Articles - Views
Oct 17, 2011 at 11:10 PM
0 comments
Email this article
The International Monetary Fund released its Regional Economic Outlook for the Western Hemisphere in Barbados on Thursday this week. David Vegara, deputy director for the Western Hemisphere Department of the IMF presented the report to regional journalists, financial experts and business people gathered at the Central Bank of Barbados.
“The entire Caribbean region has been impacted by the current slowdown in the growth of the major western hemisphere,” began moderator Harold Codrington, Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Barbados. “Adjectives like ‘unprecedented’ and ‘prolonged’ have been used to describe the situation and everyone wants to know when it will end. It is against this background that the IMF is issuing this outlook.”
For his part Mr Vegara first presented a summary of the global outlook. Hardly anyone was surprised that it was more bad news. He quoted IMF director Christine Legarde who said recently “that the global economy continues to grow yet not enough.”
Vegara admitted that at recent IMF meetings the clear message was that “the global economy had entered a dangerous new phase.”
“The global economy expanded at a rate of about three quarters of a percent in the first half of 2011 compared to five and one quarter percent a year ago. The deceleration was much stronger than anyone anticipated. Policy makers are also still grappling with putting the 2008 economic crisis behind us.”
Vegara explained the report did not have very good news for regional countries that depended heavily on tourism. The report itself warns that “Countries with strong real links with advanced economies (such as Mexico and the countries of Central America and the Caribbean) are expected to be harder hit by the recent slowdown. Although the Mexican economy is more dependent on US manufacturing and trade, Central America and the Caribbean are more reliant on remittances and tourism flows, which in turn are very dependent on US labour and housing market developments. Preliminary data point to only a minor slowdown in remittances and tourism receipts so far, though some further moderation is expected, as these flows typically manifest themselves with some lag. That said, remittances and tourism flows remain well below those observed prior to the crisis.”
Specific to the Caribbean Vegara forecasted that tourism intensive economies are projected to expand by one and a quarter percent in 2011-2012, almost a full one percent lower than had been expected six months ago. The performance of the Caribbean countries depends heavily on what happens in more advanced economies that they trade with.
The report goes further with the issue: “Prospects are better in the mineral-rich countries, with Guyana and Suriname benefiting from record gold prices. In Haiti, growth is estimated to reach about six percent this year, well below the eight percent projected back in April, as earthquake reconstruction efforts have been lagging. Risks to the outlook are tilted to the downside. A further slowdown in advanced economies would dampen the recovery and add pressures to an already heavy public debt burden. “Meanwhile, further delays in resolving sovereign and financial sector balance sheets could lead to a generalized loss of confidence. The recent moderation in world commodity prices provides some relief to an otherwise difficult global and domestic environment. In this context, greater resolve is required in reducing public debt (which is up over nine percent of GDP since the crisis) and resisting fatigue in some countries, where pressures to increase wages and subsidies have intensified.”
The IMF advised that fiscal consolidation efforts should, to the extent possible, preserve growth and competitiveness by avoiding steep cuts in infrastructure spending.”.
The IMF report noted that “Financial sector fragilities in the region have become more troubling. In the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union (ECCU), financial sector health indicators have continued to deteriorate, highlighting the importance of steps to further strengthen the sector.”
The IMF called on authorities to diagnose the health of the financial system quickly and develop options for strengthening balance sheets, and avoid further compromising public finances. “Moreover, financial regulation and supervision frameworks require significant strengthening, including ensuring that the resolution of failed institutions is carried out transparently.
The report then came to the most serious issue facing the region—public debt. This has increased quickly during the economic crisis.
“In fact, despite reductions in real government expenditures in most countries, primary balances deteriorated almost across the board as revenue losses more than offset efforts to curb spending. In most cases, declines in real growth added to the debt burden. Fiscal consolidation efforts in the area have thus far been mixed. Countries have adopted various strategies to reduce fiscal imbalances with
a combination of revenue-enhancing measures (example VAT was introduced in a few countries and VAT rates were hiked in others) and efforts to contain spending growth, including limiting losses in public enterprises (Jamaica). However, primary spending was down by only an average of 0.3 percent of GDP between 2008 and 2010, with the bulk of the adjustment falling on capital spending, as governments sought to protect public employment and wages as well as social programs.”
St Lucia itself is expected to institute Value Added Tax in April 2012.
The report goes further: “Some countries have combined fiscal adjustment with debt restructuring to ease their debt service burdens. Recognizing that the up-front fiscal adjustment required would be too large to meet debt service obligations and preserve debt sustainability, Antigua and Barbuda and Jamaica sought to reduce their debt service burdens. Antigua and Barbuda sought in September 2010 to reschedule the country’s official private debt, which lowered the annual interest bill from roughly seven percent of GDP to about four percent from 2010 onward. Jamaica reached agreement with domestic private creditors to reduce its debt service burden (interest and amortization) by about 14 percent of GDP one year after the debt exchange. St Kitts and Nevis is in the process of preparing a comprehensive debt-restructuring deal involving all creditors.
“However, greater efforts are necessary to generate fiscal savings to stabilize and reduce public debt over the medium term. The IMF staff’s debt sustainability analysis suggests that the average Caribbean country will need to increase its primary balance by at least four percentage points of GDP through a combination of revenue-raising and expenditure-cutting measures . . . Achieving meaningful fiscal savings will require tackling long-standing budget rigidities. In many countries, fiscal expenditures are mostly committed to wages, interest payments, and pensions, limiting the flexibility of fiscal adjustment. In fact, the share of nondiscretionary spending (defined as the share of expenditure on wages and salaries and interest payments) is among the highest in the Latin America and the Caribbean. A strategy to gradually reduce public wage and pension spending—not only in central government but also in autonomous agencies—will be necessary to guarantee public debt sustainability, with the added benefit of improving the region’s competitiveness. Closing loopholes and reducing tax incentives should also form part of the consolidation strategy. With weak growth in advanced economies, revenues are unlikely to return to precrisis levels without fundamental change in the tax system. Efforts should be made to review generous tax incentive schemes, the impact of which on investment
and growth remains
elusive. “Instead, emphasis should be on growth-enhancing structural reforms that enable private sector development. Caribbean countries can draw lessons from successful fiscal consolidation strategies in other regions. In particular, fiscal consolidations based on expenditure reductions have tended to be more effective than tax-based consolidations, and cuts in current spending are more effective than capital expenditure cuts. Moreover, these efforts work best when framed as part of a medium-term fiscal framework that extends beyond the current administration.”
Following the presentation of the Regional Economic Outlook Mr Vegara took questions from regional press. Among the questions was about governments in the Caribbean proposing stimulus packages that included the borrowing of money.
