Curtly Richards

Business Insight

3 months ago in Business Insight by Curtly Richards

Environment Ministers’ Council

Minister for Environment and Climate Change Prof John Cortes chaired a virtual meeting of the Council of Environment Ministers from the UK Overseas Territories (OTs) and Crown Dependencies (CDs). The Council was set up at a meeting in Gibraltar’s Garrison Library in 2015, and has met at least annually since.

The meeting was attended by Environment Ministers, or equivalents, and senior officials from all the territories in question, as well as their London representatives, and the UK Overseas Territories’ Association (UKOTA), with the secretariat provided by the UK Overseas Territories’ Conservation Forum (UKOTCF).

The Rt Hon Lord Benyon, UK DEFRA Minister of State (Minister for Biosecurity, Marine and Rural Affairs) attended the meeting and participated in the discussions. These covered a wide range of topics, including representation in Conferences of the Parties of environmental conventions and agreements, biodiversity, funding for environmental projects, and management of protected areas.

All present considered the meeting to be useful and successful and agreed to increase the frequency to at least every six months.

Minister Cortes commented, “All the OTs and CDs are very different from each other in many ways, but also share many common challenges, problems and opportunities. These meetings of the Council have proved extremely useful in pushing the environmental agenda both in our small jurisdictions and also in the UK.”

Kindred CEO RESIGNS

Gibraltar employer Kindred Group plc has announced that its Board of Directors received the resignation of CEO Henrik Tjärnström, effective immediately. The Board of Directors has appointed Nils Andén as interim CEO, also effective immediately.

“I look very much forward to working closely with our Board of Directors, the executive management team and all employees to achieve the goals of Kindred”, said Nils Andén. “I re-joined Kindred in 2020 as its Chief Commercial officer, after having had positions within Kindred between 2006 and 2016 as Head of Poker, Head of Established Markets and Chief Marketing Officer for the Unibet brand. I have a strong belief in our organisation and the business models that have made this Company so successful and am more confident than ever in Kindred’s potential.”

“I am very pleased with the Board of Directors’ choice of Nils Andén as the interim CEO, guaranteeing a smooth hand over”, says Henrik Tjärnström.

“Henrik has been at the helm through many important milestones passed by Kindred and has undoubtedly put his mark in both the history of the Company and the industry. Thus, on behalf of the Board of Directors and all shareholders I would like to thank Henrik for his valuable contributions to the success of Kindred throughout the years he has led the Company and wish him well in his future endeavours”, said Evert Carlsson, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Kindred.

The company operates 32Red and Unibet amongst others.

The BIBA conference 2023

Gibraltar Finance attended and exhibiting at the British Insurance Brokers’ Association (BIBA) annual conference and exhibition at Manchester Central in the United Kingdom.

The BIBA conference is one of Europe’s largest insurance gatherings and in 2022 there were 8,066 attendees and 222 exhibitors including 5,169 brokers.

Michael Ashton, Senior Executive, represented Gibraltar Finance and he was joined on the stand by five insurance professionals from Gibraltar.

The Hon Albert Isola MP, Gibraltar’s Minister for Digital and Financial Services stated, “The insurance industry is a significant and core part of Gibraltar’s financial services sector. It 2022 the total gross premium income collectively written by all Gibraltar’s insurance companies reached circa £7 billion for the first time and Gibraltar’s motor insurers’ share of the UK motor insurance market exceeded 30% again for the first time.

BIBA offers the opportunity to showcase Gibraltar’s vibrant insurance sector, which has also seen significant growth in pet insurance and the intermediation of travel insurance in recent years, to a wide audience and to emphasise Gibraltar’s unique passporting rights into the United Kingdom.

A special thank you to all five insurance professionals who travelled to Manchester to support the Gibraltar Finance stand at BIBA 2023.”

NEW MID-HARBOUR AGREEMENT

His Majesty’s Government of Gibraltar recently granted a Licence Agreement to Mid-Harbour Small Boat’s Marina Association for an area of land at 6 Coaling Island Road for the purpose of a boat repairing and service yard.

This will provide the Association’s berth holders with an area where they can haul out their boats and carry out maintenance and repairs.

