GRENLEC Rewarding Customers With Year-long Promotion

Vol. 23 No. 01 - January 2013 

GRENLEC Rewarding 

Customers With 

Year-long Promotion 

BILL 

FOR 

FREE 

Tel: (473) 435-0981/5685 

Email: barnacle@spiceisle.com 

www. barnaclegrenada.com 

THIS IS HOW YOU DO IT: PrUDence 

GreenidGe (riGHT), GrenLeC’s 

cOrPOraTe cOmmUnIcaTIOnS 

manager, eXPLaInS TO a cUSTOmer 

HOW THe PrOmOTIOn WOrKS

02 BARNACLE JANUARY 2013

www.barnaclegrenada.com 

News 

GRENLEC rewarding customers 

with year-long promotion 

The Grenada Electricity 

Services (GRENLEC), in 

keeping with the spirit 

of the holiday season 

in extending Christmas 

greeting to customers. 

In addition, as a New Year 

reward, the electricity 

provider has launched a 

promotion program called 

Bill for Free (BFF). 

It was launched on December 

19 by Prudence 

Greenidge, GRENLEC’s 

Corporate Communications 

Manager; and Customer 

Service Manager, 

Casandra Slocombe. 

“We want to reward 

customers for making the 

effort to keep their accounts 

current and paying 

their bills by the due date,’’ 

Slocombe told reporters at 

the BFF launch at GREN- 

LEC’s Corporate Headquarters. 

“It has been a tough year 

and high fuel costs have 

negatively impacted the 

price of electricity and we 

heard our customers’ complaints 

about how difficult 

it was to manage. This is 

one way for us to demonstrate 

that we value all our 

customers and appreciate 

the opportunity we have 

to serve them,’’ Slocombe 

added. 

Greenidge said the BFF 

initiative is designed to assist 

domestic or residential 

customers of GRENLEC. 

“We are excited to be 

kicking off this year-long 

promotion,’’ Greenidge 

said. “We are inviting our 

customers to enter to win a 

chance.’’ 

Under the program, said 

Greenidge, “GRENLEC 

will pay one customer’s 

electricity bill for an entire 

year and one monthly bill 

for 14 other lucky winners’’. 

She added: “As we end 

2012 and prepare for 2013, 

we wish our customers the 

very best and continue to 

encourage customers to 

manage their energy consumption 

by understanding 

their bills, monitoring 

their usage, conserving 

and building good habits.’’ 

The Bill for Free promotion 

will run from December 

2012 to November 2013, 

with one draw every 

month. 

GRENLEC is inviting customers 

to drop vouchers in 

for payments made in December 

and in the months 

GrenLec’S cUSTOmer 

service manager, 

casandra slocombe 

in 2013, up to November. 

To Qualify for BFF: 

1.Customers must update 

their GRENLEC contact 

information 

2. Pay their electricity bill 

by the due date 

3. Make their account current 

4. Drop the top panel of 

their bills (name, address, 

meter number) into the 

treasure chest at any 

GRENLEC Customer Care 

Centre by the end of each 

month. 

RULES and CONDITIONS 

of BFF: 

• The promotion is open to 

all domestic (residential) 

customers. GRENLEC 

staff and immediate family 

are not eligible. 

• Prizes are non-transferable; 

award will apply to 

account for which winning 

voucher is drawn. Monthly 

payments limited 

to amount of bill up to 

$400. No additional credit 

or cash will be issued for 

bill values of less than 

$400. Awards will be limited 

to current bill values. 

• GRENLEC reserves 

the right to publish and 

distribute the names and 

images of the winners, in 

connection with publicity 

for the competition, their 

entry, the prize or otherwise. 

THIS IS HOW YOU DO IT: PrUDence GreenIDGe, GrenLec’S cOrPOraTe 

communications manager, eXPlains to a customer How tHe Promotion 

worKs 

BARNACLE JANUARY 2013 03. 

• GRENLEC will not be liable 

for any circumstances 

beyond its reasonable 

control that prevent the 

competition being fulfilled, 

a winner or winners being 

chosen, or any prize being 

taken up or fully enjoyed 

by a winner. GRENLEC 

excludes liability to the 

extent permitted by law for 

any cost, claims or losses 

howsoever caused that 

arise by reason of any person’s 

entry into a competition 

or the award, or non 

award, to them of a prize. 

• If any winner is unable 

to take up a prize for any 

reason, or GRENLEC has 

not been able, after making 

reasonable efforts, to 

make contact with the winner, 

GRENLEC reserves 

the right to award that 

prize (without notice to 

the first winner chosen) to 

an alternative winner, in 

which case the first winner 

chosen shall not be eligible 

for any share of the prize 

whatsoever. GRENLEC 

shall not have any liability 

in such eventuality.

04 BARNACLE JANUARY 2013 

The Business and Sustainability Forum 

John (Johnny) n Telesford 

research sTudenT-InsTITuTe 

for ManageMenT, socIeTy and 

governance (IMages), roberT 

gordon unIversITy, scoTland 

A very hot topic electrifying 

the airwaves 

in recent times is 

the announcement 

by the majority 

shareholder in the 

GRENLEC to sell 

their shares in the 

company. The Government 

of Grenada 

(the government) 

has the first option 

to buy. 

Many influential 

groups and individuals 

ON THE FOUNDATIONS OF SUSTAINABILITY ECONOMY~ ENVIRONMENT~ SOCIETY 

Will the purchase of 

GRENLEC by Government 

bring electricity prices down? 

feel that if the government 

buys the shares 

then the price for 

electricity will automatically 

be reduced. 

But is that really so? If 

the government buys 

and continues with the 

same monopoly, prices 

will not be reduced 

and if it is, it will not 

be sustainable. In this 

brief piece I suggest 

why electricity prices 

will not be reduced and 

share some thoughts 

on what I think should 

happen if prices are to 

be reduced. 

The price of electricity 

is hinged on the 

price paid for fuel 

on the international 

market, which changes 

drastically, based on 

factors such as wars, 

severe cold weather, 

oil reserves, etc. These 

factors are generally 

out of our control in 

Grenada. So when the 

price of fuel goes up, 

the price Grenadians 

pay for electricity goes 

up and vice versa. The 

trend in the prices for 

fuel on the international 

market shows 

that since 1996 the 

international prices for 

fuels have been rising. 

So whether the government 

or a private 

entity owns the GREN- 

LEC, the way the pricing 

system or the tariff 

currently works has a 

very big impact on the 

prices that are paid for 

electricity. And this 

price is only going to go 

up in the future. 

Secondly, a government 

owned GREN- 

LEC will not guarantee 

a sustained reduction 

in the price for 

electricity. In fact if 

government owns the 

GRENLEC and continues 

with the same legal 

and regulatory system 

in place, price reduction 

will not happen. 

And if it does, it will 

only be from government 

meddling which, 

can be detrimental to 

the operations of the 

company in the long 

term. With a government 

owned GREN- 

ELC the temptation to 

reduce prices to ensure 

that the citizens and 

businesses are not unduly 

hurt can be great. 

Presently the government 

is buying fuel at 

concessionary rates 

through the Petrocaribe 

arrangement, which 

gives the government 

some flexibility to adjust 

prices, despite the 

current tariff. But this 

will not be a sustainable 

approach to the 

business of generating 

and supplying electricity. 

The management of 

an electricity plant as 

GRENLEC requires 

high operational and 

maintenance costs. 

Large investments in 

plant equipment and 

materials and frequent 

maintenance are 

required to maintain 

high reliability and 

quality of electricity 

supply. Therefore playing 

with the pricing 

can hamper the returns 

on investments 

required to sustain the 

quality of operations 

and maintenance of the 

company. The inability 

to effectively and 

efficiently manage the 

GRENLEC can plunge 

Grenada back into 

the dark ages of poor 

quality electricity and 

blackouts. 

