THE Nathan Ebanks Foundation (NEF) has partnered with several Government agencies to raise the level of inclusive planning required for effective and efficient service delivery to persons with disabilities in Jamaica.

The Jamaica Fire Brigade and the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) are two of the principal agencies with which the NEF has collaborated.

“For the families of persons living with disabilities, the matter of disaster preparedness takes on a whole different realm when you look at how we live our day to day lives, how we move about, and how we live in our homes,” said NEF president and founder Christine Staple-Ebanks.

She emphasised the importance of first responders knowing how to treat with persons with disabilities, especially those with manifestations not readily visible or easily identified.

“It is important for the first responders assigned to various neighbourhoods to know which homes have a family member with a disability and how to manage that. If you have someone who is bipolar or has schizophrenia and is off their medication, that person looks like you and I, and trying to evacuate them will not happen. That’s a dangerous situation,” Staple-Ebanks said.

The NEF has also partnered with the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation through the Pilot Programme for Climate Resilience in the Climate Change Division.

This partnership has yielded the publication of the foundation’s biennial Children and Special Needs Guide to Resource in Jamaica.

Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Hon. Daryl Vaz today welcomed the re-launch of the Recycling Partners of Jamaica (RPJ) stating that he was proud to be the Minister who assisted in championing the initiative.

RPJ, the country’s designated National Recycling Entity, had said earlier this year, that it would be launching a larger, more comprehensive recycling programme in 2019. The re-launch was held at the AC Hotel by Marriot this morning (July 24).

Minister Vaz who has responsibility for Land, Environment, Climate Change and Investment,  emphasized that this Government is wholeheartedly committed to working with environmental Agencies in protecting Jamaica, and not just from plastic waste.

“We will continue working to ensure that our regulations and standards offer the necessary levels of protection to our natural environment and that these regulations are enforced.  Developing a culture of sustainability is difficult work and requires action, not only on the part of the Government but also buy-in from the private sector and the public, which is why the Recycling Partners of Jamaica (RPJ) is so special”, the Minister said.

“This organization has created a linkage between three integral groups that allows the policymakers, manufacturers, and distributors to combine their resources in order to engage and educate the public on recycling best practices and facilitate and incentivize waste collection,”  Minister Vaz added.

In the meantime, the Minister highlighted that to date, only about 11 per cent of Jamaica’s plastic bottles are collected for recycling, a level of recovery, that he said is woefully inadequate.

“We are however working to improve this, which is why the Government had made, under a Memorandum of Understanding, an annual contribution of JMD $50 million towards the operations of the RPJ,” he said.

He noted that the Private Sector has also ‘put their money where their mouths are’ by instituting a cess of JMD $1.00 per bottle which will allow for an initial Private Sector investment of JMD $850 million into this programme.

RPJ was founded in 2014 and is a registered non-profit organization that was designed primarily to channel the recovery, collection and diversion of plastics bottles (PET and HDPE) from entering Jamaica’s waste streams.

The organization was formed by a public and private partnership with the Jamaican government, via the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, and several private partners.

-30-

Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Senator, the Hon. Pearnel Charles Jr., was today (July 24) paid a visit by students participating in a summer programme being hosted by the Jamaica Constabulary Force’s (JCF) Community Safety & Security Branch in the St Ann Division.

The call was made at the Ministry’s Dominica Drive offices.

The youths are drawn from the communities of Windsor Heights, Steer Town, St. Ann’s Bay, Lime Hall and Mansfield Heights, as well as other informal communities in the St. Ann Police Division.

The summer programme is being held from July 22 to July 26, 2019, at the St. Ann Police Headquarters and has been in existence for 14 years.

Minister Charles who has responsibility for Water, Housing and Infrastructure, encouraged the 105 youths, aged 2-17, to do well, adding that if they are uncertain about what exactly they want to do right now, they should do well in everything and choose a path later in life.

The Minister during a question and answer segment about what each child wanted to do, also volunteered to be the mentor to a 16-year-old male who was unsure about what path to take.

Minister Charles Jr. also thanked the Division for hosting such a selfless imitative. He encouraged Community Relations Officer at the headquarters in St. Ann’s Bay, Woman Constable Lorna West-Small and the other police officers working with her, to continue to not only be good police officers, but to be good citizens, and to continue making a difference in the St Ann Police Division.

