NEWS
Digicel funds 4 new homework centres in Gasparillo
Four community recreation grounds in Gasparillo have been upgraded with laptop-equipped homework centres thanks to an over $100,000 donation from the Digicel Foundation and Shell TT. As part of a new after-school training and academic programme, the centres located at the Surprise, Gasparillo Park, Lumsden and Poonah Recreational Grounds aim to address low academic performance in the communities by offering support with homework, extra lessons and mentoring from volunteers, including retired teachers and principals from local schools. Director and project lead of the Gasparillo Community Development Organisation Sherina Supersad said, “This has always been our dream and we’re thrilled to have Digicel Foundation and Shell TT as our supporters and financial partners. We have worked hard to make our community proud.” Read more here
IMA probes oil dumped in derelict sea vessel
Thousands of barrels of what is believed to be used engine oil have been discovered illegally dumped in the hull of an abandoned longliner ship in an area known as the “Graveyard” off Chaguaramas. The Graveyard is infamous for being a parking zone for abandoned sea vessels. The discovery was made by Fishermen and Friends of the Sea (FFOS), whose corporate secretary, Gary Aboud, says the oil is now leaking into the sea, threatening nearby islands, fishing grounds and vessels in the Gulf of Paria. The discovery has triggered an investigation by the Institute of Marine Affairs (IMA) and the T&T Coast Guard, who were on site yesterday conducting fuel sampling and forensic testing to trace the origin of the oil. Read more here
POLITICS
Bharath: Government can remove unwanted state board members if needed
Former ministers in the ministry of finance Vasant Bharath and Mariano Browne have offered advice on the appointment of boards of directors of state and state interest companies after the April 28 general election. The UNC won the election 26-13-2. The boards of these companies were appointed under the previous PNM government from September 7, 2015 to April 28. They made their comments after statements made by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar on this topic at a post-cabinet news conference on May 29 and developments at some of these companies. On May 29, Persad-Bissessar said, "I want to tell all boards who are refusing to resign… we are calling upon them to do the right thing.” Read more here
Moonilal mum on energy talks with US officials
Minister of Energy and Energy Industries Dr Roodal Moonilal has refused to divulge if the recently rescinded Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) licences were discussed with United States (US) representatives. Moonilal led a delegation to Washington DC from May 28-30 for a series of strategic meetings aimed at deepening T&T’s energy ties with the US. Addressing what was achieved yesterday, Dr Moonilal said, “We were able to have very fruitful meetings with representatives of the major energy corporations doing business in T&T and the Caribbean. We were able to meet with representatives of the United States government on matters of energy security and our common interests of the United States and T&T in the hemisphere.” Describing it as a very intensive round of meetings, Moonilal added, “And of course, we met with several important officials regarding some of our visionary and expansive projections for the energy sector in the coming years. And members of the United States administration were very eager and very happy to meet with the representatives of the new Government in T&T.” He said he is hopeful this country will enjoy a good relationship with the US. Read more here
BUSINESS
Lead to succeed: Empowering SMEs
Strong leadership drives strategic vision, inspires innovation, fosters employee engagement, and enhances organisational resilience. By instilling a leadership mindset across all levels of the organisation, SMEs in TT can unlock untapped potential, seize new opportunities, and overcome challenges with confidence. Oliver F Sabga, CEO of Term Finance, explores actionable strategies on how to lead. As the founder of the Caribbean’s first web-based lending business, Term Finance, I have witnessed first-hand the transformative power of technology, but more importantly, I’ve learned the importance of leadership in cultivating integrity, discipline and team building for scaling to become a successful regional player. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) contribute to over 30 per cent of TT's economy and employ more than 30 per cent of our working population. If SMEs grow, our economy grows; here’s my take on some of the key ingredients required for SMEs in T&T to cultivate a leadership mindset capable of launching, scaling, and winning in today’s world. Read more here
C3 Mall maintaining high tenancy
The last five years have not been kind for shopping malls around the world. Locally, two of the country’s better known malls, Long Circular Mall and Trincity Mall, were listed for sale with the latter being sold for $505 million to a consortium of real estate developers—Johnny Aboud, Anthony Rahael, and contractors KallCo and Fides Ltd. However, the C3 Centre in San Fernando, owned by JT Allum and Company (JTA), is one shopping complex that has managed to buck the trend. While other malls have seen store vacancies increase, particularly after the COVID-19 pandemic, the JTA team confirmed the mall maintained a 95 per cent occupancy rate over the period. Read more here
REGIONAL
Guyana soon to offer comprehensive aviation training
AS global connectivity increases and Guyana’s role in international aviation grows, plans are underway to transform the country into a hub for comprehensive aviation training. “We’re going to invest here in Guyana; expanded aviation education in every aspect of aviation, aviation management, training of pilots, aeronautic engineers, every single sphere of aviation life will be part of the training programme that we want to offer here in Guyana,” President Dr. Irfaan Ali said during the ceremonial launch of KLM air services on Tuesday evening. With Guyana looking to leverage its unique geographical positioning to become an aviation hub, it’s not only welcoming travellers, but also unlocking new opportunities for cultural exchange, trade and new partnerships. As Dr. Ali pointed out, the local aviation sector contributed $US160 million to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) and created 5,200 jobs in 2023; it also facilitated the movement of over 13,000 tonnes of cargo in 2023. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
Gaza now worse than hell on earth, humanitarian chief tells BBC
Gaza has become worse than hell on earth, the head of the International Committee of the Red Cross has told the BBC. In an interview at the ICRC's headquarters in Geneva, the organisation's president Mirjana Spoljaric said "humanity is failing" as it watched the horrors of the Gaza war. Speaking in a room close to a case displaying the ICRC's three Nobel Peace Prizes, I asked Ms Spoljaric about remarks she made in April, that Gaza was "hell on earth", and if anything had happened since to change her mind. "It has become worse… We cannot continue to watch what is happening. It's surpassing any acceptable, legal, moral, and humane standard. The level of destruction, the level of suffering. Read more here
5th June 2025