But if the government 

decides to buy the 

shares (or even if they 

do not) the first order 

of the day is to revise 

the current Electricity 

Supply Act of 1994 

(ESA). In this regard, 

the government has 

to use the opportunity 

to remove the current 

monopoly. The electricity 

market cannot 

continue to function 

under a monopoly- 

public nor private. Any 

government ownership 

therefore has to be 

sufficient (temporary) 

to allow for a regulatory 

system to be put 

in place. This should 

subsume the ESA and 

create a more realistic 

and level playing field 

for the functioning of 

the market. 

Some key functions of 

the regulatory sys- 

tem will be to develop 

a more competitive 

pricing system and to 

adjust prices for electricity 

from all sources 

of energy. Also, in a 

regulated electricity 

market investments in 

renewable energy technologies 

will become 

more attractive. While 

concerns such as the 

removal of subsidies for 

fossil fuels, if they exist; 

the development of 

policies and regulations 

to encourage renewable 

energy technologies 

and energy efficiency of 

equipment and buildings 

will be addressed. 

In conclusion, the only 

benefit I can see that 

should come out of a 

government purchase 

of the GRENLEC is 

the opportunity for the 

government to redesign 

the market through 

appropriate legislation. 

This will provide 

for effective and efficient 

operations of the 

market to include all 

sources of energy. Also 

the prices for electricity 

will become competitive 

and affordable 

in such a regulated 

market. Falsely believing 

that electricity 

prices will automatically 

be reduced if the 

government owns the 

GRENEC and continues 

in a monopolistic 

market will only 

prolong the suffering of 

the electricity consumers 

and further hinder 

the sustainable development 

of Grenada. 

Comments, frets and questions to: 

John n telesford 

P. O. BOx 906, Grenville, St. Andrew’S 

John.telesford@yahoo.Com 

tel: 1 (473) 442 4563/405 5981


BARNACLE JANUARY 2013 05.


News 

GCNA spending $1,000,000 to assist nutmeg farmers 

arlon Clyne, As Genral 

Manager of the 

renada Cooperative 

utmeg Association 

GCNA): Clyne’s responibility 

is to make recmmendations 

to, and 

mplement policies of 

he Board of Directors 

f the Association. 

lyne became manager 

f the Association in 

uly 2010, discusses the 

tate of the nutmeg inustry 

with Barnacle’s 

an George. 

CNA says it has a 

lan to assist farmers 

ith their fields. Tell us 

bout that plan. 

armers have been asking 

for help to replant and 

maintain their fields since 

the destruction caused by 

hurricanes Ivan and Emily 

in 2004/5. Unfortunately, 

the Association was not 

in a position to respond 

positively to the calls of 

our farmers. In fact, in 

about March 2011 our 

situation deteriorated to 

the point where we could 

not purchase nutmegs for 

cash on a daily basis; our 

basic operational function. 

Interestingly, it was also 

the beginning of the most 

successful period of trading 

since 2004. It signaled 

the start of a period that 

propelled us to the realize 

$7.1 million dollars net 

MARLON CLYNE 

surplus financial year 

ended June 2012. 

It therefore means the Association 

is better placed 

to reach out to farmers 

because we have had a 

relatively good financial 

year. We are able to direct 

some money to assist in replanting 

and maintenance. 

Part of that assistance 

would be $1,000,000 we’ve 

identified to help farmers 

in different areas including 

drainage, weed control, 

pruning, fertilizer and 

the distribution of young 

plants. 

What is the payback 

GCNA is hoping to get 

from this investment of 

$200,000 into farmers? 

The payback will mainly 

be in the form of increased 

production down the road. 

Once we have increased 

production, we have 

increased raw material for 

sale, it would allow us to 

take advantage of higher 

prices. It would allow us 

to try and regain some of 

the markets that we would 

have lost. The quicker we 

are able to return to the 

market, the quicker we’ll 

be able to engender confidence 

in our current and 

former buyers who have 

not returned to us because 

of limited supply. Some 

of our buyers would have 

switched to Indian and Indonesian 

nutmegs. So, the 

more help that we can give 

to farmers to return to the 

field and to boost their 

production, it would augur 

well for us in the future in 

terms of increased availability 

of the product to 

sell and in regaining lost 

market. 

Which comes first – 

increased revenue or 

increased production? 

Increased production 

comes first although that 

can have its drawbacks if 

we don’t have solid financial 

backing, indeed this 

is what we experienced in 

the first half of 2011. we 

were always confident that 

once the production come 

in, the revenue will come 

in as well because we had 

solid sales contracts but 

we did not have production. 

By increasing prices 

to farmers by almost 100% 

production then surpassed 

all expectations. 

How many farmers 

are expected to benefit 

from the $1,000,000 assistance 

program? 

We’re trying to spread 

it around as much as 

possible; we’re trying to 

give everybody something. 

Of course, we 

would have liked for it to 

be more. Based on our 

continued profitability, we 

would try to increase the 

amount more and more. 

There are some farmers 

whose yields do not allow 

them to reinvest in their 

fields as they would want 

to and they are in a vulnerable 

position and need 

help. And, it’s not just the 

$500,000. Throughout the 

year we’ll be having different 

activities; we want to 

stay active in helping the 

farmers. 

The GCNA is now in 

the news. What has 

spurred this resurgence 

of media interest in the 

GCNA? 

It’s the increased rates to 

farmers. Nutmeg production 

has become attractive 

to our population once 

again and given the situation 

in our economy, given 

the reduced activity in 

some of our other sectors, 

nutmeg is gaining people’s 

attention. When you look 

at what nutmeg farmers 

are realizing, it is the best 

rates they have ever been 

paid in the history of the 

industry. So, it is creating 

a stir; it is creating attention; 

and the media will 

pick up on things that are 

happening, and nutmeg 

is definitely happening 

these days with the kind of 

prices that we are having. 

Tell me a little bit about 

the recent Nutmeg 

Festival. What has been 

the experience? Going 

forward, what are some 

of the things we can 

expect? 

It was the first and we 

learnt a lot from staging 

the festival. We had good 

responses and one of the 

biggest pluses was working 

with other sectors and 

seeing the possibilities 

that we could have with 

other sectors, especially 

the tourism and hotel 

industries. We had chefs 

from some of our top hotels 

here making recipes with 

nutmegs and spices; they 

came up with some pretty 

creative recipes. There are 

some lessons we would 

have learnt. The hope 

going forward is that we 

could put together a team 

of people from the GCNA, 

Ministry of Agriculture, 

and the tourism sector to 

plan bigger and better for 

next year. 

There will always be ups 

and downs in the price of 

agricultural raw materials. 

But, we can cushion 

the impact of the fluctuation 

in commodity prices 

if we create alternative 

uses for nutmeg, especially 

if we can do it locally. It 

means that we’ll be able 

to manufacture various 

products and be able to 

sell value-added items 

locally and to the rest of 

the world. However, we 

have been talking that 

for a very long time. We 

need to create a better 

environment that will 

foster that kind of change. 

At the GCNA’s level, we’ll 

try as much as possible to 

sustain the prices that we 

have paid to our farmers 

over the past year.


The Business and Sustainability Forum 

John (Johnny) n Telesford 

research sTudenT-InsTITuTe 

for ManageMenT, socIeTy and 

governance (IMages), roberT 

gordon unIversITy, scoTland 

As the tourism 

season heats up the 

importance of the 

environment and its 

links to tourism is 

brought into focus. 

In essence this link 

is embedded in the 

fact that the environmental 

attributes of 

our island, mainly 

sand, sea and sun 

(3S’s) and scenery 

(landscape) are a few 

of the main reasons 

why tourists visit the 

island. 

As citizens of Grenada 

therefore we are 

constantly urged and 

encouraged to ‘keep the 

environment clean’ for 

ourselves and for the 

tourists. This is always 

one of the key messages 

broadcasted during the 

tourism season. But 

what does ‘keep the environment 

clean’ really 

mean? 

Considering the environment 

to be our 

general surroundings, 

including air, plants, 

animals, marine, land 

and seascapes and 

people, this message 

becomes a very weak 

one. Or in many cases 

keeping the environment 

clean can be 

detrimental to the 

environment itself. 

