Fostering cultural cooperation between CARICOM and Canada

ST GEORGE’S, Grenada, May 9, 2012 - Identifying technical assistance to build capacity in cultural cooperation and trade and innovation was one of the areas focused on at a consultation for negotiations between CARICOM and Canada.

Officials of CARICOM and the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) visited the island recently to meet with local stakeholders to hear first-hand the concerns specific to Grenada to include in the negotiations with Canada.

Some of the areas under technical assistance in the draft text include the development of digitalisation of audio visual archives; and the development of film animation and video art capabilities.

Grenada also reported keen interest in securing technical assistance in facilitating compliance with international and regional standards to ensure compatibility and interoperability of audio-visual technologies, and in the development of international theatre technology standards.

The consultation also sought to increase the awareness of the private and public sectors of the CARICOM-Canada Trade and Development Agreement.

Malcolm Spence, Senior Coordinator of the Office of Trade Negotiations (OTN) of the CARICOM Secretariat said the concerns gathered from Grenada and other regional member-states will fast-track efforts to meet the deadline to complete an agreement with Canada.

The Senior Coordinator of the OTN said Canada has a current waiver in place for CARICOM which will expire at the end of 2013. He also noted that Ministers of Trade in the region have requested a report by the end of July this year to have a clearer understanding of how negotiations will likely unfold.

Grenada’s Minister with responsibility for Information, ICT and National Mobilisation, Sen. Glen Noel, indicated that discussions for the new trade and development agreement between CARICOM and Canada began in 2001.

He said CARICOM Heads of Government proposed to their Canadian counterpart for negotiations that would lead to a more mature trading relationship to enhance existing arrangements, and to fulfil the objectives of the economic development of CARICOM countries.

The objectives include broadening the scope of the current instruments of trade and economic cooperation; deepening disciplines to improve market access for CARICOM exports of goods and services; and providing a more secure and predictable environment for bilateral trade.

Mrs Sally Anne Bagwhan-Logie, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Environment and Trade, noted that trade and culture play an important role in the socio-economic development of Grenada.

She said fora, such as the CARICOM/OECS consultation, give calypsonians, playwrights and other artistes an opportunity to share information on barriers faced when seeking to export cultural services.

The Permanent Secretary said the Ministry welcomes additional inputs from stakeholders in driving the process forward.  
SOURCE: Kareen Morain, Public Relations Officer
Ministry of the Environment, Foreign Trade & Export Development

India wants to take lead in nutmeg production

PUNE, India, March 3, 2012 (PTI) - In the backdrop of the reverses suffered by Grenada in the production of nutmeg, India can now take a lead in increasing the area of cultivation of the expensive spice commodity, according to experts.

Grenada (an island country in the Caribbean), which along with Indonesia, was a major producer of nutmeg, has lost much of its leadership in the sector after being hit by hurricane Ivan which damaged its nutmeg trees, said a presentation made at the recently held 11th World Spice Congress here. The meet was hosted by Spices Board of India.

“After a series of hurricanes lashed Grenada (an island country in the Caribbean), about 90 per cent nutmeg trees were damaged. Of the damaged trees, 40 per cent were toppled, 25 per cent “injured”, 30 per cent inaccessible and 5 per cent died.

“Prior to hurricane Ivan, the nutmeg sector provided income to about 30 per cent of Grenada’s population and earned 22.5 per cent of its total merchandise export,” said a paper presented at the congress noted, quoting an International Trade Corporation (ITC) report.

Stating that India was better positioned to surge ahead in the nutmeg sector, the paper said: “The production area (for nutmeg) in India hit the peak of 16,400 hectares in 2008.

With a sectoral expansion of around 11.2 per cent, India, for whom the Arab counties have has been a major export destination, is in an advantageous position“.

In the last three years, the prices of nutmeg have gone up by 200-265 per cent globally, it pointed out.

Nutmeg is used as condiment, particularly in sweet foods, and as a standard seasoning agent in many dishes, while its fleshy outer cover is crystallised or pickled or made into jellies.

It is also used as a drug because of its stimulant, carminative, astringent and aphrodisiac properties.

In India, nutmeg is used in sweet as well as savoury dishes in temple rituals, while in Indonesia the commodity is used to make jam, cooked with sugar and crystallised to make candy.

Chocolate's dark secret

By SaraLloyd Truax, Staff Writer

Valley Journal

SANTA YNEZ, California, February 9, 2012 - Every now and then, some small thing will come along, plant the seed of a thought in your mind and, before you know it, your life is forever changed.