The Licence Agreement was signed at No6 Convent Place by Managing Director of Land Property Services, Kevin De Los Santos on behalf of HMGoG and John Collins as President of the Mid-Harbour Small Boats’s Marina Association.

Adopt don’t Shop

5 months ago in Animals & Pets by Curtly Richards

Please consider adopting one of these babies. They have been waiting a long time for a forever home.

Armed Forces

5 months ago in Armed Forces by Curtly Richards

University Royal Navy Unit Visit

Twenty Five officer cadets and staff from Birmingham, Wales, Bristol and Devon University Royal Navy Units (URNU) recently visited Gibraltar for a weeklong programme.

The cadets, who are all university students, participate in a placement at the URNU for approximately 3 years where they are given the opportunity to gain Royal Navy insights such as navigation and leadership skills.

During the visit, the cadets were involved in helping clean, paint and conduct laborious tasks at O’Hara’s and Princess Anne’s Battery, alongside the Gibraltar Heritage Trust. That evening, they attended an event with the Gibraltar Heritage Trust and Commander British Forces Gibraltar, Commodore (Cdre) Tom Guy.

When the cadets weren’t helping at the Batteries, they attempted the challenging Mediterranean Steps, toured St Michaels Cave, Great North Road tunnels, Great Siege Tunnels, Alameda Botanical Gardens, the Trafalgar Cemetery and HMS Trent.

During their time in the Trafalgar Cemetery, the cadets discussed and learned about the history of the Battle of Trafalgar and Gibraltar’s part in bringing Admiral Lord Nelson ashore. That afternoon, the Units visited His Majesty’s Naval Base, for an insightful question and answer session with Cdre Guy where they were given an update on the Royal Navy’s role in Gibraltar.

Coxswain of the URNU, Warrant Officer Class 1 Grover said, “It’s not often you get this kind of access to a 1 Star officer, so the cadets relished it. Especially twice in one week.”

Promotion Within The RG

The Royal Gibraltar Regiment is delighted to announce that Private (Pte) Brosco recently returned to Gibraltar after having passed the Potential Junior Non-Commissioned Officers (PJNCO) course at the Infantry Training Centre in Catterick.

The course brings together private reservist soldiers from Infantry Regiments across the UK, putting them through their paces in their first promotion-ready course as part of their career within the British Army.

The course, which is run over 19 days, focuses primarily on infantry fieldcraft, tactics and physical endurance in inclement weather conditions.

Pte Brosco’s skills and training were put to the test over a four night period when he was tasked with completing two field exercises.

Additionally, whilst starting his Army Leadership and Development Programme, Pte Brosco was tested on both day and night navigation. All of the training provided critical infantry development towards becoming a Lance Corporal on his return to the Regiment.

Westside Pupils Visit GDP Dog Section

Five Westside School pupils visited the Gibraltar Defence Police Dog Section as part of a study programme.

During their visit, the students were able to have a look around the kennels and the free run training area where they met various police dogs and got an insight into life as a dog handler.

The Gibraltar Defence Police have recently received three new police dogs, all German Shepherds, who will come into service once they have finished their training.

First Gibraltar Team to compete in the Gothia Cup

5 months ago in Features by Curtly Richards

The Gothia Cup is the world’s largest youth football tournament and for the first time ever a team from Gibraltar will be travelling to Gothenburg, Sweden to take part in the international tournament taking place from Sunday 16th to Sunday 23rd July.

The tournament has been organized since 1975 by professional football club BK Häcken. The trip has been made possible with sponsorship from Pär Magnus Roos, who became the owner of Europa Point FC just over a year ago.

The tournament is so much more than football. There will be opportunities for the under-14s team consisting of between sixteen to eighteen players from Gibraltar to meet people from all over the world, including Australia, Africa, South America, Europe, Asia and North America and for them to make lifelong memories and friendships

The youth team will be travelling with two trainers: Kai Soithongsuk and Luke Timmins. When not training or competing, they will have free time to explore what is on offer in one of Europe’s premier event cities and to take advantage of some of the wonderful sights and activities available in Gothenburg.

