 Welcome to NTN Nightly, I am General Norville, this edition's top stories. Government to heighten the management of COVID-19 following parliamentary approval to access financing. Anson Vincent and the Grenadines assumes the presidency of the UN Secretary-Counsel. The Government of St. Lucia, through the Department of Agriculture, continues efforts to support Fisherfolk around the island amid the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The global outbreak of COVID-19 has created many challenges for individuals in the fishing sector, including decreased demand, the unreliable market for fish, and reduced access to fishing. In an effort to provide relief for Fisherfolk currently being affected by the pandemic, eligible Fisherfolk will receive a one-time grant of $500 from the Government of St. Lucia. Speaking at the Handing Over Ceremony for the Relief Program, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Natural Resources and Cooperatives, Barrymore Feliciae, affirms that the ministry will continue to work to safeguard the livelihoods of Fisherfolk across St. Lucia. Today, we are pleased as the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries, Natural Resources and Cooperatives to be part of the rollout and to deliver on our income, our COVID response plan, and adjusted what was input support to now income support to the Fishers. So initially, the idea was to provide $900 worth of fuel to both of our owners. And since having consultations with the various cooperatives, we found it to be more equitable to provide that support to eligible Fishers, both owners and group. So we see that it would have impacted a larger number of persons and created a greater impact. Fisherfolk Cooperatives Islandwide have agreed to facilitate the payment of the grant to both members and non-members of the Fisherfolk Cooperative Societies. Vice President of the St. Lucia Fisherfolk Cooperative Society, Devon Stevens, expresses gratitude to the Government of St. Lucia for ensuring the income support initiative comes to fruition. When the stimulus package, well, what they actually decided on, the $900, well it was more or less a voucher to the both owners, when they revised it and they said that, you know, we wouldn't have met the, you know, we wouldn't have reached out to the crew and, you know, giving each Fisher $500, well, each registered Fisher that is $500, it would have made a greater impact and I want to, you know, say thank you, Mr. Permanent Secretary for that. To qualify for the income support program from the Government of St. Lucia, Fisherfolk must be registered with the Department of Fisheries and also be captured on the 2019-2021 Fish and License Application as a Boat Owner or Captain and Crew associated with the vessel. From the Information Unit of the Ministry of Agriculture, I am Anicia Antoine reporting. Meantime, a $30 million loan approved by Parliament will enable Government to meet expenses associated with the management and mitigation of COVID-19. Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, the Honourable Alan Shastney, explained that the COVID-19 pandemic has posed a significant financial burden on the Government of St. Lucia. The Prime Minister during the last sitting of Parliament indicated that a reduction in revenue and an increase in expenditure, all effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, have created an urgent financing need. It is against this backdrop that the Prime Minister presented a motion seeking Parliament's authorization to borrow an amount of U.S. $30 million from the Caribbean Development Bank, CDB. Prime Minister Honourable Shastney disclosed that the funds will facilitate the implementation of policy reform initiatives designed to support St. Lucia's COVID-19 crisis response and achieving fiscal stability. Mr Speaker, the policy-based loan is structured around two pillars, and the measures supported are aligned with the Government of St. Lucia's COVID-19 response strategy. Pillar 1, the immediate economic actions to mitigate the health and economic crisis caused by COVID-19. This will be accomplished through the following measures. A, an increase in budget lines for COVID-19 pandemic health-related expenditures. B, the implementation of an approved COVID-19 pandemic response strategy, PRS, the granting of a moratorium and or temporary extension of deadlines for the filing of taxes for individuals and businesses for 2020, the waiver of interest and penalties on tax liabilities, and the provision of tax credits to eligible businesses. D, the implementation of a three-month unemployment benefit for NIC contributors and an income support program for non-NIC contributors impacted by the lockdown measures instituted from March 2020. E, the application of the proxy means testing instrument for the transparent delivery and targeting of poor households for scaling up of social assistance. Health officials the world over have stated that the coronavirus will be around for years to come, and its effects will continue to be felt, even as progress is being made on a vaccine. The Government of St. Lucia, like many other countries throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, hands and continues to institute measures and protocols in an effort to protect the public while maintaining the country's economic viability. This, however, requires additional government expenditure. The Prime Minister highlighted that the initiatives to be implemented will also encompass measures to stabilize the country's economy. Pillar two, the strengthened economic and fiscal management for the post-pandemic recovery, this shall be done through the following. A, the preparation of an ERP to resume equitably fiscal sustainable growth guided by fiscal risk analysis. The establishment of a fiscal rules policy framework, the adoption of a public debt management policy. D, the implementation of an electronic public procurement platform. Mr. Speaker, the implementation of this program will be the responsibility of the Ministry of Finance. The Ministry of Finance will work alongside the CDB and other stakeholders to coordinate all actions across the relevant government agencies. The loan consists of a special fund resources portion in the amount of US $10,800,000 and an ordinary capital resources portion in the amount of US $19,200,000. The pronouncements were made at the sitting of Parliament on Tuesday 10th November 2020. From the Government Information Service, I am General Norville. The Caribbean communities observing Energy Month this November with focus on resilience and development. Michelle knows of Caricam News Time has more. The month is being observed under the theme Resilient Community Energy at the Centre. Mr. Joseph Cox, Caricam Assistant Secretary General, in a message to mark the occasion, said Energy is central to building a prosperous and resilient Caribbean community. For Caricam, Energy sits at the centre. Welcome to Caricam Energy Month. We are under the theme Resilient Community Energy at the centre. Our region will take stock of progress and realign efforts towards the goal of providing businesses and citizens with access to affordable, adequate, safe and clean energy services. Energy is indeed central to the building of a prosperous and resilient Caribbean community. Experts on the panel discussed the region's path to a sustainable climate resilient future and looked at issues including energy financing, technology and capacity. Activities will be held throughout the month and they're aimed at raising awareness about what is occurring in the regional energy sector. More details on the activities can be found at energy.caricam.org and at secre.org and on all our social media platforms. This is NTN Knightly. Please stay with us. If you are in receipt of an abnormally high bill, it is highly possible that you have a leak. That leak may not always be visible. Before you contact Wasco, conduct a do-it-yourself test. 1. Record your meter reading. 