NEWS
Trim: Premature to shift Tobago carnival out of rainy season
Tobago Carnival Committee chairman Meisha Trim has acknowledged that bad weather affected patronage at some events, including last Thursday’s Tobago Music Arts and Culture concert, at the Plymouth Recreation Ground, which featured Nigerian Grammy-winning artiste Burna Boy. But she said shifting the carnival from October to another month to minimise the likelihood of rainfall is not a consideration at this time. “It is a bit premature. The pros and cons will come in and you have to weigh it,” Trim told Newsday on Tuesday. “We literally have two sides of the coin and we have to draw the line and do that pros and cons analysis; see where the strengths of the festival lie and where the weaknesses were, and see if there is a middle point and if not, if it should be moved. But it is very premature to say.” Read more here
Ex-CoP Griffith’s firearms audit lawsuit: PM, NSC members no longer needed in court
Members of the National Security Council, including its chair Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley, are no longer required to appear before a High Court Judge next month as he considers an injunction application from former police commissioner Gary Griffith seeking to block them from laying the executive summary of an audit into the T&T Police Service (TTPS) Firearms Department in Parliament. Last Friday, High Court Judge Devindra Rampersad issued the order summoning the members of the council to court, as he granted Griffith leave to pursue his judicial review lawsuit against them and the members of the audit committee, including three retired police officers. Read more here
POLITICS
PM defends government's crime fight, slams Opposition's lack of support
The Prime Minister has defended his government’s crime-fighting efforts and initiatives and bashed the Opposition for its lack of support in government's proposed measures over the years. Speaking at a PNM public meeting in Chaguanas on Tuesday night, Dr Rowley said there were 1186 people in jail awaiting trial and the government had taken significant steps to accelerate the rate of processing matters before the court. “There's no magic wand or no election result from failed quarters that will improve that. You will do any amount of bad-mouthing of the Minister of National Security and demand for his removal. They (UNC) thought that by removing a minister every six months, that you're fighting crime. The criminals love that. Read more here
Kamla challenges return of Bail Bill
Why bring back the Bail Bill to Parliament when it didn’t work before? That’s the query raised by Opposition leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar, who’s instead recommended a programme of bail reform. Persad-Bissessar did so at the UNC’s Monday Night Forum, as she slammed the Government on the crime situation. She predicted that the PNM’s Chaguanas meeting last night would only be about “bouffing and distracting.” After spiralling murders, acting Police Commissioner McDonald Jacob had urged the Government and Opposition to bring a revised Bail Bill to Parliament to help the police battle the criminal elements. Read more here
BUSINESS
AMCHAM T&T wants country to row in same direction
T&T’s society is deeply fractured in the middle and the working class is under extreme pressure says AMCHAM T&T’s CEO Nirad Tewarie. However, no one expects the Government to solve all the problems and the private sector is more than willing to do its part, he added. Tewarie was speaking at AMCHAM T&T’s 26th Annual Health, Safety, Security and Environment (HSSE) Conference and Exhibition held at the Hyatt Regency yesterday. Saying the country is “at a crossroads” Tewarie added, “We can only do so through meaningful engagement, even if we don’t agree on everything from the get-go. This, therefore, is an appeal for more collaboration around shared objectives. This is a call to action. A call to make T&T more resilient—socially, economically and physically —not just for today but for decades and decades to come.” Read more here
Back to financial basics
Most of us are aware of the importance of money and personal finances to ourselves and our families, both now and in the future. But too frequently, confusing terminology and difficult calculations keep the complicated world of banking hidden. Financial consultant Philip Williams is the CEO and founder of Phil The Gap (PTG), a business that is passionate about working with customers to examine their present financial condition and assisting them in making the most of their money. Read more here
REGIONAL
10,000 jobs lined up as funds secured for Berbice-based oil refineries
Funds have been secured to build a number of modular oil refineries in Berbice, according to a statement from Delta Energy & Petroleum Co (DEPCO). The company’s statement reads: “We are now pleased to announce that financing for this project has been obtained. We have signed a Commercial Contract with the Spanish Association of Manufacturers of Capital Goods (SERCOBE) for the financing of four modular refineries. “The refining capacity of each refinery is 60,000 bpd [barrels per day] for a total output of 240,000 bpd. “With the cooperation of the various governmental agencies, DEPCO intends to proceed with all deliberate speed to get these refineries constructed and operational, commencing in the first quarter of 2023. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
Israel elections: Netanyahu set for comeback with far right's help - partial results
Former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is on the brink of a dramatic comeback, after partial results showed he was on course to win a majority in parliament with the far right's help. With 84% of votes from the general election counted, Mr Netanyahu's bloc is set to win 65 out of 120 seats. "We are close to a big victory," he told jubilant supporters in Jerusalem. However, he will be dependent on the support of the ultra-nationalist Religious Zionism party. Its leaders, Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, have gained notoriety for using anti-Arab rhetoric and advocating the deportation of "disloyal" Arab politicians or civilians. Read more here
2nd November 2022