South East Shipping News

Haiti faces 30-year recovery: U.S. official

Mike Blanchfield, The Canadian Press

Sunday, May 27, 2012 - 20:15

People walk inside the Jean Marie Vincent camp for people displaced by the devastating 2010 earthquake in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on May 10, 2012. It will take Haiti the better part three decades to become a middle income country on par with its Caribbean island neighbour, the Dominican Republic, says the top U.S. official on the file. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP - Dieu Nalio Chery

OTTAWA - It will take Haiti the better part of three decades to become a middle income country on par with its Caribbean island neighbour, the Dominican Republic, says the top U.S. official on the file.

But Thomas Adams, the State Department's special co-ordinator for Haiti, told The Canadian Press that "realistic" estimate should not be seen as daunting to countries like Canada that are heavily invested in helping the Western Hemisphere's poorest country, still struggling after its devastating 2010 earthquake.

Nor should it deter investors, who are crucial to Haiti's long-term recovery, Adams added, as long as the country builds credible democratic institutions.

"There is no reason why Haiti can't become a middle income country. But because they're starting so low, it's going be to be 25-30 years even if they have good economic growth," Adams said in an exclusive interview, after two days of meetings in Ottawa with various government officials.

"It's not a quick fix. These problems in Haiti - their educational system, their health system, cholera, the infrastructure - these aren't quick fixes," he added.

"It's good to be realistic. That's not to say we're not making progress each year … But overall, you're not going to see a Haiti the way you'd like it for a while."

Forty years ago, Haiti was slightly ahead of the Dominican Republic economically, said Adams, with 20 large American corporations setting up their Caribbean headquarters there. The two countries share the Caribbean island of Hispaniola.

Adams sees economic growth for Haiti in textiles, agriculture and tourism.

"Haiti needs private investment. All the donor money, as generous as it is - and I think Canada and a lot of countries have been very generous - isn't enough to fix Haiti."

The U.S. and Canada, said Adams, remain in lock-step when it comes to helping Haiti recover from the devastating January 2010 earthquake that left 300,000 dead and displaced 1.5 million. Canada has pledged more than $1 billion to Haiti, making it the second largest aid recipient after Afghanistan.

That co-operation extends to co-ordinated messaging of Haiti's political leaders, to break the political paralysis of the last year - a crisis that has raised serious questions about the country's ability to stave off corruption and govern itself effectively.

That crisis appeared to ease earlier this month when President Michel Martelly swore in a new prime minister, Laurent Lamothe, whose predecessor resigned in February after barely four months on the job.

The turmoil rendered Haiti's government rudderless and left billions of dollars of donor pledges in limbo.

"That's pretty much over," said Adams. "There's a truce between the president and the parliament. It seems they're willing to work together. The president has confidence in the new prime minister."

With Lamothe confirmed, parliamentary amendments will pave the way for elections of senators and local officials, as well as paving the way for reforms of the court system, said Adams.

Throughout it all, the Canadian and U.S. governments have continued to "give co-ordinated messages on some sensitive topics."

The underlying message can be boiled down to this: reign in the corruption and work together politically.

"That's one of our constant messages," Adams explained.

"We don't say, if you're not going to do X, Y, and Z we're going to cut off all of your aid. But we do say, and Canada says, and everybody else says, over time businessmen and donors are going to go elsewhere if you're not seen as making your best efforts to curb corruption to bring in the rule of the law and be democratic.

"I think they're hearing that."

Diane Ablonczy, Canada's junior foreign affairs for the Americas, said Haitians are "crying out for leadership" so Canada is urging its leaders to step up and provide it.

"We are really urging the new government as its formed to emphasize and really roll up its sleeves and emphasize the need to deliver results for strong institutions in Haiti."

Adams also lauded Canada's former governor general, Haitian-born Michaelle Jean, as a key player in that co-ordinated communication effort with Haiti's leadership.

Jean, now the UNESCO Special Envoy for Haiti, travels to Haiti again this week, for meetings will political leaders. She'll also take part in events to highlight programs that help curb malnutrition and poverty.