Head of Youth at Europa Point FC Martin Falkeborn says that the kids are very much looking forward to the tournament.

Travel Facts

5 months ago in Features/Travel by Curtly Richards

Aviation Numbers

Did you know that there are 61,000 people in the air over the USA at any given time on any given day and that one-third of the world’s airports are located over there?

According to official numbers released by the Airports Council International (ACI), Atlanta has reclaimed its crown as the world’s busiest airport in the world. Nearly 94 million passengers passed through Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in 2022, a 24% increase from the prior year. For 22 years Hartsfield-Jackson held the title but was surpassed by Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport in China in 2020, only to regain it after the end of the pandemic.

Highest Statues

The tallest statue in the world is the Statue of Unity located in Sadhu Bet, Gujarat, India at 182m high. It was inaugurated in October 2018 to commemorate the 143rd birth anniversary of Indian statesman and independence activist Vallabhbhai Patel, who was the first deputy prime minister and home minister of independent India.

The Spring Temple Buddha, located within the Fodushan Scenic Area, Henan Province in China comes in at second highest at 128m. The statue represents the Vairocana Buddha in a standing position on a lotus-shaped throne.

The third tallest statue in the world is the Laykyun Sekkya with a height of 115.8 m. located in the Khatakan Taung village, Sagaing Region, Myanmar. The Laykyun Sekkya Statue unveils a standing Buddha just beside a reclining Buddha statue. The construction of the statue took 12 years to complete starting in 1996 and was completed in 2008.

Largest Island

You might think that Australia is the world’s largest island at nearly 3 million square miles. However, the proper definition of an island is a landmass that is entirely surrounded by water and is smaller than a continent therefore Australia, as a continent of its own, is ineligible for consideration as an island. Greenland is the world’s largest island with an area of 822,700 square miles. Despite its enormous size, Greenland is one of the most sparsely populated regions in the world and currently its population stands at 57,046.

Beaches

Australia has almost 12,000 beaches along its 60,000km (37,282mi) coastline. If you visited one per day, it would take more than 32 years to see them all!

Swimming Pigs

You can swim with pigs on the island of Exuma, one of the hundreds of islands in the Bahamas. Pig Beach located on Big Major Cay is uninhabited and the pigs are not native to the island. Some say they were left by a group of sailors, who planned to come back and cook them.

Leaning Big Ben

Big Ben (Elizabeth Tower) in London is leaning over so much it can now be seen with the naked eye and may eventually become unstable if left uncorrected. In 4,000 years it will be at the same angle as the Leaning Tower of Pisa

Least Visited Country

The least visited country in the world is Tuvalu, located halfway between Australia and Hawaii in the west-central Pacific Ocean. It’s a coral atoll nation, which means it sits on a ring-shaped coral reef encircling a lagoon, with islands along the rim. The country is a stunning oasis, but the UN included the islands in a list of places that could completely disappear due to rising sea levels in the next century. Tuvalu has a population of nearly 11,000 and only receives around 4,000 visitors a year.

Monaco vs Central Park

Monaco is smaller than Central Park in New York. With an area of just 0.78 square miles and a population of 38,300, Monaco is one of the densest countries in the world. Central Park is about 840 acres or 1.31 square miles in size, making Monaco roughly 60% of the size of the world-famous park.

North Yorkshire God’s own Country

5 months ago in Features/Travel by Curtly Richards

What does North Yorkshire conjure up for you? Maybe it is the rolling landscape of the valleys and the vast expanses of heather-covered moors together with beautiful areas of unspoiled wilderness. Maybe it is the image of times gone by with the cotton mills and its rich textile heritage.

Whatever you think about North Yorkshire, the largest county in England, it is definitely a beautiful location that is often referred to as “God’s Own Country,” which is no wonder seeing that it incorporates the Yorkshire Dales and the North York Moors National Parks.

The historic city of York traces its history back some 2,000 years to AD 71 when it was founded by the Romans. The first mention of its Roman name, ‘Eboracum’ can be traced back to around AD 95 and over 200 years later, Roman emperor Constantine the Great was declared emperor here in AD 306. The Saxons followed the Romans and knew it as ‘Eoforwick’ and the Vikings, who followed them, named it ‘Jorvik’.

