Written from source news
First Publish Wefm St Vincent
 
Deputy Prime Minister, Sir Louis Straker has refuted rumors spread on social media, which claimed he had a stroke and had to be flown out for medical attention.
In a phone call to WEFM’s Morning Program with Donnie Collins, Sir Louis said he is feeling fine.
He said he travels to the US, at least once per year to get a check up and to take advantage of his medical insurance.
Sir Louis Straker described as ‘foolishness’, the rumor being spread on social media and radio, by key opposition activists about his health.

Randy Luta McIntosh is encouraging persons in the region to stand with each other.He was at the time speaking at the handing over ceremony of a $100,000 donation in aid of Dominica relief effort.

“I believe that through the region we must all stand with each other,” he noted. “Sometimes the politicians don’t unite us as much as they really should, but we as Caribbean people must always strive to reach out to our neighbours in whatsoever little way we can.

This morning I am here to say, Dominica we are here with you and any support that you need please reach out to us. We can help in whatever way we can.”

McIntosh revealed that he was contacted by the Minister or Foreign Affairs of St Vincent to host the concert during a tour in Haiti.

“I can clearly remember that on August 27, 2015. I was somewhere on tour in Haiti and social media started blowing up, so I was wondering what was going on with Dominica…I started calling people asking what is going on, and when the pictures started coming in I realized the magnitude of what was happening. At that point I could have related to it because in 2013 we had our own incident in St Vincent,” he explained.

Written from source news

The government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines has made a donation of $100,000 to the Government of the Commonwealth of Dominica in the wake of the passage of Tropical Storm Erika.

According to the Dominica News Online, a cheque was presented to the Minister for Foreign Affairs and CARICOM Affairs, Francine Baron by Cultural Ambassador of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Rondy McIntosh at the Ministry of Finance conference room in Dominica.

McIntosh said the monies were raised from a relief concert, one of the biggest held in St. Vincent.

Meanwhile, Dominica’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Francine Baron said that following the August 27th, 2015 storm, the government of St. Vincent sent nurses, Doctors and engineers to assist Dominica.

She also indicated that because of the generosity of the Government of St Vincent and the Grenadines they were able to place bridges in the damaged area along the West Coast which allowed vehicular access to be restored in record time.

She thanked the government and the people of St. Vincent and the Grenadines for the support and mentioned that another initiative geared at raising funds in St. Vincent was the sale of paper planes at $1 each with a message of support and solidarity to Dominica.

The University of the West Indies Open Campus along with the Embassy of the Republic of (China) on Taiwan hosted an Information Sharing Session Thursday afternoon on the 2016 Taiwan Scholarship Programme.

A release from the UWI Open Campus says the main presentation at the event was delivered by Taiwanese Ambassador to St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Baushaun Ger.

This was preceded by a short video presentation on the history and culture of Taiwan. Graduates of Universities in Taiwan  also shared their experiences with prospective students.

The event was  being held as part of the mandate of the Open Campus to engage and deepen relationships with institutions and organizations providing opportunities for students to access Higher Education.

The session was open to the public, especially interested students and graduates of the Community College and the University of the West Indies.

The session took  at the UWI Open Campus Lecture Hall.

The Ministry of Health, Wellness and the Environment, through the Insect Vector Control Unit has intensified its fogging operations throughout the country as part of its mosquito control programme.

This is according to Minister of Health, Hon. Luke Browne, speaking at a Media Conference where he said the Ministry will be spending an estimated $167,000 on fogging operations over the coming months.

Minister Browne said they will also be conducting increased surveillance’s including inspection of premises.

One of the world’s leading youth events organisers ” Impact World” will be visiting St. Vincent & the Grenadines as part of their 2016 Caribbean Tour. SVG will be the first Caribbean Island to benefit from the Impact World which begins February 5th 2016.

A total of 21 events are slated to take place throughout St. Vincent and the Grenadines, with presentations in the performing arts, dance, music and song as well as well as sports.

There are three international teams participating; Team Xtreme (TX), Island Breeze (IB), and Global Expressions (GX).

All the events are FREE! Having been paid for by local business, churches and individuals.

The Impact World main events have been planned for schools and communities throughout St.Vincent and the Grenadines during the month of February 2016.

This month 50 performers will be arriving in SVG from various countries around the world including the USA, Canada, Germany, Brazil, Fiji, Barbados, St Lucia, and the Dominican Republic.

Attached you will find copies of the itinerary for your perusal,

Thank you for your kind consideration of our request. We look forward to hearing from you at your earliest convenience.