Firstly, every single 

person or organization 

that speaks about 

the importance of the 

environment to tourism, 

reiterates the need 

to ‘not litter’. This is 

good, but just encouraging 

persons not to litter 

will not go anywhere 

far in ensuring a clean 

environment. Litter 

is generally waste 

ON THE FOUNDATIONS OF SUSTAINABILITY ECONOMY~ ENVIRONMENT~ SOCIETY 

The Environment and 

Tourism- A weak Link 

generated from human 

activities. We buy 

sweets and the wrapping 

becomes litter to 

be discarded. We cook 

food and the uncooked 

parts become litter. 

And so on. So litter is 

constantly created and 

discarded. When it is 

discarded in an unwanted 

area, such as on 

the side of the road it is 

no good for the environment 

and for tourism 

by extension. However, 

if it is thrown into a 

trash can and carted 

to the landfill then it is 

good. The ‘do not litter’ 

message therefore simply 

alerts us to dispose 

of waste appropriately. 

However, this waste 

still gets into the environment 

and most of it 

remains there for such 

long periods of time. 

The waste is still detrimental 

to critical and 

delicate unseen parts of 

the environment, such 

as air and sea, which 

supports tourism. 

In essence therefore 

encouraging persons 

not to litter is weak, 

because waste still gets 

into the environment. 

What is needed is an 

approach of looking 

upstream, that is, by 

preventing waste creation 

in the first place. 

A closer look at the activities 

embarked upon, 

the things we import, 

etc, must be reduced 

as far as is possible. 

Preventing waste creation 

is the approach 

one needs to consider if 

the environment is to 

be kept clean for us and 

for the tourists. 

Another activity that is 

embarked upon when 

such campaigns are developed 

are the famous 

beach and river clean 

ups and the cutting 

of trees and the debushing 

of roadsides. 

Beach clean-ups can be 

a disaster to the environment 

if they are not 

properly supervised as 

many essential animals 

and plants can be 

removed in the pro- 

cess. Tree cutting and 

de-bushing makes the 

road way look appealing 

and nice, but some 

of the methods used are 

causing more harm to 

the environment than 

good. Loss of top soil 

and biodiversity can be 

real long term problems 

that can occur from 

continued, uncontrolled 

de-bushing. 

So the link between 

the environment and 

tourism is presently 

weak, since it is not 

addressing the fundamental 

concern, 

which is mainly waste 

prevention. Secondly, 

balding the sides of the 

road and felling trees 


indiscriminately in an 

effort to have a clean 

environment can be 

more detrimental to the 

environment than good. 

The weak link therefore 

is characterized by the 

importation of waste 

and then hiding it in 

landfills and other areas 

away from the tourists. 

It is also shaped by 

the culture of foolishly 

cleaning the landscape 

and the felling of trees 

to enhance the environment. 

If this weak link 

is not addressed it will 

eventual break leading 

to ‘environmental 

collapse and the demise 

of tourism’; and we will 

only have ourselves to 

blame.





Commentary 

GRENLEC’S PRIVATIZATION WAS GOOD IN PRINCIPLE 

Dr. Lawrence A. 

Joseph 

For the purposes of 

this article privatization 

refers to the 

process of transferring 

ownership of a business 

from the public 

sector (or state controlled 

sector) into the 

private sector. The 

opposite of privatization 

is nationalization 

which refers to the 

process of transferring 

ownership of a business 

from the private 

sector into public 

ownership by a government. 

The ownership of 

the business which first 

provided electricity 

services to Grenada in 

1928 was in the hands of 

the public sector. That 

business was owned by 

the Public Works Department 

of the Government 

of Grenada. In 1960 this 

enterprise was privatized 

after the establishment of 

the Grenada Electricity 

Services Limited (“Grenlec”). 

The Commonwealth 

Development Corporation 

(CDC) which was based in 

London, owned the majority 

of its shares and the 

government of Grenada 

owned the minority. This 

privatized status of the 

company lasted until it 

was nationalized by the 

People’s Revolutionary 

Government in 1982. 

In 1992 the then 

Nicholas Brathwaite government 

took the decision 

to privatize the company. 

This approach was in 

keeping with the general 

trend of Western democratic 

countries to shy 

away from the principles 

of nationalization which 

seemed to have bolstered 

up the socialist objective 

that the state should control 

all means of production. 

The Brathwaite administration 

did not abide 

by this socialist principle. 

Moreover, at the time, 

Grenlec apparently could 

not keep up with the ever 

increasing demand for 

the supply of electricity 

and there were numerous 

outages for lengthy 

periods. As a consequence 

of this phenomenon, 

there was a dire need for 

the injection of adequate 

capital into the enterprise 

for the purchase of new 

and advanced machinery 

and other equipment. The 

nationalized status of 

Grenlec seemed to have 

been incapable of provid- 

ing this lifeline. 

Nationalization 

presents its own problems. 

This is why liberal 

democratic countries in 

recent times have abandoned 

this approach and 

instead opted for privatization. 

Prior to 1979, the 

United Kingdom possessed 

one of the largest 

public enterprise sectors 

in the whole of Europe 

especially under the then 

socialist oriented Labour 

Party. This party generally 

followed the path of 

nationalization of key 

industries. Since then 

however, successive governments, 

especially the 

Conservative Party under 

Prime Minister Margaret 

Thatcher undertook the 

path of privatization by 

privatizing most, if not 

all, of the state controlled 

enterprises and allowing 

competition. This position 

holds, even to this day. 

In Jamaica, when 

Michael Manley won 

the general elections in 

1972, he followed the 

path of nationalization, 

in an attempt to follow 

the Cuban model. 

Subsequent to that, the 

Jamaican economy took a 

nose dive and Manley felt 

compelled to seek interna- 

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tional assistance in order 

to straighten out the 

economy. During the 1989 

elections campaign, Manley 

conceded that he had 

made mistakes and that 

he had learnt from those 

mistakes. Since then the 

process of privatization 

made significant strides 

to the present period. 

With regards to the energy 

sector, privatization 

is the keynote approach 

and there is open competition 

for the generation 

of electricity in Jamaica. 

Nationalization is 

characterized by certain 

distinctive drawbacks. 

With nationalization, governments 

generally have 

a monopoly so that having 

a profit motive is not high 

on the agenda. The highest 

objective usually relates 

to providing a social 

service which sometimes 

does not contemplate the 

cost-effectiveness of certain 

actions. Enterprises 

for example may become 

labour intensive in order 

to suit political purposes 

giving scant regard for 

efficiency. Additionally, 

governments do not have 

or are reluctant to put 

in significant capital for 

technological advancement 

because money is 

also required by competing 

sectors such as 

health, education, and 

agriculture. This is why 

it is generally accepted 

that governments should 

shy away from operating 

important enterprises. 

Based upon the above 

discussions, the Nicholas 

Brathwaite government 

ought not to be blamed 

for taking the decision 

in principle to privatize 

Grenlec. However, a lot 

of blame has to be leveled 

at that administration for 

the haste with which they 

went through with the 

1994 sale of 50% shares 

in the company to the 

United States based WRB 

Enterprises Inc for the 

paltry sum of US$5.6 Million; 

the long monopoly 

status which Grenlec is 

to enjoy; the prohibitive 

compensation package 

that has to be meted 

out by any government 

wanting to reacquire the 

company if even for an interim 

period until privatization; 

and the lack of 

sufficient protection for 

electricity consumers. 

Notwithstanding, it 

would not be fair to allot 

blame to WRB for seizing 

the opportunity. That 

company is controlled by 

seasoned business people, 

who at the time and even 

now have successfully 

managed enterprises in 

different parts of the Caribbean. 

A golden spoon 

was offered to them by 

the Brathwaite administration; 

they grabbed and 

ran away with it. However, 

the sale attracted 

much criticism from the 

then Opposition in Parliament 

which threatened 

to reacquire the company 

when once it got back into 

government. As a consequence 

of this threat, 

the government seemed 

to have been forced to 

execute the one-sided Sale 

Agreement and to pass 

legislation which strongly 

favoured WRB. 

The Electricity Supply 

Act N0. 18 of 1994 

(“the Act”) was therefore 

passed in Parliament. 

