Caribbean Report 29-07-1999
No Thumbnail Available
Date
1999-07-29
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
The British Broadcasting Corporation
Abstract
Description
Table of Contents
1. Headlines with anchor Ken Richards (00:00 - 00:26)
2. Dominica Prime Minister Edison James is in dialogue with Ecuador Foreign Minister Benjamin Ortiz on the banana industry. Ecuador shares similar common interests with its Caribbean neighbours regarding the industry and wishes to maintain full access to European markets and cordial relationships with US banana companies. Both countries share common agreements on tariff rate quotas and licenses (00:27 – 04:01)
3. Seventy one members of the ACP group of countries are meeting in Brussels to discuss renegotiating the Lome Convention. The European Union is insisting that good governance, strong stance on corruption and curbing mismanagement of economies must be instituted as new conditions within the new Lome Pact with ACP countries. ACP Deputy Secretary Carl Greenidge comments on the negative aspects of EU attempts at linking aid to human rights, democracy and economic reforms (4:02- 07:00)
4. The US Virgin Island government is faced with tough economic decisions to avoid a financial collapse of the economy. The government has indicated that the island is currently over 2 billion dollars in debt and the federal government in the US is calling for good governance and financial prudence. Keith Stone Greaves reports on the economic response in the island. Rudolph Kreiger, special advisor to the governor discusses the financial crisis in the island of St Croix. Simon Jones- Hendrickson Professor of Economics comments on factors contributing to the crisis including inept administrations, fiscal mismanagement and natural disasters (7:01 - 09:34)
5. Prisoners in Kingstown St. Vincent staged a protest for the second day for what they perceive as inhumane prison conditions. Inmates rioted by breaking locks to cells with death row prisoners, setting fire to blankets and wrecking beds. No one has been injured or has escaped following the incident (09:35 – 09:53)
6. The Eastern Caribbean Central Bank has issued an advisory about fake EC dollar notes in circulation in the region. Police are investigating counterfeit operations in St. Kitts and Nevis, Antigua, Barbuda, Grenada, St. Lucia and Montserrat (09:54 – 10:20)
7. Opposition members in Guyana walked out of parliament and rudely interrupted a speech by Prime Minister Sam Hinds which seeks to introduce a bill to sell the island’s Electricity Company. The opposition is accusing the government of shrouding the sale in secrecy and are demanding transparency and more details of the deal (10:21 - 11:00)
8. The semi stable state of the Montserrat Hills Soufriere volcano has been disrupted following what scientists describe as a collapse of its lava dome. The volcano has been semi stable since March 1998 with periodic eruptions until a major eruption and collapse on July 20th. Dr. Simon Young Director of the Montserrat Observatory analyses the current state of the volcano and its activity on the island of Montserrat ( 11:01 – 13:12)
9. Spokespersons with the cruise lines are admitting that sexual assaults are on the increase. Emma Joseph reports on the widespread abuse and litigation on Carnival Cruise and Royal Caribbean Cruise lines (13:13 – 15:23)
2. Dominica Prime Minister Edison James is in dialogue with Ecuador Foreign Minister Benjamin Ortiz on the banana industry. Ecuador shares similar common interests with its Caribbean neighbours regarding the industry and wishes to maintain full access to European markets and cordial relationships with US banana companies. Both countries share common agreements on tariff rate quotas and licenses (00:27 – 04:01)
3. Seventy one members of the ACP group of countries are meeting in Brussels to discuss renegotiating the Lome Convention. The European Union is insisting that good governance, strong stance on corruption and curbing mismanagement of economies must be instituted as new conditions within the new Lome Pact with ACP countries. ACP Deputy Secretary Carl Greenidge comments on the negative aspects of EU attempts at linking aid to human rights, democracy and economic reforms (4:02- 07:00)
4. The US Virgin Island government is faced with tough economic decisions to avoid a financial collapse of the economy. The government has indicated that the island is currently over 2 billion dollars in debt and the federal government in the US is calling for good governance and financial prudence. Keith Stone Greaves reports on the economic response in the island. Rudolph Kreiger, special advisor to the governor discusses the financial crisis in the island of St Croix. Simon Jones- Hendrickson Professor of Economics comments on factors contributing to the crisis including inept administrations, fiscal mismanagement and natural disasters (7:01 - 09:34)
5. Prisoners in Kingstown St. Vincent staged a protest for the second day for what they perceive as inhumane prison conditions. Inmates rioted by breaking locks to cells with death row prisoners, setting fire to blankets and wrecking beds. No one has been injured or has escaped following the incident (09:35 – 09:53)
6. The Eastern Caribbean Central Bank has issued an advisory about fake EC dollar notes in circulation in the region. Police are investigating counterfeit operations in St. Kitts and Nevis, Antigua, Barbuda, Grenada, St. Lucia and Montserrat (09:54 – 10:20)
7. Opposition members in Guyana walked out of parliament and rudely interrupted a speech by Prime Minister Sam Hinds which seeks to introduce a bill to sell the island’s Electricity Company. The opposition is accusing the government of shrouding the sale in secrecy and are demanding transparency and more details of the deal (10:21 - 11:00)
8. The semi stable state of the Montserrat Hills Soufriere volcano has been disrupted following what scientists describe as a collapse of its lava dome. The volcano has been semi stable since March 1998 with periodic eruptions until a major eruption and collapse on July 20th. Dr. Simon Young Director of the Montserrat Observatory analyses the current state of the volcano and its activity on the island of Montserrat ( 11:01 – 13:12)
9. Spokespersons with the cruise lines are admitting that sexual assaults are on the increase. Emma Joseph reports on the widespread abuse and litigation on Carnival Cruise and Royal Caribbean Cruise lines (13:13 – 15:23)