Black Immigrant Daily News

General Accident Insurance Company has launched a new eco-drive policy for electric and hybrid vehicle owners.

With custom duty fees on electric vehicles slashed by a further 20 per cent, General Accident Managing Director, Sharon Donaldson, acknowledges that there are more incentives to use an electric vehicle in Jamaica than ever before.

“Electric and hybrid vehicles are known to emit less pollutants into the atmosphere, so by switching to an electric or hybrid vehicle these drivers contribute to reducing air pollution. General Accident’s eco-drive policy slogan ‘a greener driver deserves a greener commitment’ is a charge the General Accident staff accepts to provide the best insurance policy for drivers contributing to a healthy society,” Donaldson explained.

In keeping with the needs of hybrid and electric vehicle owners, the eco-drive policy includes unique benefits such as charging accessories coverage and free 24/7 breakdown coverage in the event that you run out of charge or need on-the-road assistance.

And in the event of an accident where a driver is entitled to a replacement vehicle, the replacement vehicle hire will be upgraded to an electric vehicle or hybrid.

To qualify for access to the eco drive policy, drivers must own an electric or hybrid vehicle, be between the ages of 21 and70 years old, have had their licence in excess of a year, and their vehicle must be for personal use only.

General Accident Insurance Company continues to support national development by encouraging healthy lifestyles and environmental protection through its continued contribution to the Jamaica Environment Trust (JET).

A portion of all eco-drive policy premiums will be donated to JET.

“Protecting and preserving our environment is extremely important. We believe responsible stewardship of natural resources and pollution reduction will only result in a safe and healthy environment for our valued customers to live, work, and raise families,” Donaldson said.

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Black Immigrant Daily News

Full statement:

As part of continuous engagements with contractors, sub-contractors and other stakeholders operating in Guyana’s oil and gas sector, the Ministry of Natural Resources through the Local Content Secretariat has advanced discussions on key local content matters – namely, protracted payment periods and building suppliers’ capacities.

One may recall that in the Local Content Act, it is required that the contractors and sub-contractors’ Procurement Sub-Plan include a supply chain management strategy. This strategy should promote local suppliers’ competitive financing and growth with appropriate contract and payment terms. This provision was created to ensure that Guyanese nationals and Guyanese companies generate capital to expand while becoming competitive and financially independent.

This unit had reported that the Government and the private sector were examining a thirty-day payment period for Guyanese and Guyanese businesses which supply goods and services to the nation’s petroleum sector. Upon further assessments and engagements, the Secretariat wrote to contractors and sub-contractors instructing them to implement an amendment to their five-year Local Content Master Plan.

The updated five-year plan must now include a payment period of between 30-45 days upon the correct receipt of an invoice. This will allow Guyanese companies timely and appropriate access to contract and payment terms that facilitate competitive funding and expansion. Contractors and sub-contractors have shown their willingness to cooperate with this new requirement and have already moved to make the amendment to their Master Plans.

Suppliers must know that the onus is now on them to submit correct invoices. To see that this is achieved, the Secretariat continues to encourage contractors and sub-contractors to conduct continuous training and suppliers’ engagement forums. These forums will be aimed at upskilling suppliers in areas of the correct preparation of invoices and tenders, and to be appraised of any upcoming procurement opportunities offered by the companies.

Suppliers who continue to encounter issues with the prolonged issuing of payments are asked to contact the Local Content Secretariat or utilize the Grievance Redress Form via this link: https://petroleum.gov.gy/grievance-redress.

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Black Immigrant Daily News

El senador popular del distrito de Ponce, Ramón Ruiz Nieves, advirtió sobre la preocupación de las comunidades en Juana Díaz por una planta de gas natural para generar energía eléctrica, de la cual es dueña la empresa CooperVision, puesto que no consultaron con la comunidad la construcción de dicha planta, aparte de que tampoco cuenta con los endosos ni del ejecutivo municipal, ni del Cuerpo de Bomberos, entidad a la que se le negó una visita a la estructura.

