Gym equipment to come in duty free

It is now cheaper to burn those calories and lower that cholesterol level – gym equipment can now be imported into this country duty free.

This announcement was made by Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves on Saturday, September 13, at the official Launch of the Wellness Revolution at the Arnos Vale Sporting Complex.{{more}}

Last Saturday was Caribbean Wellness Day, which marked the official beginning of an initiative that was birthed during a Caribbean Community (CARICOM) heads of government meeting in Trinidad last year September.

The morbidity and mortality caused by Chronic Non Communicable diseases in the region were deemed to be cause for great concern, and it was decided that an aggressive move towards the promotion of healthier lifestyles in the region was needed.

Delivering the feature address, Dr Gonsalves said that the duty free concession on gym equipment was effective from Monday, September 15.

He used the opportunity to highlight some issues that he suggests embrace the whole question of wellness but are often taken for granted.

Among these, he said, is the fact that 95 per cent of Vincentian households have pipe borne water, and unlike previous years, this year’s drought period did not result in any water shortage.

This, he said, is due to the $23 million Windward Water System.

He pointed to the improvement of the garbage collection system and the excellent level of pre-natal care given at this country’s health facilities as other contributors to wellness.

Addressing the need for citizens to be involved in more physical activities, Dr Gonsalves called on the National Sports Council to better manage the nation’s playing fields and sporting facilities.

He said that while it is important to protect the facilities from abuse, they must be opened up more to the public.

For his part, Health Minister Dr Douglas Slater reminded those present that their health and wellness are primarily their responsibility.

He said that the Wellness Revolution initiative is only intended to be a guide for them, direction to the path that they should follow as regards their health.

“Please, I urge you, get some positive changes in behaviour,” he said.

Also addressing the official ceremony were Minister of Telecommunications Dr Jerrol Thompson, Minister of Culture René Baptiste, Chairman of the National Olympic Committee Trevor Bailey, and Agriculture Minister Montgomery Daniel.

Minister Daniel urged mothers to replace the artificial drinks in lunch boxes given to their children with fresh fruit juices.

He also lamented the fact that this country’s food importation bill is about $154 million, saying that he believes we can do much better in the area of food production.

The Caribbean Wellness Day activity saw exercise demonstrations by various sporting bodies and community exercise groups.

Most of these community groups were initiated by the Department of Sports and gave a good account of themselves, as the old, middle aged and young went through their paces together, with energy, enthusiasm and effectiveness – evident by the beads of sweat they wore in just a few minutes of workout.

Exhibition booths, including one by the National Aids Secretariat, were also set up.

Wellness Revolution activities were held throughout the week as part of the Launch, including health fairs, a church service and a sporting afternoon for public servants at the Victoria Park on Wednesday. (KJ)