NEWS
Sandstrom resigns as Angostura CEO
Peter sandstrom will no longer be CEO of Angostura from September 30, the company announced on Thursday. Sandstrom resigned from Angostura, citing unforeseen family matters, which require his "immediate and sustained presence in the United Kingdom." Angostura, in a media release on Thursday, said the company accepted his resignation and wishes him and his family well during these challenging times. Read more here
Mouttet Foundation donates 400 laptops to students
The Victor and Sally Mouttet Foundation, with support from its contributing partners Agostini’s Limited, Prestige Holdings Limited and Victor E. Mouttet Limited, has announced they will be providing 400 laptops with three months free Wi-Fi to children for their online home schooling. The laptops will be made available to the children of Agostini’s and Prestige Holdings’ employees who are unable to afford the devices and 100 of them will be made available to the Ministry of Education for wider distribution to deserving families. Read more here
POLITICS
UNC MP questions Central Bank’s retrenchment stats
Couva South MP Rudranath Indarsingh is questioning the accuracy of retrenchment statistics cited by Central Bank Governor Alvin Hilaire. In an interview with Newsday on Thursday, Indarsingh said Hilaire’s figures do not compute with the sum government said it has paid out in salary relief grants to date. He said the Minister of Labour Stephen McClashie must say what are the true unemployment figures as Hilaire seemed to be firing "statistical blanks." Read more here
Salary Relief Grant unit gets more time for backlog
The “double-dipping” which occurred among some Salary Relief Grant applicants shows that people are “a bit desperate.” Finance Minister Colm Imbert acknowledged this at yesterday’s first post-Cabinet media briefing for the Government’s new term. And he’s warned that the formulation of the upcoming 2021 Budget is something of a Catch 22 matter because of two sets of calls coming from commentators. Read more here
BUSINESS
CL Financial bailout now put at Government $30 Billion
Finance Minister Colm Imbert has revealed that after a decade and multiple assessments, that the government’s bailout of CL Financial and CLICO has cost taxpayers $30 billion. Speaking at a post Cabinet Media Briefing, Imbert said: “Remember as well that the government, taxpayers by extension, bailed out the CL Financial Group and CLICO, in the tune of billions of dollars - in fact I can tell you now that the final account in terms of indebtedness of CL Financial and CLICO to the state is $30 billion.” Read more here
Covid has changed workplace forever
The Covid-19 pandemic has changed the workplace and the world of work as we know it forever. Read more here
REGIONAL
Bobby Pickersgill Hospitalised In An Intensive Care Unit
Former Cabinet Minister Robert ‘Bobby’ Pickersgill is now in an intensive care unit at the University Hospital of the West Indies. Pickersgill, who served as Minister of Water, Land, Environment and Climate Change in the People's National Party Administration up to 2016, was admitted on Thursday. He was also the St Catherine North Western Member of Parliament from 1989 to 2020. Read more here
More US investments
U.S. Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo arrived in Guyana Thursday evening and was greeted at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport by Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Hugh Todd and Ambassador, Sarah Ann Lynch. He was escorted to State House by his entourage where he received a military salute and proceeded to meet with President, Dr. Irfaan Ali and team during a working dinner. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
Outgoing US ambassador to China blames Beijing for coronavirus as he heads home to help Trump
The outgoing United States Ambassador to China has denounced Beijing's initial handling of the coronavirus, saying that "what could have been contained in Wuhan ended up becoming a worldwide pandemic." Speaking to CNN in Beijing on Friday, Terry Branstad, a former longtime Iowa governor, agreed with President Donald Trump that China was to blame for the pandemic, adding that the "Chinese system was such that they covered it up and even penalized the doctors who pointed it out at the beginning." Read more here
Coronavirus: Israel marks Jewish New Year with second lockdown
Israel is entering a second nationwide lockdown to curb surging coronavirus cases, just as people begin to mark the start of Jewish New Year. Rosh Hashanah is traditionally a time for big, family get-togethers. But under the new three-week lockdown, Israelis must stay within 1km (0.6 miles) of their homes, with exceptions, and the number of people allowed in synagogues has been greatly reduced. Israel currently has one of the highest Covid-19 infection rates in the world. Read more here
18th September 2020