THE University of the West Indies (The UWI), Mona campus, is partnering with VM Group to host its distinguished lecture series for the next five years. Speaking to the importance of this initiative at the launch last week, pro-vice-chancellor and principal of The UWI, Mona campus, Professor Densil A Williams said: “Universities were not designed or established to serve themselves, they were really designed to produce knowledge and use that knowledge to make the lives of people much better. That knowledge cannot be cocooned into some private enterprise, or in some private places, or into what is usually called the ‘ivory tower’. “The general idea behind this lecture series is to say: ‘How are we now going to get the persons within the community, who are actually engaged in scholarly scientific research, to bring that knowledge to the public — and to do so at no cost to them?’ So the aim is to get the best within the academic community sharing the knowledge with our people so that they can be much more engaged with the critical issues at the national, regional and the global level,” Williams said. “The UWI Mona and VM Group Distinguished Lecture Series is a campus-wide initiative that will ‘bring gown to town’ to provide our citizens, policymakers, at [the] national and enterprise levels with rich empirical information generated from rigorous scholarly works to assist them in making better and more informed decisions,” he added. VM Group President and CEO Courtney Campbell, at the same time, said The UWI Mona/VM Group Distinguished Lecture Series reflects the organisation’s role as a champion of empowerment. “We describe ourselves as a learning organisation because we understand the value of continuous learning and improvement. We have seen the effects of this within our business and in the lives of our members and clients with whom we routinely engage with thoughtfully designed financial education initiatives. “Knowledge transforms lives and nations, and we are pleased to partner with The UWI, Mona campus on this important series to help showcase and leverage the extensive knowledge that resides within corporate Jamaica and The UWI, Mona campus to help create a better tomorrow for us all,” Campbell said. The lecture series will see internationally renowned academics — both within The UWI system and beyond — along with esteemed policy experts from the public and private sector, bringing thought leadership to the public.

M ore than two week ago, Tufton noted concerns raised about the HIV/AIDS Confidential Reporting Form and ordered that it be amended. At that time the health ministry said based on an internal review initiated by Tufton, it was agreed that the form, “while supporting a detailed epidemiological profile for public health, does not comply with existing constitutional and legal structures of the Government of Jamaica”. Tufton also requested that a full review be done of all forms and instruments of data collection used by the health ministry to ensure that there is congruence with all legal and policy directives of the Government of Jamaica. In endorsing Tufton’s decision the JUGC, in a release on Thursday, said, “The strange inclusion of information on transgender status, as well as an open-ended invitation to name another gender status, as distinct from biological sex, is worrying. “We are encouraged that the Government showed its commitment, by this action, to the constitutional framework and spirit of the nation,” the group added. The JUGC said it had taken note of a view, supported by faulty research and anecdotes, that legal recognition of transgenderism and social approval are key to addressing the known much higher risk of suicide and depression amongst transgenders. “But an authentic landmark Australian study in 2021 concluded that the major cause of depression among transgender-identifying young people was a desire to access relevant hormone treatment (Zwick, Qi Wong, Cheung, 2021). “The Christian community is quite clear that appropriate pastoral and professional counselling interventions provide a viable route to psychosocial and spiritual support for individuals,” said the church group. It quoted from Witherspoon Institute in its journal, Public Discourse, of September 2020, which said, “Perhaps nowhere in medicine and psychology is this problem of irreproducibility (of research results), worse than in studies of people who claim to have a mismatch between their sex and their internal sense of being male or female.” The church group said it is concerned about what appears to be developing adventurism on life issues which offer only long-term harm and danger to family life, individuals and society. “One Christian school was recently breached by a group focused on promoting transgenderism, under the guise of offering care advice to female students. While as members of the Christian community, we do not share the view that human beings have a God given right to reject the teachings of Scripture, we understand that we all have free will. “However, as an interested party in a healthy society, we strongly support all legal measures and other measures taken by the Government to ensure that the flood gates are not opened to ideas that are inimical to a flourishing society founded on strong moral values, ideas that can threaten the mental and physical health of our society, and initiatives that would allow our children to be subjected to confusion, rebellion, and their abandonment of the traditional values of Jamaica,” it said. The JUGC added: “We appreciate the proactive steps being taken by the minister of health and wellness to review all forms and documents for any possible breach. We urge the Ministry of Education to do the same, and issue firm guidelines to all public and private educational institutions, at all levels. “The Ministry of Labour and Social Security is also urged to ensure that all local, regional and international organisations are closely monitored to ensure that the sovereign constitutional rights of citizens, including students and lecturers, in relation to freedom of expression, freedom of conscience and thought, are strictly enforced.”

FOR the 21 years she was contracted as a security guard she, like so many others, got no paid vacation leave, no sick leave with pay, and for her two pregnancies the four months each she spent at home for maternity leave were under her own steam. When the Supreme Court in September last year, in a precedent, ruled that effective then, third-party security guards employed to Marksman Security Limited are employees and not independent contractors, and that the company should immediately begin paying over their three per cent National Housing Trust statutory contributions, she thought that would mean better. On the contrary the woman, along with several of her colleagues, have not worked since April 1 due to a stand-off between themselves and the security guard firm to which they were contracted. At the heart of the controversy is the insistence by their management that the new terms and conditions of their employment in the company, which has undergone a name change, would not accommodate applicable redundancy payments. Now she is among scores who are choosing to find other ways to survive while they await the result of a court action filed by a newly formed Security Guard Taskforce which will be hauling that entity and at least one other before the courts at the end of this year. “After working for 21 years they now are denying me the rights of getting what is truly mine. Why am I to continue with them? Mi just believe the treatment was too harsh. You leave home, go work, and are told you can’t take up duty because you don’t sign the contract,” the woman, who was among dozens of security guards taking part in a meeting at the Union of Clerical, Administrative and Supervisory Employees (UCASE) offices on West King’s House Road in St Andrew on Sunday, told the Jamaica Observer. “To work 21 years without even maternity leave? I had two children during the time I worked with them and nothing. Four months I was home [after each delivery] and got nothing, not a dollar. I never got a health card, no insurance, nothing. Me believe me deserve mi money and mi want it — 21 years no insurance, no benefits, nothing,” she declared. Asked how she managed without formal employment over the past four months the woman said she has created her own niche. “I buy and sell; I do poultry. I realise I am in a bit of a different position from some of the persons to the persons who sign. I can understand somewhat, but I am used to creating my own employment — I don’t just sit and wait on just the salary. So before now mi [was] always a hustler, so to step out and say I am going to do it on my own wasn’t hard; God always bless me. Right now I am making and selling natural juices and I am just searching for a market,” she told the Observer. As to whether her employers should have a change of heart and renegotiate the terms she said, “I don’t believe I want to go back to any security company and work; 21 years is enough. I have two children [one is an adult] and when I look on them I am like, ‘Look how much years mi waste.’ But mi want mi money — mi believe mi deserve to get every dollar there is. “What we are saying is that there are a number of issues that have to be settled before you can ask the workers to sign these new contracts, such as outstanding NHT payments, National Insurance Scheme [NIS] payments. Workers have had injuries on the job — some were shot, some had motor vehicle accidents — and all of these are matters that the workers are saying need to be resolved before we can sign. What has been happening is that workers who refuse to sign, they have been victimised by lay-offs; they turn up for work and are not assigned any duty,” president of UCASE Vincent Morrison told the Observer on Sunday. “To ask a worker who is transitioning with the company [to a new regime] to sign a document extinguishing their benefits, that is not the law or the practice, that is not how we do it in Jamaica, and we have a lot of examples of that here. So, to ask them to sign away their rights in this way, especially in light of the fact that the court established that they are employees and not contractors, it would not only be unfair but unjust,” Morrison charged.

N EGRIL, Hanover — Minister of Legal and Constitutional Affairs Marlene Malahoo Forte has reiterated that the Government is seriously considering giving Negril full autonomy over its own affairs — and she has promised to help move the process along. The parishes of Hanover and Westmoreland share the resort area of Negril as the town centre is located in Westmoreland while the larger hotels are located in Hanover. Malahoo Forte said the Holness Administration has taken note of this and the impact it is having on getting things done, especially at the local level. “From what I hear, it can be frustrating to move between Savanna-la-Mar and Lucea. I have been wondering — as I know Prime Minister [Andrew] Holness has been wondering, and the Minister of Local Government [and Community Development] Desmond McKenzie] also has been wondering — whether we should look at a new arrangement for Negril,” said Malahoo Forte. “Can you imagine a municipality for Negril? Can you imagine how easier your life will be and everyone who has to do business?” she continued. She was speaking during last Saturday night’s Rotary Club of Negril ceremony where Owen James was installed as president for calendar year 2023/2024. The event was held at Royalton Resort in Hanover. For years there have been calls for Negril to be the master of its own fate. In 2016, then Chamber President Lee Issa spoke of the vital need for the town to be granted municipal status. In 2018, then Minister of Local Government and Rural Development Desmond McKenzie said that while he was open to the idea, Negril was not in a financial position to stand on its own. He also noted that in order for Negril to get municipal status the town would have to be of a “certain size” and it would have to have its own municipal administrative arm, among other factors. “The prime minister said to me in a very rough tone — and he doesn’t speak to me in a very rough tone most times — that I need to fast-track the discussions on the municipal status of Negril,” McKenzie said then. “But I did say to him that we have to find the formula that is workable, because to do that you would have to prove your worth to be self-sufficient.” He also noted at the time that Negril would be taking away a sizable chunk of limited revenue currently earned by the Hanover and Westmoreland municipal corporations, such as those derived from trade and motor vehicle licensing, property taxes and building fees. For now Malahoo Forte, who is from Westmoreland and partly resides in Negril, said she is paying close attention to what is taking place in the resort town. She said from a legislative point of view she is willing to do all she can to assist. “You can count on me for support and assistance in navigating the Government in helping to rewrite rules that do not make sense; passing new laws that will ensure that everyone stands a better chance,” assured Malahoo Forte.

FOUR new heads of overseas missions — two career diplomats and two politically-appointed — have been named by Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Senator Kamina Johnson Smith. “I am pleased to announce the appointments of Mrs Marsha Coore-Lobban as high commissioner to Canada; His Excellency Arthur Williams as ambassador to the People’s Republic of China; Dr Richard Brown as the head of Jamaica’s permanent mission to the United Nations and specialised agencies in Geneva; and Mrs Natalie Campbell-Rodriques as high commissioner to the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago,” Johnson Smith said in a statement released on Saturday. Coore-Lobban is a career diplomat with over 26 years in the Jamaican foreign service. Currently assigned as the acting undersecretary for diaspora, consular and protocol affairs, her previous overseas appointments include service as deputy consul general in Miami, charge d’affaires at the embassy in Brazil, and deputy chief of mission at the embassy in Washington, DC. Coore-Lobban holds a master’s degree in international relations from The University of the West Indies. Williams currently serves as Jamaica’s high commissioner to the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, with concurrent accreditation in non-resident capacity as high commissioner/ambassador/consul general to several countries in the Caribbean. He has previously served as senator, Cabinet minister, and board representative of Jamaica at the Inter-American Development Bank. The ambassador-designate is an attorney-at-law. Dr Brown is a career diplomat with over 19 years of experience in bilateral, regional and multilateral trade. He currently serves as acting undersecretary for the Foreign Trade Division of the foreign affairs ministry. He also has previous assignments as director for Caricom single market and sectoral programmes at the Caricom Secretariat, and as international trade specialist/director of trade at the then Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries. Dr Brown received his PhD in International Economics from the Graduate Institute for International and Development Studies in Geneva, Switzerland. Campbell-Rodriques served as a member of the Senate of Jamaica and as senior advisor to the minister of foreign affairs and foreign trade, having returned to Jamaica from Rwanda where she started a real estate company and undertook consultancies with international entities and NGOs on developmental issues including youth and gender matters. She also previously served as community relations/diaspora development attaché at the Embassy of Jamaica in Washington, DC. She holds a master’s degree in organisational sciences from George Washington University. “I have full confidence in the new appointees to continue to deepen the engagements and relationships which Jamaica fosters at the bilateral, regional and multilateral levels. I extend my best wishes and assurance that they carry the full support of my ministry in the conduct of their new responsibilities,” Johnson Smith said.

Hundreds turned out for the New Kingston Health Fair on Sunday, August 13 to benefit from free medical check-ups, supplies, and advice at the event held by the High Commission of India in Kingston, in association with Allkare Pharmacy & Wellness Centre, and Andrews Memorial Hospital, at VMBS car park. Among the other services offered were blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol checks; dental screening, cleaning and extraction; eye screening; HIV and syphilis tests; COVID-19 tests and vaccination; and National Health Fund sign-ups. The event also saw participation from scores of private sector companies.

SAN DIEGO, United States (AP) — Deadly floodwaters inundated streets across Mexico’s arid Baja California on Sunday as Tropical Storm Hilary moved ashore carrying torrential rain into Southern California, and concerns mounted that flash floods could strike in places as far north as Idaho that rarely get such heavy rain. Forecasters said Hilary was the first tropical storm to hit Southern California in 84 years, bringing the potential for flash floods, mudslides, isolated tornadoes, high winds and power outages. Hilary made landfall along the Mexican coast in a sparsely populated area about 150 miles (250 kilometers) south of Ensenada, on a path to hit mudslide-prone Tijuana Sunday evening, threatening the improvised homes that cling to hillsides just south of the US border. At least nine million people were under flash-flood warnings as heavy rain fell across normally sunny Southern California ahead of the brunt of the storm. Desert areas were especially susceptible along with hillsides with wildfire burn scars, forecasters warned. Mud spilled onto highways, water overwhelmed drainage systems and tree branches fell in places from San Diego to Los Angeles. The weather service said tornadoes were possible Sunday afternoon in eastern San Diego County. Southern California got another surprise in the afternoon as an earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.1 hit near Ojai, about 80 miles (130 km) northwest of downtown Los Angeles, according to the US Geological Survey. It was felt widely and was followed by smaller aftershocks. There were no immediate reports of major damage or injury, according to a dispatcher with the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office. Hilary could wallop other Western states with once-in-a-century rains, with a good chance of it becoming the wettest known tropical cyclone to douse Nevada, Oregon and Idaho. Hilary was expected to remain a tropical storm into central Nevada early Monday before dissipating. By 2:00 pm, California time, Hilary was 115 miles (180 kilometers) south-southeast of San Diego, the National Hurricane Center reported. The storm had maximum sustained winds of 60 mph (95 kph) and was moving northwest at nearly 25 mph (41 kph). Hurricane Center Director Michael Brennan said that while Hilary had weakened from a Category 4 hurricane, it’s the water, not the wind, that people should watch out for most — some areas could get as much rain in hours that they typically get in a year. Hilary is just the latest major climate disaster to wreak havoc across the US, Canada and Mexico. Hawaii’s island of Maui is still reeling from a blaze that killed over 100 people and ravaged the historic town of Lahaina, making it the deadliest US wildfire in more than a century. Firefighters in Canada are battling that nation’s worst fire season on record. The Mexican cities of Ensenada and Tijuana closed all beaches and opened a half-dozen shelters at sports complexes and government offices. One person drowned Saturday in the Mexican town of Santa Rosalia when a vehicle was swept away by an overflowing stream. Rescue workers saved four other people, said Edith Aguilar Villavicencio, the mayor of Mulege township.