2. Do not use water for 30 minutes to 1 hour. 3. Take another meter reading. If the reading changes, you have a leak. Contact a plumber to identify and fix the leak at the earliest. A message brought to you by the Water and Sewage Company Incorporated, Wasco. Welcome back. Tourism and health officials are rolling out a thorough plan for the management of the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers once participants arrive at the IGI Rodney Bay Marina in early December. Hermadi Mark breaks down the processes in place. Strict protocols are being announced by the Saint Lucia Tourism Authority and the Events Company of Saint Lucia, guided by the Ministry of Health for the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers, ARC. Plans to manage the arrival, testing and screening process were outlined at a media walk-through at the events venue, the IGI Rodney Bay Marina. Participants were mandated to arrive in Las Palmas no less than one week prior to the scheduled departure. They went through mandatory PCR testing and remained in isolation until living Las Palmas. Participants were also briefed on Saint Lucia's strict protocols and information on each participant will be handed to the Ministry of Health prior to their arrival in Saint Lucia. Vellon Shamor is an environmental health officer with the Port Health Department of the Ministry of Health and Wellness. Upon entry to Saint Lucia, persons are screened by the Port Health team. The nurses will do the necessary checks and ensure that persons are COVID-free. If the information presented to the Ministry of Health shows any anomalies, the vessel in question will be asked to remain on anchor on the bay and the issue will be addressed there. The average ARC participant will spend an average of 21 days in isolation on their way to Saint Lucia. The general manager for the IGI Rodney Bay Marina, Chandevo, explains the protocols for vessels in the racing class. We have designated a dock which we'll walk around to show you, which is J-Doc. And that dock is the quarantine dock. So, for example, for a vessel that is going to arrive in 12 days, the balance of their quarantine must be done at the dock where they will not be allowed to get off the boat. They will not be allowed to walk down the dock or anything else. Provisions have been put in place by the sponsors and the tenants of the marina to make deliveries to the vessel. But again, those deliveries are done at a distance where the items are placed on the deck of the boat and those on board and the delivery supplier are distanced more than 40 feet apart because it's the length of the boat. When on quarantine, those clients will be placed with a red band by the port health for the duration of their quarantine period. Participants will be given blue bands at the end of the process to indicate that they have completed their final quarantine period. In keeping with the need to observe social distancing measures to combat the spread of COVID-19, the Division of Transport recommends that the general public continue safe practices as recommended by the Chief Medical Officer. The Division of Transport also reminds the general public that processing of available online services can be made using the digital system to reduce the traffic flow at the Division. The Division of Transport urges the public to log on to the DGCOV website for available online services at www.dgcovt.lc. These services can be transacted 24-7. The Transport Division can be contacted by an email address transport at govt.lc. One of our representatives will be in touch with you as soon as possible. The Department of Justice wishes to inform the public that the family court shall remain closed during the week of 16-20 November 2020. This closure is necessary to facilitate remedial construction works within the building and a subsequent deep cleaning of the workspace. The public is encouraged to contact the Women's Support Shelter Hotline 2020 and or the police station within their respective communities in the event of a domestic violence dispute. Payments for child maintenance can be made at the Civil Status Registry. Clients will be guided upon arrival. No other child maintenance transactions shall be conducted. Normal operations at the Family Court shall resume on Monday, November 23, 2020. The Department of Housing, Urban Renewal and Telecommunications wishes to inform that all mail being delivered to our office should be handed to the security on the ground floor of the Graham-Louisey Administrative Building at the waterfront until we return to office. The public is also encouraged to contact the Department via telephone number 285-5076 285-8853 and 285-9861 or email address housing at govt.lc for any required assistance. The Ministry of Infrastructure, Ports, Energy and Labor wishes to inform residents and the motoring public of the immediate closure of Upper Church Street Souffre to facilitate urgent replacement of a grille crossing. As a result, the road will be impassable to vehicular traffic for two weeks during which time drivers are encouraged to use alternative routes. Pedestrians are urged to obey all the traffic signs which are posted for guidance and public safety. For further information, including questions, suggestions and queries, please call 468-4300. St. Vincent and the Grenadines has assumed a month-long presidency of the United Nations Security Council, details from Carrickham Newstime. On the St. Vincent and the Grenadines presidency, the Security Council aims to address contemporary challenges such as pandemics, environmental challenges, climate change and its security consequences and the nexus between development and peace and security. The Security Council agenda for November will feature a high-level meeting on contemporary drivers of conflict and insecurity, such as climate change and underdevelopment. This is a historic occasion movement for our country and it comes on the heels of our 41st anniversary of our Acclamation of Independence in 1979, where the smallest country ever to sit on the United Nations Security Council and, of course, assuming the presidency is a special honor and we are immensely proud to bring our unique perspective to the discussions and to make our contribution to the maintenance of international peace and security. St. Vincent and the Grenadines was officially elected as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council and officially assumed its position on the 2nd of January 2020 until the 31st of December 2021. The Carrickham Member State is the smallest country to hold the presidency of the important UN body. That brings us to the end of NTN Nightly. Join us next time at 7 p.m. with a repeat at 7 a.m. You can also catch up with us anytime on the St. Lucia Government Facebook page or YouTube channel. I am General Norvel.