 Welcome to NTN Nightly. I am General Norville. This edition stops stories. St. Lucia will soon be the first in the Eastern Caribbean region with an electronic public procurement application. The Youth Empowerment Project, yep, isended its support in strengthening the community after school program and countries across the globe celebrate World Hepatitis D. St. Lucia will soon lead the Eastern Caribbean region with the modernization of government's electronic public procurement application, EGP. The procurement software will make public procurement procedures faster and transparent, while improving the competitiveness of public procurement by private sector companies. More in this report from Glenn Simon. Acting Permanent Secretary and Director of Finance Esther Rigabet signed a five-year contract with British firm Intend Limited for the provision of an electronic government procurement application for the government of St. Lucia. The award of this contract marks the culmination of a sustained program of cooperation in the area of public procurement reform between the government of St. Lucia, the World Bank, and the Department of International Development, DFID, of the United Kingdom. But what exactly is public procurement? Anthony Jean, Assistant Director of Public Procurement, explains. Procurement involves a more strategic aspect of looking at the entire cycle of an acquisition of a good, its usage, and replacement if needs be. In defining the use of that product, of that product, good service, it's developing the right specifications to meet your desired outcome. With more than 500 institutions in over 100 countries around the world, Intend Limited is one of the world's leading providers of software as a solution, electronic government procurement application service providers. The service procured by St. Lucia will run the government's e-procurement application in the cloud, thus bringing the added advantage of climate resilience, as the hardware and software used on this platform will be beyond the reach of natural disasters such as hurricanes and floods. One of the key developers of that process required the automation of the procurement aspect, receiving tenders, coordinating with vendors and that sort of thing. We went the route of acquiring a software as a service, which is relatively new in this part of the world. E-procurement is a big thing in all modern jurisdictions, but normally what you see happening is people developing their own applications. Recently, last year, I think the government of Jamaica spent almost 2 million US in developing an e-procurement platform. We went a more firstly becoming popular route of doing a software as a service, whereas you simply subscribe to a service provider and you get all the functionality that you require. It is tailored to have a look and feel of your local environment. Government is the single largest buy of goods, services and works, making public procurement instrumental in poverty alleviation, promotion of good governance, enabling regional economic integration and international trade, including the implementation of national economic, social and environmental policies. However, before the electronic procurement system can be ruled out, the Director of Finance Esther Rigobot highlighted that it must be accompanied by reform of St. Lucia's procurement legislation and regulations. There's the legislative review and legislative framework that we are going to enhance and once that law is enacted, it would allow and stipulate what would be good governance for public procurement. So it's no longer going to be something that happens within the confines of government. It will be for the public to see, to read and to familiarize themselves with the requirements, the guidelines and procedures that will be applied to public procurement. The second aspect of the reform would actually be the system, the platform, after which persons would make submissions, whether it be bids or requests and it would be a very, very transparent process and very efficient as well. So that's our data, the data emanating from that system would allow for online real-time analysis of the data. She added that the new legislation and procurement guidelines will soon be available to the public by the government web portal, but for the system to be fully effective, persons must educate themselves on the new guidelines. So it's not just first to have new systems and it cannot be used efficiently or effectively. Persons must avail themselves of the information, familiarize themselves with the requirements, make the necessary inquiries and make sure they understand how it's to be used and make good use of it. Testing of the localized e-procurement system is expected for August this year with the pilot phase expected to go live by the end of September 2020. For the National Competitiveness and Productivity Council, Glenn Simon reporting. The Government of St. Glutia remains committed to the development of the south of the island. Prime Minister of St. Glutia, the Honourable Alan Sharsness, speaking recently at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for ITEL BPO, indicated that the Government is seeking to make a view for the engine of significant growth for the country. However, this cannot be done without the requisite infrastructural investments. Some of the infrastructural projects include the road rehabilitation project, the completion of the St. Jude Hospital, and several housing developments. As you know, we have just begun breaking ground on a $200 million U.S. airport redevelopment. So we're talking about building a brand-new airport facility. And I'm also, you would appreciate this that we are in the process of negotiating with the U.S. Government on getting pre-clearance facilities here in St. Glutia for that facility. We've also just recently opened up a brand-new FBO here for private planes. We have broken ground