Earlier this month, Jean laid bare her frustration with the pace of change in her native country during a recent speech in Ottawa to government officials and non-governmental organizations.

"The aid and handout system has become kind of a business model, a scheme used by some to wheel and deal as it generates opportunities for embezzlement and corruption," Jean said the text posted on her website.

"It can't go on like this."

Adams said that's the message the U.S., Canada and other allies continue to deliver to Haiti.

"We're on the same message too. Again, cut the chaos," he said. "That's all we're saying there: come on guys, let's keep our eye on the ball here."

Nicaragua plans to build inter-oceanic canal

 

Nicaragua has decided to construct an inter-oceanic canal which will link the Atlantic and the Pacific oceans and greatly facilitate the intercontinental cargo traffic, Press TV reports.

 

The Nicaraguan government’s decision to build the canal is aimed to cope with the sustained increase in the seaborne trade through Panama Canal which makes it difficult for big trading ships to cross the canal.

 

“In this precise moment, the global cargo traffic is increasing [by] three percent annually. Driven by development of economies such as India, China -- especially China -- and other developing countries like the BRICs, there is also eventual global economic recovery on the horizon. All of these create a strategic opportunity for Nicaragua to construct an inter-oceanic canal,” said Nicaragua’s Secretary to President for National Policy Paul Oquist.

 

The move, experts say, is expected to be hailed by Russia and China as two emerging economic powerhouses.

 

The geographic position of the Latin American country has made it capable of becoming the world’s new trading route as it enjoys the lowest elevation across the Americas in the south region of the country.

 

The United States and the European countries have long been intervening in Nicaragua’s affairs to reap the benefits that such a strategic canal could bring.

 

“The markets are actually behind them. They are facing Europe which is going down; no one can argue about that, it is true that Europe is going through a very difficult period. There is no possibility of Europe becoming more than it actually is. So, it is very, very important for the United States to find a better and improved way of going from the east coast to the west coast and toward the Asia-Pacific [region],” said Manuel Coronel Kautz from the Great Inter-Oceanic Authority.

 

Analysts says the economic benefits of such a landmark plan can promote the country’s financial position and turn it from one of the poorest countries in the region to a strategically important and rich state.

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In three years 700 Dominican Republic cops accused in drug cases including head of port security

By EZEQUIEL ABIU LOPEZ

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic

Three high-ranking police officials in the Dominican Republic have been accused of providing security to drug traffickers, marking the latest public corruption case to hit the Caribbean nation as it tries to clean up its military and police.

The officials worked for the National Drug Control Agency and were arrested alongside four men allegedly waiting for a drug shipment bound for Puerto Rico, agency chief Rolando Rosado said Thursday.

The officials have been suspended from their jobs as have others who have been charged in drug-fueled corruption cases that have resulted in dozens of arrests and dismissals in recent years.

"It's a serious situation," said Tulio Castanos, vice president of the Institutional Justice Foundation, a non-governmental group that is helping the government design and implement police department reforms. "The people have lost faith in the police."

The Dominican Republic has a national police force of 32,000 officers and a military with 65,000 members, for a country of about 9 million people.

Since 2009, more than 700 agents with the National Drug Control Agency, a combination of police officers and military personnel on loan, have been removed for a variety of crimes, according to government statistics. Of those, 200 were suspected of involvement in drug trafficking.

Meanwhile, the national police force has expelled about 1,400 officers since 2010 for a variety of alleged crimes, including ties to drug trafficking, spokesman Maximo Baez said.

Members of the police and all branches of the military have become ensnared in drug investigations, including a recent one involving a navy officer in charge of port security accused of attempting to smuggle more than 800 kilograms (1,760 pounds) of cocaine to Spain on board a cargo vessel.

In another case, nearly 20 officials, the majority with the navy, were accused in 2008 of killing seven Colombian drug traffickers to steal 1.3 tons (1.18 metric tons) of cocaine. Five of those officials were sentenced to 30 years in prison, while three others received 20-year sentences.

So far this year, authorities have confiscated more than 4 tons (3.6 metric tons) of cocaine. They seized nearly 7 tons (6 metric tons) during all of 2011.