In Saint Lucia there has been much talk of how to stimulate the economy, with the main Opposition St Lucia Labour Party announcing that if they should get into office 100 million dollars will be immediately made available for stimulus. The UWP government also launched its own stimulus package earlier this year.
Said Vegara: “In countries with already high deficits and high debts it does not seem the most adequate time to launch this type of policy to support growth. The answer would be that right now the targeted policies should be more on sustainable fiscal policies.”
Vegara said that although the IMF had proposed such packages as helping to stimulate the economy by pumping money into it, in 2008, the atmosphere was not the same now and Caribbean counties needed to focus on decreasing public debt.
“The entire Caribbean region has been impacted by the current slowdown in the growth of the major western hemisphere,” began moderator Harold Codrington, Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Barbados. “Adjectives like ‘unprecedented’ and ‘prolonged’ have been used to describe the situation and everyone wants to know when it will end. It is against this background that the IMF is issuing this outlook.”
For his part Mr Vegara first presented a summary of the global outlook. Hardly anyone was surprised that it was more bad news. He quoted IMF director Christine Legarde who said recently “that the global economy continues to grow yet not enough.”
Vegara admitted that at recent IMF meetings the clear message was that “the global economy had entered a dangerous new phase.”
“The global economy expanded at a rate of about three quarters of a percent in the first half of 2011 compared to five and one quarter percent a year ago. The deceleration was much stronger than anyone anticipated. Policy makers are also still grappling with putting the 2008 economic crisis behind us.”
Vegara explained the report did not have very good news for regional countries that depended heavily on tourism. The report itself warns that “Countries with strong real links with advanced economies (such as Mexico and the countries of Central America and the Caribbean) are expected to be harder hit by the recent slowdown. Although the Mexican economy is more dependent on US manufacturing and trade, Central America and the Caribbean are more reliant on remittances and tourism flows, which in turn are very dependent on US labour and housing market developments. Preliminary data point to only a minor slowdown in remittances and tourism receipts so far, though some further moderation is expected, as these flows typically manifest themselves with some lag. That said, remittances and tourism flows remain well below those observed prior to the crisis.”
Specific to the Caribbean Vegara forecasted that tourism intensive economies are projected to expand by one and a quarter percent in 2011-2012, almost a full one percent lower than had been expected six months ago. The performance of the Caribbean countries depends heavily on what happens in more advanced economies that they trade with.
The report goes further with the issue: “Prospects are better in the mineral-rich countries, with Guyana and Suriname benefiting from record gold prices. In Haiti, growth is estimated to reach about six percent this year, well below the eight percent projected back in April, as earthquake reconstruction efforts have been lagging. Risks to the outlook are tilted to the downside. A further slowdown in advanced economies would dampen the recovery and add pressures to an already heavy public debt burden. “Meanwhile, further delays in resolving sovereign and financial sector balance sheets could lead to a generalized loss of confidence. The recent moderation in world commodity prices provides some relief to an otherwise difficult global and domestic environment. In this context, greater resolve is required in reducing public debt (which is up over nine percent of GDP since the crisis) and resisting fatigue in some countries, where pressures to increase wages and subsidies have intensified.”
The IMF advised that fiscal consolidation efforts should, to the extent possible, preserve growth and competitiveness by avoiding steep cuts in infrastructure spending.”.
The IMF report noted that “Financial sector fragilities in the region have become more troubling. In the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union (ECCU), financial sector health indicators have continued to deteriorate, highlighting the importance of steps to further strengthen the sector.”
The IMF called on authorities to diagnose the health of the financial system quickly and develop options for strengthening balance sheets, and avoid further compromising public finances. “Moreover, financial regulation and supervision frameworks require significant strengthening, including ensuring that the resolution of failed institutions is carried out transparently.
The report then came to the most serious issue facing the region—public debt. This has increased quickly during the economic crisis.
“In fact, despite reductions in real government expenditures in most countries, primary balances deteriorated almost across the board as revenue losses more than offset efforts to curb spending. In most cases, declines in real growth added to the debt burden. Fiscal consolidation efforts in the area have thus far been mixed. Countries have adopted various strategies to reduce fiscal imbalances with
a combination of revenue-enhancing measures (example VAT was introduced in a few countries and VAT rates were hiked in others) and efforts to contain spending growth, including limiting losses in public enterprises (Jamaica). However, primary spending was down by only an average of 0.3 percent of GDP between 2008 and 2010, with the bulk of the adjustment falling on capital spending, as governments sought to protect public employment and wages as well as social programs.”
St Lucia itself is expected to institute Value Added Tax in April 2012.
The report goes further: “Some countries have combined fiscal adjustment with debt restructuring to ease their debt service burdens. Recognizing that the up-front fiscal adjustment required would be too large to meet debt service obligations and preserve debt sustainability, Antigua and Barbuda and Jamaica sought to reduce their debt service burdens. Antigua and Barbuda sought in September 2010 to reschedule the country’s official private debt, which lowered the annual interest bill from roughly seven percent of GDP to about four percent from 2010 onward. Jamaica reached agreement with domestic private creditors to reduce its debt service burden (interest and amortization) by about 14 percent of GDP one year after the debt exchange. St Kitts and Nevis is in the process of preparing a comprehensive debt-restructuring deal involving all creditors.
“However, greater efforts are necessary to generate fiscal savings to stabilize and reduce public debt over the medium term. The IMF staff’s debt sustainability analysis suggests that the average Caribbean country will need to increase its primary balance by at least four percentage points of GDP through a combination of revenue-raising and expenditure-cutting measures . . . Achieving meaningful fiscal savings will require tackling long-standing budget rigidities. In many countries, fiscal expenditures are mostly committed to wages, interest payments, and pensions, limiting the flexibility of fiscal adjustment. In fact, the share of nondiscretionary spending (defined as the share of expenditure on wages and salaries and interest payments) is among the highest in the Latin America and the Caribbean. A strategy to gradually reduce public wage and pension spending—not only in central government but also in autonomous agencies—will be necessary to guarantee public debt sustainability, with the added benefit of improving the region’s competitiveness. Closing loopholes and reducing tax incentives should also form part of the consolidation strategy. With weak growth in advanced economies, revenues are unlikely to return to precrisis levels without fundamental change in the tax system. Efforts should be made to review generous tax incentive schemes, the impact of which on investment
and growth remains
elusive. “Instead, emphasis should be on growth-enhancing structural reforms that enable private sector development. Caribbean countries can draw lessons from successful fiscal consolidation strategies in other regions. In particular, fiscal consolidations based on expenditure reductions have tended to be more effective than tax-based consolidations, and cuts in current spending are more effective than capital expenditure cuts. Moreover, these efforts work best when framed as part of a medium-term fiscal framework that extends beyond the current administration.”
