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SLHTA: 'Don't kill tourism with more taxation'

'Don't kill tourism with more taxation', was the clear message that president of the St. Lucia Hotel and Tourism Association (SLHTA) Berthia Parle sent to the government. "Government must realize that our industry cannot support any more taxes", Parle told her audience at the 37th annual general meeting of the association. "Our hotels cannot risk increasing their room rates, especially if they want to remain competitive. We recognize and accept that payment of taxes is an economic obligation to the State but it must always be remembered that taxes are financial costs to our businesses. Ultimately, what is affected is both our bottom-line and the cost of the vacation to the visitor; so that profitability to hoteliers and the attractiveness of our product in terms of price - are eroded by taxes".
But minister of Tourism Menissa Rambally's immediate response was to warn Parle to be "sober, measured and responsible" in her pronouncements - a rebuff which led The Voice editor, in turn, to deem minister Rambally "discourteous". Writes The Voice: "One has to ask then, what is so 'irresponsible' about a call by president Parle asking government to refrain from imposing further taxes on the hotel and hospitality industry. ... The hotel owners who spoke through president Parle were more than responsible, sober and measured". Minister Rambally also reminded the SLHTA that the days when it operated as a pressure group and as an 'activist on the outside looking-in', are over. "You now occupy a vital seat around the national, social and economic decision-making table". In response to that statement, The Voice editor opines that the SLHTA's admittedly central role in the industry's development, can hardly mean "that the hotel owners are now precluded from expressing their opinions and making their positions known".
Back on the topic of taxation, president Parle, in her speech, quoted figures from the Caribbean Tourism Organisation stating that in 1998, St. Lucia's tourism industry contributed "close to 20 percent" of all government revenue. Although recognising that St. Lucia's economy is in transition from being primarily agriculture-based to being primarily services-based, Parle stated that: "The last thing we need is to create a situation where our domestic policies begin to hinder our service sector from successfully competing in the global marketplace".
Minister Rambally went on to emphasize the value placed by her ministry on "partnership" and the "collaborative approach" in charting the future of the tourism industry in St. Lucia. According to The Mirror, "the minister said her vision for the tourism sector is one of knowing exactly what hoteliers and stakeholders of the industry would like government to do to facilitate the growth and development of their businesses without compromising the gains which have been made and the entitlements of others".
However, according to a report in The Crusader, the envisaged 'collaborative approach' between government agencies and hoteliers is still a far cry from reality. According to the paper, while director of the Tourist Board Hilary Modeste presented plans for a new marketing strategy for the island (focussing on promoting St. Lucia as a 'quality destination'), it turned out that the Tourist Board had failed to consult with the SLHTA on the subject. "When Mr Modeste was asked whether he as Director of the Tourist Board had consulted with any of the members of the SLHTA, Berthia Parle, manager of Bay Gardens, replied by shaking her head saying 'no' with a sad smile".
Another potential area of conflict was identified by tourism consultant David Coathup, who drew attention to the fact that while the new strategy seems to favour the promotion of the bigger hotels on the island, data from the Tourist Board in fact indicate that occupancy of large hotels has declined, and that of small hotels increased, in recent times. "They want to promote the nature of the island and the big hotels but that makes no sense because people who are interested in the facilities of the big hotels are not really interested in the nature".
Finally, executive vice-president of the SLHTA Rodinald Soomer, according to The Star, called on the government to "stop paying lip service and begin responding to the needs of the tourism industry". Soomer was referring primarily to the problem of visitor harrassment.
"We have been speaking out on a lot of issues and the message is that we want more action from the government. We will make it very clear that the government has to act decisively to address the issues in the industry because we have frankly run out of time. The industry is under threat internally in terms of the level of harrassment, the pervasiveness of it and what seems to be the lack of institutional will to deal with it, whether it is at the level of the legal system, or the institutional arrangements by the National Conservation Authority".
Berthia Parle was re-elected as president of the SLHTA, as were first and second vice presidents Rodinald Soomer and George Joosten.

