$10-m travel bill

[Lazie]

Jamaica sends 70 to Bahamas confab
BY INGRID BROWN Observer senior reporter browni@jamaicaobserver.com
Thursday, May 14, 2009
JAMAICA has sent a delegation of more than 70 councillors, administrative staff and mayors to the four-day Commonwealth Local Government Conference in the Bahamas, racking up a travel bill of $10 million.
The delegation, however, does not include Prime Minister Bruce Golding, his personal assistant and a security officer who left the island for the conference yesterday.
Robert Montague, the minister of state in the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), said in a telephone interview from the Bahamas yesterday that the bill for the 70-member delegation was being paid by the island's parish councils as well as the OPM, while some persons were footing some of their expenses.
Montague said the air fares were heavily discounted as it would have cost each participant US$220 per night to stay over for two nights in Nassau, had Bahamas Air not arranged a special flight to take them directly into Freeport, where the conference is being held.
Prime Minister Bruce Golding, who defended the size of the Jamaican delegation, told journalists at the weekly post-Cabinet press briefing at Jamaica House in Kingston yesterday that the Commonwealth conference was a forum of local government authorities and that the 14 local authorities in Jamaica were invited in their own right.
"The local government paid the registration fees for all the parish council representatives and the councils are picking up the cost of travel and hotel stay," the prime minister said.
Montague, meanwhile, told the Observer that Jamaica was far along with its local government reform programme and had to build the capacity of the councils, as he, too, defended Jamaica's expenses for the Bahamas conference.
The Commonwealth Local Government forum, the junior minister said, was a teaching conference which should be helpful to the councillors.
"In the four day conference they will learn more than they would in four years," said Montague.
He said the participants consist of councillors from both the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) and the Opposition People's National Party (PNP), administrative staff, as well as all mayors, except those for Kingston and St Ann's Bay.
Although the delegation has representatives from the Opposition, the PNP said it was outraged at its size.
Party spokesman on local government, Colin ************an, in a late afternoon statement yesterday, said the cost of the trip was in contrast to the prime minister's recent announcement that Government would be curtailing spending.
"We use this opportunity to remind the country that it was less than a week ago in the budget debate, and on several occasions since then, that the prime minister went to great pains to outline the need for greater fiscal discipline and for all Government departments to conserve as far as possible on non-essential spending," said ************an.
The Opposition spokesman said he was informed that Montague was likely to be running for office as president of the association.
"It would be truly regrettable if in his quest for this position, Minister Montague has burdened the taxpayers of the country with the price tag for his election at the conference," ************an alleged.
The suggestion was, however, dismissed by Montague, who in turn expressed outrage that the PNP could make such a suggestion as the party should know that he could not serve as chairman now that he is in central government.
"I resigned as chairman when I became minister and they (PNP) know a central government representative cannot head the delegation, so they are really playing politics now," he said.
Meanwhile, Montague said Jamaica signed a concept agreement with Federal Canada Municipality at the conference for a $20-million programme to build the capacity of Jamaica's local government.
"The councillors have benefited from making contact with various donor agencies and also from putting forward project ideas and so in terms of gains for the country, we have gained a lot," he said.
Prime Minister Golding, in a national radio and television broadcast on April 5, said he had met with all permanent secretaries and heads of Government agencies and charged them to reduce expenditure to save every dollar that can be saved.

[Willi]

Don't do it! - Bahamian PM admonishes immigration officers for 'offensive behaviour' towards Jamaicans

Published: Wednesday | May 13, 2009


Alison Lowe, Gleaner Writer
Bahamian immigration officers received a tongue-lashing from the country's prime minister on Monday for what he described as their often "offensive behaviour" towards Jamaicans entering the country through its various ports of entry.
The officers, gathered for the opening ceremony of the Immigration Department's 'First Annual Public Service Conference', were admonished by Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham to put an end to their 'unacceptable' behaviour.
Running through a veritable laundry list of complaints about the department, including the development of an informal 'pay-to-play' culture of corruption, where officers "look the other way for a price", Ingraham went on to express his grievances about the treatment of many Jamaicans coming to The Bahamas.
The prime minister acknowledged that Jamaicans were "frequently exposed" to "insolent and rude" behaviour by immigration staff in The Bahamas upon arrival at ports of entry and "very particularly" at Nassau's Lynden Pindling International Airport.
"Not all Jamaican nationals arriving in The Bahamas intend to overstay their allotted time. Not all Jamaican nationals arriving in The Bahamas have police records, nor are they engaged in illegal activity," he said.
"Yet, far too many Bahamian immigration officers greet Jamaican nationals arriving in The Bahamas as if they were known criminals. This is not acceptable; it must stop, regardless of the nationality of the arriving passenger," said Ingraham.
He urged officers to treat even those who "do not appear tosatisfy entry requirements for The Bahamas … in a courteous and respectful manner."
Meanwhile, the prime minister suggested that people who sponsor visits by Jamaicans for "other than bona fide purposes" must be similarly warned.
"You must know that all immigration officers operate from the same remit - no facilitation, no accommodation, no tip, no bribe to permit persons to enter The Bahamas who are reasonably suspected of coming here to work legitimately or illegitimately! Understood!" declared the prime minister.
No-frills commentaries
Throughout his 12 non-consecutive years in office, Ingraham has developed a reputation for no-frills commentaries which has won him both fans and critics.
Since coming to office for the third time in May 2007, many of the prime minister's most blunt statements have been directed at the civil servants, as he has repeatedly expressed his intention to reform and modernise the country's inefficient public service into one which offers higher levels of customer service and satisfaction, productivity and diminished corruption.

