NEWS
Military museum rejects CDA's eviction notice
The Chaguaramas Military History and Aerospace Museum has rejected the eviction notice issued by the Chaguaramas Development Authority (CDA). In a statement posted on their Facebook on February 25, the museum said, “We will not accept such notice from the CDA just as we have done in the past. We will remain open and continue operations despite this notice and we encourage the public to show your numbers and support. Read more here
Nigeria’s Oando Plc is preferred bidder for refinery
Nigerian integrated energy company, Oando Plc, was yesterday named as the preferred bidder to lease the Guaracara refinery in Pointe-a-Pierre, based on a recommendation by an evaluation committee. Making the announcement at yesterday’s post-Cabinet media briefing at Whitehall, Port-of-Spain, acting Prime Minister Stuart Young outlined the work of the evaluation committee, which received advice from Scotia International, which operates out of Houston, Texas. The committee is chaired by T&T’s High Commissioner to the UK, former permanent secretary in the Ministry of Finance Vishnu Dhanpaul. Read more here
POLITICS
Dragon in doubt as Trump trains guns on Maduro's energy deals
Acting Prime Minister Stuart Young has given the population the assurance he and the government will do all in their power to ensure cross-border energy deals with Venezuela come to fruition. Young, who is also Energy Minister, gave the assurance at a post-cabinet news conference at Whitehall on February 27. In a post on social media, US secretary of state Marco Rubio said, "Today, pursuant to @POTUS directive, I am providing foreign policy guidance to terminate all Biden-era oil and gas licenses that have shamefully bankrolled the illegitimate (Venezuelan president Nicolas) Maduro regime." Read more here
Kamla: UNC won’t honour any refinery deal the PNM signs
United National Congress leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar says her party will not honour any agreement the current People’s National Movement (PNM) Government enters into regarding the Pointe-a-Pierre refinery—and she says Government’s “colluding” with Nicolas Maduro’s Venezuela regime is the “worst Bend Over” in T&T’s energy sector history. “And we guarantee that the UNC will pursue investigations against everyone who participates in this theft of the PaP refinery assets,” Persad-Bissessar also promised yesterday. The Opposition Leader made the comment yesterday via release, after word from acting Prime Minister Stuart Young that Oando PLC was chosen as the preferred bidder for the “mothballed” Petrotrin refinery. Read more here
BUSINESS
Mixed views from business groups to new preferred bidder for refinery
The Energy Chamber is ready to collaborate closely with Oando Plc to ensure the safe resumption of operations at the Guaracara/Pointe-a-Pierre refinery. Acting Prime Minister Stuart Young yesterday announced that the Nigerian company is the preferred bidder for lease of the refinery. In a statement following the announcement, the chamber said it has long supported privatisation of the refinery to put it to productive use, as significant capital investment is required to bring the refinery’s assets back into a productive and profitable operation. It said the investment must be carefully deployed and managed, as it involves substantial risk, and for this reason, it has consistently maintained no additional taxpayer funds should be allocated to the refinery. Read more here
REGIONAL
‘Let us respect, honour the beauty of each other’ –President Ali says
Emphasising Guyana’s diverse and unique tapestry, President Dr. Irfaan Ali on Thursday shared a message of unity, tolerance and the potential for global harmony. The Head of State was at the time addressing the opening ceremony of the 2025 National Ramadan Village on Woolford Avenue, here in the city. Ramadan, he reminded his audience, comes at a very “complicated global period”, and should be a prompt for persons to examine their individual and collective duty to humanity. Dr. Ali said: “If we are to love our neighbours, if we are to respect our neighbours, if we are to honour our neighbours, and neighbours in this context are countries living beside each other, people living beside each other, Oh, what a different world it will be in this very complicated global environment; very complex environment!” Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
Hundreds in US climate agency fired in latest cuts
Hundreds of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) staff have been laid off in the latest development in the Trump's administration's efforts to slash the federal workforce. Around 880 workers - including weather forecasters - have had their jobs terminated on Thursday, the BBC's US partner CBS reported. The cuts come as Elon Musk, as the head of the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (Doge), continues a push to reduce spending through funding cuts and firings. A NOAA spokesman said the agency would not comment on internal personnel matters. Read more here
28th February 2025