 Welcome to NTNightly, I am Janelle Norville. This edition stops stories. St. Lucian's Urge should take the necessary precautions as Tropical Storm Gonzalo approaches. Government extends deadline for applications for the income support program. And staff of the St. Lucian Marketing Board undergo full safety training. Tropical Storm Gonzalo formed over the Tropical Atlantic Ocean at 9am on Wednesday. The storm is located about 1,250 miles east of the Windward Islands. The maximum sustained winds are near 45 miles per hour. Gonzalo is moving west-northwest at 12 miles per hour and at this rate is forecasted to pass south of St. Lucia by Saturday 25th July 2020. Residents of St. Lucia, especially those in the south of the island, are being urged by the St. Lucia Met Services to monitor the progress of the storm and take all the necessary precautions for possible impact. The Government of St. Lucia has extended the deadline for applications for the income support program for non-NIC contributors to July 30 2020. The decision to extend the deadline is to ensure that no one is left behind and to grant more time to those who have started and not completed the application process. This relief program is for persons who were not contributing to NIC and made a living as sole traders and self-employed. Over 1,000 persons have been paid and payments will continue to be made. The income support program is a safety net for anyone who has lost the opportunity to work due to a COVID-19 pandemic which includes individuals or entities who generated income as offshoot service providers of the tourism industry including taxi drivers, vendors, farmers, hairdressers and small bar and restaurant owners. Artists and entertainers and those who work in the creative industries are eligible and are invited to apply. A full eligibility list can be accessed via the Government of St. Lucia's website. Applicants must electronically complete and submit the relevant application form which is accessible on the Government of St. Lucia website www.govt.lc. The income support program forms part of the Social Stabilization Plan announced by Prime Minister the Honourable Alan Shasne as part of the national response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Government of St. Lucia this fiscal year will be paying special attention to culture and creative industries. One such measure to be undertaken in that vein is the review of the national cultural policy. Jesse Leos tells us more. In this fiscal year, the Government of St. Lucia is taking a strategic approach in its support of the arts and creative sectors and culture with a review of the national cultural policy. We believe that given the dynamics of the environment where we are now as a nation the infusion of that digital economy, there are so many areas for us and even as a government what we want to do with respect to our Cultural Development Foundation which is one of the key agencies to drive the development of our culture and the kind of work that we want to do with this institution we would need to have that broad consultation and dialogue with the public to ensure that everybody understands clearly what it is that we want to do. Honourable Fortuna Bell Rose, Minister with Responsibility for Culture and Creative Industries assures that public consultations will soon commence pending the development of the policy's terms of reference. The idea of cultural policy was developed at UNESCO in the 1960s. St. Lucia's original cultural policy was created in the early 2000s making it nearly two decades old. The objective of cultural policies are generally to improve the accessibility of arts and creative activities to citizens and support these artistic and cultural expressions through the emerging industries. A revised cultural policy for St. Lucia is also hoped to transform cultural norms. Issues of the dependency syndrome, you know, where people expect in the society others to really be doing things for them as opposed to them doing for themselves. We need to look deep within ourselves and see how best as a society we can assist in transforming that behaviour from being so reliant on Gouvet Ma for everything you understand, to people understanding that they have a responsibility for themselves. Over the years we've had the policy but what have we really done to be able to shape the mindsets to ensure that people, you understand, become independent citizens and being able to contribute freely, you know, to the society and not looking for those extrinsic rewards but valuing the intrinsic rewards that they receive from being part of a community. And speaking of changing mindsets more individuals who work in the creative and cultural sectors have become convinced of an NIC subscription since the coronavirus impact. The government just extended applications for its income support program, ISP, to July 30th for individuals who work in informal sectors, including the creative industries. Senator Bellrose informed that artists who were hard hit by the effects of the coronavirus are taking advantage of the ISP facility and now taking heed to make NIC payments. I think what we want as a government is to ensure that everybody is within that one system, the national insurance system and hence the reason for us driving home the point that people must register for the income support but part of that is to ensure that they are in the mainstream, they come into the full with respect to being a part of the National Insurance Corporation. That is the one pension plan that we have for our country. That is what we all should subscribe to and of course we know that with the artists they work, some of them find work periodically, intermittently, you know, it's not consistent but what we want to do is to encourage them no matter how small it is to put something aside for wet days. Reporting for the Government Information Service, I am Jesse Leons. The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Physical Planning, Natural Resources and Cooperatives in collaboration with the Taiwan Technical Mission and EECA has commenced a food safety training for staff of the newly remodeled pack house at the St. Lucia Marketive Board. The initiative falls under the enhancement of the efficiency of production, distribution supply chains in the fruits and vegetables sector project. EECA Antoine has the details. The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Physical Planning, Natural Resources and Cooperatives hosted the opening ceremony for the training of food safety for staff of the newly remodeled pack house at the marketing board. The pack house is a facility where fruit is received and processed prior to distribution to the market. The initiative forms