DAILY BRIEF
WEDNESDAY 3RD JUNE, 2015
NEWS
Special court for child offenders
There’s been an increase in T&T of criminal matters involving children, ages seven to under 18, says Attorney General Garvin Nicholas. He made the point yesterday in piloting a bill to enact a special High Court Division to deal with children known as the Children’s Court. This will avoid mixing Family Court matters with Children’s Court issues. The Children’s Court focuses on child care issues, drug matters regarding children, child charges, care and protection of the child and any matter in which a child appears in court. These include those pertaining to the dissolution of marriage, maintenance, wardship, custody, adoption of children, abduction and the like. Under the bill a child can also file a domestic violence order, Nicholas saidIn some cases the Court would be allowed to appoint an attorney for a child if need be. A Peer Resolution Centre will also be utiltised with first-time offenders to subject them to a court-like atmosphere where their peers will judge them. . Read more...
Jack cheques in
One month before the May 2010 general election, a company owned by former FIFA vice-president and Chaguanas West MP Jack Warner paid Ross Advertising five cheques totalling $1,719, 215.75. Ross is the advertising agency which handled the People's Partnership's 2010 election campaign. On April 14, 2010, Jamad Ltd, whose address is 113 Edward Street, Port of Spain, wrote a cheque to Ross Advertising for $1 million. On April 21, 2010, four other cheques of varying sum—$195,220.55, $155,250,$97,750 and $270,995.20 were also made out to Ross Advertising. The cheques, which show Jamad's home bank as Republic Bank, Tragarete Road, were all deposited on April 21 at Republic's Long Circular Mall branch. The cheques surfaced without explanation on social media yesterday, after they were allegedly leaked by Warner, with the promise of “more to come”. Read more...
Ramesh to take Govt to court
It has been since January, but Senior Counsel Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj vowed that if by June 18 the Government does not respond to the Privy Council (PC) Order to pay municipal police officers, he would file proceedings for contempt of court. Failure to obey the PC’s ruling, Maharaj contended yesterday, could see members of the Cabinet being held accountable in civil contempt proceedings. Just as they had gathered at Maharaj’s law offices in San Fernando on January 21, the Municipal Police Officers (MPO) headed by retired Asst Supt Sydney Corbett, brought the media up-to-date on failure of Government to even respond to letters written by Maharaj to Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar and every member of the current Cabinet. The PC had ruled in January, in a class action filed by over 150 MPO, that they were entitled to compensation for loss of earnings and damages. Read more...
POLITICS
Howai unaware of $48M Clico payments
Finance Minister Larry Howai said yesterday he was unaware of $48.5 million being paid to ten former Colonial Life Insurance Company (Clico) directors and their companies. “No, I don’t know anything about the payments having been made. I have to find out about that. I don’t think the payments have been made to anyone as far as I’m aware but again, I’ll need to confirm whether that’s so or not,” Howai said. He was responding to reports circulating yesterday that payments may have already begun to the former Clico directors and their companies, except to Clico’s former corporate secretary, Gita Sakal, because of a civil matter. Chairman of the Clico Policyholders Group, Peter Permell, has been very critical of this reported move, issuing a statement two days ago in which he asked how anyone “in their right mind,” particularly Central Bank Governor Jwala Rambarran and Howai, could allow these individuals “to be paid any money let alone $48.5 million ahead of the 15,000 bona fide ‘assenting’ third-party policyholders who were promised but are yet to be made whole.” Read more...
Vernella: I’m ready to serve again
Tobago East Member of Parliament and Minister in the Ministry of People and Social Development, Vernella Alleyne-Toppin, is willing and ready to serve this country, more so the people of Tobago, should she be called upon to do so.Alleyne-Toppin, during a media conference at Tobago Organisation of the People’s (TOP) headquarters, in Scarborough yesterday, said she remains available to the party, stopping short of answering if she wanted to be a general election candidate again. “I am available to my party, the TOP and the People’s Partnership to fit any position and serve in any capacity that they may ask of me,” she said. “I do not want to pre-empt anything as there is a process that we use through our constitution, where all the action groups, women groups and youth arms; those bodies determine who their representative would be, and then there is the screening as well as other processes by which we choose the candidates.” Read more...
