NEPA urges public not to capture crocodiles

Friday, January 23, 2015 | 8:06 PM    

KINGSTON, Jamaica – The National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) is appealing to members of the public to desist from capturing or harming crocodiles.

The environmental agency says recent reports of residents in Whitehouse, St James attempting to capture a crocodile is of concern.

The American Crocodile, which is one of Jamaica’s protected animal is typically docile but can be aggressive when harassed, NEPA informed in a release today.

Crocodiles are protected under the Wild Life Protection Act and it is an offence to have a crocodile or any part of the animal in one’s possession. Anyone found guilty of these offences are liable to a fine of up to $100,000 or twelve (12) months imprisonment.

Members of the public are urged to call NEPA at 1-888-991-5005 or 754-7540 if crocodiles are seen in areas outside of their natural habitat where they may pose a threat to human activities or if they are being captured, harassed, harmed or the meat is being sold.  

Reports may also be made to 119 or the nearest police station.

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NEPA urges public not to capture crocodiles

Matalon urges customs duty reform at Caricom level

BY STEVEN JACKSON Business reporter jacksons@jamaicaobserver.com

Sunday, October 12, 2014    

DISHONEST importers continue to mis-classify a raft of items including “synthetic hair” in order to benefit from cheaper duty, stated Joseph M Matalon on Thursday night.

As such, he wants Government to review tariffs that hike duty on primary products but slash tax on finished goods made from the same material, arguing that they impact the country especially as it relates to Caribbean Community (Caricom) imports.

“Articles of synthetic hair attract duty of 20 per cent, but articles of human hair attract duty of 5.0 per cent,” he said. “…and I must tell you, vast amounts [of human hair] were imported into the island,” said Matalon, who heads the Private Sector Working Group on tax reform and is also chairman of ICD Group.

Matalon was addressing the Jamaica Manufacturers’ Association (JMA) 46th Annual Awards Banquet at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel in New Kingston.

Weave imports are set to hit $1 billion this year, based on growth over the last four years. The island imported US$7 million ($770 million) worth of the product in 2012, up from US$3.3 million in 2008, according to the International Trade Centre, an affiliate of the World Trade Organisation and United Nations.

“The complexity of our tariff structure and the number and wide disbursement of duty rates imposed, even within a single tariff, provide myriad opportunities for unscrupulous importers to mis-classify imports in an effort to evade legitimate customs charges,” explained Matalon, who gave another example of red kidney beans which attract duty of 40 per cent while red beans (processed) attract no import charge.

His reference was to trade mechanisms under the present tariff structure that, by and large, “impose protective tariffs on primary products” while allowing “low or zero tariff on finished goods of those same primary products”.

“In both cases I have cited, the rigidity of the current CET prevents us from undertaking reforms, from addressing these issues to the benefit of the economy and all its participants,” he said. “I have no doubt, if polled, that all the national customs departments in the region — with the possible exception of Trinidad [the largest Caricom trader] — would share this view.

“Surely, as the largest consumer market in Caricom, Jamaica can — and has a duty — and must demand that these issues be addressed through a reform process at the level of Caricom itself,” he said, eliciting applause from the roughly 500 guests.

Imports into Jamaica are greatest from the USA, followed by Venezuela and Trinidad & Tobago (T&T).

“In my own view, if we are to remain in the unit — not on the basis of sentimental historical inaction, but on the basis of true mutual benefit — then maintaining the status quo is not a serious option,” he concluded.

Last year, the JMA claimed that manufacturers from T&T were misrepresenting items as originating from within Caricom — which would entitle the goods to duty-free status. However, a rate of duty or common external tariff is applied on products originating from outside the grouping.

In fact, last year’s JMA guest speaker, former Industry Minister Claude Clarke, called for Government to suspend the CET for the duration of the Jamaica‘s International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme.

The Economic and Social Survey Jamaica 2012 indicates that Jamaica‘s annual trade deficit with Caricom narrowed to US$775.3 million relative to US$916.0 million in 2011. The improvement was attributed to a 22.4 per cent rise in exports to US$83.2 million and a 12.7 per cent reduction in imports to US$858.6 million.

On Thursday, Red Stripe was named Manufacturer of the Year to top off a night on which the brewery claimed five awards in total — more than any other company this year.

The other awards that went to Red Stripe included Champion Exporter in the category of large exporter, Digicel Business ICT, NCBJ Best Environmental Management, and Robert Lightbourne Skills & Productivity.

JMA President Brian Pengelley, in his address, said that local manufacturers were finding new markets, including Brazil, India, Africa and China and the Caribbean.

“There is a niche market for processed foods, beverages, indigenous high quality fashion. In South Africa there is demand for tea, coffee, beers and rice. In Cuba, our closest neighbour, there is demand for processed foods and beverages. Also opportunity is ripe for export to the French Caribbean including Guadeloupe,” Pengelley said.

Some of the larger awards included the Ray Hadeed Award for best small and medium enterprise, which went to Caribbean Flavours & Fragrances; the Eddie Hall Award for New Manufacturer of the Year went to Spring Vale Enterprise; the C Henderson Davis Award for Breakthrough Product of the Year went to Fersan Ltd. Champion Exporter medium size went to PA Benjamin, while Champion Exporter small size went to Honey Bun.

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Matalon urges customs duty reform at Caricom level

Official urges Jamaicans to destroy bug breeding sites as painful mosquito-borne virus spreads

KINGSTON, Jamaica –  Jamaica‘s health minister said Sunday that the government is doing all it can to combat a newly arrived mosquito-borne virus that is increasingly disrupting life and cutting productivity on the Caribbean island.

In a national address carried on television and radio, Fenton Ferguson said the chikungunya virus is spreading across Jamaica and “everyone is susceptible.”

