First Minister Calls National Holiday

To celebrate the EU Court Ruling on Gibraltar´s Corporate Tax regime.

First Minister Peter Caruana has declared January 5th 2009 to be a National Holiday.

We say YES!

It´s Tax Party Time!

Of course the Chief Minister didn't exactly shout  ... "It´s Tax Party Time"!
Although if persistent rumours that he allegedly won the Xmas lottery are true, perhaps he did!
Being a politician his statement is a little bit longer ... Read it Here

Wonder if he buys a Spanish "El Gordo" Navidad Lotto Ticket?
Now that would be interesting ...

Charles & Camilla Not Coming To Gibraltar - Guardia Civil - CM To Wedding

The Government of Gibraltar today released a short statement saying that they were unaware of any Royal visit to Gibraltar by Prince Charles & the Duchess of Cornwall.

The royal couple are due to tour Portugal and Spain.
They are expected to visit Sotogrande but despite visiting a country which is claiming sovereignty over Gibraltar they are not planning to show their support by visiting the British Overseas Territory.

News today that a new and very large Guardia Civil boat is operating in the Bay of Gibraltar.

The Chief Minister & his wife have been invited to the Royal wedding on April 28th.

Gibraltar At The London International Boat Show & Manchester Holiday Show

The Gibraltar Tourist Board is exhibiting at the London International Boat Show from 7th to 16th January 2011.

The exhibition is London’s largest annual event. The show is held at the EXCEL exhibition centre in London’s Docklands.

At the Gibraltar Tourist Board’s stand at the show co-exhibitors will promote Gibraltar’s marinas, yacht registration, yacht brokers, marine insurance,
specialist sailing holidays, water sports and training courses. Gibraltar Tourist Board personnel from the office in London will manage the Gibraltar stand.

The Hon Ernest Britto, Minister for the Environment & Tourism will pay a one-day visit to the Gibraltar stand at the London International Boat Show during the event.

The Gibraltar Tourist Board will travel north for the Manchester Holiday Show held from 14th to 16th January.

The Global Summit For Education Ministers

The Minister for Education & Training, the Hon Clive Beltran, has travelled to London to attend the Education World Forum 2011.
He is accompanied by Dr Joey Britto, the Senior Education Adviser.
This conference has become the internationally recognised ministerial forum for debating future practice in education.

The Education World Forum is supported by the UK government with invitations to education ministers around the world being sent personally from Rt Hon Michael Gove MP, Secretary of State for Education and David Willets MP, Minister of State for Universities and Science.
In January 2011, education ministers and their senior officials and advisers from across the world are gathered in London to address the global challenges facing education.

The Education World Forum is taking place from Monday 10 to Wednesday 12 January and offers unparalleled opportunities for ministerial teams from all participating countries to address economic and educational challenges, share experiences and establish collaborative links.

2011 Gibraltar Annual Art Competition For Young Artists

The Gibraltar Ministry of Culture wishes to remind all young artists of the Art Competition that will be held for them next month.

The competition is open to Gibraltarians and residents of Gibraltar attending school in years 9 to 13 (or College equivalent), as well as to young Gibraltarian artists no longer attending school in Gibraltar and aged up to 24 years old as at 22nd February 2011. A maximum of two artworks (painting and/or sculpture) may be submitted by each artist. Works must be original and not previously entered competitively, with the exception of non-winning entries in the 2010 Spring Art Competition and 2010 International Art Competition. Entries will be exhibited at the Casemates Exhibition Galleries from the 22nd February to 4th March 2011.

Prizes to be awarded are:

1st Prize The Ministry of Culture Prize * £1,000

2nd Prize The Aquagib Award * £500

Additionally, there will be awards of £500 each, kindly donated by the Alwani
Foundation, to the best entry in each of the following age groups:

A. School Years 9 to 11 *

B. School Years 12 to 13 *

* All the above listed winning artworks will become the property of the Ministry of
Culture.

Entry forms and full conditions are available from:

· Bayside and Westside Comprehensive Schools

· Gibraltar College of Further Education

· The Department of Education & Training, 23 Queensway

· The Fine Arts Gallery, Casemates

· John Mackintosh Hall, 308 Main Street

· Ministry of Culture, 310 Main Street

· Or via email from: minculture@gibtelecom.net


Entries may be handed in at the Casemates Exhibition Galleries as from Monday 7th February 2011 from 3.30pm to 6pm.

