Guyana

Guyana’s Exxon ruling can stymie risky exploration

Amy Westervelt 17 May 2023

Ruling requiring ‘unlimited guarantee’ from oil firms to cover costs of spills could change offshore drilling across the region.

A ruling from Guyana’s high court could change the face of offshore oil drilling throughout the Caribbean, according to financial and legal analysts.

The ruling ordered the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to require an independent liability insurance policy from Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL) and an “unlimited guarantee” from its parent company, ExxonMobil, in the case of any damage caused by the company’s oil and gas development in the country.

“ExxonMobil Guyana and our Stabroek block co-venturers have adequate and appropriate insurance and proposed guarantees in an amount that exceeds industry precedents and an estimate of potential liability,” Exxon said

The $600m (£481m) insurance policy EEPGL holds from Exxon’s wholly owned subsidiary Ancon UK Ltd, and its $2bn parent company guarantee is well below the potential cost of damages for a catastrophic event, however.

“BP has said it spent $69bn to meet its obligations after [the 2010] Deepwater [Horizon spill],” said Tom Sanzillo, at the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis.

That sum included the cost of immediate response and cleanup, economic claims from residents, fishing and tourism businesses affected by the spill, legal settlements and restoration.

The environmental impact assessment for the project in the Guyana case, the first of five Exxon well sites permitted there so far, found that a catastrophic well event could carry oil to 12 different Caribbean islands.

“These are countries whose economies rely heavily on tourism and fishing. Damages could be in the tens of billions, or more. Guyana taxpayers are currently exposed.”

Justice Sandil Kissoon ruled that it should be the company, not the country, that takes on that risk and that the law is clear on this requirement. Exxon Guyana’s president, Alistair Routledge, has made such assurances verbally, saying in an interview last year that “there is no limit to what we would do to respond” to an oil spill.

Such a guarantee would be unusual in the oil industry. In Exxon’s home country,  while liability for immediate offshore oil spill cleanup is unlimited, liability for the resultant damages is capped at $167.8m. BP’s $69bn payout came from a mix of legal settlements it was required to pay and voluntary payments.

Guyana’s government, which has been supportive of Exxon to date, issued statements about the negative impacts the ruling would have if it stands.

“The ruling can have profound ramifications and grave economic and other impacts on the public interest and national development,” attorney-general, Mohabir Anil Nandlall, said.

International experts in the offshore industry also responded. Elmer Danenberger, a former US Department of Interior engineer who consulted for the National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill, wrote of the ruling:

“Unlimited liability is a rather daunting and open-ended obligation that would trouble permittees in any industry.”

Since news of the ruling broke, Exxon’s stock price has dropped more than $10, a nearly 12% decline in two weeks.

Environmental lawyers are looking to the case for inspiration. “Lawyers from around the world who are fighting oil and gas, off the coasts of southern Africa, off the coast of Mozambique, and in other places in the Caribbean are going to be looking at this decision and paying close attention to whether the financial guarantees being provided in other oil and gas exploration and development permits are at an equivalent level,” said Carroll Muffett, CEO and president of the Center for International Environmental Law.

The ruling prompted two new shareholder resolutions proposed in the leadup to Exxon’s annual meeting on 31 May. One seeks disclosures that would allow investors to better evaluate the scope of potential liability associated with a worst-case spill. The other requests an actuarial assessment of the potential cumulative risk to Exxon from current environment-related litigation against the company and its affiliates, including the recent ruling, which is one of seven cases the company is facing in Guyana .

Guyana’s EPA lodged an appeal against the ruling. If overturned, the plaintiffs will probably appeal against that decision to the Caribbean Court of Justice, whose justices would then hold the fate of oil drilling in the region in their hands.

 

 

NGC

State-owned gas company of Trinidad & Tobago, NGC signed a memorandum of understanding with a consortium comprising Globus Energy, Corban Energy, and Chester LNG to identify and screen technologies for micro and small-scale LNG development projects in the Caribbean. NGC said,

“This MOU signing signals the commitment of all the companies involved to explore viable solutions to effectively manage energy security and low-carbon energy transition, and potentially expand the use of LNG across the region. Micro and small-scale LNG projects can “positively contribute to creating a cleaner energy mix for the region, as well as support climate change action within the Caribbean.””

