Caribbean Report 29-01-1999
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Date
1999-01-29
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The British Broadcasting Corporation
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Table of Contents
1. Headlines with anchor Emma Joseph (00:29)
2. Attorney General in various CARICOM States speak out against the Privy Council decision to allow convicted criminals to appeal to international human rights bodies. Tony Fraser reports on how attorneys view the Privy Council rulings with respect to Pratt and Morgan and Thomas and Hilaire as encroachment on the ability of Caribbean countries to carry out the death penalty. Jamaica’s Attorney General Senator Arnold Nicholson, speaks on behalf of his colleagues advising CARICOM nations to retain membership on human right bodies but enact legislation to ensure that the state is entitled to carry out the death penalty (00:30 - 02:02)
3. Caribbean governments have been given a new banana proposal by the United States which may break the current impasse over the European Union banana import regime which discriminates against Latin American banana producers. Pete Nimval reports on the proposal received. St. Lucia’s Ambassador in Washington Sonia Johnny affirms that she is confident that the proposal will end the current deadlock as it guarantees access to European markets and reasonable pricing for Caribbean bananas. OECS Chairman Edison James seeks dialogue with the European Union to discuss the proposal (02:03-06:58)
4. Matthias Peltier reports on the two day OECS Conference in Dominica where high level discussions by OECS members focused on a number of issues including an OECS Economic Summit proposed for later in the year, deliberations on telecommunications with the suggesting of a joint approach to negotiations with the major service provider Cable and Wireless, and the appointment of an OECS Chief Justice (06:59 - 07:56)
5. Antiguan government announced the appointment of a three-member team headed by former Archbishop Orland Lindsay to officially investigate the cause of a fire which partially destroyed the country’s only prison. Debbie Ransome reports on the issues that the team will be investigating such as poor prison conditions, drugs on the prison compound and low water pressure hampering fire officials quick response to the fire. Prisoners are being housed in the undamaged Northern wing of the prison, a factory shed in in Saint John and at police headquarters. Amalgamated Security Services which manages the prison is currently in Antigua reviewing the incident (07:57 – 09:45)
6. The Government of Saint Lucia has stated that it will no longer subsidise US carrier American Airlines daily flights from Miami to Saint Lucia at a cost of 1.5 million US dollars. Minister of Tourism Philip J. Pierre outlines the reasons for his government decision to discontinue the subsidy (09:46 -13:07)
7. Barbados Central Bank announced the growth of the Barbadian economy by five percent. Bertram Niles reports on statements by Governor of the Central Bank Winston Cox on lessons to be learnt from this achievement by other countries in the region. The Governor highlighted two areas contributing to the performance of the Barbados economy, the success of the local tripartite partnership which requires regular consultation between government, the private sector and labour and Barbados modest fiscal deficit. He called on continued Caribbean support for reducing Guyana’s economic burden under the Hipc initiative which provides support for highly indebted countries (13:08- 15:29)
2. Attorney General in various CARICOM States speak out against the Privy Council decision to allow convicted criminals to appeal to international human rights bodies. Tony Fraser reports on how attorneys view the Privy Council rulings with respect to Pratt and Morgan and Thomas and Hilaire as encroachment on the ability of Caribbean countries to carry out the death penalty. Jamaica’s Attorney General Senator Arnold Nicholson, speaks on behalf of his colleagues advising CARICOM nations to retain membership on human right bodies but enact legislation to ensure that the state is entitled to carry out the death penalty (00:30 - 02:02)
3. Caribbean governments have been given a new banana proposal by the United States which may break the current impasse over the European Union banana import regime which discriminates against Latin American banana producers. Pete Nimval reports on the proposal received. St. Lucia’s Ambassador in Washington Sonia Johnny affirms that she is confident that the proposal will end the current deadlock as it guarantees access to European markets and reasonable pricing for Caribbean bananas. OECS Chairman Edison James seeks dialogue with the European Union to discuss the proposal (02:03-06:58)
4. Matthias Peltier reports on the two day OECS Conference in Dominica where high level discussions by OECS members focused on a number of issues including an OECS Economic Summit proposed for later in the year, deliberations on telecommunications with the suggesting of a joint approach to negotiations with the major service provider Cable and Wireless, and the appointment of an OECS Chief Justice (06:59 - 07:56)
5. Antiguan government announced the appointment of a three-member team headed by former Archbishop Orland Lindsay to officially investigate the cause of a fire which partially destroyed the country’s only prison. Debbie Ransome reports on the issues that the team will be investigating such as poor prison conditions, drugs on the prison compound and low water pressure hampering fire officials quick response to the fire. Prisoners are being housed in the undamaged Northern wing of the prison, a factory shed in in Saint John and at police headquarters. Amalgamated Security Services which manages the prison is currently in Antigua reviewing the incident (07:57 – 09:45)
6. The Government of Saint Lucia has stated that it will no longer subsidise US carrier American Airlines daily flights from Miami to Saint Lucia at a cost of 1.5 million US dollars. Minister of Tourism Philip J. Pierre outlines the reasons for his government decision to discontinue the subsidy (09:46 -13:07)
7. Barbados Central Bank announced the growth of the Barbadian economy by five percent. Bertram Niles reports on statements by Governor of the Central Bank Winston Cox on lessons to be learnt from this achievement by other countries in the region. The Governor highlighted two areas contributing to the performance of the Barbados economy, the success of the local tripartite partnership which requires regular consultation between government, the private sector and labour and Barbados modest fiscal deficit. He called on continued Caribbean support for reducing Guyana’s economic burden under the Hipc initiative which provides support for highly indebted countries (13:08- 15:29)