 Welcome to Nation Beat. I am Genelle Norville bringing you this brief on the purse of our nation and highlights around the heart of St Lucia. St Lucians are to brace for more bad weather as a tropical wave approaches the Lesser Antilles. Farmers to receive the cash component of the government assistance package post-tropical stone cook and paying homage to the war heroes. A tropical wave is churning towards the Lesser Antilles and can potentially become the next organised system in the Atlantic Basin as a 2018 hurricane season nears an official close. St Lucians are being asked to monitor the situation. Andruj Wai is the officer in charge at the St Lucia Meteorological Services. The weather Tuesday will not be as adverse as the last weekend. However, due to the heavy rains already experienced, precautions must be taken. St Lucia experienced heavy rains associated with the trough system from Friday, November 9, 2018. According to the St Lucia Meteorological Services, a total of 181.1 mm of rainfall was recorded at the Hironora International Airport from Thursday, November 8, 8pm to Sunday, November 11, 8am. The total recorded for the corresponding period at the George FL Charles Airport was 143.3 mm. Due to the heavy rains we've had recently, we've taken a precaution of issue in flood warnings in the event that we get some showers because the grounds are already waterlogged. So we would be getting some showers, gutted showers from the system as it moves across Tuesday into Wednesday. There was widespread flooding in St Lucia on the weekend with several bridges being submerged. Minor landslides resulted in damage to vehicles, homes, and at least four people were injured when a shop in Billett caved in. At Victoria Hospital, the roof at the examination room of the maternity ward partially collapsed. André Joaillet says whilst the hurricane season is due to end on November 30, recent trends indicate that we should not let our guard down. Right now we have to rethink the active season since we've had hurricanes forming outside of the normal wet season. And also we've had, like in 2013, we had the upper level trough that affected us and gave us quite a bit of rain. So with climate change coming into effect, we would have to think of being prepared at year round. Officer in charge at the St Lucia Med Services, André Joaillet. Meantime, there is better news coming out of the agriculture sector post-tropical storm Kirk. Nearly all the banana fields that were damaged have been rehabilitated and replanted. Within the next week, farmers will also be receiving the cash component of government assistant package. The payout will be done by regions beginning with regions 2 and 8. Kurt Severe is the project manager of the Banana Productivity Improvement project. When the checks are ready, we will inform the farmers. For example, all now we are collecting ID cards because you have to have ID cards. The requirement is that you have to supply your ID card and then we will prepare a voucher and then it has to go to Treasury for signature. And then once we receive the checks, then we will go to a particular place in the community and we will have all the farmers come and receive the checks. After we have done that in region 2 and region 8, because these two regions are smaller, so we will start with these two regions. From there, we move to region 7, which is Roso, and then we will do the same thing. From region 7, we will go to region 3, and then region 4, and then region 5 and 6. So we are hoping that by before this month is out, we would have distributed all the checks to farmers to assist them with the replanting and the chopping. The government assistant package includes two applications of fertilizer, oil and fungicide mix with support for the control of weeds and nematodes. The Taiwan Technical Cooperation has also contributed $1.4 million towards the rehabilitation process post-Tropical Storm Kirk. The island's Minister for National Security Senator Hon. Herman Gil Francis has sent a stern warning to individuals who may seek to take advantage of the concessionary period offered by government on barrels. Concessions are from the period of November 15, 2018 to January 31, 2019. Speaking in the Senate, Minister Francis said law enforcement agencies will be on alert for any contraband. I know it's going to be very hectic on the wharf with the number of barrels that are coming in, but the customs officers and the police are going to be very vigilant to make sure that the weapons that we suspect that are coming through our ports do not end them. So I want to inform all Sen Lushans who intend to send barrels to their loved ones in Sen Lusha that they should not allow anybody to put in anything in the barrel without the knowledge, because if it does happen and that person is caught in Sen Lusha, the law will be applied to its fullest extent. There is a 100% waiver of import duty on personal items, food, clothing, toys and other household consumables contained in barrels. Electronics are explicitly excluded. The number of barrels qualifying for concessions is 2 per household at a value of $2,500 per barrel. This is Nation Beat when we come back paying homage to the war heroes. Frankie, you know I'm travelling to Antigua this afternoon and I forgot my passport at home? Boy, it's a good thing I have my driver's