“We are aware of the impact this is having on productivity and attendance at school and work and ask employers to be compassionate and assist their staff through this difficult period,” Ferguson said.

It’s a rarely fatal but typically very painful viral illness that has advanced rapidly through the Caribbean and parts of Latin America after local transmission started in the tiny French dependency of St. Martin late last year, likely introduced by an infected air traveler. Apparently hardest hit has been the Dominican Republic, with half the cases reported in the Americas.

In recent days, the mosquito-borne virus with no cure or vaccine has been increasingly sickening people in Jamaica, perhaps most severely in the southeastern parish of St. Thomas.

“Schools, business, churches, farms and entire communities in St. Thomas continue to report ever mounting cases of persons ill with chikungunya, some communities with over half the population affected,” said opposition official Delano Seiveright before the health minister’s speech.

Confirmed cases in Jamaica are few so far, but there are many signs that the real number of sickened people is far higher than the official tally. Laboratories have only been able to confirm a small portion of people who fall ill because many patients don’t bother seeking care so their cases go unrecorded. Some private doctors are also not reporting patients to the government, according to the health ministry.

Some Jamaicans are blasting the government for what they believe is a sluggish response to a public health threat they knew was on the way. Fenton asserts the government was prepared and is doing all it can to swat down the virus but the “expectation is for chikungunya cases to spike and then trend down” as more people become immune. People develop immunity after getting infected.

___

David McFadden on Twitter: http://twitter.com/dmcfadd

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Official urges Jamaicans to destroy bug breeding sites as painful mosquito-borne virus spreads

Lamothe urges Haiti ministers not to buy luxury cars

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti, Tuesday September 9, 2014, CMC – Haiti Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe is again reminding Cabinet colleagues that they should not use scarce resources to buy luxury motor vehicles.

Lamothe, who gave up the lavish motorcade he inherited from his predecessor, says the government, which is promoting a “preferential option for the poor”, must set the example.

“I don’t think a minister or myself, as Prime minister, needs a pricey, luxurious car to come to work, while our responsibility is to use our meagre resources to fight poverty,” Lamothe told the Port au Prince-based Haitian-Caribbean News Network (HCNN).

“I set the example by giving up my own motorcade for a more modest one and I feel good about it. So, I want members of the government to avoid buying or driving those luxurious vehicles which do not match the philosophy and social guidelines of the government.”

Most government ministers and other high-ranking officials have already complied with the measure, but a few others still have to follow suit.

“It should be very clear for all those who are part of this experience with us. Our priority is the most vulnerable, because the country will not achieve progress if the living conditions of the poorest remain the same,” Lamothe insisted.

Lamothe said the government is implementing very scrupulously, the vision presented by President Michel Martelly who made the fight against poverty a priority of his administration.

“We are here to land on the ground, in the communities, president Martelly’s vision which is to lay the foundation and fight for significant poverty reduction in our country.

“We are doing so by boosting investments for job creation, fighting corruption and waste, and by directly assist the population through our social programs,” Lamothe added.

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Lamothe urges Haiti ministers not to buy luxury cars

Gov"t urges cooperation of travellers from chikungunya-affected countries

The Ministry of Health is encouraging persons who have travelled to chikungunya affected countries and are experiencing symptoms on arrival in Jamaica to visit their doctor or nearest health centre immediately.

Director, Emergency, Disaster Management and Special Services, Dr. Marion Bullock DuCasse, is also urging persons to cooperate with health personnel who are working to reduce the possibility of spread and impact of the disease on the population.

“We are asking persons who feel they have symptoms of chikungunya to allow the health team to manage the situation by giving their full cooperation. As Jamaica has had no local transmission, we are trying to protect the population, including your own family members and others who may be have been exposed,” she said.

She added that chikungunya is an important public-health issue, and so it is essential that every citizen cooperates in efforts to reduce the spread of the disease. Dr. DuCasse notes that although there is no local spread so far, more and more travel is expected during the summer months and, therefore, increased risk of transmission.

“I want to urge persons who travel to chikungunya-affected countries to protect themselves as much as possible from mosquito bites. When you travel to these countries, use insect repellent containing DEET, wear clothing that covers your body as much as possible and sleep under a mosquito net if available,” she said.

Chikungunya is spread by the Aedes aegypti, which is a day- biting mosquito that will almost always be found in and around areas where people live, work and play.

Symptoms of chikungunya fever include high fever, joint pain, mainly in the hands, wrists and ankles and other joints; headache, muscle pain and a rash.

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Gov"t urges cooperation of travellers from chikungunya-affected countries

Tommy Lee warns Alkaline - Urges deejay to be careful of taboo lyrics

CURTIS CAMPBELL, STAR Writer

Dancehall artiste Tommy Lee Sparta has urged controversial deejay Alkaline to be careful of the messages that he is sending to minors especially as it relates to taboo sexual practices. This he did in a new single called ‘Nah Bad’.

Tommy Lee who received his fair share of criticism courtesy of iconic dancehall artiste Bounty Killer for using the moniker ‘Uncle Demon’ in his lyrics, is now the one seeking to straighten out another aspiring dancehall act.

According to the deejay, who told the audience at Sting that he has had a change of heart since his near fatal accident, Alkaline’s practice of encouraging taboo sexual practices can be more harmful to children than using the fictitious moniker ‘Uncle Demon’.

“Mi just a correct him, mi nah dis him. Mi a mek him know sey him fi fix up him argument. If mi wah dis him; mi wi dis him, mi nuh fraid fi duh dat. Mi just feel like di youth dem nuffi a hear dem thing deh … . A nuh nothing if yu sey yu a Uncle Demon, that is just a made-up character. But when yu a guh sey gyal fi lick out bottom a nastiness dat, and that is physical. How yu wudda feel fi see a likkle pickney a duh dat? Mi just a correct him … . I never said I didn’t want to be corrected when Bounty speak against Uncle Demon, because a di right thing him did a sey. It was the disrespect that came with his opinion that got me upset,” Tommy Lee Sparta said.