Its Preamble makes it 

clear that it was an “Act 

granting exclusive licence 

to the Grenada Electricity 

Services Limited (“Grenlec”) 

for the performance 

of functions relating to 

the supply of electricity 

throughout Grenada and 

for connected purposes 

and making provisions in 

the event of the revocation 

of the licence”. 

Section 3 of the Act 

provides that “the company 

shall have a sole 

and exclusive licence to 

generate, transmit, distribute 

and sell electricity 

in Grenada until December 

31st 2073”. Section 

5 provides that during 

the continuance of the 

licence, no person except 

the company shall generate, 

transmit, distribute 

and or sell electricity in 

Grenada without a sublicence 

being granted. A 

literal interpretation of 

those sections means that 

an ordinary citizen who 

finds it more cost effective 

to operate a gas generator, 

a wind mill or a photovoltaic 

system (which 

uses solar energy), in 

order to generate electricity 

to his or her residence, 

will find that these activities 

are in contravention 

of the Act. 

Section 28 of the Act 

provides that government 

may repurchase the company 

either after thirty 

years or fifty-five years to 

the date of the sale and 

section 29 makes provision 

for a special formula 

to be used for calculating 

the compensation to be 

paid to shareholders if 

government decides to 

reacquire. This compensation 

package seems to be 

more of a “punishment” 

being meted out to any 

government which has 

the audacity to reacquire. 

It amounts to be a quite 

prohibitive sum. Reacquisition 

of Grenlec by government 

does not seem 

to be a feasible option, as 

according to section 6 of 

the Grenada Constitution, 

there must be “prompt 

payment of full compensation” 

once this is done. 

As a consequence 

of the lop-sided Sale 

Agreement and the Act, 

electricity consumers 

in Grenada are caught 

in a bind as the cost of 

electricity continuously 

keeps going upwards. 

Besides other reasons, 

Grenlec’s path situation 

makes it incumbent that 

they rely upon the use of 

diesel which world market 

prices continuously 

keep rising. Grenada, 

with an electricity cost of 

approximately EC$1.10 

per Kilowatt Hour, has 

one of the highest cost for 

electricity in the Caribbean 

with Trinidad having 

the lowest. Any attempt 

by consumers to relieve 

this ever increasing cost 

of electricity by utilizing a 

renewable energy technology 

(RET) such as a wind 

Mill or Photovoltaic system 

brings on the wrath 

of Grenlec. Paradise Bay 

Resort in La Tante in 

St. David owned by one 

James Post which utilized 

a windmill in 2007 to 

generate electricity felt 

this wrath. 

Therefore, as indicated 

in a previously published 

article, which seemed to 

have stirred up a lot of 

interest in Grenada, the 

only option which seems 

to be available to electricity 

consumers is for an 

application to be made to 

the court by an association 

of electricity consumers 

asking the court for a 

Declaration that sections 

3 and 5 of the Act are 

unconstitutional. It is 

posited that section 11 of 

the Constitution has been 

contravened making those 

sections unconstitutional, 

as electricity consumers 

are being prevented from 

“protecting their interests” 

which action is not 

“reasonably justifiable in 

a democratic society”. 

10th Dec.2012.




News 

Mixed report on quality of Grenada journalism 

The outgoing president of 

the Media Workers Association 

of Grenada (MWAG) 

wants something done about 

the wages paid to local journalists. 

Rawle Titus is appealing for 

greater attention to be given to 

the remuneration currently offered 

to media workers. 

“Grenadian law does not cater 

for minimum wage for media 

workers,’’ Titus said at an 

MWAG function in St. George’s. 

He is relinquishing the presidency 

after two terms as head of 

the association, which is to elect 

a new executive in January. 

“It is heartrending, pathetic and 

downright disappointing that in 

2012, a journalist in Grenada is 

working for $700 a month EC. I 

challenge the incoming executive 

to continue the work we 

have started by making this issue, 

including the social security 

of practitioners, one of priority,’’ 

Titus said at the 7th annual 

MWAG awards at the Trade 

Centre Annex. 

Telecommunications provider, 

Digicel, was the main sponsor 

of the awards’ ceremony whose 

theme was, “Media in a Challenging 

World’’. 

Country Manager Patricia 

Maher, who headed the Digicel 

delegation to the event, was 

accompanied by other company 

officials including Marketing 

Manager Kirk Seetahal and 

consultant, Jerry George. 

George, who was one of the 

event’s speakers, promised that 

Digicel will be introducing new 

technology in 2013 to improve 

telecommunication services in 

Grenada. 

Other speakers at the ceremony, 

which included a live band performance, 

were Prime Minister 

Tillman Thomas, Association 

of Caribbean Media Workers 

Introducing… 

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DE LA GRENADE 

Tel: (473) 440 4819 • www.delagrenade.com 

Media Personality of the year shere ann noel 

receiving her award from digicel’s Jerry george 

(ACM) official Peter Richards, 

and Jamaicans Dr. Canute 

James and Faye Ellington of the 

University of the West Indies. 

Thomas said his government, 

which recently repealed the 

country’s criminal libel law, will 

also be addressing seditious 

libel. 

“Not too long from now we’re 

also going to repeal seditious 

libel,’’ the prime minister announced 

to the audience that included 

public and private sector 

representatives – many of them 

sponsors of the MWAG awards. 

Thomas defended his administration’s 

record in advancing 

media, democracy and democratic 

institutions. 

“We recognize the importance 

of the role of media,’’ the prime 

minister said. “The only time I 

take issue with journalists or 

the media is when they’re being 

dishonest or deceptive.’’ 

Richards, the ACM representative, 

reminded MWAG 

members of the soon-to-be-held 

general elections in Grenada, 

and appealed for the production 

of work that will be beyond 

reproach. 

“The ACM expects high levels of 

professionalism from every media 

worker in Grenada during 

the election campaign,’’ he said. 

“In this regard, we are working 

with MWAG to help develop 

the skills of the media worker 

by bringing to St. George’s a 

Canadian-based trainer early in 

the New Year. I am hoping that 

MWAG would see to it that as 

many media workers as possible 

take advantage of that opportunity.’’ 

Ellington, a veteran journalist 

and communication consultant, 

warned journalists against engaging 

in payola – the practice 

of accepting cash or other secret 

gifts to provide positive coverage 

of an individual or organization. 

“Payola comes in many shapes 

and forms. We must work to 

rid ourselves of this awful 

and dangerous practice,’’ said 

Ellington, a lecturer at the Caribbean 

Institute of Media and 

Communication at the UWI’s 

Mona Campus, Jamaica. 

She said media in the Caribbean 

are challenged in attracting 

“quality persons’’ with the ability 

to think critically, conceptualize, 

analyze and debate. 

“These are necessary skills for 

journalists but also for every 

citizen,’’ said Ellington, adding 

that too many young people 

want to work in media for the 

wrong reasons. 

“A few wish to work in sports 

and other so badly want to be 

on air – that’s radio and television 

– until they discover that 

the brain needs to be engaged 

before putting mouth into 

gear,’’ she complained. 

Shere Ann Noel and Jennel 

Andrews of FLOW CC6 were 

among multiple award winners. 

Andrews’ prizes included 

the Digicel-sponsored award 

which was inaugurated in 2011 

in memory of the late radio 

personality, Anthony “Jericho’’ 

Greenidge. 

Among Noel’s awards was 

leading television personality, 

which was determined by votes 

cast by guests attending the 

MWAG function. 

Other award recipients included 

Cheavron Benjamin, Gennil 

Reuben, Ria Murray, Keyshawn 

Thomas, Mike Alexis, 

Janice Augustine, Lew Smith, 

Sherry Ann Blackman, Rawle 

Titus and Lincoln Depradine. 

MWAG also honoured late 

Grenadian journalists, Alister 

Hughes and Leslie Seon. 

Adjudicators based at CARI- 

MAC were invited to judge 

more than 100 media entries 

from radio, television and 

newspaper practitioners who 

were vying for awards. 