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Luther Vandross, Miriam Makeba at Jazz 2001

Luther Vandross, Miriam Makeba, Carl Thomas, Jill Scott, Eric Benet, Carmen Lundy and Lady Smith Black Mambazo are some of the great names that have been signed up to perform at the St. Lucia Jazz Festival 2001, to be held from 4-13 of May. The line-up was revealed last Monday night by vice-president of BET On Jazz, Paxton Baker. The line-up of local artists to perform on the main stage is yet to be announced, as are the line-ups for jazz venues in the south of the island - but the main attractions have been signed up and confirmed.
On May 6 and 7, Hyatt Regency hotel hosts performances by Melba Moore, while on May 7, 8 and 9, Acoustic Alchemy will perform at the Great House. Thursday 10 May will see Carmen Lundy and the bands Horizon and Taj Mahal perform at Rodney Bay, and May 10 and 11 stars Ronnie Laws at the Hyatt Regency. Friday 11 May sees trumpet player Clarke Terry and jazz pianist Randy Weston take to the stage  at Rodney Bay, and the highlight of the festival will be Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 May, at Pigeon Island. Scheduled to perform on Saturday at that most popular venue are R&B musician Carl Thomas, Jill Scott, Eric Benet and Miriam Makeba. The Sunday at Pigeon Island will see Paco Chalery, Malcolm Jamal Warner with his band Miles Long, and the Cuban band Havana Casino. Headline performer for the Sunday is Luther Vandross. The Star, Mirror and Voice all report on the announcement of the Jazz 2001 line-up.

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Violent attack by 'bushman' leaves farmer dead

A 70-year-old Micoud farmer lost his life on Wednesday after a man referred to by the police as the 'bushman' attacked him in the early morning. The victim, Leon Polimis, was on his way to his farm at Rayon, accompanied by a friend, when he was struck on the head by a stone. Polimis fell to the ground dropping the16-gauge shotgun which he was carrying. His attacker proceeded to chop Polimis with a cutlass, badly injuring him. Polimis' friend fled and returned sometime later with help, only to find Polimis in critical condition with his attacker - and the shotgun – nowhere in sight. Polimis died at St. Jude's hospital not long after. Both The Mirror and Star report on the violent attack. According to residents in the area, a man suspected to be the attacker has been roaming the area between Micoud and Dennery for a long time - possibly years - stealing crops. Other rumours hold that the 'bushman' has been regularly killing animals in the district. The HTS Saturday evening news reported that during a raid on early Saturday morning in the bush near Mon Repos, a man suspected to be the killer was arrested by the police. It is further alleged that one policeman was injured in the process of arresting the 'bushman'.

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Fashion magazine on photo shoot in the South

The March, April and May 2001 issues of British fashion magazine '19' are due to carry several pages of photographs set in the familiar surroundings of the south of St. Lucia, following a two-week photo-shoot on the island. The Star and Mirror both report this. According to The Mirror, "Fashion editor Lucy Trott, top models Brooke (New York) and Lillian (Brazil), two photographers, a hair and make-up artist and a fashion stylist travelled the length and breadth of the South and finally settled on picturesque Laborie Village, rustic Balenbouche Estate, wild Honeymoon Beach, atmospheric 'Il Pirata', the funky 'Reef' beach bar and the mile-and-a-half stretch of still-unspoilt beach at Anse de Sable in Vieux Fort as its desired settings".

