I make this public appeal on behalf of the many seniors, kids, the disabled, students, workers and everyone in our community who would benefit greatly from an elevator which makes mobility and travel easier, and would love to see this project completed. The Richmond Hill community is one of the few communities that does not have any escalators or elevators serving subway patrons, and that must change.
The plan was to implement subway renovation projects in Ozone Park and Richmond Hill, with the Ozone Park-Lefferts Boulevard A Train subway station receiving an elevator, from street level up to the station. Several of the platforms along the Lefferts-bound A Train, including the Rockaway Boulevard station, were also slated to receive repairs including a new paint job and decorated with sculptures from local artists.

According to Joseph Raskin, Assistant Director of Government and Community Relations at the MTA, the addition of the elevator and platform renovations are, in part, to make access easier for a person with a disability and so that it’s compatible under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). As a matter of customer obligation and due compliance with federal law, this project is long overdue.

Albert Baldeo
Community Advocate/District Leader

Photo caption: Albert Baldeo points to the ignored Liberty-Lefferts subway stop, a fight he and others have been waging for years

Flag carrier status will see CAL providing direct flights between Georgetown and New York and Georgetown and Toronto. In December 2012, the government bestowed such a privilege on the airline following the launch of its inaugural non-stop flight from Guyana to Canada.

The investment being made seeks to ensure improvements in airline operations out of Guyana, and complements the anticipated CJIA expansion to the terminal and runway. While there have been ups and downs, CAL has always been a stable partner in ensuring Guyana maintains its links with the Diaspora in North America and Canada where many Guyanese reside.

During today’s post-Cabinet press briefing Dr. Luncheon was asked about the attraction of other airlines, and he explained that those efforts are on-going.
“You must be aware of our successes although I must admit that they have not been as sustained as we would have liked them to be… but those efforts continue, but the most recent initiative in granting the flag carrier status, this was the one that the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) recommended and Cabinet endorsed,” he said.

Dr. Luncheon was also asked about the prospects of Fly Jamaica operating out of Guyana, and he noted that this has not yet been brought to the attention of the Cabinet and may be due to some regulatory procedures still to be completed.

He believes that a process is applicable when these entities seek government’s approval to operate in Guyana, and it is not instantaneous and there is no prescribed time from the date of application to when a decision is made. Dr. Luncheon explained that interested persons have to apply and Cabinet being the final decision maker.

Further, the recommendation is almost always to go ahead and approve/ endorse the grant of the approval. If GCAA is not supportive it never comes to Cabinet.

When asked if that only applies to the international passenger carriers, Dr. Luncheon responded that it pertains to any aircraft operating in Guyana.

With regards to issues/concerns raised by the Aircraft Owners Association surrounding the recent crash of an aircraft into a Plaisance home, Dr. Luncheon indicated that the letter the Association sent to President Donald Ramotar may very well see an engagement between the two.

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Among the highly regarded tour operators that took part were: Exodus Travel, Into Latin America, Chameleon Worldwide, Kuoni, Happy Lama Travel, and Kabalebo (Suriname). Additionally, a senior member of Caribbean Airlines’ London Travel Office also took part.
There has been a 9% increase in the number of tourists who have visited Guyana thus far in 2013 following the 17% increase in 2012.

Wilderness Explorer has been organising familiarisation trips for several years. It brings together tourist agents and investments from around the world to showcase Guyana. These trips have been the driving factor in having companies feature tours to Guyana.
British High Commissioner Mr. Andrew Ayre said the United Kingdom (UK) has always been interested in Guyana and its economic development, and as such has been generously contributing money in development assistance to Guyana each year. This contribution also includes providing 15% of the money to the largest aid donor, the European Union.

Europe and North America remain Guyana’s largest trade and development partners, with in excess of more than 20 times more Guyanese exports going to developed markets than China and India combined. More than 75 percent of the tourists that visit Guyana come from the developed world.
GTA’s Director Mr. Indranauth Haralsingh complimented and congratulated Wilderness Explorers for putting together the trip in partnership with Caribbean Airlines and other stakeholders.

He also said that it is recognised that a lot of the companies are not participating in the travel trade distribution system and more of them are relying on direct marketing through the internet. He urged more tourism operators and resort owners to come onboard because the Fam trip will boost the tourism sector and achieve wonders for Guyana.

