GRENLEC Rewarding Customers With Year-long Promotion
GRENLEC Rewarding Customers With Year-long Promotion
GRENLEC Rewarding Customers With Year-long Promotion
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Vol. 23 No. 01 - January 2013<br />
<strong>GRENLEC</strong> <strong>Rewarding</strong><br />
<strong>Customers</strong> <strong>With</strong><br />
<strong>Year</strong>-<strong>long</strong> <strong>Promotion</strong><br />
BILL<br />
FOR<br />
FREE<br />
Tel: (473) 435-0981/5685<br />
Email: barnacle@spiceisle.com<br />
www. barnaclegrenada.com<br />
THIS IS HOW YOU DO IT: PrUDence<br />
GreenidGe (riGHT), GrenLeC’s<br />
cOrPOraTe cOmmUnIcaTIOnS<br />
manager, eXPLaInS TO a cUSTOmer<br />
HOW THe PrOmOTIOn WOrKS
02 BARNACLE JANUARY 2013
www.barnaclegrenada.com<br />
News<br />
<strong>GRENLEC</strong> rewarding customers<br />
with year-<strong>long</strong> promotion<br />
The Grenada Electricity<br />
Services (<strong>GRENLEC</strong>), in<br />
keeping with the spirit<br />
of the holiday season<br />
in extending Christmas<br />
greeting to customers.<br />
In addition, as a New <strong>Year</strong><br />
reward, the electricity<br />
provider has launched a<br />
promotion program called<br />
Bill for Free (BFF).<br />
It was launched on December<br />
19 by Prudence<br />
Greenidge, <strong>GRENLEC</strong>’s<br />
Corporate Communications<br />
Manager; and Customer<br />
Service Manager,<br />
Casandra Slocombe.<br />
“We want to reward<br />
customers for making the<br />
effort to keep their accounts<br />
current and paying<br />
their bills by the due date,’’<br />
Slocombe told reporters at<br />
the BFF launch at GREN-<br />
LEC’s Corporate Headquarters.<br />
“It has been a tough year<br />
and high fuel costs have<br />
negatively impacted the<br />
price of electricity and we<br />
heard our customers’ complaints<br />
about how difficult<br />
it was to manage. This is<br />
one way for us to demonstrate<br />
that we value all our<br />
customers and appreciate<br />
the opportunity we have<br />
to serve them,’’ Slocombe<br />
added.<br />
Greenidge said the BFF<br />
initiative is designed to assist<br />
domestic or residential<br />
customers of <strong>GRENLEC</strong>.<br />
“We are excited to be<br />
kicking off this year-<strong>long</strong><br />
promotion,’’ Greenidge<br />
said. “We are inviting our<br />
customers to enter to win a<br />
chance.’’<br />
Under the program, said<br />
Greenidge, “<strong>GRENLEC</strong><br />
will pay one customer’s<br />
electricity bill for an entire<br />
year and one monthly bill<br />
for 14 other lucky winners’’.<br />
She added: “As we end<br />
2012 and prepare for 2013,<br />
we wish our customers the<br />
very best and continue to<br />
encourage customers to<br />
manage their energy consumption<br />
by understanding<br />
their bills, monitoring<br />
their usage, conserving<br />
and building good habits.’’<br />
The Bill for Free promotion<br />
will run from December<br />
2012 to November 2013,<br />
with one draw every<br />
month.<br />
<strong>GRENLEC</strong> is inviting customers<br />
to drop vouchers in<br />
for payments made in December<br />
and in the months<br />
GrenLec’S cUSTOmer<br />
service manager,<br />
casandra slocombe<br />
in 2013, up to November.<br />
To Qualify for BFF:<br />
1.<strong>Customers</strong> must update<br />
their <strong>GRENLEC</strong> contact<br />
information<br />
2. Pay their electricity bill<br />
by the due date<br />
3. Make their account current<br />
4. Drop the top panel of<br />
their bills (name, address,<br />
meter number) into the<br />
treasure chest at any<br />
<strong>GRENLEC</strong> Customer Care<br />
Centre by the end of each<br />
month.<br />
RULES and CONDITIONS<br />
of BFF:<br />
• The promotion is open to<br />
all domestic (residential)<br />
customers. <strong>GRENLEC</strong><br />
staff and immediate family<br />
are not eligible.<br />
• Prizes are non-transferable;<br />
award will apply to<br />
account for which winning<br />
voucher is drawn. Monthly<br />
payments limited<br />
to amount of bill up to<br />
$400. No additional credit<br />
or cash will be issued for<br />
bill values of less than<br />
$400. Awards will be limited<br />
to current bill values.<br />
• <strong>GRENLEC</strong> reserves<br />
the right to publish and<br />
distribute the names and<br />
images of the winners, in<br />
connection with publicity<br />
for the competition, their<br />
entry, the prize or otherwise.<br />
THIS IS HOW YOU DO IT: PrUDence GreenIDGe, GrenLec’S cOrPOraTe<br />
communications manager, eXPlains to a customer How tHe <strong>Promotion</strong><br />
worKs<br />
BARNACLE JANUARY 2013 03.<br />
• <strong>GRENLEC</strong> will not be liable<br />
for any circumstances<br />
beyond its reasonable<br />
control that prevent the<br />
competition being fulfilled,<br />
a winner or winners being<br />
chosen, or any prize being<br />
taken up or fully enjoyed<br />
by a winner. <strong>GRENLEC</strong><br />
excludes liability to the<br />
extent permitted by law for<br />
any cost, claims or losses<br />
howsoever caused that<br />
arise by reason of any person’s<br />
entry into a competition<br />
or the award, or non<br />
award, to them of a prize.<br />
• If any winner is unable<br />
to take up a prize for any<br />
reason, or <strong>GRENLEC</strong> has<br />
not been able, after making<br />
reasonable efforts, to<br />
make contact with the winner,<br />
<strong>GRENLEC</strong> reserves<br />
the right to award that<br />
prize (without notice to<br />
the first winner chosen) to<br />
an alternative winner, in<br />
which case the first winner<br />
chosen shall not be eligible<br />
for any share of the prize<br />
whatsoever. <strong>GRENLEC</strong><br />
shall not have any liability<br />
in such eventuality.
04 BARNACLE JANUARY 2013<br />
The Business and Sustainability Forum<br />
John (Johnny) n Telesford<br />
research sTudenT-InsTITuTe<br />
for ManageMenT, socIeTy and<br />
governance (IMages), roberT<br />
gordon unIversITy, scoTland<br />
A very hot topic electrifying<br />
the airwaves<br />
in recent times is<br />
the announcement<br />
by the majority<br />
shareholder in the<br />
<strong>GRENLEC</strong> to sell<br />
their shares in the<br />
company. The Government<br />
of Grenada<br />
(the government)<br />
has the first option<br />
to buy.<br />
Many influential<br />
groups and individuals<br />
ON THE FOUNDATIONS OF SUSTAINABILITY ECONOMY~ ENVIRONMENT~ SOCIETY<br />
Will the purchase of<br />
<strong>GRENLEC</strong> by Government<br />
bring electricity prices down?<br />
feel that if the government<br />
buys the shares<br />
then the price for<br />
electricity will automatically<br />
be reduced.<br />
But is that really so? If<br />
the government buys<br />
and continues with the<br />
same monopoly, prices<br />
will not be reduced<br />
and if it is, it will not<br />
be sustainable. In this<br />
brief piece I suggest<br />
why electricity prices<br />
will not be reduced and<br />
share some thoughts<br />
on what I think should<br />
happen if prices are to<br />
be reduced.<br />
The price of electricity<br />
is hinged on the<br />
price paid for fuel<br />
on the international<br />
market, which changes<br />
drastically, based on<br />
factors such as wars,<br />
severe cold weather,<br />
oil reserves, etc. These<br />
factors are generally<br />
out of our control in<br />
Grenada. So when the<br />
price of fuel goes up,<br />
the price Grenadians<br />
pay for electricity goes<br />
up and vice versa. The<br />
trend in the prices for<br />
fuel on the international<br />
market shows<br />
that since 1996 the<br />
international prices for<br />
fuels have been rising.<br />
So whether the government<br />
or a private<br />
entity owns the GREN-<br />
LEC, the way the pricing<br />
system or the tariff<br />
currently works has a<br />
very big impact on the<br />
prices that are paid for<br />
electricity. And this<br />
price is only going to go<br />
up in the future.<br />
Secondly, a government<br />
owned GREN-<br />
LEC will not guarantee<br />
a sustained reduction<br />
in the price for<br />
electricity. In fact if<br />
government owns the<br />
<strong>GRENLEC</strong> and continues<br />
with the same legal<br />
and regulatory system<br />
in place, price reduction<br />
will not happen.<br />
And if it does, it will<br />
only be from government<br />
meddling which,<br />
can be detrimental to<br />
the operations of the<br />
company in the <strong>long</strong><br />
term. <strong>With</strong> a government<br />
owned GREN-<br />
ELC the temptation to<br />
reduce prices to ensure<br />
that the citizens and<br />
businesses are not unduly<br />
hurt can be great.<br />
Presently the government<br />
is buying fuel at<br />
concessionary rates<br />
through the Petrocaribe<br />
arrangement, which<br />
gives the government<br />
some flexibility to adjust<br />
prices, despite the<br />
current tariff. But this<br />
will not be a sustainable<br />
approach to the<br />
business of generating<br />
and supplying electricity.<br />
The management of<br />
an electricity plant as<br />
<strong>GRENLEC</strong> requires<br />
high operational and<br />
maintenance costs.<br />
Large investments in<br />
plant equipment and<br />
materials and frequent<br />
maintenance are<br />
required to maintain<br />
high reliability and<br />
quality of electricity<br />
supply. Therefore playing<br />
with the pricing<br />
can hamper the returns<br />
on investments<br />
required to sustain the<br />
quality of operations<br />
and maintenance of the<br />
company. The inability<br />
to effectively and<br />
efficiently manage the<br />
<strong>GRENLEC</strong> can plunge<br />
Grenada back into<br />
the dark ages of poor<br />
quality electricity and<br />
blackouts.<br />
But if the government<br />
decides to buy the<br />
shares (or even if they<br />
do not) the first order<br />
of the day is to revise<br />
the current Electricity<br />
Supply Act of 1994<br />
(ESA). In this regard,<br />
the government has<br />
to use the opportunity<br />
to remove the current<br />
monopoly. The electricity<br />
market cannot<br />
continue to function<br />
under a monopoly-<br />
public nor private. Any<br />
government ownership<br />
therefore has to be<br />
sufficient (temporary)<br />
to allow for a regulatory<br />
system to be put<br />
in place. This should<br />
subsume the ESA and<br />
create a more realistic<br />
and level playing field<br />
for the functioning of<br />
the market.<br />
Some key functions of<br />
the regulatory sys-<br />
tem will be to develop<br />
a more competitive<br />
pricing system and to<br />
adjust prices for electricity<br />
from all sources<br />
of energy. Also, in a<br />
regulated electricity<br />
market investments in<br />
renewable energy technologies<br />
will become<br />
more attractive. While<br />
concerns such as the<br />
removal of subsidies for<br />
fossil fuels, if they exist;<br />
the development of<br />
policies and regulations<br />
to encourage renewable<br />
energy technologies<br />
and energy efficiency of<br />
equipment and buildings<br />
will be addressed.<br />
In conclusion, the only<br />
benefit I can see that<br />
should come out of a<br />
government purchase<br />
of the <strong>GRENLEC</strong> is<br />
the opportunity for the<br />
government to redesign<br />
the market through<br />
appropriate legislation.<br />
This will provide<br />
for effective and efficient<br />
operations of the<br />
market to include all<br />
sources of energy. Also<br />
the prices for electricity<br />
will become competitive<br />
and affordable<br />
in such a regulated<br />
market. Falsely believing<br />
that electricity<br />
prices will automatically<br />
be reduced if the<br />
government owns the<br />
GRENEC and continues<br />
in a monopolistic<br />
market will only<br />
pro<strong>long</strong> the suffering of<br />
the electricity consumers<br />
and further hinder<br />
the sustainable development<br />
of Grenada.<br />
Comments, frets and questions to:<br />
John n telesford<br />
P. O. BOx 906, Grenville, St. Andrew’S<br />
John.telesford@yahoo.Com<br />
tel: 1 (473) 442 4563/405 5981
www.barnaclegrenada.com<br />
BARNACLE JANUARY 2013 05.