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New Firearms Act: stiffer penalties for gun use

Higher compulsory prison sentences for persons convicted for violent crimes involving firearms and stricter rules governing the issuing of firearm permits: that is the upshot of the new Firearms Act which was passed unanimously through the House of Assembly, last Tuesday. According to The Mirror, under the new legislation, "an adult who uses a firearm in the commission of offences, such as kidnapping, abduction, robbery, drug trafficking, rape and unlawful carnal knowledge, would be sentenced to a term of imprisonment of 'not less than 20 years'. Prime minister Dr Anthony, in his address, allegedly "chided previous [court] rulings in which certain judicial officers imposed small sentences for gun crimes, even though the law prescribed a tough penalty". Minister of Legal Affairs Velon John said the new Bill had become necessary "in view of the concern caused by the proliferation of guns and their unlawful use".
When the current administration came into office in 1997, an amnesty was declared in order for St. Lucians to turn in any illegal firearms they might own. Although the response was relatively low, minister John at the time interpreted it as a promising one.
The Mirror, commenting on Tuesday's passing of the new Firearms Act, warned that although the imposition of stiffer penalties is a laudable one, the real problem lies with the availability of illegal firearms. "Illegal firearms are so widely available now, that almost any fourth former can go to a place not far from school and purchase a working gun for a few hundred dollars". The clamp-down should really be on stopping guns from coming into the country, otherwise, warns The Mirror editor, "stiffer gun laws will only turn the society against itself, locking up the young men that are the future, while the really dangerous men continue to ply the drug and gun route between St. Vincent, St. Lucia and Martinique. By themselves, stiffer laws put us at war with ourselves. We need to take the option to have an illegal firearm away from our youth, completely". 

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Amnesty Int'l: 'culture of impunity' in St. Lucia

