Black Immigrant Daily News

Harold Lovell, Political Leader of the United Progressive Party (UPP), is asking about the status of shares in the West Indies Oil Company Ltd. (WIOC) owned by Chinese-Canadian investor Xiao Jianhua.

Jianhua was fined and confined for 13 years in China, last Friday, August 19, after pleading guilty to bribery and other crimes that Chinese authorities said had “seriously jeopardized” the country’s financial security.

The Chinese billionaire has been said to control nearly 25% of WIOC’s shares and holds Antigua and Barbuda citizenship.

Since 2017 questions have been raised about his holdings in the company.

Lately, Prime Minister Gaston Browne said in Parliament that the Chinese investor’s interests in the company were being managed here in Antigua, but he did not elaborate.

With Jianhua’s conviction, Lovell is asking what has become of his shares and whether the Chinese Government will seize them, since it is going after his other assets globally.

The UPP Political Leader says there are still many unanswered questions related to this Chinese investor and his association with WIOC.

Meanwhile, to the surprise of residents on Wednedsay night, Browne stated, on an Observer Radio live feed, that Jianhua has no shares in WIOC. But, again, he did not elaborate.

There is speculation that Government Ministers are actually shareholders in Jianhua’s holdings in Antigua and Barbuda.

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Black Immigrant Daily News

United Progressive Party (UPP) Senator Damani Tabor is again advocating for a “living wage” in place of a minimum wage in Antigua and Barbuda, even as workers in the United Kingdom are agitating for decent pay increases.

Tabor says the two minimum wage increases granted under the Baldwin Spencer Administration were a demonstration that the UPP is, indeed, a “People First” political institution.

Once the Party is returned to office at the next polls, he assures affected workers that they will see a wage increase that falls in line with the high inflation rate.

As inflation increases, many manufacturers are slyly cutting down on the volume of their products, while retaining the size of the packaging. In essence, consumers are paying more money for less content, resulting in what is now termed “shrink-flation.”

Meanwhile, Tabor says that even the conditions under which many persons are forced to work are deplorable, and a UPP

Administration will urgently address this.

Meanwhile, Senator Tabor notes the relocation of several government departments, including the Central Board of Health, the St. John’s and All Saints Magistrates Courts, and a number of police stations – all due to mouldy premises, leaks and other structural issues.

The Government should have made these a priority, he says, and he is calling for upgrades to these departments, as well as to the hospital and community clinics.

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News

Douglas Wilson –

Douglas Wilson, general manager of the Trinidad Express newspaper, is the new president of the TT Publishers and Broadcasters Association (TTPBA).

He was elected to serve a two-year term on August 25 at the TTPBA annual general meeting. The TTPBA was formed in the early 1990s and represents a number of media owners and managers.

Also on the board was vice president Christianne Elcock, treasurer Anthony Seegobin, Peter Ames, Lennox Toussaint, Kiran Maharaj and outgoing president Grant Taylor.

Wilson joined the industry in 1991, has held senior executive positions since 2008 and holds directorships within the One Caribbean Media structure.

According to a TTPBA statement, Wilson was pleased to serve the industry in this capacity and thanked Taylor for serving.

“While he noted the importance of continuity, he said the board would like to see younger managers of media offering to serve. He said this would be taken into consideration as the new board plans for the future.”

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Ganga / Sharda Ganga Het is erg verleidelijk om dezer dagen te vervallen in snelle woordgrapjes rond vliegende hanen, gevlogen

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Black Immigrant Daily News

Oversight of fishing and farming in the territory may be seeing major changes soon following Governor John Rankin’s recent approval of the Food Security and Sustainability Act, 2022.

The House of Assembly passed the bill on April 19, Mr. Rankin assented on July 25, and it was Gazetted July 28.

The legislation covers a broad range of topics, including agriculture practices, fishing regulations, environmental protections, slaughtering, import and export regulations, loose livestock, and even stray pets.

Some of the existing laws that formed the foundation for the act were more than 100 years old and in dire need of an update, Premier Dr. Natalio “Sowande” Wheatley said when he announced the bill in July 2020.

The bill saw extensive input from community members, experts and legislators.

Dr. Wheatley, who was the minister responsible for fisheries and agriculture at the time, said in the House that “many, many amendments” were made based on input received. HOA members met for several days in closed-door committee before passing the bill.

New bodies

To oversee the changes, the law provides for the creation of an Agriculture and Fisheries Management Unit and a VI Agriculture and Fisheries Marketing Authority.

This authority would be empowered to develop a corporate model for fishing and farming complexes, with licensed fishers and farmers having the option of purchasing a portion of shares. The authority’s main aim would be to “support the sustainable and economically viable development of the agriculture and fisheries business in the territory,” according to the law.

The complementary management unit would provide policy advice on ensuring the growth of the industries. The minister of agriculture and fisheries is responsible for bringing the law into force.

‘Dangerous dogs’

In early discussions, some community members expressed concern about how the bill addressed “dangerous dogs.” The original bill defined them as “any type of dog that appears to [the minister] to be bred for fighting, or to have characteristics of a type bred for that purpose.”

It also required such dogs to be “destroyed” within 30 days of an order being made.

The final act, however, includes a more conservative definition of “dangerous dogs,” requiring that they put “the public or other animals at risk for injury or death.”

The law also stipulates that the “acts of barking, growling or showing of teeth by a dog are not enough” to label a dog “dangerous.”

Only animals that commit a specific listed act would be destroyed within 30 days, and the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force could step in if necessary under the law.

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