Established October 1895 $1 VAT Inclusive Monday March 10, 2014 ACCESS FOR ALL THE Minister of Social Care is appealing to organisations and businesses to improve accessibility to their properties, and to provide training and employment opportunities to persons with disabilities. Minister Steven Blackett made this call while addressing a church service to mark the ‘Month of the Disabled’, held at Abundant Life Assembly, yesterday. He indicated that his Ministry, through the National Disabilities Unit, has been progressively fulfilling its mandate to offer programmes that enhance the quality of life of persons with disabilities. He highlighted that during the past five years, 619 persons Ministry working to improve quality of life received wheelchairs, 784 persons received assistive devices and 303 have had ramps constructed at their residence. “The accessibility and assistive device loan programmes have increased the independence and comfort of persons with disabilities, and certainly allowed family members to enjoy a less stressful situation in moving persons with disabilities in and out of their homes,” he indicated. ACCESS on Page 2 Minister of Social Care, Constituency Empowerment and Community Development, Steven Blackett (centre); and his wife, Mrs. Eleanor Blackett, joined the congregation of Abundant Life Assembly, to mark the Month of the Disabled. Here, the pair greet Kristen Walcott during the ceremony. New revenue collection system needs safeguards ONE consumer advocate is supportive of Government’s move to maximise its revenue collection efforts, but believes other steps may have to be taken to ensure that no one finds a way around the system. Director General of the Barbados Consumers’ Research Organisation Inc (BarCRO), Malcolm GibbsTaitt, told The Barbados Advocate that the Barbados Revenue Authority is a good idea and he is certain that it would allow Government to collect what money it knows is outstanding. However, he said if there is no surefire mechanism in place to determine the costs of imported items, then the country is likely to still lose out on revenue it could earn on items coming in at the Bridgetown Port. “We all know what you pay for a car in taxes; we all know what percentage you pay on certain incomes and we also know what percentage you pay on a piece of land that is not being worked, so the Authority will work in that regard and no doubt they will be able to collect all the money by putting all under one heading. But it is not sufficient for people to push an invoice up at you when they get to the Port and you are incapable of knowing whether the price on that invoice is pretty much what should be,” said Gibbs-Taitt. SAFEGUARDS on Page 4 The Barbados Advocate 2 • Monday March 10, 2014 From left: Michael Nicholls, Head Boy at Lester Vaughan School presents Stacia Whittaker, Manager of the Food Bank and Registered Dietician, with a large donation for the Food Bank, which was a collective effort of the entire school. School makes donation to HIV/AIDS Food Bank PERSONS as young as 16 years old are utilising the services of the HIV/AIDS Food Bank. Stacia Whittaker, Manager of the Food Bank and Registered Dietician, shared with students of Lester Vaughan School It’s here again B Bring Your o Car & Come! PICANTO $698.00 On-the-Spot Financing & Insurance* .POUIMZ that teenagers are visiting the food bank for assistance after having been disowned by their families because of their HIV status. “We have such scenarios, so I don’t want you think you’re too young and that HIV has nothing to do with you,” she stressed. Last Friday, Whittaker was presented with several items for the food bank, an initiative by the entire school. She took the opportunity during the school’s morning assembly to thank the students, and also explained that their donation will not only go to individuals who are HIV positive, but to also help the children of those persons. “Most often those persons who are HIV positive may be heads of households – the mother or father.These persons are not well and I see this everyday when they come in for the assistance. You can imagine not feeling well and you can’t do anything, and B’dos Council for the Disabled praised ACCESS from Page 1 Kia Picanto $BTI1SJDFPOUIFSPBEt%FQPTJU t.POUIMZQBZNFOUToQBZNFOUT! Same day approvalall in one location!* Trade-in your vehicle, buy a New KIA Rio Picanto BOEGJOBMQBZNFOU!t5PUBM)JSF1VSDIBTFQSJDF t&GGFDUJWFSBUFPGJOUFSFTU and finance with Consolidated Finance, you receive 1 Year Free Insurance*. Exciting Finance Packages from ‘Where we put YOU in the Driver’s Seat’* some persons have this feeling everyday depending on how they are managing their HIV status, the sides effects and complications that come along with it.” Whittaker also urged the students not to add to stigma and discrimination, but continue to help those persons with HIV who are in need. “Through this donation you are helping others who are finding it difficult and I know they are grateful. I hope this isn’t the last donation, and you don’t have to wait for the school; but continue the initiative within your communities. Go ahead and help, you’re never too young, never too cool to help someone who is HIV positive.” Principal (Ag) Sonja Goodridge commended the students on the great effort. She also noted that in addition to the items collected, they were able to give vegetables from the school’s garden. (TL) Call r&ive test dday! to 467-2550 467-2487 www.mqi.bb *Special conditions apply. Vehicle shown with accessories. Offer ends March 31, 2014 A member of: Minister Blackett said that observing the Month of the Disabled under the theme “Working Together”, aims to promote a greater awareness and understanding of the issues facing persons with disabilities and to mobilise support for their dignity, rights and well-being. He went on to acknowledge that in Barbados, the promotion and protection of the rights of persons with disabilities has always been of importance to successive governments. “You may be aware that in February of last year, Barbados ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. This is a strong indication of our ongoing commitment to the creation of an inclusive society for persons with disabilities. I am pleased to report that the process towards the estab- lishment of a monitoring and implementation committee for the Convention is almost complete. I am convinced that this committee will provide the boost to the implementation of the provisions for the convention.” Blackett also commended the Barbados Council for the Disabled and its affiliates for their invaluable support in addressing the needs of persons with disabilities. “These organisations have consistently advocated for equal opportunities for persons with disabilities, whether it be access to employment, transportation, recreational activities, education or housing. “Also, the Council’s Fully Accessible Barbados Programme has been making significant strides in seeking to achieve a fully inclusive society,” he recognised. (TL) The Barbados Advocate Monday March 10, 2014 • 3 Freedom of Information legislation still in the works A CABINET Minister is giving the assurance that the Freedom of Information (FOI) Bill is being worked on and Government intends to “get it done in haste”. The much anticipated proposed law, which if passed will see Barbados join a number of countries in Latin America and the Caribbean which have similar laws, is one of several pieces of legislation promised by the Freundel Stuart Administration that is cur- rently being worked on, with the view of bringing them to fruition. Word of this came recently from Attorney General and Minister of Home Affairs, Adriel Brathwaite, during an interview with the media. “I say this all the time, there is nothing that we do that is secretive and this thing about information dropping off a truck etc, I want that to be a thing of the past. If you ignore the security issues, there is really nothing in my ministry that you can ask me about that I cannot discuss with you because I work for the people of Barbados, so it can’t be secretive,” he said. The AG, to whose office the Chief Parliamentary Counsel reports, told reporters that he supports an increased governance structure and as such he said Government is committed to introducing FOI law, and he maintains they will get it done. With that in mind, Brathwaite said “more than likely” the Bill will come before Parliament for approval and be introduced this year, as a draft bill has already been produced. “I am supposed to do a presentation to one of the media houses sometime this month… and I will then be able to update Barbados in terms of where we are with the legislation,” he added. Additionally, the Attorney General said the draft Integrity Bill has also been prepared and is being reviewed by the parent ministry. Moreover, he said that the long talked about legislation to address the growing concerns of domestic violence remains a priority for Government. Brathwaite indicated that the draft domestic violence bill is with the Ministry of Family, which has lead responsibility for it, and as soon as they approve it or recommend any changes that need to be made, Government will move ahead with getting that bill passed. (JRT) Teen pregnancies worrying Many benefits to alternative dispute resolution THERE is clear evidence that young girls are having sexual intercourse with men much older than them. Representative of the UN Women Multi-Country Office of the Caribbean, Christine Arab, made the observation in a recent interview with the media, as she spoke about the matter of teenage pregnancies, which she indicated is a serious concern for her office and the United Nations (UN) in general. She added that the subject of teen pregnancies is also a bone of contention for governments, who she said may not be speaking about it to the media, but are raising it to the UN “as a real concern”. With that in mind, Arab noted that among the issues that come to mind as it relates to teen pregnancies, is that in many countries the age of consent and the age of access to reproductive health differ; and in many respects it is a matter of intergenerational sex. “If you look at the trends of HIV or STDs, the girls of a certain age bracket and the boys of a certain age bracket don’t have the same prevalence rate. It is indicative of the fact that girls are having sex with older men, 10, 15, 20 years older men, and that is a significant problem and needs to be discussed with young people about the pressures that are resulting in allowing for that,” she said. Arab said that it is necessary that such discussions are not just targeted at the youth, but owned and run by them, because they know best the culture they want to shape for the future. Arab’s comments came as she reflected on the situation in Barbados and the wider region as it relates domestic violence, as she contended that the current level is “unacceptably high”. Additionally, she lamented the fact that data relative to the prevalence of domestic violence in the region is sorely lacking, and also that much of what is known about Representative of the UN Women Multi-Country Office of the Caribbean, Christine Arab. this issue are the extreme cases that are covered in the media. To that end, she maintained that it is imperative that comprehensive data is collated. “The Caribbean has too high statistics when it comes to sexual abuse and physical abuse of women and girls. I think in any country where you have such strong participation of girls in education and they are so visible in the workforce, it is easy to assume that everything is fine and if she is not doing well it is her fault, it is on her; and our experience is seldom that that’s the case. Both young women and young men, they do need more than ‘it’s up to you go figure it out’. And if they are facing specific disadvantages or assumptions because of their sex, they need help with that too,” she urged. As such, she said that the state and civil society organisations that assist victims of violence must formulate a strong comprehensive response to the issue. This would ensure that as soon as a person enters the system – whether through such avenues as the police, social services or the hotline – that a system is activated that allows for immediate referral, rather than expecting individuals to figure it out on their own. (JRT) MEDIATION can increase effectiveness and compliance, while arbitration holds the potential to make Barbados a more attractive jurisdiction. These methods of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) are being encouraged in Barbados by Chief Justice, The Hon. Sir Marston Gibson. According to him, “Even at the international level there is a growing movement of trying to get disputes out of litigation, out of courts and let the parties settle these disputes themselves in a voluntary way.” He said that it is time to truly implement ADR in the courts in Barbados because of the benefits to be gained, including reducing the backlog and achieving high compliance. Noting that in Barbados “we were discussing ADR, we were having people trained in Barbados but we’ve never taken the next step of bringing ADR into the court system,” Sir Marston said now is time to take serious action. “The only way that our court system can function effectively is if we really have mediation in Barbados,” he pointed out. Explaining that meditation is most popular, he said that unlike an arbitrator who makes a decision, the mediator only facilitates the meeting using skills and training to bring parties together, then the parties make a decision. It is just for this reason that he insisted mediation leads to high levels of compliance. “When an agreement is reached after a mediation, it is the parties who make their own agreement, and because it is the parties who make their own agreement, studies have shown that there is a much better rate of compliance because it is my agreement; I made it. I signed because this is Chief Justice of Barbados The Hon. Sir Marston Gibson. what I wanted. Compliance is a lot less if a decision is imposed.” Additionally, he stated that applications for contempt of the courts would be reduced because instead of people going their own way and ignoring the order,“parties tend to adhere to their agreements for the simple reason that it is their agreement.” With regard to arbitration, he noted, “Barbados’ International Commercial Act was passed in 2007 so we now have legislation modelled on the UNCITRAL model, and one of the things that we have been trying to do is to see if we can sell Barbados as a jurisdiction for International Commercial Arbitration. One of the foremost jurisdictions is Singapore, so we are trying to be the Western version of Singapore and believe me, if you have an arbitration in Toronto coming up today, they want to be in Barbados. You want to be on the beach.” (KG) The Barbados Advocate 4• Monday March 10, 2014 Jones: Students, pay, don’t fight By Kerri Gooding THE Minister of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation, Ronald Jones, has entrusted the awardees of the American University of Barbados (AUB) with the task of enlightening their peers at the local tertiary institutions about the financial burden associated with tertiary education. This duty was issued at the Inaugural Awards Ceremony held on Friday at the institution. While lauding them for taking this step despite the financial burden, he said to them, “I would want you to help me to speak to those you know and say ‘Don’t fight! Make that small contribution to your own development as a citizen of Barbados. Make that small contribution to your world, through the presentation of a few cents to your own education’.” He told the students that they too may be facing challenges because “finding money in this world is no easy walk, you know... But it is a commitment to your own development that you are making. It’s building that feeling of worth, of value. Some people call it self esteem, self actualisation even, but [it’s all about] building that up and making it work, so that when you relax after working in surgery or working on the wards, or working in your own establishment, you can relax in the evening and feel proud about what you have done and how you have achieved it”. He further called on them to “recognise that the financing of this [the American University of Barbados] is your financing, is the financing of your peers, and that is a significant difference to what we have been practising in Barbados for 50 years of tertiary education in Barbados”. The Minister urged, “To me this sends an important message because as you are aware, last year, as a result of the financial difficulties in our country, we took a decision to ask Barbadian students at the University of the West Indies to make a contribution to one-fifth of the cost of their education in the country. In other words, we said to them if you are in Law, which costs $40,000 to educate per year a lawyer in Barbados, [you will be required to pay] one-fifth of that which is about At the Inaugural Award Ceremony for the students of the American University of Barbados, the first three students to make the Dean’s List were (L-R) Kayla Odle, Kristen Callender and her twin Karla Callender, here standing with Minister of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation, Ronald Jones. $8,000 and change per year, $4,000 and change per semester. You pay a lot more than that. I’m sure you do at the American University of Barbados.” He admitted “yes” there would be “noise” because “… we had grown accustom to the State and the taxpayers of Barbados saying ‘here’”. American University of Barbados has big plans By Kerri Gooding THE American University of Barbados (AUB) is striving towards implementing big plans for the students, the facility and the country of Barbados during 2014. Some of these plans for the short-term and long-term future of the educational institution, in addition to successes achieved to date, were revealed during the Inaugural Student Award Ceremony on Friday at the AUB in Wildey. In her opening remarks, Associate Director of Student Admissions, AUB, Lisa Neblett shared the accomplishments and plans saying, “We have recruited students from the United States of America, Canada, Nigeria and our neighbouring Caribbean islands, and we seek to expand our student population by recruiting students from the United Arab Emirates, India and Dubai.” She further disclosed the plan to expand the physical plant in addition to the student body. She added, “Plans are currently on the way to move to a larger facility to accommodate the influx of students by the end of this year.” Having adopted an American Curriculum tailored to cater to the needs of local, regional and international students, she said, “The present success of our students today is evidence of the world class education that we provide.” Furthermore with the University being an associate concern of Era Medical College and Hospital in Lucknow, India, “AUB is currently recog- nised by and listed in the International Medical Education Directory and we have registered for accreditation with the Barbados Accreditation Council”, announced Neblett. Additionally, the country will benefit directly because according to Neblett, “In August of this year, the American University of Barbados will be hosting the Imamia Medics International Conference which gathers hundreds of doctors from different parts of the world. “This Conference will give our students the opportunity to interact with some of the world’s renowned physicians and build bridges for their future in the medical field, and of course this would be an opportunity for Barbados to build a great business network also.” But he asserted that was because it was necessary in 1963 to allow the majority of citizens who were classified as poor, the opportunity to attain education at all levels. He asserted that such would have continued, “if we did not go into this economic state that would have continued; but these things can only continue when the resources are there for them to continue. It makes no sense trying to scrape out the bottom of the barrel then all you get is a large hole in the bottom.” However, he added, “Nevertheless, I’m looking forward for the students up at the University of the West Indies to be there in their large numbers.” Greater transparency and fairness needed SAFEGUARDS from Page 1 To that end, he reiterated his call for Government to consider establishing a prices commission or ombudsman, which will not only guarantee that Government’s coffers get their due tax-wise, but ensure that there is greater transparency with respect to the cost of products being imported into and sold in this country. “You can buy a glass from a merchant in Miami and one merchant will come in and tell you it is for $2.50 and another merchant might tell you it is for $7; and the reason that is, is that they might have bought different quantities and therefore one may have received a discounted price. “So one needs to know the ra- tionale for selling items and how they are costed,” the BarCRO head added. The consumer analyst is suggesting that a comprehensive database of imported items should be compiled that would reflect a range of quantities and costs, and where prices do not equate or come close, then they should be questioned. “There must be fairness and full disclosure reflecting the true prices reaching our ports and that would have to include the price at the factory gate even prior to the importer becoming involved, because it is just not good enough for merchants to underinflate or perhaps even overinflate those to suit their purposes and to the detriment of consumers like you and me,” he said. (JRT) The Barbados Advocate Monday March 10, 2014 • 5 Bad business practices to blame, says Senator Sandiford-Garner MANY times the failures of small businesses in Barbados are not the result of the market and market changes. So says Senator Irene Sandiford-Garner who was speaking in the Upper Chamber earlier this week on a resolution for a national policy on small business in Barbados. The Senator, who noted that she comes from a background of entrepreneurs stated: “I have come to learn that invariably the failure of many of our businesses is as a result of bad business practices. It is a hard reality to accept but it is very true. “Far too many of us do not equip ourselves with the basic tools required for running a business. And these tools are being made available by the very government being asked to introduce the policy. I speak about government in a generic form,” she said. She noted that this extends to the basic practice of documenting how much is spent or earned, which is not recorded by many small business persons today. She mused that in the past, many of the shopkeepers had an exercise book, which is a basic tool, but back then it was essential. The parliamentary secretary also lamented the fact that there is a “disturbing” lack creativity, and persons fail to do research. “They go into business because they see someone else doing it and they think that business will make them successful and rich.” It is against this backdrop that she stated that business persons must be able to make sacrifices and to exhibit self discipline, a quality which she said is also lacking. “Too many are too quick to display opulence.” She pointed that many people in attempt to show off their wealth, renege on their obligations to staff, and fail to even pay their bills. “They lapse in their loans from the financial institutions and when they do these things they make it bad for others and give the impression to the financial community that we cannot manage. Delayed gratification is an essential element for any person looking to start and succeed in their own business. The trappings will come,” she advised. While saying that she lauds the request for a national policy, she queried whether it is really needed. “There are numerous opportunities for small business persons in this country... Entrepreneurs are people who take risks. So that when I hear of a national policy I wondered about the thinking behind that. Because when you decide to go into business for yourself, you step in at the deep end. “You go out there, you know you have a good idea, and there is no guarantee that the market will ensure success, but you within yourself feel that what you are going to do is going to be successful. In most instances there is no hand holding, it is a belief, a gut-feeling that the risk will pay dividends and you step out in faith. Some are lucky, some are not. Some are wise, some are not,” she stated. (JH) Programme specialist lauds mentorship programme PROGRAMME specialist UN Women Gabrielle Henderson has commended the Barbados Faces Social Development Mentorship Programme for girls in secondary schools, as she highlighted the challenges many young women face today. She was speaking at the official launch of the pilot event which was held at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre recently which seeks to provide young women with support, advice, friendship and constructive examples. According to Henderson, “Young women today live in a world of many competing and often conflicting messages about what it means to be a young woman. Popular culture is now more accessible than ever before via social media and new technologies are perhaps... the loudest voices shaping young female identity.” At the same time, she said, parents, extended family, school, religion and friendships also still play a significant role in the journey of self definition for our young women. “Young women must also learn quickly to navigate negative influences and challenges ever present in our society. Chief among these is violence directed against women and girls, as well as vio- Programme specialist UN Women Gabrielle Henderson. lence in general. Limited financial resources which restrict access to opportunity, education and recreational opportunities also present challenges to the full development of young women.” The UN Women representative said the importance of a continued focus on the well-being and development of women and girls, globally, nationally and within our communities and families, cannot be understated. “Providing enabling spaces which facilitate self reflection, self examination and a general questioning of everyday NOTICE Dr Nya Maughn MBBS (UWI), MRCPsych (UK) Consultant Psychiatrist announces her practice located at: Bridge Medical Clinic, Charles Row Bridge, St. George Tel: (246) 435-3621 and Warrens Health Care Complex, #4 Warrens Industrial Park, St. Michael Tel: (246) 271-0770/1 commencing Monday 17th March 2014 experiences and realities remain key.” She told the group which included a number of mentors, that the ability to inspire change in others first starts with commitment to one’s own self actualisation. “[When it comes] to shaping the person and the future that we want for ourselves, included in this is a commitment to principles of justice and equality and to respect for the dignity of every human being including ourselves. “Change therefore must first start with a vision, and being extraordi- nary does not necessarily mean that we will all be superstars but that we aspire always to reach further than we are, to address the challenges that we face in our lives with determination and have respect for ourselves and others.” She opined that maintaining positive relationships with adults and peers is also key on the journey of change. “... Again this mentorship programme must be commended for its focus on providing this type of non-judgmental support to young women,” she stated. (JH) The Barbados Advocate 6 • Monday March 10, 2014 Elcock forecasts good year ahead for tourism ONE top tourism official is forecasting that this year’s winter season will be a good one for the industry. Speaking in general on the tourism situation in Barbados, which had taken a hit due to the economic recession, Chairman Adrian Elcock echoed the expectations expressed recently by Minister of Tourism, Richard Sealy, that 2014- “We have already solved half of the problem where we were about 50 000 seats down and are now down about 20 000 and we have a plan that when we have a meeting on Monday and Tuesday that by the end of next week we will have a solid plan as to where we are going.” 2015 would be a good year for the industry. “We are still down on our numbers, but we ended on a growth trajectory so in other words where our projections were that we marginally down overall and we expect to be strong this winter,” he said. Outlining that the island was continuing to experience challenges out of New York due to the pull out of American ended, we ended much better than that. We had a very strong January. The UK is back performing on all cylinders. We have 17 flights now out of the UK. We ended February again up there and we are MAJOR SPONSORS: Technical and Vocational Education and Training Council presents Manufacturer of Industrial & Medical Gases Supplier of Industrial Merchandise Airlines, he nevertheless said an aggressive push was being made to address this and disclosed that meetings were slated to occur tomorrow with the relevant US authorities. “We have already solved half of the problem where we were about 50 000 seats down and are now down about 20 000 and we have a plan that when we have a meeting on Monday and Tuesday that by the end of next week we will have a solid plan as to where we are going,” he added, during an interview at the Internationale Tourismus-Börse in Do not turn a blind eye! By Ashlee Cox “Shaping a world-class workforce through Innovation, Creativity & Skills Development” The second biennial Skills Competition featuring students of SJPP, BVTB, BCC & SEMAJ sion: Admis FREE March 12-14, 2014 Samuel Jackman Prescod Polytechnic Wildey, St. Michael 9:00 A.M. - 4:00 P.M. March 15, 2014 The Dining Club Newton Industrial Park, Christ Church 9:00 A.M. - 3:00 P.M. For further information: www.worldskillsbarbados.org.bb or contact Paul Puckerin at (246) 228-3383/4 Berlin. Elcock highlighted that going forward therefore, the 2014-2015 winter season that the island’s industry would be back on a position of growth. In addition, he said that the BTA’s move to ensure that the island was not a seasonal destination was ensuring that the arrival numbers continued to increase. “The board has been focused a lot on our policy direction, we have been looking at our niche marketing. We are not going to pattern Barbados under a winter and summer season. We are looking at a 12-month programme,” he stated, highlighting the events such as the Food, Wine and Rum Festival, this year’s Top Gear Festival and several others. (JMB) BARBADIANS must treat situations of domestic violence with the seriousness and priority that it deserves! As noted by Minister of Labour, Social Security and Human Resource Development, Senator Dr. Esther Byer-Suckoo, it is only when we start to give these incidences the priority and treat is as seriously as it really is, would we really start to ‘break the back of this’. Stating that she had seen too many cases of domestic violence, she also noted that Barbados has also been seeing too many deaths and in the 21st century this behaviour is indeed highly unacceptable. “I’ve seen too many instances of Domestic Violence and we are seeing far too many deaths and in the 21st century that is not acceptable. It never was acceptable and in the 21st century, it is high time it stopped, so we are working towards that as well, but we need the Barbadian people to appreciate how serious it is and don’t encourage people to cover it up,” she encouraged. According to Suckoo, as a Society too often we turn a blind eye and whisper about it, when we see the victim, but we are loathe to actually reach out and encourage the person to seek help and get out of the toxic situation. Stating that helping someone was not limited to only friends, family and the church system, but could be extended to include, employers, HR managers, supervisor, and colleagues as well, she encouraged all to encourage someone they suspected was a victim of domestic abuse to get help. “When as a society we start to take it seriously, when as a society we start to encourage people not to sweep it under the rug, but to go forward with it and stand behind them as they do, then we would start to see a dent in this situation. It is not acceptable and I want to encourage any woman who is in that situation to, get help, talk to somebody, there are many agencies that are there to help you, get help and end it, before it ends you,” she stressed. The Barbados Advocate Monday March 10, 2014 • 7 Cause of LIAT meltdown revealed By RuthMoisa Stoute S T R U C T U R A L challenges including the failure to sell its Dash-8 fleet and to secure promised funds from additional shareholder entities have been some of the reasons cited for LIAT’s horrendous “summer meltdown” and more recently, delays in its payroll system. Both Chairman of shareholder governments Dr. Ralph Gonsalves and Chairman of the LIAT’S Board of Directors, Dr. Jean Holder, have also acknowledged cases of mismanagement. Still, the company is hoping and working feverishly to stabilise its financial situation in the coming months, whilst improving on time performance and delivering a more reliable schedule. Members of the Board met with the Prime Ministers of shareholder governments in a crucial meeting last Thursday to discuss a recovery plan for the challenged airlines, hoping to as swiftly as possible cut costs and grow revenue in a way that caused minimal pain to those who worked for the airlines. The failure to sell its existing fleet of Dash-8 craft and recoup those much needed funds was according to Dr. Gonsalves, a result of not having all of the necessary fleet information being requested by buyers to be able to sell at optimal price. “We were suppose to sell the Dash 8’s [but] we did not get those sold as we had expected, not that there is no market for selling these older planes, but... to sell them for the optimal price you need to have all the records and as you are aware, the hanger got burned … [along with it] a lot of records,” he told the media during a press conference immediately following the Prime ministerial meeting. “Piecing together those records have created a [tremendous] delay, leading to cash shortage,” Gonsalves reported. Coupled with the delays in the sale of the old craft was LIAT’s inability to persuade additional shareholder governments to come to the table with funds to make up the additional money needed for its refleeting programme, an estimated US$35 million. Out of the just over $100 million needed for the programme, LIAT had been able to secure $65 million from the Caribbean Development Bank. The Vincentian Prime Minister disclosed that existing shareholder governments of Barbados, Antigua and Bermuda, St. Vincent and the Grenadines as well as Dominica had been only able to pay 77 per cent of the outstanding balance, leaving a remainder of roughly $6.3 million which he said would be taken care of this year. “We expected other governments to come on board... only Dominica came, so that we have had to bear the burden of capitalising the difference between what we borrowed from the CDB and what the refleeting will cost,” he said. The non-existence of these two expected sources of funds ran LIAT into difficulties with paying its staff. It was reported earlier this year that LIAT employees were repeatedly experiencing delays in receiving salaries as the airline had to choose between this and some of its major expenses, including aircraft lease charges. Acting CEO Julie Riefer-Jones later told The Barbados Advocate that it hoped to “stabalise the problem” within the next three months. “We are going to be consolidating around our new fleet and working actively to get rid of the Dash-8’s. The payroll situation we hope to stabilise within the next three months, but the whole LIAT financial situation may take a little longer than that because it depends heavily on the sale of the Dash-8’s, we think [however] that we will be able to stabilise in around six months,” Riefer-Jones explained. Wellness, productivity go hand in hand in the workplace IN order to be productive, you need to be well. Chief Executive Officer of the Heart and Stroke Foundation, Gina Pitts, delivered this message to airport staff, as she delivered the feature address at the 2014 Awards Presentation for outstanding employees of the Grantley Adams International Airport on Friday. The awards ceremony was held in the airport’s conference room. Speaking on the topic of wellness and productivity, Pitts however suggested that management must also invest in people, to ensure their well-being and productivity. Investing in your labour keeps people at work and keeps people happy, Pitts suggested. “The Office of Public Sector Reform has looked at this many, many years ago and when it looked at a review, it said that managers are often preoccupied with outputs that are essentially measuring productivity, profitability and customer service. This focus on outcomes is not surprising, since many organisations exist to fulfill these output objectives. However, it must be recognised that he major input of any organisation is its labour,” Pitts stated. In