Connect with us

Caribbean News

JAMAICA: Government Enabling Jamaicans to Own State Assets

Published

on

Montego Bay, April 26, 2019 – Jamaica – Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Dr. the Hon. Nigel Clarke, says the Government remains steadfast in its commitment to revolutionise the ownership of State assets.

The Minister, who was speaking at the grand opening of the Victoria Mutual Fairview Financial Centre in Montego Bay, St. James, on Wednesday (April 24), noted that more ordinary Jamaicans are being given the opportunity to own shares in State entities that are being divested.

Citing Wigton Windfarm Limited’s initial public offering (IPO), which opened on April 17, Dr. Clarke said “we have done it in a way to emphasise that we want the widest possible distribution. So we have set it up where the micro people will get filled before the small people and the small people will get filled before the medium people, and the medium will get filled before the large people”.  

“We are… giving the opportunity to the vast amount of persons to get in on the ownership ladder of the Jamaican economy,” he added.

“The Jamaican people have a desire to own a piece of Jamaica and this Government is making that possible by not only putting it on the Jamaica Stock Exchange (JSE) but having a distribution system that includes people,” he noted further.

The Jamaica Mortgage Bank (JMB) is among other entities identified for divestment, and the Government is committed to selling its shares in Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS).

A total of 11 billion shares at 0.50 cents each, are being offered under Wigton Windfarm Limited’s IPO, which will run until May 1.  Of this amount, 2.2 billion shares will be reserved for public-sector workers. The Government is seeking to raise $5.5 billion from the sale.

Wigton, located in Rose Hill, Manchester, is a subsidiary of the Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica (PCJ) and is the largest wind energy facility in the English-speaking Caribbean.  The facility was built by the Government to help diversify Jamaica’s energy mix.

Contact: Okoye Henry

Release: JIS

Header: Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Dr. the Hon. Nigel Clarke (third left), converses with (from left), Victoria Mutual Fairview Financial Centre Branch Manager, Andrea Arscott-Allen; Chairman of the Victoria Mutual Building Society (VMBS) Group, Michael McMorris; and President and Chief Executive Officer of the VMBS Group, Courtney Campbell. Occasion was a tour of the financial centre in Montego Bay, St. James, followng its grand opening on Wednesday (April 24).

Insert: Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Dr. the Hon. Nigel Clarke (right), tries out a computer in one of the offices at the Victoria Mutual Fairview Financial Centre, following the official opening of the facility in Montego Bay, St. James on April 24. Looking on are Chief Executive Officer of Victoria Mutual Group, Courtney Campbellon (left); and Custos of St. James, Conrad Pitkin.

Serena Grant Photos

Continue Reading

Caribbean News

CARPHA Progresses to Eligibility for the First Disbursement of Pandemic Funding

Published

on

Following a landmark Public Signing Ceremony for the Pandemic Fund (PF) Technical Cooperation Agreement (“Reducing the Public Health Impact of Pandemics in the Caribbean through Prevention, Preparedness, and Response” [RG-T4387] Project) on December 14, 2023, in Trinidad, the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) continues to progress towards the start of implementation.

 CARPHA fulfilled the IDB’s nine conditions prior to first disbursement, achieving full eligibility on March 15, 2024, and is now eligible for the first disbursement. This milestone achievement in just 3 months after the signing speaks to the commitment of both CARPHA, the Executing Agency, and IDB, the Implementing Entity, toward the regional PF project with the objective of supporting the reduction of the public health impact of pandemics in the Caribbean by building pandemic prevention, preparedness and response (PPR) surveillance & early-warning systems (EWS), laboratory systems and workforce capacity, regionally at CARPHA and in countries.

