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Quotes:
-"I'm just a red nigger who loves the sea,/
I had a sound colonial education,/
I have Dutch, nigger and English in me,/
and either I'm nobody, or I'm a nation"
Derek Walcott, from: 'The Schooner Flight' - 1979 (The Crusader, 9th September).
- "There is enormous local pride. There is a fish cake named after him in St. Lucia".
- "'There was the excitement of a new Caribbean being created', [Walcott] says. 'There were new writers and artists emerging. Obviously colonialism was there and racism and history and so on. We had our anger, but it was kind of great to be angry - it had its own vigour. It wasn't at all sour or vengeful'."
- "I hate all that nonsense about not touching the colonialists' language. All that about it being corrupting and belonging to the master and making you Caliban. That thinking just denies you an outlet. You deny everything that is great from a language, whether it is Conrad or Shakespeare".
- "'[Walcott] really believes that writing is about craft. You must have syllabic intelligence, you must know rhythm and where a line ends. In other words you can't slap words down on a page and call it dub. That is black performance fuckery. It's just not good enough to throw in a bit of Creole and think you can get away with it'"
The Crusader, reprinting an article on Nobel Laureate for Literature, Derek Walcott (9th September).
"Curse words are now spewed on more than 90 percent of Rap records and the term 'nigger' is not seen as offensive anymore".
Toni Nicholas reviewing the work and influence of (white) rap star Eminem who sings, e.g., about raping and killing his own mother (The Mirror, 8th September).
"You see really I don't/Give a damn what you may think of me/ ... I'm a bad man yeah/And don't need your love/I'm a bad man yeah/ I'm not ashamed of/I'm a bad man ... See I'm a bad mother SHUT/YOUR MOUTH".
(Tuesday Voice, 'Sing along with R. Kelly', 5th September).
"One thing you can be certain of is that the envisaged Broadcast Authority will not stand idly by and allow any broadcasting that it deems will lead to the decay of the moral fabric of our country. The granting of a license to anyone by the government is a privilege rather than a right".
Minister for Communication Calixte George on the impending Broadcasting bill, which seeks to step up censorship of the electronic media [see last week's news] (The Voice, 9th September).
"I mean, one day, I'm walking down Marchand and my son is walking up the road with his friends, telling them, 'Look my father - he's a zombie".
Calypsonian Ashanti (Herman Hippolyte), who for years has been trying to kick his crack/cocaine addiction (The Mirror, 8th September).
"The symposium starts with a discourse about cricket by some couyon who read the same CLR James books that Hilary Beckles read, except that he didn't understand them as well. (Later, I found he was the Premier of Nevis. It made perfect sense - a successful politician, talking maji...)".
Jason Sifflet (The Mirror, 8th September).
"I have never tried to denigrate another broadcaster, moderator or talk show host unless I have had to do so".
Denys Springer (Tuesday Voice, 5th September).
"President of the SLHTA Berthia Parle has been quoted as having said the island's hoteliers will no longer make promised assistance available to the police in the crime fight".
PM's press secretary Earl Bousquet (The Wednesday Star, 6th September). Parle's words quoted in last week's Star and Voice newspapers were: "We will not, for example, provide the police with any more fax machines, photocopiers or cellular phones, which is one of the most ridiculous suggestions we have been faced with recently" [see last week's news].
"If the women in St. Lucia who have been affected by incest, rape, sexual abuse and domestic violence only come forward from beneath their masks, muteness and manners, you would see so vast an inner wasteland and so many impacted lives, that it would leave your heads reeling".
Yasmin Solitahe Odlum on "the atrocities that occur in our dear democracy of hypocrisy" (The Wednesday Star, 6th September).
"St. Lucia is still many, many moons away from experiencing the type of crime visited upon countries like Jamaica, Trinidad, Barbados and even St. Vincent in recent years. ... I am not saying that the crime debate is not worthwhile, but all things are relative and there are several tourist destinations across the Caribbean where crime has become the order of the day and where one would not be deterred from visiting even after reading the local newspaper of watching the local television station".
Gregory Thomas on his view that the crime debate is being blown out of proportion by some people in the media, and that in the long run it is they who are hurting St. Lucia (The Wednesday Star, 6th September).
"At one point he was permitted a telephone call from the French Embassy. 'After five seconds the sergeant cut the line. Just for fun. Just for the pleasure of it'."