The Ministry of Health Wellness and the Environment will be embarking on a national cleanup campaign in an effort to reduce the breeding sites of the Aedes Aegypti mosquito, the vector that transmits the Zika Virus.
Minister of Health Hon. Luke Browne made the announcement at a Press Conference  where he outlined the national response of his Ministry to the Zika Virus which was on Monday declared an international public health emergency by the World Health Organization (WHO).
Minister Browne, said the national clean up campaign will target communities with the highest mosquito indexes, these include Rose Hall, West Wood, Troumaca, Clare Valley, Colonarie, Byera, Park Hill, Sion Hill, Belair, Enhams, Kingstown, Campden Park, Buccament, Barrouallie and Paget Farm, Bequia.
Minister Browne said that in the long term his Ministry plans to use both policy and legislative tools to achieve sustainable mosquito control, and they are considering ways to strengthen the laws possibly by instituting a system of ticketing for households that are habitual mosquito breeders.
There are no reported cases of Zika virus infection here in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, but stringent measures are being put in place to manage it, should it surface.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the St. Vincent Electricity Services Limited (VINLEC), Thornley Myers has refuted allegations made by Opposition leader, Hon. Arnhim Eustace that the debt owed by St Vincent  under the PetroCaribe agreement is $900 million.

Speaking  on WEFM in St Vincent , Mr. Myers said that all fuel imported into the country under the PetroCaribe agreement since June 2006, has been assigned to VINLEC.

He noted that since 2006 “we have had close to 100 landings and the total fuel consumed during that period is in excess of 37 million gallons with prices ranging from $59 to $169 per barrel, therefore the value of the fuel imported during that period assigned to VINLEC is $340 million.

Since its creation, Petrocaribe has served as an important financing mechanism for oil-importing countries in the region. It introduced a lending scheme for oil purchases from Venezuela where conditionalities adjust to price fluctuations among predetermined thresholds.

As a result, if the oil barrel falls below US$40, up to 30 percent of the bill will be financed by a 17-year loan, with a two-year grace period and an interest rate of 2 percent. Similarly, when the barrel exceeds US$40, the term for payment is extended to 25 years, with a two-year grace period and the interest rate falls to 1 percent.

Mr. Myers said based on these figures, the debt owed to PetroCaribe could never be $900 million.

Mr. Myers said he agrees with Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, that the debt is in the region of $160 million.

Petrocaribe is an oil alliance of many Caribbean states with Venezuela to purchase oil on conditions of preferential payment. The alliance was launched on 29 June 2005 in Puerto La Cruz, Venezuela.

Written from sourced news.
 

The local Apiculture Industry, which primarily deals with the production and sale of honey, has grown by leaps and bounds since 2006.

This is according to Agricultural Inspector in the Ministry of Agriculture, Allan Williams, speaking at a National Symposium yesterday hosted by the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Beekeepers Association at the National Insurance Services (NIS) Conference Room.

Mr. Williams said in 2006 most beekeepers had suffered up to 100% losses of hives due to the pest called Varroa Mite, but through the collaborative efforts of the Ministry of Agriculture and several agencies, the industry has revived and now has an estimated local consumption value of $384,000 with 64 active beekeepers.

According to Mr. Williams, there has been an increase in honey over the years, and this has contributed to a significant reduction in the importation of honey.

Written from sourced news first published on wefm SVG

On Saturday, February 27th, Youlou Arts Foundation will be organizing a benefit, to raise funds towards the establishment of an art centre.
The benefit will take the form of an Art Show and Sale with an auction. The Art Show will be open to the public from Feb. 26 to March 11th.
The grand opening and auction will take place on Saturday, Feb. 27th. at the Curator’s House in the Botanical Garden.
There will be an amazing array of art work on display from several local artists, paintings on canvas, banana art, fibre art, textile art and photography.
Youlou Arts Foundation is an arts organization which dedicated to promoting, and encouraging the arts in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
For more information you can go to our blog:youlouarts.wordpress.com. and  facebook page:youlou arts and creative artist of St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
Tickets will be available at the Professional Secretarial Services Inc., Theo Saunders Shop, and from other planning committee members Lenore Layne, Ruth Knights, Sean Roche, and Eleanor Astaphan.

PAHO/WHO Director, Dr. Carissa F. Etienne will pay an official visit to St. Vincent and the Grenadines on Monday February 15th.

A release from the Agency for Public Information, API, says while in St. Vincent, Dr. Etienne will be engaged in field visits to PAHO-funded projects, including the Georgetown Smart Hospital. She will also hold discussions with Health Officials in Fancy.

On Monday February 15th Dr. Etienne will make courtesy calls on Governor General, Sir Frederick Ballantyne; Minister of Health Wellness and the Environment, Robert Browne, and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sir Louis Straker.

The PAHO/WHO Director will then tour the Georgetown Smart Hospital where a brief News Conference will take place at 2:00 pm

The Opening Ceremony of a PAHO Regional Managers Meeting will take place on Tuesday February 16th at the Beachcombers Hotel from 10:30 am- 12:00.

There are no reported cases of Zika virus infection here in SVG. Stringent measures are, however, being put in place to manage it, should it surface.

The Ministry of Health, Wellness and the Environment has, therefore, amplified all efforts, with healthcare providers being briefed on the surveillance and clinical management of Zika.

Environmental surveillance has also been increased, with specific emphasis at our ports.

And, as part of a strategy to manage the threat of the Zika virus, a national clean-up drive is underway and is being led by the Ministry of Health, Wellness and the Environment, with support from other Ministries and stakeholders, and is aimed at reducing the aedes aegypti mosquito, the vector which transmits the Zika, Chickungunya and Dengue viruses.