"The biggest concern is that in almost every seizure, officials were implicated," according to a report by Citizen Involvement, a non-governmental organization that tracks corruption allegations in the Dominican Republic.

The government is now requiring members of the police and armed forces to pass polygraph and background tests. In addition, internal affairs units are regularly investigating corruption allegations and handing out punishments, which has been increasing along with the country's role as a stepping stone for cocaine and other drugs bound for the U.S. and Europe.

The government's attempt to address the situation comes amid growing concerns among Dominicans about the way drug trafficking has seemed to take a central role in the country.

But there is also pressure from the U.S., which was critical of Dominican anti-drug efforts in its annual 2012 trafficking report.

In a 2009 diplomatic cable obtained by WikiLeaks and other organizations, the U.S. Embassy in the Dominican Republic noted the country had an "embarrassing" drug seizure rate and cited a lack of resources for law enforcement and infiltration of the armed forces by criminal organizations.

Former President Leonel Fernandez and others also have cited low salaries, typically around $155 a month for police officers, as a long-standing problem that may be a factor in some corruption cases.

Complaints that police and military officials demand payment from drug traffickers to operate in certain neighborhoods are common, said Manuel Maria Mercedes, president of the National Commission of Human Rights.

Payments can range from $125 a week in poor communities to more than $1,000 a week for drug-distribution points in popular tourist regions, and shootouts ensue if they fail to pay, he said.

"Hundreds of citizens have lost their lives this way," he said.

Shipowners call proposed July 1, 2012

Panama Canal toll hikes "simply unacceptable"

 

Four days after the deadline set by the Panama Canal Authority (ACP), The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) has sent a strongly worded letter describing plans to increase tolls by up to 15 percent as "simply unacceptable."

 

Instead the ICS suggested that the ACP shelve the planned July 1 increase and all previously scheduled increases. It said that ocean cargo carriers need at least six months notice to alter their schedules to avoid a more costly canal crossing and therefore the ACp should agree to the ICS request.

 

The International Chamber of Shipping is the principal international trade association for shipowners, with member national associations from 36 countries representing all sectors and trades and over 80 percent of the world merchant fleet.

 

The ACP published plans to increase its tolls last month, despite assuring industry clients in January there would only be one small adjustment to tolls before completion of the expansion project in 2014. Not long thereafter the ACP admitted that labor strife, poor engineering and substandard concrete mixing would likely extend the opening of the new section of the canal into 2015.

But the ACP never altered its plans to increase tolls on July 1, 2012 if agreed at a public hearing at the end of this month.

 

ICS Secretary General, Peter Hinchliffe, said there was no pressing need for the increases given that "canal revenues are currently very healthy."

 

Mr. Hinchliffe pointed out that while the Panama Canal is an important national asset to Panama, it also remains an essential part of international public infrastructure crucial to the smooth operation of the global supply chain and should "take this important public role into account when setting tolls."

 

"While the ACP proposal analyzes the impact of the toll rises on the competitiveness of commodity trades, no account is taken of the impact on shipping companies themselves ... many of whom are still forced to run ships at a loss in order to remain in the market," he said.

 

"We therefore request that the ACP rescind the current plans for increases in the next two years and concentrate on developing a toll structure that can be to the benefit of all parties to be introduced in late 2014."

 

The shipowners’ rebuttal came a day after the ACP Board of Directors approved a proposal to modify the Panama Canal pricing structure "to align Canal toll charges with the value the route provides."

 

 

As part of the tolls adjustment process, the ACP had established a consultation period from April 20 - May 21, 2012, during which the ACP agreed to receive formal written comments, opinions and written requests from interested parties to participate in the public hearing. The public hearing was held in Panama City, Panama, in the ACP's "Ascanio Arosemena" auditorium on May 23, 2012.

 

The ICS doggedly delayed its comments until after the event.

 

The proposal also increased the number of segments from eight to eleven by Panama Canal vessel type. It also divided the tanker segment into three distinct segments, established a new segment for container/breakbulk, and incorporated the roll-on/roll-off vessels into the vehicle carrier segment.

