NEWS
Stakeholders warn economy under strain
Trade unions and economists are sounding the alarm over Trinidad and Tobago’s employment outlook, after official data showed nearly 6,000 jobs disappeared in the first three months of 2026, warning that the impact stretches far beyond the labour market and into households, businesses and the wider economy. The latest Labour Force Survey published by the Central Statistical Office (CSO) showed employment fell from 569,900 people in the fourth quarter of 2025 to 564,000 in the first quarter of 2026, a decline of 5,900 jobs or one per cent. The figures come months after Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar announced that more than 15,000 jobs had been created since her administration took office 16 months earlier. The CSO reported: “In quarter one 2026, the estimated average number of persons with jobs for all sectors was 564,000. Compared to the fourth quarter of 2025, the overall employment across all industries decreased by one per cent.” Read more here
POLITICS
PM: Govt setting up 30 joint army-police posts across T&T over next four months
Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has announced that 30 joint army-police posts will be established across Trinidad and Tobago over the next four months, as the Government moves to expand its security measures under the ongoing State of Emergency (SoE). In a Facebook post yesterday, Persad-Bissessar said the initiative is intended to respond to years of requests from communities for a greater security presence. She said the joint army-police posts would provide “a sense of comfort” and help communities regain the use of their public spaces. Read more here
BUSINESS
Diesel subsidy totals $293.26M for 2026
The Government has paid more than $293 million in fuel subsidies for automotive diesel so far this year, according to information provided by the Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries in a Freedom of Information Act response. Among the data requested were the total fuel subsidy paid for super gasoline, premium gasoline and automotive diesel from January 1, 2026, monthly subsidy payments for each fuel, and the subsidy paid per litre. Guardian Media made the request as part of an effort to examine how movements in international fuel prices, including the recent volatility in global energy markets, could affect T&T’s fuel subsidy bill. The ministry responded, “The total fuel subsidy paid by the Government of Trinidad and Tobago for the period January 1, 2026 to the date of this request (July) is $293,264,034.98 for automotive diesel.” Read more here
GraceKennedy secures PSP licence
GRACEKENNEDY (Trinidad and Tobago) Ltd (GKTT) has received approval from the Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago to operate as a Payment Service Provider (PSP), expanding the range of regulated payment services it can offer in the local market. The registration, which took effect on August 1, marks an upgrade from the company’s previous status as a Bill Payment Service Provider (BPSP), a designation it held since September 30, 2014. “This expanded registration authorises GKTT to offer a broader range of regulated payments services, including bill payment services,” the Central Bank stated yesterday. Read more here
REGIONAL
‘National prosperity must translate into community prosperity’
President Dr Irfaan Ali has rolled out an ambitious, nationwide village development programme built around four pillars: connectivity, community, commerce and care, that will touch every village in Guyana. Addressing the beginning of the public consultations on this “Model Village initiative” in Leonora on the West Coast Demerara on Monday, Dr Ali told residents that national prosperity must translate into “community prosperity,” and warned that rapid growth must not turn villages into mere “dormitories” where people only sleep. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
France wildfires reveal hundreds of WW2 shells in village
Wildfires in the south of France have revealed a cache of 400 historic shells and munitions in the village of Le Porge, according to local authorities. Blasts during the fires, initially thought to be exploding gas cylinders, may have been World War Two explosives detonated by the heat, the local fire commander told local media. More than 100 explosions were heard on the second night of the fire, Mayor Martial Zaninetti told French news outlet France Info, likening it to "the sound of war". Read more here
4th August 2026