 Welcome to the NTA Nightly. I'm Nisha Chas. This edition stops stories. A joint effort is underway to address the legal disposal of oil sludge at the Wasco Treatment Plant in Bosseju. St. Lucia draws closer to introducing advanced ICT technology in the agriculture sector. The government's summer employment program gets underway with the training of successful applicants. All that plus the latest in youth development, sports and the NTA Nouvelle-Arcueil. The Wardenswich Company Limited Wasco is currently working with the National Emergency Management Organization, NEMO, for immediate remedial measures following the discovery of the legal disposal of oil sludge at the Wasco Treatment Plant at Bosseju. An investigation was conducted on Monday, May 27, 2019, by the Environmental Health Department, where it was discovered that a significant quantity of oil had been disposed of at the plant. Acting Chief Environmental Health Officer Parker Ragnanan highlighted a number of observations that were made. The quantity was so significant that we saw the spillage had overflowed the pit and consequently contaminated some of the lands to the bottom part of the property. Further, the oil had gotten into the nearby water costs and this had resulted in a large fish kill that we observed. It was further observed that there was a large quantity of oils that surfaced and affected the vegetation in the area. The National Oil Spill Committee of NEMO will be spearheading the cleanup at the Wasco Treatment Plant to ensure that the area is brought back to its original state. The committee has also advised Wasco on an appropriate contractor to deal with such spillage. According to the chairman of the National Oil Spill Committee, Christopher Alexander, Wasco has agreed to submit to NEMO a plan of action for the cleanup procedures. The oil spills committee will also be having a monitoring team through various agencies and the key agencies being Ministry of Health and the fisheries department to monitor the cleanup that has been undertaken by the team that Wasco will be giving that contract to. We also would admonish persons that are bringing waste to the facility that no oil sludge or no solid waste should be brought to that facility. The committee has agreed to monitor the situation for a period of at least three months to ensure that the oil being removed is buried on site. Wasco has informed that measures will be taken to ensure that such an event does not reoccur. Wasco has assured the oil spills committee that they will be implementing immediate measures in-house to increase the monitoring of the trucks that enter the facility. In that regard, we're expecting the positioning of cameras on that site and also the workers of Wasco doing monitoring on a case-by-case basis to ensure that the trucks that are entering and leaving the facility that they can sign on to a document indicating that they are not bringing items to the facility that is not acceptable to Wasco. NEMO is imploring users of the plans to be conscious of actions that can have a negative effect on the environment. Disposal of garbage, oil sludge and the like are not permitted and companies who need guidance on such disposal are advised to seek the assistance of the Solid Waste Management Authority and the Environmental Health Division. Wasco draws closer to introducing more advanced ICT technology to the agriculture industry under a project named Advancing ICTs for Climate Smart Agriculture Practices. The organization hosted a one-day workshop on ICT interventions for the sector. The Cardi workshop which got the support from the Agriculture Ministry and technical partners such as the OECS Commission and IECA brought together stakeholders of the industry including students. The activity focused on market intelligence as a strategy to better manage climatic variability. Cardi representative in St. Lucia Andrea Vera says she hopes that by hosting this workshop which highlighted ICT for agriculture stakeholders will see the value of using modern ICT in bolstering economic activity, crop production and information sharing within the sector. We hope that this project would be the beginning of more to come. We are hoping that more funding can come as well so that we can assist the farmers but as it is right now it is all covered by the Karakam Japan friendly overseas cooperation and we must say thank you to them for the sponsorship and the drive to recognize our need for such a project and to use St. Lucia as the pilot country to have such a project running for the OECS. Minister for Agriculture Hon. Ezekiel Joseph in addressing the opening ceremony of the workshop says that stakeholder use and willingness to adopt ICT in agriculture should be encouraged as it does give a platform for agriculture constituents to collaborate, attain up-to-date market information and for finding solutions to ongoing threats to our agriculture economy. The whole aspect of information to assist us the farmers in production scheduling so at least when we are in the position to market our products we have the market for it because we need everyone to come on board to give support to