Tuesday, February 19, 2019

THE GLEANER, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2019 | www.jamaica-gleaner.com | NEWS

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Former CHEC worker awarded $700K for injuries

Erica Virtue/Senior Gleaner Writer FACEDWITH a 10 percentage-point drop in the rate of used bot- tles and high costs of purchasing new ones for its products, beer manufacturing, production and distribution company Red Stripe has been forced to double payment for each bottle returned to the company. A media blitz by the company, including via text messaging and full-page advertisements in the major local newspapers, calls for individuals to return bottles and be paid $20 for each and $600 per 24-bottle crate. The company hopes the announced increase will entice individuals to return their empties in a surge. Red Stripe bottles, including flavoured beers such as Sorrel and Lemon; Heineken; Guinness; Malta; and Smirnoff Ice, are in demand by the company. Gleaner sources have indicated that there is a chronic shortage of bottles at the company, a claim denied by com- pany officials. “There is no chronic shortage. We spend millions of dollars every year for new bottles and we want to reduce our costs. We have been working on this project for years to ensure there is value for the returns. We are taking a short-term hit, but will reduce the purchase of new glass significantly,” Dianne Ashton Smith, head of corporate relations, told The Gleaner . The beer giant said recycling figures have declined over the last Happy hour for used liquor bottles Red Stripe doubles price for returns but insists there’s no shortage

A FORMER labourer at the China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) has been awarded more than $700,000 for general damages resulting fromhis personal injuries, loss and damage he sustained during the course of his employment, arising from the negligence of the construction company. The ruling was handed down earlier this month by the Supreme Court in downtown Kingston. In the particulars of his claim, KiloWalton said

that while carrying out his duties on August 27, 2015, at a road-construction project at Golden Grove, in St Ann, a brick from a pile broke in two and fell on his right foot. After seeking medical attention, it was revealed that there were broken bones in his leg and a cast was applied to his foot. The cast was removed three months later and he went to work for a different company. During this three-month period, however, Walton said he still experienced pain.

CHEC, in response, acknowledged that Walton was employed by the company, but failed to file a defence. As a result, a judgment in default of the defence was entered. Walton was awarded $737,043.34 for general damages with three per cent interest from the date of service of the claim form, May 5, 2017, to the date of judgment.

nickoy.wilson@gleanerjm.com

Paulwell: Gov’t failed to implement bad gas recommendations

Carlene Davis/Gleaner Writer S HADOW MINISTER on Energy Phillip Paulwell is scolding the Government for what he calls a failure to implement rec- ommendations from the 2016 bad-gas saga. In a statement yesterday, Paulwell called on Energy Minister Fayval Williams to update the nation on the implementation of recom- mendations by the Petroleum Trade Reform Committee (PTRC) that investigated the sub- standard product in the market in 2015. “I am asking the minister to clarify whether the PTRC and the relevant agencies had ceased its implementation meetings since October 2016 and what steps she intends to take to ensure that all the recommendations are implemented to guarantee quality standards in Jamaica’s petroleum sector,” said Paulwell. He was responding to a Sunday Gleaner article in which mechanics and a Petrojam employee expressed concerns about the quality of the gas currently on the market, pinpointing issues with a number of vehicles and saying it could cause lasting damage. “I am extremely surprised to hear of new reports of the possible existence of bad gas in the petroleum retail sector, as Cabinet had accepted the report from the PTRC on August 22, 2016, and agreed to implement a series of recommendations. Apart from the minis- terial document setting out specifications for unwashed gum, it was now apparent that both Minister Dr AndrewWheatley and Prime Minister [Andrew] Holness, in his capacity as minister of energy, failed to follow up and to ensure that the events of 2015 were not repeated,” Paulwell said in a statement yesterday. NO EXCUSES He said the report was fully accepted by the Holness Cabinet, and as a result, there should be no excuses for the failure to implement the recommendations. Yesterday, three regulatory and oversight groups also responded to the concerns that the country might be heading towards another round of bad gas, saying that they have no evi- dence of contaminated fuel in the marketplace. The Bureau of