Roger Delanghe, Belgian visitor to St. Lucia, who was unlawfully kept in a police cell for eleven days (The Wednesday Star, 6th September).
"By the way, the people I have spoken to are amused when I ask if they live in fear".
Police press information officer Albert Fregis on newspaper editor and TV talkshow host Rick Wayne's observation that crime is rampant and the police mostly ineffective (The Star, The Voice, 9th September). |
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Tourist Board closes offices and goes online
The St. Lucia Tourist Board has decided to close its offices in New York and Germany and to send home the administrative staff as part of a wider restructuring of its operations. Tourist Board chairman Desmond Skeete explains that instead of maintaining expensive permanent staff and offices, the Board will hire sales persons in the US and a public relations firm in Germany to boost the island's image as a holiday destination. According to articles in the weekend Star, Voice and the Wednesday Star, "two sales persons will cover New York north to Boston, and south to Philadelphia, with one in Atlanta, one in Chicago and for the first time, one sales person in Los Angeles". Furthermore, US company Peppers and Rogers of Stanford, Connecticut, has been engaged to design a website for the St. Lucia Tourist Board. The website will promote St. Lucia as a destination and, coupled to it, an intranet will be implemented: a closed system through which the various sales persons can remain in touch with the Tourist Board's office in St. Lucia. The system allows the sales staff in the United States to work from home while the St. Lucia office will become the head office and central hub of the international operation. From there, also, direct contact will be maintained with sales staff, tour operators and travel agents.
As for the German component, Skeete explains in the Wednesday Star that more than half of the Board's budget was spent on administration - leaving little money for trade shows and promotions. The public relations firm that has taken over the task of promoting St. Lucia will not only target the German audience but also the French. "If the numbers build up and the demand justifies it", says Skeete, "then we can begin to put administrative personnel back in those markets".
The only component of the Tourist Board's activities that is left unchanged is the UK market which, according to Skeete, "functions relatively well". Finally, at the St. Lucia head office, a new sales and marketing officer will be hired to support the various agents and industry partners.
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CXC results up: back to 1998 level
St. Lucian students have performed better than last year in the Caribbean Examination Council exams, averaging a pass rate of 67.3 percent - 2.23 percent higher than in 1999, and almost back to the 1998 pass rate level of 67.56 percent. Additionally, this year's CXC pass rate of 67.3 percent is higher than the average rate for the Caribbean as a whole, which stands at a mere 58.3 percent for the year 2000. This latter fact, in particular, is considered cause for celebration by the ministry of Education.
There were 11,926 subject entries this year - 8,024 of which resulted in successful passes. In 1999, 12,109 subjects were entered for examination of which only 7,879 resulted in passes. Topping the list in St. Lucia this year was St. Joseph's Convent with a pass rate of 93.36 percent, followed by St. Mary's College (79.3), Leon Hess Comprehensive (74.89), Castries Comprehensive (73.57) and Vieux Fort Comprehensive (71.97). Schools that performed worse this year than in 1999 and 1998, are Seventh Day Adventist (54.78 percent in 2000, against 74.55 in 1999 and 67.11 in 1998); Micoud Secondary (51.05 in 2000, 52.77 in 1999 and 62.65 in 1998); Corinth Secondary (55.09 in 2000, 61.5 in 1999 and 67.97 in 1998); and Vide Bouteille Secondary (40.69 in 2000, 45.74 in 1999 and 44.25 in 1998). Penultimate in terms of performance, but having improved its score over last year, is George Charles Secondary, with a pass rate of 43.99 percent this year, as against 39.79 in 1999 and 45.49 in 1998. All figures are quoted in the Thursday Voice.
The Thursday Voice remarks in its editorial that the general "backpatting" amongst education officials, schools and students is "well in order" but warns that "complacency must not be allowed to set in as there is still much work to be done in improving our education system".
The Mirror speaks of the fact that "Some officials in the Ministry of Education were this week searching for sensational interpretations of the fine performance of St. Lucian students at this year's CXC examinations".