Some entries were “simply 

outstanding’’ and “there continues 

to be steady improvement 

in the quality of Grenadian 

journalism,’’ said Dr. James, 

the chief adjudicator who presented 

a judges’ report to the 

function. 

“The judges were happy to have 

again been asked to assist with 

this important effort to improve 

and strengthen the quality 

of journalism and media 

production in this stunningly 

beautiful country.’’ 

Dr. James, who was appointed 

CARIMAC director in 2009, 

identified shortcomings comings 

in some of the work presented 

for judging. 

“Too many entries were overwritten 

and over-worded,’’ he 

reported. 

The judges, he added, were also 

“somewhat disappointed in not 

finding any entries that were 

deserving of awards’’ in the 

business news story and political 

news story categories. 

“Business stories are not 

just for business people,’’ 

he explained, saying it’s the 

responsibility of reporters to 

“demythify, demystify, interpret, 

translate, explain and 

add context’’ to the business 

information. 

“The story is not a story until 

it is understood clearly by the 

reader, listener, viewer and 

surfer,’’ said Dr. James. 

He is a former Caribbean correspondent 

of the Financial 

Times of London. 

“Given the nature and the 

degree of political engagement 

in this country in recent 

months, the judges were also 

disappointed at the nature of 

the coverage as reflected in the 

entries,’’ Dr. James said. 

“There was much that was 

reported; but the judges found 

none that went beyond the 

faithful recitation of what was 

said. The judges want to use 

this opportunity to suggest that 

the coverage of politics goes 

beyond ministerial and party 

political statements and rejoinders 

from the other side.’’ 

Speeches and statements from 

politicians, Dr. James said, 

should be considered “raw material 

that the journalist should 

use to examine the consequences 

of these statements and the 

consequences they have on the 

lives and livelihoods of those to 

whom, and for whom, they are 

reporting’’.





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Light Weight body building 

1 Kelson August Fit for Life 

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Women’s Figure Tall Class 

1 Bernelle Dubois Fit for Life 

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PowerlIFTIng HeaVY weIgHT wInner - 

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Middle Weight 

1 Phillip Clarke Fit For Life 

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Women’s Figure short class 

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3 Chad Henry Geomax 

PowerlIFTIng HeaVY weIgHT - 2nd Place 

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Heavy weight Mens Power Lifting 

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Feature 

BLUE BAND WINNERS 

RECEIVED GREAT PRIZES 

Speech by Nazima Aziz, Brand Manager of Blue Band Margarine 

nazim aziz 

A pleasant good morning 

to everyone. It is 

indeed a pleasure to 

be here because the 

moment has finally 

arrived. The moment 

you have all been 

eagerly anticipating 

is here. Today is the 

day that each of you 

receive what you have 

prepared for. Your 

presence here is a perfect 

example of preparation 

meeting opportunity. 

Each of you 

went out, purchased 

the required two Blue 

Band packets and 

took the time to submit 

your entries. This 

is preparation and 

when the draw dates 

arrived your names 

popped up against all 

the other odds. 

I wish to sincerely thank 

everyone who participated 

in our national Blue 

Band promotion and, 

also special congratulations 

to all of our very 

fortunate winners. We 

thank you for your loyalty 

and support towards 

Blue Band Margarine. 

Blue Band has been 

house hold name 

margarine in Grenada 

for decades. It is a 

daily source of essential 

nutrients that help every 

family member to grow, 

develop and thrive. Blue 

Band is made from high 

quality vegetable oils, 

so it is an important 

source of essential fats 

and vitamins such A, D 

& E for which there are 

not many other dietary 

sources. For many 

families Blue Band is 

a part of a daily breakfast 

routine used as 

a spread. And many 

chefs, housewives can 

attest that it is the key 

ingredient in making the 

perfect cake. 

You may not know this 

but Blue Band is a world 

renowned brand that 

was first launched in 

Pakistan more than 20 

years ago. And it has 

since become a leading 

margarine in Central 

and East Africa and the 

Caribbean. George. F. 

Huggins is therefore 

very proud to represent 

such a prestigious 

brand and so was very 

happy to implement the 

promotion. 

On September 17th 

we enthusiastically 

launched the Buy Blue 

Band and Win Kitchen 

Appliances promotion 

where customers has 

the opportunity to win 

prizes such as Pyrex 

dish gift set, pot sets, 

pressure cookers, 

blenders, microwaves, 

Kitchen Aid cake mixers 

and stoves. In order to 

participate, shoppers 

were simply required 

to submit two empty 

Blue Band 227g wrappers 

along with name, 

address and telephone 

numbers and place into 

entry boxes which were 

located at supermarkets 

nationwide. 

This promotion ran for 

eight (8) weeks and 

concluded on November 

16th. Two draws were 

held, the first was Octo- 

ber 18th which was held 

live on Wee FM radio 

and twenty (25) lucky 

persons were selected. 

The second draw was 

on November 23rd at 

the Foodland Supermarket 

located at the 

Kirani James Boulevard 

where an additional ten 

(10) persons won more 

fantastic prizes including 

the two (2) grand 

prizes, which is the 30 

inch five burner stove 

equipped with Broiler 

and Rotisserie . In sum 

I am proud to say that 

the Blue Band promotion 

saw thirty-five (35) 

lucky winners. And participation 

was beyond 

expectation with over 

three thousand (3000) 

entries. We were still 

receiving entries even 

after the deadline. 

This morning I must 

mention that there are 

three (3) outstanding or 

very blessed winners 

among you. First is Esther 

Telesford who won 

in both draws, in the first 

she got herself a Pyrex 

dish gift pack and then 

in the final draw she was 

selected for the Black & 

Decker blender. 

The other two winners 

are members of 

the same household 

–a Mom and daughter 

team- Joanna Baptiste 

and Rolanda Baptiste. 

Mom, Joanna started 

the race and was selected 

in our first draw for 

the prize of a seven (7) 

piece stainless steel pot 

set. Daughter, Rolanda 

brought home the winning 

baton by seizing up 

one of our grand prize 

– the STOVE. I must 

say that Rolanda dad 

was a very wise man 

when, he chose to have 

Rolanda submit the 

entry instead of himself. 

Rolanda is our youngest 

winner who is only nine 

(9) years old. According 

to Rolanda she likes 

Blue Band because it 

tastes good. She also 

enjoys running and her 

favourite colour is red. 

I must also recognize 

Anne Gilbert from St. 

David’s who, is our 2nd 

grand prize winner. 

I know she was very 

happy when I told her of 

her fantastic prize. 

Once again I wish to 

thank everyone who 

participated in this activity; 

it would not have 

been possible without 

your support and loyalty. 

Also, remember to keep 

Blue Band as part of 

your Christmas tradition 

this year, use it in your 

black cake, fruit cake 

or any of your favourite 

cake for your family 

this holiday. Make your 

family Christmas special 

with Blue Band Margarine.


Feature 

LIST OF WINNERS 

PIREX DISHES: 

Patricia Paul 

Yvonne Mckenzie 

Alma Drakes 

Wendy-Ann collins 

Hilary Brizan 

Annette Clement 

Leselle Pierre 

Shimicha Depradine 

Daniel Gibson 

Lydia Andrew Duncan 

Anne Pivott 

Esther Telesford 

POT SETS: 

Janet Lewis 

Joanna Baptiste 

Yolande Modeste 

Ennis Charles 


PRESSURE COOKER: 

Denise Matthew 

Anika Phillip 

Patricia Martin 

Kervis Renaud 

Margaret Robertson Thomas 

BLENDER: 

Stephon Phillip 

Ester Telesford 

Rose Anna Zeno 

Elvis Noel 

MICROWAVE: 

Barbara Frazer 

Lorraine Licorish 

Merle Hayes 

Nikysha Belgrave 

KITCHEN AID CAKE MIXERS: 

Merle St. Paul’s 

Brenda Noel 

John Johnson 

Stacy Telesford 

STOVE: 

Rolanda Baptiste 

Ann Gilbert





Health and Fitness 

Sickle Cell Anemia 

How Is Sickle Cell 

Anemia Treated? 