BUSINESS
MHTL executives meet President
The Board of Directors and CEO of Methanol Holdings (Trinidad) Limited (MHTL) along with executives from the St. Margaret’s Boys’ Steel Orchestra of Belmont paid a courtesy call on His Excellency President Anthony Carmona, where they were warmly greeted. The visit took place on May 28 at the Office of the President, St. Ann’s. MHTL is the sponsor of the trip by the St. Margaret’s Boys’ Steel Orchestra to the world renowned Carnegie Hall, New York where they will deliver an historic performance at the 2015 New York Sounds of Summer International Music Festival on June 17. This visit to the Office of the President came in advance of a free public performance by the St. Margaret’s Boys’ Steel Orchestra titled “Belmont to Carnegie” hosted by MHTL at the Queen’s Hall later that evening, as a prelude to their departure to Carnegie Hall. Following the meeting, the President was then treated to a sneak preview of the upcoming oncert by members of the Orchestra. . Read more...
Scotia reports $702 million in revenue
Scotiabank yesterday reported total revenue of, comprising net interest income and other income of $702 million for the period ended April 30, 2015. This information was contained in the bank’s interim results for 2015. This figure represented an increase of $51million when compared to the same period last year. Net Interest Income for the six months ended April 30, 2015 was $460 million, $21.3 million or five percent higher when compared to 2014. Strong growth in loan volumes of 17 percent supported these results and offset the impact of lower asset yields. Other Income for the six months ended April 30 2015 was $242 million resulting in a $30 million or 14 percent increase when compared 2014. The increase was driven by growth in our key segments Retail, Corporate and Commercial Banking and Insurance and complemented the strong asset growth. Read more...
Unemployment rate stays at 3.3 per cent
In the final quarter of 2014, T&T unemployment rate was 3.3 per cent—unchanged from the previous quarter. However, data just released by the Central Statistical Office in its Labour Bulletin shows that, broken down by gender, the rate increased among males, from 2.6 per cent in the third quarter of 2014, to 2.9 per cent in the fourth quarter of the year. For females, the unemployment rate decreased from 4.4 per cent to 3.8 per cent. Compared to the corresponding period a year earlier the data showed that the overall unemployment rate decreased from 3.8 per cent to 3.3 per cent with the male unemployment rate decreasing from 3.4 per cent to 2.9 per cent and the female unemployment rate decreasing from 4.3 per cent to 3.8 per cent. In terms of the unemployment situation, the data reflected a decrease of 800 or 3.6 per cent in the number of unemployed persons in T&T between the third and fourth quarters 2014. Read more...
CAL moves to new offices in Jamaica
Caribbean Airlines (CAL) has relocated its ticket office, administrative and operations teams. The company has moved its offices from two locations—the hangar at Norman Manley International Airport and Trafalgar Road—consolidating into a single office building in Liguanea, where the new address is: 128 Hope Road, Liguanea, Kingston 6. According to Clive Forbes, the CAL Jamaica general manager, the move will serve to strengthen customer service. “This is a perfect time for us to relocate. The new offices will enable us to serve our guests more effectively and efficiently by bringing our people together under one roof,” he said. Forbes said the airline is upbeat about summer bookings. “Our customers are seeing the value of travelling with Caribbean Airlines. Read more...
REGIONAL
Caribbean insurers urged to develop products for agriculture, tourism
Players in the Caribbean insurance industry have been urged to develop innovative products that will provide natural disaster protection for critical sectors such as agriculture and tourism. Deputy speaker of Jamaica’s House of Representatives, Lloyd Smith, made the appeal, as he delivered the keynote address at the opening of the 35th annual conference of the Insurance Association of the Caribbean held on May 31 in Montego Bay. “We know that there are great risks in agricultural insurance, but there is some work being done on parametric insurance with the help of the multilaterals and Caribbean governments,” he noted. “I urge you to join forces with them to find a creative solution for even some limited amount of insurance protection that will at least allow farmers to replant,” he said. Read more...
INTERNATIONAL
Sepp Blatter steps down but isn't in the clear. What's next for FIFA?
If you think big changes are coming to FIFA now that Sepp Blatter says he's stepping down, don't hold your breath.The widely reviled head of international soccer's governing body said Tuesday that he's going to resign, just four days after he was elected president for a fifth term. So, what happened between Friday and Tuesday for his change of heart. Blatter isn't saying. But FIFA is mired in a massive corruption scandal, with the U.S. Justice Department charging 14 people, including nine FIFA officials, in a 47-count indictment last week. On Wednesday, Interpol issued red notices to inform member nations that arrest warrants are out for six of those indicted, including Jack Warner, a former FIFA vice president and executive committee member. . Read more..
3rd June 2015