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JAMAICA: IDB Official Wants to See More Investment in Robotics Technology

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#Jamaica, May 01, 2018 – Kingston – General Manager, Caribbean Country Department, Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), Therese Turner-Jones, says more economic growth can be achieved if members of the private sector invest more in robotics technology for their operations.

Speaking at a forum on the ‘Findings of an Assessment of the Implementation and Impact of Key Initiatives under the National Economic Growth Inducement Strategy’,  Mrs. Turner-Jones said that the economy would be more efficient and the nation’s earning power would increase in the long run if members of the private sector invest more in robotics.

“The private sector can’t be let off the hook.  An economy is not just a Government producing things.  An economy is the Government, consumers and the private sector working together to make the place go round, so I think the private sector really ought to push to be more innovative,” she said in her address.

The assessment was undertaken by the Department of Economics at the University of the West Indies (UWI) on behalf of the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ).

“If we’re not using robotics, if we’re not using technology in our manufacturing and in our processes to achieve efficiencies [then Jamaica’s potential growth will not be realised],” Mrs. Turner-Jones said at the forum, held at the UWI on April 12.

She argued that robotics would complement the labour force and help the country to achieve goals in quicker time than many organisations are now operating.

“I think the big story is productivity growth. We know that small countries have grown, in general, and one of the big differentiators is they use their technology in innovation.  The IDB has done lots of work on private-sector firms in the Caribbean, and one very distinguishing feature of most of our private-sector firms (is that) they are not innovating, and they have very little research and development budgets,” Mrs. Turner-Jones said.

She called on educational institutions, such as the UWI, to provide the Government with not only research, as with the PIOJ’s project regarding the National Economic Growth Inducement Strategy, but training and implementation of innovative robotics technology-driven equipment.

Meanwhile, Director-General, PIOJ, Dr. Wayne Henry, said the nation needs to follow through keenly on plans “we make, especially at the national level, for success to take place, as with the proposal for more investment in robotics technology”.

“We need to really stay focused on trying to implement all that we’ve identified,” Dr. Henry said.

“A lot of our private sector [companies] are tremendous players [and] tremendous partners, as they are grappling with reforms to the business environment, and easing the cost of doing business and the cost of their competitiveness, so they probably have not been looking much into robotics,” he said.

Dr. Henry said he hopes to see more partnerships with the private sector and the Government for the National Economic Growth Inducement Strategy and other initiatives.

“All of us working together, utilising our scarce resources effectively and efficiently, can bring about the economic growth that would help us to achieve the targets that we’ve established in Vision 2030 Jamaica, the National Development Plan, and thereby make a real difference in the lives of Jamaicans,” he said.

 

Release: JIS

 

 

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CARPHA Progresses to Eligibility for the First Disbursement of Pandemic Funding

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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.

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

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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.

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Supreme Court Closed for Easter

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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

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