 Welcome to the NTN Nightly. I'm Nisha Charles. This edition stops stories. A modern, secured transactions framework to enable businesses to have increased access to finance. The Ministry of Education completes remedial works at the Sir Iris Simmons, Bocache and Anthropos Secondary Schools. Invest St. Lucien Bachs on a land rationalization plan. All that is the latest in youth development, sports and the NTN Nouvelle Arquéon. The National Competitiveness and Productivity Council has partnered with the International Finance Corporation, a member of the World Bank Group with support from the Government of Canada to develop a modern, secured transactions framework to enable increased access to finance for small and medium-sized enterprises, SMEs, using movable assets as collateral. Research indicates that approximately 70% of a firm's wealth is concentrated in its movable assets, such as equipment, inventory and accounts receivables. In a bid to improve access to finance for small and medium-sized enterprises, SMEs and St. Lucia's ease of doing business ranking, the Government of St. Lucia is moving to introduce legislation under the security interest in movable property bill. Access to finance has been a long-standing issue for the private sector, particularly SMEs. Last week, representatives from the banking, finance and legal sectors, alongside government officials, participated in a two-day workshop on secured transactions and collateral registry. Pullman and secretary in the Department of Finance, Cointe Thomas, highlighted that the lack of access to finance inhibits the firm's competitiveness and productivity, its ability to expand its operations and provide much-needed employment. This is important as 70% of firms' wealth is said to be concentrated in their movable assets. To support this initiative, a legal framework and a registry system will be put in place for providing credit using movable assets. The International Finance Corporation works with governments across the globe to develop frameworks that allow borrowers to obtain loans by using their collateral resources to help create new alternatives for SMEs to obtain financing. Elaine McEachern is the senior financial sector specialist with the IFC. Approximately 57% of the firms in St. Lucia have access to finance challenges. Only 24.5% of those firms have a bank loan or line of credit, and 98% of those loans to small and medium-sized firms require collateral over 1.9 times the loan amount. St. Lucia is currently ranked 161 out of 189 economies on the World Bank ease of doing business getting credit indicator. However, this ranking is expected to improve with the passage of this new legislation. Once the security interest in movable property bill is tabled and approved by Parliament, the design and development of the collateral registry will be the next step in creating and enabling infrastructure to increase access to credit for SMEs. Partner Grant Thornton, Richard Peterking, said though this piece of legislation is very technical, and many persons may not initially grasp the concept, it can increase access to credit for SMEs. I think many instances there are bits and pieces of legislation that we still need as well. One of them is the Insolvency Act, which again, we have a bill, but it's not being passed. And without that, the lenders are not really going to get into lending to movable assets. So we need a number of things that have to change over the next year or so in order to open up our markets to a lot of new types of products that will allow transactions to flow and finance to be available to those who traditionally have a problem getting it. Business Development Officer Axel Finance, moving ages, said this bill aligns with his company's model of credit financing. It is, of course, heartening to see that everything is coming into place through legislation and, of course, institutionalization. So Axel Finance will definitely continue in the path that it has been to ensure that our small businesses continue to grow through the use of movable assets to secure their financial stability. Over in spring, Business Development Manager at First National Bank indicated that the passage of this bill will go hand in hand with a new initiative his bank is pursuing. We're actually going to be launching a SME Competency Centre in the coming weeks, which will be providing products and financial services to the SME sector. So the first secure transaction bill not being passed will actually enhance this effort. The IFC is hopeful that other member countries in the currency union will be motivated by Saint Lucia's advances and consider making this solution original one. The two-day workshop was held at the Finance Administrative Centre, November 5th to 6th, 2019. For the National Competitiveness and Productivity Council, Glenn Simon reporting. The Department of Health and Wellness is advising the public more specifically pregnant women about the importance of serology testing during pregnancy. Serology testing involves taking a blood sample to test for HIV, syphilis, hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HDLV1 and 2. All pregnant women must have serology testing done twice during pregnancy within the first three months and within the last three months. Senior Medical Officer for Infectious Diseases, Dr. Gail Gujada, says pregnant women can get these tests free of charge at the Ezra Long Laboratory at Victoria Hospital. Testing ensures early diagnosis and treatment of the affected mother where necessary. Testing can also ensure that the affected mother can inform their partner so that they can be