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Human nature being what it is, we all have feelings and opinions about how things could be done better, or quicker. I've seen for myself that Montserratians are commendably eager to be involved in the debate about the development of the island. There was a useful session earlier this month to discuss plans for Little Bay and there will be other opportunities to feed in to the process now going forward there. I hope that you can all take some time during this joyous festival to give thanks for all who are involved in shaping the way ahead in this beloved Emerald Isle.
Just a few weeks ago, I met Sir George and Lady Martin at Government House. They shared with me their pride and hope about the state of the art cultural centre in Little Bay. This building has just entered the construction phase. The story of the conception of the vision and the fundraising is an inspiring one. I am glad that this vision is now to materialise, all the more so as I have been extremely impressed with the calibre of the island's cultural performances since my arrival.
The 7 months since I arrived in May have passed quickly. You have all made me feel very much at home, particularly the children and teenagers whose greetings as I walk and drive around the island I have very much appreciated. Thank you also to them for their involvement, as brownies and guides, path finders, cubs and scouts, cadets in the defence force, in the ceremonial events that mark the rhythm of the Governor's year.
I drafted the message, which you are now hearing on International Migrants' day. As a migrant myself, I take this opportunity to wish well all the other migrants to the island. I am thinking of those who have heard the call for human resources to help Montserrat and are making a contribution to our health services as nurses, to our education delivery as teachers, to our public service and to our police, to name a few examples.
There is not time now to mention all the events that have impressed me over the last 7 months. I would like to mention one of the more recent events - the dedication of our new prison, built with the help from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. The rule of law is important in any society and a prison is a necessity. Montserrat now has an adequate facility. It has allowed for the return of prisoners who had to be sent overseas when we lacked the proper facilities. Special thanks to all our Prison Officers for their hard and often unrewarding work. Thanks also for those who work in a voluntary and professional capacity to prepare prisoners for an eventual transition back to being contributing members of society. And check out the model, which the prisoners have made of the Plymouth war memorial, on display at Carr's Bay. I can't speak to you all without mentioning the volcano. It has been very quiet since I arrived on island. I know that this has been a relief to all of you. The scientists tell us, though, that the volcano is on "pause" rather than "stop" and that the criteria, which would allow us to say that the present bout of activity is at an end, have not been met.
I would like to thank the scientists and staff at the MVO for their vigilance in monitoring the volcano, especially during the recent bouts of heavy rain which have caused life threatening mudflows. All this work on their part, and the contribution which other scientist make to our twice yearly Scientific Advisory Committee meetings allow us to live safely side by side with the volcano. 2004 saw the opening up of what was formerly the Daytime Entry Zone. The free access to these parts of Montserrat has, I know, been widely welcomed. Please, though, be careful when you are in those areas. While the threat from the volcano is judged low, there are health and safety issues, which you need to be aware of. There has been no upkeep of roads for years. Buildings, roads and the earth itself in places are not stable, there are no funds for restoring utilities anytime in the foreseeable future. Please be careful. Take special care when crossing the Belham river valley during this rainy period, and please ensure that all our guests on the island take the warning to heart. A bridge is planned for the first half of 2005, which should make crossing less hazardous.
Next year sees the tenth anniversary of volcanic activity. A scientific conference is planned for July and we hope that the island will be hosting a large number of scientists, coming here to learn from Montserrat's experiences.
The 2004 hurricane season saw devastation and damage to other Caribbean countries. Montserrat was quick to respond with monetary contributions and, importantly, through contributions from those best placed to help. Thanks to those who went over to Grenada from the Emergency Operation Centre, the National Defence Force, the prison services, and from MONLEC. I was proud of the spontaneous and swift reaction to help those in need with your hard won experience.
There's plenty to look forward to over Christmas and the New Year; my congratulations to all planning and delivering the Festival. Let's not forget all the supporting services for their work during the high demand period we are now in and throughout the year. I'm thinking of those who work with MONLEC, with the water authority, the fire and police services, all the public service employees serving our hospital and clinics and the islands' civil servants. We are all quick to complain when things go wrong; how about a New Year resolution to thank for a job well done.
My husband Dick and I and my daughters, Jennifer and Hilary, wish you all a joyful Christmas and a Happy New Year.
The Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) on Montserrat presents their Volcanic Activity Preliminary Statement (issued on 30 September 2004):During the six months since the Committee last met, Soufriere Hills Volcano has been in a relatively quiet state with no new dome growth. On 3 March 2004 there was a collapse and explosion event that was followed by a period of heightened activity, involving ash production, seismic tremor and gas emission, which then decayed gradually over a period of two months. From May to September 2004 there were only a few visible indications of activity at the surface of the volcano such as the gas plume. However, whilst seismicity and gas emissions over this period were low, there have been clear and convincing indications from the GPS network of deep-seated inflation.
At this meeting we have re-evaluated the criteria concerning our judgement as to whether the eruption has finished or not, based on measurements and observations made by MVO. The criteria introduced at our last meeting concerning the levels of gas emission, seismicity and surface deformation have been retained, but slightly modified for seismicity and deformation, following scientific discussion. Testing the criteria against the measurements made over the last year leads us to conclude that the eruption has not yet stopped. There is a very low likelihood that this interpretation is mistaken.
Risks to people living in the occupied areas, including the former DTEZ, remain low and there are no new specific concerns. The main risks faced by people anywhere in the Exclusion Zone would come from a sudden onset of explosions before they could evacuate. We have evaluated these risks and will present the results in the Main Report which will be available mid October. ENDS
Picture shows the latest risk map which is reproduced here for information.
Montserrat is the 105th government and second U.K. overseas territory to be assigned a rating from Standard & Poor's Sovereign Ratings group. The ratings on Montserrat reflect the strong and unwavering financial support of the U.K. (AAA/Stable/A-1+). Since the Soufriere Hills volcano erupted in 1995, Her Majesty's Government and the European Union have provided, on average, 56.6% of Montserrat's operating revenues and 100% of its capital budget. Standard & Poor's expects this high level of official transfers to continue for the medium term in accordance with Montserrat's Country Policy Plan (CPP). Because of these grants, the government of Montserrat is in net creditor position.
The ratings are constrained by the threats of natural disaster and the considerable challenges in rebuilding an economy that can produce and export goods and services to fund the large import needs. The last major eruption of the Soufriere Hills volcano was in 2003, and it still spews ash occasionally. Its past activities destroyed the then - capital city of Plymouth, forced residents to occupy the unaffected one - third of the island, and led to emigration that reduced the island's population by more than half to its current 4500. In addition, Montserrat, like all Caribbean islands, is in a hurricane belt. The authorities have addressed these natural disaster threats by installing one of the world's leading volcanic observatories under the management of the British Geological Survey, which has in place a sophisticated early warning system, and by strengthening its building code in the aftermath of Hurricane Hugo, which ravaged the island in 1989.
In 2004, the local government, in agreement with the U.K., developed the second phase of the CPP for 2004 - 2007. "The CPP sets out a robust plan for the island to rebuild the economy and regain the self - sufficiency that this British overseas territory enjoyed prior to the volcanic eruption," explained Standard & Poor's credit analyst Roberto Sifon - Arevalo. "Standard & Poor's expects private-sector activity to pick up sharply upon completion of the new airport this quarter, the improvements to port facilities to accommodate small cruise ships, and the development of a town centre in the Little Bay area. These improvements, combined with other private-sector initiatives, should enable the government to replace the budgetary and development aid gradually with revenue - generating activities," he added.
As the private sector increases its shares of Montserrat's growth and as the CPP is implemented in a timely and effective manner, the ratings on Montserrat will likely be raised.
Complete ratings information is available to subscribers of RatingsDirect, Standard & Poor's Web - based credit analysis system, at www.ratingsdirect.com. All ratings affected by this rating action can be found on Standard & Poor's public Web site at www.standardandpoors.com; under Credit Ratings in the left navigation bar, select Find a Rating, then Credit Ratings Search.
Thanks to a Small Grant from the Governor's Office a number of elderly persons in the community will get computer training on state of the art equipment.The DFID Small Grants Scheme administered by the Governor's Office provided EC20,000 for the purchase of the equipment which is sited at the Lookout Community Centre adjacent to the warden assisted homes for the elderly in the village.