VENDORS who operate in the region of Maverley Park in St Andrew are livid. It has been almost one year after ground was broken for the development of the park and the vendors, along with others who do business in the area, are fuming because they believe the authorities are dragging their feet on the project and causing them to lose income. The project is being executed as part of the Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation’s (KSAMC) ‘Paint the City’ initiative, aimed at upgrading, beautifying and injecting life into the city. Ground was broken for the 2.5-acre leisure space on August 23, 2022, just days short of one year after the project was initiated. In a recent interview with the Jamaica Observer residents say they have been experiencing almost one year’s worth of dwindled income due to the fencing that was erected around the space, blocking off the usual pedestrian traffic through the park. The residents say better consideration should have been given to them as too much time is elapsing with little work done. The vendors who are affected operate in a designated area on West Main Drive, close to its intersection with Molynes Road and adjacent to the Maverley/Hughenden football field. According to one of them, “lots of people normally travel through the park every day. Now, if you don’t really have to come this way, you won’t. People can’t manage to walk all the way around just to come and buy from us”. “Business is slow. They need to work the job fast because it is affecting people’s earnings,” she added. Another vendor was blunt in expressing her feelings about the slow pace of the works. “They are playing politics with the park. The space was there for the people to walk through before they fenced it around — even old people used to walk through. All they can say now is, ‘What they really did with the park?’ The people are upset and going on bad over it. It doesn’t look good,” she said. “They could have left a space for people to walk through it instead of blocking off everything and are doing nothing with the park; they left nowhere for people to walk. Breeze all blow down some of the zinc dem and people thief dem. We want the park to fix because it should have been fixed long time already,” she added. Another vendor got straight to the point when asked how her daily earnings were being affected. “All me can tell you is that it slow up my business. On certain days you would see a man a come from all Drewsland, Waterhouse and all about, and they just walk through the park and they stop and buy. People not buying again. This man does radiator work and dem lock him off. How do they expect him to survive and feed his family?” she said in a tone of concern. At the time of the ground-breaking residents of Maverley and surrounding communities were excited that they would be given the opportunity to exercise or hang out in a beautiful green space. It was announced that the amenities would include a jogging trail, a playing area for the children, benches, games lounge, snack bar, restroom facilities, water-harvesting systems, a perimeter fence, and two large entrance gates. Trees were also to be planted. Based on what the Sunday Observer saw during the recent visit, the only construction happening was the concrete base for the perimeter fencing to be erected. Despite what the Sunday Observer saw and what the vendors said, Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) councillor for the Hughenden Division Andrew Harris told the Sunday Observer that “work is happening on it now”. “It is work in progress. I know the city engineers spoke to the contractor, and he had another job in Portmore so he had diverted some of the people who should be there [Maverley Park] to that side [Portmore], but I know they dropped fresh material up to last week. We are about 90 per cent complete where phase one is concerned, which is to build proper fencing. We have planted trees and we have done some engineering work in terms of water harvesting. The first phase should have been completed around four weeks ago,” said Harris. As it relates to the vendors, Harris said it was only a matter of time before they will start seeing changes that will suit them. “It is just a matter of time. In another few weeks we should be finished with the first phase. In phase two the amenities will go in, to include a fish pond, a gazebo, and some sort of mural tribute. There is also supposed to be a shed for the domino players who normally use the space, so it should be good,” he said. At the launch in August last year, at which Prime Minister Andrew Holness was present, Minister of Local Government and Community Development Desmond McKenzie said he was hoping the project would be completed within 12 months. “This is one of the largest that we will be undertaking. What it will do is restore community pride and allow the people to have a place they can go hang out and feel free. The park will be equipped with Internet, bathroom and toilet facilities. It is going to be a comprehensive facility with canteen and a walking trail. It will be outstanding,” McKenzie had said.

RESIDENTS of a section of troubled Gregory Park in St Catherine have hit out against claims that they are responsible for the recent violence that has hit the community. It comes after allegations began swirling that men and women from Gulf were responsible for the recent killing of one man and the firebombing of 11 houses in a tenement yard on Walker’s Avenue. Raneel Haughton, 28, was killed while more than 40 people, including over 20 children, were displaced by the firebombing which destroyed their houses in the early morning two Saturdays ago. In the aftermath of the incident, some of the residents of Walker’s Avenue who had their houses set on fire claimed that they recognised some of the men who stormed the premises and torched the yard. According to them, the perpetrators were from Gulf. But during a recent visit to Gulf the Jamaica Observer was bombarded with complaints, from mostly female residents, who said their section of the community gets blamed for everything negative that happens in Gregory Park. They also claimed that people from Walker’s Avenue and other places in Portmore, St Catherine, make it a habit to attack Gulf residents. They added that when they decide to stand up for themselves they are accused of troublemaking and being aggressors. What makes the Gulf residents even more upset is that they feel the recent firebombing is being used as a political tool. Following the firebombing, Prime Minister Andrew Holness joined Commissioner of Police Major General Antony Anderson and Member of Parliament for St Catherine East Central Alando Terrelonge on a tour of the affected space on Walker’s Avenue. The PM did promise the burned-out residents on Walker’s Avenue that their houses would be rebuilt under the Government’s social housing programme. However, the residents of Gulf complained that Holness left the community without visiting with the people of Gulf, which made them feel left out and that the PM is picking sides. “How Andrew Holness fi come and go one place? Dat nuh right. If two place a war you supposed to go figure out what is going on in the two places,” one woman reasoned. Another woman described Gulf residents as “hotheads” but quickly refuted claims that they provoke others. “Andrew Holness should a come visit the two sides; you are the prime minister. There are two parts to a story. They are always giving us a fight. We always say peace and one heart a love. We love keep dance and those things, so we first not going to start nothing. The girls from Walker’s Avenue love the man dem from Gulf — that is why they start plot up for when dance a keep, to kill di man dem. Some a di people from down there who are talking on the television have gunman son. Man from that side usually want to rape. We have to stand up and put down we foot. We a hot head unuh and we nuh tek chat, but we nuh give trouble,” the woman claimed. Another resident was adamant that the people of Gulf were not the terrorists that others are making them out to be. “Everybody a team up fi kill us off down here. Oh God man, how we fi war [fight back against] so much place? Gulf residents are not the terrorists. You know what is the problem? When we react, we react terribly. The boy who start the war give pure trouble, den him run left him people dem. A him cause dem house fi burn down. A pure man a lock gun inna yard a night time,” the resident said. “In everything, dem tell lie pon Gulf. Why would we call peace and then at the same time be looking war? We feel the MP doesn’t like us. Before the peace call dem never see when the whole a Clarke’s Lane and Mexico man dem a come shoot up dung yah? Di man dem down here nah hold we and rape we. Weh day, man from Walker’s Avenue come in the middle of the Gulf, burn down shop, fire a lot of shots and shoot the little old man — and nobody talks about that,” the resident added. Following the firebombing, police imposed a 48-hour curfew in Gregory Park. On the Monday when the curfew was to be lifted some residents of Walker’s Avenue begged Holness to declare enhanced security measures to set the community straight. After the curfew was lifted, raids were conducted by the security forces during which two guns were seized on Walker’s Avenue and in Gulf while close to 20 people, including persons of interest in the firebombing, were taken into custody.

MONTEGO BAY, St James — Government-paid medical technologists are expected to take a stance against the Union of Technical Administrative and Supervisory Personnel (UTASP) on Monday afternoon. According to Donaldo Montaque, a senior medical technologist at the Cornwall Regional Hospital (CRH), the professionals will be staging an islandwide go-slow to express their disgruntlement with UTASP over its handling of the recent compensation review package. Montaque told the Jamaica Observer that their troubles started last year after a decision was made to not accept the Government’s proposed package without reportedly consulting the medical technologists. “They decided not to accept the agreement which the Government was offering before the compensation package was thrown out to everybody. So this idea of not signing is not new to us. They decided that they were not going to sign from last year,” he said. Montaque further noted that he, along with his colleagues, were satisfied after seeing the proposed increase being given out by the Government. Before the reclassification, the salary for a medical technologist 1 is between $1,146,743 and $1,363,117 per annum. The yearly salary for those classified as medical technologist 2 starts at $1,290,712 and ends at $1,534,252. “Counting down to March 31, which was the deadline, people were clamouring to the chief delegate to sign the compensation package. As a matter of fact, the compensation package wasn’t given to the members of the union by the chief delegate. So we wouldn’t know exactly how beneficial this compensation review package would be to us, but when this new document was passed around we were excited and ready to sign,” Montaque explained. Documents obtained by the Sunday Observer indicated that with the compensation review, the minimum salary for a junior medical technologist would increase from $1,146,743 to $2,998,418 as of April 1, 2023. At the same time, senior medical technologists would be looking at a minimum of $3,477,245 — a major jump from their usual $1,290,712. Montaque described that increase as “welcome”. “It was very clear, based on the projections they made, that the people at the bottom, which are junior medical technologists, would have benefited greatly from this new reclassification. Some were expecting increases of over 150 per cent, but they decided that they weren’t going to take the offer. The only disadvantage was for people at the top who would probably lose concession and some travelling, that were the only anomalies at that point,” Montaque told the Sunday Observer. Additionally, Montaque explained that medical technologists were left feeling cheated after an election which was held by Franklyn Whyte, the chief delegate of UTASP. The senior medical technologist stated that the election was carried out unfairly, as people outside of their profession were included in the counting of the votes. He told the Sunday Observer that those in support of the compensation package were asked to raise a hand; however, they were overpowered by the laboratory technical assistants whose hands were not raised. “That was botched because it was run at National Public Heath Laboratory where the chief delegate is from. It is common knowledge that they did not want to sign and they were in control. The issue arose because laboratory technical assistants were among the population and they have already got their package because some of them have a different union, which is the National Workers Union. So they would have bargained and got their increase. It was disingenuous for them to be a part of the meeting, and their say was acknowledged to stop the medical technologists from getting their new salaries, Montaque bemoaned. Pointing out that their qualms were not with the Government, Montaque is seeking the intervention of Prime Minister Andrew Holness, Minister of Finance and Public Service Dr Nigel Clarke, and Minister of Health and Wellness Dr Christopher Tufton. “Our issue is not with the Government of Jamaica because the majority of the medical technologists are very appreciative of the compensative review. It has never been seen in Jamaica before where so many salaries have doubled. We would have gladly taken this package if we could have gone to the Ministry of Finance and signed for it,” said Montaque. “We want the minister of finance, the minister of health, Prime Minister Andrew Holness, and the Jamaica Confederation of Trade Union to come out and give us some support as we try to battle against the chief delegate Franklyn Whyte and the UTASP. Help the medical technologists on the island get a liveable wage. We want to get our salaries so that we can match the current inflation rates,” the senior medical technologist appealed. “Mr Whyte wants to make it seem like we are on a hunger strike, but we are not, because it is being forced on us. We want our money, but the union is being run as a dictatorship,” Montaque added. Monday’s plans for a go-slow by the medical technologists are expected to be carried out across 10 public hospitals. Montaque stated that they have all agreed to wear black as they stand in solidarity against the decision said to be taken by UTASP. The decision to stage this peaceful protest, he explained, came after recognising that their petitions and appeals have been falling on deaf ears. Montague said that these petitions have been signed by over 80 medical technologists across the island’s four health regions.

MONTEGO BAY, St James — Jo’Anna Hill is a force to be reckoned with. Jo’Anna, 16, a recent graduate of Montego Bay High School, has received 36 academic awards since she was first enrolled in school at age two. According to her mother, Annette Hill, the young woman has always shown signs that she is gifted. “She started reading at 18 months old and she loved watching television. We realised that after a few episodes she could recite the entire episode. If we gave her a book, up to three years above her level…within a few days she would be able to recite the entire book, hardly missing a word from it,” Annette told the Jamaica Observer. “The only thing she really did slowly was walk. She walked when she was one year old,” she added. Annette went on to state that her daughter’s abilities were immediately recognised when the family visited the Mount Alvernia Preparatory School to have her enrolled in their pre-K programme. “The day when we went to enrol her, the test was on the board and she just started to read and answer the questions. They said that she couldn’t be in pre-K, she had to go to kindergarten, so that is where she started. That is why she has now graduated, she should actually be in grade 10, because she has just turned 16,” Annette explained. Over the years, Jo’Anna has blossomed academically and in her choices of extra-curricular activities. She was awarded first place during the 4H Parish Achievement Day for public speaking in the third grade, and while she switched schools to Howard Cooke Primary, Jo’Anna did not slow down. In the fourth grade Jo’Anna became entered the Jamaican Junior Mathematical Olympiad and placed third in her grade category. She also placed first in her class at school, Annette told the Sunday Observer. She maintained that momentum throughout her primary education and was ultimately awarded the highest regional average in the then Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT) in 2018. Jo’Anna also received the highest GSAT average in mathematics and was named student of the year. She also became a member of the Montego Bay High School quiz team. “In grade seven she joined the School Challenge Quiz team and she started playing in grade nine. As a matter of fact, this year was one of the first times that they went to the third round, and she was very instrumental in getting them there,” said Annette. Seemingly maintaining her relationship with the Jamaica Mathematical Olympiad, Jo’Anna went on to win the competition twice in her high school career. Though her most recent stint saw her placing second in the grade 11 category, Jo’Anna was chosen as one of four Jamaican students to represent the island at the XXV Central American and Caribbean Mathematical Olympiad (OMCC) held in El Salvador last month. She was the lone female on the team. Annette told the Sunday Observer that her daughter was ecstatic after learning that she was chosen to be a part of the team. “It was just exceptional because she was the only girl. We were kind of hesitant being that she was the lone female there, so it was a little scary for us, but we talked about it and we were satisfied with…the arrangements. She enjoyed it, too. She was happy,” she said. “She is an overachiever and she is happy about it, but sometimes she beats up on herself to say that she could have done better. She is always looking to achieve 100 per cent. She is always looking to go to the highest as God would have her because we are strong believers in Jesus Christ. We couldn’t have done this by ourselves, we trusted God and he has been helping us greatly,” Annette added. At the same time, Jo’Anna’s father, Andre, spoke highly of his child, who is hoping to pursue a career as “an applied mathematician or a machine learning engineer. “I am elated. It was a lot of work…and she took to the discipline. I had to wake her up at 3:00 am every Saturday because they went to UWI [The University of the West Indies] to train for three months. The dedication was great. I am glad to see that she put her head to something, the stick-to-it-iveness was there and she got the results that she desired. We are proud of that,” he said. Having completed her Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) exams, the family is now looking forward to the next step of Jo’Anna’s journey. “She did 10 subjects; We are waiting for the results. And because of her age we are going to send her to sixth form. Her dream since doing GSAT is to go to Campion College, so we are looking at that now,” said Annette.

IN recent weeks there have been several names being called as possible replacements for Karl Samuda on the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) ticket in St Andrew North Central in the next general election. But it is clear that anyone who wants to replace him will have to get his endorsement, and he is not confirming that he is leaving until he is satisfied with his replacement. In a recent interview with the Jamaica Observer, Samuda made it clear that he is determined to do what is in the best interest of the people of the constituency who have stood with him for more than 40 years. They were with him when he first tasted victory in a general election in 1980 on a JLP ticket. They stayed with him when he switched to the People’s National Party (PNP) in 1993 and ensured that victory, and their backing remained when he contested the 1997 election back on a JLP ticket. Now in the twilight of his political career, Samuda said the people are forefront in his consideration, as he contemplates another rodeo. After 10 consecutive victories, Samuda, now 83, is not saying yet if he will be back on the ballot in the next general election due in 2025, but he is adamant that any decision he makes will take into account what is best for the people and his beloved party. “I want to hang up my belt and retire peacefully on my farm and enjoy what I love doing, that is breeding thoroughbred horses, and if I get the opportunity on Saturdays and Sundays to watch the racing that I love,” Samuda told the Sunday Observer during the recent interview at his sprawling farm in a valley in St Catherine. “Most important are the people and the party that I have been associated with for most of my life. After all, I have been in the House for 43 years. I will do everything in my power to make the JLP win and Andrew Holness remain as prime minister and the party moves on from there,” declared Samuda who refused to be drawn on a possible replacement if he finally decides to walk away. “I don’t want to make any commitments about anybody to replace me at this time,” said Samuda with a cheeky smile as he ignored questions about the names of some of those tipped to replace him. “I am a Member of Parliament who has committed himself to serving the people and improving their quality of life,” declared Samuda in a clear hint of the quality he will be looking for in anyone he would endorse. He pointed out that in a short while Mike Henry, the Clarendon Central MP and himself, will achieve the milestone as the longest-serving Member of Parliament in the region and argued that this was possible because of their commitment to the people in their constituencies, no matter their political views. “We are 43 years now and we will surpass Mr Seaga [former Prime Minister Edward Seaga] who now holds the record in the history of elected representation in this area,” said Samuda with a satisfied smile.

