PAULA LA TOUCHE: WE ARE THE INNOVATORS

Transcription

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Vol. 25 No. 01 - February 2015
Tel: (473) 435-0981/5685
Email: [email protected]
BLACK
ROCK
MEDICAL CENTRE
www. barnaclegrenada.com
PAULA LA TOUCHE:
WE ARE THE
INNOVATORS
A Great One-Year Journey
For Real Estate Company
“ As you may have noticed, Century 21 is a global
real estate company, and the local market now
has the opportunity to have a global reach”
PAGE 17
GRAND ANSE SHOPPING CENTRE
TEL: 444-4855 / 443-5330
02 BARNACLE FEBRUARY 2015
BARNACLE FEBRUARY 2015 03.
www.barnaclegrenada.com
News
PROMISE DELIVERED
“When it comes to our fees and charges we commit that they will be competitive, that there will be
full disclosure, that there will be no unfair penalties and no hidden fees and they will be amongst
the lowest in the market,” Managing Director,
Richard W. Duncan assured customers.
He explained that banks are now required to
recover all costs associated with their transactions
as part of the changing business landscape.
Mr. Duncan noted that other services that were
once considered free are now attracting fees.
Mondelle Squires, Executive Manager,
Customer Care
The Grenada Cooperative Bank (GCB) is
delighted with the “impressive” findings of the
first independent audit
of its Customer Service
Charter, launched in
May, 2011.
opportunity to correct
an area of weakness and
to improve service to
customers,” Mr. Duncan
remarked, adding that “a
satisfied customer often
keeps his satisfaction to
himself while a dissatisfied customer wants
revenge and so tells
others. So improving our
complaints handling will
be a priority for us,” he
added.
“The implication is that
we have to continue striving harder, not just to get
that one percent but to go
beyond it,” said Mr. Duncan, as he looked forward
to the next survey period.
The strongest areas of
performance, according
to the Managing Director was a 100% rating for
“courteous and helpful”
Customer Service Representatives, who engaged
with customers on the
telephone, while 84%
The Grenada Cooperative Bank has pledged
full disclosure as it refocuses its business to
reflect changes in the sector as plans emerge
for the introduction of an Account Maintenance Fee from March 1, 2015.
The fee of EC $1.77 will be charged monthly, according to Mr. Duncan, who also pointed out that
some of the bank’s products, including the junior
savings or educational investment plans will not
be affected.
Richard W. Duncan - Managing Director,
Grenada Cooperative Bank
Adorned in a purple
blazer, Managing Director
Richard W. Duncan announced an overall 69%
customer satisfaction
rating among customers
who indicated their satisfaction with the services
offered by the island’s
lone indigenous bank.
The finding is the result
of the survey undertaken
by the internationally
recognised firm, PKF,
and is one percentage
point below the target the
GCB set itself when the
Charter was launched 4
years ago.
NEW FEE RFLECTS NEW
MARKET REALITIES
said they were satisfied
with the way their problems and queries were
handled.
In other areas that are
crucial to the bank’s
success, 96% of those
surveyed said the institution provides a “safe
and secure environment”
while 87% welcomed
the GCB’s approach and
attention to privacy and
personal information of
its customers.
Six of the eight areas
measured in the survey provided customer
satisfaction levels above
70%, except for the
banks loan processing
facilities which were
rated between 52% and
60% indication concern
of customers with the
bank’s ability to respond
to retail loans within
the prescribed two day
period.
The other area that will
be targeted for immediate review, according to
the Managing Director
is complaints handling,
which reflected the lowest single rating of 41%
related to the time frame
the bank’s communication with customers on
“outstanding issues.”
“At the bank we believe
that a complaint is an
The results did not come
as a surprise, according
to the Managing Director; since the institution
regularly undertake its
own internal customer
satisfaction measurements which has reflect a
90% satisfaction level.
Mr. Duncan, who underscored the importance
of the independence of
the survey, assured that
the bank is committed
to remaining “stable and
profitable” while “offering our customers excellent service.”
He echoed the Bank’s
Executive Manager of
Customer Care, Mondelle
Squires-Francis, who
pointed out the importance of maintaining
service quality in the face
of the current economic
environment and business trends characterised
by “downsizing, cost
cutting, right sizing and
other revenue saving
measures.”
“The approach to service is sometimes seen
as damage control and
after-thought having first
given attention to other
operational concerns,”
Mrs Squires-Francis said
in her address to media
and customers. She noted
that the bank regards its
customers are “critical to
our success.”
Both Mrs. Squires-Francis and Mr. Duncan agree
that the findings provide an opportunity to
identify areas that need
additional attention.
The findings are also
important to the GCB, regarded in some quarters
as the Bank of the Diaspora, because it provides
a level of assurance and
confidence to customers who reside overseas
in the quality of service
they can expect from an
indigenous institution.
“People do not bank
with us because we are
indigenous, they use our
services because of the
quality of service they
receive,” he said.
The survey targeted 500
of the bank’s 20,000 depositors.
“Fees must not be so complicated that you do
not know if they were fair,” he said, noting that in
order to remain relevant, adjustments are required
as the business environment evolves.
MBIA SEEKS PARTNERS
The Grenada Airports Authority is seeking
partners with the private sector to improve the
non aviation side of the facility, according to
General Manager Wendy Francette-Williams.
In an exclusive interview with the Barnacle, Mrs.
Francette Williams said opportunities exist at the
Maurice Bishop International Airport (MBIA) for
the establishment of a cargo facility, an inn or restaurant, food and beverage facilities, advertising
and an entertainment park for children.
The airport currently handles over two million kilos
in cargo per year.
“We invite joint venture partnerships to build
businesses on our estate and that is the way I
think we should go. We have the land space,” she
proffered, explaining that successful airports, such
as the privatised Sangster International Airport
in Jamaica, are a result of a thriving joint venture
relationship between governments and the private
sector.
Asked whether the MBIA will benefit from divestment the General Manager stated “this airport is
not right for privatisation but a joint venture relationship would not be bad.” She went on to suggest that a joint venture in the “management” of
the airport will move the facility to “the next level”.
“Its a business and it is supposed to be self
sustaining”, Mrs Francette-Williams pointed out,
adding “we cannot just stay in the box, we now
have to look outside the box and look for creative
ways of making the airport sustainable.”
She pointed to the Herbert Blaize Airport in Carriacou as “an excellent opportunity to start doing
things.”
News
CORE SKILLS IN FINANCIAL
INVESTIGATIONS TRAINING FOR GRENADA
Investigators from seven
jurisdictions, including
Grenada, have attended
a ten day training course
in core skills in financial
investigations delivered by UK experts. 22
investigators have learnt
how to investigate money
laundering, so that they
can better prosecute the
top tier of criminality
and help confiscate their
assets.
The training was organised by the UK’s Caribbean Criminal Assets
Recovery Programme
(CCARP), funded by
the Department for
International Development (DfID). CCARP is
engaged in raising the
capability of practitioners
at all levels – investigators, prosecutors and the
judiciary/magistracy – in
asset recovery and money
laundering cases across
11 Caribbean jurisdictions.
The training was delivered by Bernard Crossey
and Edward Jones, experienced financial investigators and international
trainers from the UK.
Her Excellency, Victoria Dean, the UK’s High
Commissioner to Barbados and the Eastern
Caribbean, presented
certificates to the course
attendees at a closing ceremony, which took place
last week at the Pommarine Hotel Barbados.
Mrs Dean said, “Inves-
tigating money laundering provides a unique
opportunity to prosecute
the top tier of criminality, those who control
the criminal enterprise,
the “Mr Bigs”, who may
be outside the evidential
chain when the underlying criminal act is taking
place.” She went on to
say, “In drug trafficking, they will be the
controlling influence,
organising, direction
and financing the activities from a safe distance.
They will not be on the
beach when the drugs
are landed. But they will
be closely linked to the
money thereby leaving an
evidential footprint when
the investigator follows
the money trial, before
and after the criminal activities have taken place.”
She added, “Money laundering also furnishes an
opportunity to prosecute
“the facilitators”, professionals who have nothing
to do with the criminal
activity, but assist by
concealing criminal
money or assets from the
authorities. The confiscation of assets will help
to dismantle criminal
organisations, sending a
clear message to all those
tempted by the trappings
of a criminal lifestyle,
“That Crime Doesn’t
Pay”.
ROYAL NAVY NAVIGATION COURSE
FOR SAILORS FROM RSS STATES
Participants from Grenada and other RSS member
states have spent two weeks at the Barbados Coast
Guard Headquarters, HMBS PELICAN, attending a
Basic Navigation course, delivered by a visiting training team from the Royal Navy (RN).
Certificates of completion were handed out by HE Mrs
Victoria Dean, British High Commissioner to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, to participants at the
course’s closing ceremony. She was joined by Col Alvin Quintyne, Chief of Staff of the Barbados Defence
Force and Lt Commander Howard Clark, leader of the
visiting RN Maritime Training Team.
The participants studied a number of areas, including
the following topics:
Collision Avoidance Rules, Chartwork, Basic Navigation Plotting, Harbour Hazards, Buoyage, Navigation
Safety in Harbour, Command and Control, Coastal
Passage Planning, Ship/Boat Handling, Shipping
Reports
Participants had the opportunity to put the training to
practical use with day and night exercises on board
the vessels of the Barbados Coast Guard and the RSS.
Mrs Dean congratulated the participants saying, “You
are all at the front line in the all important daily battle
to stop illicit and dangerous drugs reaching these
shores. You are helping stop the flow of marijuana
and cocaine into your respective countries.” BARNACLE FEBRUARY 2015 05.
News
DIGICEL LAUNCHES ‘DIGICEL
SPACE’ MOBILE CLOUD SOLUTION
Digicel Space offers customers best value
in personal cloud storage services
February 2nd 2015,
– St. George’s, Grenada: Digicel recently
launched its innovative
cloud storage solution,
Digicel Space, a product that allows customers to backup and share
information such as
photos, videos, contacts
and documents – safely
and securely.
Digicel Space gives
customers the peace of
mind to know that even
if their phone is lost or
stolen, their information is stored safely and
available to access on a
new device. In addition,
Digicel Space also allows customers to share
photos, videos and
documents with friends
and family across a
range of media including Facebook, Twitter
and email.
this offer, customers can
simply sign up at http://
register.digicelspace.
com – and then easily download Digicel
Space to any Android,
BlackBerry, Windows or
Apple devices.
Patricia Maher,
Country Manager
The service will go
live in Digicel Grenada
on February 6th and
to mark the launch,
Digicel is giving 10GBs
of data storage free to all
customers who sign up
to the service between
now and the end of February. In order to access
New Work Permit Fee from February 2015
ST. GEORGE’S, GRENADA, February
3, 2015 – GIS: The Ministry of Labour
advises the public that effective February 16, 2015 a non-refundable fee of
one hundred dollars for application for
a Work Permit shall be applied.
The following persons require a Work
Permit to be gainfully employed in the
State of Grenada:
• CARICOM nationals excluding nationals
from the OECS Economic Union;
• All nationals from other Commonwealth
countries;
• Nationals from countries other than the
Commonwealth and CARICOM countries;
The public is also advised that a person
who holds a Certificate of Recognition
of CARICOM Skills Qualification is not
required to pay the fees.
The Ministry of Labour reminds the public
that, persons seeking employment in
Grenada must obtain Work Permits prior
to entering the State of Grenada.
All Work Permits are valid for a period of
one year or part thereof.
Please be guided accordingly.
Country Manager
Patricia Maher, said;
“Digicel is committed
to delivering the very
latest in innovative
products and services
to its customers across
Grenada, Carriacou and
Petite Martinique – and
with this latest launch,
we are doing just that.
With Digicel Space, we
are giving all customers
the freedom and convenience to share, store
and sync their contacts,
photos and other files
to their personal cloud
solution that is completely secure.”
TURNING THE
DREAMS OF TODAY
INTO TOMORROW’S
REALITY
As Grenada, Carriacou & Petite Martinique
celebrate 41 years of Independence, we reflect
with pride on how far we have come as a
people and look forward with resolve to facing
our future with confidence.
At Axcel Finance we are happy to be part of that
future as we assist the people of Grenada,
Carriacou & Petite Martinique with access to
their dreams and aspirations through greater
access to financing.
For more information visit: www.axcelfinance.com
AXCELFINANCE
Learn more at www.axcelfinance.com
Granby & Melville Streets, St. George’s Grenada
Tel: (473) 232-8222 Fax: (473) 232-8223
[email protected] www.axcelfinance.com
Sustainable Development
John (Johnny) N Telesford
Research Student-Institute
for Management, Society and
Governance (IMAGES), Robert
Gordon University, Scotland
Grenada celebrates
forty (41) years of independence in 2015. Congratulations! But there
seems to be another reason to celebrate (albeit
temporary), and that is,
the crash of oil and gas
prices. As we are aware,
our chronic dependence
on the importation of
oil and gas renders the
local prices for products
such as gasoline very
volatile or unstable.
Independent of ‘oil
and gas’: the pledge
for the next decade
of Independence
These prices have
remained high for the
last few years. But in a
dramatic turn of ‘international events’, prices
plummeted, and Grenada was provided with
what appears to be a
surprising and welcome
independence celebration gift. However, this
gift will be short-lived,
and in the words of PS
Antoine we should “…
enjoy it while it last”
(WEE FM Radio News
Interview, 20-01-2015).