 

Once approved by all parties involved, the Panama Canal market segmentation scheme will include the following segments: full container, reefer, dry bulk, passenger, vehicle carrier and ro-ro, tanker, chemical tanker, LPG, general cargo and others.

 

Price Proposal

 

Effective July 1, 2012, the ACP proposes to increase the tolls for the following segments: general cargo, container/break bulk (new segment), dry bulk, tanker (redefined segment), chemical tanker (new segment), LPG (new segment), vehicle carrier and ro-ro (merged segment), and the segment known as others. The remaining segments will not be adjusted at this time. Additionally, there will be changes to tolls applicable to small vessels based on vessel length, to incorporate adjustments not previously considered.

 

"This proposal continues to align the Panama Canal tolls to the value, benefit and quality the route provides, and maintains the competitiveness of the Panama Canal", stated Alberto Alemán Zubieta, ACP Administrator/CEO.

 

 

 

As of 1200 hrs May 25, 2012

 

AN ELONGATED AREA OF LOW PRESSURE EXTENDING FROM THE NORTHWESTERN
CARIBBEAN SEA ACROSS WESTERN CUBA AND INTO THE FLORIDA STRAITS IS
ASSOCIATED WITH A LARGE AREA OF DISORGANIZED SHOWER AND
THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY. CURRENTLY THE SYSTEM LACKS A WELL-DEFINED
CIRCULATION CENTER...AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS ARE NOT EXPECTED
TO BE CONDUCIVE FOR SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENT OF THIS SYSTEM DURING
THE NEXT DAY OR SO. THIS SYSTEM HAS A LOW CHANCE...20 PERCENT...OF
BECOMING A TROPICAL OR SUBTROPICAL CYCLONE DURING THE NEXT 48 HOURS
AS IT MOVES NORTHEASTWARD ACROSS THE BAHAMAS AND INTO THE
SOUTHWESTERN ATLANTIC OCEAN.

ALTHOUGH CONDITIONS ARE NOT CURRENTLY FAVORABLE FOR DEVELOPMENT...
THEY ARE EXPECTED TO BECOME MORE CONDUCIVE FOR THE FORMATION OF A
SUBTROPICAL OR TROPICAL CYCLONE BY LATE SATURDAY OR SUNDAY.
REGARDLESS OF ANY DEVELOPMENT...LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL AND FLOODING
ARE POSSIBLE OVER THE CAYMAN ISLANDS...PORTIONS OF CUBA...SOUTHERN
FLORIDA...AND THE BAHAMAS. ANOTHER SPECIAL TROPICAL WEATHER OUTLOOK
FOR THIS SYSTEM WILL BE ISSUED ON FRIDAY. FOR ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION ON THIS SYSTEM...PLEASE SEE HIGH SEAS FORECASTS ISSUED
BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE...AND PRODUCTS FROM YOUR LOCAL
WEATHER OFFICE. 

 

 

 

TROPICAL WEATHER DISCUSSION
NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
805 AM EDT THU MAY 24 2012

 

TROPICAL WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR NORTH AMERICA...CENTRAL
AMERICA...GULF OF MEXICO...CARIBBEAN SEA...NORTHERN SECTIONS OF
SOUTH AMERICA...AND ATLANTIC OCEAN TO THE AFRICAN COAST FROM THE
EQUATOR TO 32N. THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION IS BASED ON SATELLITE
IMAGERY...WEATHER OBSERVATIONS...RADAR...AND METEOROLOGICAL
ANALYSIS.

BASED ON 0600 UTC SURFACE ANALYSIS AND SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 1115 UTC...

...TROPICAL WAVES...

AN ATLANTIC OCEAN TROPICAL WAVE IS ALONG 10N34W 6N36W 1N37W.
ANY NEARBY PRECIPITATION IS ALSO IS PART OF THE ITCZ
PRECIPITATION.