With its rich history, it is strange that the city centre of York has only just gained UNESCO World Heritage Status. As you wander around the city you will notice a huge variety of ancient buildings, architecture dating back to medieval times, magnificent Georgian town houses and its Victorian railway station, as well as the longest stretch of intact city walls in England, small parts of which date back to the Romans.

A layer of history is unpeeled at every turn, from the Norman castle to the ruined Benedictine monastery, but there are two locations that should not be missed. The first is the Gothic splendour of York Minster, one of the largest cathedrals in northern Europe, situated in the heart of the city. Look out for the incredible stained glass Rose Window that commemorates the end of the War of the Roses and the beautiful ‘Heart of Yorkshire’ which sits in the Great West window where legend says that if you kiss your partner beneath the window you will stay together forever.

Shambles is the second must-see on any visit to York. This medieval street consists of mostly timber buildings that date back as far as the 13th Century. With its cobbled streets, overhanging buildings and maze-like alleyways it is believed to have been the inspiration behind Diagon Alley from the film adaptation of the Harry Potter series. This is the place to go to find quirky boutiques and cafes as well as gift and sweet shops.

If you want to venture a bit further from York, head to the ancient market town of Pickering and hop on a train to Whitby on the Yorkshire coast. The North Yorkshire Moors Railway is a world-famous heritage railway that runs through the North York Moors National Park. Owned and operated by a charitable trust, the line runs for 24 miles with the whole journey taking around 1 hour 50 minutes.

The fishing port of Whitby is situated at the mouth of the River Esk and during the Middle Ages it was the home to herring and whaling fleets, but it still has a thriving fishing industry today. Whether you’re looking for some delicious seafood or traditional fish and chips, there are plenty of restaurants to choose from along Whitby’s famous harbour.

Captain Cook learned his trade as a seaman in Whitby and it was here that the ship that took him on his voyage of discovery to Australia, HMS Endeavour, was built. Another person of note was Bram Stoker, and it was whilst staying in Whitby that he got much of his inspiration for the novel Dracula, a rare signed copy of which can be found in Whitby Abbey. The 13th-century Gothic Abbey, maintained by English Heritage, dominates the skyline above Whitby. There is plenty to discover, both in the Abbey grounds and in the visitor centre, located in a 17th century mansion.

Robin Hood’s Bay is a small fishing village and bay on the coast not far from Whitby and Scarborough. Situated within the North York Moors National Park on the Cleveland Way national trail and also the end point of Wainwright’s Coast to Coast walking route, it is an ideal place to go for walking, hiking, cycling, and exploring everything that the area has to offer. Known to the locals as ‘Bay Town’, there is no evidence that the village has ties with the Robin Hood who robbed the rich to feed the poor. Consisting of a maze of tiny streets, there is reputed to be a network of subterranean passageways linking houses and used by smugglers in the 18th century to hide their contraband.

For more info chris@visitnorthyorkshire.com

Police Insight

5 months ago in Features by Curtly Richards

BRONZE COMMANDER QUALIFICATION

Question: What do big football matches, political demonstrations and music festivals all have in common?

Answer: They all attract big crowds and, certainly in the case of football matches and political demonstrations, not everyone in the crowd always agrees with everyone else!

In order to ensure public safety at all major events, the RGP uses three levels of command, Gold (strategic level), Silver (tactical level) and Bronze (the operational level). The RGP’s Inspector Sean Picton has just returned from Kent where he was successful in passing the College of Policing’s Public Order, Public Safety Bronze Commanders’ Course.

Elements of the course included Operational Planning, Legal Requirements, Resources, Use of Cordons, Barriers and Vehicles, and Contingency Planning. The task for Inspector Picton was slightly more difficult than that of other students because Gibraltar’s legislation is slightly different from that in UK. In some of the other discussions, such as the “Best Use of Police Horses” it was rather difficult for him to make a meaningful contribution!

“Throughout the course, it was stressed that, as we live in a democracy, we must allow for some people to disagree with others and for people from both sides of an issue to be able to express their views,” said Sean.