So this gift is hinged
on the relationship that
exists between international oil and gas prices
and the local prices for
products such s kerosene. When the prices
for oil and gas on the
international market
rise, the local prices for
gasoline, kerosene, diesel, and LPG also rise;
and vice versa. Such is
the nature of the energy
market we have come
to know for the last 41
years of independence.
This volatile nature
of energy prices, and
especially extended
periods of high prices,
has caused pain and
maybe hindered the
full economic growth
and development of
Grenada. In this regard, a concerted effort
must be made to place
Grenada on to a path of
energy independence.
This should be a serious pledge for the next
leg of independence, as
Grenada begins to move
into ‘old age’.
Happy 41st
Independence Grenada!
Now it appears that the
most enticing approach
to achieving energy independence is to more
vigorously pursue oil
and gas exploration and
exploitation. Grenada
has already made some
headway in this regard,
as an agreement was
signed with Trinidad
and Tobago to jointly
explore and exploit
energy reserves and resources at the boundary
of the two countries.
However enticing this
maybe, many oil and
gas producing nations
are complaining bitterly
about the drastic fall
in international prices.
More specifically, nations such as Trinidad
and Tobago, Venezuela
and Russia have felt
the squeeze on their
economies. So even if
these countries are net
exporters of oil and gas,
because they are fetching drastically reduced
prices for the sale of
oil and gas, the robustness of their economies
are tested. On the other
hand more robust net
producers, such as the
Middle East States and
even the United States
can bolster their economies in this time of
falling prices; but for
how long? So energy
independence based on
oil and gas, especially
in small and shaky
economies, may not be
the best idea.
The alternative to energy independence based
on oil and gas is to
upscale the deployment
of a sustainable energy
system. This approach
focuses on the deployment of renewable energy technologies and
energy efficiency. With
such an approach, the
natural resources such
as wind, solar and geothermal have to be harnessed and deployed
as a replacement to oil
and gas. This however,
requires a concerted effort by government and
private sector, academia
and non-governmental
organizations and citizens as a whole.
The efforts from these
stakeholders will
culminate into a decarbonization pathway
that comprehensively
addresses the technical, social, economic
and ecological facets
of transitioning from
fossil fuels, to a sustainable energy system.
The de-carbonization
pathway will address
the well-meaning
clamor from all corners
of the Grenadian society for the transition
to a sustainable energy
system. Unfortunately,
the clamor only offers
piecemeal approaches
for transitioning to
such a system. This decarbonization pathway
will provide the common energy anthem
from which all stakeholders will sing. More
importantly, the deep
carbonization pathway,
will serve as a comprehensive document
that Government can
use to seek funding for
implementing the clear
milestones that will
be established in the
pathway.
In conclusion, the
de-carbonization
pathway will form the
new energy pledge for
Grenada. ‘We pledge
allegiance to energy independence, based on a
new sustainable energy
system …’ will be the
opening line of the decarbonization pathway
for at least the next
decade of Grenada’s
independence.
Comments, frets and questions to:
John N Telesford
P. O. Box 906, Grenville, St. Andrew’s
[email protected]
Tel: 1 (473) 442 4563/405 5981
Finance
News
Financial Sense
Resolution Time
By Judy M. McCutcheon, MBA
Mrs. Judy McCutcheon is the Branch Manager of GTM Group of Insurance
Companies in Grenada; she has worked in the Insurance and Financial Industry
for several years. Mrs. McCutcheon worked in Belize as a Financial Accountant
to one of the largest private companies and served as an Insurance/Financial
Advisor to another.
Mrs. McCutcheon also has extensive managerial experience from working
several years in Trinidad and Tobago in various sectors. She is very passionate
about people planning for a “rainy day”, because as she says “ I’ve seen the
results of not planning and it’s not a pretty sight.
The festivities are over; the time
has come for us to make some
serious decisions about the New
Year and what it will hold for
us. It is now time to make those
resolutions that we seem to be
fond of making at the start of
each year _ we will cut all the
people who do not add value
to our lives and what about the
ones that we feel use and abuse
our kindness. Well, family,
heaven help them if they think
that you will roll over for them
in the New Year - of course we
don’t keep any of these resolu-
tions’. I am not even sure that I
last the entire first week of the
New Year. How about you? What
about your financial resolutions,
have you made any, have you
even thought about it? Let us
work at putting your finances in
order for this New Year.
Last year we looked closely at
retirement and what you should
be doing to avoid disaster after
you’ve left the work force. This
year I want to start out with
what parents can do from very
early on to help their children
with money management. I often
JUDY M. MCCUTCHEON
wonder if someone had taken the
time out to show me the value
of proper money management,
how much farther ahead I’d be.
Your kids are not too young to
start teaching them the about the
value of money; and it serves
them a lifetime. Raising kids to
be financially prudent can be
tough; a recent survey suggested
that more than 80% of parents
desire to be better financial role
models to their children, but just
like the talk about sex, parents
lack the skills necessary to convey this very important message.
How do you communicate the
importance of earning, spending,
savings and giving to your Children? Most importantly - how
can you get them to develop the
discipline of money management
and the financial literacy skills
needed to help them to become
financially secure adults? Here
are some points you can start
with to get your kids on the right
track:
•
Be age specific
– communicate with them what
is most important at their age.
•
Get them accustomed to saving instead of
spending by giving them a piggy
bank
•
Open a bank or
Credit Union account and take
them with you when you go to
make deposits
•
Teach the
preschoolers basic math skills
(if you have .50 and you get an
additional $1.00, is it enough to
get a pack of gummy bears at the
supermarket)
•
As they
get older,
show them
responsible
spending
by how you
pay your
restaurant bills, how you shop
at the supermarket and how you
do your banking. You may think
that they are not watching, but
they are.
•
Teach them
how to get and make correct
change. As they get into their
teens teach them about credit
and how to use it correctly.
•
Teach your
children the importance of work
ethics and taking initiative _ pay
them for any extra chores that
they do. Teach them about living
in the moment and saving for the
future, show them how to divide
their earnings into three parts,
spending, saving and giving.
In the end, raising financially
secure kids is the responsibility
of the parents. Teach them the
essentials of money management
and financial literacy, so they
too can successfully pass it on to
their kids.
Please send your comments and
questions to
[email protected]
Finance
Basic Cents
By Samuel Rosenberg
You have a great business idea and want to
share it with everyone,
but when you wonder if
you can join the ranks
of successful entrepreneurs, you may consider
which characteristics
are required to run a
thriving business? Fortunately, you may already
share many of the attributes of good leaders
and the remainder can
be learnt through education, finding a suitable
mentor and matching
these to your goals and
targets.
Of the many traits shared
by successful entrepreneurs, self-motivation,
risk-taking and finding
and adapting your particular niche, are clearly
boxes to tick on your list.
A guide to the
successful entrepreneur
Samuel Rosenberg
How often have you seen
a great idea and wished
that you had invented it
first or brought the goods
or service to market? As
a successful entrepreneur, you will be seeking a niche product or
service which matches
the needs of sufficient
individuals or businesses that can provide you
with sufficient customers and long-term profit.
Which gaps in the marketplace have you seen
and identified as being
the best niche for you to
adapt into a profitable
business, no matter how
small your local market,
village or island is?
often take larger risks,
to achieve substantial
targets. You must not be
afraid to fail when you
take larger risks. When
you consider other successful businesses and
business people, what
risks did they take to
enhance their business?
When you take substantial risks, not everything
will work out in the way
that you would planned,
but the most successful
individuals will learn
from previous failures
and projects and find
solutions to their problems.
By taking your business
seriously and preferably,
doing what you enjoy,
you will be able to plan
everything in meticulous
detail. By managing all
When you begin your
business, you will almost certainly be working long hours and every
day of the week, because
you will wish to go that
extra mile to assist your
success. This is why you
must be self motivated
which includes a considerable amount of hard
work, not just in the
early days, but perhaps
for years to come. You
will be directing both
yourself and your business as you won’t have a
boss to turn to, to listen
for specific instructions
and act upon those.
By Jason Alderman
Getting Serious?
Five Important Money
Questions to Ask
Valentine’s Day is often
a time to reflect on your
relationship, and consider the next step. If your
relationship is heading
toward joint finances,
it’s essential to talk
about it first – openly
and honestly.
A 2014 survey by the
National Endowment
for Financial Education
(NEFE) found that 13
percent said they had
failed to share information about their personal
debt or income, which
had “an effect on the
relationship.”
This year, consider
thinking beyond the
roses and candlelight
dinners to a potential future of merged finances.
Here are five key questions that should drive
your conversation:
Where are you financially as individuals?
Take time to talk about
your household debt –
including student loans,
credit cards, mortgage
and medical bills, and
share your credit reports
from the three major
credit reporting agencies
(Equifax, Experian and
TransUnion). Each can
We all take risks from
time to time, but successful entrepreneurs
be obtained once a year
for free.
It’s also important to
discuss assets – not only
the savings and investments you hold, but also
how future job or education plans can improve
the marriage or family’s
financial health.
What are your money
personalities? This is a
personal finance question that many financial
planners still ask to get
a sense of your money
management habits. It’s
intended to identify
which person in the re-
lationship is the spender
or the saver. It’s particularly important to ask
each other whether you
save or spend to make
sure you’re on track to
achieve your long-term
goals.
How do you want to
live? This question is
about shared financial
and personal goals and
how you will achieve
them together. Discuss
how you’ve been living
thus far, and what you
might change. Be honest
about where you want to
live, what kind of home
and family you want
of your money wisely
and always asking and
never being afraid, you
will learn how to beat
your competition and
ensure that your customer focus and shameless
self-promotion gathers
the best social media
response.
By staying ahead of
technology and building your business team
to the best that it can
be, you will become
the industry expert that
everyone turns to because you have created a
competitive advantage in
your business and your
people.
Because you are investing in yourself, you will
always maintain the
to have, what kind of
career or retirement you
want and start discussing concrete ways you
both will get there.
How will you handle
everyday spending?
Determine how you
will share accounts,
pay bills, budget, save
for the future and bank
– jointly, separately or
both. Figure out how
will you jointly manage
credit and the smartest
ways to save for retirement. If you want a family, decide how you’ll
plan for kids financially.
Finally, work together
when problems come
up. As with all issues in
a relationship, ongoing
communication is key.
What if you need help?
There are options if you
or your partner doesn’t
know where to start.
Licensed financial and
tax professionals can
provide guidance on
issues from basic budget-
100% effort required and
always appear accessible
as you build your trustworthy reputation.
By being closely involved with mastering
negotiations you will
learn how to take time
away from your business
and learn how to balance
your business and family
life so that both prosper.
This in turn, helps you
to become a successful
entrepreneur.
Samuel Rosenberg is
the founder and CEO of
Axcel Finance Ltd., the
leading regional microfinance institution. Share
your thoughts and email
your questions to [email protected]
ing to prenuptial agreements. Friends and family are a good resource
for recommendations.
Also keep in mind that
some religious denominations actually offer
solid financial planning
advice as part of premarital counseling and
the NEFE has a quiz for
potential spouses. For
debt issues, the National
Foundation for Credit
Counseling is a good
independent resource
that can offer advice on
improving credit issues
as a couple. The earlier
you can put together an
advisory team that fits
your needs, the better.
Bottom line: If you and
your sweetheart are
considering tying the
knot or expanding your
family, don’t ignore
money issues. It can be
a difficult conversation
to initiate, but it’s an
important one to start
planning your financial
future together.
News
Grenada poised to become
aviation training hub
Grenada may soon be
the hub for training individuals who wish to
pursue a career in aviation in the Caribbean
as the Government and
the Grenada Airports
Authority (GAA) begin
plans for the establishment of a Grenada
Aviation Academy.
In addition to potential
employment potential, the Academy will
create a platform for
training students in
aircraft maintenance,
airport and airline
management, security
and aviation management among other areas
crucial to improving
the operations of the
industry.
“Its a one stop- shop
aviation academy,”
according to General
Manager of the Maurice
Bishop International
Airport, Wendy Francette-Williams, who added that “it is something
I am looking forward
to.” She indicated that
a Cabinet appointed
project committee will
expedite and over see
the implementation of
the facility.
General Manager of the Maurice Bishop
International Airport, Wendy FrancetteWilliams
at the island’s former
airport at Pearls, in the
rural St. Andrew’s parish on Grenada’s east
coast, will be a public/
private partnership
with investors from
the Caribbean, USA
and Europe, according
to Prime Minister Dr.
Keith Mitchell.
He indicated that
the Academy aims to
provide “a world class
institute” for among
other things, the licensing of pilots.
The facility, scheduled
to become operational
in 2015, will also
provide opportunities
for graduates in the
aviation industry in the
region and beyond.
It was also disclosed
that several major infrastructural works are
planned for the MBIA,
including upgrading
the Runway Lighting
System, Procurement
of Air Traffic Control
Equipment and the construction of an airport
By-Pass Road designed
to ease the traffic flow
around the 30 year old
facility.
The establishment of
the Aviation Academy,
Analysts point out that
the new era of height-
ened airport and airline
security makes the rerouting of traffic necessary for improving the
efficiency of the facility.
The Grenada Airports
Authority is also giving consideration to
the establishment of a
new airport at Dumfries
in Carriacou, in keeping with a government
decision to improve
airline services to the
people of the sister
island.