Following the presentation of the Regional Economic Outlook Mr Vegara took questions from regional press. Among the questions was about governments in the Caribbean proposing stimulus packages that included the borrowing of money.
In Saint Lucia there has been much talk of how to stimulate the economy, with the main Opposition St Lucia Labour Party announcing that if they should get into office 100 million dollars will be immediately made available for stimulus. The UWP government also launched its own stimulus package earlier this year.
Said Vegara: “In countries with already high deficits and high debts it does not seem the most adequate time to launch this type of policy to support growth. The answer would be that right now the targeted policies should be more on sustainable fiscal policies.”
Vegara said that although the IMF had proposed such packages as helping to stimulate the economy by pumping money into it, in 2008, the atmosphere was not the same now and Caribbean counties needed to focus on decreasing public debt.
Read More
Most, if not all of us are cognizant that we are operating amidst the backdrop of the most financially depressing period since the Great Depression of the 1930s. The effects were first felt by the industrialized world but shortly precipitated to our developing sphere before we even knew it.
As a small open economy we are susceptible to the economic conditions prevailing around the world. This predicament is further exacerbated when the hardships are centered on our primary markets of the US & UK.
The global financial meltdown has therefore created an environment that forces policy makers to act. Our leaders will not and cannot proffer all the solutions or fix all problems but policies must be formulated to safeguard the most vulnerable while creating an environment enabling to economic activity. The St Lucia Labour Party does not believe the present UWP government has taken the time and attention necessary to plan for this situation, as for example the SLP did in developing the STEP programme that accommodated for the vulnerable on a basis which did not discriminate.
The country is now characterized by high unemployment which SLP inherited at a rate of 22% in 1997 and reduced to 15.3% by the first quarter is 2006, low levels of economic activity that peaked in 2005 with a 5.45% growth in GDP, depleting purchasing power coupled with decay in our social and moral fabric.
Under the prevailing conditions efficiency, prudence and equity should become the focal tenants of governance; however our leaders have not followed this path. There has been insufficient attention paid to control our debt situation. Secondly, there has been insufficient control by the Ministry of Finance’s departmental expenditure, for example, the Ministry of Tourism has championed the cause for excessive wastage by expending millions on the FCCA and CHA conferences with little to no return. Early in their term, without adequate research or due diligence, they hired an exorbitantly priced tourism consultant who soon fled for a higher bidder, spend millions changing our legendary slogan of ‘St. Lucia Simply Beautiful’ to ‘Saint Lucia’ while little has been done to develop the core of our marketing mix, the product.
Their actions speak of leaders operating seemingly oblivious to the crisis facing the average person. We have been subjected to the government’s indiscriminate purchase of the derelict Daher building at Bois d’Orange to the tune of $34 million with an additional $50 million required for completion; burdened with exorbitant rental costs highlighted by the combined $214 000 paid monthly to the proprietors of Baywalk Mall; robbing their original tenants, the NIC of much needed rental income. Amidst all of this, the government is subjecting us to a proposed Airport redevelopment that will places us beyond dangerous debt levels that are already beyond prudential limits.
A Labour administration will continue the policy of seeking to ensure that benefits accrue to the widest cross-section of citizens as is possible. In the face of a situation where there has been no new investment in the tourism industry, the SLP is committed to developing the tourism product in a diversified manner as we attempted in preparation for Cricket World Cup when we sought to provide incentives for St Lucians interested in small hotels and related tourism activities.
We shall start an active programme of inducing additional investment through sound and sensible fiscal policies – giving new kinds of incentives to draw investors at a time of scarce international capital; including government part-investment with foreign entrepreneurs. We shall seek to ensure conditions for labour in the hotel industry – in particular women – are conducive to early childhood welfare; and to encourage the growth and sustainability of the industry to provide for further employment of persons involved in the hospitality sector while we safeguard our culture and national heritage for the enjoyment of future generations.
In 2006 the UWP promised the revitalization of the agricultural industry. The advent of the World Trade Agreement (WTO) left small islands like St. Lucia who were previous beneficiaries of preferential treatment hard pressed to compete on global markets against competitors such as those in Southern and Central America that have vastly larger farms; benefiting from economies of scale, a more technologically advanced farmer susceptible to change and more efficient farming techniques.
The growth rate of the agricultural sector, which in 2006 was 9.77% has declined to a meager 1.84% in 2010. The fate of the banana industry lies in the balance, while government has taken no substantial initiatives for influencing a reorientation of WIBDECO-WINFRESH that is linked to new levels of productivity in exportable agricultural commodities.
The SLP remains committed to a vibrant agricultural sector where farmers are economically self sufficient, adaptive to change and safeguarded from diseases and other Acts of God.
We will therefore increase our use of modern, scientific and technological methods to ensure farmers are more informed and equipped to fight plagues such as the Giant African Snail and black sagatoga that have resulted in significant losses over the years. We will return to our previous focus on the development of feeder roads in order to improve the efficiency in transporting produce; provide structural support to improve both the product and marketing of our locally grown crops and protect our farmers from predatory behavior. We will ensure extension officers are sufficiently trained to sensitize farmers of the more modern and efficient agricultural techniques; we will work with the SLDB to ensure the bank is sufficiently capitalized to provide loans to budding entrepreneurs; we will provide a renewed thrust.
The SLP government does not believe our infrastructure requires a quick fix. Upon entry into office, the administration will conduct an extensive and thorough needs assessment of the country’s infrastructure. We will not resort to haphazard ‘ti canals’ supervised by unqualified personnel but would seek to prioritize the nation’s structural requirements and then negotiate ways and means of providing for and undertaking the requisite work expeditiously to ensure we are safeguarded from the harsh effects of another Tomas, and related natural disasters.
To enhance the environment and create short term employment, the SLP will in its first 100 days in office embark upon a national clean up program. This stimulus package is aimed at reducing the nation’s vulnerability to illnesses such as dengue and leptospirosis while improving the national product; creating an aesthetically pleasing environment to locals and visitors alike as the employment injects additional income to the circular flow which has become depleted and increasingly worsened by the poor policy decisions over the past several years.
During this major activity, individual communities will not be overlooked. While the Central Government carves the infrastructural future of the nation, parliamentarians, regardless of political party affiliation will be allocated resources to undertake small community projects and provide short term employment relief to residents as a temporary cushion as wait for the materialization of our sound macroeconomic policies.
