NEWS
Deal With Murders
Acting Commissioner of Police (CoP) Stephen Williams has called on divisional heads to deal with the rising incidence of murders which up to press time yesterday, stood at 86 so far for the year. The top cop’s call to his divisional commanders came after he and executive members of the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) held a meeting on Tuesday with Minister of National Security Edmund Dillon at Police Administration Building in Portof- Spain. Newsday was told by senior police sources that Commissioner Williams yesterday mandated all divisional commanders, Police Secton heads and task force units to put together a ‘priority offenders list’ and target persons, who according to intel, have been engaging in continuous criminal activities. Division heads were also instructed to find ways and means of reducing the amount of murders, shootings and woundings committed in their respective divisions. The meeting of all divisional heads, head of sections and units was called by Commissioner Williams, following last week’s launch of the 2016 anti-crime initiative. Read more...
T&T’s hot pepper king heating up New York, Miami
Young farmer, Nawaz Karim, is fast emerging as the hot pepper king of T&T and is even heating up New York and Miami with his special brand of Moruga Reds. Karim, 34, plants four acres of carefully grown peppers, most of which are exported to North American markets. Word is, he says, buyers are well pleased with his peppers and there is a high demand for them. “Incidentally, hot peppers from our farm in Trinidad were voted by buyers as the best in New York and Miami a couple weeks ago. Buyers there had also been importing peppers from Mexico and Costa Rica.” Read more...
Suspect quizzed: $.4m in ‘WASA’ cheques
Bogus cheques purporting to be issued by the Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) totalling some $.4 million were cashed at RBC Royal Bank. One person has been detained and is assisting police with their investigations. A release from WASA yesterday stated that fraudulent cheques were presented to the bank, resulting in the encashment of cheques to the value of $416,395.50. “The Fraud Squad of the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service are pursuing investigations, and the authority is aware that so far, one person has been arrested in connection with this matter. Read more...
POLITICS
Abdulah: Continue highway, stop stadium
Saying the previous government intentionally sailed the ship of state into the “perfect storm” of falling energy prices coupled with massive overspending and rising social problems, OWTU general secretary David Abdulah has outlined a number of emergency measures to steer TT out of turbulent waters. He said the nation seems to be “drifting” since the September 7 General Election and urged the PNM government to enact proactive economic policies and not allow the nation’s economic engines to either stall or stop. “We still have to diversify the economy but we need immediate emergency measures,” Abdulah, who is also MSJ political leader, said. Read more...
Imbert seeks info on bank’s compliance rules
Finance Minister Colm Imbert has called on State-owned bank, First Citizens, to provide him with information on the systems in place at the bank to ensure there is compliance with financial obligations regulations. He requested the information from the bank following disclosure of a financial transaction by Planning and Development Minister Camille Robinson-Regis, who at a news conference on Monday said she withdrew $93,000 from the bank after an Express reporter questioned her about the transaction and accused the bank of leaking confidential information. Imbert confirmed his request in a brief statement yesterday. Robinson-Regis, who is the MP for Arouca-Maloney, yesterday received support from the constituency’s youth league. In a release yesterday the PNM group said it was inordinately dissatisfied with the recent breach of confidentiality and subsequent misinformation circulated in the public domain involving the minister. Read more...
Ag Wrong
The discontinuation of the lawsuit against former executive chairman of State-owned Petrotrin Malcolm Jones for breach of fiduciary duty is one that reeks of political favouritism and sends the message that it’s business as usual in Trinidad and Tobago.
This was the view expressed by several political analysts contacted by the Express yesterday. Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi on Tuesday announced the State would no longer be pursuing legal action against Jones for the failed billion-dollar Gas to Liquid Plant (GTL). The former People’s Partnership government’s attorney general, Anand Ramlogan, had initiated the case. Read more...
BUSINESS
No diversification strategy yet
Former Central Bank Governor Ewart Williams yesterday expressed concern that, “a bankable diversification strategy is still not in the offing” as this country remains vulnerable to the economic effects caused by fluctuating oil and natural gas prices. Williams, who is now chairman of the UWI St Augustine Campus Council, made his observation at the launch of the book “In the Fires of Hope, Trinidad and Tobago at 50” at the UWI Principal’s Office in St Augustine yesterday. As he commented on his review of the book, with particular focus on “where the economic analysis and the policy prescriptions could be strengthened,” Williams observed, “The recent slump in oil and gas prices have made economic diversification even more urgent.” In his review, Williams referred to three articles in the book which pointed to issues in the energy sector which, “have impeded progress towards economic diversification.” Read more...