Three separate international human rights agencies this week expressed their concerns over alleged human rights violations in St. Lucia, most notably the case of the Harding shooting and conditions at the island's lone mental hospital, Golden Hope.
According to CANA, Amnesty International, the world's most reputable international human rights organisation, on Wednesday wrote to the government of St. Lucia expressing concern that police officers on the island responsible for shootings, including an alleged extrajudicial shooting, are protected by "a culture of impunity". Amnesty International (AI) says that the "execution" of Alfred Harding and other recent police shootings have highlighted the urgent need for the government of St. Lucia to hold to account those police officers involved in human rights violations. "The people of St. Lucia have a right to expect that state agents guilty of violations are brought to justice", writes AI. In its letter to the government, AI reminds it of its international obligations to prevent the use of excessive force by the police, including possible extra-legal, arbitrary and summary executions, by ensuring that 1) all cases are promptly, thoroughly and impartially investigated, 2) investigations include adequate autopsies, collection and analysis of all physical and documentary evidence and witness statements; 3) witnesses, defence lawyers and those conducting investigations are protected from violence and threats of violence or intimidation; 4) full written findings are made available to the public; and 5) families of victims are adequately compensated if and when those responsible for violations are convicted.
Two weeks ago, prime minister Dr Kenny Anthony announced a full investigation into the shooting of Alfred Harding, to be completed within one week - but there has been no further word on this investigation since. However, an inquest did start this week into the police shooting of Nigel Gabriel, on 27 November 1998 at the Country Cottage Motel at Monchy. There are several other cases of police shootings (which constitutionally all require inquests) still outstanding.
Meanwhile, the debate on human rights continued this week, with persons linked to the government such as Speaker of the House Matthew Roberts and press secretary Earl Bousquet (last week) diverting the discussion away from the 'police wrongs' and 'government wrongs', whilst human rights activists (such as Mary Francis) continue to explain that by their very nature, human rights issues concern the rights of individuals vis-à-vis the State.
Human rights, explains Mary Francis, are laid down in St. Lucia's constitution as well as in various international human rights laws, by which the St. Lucian government is to some extent bound by virtue of its membership of the United Nations.
Speaker of the House, Matthew Roberts, at a meeting last Friday convened by the Parliamentary Commissioner to observe International Human Rights Day, however puts forward the argument that human rights activists are only out to embarrass the government for motives that "remain suspect even today". Roberts also pursues the line that human rights activists have "a burning desire to defend the rights of criminals after these criminals have themselves violated the rights of other people" but, at the same time, do not do enough to create "a caring and respectable society in which hatred and violence have no place and in which punishment is an acceptable sanction". This echoes an argument repeatedly heard on radio and TV talkshows (at times espoused by some of the hosts), where callers wish to know why human rights lawyers always seem to defend criminals, whilst allegedly 'not caring' about the victims.
Repeated explanations by persons such as Martinus Francois, Mary Francis and Rick Wayne appear to be slowly creating a distinction in the public's mind between violations of human rights by one individual against another, versus violations of an individual's human rights by the State (or government agencies such as the police). Mary Francis writes in The Star: "From this distinction it follows that the question is not what was the wrong done or suffered by the individual, or the right violated, but rather who committed the wrong or violated the right or what is the origin of the violation committed? If the answer to this question is the State as the perpetrator of a wrong, then only will human rights law become operative. ... Government is not above the Constitution and its agents must therefore act within the Constitution. The norms and principles embodied in the Constitution must be reflected in state action and derogation from those norms and principles must be vigorously challenged". However, the debate seems set to continue for a while longer, if the remark made at Friday's meeting by Matthew Roberts is any indication of the opposing school of thought: "We will always run into trouble if we continue to interpret human rights issues in strict legal terms or if the spin we put on arguments in support of human rights is always a constitutional one".
Meanwhile, regional human rights group Caribbean Justice has responded to remarks made by minister of Legal Affairs, Velon John, during a Market Steps meeting last week, claiming that "By implying criminals deserve less protection than other members of society, Mr John attacks one of the most fundamental precepts of human rights - their universality". Caribbean Justice reminds the minister that "the history of human rights activism is a proud one, which includes the abolition of slavery and apartheid", and goes on to explain that "defending someone's rights is not the same as defending their behaviour, another false accusation frequently thrown at those engaged in the human rights struggle. We do not condone crime but we do believe those accused of criminal acts should have full access to the justice system, and that there should be adequate legal aid for those who cannot afford a private lawyer. And we believe those convicted of criminal offences should be treated humanely, which Mr Harding clearly was not". Amnesty International and Caribbean Justice are not the only human rights organisations keeping a close watch on events in St. Lucia. The US-based group Mental Disability Rights International issued a statement following an article in The Star of Nov 25, which featured a front page photograph of a naked male patient behind bars at Golden Hope hospital. Mental Disability Rights International declares that conditions at the mental institution "constitute human rights violations. For example, under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and various other treaties, individuals have the right to be free from arbitrary detention and inhuman and degrading treatment. The conditions you saw at Golden Hope, most likely, violate both of these rights".
Workers at Golden Hope appear to side with this view, reportedly saying: "It was time for somebody to expose the Ministry of Health, because what is going on here affects all of us, not only the patients". Minister of Health Sarah Flood-Beaubrun's response to the Star article was that it was "shameful that a photo of a naked man should appear on the front page of a newspaper. Where is the respect?" - Incidentally, the face of the patient in question, as well as his genital area, had been carefully blacked out.
The spokeswoman for Mental Disability Rights International goes on to explain that although St. Lucia is a member of the United Nations and therefore should strive to fulfill its various principles, including the Principles for the Protection of People with Mental Illness, these principles are not in fact binding laws yet, since St. Lucia has not yet ratified the overall treaty of which it is a part: the International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).
Mary Francis clamours for swift ratification of the ICCPR, while minister for Foreign Affairs George Odlum at last Friday's meeting seemed to apologise for its tardiness. "[Many] people balk at the thought of instituting the correction into a universally accepted treaty or right. We as leaders are guilty of that sometimes. We agree to the body of a treaty or convention or protocol and when it comes to ultimate ratification of that protocol we put it on the back burner because there is time for that".
Asked by The Star why the government would be holding out on such ratification, lawyer Mary Francis responded: "Because otherwise individuals can then embarrass the State. They can then show that despite all the superficial signs of progress, St. Lucia is a very backward place. St. Lucia is not serious about human rights. St. Lucia is holding out on these issues, particularly by not ratifying the ICCP. If this were ratified, then individuals would be able to take cases of human rights abuses to the UN Commission in Geneva. It would make the government responsible to other forces, and affect St. Lucia's sovereignty. The government does not want people coming and poking their noses in its business. We need to push for ratification. On the domestic front, there are some ancient laws here. We need to revise many of them to reflect the international standards. St. Lucia is a backward place, and we cannot continue to be like this".

