Member of Parliament for West Portland Daryl Vaz has added his voice to those endorsing Food For The Poor (FFP) in the wake of the recent controversy surrounding the building of houses by the charity.

Vaz, who is the Cabinet minister charged with negotiating a new contract with FFP based on a directive from Prime Minister Andrew Holness, last week told our news team that he felt compelled to add his voice to the issue based on the work the charity has done in his constituency.

“I can say categorically that the people of Portland love FFP as an organisation because of the wide-ranging help we have got.

“I have seen them go from one bedroom to two bedrooms, so you can see where improvements have been made over time. As a matter of fact, Food For The Poor has gone from just doing houses in my constituency to over time making improvements with sewage, water tanks, furniture and appliances, as well as building the foundations of the houses,” declared Vaz.

He said his relationship with FFP started in 2007 when he became member of parliament, and he has since worked closely with the non-profit organisation to provide housing solutions, among other things, for members of his constituency.

518 Applications

Vaz said between 2007 and June 2017 he submitted 518 applications for housing assistance to Food For The Poor, with 58 housing units having been built while an additional 49 requests have been accepted and are to be built.

According to Vaz, during the 10-year span, 36 fire victims have also been helped, with an additional 98 units constructed following the passing of Hurricane Sandy in 2008.

“Many may ask how have I been so successful, and many would even say it’s because of my position as minister previously or now. It has nothing to do with that,” said Vaz.

“The bottom line is that you have 630 houses that are approved separate and apart from fire and emergency situations, and all I do is put myself in the position that if any other constituency has not qualified for the 10 houses per month I benefit.

“It is not easy to have the documentation and everything in a position where it’s there waiting because you constantly have to be supplying more info. So what I have done is employ somebody full-time in my constituency office to do nothing else but to deal with the applications.”

Under the existing five-year joint venture agreement between FFP and the Government, which expires in August, the charity is to build 1,200 two-bedroom wooden houses per year, which is given free of cost to the poor across the island.

At present, the cost of US$6,400 to deliver a unit is split evenly between both parties.

But FFP’s work in West Portland goes way beyond just providing housing solutions, as it has also helped in sports and youth development, agriculture, disaster relief and welfare and education.

Vaz said FFP has also partnered with various foundations to build five early childhood institutions across his constituency.

“I hope that my own shared experiences will assist other MPs, new and old, of some of the partnerships that can be forged with Food For The Poor,” said Vaz.

“The most important thing is that dialogue takes care of a lot of issues, and the bottom line is all that is required now is MPs to have closer dialogue to iron out whatever misunderstandings and to forge a relationship (with FFP) going forward,” added Vaz.

ryon.jones@gleanerjm.com

Source: http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/news/20170604/food-poor-valuable-vaz-mp-says-work-done-charity-west-portland-priceless

Team Canada’s promoter Tyler Buxton has said that he would definitely love to promote a fight night featuring two rematches from this season’s Contender Series.

Following the controversial ending to week three’s bout, Canadian Dave Leblond has been calling for a rematch with Tsetsi Davis and said he would be open to it whether in a latter round of the competition or later this year.

Tougher opponents

Larone Whyte, who lost to Sakima Davis on Wednesday, described him as one of the tougher opponents he has faced in his career and said he would love to step inside the ring with him again very soon.

Buxton told STAR Sports that he is very much open to the idea of setting up an event, if both matches do not take place in the tournament.

“I think either Mullings versus Winston (Matthews, who Mullings beat in week one) or Mullings versus Whyte or Mullings versus both of them is a good idea,” he said.

“They both kind of did very very good against the guy who’s supposed to be number one (Mullings).

“Obviously Tsetsi Davis and Leblond is the one that the whole country’s talking about, so that one’s gotta get done for sure,” he added.

Buxton said he has plans of staging regular events in Jamaica, starting later this year and this strikes him as a very marketable idea, as he said he believes boxing is a well supported sport locally.

“The Contender ends in July, so it depends on how far the guys make it, how much of a break they need, so maybe as early as September or October,” he said.

