NEWS
Obey Mummy
The nine-year-old primary school boy who went on a joyride in a villager’s car in Penal last month has been returned to his mother’s care but not before lessons from a magistrate in parenting to his pregnant mother and some strong words for him as a young offender. The boy asked Magistrate Lisa Ramsumair-Hinds to send him back to his mother when he appeared in the Siparia Court yesterday. He was in the care of his grandmother since his first appearance at which he plead guilty to three charge dangerous driving, driving without a Driver’s Permit and driving without a Certificate of Insurance arising out of the incident in which he drove the car through Penal and ended up crashing into another vehicle. The magistrate also ordered a Probation Officer’s report before she passes sentence. The grandmother, who was also in court yesterday, described herself as a sickly woman adding that the child had been constantly asking to return to his mother, her daughter. Read more…
Run-off bill dies
After all the heated debate, the drama and the August (vacation) disruption last year, the controversial “run-off” bill has come to nought. Bowing to concerns expressed by civil society about the controversial “run-off provision”, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar yesterday announced the decision of her Government not to proceed with the Constitution (Amendment) bill. The Prime Minister said she decided to make the announcement to alleviate public “anxiety” created by reports that her Government planned to “push this (legislation) through on the last day of the Parliament”, a statement which confirmed that today's sitting would be the last in the Tenth Session of Parliament. “We do not intend to rush any Constitution (Amendment) bill in the Parliament tomorrow. I intended to make this statement tomorrow in the Parliament but it has become imperative (to do it today) given that, what I would call mischief, has been created by some who would want to give the public the impression that we intend to rush the bill through,” the Prime Minister stated. Read more…
PM hints of polls date
T&T may get a general election date soon, possibly today Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar hinted yesterday. She made the comment, with slight humour, in response to a query at yesterday’s post-Cabinet media conference at the Office of the Prime Minister, St Clair. “You’ll get your election date very soon.... who knows, maybe tomorrow...,” she told journalists. The PM made an appearance at the briefing to confirm that Government would not be presenting the Constitutional Amendment (run-off) Bill in Parliament today as some had expected, in favour of doing more consultation on it, and that the Bill and other matters would be platform issues for the upcoming 2015 general election. Expressing disappointment that legislation to regularise squatters was not debated in the Senate on Wednesday, she said Government would also campaign on the matter in the election. She said her Government would want to deal in a second term with the matter, the run-off legislation and other issues still on the Parliament agenda and which were unlikely to be completed before the current term’s end. Read more…
POLITICS
Jack breaks his silence on Oliver TV6 broadcast
Jack Warner yesterday broke his silence on the John Oliver TV6 broadcast which mocked him with a few jabs of his own, but was mostly outraged that the foreigner was allowed air time on local television, to throw insults. The Independent Labour Party leader called Oliver’s broadcast “a low” for the country saying that as things unfold in the coming months he expects “us to go even lower than that.” The decision to air the broadcast was an attempt to sell the nation short for a few advertising dollars, he said. Warner was dismissive of the British comedian Oliver, and repeatedly referred to him as “an American” during his taped response, but his wrath was directed at TV6 for selling the air time to Oliver. “It is really incomprehensible how a local TV station, a national TV station, could allow a foreigner, more so an American foreigner, to come into this country to embarrass its citizens,” Warner said as music played in the background. Oliver, he said, embarrassed locals by being critical of “the way we speak, the way we look... our culture.” This was in reference to Oliver’s use of local slangs such as, “Family watch me for a minute, nah!’ ‘What’s the scene?’ ‘I know you getting tabanca right now.” Read more…
UNC bowls out COP from dinner venue
As the country awaits the announcement of the date for the 2015 general election, constitutionally due no later than September 17, two member units of the PP Government — the UNC and COP — had both scheduled separate fund-raiser events on the same date and at the same venue in Chaguanas this weekend. The T&T Guardian was informed that the Congress of the People (COP) had scheduled a fund-raiser dinner for tomorrow, between 6 pm and 9 pm at Kampo Restaurant, Chaguanas, and the UNC scheduled a similar fund-raiser dinner for the same venue on the same day from 7.30 pm. Several members of the two parties expressed concern about the development. The COP was said to have been granted permission for its event before the UNC. The cost for the COP dinner was $1,000, while the UNC’s dinner is costing $2,500 a plate. Sources said an email was sent to COP MPs and other party members yesterday indicating that the party had decided to postpone its dinner to allow for a larger event to take place at the same venue. Read more…
REGIONAL
CARICOM summit to address critical issues