The Star, interestingly, chose to do a background piece on the trials, tribulations and achievements of second-worst performer, George Charles Secondary school - a school which, "ever since its establishment ten years ago, ... has been noted by many as a school of ill-repute". Eliza Francis interviewed school principal Alfrita Cooper, who explains the chaos and disruptions with which her school is faced on a daily basis, and who commends the students for having performed "creditably" given the circumstances. "The caliber of students we are getting, as I am certain most people are aware, is not the best. As I told the teachers, we already know we are getting weak students and so it is up to us to decide how we are going to put things in place to help them". Many students apparently enter this secondary school "without the basic understanding of mathematical and English language concepts". In addition to that, the presence of squatters on school grounds has also seriously disrupted life - with squatters encouraging students to skip classes and hang out at the squatters' canteens, squatters harvesting the students' crops on the agricultural plots, using obscene language and - some say - selling all kinds of goods and marijuana on the premises. The fact that a few months ago, the vice-principal was found committing a sexual act with a female student on the school premises also disturbed and distressed students, says Cooper. The squatters are supposed to be removed from school premises anytime now [search news archives] while, thanks to a gift from the Japanese government, George Charles Secondary will soon boast a computer lab. "We have unfortunately been portrayed in a bad light when our biggest problem, more than anything else, was outside influences", says prinicipal Alfrita Cooper in The Star. "Come next year, I am certain the public will be hearing a different thing about this school, because we are doing our utmost to fight the negativity which has been hanging over our heads and I think we will come out with even greater improvement".
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' Hotel water shortage solvable within 30 days'
The water problems experienced by hotels in the north of the island could be solved within thirty days, says Tourist Board chairman Desmond Skeete, if the authorities were to construct a five million gallon water tank at Cap Estate and make it WASCO's responsibility to keep full. This is reported in an article in The Voice on the strategic plans and changes proposed by the St. Lucia Tourist Board (SLTB). Besides administrative changes at the SLTB itself [see main story], Skeete has also identified - and discussed with the St. Lucia Hotel and Tourism Association (SLHTA) - a number of other developments that are required to make St. Lucia's tourist product worthwhile and competitive. These ideas include the restoration of Pigeon Island, construction of a military museum depicting the fourteen battles between the British and French (complete with the military regalia of the day), an interpretation centre depicting the work of Nobel laureates Sir Arthur Lewis and Derek Walcott, the establishment of a national art gallery and a canopy/rainforest project (to be part of the Heritage Tourism programme), construction of proper facilities at sites and attractions around the island, restoration of the Apostles Battery at Morne Fortune, development of manuals for the training of immigration and customs officers, training for hotel and restaurant employees and taxi drivers, proper garbage collection, improved security for visitors, pump facilities at Rodney Bay marina, urban landscaping, and the development of so-called 'carnival skills' and the local music industry.
Also reported in The Voice is Skeete's financial plan to make these changes a reality. Skeete proposes a bond issue to the value of EC$45 million, financed by government contributing the proceeds of airport departure tax revenues. According to The Voice, a committee spearheading the above plans has already approached the ministry of Finance and received approval in principle. The plans now need to be approved by the prime minister and the cabinet. The spearheading committee consists of representatives of the Heritage Tourism programme, the Tourist Board and the ministry of Tourism.
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PM: 'Worst is over for banana industry'
Three banana companies have joined forces to tackle the threat of Yellow Sigatoka Fungus - leaf spot disease - and started ground spraying of banana farms last week. At the same time, the trio consisting of the Tropical Quality Fruit Company (TQFC), Agricultural Commodity Trading Company (ACTCO) and the Banana Salvation Marketing Limited (BSML) is critical of what it considers disinterest on the part of the St. Lucia Banana Company (SLBC). According to a statement released by TQFC, SLBC chairman Patrick Joseph and his officers are more interested in pushing the government to raise the current levy of three cents per pound of bananas to four and a half cents - the amount the SLBC claims it needs to finance the aerial spraying of bananas for which it was awarded the contract by the government. In the past, leaf spot control was properly controlled by ground spraying at a cost of 2.62 cents per pound, claims the TQFC. Since 31st of July 2000, EC$1.4 million has been collected in levies to pay for leaf spot control, writes the Thursday Voice. Of this money, $1.2 million so far has been used for three spray cycles. However, claims the management of TQFC, 35 to 40 percent of farmers have received no service for the levy they have paid, and they have had to protect their plants at an additional cost.
"According to the three companies", writes the newspaper, "the SLBC's Chairman shows no farmer sensitivity at a time when the island's banana production has fallen by 41 percent; the number of farmers in the industry has decreased by 40 percent; banana prices to the industry have decreased by 35 percent and even when a new round of farmer departure from the industry is about to begin".