La denuncia gira en torno a que, aunque la construcción -que ya está adelantada en un 85 por ciento- se da en las instalaciones de la empresas, no toman en cuenta que en el área hay cuatro escuelas aledañas, residenciales, urbanizaciones, parques y centros hospitalarios a quienes no se les ha incluido en un plan de emergencia ni se les ha orientado.

El legislador explicó que el Reglamento Conjunto para la Evaluación y Expedición de Permisos tiene un trámite ministerial y otro discrecional, que no se han cumplido.

“En el discrecional, hay que hacer un proceso de vistas públicas, llevarlo a la comunidad, presentarlo a la comunidad… Y, en el ministerial, lo que establece es una publicación de un edicto o un rótulo”, indicó el también presidente de la Comisión de Gobierno en el Senado.

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Ruiz Nieves destacó que busca conocer, dentro de otros elementos, de dónde surgieron los permisos para la extracción de agua en la zona y pidió que se esclarezca toda la transacción en cuanto a permisos y endosos, incluido el hecho de que la gerencia de CooperVision presente un plan de seguridad y salud al municipio y a las comunidades.

Por su parte, el alcalde del municipio, Ramón Hernández Torres, advirtió que el gerente general de CooperVision no quiso acudir a una vista pública en la legislatura municipal para explicar qué implica el proyecto para las comunidades.

“Tuvo la oportunidad de comparecer a nuestra legislatura municipal para explicarle al pleno de la legislatura todo el procedimiento que tiene que ver y los planes de seguridad, cosa que rechazó y está en récord […] Le enviamos un itinerario para visitar, en conjunto, las comunidades para orientarlos sobre ese proceso”, reclamó el alcalde.

Tanto el senador como el alcalde reiteraron que no están en contra del desarrollo de la compañía y sus funciones, sino que exigen que se cumpla tanto con el protocolo de salud como el de seguridad. Inclusive, Hernández Torres aclaró que no acudirá a los tribunales para manejar el asunto, pero sí aspira a reunirse con la gerencia de la empresa.

“Si el proyecto es bueno, si el proyecto es positivo, pues, como yo le he reiterado en varias ocasiones al gerente general, vamos a salir a las comunidades, vamos a hablarles del plan de seguridad, vamos a hablarles del plan de desalojo”, expresó el alcalde.

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Black Immigrant Daily News

Richard Simms, Director of the Department of Environmental Health (DEH) made it clear at a Prospect community meeting last night that “If you don’t clean and keep and care [for] your properties, then you might find yourself being prosecuted even though it’s your own place.”

In making the statement, Mr Simms was specifically referring to garbage bin enclosures, which some residents (island-wide) sometime leave overflowing for the DEH to collect.

In the case of Prospect, Mr Simms noted that the newly hired DEH officer, Ms Rakiema Johnston, who is assigned to Prospect, will be monitoring how compliant Prospect residents are with the DEH rule.

Mr Simms explained:

It is your responsibility to keep your enclosures clean.

If you don’t do that, what’s going to happen, Ms Johnston is going to come around and take pictures and document that.

Then, what’s gonna happen next [is that] you’re gonna receive an abatement notice from me.

Mr Simms emphasized that, because of this rule and DEH’s enforcement plans, it is important for residents to ensure that they use proper garbage bags and that there is no loose waste around your bin.

If you have loose waste around your bin, we are not going to collect it.

We are only going to collect what is in a bag.

Mr Simms noted.

Mr Simms warned that non-compliance with the DEH rule not only means that prosecutions will take place, but communities will be impacted by rodent infestation. This situation could also make communities less sanitary and further, may impact the beauty and enjoyment of those who live in such communities, as one meeting attendee put it.

For residents who wish to learn more about the DEH rule, they may contact the DEH at 949-6696 or email DEH at dehcustomerservice@gov.ky or visit the DEH’s website at www.deh.gov.ky or message DEH’s Facebook page at https://bit.ly/3LEK55q

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