LA LIGA - Messi, Neymar on target in Barca win at nine-man Rayo

Saturday, October 04, 2014 | 2:56 PM    

MADRID, Spain (AFP) – Barcelona recovered from their midweek defeat to Paris Saint-Germain as goals from Lionel Messi and Neymar handed them a comfortable 2-0 win away to nine-man Rayo Vallecano on Saturday.

Valencia remained just two points behind the Catalans at the top of the table with a 3-1 win over champions Atletico Madrid thanks to three goals in the opening 13 minutes.

After resisting some early pressure from Rayo, Barcelona killed the game off with two goals in as many minutes just after the half hour mark as Messi and Neymar took advantage of the hosts’ high line to continued their fine goalscoring form.

Rayo were reduced to nine men after half-time as Jorge Morcillo and Javier Aquino were shown second yellow cards and Barca saw the game out to preserve their record of not conceding so far this season in La Liga.

Barca now lead third-placed Atletico by five points and Real Madrid by seven, but Real can cut the gap when they face Athletic Bilbao at the Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday.

“When you play on a pitch as small as here, playing with intensity is essential and I think we were up to the task,” said Barca boss Luis Enrique.

Claudio Bravo now holds the record for an unbeaten start to a La Liga season and Barca’s Chilean goalkeeper needed to be at his best early on to prevent Alberto Bueno firing Rayo into the lead.

However, Enrique dismissed the importance of Bravo’s 630-minute run without conceding.

“The only statistics that interest me are at the end of the season that will say whether we have deserved to win the title.”

Rayo’s offside trap was being breached regularly as the half wore on and moments after Messi had a goal ruled out, the Argentine showed great composure to dink the ball over the advancing Tono to open the scoring.

Barca doubled their advantage a minute later as this time Munir El Hadaddi fed Neymar and the Brazilian took his time before drilling the ball into the far corner.

Rayo could have been back in the game early after the restart had it not been for another fine save from Bravo to deny Leo Baptistao.

However, any hope for Paco Jemez’s men was ended when Morcillo was given his marching orders for an unnecessary lunge from behind on Neymar.

Messi then missed a number of chances to add to his tally in the final quarter, leaving him still just two goals shy of Telmo Zarra’s all-time La Liga goals record of 251, before a disappointing afternoon for Rayo was rounded off when Aquino was also sent-off for a late challenge on Sergio Busquets.

Atletico, meanwhile, paid for their efforts in beating Italian champions Juventus in midweek as a Miranda own goal, Andre Gomes’s strike and a Nicolas Otamendi header gave Valencia a dream start at Mestalla.

Mario Mandzukic reduced the arrears on the half hour mark, but any hopes of an Atletico comeback were halted when Diego Alves saved Guillherme Siqueira’s tame penalty just before half-time and they ended the match with 10 men as substitute Alessio Cerci was sent-off in stoppage time.

“Valencia started very strongly and we made mistakes that we don’t usually make,” said Atletico boss Diego Simeone.

“After that Atletico played very well and they didn’t have any more chances. If we had scored the penalty, perhaps it would have been different.”

Valencia coach Nuno Espirito Santo refused to specify what he would deem as success for his side come the end of the season, but believes they can get even better with star summer signing Alvaro Negredo set to return from injury after the upcoming international break.

“Our objective is to keep growing and keep improving as individuals and as a team.

“Today is a great day for us, but I am very optimistic and I think we will improve.”

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LA LIGA - Messi, Neymar on target in Barca win at nine-man Rayo

Caribbean Airlines sets three-year break-even target

Caribbean Airlines is projecting that the entity will break even in three years. Larry Howai, Trinidad and Tobago’s Finance Minister, who revealed the airline’s outlook, says his Government will continue providing funds to CAL over the next three years.         
A report in Monday’s issue of  the Trinidad Express newspaper said  the Finance Minister disclosed that a restructuring plan had been put in place, which would lead to the gradual reduction of  the subsidy.
Mr. Howai said Caribbean Airlines incurred a loss on the Venezuela route as a result of  the devaluation of  the Bolivar and the foreign exchange problems in that country. Some losses also came from the integration of  Air Jamaica into Caribbean Airlines.

