The Monetary Council of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB) reported during its 88th meeting, held in Dominica on Friday, July 21, that the financial system of the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union (ECCU) remained stable for the year 2016, with improved performance of the sector expected to continue in 2017.
The Governor’s Report on Monetary and Credit Conditions in the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union (ECCU) noted that while growth in the financial sector is expected to continue, “vigilance must be maintained to ensure that gains are sustainable.” The governor’s report stated that “resilience of the financial system to potential adverse shocks strengthened and major risks to financial stability in the ECCU diminished. However, the banking sector continued to be challenged by structural vulnerabilities, including correspondent banking relationships.”
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House and Senate Republicans have reached a deal that is paving the way to send a bill to President Donald Trump's desk that slaps Russia with new sanctions and limits Trump's ability to remove them.
After a day of trading barbs, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy and Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker reached an agreement Wednesday evening on the legislation for new sanctions on Russia, Iran and North Korea, Corker's office announced. "Following very productive discussions with Leader McCarthy, I am glad to announce that we have reached an agreement that will allow us to send sanctions legislation to the president's desk," Corker said in a statement. Former President of the Dominica Academy of Arts and Sciences (DAAS), Dr. Clayton Shillingford, says the upcoming budget to be presented does not place emphasis on the areas which could boost Dominica's economy.
According to Shillingford, Dominica has fallen into a habit of blaming others for its failure to maintain an enterprise such as the once flourishing Banana industry. He says, placing the blame on others for the country’s failures is unacceptable. Nyami Gabriel is the recipient of the Rotary Club of Portsmouth’s 1st Annual Scholarship covering tuition, uniforms and textbooks and school supplies for the coming school year.
On Monday, the Rotary Club of Portsmouth held a brief presentation ceremony to honor Gabriel – a fourth form student of Dominica SDA Secondary School. Making the presentation held at Champs Hotel & Restaurant was the Club President, Ezra Fabian. The US$1000 scholarship is the gift of the Rotary Club of Portsmouth and the Rotary E-Club of Southeastern USA and Caribbean. The theme of Rotary International for the year 2017/2018 is “Making a Difference”, but the Caribbean District refined that to “Making a Difference in Education” so that it is fully in line with Rotary goals. PAHO Country Program Specialist Shirley Augustine calls for the ‘Whole of society’ to combat NCD’s, such as heart disease, cancers, hypertension and diabetes, which are seen as major public health problems in Dominica, and the evidence shows that it causes significant burdens on the health and well-being of the population. These diseases are said to be among the top ten leading causes of death in Dominica.
Speaking at a consultation on an NCD Policy and Plan of Action on Wednesday, 26th July 2017, at the University of the West Indies (UWI) Open Campus, Augustine said that sectors such as Agriculture, and the education system in the schools, should all play a part in the drive towards having health-influenced public policies, and seek to develop the practice of distributing healthy foods. Augustine stressed that having a healthy society is “everybody’s business,” and the various sectors must come on board as the Ministry of Health cannot do it on its own. She said PAHO has been promoting health in all policies, which is an approach to public policies that “systematically take into account the health implication of decisions, and synergies, and avoids unhelpful impacts, in order to improve population health.” She added that the introduction of healthy living into public policies needs to start with activities that are sponsored by the government. Not only will this cause them to “lead by example,” but it also serves as a way of cutting costs. “As a concept, it reflects the principles of legitimacy, accountability, transparency, and access to information, participation, sustainability, and collaboration across the sectors and at all levels of government. Let us lead by example. We need to have both the theory and the practical. We can begin with a policy on food served at government sponsored workshops and other functions. A healthy fruit bowl costs $6, compared to unhealthy snacks which cost $17 per person,” she added. Augustine advocates that a healthy public policy should be valued, because “health and health equity have values in their own right, and are important prerequisites for achieving many other societal goals.” She noted that public policies in all sectors and at different levels of governance can have “a significant impact on population health and health equity.” Some 50 young persons to participate in the 2nd Annual 767 Summer Youth Basketball Training Program7/27/2017 Some 50 young persons will participate in the 2nd Annual 767 Summer Youth Basketball training program, which is sponsored by Fine Foods Incorporated, with the aim to teach and improve the basketball skills of aspiring players and newcomers in the Roseau South community, and thereby offering them an avenue to learn about the game in a fun environment, & utilizing their time-off from school in a positive manner.
The program will run for five weeks where the participants will engage in various basketball training techniques. Founder of the program, Maggie Peters, noted that the first year of the program was a huge success, as many of the participating students went on to excel in their respective schools and communities. Peters said, “Last year was our first year, and it was successful. We got a lot of good things from it. We had a lot of our participants making their school team, scoring points and being a great success. So, we are continuing into our second year. We are extremely happy that Fine Foods have come on board. They saw the potential in the program and came on board, and we are really grateful for that”. Meanwhile representative for Fine Foods Inc., Juliette Martin told the participants the program will not only help them with basketball, but also with life, and urged them to enjoy the time spent at the camp, and to do their best to learn something new. She expressed her company’s joy at sponsoring such a program. Coaches for the training program are Ethan Burton, Bernard Mills and Samuel Bellot. Preparation is essential to the development of the Sports Industry in Dominica. This statement comes from Former DAAS President Dr Clayton Shillingford, while speaking on Q95’s Governance on Q show on Tuesday. Dr. Shillingford believes there is insufficient preparation of Dominica’s youth, to enable them to take advantage of the sporting opportunities available to Dominica. He emphasized that the necessary facilities to train Dominicans must be established. Meanwhile, Shillingford says Dominica’s society is worse off now compared to the country’s development under previous administrations.
Dr. Shillingford says because of the Government’s refusal to collaborate properly with the opposition parties here in Dominica, the country is not developing at the rate it should. Tourism Minister Robert Tonge is once again reiterating his call for improved customer service in Dominica.
This has been a consistent petition from the tourism minister for quite some time as he seeks to improve the quality of service provided to visitors in the country. According to the minister, over eleven thousand (11,000) jobs are impacted by tourism, therefore he stresses the importance of providing consistent service to visitors and locals alike. The “Better me! Better you!” program is on again this summer. This time targeting the youth of Silver Lake and Trafalgar, under the theme “Rocket Science and the Secrets to Success” According to Master Trainer Dr Peter K B St Jean, this theme represents a metaphor for life, as students are made to understand the importance of planning and follow-up, to accomplish a goal through building rockets. The program will come to a head during a special event on August 5 as participants eagerly wait to launch their rockets.
St Jean says sponsors can get in on the action as the program is also an entrepreneurial project teaching the youth to develop the skills required to build their respective careers. Air France announces plans to launch new direct flights from the United States to the French Caribbean, beginning on 21st November, and originating from the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport to Guadeloupe. This could be good news for Dominicans who want to avoid the San Juan hub when traveling to the island. A ferry service & a number of flights serve Dominica from the French islands.
According to a release from the airline, “This new service is in line with the Group’s offensive strategy. As part of its Trust Together corporate project, the expansion of the fleet combined with a more intensive use of its aircraft makes it possible to offer new routes.” The flights will depart Pointe-a-Pitre on Tuesdays and Saturdays, with flights from Atlanta to Guadeloupe on Wednesdays and Sundays. Customers who want to continue from Pointe-a-Pitre to Fort de France, Martinique, can do so on Wednesdays and Sundays. Travelers can also fly from Martinique and French Guiana to Atlanta, as a continuation of the Pointe-a-Pitre service on Tuesdays and Saturdays. |
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