TTMA IN THE NEWS
NOVO Farms cops two TTMA awards: Innovator of the Year and Manufacturer of the Year 2023 (Medium)
Novo Farms Ltd last week copped two awards when the Trinidad and Tobago Manufacturers Association held its annual President’s Dinner and Awards Ceremony at the Hyatt Regency in Port of Spain—Innovator of the Year (a tie with Angostura Ltd) and Manufacturer of the Year 2023 (Medium). Read more here
‘Export manufacturing not easy’
Being an exporting manufacturing company involves a lot of risk and toil, but it becomes rewarding when the business can now be seen as a foreign exchange earner. The Sunday Business Guardian spoke to several big exporters about their journey to becoming foreign exchange earners at the T&T Manufacturers’ Association (TTMA) awards dinner last Tuesday. Nicholas Lok Jack, chairman of Associated Brands Industries Ltd (ABIL), said from the early years of existence, the founder of the group, his father Arthur, saw the opportunity and importance of the export market and became foreign exchange earners a short while after. ABIL manufactures chocolates, biscuits, and cereals. It celebrated its 50th anniversary years earlier this month and is in several regional and international markets. Lok Jack said exporting may sound nice and sexy, but it is a tough road. Read more here
NEWS
South lawyers want San Fernando High Court reopened; concerns raised over virtual court
The Assembly of Southern Lawyers (ASL) has made an impassioned plea for the physical reopening and more courts in south, claiming legal professionals in the south are being treated as second tier, and litigants are being denied justice owing to the lack of physical space to hear trials. At the ASL’s Christmas dinner on November 22 at Paria Suites Hotel, La Romaine, immediate past president, attorney Michael Rooplal, said because of the lack of physical space to hear trials, accused people are now being given court dates for 2026 and beyond. Read more here
T&T manufacturers eye EU markets
Europe is a thriving market that continues to beckon more and more local companies to export their goods and services to that part of the world. Karibbean Flavours with its wide assortment of seasonings and sauces and Kairi Chocolates offering home grown chocolates are two such entities which have their eyes set on Europe. They were among 20 goods and services companies that took part in the Fit 4 Europe II initiative, which focussed on enhancing the export-readiness of T&T’s businesses, with particular emphasis on improving their international competitiveness for the EU market. Fit 4 Europe II is being supervised by the Caribbean Development Bank’s Economic Partnership Agreement and Caricom Single Market and Economy Standby Facility for Capacity Building, which is funded by the European Union. Read more here
POLITICS
Indarsingh: Government shoud take UWI negotiations to Industrial Court
Couva South MP Rudranath Indarsingh has called on the Finance Minister to refer the negotiations between the UWI St Augustine and the government to the Industrial Court. Members of the West Indian Group of University Teachers (WIGUT) protested last week over still being on 2014 salaries. UWI’s management executive said they are hampered by a lack of funding from the government. Speaking during the UNC’s virtual conference on November 24, Indarsingh referred to a tweet made by Imbert on X (formerly Twitter) on November 24, in which Imbert urged protesting UWI lecturers to use the dispute resolution procedures to settle their current wage dispute. Read more here
BUSINESS
Trinidad and Tobago, India sign agroprocessing MoU
This country has signed a memorandum of understanding with India to facilitate development of an integrated automated fruit and vegetable processing industry. Signing the MoU on behalf of Trinidad and Tobago was Foreign and Caricom Affairs Minister Dr Amery Browne, while External Affairs Minister Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar signed on behalf of the Indian government. The signing took place at the Caricom-India Summit which began on November 20 in Georgetown, Guyana. The Caricom secretariat is head-quartered in that country. Read more here
REGIONAL
Guyana to harness India’s expertise to advance urban development – President Ali
Outlining the significant opportunities for collaboration between India and Guyana, particularly in urban development, President Dr. Irfaan Ali last week disclosed that the nations have agreed to promote collaboration on urban infrastructure projects. The President made the revelation during India’s Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, historical three-day state visit to Guyana. “India is a giant in this field, and that presents tremendous opportunity for us here in Guyana, and this will be part of the collaboration,” President Ali told a media briefing, following a closed-door meeting and the signing of several Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs). Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
Angela Merkel defends ties with Russia and blocking Ukraine from Nato
Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel has told the BBC the gas deals she made with Russia were intended to help German firms and kept the peace with Moscow. She also insisted the war with Ukraine would have started earlier if she hadn’t blocked Kyiv’s entry into Nato in 2008. Angela Merkel led Germany for 16 years. She was in office during the financial crisis, the 2015 migrant crisis and, significantly, Russia’s 2014 invasion of Ukraine. Was she too soft on Moscow? Too slow to help Kyiv? If she hadn't blocked Ukraine’s Nato membership in 2008, would there be a war there now? Speaking to the BBC in Berlin, Mrs Merkel is robust in her defence of her time in office. Read more here
25th November 2024