As young people, we are all concerned with our future. This uncertainty is threatened by the present predicament that has revealed a staggering 17 500 persons are unemployed. The SLP is aware an economy will not be able to absorb all the inflows into the labour force, however careful consideration has been made towards creating job opportunities both within and outside our geographical boundaries.
Our young people need to be skilled. The SLP is committed to making improvements in our education system which began with Universal Secondary Education and will move towards the Millennium Development Goal of at least one University graduate in every household.
In 2010, the ECCB reported an 8 point stabilization plan that stated member countries require an 8% growth in GDP to recover from recession. Only a technologically skilled population can help us to reach such an achievement.
Furthermore, it is interesting to note that in a recent CARICOM Commission on Youth Development certain revelations were made;
A reduction in crime can increase GDP by 4.5%
A reduction in youth employment to adult employment can increase in GDP by 2.5%.
A reduction in the high school dropout can increase GDP by 1%
An increase in tertiary enrolment by 30% you can increase GDP by 4%.
This results in a cumulative total of 12%; 4% higher than the recovery threshold.
In order to increase employment within our borders, the SLP has put forward a variety incentives geared towards reducing unemployment. Tax breaks will be offered to new businesses employing at least 6 persons who earn at least $24 000 per annum; the government will ensure the SLDB is sufficiently capitalized to offer startup capital to young innovators and reduce corporate tax in order to facilitate expansion.
The SLP will additionally seek opportunities for St. Lucians abroad. We will seek to exploit the cruise and hospitality sectors, source markets to absorb the excess nurses & teachers, provide training to make locals occupationally mobile as well as invest in the new and emerging industries. How will these opportunities benefit us you may ask? They will redound to the country in the form of remittances.
Remittances are a vital source of income to many of the world’s economies, including regional sisters: Haiti, Jamaica and Guyana. They seek to augment family’s regular income, increase banks’ liquidity through increased savings, spur entrepreneurship through increased disposable income as well as aid in reducing the social ills associated with unemployment and desperation. .
In concluding, let me state that the party is aware that times are hard but with the management and skill of the Labour party, rest assure that better days are coming!
As a small open economy we are susceptible to the economic conditions prevailing around the world. This predicament is further exacerbated when the hardships are centered on our primary markets of the US & UK.
The global financial meltdown has therefore created an environment that forces policy makers to act. Our leaders will not and cannot proffer all the solutions or fix all problems but policies must be formulated to safeguard the most vulnerable while creating an environment enabling to economic activity. The St Lucia Labour Party does not believe the present UWP government has taken the time and attention necessary to plan for this situation, as for example the SLP did in developing the STEP programme that accommodated for the vulnerable on a basis which did not discriminate.
The country is now characterized by high unemployment which SLP inherited at a rate of 22% in 1997 and reduced to 15.3% by the first quarter is 2006, low levels of economic activity that peaked in 2005 with a 5.45% growth in GDP, depleting purchasing power coupled with decay in our social and moral fabric.
Under the prevailing conditions efficiency, prudence and equity should become the focal tenants of governance; however our leaders have not followed this path. There has been insufficient attention paid to control our debt situation. Secondly, there has been insufficient control by the Ministry of Finance’s departmental expenditure, for example, the Ministry of Tourism has championed the cause for excessive wastage by expending millions on the FCCA and CHA conferences with little to no return. Early in their term, without adequate research or due diligence, they hired an exorbitantly priced tourism consultant who soon fled for a higher bidder, spend millions changing our legendary slogan of ‘St. Lucia Simply Beautiful’ to ‘Saint Lucia’ while little has been done to develop the core of our marketing mix, the product.
Their actions speak of leaders operating seemingly oblivious to the crisis facing the average person. We have been subjected to the government’s indiscriminate purchase of the derelict Daher building at Bois d’Orange to the tune of $34 million with an additional $50 million required for completion; burdened with exorbitant rental costs highlighted by the combined $214 000 paid monthly to the proprietors of Baywalk Mall; robbing their original tenants, the NIC of much needed rental income. Amidst all of this, the government is subjecting us to a proposed Airport redevelopment that will places us beyond dangerous debt levels that are already beyond prudential limits.
A Labour administration will continue the policy of seeking to ensure that benefits accrue to the widest cross-section of citizens as is possible. In the face of a situation where there has been no new investment in the tourism industry, the SLP is committed to developing the tourism product in a diversified manner as we attempted in preparation for Cricket World Cup when we sought to provide incentives for St Lucians interested in small hotels and related tourism activities.
We shall start an active programme of inducing additional investment through sound and sensible fiscal policies – giving new kinds of incentives to draw investors at a time of scarce international capital; including government part-investment with foreign entrepreneurs. We shall seek to ensure conditions for labour in the hotel industry – in particular women – are conducive to early childhood welfare; and to encourage the growth and sustainability of the industry to provide for further employment of persons involved in the hospitality sector while we safeguard our culture and national heritage for the enjoyment of future generations.
In 2006 the UWP promised the revitalization of the agricultural industry. The advent of the World Trade Agreement (WTO) left small islands like St. Lucia who were previous beneficiaries of preferential treatment hard pressed to compete on global markets against competitors such as those in Southern and Central America that have vastly larger farms; benefiting from economies of scale, a more technologically advanced farmer susceptible to change and more efficient farming techniques.
The growth rate of the agricultural sector, which in 2006 was 9.77% has declined to a meager 1.84% in 2010. The fate of the banana industry lies in the balance, while government has taken no substantial initiatives for influencing a reorientation of WIBDECO-WINFRESH that is linked to new levels of productivity in exportable agricultural commodities.
The SLP remains committed to a vibrant agricultural sector where farmers are economically self sufficient, adaptive to change and safeguarded from diseases and other Acts of God.
We will therefore increase our use of modern, scientific and technological methods to ensure farmers are more informed and equipped to fight plagues such as the Giant African Snail and black sagatoga that have resulted in significant losses over the years. We will return to our previous focus on the development of feeder roads in order to improve the efficiency in transporting produce; provide structural support to improve both the product and marketing of our locally grown crops and protect our farmers from predatory behavior. We will ensure extension officers are sufficiently trained to sensitize farmers of the more modern and efficient agricultural techniques; we will work with the SLDB to ensure the bank is sufficiently capitalized to provide loans to budding entrepreneurs; we will provide a renewed thrust.
The SLP government does not believe our infrastructure requires a quick fix. Upon entry into office, the administration will conduct an extensive and thorough needs assessment of the country’s infrastructure. We will not resort to haphazard ‘ti canals’ supervised by unqualified personnel but would seek to prioritize the nation’s structural requirements and then negotiate ways and means of providing for and undertaking the requisite work expeditiously to ensure we are safeguarded from the harsh effects of another Tomas, and related natural disasters.