That may be the circumstance every documentary filmmaker longs for, but few achieve. Kum Kum Bhavnani’s Nothing Like Chocolate – which premiered at the Santa Barbara Film Festival – meets that standard, and so much more. In fact, her carefully metered story telling is so richly profound, it’s hard to fit her endeavor neatly into the documentary category.

A quick skim of definitions on the Internet leads generally to the conclusion, that although a broad category, a documentary is a nonfictional motion picture intended to depict a “real” subject, primarily for the purpose of instruction or creating a historical record. Nothing Like Chocolate does both.

The film tells the true and ongoing story of the Grenada Chocolate Company Ltd., which was founded by Mott Green with the assistance of Doug Browne in 1999. The idea was simple: Organic cocoa farmers ethically provide raw materials to a chocolate-makers’ cooperative which – in a nearly completely green process – transforms it into some of the finest chocolates available.

But the film is about so much more than chocolate. It is more than just a story of how one man, one company, from beans to bar transforms the cocoa fruit with a healthy blend of ethics and love. (Yes, chocolate – though technically a vegetable, experts say – is made from the seeds of fruit.) But the many health benefits of chocolate are glossed over in the movie.

Narrated by Susan Sarandon, Bhavnani’s piece provides layers of storytelling – all deeply personal and engaging. From the children on the Ivory Coast enslaved to harvest cocoa, to the belief of a Grenada teen that hard work should be left to old people (like her mother), the story is told with poignancy and humor, weaving through the overlapping personal lives of many involved.

But that doesn’t mean there isn’t a message, though it may be one the average viewer would rather not hear. As still photos – with a clandestine feel – flash across the screen, and moviegoers squirm in their seats, the simple sad truth is laid out. Although difficult to document accurately, it is believed in the Ivory Coast – perhaps the largest country of origin for cocoa – up to 15,000 children per year are enslaved from neighboring countries to harvest cocoa, coffee and cotton, says Bama Athreya, Director of the International Labor Rights Forum.

That once smooth, rich, decadent taste of fine dark chocolate melting slowly in your mouth may turn bitter for those unable to block the images of Africa’s lost children from their mind’s eye. The Mars and Hershey companies didn’t decline comment so much as they avoided it, says Bhavnani. Unlike Grenada Chocolates, theirs are not child labor-free. But Bhavnani does not belabor the point.

Her movie glides easily between the lives of the various characters – both the living and the dead – who are part of Grenada Chocolates creation and success. Green speaks eloquently and passionately of Browne, all in the past tense, creating in viewers a longing to know what happens to him. Bhavnani resists the temptation to rush to the end, letting the yearning linger.

Instead, she turns to the effervescent Nelice, raising her six kids, growing cocoa, constructing her own home and her church, coping with life after the death of her husband – all while singing, smiling and optimistically hoping she will one day be invited to join the co-op that pays $2 a pound while the only other buyer in Grenada, the government, pays only $1.30.

But Green struggles financially. He can’t take on a new grower right now. He tinkers with old machinery, willing it to continue to work. His home consists of a cot in the tool room of the factory, a small, brightly painted building nestled against a hill, of all places, across from the road from the Prime Minister’s house in Hermitage, Grenada.

“I don’t have a family. I don’t have much of a social life. It’s my whole life at this point, pretty much,” says Green of his business.

Enter politics. Bhavnani could easily have avoided the subject, but instead she hits it head on. “The film is a little bit harsh against Fairtrade,” she acknowledges. But the truth is Fairtrade is only one step in the right direction. In the case of Grenada Chocolates, if the company paid the required fees, they would be unable to pay their growers a fair wage for their product.

Bhavnani is willing to point out the short side of the Fairtrade movement, even if it hurts her chances of finding a distributor. The whole truth has to be told, she says.

“I think it as obscene that not all trade is fair – that unfair trade is allowed to be the rule and fair trade becomes the exception,” says Vandana Shiva, Ph.D., a physicist and environmental activist, who believes Fairtrade status should only be given to autonomous producers.

Green’s dedication to fair production, both professionally and personally, unfolds slowly to viewers. He never mentions the personal sacrifices he makes to create a model company and to stand behind the people of Grenada. Images of a man – who acknowledges he doesn’t smile much – beaming as he picks up a co-worker’s young child from school and drives him home underscores what might have been. The children in town call Green “Smilo” – the local name for hot chocolate (which everyone drinks in lieu of coffee, says Green). The children don’t understand the irony as they giggle for the camera.