“The Jamaican crowd’s seen the fight, they know the fight. The people in Quebec and in Canada have seen it but the media hasn’t talked about it as much as the Jamaican media. If there’s a Canadian judge, a Jamaican judge and say, maybe an American judge, and maybe grab an American referee, then the playing field’s level all the way around. So I think that’s what we should do and that’s what one of my first events down there should be. I’ll call it ‘The Rematches.’

Source: http://jamaica-star.com/article/sports/20170603/buxton-open-contender-rematches

Wray & Nephew White Overproof Rum has boosted the platform for Jamaican boxers to compete at the regional level by donating an additional $2 million to the Jamaica Boxing Board of Control (JBBC) for the development of boxing in Jamaica. This donation adds to millions the brand has invested in the Wray & Nephew Contender series, which is now in its seventh year.

The $2 million was officially handed over by executives of Wray & Nephew at Usain Bolt’s Tracks & Records in St Andrew during the launch of ‘Wray & Nephew Fight Night in the City’, a series of community boxing events sanctioned by the JBBC, which is being held in the island. The first event took place on Saturday, May 27, at Barbican Beach in St Andrew, where six Jamaican boxers faced off against six boxers from Panama.

After the handover, Pietro Gramegna, marketing manager, J. Wray & Nephew Limited, said that the company was pleased with the results from investing in the development of boxing in Jamaica, especially with regard to the Wray & Nephew Contender, and the decision to donate $2 million was done without hesitation.

NATURAL TALENT

“Jamaicans have a natural innate talent and love for sports, which includes boxing. This is evident through the weekly support of the Wray & Nephew Contender series, whether in support at the Chinese Benevolent Association or by watching the broadcast live on TVJ. Boxing is part of ‘Our Spirit’ and for that, we made the decision to invest more into the sport as it will allow our local boxers to be able to make their names known, not only locally, but internationally,” said Gramegna.

Stephen Jones, president, JBBC, expressed gratitude for Wray & Nephew’s continuous support of boxing in Jamaica.

“Wray & Nephew’s sponsorship is a blessing for boxing. I think not only on a boxing level, but how Wray & Nephew as a brand operates in Jamaica, and it being part of our country’s culture, it goes hand-in-hand with boxing. I think the synergy is very, very good. I think we’re very fortunate to have them sign on again,” said Jones.

He said that since the donation was made, eight amateur boxers from Jamaica and Panama have benefitted when they faced off in the first ‘Wray & Nephew Fight Night in the City’ event. These boxers were Marvin Shea, Sanjay Williams, Janathan Hanson and Ricardo Brown from Jamaica; and Jhonathan Miniel, Leonel Gutterrez, Luis Hern·ndez, and Ronaldo Bermudez from Panama.

At the end of these four amateur bouts, Williams, Hanson, and Brown from Jamaica were announced winners along with Panama’s Miniel. The 3-1 victory will send the country’s amateur contingent off to the World Championship Box-Off in Honduras next month with high anticipation.

Source: http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/sports/20170603/wray-nephew-pumps-2-million-community-boxing

Team Jamaica’s Sakima Mullings defeated Team Canada’s Larone Whyte by split decision to move into the semi-finals of the Wray and Nephew White Overproof Rum Contender Boxing Series at the Chinese Benevolent Association auditorium on Wednesday night.

Mullings, who entered the Junior Middleweight contest at a weight of 153 lbs against a bigger Whyte at 155 1/2 lbs, was never at any stage of the fight looked in danger of losing the contest. Howerver, he was made to work for every point from the rookie Whyte from the opening bell.

It was an excitement that the nearly full house enjoyed as at no time in the fight did the less experienced Whyte backed away from the combustion — displaying confidence and alertness against the vastly more experienced and accomplished Mullings.

But the Mullings had the measure of him and came away from the five-round clincher with an unflustering split-decision. Judges Lindell Allen and Ransford Burton scored the bout 49-46 and 48-47, respectively, in favour of Mullings. Canadian judge Brian Beauchamp saw it 48-47 for Whyte.

