NEWS
350 MORE JOBS ON THE LINE
Approximately 350 employees at Nutrien’s Point Lisas nitrogen complex face retrenchment as the Canadian fertiliser giant moves to indefinitely shut down its Trinidad operations. Workers were informed of the decision during a staff meeting yesterday, where management, which is headed by president CEO Ken Seitz, announced plans to begin cutting jobs as the company winds down its nitrogen business in Trinidad by year-end. The move marks the culmination of a strategic review launched after Nutrien implemented a controlled shutdown of the Point Lisas facility on October 23, 2025, citing restricted access to port facilities and the lack of a reliable and economically viable natural gas supply. The shutdown was initially presented as temporary, with the company indicating it would continue discussions with stakeholders while assessing options for the operation’s future. Read more here
Mother mourns second son killed
THE mother of 17-year-old Tristan Stephen was struggling to come to terms with the loss of her second son to murder, saying her child had been afraid of the dark and would not have gone to the place where he was found alone. Stephen, of Blake Avenue, Damarie Hill, Guaico, Sangre Grande, was reported missing on Friday after he failed to return home. The police were notified, and officials from the Hunters Search and Rescue Team, led by Vallance Rambarath also responded. Searches were conducted over the weekend for the missing teenager. Read more here
POLITICS
PM: Local govt has been under-performing for years
Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has criticised the performance of the country’s local government system, saying service delivery is poor and citizens are not getting value for money. She says the Government’s proposed expansion from 14 to 17 municipal corporations will help address those shortcomings, with more staff, a more equitable distribution of financial resources and stronger supervision of local government workers. Revealing the Government’s plan to bring the Municipal Corporations (Amendment) Bill, 2026 to the House of Representatives, Prime Minister yesterday said, “Everyone knows that local government has been under-performing for years. Service delivery is poor and citizens are not getting value for money. By increasing the number of municipal corporations from 14 to 17, we will improve the efficiency of service delivery to citizens, including building inspections, development approvals, the cleaning of watercourses and built infrastructure, insect control and other essential services. There will be more staff to serve citizens, financial resources will be distributed more equitably, and supervisory oversight of Local Government workers will be strengthened.” Read more here
Tighter controls on councillors
Leave your party, lose your seat. This is a provision in the Municipal Corporations (Amendment) Bill, 2026, which was laid yesterday in the House of Representatives.
Debate on the Bill is expected to begin tomorrow. The Bill contains 15 clauses and requires a simple majority for passage. It would come into operation on a date fixed by the President by Proclamation. Read more here
BUSINESS
Prestige profits drop on forex hit
Increased costs as result of National Insurance contribution and foreign exchange challenges have once again taken a toll on Prestige Holdings Ltd’s profits, according to its financial statements for the first nine months of the financial year 2026. In a report on the unaudited financials, chairman Christian Mouttet noted that group sales increased by 1.6 per cent to $1.09 billion from $1.07 billion, but profit before tax decreased by 34.2 per cent to $56.9 million from $86.5 million when compared to the prior year. Mouttet said, “Whilst our sales during the Quarter were marginally better than the same period last year, our profitability continues to be adversely impacted by increased foreign exchange costs to settle foreign payables by accessing alternative currencies and currency swaps at rates that were much higher than our inputs were originally costed, increased National Insurance contributions, and increases in costs from foreign and local suppliers.” Read more here
T&T retains CariAA credit rating
The Caribbean Information and Credit Rating Services Ltd. (CariCRIS) has reaffirmed Trinidad and Tobago’s CariAA sovereign credit rating and maintained a stable outlook. The rating indicates a high level of creditworthiness relative to other rated obligors in the Caribbean and applies to the Government’s foreign- and local-currency obligations. Finance Minister Davendranath Tancoo welcomed the reaffirmation, saying it was an independent indication that Government policies were having a stabilising effect on the economy. Read more here
REGIONAL
Strong fiscal management, economic discipline restored confidence in Guyana
Reflecting on Guyana’s journey from severe debt distress to a stronger economic position, President Dr. Irfaan Ali, on Monday, credited successive People’s Progressive Party/Civic’s (PPP/C) governments in building reforms, debt relief and enhancing economic growth. He stressed that fiscal management and economic discipline helped the country rebuild its international creditworthiness. President Ali traced the country’s challenges to the decades after independence. Guyana, he said, did not enter independence in 1966 with the extreme debt burden it faced later. He pointed instead to the economic policies adopted in the 1970s, when nationalisation and the expansion of state-owned enterprises significantly increased the public sector’s role in the economy. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
Children brave snipers and mortars to go to school near Yemen front line
Every morning at 6am, 10-year-old Rafeef and her younger brother get ready for school, putting on their cream and brown uniforms. She always looks forward to seeing her friends and learning about everything from maths to Arabic and Islamic studies. She can't wait to start studying English next year. But for Rafeef, the journey to school involves far greater risks than crossing roads or missing the bus. Her school in Taiz, south-western Yemen, stands on a mountain at the edge of a valley known as no-man's land - a heavily contested front line in the civil war between forces supporting Yemen's internationally recognised government, which is backed by Saudi Arabia, and the Iran-backed Houthis. Read more here
6th October 2026