Closing date for receipt of entries is 6pm on Friday 11th February 2011.

Swine Flu Outbreak And Vaccination - Gibraltar

Winter is the season for Influenza and a large variety of upper respiratory virus infections (collectively called FLU or “Flu Like Illness”). Of these, Influenza is by far the most serious disease but it is also the only one that can be prevented.

Influenza (Flu) is a highly infectious disease caused by a virus. Different strains of virus circulate in different years, but for this season the overwhelmingly dominant strain is the Swine Flu (H1N1-2009) virus that caused the ‘swine flu’ pandemic last year. Unlike other Flu viruses, this virus is particularly severe on pregnant women, young people and people with certain pre-existing diseases. Treatment options for Influenza, once caught are limited, but the disease can be prevented by vaccination. Each year the three most commonly circulating viruses are identified in advance by the World Health Organisation and Seasonal Flu vaccines are produced that closely match them. This winter’s formulation includes the Swine Flu strain and provides protection against it.

The UK has been experiencing a sharp increase in Flu and FLI over the past six weeks. Currently, on average, over 10,000 new cases are being reported every day, of which about 60% are due to Swine Flu, which puts the outbreak at an epidemic level. In addition, 50 deaths have already been reported, most of them in persons who had not taken the vaccine. This includes two young pregnant women, who died shortly after giving birth.

Winter illness in Gibraltar generally follows UK patterns, although sometimes after a
short lag period. In Gibraltar, GPs at the Primary Care Centre have reported increased workloads, but so far the laboratory has not detected swine flu.

The GHA obtained stocks of Seasonal Flu Vaccine (containing Swine Flu protection)
and started offering it to high-risk groups of the public (see table) from October 2010.
Just over half the stock has been used up to date. Stocks of the single Swine Flu
vaccine are also available as a back-up.

1) All persons aged 65 years or over.

2) Persons aged between 6 months and 65 years, who meet these conditions:

Persons who suffer from High Risk diseases

• Severe Asthma


• Chest complaints, including bronchitis and emphysema


• A heart problem


• A kidney disease


• A liver disease


• A neurological condition, e.g. MS or cerebral palsy


• A stroke or a transient ischaemic attack (TIA)


• Diabetes

• Steroid medication


• Cancer treatment


• Problem with the spleen (or have had the spleen removed).

• GHA employees


• Care Agency employees


• Other Doctors, Nurses, Dentists and Pharmacists.

Gibraltar Chief Minister's New Years Address 6th January 2011

Good evening.
I trust and hope that you have had a happy and enjoyable Christmas and New Year festive period with your family and friends.

THE ECONOMY
2010 has been a very challenging and difficult year for much of Europe and the world from an economic and therefore social perspective, as the financial crisis and global economic recession continue to undermine economies, employment levels, public finances and public services in most countries.
In some countries the effects of the large scale loss of jobs and basic public service and welfare cuts have even led to significant social unrest.
Happily for us all, this has not been our experience here in Gibraltar.
Our economy has continued to perform admirably: employment levels have held up well, the Government's budget remains in good surplus and we have been able to maintain, indeed to increase the level of pensions and public services (while other have had to cut or freeze them) and to continue with our policy of cutting taxation (at a time when others are having to raise them).
This will continue, since Gibraltar continues to do well, and our economy continues to grow.
Yet despite the reality, as shown by the figures, and what you can see and experience for yourselves and can compare of Gibraltar's situation with what you see happening in other countries, Mr Bossano constantly tries to suggest a different economic reality.
He tries to make you believe that the economy is not as rosy as the Government says.
Well, if he really believes what he says then, come the next Elections he must not offer his usual orgy of election goodies since he must think that they are not affordable.
It has to be one or the other.
It cannot be both depending on whether he wants to criticise the Government's handling of the economy or to try for a fourth time to buy votes at election time.
No one will buy his secret, miracle economic Plan stunt again.

