CARIBBEAN ROUNDUP
Antigua
The Antigua and Barbuda government
has called on the union representing
teachers to provide proof
regarding the prevalence of marijuana
use in schools.
Attorney General, Steadroy Benjamin
described as “very surprising”
the statement made by the President
of the Antigua and Barbuda Union
of Teachers (ABUT), Ashworth Azille
that there is widespread
use of marijuana
in schools.
Azille told the
conference that he
was fearful over the
possible negative impact on education
following government’s move to
decriminalize having up to 15 grams
of marijuana.
“I want to ask Azille firstly, what
surveys have you conducted and secondly
by what methodology, what did
you use to come with the figure that
there is wide-spread use of marijuana
in our schools.”
Azille said last year he referenced
the need to exercise caution as it
related to the newly implemented
law to decriminalize the use of marijuana,
adding there seems to be widespread
miseducation about the law,
but the silence is deafening.”
Barbados
Barbados has one of the highest
consumption rates per capita of marijuana
in the region.
This is according to Dr. Machel
Emanuel of the University of the West
Indies (UWI), Mona, Jamaica, who has
called for an integrated approach by
Caribbean governments to developing
a cannabis industry
for medical usage.
Speaking at the
Barbados Chamber of
Commerce and Industry’s
Annual General Meeting Luncheon
recently, Emanuel said consumption
in Barbados translates to a very
high value, meaning that cannabis
fetches the highest price in Barbados
and higher than prices globally.
He said that Barbados is unique
because of the cross-linkages that
can be made between various sectors,
ranging from agriculture to health,
wellness tourism and pharmaceuticals.
As such, Emanuel believes that
Barbados can get the true potential
from cannabis and must ensure that
sustainability can be maximized from
cannabis as a commodity.
The UWI lecturer noted that cannabis
is the most traded agricultural
commodity in its raw state across the
region.
He stated there needs to be an integrated
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approach to developing the
cannabis economy by setting the policy
and legal framework by looking
at the historical and cultural experiences,
business and marketing, and
other approaches to the issue.
Grenada
The Eastern Caribbean Central
Bank (ECCB) says the Eastern Caribbean
(EC) dollar remains a strong
currency as it recently launched
the new family of EC polymer notes
throughout the subregion.
ECCB Governor,
Timothy Antoine said
the launch of the
notes marks another
milestone in the ECCB’s Strategic
Plan 2017-2021 that has been styled
Transforming the Eastern Caribbean
Currency Union (ECCU) Together.
He said the decision to move to
polymer is to enhance the security
and usability of the EC notes.
Grenada’s Prime Minister, Dr.
Keith Mitchell, who is also the chairman
of the ECCB’s Monetary Council,
described the launch of the notes as
historic, adding, “the ECCB is the
first central bank in the Caribbean
to issue an entire family of notes on
polymer.”
Antoine said the notes are both
legal tender in respect of the rollout,
“our currency projection is the
Caribbean L 4 ife, June 21–27, 2019 BQ
EC$100, EC$20 and EC$10 notes will
be issued around September of this
year and the five dollar note around
September next year.”
He said the new notes will be
phased in across the sub-regional
grouping.
The ECCB serves as the central
bank for Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica,
Grenada, St. Lucia, St. Vincent
and the Grenadines, St. Kitts and
Nevis, Montserrat and Anguilla.
Guyana
Guyana has signed a Memorandum
of Understanding (MoU) with the
United Nations International Children’s
Fund (UNICEF) as it relates to
the protection of children of Venezuelan
migrants.
The agreement was signed with the
Ministry of the Presidency’s Department
of Citizenship, the Guyana Legal
Aid Clinic, Help and Shelter, Blossoms
Inc. and the Regional Executive
Offices of the Regions.
A government statement
said that the
accord was deemed
an opportunity to
forge greater partnerships
with both government and nongovernment
agencies to strengthen
its support for Venezuelan migrants
and their host communities.
The document includes supporting
efforts to ensure documentation
of migrant children, support on
access to services to referral services
for legal aid and violence prevention
and response with the Guyana Legal
Aid Clinic and the Help and Shelter
Organization.
In February, UNICEF provided
Guy$105 million to fund the provision
of water and sanitation hardware,
assist the Ministry of Education
to build schools’ capacity and hygiene
promotion for Venezuelan migrants.
Jamaica
Prime Minister, Andrew Holness
has called for greater private-sector
investment in the economy.
He said his government is creating
the environment to facilitate business
through stable, predictable, certain
macroeconomic fiscal and monetary
policies, which can spur continued
growth and he wants those who can
take advantage of that.
Holness noted that the Jamaica
economic mode is now “coming
together,” with the economy recording
consistent growth over the
last 16 quarters, “which says that
the changes in the
economy are taking
root.”
He was speaking at
the official launch of
Serge Island Dairies
new processing plant in the south
Continued on Page 12
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