on a substantial water project, which is almost $60 million, to be able to expand the supply of water for the south. I think we're currently at 1.5 million gallons a day. We're going to about 4.5 million gallons of water a day. The Prime Minister indicated that residents of the south have had to travel to the north of the island seeking employment. This, he noted, has adversely impacted residents. However, by bringing investments to the south, this will aid in alleviating some of the challenges. So when I see some young people having to commute two hours every single day to go up north in order to be able to bring money back home to their family. So think of that four hours every day that they could have had at home, either spending time with their family or like many entrepreneurial young people in farming and generating additional revenue for their families. The time away from home and not being able to do and contribute to the development of their family here in the south. And those are the ones who look to commute. The other ones who decided they're going to live up north now have the additional cost of paying for rent, maintaining two households. And so therefore, their wealth that many solutions were looking for was being deprived of them. And so a large part of what we're attempting to do here in the south is people. It's about improving the quality of life of solutions. That was Prime Minister of St. Lucia, the Honourable Alan Sharsney. The Youth Empowerment Project is learning its support to the Community Services Unit and strengthening the Community After School Program. The YEP through appropriate integrated community-based transformation programs specifically targets young men of vulnerable groups, especially youth, women and children at risk. Shervoy Marius tells us more. The Youth Empowerment Project through the Ministry of Equity, Social Justice, Local Government and Empowerment is actively seeking to create solutions to address some of the social issues within communities in the grassroots region. This project, through appropriate integrated community-based transformation programs, will especially target young men, vulnerable groups, especially youth, women and children at risk. Project Coordinator of the Youth Empowerment Project, YEP, Johan Husbands, stated that community-based transformation programs under the YEP will assist the Community Services Unit of the Ministry in strengthening the existing Community After School Program and increase access for beneficiaries from Wilton's Yard, New Village, Kwonwi and Bernard Hill. Well, the Youth Empowerment Project is a project executed by the Ministry of Equity, Social Justice, Local Government and Empowerment, and one of its components is that of the integrated community-based transformation programs. And this particular program, it has the Community After School Program, where we are tasked to strengthen the existing Community After School Program, especially those in the Cassry Central Basin, and of course increase the access to the project beneficiaries of Wilton's Yard, New Village, Kwonwi and Bernard Hill, so that they could be an active part in the Community After School Program. Chief of the noted beneficiaries of the Community After School Program who are flagged will also receive assistance from literacy and numeracy professionals. Under the Youth Empowerment Project, we will have literacy and numeracy professionals or experts, guidance counselors who provide addiction services, life skills and trauma support, where flagged beneficiaries within the Community After School Program will receive the supportive assistance. Director of the Community Services Unit in the Ministry of Equity, James Avie, stated that although the Community After School Program has been operational for 10 years, YEP's input during this period in time is extremely important. At this point in time, it is extremely important to have YEP's input financially in particular because as you know, in light of COVID, government revenues have been severely depleted and so it's like a lifeline that we are having through the input of YEP into the program this year. One of the major roles that YEP is going to play is in terms of the evaluation and monitoring of the program because YEP is specifically charged with the strengthening of the program because as you would know, the programs have been running for 10 years and CDB's focus is to strengthen the program, particularly in the castries area. CASP coordinator Antonio René Marius welcomed the initiative and stated that to achieve these outcomes, the collaborative efforts will use an integrated base community approach to reach as many children as possible. Being able to tap into their resources is of great help. Normally, the community after-school program cannot afford to do all of that on its own so it's a community approach now for us, that's what we're trying to do so bring in as many partners as we can to reach as many children as we can. The Youth Empowerment Project YEP is financed through loans and grants facilitated by the Caribbean Development Bank and bonds facilitated by the government of St Lucia. The collaboration is expected to commence in September 2020. Reporting from the Ministry of Equity, Social Justice, Local Government and Empowerment, I am Chavre Marius. World Hepatitis Day is celebrated annually on the 28th of July to raise awareness of viral hepatitis which causes inflammation of the liver and can lead to cirrhosis and liver cancer. This year the theme of this day is Hepatitis Free Future. The focus is on the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of Hepatitis B. The Pan-American Health Organization, PAHO, urges countries to maintain essential prevention and treatment services for viral hepatitis during the COVID-19 pandemic so as not to jeopardize progress towards its elimination. PAHO's director, Dr. Carissa Atien, explained that