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Caribbean Airlines sets three-year break-even target

Caribbean Airlines sets three-year break-even target

Caribbean Airlines is projecting that the entity will break even in three years. Larry Howai, Trinidad and Tobago’s Finance Minister, who revealed the airline’s outlook, says his Government will continue providing funds to CAL over the next three years.         
A report in Monday’s issue of  the Trinidad Express newspaper said  the Finance Minister disclosed that a restructuring plan had been put in place, which would lead to the gradual reduction of  the subsidy.
Mr. Howai said Caribbean Airlines incurred a loss on the Venezuela route as a result of  the devaluation of  the Bolivar and the foreign exchange problems in that country. Some losses also came from the integration of  Air Jamaica into Caribbean Airlines.

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Caribbean Airlines sets three-year break-even target

Robbers target Cash Pot shops

Chad Bryan, STAR Reporter

A Negril businessman is claiming that Cash Pot shops are the targets of robberies by unscrupulous persons in the west end of the island.

The businessman says that six of his shops have already been robbed as well as one of his friends. He also stated that two days ago they robbed a woman in his area in daylight when Cash Pot lodgements were being done.

“Supreme Ventures takes no obligations on losses. When it comes on to robberies, you have to make arrangements for a timely repayment of the amount,” the businessman said.

No evidence

He drew reference to the death of a man that was killed early last month in Negril. According to reports, the deceased had gone to collect the day’s sales from a Supreme Ventures outlet when three men approached his vehicle. He was later shot three times and died on the spot.

Commander of the Westmoreland Police Division, Deputy Superintendent Errol Ranger, explained that there was no evidence to suggest that Cash Pot businesses were being targeted.

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Robbers target Cash Pot shops

Scammers target some NCB customers

The National Commercial Bank (NCB) is probing the circumstances under which scammers compromised one of  its Automated Banking Machines, ABM’s, in Portmore in the central parish of  St. Catherine, fleecing hundreds of thousands of  dollars from customers.

The bank has deactivated debit cards of  customers who conducted transactions at its ABM at Portmore Pines Plaza between last Thursday and Sunday.

It’s reported, that the bank discovered that members of  a criminal network placed a special device inside the ABM, which collected the personal identification numbers of customers.

A senior investigator told RJR News, that three members of  the network, including the alleged leader, were recently arrested and charged with fraud.

However, he said other members of  the network have continued the scam.

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Scammers target some NCB customers

Property tax collections said at 53% of $7.2-b target

TAX Administration Jamaica (TAJ) is reporting that, as at last month, it is half way to the $7.26-billion target for property tax collections set for this fiscal year, with some parishes recording high levels of compliance.

“Overall to date we are at 53 per cent of the $7.26 billion target at the end of August. For some of the parishes, like Kingston and St Andrew, they are at about 62 per cent, Portmore is at 60 per cent, Hanover is at a high of 60 per cent. You will find that St Ann’s Bay and Montego Bay they are at a high of 50 per cent,” property tax co-ordinator at the TAJ Sharon White told the weekly Jamaica Observer Monday Exchange.She, however, said rural parishes like Clarendon and St Thomas are at a low of 40 per cent.Calvert Thomas, senior director of the Revenue Enhancement and Resource Mobilisation Division in the Ministry of Local Government, said there was cautious optimism that the target figure would be met.“When you look at it, what we were expected to be at in August, as against what we have realised, it’s about 90 per cent, and in the scheme of things, if you are achieving that level of performance generally you would feel very good. To some extent we are satisfied, but we are cautious,” he told the Exchange.“The first three months were very good, we were exceeding what was projected, the pattern has changed now and between July and August we were almost flat in terms of our collections. The challenge we have is that although we are at 90 per cent of what we wanted to achieve, in terms of translating the remaining 10 per cent into dollar figures it is almost a $400-million difference that you are looking at.“So we need to recognise that, even though it’s high in terms of 90 per cent, the dollar figures are still significant and there is no way we can afford to allow that to increase; we still need now to be very proactive in terms of our collections,” Thomas pointed out.He said the push to collect property taxes this year in order to deliver services was even more critical, given the financial constraints being experienced at the central government level.“Previously, we got grant financing from central government to support any shortfall in relation to our payments for street lights, solid waste, fixing of our parochial road network, community services, and civil support. The fact that we have to move our collections from $2.8 billion last year to this massive figure of $7.26 billion speaks to the demand that is placed on us getting the revenues and providing services to our citizens,” Thomas said.“That is the connection we need to make for persons to recognise that even as we push for every cent that, is owed, it’s not because we are greedy, it’s an imperative we have to meet if we are to be able to provide our local services at a minimum,” he added, noting that the bill for street lighting facing the authority this year is in excess of $3 billion, not including arrears.“That is what we have to pay the Jamaica Public Service to keep those services going. All of that has to be paid from property tax dollars, plus all of the other services that are there,” he pointed out.In the meantime, he said of the target amount, some $2 billion represented arrears that the authority hoped to collect this year.He said a conservative estimate of the total stock of arrears, some of which might be “uncollectible”, could be around $5 billion to $6 billion, not including the amount for this fiscal year.There are 14 local authorities and 229 councils.Tax Administration Jamaica (TAJ) Property Tax Co-ordinator Sharon White addressing this week’s Jamaica Observer Monday Exchange. With her are Calvert Thomas, senior director of the Revenue Enhancement and Resource Mobilisation Division in the Ministry of Local Government, and Meris Haughton, director of communications at TAJ. (PHOTO: NAPTHALI JUNIOR)