10 years, coming from a high in 2009 with 95 per cent of bottles being returned, to 85 per cent in 2018. REDUCE ENVIRONMENTAL FOOTPRINT According to Managing Director Ricardo Nuncio, “ ... Sustainability informs all we do at Red Stripe, and it is important that we reduce our environmental footprint. We needed to provide a greater incentive for closed-loop recycling of bottles, in which bottles come back into the production cycle and are cleaned and refilled with the same product.” Nuncio believes the low cost of each returned bottle was the reason consum- ers sent some to landfills. “While everyone wants to do what’s good for the planet, the low value of the bottles made it easy for consumers to

end the practice of forging cover notes and certificates,” said Levy. The study was quick to point out challenges in ascertaining the exact number of registered vehicles and called for a coherent database of the country’s vehicle inventory. “There seem to be some issues establishing the number of vehi- cles on the road based onTAJ data. Also, we should note that some registered vehicles are not in use, laid-up awaiting repairs, written off, stolen and scrapped, for sale and sitting on second-hand car lots, and so the owners may legit- imately have chosen not to insure them,” Levy said. He implored motorists to get insured despite sometimes pro- hibitive price points. “One of the things we encour- age people to do is if you have an insurance company that is telling HAZARD CONTINUED FROM A1 The company’s release said a glass bottle can be reused up to six times in the production cycle without losing its purity and quality. Middlemen are not expected to pay the full $20 cost per bottle and the company is urging individuals to visit its distribution centres in Kingston and Montego Bay. Returns will also be accepted at wholesales across the island and at Red Stripe 214 Exchange in Kingston. The company said it reserves the right to reject bottles and crates that do not meet its quality standards. erica.virtue@ gleanerjm.com discard them. We are confident that the increase in the redemption value of our bottles will drive a culture shift so that buy- drink-return becomes a way of life in Jamaica,”the release said.

(CAC) insist that, so far, they have not received any such reports.

regarding engine damage due to alleged com- promised fuel,” a release issued by the groups said yesterday. The entities said despite having no evidence to corroborate fears of bad gas, they will be increasing monitoring of the sector to give the public greater confidence in the integrity of their fuel supply. “All fuel entering the market, through legal means, at the point of import or refinery must be certified by the BSJ/NCRA prior to release. Any fuel which fails the specification is detained and barred from release in the market until found to be satisfactory,”the release said. It also urged consumers with complaints to report them to the BSJ and the CAC. Paulwell is also seeking, among other things, an update on the drafting of

“This morning, mem- bers of the respective boards of direc- tors and relevant executive teams convened a joint meeting to dis- cuss the concerns raised. The CAC has reported that, to date, they have not received any complaints

a new Petroleum (Quality Control) Bill and Regulations and the establishment of a petroleum inspectorate in the BSJ fully equipped to test samples of petroleum throughout the chain of custody.

Standards Jamaica (BSJ), the National Compliance and Regulatory Authority (NCRA) and the Consumer Affairs Commission

PAULWELL

carlene.davis@gleanerjm.com

Jones said that while the NRSC was primarily focused on reduc- ing traffic injuries and deaths, the non-insurance crisis was a major cause for concern. “It’s the law, and it’s not just a matter of driving safe, it’s pro- tecting those others who, in case there’s a crash, there’s some kind of compensation,” said Jones. Assistant Commissioner of

estimates could very well include fraudulent policies. RAMPANT INDISCIPLINE “If that number is indeed cor- rect, then that is a huge number. It’s a manifestation of the rampant indiscipline and illegality happen- ing in the country,”said Jones.“Part of the reason why so many people are driving without an insurance is because in many instances, peo- ple have forged insurance papers. They are complicit with other agencies, so there’s a big racket going on in the country.” NOTICE Will Mr. Michael Stephens whose last known address is Paul Mountain Above Rocks, St. Catherine or anyone knowing his whereabouts please urgently contact the Child Development Agency; 40 Duke Street, Kingston CSO at 948-1145 or 948-6218.

at and examine, especially against what we know when a person is drivingwithout insurance coverage, and the injuries that one can sustain from a collision,”he said. “That person has nothing to get because the vehicle is not insured, so it is very serious. It is a very seri- ous and frightening revelation.”

Police Calvin Allen, who heads the Public Safety and Traffic Enforcement Branch, said many motorists are before the court for insurance breaches. “We shouldn’t have none at all drivingwithout insurance, but sadly – and the insurance company is the right entity that is in the position to give that sort of feedback – it is something that we have to look

carlene.davis@gleanerjm.com

Friday, February 15, 2019 12 14 16 17 26 1

Dr Lucien Jones, chairman of the National Road Safety Council.

you something that you don’t like, go shop around, because they don’t all operate by the same set of rules,” he said. Vice-chairman of the National Road Safety Council (NRSC), Dr Lucien Jones, told The Gleaner that while he is alarmed by the fig- ures cited in the study, he believes they could possibly be higher. He hinted that the IAJ insurance

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