in the midst of a pandemic viral hepatitis continues to sicken and kill thousands of people. Services including vaccination against Hepatitis B are essential and cannot be stopped. Care must continue safely for all those who need it, she added. In the Americas, 3.9 million people live with chronic Hepatitis B and 5.6 million live with Hepatitis C. However, a model developed by the World Health Organization, WHO estimates that 17 countries in the region have already managed to eliminate mother-to-child and early childhood transmission of Hepatitis B and that the Americas as a whole has also achieved the goal of less than 0.1% prevalence of Hepatitis B in children under the age of 5. PAHO and the WHO recommends that all newborns are vaccinated against Hepatitis B at birth and subsequently receive at least two additional doses to be protected for life. Dr. Atien indicated, quote, with universal vaccination, we are creating new generations free from Hepatitis B and moving towards eliminating Hepatitis as a public health problem, unquote. This is NTN Nightly, up next, Primers-Hudgingston with the NTN Nouvelle Equéor. With all that's happening around us, simple adjustments are necessary to keep us all safe. When calling 911, we may need a little more information to deploy the right personnel and protocols. You may be asked about your travel history, signs and symptoms, contact and movement history and whether others in your household are exhibiting similar symptoms. Please be patient and cooperative during this time to ensure you receive the best possible care while keeping our first responders safe. Welcome back. We now join Primers-Hudgingston for the NTN Nouvelle Equéor. This is Primers-Hudgingston with the NTN Nouvelle Equéor. We are pleased to have you here with us as we benefit from the program that will support social stabilisation, which the government has implemented regarding the COVID-19 situation. For this reason, it is mainly for those who are paying NTN Nightly, who have lost their jobs due to the COVID-19 situation. The government has provided $20 million to assist all these diverse individuals who are engaged in the business, who are themselves. This is a time for them to be able to enjoy the treatment which is also a result of the hard work they have done to help them understand the financial assistance they are going through in the workplace and in the family. Each individual can get $1,600. There is also a fund to support social stabilisation in order to serve the government. We have been grateful for this. Since the end of February, we have never felt that we are going to assist the employees, whether they are competent or not, if they are close to us and that we are going to save them. We also want to thank the government and also everyone who has helped the government to do the same thing to help the government. We also want to thank the government for supporting us but also our colleagues. Since the end of February, we have been grateful for the assistance they have provided to the government. We also want to thank the government for supporting us. We want to thank the government for the support they have provided from the government. We are grateful for the support they have provided Principalment pour les plus grands citoyens et les mamans-enfants aussi. Gouvernement n'est plein pour longir son programme salar pour assister tout le monde qui pouvait affecter un dernier jour pour montrer l'application s'il y a de mille faits. Chef officier de cette élevion, Monsieur Parker Radnan, tu es concerné du monde qui a bâti établissement, qui a menacé cette élevion publique. Monsieur Radnan, tu as dit que le gouvernement a bâti l'administration qui a vu l'examen de la loi qui a gouverné cette élevion publique, qui a existé pour plus que ce qu'il a mis en place. C'est ce qu'il y a de la situation que le monde a bâti par coche, par poule, qui a bâti pour foucher bon, ne pas coter à la publique, c'est un mauvais menace pour cette élevion publique. Monsieur Foster, c'était un avocat extraordinaire qui était très formidable à façon qui était qui a fait défense représentation à ces diverses cas, à qui l'a eu l'objet, ni à cette liste. Il y a aussi un plaisir qui est arrivé là. Il y a une péchangerie qu'a concerné Malik en Trinidad qui était en bas à Huit, qui était ni plait faite contre lui pour y en avoir, qui, Monsieur Foster, tu as fait grand représentation. Et formidablement, il y a aussi trouvé publicité internationale, un parmi plusieurs autres cas qui étaient représentés. Il y a aussi un politicien qui conduit politiquement, et puis, en plus de la chargesse, elle était très vicie aussi. Alors, Gwek en profession légale, parmi les Gauges, il est considéré une de ses plus mes avocats pour le siècle, ça l'a. Un parmi les Amis qui parlait dits, c'était grand juge entrepassé, on en a Sir Dennis Byron, qui parlait dits relations avec Monsieur Foster avec des Gwek traitements, il trouvait hordes avocats à l'aie, comment c'est travaillé à cette liste. Claudius Francis, qui parlait dits relations avec Monsieur Foster, cause des bénéfices de la seule salle pour trouver la chargesse à l'avocat salle, qui partait deuxième pour pièce lotte. Copaely Marina, qui racontait des Gwek relations aux deux salles pour se quitter, pour juste moment, il trouvait passé. C'est Hitchley, Peter, Colin, Tiana, Hitchlot, aussi par les Gwek relations papayo. Et puis, tout Hitchley, et en façon d'aider un pilmoune qui te parlait devant la Gauges, elle partait capables pour payer pour représentation aux avocats. La vie de Fakene Foster, qui aussi, un politique Hitchlot, c'est une qui lotte qui est suive pour Hitchlot pour venir. C'est quoi ça, nous, notre nouvelle? Monsieur, moi, c'est au temps. Faut qu'il y a des invitations, pour que je n'ai plus moins qu'à se décrocher de la vie. J'aimerais que la nouvelle accueille à la prison. J'aimerais que la prison soit au Chanel.