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JAMAICA: Prime Minister Holness Urgess Caution by Persons Traversing Newly Upgraded Roadways

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#Kingston, June 4, 2018 – Jamaica – Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, is urging citizens to exercise discipline and care when traversing newly upgraded roadways.  He emphasized that the Government’s investment in multiple ongoing infrastructural developments island-wide must be protected and not be undone by undisciplined road users.

“We will do everything within our powers to ensure that the infrastructure is designed in a way for efficiency; but that efficiency can be thwarted if the people who use it are determined to be undisciplined,” he said while addressing journalists following a tour of several legacy road projects in the Corporate Area on Friday (June 1).

Mr. Holness lamented that pedestrians, in particular, have developed a culture where they feel they are not obliged to adhere to stipulations in the Road Code or Road Traffic Act.  He argued, however, that “with these kinds of infrastructure that carry mass volumes of traffic, it is… for your own safety that you follow the rules of the road; it is in our interest as citizens to use these newly developed infrastructure safely”.

In this regard, the Prime Minister said he has instructed the National Security Ministry, Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) and National Works Agency (NWA) to “step up our public education (campaign), because the people in these areas need to be educated as to how to use these new infrastructure, and not to see (them) as impositions”.

Meanwhile, Mr. Holness said he has taken note of concerns raised by commuters regarding the new roadways, particularly in the Corporate Area.  He pointed out that the issues include the short time-span within which signals at pedestrian crossings change, accommodation for the elderly, drainage, parking and possible reconfiguration of crossings points.

“The NWA will take those concerns on board and, in short order, try to address them,” Mr. Holness assured.

On Friday, the Prime Minister toured the Barbican Road Upgrade Project, which is now complete; Constant Spring Road Improvement Project; Mandela Highway Realignment and Reconstruction Project; and the Hagley Park Road Improvement Project.

These legacy projects, which fall under the Major Infrastructure Development Programme (MIDP), are aimed at significantly improving the targeted roadways to facilitate seamless travel by the commuting public.

The projects are spearheaded by the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, through the NWA, and executed by China Harbour Engineering Company Limited (CHEC).

 

Release: JIS

Photo Captions: 

Header: Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness (left, foreground), makes a point to Chief Executive Officer, National Works Agency, E.G. Hunter, about a matter concerning improvement works being done on Hagley Park Road in St. Andrew, during a tour of the project on Friday (June 1). Hagley Park Road Improvement Project was among several legacy projects, being developed in the Corporate Area under the Major Infrastructure Development Programme, which Mr. Holness toured.

Insert: Prime Minister the Most Hon. Andrew Holness (right), illustrates the proper procedure which pedestrians should employ when attempting to cross a roadway, during Friday’s (June 1) tour of the newly upgraded Barbican Road in St. Andrew. Looking on is Network Planning and Research Manager, National Works Agency, Rae Parchment. The Barbican Road Improvement Project was among several legacy projects in the Corporate Area, being developed under the Major Infrastructure Development Programme (MIDP), which Mr. Holness visited on Friday (June 1).

 

Photographer: Donald De La Haye

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Caribbean News

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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Caribbean News

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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