The equipment was handed over to the Community Centre on Wednesday 20 October by Her Excellency the Governor, Mrs Deborah Barnes Jones. She told the 100 or so elderly people gathered for the ceremony that the project had been the initiative of the previous Governor who had persuaded Jim Lee's Computer Services that the project was a viable one.
The local computer company had provided four computers, fully loaded and interconnected through one printer and had agreed to carry out the training for the elderly. Owner and operator of the company, Mr Jim Lee had invested some of his own money into the project as has Mr George Lee of the "Jazz with George" programme on ZJB who had provided some of the computer programmes.
The Governor commended both and congratulated them on their community spirit. She went on to say that the project would help the elderly to keep in touch with their families overseas through e-mails and the internet. Cable & Wireless has kindly provided this service for the elderly.
The ceremony was also addressed by Bernadine Collins of the Community Services Deapartment who pointed out the benefits of having the elderly computer literate. Following the cutting of the ribbon to the new computer room, several of those present couldn't wait to try out the new equipment and Jim Lee was busy almost immediately showing the ropes to those who have volunteered for the training.
Picture shows H.E. the Governor, Mrs Deborah Barnes Jones, cutting the ribbon for the new computer room
Ground-breaking work to investigate the migratory movements of marine turtles in Montserrat began on Wednesday night. John Jeffers and Dennison Daley from Government of Montserrat and a visiting UK turtle biologist, Dr. Brendan Godley, attached a satellite transmitter to "Montserrat", a 150kg female green turtle, while she was ashore on Woodlands Bay to nest (see photo). The transmitter will enable her migratory movements to be logged from space and followed live on the internet at http://www.seaturtle.org/tracking.The satellite tracking is part of a 2-year UK Government funded OTEP project co-ordinated by staff from the University of Exeter in Cornwall's, Marine Turtle Research Group in association with the UK's Marine Conservation Society. The project involves a coalition of organisations in Anguilla, Ascension Island, British Indian Ocean Territory, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Montserrat and the Turks and Caicos Islands and aims to continue to build upon existing capacity for management of marine turtles and their habitats in tandem with extensive awareness raising activities. Project partners in Montserrat are Government of Montserrat and the National Trust.
"We have been working for over 20 years to find out about the turtles nesting on our shores but this is the first time we have been able to gain insights as to where turtles nesting in Montserrat might live. It is most exciting." said Mr. John Jeffers of Montserrat's Department of Fisheries and long term co-ordinator of the sea turtle monitoring project.
"Through this project we will start to chip away at some of the great unknowns in the biology of marine turtles in each of but, perhaps more importantly, we hope to raise awareness as to how, given their migratory nature, that a regional approach to their conservation must be taken" said Dr Brendan Godley of the Marine Turtle Research Group. "In addition, in global terms the vast majority of the UK's biodiversity is contained within the small and relatively under-resourced islands such as Montserrat. We hope to highlight this importance both to attract further conservation funding and lend support to the burgeoning ecotourism sector. Nature tourism holds potential as part of a stronger economic future in Montserrat."
"The nesting turtle populations in Montserrat and the other UK Overseas Territories in the Caribbean are critically small following hundreds of years of harvest, and finding out which nations share responsibility of nesting populations is a great start towards an integrated conservation strategy " said Dr. Godley.
"We very much hope that the public both at home and further afield will log on to the tracking pages and follow "Montserrat"" added Mr. Jeffers.
The Royal Navy's HMS Richmond visited Montserrat on 26 / 27 September for a courtesy call. The ship under the command of Commander Mike McCartain is a Type 23 Duke Class Anti Submarine Warfare Frigate with 170 Officers and Crew on board.HMS Richmond was built in 1993 and is based in Portsmouth, England as a member of the Navy's Fourth Frigate Squadron. At the present time she is on the Atlantic Patrol Task (North) and serves for the most part in Caribbean waters.
Prior to coming to Montserrat, HMS Richmond was involved in hurricane relief in Grenada and the Cayman Islands. In addition, the ships carries out anti-drugs patrols in and around Caribbean waters.
Whilst in Montserrat the Commanding Officer spoke to 5th form students at the Montserrat Secondary School and hosted a group of them on board. The ship was also briefed on the status of the volcano and crew members took the opportunity to tour the island and play some sports.
