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JAMAICA: Government Heightening Renewable Energy Diversification

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#Kingston, March 29, 2019 – Jamaica – The Government is advancing its Integrated Resource Plan (IRP), which targets 56 per cent electricity generation from wind and solar sources for the national power grid by 2037.

This was disclosed by Science, Energy and Technology Minister, Hon. Fayval Williams, while addressing Mayberry Investments Limited’s monthly Investor Forum at The Knutsford Court Hotel in New Kingston on Wednesday (March 27).

The IRP will establish the projected electricity demand over a 20-year period; determine the generation capacity and technologies to be used to satisfy the demand over this period; and establish agreements on the transmission and distribution infrastructure to generate and deliver the requisite power, and associated tariffs.

These provisions are consistent with the National Energy Policy: 2009 to 2030, which Mrs. Williams said proposes a range of options and strategies that the Government is committed to pursuing over the short, medium and long term.

“These range from consciously incorporating energy-saving measures in our daily lives to modernising the nation’s energy infrastructure,” she pointed out.

Additionally, the Minister said the policy seeks to balance issues relating to energy demand and supply, energy security, safety, conservation and development of renewable energy technologies.

“Through this [approach], Jamaica can lead the Caribbean and other small island developing states in aggressively changing dependence on petroleum,” she further stated.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Williams lauded the directors and management of Wigton Windfarm Limited, on which a presentation was made during the forum, for committing to creating clean alternative energy solutions for the nation’s benefit.

She also welcomed the State entity’s proposed historic listing on the Jamaica Stock Exchange (JSE), which will afford a wide range of Jamaicans the opportunity to purchase shares in the company.

The Minister noted that Wigton is expected to end the 2018/19 fiscal year, on March 31, with revenue inflows totalling approximately $1.3 billion.

Based on this out-turn, among other indicators, Mrs. Williams encouraged Jamaicans to buy into the company and embrace renewable energy as a major source of electricity generation for the future. 

“It (is) the first in a series of investments [in State] assets that the Government desires to be directly owned by the people of Jamaica. This move is perfectly aligned with our vision of economic independence,” she said.

The Minister said it is intended “to allow ordinary Jamaicans the opportunity to own part of this company that is powering our future with clean, environmentally-friendly, perpetually available, virtually inexhaustible renewable energy”.

Mrs. Williams said at least 10,000 investors are being targeted to share in the growth prospects for Wigton Windfarm Limited.

“It is doing its part to diversify Jamaica’s energy mix, [thereby] making our economy more resilient. It is doing its part in [also] reducing our dependence on fossil fuels, which, today, we have to buy from other countries, using our precious foreign exchange reserve. Wind power has pride of place in the future of the generation of electricity in Jamaica,” she said.

A subsidiary of the Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica (PCJ), Wigton Windfarm Limited is the largest wind energy facility in the English-speaking Caribbean.

Located in Rose Hill, Manchester, the facility currently comprises three plants: the 20.7-megawatt (MW) Wigton I, which began operating in 2004; Wigton II, an 18MW extension facility that was commissioned in 2010; and Wigton III which came on stream in 2016.  This combination brings the farm’s total capacity to 62.7MW, which is deemed capable of adequately powering approximately 60,000 homes.

Contact: Rochelle Williams

Release: JIS

Photo Captions:

Header: Science, Energy and Technology Minister, Hon. Fayval Williams (second left), engages with (from left): Development Bank of Jamaica Managing Director, Milverton Reynolds; Wigton Windfarm Limited Managing Director, Earl Barrett; and Chairman, Oliver Holmes, during Mayberry Investments Limited’s monthly Investor Forum at The Knutsford Court Hotel in New Kingston on Wednesday (March 27).

Insert: Science, Energy and Technology Minister, Hon. Fayval Williams (left), speaking during the Mayberry Investments Limited’s monthly Investor Forum at the Knutsford Court Hotel in New Kingston on Wednesday (March 27). Looking on is General Manager, Wigton Windfarm Limited, Earl Barrett.

Mark Bell Photos

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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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