February 2017 |Business View Caribbean

12 13 “We expect that we will begin to turn the tide on the upsurge of violent crimes and homicides in particular and that is why in 2016 and again in 2017,we gave national security the largest allotment ever since the cre- ation of that ministry,” Harris said. That investment equated to $63 million for the 2016 fiscal year and then jumped to $71.7 million for the 2017 fiscal year.“That is invest- ment; the people of the country require returns on their investment,” Harris stated. Last month, during the first Commissioner’s Lecture of 2017, Commis- sioner of Police Ian Queeley, signaled that police will have a greater presence in communities and will follow through on strategies outlined in the six-point plan of action to reduce homicides and violent crimes of 2015. The plan hinges on crime prevention, intelligence-led policing, targeted operations, collaboration with other agencies, engagement of stakeholders and improvement in administration. There have been positive gains made by law enforcement since its unveiling. These include decreases in a number of areas of reported crime, transparent promotions, and 36 illegal guns — a record number — being seized in 2016.Queeley has set a goal of reducing criminal activities by ten percent in 2017. opening lines Participants at a recently concluded high-level forum in The Bahamas want energy to be placed squarely before the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) heads of govern- ment to generate speedier action and firmer commitments to the transition to renewables. The general thinking at the Fifth Caribbean Sustainable Energy Forum (CSEF V) held from 23–25 January, 2017, in Nassau,was that while there is steady progress, the chal- lenges of transitioning to clean energy can be solved if they are placed in a political context. This is against the background of the promotion of sustainable energy as the vehicle through which CARICOM member states will become economically competitive and advance the human services that are required for an ac- ceptable quality of life.The bottom line is the availability of more reliable energy and the ability of citizens of the Community to enjoy cleaner energy, hence the need for political attention. Stakeholders Want CARICOM Heads of Government to Meet on Energy