NEWS
SEX PREDATOR
THE 31-year-old suspect in the sex assault of a five-year-old Rio Claro girl has a case pending at the Princes Magistrates Court for rape and robbery. The offences were allegedly committed in 2011. This means that he sexually assaulted the five-yearold while out on bail for the rape and robbery charges. Newsday understands photographs of the suspect have been circulated to officers of Police Southern Division and police believe the suspect would soon be apprehended. Read more…
Fire fright panic, traffic gridlock in the city as two businesses destroyed on Mucurapo Road
An explosion and then fire which destroyed two businesses along Mucurapo Road yesterday, creating panic and gridlock traffic for drivers heading west of Port of Spain, was reminiscent of the one that destroyed the El Pecos restaurant on the exact date last year. Read more…
Panic as SWRHA moves to cut temporary jobs
taff of the South West Regional Health Authority (SWRHA) went into panic on Wednesday night as a memorandum circulated by the Chief Executive Officer hinted at job and salary cuts. Read more…
POLITICS
Health Minister meets with stakeholders
HEALTH Minister Terrence Deyalsingh met with various stakeholders yesterday to address the growing problem of childhood obesity and its link to sugar.Deyalsingh met with manufacturers of non-alcoholic beverages and the link to non-communicabl e diseases (NCDs) such as heart disease, diabetes, cancer and stroke, which account for over 60 per cent of deaths in Trinidad and Tobago each year. Read more…
Cuffie: VAT on fast foods
THERE is Value Added Tax (VAT) on fast food, Communications Minister Maxie Cuffie said yesterday.Responding to questions at yesterday's post-Cabinet news conference at the Office of the Prime Minister in St Clair, Cuffie said the items which were zero-rated were raw materials such as flour, parboiled rice, brown sugar and other items, but not prepared food. Read more…
BUSINESS
BIR to penalise VAT culprits
The Board of Inland Revenue (BIR) will deal with culprits charging more than the 12.5 Value Added Tax rate where necessary. Fast food establishments should also be using the 12.5 per cent VAT rate, Communications Minister Maxie Cuffie has said. Read more…
InvesTT, Creative TT in Piarco initiative
InvesTT and CreativeTT are planning to use contacts made in a two-day initiative at Piarco International Airport last month to promote this country as an investment destination to members of the Trinidad and Tobago disapora visiting for Carnival. Read more…
REGIONAL
GraceKennedy Rolls Out Wine Division
Around eight years ago, GraceKennedy quietly re-entered the wine distribution market after a decade-long hiatus, but now the company believes it's time to make more noise about it. The conglomerate has created a new liquor division called Harbour Wines & Spirits (HW&S), as it makes a bigger play for business. Its portfolio spans 27 wine brands imported from Italy, Portugal, France, South Africa, Chile, Argentina, Australia, New Zealand, and California and Washington in the United States. They include Trivento, Sparkling Rose, Vino Blanco, Marquis de la Tour Brut and Amado Sur. Read more…
Suriname approaches IMF for possible financial aid
Suriname has approached the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and other lending agencies for assistance, as the country continues to take a hit from the sharp fall in the price of commodities such as gold and oil, on which the economy depends.The IMF said authorities from the Desi Bouterse administration had discussed the possibility of financial support for their economic programme. Read more…
Private investors show confidence in Jamaica economy, official says
Co-Chair of the Economic Programme Oversight Committee (EPOC), Richard Byles, says there are indications that private investors are buying into the local economy, as the country continues to reflect economic improvements. “If you speak to manufacturers, they will tell you that they are investing. Confidence has come back pretty strongly in recent times,” he said. Byles was responding to questions on the Jamaica Information Service (JIS) television programme, ‘Issues & Answers’. Read more...
INTERNATIONAL
Obama proposes $10 a barrel tax on oil producers
US oil firms would have to pay a tax of $10 (£6.85) on every barrel of oil they produce under a White House budget proposal to be announced next week.The funds raised would be spent on green transportation projects. However, the proposal is unlikely to make it through the Republican-controlled Congress. Read more…
Chinese anti-corruption agency warns of 'major problems' in financial sector
China's top anti-corruption authority says it has uncovered "major problems" in the country's sprawling financial system. The findings by the ruling Communist Party's Central Commission for Discipline Inspection range from abuse of power at a top state-owned bank to officials using data for personal gain at the government statistics bureau. The powerful agency outlined the problems Thursday in a mass of documents summarizing recent inspections of various government entities, including the central bank and regulatory bodies. Read more…
5th February 2016