The memorandum provides an opportunity to explore the feasibility of small-scale LNG projects, as well as the possibility of sourcing the LNG supply from gas reserves locally and across the region, to deepen and expand the value chain. Beyond a focus on small-scale LNG projects, the memorandum will also look at any new opportunities and initiatives where NGC and the consortium may deepen their collaboration.

NGC is a shareholder in Trinidad and Tobago’s LNG producer Atlantic LNG, the owner of the Point Fortin plant. US-based Corban Energy builds bulk storage tanks and ISO tanks, while Chester LNG manufactures small-scale modular plants and fueling stations.

 

 

IDB
Caribbean businesses need more innovation and productivity

2023 05 17

In a new report, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) is urging Caribbean governments to focus on policies that facilitate businesses’ efforts to innovate and improve productivity. The IDB said the policies should focus on the constraints expressed by business owners themselves through enterprise surveys conducted in the region.

The report titled “ Reflections on Innovation and Productivity as Caribbean Businesses Emerge from the Pandemic, ” addressed the question of whether the Caribbean would return to the slow long-run growth of the pre-COVID-19) pandemic period.

The Compete Caribbean Partnership Facility, a multi-donor, private-sector development programme financed by the IDB, the governments of the United Kingdom and Canada, and the Barbados-based Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), collected business-level data from nearly 2,000 firms across 13 Caribbean countries. The report includes an overview of the past performance in terms of economic growth and productivity. It describes the Compete Caribbean data and summarizes recent research papers analyzing that data and conclusions from that research.

The country sections draw on the Compete Caribbean database to describe the country level challenges facing firms in The Bahamas, Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago.    According to key findings of the report, pre-pandemic economic growth performance was relatively poor. In the 20 years prior to the pandemic, the average growth rate was far below the average for low- and middle-income countries. The average growth gap varies from two to five percentage points. Commodity exporters grew faster than tourism-oriented economies, although that advantage faded during the second decade of the century.

Behind this low growth was poor performance in aggregate measures of productivity.
Innovation plays a key role in spurring productivity as well as a gender-inclusive dimension.

“Overall, the evidence shows that while proactive innovation positively affects business productivity and efficiency, innovations implemented in response to pressing external shocks (like the COVID-19 pandemic) do not necessarily generate gains in terms of efficiency.

“This insight points to the relevance of policies geared to continuously promote technological adoption and business innovations across the entire business cycle. The evidence also reveals that, while the pandemic shock affected employment differentially by gender, policies aimed at limiting female unemployment are not only needed for equity but also are effective at improving productivity.”

The evidence presented shows that firms that effectively mitigated female employment losses, were also more successful in limiting productivity losses.

Country sections use the dataset to document the specific productivity challenges of each country.

While access to finance and infrastructure challenges, such as electricity and telecoms, are common across countries, the depth of those challenges varies and other specific issues emerge for each country.

“Business owners and managers face their own unique challenges depending on the country to improve the performance of their companies, both large and small.”

Overall, this report reveals the importance of data and analysis to unlock the key determinants of productivity and innovation in the region. The abundant datasets in the book are publicly available here.

“We hope that Caribbean researchers and policymakers will draw on this database, as a regional public good, that can improve economic policy design across the region.” said David Rosenblatt, the Regional Economic Advisor for the IDB’s Caribbean Department.

 

 

WASHINGTON

May 17, CMC

Small Oil Producers Like Ghana, Guyana and Suriname Could Gain As Buyers Shun Russian Crude

As the U.S. and Europe cut back purchases of Russian oil, and energy traders shun it for fear of sanctions, the search is on for other sources. Attention has focused on Iran and Venezuela, both of which are led by governments that the U.S. sought until

 

 

Suriname

Two offshore blocks open exploration doors for QatarEnergy

MAY 9, 2023, BY MELISA CAVCIC

State-owned energy giant QatarEnergy entered production sharing contracts (PSCs) for two blocks offshore Suriname, following previous successful bids for these blocks.

In June 2021, Chevron and a consortium of TotalEnergies and QatarEnergy submitted winning bids for blocks offered in the Suriname Shallow Offshore (SHO) Bid Round 2020/2021, which closed for bidding on 30 April. This enabled Chevron to obtain a stake in Block 5, while the joint venture between TotalEnergies and QatarEnergy acquired interests in Block 6 and Block 8.

Thanks to the inked PSC deals, QatarEnergy will own a 20 per cent working interest in both of these blocks, where licensing of the new 3D seismic and associated exploration activities are planned. On the other hand, the remaining working interest is shared equally between TotalEnergies, as the operator of the blocks, and Staatsolie’s affiliate, Paradise Oil Company.

