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Jamaica to benefit from return of BII to region

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#Kingston, Jamaica, October 28, 2022 – The return of the British International Investment (BII) to the region will offer a vital new source of finance for countries.  It will prioritise investments in the private sector, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), with a focus on sustainable and scalable projects.

Addressing the launch of the BII on Tuesday (October 25), at the British High Commission in Kingston, Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Dr. the Hon. Nigel Clarke, welcomed the return of the BII to the region, after an absence of more than 20 years.

“We are very pleased, and we are very happy that BII is coming back to Jamaica. That opens the avenue for more and more investments that can help to improve standards of living in Jamaica and can help to transform the lived experience of the Jamaican citizen,” he said.

The Minister added that the BII will be a vital investment partner in building out Jamaica’s critical infrastructure – renewable energy, water, and sewerage.

Dr. Clarke noted, also, that significant investments will be needed to reduce Jamaica’s dependence on imported commodities, thereby strengthening Jamaica’s resilience against economic shocks from external factors.

“Having the extra investment dollars right here in Jamaica, right here in the Caribbean from BII will be absolutely additive and something that we welcome and support,” the Finance Minister added.

For his part, Minister for the Americas and Overseas Territories, The Rt. Hon. Jesse Norman, said the BII is a key part of the UK government’s global plans to mobilise up to £8 billion a year of public and private-sector investments by 2025.

This will include BII partnering with capital markets, leveraging the city of London and other funds, to scale up financing for private-sector development.

“The BII has a long track record of investing to support private-sector growth around the world. I am pleased that we will now be supporting projects in the Caribbean. BII will help usher in a new wave of investments in clean and green infrastructure [and digital transformation], making investments that bolster financial institutions and businesses, create jobs, and boost trade,” Mr. Norman said.

In addition, he said the UK also continues to deliver vital support to the region through its multilateral partners – the World Bank, International Monetary Fund (IMF), Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and Caribbean Development Bank (CDB).

Managing Director, BII, Colin Buckley, said climate change is at the centre of BII’s strategy.

In the past five years, the BII has invested more than $1 billion in climate finance in Africa and South Asia.

“Going forward, all of our investments will be Paris Aligned (Paris Agreement and Convention) and 30 per cent of all our new investments will be climate finance. We are looking to invest in renewable-energy generation, in helping companies adapt and become more resilient to climate change and to support new technologies like battery storage, green hydrogen, mini-grids and other off-grid solutions,” he outlined.

Formerly the Colonial Development Corporation (CDC), BII’s investments seek to create more productive, sustainable, and inclusive economies in Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean.

The CDC was founded in 1948. It opened its Caribbean office in Kingston in the early 1950s. It supported the development of hydroelectric power stations across Dominica and St. Vincent, St. Lucia, Grenada, Barbados, and Montserrat.

From the mid-sixties until the mid-nineties, the majority of the Caribbean portfolio was concentrated in Jamaica. The CDC assisted in creating the Jamaica Housing Development Company to provide mortgages for low-cost housing. It later financed the island’s commercial, industrial, tourist, port, harbour, and other infrastructure facilities.

By the 1970s, the CDC expanded across the Caribbean, investing in power, agribusiness, manufacturing, commerce, tourism, transport, financial institutions, telecoms, and IT.

The BII is the United Kingdom’s development finance institution. It assists in solving challenges to developing and emerging economies by investing flexible capital to support private-sector growth and innovation.

 

Contact: Rochelle Williams

Release: JIS

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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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