Whether a viewer’s chocolate interest rises in terms of taste, ethical values, promoting the use of appropriate technology or encouraging organic farming, Nothing Like Chocolate is an appetizing way to spend 63 minutes. The only real catch is that by the end, child labor notwithstanding, the urge to partake of the sweet is more or less overwhelming.

Not to fear, Maya Schoop-Rutten, the Swiss-born proprietor of the Chocolate Maya specialty shop on lower State Street carries a variety of Grenada Chocolate bars. And if you don’t find them there, “the big exciting thing coming up next is my sailboat journey from Grenada to NYC and England, to deliver chocolate bars sustainably to the markets using only wind power, on an old-fashioned Brigantine, square rigged sailboat with no engine,” says Green.

There is no turning a good idea back.

struax@syvjournal.com

Nothing Like Chocolate

An Interview with Director Kum-Kum Bhavnani

By Lauren Carter

JANUARY 30, 2012 - Kum-Kum Bhavnani is a renowned filmmaker whose award-winning documentary Shape of Water helped open the eyes of many to social injustices, especially towards women in several Third World countries. Her latest film,Nothing Like Chocolate, received a standing ovation at this past weekend’s premiere in Santa Barbara’s Lobero Theatre. The story tells of the adventures and struggles of Mott Green on his venture to create organic chocolate that benefits everyone from the beginning stages to the chocolate’s final consumption. This week, Bhavnani explains her passion for the film and all of those involved.

Tell us a little about the film.

Nothing Like Chocolate is a film that tells a story about a quirky chocolate maker, Mott Green, who set up a chocolate company partly because he heard of children being trafficked and enslaved in the Ivory Coast, produces over one third of the world’s cocoa. I decided to make the film because I heard about the children being enslaved and trafficked and I wanted to find someone who was running a business and doing it right. I wanted to show it was possible to run an ethical corporation, to be successful doing the right thing.

Why is this issue personal to you?

I read an article in 2001 that talked about the trafficked children and it made me so upset because so many people love chocolate and I was horrified that I wasn’t more aware of the situation. I wanted to tell the world and inspire people to care about stopping this violation of human rights. Because of who I am, I wanted to show how to get out of these situations and demonstrate how beautiful, ethical chocolate can be created.

What was your favorite part about making Nothing Like Chocolate?

My favorite part was seeing the generosity of people who helped me make it. The crew and editors, everyone just gave their all for the film. I find documentary makers to be very generous people, they lived in quite spartan conditions and the editors and associate producers have just been working away non-stop since day one.

My other favorite part was meeting the people there who are just fantastic. Meeting them opens my eyes to what’s going on in the world and we were able to interview the prime minister of Grenada, and meet hardworking people who felt the need to do something about the trafficking. It has also been amazing to experience the kick start of supporters, and of course seeing the film on the big screen.

I felt very touched by meeting Mott and Nelice. Mott because of his passion and determination and Nelice because of her wisdom, her determination, her perseverance. She is raising seven children all while working hard to keep her organic farm running smoothly.

Does Nelice remind you of your own mother?

Nelice does remind me of my mom actually. My mother was this amazing woman who did not get married until she was 34 and worked to put her brothers and sisters through university. She was very headstrong and passionate and hardworking. She never gave up in believing and fighting for what was right.

What did you want to do different in this film?

I realized that I wanted to make this documentary much more of a story. People get hooked on issues not by having a ton of talking heads, but by meeting people who are doing things. By learning about individuals’ lives they feel like getting personally involved in the issues. This time the documentary was definitely more story driven rather than issue driven.

Mott was given a standing ovation. He is very, very popular. We hope to have a Grenada premiere in June. People can relate. This is a story of someone doing it right, we all have the passion to do something the right way. To implement pure intentions into our work. All of us feel we can’t do it, but you know when you see someone else doing it right we recognize it’s the right thing to do and we know that we can do it too.

Any ideas for your next film?

For my next film I’m just waiting for inspiration so all ideas are welcome. It was a full house yesterday and people can still see it at the Lobero, which is a fantastic Santa Barbara theater. I’m very grateful for UCSB for its support of my research and for everyone involved. I’m just enjoying the ride now and I hope people are as touched by the film as I was making it.