He added, “However, always at the forefront of our planning was the essential need for the public to be kept safe. Often, this level of public safety can be ensured by good forward planning.

“In my 13 years as a police officer, this was one of the best courses I’ve attended. It had a real relevance to my job and it gave me a different perspective on my duties at a major event.”

It was smiles all round after a Gibraltar charity received a cheque for £2,000 from the Royal Gibraltar Police.

The money was raised by the RGP’s 2023 Recruit Class during a community event.

The money was donated to Cancer Relief Gibraltar, which has been providing support to people living with cancer on the Rock for over 40 years.

On hand to receive the novelty-size-cheque at the charity’s headquarters were Laina Sultana and Bianca Yeo.

Bianca, who works in the charity’s Events and Fundraising Department, said, “We couldn’t run this place if it wasn’t for community fundraising events such as this, which are really important to us.

“All the money received goes to providing free services to anyone affected by cancer in the community, not just patients but also carers.

“We’d like to thank everyone who came to the event and donated money, and of course to all the officers who helped organise the event, we know how much work goes into organising these sorts of events.”

For more information visit www.cancerrelief.gi

PASSING OUT CEREMONY

Royal Gibraltar Police and Gibraltar Defence Police officers marked the end of their Training School with a Passing Out Parade at Central Hall.

On parade were twelve RGP and three GDP officers who were inspected by His Excellency the Governor, watched on by Minister John Cortes, local dignitaries, friends and family.

The new officers come from a wide variety of backgrounds and include a Royal Marine Commando, a Chief Inspector from Police Scotland, a Parking Management Official and a student. There are also a number of UK police officers who have moved to Gibraltar from the UK.

During the ceremony, PC Andrew Newton received the “Best Academic” award, whilst PC Tristan Lark received the “Best All Round Recruit” award.

In his address, Police Commissioner Richard Ullger, said, “Policing Gibraltar over the coming years will be challenging for our newest of recruits, but they can be confident that the skills they have been taught over the past few months will equip them to deal with the different incidents they will be deployed to.

No two incidents will ever be the same, and we shall make mistakes in our journey, but we shall learn from them, share our experiences and become better at what we do.”

Samantha Sacramento, the Minister for Justice, added, “Today marks a momentous occasion for the Royal Gibraltar Police as we congratulate their new recruits on their Passing Out Parade.

“Their dedication and commitment to serving and protecting our community is truly admirable, and I have no doubt that they will uphold the highest standards of professionalism and integrity in their duties. As the Minister of Justice, I extend my warmest congratulations and best wishes for a successful career ahead.”

The new officers will now join their more senior colleagues where they will spend the next two years on probation.

Community Insight

5 months ago in Community Insight by Curtly Richards

CHLOE MARTINEZ’s SUCCESS CELEBRATED

Minister for Culture John Cortes invited London-based Gibraltarian singer Chloe Martinez to the City Hall to congratulate her on her music and to encourage her in furthering her career.

Chloe recently released her debut album “To me, from me”, which has been extremely well received.

The conversation covered Chloe’s early years in singing, her performances with GAMPA, and her plans for the future. John Cortes commented, “I’ve known Chloe since she started singing as a little girl and am very proud to see how she has progressed and how her talent is being recognised. Chloe is an inspiration to other young people and an inspiration to me to continue to do all I can to promote and support Culture and the Performing Arts in Gibraltar”.

eSERVICES = FOR HOUSING DEPARTMENT

HM Government of Gibraltar has launched of a number of Housing eServices, which can now be accessed via the Gov.gi portal.

The services are amongst the most heavily used by citizens and are now fully integrated to the Housing Department back office system, which makes the application process easier to manage and process.

The services which include Applications for Government Accommodation, Include/Exclude persons on Tenancy and for Rental Pensioner exchanges are some of the more complex services, which require various documents such as proof of address and current household composition. The services are now integrated with various databases, so the citizen no longer needs to present these documents. By the same token, the Housing Department no longer needs to independently check or store this information, as they already exist as verified records in other integrated databases.

