DAILY BRIEF
WEDNESDAY 1ST JULY, 2015
NEWS
New traffic plan for Sando gets thumbs up
A new traffic arrangement along High Street, San Fernando, that now requires taxis to wait in queue for passengers has been given the thumbs up by San Fernando Business Association president Daphne Bartlett. On Saturday, the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure installed metal barriers along the Port-of-Spain, Curepe and Chaguanas taxi stands randomly. These stop taxis from entering and exiting the stand. Speaking by telephone yesterday, Barlett said motorists could now drive freely as the previous arrangement had allowed drivers to block traffic on the road until a space in the taxi stand became vacant. . Read more...
Cops cost TT million$
The actions of police, first in the arrest of several alleged gang leaders during the State of Emergency (SoE) back in 2011 and the tasering of prisoners while in custody at a police station have cost the State over $1 million following two successful lawsuits brought by persons against the officers. In one case, the State lost its first lawsuit for wrongful imprisonment of alleged gang leaders during the 2011 SoE and has been ordered to pay one man deemed by the authorities as being a gang leader the sum of $400,000. Over 600 alleged gang leaders and gang members were arrested during the limited SoE in August 2011 in parts of the country considered crime hot spots. Read more...
I'm not going anywhere
Bring it on! Corruption accused Former embattled FIFA Vice President Jack Warner declared last night that he is not going anywhere and if the United States sends for him, he's ready to battle them. The former FIFA Vice President also questioned why taxpayers money was being used to pay legal fees for a US case against him. He said the Government should also pay his legal fees as the only person who's doing work pro bono for him is Rekha Ramjit. Warner, the leader of the Independent Liberal Party (ILP), was speaking tonight at a cottage meeting in Claxton Bay. Read more...
POLITICS
Khan: No race agenda in PNM
Declaring that the People’s National Movement (PNM) is focusing its general elections campaign on national issues, party chairman Franklin Khan yesterday condemned Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar and “other key UNC (United National Congress) operatives” for trying to mislead the population into believing the PNM is pursuing an election campaign based on race. “We are fighting a very serious election. The country’s future depends on September 7, 2015. We would not let some of these small issues distract us,” he declared. Addressing a news conference at the party’s Balisier House headquarters, Port-of-Spain, Khan said it was “absurdity taken to the highest level” for Persad-Bissessar and Maha Sabha general secretary Sat Maharaj to claim a recent statement by PNM Laventille West candidate Fitzgerald Hinds is a racist remark. Read more...
London: THA in financial limbo
A September 7 General Election means Tobago will be in a state of “financial limbo” for an extended period this year, Chief Secretary Orville London has said. London made the statement as he led off Thursday’s debate of the Tobago House of Assembly’s (THA) Fiscal 2016 budget request, which was presented by Secretary of Finance and Enterprise Development Joel Jack on June 22 at the Assembly Legislature. The Chief Secretary said the election date means the national budget will be presented in “late September for the earliest”. “We will be in a state of financial limbo for even a longer period than in previous years,” London remarked, “and of course this will present significant challenges for our planning as we move forward.” Read more...
BUSINESS
Dookeran questions tax haven black list
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Dookeran is expressing scepticism over the blacklisting of 14 Caribbean countries by the European Commission. He expressed concern that the move could hurt the region’s financial services sector and underscored the need for greater transparency in the drafting of rules for the financial services sector. Dookeran a former governor of the Central Bank, said: “We have been calling for a very transparent process in the world of rule making—in the world of international finance. Unfortunately, several of our member countries have been on the other end of being identified as being countries that do not comply with certain aspects of international rule making in finance. Read more...
‘Sick out’ by TTPost
The delivery of pension and social welfare cheques this month has been delayed in several parts of the country due to an apparent ‘sick out’ by TTPost workers frustrated over the delayed start to their 2011 to 2013 negotiations.Newsday understands the ‘sick out’ began last Thursday (June 25) when an estimated 70 percent of the staff who work in the processing centre at TTPost’s Piarco head office called in sick. They did the same the following day (June 26) but all reportedly reported to work as normal this past Monday (June 29). Two days is the maximum an employee can call in sick without providing a sick leave from his/her doctor. Just as management may have thought things were returning to normal, delivery officers across the country called in sick this Monday and Tuesday..." Read more...
NIBTT launches Proof of Life
The National Insurance Board of Trinidad and Tobago (NIBTT) has introduced a new automated system to replace the submission of Life Certificates for persons receiving long term National Insurance benefits such as Retirement Pension and Disablement Pension, Invalidity, Survivor’s and Death Benefits. The new proof of life system eliminates the need for nationals, residents and non-nationals living in Trinidad and Tobago to submit bi-annual Life Certificates. Over 133,000 beneficiaries will no longer have to submit Life Certificates; 88,000 of whom are retirement benefit recipients. Read more...
No delays with Juniper gas
Energy Minister Kevin Ramnarine is optimistic there will be no delays in the production of first gas from the $US2.1 billion bpTT Juniper Project which is due to come on stream by mid-2017. He said the fields will produce close to 600 million cubic feet of gas daily to meet the demands of local industry, electrical power production and supply Atlantic LNG and along with other gas projects should make up for the shortfall in supply to clients on the Point Lisas Industrial Estate. The minister spoke about the project yesterday after a tour of the Labidco Industrial Estate in south Trinidad. Read more...
REGIONAL
CARICOM heads urged to focus on crime and security agenda
With increases in crime being recorded across the region, especially involving the use of firearms, Caribbean Community (CARICOM) governments are being urged to pay closer attention to the crime and security agenda agreed to by the heads of government in 2013. Barbados attorney general, Adriel Brathwaite, has also expressed concern that, with the 36th regular meeting of CARICOM heads of government set to take place in Barbados later this week, enough attention is not being paid to establishing the crime and security strategy.. Read more...
INTERNATIONAL
Greece debt crisis: Tsipras in new bailout 'concessions'
1st July 2015