According to the deejay who has songs featured in internationally renowned video game Grand Theft Auto, he does not want the children to be led in the wrong path where sexuality is concerned. Tommy Lee Sparta was making reference to Alkaline’s single Touch You, in which he endorsed anal stimulation using the tongue.

“Mi just return from tour and mi life comfortable mi nuh haffi a stress out myself. Mi just a sey certain action weh mek di pickney dem think sey it right – mi just sit back and a watch the business from wah day and mi decide fi fix it. Mi nuh care bout nuh man feelings,” Tommy Lee Sparta said.

The deejay is getting strong attention for his recent UIM Records-produced singles Whine Up and Dream, which have received over 300,000 views on YouTube.

Alkaline’s publicist Kereen Beckford told The STAR that they are not aware of Tommy Lee’s song and are therefore unable to give a comment.

Curtis.campbell@gleanerjm.com

( l – r ) Alkaline, Tommy Lee Sparta – File photos

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Tommy Lee warns Alkaline - Urges deejay to be careful of taboo lyrics

Energy committee urges more due diligence in 360MW project

The Government’s proposed 360 megawatt power plant was again thrust into the public spotlight with a call by the Energy Monitoring Committee (EMC) yesterday for more due diligence on the project.

According to the EMC, a number of “important items” need to be thoroughly checked before the Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR) can make a positive recommendation to the Government for a licence to be granted to Energy World International (EWI), the preferred bidder on the project.

The EMC said that what was needed was:

* A thorough absorption of any substantive information in the due diligence report followed by a forum to solicit the preferred bidder’s responses to these potential issues;

* Gaining a better understanding of the progress of current projects being pursued by EWI-related entities to ensure there are no adverse ramifications for Jamaica’s bid; and

* Focusing on the financial capability of the preferred bidder, including evidence of commitment with the usual qualifiers from its bankers/equity sources, as would be expected in a project that is greater than US$700 million in size.

The EMC made the call after noting that since its last meeting with the OUR on the issue, a Power Purchasing Agreement (PPA) was ratified and a due diligence report was submitted by the Revenue Protection Division of the Ministry of Finance & Planning to the OUR.

But the EMC said it had not yet received specific information on the PPA, as it is awaiting consent from the counterparties to that agreement. However, it expects to have a summary of the key terms by early this week.

“This information will allow us to monitor commitments made by the preferred bidder on an ongoing basis with respect to their role as the power provider in the PPA,” the committee said.

“As it relates to the due diligence report, while we understand the confidentiality of such a document, given that reports of this nature typically cite sources who give testimony and thereby need to be protected, we have requested, through the OUR, that this report be released in an abridged version to the EMC and other important stakeholders,” the committee added, noting that the next step in the bid process is the granting of a licence to the preferred bidder.

The 360 megawatt project aims to slash, by one-third, Jamaica’s energy costs which, at US40 cents a kilowatt-hour, has been identified as a significant contributor to the country’s inability to increase production and attract more investments.

But the project has been mired in controversy after the OUR, in October 2013, cancelled the preferred bidder status it had granted to United States-based consortium Azurest-Cambridge because the firm failed to meet its deadline to produce a bid security of one per cent of its proposed US$690-million investment.

The OUR then promoted Hong Kong-based firm EWI to the position, further fuelling controversy over EWI’s entry to the process more than a month after the bids had closed.

With controversy continuing to dog the project, the Government, last December, partnered with private sector lobby groups to form the EMC in an effort to ensure that the bid process was followed in the manner prescribed by the OUR.

The EMC is also mandated to ensure that at the culmination of the process, the price of electricity provided by the licensee to Jamaica Public Service Company does not exceed US$0.1288 per kWh.

The EMC is co-chaired by Carlton Davis and Peter Melhado and comprises Fitzroy Vidal and Michelle Forbes from the Ministry of Science, Technology, Energy and Mining; William Saunders, energy consultant to the Government; Simon Roberts of the Jamaica Manufacturers’ Association; Noel daCosta from the Jamaica Chamber of Commerce; Jeanette Calder representing the Jamaica Civil Society Coalition; and Lloyd Goodleigh of the Jamaica Confederation of Trade Unions.

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Energy committee urges more due diligence in 360MW project

Donate, even if you don’t participate, Sagicor urges

PERSONS who are unable to participate in Sagicor’s Sigma Corporate Run but wish to donate to the worthy cause can do so through two accounts that have been established by the Sagicor Group.

  “We want everybody to come and walk or run, but if, for whatever reason, you are in Westmoreland or part of a diaspora in Miami or England and you can’t run, you can donate,” Sagicor’s assistant vice-president for group marketing Ingrid Card said during this week’s Jamaica Observer Monday Exchange.

  The accounts have been set up for local and overseas donors and have been opened at Sagicor Bank. The account number for the local account is 0210366061M while the overseas account number is 0210366088.

  This year, funds raised from the corporate run will be donated to the Special Care Nursery at the University Hospital of the West Indies, Jamaica Kidney Kids Foundation, and the Sickle Cell Unit at the University Hospital of the West Indies and, by extension, the Sickle Cell Trust in Mandeville, Manchester.

  Patrons of the run are Lady Allen, Olympic and world sprint champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, and singer Tessanne Chin. Individuals can pay a registration fee of $1,000 by January 31 to take part in the run. This year there will be 800 volunteers working on the day of the run on February 16, while 400 Sagicor volunteers are planning the event, Card said.

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Donate, even
if you don’t
participate,
Sagicor urges

INTERPOL urges Caribbean to maximise tools to fight crimes against children

LYONS, France, CMC — The international Criminal Police Organisation (INTERPOL) is urging the Caribbean and other developing nations to maximise the use of its tools and services to fight crimes against children.