this initiative and I'm sure we all know the crops that we have targeted in the first instance but for us to be able to accomplish that objective there are a number of things that we need to do of course we start today with the whole aspect of technology and looking at production scheduling which is critical for us to accomplish our objectives. Many ICT in agriculture interventions have been developed and tested around the world to help agricultureists improve their livelihoods through increased agricultural productivity and income or by reducing risks. For us in St. Lucia, ICT for the industry will work to enhance efforts in climate change initiatives for the sector and to make good on the government's promises to ensure sustainable and secure nutrition and food sources. From the information unit of the Ministry of Agriculture, I am Amanda Fe Clark reporting. Close to 40 students converge at the Public Service Training Institute on Tuesday May 28, 2019 for the first ever formal orientation training for students in the annual summer employment program warned this report from Jolita Peter. Over the years successful applicants of the Government of St. Lucia summer employment program have been subjected to informal orientation sessions within their assigned agencies. However, this year the Department of the Public Service has added a vital component to the program. From now on students will undergo a comprehensive orientation training prior to their stint. Betty Blanchard is Director of Training at the Public Service Training Institute. It's a one day program where we bring all the summer students together and we present to them on various areas. The key topics are the structure and function of the Public Service, ethics and professionalism, time management, on-the-job skills and student responsibility and the introduction to the staff orders. These are some of the various topics. Presenters were joined from various ministries and departments of the Public Service. The summer employment program is open to fifth form students, year one college students and university students who are not in their final year. Students are granted a two month period of employment from June to July or July to August. Students receive a stipend to assist them in deferring the cost of school supplies. Unfortunately, due to a limited budget, less than 200 students are accommodated under the program in any given year. Meanwhile, the Public Service Training Institute recently completed the compilation of a 75 page orientation booklet for new entrants into the public service. In the past, our orientation was just a two day program where we would bring persons in and we would give them an insight as to what happens and what is expected of them in the public service. However, we saw the need to have an online component. So a lot of what is in there is the staff orders and other policies and regulation which they need to know about. So we have compiled that and this is our online component of the program. So we emailed these to the new entrants, they would read through it and there is an online questionnaire. They answer the question and then they come prepared for our face to face component of that program with questions and other concerns which they may have. Staff of the Public Service Training Institute compiled the orientation manual. Julia Peter reporting from the communications unit of the Department of the Public Service. Nearly half a million dollars has been donated to non-governmental organizations and social institutions from the proceeds of the independence ball hosted annually by Prime Minister Hon. Alan Chastney. The Prime Minister of St. Lucia made a donation of over 450,000 EC dollars in support of well-deserving causes and organizations. The monies were raised from donations received at this year's Prime Minister's independence ball. Prime Minister of St. Lucia, the Hon. Alan Chastney expressed gratification towards the members of the different causes for their efforts and hard work. I'm so inspired by the people of this country who continue to remind me how resilient we are because I know that there's something in common with all the groups here that despite you getting on your knees and praying that something might drop from the sky that when that thing does not drop from the sky and many times it has not, right? You find a way to continue to proceed and the idea of giving up never happens. Causes that benefited include the Cornerstone Humanitarian Society, the Cerebral Palsy Association, the Lady Gordon Opportunity Center and the Blind Welfare Association. Linda Pravel, Principal of the Lady Gordon Opportunity Center, explained that the donations received will assist the center with ongoing projects. The Lady Gordon Opportunity Center, formerly the School for the Hearing Impaired, we serve children with a range of disabilities and this money came just in time because we are about to embark on a project and like Joseph, I was saying, Lord, where is the rest of the money coming from? We have received money but it all goes to the training but we need to put down equipment and we need to put down our, the