The Branch said their aim is to continue working with the youths to improve the relationship between the Police in the Division, and young persons in the area.   

The children are being educated on topics such as how to identify Sexual abuse and Physical abuse, as well as the Juvenile Correction facilities and the importance of staying in school and getting a proper education.

-30-

The National Competitiveness Council (NCC) which is managed and housed at the Jamaica Promotions Corporation (JAMPRO), has played an integral part in the eradication of 16 Export Licences for 16 HS tariff and sub-tariff headings.

These include pimento, live animals, bauxite, alumina and gypsum ores, and petroleum products. 

The disclosure was made Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation (MEGJC), Hon. Daryl Vaz who was making his contribution to the 2019 Sectoral Debate in Gordon House on Tuesday (July 16) under the theme, “Creating a Sustainable Path for the New Jamaica”.

Minister Vaz, who has responsibility for Land, Environment, and Climate Change,  said the process, in terms of time and cost of exporting these items,  has been significantly reduced.

The Minister, who also chairs the NCC noted that the Council “continues to play a key role in creating the sustainable path for the Jamaica we all want to realize.”

The NCC is a public-private partnership body established in 2010, to advance policy advocacy, research and public awareness of reform initiatives that facilitate the creation of an enabling environment for business in Jamaica.

Initiatives monitored and facilitated on the NCC Business Environment Reform Agenda are specifically focused on enhancing Jamaica’s performance in key international indices such as the Doing Business Report, the Global Competitiveness Index, and the Logistics Performance Index.

                                                          -30-

The Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation and the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) have been mandated by Cabinet to prepare a Master Plan for a section of Negril near to the Negril/Westmoreland border towards Lucea, in order to see the feasibility of developing the area for tourism while managing its natural resources.

Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation (MEGJC), Hon. Daryl Vaz says the Master Plan will, among other things, declare the viability of developing the area and determine (unlimited) building heights, all subjected to the carrying capacity of the area, geology and soil conditions, available infrastructure and services as well as other environmental factors.

“This Master Plan will serve as an important planning tool in assisting to solve several of the development challenges facing this particular section of the Island”,  Minister Vaz said.

He noted that the Master Plan will also benefit from wide stakeholder consultations, extensive research and data gathering.

“It will include environmental studies, infrastructure studies, socio-economic studies and a carrying capacity study”, he added.

Meanwhile, the Minister disclosed that as part of this Master Plan, the National Water Commission (NWC) will also undertake four projects for the Negril Water Supply and Wastewater Service. They are the Negril / Savanna-la-Mar Water Supply Improvement; the Negril/Savanna-la-Mar Non-Revenue Water; Negril Sewage Treatment and Non-Pariel Water Supply Improvement.

-30-

The Water Resources Authority (WRA) and the Meteorological Service of Jamaica, (MET Service) this morning (July 17) signed a Memorandum of Understanding to facilitate the sharing of hydro-meteorological data and information that will allow both entities to plan for the impacts of climate change.

The project, which is funded through the Pilot Programme for Climate Resilience (PPCR), will allow both entities to receive real-time streamflow and rainfall data. 

Speaking at the signing, at the offices of the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Minister without Portfolio, Senator the Hon Pearnel Charles Jr said the new data gathering platform will aid in minimizing the effects that will inevitably come with climate change.  

“One of the important steps is for us to improve our capacity to collect and collate climate data as well as for us to improve information management and early warning capabilities. It is for us to advance this effort to build our resilience as a country in a joined-up way. This partnership to facilitate the sharing of data and information will certainly allow both entities to plan for the impacts of climate change”, he expressed.

He said the Government is “moving towards utilizing better, more proactive mechanisms that are going to allow for us to foresee what we know is bound to come and to put the country in a position to protect itself and maximise its ability to gain benefit over any damage”.

Under this MOU both parties will, among other things; Share hydro-meteorological data from rainfall, intensity and streamflow stations across the island; Support each other through the exchange of data, information and technical expertise, to include capacity building; Seek to establish, where necessary, relevant committees and/or working groups to facilitate speedy data access/transfer.

Managing Director of the Water Resources Authority, Peter Clarke, said the platform “will establish better security of life and property. It will also assist the WRA in refining floodplain maps; in conducting feasibility for Flood Early Warning Systems; and prepare flood inundation reports whenever flooding is reported across the island”.

