DAILY BRIEF
TUESDAY 23RD JUNE, 2015
NEWS
Gut-Wrenching
Cecilia Maxwell clenched her fists, shut her eyes tightly and screamed. Her cries were that of a mother who had lost a son to bullets — nine in total — fired by killers who today roam the streets free men. Maxwell screamed as the pain of her loss gripped deep in her belly where for nine months she nurtured and nourished her then unborn son Adisa Oginga whom she lost forever during the early morning hours yesterday. Only recently, both had started speaking to each other again following a falling out.Her gut-wrenching grief mirrored that of another family who yesterday was suffering the same agony when their loved one, Roopnarine “Dar” Seepersad was stabbed repeatedly as he fought with a man who tried to hijack his car. However, unlike the murder of Oginga, a suspect in Seepersad’s murder was caught after being shot by officers whom he confronted with the very same knife officers believe, was used to end Seepersad’s life. Read more...
THA in $5.7bn budget
Delivering his second budget presentation, themed Continued Delivery in Challenging Times, Tobago House of Assembly (THA) Finance Secretary Joel Jack focused on issues of crime and tourism, both of which he said went hand-in-hand to ensure sustainability of the island. He said the recurrent estimates for fiscal 2016 required a total expenditure of $3.36 billion. Jack also waded in on Minister of Tobago Development Delmon Baker who made comments regarding Tobago’s crime situation. Baker, who had spoken at a function had said: “And I want to frighten you. Your chances of being shot dead are higher in Tobago because of our population size than in Trinidad; that crime rate in Tobago, because of the size of the population, 50,000, is the highest in the country. Read more...
Foreign experts for Govt’s campaign
Foreign experts are on the ground to assist the People’s Partnership in its general election campaign. Campaign manager for the United National Congress (UNC) Rodney Charles told the Express yesterday a team is working together, which includes Ernie Ross, of Ross Advertising. UNC chairman Khadijah Ameen said the campaign will intensify when the election candidates are named. The general election will be held September 7. “We have a team of people who are working together and collaborating and we have been working for some time,” said Ameen. “We do have persons from abroad working with us, we have local experts working with us and, of course, we have married that to the constituency expertise, the people who have the expertise on the ground,” she said. Read more...
POLITICS
ILP names 2 candidates
The Independent Liberal Party is continuing its screening process for candidates to contest the September 7 general election having already decided on two young persons as candidates. The two named are Nigel Reyes, the party’s youth leader who will contest the Lopinot/Bon Air West constituency, and businessman Kefing Chance, who will contest the seat for La Brea. Meanwhile, the party has named tertiary student Akil Abdullah as its Tobago Regional Coordinator. Abdullah has taken over the position left vacant by the late Lionel Coker who died of a massive heart attack in April. The party’s chairman Rekha Ramjit yesterday told Newsday that selection is based on a screening process involving a screening committee headed by political leader Jack Warner. Read more...
‘Emergency’ THA fund pays for CEPEP, URP
A special account which is set up by statute to fund “urgent or unforseen expenditure” has in fact been used to fund the CEPEP and URP programmes to the tune of $70 million by the Tobago House of Assembly (THA), according to disclosures made yesterday by the THA’s Secretary of Finance and Enterprise Development Joel Jack. During a near three-hour THA budget presentation at the Assembly Legislature Building, Jerningham Street, Scarborough, Jack disclosed unspent balances in the Contingencies Account were used to finance CEPEP and URP “projects” as at September 30, 2013. “Under the Contingencies Account, $146,741,607 was collected as unspent balances for the year ended 30 September, 2013 and set aside to finance urgent and unforeseen projects in keeping with improving the standard of living of all Tobagonians,” Jack told assembly members. Read more...
BUSINESS
TT features at Fancy Food Show
The Summer Fancy Food Show 2015 will see the participation of a 23-member delegation from this country, with 13 companies to share a ‘taste of Trinidad and Tobago’ to the 40,000 visitors to the Show.According to a statement issued by the Trade, Industry, Investment and Communications Ministry, KC Confectionery will launch their unique flavour, new candy - Aniseed candy; along with Dinner mint, ginger mints, choco fill mint, ginger toffee, gumbo lollipop and cosmic gum. Charles Chocolates will sample its delicious Rum and Raisin and Catch Chocolate products. Sunshine Snacks’ Chee Zees, Zoomers, Cheese Puffs, Caramel Crunch, Gourmet Crunch, Ole White Corn will be on display. Fresh Start Limited will sample their Rum Punch and showcase their Sorrel, Fruit and Mauby Punch Concentrate. While, SMAKS Luxury Group will sample its Bespoke Teas and Chai Rum. Read more...