an effort to lower incidences of absenteeism (where the worker is absent from work) and presenteeism (where the worker turns up for work, but does not function in an efficient manner) and increase productivity, employee wellness must not be overlooked, she stressed. “If you come to work and you are sick, you cannot be productive and you cannot be productive if the workplace is making you sick, for whatever reason,” Pitts asserted. Sochi The winter Olympic games in the Russian resort town of Sochi were something out of the ordinary for people living in places like the Caribbean where winter is something you want to avoid. That people could do those things on ice was unbelievable. Like the figure skating. You saw effortless poise, charm, grace and skill as they glided over the ice. Male dancers tossed their female partners into the air with ease and often skated with them perched precariously on their shoulders, all the while performing fantastic figures with their skates. All on ice. It was only when the odd skater fell that you realized something – it ain’t as easy as it looks. “Easy” was just a cover for years and years of grueling practice, tough uncompromising coaching and a determination to be the best. The other clue you had was when the cameras zoomed in on a performer at the end of his/her routine. You witnessed close up the intense air hunger as they panted in near exhaustion from the sheer phyical stress of looking so graceful on ice. That’s a serious lesson for life. Everybody now wants to be a star. To perform. To glide around on ice. To be the centre of attention. But few are willing to put in the hard work, the intense practice, the behind-the-scenes slogging that success requires. So they go out on the ice, chests held high, only to fall all over the place. A lesson from Sochi. This is a paid advertisement by www.shekinahmedical.com The idea she said, is to ensure that workers enjoy getting up and coming to work and are eager to return the following day. As such she said, employees must work on improving their contribution to the workplace and organisations must be fair towards employees, showing interest in the employees and finding ways to enhance the working environment. “Just as the board of managers need to look at you, you also need to look at yourself. What are your personal characteristics and what are you giving to this organisation. Are you coming to work or are you at work? There is a difference,” Pitts remarked. “Companies also need to recognise that an employee has an external contribution as well. In other words, they have external factors such as family commitments and sometimes they come to work wanting to work, but because of the external factors on their mind for most of the day, they are unable to work. And as an organisation, there needs to be some form of recognition of that,” Pitts said, while pointing out that having a well-being programme in place can be of benefit to organisations. (RSM) The Barbados Advocate 8 • Monday March 10, 2014 ‘For the cause that lacks assistance, ’Gainst the wrongs that need resistance, For the future in the distance, And the good that I can do’ Editorial Charting the way forward LEADERS of the Caribbean Community countries have assembled in St. Vincent and the Grenadines for their 25th Intersessional meeting. And if it is one wish from that session it is that this meeting should be a fruitful exercise, given the state of play in the regional integration movement. A statement from the Caribbean Community Secretariat on the conference said that the focus will be on information and communication technology (ICT), human resource development and sustainable development in the region. The statement quoted the Secretary General, Ambassador Irwin LaRocque, as saying it would be “terribly remiss of us if we do not daily, constantly seek ways in which to move ICT to the place of key enabler and catalyst for all we seek to accomplish as a region and as a people.” The two-day summit is being held under the Chairmanship of Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. The Georgetown-based Secretariat said it will also include a meeting of the Council for Finance and Planning and that discussions will take placed on a preliminary report from the Commission on the Economy. It makes sense for the region to focus on ICTs, the adoption of which means the difference between economic progress and economic stagnation in this globally competitive world. As small countries, the Caribbean can hardly be said to be in a position to benefit from economies of scale. Caribbean countries have to come up with a toolkit to enable them to market competitive goods and services in a global marketplace where consumers are demanding the best in quality. All the islands of the Caribbean fit that description of small size. This makes them ideally challenged to survive, even within the context of an integration movement. It is known that without ICTs we do not stand much of a chance in transforming our economies. Also, this region does not boast a wide range of exportables to the international market. Therefore the few that it possesses must be delivered based on quality and efficiency. Currently, Caricom states face many economic hurdles arising from events over the last five years or so. They are running high fiscal deficits; they have high debt levels, something they have to manage and with expert care and attention; they are striving to provide quality jobs for their population; and they want sustainable growth. The days of trade preferences are over as evidenced by the erosion of markets for bananas, sugar and other tropical produce. They are not alone in this since many of their trading partners within the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group face similar setbacks with their market access for products to Europe. All of this has come about through the World Trade Organization (WTO) and its supposed commitment to free and fair trade. It has been said repeatedly that there is still a need for some fresh initiatives to be infused into the Caribbean integration movement. Many commentators have criticised the slow pace of implementation of decisions reached at the highest level and how some countries do not appear as committed to the process. It is hoped that out of the deliberations in St. Vincent and the Grenadines will come workable solutions to deal with the pressing issues facing the region. Air security flaw exposed PARIS – When you travel, airport security agents may pat you down, inspect your deodorant and scan your body from head to toe. But there’s a good chance that no one’s checking whether you’re using someone’s lost or stolen passport. A gaping, if little-known, loophole in international aviation security came into broader view yesterday when the international police agency Interpol said its computer systems had contained information on the theft of two passports that were used to board an ill-fated Malaysia Airlines flight – but no national authorities had checked the database. Largely unheeded, Interpol has long sounded the alarm that growing international travel has underpinned a new market for identity theft and bogus passports have lured many people: Illegal immigrants, terrorists, drug runners, pretty much anyone looking to travel unnoticed. It’s not known whether stolen passports had any- thing to do with Saturday’s disappearance of the Boeing 777 bound from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to Beijing with 239 people on board. But such oversights aren’t new – and Interpol hopes national authorities will “learn from the tragedy.” More than 1 billion times last year, travelers boarded planes without their passports being checked against Interpol’s database of 40 million stolen or lost travel documents, the Lyon-based police body said. Interpol Secretary General Ronald K. Noble said in a statement yesterday that it has long asked why countries would “wait for a tragedy to put prudent security measures in place at borders and boarding gates.” Officials cite recent instances of use of stolen travel documents: A war crimes suspect who tried to attend a conference in Congo, but was instead arrested; the killer of the Serbian prime minister crossed 27 borders on a missing passport before he was caught; Samantha Lewthwaite, the former wife of one of the suicide bombers in the 2005 attack on London’s transit system, escaped capture when she produced a fraudulently obtained South African passport. Sometimes, authorities are outmatched: Ticketbuying regulations and border control techniques vary from country to country, and an Interpol official says there’s no one-sizefits-all explanation why some countries don’t use its database systematically. For the last decade, Interpol has stocked and shared information on stolen or lost passports in ways few international agencies can: it has 190 member countries.And air security is increasingly international work: the Malaysia flight had mostly Chinese and Malaysian passengers, but Americans, Australians, French, Indians Indonesians and Ukrainians too. The Interpol stolen or lost travel documents database draws on infor- mation from 167 countries. It was searched more than 800 million times last year – but one in eight searches was conducted by the United Arab Emirates alone. The US and Britain are other big users, and France and Switzerland routinely check it too, Interpol officials said. “Now, we have a real case where the world is speculating whether the stolen passport holders were terrorists, while Interpol is asking why only a handful of countries worldwide are taking care to make sure that persons possessing stolen passports are not boarding international flights,” Noble said yesterday of the Malaysia flight. Speaking to reporters in Paris in October, Noble said some member countries cite a lack of police resources, privacy concerns, or political hostilities with other countries for their failure to check passports against the global data – though interest has grown: Border agents checked it 740 million times in 2012, producing 60 000 hits. State oversight may tame Ca. pot shops SAN FRANCISCO – Law and order may soon be coming to the Wild West of weed. A California lawmaker has introduced legislation to regulate the state’s free-wheeling medical marijuana industry – the farmers that grow the drug, the hundreds of storefront shops that sell it and especially the doctors who write recommendations allowing people to use it. The state in 1996 was the first to authorise marijuana use for health purposes – there are now 20. But to this day no one knows how many dispensaries and patients California has or what conditions pot is being used to treat because the loosely worded law did not give government agencies a role in tracking the information. The bill introduced by state Sen. Lou Correa marks a milestone not only because it would provide significant state oversight of the multibillion dollar industry for the first time, but because it is likely to get serious consideration in Sacramento after years of inaction. SB1262 is the brainchild of the California Police Chiefs Association and the League of California Cities, two politically influential groups that have stood in the way of previous efforts to legitimise pot growers and dispensaries by subjecting them to state control and taxation. “This legislation seems counterintuitive, but we polled our membership and over 90 per cent of the chiefs felt that, regardless of how you felt about the marijuana issue itself, there needed to be a responsible public safety approach to this,” said Covina Police Chief Kim Raney, president of the chiefs association. Medical marijuana advocates, who have lobbied unsuccessfully for a statewide regulatory scheme they hoped would make the industry less susceptible to federal raids and arrests, is taking a wait-and-see approach on Correa’s legislation. They prefer a bill held over from last year, cosponsored by Assemblyman Tom Ammiano and Sens. Darryl Steinberg and Mark Leno, that calls for regulating and taxing medical marijuana like alcohol and places fewer restrictions on doctors than Correa’s measure does, but are prepared to hammer out a compromise, said Lynne Lyman, California director for the Drug Policy Alliance. “We are very encouraged by law enforcement coming to the table with their proposals and we think we can all work together and come up with some Telephone: 467-2000 News Fax: 434-1000 E-mail Address: [email protected] Website: www.barbadosadvocate.com News Editor: Dorian Bryan Business Editor: Jewel Brathwaite Sports Editor: Corey Greaves Hello! Editor: Nigel Wallace model legislation in the state, finally, 18 years later,” Lyman said. The police chiefs and cities are getting on the regulatory bandwagon now because they worry that if they don’t champion a plan of their own, marijuana advocates will succeed in getting the Legislature to pass one that aggravates the ongoing concerns of law enforcement and local governments instead of addressing them. Last year alone, the groups beat back three bills that would have required pot shops to be licensed by the state but that the league feared would make it harder for cities and counties to ban or regulate them. Meanwhile, public support for legalizing the recreational use of marijuana, as voters in Colorado and Washington have done, is growing and the White House has softened its stance on the issue. Managing Editor: Yajaira Archibald Executive Editor: Gillian Marshall General Manager: Sandra Clarke Assistant Managing Director: Sean Eteen Publisher: Anthony T. Bryan The Barbados Advocate Monday March 10, 2014 • 9 Mabolozi Club launched at primary school THE George Lamming Primary School has added the George Lamming Junior Mabolozi Club to that school’s list of extracurricular activities. This Club, an initiative of the Commission for Pan African Affairs, was officially launched last Friday during a brief ceremony held at the school. Speaking about the Club, Director of the Commission for Pan African Affairs, Dr. Deryck Murray, explained that a section of its name is derived from the Swahili word, Mabolozi which means ambassadors. He added that the Commission for Pan African Affairs will provide the necessary resources to ensure that the Junior Mabolozi Club is a success as well as stated that the main focus of the programme is “to build self-esteem.” Dr. Murray further outlined that some of the other activities of the Club when it meets will include: working “to work on health and nutrition, to learn your African history and culture, to engage in drumming, learn arts and craft, do historical tours, lecture and storytelling.” Meantime, in giving the rationale of the Club, Mabolozi and teacher at the school, Anthony Francis, said it will “utilise all the possible means to connect our children to their rich African culture and history and by so doing to lift their self-image and foster a climate of unity and cooperation.” George Lamming Junior Mabolozi Club is set to meet from this week during the lunch period and at present there are 100 members. (MG) Director of the Commission for Pan African Affairs, Dr. Deryck Murray, drumming with Selwyn Sivers, a student of the George Lamming Primary School, during the ceremony at the school to launch the George Lamming Junior Mabolozi Club. Members of the George Lamming Primary School choir performing during the ceremony. The Barbados Advocate 10 • Monday March 10, 2014 World Skills Barbados gets going with motorcade By Ashlee Cox THE week long of activities for the World Skills Barbados 2014, was officially launched on Saturday, with the flagship activity of the motorcade, which began at the Samuel Jackman Prescod Polytechnic (SJPP) and concluded in Heroes Square. As noted by Paul Puckerin Senior Technical Officer with TVET Council and Coordinator of World Skill Barbados, “We are going to be putting on another showcase of Barbadian talent, drawn from four institutions, those being the Samuel Jackman Prescod Polytechnic, Barbados Community College, Semaj International School of Cosmetology and Trichology, and the Barbados Vocational Training Board”. Continuing, he noted, “ We’re going to see young people demonstrate the best of their skills for the next four days, starting from Wednesday the 12th through until Saturday the 15th, when we will have the culinary And they are off! Here, everyone is getting ready to go on the motorcade. exposition at Dining Club. So I want to encourage all Barbadians to come out and support, this is absolutely free and we are going to have a great time as we see them demonstrate the best of skills in Barbados.” Henderson EastmondExecutive Director of TVET Council, was also in full support and noted that this activity was one of the ways in which they promoted technical and vocational education across the country. Noting that Barbados has had some success in the World Skills competition, before with one of the winners, bringing home the silver in the category of Hairdressing, he stated, “We are hoping to repeat that feat this year when they go to Columbia and we want to be able to participate in World Skill Americas in more areas,”. “We are hoping that this World Skills competition can grow, as we seek to improve the standards of technical and vocation education and training in the country to move toward world standards. There is a Worlds Skills International that we hope one day, probably within the next 5 years, to be able to send participants to,” he noted. Thanking the private sector as well as the public training institutions and the Ministry of Labour Social Security and Human Resource Development, he noted that despite the tough times, they had received ‘considerable support’ and were looking forward to the competition and continued support of it by the general public. President Tara Collymore (center) flanked by members of the Rotaract Club of South Barbados. Observing ‘World Rotaract Week’ 2014 ON Sunday March 9, 2014, members of the Rotaract Club of South Barbados (RCSB) joined with Reverend Carlisle Isaac and the congregation of Western Light church of the Nazarene to commemorate the beginning of World Rotaract Week 2014. This week, significant in the Rotary calendar, honours the founding of the first Rotaract Club; chartered in North Carolina in 1968 and is celebrated by all Rotaract Clubs around the world. Public Relations Officer for The Rotaract Club of South Barbados, Ms. Karen Perch, advised that ‘World Rotaract Week provides an opportunity for us to celebrate and showcase the many achievements and positive impact of our projects to date. It also reminds us of the ever important need to service our communities and improve the lives of others both locally and abroad”. Originally chartered on January 13, 2011, members of RCSB will be engaging in a number of fellowship activities throughout the week. Taking the opportunity to also highlight one of their upcoming events, Ms. Perch spoke about the Come Fly Kite Flying Competition to be held on April 21, 2014 at the Weymouth Playing field 11:00AM – 3:00PM. The event, now in its 4th year, provides an opportunity for secondary school students to take part in the traditional Barbadian pastime of kite making and flying for Easter. The event will also offer a number of activities and attractions for the entire family. As the youth arm of the Rotary Club of Barbados South, members of the Rotaract Club of South Barbados are between the ages of 18 – 30 who are passionate about giving back to their communities and share the philosophy of ‘Service above Self’. The Barbados Advocate Monday March 10, 2014 • 11 Lent the season of giving By Patricia Thangaraj Eugene Lavine, Assistant Administrator (Tax Services, Deloitte), presents the ‘Teacher of the Year Award’ at Parkinson School to Kellie Arthur, while school Principal, Jeffrey Broomes, and Deloitte’s Human Resources Administrator, Roslyn Gill, look on. THE Lenten Season is not just a period of giving up a few things that you love doing and/or eating, it is also a period when persons must give back. This is the advice that Bishop of Bridgetown, Jason Gordon, gave to those gathered at the St. Patrick’s Roman Catholic Cathedral recently for the Ash Wednesday Service to mark the start of the Lenten Season. He told the packed Cathedral during the midday service that when it comes to Lent, many persons remember giving up some of the things that they love to eat “like that bread pudding with rum sauce” or an activity that they enjoy partaking in, but some persons also need to bear in mind that it is a time for persons to give to those around them that are less fortunate. The Bishop stated that when you choose to give up a few things, the money that you would normally have spent on those things can now be collected and given to the less fortunate. “Maybe as part of your Lenten sacrifice, when you save money from the things that you choose not to do, collect that money and put it with some other money and let us give something to the poor.” He said that there are a variety of organisations across the island that assist the poor that you can give your money to and the organisation that you choose to contribute to is not important here. What is important here is that the organisation that you decide to give your money to is one where it would “reach the poor directly”. This is also a way of experiencing forgiveness, said Gordon. “Almsgiving cover a multitude of sins. If ever you are unsure about forgiveness, almsgiving is a really great way to do it because the teaching is that when we give to the poor, we give to God and when we are generous with those who do not have, we create a bond and a relationship with God that brings our relationship back square and centre.” He said that this is also a way of showing God that you trust Him and you place your hope in Him and not in your money. “You are saying that yes, I can use this extra money very well for my sake, but I choose not to use it but to give it to the poor because I choose to put my help first in the name of the Lord before putting it in the money in which I have.” The Bishop reminded the congregation that this is a difficult time for Barbados, where some of our fellow countrymen do not even have the basic necessities in their homes and therefore, if we all “enter into solidarity with them”, we would see positive results “in our families, in our plans, in our church and in our nation”. Deloitte Barbados presents Teacher of the Year award DELOITTE BARBADOS is pleased to have participated in the recent Career Showcase at the Parkinson School and to have sponsored the school’s ‘Teacher of the Year Award’. Deloitte was represented at the Showcase by Eugene Lavine, Assistant Administrator (Tax Services), who is a past pupil of Parkinson. Lavine was equally proud to have been able to present the ‘Teacher of the Year Award’ (20122013) to Kellie Arthur, an award that was sponsored by Deloitte. “The opportunity not only allowed me to educate the students about Deloitte and a possible career in accounting, but it also gave me a chance to reiterate the fact that there are a lot of welleducated individuals out there who are past students of Parkinson School, adding value to their communities, places of employ and running successful businesses of their own,” reported Lavine. In bestowing the award, it was explained by Principal Jeffrey Broomes that, “Our Teacher of the Year displays a high level of professionalism and is extremely organised and enthusiastic in approach. Miss Arthur motivates students to discover their talents and capabilities, and is also blessed with a caring attitude that manifests in obvious dedication to the students.” Arthur’s award allows for her attendance to the annual conference of the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development in Los Angeles, California. Deloitte’s office is located within the Goddard Building, Haggatt Hall, St. Michael and since moving into the ‘neighbourhood’, the global accounting and professional services firm has been supporting various activities at the school. Bishop of Bridgetown, Jason Gordon (right) greeting tourists, Teresa and Bruce Kerr after the Ash Wednesday Service at the St. Patrick's Roman Catholic Cathedral. God a source of help THE Lord is the source of our help. This was one of the messages that Bishop of Bridgetown, Jason Gordon, gave to those gathered at the St. Patrick’s Roman Catholic Cathedral recently for the Ash Wednesday Service to mark the start of the Lenten Season. He said that in these tough economic times when people are losing jobs or otherwise struggling, Barbadians need to remember that “our help is in the name of the Lord”. This is something that persons must bear in mind, especially during this period of Lent, where it is important for persons to spend time in prayer, fasting and almsgiving. “Lent gives us these days that we put aside for fasting, prayer and almsgiving because the desert is not a punishment. The desert is an invitation. It is not a punishment because we have done wrong. It is an invitation because God loves us. It is an invitation for us to open our hearts again and our eyes again and our lives again. It is an invitation for us to reconnect with God from whom we get our help. It is an invitation to intimacy.” He said that intimacy with God is important because it means developing a close relationship with the Lord and prayer is imperative here because “that is how we have intimacy with God”. Therefore, if they have not done so already, persons must make a special effort during this Lenten Season to make sure that they pencil in regular prayer into their daily schedules. This is something that persons must take up. It is also important for persons to give up something, especially those who are in “good health and under a certain age”. The sacrifice that persons choose to make must be something that they enjoy doing. “We ask you to give up something, to choose something in your life that you really enjoy. It might not be bad, but you give it up. Why? To remind yourselves, to remind yourselves every single day that your help comes not from this, that or the other, but your help comes from the name of the Lord who made heaven and earth.” (PJT) The Barbados Advocate 12 • Monday March 10, 2014 GOVERNMENT NOTICE TENDER FOR THE SUPPLY OF VARIOUS FOOD COMMODITIES TO HER MAJESTY’S PRISONS DODDS FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR ENDING MARCH 31, 2015 INLAND REVENUE DEPARTMENT Ministry of Home Affairs NOTICE TO CORPORATIONS Tenders are invited for the supply of various commodities to Her Majesty’s Prisons Dodds for the Financial Year ENDING March 31, 2015. PAYMENT OF TAX BY INSTALLMENT YEAR OF INCOME 2013 2. Further details, Instructions to Tenders, the appropriate Form of Tender and Price Schedule must be obtained from Her Majesty’s Prisons Dodds, St. Philip, Monday - Friday between the hours of 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. 3. TENDERERS SHOULD BE AWARE THAT THE LABOUR CLAUSES (PUBLIC CONTRACTS) ACT, CAP. 349 SHALL IN SO FAR AS IS APPLICABLE TO THE TENDER, APPLY TO ANY CONTRACT MADE IN RESPECT OF THE TENDER. FULL DETAILS OF THE CONDITIONS OF THE ACT, CAP. 349 MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE CHIEF LABOUR OFFICER, WARRENS OFFICE COMPLEX, WARRENS, ST. MICHAEL. TENDERERS SHOULD SUBMIT THE CERTIFICATE REQUIRED BY PARAGRAPH 3 OF THE SCHEDULE TO THE ACT WITH THEIR TENDER. 4. All Corporate Tenderers must include with their Tenders, a copy of the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation as evidence of the fact that the Company is an existing registered Company as at the date of tender. FAILURE TO PROVIDE THE CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION WILL RENDER THE TENDER VOID. The Certificate must be in the name of the Tenderer. 5. Tenderers are advised that the Certificate of Incorporation referred to at paragraph 4 above means a Certificate of Incorporation issued under the 1985 Companies Act of Barbados or where applicable a Certificate of Continuance and/or Certificate of Amalgamation or a Certificate of Amendment. Certificates must be dated after 31st December, 1984. Statutory Corporations must submit with their tender a copy of the relevant Act under which they were incorporated. 6. The successful Tenderer (s) will be required to enter into a Contract drawn up by or in a form approved by the Solicitor General or another Legal Officer in the Public Service approved by her. A surety for the due performance of the contract will be required by one of the following methods listed below by way of: a) a deposit with the Treasury of a sum of money or approved securities to the value of not less than ten percent of the contract price; or b) a Bank or accredited Insurance Company whose liability shall be not less than ten percent of the contract price. The cost of obtaining such a surety shall be the responsibility of the Contractor, who need not specifically make arrangements for sureties unless and until his tender has been accepted. 7. Tenderers whose businesses or undertakings are required to be licenced under the Health Services (Food Hygiene) Regulations 1969 must submit a copy of the relevant valid licence with their Tenders. Where businesses or undertakings have been inspected by the relevant Ministry of Health Authority and found to be in order and are awaiting the issue of the appropriate licence, Tenderers must submit a letter to that effect from the relevant Authority with their Tenders. Similarly where businesses or undertakings are not required to be licenced, the Tenderers must submit with their Tenders, a letter to that effect from the relevant Ministry of Health Authority. FAILURE TO SUBMIT THE COPY OF THE RELEVANT VALID LICENCE OR THE LETTER WILL RESULT IN THE TENDER BEING REJECTED. Tenderers’ own statements regarding the inspection or licensing of their businesses or undertakings are not acceptable. The completed Form of Tender and Price Schedule must be submitted in a sealed 8. envelope marked “TENDER FOR THE SUPPLY OF VARIOUS FOOD COMMODITIES TO HER MAJESTY’S PRISONS DODDS FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR ENDING MARCH 31, 2015” and addressed to the Chairman, Tenders Committee, Central Purchasing Department, Fontabelle, St. Michael to reach her no later than 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 19, 2014. Tenders received after this time and date will not be considered. 9. Tenders should be placed in the Tender’s Box located at the Central Purchasing Department not later than the abovementioned closing time and date. 10. No tender will be considered unless it complies with the conditions set out in this Notice and the Instructions to Tenderers. The Department of Inland Revenue wishes to remind all companies whose fiscal period ended at any time during the period 1st October 2013 to 31 December 2013 (both dates inclusive) that the tax on their 2013 income, is to be prepaid by installment. The second installment is due for payment not later than March 15, 2014 and is calculated at fifty percent (50%) of the tax paid or payable on their total taxable income as disclosed in their 2012 returns which were due to be filed on or before June 15, 2013. Such companies are also advised that where: (1) they begin to carry on business during the income year 2013; or (2) they are of the opinion that the taxable income in respect of 2013 income year may be less that the taxable income for the 2012 income year then, these companies shall apply in writing to the Commissioner for a determination of the amount of tax payable. CORPORATION TAX RETURN 2013 1. Notice is hereby given to corporations with fiscal period ending January 1, 2013 to September 30, 2013, both dates inclusive, that a Corporation Tax Return is required from every corporation, whether resident or non-resident, as in accordance with the Income Tax Act, that: (1) has carried on in Barbados during the Income Year 2013 a business, trade, manufacture or concern in the nature of trade: or was in the income year 2013: (2) (a) (b) 2. Estimation of Tax Every company required to file a return of its assessable income shall in the return: (i) set out the deductions from assessable income that it wishes to claim: (ii) calculate its taxable income; and (iii) estimate the amount of tax payable. 3. Payment of Tax The tax estimated and unpaid must be paid to the Department no later than March 15, 2014. 