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Virgin Islands (US).
138 million to read meters
At last Thursday's meeting of the Water and Power Authority (WAPA) Board of Directors, Chief Operating Officer Ashley Bryan informed board members that the federal Emergency Management System had approved the replacement of the utility's failing Automated Metering Infrastructure (AMI) system, which was in need of repair.s failing Automated Metering Infrastructure (AMI) system, which is used for remote meter reading. In an article on the subject, the Virgin Islands Consortium states that WAPA will need to collect a sum of $138 million to fund the project, which will run for three years. Although WAPA is looking at faster completion options," the media outlet points out, "no start date has been provided. "Last May, an analysis of the system revealed that it was failing due to the degradation of the meters' capacitors, mainly as a result of temperature fluctuations. "The devices were also having difficulty communicating due to increased background noise on the radio frequency they were programmed to use," the Consortium states in its columns. The experts concluded that the only viable solution was to replace the entire system. The problem is that WAPA, in its current state of financial fragility, needs substantial federal support to finance the operation. "
Saba.
A promotion that pays off
In a recent press release, the Saba Tourist Board announced that the island has been nominated for Condé Nast Traveler's Readers' Choice Awards, the results of which will be revealed on October 1. A further sign of Saba's growing success with tourists, thanks in particular to a multiplication of promotional operations. Saba News notes that the tourist office recorded over 13 million online impressions of its fact sheets. At the same time, over 50% of the media coverage reported by the tourist office consists of publications in general and specialist magazines, as well as on online tourism platforms such as Lonely Planet. In short, Saba is successfully continuing its seduction operation.
Montserrat.
After dissolution, government elections in October?
Last Thursday, the Legislative Assembly was officially dissolved. A day that marked "a crucial chapter in the history of Montserrat", said Samuel Joseph, leader of the Movement for Change and Prosperity (MCAP) since the withdrawal of Premier Joseph Farrell last April. In the November 18, 2019 general election, MCAP won five of the nine seats. For the record, the British Overseas Territory of Montserrat is a single nine-member constituency. Voters can vote for up to nine candidates on their ballot paper in a relative majority vote. In an article published last Saturday, the Caribbean National Weekly (CNW) reckons that MCAP is likely to face "a serious challenge" in the forthcoming poll with the People's Democratic Movement (PDM), led by outgoing opposition leader Paul Lewis, and the United Alliance, led by former Prime Minister Reuben Meade, which has already launched its manifesto. No date has yet been set for the elections. However, according to various political leaders quoted by CNW, they should be organized sometime in October.
Dominican Republic.
Abortion rights and male domination in the workplace
Hundreds of people gathered outside the National Palace last week to demand a more "modern" and "rights-guaranteeing" penal code that would include provisions for the "three exceptions" where abortion would be allowed, Dominican Today reports. The demonstrators called for a penal code that protects women, girls and vulnerable populations, including the classification of femicide, recognition of self-defense in cases of gender-based violence and severe penalties for the use of chemical substances as torture. They also called for crimes of sexual abuse of minors to be imprescriptible, and for churches and companies to be held accountable for harassment and discrimination. The demonstration stressed the need to include the "three causes" of legal abortion - rape or incest, danger to the mother's life and serious fetal malformations - in the new penal code.
In another field, Dominican Today devoted an article to the results of a survey carried out by the National Statistics Office on the presence of women and men at the head of the country's companies. The survey covered 2,339 companies. The report shows that 79.4% of Dominican companies are run by men with more than 11 years' seniority. Electricity distribution companies are 100% run by men; the construction sector is followed by 88.5%, mining and quarrying 86.4% and manufacturing 86.3%. More than 1,800 companies in the Dominican Republic, including those in mining and quarrying, manufacturing, electricity distribution, water distribution, construction, trade, transport and storage, accommodation and catering, and information and communications, are headed by men. The report shows that only 13.8% of businesses, or just over 300, are run by women.
St. Kitts and Nevis.
Indian investors for high-end hotel
Minister of Foreign Affairs Denzil Douglas announced at a press conference held on August 22 in the conference room of the Ministry of Commerce that the government of St. Kitts and Nevis had signed an agreement with India for the construction of a high-end hotel.the government of St. Kitts and Nevis is trying to convince "a renowned Indian hotel chain" (without naming it) to build an upscale hotel in the twin-island federation. The Observer highlights the Minister's emphasis on strengthening ties between St. Kitts and India. "We want to bring an international brand of India to St. Kitts and Nevis, especially to affluent Indian travelers," insists Denzil Douglas, who assures us that the project should significantly improve the tourism sector in St. Kitts and Nevis.lish the tourism sector by increasing the number of rooms available, creating a more diverse range of accommodation for visitors. "It will also provide hundreds, if not thousands, of jobs for our people, ensuring that the economic benefits that this Ministry and this Government wish to achieve will ultimately be in our sights," he added.
