Black Immigrant Daily News

Member of Parliament (MP) for St James Southern, Homer Davis, is recommending that additional steps be taken to incentivise agriculture, in order to attract more younger persons.

“The cohort of farmers in my constituency is at an average age of 60 years old and it is time to refresh, reset and re-energise the sector by making agriculture more attractive [and] economically viable to our young people,” he said.

Mr. Davis, who is also Minister of State in the Office of the Prime Minister (Western Region), was making his contribution to the State of the Constituency Debate in the House of Representatives, on October 12.

He suggested that more should be done to provide lands, through lease, to engage more young persons in the field.

“There are thousands of hectares of arable lands; they are all idle and I would say to the Ministry of Agriculture, if we are seriously looking at food security for Jamaica, we should identify some of these lands, and not just identify these lands but to engage a younger generation of farmers,” Mr. Davis argued.

“By doing so, we can extend to these young farmers long-term lease on these at peppercorn rates. The Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) knows the landscape and I would recommend that a comprehensive study of the soil type in the area of Southern St. James [be done] and based on their findings, make these lands available to young farmers at peppercorn rates,” he added.

The Member of Parliament pointed out that approximately 200 farmers have been assisted this year.

“We have supported several of our farmers with technical support, working with RADA and have donated seeds, fertilisers, baby chicks, equipment, and other farm supplies,” he noted.

Meanwhile, Mr. Davis also called for the construction of sub-fire stations in Cambridge and Maroon Town.

“To get from Barnett Street Fire Station to Cambridge is a 35 to 40-minute drive, and that’s Cambridge proper; to get to Maroon Town is a similar time period. We need to make sure that we have first responders in these rural townships that can deal with immediate fire or immediate emergencies,” he said.

He informed that since the start of the year, there have been 41 fires in his constituency, resulting in millions of dollars in losses.

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Black Immigrant Daily News

Who could ever forget what it was like to grow up in a Caribbean home?

Apart from being terrified of your parents regarding anything related to school, food, chores, and ornaments, there’s no denying that we all grew up in similar homes with parents who pushed us to choose between becoming doctors or lawyers and homes with countless jars of Milo in the kitchen.

People who were raised in Caribbean homes can definitely relate to these 10 weird but funny things.

Sewing items in a biscuit tin

In Caribbean homes, there is almost no chance of finding biscuits inside a biscuit tin. I feel confident in saying that is the root of many of our trust issues. Finding hair accessories or sewing supplies when you were looking for a sweet treat is a pain unlike any other. And let’s not even talk about ice cream containers…

Stealing meat from the pot is an extreme sport

Despite being strictly instructed to wait until dinnertime to touch the pot, we all did it. We couldn’t help it; we had to. Stealing meat from the pot required a little bit of skill, a little bit of good fortune, and a lot of bravery. Putting the lid back on quietly is next to impossible, even if you manage to sneak a few pieces out. It was a struggle.

You had to clean every Saturday morning

Forget about sleeping in on Saturdays. In addition to being rudely awakened at 7 am by music playing loudly, you also had to clean the entire house (even if it was already spotless). Additionally, you could forget about watching cartoons because you had to iron your clothes for church the next day or for school the following week. Sometimes, it would even run into the afternoon when you had plans. You just had to suck it up and clean without looking miserable.

Talking back to your parents was a death sentence

Parents in the Caribbean are infamous for not sparing the rod. They are the CEOs of tough love. So, good luck to you if you ever respond negatively or act rudely toward them.

Your parents offering to hold on to your money to ‘keep it safe’

All of us have been there. After receiving money in a birthday card or from a family member, you’re ecstatic and give it to your parents for “safekeeping” only to never again see it. And when you muster up the courage to request it back, all hell breaks loose.

You couldn’t use any of the stuff in the cabinet

You’ll never forget the “good” China that only appeared once or twice a year if you were fortunate. They may even still be there right now. Don’t even get us started on the microwave-incompatible plates with the gold rim.

Vicks Vapor Rub was the ultimate remedy for the common cold

Your cold was always treated by rubbing your chest with Vicks Vapor Rub. Viruses like the flu were treated with more interesting remedies like ginger, lemon/lime and molasses or white rum.

Throwing away plastic bags is a crime

When you find a whole drawer or cupboard full of plastic bags, you know you’re in a Caribbean home. Some people hoard clothes but Caribbean people hoard plastic bags.