Director of the Meteorological Service, Evan Thompson added that the Met Service will see immediate benefits from this partnership.

“The Met Service will benefit immediately from access to a platform that will allow for the visualization of data and we will be better able to see the increased levels of water on the ground. It will also help us to ground-truth the information coming from our radar”, explained Mr Thompson.

Minister Charles concluded that “as a Small Island Developing State (SID), we must ensure that our policies are driven by empirical data, not just by speculation. So, in so far as we can introduce technology that guides us of our current state and the indicative future it is always going to benefit us in crafting policy and action plans and to assist our citizens to be able to function within the developing space”.

–30–

The Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation (MEGJC) is now in the process of preparing a programme to alleviate drought conditions across the island as temperatures are expected to rise in the coming months.

The programme is to be presented to Cabinet shortly.

This was disclosed by Minister without Portfolio in the MEGJC, Hon. Daryl Vaz who was making his contribution to the 2019 Sectoral Debate yesterday (July 16) in the House of Parliament, where he noted that in addition to the extreme heat, there is drought across much of the island.

Minister Vaz who has responsibility for Land, Environment, and Climate Change noted that a sample of data taken from weather stations in all 14 parishes shows that all stations experienced higher extreme temperatures in June this year when compared to June 2018, with more than 50 per cent of these recording increases of 1.5 degrees or more. 

In some cases, he noted, the increase was almost four degrees.

“Given all that is happening, the Climate Change Division (CCD) of my Ministry has been pro-active in ensuring that we take the necessary and concrete steps to make the island climate-resilient.  The CCD has, inter alia developed mechanisms to remove barriers and unlock financing for private sector engagement in climate action”, Vaz told the House.

“A couple of Saturdays ago, Jamaica experienced an unprecedented 102 degrees Fahrenheit.  Researchers say these record breaking temperatures are made five times more likely by the effects of climate change”, he said.

The Minister further noted that in a traditional year, by this time in July “we would have encountered a Dry Season running from December to about April with just a few incidences of rainfall occurring mainly over Portland and sections of St.  Mary, and then gradually impacting Parishes in the west, before the real Rainfall Season begins in May”.

He added that this year has shown a distinct shift in pattern where north-eastern Jamaica, including Portland and parts of St. Mary, have generally been receiving less than half of their normal rainfall, while parishes in the west have, in most cases, been enjoying above-normal activity. 

“This has had dire consequences for the availability of water for the majority of consumers who reside in Kingston and St. Andrew.

“A moderate to severe drought is affecting sections of St. Elizabeth, Manchester, Clarendon, St. Catherine, Kingston & St. Andrew (KSA), St. Thomas, Portland, St Mary, and St.  Ann, almost 70 per cent of the country”, he said.

The most recent projections from the Meteorological Service’s seasonal climate forecast model for the next few months through to September 2019, indicate that temperatures are likely to remain hotter than normal with near-normal to below-normal rainfall. 

Temperatures in Jamaica are expected to be at their highest during July or August each year, and the next peak in the traditional rainfall profile for the country is not expected until October 2019.

–30–

Jamaica has formally requested support from the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) Partnership to undertake a revision process of its current NDCs.

Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Senator Pearnel Charles Jr made the revelation on Sunday (June 30) in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, at the preparatory meeting for the 2019 UN Climate Action Summit to be held September 23, 2019.   

He said the “NDCs are connected to the country’s national development plan and have monitoring indicators to ensure that they are integrated adequately”.

Minister Charles Jr told the gathering that the island is also assessing additional sectors of interest such as transport, waste, forestry and water. “We hope that through this process these new targets will be incorporated as we raise our ambition”.

In preparation for the Climate Action Summit, Secretary General of the United Nations, António Guterres, mandated Prime Minister Andrew Holness and President of France, Emmanuel Macron, later joined by the Emir of the State of Qatar, Sheik Tamin bin Hamad Al Thani, to  lead a process of climate finance mobilization of the international donor community.

The Minister noted that on June 4, 2019, Jamaica officially joined the Coalition of Finance Minister for Climate Action, which confirms the country’s endorsement to the Helsinki Principles promoting national climate action, especially through fiscal policy and the use of public finance.

The Coalition aims at driving stronger collective action on climate change and its impacts.