AN ATLANTIC OCEAN TROPICAL WAVE IS ALONG 14N56W 10N57W...TO THE
NORTHEASTERN COAST OF GUYANA THAT IS NEAR 7N57W. SCATTERED
MODERATE TO ISOLATED STRONG CONVECTIVE PRECIPITATION COVERS THE
ATLANTIC OCEAN AND THE SOUTHEASTERN CARIBBEAN SEA FROM 8N TO 14N
BETWEEN 54W AND 66W. AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH THAT RUNS FROM 21N35W
IN THE ATLANTIC OCEAN TO 13N50W...TO 12N64W IN THE SOUTHEASTERN
CORNER OF THE CARIBBEAN SEA...IS INTERACTING WITH THE WAVE.

...THE ITCZ/THE MONSOON TROUGH...

THE MONSOON TROUGH EMERGES OFF THE SIERRA LEONE COAST NEAR 8N13W
TO 4N20W. THE ITCZ CONTINUES FROM 4N20W TO 3N25W 4N28W 1N35W
1N40W. SCATTERED MODERATE TO ISOLATED STRONG CONVECTIVE
PRECIPITATION TO THE SOUTH OF 10N TO THE EAST OF 30W.
ISOLATED MODERATE CONVECTIVE PRECIPITATION IS ELSEWHERE TO THE
SOUTH OF 6N BETWEEN 30W AND 54W. AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH IS
INTERACTING WITH THE 14N56W 7N57W TROPICAL WAVE.

...DISCUSSION...

THE GULF OF MEXICO...
AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH PASSES THROUGH MISSISSIPPI AND
LOUISIANA...INTO THE NORTHWESTERN CORNER OF THE GULF OF
MEXICO...TO THE MEXICO GULF COAST NEAR 20N. COMPARATIVELY DRIER
AIR APPEARS IN THE WATER VAPOR IMAGERY ACROSS THE ENTIRE
AREA...EVEN PUSHING ITS WAY INTO THE NORTHWESTERN CORNER OF THE
CARIBBEAN SEA. THE SOUTHEASTERN CORNER OF THE AREA IS AFFECTED
BY A SURFACE TROUGH THAT RUNS FROM THE NORTHWESTERN CORNER OF
THE CARIBBEAN SEA TOWARD THE SOUTHERN FLORIDA KEYS. THE
COMPARATIVELY DEEPER LAYER MOISTURE AND PRECIPITATION FOR THE
SOUTHEASTERN CORNER OF THE AREA...INCLUDING SOUTH FLORIDA...
FOR THE LAST FEW DAYS...HAVE BEEN PUSHED EASTWARD BY THE DRIER
AIR. THE DRIER AIR NOW IS TO THE EAST OF 32N77W 25N80W 20N83W
16N86W ALONG THE HONDURAS COAST. SURFACE ANTICYCLONIC WIND FLOW
COVERS THE REST OF THE GULF OF MEXICO...MOVING AROUND A 1013 MB
HIGH PRESSURE CENTER THAT IS NEAR 27N87W. PLEASE READ THE HIGH
SEAS FORECAST...MIAHSFAT2...AND THE OFFSHORE FORECAST...
MIAOFFNT4...FOR SPECIFIC DETAILS ABOUT THE MARINE WEATHER
FOR 20 KNOT WINDS TO THE WEST OF 95W.