These PSC contracts, and other relevant agreements, were signed on behalf of QatarEnergy by Ali Abdulla Al-Mana, Manager of International Upstream & Exploration, during a ceremony hosted by Staatsolie, Suriname’s state-controlled oil company, in Paramaribo, the capital.

Commenting on this, Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, Minister of State for Energy Affairs, President and CEO of QatarEnergy, remarked: “We are pleased to have concluded our entry into blocks 6 and 8 along with our partners, TotalEnergies and Staatsolie, and look forward to commencing exploration in this promising basin. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Surinamese authorities, Staatsolie, and our strategic partner TotalEnergies for their excellent commitment and support that resulted in the signing of these agreements.”

Located in the southern part offshore Suriname in shallow waters, with depths ranging between 40 and 65 meters, the adjacent blocks 6 and 8 are situated immediately south of Block 58, where TotalEnergies and its partner APA Corporation completed the drilling and a flow test at an appraisal well in February 2023, encountering oil and adding additional resource potential towards establishing a black oil development hub.

QatarEnergy has been expanding its portfolio and to this end, Qatar’s giant entered an agreement with Shell to buy a partial interest in a block located off the coast of Mauritania. The company also entered into a farm-in agreement for two exploration licenses offshore Newfoundland and Labrador in Canada with ExxonMobil.

Qatar’s oil and gas player wrapped up the acquisition of a partial interest in two offshore blocks located in Lebanese waters in January 2023.

Suriname

QatarEnergy enters offshore exploration

10 May 2023

QatarEnergy entered into two Production Sharing Contracts for Blocks 6 & 8 offshore, following successful bids in these blocks in 2021.

Pursuant to the signed agreements, QatarEnergy will own a 20% working interest in both blocks, where licensing of the new 3D seismic and associated exploration activities are planned. The remaining working interest is shared equally between TotalEnergies (Operator) and Staatsolie’s affiliate, Paradise Oil Company.

Commenting , His Excellency Mr. Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, the Minister of State for Energy Affairs, the President and CEO of QatarEnergy, said: ‘We are pleased to have concluded our entry into Blocks 6 and 8 along with our partners, TotalEnergies and Staatsolie, and look forward to commencing exploration in this promising basin.’

His Excellency Minister Al-Kaabi added: ‘I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Surinamese authorities, Staatsolie, and our strategic partner TotalEnergies for their excellent commitment and support that resulted in the signing of these agreements.’

The contracts and other key agreements, were signed on behalf of QatarEnergy by Mr. Ali Abdulla Al-Mana, Manager of International Upstream & Exploration during a ceremony hosted by Staatsolie, Suriname’s State Oil Company in Paramaribo, the capital. Located in the Southern part of offshore Suriname, the adjacent Blocks 6 and 8 lie immediately South of Block 58 in shallow waters, with depths between 40 and 65 meters.

Source: QatarEnergy

 

Jamaica

May 5th 2023

Minister of Legal and Constitutional Affairs Marlene Malahoo Forte said Jamaica will proceed with plans to reshape the constitution by introducing a bill to sever ties with the British monarchy.

“While the United Kingdom is celebrating the coronation of the King, that is for the United Kingdom. Jamaica is looking to write a new constitution… which will sever ties with the monarch as our head of state. My government is saying we have to do it now.” It’s “time to say goodbye” to the British crown.

Government will be introducing a bill aimed at making Jamaica a republic and a referendum would give Jamaicans the final say. A recent poll found that majorities in almost half of British Commonwealth countries – including Jamaica – would vote to become republics if given the opportunity.

A British colony since 1655, Jamaica was granted independence in 1962. Jamaican political leaders at the time rejected republicanism in favor of becoming a Commonwealth realm with Queen Elizabeth II as head of state. Successive Jamaican governments have promised to replace the monarch with a president, but all have either been defeated by pro-Commonwealth opponents or left office before fulfilling their promise.

Although most Jamaicans now favor republicanism, many “had warm affection and identified with Queen Elizabeth II. But they do not identify with King Charles. He is as foreign as it gets to us. Plain and simple.“ Republicanism, “is about us saying goodbye to a form of government that is linked to a painful past of colonialism and the transatlantic slave trade.”