GREENSBORO, United States — Guilford County Schools (GCS) celebrated its new international teachers last Monday. School officials said this is the largest group of new teachers in district history. “I just want to be able to do well by, you know, my students, the county, and just represent my country. That’s my goal so I just want to be able to do that and do it well,” international teacher from Jamaica, Kimani Roach, who will teach math to high school students, said. There are 42 international teachers in total, and 32 of them are from Jamaica. Monday, WFMY News 2 learned that the curriculum taught in Jamaica is very similar to what is taught in schools here in the States. “Their degrees actually align really well to the degrees here and so a lot of those credits transfer. And we do vet our teachers through a couple of different steps, and part of that process aligns really nicely with the degrees that they earn in Jamaica,” academic development team leader with Global Teaching Partners, Ashley McRae said. Global Teaching Partners is the company teaming these international teachers with schools here in North Carolina, and specifically Guilford County. With schools across the country facing staffing shortages, this programme does bring some relief. “Obviously it does help with staffing just in the regard that our teachers help to fill some vacancies in some districts, but I think one of the things we truly want to highlight is part of the cultural exchange,” McRae said. These teachers from across the world are getting ready to teach subjects like science, Spanish, and physical education — but they’ll also get the chance to share a piece of their home through this cultural exchange. “I would pass on the language. I would let them know a little about my culture as it relates to the language aspect, the dance, the food, the dress, also as it relates to the music as well,” international teacher from Jamaica, Rosheika Smith, who will teach language arts to third graders, said. “The reason why I chose to come to Greensboro and North Carolina is because I wanted to grow professionally, as well as personal growth. Also, I wanted to learn new cultures as well as to share my culture.” Both Rosheika and her twin sister Tasheika have travelled from Jamaica and will both teach at GCS. Although credits and curriculums are similar in Jamaica and the United States there are some differences in areas such as technology, something Roach said will be a big help, “I would say there is way more technology here and so we have a lot of resources here to work with. We do too in Jamaica but we have more technology here, and I’m just looking forward to learning my way around the technology, using… that stuff and really using it to help my students.” Printed from WFMY News 2, North Carolina

PARADISE, Westmoreland — Regency Petroleum Limited (RPL), a locally owned service station which has its roots in Westmoreland, is in expansion mode. It opened the second of four planned locations recently, and founder and CEO Andrew Williams said the goal is to become a multinational. “We started out from the ground and we are working our way up,” he said during the grand opening of the company’s service station in Paradise, Westmoreland, last Wednesday. RPL currently operates in Savanna-la-Mar, but the Paradise location is the first of three that will provide full service. Williams explained that it will be open to the public between 6:00 am and 10:00 pm, with self-service available outside those hours. “We want to start out with every aspect of business operations being [like] a First World company. Our service is a necessity; we acknowledge that and we want our patrons to experience our service. We don’t want to limit the service offered,” he said. Wednesday’s opening of RPL’s Paradise location places the company a step closer to establishing its vision of becoming a leading petroleum provider. The station will be equipped with state-of-the-art facilities, including advanced fuel-dispensing technology, a convenience store, and a café that can be used as a workspace. Two other stations are currently being constructed — one in Negril, Westmoreland, and the other on Spanish Town Road in Kingston. Williams said the Negril branch is expected to open its doors in November. He said the one in Kingston is approximately 10 per cent complete. While not providing the exact price tag for constructing the Paradise station, Williams said such a facility can cost between $130 to 170 million, depending on the US exchange rate. He said this is because some of the equipment is imported. In his address during the grand opening, Minister of Science, Energy, Telecommunications and Transport Daryl Vaz noted that because Jamaica is not able to subsidise the cost of diesel and fuel, the strategy is to embrace other options to improve efficiency and affordability. “As we face the serious challenges of climate change it is imperative that we explore cleaner, more sustainable and affordable alternatives. LPG — with its versatility, efficiency, and ability of reducing carbon emissions — represents a significant step towards achieving one of the Government’s environmental goals,” stated Vaz. The minister said RPL’s range of fuel products is in line with this shift, and noted that the company has also incorporated a charging station to provide service for those with electric vehicles. Also during the event, Vaz encouraged the company to make road safety one of its priorities. He noted that keeping drivers safe, secure, and in good health on the road is not only vital to RPL’s business but is one of the country’s greatest concerns. “Your staff and contractors drive thousands of kilometres each year to deliver products to customers or to keep operations running so getting road safety right must be a priority and a serious challenge,” stated the minister. “Establishing long-term and interim safety performance goals and targets — supported by action plans that set out the specific interventions needed to achieve them — is one way of establishing international good practices. You can add to this through the implementation of training programmes and by limiting your drivers” journeys,” he added. RPL, which is listed publicly on the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange currently operates two entities — automotive petroleum service stations and the sale of LPG/ cooking gas.

FREE TOWN, Clarendon — More than 200 students from Free Town and surrounding communities received backpacks, $180,000 worth of scholarships, and four tablets during an annual back-to-school treat and health fair put on by Miracle Tabernacle Free Town Church of God of Prophecy recently. The event was organised by Free Town Foundation, a subsidiary of the church. Students also received free medical check-ups that were provided through Clarendon Health Services, which was an event partner. Ronnaiya Royal, 15, who will be entering grade 10 at Vere Technical High School in September, is among the tablet recipients. “I am happy and grateful because I was struggling to do my school-based assessment. I started them in grade nine and my laptop wasn’t working so I didn’t get to finish them, so this will help me out big time. Thanks to the Free Town Foundation; I am grateful for the assistance and this will make a difference,” she said. Natalia Gayle received a scholarship valued at $25,000 which she said will aid in all aspects of her back-to-school preparation. “My parents are having a challenge making ends meet right now, plus I have two other siblings,” said the grateful 15-year-old Denbigh High School student. “Thank you very much for this scholarship and may God bless you all,” she added. Joanie James, who is a social worker with the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, delivered the keynote address during the donation ceremony. She encouraged recipients to give back to organisations and foundations that have helped them. “Education is a key investment in your child so parents, despite the many challenges you may face, don’t give up. A lot of persons use education to gain their financial freedom so as parents you should speak positive things over your children and encourage them to be the best they can be. Spend the time with them, ensure they do their work, and overall be there for them and support them,” she said while encouraging students to pursue their passion. “In Clarendon we have been doing a series of parenting workshops and we have seen that the relationships the parents are supposed to have with their children are not there. The daughters are getting into various activities such as smoking and drinking and the young men are selling drugs in the schools. You need to be mindful of these things,” she warned. “As parents with children who will be going to high school you need to give them a pep talk, as they will be going into a new environment. Tell them to be mindful of the friends they keep; don’t drink everything your friends offer you because sometimes they put Molly in the drink and give them and they take it — so they need to be mindful of these things. They can’t be too careful. And they should not leave their bags unattended because if a search is taking place, a friend may drop the drugs in their bags and then your child ends up in trouble. So, be mindful of the friends you keep; keep positive friends,” she urged.

Downtown Kingston vendors who have relied on a “Run, run, run” signal at the arrival of the police to clear sidewalks blocked with their back-to-school and other items are seeking a two-week break from the hassle, from the Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC). Kingston mayor, Senator Delroy Williams on Thursday indicated the possibility of the two-week pause in the raids by the police, often referred to as the “Run, run, run” signal for vendors, which he insisted had to be supported by co-operation with the KSAMC as well as increased efforts by the vendors to manage their areas. However, he has been insisting that it be done without blocking the sidewalks and interfering with businesses and shoppers searching for back-to-school items. Mayor Williams advised the meeting — filled with a large number of the vendors, mainly women, at the KSAMC’s Church Street head office — that the corporation is going to look at the matter again this week, with the likelihood of agreeing to the two-week break from the seasonal raids endorsed by the members of the municipality. “We are going to look at it but we want a better plan for South Parade,” he assured the vendors, recalling that work has just started on improving the shelter-less Jamaica Urban Transit Company’s (JUTC) terminal in the centre of Parade, downtown, where hundreds of commuters wait for lengthy periods on buses to all parts of the city and St Catherine. Williams said KSAMC is willing to invite the vendors back to assess the situation after the two-week exercise in leniency regarding the sale of their back-to-school items, wherever possible, in the heart of downtown shopping area. Other overcrowded areas are also likely to be affected by the decision. “The vendors have asked for it and they are business people. They are saying that this is a high [sales] period of business within the space and they want to take advantage of it. As a municipality we are here to create the climate for business and we are here to encourage the climate for business to flourish and generate employment — and if we can do that in an orderly way, why not?” he responded. However, he reminded the vendors that the municipality has a practice of treating with special activities, including blocking roads during most of the period. He noted that the back-to-school time is one of heavy spending by parents, when vendors are far more active than normal as the September term — the first for the school year — approaches. “And during those periods special allowances are given as a practice, and this is to encourage business activities within the area,” he noted. However, the mayor criticised the vendors for their treatment of the areas allotted to them in the past, and warned them that their lack of persuasion has led to deterioration in their pursuit of free enterprise, due to the fact that they are not structured enough. “Part of the challenge is that you have to be structured when you are downtown, and part of the challenge is that a lot of us are not willing to change our ways. You can’t tell me that you want to continue with something like that, that you want to develop downtown in the interest of the vendors and those who are buying, but when I walk down there and see the conditions that you sell in it is a disgrace,” he pointed out. “You are not co-operating and you want to continue in the same way, people want to sell the same way. They want to stand up on the roadside and throw the cabbage skin on the street, and when they are gone home other people supposed to come and take them up. If you don’t take them up they block the road, and they say that the Government is not doing anything. “I keep saying that the municipality wants to do things but we need money. If we had the money, trust me, the place would have been spic and span. It’s not that we don’t want to do it, we just don’t have the money and the resources to do it; but because we don’t have all the money to do it, we need cooperation to make the task easier,” he reasoned. The mayor severely criticised vendors who sell agricultural products close to broken sewage mains and gullies, as well as those who continue to block the sidewalks, shops, and other business places without consideration for the public and children. He noted that illegal vending on Beckford Street and other sections of downtown Kingston has long been an inconvenience to motorists, pedestrians, and formal business operators, with no indication that it will stop anytime soon and that cooperaion will set in to accommodate both shop and stall vendors.

Almost a year after the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling which determined that security guards at Marksman Limited were employees and not independent contractors, a newly formed Security Guard Taskforce is hauling the company back before the courts in a fresh action. The hearing, which is set for December, is to thrash out a controversial new contract which guards are being pressured to sign. It would see them relinquishing their rights to all benefits before the September 2022 ruling, according to the Union of Clerical, Administrative and Supervisory Employees (UCASE). That ruling had stemmed from claims brought by the National Housing Trust (NHT), seeking to recoup unpaid statutory deductions from the security company, which should have been handed over on behalf of their workers. The contract, a copy of which the Jamaica Observer saw, is captioned as an agreement to terminate contract for services (as an) independent contractor. It said further: “The officer was engaged as an independent contractor” on a fixed-term contract that would have come to an end pursuant to the Supreme Court judgment in which the court determined “with prospective effect that the security engaged under the contract and who provided services to third parties are in fact employees”. “And because of that decision, the parties to the contract have agreed that the contract will terminate by mutual agreement without blame or fault as of March 31, 2023 on the terms and conditions set out hereunder.” “What we are saying is that there are a number of issues that have to be settled before you can ask the workers to sign these new contracts, such as outstanding NHT payment, National Insurance Scheme [NIS] payments. Workers have had injuries on the job, some were shot, some had motor vehicle accidents, and all of these are matters that the workers are saying need to be resolved before we can sign. What has been happening is that workers who refuse to sign, they have been victimised by layoffs, they turn up for work and are not assigned any duty,” President of the union Vincent Morrison told the Observer on Sunday. He was speaking just ahead of a meeting in which dozens of security guards gathered at UCASE’s offices on West King’s House Road in St Andrew. Morrison said that many of the guards have not been allowed to work since April because they refused to sign the new contracts and agree to the terms therein. “To ask a worker who is transitioning with the company [to a new regime] to sign a document extinguishing their benefits, that is not the law or the practice. That is not how we do it in Jamaica and we have a lot of examples of that here. So to ask them to sign away their rights in this way, especially in light of the fact that the court established that they are employees and not contractors, it would not only be unfair but unjust,” Morrison charged. Several of the guards, some of whom have given over 20 years’ service, in contending that they were being “unfairly treated”, said they could not countenance cancelling the benefits they were due from the deductions which were taken from their meagre salaries over the years. “Which one of unuh mutually agree to terminate anything? They are asking you to sign a paper saying that you and them agree, you and them agree anything? How can you sign that? Dictatorship, ramming it down your throat, not fair. And when you go down and start read the terms yuh stomach sick,” attorney-at-law Leonard Green, who filed the action, said to loud murmurs of agreement from the miffed guards. “It is so unfair, they are deducting NIS, NHT, everything, but they are saying you are not employees…they want you to give up your legal rights, you are going to be put on probation for 90 days. The court said you are employees, and they [companies] are asking you to agree that you were not employees and that’s why we are taking them to court,” Green added. “We are asking the court to say that this attempt for you to use your pen and throw away your rights is unjust and unfair,” he stated. “There are 25,000 registered security guards in Jamaica, more than the police and the army put together. They must give us answers as to what they have been doing in the interest of our guards,” Green went on. On Sunday, Green and Morrison intimated that it could spell trouble for not only the security company, but the Government as well, should the plight of the security guards be ignored, given the looming local government and general elections. “We have 25,000 security guards out there. When we curate the numbers, no minister will ignore us, all of them will perk up because you know many people lose seat by 200 and 300 votes?” Green said. “And wi children and wi grandchildren inna it to,” one guard chimed in, suggesting that other voters connected to the wronged guards could also be swayed. In the meantime, several workers on Sunday said the Ministry of Labour was giving conflicting signals and should show its hand in the matter. According to several of the workers, they had approached the ministry to query their rights as it related to the insistence of their employers that they sign the new contracts. According to one worker, who said he had some 23 years’ service under his belt, he was told by the ministry that he would need to present all pay stubs dating back to his first day of employment. He said he was also told that he would only be able to retrieve six years of all the deductions. He said on that basis he refused to sign the contract, choosing to remain without a salary. Several workers also insisted that although their deductions were being made, they were not being paid over. One guard alleged that this extended to health cards and insurance policies.

