DAILY BRIEF
Thursday 21st May, 2015
NEWS
Police best for the job—Jack
Chaguanas West MP Jack Warner says Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar should wait until the police probe into the Emailgate matter is completed before coming to any definitive conclusion. He was responding in Parliament yesterday to Persad-Bissessar’s claim of vindication based on a letter from the Integrity Commission which said it had closed its case into the matter because there were insufficient grounds to continue it. The commission was asked to probe the Emailgate matter by Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley in 2013. This followed his presentation of a no-confidence motion in Parliament in May 2012, in which Rowley presented 31 emails he alleged came from the ddresses of senior Cabinet ministers, including Persad-Bissessar and then attorney general Anand Ramlogan. Read more...
Death without dignity
These were the prevailing emotions expressed by colleagues of Jennifer Hunte-Madlum who was found chopped to death and her body dumped in some bushes in Princes Town on Monday afternoon. In a heartfelt post placed on Tuesday, on social networking site Facebook, a colleague of Hunte- Madlum — who asked not be identified — wrote of the pain, horror and feeling of anger and emptiness Hunte-Madlum’s murder left those who worked with her at Bristow Caribbean Limited in at Piarco. Hunte-Madlum, who worked as a Safety Officer, was this country’s first ever female aircraft engineer and was held in very high esteem, loved and respected by those whom she worked with. She was described as a person with a “bubbly smile”, the co-worker said. Read more...
Shelly-Anne steps down
Chairman of the Integrity Commission retired Justice Zainool Hosein confirmed last night that Dr Shelly-Anne Lalchan has resigned from the five-member commission. He said Lalchan submitted a letter of resignation which was forwarded to President Anthony Carmona.Well-placed sources told the Express Lalchan's resignation will be effective June 1. Sources further indicated Hosein is to meet with President Carmona some time today to officially discuss the resignation as the President would need to find a new member to fill the vacancy. The Express was also reliably told that Lalchan's decision to quit was purely coincidental to the position the commission took on emailgate, as she had signalled her intent to resign some time ago due to personal issues. The Express understands further that Lalchan was an active member of the commission and lent full support to the investigations, not just on emailgate but other matters before it. Read more...
POLITICS
Cabinet to approve squatter law
Cabinet will today give the final approval on two draft amendments to the Squatter Regularisation Act 25 Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar disclosed this yesterday at the official opening of Rose Hill Roman Catholic (RC) Primary School, Laventille Road, Port-of-Spain. She first mentioned Government’s intention to the regularisation of all squatters at the United National Congress’ Monday night forum last week. In her address, Persad-Bissessar explained the law was first passed in 1998 and it stated that anybody who occupied a parcel of land as of January 1, 1998, would get a certificate of comfort first, later a lease and sometime after a deed of the land. “There was one problem when we passed it, it wasn’t a problem then but 15 years later, there is a big problem, which prevents people who occupy State lands now, from getting that comfort of certificate,” she said. Read more...
Ramesh: PM not vindicated
The Integrity Commission has not vindicated Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar and the actions of the People’s Partnership Government in the emailgate affair, according to former Attorney General (AG) Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj. His statement yesterday was made hours after the Commission wrote to one of Persad-Bissessar’s attorneys, Israel Khan SC, that it was terminating its investigation into emailgate. In its letter dated May 19, to Khan, the Commission said pursuant to Section 34 (6) of the Integrity in Public Life Act it was satisfied that there are no or insufficient grounds for continuing its investigation into emailgate. The Commission added it was “unable to disclose the information it has received.” In a signed statement, Maharaj said, “The Prime Minister must wait until the police investigations are completed to know the result of the investigations.” He said all the Commission has done is admit “that it does not have the evidence which both the DPP (Director of Public Prosecutions) and the police have at this time.” Read more...
BUSINESS
Howai on forex supply: US $$ at banks to meet demand
Finance Minister Larry Howai is satisfied with the actions being taken by the Central Bank to deal with the supply for foreign currency on the local market. “I do not expect any issues in respect of this matter and I am satisfied that the Central Bank has an improved arrangement in place which will minimise the problems experienced last year.“Foreign exchange reserves are equivalent to 12 months of import cover, much higher than in many countries. There should be no problem with meeting demand during the holiday period,” he told the T&T Guardian yesterday. “My understanding is that the banks continue to have sufficient foreign exchange to meet normal business requirements although with a short lag.” However, Hugh Howard, president of the American Chamber of Commerce of T&T (AmchamTT) said businesses are still complaining about the shortage of US currency. “Businesses are still complaining. I really do not know what is taking place. After a while people stop complaining when they get no relief. While we have not heard anything further I cannot say that the situation has been resolved,” he said. Read more...