tested and treated as well. Early diagnosis and treatment reduce the chances of the baby getting HIV, syphilis and hepatitis B while in utero, that is while in mommy's womb. Early diagnosis and treatment reduce the chances of the baby dying while in mommy's womb from any of these diseases. Early diagnosis and treatment reduce the chances of the baby dying from any of those diseases after birth. Dr. Gujada says that the goal is to have healthy mothers and healthy babies. Any mother who does these tests for HIV, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, syphilis and HDLV1 and 2 are exempt from paying any fee for those tests at the Ezra Long Laboratory at Victoria Hospital. What this means is that all those tests are free for pregnant mothers. And that was Senior Medical Officer for Infectious Diseases, Dr. Gail Gujada. The Ministry of Education, Innovation, Gender Relations and Sustainable Development has informed parents and guardians of students attending the Bocache, Antripo and Sir Iris Simmons Secondary Schools that the necessary post assessments and tests have concluded and that the schools have been confirmed safe for occupancy as such classes at these institutions will resume on Thursday, November 14th, 2019. Parents and guardians on meantime asked to note that the schools are putting in all necessary measures to make up for their instructional time lost. The Ministry thanks all parties for their understanding and patience during the period of remediation. The Caribbean Secondary Schools Drama Festival ended here to rousing applause. Anise Antoine has the details. The Caribbean Secondary School Drama Festival held a seminar for St. Lucian teachers and teachers of the visiting contingent on UNICEF rights of the child in performing arts education. The initiative forms part of a collaboration between the Caribbean Secondary School Drama Festival and UNICEF to commemorate World Children's Day. Cantelia Louie, coordinator of the Caribbean Secondary School Drama Festival, stated that the purpose of the seminar was to discuss and formulate guidelines to enforce the rights of a child in the drama sector. Miss Louie deemed the drama festival a success in all aspects. I am very happy with the festival and in terms of the responses I'm getting from it. There are persons who came for one day and have come every day because they are surprised as to what the children can produce. And I've been saying that because for the longest while, not because they are children, it doesn't mean that they can't produce wonderful performances. And so persons are seeing that. I see the students getting to know each other, what it doesn't mean anything right now. They're all friends. They all understand they're part of a tradition together, no matter where they come from. And of course, for our St. Lucian students and teachers, it gives them an idea as to where they are placed regionally in terms of arts education, in terms of performance, and has given them some ideas as to what they can do to further develop themselves. Sophia Edwards Gabriel, who is the Curriculum Officer for Health and Family Life, made a presentation on UNICEF rights of the child in performing arts education. We are now almost at the mark, the 40th year mark of the Convention of the Rights of the Child. And we realize that many persons are still unaware about what this treaty entails, the importance of the treaty, the articles that are in there. Most people understand that there's a concept about the rights of the child, but they don't have much detail. And given that we are now celebrating this whole week of creativity, the Caribbean Secondary Schools Festival, I felt it was a great platform to advocate and to sensitize persons about the Convention of the Rights of the Child. Edwards Gabriel emphasized on the rights of a child to express his or her views freely and engage in cultural activities. If we looked at some of the productions that we'll put on this week, we realize many of them spoke to culture. We saw ideas of the masquerade culture. We saw our folklore and our folk tales coming through with the jab-jab, with the dwein, with oboea, with religion. Children have a right to a religion, a right to an identity and nationality, and their hair representing their countries, putting on their performances, sharing part of their culture. And so that in itself speaks directly to the idea that we need to engage children. We need to empower them and we need to recognize these rights. The Caribbean Secondary Schools Drama Festival commenced on November 3 and culminated on November 9, 2019 at the National Cultural Center. From the Government Information Service, I am Anisia Antoine reporting. And this is the NTN Nightly, Ryan O'Brien is up next. Everyone is at risk forgetting a foodborne illness. While most foodborne illness cases are mild and go unreported, long-term health complications and even deaths can occur from a foodborne illness. Foodborne illnesses are caused by contamination of food at any stage of preparation. If you are a food handler involved in home-based food production, meat, fish, chicken or a big shop, as a food vendor, how you prepare food can put your customers at risk. Do you know the risks and how to avoid them? The San Lucia Bureau of Standards can help you. For more information, contact the San Lucia Bureau of Standards at 4560546 or email SLBS at candw.lc or visit the website at www.slbs.org.lc. San Lucia Bureau of Standards, making quality and standards our way of life. Welcome back. We join Ryan O'Brien for the latest happenings in youth development and sports. I'm Ryan O'Brien, if