The Minister for Digital Services, the Hon Albert Isola, said, “I am delighted to be able to launch these new services. These fully integrated services will allow the Housing Department to work efficiently and accurately with live data which is another important step in the right direction.”

The Minister for Housing, the Hon Steven Linares, added, “This is a great step forward towards digitising the systems within the Housing Department. Despite this, there will still be a service available for those who are not able to access the Gov.gi portal. I would like to publicly thank my staff at the Housing Department for their hard work in delivering this with the team at the Ministry of Digital Services for having been able to put this system in place”.

https://portal.egov.gi/

CYBERCENTURION FINALISTS

The Minister for Equality, the Hon Samantha Sacramento, met with the all-female team from the Digital Skills Academy who won a place in the CyberCenturion Grand Finals in the UK.

CyberCenturion is a national cybersecurity education initiative for 12 to 18 year olds in the UK and the UK Overseas Territories and is organized by STEM Learning.

The team composed of three students, Lorian Fadul-Risk, Evgenia Grigorova, and Sonia Szetela. They have already participated in the initial online qualification rounds which saw a total of 250 teams competing.

Minister Sacramento met with the students as well as Jared Cruz, Head of School (CyberSecurity) at the Digital Skills Academy and Stewart Harrison, Director and Founder of the Digital Skills Academy to commend them all for their concerted efforts to date and to wish them every success in the upcoming competition.

Stewart Harrison, said, “I am very proud of the students from the Digital Skills Academy who are heading off to the CyberCenturion Finals this week. They are fantastic role models for future generation of girls in Tech and this is very important in order to close the gender digital skills gap that exists locally and world-wide. Tech is a rewarding and well remunerated career path and it is important to ensure that entry into this field is promoted and facilitated for girls and women. I would like to take this opportunity to thank their instructor, Jared Cruz, who has played an instrumental role in training the students for this competition this year.

Minister Sacramento said, “I am delighted to have been able to meet the three students who will be travelling to the CyberCenturion Finals … I am hugely impressed with the fact that they have already seen off stiff competition from over 250 teams in order to make it to the Finals. Addressing the under-representation of women and girls in technology is one of the main strands of the Ministry of Equality’s Gender Equality Strategy. I, therefore, look forward to continue working closely with the Digital Skills Academy to help close the gender digital skills gap. Raising the profile and the visibility of women in Tech plays a key role in helping to narrow that gap and I am very pleased to have been able to meet the team in person and to wish them the very best of luck. I am sure that they will do Gibraltar proud.”

Trusted Novus Affordable Homes Expo 2023

5 months ago in Business Insight by Curtly Richards

On Thursday 20th April Trusted Novus Bank (TNB) hosted their first ever homeowner’s exhibition at Grand Battery House, featuring a range of suppliers of products and services.

TNB’s first Expo consisted of local businesses who have a connection to property in some way and around twenty-five local businesses, from lawyers and home insurance to refurbishing and furniture, exhibited at the Expo which was attended by hundreds of keen visitors, not just those awaiting property completions but all homeowners. There was something for everyone on their journey to a new home and there was a chance to discuss all things surrounding mortgages as well.

The Expo saw exhibitors put on some fantastic displays of their products, demonstrating how they can assist in setting-up your first home, and the large number of keen visitors helped make the event a huge success – Grand Battery House was really buzzing with excitement. Exhibitors not only offered guidance and advice, but some also had special offers and discounts.

Following the interest and enthusiasm this year, TNB will be looking into hosting another Homeowners Expo sometime in the future.

Business Insight

5 months ago in Business Insight by Curtly Richards

Data Protection OfficeR Appointed

Recently announced changes in the public sector throughout Government Departments, Agencies and Authorities in relation to data protection, including the roll out of an online training program for Government Departments.

Following a restructure, Mr Michael Crome has taken on the position of Data Protection Officer from Mr Tito Garro who has undertaken these duties for over 4 years. Mr Garro has been instrumental in building the foundations for Data Protection in the public sector and will continue to deliver his legal expertise through the Gibraltar Law Offices’ advisory team.