06 BARNACLE JANUARY 2013<br />
News<br />
GCNA spending $1,000,000 to assist nutmeg farmers<br />
arlon Clyne, As Genral<br />
Manager of the<br />
renada Cooperative<br />
utmeg Association<br />
GCNA): Clyne’s responibility<br />
is to make recmmendations<br />
to, and<br />
mplement policies of<br />
he Board of Directors<br />
f the Association.<br />
lyne became manager<br />
f the Association in<br />
uly 2010, discusses the<br />
tate of the nutmeg inustry<br />
with Barnacle’s<br />
an George.<br />
CNA says it has a<br />
lan to assist farmers<br />
ith their fields. Tell us<br />
bout that plan.<br />
armers have been asking<br />
for help to replant and<br />
maintain their fields since<br />
the destruction caused by<br />
hurricanes Ivan and Emily<br />
in 2004/5. Unfortunately,<br />
the Association was not<br />
in a position to respond<br />
positively to the calls of<br />
our farmers. In fact, in<br />
about March 2011 our<br />
situation deteriorated to<br />
the point where we could<br />
not purchase nutmegs for<br />
cash on a daily basis; our<br />
basic operational function.<br />
Interestingly, it was also<br />
the beginning of the most<br />
successful period of trading<br />
since 2004. It signaled<br />
the start of a period that<br />
propelled us to the realize<br />
$7.1 million dollars net<br />
MARLON CLYNE<br />
surplus financial year<br />
ended June 2012.<br />
It therefore means the Association<br />
is better placed<br />
to reach out to farmers<br />
because we have had a<br />
relatively good financial<br />
year. We are able to direct<br />
some money to assist in replanting<br />
and maintenance.<br />
Part of that assistance<br />
would be $1,000,000 we’ve<br />
identified to help farmers<br />
in different areas including<br />
drainage, weed control,<br />
pruning, fertilizer and<br />
the distribution of young<br />
plants.<br />
What is the payback<br />
GCNA is hoping to get<br />
from this investment of<br />
$200,000 into farmers?<br />
The payback will mainly<br />
be in the form of increased<br />
production down the road.<br />
Once we have increased<br />
production, we have<br />
increased raw material for<br />
sale, it would allow us to<br />
take advantage of higher<br />
prices. It would allow us<br />
to try and regain some of<br />
the markets that we would<br />
have lost. The quicker we<br />
are able to return to the<br />
market, the quicker we’ll<br />
be able to engender confidence<br />
in our current and<br />
former buyers who have<br />
not returned to us because<br />
of limited supply. Some<br />
of our buyers would have<br />
switched to Indian and Indonesian<br />
nutmegs. So, the<br />
more help that we can give<br />
to farmers to return to the<br />
field and to boost their<br />
production, it would augur<br />
well for us in the future in<br />
terms of increased availability<br />
of the product to<br />
sell and in regaining lost<br />
market.<br />
Which comes first –<br />
increased revenue or<br />
increased production?<br />
Increased production<br />
comes first although that<br />
can have its drawbacks if<br />
we don’t have solid financial<br />
backing, indeed this<br />
is what we experienced in<br />
the first half of 2011. we<br />
were always confident that<br />
once the production come<br />
in, the revenue will come<br />
in as well because we had<br />
solid sales contracts but<br />
we did not have production.<br />
By increasing prices<br />
to farmers by almost 100%<br />
production then surpassed<br />
all expectations.<br />
How many farmers<br />
are expected to benefit<br />
from the $1,000,000 assistance<br />
program?<br />
We’re trying to spread<br />
it around as much as<br />
possible; we’re trying to<br />
give everybody something.<br />
Of course, we<br />
would have liked for it to<br />
be more. Based on our<br />
continued profitability, we<br />
would try to increase the<br />
amount more and more.<br />
There are some farmers<br />
whose yields do not allow<br />
them to reinvest in their<br />
fields as they would want<br />
to and they are in a vulnerable<br />
position and need<br />
help. And, it’s not just the<br />
$500,000. Throughout the<br />
year we’ll be having different<br />
activities; we want to<br />
stay active in helping the<br />
farmers.<br />
The GCNA is now in<br />
the news. What has<br />
spurred this resurgence<br />
of media interest in the<br />
GCNA?<br />
It’s the increased rates to<br />
farmers. Nutmeg production<br />
has become attractive<br />
to our population once<br />
again and given the situation<br />
in our economy, given<br />
the reduced activity in<br />
some of our other sectors,<br />
nutmeg is gaining people’s<br />
attention. When you look<br />
at what nutmeg farmers<br />
are realizing, it is the best<br />
rates they have ever been<br />
paid in the history of the<br />
industry. So, it is creating<br />
a stir; it is creating attention;<br />
and the media will<br />
pick up on things that are<br />
happening, and nutmeg<br />
is definitely happening<br />
these days with the kind of<br />
prices that we are having.<br />
Tell me a little bit about<br />
the recent Nutmeg<br />
Festival. What has been<br />
the experience? Going<br />
forward, what are some<br />
of the things we can<br />
expect?<br />
It was the first and we<br />
learnt a lot from staging<br />
the festival. We had good<br />
responses and one of the<br />
biggest pluses was working<br />
with other sectors and<br />
seeing the possibilities<br />
that we could have with<br />
other sectors, especially<br />
the tourism and hotel<br />
industries. We had chefs<br />
from some of our top hotels<br />
here making recipes with<br />
nutmegs and spices; they<br />
came up with some pretty<br />
creative recipes. There are<br />
some lessons we would<br />
have learnt. The hope<br />
going forward is that we<br />
could put together a team<br />
of people from the GCNA,<br />
Ministry of Agriculture,<br />
and the tourism sector to<br />
plan bigger and better for<br />
next year.<br />
There will always be ups<br />
and downs in the price of<br />
agricultural raw materials.<br />
But, we can cushion<br />
the impact of the fluctuation<br />
in commodity prices<br />
if we create alternative<br />
uses for nutmeg, especially<br />
if we can do it locally. It<br />
means that we’ll be able<br />
to manufacture various<br />
products and be able to<br />
sell value-added items<br />
locally and to the rest of<br />
the world. However, we<br />
have been talking that<br />
for a very <strong>long</strong> time. We<br />
need to create a better<br />
environment that will<br />
foster that kind of change.<br />
At the GCNA’s level, we’ll<br />
try as much as possible to<br />
sustain the prices that we<br />
have paid to our farmers<br />
over the past year.