Sickle cell anemia has 

no widely available cure. 

However, treatments can 

help relieve symptoms 

and treat complications. 

The goals of treating 

sickle cell anemia are 

to relieve pain; prevent 

infections, organ damage, 

and strokes; and 

control complications (if 

they occur). 

Blood and marrow stem 

cell transplants may 

offer a cure for a small 

number of people who 

have sickle cell anemia. 

Researchers continue to 

look for new treatments 

for the disease. 

Infants who have been 

diagnosed with sickle 

cell anemia through 

newborn screening are 

treated with antibiotics 

to prevent infections. 

Their parents are educated 

about the disease 

and how to manage it. 

These initial treatment 

steps have greatly improved 

the outcome for 

children who have sickle 

cell anemia. 

Specialists Involved 

People who have sickle 

cell anemia need regular 

medical care. Some doctors 

and clinics specialize 

in treating people 

who have the disease. 

Hematologists specialize 

in treating adults and 

children who have blood 

diseases or disorders. 

Treating Pain 

Medicines and Fluids 

Mild pain often is 

treated at home with 

over-the-counter pain 

medicines, heating pads, 

rest, and plenty of fluids. 

More severe pain may 

need to be treated in a 

day clinic, emergency 

room, or hospital. 

The usual treatments for 

acute (rapid-onset) pain 

are fluids, medicines, 

andoxygen therapy (if 

the oxygen level is low). 

Fluids help prevent dehydration, 

a condition in 

which your body doesn’t 

have enough fluids. 

Fluids are given either 

by mouth or through a 

vein. Your doctor may 

prescribe antibiotics if 

you have an infection. 

Treatment for mild-tomoderate 

pain usually 

begins with acetaminophen 

(Tylenol®) or 

nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory 

drugs (NSAIDs), 

such as ibuprofen. 

If pain continues or 

becomes severe, stronger 

medicines called opioids 

may be needed. Talk 

with your doctor about 

the possible benefits and 

risks of taking strong 

pain medicine, especially 

if the medicine will be 

used for a long period. 

Hydroxyurea 

Severe sickle cell anemia 

can be treated with a 

medicine called hydroxyurea. 

This medicine 

prompts your body to 

make fetal hemoglobin. 

Fetal hemoglobin, or 

hemoglobin F, is the 

type of hemoglobin that 

newborns have. 

In people who have 

sickle cell anemia, fetal 

hemoglobin helps prevent 

red blood cells from 

sickling and improves 

anemia. 

Given daily, hydroxyurea 

reduces how often painful 

sickle cell crises and 

acute chest syndrome 

occur. Many people taking 

hydroxyurea also 

need fewer blood transfusions 

and have fewer 

hospital visits. 

Doctors are studying the 

long-term effects of hydroxyurea 

on people who 

have sickle cell anemia. 

Early studies in children 

suggest that the medicine 

may help improve 

growth and preserve 

organ function, but this 

has not been proven. 

Hydroxyurea can reduce 

the number of white 

blood cells in your blood. 

(These cells help fight 

infections.) This can lead 

to an increased risk of 

infections. 

People who take hydroxyurea 

must have 

careful medical followup, 

including blood tests. 

The dose of this medicine 

may need to be adjusted 

to reduce the risk of side 

effects. 

A doctor who has knowledge 

about hydroxyurea 

can tell you about the 

risks and benefits of taking 

this medicine. 

Preventing 

Complications 

Blood transfusions are 

commonly used to treat 

worsening anemia and 

sickle cell complications. 

A sudden worsening of 

anemia due to an infection 

or enlarged spleen 

is a common reason for a 

blood transfusion. 

Some, but not all, people 

who have sickle cell 

anemia need regular 

blood transfusions to 

prevent life-threatening 

problems, such as stroke, 

spleen problems, or 

acute chest syndrome. 

Having routine blood 

transfusions can cause 

side effects. Examples 

include allergic reactions 

and a dangerous buildup 

of iron in the blood 

(which must be treated). 

In general, the blood 

supply is fairly safe from 

infections such as hepatitis 

and HIV. 

Infections 

Infections can be a major 

complication of sickle cell 

anemia throughout life, 

but especially during 

childhood. Often, infections 

can be prevented or 

treated. 

To prevent infections in 

babies and young children, 

treatments include: 

• Daily doses of antibiotics. 

Treatment may begin 

as early as 2 months 

of age and continue until 

the child is at least 5 

years old. 

• All routine vaccinations 

(including a yearly 

flu shot), plus the pneumococcal 

vaccine. 

If your child has sickle 

cell anemia and shows 

early signs of an infection, 

such as a fever, you 

should seek treatment 

right away. 

Adults who have sickle 

cell anemia also should 

have flu shots every 

year and get vaccinated 

against pneumonia. 

Eye Damage 

Sickle cell anemia can 

damage the blood vessels 

in the eyes and the 

retinas. The retinas are 

the thin layers of tissue 

at the back of the eyes. 

Regular checkups with 

an eye doctor who specializes 

in diseases of the 

retina can help detect 

eye damage. 

Strokes 

Stroke prevention and 

treatment are now possible 

for children and 

adults who have sickle 

cell anemia. Starting at 

age 2, children who have 

sickle cell anemia can 

have routine ultrasound 

scans of their heads. 

This is called transcranial 

Doppler (TCD) ultrasound. 

These scans are 

used to check the speed 

of blood flow to the brain. 

TCD scans allow doctors 

to find out which 

children are at high risk 

of stroke. Doctors can 

treat these children with 

routine blood transfusions 

to reduce the risk 

of stroke. 

A doctor who has 

knowledge about blood 

transfusions and sickle 

cell disease can tell you 

about the benefits and 

risks of this treatment. 

Treating Other Complications 

Acute chest syndrome 

is a severe and lifethreatening 

complication 

of sickle cell anemia. If 

acute (sudden) failure 

of the liver and kidneys 

also occurs, it’s called 

acute multiple organ 

failure. 

Treatment for these 

complications usually 

occurs in a hospital and 

may include oxygen 

therapy, blood transfusions, 

antibiotics, pain 

medicine, and balancing 

body fluids. 

Leg ulcers (sores) due to 

sickle cell anemia can 

be very painful. Ulcers 

can be treated with 

cleansing solutions and 

medicated creams or 

ointments. 

Skin grafts may be 

needed if the leg ulcers 

are ongoing. Bed rest 

and keeping the legs 

raised to reduce swelling 

are helpful. If you 

have a lot of pain from 

leg ulcers, your doctor 

may recommend a strong 

pain medicine. 

Gallbladder surgery may 

be needed if the presence 

of gallstones leads to 

gallbladder disease. 

Priapism (a painful 

erection in males) can 

be treated with fluids, 

medicines, or surgery.



Happy 

New Year!



News 

As the tourism season 

heats up the importance 

of the environment 

and its links to 

tourism is brought 

into focus. In essence 

this link is embedded 

in the fact that the 

environmental attributes 

of our island, 

mainly sand, sea and 

sun (3S’s) and scenery 

(landscape) are a few 

of the main reasons 

why tourists visit the 

island. 

As citizens of Grenada 

therefore we are 

constantly urged and 

encouraged to ‘keep the 

environment clean’ for 

ourselves and for the 

tourists. This is always 

one of the key messages 

broadcasted during the 

tourism season. But 

what does ‘keep the environment 

clean’ really 

mean? 

Considering the environment 

to be our general 

surroundings, including 

air, plants, animals, 

marine, land and 

seascapes and people, 

this message becomes 

a very weak one. Or in 

many cases keeping the 

environment clean can 

be detrimental to the environment 

itself. Firstly, 

every single person or 

organization that speaks 

about the importance of 

the environment to tourism, 

reiterates the need 

to ‘not litter’. This is 

good, but just encouraging 

persons not to litter 

will not go anywhere 

far in ensuring a clean 

environment. Litter is 

generally waste generated 

from human activities. 

We buy sweets and 

the wrapping becomes 

litter to be discarded. 

