Oil Spill at Petrocaribe Facility
A Dominican environmentalist has cautioned that Tuesday’s oil spill at the Petrocaribe fuel storage facility could hurt the marine environment.
Allthough the situation is said to be under control, former President of the Caribbean Conservation Association Atherton Martin has cautioned that it will not be long before the situation worsens.
Lead Fire Officer, Courtney Challenger says the incident occurred about 1:05am on Tuesday and the Fire and Ambulance Services were called in to deal with the situation.
The situation arose when the stands of a parked tanker filled with fuel, broke. According to Mr Challenger, fire officers who were called to be on stand-by used sand and other precautionary measures to reduce the spread of the spill.
He says the situation was controlled in time before diesel had reached the sea, and noted that this could have caused a hazardous situation for the coast and the marine life of the area. The fire officer complemented the speedy work of fire officers, officials of Petro Caribe, and the general public, in reducing the dangers, which could have occurred as a result of the spill.
The fuel storage facility is located near the riverbed of the popular Belfast River on the west coast of the island.
Dominica began receiving fuel under the Petrocaribe initiative in February after signing the agreement with Venezuela in 2005 along with 12 other Caribbean states.
Under this arrangement, Caracas provides oil to participating countries under preferential terms.
Please visit thedominican.net for the full story
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US Forecaster Raises Atlantic Hurricane Number
 The noted Colorado State University hurricane research team on Wednesday raised the number of tropical storms and hurricanes it expects to form in the upcoming Atlantic storm season.
The team founded by forecasting pioneer Bill Gray increased its outlook by two tropical storms to 15, and by one hurricane to eight, compared with a long-term average of around 10 and six, respectively, for a storm season. "Current oceanic and atmospheric trends indicate that we will likely have an active Atlantic basin hurricane season," said Gray in a statement.
Of the eight hurricanes predicted by the forecasters for the six-month season starting June 1, four were forecast to become major storms with winds of at least 111 miles per hour (178 kph).
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Price of Rice Set to Rise
Consumers will see an increase in the price of rice with immediate effect. Information from the Dominica Export Import Agency (DEXIA) says the increases have become necessary, as a result of substantial increases in the prices of both white and parboiled rice on the world market.
The wholesale price of white rice per 100 lbs bag is now $85.00, while the wholesale price of parboiled rice per 100 lbs bag is $110.00.
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Dr. Philbert Aaron appointed ALBA Coordinator
Dominica Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit has appointed Dr. Philbert Aaron as ALBA Coordinator. Dr. Aaron will oversee all ALBA-funded projects, advise government on matters related to ALBA, and interface with government departments, the media, and the public on the intentions of and benefits from ALBA.
ALBA is the acronym for the Bolivarian Alternative for Latin America. ALBA is an aid package among Bolivia, Cuba, Nicaragua, Venezuela, and now Dominica. A focus of ALBA is energy cooperation as a strategy for fostering national economic development. In 2007, the Government of Dominica signed a statement signaling its intention to work with ALBA to speed up Dominica’s economic development efforts.
Skerrit says, “By this appointment, I wish to say to Dominicans at home and in the Diaspora that the Dominica Labor Party Government has heard your calls. You have asked for information so that you may more actively engage in the important mission of developing our Dominica. By this appointment, I have heeded your call.”
The position of Alba Coordinator is housed in the Prime Minister’s Office and provides support to the Prime Minister. The position integrates coordination of ALBA-funded projects with coordination of government policy as well as communications with the office of the Prime Minister. In combining coordination of ALBA-funded projects with policy, and communications, the appointment addresses the following vital national policy issues:
• Policy coherence: placing an umbrella of unified purpose over an array of ALBA-funded projects that are housed in various ministries, projects that range from energy policy (Petrocaribe), through tourism (Venezuelan Social Tourism), to economic infrastructure projects (roads).
• Administrative efficiency: Bringing greater focus to the management of these seemingly varied but internally related projects.