THE CARIBBEAN SEA...
AN UPPER LEVEL RIDGE RUNS FROM EASTERN HONDURAS AND NORTHEASTERN
NICARAGUA...BEYOND CUBA TO THE EAST OF 80W...ACROSS THE
BAHAMAS...INTO THE WESTERN ATLANTIC OCEAN. AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH
RUNS FROM 21N35W IN THE ATLANTIC OCEAN TO 13N50W...TO 12N64W IN
THE SOUTHEASTERN CORNER OF THE CARIBBEAN SEA...AND TOWARD THE
AREA OF NORTHERN COLOMBIA/NORTHWESTERN VENEZUELA. COMPARATIVELY
DRIER AIR IN WATER VAPOR IMAGERY COVERS MUCH OF THE AREA.
DEEP LAYER MOISTURE AND PRECIPITATION ARE IN THE NORTHWESTERN
CORNER OF THE AREA...WITH THE RIDGE AND THE SURFACE TROUGH.
BROKEN MULTILAYERED CLOUDS AND POSSIBLE PRECIPITATION ARE IN THE
SOUTHEASTERN CORNER OF THE AREA WITH THE UPPER LEVEL TROUGH...
TO THE SOUTH OF 15N BETWEEN 54W IN THE ATLANTIC OCEAN AND 66W.
A SURFACE TROUGH CONTINUES FROM THE FLORIDA KEYS...ACROSS
WESTERN CUBA...TO A 1009 MB LOW PRESSURE CENTER THAT IS NEAR
22N81W. THE SURFACE TROUGH CONTINUES FROM THE LOW CENTER TO
18N83W AND CENTRAL HONDURAS. NUMEROUS STRONG CONVECTIVE
PRECIPITATION IS FROM 17N TO THE ATLANTIC OCEAN SIDE OF CUBA
BETWEEN 78W AND 81W...BETWEEN JAMAICA AND CUBA. THE PRECIPITATION
THAT WAS OCCURRING IN CENTRAL AMERICA DURING THE LATE NIGHT AND
EARLY MORNING HOURS APPEARS TO HAVE DISSIPATED. THE MONSOON
TROUGH IS ALONG 9N76W IN NORTHERN COLOMBIA...TO 9N80W IN
PANAMA...BEYOND 10N84W IN COSTA RICA. THE MONSOON TROUGH
CONTINUES THROUGHOUT CENTRAL AMERICA...FROM COSTA RICA INTO
WESTERN GUATEMALA. WIDELY SCATTERED MODERATE TO ISOLATED STRONG
CONVECTIVE PRECIPITATION IS TO THE SOUTH OF 12N TO THE WEST OF
76W. PLEASE READ THE HIGH SEAS FORECAST...MIAHSFAT2...AND THE
OFFSHORE FORECAST...MIAOFFNT3...FOR SPECIFIC DETAILS ABOUT THE
20 TO 25 KNOT WINDS AND THE 8 TO 9 FOOT SEA HEIGHTS...EITHER TO
THE EAST OF 77W OR TO THE WEST OF 77W.

Seafreight Early Storm in Atlantic/Caribbean a Possibility The 2012 hurricane season might get an early start, with the possibility of a tropical depression or storm in the western Caribbean some time next week, according to a cutting-edge forecast Tuesday by federal scientists. Reporter: Kate Spinner, Sarasota Herald-Tribune

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The 2012 hurricane season might get an early start, with the possibility of a tropical depression or storm in the western Caribbean some time next week, according to a cutting-edge forecast Tuesday by federal scientists.

The Climate Prediction Center predicted moderate chances that a tropical depression or a storm will form in the Caribbean during the last week of May.

Even if no storm develops, the prediction signals that the Atlantic is becoming primed for tropical activity as June 1, the official start of the six-month hurricane season, nears.

"It's something to pay attention to. It might be a little earlier than normal," said Eric Blake, a specialist with the National Hurricane Center.

While the two-week tropical hazard forecasts by the Climate Prediction Center are not very accurate now, meteorologists there are working with the National Hurricane Center to improve them. Within a few years, the two agencies plan to start making a joint two-week forecast, with the hurricane center taking the lead on the first week and the climate center handling the second, said Blake, who gave a presentation about the project at the Governor's Hurricane Conference on Tuesday.

He said the hurricane center began working with the climate center on the two-week outlook shortly after the busy 2005 hurricane season.
"The challenge has really been eliminating the false alarms," Blake said.

The two-week outlook mostly relies on thunderstorm activity around the global tropics to predict where chances are increased for a tropical storm or depression to form. Clusters of thunderstorms occasionally move around the globe in a weather pattern called the Madden-Julian Oscillation or MJO. When the thunderstorms are over the Caribbean and Africa, the chances for tropical storms to develop in the Atlantic increase, Blake said.

But because weather is so variable, forecasts that extend beyond a week tend to have a large margin of error. The five-day forecast for tropical activity, however, is getting much better.