MONTEGO BAY, St James — Member of Parliament for St James East Central Edmund Bartlett has announced that some $13 million will be spent on his educational programme in his constituency this year. He was speaking on Friday at the East Central St James Scholarship and Welfare Fund annual awards function, held at Iberostar Hotel for 79 tertiary-level students who received scholarships and grants amounting to over $8 million. That came on the heels of scholarship awards to 130 students in his constituency who amassed over 80 per cent in their Primary Exit Profile (PEP) examinations. “This year, having now completed today [Friday] our school tuition education programme, we will be spending $13 millon on education for East Central St James,” revealed Bartlett who is also the minister of tourism. “We are supported, of course, by CDF [Constituency Development Fund]. Plus, we do very special fund-raising support from our private sector partners to enable these contributions to be had so that our students can be secured. I am excited about it and this is why I am in politics for 47 years,” he added. Guest speaker at the ceremony, minister without portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Senator Matthew Samuda noted that Bartlett is the parliamentarian who spends the majority of his CDF on education. “I can tell you — and I hope the citizens of East Central St James realise, Mr Bartlett — that the greatest investment in education from the CDF, which the minister has total discretion of, comes from Minister Bartlett in Jamaica, and I think that should be acknowledged and be congratulated,” Samuda stated. He added that Bartlett’s choice of investing in education is a reflection of the long-term thinking of the Andrew Holness-led Government. “A Government and a politician is known by the decision that he makes; it is not always popular, and it is not always that there are not easier, short-term decisions before you. “There are many things that this Government has decided to spend on that will bring long-term benefits. There are many programmes that are in place that we could be very simplistic with: We could be doing a whole lot of tinkering with water, some patches here and there instead of resurfacing, we could be doing little tinkering in education, or tinkering in health care, or tinkering in the capacity to support this rapid growth in tourism. But, we have made decisions that I think mirror the philosophy that has certainly been represented by Minister Bartlett — and under this Government, led by Andrew Holness, there is a long-term thinking,” Samuda said. Bartlett noted that in his nearly five decades in representational politics he is most proud of his contribution to education. “This is the 47th year of experience in nation building and, of that 47 years, 43 of them have been dedicated to providing educational opportunities for the children of the two constituencies that I have represented in that period — Eastern St Andrew and now East Central St James,” he said. “There is nothing that has given me greater pride — not the 21 years that I have been a minister in every JLP Administration since 1980, and because I am also the longest-serving Member of Parliament in the history of St James East Central — but because more lives have been enriched. More people with little promise or no promise, and even less resource, have had a chance to not only be promising but fulfill their promise,” he added.

Richard Lake (second row, third right), chairman of Restaurants Associates Limited, which operates the Burger King franchise in Jamaica, is almost lost in the crowd of scholarship recipients at the company’s recent award function. Photo: Karl Mclarty

TWO Jamaicans, Kenardo Matherson and Ganga Laheja, are among four high-achieving youth who have earned the European Union’s (EU) Erasmus Mundus Scholarship for 2023. The other scholars are Giann Vasquez and Tyler Eck from Belize. The four scholars will pursue joint two-year master’s programmes in the fields of science, technology and engineering, at leading universities across Europe, come September. EU Ambassador to Jamaica Marianne Van Steen, who congratulated the scholars, encouraged them to contribute to the growth and development of their countries following the completion of their programmes. “I know it is going to be very attractive to go to all those countries and you will see a completely different way of living. I just hope you are going to come back to your countries. If Jamaica and Belize should make a leap forward we need young people like you, who have been trained and educated well, to work on your countries,” said Van Steen. The ambassador also urged the scholars to take advantage of the different opportunities that will emerge from the scholarship experience. “Open your horizons. It is not just about what you are going to learn, it is not just about your university and the courses — it is about becoming a part of the different cultures and making friends for the rest of your life,” added Van Steen. Erasmus Mundus, which is designed to foster educational enrichment and intercultural understanding, is a joint master’s degree programme which covers the cost of students’ participation, travel, and living allowance. Five Jamaicans were awarded with scholarships for 2022, which was the country’s largest cohort since 2014. Since 2004 more than 30 Jamaicans have been awarded the scholarship. The application period for the scholarship is open every year between October and January, for courses starting the following academic year. Interested members of the public can consult the online catalogue of available masters’ programmes to identify postgraduate opportunities of their interest among the 193 programmes available.

The labour ministry — in reacting to cries of victimisation by five of six Jamaican men over their sudden dismissal by a Canadian farm owner after they, in June, went public with complaints about their sub-par living and working conditions — says it will “thoroughly investigate” their allegations. The ministry, in a statement issued on Friday morning, said it was up to that point, “unable to substantiate the allegations as publicised by the Jamaica Observer and had received no formal complaint from the workers”. The ministry, however, said, “due to the serious nature of the allegations”, it would engage the five men in a meeting Friday morning, “to hear from them directly as we continue to investigate this matter”. Up to press time, there was no word from the ministry on the outcome of the meeting. In the meantime, the ministry said preliminary investigations have revealed that, for the farm in issue, there has been notable fallout in production yield from the early cycle crops — asparagus and strawberry. It further said that based on changes in climatic conditions, spring frost impacted the crop production, causing a decline in projected yields. According to the ministry, “early cessation of employment is a common occurrence based on circumstances affecting crop production as is observed on several farms in Canada”. The ministry added that several farm workers who were party to the complaint by the Jamaicans about conditions on the farm in June are still on the job in Canada. A representative of the group, speaking with the Observer on Wednesday evening, had alleged that the abrupt dismissal was “payback” for them blowing the whistle in June. According to him, the news of their departure was given to them while they were in the field on Friday, August 4. The men, who had stayed off the job for a day in protest after their living quarters were flooded with waste water, landed in Jamaica on Tuesday, August 7, a day after the island ended its Independence celebrations. Labour Minister Pearnel Charles Jr, shortly after the matter was brought to his attention on Wednesday gone, arranged for the face-to-face meeting with the workers, who feel they have been victimised for going public with the video. The video, which had been shared on several social media platforms and was also sent to the Observer at that time, showed overflowing toilets and bathroom facilities and waterlogged flooring in the bunkhouse which features an open-plan layout. In one video, workers recorded a meeting between themselves and their handler, who, in a tirade punctuated by expletives, accused them of deliberately pouring grease down the drains on more than one occasion to cause the unsightly flooding. The man, whose voice dominated the video, interrupted the workers’ attempts to deny any such activity. Following the media highlight by the farm workers, Charles Jr had ordered an immediate investigation into the living conditions and work environment of the farm workers from the location. Then in July the Ministry of Labour and Social Security said it would be identifying additional platforms through which farm workers can blow the whistle freely and voice their issues and complaints without fearing backlash or victimisation from their handlers.

THE Mayberry Foundation has added its financial muscles to Project STAR, the social and economic transformation initiative created by the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ). In affirming its commitment to fostering positive change in communities across Jamaica, the Mayberry Foundation has donated $10 million to Project STAR. The money will be disbursed over four years in tranches of $2.5 million annually. This infusion of capital will propel Project STAR’s multi-faceted initiatives, aimed at revitalising marginalised communities and driving comprehensive socio-economic growth. The announcement was made during a recent Mayberry Investor Update, showcasing Project STAR’s mission and progress. Keith Duncan, project sponsor of Project STAR, expressed his gratitude for the Mayberry Foundation’s support and shared insights into the far-reaching impact of the collaboration. In the meantime Chris Berry, executive chairman of Mayberry Investments, used the opportunity to express his unwavering conviction in the power of transformative change. “Project STAR emerges as an unparalleled embodiment of comprehensive initiative, a programme of unmatched scale that I have ever witnessed. As an individual firmly rooted in the belief that every challenge holds a solution, I am resolute in my support. Inspired by my brother Keith’s decision to embark on this ambitious journey. “It is worth noting that the Duncan family is renowned for its ethos of compassion. We have long been champions of aiding others, and with this collaboration, we extend our efforts to amplify our impact, benefiting not only ourselves but the broader community. Our commitment stands resolute at 100 per cent,” said Berry. He underscored that despite the Mayberry Foundation’s modest size, it is unwavering in its resolve to achieve an impact that transcends expectations. “While our foundation may be small in scale, it consistently punches above its weight. Often, we find ourselves being compared to entities of a different league, a comparison that doesn’t truly reflect our dedication. With just 130 employees at Mayberry, we have consistently defied conventional expectations. And now, we’re stepping up yet again. This marks one of the most significant contributions we’ve made this year. “Our well wishes extend to Keith and the entire Jamaican community engaged in the mission of Project STAR. We envision a community where all capable individuals come forward — those with skills, time or financial resources. Keith stands ready to impart his expertise, nurturing a wave of positive change. As for those with financial means, the opportunity for meaningful impact is substantial. The return on investment in this endeavour is poised to stand among the highest in Jamaica’s history,” added Berry. Project STAR, a visionary endeavour jointly led by the PSOJ and the Jamaica Constabulary Force, encompasses strategic partnerships with various government entities, community-based organisations and private sector stakeholders. This collective effort aims to transform low-resourced communities by addressing critical social and economic challenges in a holistic and sustainable manner. “The Mayberry Foundation’s important contribution reaffirms the team’s commitment to the betterment of Jamaica and underscores their role as a driving force behind positive change,” said Duncan in his address to the Mayberry Investor Update. “We are thrilled to welcome The Mayberry Foundation as a signature donor, and this support will undoubtedly advance our vision of vibrant, thriving communities,” added Duncan, who is also co-chair of the Oversight Board of Project STAR. Duncan emphasised the importance of a comprehensive approach as he declared, “Our focus is not only on social interventions but also on fostering economic empowerment. By partnering with organisations such as the Mayberry Foundation, we can create an ecosystem that enables micro and small businesses to flourish, stimulating economic activity and ensuring long-term sustainability.” The event showcased the initiatives already under way in the eastern end of downtown Kingston, where Project STAR has been operational for just over eight months, with substantial achievements in areas such as childhood education, skills development, employment creation and social cohesion. As Project STAR expands its reach from downtown Kingston to additional communities such as Sav-la-Mar, Westmoreland and May Pen, Clarendon, the vision of catalysing socio-economic transformation is gaining momentum and it is expected that the contribution from the Mayberry Foundation’s will play a pivotal role in driving this transformation throughout communities across Jamaica.

MONTEGO BAY, St James — Best friends La-Sharna Leslie and Dajanaye Clarke now have something else in common. They have been selected as the top female students in southern St James, based on their performance in the recent Primary Exit Profile (PEP) exams. Usually, the award goes to one male and one female student but, separated by only two points, the girls were almost indistinguishable from each other. Leslie racked up a score of 342 out of 400 while Clarke scored 344. They are graduates of St Mary’s Preparatory School which is based in Montpelier, St James. They said while they knew they did well in the exam, being named top female students came as a surprise. “We didn’t know we were going to get awards today but we’re excited and we’re pumped and we’re grateful,” Leslie said after they both received laptops from Member of Parliament for St James Southern, Homer Davis. “I almost drop down,” Clarke said comically. Both girls, who were also the top two students at St Mary’s Prep, will attend Montego Bay High School for Girls starting September. They know their new laptops will come in handy as they focus on the sciences. “I want to become a biochemist,” Clarke said. Leslie, who wants to become a paediatrician, said, “I am very excited for high school.” They are both looking forward to the end of summer and going back to the classroom. Like Leslie and Clarke, top male student Jovoy Thomas has been given a big boost by the award. He will be attending Herbert Morrison Technical High School. He is also from St Mary Prep. “I feel wonderful, I feel like I could rule the world right now,” he remarked with glee. The St James Southern High Achievers Award is an annual event that is coordinated by the office of the Member of Parliament, Homer Davis. Of the 15 schools within the constituency, 123 students on Thursday received bursaries of $25,000 in cash and book vouchers to assist them with their journey to high school.

BARITA Investments Limited, in its capacity as arranger and underwriter, has announced a multi-billion-dollar deal designed to redefine the urban panorama of St Catherine. The housing development dubbed ‘Hellshire View’ is being planned as a ground breaking stride toward urban development. Through financial backing of $1.5 billion, via an innovative revolving construction financing structure, Barita has forged a partnership with RiteSolutions Developers Limited. This collaboration has culminated in a joint venture agreement with the Housing Agency of Jamaica (HAJ), setting in motion the development of 157 acres of prime land at Shooters Hill, St Catherine. This initiative is poised to yield 603 cutting-edge housing solutions for low- and middle-income earners interwoven with commercial spaces. “This public-private partnership stands as a testament to Barita’s resolute belief in the boundless potential of the housing project and real estate development. Beyond addressing housing needs, the project emerges as a dynamic stimulus for economic expansion and creating employment opportunities,” said Terise Kettle, senior vice-president for investment banking at Barita Investments Limited. “We are proud to acknowledge our pivotal role in making this venture become a reality as it mirrors our commitment to fostering sustainable urban growth and community advancement, which will positively impact Jamaica. “Our financial support paves the way for a visionary concept that will etch an enduring legacy in the future of St Catherine and Jamaica,” added Kettle. For Owen Campbell, director of RiteSolutions Developers, the venture marks the convergence of strategic foresight and unwavering commitment. “As partners in progress, we are thrilled to embark on this transformative journey alongside Barita and the HAJ. This project is more than the sum of its parts; it’s a testament to our dedication to crafting thriving communities that resonate with innovation, inclusivity, and sustainable growth. “We envision Hellshire View as not just another residential development, but a testament to what’s possible when shared aspirations and determination converge,” said Campbell In endorsing that view, Kettle underscored that Barita has had more than four decades of service to Jamaica. “During that time, we have embraced challenges and opportunities while optimistic about the future. We are committed to realising the shared vision of a St Catherine that thrives, evolves, and stands tall as a testament to what collaboration and perseverance can achieve. “We are not just arranging funding to assist in building structures, we are building a legacy, one that celebrates the spirit of community, innovation, and the boundless potential of human endeavour,” said Kettle. Construction of Hellshire View started in April with the aim of delivering the first phase of homes in early 2024.

STUDENTS living in communities in proximity to Caribbean Cement Company Limited received much-needed support with their back-to-school expenses with an investment of $2.3 million in book vouchers. The company procured a total of 117 vouchers, each valued at $20,000. At a brief ceremony at the company’s sport club in Kingston on Thursday, managing director of the Rockfort-based entity Yago Castro urged the students to take care of their books. “Don’t destroy them. Read them carefully, read them slowly. There really is no rush,” said Castro. The handover of the vouchers formed part of the company’s social impact programme, which endeavours to foster a deep connection within the communities, supporting their economic development, and striving to improve the livelihoods of the residents. In response to receiving the book vouchers, St Hugh’s High School for Girls student Brielle Bailey expressed gratitude to the cement company for helping to offset back-to-school expenses and for investing in the education of the students present. Carib Cement also provided support to The MultiCare Youth Foundation to support its social intervention programmes, which target underserved youth.

George and Emmelyn Stewart both hit the 80-year-old mark in June, but the celebration had to wait until August when family and friends travelled from New York, Atlanta and Florida, to surprise them at a function at the Terra Nova Hotel in St Andrew last Saturday. The celebration was even sweeter as the couple celebrated 48 years of marriage on August 6. Here are some highlights of the magical evening.