• Openness in communications: Providing information to Dominican citizens on your government’s development efforts on your behalf.
Dr. Philbert Aaron is a Dominican-born former professor at Coppin State University, Baltimore, Maryland. Dr. Aaron holds a Ph. D. degree in policy and leadership from the University of Maryland-College Park. He has presented at scientific meetings in Africa, the Caribbean, Europe, and the United States.
Dr. Aaron returns to Dominica from the United States where he was elected President of the Faculty Senate of Coppin State University, a position that advises the President of the University on matters of interest to the faculty. Dr. Aaron brings experience in communications, management, and policy to his new position. Dr. Aaron is originally from Lagon, Portsmouth.
Regarding Dr. Aaron’s appointment, PM Skerrit notes that, “It is always good to welcome Dominicans from the Diaspora back to Dominica. When those returning have attained the highest levels of excellence in their chosen fields, it is an additional source of joy.
Their return shows a degree of confidence in the policy direction that Dominica is taking and a sense of commitment to the homeland. We have those qualities in Dr. Aaron: an eagerness to return to the homeland, excellence in professional achievement, and a sense of commitment to the development of Dominica. I am thrilled to be able to draw on the expertise and service of Dr. Aaron.”
For further information, address all inquiries to:
Philbert Aaron, Ph.D., ALBA Coordinator
Prime Minister’s Office
6th Floor, Financial Center
Roseau
Commonwealth of Dominica
Tel: 767 266-3330 Cell: 767 275-6335
philbertaaron@hotmail.com
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Heads meeting to find solution to banana crisis
The leaders of Dominica, St Lucia, and St Vincent and the Grenadines have set Friday as the day they will put their heads together to find a resolution to the impasse that is threatening to cripple the banana industries in the Windward Islands.
The three countries each have a 12.5 per cent stake in the Windward Islands Banana Development and Exporting Company (WIBDECO) which is at the heart of the dispute.
Dominica's Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit said the meeting with Stephenson King of St. Lucia and St. Vincent's Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, as well as officials from WIBDECO and the Windward Island Farmers Association (WINFA) will seek to discuss the matter "in a dispassionate manner and to seek to find common ground".
The bitter disputes between the St Lucia Banana Corporation (SLBC) and the Dominica Banana Producers Ltd. (DBPL) on the one hand and WIBDECO on the other, have left tonnes of bananas on their way to spoiling instead of on their way to the United Kingdom.
At the heart of the dispute is the lucrative Fairtrade market that has provided banana farmers in the Windward Islands with guaranteed access to the shelves of top British supermarket lines such as ASDA, Sainsbury, Tesco and Waitrose, at a price sometimes 20 to 25 per cent higher than for other bananas. Coming on the heels of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) decision that removed preferential, duty-free access to European markets for Caribbean bananas, the export of bananas under the non-profit Fairtrade brand has been seen by many as a saviour for the regional industry since it guarantees farmers a premium for their product.
While WIBDECO previously bought its bananas in Dominica and St Lucia from the SLBC and DBPL as middle-men, it entered into a sales-purchase agreement last month to buy the bulk of its bananas directly from WINFA, a 4,000-plus strong farmer organisation which is currently the only Fairtrade certified banana producer in the Windward Islands.
According to the Fairtrade Labelling Organisation (FLO), a Fairtrade certified banana producer can only export its Fairtrade bananas through a Fairtrade certified exporter - in this case WIBDECO. Managing director of the Fairtrade standards body FLO-CERT, Ruediger Meyer has gone on record as stating that "by implication therefore the only FLO certified supply chain for Fairtrade bananas from the Windward Islands at today's date [April 2], is from WINFA as the producer to WIBDECO as the exporter."
However, both the SLBC and DBPL argue that without WIBDECO's trade, they will be forced out of business.