To enhance the environment and create short term employment, the SLP will in its first 100 days in office embark upon a national clean up program. This stimulus package is aimed at reducing the nation’s vulnerability to illnesses such as dengue and leptospirosis while improving the national product; creating an aesthetically pleasing environment to locals and visitors alike as the employment injects additional income to the circular flow which has become depleted and increasingly worsened by the poor policy decisions over the past several years.
During this major activity, individual communities will not be overlooked. While the Central Government carves the infrastructural future of the nation, parliamentarians, regardless of political party affiliation will be allocated resources to undertake small community projects and provide short term employment relief to residents as a temporary cushion as wait for the materialization of our sound macroeconomic policies.
As young people, we are all concerned with our future. This uncertainty is threatened by the present predicament that has revealed a staggering 17 500 persons are unemployed. The SLP is aware an economy will not be able to absorb all the inflows into the labour force, however careful consideration has been made towards creating job opportunities both within and outside our geographical boundaries.
Our young people need to be skilled. The SLP is committed to making improvements in our education system which began with Universal Secondary Education and will move towards the Millennium Development Goal of at least one University graduate in every household.
In 2010, the ECCB reported an 8 point stabilization plan that stated member countries require an 8% growth in GDP to recover from recession. Only a technologically skilled population can help us to reach such an achievement.
Furthermore, it is interesting to note that in a recent CARICOM Commission on Youth Development certain revelations were made;
A reduction in crime can increase GDP by 4.5%
A reduction in youth employment to adult employment can increase in GDP by 2.5%.
A reduction in the high school dropout can increase GDP by 1%
An increase in tertiary enrolment by 30% you can increase GDP by 4%.
This results in a cumulative total of 12%; 4% higher than the recovery threshold.
In order to increase employment within our borders, the SLP has put forward a variety incentives geared towards reducing unemployment. Tax breaks will be offered to new businesses employing at least 6 persons who earn at least $24 000 per annum; the government will ensure the SLDB is sufficiently capitalized to offer startup capital to young innovators and reduce corporate tax in order to facilitate expansion.
The SLP will additionally seek opportunities for St. Lucians abroad. We will seek to exploit the cruise and hospitality sectors, source markets to absorb the excess nurses & teachers, provide training to make locals occupationally mobile as well as invest in the new and emerging industries. How will these opportunities benefit us you may ask? They will redound to the country in the form of remittances.
Remittances are a vital source of income to many of the world’s economies, including regional sisters: Haiti, Jamaica and Guyana. They seek to augment family’s regular income, increase banks’ liquidity through increased savings, spur entrepreneurship through increased disposable income as well as aid in reducing the social ills associated with unemployment and desperation. .
In concluding, let me state that the party is aware that times are hard but with the management and skill of the Labour party, rest assure that better days are coming!
There is an old saying that the fruit doesn’t fall far from the tree -- just as if you plant corn it is not likely that you will reap yams. I refer to the recent discovery of students arming themselves and by extension endangering the lives of their fellow students, and possibly teachers.
It has always been a known fact that the behavior of the young stems from their upbringing, or the environment they come from. Why are so many alarmed that so many weapons or drug paraphernalia have been found on some students? Mind you, I would think that most of the searches were carried out on the male segment of the students, and if some females were searched as well that they may have discovered some X-rated items that would have put a different spin on the discovery.
Now that the cat is out of the bag, there are different opinions as to the solutions to the problem, or who should be held responsible, or should take the blame. As per usual, we wait till we are confronted with a crisis and then seek solutions. There are some among us who think that to have random searches of students are a violation of their rights. There are others who think the time is ripe to take school security more seriously. Some lament that to solve the problem we may have to introduce scanners in schools like in airports and seaports, and the astronomical cost of using such apparatus is too demanding for the school, or the educational division to install or establish.
The question of if the students or parents should be charged, is still a complex problem and if the option is to charge the children, where do you put them? And can you really blame parents for their children’s behavior? And ultimately, will any of the recommended suggestions become a solution?
All these questions deserve answers, and all these recommendations deserve dialogue, but can we change our values or our social behavior when from the top to the bottom there is criminal intent? If the children have to use a yardstick or role model or do as their parents do, are there many good examples to follow?
The economic hardship that the island now faces even compounds the problem in the sense where some have to turn to crime to survive, or to deal with illegal practices, is more profitable than to wait for meaningful change or employment opportunity. Life is becoming like a circus. Everybody is clowning around and no one is taking life seriously. Lawbreaking seems to be the order of the day and rather than upholding it, we seek loopholes to undermine the system. Even in our parliament the semantics of defining words or the interpretation of statements to the convenience of the majority just to be used to taunt those opposite, are all frivolous behavior patterns that stem from criminal intent.
We see now in some political circles diehard supporters who will not budge or blink, in believing that their representative is possibly crooked or in some ways a suspect of wrong- doings. The buzz words now are “Bring me the evidence” or “Where’s the proof?” or “Has he been found guilty in a court of law?” I suppose the same applies to the thinking of most St. Lucian parents: “Prove to me that my children are criminal in nature.”
While we create drama politically and we debate who should be blamed for our criminally-minded youths, or whether the new method of extracting funds for social projects or programs is legitimate or not the big picture is that there is economic stagnation and although a few persons may be benefiting from the actions or dealings of particular ministers, the overall climate is suffering; not enough jobs to satisfy the nation’s needs and regardless of the excuse of that being a worldwide phenomena, I am yet to see any progressive plans laid out by the planners that indicate that it will improve in the near future.
There are so many social concerns to be attended to sometimes I wonder if the establishment knows where to start. I do not think that our problems are all easy to solve, but what I need to see is an attempt by those in charge to at least create a dent, or some sort of meaningful change to the way we do things. Our smallness should not be an impediment towards progress, but what bothers me most, is the persons who get paid huge salaries to carry out the government mandate but are non-progressive. Most recently, I was listening to the case in Trinidad about the CLICO fiasco, but what was most alarming was the individual benefits of some directors: while some can claim millions for their work, millions are also without work. Likewise, the cost of hiring some sportsmen and women all over the world (apart from here of course), all get paid in the millions and the pay that some get can feed a thousand families. It is that type of unfairness that has my mind boggling in the same way that millions are spent to send experimental satellites to space whole millions are hungry on earth, or the African dilemma of the continent being so rich in minerals of all types rich in so many ways, yet there is constant starvation.
