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Economics, News

IMPROVED DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS TO ENHANCE WORKPLACE SAFETY

http://timescaribbeanonline.com/improved-data-collection-analysis-enhance-workplace-safety/ #

Published 25 April 2017

Basseterre, St. Kitts, April 25, 2017 (SKNIS): The Department of Labour in St. Kitts has taken steps to improve its data collection and analysis in keeping with efforts to advance the decent work agenda, which calls for opportunities for work that are productive with a fair income in a safe environment while fulfilling its regional and international obligations.

This was emphasized on Tuesday, April 25, by the Acting Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Labour, Ron Dublin-Collins, while giving an address to recognize the World Day for Safety and Health at Work, which is celebrated internationally on April 28 each year. The theme for 2017 is “Optimize the Collection and Use of Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Data.”

“The time has come for us to begin to focus on the critical need to improve our capacity to collect and utilize reliable occupational safety and health data,” Acting Permanent Secretary Dublin-Collins stated, noting that such data are considered “indispensable” in detecting new hazards and risks, developing preventative measures, and implementing new policies, systems and programmes to address such.

To streamline the process, government has employed a statistical officer for the Department of Labour in March this year, who is responsible for collecting and analyzing data. Additionally, in February 2017, labour staff members and other stakeholders in St. Kitts and Nevis were briefed about, and trained to use software for the Caribbean Community’s Labour Market Information System (CLMIS) expected to be implemented in June 2017. It will serve as a database that informs CARICOM member countries of the availability of labour and employment. Mr. Dublin-Collins said “this is another step in the right direction for enhancing the collection and optimization of OSH data.”

The acting permanent secretary also explained that plans are in place to increase the number of labour inspectors, who carry out regular visits to places of employment in order to assess the working environment, and have friendly engagements with employers and employees.

All of the local plans are contained in nine priority areas designed to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the department. These are Institutional Strengthening of the Department and the Building of the Capacity of Staff; Updating the Labour Legislation; Enhancing the Labour Inspectorate; Educating the Public, Enhancing the Employment Mechanism and the Statistics Unit in the Ministry and Department of Labour; Enhancing the Social Protection System; Industrial Relations; International Relations; and Making Tripartism and Social Dialogue Central Themes for the Creation of Public Policies in Labour.

Several activities will be held this week to mark the observance of World Day for Safety and Health at Work. On Wednesday, April 26, (tomorrow) the Department of Labour will host a Safety and Health Symposium highlighting the importance of having a safe and secure work environment. Forty representatives from the manufacturing, hospitality and construction sectors will participate at the event slated for the Conference Room of Her Majesty’s Customs and Excise Department at Bird Rock. On Friday, April 28, a T-shirt Awareness Day will help to remind/educate the public on the matter and an awareness display will also be mounted at the Labour Department on Church Street. Also on that day, the Department of Labour in Nevis in conjunction with the Nevis Disaster Office will host an awareness rally. A church service on Sunday, April 30, wraps up the activities.

Local news, Local Sports, News

SKNABA AND US CBA LEAGUE TO COLLABORATE ON BASKETBALL DEVELOPMENT IN ST.KITTS-NEVIS

http://timescaribbeanonline.com/sknaba-us-cba-league-collaborate-basketball-development-st-kitts-nevis/ #

Published 25 April 2017

L-R: Coach John Spezia, CBA Owner and President, Anthony Wiltshire Director of Sports, SKNABA President Kenroy Tobias and Secretary-General Wallis Wilkin

President of the US Central Basketball Association and the Owner and Coach of the Illinois Coal Miners team also of the CBA visited the federation of St.Kitts-Nevis recently on a recruiting trip . Coach John Spezia who has been recruiting Caribbean and International players for US Colleges and High Schools has brought is coaching and recruiting expertise to the CBA Illinois Coal Miners team. Coach Spezia along with the CBA President met with officials of the St.Kitts Nevis Basketball Association namely Wallis Wilkin Secretary-General and Kenroy Tobias the President, as well as the Director of Sports on St.Kitts Mr Anthony Wilthsire. Spezia ran a number of recruiting sessions at the Basketball City and as a result was able to recruit Nashorn Maynard who just recently made his debut for Spezia’s Illinois Coal Miners Team.

