NEWS
Contractors to get more $ under housing improvement programme
Minister in the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development Adrian Leonce said contractors working with the Ministry’s Housing and Village Improvement Programme (HVIP) will now receive $200,000 per unit built on flat lands, an increase of $35,000 from the current grant of $165,000. He made the announcement at a key handover ceremony at the Bon Air Gardens Community Centre on March 12. Leonce said a tiered system had been introduced in 2022 to help people build on the different types of terrain in TT. Recipients with homes on flat terrain received $165,000 under the programme, those on undulating terrain receive $170,000 and on hilly terrain, $175,000. Read more here
Acting top cop, security expert: Criminal cameras a serious concern
Acting Police Commissioner Junior Benjamin said yesterday that the police had taken a “dim view” of the unauthorised surveillance cameras discovered in Sea Lots on Tuesday. The 22 cameras and four digital video recorders (DVRs), which had been installed on electricity poles and trees, were found by T&T Electricity Commission (T&TEC) technicians and police officers during raids in different parts of Sea Lots. Police suspect the devices were part of an “early warning system” for criminals to alert them about police patrols and the presence of rival gang members. Read more here
POLITICS
Young will face tough challenge as PM
As prime minister-designate Stuart Young prepares to take office next week, former People’s National Movement (PNM) general secretary Ashton Ford believes Young will first have to counter Opposition misinformation while navigating race relations before addressing the other issues he will have on his plate. “The first thing he has encountered is to deal with the misrepresentation, misinformation coming from the opposition. The other thing about a black party, I thought we had got rid of that long time. Because while the base is from among the Afro-Trinidadians, it is not a black party. Because Stuart would have never been chairman of the party and prime minister in waiting,” Ford told Guardian Media. Read more here
UK visa shock – Security concerns trigger travel change for Trinidad and Tobago citizens
Government and other people have expressed concern about a decision taken by the UK government, requiring all TT nationals to have a visa before they can travel to the UK. Information provided by the British High Commission suggested some of those seeking asylum could be people with criminal records and their families. In a statement on March 12, the British High Commission said, "The decision to introduce a visa requirement has been taken due to a significant increase in the number of TT nationals coming to the UK as visitors only to claim asylum on arrival, constituting a misuse of the immigration system." Read more here
BUSINESS
Tariff world war: US policies threaten global trade
The latest flurry of tariffs imposed on Canada, Mexico and now the United Kingdom (UK) by the US continue to put the globe in a tailspin. Between March 11-12, the tariff war continued to escalate as US president Donald Trump’s 25 per cent tariff on metals took effect. The measure raises a flat duty on steel and aluminium entering the US and ends all country exemptions to the levies. Some of the countries that were exempted included Canada, the UK and the European Union (EU). Read more here
IDB Invest renews focus on Caribbean
Nine years ago, IDB Invest was “recreated” with the intent to place more focus on the Caribbean. IDB Invest is a private sector arm of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), which operates as a group in 26 countries in Latin American and Caribbean. Typically geared toward developmental projects, the IDB primarily works with governments to achieve its goals. However, last year the Washington DC-based IDB increased its investment in the region. CEO of IDB Invest, James Scriven, told the Business Guardian in an interview on Microsoft Teams on Tuesday, that the IDB Invest’s impact in the Caribbean had grown over that nine-year period with investments increasing from US$50 to US$60 million a year to over US$1 billion last year. Read more here
REGIONAL
Further collaborations to enhance Guyana’s security architecture imminent
President Dr. Irfaan Ali met with General Randall Reed, the 15th Commander of the U.S. Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM), to discuss areas of collaboration and support within Guyana’s security architecture. During the meeting on Wednesday, President Ali updated General Reed on the country’s development and security landscape, highlighting key priorities and potential avenues for deeper cooperation. The engagement underscored the strengthening of ties between the two nations in matters of security and development. The Guyanese Head of State is currently attending the CERAWeek by S&P Global conference in Houston, Texas. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
Duterte's first night in a jail cell is a pivotal moment for the ICC
Outside the International Criminal Court's (ICC) detention centre, where former Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte was taken on Wednesday, his supporters gathered, waving national flags and shouting, "Bring him back!" as he was driven through the imposing iron gates at speed. Shortly before he landed in the Netherlands, the 79-year-old unapologetically defended his bloody "war on drugs" for which the ICC says there are "reasonable grounds" to charge him with murder as a crime against humanity. Read more here
13th March 2025