 Welcome to NTN Nightly, I am Genel Norvel. This edition, Stop Stories. The Ministry of Agriculture implements action plan responding to agricultural losses post-hurricane Elsa. The National Emergency Management Organization urges the public to remain on high alert and 24 students recognize in the YEPPS X-Tempo Challenge. The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Physical Planning, Natural Resources and Corporatives has implemented an action plan with the view of addressing the agricultural damage caused by the passage of Hurricane Elsa. Anissa Antwan begins the broadcast. The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries, Natural Resources and Corporatives conducted an initial assessment on the impact of Hurricane Elsa. The assessment looked at damages on the various extension and advisory services including the Fisheries Department, Livestock Division and Crop Extension Division. According to Permanent Secretary of the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries, Natural Resources and Corporatives Barrymore Feliciae losses totaled more than 34 million dollars with banana and plantain farmers suffering the most with reported losses of 80% or more of their farms. We're looking in the region of 2,400 acres to 2,800 acres affected and over 600 farmers affected in that sector. We also saw to a certain extent fruit trees, root crops, vegetables were also affected in the crop extension area. In terms of fisheries, we saw that there were some damaged vessels by the denry area. Minimal losses though. We also saw CMOS farmers in the areas of Puala became affected. They had line losses of CMOS. In the area of Livestock Division, we saw about 70% damage to sheds, animal sheds. We saw some mortalities in terms of swine poultry in the livestock sector. So these areas have been affected. In terms of forestry, we saw some slides in the forest reserve. Also, you would have noticed that there would have been some fallen trees and some damaged trees in that area. Mr Feliciae reiterated the Department of Agriculture's commitment to assisting farmers. He notes that the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Physical Planning, Natural Resources and Corporatives is currently working on a support package for farmers. We are here today trying to finalize that support package and it will be communicated to the Executive to the Cabinet of Ministers for their deliberation and for their final approval. So once that is received, then we will communicate to our stakeholders what that support will be and in what form it will take. Farmers are advised to report their losses to their respective extension divisions. The extension facilities are located in Barbono, Bexo, Marigold, Souffre, Viewfort, Ager and Rich Four. From the Communications Unit of the Ministry of Agriculture, I am Anicia Antoine reporting. The Government of St Lucia is looking to build back better, stronger and more resiliently following the passage of Hurricane Elsa. The Category 1 hurricane battered the island on Friday 2 July 2021, claiming one life and living behind a trail of damage to infrastructure, homes and agriculture. During an update following the passage of the hurricane, Minister for Infrastructure, Ports, Energy and Labor, Hon. Stevenson King indicated that the country has commenced the implementation of programs to build its climate resilience. Are we resilient enough? No, we're not. We've still got a long way to go. There's need for us to look at what we are doing in terms of the engineering and structural measures in terms of resilience. And we also have to look at the bioengineering measures to help improve the road condition. And oftentimes I speak of the road conditions as not just merely the carriageway, but the carriageway, the shoulders, the drains and the environment. What sort of environment are we facilitating our road infrastructure and therefore in our new approaches, in the new approaches that we are developing within the Ministry of Infrastructure, we are taking very seriously the issue of resilience, resilience to climate change. The Infrastructure Minister explained that the Ministry's most recent program, that is the Road Improvement and Maintenance Program, RIM Phase 4, takes into consideration the threat of climate change. This program he noted has been specifically designed with the intention of improving St. Louisian's resilience. In terms of the road designs and what we are seeing emerging, it's not just a carriageway, but we're looking at stronger pavement strengths, pavement strengths that will take us probably 15 and 20 years before any destruction. Pavement strengths that can withstand the category 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 hurricanes. We're looking at drainage systems that can withstand those sort of phenomena. And we're also looking at pedestrian, because really the road infrastructure is really an element, a factor of production, which speaks to production in terms of transportation, movement of people, movement of goods, movement of services, and so you have to take that into consideration so that with a phenomena, in this case a category 1, but let's say a category 5, that notwithstanding that you would be able to deal with the issue of flooding and of course arresting any potential paralysis that may cause in terms of