TTMA IN THE NEWS
TCL appoints TTMA CEO Ramdeen to board
Trinidad and Tobago Manufacturers’ Association (TTMA) chief executive officer Dr Mahindra Ramesh Ramdeen has been appointed to the board of Trinidad Cement Ltd (TCL). In a notice published on the Trinidad and Tobago Stock Exchange yesterday, pursuant to Section 64(1)(b) of the Securities Act, 2012, TCL said Ramdeen’s appointment was made in accordance with Paragraph 4.4.2 of the company’s By-Law No. 1. “Dr Ramdeen shall hold office until the next annual meeting of the company, at which time he shall be eligible for re-election,” the notice stated. Read more here
NEWS
Police seize devices
Armed with a search warrant, police yesterday descended on the Gulf View, San Fernando, home of Chief Magistrate Brian Debideen and seized his electronic devices. The warrant was executed as part of a wider investigation involving local and international law enforcement agencies. The alleged offences being probed include money laundering, engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from specified unlawful activity, fraud, public corruption and bribery. Read more here
POLITICS
Kamla warns PNM against race politics
Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar blasted Opposition Leader Pennelope Beckles yesterday, declaring that she only secured the leadership of the People’s National Movement (PNM) because sections of the party’s base could not “stomach” Stuart Young, a man of Chinese and Indian ancestry, as their leader. In her contribution to the budget debate in Parliament, Persad-Bissessar accused Beckles and the Opposition of exploiting race to mobilise their political base, warning that any attempt to spread civil disorder beyond the western peninsula would be met with swift and brutal action. Read more here
BARRY TURNS UP HEAT ON MARVIN
Public Utilities Minister Barry Padarath says several matters arising from forensic investigations into state entities will be referred to the Office of the Attorney General. Contributing to the debate on the Appropriation (Financial Year 2027) Bill, 2026, in the House of Representatives yesterday, Padarath levelled allegations of financial irregularities, questionable procurement practices and weak corporate oversight at state agencies under the previous People’s National Movement (PNM) administration. He identified matters involving the Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA), the National Maintenance Training and Security Company Limited (MTS) and Telecommunications Services of Trinidad and Tobago (TSTT), insisting his disclosures were supported by forensic and investigative reports. Read more here
BUSINESS
Focus on recovery, not recession, economists argue
Trinidad and Tobago’s economic outlook, the Government’s fiscal constraints and unresolved public service backpay obligations are coming under scrutiny as economists and a former minister in the Ministry of Finance weigh in on whether the country’s recession should be the central concern. Former Minister in the Ministry of Finance Mariano Browne believes the focus must move beyond whether the economy meets the technical definition of a recession to how quickly it can recover and whether the Government has a credible plan for sustainable growth. “If the economy has experienced two consecutive quarters of decline, then the answer is yes, it is in a recession,” Browne explained. “The real issue is, what’s the future? And where are we going?” Read more here
Shell’s Manatee platform arrives in T&T
The topside for Shell’s Manatee gas project has arrived safely in Trinidad and Tobago, bringing the offshore development another step closer to its planned 2027 start-up. The Trinidad and Tobago Pilots’ Association said in a social media post that the structure arrived at Chaguaramas on October 12, towed by the MV Princess, operated by Boskalis. “This marks a significant milestone for the cross-border Loran-Manatee gas field, shared by Trinidad and Tobago and Venezuela,” the association stated in a post accompanying a video of the arrival. Read more here
REGIONAL
‘You cannot put a value to the injustices of slavery’ – President Ali
GUYANA’S President, Dr Irfaan Ali, has called for a “mature” discussion on reparations that addresses the lasting development inequalities caused by slavery, saying the issue should not be treated as a demand for “payback” or charity. Speaking to ITV News presenter Robert Moore ahead of King Charles III’s visit to Guyana, Dr Ali said the King would be welcomed warmly, citing Guyanese hospitality and the monarch’s longstanding relationship with the country. “As a country, we will continue to champion the issue of reparation because slavery was the worst indignity to humankind,” Dr Ali said during the interview which was aired on Monday night. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
UK to deploy jets to defend Saudi Arabia from Houthi attacks
The UK will deploy RAF Typhoon jets to defend Saudi Arabia in response to escalating Houthi missile and drone attacks, the government has said. The defensive mission will help defend Saudi cities and infrastructure - a move authorised by Prime Minister Andy Burnham - against aerial attacks by the Iran-backed group. It follows Houthi attacks on the Saudi capital Riyadh, as well as on energy sites on the country's coast. "These aircraft will operate in a defensive role and will not conduct offensive strikes against the Houthis," Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said in a written statement on Tuesday. Read more here
20th October 2026