Blake said the hurricane center will experiment this year, in-house, with predicting the formation of tropical storms five days in advance. If the forecasts pan out, weather buffs, fishermen, shipping businesses, emergency planners and those in the oil and gas extraction industries could benefit from those forecasts beginning next year.

 

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — The Haitian government is drafting legislation for the newly emerging mining industry to help this impoverished Caribbean nation reap benefits, the new prime minister said Tuesday.

Laurent Lamothe, who saw his Cabinet and policy plan approved hours earlier, told The Associated Press during an interview that the legislation will be sent to Parliament soon. It will lay out rules apportioning royalties for the government and setting protections for the people and environment that could be affected by mines.

“The most important thing is to have the correct mining law,” he said. “It ensures that the right portion comes to the state. It ensures that the people living in the region where the mines are, that their rights are protected. It ensures environmental protection.”

The plans to draft the mining legislation come after the AP reported that two mining companies have begun drilling in Haiti’s northeastern mountains. The companies say testing indicates the precious metals such as gold, copper and silver is worth potentially $20 billion.

That would be a boon for Haiti, which is one of the world’s poorest countries. Most of its 10 million people live on less than $2 a day.

Until the story, few Haitians knew about the recent efforts to mine their country. Mining camps are unmarked, and the work is being done in remote villages on the opposite side of the country from the capital, Port-au-Prince.

U.S. and Canadian investors have spent more than $30 million in recent years on exploratory drilling along with camps for workers, new roads, offices and laboratory studies of samples.

Haiti’s mining potential has been known for several decades. In the 1970s, United Nations geologists documented significant pockets of gold and copper ore, but foreigners weren’t willing to take a risk in a country where corruption and political instability have long discouraged foreign investment.

Mining laws in Haiti haven’t been revised since 1976.

Lamothe said the legislation being drafted is meant to benefit Haiti while also making the country attractive to outside investors by allowing companies to profit from mining.

When asked how much he would like Haiti to receive, Lamothe said: “As much as possible without hampering also the revenue of the party, allowing them to do business.”

The interview came after Lamothe introduced the ministers of his Cabinet, which was approved by Parliament on Monday. The government includes two new posts, a minister to deal with poverty and another to support farmers.

In addition to the mining legislation, Lamothe said his government wants to introduce programs that will clean Port-au-Prince’s garbage-strewn streets by using firefighters and other workers, better maintain roads and help mothers living in the capital’s poorer neighborhoods.

Lamothe, a former telecommunications executive, officially became prime minister Monday night following the approval of his Cabinet and government plan. There had been a nearly three-month vacancy after President Michel Martelly’s first prime minister resigned after only four months on the job.

The absence of a prime minister and fully functioning government has hobbled efforts to rebuild after the 2010 earthquake.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

.By Emily Roach Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

 

Updated: 11:00 a.m. Tuesday, May 15, 2012

 JetBlue launched its first direct flight to Puerto Rico from Palm Beach International Airport this morning with speeches and water cannons.

 With the airline opening a terminal in the Caribbean hub, it means a bigger gateway to the islands for Palm Beach County and Treasure Coast travelers, tourism and airline officials said.

 "It opens the whole region to Palm Beach County and the Treasure Coast," said Jorge Pesquera, president and CEO of the Convention and Visitors Bureau and a San Juan native.

JetBlue is one of the few airlines expanding flights at PBIA, Airport Director Bruce Pelly said.

 Once in San Juan, travelers can take another JetBlue flight to St. Thomas, St. Croix, St. Martin or Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, and more destinations are planned with the terminal expansion, JetBlue Vice President Dennis Corrigan said. More than a quarter of the airline's capacity is devoted to Latin America and the Caribbean, he said.

 And the Palm Beach County airport is an important location for the airline with more than 20 flights a day, Corrigan said.

 Shortly before 9 a.m., Flight 328 departed to San Juan. The daily flight will bring an estimated $7 million economic impact each year with 15,000 guests arriving from Puerto Rico, according to the Convention and Visitors Bureau. The airline announced fares as low as $93 each way for sale through May 25 at www.jetblue.com/new. Fares are for flights between May 29 and June 21.