Nothing Like Chocolate screens again on Friday, February 3, 2 p.m., at the Lobero Theatre and Sunday, February 5, 11 a.m. at the Metro 4.

SOURCE: Independent.com

Grenada's FM Prepares to Host 7th UK Caribbean Forum

Grenada's Delegation

ST GEORGE’S, January 20, 2012 – Grenada’s Foreign Minister Hon Karl Hood, on Thursday January 19^th 2012, met with the Grenada Delegation to the 7^th UK Caribbean Forum, as he prepared to host the deliberations starting on Friday and being held under the theme, “Sustainable Growth Towards Prosperity”.

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mrs Elizabeth Henry-Greenidge, chaired the discussions which focused on specific agenda items and the delegation’s preparedness in this respect.

The meeting will be co-chaired by UK Foreign Secretary William Hague and COFCOR Chair, Kittitian Foreign Minister Sam Condor. Regional Foreign Ministers as well as Security & Trade Ministers, Officials and business delegations are expected to participate.

The agenda will include discussions on the Environment and Climate Change, Security, Economic Resilience, as well as a Business Meeting and an opportunity for Caribbean Entrepreneurs to compete.

Minister Hood said he was heartened by the excellent response to the invitation and the high number of participants who had registered to attend. He said he looked forward to hosting his Colleagues and Guests and to a successful outcome.

The UK-Caribbean Forum is a biennial event and the key mechanism for high-level dialogue between the UK and the Caribbean.

The fifth Forum was hosted by the Government of Barbados in 2006 and the sixth by the United Kingdom in 2008.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Grenada

Adjustment in the Price of Petroleum Products January 2012

ST. GEORGE’S GRENADA, Tuesday, January 17, 2012: The General public is hereby informed that, effective, Wednesday 18^th, January 2012, the retail prices of petroleum products (Gasoline, Diesel, Kerosene and LPG {Cooking Gas}) in the State of Grenada will be as follows:

GRENADA

Products                                 Old Price                                             New Price

Gasoline                                  $14.99/IG                                             $15.12/IG

Diesel                                      $15.26/IG                                             $15.01/IG

Kerosene                                 $11.82/IG                                              $12.09/IG    

L.P.G (Cooking Gas):        Old Price                                               New Price

20 lbs Cylinder                       $45.00                                                   $45.00

100 lbs Cylinder                     $269.01                                                 $264.97

Bulk                                       $2.75/lb                                                $2.71/lb                    

CARRIACOU

Products                                 Old Price                                            New Price

Gasoline                                  $15.15/IG                                             $15.28/IG

Diesel                                      $15.42/IG                                             $15.17/IG

Kerosene                                 $12.51/IG                                             $12.25/IG

CARRIACOU & PETIT MARTINIQUE

L.P.G (Cooking Gas)            Old Price                                             New Price

20 lbs Cylinder                        $54.00                                                 $54.00

100 lbs Cylinder                      $292.01                                               $287.97          

Bulk                                         $2.75/lb                                              $2.71/lb

PETIT MARTINIQUE:

Products                                 Old Price                                            New Price

Gasoline                                  $12.15/IG                                           $12.28/IG

Diesel                                      $12.42/IG                                           $12.17/IG

Kerosene                                 $12.51/IG                                           $12.25/IG

The new Retail Prices are computed based on the average FOB costs: that is; (Ex-refinery prices), for the period, 13^th December, 2011 to the 12^th January, 2012

It important for the public to understand that notwithstanding efforts by Government, petroleum prices are likely to remain high and continue to rise in the next few months. It should be noted that Grenada imports nearly all of its fuel.  

Consumers are urged to act wisely by conserving and using energy efficiently.  

Furthermore, consumers are encouraged to immediately notify the Price Control/Consumer Affairs Unit in the Ministry of Finance of any instance of overpricing at telephone number 440-1369.

Energy Division

Caribbean countries could benefit from proposed NYC Pension Fund

PM Thomas & NYC Comptroller Liu

NEW YORK, January 11, 2012 - A major investment initiative designed to spur economic and social development in the Caribbean and boost New Yorkers’ public pensions is being considered by the office of New York City comptroller.

And it is being done at the urging of the Caribbean American Chamber of Commerce and Industry, CACCI and with the active interest of Caricom.

A statement from the CACCI said the proposed scheme “is an initiative which, if successfully launched, would involve the use of pension funds in profitable and employment generating ventures in the Caribbean, and bring healthy returns to the City.”

