CARIBBEAN TODAY


REGION


Religious groups to help


spread CSME message


BRIDGETOWN, Barbados,
CMC St. Kitts and Nevis has
joined fellow Caribbean com-
munity (CARICOM) country
Barbados in declaring that
commercial sex workers will
not be welcomed to its shores
for next year's Cricket World
Cup (CWC).
 However, Prime Minister
Dr. Denzil Douglas told the
Caribbean Media Corporation
(CMC) last month that while
prostitutes would not be wel-
comed for the CWC, it was
about time that Caribbean
people engaged in serious dis-
cussions on the decriminaliza-
tion of prostitution and homo-
sexuality.
 "St. Kitts and Nevis has
not begun to discuss the mat-
ter of legalizing commercial
sex workers or homosexuality,
therefore my government
would be highly irresponsible
if we were to move to allow
commercial sex workers to
move into the country for
World Cup in that way," Dr.


Douglas said.


 "This (prostitution) is still
highly illegal in St. Kitts and
Nevis and I as prime minister
would be the first to ensure
 that the law
 is maintained
 and that the
 law is pur-
 sued against
 those who
 are being
 involved in
 those activi-
Douglas ties," he
 added.

DISCRIMINATION
 Douglas, however, said
Caribbean people could no
longer delay discussing the
legislation of prostitution and
homosexuality since the crimi-
nalization of these acts was
fuelling the discrimination,
which was pushing HIV/AIDS
underground.
 "We must not bury our
heads in the sand because
these are important issues -
issues that have to come to
the fore in the discussion of


Caribbean people on the topic
HIV/AIDS," said Douglas.
 The prime minister said
it would be unreasonable to
seek to legalize prostitution or
homosexuality in Caribbean
countries before there was
widespread debate on the
highly emotive issues across
all sectors of society.
 "I believe the govern-
ments have to respond to
show leadership. That leader-
ship means the time is now op
open discussions on human
sexuality within the wider
ambit of HIV/AIDS and what
it is doing to Caribbean popu-
lations," Douglas added.
 Last month, the Barbados
government warned that any
local prostitute or anyone
coming into the country to
trade in prostitution either
before, during or after the
international sporting event,
would be made to feel the full
weight of the law.
0


Haitians visit The Bahamas searching for jobs ~ IOM


BRIDGETOWN, Barbados,
CMC The Barbados govern-
ment is seeking to get the reli-
gious organizations in the
country to assist in spreading
the gospel of the Caribbean
Community Single Market
and Economy (CSME).
 The CSME was the main
discussion point when Prime
Minister Owen Arthur, who
has lead prime ministerial
responsibility for the CSME,
met with the Religious
Advisory Committee on
National Affairs an inter-
faith body comprising
Christians, the Islamic com-
munity and Rastafarians last
month.
 Arthur told the religious
leaders that the church must
always be engaged in matters
affecting the society, particu-
larly on issues driven by
lifestyles.
 "This country is facing
change on a number of issues
and there are some things that
cannot just be solved by polit-
ical power or the law. We
have to engage the church on
these matters and we have to


do so on a sustained basis,"
Arthur said.
 Chairman of the Religious
Advisory Committee on
National Affairs, Anglican
 Bishop Dr.
 John Holder,
 described the
 CSME, an
 initiative to
 integrate the
 region's econ-
 omy into a
 single eco-
Arthur nomic space
 as nIIL-w and
challenging." He urged the
religious fraternity to ,ip
out in the new CSME arrange-
ment guided by God's com-
mand to love our neighbor."
 The CSME allows for the
free movement of skills, labor,
goods and services within
CARICOM and is regarded as
a suitable response by the
region to the changing global
environment in which
Caribbean states have lost
preferential treatment for their
goods and services.
0


WASHINGTON, CMC The
International Organization for
Migration (IOM) says recent
research confirms that many
Haitians migrate to The
Bahamas primarily in search
of employment.
 It said that the research,
conducted in collaboration with
The Bahamas government and
the College of the Bahamas
(COB), showed that the
Haitians were leaving from var-
ious points, "in many instances
in an irregular manner, primari-
ly in search of work".
 "Because of their generally
low educational levels and
poor English language skills,
they largely seek unskilled or
semi-skilled jobs and are often


able to circumvent labor per-
mit requirements with employ-
er ~JI'II|1k L the IOM report-
ed.