4. Penalties Failure to file the return by March 15, 2014 or to estimate the tax payable, will incur a penalty of $500 together with an additional penalty of 5% of the tax assessed and unpaid. N.B: 11. The Government does not bind itself to accept the lowest or any Tender. an owner of land; or an owner of property, other than land, from which assessable income was derived. You are reminded that Draft Accounts are not acceptable. S. Walcott-Denny (Mrs.) Commissioner of Inland Revenue The Barbados Advocate Monday March 10, 2014 • 13 Cuba agrees to political dialogue with European Union Grenada parliament withdraws sections of Electronic Fresh deal to end Rio rubbish collection strike Crimes Bill ST. GEORGE’S, Grenada – Grenada’s House of Representatives recently withdrew controversial sections of the Electronic Crimes Bill. The Bill was amended in the lower house of parliament, removing sections 6, 16 and 25. The changes are said to be consistent with a promise made by the administration. “So after listening to those voices and whenever I travelled out the first question being asked of me with the media concern is what are you doing about this? I assured my members that we were going to move to remove those sections,” Prime Minister Dr. Keith Mitchell told parliament. “We found that there was enough in the act to create some incentives for not breaking that law which we have passed. But since we felt that there were concerns we therefore decided to come here today to meet our commitment to those who were promise that we are going to do so. So they will know when this government says something. It means it,” he said. Local, regional and international media watchdogs have been protesting the presence of the controversial sections of the bill. Section 6 sought to punish persons with a maximum one year sentence and/or a fine of up to $100 000 for sending “offensive” or menacing messages by means of electronic communications. Section 16 sought to punish persons with a maximum three year sentence for electronic stalking. Section 25, on the other hand, provided police officers with the power to arrest persons without a warrant on suspicion of committing an offence. “It was felt that that (section 25) was not really critical… don’t need to have that there because the police officer in the normal course of business does in fact have the right to arrest persons under the same condition. So there was no necessity, really for going forward,” Mitchell said. HAVANA, Cuba – Cuba welcomes the proposal of the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of the European Union (EU), Catherine Ashton, of starting a political dialogue with Havana, Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez said recently. At a press conference held at the headquarters of the foreign ministry in the Cuban capital, Rodriguez pointed out that the decision was communicated to the EU ambassador to Cuba, Herman Portocarero, in response to a request made by EU on February 10. He stated that Cuba will act constructively, in order to resume the political dialogue and co-operation on a reciprocal basis, without conditions, with full respect for the sovereign equality of states, the legal framework and institutional arrangements of the parties. Also, it will do so in full accordance with the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of states, he underlined. RIO de Janeiro authorities and street cleaners say they have reached a new agreement to end an eight-day strike which has left tonnes of rubbish on the streets of the Brazilian city. The rubbish collectors have reportedly accepted a pay rise of 37 per cent after an earlier deal was rejected by some of the workers. Earlier, dozens of cleaners staged a protest outside the mayor’s office. The strike had been timed to coincide with the start of Carnival festivities. Authorities, strikers and representatives of the union reportedly took part in Saturday’s meeting in Rio. The new agreement will take the collectors’ starting salary to 1 100 reais ($470; £280) a month. At the start of the week, municipal authorities said they had sealed a deal with leaders of the 15 000 rubbish collectors after offering a salary increase of nine per cent. However, a group of street cleaners – whose starting monthly salary is 803 reais – wanted 1 200 reais plus other benefits. Rio’s famous Ipanema beach remained cluttered with litter for days. Sugar workers threaten to shutdown industry KINGSTON, Jamaica – More than 4 000 sugar workers have threatened to take industrial action following weeks of failed negotiations, involving their unions and the Sugar Producers Federation (SPF) for improved wage and fringe benefits. The three unions representing the workers and the Sugar Producers Federation (SPF) are still at a stalemate in hammering out a wage and fringe benefits agreement, as a marathon meeting on Friday at the Ministry of Labour ended without a settlement. The SPF has offered to increase wages by seven per cent in year one and three per cent in the second year. However, this has been rejected by the unions. First vice president of the University and Allied Workers Union (UAWU), Clifton Grant, says the SPF’s offer has only served to anger the workers. “The union wants a 13 per cent (increase) in the first year for the employees and an eight and a half per cent in the second year. The federation says they are not in a position to change. So we have communicated this to the employees. They are very very upset. The feedback that we are receiving is that the workers wanted to take industrial action, but we have asked them to give the Ministry of Labour and the Minister and opportunity to try and broker an agreement between the parties,” Grant said. However, the SPF is insisting that the industry stands to lose millions during this crop season due to increased international competition. However, the unions are insisting that they produce figures for both rum and sugar production to support the prediction. Another meeting is scheduled be held on Thursday at the Ministry of Labour. Fair to partly cloudy and breezy with brief scattered showers. High: 11:23 a.m. London: 11°C FAIR Boston: 051°C PARTLY CLOUDY Montreal: -05°C CLOUDY Toronto: -02°C OVERCAST New York: 07°C CLOUDY Miami: 25°C CLEAR Low: 4:57 a.m. & 6:30 p.m. Yesterday: 1.6 mm For the month: 4.5 mm For the year: 118.1 mm 6:09 a.m. 6:08 p.m. Max: 28.2 °C Min: 22.0 °C The Barbados Advocate 14 • Monday March 10, 2014 Colombia vote seen as referendum on rebel peace talks BOGOTA – Colombians went to the polls yesterday to elect new legislators, in a vote seen as a referendum on peace talks with leftist guerrillas and a bellwether for May’s presidential election. The voting, which got under way at 1300 GMT, comes with the government locked in talks with Marxist rebels which have dominated political life in Colombia since the negotiations opened in late 2012. President Jose Manuel Santos, who is expected to announce his bid for re-election this week, is expected to retain control of the bi-cameral Congress, a tacit endorsement of his government’s peace talks strategy. “Up to now these elections have been far safer and peaceful than ever; I hope it remains this way,” said Santos yesterday as he cast his vote. Santos’s government has been negotiating with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), Latin America’s oldest insurgency, which has been at war with the Colombian state for 50 years. “It is highly likely that the president will retain a strong majority,” said Sandra Borda, professor of political science at the University of the Andes in Bogota. “Although many Colombians have their doubts about the process, they will not go so far as to reject it.They do not want it to end,” she said. One big question will be how Santos’ predecessor Alvaro Uribe does in his quest for a Senate seat. Uribe, a conservative, is still popular for his no-holds-barred fight against the FARC while in power from 2002 to 2010. Campaigning on the slogan “No to impunity,” he is Colombia’s first ex-president to seek a seat in the Senate, from which he aims to challenge the course of the talks. Salvadorans head to vote with ex-rebel favoured SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador – Salvadorans were expected to elect a former Marxist guerrilla as president in a runoff yesterday, favouring him over the conservative former mayor of the capital who has pledged to get tough on gang violence. Salvador Sanchez Ceren, 69, the candidate of the ruling Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front, would be the first true guerrilla to lead the Central American nation. Outgoing President Mauricio Funes was a journalist who was sympathetic to the FMLN rebels during the country’s civil war, but was never an actual guerrilla. Sanchez Ceren has promised to deepen the outgoing government’s popular social programmes and govern as a moderate. He said he envisions ruling like Uruguay’s President Jose Mujica, also a former guerrilla who formed an inclusive government. His victory would give the FMLN a second consecutive term after Funes ousted the long-ruling Nationalist Republican Alliance, or ARENA, in 2009. Sanchez Ceren’s ARENA opponent, former San Salvador mayor Norman Quijano, 67, called the former guerrilla out for appearing to want to lead the country like Venezuela’s late socialist president, Hugo Chavez. He warned of a return of communism. However, analysts say Quijano’s campaign strategy of bringing back Cold War memories only appealed to the most privileged in the country of six million. Polls showed Quijano ten to 18 percentage points behind Sanchez Ceren, who was a top rebel commander who helped negotiate the 1992 Peace Accords that ended the 12-year civil war. During the war that killed 76 000 people, the United States supported the Salvadoran government against the FMLN to prevent communism from spreading in Latin America. Early voting appeared to be going smoothly in most places. Polls close at 5 p.m. (2300 GMT) and electoral tribunal president Eugenio Chicas said he expects preliminary results late yesterday. Presidential candidate Salvador Sanchez Ceren, the current vice president for the ruling Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN), centre, and his running mate Oscar Ortiz, right, greet supporters after casting their votes in the presidential runoff election in San Salvador, El Salvador, yesterday Sanchez Ceren is running against former San Salvador Mayor Norman Quijano from the Nationalist Republican Alliance (ARENA). Venezuela opposition gears up for new protest Caracas – Venezuelans will march again on Saturday against the country’s chronic food shortage, one of the major grievances in a wave of protests shadowing President Nicolas Maduro’s government. At least 20 people have now died in Venezuela since protests first erupted a month ago, giving Maduro his biggest test since succeeding late leader Hugo Chavez almost a year ago. The new rally was called by the country’s most prominent opposition leader, two-time presidential election runner-up Henrique Capriles, who lost to Maduro by a whisker in the April 2013 election. Hours before the march, Capriles charged on Twitter that Maduro wanted to “put obstacles” against the demonstration. “Our people have the right to protest and we will do it in peace,” he said. Some of the demonstrations have drawn tens of thousands of people, and Capriles’ participation could attract a large crowd. The rally, which coincides with International Women’s Day, will include a march by stay-at-home moms who will bang empty pots – a traditional form of protest across Latin America. Venezuela’s protest movement has been marked by regular clashes between security forces and radical protesters. Dozens of claims of police abuse have been made. Capriles has accused Maduro of promoting a “confrontation of people against people” after the socialist leader called on his followers to “enforce order”. “Little candle that is lit, little candle that we put out with our people,” Maduro said this week. The violence claimed two more lives on Thursday when a man who tried to dismantle an opposition barricade in Caracas and a riot police officer were shot dead. The protests began early last month as a student movement, but it has since been joined by opposition figures, all fed up with Venezuela’s runaway murder rate, chronic food shortages and high inflation of 56 per cent. However, the opposition has been divided about the tactic. The former of Caracas’ Chacao district, Leopoldo Lopez, spearheaded a strategy called “the exit” to push for Maduro’s resignation. Lopez gave himself up to police in dramatic fashion on February 18 in front of thousands of supporters after the authorities accused him of inciting violence. Capriles has distanced himself from “the exit” movement, warning that “the conditions are not there to pressure for the government’s exit.” The former candidate, who officially lost to Maduro by 1.5 percentage points, has said that to succeed, the protests need the support of the poorer neighbourhoods – Chavez’s, and now Maduro’s, base. Analysts say that while Maduro is facing the biggest challenge of his young presidency, his government is sturdy enough to withstand the pressure. The Barbados Advocate Monday March 10, 2014 • 15 The Barbados Advocate 16 • Monday March 10, 2014 Vietnam probes ‘missing jet debris’ VIETNAMESE navy planes have spotted what could be fragments from the missing Malaysia Airlines jet that disappeared almost two days ago. Officials said it was too dark to be certain the objects were from Flight MH370, which had 239 people on board. A multinational team is searching for wreckage and ships will try to confirm the find after dawn. Investigators are also checking CCTV footage of two passengers who were travelling on stolen passports. Malaysian military officials said yesterday that the plane may have turned back from its scheduled route shortly before vanishing from radar screens, further deepening the mystery surrounding its fate. Relatives of the missing passengers have been told to prepare for the worst. Contact lost Flight MH730 left Kuala Lumpur, bound for Beijing, at 00:41 local time on Saturday (16:41 GMT on Friday). But radio contact was lost at 17:30 GMT, somewhere between Malaysia and Vietnam. Late yesterday, the Vietnamese authorities said possible debris from the plane had been spotted in the sea off south Vietnam. “We received information from a Vietnamese plane saying that they found two broken objects, which seem like those of an aircraft, located about 50 miles to the south-west of Tho Chu Island,” an unnamed official from the National Committee for Search and Rescue told AFP news agency. “As it is night, they cannot fish them out for proper identification. They have located the position of the areas and flown back to the land,” he added. The potential debris was in a similar area to a possible oil slick seen by Vietnamese navy planes on Saturday, but officials have cautioned that this too may be nothing to do with the disappearance of Flight MH370. Fake passports There are now 40 ships and 34 aircraft from nine different nations taking part in the search for the missing plane in the seas off Vietnam and Malaysia. Other teams are investigating the identities of some of the people onboard. Malaysia’s civil aviation chief, Azharuddin Abdul Rahman, said five passengers booked on the flight did not board and their luggage was consequently removed. It has also been confirmed that two passengers were travelling on stolen passports. The passengers – travelling with Italian and Austrian passports that had been stolen in Thailand – purchased their plane tickets at the same time, and were both booked on the same onward flight from Beijing to Europe on Saturday. Both had purchased their tickets from China Southern Airlines, which shared the flight with Malaysia Airlines, and they had consecutive ticket numbers. “Whilst it is too soon to speculate about any connection between these stolen passports and the missing plane, it is clearly of great concern that any passenger was able to board an international flight using a stolen passport listed in Interpol databases,” the Secretary General of international police agency Interpol, Ronald Noble, said in a statement. Reports: 13 nuns freed by kidnappers in Syria THIRTEEN nuns and three maids kidnapped in late November from a Greek Orthodox monastery in Syria were freed yesterday, a pro-Syrian government news network and Lebanese state media reported. The women were “less than a few hours” from arriving at the Syria-Lebanon border, senior Orthodox Bishop Lucas alKhoury said on pro-government Ikhbariya television yesterday afternoon. Al-Khoury, standing at the border to greet the group, said negotiations for their release took several months, because the kidnappers “made false requests intended to stall the process” The Greek Orthodox figure, who often speaks out on behalf of President Bashar al-Assad’s government, added that the recent Syrian troop offensive on the opposition stronghold of Yabroud worked in the favour of the nuns’ release. The women were due to arrive in Beirut late yesterday, Lebanon’s National News Agency said, citing The Greek Orthodox Council. In December, Syrian state news service SANA reported that armed terrorists took the nuns, implying that rebels fighting to oust al-Assad were behind the attack. The chief of an opposi- tion group based in London confirmed that alNusra Front fighters abducted the nuns, but Rami Abdurrahman said the fighters did so to protect them from what the group believed would be an impending Ωattack by Syrian government forces. Rich Christian history Abdurrahman’s account of why the nuns were taken from the Monastery of Saint Tecla in the predominantly Christian village of Maaloula, about 40 miles west of Damascus could not be confirmed. Abdurrahman leads the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, based in Great Britain. The US State Department has designated the al-Nusra Front a terrorist organisation with links to al Qaeda. Christians make up about 10% of the population of Syria, but Christianity has a rich history there. Jesus was baptised in Syria, some of the earliest relics were found there, and Maaloula, in the Qalamoun Mountains, is one of the last places where the ancient Aramaic that Jesus spoke is still the main language. Many of Syria’s Christians support the al-Assad government, fearing that an end to his presidency could lead to instability and an Islamist power grab. Families of those on the plane face an anxious wait for news. Arab envoys say no to Israel as Jewish State ARAB foreign ministers yesterday rejected Israel’s demands that the Palestinians recognise it as a Jewish state, saying such a move would undermine the rights of Palestinian refugees. In a resolution released at the headquarters of the Arab League in Cairo, the foreign ministers called the issue of Palestinian refugees an integral part of a comprehensive and just peace. It blamed Israel for the floundering of peace negotiations. The Arab statement offers strong backing to Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, who said publicly last week he will never recognise Israel as a Jewish state, despite facing strong international pressure. Abbas did not identify who is pressuring him. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said last week the Palestinians must recognise Israel as a Jewish state to show they are serious about peace. It was the latest sign that despite seven months of mediation efforts by US Secretary of State John Kerry, wide gaps remain between the two sides. Abbas is due to meet US President Barack Obama in Washington on March 17, as part of US efforts to press both sides. He has said that the Palestine Liberation Organisation recognised the state of Israel in 1993 and that this is sufficient. Netanyahu has met Obama. The current round of talks began in late July, but was plagued from the start by disagreement between Abbas and Netanyahu on the ground rules. The Palestinians want a state in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem, lands Israel captured in 1967, and say talks about that state should use the 1967 border as a starting point. That position is backed by the US but rejected by Netanyahu. Barbados Advocate Barbados will have a third Condor flight out of Germany during the winter beginning this November. FLIGHT BOOST WITH visitor arrivals from Germany to Barbados having expanded 14 per cent last year, this country is now set to receive more traffic from that European country. This comes as the Barbados Tourism Authority (BTA) looks to drive more business out of Germany with an additional flight to be added to the roster later this year. Chairman of the BTA, Adrian Elcock, stated that the Condor flights out of Germany have been doing well and would be increased come November. He made the comments during an interview at the Internationale Tourismus-Börse in Berlin. The airline currently has a single flight out of the island during the summer and biweekly flights in winter. “We have been able to negotiate and come to a good conclusion that Barbados will have a third flight during the winter beginning this November 2014 lasting into April 2015. That will be tremendous for our arrival numbers and for our strategy, and we are very excited that we can continue our co-operation relationship with Condor for trusting Barbados,” he stated. He added that this new flight would, in a similar fashion to the other Condor flights, also fly into a neighbouring isle. “That third flight will be partners with our brothers and sisters in the spice isle, Grenada, so that will create a triangle where Barbados has a flight with St. Lucia, with Tobago and now we are adding Grenada. “Condor spoke to us about the opportunity with Grenada and they knew that we wanted the third flight and we have proved that we can fill a flight. Grenada is obviously in its infancy and will do well I am sure and we are there to hold their hands and make sure that the flight does well for both of us and I believe that soon from now where we can see four flights in the summer and two in the winter because the amount of investment that we will have to put out will warrant that level of aggression in the marketplace,” Elcock said. Asserting that the BTA was taking a all-round approach to Germany in a bid to acquire more Chairman of the BTA, Adrian Elcock. markets, he revealed, “We have strategically entered into arrangements in Frankfurt. We are looking at Dusseldorf and we are looking at how we can further be strengthened in other cities. We also have an arrangement out of Germany,with Tui in Hamburg in the Northern part of Germany, so I like to say that Barbados is on a heavy roller coaster that is exciting and with tremendous opportunities.” (JMB) 2 • Monday March 10, 2014 Business Monday Business Monday Monday March 10, 2014 • 3 Super Centre Limited improves profit SUPER CENTRE Limited, a local supermarket chain, performed creditably last year, while Knights Limited experienced a marginal decline in profitability. The performance of the two entities is outlined in the Neal and Massy Holdings Limited 2013 financial statements. Earl Boodasingh, Group Executive Vice President and Executive Chairman of Neal and Massy Holdings Limited, discussed their performance in the report. He said in the report that the creditable performance turned in by Super Centre Limited came in light of the extremely challenging environment in Barbados. “The company improved its profitability against the backdrop of a stagnant and contracting local economy, increased competition and reduced discretionary income of its customer base,” according to the official. Boodasingh also stated that Super Centre managed to weather the times through a stringent focus on margin control, cost containment and maximising value for consumers. However, as regards Knights Limited, the Executive Vice President and Chairman said that the marginal decline in profitability in 2013 was predominantly due to the effects of the contracting economy. To address the challenge officials of Knights focused on expense control, closed one of the company’s branches and improved the design of its Cave Shepherd branch to provide greater appeal and convenience. In an overview of that segment the official said that last year they at Neal and Massy continued to build an integrated Retail Business Model.“Combining inno- Trotman: No rash actions GENERAL Secretary of the Barbados Workers Union (BWU), Sir Roy Trotman, has said that the union will not be rushing into action that affects the entire country while satisfying certain factions in Barbados. He made the comment while placing the union’s approach in handling layoffs at the Transport Board in the perspective of the Chief Labour Officer in the first instance. There have been repeated calls in some political circles for trade unions to be more vocal and to take industrial action in light of the layoffs in the public service by Government, to balance its books. But Sir Roy Trotman had different ideas, even though he is not impressed with the approach by Government and the Transport Board, which he accused of sending out letters to employees. “We are taking the full country into our full examination, and we are endeavouring not to make steps which will gratify short term satisfaction for any factions of the Barbados community, then only to find that the total society is the net loser,” Sir Roy said. “So we want the best things for everybody, but we would love everybody to want the same best things and to be at least equally respectful of our concerns as we are of theirs,” he told media representatives. The BWU official remarked that he would be sympathetic to any approach that in an economy not going full blast on all cylinders then you recognise your responsibility as a government to be an employer in the last resort. According to Sir Roy, “We have recognised that Barbados is so delicately posi- Sir Roy Trotman says the union is not going to be rushing ahead to last case or other cases. tioned right now in its economic performance, that whatever we do has to be carefully examined, and as a union, we are not going to be rushing ahead to last case or other cases.” According to him, “We threatened to go on strike because the process was not being adhered to. We were going to do that to ensure that it was triggered.” The top Trade Unionist said that while the process has been triggered, it was not done so in a proper manner. Therefore, what “we are doing now is to try to point the employers, the transport board, beyond the steps they have taken so far, which would bring the approach into conformity with similar approaches by other persons before ,and into the kinds of approaches which others should take”. vative, consumer finance packages with our strong franchises of leading food retail and distribution entities, we have constructed a model that drives sustainable, competitive advantage,” he said. “For example, at our recently refurbished Super Centre Store at Warrens, we delivered to loyal customers an offering of food and non-food products, which could be purchased using our in-house credit card,” the Neal and Massy official noted. “For Barbadian consumers who are challenged by a tough economy, this is an unbeatable value proposition,” he added. Government to put forward $117.5 million supplementary in the House tomorrow GOVERNMENT is bringing a major supplementary to the House of Assembly tomorrow. The $117.5 million supplementary is among items on the Order Paper for tomorrow’s sitting. The largest chunk from the money being sought is $46.7 million. According to information on the Order Paper, this amount will be going to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries and Water Resources. It is reported that $9.9 million will be in the form of support for the Barbados Agricultural Management Company (BAMC), and $8.6 million for the Barbados Water Authority. In addition, a sum of $28.1 million is required to bring to account disbursements made to the BWA as executing agency for the Water and Sanitation upgrade project. A further $32.0 million will be going to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital and $37.2 million for the Sanitation Service Authority. The supplementary comes as Government prepares to lay the 20142015 Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure in the House of Assembly. Business Monday 4 • Monday March 10, 2014 Diversification of markets a platform for growth IN the past few months, the call for diversification has been highlighted in international business, tourism, and even government relationships. However, there’s the feeling that diversification efforts are not aggressive enough at this time, when the traditional markets th are not reaping the same benefits as before in an environment that is plagued by a prolonged recession. According to Ben Arrindell, International Tax Consultant with the Cidel Bank & Trust Inc., “Our focus has been on the Canadian market so long, we have to continue to maintain the market share we have in the Canadian market, but we need to aggressively look at other markets, and certainly we are ideally poised to be the gateway for Latin America. I am happy to say I have seen some progress in that push towards Latin America.” Gloria Eduardo, Leader in Tax Services with PricewaterhouseCoopers, reiterated that needs to be addressed in Barbados. “However, as service providers, many of these suggestion have been made over the years, such as we need to diversify our markets and aggressively develop other markets.We have relied on the Canadian market for a long time.. probably over 25 years, and perhaps we know deep down this was an extremely dangerous thing to do, but to some extent we were complacent and comfortable, but this has of course made us vulnerable.” In the tourism industry, diversification of the source markets has been discussed. However, some have stated that we should be further in the diversification efforts in terms of Brazil. Minister of Tourism and International Transport, Richard Sealy, stated diversification efforts in Barbados are still in progress. He stated in an earlier interview, “The reality is that our major source markets are all showing strain in terms of their economic situation. We are not say- ing we have abandoned them and we can’t get growth, but there are tremendous opportunities in the non traditional markets. Brazil stands out, but in the rest of Latin America there are possibilities. Continental Europe, also in Asia, there they are legitimate opportunities that we need to pursue.” Recently, Ian Durant, Economist at the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), highlighted that one of the critical areas to enhance growth in the tourism sector is through diversification of our source markets. Jeremy Stephen, President of the Barbados Economic Society (BES), believes the proposals put forward by Minister of Agriculture recently, in terms of forging business relationship with the UAE to assist in these challenging times, is a start of a very engaging discussion that must happen in Barbados. However, he made it clear the proposal doesn’t have to be with the UAE, but we need to find the best opportunities to refinance debt to allow ourselves the fiscal space for growth, and it should come from emerging economies such as Singapore, Latin America, and UAE etc. It is evident that diversification of markets is indeed one of the platforms for the growth of Barbados, the determinant of which emerging countries that Barbados should tap into for the medium term to long term have been discussed at length. However, many other countries are seeking opportunities with emerging markets. In February, Trinidad and Tobago signed an agreement with China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) of the People’s Republic of China for the development of an economic zone and a transhipment port and drydocking facilities. Taking business to the local market WATERSIDE Restaurant, opened three years ago, will be undergoing a few tweaks to take the restaurant to another level. Sitting on the edge of the sea, Waterside, located in St. Lawrence Gap, has all the right ingredients to become a favourite restaurant in Barbados. However, Michellan Bascombe, new Food and Beverage Manager for the Mango Group responsible for the Waterside, wants to tap more into the local market. The restaurant has been through a number of changes, including a new chef and a new, fresh menu launched in January, which combines local and indigenous dishes with international flair. The Food and Beverage Manager highlighted,“We did see a bit of a pickup in the winter season. As far summer, we want to continue to build the local clientele – that is what is needed to drive your business. Therefore, we also plan to have summer menus and different specials for the local clientele. We are also working on after-work limes, but this is still in planning.” Service Bascombe stated, “I believe service is paramount. We are also working to improve service, and we want to keep the standard of our food high, and also with a new chef and training for our staff, we are taking the restaurant to another level.” However, he believes, “More needs to be done in the industry. We rested on our laurels and it gave time for other countries to catch up, and now we are in danger of playing catch up. The diversification of our tourism market is vital. “However, developing niches is also an area that we need to push, such as sports tourism. Service will be the differentiating factor, but we need to start from young, teaching children in primary school to understand the importance of tourism and service.” (NB) Business Monday Monday March 10, 2014 • 5 New round of talks for sugar workers THERE will be another round in the negotiations for a new wages contract on behalf of this country’s sugar workers. Last week representatives of the major stakeholders attended a meeting at Solidarity House, headquarters of the Barbados Workers Union (BWU), to thrash out the key issues that will eventually lead to the new contract. Apart from the union, there were representatives from the Barbados Sugar Industry Limited, the (Government-owned) Barbados Agricultural Management Company and the Barbados Employers Confederation negotiating the two year wages accord on behalf of the workers. Following last week’s meeting, BWU General Secretary, Sir Roy Trotman, revealed that as soon as the other parties have had their consultations on matters dealt with, they will get back to the Union to have further discussions. He did say that the issues are not divisive and that the talks were amicable. Harvesting of the 2014 sugar crop was originally scheduled to commence on February 24. However, March 17 is new date for the start. While canes will be delivered to Portvale Sugar Factory, grinding will most likely start the following day or sometime afterwards. It will be the first Some of the officials who attended the negotiations at Solidarity House last week. time a single factory will be in operation given that Andrews Factory has been closed to undergo repairs as Barbados moves to a single factory model. Projections are that the crop will produce more than the 17 000 tons of sugar produced in last year’s harvest. This year’s crop will last about 16 weeks. However, Sir Roy Trotman said there are some issues which both sides have to do additional work. “We have a concern from general workers that an agreement which had been sought for sometime now was that these workers would be paid at the level of NCC – National Conservation Commission Workers – had not been resolved after many years. “We have agreed that whatever the past was, we will endeavour to work towards some viable approach to satisfy all parties,” he added. Customers can expect enhanced sales and service offerings CIBC SERVICE from Back Page Saying that the new centres “fit nicely” within the bank’s strategy of enhancing its sales and service offerings, Mr. St. Hill said, “In these times it’s important for existing as well as potential customers to know that there is more that we can do for them and so we want to walk that journey with them through the lifecycle of mortgages as well as other important investments and financial decisions.” Well-qualified and dedicated staff Highlighting what customers could look forward to with the Mortgage and Loan Centres, Mr. St. Hill noted that the centres were being centrally located in each jurisdiction so as to provide easy access for customers. The centres also have a team of “extremely well-qualified and dedicated staff ” with specialist skills and knowledge, as well as faster turnaround times. To this end, the centres’ teams will push through non-bank controlled processes, working closely with attorneys-atlaw and insurance providers so that customers’ requirements are satisfied quickly. With the roll out of the Mortgage and Loan Centres, Mr. St. Hill, who has over 24 years of experience with CIBC FirstCaribbean, expects that it will become the “bank of choice with a dedicated and skilled staff ”. In identifying the other services which customers could look forward to, Mr. St. Hill spoke of the bank’s relaunch of its Platinum Banking service (formerly Wealth Management) with additional products and services; and its Business Banking services in which planning guides and advisory seminars are to be offered to small businesses. First Mortgage Day held The Banking Centre recently conducted a successful “test run” of its advisory services by hosting the first “Mortgage Day” – a mini exposition which brought together some of this country’s leading real estate experts to talk with prospective cus- tomers about opportunities for investment. Mr. St. Hill observed that CIBC FirstCaribbean is keenly aware of its role in helping its customers navigate the process to home ownership and other investment. Mr. St. Hill also noted the expanding ABM network saying that at Warrens, in Barbados, for example, the network had expanded from two to six ABMs with the re- cent opening of the Warrens Banking Centre. “I don’t think you’ll find another bank in this area that offers this level of express banking and convenience to customers,” he added. The bank’s Barbados Mortgage and Loan Centre is centrally located in the Warrens Banking Centre. The Managing Director, Retail and Business Banking concluded, “CIBC FirstCaribbean is repositioning itself to be even more closely aligned with what matters to our customers who wish to access credit.” BANK RATES Commercial bank rates to the public at the close of business on Friday by the Central Bank of Barbados. Valid for March 10th, 2014 Telegraphic Transfers Currency Euro Pound Sterling £ Canadian $ United States $ Guyana $ East Caribbean $ Belizean $ Demand/Sight: Currency Euro Pound Sterling £ Canadian $ United States $ Guyana $ East Caribbean $ Belizean $ Notes: Currency Euro Pound Sterling £ Canadian $ United States $ East Caribbean $ Belizean $ Buying 2.76314 3.33124 1.79207 1.99375 0.00977 0.73843 0.99688 Selling 2.81495 3.39370 1.82955 2.02768 0.00984 0.74306 1.00313 Buying 2.75795 3.32499 1.78868 1.99000 0.00977 0.73843 0.99688 Selling 2.81495 3.39370 1.82955 2.02768 0.00984 0.74306 1.00313 Buying 2.71807 3.27691 1.77856 1.98000 0.73704 1.00000 Selling 2.83253 3.41489 1.83116 2.02857 0.74445 1.00000 INDICATIVE RATES FOR SOME REGIONAL CURRENCIES AS ADVISED BY THE RESPECTIVE CENTRAL BANKS N.B.: These rates are not meant to be used for trading. BDS$ Guyana $ 0.00980 Jamaica $ 0.01847 Trinidad & Tobago $ 0.31369 Business Monday 6 • Monday March 10, 2014 Estimates anxiously awaited By Jewel Brathwaite IT is expected that this week the Government will be releasing its Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure for the next fiscal year starting April 1, 2014. There will be many expectations from the document not only in terms of Government’s end of year (March 31, 2014) position, but also how it intends to proceed with its operations in the coming year. In the year 2013 when chop and changes became a regular feature of tax and expenditure management, these coming Estimates will most likely indicate how far that process will go including whether more stringent measures are likely to be pursued. For a long time Government has been pursuing policies to have a low fiscal deficit, promote economic growth and safeguard the existing parity of the Barbados dollar. Projections for the current year as outlined in the 2013-2014 Estimates, were for Current Revenue of $2.6 billion, Expenditure of $3.8 billion and a shortfall of $1.2 billion. Some spending cuts were outlined to deal with expenditure while borrowings to assist in meeting the shortfall. Three months into the current financial year, that is by June 2013, Government revealed its intention to plug a $400 million hole when it was discovered that foreign reserves had dipped $400 million. For a long time Government has been pursuing policies to have a low fiscal deficit, promote economic growth and safeguard the existing parity of the Barbados dollar. ECONOMIC VIEWPOINT Policies to effect these were announced in the August 2013 Budget.They include an increase in taxes in the form of a Consolidated Tax; Budget cuts totalling $30 million in respect of temporary post/employees; five per cent cut in Goods and Services allocations; a $20 million reduction is the Estimate’s allocations for allowances and subsidies; a 50 per cent reduction in the Reversed tax credit; reduced spending; a major policy shift where students will from September this year pay tuition fees for education at the University of the West Indies; and among other things, provision for a Solid Waste Tax starting next fiscal year. These measures were part of a 19-month programme by which time (March 2015) the fiscal deficit was expected to be 2.8 per cent of GDP. “It is observed that for the first seven months which represent the period September 2013 to March 2014, the size of the deficit reduction would be $213.8 million or to an estimated 5.4 per cent of GDP in line with the target set for this year’s Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure,” Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs, Christopher