The proposal was made when Grenada’s Prime Minister, Tillman Thomas, then chairman of Caricom, visited New York to address a high-level United Nations meeting on HIV/AIDS, and participate in the Caribbean Tourism Organisation’s week of marketing activities that promoted the region’s lucrative tourism industry, and to be honoured by the chamber.

During his visit, he met with New York City Comptroller, John Liu, and discussed the potential financial benefits to the City and the prospects of development in the Caribbean through the investment of pension funds. “The New York City comptroller has fiduciary responsibility for the efficient management of billions of dollars in New York City pension funds and therefore must ensure that due diligence is done before any steps are taken,” said Dr Roy Hastick, the chamber’s founder, president and a driving force behind the initiative.

“The proposal to invest some of the funds was first articulated by William Bill Thompson and it is being considered by Mr. Liu, his successor. When the Grenada leader and Caricom chairman came to the City, we were able to schedule a meeting with him and the comptroller, during which we explored the feasibility of providing interest-bearing loans to the Caribbean nations, in much the same way that pension funds are being used for investment purposes in Europe and elsewhere.

“We at the chamber had previously discussed the proposal with both Mr Thompson and Mr Liu, and we are convinced that if implemented, it can be mutually beneficial to the City and to the Caribbean,” Hastick added. During the meeting which was also attended by New York City Council member Jumaane Williams, a Democrat of Brooklyn, the prime minister spoke about the economic benefits the low-interest loans would create in the region.

“It was a productive session and the chamber is happy with the results,” said the CACCI president. It was agreed that follow-up sessions would be held with stakeholders to develop a sustainable and practical plan of action. “It was recognised that the highest possible financial management standards must be adhered to at every step.”

With more than a million people from across the Caribbean now living and working as taxpayers in the New York metropolitan area, many of them contributing to the pension funds, the Caribbean nations and territories should be considered as an area of investment by pension fund managers, added Dr Hastick.

”The chamber and the broader Caribbean immigrant community in and out of New York City believe it represents a realistic and viable proposal which should be pursued,” he said. “Our organisation considers an honor to have been able to facilitate the meeting with the assistance of council member Jumaane Williams, and to have both the Caricom chairman and the comptroller explore the chances of taking such investment possibilities to the Caribbean.

The prime minister was certainly satisfied with the outcome. “We believe the Caribbean Development Bank could be used as a channel for the investment. The Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) has an investment grade rating from Wall Street.”

Humphrey in Police Detention

ST GEORGE’S, Grenada, December 20, 2011 - President of the Grenada Technical and Allied Workers’ Union is detained in the South St. George Police station following his arrest this morning outside the island’s lone Brewery owned by the Ansa Mcal Group in Trinidad.

Humphrey was at the time addressing dozens of workers at the gate of the Brewery who were locked out by the Company when they reported to work following a week long strike over pay and working conditions in talks for a new Collective Labour Agreement.

This development is expected to bring other workers under the Union into the issue unless the lock out by the Company is ended quickly.

SOURCE: TAWU

Trade Minister Optimistic Export Sector Could Experience Growth

L-R Hon. Joseph Gilbert, 
Ag. Permanent Secretary Helen Roden;
Trade Officer, Aarona Moses
and Ag. Director of Trade Junior Mahon

St. George’s, October 26, 2011 – Grenada’s new Minister for Environment, Foreign Trade and Export Development, Hon. Joseph Gilbert, is amazed that not much has been done to get Grenada and other Less Developed Countries (LDCs) of the Caribbean Community to access and make use of the Direct Assistance Grant Scheme made available through the Caribbean Export Development Agency (CEDA).

Minister Gilbert made the observation after participating in a meeting with a three-member consultancy team from A-Z Jamaica Limited. The consultancy company has been contracted by the CARICOM Secretariat to conduct a Consultancy to Design a Programme for Development of Protected LDC Industries. The team comprised Dr. Noel Watson, CEO, Bryan Aikman BSc., EMBA, and Janette M. Lodge, Chartered Accountant.

The money from the Caribbean Export is in the form of grants, Hon. Gilbert explained. "But what came out clearly from the meeting,'' he revealed, "is that the information about the existence of such a fund has never reached our manufacturers.''

“Manufacturers,” Minister Gilbert argued, "have been kept in total ignorance of the vast potential that is available through this CARICOM initiative to help improve their business opportunities, especially in the areas of product development and export market.''

