TTMA IN THE NEWS
TTMA: Taxes and cuts hurting business
Local manufacturers need to have a sustainable avenue to replace the GDP coming from oil and gas, Christopher Alcazar, president of the T&T Manufacturers’ Association (TTMA) said yesterday. “We are nowhere near this goal. As well as we are doing, only export will get us there. Our local market is simply too small to make the impact in GDP that our economy requires. We must export more.” Alcazar, who was reelected for a second term at the TTMA’s 62nd Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the Trinidad Hilton and Conference Centre, said the sector wants to become “the most sustainable source of revenue, employment, foreign exchange and essential goods and services in our country” and continues to grow, invest and hire to raise standards. Read more here
NEWS
Detective Daddy
When he learnt his son was missing, Kenneth Cooper did not spare a thought for his own safety as he scoured the country for any sign of Daniel Cooper. Although the search ended in sorrow when police discovered Daniel’s body yesterday, Kenneth believes his efforts paid off since on Tuesday night, he spotted one of the men he thinks is responsible for Daniel’s murder. When he saw the man, Kenneth, 56, contacted police and within minutes, the suspect was detained. Yesterday, that man and two others were in custody, while the search is on for a fourth suspect. At 9 am yesterday, acting on information, police went to a bushy area in Borde Narve where Daniel’s body was found. His car, a Bluebird Sylphy, was found in Realise Road, Barrackpore. Daniel, 29, a father of one, was shot once in the head. Read more here
Reserviors full for dry season
In years gone by, citizens would face scorching dry seasons, compounded by the Water and Sewerage Authority’s (WASA) inability to adequately supply pipe-borne water. Around this time, citizens in several rural communities, including Moruga, Cedros and Sangre Grande, would resort to filling their barrels and buckets from wells, rivers and ponds. Read more here
Venezuelan men weep in court: 'We came to help our families'
A group of Venezuelan men cried openly as they faced the court charged with entering the country illegally. The men spoke of no available jobs in Venezuela and coming to Trinidad seeking work to maintain their families. Seven of them said they had children while the eighth said he took care of his sister and mother. Read more here
POLITICS
Bas calls for new Constitution
Former Prime Minister Basdeo Panday believes Parliament should be separate from the executive. “The executive should not be in the Parliament. No politician should have a Constitution to look after, but should be looking after the entire nation. We need to change the Constitution of these rules,” Panday said in a telephone interview on Tuesday. Panday was commenting on the the dismissal of former sport minister Darryl Smith when Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley advised President Paula-Mae Weekes to revoke his appointment on Tuesday. “There were no right or wrong decisions, he had to shuffle around the cards. If you shuffle a pack of cards, someone may ask if you made a right decision. Read more here
President slams PLOTT ‘fake news’
President Paula-Mae Weekes yesterday put to rest claims on social media that she had any role to play in the revocation of the ministerial appointment of Darryl Smith. In a statement, the Office of the President said it was clear under the Constitution the President is required to appoint Ministers “whenever advised to do so by the Prime Minister unless the individual fails to satisfy a condition required by the Constitution.” Read more here
What’s the deal Dillon?
National Security Minister Edmund Dillon has been ordered by Justice Laura Visitacion-Lewis of the New York Supreme Court to pay back over $100,000 to US senior citizen Neville Piper, return the deed to Piper’s multimillion-dollar condo, and relinquish all documents and interests pertaining to Piper. Read more here
BUSINESS
CAL's flight into the black
Caribbean Airlines Ltd (CAL) is not profitable. It has not been for years. This fact was bluntly stated by the state carrier’s new chief executive officer, Garvin Medera. The company, Medera says, acknowledges and accepts its fundamental challenge—returning the entity to profitability while at the same time maintaining its mandate to service the air bridge, which is inherently a loss-making endeavour. The company, he told Business Day in an interview last Wednesday at the airline’s Golden Grove Road, Piarco headquarters, has a two-year plan to get back into the black. Read more here
Aquaterra installs first CSP platform offshore
Aquaterra Energy, a leading global offshore engineering solutions provider, has completed the delivery of a Sea Swift conductor supported platform (CSP) for DeNovo Energy in the Gulf of Paria, offshore T&T. This is the first platform of its kind to be installed in the country and it was completed in just ten months. Located in the Iguana field, the Sea Swift was installed from a jack-up rig in 27 metres water depth, accommodating up to four wells and includes local power generation, manifolds and a control system. To meet the tight delivery timetable, the design phase of the project overlapped with the fabrication of the Sea Swift. It was built by Chet Morrison Contractors who also designed and installed the Iguana pipeline to shore. Read more here
NGC’s 2017 profits jump 37.3%
State-owned National Gas Company (NGC) recorded after-tax profit that jumped by 37.3 per cent in 2017 to $989 million from $721 million in 2016, the local aggregator and transporter of natural gas reported on Tuesday. Read more here
REGIONAL
We Will Fight - Keith Clarke's Family Vows To Fight Until Soldiers Face Trial
The family of slain businessman Keith Clarke has signalled that they intend to keep fighting until the three soldiers accused of killing him are placed on trial for murder. The family made their intentions clear yesterday after High Court judge, Justice Glen Brown agreed with lawyers for the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) that he did not have the authority to question the action of former National Security Minister Peter Bunting to grant the three soldiers immunity from prosecution. "It is not for this court to determine the legality of the actions of the minister of national security," said Brown as he delivered his decision in the Home Circuit Court. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
Trump attempts to cloud timing of potential Syria strike
President Donald Trump on Thursday attempted to cloud the timing of potential airstrikes on Syria, a day after indicating they were imminent. "Never said when an attack on Syria would take place. Could be very soon or not so soon at all!," the President tweeted. The message notably did not rule out plans to attack Syria in retaliation for the weekend's suspected chemical attack on civilians at the hands of the Assad regime. Trump on Wednesday vowed to thwart Russia's missile defense system in Syria, warning that missiles "will be coming, nice and new and 'smart.'" The President, however, did not refer to the attack's timing. Read more here
Syria 'chemical attack': France's President Macron says he has proof
12th April 2018