www.barnaclegrenada.com<br />
The Business and Sustainability Forum<br />
John (Johnny) n Telesford<br />
research sTudenT-InsTITuTe<br />
for ManageMenT, socIeTy and<br />
governance (IMages), roberT<br />
gordon unIversITy, scoTland<br />
As the tourism<br />
season heats up the<br />
importance of the<br />
environment and its<br />
links to tourism is<br />
brought into focus.<br />
In essence this link<br />
is embedded in the<br />
fact that the environmental<br />
attributes of<br />
our island, mainly<br />
sand, sea and sun<br />
(3S’s) and scenery<br />
(landscape) are a few<br />
of the main reasons<br />
why tourists visit the<br />
island.<br />
As citizens of Grenada<br />
therefore we are<br />
constantly urged and<br />
encouraged to ‘keep the<br />
environment clean’ for<br />
ourselves and for the<br />
tourists. This is always<br />
one of the key messages<br />
broadcasted during the<br />
tourism season. But<br />
what does ‘keep the environment<br />
clean’ really<br />
mean?<br />
Considering the environment<br />
to be our<br />
general surroundings,<br />
including air, plants,<br />
animals, marine, land<br />
and seascapes and<br />
people, this message<br />
becomes a very weak<br />
one. Or in many cases<br />
keeping the environment<br />
clean can be<br />
detrimental to the<br />
environment itself.<br />
Firstly, every single<br />
person or organization<br />
that speaks about<br />
the importance of the<br />
environment to tourism,<br />
reiterates the need<br />
to ‘not litter’. This is<br />
good, but just encouraging<br />
persons not to litter<br />
will not go anywhere<br />
far in ensuring a clean<br />
environment. Litter<br />
is generally waste<br />
ON THE FOUNDATIONS OF SUSTAINABILITY ECONOMY~ ENVIRONMENT~ SOCIETY<br />
The Environment and<br />
Tourism- A weak Link<br />
generated from human<br />
activities. We buy<br />
sweets and the wrapping<br />
becomes litter to<br />
be discarded. We cook<br />
food and the uncooked<br />
parts become litter.<br />
And so on. So litter is<br />
constantly created and<br />
discarded. When it is<br />
discarded in an unwanted<br />
area, such as on<br />
the side of the road it is<br />
no good for the environment<br />
and for tourism<br />
by extension. However,<br />
if it is thrown into a<br />
trash can and carted<br />
to the landfill then it is<br />
good. The ‘do not litter’<br />
message therefore simply<br />
alerts us to dispose<br />
of waste appropriately.<br />
However, this waste<br />
still gets into the environment<br />
and most of it<br />
remains there for such<br />
<strong>long</strong> periods of time.<br />
The waste is still detrimental<br />
to critical and<br />
delicate unseen parts of<br />
the environment, such<br />
as air and sea, which<br />
supports tourism.<br />
In essence therefore<br />
encouraging persons<br />
not to litter is weak,<br />
because waste still gets<br />
into the environment.<br />
What is needed is an<br />
approach of looking<br />
upstream, that is, by<br />
preventing waste creation<br />
in the first place.<br />
A closer look at the activities<br />
embarked upon,<br />
the things we import,<br />
etc, must be reduced<br />
as far as is possible.<br />
Preventing waste creation<br />
is the approach<br />
one needs to consider if<br />
the environment is to<br />
be kept clean for us and<br />
for the tourists.<br />
Another activity that is<br />
embarked upon when<br />
such campaigns are developed<br />
are the famous<br />
beach and river clean<br />
ups and the cutting<br />
of trees and the debushing<br />
of roadsides.<br />
Beach clean-ups can be<br />
a disaster to the environment<br />
if they are not<br />
properly supervised as<br />
many essential animals<br />
and plants can be<br />
removed in the pro-<br />
cess. Tree cutting and<br />
de-bushing makes the<br />
road way look appealing<br />
and nice, but some<br />
of the methods used are<br />
causing more harm to<br />
the environment than<br />
good. Loss of top soil<br />
and biodiversity can be<br />
real <strong>long</strong> term problems<br />
that can occur from<br />
continued, uncontrolled<br />
de-bushing.<br />
So the link between<br />
the environment and<br />
tourism is presently<br />
weak, since it is not<br />
addressing the fundamental<br />
concern,<br />
which is mainly waste<br />
prevention. Secondly,<br />
balding the sides of the<br />
road and felling trees<br />
BARNACLE JANUARY 2013 07.<br />
indiscriminately in an<br />
effort to have a clean<br />
environment can be<br />
more detrimental to the<br />
environment than good.<br />
The weak link therefore<br />
is characterized by the<br />
importation of waste<br />
and then hiding it in<br />
landfills and other areas<br />
away from the tourists.<br />
It is also shaped by<br />
the culture of foolishly<br />
cleaning the landscape<br />
and the felling of trees<br />
to enhance the environment.<br />
If this weak link<br />
is not addressed it will<br />
eventual break leading<br />
to ‘environmental<br />
collapse and the demise<br />
of tourism’; and we will<br />
only have ourselves to<br />
blame.
08 BARNACLE JANUARY 2013
www.barnaclegrenada.com<br />
BARNACLE JANUARY 2013 09.
10 BARNACLE JANUARY 2013<br />
Commentary<br />
<strong>GRENLEC</strong>’S PRIVATIZATION WAS GOOD IN PRINCIPLE<br />
Dr. Lawrence A.<br />
Joseph<br />
For the purposes of<br />
this article privatization<br />
refers to the<br />
process of transferring<br />
ownership of a business<br />
from the public<br />
sector (or state controlled<br />
sector) into the<br />
private sector. The<br />
opposite of privatization<br />
is nationalization<br />
which refers to the<br />
process of transferring<br />
ownership of a business<br />
from the private<br />
sector into public<br />
ownership by a government.<br />
The ownership of<br />
the business which first<br />
provided electricity<br />
services to Grenada in<br />
1928 was in the hands of<br />
the public sector. That<br />
business was owned by<br />
the Public Works Department<br />
of the Government<br />
of Grenada. In 1960 this<br />
enterprise was privatized<br />
after the establishment of<br />
the Grenada Electricity<br />
Services Limited (“Grenlec”).<br />
The Commonwealth<br />
Development Corporation<br />
(CDC) which was based in<br />
London, owned the majority<br />
of its shares and the<br />
government of Grenada<br />
owned the minority. This<br />
privatized status of the<br />
company lasted until it<br />
was nationalized by the<br />
People’s Revolutionary<br />
Government in 1982.<br />
In 1992 the then<br />
Nicholas Brathwaite government<br />
took the decision<br />
to privatize the company.<br />
This approach was in<br />
keeping with the general<br />
trend of Western democratic<br />
countries to shy<br />
away from the principles<br />
of nationalization which<br />
seemed to have bolstered<br />
up the socialist objective<br />
that the state should control<br />
all means of production.<br />
The Brathwaite administration<br />
did not abide<br />
by this socialist principle.<br />
Moreover, at the time,<br />
Grenlec apparently could<br />
not keep up with the ever<br />
increasing demand for<br />
the supply of electricity<br />
and there were numerous<br />
outages for lengthy<br />
periods. As a consequence<br />
of this phenomenon,<br />
there was a dire need for<br />
the injection of adequate<br />
capital into the enterprise<br />
for the purchase of new<br />
and advanced machinery<br />
and other equipment. The<br />
nationalized status of<br />
Grenlec seemed to have<br />
been incapable of provid-<br />
ing this lifeline.<br />
Nationalization<br />
presents its own problems.<br />
This is why liberal<br />
democratic countries in<br />
recent times have abandoned<br />
this approach and<br />
instead opted for privatization.<br />
Prior to 1979, the<br />
United Kingdom possessed<br />
one of the largest<br />
public enterprise sectors<br />
in the whole of Europe<br />
especially under the then<br />
socialist oriented Labour<br />
Party. This party generally<br />
followed the path of<br />
nationalization of key<br />
industries. Since then<br />
however, successive governments,<br />
especially the<br />
Conservative Party under<br />
Prime Minister Margaret<br />
Thatcher undertook the<br />
path of privatization by<br />
privatizing most, if not<br />
all, of the state controlled<br />
enterprises and allowing<br />
competition. This position<br />
holds, even to this day.<br />
In Jamaica, when<br />
Michael Manley won<br />
the general elections in<br />
1972, he followed the<br />
path of nationalization,<br />
in an attempt to follow<br />
the Cuban model.<br />
Subsequent to that, the<br />
Jamaican economy took a<br />
nose dive and Manley felt<br />
compelled to seek interna-<br />
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tional assistance in order<br />
to straighten out the<br />
economy. During the 1989<br />
elections campaign, Manley<br />
conceded that he had<br />
made mistakes and that<br />
he had learnt from those<br />
mistakes. Since then the<br />
process of privatization<br />
made significant strides<br />
to the present period.<br />
<strong>With</strong> regards to the energy<br />
sector, privatization<br />
is the keynote approach<br />
and there is open competition<br />
for the generation<br />
of electricity in Jamaica.<br />
Nationalization is<br />
characterized by certain<br />
distinctive drawbacks.<br />
<strong>With</strong> nationalization, governments<br />
generally have<br />
a monopoly so that having<br />
a profit motive is not high<br />
on the agenda. The highest<br />
objective usually relates<br />
to providing a social<br />
service which sometimes<br />
does not contemplate the<br />
cost-effectiveness of certain<br />
actions. Enterprises<br />
for example may become<br />
labour intensive in order<br />
to suit political purposes<br />
giving scant regard for<br />
efficiency. Additionally,<br />
governments do not have<br />
or are reluctant to put<br />
in significant capital for<br />
technological advancement<br />
because money is<br />
also required by competing<br />
sectors such as<br />
health, education, and<br />
agriculture. This is why<br />
it is generally accepted<br />
that governments should<br />
shy away from operating<br />
important enterprises.<br />
Based upon the above<br />
discussions, the Nicholas<br />
Brathwaite government<br />
ought not to be blamed<br />
for taking the decision<br />
in principle to privatize<br />
Grenlec. However, a lot<br />
of blame has to be leveled<br />
at that administration for<br />
the haste with which they<br />
went through with the<br />
1994 sale of 50% shares<br />
in the company to the<br />
United States based WRB<br />
Enterprises Inc for the<br />
paltry sum of US$5.6 Million;<br />
the <strong>long</strong> monopoly<br />
status which Grenlec is<br />
to enjoy; the prohibitive<br />
compensation package<br />
that has to be meted<br />
out by any government<br />
wanting to reacquire the<br />
company if even for an interim<br />
period until privatization;<br />
and the lack of<br />
sufficient protection for<br />
electricity consumers.<br />
Notwithstanding, it<br />
would not be fair to allot<br />
blame to WRB for seizing<br />
the opportunity. That<br />
company is controlled by<br />
seasoned business people,<br />
who at the time and even<br />
now have successfully<br />
managed enterprises in<br />
different parts of the Caribbean.<br />
A golden spoon<br />
was offered to them by<br />
the Brathwaite administration;<br />
they grabbed and<br />
ran away with it. However,<br />
the sale attracted<br />
much criticism from the<br />
then Opposition in Parliament<br />
which threatened<br />
to reacquire the company<br />
when once it got back into<br />
government. As a consequence<br />
of this threat,<br />
the government seemed<br />
to have been forced to<br />
execute the one-sided Sale<br />
Agreement and to pass<br />
legislation which strongly<br />
favoured WRB.<br />
The Electricity Supply<br />
Act N0. 18 of 1994<br />
(“the Act”) was therefore<br />