Spezia along with the CBA President expressed their enthusiasm in working closely with the SKNABA and the Ministry of Sports in the future development of Basketball in St.Kitts-Nevis.

In commenting on the meeting and the visit of Coach Spezia and the CBA President SKNABA Secretary –General Wallis Wilkin stated “There very fruitful discussions and a commitment by Coach Spezia , Ministry of Sports , SKNABA and the CBA to work together in the overall development of Basketball in the federation .”

“Thanks to Coach Spezia who expressed his enthusiasm to work with the SKNABA and the Ministry of Sports in getting more of our athletes exposure to pro leagues, colleges in the US and around the world ,” Wilkin Continued.

Local news, News

IMF Mission conducting economic assessment exercise in SKN

http://timescaribbeanonline.com/imf-mission-conducting-economic-assessment-exercise-skn/ #

Published 25 April 2017

(L-r) Ms. Inci Otker, the International Monetary Fund’s Mission Chief for St. Kitts and Nevis and Hon. Vance Amory, Premier of Nevis and Minister of Finance at the Ministry of Finance conference room on April 21, 2017

NIA CHARLESTOWN NEVIS (April 24, 2017) – A team from the Ministry of Finance in the Nevis island Administration (NIA) led by Hon. Vance Amory, Premier of Nevis were among stakeholders who met with a team from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on April 21, 2017, as part of the IMF’s annual economic assessment exercise in St. Kitts and Nevis.

Ms. Inci Otker the IMF’s Mission Chief for St. Kitts and Nevis (SKN) said the meeting in the Federation is a regular consultation to assess the economy’s performance. The team’s visit began on April 18, 2017 and concludes on May 03, 2017.

“We are looking at the macro economic situation, how the financial system is doing as well as some of the social issues and this year particularly we are focusing on not only how the macro-economic and financial situation has been in terms of stability and so on,” she said.

Ms. Otker added that the team was also looking into social issues, and focussed on the status of the unemployment rate; how the inequality and poverty indicators are doing and how wages are determined. They are also looking into the health care system and the fiscal implications of planned universal health care coverage.

The IMF official explained that at the end of the assessment, they would have an overall picture not only micro economically but one which would also encompass the development and sustainable inclusive growth to be achieved in St. Kitts and Nevis.

On conclusion of the mission, a staff report will be issued at the end of May or June. Ms. Otker says she is hopeful the team would be able to provide some useful recommendations going forward.

Mr. Amory described the discussions as productive. He noted that by the end of the meeting, the IMF team would be appraised of the steps the Administration is taking to manage its finances, control its debt and to manage concessions for businesses.

He pointed to the manner in which concessions are granted to businesses. He said the Administration is ensuring that they are granted for productive enterprises which create employment, so that the revenue foregone by government is reflected in activity stimulating growth in the economy.

END

News, Politics

Battle Of The Public Opinion Polls

http://www.winnfm.com/news/local/21617-battle-of-the-public-opinion-polls #

Published 18 April 2017

St Kitts and Nevis (WINN): With Team Unity just past two years into its first term of office, there is no general election on the horizon at the moment.

However there appears to be a battle of the public opinion polls raging in the federation.

Citing a newly conducted Don Anderson poll, the governing Team Unity coalition says the results show that if an election were to be held now, Prime Minister Timothy Harris and his Government of National Unity would be re-elected to serve for another five-year term.

However the Denzil Douglas-led opposition St Kitts Nevis Labour Party is also making a similar claim, based, it says on a Bill Johnson poll the SKNLP commissioned.

“The conclusion is that if an election were called today, the electorate would vote strongly in support of Douglas and the Labour Party to replace Harris and the Team Unity government” the Labour Party quotes its commissioned public opinion poll as concluding.

The Don Anderson poll, released earlier than Labour’s Bill Johnson’s poll shows, the coalition says, that Team Unity would expand its constituency count, adding to the seven seats that its candidates won during the February 16th, 2015 general election.