 The new service uses a 150-passenger Airbus A320 departing PBIA at 8:50 a.m. (arrival 12:20 p.m.) and departing San Juan at 12:10 p.m. with PBIA arrival at 2:54 p.m.

 Most of the passengers didn't realize they would board the inaugural flight until they arrived at the airport.

 Luz and Julio Moran of Loxahatchee travel to Puerto Rico two or three times of year to visit Julio Moran's family.

 "We used to travel through Fort Lauderdale," he said. "But now that we've got it here, why go through there?"

 Elizabeth Montilla of Port St. Lucie agreed. She used either Fort Lauderdale or Orlando airports to travel to Puerto Rico for family business every two or three months.

 "It makes it easier for me," she said of the PBIA direct flight.

 emily_roach@pbpost.com

Florida's taxpayers deserve a Naval Super Ferry!

  

The two former Superferries that failed because of Jones Act costs operating among the Hawaiian Islands have been acquired by taxpayers and provided to the US Navy and renamed after Jones Act ports.

The  Alakai is now USNS Puerto Rico and the Huakai is now USNS Guam. Whoopee.

Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus says the high speed ferries "will be used for peacetime operations such as troop transport training, exercise missions and humanitarian and disaster relief."

The ferries are currently being modified to support military operations and to increase their endurance by installing crew berthing, sewage treatment plants and water-making equipment.

Let’s hope Congressperson Ileana Ros Lehtinen and Senator Bill Nelson jump on this opportunity to base at least one of these giant, high speed transports in Florida, either Key West or Jacksonville where they can be on hand for emergency missions in the Caribbean or, ultimately when the US government begins massive humanitarian relief to Cuba after the post Castro riots and recriminations subside.

May 10, 2012 - The Cabinet Office announced today that Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. Perry G. Christie, has advised His Excellency the Governor-General to make the following cabinet appointments, with additional appointments to follow:

 

 

The Hon. Dr. Bernard J. Nottage – Minister of National Security & Govt Leader in the House of Assembly

 

The Hon. Obediah Wilchcombe – Minister of Tourism

 

The Hon. Jerome Fitzgerald – Minister of Education, Science & Technology

 

The Hon. Ryan Pinder – Minister of Financial Services

 

Senator the Hon. Allyson Maynard Gibson - Attorney General & Minister of Legal Affairs

 

Damian Gomez – Minister of State in the Ministry of Legal Affairs

 

The Hon. Michael Halkitis – Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance

 

Senator the Hon. Keith Bell - Minister of State in the Ministry of National Security

 

 

These particular ministerial appointments have a critical bearing on the three most pressing issues facing The Bahamas today: crime, the economy, and the need to re-vamp our educational system to better prepare our youth for the challenges that face them. 

 

 

It is a reflection of the urgency that the new government attaches to these matters that this first group of ministers to be announced are centrally involved in the fight against crime; the revitalisation of the economy, especially in tourism and financial services; and the expansion of our investment in our youth so that they can be properly equipped to compete for good jobs in the 21st century.

 

 

This first group of ministers will be sworn in at Government House at 4pm today. Yesterday the Hon. Philip Brave Davis was sworn in as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Works & Urban Development while the Rt. Hon. Perry G. Christie was sworn in as Prime Minister and Minister of Finance on Tuesday.

 

 

All remaining ministers will be sworn in tomorrow in keeping with Prime Minister Christie’s promise that his entire cabinet would be fully assembled by Friday.

 

 

It is also announced that the Government has engaged former State Minister for Finance and former Central Bank Governor, James Smith CMG, as a consultant to the Ministry of Finance on a broad range of budgetary, fiscal and economic management issues.

 

 

It is also announced that the former Commodore of the Royal Bahamas Defence Force and former Ambassador Clifford ‘Butch’ Scavella has been engaged to spearhead the setting up of a new body that will seek to more efficiently co-ordinate intelligence-gathering and joint strategic planning among the various law enforcement agencies in the country so as to ensure a more effective campaign against gun smuggling, drug trafficking, illegal immigration, poaching, and crime generally.

 

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