“This new facility will
provide for night landing and will be capable
of receiving LIAT’s ATR
72 aircraft,” according
to the Prime Minister,
who also indicated that
in the short term, plans
for upgrading the existing airport facility in
Carriacou is underway.
The upgrade will facilitate refurbishing the
runway and providing
for safer and more efficient travel for residents of the island.
News
Investor promises “new
benchmark’’ with Silver Sands
terrace and a 100-meter
swimming pool.
“The concept behind
the hotel and the design
was to create an urban
dwelling in the midst of
a resort,’’ the development investors said in
the brief. “The resort
aims to cater to the local
night life scene and the
plans are nothing short of
sensory overload.’’
Integral to the project, according to the planners,
is an “innovative and
environmentally friendly
policy’’.
“The beach has been left
as untouched as possible, with the hotel and
building all tailored to
enhance the environment
instead of hinder it,’’
Sawiris said.
“When someone told me,
‘you need to have a private beach’, I said not in
Grenada. You don’t need
a private beach because
the people are so nice;
that if you don’t have
them you feel like you’re
missing something.’’
Prime minister dr. keith mitchell (left) and Naguib Sawiris, egyptian investor.
The designs have been
completed, details of the
project have been unveiled at a public launch,
clearing of the project
site has begun, and in another two years Grenada
will have a new hotel.
A grand sum of US$60
million is being spent at
the Silver Sands’ site on
Grand Anse Beach. It will
be the first major new hotel project on Grand Anse
in more than 25 years.
The investor group is
being led by Naguib
Sawiris, an Egyptian millionaire with American
citizenship.
“We’re totally in love
with this island,’’ Sawiris
says about Grenada. “It’s
not just about making
money; it’s about how
you can make people
happy.’’
“The Silver Sands Grenada,’’ he promises, “is
set to create a new benchmark in the guest luxury
resort experience. Silver
Sands is set to become
a luxurious destination
in the heart of a vibrant
authentic setting and,
hopefully, becoming a
major attraction in the
Caribbean.’’
In building the resort, the
“beauty and untouched
feel’’ of Grenada will
be preserved and it will
done in a “way that cares
for the environment,’’
promises Sawiris, who
fell in love with Grenada when he visited the
country with local businessman Danny Fakhre,
Ambassador for Tourism
and Investment.
Sawiris has assembled
a team of local, regional
and international professionals to spearhead
various aspects project,
including its architecture
and internal design of
bedrooms and kitchens.
Among the professionals are British-trained
Grenadian architect Nigel
Renwick; award-winning
French design couple
Stephanie Ledoux and
Reda Amalou; engineering consultancy firm
BBFL Caribbean Limited;
and Miami-based Aquatic
Consultants, whose
specialty is upscale and
unusual pool and waterscape designs.
The new Silver Sands is
carded to open in 2017.
And, the plan is for 77
residential units – 56
rooms, 12 suites and 9
villas.
“The villas come complete with private infinity
pools and gardens,’’ a
“project brief’’ on the
resort states. “Guests will
be able to enjoy a fully
equipped luxury spa and
health club with steam
rooms, sauna, massage,
relaxation rooms and a
range of exclusive other
treatments and therapies.’’
Other features to be
included in the resort
include a beachfront bar
and lounge; a restaurant
in the main building;
villas and rooms designed to create a series
of indoor and outdoor
spaces to take advantage
of the stunning weather;
courtyard and reception
leading into the main
As many as 180 people
are expected to be employed on the project
when construction begins
in another few weeks.
Sawiris said overseas
training will be provided
for Grenadian workers
ahead of the 2017 opening of the resort.
“So when the hotel opens
we’d be sure that we
have the highest class of
service,’’ he said.
The Silver Sands’ resort,
said Sawiris, is only the
beginning of the investments he plans for
Grenada. He is willing to
consider offers to purchase failed projects and
abandoned properties
in Grenada, he has announced.
News
Permaculture: Overcoming the
challenges of climate change in Grenada
GIZ-ICCAS, People in Action and Ministry of
Agriculture Introduce Permaculture to Communities
Thirty six persons from
various backgrounds, occupations and communities
across Grenada, will soon
be certified in the principles of Permaculture which
will benefit both individuals and their communities
in rewarding ways.
Permaculture or Permanent Culture embodies the
philosophy of working with
the environment, which can
be implemented in farming, architecture, tourism
and in communities. John
Stollmeyer, Consultant from
Caribbean Permaculture
and workshop facilitator,
explained the need for the
introduction of Permaculture in Grenada. “Permaculture is becoming more
popular and is currently
being implemented in agri-
culture in a number of first
world countries. Climate
change will continue to impact agriculture in a major
way. Permaculture is one of
the first steps in addressing
this issue and will ensure
the survival of agriculture
in Grenada. It uses readily
available natural resources
to make farming more affordable, and build the communities in which we live.”
He commented.
The Ministry of Agriculture,
Lands, Forestry, Fisheries
and the Environment and
GIZ (German Agency for
International Cooperation),
implementing the “Integrated Climate Change Adaptation” (ICCAS) Programme
and People in Action (PIA),
a local social profit agency
which specialises in community building, combined
resources to start the
climate-smart agriculture
project with a two-week
workshop. The workshop
is planned to be rolled out
in two phases over January
and February 2015. The
project which commenced
on Monday 12th January,
educated its participants on
food production, community building, background on
forestry and soils, ecosystems, alternative technologies in farming, which
reduces the use of fossil
fuels, alternative finances
and local self-help activities that raise money for the
community.
Joan Charles, community
worker in the village of
Clozier and workshop
participant, commented
on the programme and the
value of this initiative to
Grenadians. “The concept
of permaculture mimics the
forest which is a sustainable entity. It provides food,
shelter and sustains itself.
Grenada needs more of
these systems in place in
order to adapt to climate
change. The participants in
this programme will benefit
tremendously by implementing the knowledge they
have gained in their homes,
and on farms, as it can effectively reduce labour, the
use of imported chemicals
and reduce carbon emissions”.
“Unknowingly, our ancestors used permaculture
practices, some of which we
still employ today as seen
through the strategic positioning of kitchen gardens,
and planting of vegetables
near the water run-off from
our kitchens. I am looking
forward to implementing
more of these techniques
learnt in this programme
to assist in the ‘Green
Community’ project being
implemented in Clozier.”
she said.
Other simple permaculture
measures that can be considered and implemented
around the home or when
building include: Building of homes using local
/ recycled materials, only
building as big as it needs
to be, maximizing the use
of solar and wind energy for
heating and cooling, reuse
of grey water e.g. use of
kitchen water for plants.
As the project is rolled out,
the farming community of
Mt. Moritz will be engaged.
A model farm will be the
primary development of
the project that will employ
climate-smart agriculture
techniques based on Permaculture. It will serve as a research centre for new farming techniques and on-going
training. The project will
assist in the development
of community farms, assess
the value of agro-processing
and community business,
such as the already established Mt. Moritz breakfast
which brings vital revenue
to the community. On a
national level, the Climate
Smart Agriculture Project
will build the capacity of
extension officers in the Agricultural Sector – including
from the Ministry, MNIB,
and the Nutmeg and Cocoa
Associations – in key techniques to adapt to Climate
Smart and how to transfer
that knowledge to farmers.
Dieter Rothenberger, Head
of the Grenadian-German
GIZ-ICCAS Programme,
thanked PIA and the
participants for their keen
interest in the project. “We
were very pleased with the
participation in the workshops. There were persons
from various sectors including farmers, education,
the Spice Project, Cocoa
Association, Agronomists,
Ministry of Agriculture
and the community of Mt.
Moritz. This project will be
very instrumental in our
goal to make Grenada better
prepared and more resilient
to climate change and its
effects.”
Commenting on the project
and the reason for selecting
the village of Mt. Moritz to
host the project and build
the model farm, Denyse
Ogilvie, CEO of PIA stated
“We strategically selected
the village of Mt. Moritz
to host the project as it is
a very close-knit farming
community. The village is
situated along the Grand
Mal watershed, and was
once the home to an agricultural research centre. It
also has established business models for generating
revenue within the community. For these reasons, Mt.
Moritz was identified as one
of the ideal places to build
the model farm to allow the
project to assess the direct
impact on surrounding
communities. This is the
first phase and we are looking forward to seeing more
of these techniques being
used across Grenada.”
The second phase of
workshops will be held
from February 24th to
March 1st, following which
participants will receive
their certification in basic
permaculture.
The ICCAS Programme
is funded by the German Federal Ministry for
the Environment, Nature
Conservation, Building and
Nuclear Safety (BMUB)
under the International
Climate Initiative (IKI). It
is jointly implemented by
the Ministry of Agriculture,
Lands, Forestry, Fisheries
and the Environment, GIZ
and UNDP.
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EC$420,000
3bed/2bath House
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Interview
A great one-year journey
for real estate company
Just a little over a year
ago, Paula La Touche
made a bold decision-to
start her own company
to provide real estate
services in Grenada, Carriacou, Petite Martinique
and other parts of the
Grenadines.
La Touche partnered with
Century 21, one of the
world’s most recognized
real estate brands with
over 7,100 offices, in 75
countries. Century 21
also boasts more than
100,000 sales professional.
Century 21Grenada
Grenadines Real Estate
Inc, established offices
at Excel Plaza in Grand
Anse with Paula – a
passionate, knowledgeable and experienced
real estate professional
– as owner and operator.
Nobody knows Grenada’s
real estate market better
than she does.
On the first anniversary
of the opening of the
business, Barnacle General Manager Ian George
met for an exclusive
interview on her first
How long have you been
in real estate in Grenada?
Eleven years, I’ve been
involved in real estate. It’s
been eleven years of challenges, but also of getting
to know the market, gaining great experience, and
meeting some wonderful
people. I have a good
track record when coming
to my sales and turnover.
So, I’m known to be the
person to sell the property.
and show that this could
be done another way; that
agents could really make
a difference in selling real
estate here on the island.
And, over those years,
how were you prepared
to become your own boss
as it stands today?
It’s really about serving the clients; also
trust – people trusting
you. That’s a big thing.
So, for me, I believe in
actually having the direct
approach. I feel that real
estate is a relationship
business and I felt like
that was lacking.
I was prepared through
educating myself more
about the real estate business. I was fortunate to
be able to meet different
clients from all over the
world; and, as I grew, to
also gain opportunities to
manage staff and so on.
I have a vision of what I
think the real estate market could benefit from, in
terms of being customeroriented and focused
marketing; and having
a more dynamic and innovative approach. So I
saw the opportunity to,
basically, put my stamp
on the real estate market
So, in short, you are saying that there were some
shortcomings within the
industry. What are those
shortcomings and how
are you able, now that
you’re in Century 21, to
give a better service to
what existed before?
In my view, the aim
should be how you could
make this deal happen
where two people could
be happy and come out of
the deal being satisfied;
and clients know that
their interests were taken
at heart; that the agent
made it their business to
mind their business.
So, it’s innovation and
marketing and doing
year in business, and the
state of Grenada’s real
estate market.
The first question to
Paula was on how her
company has fitted into
the local real estate
market.
“We are the innovators,
as you may have noticed,’’ Paula responded.
“Century 21 is a global
real estate company, and
the local market now has
the opportunity to have a
global reach.’’
things differently. You
can see that in my business. You can see the
signs, personalizing the
experience. That’s what I
wanted to do.
So, the traditional approach so far as marketing in the real estate
business, as far as you
are concerned, those days
are over?
The days are over. These
days the market is very
competitive. In order for
you to make that deal,
you have to be passionate.
You have to go out there
and meet the clients. You
have to help the clients
understand the market.
Guide them through the
process properly and
give them sound advice
so they wouldn’t make
mistakes. There is a lack
of education out there
and my company – what
we are striving to do – is
educate the market about
the real estate in Grenada, giving them more
information that they can
use to make an informed
decision.
Real estate, in the minds
of many people, is you
put the property on the
tury 21’. But it’s part of
a marketing strategy – a
dynamic marketing strategy – that we have.
I think you would also
notice our presence at
many community events.
We’re present at these
events, always there to
talk to clients. We’ve also
chosen an office location where anyone can
just walk in. We’re on
the ground floor at Excel
Plaza. All of these things
are done deliberately, letting people know that I’m
here and I’m open. You
don’t have to make an
appointment to come to
see me.
People would say that
since the start of the
financial crisis in 2008,
property value has
dropped, interest in property has dropped, people
who were employed are
no longer employed, and
so the market is seemingly not doing so well.
Why in the midst of this
crisis, would you go and
start a real estate company?
Paula La Touche -Owner
market and people buy
it. You get somebody to
come and stay at your
place. What else is there
to know about this thing?
There is a process involved. You need to
know, if you’re choosing
to buy, if I want to buy a
property in the morning,
how do I go about that?
How do I know this area
is within my budget? So
first, what is your budget?
What that budget could
afford me and in which
area. What kind of home
and what kind of property? So these are questions that you have to ask
yourself.
Let’s say you have a
budget of $250,000.
Currently, $250,000 to
purchase a house, most
likely wouldn’t give you a
house in the St. George’s
area. And if it does, then
you would have road access issues, most likely;
or, you would be buying
a fixer-upper. So these
are the details that are involved when you’re looking for real estate. And
then, you’ll have to know
whether legally, do I need
to get a lawyer? What are
the implications in terms
of not getting a lawyer?
And do you understand
the deal, the covenants?
