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JAMAICA: International Bamboo Symposium in November

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#Kingston, October 31, 2018, Jamaica – Local business persons and members of the scientific research community are being invited to attend the upcoming Caribbean International Bamboo Symposium in November.

Chairman of the symposium’s planning committee, Marie Casserly Rademacher, said the event, the first of its kind in the Caribbean, is a unique opportunity for Jamaica, as the country has the potential to be a “big player” in the bamboo industry on the world stage.

She further noted that it is also an opportunity for small and medium-sized enterprises to benefit from discussions to advance in the industry.

“Bamboo is a tremendous resource, and it helps us to solve what has long been a raw material and an energy problem for Jamaicans, because the value chain is so rich. From the farm to a product and within that value chain, there are several developments and business investment opportunities,” she noted.

Mrs. Casserly Rademacher was addressing a recent Jamaica Information Service (JIS) ‘Think Tank’.

Bamboo, one of the world’s fastest-growing plants and a rapidly renewable source of fibre, supports value chains across the world worth some US$60 billion. With the considerable bamboo resources in the Caribbean, countries can benefit from reduced poverty, increased international trade and investment, and the restoration of degraded lands, reducing vulnerability to natural disasters.

The symposium, to be held November 27 and 28 under the theme ‘Bamboo: An Economic High Value Chain Resource for the Caribbean’, will host plenary and breakout sessions featuring topics such as how standards can support the industry, bamboo policies and national development plans, bamboo and the sustainable development goals, and financial support for bamboo micro small and medium-sized enterprises.

“This is a very rich programme that is inclusive of players along the value chain – such as farmers, youth, women, rural and urban areas, our designers, engineers, academics, scientists, industrialists and venture capitalists – so everybody comes into this conversation,” Mrs. Casserly Rademacher said.

The symposium will also feature a bamboo field trip on November 29, which will see participants visiting facilities of emerging bamboo businesses.

The symposium is being hosted by the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, in partnership with the Bureau of Standards Jamaica, the International Bamboo and Rattan Organisation, the Tourism Enhancement Fund, the Bamboo Industry Association of Jamaica and the Jamaica Business Development Corporation.

 

 

Release: JIS

Contact: Shaquore Nicely

Photo Caption: Chairman of the Caribbean International Bamboo Symposium 2018, Marie Casserly Rademacher, addresses  JIS ‘Think Tank’.

 

Photo: Adrian Walker

 

 

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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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