part of a collaborative effort with the Taiwan Technical Mission and the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture, EECA and falls under the enhancement of the efficiency of production, distribution supply chains in the fruits and vegetables sector project with the overall aim of reducing the food import bill. Greg Rawlins, representative of EECA, stressed on the importance of the training in ensuring that international food and safety standards are met at the pack house. We are pleased to collaborate on this project. We recognise its relevance given the current situation because of the COVID-19 situation. We don't only have to ensure that we handle produce in a way that does not cause the spread of any virus, but also due to COVID we know that a number of our farmers would have been affected through the displacement or disruption of their markets for their produce, particularly in the hotel industry. And therefore we need to find alternative markets for these farmers so that they can continue to earn their livelihoods. And we need to have facilities that allow for those products that they produce to be handled and to meet the consumers so that we have safe and wholesome food available. Head of the Taiwan Technical Mission Mario Cheng expressed contentment with the progress of the project and encouraged staff and farmers to take advantage of the opportunities under the enhancement of the efficiency of production distribution supply chains in the fruits and vegetables sector project. I'm very happy we can implement this project, also provide a human capacity for farmers and introduce the facilities to improve the package, this technology. So today we came over here to feed the food safety, to feed the half-sup. Actually we are not just packing the fruits and vegetables, we are packing the farmers' drinks and the farmers' profits. So I'd like to encourage each of the farmers and each of the half-sup training participants. Today we are in the right direction and we will move forward to let them become better and better. Pullman and Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Physical Planning, Natural Resources and Cooperatives Barry Felicier explained that the staff will be undergoing the hazard analysis critical control points training and international standard for food safety. The Pullman and Secretary also expressed gratitude to the Taiwan Technical Mission for their contribution towards the remodeling of the pack house. The first phase of the pack house is complete and you would have seen if you have worked for the pack house, you would have seen that the IRDC has been rehabilitated to include the components of showers, washrooms, lockers, kitchen, office, reception area, storage area and packaging area. But still the facilities in complete and major items still to be completed include the testing laboratory, the installation of conveyor equipment and of course additional things. Nonetheless, the pack house has already served St. Lucia with the distribution of the now famous national food packages or program. And today you can make or be part of history. This is a historic event as we have the opportunity to be pioneers in the operations of our pack house. The hazard analysis critical control points training will be held every Monday for a duration of six weeks. From the Government Information Service, I am Anisha Antwan reporting. The Prime Minister's ball this year provided support to some 17 charities amounting to almost $300,000. Prime Minister the Honourable Alan Shasne commended the charities for their hard work and dedication. The checks were presented to the charities in a special ceremony held on Monday 20 July 2020. The Prime Minister's ball 2020 was threefold. The event which formed part of St. Lucia's 41st year of independence served as a platform to recognize outgoing diplomats, introduce St. Lucia's goodwill ambassadors and most importantly raise funds for the various humanitarian organizations in St. Lucia. At a special ceremony, checks were presented to 17 humanitarian organizations amounting to almost $300,000. Chairperson of the Independence Committee Honourable Janine Girodi McIntyre expressed gratitude to all the benefitting entities for their hard work and dedication to making St. Lucia a better place. The Boys Training Centre received $50,000. I'll tell you a little about the Boys Training Centre. The Boys Training Centre is a juvenile rehabilitation center and in February last this year we celebrated 60 years of existence. We catered to two categories of boys, boys that are in need of care and protection and juveniles that are in conflict with the law. Recently 2018 the Juvenile Justice Act was passed and the age of a child moved from 16 to 18 years old. So now we have boys we wouldn't necessarily have come into the center coming to us right now. Over the past three years we have embarked on a program to ensure that the boys who come to us not only receive the counseling that they need but a holistic program. The St. Lucia National Youth Council received $25,000. We have been working tirelessly to develop a safe space for young people in the heart of castries where young people could access services such as library, computer services, counseling and opportunities for them to contribute through volunteerism. But more importantly, one where they could feel like they're part of a family. Our efforts remain steady and incremental at best but we have not been able to fully conceptualize this idea or fully realize this idea rather. So upon assuming office in 2019 my team and I vowed that before our tenure was completed that we would work to create that safe space where young people in St. Lucia could feel that they are welcomed and where the Secretariat of the National Youth Council could be housed. We met with Honorable Allen Chastney back in August of 2019 and this was one of the things discussed and he gave his commitment during that meeting that he would do his utmost best to ensure that this became a reality. This generous donation received today will go directly towards the upgrading and the creation of that safe space. So on behalf of the St. Lucia National Youth Council I would like to thank you Honorable Chastney for sticking to your commitment to assist us in the creation of that safe space. Helen's daughters received $15,000. And if you walk into that market right now 90% of the vendors are female but for some reason there's this erroneous tendency to believe that our vendors are not our growers when a lot of times they are doing the dual role of both growing and selling their produce and honestly this donation, thank you to the Prime Minister and to his wife Mrs. Doubley Chastney it's really telling