Do you understand what
it means by encroachment?
So there are so many
details that the buyer and
seller must understand.
We know; we have the
experience. So you won’t
buy a property and find
out ten years later, your
neighbor encroached on
you and all these years
you never knew; because
you never got a surveyor
to recheck when you were
purchasing the property.
So these are the things, as
an agent, we bring value
to the table.
Century 21 is the most
visible real estate agent
on display. Is that part
of a dynamic marketing
strategy?
Of course, it is! The reason I chose the Century
21 brand was because
internationally, it is
known for innovation and
marketing so, branding is
very important to them;
branding and personalizing the service. So, as
you see, our vehicles are
branded all over, ‘Cen-
Because, Ian, I know I’m
capable. I knew at that
time I was capable; I
knew the opportunities
that existed; I also knew
that it was the right time
because you don’t start
a business when things
are good. A good entrepreneur doesn’t do that.
They start it when there’s
a challenge. So challenges
actually make me more
innovative and want to
work. It pushes me; it
gives me the drive that
I know I have to create
something and to make
that thing happen. And
that’s what I was able to
do in a market like this.
So when the market improves, obviously you’ll
reap the benefits.
But I felt that I should
start it now because of the
brand, Century 21; what
it has to offer with all the
global marketing. So starting the business at the
time I did, to me, was the
best time. Secondly, I’ve
committed this business
into the Lord’s hands and
I believe and I trust what
I’m doing. I’m dedicated,
I’m committed to it, and I
didn’t – and still don’t –
see it as not succeeding.
So, again, it was the best
time for me to do this.
How many workers do
you have now?
Interview
I currently have six team
members.
And you’ll see that in our
marketing presence.
It’s one year on. Tell me
about the journey.
What is this bold, overall
bold, vision that you have
for the industry and for
the company?
The journey has been a
great one. I am very passionate about what I do.
Competition drives me.
So starting all over again,
it’s been a phenomenal
experience for me; an
exciting journey. I mean,
it’s been a learning process in some ways, with
all the challenges. Also,
I have had great support
from the community and
from clients. I think over
the years I’ve built loyalty
with clients. So coming
back, doing business with
me under a new company,
they didn’t see that as a
problem.
I’ve had challenges with
picking a solid team to
work with. That was a
challenge because I have
a vision for the company
and I wanted to make
sure people understand
that vision and they were
willing to work under that
umbrella. But I believe
that because I am committed and the business
is committed, everything
came into place. God put
whom He needed to put
in my presence, and now
that team is working phenomenally well.
As you know, starting a
new business, you have
cash flow issues. But,
again, you are able to get
through that process. We
are dedicated, working
seven days per week,
even at night, so that we
can get the business going. And I would tell you,
I continue to love what I
do. And, the marketing
part, I realize I really like
that. I knew I enjoyed
people a lot and people’s
company; but I realized
during this process that
doing it on your own,
and doing the marketing
hands-on, in everything, I
really enjoy that process.
So I would say so far, the
journey has been great.
I’m looking forward to
another exciting year.
We’ve had a very, very
exciting year last year
and we’re looking to
grow. It’s a young team,
so we’re looking to get to
know each other better;
to work better, work on
our marketing strategies;
just streamlining all the
kinks, as you say, in a
new company. But, we’re
geared for the next year.
Century 21 was founded
on a vision of combining
a client-centric approach
to service, state of the art
technology and a modern business structure; a
trained, knowledgeable,
passionate and incentivized team; focused and
strategic marketing; and
ethical and socially conscious business practice.
So that’s why our motto
is, ‘To Provide Clients
with the Best Real Estate
Service Ever’. That’s the
vision in general.
And your love for this is
what keeps you going?
My love for this, yes. I
love what I do. I can tell
you this: my team also
loves what they do. Outside of the love of what
I’m doing, what keeps me
also going, is being also
able to be a service; a lot
of us don’t realize what
that means. God says, be
a service to Him, right?
You normally think that
when you do a service
for somebody, it has to
come back – you have to
get paid for it. No. I enjoy
being a service to people,
and that’s why I’m so passionate about what I do.
I’m happy when a young
person buys their first
home and I was able to
make that dream a reality.
What was it like when
you made the first transaction for Century 21?
It was thrilling; it was
exciting. I felt like if I’d
won the lotto. And I knew
from that first transaction
that, basically, it was a
game-changer. So it was a
thrilling experience; one
that I always reminisce
on and go back and say,
‘thank you God’.
When did you realize you
made the right move?
The day I resigned from
my last position. After
I resigned, I received
overwhelming support
from the community and
clients. The support was,
‘Go, Paula, you can do
this. You are very good at
what you do. You’re excellent. You can do this.’
When I saw the overwhelming support, I
cried and a lot of people
came back and said, ‘why
didn’t you do this long
before? Outside of that,
though, it’s when I was
doing my business plan
and I started putting my
thoughts on paper; and
the vision I had I started
actually putting it to a
plan; I realized, ‘Oh, my
God; this is the best decision’. I knew I’d made
the right decision. I just
knew then and there; and,
actually, I felt free. I felt
this freedom. I knew that
I made the right decision.
Who can access the services of Century 21?
Anyone looking to
rent, sell, purchase and
maintain a property in
Grenada, Carriacou,
Petite Martinique and
the Grenadines area. Our
services are Sales, Rentals, Valuations & Property
Management.
I know you said people
were overwhelming
in their support. Who
were some of the people
that you really want to
mention that have been a
rock for you?
My husband. I could not
have done this without
my husband. His support is – I can’t tell you in
words – how this man has
supported me, encouraged me. He continues
to help me, continues to
be my sounding board;
gives me advice. We’re
in this together, as far
as I’m concerned. Yes,
Century 21 is my business. But, my husband
has been a rock in the
process for me. And family, my daughter; I have
a 19-year-old daughter
who studies at SGU and
helps me prepare marketing flyers, and coordinate
promotional events. Actually, because of her age,
she has brought the more
modern spin, such as
with social media. From
that approach, she keeps
the business ‘fresh’.
With all the technology
available, do you ever get
away from Century 21?
No. I breathe, eat and
sleep Century 21. My
team would tell you that.
Sati, my Administrative
Officer, when she realizes that I’m not eating,
she brings my lunch to
my desk for me. I would
normally bring my lunch
to work. She would go get
it, warm it, put it on my
desk; make sure I have
water, because she realizes that I am so caught
up. I get so involved in it
that I just don’t stop. My
hours are very long and
for the last 12 months,
my family has been very
good in just leaving me to
be; just to do what I need
to do. But within the last
couple of months I’ve
been trying to spend more
time with my family. But
my husband would tell
me, my phone goes off
every minute; as well as
my email. It’s very difficult to take a break from
Century 2I. I believe in
being proactive and responsive and that’s what
the company is all about.
So, I can’t be preaching
it and not be doing it. I
think, as a leader, you
have to set the example in
your company and that’s
what I’m doing.
Take us through some of
the challenges that one
has to go through family wise, financially and
otherwise, to set up a
business.
First of all, the minute
you make that decision,
your lifestyle changes.
And it changes in terms
of asking, how much
money do I have? Asking
about your ‘spendability’,
if you want to call it that.
So the things like going to
a restaurant, being able to
take vacations, and being
able to spend money on
things you really don’t
need, that is over. So, I
had to make the quick
adjustment.
And then the other
adjustment was knowing that I have to work
12–to-14-hour days to
make it happen. So I’m no
longer involved in family
activities. And vacations:
no longer could I have
taken family vacations.
Then your kids – the
challenge of keeping your
family together, because
now, your family thinks
you’re forsaking them.
Even though, before the
decision was made, my
family agreed that we
need to make that sacrifice for the next year or
two, to get the business
going. But when you’re
actually going through
the process it’s a different
experience.
But what has been able to
keep my family together
is always reminding ourselves why I’m doing this.
Financially, when the
kids can’t get what they
want, and what they used
to get, it’s reminding them
that it’s like the marshmallow test; I don’t know
if you know about the
marshmallow test. You
have a marshmallow here;
you can eat it now, or you
can hold on to it and then
get two later. Tell me,
what would you do?
So for me and my family it was, I need to do
this. This is important,
so we need to do this
now. So, it’s sacrifice.
It’s sacrificing everything
you know; just changing
your lifestyle in terms
of your needs knowing
that okay, you don’t buy
things that you don’t
need. Everything has to
be streamlined; you have
to watch your finances
and juggle your cash. I’ve
learnt to become a juggler.
You’re juggling your cash
knowing that, I will pay
this bill this month; I will
pay this one next month.
Then, at the end of the
day, it’s also people trusting you – your creditors
– and knowing that you’re
going to pay. So having
a good reputation and
character help you in the
situation. But, the sacrifice is a lot. However, if
you believe and you trust
in what you’re doing, and
you know what you’re
doing, then going for it
becomes the easiest thing.
Another thing is risk;
knowing the risk is
important. But I am not
afraid of risk, so I just go
after it.
Is real estate a risky business?
A very risky business.
A lot of things could go
wrong. There are situations where you could
sell somebody the wrong
lot. If you’re not detailed
oriented, you can read
something wrong and give
a client the wrong information, which could put
them in legal difficulties
in the future. So, it is a
risky business. I practice
risk management with my
team on a regular basis. I
always look for the loopholes. You can be sued.
So, avoiding problems
and risk management are
very big in my business.
And that is synonymous
across your staff?
Synonymous. Risk management, yes. And what I
do, I sensitize my team. If
there is an issue that happened to me, and it’s the
first time and I dealt with
it because of my experience and knowledge, I go
to them. I say, look, this
has happened today; I
was able to deal with it
and I put it in writing immediately to everybody,
in case they come across
it in the future. I train
them on it and we move
on; because in business,
you don’t know everything and things come
about. I mean, I’ve been
in this business for eleven
years and I can tell you,
things do come about that
I haven’t experienced
before. And you meet a
lot of dis-honest people.
People try to use agents
to launder money and all
of that. So team members
have to be aware and cognizant, and always paying
attention to what they’re
doing.
If you’ll have to do it
again, will you do it the
same way?
I’ll do it. Right now, I’m
doing it my way. And,
as far as I’m concerned,
there is no better way.
If I have to get up in the
morning and start this all
over again, I would do it
within a heartbeat. I enjoy
what I do.
One of the things, though,
that I wanted to mention
is that I really believe in
the community; and, part
of the company’s vision,
is to give back to the community. I’ve started to do
that by sponsoring events
that are important to me,
like GSPCA. So I want
to align the company
with positive and caring needs and I’m doing
it; I’ve started to do it. I
truly believe in the young
people and my goal is to
also start a mentorship
programme with other
professionals that I know;
to give back to the community; start it within the
schools to guide young
people about careers and
how you go about choosing a career and really
letting them understand
what it takes, especially
to be entrepreneurs. I
find, in Grenada, we don’t
encourage entrepreneurs
too much. I think it’s to
do with our mindset. So
that’s part of my plans for
next year; I’m giving back
to the community; I think
they’ve been very good to
me and it’s my goal. I always feel that as a leader,
you have to give back.
Education
The field of Second Language Acquisition (SLA)
has undergone different
periods in which a plethora of theories have been
advanced to explain variations in levels of success in
SLA. Indeed, given the variety of languages and the
many different situations
concerning learners, it will
be impossible to explain
SLA simply in the light of
only one factor. SLA can
be seen as a field in which
various factors interconnect, to explain differences
in acquisition and different
types of acquisition. This
paper will highlight some
of the factors which impact
SLA, namely: neurobiological, psychological and
socio-cultural factors.
Additionally, this paper
will discuss the teaching
approaches and styles
and strategies that can be
implemented to mitigate
some of the factors impacting negatively on SLA.
SECTION 1- Neurobiological, Psychological and
Cultural Factors
Neurobiological Factors
One very important factor
accounting for varying
success in SLA is age of
acquisition. Studies of
how children acquire their
first language (L1) have
been used to explain how
they acquire L2. One such
factor is age. Eric Lenneberg (1967) advanced the
Critical Period Hypothesis
(CPH), which proposes that
there is a critical period
(age) during which persons
acquire a language. This
critical period for learning the language, must
therefore be before the end
of puberty at age twelve.
Studies have shown that
it is increasingly difficult
for one to acquire a first
language after that critical period, since the brain
lateralizes during the developmental stages leading
up to puberty. According
to Scovel (1960’s, 1980’s)
and other neurobiological
theorists, the left brain is
responsible for producing
language, whereas the right
hemisphere of the brain
is responsible for emotions. Studies have shown
that when a person has a
damage to the left brain, it
becomes difficult for him/
her to acquire a language if
the repair or recuperation
SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION
IN THE GRENADIAN CONTEXT
does not take place before
the end of puberty. This
means that early language
learning development is
crucial before puberty.
Additionally, if children
are not exposed to the first
language in the critical
years, they will have difficulty acquiring a language
successfully in the future.