The team of consultants has been charged with putting together a strategy that would foster the development of these industries and implementation of Article 164 of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas in CARICOM’s Less Developed Countries (LDCs). The overall objective of Article 164 is to promote industrial development in CARICOM’s LDCs, including Grenada.

In 2006, the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) agreed to implement a tariff regime which was meant to protect the industries under Article 164. It was due to come into effect in 2006, but, according to the consultants, it has not been implemented by any of the LDCs to date. In addition, support measures and the necessary programmes for achieving competitiveness have not been implemented to facilitate the development of these industries as provided for in the Article.

"These are the sort of issues that the consultancy is required to identify and to recommend creative ways on how best to resolve them,'' said Dr. Watson, team leader of the consultancy team.

Minister Gilbert said that as the new Minister for Environment, Foreign Trade and Export Development, he intends to help develop the productive sector in Grenada.

One way to do that, according to the Minister, is by providing the necessary leadership to ensure that Grenada takes full advantage of current technical and financial assistance available through CARICOM.

"It would not be business as usual going forward,'' pledged Mr. Gilbert, who served as Minister for Works, Physical Development and Public Utilities until October 7, 2011, when he was reassigned by Prime Minister Hon. Tillman Thomas in a cabinet reshuffle.

Minister Gilbert is optimistic that Grenada's relatively weak export sector could see impressive growth in the next few years.

Over a period of three days, the consultancy team met with the various institutions that provide some measure of support to the Article 164 industries which included the Grenada Exporters Association, Grenada Chamber of Industry and Commerce (GCIC), the Central Statistics Office and the Ministry of Environment, Foreign Trade and Export Development.

The team also met with representatives from the Article 164 industries in Grenada, which included water, furniture and aerated beverages.  The flour and industrial gases industries of Grenada have been selected to participate in the CARICOM pilot project to Design a Development Programme for Protected LDCs.  As part of their visit, the team made onsite visits to Caribbean Agro Industries and L&M Investments Ltd. to conduct in depth assessment of their business operations.

The overall objective of the consultancy is to contribute towards the reduction of economic disparities in CARICOM by increasing production capacity, and improving efficiency and competiveness of industries in the LDCs, particularly OECS countries.

The purpose of this contract is to support the development of selected, protected industries of the OECS into competitive entities through recommendation of an improved Community supported industrial development strategy, recommend changes in business plans, accounting systems and the identification of additional technical assistance requirements.

The expected results from this intervention are as follows:

·         An Inception Report on the preliminary findings of the consultant concerning protected industries in the relevant OECS Member States

·         A Draft Report which

evaluates the efficacy of the Article 164 application in the OECS confirms enjoying protection under Article 164.

o   recommends measures to enhance the efficacy of the application of Article 164 protection

o   on the basis of interaction at the level of the protected firms set out a programme and plan of action to enhance performance which may be considered in a CARICOM Development Fund Country Assistance Programming including:

§  changes in accounting and financial systems;

§  a strategy for mobilizing resources to assist protected firms;

§  a Programme for coaching and mentoring of selected firms;

§  a programme for acquiring international certification and exploitation of environmentally friendly technologies in production

§  objective indicators for evaluating the performance of protected firms within the context of Article 164

A Final Report which takes on board feedback from the beneficiary Government and firm as well as the CARICOM Development Fund.         

Grenada Company shortlisted for 2011 Award for Corporate Excellence

by RTT Staff Writer

(RTTNews) - Thirteen finalists have been selected for the US Secretary of State's prestigious 2011 Award for Corporate Excellence (ACE).

These U.S. companies were chosen from 62 nominations submitted by American Ambassadors around the world. ACE finalists are international business leaders who recognize the vital role that U.S. businesses play abroad as good corporate citizens.

This year's finalists are Amway in China, ANOVA Food, LLC in Indonesia, Archer Daniels Midland Company in Paraguay, Cargill in India, General Motors in Uzbekistan, Grenada Chocolate Company in Grenada, Intel in Vietnam, Johnson & Johnson in Russia, Joy Global in South Africa, Procter & Gamble in Nigeria, Procter & Gamble in Pakistan, Sahlman Seafoods in Nicaragua, and Tiger Machinery in Russia.

The Secretary of State has awarded the ACE since 1999 to recognize American companies who are leaders in socially responsible activities and contribute to the overall growth and development of the local economy in which they work.