I also wonder how some private persons -- and also Ministers of Government -- can declare themselves as having made millions in the past five years, both in cash and assets, and yet so many people are struggling. Is it never seen as worthwhile by them to share a little to improve the lives of a lot – or even of a few? I tend to believe that when the international donors, or countries make contributions it is redirected into the coffers of a selected few, so it is only the wise and the manipulators of the system who are the ones to benefit.
I have been reminded that life is not meant to be fair, that there will always be the haves and the have-nots, the ones who would like to have just enough and those who can never have enough. C’est la vie en Sent Lisi? That’s what I’m told, but does it always have to be that way? If so, then we’re heading for some serious trouble because this bubble will definitely burst -- one way or another, now or tomorrow. Just mark my words…
It has always been a known fact that the behavior of the young stems from their upbringing, or the environment they come from. Why are so many alarmed that so many weapons or drug paraphernalia have been found on some students? Mind you, I would think that most of the searches were carried out on the male segment of the students, and if some females were searched as well that they may have discovered some X-rated items that would have put a different spin on the discovery.
Now that the cat is out of the bag, there are different opinions as to the solutions to the problem, or who should be held responsible, or should take the blame. As per usual, we wait till we are confronted with a crisis and then seek solutions. There are some among us who think that to have random searches of students are a violation of their rights. There are others who think the time is ripe to take school security more seriously. Some lament that to solve the problem we may have to introduce scanners in schools like in airports and seaports, and the astronomical cost of using such apparatus is too demanding for the school, or the educational division to install or establish.
The question of if the students or parents should be charged, is still a complex problem and if the option is to charge the children, where do you put them? And can you really blame parents for their children’s behavior? And ultimately, will any of the recommended suggestions become a solution?
All these questions deserve answers, and all these recommendations deserve dialogue, but can we change our values or our social behavior when from the top to the bottom there is criminal intent? If the children have to use a yardstick or role model or do as their parents do, are there many good examples to follow?
The economic hardship that the island now faces even compounds the problem in the sense where some have to turn to crime to survive, or to deal with illegal practices, is more profitable than to wait for meaningful change or employment opportunity. Life is becoming like a circus. Everybody is clowning around and no one is taking life seriously. Lawbreaking seems to be the order of the day and rather than upholding it, we seek loopholes to undermine the system. Even in our parliament the semantics of defining words or the interpretation of statements to the convenience of the majority just to be used to taunt those opposite, are all frivolous behavior patterns that stem from criminal intent.
We see now in some political circles diehard supporters who will not budge or blink, in believing that their representative is possibly crooked or in some ways a suspect of wrong- doings. The buzz words now are “Bring me the evidence” or “Where’s the proof?” or “Has he been found guilty in a court of law?” I suppose the same applies to the thinking of most St. Lucian parents: “Prove to me that my children are criminal in nature.”
While we create drama politically and we debate who should be blamed for our criminally-minded youths, or whether the new method of extracting funds for social projects or programs is legitimate or not the big picture is that there is economic stagnation and although a few persons may be benefiting from the actions or dealings of particular ministers, the overall climate is suffering; not enough jobs to satisfy the nation’s needs and regardless of the excuse of that being a worldwide phenomena, I am yet to see any progressive plans laid out by the planners that indicate that it will improve in the near future.
There are so many social concerns to be attended to sometimes I wonder if the establishment knows where to start. I do not think that our problems are all easy to solve, but what I need to see is an attempt by those in charge to at least create a dent, or some sort of meaningful change to the way we do things. Our smallness should not be an impediment towards progress, but what bothers me most, is the persons who get paid huge salaries to carry out the government mandate but are non-progressive. Most recently, I was listening to the case in Trinidad about the CLICO fiasco, but what was most alarming was the individual benefits of some directors: while some can claim millions for their work, millions are also without work. Likewise, the cost of hiring some sportsmen and women all over the world (apart from here of course), all get paid in the millions and the pay that some get can feed a thousand families. It is that type of unfairness that has my mind boggling in the same way that millions are spent to send experimental satellites to space whole millions are hungry on earth, or the African dilemma of the continent being so rich in minerals of all types rich in so many ways, yet there is constant starvation.
I also wonder how some private persons -- and also Ministers of Government -- can declare themselves as having made millions in the past five years, both in cash and assets, and yet so many people are struggling. Is it never seen as worthwhile by them to share a little to improve the lives of a lot – or even of a few? I tend to believe that when the international donors, or countries make contributions it is redirected into the coffers of a selected few, so it is only the wise and the manipulators of the system who are the ones to benefit.
I have been reminded that life is not meant to be fair, that there will always be the haves and the have-nots, the ones who would like to have just enough and those who can never have enough. C’est la vie en Sent Lisi? That’s what I’m told, but does it always have to be that way? If so, then we’re heading for some serious trouble because this bubble will definitely burst -- one way or another, now or tomorrow. Just mark my words…
The memory of September 9, 2009 will stay with some families forever, as their losses unlike that of the state were not at all material. Though the country lost a vital health institution, some lost family members in the St Jude hospital fire, people who had been admitted to very same hospital in the hopes that they would recover and return home in the best of health.
“We lost our friends and relatives two years ago in the St Jude’s fire,” Opposition MP Moses Jn Baptiste expressed. “May God comfort the hearts of those who mourn. We continue our pleas to the government of St Lucia to provide adequate financial support to the families of those who were lost. May their souls rest in peace.”
Fire victims included 17-year-old Jay St Aimee, 87-year-old Joseph Jn Baptiste and 60-year-old Claudius Soudine. As the island marked yet another anniversary of the tragic St Jude fire, the hospital is still relatively non-existent. All hospital functions have been carried out at the George Odlum Stadium since the fire. The temporary facility promised by government as a precursor to the ‘real thing’ is still incomplete.
This year the anniversary of the St Jude fire was marked by a special service at the Eastern wing of the George Odlum Stadium on Friday afternoon. The St Lucia Labour Party’s much talked about public meeting to mark the anniversary of the St Jude’s fire was postponed to Sunday, September 11, at 5pm, according officials, due to an approaching tropical storm.
Last year on the first anniversary of the St Jude fire, a symbolic demolition marked the commencement of reconstruction efforts. At that time, the island’s prime minister Stephenson King promised that the surgical building and other parts of the hospital would be rebuilt and renovated within a 10 month period. That 10 month predicted completion time should have been in July 2011 but St Jude hospital functions are still being conducted at the stadium.
In March this year the media was given a tour of the reconstruction site where project manager Shanta King said construction would likely be completed in the final quarter of 2011. She did not give a specific date. Even more confusing to some at that point was the revelation that once reconstructed in its original Augier location the facility would only serve as a temporary home for the hospital. The permanent location for the hospital was said to be on a 21-acre site “located within close proximity to the George Odlum National Stadium.”