Consider the case of the
Wild Boy of Aveyron, who
grew up around animals
and when found, had
already passed puberty;
it was difficult for him to
produce complex sentences even after being exposed
to language (Jackendoff,
1994). Apart from one or
two word utterances, a
complex syntax was unable to emerge. Isabelle
on the other hand, was
found in her early years
before the end of puberty
and as a result, she was
able to grasp the complex
morpho-syntactic aspects
of the language (Jackendoff, 1994). These examples
definitely show that age is
a crucial factor in acquiring
a language, especially to
produce complex grammatical structures like Imovements and WH-movements. Scovel’s (1988)
research on birdsongs also
shows that birds develop
a certain song or accent
in the early years and
after this period, it is difficult for them to properly
develop their song. Scovel
likened this to human accents, and in fact most theorists, for example, Brown
(1997) agree that a critical
period or age is crucial
for persons to produce the
second language or L2 accent with native-like levels
of accuracy. But, apart from
the accent, one will note
that the age factor may not
be the single most important factor in determining
different levels of success
in the L2, but its value can
never be overlooked.
Psychological Factors
Psychological factors have
also been advanced to
explain different degrees of
SLA. In fact, theorists argue that a child acquiring a
L1 (first language) or even
L2 (second language) in an
environment that is natural
and conducive for acquiring that language will be
more relaxed than an adult
who is in a classroom, for
example, trying to learn
the language. (Later on, a
distinction will be made
between learning and
acquisition to clarify the
two concepts). Inhibition
is a psychological factor
that should be considered
when discussing language
acquisition. Inhibition can
be defined as the extent
to which one is impeded
when a certain task has to
be accomplished. Guoira
et al (1972) claim that
adults have higher levels
of inhibition than children
learning an L1. Inhibition
is linked to the concept of
self. A young child has not
yet developed a complete
image of him/herself. That
child is still exploring and
is willing to try out new
phenomena and concepts.
An adult on the other
hand, may have a more defined image of the self and
therefore will try to protect
this identity in the Second
Language (SL) classroom;
for learning a new language
does involve taking on a
new identity. With high inhibition levels, adults and
even persons beyond age
twelve, therefore, may not
learn the language as easily
as the child under twelve.
A look at Grenada’s sociocultural landscape
To what extent can this
apply to our students in
Grenada? Think of our
students beyond age eleven
and twelve, who already
have a certain grasp of
their image or identity.
These students learning
another language in a classroom may be more embarrassed when mistakes
are made (in comparison
to a younger child). The
language ego will need to
be protected and so our
students may not be as adventurous as younger students, who find language
learning exciting or who
may acquire the language
in a natural setting.
Added to this, will be
issues of motivation and
language attitudes. Students would have already
developed a certain
cultural and linguistic
bias, further impeding the
language learning process.
It is against this backdrop,
that I highlight the need
for students to be exposed
to L2 at an age earlier than
age 11.
In Grenada, foreign
languages are introduced
mostly at the secondary
level; that is when most
students would have attained eleven years, or
according to Piaget’s (
1932) theory of cognitive
development, when most
students are already in the
concrete operational stage
of development (a period
when they are capable of
thinking logically and performing mathematical operations). At that point, the
brain structure is no longer
as plastic as it used to be.
Studies have shown that
during the earlier stages
of childhood, the plasticity of the brain plays a key
role in language learning.
In fact, Thomas Scovel
(1969) points out, that
the plasticity of the brain
prior to puberty plays a key
role in enabling children
to acquire, not only their
first, but also their second
language. After puberty,
the task becomes increasingly more difficult. If we
were to study in depth the
case of the Wild Boys of
Aveyron, it would be clear
that it is best to learn a
language in the early stages
of development! Though
there are differences, the
correlations are evident!
Learning vocabulary and
grammar by rote may not
be difficult in the later
years; nevertheless, learning complex grammatical
and syntactic structure
after age 12 may be a mammoth task for the average
learner.
In Grenada, our case is
particularly more and more
challenging, as the target
language is not learned in
a second language context
(second language context
means that there is an
immediate community of
language speakers), but in
a foreign language context
( foreign language context
means that there is not an
immediate community of
language speakers). Apart
from the few private
schools and government
or church schools that
give students a taste of
the foreign language in
their early years, the rest
of the student population continues to be at a
disadvantage when they
have to learn the language
upon entering secondary
school. No doubt, the ones
who have a knack for the
language would make it,
but the bulk of the population may not get the chance
to be fluent in another language! Examples from the
French speaking Caribbean
islands, like Martinique
and Guadeloupe show that
when English is introduced
in the elementary schools,
the students go on to
become fluent in English
by the time they complete
secondary education.
Though English may be
currently a lingua franca,
these countries understand
the numerous advantages
of enabling their citizens to
become bilingual. What are
we doing in Grenada, when
unemployment is at its
highest? What are we doing
to encourage our citizens
to look way beyond the
English-speaking world
and venture into territories
where other languages will
be the main means of communication? How well are
we equipping families who
may be seeking employment outside of Grenada?
To what extent are we
encouraging linguistic
diversity and multilingualism or multiculturalism to
build up our almost eroded
cultural landscape? What
about international trade
and intercultural communication?
The time has come for us
to erase the traditional
mindset of language learning. According to the traditional equation, learning a
language equals becoming
a language teacher. I have
had numerous students
ask, “Just what will I do
with an Associate Degree
in Modern Languages?”
Our students can become teachers, journalists, writers, translators,
interpreters, etc. But, let
us be realistic and look
beyond Grenada, where
our students can gain work
as speech data evaluators, language architects,
project managers, lecturers,
researchers, consultants,
etc. Do we tell our students about taking their
language study further
and about combining their
options? Who tells our
students that by combin-
ing language studies and
Computer Science, they
can become computational
linguists? What about our
students studying law who
can gain more exposure
in an international setting, where the language
of communication is not
English? What about our
students in Business Studies? Are we giving them
that competitive advantage
through bilingualism? Our
students in Science will do
well to explore the connection between the languages
learnt and Science itself!
But, when our students
open our local newspapers, they don’t see these
vacancies. Do they? This is
where Critical Pedagogy or
Andragogy and intelligent
use of the world wide web
become crucial. Subscribing to websites such as
devnet.org and other such
professional networks can
open a window of opportunities for our students.
We have to begin to look
beyond.
We also need to examine
sociocultural factors and
their impact on language
learning. The generalizations and stereotypes associated with language learning ought to be addressed
immediately. We have to
examine our attitudes in
the language classroom:
our attitude towards other
cultures. Are we willing
to integrate, or do we keep
a social distance when it
comes to learning a second
language? Are we aware
that learning a second
language implies learning
a second culture? And just
how open and ready are we
to become multicultural?
Speaking the world’s dominant language- the world’s
lingua franca-English, may
be a golden birthright now
(but, do we really speak it
or for that matter write it?);
however, at some point we
may need to move beyond
the linguistic imperialism
of the English Language
and examine language
policy and politics from
a whole new perspective!
In Grenada, neurobiological, psychological and
sociocultural factors are giant roadblocks that have a
profound impact on second
language acquisition.
Given the challenges
outlined above, among
others that have not been
discussed in this paper, in
the following section, let
us examine some learning styles, strategies and
approaches, teachers can
use to effectively assist
students in learning the
second language.
News
Canon Awards Brydens / Strachan
Bryden & Minors
Ltd., the authorized
dealer for Canon office
products,is the proud
recipient of an award
from Canon – Association of Technical
Service Professionals
(ATSP ).
The Award of Excellence – Silver Level was
presented to Bryden &
Minors Ltd. for achieving technical proficiency
in the Copier Service
Industry.
It was attained by the
company’s Senior Technical Specialist, Michael
Strachan.
Company director An-
drew Minors in presenting the award to Mr.
Strachan congratulated
him for his achievement
and dedication to the
company adding that
this clearly shows that
we are on the right track
in our never-ending efforts to improve Customer Satisfaction in the
market place.
News
Three schools chosen
for new GUT program
A pilot project has been
launched in which secondary schools students
are being afforded an
opportunity at gaining firsthand, practical
business experience and
knowledge.
The Junior Financial Cooperative Society is being
piloted at the Anglican
High School (AHS), St
Andrew’s Anglican Secondary School (SAASS)
and St. Mark’s Secondary
School (SMSS). It’s an
initiative of the Grenada
Union of Teachers’ Cooperative Credit Union,
whose Deputy General
Manager calls it a “new
and exciting journey’’ for
the GUT.
“We anticipate that
through this venture,
students will develop
good financial habits
that they would put into
practice throughout their
lives. It is hoped that a
new generation of informed consumers would
emerge, who would make
more informed, financial decisions,’’ Retesha
Smith-Boyd said at the
media launch of the Junior
Financial Co-operative
Society (JFCS).
The event was attended by
teacher guides of the three
participating schools;
as well as representa-
learn about financial matters and the importance
of good money management,’’ she added.
“It is our hope that this
financial engagement
will benefit the students
throughout their lives.
Students will also have
the opportunity to acquire
other vital skills in leadership, communication,
organisation, computer
literacy and team work,’’
Parris explained.
(From left) retesha smith-boyd - deputy manager gutcu, MS.
CHANDA DAVIS - manager gCLL , MS. KIM PARRIS -, President gutcu,
mr. lydon richardson - min. of education rep. & Ms. janis henry gutcu education committee
tives from the Ministry of
Education, Grenada Cooperative League and the
Grenada Authority for the
Regulation of Financial
Institutions (GARFIN).
Boyd said.
“Knowing the process
of getting the necessary
permission from our
regulators, we hope to
commence the program
subsequently, once all of
this is satisfied; hopefully,
within the first quarter of
the year. However, initial
training for the teacher
guides has been done and
a further training has also
been done for the three
pilot schools,’’ Smith-
As part of the pilot, GUT
Credit Union is providing
AHS, SAASS and SMSS
with computers and other
material to assist in the
set up and operations of
the JFCS. Computers were
handed over to school
officials at the media
launch.
Over time, the GUT plans
on expanding the JFCS to
other schools across the
nation.
“These schools were
selected as representative samples of schools
within each parish, where
the GUT Co-Operative
Credit Union conducts
business. With this program, our aim is to create
an environment where
young people will acquire
hands-on experience in
financial transactions and,
thereby, gain skills that
are necessary to navigate
the financial world,’’ said
Kim Parris, President of
the GUT Credit Union.
“It’s a project to engage
students in practical, reallife, financial transactions
and ensure the continuity of the Credit Union
Movement. Students will
“Values such as responsibility, confidentiality, trust, honesty and
professionalism will be
cultivated as well, while
working as volunteers in
the co-operatives in their
schools. It is anticipated
that the students will
learn about the co-operative model and appreciate
the importance of people
helping people.’’
The JFCS augments
other GUT youth-oriented
programs such as the
“Pass The Torch’’ calypso
competition and program; the “Smart Savers
Account’’ for children;
financial seminars and literacy quiz; and grants and
scholarships to students.
Under the JFCS, all students at AHS, SAASS and
SMSS are allowed to be
involved in the co-opera-
tives and will receive specially designed passbooks.
The co-operatives, which
initially will be opened
three days each week, will
be managed by students
from Forms 3 to 5.
“The Junior Financial
Co-operative Society
will seek to engage our
young people in real-life
financial matters such as
opening an account; budgeting; the use of credit;
the importance of saving
and responsible spending; and understanding
that interest accumulates
and money grows. They
would also learn the
importance of building
a relationship with the
financial institution and
having a good credit history,’’ Parris said.
Chanda Davis, Manager of
the Grenada Co-Operative
League, commended the
GUT for its “bold step’’ in
launching the JFCS.
“We applaud this credit
union for continuing to
place emphasis on the
younger individuals in
our society and also on
finding different ways of
highlighting the value of
our co-operative model,’’
she said.
Ministry of Education
representative, Lydon
Richardson, also complimented the GUT, and
urged students at the three
secondary schools in the
pilot to make the best use
of the JFCS program.
“It’s a very useful one. It’s
one that would, of course,
mean a lot to you in the
future, as you go through
your school life,’’ he said.
“When you’re finished
school, some of you might
want to open your own
business. So, this program
in itself would help you to
be a better person in the
future.’’
Tourism
Grenada is the top
trending beach destination!
(St. George’s, Grenada)
2nd February, 2014
- Grenada is the top
trending beach destination according to KAYAK 2015 Travel Hacker
Guide. Research
spanning 2013 to 2014
revealed an increase of
31% in flight searches
from the previous year
for round-trip flights
from North America.
States of America and
Canada accounted
for 33% of stay over
arrivals to Grenada
in 2014. We congratulate all our tourism
stakeholders and the
resorts that contribute
to the increased brand
awareness in these
major source markets,”
Ms. Esther Thomas,
Research & Planning
Manager of the Grenada
Tourism Authority.
As more persons are
looking towards the triisland state for holiday,
they are also willing to
pay for a quality experience. Of the top ten
trending beach destinations, Grenada was the
second most expensive
with median airfares
ranging from 708 to 899
USD.
Grenada is the ideal
beach destination, with
45 white sand beaches,
9 black sand beaches,
more than 20 offshore
islands, year round
warm weather, and a
vibrant culture that
Pure Grenada Works: Grenada Ranked #1
Trending Beach Destination in the World
St. George’s Grenada
– The Grenada Hotel
and Tourism Association (GHTA) wishes to
express their sincere
appreciation for the
public private partnership (PPP) with the
Ministry of Tourism
and the Grenada Tourism Authority (GTA)
that created the new
destination brand,
‘Pure Grenada” following news that Grenada
has been ranked as the
#1 trending beach destination by the Kayak
travel search engine,
which boasts over 1
billion users. Grenada’s
ranking is based on statistical data published
by Kayak in ‘Kayak
2015 Travel Hacker
Guide”.
