Established October 1895 Government Agricultural condemns sector in SVG Level 4 travel devastated advisory PAGE 3 PAGE 4 Thursday April 22, 2021 $1 VAT Inclusive PURSUE OPPORTUNITIES “IT is time I think to take that exist, which need avenues which was hosted by the to be placed on the existing Qualification (CVQ) the knee off of the neck of to be made available to flourish. Barbados Coalition of Service avenues of opportunity, which frameworks, which he said opportunity.” His comments came yesterday Industries and the Ministry of he noted have not been fully should provide at the So says Minister of Energy, morning as he delivered Energy, Small Business and brought to bear to the widest CARICOM level, opportunities Small Business and remarks during a High-Level Entrepreneurship. possible cross-section of people. for skilled CARICOM nationals Entrepreneurship, Kerrie Virtual Roundtable Discussion According to Minister The Minister, advancing that to live and work in other Symmonds, who is adamant held under the theme, ‘Services Symmonds, it is critically point, singled out the National CARICOM member states. that there is a wealth of talent for Economic Resilience and important as we look at Vocational Qualification (NVQ) and entrepreneurial interests Post-Pandemic Recovery’, development, for greater focus and Caribbean Vocational OPPORTUNITIES on Page 4 Ash collection gets under way in the North “WE are getting by.” This from the Sanitation Service Authority (SSA) as they kicked off their campaign to collect the ash across the island yesterday.With a roster showing the northern parishes of St. Lucy and St. Peter earmarked for collection yesterday, Public Relations Officer Carl Padmore said that things were going as planned. Speaking to The Barbados Advocate after the end of the scheduled window of 7:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., Padmore explained that although there were challenges encountered on the first day, the programme was moving along nicely. “It is a bit challenging because each parish has its own characteristics and different roads. There was quite a bit of manoeuvring, but we had the co-operation of the residents. There is a lot of ash on the roads, but what we took delight in is that while we were doing it, some people came Public Relations Officer of the Sanitation Service Authority (SSA), Carl Padmore, watches as Minister of the Environment and and took away some for their National Beautification, Adrian Forde, helps to load some of the collected volcanic ash during a stop in St. Peter yesterday. gardens. And that is the way we want to go, we want to household waste and ash and it encourage people to use it for is destroying the lifts. That is such. To be honest, we expected really causing some problems,” more, especially in the North he said. of the island. I don’t know Going on to state that the if persons turned it over to recent rains had helped the farmers or applied it to their situation with the ash on the own gardens, but we expected road, Padmore added that SSA a few more bags on the had also received support from ground,” he said. the Ministry of Transport and Receiving a complaint about Works and Maintenance and the dumping of ash other than the National Conservation the suggested methods during Commission in removing the conversation, Padmore well over 1,000 bags of ash urged members of the public to yesterday and that they would follow the guidelines and to not not be turning away any place the ash in skips. additional assistance. “People are putting the ash “We could do with more. in the government skips If persons want to come and Barbadians have started to bag up the volcanic ash across the island. around the island. What it is donate or volunteer a Bobcat doing is making the skips too or truck, we are not going to that we are utilising what we want to come and give a hand, went to, residents came out heavy because they have the say no. What we can tell you is have. If members of the public they can. One or two areas we and helped,” he said. (MP) 2 • Thursday April 22, 2021 The Barbados Advocate ‘Earth Day: We can tackle climate change together’ (Statement by Ambassador Linda Taglialatela, US Ambassador to Barbados, the Eastern Caribbean and the OECS) THE celebration of Earth Day throughout the Eastern Caribbean has special meaning this year. The suffering of our neighbours in St. Vincent and the Grenadines and on other impacted coun- tries across the region due to the La Soufrière eruptions reminds us of the awesome power of our planet. Though we cannot control a volcano, we can and must fulfil our collec- tive responsibility to care for those parts of the environment that are under our control. Mitigating climate change will ensure that our planet contin- ues to provide us with