passed in Parliament.<br />
Its Preamble makes it<br />
clear that it was an “Act<br />
granting exclusive licence<br />
to the Grenada Electricity<br />
Services Limited (“Grenlec”)<br />
for the performance<br />
of functions relating to<br />
the supply of electricity<br />
throughout Grenada and<br />
for connected purposes<br />
and making provisions in<br />
the event of the revocation<br />
of the licence”.<br />
Section 3 of the Act<br />
provides that “the company<br />
shall have a sole<br />
and exclusive licence to<br />
generate, transmit, distribute<br />
and sell electricity<br />
in Grenada until December<br />
31st 2073”. Section<br />
5 provides that during<br />
the continuance of the<br />
licence, no person except<br />
the company shall generate,<br />
transmit, distribute<br />
and or sell electricity in<br />
Grenada without a sublicence<br />
being granted. A<br />
literal interpretation of<br />
those sections means that<br />
an ordinary citizen who<br />
finds it more cost effective<br />
to operate a gas generator,<br />
a wind mill or a photovoltaic<br />
system (which<br />
uses solar energy), in<br />
order to generate electricity<br />
to his or her residence,<br />
will find that these activities<br />
are in contravention<br />
of the Act.<br />
Section 28 of the Act<br />
provides that government<br />
may repurchase the company<br />
either after thirty<br />
years or fifty-five years to<br />
the date of the sale and<br />
section 29 makes provision<br />
for a special formula<br />
to be used for calculating<br />
the compensation to be<br />
paid to shareholders if<br />
government decides to<br />
reacquire. This compensation<br />
package seems to be<br />
more of a “punishment”<br />
being meted out to any<br />
government which has<br />
the audacity to reacquire.<br />
It amounts to be a quite<br />
prohibitive sum. Reacquisition<br />
of Grenlec by government<br />
does not seem<br />
to be a feasible option, as<br />
according to section 6 of<br />
the Grenada Constitution,<br />
there must be “prompt<br />
payment of full compensation”<br />
once this is done.<br />
As a consequence<br />
of the lop-sided Sale<br />
Agreement and the Act,<br />
electricity consumers<br />
in Grenada are caught<br />
in a bind as the cost of<br />
electricity continuously<br />
keeps going upwards.<br />
Besides other reasons,<br />
Grenlec’s path situation<br />
makes it incumbent that<br />
they rely upon the use of<br />
diesel which world market<br />
prices continuously<br />
keep rising. Grenada,<br />
with an electricity cost of<br />
approximately EC$1.10<br />
per Kilowatt Hour, has<br />
one of the highest cost for<br />
electricity in the Caribbean<br />
with Trinidad having<br />
the lowest. Any attempt<br />
by consumers to relieve<br />
this ever increasing cost<br />
of electricity by utilizing a<br />
renewable energy technology<br />
(RET) such as a wind<br />
Mill or Photovoltaic system<br />
brings on the wrath<br />
of Grenlec. Paradise Bay<br />
Resort in La Tante in<br />
St. David owned by one<br />
James Post which utilized<br />
a windmill in 2007 to<br />
generate electricity felt<br />
this wrath.<br />
Therefore, as indicated<br />
in a previously published<br />
article, which seemed to<br />
have stirred up a lot of<br />
interest in Grenada, the<br />
only option which seems<br />
to be available to electricity<br />
consumers is for an<br />
application to be made to<br />
the court by an association<br />
of electricity consumers<br />
asking the court for a<br />
Declaration that sections<br />
3 and 5 of the Act are<br />
unconstitutional. It is<br />
posited that section 11 of<br />
the Constitution has been<br />
contravened making those<br />
sections unconstitutional,<br />
as electricity consumers<br />
are being prevented from<br />
“protecting their interests”<br />
which action is not<br />
“reasonably justifiable in<br />
a democratic society”.<br />
10th Dec.2012.
www.barnaclegrenada.com<br />
BARNACLE JANUARY 2013 11.
12 BARNACLE JANUARY 2013<br />
News<br />
Mixed report on quality of Grenada journalism<br />
The outgoing president of<br />
the Media Workers Association<br />
of Grenada (MWAG)<br />
wants something done about<br />
the wages paid to local journalists.<br />
Rawle Titus is appealing for<br />
greater attention to be given to<br />
the remuneration currently offered<br />
to media workers.<br />
“Grenadian law does not cater<br />
for minimum wage for media<br />
workers,’’ Titus said at an<br />
MWAG function in St. George’s.<br />
He is relinquishing the presidency<br />
after two terms as head of<br />
the association, which is to elect<br />
a new executive in January.<br />
“It is heartrending, pathetic and<br />
downright disappointing that in<br />
2012, a journalist in Grenada is<br />
working for $700 a month EC. I<br />
challenge the incoming executive<br />
to continue the work we<br />
have started by making this issue,<br />
including the social security<br />
of practitioners, one of priority,’’<br />
Titus said at the 7th annual<br />
MWAG awards at the Trade<br />
Centre Annex.<br />
Telecommunications provider,<br />
Digicel, was the main sponsor<br />
of the awards’ ceremony whose<br />
theme was, “Media in a Challenging<br />
World’’.<br />
Country Manager Patricia<br />
Maher, who headed the Digicel<br />
delegation to the event, was<br />
accompanied by other company<br />
officials including Marketing<br />
Manager Kirk Seetahal and<br />
consultant, Jerry George.<br />
George, who was one of the<br />
event’s speakers, promised that<br />
Digicel will be introducing new<br />
technology in 2013 to improve<br />
telecommunication services in<br />
Grenada.<br />
Other speakers at the ceremony,<br />
which included a live band performance,<br />
were Prime Minister<br />
Tillman Thomas, Association<br />
of Caribbean Media Workers<br />
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Media Personality of the year shere ann noel<br />
receiving her award from digicel’s Jerry george<br />
(ACM) official Peter Richards,<br />
and Jamaicans Dr. Canute<br />
James and Faye Ellington of the<br />
University of the West Indies.<br />
Thomas said his government,<br />
which recently repealed the<br />
country’s criminal libel law, will<br />
also be addressing seditious<br />
libel.<br />
“Not too <strong>long</strong> from now we’re<br />
also going to repeal seditious<br />
libel,’’ the prime minister announced<br />
to the audience that included<br />
public and private sector<br />
representatives – many of them<br />
sponsors of the MWAG awards.<br />
Thomas defended his administration’s<br />
record in advancing<br />
media, democracy and democratic<br />
institutions.<br />
“We recognize the importance<br />
of the role of media,’’ the prime<br />
minister said. “The only time I<br />
take issue with journalists or<br />
the media is when they’re being<br />
dishonest or deceptive.’’<br />
Richards, the ACM representative,<br />
reminded MWAG<br />
members of the soon-to-be-held<br />
general elections in Grenada,<br />
and appealed for the production<br />
of work that will be beyond<br />
reproach.<br />
“The ACM expects high levels of<br />
professionalism from every media<br />
worker in Grenada during<br />
the election campaign,’’ he said.<br />
“In this regard, we are working<br />
with MWAG to help develop<br />
the skills of the media worker<br />
by bringing to St. George’s a<br />
Canadian-based trainer early in<br />
the New <strong>Year</strong>. I am hoping that<br />
MWAG would see to it that as<br />
many media workers as possible<br />
take advantage of that opportunity.’’<br />
Ellington, a veteran journalist<br />
and communication consultant,<br />
warned journalists against engaging<br />
in payola – the practice<br />
of accepting cash or other secret<br />
gifts to provide positive coverage<br />
of an individual or organization.<br />
“Payola comes in many shapes<br />
and forms. We must work to<br />
rid ourselves of this awful<br />
and dangerous practice,’’ said<br />
Ellington, a lecturer at the Caribbean<br />
Institute of Media and<br />
Communication at the UWI’s<br />
Mona Campus, Jamaica.<br />
She said media in the Caribbean<br />
are challenged in attracting<br />
“quality persons’’ with the ability<br />
to think critically, conceptualize,<br />
analyze and debate.<br />
“These are necessary skills for<br />
journalists but also for every<br />
citizen,’’ said Ellington, adding<br />
that too many young people<br />
want to work in media for the<br />
wrong reasons.<br />
“A few wish to work in sports<br />
and other so badly want to be<br />
on air – that’s radio and television<br />
– until they discover that<br />
the brain needs to be engaged<br />
before putting mouth into<br />
gear,’’ she complained.<br />
Shere Ann Noel and Jennel<br />
Andrews of FLOW CC6 were<br />
among multiple award winners.<br />
Andrews’ prizes included<br />
the Digicel-sponsored award<br />
which was inaugurated in 2011<br />
in memory of the late radio<br />
personality, Anthony “Jericho’’<br />
Greenidge.<br />
Among Noel’s awards was<br />
leading television personality,<br />
which was determined by votes<br />
cast by guests attending the<br />
MWAG function.<br />
Other award recipients included<br />
Cheavron Benjamin, Gennil<br />
Reuben, Ria Murray, Keyshawn<br />
Thomas, Mike Alexis,<br />
Janice Augustine, Lew Smith,<br />
Sherry Ann Blackman, Rawle<br />
Titus and Lincoln Depradine.<br />
MWAG also honoured late<br />
Grenadian journalists, Alister<br />
Hughes and Leslie Seon.<br />
Adjudicators based at CARI-<br />
MAC were invited to judge<br />
more than 100 media entries<br />
from radio, television and<br />
newspaper practitioners who<br />
were vying for awards.<br />
Some entries were “simply<br />
outstanding’’ and “there continues<br />
to be steady improvement<br />
in the quality of Grenadian<br />
journalism,’’ said Dr. James,<br />
the chief adjudicator who presented<br />
a judges’ report to the<br />
function.<br />
“The judges were happy to have<br />
again been asked to assist with<br />
this important effort to improve<br />
and strengthen the quality<br />
of journalism and media<br />
production in this stunningly<br />
beautiful country.’’<br />
Dr. James, who was appointed<br />
CARIMAC director in 2009,<br />
identified shortcomings comings<br />
in some of the work presented<br />
for judging.<br />
“Too many entries were overwritten<br />
and over-worded,’’ he<br />
reported.<br />
The judges, he added, were also<br />
“somewhat disappointed in not<br />
finding any entries that were<br />
deserving of awards’’ in the<br />
business news story and political<br />
news story categories.<br />
“Business stories are not<br />
just for business people,’’<br />
he explained, saying it’s the<br />
responsibility of reporters to<br />
“demythify, demystify, interpret,<br />
translate, explain and<br />
add context’’ to the business<br />
information.<br />
“The story is not a story until<br />
it is understood clearly by the<br />
reader, listener, viewer and<br />
surfer,’’ said Dr. James.<br />
He is a former Caribbean correspondent<br />
of the Financial<br />
Times of London.<br />
“Given the nature and the<br />
degree of political engagement<br />
in this country in recent<br />
months, the judges were also<br />
disappointed at the nature of<br />
the coverage as reflected in the<br />
entries,’’ Dr. James said.<br />
“There was much that was<br />
reported; but the judges found<br />
none that went beyond the<br />
faithful recitation of what was<br />
said. The judges want to use<br />
this opportunity to suggest that<br />
the coverage of politics goes<br />
beyond ministerial and party<br />
political statements and rejoinders<br />
from the other side.’’<br />
Speeches and statements from<br />
politicians, Dr. James said,<br />
should be considered “raw material<br />
that the journalist should<br />
use to examine the consequences<br />
of these statements and the<br />
consequences they have on the<br />
lives and livelihoods of those to<br />
whom, and for whom, they are<br />
reporting’’.