The GHTA paid for the
creation of ‘Pure Grenada’ with a grant from
Compete Caribbean and
funds matched with
their own financial
resources because there
was an urgent need to
get smart about destination marketing.
The Compete Caribbean
Project, which is funded by the British, Australian and Canadian
governments, is focused
on value chain development and marketing
Grenada online with a
very specific message
about Grenada’s cultural, culinary, adventure,
historical, and environ-
mental based assets.
With a 33% increase in
searches for Grenada,
it’s clearly working.
In addition to ranking
as the #1 trending beach
destination, the top
five hotels searched in
Grenada are: True Blue
Bay Resort ranking first;
the Raddison Beach
Resort second; La Luna
third; Coyaba Beach
Resort fourth; and
Kalinago Beach Resort
fifth - Demonstrating
that Grenada’s boutique
offerings are playing a
vital role in revitalizing
the sector. According to
Skiff Megatrends 2015
- boutique destinations
are on the rise.
What Kayak search
makes any guest feel at
home.
results show is that
Grenada and Cartagena
as the #1 and #2 ranking beach destinations
are positioning themselves for the geotourism market, and that is
clearly what is trending
now. The GHTA also
attributes the growth
to the massive exposure gained by the two
Survivorman episodes
which was broadcast to
623 million homes. The
Survivorman TV series
with Les Stroud did
more than just reach
millions of people; it
reached millions of
people who will appreciate the unspoiled
assets Grenada has to
offer.
For the first time in
almost a decade businesses in the tourism
industry sees reason to
be highly optimistic for
future growth.
“According to preliminary data, the United
The Grenada Tourism
Authority is pleased to
receive such fantastic
reviews from KAYAK,
which has a presence in
over 30 countries and
gets over one billion
queries for travel information yearly. KAYAK
offers travel enthusiasts online options for
comparing and booking
flights, hotels, cars and
vacation packages.
Become a Homestay Host
(St. George’s, Grenada)
25 January, 2015 - With
just under two thousand
registered rooms in Grenada, Carriacou, Petite
Martinique, the Grenada
Tourism Authority’s new
Homestay programme
aims to expand the nation’s room stock while
diversifying its tourism
product.
This Homestay programme
offers homeowners the
opportunity to earn extra
income and to exchange
cultural traditions with
a visitor. This ongoing
programme is opened to
persons who have apartments for short-term rental
or extra rooms within their
households.
Interested homeowners are
encouraged to complete
the application process
on or before Friday 27th
February, 2015. Completed
application forms are to be
delivered to the headquarters of the Grenada Tourism Authority (GTA) along
with a passport photo, a
police record, and a nonrefundable administrative
fee of $50.00. Homes will
then be audited by the GTA
and successful applicants
will receive a certificate of
registration along with a
property listing on the destination’s official website,
www.puregrenada.com.
Application forms are
available at www.puregrenada.com/homestay and
at the GTA’s office on the
Carenage, St. George’s.
For further information and
guidance please call 440
2279 or 440 2001.
Opinion
UPHOLDING
ACCEPTABLE
STANDARDS
BY: RICHARD SIMON
The Grenada Cooperative Bank has received a
glowing report from its
independent customer
service charter audit…
so what….why would the
Managing Director take
the time to present these
“impressive” findings to
the public. And by the
way what’s the purpose
of having the Charter
anyway?
The Grenadian society
has taken itself too lightly
for too long, limiting our
ability to take advantage
of the real benefits of the
global market place and
thereby giving sometimes
substandard service to visitor who chose to spend
some time with us. This
is even more concerning
when you consider that
one of the biggest contributor to our country’s
development is the St.
George’s University (SGU)
which brings all and
sundry to our shores. We,
who live on this rock have
fought against change,
rebelled against improvements and attempted to
protect the status quo.
We have believed the
falsehood that we are to
remain a quaint little destination that those from
larger, more advanced
countries come to for a
one week vacation, to enjoy the smiles on the faces
of the friendly natives. In
the meantime, the rest of
the world is keeping in
step with development,
with change, with improvements to the quality
of life.
Our family members in
the Diaspora sometimes
feel alienated, frustrated
and at times out of place
by what obtains in this
society, when they choose
to spend some time “back
home.” Some vow never
to return, particularly
those who have taken root
in their adopted home.
The only indigenous Bank
in Grenada is carefully
and meaningfully taking the society along on
a journey of change that
does not appear to be a
forced eviction from what
we have become accustomed to but more of a
gentle leading that allows
us be comfortable with
each step.
The fact that the façade
of the institution has kept
in step with the past,
while presenting a whole
new image by remaining
friendly, provides some
assurance that they are
well grounded in the society but driven by a vision
of a successful future.
Leadership then is a key
element for an institutions
that is local yet global.
So improvements in the
service delivery to customers must not be seen
as an importation of a
foreign culture, it must be
considered in the context
of the new realities of a
local institution with a
global reach. Small beginnings must never become
a destination. The idea of
a “Penny Bank” has lived
its time when the “penny”
had value and that’s all
the customers could afford.
There is no question that
the institution would have
died had the penny bank
thinking remained.
Today a team of Grenadians is playing in a league
that can be equated with
the biblical record of
David and Goliath. David
is holding his own. The
Customer Service Charter therefore pledges to
uphold certain standards
that we all have come to
accept, even long for.
Advertisement for Request For Proposals for the
Commercialization of Limlair Estate, Carriacou.
The Government of Grenada is in the process of commercializing selected Government
estates in partnership with the Private Sector through Public Private Arrangements.
The overall development objective of the commercialization of the estates is to stimulate increased economic growth and social development by strengthening the national
agricultural production and export capacity.
The Grand Bras and Bellevue Estates located in Saint Andrew have already been commercialized and the process of commercialization has begun for the Mt Reuil Estate.
The targeted estate in this Request For Proposals (RFP) is the Limlair Estate (Farm),
located in Carriacou. The Limlair Estate has a total area of approximately 40 acres. It
contains grass paddocks and structures for animal rearing, open areas, buildings related
to different projects and lands set aside for forestry and national parks.
The Government of Grenada invites eligible persons and/or registered business entities
to submit their Proposal for participating in the process of commercialization of the
Limlair Estate.
Interested parties are asked to visit the following website for the necessary information
and instructions for the preparation of their proposal:
www.gov.gd/vacancies
Proposals from interested parties must be addressed and delivered to
The Chairman
Commercialization of Government Estates Committee
Ministry of Agriculture
3rd Floor Ministerial Complex
Botanical Gardens, Tanteen
St.George’s
The deadline for delivery of the proposals is 12:00 noon on 6th March, 2015
Interested applicants may obtain further information from the Commercialization of
Government Estates Committee at the above address.
Regards,
Chairman
Commercialization of Government Estates Committee
Question
The Question of Independence
DOMINIQUE JAMES
Forty one years ago under
a dark sky and a society in turmoil, Grenada
gained independence from
Britain.
Many portray the events
of 1974 as an opposition
inspired plot to stop independence for Grenada. Our
search for the real issues
which inspired the apparent chaos produced some
interesting results with full
agreement on all sides.
Dominique James, a resident of St. Andrews is not
opposed to independence,
he is concerned that
Grenada has not “gotten
anywhere” since it began
to govern its own affairs
due to a lack of proper
governance.
“We have not gotten
anywhere because we still
have to import most of
things we use. Even in
the revolution, we made
salt fish but all these
things diminished instead
of us trying to improve and
make something better and
get the country going with
industry. Our nutmeg, our
cocoa, our fish; There are a
lot of things we can do but
we’re just there” he said.
James said while different parties have formed
the government “it’s the
same thing,” although he
indicated that the “only
government that had that
kind of good potential was
the revolutionary government.”
And what is to blame.
“I think what cause that
NADIA BENJAMIN
was bad leadership and
management of the country by most of the politicians that passed, and
I’m starting from (former
Prime Minister Sir Eric
Matthew) Gairy,” James
said.
A former Parliamentary
Secretary in the Ministry
of Education and Social
Affairs in Gairy’s Grenada United Labour Party
(GULP) government of
1972, Mrs. Nadia Benjamin has a slightly different
view.
She says Independence
was a “good deal” but
agriculture was key to ensuring the island improved
its lot in the emerging
environment.
“We are still too much in
the begging process. Our
first thing was to develop
our agricultural products
and to make sure that we
had enough to eat. Cut
back on the importation
and make the farmers
sustainable and help Grenada to grow by their own
efforts. So we had all this
stuff here it was just foresight and management we
needed,” she told Barnacle
in an exclusive interview.
Mrs Benjamin said the
idea behind gaining independence was “to make
Grenadians independent
and to encourage them to
do whatever was necessary
to build them selves.”
The former Government
minister suggested that
Grenada’s prosperity we
connected to a return to
agriculture ‘because I always said, agriculture fed
me, agriculture sent me
to school, and I wear my
necklace today with the
nutmeg leaves and the nutmeg because I remember,
without nutmeg and cocoa,
I couldn’t go to school, to
secondary school, and I
would have very little to
eat. So we have to go back
to ensure that agriculture,
and not only the products
that are grown but the
marketing.”
Kenneth Buckmire a
former public servant who
currently operates a business in St. Andrew also
brought his own perspective to the issue, suggesting that Grenada was
“ripe” for independence.
He said his opposition was
based on who sat in the
leadership of the country
at the time.
“Independence is an evolutionary process. There
was independence taking
place all around us; the
Common Wealth countries,
ex-colonial countries etc.
and therefore the philosophy of independence was
ripe in the air and many of
us thought it was right for
Grenada to join that environment. However, I am
one of those who that that,
looking back at history,
independence have been
handed down to you is
different from fighting for
independence. Grenada
did not fight for independence; independence was
handed down to Grenada,”
a situation he considers to
be a disadvantage.
KENNETH BUCKMIRE
He argues that the foundation of the education
system in 1974 did not
provide the electorate
with any information
on the meaning and the
responsibilities of independence.
“We’re still evolving but
the problem is, as I see
it now is, while we’re
evolving, in the 70’s, in
the 80’s and so on, we had
leadership which would
help in the evolving in a
particular direction.
Right now, we have leadership which seem to be
not just subjective, they
seem to be egoistic; just
thinking of themselves
and not thinking of the society as a whole.” He said.
Constitution Corner
THE CONSTITUTION OF GRENADA:
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
the Speaker of the House,
elected by the House, is
not a Rep, he shall, by being Speaker, be a member of
the House, on s 29(2).
Governor-General to command the support of the
largest number of Reps
in opposition to the Government; on s 66(2).
is a monarch, Grenada is
a monarchy.
A 8 (2) Her Majesty’s
representative in Grenada is
the Governor-General, by s
19. The executive authority of Grenada is exercised
on behalf of Her Majesty
by the Governor-General
directly or through subordinate officers, on s
57(2). The Governor-General is the functioning Head
of State.
A 8 (3) S 19 says that the
Governor-General ‘shall be
appointed by Her Majesty
and shall hold office during Her Majesty’s pleasure’.
By convention, Her Majesty
appoints and removes the
Governor-General on the
advice of the PM.
Election of Representatives
Q 12 Who is in charge of
elections of Reps?
A 12 (a) The Supervisor
of Elections. It is his duty
to exercise general supervision over the registration of
voters in such elections and
over the conduct of such
elections; by s 35(1).
A 12 (b) The Supervisor
of Elections is the person
holding or acting in such
public office as may for the
time being be designated
by the Governor-General
to exercise the functions of
the office of Supervisor of
Elections. In doing so, the
Governor-General acts in
her own deliberate judgment; on s 35(2).
PART 9: JUDICIARY—
COMPOSITION
Prepared by Dr Francis Alexis QC, for the National Consultation
on Constitution Reform, organised by the Grenada Constitution
Reform Advisory Committee, at the Grenada Trade Centre, Morne
Rouge, St. George on 15 October 2014
INTRODUCTION
The Questions and Answers, (‘Q’ and ‘A’), in
this booklet are on several
areas of the Constitution
of Grenada, and designed
to afford a good general
introductory outline of the
Constitution.
PART 1: MAKING OF THE
CONSTITUTION
Q 1 What is the Constitution of Grenada (‘the
Constitution’)?
A 1 The Constitution is
Schedule 1 to the Grenada
Constitution Order 1973, SI
1973 No. 2155 [UK].
Q 2 Who made it?
A 2 The Constitution was
made by Her Majesty in
Council at Buckingham
Palace on 19 Dec 1973; it
came into operation on 7
Feb 1974.
Q 3 Were there inputs by
the people of Grenada
into the making of the
Constitution?
A 3 Public protests prior
to 7 Feb 1974 against Grenada becoming independent that day prevented the holding of
public consultations on
a draft of the Constitution.
PART 2: THE SUPREME
LAW
Q 4 What is the nature of
the Constitution?
A 4 The Constitution,
section (‘s’) 106, declares
itself to be ‘the supreme
law of Grenada’. It adds
that if any other law is
inconsistent with the Constitution, the Constitution
shall prevail and the other
law shall, to the extent of the inconsistency,
be void.
PART 3: MAIN OBJECTS
Q 5 What are the broad
main objects of the Constitution?
A 5 The Constitution has
five main objects, as follows:
A 5 (a) It establishes, or
incorporates provisions
establishing, the principal organs of the state, the
main institutions and other
public authorities.
A 5 (b) It allocates the
powers and functions of the
state among those bodies.