A March 29 injunction filed by SLBC to force WIBDECO to continue buying bananas from it and not WINFA still holds. But with SLBC not a certified Fairtrade producer, export of bananas from St Lucia remains at a standstill. WIBDECO has already missed the last shipment date of April 7.
According to preliminary figures from the International Monetary Fund, the St Lucia economy benefited from an estimated US$17.8 million in foreign exchange earnings from bananas in 2006, while Dominica earned approximately US$7.5 million.
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Efforts on to save mountain chicken
Efforts are underway in Dominica to save one of the island's endangered species the ministry of agriculture said Thursday.
A plan of action is currently being put in place to prevent the further extinction of the Mountain Chicken or Crapaud. The large frog, which is found in the forested areas of Dominica, is the country's national dish and also appears on the Coat of arms as one of Dominica’s national symbols.
Five years ago after a series of suspicious deaths the Mountian Chicken was diagnosed with the Kietret Fungus.
A five-day workshop to preserve the amphibian population comes to an end here on today.
Permanent secretary in the ministry of Agriculture Claudia Bellot spoke to participants of the workshop.
“The importance of this project to Dominica cannot be over stated, Dominica’s economic development is very intricately woven into the concept of preserving the country’s pristine and natural environment,” Bellot told stakeholders.
The minister of economic development Julius Timothy has said that despite the best efforts of the ministry of agriculture the disease remains a threat to amphibians.
Timothy said he was disappointed that other Caribbean islands showed little concern about the disease.
“May I submit therefore that we redouble our efforts in this regard, we need to move with a renewed sense of spirit, purpose and vigor to ensure that the good initiatives are not allowed to go to waste,” he said.
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Judgement nears in sports complex case
A controversial sporting facility here could be back in local hands after a lengthy dispute with contracts.
Minister responsible for sports Vince Henderson has said that the Stock farm Multi Purpose Sporting Complex case is closer to a judgement.
The dispute between the government of Dominica and Service Masters, a Trinidad contracting firm has spanned over seven years in the court. The case is over the proper ownership of the facility.
A judge has given service masters 14 days before within which to respond to the case and any failure to do so could result in the government of Dominica gaining full ownership of the facility.
“It seems that service masters is no longer interested in this matter and I believe that very shortly we should be hearing from the court in determining this matter once and for all,” Henderson said on state radio.
Mr. Henderson also said in the event that the facility returns to local hands a reassesment of the facility would have to be conducted before it can become operational.
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Better customer service for water users
Customers of the Dominica Water and Sewerage Company (DOWASCO) have been told to expect better customer service in the future.
DAWASCO and other government institutions have been criticised for the level of service they provide to the public. But Gwenie Dickson DOWASCO’S customer service manager says the company is putting measures in place to deal with that problem.
"We are having a two-week workshop for all our employees at DOWASCO on customer service excellence. We recognize even though we have monopoly we have to ensure that our staff is trained to be able to deal with our customers,” Dickson told local reporters.
She said the aim of the workshop is to promote excellence in person or when dealing with customers via phone.
According to Dickson, not only junior staff will benefit from the two-week training.
“It's about all staff coming together because we want to ensure that we have a culture of customer service excellence at DOWASCO,” Dickson said. |
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Night landing at Melville Hall Airport moves closer to becoming a reality
By Sean Douglas brought to you through our partnership with thedominican.net
Night landing at the Melville Hall Airport has moved a significant step closer to becoming a reality with the completion of Package Three (3) and a substantial part of Package Four (4) of the Air Access Improvement Programme by the 6th Division of the Army Corp of Engineers from the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.
On Friday, April 4th 2008, the Government of Dominica held a farewell ceremony at the Melville Hall Airport in honour of the Venezuelan Army Corp of Engineers who were engaged from 2005 on Packages Three and Four of the Melville Hall Airport Air Access Improvement Programme.
Package Three involved excavation and earth movement and river diversion to create RESA (Reserve End Safety Area) to the West while Package Four comprised land reclamation, road realignment and coastal defence works to create RESA to the east.