Amcham President: Focus on issues, not race
President of the American Chamber of Commerce Hugh Howard yesterday called on politicians to “elevate” political discourse by focusing on issues and avoiding “tribal instincts” ahead of the general election due this year.“As our beloved country approaches general elections to be held this year, we urge all political aspirants to elevate and guide the conversation towards issues which in today’s global village are germane to development of the economy and realisation of good quality of life for all citizens,” Howard said at an event hosted by the chamber at the Hilton Trinidad, Lady Young Road, Port-of-Spain. “Let us eschew tribal instincts and behaviour which might seem attractive in the short-term but is certainly not in the interest of sustainable development.” Howard urged all parties contesting the election to publish their manifestos early enough to allow scrutiny, but did not set a recommended time-frame. “We implore all political parties to make their manifestos available for early review by citizens so there is adequate time to critique the plans, policies and priorities outlined and thus ultimately cast an informed vote,” the Amcham president said.He said several key issues need to be addressed. Read more...
Atlantic CEO: TT has advantage
ATLANTIC CEO Nigel Darlow has said that despite the recent challenges in the global liquefied natural gas (LNG) markets, Trinidad and Tobago’s LNG will always be competitive and always in demand.Speaking at the company’s seventh annual CEO’s Sustainability Awards last Saturday, Darlow explained that while changes in the LNG market, such as supply and demand and commodity prices were creating uncertainty, this country’s LNG would always have a strong competitive advantage. He said this was as a result of Atlantic’s plant in Point Fortin being built at a time when construction costs were considerably lower compared to new facilities being built today. Darlow also highlighted Atlantic’s well-earned global reputation as one of the world’s safest and most reliable LNG producers, including achieving over seven and half years of operating without a Lost Time Injury together with top quartile performance in plant reliability. Giving some insights to current challenges facing the company, Darlow said, “Atlantic is suffering from significant gas shortfalls today, which if not addressed will damage Atlantic and Trinidad’s reputation as a reliable LNG producer on the world stage.” Read more...
Scotiabank shares down by $0.49
Overall market activity resulted from trading in 10 securities of which six advanced, one declined and three traded firm. Trading activity on the First Tier Market registered a volume of 38,873 shares crossing the floor of the Exchange valued at $862,424.95. Guardian Holdings Limited was the volume leader with 16,854 shares changing hands for a value of $239,300.66, followed by Agostini’s Limited with a volume of 12,611 shares being traded for $217,539.75. First Citizens Bank Limited contributed 7,017 shares with a value of $251,209.10, while Ansa Merchant Bank Limited added 1,000 shares valued at $38,920.Clico Investment Fund enjoyed the day's largest gain, increasing $0.03 to end the day at $22.53. Conversely, Scotiabank T&T Limited suffered the day's sole decline, falling $0.49 to end the day at $62.51. Clico Investment Fund was the only active security on the Mutual Fund Market, posting a volume of 1,285 shares valued at $28,946.35.
REGIONAL
St Lucia opposition MP to resign seat
Following an emergency meeting of the opposition United Workers Party (UWP) executive in Saint Lucia on Monday, reportedly for the purpose of requesting all opposition parliamentarians to resign their seats in order to force an early general election, Arsene James, the UWP parliamentary representative for Micoud South, has indicated that he will not contest the constituency at the next elections. At a meeting in Micoud South on Tuesday evening, with both Arsene James and UWP political leader Allen Chastanet in attendance, the decision was made public to the constituencies. Chastanet will contest the seat at the next election.This news comes after frequent denials by James and Chastanet that there were active negotiations to pay James EC$5 million to purchase his resignation. In fact, last week, Chastanet appeared on local television denying any truth to the suggestion that he intended to contest the Micoud South seat in the upcoming general elections. And on Wednesday James was on local radio denying allegations that he has resigned. Read more...
Jamaica on alert following outbreak of mosquito-borne Zika virus
Jamaicans are being put on alert following an outbreak of another mosquito-borne illness, the Zika virus. Following meetings at the World Health Assembly now taking place in Geneva, Switzerland and a warning issued by the Pan American Health Organization regarding an outbreak of the Zika virus in Brazil and its potential to spread to other countries, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health Dr. Kevin Harvey has urged citizens to take the necessary precautions to rid their surroundings of any place mosquitoes could breed.The Zika virus, also known as ZIKV, is transmitted by the bite of an infected Aedes aegypti mosquito, the same mosquito that transmits chikungunya and dengue. Brazil confirmed its first cases of the Zika virus earlier this month. Read more...
INTERNATIONAL
California 'aggressive' in oil spill cleanup, governor declares emergency
California Gov. Jerry Brown has declared a state of emergency to help clean up an oil spill that may have dumped more than 100,000 gallons of crude near Santa Barbara. "This emergency proclamation cuts red tape and helps the state quickly mobilize all available resources," Brown said Wednesday evening. "We will do everything necessary to protect California's coastline." A ruptured 24-inch pipeline gets the blame for leaking oil near Refugio State Beach, a protected state park, just before Memorial Day weekend marks the start of the summer tourist season.Houston-based Plains All American Pipeline estimates up to 105,000 gallons may have spilled, based on the typical flow rate of oil and the elevation of the pipeline. The pipeline is located underground, so it will take a few days to determine how much crude oil was actually spilled, said Rick McMichael, the company's director of pipeline operations. McMichael told reporters an estimated 21,000 gallons of crude had gone into the Pacific Ocean. The rest was spilled on land. Read more...
21st May 2015