SUPREME Court judge, Justice David Batts on Friday ruled that a January 2023 application made for the sale of bankrupt adventure tour company Mystic Mountain Limited (MML) can proceed. Deals expert Wilfred Baghaloo, who was appointed receiver in February last year by secured creditor and bondholder Sky-High Holdings Limited, after the company defaulted on its debt for a long period, had asked the court’s guidance as to whether or not he could proceed with the sale given the various concerns expressed by the shareholders. His appointment had come after a year-long fight in which directors of Mystic Mountain tried to come to an agreement with creditors under the Insolvency Act. Sky High Holdings Ltd (the secured creditor) owns 100 per cent of MML’s senior secured fixed rate bonds in the principal amount of $1.1 billion. On Friday Justice Batts, in handing down the ruling in the first of seven orders, said, “My order is that the sale of the business and assets of Mystic Mountain Limited, including the current leases between Mystic Mountain and lessors Jamaica Bauxite Mining Company and the Urban Development Corporation, upon the terms and conditions set forth in the agreement for sale dated January 19th, 2023 to the purchasers named therein and duly executed by the parties thereto, is hereby approved.” In making several orders relating to costs Justice Batts said, among other things, that the cost of filing and preparation of the claim; all applications and affidavits in support and in answer and in reply; as well as the cost of all hearing, mention, and trial dates up to and including the second day of August 2022 are to be borne by the estate of Mystic Mountain. Baghaloo, in responding to questions from the Jamaica Observer, said the court ruling had cleared the way for him to “now commence the process of fulfilling the conditions of the sale, which will require some time (maybe two months)”. Baghaloo, shortly after his appointment, had proceeded to seek a buyer for the assets and operation of the company. After a lengthy process, including advertising the business for sale globally, regionally and locally— including targeting approximately 40 private companies — a preferred buyer was selected in July 2022. However, the trustee and a group of shareholders objected to the sale to the preferred buyer. Baghaloo, in January 2022, challenged their objections by asking the court for its guidance on the matter. “After one year of affidavits, et cetera, the court made its judgment today that I, as receiver, should proceed with sale, and in summary is agreeing that proper process and considerations were given by me in selecting the preferred buyer. I thank the court for working during the period of recess [the judge’s vacation time] and to the numerous creditors, our workers, other stakeholders, and the preferred bidder for their enormous patience,” he told the Observer. “The sale has been delayed for a long time and so I would like to say thanks. It was my expectation to have this matter closed from September of last year so you will appreciate the anxiety of all the relevant stakeholders,” he added. In relation to the orders for costs made by Justice Batts, Baghaloo said, “The estate must bear some costs, but the costs for the hearings and work that goes into those hearings are the costs of the trustee, and not the estate. This is a matter the lawyer, and maybe the judge, will have to clear up in the future. This will require further clarification since the ruling may have a significant impact on the insolvency practice in the future.” He, in the meantime, said the case was “one of the most complex and difficult” he has seen in his 20 plus years of practice. Meanwhile, attorney Dr Christopher Malcolm, who headed the legal team appearing for Mystic Mountain Limited’s trustee Debbie-Ann Gordon, said with the court green-lighting the application for the sale of the entity and its assets, it is now left for his client “to consider the best interests of the estate as well as the 200 plus creditors involved and how it is that the matter is to be taken forward, including any applications that she may consider appropriate”. Bankruptcy proceedings for the adventure outfit began in January 2021 after the economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic. Mystic Mountain was opened in 2008 with financing from the Development Bank of Jamaica and private investors including American Michael Drakulich and his colleague, former politician and Government Minister Horace Clarke. Mystic Mountain is one of the top attractions in Ocho Rios. Activities include ziplining, bobsledding and bird watching.

Nicklaus and Nickerson. One name rings a bell, while the other soon will, as both play a prominent role at Ocean Edge Resort & Golf Club in Brewster, Mass. Nicklaus, of course, is the Golden Bear, and Nicklaus Design is responsible for Ocean Edge’s head-turning 7,011-yard, par-72 golf course (more on that later). Nickerson is the name of the family that originally owned the vast Coastal Cape property and built the iconic mansion around which the 429-acre resort lays out. The Mansion really is the heart of the place. The resort first opened in 1986, but business tycoon and Mayflower descendant Samuel Mayo Nickerson built what was then known as Fieldstone Hall in 1890 for his son Roland and family. Pretty soon it became the social hub of the Cape and for the most part it has remained so. But by no means is Ocean Edge stuck in the late Victorian era. This year’s Open Championship host has a celebrated history, and an eye towards the future. The head pro walked us through the excitement we can expect when Sean Zak and Dylan Dethier visited last summer. “We were inducted into the Historical Hotels of America just over a year ago, joining a prestigious global list of hotels and resorts that really celebrate and maintain their properties’ historic attributes,” said Brendan Carey, director of marketing for Ocean Edge. “We’re really keeping our story alive while also not staying too much in the past. We do a great job of that. Once you go outside the mansion, you see that we have updated guest rooms, we have updated facilities. We’re everything for the modern-day traveler, but we still maintain that essence of history.” The main Mansion has 90 rooms that cater to guests who prefer an upscale experience with old-world charm. There are also a handful of luxury villas and suites on the mansion grounds that offer enough space for bigger groups and families looking for a little extra attention to detail. A sparkling pool invites guests to linger.COURTESY OF OCEAN EDGE But most folks find themselves at the Villages Villas, a sprawling collection of single and multi-bedroom accommodations, some with kitchenettes. It’d be tempting just to relax in your villa and take in the cool sea air, but there’s so much to do at Ocean Edge, you don’t have that luxury. From pickleball to tennis to bike rentals, you can fill your morning with activity. Then relax in the afternoon at one of the resort’s five pools or, better yet, work out the kinks at The Beach House Spa (pro tip: the Ultimate Zen Ritual is the treatment to get). “If anyone leaves and says they were bored, then we didn’t do a good job communicating just how much we have on property,” says Carey. “Not only that, but we’re also part of an even larger community and we strive to be part of that community by sending our guests out to, as I like to say, a world beyond the Edge. We have partnerships with local museums, we send them out to Nickerson State Park, we partnered with a parasailing/jet ski company. We don’t ever want the other businesses on the Cape to think that we are (just) our own entity. We’re Cape Cod-ers.” S’mores are included at this private beach firepit.COURTESY OF OCEAN EDGE As any local or frequent visitor will tell you, the surrounding beaches are a can’t miss opportunity to experience life on the Cape, and Ocean Edge takes full advantage. Want to learn to build a five-star sandcastle? They’ve got you. Care to cruise the bay in a kayak? Check. How about rolling up your pants and embarking on an oyster bed adventure? Yep. You could spend a week and not get to partake in all the maritime mayhem available at the resort. One activity you best not miss is the private beach fire at sunset. It’s the perfect way to end a sand-filled day. S’mores included. A cocktail with a view.COURTESY OF OCEAN EDGE Ocean Edge even incorporates the beach into its golf offerings. Brewster Flats, alongside the property in Cape Cod Bay, is the largest tidal flats in North America. At low tide, they can extend out a mile or more. “It’s really hard compacted sand; beautiful. They’ll have these ripples, which makes for great dramatic sunsets,” says Carey. “But at low tide you get that really compacted sand perfect for designing mini golf courses. So, we do low tide mini golf, where every day the course changes.” Low tide mini golf is a hit for all ages.COURTESY OF OCEAN EDGE Other golf activities include Birdieball — essentially chipping from a dock at targets in the water (the more adventurous chip from paddle boards), nighttime Glow Golf and Cosmic Driving Range. One place you won’t want to encounter sand or water is Ocean Edge Golf Club. Reworked in 2007 by Chris Rule of Nicklaus Design, the private course is open to club members and hotel guests. Surprising elevation changes, gorgeous sightlines and gentle rolling terrain are all characteristic of the Nicklaus group’s notable work. The 17th at Ocean Edge Golf Club.COURTESY OF OCEAN EDGE But don’t let the wide fairways and receptive greens fool you, the course can play tough if that’s what you’re looking for. Two holes were singled out by GOLF back when the magazine covered the reopening: “The 195-yard 8th, with its downhill tee shot over Blueberry Pond, and the rugged 600-yard 17th are two lethal scorecard wreckers.” Nicklaus Design also performed a major remodel of the Links Restaurant and Clubhouse and built a brand-new Links Pavilion meeting space, creating a first-class experience for golfers and guests alike. The Mansion is itself a rebuild. In May 1906, Fieldstone Hall burned to the ground. It would be six years before Nickerson had the massive structure replicated, this time with fireproof materials. The Mansion would again welcome family and friends to celebrate life on the Cape, just as it does today at

Read “Former Trump White House Lawyer Says ‘There’s a Good Chance’ Alleged Voter Fraud Report Trump Will Release Could Become ‘Evidence Against Him’” on SmartNews

Trump’s efforts to steal Joe Biden’s victory in that state were a key component of his overall coup attempt that culminated in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack. WASHINGTON ― Former President Donald Trump on Monday night was indicted in Georgia on charges that he committed state crimes by trying to coerce election officials to overturn his narrow loss to Joe Biden there, as part of his coup attempt to remain in power despite losing the 2020 election. Trump was charged with more than a dozen felonies, from conspiring to commit forgery to filing false documents to racketeering, which is considered a “serious” felony and punishable by as long as 20 years in state prison. Also indicted were a laundry list of Trump lawyers and allies, including Rudy Giuliani, Mark Meadows, John Eastman, Jenna Ellis, Sidney Powell, Kenneth Chesebro, former Department of Justice official Jeffrey Clark and a host of Georgia Republican officials. At a news conference that started close to midnight, District Attorney Fani Willis said the “criminal conspiracy” had the “illegal goal of allowing Donald J. Trump to seize the presidential term of office beginning on Jan. 20, 2021.” “The grand jury issued arrest warrants for those who are charged,” Willis said. “I am giving the defendants the opportunity to voluntarily surrender no later than noon on Friday the 25th day of August 2023.” Trump’s campaign did not immediately respond to a HuffPost query regarding if and when Trump would do that. ADVERTISEMENT The sweeping 98-page document details a total of 161 criminal acts, 41 counts and 19 defendants, including Trump, who was charged with 13 of the counts. The scheme is described as a “criminal enterprise” under Georgia’s broad racketeering law. “Trump and the other defendants charged in this indictment refused to accept that Trump lost, and they knowingly and willfully joined a conspiracy to unlawfully change the outcome of the election in favor of Trump,” the indictment stated in the introduction. Among the charges: the harassment and threats against two Fulton County elections workers, Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss, on false allegations that they were tampering with ballots. The indictment also focuses on the fake elector scheme, which it states was “intended to disrupt and delay the joint session of Congress on January 6, 2021, in order to unlawfully change the outcome of the November 3, 2020, presidential election in favor of Donald Trump.” Willis’ indictment lays out an act-by-act chronology of the conspiracy, starting with a discussion Trump had on Oct. 31, 2020 ― three days before election day ― about a speech in which he would claim fraud and declare victory even if he lost. Trump in fact gave such a speech in the wee hours of election night: “An overt act in furtherance of the conspiracy,” according to the indictment. ADVERTISEMENT The narrative, listing dates, times and locations, lays out events that in most instances are not by themselves illegal but taken together are elements of a conspiracy to unlawfully remain in office despite having lost. Trump’s indictment was handed up by a Fulton County grand jury just before 9 p.m. ET following a marathon day of hearing testimony from witnesses. Local police started setting up barricades around the courthouse two weeks ago in anticipation of potential protests. In a statement released by his presidential campaign about an hour after the indictment was filed but before it was made public, Trump called Willis a “rabid partisan” who is trying to hurt his effort to return to the White House. “They are taking away President Trump’s First Amendment right to free speech, and the right to challenge a rigged and stolen election that the Democrats do all the time,” the statement said, repeating the same lies that led to the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection in the first place. The indictment is the second related to his post-election activities leading up to and on the violent assault on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Trump was charged in a federal indictment in Washington, D.C., two weeks ago, accusing him of conspiring to defraud the United States, conspiring to obstruct an official proceeding, obstructing an official proceeding, and conspiring to deny civil rights. U.S. Department of Justice special counsel Jack Smith had previously brought 37 felony charges against Trump in June for retaining top-secret documents at his Florida country club and then hiding them from authorities seeking their return. On Thursday, he added three new charges in an updated indictment, including two that accused Trump of ordering the deletion of a computer server that contained incriminating video footage. ADVERTISEMENT In Georgia, Trump, his campaign and members of his White House team, including then-chief of staff Mark Meadows, pushed Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and others to set aside Biden’s 11,779-vote victory in that state and falsely declare Trump the winner. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis began her investigation shortly after a recording was made public of Trump seeming to threaten Raffensperger with the possibility of criminal prosecution. Willis sought a special grand jury to investigate that pressure campaign and related efforts by Trump and his team in Georgia. The grand jury wrapped up its work early this year and disbanded. It did not have the authority to issue indictments, which were left for Willis to pursue with a regular grand jury. The judge overseeing that 23-member panel, however, released three brief portions of the grand jury’s report on Feb. 16. In those, jurors wrote that they’d concluded there had been no widespread voter fraud in Georgia, as Trump continues to falsely claim. Jurors also said they believed that at least one of the 75 witnesses who appeared before them had committed perjury. In a hint of Willis’ action, the grand jury included six pages of recommendations regarding whom to indict and on what charges, all of which were redacted from what the judge released. ADVERTISEMENT Trump had been lying, and continues to lie, about the election in Georgia and other states having been “stolen” from him. Trump used those falsehoods to rile up thousands of

MONTEGO BAY, St James — With a senior firefighter charged for sexually assaulting a teenage girl on her third day of a summer employment programme at the Montego Bay Fire Station, Education Minister Fayval Williams said the programme will be assessed to determine if changes are needed to ensure participants’ safety. “We understand the gravity of the situation and it will be investigated thoroughly by our entities. But, at the same time, we will look at the programme to see if there is anything we need to change about it to ensure that this never happens again,” she told the Jamaica Observer on Thursday. Williams said even though the programme was piloted by the Ministry of Local Government and Community Development, her ministry will have a role to play going forward. “Wherever a child is, whenever anything happens to that child, we have an obligation — especially because the Child Protection and Family Services Agency is in our portfolio,” she said. “So anywhere there is a case of abuse, immediately through one of their regional officers, they are there to begin the investigation to assess the immediate situation as well,” she added. The minister is optimistic that the summer work programme — which provides students with valuable experience in the workplace — will not be discontinued and she gave a commitment to swift action whenever children are in need of protection. “If we need to call CISOCA, if we need to call the police whenever we get these reports, even if it is in social media we are going to pursue and find out what’s going on,” said Williams. The high-ranking member of the Jamaica Fire Brigade was arrested on Tuesday and then charged a day later with attempted rape and sexual touching of a minor. The incident is said to have happened to the 14-year-old girl in July as she volunteered at the fire station. As part of stipulations outlined in the St James Parish Court on Thursday when he was granted bail in the sum of $400,000, the fireman has been asked to surrender his travel documents. He is scheduled to return to court on September 22.

NINETEEN public sector workers have been awarded full scholarships to pursue advanced studies at local and international tertiary institutions. They are the third cohort to benefit from the Marcus Garvey Public Sector Graduate Scholarship, which is administered by the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service. The awards ceremony was held at King’s House on Thursday to coincide with the 136th anniversary of the birth of Jamaica’s first national hero, in whose honour the scholarship is named. Awardees will be pursuing courses in national security, public health, computer-based management information systems, family medicine, construction management, law, applied data science, forensic science, and renewable energy technology. In his remarks, Governor General Sir Patrick Allen said the scholarship programme is a direct investment in Jamaica’s future. “The knowledge you acquire, the insights you gather and the skills you hone will be integral to shaping and fortifying our nation’s future,” he said. The governor general said members of the Scholarship Selection Committee, which he chairs, were impressed with the calibre of candidates, their educational achievements, the passion for the work they do and their vision of the impact their training will have on national development. He indicated that he is looking forward to increased uptake of the scholarships over the next two years. “Please let others who are working in the public sector know of this and encourage them to apply. They may very well be successful,” the governor general said. Deputy Financial Secretary Wayne Jones said the Ministry of Finance continues to lead the charge in facilitating training opportunities for public sector workers. “Our esteemed awardees, you have been carefully selected, having displayed the desired skills, academic achievements, and tenacity to inspire and lead a greater tomorrow. We, therefore, extend to you warmest congratulations on your selection and remain committed to supporting you throughout your educational journey and as you return to give back through service to Jamaica, land we love,” Jones said. Top scholarship recipient, Captain Natalie James, who gave the vote of thanks, expressed gratitude on behalf of the recipients, noting that the scholarship programme recognises the sheer relationship between education and national development. “This occasion is a testament to the commitment of advancing education, fostering talent and igniting the flame of national pride. Through this initiative, we will nurture a cadre of individuals who will harness their knowledge and skills to drive our country’s progress to new heights,” she remarked. The scholarships were established by the Government in 2020 to offer Jamaican nationals and citizens employed in the public sector the opportunity to obtain postgraduate degrees from competitive, appropriately accredited universities in Jamaica, North America and Europe. The programme offers 30 graduate scholarships annually at an estimated cost of $1 billion over five years. Awardees will be provided with a stipend to cover reasonable monthly costs for living expenses, including meals and accommodation.

