NEWS
Tobago hoteliers group: Disconnect between CAL and travellers
Tobago Hotel and Tourism Association president Alpha Lorde believes there is a disconnect in the service being provided by Caribbean Airlines Ltd (CAL) and the demand of consumers. Lorde spoke with Newsday on Wednesday, a day after a CAL press release which gave an update on the airline’s operations on the domestic airbridge from December 2022 to February 2023. Read more here
T&T flagged for police killings, neglecting asylum seekers in US Report
The US State Department’s 2022 Country Report on Human Right’s Practices for T&T is flagging police impunity, the treatment of asylum seekers, corruption and trafficking of persons as areas of major concern. “The Government took steps to identify, investigate, prosecute and punish officials who committed human rights abuses or corruption, but impunity persisted due to open-ended investigations and the generally slow pace of criminal judicial proceedings,” the report found in its section on T&T. The report, which was released yesterday, is divided into seven sections, with the longest dealing with discrimination and societal abuses which assessed the laws that dealt with rape, gender-based violence, child abuse and various forms of discrimination. Read more here
POLITICS
House approves EBC's local government report
Port of Spain MP Keith Scotland rejected claims from the Opposition UNC that the PNM was afraid to call local government elections and planned to postpone them. Scotland slammed the UNC for creating this false narrative. He wondered whether it was the Opposition that was afraid of local government elections being called. He made these statements during debate on a motion to approve the draft of the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) (Local Government and Tobago House of Assembly) Order, 2021, in the House of Representatives on Wednesday. The House passed the motion later in the sitting. Read more here
Gonzales tells disgruntled WASA clients sue if they have claims
Minister of Public Utilities Marvin Gonzales yesterday suggested that members of the public who they believe they have legitimate cases for damages against the Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) should seek legal counsel and initiate action. His comment follows a High Court ruling on Monday that awarded Laventille woman Janet Rousseau just over $1.7 million in compensation after a ruptured water line destroyed her home in 2005. Speaking to the media at the Ministry of Public Utilities’ inaugural Caribbean Regional Conference on Water Loss, Gonzales said, “I want to assure the citizens of Trinidad and Tobago, but if you believe that you have a claim of right to against the authority for any damage that could have been done as a result of negligence on the part of the authority, that they should speak to the legal counsel and pursue whatever theme that is right.” Read more here
BUSINESS
Tools for SME resilience
Many SMEs are struggling to cope with a string of headaches, from the pandemic and supply-chain issues, to soaring inflation and the energy crisis. So how can they strengthen their resilience? A new white paper from the Deakin Integrated Reporting Centre, with the support of ACCA and CA ANZ, suggests that integrated thinking, which ultimately leads to integrated reporting, is the key. Read more here
New FinTech partnership launched
The Caribbean FinTech Sprint for Financial Inclusion has been launched. “Local, regional and global fintechs can receive grant funding to develop digital payment solutions to solve industry-wide issues impacting citizens’ access to financial services across the region,” a release stated yesterday. The European Union (EU), United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) and Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) Eastern Caribbean Digital Financial Inclusion Programme launched a Caribbean FinTech Sprint for Financial Inclusion, in partnership with the T&T International Financial Center and with support provided by the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States. “The Caribbean FinTech Sprint for Financial Inclusion aims to attract local and global FinTechs with market-ready solutions to address three identified digital payment problem statements across the region,” according to the release. “A maximum of five successful applicants may be awarded up to US$100,000 each,” it stated. Read more here
REGIONAL
US report on Bascom’s claims ‘erroneous’
The chambers of the Attorney-General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, has said that the claims that the Guyana Police Force (GPF) did not investigate allegations advanced by interdicted Sergeant Dion Bascom pertaining to the killing of Ricardo Fagundes called Paper Shorts, is “palpably erroneous.” The United States (US) Department of State’s 2022 country report on human rights practices under the section “Corruption and Lack of Transparency in Government” specifically highlights an allegation made by interdicted Sergeant Dion Bascom in August 2022, claiming that a businessman bribed members of the Guyana Police Force to “foil” the investigation into the killing of Ricardo Fagundes. The report stated that as of October 2022, police had not investigated interdicted Sergeant Bascom’s claims. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
How Trump will try to spin his anticipated arrest
Donald Trump's prediction that he will be arrested this week has yet to come true - but as the waiting game for criminal charges goes on, the former president is plotting a strategy designed to both keep him out of jail and turbo-boost his historic bid to return to the White House. It is a daunting task, and hunkered down in his Mar-a-Lago home, Mr Trump seems resigned to becoming the first US president to be indicted for a crime. Yet it's also clear he will not go quietly. His past choices in moments of political crisis are a useful guide to what we might see next. When cornered by political adversaries, Mr Trump punches back. Read more here
23rd March 2023