Haralsingh also acknowledged that one of the major problems for destination Guyana is its image. Guyana is not a very well known or popular country and, many have not heard of it. However, the Fam trip will aid in this respect because most of the tour operators who participated in this trip were pleased and when they return they will publish Guyana in their catalogues, which will be distributed to thousands.
The visitors were given a complete tour of the country, having spent nine days touring the different regions. They were able to experience the beautiful rainforest, visit the Roy Geddes museum, traverse the Iwokrama Canopy walkway, and savour the beauty of Rewa, Rock View, and of course the majestic Kaieteur falls.

Hinds who did not place in the top 10 of the Trinidad competition which saw 17 chutney soca artistes competing, had said upon his return that his experience was great in terms of performing on a big stage. “This is one of the biggest stages I have ever performed on in my entire life, my entire career.”

Having won the Mashramani 2013 chutney competition which was held at the National Cultural Center on January 5, he automatically qualified to participate in the Trinidad competition.

He stated that he was very disappointed that he was unable to bring the crown home, but will not stop trying, and with the support of the Ministry and the entire country, he will again be going after the title.

Minister of Culture Youth and Sport Dr. Frank Anthony thanked Singh for supporting the local chutney competition and Young Bill Rogers.

Addressing the opening of the 2013/14 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives, Minister of Transport, Works & Housing, Dr. the Hon. Omar Davies, said that consistent with the objective of modernizing the land transportation sector, the Ministry is in the process of hiring a consultant to guide the establishment of the new authority.

The new entity will result from the merger of the Transport Authority and the Island Traffic Authority.

[RELATED: Local Contractors to Benefit from MIDP]

The Minister pointed out that much of the policy framework for the land transportation service is dated and dispersed under varying pieces of legislation.

Dr. Davies noted that one of the challenges being faced is indiscipline and bad behaviour on the roads, and pointed out that very few of the current systems collaborate or are linked, allowing some offending motorists to escape through the cracks.

He informed that the consultant will be engaged during the second quarter of this fiscal year, leading to the Land Transportation Authority being established in the fiscal year 2014/15.

The Minister also noted that the Road Traffic Act is in the final stages of a comprehensive review and will be taken to Parliament for a new Act to be passed during this Parliamentary year.

[RELATED: Opening of Sectoral Debate Parliamentary Year 2013/2014]

In the meantime, the Transport, Works and Housing Minister acknowledged the need for a fare adjustment, and noted that discussions are ongoing with representatives of the sector to address the issue.

The Minster stated that representatives of the Ministry, whether members of the political directorate or officials, are always available to meet to discuss and resolve problems with representatives of the sector, but emphasized that such meetings must be in the context of mutual respect and order.

“Indiscipline and coarseness must be eliminated from this vital sector of our economy and society,” he emphasized.

Contact: Andrea Braham

This was disclosed by Minister of Science, Technology, Energy and Mining, Hon. Phillip Paulwell, during his contribution to the 2013/14 Budget Debate on Thursday, April 24m in Gordon House.

“We will begin E-Learning II, with the Schools Tablet Computer Programme. Under that pro­gramme, every single student and teacher at 30 schools – five early childhood institutions, 10 primary schools, five junior high schools and 10 high schools across the country, will be given a tablet computer free of cost, amounting to 20,000 tablets,” the Minster said.

He said that the schools selected to participate in the pilot are among those that have been assessed and found to be under-performing academically by the Ministry of Education.

Minister Paulwell informed that a team comprising representatives of his Ministry, the Ministry of Education, the E-Learning Jamaica Company and the Universal Service Fund (USF) would be undertaking the pilot project, which he asserted “will fundamentally change the way we approach education in Jamaica”.

“The joint team is currently designing the project’s key performance indicators and other critical factors, and the Minister of Education will give further details in his Sectoral presentation. This year-long pilot project will provide essential data we need to expand the tablet program throughout the entire education system,” he said.

The tablets, Minister Paulwell noted, will be Wi-Fi and 3G enabled, and will come pre-loaded with approved age-ap­propriate games and apps, Ministry of Education prescribed texts, and all the software required for students up to Grade 12 to complete their School Based Assessments (SBA).

“Notably, the devices will have security features that will allow them to be tracked if stolen, and to block access to content that is harmful to children,” the Minister said, adding that each school will be made into a wire­less hotspot, offering free access to broadband Internet for students and the wider community.

In the rollout of the full programme, there will be a nominal charge for the devices, which will be waived for students enrolled in the Programme of Advancement Through Health and Education (PATH), and for disabled students.