Labour is countering that its Bill Johnson poll gives Party leader Douglas, the country’s opposition leader, a more favourable rating than Prime Minister Timothy Harris.

According to an SKNLP release, Dr Douglas enjoys a 67 per cent favourability rating compared to a 34 per cent rating for Dr Harris.

It says too, on the question of who would do a better job going forward, that “61.4% were convinced that Douglas would do a better job, 23.2% thought that Harris would, and 13.2% were undecided”.

The Don Anderson poll is said to have questioned 506 registered voters in the federation’s eleven constituencies, while 1100 likely voters are reported to have been polled in the Bill Johnson public opinion poll.

Don Anderson of Marketing Research Services Limited in Jamaica is a well known pollster in the region.

Bill Johnson too, is a Jamaica-based veteran pollster.

Crime/Justice, Local news, News

Premier Of Nevis Issues Statement On The Death Of Morella Webbe Of Cotton Ground Village

http://www.nevispages.com/premier-of-nevis-issues-statement-on-the-death-of-morella-webbe-of-cotton-ground-village/ #

Published 18 April 2017

NIA CHARLESTOWN NEVIS (April 18, 2017) — The following is a statement by Hon. Vance Amory, Premier of Nevis and Minister responsible of Security in the Nevis Island Administration (NIA) on April 18, 2017, on the death of Morella Webbe of Cotton Ground.

The latest shooting in Cotton Ground, has been a great cause of concern to the Nevis island Administration (NIA) and to the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis, generally, especially as we have seen the loss of another young person Ms. Morella Webbe.

This tragic loss of life and this act of criminality and wanton waste of our human resource has to be stopped.

The last time I spoke to you, I warned about reprisals at the shooting death of one Randell Chapman. Is this a case of that reprisal? I do not know. The Police will have to determine that. However, what I do know, is that the image of the country of Nevis and St. Kitts and Nevis is being tarnished with every incident of this type.

I know I have appealed to all the people in this country – parents, leaders in the community and anyone who knows anyone who is committing or is about to commit a crime or anyone who is in possession of guns or knives which could lead to criminal activity – I make this appeal again and I do so because we are now faced with another traumatic experience and there is no excuse, as far as I am concerned, for us to continue down this path.

I have, discussed again, with the Police High Command. We have discussed their strategy and their tactics in dealing with the fight against crime. I intend to meet with the High Command here in Nevis, again, to look at ways in which we can intensify the fight against criminal activity here in Nevis.

We want our country to remain a place where people can feel comfortable to come. We want our country to be a place where we can feel at peace and we can feel safe and secure in our homes or on the streets.

I’m not here trying to make any excuse because the matter of criminality and crime and violence, is the business of everyone. It is not a party political issue and whatever may have been said in the past in respect of any responsible party or responsible persons to spearhead the fight against crime, this now, has reached the point where every single one of us has to assume that responsibility.

It is now left for me, to express my condolence to the family of the young lady whose life was snatched away from her.

This may be just pure expression of sympathy. It will not bring back that life. It will not remove the scar of the trauma nor will it remove the fear which people feel.

However, I appeal to all those who intend or have an intention of engaging in any reprisal, not to even consider it.

We will give the police the direction to take certain very serious steps to deal with this matter. I will not divulge what those steps are but I promise you, that those decisions will be very, very stringent and we will not allow the police to rest and we will not allow anyone, who is suspected of committing crimes, to rest.

We cannot take any more of this and my fellow citizens, let us see this act of criminality for what it is. It is destroying the good name of our country and we cannot allow that to happen. I spoke to you last time and said that when actions like these happen, people might want to reconsider their investments. They may want to reconsider visiting but I do know Nevis is by and large a place of peace. A place where we can feel secure but we need to know, that there will not be any re-occurrence of this dastardly type of action.

Again, I extend to all the families who have suffered and who are suffering and I ask anyone who knows any information, to pass it on to the police so they can take action to arrest the persons and bring them to justice swiftly.

This is my appeal to all of us and pray to God that we do not have a recurrence of this type of action again for this year.