Sinckler said while delivering the Budget. Then in December came the bombshell when it was announced from the floor of the House of Assembly that 3 000 public workers were to be made redundant to tighten the process that had commenced in the Estimates and the subsequent August Budget. Apparently some of the key projections outlined in the Budget were off target. The process of public sector job cuts has already started and according to the Minister of Finance, should be done by the end of this month. More recent information indicates that the fiscal deficit by the end of this month should be about nine per cent of GDP and not the original 5.4 per cent projected by this year’s Estimates. It is therefore reasonable to assume that the forthcoming Estimates are structured in such a way that they are going to help the country to realise the targets in this challenging environment. It is anticipated that from the documents there will be lower allocations across the board if the process of reducing the size of Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs, Christopher Sinckler. Government remains a focus. Allocations in respect of Government’s wage bill, Transfers, Goods and Services, and even Capital Expenditure, are expected to be lower, compared to those of this present year. Projections for tax revenues should also make interesting reading if only because they continue to be off target. The lay offs which are taking place in the economy and the tight fiscal policies being pursued will have implications for the Government’s revenue position. When to these are added the lower spending in the economy given the still uncertain economic climate, then the revenue position will be challenged. During his news conference last January, Mr. Sinckler said that in an effort to preserve public sector jobs and maintain social services the Government has taken a number of measures to increase its revenue. “We are of the view that more taxation will not be part of the solution,” he said. However, there are those among us who believe that some form of tax relief is necessary in the prevailing circumstances. What would indeed be a blessing for the economy is whether GDP growth will return this year. If such is the case, then it is likely that would be an added tool to help to lower the deficit. In its projections for this year the Central Bank of Barbados are for another decline this year, but a resumption of growth next year. At the time of the Budget and even at his January news conference, Sinckler revealed that a number of projects will be getting off the ground to complement the country’s growth strategy. They are yet to start and no one seemed to know when they will be doing so. There is need for an explanation about this. Finally, with the several shifts undertaken over the last year the Minister in presenting 2014-2015 Estimates during next week’s debate should be a in position to say what level of economic output is anticipated from the fiscal and expenditure policies going forward. However, the Estimates will be eagerly awaited. Business Monday Monday March 10, 2014 • 7 Golden moment for local tourism BARBADOS Tourism Authority & Ministry of Tourism win top awards for their marketing and educational efforts at the American Advertising Federation (4th District) Awards. The Barbados Tourism Authority’s App – The Barbados Official Travel Guide (BOTG) has been awarded a Gold American Advertising Federation Award. The app acts as an on-island virtual guide and interactive mobile tool was a winner in the Caribbean Chapter of the competition which received over 700 entries this year. Judged based on its design and functionality the app allows visitors and locals to use GPS capabilities and the ‘augmented reality’ feature to enhance their on-island experience. Augmented reality utilizes the camera feature to provide information on places of interest in the immediate vicinity. G&A Communications Inc, marketing partner to the Barbados Tourism Authority developed the Barbados App which was one of only two winners in the 2014 competition’s mobile category.Associate Art Director and designer of the app, Junior Clarke, stated. “I am happy about the win especially since the app is a new aspect of the BTA’s marketing thrust and such a useful tool for visitors.” The Barbados tourism industry was a double winner this year, receiving an additional Gold award for the Ministry of Tourism’s documentary exploring the impact of tourism on the local economy – “Barbados, Let’s Talk Tourism.” The feature was also produced by the Barbadian company who received 10 such awards The Barbados Tourism Authority’s App – The Barbados Official Travel Guide (BOTG) has been awarded a Gold American Advertising Federation Award. this year. Commenting on the award winning work done in collaboration with G&A, Tourism Minister The Honourable Richard Sealy noted;“Their renderings of the video documentary Let’s Talk Tourism for the Ministry’s Local Awareness Campaign and the Barbados Official Travel Guide App for the Barbados Tourism Authority met with much 2014 Bollywood Night Saturday 29th March A very special 2-hr extravangza inspired by the vibrant music and colourful dance of Bollywood! Featuring direct from Trinidad & Tobago The Watertech Sargam International Orchestra The Susan Mohip Dance Company Authentic, delicious Indian curries and delicacies available on the night, along with our International Food Market and Holders Season Bar, open from 5.30pm WHERE: Little Theatre, Holders House, St James Performance starts at 7pm TICKETS: Gold Reserve $200 General Admission Zone B $ 150, Zone C $80, Zone D $40 Book online holdersseason.com or Tel: 432 7338 acclaim. The minister also urged the youthful and ambitious entrepreneurial com- pany to maintain their high standards of work.” Business Monday 8 • Monday March 10, 2014 Editor’s Notebook Signs of blue skies ahead? IT is quite noticeable that several of the countries that endured a torrid time during the global economic meltdown are gradually emerging from those difficult times. Last week Ms. Christine Lagarde, the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), commented on the Euro Zone area finally emerging from the deep recession. She spoke at a function in Spain. About a year ago there was talk and concern that Europe’s recovery, and in particular Greece, Portugal, Spain, Ireland and a number of others, were into a recession that would most likely take years to end. Now the Fund’s projections are for one per cent growth in Europe this year and 1.4 per cent growth next year. Here in the Caribbean the picture is almost the same. The island nations of the Caribbean will however depend on a European recovery, which when placed alongside that of North America and the UK should bring a degree of satisfaction to this region. Their economies are so interlinked with the metropole (Europe and North America) that they will fancy their chances of economic improvement once there is economic progress in those countries. C Jul y alendar WHAT'S UP IN THE BUSINESS WORLD • Estimates of revenue and Expenditure for government’s next financial year should soon be laid in the House of Assembly. • Governor of the Central Bank of Barbados, Dr. Delisle Worrell will be presenting this year’s Fair Trading Commission Lecture on Friday on the topic: What is a Fair Trade? It will take place at the Accra Beach Hotel & Spa, Rockley, Christ Church, beginning at 7 p.m. • On Saturday the Central Bank of Barbados will be unveiling the Church Village Green. Tourism: Practice, productivity and prosperity “Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth” – 3 John 1:2 TOURISM is the single major sector that is important in every Caribbean country. Two to three weeks ago, American Professor of Economics, C. Fred Bergsten advised the flagging tourism-dependent Caribbean countries to turn to China as a potentially booming source of visitors to insulate themselves from future external shocks. He said that “the region needs to diversify its economic relations with Latin America and East Asia, more specifically China which is the world’s second largest spender on tourism – more than US$100 billion annually and China is going to explode as a source of tourism. There is going to be a tsunami of Chinese tourists flooding the world over the next several decades and if the Caribbean can get even a small slice of that huge market, it can do wonders for the economies of our small states”. The secret for the region lies in a five-pronged tourism strategy: (1) marketing and public relations; (2) enhancing cruise ship arrivals and airlift capacity to the region; (3) augmenting the quantity and improving the quality of hotel room stock; (4) developing an attractive mix of tourism services which can be accessed through multi-destination tourism; and (5) introducing individual productivity enhancing measures to uphold high quality and standards. Marketing drives revenue and is supported by Public Relations which professionally maintains a favourable public image of the region as a tourism destination. In this regard, the Caribbean Tourism Organization has a mandate to position the Caribbean as the most desirable, year round, warm weather destination. Not only must we enhance the quantum of cruise ship passengers and airlift capacity to the region by establishing relations with new carriers in the emerging markets but we must also develop LIAT so that it can link with the these new carriers and exploit multi-destination tourism opportunities and create a more viable market for itself. Even though the average hotel occupancy rate in the Caribbean is low, an aggressive marketing strategy will address this provided that we listen to the marketing feedback and are prepared to improve the quality and augment the quantity of the hotel room stock commensurately. The Caribbean as a destination boasts of many diverse attractions. I received two e-mail messages last week which stimulated some thought on this subject. The one was from Senator Professor Henry Fraser on the carnivalisation of Barbados by Trini cousins and the other by James Blades who drew to my attention that the The ‘Dinner with George’ (Washington) event, currently running in Barbados, was a HIT! This is of course just the tip of the iceberg. Henry Fraser reported “Carnival fever was at boil- ing point in Trinidad last week, with the costume bands, steel bands, calypso, soca ‘fuh days’ and the frenzied mud bath on J’ouvert morning". I recall when I lived in Trinidad 40 years ago that there would be at abrupt end to the celebrations on the Carnival Tuesday night. A metamorphosis in behaviour took place from Ash Wednesday for the religious period of Lent. Not so today! Yes, a large turnout at church services on Ash Wednesday but no abrupt break in the festivities except for those visitors who have returned to their respective abodes. Fraser continued “with the close association between our countries, from the Bajan occupation of Tobago under Lord Willoughby in 1660 through the emigration to the oil fields 100 years ago, it’s no surprise that Bajans tried to copy carnival some 60 years ago. But it flopped... it wasn’t until 1974 that the revival of the ancient Crop Over celebrations provided an opportunity to try to out-do our Trini cousins, in letting it all hang out". George Washington, later to become the 1st President of the United States of America, visited Barbados in 1751 and spent about two months. George Washington House, the place where he stayed while in Barbados is now a tourist attraction under the control of the Barbados National Trust and gives useful insights into life as it was in the Barbados of 250 years ago. James Blades reported “the event ‘Dinner with George’, at George Washington House, is a HIT! The average occupancy since the first presentation on December 23rd 2013 has been 97%.The activity takes place every Monday evening from 7-10 pm and has lived up to being called one of Barbados’ most exciting and authentic ‘world class’ dinner theatre experiences. The last regular presentation this winter season will take place on March 31st 2014. The season reopens on December 15 2014. Finally, Jeff Haden an American television producer and director shares five scientifically proven ways to work smarter, not harder. In other words five ways in which we can increase our productivity to set and uphold high quality and standards. They are: (1) Take more breaks to give your mind and body a rest; (2) Take power naps to recharge the learning process; (3) Spend time in nature to listen to the whispers from heaven; (4) Move and work in blocks the break helps you to think through what you are working on or what you will do next; and (5) Check your email first thing, so you can stay ahead of the game. In conclusion, if we appreciate the broad definition of what the tourism industry is all about, it is therefore incumbent upon every single one of us to engage in innovative practices and practise high levels of productivity (human, technology and process), so that our future prosperity will be ensured. (Dr. Basil Springer GCM is Change-Engine Consultant, Caribbean Business Enterprise Trust Inc. - CBET - Columns at www.cbetmodel.org) Regional airline expanding fleet REGIONAL airline LIAT will be adding two more planes to its ATR fleet as early as this month, says Chairman of shareholder governments Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves. He told members of the press earlier this week that the company would be receiving two ATR 42 aircraft in March and June to add to its existing fleet of six. A ninth plane was to be delivered this year but the top LIAT shareholder official said that it was no longer possible to do so before next year, given a shortfall in capital form shareholders as well as the inability to sell the company's existing Dash – 8 fleet. He expressed that the purchase of the airplanes to refleet its operations symbolised LIAT's continued commitment to its programme of expansion as a strategic thrust and that the company was intent on “doing the things which are required to fix [it] now”. The 50- seater planes which are being built and sourced from France are short-haul craft said to be more suitable and cost efficient for LIAT's inter-regional operations than its former Dash -8 fleet.(RS) Business Monday Monday March 10, 2014 • 9 Caribbean women in business: A trend or paradigm shift? ACROSS the globe and through the ages, women have experienced the disadvantages of existing in a patriarchal framework, which has designated them to a homemaker role, and continues to define the sex as a whole. Women in business are breaking that mould across the world and writing new stories for themselves, and in the Caribbean, the Caribbean Export Development Agency (Caribbean Export) is assisting them through a variety of programmebased interventions. In commemoration of International Women’s Day 2014, Caribbean Export wishes to highlight and applaud the tremendous progress of Caribbean women in the business arena. We believe that, in keeping with this year’s theme of “Inspiring Change”, that these women are not only inspiring, but also effecting change in meaningful and lasting ways. In the professional world, women often face many obstacles to advancement in the work place and in entrepreneurship, often referred to as the infamous glass ceiling. Many of these constraints are actually social constructs. Socially, the expectation is still for women to place having children as their top priority, whereas the expectation for men is to be successful in their careers. In a recent study by the World Bank, “female entrepreneurs are more likely to operate in the informal sector or in traditional female sectors. This limitation is likely due to “…a lack of business connections and networks, few entrepreneurial female role models. Accessing finance is also a challenge, with women often lacking the required collateral to obtain successful financing above the microfinance level from banks”. These World Bank findings represent a global phenomenon, but the Caribbean has arguably always been a region where females rarely face disproportionate opportunities, oppression or discrimination, as is often the case in other parts of the developing world. In fact, across the region, women have taken full advantage of the educational avenues available and many have succeeded in rising to positions of influence. However, the proverbial glass ceiling and other social limitations still remain a reality for many who wish to venture into the business sector. Despite these challenges, the number of women involved in the business sector has dramatically increased globally. It is thought that due to the current global economic climate, which has left scores of women, as well as men unemployed, there has arisen a greater impetus for women to enter into entrepreneurial roles. According to studies conducted by the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, particularly in lesserdeveloped countries “when it comes to entrepreneurship, males tend to cite ‘opportunity’ as their main motivator, while women more often start or maintain businesses out of ‘necessity’”. The study cited that there are 187 million registered women-owned and operated businesses worldwide. Consequently, Caribbean Export has witnessed a rise in the number of female participants across several of its activities delivered under the 10th European Development Fund (EDF). Women have not only become progressively more involved, but now account for a significant fraction of overall participation. These women are involved in a wide range of sectors from agro-processing to specialized tourism. Collectively and individually, these women encapsulate the qualities of creativity, intelligence, tenacity, dynamism and the courage that it takes to enter and survive in the business world, a world that is ordinarily dominated by men. “Caribbean women, have something very unique to contribute to the regional and global markets,” Pamela CokeHamilton, the Executive Director of Caribbean Export remarked, “They have been afforded quality educational opportunities which, coupled with the well-rounded perspective that comes from living in a regional village, has made them naturally inclined to think outside of conventional parameters.” Mrs. CokeHamilton added that, “At Caribbean Export, we have seen remarkable advancement in the status of women within the private sector which makes me proud as a woman. Women are not just running businesses: they are pioneering ecologicallyconscious, sustainable There are 187 million registered women-owned and operated businesses worldwide. Pamela Coke-Hamilton, the Executive Director of Caribbean Export. industries in a host of sectors that are constantly looking forward; constantly innovating. The Caribbean businesswoman is no longer trying to survive, she is trying to fashion a stronger future for the region.” But with all that is being said, does this represent a paradigm shift in the professional focus of females in the region? Caribbean Export has seen an increased involvement of women in burgeoning industries such as specialized tourism and renewable energy. Another sector, renewable energy, has become a priority in many Caribbean territories, following initiatives taken by developed nations. As a result, the sector attracts a great deal of investment and support from foreign and regional entities alike, and has been pegged as a major growth industry by organizations such as the European Union (EU), InterAmerican Development Bank (IADB), and the Organisation of American States (OAS). In 2013, Caribbean Export awarded funding to fifty-four (54) women through the EUfunded Direct Assistance Grant Scheme (DAGS). These beneficiaries were from the agro-processing and manufacturing sectors, which accounted collectively for 51% of the female beneficiaries. This substantial fraction alludes to a much greater female involvement in traditionally male-dominated areas than might have previously been perceived. These women are not only driving this industry into a new age with innovative products and methodologies, but, they are also harvesting the resources to position themselves as viable global competitors, with support from Caribbean Export. A new generation of Caribbean female entrepreneurs has emerged who are an essential component of the future of the regions private sector, a future that is symbolized by growth, innovation and competitiveness. Article submitted by The Caribbean Export Development Agency, the only regional export development, trade and investment promotion organization of the Forum of Caribbean States (CARIFORUM). Business Monday 10 • Monday March 10, 2014 Know your strengths, seek a good team FROM making fudge at her Westbury home as a young girl to the owner of Champers, a leading restaurant on the South Coast, Cheryl Newman, believes that with the right attitude, determination and the right financial advice, being a successful business owner is indeed possible. She shared her words of wisdom at the recent Barbados Youth Business Trust (BYBT)/ Bristish High Commission Female Entrepreneur Forum ‘Rising Above the Challenges’. She told the audience of mostly women about the setbacks and the successes she has encountered to now grossing in excess of $8 million annually. Strong team Newman outlined the importance of having a strong accounting team. She recounted, “When I was buying out my partner in Champers, I went to the bank to get a loan with all the relevant criteria. I met with the bank manager [and] I was confident that I would get this loan. I had promised my partner that I was paying him the $200 000 to pay him out of the business [and with] wages to pay, I was hoping to collect the cheque by Monday so that by Friday I could pay my staff. “Then the bank manager told me ‘the bank has no confidence with you as a business person to run this business’. They saw the business run by my partner – a man. I thought about the amount of work I put in – 4 a.m. cooking, trips to the fish market, baking and getting home at 2 a.m. They said they would give me the loan, but it comes at a high price: ‘Your rate of interest will be prime plus four per cent. We also need financials from you every month and every time you are late it is a penalty.’,” she recalled. “My financial advisor said ‘I would like to thank you for the time but I will take my client elsewhere’. Without having my financial advisor I probably would have signed on the dotted line; I had people to pay and I could not see a way out. That is why it is good to have sound financial advice because you could sign away your life and not even know what you have done,” she advised. Newman, along with her financial advisor, went to another bank where she received the loan without the unfavourable demands. She was able to buy out her partner and expand Champers. Setbacks The owner of Champers reminisced, “I remember sitting at the bar thinking life can’t get better – running my own business. [Then] The landlord calls up – ‘We need to discuss the renewal of your lease. Champers is nowhere without this location and we have decided we want you to work for us and we will take over the brand or I can raise your rent.’ My financial advisor said ‘I thank you for your time, none of those are options for us.’ “At that point I put my entire friends’ network [to work]. I called up everybody I knew. I said, ‘I’m looking for a place to rent or buy.’ We eventually found the property where we are located now and we bought it with the help of the bank that stood by me a few years back. We developed Champers to what it is now and every time I walked through those doors I say ‘Thank you, Jesus.” Words of wisdom Newman advised female entrepreneurs, “Managing finances and managing expenses are the key to any successful business. Also, understanding that the company money is not your money and when you start to do well you don’t go out and buy a pair of Louis Vuitton shoes. “People say you don’t come from anywhere. It doesn’t matter where you start it is where you end; the journey that you take defines you as a person.” Newman maintained, “Have respect for person’s time. You are in a position as an entrepreneur which you are begging for help. You have mentors and good loan systems people that can help you along the way. Twenty-seven years ago we didn’t have those opportunities; you need to seize them.” (NB) Cheryl Newman, owner of Champers Wine Bar and Restaurant . Business Monday Monday March 10, 2014 • 11 FTC and consumer rights EVERY year since 1983, World Consumer Rights Day has been celebrated around the world. This year will be no exception and March 15, 2014 will be the day when consumers around the world, including Barbados, unite to promote consumer rights. Consumers International, the world federation of consumer rights groups, whose mission is to campaign for Consumer Rights globally and protect and empower consumers the world over, has this year selected the theme “Fix Our Phone Rights”. This theme seeks to address issues that most affect consumers including the need for access to reliable service, the security of their data and fair contracts and billing. In this regard, the Commission examines Standard Form Contracts for unfair contract terms. These are contracts which are drawn up in advance by suppliers and are not individually negotiated with consumers. From January to December last year, 33 contracts were reviewed in areas such as finance, insurance, telecommunications, retail, education and sports. These contracts contained 1,360 terms, 17 of which were found to be in breach of the Consumer Protection Act (the Act). The Commission required the businesses to either delete or amend the unfair terms. The Act also ensures that consumers are not disadvantaged by requiring businesses to write their Standard Form Contracts in language that is easily understood. The Commission also addresses issues relating to unfair trade practices by businesses such as dual pricing, false representation as to price and false representation as to the right or remedy available, under the guidance of the Act. While the Act is entitled the Consumer Protection Act and by implication may suggest that it only benefits consumers, businesses also benefit from having this piece of legislation in place which has brought clarity to a number of consumer issues. For example, most consumers believe that they are being misled about their rights if they purchase an item, change their minds, return the item and the business informs them that they are not entitled to a refund. In a scenario of this nature, the business is under no legal obligation to provide the consumer with a refund of monies paid as the item is not defective. The Act also gives businesses the opportunity to examine their specific industry, and where there are consumer matters that need attention, the Act allows the business to first address the matter through self-regulation. The purpose of implementing consumer laws is to protect consumers from businesses who engage in unfair trade practices such as misleading and deceptive conduct and bait advertising. The Act provides consumers with rights when they buy goods and services. Some of these rights are: The right to be informed – To be given the facts needed to make an informed choice, and to be protected against misleading and deceptive advertising and labelling. With this right comes the responsibility to inform yourself. When planning to purchase a product or service, it is the responsibility of the consumer to The Commission also addresses issues relating to unfair trade practices by businesses such as dual pricing, false representation as to price and false representation as to the right or remedy available, under the guidance of the Act. FTC COLUMN seek out as much information as possible on the item, including its quality, features and the price of competing products. The right to choose – To be able to select from a range of products and services offered at competitive prices with an as- surance of satisfactory quality. With this right comes the responsibility to be wise. The Commission advises consumers to avoid making impulsive or hasty decisions based on enticing advertisements or overstated claims about a product, and to shop around and compare prices and quality so that the best bargains are attained. The Act also ensures that consumers and suppliers operate in a market place where goods are safe and of acceptable quality, and where contract terms are fair, and there is a right to redress. Although consumers have rights enacted by law which are being mon- itored by organisations such as the Fair Trading Commission, consumers also have responsibilities. Therefore, responsible consumers should ensure that the product is the one they want before purchasing it. If you have any questions email us at [email protected] or call us at 424-0260. We can also be contacted at our offices at ‘Good Hope’, Green Hill, St. Michael. Business Monday 12 • Monday March 10, 2014 FTC to hold 10th annual lecture this Friday FTC chairman Sir Neville Nicholls. INTEREST will be high when the Fair Trading Commission (FTC) holds its 10th annual lecture this week. The lecture is scheduled for Friday at the Accra Beach Hotel and Spa, Rockley, Christ Church, and will be presented by the Governor of the Central bank of Barbados, Dr. Delisle Worrell. The lecture comes against the background of another busy year for the FTC, including the repeated queries which Barbadian consumers continue to lodge with the Commission. Therefore those attending the lecture which starts at 7 p.m. will have another opportunity to raise issues of pressing concerns. Chairman Sir Neville Nicholls said as much about the busy schedule when he reported that the programme was similar to previous years. The Commission said that last year it was contacted by 2 237 consumers seeking advice on a range of issues relating to businesses and alleged unfair trading practices. “One thousand nine hundred and eighty seven (1987) were telephone queries while 250 were from consumers who visited the Commission,” the FTC said in its 2013 report. Furthermore, it conducted 80 unannounced visits to stores in Bridgetown, Speightstown, Sheraton Centre and Warrens to assess compliance with the Consumer Protection Act. “Thirteen of these stores displayed “No Exchange No Refund” signs which contravenes the CPA. The businesses were requested to desist from this unfair trade practice,” the FTC said. One of the highpoints of the FTC’s activities was dealing with what Sir Neville said were consumer complaints suggesting that certain banking and interest charges were unjustified and appeared to be the result of collusive practices by the banks. The Commission according to him, undertook its own investigation looking specifically at the quantum of the charges, the frequency of their increases, the timing of their implementation, similarity and other information to determine if the charges were being driven by anti-competitive trading. “However, the Commission found no evidence of collusive practices,” Sir Neville had said. In spite of the findings, Barbadians are still complaining about the charges which perhaps should elicit some responses from the Governor. The question has been put to the Bank at its regular news conferences on the economy. Sir Neville said that the Commission is working with some banks to ensure full compliance with the Consumer Protect Act where that relates to standard Form Contract. Business Monday Monday March 10, 2014 • 13 Will the US cede global economic leadership to China? By Jewel Brathwaite RECENTLY in Barbados, China’s credentials for becoming the world’s largest economy were put forward by Dr. Fred C. Bergsten, of the Peterson Institute of International Economics. While there is nothing new to the thought, there are some who wonder how the United States will face up to such an eventuality having been the major global economic and political powerhouse for many years, and certainly since the end of the Second World War in 1945. Even if the Americans are not saying it, there is still a feeling out there that it won’t be an easy process ceding global economic leadership to China. Dr. Bergsten, who was on a six-week Sabbatical at the Central Bank of Barbados, said that China had made enormous strides as an economic power. But the Americans are still powerful. The records show that the United TRADE IN FOCUS States wore down and eventually saw the demise of the Soviet Union after more than 40 years of rivalry between them in the now famous Cold War resulting in international communism having given way to the market. But can it remain at top of the game given the rivalry expected from China? As a very influential country in the free world, many countries look to the United States for leadership. Its democratic traditions are well known; it is the country where more often than not people tend to gravitate; its economy is still tremendous and because of the pull it has on the rest of the world, economic slowdown in the USA has a negative impact on other countries. Statue of Liberty... symbol of free market and USA power. Dr. Fred C. Bergsten. Nowadays people are talking about the increasing technological prowess of the USA which no other country can match. There is a fear nowadays that cutting its demand for external oil is going to make it even more powerful, and who knows, create difficulties for oil exporting countries. For its part, China has many credentials which it has brought as a major actor on the global economic if not political stage. It has an economy that grows on average by eight per cent per annum and it is the world’s largest exporting country. China is a significant player in the global economy – it has a growing military might; it has major investments around the globe including the holding of enormous levels of American debt instruments; and it posses trillions of dollars in foreign reserves. China has also been a stabilising force in the global economy and the demand it makes for commodities, and the investments undertaken in other countries, meant that many of them escaped the full fury of the global recession. Dr. Bergsten said that the elevation of China to the world’s largest economy won’t take place until another decade or so. The end to the second world war in 1945 saw the emergence of two major superpowers powers: the United States and the Soviet Union. That period also marked the beginning of 45 years of rivalry between the two blocs: the United States representing capitalism and the safeguard of freedom and democracy, and the Soviet Union representing communism and totalitarian and the infringement of peoples’ rights. They competed for influence around the world, indulged in an arms race and intervened in countries to maintain their respective influence. The Soviet Union comprised Russia and a whole set of Eastern European states the Russians annexed and dominated with an iron fist.These countries included Poland, East Germany, Romania, Hungary, Bulgaria, Estonia, Lithuania and the then Czechoslovakia among others. It competed with the USA in the so called Third World, more so in Africa and Asia where a string of radical leaders aligned their countries with the Soviet Union while carrying on an antiAmerican crusade. Cuba, backed by the Soviet Union and Grenada for four years, were major successes for the Soviet Union in the western hemisphere. The Americans also had their support as well. Western Europe, the whole of Latin America, a few countries in Africa and in the Middle East were largely in their camp. By the late 1990s the Soviet Union and the empire it had created could not go on. Cracks were seen in the structure where basic human rights, shortages, the need for more freedom and economic democracy, and stagnant economies demanded changes. Like dominoes, all of the Eastern European countries secured their independence resulting in the Soviet Union eventually disintegrating. Current Russian President, Vladimir Putin, deemed it the worst thing that could have happened to his country. Many called it a victory for the market and for the United States. Having therefore seen off the Soviet Union, can the USA compete with China? Dr. Bergsten said that the United States losing its position as the pre-eminent power has to realise that it must now collaborate, work with others and no longer try to dominate the scene because it no longer has the capability to do it. He admits that to some extent both sides are cooperating. “But as yet there is no meeting of the mind of substance on major issues, that is why global economic cooperation has actually stalled,” he said. However, he acknowledged that as China becomes the world’s leading economy, responsibility has to go along with it. These events will make for important studies and assessments going forward. Business Monday 14 • Monday March 10, 2014 Four ways to prevent office bullying Office bullying includes verbal abuse, threatening behaviour and intimidation, and should not be tolerated. AS educators strive to prevent bullying in schools, business leaders face a similar problem in the workplace. According to a survey by the Workplace Bullying Institute, as of 2010, 35 per cent of the U.S. workforce (an estimated 53.5 million Americans) reported being bullied at work, making bullying four times more prevalent than other forms of workplace harassment. Office bullying is verbal abuse, threatening behaviour, intimidation or humiliation that lasts for several months or more. High turnover is common in bully-friendly offices and targets often suffer from depression and low morale, hurting productivity and work quality. “The environment has a lot to do with why someone bullies,” says Catherine Mattice, president of Civility Partners, an organisation that promotes positive workplaces. “Bullies don’t exist in a vacuum.” Heavily bureaucratic organisations promote bullying, as do fiercely competitive or rapidly changing ones. Weak leaders who don’t take a stance on bullying can also allow it to thrive. “As a leader, you have the ability to craft a culture,” Mattice says. Here are four ways to prevent bullying before it starts: 1. Emphasise behaviours you want to see. To prevent bullying, outline the positive behaviours you expect to see in the workplace. “Anti-bullying policies don’t work,” Mattice says. “You’ve got to focus on what you want from [your employees], not what you don’t want.” Of course, you have to follow through as well. “If someone is getting out of line, spend some time coaching them and help them engage in behaviour that’s more what you’re looking for,” Mattice suggests. 