You meet a new relative at every family gathering

Every family gathering is a chance to get to know more relatives you didn’t know you had. To keep you on your toes, there is always another aunt, uncle, or long-lost cousin nearby. We have how many cousins? The boundary doesn’t exist.

The ice cream container that never had ice cream in it

Opens ice-cream container……frozen food inside. When you were expecting to get some delicious Ferrand’s ice cream but instead you got leftovers from some time or another was the ultimate disappointment. Word of advice: Don’t trust the ice cream container in the freezer.

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Black Immigrant Daily News

News

File photo: Attorney General Reginald Armour, SC, addressing the media at a press conference at AGLA Building, Port of Spain.

ATTORNEY General Reginald Armour, SC, has vowed to bring a bill this parliamentary year to change the retirement age from 60 to 65 years old, he said in the Senate budget debate on Friday.

While the Government’s official website still displays an undated article quoting Finance Minister Colm Imbert as having denied any plans to raise the retirement age, in his budget speech he had hinted at a rise by saying a higher retirement age already existed in Jamaica and Barbados. Repeated auditor’s reports for the National Insurance Board (NIB) had spoken of a shrinking pool of contributors alongside more claimants.

Minister in the Ministry of Finance Brian Manning held discussions with several union on the topic of increasing the retirement age earlier this year.

Promising laws for optional judge-alone trials, sufficiency hearings to replace preliminary inquiries, plus better witness protection, Armour said on Friday, “The societal and legislative reform is not to be limited only to the criminality that unfortunately we have to address in our society.

“So we will with equal priority be bringing legislation to this House aimed at protecting the more vulnerable members of our society – bills such as the Senior Citizen Pension (Amendment) Bill. It is intended to update and modernise the senior citizens pension scheme and to complement the proposed increase in the age of retirement from 60 to 65, giving our very knowledgeable and experienced senior citizens the opportunity to continue to contribute to our society.”

In an immediate response, three union leaders said they had not heard Armour’s statement but felt there were other alternatives the government should consider.

PSA head Leroy Baptiste told Newsday lamented that this was the Government’s modus operandi. He said he had to examine more completely the Government’s intention and then formulate a firm view. “It’s unfortunate. They do what they want to do, and then everybody has to react.”

Baptiste said that stakeholders such as labour should be brought into discussions at the formative stage of policy, rather than the Government declaring things and then people having to react. He said anyone could see that to raise the retirement age from 60 to 65 has implications.

“People will have planned their lives. They have expectations. What are the implications of this move and how do they intend to address them?” He said while such things should be subject to discussion, the Government was allegedly hell-bent on doing its own thing. Rather than social dialogue and collaboration, this was simple decree, he said. “It is affecting real people with real families, people with health issues.

“Imagine you have health issues and you are hoping to be away from the workplace but they tell you five more years?”

TTUTA head Antonia de Freitas told Newsday said she needed to do some research before commenting. She said a former NIB head had recently told a TTUTA teachers convention that the NIB Act already has some provisions for retirement at 65, so she was not sure what provisions Armour had been speaking of. Asked what age teachers now retire at, de Freitas said, “Teachers usually retire at age 60.”

CWU head Clyde Elder wanted more details. He said if deficiencies were fixed within the National Insurance Scheme, that might eliminate the need to raise the retirement age. Elder said a better plan would be to increase the NIS’s contributory base by creating more employment. He lamented that keeping older workers to meet a higher retirement age would further frustrate university graduates and school-leavers at present unable to find a job. Elder said in meetings with the NIB and the Government he had voiced his objection to any reduction in benefits one could access at age 60.

Armour also promised an amendment to the Firearms Bill to let prison officers carry guns off-duty. Also lined up is a bill to address the repatriation of the wives and children of men who had left TT to fight for ISIS in the Middle East.

Armour also promised a bill to expunge the criminal records of minor offenders who have sucessfully undergone a rehabilitation process, so they don’t have to carry such a stigma for their lifetime. Parole and probation will also be addressed, he said. New laws, the AG said, will also facilitate police sting operations and amend wire-tapping legislation, the Interception of Communications Act. However a new bill, already on the order paper, will allow the polygraph testing, drug testing and biometric testing of members of the protective services.

This story was originally published with the title “AG to bring law for retirement at 65” and has been adjusted to include additional details. See original post below.