Following the conclusion of this four-fight quarter-final rounds there are still another two seven rounders before reaching the final over which the finalists will clash over 10 rounds to lift the Wray and Nephew White Overproof Rum Jamaica Junior Middleweight Contender title with the major share of $3 million going to the ultimate champion..

“Tough fight (and a) slippery opponent, but I thought that I was the better man tonight (Wednesday night) and did enough to win the fight,” said Mullings.

Asked how he felt about not getting the nod from of all three judges. A smiling Mullings replied: “Judging is subjective. Whyte is his countryman (Brian Beauchamp) and he may just see things a little different in his favour (Whyte’s),” said Mullings.

Whyte, meantime, is happy with his performance.

“To tell the truth I thought that I did well. I started to box and got some good shots in, but I should have made it a rougher, tougher fight. The thing is going into the semi-final round I wanted to look cleaner up there, but I should have taken it to him,” he said.

The under-card amateur bouts threw up surprising results as Patrick Sahadeo of the JDF Gym surprised Ricardo Carter of Dreamscape Gym by the split decision route, while a fit looking Ricardo Beckford of the Oracabessa Gym got the better of Carlton Reid of St Thomas Gym in a Light Middleweight contest.

Source: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/sports/mullings-moves-into-contender-semis-with-split-decision-over-whyte_100674?profile=1511

Sakima Mullings, the No. 1 seeded boxer in the Wray & Nephew 2017 Contender series, booked himself a spot in the semi-finals of the competition last Wednesday night with a hard-earned victory over Canadian Larone Whyte at the Chinese Benevolent Association auditorium on Old Hope Road in St Andrew.

He is now into the money round of the competition, which will pay $2 million to the winner, $500,000 to the runner-up, $250,000 for the boxer who finishes third, and $200,000 for the fourth-place finisher.

After five bruising rounds, which had spectators cheering wildly for the entire time, judge Lindell Allen 49-46 and judge Ransford Burton 48-47 voted for Mullings while judge Brian Beauchamp voted 48-47 for Whyte.

“I gave myself four rounds. I thought that I won fair and square, but so it goes,” said Whyte.

SLOW STARTER

Whyte had shown in his fight with Moncriffe that he is a slow starter. He lost the first two rounds that night, but came back to win the next three. He tried to emulate that feat on Wednesday, but just fell short of his goal. He, again, lost the first two rounds on the scorecards of the judges, but they differed regarding who won the next three and he lost by split decision.

The atmosphere in the auditorium was electric as both men entered the ring, Mullings behind the Jamaican flag, and Whyte with both the Jamaican and Canadian flags, because he has Jamaican parents.

Mullings started quickly, and with jabs and hooks to the body and head, he kept one step ahead of Whyte all the way.

Whyte found his bearings in the third and made things much more competitive, as he and Mullings entered into a battle of attrition.

Mullings said afterwards: “He would not make me rest and I would not make him rest. It was tough going.”

In the fourth round, the pace started to tell on Mullings and he looked to be a bit winded. He switched tactics then – from torrid in-fighting to slick boxing. This gave him some respite, but he still knew that he was in the fight of his life. At the end of the contest, the crowd roared in appreciation and both men paid their respects to each other.

Source: http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/sports/20170602/mullings-books-contender-semi-final-spot

Co-Chair of the Economic Programme Oversight Committee (EPOC) Keith Duncan has expressed confidence that the Bank of Jamaica’s planned multiple-priced foreign exchange (FX) auction will create more efficiency in forex market transactions.

The Government of Jamaica, with a view to creating exchange rate flexibility, has signed off on the International Monetary Fund (IMF) recommendation to introduce a forex auction to smooth excessive currency market volatility.

The move, the IMF says, is an important component to successfully move to inflation targeting, which is aimed at sustaining Jamaica’s monetary and financial resilience. To further strengthen FX markets through greater price discovery and transparency, the Bank of Jamaica will gradually phase out the use of surrender requirements and instead establish multiple-price FX auctions, this month, as a market-based exchange rate pricing mechanism for BOJ buying and selling.