www.barnaclegrenada.com<br />
BARNACLE JANUARY 2013 13.
14 BARNACLE JANUARY 2013
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BARNACLE JANUARY 2013 15.
16 BARNACLE JANUARY 2013 www.barnaclegrenada.com<br />
BARNACLE JANUARY 2013 17.<br />
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Feature<br />
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nazim aziz<br />
A pleasant good morning<br />
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is here. Today is the<br />
day that each of you<br />
receive what you have<br />
prepared for. Your<br />
presence here is a perfect<br />
example of preparation<br />
meeting opportunity.<br />
Each of you<br />
went out, purchased<br />
the required two Blue<br />
Band packets and<br />
took the time to submit<br />
your entries. This<br />
is preparation and<br />
when the draw dates<br />
arrived your names<br />
popped up against all<br />
the other odds.<br />
I wish to sincerely thank<br />
everyone who participated<br />
in our national Blue<br />
Band promotion and,<br />
also special congratulations<br />
to all of our very<br />
fortunate winners. We<br />
thank you for your loyalty<br />
and support towards<br />
Blue Band Margarine.<br />
Blue Band has been<br />
house hold name<br />
margarine in Grenada<br />
for decades. It is a<br />
daily source of essential<br />
nutrients that help every<br />
family member to grow,<br />
develop and thrive. Blue<br />
Band is made from high<br />
quality vegetable oils,<br />
so it is an important<br />
source of essential fats<br />
and vitamins such A, D<br />
& E for which there are<br />
not many other dietary<br />
sources. For many<br />
families Blue Band is<br />
a part of a daily breakfast<br />
routine used as<br />
a spread. And many<br />
chefs, housewives can<br />
attest that it is the key<br />
ingredient in making the<br />
perfect cake.<br />
You may not know this<br />
but Blue Band is a world<br />
renowned brand that<br />
was first launched in<br />
Pakistan more than 20<br />
years ago. And it has<br />
since become a leading<br />
margarine in Central<br />
and East Africa and the<br />
Caribbean. George. F.<br />
Huggins is therefore<br />
very proud to represent<br />
such a prestigious<br />
brand and so was very<br />
happy to implement the<br />
promotion.<br />
On September 17th<br />
we enthusiastically<br />
launched the Buy Blue<br />
Band and Win Kitchen<br />
Appliances promotion<br />
where customers has<br />
the opportunity to win<br />
prizes such as Pyrex<br />
dish gift set, pot sets,<br />
pressure cookers,<br />
blenders, microwaves,<br />
Kitchen Aid cake mixers<br />
and stoves. In order to<br />
participate, shoppers<br />
were simply required<br />
to submit two empty<br />
Blue Band 227g wrappers<br />
a<strong>long</strong> with name,<br />
address and telephone<br />
numbers and place into<br />
entry boxes which were<br />
located at supermarkets<br />
nationwide.<br />
This promotion ran for<br />
eight (8) weeks and<br />
concluded on November<br />
16th. Two draws were<br />
held, the first was Octo-<br />
ber 18th which was held<br />
live on Wee FM radio<br />
and twenty (25) lucky<br />
persons were selected.<br />
The second draw was<br />
on November 23rd at<br />
the Foodland Supermarket<br />
located at the<br />
Kirani James Boulevard<br />
where an additional ten<br />
(10) persons won more<br />
fantastic prizes including<br />
the two (2) grand<br />
prizes, which is the 30<br />
inch five burner stove<br />
equipped with Broiler<br />
and Rotisserie . In sum<br />
I am proud to say that<br />
the Blue Band promotion<br />
saw thirty-five (35)<br />
lucky winners. And participation<br />
was beyond<br />
expectation with over<br />
three thousand (3000)<br />
entries. We were still<br />
receiving entries even<br />
after the deadline.<br />
This morning I must<br />
mention that there are<br />
three (3) outstanding or<br />
very blessed winners<br />
among you. First is Esther<br />
Telesford who won<br />
in both draws, in the first<br />
she got herself a Pyrex<br />
dish gift pack and then<br />
in the final draw she was<br />
selected for the Black &<br />
Decker blender.<br />
The other two winners<br />
are members of<br />
the same household<br />
–a Mom and daughter<br />
team- Joanna Baptiste<br />
and Rolanda Baptiste.<br />
Mom, Joanna started<br />
the race and was selected<br />
in our first draw for<br />
the prize of a seven (7)<br />
piece stainless steel pot<br />
set. Daughter, Rolanda<br />
brought home the winning<br />
baton by seizing up<br />
one of our grand prize<br />
– the STOVE. I must<br />
say that Rolanda dad<br />
was a very wise man<br />
when, he chose to have<br />
Rolanda submit the<br />
entry instead of himself.<br />
Rolanda is our youngest<br />
winner who is only nine<br />
(9) years old. According<br />
to Rolanda she likes<br />
Blue Band because it<br />
tastes good. She also<br />
enjoys running and her<br />
favourite colour is red.<br />
I must also recognize<br />
Anne Gilbert from St.<br />
David’s who, is our 2nd<br />
grand prize winner.<br />
I know she was very<br />
happy when I told her of<br />
her fantastic prize.<br />
Once again I wish to<br />
thank everyone who<br />
participated in this activity;<br />
it would not have<br />
been possible without<br />
your support and loyalty.<br />
Also, remember to keep<br />
Blue Band as part of<br />
your Christmas tradition<br />
this year, use it in your<br />
black cake, fruit cake<br />
or any of your favourite<br />
cake for your family<br />
this holiday. Make your<br />
family Christmas special<br />
with Blue Band Margarine.
www.barnaclegrenada.com<br />
Feature<br />
LIST OF WINNERS<br />
PIREX DISHES:<br />
Patricia Paul<br />
Yvonne Mckenzie<br />
Alma Drakes<br />
Wendy-Ann collins<br />
Hilary Brizan<br />
Annette Clement<br />
Leselle Pierre<br />
Shimicha Depradine<br />
Daniel Gibson<br />
Lydia Andrew Duncan<br />
Anne Pivott<br />
Esther Telesford<br />
POT SETS:<br />
Janet Lewis<br />
Joanna Baptiste<br />
Yolande Modeste<br />
Ennis Charles<br />
BARNACLE JANUARY 2013 19.<br />
PRESSURE COOKER:<br />
Denise Matthew<br />
Anika Phillip<br />
Patricia Martin<br />
Kervis Renaud<br />
Margaret Robertson Thomas<br />
BLENDER:<br />
Stephon Phillip<br />
Ester Telesford<br />
Rose Anna Zeno<br />
Elvis Noel<br />
MICROWAVE:<br />
Barbara Frazer<br />
Lorraine Licorish<br />
Merle Hayes<br />
Nikysha Belgrave<br />
KITCHEN AID CAKE MIXERS:<br />
Merle St. Paul’s<br />
Brenda Noel<br />
John Johnson<br />
Stacy Telesford<br />
STOVE:<br />
Rolanda Baptiste<br />
Ann Gilbert
20 BARNACLE JANUARY 2013
www.barnaclegrenada.com<br />
BARNACLE JANUARY 2013 21.