Prime Minister of Belize Johnny Briceno said his country would ”quite likely“ be the next to become a republic and had ”no excitement” for King Charles III’s coronation. 12 Commonwealth countries, including Australia, New Zealand, The Bahamas, and Canada seek an apology for the Royal Family’s ties in the slave trade.

The Caribbean region inherited 113 million acres with public facilities and industries including energy, mining and agriculture. Addicted to aid they remain in the Commonwealth to enjoy benefits. Many contribute to the economy but a large community is involved in drugs, gangs and other crimes.

 

Jamaican exam commission: CXC leak unscrupulous

The regulatory board for exams in Jamaica, the Overseas Examinations Commission (OEC) is “relentlessly” investigating the “unscrupulous behaviour” which led to the CSEC Maths Paper II being leaked and subsequently scrapped. Those who try to “jeopardise the future of our region’s youth” will be held accountable. On May 17, the day of the exam, the paper was leaked and circulated online.

On May 19, CXC registrar Wayne Wesley announced the paper was being scrapped. Marks will now be used from the Paper I exam – set for June 13 – and marks from Paper III (school-based assessments) to determine students’ overall grade this year.

The leak had been traced to an exam centre in Jamaica. The OEC – a statutory board of the Jamaican government – said a thorough investigation is underway. It is “reviewing and evaluating the regrettable situation to prevent a recurrence.

“The OEC takes this opportunity to remind all candidates about the importance of ethical behaviour and the potentially life-changing consequences of dishonesty. The actions of those who obtained a copy of the test have undermined the hard work and dedication of students and teachers who have dedicated years of preparation to this examination.”

Affected students will never know the true results of their efforts and sacrifices “and are indeed victims of the poor choices of a wayward few.”

The commission said it will continue to improve systems and processes, and apologised to all affected by the leak.

“We know how hard you have worked and how much this exam means to you and your academic pursuits. You do not deserve this. The OEC is dedicating our efforts to ensuring that your final grades are fair and accurate. Fairness and maintaining the integrity of the examination process are our top priorities.”

Jamaica’s Education Ministry is yet to comment on the incident.

 

 

Jamaica wins aid from Britain

2023 05 22

Jamaica will benefit from a five-year partnership with tax-funded British Council aimed at enhancing cooperation in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM). A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), which will guide the arrangement, was signed between the acting Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education and Youth, Maureen Dwyer; Executive Director, National Education Trust (NET), Latoya Harris Ghartey; and Country Director, Jamaica and the Caribbean Islands, British Council, Damion Campbell.

Dwyer said the signing represents an expansion of the relationship with the British Council as it relates to STEAM and Science Technology Education and Mathematics (STEM) education.

“Just last year, a study was conducted in the Jamaican education sector to see how well prepared we are for teaching methodologies related to STEM as well as the teaching of STEM itself. The British Council sponsored that research and when the results were collated, they presented it to us,” she said.

A team of local educators conducted a successful tour of the British education system and “we learned a lot [which will inform] our thrust now to build seven STEM schools in Jamaica. What they have done now with the signing …is to expand the relationship to other areas to see how well they can continue to support us both in training and in our build-out of the infrastructure. So, we are very pleased for this partnership and we are looking forward to what it brings.”

Campbell said that the collaboration will create more educational opportunities for young people.

“For the Council, it means we are able to connect more young people in the UK with Jamaica to share their experiences, expertise, open up their understanding to a more global world but more through the lens of what STEAM education is.”

The UWI, founded in Jamaica in 1948, in 1960 acquired the Imperial College of Tropical Agriculture as the Faculty of Agriculture in Trinidad, where the Faculty of Engineering was built and both faculties formed the campus at St Augustine to pioneer STEM degrees for regional students.

 

 

 

Trinidad & Tobago

Energy talks with US officials

Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley and Energy Minister Stuart Young discussed energy security with US officials at the White House, Eisenhower Executive Office Building in Washington, DC.

The Office of the Prime Minister said Dr Rowley and Young met a special presidential adviser for the Americas Chris Dodd, State Department senior adviser for energy security Amos Hochstein, special assistant to the President and NSC senior director for the western hemisphere Juan Gonzalez, and Eric Jacobson of the Office of Vice President.

After extensive discussions on progressing TT’s energy security and the potential effects on Caricom and the wider Americas, the parties agreed to continue working to secure energy stability for the region.

