NEWS
Tru Valu CEO on Massy cyberattack: It’s a concern for everyone
TRU-VALU CEO Sunil Maharajh expressed extreme concern after supermarket chain, Massy Stores confirmed that it had undergone a cyberattack, prompting it to close all its 23 branches in Trinidad on Thursday. Maharajh said such cyberattacks was a concern for every business. “I don’t think anyone can sleep easily tonight,” he said. “This brings entire operations to a halt. If you lose a day of trading that could hurt you significantly.” Read more here
WASA CEO suspended for one month
Acting Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) CEO Sherland Sheppard has been suspended for one month, after he was found culpable in omitting the names of two commercial customers who were to be published by the authority as bad paying customers. The customers, who are involved in the entertainment/recreational sector in West Trinidad, owe the authority close to $1 million in arrears. The names of these two companies and their owners should have been published in the print media last month for outstanding payments owed to WASA but were eventually omitted from WASA’s listing of delinquent customers. Read more here
POLITICS
Moonilal: EMBD could owe Namalco $800m
Oropouche East MP Dr Roodal Moonilal reckoned the amount payable by the Estate Management Business Development Company (EMBD) to contractor Namalco could grow from the $427 million awarded by a judge to about $800 million, if add-ons such as interest are also considered. He spoke at a news conference at the Opposition Leader's office in Port of Spain on Thursday. Namalco had claimed $1.2 billion for its work in developing several sites holding plots of land awarded to ex-sugar workers of Caroni (1975) Ltd. Read more here
Ministry calls on Duke to withdraw libel against PM
The Foreign Affairs Ministry has called on PDP leader Watson Duke to withdraw unsubstantiated, erroneous, libellous accusations against Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley about the alleged “potential investigation” of Rowley by the US. The ministry, which made the call on Thursday, stated, “At the outset, Mr Duke may wish to withdraw his statement about investigation of the Prime Minister, which is erroneous, libellous and no doubt seeps from a well of ignorance of the interaction to which he referred and of matters of international engagement. Read more here
BUSINESS
Trade Ministry looking at possibility of cryptocurrency sector
The Ministry of Trade and Industry yesterday confirmed that it is in the process of reviewing this country’s legislative and policy frameworks to understand the possibilities for a cryptocurrency sector in T&T. The Trade Ministry said it is working with the relevant stakeholder ministries and other bodies during this process. As it stands there is no policy position on cryptomining at this time in T&T, the ministry stated in a release yesterday. Read more here
Manning: Govt not punishing people
Any notion that the Government’s fuel price increases were meant as a punitive measure against the population has been dismissed by Minister in the Ministry of Finance Brian Manning. This followed an accusation on Tuesday by Opposition Senator Wade Mark that the implementation two weeks ago of higher prices for gasoline and diesel was intended to “punish” the people of Trinidad and Tobago. Speaking during matters on the adjournment in the Senate, Mark said the People’s Partnership government had sought to raise the standard of living of the population and had never dipped its hands into the pockets of poor people. Read more here
REGIONAL
Authorities to purchase COVID-19 treatment for children
The Government of Guyana, through the Ministry of Health, will be moving ahead with the procurement of a US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved COVID-19 medication for children called Paxlovid. The treatment is an oral antiviral medication and is manufactured and produced by the Pfizer Company. “We have been in communication with Pfizer to be able to procure Paxlovid and hopefully we’ll be able to have those arrangements in place so that we can have Paxlovid in Guyana,” Minister of Health Dr Frank Anthony said during Thursday’s COVID-19 update. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
Ukraine launches hunt for Russian soldiers accused of Bucha war crimes
Ukraine has launched a hunt for 10 Russian soldiers accused of war crimes in Bucha - the town outside of the capital Kyiv where civilians were tortured, raped and murdered. The Ministry of Defence - which shared pictures of the soldiers - described them as "the despicable 10". Prosecutors say they are being investigated for "premeditated murder". They are also accused of holding innocent civilians hostage, beating them and looting homes. Read more here
29th April 2022