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Property tax collections said at 53% of $7.2-b target

Clarke sets 2015 target for self-sufficiency in onion production

News

Friday, August 23, 2013

THE Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries is aiming to achieve self-sufficiency in onion production by 2015.Speaking on Wednesday at a graduation ceremony for farmers and extension officers on the lawns at his Hope Gardens offices in Kingston, Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries Roger Clarke stated that “our objective is to produce all the onions we now consume”.In 2012, the minister said Jamaica consumed some 10,298 tonnes of onions, of which only 1,088 tonnes was produced locally with the bulk of 9,210 tonnes being imported.Congratulating the 22 lead farmers from South St Elizabeth and seven extension officers from the Rural Agricultural Development Agency (RADA) on their graduation from the Farmer Field School Training towards Strengthening a National Beet Armyworm Management Programme, Minister Clarke said Jamaica could produce enough onions locally to satisfy national demand.“In spite of the Beet Armyworm,” he said, “we can grow far more onions in Jamaica and so break the vicious cycle of dependence on imported foods.”It was for that reason, he added, that the cultivation of onions in the agro-parks was one of the main strategic objectives and once all the parks are fully operational, the 717 acres earmarked for onion cultivation should eventually yield some 10,605 tonnes.The 22 lead farmers from St Elizabeth and seven RADA facilitators who graduated on Wednesday have been certified as Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Farmer Field School Facilitators and are equipped to share knowledge with a wider circle of 150 farmers to identify, manage and control the Beet Armyworm which emerged as a major onion and scallion pest in recent times.The training programme was jointly organised and funded by the ministry in collaboration with the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation, RADA, and the United States Agency for International Development under the Jamaica Rural Economy and Ecosystem Adapting to Climate Change project being implemented by the Agricultural Cooperative Development International and Volunteers in Overseas Cooperative Assistance more commonly known as ACDI/VOCA.— JISOnly 1,088 tonnes of the 10,298 tonnes of onions Jamaicans consumed in 2012 was produced locally.

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Clarke sets 2015 target for self-sufficiency in onion production

Jamaica Customs exceeds July target by 10%

Latest News

Monday, August 12, 2013 | 5:34 PM

KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Jamaica Customs Agency (JCA) says it has surpassed the Ministry of Finance and Planning’s (MOFP) target for July by 10 per cent.With gross collections of J$12.889 billion the MOFP target of J$11.901 billion was exceeded by  J$988, 048 million, Customs said Monday. adding that of the 22 collection stations island wide, fifteen exceeded their targets.The JCA says it has also surpassed the MOFP year-to-date target of J$41.709 billion by J$1.926 billion with gross collections of J$43.635 billion.Formal commercial imports (goods cleared on the C87 form) represent in excess of 80 percent of total collections, the JCA said in a release.  The JCA said that increases in Import Duty and General Consumption Tax (GCT) collections as well as the recently introduced Customs Administration Fees (CAF) have contributed to the surpassing of its targets.When compared to July 2012, Import Duty increased by 13 per cent or J$255.909 million and GCT collections increased by J$635.173 million or 17 per cent while gross collections for the CAF amounted to J$1.033 billion.Meanwhile, discretionary and Statutory Waivers combined for the month of July declined by J$1.828 billion or 15 per cent, the JCA said.Like our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/jamaicaobserverFollow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamaicaObserver

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Jamaica Customs exceeds July target by 10%

Local hockey administrators target the young

DESPERATE to land a proper foothold in the local sporting landscape, the Jamaica Hockey Federation (JHF) is eyeing a greater focus on the youth.

