Black Immigrant Daily News

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Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretary-General Dr. Carla Barnett has hailed the CARICOM Interactive Marketplace and Suspension Procedure (CIMSuPro) launch.

And she has urged suppliers and buyers of CARICOM originating goods to register on the online platform.

Barnett said Monday’s launch of CIMSuPro marks an essential milestone in the evolution of how trade and business can and will be conducted in the Community.

She observed that the online platform creates a digital ‘Marketplace’ where regional buyers and sellers of regionally produced goods can contact and “contract” each other directly.

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“It also introduces the potential for improving the efficiency in processing applications for a suspension of the Common External Tariff (CET),” the CARICOM Secretary-General stated.

According to Barnett, while the CARICOM Secretariat will continue to consult with Member States directly on requests for suspensions, the CIMSuPro portal will provide an essential source of information for reviewing all requests.

She asserted that CIMSuPro could become a processing platform for such requests over time.

In addition, Barnett said for any market, including the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME), to function efficiently, information on trading opportunities must be available.

“As we push for increased regional production and supply of goods, especially food items to replace our high and nsustainable dependence on imports, putting information on the availability of CARICOM inputs for manufacturers, as well as finished CARICOM products at the fingertips of regional buyers is absolutely important,” the CARICOM official declared.

She recalled that external shocks from the COVID-19 pandemic, the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, and climate change have made building resilience in regional economies even more critical.

And amid global uncertainties, Barnett explained that CARICOM Heads of Government had redoubled their commitment to the CSME as the best option for building economic resilience and safeguarding the welfare, gains, and standard of living of the people of the Region.

“One area that presents great opportunity for increased regional production and import substitution is agri-food products. Over US$3.7 billion in agri-food products was imported into the Region in 2018. To expand regional production and supply to reduce this import bill, producers and buyers must have access to market information in good time and in a user-friendly manner – the CIMSuPRO will provide this,” she noted.

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Black Immigrant Daily News

La presidenta del Centro Unido de Detallistas, Lourdes M. Aponte Rodríguez, indicó que permanecen inoperantes el 44 por ciento de los comercios asociados a su organización a 10 días del paso del huracán Fiona.

“Todos nos hemos afectado en nuestro 100 x 35. Eso es una realidad. Pero, obviamente, ha habido unas áreas mucho más impactadas y todos sabemos que es en la zona del suroeste. Yo te podría decir que el 44 por ciento de los socios que pertenecen al Centro Unido no están operando actualmente, y pertenecen a la zona suroeste”, lo que implica cerca de 2 mil socios, informó Aponte Rodríguez.

La líder indicó que la falta de luz, agua y diésel, cuya entrega se ha visto afectada debido a problemas en la distribución, son los que mantienen clausurados los negocios.

“El escenario está bastante complejo. Y, obviamente, la asistencia no está llegando. Una vez más, el sector privado cargamos sobre los hombros ese compromiso que tenemos, no solamente con nuestros pequeños y medianos comerciantes que, realmente, representan el 80 por ciento de esa base”, expresó Aponte Rodríguez al resaltar que hay gente para trabajar, pero que la situación en la reducción de personal, aparte de que hay muchas personas que no están en condiciones aptas para laborar debido a la emergencia, agravan la situación.

Aunque no tiene una cifra exacta, expresó que “estamos hablando de miles de millones. Las pérdidas van a ser bien significativas […] Esto lo que ha traído consigo ha sido un colapso mayor […] O nos unimos todos como grupo, y marchamos por el bien de lo que nosotros queremos, que es tener una reconstrucción inmediata y que el sector comercial pueda operar de inmediato… Son muchos los que dependen de ese pequeño comerciante, de esa panadería del pueblo de la esquina”, finalizó la empresaria al clamar, una vez más, por acción gubernamental y describir a LUMA Energy, encargada de transmisión y distribución del servicio eléctrico, como un huracán de categoría indefinida.

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Black Immigrant Daily News

The recent launch of the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) programme is a commitment by Government to student athletes who are seeking placements in US colleges and universities.

Minister of Youth, Sports and Community Empowerment, Charles Griffith, gave this assurance at the launch ceremony of the pilot programme last Saturday at the Ministry’s headquarters in Haggatt Hall, St. Michael.

Griffith stated: “Government is fully aware of the social responsibility that we have to young people. This initiative this morning is one such initiative from government to ensure that we reach those people who most need the assistance in terms of moving ahead.”

He highlighted the fact that the cost of prepping for the SAT’s programme was costing parents between BDS $400 and BDS $600 dollars and times were tough for some households.

While noting that the pilot programme and its participants would be used to determine the validity of the initiative, the Youth Minister said: “What you do and how you treat to the knowledge and the fact that you’re benefiting from this, will impact those who will come after you. We fully expect that you return and in subsequent course, that you speak to those who come in cohort two, three or even four, in relation to your journey as a result of what is happening here this morning.

“And if you do that, government will be satisfied that the investment that we would have made in this particular programme is worthwhile. We will know that we will continue with the programme to benefit those other athletes who will come after you.”

Minister Griffith thanked the Director of Sports at the Ministry, Stephen Rowe for implementing the SAT programme and tutor, Kim Jones for facilitating it.

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