In the same issue of the Thursday Voice, prime minister Dr. Kenny Anthony is quoted as having encouraged banana farmers to "hold strain, because things are likely to get better by January". The PM gave this assurance during a constituency tour to the Desruisseaux/Blanchard area, which is part of the Micoud South constituency - once a 'green gold' area. According to the PM, minister of Agriculture Cass Elias and other ministry officials, the tide is likely to turn in early 2001 because of steps and "measures being taken here and abroad at present". Dr Anthony said "the worst was over for the industry and things look better around the corner".
The Star and Crusader both also report on banana news.
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John Compton critical of plans for Cul-de-Sac
Government's plans for the Cul-de-Sac area, in particular the acquisition of expensive residential lands for the construction of government offices, demonstrate "poor physical and financial planning", says former prime minister Sir John Compton in the Tuesday Voice. Furthermore, says Compton, it will result in borrowed money being involved for unproductive use. "The plan as recently outlined by Government planners is a complete departure from the initial idea, which was to decongest Castries and open up Cul-de-Sac for industrial and commercial development". In March 1997, in a speech to the Chamber of Commerce, then prime minister Compton outlined his plans for expanding the city of Castries southwards into Cul-de-Sac. Compton envisaged that Cul-de-Sac - an area five times the size of downtown Castries - would become the site for warehousing and wholesaling. "[T]his is where the cargoes of lumber, cement and fertilisers should go, releasing valuable and indeed very expensive lands in the central area for development", Compton said at the time. He reportedly deems the current government's plan for Cul-de-Sac "an exercise in arrogance and vanity - commodities which this country cannot afford".
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Soufriere man (75) wins lotto $350,000
A seventy-five year old father of two of New Development in Soufriere is the lucky winner of the $350,000 jackpot of last week Friday's lotto draw. The man is quoted in the Tuesday Voice and the Crusader as saying that he has played the lotto since its inception, buying five tickets for each draw using invariably the same numbers: 04, 05, 07, 19 and 20. He has not disclosed his plans for the future.
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Arrests made but Cap Estate ready for action
Two men have been arrested and charged for the two burglaries at the Cap Estate house of Dr. Olav zu Ermgassen, whose wife was injured with a cutlass during the last break-in. The case made headlines following the revelation that security videotapes showing the burglars during an earlier break-in had been ignored by the police. Furthermore, last week the original security tapes were returned to the Cap Estate residents allegedly erased, after an unauthorised screening on a national news broadcast [see last week's news]. There is as yet no further explanation of how these incidents came about, although police spokesman superintendent Albert Fregis comments in this week's Star: "How ridiculous can you get, however, when you accuse the Police of erasing the surveillance tapes? What would be the motive?" Nevertheless, Fregis does state in the same article that "We are investigating the possibility of police negligence in the February incident". One of the two suspects has since pleaded guilty to the charge of housebreaking. Both men remain in police custody. The Wednesday Star reports this.
Meanwhile, Cap Estate residents prepare for action as an advertisement in various newspapers calls for "All Cap Estate residents" to attend "a meeting to consider ways to deal with the important problems which affect us all, such as: crime, water, area development, mosquitoes [and] roads". The meeting is scheduled to be held on Tuesday the 12th of September at the St. Lucia Golf and Country Club.
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Chinese take over construction National Stadium
The Chinese government has taken over the construction of the National Stadium at Aupicon, Vieux Fort, following the finalisation of $3 million site preparation works by St. Lucian contractors. Colourful flags have been erected around the building site - a clear sign that the Chinese have moved in - and construction of the actual stadium officially started, following a modest handing-over ceremony at the 30-acre site last Thursday. Ministers of Sports and Foreign Affairs, Mario Michel and George Odlum, were present to hand over the project to Chinese Ambassador, He Liang Jianming. The Star reports this. According to the newspaper, the Ambassador said he was "pleased with the progress and cooperation between the two nations and expressed confidence that the stadium would be completed in 'good time'".
The $30 million national stadium is scheduled to be ready eighteen months from now, around March 2002. It will contain a 400 meter all-weather track, a standard international size football field and eventually accommodate 15,000 covered seats - 8,000 of which are to be built by the Chinese and the remainder by the St. Lucian government. The Chinese construction company COVEC, which is responsible for building the stadium, will be working with local engineering staff and building workers. The national stadium is the second large project undertaken by the Chinese in Vieux Fort. The first was the construction of a Free Trade Zone near the airport, which was officially opened earlier this year but is yet become fully operational.