A 5 (c) It, to some extent,
prescribes who are entitled
to be, and who may apply
to
become, citizens of
Grenada; while enabling
Parliament to further regulate such matters, subject to
its provisions.
A 5 (d) It protects the
fundamental rights and
freedoms of the individual, in the Bill of Rights.
A 5 (e) It entrenches its
provisions, as the supreme law, against alteration by Parliament using
the ordinary legislative
process.
PART 4: ORGANS OF THE
STATE
Q 6 What are the principal organs of the State?
A 6 (a) These are the
Head of State; Parliament;
Government or Cabinet led by the Head of
Government the Prime
Minister (‘PM’); the Opposition headed by the
Leader of the Opposition
(‘Opposition Leader’) (‘OL’);
and the Judiciary.
A 6 (b) The Head of
State and the Government
or Cabinet constitute
the Executive.
Q 7 What are the main institutions and other public
authorities?
A 7 These are the Judicial
& Legal Services Commission (‘JLSC’); Public Service Commission (‘PSC’);
Public Service Board of
Appeal (‘PSBA’); Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP); AttorneyGeneral (A-G); Director
of Audit; Commissioner
of Police; Supervisor of
Elections; Constituency
Boundaries Commission
(‘CBC’). These may collectively be called ‘Watch
Bodies’.
PART 5: HEAD OF STATE
Q 8 Who is the Head of
State?
A 8 (1) The Head of
State is the functionary in whom is vested
the ‘executive authority’
of Grenada, who, by
s 57(1), is ‘Her Majesty’. So Her Majesty is
the formal Head of State.
Her Majesty is of the UK
Throne; succession to
the UK Throne is regulated by UK law. As Her Majesty is the formal Head
of State of Grenada and
PART 6: PARLIAMENT—
COMPOSITION
Q 9 What is the composition of Parliament?
A 9 The Parliament of
Grenada consists of Her
Majesty; a Senate; and a
House of Representatives
(‘the House’); by s 23. This
Parliament is bicameral,
it has two chambers, the
Senate and the House; as
in Barbados, Jamaica and
Trinidad & Tobago; unlike
a unicameral Parliament, which has one
Chamber, as in Dominica,
Guyana and St Vincent &
the Grenadines.
The Senate (the Upper
House)
Q 10 How are the members of the Senate (the Upper House) chosen?
A 10 There are thirteen
members of the Senate,
called ‘Senators’, all appointed by the GovernorGeneral. On s 24(2), seven
are selected by the PM;
three by the OL; and three
by the PM after consulting the organisations or
interests which he considers those Senators should
represent.
The House (Lower House)
Q 11 How are the members
of the House ( the Lower
House) chosen?
A 11 (1) The members
of the House, who may be
called ‘Representatives’
(‘Reps’), are of such number
as corresponds with the
number of constituencies,
currently fifteen. They are
elected, one to represent
each constituency, by the
people, in such a manner
as prescribed by law; on ss
29(1), 32(1). There is secret
ballot, by s 32(3).
A 11 (2) If the presiding officer of the House,
MPs
Q 13 Who are ‘MPs’?
A 13 (1) ‘MPs’, meaning ‘Members of Parliament’, are both Reps and
Senators, although the
tendency is to use the term
‘MPs’ to refer more to
Reps than Senators. Reps
and Senators may also be
called ‘Parliamentarians’.
A 13 (2) A person shall
not be qualified to sit as an
MP unless he or she is ‘a
Commonwealth citizen’, by
ss 25(a), 30(a).
PART 7: GOVERNMENT
OR CABINET—COMPOSITION
Q 14 Who are the members of the Government,
that is, the Cabinet?
A 14 These are the PM;
the other Ministers; and if
the A-G is a public officer, he shall be an ex officio member; by s 59(1)(2).
Q 15 How are the members of the Cabinet chosen?
A 15 (1) The PM is a
Rep who appears to
the Governor-General
likely to command the
support of the majority of
the Reps, on s 58(2).
A 15 (2) The Ministers
other than the PM, and
Parliamentary Secretaries,
are such Reps and Senators
as are decided upon by the
PM, by s 58(4).
PART 8: OPPOSITION—
COMPOSITION
Q 16 Who are the members
of the Opposition?
A 16 They are, by s
66(2), the ‘members of
the House in opposition to the Government’.
Q 17 How is the Opposition Leader chosen?
A 17 He is chosen by the
Governor-General as the
Rep who appears to the
Q 18 Who are the members of the Judiciary?
A 18 (1) As regards the
Supreme Court, which is
a regional Eastern Caribbean (‘EC’) institution,
the Judiciary comprises the
Chief Justice (‘CJ’), Justices of Appeal of the Court
of Appeal, and Puisne
Judges of the High Court.
This is regulated by the
EC-Supreme Court Order
(‘SCO’) 1967, made by
Her Majesty, and incorporated into the Constitution,
by ss 39 and 105.
A 18 (2) As regards the
Magistrates Courts, the
Judiciary comprises the
Chief Magistrate and the
other Magistrates. Matters
as to their appointment,
disciplining and removal
from office are regulated by
s 88; other matters touching them are addressed by
other law.
Q 19 What is the name of
the Supreme Court?
A 19 The Supreme Court,
by s 105(a), shall be styled
‘the Supreme Court of Grenada and the West Indies
Associated States’.
Q 20 How are the Judges of
the Supreme Court chosen?
A 20 (1) ‘The Chief Justice
shall be appointed by Her
Majesty by Letters Patent’, says EC-SCO s 5(1).
This, by convention, means
that the CJ is chosen by
the PMs of the EC; with
each PM having a veto.
A 20 (2) The other Judges
are appointed ‘on behalf
of Her Majesty by the
Judicial and Legal Services
Commission’, on EC-SCO
s 5(1).
Q 21 How may a Judge be
removed from office?
A 21 A Judge has security
of tenure, protected against
arbitrary removal from office. She may be removed
only for inability or misbehaviour. She may not be
removed unless a judicially
qualified tribunal enquires
into the question whether
she should be removed
and recommends removal;
and the UK Privy Council
advises Her Majesty that
the Judge ought to be removed. EC-SCO s 8(3)(4)(5)
(6) refers.
PART 10: HEAD OF
STATE—POWERS & FUNCTIONS
Q 22 What are the powers
and functions of the Head
of State?
A 22 (1) The ‘executive
authority’ of Grenada is
vested in Her Majesty,
by s 57(1). This makes
Her Majesty the formal
Executive. The executive
authority may be exercised
on behalf of Her Majesty by
Her Majesty’s representative the Governor-General
on s 57(2).
A 22 (2) The ‘executive
authority’ is not defined
by the Constitution. It is,
however, the wide expanse
of the powers of the state
remaining after there are
subtracted from the total
powers of the state the legislative powers wielded by
Parliament and the judicial
powers exercised by the
Judiciary.
A 22 (3) The GovernorGeneral is to exercise the
executive authority on the
advice of the Cabinet or
a Minister acting under
the general authority of
the Cabinet, by s 62(1). This
is the general principle. It
is subject to exceptions
requiring her to act on other
advice or in her own deliberate judgment, by s 62(1).
A 22 (4) In notable
exceptions to the general
principle, the GovernorGeneral acts in her own
deliberate judgment in the
exercise of certain powers. A 22 (4)(a)-A 22(4)(c)
below refer.
A 22 (4)(a) The Governor-General acts in her
own deliberate judgment
in appointing a PM, by
s 58(2)(5)(9). See A 15(1)
above.
A 22 (4)(b) A resolution
of no confidence in the
Government may be passed
by the House, on whatever
ground. If the PM does not
within three days of the
passing of a no confidence
resolution either resign
or advise a dissolution
of Parliament, the Governor-General, in her own
deliberate judgment, may
dissolve Parliament, on
s 52(4) proviso (a), causing the holding of a fresh
general election to elect a
new Parliament and install
a new Government. Instead
of dissolving Parliament,
on the passing of a no
confidence resolution, the
Governor-General may, in
her own deliberate judgment, remove the PM
from office, by s 58(6)(a)
(9), which will entail the
Governor-General appointing another Rep as PM.
A 22 (4)(c) Changes
in the membership of the
House resulting from a
general election may tell
the Governor-General that
the PM will not be able to
command the support of
Reps. If so, the GovernorGeneral in her own deliberate judgment may remove
the PM from office, on s
58(6)(b)(9).
continues in the
next issue
News
The Caribbean Court of
Justice (CCJ) through
the Judicial Reform and
Institutional Strengthening (JURIST) Project
in collaboration with
the Eastern Caribbean
Supreme Court (ECSC)
is embarking on a delay
and backlog reduction
pilot project for the Supreme Court of Grenada.
The pilot project commences in Grenada during the week of February
2, 2015 and is an activity under the JURIST
Project which is a five
year regional Caribbean (English speaking)
initiative funded under
an arrangement with the
Government of Canada
with the CCJ as the
implementing agency.
The Project seeks to
improve court adminis-
CCJ LAUNCHES PILOT
PROJECT IN GRENADA
tration and the administration of justice in
the Caribbean region by
strengthening the ability
of the courts and the
judiciary to resolve cases
efficiently and fairly. The
Project will be rolled
out in six pilot countries
namely Barbados, Belize,
Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica and one other country
to be identified from the
Organization of Eastern
Caribbean States (OECS).
Special attention will be
paid to improving the
capacity and skills of
judges, court administrators and court personnel
to deliver services that
address the different
needs of women, men,
girls and boys as well as
those of their “customers” from the governmental and private sector.
Grenada is the first
country to commence activities under the JURIST
Project with support
from its Government.
The pilot project aims
to eliminate a backlog of
approximately 200 civil
cases in the Supreme
Court of Grenada which
are ready for trial but
dates have not been set
for them to be heard by
a judge. It is estimated
that the pilot project will
be undertaken in nine
months with two additional temporary judges
being assigned to the Supreme Court of Grenada
to assist with hearing the
matters.
A public awareness
campaign on mediation
will also be undertaken
to sensitise litigants and
their attorneys on the
benefits of and with a
view to, referring the cases to mediation in order
to provide an opportunity for early settlement before trial. Over the next
few months, the campaign will be extended
to the Grenadian general
public through the local
media and the hosting of
town hall meetings.
In addition to using
mediation as a method
of resolving disputes at
an early stage, the pilot
project will also utilise
modern technology tools
in the courtroom to access information on court
files and to record the
proceedings digitally for
use at later stages of the
process, if necessary. It is
anticipated that technological efficiency will
allow for more timely
completion of matters
throughout the life of
trial processes.
Rules and procedural
practices will also be
developed during the
pilot project all aimed
at expediting the trial
process and minimizing
the likelihood of creating backlog in the future.
Performance measures
and standards will also
be introduced which
will inform policies to be
established by the ECSC.
These rules, procedural
practices, performance
measures and policies
will also be implemented
in other Member States
of the ECSC on completion of the pilot project
and will be made available for implementation in other Caribbean
Community (CARICOM)
Member States.
Another objective of
the pilot project is to
complete all part heard
matters and implement
measures to ensure that
all currently outstanding
reserved decisions are
delivered.
The pilot project starts
with a special training session for judges
of the ECSC as well as
other legal practitioners
who will be assisting
the Supreme Court of
Grenada in the capacity
of acting judges. This
training programme has
been developed by the
Commonwealth Judicial Education Institute
(CJEI) which is based in
Halifax, Canada together
with the Judicial Education Institute (JEI) of
the ECSC, the President
and Judges of the CCJ
and the Trinidad and
Tobago Judicial Education Institute. Shortly
thereafter once all the
facilities are in place, the
two temporary additional
judges will be assigned
to Grenada to commence
their work to complete
the 200 cases which have
been identified.
It is estimated that the
project will cost approximately EC $1 million
which includes counterpart funding from the
Government of Grenada
and the ECSC.
News
Statement by the
Grenada Cancer
Society inobservation
of World Cancer Day.
Today, Wednesday, 4th February 2015,
Grenada joins
other countries,
organizations
and individuals
in observation
of World Cancer
Day. The day was
first organized in
2005 by the International Union
Against Cancer.
Each year World
Cancer day focuses on a different issue that we can try and change in ourselves.
In the past these have included giving children a
smoke free environment and encouraging healthy
diets and exercise.
In 2015 the theme is “ Not Beyond us”, and the
purpose of the day is to highlight solutions that do
exist and to take a positive and proactive approach
in the fight against cancer – cancer affect everyone,
no matter where they may live in the world.
Each year over 12.7 million people receive a cancer
diagnosis and 7.6 million people die from the disease. About 30 – 40% of these cancers can be cured
through early diagnosis and treatment.
In Grenada, Cancer has been the leading cause of
deaths for both males and females for the past five
or more years. The most frequent cancer associated
mortalities in females are breast, uterus, colon and
cervix, and in males, prostate, lung, stomach and
colon. The four most frequent diagnoses by cancer site in females were cervix, breast, uterus and
skin, and among males, prostate, bladder, skin and
stomach.
Based on some studies, the age standardized rates
per 100,000 for all cancer sites combined were
170.2 in females and 158.2 in males.
Generally, surgery and chemotherapy are available
but there is no radiotherapy on island. In 2014,
about 200 chemotherapy treatments were given to
patients at the Oncology department of the General
hospital. However, the incidence of cancer appears
to be on the increase.
Prevention remains the most cost effective long
term strategy for the control of cancer. Ensuring the
availability of and access to early detection programs can significantly reduce the cancer burden in
all countries.
