TTMA IN THE NEWS
Taxes up in smoke: illicit cigarettes cost Trinidad and Tobago millions in revenue
Cigarettes come with significant health risks, regardless of where you get them from. Smoking has proven health effects with association with several non-communicable diseases, including heart failure and cancer. However, being a lifestyle choice set exclusively for adults, consumers are responsible enough to know that they would want their cigarettes from the safest sources, made using the best possible practices and are not associated with illegal activity. This is why responsible smokers will choose cigarettes coming from legal sources instead of illicit cigarettes. The trade and sale of illicit cigarettes, cigarettes either smuggled into the country or without registration, affects the consumer by giving them access to cigarettes that use unregulated manufacturing practices and may use more of the already harmful chemicals and carcinogens than in cigarettes manufactured by regulated companies. Read more here
NEWS
Police detain spy agency head on suspicion of transferring guns
The head of the country’s premier spy agency, who had been on administrative leave since March 2, has been detained by police and is expected to be questioned later on May 16. Senior police sources have confirmed the arrest of Major Roger Best and say other Strategic Services Agency (SSA) senior officials are to be brought in for questioning in the coming days. The SSA is authorised to intercept communications from people after obtaining court orders under the Interception of Communication Act. The agency reports directly to the National Security Council and alerts state agencies to possible terrorism threats, among other national-security concerns. Read more here
One dead, several injured in Plymouth, Tobago drive-by shooting
Less than a week after Tobago recorded its eighth murder in Plymouth, Tobago police responded to another killing in the area. Anthony Maynard of Plymouth was shot dead in a drive-by shooting around 10.30 pm. Three other people were injured and were transported to the Scarborough General Hospital for emergency medical treatment. Guardian Media understands the shooting happened near the Plymouth cemetery. This recent killing has pushed the island’s murder toll to nine for the year. For the same period last year, Tobago had recorded four murders. Last week Thursday, 29-year-old Nekisha Sandy was shot dead, a stone's throw away from Wednesday's drive-by. Read more here
POLITICS
Imbert foregoes legal action against Auditor General, agrees to special report
Finance Minister Colm Imbert has decided to forego legal proceedings against Auditor General Jaiwantie Ramdass with respect to the latter's submission to Parliament of a report on the 2023 public financial accounts which did not factor in a $2.6 billion understatement in revenue. The original report will be laid in Parliament at the earliest opportunity. The Finance Ministry will provide Ramdass with all the documents she requires to prepare a special report on the 2023 public financial accounts by August 31. This decision was relayed to Freedom Law Chambers, Ramdass' legal representative, in a letter dated May 15 from the law firm, MG Daly & Partners, which is representing Imbert. Read more here
Trade Ministry resolves dispute with Guyanese company
The trade impasse between this country and Guyanese manufacturer, Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL) has been resolved. On Tuesday, the chairman of DDL, Komal Samaroo, expressed frustration that flavoured water and milk from his company were having difficulties entering the T&T market. DDL Chairman, Komal Samaroo complained about T&T resorting to enforcing one of its animal health laws to return a consignment of milk valued at US$100,000 and detention of flavoured water with a value of between US$30,000 and US$40,000 until additional checks were done. He added that it was the first time that his company was exporting milk to this country. Concerning the flavoured water, DDL officials said T&T’s authorities asked for a “detailed chemical analysis” and a certificate of analysis. Read more here
BUSINESS
Pass on price reductions to consumers
The Ministry of Trade and Industry is appealing to businesses such as supermarkets, distributors and other retailers to be fair and pass on declines in price charged to consumers, when there has been a decrease in international prices for commodities sold in T&T. The ministry made the call as there have been several commodities that have already experienced price reductions; the latest being Nutrimix which reduced its flour prices between 5 per cent and 17 per cent last Friday. In a news release, Nutrimix said the reduction was due to several factors, including the global decrease in wheat prices and shipping costs, as well as the company’s improved internal systems, controls, and initiatives to increase the efficiency of its operations while reducing milling and processing costs. Read more here
Cheaper cement for T&T market
Trinidad and Tobago has obtained approval for the reduction in the current rate of duty applicable to hydraulic cements from 20% to 10% until June 30, 2025. This came out of the 58th Meeting of the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) Tuesday and yesterday in Georgetown, Guyana. Read more here
REGIONAL
DDL export to T&T flare-up settled amicably
It was not the state of Trinidad that returned a shipment of milk from Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL) but the importer as he had failed to follow the necessary procedures. The matter was cleared up yesterday in Georgetown. “We had an excellent meeting with the Private Sector Commission [PSC] of Guyana and we discussed a number of items that were of concern to Guyana and we able to resolve these amicably and put in place a process that would help us to deal with any further like circumstance,” Trinidad and Tobago Minister of Trade, Paula Gopee-Scoon, told Stabroek News as she exited the PSC office on Waterloo Street yesterday afternoon, following the meeting. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
Suspect charged with attempted murder of Slovak PM Fico
A man has been charged with the attempted murder of Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico after the politician was seriously hurt in a shooting attack. The alleged assailant has not been formally named, but Slovak reports have widely identified him as a 71-year-old from the town of Levice. Reports say he could face up to life in prison. Mr Fico, 59, is in a serious but stable condition after being shot several times in what colleagues described as a politically motivated attack. Interior Minister Matus Sutaj Estok told a press conference on Thursday that the suspect had acted alone and that he had previously taken part in anti-government protests. Read more here
16th May 2024