President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Rowley on 13 May received honorary doctor of letters degrees from Howard University in Washington DC . In delivering the commencement speech at the university’s convocation ceremony held at the Capital One Arena, Biden congratulated Rowley and praised TT as one of the US’ strongest partners in the Caribbean.

 

 

Howard silent on degree controversy

2023 05 16

Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley received the honorary degree Doctor of Letters from Howard University at the institution’s 155th Commencement Convocation Ceremony. Officials of Howard and its T&T born president Dr Wayne A. I. Frederick ignored criticisms of the controversial decision to award Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley an Honorary Doctorate.

The Office of University Communications received an inquiry to explain the rationale for Rowley’s selection and the criteria but President Frederick was not available for comment. Frederick, who received TT’s highest award, ORTT, in 2020, listed improvement to roads, increasing economic growth education funding and school repairs. Frederick erroneously stated that Rowley was the country’s first Prime Minister from Tobago, when the late ANR Robinson achieved that distinction in 1986.

This was the source of contention. Opposition Senator David Nakhid said Frederick, with whom he attended St Mary’s College, was “off the mark.” If the words uttered by Frederick in presenting the degree to Dr Rowley were his own creation, consequences must follow.

“If he thinks that Keith Rowley has done a fantastic job, if he wrote that script himself, then he should apologise to Trinidad and Tobago. He should give back the award that Rowley bestowed on him, Order of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and then take back that doctorate from Keith Christopher Rowley who not only doesn’t deserve a doctorate but, in my opinion, based on his behaviour in public office, should be facing charges for misbehaviour in public office.”

Princes Town MP Barry Padarath described the conferral of the degree as an attempt to prop up a failed leader with local government elections approaching.

Members of the public denounced the award. Then, on 18 May the UK Privy Council ruled against the Rowley-led government of Trinidad and Tobago, agreeing that extending the term of local government representatives by a year is unlawful. The government is regarded as condoning corruption which crashed the economy and normalises criminality, egregious lawlessness and violent crime with record murders.

As thousands are jobless, homeless and insecure, law-abiding citizens perish while the State Enterprises Sector of 55 companies squanders revenue..

 

 

Massy Holdings

2023 05 12

Massy profits rise 18.66% in first half

In his last report , chairman Robert Bermudez reported profit after tax from continuing operations increased by 18.66 per cent to $353.58 million (US$52.5 million) for the six months ended March 31 2023, compared to the same period in 2022. This represented a $55.62 million increase over its performance for the same period last year.

• Massy’s revenue for the period from October 1, 2022 to March 31, 2023 was $6.79 billion, a 10.64 per cent over the $6.14 billion the group generated for the same period in 2022.
• The chairman said strong profit before tax in its integrated retail portfolio of 20 per cent and in its motors and machines portfolio of 11 per cent compensated for the profit before tax decline in the gas products portfolio of 11 per cent in the first half of its 2023 financial year.
• For the six months ended March 31, 2023, integrated retail represented 65 per cent of Massy’s revenues and 59 per cent of its profit before tax.
• T&T represented 35 per cent of the group’s third-party revenue and 39 per cent of its profit before tax in the six months ended March 31, 2023.
• The first half of the 2023 financial tear was a very important period for the Massy Group strategically, financially and purposefully.

“In the first half of 2023, the group has initiated the redeployment of capital released from divestments in transformative acquisitions in its core portfolios. In December 2022, the Group acquired Rowe’s IGA supermarkets in Jacksonville Florida for US$47 million. Rowe’s acquisition is a major step in achieving the Group’s global vision and provides an excellent beachfront for further niche supermarket acquisitions in the Southeast United States.”

Bermudez revealed the group acquired Air Liquide’s operations in Trinidad for US$57 million in January.

That acquisition consolidated “the group’s position as the leading industrial gas manufacturer and distributor in the region with additional export opportunities to be tapped.”

The group is working with Jamaica’s Fair Trading Commission to get approval for the acquisition of IGL Jamaica. The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of 2023.

Massy signed a share purchase agreement last December to acquire IGL Jamaica for US$140 million.

Bermudez said the acquisition “will consolidate the group’s position as the leading industrial gas manufacturer and distributor in the region, with additional export opportunities to be tapped.”

He confirmed he is retiring and is to be replaced by former bpTT regional president, Robert Riley, later this year.

“ I retire from the position of chairman with great pride in what the organisation has achieved over the years and in its ability to stay resilient. I wish to take this opportunity to acknowledge the great work of all Massy’s past employees and leaders and thank all our current staff, executives, customers and suppliers for their commitment and dedication. The group would not have survived for 100 years and certainly would not be in this position of fortitude for another 100 years of purposeful growth without you all.”