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Dame Pearlette and Odlum speak out against xenophobia

St. Lucia is no longer the hospitable, welcoming, racially tolerant society it used to pride itself as, say Governor-General Dame Pearlette Louisy, minister of Foreign Affairs George Odlum and Loyola Devaux of the St. Lucia Save the Children Fund. These opinions were voiced at a meeting convened by Parliamentary Commissioner Lawrence Laurent, to commemorate International Human Rights Day, last Friday. Both The Mirror and The Star report on this. Loyola Devaux cautioned against racism and intolerance which, she says, seem "very present in many families, only that the practitioners of the evils are not aware of them or refer to them by other names".  The Mirror reports this. "When there is need to question them, some children complain that their parents openly demonstrate preference for siblings based on shades of skin - behaviour that extends to the schools through teachers".
Devaux found support in Dame Pearlette, who reportedly said: "We are beginning to see manifestations of xenophobia in St. Lucia, which used to be admired for its racial tolerance". According to The Star, Dame Pearlette went on to say: "St. Lucia used to be congratulated for its sense of warmth and hospitality. Now if a stranger is in our midst and we think for one reason or another, the stranger is perhaps getting from our country what we would like to get, we cry foul. Our families are making a living in almost every part of the western hemisphere, yet we do not want to extend to foreigners the same type of hospitality and courtesy that I am sure they extend to our families and friends abroad".
Minister of Foreign Affairs George Odlum concurred with both Devaux and Dame Pearlette, when he expressed his concern "about the negativity experienced by expatriates who wish to live and work in St. Lucia". According to The Star, "He said that at a time when the world was promoting open borders and a global world, 'St. Lucia is fixing its mind against Nigerians, Guyanese and other nationalities'."
Perhaps an example of such negativity can be found in this week's issue of The Voice, where the paper reports – apparently à propos of nothing - about a St. Lucian woman who complains that her former common law spouse, a Nigerian national, is obstructing her "constitutional rights to freedom of association and forming relationships with whomever she pleases". The Voice quotes the Castries woman at some length, allowing her to explain that "the Nigerian", "with whom she lived for some time, is claiming ownership over her, threatening and scaring away other potential suitors. 'It is a cultural thing', she says, 'for some cultures to behave and act as if they own the woman. But this is not our culture', she snapped".
The woman proceeds to inform "the public" that she it not "this Nigerian's wife" and The Voice further reports that she "strongly believes that no foreign culture should be imported into St. Lucia that would negatively impact on the freedoms and rights of her and any other St. Lucian. She pointed out that the Nigerian community in St. Lucia is in excess of forty persons". The Voice does not offer the views of "the Nigerian" in question nor solicited a response from the man to his former girlfriend's allegations. The newspaper also fails to place these culturalist allegations in a wider context.

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Fun Time Music Store raided

Police this week raided three outlets of the Fun Time Music Store - two in Castries and one in Vieux Fort - and seized several pirated copies of music that were found on the premises. Also confiscated were several blank CD's and the machines used for making copies. Four members of staff were temporarily detained. The raid followed a complaint by the Dominican band Ruff and Ready, whose Christmas CD was allegedly illegally copied and sold at the Fun Time Music Store outlets. In addition to this CD, pirated copies of soca, R&B and pop music were also found. The Mirror reports this.
The copyright on works of artists is monitored in St. Lucia by the Hewanorra Musical Society (HMS). Managing director of the HMS Steve Etienne expressed his surprise at Fun Time's transgression of the copyright laws, since the manager/owner of the music store had signed an agreement less than two months ago stating that he would stop the recording of copyrighted materials. According to The Mirror, "The store owner back then admitted to having on his premises pirated work and was aware of the law with regards to such".
Earlier this year, the manager of record shop Master Mixx Sounds settled out of court for infringing copyright laws, by paying $15,000.