Minister Charles Jr and a technical team are representing the country at the meeting, which is being attended by governments, private sector, civil society and other international organisations to develop ambitious solutions in six areas: a global transition to renewable energy; sustainable and resilient infrastructures and cities; sustainable agriculture and management of forests and oceans; resilience and adaptation to climate impacts; and alignment of public and private finance with a net zero economy.

–30–

The forum was aimed at  preparing developing countries for the 37th Session of the United

Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) Investor-State Dispute

Settlement (ISDS) Reform, which was held in New York from April 1-5 .

The forum was a follow up from previous meetings to assess the challenges facing developing countries

In ensuring that investment agreements support sustainable development goals.

It also provided an opportunity for developing countries to share common experiences, discuss emerging issues, review recent legal developments, and network with colleagues from other developing countries, experts in the field and members of civil society, in order to prepare for ongoing international discussions on the international system governing Investor State Dispute Settlement.

The conference examined various options and approaches for reforming the international legal arrangements for ISDS, weighing the benefits, costs and risks, while taking into consideration the differences among developing country regions, such as Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa and Asia.

Developed countries, such as those comprising the European Union, have taken the lead in developing proposals for ISDS reform which serve their interests, such as the establishment of a Multilateral Investment Court.    Developing countries at the Forum were able to examine these latest developments and agree on counter proposals to better serve developing country interests.   

Participants at the Forum were also familiarized with ISDS issues related to third party funding for claimants to undertake arbitration proceedings against host states; the appointment of arbitrators; treatment of investors who engage in corrupt practices; the risks of broad fair and equitable treatment (FET) provisions; survival clauses in treaties; regulatory chill and protection of policy space; and most favoured nation (MFN) clauses, among other issues of importance.

Consultations will be held with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, and the relevant agencies, about developing the recommended positions which are in alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals in the investment related chapters of trade agreements and investment treaties

The conference material and discussions will feed in to the consultation process for the National Investment Policy which is at the Green Paper stage, and will inform a country policy position which will be put to Cabinet on the way forward, and guide future negotiations at the local and regional level.

Kingston, June 25, 2019

Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Hon. Daryl Vaz, says the monitoring capabilities of the Meteorological Service of Jamaica will be vastly improved by the supply of a new S-Band Doppler Weather Radar.

The Minister said it was critically important to replace the 20-year-old almost obsolete system that once stood tall as the first Doppler radar to be installed in the English-speaking Caribbean, citing the increasing failure of the aged system.  The new system, he said, signals a resolve to meet the global challenges of weather and climate that face this and future generations head on.

Minister Vaz, was speaking at the contract signing for the design, supply and installation of the US$2,449,203 S-band Doppler Weather Radar to be situated at Cooper’s Hill in St.  Andrew. The signing of the contract took place at The Pavilion, Terra Nova Hotel and Suites on June 25, 2019.

The Minister said that the installation of this Weather Radar will greatly enhance the country’s ability to achieve its Vision 2030 milestones, based on its capacity to pinpoint the location and movement of rainfall cells anywhere over the country and as far away as the Cayman Islands, south-eastern Cuba and Western Haiti.

“Jamaica will also be able to better serve the Caribbean Community as we integrate our observations into the mosaic of stations under operation in the region, and also contribute to the surveillance of the National Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida, under their Tropical Cyclone Programme,” the Minister noted.

“We have a very clear vision moving into the next decade,” the Minister said, adding that Jamaica is focused on achieving Outcome 14 under the fourth National Development Goal of “Hazard Risk Reduction and Adaptation to Climate Change”.   “We firmly believe that adequate monitoring of natural hazards is pivotal to implementing that strategy”, he noted.

Minister Vaz added that the country has  also adopted Target G of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction to “Substantially increase the availability of and access to multi-hazard early warning systems and disaster risk information and assessments to the people by 2030”. 

Meanwhile, the Minister noted that it is particularly encouraging that Enterprise Electronics Corporation (EEC), which is charged with delivering and installing the radar system, has made a commitment to provide critical after-sales service by facilitating capacity building for a team of engineers and operators of the equipment.

“It is also my understanding that the contract includes a lifetime guarantee of maintenance support and availability of spare parts, which we consider critical for the system’s sustainable operations,” the Minister added, while generously thanking them.

The minister also commended the World Bank for their invaluable support in accessing the Climate Investment Funds that are being utilized to make this important Project a reality.