Businessman Robert Bermudez of Trinidad and Tobago is the 6th Chancellor of The University of the West Indies. His seven-year term officially began on July 16, 2017. An entrepreneur for over 40 years, he led the growth of his family-owned business, to a regional business throughout the Caribbean and Latin America.

In a distinguished career in business, he served as either Chairman or Board Director for other corporate bodies in Trinidad and Tobago and the Caribbean. His vision for the University outlines a keen sense of the mission, effectiveness, relevance and interdependence of academia and the economy.

 

UWI

Wasting resources on politics, can UWI make money with economies stymied by record crime, corrosive corruption, abysmal governance, baleful bureaucracy, malevolent mismanagement and egregious tribalism?

Vice-chancellor Sir Hilary Beckles told the UWI Meeting of University Council open session he wants to change the financial reliance model of the university , with less dependency on the public.

“We believe that it is possible in the next five years to turn around the financial funding model of this university, so that our reliance upon the public revenue will be significantly diminished, while the university itself, in its own entrepreneurial activity, would generate far more resources than it has ever done in the past.”

He explained what an entrepreneurial university would look like and how it works, to generate entrepreneurial interest and activity in the market economy which will yield revenue. The concern now is the regional macroeconomic situation.

“We are hoping and wishing to contribute the best we can to a Caribbean economy that will find in the post-covid19 years more attractive levels of economic development and growth. This is what we are committed to.”

In the midst of the covid-19 pandemic and restrictions, the management and the leaders of the university looked at the future of the university and pushed on during the pandemic. UWI was able to demonstrate at several levels how it had built out access to higher education in the Caribbean.

“For many decades, it was argued that the university was underperforming in the sub-region of the Caribbean known as the OECS (Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States). The OECS and the states found themselves with the lowest enrolment in higher education among young people in the region.”

Those states were also in a financial bind, as their economy was experiencing the most “anaemic” growth. UWI decided to institute the UWI Five Islands Campus in Antigua and Barbuda. Beckles thanked the government of Antigua and Barbuda for investing in the campus.

At the end of this conversation, the government of Antigua and Barbuda was able to secure an US$80 million loan on very concessionary terms from the Saudi Development Fund. The agreement was signed on January 17 and Denzel Williams, principal and pro-vice chancellor, has already rolled out a master plan for the expansion of the campus featuring all the facilities of a modern university. The UWI Five Islands Campus will emerge as a state-of-the-art branch of The UWI.

“This is an excellent example of the university pushing access beyond traditional boundaries and frontiers.”

The Caribbean faces challenges of:

• • • climate change,
    • disaster mitigation and management,
    • diseases,
    • crime and security,
    • re-energising economic growth and
    • sustainable development goals advocacy.

UWI has been working tirelessly to bring awareness and to protect lives.

“This is how we have positioned the university. We took that strategic decision that the university must be on the vanguard and the frontier of all of these issues. Never let it be said that the voice of the UWI has not been heard on any major issue facing our people. This is the university that we have tried to create.”

UWI was at the centre of global conversations in the UN and beyond.

“We were able to establish the global institute for climate-smart and resilient development.. with international support and funding because we were able to recognise that the UWI is one of the few universities with decades of serious detailed analysis and publishing on matters relevant to climate change.”

UWI achieved 40 years of research on this matter .

On disaster mitigation and management, the UWI Seismic Research Unit gave St Vincent and the Grenadines timely scientific information before the eruption of La Soufriere volcano which saved lives.

UWI already had a covid-19 task force before TT’s first recorded covid19 case to take a deeper look at the arrival of the virus in the region.

“At the end of January, we were ready. We had mobilised our scientific community to begin public education to work with the ministries of health, various governments and Caricom. We had already mobilised the management of the necessary information with respect to this virus.”

Though it was a dark time, it was the “finest hour” for UWI, since its team saved many lives.

UWI has not finished dealing with issues facing the Caribbean. In the Virgin Islands, the British government tried to reaffirm direct control over the territory.

“We were able to stand up and say, ‘No, we are not supportive of strategies to re-establish direct colonial control of Caribbean countries.’ In fact, our university is committed to the decolonisation of the Caribbean. We are disturbed that there are still colonies in the Caribbean and that the process of decolonisation and indigenous nation-building is not yet complete and the Caribbean remains one of those parts of the world that can still be classified as a colonised place. The UWI finds this offensive. The UWI will continue fighting for this cause, especially with TT and Jamaica celebrating 60 years of independence.”

