TTMA IN THE NEWS
TTMA welcomes Gov’t SME funding facility
Government's new grant funding facility for local entrepreneurs has been welcomed by president of the Manufacturers Association (TTMA) Christopher Alcazar. “The manufacturing sector remains ready and willing to do its part to earn much needed foreign exchange for our country,” he said, “and continues to be encouraged by government initiatives such as these that continue to create an enabling environment for the sector.” Read more here
TTMA supports initiative for SME’s
The Trinidad and Tobago Manufacturers’ Association (TTMA) welcomes the government’s initiative of a new grant fund facility for small and medium sized businesses as announced by Trade Minister Paula Gopee-Scoon at the launch of the New Export and Research Development Facility. In a media release yesterday, the President of the TTMA Christopher Alcazar highlighted: “The government continues to deliver on its commitment to diversification of the economy via the manufacturing sector first with its EXIM bank initiative to assist manufacturers in accessing foreign exchange and now with this initiative focused on developing small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs).” Read more here
NEWS
Brothers orphaned as parents killed in hit-and-run accident
One minute nine-year-old Brandon Roopnarine and his five-year-old brother Darrion were running excitedly to their home ahead of their parents on the grassy verge of the Penal Rock Road. The next minute their joy was shattered by two loud bangs as they spun around to see the lifeless bodies of their parents Khemchan Roopnarine, 38, and 36-year-old Patricia Ali on the ground a few feet off the roadway. They were bleeding profusely. The boys screamed out, “Look Mammy and Daddy get bounce down” as relatives rushed out to see what was the cause of the commotion. Read more here
Cop on duty charged with DUI
A Special Reserve Police officer who responded to a report of a shooting in Siparia on Saturday driving a police vehicle, was instead arrested and charged after he allegedly failed a breathalyser test. Officer Dennis Dewar, who has three years’ service, pleaded not guilty when he appeared before Siparia Senior Magistrate Margaret Alert in the First Court yesterday. Read more here
Social media rape accused gets bail
Sheldon McIntosh was yesterday granted $50,000 bail for the alleged rape of a woman he met on social media. Read more here
POLITICS
UNC chairman criticises Bharath’s election statement
Chairman of the United National Congress (UNC) Dr David Lee yesterday described as “absurd” claims by leadership contender Vasant Bharath that the party would not win a general election if it were called now. “I take issue with statements attributed to Mr Bharath,” Lee said in a statement. Read more here
Tewarie: Chaguaramas land deals above board
Former Planning and Development Minister Dr Bhoe Tewarie was adamant yesterday that “not a single square foot of land in Chaguaramas” was given away during his tenure. “Every lease was negotiated above board by the authority responsible, the board of the Chaguaramas Development Authority (CDA). It was negotiated on business and commercial terms. PWC was the chief negotiator appointed by the CDA to do that. This is a professional organisation who looks after matters such as these all over the world,” be said. Read more here
Housing Minister explains how Tobago MPs came to live in Victoria Keyes
Housing Minister Randall Mitchell yesterday confirmed that Government Members of Parliament from Tobago Shamfa Cudjoe and Ayanna Webster-Roy had access to occupy exclusive Victoria Keyes apartments in Diego Martin. Tourism Minister Cudjoe, Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister Webster-Roy as well as Senate vice-president Nigel DeFreitas were assigned units 8D, 5D and 6E respectively at Victoria Keyes. Read more here
BUSINESS
Duke calls for 2 days of ‘rest’
Thursday and Friday have been declared as “rest days” for all workers attached to the Customs and Excise Division and the Board of Inland Revenue. The directive was issued by Public Services Association (PSA) President Watson Duke, who urged permanent and temporary officers to heed the call. Duke said the time had come for workers to demonstrate their outrage at government’s attempt to set up the T&T Revenue Authority (TTRA) in 2018. He promised, “If it is war they want, it is war they will get.” Read more here
Silicon Valley investors on Planting Trees tonight on TV6
The producers of the reality television programme Planting Seeds have brought in two Silicon Valley investors to sit on the panel to assess the budding entrepreneurs for Season 2 of the popular show, which begins tonight on TV6. Read more here
REGIONAL
West Kingston ZOSO Widens - Denham Town Zone Grows To Include Neighbouring Communities
Seven months ago, residents of Hannah Town in Kingston were cowering in fear after gunmen sprayed at a birthday party on Hannah Street, killing one man and seriously injuring six others. Yesterday, they were still wary, but far less fidgety as the security forces officially expanded the second zone of special operations (ZOSO) to include communities closely neighbouring Denham Town - the area initially declared by Prime Minister Andrew Holness last month. "It was expanded based on operations and intelligence assessment with regards to the areas around Denham Town," said Superintendent Stephanie Lindsay, head of the Jamaica Constabulary Force Corporate Communications Unit. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
Texas shooting: US Air Force 'failed' to flag gunman's criminal history
We've entered the post-ISIS phase in the Middle East
Out of the blue, from an undisclosed location in the Saudi capital of Riyadh, 47-year old Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri announced his resignation Saturday afternoon. Claiming to have been the target of an assassination plot (which his own security forces deny), he left little doubt as to those responsible for his surprise decision. "Wherever Iran settles," he said, "it sows discord, devastation and destruction, proven by its interference in the internal affairs of Arab countries." Read more here
7th November 2017