Daily Brief - Monday 4th April, 2022

TTMA IN THE NEWS

TTMA head: Many benefits to be gained from TT-Guyana trade

Despite the negativity that sometimes surrounds relations between Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana, the business communities in both countries are committed to expanding trade between each other. And the benefits to be reaped will be two-way, says chief executive officer of the Trinidad and Tobago Manufacturers Association (TTMA) Dr Ramesh Ramdeen. In a telephone interview with the Express on Friday, Ramdeen hailed the TTMA’s physical trade mission to Guyana last week as a success. Read more here

InvesTT starts series to link investors with private sector

InvesTT will host a series of discussions in 2022 to assist investors by linking them with the private sector. The first event was held on Friday, March 18 at the Hyatt Regency, Trinidad. InvesTT, in a media release last week, said those in attendance at the meeting were heads of local companies and/or conglomerates from the membership of the Trinidad and Tobago Manufacturers Association (TTMA) and the Trinidad and Tobago Chamber of Commerce. Read more here

 

NEWS

Point Fortin highway commission prepares to begin hearings soon

The Commission of Enquiry (CoE) into the Solomon Hochoy Highway Extension project is preparing to begin its hearings, senior government officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Newsday. One official said the CoE "is getting ready to start to sit." A second official hinted that the commission would hold hearings "both in person and virtual." A third official indicated that the commission has prepared certain pieces of correspondence that will be dispatched soon. None of these officials gave specific details about when the commission's hearings would begin. Read more here

 

POLITICS

Caricom and Canada discuss challenges facing the region

Foreign Affairs Minister Dr Amery Browne recently participated in the second Caricom- Canada Foreign Ministers’ group meeting at which the “dynamic partnership between Caricom and Canada” was reaffirmed, a release from his ministry said on Sunday. The meeting, held virtually, was co-chaired by Belize’s Foreign Affairs, Trade and Immigration Minister Eamon Courtenay and Melanie Joly, Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister. The release said Caricom and Canada also renewed their commitment to joint action to address the challenges facing the region including climate change and the war in Ukraine. Read more here

Local Govt battle for PoS could be three-way fight

At least three parties—including the United National Congress (UNC) and Progressive Democratic Patriots (PDP)—may be fighting the People’s National Movement for its Port-of-Spain Corporation in Local Government elections ahead. This was confirmed last Saturday and yesterday. Local Government elections are due within 90 days after December 2. Four months after beating the PNM in the Tobago House of Assembly elections, the PDP opens its headquarters in Barataria on Sunday, preparing to test its Trinidad standing by contesting PoS Corporation seats. The PDP headquarters launch was announced on PDP leader Watson Duke’s Facebook page. It showed Duke with inserted pictures of six very young people of different races. To raise PDP’s profile for the office opening, Duke walked through the San Juan Market last Saturday, offering “free advertisement” (sic) of vendors’ merchandise and he also held a walkabout in Malick the previous weekend. Read more here

 

 

REGIONAL

Every citizen will benefit from oil-and-gas resources

The government is working to significantly improve the standard of living of all Guyanese by making available more opportunities to residents throughout Guyana by investing in long-term projects in education, health care and public infrastructure. This is according to Vice-President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo, who was at the time speaking at a recent outreach in the mining town of Linden. The Vice-President during his address to residents of Region 10, spoke in detail about the country’s growth after the PPP/C Government took office in the late 1990s and current plans to improve infrastructure around the country and create job opportunities. Read more here

 

INTERNATIONAL

Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam won't seek second term

Hong Kong's leader Carrie Lam announced she would not seek a second term in office after a controversial tenure that has seen many of the territory's civil freedoms eroded.

As chief executive, Ms Lam oversaw a turbulent period where massive pro-democracy protests led to greater Chinese control in Hong Kong. Ms Lam, 64, was Beijing's handpicked choice entering office in 2017. On Monday, she told reporters Beijing had been receptive to her decision. She also revealed she had informed China about her desire to not seek a second term a year ago, despite refusing in recent times to answer questions about her political future. Read more here

The horrors of Putin's invasion of Ukraine are increasingly coming to light

Vladimir stands on the edge of a mass grave in the Ukrainian town of Bucha, on the outskirts of Kyiv. He holds his hands to his head, then raises them up to the sky in anguish. "Brother, we've been looking for you for so long," he says, bursting into tears halfway through. His brother, Dmitry, has been missing for roughly a week and neighbors told Vladimir he might be buried here. "We thought you were alive," Vladimir cries out. Read more here

4th April 2022

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