NEWS
Pundit chopped to death in home invasion in Sangre Grande
A pundit was chopped to death during a home invasion in Sou Sou Land, Cunaripo, Sangre Grande on Sunday afternoon. The deceased has been identified as 65-year-old Ramesh Maharaj. Police said around 2.30 pm on September 29, Maharaj, a woman and her common-law husband were at home when two men with cutlasses and jerseys covering their faces entered through the back door. Maharaj confronted the men while the woman ran to hide in a bedroom. Read more here
DJ dies at hospital after near drowning at Tyrico Beach
A D’abadie disc jockey, who got into difficulty at Tyrico Beach, yesterday and had to be rescued by lifeguards, later died at hospital. Atiba Francis, who was known in the entertainment fraternity as DJ Ochro, was reportedly identified by his wife at the Port-of-Spain General Hospital. Reports indicate that Francis had gone swimming around 1.30 pm when he got into difficulty and disappeared under the water. Read more here
POLITICS
Top ten takeaways from the 2025 budget
Finance Minister Colm Imbert presented Trinidad and Tobago's fiscal budget 2024/2025 in the Parliament on September 30. Here are ten things you need to know about Imbert's budget: 1. With revenue projected at $54.224 billion and expenditures at $59.741 billion, the budget will be a deficit of $5.517 billion. Oil was assumed to be at US$77.80 per barrel and natural gas was US$3.59 per MMBtu. 2. Health gets the largest piece of the pie with $7.571 billion followed by education and national security with $7.512 billion and $6.113 billion respectively. Read more here
BUSINESS
New POSSCL board appointed
Minister of Housing and Urban Development Camille Robinson-Regis presented letters of appointment and reappointment to the chairman and directors of the Port of Spain Shopping Complex (POSSCL) during a brief ceremony at the ministry's head office in South Quay, Port of Spain, on September 30. POSSCL, a wholly owned state enterprise was incorporated on February 26, 2020, to facilitate the operation and management of Eastside Plaza, New City Mall and No 43 Independence Square, Port of Spain. Read more here
Govt plans to divest State assets
Minister of Finance, Colm Imbert, announced yesterday that the Government would sell the State's 49 per cent shareholding in the insurance company, Clico, in the 2025 fiscal year, which begins today. Imbert said the sale of Clico is one of several special projects, which the Government expects "to generate much-needed revenue, and create new jobs, to divest state assets that are better managed by the private sector, to encourage direct foreign investment, and local investment, especially in the tourism sector." Among the special projects Imbert outlined were the sale or lease of the Petrotrin refinery, the sale or lease of the Magdelena Grand Beach and Golf Resort and a request for proposals to develop a yachting marina on lands currently being acquired from the Tobago Plantations Estate. The Magdelena Hotel is adjacent to the Tobago Plantations Estate. Read more here
SMEs to receive VAT refunds in cash by year-end
Small and medium-sized enterprises owed Value Added Tax (VAT) refunds will receive cash payments by December 31, 2024, Minister of Finance Colm Imbert announced. Imbert made the statement during his presentation of the 2025 national budget titled “Steadfast and Resolute: Forging Pathways to Prosperity” in the Parliament yesterday. Read more here
REGIONAL
Guyana to enhance defence capabilities with two advanced rotary wing aircraft
The Government of Guyana on Monday signed a US$16 million contract with Bell Textron Inc. for the supply of two advanced rotary wing aircraft.
This milestone agreement not only enhances the capabilities of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), but also serves as a testament to the strong bilateral relationship between Guyana and the United States of America (USA). The signing ceremony highlights the commitment to deepen cooperation in defence and security. This partnership reflects shared values and goals, reinforcing the importance of collaboration in enhancing regional peace and stability. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
'People are just scrambling' - North Carolina reels from devastating storm
On Monday, Mayor Patrick Fitzsimmons found himself at the epicentre of a disaster zone. His town of Weaverville, North Carolina, had no electricity and no power. Only one grocery store was operational, utility poles had gone down, the town’s water plant had flooded and people had been without safe drinking water for four days, he told the BBC. In the larger Buncombe County, where Weaverville is located, at least 35 people are dead and 600 are unaccounted for, a local CBS News affiliate reported. Read more here
1st October 2024