“Technology allows us to break down the old traditional barriers to accessing learning resourc­es, and this administration is going to pilot the removal of all those barriers, to allow every Jamaican child an equal shot at achieving his or her goals,” he the Minister stated.

By Alecia Smith-Edwards, JIS Reporter

The agreement between the Ministry for Foreign Trade and Investment and the Saudi Development Fund includes the granting of $30 million to the island to support the restoration of drinking water supply mains.

The signing of the document took place on Monday on the occasion of the visit to the Caribbean island of Ibrahim Abdulaziz Al-Assaf, minister of finances and prices and president of the Fund’s board of directors, who during the meeting confirmed his interest in expanding bilateral nods to other sectors.

He asserted that actions of financial support to boost exports from the Kingdom to Cuba are currently analyzed, as well as the possibility to increase Cuban medical services in his country.

During his stay in the Cuban capital, the Saudi minister was due to carry out a program of activities and meetings with top officials and local authorities.

The delegates of the rebel Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia-People’s Army (FARC-EP) and of the government of Juan Manuel Santos met at Havana’s Convention Center after a month of separate analyses and of consultations on the agricultural issues, which are at the center of debate.

The parties reaffirmed their intention to reach an agreement consistent with the wishes and expectations of the Colombian people about the end of the war, expressed in the April 9 march in Bogotá and at the Peace Congress held there from April 19 through 22.

With Cuba and Norway as guarantors, and accompanied by Chile and Venezuela, the parties have been discussing since November 19, 2012, a six-point agenda to try to achieve the end of the conflict that Colombia has been suffering for over half a century now, as well as the achievement of stable and lasting peace.

In addition to the agriculture issue, the parties should also reach agreement in political participation, the end of the armed conflict, the solution to the problem of illegal drugs, the rights of victims, and the mechanisms for the implementation, verification and endorsement of what is agreed at the negotiating table.

The month, which will be observed under the theme: ‘Children’s Care and Protection: A Fi Wi Mission’ was officially launched on April 17, at the GraceKennedy offices in downtown Kingston.

In her address at the launch, Minister of Youth and Culture, Hon. Lisa Hanna, said the activities, which will extend into November, will seek to mobilize national support for the care and protection of children.

She noted that while May is reserved for Child Month, the growth and development of children should be a constant focus.

“The mission that we should all be on is the future protection of them so that the country can grow and build into leaps and bounds. Children are responsible for taking us to the pinnacles of our success and for keeping Jamaica’s name riding high,” she stated.

Chairperson of the National Child Month Committee (NCMC), which is organizing the celebrations, Dr. Pauline Mullings, said the theme was selected to increase awareness among persons, who interact with and share in the lives of children, that they are duty bound to safeguard their welfare.

“It is so sad to acknowledge that, in many cases, our children have been abused physically, sexually and emotionally by those who they trust. Many have been neglected, deemed unwanted, lacking in love and consequently, hope,” she noted.

Dr. Mullings is encouraging Jamaicans to support all the activities planned for the month and identify a project that can make a difference in the life of a child.

“I believe that this mission can only be accomplished if we all come together, unite our hearts and our efforts, and make our voices be heard, as we aim to overcome the many challenges that face our children today,” she stated.

In her remarks, Opposition Spokesperson, Youth, Sports, Gender Affairs, Entertainment and Culture, Olivia Grange, stated that during Child Month “we need to reflect on what is good about childhood in Jamaica and work to change what is not”.

Child Month 2013 gets underway on May 5, with a National Church Service at the Faith Chapel, 1 Renfield Avenue in Kingston.

May 10 is National Children’s Action Day, where children will be encouraged to do something for their communities through schools, clubs and church groups; while National Children’s Day will be observed on May 17.

Activities continue in June with the popular poster and essay competitions and awards ceremony.

Several events are also slated for the month of November, including a youth forum at the St. Andrew Parish Church Hall on November 1; Youth Outstanding Academic Achievement Awards at the Alhambra Inn, St. Andrew on November 15; and International Day for Children on November 20.

Child Month was first celebrated in May, 1953, under the patronage of Lady Foote, wife of the then Governor.

The major objectives of the NCMC are: to heighten public awareness of the many issues and challenges negatively affecting the development of children and steps that can be taken to address some of the issues and effectively meet the challenges; and to mobilize resources and facilitate action to support children-focused programs.

Main sponsors of the month are: GraceKennedy Limited; Lime; Continental Baking Company Limited; the Gleaner Company Limited and Jamaica Broilers Group of Companies.

By Chris Patterson, JIS Reporter