We need to raise awareness and educate people on
how to fight cancer through screening and early detection, through healthy eating and physical activity, by quitting smoking and urging public officials
to make cancer issues a priority.
President’s Independence Message
Moving Forward in Unity to Build a Stronger Nation
It is again the time of year, when as a people we are
duty bound to embrace our patriotic responsibility
to approach challenges within a unified framework.
The theme for this year’s celebration of political
independence captures this brilliantly, when it urges
us as one People and one Family to recognize that the
observance of this annual milestone should be done
in an atmosphere of unity and tolerance. We must not
forget that while we celebrate 41 years of Nationhood,
this proud nation was born out of many struggles that
included much toil, sweat and tears.
Naturally then, as we reflect on our achievement as
a nation, and as we look forward to the future, we are
obligated to live and practice the theme so colourfully
coined - “MOVING FORWARD IN UNITY TO BUILD
A STRONGER NATION”. Truly, a stronger nation can
only be achieved when we genuinely work together.
On behalf of the Grenada Co-operative League and its
family of Credit Unions, we wish the nation of Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique a very happy
independence.
May God continue to bless our Nation.
Co-operatively yours,
Bro. Nash Griffith
President
Grenada Co-operative League Ltd.
News
Arabian Princess Takes Home
BMSIBT 2015 Championship Title!
Grenada’s St. George’s
harbor was a sight to
behold as boats with
anglers from all over the
Caribbean and further
afield cruised in for
the 46th Budget Marine
Spice Island Billfish
Tournament (BMSIBT).
Once again the event
was held at the Grenada
Yacht Club – home of the
tournament since it first
started in 1964.
first with 3 releases (2
Blue Marlin, and 1 Spearfish).
This year’s event registered 48 participating
boats and 229 anglers
from the U.S.A., Sweden, Martinique, Aruba,
Barbados, St Lucia, St.
Vincent, Trinidad & Tobago and our homeland
Grenada. As is customary, Grenada’s tournament, which is the largest
and longest running in
the southern Caribbean,
had significant turnout of
27 boats from Trinidad &
Tobago and a new record
of 11 boats from Grenada!
In an interesting surprise,
the boat GiGi II, which
was unable to stay for
the awards dinner, was
the winner of the valued Guy Harvey print
‘Depth Charge’ which
was raffled between early
registered teams.
In keeping with the
policies from The Billfish
Foundation and international game fishing rules,
the Budget Marine Spice
Island Billfish Tournament observes stringent
guidelines for the release
of bill fish namely Blue
Marlin, White Marlin,
Sailfish and Spearfish. “This tournament
remains committed to
conserving Grenada’s
fish reserves so that our
future generations will
have this resource at
their disposal. This year,
we increased the minimum weights of all the
billfish species to further
reduce the number of
fish brought to the scale.”
commented Richard McIntyre, Chairman of the
BMSIBT Committee.
On Wednesday 21st
January, the tournament
commenced with competing boats parading
around the Carenage in
all their splendor, before
lining up just outside of
Grenada’s natural har-
Of the fish brought to the
scale, Anthony Norman
Sabga of A Fun Day was
awarded for the heaviest
Dolphin at 29lbs, Ryan
Farah of Lead us Knot
for heaviest Wahoo 25lbs
and Paul Decle of Fun
Now for heaviest Tuna at
93lbs.
Arabian Princess 1st place at BMSIBT 2015
points each. Despite the
clear abundance of fish
no team was able to release the Grand Slam Trio
(any 3 of the 4 billfish
species) in a single day.
Teams were hoping to
accomplish this amazing
feat and claim the Grand
Slam prize of a dinghy
and engine from Title
Sponsor, Budget Marine.
Top Junior Angler Isiah Aleong
bour for the Bimini Start,
and progressing on to
the fishing grounds. Seas
were calm so the boats
enjoyed comfortable fishing conditions instead of
the more normal January
weather of strong breezes
and choppy seas. Shortly
afterwards, the airwaves
were alive with action
as several boats began
calling in their ‘hooks
ups’ to Billfish Control.
The tournament which
runs over 5 days includes
a registration day, two
fishing days followed
by a rest day (Lay Day)
and a final fishing day
which concludes with
an awards ceremony and
dinner.
The first fishing day realized 21 billfish releases
comprised of 3 Blue
Marlin, 1 White Marlin,
and 15 Sailfish. 38 fish
were landed including 32
Dolphin, 2 Wahoo, and
4 Tuna. Day #2 had even
more action and the anglers managed to reel in
28 releases of 7 Blue Marlin, 1 White Marlin and
19 Sailfish. 21 fish were
landed – 17 Dolphin, 1
Wahoo and 3 Tuna.
At the close of the second
day’s fishing, Arabian
Princess was leading the
way with 2100 points
followed by Abracadabra
also with 2100 points,
and Blue Fever 2 and
Gud Tyme with 1500
Following the Lay Day
(rest day), the 48 teams
headed out once again
for their final day of
fishing on Saturday 24th
January, anxious to show
their mettle in the arena
and win the championship title and entry to
fish in the International
Game Fishing Association Tournament in Costa
Rica 2016. At the day’s
end, 18 fish were released (6 Blue Marlin, 2
White Marlin, 9 Sailfish
and 1 Spearfish) and 20
landed. Arabian Princess
managed to retain its
first place position by
releasing a White Marlin
that very afternoon and
increasing their score by
300 points thus finishing
with a final overall score
of 2400 points.
Abracadabra remained in
second place with 2100
points however team Gud
Tyme edged ahead of
Blue Fever 2 to take third
place with 1800 points.
The Grand Slam remained elusive this year.
At the prize-giving dinner, final results were
announced and anglers
were awarded for their
performances in key
categories. Marissa Zeller
who fished on Grenadian
boat ‘Wayward Wind’
was named this year’s
Top Female Angler with
2 Sailfish releases. Isiah
Aleong, from Trinidad &
Tobago, who fished on
‘Barracuda’ retained his
title of Top Junior Angler
for another year and
Nicholas George, who
fished on ‘Kaddmit’ was
named Top Grenada Angler for releasing a Blue
Marlin which earned
his team 600 points. 3rd
place angler position
was awarded to Mathew
Milne of Arabian Princess with 2 releases (1
Blue and 1 White Marlin), in second position
was Laurance Worrell of
Sweet Peace also with
two releases (1Blue Marlin and 1 Sailfish) while
Marc Telfer of Blue Fever
2, stayed ahead of his
fellow anglers and placed
Sponsors of the tournament were given front
row seats to be a part of
the evening’s proceedings. The Committee
thanked the many sponsors for their continued
support in hosting what
is often dubbed the best
billfish tournament in
the Southern Caribbean.
Of particular note are:
Budget Marine, Title
Sponsor; Pearl Sponsors
Republic Bank Grenada
Ltd and Grenada Tourism Authority; Silver
Sponsors Beacon Insurance and Independence
Agencies Ltd.; Bronze
Sponsors Camper and
Nicholsons Port Louis
Marina and Prickly Bay
Marina.
Commenting on this
year’s tournament and results, Richard McIntyre,
Chairman of the BMSIBT
Committee said. “Overall, we had another excellent tournament with fantastic support from our
friends across the globe.
We are already thinking
ahead to 2016 for an even
grander 47th tournament
that all our anglers, followers and sponsors can
look forward to.”
Thanks to Everyone from
the BMSIBT Committee!
CPEA PRACTICE
Read the questions carefully. Choose the correct answer and blacken the circle with the corresponding letter. Please follow this example:-
1.
The Olympic Games are held every ----years. (a) two (b) four (c) ten (d) five
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
MATHEMATICS
1. The product of 12 and “n” is
(a) 12 + n (b) 12/n (c) 12n (d) 12 – n
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
2. Which of these is written to two decimal places?
(a) .608 (b) 60.8 (c) 6.08 (d) 608 (a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
3. What fraction of 5 is 4? (a) 5/4 (b) 4/5 (c) 1/4 (d) 1/5
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
4. A closed figure made up of four equal angles could be a --------- .
(a) triangle (b) rectangle (c) pentagon (d) circle
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
5. The L.C.M. of 24 and 30 is (a) 6 (b) 12 (c) 120 (d) 720
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
6. What is the value of 32 + 7? (a) 13 (b) 16 (c) 23 (d) 42
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
7. What is 125% of $80.00?
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
8. Calculate the product of 1.6 and 3.8
(a) 0.608 (b) 6.08 (c) 60.8 (d) 608
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
9. What are the missing numbers in this sequence? 5, 9, 13, -----, -----, 25
(a) 14, 17 (b) 13, 17 (c) 17, 21 (d) 21, 24 (a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
10. There were 200 tiles in a box. 150 of them were blue and the remainder were green.
What percentage of the tiles was green? (a) 25 (b) 50 (c) 331/3 (d) ¼
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(a) $45.00 (b) $64.00 (c) $100.00 (d) 205.00
SCIENCES
1.
Which one of these is nearest to earth? (a) moon (b) sun (c) Venus (d) Pluto
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
2.
The sun is a (a) planet (b) star (c) satellite (d) meteorite
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
3.
The earth -------------- on its axis causing day and night. (a) rotates (b) revolves(c) runs (d) rivets
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
4.
The instrument which shows wind direction is the: (a) barometer (b) gauge (c) weather vane (d) arrow
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
5.
When water vapour in the air condenses it forms (a) clouds (b) rocks (c) winds (d) waves
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
6.
Which type of soil cracks when it becomes dry? (a) sandy (b) clayey (c) loamy (d) chalky
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
7.
Which one of these is not found in Grenada?
(a) mountain (b) river (c) desert (d) lake
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
8.
Dead creatures found in rocks or soil are called ---------- (a) corpses (b) fossils (c) animals (d) plants
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
9.
Plants take in carbon dioxide but give out: (a) nitrogen (b) oxygen (c) litmus (d) hydrogen
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
10.
Fish is a valuable source of this class of food. (a) vitamins (b) proteins (c) fat (d) carbohydrates
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
CPEA PRACTICE
LANGUAGE ARTS
READING - Poem
Scuttle, Scuttle, Little roachHow you run when I approach:
Up above the pantry shelf,
Hastening to secret yourself.
Most adventurous vermin
How I wish I could determine
How you spend your hours of ease,
Perhaps reclining on the cheese.
Cook has gone, and all is darkThe kitchen is your park
In the garbage heap that she leaves
Do you browse among the tea leaves?
Timid roach, why be so shy?
We are brothers, you and I.
In the midnight, like yourself,
I explore the pantry shelf.
Questions on Poem
1.
The first line of the poem reminds you of
A. Mary had a Little Lamb B. Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star
C. Three Blind Mice D. Ba Ba Black Sheep (a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
2.
The word in verse 4 that means the same as ‘shy’ is
A. midnight B. pantry C. shelf D. timid (a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
3.
The statement “Then the kitchen is your park” in verse 3,
line 2 is an example of A. a simile B. a metaphor
C. a personification D. none of the above
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
4.
The poem implies that the author
A. is up late at night (normally) B. is afraid of roaches
C. is a cook D. enjoys drinking tea
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
5.
The poet says that he and the roach are brothers
because they both
A. are adventurous B. live in the same house
C. visit the pantry shelf at midnight D. are timid
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
Extracted from “Nursery Rhymes for the Tender-Hearted
By Christopher Morley
SPELLING
From the choices given after each sentence, choose the correct spelling of the word to fill each blank space.
1.
He ------------------ the parcel yesterday. (a) received (b) recieved (c) receved (d) recivied (a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
2.
The Grenadian footballers ------ the game. (a) one (b) warn (c) won (d) wan
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
3.
This is the teacher who ----------- me to read. (a) thought (b) tot (c) thot (d) taught
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
4.
Many students were ------------- rude to the policemen. (a) being (b) been (c) beening (d) bein
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
5.
You are ------------ talkative. (a) two (b) to (c) too (d) tow
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
GRAMMAR
1. Daddy ---------- to the garden yesterday. (a) go (b) went (c) goes (d) gone (a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
2. My dog --------- its name. (a) knows (b) know (c) known (d) have known
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
3. My parents -------- in Canada. (a) resides (b) has resided (c) residing (d) reside
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
4. None of the exercises ------ difficult. (a) are (b) is (c) have been (d) were
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
5.
Neither John nor Mary ------ been selected for the games. (a) are (b) has (c) have been (d) were
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
VOCABULARY (Synonyms)
1. Recently election was held in Grenada. (a) long ago (b) once (c) not long ago (d) friendly (a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
2. Mrs. Peters is a dedicated teacher. (a) committed (b) lonely (c) lovely (d) tall (a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
3. My sister gave me a task to perform. (a) play (b) poem (c) chant (d) job (a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
4. The men squatted idly on the side of the road. (a) talked (b) drank (c) sat (d) ate (a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
5. The peculiar looking animal is an ant- eater (a) odd (b) wise (c) strong (d) edgy (a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
CALVIN AND HOBBES
BOUND AND GAGGED
BLONDIE
BEETLE BAILEY
BABY BLUES
BUCKLES
Comics
HAGAR THE HORRIBLE
FOR BETTER OR WORSE
GARFIELD
DILBERT
CURTIS
CRANKSHAFT
Comics
st
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Local toll free 800-4GTM(4486)
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Email: [email protected]
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PAULA LA TOUCHE: WE ARE THE INNOVATORS

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