SEPARATE
 It said the research find-
ings also lI..JLI that Haitian
migrants are not well integrat-
ed into Bahamian society.
 "Owing to low income
levels, they make considerably
more use of public than private
healthcare and education
services while seeking help
amongst Il LInIhI LS for other
kinds of social support", the
report stated.
 "Haitian migrants largely
remain a distinct and separate
community, generally living in


poorer accommodations than
other groups; perhaps for that
reason, significant numbers of
respondents disclaimed any
intention to settle permanently
in The Bahamas", the IOM
added.
 It said that research esti-
mates extrapolated from avail-
able data l,_.,LI the popula-
tion of Haitian nationals pres-
ent in The Bahamas range from
between 30,000 and 60,000,
adding that "more information
needs to be developed about
the numbers of "flow through"
migrants, i.e., those using The
Bahamas as a transit point to
the United Sijis .
0


Land sale to foreign investors vital for development ~ B'dos


BRIDGETOWN, Barbados,
CMC The Owen Arthur
administration has again
defended its policy of allowing
Barbadian land to be sold to
foreign investors saying it
would be sensitive and sensi-
ble about what projects are
approved.
 Prime Minister Arthur
told a political branch meeting
of his ruling Barbados Labour
Party (BLP) late last month
that the big projects, especially
in the tourism sector, were the
only way the country could
continue to pay its bills and
deliver social services such as
free education, subsidized
public transport and free
health services.
 The prime minister said


government would not consid-
er the alternatives such as casi-
no gambling, increased bor-
rowing, currency devaluation
and private beaches and there-
fore had "very little to work
with."
 Arthur said while manufac-
turing and agriculture were
important sectors which still
had to be supported and devel-
oped, they could not contribute
enough to pay the country's
bills.
 "What will be in the new
economy that will give you the
assurance that wages in the
public sector will be paid
when they fall due?" he asked.
 "The sugar industry is $40
million ($20 million) a year,
the public sector wage bill is


$700 million ($350 million) a
year and I can't tell them
(public servants) at the end of
the month to hold strain and
hold an IOU," the prime min-
ister told constituents in the
St. James South constituency.

NEW MARKETS
 Arthur said his adminis-
tration was busy at developing
a new economy based on
tourism and services.
 "All across Barbados we
have given the impetus in
building a new capacity to earn
foreign exchange for this coun-
try. Once we get them together
we can go up market," the
prime minister added.
0


* $15M loan for Haiti's poor
The Inter-American Development
Bank (IDB) last month announced
the approval of a $15 million soft
loan for a program to expand drink-
ing water and sanitation services to
rural communities in Haiti.
 According to the Washington-
based bank, the project is expected
to benefit some 90,000 people in
the rural areas of Artibonite, Grand
Anse, Nippes and Ouest, including
the island of La GonAve, where
average consumption of water is
around seven liters per person a
day, nearly one-third of the basic
minimum recommended by the
World Health Organization.

* Grenada to get agro-aid from
China
China will be assisting Grenada in
agriculture and technology as part
of the second phase of a co-opera-
tion agreement signed between
both countries, according to
Agriculture Minister Gregory Bowen.
 Bowen, who recently returned
from an official visit to Beijing, said
the Chinese have agreed to provide
assistance for the establishment of
four centers for agro-processing and
another four for animal husbandry.

* T&T observes Republic Day
Trinidad and Tobago last month
observed its 30th anniversary as a
republic that is likely to be its last
under the present Republican
Constitution.
 The Patrick Manning-led gov-
ernment has already disseminated


for public discussion a new draft
constitution that could see various
changes, including an executive
head of state to replace the largely
ceremonial one at present, and a
change in the appointment of minis-
ters to the Cabinet.

* Cheaper electricity for St. Lucia
Prime Minister Dr. KennyAnthony
says the agreement with Venezuela
to provide oil at a concessionary
price to St. Lucia will result in cheap-
er electricity rates to consumers.
 "As far as the government is
concerned, our priority will be to try
to get a cheaper fuel to LUCEEC (St.
Lucia Electricity Services Company
Limited) so that they can reduce the
cost of generation of electricity,"
Anthony said last month.

* St. Kitts and Nevis marks 23rd
Independence
St. Kitts and Nevis marked its 23rd
anniversary of Independence on
Sept. 19 with a call from Prime
Minister Dr. Denzil Douglas to citi-
zens to position themselves to adjust
to the current socio-economic tran-
sitioning taking place in the country.
 The prime minister said the
main focus of his administration
would be to empower citizens to
take advantage of the emerging
opportunities in the aftermath of the
recent closure of the 300-year-old
sugar industry.

Compiled from CMC and other
sources.
0


-usw^caribbeantodj..c..


 Barbados, St. Kitts reject sex


workers for Cricket World Cup


REGION BRIEFS


October 2006