The New Year saw Gibraltar's economy confidently entering a new era with a new company tax regime: the end of the Gibraltar exempt company and the introduction of a 10% tax rate, down from 22% but applicable to all companies.
This took effect on 1 January.
The tax exempt company has been the mainstay of Gibraltar's finance centre (and therefore a crucial aspect of our economy) since the mid 1960s.
It is a measure of the Government's success in repositioning and rebuilding the finance centre and the economy generally that it should be possible to abolish the zero tax exempt company without this undermining our economy and attractiveness as a place to do business.
We are no longer a tax haven.
We have become a mainstream, respected and reputable international finance centre and business location.
This is the reward for Gibraltar now of 15 years of careful vision and economic leadership by the Government.

One of the ways in which Gibraltar has been affected by the global financial crisis is that it is harder for buyers to find a mortgage.
Accordingly, the Government is examining a scheme that will ensure greater availability of mortgage finance especially to local first time home buyers.

MOD BUDGET CUTS
As you will all know, the global recession and financial crisis has required the UK Government to cut back public spending significantly.
This has affected the Ministry of Defence as well, causing implications for Gibraltar since the MOD's presence in Gibraltar cannot escape those budget cuts.
But, as a result of the foresight of the Gibraltar Government and the action already taken by it in signing the Global Agreements with the MOD in 2007, Gibraltar is well placed to face those MOD cuts, and the jobs of the MOD staff affected are already protected.
These 2007 agreements are one of many examples of how the good working relations between the Government and the trades unions has led to agreements that are good for the interests of workers in Gibraltar.
The 2007 agreements were proposed and negotiated by the Government in anticipation of the MOD budget coming under further pressure, and had two purposes: firstly, to provide job security to MOD employees in Gibraltar; and secondly, to help ensure the MOD's politically and economically valuable presence in Gibraltar in the face deep cuts to its operations and presence in the UK and around the world.
As a result of these agreements the MOD cannot now reduce its workforce below an agreed level except by voluntary redundancies.
Any jobs lost above that level in most MOD work areas are picked up and protected by the Government.
This also applies to local, ex MOD and Ex WSM employees in Serco, who thus have nothing to fear from Serco's replacement.
These arrangements deliver an unprecedented level of job security to local MOD and MOD ISP contractor workers, which is particularly valuable and reassuring to them at this time of deep MOD budget cuts.
At the same time they help the MOD by allowing them to pull out of certain activities in Gibraltar which are not core defence activities, by transferring them to the Gibraltar Government and becoming our customers in those services, for which of course they will pay the full cost.
In this way Gibraltar, MOD employees and the MOD itself all benefit.

INVESTING IN OUR FUTURE
At the same time we are engaged in an unprecedented level of investment to ensure that Gibraltar continues to enjoy economic and social prosperity, high quality of life and standard of living, and thus political safety in the future for many generations to come, while remaining well within financially prudent limits on things such as the Government's annual budget spending and public debt.
As you know, our political opponents criticise everything that the Government does to invest for our future success: the size, shape, location, content and, if all else fails, the cost of all these necessary investments.
Well, leadership is partly about vision, an understanding of what ensuring Gibraltar's success in the future requires you to do now, and the foresight and courage to do it.
We have that responsibility to our children, grandchildren and future generations.
Some would- be Gibraltar leaders clearly do not have this.
None of the Government's projects are too expensive, too opulent or too big or unnecessary.
All of them are important to Gibraltar's modernisation and future economic and social prosperity.
But, since the benefits come in the future it is, as you have seen, possible for visionless, politically opportunistic opponents of the Government to speculate now about size, cost, value and need.
They are wrong, and time will show this.
As you walk or drive around Gibraltar you cannot fail to see the results of the Government's huge programme to modernise and transform Gibraltar through investments that both address our current social needs and ensure Gibraltar's continuing prosperity in the future.
A number of significant projects were completed in 2010 and many more are at advanced stage of construction.
In relation to the Government's main area of focus this term: traffic and parking, last year saw completion of:

• the excellent Dudley Ward tunnel and access road project, one of Gibraltar's largest civil engineering projects of modern times, which now allows the safe use of Dudley Ward tunnel and the restoration of two way traffic around the Rock, helping in the process to ease traffic fluidity to and from the South districts.
  Only the most churlish of critics would fail to acknowledge the excellence of this new public amenity;


