NEWS
NIB workers want new Finance Minister’s help in wage dispute
Just days after Finance Minister Vishnu Dhanpaul was sworn in, workers at the National Insurance Board of Trinidad and Tobago (NIBTT) have asked him to intervene in wage disputes, which have been unresolved for four years. A letter sent to Dhanpaul on March 20 said, “We formally request your urgent consideration regarding the approval of payment of increased salaries and arrears resulting from concluded negotiations, which have since become the subject of the captioned trade dispute before the Industrial Court.” The workers said the negotiations were settled and signed in October 2020 but they were later told that ministerial approval was not given for the payments to be made. The Public Services Association (PSA) later referred the matter to the Industrial Court. Read more here
Police disrupt "sophisticated" drug network
Police have seized quantities of cannabis, firearms, ammunition and cash during a drug trafficking operation in Claxton Bay. According to the T&T Police Service (TTPS), the operation was aimed at dismantling "a sophisticated and highly organised drug network" being run by a male suspect from the area. In a release, it said the exercise was carried out between Tuesday and Thursday by officers of a specialist unit of the TTPS, who were assisted by personnel from the T&T Coast Guard (TTCG) and Defence Force (TTDF). It was coordinated by DCP Intelligence and Investigations Suzette Martin. The inter-agency efforts resulted in the seizure of a quantity of high-grade Colombian marijuana, an assault rifle, four magazines, one pistol loaded with a magazine and fitted with a selector and 404 rounds of 5.56 ammunition, which were hidden in a dense mangrove forest area behind the suspect’s residence. A quantity of cash totalling $60,000 was also found hidden in the ceiling of the residence. Read more here
POLITICS
Young: Efforts ongoing to save Dragon
Prime Minister Stuart Young says efforts continue to be made to ensure cross-border energy deals with Venezuela come to fruition. Young, who is also the Energy Minister, spoke at a post-Cabinet news conference at Whitehall on March 20. Young reminded the media about the last briefing held at the same venue on this issue on February 27. “We will continue working. I will personally continue working, Fighting is the language I used for Trinidad and Tobago. That has continued” Read more here
Kamla gets her election wish PM agrees to bring in international observers
Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar has gotten her wish to have independent international observers for the General Election on April 28. The announcement was made by Prime Minister Stuart Young during his first post-Cabinet meeting as the new head of Government at Whitehall, Port-of-Spain, yesterday. The Prime Minister revealed that Government had invited three bodies, including Caricom, the Commonwealth Secretariat and the Carter Center, to assist in the observation of the election. Read more here
BUSINESS
Central Bank hosts students for Global Money Week
In celebration of Global Money Week, the Central Bank held an educational event for students under the theme, Think Before You Follow: Wise Money Tomorrow, in its auditorium on March 18. With an interactive session hosted by Drama Making a Difference (DMAD) Company, students learned the importance of saving, investing, budgeting and avoiding financial scams. The auditorium was packed with students from primary schools throughout the country including Roxborough Anglican, Arima Presbyterian and Jerningham Government. Read more here
PM prioritises forex allocation
Newly minted Prime Minister Stuart Young will meet the Banking sector next Tuesday concerning the allocation of foreign exchange to the public. The Prime Minister made the announcement during the post-Cabinet news conference yesterday, at which he said new Minister of Finance Vishnu Dhanpaul would also be a part of the meeting. He said, "I have invited the Central Bank and the Bankers Association of Trinidad and Tobago, and I'm hoping all the CEOs, the chief executive officers of the banks that operate in Trinidad and Tobago, to meet with myself, the Minister of Finance right here at White Hall. I intend to address immediately, and it will happen on Tuesday next week, the issue of foreign exchange and forex, and allocation of forex as one of the first items on my list of priorities." The Minister said the meeting would take place at 2:30pm, with the media invited to witness the start of meeting. Read more here
REGIONAL
New $225M TVET facility at BV to offer day and night classes
Funded by the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), a $225 million Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) facility, was officially commissioned on Thursday by the Ministry of Education (MoE) at Beterverwagting on the East Coast of Demerara. The Beterverwagting Practical Instruction Centre (BV PIC) is open to students and residents of BV and surrounding communities including Plaisance, La Bonne Intention, and Lusignan. It is expected to serve hundreds of persons. Similar to programmes offered by the Government Technical Institute (GTI), and the Carnegie School of Home Economics (CSHE), the institution will facilitate evening classes for those who may be employed and are interested in learning valuable skills. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
Trump signs order to dismantle US education department
US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to dismantle the Department of Education, fulfilling a campaign pledge and a long-cherished goal of some conservatives. Accusing the agency of "breath-taking failures", the Republican president vowed to return the money it controls to individual states. "We're going to shut it down as quickly as possible," Trump said, although the White House acknowledged that closing the agency outright would require an act of Congress. The move is already facing legal challenges from those seeking to block the agency's closure as well as sweeping cuts to its staff announced last week. Read more here
21st March 2025