 Welcome to NTN Nightly, I am General Norvel. This edition stops stories. The Government of St. Lucia implements sound of fiscal policies aimed at reducing the debt-to-GDP ratio. The 10th Caribbean Beekeeping Congress got underway in St. Lucia and accomplished American scientists of St. Lucia parentage pledges support towards national development of science, technology and innovation. The Government of St. Lucia has demonstrated commitment to enhancing long-term fiscal resilience, stability and sustainability with the implementation of sound fiscal policies that are aimed at reducing the debt-to-GDP ratio. In a statement to parliament on Tuesday 24th November 2020, Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Hon. Alan Chastney explained that there has been a significant increase in government expenditures related to augmenting the healthcare system to respond to the coronavirus. Prior to COVID-19 St. Lucia recorded real growth of 1.7% in 2019 with growth expectations of 3-4% for 2020. Additionally, the country had made significant progress with its economic growth indicators and had attained a debt-to-GDP ratio of 60% as at the end of March 2020. The debt-to-GDP ratio, the Prime Minister informed, has spiked on account of projections of a decline in GDP that could be as high as 20% for fiscal year 2020. For fiscal year 2020 tax revenues have fallen by more than 50%. Prior to the onset of the pandemic St. Lucia had experienced a decline in unemployment during the period 2017 to 2019 which was driven by developments in tourism and the construction industry. While the decline observed in St. Lucia's unemployment rate was welcomed, estimates suggest that unemployment as of early June 2020 went back up to 21%, primarily due to the effects of COVID-19. Despite these setbacks, the government of St. Lucia is committed to enhancing its long-term fiscal resilience, stability and sustainability while at the same time fostering broad-based inclusive economic growth and development. The government is committed to maintaining strong macroeconomic fundamentals by continuing to implement sound fiscal policies and reducing the debt-to-GDP ratio to a prudential level. The government being a member of the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union has committed to attaining the 2030 debt target set by the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank. The government has committed to establishing a working group led by the Ministry of Finance which will be approved by the Cabinet of Ministers by the 31st of March 2021 to design a rule-based fiscal responsibility framework. Established fiscal rules will be aligned with the fiscal policy get at attainment of the established 60% debt-to-GDP target ratio by 2030. The five rules to be developed and adopted under the proposed framework. When our debt-to-GDP is under 45%, there will be no ceiling imposed. When debt-to-GDP is between 45% to 55%, real primary current expenditure grows in line with the real GDP trend growth. The trend growth rate, Mr. Speaker, is a 10-year average of our historical growth rates or 9-year historical and 1-year projected as to what the growth rate is going to be. When your debt-to-GDP is 50% to 60%, growth of real primary current expenditure will be less than 1% percentage point of that average. So it means whatever the average is, you will deduct 1% from it and that would be what the constraint on your primary current expenditure will be. When your debt-to-GDP at 60% to 70%, growth of real primary current expenditure and would be two points less the trend growth rate. And when your debt-to-GDP is over 70%, that you would have a balanced budget for approximately two years. Prime Minister of St. Lucia, the Honourable Alan Sharsney. Meantime on November 6, 2020, the Cabinet of Ministers officially approved the public debt management policy, PDMP, and the publication of two debt reports namely the 2019 annual debt portfolio review and the quarterly debt bulletin as of June 30, 2020. The public debt management policy is an effort to manage and guide St. Lucia's debt management practices and to correct the shortcomings of the current public debt framework. The PDMP establishes a robust legal framework which sets out the authority to borrow, specifies the purpose of borrowing, establishes clear debt management objectives, requires the preparation of a debt management strategy and requires mandatory reporting on debt management performance. The annual debt portfolio review provides a comprehensive look at the debt situation of St. Lucia over the past five-year period. It provides an analysis of movements in the debt stock and explores debt-related issues identified in St. Lucia's debt management strategy while identifying risk indicators inherent in the portfolio. The quarterly debt bulletin and analyses debt statistics such as central government debt, guaranteed loans and external and domestic debt breakdowns. The quarterly frequency of this report will serve as a monitoring mechanism for the government and investors. These reports will be available on the government's web portal and Department of Finance website, providing invaluable information to the public who require data to inform their investment decisions and other stakeholders requiring up-to-date research data. Minister for Equity, Social Justice, Local Government and Empowerment Hon. Leonard Montaud has called on the St. Lucia Society to reimagine how it interacts and protects children. Hon. Montaud made the call on the occasion of World Children's Day observed at the 20th of November. Noting the impact of abuse on the nation's children, Minister Montaud indicated that his ministry has doubled efforts to protect children. Reimagine the future in the context of our current environment of uncertainty provides the platform for both adults and children to redefine the way in which things are done so that more positive outcomes can be accomplished. My ministry takes a serious stance on issues of child abuse, maltreatment and any other forms of abuse of children. We together with the community will provide an opportunity to envisage the future of children who are experiencing various forms of maltreatment and what can be done to assist them in overcoming these challenges to live up to their full potential in an environment conducive to their growth and development. It begs of us to look intuitively at all aspects of life that affects children and plan from now ways in which children's rights can be continued to be realized. Hon. Montaud says government policy and legislation will continue to guide the care of children. The Child Care Protective and Adoption Act, which my government passed in November 2018 has positioned us to continue the process of putting in place the necessary