• The equally excellent Trafalgar Interchange, which apart from providing an attractive urban landscape, has successfully addressed and remedied one of Gibraltar's most historically troublesome traffic choke points, and hugely improved traffic flow;


• Phase 1 of the Devil's Tower Road Multi Storey Car Park, which has already transformed the parking situation in the area for residents, church goers, visitors to the cemetery and businesses in Devil's Tower Road, as well as other people in Gibraltar; And, as you can all see, many important projects that form part of the Government's Integrated Traffic, Parking and Transport Plan are well under way: • The rebuilding of Devil's Tower Road into a dual carriage way with new utility services beneath it;


• The new tunnel under the runway;


• The new dual carriageway from Devil's Tower Road to the frontier via Eastern Beach and the tunnel;


• The new road linking Europort to Queensway via coaling island

Gibraltar Spring Festival 2011 – Logo Competition

The Ministry of Culture is holding a competition to select the Logo for the Gibraltar
Spring Festival 2011.
The competition is open to persons of all ages who may submit up to two original
works. Entries on paper or card must be submitted in an A4 size indicating whether
the orientation is ‘portrait’ or ‘landscape’. It may contain up to three colours.
Logos should be simple in design and suitable for printing on posters, flyers, tickets
or other promotional material and must contain the wording: ‘GIBRALTAR SPRING
FESTIVAL 2011’
The prize for the winning entry is £300.
Entry forms and full conditions are available from The Ministry of Culture, 310 Main
Street where works may be handed in between 9.30am to 1.00pm and 2.30pm to
5.00pm, Monday to Friday.

The closing date for receipt of entries is: Friday 18th March 2011.

For any enquiry please contact the Ministry of Culture, 310 Main Street, Gibraltar,
Tel: 200 47592 or 200 48063;
Fax: 200 52589;
e-mail: minculture@gibtelecom.net

You can download the entry form here : Entry_Form_and_Rules_Logo_2011.pdf

Gibraltar: New Years Eve Celebrations

The Ministry of Culture is pleased to announce that the organisation, production and
staging of this year’s New Year Celebrations have been awarded to Events Unlimited. The New Year’s Eve Celebrations will be held on Thursday 31st December 2010 at Casemates Square from 10.30pm to 3am.
The Ministry has been working closely with Events Unlimited in order to provide a very entertaining event. The programme to be presented should result in the general
public attending Casemates Square having a most enjoyable time.
The night will kick off at 10.30 pm with Steve Adams who will perform until just before
the midnight countdown, when a zero fall out fireworks display will take place.
After the Midnight Fireworks, the entertainments programme will be led by the popular Irish Dance Band "BACKBEAT", who are already well known locally as they performed at this year’s Summer Nights.
The Ministry for Culture takes this opportunity to wish everyone in Gibraltar a Happy
New Year.

Change Of Gibraltar Post-Office Collection Point

Customers who normally collect undeliverable flats / non-dutiable packets from the
North & South District Post Offices may be required, during the Christmas period, to
collect some of these items from the PO Box Unit in Irish Town.
Customers are kindly requested to carefully read the collection address on the
Notification to Collect Card as these will advise the precise location from which an
item has to be collected.
The Royal Gibraltar Post Offices would like to apologise to its customers at the
districts for any inconvenience that this may cause. Normal service is expected to
be resumed in the New Year.

Chief Minister On London Visit

The Chief Minister leaves for London today where he will host a dinner for MPs at Gibraltar House.
The Chief Minister will also have meetings with the UK’s Minister for Gambling and with new official at the FCO dealing with Gibraltar related matters.

Minister Netto At Drug awareness Event In Algeciras

The Minister for Family, Youth and Community Affairs, will be travelling this evening
(Tuesday 14th December), to Algeciras as a result of an invitation by the
Mancomunidad de Municipios, Anti-Drug Co-ordinator, Miguel Alberto Diaz. The
occasion for the visit will be to celebrate the 20’th anniversary of the Drug Awareness campaign ‘Barrio Vivo’, which aims to educate communities of the dangers of drugs and the search for alternative ways of contributing to the social cohesion of communities.
Accompanying the Minister, will be Drug Strategy Co-ordinator and Team Leader for Rehabilitation Services, Mr John Montegriffo.
Among the VIP’s present there will be, ‘La Delegada del Gobierno para el Plan
Nacional de Drogas, Dna Nuria Espi de Navas’; ‘La Directora General de Servicios
Sociales y atención a las Drogodependencias del la Junta de Andalucia, Dna Ana
Gómez Pérez’; the Major of Algeciras, D. Diego Sànchez Rull; and the President of
La Mancomunidad de Municipios del Campo de Gibraltar, Dna Isabel Beneroso
among other dignitories’.

