Black Immigrant Daily News

Legislators are aiming to find a better balance in regulating non-profit organisations based in the Virgin Islands, they said this week as they debated a proposed amendment to the Non-Profit Organisations Act, 2012. The House of Assembly passed the bill on Sept. 21 with amendments, and it now awaits Governor John Rankin’s assent.

While moving that the bill be read a second time on Sept. 21, Health and Social Development Minister Marlon Penn said it is important for NPOs to have the freedom to carry out valuable work without being burdened by overly onerous oversight.

However, he added, the territory also needs to meet current international standards in protecting the sector from financial crime threats.

The original 2012 act created a framework for registering, supervising and monitoring non-profits. Mr. Penn said the framework was designed to ensure organisations are getting appropriate support while also protecting the sector against abuse.

“Since the implementation of the act, 366 NPOs have been registered, with 80 being current,” he said. “The bill before us today seeks to enhance the effectiveness of the principle act by aligning its provisions with international regulatory standards for the non-profit sector as they have evolved over the past decade.”

Over-regulation?

The Financial Action Task Force sets many of these standards after assessing the risks of money laundering and other types of abuse, according to the minister.

“Concerns have also been expressed that certain language in our legislation leads to over-regulation and inappropriate restrictions on NPOs, which may have hampered their legitimate and essential work,” he added.

Among other updates, the bill would provide for NPOs to be deregistered if they fail to apply for renewal within 30 days of the expiration of their registration’s expiration.

The bill would also give the Financial Investigation Agency “discretion to determine the level of supervision required for each NPO based on a risk-based approach and whether to exempt and NPO from active supervision.”

Additionally, it would require that non-profits provide staff training related to money laundering, terrorist financing, and other criminal financial activities.

The opposition’s view

Opposition member Carvin Malone, the former minister of health and social development, said he was glad to see the bill come to the debate floor.

He added that the territory should be making it easier, not harder, for people to get involved with NPOs without worrying about making onerous disclosures or jumping through other hoops.

Opposition Leader Julian Fraser said particular consideration should be given to the regulation of organisations based on sister islands, especially considering that their resources and needs can differ from those based on Tortola.

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The tropical storm watch that has been in effect for Jamaica is being discontinued with immediate effect, as conditions associated with a tropical storm are no longer expected in respect of Tropical Storm Ian, the Met Service said in its latest bulletin issued a short while ago.

“Over the past several hours, the tropical storm has drifted a bit to the south, taking it farther from the coastline and placing the island outside of the projected range of tropical-storm-force winds,” the Met Service said.

At 2pm, the centre of Tropical Storm Ian was located near latitude 14.2 degrees North, longitude 75.8 degrees West, or about 435 kilometres (270 miles) south-southeast of Kingston, or 405 kilometres (251 miles) south of Morant Point, Jamaica.

Ian is now moving towards the west near 26 km/h (16 mph), and this general motion is expected to continue through Saturday night. A turn toward the northwest is forecast on Sunday, followed by a north-northwestward turn on Monday.

Maximum sustained winds remain near 75 km/h (45 mph) with higher gusts; however, significant strengthening is forecast during the next few days.

The Met Service said Ian is expected to become a hurricane late Sunday evening while south-west of Jamaica and moving farther away towards the Cayman Islands. Jamaica is currently well outside of the range of tropical-storm-force winds, which extend outward up to 95 km (60 miles) from the centre.

“On its forecast track, the centre of the tropical storm is forecast to remain south of Jamaica continue moving westward away from the island through Saturday night and Sunday morning. Ian will then pass near or over the Cayman Islands on Sunday night and early Monday before approaching western Cuba on Monday.

“While the tropical storm remains over the west-central Caribbean, it will continue to produce a large area of showers and thunderstorms that could impact the weather over Jamaica through Monday. Locally, heavy rainfall could produce flash floods mainly over low-lying and flood-prone areas of southern and eastern parishes and residents are urged to remain alert,” the Met Service said.