There was much debate about the issue, and opposition representative Alva Baptiste expressed there was no need to explore alternatives in terms of a new location for the hospital as he felt there was “sufficient space for a hospital that can cater for our needs for the next 100 to 200 years.”
Work has been ongoing on the St Jude site since September 2009 according to officials. Yet opposition leader and parliamentary representative of Vieux Fort South Kenny Anthony argued on a RCI news broadcast that works had only been completed on a section of the hospital not destroyed by the fire.
“To this day the government of St Lucia has not accounted for the donations it received from several institutions and several persons,” Anthony said. “The people of St Lucia do not even know how much money was collected and how that money was expended. The people of the south are fed up of the situation. They’ve had enough of the situation and they have displayed enough patience with the government of St Lucia. This state of affairs cannot be allowed to continue.”
What was more bothersome, according to Anthony was the “absolute contempt of the government for the three representatives of the adjoining consistency where the hospital was located. To this day they have never called us as parliamentarians and said to us, this is how we’re going to handle the situation, this is how we’re going to approach it. And of course, those who died in that tragic fire have been totally forgotten.”
In March the Project Management Unit within the Ministry of Finance announced that they’d collected roughly EC$3.8 million in the St Jude Rehabilitation Fund from contributions from individuals, organizations and “friendly governments.”
It was revealed at that point that Hess Oil has also contributed one million dollars worth of medical equipment. Additionally, equipment was also donated by the US government.
Project manager Shanta King said at a press conference earlier this year that the cost of the project would be in excess of the EC$3.8 million, therefore the money collected represented a small percentage of what government was mobilizing, and had mobilized to finance renovation works.
A press statement from government on September 9, 2011 seeked to assure St Lucians of its “commitment to complete reconstruction work of the medical facility in keeping with modern medical standards and its own vision to develop St Jude as a world class health care and teaching facility with International accreditation standards.”
“While we work towards attainment of that vision, we are comforted by the fact that the operations of the St Jude Hospital are being managed in a very competent and efficient manner by the capable staff of the institution,” the statement read. “The Government of Saint Lucia continues to treat completion of the St Jude Hospital as a priority. At the same time Government is committed to delivering a new hospital that satisfies modern health sector standards, is consistent with the Government’s vision and is able to respond effectively to the growing demands for health services from the population.”
As mentioned in March 2011 by project manager Shanta King, the last quarter of 2011 should have been a transition period for St Jude. In her words: “I think there will be a transition point, the last quarter of the year might be the transitional period for St Jude. It’s a functioning hospital. The physical works will be complete so St Jude would have to put plans in place to relocate operations at the stadium to this facility. I think we need to give them at least a month or two realistically to be able to transition. What might happen, certain services may be available here and still at the stadium other services may be available.”
Government’s latest release made no mention of the completion date for the hospital.
“We lost our friends and relatives two years ago in the St Jude’s fire,” Opposition MP Moses Jn Baptiste expressed. “May God comfort the hearts of those who mourn. We continue our pleas to the government of St Lucia to provide adequate financial support to the families of those who were lost. May their souls rest in peace.”
Fire victims included 17-year-old Jay St Aimee, 87-year-old Joseph Jn Baptiste and 60-year-old Claudius Soudine. As the island marked yet another anniversary of the tragic St Jude fire, the hospital is still relatively non-existent. All hospital functions have been carried out at the George Odlum Stadium since the fire. The temporary facility promised by government as a precursor to the ‘real thing’ is still incomplete.
This year the anniversary of the St Jude fire was marked by a special service at the Eastern wing of the George Odlum Stadium on Friday afternoon. The St Lucia Labour Party’s much talked about public meeting to mark the anniversary of the St Jude’s fire was postponed to Sunday, September 11, at 5pm, according officials, due to an approaching tropical storm.
Last year on the first anniversary of the St Jude fire, a symbolic demolition marked the commencement of reconstruction efforts. At that time, the island’s prime minister Stephenson King promised that the surgical building and other parts of the hospital would be rebuilt and renovated within a 10 month period. That 10 month predicted completion time should have been in July 2011 but St Jude hospital functions are still being conducted at the stadium.
In March this year the media was given a tour of the reconstruction site where project manager Shanta King said construction would likely be completed in the final quarter of 2011. She did not give a specific date. Even more confusing to some at that point was the revelation that once reconstructed in its original Augier location the facility would only serve as a temporary home for the hospital. The permanent location for the hospital was said to be on a 21-acre site “located within close proximity to the George Odlum National Stadium.”
There was much debate about the issue, and opposition representative Alva Baptiste expressed there was no need to explore alternatives in terms of a new location for the hospital as he felt there was “sufficient space for a hospital that can cater for our needs for the next 100 to 200 years.”
Work has been ongoing on the St Jude site since September 2009 according to officials. Yet opposition leader and parliamentary representative of Vieux Fort South Kenny Anthony argued on a RCI news broadcast that works had only been completed on a section of the hospital not destroyed by the fire.
“To this day the government of St Lucia has not accounted for the donations it received from several institutions and several persons,” Anthony said. “The people of St Lucia do not even know how much money was collected and how that money was expended. The people of the south are fed up of the situation. They’ve had enough of the situation and they have displayed enough patience with the government of St Lucia. This state of affairs cannot be allowed to continue.”
What was more bothersome, according to Anthony was the “absolute contempt of the government for the three representatives of the adjoining consistency where the hospital was located. To this day they have never called us as parliamentarians and said to us, this is how we’re going to handle the situation, this is how we’re going to approach it. And of course, those who died in that tragic fire have been totally forgotten.”
In March the Project Management Unit within the Ministry of Finance announced that they’d collected roughly EC$3.8 million in the St Jude Rehabilitation Fund from contributions from individuals, organizations and “friendly governments.”
It was revealed at that point that Hess Oil has also contributed one million dollars worth of medical equipment. Additionally, equipment was also donated by the US government.
Project manager Shanta King said at a press conference earlier this year that the cost of the project would be in excess of the EC$3.8 million, therefore the money collected represented a small percentage of what government was mobilizing, and had mobilized to finance renovation works.
A press statement from government on September 9, 2011 seeked to assure St Lucians of its “commitment to complete reconstruction work of the medical facility in keeping with modern medical standards and its own vision to develop St Jude as a world class health care and teaching facility with International accreditation standards.”
“While we work towards attainment of that vision, we are comforted by the fact that the operations of the St Jude Hospital are being managed in a very competent and efficient manner by the capable staff of the institution,” the statement read. “The Government of Saint Lucia continues to treat completion of the St Jude Hospital as a priority. At the same time Government is committed to delivering a new hospital that satisfies modern health sector standards, is consistent with the Government’s vision and is able to respond effectively to the growing demands for health services from the population.”
