NEWS
Woman with cerebral palsy faces ongoing leak in HDC home
A lifetime of overcoming cerebral palsy has taught Arlene Alexander resilience, but the 56-year-old now fears a recurring leak in her Housing Development Corporation (HDC) apartment could one day rob her of the independence she fought so hard to achieve. For the past three years, Alexander has been waking up to water seeping through her ceiling in her ground-floor apartment at Olera Heights, San Fernando. The recurring leak has damaged ceiling and floor tiles, cupboards, and appliances, while creating slippery conditions in the kitchen of the home she has occupied since 2009. Born with cerebral palsy, Alexander underwent multiple surgeries throughout her life to improve her mobility and use of her hands and legs. Today, she walks with the aid of a walker and lives independently on a disability grant. Read more here
POLITICS
THA considers hiring freeze amid rising wage bill
During yesterday’s budget debate for fiscal 2027 at the Assembly Legislature in Scarborough, Chief Secretary Farley Augustine announced plans to eventually freeze all hiring, citing the unsustainable cost of recurrent expenditure. Augustine said the THA’s wage bill was severely constraining its development agenda. During Monday’s budget presentation, Finance Secretary Petal-Ann Roberts revealed a $4.12 billion request to central government. However, more than 73 per cent of that figure—$3.03 billion—is allocated to recurrent expenditure. Read more here
PM: T&T stands ready to assist
There was a global outpouring of support yesterday, including from Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, to the people of Venezuela following twin earthquakes that left a trail of devastation, with thousands feared dead or missing. On Wednesday, the first earthquake struck just after 6 p.m. with a magnitude of 7.2 and was followed 39 seconds later by a 7.5-magnitude earthquake, according to the US Geological Survey.
The stronger quake was the largest to hit the country since 1900. Read more here
BUSINESS
Massy to build state-of-the-art automotive service hub in Guyana
Massy Guyana yesterday broke ground on the Massy Hub at Houston, Guyana, a major new development to bring together expanded distribution, automotive sales, service and support operations on one site. The development will include Massy Distribution Guyana’s new state-of-the-art warehouse. Scheduled for completion in 2028, the 190,000-square-foot facility will serve as the flagship distribution centre for Massy Distribution Guyana, Massy said in a release yesterday. Read more here
Caribbean to the bone: Allison Demas marks 15 years in business
When Allison Demas set up shop in the basement of Beacon Insurance’s offices on Stanmore Avenue in 2011, she sunk most of her savings into the venture, persuaded her mother to invest on “pure blind faith” and secured a loan from Republic Bank. No Caribbean company had done what she was proposing, to track, electronically, what was running on local radio, television and in newspapers, then sell that data to advertisers and media houses. Fifteen years later, Media InSite has 32 full-time employees plus a network of regional contractors. The company tracks media output across the Caribbean for a range of clients in the private sector, public sector and international organisations, and counts among its clients companies that once doubted it would survive its first year. “I remember going to a major manufacturer to pitch for their business,” Demas said. “The marketing manager looked at me and said, ‘How long have you been around?’ It hadn’t been a year. She said, ‘How do I know Media InSite is going to exist in the next five years?’” She didn’t quite recall what she said to her, but that company became a client. Fifteen years on, Media InSite is getting ready to mark its anniversary. Read more here
REGIONAL
First-time homeowners to receive full tax deduction on mortgage interest
FIRST-TIME homeowners will now be able to deduct the full amount of interest paid on mortgages of up to $30 million from their taxable income, President Dr Irfaan Ali announced on Thursday night as he officially declared open this year’s International Building Expo. The Head of State, addressing hundreds at the Providence National Stadium, described the policy move as the government “sharing the cost” of home ownership with Guyanese families. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
King becomes first monarch to reveal tax bill as royal public funding to double to £100m
King Charles has become the first monarch to reveal their tax bill, disclosing figures that show he paid £12.9m in tax for 2024-2025. The level of tax paid by the King places him among the top 100 UK taxpayers. The Prince of Wales declared he paid £7.76m tax over the same period, the figures in the annual royal report and accounts show. It has also been revealed that the King and Queen Camilla will continue to live in Clarence House and not move into Buckingham Palace. Read more here
26th June 2026