abundant sustainable resources, beauty, and joy. Our shared part- Ambassador Linda Taglialatela, US Ambassador to nership in this effort Barbados, the Eastern Caribbean and the OECS. stretches across polit- ical borders, oceans, the major economies re- ters, comprehensive dis- and differences of lan- sponsible for 80 per cent of aster management, and guage and culture. global greenhouse gas community resilience. In Scientists have empha- emissions to set ambitious fact, this March I attended sised the need to limit the targets for their reduction. the handover event for increase in planetary The summit is also drones which will help warming to 1.5 degrees focused on mobilising gather climate data and Celsius to stave off the finance to help vulnerable imagery, and which were worst impacts of climate countries cope with the already deployed to sup- change. Decisive action in impacts of climate change. port the La Soufrière dis- the next decade is crucial Prime Minister Gaston aster response. to achieving this goal.The Browne is attending the Eastern Caribbean United States is commit- summit as the chairman countries have stepped ted to doing its part to of the Alliance of Small up with ambitious NDCs, keep our global 1.5 degree Island States (AOSIS) and even though they are goal within reach. After other Eastern Caribbean more on the receiving rejoining the Paris states will participate in rather than the emitting Agreement, we have an- virtual roundtables. After end of the problem. We nounced an ambitious the summit is over,Special are all impacted by the emission reduction goal, Presidential Envoy for impacts of climate change. or Nationally Determined Climate Kerry, a former In the United States, our Contribution (NDC). Secretary of State and coastal communities, in- Going it alone is not Senator, will continue to cluding in the Caribbean, enough, though, and so we engage with countries make us share the are joining partners in the around the world to en- Eastern Caribbean’s con- global community to raise courage action on climate. cerns about the immedi- our joint ambition. It is In addition to our NDC, ate future if we don’t act particularly important in the coming days now. that countries responsible the United States will I look forward to work- for a larger share of emis- announce green finance ing together with govern- sions commit to impactful commitments, which will ments, businesses, and NDCs. allow us to support crucial civil society groups in the Today and tomorrow, adaptation work even Eastern Caribbean over President Biden will be further. USAID already this crucial next decade to hosting a Climate Summit is supporting projects curb warming and build a with 40 world leaders.The focused on early warning better, more sustainable summit aims to encourage systems for natural disas- future. The Barbados Advocate Thursday April 22, 2021 • 3 SVG agricultural sector devastated Caribbean will be impacted By Krystal Penny Bowen and large boulders, dead chicken and sheep, and THE violent eruption banana, eggplant and of La Soufrière has left pineapple crops damaged a shocking scene of by volcanic ash. dead livestock, ash- The Barbados covered crops, and Advocate contacted this damaged roads and Ministry yesterday and structures in the north was informed that a of the island. concise assessment and This week, the officials report has not been of the Ministry of arranged as yet as they Agriculture, Forestry, continue to collect data. Fisheries, Rural Officials explained that Transformation, Industry this occurred as the vol- and Labour conducted a cano is still active and visual assessment and erupting. tour of the volcano’s devas- tation with the media and Care packages being stakeholders. created for shelters St. Vincent and the SVG’s Minister Caesar Grenadines’ (SVG) announced during his tour Minister of Agriculture, that 300 pounds of pump- Saboto Caesar,travelled to kin from the private agri- the windward side of the cultural sector will be de- island and saw first-hand livered to the local shel- Minister of Agriculture, Saboto Caesar, examining some of the crop damage caused by La Soufrière in the the destruction caused by ters. He explained that on red zone of St. Vincent. recent volcanic activity. his way to the red zone, His team captured images the produce will be deliv- security and we are really programme. Caesar ex- Despite the destruction vessels, transported pro- of collapsed storage tanks ered to the shelters to be encouraging other farmers pressed his appreciation caused by La Soufrière duce to the twin-island. and roofs, streets filled distributed to the villages. to participate in this pro- to the farmers who are to the agricultural sector, The crops included with several inches of ash “It is all a part of food gramme.