house too for the project and I'm saying, where am I going to get this money? So when this money came I said thank you God because it is a need and this project is not going to give our young persons a sense of independence but they're going to become employable. The handing over ceremony took place at the office of the Prime Minister on Thursday May 23rd, 2019. From the Government Information Service, I am Anisia Antoine reporting. And this is the end here. Nightly, Rhino Bryan is up next. Water conservation reduces energy consumption and strain on the water distribution system. Conserve water whenever possible and remember, every job counts. A message brought to you by the Water and Sewage Company Incorporated, WASCO. Welcome back. We join Rhino Bryan for the latest happenings in youth development and sports. Thanks Anisia. Welcome everyone to your update on youth development and sports on the NTN Nightly News. The Ministry of Youth Development and Sports will be continuing its preparations of its contingent for the 2019 Winner Island Schools Games to be held in Dominica. Another planning meeting is scheduled for Friday, starting at 10 in the morning at the conference room of the Ministry on Miku Street. Coaches assigned to prepare teams will be gathering to assess how they have been coming together for training in preparation for this year's Games and see how they can streamline the training program. Among the coaches working again within the various disciplines are Shem Maxwell, Kaufbert Modest, Albert Nestefan, Dennis Sinclair, Germain Thomas and Ron de Merville. Two officials from the Ministry participated in a technical meeting held in Dominica last week, Director of Sports Patrick Matre and School Sports Coordinator Isabel Alexander Markey. They were among officials from the competing Winner Islands who gathered to finalize crucial elements of the Games. The St Lucia National Youth Council has announced that nominations are officially open for positions on its Executive Board for the period 2019 to 2021. The St Lucia National Youth Council, NYC, is a democratic and independent non-governmental organization made up of youth and student organizations. The Executive Board comprises seven positions, President, First Vice President, Second Vice President, General Secretary, Assistant General Secretary, Treasurer and Public Relations Officer. All youth organizations have been invited to nominate competent young persons to fill in the various positions on or before the deadline of June 28, 2019. Once candidates are confirmed, a public press conference will be held to showcase the individuals contesting each position and one round of televised presidential debates will take place. The date for the NYC General Assembly and elections slated for Saturday, August 3, 2019. Nomination forms are available at the NYC office, the District Youth Fund Sports Council and online via the St Lucia National Youth Council's Facebook page. The nominee for any position on the NYC Executive must be between the ages of 18 and 35, a registered member of a youth organization registered under the District Youth Fund Sports Council in accordance with the NYC Constitution Article 3 membership or a member of a recognized youth-led organization registered with the St Lucia National Youth Council or the Ministry of Youth Development and Sports. The election process is managed by an independent electoral committee. The outgoing executive members are Jeshron Andrew, Nias Alfred, Ajani Labone, Anya Edwin, Latoya Charles, Rajin Montute, Raquel John. The council was established on April 14, 1985. In 1997, the St Lucia National Youth Council in Cooperation Act was passed in Parliament, making the council the legal and legitimate body representing youth throughout the island. And that's your update from Youth Development and Sports for today. I'm Ryan O'Brien. Thanks, Ryan. St Lucia has received grant funding from the Association of Constellation of Threatened Parrots, the ACTP, along with staff training for the management of the Gabriel Charles Forestry Complex. The overarching expectation is such that by the end of the agreement period, St Lucia would be outfitted with a refurbished Gabriel Charles Forestry Complex, which would post a state-of-the-art wildlife conservation and education center. The new MOU does include components for the operations and funding of that center. Minister with responsibility for forestry's honourable Ezekiel Joseph says St Lucia is now poised to become a leader in wildlife and forestry conservation in the OECS. We can see that we are well on our way as it pertains to finalizing the project. We are now signing a new agreement as it pertains to how we operationalize the project, how we equip the project, and how we staff the project. And ACTP has agreed to give grant funding to that effect, at least for one year. So it will be their responsibility to manage it. When I say manage it, to give us support in managing it by training our staff, both in St Lucia and of course we have right now two St Lucians in Germany being trained by ACTP to assist us in managing the facility. The MOUF to improve the