Economic Columnist – Edwin Laurent CMG OBE
ACP Heads discuss our future
Heads of State and Government of the 79 states of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group (ACP) meet this week 13-14 December in Malabo, the capital of the small oil rich West African state of Equatorial Guinea.
This is only the seventh summit since the birth of the ACP in the early 1970’s; their last meeting was held four years ago in Ghana. The theme this time will be The Future of the ACP Group in a Changing World: Challenges and Opportunities.
This discussion on the future is quite timely since the Cotonou Agreement, which governs the relationship between Europe and the ACP, comes to an end in 2020. Preparing and agreeing on a replacement Agreement will take many years and is very complex.
Already, European policy makers, MPs, officials and academics, have been discussing among themselves what should be the nature of the relationship. In their Summit the ACP Heads will exchange ideas on how the relationship needs to be structured to serve the interests of their own countries.
The work of the leaders will be prepared by a joint meeting of the Council of Ministers and the Foreign Ministers, which will also address other issues including those relating to their countries’ sugar and banana trade with Europe, development assistance and the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs). These EPAs continue to be contentious with only the Caribbean having concluded a full agreement with Europe.
Kublalsingh ends hunger strike
A high profile protest against the major new Point Fortin to San Fernando
Dr Kublalsingh. Photo courtesy ttnewsflash.com
Highway in Trinidad seems to have forced the Government to agree to an independent review of the Debe to Mon Desir section. According to Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessa an agreement was reached on 3rd December with the Joint Consultative Council and will be signed by Works Minister Emmanuel George and Stacy Roopnarine and Environment Minister Ganga Singh.
On receiving the news, Dr Wayne Kublalsingh, a UWI lecturer who leads the Highway Re-route Movement, ended his 20 day hunger strike saying, “With this we are very satisfied and so the hunger strike and action has ended.” His protest was prompted by concern over the possible adverse impact on the environment and on persons who could be displaced by the highway.
He said that there will be a cost benefit analysis report; a social impact assessment report and a Hydrology, Terrestrial and Marine Ecology report as part of the review which will be overseen by an independent working group headed by independent Senator Dr James Armstrong.
Mrs Persad-Bissessar said: “We are very happy for Mr Kublalsingh and his family. Our prayers are with him for his good health and a speedy recovery.”
Kublalsingh though is not appeased and could still seek to have work on the highway completely stopped. He said “I am thinking a lot about what is going on, the bulldozing that is still taking place and it is really a bit distressing … I’ll have to talk to my lawyers to see whether filing an injunction was possible and I have to also get opinions from re-route members. I need to hear their thoughts on the matter then decide what course of action to take.”
Homes by Christmas for Hurricane Sandy Victims
The Jamaica Government has entered into a partnership with Food for the Poor to construct 500 houses by December 25, to replace those that were completely destroyed by Hurricane Sandy. So far, 82 houses are being constructed with 28 completed. The Jamaica Defence Force Engineering Unit is complementing the workforce with Food for the Poor.
According to the Minister of State in the Office of the Prime Minister Luther Buchannan, more than 15,000 people were assessed by the Ministry of Labour and Social Security to determine the level of assistance they need. About 5,000 were issued with cheques ranging from $30,000 to $50,000, depending on the level of damage suffered.
Some cheaters have however been trying to benefit more than once from the assistance, leading to delay in the distribution of cheques. The Minister said that while these incidents were not widespread, the Government was doing all it can to clamp down on those attempts to defraud the system. He conceded though that in an effort to “protect the integrity” of the programme, the Government has been forced to ramp up its verification process.
Guyanese Gold heist
The theft on the 30th November of 470 pounds of pure gold worth US$11.5
Photo courtesy lild-reviews.blogspot.com
million from the Guyanese vessel MV Summer Bliss still remains unresolved. Six men wearing hoods, masks and jackets emblazoned with the word “police” had attacked the ship’s crew on the Dutch Caribbean island of Curacao and made off with 70 gold bars.
Speaking to representatives of the Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association, Natural Resources Minister Robert Persaud said that he is seeking help from the Dutch authorities in recovering the gold that was stolen. He said: “We basically want to know what the crew told them and as much information that we can get that can advise us here about whether or not the gold emanated from Guyana.”
New Offensive in Antigua’s Gambling War
The Antigua and Barbuda government is reviving efforts to resolve a
Photo courtesy cbc.ca
decade-long dispute with the United States over internet gambling services with an alliance between the local gaming industry and the Investment Authority.
Minister of Finance and the Economy Harold Lovell said: “Let me be clear: our goal is to negotiate the best possible deal for the people of Antigua and Barbuda. When we are successful, it will result in a rejuvenated industry”.
Despite the determination and strength of feeling in the Antigua Government, it is not clear what new approaches will be used or legal arguments deployed that will get the United States to “fully comply” this time with the WTO rulings on online gaming when they never did so before.
Barbados – Independence
After 46 years of political independence from the United Kingdom it comes as
Prime Minister Freundel Stuart. Photo courtesy caribbeanlifenews.com
quite a surprise that there might still be people in Barbados who need to be convinced of the justification of the decision half a century ago to break the colonial ties.
In his Independence Day message (30th November) the Prime Minister Freundel Stuart assured his countrymen that the decision was “fully justified”. Barbados he said has made tremendous strides.
“At the social level, we can boast of having a Barbados that is more balanced and inclusive today than at any other time in our history; our children now have access to education from the nursery to the tertiary levels; enlightened legislative reforms have `massively expanded the rights of our women”.
“Is it any wonder then that Barbados has been described as a country with one of the highest levels of human development in the developing world? Is it any wonder that Barbados is a leader in the world among small island developing states? Is it any wonder that our success continues to baffle countries much larger and better resourced, materially, than ours?”
But he warned that the island’s development has been hit by the global financial and economic crisis to the point that the “sectors from which we have traditionally earned our foreign exchange have faced unprecedented challenges”.