Since the signing of the Technical Cooperation Agreement and as part of the conditions prior to first disbursement, CARPHA has achieved the following key outputs (i) the development of the PF Project Operations Manual, Multi-annual Execution Plan, Procurement Plan, Financial Plan, Procedure for CARPHA’s Financial Reporting System; (ii) vacancy announcements for two tranches of consultants with the subsequent hiring of five (Technical Coordinator, Financial Specialist, Procurement Specialist, Operations Officer and Project Operations Coordinator) and (iii) the establishment of the Project Execution Unit (PEU) and Project Execution Steering Committee (PESC). The dedicated PEU will be responsible for execution according to its planned timelines, which will be led by the Dr. Lisa Indar, the Project Director (CARPHA’s Director of Surveillance, Disease Prevention and Control Division).

 CARPHA, as the lead regional public health agency and an expression of Caribbean Cooperation in Health is mandated by its Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) to support its 26 CARPHA Member States (CMS) in bolstering national systems and coordinating regional response to public health threats. The Agency works closely with regional and international agencies and uses regional mechanisms, surveillance systems, and networks for coordinating its public health response work.

In July 2023, the PF Governing Board announced that CARPHA’s regional entity proposal, entitled ‘Reducing the Public Health Impact of Pandemics in the Caribbean through Strengthened Integrated Early Warning Surveillance, Laboratory Systems and Workforce Development’ was successfully selected for the first round of financing. It was one of only 19 proposals selected from over 300 submissions and the only regional project. The three priority areas in the proposal are: (i) Comprehensive disease surveillance and EWS, (ii) Laboratory systems and (iii) Human resources and public health and community workforce capacity.

This project is expected to begin implementation in March 2024, starting off with a blended onboarding session. A Stakeholder Meeting with countries is tentatively planned for July 2024.

CARPHA remains dedicated to working together with the IDB, CARPHA Member States and the Pandemic Fund to successfully implement the regional proposal geared toward reducing the public health impact of pandemics in the Caribbean.

Continue Reading

Caribbean News

Men who had Murdered Man, Marley Higgs’ cell phone face Court

Published

on

Wilkie Arthur

Freelance Court Correspondent

The prosecution intends to try two young North Caicos men, both age 21 for the offense of possession of property of a murdered man, property that was stolen and landed in their possession.

The phone belonged to Peureton ‘Marley’ Higgs, who is believed to have been an innocent gunned down at his apartment complex in the Glass Shack area in a spray of bullets on February 2 that killed another man and wounded two others, including a ten-year-old little girl.

The cell phone was described as white in colour, an iPhone, in a hard black case. 

On Monday, March 18th, JEFFVANO HANDFIELD of North Caicos pleaded not guilty to the offense, and the matter was adjourned to April 2024. He was granted bail in the matter.

A second North Caicos man was charged similarly.  

SARENO CAPELLAN aka, Kino Williams is the second individual brought before the court pertaining to the said cellphone. He appeared in court a week after JEFFVANO HANDFIELD, the date being Monday March 25th 2024.

The case for the Crown is that both men sometime in February of this year possessed the cellphone knowing or suspecting it to be stolen property.

Continue Reading

Caribbean News

Supreme Court Closed for Easter

Published

on

NOTICE is hereby given that the Easter Recess shall commence on Friday 29th April, 2024 and end on Friday 5th April, 2024. During the Easter Recess Judge Selochan will be available to deal only with matters that are urgent or require prompt attention.

Court Business During the Easter Recess

A person who wishes to have a matter heard during the recess must file a certificate of urgency along with an affidavit, which must set out the reasons why the matter is urgent or requires prompt attention. The matter will not be listed during the recess unless the Judge deems it fit for urgent hearing.

Opening Hours During the Easter Holiday

The Supreme Court’s last sitting day for the first term is Thursday 28th March, 2024. The Court will officially resume sittings on Monday 8th April, 2024. The Supreme Court Offices in both Grand Turk and Providenciales will continue to operate while the Court is not sitting during the recess.

The Court Office will be closed on the following public holidays:

  • Friday 29th March, 2024 (Good Friday) CLOSED
  • Monday 1st April, 2024 (Easter Monday) CLOSED

Continue Reading

FIND US ON FACEBOOK

TRENDING