(The British Virgin Islands are an internally self-governing overseas territory of the United Kingdom. The United Nations Committee on Decolonization includes the islands on the United Nations list of Non-Self-Governing Territories. The Constitution of the Islands was amended in 2007.

• Executive power is exercised by the government.
• Legislative power is vested in both the government and the House of Assembly.
• The Judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature.
• Military defence is the responsibility of the United Kingdom.
• Islanders are British Overseas Territories citizens with full British citizenship.

In the parliamentary representative democratic dependency, with a multi-party system, the Premier is the head of government.

Any person in the Territory can stand as an at- large candidate and each voter would have four at- large votes in addition to their constituency vote.

The four at- large candidates who received the highest total number of votes are elected to the Legislative Council.)

[The UWI Vice Chancellor   should focus on his role to lead the UWI, whic is strangled by crime and inadequate funding].

 

University of Johannesburg honours UWI Vice-Chancellor

2023 05 22

In the presence of Professor Letlhokwa George Mpedi, its Vice-Chancellor and Principal, the University of Johannesburg conferred on Professor Sir Hilary Beckles, Vice-Chancellor of The University of the West Indies (UWI), the degree of Honorary Doctor of Letters at its Humanities convocation ceremony on May 9, 2023.

The UWI said, “It was an emotionally moving ceremony of celebration as university students from Soweto and elsewhere, and academics, thanked Sir Hilary for his lifelong work in the advancement of global justice and the bending of scholarship in the service of democracy.”

Professor Beckles was welcomed to Africa as a son who continues to fight for his people on both sides of the Atlantic.

The university orator noted that Professor Beckles “has emerged as an iconic leader of the global reparations movement, a distinguished Vice-Chancellor in the arena of strategic planning for higher education, a United Nations official for sustainable development advocacy and a world-renowned historian with honorary awards from many other universities. The combination of academic excellence, effective advocacy and insightful administration illustrates Sir Hilary’s intellectual versatility, passion and commitment for justice, and visionary leadership.”

Sir Hilary thanked the university for its kindness and generosity and felt proud to be a graduate of such an extraordinary institution. He accepted the honour on behalf of The UWI that admired the University of Johannesburg for its intellectual leadership and pioneering research for African development.

 

 

CARIRI

The Banking, Insurance and General Workers Union (BIGWU) claims workers at Cariri (the Caribbean Industrial Research Institute) had not had a salary increase for eight years. The union led workers in a peaceful protest at the Cariri building in UWI Trinidad to demand change.

“Today, workers of Cariri are planning to gather at the central office at UWI campus to stage a very peaceful protest to indicate to management that they are not willing to accept the lethargy and slowness with which they are operating regarding the current negotiations.

“Cariri (workers) have not had a settled collective agreement in over six years – that is two periods – and that is unacceptable to the workers and to the union.”

This was totally unacceptable for the Cariri management to fail even to lay down an offer to start the negotiations. 120 workers were affected by the impasse. BIGWU met three Cariri managers on four occasions and were anxiously awaiting their proposal. As a result of these stalled negotiations,the average Cariri worker was now out of pocket between 40-50 per cent…based on inflation over the last six years.”

“We hope the management understands how serious this situation is for the workers and stop dragging their feet and come to the table with a reasonable proposal that allows the union to conclude these negotiations in a fair and amicable way in the shortest time frame possible.”

Two types of complaints were made.

1. Exploitation of OJTs, on-the-job trainees doing substantive work in the bargaining unit are paid a minimal wage.
2. Cariri workers under negotiation were facing the same hardships as other workers in TT facing the same plight.

“They have to educate.. feed and clothe their children… pay rent and mortgages. .. fill their tanks at the gas station, after the exorbitant increases in gas prices after the last two national budgets. That is the pressure they are feeling… their standard of living – not that it was great six years ago – is being eroded. ..they have to come to meeting after meeting to hear ‘We don’t have a proposal for you.’ So you’re in pain but the people who can bring relief to you are simply ignoring your pain.”

The protest was “a wake-up call” to Cariri management and the Government. If the day’s protest did not significantly alter Cariri management’s position, “Then our protest would change from being peaceful and silent.”