“In order for us to be competitive… we have to have our students playing hockey like they do cricket, football, netball and participate in track and field,” said the JHF’s vice-president of women’s affairs Nicole Grant-Brown at a recent Jamaica Observer Sports Club forum at the company’s Beechwood Avenue offices.Others from the JHF in attendance were president Leon Mitchell, vice-president of men’s affairs Richard Wisdom, director of international affairs and facilities manager Richard Shaw and general secretary Denise Wisdom.“We have introduced it a little bit to the prep schools… and there are some coaches in the primary schools who have introduced it there.“In every single sport, no matter where in the world you are, development starts from the base…from the babies, right up. In Argentina they have little ones, two-year-olds and three-year-olds (playing hockey), so in order for us to be competitive we have to start there,” Grant-Brown stressed.Richard Wisdom threw attention on the “need to get hockey taught at the PE (physical education) level” in schools, a thrust to “encourage girls to play the sport”, and a major aim of the JHF in guiding development “from the Under-14s and work upwards”.The JHF officials argued that introducing a downsized version of the sport similar to six-a-side football scrimmage could also spark more interest among young prospects.Grant-Brown cited lack of funding as a restrictive element to the development programmes outlined for the primary and secondary level. She said that of concern was the apparent disinterest shown by some girls.“We have been working on a programme to get more of the high schools involved in hockey because we find that for the women not many (are playing). There are some co-ed schools out there, but mostly the boys are playing.“Funding is always an issue… Development is always (dependent on funding),” she said.Wisdom added that recent moves by the Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA) have widened the door for greater numbers to participate.“The schools have to be registered with ISSA to play high school hockey (but) ISSA has opened up a bit, so even if you are a private high school, just register and you can play all the competitions,” he said.Still, he explained that the cost of providing hockey gear as opposed to other sports is unfavourable.“Hockey is open to all schools under ISSA, but a major issue is the cost of equipment. You need a hockey stick for at least 11 players and one hockey stick ranges from $4,500 to $20,000… and there is goalkeeping equipment,” he said.In the meantime, Grant-Brown shared that students have scholarship opportunities — an option the JHF will be more actively advertising in a bid to mirror what takes place in Trinidad & Tobago and in Barbados.“We have scholarships here, but it is not visible and we have to push it out there. Once they are committed we are willing to work with them in order to garner scholarships. The last scholarship for someone in the United States was in 2002,” she said.However, the JFH administrators said the GC Foster College offers full local scholarships for student athletes, while the University of Technology provides part scholarships or grants.

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Local hockey administrators target the young

Jamaica"s Paralympians on target for Lyon

Jamaica’s Paralympic team to the IPC’s Athletics World Championships is in the final stages of preparation for what is expected to be a successful campaign in Lyon, France, later this month.

Alphanso ‘The Ambassador’ Cunningham, Jamaica’s celebrated Paralympian, will lead the medal hunt and is expected to mine gold in both the F53/53 javelin and discus.“He’s in a world record-breaking mode for the javelin,” stated coach Neville Sinclair, with quiet confidence and national pride.Medal performances should come from the well decorated and powerful Beijing bronze medallist Tanto Campbell in the F54-56 discus, and Sylvia Grant in the F57/58 javelin, who will also challenge for a medal in the discus.Shane Hudson, the experienced quarter-miler, will brave the American and European charge in the T46 400m and is expected to tame the competition as the gold is within his grasp. He will also line up for the 200m.If Javon Campbell, who was not classified last year in T46, gets the green light in the new T47 class, his runs in the 100m and 200m should add to the array of medals in the cabinet.David Bascoe, who represented Jamaica at the Guadalajara Para Pan American Games in Mexico in 2011 — but who at that time suffered an injury — is back and will renew his campaign in the T46 200m and 400m.Newcomer Isaiah Simms will be tested in the T13 100m and 200m, while his teammate and also newcomer Romadeo Williams from the revered Glenmuir High School, will do battle in the T46 100m and 200m.President of the Jamaica Paralympic Association Christopher Samuda, in looking ahead, said: “We faced several challenges in preparing for these Championships, but our athletes — like proficient soldiers— are ready for combat and victory.”Samuda and secretary general Suzanne Harris-Henry, who is the Chef de Mission, are looking forward to a Jamaican fete in France along with Sinclair, massage therapist Ricardo Bailey and athlete liaison officer Mark Barton.The team leaves the island on Monday.The Opening Ceremony will be on July 19 and Team Jamaica will be sporting French berets in national colours. The Closing Ceremony is scheduled for July 28 and the team returns on July 29.CUNNINGHAM… will lead the medal hunt and is expected to mine gold in both the F53/53 javelin and discus

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Jamaica"s Paralympians on target for Lyon