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CDEMA’s Executive Director, Ronald Jackson bids farewell

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Ronald Jackson, outgoing Executive Director of CDEMA

#Barbados, April 27, 2020 (CDEMA) – Following seven (7) years of unwavering and exemplary service to the region, Executive Director of the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA), Mr. Ronald Jackson bids farewell to the Agency as of Thursday April 30, 2020.

Mr. Ronald Jackson was appointed Executive Director of CDEMA on April 3, 2013 and has since provided outstanding leadership to the CDEMA Coordinating Unit and in the implementation of the Agency’s policies and programmes. Mr. Jackson has also provided sterling leadership of the regional coordination and responses to Dominica, St. Lucia and St. Vincent after the Christmas Trough in 2013, Tropical Storm Erika in Dominica in 2015, Hurricanes Irma and Maria (impacting 9 of CDEMA Participating States) in 2017, Hurricane Dorian in the Commonwealth of The Bahamas in 2019 and in the current COVID-19 Pandemic now affecting the region.

Under his stewardship, the Agency gained further recognition and prominence throughout the Caribbean and globally as one of the foremost regional disaster risk management institutions and a preferred partner for a safe and more resilient Caribbean. He has forged relationships and cultivated several strategic partnerships with a broad-based and diverse range of regional and international development partners, donors, governments, private sector entities and non-governmental organisations.

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His commitment and advocacy in promoting and advancing the implementation of the Comprehensive Disaster Management Strategy and Framework for the Region, has captivated many audiences across the globe, resulting in a significant increase of resources through donor financing support to the implementation of Disaster Risk Management programmes in Participating States. He led the development of the Caribbean Pathway to Resilience and spearheaded its socialization within the region and among the Americas. Mr. Jackson was also instrumental in the strengthening of cooperative arrangements with the Disaster Management Organization in the Dominican Republic, with the French Overseas Territories and the Dutch Caribbean. CDEMA’s Membership also increased from 18 to 19 under his stewardship.

“This is a bitter sweat moment for me. I am excited at the opportunity to be able to practice in a global capacity but I feel a sense of duty to the Caribbean Community and as such a part of me will miss working in a context that inspires innovation. However, I feel that I am leaving behind a wonderful platform for the continued advancement of the Region’s Integrated Risk Management Agenda and the continued growth of the Agency”, said Jackson.

Mr. Jackson has been extensively involved in disaster management at the national, regional and international level in various capacities. He served as the Director General of the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) in Jamaica, a position he held between August 2006 and March 2013. He also currently lectures on Disaster Risk Management in the Tourism and Occupational Health and Safety Masters Programme at the University of the West Indies Cave Hill and Mona.

CDEMA is extremely appreciative of Mr. Jackson’s service and the legacy he leaves in building a culture of safety and a disaster resilient region.

CDEMA also takes this opportunity to wish Mr. Jackson the very best in his future endeavours.

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Caribbean News

Old age pension to increase to $41,000 from January 2025

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Guyana, January 19, 2025 – The old age pension in Guyana is set to increase to $41,000 per month, effective January 1, 2025. The total pension payout for 2025 is projected to exceed $37 billion.

This was announced by Senior Minister within the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance and Public Service, Dr. Ashni Singh, during his 2025 budget presentation at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre on Friday.

“In keeping with a commitment that we gave in our manifesto, with effect from the 1st of January 2025, old age pension will be paid at a rate of $20,500 multiplied by two equal $41,000 per month,” the minister stated.

This measure will inject an additional $4.5 billion into the economy by increasing the disposable income of the 76,000 old age pensioners.

The total pension payout for 2025 is projected to exceed $37 billion, Dr Singh revealed.

The old age pension has seen significant increases in recent years: $36,000 in 2024, $33,000 in 2023, $28,000 in 2022, and $25,000 in 2021. Since the PPP/C government assumed office in 2020, the old age pension has increased by 75%.

Furthermore, the minister announced that public assistance will also increase from $19,000 to $22,000 per month.

“This will place in the hands of the recipients of the public assistants an additional $1.4 billion of around 40,000 persons,” Minister Singh said.

These major investments will significantly bring relief to citizens, cushioning their pockets and easy the cost of living in the country.

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300 Agricultural Wardens Over Next Three Years

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Montego Bay, Jamaica, January 18, 2025 – Three hundred agricultural wardens are to be trained over the next three years to combat praedial larceny and other agricultural crimes, says Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, Hon. Floyd Green.

“These wardens are police officers who will be tasked to treat with agricultural crimes, and they will be deployed in praedial larceny hotspots,” he said.

Minister Green, who was speaking to journalists following a recent tour of the Frome Sugar Factory in Westmoreland, said that the recruitment of officers has already begun and training is slated to commence this quarter.

The idea is to roll out 100 wardens annually over the three years, he noted.

“What you will see this year is more boots on the ground in our agricultural wardens programme, [and] we should see the deployment of our first set of agricultural wardens this year,” he said.

Minister Green said that a critical area of focus for the wardens will be targeting stolen livestock and addressing irregularities in butcheries, where organised crime has taken root.

The wardens will the tasked to clean up markets that may be complicit in the sale of stolen livestock, he noted.

Minister Green said that the wardens programme is part of a broader collaboration with the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) to establish a specialised division to tackle agricultural crimes.

Such a division, he noted, would not only oversee the deployment of personnel but also work closely with farmers to implement strategies aimed at safeguarding their livelihood.

“We are also going to set up farmers’ watch groups and bring in technologies to help the farmers keep their areas safe. We are taking praedial larceny very seriously,” he said.

Penalties for agricultural theft have been significantly increased, with maximum fines moving from $250,000 to $3 million, and prison sentences extended from six months to three years.

 

Contact: Okoye Henry

Release: JIS

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Government Committed to Making Housing More Affordable – PM

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Kingston, Jamaica, January 18, 2025 – Prime Minister, Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, has reiterated the Government’s commitment to ensuring that all Jamaicans have access to affordable housing solutions.

He noted that there is an imbalance between housing supply and affordability, with many qualified individuals struggling to find solutions within their income bracket.

“The issue is not the finance; it’s that people who qualify can’t get the houses that are available on the market,” he pointed out, while addressing a recent meeting with the National Leadership Prayer Breakfast Committee at the Office of the Prime Minister.

He explained that the market is producing homes primarily for those with higher income, leaving a gap for low and middle-income families.

In addition, he noted that houses priced at $12 million are often sold for $18 million due to market demand dynamics.

“What we want to do is to get the market to produce houses in all categories,” he said, stressing the need for affordable options alongside high-end developments.

“We need developers who can build houses at scale to bring down costs and make housing more affordable,” he stressed.

The Prime Minister noted the role of the National Housing Trust (NHT) in financing low-income and achievable housing projects.

“We’re doing everything to create what is called effective demand,” he said, noting that the Guaranteed Purchase Programme was introduced as a strategic measure to mitigate market risks for developers.

“We say to developers; you build the houses, we buy them at a specific price and then we sell them at an affordable price,” he detailed.

This approach aims to encourage developers to construct homes without fearing financial losses.

“Government can’t build houses; what we can do is use resources to finance affordable housing and say, ‘you can only get this finance if you sell at this price’,” he pointed out.

The Prime Minister cited other initiatives aimed at making housing more affordable, including reducing the interest rates on mortgages, with some low-income borrowers benefiting from a zero per cent interest rate.

Efforts are under way to deliver 43,000 houses over the next few years as part of a broader strategy to meet housing demands.

 

CONTACT: ANDREW LAIDLEY

Release: JIS

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