22 BARNACLE JANUARY 2013<br />
Health and Fitness<br />
Sickle Cell Anemia<br />
How Is Sickle Cell<br />
Anemia Treated?<br />
Sickle cell anemia has<br />
no widely available cure.<br />
However, treatments can<br />
help relieve symptoms<br />
and treat complications.<br />
The goals of treating<br />
sickle cell anemia are<br />
to relieve pain; prevent<br />
infections, organ damage,<br />
and strokes; and<br />
control complications (if<br />
they occur).<br />
Blood and marrow stem<br />
cell transplants may<br />
offer a cure for a small<br />
number of people who<br />
have sickle cell anemia.<br />
Researchers continue to<br />
look for new treatments<br />
for the disease.<br />
Infants who have been<br />
diagnosed with sickle<br />
cell anemia through<br />
newborn screening are<br />
treated with antibiotics<br />
to prevent infections.<br />
Their parents are educated<br />
about the disease<br />
and how to manage it.<br />
These initial treatment<br />
steps have greatly improved<br />
the outcome for<br />
children who have sickle<br />
cell anemia.<br />
Specialists Involved<br />
People who have sickle<br />
cell anemia need regular<br />
medical care. Some doctors<br />
and clinics specialize<br />
in treating people<br />
who have the disease.<br />
Hematologists specialize<br />
in treating adults and<br />
children who have blood<br />
diseases or disorders.<br />
Treating Pain<br />
Medicines and Fluids<br />
Mild pain often is<br />
treated at home with<br />
over-the-counter pain<br />
medicines, heating pads,<br />
rest, and plenty of fluids.<br />
More severe pain may<br />
need to be treated in a<br />
day clinic, emergency<br />
room, or hospital.<br />
The usual treatments for<br />
acute (rapid-onset) pain<br />
are fluids, medicines,<br />
andoxygen therapy (if<br />
the oxygen level is low).<br />
Fluids help prevent dehydration,<br />
a condition in<br />
which your body doesn’t<br />
have enough fluids.<br />
Fluids are given either<br />
by mouth or through a<br />
vein. Your doctor may<br />
prescribe antibiotics if<br />
you have an infection.<br />
Treatment for mild-tomoderate<br />
pain usually<br />
begins with acetaminophen<br />
(Tylenol®) or<br />
nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory<br />
drugs (NSAIDs),<br />
such as ibuprofen.<br />
If pain continues or<br />
becomes severe, stronger<br />
medicines called opioids<br />
may be needed. Talk<br />
with your doctor about<br />
the possible benefits and<br />
risks of taking strong<br />
pain medicine, especially<br />
if the medicine will be<br />
used for a <strong>long</strong> period.<br />
Hydroxyurea<br />
Severe sickle cell anemia<br />
can be treated with a<br />
medicine called hydroxyurea.<br />
This medicine<br />
prompts your body to<br />
make fetal hemoglobin.<br />
Fetal hemoglobin, or<br />
hemoglobin F, is the<br />
type of hemoglobin that<br />
newborns have.<br />
In people who have<br />
sickle cell anemia, fetal<br />
hemoglobin helps prevent<br />
red blood cells from<br />
sickling and improves<br />
anemia.<br />
Given daily, hydroxyurea<br />
reduces how often painful<br />
sickle cell crises and<br />
acute chest syndrome<br />
occur. Many people taking<br />
hydroxyurea also<br />
need fewer blood transfusions<br />
and have fewer<br />
hospital visits.<br />
Doctors are studying the<br />
<strong>long</strong>-term effects of hydroxyurea<br />
on people who<br />
have sickle cell anemia.<br />
Early studies in children<br />
suggest that the medicine<br />
may help improve<br />
growth and preserve<br />
organ function, but this<br />
has not been proven.<br />
Hydroxyurea can reduce<br />
the number of white<br />
blood cells in your blood.<br />
(These cells help fight<br />
infections.) This can lead<br />
to an increased risk of<br />
infections.<br />
People who take hydroxyurea<br />
must have<br />
careful medical followup,<br />
including blood tests.<br />
The dose of this medicine<br />
may need to be adjusted<br />
to reduce the risk of side<br />
effects.<br />
A doctor who has knowledge<br />
about hydroxyurea<br />
can tell you about the<br />
risks and benefits of taking<br />
this medicine.<br />
Preventing<br />
Complications<br />
Blood transfusions are<br />
commonly used to treat<br />
worsening anemia and<br />
sickle cell complications.<br />
A sudden worsening of<br />
anemia due to an infection<br />
or enlarged spleen<br />
is a common reason for a<br />
blood transfusion.<br />
Some, but not all, people<br />
who have sickle cell<br />
anemia need regular<br />
blood transfusions to<br />
prevent life-threatening<br />
problems, such as stroke,<br />
spleen problems, or<br />
acute chest syndrome.<br />
Having routine blood<br />
transfusions can cause<br />
side effects. Examples<br />
include allergic reactions<br />
and a dangerous buildup<br />
of iron in the blood<br />
(which must be treated).<br />
In general, the blood<br />
supply is fairly safe from<br />
infections such as hepatitis<br />
and HIV.<br />
Infections<br />
Infections can be a major<br />
complication of sickle cell<br />
anemia throughout life,<br />
but especially during<br />
childhood. Often, infections<br />
can be prevented or<br />
treated.<br />
To prevent infections in<br />
babies and young children,<br />
treatments include:<br />
• Daily doses of antibiotics.<br />
Treatment may begin<br />
as early as 2 months<br />
of age and continue until<br />
the child is at least 5<br />
years old.<br />
• All routine vaccinations<br />
(including a yearly<br />
flu shot), plus the pneumococcal<br />
vaccine.<br />
If your child has sickle<br />
cell anemia and shows<br />
early signs of an infection,<br />
such as a fever, you<br />
should seek treatment<br />
right away.<br />
Adults who have sickle<br />
cell anemia also should<br />
have flu shots every<br />
year and get vaccinated<br />
against pneumonia.<br />
Eye Damage<br />
Sickle cell anemia can<br />
damage the blood vessels<br />
in the eyes and the<br />
retinas. The retinas are<br />
the thin layers of tissue<br />
at the back of the eyes.<br />
Regular checkups with<br />
an eye doctor who specializes<br />
in diseases of the<br />
retina can help detect<br />
eye damage.<br />
Strokes<br />
Stroke prevention and<br />
treatment are now possible<br />
for children and<br />
adults who have sickle<br />
cell anemia. Starting at<br />
age 2, children who have<br />
sickle cell anemia can<br />
have routine ultrasound<br />
scans of their heads.<br />
This is called transcranial<br />
Doppler (TCD) ultrasound.<br />
These scans are<br />
used to check the speed<br />
of blood flow to the brain.<br />
TCD scans allow doctors<br />
to find out which<br />
children are at high risk<br />
of stroke. Doctors can<br />
treat these children with<br />
routine blood transfusions<br />
to reduce the risk<br />
of stroke.<br />
A doctor who has<br />
knowledge about blood<br />
transfusions and sickle<br />
cell disease can tell you<br />
about the benefits and<br />
risks of this treatment.<br />
Treating Other Complications<br />
Acute chest syndrome<br />
is a severe and lifethreatening<br />
complication<br />
of sickle cell anemia. If<br />
acute (sudden) failure<br />
of the liver and kidneys<br />
also occurs, it’s called<br />
acute multiple organ<br />
failure.<br />
Treatment for these<br />
complications usually<br />
occurs in a hospital and<br />
may include oxygen<br />
therapy, blood transfusions,<br />
antibiotics, pain<br />
medicine, and balancing<br />
body fluids.<br />
Leg ulcers (sores) due to<br />
sickle cell anemia can<br />
be very painful. Ulcers<br />
can be treated with<br />
cleansing solutions and<br />
medicated creams or<br />
ointments.<br />
Skin grafts may be<br />
needed if the leg ulcers<br />
are ongoing. Bed rest<br />
and keeping the legs<br />
raised to reduce swelling<br />
are helpful. If you<br />
have a lot of pain from<br />
leg ulcers, your doctor<br />
may recommend a strong<br />
pain medicine.<br />
Gallbladder surgery may<br />
be needed if the presence<br />
of gallstones leads to<br />
gallbladder disease.<br />
Priapism (a painful<br />
erection in males) can<br />
be treated with fluids,<br />
medicines, or surgery.
www.barnaclegrenada.com<br />
BARNACLE JANUARY 2013 23.<br />
Happy<br />
New <strong>Year</strong>!
24 BARNACLE JANUARY 2013
www.barnaclegrenada.com<br />
News<br />
As the tourism season<br />
heats up the importance<br />
of the environment<br />
and its links to<br />
tourism is brought<br />
into focus. In essence<br />
this link is embedded<br />
in the fact that the<br />
environmental attributes<br />
of our island,<br />
mainly sand, sea and<br />
sun (3S’s) and scenery<br />
(landscape) are a few<br />
of the main reasons<br />
why tourists visit the<br />
island.<br />
As citizens of Grenada<br />
therefore we are<br />
constantly urged and<br />
encouraged to ‘keep the<br />
environment clean’ for<br />
ourselves and for the<br />
tourists. This is always<br />
one of the key messages<br />
broadcasted during the<br />
tourism season. But<br />
what does ‘keep the environment<br />
clean’ really<br />
mean?<br />
Considering the environment<br />
to be our general<br />
surroundings, including<br />
air, plants, animals,<br />
marine, land and<br />
seascapes and people,<br />
this message becomes<br />
a very weak one. Or in<br />
many cases keeping the<br />
environment clean can<br />
be detrimental to the environment<br />
itself. Firstly,<br />
every single person or<br />
organization that speaks<br />
about the importance of<br />
the environment to tourism,<br />
reiterates the need<br />
to ‘not litter’. This is<br />
good, but just encouraging<br />
persons not to litter<br />
will not go anywhere<br />
far in ensuring a clean<br />
environment. Litter is<br />
generally waste generated<br />
from human activities.<br />
We buy sweets and<br />
the wrapping becomes<br />
litter to be discarded.<br />
We cook food and the<br />
uncooked parts become<br />
litter. And so on. So litter<br />
is constantly created<br />
and discarded. When it<br />
is discarded in an unwanted<br />
area, such as on<br />
the side of the road it is<br />
no good for the environment<br />
and for tourism by<br />
extension. However, if<br />
it is thrown into a trash<br />
can and carted to the<br />
landfill then it is good.<br />
The ‘do not litter’ message<br />
therefore simply<br />
alerts us to dispose of<br />
waste appropriately.<br />
However, this waste<br />
still gets into the environment<br />
and most of it<br />
remains there for such<br />
<strong>long</strong> periods of time. The<br />
waste is still detrimental<br />
to critical and delicate<br />
unseen parts of the<br />
environment, such as air<br />
and sea, which supports<br />
tourism.<br />
In essence therefore<br />
encouraging persons not<br />
to litter is weak, because<br />
waste still gets into the<br />
environment. What is<br />
needed is an approach<br />
of looking upstream,<br />
that is, by preventing<br />
BARNACLE JANUARY 2013 25.<br />
GHTA HONOURS SIR JOHN WATTS<br />
waste creation in the<br />
first place. A closer look<br />
at the activities embarked<br />
upon, the things<br />
we import, etc, must be<br />
reduced as far as is possible.<br />
Preventing waste<br />
creation is the approach<br />
one needs to consider if<br />
the environment is to be<br />
kept clean for us and for<br />
the tourists.<br />
Another activity that is<br />
embarked upon when<br />
such campaigns are developed<br />
are the famous<br />
beach and river clean<br />
ups and the cutting of<br />
trees and the de-bushing<br />
of roadsides. Beach<br />
clean-ups can be a disaster<br />
to the environment<br />
if they are not properly<br />
supervised as many essential<br />
animals and<br />
plants can be removed<br />
in the process. Tree<br />
cutting and de-bushing<br />
makes the road way look<br />
appealing and nice, but<br />
some of the methods<br />
used are causing more<br />
harm to the environment<br />
than good. Loss of<br />
top soil and biodiversity<br />
can be real <strong>long</strong> term<br />
problems that can occur<br />
from continued, uncontrolled<br />
de-bushing.<br />
So the link between the<br />
environment and tourism<br />
is presently weak,<br />
since it is not addressing<br />
the fundamental<br />
concern, which is mainly<br />
waste prevention. Secondly,<br />
balding the sides<br />
of the road and felling<br />
trees indiscriminately in<br />
an effort to have a clean<br />
environment can be<br />
more detrimental to the<br />
environment than good.<br />
The weak link therefore<br />
is characterized by the<br />
importation of waste<br />
and then hiding it in<br />
landfills and other areas<br />
away from the tourists.<br />
It is also shaped by<br />
the culture of foolishly<br />
cleaning the landscape<br />
and the felling of trees<br />
to enhance the environment.<br />
If this weak link<br />
is not addressed it will<br />
eventual break leading<br />
to ‘environmental<br />
collapse and the demise<br />
of tourism’; and we will<br />
only have ourselves to<br />
blame.
