Black Immigrant Daily News

Basseterre, St. Kitts, November 18, 2022 (RSCNPF): Two small business operators from the Stapleton area are thankful to the Police Officers at the Police Station for making a tangible contribution to their personal development and for showing an interest in their business operations.

Sergeant Charmaine Audain who oversees the operations at the Stapleton Police Station said that as the Officers there continue to foster a robust and interactive relationship between the Police and the community, they thought it would be helpful to sponsor two small business owners in the district. The Officers gathered funds to cover the cost for Chenelle Bass, owner of J&N Snackette and Germaine Brookes, owner of All B’s Enterprise to attend The Ultimate Vision Board Seminar that was recently hosted by the Jenkins Leadership Course Cohort at the Clarence Fitzroy Bryant College.

Ms. Brookes described it as a good experience, adding that it was the first time she had ever attended a training session of any sort.

“It was well educational I must say that. I learned a lot, you know. I learned a lot about the business, the stress. On the whole it was really educational and it was something I would attend again. The sponsorship meant a lot. I’m so grateful. I didn’t even expect [it], but I appreciated [it],”

Ms. Bass said she made the sacrifice and decided not to open her small business that day so she could attend.

“The sponsorship from the Stapleton Police, it made me feel so warm, so everything, so happy. At least somebody is looking out for you and stuff like that.”

Sergeant Audain explained, “This is to show the businesses that we don’t only care about the security of their business, but also their growth and making sure that this initiative will also help them in all areas of their life. We thank the Almighty God for providing the necessary resources to assist in this initiative. Thankful to Ms. Bass and Ms. Germaine Brookes for also welcoming us to contribute to them as well,”

During their daily and nightly patrols, the Officers check on businesses in the district and regularly interact with business operators.

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Black Immigrant Daily News

Basseterre, St. Kitts, November 19, 2022 (SKNIS): Males across St. Kitts and Nevis who are making a positive impact in society are being applauded for their contributions in shaping a stronger and more resilient twin-island Federation as the nation observes International Men’s Day on Saturday (November 19, 2022).

The global theme for the annual observance is Helping Men and Boys. However, officials at the Department of Gender Affairs have considered the local cultural context and coined the theme as Gender Equality: The Role of Our Men and Boys in Building and Maintaining Positive Relationships.

Junior Minister responsible for Gender Affairs, the Honourable Isalean Phillip, made a national address on Saturday to mark the observance. The Minister said that the local theme highlights the value of building positive relationships to deter violent realities that surround some domestic and gender relations. She added that achieving the outlined goals will require focusing on three core areas.

Junior Minister responsible for Gender Affairs, the Honourable Isalean Phillip

“Firstly, it encourages healthy and positive relationship building between men and their female counterparts in their homes, at work, at school, during social events, and in our communities. To cultivate healthy relations between men and women, we need men to value women equally, to approach each other with gentle kindness and respect and to be more collaborative in sharing the responsibilities in domestic and professional life,” Honourable Phillip stated.

The second core area encourages building relationships with fellow men who are friends, brethren, or brothers. Strong and healthy friendships with other positive-minded males result in a lower risk of depression, suicide, school dropout, teen pregnancy, substance abuse and gang involvement.

The third area highlighted was the relationship between men and their children as well as increasing mentor-mentee relationships.

“The type of relationship that fathers have with their children affects children’s cognitive and social development,” Minister Phillip expressed. “Where involved and active father figures are absent in a boy child’s life, mentors become even more necessary to support healthy development and growth. Mentorship is found to be impactful at influencing behaviour change and life choices among at-risk children and youth in particular.”

The Junior Minister encouraged interested males to sign up to become mentors in the department’s Boys Mentorship Programme. She added that the Department of Gender Affairs is exploring additional opportunities to further engage men in dialogue that explore solutions to gender-based violence.

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The wage increases and retroactive payments that are now due to public sector workers with the signing of the new compensation agreement will not significantly impact the current inflation rate.

So says Bank of Jamaica (BOJ) Governor Richard Byles.

Byles was responding to questions on the matter at the bank’s Quarterly Monetary Policy Press Conference last Friday.

“It will have an upward effect on inflation, that’s a natural conclusion. How much of an effect is another matter,” Byles said.

“We have looked at it and we have done a deep dive into what the potential impact is and whilst it will raise inflation, we don’t see it as having a terribly significant impact,” he said noting the government’s financial obligation toward the wage negotiations.

He continued: “We will take it in stride and we will find ways to take that inflation impact out of the economy.”

