TTMA IN THE NEWS
TTMA leads trade mission to Guyana
The T&T Manufacturers Association (TTMA) will be hosting a trade mission to Guyana during the period October 3 to 7, 2023. The delegation will be led by the TTMA’s president, Roger Roach. In a statement, the TTMA said this year, the delegation will consist of 31 companies and 45 participants, including Eximbank and exporTT. The sectors participating consist of food and beverage, chemical, construction, household products, agro-processing, cargo and services. Read more here
NEWS
Funeral assoc head tells father of Guanapo 4: Police to blame for decaying bodies
Head of the Association of Funeral Professionals of TT, Keith Belgrove, says Shawn Peterkin should take legal action after the bodies of four of his children were decayed while being kept by a funeral home. In an interview with Newsday, Belgrove said police are to blame for the state of the bodies of Faith Peterkin, ten, Arianna Peterkin, 14, Shane Peterkin, 17, and Tiffany Peterkin, 19, who were killed in their Heights of Guanapo home by gunmen on September 21. "They have to address that to the police because the police was working through an agent- an agent they did not exercise due diligence in selecting." Read more here
Family, friends say farewell to murdered siblings today
Today will be a day of fresh heartbreak in Arima, as the four Peterkin children, who were murdered at Heights of Guanapo on September 21, will be laid to rest, and what is left of their family haunted by the memory, clings together bereft of peace. Anesa Rampersad, mother of the late Shane, Tiffany, Arianna and Faith Peterkin, broke down in tears while speaking to Guardian Media yesterday, as she contemplated the moment when she will face her children’s lifeless bodies for the last time today. “I don’t even want to go...I can’t see my children in a box...! I was saying I just wanted to see them one last time...and I can’t even do that!...But it’s the last chance, as I would never see them again,” Rampersad added, crying long and hard. She was, of course, making reference to the fact that there will be a closed casket service due to the poor condition of the children’s bodies. Read more here
POLITICS
Farley: Give Tobago 5% of budget
THA Chief Secretary Farley Augustine is hoping for a high budget allocation when the 2023-2024 budget is presented. Minister of Finance Colm Imbert has announced that October 2 is budget day. The Assembly has requested $4.54 billion from the central government. Questioned by reporters on Wednesday about his expectations, Augustine said Tobago would love if the figure this year was closer to 6.9 per cent as recommended by the Dispute Resolution Committee (DRC), rather than the lower end of 4.03 per cent. “The country would love it if something unusual happens and we get closer to the medium point of around five per cent.” Read more here
BUSINESS
Increased arrivals for cruise season
Trinidad’s upcoming cruise season promises significant gains. Tourism Trinidad, in a press release, said approximately 88,000 passengers and 30,000 crew members are expected to arrive in Trinidad. This is an 81 per cent increase in passengers from last season where 48,243 passengers arrived via 29 calls at the Cruise Ship Complex in Port of Spain. The cruise season begins in November and runs till April next year. This year’s first vessel, Seabourn Pursuit, is expected to arrive on October 11. The tourism agency noted the increased passenger arrivals promise an influx of economic prosperity, cultural enrichment and boundless opportunities for local businesses. Read more here
REGIONAL
Gas-to-energy project to revolutionize nation
In a momentous event marking a significant step toward a transformative future for Guyana, Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat, delivered a compelling address Tuesday during the inauguration ceremony of the new Sol Guyana Inc, Shell-branded Gas Station in Enmore, East Coast Demerara. The Minister’s speech not only emphasized Guyana’s impending development but also shed light on gas-to-energy project set to revolutionize the nation. Minister Bharrat highlighted the gas-to-energy project as a game-changer for Guyanese citizens. He affirmed that this initiative would usher in an era of stable electricity supply, sparking new opportunities in various industries, thereby fueling the country’s overall progress. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
Pakistan: At least 50 killed, dozens injured in Mastung blast
At least 50 people have been killed and more than 50 injured in a suicide attack in Pakistan, police say. The blast happened near a mosque in the southwestern province of Balochistan on Friday as people gathered to celebrate the birth of the Prophet Muhammad. Officials in Balochistan have declared a state of emergency. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack. Meanwhile, a separate blast has taken place at a mosque near Peshawar City in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Footage from the scene in the Balochistan city of Mastung showed the injured being rescued by emergency responders and locals. Read more here
29th September 2023