Small craft operators, including fishers from the cays and banks, are reminded to remain in safe harbouruntil wind and sea conditions have returned to normal, the Met Service advised.

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Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley and his wife Sharon in formal wear for the PNM’s September Affair held at Hyatt Regency, Port of Spain on Friday night. – Photo courtesy Dr Keith Rowley Facebook

THE People’s National Movement (PNM) held gala dinner at the Hyatt Regency, Port of Spain, on Friday night as a fund-raising event. It was due to run from 7 pm to midnight.

It was titled, a September Affair, with the subtitle, Let the flowers bloom. Guests were asked to dress in formal wear in red, white or black.

PNM general secretary Foster Cummings told Newsday the ticket price was $1,500.

“It was a sold out event, very successful. We have a wide cross section of supporters from various sectors across the country. We are having a good time.”

On his Facebook page, Prime Minister Dr Rowley posted a photo of himself and his wife Sharon before they left for the gala. Rowley celebrated her birthday on Friday.

The dinner came ahead of Republic Day on Saturday. It also took place as TT culminated the month-long celebration of its 60th anniversary of Independence, the 1962 event which the party has attributed to its founder and the country’s first prime minister Dr Eric Williams, although this eminence was recently challenged by Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar alleging the United Kingdom had been actively seeking to get rid of its colonies.

The dinner also comes after Dr Rowley recently launched the Dr Eric Williams Memorial Library, formerly the Heritage Library, at Knox Street, Port of Spain. The rebranded facility has been described as a library, archive and museum.

The media was not allowed to cover the September Affair, either inside the hotel or outside.

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The eighth Atlantic named storm of the 2022 Atlantic Hurricane Season has formed- Tropical Storm Hermine- adding to the various systems already being monitored in the region.

The US National Hurricane Center (US NHC) in its 5 pm update said Hermine was located about 290 miles North East of the Cabo Verde islands.

Some strengthening is possible through tomorrow, with weakening expected on Sunday, and Hermine could become a remnant low on Monday. Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 45 miles (75 km) from the centre.

Hermine is forecast to produce 2 to 4 inches (50 to 100 mm) of rain, with isolated totals of 6 inches (150 mm), over the Canary Islands through this weekend. This rainfall could cause some flash flooding in areas of higher terrain.

NHC Key Messages for Tropical Depression Nine

Tropical Depression Nine

The government of the Cayman Islands has issued a Hurricane Watch for the Cayman Islands, including Grand Cayman, Little Cayman, and Cayman Brac. The government of Jamaica has issued a Tropical Storm Watch for Jamaica.

The NHC in its 5 pm update said Tropical Depression Nine was located about 430 miles ESE of Kingston, Jamaica and about 930 miles SE of Havana, Cuba.

A westward motion is expected to begin tonight and continue through Saturday night, followed by a turn toward the northwest and north-northwest on Sunday and Monday. On the forecast track, the centre of the cyclone is forecast to move across the central Caribbean Sea through Saturday, pass south of Jamaica on Saturday night and Sunday, and approach the Cayman Islands on Sunday night and early Monday.

Hurricane Fiona

A powerful Fiona is expected to bring Hurricane conditions to Atlantic Canada tonight. At 5 pm, Fiona was located about 370 miles SSE of Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Fiona is moving toward the north-northeast near 40 mph (65 km/h). A slower north-northeast or northward motion is expected through Sunday. On the forecast track, the centre of Fiona will approach Nova Scotia later today, move across Nova Scotia and into the Gulf of St Lawrence on Saturday, and then across Labrador and over the Labrador Sea by late Sunday.

Tropical Storm Gaston

A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for Flores and Corvo in the western Azores, Faial, Pico, Sao Jorge, Graciosa and Terceira in the central Azores. On the forecast track, the centre of Gaston will move near or over portions of the Azores through early Saturday.

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