to explore possible avenues to put us on a sustainable path,” La Rocque said.He said the commission would provide advice on implementable solutions based particularly on the priority areas set out in the Caricom growth agenda.“For the Caribbean Community, therefore, 2014 dawns with the promise of new directions, prioritisation on the critical areas that will deliver more immediate and tangible benefits to our peoples, more strategic approaches and the continued emphasis on our youth and empowerment of our citizens,” he added.

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Caricom secretary general optimistic about region"s future

Boyz cling to hope - Coach Schafer remains optimistic

DESPITE not having a practice game prior to their do-or-die World Cup qualifying away match-up against Panama on September 6, Reggae Boyz head coach Winfried Schafer has instead made himself busy by scouting and talking to several key overseas-based players.

The 63-year-old German, who was appointed in July, remains upbeat that the Reggae Boyz can pull off the miracle and still qualify for the FIFA World Cup in Brazil next year.“Right now we have a 30 per cent chance, but when we win against Panama that will be 60 per cent and maybe Costa Rica or Honduras lose the next match, I don’t know, it’s not easy,” said Schafer.The former Bundesliga stalwart, who scored 46 goals in 403 German top-flight appearances as a player and who led Cameroon to the African Cup of Nations title in 2002, said he wouldn’t have taken the Jamaican job if he thought it was hopeless.“I believe I can change from the last matches to success in the few days before the match against Panama, I will have to instil belief in the players,” said Schafer.The Reggae Boyz are currently at the bottom of the six-team group on two points behind Panama (six), Honduras (seven), Mexico (eight), Costa Rica (11), and the United States of America (13) with only four games remaining.Schafer said he was shocked when he looked at the table and saw Jamaica with only two points, and after careful video analysis, he was convinced that the Reggae Boyz should have been in a better position.“I have to talk to the players, I need information from my players. I need opinion of the players why Jamaica have only two points. What we have to do for better. Why we lost against United States. Why we lost against Panama. I want opinions of the players,” he explained.“The important thing is that the players come here with motivation and only these players will show up in my team,” said Schafer.With all six teams in the Hexagonal round busy recently with friendly games, Jamaica were unable to secure one on the last FIFA calendar date set aside for friendly internationals. But Schafer was not idle.“I was in America at the CONCACAF Gold Cup which featured four of our opponents in the World Cup qualifying,” noted Schafer.“I watched Honduras, Costa Rica, United States, Mexico and Panama after I was in England and watched six Championship matches, and importantly, I talked to my Reggae Boyz,” he noted.While in the United Kingdom where he met and spoke with several players, five of whom are captains of Championships teams in England.Although he couldn’t remember all the names, he did mention one Westley Morgan who is the skipper of Leicester City and who is regarded as the best centre back in the Championship. Morgan, 29, may be a replacement for the injured Nyron Nosworthy.“I saw some new players while in England, but I cannot tell you now which players are on the list. When Captain (Horace) Burrell comes back we will have a press conference and talk about it,” he told the Jamaica Observer.President of the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) Captain Horace Burrell (left) greets Reggae Boyz head coach Winfried Schafer at last month’s press conference at the Federation’s offices to present the new coach.

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Boyz cling to hope - Coach Schafer remains optimistic