movement of people and movement of goods and services and transportation generally. And that is what we are factoring into our new designs, building a national standard, a national code of construction for our road infrastructure. The minister also highlighted the need for improvements to the country's utilities infrastructure. We noticed throughout the country, because of the heavy rainfalls and the impact, we noticed a number of utility poles being knocked down throughout the country. And that in itself is probably one major element in climate resilience in infrastructure. How do you continue to build infrastructure that can protect your utility lines? Of course you need utility for electricity, for communication, and for services generally. And therefore in new construction of road infrastructure, we now need to say how do we build to protect the utility services? And the answer to this is being able to build on the ground with stronger pavements, with the necessary ducting of the lines, and therefore if we are able to protect our land in terms of protecting the potential of land slippage, then it means that we would have been able to deal with the issue of damage to the utility infrastructure. That was Minister for Infrastructure Ports Energy and Labor Honourable Stevenson King. The National Emergency Management Organization NIMO is urging members of the public to remain in a state of constant preparedness. NIMO, while still conducting damage assessments in the aftermath of the passage of Hurricane Elsa, highlighted the unpredictable threat of natural disasters, especially during the hurricane season. We get details in this report. The National Emergency Management Organization NIMO continues to assess the impact of the passage of Hurricane Elsa to roads, infrastructure, lives, and livelihoods with a view of returning St. Lucia to a sense of normalcy. Director of NIMO, Doreen Gustave, sees the opportunity to offer condolences to the family and loved ones of Peter Victor Fossey-Jacques, who lost his life during the passage of the hurricane. The director, noting the devastation caused by Hurricane Elsa, urged members of the public to ensure that they remain in a constant state of preparedness. NIMO received reports of partial and total damage to homes throughout the island. On Saturday, July 3rd, the Prime Minister, an official from Infrastructure and Myself, did an aerial reconnaissance to have a view of the damage, and as was mentioned previously, the damage to the banana fields were quite visible. Indeed, the agriculture sector suffered extensive damages. Please be reminded that we are still in the midst of an active Atlantic hurricane season, and based on the destructive nature of these tropical activities, you are advised to continue with the hurricane preparedness if you have not done so. Your preparedness plan should include, for example, a family plan, a business plan, assessment around your home and property to identify the hazards. The director reminded the public of the very real and present threat and danger of such disasters which have only worsened due to the impact of climate change. These disasters continue to threaten societies, both economically and socially, as well as lives and livelihoods. We have about 15 more storms remaining, and it takes only one to cause catastrophic effect on any one country. With the rise in climate change, we have seen the rapid intensification of hurricanes, for example, tropical storm Elsa changing rapidly into a hurricane within a short space of time. This behavior could have only been made possible due to climate change and the effects of climate change on our small island development states, and this could only be mitigated through preparedness. Preparedness also builds on the resilience of people, and as a nation it is our desire to become resilient. Hurricane Elsa passed over the island on Friday the 2nd of July 2021. On the lighter side, 24 students will recognize for making bold statements against crime and violence in their communities through the art of X-Tempo. Jesse Leos has a report on the Youth Empowerment Project's Anti-Crime and Violence Youth X-Tempo Challenge prize-giving ceremony. During a recent awards ceremony, officials of the Royal St. Lucia Police Force and the Ministry of Equity, Social Justice, Local Government and Empowerment tipped their hats off to the participants of the Anti-Crime and Violence Youth X-Tempo Challenge for the creativity and conviction that they brought to the stage on June 6th. Coordinator for the Ministry's Youth Empowerment Project, Joanne Husbands, says the initiative successfully yielded fresh insight on the issue of crime and violence and how it can be tackled. We were able to get an idea of their perceptions, their concerns and possible solutions as youth as it relates to crime, violence, safety and community development. And as well, they endeavored to educate persons about preventative strategies that other youth like themselves and persons in the wider community can employ. The topics ranged from bullying, violence against women, the justice system and ways to improve the living standards in the communities. Assistant Commissioner of Police Dr. Mashama Seely recalls the hesitance of some of the participants when they realized during the workshop that there was so much more to annex