The State Department said in a statement on Monday that it is committed to working with business to further these best practices worldwide and to recognize efforts to improve lives at home and abroad.

The 2011 ACE winners will be announced at an annual ceremony hosted by the Secretary of State later this fall.

Chinese offer called “golden opportunity’’ for infrastructural development

St. George’s, September 16, 2011 – Grenada’s Works and Physical Development Minister, the Hon. Joseph Gilbert, is excited about a Chinese offer of monetary assistance for regional infrastructural development.

“Grenada and other Caribbean countries now have a golden opportunity to undertake much-needed investment in developing their physical infrastructure,’’ said Hon. Gilbert, who is also the Minister of Public Utilities.

He made the comment on his return from Trinidad where he was part of Prime Minister Tillman Thomas’ joint government/private delegation that attended the Third China-Caribbean Economic and Trade Forum on September 12 and 13.

Minister Gilbert attended the second day of the forum at the invitation of his Trinidad counterpart, the Hon. Jack Warner, Minister of Works and Infrastructure. A Structural Engineer, Mr. Gilbert was specially invited to attend a seminar on “Cooperation in Finance and Infrastructure.’’

China intends to pump more than US$1 billion into the region over the next five years. The package includes a “Special Purpose Fund’’ for infrastructure development, and would be accessible to governments as well as private sector enterprises at competitive interest rates.

As a condition of the loan arrangement, the borrower would be required to contribute 30 percent of the cost of the project to be funded, Minister Gilbert explained.

“It is also a requirement that the project be viable so as to satisfy the loan repayment plan,’’ he elaborated. “I, therefore, want  to encourage our private sector, in particular, to grasp the opportunity provided under this initiative by the Chinese,  to undertake as many major infrastructure development works in  Grenada as practicable; either on their own as private enterprise, or, in partnership with government.’’

Two other special seminars were held simultaneously; one was on “Cooperation in Tourism,’’ which was attended by Grenada’s Tourism Minister, the Hon. Peter David; and another on “Cooperation in Agriculture and Fisheries,’’ which included participation from Minister Denis Lett.

Other government officials in the Prime Minister’s delegation to the China-Caribbean Forum were Foreign Affairs Minister  Karl Hood, and Minister for Finance, Nazim Burke.

PM Thomas seeks trade and investment opportunities

NEW YORK, June 20, 2011 - Prime Minister Tillman Thomas believes that Grenada could benefit in economic and technical areas from New York City.

The Grenadian leader expressed these sentiments as he held discussions on Monday in New York with City Comptroller John Liu and his Deputy Eric Eve.

Prime Minister Thomas, who was accompanied by Consul General Derrick James and President of the New York-based Caribbean American Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CACCI) Grenadian-born Dr Roy Hastick, discussed areas of cooperation between New York City and Grenada including agriculture, education, health, technology, tourism, trade and alternative sources of energy.

“Government is continuing to explore new opportunities with investors especially in the productive sectors,” said Prime Minister Thomas.

The Prime Minister spoke about the initiative by the Grenada Southern Fishermen’s Association to launch its all-natural, smoked fish product, Bacon of the Sea. He suggested similar investments in these areas as well as markets for local products, especially among West Indians in the New York Diaspora.

“Investments like these especially in the productive sector provide sustainable jobs for the population and government will continue to create the enabling environment,” he told Comptroller Liu.

Comptroller Liu, in noting the delegation’s request for technical assistance, said that the discussions are not open-ended and his office will examine specific investment opportunities.

The two delegations also discussed assistance for Grenada in cancer screening and research and possible twinning arrangements between Grenada and Brooklyn, noting the cultural and historical ties between both places.

“The Caribbean, like other parts of the world, has provided New York with an abundance of gifted personalities in various areas and we now need to find avenues to re-invest some of these talents into the region,” said Dr Hastick.

The Prime Minister suggested that a New York Trade and Investment mission to visit Grenada where potential investors could meet and discuss with Grenadian officials. He said that the mission could be a collaborative effort involving the Office of the City Comptroller, the Grenada Consulate in New York and CACCI.

The meeting between Prime Minister Thomas and Comptroller Liu was coordinated by Councilman Jumaane Williams, whose parents are Grenadians and Dr Hastick of CACCI.

Comptroller Liu is the first Asian American to be elected to a city-wide office in New York City and has been credited for making government more efficient and accountable after only a few months in office.