 Welcome to NTN-Nikely, I am Genelle Norville, this edition's top stories. Invest St. Lucia revealed several projects to come on stream in 2020, St. Lucia to strengthen sustainable use and management of coastal fisheries resource, and West Virginia I Institute back in St. Lucia addressing the vision needs of children. Invest St. Lucia starts the new year rolling, revealing several projects to come on stream. The investment agency also highlights its many successes in 2019. More in this report. Invest St. Lucia's Chief Executive Officer, Roderick Sherry, indicated that quality meets is soon to open a poultry processing plant in Dennery, with the expectation to revitalize the manufacturing industry. The tourism industry can expect an increase in room stock with the Cannell's Resort, a Grand Hyatt in Sabushah Shwazei, and the Marriott Appoint Seraphine, all scheduled to come on stream in 2020. A Jamaican business process outsourcing company is scheduled to open in St. Lucia this year as its first venture out of home. Sherry indicated that ISL will be making more announcement on this project in the coming weeks. Another project which we are looking forward to is ITEL BPO. ITEL BPO is a BPO organization based headquartered in Jamaica, so it's a regional BPO. Very soon I think next week, we plan to have the official signing. However, we at Invest St. Lucia have been busy in retrofitting a factory shell in the south of the island. ITEL BPO will initially when open, hopefully in April we'll offer 150 new jobs at opening and plans to grow to maybe up to 500. Invest St. Lucia highlighted its achievements for 2019, which included the Royal St. Lucia Turf Club, land developments including BOSHA in Miku, Bois Joli in Dennery, the business incubator program and the relaunch of the Cannabis Commission. The CEO explained that Invest St. Lucia's work has not gone unnoticed. One of the more interesting things that happened, my Invest St. Lucia received international recognition as we were nominated to the directorship of the World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies to represent Latin America and the Caribbean on the steering committee. On the final round of voting, we lost out to Latin American powerhouse Costa Rica. However, this type of recognition is very significant and we are very proud of that. The IMJET Center. IMJET Center is an operation of fixed base operation at Euronora International Airport. It is a designated provider of world-class exclusive service for visiting private jet operators and VIP passengers. IMJET Center opened, the first flight was received on December 12th. Invest St. Lucia also expressed that the agency is working assiduously to reduce the processing time involved in bringing in domestic and foreign direct investment for the island's economic growth. The agency is looking forward to a successful 2020. For the Government Information Service, I am Rajvaro Lawrence. The Eastern Caribbean Central Bank, ECCB, is calling for a regional approach to citizenship by investment. The governor of the ECCB asserts that there are many benefits to be had when a collaborative approach is utilized. We get the details from GIS's Geraldine B. said Joseph. The Eastern Caribbean Central Bank, ECCB, is calling for a regional approach to citizenship by investment. Speaking at a media engagement on Wednesday, Governor of the ECCB, Timothy Antoine, highlighted that the citizenship by investment programs are very important to members of the Eastern Caribbean Central Union, ECCU, as these programs have become their main source of foreign direct investment. Consequently, the ECCB has an interest in the program, more specifically as it relates to the financial sustainability, fiscal and debt sustainability, and growth. The governor noted that given that the Caribbean is often viewed as a whole and not separate countries, if there should be an adverse development in one, this will affect the entire region. Thus, he asserted that it is important that a regional approach to citizenship by investment is embraced. We believe that a coming together will help all our CBI programs or CIP, as they are calling some countries, set the same standards and show that if you get denied in country A, you cannot get accepted in country B, because it's a single space, free movement. Set the price reasonable, not so low. We don't want to sell ourselves short. Right now, there's competition and everybody's looking for the business. And what is happening is that the price is falling lower and lower. We believe that what we have to offer in this region is valuable, is precious, and should be more highly valued. But the only way you can raise the price and sustain the price for the benefit of all is if they come together. The governor explained that heads of the organization of Eastern Caribbean states have agreed in principle to collaborate on the programs. The ECCB has also been invited to work with the OECS commission and the Citizenship by Investment Association and have held several meetings with a view to removing in that direction. The ECCB asserted that prices, setting standards and usage of revenue generated from the CIP are extremely important factors to consider. I think there are price points that we can look at based on other comparators in other parts of the world and based on all value proposition. We are niche markets. That means our price should reflect the fact that we are exclusive and special, but without pricing ourselves out of the market. So those are discussions to be had, but what we do feel is that there needs to be a coming together. Five ECCU member countries have launched Citizenship by Investment programs, namely St. Lucia, St. Kitts and Nevis, Grenada, Antigua and Barbuda, and Dominica. For the Government Information Service, I am Jolene Beset-Joseph reporting. Minister with responsibility for external affairs, Hon. Sarah Flood-Bobre, met with the U.S. Secretary of State. Hon. Flood-Bobre indicated that the meeting with the U.S. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo was a welcomed opportunity to engage with the administration on a series of initiatives. At the Wednesday meeting, which he attended along with other invited foreign ministers, the Secretary commented that his trip to the region was overdue. The U.S. Secretary of State assured that the United States continues to be committed to initiatives that seek to strengthen ties on issues such as security and development. As it relates to the Organization of American States, OAS, the Secretary indicated a known U.S. position that the U.S. would like to see the incumbent Secretary-General Louis Almagro serve a second term at the helm of the Organization. Ministers in attendance raised with the Secretary the impact of crime on regional development and a need for increased training and collaboration with the United States on that front. Education as a key metric for countries to meet certain development goals was also an issue raised. Minister Flood-Bobre focused some of her remarks on the need for more programming in community development, drawing reference to U.S. AIDS community, family and youth resilience program, currently underway in St. Lucia, St. Kitts and Nivis and Guyana. The minister advocated for the expansion of this program and for best practices from it to be embraced region-wide. Banking, blacklisting and the issue of reputational damage that countries in the Caribbean are facing was also mentioned as was the impact of graduation of the countries to more developed statuses. In a bilateral meeting, the minister asked for Secretary Pompeo's support for programming being discussed with the U.S. in a variety of areas, including border security, education and support for the country's financial intelligence agency. Minister Flood-Bobre and ambassador to the U.S. and permanent representative to the OES, his Excellency Anton Edmonds, also attended a policy discussion hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade in collaboration with the private sector organization of Jamaica and the American Chamber of Commerce and which featured Secretary Pompeo. This is Ntia Knightley. We'll be back in a moment. I was in my neighborhood. It was a very dark night. I decided to go for a drink by a bar. On my way from the bar, I felt distinct to my right leg. When I looked back, I knew it was a fuller snake. You happen to be in an area where there are snakes and you are bitten by a snake. This is what you do. You call for help and try to reach the Victoria Hospital within one or three hours. You will be seen immediately. My uncle at the time was a police officer, called the Victoria Hospital and told them that we're coming down for a snake bite. It's the only facility on the island which has a protocol and a treatment plan where you can be treated adequately. We call them before you go there so they can prepare for you. Rest assured that there are adequate supplies of antivenom with doctors who have been trained in the treatment protocols of the snake bite. Welcome back. The signing ceremony for the project for strengthening sustainable use and management of coastal fisheries resource in Karikam countries between the Japan International Cooperation Agency JICA and the Government of St. Glutia was held on Friday 17 January 2020 at the Ministry of Agriculture. The overall goal of the project is to strengthen the sustainable use of coastal resource and management through the use of the co-management approach which was developed in the Caribbean Fisheries Co-management Project. Fisheries Co-management is a flexible process wherein government and resource users share the responsibility and authority for management of aquatic resources. Today co-management is recognized as an effective approach for the sustainable management of small scale fishery which is the most prevalent in the Caribbean countries. The project will make use of the Japanese coastal management experiences to increase biodiversity and productivity through human interaction. The project will be implemented in Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Glutia and St. Vincent and the Grenadines and will comprise of a series of pilot activities which will be further disseminated across the targeted countries and throughout the wider Caribbean region. In the case of St. Glutia the pilot site will be from Ancelary to Souffre and Labry and will include targeted activities for the regeneration of coral reef habitats and more effective management of coastal resources. Chief Representative for JICA's Inclusion Office, Tsutomo Kobayashi, expressed his hope that the project would improve the livelihoods of the fisher folk in the project areas and by extension strengthen the capacity of the fisheries sector in St. Glutia. Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Physical Planning, Natural Resources and Cooperatives, Barry Morfilisier highlighted long-standing and tremendously beneficial partnership between Japan and St. Glutia, especially in the fisheries sector. The Chief Representative for JICA's Inclusion Office signed the project document on behalf of JICA and the PS Feliciae signed on behalf of the Ministry of Agriculture. Also in attendance to witness the signing of Ministry officials, including Ministry of Agriculture's Deputy Permanent Secretary and the Deputy Chief Fisheries Officer, JICA welcomes further opportunities to work with the Government of St. Glutia in strengthening the bonds of friendship, mutual understanding and cooperation between the two countries. Agricultural exporter-favorier consulting and trading has been seeking prospective buyers in the St. Kitts market. Through the intervention of Export St. Glutia, the company was introduced to this market in 2019. Since then, the exporter has been working feverishly to secure the first shipment of produce. Export Coordinated Favorier Consulting and Trading Simon Henry said despite the fact that this market is a new one for the company, he believes that the experience gives them a competitive advantage. During the second week of January 2020, Favorier Consulting and Trading shipped its first 20-foot container of mixed agricultural produce to St. Kitts. The buyer has since expressed extreme satisfaction and subsequently that a 20-foot container has been shipped to St. Kitts weekly. The Export Coordinator expressed he is pleased that the collaboration with Export St. Glutia yielded such successes and he is looking forward to further exploits in the Caribbean market, as well as further solidifying the relationship with Export St. Glutia. He encourages local farmers to diversify their fresh agricultural produce as the demand continues to grow. Export St. Glutia's Chief Executive Officer Sunita Danielle said that assisting Favorier Consulting and Trading to penetrate this new market is just another step in ensuring that our local farmers find markets for their produce. Export St. Glutia pledges to continue supporting Favorier Consulting and Trading and other exporters. This is India Nightly. We will be right back. No, I need you to slow down your driving too fast. Speak up and speak out if your life or the lives of others are in danger. Drive safe or drive alive. Welcome back. A team from the West Virginia Eye Institute is back in St. Glutia working to address the vision needs of children through the Kitts Insight Program. More in this report from Funnel Neptune. The St. Glutia Blind Welfare Association in collaboration with the West Virginia Eye Institute recently embarked on the Kitts Insight Program, aimed at providing support to children with eye problems, provision care, rehabilitation, and surgeries at no cost. Pediatric eye surgeon of the West Virginia Eye Institute, Dr. Teri Schwartz says she's very pleased to continue providing eye care to children as it changes the life immensely. When we first started, we had cases of cancer in the eye that we had to deal with. Most of the work that I do is surgery for children that have squint. We also take care of children with cataracts. Believe it or not, some children have cataracts. It's not just an old person's disease. We care for children with glaucoma. Again, you would think that's something you see in an older person, but some of our children are unlucky enough to be born with it. We also provide glasses, so we provide hundreds of glasses prescriptions. We measure and we make the glasses for the kids. Medical officer Victoria Hospital, Dr. Alicia Eugene Ford, applauded the efforts of the team from West Virginia Eye Institute and says the Department of Health will continue supporting the Kitts Insight Program. Kitts Insight is a program that I think is very beneficial. We are at Victoria Hospital and I think I could speak as well for the Ministry of Health. We are very happy when Kitts Insight or any team comes down to offer assistance that we need. And we have children that have been trying to get certain operations done and they may not have been able to come up with the full payment, but with Kitts Insight it allows them to be operated on without any cost to their parents or the children. For us it's very important because I think children are our generations to come and then they are our future. So if there's anything we can do at Victoria Hospital, we ensure that we actually invest in our future. Staff and physicians of the Victoria Hospital also engage in a knowledge sharing session on IKN surgery with the team from the West Virginia Eye Institute. Reporting from the Communications Unit of the Ministry of Health and Wellness, I am Funa Neptune. Now, here's a look at what's happening to us weather-wise. Winds will be blowing from between the East and East South East near 17 miles per hour or 28 kilometers per hour, becoming lighter at times. Fair skies becoming cloudy at times with a few showers. The Atlantic high pressure system will continue to generate light to moderate easterly winds across the eastern Caribbean region over the next few days. A weak frontal system will cause cloudiness and showers over the Leeward Islands. Over the southern Windward Islands, moist and unstable conditions will also cause cloudiness and showers during the next 24 hours. Relatively drier conditions will prevail over the central Lesser Antilles during the forecast period. Tides forecastries hover high at 321 PM, low at 10.09 PM. Tides foreview for Bay High at 4.28 PM, low at 11.36 PM. Seas slide to moderate with waves 3 to 5 feet or 0.9 to 1.5 meters. The sun will rise Saturday at 6.32 AM. That brings us to the end of NT and Nightly. Join us next time at 7 PM with a repeat at 7 AM. You can also catch up with us anytime on the St. Lucia Government Facebook page or YouTube channel. I am General Norvel.