In a recent report, INTERPOL said crimes against children tend to be local crimes, with the vast majority taking place within the home or family circle.

It, however, said there is an international angle, pointing out that the increased use of the Internet which in recent years has led to a huge rise in crimes against children.

“Not only can offenders distribute and access child abuse material more easily, but they can also come into direct contact with children via chatrooms and social networking sites,” the statement said.

INTERPOL said it runs a project in conjunction with Internet Access Service Providers to block access to child abuse material online.

In addition, it said “sex tourism”, involves “the abuse of children in developing countries by people who travel there”.

“The relative wealth of the offender, coupled with lack of understanding or effective legislation, means that the abuse of children is easier in these countries,” said INTERPOL, adding that this type of crime is linked to child trafficking, organised crime and murder.

“These types of crimes represent a huge challenge for police worldwide and require specialised skills and increased resources,” INTERPOL said.

The international police organisation said it provides training and promotes best practices to police in member countries in the Caribbean and other places, stating that it brings together experts in its Specialists Group on Crimes against Children.

Formed in 1992, this group consists of a number of sub-groups dealing with particular issues and chaired by investigators from around the world.

In addition, INTERPOL said it works closely with many other agencies, both governmental and non-governmental, in this area, by facilitating training programmes and other projects worldwide.

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INTERPOL urges Caribbean
to maximise tools to fight
crimes against children

Hug up education, Ferguson urges parents and scholarship winners

MINISTER of Health, Dr Fenton Ferguson has underlined the importance of education in nation- building, and urged parents to invest heavily in their children’s future.

Dr Ferguson, who is also member of Parliament for St Thomas East, told an audience at the West Rural St Andrew Education Awards held at the Country Style Restaurant in Stony Hill, St Andrew last Thursday night, that even as they get assistance from those who care for them, they should never shut the door on the hand that fed them.“I am fanatic about education,” Dr Ferguson said. “I say to parents, the best investment you can make in your children is education. It’s better than land, car, house, or even wigs. It is important that you continue to make the sacrifice to buy the books and continue to make this investment in education,” he told a full house.“Education is the key to liberation and we have been liberated, but we sometimes tend to forget where we are coming from. One of the greatest sins of mankind is ingratitude. When some get through, they forget mommy and forget daddy.“No matter how bright you are today, there is nothing in life like a good attitude. One of the lessons I learned as a practitioner is as long as you are compassionate, you will make it,” the minister said.Dr Ferguson said that even before he became an MP, he had a scholarship programme in place, realising the importance of educating the people.He praised the work of member of Parliament for the area, Paul Buchanan, describing him as having a sense of mission.He urged scholarship recipients to demonstrate good core values, be honest, show dedication and respect to everyone.“Do not take the education assistance for granted. Education is preparation for eating. There is no job for life anymore. There was a time when long service awards were 35 and 40 years. Now, long service awards come after five years.“So prepare yourself, become multi-skilled, because when you are well-qualified, people want you. You also need to be competitive, because for every one that gets through, 99 do not get through,” he said.Dr Ferguson, who piloted and implemented a recent move to ban smoking in public places, also underlined the importance of young people staying away from tobacco use.“It is the young people who tobacco always entices. Nicotine is one of the most dangerous substances affecting mankind. I am a pro-health crusader, because tobacco causes every type of cancer. If we cut down on smoking, you will see less heart attacks, less strokes and fewer other diseases.“It is my mandate to protect the health of Jamaica,” Dr Ferguson said.Buchanan, who allocated $3.8 million from his portion of the Constituency Development Fund to assist the education thrust, also underscored the need for continuous learning.“This evening is a watershed occasion for West Rural St Andrew. The only way forward to stability and growth for our country is through education,” he said, arguing that the awarding of scholarships and book grants were done in a non-partisan manner.“We love party politics too much in this country. It is time we put education at the forefront, instead of politics,” he stressed.Touting information technology as the way forward, Buchanan urged the gathering to embrace what he described as the progressive way forward.“The past is gone, we can’t wait any longer. The logistics hub is coming and we don’t have the skills in place. We must go on the software programme and next month we will be going into our IT programme, “Buchanan said.Project manager of the CDF Moveta Munroe also urged recipients to make the best use of opportunities available and grasp them so that “together we will build a better Jamaica”.Hundreds of students received scholarships and book grants to various tertiary institutions, including the University of the West Indies, the University of Technology and the MICO University College.Assistance was also given to students about to enter high schools.Member of Parliament for West Rural St Andrew Paul Buchanan addresses scholarship winners.A section of the audience follows the programme with keen interest.Top student at Padmore Primary Joshua Hyman does a cultural act. In background are Health Minister Dr Fenton Ferguson (left), MP Paul Buchanan, and Moveta Munroe, head of the Constituency Development Fund Unit in the Office of the Prime Minister.Board members, chairpersons of school boards, and principals pay close attention.Guest speaker Dr Fenton Ferguson (right) presents Oberlin High School vice principal, Khafre Israel with a financial commitment to the institution.Scholarship awardee and UWI medical student Delores Coombs of Mount Cheerful, King Weston, gives the vote of thanks. (PHOTOS: MICHAEL GORDON)

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Hug up education, Ferguson urges parents and scholarship winners

JMA urges govt to implement policies to stimulate investment

Latest News

Friday, August 23, 2013 | 3:17

KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Jamaica Manufacturers’ Association (JMA) says it is encouraged with Jamaica’s passing of the first International Monetary Fund (IMF) test and lauded the Government and the independent oversight committee headed by Richard Byles, for ensuring that the nation was “on the right track”. The JMA in a statement Friday said it is “appeased that Jamaica’s fiscal performance exceeded projections and urged Government to continue on the path to ensuring that the pillars of the IMF agreement are met”.However, the Association said that while the Government had achieved this mark, it is calling for the implementation of policies that will stimulate investment, create well-needed employment and put Jamaica on a path for growth, as this was the real measure of success.Like our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/jamaicaobserverFollow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamaicaObserver

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JMA urges govt to implement policies to stimulate investment

Obama urges regulators to enact Wall Street rules

WASHINGTON — THREE years after President Barack Obama signed a sweeping overhaul of lending and high-finance rules, execution of the law is behind schedule with scores of regulations yet to be written, let alone enforced. Meeting privately with America’s top financial regulators on Monday, Obama prodded them to act more swiftly.