The completion of the works by the Venezuelan Technical Mission paves the way for the commencement in June of this year of Package Two- that of runway and apron resurfacing and marking, navigation and lighting equipment installation, drainage and fencing.
In his address at the farewell ceremony, Minister for Ports, Hon. Charles Savarin highlighted the sterling efforts of the Venezuelan Army engineers in completing this project.
“ The men of the 6th Division of the Army Corps of Engineers have excelled in their endeavours on this project, showing remarkable resilience and dedication to duty since their arrival in Dominica in 2005. Working day and night-five, six, and most recently , seven days a week, as the time for delivery of the project approached.”
Hon. Savarin also mentioned several factors which contributed to delays on the project. Breakdowns of equipment, weather-related delays and the complement of manpower all served to adversely impact on the realization of the performance schedule originally envisaged for the Project.
In his address acting Prime Minister, Hon. Ambrose George highlighted the support of the Venezuelan government in the execution of the project and its support in other areas of national development.
“ The support of the Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela for this key development programme of Dominica is another manifestation of the commitment of our countries to advance those projects and programmes which will help stimulate economic growth and improved standards of living for our peoples.
“ Dominica has been fortunate to have Venezuela’s support and friendship on this project and on several development programmes being pursued by this government , in housing, health, education and infrastructure.
With a formal diplomatic history that spans over two decades , the bilateral relations between our countries has deepened in recent years and we expect further strengthening of these relations as our countries work together for economic and social advancement of our peoples.”
Hon. Ambrose George who is the Minister for Infrastructural Development praised the speed with which the Venezuelan President, His Excellency, Hugo Chavez Frias responded to the Dominica government’s request for assistance on the Melville Hall Airport project.
“ The swift and decisive response of President Hugo Chavez to our request in 2005 , for assistance on the airport project is the reason that we stand here today, two years later to get ready to launch into the resurfacing and lighting phase of the Air Access Development Programme.
To the President Hugo Chavez and the people of Venezuela, to the courageous men of the Venezuelan Army Corps of Engineers who have laboured on this project, the Government and people of Dominica express sincere gratitude.”
In her address at the farewell ceremony Venezuela’s Ambassador to Dominica, Her Excellency, Carmen Martinez de Grijalva, visibly moved by the moment described the day as a “ special and historic moment”.
“ A new chapter is writing in the history in the relations between Venezuela and Dominica. This project is further evidence of the friendship and mutual respect between the people and Government of Venezuela and Government and people of Dominica,” the Venezuelan Ambassador stated.
The welcome address at the farewell ceremony was delivered by the Parliamentary Representative for the Marigot constituency, Hon. Edison James.
The Air Access Improvement Programme is funded by the European Commission and the Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. |
Dominica to sign geothermal energy agreement
ROSEAU, Dominica: Josette Borel-Lincertin, 1st Vice President of the Regional Council of Guadeloupe will arrive in Dominica on Friday to sign a Transnational Agreement with the government of Dominica that will support the further development of Dominica’s geothermal resources.
The government of Dominica has concluded negotiations for a Transnational Partnership Agreement with the Regional Councils of Guadeloupe and Martinique and other French development agencies, for the execution of a project under the “Geothermal Energy in the Caribbean Islands” project. Full Story
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Geo-thermal energy project launched in Dominica
ROSEAU, Dominica: With the price of crude oil at a staggering US $109 a barrel and rising, Dominica’s Minister for Energy, Charles Savarin believes that “what oil and natural gas have done for Petroleum exporting countries, geothermal energy can do for Dominica”.
| Geothermal Power Plant |
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Savarin made that announcement recently at the media launch of a project entitled,” Preparation of a Geothermal-based Cross-Border Electrical Interconnection in the Caribbean”.
The Minister stated further that “potentially the development of the geothermal resources of Dominica could become the single most important economic activity on the island for decades to come”.
