Caribbean Report 22-02-1991
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Date
1991-02-22
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Publisher
The British Broadcasting Corporation
Abstract
The Guyanese dollar has been devalued following the 1991 budget. President Jean Bertrand-Aristide delivers his first press conference following his appointment as Haiti’s new President. Geest, a fresh produce company is expected to buy the Delmonte Tropical Fruit Company. The CARICOM Secretariat has been given the go ahead to set up a 3 year public education programme throughout the Caribbean to enhance the status of women. Debra Ransome examines the Mills Report which deals with streamlining the administration of the CARICOM Secretariat.
Description
Table of Contents
1. Headlines (00:00 - 00:12)
2. The Guyanese population is coming to grips with the 1991 budget in which the Guyanese dollar has been devalued for a second time. There is some chaos with commuters using the public transportation system as the price of gasoline has increased and there will be a change in fare structures. There have also been increases in food items such as sugar and salt. While the public sector package has been increased the minimum wage has been affected due to the devaluation of the Guyanese dollar. The Opposition parties believe that the government’s economic recovery programme has been a failure. Some key officials provide their assessments of the budget (00:13 - 05:30)
3. Michael Norton reports on President Aristide’s first press conference since taking up office. He reports that President Aristide rejected foreign models of development and called on the rich to collaborate with the poor in the reconstruction of Haiti. Aristide further stated that he respects communism and his social policy will be neither French nor Cuban but Haitian. He also wants to clean up the corrupt bureaucracy and will donate his $10,000 monthly cheque to the handicap. He wants the people to judge his cabinet on the basis of its deeds (05:31 - 07:24)
4. Reports have confirmed that Geest, a fresh produce company which imports bananas from the Windward Islands to Britain is interested in buying Delmonte Tropical Fruit business which is the third largest exporter in the world. Pat Whitehorne speaks to David Subden, Chief Executive Officer of Geest on whether this new interest will mean abandoning the Windward Islands banana producers (07:25 - 10:42)
5. The CARICOM Secretariat has been given the go ahead to set up a 3 year public education programme throughout the Caribbean to enhance the status of women This decision was taken at the 5th meeting of Ministers with responsibility for the integration of women in development which was held in Belize. They also approved a model draft legislation designed to increase the legal status of women (10:43 - 12:18)
6. Debra Ransome examines the Mills Report which highlights the streamlining of the operations of the CARICOM Secretariat. It proposes to grant specific responsibilities to the Secretariat General and that staffing should comprise of a mix of CARICOM nationalities (12:19 - 14:36)
2. The Guyanese population is coming to grips with the 1991 budget in which the Guyanese dollar has been devalued for a second time. There is some chaos with commuters using the public transportation system as the price of gasoline has increased and there will be a change in fare structures. There have also been increases in food items such as sugar and salt. While the public sector package has been increased the minimum wage has been affected due to the devaluation of the Guyanese dollar. The Opposition parties believe that the government’s economic recovery programme has been a failure. Some key officials provide their assessments of the budget (00:13 - 05:30)
3. Michael Norton reports on President Aristide’s first press conference since taking up office. He reports that President Aristide rejected foreign models of development and called on the rich to collaborate with the poor in the reconstruction of Haiti. Aristide further stated that he respects communism and his social policy will be neither French nor Cuban but Haitian. He also wants to clean up the corrupt bureaucracy and will donate his $10,000 monthly cheque to the handicap. He wants the people to judge his cabinet on the basis of its deeds (05:31 - 07:24)
4. Reports have confirmed that Geest, a fresh produce company which imports bananas from the Windward Islands to Britain is interested in buying Delmonte Tropical Fruit business which is the third largest exporter in the world. Pat Whitehorne speaks to David Subden, Chief Executive Officer of Geest on whether this new interest will mean abandoning the Windward Islands banana producers (07:25 - 10:42)
5. The CARICOM Secretariat has been given the go ahead to set up a 3 year public education programme throughout the Caribbean to enhance the status of women This decision was taken at the 5th meeting of Ministers with responsibility for the integration of women in development which was held in Belize. They also approved a model draft legislation designed to increase the legal status of women (10:43 - 12:18)
6. Debra Ransome examines the Mills Report which highlights the streamlining of the operations of the CARICOM Secretariat. It proposes to grant specific responsibilities to the Secretariat General and that staffing should comprise of a mix of CARICOM nationalities (12:19 - 14:36)