ATTORNEY General Reginald Armour vowed to bring a bill this parliamentary year to change the retirement age from the current 60 to 65 years old, he said in the Senate budget debate on Friday.

While the Government’s official website still displays an undated article quoting Finance Minister Colm Imbert as having denied any plans to raise the retirement age, in his budget speech he had hinted at a rise by saying a higher retirement age already existed in Jamaica and Barbados. Repeated auditor’s reports for the National Insurance Board (NIB) had spoken of a shrinking pool of contributors alongside more claimants.

Armour also promised an amendment to the Firearms Bill to let prison officers carry guns off-duty. Also lined up is a bill to address the repatriation of the wives and children of men who had left TT to fight for ISIS in the Middle East.

Armour also promised a bill to expunge the criminal records of minor offenders who have successfully undergone a rehabilitation process, so they don’t have to carry such a stigma for their lifetime. Parole and probation will also be addressed, he said.

New laws, the AG said, will also facilitate police sting operations and amend wire-tapping legislation, the Interception of Communications Act. However a new bill, already on the order paper, will allow the polygraph testing, drug testing and biometric testing of members of the protective services.

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Black Immigrant Daily News

PARAMARIBO — De drie vrouwelijke verdachten C.B. (31), P.V. (36) en D.M. (31) zijn donderdag op vliegveld Zorg en Hoop

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Black Immigrant Daily News

Prome Minister Evelyn Wever-Croes:

ORANJESTAD (AAN) – Diahuebs 13 di October aki, a tuma lugar e Ceremonia di Cendemento di Luz rose na Bestuurskantoor, cu cual Gobierno a uni su mes den e concientizacion tocante cancer di pecho.

Prome Minister Evelyn Wever-Croes a hiba palabra y a expresa cu October ta e luna cu tur hende ta para keto na cancer na pecho. E mandatario a bisa cu cancer no ta discrimina y ta bati na porta di nos cada un, na e momento talvez menos spera.

            E ta algo hopi cruel cu consecuencianan hopi grandi, no solamente pa e pashent sino tambe pa familiarnan. E dignatario a expresa cu e mes a pasa aden cu familiarnan hopi cerca y stima, hoben y mas grandi, y e ta keda algo sumamente dificil.

            “E luna aki nos ta enfoca mas riba cancer di pecho, y di experiencia mi por bisa cu si e wordo detecta trempan, e efecto y impacto riba abo y bo famia ta menos, y  pesey mi ta haci un yamada na tur hende muher di 18 aña bay ariba, pa ta mas conciente y tuma pasonan di prevencion.

            “Pa cuminza, si bo sinti algo inusual acudi na docter, si mester haci mammogram bay hacie. Y si, ta berdad, e mammogram ta haci dolor pero nada compara cu si bo tin cancer mes.

“Ademas, nos ta muhernan fuerte y balente. No ta berdad? Pues e mammogram nos no mester tin miedo di dje” Prome Minister a señala.

            E dignatario a reitera cu enberdad cancer di pecho ta un di e malesanan cu por wordo detecta trempan, y aki na Aruba tin un sistema hopi bon di salud cu nos por detecta cancer di pecho trempan.

“Bo mes ta haci test of bo por hacie via bo docter, hospital, stichting BOB, tin diferente manera”, e mandatario a subraya.

            El a señala cu ainda tin hende muher ta bisa cu nan tin berguenza, of cu e mammogram ta haci hopi dolor, of cu no kier sa si nan tin cancer. “Cu tur respet, mi no ta comparti e opinionnan aki, pasobra nos como hende muher tin hopi hende ta depende di nos. Nos famia, nos yiunan hopi biaha, nos cas, nos trabao, nos pareha…y pa nos por haci tur esaki pa otronan cu ta depende di nos, nos tin cu cuida di nos mes, prome. Y pesey, awe mi ta asina enfatico di invita tur hende muher un biaha mas pa nos ta mas conciente di cancer di pecho y con nos por detect’e trempan y cu nos por preveni”, Premier Wever Croes a subraya.

            El a gradici tambe tur esnan cu ta pone atencion na e tema aki, dia aden dia afo, aña aden aña afo. El a menciona Mary Joan Foundation, Wilhelmina Kanker Fonds, Stichting Bob y Mamma Poli na Hospital. “Tur instancia y tur persona cu ta enfoca riba e tema importante aki, mi ta convenci cu hunto nos por combati e efectonan, hopi miho”, el a remarca.

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