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Belgian yachtsman jailed for 11 'nightmare' days
A Belgian yachtsman who spent eleven days in a St. Lucian jail without charges being laid against him describes his experiences as "a nightmare". Roger Delanghe (36) alleges that he was denied his statutory right to make a telephone call and was beaten by prisoners. He was only freed after human rights lawyer Colin Foster happened across him at the Central Police Station and arranged for the Belgian to appear in court the following day. There, magistrate Nicholas deemed that he was indeed not a prohibited immigrant and set him free. As a result, says Colin Foster: "the police have put themselves in a position of possibly being sued for wrongful imprisonment". This is reported in the Wednesday Star.
According to the article, Delanghe has been sailing around the Caribbean for the past two years and is a regular visitor to St. Lucia. His boat, 'The Sophia' is currently undergoing repairs at the Rodney Bay Marina dry dock. Two weeks ago, an inspector of Gros Islet police station asked to see Delanghe's passport and then asked Delanghe to accompany him to the police station. Once there, the inspector enquired how much money Delanghe had in his possession. On producing EC$50.00, the Belgian was subsequently put in a cell although no charges were laid against him. "My passport was in order. It was stamped for 42 days, I had flight tickets. I had not overstayed. They just said I had no visible means of support", says Delanghe. After two days in a cell at the Gros Islet police station, Delanghe was reportedly taken to the Immigration Department in Castries. Again, it seems that no charges were laid against him and no explanations were given. From there, he was transferred to the Central Police Station where he remained locked up for a further nine days - until by chance, lawyer Colin Foster discovered him. Foster explains in the Wednesday Star that: "The police have acted unlawfully and without reasonable and probable cause. Had they done their investigation they would have concluded that Roger had means of support. Although momentarily stuck for money on the day the police picked him up, he has access to money from abroad". Delanghe has reportedly never been charged with any offense. "I don't know why I had to go through this hell", the Belgian told The Star. "Without that lawyer I would have still been sitting in the shit. ... It's been a nightmare".
Only recently participants and representatives of the yachting sector in St. Lucia complained about the negative attitudes displayed by certain customs, immigration and police officials towards yachties, and issued urgent warnings about the damaging effects it has on what is a multi-million dollar sector of St. Lucia's tourism industry [search news archives].
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Elra Emray launches CD: 'Longing'
Elra Ermay (23) has launced her first CD - a compilation of zouk, reggae, gospel and ballads written by herself, plus one song written by Charles Cadet. The CD bears the title 'Longing'. Ermay has been performing since the age of eight. She represented St. Lucia at the World Championships of Performing Arts in Los Angeles, has recorded jingles for radio and TV and has been the recipient of several awards from the School of Music and her alma mater, St. Joseph's Convent. Ermay is currently a student of Business Management at the University of the West Indies department in St. Lucia. The Star and Crusader report this.
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New executive for Employers Federation
The St. Lucia Employers Federation last week inducted its new executive members. New to the board are Gerald Burnett and Margaret Monplaisir (both human resource management specialists) and barrister Dexter Theodore, who will join the labour and industrial relations subcommittee. The executive further consists of Frank Myers (finance committee chairman), Marc Joinville (hotel sector), Anthony Mondesir (manufacturing sector), Zai Mohammed (marketing specialist), Timothy Chaderton (vice president) and Malcolm Charles (president). The secretariat is headed by Andrew Piltie. The SLEF currently has 147 members. It has been in existence since 1961 and has as its principal objective "the promotion of the best practice and cooperation among employers, and between employers and their employees, and to promote the cause of harmonious industrial relations in St. Lucia". The Voice and Star report this. According to the papers, the SLEF is expecting a busy year as membership is increasing and new labour legislation is in the pipeline [search news archives].
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NYC critical of crime and unemployment level
National Youth Council (NYC) president Veronica Cenac says her organisation is "dissatisfied with the efforts by the government to reverse the high levels in unemployment among the youth and the levels of criminal activity currently engulfing the nation". The Crusader reports this, saying that Cenac made the statement during the NYC's recent 8th Annual General Meeting. Minister Cass Elias, who also addressed the meeting, countered the criticism by reminding the NYC that "the present government had ensured that the NYC was part of decisions made in St. Lucia by its representation on a number of boards, and that the NYC should seize this opportunity to ensure that youth development comes on the front burner".