Between November 15 and November 17, 14 unions signed with the MOFPS on the new compensation package. They include the Nurses’ Association of Jamaica (NAJ), the Jamaica Civil Service Association (JCSA), the Jamaica Workers Union, the Union of Schools Agricultural and Allied Workers Union, the Union of Public and Private Employees, the Jamaica Association of Local Government Officers (JALGO), the Jamaica Midwives’ Association, the Council of Paramedics, and the Bustamante Industrial Trade Union (BITU).

The finance ministry has agreed to a guaranteed minimum increase of 17.5 per cent on net pay for all public sector workers with effect from April 1, to be paid over three years.

The mileage rate for travel officers will increase to $100 per kilometre, up from $56/km at present.

Eight months of payment already passed before the signing of the compensation deal, creating the added obligation of retroactive payments.

Finance Minister Dr Nigel Clarke has stressed the need to have the negotiations concluded in sufficient time so that the payments that are due for 2022 can be made in the fiscal year 2022/23.

The Finance Minister has also proposed a $60-billion increase to the national budget in the First Supplementary Estimates 2022/2023, which he tabled earlier this month.

This is comprised of increases to the non-debt recurrent expenditure of $52.7 billion, capital expenditure of $1.3 billion and debt service of $6 billion.

Jamaica’s inflation rate for October stood at 9.9 per cent, higher than the outturn for September when it was 9.3 per cent.

“Over the remainder of this calendar year, assuming no additional shocks, the bank forecasts that inflation will continue to fluctuate between 9.5 and 10.5 per cent, consistent with the consensus forecast for a fall in commodity prices and the bank’s overall monetary policy stance,” Byles told the meeting.

For Senior Deputy Governor, Dr Wayne Robinson, the central bank will have to watch to see what other areas of the labour market [such as] the private is will do.

“Will they follow with similar increases…and as the incoming data will guide us, we [will] then adjust our forecast and policy action,” Robinson said.

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Sports

England’s Bukayo Saka, left, scores against Iran in a World Cup group B match at the Khalifa International Stadium in Doha, Qatar, Monday. – AP

ENGLAND kicked off their 2022 FIFA World Cup on Monday with a comprehensive 6-2 rout of Iran, in a Group B match at the Khalifa International Stadium in Qatar.

Arsenal midfielder Bukayo Saka led the England charge with a double in the 44th and 62nd. Jude Bellingham (35th), Raheem Sterling (45th), Marcus Rashford (71st) and Jack Grealish (90th) added one each for the 1966 World Cup winners.

Iran were thoroughly outplayed in the 90 minutes and were already 4-0 down when striker Mehdi Taremi pulled one back in the 65th. A penalty from Taremi in added-on time added little respectability to the total.

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On November 14, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (IMPACS), in partnership with United States’ law enforcement agencies, launched the CARICOM Crime Gun Intelligence Unit (CCGIU).

The launch was attended by the Honourable Fitzgerald Hinds, Minister of National Security; Mr. Shante Moore, Chargé d’Affaires, United States Embassy Port of Spain; Members of the Diplomatic Missions, and Heads of national law enforcement agencies, regional and international security agencies.

The CCGIU will assist regional law enforcement authorities in criminal investigations involving firearms, by utilizing modern intelligence tools and technology.

The Unit will facilitate collaboration and cooperation among regional and international law enforcement agencies including CARICOM IMPACS and United States’ agencies, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), and INTERPOL.

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The CCGIU is located at the CARICOM IMPACS’ Port of Spain headquarters and will work with IMPACS’ Regional Intelligence Fusion Centre (RIFC) and Joint Regional Communications Centre (JRCC) to provide intelligence analysis on illicit firearms and ammunition.

The Unit will support law enforcement agencies in Member States in the seizure of firearms, related parts, and components as well as in identifying, charging, and prosecuting co-conspirators.

The Council for National Security and Law Enforcement (CONSLE) at its 24th Meeting in Jamaica on October 6, 2022, endorsed the establishment of the CARICOM Crime Gun Intelligence Unit (CCGIU) by CARICOM IMPACS, as a critical tool to assist CARICOM Member States in investigating and prosecuting firearm related crimes.

SOURCE: U.S. Embassy Bridgetown. Headline photo:(From left) Mr. Shante Moore, Charge d’ Affairés, US Embassy Port of Spain, Minister of National Security, the Honourable Fitzgerald Hinds, and Lt. Col Michael Jones Executive Director, CARICOM IMPACS cutting the ribbon.

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