We cook food and the 

uncooked parts become 

litter. And so on. So litter 

is constantly created 

and discarded. When it 

is discarded in an unwanted 

area, such as on 

the side of the road it is 

no good for the environment 

and for tourism by 

extension. However, if 

it is thrown into a trash 

can and carted to the 

landfill then it is good. 

The ‘do not litter’ message 

therefore simply 

alerts us to dispose of 

waste appropriately. 

However, this waste 

still gets into the environment 

and most of it 

remains there for such 

long periods of time. The 

waste is still detrimental 

to critical and delicate 

unseen parts of the 

environment, such as air 

and sea, which supports 

tourism. 

In essence therefore 

encouraging persons not 

to litter is weak, because 

waste still gets into the 

environment. What is 

needed is an approach 

of looking upstream, 

that is, by preventing 


GHTA HONOURS SIR JOHN WATTS 

waste creation in the 

first place. A closer look 

at the activities embarked 

upon, the things 

we import, etc, must be 

reduced as far as is possible. 

Preventing waste 

creation is the approach 

one needs to consider if 

the environment is to be 

kept clean for us and for 

the tourists. 

Another activity that is 

embarked upon when 

such campaigns are developed 

are the famous 

beach and river clean 

ups and the cutting of 

trees and the de-bushing 

of roadsides. Beach 

clean-ups can be a disaster 

to the environment 

if they are not properly 

supervised as many essential 

animals and 

plants can be removed 

in the process. Tree 

cutting and de-bushing 

makes the road way look 

appealing and nice, but 

some of the methods 

used are causing more 

harm to the environment 

than good. Loss of 

top soil and biodiversity 

can be real long term 

problems that can occur 

from continued, uncontrolled 

de-bushing. 

So the link between the 

environment and tourism 

is presently weak, 

since it is not addressing 

the fundamental 

concern, which is mainly 

waste prevention. Secondly, 

balding the sides 

of the road and felling 

trees indiscriminately in 

an effort to have a clean 

environment can be 

more detrimental to the 

environment than good. 

The weak link therefore 

is characterized by the 

importation of waste 

and then hiding it in 

landfills and other areas 

away from the tourists. 

It is also shaped by 

the culture of foolishly 

cleaning the landscape 

and the felling of trees 

to enhance the environment. 

If this weak link 

is not addressed it will 

eventual break leading 

to ‘environmental 

collapse and the demise 

of tourism’; and we will 

only have ourselves to 

blame.



Digicel brings smiles 

to needy children 

From about midday 

on Saturday, 

December 8, buses 

laden with excited 

children began 

arriving at Digicel’s 

Point Salines’ 

headquarters for the 

much-anticipated 

Digicel annual 

children’s Christmas 

party. 

On that day the 

company’s car park 

on the Maurice 

Bishop Highway was 

transformed into a 

gateway for music, fun 

and frolic; children from 

some of the nation’s 

special needs centers 

converged on the venue 

to celebrate Christmas 

the Digicel way. 

No one had to mention 

it but everyone knew it; 

that the theme of the 

party was “smile’’. Every 

aspect of the four-hour 

long party was a reason 

to smile. 

The bouncing castle 

station gave the kids 

lots of reasons to smile. 

Those who chose to 

squeeze their way 

through the small space 

that allowed entrance 

to the castle found out, 

when they got inside, 

that there were lots 

of room to release 

themselves as they 

bounced their way to 

good time. 

Some of the more 

adventurous ones 

took turns riding on 

horseback, under 

the watchful eyes 

of Digicel’s Country 

manager Patricia Maher. 

For others, the occasion 

was one to enjoy 

pulsating music as 

provided by Waggy-T 

music system. They 

were in step with the 

latest music, the latest 

rhythms, and the latest 

dance moves. Others 

took time to have their 

favorite character 

painted on their arms 

and faces. 

The highlight of the 

day was an opportunity 

for the children to 

meet and receive gifts 

from “Santa” – a role 

so suitably played by 

Digicel’s Marketing 

Manager Kirk Seethahal. 

The Digicel family 

treated the kids to tasty 

dishes, sumptuous 

ice cream and other 

wonderful goodies that 

were compatible for the 

occasion. 

At every juncture, and 

in everything that was 

done, the kids were 

treated with love, care 

and appreciation. The 

kind of love and warmth 

that were sure to bring 

out the smile in all those 

wonderful children. 

The children and their 

parents and guardians 

were most satisfied with 

Digicel’s outpouring 

of love and affection. 

However, none was 

more grateful than 

Methyl Raymond, 

principal of the St. 

Andrew’s School for 

Special Education. 

“Digicel is such a great 

contributor to us, and 

no matter what we are 

having, Digicel is always 

there for us,” she told 

the Barnacle. 

“They gave to us for our 

sports meeting; they 

have painted our school 

and this party today will 

definitely bring smiles to 

the children. They are 

really excited. All they 

wanted to do is to have 

fun,’’ she noted. 

Children from the Bel- 

Air Home, the Queen 

Elizabeth Home and the 

Dorothy Hopkin Home 

joined in the wonderful 

celebration. In the end 

they all had loads of 

smiles the Digicel way.





CARIBBEAN PRIMARY EXIT ASSESSMENT PRACTICE QUESTIONS 

HISTORY 

Read the questions carefully. Choose the correct answer and blacken the circle with the corresponding letter. Please follow this example:- 

1. The Olympic Games are held every ----years. (a) two (b) four (c) ten (d) five (a) (b) (c) (d) 

1. Which one of these is associated with Caribbean Slavery? 

(a) stone carvings (b) estate great houses (c) Fort George (d) dug out canoes (a) (b) (c) (d) 

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) 

3. The journey from Africa to the West Indies is called the ------------ . 

(a) The Middle Passage (b) The Great Triangle (c) Middle Pass (d) The African Route (a) (b) (c) (d) 

4. Which one of these arrived in Grenada first? (a) French (b) Caribs (c) British (d) Arawaks (a) (b) (c) (d) 

5. During the 19 th Century Indian workers arrived in the West Indies as ---------------------- . 

(a) slaves (b) contract workers (c) slave drivers (d) indentured servants (a) (b) (c) (d) 

6. Which of these is not an example of Amerindians? (a) Caribs (b) East Indians (c) Arawaks (d) Mayans (a) (b) (c) (d) 

7. An Amerindian group who inhabited Grenada the ------------------------- . (a) The Mayans (b) The Incas (c) The Arawaks (d) Aztecs (a) (b) (c) (d) 

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) 

9. Which of these is a religious organization that fought for the abolition of slavery? 

(a) The United Nations (b) The Quakers (c) CARICOM (d) The United States (a) (b) (c) (d) 

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) 

CULTURE/SPORTS 

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) 

2. Which of these require a ball and a net? (a) cricket (b) athletics (c) volley ball (d) chess (a) (b) (c) (d) 

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) 

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) 

5. In which of these games are English speaking Caribbean countries well known as a team? 

(a) cricket (b) football (c) Olympics (d) netball (a) (b) (c) (d) 

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) 

7. Which of these is not popular in the Caribbean? (a) calypso (b) football (c) rugby (d) carnival (a) (b) (c) (d) 

8. Where does the big drum have its origin? (a) Africa (b) India (c) Canada (d) South Americas (a) (b) (c) (d) 

9. In which of these countries is a different language spoken? (a) Guyana (b) Carriacou (c) Martinique (d) Jamaica (a) (b) (c) (d) 

10. Fish Friday is celebrate in -------------------- . (a) Victoria (b) Grenville (c) Willis (d) Gouyave (a) (b) (c) (d) 

COMMERCE/ECONOMY 

1. Which of these Caribbean countries export both petroleum and asphalt products? 

(a) Jamaica (b) Trinidad & Tobago (c) Guyana (d) Barbados (a) (b) (c) (d) 

2. The Caribbean Grouping established for social, technological and economic development of member 

states is called ------------------ . (a) CARICOM (b) OPEC (c) OAS (d) OECS (a) (b) (c) (d) 

3. Belize and Guyana supply Caribbean countries with ----------------- . 

(a) Beef & Pork (b) oil & sugar (c) lumber & timber (d) rice & cement (a) (b) (c) (d) 