LABOUR ministry officials have heeded a call by five of the six Jamaican men for a meeting to put on the table their concerns over their shock dismissal by a Canadian farm owner after they, in June, went public about their sub-par living and working conditions, triggering an intense probe at the Ontario location. The men, who had stayed off the job for a day in protest after their living quarters were flooded with wastewater, landed in Jamaica on Tuesday, August 7, a day after the island ended its Independence celebrations. A representative of the group, speaking with the Jamaica Observer on Wednesday evening, alleged that the abrupt dismissal was “payback” for them blowing the whistle in June. According to him, the news of their departure was given to them while they were in the field on Friday, August 4. “About 10 o’clock we see the man [supervisor] with the paper [with the names of those to be sent home]. Someone told me that the boss was told that is me send off the video, but they [supervisors] didn’t say that to us, all they said was that, ‘There is no more work,’” the worker claimed. Now back in Jamaica, the men say they want a chance to share their side of the story with ministry officials. “We are trying to say, ‘Meet with us,’ – man willing to travel from Westmoreland to meet with the minister. Even if they are not going to give us a chance to go back, just hear us out. We don’t know if anything can come out of this, but at the end of the day, we just want to meet with the minister and the head for the overseas employment unit. Right now we just wish we could have that meeting, that’s all we are asking, the guys are willing to come any day,” he said Wednesday. Labour Minister Pearnel Charles Jr, who spoke with the representative shortly after the matter was brought to his attention, arranged for the face-to-face meeting with the workers, who feel they have been victimised for going public with the video. The video, which had been shared on several social media platforms and was also sent to the Observer at that time, showed overflowing toilets and bathroom facilities and waterlogged flooring in the bunkhouse which features an open-plan layout. In one video, workers recorded a meeting between themselves and their handler, who, in a tirade punctuated by expletives, accused them of deliberately pouring grease down the drains on more than one occasion to cause the unsightly flooding. The man, whose voice dominated the video, interrupted the workers’ attempts to deny any such activity.

ANDREA Rennie, the mother of 17-year-old Asafa Lowe who is suspected to have drowned at a beach in Alligator Pond in Manchester on August 6, has described her grief as a heavy burden that is difficult to bear, especially since a nine night was held for her son on Tuesday and his body has still not been found. Lowe was affectionately referred to by Rennie, his siblings, other relatives and friends as ‘Raheem’. Rennie, at the nine night held at the mechanic shop where Lowe worked on Lyndhurst Road in St Andrew, told the Jamaica Observer that the suspected drowning of her promising son has made her feel empty, though she smiled constantly through the event. “It mash up mi head bad, bad. When they said they couldn’t find Raheem, I went down there and I was hopeful that they would,” she shared, adding that when she realised that many hours of searching for him turned up no positive results, depression started to set in. According to Rennie, it is by the grace of God that she can remain standing and smiling. “I came back up to Kingston and it was rough for me, but I remembered that I have two other children to take care of. Raheem mash me up bad,” she said. What made her smile more intense, however, was her recollection of how much of a talented artist and cook Lowe was. She shared that Raheem taught her a few skills in cooking, which he learned at the Mile Gully High School, where he attended. “He was not an academic kind of child, so I told him whatever he wanted to do I would support him. I thought more than less that he would want to go to Edna Manley College of the Performing and Visual Arts. He could look at you and just draw you. I always told him to pursue his passion,” Rennie said. She added: “Being a motor vehicle body work man was not Raheem’s passion. He did it because he said his grandfather used to do it. What he loved to do was draw. He wanted to be a tattoo artist but I didn’t like that so he said okay, he wouldn’t do it. He drew various cartoon characters on my door. Drawing was a passion but he didn’t make up his mind yet about a career. He also loved to cook. He did cooking at Mile Gully High. He taught me to fry chicken. The way I used to fry chicken he said, ‘no mommy’ and he showed me how to do it and his way is better than mine and that’s why his food just had a different taste. I thought being a chef or an artist was what he wanted.” A police report said about 2:30 pm on Sunday, August 6, Lowe and his friends went swimming at a beach in Alligator Pond when he reportedly got into difficulties and was seen sinking underwater. His grieving mother recently urged fun and thrill seekers in Alligator Pond to obey warning signs that say, “no swimming” at sections of beach. She also urged the authorities to close off a dangerous section of the beach known as River, which has been the scene of numerous drownings over many years, including three in the past few weeks. A week prior to the tragedy involving Lowe, 23-year-old Canadian tourist Treveno Sutherland was suspected to have drowned at the same area. A few days after Lowe’s suspected drowning, Wayne Watson, an Alligator Pond fisherman of 17 years, became the third victim of the treacherous waters. As it relates to the possibility of finding Lowe’s body after so many days, an Observer source, who is an expert in the fishing industry, said that strong currents may have pushed him far away, making it difficult to locate him. “It depends on the current. You have the Guts River coming from Milk River side that enters Alligator Pond. The current might have taken him further out. He could possibly end up as far as Black River in St Elizabeth. The sea could have taken him along the coast, into mangroves and then water come and move him again. That may be why finding him is so difficult. There are a lot of things we have to look at. There is a possibility he could still be found and even though his body may be a bit beat up, his family should still be able to identify him.”

THE Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA) on Wednesday applauded students in State care who completed the Primary Exit Profile (PEP) and will be matriculating to high school. The top girl was placed at Bishop Gibson High School in Manchester, while the top boy will be attending Jamaica College in St Andrew. Speaking during the PEP Workshop and Awards Ceremony at the Jamaica Conference Centre in downtown Kingston, Minister of Education and Youth Fayval Williams noted that 185 students in State care, 75 boys and 110 girls, sat the 2023 PEP exams. “Of that number, 59 girls and 35 boys received a final score above 210 points and this accounts for about 51 per cent of the total who sat the exam. Of note, there are 10 children, eight girls and two boys, who received a final score above 300 points. The highest score that you can get on PEP is 360, so scoring 300 is awesome,” said Williams. She underscored that education plays a pivotal role in shaping the lives of children and it is the ministry’s responsibility to ensure that the youngsters receive the best possible provisions and support in this regard. Williams noted that the CPFSA spends just over $40 million annually on tuition and examination fees for students enrolled in educational institutions up to the tertiary level. “The Government will continue to enforce our duty to protect and serve our children who are wards of the State. To the parents, caregivers, and educators, your unwavering support has nurtured the seeds of success. Let us be reminded that today is a reflection of the future that we are creating together,” added Williams. In the meantime, CPFSA Director of Programmes Dr Warren Thompson urged parents and guardians to continue offering love, attention, and guidance to students as they transition to high school. “They need you to listen to them, now more than ever. They will need positive discipline to guide and correct them when they are wrong, and they need a safe space to share when they are hurt and shaken by their new adolescent worlds,” said Dr Thompson. He added that there is no rule book for parenting and encouraged parents and guardians to reach out to guidance counsellors, fellow parents, or the CPFSA for support. Dr Thompson also charged the PEP awardees to remain dedicated as they transition to a new chapter in their educational journey. “You have put in incredible work to make it this far and we are extremely proud of you. Remind yourselves that you are capable, God is with you, you are enough, you are creative, brave, and kind. Believe in yourselves and you can achieve anything,” Dr Thompson underscored. Prior to the awards ceremony, concurrent breakout sessions were held on principles of effective parenting. Another session, dubbed ‘I stepped to PEP’, focused on preparing students for the transition to high school. – JIS

MATTHEW Samuda, the minister with responsibility for the environment, has said he is pleased with the pace of works in sections of downtown Kingston to solve the problem of overflowing sewage in the streets. Work to lay new sewer pipes on West Street and Matthews Lane in downtown Kingston have been completed and has led to a halt of sewage overflow in some areas. “The pipeline works between West Street and Matthews Lane, which were started to alleviate the overflow of sewage that was happening on Pechon Street all the way down to West Street, are indeed complete in terms of pipe laying. Several laterals were also put in to allow businesses to connect to the new main,” Samuda said. “What we are doing now is testing the line before we do the reinstatement of the roadwork to ensure that there are no leaks. Once we pave the road, we don’t want any further need to dig it up. So far we are happy with the pipe laying work. It has significantly improved the quality of life of residents and those who work along Pechon Street and West Street. I am happy for the progress, but I don’t want there to be any illusions,” he added. Samuda declared that he does not want there to be any illusions as there are other sections of downtown Kingston that require similar work. One such area is on Spanish Town Road in vicinity of Oxford Street. “The work so far has been in a very small area in what we all consider downtown Kingston. The sewage network downtown is very old and not fit for purpose. It was built with a much smaller population in mind and it has outlived its useful life. The Government has been very clear that we do see this is as a pillar of urban renewal in downtown and we will be working to significantly improve through upgrades and through infrastructure, the sewage capacity and indeed the potable water capacity in downtown Kingston. This might take years. The infrastructure is around 80 to 100 years old. “I understand their plight very well and I understand their anxiety over the length of time it has taken. There is no sense of pride that we are only getting to this point now. You’ll recall that last year we had some difficulty in Greenwich Farm where the sewage lines from downtown eventually end. We had to do some corrective work there. Unfortunately we are behind and it is going to take a long time for us to catch up. They can be assured that Government is doing the assessment now and is replacing the oldest and worse lines first,” Samuda told the Jamaica Observer on Tuesday. People in other sections of downtown Kingston such as Orange Street and Spanish Town Road who still experience sewage problems on and off have got jealous of the works being done on West Street and places nearby. They also referenced a sewage problem that existed in Cross Roads, St Andrew, very close to the meat market that was fixed by the authorities last year and has not recurred. They said they want a situation downtown where people can feel comfortable that the days of sewage overflowing in the streets is long gone. On Tuesday, the Observer spoke to Donovan Anderson, manager of an ice cream store on Orange Street, who said that despite work to fix the problem in other areas, more work is needed to fix the issue once and for all. “People make a lot of complaints about serious sewage problems in the other parts. I would love them to really sort it out and get to the bottom of it and once and for all fix it so we don’t have that problem anymore. I am happy for the works taking place now. Cross Roads was fixed and it is the same thing we want for downtown, even though downtown is a much bigger issue,” Anderson said. “Latty”, a store operator on Spanish Town Road, near the Coronation Market, said she would be more than elated to know that the entire downtown Kingston is sewage free. “It would be good if they could fix the entire downtown once and for all. They haven’t reached my side yet right by Oxford Street and Spanish Town Road. I believe they will fix it because it wouldn’t make sense to fix some part and leave other parts. I want to be in an environment where there is no sewage running at all,” she said. In Cross Roads, where the problem of overflowing sewage existed up to March last year, the people who operate business in the area were overly pleased that since the fix, they are sewage free. One woman, who was selling slippers on the sidewalk at the meat market in Cross Roads, said Tuesday that, “We haven’t had anything like that since last year. We feel good about that. When we had the problem it wasn’t nice at all. It wasn’t good for our health”. A female store worker said she feels so good, it is as if there was no problem to begin with. “We glad seh the water stop. Everybody had a problem. It made us so uncomfortable. It smelled so bad. Our shoes don’t have to catch in the sewage water anymore. We were wondering if it can’t fix. It was bad, bad,” the store worker said.

MONTEGO BAY, St James – While he awaits a tally of the financial impact last week’s almost eight-hour closure of the Sangster International Airport (SIA) had on his members, president of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association Robin Russell thinks the overall impact will be “mild”. That assessment is based on what he described as a team effort to minimise stranded travellers’ discomfort. “There was a lot of work done logistically trying to get the passengers as comfortable as possible. Buses went to Kingston and other things were done,” he told the Jamaica Observer on Wednesday. “Everybody jumped on board to try and mitigate the circumstances,” he added. “A lot of effort was put in to ensure that it wasn’t long-term interruptions.” Fifteen thousand passengers were affected after a combination of bad weather, ongoing work on the runway and poor contingency planning forced the authorities to halt flights in and out of Montego Bay’s SIA. Some flights were diverted to the Norman Manley International Airport and passengers bussed to Kingston. Some travellers were lucky enough to get hotel rooms but many camped out at the airport for hours as flights were backed up after the runaway reopened. Many who were interviewed at the SIA were livid. Minister of Science, Energy, Telecommunications and Transport Daryl Vaz is now awaiting a report from Tourism Minister Ed Bartlett on the fallout within the sector. This, after Vaz demanded and received reports from MBJ Airports Ltd, the operators of SIA; the Airports Authority of Jamaica and the Jamaica Civil Aviation Authority. On Wednesday, Russell thanked those who he said played a big role in assisting visitors during the hours-long airport runway closure. “I would like to commend the efforts of the entire JHTA team, transportation, hotels, Minister Vaz, Minister Bartlett who were quick on the point making calls, the JCF [Jamaica Constabulary Force] for escorts that were done, Jamaica Tourist Board for sending representatives, MBJ for keeping everybody abreast, it was just a major thing,” he said. “Things happen but I think the response of the entire team, the entire country, is what puts confidence in Jamaica. It didn’t just happen and we left it to fix itself,” added Russell.

THE mystery surrounding six parliamentarians being investigated by the Integrity Commission (IC) for illicit enrichment deepened on Thursday as both sides of the political divide claimed they are unaware of any of their members being under probe. On Wednesday People’s National Party (PNP) president, Opposition Leader Mark Golding, declared that none of the 21 parliamentarians on his side had been contacted by the IC as part of an illicit enrichment investigation. On Thursday it was Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) leader, Prime Minister Andrew Holness’s turn to make a similar claim. “I have asked as far and as wide and I have not gotten a response from everyone, but as far as I have been told, no. People have been written to, as the Integrity Commission does almost daily, but I have not heard of anyone in my political party being written to for this matter of illicit enrichment,” said Holness during a tour of Clarendon Northern. “What has been done, with each person coming out and saying, ‘No I haven’t been written to’, who genuinely can say that they are telling the truth? I could have asked and someone could say, ‘No, I haven’t been written to,’ because they may have not gotten the letter, the letter may have been sent somewhere…In other words, this process is just political gimmickry that the Opposition is doing. “Let’s be real, we built this process [and] they were a part of it. Let us support the process as it is and let it work. We have put several billion dollars into supporting and developing the Integrity Commission since its establishment. It is working. Everyone agrees [that] there needs to be some refinement. For those people who are lobbying to change the law, I have no challenge with that. Democratic society needs lobbyists, but let us give context to the debate,” added Holness as he defended the so-called “gag clause” which prevents the IC from naming people it is investigating until it tables a report in Parliament. “Due process is important,” declared the prime minister. Earlier in his presentation, Holness argued that the current Opposition was in step with the decision to include the gag clause when it was included in the legislation governing the operation of the IC years ago. According to Holness, both sides of the political divide agreed that the IC should be so empowered that it could do its work without any form of interference, intervention, [or] misdirection, and Jamaica is now seeing this as the body is operating effectively. He argued that the IC should now be allowed to complete its investigations and table its reports, then matters can be moved into a public court. “Now what happens to someone who is being investigated for which the investigations turns out to be spurious, or there are no basis for that. Is there a way to repair the damage to that person? We are arguing here on the level of parliamentarians, the Integrity Commission, from my understanding, also indicated that several public officers are also being investigated. “What I am saying is the issue has become a political weapon, a political tool, trying to score points with the public,” added Holness in a thinly veiled reference to the Opposition leader who, in a release on Thursday, chided the Administration for its decision to ban its parliamentarians from commenting on the illicit enrichment investigation. “We take a position that the law, as it is established, puts in place a gag clause. I don’t like to use the term a ‘gag clause’ because it makes it seem like there is something suspicious or something to be hidden. But what it is, it is a protection for due process,” declared Holness. “This business of trying to try people before an investigation is not the due process of our jurisdiction,” added the prime minister. Earlier Thursday the Opposition leader had issued a sharp rebuke to the announcement by minister with responsibility for information Robert Morgan at a post-Cabinet media briefing on Wednesday that the prime minister has banned parliamentarians on his side from commenting on the IC’s illicit enrichment investigation. According to Golding, the announcement from Morgan was “shocking and deeply concerning”. “The notion of creating a so-called ‘Cabinet policy’ to shield ministers from speaking the truth and evading accountability is a glaring attempt to obstruct transparency and evade the responsibility of elected officials to the Jamaican people. “The excuse that this policy is intended to preserve the confidentiality of Cabinet deliberations disguises its true intent. In reality, it is a political manoeuvre to shield parliamentarians from being held accountable for their actions and potential wrongdoings. This is not the kind of leadership and governance that Jamaicans deserve,” said Golding. He argued that the very essence of democratic governance hinges on transparency, accountability, and the duty of elected officials to provide explanations to the people they serve. He charged that the gag order issued by Holness undermines these fundamental principles and erodes the trust between the Government and the citizens. “The PNP views this Cabinet policy as a dangerous subversion of democratic values. It is an abuse of power at the highest level, and it contradicts the ideals of open and honest governance that the Jamaican people have a right to expect from their elected representatives,” said Golding as he declared that the PNP’s approach is in stark contrast to that of the JLP. “We have taken the responsible step of voluntarily disclosing the status of all our parliamentarians with regards to the IC’s investigations. This goes further to our unwavering commitment to transparency and accountability,” added Golding.