2. Foster conflict resolution skills. If you notice that an employee struggles to resolve conflicts effectively, provide some extra support. If a conflict comes up, discuss it with them afterward. What approach did they take to resolve it? Why? How did it work out? Did they consider any other approaches? Tell them what they did well then suggest how their approach might improve in the future. You can ask potential hires the same questions, focusing on a past conflict. “You’re looking for someone who is generally sensitive to the situation,” Mattice says. “You can typically hear whether they were being proactive and respectful.” 3. Clarify roles and responsibilities. Constant change can destabilise employees, a particular challenge for start-ups that are often in flux. “Change makes people uncomfortable,” Mattice says, making it a risk factor for bullying. To reduce the stress, make sure employees are fully informed about what the changes are and how they will each be affected. “The clearer you can make someone’s responsibilities and your expectations, the less stressed they’ll be,” Mattice adds. 4. Be available for feedback. “Targets often don’t speak up because they’re not sure how the organisation will respond,” Mattice says. “You have to open the door.” Employees with a forum to speak up are much more likely to report problems before they escalate. At one company, where rampant rumour mills were causing unrest, Mattice helped the CEO set up an e-mail address that employees could use to verify rumours they heard. He responded to each inquiry, an act of transparency that calmed employees and lowered the risk of bullying. Business Monday Monday March 10, 2014 • 15 Avoid these things if you want to get ahead at work YOU might have shelves lined with books explaining how to get ahead at work or how to answer tricky interview questions to land your dream job. But what about the things you shouldn’t do? There might not be a shelf full on the etiquette of shaking hands, or what you should never say in a job interview, or how to stop whining and rise up the corporate ladder, but several LinkedIn Influencers weighed in this week on exactly those things – what not to do if you want to get ahead. Here’s what some of them had to say. James Caan, chief executive officer at Hamilton Bradshaw Group We all know that “setting yourself apart from the crowd is vital when you are looking for that new job,” wrote Caan in his post What Not to Say in a Job Interview. But do we know what we should never say? There are “very common… phrases which you should try to avoid” wrote Caan. Among them: ‘I don’t know.’ The best way of dealing with the tough questions is to do your homework. The importance of research cannot be understated – you should know about the company, and be prepared for anything you will be asked about your own CV,” explained Caan.“Of course if there is a question which you are not expected to know the answer to, or if you are genuinely stuck, don’t make things up or try to bluff your way through. Move back into your comfort zone, relate the question back to something you do know and take on board any new information you are given.” ‘I dislike my current company.’ You never want to turn the tone of the interview negative, even if you may be having a bad experience at your current job,” Caan wrote. “All this does is make you seem like somebody who is difficult to manage.” Bernard Marr, chief executive officer at Advanced Performance Institute What’s the first thing you do when you meet someone new through work? That’s right – shake hands. The handshake is critical in business. “Getting it wrong can cre- ate awkward moments and distract from making a good first impression,” wrote Marr in his post Six Ways NOT to Shake Hands. Among the worst-offending handshake mistakes, Marr cited: “The sweaty slip. Some people have a natural tendency to get sweaty hands and many get them when they are nervous, that’s just normal,” he wrote. “It can make shaking hands tricky in stressful situations such as job interviews. However, I think there is no excuse for a wet handshake.” “The limp fish. Not gripping the other person’s hand firmly enough and then shaking from your wrist is a big mistake,” Marr wrote. The message it sends, he wrote: “‘I am not confident’ or ‘I am a push-over’.” “The avoider. “Someone that doesn’t make eye contact when they shake your hand or someone that pulls away too quickly… signals to me that they are either under-confident, very shy, or they don’t really want to meet me or shake my hand,” cautioned Marr. Scott Case, co-founder and chief executive officer at Main Street Genome In many careers, the 10-year mark can be a moment when a common theme emerges: “You’re in your early to mid-30’s. You have a good job, a nice life at home, but something is missing. Nothing is wrong, but nothing is awesome,” wrote Case in his post Stop Whining. “You are ‘good enough’ at work… but you are not progressing,” wrote Case. “Why aren’t you moving forward? Why aren’t you doing what you want to do?” There are four excuses Case hears regularly. Among the whining to leave behind: ‘I’m too busy.’ Guess what, we’re all busy,” Case wrote.“In the end, you will regret all of the opportunities you passed on. If a chance is presented, then change your schedule and make the time. It’s that simple.” ‘I’m lazy.’ I’ve never had anyone give me this excuse, but for some people it’s an underlying issue,” explained Case. “It’s time to stop being so lazy. Nothing is going to fall into your lap. Create opportunity for yourself.” ‘It’s not the right time.’ There will never be a right time.There is never a good time to get married, quit your job, buy a house, or start a company. Everyone is given the same amount of time in a day, but the manner in which you choose to spend this time is entirely up to you,” wrote Case. “Now is as good a time as any.” Sport is likely the only place a sweaty handshake is acceptable. 16 • Monday March 10, 2014 Business Monday Business Monday Monday March 10, 2014 • 17 Bad guys vs the data defenders: Let battle commence BIG data analytics is making it easier to spot the bad guys looking to infiltrate business defences. And these days, businesses need every weapon at their disposal, as bedroom hackers give way to organised criminal gangs. Lose your data and you can lose your reputation, customers, and even your business. This week, US retail giant Target Corporation, which suffered a massive theft of customer data last year, offloaded its chief information officer, Beth Jacob, as part of a major overhaul of its security practices. Stolen details of about 360 million customer accounts are now available on cyber black markets, according to security firms. External data leaks affected more than 160 million people in 2012, according to KPMG’s Data Loss Barometer, a rise of 40 per cent on the year before. And hacking accounted for 67 per cent of the data loss by number of incidents. Small needle, big haystack “Big data is about pushing the needle out of the haystack irrespective of how big the haystack has become or how small the needle is,” said Gordon Harrison, an industry consultant at data analytics specialist SAS. Haiyan Song, vice-president of security at big data analysis firm Splunk, said analysing reams of data to spot security breaches had become essential because of the changing tactics of the criminals. Hi-tech thieves have changed their tactics because security companies have got so good at spotting malware. Instead, the bad guys are relying on more subtle tactics and strive to slip inside a company unnoticed. Big data analysis tools could help pick them out of the crowds of data, said Ms Song. That tactic of seeking to trick people into giving them access has been helped by the fact that the digital perimeter of a company is now much harder to pinpoint. In the good old days, said Ms Song, such borders had been easy to identify. Set up the firewalls, email gateways and keep your virus signatures up-to-date, and you had a good chance of staying safe. Now? Not so much. “The borders have been taken out of any and every enterprise,” said Ms Song. The borders are much less easy to define thanks to the Internet, which lets customers query back-office systems via a website, the ties that exist between trading partners, and innovations such as Bring Your Own Device. “Companies have got better at hardening their perimeters so the advanced threat actors are going after the extended borders of the company such as the point-of-sale systems,” she said. Anomalies Keeping secure, protecting the back office and the databases and stopping the bad guys getting at customer data is all about looking for anomalies in the voluminous stream of data that all the parts of a computer network spit out. “Before now, without big data analytics, it would be hundreds and hundreds of man hours trawling through the application to spot those exceptions,” said Mr Harrison, from SAS. Those strange bumps in the data could reveal the advanced threats – the nasty ones involving criminals scouring social media for information they can use to make phishing emails more plausible. For example, if you play squash, row for a local club or go rambling, and are a senior executive, there’s a chance that personal information will be scooped up by the bad guys.They use it to make their next phishing email look like it comes from someone you know who is writing about a subject you deeply care about. These advanced threats also often use undocumented software vulnerabilities so the malware signatures do not pick them up. No wonder that the average time it takes companies to detect one of these threats can run to months. Big advantage The most far-sighted companies did not just use the big data stream from their networks as a way to keep their data safe, said Martin Borrett, director of security systems at IBM. That information could also reveal the processes underpinning the way a company works, he said. “Big data can create a culture in which business and technology leaders join forces to realise the value in the data,” he said. “Its insights can enable all employees to make better decisions, deepen customer engagement, and optimise operations.” But, he said, companies that took this step had to make sure they protected what could be of great value in a competitor’s hands. Protecting access to it was key, but that did not mean locking it all away, he said. “It is important to understand your data,” said Mr Borrett.“It is only through understanding the nature of it that you can work out the appropriate level of security to apply.” Cloud risk And the sheer amount of data in the average big data store introduces another potential security Outsourcing your data storage to cloud service providers offers benefits but also presents risks. Defending their borders used to be easier for businesses before the Internet went mobile. risk – the cloud. Uploading all your information to a cloud and running analytics on it might save companies cash, but they have to take steps to ensure rivals and others cannot get at it, too. To help protect the information, IBM has developed a technique known as homomorphic encryption that lets work be done on data even though the underlying information is obscured. That need to keep certain data away from prying eyes has grown in the wake of revelations about the extent of surveillance by the US National Security Agency and GCHQ in the UK. Many firms are now turning to companies such as CipherCloud to ensure that when information passes out from the company borders it stays locked away from prying eyes. Freeing it from the company data centre could prove to have other benefits, said Pravin Kothari, the company’s founder and chief executive. “The data can be used once or many, many times over,” he said, and could spur other departments to get involved with any big data project. “It gives you much more visibility and control over that information,” he said, adding that control was the key to security. Business Monday 18 • Monday March 10, 2014 Dr. Nanda Gopaul, Minister of Labour, delivering his remarks at the Guyana Mining Day held at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, Canada. Seated from left are Mr. Bobby Gossai, Senior Policy Analyst, Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment; Her Excellency, Dr. Nicole Giles, High Commissioner of Canada to Guyana; His Excellency, Harry Narine Nawbatt, High Commissioner of Guyana to Canada; and Mr. Rickford Vieira, Commissioner, Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC). Minister sells Guyana as country with immense mining potential – at Mining Day forum in Canada GUYANA is open for business and its mining sector holds vast potential for investors, declared Labour Minister, Dr. Nanda K. Gopaul, as he delivered remarks at the Guyana Mining Day at the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) held at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, Canada. Minister Gopaul conveyed greetings from His Excellency, President Donald Ramotar, the people of Guyana and Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment, Robert Persaud, whom he represented at the Guyana Mining Day event. Dr. Gopaul told the forum that exploration of Guyana’s minerals offer many opportunities for investment, coupled with the people’s hospitality and the county’s progressive and modern labour laws, which make for cordial relationships between workers and employers. The Labour Minister, who led the Guyana delegation to the event, urged investors to explore the prospect of mining in Guyana, as the country is a strong advocate for profitable and environmentally-friendly mining ventures. Speaking about the environment, Minister Gopaul noted that the mining of minerals presents lucrative opportunities but these are balanced by the country’s commitment to preserve its pristine rainforest and the environment, as well as strong emphasis on ensuring occupational health and safety practices. He noted that the labour ministry continues to boost its capacity, in conjunction with its partners, to monitor adherence to occupational health and safety and mining regulations, which were produced in collaboration with the Guyana Geology and Mines and the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment. Gopaul said further that strong emphasis is paid to improving the skilled workforce at the technical and academic levels to meet the growing labour demands in the mining sector, adding that in collaboration with several partners, persons are regularly trained in the necessary skills, such as heavy duty machinery operations. However, he added, investors can source skilled labour overseas when necessary. Maturing extractive sector market Canadian High Commissioner to Guyana, Dr. Nicole Giles, noted that Guyana has emerged as a maturing extractive sector market, and Guyana Goldfields, a Canadian mining company, has recently launched the construction of what will be the largest gold mine in Guyana. Dr. Giles also said that she was impressed by the commitment and forward trajectory of Canadian companies gathered at this year’s Mining Day to discuss plans and activities for responsible mineral exploration and development in Guyana, in spite of facing commodity markets that are not as favourable as they once were. “The Government of Canada remains committed in this and many other ways to supporting efforts to develop the extractive sector in Guyana… The immense potential of Guyana is being realised by a number of Canadian firms who are capitalising upon opportunities for investment and expansion. The Canadian High Commission is working with these companies on a number of fronts to enhance the potential for success…” she said. The Canadian High Commission, in partnership with the Ministry of Natural Resources and other stakeholders in Guyana, is currently reviewing the Guyana Mining tool-kit which provides critical educational information on such areas as the different lifecycles of a mine, the various regulations and laws which are applicable in the mining field specific to Guyana, identifies many of the issues which may arise, and suggests ways that they can be addressed by all, the High Commissioner noted. She added that this initiative aims to help local communities, governments and companies implement related development projects – such as in the area of small and medium agricultural enterprises – for the benefit of people living near mines or other development activities. Geo-technology education The Government of Canada is also working with Guyana to assist the development of a regionally accredited, geotechnology education programme as well as other vocation-skills programmes to develop the Guyanese workforce. Jamaica secures IDB funds to assist in regulating ICT sector KINGSTON, Jamaica – Jamaica says it has secured US$300 000 from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) for the recruitment of a consultant as the island moves towards establishing a single regulator for its information and communications technology (ICT) sector. The functions of the Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR), Broadcasting Commission, and Spectrum Management Authority, are being merged to create the single agency. State Minister in the Ministry of Science, Technology, Energy, and Mining, Julian Robinson, said the preparatory work would entail mapping out a framework to guide how a single regulating entity will operate, what the organisational structure will entail, and the necessary legislative amendments required. “The consultant should finish the work by about June (or) July, and then we will be in a position to determine how we move forward in implementing the single regulator, from a cost, legislative, and organisational capacity perspective(s),” Robinson said. He said the creation of a single regulator would establish one point of contact, where investors can access all of the requisite information pertaining to establishing an operation. “We hope it will drive, primarily, innovation in a sector which we regard as being the platform for moving Jamaica forward in innovation,” Robinson State Minister in the Ministry of Science, Technology, Energy, and Mining, Julian Robinson. added. The OUR specifically regulates activities and developments related to utilities, such as water and electricity. The Broadcasting Commission deals with content, primarily for radio and television, while the Spectrum Management Authority has responsibility for allocating frequencies and licences for the operations of entities, such as mobile service providers. “The challenge with that is when you have three regulators regulating an industry, it is terribly inefficient (and) you have some overlapping jurisdiction. It is difficult for investors to move quickly, in terms of getting products and services to the market,” Robinson said. Business Monday Monday March 10, 2014 • 19 TripAdvisor’s most and least affordable Caribbean destinations NEW YORK, United States – TripAdvisor, the world’s largest travel site, last week announced the results of its TripIndex Caribbean, a cost comparison of a one-week trip for a family or group of four persons to 20 popular Caribbean destinations during the period March 1 through April 30, 2014. The TripIndex Caribbean evaluated travel expenses including the average round-trip airfare from the continental US, a seven-night hotel stay, dinner for six nights and a half-day snorkelling excursion for four. The average cost for a one-week trip for a family or group of four travelling to the Caribbean during the spring travel period is US$7 152, and they can expect to pay around $3 253 for round-trip flights and $2 772 for one week in a hotel. TripIndex Caribbean looks at 20 Caribbean destinations, based on spots with the most visits on TripAdvisor from US travellers between November 15, 2013 and January 15, 2014. Cuba was excluded due to limited direct travel from the United States. All prices are expressed in US currency. Here are the top 10 value destinations, with the cost of a week-long trip for four: 1. Puerto Rico – $4 609 2. Jamaica – $4 631 3. Trinidad and Tobago – $4 771 4. Dominican Republic – $5 315 5. St. Maarten-St. Martin – $5 566 6. Bahamas – $5 815 7. Curacao – $5 833 8. Bermuda – $6 064 9. Aruba – $6 260 10. Grenada – $6 622 By comparison, the cost of a week-long stay at the most expensive destination TripAdvisor looked at – St. Barthelemy – is nearly $12 500. Here are more expensive destinations, for travellers with deeper pockets: 1. St. Barthelemy – $12 486 2. Anguilla – $10 709 3. British Virgin Islands – $9 712 4. Turks and Caicos – $8 812 5. St. Kitts and Nevis – $8 668 6. Cayman Islands – $8 082 7. Antigua and Barbuda – $7 972 8. St. Lucia – $7 627 9. US Virgin Islands – $6 782 10. Barbados – $6 710 Hotel prices included in the TripIndex reflect the average cost of a seven-night stay in a hotel found on TripAdvisor, excluding all-inclusive resorts. On average, about 40 hotels were included in the total cost of each destination. Pricing information was sourced using TripAdvisor Hotel Price Comparison for the travel period of March 1 through April 30, 2014. Flight prices included in the TripIndex reflect the average round-trip airfare for a family of four from the continental US to each destination’s airports. Pricing information was sourced using TripAdvisor Flights and is accurate of fares found between February 17 to 24, 2014 for the eight Saturday-Saturday departure/return dates between March 1, 2014 and April 30, 2014. National average prices are based on fares from the top 20 busiest US airports. Meal prices included in the TripIndex specify the average cost of dinner for six nights for four people, consisting of a two-course meal (salad and fish filet entree) paired with two bottles of beer and two sodas. Prices are averaged from three mid-range restaurants. Snorkel trip prices included in the TripIndex specify the average cost of a half-day (3-4 hour) guided snorkelling tour for four people and are averaged from three tour operators. St. Kitts-Nevis citizenship by investment programme raises $100 million annually THE St. Kitts and Nevis federal government has reiterated its confidence in the country’s citizenship by investment programme. The programme, through the Sugar Industry Diversification Foundation (SIDF), continues to rake in more than $100 million annually. In essence, St. Kitts and Nevis passports are exchanged for investment funds that are used in major developmental projects in the country. Dominica’s citizenship programme is now also going the investment funds route, as is Antigua’s newly established CIP, which sold its first passports last month. St. Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Denzil Douglas said Basseterre’s well established programme has nothing to fear from the emerging competition.According to Douglas, the federation’s CIP has be- come the leading programme globally. He also suggested that others in the region are using the St. Kitts and Nevis model as a blueprint. “I welcome Antigua’s copying our own programme.The legislation that Antigua has used is almost similar to that of St. Kitts,” Douglas told reporters. The prime minister also made reference to the adjustments being made to the Dominica programme. Douglas said the programme has, through the SIDF, been able to stabilise the economy. His critics, including the opposition alliance Team Unity, describe the SIDF as a slush fund being used by Douglas to attract continued political support for the governing Labour Party. The prime minister has brushed aside that allegation, claiming that it has no merit. Business Monday 20 • Monday March 10, 2014 Gap falling out of fashion as Abercrombie picks up the pace THERE’S something very wrong at the Gap (GPS) and it has nothing to do with the weather. After a remarkable five year run the San Francisco retailer is running out of steam just as the competition starts to get its act together. Unless the Gap gets back on track it’s not going to be long before customers and investors start looking for better places to shop. Many had left the store for dead back in 2011 but a fashion refresh that focused less on basics and more on trends helped resurrect the retailer. Then came this past holiday season. Messy stores, a convoluted structure of discounts and a general lack of execution resulted in a lackluster fourth quarter. There’s evidence of Gap loyalists defecting already. Last week the Gap announced same store sales (that is, sales from stores that have been open one year or more) fell 7% in February with all three divisions - Gap, Banana Republic and Old Navy posting negative results. In a press release Gap CEO Glenn Murphy conceded that 2014 is off to a rough start but said the company remains committed to its global priorities of international expansion and better execution. Gap’s apparent loss may end up being Abercrombie & Fitch’s (ANF) gain. The youthful retailer (recently plagued by a public perception of being a ‘creepy’ brand) announced last night that it would be revamping its Hollister brand by adopting a fast fashion model. As pioneered by chains like H&M and Zara, fast fashion is about using better local sourcing and churning merchandise quickly. While Gap and other traditional stores are rolling out seasonal styles every three months Zara is pushing through changes every couple weeks. The means three to five times as much product and vastly improved store traffic. Abercrombie under new Chairman Arthur Martinez will be converting its 600 Hollister locations into fast fashion shops. Martinez says the company is going to be offering lower priced goods in more current styles. Notably he’s taking aim at H&M rather than concerning himself at all with former arch-rival Gap stores. Those Gap stores have led a stunning turnaround thanks to CEO Murphy but the Abercrombie news proves he needs to reconsider his priorities. The lesson to be learned from the retail slump this year isn’t that consumers shop less when it’s very, very cold. We already knew that. The takeaway from Albertsons, Safeway to merge in $9.1 bn deal NEW York - US supermarket chains Safeway and Albertsons Thursday agreed to merge in a $9.1 billion deal that will create a giant with more than 2 400 stores and 250 000 employees. Under the deal, Albertsons owner Cerberus agreed to pay $40 a share for Safeway. The two companies said the scale of the combined operation would enable them to cut costs and offer competitive prices to consumers. The vast network of retail assets, distribution centers and manufacturing sites “will allow for a broader assortment of products, a more efficient distribution and supply chain, enhanced fresh and perishable offerings” and other benefits, said a joint statement. Albertsons chief executive Bob Miller said that the heft of the combined company would improve its bargaining position with suppliers. Miller will become executive chairman of the combined company while Safeway chief executive Robert Edwards will retain that title at the com- Customers leave a Safeway store. bined company. The merger is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2014, pending shareholder and regulatory approvals. In reaching the deal, Cerberus fended off a bid for Safeway from supermarket chain Kroger, the Wall Street Journal reported. However, Kroger may still mount a bid for Safeway, the newspaper said. Thursday’s deal includes a “go-shop” period under which other bidders are permitted to make counter offers for 21 days; the period can be extended by 15 days. Safeway in February announced that it was in discussions over a possible sale of the company, but that no deal was certain. A February analysis by Deutsche Bank of two “potential ugly ducking” suitors for Safeway concluded that antitrust concerns were “significantly” greater in a Kroger-Safeway deal than a Cerberus-Safeway tie-up. The Cerberus-Safeway combination would “create a powerful new coastto-coast grocer that would rival Kroger in some respects,” Deutsche Bank said in the report. A mega merger like Safeway-Albertsons or Safeway-Kroger would have garnered far tougher scrutiny from antitrust regulators 10 or 15 years ago, Deutsche Bank said. But the advent of discounters, warehouse clubs and natural foods grocers has altered the competitive landscape in food retailing. “As a result, conventional grocers will likely have to consolidate to better position themselves to compete in this dynamic marketplace,” Deutsche Bank said. Abercrombie’s new Chairman, Arthur Martinez. February is that modern retail is about having the right goods at the right time no matter what’s happening outside. The Gap is simply too slow to adjust to fashion trends, let alone weather. After spending the winter marking down goods, Gap spent February trying to sell spring merchandise during raging blizzards. Murphy can’t control climate change but he can speed up inventory turns. Until he does the forecast for the Gap is for slowing sales regardless of the weather. BMW announces Alpina 6-Series ahead of NY A SPECIAL tuned version of the company’s Gran Coupe tourer will be making its global debut at the New York International Auto Show in April. Just as Mercedes Benz has AMG – its in-house mad mechanical scientists that can take an already potent car and make it ferocious – BMW has ALPINA, and their latest co-creation, the BMW Alpina B6 Gran Coupe, will be going on sale in April in the US for $118 225. The 6-Series Gran Coupe is already a great car. Elegant styling, a wonderful engine, excellent levels of comfort and every driver aid imaginable. However, in Alpina form the powerplant is upgraded to a bi-turbo V8 and that means a 0100km/h (62mph) time of only 3.7 seconds, a top speed of 198mph (320km/h) and 540hp to play with. The car also gets an eight-speed sports automatic gearbox and BMW’s xDrive all-wheel drive system to keep everything under control, no matter how hard the car is pushed. But the tuning doesn’t stop there, the car also gets an Alpina exhaust system and to ensure that it really stands out from ordinary 6-Series models, special 21-inch wheels and a different aerodynamics package. Inside, the improvements continue with Lavalina leather and a choice of Myrtle wood or Piano Black trim finish. But of course, that’s just the start. Customers can treat the car’s interior and exterior as blank canvases and simply ask Alpina to make it happen. The New York International Auto Show officially starts on April 18. Business Monday Monday March 10, 2014 • 21 Staples to close 225 stores as sales move online STAPLES has become the second major chain to announce the mass closing of stores this week, providing the latest evidence of how the retail landscape is being remade by shifts in American shopping habits. The nation’s largest office-supply company said Thursday that nearly half of its sales are now generated online, and it is working aggressively to cut costs and become more efficient. It aims to close more than 10 percent of its North American stores by the end of next year, up to 225 stores, as part of a plan to save about $500 million. Staples Chairman and CEO Ron Sargent said his company’s stores have fallen short of expectations over the past three years, and the company launched a plan last year to “fundamentally reinvent” Staples. “This is essential,” he told analysts. “Our customers are using less office supplies, shopping less often in our stores and more online, and the focus on value has made the marketplace even more competitive.” Two days ago, RadioShack, which is fighting to update its image, announced plans to close up to 1,100 stores, about a fifth of its U.S. locations, after its losses widened during a dismal holiday season. The recession did heavy damage to chains like Staples, and competition from discount stores also hurts. But online sales are affecting brick-and-mortar stores across the retail sector, no matter if the company is selling clothes, books or electronics. Shoppers are buying online more, and they’re also window shopping virtually, so they are making fewer store visits, said Bill Martin, co-founder of ShopperTrak, which tracks data at about 40 000 U.S. stores. He said that’s part of the reason the number of stores is contracting even though overall sales are growing, albeit at a slower pace. “I think it’s pretty clear that the consumer is evolving and might be evolving at a little faster pace than retail,” he said, noting that shoppers can now use smartphones to compare prices during a store visit. Staples Inc. has already shuttered dozens of its North American stores in the past year and said it will close up to 225 by the end of 2015. The company would not elaborate on the number of jobs being cut in the latest round of closings, nor the locations of stores that will close. It has 1,846 stores in North America and Canada, the vast majority in the United States. While it closes stores, Staples is offering more online. It increased the number of products it sells on the website Staples.com five-fold in the past year, from 100 000 to 500 000. Sargent expects to triple that total to 1.5 million by the end of this year. Despite the rising popularity of online shopping, Martin noted that retailers are still opening new stores in areas of population growth, and Sargent said his company has no plans to give up on physical locations. They believe that customers still want the convenience and service that they can get there. "That said, stores have to earn the right to stay open,” Sargent said. “We are committed to making tough calls when it’s necessary.” Those tough calls are being made by many retailers. In the subcategory of office retail, there is a rapid consolidation taking place, both in physical presence and among onetime rivals. Staples has cut the size of its typical store in half over the past several years. Last fall, with sales flagging, rivals Office Depot and OfficeMax completed a $1.2 billion merger. Business Monday 22 • Monday March 10, 2014 BARBADOS STOCK REPORT Regular Market Security Volume High GODDARD ENTERPRISES LIMITED March 7, 2014 900 $6.15 Low Price Advance/ DECLINE $6.15 $6.15 $0.00 One security traded firm as 900 shares traded on the Regular Market, with a total value of $5,535.00. Goddard Enterprises Limited was the sole security trading 900 shares at $6.15. Week in Review This week, the Regular Market traded a total volume of 15,106 shares. The top three companies traded were Fortress Caribbean Property Fund - Development Fund with 4,000 shares, Fortress Caribbean Property Fund - Value Fund with 4,000 shares and Banks Holdings Limited with 3,036 shares. INDICES TODAY'S TRADING BARBADOS ST OCK EXCHANGE Local Cross-list Composite March 7, 2014 LAST TRADE VOLUME HIGH LOW DATE LAST CURRENT PRICE BID ASK BID ASK CLOSE CLOSE CHANGE PRICE PRICE SIZE SIZE Almond Resorts Inc. 01-Nov-13 - - - $0.32 $0.32 - - 2,000 $0.39 - BICO Limited 11-Jul-13 - - - $1.80 $1.80 - $1.80 - 10 - Banks Holdings Ltd. 04-Mar-14 - - - $3.03 $3.03 - $3.05 $3.30 3,680 24,073 Barbados Dairy Industries Ltd. 11-Feb-14 - - - $1.50 $1.50 - $1.50 $5.25 500 28,114 345 Barbados Farms Ltd. 23-Dec-13 - - - $0.50 $0.50 - $0.50 $0.83 5,000 Cable and Wireless Barbados Ltd. 11-Feb-14 - - - $3.40 $3.40 - $2.95 $2.99 500 2,791 Cave Shepherd and Co. Ltd. 28-Feb-14 - - - $2.50 $2.50 - $2.00 $2.50 10,000 208 FirstCaribbean International Bank 28-Feb-14 - - - $2.40 $2.40 - - $2.38 - 1,443 Fortress Caribbean Property Fund - Dev Fund 06-Mar-14 - - - $0.16 $0.16 - $0.20 - 200,000 - Fortress Caribbean Property Fund - Value Fund 06-Mar-14 - - - $0.45 $0.45 - $0.47 - 100,000 - Goddard Enterprises Ltd. 07-Mar-14 900 $6.15 $6.15 $6.15 $6.15 $0.00 $6.15 - 2,322 - Insurance Corporation Of Barbados Ltd. 28-Feb-14 - - - $2.59 $2.59 - $2.50 $2.60 2,000 15,500 Jamaica Money Market Brokers Limited 09-Sep-13 - - - $0.15 $0.15 - $0.15 $0.39 3,087 6,840 Light and Power Holdings Ltd 5.5% Pref 20-Dec-13 - - - $3.11 $3.11 - $3.11 - 1,600 - Light and Power