T&T hosts symposium on sustainable development goals
The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (Eclac) Subregional Headquarters for the Caribbean will convene a Symposium on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for the Caribbean within the post-2015 Development Agenda in Port-of-Spain on Wednesday and Thursday. This meeting, supported by the Caribbean Development Bank, brings together ministers and senior policy makers in the fields of planning and development, the environment, and social affairs, to consider among the SDGs those goals that are central to the sustainable development needs of the Caribbean. Specifically, the meeting will highlight and raise awareness of the challenges faced by Caribbean countries in pursuing sustainable development, and provide a rationale for the selection of these priority goals.. Read more...
Petrotrin withstands falling oil prices
State-owned Petrotrin has recorded positive results for the first half of fiscal 2015, which the company said has helped it to withstand the increasing pressures brought on by reduced global crude oil prices. Among these positive results noted in its mid-year update yesterday, Petrotrin said it has increased oil production and is moving to stabilise its short-term cash position. Just last year the company recorded losses of $346 million and said then it barely broke even in the year before that. Petrotrin president Khalid Hassanali said yesterday the company generated approximately $1.66 billion in benefits to its shareholder, which is the Government. Of this figure, he noted, Petrotrin made $960 million in direct taxes and fees and an additional $704 million in indirect benefits and taxes. Read more...
Search on for new Petrotrin president
Newspaper advertisements seeking to recruit a new president for state-owned Petrotrin have reportedly caught the man who currently holds the position, Khalid Hassanali, by surprise. The advertisements, first published last week, come months ahead of the expiration of Hassanali’s current contract with the energy company in October. He has held the position since May 2012. It also comes just over a month after an international ratings agency lowered Petrotrin’s long-term corporate credit and senior unsecured debt ratings to BB+ from BBB-. Sources told the T&T Guardian Hassanali was not consulted on the matter and had not indicated to Petrotrin’s board of directors any plans to quit the position. In fact, sources said he was likely to reapply for the position at the end of his three-year contract, which he may still do. . Read more...
REGIONAL
Venezuela sets December election date
The National Electoral Council in Venezuela says elections for the country's National Assembly will be held on 6 December. Delays in setting a date had raised concerns the poll could be cancelled. But the council's head, Tibisay Lucena, said that was never on the cards and denied the council had bowed to opposition demands. The United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) of President Nicolas Maduro currently holds a majority of seats. But recent polls suggest that if the election were held now, the opposition coalition would win in a landslide. Read More...
Caribbean anti-corruption commissions gather at Commonwealth conference
Anti-corruption commissions from across the Caribbean are gathering in Grenada this week for a Commonwealth conference aimed at boosting regional cooperation and sharing innovations in the fight against graft. The first Commonwealth Regional Conference for Heads of Integrity Commissions and Anti-Corruption Bodies in the Caribbean brings together the region's most senior personnel tasked with addressing corruption and upholding standards of integrity. The conference, taking place between 22 and 26 June 2015, is convened by the Commonwealth Secretariat and hosted by the Integrity Commission of Grenada in St. George's. Read More...
INTERNATIONAL
Eurozone business growth rate at four-year high
The eurozone's economic recovery is continuing, a survey has suggested, with business output growing at its fastest rate in four years in June. The CIPS/Markit composite purchasing managers' index (PMI) rose to 54.1, compared with 53.6 a month earlier - its highest reading in 49 months. A reading above 50 indicates growth, while a reading below 50 suggests a fall in activity. Markit said the services sector had seen its best quarter for four years. In addition, factories enjoyed their best quarter of production growth for a year, "highlighting the broad-based nature of the upturn". Read More...
Greek debt crisis: Eurozone leaders hopeful of deal
Eurozone leaders have broadly welcomed new proposals for Greek reforms amid hopes a deal can be struck within days to stop Greece defaulting on its debt. German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Greece's latest offer constituted "some progress". But she said more work was needed and "time is short". Greece must repay a €1.6bn (£1.1bn) International Monetary Fund (IMF) loan by the end of the month. If it fails to do so, it risks crashing out of the euro and possibly the EU. Although no deal has been struck, key obstacles appear to have been cleared, the BBC's Damian Grammaticas reports from Brussels. Read More...
23rd June 2015