With preparations still being put in place to make Vincy Mas 2K12 the best yet, LIME SVG has given their full commitment to doing more than their fair share of making sure this becomes a reality.
General Manager of LIME Leslie Jack says that this year the company will spend more than half a million dollars to support Vincy Mas 2012, at least EC$100,000 more than was spent in previous years.
Speaking at a recent press conference, Jack said that this year LIME intends to touch every facet of the art form. He stated that Carnival is not simply about revelry and fun but it is a product that supports a unique cultural art form and provides an opportunity to all Vincentians to demonstrate and develop their talents.
Jack added that Carnival is seen as a major contributor to our economy and it is vital that we seek to protect and to enhance this product call Carnival.
The General Manager further said that LIME will partner with the Carnival Development Corporation (CDC) to encourage other corporate businesses to support the art form”.
Jack said that apart from the major sponsorship of Vincy Mas, LIME will also sponsor five major rural Carnivals and the school’s tour, “to draw further awareness and create youthful interest in the art form”.
With the hurricane season for the Caribbean region fast approaching, over 200 persons from various communities throughout the country have received training in Community Disaster Response from the National Red Cross Society.
Director of the SVG Red Cross Society, Bernard Marksman said his organisation saw the importance of training persons in rendering assistance when needed during the hurricane season.
Marksman said the communities where training was done include Fancy, Owia, Greiggs, Welcome, Fitz Hughes, Rose Hall, Mayreau and Union Island. He said they have been equipped with community disaster response kits and teams have been developed in each of these communities to assist in the event of a disaster occurring.
Marksman further disclosed that each community disaster response team is made up of at least 35 persons and they have the responsibility to ensure their respective communities are prepared in advance for the upcoming hurricane season. The Red Cross Director said each team will be able to employ the use of their kits if disaster strikes, which includes flashlights, helmets, whistles, gloves and a first aid kit.
Seventy-three accounting professionals from the eight member countries of the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union (ECCU) are now more knowledgeable and better equipped to conduct training in the application of the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) having completed the second Train the Trainers Workshop on the IFRS.
The IFRS are a set of accounting standards developed by the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB), which are being adopted globally for the preparation of public company financial statements.
The Train the Trainers Workshop on IFRS was designed to bring the quality of accounting in the ECCU in line with international standards and to increase the participants’ competence to deliver training on the IFRS to their counterparts in the region.
During the workshop, which ran from 30 April to 4 May, the certified public accountants, who are also members of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of the Eastern Caribbean (ICAEC), were exposed to 40 hours of training in the principles, concepts and application of the IFRS.
They have lauded the training as relevant, timely, invaluable to the profession and of a world class standard.
Farmers from the areas of Gunn Hill on the leeward coast to Calliaqua and Belmont gathered yesterday at the Dumbarton Agricultural Station at Mesopotamia to look at the management and use of Pesticides on their farms.
The farmers received training in the areas of identification of pesticides whith respect to its classification as an Insecticide, Fungicide, Acaridice or Weedicide; Proper application with regards to the method, timing and regularity; and Proper attirement and storage.
The workshop was conducted by Agricultural Officer, Simone Jacobs who stated that it is in preparation for this year’s planting season which normally begins in earnest in the month of May.
She added that the areas being highlighted in the training were observed as some of the shortcomings of some farmers and field workers who at times need a retooling of some of the practices carried out on farm.
Tax paying citizens throughout St. Vincent and the Grenadines now have the opportunity to take advantage of a new tax amnesty at the Inland Revenue Department.
This will come as welcome news to tax payers, especially those who have been experiencing high debt as a result of difficulty in meeting their payments.
The IRD have been recently intensifying efforts to make the public more aware of the importance of meeting their income tax commitments.
Comptroller at the Inland Revenue Department, Kelvin Pompey explained that the tax amnesty is a limited time opportunity which lasts until the 22nd of May, for a particular group of tax payers to pay a defined amount in exchange for forgiveness of their tax liabilities.
He said this will include interest and penalties relating to previous tax periods without the possibility of criminal prosecution coming into play.
Pompey urged tax paying citizens to take the opportunity to make negotiations at the IRD before the deadline of the tax amnesty ends.
Callers to the New Times Program yesterday have expressed their dissatisfaction with the high rate of water and electricity bills.
The Hon. Daniel Cummings endorsed the callers and questioned, if the people of this nation find it difficult to pay these bills at a time when everything is increasing when are they going be able to pay them. He pointed out that water bills have increased significantly to the point where the price is way too steep for consumers.
Meanwhile the Hon. Daniel Cummings has said that the ULP government takes everything for a joke and allowing party politics to tear everything apart in this country.
Daniel reiterated that there is a blight on this country as it appears that everything is in a tailspin or being neglected.
At a time when tourism is not going anywhere and the offshore sector is in a mire, one would expect the government to step up and play its part but they are instead allowing everything to get out of control, Cummings added.
Members of the New Democratic Party (NDP) core yesterday visited the Marriaqua Valley, once known as the valley of green gold.
Headed by the Hon. Arhnim Eustace who is still of the view that farmers should be involved in the decision making process in the banana industry, the group spoke with farmers who communicated some of the many problems that they are faced with on a daily basis within the industry.
Mr. Eustace said that it is quite clear that more needs to be done to return the industry on proper footing and return farmers confidence in the industry.
He added that there is a need for action to be taken on the part of the government and the authorities especially regarding reorganization and restructuring of the banana industry.
The Opposition Leader said he has every confidence that the country has the competence to take back the banana industry and return it to some semblance of profitability.
With plans being put in place to commence the much talked about National Cocoa Project in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, farmers interested in contributing to cocoa production here are being invited to a series of meetings to discuss related matters.
According to Minister of Agriculture Saboto Caesar, three meetings will take place on Tuesday May 15th at various points around the country. Caesar disclosed that the meetings will start off at New Grounds from 9 am, Dunbarton at 11 am and Walliabou at 2 pm.
The Agricultural Minister further noted that the meetings are of critical importance in leading to St. Vincent and the Grenadines being able to produce cocoa once again.
Acclaimed local judicial analyst Parnell Campbell QC has been criticized for stating to the public his interpretation of what the constitution says regarding religion here.
The Thusian Institute for Religious Liberty in a television broadcast last Sunday condemned Campbell for misleading the Vincentian populace when he spoke about religion and the constitution on his Law & You programme recently.
Executive Member of the TIRL, former Senator Anesia Baptiste said they found it necessary to respond to the arguments on religion presented by Campbell during his programme.
While speaking on his programme, Campbell had said that Section 9 Subsection 1 and 5 of the constitution shows that the constitution protects the right of every Vincentian to observe and practice his/ her own religious beliefs without hindrance. He singled out criticism of another person’s religion as being an unsolicited intervention according to the constitution.
Baptiste however said criticism of another religion cannot be considered as unsolicited intervention because criticism of other religious teaching does not interfere with a person practicing their religion.
The former senator went on to say the constitution does not outlaw the criticism of religious teachings as some people may want to make it appear.
Vincentians here are becoming more concerned about the constant downsizing at the Buccama Bay Resort, which has been taking place for the past year.
The resort came under fire recently for late payments to its workers. Workers concerned about employment safety have said co-workers are being laid off almost on a daily basis with the simple explanation that their service is no longer needed.
This uneasiness has led many Vincentians to question whether or not employees at the Buccama Bay Resort are part of a union. The workers are being encouraged to protect their rights and not have it trampled on by the management of the resort.
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