The president’s push comes as the five-year anniversary of the nation’s financial near-meltdown approaches. The law when passed in 2010 was considered a milestone in Obama’s presidency, a robust response to the crisis, which led to a massive government bailout to stabilise the financial markets.But the slow pace of implementation has prompted administration concern that banks could still pose potentially calamitous risks to the economy and to taxpayers. Obama hoped to convey “the sense of urgency that he feels”, spokesman Josh Earnest said before the president convened the meeting with the eight independent regulators in the White House Roosevelt Room.Lehman Brothers collapsed into bankruptcy on September 15, 2008, and the administration has wanted to use that dubious milestone to look back on the lessons of the crisis and progress so far to prevent a recurrence. In a statement at the conclusion of the meeting, the White House said Obama commended the regulators for their work “but stressed the need to expeditiously finish implementing the critical remaining portions of Wall Street reform to ensure we are able to prevent the type of financial harm that led to the Great Recession from ever happening again”.Not everyone feels that way about the law, known as Dodd-Frank after its Democratic sponsors, Representative Barney Frank and Sen Christopher Dodd.Republican House Financial Services Committee Chairman Jeb Hensarling, an early opponent of Dodd-Frank, dismissed Obama’s meeting with the regulators, saying, “Much like Obamacare, Dodd-Frank is an incomprehensively complex piece of legislation that is harmful to our floundering economy and in dire need of repeal.”Three years after passage, many other Republican lawmakers also see the law as more negative than positive.The law set up a council of regulators to be on the lookout for risks across the finance system. It also created an independent consumer financial protection bureau within the Federal Reserve to write and enforce new regulations covering lending and credit. And it placed shadow financial markets that previously escaped the oversight of regulators under new scrutiny, giving the government new powers to break up companies that regulators believe threaten the economy.But because of the complexity of the industry, the law gave regulators extended time to write the new rules that would enforce its provisions.So far, regulators have missed 60 per cent of the rule-making deadlines, according to an analysis by the law firm of Davis Polk, which has been tracking progress on the bill. Even so, the rules are so complicated, that the ones already written have filled about 13,800 pages of regulations, compared to the 848 pages it took to write the law itself.“I would have to give it a mediocre grade at this point,” said Sheila Bair, the former chair of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. “Most of the rules have not been finalised. A lot of them haven’t even been proposed yet. When some of the rules have been proposed, they’re highly complicated, they’re riddled with exceptions, they’re watered down.”Dennis Kelleher, president, Better Markets Inc, a bank watchdog group, said Obama needs to hold monthly meetings with regulators and fight for more money for the financial regulators to do their job.“Only that level of consistent presidential leadership and involvement will turn the tide against Wall Street’s relentless attacks, which is what has killed, weakened and delayed so much of financial reform,” Kelleher said.A key goal of the legislation was to prevent a rebuilding of a financial system that would permit banks to become so huge and intertwined that they would be “too big to fail”. But America’s top banks today are bigger than they were in 2008. A key proposal in the law would restrict banks from trading for their own profit, a practice known as proprietary trading. That rule, named after former Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker, has yet to take effect and the current proposal has been weakened from what the law initially envisioned.Annette Nazareth, a former Securities and Exchange commissioner now a partner at Davis Polk, said that when it comes to the Volcker rule, the law requires that various regulators write a single rule that applies to all the regulated financial entities. “So to some extent it’s not surprising that it has taken longer when they have had to reach consensus on some very tough issues,” she said.Overall, she added, “we are in a better position than we were before the financial crisis.” She said banks have stronger capital positions, regulators are more aggressive and failing banks can be dismantled in ways they couldn’t before. “We have the building blocks for a better, more stable financial system.”Some central elements of the law have fallen into place.The Senate last month confirmed Richard Cordray as the director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau created by the law. Republicans had been blocking his confirmation and demanding broad changes in how the bureau was configured and how it obtained its finances. But a number of Senate Republicans withdrew their opposition, putting Cordray in place and removing one element of uncertainty that had clouded the bureau’s work.The Federal Reserve last month raised the amount of capital that big banks must hold to reduce the threat they might pose to the broader financial system. The requirements, which meet international standards agreed to after the downturn, have met some resistance from financial institutions as being too high, but have also been criticised for not being high enough.A Wall Street sign is seen at an entrance to the New York Stock Exchange. Three years after President Barack Obama signed a sweeping overhaul of lending and high-finance rules, implementation of the law is behind schedule with scores of regulations yet to be written, let alone enforced. (PHOTO: AP)

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Obama urges regulators to enact Wall Street rules

Education minister urges parents to pay auxiliary fees

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Thursday, August 08, 2013 | 9:10 AM