Edinburgh House Playground Facilities

The Government notes the understandable concern expressed by children in the area of Edinburgh House about any loss of playing facilities in the area. The policy of the
Government is to increase not decrease local playing and recreational areas.
The advertising of projects by their promoters for the purposes of giving public notice of applications for planning permission does not of itself signify Government consent or
agreement to the advertised project.

The Government will not allow the loss, or even reduction of public, open air play areas in the area of Edinburgh House, or anywhere else in Gibraltar on Government owned land.
Children in Edinburgh House can therefore rest assured that no development will be
allowed by Government that has this effect.

Museum Lecture Series: The Heritage Crusades: Have we got it terribly wrong?

The closing lecture of the Gibraltar Museum’s 80th Anniversary series promises to be a must for all those who have an interest in heritage.
In it Professor Clive Finlayson, Director of the Gibraltar Museum, will attempt to answer the burning question - what is heritage? The lecture will include a history of the last five decades that have seen the rise of heritage as a powerful social and political force across the western world.

He will use his own eyes and personal experience from Gibraltar and work he has
conducted abroad, including missions carried out for UNESCO, since the 1970s to
provide a commentary and a personal take on heritage and its meaning. The lecture will emphasize the distinction between history and heritage which are often equated but are very different concepts and world views.
Following the arguments developed by Professor David Lowenthal of University College, London, over a decade ago, Professor Finlayson will argue that heritage must not be confused with history, which is the academic study of the past. Heritage is, instead, largely a social construct – it is a fabrication based on how people at any point in space and time choose to define it.
Thus heritage reflects a peculiar and particular take on history’s legacy which is imbued with a high dose of subjectivity, personal and communal choice and, often, an element of forgetting what may be seen as inconvenient or unworthy of commemoration.
Does this mean that heritage is meaningless? Professor Finlayson will argue that, so long as we see it for what it is, heritage can have an important social and economic function in the improvement of the quality of life of communities.
But, he warns, it can also be a tool wielded in the interests of sectorial nationalisms.

The lecture will be delivered on Tuesday, 7th December, 2010, in the John
Mackintosh Hall at 2030 hours. All are welcome.

2010 - 2011 Annual Art Competition For Young Artists

The Ministry of Culture, in collaboration with The Fine Arts Association and the
Department of Education & Training, will hold its Annual Art Competition for Young
Artists in February 2011.

The competition is open to Gibraltarians and residents of Gibraltar attending school
in years 9 to 13 (or College equivalent), as well as to young Gibraltarian artists no
longer attending school in Gibraltar and aged up to 24 years old as at 22nd February
2011. A maximum of two artworks (painting and/or sculpture) may be submitted by
each artist. Works must be original and not previously entered competitively, with
the exception of non-winning entries in the 2010 Spring Art Competition and 2010
International Art Competition. Entries will be exhibited at the Casemates Exhibition
Galleries from the 22nd February to 4th March 2011.

Prizes to be awarded are:

1st Prize The Ministry of Culture Prize £1,000

2nd Prize The Aquagib Award £500

Additionally, there will be awards of £500 each, kindly donated by the Alwani
Foundation, to the best entry in each of the following age groups:

A. School Years 9 to 11

B. School Years 12 to 13



* All the above listed winning artworks will become the property of the Ministry of
Culture.

Commenting on the announcement the Minister for Culture, The Honourable Edwin
Reyes said:

“The Ministry of Culture is keen to develop the increasing interest shown by young
Gibraltarians in the Fine Arts. Therefore, we are once again organising a
competition exclusively for Young Artists.

I am pleased that Gibraltar’s well-established supporters of the Fine Arts, namely
the Alwani Foundation and Aquagib, have responded positively and once again
agreed to become sponsors in respect of some of the prizes to be awarded.