legislation, policies and protocols to ensure that the articles contained within the Convention of the Rights of the Child are adhered to. In light of this, the Government of St. Lucia remains committed to ensure that all the rights of the child set out in the Convention are met. This includes ensuring that every child is protected from all forms of abuse, neglect, violence and exploitation. In addition, this government is committed to every child having access to quality education and healthcare and to assist marginalized families so that they are able to provide the children with their basic needs such as food, clothing and shelter. Furthermore, this government believes that every child should grow and thrive in an environment where they feel loved, have a sense of belonging, cared for and are able to express their ideas without fear of victimization. Hon. Leonard Montaud. A consultation dubbed the People's Parliament held Monday 23rd November 2020 has stoked national enthusiasm for research and innovation in St. Lucia. The events, beheaded by the Global Environment Facility, Jeff Small-Grand's programme, brought together movers and shakers of local society, St. Lucia innovators who have made tremendous impact abroad and representatives from Microsoft headquarters in Washington to weigh in on how the country can adapt innovative evidence-based solutions to its sectors. Jesse Layos files the first report of our People's Parliament series. The need to reinvent academia in keeping with the new era of research and innovation was a subject prominently featured during the morning segment of the People's Parliament held Monday 23rd November at Parliament building in Castries. American science professor Kato Lawrence, a descendant of St. Lucia and world-renowned for his accomplishments in regenerative engineering shared his vision for the island in building on its tradition of intellectual excellence to advance the medical field. My vision would be to create a clinical research, technology, an entrepreneurial institute in St. Lucia that we would create an environment of world-class clinical care, world-class biomedical and medical engineering science and technology and an entrepreneurial hub important that entrepreneurship is is promoted translating technology to corporate incubators in the area and also industrial parks for companies in St. Lucia. So I think that I look forward to helping in the knowledge building. I look forward to helping in the technology development and also look forward to working with you in commercialization. Dr. Lawrence is regarded as the father of regenerative engineering, a field that converges advanced material science, stem cell science, physics and developmental biology and clinical translation toward the regeneration of complex tissues, organs or organ systems. As the founder and president of the regenerative engineering society Professor Kato extends an opportunity for select secondary school students in St. Lucia. My institute will provide two-year memberships for the top 50 high school students in science in St. Lucia as determined by the St. Lucia government. We'll provide two-year memberships for the top 50 high school students to get them involved and get them interested in this area of regenerative engineering and these melding of these different areas of science and medicine and to provide opportunities. We'll provide two-year memberships for the students in the regenerative engineering society. St. Lucia Professor Audrey Henry Lee of the University of the West Indies, Mona in Jamaica weighed in on how to cultivate research and innovation in the education sector. We have to completely revamp the education system from early childhood. There's too much regurgitation, not enough critical thinking. We need to develop our critical thinking skills of our young people, reward creativity and ensure that innovation and creativity are important elements of curriculum development. There's need to be more emphasis on learning through play because children will learn more relaxed and they are learning through play. Professor Henry Lee further outlined the role of universities in the research and innovation thrust. The role of the university, we need to train and build capacity. The emphasis must be on critical thinking and innovation. We must train the change agents, we change agents ourselves, advocate for change and that's where we can increase the number of think tanks that we have where we respond and evaluate policies and programmes. We must be more involved in public education and a simple thing that we can do in terms of helping researchers as ministries to elicit their research need and submit to the relevant departments at the university. We will commit here at Salises and we would encourage our students to carry out the research. The People's Parliament was an event of the Global Environment Facility Jeff, Small Grants Program to jump-start its seventh operational phase with a focus on research and innovation. The People's Parliament brought together a cadre of luminaries, including St. Lucien innovators who have made a tremendous impact abroad. For the Government Information Service, I am Jesse Leigh-Anne's reporting. The South for Lewis Community College is the recipient of a generous contribution from the St. Lucien National Conservation Fund. The science department received a new equipment to assist in the expansion of the school's capacity to carry out environmental monitoring and data collection. This investment was funded through the Caribbean Biodiversity Fund and is expected to vastly improve the school's environmental programme. Homo De Mark tells us more. The officer in charge at the St. Lucien National Conservation Fund, Craig Henry, says the South for Lewis Community College plays an important role in building the country's capacity for environmental monitoring and this contribution will improve the school's ability to contribute to national efforts to improve data collection. Through our grant-making programme, we were able to facilitate the request to get some much-needed equipment in order to improve that capacity. Along with the equipment, of course, you have the skills and training that both staff and students will, of course, receive as a result of all of that. There is also the potential for as well contributing to the national database and a knowledge regarding the status of some of our critical ecosystems. The coordinator for the South for Lewis Community College's Environmental Science programme, Dr. Marie-Louise Felix, says this donation will improve the learning experience and proficiency of students at the South for Lewis Community College. With this contribution of equipment, we have one of the most modern and efficient environmental monitoring equipment that you can find. We