Sint Maarten.
A possible coalition for the next government
Early government elections were held on Sint Maarten last Tuesday. According to the Daily Herald, 13,885 voters took part out of 22,750 registered. With 13,694 votes validated, this represents a turnout of around 60.8%. The National Alliance managed to retain its top position as the best-represented party, after losing almost 1,200 votes since the January elections. The party of former Prime Minister Silveria Jacobs received a total of 2,264 votes. "The United People's Party was also hit hard," comments the Daily Herald, which points out that it finished with a total of 2,038 votes and dropped from three to two seats. The party has lost almost 800 votes in the eight months since the January poll. As early as last Thursday, four parties announced their intention to form a coalition government. They are the Mouvement unifié de Saint-Martin résilient (URSM), the Parti démocratique (DP), the Parti pour le progrès (PFP) and the Mouvement d'action Soualiga (SAM).
Saint-Martin.
Unbalanced budget for Marina Fort Louis
The Chambre territoriale des comptes has been asked by the Prefect of the Northern Islands to examine the budget of the Établissement portuaire de Saint-Martin. The aim is to verify the balance, or possible imbalance, and, in the latter case, to propose measures to be taken.In the latter case, to propose measures that will enable the company to return to a healthy financial situation. According to the Chamber's report, mentioned in an article by our colleagues at Le Pélican, the budget for the Port of Galisbay is indeed balanced. However, the Marina Fort Louis budget "was voted with an imbalance of 560,000 euros". Furthermore, it is specified that "the Marina Fort Louis annexed budget was not adopted in real balance by the Établissement portuaire de Saint-Martin". Consequently, the Chambre territoriale des comptes invites the establishment "to reduce its general expenses by 25,600 euros" and "to increase its revenues by 82,365 euros through an increase in tariffs or any other appropriate measure".
Lastly, with regard to personnel costs, Le Pélican adds that the report suggests that the local authority "not replace those retiring".
Granada.
"Climate clauses" to the rescue of the economy
Devastated by Hurricane Beryl in early July, Grenada will benefit from financial support thanks to the implementation of climate clauses. "This is a world first in the wider Caribbean region", writes RCI. For the record, Climate Resilience Debt Clauses (CRDC) are "a tool to support liquidity in the event of a climate disaster". Thanks to one of these clauses, Grenada will be able to keep the $30 million it has already borrowed internationally, by negotiating climate clauses with its creditors to rebuild and maintain its education and health services.
Guadeloupe.
Four communes deprived of water due to chlordecone contamination
Since last Saturday, customers in Capesterre Belle-Eau, Terre-de-Haut, Terre-de-Bas and Trois-Rivières connected to the Belle-Eau-Cadeau plant have been without running water. This is due to high levels of chlordecone detected at the Belle Eau Cadeau plant in Capesterre-Belle-Eau. To ensure that residents do not face a water shortage, several operations have been organized to distribute packs of drinking water. Nevertheless, the mayor of Terre-de-Haut, Louly Bonbon, told RCI that he fears stocks of bottled water in the island's mini-markets will run out sooner than expected. "For him, this situation, combined with the island's insularity, reiterates the need for the timely delivery of a water tower on the Camel site currently under construction", writes RCI.
Antigua and Barbuda.
Archaeologists on the hunt for treasure
Archaeologists and sailors from the Lesser Antilles have joined forces on a search mission off the coast of Antigua and Barbuda, in English Harbour, writes RCI in an article published on Monday. The mission is being carried out aboard the French Navy vessel Dumont d'Urville, in search of a wreck belonging to the French East India Company, which has been sunk in the waters of Tang Bay, Antigua, since 1778. A veritable archaeological treasure, RCI insists that this is the only wreck of this company known to date. What's more, it could still hold many secrets, Jean-Sébastien Guibert, President of the Association archéologique des Petites Antilles, told RCI. He said: "We think the boat has been butchered. We wonder how the ship sank? Was it burnt? It's a possibility, because we've found a lot of charcoal-related elements or pieces of burnt wood. "RCI recalls that in 2021 the wreck of the ship Lyon, used in the American War of Independence at the end of the 18th century, was discovered in the area.
