NEWS
Promoter hopes for million-dollar payout for 2023 chutney/soca winners
SOUTHEX CEO and Chutney/Soca promoter George Singh is looking forward to a million-dollar payout for the 2023 competition's winners. Singh said he is hoping the prize structure would return to the pre-covid19 days, with a first prize of $500,000, $100,000 for the second place winner, $75,000 for position number three, and $35,000 for all of the other finalists. The National Carnival Commission (NCC) is the major sponsor, along with, National Lotteries Control Board, TSTT, Sangeet 106FM, TTT, Blue Waters and Paria Suites Hotel & Conference Centre. If there is agreement, Singh said it would be the biggest prize offering for the competition in more than three years. Read more here
Scotiabank introduces new $1.50 fee for online transfers to other banks
Scotiabank customers will have to pay $1.50 for digital transfers to other banks from February 10. “Effective February 10, each transfer from your Scotiabank account to other local banks via the Scotia Caribbean App and Socia OnLine Banking, will now cost $1.50, “Scotiabank has announced on its website. Scotiabank had previously been encouraging customers to use its digital channels. “Use the Scotia Caribbean App, Scotia OnLine Banking and Scotia ATMs to pay your bills, transfer funds between accounts, transfer to other local banks, pay your credit card, view account statements + more,” its website stated under the sections Transactional Accounts. Read more here
POLITICS
Heritage boasts of strong performance to Energy Minister
Executives of Heritage Petroleum Co Ltd described its 2022 performance as “strong” as its executives met with the Ministry of Energy at its Port of Spain office on Tuesday. “In 2022, the company embarked upon an aggressive drilling and workover programme, with ten wells drilled on land and one offshore, while operating 22 rigs. In 2023, the focus continues on drilling another ten wells on land and five wells in the Soldado field offshore,” Heritage said in a release. The release added that the company said that, through its methods, it demonstrated a consistent delivery in revenue generation. Read more here
Israel Khan to Rowley: I’m not a UNC activist
United National Congress Presidential nominee, Israel Khan SC, has rubbished Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley’s claim that he was a UNC activist. Rowley made the claim during a media conference on Monday, as he made an argument for why he was sticking with the People’s National Movement’s decision to nominate Senate President Christine Kangaloo for the position. During an interview with Guardian Media yesterday, however, Khan said, “I wish to categorically deny that I am an activist for the UNC. That is a blatant untruth. Also, I’m not a member of the UNC, I’ve never canvassed for the UNC. It is a fact that I support Kamla as the de facto leader of the UNC but I’m not a member of the UNC.” Khan’s comment came even as sectors of society continued to debate the issue of the Office of the President becoming tainted due to the perceived allegiances of both candidates, with both parties heading into the vote on January 20 with their nominees. Read more here
BUSINESS
CSO completes survey
The public has been praised by both the Central Statistical Office (CSO) and Planning and Development Minister Pennelope Beckles for the high participation in the CSO’s recent Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) between August 1 and December 18. With a target of approximately 9,000 households, the actual figure was 8,962, a household response rate of 91.8 per cent. Computer-assisted personal interviewing technology was used for real-time collection of data. Responses are now being analysed and it should take about six months before a statistical report is ready for public release. Read more here
Hydrogen project gets country manager
Dale Ramlakhan is a futurist. While he’s grown up in T&T’s energy sector and its present matrix, he’s planning ahead for the next phase of T&T’s energy evolution. And for him, that future is hydrogen. So in November 2022, after working for 15 years at PowerGen Trinidad, he accepted a job offer from the French company, Hydrogène de France (HDF Energy), to be its local country manager. In April 2022, HDF Energy bought a 70 per cent stake in the US$200 million hydrogen startup, NewGen, and recruited Ramlakhan to spearhead its development. Read more here
REGIONAL
Guyana to sustain double-digit growth
The World Bank has said that Guyana will continue to record positive economic growth over the next two years, even as the Latin America and Caribbean region experiences a slowdown in economic progress. According to the international financial institution in its latest publication, Global Economic Prospects, Guyana is on course to recording growth of 25 per cent this year and 21 per cent next year. “Aside from Guyana, which remains in a natural resources-fueled growth boom, the sub-region faces renewed headwinds,” the World Bank said.
Progress in this year will continue from the successes recorded last year, when the country’s economy grew by well over 50 per cent. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
Brazil riots: Arrests ordered for top officials after capital stormed
Brazil's judicial authorities have ordered the arrest of top public officials after rioters stormed key government buildings in Brasília. One official, the former commander of the military police, has been arrested, local media reported. The officials also include Brasília's former public security chief Anderson Torres and others "responsible for acts and omissions" leading to the riots, the attorney general's office said. Mr Torres denies any role in the riots. Colonel Fábio Augusto, the police commander, was dismissed from his role after supporters of ex-President Jair Bolsonaro stormed Congress, the presidential palace and the Supreme Court. Read more here
10th January 2023