The central bank says it is working to further improve high-frequency forecasting of FX flows from corporates, banks, exchange houses, and securities dealers, as well as improved monitoring of the banks’ net open FX positions.

“Right now with the BOJ there is what you call the 25 per cent surrender requirements of what you trade on the market to the BOJ. Now they want to move away from that and have the BOJ buying and selling in the market to build their reserves to supply the market when there is a short in foreign exchange. So they are moving away from reserved requirement into a more efficient market mechanism,” Duncan told media representation during the second quarterly review of the 3-year IMF Precautionary Stand-by Arrangement.

He anticipates that the FX auction will resemble a treasury bill auction, but noted that the term ‘auction’ is not resonating well with the people of Jamaica.

“In the same way we have a treasury bill auction, you have auctions for a GOJ debt. It’s the same kind of mechanism that is going to take place. I believe that it will and it can work; it will be more efficient, it’s how it’s introduced,” he said.

“I think there is a lot of baggage coming from the 1980s in relation to auction but we do have treasury bill auctions which are quite efficient, so there is no reason why we shouldn’t be able to do so with the FX,” he reasoned.

But CEO of the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ) Dennis Chung raised concerns about the reintroduction of an auction system in Jamaica.

The background noise was that the country might revert to the 1980s when the Seaga administration settled on an auction arrangement, which was intended to ensure stability and the facilitation of economic growth — but instead enabled a forex black market and was used against large foreign-exchange users to keep them out of the market.

Duncan has, however, assured that private sector bodies are in consultation with the working committee from the industry on how to move forward.

He added that since the implementation date is June, the public should soon be informed of how the system will operate.

“I know there are consultations, there was a meeting and I think people are warming up to it, it’s a change in how the BOJ will interact with the market but I believe its somewhere that we need to go for a more efficient market,” he said.

Source: http://301-joweb.newscyclecloud.com/business-report/duncan-confident-about-fx-auction_100540?profile=1056

Five years ago a study by the Mona Ageing and Wellness Centre found that, in Jamaica, the elderly constituted 11.3 per cent of the population… and that number was projected to rise to 25 per cent by 2050.

This therefore is an extremely important segment of the Jamaican population; deserving of the greatest possible attention from the Government and people, not only for the fact that they nurtured the current generations of Jamaicans. The true quality of life in our country can be measured by how we treat our senior citizens.

From this standpoint, we encourage all Jamaicans to take seriously the words of Police Superintendent Stephanie Lindsay, the head of the Jamaica Constabulary Force’s Corporate Communications Unit (CCU), who expressed deep concern about increasing attacks on Jamaica’s elderly, the majority of whom are women.

As reported in our Wednesday edition, Supt Lindsay brought a solemn message to the Monday’s Annual General Meeting of Jean Lowrie-Chin’s Caribbean Community of Retired Persons (CCRP) about the litany of problems faced by senior citizens.

According to Ms Lindsay, these problems include:

• People posing as representatives of utility companies to get to senior citizens

• Identity theft is a growing problem for seniors

• Lonely seniors are robbed of social interaction because of fear of venturing outside

• Many are being abused by caregivers

In addition to the observations made by the officer, anecdotal evidence suggests that there is general impatience and apathy towards the aged, with many people regarding them as a burden or an obstacle in their way, because they might be slowing down physically and mentally.

The creatures who prey on poor, helpless old people are monsters who must feel the full weight of the law. Jamaicans must not keep silent when they witness the ill-treatment of seniors. Enlightened self-interest alone should help us to grasp the fact that if we live long enough we will be seniors one day.

The number of seniors in Jamaica — which as the survey says is increasing — is significant enough for vote-seeking politicians to be interested. We wholeheartedly endorse Mrs Lowrie-Chin’s call for legislation similar to the Child Care and Protection Act to ensure the well-being of Jamaica’s elderly.

