NEWS
Boy, 13, among five in Tobago court
Five people, including a minor, appeared in court in Tobago over the last week for varying offences, including robbery with violence, robbery with aggravation, and larceny. Kody Bailey, 21, of Mt St George, was charged with robbery with violence, malicious wounding, common assault and possession of ammunition which occurred in the district on November 11. He pleaded not guilty and was denied bail when he appeared before Master Sarah De Silva on November 22. Read more here
Brace for a rainy end to November
A Yellow Level Adverse Weather Alert is currently in effect for Trinidad and Tobago until 4 pm today. The Trinidad and Tobago Meteorological Service (TTMS), said yesterday there is a heightened risk of landslides and landslips and additional impacts can include street/flash flooding and gusty winds associated with heavy downpours. This is the result of consecutive days of rainfall as the ground remains saturated in several areas. Read more here
POLITICS
Young: Trinidad and Tobago earns US$2310m from tax on LNG exports 2020-2023
Energy Minister Stuart Young has said Trinidad and Tobago earned approximately US$2,310,000,000 in revenue from taxation of liquefied natural gas (LNG) revenues from 2020-2023. He made this comment in a written response to a question from Opposition Senator Wade Mark. Young's response was filed in the Senate on November 26. The taxation earned from LNG exports was US$126,000,000; US$411,000,000; US$1,360,000,000; and US$413,000,000 for 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 respectively. Read more here
Kamla rejects salary increase for politicians; calls for judges to benefit
Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar is not in support of the proposed salary increase for the Prime Minister, the President, and herself “at this time.” She, however, said the 120th Salaries Review Commission report’s proposed salary hike should be given to judges and public servants. Persad-Bissessar was speaking at the United National Congress’ criminal justice reform consultation at Barataria on Monday. The Opposition Leader noted there has been a “lot of noise” about the SRC’s report in the public domain “as it gives to the Prime Minister his highest-ever raise if he accepts it.” The SRC’s recommendations include raising Dr Keith Rowley’s salary from $59,680 to $87,847 over three years, while Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s pay would increase from $29,590 to $52,159. Read more here
BUSINESS
Heritage commissions new steam generator to improve oil recovery
HERITAGE PETROLEUM Co Ltd has said it has commissioned a steam generator “aimed at significantly improving oil recovery in the Forest Reserve area.” This represents a major step forward in our commitment to enhancing operational efficiency and maximising resource extraction,” Heritage said in a news release on November 22. It added that the steam will be injected into the oil reservoir, reducing the viscosity of heavy crude oil, and enabling it to flow more easily to the production wells. Read more here
Senate rejects Mark's motion on sale of Clico stake in MHIL
The Senate yesterday rejected a motion by opposition senator Wade Mark, which sought to compel the Government to disclose all the documents related to the agreement between Colonial Life Insurance Company (Clico) and Consolidated Energy Ltd (CEL)—owned by the Proman Group—regarding the sale of Methanol Holdings International Ltd (MHIL) shares. Mark’s motion also called for the Senate to commission an independent forensic audit into the sale agreement if the requested documents were not provided within 14 days. Read more here
REGIONAL
More than $52B invested in Region One
President Dr. Irfaan Ali kicked off a busy day on Tuesday with the sod turning for the Moruca Hospital, signalling a transformative moment for the region’s healthcare infrastructure. The $4.4 billion facility is expected to be completed within 24 months and represents a significant investment in the community’s medical capabilities. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
'It's going to be hard': US firms race to get ahead of Trump tariffs
When handbag designer Sherrill Mosee learned that roughly 2,700 purses and backpacks she had ordered from her Chinese manufacturing partner would not make it onto one ship this autumn, she was initially content to wait. Then Donald Trump was re-elected as US president. "I'm like, okay, we've got to bring those in," said Ms Mosee, founder of MinkeeBlue, a small business based in Philadelphia. Her firm is one of the many thousands across the country preparing for the potential impact of Trump's promises to impose stiff new tariffs on all goods coming into the country. Read more here
27th November 2024