KINGSTON, Jamaica (JIS) — Minister of Education, Ronald Thwaites is reminding parents that the auxiliary fee charged by schools is mandatory and required for the upkeep of the school.“The auxiliary fees are not optional. They are absolutely essential for everyone…(It) is each family’s or household’s direct contribution towards the cost of the school delivering education to your child,” Thwaites said.He was addressing the NCB Employees Co-operative Credit Union’s 2013 Treasure Chest Solid Goal Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT) awards ceremony, held at the Hotel Four Seasons in Kingston on Thursday August 7.Thwaites pointed out that while the Government provides $11,500 for every student for tuition, pays all the salaries, and gives various grants to the schools, it costs well over $120,000 for the State and the school to offer a year’s education at the high school level, which varies depending on the school.He said that while schools did better last year than before, “we are still missing about one third of the auxiliary fees that schools expect to collect and must collect in order to meet their regular expenses.”“So, I’m really asking for people to take this even more seriously this year and we ask schools to be considerate, that if it can’t be paid all at one time, to give time to pay. This is an obligation which should be given priority in the household budget,” the education minister emphasised.He urged parents who are having difficulties paying their auxiliary fees at one time, to visit the school and set up a payment system with the Principal or the Bursar and stick to their commitment.“Parents, if you go to a school to set up a payment arrangement, and you are disregarded or you are hassled, you can tell me and tell the Ministry of Education, but parents must pay their child’s auxiliary fee at school or under the payment arrangements that they have agreed with,” Thwaites said.Like our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/jamaicaobserverFollow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamaicaObserver

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Education minister urges parents to pay auxiliary fees

Get familiar with smoking regulations, urges minister

MINISTER of Health Dr Fenton Ferguson has called on citizens to get familiar with the new Regulations barring tobacco smoking in public places, to ensure that their right to a smoke-free environment is obeyed.

“The citizens of Jamaica must be the police of these Regulations, not just the formal police force. My intention is not to lock up anybody, or for anyone to go to prison because of cigarette smoking. What we want to do is to raise the consciousness of our people through consistent public education about tobacco use, so that people will recognise and become empowered in relation to the evils of tobacco smoking,” the minister emphasised.He was speaking at a contract signing ceremony for expansion of the Haemodialysis Unit at the Cornwall Regional Hospital, in Montego Bay, last Friday.“Even as I will be making some concessions relative to the fines and the removal of custodial sentence, we don’t want to make any criminals out of smokers. What we want to do is to send a stern signal to people that we are serious about these regulations,” the minister said.“When someone smokes in your presence, in a no-smoking area, you must have the courage to say ‘this is a no-smoking zone’. We don’t intend to clog the court system, because we recognise that tobacco smoking is an addiction, and it is not easy to pull back, but we must protect our non-smokers, we must protect our children, and we must protect our workers,” Dr Ferguson said.The minister argued that when citizens continuously demand their right to a smoke-free public space, the Police, over time, will not have any need to prosecute people, as the regulations would be observed by the few who smoke.Dr Ferguson said his firm stance and commitment against smoking in public places is to preserve the good of the public, even the smokers themselves.For her part, Minister of State in the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Sharon Ffolkes-Abrahams, who is also member of Parliament for West Central St James, commended Dr Ferguson for his “courage to take the bull by its horns”:“There are more people with you, than are against you,” she told the audience.Minister of Health Dr Fenton Ferguson addressing a contract signing ceremony for the expansion of the Haemodialysis Unit at the Cornwall Regional Hospital last Friday at the offices of the Western Regional Health Authority in St James. (PHOTO: JIS)

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Get familiar with smoking regulations, urges minister

Egyptian minister urges restraint

28 July 2013 Last updated at 14:11 ET Pro-Morsi protesters say they will continue their sit-in in Cairo until their demands are met

Egypt’s new foreign minister has urged restraint, a day after clashes in Cairo which killed at least 70 people.

In a BBC interview, Nabil Fahmy said all sides “need to stop inciting violence and using violence”.

On Saturday supporters of the ousted president Mohammed Morsi clashed with security forces – and thousands are continuing a sit-in at a city mosque.

Meanwhile interim President Adly Mansour has authorised his PM to grant the army powers to arrest civilians.

The BBC’s Jim Muir in Cairo says some people see this as an ominous sign – a prelude to a crackdown on the protest camp around the Rabaa al-Adawiya mosque.

Interior Minister Mohamed Ibrahim has repeatedly warned that the camp would be dispersed “soon” – but the protesters remain defiant.

There were more clashes elsewhere on Sunday, with two people killed in cities north of Cairo – Kafr el-Zayat and Port Said.

Over the weekend 10 Islamists were also killed by the army in the Sinai peninsula, where militants have stepped up attacks, state-run news Mena news agency reported.

Foreign pressure Speaking to the BBC, Mr Fahmy said his government would like to move forward “but that requires cessation of violence and incitement”.

Responding to criticism that some members of the army and police had gone too far on Saturday, he said: “If you have people shooting each other on both sides then you’re obviously going to have to casualties.”

The government initially denied that security forces fired live rounds on Saturday, saying only tear gas had been used.

In the wake of Saturday’s killings, the interim authorities have come under intense pressure – from senior figures both at home and abroad.

The Grand Imam of Al-Azhar mosque – the highest Sunni Muslim authority in Egypt – has called for an investigation, while the vice-president of the interim government, Mohamed ElBaradei, said that excessive force was used.

US Secretary of State John Kerry condemned the violence and called on the Egyptian authorities to “respect the right of peaceful assembly and freedom of expression”.

Tension at the mosque

The news that Prime Minister Hazem al-Beblawi now has the right to grant the military powers to arrest civilians has added to the tense situation surrounding the mosque, according says the BBC’s Jim Muir in Cairo.

Thousands of Morsi supporters, some with their families, have made the mosque the focal point of their round-the-clock protest.

They want Mr Morsi – who was removed from power by the army on 3 July – reinstated.

Dr Hesham Ibrahim says Saturday’s scenes at the field hospital were like “hell”

Speakers from the pro-Morsi Muslim Brotherhood, whom the protesters support, say they will not back down from their demands.

But Human Rights Watch researcher Priyanka Motaparthy, who saw some of the casualties on Saturday, said she was concerned about what might happen if the security forces did move in to clear the protest site.