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Star apologises to former PRF-man Greer

The Star newspaper has issued an apology to Curtis Greer, former executive director of the Poverty Reduction Fund (PRF) who threatened to sue the newspaper for publishing an article entitled 'This Story Won't Spin'. In this, a writer identified only as 'Cockspur' lamented the various euphemisms allegedly used by the current powers-that-be. In one passage, he facetiously wrote: "The disappearance of money from the Poverty Reduction Fund is not corruption, it is a bureaucratic deflection of resources". Although an audit into the financial management of the PRF performed earlier this year uncovered several questionable acts, it did not actually establish that monies "disappeared" from the fund [see last week's news]. Hence The Star in this week's issue concedes: "The Star newspaper is not aware of any findings of monies missing from the Poverty Reduction fund and on this basis would like to apologise to Curtis Greer. We would like to disassociate ourselves from the statement of the writer and regret any inconvenience caused to Mr Greer or his family".

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IMF and ECCB: differing outlooks on economy

While prime minister Dr Kenny Anthony at a market steps meeting last week quoted at some length from a favourable report by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) showing that the economy is "doing reasonably well and is poised for growth", a report by the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB) notes that the Eastern Caribbean as a whole, including St. Lucia, has suffered "a sharp decline in the overall balance of payments surplus during 1999, mainly due to slippages in exports". The Star reports on the latest ECCB report, while The Voice quotes Dr Anthony's reading of the IMF report. The full IMF report is not yet publicly available. Dr Anthony said that a team from the IMF had visited St. Lucia two weeks ago and read from the introduction of their report: "For the past several years, the economy has been going through a difficult adjustment process of restructuring, associated with the retrenchment of the banana industry which has resulted in sluggish growth, particularly during 1993-1997. While restructuring is continuing there are signs that the process may be slowing in the banana industry with other agricultural activities picking up and the banana structure stabilizing. Banana output is up by 7 percent in the year 2000. The tourist industry has grown rapidly and the potential for other activities in the services sector had become more apparent. Output rose at an average of three per cent in 1998-1999. Imports of capital goods are up, and recorded levels of unemployment continue to decline, 16 per cent in the first half of 2000 from 21 per cent two years ago. St. Lucia has the potential to maintain the growth rate of three per cent in the near term and possibly to four or five percent per annum over the medium or long term on the basis of expanding tourism, other service exports and a stable banana industry".
Painting a less rosy picture of the region's economy is the ECCB report on the economies of St. Lucia, Antigua, Anguilla, Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. According to this report, the surplus on the balance of payments "fell sharply by EC$16.2 million, compared to a surplus of EC$137.3 million in 1998. The 1999 performance partly reflects a decline in earnings from agricultural and manufacturing exports and marginal growth in gross receipts from the tourism industry". The 77-page report covers the 1999 performance of individual countries as well, but no information on St. Lucia's specific economic development is provided in the article. For the region as a whole, however, the report states that import of goods and services rose by 4.1 percent, contributing to a 16.7 percent surge in the current account deficit in 1999, while growth of gross foreign direct investment inflows slowed to 5.6 percent, compared with a growth of 18.1 percent in 1998.

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Student commits suicide over alleged bullying

A 14-year-old student from Soufriere committed suicide by hanging himself from a tree in Crestland, after he was suspended from school and sent home with a letter for his parents. According to articles in The Voice, the boy had been the victim of persistent bullying by schoolmates, who were allegedly in the habit of stealing his lunch. According to The Voice, "the long-suffering victim had allegedly endeavoured to revenge himself on his oppressors by lacing some food with the deadly weedkiller, Grammoxone. It is also alleged that there is presently another student in hospital suffering from the effects of having ingested the poisoned food". The boy's dead body was discovered just before five o'clock on Friday 8th December.

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