ZJB News October15th, & 16th, 2001
Director of Agriculture Gerard Gray sees benefits for Montserrat from the recently launched Caribbean Roots and Tubers Network.
Mister Grey, who attended the launch in Dominica, says CAROT is a programmes organised by Procicaribe, a regional agricultural, science and technology networking system.
He said prior to the volcanic crisis Montserrat was almost 100 per cent self sufficient in roots and tubers but this has changed due to the loss of prime agricultural land.
Mister Gray says the aim now is import substitution.
The director also believed that CAROT can help Montserrat achieved this.
The St. Patrick’s Co-operative Credit Union is playing its part in observance of Credit Union Day.
The local organization has announced an open day at its offices in Davy Hill on Thursday October 18th Credit Union Day.
The day is being observed under the theme Co-operation – the Power of Many to Change the World with a focus on the ideals of credit unions, co-operation.
According to a press release members are invited to join the other 108 million credit union members world wide to celebrate the day.
It says prizes will be awarded to the 1st, 25th, 50th, 75th and 100th member entering the Credit Union Office on that day.
A three member team is representing Montserrat at the 14th triennial congress of the Caribbean Congress of Labour.
General Secretary of the Montserrat Allied Workers Union Hilroy Bramble and union members Eslyn Sammuel and Leon Greenaway are attending the October 15th to 19th conference in Trinidad and Tobago.
More than one hundred trade unionists from sixteen countries are participating in the conference which will be formally opened by Prime Minister Basdeo Panday.
Some of the issues being addressed during the event are Flexibility and Productivity in Collective Bargaining and HIV/AIDS at the workplace.
There will also be a young workers seminar on the Role of Young Workers in protecting the future of the trade union movement.
The business sessions of the Congress will be held on Thursday and Friday.
The Police and Fire Service is planning a week of community based activities.
The week will run from October 28th to the 3rd and is part of the Royal Montserrat Police Force community-policing programme.
Events for the week will include demonstrating to the public the work of the police and fire and rescue services, interacting with all sections of the community and creating an atmosphere of friendship through positive interaction, competition and sports.
Young people will also be given an opportunity to consider crime and safety issues in educational and leisure settings and will be encouraged to consider a career in the RMPF and the fire service.
During the programme the police plans to raise money for various charities.
The Honourable Chief Minister John Osborne has been reporting on his recent trip to the United Kingdom.
During the visit the Chief Minister attended the third Overseas territories Consultative Council, along with leaders from other British Colonies.
During this meeting the Chief Ministers addressed a range of issues including the relationship between the UK and its Overseas Territories.
Strategies for sustainable development in the territories were also tackled.
While in Britain Chief Minister Osborne had separate meetings with officials from the Department for International Development (DFID) and more importantly with Secretary of State Clare Short.
Following this meeting the secretary of State approved a Housing programme for Montserrat totalling 10 million pounds.
The entire Press conference is posted on this page.
The Montserrat Philatelic Bureau has released its latest stamp issue.
The October 10th issue is a definitive set of stamps featuring a selection of the favourite fruits on the island.
The stamps will depict the West Indian cherry, grapefruit, banana, guava, mammie apple, orange, papaw, mango, lime, passion fruit, pomegranate, sugar apple, cashew, soursop, watermelon and pineapple.
A release from the Bureau states that the scientific names along with the local names of the fruits appear on the stamps.
The stamps vary in price from 5 cents to ten dollars.
Montserrat's Chief Medical Officer has moved to reassure residents that there are currently no confirmed cases of Anthrax on the island.
The re-assurance comes in the wake of the Anthrax scare in the United States and closer at home in Trinidad.
Here on Montserrat reports were circulating today that one individual may have been infected.
But CMO Doctor David Bagley has squashed these claims.
ZJB News asked him if the reports were true.
Doctor Bagley says health authorities are concerned because of the danger posed by Anthrax but the risk of someone getting infected in Montserrat is very small.
However he says because of the high index of suspicion, all doctors have been made aware of the threat.
Montserrat intends to play its part in international efforts to stem the flow of financing to the Taliban and other terrorist organisations.
That's according to the Office of the Chief Minister.
At the recent meeting Overseas Territories in London, Montserrat along with other countries took action to tackle terrorism and in particular to clamp down on terrorist financing.
According to a press statement released today Montserrat has already incorporated into its legislation all UNSCR sanctions and is vigorously enforcing them.
The government of Montserrat has already written to all the banks and financial institutions listed on Montserrat to remind them of the importance the government attaches to this legislation and its implementation.
The Office of the Chief Minister says Montserrat adheres fully to the FATF 40 recommendations against money laundering and had its compliance with them checked and approved.
It says further tightening of legislation to prevent terrorist financing can be expected in the near future.
The press statement went on to outline that Montserrat will aim to give full support to such legislation from the United Nations or other international bodies.
As necessary the government will put in place appropriate measures to support UK anti-terrorism legislation including any enhancements that may be made in the near future.
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