Holdings Ltd. -* 28-Feb-14 - - - $25.70 $25.70 - $19.00 $25.00 29 98 Neal And Massy Holdings Ltd. 24-Feb-14 - - - $17.25 $17.25 - $20.00 - 1,177 - One Caribbean Media Limited 03-Mar-14 - - - $6.10 $6.10 - $6.06 - 8,200 - Sagicor Financial Corporation Pref 6.5% 16-Sep-13 - - - $2.26 $2.26 - $2.26 - 1,000 - Sagicor Financial Corporation 06-Mar-14 - - - $2.30 $2.30 - $2.21 $2.30 743 13,365 The West Indies Rum Distilleries Ltd. 22-Jul-13 - - - $8.00 $8.00 - - $8.00 - 10,000 Trinidad Cement Ltd. 22-Jun-11 - - - $0.80 $0.80 - $0.60 $1.00 967 967 West India Biscuit Co. Ltd. 18-Oct-13 - - - $10.03 $10.03 - $10.01 - 3,751 - TOTAL SHARES BOUGHT & SOLD - Local Cross-list Composite TODAY'S TRADING LAST TRADING March 7, 2014 6,509.44 2,567.39 9,076.83 March 6, 2014 6,509.44 2,567.39 9,076.83 CHANGES - NAV OFFER BID MUTUAL FUND March 7, 2014 ENDED NAME OF FUND 28-Feb-14 28-Feb-14 28-Feb-14 27-Feb-14 28-Feb-14 28-Feb-14 28-Feb-14 31-Jan-14 31-Jan-14 31-Jan-14 07-Mar-14 07-Mar-14 07-Mar-14 REPUBLIC CAPITAL GROWTH FUND w REPUBLIC INCOME FUND -* w REPUBLIC PROPERTY FUND w CLICO BALANCED FUND INC. w FORTRESS CARIBBEAN GROWTH FUND w FORTRESS HIGH INTEREST FUND - ACC. w FORTRESS HIGH INTEREST FUND - DIST. w ROYAL FIDELITY SELECT BALANCED FUND m ROYAL FIDELITY STRATEGIC GROWTH FUNDm ROYAL FIDELITY PREMIUM INCOME FUND m SAGICOR GLOBAL BALANCED FUND w SAGICOR SELECT GROWTH FUND w SAGICOR PREFERRED INCOME FUND -* w 1.4477 1.3897 1.2828 1.246 4.7625 1.8084 1.0118 4.5952 0.8773 1.3621 2.27 1.28 1.05 NAV CHANGE 0.0030 0.0015 -0.0002 -0.0060 4.7625 4.7625 0.0135 0.0035 0.0020 4.5952 4.5033 -0.0706 0.8773 0.8598 -0.0102 1.3621 1.3349 0.0037 0.01 0.01 0.00 * Indicates the Fund is currently ex-div NOTES: QUOTATIONS AND NET ASSET VALUE PER SHARE ARE SUPPLIED BY THE FUND MANAGEMENT. THE OFFERING PRICE INCLUDES NET ASSET VALUE PLUS ENTRY COSTS. m = monthly valuation, q = quarterly valuation, w = weekly Fixed Income Bid Price Barbados Government Debenture 7.75% 2025 Barbados Government T/Note 5.875% 2015 Barbados Government T/Note 6.5% 2016 Ask Price $106.00 $101.00 $103.50 Bid Size Ask Size 10,000 45,000 55,000 900 NEWS * = Security is Trading X-Div *+* = Security is Suspended ** = Rights Issued DIVIDEND DECLARATION JUNIOR MARKET Royal Fidelity TIGRS A Fund CHANGES March 6, 2014 2,616.45 1,538.36 677.53 MARKET CAPITALISATION (in millions) SHARE SUMMARY INFORMATION COMPANY LAST TRADING March 7, 2014 2,616.45 1,538.36 677.53 21-May-12 $10.50 Royal Fidelity TIGRS A1 Fund $10.00 $10.00 Royal Fidelity TIGRS A2 Fund $10.00 $10.00 $10.00 $10.00 Royal Fidelity TIGRS A3 Fund 18-Dec-13 Light and Power Holdings Limited - Directors have declared an interim dividend of fourteen (14) cents per share to be paid on March 14th, 2014 to Shareholders on record at close of business on February 28th, 2014. $10.50 $9.50 205 $9.75 50 Effective October 8th, 2012, the market price of a security listed on the board of the BSE will only change if a quantity of shares traded (in a single trade) is greater than or equal to the threshold amount (volume limit) as stated in the table below. For more information please visit the downloads section of our website - www.bse.com.bb SECURITY VOLUME LIMIT SECURITY VOLUME LIMIT ALMOND RESORTS INCORPORATED 3,500 LIGHT & POWER HOLDINGS LIMITED 5.5% Pref 100 BANKS HOLDINGS LIMITED 4,000 SAGICOR FINANCIAL CORPORATION 6.5% Pref 7,500 SAGICOR FINANCIAL CORPORATION 10,000 B'DOS DAIRY INDUSTRIES LIMITED B'DOS FARMS LIMITED BICO INDUSTRIES LIMITED 300 1,500 100 THE WEST INDIES RUM DISTILLERY LIMITED 300 WEST INDIA BISCUIT COMPANY LIMITED 300 CABLE & WIRELESS (BARBADOS) LIMITED 9,000 JAMAICA MONEY MARKET BROKERS LIMITED 10,000 CAVE SHEPHERD & COMPANY LIMITED 1,500 NEAL & MASSY HOLDINGS LIMITED 6,500 FIRSTCARIBBEAN INTERNATIONAL LIMITED FORTRESS CARIBBEAN PROPERTY DEV FUND 10,000 ONE CARIBBEAN MEDIA LIMITED 4,000 3,500 TRINIDAD CEMENT LIMITED 10,000 FORTRESS CARIBBEAN PROPERTY VALUE FUND 3,500 ROYAL FIDELITY TIGRS A FUND 100 GODDARD ENTERPRISES LIMITED 3,500 ROYAL FIDELITY TIGRS A1 FUND 100 NSURANCE CORPORATION OF BARBADOS LIMITED 2,500 LIGHT & POWER HOLDINGS LIMITED 1,000 ROYAL FIDELITY TIGRS A2 FUND ROYAL FIDELITY TIGRS A3 FUND 100 100 BSE NOTICES The Barbados Stock Exchange Inc. (BSE) wishes to advise that the Corporate Governance Recommendations for Listed Companies on the Barbados Stock Exchange Inc. and Insider Trading Guidelines for Listed Companies on the Barbados Stock Exchange Inc. became enforceable on January 1st, 2014. - January 2, 2014. The Barbados Stock Exchange Inc. (BSE) is pleased to announce the approval of the new domestic Rules of the BSE, which become effective on January 13th, 2014. Copies of the Rules can be obtained at the Barbados Stock Exchange Inc., 8th Avenue, Belleville, St. Michael (limit of one per person) or can be downloaded from our website, www.bse.com.bb. - January 2, 2014 Business Monday Monday March 10, 2014 •23 Mercedes narrows gap to Audi by one-third on China surge MERCEDES-Benz slashed second-place Audi AG (NSU)’s luxury-car sales lead by almost one-third in the first two months of 2014 on surging demand for its models in China. Daimler AG (DAI)’s Mercedes narrowed the gap to Audi through February to 26,647 cars and sport-utility vehicles from 36,804 a year earlier. Mercedes posted a sales gain last month of 17 percent, propelled by a 74 percent jump in China. Audi’s deliveries in February rose 6.8 percent. “We are keeping up the high momentum of the previous months,” Ola Kaellenius, sales chief at Stuttgart, Germanybased Mercedes, said in a statement. “We have the right products at the right time.” Daimler Chief Executive Officer Dieter Zetsche, who has a goal for Mercedes to surpass Audi and Bayerische Motoren Werke AG (BMW) to become the world’s biggest maker of luxury cars by 2020, is rolling out 30 new vehicles by the end of the decade, a dozen of which will have no predecessor. BMW, the world’s No. 1 seller of premium cars, has yet to release February sales data. NEW YORK – Drugstore operator Rite Aid said Thursday its sales improved in February as pharmacy sales grew. The Camp Hill, Pa., company said its total sales rose 2.4 percent to $2.52 billion over the five weeks that ended March 1. A key measurement, sales at stores open at least a year, grew 1.5 percent. Sales at stores open at least a year is considered an important measure- ment of retailer performance because it excludes results from stores that opened or closed within the last year. At stores open for at least one year, Rite Aid said pharmacy revenue increased 3.1 percent. Sales of "front end" non-pharmacy items declined 1.8 percent because of reduced sales of overthe-counter flu products. March 1 was the end of Rite Aid Corp.'s fiscal fourth quarter. The company said its drugstore revenue for the period rose 2.2 percent to $6.57 billion. Revenue at stores open at least a year grew 2.1 percent, with 3.5 percent growth in pharmacy revenue in those locations. In fiscal 2013 the company's drugstore sales increased 0.5 percent to $25.41 billion. Sales at stores open at least a year rose 0.7 percent. Rite Aid had 4,587 stores on March 1, down from 4,623 a year ago. Mercedes is benefiting from demand for compact cars such as the CLA, AClass and B-Class, as well a revamp of the flagship S-Class sedan. Mercedes also plans this year to bring out a new version of the C-Class, its best seller, and the all-new GLA compact sport-utility vehicle. Audi’s two-month deliveries in China, including Hong Kong, jumped 13 percent, with February sales increasing 6.9 percent. European twomonth demand rose 6.5 percent, including gains of 14 percent in Germany and 8.9 percent in the U.K., the Ingolstadt, Germany-based unit of Volkswagen AG (VOW) said today in a statement. “In Europe, several markets are gaining stability at what remains a low level,” Luca de Meo, Audi’s sales chief, said in the statement. “In this region, we are already scoring with the new A3 sedan, which will also be launched in China and the United States – its two most important sales markets – in the upcoming weeks.” MasterCard, Visa form Rite Aid says pharmacy group to enhance sales grew in February payment security American Airlines on pace for record annual profit LESS than three months after its rebirth, American Airlines Group Inc. (AAL) is on pace for a record annual profit, according to analysts surveyed by Bloomberg.The consensus estimate of $3.5 billion would put it ahead of the $2.2 billion tally for Delta Air Lines Inc. (DAL) and the $1.7 billion for United Continental Holdings Inc. (UAL). American CEO Doug Parker sees $1 billion in new revenue and savings by 2015, which would also put the airline ahead of its merger-built rivals. Neither Delta nor United reached $1 billion in new revenue and savings until the second full year of their mergers. VISA Inc and MasterCard Inc, the world’s two largest payment networks, have formed a new cross-industry group to improve payment system security following a number of high-profile data breaches. The new group, which will include banks, credit unions, retailers and industry trade groups, will initially focus on the adoption of the safer ‘EMV’ chip technology in the United States, MasterCard and Visa said on Friday. EMV chip technology, already used in Europe and Asia, stores information on computer chips rather than on traditional magnetic strips. EMV stands for Europay, MasterCard and Visa, the companies that launched the technology. The move follows several data breaches at U.S. retailers, including one at Target Corp late last year involving the theft of about 40 million credit and debit card records. “We remain insistent that U.S. retailers’ customers be given the same protections as consumers in more than 80 countries who have both a chip and a PIN securing their credit and debit cards,” National Retail Federation General Counsel Mallory Duncan said in a statement. MasterCard and Visa had already set a deadline of October 2015 for U.S. retailers to adopt the new payment technology. But banks and retailers have been dragging their feet over the required upgrade, at odds over who should bear the cost, which experts say could be as much as $10 billion. Target said last month it was accelerating a $100 million program to implement the use of chip-enabled smart cards to protect against cyber threat, with a goal to have the technology in place by early 2015. EMV cards are harder to counterfeit and better protect sensitive data through encryption. They can also require users to enter a personal identification number, or PIN, to make purchases, adding an extra layer of security. “The recent high-profile breaches have served as a catalyst for much needed collaboration between the retail and financial services industry on the issue of payment security,” Visa President Ryan McInerney said in the statement. Four banks acquitted of Milan derivatives fraud AA is on pace for a record annual profit The previous industry record was Delta’s $2.7 billion profit in 2013. The new American emerged from bankruptcy and the merger of AMR and U.S. Airways Group on Dec. 9. The two airlines are working quickly to mesh operations, and the company hopes to have federal approval to operate as a single carrier in the second half of 2015. Not everything is going absolutely smoothly. Earlier this week U.S. Airway pilots sued their American Airlines counterparts over seniority rights. DEUTSCHE Bank, JPMorgan, UBS and the Dublin-based Depfa bank had appealed against a December 2012 verdict that ordered the seizure of 89m euros (£74m) and fines of 1m euros each. Nine bank employees had suspended prison sentences of up to eight months quashed. The appeal court in Milan found the banks had no case to answer. “UBS is pleased that the Milan Criminal Court of Appeal today overturned all findings of liability [and] convictions and fully upheld the appeals of UBS and two current and one former employee,” the company said on Friday. The case related to a swap contract signed by the city of Milan council when it issued a 1.68bn euro, 30-year bond in 2005. When the landmark trial began in 2010, the suit was seen as a test case for dozens of Italian cities that had lost money through similar deals. Between 1997 and 2007, Italian cities and regions borrowed 111bn euros from investm ent banks. Repayments were funded by derivatives called swaps. Barbados Advocate The arts an Super Centre improves profit avenue for employment – Page 5 IT’S OUR BUSINESS TO HELP YOUR BUSINESS DO BUSINESS CIBC TO OFFER BETTER SERVICE RECOGNISING that customers want complete focus and attention when seeking credit, from mortgages to education loans, CIBC FirstCaribbean International Bank is opening Mortgage and Loan Centres across its 17 markets. Hailed as “centres of excellence” designed to meet all the credit needs of customers, facilities have already opened in Turks and Caicos, Barbados, St. Lucia and Antigua since October last year, with Curacao slated next. Mark St. Hill, CIBC FirstCaribbean’s Managing Director, Retail and Business Banking is responsible for the growth and development of these operations across the region.The career banker, in explaining the rationale for the new centres said that, “Home ownership and access to credit generally is a key need of Caribbean people in order to protect their families, build wealth and protect their future into retirement. For many of us this will be our single largest investment, in the case of home ownership, and forms the bedrock to securing further access to credit for educating our children, and other key life Mark St. Hill, Managing Director, Retail and Business Banking at CIBC FirstCaribbean says the bank’s new Mortgage and Loan Centres provide centres of excellence for customers to have access to credit. events. The Mortgage and Loan Centres provide centres of excellence for customers to have access to credit. And so while we focus on customers’ primary focus we’re also assisting them with ancillary products and services whether through other credit services or convenience products.” CIBC SERVICE on Page 5 The Warrens Banking Centre recently hosted its first “Mortgage Day”, a mini exposition which brought together some of this country’s leading real estate experts to talk with prospective customers about opportunities for investment. THERE are opportunities in many different areas in the cultural industry. This is the belief of the director of Alleluia Pork Chops, Amanda Cumberbatch. ‘Alleluia Pork Chops’, the first production of The Gap Theatre, started last Thursday at the Reggae Lounge in St. Lawrence Gap. This local contemporary, nonconventional piece brings an innovative approach to theatre – this production is believed to be the first local play to be staged in a nightclub. Cumberbatch believes,“We are doing something that is truly innovative. It is young, fresh and exciting not just acting on the stage, you have to move with the action, it is moving away from the traditional style of theatre. We wanted to bring something that is suitable for our own cultural reality and our own landscape.” The Director who also teaches at the Errol Barrow Centre pointed out that,“This production opens up opportunities for the youth in many different areas. The producers brought on an apprentice a recent graduate, working as sound operator he had to come on and jump right in and another apprentice as stage manger to give them practical hands on experience that will only serve them in good stead.” David Neilands businessman and actor, believes that,“We have to develop the industry as Barbadians and, as one of the investors of, “Alleluia Pork Chops” he sees it as having many opportunities for the youth as this will be the first of many productions. There is a lot of talent in Barbados, but we have to create the opportunities for writers, artist, actors, designers etc. This is a new attempt to revive theatre in Barbados. We have recognised that with the move towards film and lack of offering in theatre, new more radical attempts need to be implemented to preserve and legitimise the art form.” The show is based on the writings of four Barbadian literary icons – Tom Clarke, Kamau Brathwaite, Timothy Callender and John Wickham, with choreography by Rosemary Neilands. There will also be a special outreach to the tourism sector with patrons of the show getting ten per cent discount on meals from participating restaurants in The Gap. The Gap Theatre is a new company led by internationally renowned actress Alison SealySmith, choreographer, Rosemary Neilands and well-known businessman and actor, David Neilands. (NB) Printed and Published by ADVOCATE PUBLISHERS (2000) INC. Fontabelle, St. Michael. Telephone 467-2000, Fax 434-2020/434-1000 The Barbados Advocate Monday March 10, 2014 • 17 Ukraine PM: Won’t relinquish ‘1 centimetre’ of territory The election is the first to be held under the leadership of Kim Jong-un. North Koreans vote in rubber-stamp elections NORTH KOREANS have been voting in a five-yearly election to approve members of the rubber-stamp parliament, the Supreme People’s Assembly. Each of the 687 districts has only one candidate running for office, with electors required to write only “Yes” or “No” on the ballot paper. Campaign posters across the capital, Pyongyang, have urged a “Yes” vote. Observers say the candidate list is an opportunity to see who is in or out of favour with the leadership. In the last election in 2009, turnout was 99%, with 100% of votes in favour of the given candidates. The election is the first to be held under the leadership of Kim Jong-un, who came to power in December 2011 after the death of his father, Kim Jong-il. Kim is registered as a candidate in Mount Paekdu, venerated in party propaganda as the birthplace of Kim Jong-il. The vote is being held in a holiday atmosphere in the capital, Pyongyang, with performances taking place in the street. “Through this election we will fully display the might of the singlehearted unity of our army and people,” said Hyon Byong-chol, chairman of a preparatory committee for one of the sub-districts in the election. RUSSIAN forces tightened their grip on Crimea, as authorities in the breakaway territory pushed their plan to join Moscow, and Ukraine’s prime minister vowed yesterday not to give up “a single centimetre” of territory. Interim Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk addressed supporters who rallied in Kyiv to celebrate the 200th birthday of Ukrainian poet and national hero Taras Shevchenko. Yatsenyuk will meet on Wednesday with US President Barack Obama in Washington to discuss the stand-off over Crimea, a strategic peninsula in southern Ukraine with a Russian-speaking majority. A Russian lawmaker said the Kremlin had set aside US$1.1 billion to rebuild Crimea’s industrial infrastructure if the disputed region votes in a March 16 referendum to join Russia. But German Chancellor Angela Merkel told Russian President Vladimir Putin in a phone call yesterday the planned Moscow-backed referendum was illegal and violated Ukraine’s constitution. Putin defended the separatist drive in Crimea as consistent with international law and a regional leader (Crimean parliamentary speaker Vladimir Konstantinov) said Ukrainian troops remaining there should leave the territory unless they renounced their loyalty to Kyiv. US Deputy National Security Adviser Tony Blinken says Washington will not recognise the annexation of Crimea by Russia if residents of the region vote to leave Ukraine. Meanwhile, Russian forces tightened their grip on the peninsula, taking over a Ukrainian border post on the western edge of Crimea, trapping about 30 personnel inside. Russia has miscalculated over Crimea, says Hague RUSSIA has made a “big miscalculation” in entering Crimea, UK Foreign Secretary William Hague has warned. He said that Western countries could impose “far-reaching” economic sanctions if no diplomatic solution was reached between Russia and Ukraine. Hague warned Moscow that European policies could be “recast” to reduce Russian leverage over Europe. PM David Cameron has phoned Russian President Vladimir Putin and urged him to de-escalate the crisis. Downing Street said President Putin agreed it was in “all our interests to have a stable Ukraine”, during the conversation yesterday morning. “The prime minister made clear that we, along with our European and American partners, want to work with Russia to find a diplomatic solution to the situation in Ukraine, including Crimea,” a spokesman said. Cameron urged Putin to support the formation of a contact group that could lead to direct talks between the governments of Russia and Ukraine. In a separate statement, Merkel said she “regrets” a lack of progress on forming the group. And the Kremlin said the leaders “exchanged points of view on what the international community could do to normalise” the situation. ‘Ridiculously quick’ Earlier, Douglas Alexander, Labour’s shadow foreign secretary, called for a “clear timetable” of possible measures against Russia to be set out. Tensions have continued to rise in Crimea after Russian forces and proMoscow gunmen seized control of the Ukrainian autonomous region last month. Russia denies sending troops to the region, but has said it reserves the right to defend its interests and those of ethnic Russians in Crimea. Ukraine’s new leaders, who came to power after the ousting of elected president Viktor Yanukovych, have vowed not to cede “a single centimetre” of territory to Russia. Tens of thousands of people in Ukraine have held rival pro-unity and pro-Russian rallies, with some turning violent. Hague had said he would be speaking to his US counterpart, John Kerry, later yesterday about the crisis. It follows a US warning to Russia that any moves William Hague: “This will turn out, over time, to be quite a big miscalculation.” to annex Crimea would close the door to diplomacy. New pro-Russian authorities there have called a March 16 referendum to ask residents whether they want to secede from Ukraine and join Russia. Hague said this was happening “ridiculously quickly”, adding: “The world will not be able to regard that as free or fair.” He also said: “I think it would be wrong to think Russia has won in some sense. I think this will turn out over time to be quite a big miscalculation.” Hague also said European countries could reduce energy supplies from Russia and import more gas from the US. He ruled out military action against Russia, but said there was a danger of a “real shooting conflict” over Crimea. Russians living in the UK legally would not be affected by any action taken, he said. Hague insisted “there clearly are Russian troops in Crimea”. “There is no plausible explanation of where else they have come from.” The Barbados Advocate 18 • Monday March 10, 2014 HOROSCOPES BY HOLIDAY ARIES (March 21-April 19). Someone near you has a secret, and that secret is, “I hurt.” It is, perhaps, the most universal secret there is. As you are feeling relatively good, you’re in the perfect position to help the situation. TAURUS (April 20-May 20). Health and responsibility come before all else for you, and your life flows beautifully from these two values. There also will be time for fun, love, sharing and reveling in what most appeals to you. GEMINI (May 21-June 21). You are not the cause of negative events, but you can still do something about them. Even if all you do is hold a hopeful, cheerful space inside yourself, you will be doing a lot. CANCER (June 22-July 22). Once you do the top important tasks on your list, you’ll feel gloriously free to use the day as you wish. Your best day happens when you tackle your list early on and get it out of the way. P R O S A N D C O N S Z I T S LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). Business is like a game. The equipment needed to move ahead will be as mental as it is physical. Use your knowledge of psychology to predict your opponent’s next move and counter it before it happens. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22).An important event is coming up, and you’re not quite prepared for it yet. In order to be appropriately outfitted, you’ll need to do some shopping. Note that shopping isn’t always buying. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). Just as you cannot cut well with a dull knife, you cannot work well if your skills are rusty. Take the time to sharpen them. Perhaps you won’t be paid for this immediately, but it will pay off in the end. SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). You cannot make another person happy, but you can provide an environment that welcomes happiness, and this you do expertly. Your efforts to serve those around you will be successful. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). You will have a beautiful day as long as you know your boundaries, honor them and steer clear of those who are likely to ignore them and intrude. Love from a safe distance is still love. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). Create positive images involving you being the person you want to be, living the life you want to live. It works for you now. As you sleep tonight, your brain will assimilate the messaging, moving you in that direction. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). Much boils down to how you perceive the causes and consequences of events. Your resolve to see the pluses and advantages in each situation determines the win. R E X M O R G A N P H A N T O M PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). You’ll be thinking about the distant future: where you’d like to live, the kinds of people you’ll know and how you will spend your time. There’s magic in the act of narrowing down your options. CBC TV CHANNEL 8 4:00 TELECLASSIFIEDS 4:55 THOUGHT FOR THE DAY 4:57 NATIONAL ANTHEM 5:00 TELECLASSIFIEDS 6:00 MORNIN BARBADOS 8:00 HOME SHOPPING 8:30 TELE-CLASSIFIEDS 9:30 Q TV 10:30 HOME SHOPPING 11:00 MID-MORNING MIX 12:00 CBC NEWS 12:27 DOUBLE DRAW 12:30 MID-MORNING MIX CONT'D 1:00 BAJAN WOMEN 1:30 NEIGHBOURS 2:00 THE BOLD & THE BEAUTIFUL 2:30 HOME & FAMILY 3:00 DIVE OLLIE DIVE 3:30 A WORLD OF WONDERS 4:00 SESAME STREET 5:00 TOYOTA WORLD OF WILD LIFE 5:30 HOME SHOPPING 6:00 DAYS OF OUR LIVES 6:52 DOUBLE DRAW 6:55 PROGRAMME SCHEDULE 7:00 CBC EVENING NEWS 8:00 GIS PRESENTS 8:30 CBC SPORTS 'LIVE' 9:00 DOUBLE DRAW 9:03 CSI: NY 10:00 LATE NIGHT NEWS 10:05 CARIBBEAN NEWSLINE 10:35 SECRETS 1:05 BIG BANG THEORY 11:30 MID-MORNING MIX (R) 1:00 MEDITATION 1:05 TELECLASSIFIEDS M A R Y W O R T H M O T H E R G O O S E The Barbados Advocate Monday March 10, 2014 • 19 Suicide bomber kills 34 at Iraq police checkpoint A SUICIDE bomber driving a car packed with explosives killed at least 34 people and wounded 121 others at a police checkpoint in the southern Iraqi city of Hilla, police officials said on Sunday. Iraq has been beset with political and sectarian violence for months. More than 700 Iraqis were killed and nearly 1 400 others were wounded in terrorist attacks and other violence in February, the United Nations has said. Yesterday’s attack happened at the entrance of the city, the police officials stated. Hilla is a predominantly Shiite Muslim city about 100 kilometres (60 miles) south of the capital, Baghdad. Two Iraqi journalists who worked at state-run Iraqiya TV died in the attack, the station reported. Violence has raged in the country in the past year, often pitting Sunnis Afghan VP Mohammad Qasim Fahim dies ONE of Afghanistan’s two vice-presidents, Marshal Mohammad Qasim Fahim, has died of natural causes at age 57, a government spokesman has said. The Afghan government has called for three days of mourning, during which flags will be flown at halfmast. Marshal Fahim was a leader of the Tajik ethnic minority and a former warlord. He was part of the alliance that ousted the Taliban in 2001 and served first as defence minister, before becoming vice-president in 2009. President Hamid Karzai’s office told the Associated Press news agency that Marshal Fahim died from an illness. Assassination attempt The president called Marshal Fahim a true patriot and said his death was “a huge loss for Afghanistan”. He was an ally of leading anti-Taliban fighter Ahmed Shah Masood, who was killed two days before the 9/11 attacks by two Tunisian Islamist militants posing as journalists. After Masood’s death, Marshal Fahim headed the Northern Alliance and analysts say he commanded great loyalty from former fighters. Before the 2009 presidential election, Marshal Fahim survived an assassination attempt when – a minority in Iraq – against Shiite Muslims, who came to dominate the government after Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein was overthrown in 2003. Deadliest year The United Nations said 2013 was the dead- PROPERTY FOR SALE 1. PROPERTY AT 59 Ealing Park 3, Christ Church consisting of approximately 6,272 sq ft of land. The building is a three (3) bedroom/two (2) bathroom single storey residence with a gross floor area of approximately 1,728 sq ft. ref. number [PFS 01] 2. 7.77 acres of land at Bushy Park, St. Thomas. The land has been subdivided to provide two parcels. (Parcel one (1) 153,106 sq. ft., parcel two (2) – 178,031 sq. ft.). ref. number [PFS 03] 3. 5,383.07 sq. ft. (or 500.1 sq. meters) of land at Lot 11 Husbands Plantation, Husbands, St. Lucy. ref. number [PFS 07] 4. 9,766 sq. ft. of land situate at Lot 27 Gemswick, St. Philip, Barbados. The property is located in an established residential neighbourhood and lies within close proximity to Grantley Adams International Airport and approximately 20 - 25 mins drive to Bridgetown. ref. number [PFS 08] PROPERTY AT Kirtons, St Philip consisting of approximately 9,263.02 sq. meters (or 2.29 acres) of land and is approximately 5-10 mins. drive from the airport and 20-25 mins. from Bridgetown. The property is a two storey coral stone building comprising of four (4) bedrooms two and half (2.5) bathrooms on a total gross floor area of 3,560 sq. ft. ref. number [PFS 09] the convoy he was travelling in was fired at with rocket-propelled grenades and machine guns. The Taliban said it carried out the attack. His death comes ahead of presidential elections on April 5 to replace Karzai, who cannot run for a third term in office. Marshal Fahim’s loyalties had swung between different candidates, Davood Moradian, the head of the Kabul-based Afghan Institute for Strategic Studies. Presidential candidate Hedayat Amin Arsala told AP Marshal Fahim’s death “will affect the future political development”. He did not give further details. from the al Qaeda-affiliated Islamic State of Iraq and Syria in western Anbar province, which borders Syria. BARBADOS APPLICATION NO. RT2014000037 5. Fahim was part of the alliance that ousted the Taliban in 2001. liest year in Iraq since 2008, with almost 8 000 people killed. Security forces have also been fighting insurgents 6. 6,368 sq. ft (or 591.6 sq meters) of land situate at Lot #57 Friendly Hall Terrace, St Lucy. ref. number [PFS 17] 7. 15,927 sq. ft (or 1479.7 sq meters) of land situate at Lot #78G Husbands, St James ref. number [PFS 18] 8. 15, 767 sq ft of land situate at Lot 42 Bannatyne, Christ Church. ref. number [PFS 19] 9. PROPERTY at Lot 1 Black Rock, St Michael consisting of approximately 24,369 sq ft of land The building is a single storey commercial property with an approximate gross internal area of 7,081 sq ft. The property is arranged to provide the following accommodation: Large retail area, rear storage/ preparation area, ancillary office suites, male and female washroom facilities, lunch room, chiller room and ancillary store rooms ref. number [PFS 20] OFFERS Should be made by sealed bids which must reach the undernoted address on or before May 12, 2014 clearly marked “PROPERTY FOR SALE – SEALED BID” and the ref. number assigned. Recoveries Department P.O.Box 1256 Bridgetown BB11000 Barbados THE MORTGAGEE DOES NOT BIND ITSELF TO ACCEPT THE HIGHEST BID AND RESERVES THE RIGHT TO REFUSE TO ACCEPT ANY BID. LAND (TITLE DEEDS RESTORATION) ACT CAP 229C (Section 3) IN THE MATTER OF the Restoration of Title Deeds to land situate at Harts Gap, Christ Church, containing by admeasurement 2469 square feet and 11598 square feet respectively RESTORATION OF TITLE DEEDS DESTROYED BY DISASTER OR OTHERWISE OR LOST OR STOLEN TAKE NOTICE that an Application has been made to the Registrar of Titles by Gladstone Rudder of Jackman in the parish Saint Michael in this Island and Othneil Rudder of Downes Gap, Arthur Seat in the parish of Saint Thomas in this Island, administrators of the estate of Chester Branch, deceased, late of Harts Gap in the parish of Christ Church in this Island for the Restoration of the Title Deeds to land at Harts Gap in the parish of Christ Church in this Island (more particularly described in the Schedule hereto) on the grounds that the Original Title Deeds to the property have been lost or misplaced. ALSO TAKE NOTICE that unless notification is received at the Land Registry, Warrens Office Complex, Warrens, Saint Michael by the day of 2014 that the original Title Deeds have not been lost or are being lawfully held by some other person, the Registrar of Titles shall immediately proceed to determine the said Application according to law. SCHEDULE 1. ALL THAT certain piece or parcel of land (formerly part of twenty-one perches and three-tenths of a parcel and which said area includes one perch and three-tenths of a perch contained in the Public Road known as Harts Gap) situate in the district formerly known as “Brooklyn” but now known as Harts Gap at Hastings in the parish of Christ Church in this Island containing by admeasurement two thousand four hundred and sixty-nine square feet be the same more or less BUTTING AND BOUNDING towards the north on lands of the estate of Albert Edward Graham deceased agreed to be sold to the purchaser towards the east on lands now or late of M.E. L. Pitcher towards the south on lands now or late of one Blackman and towards the west on lands of Dr. A. C. Graham also agreed to be sold to the purchaser or however else the same may butt and bound together with the messuage or dwelling house thereon called “Ventnor”. 2. ALL THOSE two certain pieces or parcels of land situate in the district formerly known as “Brooklyn” but now called Harts Gap at Hastings in the parish of Christ Church and Island aforesaid containing by admeasurement as a whole eleven thousand five hundred and ninety eight square feet be the same more or less (of which area seven hundred and eight square feet are contained in a road formerly called Washington Avenue but now called or known as Harts Gap leading from Hasting Road to Dayrells Road) BUTTING AND BOUNDING on lands now or late of Ursula C. Linton on lands now or late of G. Greenidge on lands now or late of Benjamin A. Lovell on lands of the estate of A. E. Graham deceased agreed to be sold to the Purchaser on lands of Dr. A. C. Graham also agreed to be sold to the Purchaser and on the other portion of the said road called or known as Harts Gap or however else the same may butt and bound. 3. The Title Deeds to be restored are: (a) Conveyance dated the 14th day of April 1966 and made between Francis Hampden Pile and Chester Branch and recorded on the 5th day of May 1966 as Deed Number 1581 of 1966. (b) Conveyance dated 14th day of April 1966 and made between Francis Hampden Pile and Chester St. Clair Branch and recorded on the 13th day of April 1967 as Deed Number 1464 of 1967. Dated this 10th day of March 2014 For further information please contact us at 431-4526 CHESTER L. SUE Attorney-at-Law for the Applicants The Barbados Advocate 20 • Monday March 10, 2014 Samuel Jackman Prescod Polytechnic BARBADOS INVITATION FOR TENDERS LEASE OF EQUIPMENT REFUSE DISPOSAL FACILITIES Applications are invited from suitably qualified persons to fill the following Posts: A. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. INSTRUCTOR: Horticulture, Farm Management, Root and Cash Crops Mathematics, Biology and Chemistry Health and Safety,Communication Skills, Business Education Care of the Elderly, Home Nursing and First Aid Plumbing Book Binding and Work Ethics Marine Diesel Engineering Electrics Theory and Practice B. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. HEAD OF DIVISION (An assigned post) Agriculture Business Studies General Studies Distance and Continuing Education Human Ecology Mechanical Engineering and Printing C. SANITATION SERVICE AUTHORITY 1. The Sanitation Service Authority is inviting Tenders for the leasing of equipment to operate at the Authority’s Disposal facilities. 2. The Tender is for the lease of the following heavy equipment: SUPERVISOR (Category 3) One Post of Supervisor of General Workers • • • QUALIFICATIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES A. INSTRUCTOR 3. The equipment is to be used in the management of Landfill Operations by assisting in the spreading and compacting of waste at the Mangrove Pond Landfill. 4. The duration of the lease period is five (5) years 5. All Equipment must be new. 6. All equipment supplied in the lease agreement must demonstrate durability and its fitness for purpose. 7. A Bidders Meeting and Pre-Tender site visit is scheduled for Wednesday March 12, 2014 commencing at 10:00 a.m. for the purpose of allowing interested Bidders to inspect existing equipment at the Authority’s disposal facilities located at Mangrove, St. Thomas. 