A group of 20 volunteer crew members came ashore to help the local Girl Guides Association clear the site of their new headquarters in Davy Hill and this was greatly appreciated by the local group.
The helicopter based on board the ship assisted the RMPF in their anti-drug measures with an overflight of the island. Over 2000 marijuana plants were spotted from the air and were later destroyed by Police Officers.
Economic growth refers to increases in real per capita income. This means that on average citizens have realized increases in their real wages i.e. they are earning more.
In the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union (ECCU), the growth rate of the Gross National Product (also referred to as the GNP) is the primary indicator of the status of the economies of the member countries. It is made up of consumer and government purchases, private domestic and foreign investment in the country and the total value of exports.
A country's rate of economic growth depends on the rate of growth of its resources and on the rate of improvement in its techniques of production and or technology. The upper limit is set by the quantity and quality of its real resources, which are labour, capital and natural resources.
In the ECCU with limited capital and natural resources, labour is the variable that we can adjust. Hence to a large extent economic growth in the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB) member territories is dependent upon the quality of our labour force.
US-VISIT procedures are in force at air and sea ports of entry and require all British Citizens between the ages of 14 and 79 traveling under the VWP to have their two index fingers scanned by an inkless fingerscanning device and a digital facial photograph taken when they arrive. The left index finger will be scanned first followed by the right one. The entire process is expected to take less than 15 seconds.
It is also expected that eventually similar exit procedures will be introduced for all visitors when leaving the USA. These will be phased in over the next few months.
British Citizens who do not have a Machine Readable Passports (MRP) will no longer be able to travel under the VWP and must apply for a US Entry Visa in the normal manner.
Projects are invited but proposals must contribute to the implementation of the Overseas Territories Environment Charters. In the case of those Territories that do not have Environment Charters, proposals must comply with the core Charter principles.
When completing application forms, applicants are strongly advised to refer to a copy of the Charter for the Territory (or Territories) for which the project is proposed. Copies of Charters for individual Territories can be found here.
However, it must be remembered that OTEP is not intended to substitute for activities that would normally fall to an Overseas Territory government's core functions.
Who can apply to the scheme? These include:
- Overseas Territories governments; NGOs; community-based organisations; individuals; educational institutions; private sector. Bids may also be submitted by UK-based organisations, NGOs and academic institutions provided that they have been developed in collaboration with partners in the Territories. Bids will be assessed on a competitive basis.
All UK Overseas Territories are eligible to apply to OTEP.
What is the length and amount of funding available?
- To fit in with UK government expenditure cycles, projects of one or two year's duration would be preferable.
- £3m has been allocated to OTEP over 3 years up until March 2007.
- Any project costing more than £50,000 per year would be considered exceptional.
- Separate budget lines for unspecified contingencies are not acceptable.
Further information is available from the Governor's Office (telephone 491 2688), which will act as:
- A focal point for project applicants and implementers.
- Provide a Territory overview to OTEP managers.
- Filter each project bid and provide comments to inform the assessment panel.
- Contribute to project monitoring, evaluation and publicity activities.
The National Development Foundation (NDF) of Montserrat, one of the island's leading training providers, continues its training programme to enhance Montserrat's tourism product.Recently two Montserratians, Karen Allen and Eula Kirnon, returned from Antigua where they were participants in a course in massage and beauty therapy which was conducted by Karen Perry, the Owner / Manager of Touch Therapies.
The 19 day course contained lessons in anatomy, physiology, reflexology, aromatherapy, facials and massage techniques. Massage is one of the oldest healing arts dating back some 3,000 years.
The two Montserratians participation came about from NDF sponsorship and through funding from the Caribbean Regional HRD Programme for Economic Competitiveness.
The two are expected to offer massage and other services to persons on island and visitors by the end of November.
Additionally, five persons from the Tropical Mansion Suites Hotel are also recent recipients of NDF training programmes through weekly attachments at the Jolly Harbour Resort in Antigua where they were attached to areas of their discipline within the hotel industry. All have now retuened to Montserrat and are putting their talents to use at their own hotel.
Massage has been shown to heal stress - picture shows Ms Kirnon practicing her skills on Ms Allen.