———————————————————————
THIS WEEK’S NEWS SUMMARY
———————————————————————
COULD A CARIBBEAN SINGLE MARKET MAKE A DIFFERENCE – 23/04/04?
The long awaited Caribbean Single Market Economy (CSME) is causing much debate among the government. The Opposition Leader Seaga argues that the government’s imminent involvement in the CSME may very well seek to damage the local economy than enhance it. He argues that Jamaica’s export performance is already dismal and can barely survive within CARICOM. Mr. Seaga argues that joining the CME could only spell disaster for the local economy…
DRUG DETECTING DEVICE DEMONSTRATION
An American company based in New York carried out a demonstration of a device that can be used to detect drugs in shipping containers at the Courtleigh Manor Hotel earlier this month. The device known, as DrugCon will be demonstrated at the Port Authority of Jamaica on April 28thand will be geared at senior executives of the Port Authority and the Shipping Association of Jamaica, senior officers of the Jamaica Customs and the Jamaica Constabulary Force, Red Stripe, Wray & Nephew, Air Jamaica and other selected companies…
THE BAR, OPPOSITION AND OTHERS CHALLENGE CCJ – 22/04/04
The Caribbean Court of Justice came yet again in the limelight when the Opposition, the Jamaica Bar Association and others challenged its establishment by Bills tabled in the Senate to bring it into existence. The group challenged the constitutionality of the Bills but was unsuccessful as the judge ruled that the claims were premature. The Judge explained that the Bills had not reached the debating process, a usual practice by both the House of Representatives and the Senate…
COPS TO FACE COURT ACTION Part II
The policemen who were charged with non-capital murder were granted bail in the sum of $2 million. The cops including Senior Superintendent of Police Renato Adams were charged for with non-capital murder in a shooting incident in Kraall north Clarendon last year where four civilians were killed. The terms and conditions under which bail was granted was for all the accused to surrender their travel documents and report to the police commissioners office on Fridays at a set time…
OPPOSITION SPOKESMAN CONDEMNS 2004/05 BUDGET– 21/04/04
The Opposition Spokesman on Finance Audley Shaw has passed judgment on the government’s new Budget for fiscal year 2004/5. Mr. Shaw criticised the government’s handling to the economy while putting forward increased expenditure in priority areas of the budget for the new fiscal year. Mr. Shaw pointed out that the budget made allowance for approximately seventy percent (70%) of the $328 billion budget earmarked for debt servicing…
INTERNET CAFÉ FOR VISUALLY IMPARED JAMAICANS!
The Portmore Youth Information Centre has been given five new computers among them a computer with keyboard equipped with Braille. The Ministry of Education Youth and Culture has responsibility for the centre. The Youth Empowerment Officer said an average of 30 persons used the café per day and since its inception over three thousand youths have used the facility…
US SAYS NO SPECIAL RATES FOR VISA TRANSFER – 20/04/04
The United States is not planning to reduce fees for persons who are forced to change their Jamaican passports to the new machine-readable ones. The US Embassy is charging that the cost of transferring visas will be the same as issuing a new one. The new passports replacing the old blue book, will have features like the holder’s fingerprints and personal information scanned into it. The Jamaican government has put out an add imploring people to obtain the new passport but in phases as set out in the gleaner advertisement…
TAX SYSTEM TO BE OVERHAULED
The Jamaican tax system is promised an overhaul by Tax Administrator Clive Nicholas. Mr. Nicholas said the present system was not investor friendly to Importers, Exporters and Investors…
REGISTRAR GENERAL REORGANISES
The registrar General Department (RGD) has put a system in place to cut long queues. The Department has put in place a door-to-door delivery service of completed certificates. Reporting to the House, Dr. Holness reported that door-to-door service has resulted in her workers being able to work more efficiently with fewer persons crowding the office. Dr. Holness, who was responding to questions on whether there were any further plans to increase user fees at the agency in light of comments by Finance Minister Dr. Omar Davies last week, that some departments will have to increase user fees…
——————————————————————–
SPORTS
———————————————————————
JAMAICA BIDS FOR TWO ICC WORLD CUP SITE – 24/04/04
The government wants to bid on two sites, Sabina Park and a proposed site in Greenfield Trelawny for the 2007 Cricket world cup. The plan is to allow for more than 100 year-old Sabina Park host a package of games embracing the quarterfinals and final of the prestigious, four-yearly competition. If all goes according to plan, the Trelawny site would host preliminary and warm-up matches …
CARIBBEAN ALLSTARS TO CHALLENGE MOROCCO
The combined Caribbean football team, Caribbean All-stars will challenge Morocco in Grenada May 2. The game is expected to attract important people like Nelson Mandella, Dr. Keith Mitchell prime minister and FIFA’s president Sepp Blatter and others. The match, which Morocco is also using to promote their bid to host the 2010 World Cup, is being sponsored by Digicel and will be televised throughout the region…
Jamaica’s U-20 Performance in Germany
April 15
Jamaica’s U-20 team advanced to the second round of the 12-team Die Auslosung Fur NOKIA-debitel-Cup 2004 held in Germany, which was won by Juventus.Below, do forum members Andy and Frog from Germany submit the game performance summary. Read more at their website www.reggaeboyz.de
Game 1: Reggae Boyz 0 vs Fortuna Duesseldorf 1
Reggae Boyz seemed to suffer from jet lag after the 15 hours journey and arriving 19 hours before their first kick-off. Temperature was a cold 5 degrees celius and raining. Fortuna played a well orginized defense and has one strong guy in the offense. Reggae Boyz had 80% ball possession during the match, but no big chance until the last 5 minutes. Fortuna scored in the middle of the second half and held off the young Boyz for the win. The young Reggae Boyz Team: R. Thompson – J. Taylor, Findlayson, Howard, Wolfe, Priestly, Myton, Shelton, West, Austin, and Reid. Subs in the second half: in: Bernard, D. Thompson, Wong – out: Findlayson, Howard, Myton
Game 2: Reggae Boyz 1 vs Borussia Dortmund 1
Dortmund is twice as strong as Fortuna and much more experienced as a team. It was starting to rain at kick-off and just as cold as the previous day. The Boyz find their way through a strong Dortmund midfield and Priestly scored. The game had lots of little fouls on both sides, but the referee only uses his whistle to give Dortmund the ball. He was really home-blinded at all. Dortmund equalized from a free kick from 18 meters as there was some confusion in Boyz-defense. Team: Robinson – J. Taylor, Howard, Wolfe, Priestly, Myton, Shelton, West, Austin, Reid (11th is missing, Moodie). Subs – in: Findlayson, Spence, D. Thompson – out: Priestly, Myton, West
View more in sports at www.thereggaeboyz.com