26 BARNACLE JANUARY 2013<br />
Special Feature<br />
Digicel brings smiles<br />
to needy children<br />
From about midday<br />
on Saturday,<br />
December 8, buses<br />
laden with excited<br />
children began<br />
arriving at Digicel’s<br />
Point Salines’<br />
headquarters for the<br />
much-anticipated<br />
Digicel annual<br />
children’s Christmas<br />
party.<br />
On that day the<br />
company’s car park<br />
on the Maurice<br />
Bishop Highway was<br />
transformed into a<br />
gateway for music, fun<br />
and frolic; children from<br />
some of the nation’s<br />
special needs centers<br />
converged on the venue<br />
to celebrate Christmas<br />
the Digicel way.<br />
No one had to mention<br />
it but everyone knew it;<br />
that the theme of the<br />
party was “smile’’. Every<br />
aspect of the four-hour<br />
<strong>long</strong> party was a reason<br />
to smile.<br />
The bouncing castle<br />
station gave the kids<br />
lots of reasons to smile.<br />
Those who chose to<br />
squeeze their way<br />
through the small space<br />
that allowed entrance<br />
to the castle found out,<br />
when they got inside,<br />
that there were lots<br />
of room to release<br />
themselves as they<br />
bounced their way to<br />
good time.<br />
Some of the more<br />
adventurous ones<br />
took turns riding on<br />
horseback, under<br />
the watchful eyes<br />
of Digicel’s Country<br />
manager Patricia Maher.<br />
For others, the occasion<br />
was one to enjoy<br />
pulsating music as<br />
provided by Waggy-T<br />
music system. They<br />
were in step with the<br />
latest music, the latest<br />
rhythms, and the latest<br />
dance moves. Others<br />
took time to have their<br />
favorite character<br />
painted on their arms<br />
and faces.<br />
The highlight of the<br />
day was an opportunity<br />
for the children to<br />
meet and receive gifts<br />
from “Santa” – a role<br />
so suitably played by<br />
Digicel’s Marketing<br />
Manager Kirk Seethahal.<br />
The Digicel family<br />
treated the kids to tasty<br />
dishes, sumptuous<br />
ice cream and other<br />
wonderful goodies that<br />
were compatible for the<br />
occasion.<br />
At every juncture, and<br />
in everything that was<br />
done, the kids were<br />
treated with love, care<br />
and appreciation. The<br />
kind of love and warmth<br />
that were sure to bring<br />
out the smile in all those<br />
wonderful children.<br />
The children and their<br />
parents and guardians<br />
were most satisfied with<br />
Digicel’s outpouring<br />
of love and affection.<br />
However, none was<br />
more grateful than<br />
Methyl Raymond,<br />
principal of the St.<br />
Andrew’s School for<br />
Special Education.<br />
“Digicel is such a great<br />
contributor to us, and<br />
no matter what we are<br />
having, Digicel is always<br />
there for us,” she told<br />
the Barnacle.<br />
“They gave to us for our<br />
sports meeting; they<br />
have painted our school<br />
and this party today will<br />
definitely bring smiles to<br />
the children. They are<br />
really excited. All they<br />
wanted to do is to have<br />
fun,’’ she noted.<br />
Children from the Bel-<br />
Air Home, the Queen<br />
Elizabeth Home and the<br />
Dorothy Hopkin Home<br />
joined in the wonderful<br />
celebration. In the end<br />
they all had loads of<br />
smiles the Digicel way.
www.barnaclegrenada.com<br />
Special Feature<br />
BARNACLE JANUARY 2013 27.
28 BARNACLE JANUARY 2013<br />
CARIBBEAN PRIMARY EXIT ASSESSMENT PRACTICE QUESTIONS<br />
HISTORY<br />
Read the questions carefully. Choose the correct answer and blacken the circle with the corresponding letter. Please follow this example:-<br />
1. The Olympic Games are held every ----years. (a) two (b) four (c) ten (d) five (a) (b) (c) (d)<br />
1. Which one of these is associated with Caribbean Slavery?<br />
(a) stone carvings (b) estate great houses (c) Fort George (d) dug out canoes (a) (b) (c) (d)<br />
2. What is the origin of the following names:- Bonair, La Fillette, Beausejour, LaTouche? (a) British (b) French (c) Spanish (d) Dutch (a) (b) (c) (d)<br />
3. The journey from Africa to the West Indies is called the ------------ .<br />
(a) The Middle Passage (b) The Great Triangle (c) Middle Pass (d) The African Route (a) (b) (c) (d)<br />
4. Which one of these arrived in Grenada first? (a) French (b) Caribs (c) British (d) Arawaks (a) (b) (c) (d)<br />
5. During the 19 th Century Indian workers arrived in the West Indies as ---------------------- .<br />
(a) slaves (b) contract workers (c) slave drivers (d) indentured servants (a) (b) (c) (d)<br />
6. Which of these is not an example of Amerindians? (a) Caribs (b) East Indians (c) Arawaks (d) Mayans (a) (b) (c) (d)<br />
7. An Amerindian group who inhabited Grenada the ------------------------- . (a) The Mayans (b) The Incas (c) The Arawaks (d) Aztecs (a) (b) (c) (d)<br />
8. The main crop that was grown on plantations during the period of Slavery was --------(a) coffee (b) tobacco (c) sugar-cane (d) cotton (a) (b) (c) (d)<br />
9. Which of these is a religious organization that fought for the abolition of slavery?<br />
(a) The United Nations (b) The Quakers (c) CARICOM (d) The United States (a) (b) (c) (d)<br />
10. Which name is associated with a rebellion in Grenada? (a) Uriah Butler (b) Keith Mitchell (c) T.A. Marryshow (d) Mighty Sparrow (a) (b) (c) (d)<br />
CULTURE/SPORTS<br />
1. Persons sharing food and drinks while working together without pay is called a -------------? (a) maroon (b) fete (c) service (d) task (a) (b) (c) (d)<br />
2. Which of these require a ball and a net? (a) cricket (b) athletics (c) volley ball (d) chess (a) (b) (c) (d)<br />
3. The way of life of a people, their food, music, and language all refer to ------------- . (a) method (b) life (c) style (d) culture (a) (b) (c) (d)<br />
4. A household with a husband, wife and their children is a -------- .(a) joint family (b) stem family (c) nuclear family (d) extended family (a) (b) (c) (d)<br />
5. In which of these games are English speaking Caribbean countries well known as a team?<br />
(a) cricket (b) football (c) Olympics (d) netball (a) (b) (c) (d)<br />
6. The acceptable ways that people should behave in every culture is called ---------- .(a) norms (b) role (c) actions (d) behaviour (a) (b) (c) (d)<br />
7. Which of these is not popular in the Caribbean? (a) calypso (b) football (c) rugby (d) carnival (a) (b) (c) (d)<br />
8. Where does the big drum have its origin? (a) Africa (b) India (c) Canada (d) South Americas (a) (b) (c) (d)<br />
9. In which of these countries is a different language spoken? (a) Guyana (b) Carriacou (c) Martinique (d) Jamaica (a) (b) (c) (d)<br />
10. Fish Friday is celebrate in -------------------- . (a) Victoria (b) Grenville (c) Willis (d) Gouyave (a) (b) (c) (d)<br />
COMMERCE/ECONOMY<br />
1. Which of these Caribbean countries export both petroleum and asphalt products?<br />
(a) Jamaica (b) Trinidad & Tobago (c) Guyana (d) Barbados (a) (b) (c) (d)<br />
2. The Caribbean Grouping established for social, technological and economic development of member<br />
states is called ------------------ . (a) CARICOM (b) OPEC (c) OAS (d) OECS (a) (b) (c) (d)<br />
3. Belize and Guyana supply Caribbean countries with ----------------- .<br />
(a) Beef & Pork (b) oil & sugar (c) lumber & timber (d) rice & cement (a) (b) (c) (d)<br />
4. Which of these countries use the E.C dollar currency? (a) Monsterrat (b) Martinique (c) Barbados (d) Cuba (a) (b) (c) (d)<br />
5. The ------------make the hunting of certain animals prohibited by law.(a) conservation (b) closed season (c) open season (d) game (a) (b) (c) (d)
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BARNACLE JANUARY 2013 29.<br />
CARIBBEAN PRIMARY EXIT ASSESSMENT PRACTICE QUESTIONS<br />
6. When goods are scarce, prices will (a) fall (b) rise (c) fluctuate (d) stabilize (a) (b) (c) (d)<br />