you update from the Ministry of Youth Development and Sports on the NTN Nightly News. Cass Street's Comprehensive Secondary School and St. Joseph's Convent retained their respective titles as the Ministry of Youth Development and Sports in collaboration with the National Table Tennis Association held the Inter-Secondary Schools Table Tennis Championships recently. The girls' finals saw St. Joseph's Convent A winning three love over their BT. St. Joseph's Convent A, Zadia and Anthony defeated Convent B, Nige Myers 11-3, 11-5, while Convent A, Joale Sinclair defeating St. Joseph's Convent B, Lenore Ajuda 9-11, 11-9, 11-7. Zadia and Anthony then made it three love when she defeated Lenore 11-7, 11-12. The boys' finals saw Cass Street's Comprehensive Secondary School winning three love against the current secondary school. Cass Street's Comprehensive is D'Andre Colgen defeating Corrum's Snell Bernard 11-5, 11-1. Cass Street's Comprehensive is Ishmael Moise defeating Ronaldo St. Jesus 11-2, 11-5. Shona Janki taking it home for the Cass Street's Comprehensive Secondary School winning defeated Kerval Snack from the current secondary 11-6, 11-5. Table Tennis action at the secondary school level continues on Thursday at the Boise U Indoor Facility from 10 a.m. Boys and Girls Open Singles, Mixed Doubles and Boys and Girls Doubles will take centre stage. Minister responsible for youth development and sports, the Honourable Edmund Estefan, says the recent donation of a vehicle to champion female high jumper Laverne Spencer was but just a small token of appreciation being shown by the government and people of St. Lucia for many years of dedicated service and promotion of St. Lucia due to her success in athletics. Minister Estefan made remarks recently during the handing over of the vehicle. Every young St. Lucia must follow your example of dedication in representing our country and persevering in doing so. Today, the government of St. Lucia in partnership with a long-standing corporate citizen in the name of Northwest Limited makes this presentation to you in appreciation for your endurance, your athletic accomplishments and the humility you have displayed throughout. The government of St. Lucia wishes to thank Northwest Limited for coming forth and following the very example of the person we are honouring and rewarding today. The Youth Development and Sports Minister urged other St. Lucia sportsmen and women to follow Spencer's example of determination and dedication. Some news now on Big 8 Netball, St. Joseph's Convent defeated Miku Secondary 47-36 for St. Joseph's Convent. Bradneet Desiree scored 23 from 36 attempts. Gracie Alcide scored 24 from 34 attempts. For Miku Secondary, Goldschutz and Marge Marguerite scored 27 from 38 attempts and Golatak and Jermia Sonson scored 9 from 10 attempts. Quarter-time scores all in favour of St. Joseph's Convent. And in the finals, Arthur Lewis defeated Souffre Comprehensive 46-27. For the Arthur Lewis Community College, Goldschutz-Mélanie Antoine scored 32 from 39 attempts. Golatak, Melika Destang scored 14 from 17 attempts. For Souffre Comprehensive, Golschutz-Rachel Didier scored 11 from 16 attempts and Golatak, Tansy Pascal, 16 from 19 attempts. And that's where we come to the end of our update from youth development and sports for today. Thanks Ryan. Investing Lucia is embarking on a land rationalization plan which according to ISL's Chief Executive Officer, Roderick Cherry, is in the advanced stages. He explained that assessments have pointed to areas where individuals have been squatting on lands for decades. What we try to do is to put in as the utilities, the roads, electricity, water and give the people who are there already, depending on the length of time they are there, preferential rates for the land. We have a formula that we work with, depending on the length of time that you are on the land. You get rates for those lands, which is lower than what the market does. We are going with it because our rates are not market rates, they are below market rates. The issue of squatting according to the CEO has existed for several decades. Cherry highlighted ISL's aim to ensure that every St. Lucia is able to afford and own a piece of land. He explained that priority will be given to those who have been inhabiting the lands for lengthy periods of time at very accessible rates. This is a legacy issue. I mean the squatting on what is now in Western Lucia lands, that existed 40, 50 years ago. So we have come in and the land has been invested to us in Western Lucia. It is only right that if people have been occupying lands for a long time, that they should be given first title to those lands. The CEO explained the process when deciding upon a fair price for both ISL and Squatters. Before we decide on a price structure, there are two different things that we do. We examine the market rate for lands in the area. In the areas where we do land rationalization, we also do social surveys to indicate to us the amount that the people who actually occupy those lands how much they can pay. So based on that, to be able to look at the cost of the infrastructure, the return that we could make. When it comes to non-rationalization, we do not expect a return, but at least we want to break even. And that was CEO of investing Lucia, Roderick Cherry. You can stay with the NTN Nightly. Up next, Primers Hutchinson is here with the NTN Nouvelle Arquell. I'm innovative. I'm competitive. I am productive. I'm creative. I constantly improve what I do. And how I do it. I provide excellent customers to visit. I never stop learning. I give all my best, always. The