Daily Brief - Tuesday 23rd January, 2018

NEWS

Splinter group calls for TUCO audit

A group of calypsonians calling themselves the Calypso Troopers are calling on government to do a forensic audit into the Trinbago Unified Calypsonians’ Organisation (TUCO) as they say claims of mismanagement of funds and lack of accountability continue to surface. Calypso Troopers, founded one year ago, consists of a group of calypsonians who are members of TUCO. Read more here

UTT president: I have no say in retrenchment

President of the University of T&T Professor Sarim Al-Zubaidy said he has no other motive but making the university sustainable for decades to come. He said, “I act on the interest of UTT alone because by doing that you are looking at country and students. Al- Zubaidy spoke with the media after employees staged a lunch time protest against retrenchment of UTT employees. The protest was held on the compound of UTT O’ Meara, Arima Campus yesterday. Read more here

Trigger happy youths

January has just under nine days left until it ends, and the murder toll seems to be barrelling towards one of the “bloodiest” months in seven years. As it stands, four murders recorded over a 24-hour period between Sunday and Monday have pushed the murder toll up to 45 – just a few short of the 52 homicides recorded at the end of January 2017. Read more here

 

POLITICS

Fake oil debate continues

The Senate will continue debate today on a motion on the fake oil scandal at Petrotrin. The motion, filed by Opposition Senator Wade Mark, calls for the contract of A&V Drilling and Workover Ltd to be suspended pending investigation. Petrotrin terminated A&V Drilling’s contract last month. Read more here

PM, Tobago stakeholders meeting fruitful

The meeting between Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley and Tobago stakeholders at the Magdalena Grand Beach Resort yesterday has been described as fruitful. A high-powered ministerial team led Rowley, a THA team led by chief secretary Kelvin Charles and Tobago stakeholders led by Tobago Chamber president Demi John Cruickshank, seemed comfortable following the four-hour, closed-door meeting. The meeting, which was initiated by Cruikshank, was geared at finding solutions to the island’s strained tourism product after it suffered a decline in 2017 due to the problems of the air and sea bridges causing Tobago’s economy to worsen. Read more here

PM commits to solving air and seabridge woes

Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley yesterday pledged renewed commitment to solving this country's airbridge and seabridge woes. The Prime Minister was speaking following a four-hour meeting which he led with Cabinet members, the Tobago chamber and other Tobago stakeholders yesterday, at the Magdalena Grand Beach Resort, aimed at reviving Tobago's economy. Read more here

  

BUSINESS

Energy Minister: State deserves just due from energy sector

Minister of Energy and Energy Industries Franklin Khan believes that more needs to be done to ensure that the government earns its fair share of revenue from the exploitation of T&T's hydrocarbon resources. "Oil and Gas are non-renewable assets and therefore there is a premium to be paid for their exploitation. Accordingly, the State, Trinidad and Tobago has a sovereign right to extract appropriate economic rents for the exploitation of its hydrocarbon resources on behalf of the people who are the owners of the resource." Khan said, as he delivered the feature address at the opening ceremony of the 2018 Energy Conference at Hyatt hotel in Port-of-Spain yesterday. Read more here

Too much revenue leakage

In fiscal 2017, energy companies received approximately TT$22.5 billion in gross income, but Government tax receipts reflected a mere 15 per cent of gross revenue, Energy Minister Franklin Khan revealed yesterday. Read more here

 

REGIONAL

Five Murders A Day - Outrage From Civil-Society Leaders As 100 Killed In First 20 Days Of New Year, With 12 Killed In 24 Hours

Civil-society leaders reacted with alarm and disgust after it was revealed yesterday that Jamaica recorded 100 murders 20 days into the new year. The latest statistics compiled by the police revealed, too, that a suspect was arrested and charged in just 28 of those killings, as criminals continue to get away with murder. "Sickening, disgusting, terrible," were the words used by Metry Seaga, president of the private-sector lobby group, Jamaica Manufacturers' Association, to describe the country's escalating murder rate. Read more here

 

INTERNATIONAL

US slaps 'America First' tariffs on washing machines and solar panels

The US has approved controversial tariffs on imported washing machines and solar panels. The move is in line with President Donald Trump's "America First" trade policy, which aims to protect local manufacturers from foreign competition. A spokesman said the administration would "always defend American workers, farmers, ranchers and businessmen". But China and South Korea, whose manufacturers will be most heavily affected, criticised the move. US officials said more trade enforcement actions would follow. Read more here

Tsunami warnings canceled after magnitude-7.9 earthquake off Alaska

Forecasters canceled tsunami warnings for Alaska and the US and Canadian west coasts Tuesday after an earthquake in the Gulf of Alaska stoked fears of severe waves. The tsunami alerts were canceled "because additional information and analysis have better defined the threat," said the National Tsunami Warning Center in Palmer, Alaska. Read more here

23rd January 2018

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