I wholeheartedly recommend we collectively encourage our promising young artists
to participate in this special Art Competition, which I am confident will again prove to
be a great success.”

Entry forms and full conditions are available from:

Bayside and Westside Comprehensive Schools

Gibraltar College of Further Education

The Department of Education & Training, 23 Queensway

The Fine Arts Gallery, Casemates

John Mackintosh Hall, 308 Main Street

Ministry of Culture, 310 Main Street

Or via email from: minculture@gibtelecom.net

Entries may be handed in at the Casemates Exhibition Galleries as from Monday 7th
February 2011 from 3.30pm to 6pm.

Closing date for receipt of entries is 6pm on Friday 11th February 2011.

Caruana Attempts To Explain Andorra Comments

In a statement released to the Gibraltar Chronicle, Gibraltar's Chief Minister Peter Caruana has attempted to explain his recent comments at the Fórum Tribuna Andalucía in Seville. He does so in response to criticism from Maurice Xiberras.

Full text of Mr Xiberras's letter and the Chief Minister's response can be found here.

The video is of the Chief Minister's speech and question and answer session at the Fórum Tribuna Andalucía. It is over 90 minutes in length ...

Minister Congratulates Dancers

The Minister for Culture, Heritage, Sport & Leisure, the Hon Edwin Reyes, has
congratulated all the dancers from the different dance groups who participated, under
the auspices of the Gibraltar National Dance Organisation, at this year’s World Show
Dance Championships held last week in Germany.

Commenting on their recent achievements, the Minister said:

‘The bronze medals achieved in the Children Solo Female section by Janice Felices
and in the Junior Duets discipline by Lauren Schembri and Chelsey Celecia is a great
achievement and an outstanding success worthy of particular mention.

Congratulations also go to other recipient of trophies, namely the 4th place in the
Children’s Duet category attained by Janice Felices and Julia Horne, and the ‘Tribal
Rhythm’ Children’s Group and the 5th place achieved by the Adult Group ‘Unknown
Species’. They proved to be praiseworthy participants.’

All members of the Dance Team representing Gibraltar in various categories in the
World Show Dance Championships have done us extremely proud.
The
encouraging results achieved at these World Championships once again bring to
light the high standards and dedication of our dancers and their respective coaches.’

Lindsay Robba

This is Lindsay Caroline Robba's Demo Scenes From Her Supporting Lead Role in 2009's 'Open Graves' Starring Ethan Rains, Mike Vogel and Eliza Dushku.

Chief Minister In Seville

The Chief Minister Peter Caruana travels to Seville this evening to record an in-depth
interview with Canal Sur Radio. The programme, “Encuentros en Canal Sur Radio”,
directed and presented by Joaquin Duran, features well-known personalities talking about their lives, careers and current affairs. The programme will be broadcast on Friday at 8:30 in the evening.

Tomorrow morning, the Chief Minister is guest speaker at the Forum Europa organized by Nueva Economia Forum, In the Hotel Alfonso XIII. The event is being attended by
numerous top executives, politicians and businessmen from across Andalucia.

80th Anniversary Gibraltar Museum Lecture Series

Dr Darren Fa, the Education Officer at the Gibraltar Museum, will be giving the next
lecture in the Gibraltar Museum series on Tuesday 30th November, entitled:

“Collections and Connections”

Early museums started off as ‘cabinets of curiosities’, usually created by wealthy
aristocrats for their personal delight and amusement. Over time, the concept of the
museum as a space for the collection, curation, research and exhibition of artefacts
for public benefit evolved. The one thing that sets a museum apart from the myriad of
interpretation centres, documentary re-enactments and multimedia reconstructions is
its collections. Regardless of the realism of a reconstruction, the ‘power of the real
thing’ is evident to anyone who has actually stood in front of Tutankhamen’s gold
mask, visited Stonehenge, or held a fossil in their hand for the first time.

One thing that the artefacts in the Gibraltar Museum collections can do is to provide
connections to those people in the past that used, made, or in some way interacted
with them. They also allow us to explore a myriad of links between such objects via
real people and events, some of which will be explored in this talk.

The lecture will take place at the John Mackintosh Hall, commencing at 2030 hours.
All lectures are open to the public and are free of charge.

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