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JAMAICA: Government Senator Emphasizes Need for Investments to Counter Climate Change

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Montego Bay, April 4, 2019 – Jamaica – Government Senator, Matthew Samuda, says Jamaica’s middle-income state designation should not render the country ineligible to receive international climate change investments.  

He argues that as Jamaica and, by extension, other Caribbean states contend with the effects and impact of climate change, international financing for public- and private-sector stakeholder response is necessary to enable the countries to adapt and seize economic opportunities.

“Jamaica and certainly all of our Caribbean neighbours really require that the middle-income status not lock us from accessing the international funds that we desperately need to build the infrastructures that allow businesses to flourish and grow,” Mr. Samuda explained.

“The fact is, it is not our carbon footprint that has caused the [global] rising temperatures, though we must take responsibility for our own environments and our own sustainability,” he added.

The Government Senator was addressing climate change stakeholders at the opening of the three-day Green Climate Fund (GCF) Caribbean Private Sector Engagement Workshop at the Hilton Rose Hall Resort in Montego Bay, St. James, on Tuesday (April 2).

Mr. Samuda reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to support the private sector in making businesses more climate-change resilient, thereby enhancing their operations and maximising out-turns.   He stated that the GCF will be pivotal to this end, as the international financial organisation has earmarked a US$582,000 readiness grant to assist the Government, through the Climate Change Division of the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, in mobilising the private sector.

“As we grapple with the effects and impacts of climate change, we [Small Island Developing States (SIDS)] all need to understand that it has far-reaching implications for the future, especially where the business continuity is concerned. We must factor in climate change, its projected impacts and the actions that would be required to minimise these impacts into all our business plans if we care about and [are] focused on protecting the bottom line,” said Mr. Samuda.     

He emphasised the importance of effecting the requisite changes, adding that “we have a chance… to begin talking, thinking and acting to seize the opportunities that climate change brings to us”.

These, Senator Samuda said, include long-term energy and water efficiency, investment in improving agricultural techniques and forestry enterprises, supply chain, and infrastructure that are resilient to disasters and climate variability.

“All must be part of our thinking and our action in the new paradigm,” he added.

Contact: Okoye Henry

Release: JIS

Caption: Government Senator, Matthew Samuda, addressing climate change stakeholders at the opening of the three-day Green Climate Fund (GCF) Caribbean Private Sector Engagement Workshop hosted at the Hilton Rose Hall Resort in Montego Bay, St. James, on Tuesday, April 2.

Okoye Henry Photo

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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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