temple than rhyming lines. She thanks them for rising to the challenge. Because I attended at least one of your workshops. I saw where you started off, where some people were afraid to... They didn't want to participate after having gone through some of the workshop activities because they felt they may not be ready in time. But I'd like to also congratulate you for your bravery. I also love the messages that were portrayed by the participants. We heard the challenges that they face when it comes to gang violence, domestic violence, parenting and other social issues that affect us every single day. Jim Xavier, Deputy Director of the Social Transformation Community Services Unit with the ministry has committed to continue collaborating with the Royal St. Lucia Police Force in efforts toward enhancing safety and security in St. Lucia's communities. I want to see this as a deepening of collaboration between the Ministry of Equity and the Royal St. Lucia Police Force and of course the community at large. Because as we've said, crime is everybody's business. We cannot just leave it to the police officers to tackle the issue of crime. Even the students, you have a role to play. And so I would want to compliment the year program of course for funding and taking initiative to really advance this program. I want to again compliment the teachers and the parents who would have assisted in the students in developing them. The Anti-Crime and Violence Youth Ex-Temple engaged 24 participants in three age categories from various schools and communities in castries. The feedback obtained from the participants will be used by the Royal St. Lucia Police Force to create new strategies to tackle the issues of crime and violence. For the Government Information Service, I am Jesse Leons reporting. Bank of St. Lucia and St. Lucia Workers Credit Union partner in a historic collaboration to provide credit union members with contactless debit cards. A small ceremony with stakeholders last week marked the official launch of this new milestone the birth of the St. Lucia Workers Credit Union visa card powered by Bank of St. Lucia. We have more in this report. 2020 Bank of St. Lucia launched its contactless visa credit and debit cards. Today the financial institution is extending this important convenience banking service to members of the St. Lucia Workers Credit Union by way of this partnership. According to Deputy Managing Director Lyndon Arnold, accessibility to one's funds is important and a priority for every financial institution and BOSL is extremely excited to share this innovation with the staff and members of the St. Lucia Workers Credit Union. Because since the onset of COVID last year, what we've seen now as a norm are the long queues outside of banks, supermarkets, utility companies and it is really not an efficient use of our time in terms of that queuing. And that passion has translated into us at Bank of St. Lucia finding ways of how we can better serve our customers to allow them to make better use of their time. And I remember on a few occasions in recent weeks having to pass across the Derrick Walcott Square there and realize that outside your entrance doors those queues also exist. But guess what? With the card now those queues can be shortened. In addition to being able to access funds at all Bank of St. Lucia ATMs, local ATMs and 1 million ATMs worldwide, card holders will be able to shop online and make use of the card to make purchases locally and globally. The President and General Manager of the Credit Union were present and shared their zeal and appreciation for the project finally coming to fruition. Today I somehow feel very humbled by this occasion and humbled why because I think that a small organization which started out of a briefcase based on the ideas of a few persons with a vision to create something that could last, something that could provide the means to empower not just their staff but later on much of St. Lucia is now taking an even greater step. We have come a long way and we are here right now with a product that is going to benefit our members. We know what COVID did and we saw our members being disadvantaged during the COVID times not being able to access their funds when the Credit Union was closed and today I would say that we are ready should another pandemic God forbid happen our members are now positioned whereby they would not be left out in the cold. Member of the St. Lucia Workers Credit Union Leslie Collimer says that despite the fact that people see Credit Unions as a savings institution it's equally important to be able to give members that option. The technology has been there within the last 12 to 15 years but what the pandemic has taught us is it's made it mandatory to move into the digital space and not everybody has the expertise or appetite for it and so the Credit Union actually being driven enough to take that step and partnering with entities such as Bank of St. Lucia who is tried and tested and have the expertise was a really smart move. Since the advent of COVID-19, Bank of St. Lucia has launched and implemented a plethora of technologically advanced initiatives aimed at improving convenience and safety for customers. Customers can expect to hear more exciting news of new services and partnerships in the near future. For the Government