services offered by the Gabriel Charles Forestry Complex is seen as a strategic initiative by the Agriculture Ministry as it provides a solid testimony for the ongoing work by agriculture leaders in the partnership with the Ministry of Tourism in designing the policy agenda for an improved agro-tourism brand for St Lucia. They have agreed to assist in the PR promotion of the facility and how we collaborate with the many schools to educate our school children to encourage them to visit the facility. So I think it's a very good initiative. It's one where it's new to us in the region and it also is in keeping with our plan as a government as to how we restructure the new agricultural station to make it an agro-tourism center. And what's happening at the Forestry Department is the first stage in we as a government being able to accomplish that initiative. The Agriculture Ministry has identified other areas of collaboration to diversify in its agriculture offerings. Upgrading the infrastructure and services offered to wildlife enthusiasts, students and other stakeholders is seen as a MOUF in the right direction. From the information unit of the Ministry of Agriculture I am Amanda Fee-Clock reporting. And stay with the NTN Nightly. Up next, Primus Hutchinson is here with the NTN Nouvelle Enquayon. 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 Primus Hutchinson for the NTN Nouvelle Enquayon. Mr. Otta Nisha, Mr. Madame, Department of the University of Stability for the Information and Governance of the GIS, the National Television of NTN, the Nouvelle Enquayon, the Primus Hutchinson. This decision was made to assist us in building capacity for natural disasters. The Embassy of the United States for the United States of America, Egbabad, who visited the Government of St. Lucie and the Telephone Satellite. The Ministry of the University of Stability for the Information and Governance of the GIS, the University of St. Lucie, Mr. Epigotited to the Government of St. Lucie to support the Government of St. Lucie. Mr. Flood, we are living on the Earth with our risks for natural disasters. Every year, we are preparing for these cyclones. We have Flood for the Dominican Republic, who can even find a good solution to the worst cyclone and that we can prepare for the next season. Mr. Flood, we can change the way cyclones work so quickly. And, it's very important that we have a good connection and that we are on the Earth. So, the quality of these numbers is very important for this region. The Ministry of the Information and Governance of the United States for the Information and Governance of the GIS, the University of St. Lucie, the question is what is the quality of the numbers that are made possible to contact the countries that have even the same quality of the numbers In this government, I adopted WEG to implement the law in a different way so that it has equal rights for all women in the country. The government found a technical assistance in the United Nations to support WEG, which has guided our efforts to manage the law to assist the Salah initiative. In the United Nations, this is an effort to help countries organize workshops to help Salah come to reality. The Office of Social Affairs for the Eklak, Lydia Rose Jenny, said that the technical assistance provided by the U.S. Department of Health to establish WEG, the Department of Economic Affairs, and to assist the government in this way to implement the national plan, and that the U.S. Department of Health will help the country to make a new commitment to the Salah initiative. The Director of the Department of Economic Affairs for the Eklak, Lydia Rose Jenny, also said that it will help the country to implement the Salah initiative for the first time. We have to help the individuals in the best way to address the situation in our country. Mainly, we have to help the Salah people, because we have to help them. It is important that the Salah people come out of these four communities that I have found to be affected by the problem in our country. It is very important for them to come out of these four communities. I can't start with the three Gs, but I can't wait for the participants to participate in the first phase of the national plan that will be given to nine months to start the national conservation authority that works in the country, and the company that is business-oriented in the country, which is the Algas Organic, and I can't wait to have more than 160 companies that work in the country. I can't wait to have more than 60 companies that work in the country that work in the country. I can't wait for the next week for the Salah to continue to solve the problem in our country. The first phase of the national plan is to start the four-year plan. I can't wait for the next generation to go out of the four communities and participate in the next five-year plan. I think it's very important that the next generation to participate in the next four-year plan is very important. Thank you very much, Michel. 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 any time on the St. Lucia Government Facebook page for your YouTube channel. I'm Misha Charles.