$89,000 in NGL shares traded on TTSE
Overall market activity resulted from trading in 12 securities of which four advanced, one declined and seven traded firm. Trading activity on the First Tier Market registered a volume of 54,192 shares crossing the floor of the Exchange valued at $860,358.49. National Commercial Bank Jamaica Ltd was the volume leader with 16,096 shares changing hands for a value of $39,435.20, followed by Sagicor Financial Corporation with a volume of 15,000 shares being traded for $105,000. First Citizens Bank Ltd contributed 10,000 shares with a value of $350,000, while T&T NGL Ltd added 4,700 shares valued at $89,300. Read more...
PLIPDECO takes legal action against ArcelorMittal
Point Lisas Industrial Port Development Corporation Ltd (PLIPDECO) has taken legal action against one of its tenants for allegedly polluting the Point Lisas port and PLIPDECO’s premises and also allegedly ignoring no fewer than 70 letters of complaints over a four-year period. The action was taken against multi-national steel producer ArcelorMittal (Trinidad) after attorneys representing PLIPDECO said the company was breaching its 30-year lease by failing to abide by the environmental covenants contained in the lease agreement by polluting the premises with corrosive red dust since 2011 and failing to take steps to remedy the problem. At the Hall of Justice in Port of Spain yesterday, lead attorney for PLIPDECO, Senior Counsel Deborah Peake said in her opening statement, submitted before Justice Peter Rajkumar that her client was seeking injunctive relief as well as indemnification for losses for the continuing nuisance and damage caused by the emission of corrosive dust emanating from the steel producer’s plant. Read more...
REGIONAL
Andrew's Big Day - Consensus Key As Holness Starts First Full Term As Prime Minister
The usual serenity at King's House will today be shattered by gleeful, thunderous applause as Andrew Michael Holness is installed for his first full term as prime minister of Jamaica by Governor General Sir Patrick Allen on the lush, green lawns of the latter's residence. In his second inauguration as head of government in the last five years, Holness will officially take the reins of government after being given a mandate by Jamaicans on February 25 to run the country's affairs for the next five years. Holness, who is expected to name his Cabinet after today's swearing-in ceremony, will steer the ship of governance with a razor-thin, one-seat majority in the House of Representatives. This is Holness' second time as prime minister, with his first stint lasting for a little more than two months, spanning October 23, 2011 to December 2011. Jamaica House yesterday said that Holness will take the Oath of Allegiance and the Oath of Office of Prime Minister, after which he will receive the Instrument of Appointment to office from the governor general. Read more...
Belize to host Caribbean Growth Forum meeting
Next week, representatives from 14 Caribbean countries will come together in Belize City to take stock of key lessons learned from the 100 reform actions implemented through the Caribbean Growth Forum, and announce a communiqué to move forward on their pro-growth agenda. "Belize is proud to host this meeting. This is an extraordinary opportunity for Caribbean nations to build on the results achieved so far by the Caribbean Growth Forum and enhance the competitiveness of our respective countries,” said Tracy Panton, minister of state – ministry of economic development, petroleum, investment, trade and commerce, government of Belize. During the meeting, countries will discuss and agree on how to create result based roadmaps to accelerate reforms and help track the implementation of actions linked to these reforms in the areas of investment climate, skills and productivity, and logistics and connectivity. Read more...
INTERNATIONAL
Migrant crisis: EU chief set for key talks in Greece and Turkey
European Council President Donald Tusk is due to visit Greece and Turkey as he tries to find a common approach to Europe's worsening migration crisis. Mr Tusk has said reducing the number of migrants travelling from Turkey to the Greek islands is key to avoiding a humanitarian disaster. More than 25,000 migrants are now stranded in Greece as border controls further north are tightened. Migration is also due to be discussed at a UK-French summit on Thursday. UK PM David Cameron and French President Francois Hollande will hold talks in the French city of Amiens. Counter-terrorism and conflicts in Libya and Syria are also expected to be on the agenda. Hours before the meeting, French Finance Minister Emanualle Macron said his country could allow migrants to travel unchecked to the UK if British voters chose to leave the European Union in a June referendum. Authorities in the northern French port of Calais have been clearing part of a sprawling camp known as the Jungle, from where many migrants are trying to enter the UK illegally. Read more...
Debris 'likely' from missing MH370 flight: So what now?
A piece of plane debris found off the coast of Mozambique has renewed hope of solving the mystery of the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370. A U.S. official said it was likely the wreckage came from MH370, while Malaysian Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai said there was a "high possibility" the part came from a Boeing 777, the aircraft that disappeared on the doomed flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. Malaysia Airlines has yet to comment. But after so many false alarms and theories for the disappearance of the plane, family members of the victims are treating this new report with a great deal of suspicion, and even anger. "Just like previous cases of suspected debris, I always think that we need to wait for various authorities to verify, confirm (what the item actually is) and to show us concrete evidence," Steve Wang, whose mother was one of the 239 passengers on board the flight told CNN. Read more...
3rd March 2016