Minister Savarin also pointed out that geothermal energy can reduce the cost of electricity by over 50%, “thus transforming Dominica from the OECS State with the highest cost of electricity to the OECS State with the lowest unit cost of electricity and all that implies for business and economic activity generally”.
The objectives of the project are four-fold:
- It will produce geophysical and scientific data on Dominica’s geothermal resources that will be sufficient to determine the commercial and physical viability of the resource
- The project will undertake a feasibility study of an electrical interconnection network between Guadeloupe, Dominica and Martinique
- The project will prepare the physical and institutional infrastructure that will be necessary to enter into Power Purchase Partnerships and Agreements for geothermal electricity production in Dominica
- The project will set the stage for commercialization which will assist in the reduction in the cost of electricity to the Dominican consumers, and allow for cross-border transmission to the neighbouring islands
The Project cost is 4 million euros. It is being undertaken under the auspices of the European Commission, with counterpart funding by the Agence Francais de Developpement (AFD) and the Fonds Francais pour L’ Environment Mondial (FFEM).
This Project builds on a wider programme for the development of Dominica’s geothermal resources, which also includes the efforts of the OAS, the GEF, CARICOM, the Regional Councils of Martinique and Guadeloupe and French development agencies like ADEME and BRGM.
Other addresses at the Media launch were also delivered by Paul Mondesire of the Office of the European Union Delegation, Bridgetown, Barbados and National Authorising Officer of the European Development Fund, Edward Lambert. |
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Dominica to export crops, fish to Martinique
 Negotiations are ongoing between the Ministry of Agriculture and Socoprim Martinique company for exportation of local root crops, citrus and frozen fish to the French department at attractive prices. Full Story
$2 million road project completed
The Laudat road after construction
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Visitors to the Roseau Valley are now enjoying a new touristic experience as a result of the completion of the restoration of the Bayak Road slope stabilisation.
The village of Laudat had come under serious threat from being cut off from the rest of the island following a severe slope and road slippage in the Bayak area on the road to Laudat caused by the heavy rains of Hurricane Dean.
As a result Government moved in quickly to redress the situation to ensure continued access to the village and the many tourist sites in the area.
The Bayak intervention cost $2 million ECD and consisted of two segments, one geared at facilitating immediate access and the other at developing a long-term solution.
More flights coming into Dominica
Tourism Minister Ian Douglas has announced additional flights into Dominica as the country prepares to welcome home returning nationals for its 30th anniversary of independence.
A monopoly controlled by regional airline LIAT has limited the number of flights into Dominica and has been a source of major concern for the traveling public.
Mr. Douglas says the year 2008 will see an increase in the number of flights into Dominica.
“Persons wanting to come in for the reunion should know that we have just issued licenses to Carib Aviation out of Antigua,” the civil aviation minister said.
Douglas revealed that passengers from the United States would also find it easier to travel to Dominica this year.
“American Airlines has consented to put on more flights to get people into Antigua and St. Lucia and then Carib Aviation will take up those load and bring them into Dominica for us,” he said.
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Trinidad could help Dominica build int'l airport
The government of Trinidad and Tobago could be assisting Dominica with the construction of an international airport, Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit has announced.
“In discussions with Prime Minister Patrick Manning the government of Trinidad has already set up a special facility for funding for the OECS with specific reference to St. Vincent and Dominica to assist them with their international airports,” Skerrit told a gathering of returning Dominicans.
Works are on the way at the larger Melville Hall Airport to extend the runway, expand the terminal building and to install lights for night landing.
Speaking to the overseas Dominicans Skerrit said his government has always been interested in a jet airport for Dominica.
“This government has never said that it doesn’t need an international airport. What we have said is that it is going to be difficult for the treasury of Dominica to be able to build an international airport all by it self,” the finance minister said.
He added, “we have had other interested parties who have come to say, we would like to assist you to build an international airport.”
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