8. Tenders should be submitted in sealed envelopes marked “Tender for the lease of Equipment for Refuse Disposal Facilities” and should be addressed to: Applicants should possess: • a Degree in the relevant discipline or a Higher National Diploma/Certificate or a Full Technological Certificate from City and Guilds of London Institute OR • an Associate Degree, Ordinary Technicians’ Certificate (O.T.D) or equivalent in the relevant discipline; OR • the BTEC National Certificate/Diploma or O.T.D in the relevant discipline; OR • Level 2 (Diploma) of City & Guilds qualification in the relevant discipline; AND three (3) to seven (7) years’ relevant experience. A Teacher’s Training Certificate/Diploma from an approved Institution would be an asset. Responsibilities (General) In order to effectively deliver the diversified programme of the Samuel Jackman Prescod Polytechnic it is essential that staff play their part. The instructor is a key figure in the overall effort and not only must possess knowledge of the subject, but must also be capable of teaching it effectively using the most effective methods and available technology. The Instructor must also be an advisor to each student and a representative of the institution B. HEAD OF DIVISION (an assigned position) Applicants should possess: • • • • and • a Degree in the relevant discipline, or a Higher National Diploma, or a Higher National Certificate, or a Full Technological Certificate The Chairman Sanitation Service Authority 2nd Floor, NPC Building Wildey, St. Michael A Teacher’s Training Certificate/Diploma from an approved Institution and seven (7) years’ relevant experience. RESPONSIBILITIES (General) to reach her no later than 4:00 p.m. on Monday 31st March 2014. Late submissions will not be accepted. The Head of Division is responsible for the management of the resources of the division and may be required to teach. C. Landfill Wheel Compactor Landfill Track Type Dozer Agricultural Tractor SUPERVISOR (Category 3) 9. QUALIFICATIONS: C.X.C. in English “A” or equivalent, or not less than five years’ experience in a supervisory level post. RESPONSIBILITIES (General) Supervision of Gardeners, General Workers and Cleaners and inspection of plant, buildings and workshops and equipment. a. SALARIES The salary scale of the Instructor is Z23 (QB16)- Z2. The salary scale of the Head of Division is Z5- Z2 with a pensionable allowance of $386.36 per month. The salary of the Supervisor (Category 3) is $2,569.80 per month b. Interested and qualified persons should submit their applications complete with Curriculum Vitae and two Referees in an envelope marked “CONFIDENTIAL” on or before March 28, 2014 to: c. The Chairman Board of Management Samuel Jackman Prescod Polytechnic Wildey St. Michael BB11103 Barbados Only suitable applications will be acknowledged. Please visit our website at www.sjpp.edu.bb for more details on these vacancies or call (246)-426-1920. The successful Tender will be required to enter into a Contract drawn up by or in a form approved by the Attorney-at-Law for the Sanitation Service Authority. A surety for the due performance of the Contract will be required by way of one of the methods listed below: By way of a deposit with the treasury of Barbados of a sum or approved securities to the value of not less than fifty percent (50%) of the contract price By way of coverage from a Bank or accredited Insurance Company whose liability shall not be less than fifty percent (50%) of the contract price. By way of other surety or sureties satisfactory and acceptable by the Sanitation Service Authority. The cost of obtaining a surety or sureties shall be the responsibility of the Tenderer who need not specifically make arrangements for the surety or sureties unless his/her tender has been accepted. 10. Tenderers should include an After Sale Service Plan which should include the following: a) The Guarantee of the possibility of obtaining parts for equipment over a ten (10) year period. b) A warrantee for a period of one (1) year or 3000km limit, such that if any component of the equipment becomes faulty it must be replaced free of charge by the Tenderer. c) Training is to be provided free of cost to Sanitation Service Authority staff for the handling of equipment and is to be conducted both locally and overseas. d) The provision of all equipment operational manuals free of cost. e) All tools required for the repair of equipment are to be provided at the time of sale. 11. Requests for further information or any queries should be directed in writing to the Manager, Sanitation Service Authority, 2nd Floor, NPC Building, Wildey, St. Michael. 12. Tenderers should be aware that the Labour Clauses (Public Contracts) Act CAP 349 shall in so far as is applicable to the Tenderer apply to any contract made in respect of the tender and the bidder shall be required to submit a certificate of eligibility in this respect. Full details of the conditions of the Act CAP 349 may be obtained from the Chief Labour Office, Labour Department, Warrens Office Complex, Warrens, St. Michael, Barbados. 13. All corporate Tenderers must include with their tenders a copy of the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation as evidence of the fact that the Company is an existing registered Company as at the date of tender. Failure to provide the certificate of Incorporation will render the tender void. The certificate must be in the name of the Tenderer. 14. Local tenderers are advised that the Certificate of Incorporation referred to at paragraph 3 above means a Certificate of incorporation issued under the 1985 Companies Act of Barbados or where applicable a Certificate of Continuance and/or a Certificate of Amalgamation or a Certificate of Amendment. Certificates must be dated after 31st December, 1984. 15. Any firm incorporated outside of Barbados that is eventually awarded a Contract by the Government of Barbados must register in Barbados under the “Companies Act of Barbados.” 16. No Tender will be considered unless it complies with the conditions set out in this Notice and Tender Documents. 17. The Sanitation Service Authority does not bind itself to accept the lowest or any tender. The Barbados Advocate Monday March 10, 2014 • 21 ‘Noah’ movie rocks the boat with Muslim bans THE upcoming Paramount Pictures movie Noah has begun to cause jitters in the Muslim World with the Egypt-based Al Azhar ruling that the careening biblical production is prohibited in Islam. “Al Azhar prohibits the screening of a film that characterises Noah,” reads the title of a statement ‘issued on Thursday by the top Muslim institution. “Al Azhar renews its rejection to the screening of any production that characterizes Allah’s prophets and messengers and the companions of the Prophet [Mohammad],” the Azhar statement said. It explained that such productions are “contrary to faith and to the fundamentals of the Islamic Sharia and provokes people’s feelings.” “Therefore, Al Azhar announces the prohibition of the upcoming film about the Allah’s messenger Noah - peace be upon him.” It argues that the film contains “personal characterisation” of Noah, which is “prohibited in Islamic Shariah… and story that is a cornerstone of faith for millions of people worldwide. The biblical story of Noah can be found in the book of Russell Crowe stars in controversial biblical movie ‘Noah’. constitutes a clear violation of the principles of Islamic law stipulated by the Constitution.” “Al Azhar as a reference in the Islamic affairs urges the authorities to ban the film,” the statement said. The film, slated for release on March 28, has been recently criticized by several Muslim figures in Egypt. Sheikh Sameh Abdel Hameed, a member of the Salafi Call, was quoted by Youm7 on Wednesday as saying: “Depicting prophets in art is a crime; not art, that is harmful to the image of prophets.” “Depicting prophets opens the door for questioning their behavior… Actors cannot accurately imitate the behaviors, manners and appearances of prophets,” Abdel Hameed added. Directed by Darren Aronofsky and starring Oscar winner Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connelly, Anthony Hopkins, the Biblical Noah suffers visions of an apocalyptic flood and moves to protect his family from the anticipated catastrophe. “The film is inspired by the story of Noah. While artistic license has been taken, we believe that this film is true to the essence, values, and integrity of a ‘300’ sequel rules box office with $45.1m debut NEW YORK – The shirtless warriors of the “300” sequel “Rise of an Empire” ravaged the postOscars box-office weekend with a domestic debut of $45.1 million but an even bigger international haul of $87.8 million. Seven years after the original “300” became an unlikely, ultra-stylish, blood-soaked sensation, Warner Bros.’ 3-D followup showed considerable might at the box office. While “300: Rise of an Empire” didn’t come close to the North American debut of Zack Snyder’s 2007 original ($70.9 million and without the benefit of 3-D ticket prices), it performed like a blockbuster overseas. “Rise of an Empire,” which with flexed torsos and R-rated bloodshed further chronicles the ancient battles of the Greeks and Persians, led a busy box-office weekend that also saw an Academy Awards bump for “12 Years a Slave” and one of the highest per-screen averages ever for Wes Anderson’s European caper “The Grand Budapest Hotel.” Though “300: Rise of an Empire” is excessively macho, Eva Green - the film’s fiercest presence may have drawn females for what was always going to be a male-centric release. Whereas the female audience for the first “300” was only 29 per cent, it was 38 per cent for “Rise of an Empire.” “Talk about female empowerment,” said Jeff Goldstein, head of domestic distribution for Warner Bros., said of the “Casino Royale” actress. Noting the popularity of 3-D and IMAX screenings for the movie, Goldstein credited the visual panache of producer Snyder (Noam Murro took over directing), who drew directly from Frank Miller’s graphic novels: “He brings a lot to the screen that mesmerizes you.” Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for box-office tracker Rentrak, said the “300” franchise “translates to virtually every culture. Every country can appreciate the visuals of these movies.” The week’s other new wide release, 20th Century Fox’s animated “Mr. Peabody & Sherman,” opened in second with $32.5 million. The film is based on the cartoon about a timetraveling boy and his brilliant dog from “The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show.” Some of the family film market was likely taken by Warner Bros.’ hit “The Lego Movie,” which added $11 million in its fifth weekend. Genesis,” reads the film disclaimer. Exactly 10 years ago, “Passion of the Christ” was screened in Egypt, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon – countries home to large Christian populations - and drew enthusiastic crowds. TECHNICAL AND VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING The TVET Council is a Statutory Board established under the TVET Council Act 199311 to co-ordinate and promote workforce development. The Council is also responsible for the management of the Employment and Training Fund (ETF) which provides grants or loans for the support and provision of technical and vocational education and training. In an effort to enhance its services, the Council is now inviting applications from suitably qualified and experienced persons for the posts of Technical Officers (2). I. JOB TITLE: TECHNICAL OFFICER (TEMP) The Technical Officer will assist with the development and promotion of technical and vocational education and training. Key duties and Responsibilities: 1. Develop occupational standards, related qualifications and resource materials. 2. Coordinate the activities of, and provide technical and administrative support to, standards setting bodies, technical committees and other resource groups. 3. Monitor and evaluate competence based training, assessment and achievement outcomes. 4. Develop competence based assessment tools and materials. 5. Facilitate the preparation of competence-based curriculum/instructional materials. 6. Conduct and monitor quality assurance of the delivery of vocational qualifications. Qualifications and Experience: • • • An undergraduate degree and a minimum of three years’ experience in organisational human resource management, or training and development, or vocational education and training Computer literacy with knowledge of Microsoft Office Professional training and experience in approaches to instructional design, the development of curricula and instructional materials e.g Developing A CurriculUM (DACUM) or Systematic Curriculum and Instructional Development (SCID) AND/OR occupational/educational testing and assessment would be an asset. Competencies • • • • • • • Research and analytical skills Excellent oral and written communication skills Excellent interpersonal skills Excellent facilitation skills Ability to work as a member of a team Excellent time management skills Project Management skills Salary: Grade Z6 - 1 of Government’s Salary Scale All applications will be treated in confidence and should be accompanied by a Curriculum Vitae` and the names and addresses of two (2) referees. Applications should be addressed to: The Chairman Technical and Vocational Education and Training Council " No. 7, Chelwood" 8th Avenue, Belleville ST MICHAEL Closing date: March 21st, 2014 NB: UNSUITABLE APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE ACKNOWLEDGED The Barbados Advocate 22 • Monday March 10, 2014 I don’t think he likes my size D Bridge ear Jane, I’m 26 years old and I’ve been dating a guy for the last two months. Recently he has been dropping remarks about my weight because I’m heavier than the average woman, weighing just over 200 lbs. Honestly, I love my size, and before he came into my life I didn’t feel the need to change my body, but I find his comments offensive and hurtful. I haven’t told him anything as yet, and I just wonder if he genuinely cares about me because it appears that he would rather be with somebody who is smaller than I am. I have so many questions, but I haven’t had anyone show me interest in a while so I’m hesitant to bombard him with my concerns. What do you think I should do Jane? RP DEAR RP, the only way you will truly know how he feels about you is if you ask him. Something must have attracted him to you initially, so don’t jump to conclusions before having that conversation. Ignore the fact that your dating life hasn’t been as entertaining as you would like and ask him every question that is currently weighing on your heart. Express how you feel when he makes certain statements and observe if he makes any changes to the way he addresses you. To be frank, these small comments can impact your emotional well-being over time, and if he doesn’t appreciate you for who you are, don’t waste your time... kick him to the curb. Somebody else will come along when you least expect it. On the flip side, he might be genuinely concerned about your health and may want you to make changes to your lifestyle, which is not a bad thing. If that is the case, ask that he chooses his words wisely and delivers them in a considerate manner. But remember, you will only know what to do if you have that conversation with him. JANE Need Advice? Write to AskJane c/o Advocate Publishers 2000 Inc Fontabelle St. Michael [email protected] The Barbados Advocate SPORTS Monday March 10, 2014 •23 Swimmer hits the mark Gill swims CAC qualifying time HANNAH GILL of Pirates reached the qualification standard for the upcoming Central American and Caribbean Games in another event when the Barbados Amateur Swimming Association’s Long Course Nationals continued over the weekend at the Aquatic Centre. Gill won the Girls’ 13-14 400 metre freestyle in 4:32.46, just going under the CAC ‘B’ qualifying time of 4:34.04. It was a Pirates’ affair in this race with McKayla Treasure copping the silver medal in 4:51.86 while Margaux Harvey-Read was third in 4:57.50. Gill is the only swimmer to have attained a CAC qualifying time at the championships thus far. She had previously qualified for both CAC and the Youth Olympic Games in the 13-14 Girls’ 800 metre freestyle. Her time of 9:15.36 is the new national record in this event and is a ‘B’ qualifying time for both CAC and Youth Olympics. She also won the 200 metre IM (2:37.39) and finished third in the 50 metre butterfly (33.25). Daniell Titus of Alpha Sharks narrowly missed breaking the record in the 11-12 Girls’ 100 metre backstroke. She won in 1:10.62, just outside the record of 1:10.45 set in 2010 by Inayah Sherry. Taking second spot was Ashley Weekes in 1:21.65 while Destiny Harding was third in 1:21.70 Titus also won the 50 metre butterfly in 32.31 seconds. Harding was second in 32.80 seconds while Katelin Samuel was third in 33.12 seconds. (PG) Amara Gibbs (centre) won the 200 Girls’ Individual Medley (15 –17), while Alexis Clarke (left) captured the silver. Bailey Spiegelbeig took the bronze. (centre) Winner of the 8 and Under Boys’ 50 Metre Backstroke Rufus Bernhardt is flanked by (left) silver medalist Paolo Diciembre and bronze medalist Omari Sealy. Ashantia Phillips makes it to CARIFTA list ASHANTIA PHILLIPS was the only new name joining the list of CARIFTA qualifiers at the end of Day One of the Athletics Association of Barbados’ CARIFTA Games Trials on Saturday at the National Stadium. Phillips, a Freedom Striders athlete, cleared 1.70 metres in the Under-18 Girls’ high jump, equalling the required standard. Shonte Seale of Springer Memorial was second with 1.55 metres while Yuriko Harewood of Freedom Striders was third with 1.50 metres. Elite Distance’s Sada Williams qualified for the Under-18 Girls’ 400 metres after winning that event in 54.99 seconds, going under the 55.70 seconds requirement. Tiana Bowen of Rising Stars was second in 56.80 seconds while club mate Rosette Hoyte was third in 59.08 seconds. Williams had qualified in the 200 metres at the Louis Lynch Championships earlier this year by running 24.08 seconds. Romarco Thompson ended just outside the qualification mark in the Under-18 Boys’ 400 metres, winning that event in 48.72 seconds. He was just outside the mark of 48.60 seconds. All the other competitors were disappointing as not one went under 50 seconds. Ross Jordan and Theo Greenidge tied for second place in 52.23 seconds. Another disappointment was in the Under-18 Boys’ 100 metres, where the lone athlete going below 11 seconds was Mario Burke. Burke predictably won in 10.50 seconds, while the next fastest athlete clocked 11.07 seconds. Tamal Atwell was third in 11.12 seconds. Rising Stars’ Tristan Evelyn fell agonisingly short of qualifying in the Under-18 Girls’ 100 metres when she won that event in 11.94 seconds, just outside the required 11.90 seconds. Asha Cave of High Performance Programme was second in 12.22 seconds while Ayanna Morgan of Quantum Leap was third in 12.43 seconds. The ever-improving Michael Nicholls clocked 13.84 seconds in the Under-18 Boys’ 110 metre hurdles, going below his previous personal best of 13.95 seconds he set at the Louis Lynch Championships last month. Juwan Augustin-Mayers was second in 14.45 seconds just outside the CARIFTA standard of 14.40 seconds.Anderson Greaves was third in 16.23 seconds. Shamar Rock continued to be the standout athlete in the long jump with another CARIFTA qualifying leap in that event on Saturday. Rock won with 7.31 metres while Rory Grant of Queen’s College was second with 5.79 metres. Meanwhile, Hayley Matthews retained her consistency with another throw over 40 metres in the Under-18 Girls’ javelin. She won the event with 40.73 metres, while Simone Carroll of Springer Memorial was second with 19.09 metres. (PG) The Barbados Advocate 24 • Monday March 10, 2014 Kohli reclaims number-one ODI batting ranking INDIA’S Virat Kohli has reclaimed the number-one batting position in the latest Reliance ICC Player Rankings for ODI Batsmen, which were released yesterday at the conclusion of the Asia Cup which was won by Sri Lanka. Kohli had entered the Asia Cup, trailing number-one ranked AB de Villiers by two ratings points. Kohli’s tournament aggregate of 189 runs in three innings, with 136 against Bangladesh as his series best earned him 12 ratings points, which has put him ahead of South Africa’s ODI captain by nine ratings points. Following his knock of 136, Kohli had achieved his career high rating of 886 but finished with 881 ratings points after scores of 48 (against Sri Lanka) and five (against Pakistan). Kohli didn’t bat against Afghanistan. Kohli was last ranked number-one just before the ODI series against New Zealand in January 2014. Strong batting performances in the Asia Cup have resulted in a reshuffle of the positions, with Sri Lanka’s Lahiru Thirimanne, who won the player of the tournament, making the biggest progress. The left-handed Sri Lanka opener has jumped 29 places to a career-best 39th position after he totalled 279 runs in the series, including two centuries. Other batsmen to head in the right direction include Shikhar Dhawan in eighth (up by three place), Ahmed Shehzad in 17th (up by four places), Umar Akmal in 19th (up by six places), Rohit Sharma in 22nd (up by one place), Angelo Mathews in 28th (up by four places), Mushfiqur Rahim in 35th (up by eight places), Shahid Afridi in 44th (up by five places) and Ravindra Jadeja in 50th (up by 12 places). The latest rankings also include the three-match ODI between the West Indies and England, with Joe Root the biggest mover. Root, who won the player of the series award, has been rewarded with a jump of 29 places which has put him in 43rd position. Meanwhile, spinning trio of Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammad Hafeez and Ravichandaran Ashwin are the biggest gainers inside the top 20 of the Reliance ICC Player Rankings for ODI Bowlers. Jadeja has earned four places and is now in fifth position after claiming seven wickets in four matches, Hafeez has climbed three places to 12th after his five wickets, while Ashwin’s nine wickets in the series has given him a lift of seven places that has put him in 14th position. Outside the top 20, player of the final, Lasith Malinga, has jumped 11 places to 22nd. Malinga, who picked five for 56 in the final, was also the highest wickettaker in the five-team tournament with 11 wickets from four matches. Other big movers include Mohammad Shami in 26th (up by nine), Sachitra Senanayake in 34th (up by three places), Amit Mishra in 36th (up by five places), Ajantha Mendis in 41st (up by five places) and Suranga Lakmal in 47th (up by 15 places). To find out exactly how the forthcoming series will affect the Rankings Table, please click here. The ODI and T20I Rankings tables, unlike the Test Rankings Table, are updated after every match. Meanwhile, India has been guaranteed to retain its number-two position in the Reliance ICC ODI Team Rankings at the 1 April cut-off date. India finished with 113 ratings points, just one ahead of third-ranked Sri Lanka, to walk away with a prize of US$75,000. There was no other change in the table with all sides retaining their positions. Australia was assured of the numberone ranking in the Reliance ICC ODI Team Rankings on the 1 April cut-off date in January after India lost its ODI series against New Zealand 0-4. It will receive the ODI Shield as well as a cheque of US$175,000. In addition to this, Australia has also won a cash prize of US$370,000 for finishing second on the Reliance ICC Test Team Rankings Table on the 1 April cut-off date. So in all, Australia has earned a total prize of US$525,000 from its positions on the rankings tables. The Asia Cup was the last ODI series before the 1 April cut-off date as focus will now shift to the shortest format of the game with England-West Indies and South Africa-Australia featuring in a total of six T20Is between them from 9 to 14 March. These matches will serve as final preparations for the ICC World Twenty20 Bangladesh 2014, which will take place from 16 March to 6 April.The West Indies men’s and Australia women’s sides will defend the titles in the event that will take place in Chittagong, Mirpur and Sylhet.The first confirmed ODI series after the ICC World Twenty20 Bangladesh 2014 is between Ireland and Sri Lanka in Dublin. The two-match ODI series will start on May 6. Reliance ICC ODI Player Rankings (as on 8 March after Asia Cup, West Indies v England and West Indies v Ireland) Batsmen Rank (+/-) 1 (+1) 2 (-1) 3 (-) 4 (-) 5 (-) 6 (-) 7 (-) 8 (+3) 9 (-1) 10 (-2) 11 (-1) 12 (-1) 13 (+1) 14 (+1) 15 (-2) 16 (-) 17= (-1) (+4) 19 (+6) 20 (-2 ) Player Virat Kohl AB de Villiers George Bailey Hashim Amla K Sangakkara MS Dhoni Jonathan Trott Shikhar Dhawan T Dilshan Misbah-ul-Haq Ross Taylor Kane Williamson Shane Watson Quinton de Kock Eoin Morgan Michael Clarke M Hafeez Ahmed Shehzad Umar Akmal Alastair Cook Selected Rankings Rank (+/-) Player 22 (+1) Rohit Sharma 23 (-4) Paul Stirling 28 (+4) Angelo Mathews 29 ( - ) Shakib Al Hasan 31 (-1) M Jayawardena 32 (+9) Lendl Simmons 35 (+8) Mushfiqur Rahim 37 (-4) Kevin O’Brien 39 (+29) L Thirimanne 40 (-2) Nasir Hossain 42 (-3) D Chandimal 43 (+29) Joe Root 44= (+5) Shahid Afridi (-7) Darren Bravo 50 (+15) Dwayne Bravo (+12) Ravindra Jadeja Bowlers Rank (+/-) Player 1 ( - ) Saeed Ajmal Team Ind SA Aus SA SL Ind Eng Ind SL Pak NZ NZ Aus SA Ire/Eng Aus Pak Pak Pak Eng Pts 881 872 856*! 840 833 783 725 723* 717 715 713! 688! 676 673*! 665 660 654 654 652 638 Ave 52.16 49.46 53.12 53.34 40.45 53.28 51.25 41.77 37.67 44.38 40.07 39.51 41.06 46.31 40.09 44.66 31.05 34.40 38.57 38.17 HS Rating 886 v Ban at Fatullah 2014 883 v Ind at Cardiff 2013 856 v Eng at Adelaide 2014 901 v Eng at Trent Bridge 2012 853 v Afg at Mirpur 2014 836 v Aus at Delhi 2009 796 v SA at The Oval 2013 736 v WI at Kanpur 2013 767 v Pak at Sharjah 2013 744 v SL at Fatullah 2014 713 v Ind at Wellington 2014 688 v Ind at Wellington 2014 773 v SL at Hambantota 2011 673 v Ind at Centurion 2013 690 v Aus at The Oval 2010 750 v SL at Melbourne 2008 665 v Ban at Mirpur 2014 670 v Ban at Mirpur 2014 702 v Afg at Sharjah 2012 752 v Aus at Lord’s 2012 Team Ind Ire SL Ban SL WI Ban Ire SL Ban SL Eng Pak WI WI Ind Pts 627 620 614! 613 593 588 580 577 573! 570* 554 549* 543 543 530 530! Ave 35.69 36.84 37.17 34.99 33.17 32.20 28.08 33.13 30.74 38.36 31.25 38.77 23.44 31.03 26.13 33.50 HS Rating 672 v WI at Kochi 2013 693 v Pak at Dublin 2013 614 v Pak at Mirpur 2014 683 v Pak at Mirpur 2012 738 v WI at Colombo (RPS) 2001 629 v Ind at Visakhapatnam 2011 588 v Pak at Mirpur 2014 602 v Net at Amstelveen 2013 573 v Pak at Mirpur 2014 585 v Zim at Bulawayo 2013 667 v Aus at Adelaide 2012 585 v SA at The Oval 2013 663 v Ind at Lahore 1997 588 v Ind at Kanpur 2013 531 v Eng at Antigua 2014 530 v Afg at Mirpur 2014 Team Pak Pts 789 Ave 22.25 Econ 4.14 HS Rating 810 v SA at Centurion 2013 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17= 20 (-) (-) (-) (+4) (-) (-) (-3) (-) (-2) (+1) (+3) (-) (+7) (-4) (+1) (-1) (-4) (-) (-1) Dale Steyn Sunil Narine Steven Finn Ravindra Jadeja L Tsotsobe Morne Morkel James Anderson Clint McKay Rangana Herath Mitchell Johnson M Hafeez Kyle Mills R Ashwin Junaid Khan Angelo Mathews Kemar Roach Abdur Razzak Tim Southee Ryan McLaren Selected Rankings Rank (+/-) Player 21 (-1) Shakib Al Hasan 22 (+11) Lasith Malinga 2007 23 (-1) B Kumar 26 (+9) M Shami 31 (-8) Ravi Rampaul 32= (-1) George Dockrell (+8) James Tredwell 34 (+3) S Senanayake 35 (-10) Shahid Afridi 36= (+5) Amit Mishra (-3) Stuart Broad 38 (+1) Tim Bresnan 41 (+5) Ajantha Mendis 2011 42 (-5) Darren Sammy 46 (-4) M Mortaza 47= (+6) Dwayne Bravo (+15) Suranga Lakmal SA WI Eng Ind SA SA Eng Aus SL Aus Pak NZ Ind Pak SL WI Ban NZ SA 742 714 681 676 674 673 669 666 651 639 637 633 616 613 608 607 607 607 605 25.49 26.97 27.74 32.58 24.96 23.54 29.11 24.37 32.24 25.88 35.60 26.74 32.91 24.37 35.64 26.77 28.69 31.52 28.11 4.79 4.19 4.71 4.71 4.75 4.78 4.97 4.78 4.31 4.85 4.06 4.72 4.90 4.99 4.50 4.92 4.53 5.20 5.11 746 v Ind at Durban 2013 791 v SL at Jamaica 2013 755 v NZ at Auckland 2013 738 v Zim at Bulawayo 2013 743 v NZ at Auckland 2012 717 v SL at East London 2012 719 v SA at The Oval 2013 709 v Eng at Cardiff 2013 703 v SA at Pallekele 2013 724 v Ban at Darwin 2008 769 v Ind at Kolkata 2013 722 v Aus at Melbourne 2009 691 v SL at Hambantota 2012 655 v SL at Abu Dhabi 2013 649 v Ind at Trinidad 2013 650 v Pak at St Lucia 2013 679 v Zim at Bulawayo 2013 633 v Eng at Lord’s 2013 617 v Ind at Johannesburg 2013 Team Ban SL Pts 601 599 Ave 29.60 26.87 Econ 4.30 5.15 HS Rating 717 v Zim at Chittagong 2009 675 v Ban at Colombo (RPS) Ind Ind WI Ire Eng SL Pak Ind Eng Eng SL 596* 570* 561 559*! 559* 557* 554 553* 553 543 521 37.32 28.96 30.17 28.11 28.00 39.96 33.89 22.77 28.37 35.20 20.50 4.74 5.82 5.11 4.20 4.75 4.69 4.62 4.42 5.22 5.45 4.43 628 v Aus at Nagpur 2013 583 v SL at Fatullah 2014 628 v Ind at Ahmedabad 2011 559 v WI at Jamaica 2014 565 v Ire at Malahide 2013 565 v Ind at Fatullah 2014 673 v Ban at Mirpur 2011 570 v Zim at Bulawayo 2013 701 v SA at Trent Bridge 2008 605 v Ind at The Oval 2011 648 v NZ at Colombo (RPS) WI Ban WI SL 514 500 499 499*! 44.92 31.64 29.73 30.88 4.56 4.71 5.39 5.56 599 v Can at Jamaica 2010 653 v Zim at Mirpur 2009 601 v SA at Antigua 2010 499 v Pak at Mirpur 2014 ! Indicates career-highest rating. * Indicates provisional rating; a batsman qualifies for a full rating after a minimum of 40 started innings; a bowler qualifies for a full rating after he has conceded 1,500 runs. The Barbados Advocate Monday March 10, 2014 • 25 TENDER NOTICE Tender for the Provision of Cleaning Services at the Supreme Court Complex, White Park Road, St. Michael for the Period Ending March 31. 2015 Tenders are invited for the provision of cleaning services at the Supreme Court Complex, Whitepark Road St Michael for the period ending March 31, 2015 2. Details regarding the requirements for the cleaning of the Supreme Court Complex are set out in the Instructions to Tenderers, which together with the Form of Tender, are obtainable from the office of the Registrar, Supreme Court Complex, Whitepark Road, St. Michael from whom any further particulars may also be obtained between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. from Monday to Friday, except on Public Holidays. 3. You may inspect the area on Monday the 17th day of March, 2014 between the hours of 2:00 p.m. and 4:00 p m. 4. Tenderers must complete the Form of Tender, indicating clearly the prices for each required service as set out in the Form of Tender, Tenderers should state clearly whether the prices quoted for each service are daily, monthly, bi-monthly or quarterly. It was a sold-out crowd at Kensington Oval yesterday afternoon for the first Twenty20 match between England and West Indies. Samuels leads WI to victory T20 from Back Page Forcing a change of balls by the umpires, Smith then steered the third ball to fine leg for four. Then another short-pitched delivery went for four, quickly followed by a spank through the offside for another four. Overall, Smith looked to be in magnificent form, timing the ball well and rapidly moving the home side past 50. However, the 57-run opening partnership was broken by Bopara who deceived Smith with a ball that seamed back in and bowled him between bat and pad for 27 runs off 18 balls, in which he struck five boundaries and one six. But this was more than enough time for Gayle, who was joined in the middle by Samuels, to get in the act and the powerful hitter moved up to 43 with some impressive hitting. In the opening moments Gayle was looking suspect at the crease, trying to advance down the pitch only to miss the ball. However, after his first boundary came from a short arm jab off Bresnan, he found his range and the next time he advanced down the pitch he slapped Bresnan for four more. Meanwhile, Samuels showed his intent immediately, cutting the ball for four to get off the mark. Eventually, Gayle was trapped lbw by James Tredwell as a ball slid on and struck him on the back foot for 43 off 35 balls, which included five four SCOREBOARD West Indies D. Smith b Bopara . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27 (18 balls) C. Gayle lbw J. Tredwell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43 (35 balls) M. Samuels not out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69 (46 balls) L. Simmons c Lumb b R. Bopara . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 (7 balls) A. Russell not out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24 (15 balls) Extras (nb 1, lb 3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 TOTAL: 170/3 off 20 overs Fow: 57, 87, 113 Bowling: S. Broad 2-0-26-0, J Dernbach 4-0-36-0, T. Bresnan 4-036-0, B. Stokes 2-0-30-0, R. Bopara 4-0-23-2, J. Tredwell 4-0-16-1 Toss: West Indies 5. TENDERERS SHOULD BE AWARE THAT THE LABOUR CLAUSES (PUBLIC CONTRACTS) ACT, CAP. 349 SHALL, INSOFAR AS IS APPLICABLE TO THE TENDER, APPLY TO ANY CONTRACT MADE IN RESPECT OF THE TENDER. FULL DETAILS OF THE CONDITIONS OF THE ACT CAP. 349, MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE GOVERNMENT PRINTER, GOVERNMENT PRINTING DEPARTMENT, BAY STREET, ST. MICHAEL. TENDERERS SHOULD SUBMIT WITH THEIR TENDERS THE CERTIFICATE REQUIRED BY PARAGRAPH 3 OF THE SCHEDULE TO THE ACT. 6. The successful Tenderer will be required to enter into a contract drawn up by or in a form approved by the Solicitor General or another Legal Officer in the Public Service approved by her. A surety for the due performance of the contract will be required by one of the following methods. England innings M. Lumb c Rampaul b S. Badree . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 (19 balls) A. Hales st w/kpr Ramdin b S. Badree . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 (7 balls) L. Wright st w/kpr Ramdin b S. Badree . . . . . . . . . . . . . .0 (1 ball) E. Morgan c (Sub) Charles b M. Samuels . . . . . . . . .19 (18 balls) J. Butler c Sub Charles b S. Narine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .0 (3 balls) R. Bopara c & b D. Bravo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42 (24 balls) B. Stokes st w/kpr Ramdin b M. Samuels . . . . . . . . . . .4 (5 balls) T. Bresnan not out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47 (29 balls) S. Broad st w/kpr Ramdin b D. Bravo . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 (12 balls) J. Tredwell run out A Russell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 (1 ball) J. Dernbach not out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 (1 ball) Extras (b1, lb 2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 TOTAL: 143/9 off 20 overs Fow: 13, 13, 36, 40, 55, 73, 101, 123, 133 Bowling S. Badree 4-0-17-3, R. Rampaul 3-0-31-0, S. Narine 2-08-1, D. Bravo 4-0-30-1, M. Samuels 4-0-21-2, D. Sammy 1-0-12-0, A. Russell 2-0-21-0 and two sixes. For the first time in the innings the run rate had dipped below eight runs per over, but that soon changed as Samuels stepped up a gear and dispatched Stokes for 19 runs in the 13th over. Lendl Simmons was caught at long-on off Bopara for three and Russell came up the order. Samuels received a lifeline when he was dropped on 43, after crunching a length ball by Dernbach and picking out Tredwell. Dernbach then came in for some heavy blows from Samuels who struck him all around the Oval for five boundaries and a dropped catch. Samuels brought up his half-century off 37 balls which included six boundaries and one six. However, Dernbach came back and bowled the final over of the innings in which West Indies were only able to get six singles, finishing on 170 for three. West Indies lead the series 1-0. (a) by way of deposit with the Treasury of a sum of money or approved securities to the value of not less than 10 percent of the contract price; or (b) by way of a bank or accredited Insurance Company whose liability shall be not less than 10 percent of the contract price; the cost of obtaining such a surety should be the responsibility of the Tenderer, who need not specifically make arrangements for sureties unless and until his Tender has been accepted, or 7. The successful Tenderer will be required to carry out all cleaning services, as specified in the Instructions to Tenderers, to the satisfaction of the Registrar of the Supreme Court and to agree that any cleaning services not so rendered shall be remedied at the Tenderers expense. 8. All Corporate Tenderers must include with their Tenders, a copy of the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation, as evidence of the fact that the company is an existing registered company as at the date of tender. FAILURE TO PROVIDE THE CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION WILL RENDER THE TENDER VOID. The Certificate must be in the name of the Tenderer. 9. Tenderers are advised that the Certificate of Incorporation referred to at paragraph 8 above, means a Certificate of Incorporation issued under the 1985 Companies Act of Barbados or where applicable, a Certificate of Continuance and/or Amalgamation or a Certificate of Amendment Certificates must be dated after 31st December 1984. 