7. The E.C. dollar is the official currency of Grenada and ----------------------- . (a) Guyana (b) Dominica (c) Jamaica (d) Barbados (a) (b) (c) (d)<br />
8. Most of Grenada’s foreign exchange comes from (a) tourism (b) petroleum (c) oil (d) bauxite (a) (b) (c) (d)<br />
9. Which of these is a taxation measure undertaken by government? (a) license fees (b) loans (c) grants (d) bonds (a) (b) (c) (d)<br />
10. Grenada needs foreign exchange to buy (a) charcoal (b) fish (c) nutmeg (d) cement (a) (b) (c) (d)<br />
POLITICS/GEOGRAPHY<br />
1. Which of the following occurred first in the Caribbean/<br />
(a) Political Independence (b) Associated Statehood (c) Federation (d) Crown Colony (a) (b) (c) (d)<br />
2. Which set of islands is different from the rest? (a) Antigua/Barbuda (b) Trinidad /Tobago (c) Grenada/Carriacou (d) Barbados/Bequia. (a) (b) (c) (d)<br />
3. Where will you experience the <strong>long</strong>est winter? (a) Arctic Circle (b) Rain Forest (c) Tropics (d) Equator (a) (b) (c) (d)<br />
4. A politically independent country must have all of these national symbols except (a) flag (b) anthem (c) pledge (d) bird (a) (b) (c) (d)<br />
5. The head of State in Grenada is the ---------------------- . (a) Attorney General (b) Prime Minister (c) Governor (d) Governor General (a) (b) (c) (d)<br />
6. Which period is free from the threat of hurricanes?<br />
(a) September –November (b) January – March (c) May – July (d) July – September (a) (b) (c) (d)<br />
7. Grenada, Jamaica, Trinidad and Barbados are all ---------------------- .<br />
(a) monarchies (b) presidential states (c) independent states (d) republics (a) (b) (c) (d)<br />
8. The hot melting material which rolls down the sides of a volcano is called ----------------- . (a) silt (b) rubble (c) lava (d) magma (a) (b) (c) (d)<br />
9. The two bodies of water which wash the cost of Grenada are the Caribbean Sea and the ---------.<br />
(a) Orinoco River (b) Atlantic ocean (c) Gulf of Paria (d) Gulf of Mexico (a) (b) (c) (d)<br />
10. Which is the largest island in the Caribbean? (a) Jamaica (b) Cuba (c) Puerto Rico (d) Haiti (a) (b) (c) (d)<br />
NATURAL SCIENCE – ANIMALS<br />
1. Birds and fish both lay eggs and have ---------------- . (a) wings (b) feet (c) scales (d) fins (a) (b) (c) (d)<br />
2. A tick has ---------- pairs of legs. (a) two (b) three (c) four (d) five (a) (b) (c) (d)<br />
3 . An animal that captures other animals for food is a ------------------ . (a) predator (b) prey (c) omnivore (d) cannibal (a) (b) (c) (d)<br />
4. Which one of these animals can be destructive? (a) Honey bee (b) termite (c) earth worm (d) butterfly (a) (b) (c) (d)<br />
5. Which one is not a mollusk? (a) snail (b) conch (c) oyster (d) crab (a) (b) (c) (d)<br />
PLANTS<br />
1. Which is not a main part of the plant? (a)stem (b) root (c) root hairs (d) leaves (a) (b) (c) (d)<br />
2. Green Plants take in ---------------- in the presence of sunlight. (a)carbon dioxide (b) oxygen (c) nitrogen (d) air (a) (b) (c) (d)<br />
3. Cabbages and lettuces are green, leafy ----------------- . (a) vegetables (b) roots (c) shoots (d) trees (a) (b) (c) (d)<br />
4. The male reproductive part of the plant is the ------------ . (a) stamen (b) ovary (c) stigma (d) ovule (a) (b) (c) (d)<br />
5. The green pigment in the plant is called ---------------- . (a) chlorophyll (b) perennial (c) odour (d) colour (a) (b) (c) (d)<br />
PHYSICAL SCIENCE<br />
1. The process of ----------------- changes a liquid into a gas. (a)condensation (b) evaporation (c) melting (d) precipitation (a) (b) (c) (d)<br />
2. These two will form a solution when mixed. (a) water & salt (b) water & chalk (c) sand & water (d) oil & water (a) (b) (c) (d)<br />
3. The instrument used for measuring atmospheric pressure is the ---------- . (a) thermometer (b) barometer (c) anemometer (d) meter (a) (b) (c) (d)<br />
4. The two points of a magnet are called the magnetic ----------- . (a) poles (b) fronts (c) marks (d) edges (a) (b) (c) (d)<br />
5. Paper clips, pins and needles can all be attracted to a (a) cushion (b) magnet (c) bed (d) plank (a) (b) (c) (d)
30 BARNACLE JANUARY 2013<br />
CARIBBEAN PRIMARY EXIT ASSESSMENT PRACTICE QUESTIONS<br />
HEALTH SIENCE<br />
1. Which one of these affects the respiratory system? (a) polio (b) bronchitis (c) typhoid (d) hypertension (a) (b) (c) (d)<br />
2. To which bodily system does the heart be<strong>long</strong>? (a) circulatory (b) respiratory (c) excretory (d) digestive (a) (b) (c) (d)<br />
3. Flossing is one of the measures that help to prevent ------------------ . (a) hair loss (b) obesity (c) tooth decay (d) germs (a) (b) (c) (d)<br />
4. The outer layer of the skin is called the (a) dermis (b) cuticle (c) papillary region (d) epidermis (a) (b) (c) (d)<br />
5. Vitamin C helps to prevent (a) common cold (b) night blindness (c) polio (d) mumps (a) (b) (c) (d)<br />
EARTH SCIENCE<br />
1. The sea, rain, wind and air can cause rocks to be turned into ---------------- . (a) humus (b) silt (c) soil (d) gravel (a) (b) (c) (d)<br />
2. Which one of these is a satellite? (a) moon (b) sun (c) earth (d) mars (a) (b) (c) (d)<br />
3. The ------------ system includes the sun, planets and satellites. (a) solar (b) luner (c) water (d) heavenly (a) (b) (c) (d)<br />
4. Day and night is caused by the earth’s ---------------. (a) spinning (b) rotation (c) revolution (d) movement (a) (b) (c) (d)<br />
5. A fertile spot in a desert is a/an ---------------------. (a) pond (b) axis (c) oasis (d) shade (a) (b) (c) (d)<br />
LANGUAGE ARTS<br />
1. On Saturdays I ------- some housework to help my mother. (a) do (b) did (c) does (d) am doing (a) (b) (c) (d)<br />
2. Where did he -----------? (a) went (b) go (c) gone (d) going (a) (b) (c) (d)<br />
3. When I turned the corner I -------------- a dog in the road. (a) was notice (b) notice (c) noticed (d) notices (a) (b) (c) (d)<br />
4. She was sure that he did not -------------- the money. (a) stole (b) steal (c) stolen (d) stealing (a) (b) (c) (d)<br />
5. John and Mary ------------ listening to the radio. (a) likes (b) like (c) do likes (d) does like (a) (b) (c) (d)<br />
6. The doctor is well known for his ------------- qualities. (a) humane (b) anxious (c) revived (d) relay (a) (b) (c) (d)<br />
7. Usain Bolt achieved a remarkable --------- in the 2008 Olympics. (a) feat (b) gift (c) task (d) feet (a) (b) (c) (d)<br />
8. soldiers were sent into the town in order to -------- the riot. (a) quench (b) quell (c) quit (d) quilt (a) (b) (c) (d)<br />
9. Friends do not ------------- their friends when they are in need. (a) desert (b) delve (c) develop (d) question (a) (b) (c) (d)<br />
10. We should not -------------------- on the rights of others. (a) encroach (b) insist (c) defy (d) encourage (a) (b) (c) (d)<br />
MATHEMATICS<br />
1. A way of writing 3 divided by y is ------------------ . (a)3/y (b) 3xy (c) 3+y (d)3y (a) (b) (c) (d)<br />
2. The missing number in the sequence 1, 4, 9, 16, 25, ------- is (a) 36 (b) 41 (c) 50 (d) 55 (a) (b) (c) (d)<br />
3. The number that lies midway between 2.7 and 3.0 is --------. (a) 2.85 (b) 2.8 (c) 2.9 (d) 2.5 (a) (b) (c) (d)<br />
4. Choose the one that is arranged in ascending order from least to greatest.<br />
(a) 2.05, 0.52, 2.50, 0.25 (b) 0.25, 2.50, 0.52, 2.05<br />
(c) 0.25, 2.05, 2.50, 0.52 (d) 0.25, 0.52, 2.05, 2.50 (a) (b) (c) (d)<br />
5. Litres can be used to measure all of these except (a) oil (b) cloth (c) gasoline (d) fruit juice (a) (b) (c) (d)<br />
6. 1500 hours is the same as (a)3:00pm (b) 3:15pm (c) 3:15am (d) 3:00am (a) (b) (c) (d)<br />
7. The square root of 36 is (a) 6 (b) 3 (c) 9 (d) 18 (a) (b) (c) (d)<br />
8. Express 48 as a percentage of 60 (a) 125 (b) 80 (c) 20 (d) 12 (a) (b) (c) (d)<br />
9. The L.C. M. of 12 and 20 is (a) 120 (b) 60 (c) 48 (d) 400 (a) (b) (c) (d)<br />
10. Two identical triangles can form all of these except<br />
(a) pentagon (b) square (c) rectangle (d) rhombus (a) (b) (c) (d)
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