Information Service, I am Jesse Leans reporting. The Division of Transport wishes to inform the general public of the resumption of services in the Southern Transport Division effective July 8, 2021. In addition, the Division would like to take this opportunity to apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused to its customers in the Southern Transport Office. This is NTN Nightly. Up next, Primers Hutchinson with the NTN Nouvelle Aquillon. One of the eight universally recognized rights of the consumer is the right to satisfaction of basic needs. This means that every consumer has the right to basic goods and services that guarantee survival. This right includes adequate food, clothing, shelter, healthcare, education, water, and sanitation. Welcome back. We join Primers Hutchinson for the NTN Nouvelle Aquillon. Thank you, General. Thank you, Madam Debattement. I would like to thank you for the opportunity to inform the Government on this issue. This is GIS. This is the NTN Nouvelle Aquillon. This is Primers Hutchinson. Thank you very much to the Minister of Tourism, Donaldine Vite. I would like to thank you to the Minister of Tourism for the opportunity to talk about business and tourism. This is Selma for hotels. Thank you very much to the Minister of Tourism for the opportunity to talk about business and tourism. This is Selma for hotels. This is the Canadian village to open a business and tourism business in Belvedere, which is called Cocosetlisi. Cocosetlisi is the initiative of Madam Maria Jackson and Mrs. Alexis Jackson. According to the Secretary of the Interior, the Government has established an opportunity to open a business and tourism business even though Madam Jackson has already done it. This is the way to do tourism. We are here to make money. We are here to visit this place. We love this place. We come here to eat this place. We want to eat this place. We want to eat this place. This is the couple, Maria and my wife, Fejordia, to open a big restaurant for the restaurant and a place for chocolate coffee. And the people here, we also do it. We do not go to hotels, we buy tourism. We have waterfalls, we are here to visit our property. We buy water, we wash our hands. We come here to make money. We are the Ministry of Tourism. We are here to be friends as a waterfront cast. We are here to make money. We do not do business. We do business. I would like to sell chocolate, I would also like to sell coffee, so that we can understand other people who are doing tourism, so that we can also join from the industry. Ma'am, I also forgot, the government has a lot of people who are working here, to find a way to pay taxes with lots of assistance. So, it's not just hotels, all those who join here, who want to make a restaurant, who want to make a baguette con entor, to visit tourism, or to join customs duty. So, come, just talk to us, we have a lot of resources to tell you how to make it easier for you. Speaking of that, chocolate business in the village of Kanawi benefits a lot from Kanawi, but in general, that is the opinion of the head of the support for the business, that is export St. Lucia, Ma'am Zelle Sonnet Daniel. Ma'am Zelle Daniel, who is also present to earn money to make a chocolate business in Belvedere, that is Koko Settlesi. So, I would like to ask the government to provide good benefits for the village, and Settlesi in total. To make a shy impact to the Kanawi community, we would like to thank you, and also Maria, who is a business worker, and also a farm worker, because this business impacts the family and the community. So, we would like to thank you for your support. Head of Education, Dr. Fiona Meyer, Minister, I have started an assessment to determine and manage the damage that education institutions have done in the country before passing the Elser cycle. According to Dr. Meyer, the effort is to establish a better environment for the students to follow the school. Head of Education, Majority of damage is in the school that is located in Settlesi, which is in Boccage. Dr. Meyer says that there are four schools that can be affected by the water supply in Soffuier and the result is that the schools are not allowed to be closed. Moreover, the primary school that can be affected by the water supply in Settlesi is the one that all universities are trying to do. Dr. Meyer makes an assessment to determine whether the school should be closed. Head of Education, Majority of damage is in the school that can be affected by the water supply in Soffuier and the result is that the schools are not allowed to be closed. Dr. Meyer says that there are four schools that can be affected by the water supply in Soté, in the school of Péyer and in the construction. Dr. Meyer makes an assessment to determine whether the school should be closed before the school closes on July 9, 2021. Head of Education, Dr. Fiona Meyer says that the parents who play the students who are in the school can be affected by the water supply. I would like to say today that we have a great time and we will have an invitation to say what do you think about the water supply and result. Let's get started. I'm Pell Primers That brings us to the end of NTN Knightly. Join us next time at 7 p.m. with a repeat at 7 a.m. You can also catch up with us anytime Facebook page or YouTube channel. I am Janelle Novel.