THE Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ) is reporting that while Jamaica’s poverty rate, impacted by the novel coronavirus pandemic, increased in 2021, some improvement is expected when subsequent data are calculated. It said the prevalence of poverty in 2021 was estimated at 16.7 per cent, reflecting an increase of 5.7 percentage points relative to 2019. The rates were compared with 2019 as no local estimate of poverty was available for 2020. Speaking at the institute’s quarterly press briefing on Thursday, PIOJ Senior Director, Economic Planning, Research and Policy Logistics James Stewart explained that at the time the poverty rate was provided, the economy was still experiencing the conditions of COVID-19, including lockdowns and job cuts. “Since then the labour force has recovered and…we expect that in subsequent releases of the Jamaica Survey of Living Conditions (JSLC), we do expect to see improvement in the poverty rate but for 2021 the conditions which prevailed at the time is reflected in the poverty out-turn presented,” he said. At the same time, PIOJ’s Director General Dr Wayne Henry said Jamaica’s poverty rate is in keeping with expectations and experiences globally, noting that “we’ve seen poverty rates increase globally in many cases way above what we see in here”. Highlighting the Government’s efforts in terms of the speed of recovery for Jamaica from the pandemic and the social protection programmes to offset the fallout, Dr Henry stressed that “we were very instrumental, we believe in ensuring that the poverty rates were not higher. “So we are seeing the improvements going forward as reflected in economic performance as well as labour market record performances,” he said. Providing a further breakdown of the figures, the director general noted that the data were collected over a five-month period from June to October 2021, a little over one year since the first case of COVID-19 was confirmed in Jamaica. He said that the overall increase in the poverty rate was driven by increases in two regions as the rate in one region was statistically the same. Rural areas registered the highest rate at 22.1 per cent, followed by other urban centres at 15.5 per cent, and the Greater Kingston Metropolitan Area at 10.4 per cent. “Relative to 2019, the prevalence of poverty increased in the Greater Kingston Metropolitan Area by 5.7 percentage points and rural areas by 7.9 percentage points, but remained relatively unchanged in other urban centres,” he said. The director general said the COVID-19 pandemic negatively affected the lives and livelihood of persons leaving a legacy of rising poverty and widening inequality. He said that similar to most economies, Jamaica was still recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021. He said the World Bank estimated that in 2021 about 97 million more people were living on less than US$1.90 per day because of the pandemic, increasing the global poverty rate from 7.8 per cent to 9.1 per cent. Additionally, 163 million more were living on less than US$5.50 per day. Globally, three to four years of progress toward ending extreme poverty are estimated to have been lost. “While the Jamaican economy recorded growth of 4.6 per cent in 2021, and employment increased by 8.3 per cent in July 2021 relative to July 2020, real gross domestic product (GDP) was still 5.8 per cent below its 2019 level and employment was 3.3 per cent below what it was in July 2019. These factors explain the higher poverty rate in 2021 relative to 2019,” he said. In the meantime, the PIOJ boss said that the 2021 edition of the JSLC, which tracks the effects of social and economic programmes and policies, is being finalised and will be made available to the public following its tabling in Parliament later this year, likely by September 2023.

TOURISM Minister Edmund Bartlett says the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF) Summer Internship Programme has “reached a new high” which he says is an offshoot of the economic growth spurt being experienced by the country, which has seen eight consecutive quarters of fiscal growth. Speaking during a media briefing to share critical insights into the successes of this year’s staging of the programme in the Corporate Area on Thursday, Bartlett said out of the total 14,000 young people who signed up for the programme, more than 11,100 were employed in 136 areas across Jamaica. In 2022, more than 800 students were selected to participate in the programme of which successful candidates were selected from a pool of more than 7,000 applicants then. “The summer internship programme that the TEF has been managing has reached a new high in 2023…and it is correct that this year should be the highest level of enrolment and involvement that the programme has had,” the tourism minister said. The TEF Summer Programme, started in April 2007, aims to provide transitioning high school and university students with valuable work experience across various sectors. Under the guidance of the Jamaica Centre for Tourism Innovation (JCTI), the programme partners with organisations in all 14 parishes. Participants gain real-world experience over six weeks while receiving mentoring from professionals in the field. All interns can earn the Certified Guest Service Professional designation from the esteemed American Hotel and Lodging Educational Institute (AHLEI) as part of their development. Fifth form students received $14,500 per week, sixth formers $16,500 per week, first and second-year college students $18,000 per week and third-year students and those up to the masters level $20,500 weekly. Bartlett, in emphasising that the jobs were not “high paying”, told students Thursday that the remuneration was not a reflection of their “value” but more a reflection of what can be afforded at this time.

PARADISE, Westmoreland — Minister of Science, Energy, Telecommunications and Transport Daryl Vaz says the recently amended Road Traffic Act may be adjusted to include sanctions for owners of animals that cause road crashes. While making the point that ridding the streets of animals will require collaboration between the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries and the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA), the minister said he does not believe any significant progress will be made until harsh sanctions are implemented to deal with owners. Thought is being given, he said, to legislation that will outline fines. “Right now, we are still doing some tweaking to the Road Traffic Act and I think that this is something that we will have to look at to include because it is unacceptable for persons going about their lawful business to have to deal with accidents and loss of life because of irresponsible farm animal owners,” stated Vaz. The new Road Traffic Act was rolled out on February 1. On Wednesday, Vaz also pointed out that the Government has a responsibility to rid the streets of strays. “Obviously it’s our duty and responsibility, if that is so [the animals are strays], to take them off of the streets and, of course, impound them until such time as they are claimed,” he said. He said the issue will be discussed during a meeting he will have with the National Road Safety Council next week. The minister was addressing the grand opening of Regency Petroleum Limited (RPL) Service Station located in Paradise, Westmoreland, on Wednesday. During his presentation he stressed that getting road safety right must be a priority, and noted that it is currently a serious challenge, especially in Westmoreland and St Elizabeth. The minister referenced recent statistics in which six people lost their lives in collisions with animals across Jamaica. Two such incidents took place in Little London, Westmoreland, and the other in St Elizabeth. Vaz said one of the victims was 11 years old. On July 30, 21-year-old police constable Tajay Ebanks succumbed to injuries received when his service vehicle collided with a cow on the Little London main road. Three days later, 22-year-old Christopher Samuels lost his life when the car he was travelling in collided with a cow on the same road.

JUSTICE Minister Delroy Chuck is urging judges to expedite non-contentious matters such as probates, divorces and restrictive covenants. He made the call in his address to members of the judiciary during the Judiciary of Jamaica’s annual Strategic Management Retreat, which began on Monday. The justice minister emphasised that delayed decisions in these matters may well be impeding billions of dollars in projects and assets. He further pointed out that disputes that await decisions hold up the lives of many litigants and urged the judges to complete their cases in a timely manner. While acknowledging the need for further improvements, Chuck commended the judges for the significant progress that has occurred across the justice sector. He highlighted the backlog reduction programme where recent statistics pointed to a three per cent backlog in cases in the parish courts. The minister also pointed out that with increased compensation across the public sector there is an urgent requirement for increased productivity, otherwise inflation could erode the improved compensation. Chief Justice Bryan Sykes, meanwhile, at the same time, said, “The strategic retreat for the judiciary is important as it allows us to assess our performance and to plan strategically for the years ahead”. He added: “Since we embarked on this process, one of the things we have learnt is that like Lord Kelvin said, ‘if you cannot measure it, you cannot improve it’. The strategic planning process has allowed us to measure and set objective targets in relation to backlog reduction, hearing date certainty, the general administration of justice and service delivery in the courts; we have seen significant improvements in all these areas.”

NEGRIL, Westmoreland — Administrators of the Westmoreland Public Health Services have welcomed a much-needed donation of $5.8-million worth of medical equipment to the Negril Health Centre, saying it will assist in reducing patient wait time. However, there is a concern that there is not enough staff to take full advantage of the gift. “Maternal and child health, the curative services, will all benefit. All our hypertensive diabetic asthmatic patients can be turned to with additional support instead of a lag time or any [lengthy] wait,” said senior public health nurse in charge of the Negril Health Centre, Carol Beharie. “But sometimes, with having all of these, we still need the staff. The staffing will be an issue. But guess what? We are grateful for the gifts. The Lord tends to provide the hands to carry out the duties as well.” Beharie was speaking with the Jamaica Observer after a brief donation ceremony at the health centre on Tuesday. The institution currently has two assigned midwives, an enrolled nurse, and one public health nurse. It is in need of three additional nurses for maternal and child health as well as general medical services. The categories of nurses needed are two midwives and one registered nurse. The donation of medical equipment was financed through the Rotary’s global grant fund. This was facilitated by Rotary International, through a partnership between the Negril Rotary Club and Calgary North in the US. Over the years, the Rotary Club has assisted the institution by providing equipment, instruments, and adding two clinical rooms to the facility. The clinic sees, on average, more than 100 patients per day and Tuesday’s donations have been a shot in the arm for administrators. “Some of the equipment that we would have received from them — such as the bassinet, the blood pressure machines, the glucose meters, the baby scale — are truly needed and will be supported with what we do have because equipment age over time and with continuous usage some things will depreciate,” stated Beharie. In addition to equipment related to maternal and child services, they also received items used to treat patients with hypertension and diabetes along with supplies for gynaecological examinations. Beharie was particularly grateful for dressing trolleys that will allow the health centre to better treat crash victims. “You know that Negril is almost like a bike city and the [large number of] injuries that come in off the road. These injuries from our bikers, we can actually meet that need,” the public nurse told the Observer. The Negril Health Centre is a Type 3 facility that serves a number of communities in and around the resort town. It also accepts cases from the Type 1 Delveland Health Centre and the Type 2 Little London Health Centre. “The workload is a very large one. It would be like a referral for those health centres that need what you call backup services,” acting parish manager for the Westmoreland Public Health Services Camille Lewin said of the work done at the Negril Health Centre. She spoke of the impact the assistance from the Rotary Club will have. “I’m sure it will go very far, because not only will it assist the persons that are living in this area, but it also impacts on what happens at the hospital. If there are services that we can do at the health centre, then people won’t need to go to the hospital,” stated Lewin. The Negril Health Centre was officially adopted by the Rotary Club of Negril following extensive expansion and refurbishing work by the club in 2020. Two years later, the club donated $2-million worth of medical equipment to the centre. “Over time we keep on trying to find out what the clinic needs and try to facilitate that. We reach out to the particular stakeholders to find out what they need. In this step, we came and we saw the need for all this equipment,” said the new president of the Rotary Club of Negril who is to be installed on Saturday, Owen James. James said the club will be examining the possibility of creating a changing area with showers for nurses and a wheelchair accessible bathing facility for patients at the clinic. “This is not the end. We are continuing to do the pushing to see how much we can get this health centre to a world-class facility,” he added.

LABOUR and Social Security Minister Pearnel Charles Jr says there have mainly been positive reports coming from overseas farm workers, following the Government’s probe into the working conditions of Jamaican farmers in Canada in June this year, which has since been settled. “As it relates to the probe into the living condition of the farm workers [in Canada], it is my understanding, based on consultation through the management committee led by our permanent secretary and the liaison officers that that particular issue was settled perhaps within a week or two of the incident being published, and so far we seem to be receiving… I’d say positive reports,” Charles Jr said in response to a query posed by media personnel at Wednesday’s post-Cabinet press briefing at Jamaica House. In June, the Government launched a probe after new reports of sub par conditions by Jamaican farmers in Ontario, Canada. Charles Jr said since that investigation, the ministry, in discussions with liaison officers and the management committee, has undertaken a review of the farm work programme’s processes and systems. “I personally, along with [state minister Norman] Dunn, have actually gone to the farm work division building, engaged with farm workers, and we continue those consultations with a view to gathering as much information as possible to really get an accurate perspective on what the issues are,” he said. He said this information gathering is crucial, as it has been found that the farms are so expansive with up to 100 workers on one farm “and they all have different perspectives and different views of how they see one or two liaison officers”. “So, in that regard, we have had discussions with liaison officers and we will be increasing the number of liaison officers. We have provided new pamphlets and brochures for workers to explain to them their rights and to explain to them, how to contact us and how to report breaches,” he said. Charles Jr said he has also had an opportunity to consult and engage with some of the farm workers before they went off to the airport, noting that “that continues and we expect that going into next year, we will continue to have those consultations”. He noted as well that the ministry will be doing mystery calls, where they call people randomly “to get a feel of their own evaluation of their circumstances”. Charles Jr also pointed out that the training programme for workers and liaison officers has been revamped and that the orientation programme is being ramped up. The probe in Canada was triggered by a report carried by the Jamaica Observer in which farm workers, who described their living and working conditions as “inhumane”, accused the Jamaican authorities of abandoning them. The group of Jamaican farm workers in Ontario, Canada, who said their location was not one of those visited by a fact-finding delegation which investigated conditions on farms there in 2022, stayed off the job in protest after their living quarters were flooded with waste water. This, they said, was just one aspect of the inhumane conditions under which they work. According to the workers, two of whom spoke to the Observer on behalf of their colleagues, the only remaining distinction between their living and working conditions and slavery is the fact that their boss has not hit them. The workers also told the Observer they have not been able to contact their liaison officer to report their distress. In October last year, Jamaica had dispatched the fact-finding delegation to investigate conditions on farms across Canada following the release of a letter written by Jamaican workers there and advocacy from injured migrant farm workers. The team released its findings in April this year, but those findings countered the complaints of the workers. That report said the majority of workers were satisfied with the programme and it was rebuffed that the farmers are being subjected to slavery-like working conditions.