National Competitiveness and Productivity Council embracing excellence. Welcome back. We join Primers Hutchinson for the NTN Nouvelle Arquell. We say madam, the Department of University of Saabliti with information on government solicit, the GIS. Assume we tell the National Payee NTN Caposito Nouvelle Arquell. We say to Primers Hutchinson. We are here with Alain Chastney. And we see twice the performance of the Global Citizens' Affairs on the 12th of November in London. We are here with Chastney to offer investment programs for citizens in the tourist sector and business properties in the country. We also want to participate in the discussion on the investment of citizens. Thanks to all participants and all of you, we have Dr. Joseph Mierskat from Malta, Dr. Marcovic from Montenegro, from Albania, Edi Romer from TIG from Gaston Brown. The strategy is much more effective than other companies in the world, the industry, business with the biggest official government to assist in. Chef Pogam, who has made investments, as well as Mr. Alfred, who has also assisted and participated in their discussion on their vision of the Caribbean. We have a special minister here, Mr. Pogam. Minister of Economic Development. We have Gaye Joseph performing in the position of a minister. The agricultural ministry has established a certification program to help the cultivators develop their own production with the place where they produce them. The government of this country, the Taiwan government, has organized this training with the help of the T-Shirt Money Program. In order to strengthen the production and distribute it effectively, we have the regime in this country. The objective is to make these cultivators able to produce and improve their production, to manage the place where they produce, to reduce the amount of social security that the country has to spend, in order to buy, to buy fruit in this country. Assistant Director of the Ministry of Agriculture, Barry Innocent, has declared that this country has spent almost $4,000 to buy fruit in the region, with a lot of fruit in the country. If I recall, the psychological difference is the significant amount that the country has to play to develop this. That's why I developed my economic career. I have studied the importance of food security, especially the importance of farming. Agriculture is a way of improving the situation in this country. Mario Chang, Mr. of the Taiwan government, has worked in the field of agriculture, in the field of technology, which is well advanced and has increased the production of agricultural facilities. The farmers of this country, Cameran Augustine, is the only country that is capable of doing this, because that's why I'm here to make the government have a good trust in the security ability of this country. For the past three years, the project has been growing, with tomatoes, bananas, truffles, and many other things. A continuation of our conversation today, and the Ministry of Agriculture, for the social transformation of the country, Leonard Montoute, has paid attention to this project that has been financed by the development of the CDB. Minister Montoute has talked about the institution of the children who are able to build a diverse community and have a lot of fun in this place. It's not easy for us to build a community. We have a lot of projects to do, because when we arrive here, Prime Minister Melani has a lot to do, and I'm sure he'll be able to do it. So we have a lot of patience, because we have a lot to do, and we can start right away, in the coming years, with the establishment of the Gozile. Yes, with the ability of the good side, about 10 years ago, we had a lot of projects, but I have a lot of good time, with the direction of doing it, I have a lot, but people who have been able to get close to the good side, they will not have any connection. So we have a lot of work to do in these places that we can connect to, and that's the second phase of the project. We have started, as soon as the other year, no, as soon as December comes, the project will be complete. So that's what we have done, we have had a lot of projects, we have done the SSDF, that are not to do it for the children, but for the family, with the government, that's all. If we do it, then the Ministry of Social Affairs will continue to do a lot of work. If we do it, we can do something else, we can do some other things, and when we have a lot of projects, we can do a lot of projects. We have a lot to do, That was a great mission. Merci Opil Primus, and here's a look at what's happening to us weather-wise. Partly cloudy skies, occasionally becoming cloudy with some scattered showers, mainly over the southern part of our region, for the north it will be generally fair. Moisture and instability in the lower atmosphere will cause some showery periods, mainly over the southern eastern Caribbean region, during the next 24 hours. A tropical wave located over the central tropical Atlantic is moving westward, near 12 miles per hour, or 19 km per hour. Tropical cyclone formation is not expected over the tropical Atlantic during the next five days. The tide for Castris Harbour was high at 3.43pm and will be low again at 10.27pm. The tide for Villefort Bay was high at 4.50pm and will be low again at 11.54pm. The sea is slight to moderate with waves 3 to 6 feet or 0.9 to 1.8 meters. The sun will rise Thursday at 6.03am. And that brings us to the end of the NTN Nightly. Join us next time at 7pm with a repeat at 7am. You can also catch up with us anytime on the Saint Lucia Government Facebook page or YouTube channel. I'm Nisha Charles.