Golding leaves for Bahamas today
Prime Minister Bruce Golding leaves the island today for Grand Bahamas where he will participate in the Commonwealth Local Government Conference.
Golding is scheduled to deliver the keynote address at the closing ceremony tomorrow.
While the prime minister is away, Minister of Water and Housing, Dr Horace Chang, will take charge of the Government. Golding is scheduled to return to the island on Sunday, May 17.

[Lazie]

Why such a large delegation? The mayors alone shouldn't be enough?

[Lazie]

Oh.. oh .. Colin ************an got caught in a lie. Based on the interview I heard the mayors alone wouldn't be enough ... but still don't see the need for such a hugh delegation.

[Mosiah]

What does Orette think?

[Lazie]

'It's better in the Bahamas!'
HEART TO HEART
With Betty Ann Blaine
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Dear Reader, Something tells me that Minister of Local Government Robert Montague and the others who formed the planning committee of the now controversial local government conference must have been consistently watching, and therefore became enamoured with the advertisements on worldwide cable television persuading tourists that "it's better in the Bahamas".
Betty Ann Blaine
I am not sure that I blame the minister. In fact, if I were in his position I suspect that I too would have been tempted by the idea of a five-day, all-expense paid work and play excursion to one of the Caribbean's nicest tourist destinations. And the Bahamas is indeed a tempting place -what with its renowned Paradise Island and its very enticing casinos.
But the difference between my personal desires and instincts and that of the government minister is that in my case, if I choose to be a fool and spend what I don't have on a trip abroad, it's my own money that is being wasted. In the minister's case, the purported $10 million or more spent to take a delegation of 73 to the Bahamas is not his own money - the cash belongs to the taxpayers of Jamaica, and therefore he should expect that questions are going to be asked.
And there are many pressing questions. What was the rationale for taking 73 people to a conference? How were the 73 selected? What will the 73-man strong delegation get from the Bahamas conference that they couldn't get in Jamaica? Are there no Jamaicans who could design and deliver a training programme for local government officials here
at home?
As I listened to the minister try to explain his rationale for the oversized Jamaican delegation, I couldn't help but feel that what he was saying was an insult to our collective intelligence. The minister explained that the trip was in keeping with the government's mandate to reform local government through capacity-building and the exigencies that accompany that mandate. I wish to inform the minister that training in capacity-building is not a new phenomenon and that there is a large cadre of Jamaicans with the expertise in capacity-building, proposal writing, and all the other areas of skill and competence that the local government constituency would require.
It dawned on me in the middle of the controversy that if 73 people can leave the country at one time to go overseas, it is clear that the local government apparatus could easily function without them. So I say, why not let the citizens run it themselves? In fact, I would have been much more impressed if the minister had taken community leaders and organisers who, more than anybody else, represent the engine of local government. I don't think that the minister and the local government hierarchy understand the simple logic that you cannot transform local government from the top down - it has to be from the bottom up. I don't care how good the Bahamas conference is, local government reform cannot be achieved until and unless the mindset of the people is altered and the basic social systems that drive people's behaviour and attitudes, the most important being stable family life, are transformed.
I am not sure if there would be any other entity, whether public or private, in a small nation state like ours, that would see the practical or economic sense in sending 73 people at one time to an overseas conference. Outside of the press corps and his security detail, I'm not even sure if the American president had that number of people in his entourage for the recently concluded Summit of the Americas. The point is that if you have such a large number of people to be trained, the logical thinking is that you bring the trainers to your country instead of taking what amounts to a charter flight to some other country for training and exposure.
And what about video conferencing? Isn't that what technological advances are all about? Why take Mohammed to the mountain, when you can bring the mountain to Mohammed?
The 73-man $10-million trip to the Bahamas is particularly vulgar in light of the current economic crisis facing Jamaica and the fact that Jamaicans are being called upon to tighten our belts and to make sacrifices. How could anyone justify that type of expenditure at this time? How could anybody with a conscience approve that type of spending when the poor of the country are struggling to put food on the table, and when so many of our people are barely eking out an existence? Ten million dollars in the hands of the right NGO could turn around the lives of hundreds of young people in our inner-city communities.
The point is that even if a case could be made that the trip afforded value for money based on the content, exposure and networking possibilities within the larger local government nexus, the serious economic challenges facing Jamaica at this time would greatly outweigh the "value for money" justification.
The problem is that, however noble a cause may be, when there seem to be inherent contradictions the risk that people will lose sight of the original value and intent is highly likely, and that is precisely what has happened in this case.
However skilled and varnished Minister Montague's arguments and explanations are, I suspect that he still has to convince us why it's better in the Bahamas!
With love,
bab2609@yahoo.com

[Lazie]

An explanation is needed as to why 73 people had to go. The point about videoconferencing was put forward and accoring to the minister with multiple sessions running at the same time, it wouldn't be possible. Well, maybe its time to consider using Echo360.