MORE than 40 members of a joint police/military team swooped down on the community of Gregory Park in Portmore, St Catherine, on Wednesday where they seized one illegal firearm and brought in a number of persons of interest for questioning. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Stephanie Lindsay, who heads the constabulary’s Corporate Communications Unit (CCU), told the Jamaica Observer that the illegal gun was found in a section of the community where an entire tenement yard was recently destroyed during a firebombing, allegedly carried out by men from another section of Gregory Park known as Gulf. Eleven wooden houses were set on fire, badly burning an elderly woman who is still in hospital in serious condition and leaving more than 40 people homeless. With nowhere to go, they are left to the mercy of the elements. According to SSP Lindsay, the security forces will be in Gregory Park for some time. “Operations will continue until we are satisfied that it is no longer necessary. On Walkers’ Avenue a team found a gun and arrested two men. We carried out operations in search of wanted men and guns and some persons of interest in the firebombing. The two people will be charged for illegal possession of firearm. The police have others who they are interviewing to determine who they are,” Lindsay told the Observer. Scorched rubble remained untouched and women, young children, and babies were seen sprawled out, trying to rest on tarpaulin that had been spread on the ground in the yard. Karona Gocul, whose mother was badly burnt during the firebombing, said the elderly woman’s condition is worsening in hospital. What Gocul wants is to move out of Gregory Park as she believes the violence is just getting started and fears for her life and that of her children. “Right now I would love to get a house and pay mortgage for it. I don’t think if I want to live here anymore,” she said. Gocul explained that she and the other people left homeless by the firebombing have not had a chance to get proper rest. “We don’t get any chance to sleep. We rest our heads for a five minutes and then we jump up back. The good thing is that the Member of Parliament (MP) Alando Terrelonge said he would sort out the children for back-to-school and that they [Government] will try their best to move fast, but life is risky for us right now. “As you can see, a pure open space. We don’t have a corner to hide if anything. We need more than urgent attention. Peter Bunting of the People’s National Party came with a team and they said they would try to get us help fast. We showed them where we sleep outside. I can’t even be ashamed of my conditions, because it is not my fault,” she said. One woman, who was lying down on the ground with an uncomfortable and fidgety baby held close to her chest, told the Observer that never in her wildest dreams did she ever foresee that she would be living in this state. “This is not something that we are used to, so it is very hard for us,” she said. Earlier this week Prime Minister Andrew Holness, along Commissioner of Police Major General Antony Anderson and MP Terrelonge toured the area that was impacted by the firebombing. Holness said that the houses that were destroyed would be rebuilt under the Government’s social housing programme.

THE Jamaica Observer has copped the Caribbean Broadcasting Union (CBU) Media Awards 2022 for Health Education Journalism. The award was presented to former Observer journalist Brittny Hutchinson for her story “Painful Lessons” which detailed the mental challenges that children from Parade Gardens in Central Kingston face after being impacted by gun violence. The story was a part of the Observer/Rise Life Management street reasoning series in the violence-prone community for Child Month 2022. Hutchinson, who recently resigned from the media, expressed gratitude for the award, as she had entered several categories in the CBU competition for last year. “A few hours before the show, I said to my mother, ‘Mommy, I hope I win at least one of these awards. That would be so good’,” Hutchinson said during a phone interview following the award ceremony which was held in Antigua and Barbuda on Tuesday. “To know I actually won for this particular category with this story is a big deal for me, as I’ve always been so passionate about children and their well-being,” added Hutchinson. Another recent member of the Observer’s news team, Romardo Lyons, received a special mention for Coverage of Disaster Risk Reduction (Print) for the story headlined “Shut it Down”, which detailed the challenges faced by residents in communities around the Riverton Dump which recorded 415 fires between 1996 and 2015. Other Jamaican winners included the RJR/GLEANER Communications Group which copped the prize for Best News Item (Radio) for a story dubbed “Cost of Living Crisis in Jamaica” which was produced by Giovanni Dennis and The Sunday Gleaner for Coverage of Disaster Risk Reduction (Print) for the story headlined “Poor Quality Building Blocks”, which was produced by Jovan Johnson.

NEGRIL, Westmoreland — Five months after the Westmoreland Municipal Corporation offered to have the parish infirmary house six of the social cases that are draining resources from the Savanna-la-Mar Public General Hospital, the patients have still not been transferred. Meanwhile, the number of patients abandoned at the health facility continues to climb. “The Savanna-la-Mar Public General Hospital has 25 social cases. It is like a quick drop-off point because [last] Thursday there were 22 and over the weekend, three more were left there,” acting parish manager for the Westmoreland Public Health Services, Camile Lewin told the Jamaica Observer on Tuesday. In March, mayor of Savanna-la-Mar Bertel Moore offered to have an undisclosed number of individuals that had been abandoned at the hospital housed at the State-run infirmary. When contacted on Tuesday, Moore said that, one month ago, during a meeting with the Westmoreland Public Health Services CEO Novlin Leslie Little, he gave a commitment to take six patients from the health-care facility. He said their names were provided and therefore the corporation he leads is not responsible for the delay. “I called the infirmary and they are saying that they did not come over as yet. The reason why, I don’t know,” said Moore. He added that he tried contacting Leslie Little but was told she is on vacation. Lewin, who is acting on behalf of Leslie Little, was unable to provide an update in the issue. She did, however, weigh in on the matter of social cases at the Savanna-la-Mar hospital. “When we talk about social cases we talk about persons who have been discharged from as far back as 2008. I know that much. We have people discharged in 2015 and nobody is there to pick them up. So, we have to take care of them and they’re occupying well-needed space,” stated Lewin. “You can imagine the impact it’s having on [the] emergency room because we’re talking about persons in the emergency rooms sitting on chairs…They are admitted but they are in chairs,” she added. The hospital has surpassed its bed space capacity of 209 but Lewin sought to clarify what this means. According to her, beds are available but the building does not have enough space to hold them, and it is sometimes easier to place people in wheelchairs as several of these can fit in the space taken up by one bed. “If you put one bed there, it means that there are going to be two or three persons who need to get inside to access the facility who are going to be outside. So, while it is not the ideal situation, we try to serve as best as possible,” stated Lewin. “We have beds in every possible area, even in the outpatient area. That is as far as we are putting beds now. It means that we have to evaluate the situation. Are we going to go to emergency mode where we only see emergency cases? Because the more patients you see the more admissions you’re going to get,” explained the acting parish manager.

MINISTER of Labour and Social Security Pearnel Charles Jr says the majority of the 30,000 industrial security guards employed to private security companies in Jamaica are now engaged under an employer/employee contract and are covered by the labour laws. This coverage, he said, is in relation to the rates of pay, overtime payment, vacation leave, sick leave, maternity leave and all where applicable. Effective April 1 this year, the status of security guards was upgraded from independent contractors to employees, following a Supreme Court ruling last September. As such, all security guards are now entitled to new employment contracts which guarantee full benefits as employees. Charles Jr, who was providing an update on the status of the transition during Wednesday’s post-Cabinet press briefing at Jamaica House, also warned that non-compliant security companies will face the full repercussions of the law, even while noting that since April 1 of this year, most companies have sought to become compliant. “Recognising that guidance was critical in the transition from the erroneous treatment of the workers of so-called independent contractors, the Ministry of Labour and Social Security conducted sensitisation sessions with employers of security guards to ensure that the companies are compliant within our labour legislations. Having now set the platform to facilitate full compliance, any company found in breach of the requirements of the labour laws will be brought to books using the full extent of the law,” he said. Charles Jr noted that in respect to complaints received from workers, the ministry has ramped up its inspection and intensified its support to the parish courts for the settlement of outstanding payments due to industrial security guards. He noted that several workers who disputed the terms and conditions of the new contracts have been engaged by the ministry through its offices islandwide, in respect of settling their claims for outstanding payments and worksheets for payment have been sent to employers on behalf of 100 complainants thus far. “It is expected that these will be settled shortly. Otherwise, the matters will then be escalated for court action. Notably, we have observed, based on the posture of the Government and the serious approach to this matter, a significant decline in new complaints from security guards since July of this year, which means that the transformation of that sector is occurring before our eyes,” he said. In the meantime, Charles Jr said the ministry will also continue its dialogue with the Jamaica Society for Industrial Security on Thursday, August 17 “to reaffirm our position as a government on the Joint Industrial Council (JIC) and to increase the momentum for its establishment.” “We were to have some meetings I believe about two or three weeks ago but due to some exigencies from our other stakeholders, we were not able to meet with them, but we are eager to advance these conversations, and it is our intention that the JIC will comprise representatives of security guards, employers, civil society and key government stakeholders,” he said. The minister further noted that issues that will be up for discussion include the terms of reference of the JIC and priority issues to be addressed by the council itself. He said a full tripartite meeting will also be held on Wednesday, August 23 for final discussions on the priority issues to be addressed by the JIC. “It is anticipated that the meetings will result in the consensus on the effective date for commencement of the JIC,” he said. In April, former Minister of Labour and Social Security Karl Samuda had announced that a committee, led by president of the Jamaica Confederation of Trade Unions (JCTU) Helene Davis-Whyte, was appointed to establish the JIC for the regulation of the industrial security sector and protection of the security guards.

SIX Jamaican farm workers in Ontario, Canada, who in June this year issued a distress call to the media about their sub par living and working conditions triggering investigations are crying victimisation after they say they were shipped back to Jamaica with virtually no warning. The six, who had stayed off the job for a day in protest after their living quarters were flooded with wastewater, landed in Jamaica on Tuesday August 7, a day after the island ended its Independence celebrations. A representative of the group speaking with the Jamaica Observer on Wednesday evening, alleged that the abrupt dismissal was ‘payback’ for their blowing the whistle in June. Videos sent to the Observer at that time showed overflowing toilets and bathroom facilities, and waterlogged flooring in the bunkhouse which features an open-plan layout. In one video, workers recorded a meeting between themselves and their handler, who, in a tirade punctuated by expletives, accused them of deliberately pouring grease down the drains on more than one occasions to cause the unsightly flooding. The man, whose voice dominated the audio, interrupted the workers’ attempts to deny any such activity, completely unaware that he was being recorded. Following the media highlight by the farm workers, Labour Minister Pearnel Charles Jr ordered an immediate investigation into the living conditions and work environment of the farm workers from the location. He said liaison officers were directed to visit the location to provide a comprehensive report on the conditions of the farm workers. Then in July the Ministry of Labour and Social Security said it would be identifying additional platforms through which farm workers can blow the whistle freely and voice their issues and complaints without fearing backlash or victimisation from their handlers. But, according to the dismissed worker, once that flurry of activity died down, they were axed. “The six of us are from the same bunkhouse where the problem was. Is when wi inna the bush [Friday, August 4] about 10 o’clock we see the man [supervisor] with the paper [with the names of those to be sent home]. Someone told me that the boss was told that is me send off the video, but they [supervisors] didn’t say that to us, all they said was that, ‘There is no more work,’” the worker claimed. He said the ‘no more work’ was simply an excuse as “harvesting just start”. He said the group earlier that week had caught wind of plans to dismiss workers and had asked supervisors to confirm whether persons were to be sent home, but was told there was no such plan afoot. He said the Friday when the edict was delivered they were collectively stunned. “A frighten so til, I don’t even know what to say. Right now the whole camp shake up. All we demanded was respect. We didn’t come from any slum,” the worker who began working this May and should have ended his stint in October shared. The labour minister, when contacted by the Observer on Wednesday evening, said he had been unaware of the development and promised to make queries into the well-being of the men. Charles had just hours before, while addressing a post-Cabinet press briefing, said there have mainly been positive reports coming from overseas farm workers, following the Government’s probe into the working conditions of the Jamaican farmers in Canada. The worker, in the meantime, alleged that their Jamaican counterparts who are liaison officers and supervisors were less than sympathetic and truthful with their countrymen. “The liaison officers came the Tuesday before and said they were there for a meeting. We felt something was off and we asked, but they said they came to do a roll call. When we called Friday [after the notification] he acted surprised. When we say we don’t have anybody to stand up for us people think is a joke thing,” the disgruntled worker noted. “You see if they had let us finish the season and don’t take us back we would understand, but what they did was the height of disrespect,” he added. He said the men who were dismissed ahead of a Canadian weekend holiday were not even allowed the courtesy of securing gifts for their families and had to be making queries about their departure. “They told us we were leaving the 7th but we had to be asking what time was the flight and what time the vehicle was coming to pick us up from the farm,” he stated, noting that the move was so sudden that relatives thought they were being pranked when he asked them to make arrangements to pick him up from the Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston. The workers say their efforts to reach out to labour ministry officials here since they returned have been spurned. “We are trying to say meet with us, man willing to travel from Westmoreland to meet with the minister. Even if they are not going to give us a chance to go back, just hear us out. We don’t know if anything can come out of this but, at the end of the day, we just want to meet with the minister and the head for the overseas employment unit. Right now we just wish we could have that meeting, that’s all we are asking, the guys are willing to come any day,” he said. In October last year a fact-finding delegation was sent to investigate conditions on farms across Canada following the release of a letter written by Jamaican workers there and advocacy from injured migrant farm workers. That team, the findings of which were released in April this year, countered the complaints of the workers stating that the majority of workers were pleased with the programme and disputed that the working conditions were akin to slavery.

GIVEN a fillip by a reduction in the number of teachers resigning from the public sector, Education Minister Fayval Williams is pulling out all the stops to ensure there is no teacher problem in the classrooms at the start of the new school year. Williams used a post-Cabinet media briefing on Wednesday to outline a number of measures which are being implemented by her ministry to ensure there is no shortage of teachers come September. “We are in a much better place this year relative to last year regarding resignations,” Williams told the media briefing. “If you look at teacher resignations, looking at the period January 2023 to September 2023…427 teachers resigned, that is approximately 1.7 per cent of the total teachers in the public system. When we compare that against the similar period last year…1,538 teachers resigned representing approximately 6.2 per cent,” added Williams even as she noted that the number of teachers going on lone vacations — four months or eight months — is more this year than last year. “We have to put strategies in place to manage that as well but we are delighted with where we are…as we look at the number of teachers that are retained in the sector,” declared Williams. She pointed to a number of strategies, some already announced, which have been outlined to principals and school boards to address any shortage of teachers. These include allowing school boards to conduct early recruiting of teachers to fill any vacancies. “Meaning they don’t have to wait on the ministry. Pre-approval has been granted for the replacement of teachers in clear vacancies and those in temporary posts funded by the Ministry of Education and Youth,” said Williams. School boards have also been given permission to engage some teachers who are on approved vacation leave and paying them for the period while also paying them for their vacation. “What is good about this as well is that teachers [on vacation] can teach at other schools, they don’t have to teach in the schools to which they are attached. Principals as well who are going off on their long leave can be retained as well but not as a principal. They can teach in their school…or they can teach in another school,” noted Williams. Other strategies reiterated by Williams include the extension of service of teachers who are scheduled to retire and the provision for schools to engage part-time teachers or those who had retired since January 2018. Williams noted that schools have also been given permission to engage pre-trained teachers with at least a first degree in areas of their expertise and they can employ final-year teachers in recognised teaching colleges. The new measures announced by Williams include a scheme where schools which are unable to attract teachers for some subjects can get approval from the ministry to enter into a contractual arrangement with virtual schools, such as One and One Educational Services, to access the remote/replacement teachers. Williams said this has been dubbed the teacher availability solution and will allow secondary schools to avail themselves of what is described as a “classroom in a box device” and will include an 86-inch interactive screen with Internet connection, UPS for power back-up and a teacher aide in the classrooms. “The school will have access to expert teachers for multiple subject areas based on their needs and even in cases where employed teachers are absent from work or on approved leave, this facility is available to the school at no additional cost,” said Williams. Williams also pointed to a number of teachers who should be available to public schools this year. This includes 88 student teachers who are expected to graduate under her ministry’s scholarship programme this year. These scholarship teachers are bonded to the public school system for the next five years. The public school system will also be boosted by 68 Cuban teachers who have been contracted to teach Spanish, chemistry, mathematics and physics. The education minister also repeated that more than 1,100 specialist teachers will be graduating from teacher’s colleges this year and they should be entering the sector.