Prime ministers from across the region will be taking several critical decisions on the implementation of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME), as well as a single position on several international negotiations when the heads of government conference is held in Barbados next month. Minister of foreign affairs and foreign trade, Senator Maxine McClean, noted during a recent press conference that 15 Caribbean Community (CARICOM) heads of government and the heads of five associated states and their delegations, totaling more than 150 persons, would deliberate over a number of issues related to the region. According to McClean, some of the discussions during the meeting will relate to climate change and sustainable development. She stated that on Thursday, July 2, there would be a high-level strategic dialogue on sustainable development. This event will feature United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki Moon and will be attended by CARICOM heads of government, representatives from the private sector and experts in the field. Read more…
Suriname receives hunger reduction award
Suriname was recognized on June 7 for its efforts in achieving the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) target to halve the proportion of hungry people by a 2015 deadline, or bring it below the five percent threshold, according to a press release from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) in Rome. Suriname, Bolivia, Costa Rica, Laos, Mozambique, Nepal, Solomon Islands, and Uzbekistan were the latest group of countries receiving this award for having met the MDG target. A majority – 72 out of 129 – of the countries monitored by FAO have achieved the MDG target, with developing regions as a whole missing it by a small margin. Out of the total 72 countries, 29 have also met the more stringent goal to halve the number of hungry people as laid out by governments when they met in Rome at the World Food Summit (WFS) in 1996. And another 12 of the total 72 countries have maintained their hunger rates below five percent dating back to at least 1990. FAO director-general José Graziano da Silva paid tribute to these achievements at the ceremony which was held at the Organisation's headquarters. Read more…
BUSINESS
Finance Bill passed
After 15 hours of debate, the Finance (Variation of Appropriation)(Financial Year 2015) Bill was passed in the Senate, Tower D, International Waterfront Centre, Port of Spain, early yesterday morning. Finance Minister Larry Howai wound up the debate just before 2 a.m., saying the country was in a better position today than it was five years ago. He also addressed some of the concerns raised by Opposition and Independent Senators such as the $100 million owed to the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) from its budgetary allocation. Howai said the Ministry was at fault for not being proactive in replying to the concerns of the THA. He noted the THA received $543.3 million in its budgetary allocation and there were two adjustments made earlier this year for $68 million and $79 million. Howai said the figures needed to be reviewed and assured he would work out this issue with the THA. Energy Minister Kevin Ramnarine in his contribution pointed out the largest sum to be varied under the Bill fell under the Energy Ministry where some $693.8 million was being redirected to other expenditure. He said there were greater savings under the Energy Ministry because of the fall in oil prices which saw a decrease in money allocated for the fuel subsidy. Ramnarine said some $3 billion was allocated but thus far only $1.08 billion was spent behind the subsidy. He disclosed a master gas plan was underway that would provide a road map from 2015 to 2025. Read more…
Business executive: Dishonesty taking hold in T&T
A local business executive has spoken out against corruption and nepotism, expressing concern that a culture of dishonesty and trickery is taking hold in the country. “Corruption and nepotism can be lucrative but it is so risky,” said Kristine Thompson, director of Chuck E Cheese’s, when he took part in a panel discussion on ethical leadership, the latest in the Leadership Series hosted by the Arthur Lok Jack Graduate School of Business (ALJGSB), Mt Hope. The session on Tuesday evening also featured contributions by Ronald Harford, chairman of Republic Bank Ltd and Miguel Carillo, executive director at ALJGSB. Thompson appealed to the business community and citizens in general to continue to work hard and be honest, since that approach will bring success. “The self-satisfaction that comes with that travelled road is so much sweeter than what people get with ill-gotten gains,” she said. “It is a feeling that no court of law would want to take way from you.” Thompson warned against falling into the trap of the developing culture where some people feel corruption is the only way to achieve success. “We hear things like you cannot get ahead unless you know someone, or you are in some way crooked. Read more…
INTERNATIONAL
Greek bank stocks plunge after debt negotiations stall. Shares in some of Greece's biggest banks have fallen sharply on the Athens Stock Exchange, following a fresh blow to the country's debt negotiations. Stocks in the National Bank of Greece fell almost 6%, while Piraeus and Alpha banks fell more than 5%. Officials from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) pulled out of talks with Greek politicians in Brussels yesterday, citing "major differences". Greece is seeking to avoid defaulting on a €1.5bn debt repayment to the IMF. The payment is due by the end of the month. Shares on the Athens Stock Exchange had soared on Thursday amid renewed optimism about Greece's talks with its creditors. The index climbed more than 14% - the best performance in several weeks. But the IMF's withdrawal has dampened investors' moods.On Friday, Jeroen Dijsselbloem, president of the Eurogroup of finance ministers, said a deal without the IMF was "unimaginable". However, German chancellor Angela Merkel urged all parties to continue negotiations. Speaking at a business conference in Berlin, Ms Merkel said: "Where there's a will there's a way, but the will has to come from all sides so it's important that we keep speaking with each other". Read more…
12th June 2015