“We are very very fearful as to what the consequences would be,” she told the BBC.

“We’ve seen the police repeatedly use excessive force, resulting in major loss of human life.”

The army removed Mr Morsi, Egypt’s first democratically elected president, after mass protests against his rule.

Last week it called on supporters to take to the streets to give its action a mandate.

Tens of thousands responded by flooding to Cairo’s Tahrir Square on Friday night.

Mr Morsi has been formally remanded in custody at an undisclosed location for an initial 15-day period, according to a judicial order.

He has been accused of the “premeditated murder of some prisoners, officers and soldiers” when he and several Muslim Brotherhood leaders were freed during a breakout at a Cairo prison in January 2011.

He is alleged to have plotted attacks on jails in the uprising that overthrew President Hosni Mubarak.

Mr Morsi is also accused of conspiring with the Palestinian militant group Hamas, which governs the Gaza Strip and has strong links with the Muslim Brotherhood.

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Egyptian minister urges restraint

Phillips urges support for govt’s economic reform programme

KINGSTON, Jamaica (JIS) — Finance and Planning Minister, Peter Phillips, is again urging national support for Government’s Economic Reform Programme (ERP), which he says aims to reduce the country’s debt, and set a platform for growth.

Speaking at the Manchester Chamber of Commerce’s Biz Clinic 2013 Forum at the Mandeville Hotel, on Thursday, July 25, Phillips, while acknowledging that the programme’s implementation was a pre-requisite for concluding the new US$932.3 million four-year International Monetary Fund (IMF) Extended Fund Facility (EFF), emphasised that it is also a “requirement for us to put our economy on a firm footing to achieve sustained levels of growth.”The programme, components of which have either been implemented or are currently being embarked on, aims to reduce Jamaica’s debt from the current 145 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP), to 96 per cent by 2020. These components include: attainment of a 7.5 per cent primary budgetary surplus target; implementation of a National Debt Exchange (NDX) programme; tax reform; and public sector reform, restructuring of salaries to reduce ratio to GDP from 10.6 per cent, as at March 31, 2013, to nine per cent by 2015/16. Saying that there is “a tendency on the part of commentators” to associate the programme solely with the EFF, Dr Phillips stressed that whether or not there was an agreement, “we need these economic reforms, primarily, because we have an unsustainable level of public debt.”“It is true that the pain generally comes before the gain, and we are in a period now where the stresses are being felt. But, it is also the case that we can see the prospects of the growth, which is the focus of the entire programme,” he noted.Dr Phillips pointed out that inflation outturn for the April to June quarter was 1.2 per cent, which fell below the two to three per cent forecast.  Additionally, he said the Net International Reserves  (NIR) stood at just over US$1 billion, representing approximately 13 weeks of goods and services imports. This figure, he said, was US$119 million higher than the outturn at the end of the January to March quarter. “The turnaround will not come instantaneously. But, I think it is important to recognise that there are important opportunities for us to even exceed what, admittedly, are moderate growth targets for the first phase of our programme,” the minister said. “We can…complain about all the things that could be different, or we can become part of the change. I want to urge all of you to inform yourselves and be evangelists for economic reform in the country,” Dr Phillips added.

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Phillips urges support for govt’s economic reform programme

Phillips urges support for govt’s economic reform programme

KINGSTON, Jamaica (JIS) — Finance and Planning Minister, Peter Phillips, is again urging national support for Government’s Economic Reform Programme (ERP), which he says aims to reduce the country’s debt, and set a platform for growth.

Speaking at the Manchester Chamber of Commerce’s Biz Clinic 2013 Forum at the Mandeville Hotel, on Thursday, July 25, Phillips, while acknowledging that the programme’s implementation was a pre-requisite for concluding the new US$932.3 million four-year International Monetary Fund (IMF) Extended Fund Facility (EFF), emphasised that it is also a “requirement for us to put our economy on a firm footing to achieve sustained levels of growth.”The programme, components of which have either been implemented or are currently being embarked on, aims to reduce Jamaica’s debt from the current 145 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP), to 96 per cent by 2020. These components include: attainment of a 7.5 per cent primary budgetary surplus target; implementation of a National Debt Exchange (NDX) programme; tax reform; and public sector reform, restructuring of salaries to reduce ratio to GDP from 10.6 per cent, as at March 31, 2013, to nine per cent by 2015/16. Saying that there is “a tendency on the part of commentators” to associate the programme solely with the EFF, Dr Phillips stressed that whether or not there was an agreement, “we need these economic reforms, primarily, because we have an unsustainable level of public debt.”“It is true that the pain generally comes before the gain, and we are in a period now where the stresses are being felt. But, it is also the case that we can see the prospects of the growth, which is the focus of the entire programme,” he noted.Dr Phillips pointed out that inflation outturn for the April to June quarter was 1.2 per cent, which fell below the two to three per cent forecast.  Additionally, he said the Net International Reserves  (NIR) stood at just over US$1 billion, representing approximately 13 weeks of goods and services imports. This figure, he said, was US$119 million higher than the outturn at the end of the January to March quarter. “The turnaround will not come instantaneously. But, I think it is important to recognise that there are important opportunities for us to even exceed what, admittedly, are moderate growth targets for the first phase of our programme,” the minister said. “We can…complain about all the things that could be different, or we can become part of the change. I want to urge all of you to inform yourselves and be evangelists for economic reform in the country,” Dr Phillips added.Like our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/jamaicaobserverFollow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamaicaObserver

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Phillips urges support for govt’s economic reform programme

Clinton urges Puerto Rico to lessen oil dependence

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – FORMER President Bill Clinton urged Puerto Rico to develop a renewable energy strategy and help lead the Caribbean in becoming less dependent on petroleum during a forum Tuesday in the US territory.