10. Tenders must be submitted in sealed envelopes marked “CONFIDENTIAL” “TENDER FOR THE PROVISION OF CLEANING SERVICES AT THE SUPREME COURT COMPLEX, WHITEPARK ROAD, ST. MICHAEL FOR THE PERIOD ENDING MARCH 31, 2015” and must be addressed to the Chairman, Tenders Committee, C/o Central Purchasing Department, Holborn Circle, St. Michael to reach her no later than 4:30 p.m. on Monday the 31st day of March, 2014. 11. Tenders must be placed in the Tenders Box located at the above address. 12. No tender will be considered unless it complies with the conditions set out in this Notice and the Tender Documents. 13. The Government does not bind itself to accept the lowest or any Tender. The Barbados Advocate 26 • Monday March 10, 2014 Coleridge & Parry, Alleyne snatch last two semi-final places in Joel Garner T20 tourney RG Plumbing Coleridge & Parry Old Scholars and fellow northern rural team Alleyne Alumni have snatched the last two semifinal places in the sixth annual Christ Church Foundation School Joel Garner Twenty20 tapeball tournament. On a wonderful Friday night at Dover and before another big crowd including ICC match officials who are here for the three-match T20 International series between West Indies and England at Kensington Oval on Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday, Coleridge & Parry withstood a stiff challenge from Foundation School to win by five runs, while Alleyne beat Foundation ‘B’ Old Scholars by 18 runs. And fans who turned up for the last two quarter-final matches were not left out of the action as for the second consecutive night, tickets for the three T20 Internationals were offered by the West Indies Cricket Board and quickly gobbled up by those who were lucky to answer questions relating to the Garner T20 competition and in general. Hailing from Ashton Hall, St. Peter, Coleridge & Parry, the 2011 champions, scored 96 for nine off 20 overs after they were sent in. Dario Cummins topscored with 30 and Roshon Primus contributed 21. Foundation fought gallantly before they were restricted to 91 for nine. Seamer Joel Michael Leacock took three for 14, while Cummins picked up two for 11 to win the Baron’s Smokehouse $100 Player-of-the-Match award. Shane Ramsay supported with two for 16 and Primus, two for 21. And in yet another fairly competitive match, Alleyne, the Belleplaine, St.Andrew side, who were runners-up in 2011 and 2013, scored 112 for nine off 20 overs after winning the toss.The topscore of 22 came from former Barbados leg-spinning allrounder Ryan “Shines” Layne. Amahl Nathaniel and Dwayne Alleyne each took two for 15. Foundation ‘B’ were limited to 94 for eight. Former Barbados batsman Randy Thomas had a good time behind the stumps, taking three catches and effecting a stumping. Jamoe Carrington grabbed two for nine off four overs and was named the Baron’s Smokehouse $100 Player-of-theMatch. In the semi-finals at Foundation School, Church Hill on March 21, Combermere Old Scholars, who have never reached the final, will oppose Alleyne Alumni at 6.30 p.m. while defending champions Foundation ‘A’ Old Scholars clash with Coleridge & Parry Old Scholars at 9.30 p.m. The final will also be played at Church Hill on March 28. (www.bcacricket.org) SUMMARISED SCORES OF FRIDAY’S MATCHES Coleridge & Parry Old Scholars beat Foundation School by five runs. Coleridge & Parry Old Scholars 96-9 (20 overs) (Dario Cummins 30, Roshon Primus 21, Andy Payne 11 not out; Shakeel Knight 2-19, Charles Skeete 2-24). Foundation School 91-9 (20 overs) (Adrian Forde 18, Micah Howard 13, Aaron Jones 12; Joel M. Leacock 314, Dario Cummins 2-11, Shane Ramsay 2-16, Roshon Primus 2-21). Toss: Foundation School. Baron’s Smokehouse $100 Player-ofthe-Match: Dario Cummins. Umpires: Mark Coppin, Stephen Proverbs. Scorer: Sherwin Ellis. Alleyne Alumni beat Foundation ‘B’ Old Scholars by 18 runs. Alleyne Alumni 112-9 (20 overs) (Ryan Layne 22, Randy Thomas 16, Jason Gilkes 14, Amahl Nathaniel 215, Dwayne Alleyne 2-15). Foundation ‘B’ Old Scholars 94-8 (20 overs) (Darren Alleyne 15 not out, Rasheed Edwin 15, Dayne Doughty 13, Shomari Davis 12; Jamoe Carrington 2-9, Marty Griffith 2-16, Andre Evelyn 2-19). Toss: Alleyne Alumni. Baron’s Smokehouse $100 Player-ofthe-Match: Jamoe Carrington. Umpires: Earl Collymore, Carson Howard. Scorers: Shakira Adams and Shanique Adams (twins). Coleridge & Parry Old Scholars vs. Foundation School COLERIDGE & PARRY OLD SCHOLARS S. Ramsay run out 5 +J. Yearwood c Maynard b Skeete 4 S. Parris b Knight 2 R. Primus c wk Forde b Dowridge 21 D. Cummins c Jones b Skeete 30 J.M. Leacock b Evelyn 0 R. Parris c wk Forde b Drakes 8 *P. Agard c wk Forde b Drakes 3 A. Browne b Knight 1 A. Payne not out 11 A. Caddle not out 1 Extras (b1, lb3, w4, nb2) 10 TOTAL (9 wks, 20 overs) 96 Fall of wickets: 1-9, 2-11, 3-19, 4-43, 5-44, 6-68, 7-79, 8-82, 9-90. Bowling: Knight 4-0-19-2, Skeete 4-0-24-2, Evelyn 4-0-14-1, Dowridge 4-0-13-1, Jones 2-0-7-1, Drakes 2-14-1. FOUNDATION SCHOOL +A. Forde lbw b Ramsay 18 M. Howard b Leacock 13 *J. Drakes b Leacock 0 A. Jones b Ramsay 12 N. Winn c Payne b Cummins 1 C. Maynard lbw b Cummins 5 L. Gaskin b Primus 5 C. Skeete b Leacock 3 J. Dowridge b Primus 3 S. Knight not out 6 A. Evelyn not out 4 Extras (b4, lb2, w10, nb5) TOTAL (9 wks, 20 overs) 91 Fall of wickets: 1-22, 2-22, 3-46, 447, 5-53, 6-53, 7-66, 8-78, 9-84. Bowling: Primus 4-0-21-2, Caddle 41-14-0, Leacock 4-0-14-3, Ramsay 40-16-2, Cummins 4-1-11-2. Result: Coleridge & Parry Old Scholars won by five runs. Toss: Foundation School. Baron’s Smokehouse $100 Player-ofthe-Match: Dario Cummins. Umpires: Mark Coppin, Stephen Proverbs. Scorer: Sherwin Ellis. TEAMS: Coleridge & Parry Old Scholars Pedro Agard (captain), Shane Ramsay, Jamar Yearwood, Shane Parris, Roshon Primus, Dario Cummins, Joel M. Leacock, Renaldo Parris, Alex Browne, Andy Payne, Adrian Caddle. Foundation School - Joshua Drakes (captain), Adrian Forde, Micah Howard, Aaron Jones, Nhamo Winn, Carlos Maynard, Lee-Germon Gaskin, Charles Skeete, Javier Dowridge, Shakeel Knight, Akeem Evelyn. Foundation ‘B’ Old Scholars vs. Alleyne Alumni ALLEYNE ALUMNI +R. Thomas c Bates b Seale 16 *K. Marshall run out 3 J. Gilkes c & b Darren Alleyne 14 K. Smith b Nathaniel 0 R. Layne c Seale b Dwayne Alleyne 22 D. Yearwood b Dwayne Alleyne 2 A. Maynard b Padmore 2 M. Griffith b Nathaniel 1 J. Carrington run out 9 J. Noel not out 5 Extras (b2, lb5, w14, nb17) 38 TOTAL (9 wks, 20 overs) 112 Fall of wickets: 1-33, 2-35, 3-36, 4-77, 5-78, 6-86, 7-91, 8-97, 9-112. Did not bat: A. Evelyn. Bowling: Padmore 4-0-26-1, Seale 4-0-28-1, Nathaniel 4-0-15-2, Darren Alleyne 4-0-21-1, Dwayne Alleyne 4-015-2. FOUNDATION ‘B’ OLD SCHOLARS S. Davis c wk Thomas b Carrington 12 E. Batson b Evelyn 0 *R. Bates c Maynard b Evelyn 4 R. Edwin c wk Thomas b Griffith 15 Dwayne Alleyne c Evelyn b Carrington 0 J. Padmore c Noel b Marshall 5 D. Doughty c wk Thomas b Maynard 13 Darren Alleyne not out 15 +X. Duncan st Thomas b Griffith 7 A. Nathaniel not out 1 Extras (b1, lb1, w16, nb4) 22 TOTAL (8 wks, 20 overs) 94 Fall of wickets: 1-3, 2-11, 3-28, 4-28, 5-38, 6-67, 7-69, 8-81. Did not bat: D. Seale. Bowling: Evelyn 4-0-19-2, Carrington 4-0-9-2, Marshall 3-1-11-1, Noel 3-018-0, Griffith 3-0-16-2, Maynard 3-019-1. Result: Alleyne Alumni won by 18 runs. Toss: Alleyne Alumni. Baron’s Smokehouse $100 Player-ofthe-Match: Jamoe Carrington. Umpires: Earl Collymore, Carson Howard. Scorers: Shakira Adams and Shanique Adams (twins). TEAMS Alleyne Alumni - Kenrick Marshall (captain), Randy Thomas, Jason Gilkes, Kemar Smith, Ryan Layne, Dwayne Yearwood, Adrian Maynard, Marty Griffith, Jamoe Carrington, Jamel Noel, Andre Evelyn. Foundation ‘B’ Old Scholars - Ron Bates (captain), Shomari Davis, Eric Batson, Rasheed Edwin, Dwayne Alleyne, Jade Padmore, Dayne Doughty, Darren Alleyne, Xavier Duncan, Amahl Nathaniel, Darien Seale. Nadal battles into Indian Wells third round INDIAN WELLS (United States) – Rafael Nadal’s Indian Wells title defence got off to a rocky start, as the world number one was forced to rally for a three-set victory over Radek Stepanek. Nadal needed nearly two and a half hours on Saturday to get past the talented Czech 2-6, 6-4, 7-5, eight double faults doing little to help his cause in the second-round clash. Wimbledon champion Andy Murray, the fifth seed, fought back from a set down against another Czech, subduing Lukas Rosol 4-6, 6-3, 6-2. The going was easier for fourtime champion Roger Federer and fellow Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka, who is playing his first tournament since his Australian Open triumph. Federer, the former world number one who has fallen to eighth in the world and is seeded seventh here, defeated France’s Paul-Henri Mathieu 62, 7-6 (7/5). Wawrinka, seeded third, downed Croatian Ivo Karlovic 6-3, 7-5 in just 63 minutes. “It was a difficult match to start against Ivo,” said Wawrinka, who didn’t face a break point and answered nine aces from Karlovic with eight aces of his own. “It’s never easy. He’s a tough player. “He doesn’t give you so much rhythm. “But I’m really happy the way I was playing, the way I was aggressive on the court, and to win in straight sets was really important for me.” ‘Tricky situation’ for Nadal Nadal said Stepanek was a similarly tough opening opponent, his unpredictability making it hard to get in a groove. “What you want to find in the first (match) is rhythm, and against him every point is different,” Nadal said. Nadal appeared to have gained control of the contest when he won the second set with a single service break and broke again to open the third. He immediately gave the break back, however, and had to save three break points before holding in the sixth game. “It was a tricky situation in the 0-40,” said Nadal, who responded to the danger with a service winner, an ace and a backhand passing winner. “After that, I think I played better,” said Nadal, adding that one benefit of the tough match was that it showed him the back trouble that hindered him in his Australian Open loss to Wawrinka – and which was still nagging him when he won in Rio last month – needn’t worry him. “Probably that match is going to help me understand that I really can start to serve normal again,” he said. Nadal celebrates victory. The Barbados Advocate Monday March 10, 2014 • 27 TENDER NOTICE TENDER FOR THE OPERATION OF A CAFETERIA SERVICE AT THE SUPREME COURT COMPLEX, WHITE PARK ROAD, ST. MICHAEL FOR THE PERIOD ENDING MARCH 31, 2015 Tenders are invited for the operation of a Cafeteria Service at the Supreme Court Complex, Whitepark Road, St. Michael for the period ending March 31, 2015. 2. Tenderers are required to quote a fixed annual amount as a concession fee, inclusive of the cost of electricity and water, which must be paid in equal monthly instalments in advance. This does not include the cost of natural gas, which is met directly by the concessionaire. 3. The successful Tenderer will be required to cater for approximately 200 of the Department’s personnel at lunch and at such other times as may be specified by the Registrar of the Supreme Court. Hot and cold lunches, hot and cold beverages and snacks should be served. Tenderers must submit with their tender a proposed menu, which is VARIED AND HEALTHY, ALONG WITH A PRICE LIST. 4. The successful Tenderer may prepare hot meals on site. A warm up service is also allowed in the building. A well-equipped kitchen will be provided by the Department for use by the concessionaire. The successful Tenderer will be required to provide at his/her own expense any other equipment, which is needed to provide adequate service. However, no deep fat fryers or similar equipment are allowed. 5. The successful Tenderer shall be responsible for the cleanliness of the Cafeteria, and must comply with the provisions of the Health Services (Food Hygiene) Regulations 1969 and Health Services (Restaurants) Regulations, 1969. 6. The successful Tenderer shall be responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of the kitchen equipment. 7. The successful Tenderer shall obey all Security Procedures in place. BARBADOS APPLICATION NO: RT21 of 2014 LAND (TITLE DEEDS RESTORATION) ACT CAP 229C (Section 3) RESTORATION OF TITLE DEEDS DESTROYED BY DISASTER OR OTHERWISE, OR LOST OR STOLEN TAKE NOTICE that an Application has been made to the Registrar of Titles by GLENDEAN RAWLINS of Windsor Tenantry, Windsor Hill in the parish of Saint George in this island for the Restoration of the Title Deeds to the property situate at Lot 27 Windsor Tenantry in the parish of Saint George (more particularly described in the Schedule hereto) on the grounds that the original Title Deeds to the property have been lost. ALSO TAKE NOTICE that unless notification is received at the Land Registry located at the Warrens Office Complex, Warrens in the parish of Saint Michael in this Island by the 7th day of April 2014 that the original Title Deeds have not been lost or is being lawfully held by some other person, the Registrar of Titles shall immediately proceed to determine the said Application according to law. Dated this the 24th day of February 2014 CLARKE GITTENS FARMER ATTORNEYS-AT-LAW 8. Tenderers are invited to visit and view the Cafeteria at the Supreme Court Complex, Whitepark Road, St. Michael on Tuesday the 18th day of March, 2014 between the hours of 2:00 p.m. and 4:00 p m. The Form of Tender on which tenders must be submitted may be collected from the Reception Desk, Supreme Court Complex, Whitepark Road, St. Michael, Monday to Friday, between the hours of 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. 9. TENDERERS SHOULD BE AWARE THAT THE LABOUR CLAUSE (PUBLIC CONTRACTS) ACT, CAP. 349 SHALL, INSOFAR AS IS APPLICABLE TO THE TENDER, APPLY TO ANY CONTRACT MADE IN RESPECT OF THE TENDER. FULL DETAILS OF THE CONDITIONS OF THE ACT, CAP. 349, SHALL BE OBTAINED FROM THE OFFICE OF THE GOVERNMENT PRINTER, GOVERNMENT PRINTING DEPARTMENT, BAY STREET, ST. MICHAEL. TENDERERS SHOULD SUBMIT THE CERTIFICATE REQUIRED BY PARAGRAPH 3 OF THE SCHEDULE TO THE ACT WITH THEIR TENDERS. 10. All Corporate Tenderers must include with their tenders a copy of the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation as evidence of the fact that the company is an existing registered company as at the date of the tender. FAILURE TO PROVIDE THE CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION WILL RENDER THE TENDER VOID. THE CERTIFICATE MUST BE IN THE NAME OF THE TENDERER 11. Tenderers are advised that the Certificate of Incorporation referred to at paragraph ten (10) above means a Certificate of Incorporation issued under the 1985 Companies Act of Barbados or where applicable a Certificate of Continuance and or Certificate of Amalgamation or a Certificate of Amendment, Certificates must be dated after December 31, 1984. 12. The successful Tenderer(s) will be required to enter into a Contract drawn up by or in a form approved by the Solicitor General or another Legal Officer in the Public Service approved by her. A surety for the due performance of the contract will be required by way of one of the following methods listed below: SCHEDULE ALL THAT land (part of the lands of Windsor Plantation divided into lots as shown on a plan (hereinafter referred to as “the Key Plan”) certified on the 3rd day of December 1982 by G.V. Cheong, Land Surveyor) situate at Windsor Tenantry in the parish of Saint George in this Island being the Lot numbered 27 on the Key Plan containing by admeasurement 1422 square metres or thereabouts be the same more or less ABUTTING AND BOUNDING on a road 3.66 metres wide shown on the Key Plan on the Lots numbered 24 and 25 on the Key Plan on the Lot numbered 26 on the Key Plan and on the Lots numbered 29 and 28 on the Key Plan or however else the same may abut and bound Together with the dwellinghouse thereon. The Title Deeds to be restored are: (a) Conveyance dated the 30th day of May 2003 (recorded on the 27th day of August 2003 as deed no. 5530 of 2003): Bulkeley Estates Limited and Lionel Mark Corbin to Glendean Rawlins; and (b) Mortgage dated the 22nd day of January 2004 (recorded the 23rd day of January 2004 as deed no. 442 of 2004): Glendean Rawlins and Clyde Alphonso Rawlins to Barbados National Bank Inc. (a) by way of deposit with the Treasury of a sum of money or approved securities to the value of not less than 10 percent of the contract price; or (b) by way of a bank or accredited insurance company whose liability shall be not less than 10 percent of the contract price. The cost of obtaining such a surety shall be the responsibility of the contractor, who need not specifically make arrangements for sureties unless and until his of her Tender has been accepted; or 13. Tenderers must submit with their tenders, a curriculum vitae that includes their experience in catering and or managing a similar establishment, together with references. 14. Tenders on the appropriate Form of Tender must be submitted in sealed envelopes marked “TENDERS FOR THE OPERATION OF CAFETERIA SERVICS AT THE SUPREME COURT COMPLEX, WHITEPARK ROAD, ST. MICHAEL and should be addressed to the Chairman, Tenders Committee, C/o Central Purchasing Department, Holborn Circle, Fontabelle, St. Michael to reach her no later than 4:30 p.m. on Monday the 31st day of March, 2014. 15. TENDERS RECEIVED AFTER THIS TIME AND DATE WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED. TENDERS SHOULD BE PLACED IN THE TENDERS BOX LOCATED AT THE CENTRAL PURCHASING DEPARTMENT. 16. No tender will be considered unless it complies with the conditions set out in this notice. 17. The Government does not bind itself to accept the highest or any Tender The Barbados Advocate 28 • Monday March 10, 2014 REAL ESTATE JOB SEEKERS FIFTY-FOUR YEAR OLD, honest, punctual, christian lady seeking job as a baby-sitter, care taker of the elderly or ironer. Available from 2:30 pm. Contact 239-5861 FOR SALE LOTS Mount Standfast, St. James6128 sq ft - $250,000.00 St Lucy Building lots 4,500 sq. ft. to 5,300 sq. ft. $90,000.00 to $110,000.00 Lowthers, Christ Church 4,712 sq,ft $125,000.00 Fortesque, St. Philip 5,927 sq. ft. $125,000.00 Durants, Christ Church 5,650 sq. ft. $185,000.00 Pilgrim Place, Christ Church 11,976 sq. ft. $240,000.00 Clermont, St. Michael 10,500 sq. ft. $315,000.00 PROPERTIES Bournes Village St. George Ground floor 2- 2 bedroom 1 bathroom apartments First floor 1- 2 bedroom 1 bathroom apartment 3,191 sq. ft $471,000.00 One and Two Bedroom Apartments - Boarded Hall, Green, St. George - Prices from $228,800.00 - $461,900.00 Appleby Gardens, St. James 3 Bedroom 2 1/2 Bathroom house - 8,333 sq.ft $755,000.00 Pilgrim Place, Christ Church 6 Bedroom, 4 bathroom building on 3 floors 18,932 sq. ft. $715,000.00 Maxwell, Christ Church 2 Storey - Apartment Building 4 Apartments and 1 Townhouse 8,942 sq.ft $1.3 Million APARTMENTS 2 apts at Sea grape Drive, St. Philip $1600.00 bds for downstairs apt and $1500.00 bds for the 1st floor apt. Inchcape Terrace, St.Philip Two Bedroom- One Bathroom Unfurnished - $1150 a month includes water. Chancery Lane Ch Ch $1050 a month Crystal Court,St. James 2 Bedroom 1 1/2 Bathroom Condominium Unit - $2,500.00 monthly Contact: Telephone (246) 432-7191 Website: www.creis.com NOTICES COMPANIES ACT CAP. 308 BEAUFORT & COLLEGEE PROPERTY LIMITED In accordance with Section 367 of the Companies Act Cap. 308 of the Laws of Barbados , notice is hereby given that BEAUFORT & COLLEGE PROPERTY LIMITED (the “Company”) intends to dissolve and the shareholders of the Company have by special resolution authorised and directed that the Company be liquidated and dissolved voluntarily. Dated this 20th day of February, 2014. Christopher H. Skinner Director FOR SALE New 8-burner domestic stove with double oven, $5,500.00 negotiable. For more information call 246830-8470 NOTICES NOTICE IN THE ESTATE OF AUDREY PAMELA SHAH also known as PAMELA AUDREY BUSHELL also known as AUDREY PAMELA BUSHELL DECEASED NOTICE is hereby given pursuant to Section 31 of the Trustee Act, Cap. 250 to all persons having any debts, claims or demands upon or affecting the Estate of AUDREY PAMELA SHAH also known as PAMELA AUDREY BUSHELL also known as AUDREY PAMELA BUSHELL, deceased late of Flat 11 Kingsgate Court, 11 Kings Road, Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex, England in the United Kingdom who died at Southend University Hospital, Southend-on-Sea, England in the United Kingdom on the 21st day of December, 2011 to send particulars of their claims duly attested to MALCOLM MCDONALD BUSHELL the Administrator of the Estate of the said AUDREY PAMELA SHAH also known as PAMELA AUDREY BUSHELL also known as AUDREY PAMELA BUSHELL, deceased in care of Fozlo Brewster, Attorney-atLaw of Alpha & Omega Law Chambers, 1st Floor Trident House, Broad Street in the City of Bridgetown on or before the 19th day of May, 2014 after which the said MALCOLM MCDONALD BUSHELL will distribute the Estate among the persons entitled thereto having regard only to the claims and interest of which he shall have notice and will not in respect of the property so distributed be liable to any person of whose claim he shall not then have had notice. And all persons indebted to the said Estate are requested to settle their accounts without delay. Dated this 10th day of March, 2014. MALCOLM MCDONALD BUSHELL Administrator NOTICE IN THE ESTATE of GARNETT SKEETE BEST ALSO KNOWN AS GARNETT BEST MD., DECEASED NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that it is the intention of MIRIAM P. BEST the Executor named in the Will of Garnett Best late of 31599 Woodcrest Drive, Orange Village, Cuyahoga, Ohio 44022 in the United States of America, who died on the 31st day of July 2013 in the United States of America to make application to the High Court of Justice in Barbados to reseal the Grant of Probate of the said Will granted by the Probate Court of Cuyahoga Country, Ohio in the United States of America on the 25th day of September 2013 under the provisions of the Probates and Letters Administration of (Resealing) Act Chapter 247 of the Laws of Barbados. AND NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN that any person wishing to oppose the resealing of the said Grant of Probate is required to lodge a Caveat with the Registrar of the Supreme Court of Barbados not later than the 7th day of April 2014. Dated this 6th day of March 2014. YEARWOOD & BOYCE Attorneys-at-Law for the Executor Shaq: Texas high school title started his dreams AUSTIN, Texas – Shaquille O’Neal won four NBA championships and an Olympic gold medal in a career that likely will land him in the Hall of Fame. O’Neal said he owes a lot of it to his 1989 state championship team and coaches at San Antonio Cole High School. They were honored at the Texas state tournament Saturday on the 25th anniversary of their title. “We were just a little school in San Antonio. No one believed in us, but the lessons I learned at Cole carried my whole career – being humble, playing hard, working with your teammates,” O’Neal said. “Cole gave me the start of my dreams.” O’Neal’s military family moved to San Antonio before his junior year. “I was just a kid from Germany,” O’Neal said. That “kid” was already nearly 6-foot10 and still growing. One coach briefly pushed him toward football, which didn’t take. As a senior, O’Neal averaged 32 points, 22 rebounds and eight blocks in leading Cole to a 36-0 record and the Class 3A state title. On Friday, Cole retired his No. 33 high school jersey. On Saturday, University Interscholastic League director Charles Breithaupt called O’Neal the “greatest player to ever play” in the Texas state tournament. Future NBA stars such as Chris Bosh, T.J. Ford and Kendrick Perkins also won state titles. After high school, O’Neal signed at LSU with dreams of playing in the NBA. “My dream in high school was to make $8 million for a five-year NBA contract,” O’Neal said. “I dreamed of having a little house and two cars, a Mercedes... Things turned out a lot better than that.” The Barbados Advocate Monday March 10, 2014 • 29 The Barbados Advocate 30 • Monday March 10, 2014 Anthony’s 26 points lead Knicks past Cavs, 107-97 CLEVELAND – On a night of celebration, there were two surprising, strange sights: LeBron James back on Cleveland’s bench. The Knicks back in the NBA playoff chase. Carmelo Anthony shook off a congested chest and a horrid shooting start to score 26 points, leading New York to its third straight victory, 107-97 over Cleveland on a Saturday when James was briefly reunited with the Cavaliers. Amare Stoudemire added 17 points and 12 rebounds for the Knicks, whose winning streak began after a seven-game slide and amid reports Phil Jackson may accept a job in New York’s front office. Anthony missed his first six shots, but found his touch in time to help the Knicks in their late-season run at the playoffs. J.R. Smith scored 17 and Tyson Chandler added 15 points and 11 boards for New York, which is 3 1/2 games out of the final postseason spot in the Eastern Conference. “You can see something different over the last couple of games,” Anthony said. “It seems like everyone has a sense of urgency right now. We’re playing for something. We control our own destiny. We want to win as many games as we can down the stretch.” Kyrie Irving had 30 points, eight assists and eight rebounds for the Cavs, who retired center Zydrunas Ilgauskas’ No. 11 jersey at halftime. Spencer Hawes had 21 points for Cleveland, which dropped to 0-4 in March. The Knicks were as good as done just a few days ago. But with New York fans ready to write them off again, and coach Mike Woodson’s future looking shakier than ever, the Knicks have responded with wins over Minnesota, Utah and Cleveland. There’s still plenty of work to do, and the Knicks will likely need some help, but a dreadful season to this point has some hope. “There’s no room for error,” Woodson said. “We have to play each possession like it’s our last possession. The mental approach is a little different now. It’s been a tough season for all of us. Now, they’re playing for something.” The Knicks made four three-pointers during a 141 run early in the fourth to take control. With New York down 8077, Pablo Prigioni drained a three, Smith followed with a long-range shot and Prigioni dropped another three to give the Knicks an 88-81 lead. After a Cleveland turnover, Anthony made his fourth three-pointer, putting the Knicks ahead by ten with 7:38 left. Cleveland never recovered and the Knicks outscored the Cavs 30-17 over the final ten minutes. “We’re fighting for our lives,” Cleveland coach Mike Brown said. “This team was a game behind us and I just feel like we didn’t come out with the right mindset to compete with this team for the Carmelo Anthony #7 of the New York Knicks handles the ball against Alonzo Gee #33 of the Cleveland Cavaliers at The Quicken Loans Arena on March 8, 2014. eighth spot.” The loss put a damper on an otherwise memorable night for the Cavs. At halftime, they retired Ilgauskas’ jersey during a poignant ceremony. The big man overcame serious foot injuries early in his career to become the club’s career leader in rebounds, games played and blocked shots. Ilgauskas thanked Cleveland fans during the ceremony, which included James sitting again on Cleveland’s sideline. James, who famously left Cleveland as a free agent in 2010, kept a low profile as Ilgauskas’ jersey was raised to the rafters, but afterward he greeted his close friend and then posed for photos on the floor with former teammates Delonte West and Daniel “Boobie” Gibson. Anthony said the long halftime break helped. “It was good for me because I got some rest,” said Anthony, who was unaware James was at the game.“I got a chance to lay on the floor and let Z do his thing. He took some time up. I appreciate him for that.” Anthony couldn’t buy a basket in the early minutes before heating up. He scored nine straight points to help the Knicks open a 45-35 lead, and then made his sixth shot in a row, a three-pointer, to give New York a 14-point cushion. Hawes made consecutive three-pointers to get the Cavs within six, but Smith dropped the first of his five threepointers and New York pushed its lead to 58-43. Irving, though, closed the second quarter with seven quick points to pull the Cavs to 58-50 at halftime. The Barbados Advocate Monday March 10, 2014 • 31 Horse charity continuing its work LAST Sunday, the Humane Organisation for Relief of Suffering Equines received a helping hand when their 2014 charity event, “It’s All About The Horse,” came off at the Lion Castle Polo Estate. Being patronised by hundreds, the fledgling charity made some much-needed funds which go towards the rescue and rehabilitation of at-risk and abused horses. Having seen close to 30 animals pass through their shelter within their first year, the charity has been kept busy since opening their facility at Dukes in St. Thomas. With last year’s proceeds going towards leasing and renovating the property, the hopes for this year is to create additional stables for the growing response the charity has been having. Speaking to members of the media, Trustee of the charity, Monique Archer, explained that although it was a challenging under- taking, the members of the charity would be remaining committed to the task. “It takes a lot to maintain this charity, because of the cost of running, and we have had people ask why we don’t put all of them down and keep the money for other things like equipment and education, and things like that, but we are not about that. We are trying to rescue and rehabilitate and re-home as many as we possibly can. We accept that we can’t do it for all, but I certainly have no plans of euthanising all the horses that we have taken the time to rehabilitate,” she said. With this year’s event offering attractions such as show jumping, a polo game, an exhibition by the Mounted Police, and a kid’s zone put on by Chefette, Archer stated that they would be remaining vigilant to their cause. “What we have started doing is making the rounds. We don’t have the powers of seizure. Vets have the power of seizure, the police can intervene and Wayne Norville of the RSPCA can seize animals. So we will keep an eye out, and if we see the horses deteriorate, at that point we will call in the correct people and then horses can be seized.” She also added that a special effort was being made to create relationships with the stables that kept race horses, as the majority of their rescues are past race horses. “We have been trying to get the word out, and at the end of the day, we need race owners to be responsible. There are at least 30 horses a year that come off the race track that can no longer race, and we can’t take 30 horses a year. It would be a bit abusive for people to hand off their horse that they know can’t do anything else and basically put us in a position to probably have to euthanise it. So we are asking race horse owners and trainers that if they cannot find a good home for a horse, put it down,” she said. (MP) Polo in focus By Michael Phillips WITH the sport of polo growing exponentially world-wide, and also at home, the local fraternity has been enjoying patronage from a larger crosssection of the Barbadian population, as compared to the past. However, the average person would not know where to begin when it comes to understanding the discipline, and therefore we seek to bring: Polo in focus. The Equipment Polo is not very unlike hockey on horses. Therefore, it would be expected that one of the most important things needed for the game would be horses. Polo ponies, as they are called, are not too different from race horses, except for the training. In fact, race horses can be retrained to be used for polo. Though not traditional ponies, they are not as robust as heavy-work horses, and are quick and trained for tight turns, as is necessary on the field. Locally, each player on the team usually has a minimum of four ponies per game, as they need to be switched out between the periods due to the heavy demands of the turns and sprints the plays require. Changing ponies every period, or chukka, would suggest a sizeable field, and that it is. Polo fields are traditionally around 274 metres long and 146 metres wide and are the approximate area of nine American football fields. Constant maintenance and care of the field ensure low grass levels, which result in safe and fast play. The mallet is another very important piece of equipment for the game. Mallets come in a variety of lengths, and usually consist of a shaft made of manau-cane, which is flexible. However, composite materials can be used in the making of the shaft. The head of the mallet is cigar-shaped and about nine and a half inches in length, and made form a hardwood called tipa. The length and weight of the mallet can vary dependent on the player’s preferences. The ball is white and made of high-impact plastic, but in days gone-by, it was made of bamboo or willow root. It is now made to be three and a quarter inches in diameter and weighs in at four ounces. A helmet is also necessary, as the ball and mallets can cause substantial damage. Next week, we bring into focus the most puzzling aspect of the game, the scoring system. A fully-outfitted player makes for a safe and enjoyable game of polo. Warrens Sports Club and Station Hill Cavaliers come out on top in basketball THE Barbados Amateur Basketball Association Cooperators General Insurance Premier League Basketball Championship continued on Saturday at the Barbados Community College, with 2 games. In the opening game, Warrens Sports Club defeated the Combined Schools Tridents 90-84, in a high scoring game. The half-time score was 39-36 to the school boys. For Warrens, who were missing Pearson Griffith, Lance Posey, Ritchie Walker and Akeem Williams, leading scorers were George Farrell, with 24 points, Dario Cumberbatch scored 21 points, Clive Holder scored 19 points, Manuel Alleng scored 14 points, and Greig Springer scored 12 points For the Combined Schools, Kelan Phillips scored 20 points, Anand Joseph-Thorne scored 18 points, Akeem Marshall scored 14 points and Joel Hunte scored 13 points. In the second game, we saw the return of Jeremy Gill to the Pinelands team, but that did not stop them from going down to Station Hill Cavaliers 74-82 in what some may consider a major upset.The half-time score was 36-35 to the team from Station Hill. Leading scorers for the Cavaliers were Jamia Puckerin, with 16 points, Darren Hunte scored 14 points and Kevin “Cutting” Sealy scored 10 points. For Pinelands, Jeremy Gill top scored with a game high 20 points, in his first game for the season following an off season injury, Charles Vanderpool scored 18 points, and Junior Moore, playing against his former club, scored 14 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. There was no winner to the Capita Financial Services limited half court shoot out prize money of $350.00. That shoot out continued last night with a threepoint shoot out worth $50 dollars to one successful spectator. The games continued last night, March 10, with 2 games at Barbados Community College, with Challengers versus Warriors at 6:00 p.m. and Barbados Lumber Company LSC versus Cougars at 8:00 p.m. Monday March 10, 2014 SUNDAY STROLL WI cruise to victory in opening T20 By Corey Greaves THE T20 World Champions, West Indies, strolled to an easy 27-run victory in their first T20 International against England yesterday at Kensington Oval. In front of a sold-out crowd, the Caribbean team posted a total of 170/3 after captain, Darren Sammy, won the toss and elected to bat. Sammy had wanted to start on a winning note and his team surely did. With England failing to mount any significant partnerships, they were in danger of not even batting out the 20 overs. They were well behind as their top order was rattled and left them on 55/5 in the 10th over. With 38 runs needed off the last over with one wicket in hand, the writing was on the wall after a whopping four batsmen fell to the stumping route during their innings. One by one, the English batsmen seemed to give away their hand, walking past the ball as Ramdin completed some tidy glove work behind the stumps. Samuel Badree led the way for the West Indian bowling with three wickets. He almost had four, but spilled a chance which came back hard into his midriff. Only Ravi Bopara, who struck a quick fire 42 runs off 24 balls, and Tim Bresnan, who was undefeated on 47 run off 29 balls, offered any type of resistance by England against an impressive all-round effort by the home team. From the beginning of the match, the visitors came under attack immediately, with opening batsman Dwayne Smith in magnificent form in front of his home crowd. He was joined by some excellent hitting by Chris Gayle and Man of the Match Marlon Samuels, with the latter remaining undefeated on 69 at the end of the West Indies innings and taking two wickets later in the afternoon. In the first over Smith dispatched English captain Stuart Broad for 18 runs, while Gayle took some time to get going. The first ball to Smith cleared the Greenidge and Haynes stands and sailed out of the ground for six, to the delight and loud cheers of the massive crowd. T20 on Page 25 Marlon Samuels made a majestic return to the West Indies team yesterday at Kensington Oval. He finished unbeaten on 69 off 46 balls which included ten boundaries and one six. Printed and published by Advocate Publishers (2000) Inc. Fontabelle, St. Michael. Telephone 467-2000, Fax 434-2020/434-1000
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