The NYC's plans for the coming year are focussed on youth empowerment, the creation of self-employment among young persons, and restructuring of the youth and sports councils and clubs. Veronica Cenac, while a guest of DBS's Newsmaker Live last Wednesday, reinforced the points made at the AGM.
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PM: UN fails in promise to protect small states
Prime minister Dr Kenny Anthony, in a speech to the Millennium Summit of the United Nations (UN) last Thursday, accused the UN of not sufficiently protecting small states like St. Lucia from the ongoing victimisation, marginalisation and ostracisation by selfish, economically powerful countries.
Dr Anthony questioned outright whether the UN "has demonstrated in any way that it is a sanctuary for small island developing states? Was it not a promise of its birth to protect the weak, vulnerable and marginalized? Was this not the hope? Where is the hope when the World Trade Organization has orchestrated the destruction of the economies of some small Caribbean countries, through a ruling that condemns the preferential marketing arrangements for their bananas in Europe as being anti-free trade? How can this be just when these arrangements are a life force of the economies of these countries? How can this be defensible when the Caribbean banana trade represents only 2 percent of world banana trade? Where is equity, justice and fairness when other developing countries participate in this attack on our livelihood? Where is the promise when the member countries of the OECD arrogate to themselves, the right to pronounce on the efficacy of the international financial services industries of a number of Caribbean countries when they imperiously seek to determine the nature of our tax regimes by blacklisting those industries as harmful tax havens? Harmful to whom, Mr. President? In this new age, we are exhorted to be competitive. Yet, whenever we manage to succeed in this endeavour, our developed world shouts foul and accuses us of being harmful and discriminatory".
According to a front page article in The Voice - the only newspaper to report on Dr. Anthony's speech - the prime minister claimed that the only prophets of trade liberalisation and globalisation are those who benefit from it. "But for us in small island states like St. Lucia, what we hear is the deafening silence of a new order that ignores our special needs. What we experience is the insensitivity and the disinterest of the mighty as they manipulate the system for their selfish ends. How can we laud the new order? How can we sing its praises?"
Dr Anthony finished his speech with a call for economic protection: "The United Nations System must take the leading role in the refashioning of multilateral economic governance so as to establish a new regime that is fully legitimate and effective, so that states like St. Lucia given their openness, small size, diseconomies of scale and vulnerability are not further victimized, marginalized and ostracised".
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SALCC warns of bottleneck at tertiary level
A new bottleneck is emerging at the tertiary level of education in St. Lucia, warns the Sir Arthur Lewis Community (SALCC), which over the past year has seen its government subvention diminish by over one million dollars, while its student population has increased over the past year by almost fifty percent. So states SALCC principal Dr. George Forde, in a paid advertisement in which he criticises The Voice newspaper for misleadingly having stated that SALCC's pass rate this year had dropped to 76.3 percent. In reality, claims Forde, the pass rate was 78 percent in 2000, versus 78.05 percent in 1999. In an unrelated article in this week's issue of The Voice, it is reported that St. Lucia will be confronted with a serious problem, possibly as early as this time next, due to the ever growing number of secondary students applying for places at SALCC - where places are currently restricted to about seven hundred new intakes. This year, some 3,000 eligible students sought entry at SALCC, about 1,000 of whom are eligible based on their CXC results. Nevertheless, this still means that some 300 students have to be turned down. Next year, SALCC warns, the number of students writing CXC exams may be as high as 5,000 - a situation which is placing increasing pressure on SALCC and causing a potential bottleneck at the level of tertiary education in St. Lucia. Already, writes Forde in his advertisement, the College has to juggle "the twin goals of increasing access and maintaining quality".
"The College might restrict entry to a limited number of privileged students from the more prestigious secondary schools and aim for a higher pass rate, or alternatively, it might increase its intake to allow many more students, particularly from the newer secondary schools, an opportunity for advancement, and consequently risk a lower overall pass rate and grade quality. In our view, within the limits of our resources, the second option is a fairer and more productive option".
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Soufriere next to receive Fisheries Complex
Soufriere will be the next beneficiary of a Japanese-designed Fisheries Complex - after the towns of Vieux Fort and Dennery. The site earmarked to accommodate a landing ramp, jetty, administrative building, gas station, repair sheds, workshop, fish market and locker rooms is situated along the beach behind the old cinema - some 300 metres from the Soufriere business centre. The Mirror reports this. The ministries of Planning and Agriculture are responsible for implementing the construction of the Soufriere Fisheries Complex.
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