SECRETARIAT OF TOURISM MAKES A WARNING CALL OF ATTENTION TO THE ON VACATION CHAIN AFTER NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS PRESENTED BY TOURISTS

· Several commitments were established with which the hotel chain must comply.

A strong warning call to the officials of the On Vacation Hotels was made by the Tourism Secretary Yadira Olivo Florez, during a meeting held at the Departmental Government, after the private hotel chain exceeded the number of complaints lodged by national and international visitors at the Consumer Department and at the Tourism Secretariat, on the supposed bad service offered by the company in its eight hotels on the island.

According to the official, the destination must be respected and the private company cannot be the exception. She added that there are social and environmental duties, as well as respect for human dignity during the treatment of their clients, who become tourists within the island.

"We cited the On Vacation chain, along with all the institutions that are part of the environmental and tourism issue because they have already exceeded the acceptable number of complaints by tourists, alluding to misleading advertising, poisonings due to food consumption, disrespect for hours of arrival of tourists and many more. As Secretary of Tourism, I have the duty and obligation to call to order, to sit down with them and find out what is happening. They have already been stopped because it is not possible to correct them and they continue to revert in the same faults and they have been doing this for more than 15 years. Then, they were made to see everything that this generates,"explainedOlivo Florez.

The Environmental Prosecutor's Office, the Consumer's Office, the Tourism Police and the Secretariats of Government, Health and Public Services and Environment accompanied the Tourism Office during the meeting in which it was reiterated that both the island resources and inhabitants should be respected.

‘APRENDER CREANDO’, CONCURSO QUE PREMIA LOS VALORES CREATIVOS Y AMBIENTALES DE LOS NIÑOS DE LA ISLA

· El evento es organizado por la Oficina de la Gestora Social.

· Las tres mejores propuestas ganarán un viaje a Bogotá con todos los gastos pagos.

· La actividad está dirigida a estudiantes de los grados tercero, cuarto y quinto de primera de las instituciones oficiales del departamento.

‘Aprender creando’ es el concurso organizado por la Oficina de la Gestora Social del Departamento en conjunto con las secretarías de Desarrollo Social, Cultura, Educación y Deportes y Recreación, en el marco del mes de la niñez, que busca fomentar en los niños del archipiélago la pasión por emprender, sin dejar de lado el respeto por los recursos y la creación de estrategias que generen un entorno de desarrollo sostenible en la isla.

“Quiero invitarlos participar en el concurso ‘Aprender creando’. Quiero que todos los niños de los grados tercero, cuarto y quinto de primera de las instituciones educativas participen y que los padres los incentiven a participar y que sean su principal apoyo. Quiero infinidad de proyectos hechos con materiales reciclados y los mejores serán premiados”, destacó Caicedo de Herrera.

THE SECRETARIAT OF AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES IS INFORMING OF THE TEMPORARY CLOSURE OF THE QUEEN CONCH FISHERIES

* The Secretariat of Agriculture and Fisheries will continue to carry out control and surveillance activities at landing points, corner stores, restaurants, in order to ensure strict compliance with this resolution.

Based on Resolution 0000677 of April 5, 2019 issued by the National Authority of Agriculture and Fisheries, the Departmental Government, through the Secretariat of Agriculture and Fisheries, is informing the community in general that the capture of queen conch is temporarily closed throughout the Departmental Archipelago of San Andres, Providence and Santa Catalina.

Likewise, the Secretariat of Agriculture and Fisheries will continue to carry out control and surveillance activities at landing points, corner stores, and restaurants, in order to ensure strict compliance with this resolution.

It should be remembered that non-compliance with this regulation will result in fines of up to $1.000.000 of the legal daily minimum wage, deprivation of liberty, retention of fishing permits, immobilization of the boat or vessel involved in this activity and sealing of the establishment by the competent authority.

THE SECRETARIAT OF PLANNING MODIFIES PUBLIC CALL TO COMPLEMENT THE DEPARTMENTAL PLANNING COUNCIL

*The deadline for the reception of the shortlist of three candidates was extended until Tuesday, May 7 until 5:00 in the afternoon.

The Secretariat of Planning is informing that the deadline was extended until Tuesday, May 7 for the presentation of the shortlist to be part of the Departmental Planning Council.

The list of the candidates will be made until 5:00 in the afternoon at the office of the Secretary of Planning, located on the third floor of the Coral Palace Building.

Similarly, the Secretariat is informing that, due to a typing error, the Economic Sector was included in the call, which already has its representative positions assigned according to Ordinance 007 of 2015.

According to the Ordinance, two representatives of the Municipal Planning Council of Providence and a representative of the unionized workers must be convened.

SECRETARIAT OF PUBLIC SERVICES AND FINDETER ADVANCE PROJECT FOR THE RENEWAL OF AQUEDUCT NETWORKS

*The works began in Orange Hill sector and later on in Barrack and other Hill sectors.

*The technology used for this work is Pipe Bursting, consisting of the installation of a new pipe in the space occupied by the old pipe, which is previously destroyed and incorporated into the surrounding soil.

With the start of renovation work in the Orange Hill, the Secretariat of Public Services, together with Findeter, gave clear path to the project to renew aqueduct networks on the island. According to the Secretary, Johan Mancilla Fayllace, this ambitious project will significantly improve the service provided on the island.

"We are starting the transept that corresponds to Orange Hill. Then we will go to the sectors of Hill and Barrack. There is already a set schedule. We are starting from March and into the month of April in Orange Hill. We have seen the works that are being implemented with the new technology known as Pipe Bursting, in which it is not necessary to carry out excavations, only the driving line where the machine that inserts what is the new pipeline is installed, replacing immediately the existing one," explained Mancilla Fayllace.

The Secretary added that this new system is anti-fraud, and he is inviting the community to leave the illegality and carryout the installation of the service for free.

SECRETARÍA DE AGRICULTURA Y PESCA ANUNCIA CIERRE TEMPORAL DE PESQUERÍA DE CARACOL PALA

* La Secretaria de Agricultura y Pesca continuara realizando las actividades de control y vigilancia en los puntos de desembarque, expendios, restaurantes, con el fin de velar el estricto cumplimiento de esta resolución

Teniendo como base la resolución 0000677 de 5 de abril de 2019 expedida por la Autoridad Nacional de Agricultura y Pesca AUNAP, la Gobernación del Departamento, a través de la Secretaría de Agricultura y Pesca informa a la comunidad en general que la captura dirigida al recurso de caracol pala se encuentra temporalmente cerrada en todo el Departamento Archipiélago de San Andrés, Providencia y Santa Catalina. 

De igual forma, la Secretaria de Agricultura y Pesca continuara realizando las actividades de control y vigilancia en los puntos de desembarque, expendios, restaurantes, con el fin de velar el estricto cumplimiento de esta resolución 

Cabe recordar que el no cumplimiento de esta disposición acarreará multas hasta $1.000.000 de salario mínimo legal diario vigente, privación de la libertad, retención de permisos de pesca, inmovilización de la lancha o embarcación implicada en esta actividad y sellamiento del establecimiento por porte de la autoridad competente.