4. Which of these countries use the E.C dollar currency? (a) Monsterrat (b) Martinique (c) Barbados (d) Cuba (a) (b) (c) (d) 

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)




6. When goods are scarce, prices will (a) fall (b) rise (c) fluctuate (d) stabilize (a) (b) (c) (d) 

7. The E.C. dollar is the official currency of Grenada and ----------------------- . (a) Guyana (b) Dominica (c) Jamaica (d) Barbados (a) (b) (c) (d) 

8. Most of Grenada’s foreign exchange comes from (a) tourism (b) petroleum (c) oil (d) bauxite (a) (b) (c) (d) 

9. Which of these is a taxation measure undertaken by government? (a) license fees (b) loans (c) grants (d) bonds (a) (b) (c) (d) 

10. Grenada needs foreign exchange to buy (a) charcoal (b) fish (c) nutmeg (d) cement (a) (b) (c) (d) 

POLITICS/GEOGRAPHY 

1. Which of the following occurred first in the Caribbean/ 

(a) Political Independence (b) Associated Statehood (c) Federation (d) Crown Colony (a) (b) (c) (d) 

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) 

3. Where will you experience the longest winter? (a) Arctic Circle (b) Rain Forest (c) Tropics (d) Equator (a) (b) (c) (d) 

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) 

5. The head of State in Grenada is the ---------------------- . (a) Attorney General (b) Prime Minister (c) Governor (d) Governor General (a) (b) (c) (d) 

6. Which period is free from the threat of hurricanes? 

(a) September –November (b) January – March (c) May – July (d) July – September (a) (b) (c) (d) 

7. Grenada, Jamaica, Trinidad and Barbados are all ---------------------- . 

(a) monarchies (b) presidential states (c) independent states (d) republics (a) (b) (c) (d) 

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) 

9. The two bodies of water which wash the cost of Grenada are the Caribbean Sea and the ---------. 

(a) Orinoco River (b) Atlantic ocean (c) Gulf of Paria (d) Gulf of Mexico (a) (b) (c) (d) 

10. Which is the largest island in the Caribbean? (a) Jamaica (b) Cuba (c) Puerto Rico (d) Haiti (a) (b) (c) (d) 

NATURAL SCIENCE – ANIMALS 

1. Birds and fish both lay eggs and have ---------------- . (a) wings (b) feet (c) scales (d) fins (a) (b) (c) (d) 

2. A tick has ---------- pairs of legs. (a) two (b) three (c) four (d) five (a) (b) (c) (d) 

3 . An animal that captures other animals for food is a ------------------ . (a) predator (b) prey (c) omnivore (d) cannibal (a) (b) (c) (d) 

4. Which one of these animals can be destructive? (a) Honey bee (b) termite (c) earth worm (d) butterfly (a) (b) (c) (d) 

5. Which one is not a mollusk? (a) snail (b) conch (c) oyster (d) crab (a) (b) (c) (d) 

PLANTS 

1. Which is not a main part of the plant? (a)stem (b) root (c) root hairs (d) leaves (a) (b) (c) (d) 

2. Green Plants take in ---------------- in the presence of sunlight. (a)carbon dioxide (b) oxygen (c) nitrogen (d) air (a) (b) (c) (d) 

3. Cabbages and lettuces are green, leafy ----------------- . (a) vegetables (b) roots (c) shoots (d) trees (a) (b) (c) (d) 

4. The male reproductive part of the plant is the ------------ . (a) stamen (b) ovary (c) stigma (d) ovule (a) (b) (c) (d) 

5. The green pigment in the plant is called ---------------- . (a) chlorophyll (b) perennial (c) odour (d) colour (a) (b) (c) (d) 

PHYSICAL SCIENCE 

1. The process of ----------------- changes a liquid into a gas. (a)condensation (b) evaporation (c) melting (d) precipitation (a) (b) (c) (d) 

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) 

3. The instrument used for measuring atmospheric pressure is the ---------- . (a) thermometer (b) barometer (c) anemometer (d) meter (a) (b) (c) (d) 

4. The two points of a magnet are called the magnetic ----------- . (a) poles (b) fronts (c) marks (d) edges (a) (b) (c) (d) 

5. Paper clips, pins and needles can all be attracted to a (a) cushion (b) magnet (c) bed (d) plank (a) (b) (c) (d)



HEALTH SIENCE 

1. Which one of these affects the respiratory system? (a) polio (b) bronchitis (c) typhoid (d) hypertension (a) (b) (c) (d) 

2. To which bodily system does the heart belong? (a) circulatory (b) respiratory (c) excretory (d) digestive (a) (b) (c) (d) 

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) 

4. The outer layer of the skin is called the (a) dermis (b) cuticle (c) papillary region (d) epidermis (a) (b) (c) (d) 

5. Vitamin C helps to prevent (a) common cold (b) night blindness (c) polio (d) mumps (a) (b) (c) (d) 

EARTH SCIENCE 

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) 

2. Which one of these is a satellite? (a) moon (b) sun (c) earth (d) mars (a) (b) (c) (d) 

3. The ------------ system includes the sun, planets and satellites. (a) solar (b) luner (c) water (d) heavenly (a) (b) (c) (d) 

4. Day and night is caused by the earth’s ---------------. (a) spinning (b) rotation (c) revolution (d) movement (a) (b) (c) (d) 

5. A fertile spot in a desert is a/an ---------------------. (a) pond (b) axis (c) oasis (d) shade (a) (b) (c) (d) 

LANGUAGE ARTS 

1. On Saturdays I ------- some housework to help my mother. (a) do (b) did (c) does (d) am doing (a) (b) (c) (d) 

2. Where did he -----------? (a) went (b) go (c) gone (d) going (a) (b) (c) (d) 

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) 

4. She was sure that he did not -------------- the money. (a) stole (b) steal (c) stolen (d) stealing (a) (b) (c) (d) 

5. John and Mary ------------ listening to the radio. (a) likes (b) like (c) do likes (d) does like (a) (b) (c) (d) 

6. The doctor is well known for his ------------- qualities. (a) humane (b) anxious (c) revived (d) relay (a) (b) (c) (d) 

7. Usain Bolt achieved a remarkable --------- in the 2008 Olympics. (a) feat (b) gift (c) task (d) feet (a) (b) (c) (d) 

8. soldiers were sent into the town in order to -------- the riot. (a) quench (b) quell (c) quit (d) quilt (a) (b) (c) (d) 

9. Friends do not ------------- their friends when they are in need. (a) desert (b) delve (c) develop (d) question (a) (b) (c) (d) 

10. We should not -------------------- on the rights of others. (a) encroach (b) insist (c) defy (d) encourage (a) (b) (c) (d) 

MATHEMATICS 

1. A way of writing 3 divided by y is ------------------ . (a)3/y (b) 3xy (c) 3+y (d)3y (a) (b) (c) (d) 

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) 

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) 

4. Choose the one that is arranged in ascending order from least to greatest. 

(a) 2.05, 0.52, 2.50, 0.25 (b) 0.25, 2.50, 0.52, 2.05 

(c) 0.25, 2.05, 2.50, 0.52 (d) 0.25, 0.52, 2.05, 2.50 (a) (b) (c) (d) 

5. Litres can be used to measure all of these except (a) oil (b) cloth (c) gasoline (d) fruit juice (a) (b) (c) (d) 

6. 1500 hours is the same as (a)3:00pm (b) 3:15pm (c) 3:15am (d) 3:00am (a) (b) (c) (d) 

7. The square root of 36 is (a) 6 (b) 3 (c) 9 (d) 18 (a) (b) (c) (d) 

8. Express 48 as a percentage of 60 (a) 125 (b) 80 (c) 20 (d) 12 (a) (b) (c) (d) 

9. The L.C. M. of 12 and 20 is (a) 120 (b) 60 (c) 48 (d) 400 (a) (b) (c) (d) 

10. Two identical triangles can form all of these except 

(a) pentagon (b) square (c) rectangle (d) rhombus (a) (b) (c) (d)



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