probably have better equipment than most colleges and universities within the region. It now means that not only are we better able to train our students but also our students are going to be proficient in the most modern equipment with regards to environmental monitoring. According to Dr. Felix, this contribution also facilitates national and regional collaboration with agencies attempting to improve environmental data collection. From the Government Information Service, Hermione Mark reporting. This is NTIA Nightly. Please stay with us. It's not an accident yet. We have to go to the top and then to the top. We have to go to the top and then to the top. Stray animals are endangering human lives and property. Livestock owners, please ensure animals do not stray on roads, highways and public places. Remember, sections of the Animals Act 2005 states Stray animals will be seized and put in a pound by authorized persons. Owners will be liable to a fine of $5,000 or two years' imprisonment or both. Save innocent animals. Save human lives and property. A message from the Department of Agriculture. Welcome back. The Ministry of Education, Innovation, Gender Relations and Sustainable Development due to the COVID-19 pandemic has had to modify the kindergarten registration process. The Ministry has replaced the face-to-face process creating an online portal accessible at kregistration.education.gov.lc. The portal is user-friendly and can be accessed via the computer, tablet and mobile phone. Parents will need a valid email address to log on and for further communication with education officials. Dr. Claudia Louise, the Chief Planning Officer in the Department of Education, Innovation and Gender Relations. Provisions will be made for parents to drop off their documents at the schools within a particular period. However, a further announcement will be made on the exact details. Give it the exact details. We would really like to encourage parents to try the online portal. It is user-friendly, so we would encourage you, even if you don't have a computer at home, if you have a family member who has access, or you can use a mobile phone to access the portal. Later during the week, we will make an announcement for all those who do not have access to digital means. Dr. Louis highlights the 2021 registration process and required documents. Parents will be given the option of selecting three schools. The main reason for that is you may select the school of first choice, but that school may be oversubscribed, so we may have to place your child in your second choice school. So for this reason, we are asking everybody to select the three options. Yes, it's very important that the parents have these documents, the child's birth certificate, and in this case, we are looking at children born in the year 2016, the immunization certificate or the health card, the passport photo, which has to be scanned, and if you are applying based on your workplace, then you would need a job letter. If you are applying based on your residence, we would use a utility bill as proof of residence. So these documents, you should get these documents beforehand, and scandals, and you would be guided by the online portal as to when the document should be uploaded. Chief Planning Officer in the Department of Education, Innovation and Gender Relations, Dr. Claudia Louis. But 10th Caribbean Beekeeping Congress got underway in St. Lucia on Tuesday. The week-long Congress for the most part is being held virtually with a few activities on the ground. Day one of the 10th Caribbean Beekeeping Congress was held at Viji at the site of an ecotourism project that involves beekeeping. Experienced and novice beekeepers learned about Queen Raring. The session was conducted by John Frederick, the Vice President of the Ionola Epiculture Collective. Queen Raring allows you to be able to mass produce hives. And so if you have a colony that already has an existing queen and you want to make a new colony, you simply take nurse bees from that colony, you put it into a separate box, and then you introduce a new queen to that separate box. So now you start with two hives. Sometimes your queen is not producing good enough for you. So actually you could actually do Queen Raring, create a better queen, so you have a better hive to produce honey. Queen Raring is critical for increasing honey production and for the perpetuation of healthy and vibrant hives. It gives me a spider web of connections to be like, okay, what kind of bees do you have? Would you want to help me create a new one? Can I switch? Can we do something? Yes. With this program, what we are doing, we are actually looking for productive hives that are produced in honey, and graft from these hives to actually create better queens. Queen Raring is very much important if you want to jumpstart the sector and increase in a short space of time. It is anticipated that the workshop generates more public interest in beekeeping and assures potential beekeepers of the availability of the most productive queens and colonies. First and foremost we have to look at is the quality as a breeder, the quality that you give, the characteristics that you look forward to, and especially with most of our beekeepers focusing on honey production as key. Production is the main indicator for the quality of that queen. The beekeeper wants to maintain genetics and certain traits in his hive. So he would mass produce queens from his colonies that he is satisfied with. A field trip to Débara was also part of the day's program where apiculture is being practiced by young beekeepers. They were trained by the Ayunola apiculture collective and are now in the commercial production of honey. The 10th Caribbean Beekeeping Congress continued on Wednesday at Orchid Centre in Union. For the Government Information Service, I am Jesse Leons reporting. The St. Lucia Postal Service wishes to inform its customers that the General Post Office will be closed from Monday, November 23, 2020 to Friday, November 27, 2020. One of our employees has tested positive for COVID-19 and we are currently working with the Ministry of Health to undergo the contact tracing of individuals identified as being in close contact with the affected employee. By way of safeguarding the general public and staff members of the general post office, management took the decision to keep the office closed during the above mentioned period. In light of this, we encourage all our customers to visit the other post offices which are available on island. We do apologise for any inconvenience this may cause. That brings us to the end of NTN Nightly. Join us next time at 7pm with a repeat at 7am. You can also catch up with us anytime on the St. Lucia Government Facebook page or YouTube channel. I am General Novel.