CARIBBEAN ROUNDUP
Barbados
The Caribbean Broadcasting Union
(CBU) is appealing to lawmakers and
regulators across the region to suspend
the collection of regulatory fees and
licenses for the next year as a result of
the impact of the COVID-19 has had on
“indigenous media in the region.”
The CBU, which recently held its 51st
annual general meeting virtually, said
the pandemic, which was first detected
in China last December,
had had “significant
challenges” to the
continued viable operations
of its members
across the Caribbean.
The CBU noted COVID-19 has “negatively
affected” media houses in the
region “by a significant reduction in
business, which has affected their viability.”
As a result, the media organization
members are appealing “to media policymakers
and regulators across the
region to suspend the charging and collection
of license and regulatory fees for
the next 12 months, in recognition of
the significant additional pubic service
being provided at no charge to the government
and public health agencies.”
Caribbean
Several Caribbean countries have
expressed an interest in joining the
World Health Organization (WHO)
COVID-19 Vaccine Global Access
(COVAX) Facility.
This was revealed by Senior Pan
American Health Organization (PAHO)
official, Dominican-born Dr. Carissa
Etienne, who said that the move was
expected to go a long way in ensuring
equitable and affordable access by
these states to coronavirus
vaccines through
a collaboration with
PAHO’s Revolving
Fund, when these
become available.
The COVAX Facility is designed to
accelerate equitable access by countries
globally to appropriate, safe and efficacious
vaccines.
Dr. Etienne said the immediate objective
of arrangements with the COVAX
Facility “is to have agreements with
vaccine producers to secure around two
billion doses until the end of 2021.”
She said this would allow each country
to access a volume of vaccines to
inoculate at least 20 percent of their
population.
The PAHO official said all vaccines
available through the Facility/Revolving
Fund will be pre-qualified by the
World Health Organization (WHO) to
ensure they are safe and effective.
“They would use those vaccines to
vaccinate health and social workers,
adults over 65 years of age, and other
Caribbean L 4 ife, Sept. 4-10, 2020
Updated daily at www.caribbeanlifenews.com
Dr. Carissa F. Etienne, center, director, Pan America Health Organization (PAHO) at the World Health Organization (WHO) speaks
during news conference at Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) headquarters in Washington.
She is accompanied by Dr. Roberto Tomas Morales Ojeda, Cuba’s minister of health, left, and Dr. Luiz Loures, deputy executive
director, UNAIDS. Associated Press / Pablo Martinez Monsivais, File
adults with chronic conditions, who are
the most vulnerable groups to develop
the severe form of COVID-19,” she said.
Dominica
The Dominica government has
launched a project aimed at preparing
the population to capitalize on the
opportunities in the digital economy.
The authority said that the Work
Online Dominica Pilot Project, which
was established with the support of
IsraAid and the United Nations, Development
Program
(UNDP), will target
persons between the
ages of 18 and 40 in
the first instance.
The Minister
responsible for the Digital Economy,
Cassimi Laville, said he is encouraged
with the level of interest shown in the
project by Dominicans.
He said for the past few months “we
have been working quite aggressively
to pursue and lay out the foundation to
transform the digital economy here is
Dominica. Eight months ago the digital
economy was virtually an unknown
term for all of us but today we are happy
to be part of this buzz.”
“Basically we are going to help you
to become entrepreneurs in this digital
space,” he said.
Head of the Office of the UNDP, Luis
Thai, says while the initiative will not
guarantee persons would land a job
immediately it does provide participants
with the necessary tools to grow,”
he said, noting that the coronavirus
(COVID-19) pandemic is resulting in
“new forms of employment.”
Guyana
Guyana’s chief magistrate has dismissed
19 fraud-related charges against
new President Irfaan Ali over the sale of
state lands in the Pradoville 2 Housing
Scheme.
The charges against Ali alleged to
have occurred between September 2010
and March 2015, when he was housing
minister in a previous People’s Progressive
Party/Civic (PPP?C) government
and involved houses allocated to
six former Cabinet members, including
now Vice-President Bharath Jagdeo,
former Cabinet Secretary, Dr. Roger
Luncheon and four former government
ministers.
Ali, 40, was slapped with several
charges related to conspiracy to defraud
the Guyana government of more than
Guy$170 million in the
sale of several parcels
of land.
The cases came up
several times before
the country’s general election on March
2 but were adjourned on various occasions.
When the matter was called recently,
prosecutor Patrice Henry advised the
court that the Special Organized Crime
Unit (SOCU) had taken a decision that
it was not in the public interest to
prosecute a sitting president and to do
so would violate Article 182 (2) of the
constitution.
The chief magistrate ultimately
ruled in Ali’s favor, discontinuing all
the charges against him.
Jamaica
Prime Minister Andrew Holness and
opposition leader Dr. Peter Phillips have
pledged to cooperate in
the fight against crime
in Jamaica and have
signed a memorandum
of understanding
(MoU) with members of the Committee
on National Consensus on Crime.
The MoU outlined the steps that
must be taken for a sustainable reduction
in crime, inclusive of milestones
and agreement on a monitoring and
reporting mechanism.
Last year, the government, opposition,
civil society and the private sector
agreed to support a process of developing
a national consensus on crime so
as to transform the island into a safe,
secure and investment friendly society.
Following the signing of the agreement,
Holness said, “We agreed to a set
of initiatives and actions that will be
implemented as quickly and decisively
as possible.”
He said the plan rests on three points
Continued on Page 18
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Caribbean shows interest in COVAX facility
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