[Jawge]

Ben, Sass, Gamma, Lazie
and other juniors (willi) please give me your thoughts on the above. Thanks.

[Islandman]

You get rum punch and room service with the Echo 360?

[Mosiah]

no, but there is a hyperlink to an online casino.

[Lazie]

Ben, Sass, Gamma, Lazie
and other juniors (willi) please give me your thoughts on the above. Thanks.

If you read my posts you should be aware of my thoughts.

[Assasin]

mi nuh defend slackness so nuh get me involved.

[Mosiah]

Lazie, whatever became of the Labour Day projects issue?

Thanks!

[Lazie]

Lazie, whatever became of the Labour Day projects issue?

Thanks!

Labour Day Secretariat Team Tour South St. James Project

ST. JAMES (JIS):
Tuesday, May 19, 2009

PRINT THISSEND TO A FRIENDNational Coordinator of Labour Day activities, Pat Amos, (right) shares information with Co-Chairman of the Blue Hole Labour Day Committee, Calvin G. Brown (centre). Member of Parliament for South St. James and Leader of Government Business in the House of Representatives, Derrick Kellier (left) and Co-Chairman of the committee John White (second right) ,during a tour of the location at the Blue Hole Nature Park in South St. James. the fourth Labour Day Project which is to receive national focus for Labour Day under the theme ' Ketch The Vibes: Volunteerism, Intervention, Beautification, Empowerment for Success'.
Coordinator of National Labour Day activities, Pat Amos, and a team from the Labour Day Secretariat in Kingston, toured the Blue Hole Nature Park, South St. James, one of four Labour Day projects being given national focus, today (May 18).
The tour also included Member of Parliament for South St. James, Derrick Kellier, as well as representatives of a number of organizations representing the community, and agencies supporting the project, including: the Social Development Commission(SDC); the National Works Agency(NWA); the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF); and the Ministry of Transport and Works.
The team held a site meeting and got first hand knowledge of the scope of work to be done, as well as an analysis of all materials and equipment and other resources needed for its completion.
Members of a combined touring team from the National Labour Day Secretariat in Kingston, led by National Coordinator, Pat Amos(second right),and the local team headed by Member of Parliament for South St. James, Derrick Kellier (fourth left) on location at the Blue Hole Nature Park in South St. James, one of four projects to receive National focus on Labour Day, May 25.
They also witnessed the commencement of pre-Labour Day cleaning-up activities, which include lining out of areas for the planting of some 800 fruit, timber and ornamental trees to be provided by the Forestry Department and the Rural Agricultural Development Authority(RADA).
The Jamaica Social Investment Fund(JSIF) will also be contributing to the sustainability of the 12 acres of the 1200-acre park targeted for this project. The park was blown down by hurricane several years ago.
Mr. Kellier told JIS News that he was happy that the Secretariat was able to visit the project and pledge its full support.
A section of the Blue Hole Nature park in South St. James, the fourth Labour Day Project scheduled to receive National focus on May 25, under the theme 'Ketch The Vibes: Volunteerism, Intervention, Beautification, Empowerment for Success'.
"The team from the National Secretariat, along with Colonel Pryce and his team, were satisfied about the logistics and offered some advice on how we can garner more support, by way of planting material, spray material and other needed items such as tents and tools," he said.
Mr. Kellier said that the meeting was useful and productive, and has set the local committee on a path to proceed immediately with the pre-Labour Day work.
"I think we are in good gear and we should be ready to move on smoothly through to Labour Day, when we are hoping to complete the project," he told JIS News.
After Labour Day, the South St. James Trust, which has a long term lease on the property, will be offering support in respect of maintenance and protection, and will be responsible for the maintenance of the project, Mr. Kellier confirmed.
Among those attending the site meeting were: Dorothea Clarke of the Ministry of Transport and Works; John White and Doreen Chamber of the SDC; Edmarie Lowe Ching and Phillip Clarke of the National Works Agency; and Colonel Daniel Pryce of the JDF.
The other projects to be given national focus on Labour Day, May 25, are: St Ann's Bay Hospital; Riversdale Sports Court, St. Catherine; and the Ginger Resuscitation project, Clarendon.

[Mosiah]

Did Ms. Grange get back the PM, to explain what happened?