NEWS
Mixed views over proposed electricity rate increases
The proposed increase in electricity rates by the Regulated Industries Commission (RIC) drew mixed reactions from members of the public. However, several small business owners all were unanimous in expressing discomfort with the plans. Newsday spoke with several small business owners in Port of Spain and St Augustine on Thursday, hours after the RIC held a press conference to announce its proposed rate increase for all T&TEC customers across the board from residential to commercial to industrial. Kenrick Cumberbatch, who operates Cumberdale Pharmacy opposite the southern side of UWI, St Augustine campus, said the proposed rate hikes was not news he expected as the world celebrates pharmacy week. Read more here
Market stall upgrade halted in Marabella
Construction of new market stalls at the Marabella Market has been suspended following a meeting yesterday between protesting vendors and the city’s engineering personnel. As the bustling weekend loomed ahead, the vendors, led by President of the Marabella Market Association Tim Bhagwandeen, managed to broker a deal with the San Fernando City Corporation. They agreed that if the corporation temporarily suspends the project and allows them to continue vending uninterrupted this weekend, they will cease their protests and instead provide a list of their concerns and recommendations to the corporation. The vendors have been opposed to the reduction of the existing stall space and corridor areas saying the new stalls will be a health and safety hazard. “We were never consulted on this. A reduction in space is a health hazard and a security issue for us. We will not have walking space, and if there is an emergency, this will be a problem for us,” Bhagwandeen explained. Read more here
POLITICS
Caricom, Canada working together on safety, security
The Prime Minister says security and safety are two major issues with which Canada can assist the Caribbean Community (Caricom). Dr Rowley said the crime situation in the region was worsening with the proliferation of arms and ammunitions contributing to the crisis. Speaking during the session on regional security and Haiti during the Canada-Caricom summit in Ottawa on Wednesday, Rowley said there has been an explosion in the use of illegal arms and ammunition. “The data now shows that we’re losing by violent killings about 15 people a day in the Caricom region, nearly all of it by the use of firearms. There’s a proliferation in recent times of assault weapons, so the instances of shootings usually end up with multiple casualties, many deaths. Because of the operationalisation of gangs and the relative ease of which the arms and ammunition are coming into the region, gangs have been arming themselves more and more effectively and efficiently. They have become better killing machines, to the point now where they pose a threat to the state itself.” Read more here
BUSINESS
Services sector can boost Trinidad and Tobago's long-term growth
Trade and Industry Ministry deputy permanent secretary Ava Mahabir-Dass has said the service sector has the potential to have a positive impact on TT’s long-term economic growth. She said government is prioritising the development of Trinidad and Tobago’s trade policy 2024 during this fiscal year. She was speaking at the Trade Ministers’ virtual roundtable and panel discussion, Mapping the Services Agenda, at the Caribbean Services Exporters’ Symposium hosted by the TT Coalition of Services on Wednesday. Mahabir-Dass underscored the service sector’s importance to the government’s strategic plan for the country. She said the trade policy will contribute to the enhancement of trade in services and complement the work being done in the region to develop the regional services sector. Read more here
Young warns against 'false' Dragon information
Minister of Energy, Stuart Young, said yesterday that the specific licence granted by the US government this week to develop the Dragon natural gas field on October 17 is separate from a general licence granted to Venezuela on October 18. He made the distinction between the two licences in a news release that followed a virtual news conference hosted by United National Congress activist Ravi Balgobin Maharaj, who accused the Government of "hiding less favourable information," before concluding that T&T only has six months to pay for the natural gas from the Dragon field. Young confirmed that on October 17, 2023 the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the Department of Treasury of the United States Government issued a licence amendment to this Government based upon requests made by Government on March 8, 2023 and September 15, 2023 with respect to, inter alia, the development of the Dragon gas field. Read more here
REGIONAL
A Hero in Healthcare: Dr. Latoya Gooding’s Dedication to Fighting Cancer
Dr. Latoya Gooding, a dedicated Medical Oncologist at the Georgetown Public Hospital Oncology department, recently offered a unique perspective on the daily challenges and triumphs faced by oncologists. Her journey into the world of oncology began in 2015, with a deeply personal and poignant motivation. During her medical school years, Dr. Gooding experienced a profound loss that ignited her passion for oncology. Her beloved grandfather succumbed to prostate cancer after two years of attending clinics without receiving any treatment. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
New Zealand landlord loses rubbish row with Chinese embassy
A New Zealand landlord who was locked in a dispute with the Chinese embassy over rubbish disposal has lost a NZ$960 ($559;£462) claim. Chandler Investments Limited claimed the embassy left a rented Wellington mews house without covering cleaning and other costs. A tenancy tribunal dismissed the claim, saying the embassy was protected by sovereign immunity. This means a government cannot be sued in another country without its consent. Chandler Investments Ltd had sought payment for "cleaning, rubbish removal and key cutting", claiming this amounted to some NZ960 ($559;£462). Read more here
20th October 2023