us that finally on a national level we are seeing, we are hearing and we are understanding the importance of an investment in female farmers. Good morning everyone. On behalf of Allen's daughter and voicing as a female farmer as myself I would like to thank the Prime Minister of St. Lucia for believing and investing in us as I believe that female farmers are the one covering the food insecurity in St. Lucia, thank you. The Viewford Comprehensive Secondary School received $25,000. We graciously accept this donation on behalf of every student and staff member of Viewford Comprehensive Secondary School particularly the science team whose vision it is to see that every child reaps the benefit of science, technology, engineering and mathematics education. This desire holds greater currency in the post-COVID era where traditional careers are fast giving way to new and emerging ones highly dependent on STEM skill sets. The urgency therefore to help us find practical solutions to today's problems while anticipating future challenges is even more critical. Your support no doubt will translate to much greater opportunities for us as the students outside the traditional realm of education and thanks to you we will be more globally competitive and ready to integrate into and positively shape the markets that are both current and emerging. So as the president of our science club and as a student of science myself and on behalf of our school thank you Mrs. Douboulay Shasne Mr. Shasne and everybody who has patronized this movement so that we could have been impacted and we could really go forward with STEM education at our school. The Czech presentation was held on Monday 20th July 2020. This is NTIA Nightly Up next, Primus Hutchinson with the NTIA Nouvelle of Real. In an effort to ensure patient and first responder safety the St. Lucia Fire Service has reviewed its patient transfer procedures especially for patients with respiratory distress. Face masks will be provided. At no time during transportation should the face mask be removed. 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 Primus Hutchinson for the NTIA Nouvelle of Quaiol. Mr. Otin General Mr. Madam Department of Universities for the formation of this government that is GIS and the National Television of the NTIA for the Nouvelle of Quaiol for the Prime of Hutchinson. The Parliament of December was held on Monday to seek permission from the Minister of Finance to pay several million dollars to finance the project that is necessary in this case. Prime Minister Oniwab Alain Shasne to view authorization for the Minister of Finance to pay 10,000,000 700,000 dollars to the Bank of Development to finance diverse debt to start October 1st to end September 23, 2021. If the Prime Minister oniwab Alain Shasne the Agenda Salah is mainly to finance diverse health needs under the coronavirus and to try to facilitate the economic situation and social affairs of the country. Prime Minister oniwab Alain explains that the Agenda Salah is a piece of paper that affects the country's economy and the government to support this project Prime Minister Oniwab Alain Shasne also views authorization for the Minister of Finance to pay 45,000,000 dollars to the Association for International Development to finance the project of transportation. If the Prime Minister oniwab Alain Shasne to pay 10,000 dollars to the Agenda Salah the Agenda Salah will not affect the Association for Salah. Long Salah also helps to improve the protection and resilience of navigation for the Association for International Development to the Agenda Salah to the Agenda Salah to the Agenda Salah Prime Minister Oniwab Alain Shasne also views authorization for the Agenda Salah to provide educational Ministry of Business commercial Prime Minister Oniwab Alain Shasne Joseph, among the citizens who received assistances from the police, it is me who received, it is me who received these children who are disabled. The people who are disabled, the mothers who are disabled, we, as the children, we pay $200 per month. So, for example, we pay $300 per month, except for three months. It is convenient for us to start a month in July. We, mothers who are disabled, we raise these mothers for children in foster care. And for these mothers, we pay $300 per month, we pay $400 per month, we pay $400 per month, for three months, for three months. We, mothers who are disabled, we help people who are disabled, in foster care. We, in foster care, we raise these mothers for children in foster care. We help people who are ill, we pay $300 per month, we pay $200 per month, we pay $300 per month, we raise these mothers for children. We also help children who are disabled We have 2,600 people in the village, and we have 4,000 people in the village, so we have 3,600 people at the end of the year. It is good that Permanent Joseph has also announced a great assistance to the Department. It is the Department where we will help the international leaders to facilitate the program. We have UNICEF, we have a food program, we have UNDP, Cavinepino, Cabernet Assisters OC, we have UN India Fund, we have a sort of fund-seller, we have ILO, we have UN Women who support the ministry. We are happy that the Department has started to support the ministry. We are happy that the ministry has reached a point where we can continue to work to support the ministry. The government is here to continue to establish flexibility so that it can help the citizens who are affected by the corona virus. Therefore, I have added support to the world that is not only contributing to the NIC, but also to the application to assist the people in need to support their work. I have extended the government's time for July 20. The decision that the government made to add to its salary is not what it plans to do, it is not to leave the stone behind and to do what is possible for those who have started, but to completely complete the application. The government is here to help the NIC and the work at its core. Since the government has already signed the salary, I have found a payment and this payment has continued. I am also here at Kupwosha to help the person who regretted the opportunity to work as a result of the corona virus. I will be performing taxi, Duwe Vardez, Myfama aluminium, positive multi-capacitary, the Westport chief, and other artists. The applications are made in appropriate terms so that it can be applied to the people in need to support the NIC in order to provide the help that this number is providing for the corona virus. Thank you very much for your time and for your invitation. I would like to thank you very much for your time and for your invitation. Thank you very much for your channel. I am Janelle Norville.