license, I'll still be able to travel. Oh, how can you travel to Antigua without your passport? Under the OECS Freedom of Movement regime, OECS citizens can travel to any of the seven protocol member states without a passport, once they have an official and valid identification card with their picture and nationality on it. Really? Since when? Since the establishment of the Eastern Caribbean OECS Economic Union, under the revised Treaty of Bastet, it entered into force in 2011. So, you mean to tell me that I can leave Sen Lusha and go to another OECS country with just my driver's license or national ID and customs and immigration won't stop me? Yes, you can even use your voter's registration card or social security card. As a matter of fact, as a citizen of an OECS protocol member state, you are entitled to indefinite stay when you travel to another OECS protocol member state, so you can live and work without a work permit or skilled national certificate. As a construction worker here, I could take my trade to Grenada or any other OECS country? Yes, Frankie, you're straight. And what about my wife and children's schooling? Frankie, OECS citizens and their children will be granted equal rights and privileges under the freedom of movement. That includes access to social services, labor market schemes, health and education for your children and your wife. This free movement thing sounds nice. Has to be traveled to any OECS country, live and work for as long as you like. The OECS Economic Union is the real deal. For more information, visit www.oecs.org. Welcome back. The lives and sacrifices of those who bravely fought in the First World War were honored on Sunday as St. Lucia held the annual Remembrance Day service and parade. Remembrance Day commemorated globally on 11th November 2018 marks the end of World War I. The war ended at 11am on the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918. During this time, the world remembers all those who sacrificed themselves losing their lives in the wars. Many men and women from the Caribbean during this time joined in the battle for freedom and peace. These individuals are celebrated on this day for their bravery and selflessness. On Sunday, government officials, the diplomatic corps and the forces, ex-servicemen and the public banded together to pay their respects. Prime Minister St. Lucia, the Honorable Alan Shastan express gratitude to these men and women and their families for their sacrifice. The Gospel of John in the Bible says that there is no greater love a man can show than by laying down his life for his friends. In the case of war, however, the sentiment goes much further since soldiers from various countries come together and give their lives for others who are in reality not even their friends. In most instances, it is a sacrifice that is done so that people or a country can be free from the threats of oppression, poverty, injustice, sought to be imposed by others. The significance of those two great conflicts should never be lost on us. Past president of the St. Lucia branch of the Royal Commonwealth Ex-Servic League, Reginald Sherwin, asked that the public never forget what these brave souls had fought for. The rest of us will remain. It would be very nice if you continue or if you did contribution to help some of the families, the old wives and some of the old boys like me. And I ask you please to think of, as we said in the famous quote, remember us, remember us, remember us. Resident British Commissioner for St. Lucia, His Excellency Steve McCready, this year had some exciting news to share with the world. I am pleased to be able to tell you that this week our International Development Secretary announced that through UK aid, over 7,000 veterans of the Commonwealth who served the British Armed Forces and their widows and their widowers, in over 30 countries including St. Lucia, will from now on receive regular cash transfers to ensure that they will have two square meals a day, every day. The programme will be delivered through the Royal Commonwealth Ex-Services League, a charity which has been supporting veterans who served the British Crown for almost 100 years. The British government will also be supporting her but not there, which is the 2018 Amnesty's installation for the charity remembered to install three six-foot figures of the First World War soldiers in the Foreign Office as a representation of the soldiers' contribution. French Ambassador to the OECS said there are lessons to be learned from the wars. And because peace is fragile, because the risk of division, nationalism, inward-looking attitudes seems to be gaining ground and could cause democracy to dot itself. The peace forum currently taking place in Paris as one goal. To take concrete initiatives to reinvent multilateralism and all modern forms of cooperation. And the purpose of this is to ensure that again peace can gain ground every day. This year's observance of Remembrance Day marks a century since the end of World War I. From the Government Information Service, I am General Norville. That's Nation Beat. Join us next time on NTN at 7.30pm. We for repeat at 7.30am and on this station as we feel the pulse and heart of our community. You can also catch up with us anytime on the St Lucia Government Facebook page or YouTube channel. I am Channel Norville.