Clinton said the island has the resources necessary to launch various clean energy projects that would also help drive down power bills, which are about twice that of the US mainland on average.“In the Caribbean you find, unbelievably, the highest electricity rates in the world on average,” said Clinton, who established the Clinton Foundation to target initiatives ranging from those that fight climate change and AIDS to those that support small businesses.He also warned the region would be one of the first hit by climate change effects.“The way we produce and consume energy cannot be maintained without severe, adverse consequences,” he said. “There is no question that the climate is changing at an unsustainable rate.”Puerto Rico depends on petroleum to generate nearly 70 per cent of its power, but the government in recent years has unveiled several renewable energy projects in a push to drive down costs and cut greenhouse emissions.Last year, officials unveiled the Caribbean’s largest solar farm in the southern coastal town of Guayama. The US$96 million project features more than 100,000 photovoltaic panels that can power some 6,500 houses a year. The project began operating in October and was built by AES Solar, a company based in Arlington, Virginia.The Caribbean’s largest wind farm also began operating last year in the southern coastal town of Santa Isabel. The US$200 million farm features 44 turbines that can produce up to 95 megawatts of renewable energy, enough to power some 30,000 homes a year. It was built by San Francisco-based Pattern Energy.In April, Gestamp Wind, a division of the Spanish Gestamp Renewables, unveiled a US$90 million wind farm in the southeast town of Naguabo that features 13 turbines that can power 9,000 homes a year.Governor Alejandro Garcia Padilla said he aims to lessen Puerto Rico’s oil dependence to 40 per cent in five years by turning to natural gas.“We’re aware this plan requires a profound transformation in the way we produce, seek, distribute and consume energy,” he said.Clinton urged Garcia to also consider installing solar panels on buildings given the number of flat roofs that exist across the island. He said the territory could also help bolster its economy by manufacturing solar panels for customers in the Caribbean. He pledged involvement of the Clinton Foundation.Department of Natural Resources Secretary Carmen Guerrero said that a University of Puerto Rico study found the island has enough rooftops to meet all its energy demands through solar panels.“We have plenty of sun, wind, ocean,” she said. “Yet we are almost 100 per cent dependent on non-renewable energy sources.”The island’s current clean energy projects feed the state-owned Electric Energy Authority, which is mired in debt and has struggled with its own internal turmoil in recent years. Most of the projects were launched under the administration of former Gov Luis Fortuno, which sought to generate 12 per cent of Puerto Rico’s power from clean energy by 2015, 15 per cent by 2020 and 20 per cent by 2035.Fortuno also had sought to build a 92-mile (148-kilometre) pipeline that environmentalists long protested given that it would cross through fragile ecosystems and archaeological sites. Fortuno said the pipeline would have saved US$1 billion a year and reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 64 per cent, but his administration withdrew plans for the project last year after investing more than US$50 million in it.Garcia has said he seeks to produce 250 megawatts through clean energy by 2014, requiring US$500 million in investment that could generate some 500 jobs.He also said he expects to use natural gas to increase power production from 15 to 50 per cent by 2015, and to 70 per cent by 2017 without the use of a gas pipeline.Among the new projects launched is a US$30 million solar panel installation at the island’s main convention centre that would produce 5 megawatts an hour for a total of US$20.7 million in savings, Garcia said.Resident Commissioner Pedro Pierluisi, however, noted that the large majority of Puerto Rico’s renewable energy projects have not been completed.“(This is) adversely affecting the island’s credibility as a destination for investment in these important projects,” he said.Former US President Bill Clinton (right) talks to economist Sergio Marxuach and Carmen Guerrero, secretary of Puerto Rico’s Natural Resources during a forum on renewable energy in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on Tuesday. (PHOTO: AP)

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Clinton urges Puerto Rico to lessen oil dependence

Clinton urges Puerto Rico to lessen oil dependence

News

Tuesday, July 16, 2013 | 5:40 PM

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Former President Bill Clinton says Puerto Rico should develop a renewable energy strategy and help lead the Caribbean in becoming less dependent on petroleum.He said the island has the resources necessary to launch various clean energy projects that would also help drive down power bills, which are about twice that of the US mainland on average.Clinton said during a forum Tuesday in the US territory that the government should also consider manufacturing solar panels and installing them on buildings given the number of flat roofs that exist across the island.Puerto Rico depends on petroleum to generate nearly 70 per cent of its power, but the government in recent years has unveiled several renewable energy projects in a push to drive down costs and cut greenhouse emissions.

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Clinton urges Puerto Rico to lessen oil dependence

Seek help for stress, Ellington urges members after suspected suicide

News

Monday, July 08, 2013

Commissioner of Police Owen Ellington has launched a public appeal to members of the Constabulary which includes regulars, special and district constables, to seek professional help and assistance when confronted by pressuring domestic issues and disputes.Ellington’s plea follows the suspected suicide of Special Constable Richard Laing who was found dead at his home in St Catherine early Saturday morning.“Complicated domestic issues and disputes can be dealt with by trained personnel once detected. Within the JCF, we have a variety of these professionals and I urge members experiencing these situations to come forward and get help. Our Chaplaincy Branch stands ready to assist all those in distress.“It is of utmost importance that the leadership of the Force, at all levels, be vigilant and to address or refer any member who may be suspected of or show signs of distress or depression. Our work is a difficult one and allied with the normal problems of daily life, policemen and women are always at risk. The need is for quick identification of the attendant problems for speedy resolutions. Take your personal affairs seriously, and do not delay in seeking help even as we continue to serve Jamaica,” Ellington advised his members.The commissioner also extended condolence and support to the immediate family members and friends of Special Constable Laing on behalf of the police force.ELLINGTON… take your personal affairs seriously
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Seek help for stress, Ellington urges members after suspected suicide