Mr Crome, who has recently been accredited as Data Protection Officer is now embarking on phase two of Governments Data Protection strategy with the introduction of a Public Sector Policy and new mandatory training for all Public Servants. Over 100 public servants have already undertaken this training since the start of the year and a systematic programme for continued training throughout the public sector has been established and over 1000 members of staff are already subscribed to undertake phase one of the training.

Phase two will introduce a compliance program to ensure that the personal data we stored and processed is done so safely and legally.

The Hon Samantha Sacramento MP, said “GDPR has become a foundation of our digital policy on which we are building other initiatives across the Public Sector. The processing of personal data should be designed to serve society and respect individuals’ rights. Initiatives such as the Government Data Protection Policy for the Public Sector which we have just launched and the e-learning training package contribute to setting up a framework for data access and using that is more clear and fair, giving individuals more control over their data and making more data available for use, including for the public good. I welcome Mr Crome to this role and thank Mr Garro for his sterling work in setting this up four years ago.”

Port Facility Training

A number of staff from the Gibraltar Port Authority recently completed a training programme for Port Facility Security Officer (PFSO) to meet their mandatory training commitments.

The opportunity was also taken by other Authority staff to undertake the training as part of their personal and professional development programme. The three-day course was delivered by Scott Breckenridge, Associate Lecturer in Strategic Studies and Projects Officer for the Centre for Seapower and Strategy at the University of Plymouth with the course being designed for any security officer with overall responsibility for port security under the UK’s Department for Transport guidelines.

The training programme consisted of several workshops, a presentation from each participant followed by an exam and focused on the responsibilities of the PFSO in accordance with the International Ship and Port Facility Security Code, port facility security plans, coordination of search plans and security operations, development, maintenance and review of port facility access controls and the conduct of port security assessments and threat analyses.

John Ghio, CEO and Captain of the Port wished to thank Mr Breckenridge for delivering this important training programme to GPA staff.

Minister for the Port, the Hon Vijay Daryanani said, “The continuous training and personal development among GPA personnel demonstrates both the Government’s and GPA’s strong commitment to having a first class professional team in place”.

MINISTER DARYANANI – Meets with 25 Cruise Lines

The Minister for Business and Tourism, the Hon Vijay Daryanani MP, recently completed a major cruise marketing drive at Seatrade Global in Fort Lauderdale. He was accompanied by Kevin Bossino, CEO of Gibraltar Tourist Board, and John Ghio, Captain of the Port.

Seatrade Global is the largest annual cruise gathering in the world. Over 13,000 professionals came together to innovate, uncover new trends and secure partnerships.

It gave the Gibraltar team an opportunity to reconnect with this important sector, put forward our case for increased cruise calls and set out our ambitions within the industry.

Minister Daryanani commented, “This was an intense few days of marketing and networking in what is a seriously challenging industry. There seems to be new competition every day. We want to attract more calls. It is as simple as that, but we know we have to work hard all the time, non-stop, for this to happen in what is a dynamic and ongoing situation.

I am not prepared to settle for what we currently have and that is why I will continue to take every possible opportunity to put Gibraltar’s case forward. I met with twenty-five cruise companies at this conference in a gruelling schedule of meetings. That is why Gibraltar’s presence at these events is necessary and the Government’s commitment to the cruising sector is unquestionable.”

Environment Ministers’ Council

Kindred CEO RESIGNS

The BIBA conference 2023

NEW MID-HARBOUR AGREEMENT

Share This

You might be interested in

Share This

You might be interested in

University Royal Navy Unit Visit

Promotion Within The RG

Westside Pupils Visit GDP Dog Section

Share This

You might be interested in

Share This

You might be interested in

Share This

You might be interested in

Share This

You might be interested in

BRONZE COMMANDER QUALIFICATION

PASSING OUT CEREMONY

Share This

You might be interested in

CHLOE MARTINEZ’s SUCCESS CELEBRATED

eSERVICES = FOR HOUSING DEPARTMENT

CYBERCENTURION FINALISTS

Share This

You might be interested in

Share This

You might be interested in

Data Protection OfficeR Appointed

Port Facility Training

MINISTER DARYANANI – Meets with 25 Cruise Lines

Share This

You might be interested in