As mentioned in March 2011 by project manager Shanta King, the last quarter of 2011 should have been a transition period for St Jude. In her words: “I think there will be a transition point, the last quarter of the year might be the transitional period for St Jude. It’s a functioning hospital. The physical works will be complete so St Jude would have to put plans in place to relocate operations at the stadium to this facility. I think we need to give them at least a month or two realistically to be able to transition. What might happen, certain services may be available here and still at the stadium other services may be available.”
Government’s latest release made no mention of the completion date for the hospital.
The Electoral Department has taken on more employees, special assistants as they are called, to look into identifying suitable places for polling stations.
This is just one of several measures presently being pushed by the Department, some being pretty revolutionary to the electoral process as known by Saint Lucians, as it readies itself for the ringing of the election bell later this year.
Prime Minister Stephenson King had proclaimed that general elections will be held this year however he has yet to pinpoint the month and day at which it would be held.
Persons close to the Prime Minister have predicted November as election month however the Electoral Department is not unduly worried as it goes about preparing political parties and the general public for polling day.
However not everyone is on board with the Department’s new voting measures despite the effort by the Electoral Commission to bring political parties and independents together to explain and clarify the new procedures and processes intended to be put into place for the upcoming general elections.
The opposition Saint Lucia Labour Party has lauded the efforts of the Commission in organizing the session with its political leader, proclaiming that it was a step in the right direction and a long overdue platform to disseminate information.
The ruling United Workers Party for its part has no problems with the session and the new measures introduced by the Commission, it having a representative of the Prime Minister at the meeting, however its Chairman Clem Bobb has warned of the possibility of difficulty in understanding, among some of the electorate, the new measures the Department plans to introduce.
Bobb is of the view that this should not be the time the Department should go making changes to a practice and a process that has worked since adult suffrage and so close to elections.
But at what time should those modernized voting measures be made and explained to the public no one seems to know?
Carson Raggie, Chief Elections Officer spoke to The VOICE about the new measures which includes, amongst others, affixing a passport size photo of all candidates on the ballot paper, as well as the introduction of a voting stamp to replace the use of pencils.
The special assistants will be looking for suitable places for polling stations throughout the country that will offer access to all persons, meaning the aged, those who need to hold on to railings to get along, even wheelchair bound individuals.
The Department had intended taking its advanced voting procedure to another level, meaning making it possible for persons who would be out of the country on polling day to vote prior to leaving however the Commission felt that as good an idea as this was it would be better not to introduce this procedure for this year’s elections. Meanwhile Correctional Officers have been included in the list of persons who usually vote ahead of the general public meaning police officers and firemen.
The UWP Chairman seems to be the only one with a problem regarding the new voting measures despite admitting that change is quite often necessary and good. He believes that the new measures have not been tested and tried.
“There are so many logistics to put in place, so many things that can go wrong. If your voting stamp disappears you hold up a whole line of persons wanting to vote,” he said, adding “after the name of every candidate there is a line and if the stamp falls on the line you have not changed anything. Are you telling me that if the stamp is placed on the line between the two candidates it’s going to be a valid ballot? There are just too many things that have not been considered, not been tried or tested,” he said.
Bobb is of the view that the changes could have been introduced a year after elections in preparation for the next one, which would have enabled people to get used to the process.
Other measures to be implemented on polling day are the banning of cell phones in the voting booths and the extension of the voting hours if such hours are interrupted by any emergency that would prevent people from voting during the normal voting hours.
Persons who are allowed cell phones within the polling areas are Returning Officers, Election Clerk, police officers on duty and designated staff of the electoral office
This is just one of several measures presently being pushed by the Department, some being pretty revolutionary to the electoral process as known by Saint Lucians, as it readies itself for the ringing of the election bell later this year.
Prime Minister Stephenson King had proclaimed that general elections will be held this year however he has yet to pinpoint the month and day at which it would be held.
Persons close to the Prime Minister have predicted November as election month however the Electoral Department is not unduly worried as it goes about preparing political parties and the general public for polling day.
However not everyone is on board with the Department’s new voting measures despite the effort by the Electoral Commission to bring political parties and independents together to explain and clarify the new procedures and processes intended to be put into place for the upcoming general elections.
The opposition Saint Lucia Labour Party has lauded the efforts of the Commission in organizing the session with its political leader, proclaiming that it was a step in the right direction and a long overdue platform to disseminate information.
The ruling United Workers Party for its part has no problems with the session and the new measures introduced by the Commission, it having a representative of the Prime Minister at the meeting, however its Chairman Clem Bobb has warned of the possibility of difficulty in understanding, among some of the electorate, the new measures the Department plans to introduce.
Bobb is of the view that this should not be the time the Department should go making changes to a practice and a process that has worked since adult suffrage and so close to elections.
But at what time should those modernized voting measures be made and explained to the public no one seems to know?
Carson Raggie, Chief Elections Officer spoke to The VOICE about the new measures which includes, amongst others, affixing a passport size photo of all candidates on the ballot paper, as well as the introduction of a voting stamp to replace the use of pencils.
The special assistants will be looking for suitable places for polling stations throughout the country that will offer access to all persons, meaning the aged, those who need to hold on to railings to get along, even wheelchair bound individuals.
The Department had intended taking its advanced voting procedure to another level, meaning making it possible for persons who would be out of the country on polling day to vote prior to leaving however the Commission felt that as good an idea as this was it would be better not to introduce this procedure for this year’s elections. Meanwhile Correctional Officers have been included in the list of persons who usually vote ahead of the general public meaning police officers and firemen.
The UWP Chairman seems to be the only one with a problem regarding the new voting measures despite admitting that change is quite often necessary and good. He believes that the new measures have not been tested and tried.
“There are so many logistics to put in place, so many things that can go wrong. If your voting stamp disappears you hold up a whole line of persons wanting to vote,” he said, adding “after the name of every candidate there is a line and if the stamp falls on the line you have not changed anything. Are you telling me that if the stamp is placed on the line between the two candidates it’s going to be a valid ballot? There are just too many things that have not been considered, not been tried or tested,” he said.
Bobb is of the view that the changes could have been introduced a year after elections in preparation for the next one, which would have enabled people to get used to the process.
Other measures to be implemented on polling day are the banning of cell phones in the voting booths and the extension of the voting hours if such hours are interrupted by any emergency that would prevent people from voting during the normal voting hours.
Persons who are allowed cell phones within the polling areas are Returning Officers, Election Clerk, police officers on duty and designated staff of the electoral office