In the meantime, we suggest to the elderly that they heed the advice given by Supt Lindsay to protect themselves as much as they can against the criminal minded by:

• Not giving out banking or credit card information on the phone

• Checking ID cards of people claiming to be representatives of utility companies – “In this case, to be rude is to be shrewd!”

• Checking bank statements carefully and immediately reporting any strange activity or suspicion of fraud

• Keeping a close check on incapacitated elderly against abusive caregivers

• In the event of motor vehicle accidents, meeting the other motorist at the police station

• Going out with friends and family, instead of venturing out alone

• Carrying only cash, credit cards and IDs that will be needed

• In the case of a hold-up, throwing wallet or handbag a distance away and running in the opposite direction, but never to resist giving up valuables.

• Using sturdy metal or solid wood doors with deadbolt locks; motion detectors or floodlights; trimming shrubbery around doors and windows and giving an extra key to a trusted neighbour.

Source: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/editorial/the-monsters-who-prey-on-poor-helpless-old-ladies_100552

SUPERINTENDENT of Police Stephanie Lindsay has urged the elderly to be “extremely careful” as burglars are targeting senior citizens.Speaking at Monday’s Annual General Meeting of the Caribbean Community of Retired Persons (CCRP) held at the Phoenix Central Complex in St Andrew, the head of the Corporate Communications Unit (CCU) expressed deep concern about increasing attacks on Jamaica’s elderly.

The superintendent also warned that there were people posing as representatives of utility companies, so it was important to check their ID cards.

She noted too that the problem of lonely seniors was compounded because many were afraid to venture out, depriving them of the social interaction that is considered important for their well-being.

According to Lindsay, identity theft is a growing problem, so she urged seniors to ensure that records of financial transactions are secured as the information on receipts can be used to commit fraud. She reminded members of CCRP that they may receive calls asking for banking and credit card information, and that no bank would be requesting this on the phone.

“No need to be polite — say ‘no’,” she urged. “In this case, to be rude is to be shrewd!”

She reminded the CCRP members to check their bank statements carefully and immediately report any strange activity, recommending that this be done in writing to have a record of these queries. The superintendent said any suspicion of fraud should be reported to the police.

Lindsay also said it was important to keep a close check on “incapacitated elderly”, as there have been incidents of abusive caregivers. She said that some people may be reluctant to speak out so friends and relatives should be very observant, checking for injuries and bedsores.

In the matter of motor vehicle accidents, the head of CCU recommended that CCRP members take a photo of the vehicle, ensuring that the car registration number is clear. They may give their name, but not their address; instead they could give the person the address of their insurance company and say they will meet them at the police station.

When out and about, she recommended that seniors: Go out with friends and family, not alone; walk purposely; walk down the middle of the sidewalk; keep purses close to the body and wallets in front pants pocket or jacket pocket; carry only cash, credit cards and ID that will be needed.

She advised, too, that if there is a hold-up, members should throw their wallet or handbag a distance away and run, screaming in the opposite direction. Under no circumstances should they resist giving up their valuables.

She suggested that seniors should: Use sturdy metal or solid wood doors and install deadbolt locks; light up entry doors and use motion detectors or floodlights; trim shrubbery around doors and windows and make sure their address is displayed for emergency purposes; give an extra key to a trusted neighbour.

She said that sometimes police have difficulty responding to calls because of lack of street signs and asked that citizens ensure that these are in place.

CCRP Board Director Vilma McDonald thanked Superintendent Lindsay for her timely and practical advice, while Executive Chairman Jean Lowrie-Chin noted that the organisation was deeply concerned about the issue of elder abuse, and that CCRP would be advocating for the passing of laws similar to those in the Child Care and Protection Act to ensure the well-being of Jamaica’s elderly.

CCRP’s membership has reportedly grown to 1,940, with 91 discount partners, since its inception in 2010. The special Major Medical Health Insurance plan offered by Sagicor has reportedly saved members millions in health costs.

Source: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/senior-cop-urges-elderly-to-be-8216-extremely-careful-8217-_100446?profile=1373