Daily Brief - Tuesday 14th February, 2023

NEWS

Carnival vendors: Booths late, in horrible condition

Vendors assigned booths for Carnival at the Queen's Park Savannah, Port of Spain complain the amenities and conditions are poor, even though they are paying more in rent compared to two years ago, the last time the festival was held before the covid19 pandemic. Many of the booths, arranged by the National Carnival Commission (NCC), are still incomplete and some vendors who already got theirs said the wooden structures are infested with woodlice. They told Newsday there's no security so they stay in the booths overnight to make sure they are not vandalised. The rent is now $500 more, said the vendors, who asked to not be named. Read more here

Businesswoman killed in front mother-in-law

Businesswoman Sabrina Thomas went to her mother-in-law’s home yesterday morning to plan her (mother-in-law’s) birthday celebrations today. In a cruel twist of fate, however, Thomas’ relatives will now be planning her (Thomas) funeral, after she was shot dead by a lone assailant at her mother-in-law’s Fanny Village, Point Fortin home. Thomas, 44, a contractor, had dropped off her children, aged 13 and 14, at their schools in Point Fortin and Vessigny before going to her business place, which she owned with her husband Edwin Thomas. Thomas then walked across to her mother-in-law’s house, a stone’s throw away. Read more here

 

 

POLITICS

Diego Martin corporation chairman: Dr Rowley's comments 'contorted'

Chairman of the Diego Martin Regional Corporation Sigler Jack said certain comments by the Prime Minister during the opening of the refurbished Skinner Park in San Fernando, were taken out of context and in no way degraded or insulted his corporation. Dr Rowley, in making a case for local government reform which would allow corporations to collect its own revenue from property tax, as well as receive subventions from central government, claimed he almost lost his house in Goodwood Park two months ago because of a broken drain. He said, “The corporation can’t fix it because they haven’t got the sand and cement. And the water came through from the drain, into my house, undermining my yard. I was just there in time to catch the landslide before it cut. Read more here

 

BUSINESS

Ansa Bank goes digital at Gulf City

Ansa Bank’s new digital-first touchpoint at Gulf City Mall, La Romaine is promising an enhanced customer experience centred around the digital banking experience. “We are the first in our market to have a bank that looks nothing like a bank,” noted Ansa Bank chairman, David Dulal-Whiteway, at the branch opening earlier this month. “Our premises have been designed to stimulate customers to rethink how they experience or want to experience transacting their financial business.” Built around digital touchpoints in a vibrant, meticulously designed space, the branch boasts that: “Everything is digital except our coffee!” With meeting rooms for in-person customer service alongside a QR code-scannable augmented reality wall, the branch is a giant step into customer-first digital banking. Read more here

Flower sales bloom

Vendors and some store owners in Port of Spain are lamenting that sales for Valentine’s Day were low, while flower shop owners experienced an uptick in sales. The Express took a walk in Port of Spain yesterday and not many vendors or store owners were selling Valentine’s gifts as has been in the past, where pedestrians were not even able to walk the pavements properly around this time. One vendor on Charlotte Street said this is the worse Valentine’s she experienced, as it was nothing like the pre-Covid-19 days. Read more here

 

REGIONAL

International Energy Expo opens today

Almost 200 exhibitors and over 800 delegates are scheduled to be part of the second edition of Guyana’s annual International Energy Conference and Expo, which opens at the Marriott Hotel on Tuesday, and runs until Friday. President, Dr Irfaan Ali will deliver the keynote address at the opening ceremony, which will also include remarks by at least two other heads of state: Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, Dr Keith Rowley, and Prime Minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines, Ralph Gonsalves. President of Suriname, Chandrikapersad Santokhi, is also scheduled to speak; however, he is likely to present virtually. Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Mottley, is also likely to present virtually. Read more here

 

INTERNATIONAL

BBC India offices searched by income tax officials

BBC offices in India have been searched as part of an investigation by income tax authorities. The searches in New Delhi and Mumbai come weeks after the broadcaster aired a documentary in the UK critical of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The documentary focused on the prime minister's role in anti-Muslim violence in Gujarat in 2002, when he was chief minister of the state. The BBC said that it was "fully co-operating" with authorities. "We hope to have this situation resolved as soon as possible," a short statement added. Although the documentary was only broadcast on television in the UK, India's government has attempted to block people sharing India: The Modi Question online, calling it "hostile propaganda and anti-India garbage" with a "colonial mind-set". Read more here

14th February 2023

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