 Coming to you from our GIS Studios, I am Anicia Antoine and this is your Midday News Brief. A new visa application centre for Canada has opened in St Lucia. The centre is open to provide visa services and a biometric collection for persons who require a visa or work or student permit for Canada. It means travellers no longer have to go to Barbados or Trinidad to have the process done. The centre does not change the process for Canadian citizens who need to apply for passports or other travel documents. The centre is located at the Leverage Business Group office at the bottom of the Mojiro hill. The Digital Currency Pilot Project within the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union, ECCU, is inching closer to becoming a reality. The DXCD Carry Project, as it is called, was launched in March of 2019 and seeks to reduce cash usage within the ECCU by 50%, promote greater financial sector stability and expedite growth and development of member countries. Eight months into the pilot project, Governor of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank, Timothy Antoine, says the project is gaining interest even outside of the region. The ultimate goal, he says, is to include as many people as possible in the financial system. The project will be executed in two phases, development and testing for about 12 months, followed by rollout and implementation in four pilot countries for six months. The project is entering its user interface and testing phase. The Digital Currency will be used through the DXCD Carry app. Pilot countries include St Lucia, Grenada, St Kitts and Nivus, and Antigua. In St Lucia, partner institutions include Bank of St Lucia Ltd, CIBC First Caribbean International Bank, Monripo Credit Union Ltd and Sajiko Finance Inc. Project implementation is anticipated for March April 2020. In commemoration of International Democracy Day, the Electoral Department is hosting an exhibition to showcase the work of the organisation throughout the 40 years of independence. The exhibition highlights the stages of modernisation, including the process of registration, the voting process, as well as election results from 1979 to 2016. To mark the occasion, Alemphia Lionel, Assistant Chief Elections Officer, noted that amnesty is being granted to persons who have lost their national identification cards. Lionel noted that one of the objectives of the exhibition was to sensitise the public on the difference between the NIC number and the registration number. The Electoral Department has also launched a mobile app to simplify processes for the electorates, including information on the change of name and address processes. The Electoral Department has also launched a mobile app to simplify processes for the electorates, including information on the change of name and address processes. The exhibition commenced on the 2nd of October and will end on the 15th of October 2019. This has been your midday news brief. Thank you for watching.