NEWS
Tributes and tears at Stalin's send-off – CARIBBEAN MAN
It was no ordinary funeral. Rather, a celebration of the life of a man of God and a man of country, Bishop Kessel Byer preached at the farewell service for calypso great Leroy "Black Stalin" Calliste on Thursday at the Southern Academy for the Performing Arts in San Fernando. Lusty applause from the congregation was heard as the curtains on the stage where the service was held, opened to reveal the mahogany casket, with a huge ice, green and gold-coloured crown sitting on top amidst a bed of red anthuriums. Read more here
Ultra-low-cost carrier Arajet Airlines gets greenlight to fly to T&T
Dominican Republic-based start-up Arajet Airlines, has received permission from the country’s civil aviation board, Junta de Aviación Civil (JAC), to begin both scheduled and unscheduled flights to Trinidad from its base at Santo Domingo’s Las Américas International Airport (SDQ). Arajet also received permission to fly routes to Brazil, Honduras, Belize, Barbados and Guyana. The announcement was made via JAC’s Twitter page on Thursday. JAC says operations are expected to begin in March 2023 using the company’s existing fleet of Boeing 737 Max 8s. Arajet Airlines is an ultra-low-cost airline based in the Dominican Republic. It began operations in September 2022 and currently flies to 18 destinations in Latin America and the Caribbean. Read more here
POLITICS
New fees and fines effective January 1
Several fiscal measures announced in the 2022/2023 budget are now in effect. When he presented the budget in the House of Representatives on September 26, 2022, Finance Minister Colm Imbert announced several fiscal measures which would come into effect from January 1 (New Year's Day). Those measures are as follows: Increasing the personal income tax exemption limit from $84,000 to $90,000 per year, for people earning $7,500.00 a month or less. Increasing the VAT (Value Added Tax) registration threshold from $500,000 to $600,000, for small and medium enterprises. Read more here
Saddam tells PM Rowley: Don’t waste time with conversations on crime
If Government wants to talk about crime they should come with a plan and the Opposition will look at that plan for citizen safety. However, the Government shouldn’t waste time holding public conversations about the crime problem, San Juan/Barataria MP Saddam Hosein said yesterday. “The time for talk is done, the time for action is now,” he said at a media briefing hosted by the United National Congress (UNC). He said if the Government wants to engage the Opposition on crime there is a Parliament floor. He was also critical of what occurred during a recent debate on his motion on crime and Government’s statements in the matter. Commenting on Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley’s plans for public conversations on the issue, Hosein said Government had failed to produce a concrete plan for fighting crime. Read more here
BUSINESS
ANSA Bank to relocate to Gulf City Mall from February 1
ANSA Bank has announced that it will be moving its San Fernando Branch. In a notice to customers, ANSA Bank advised that its San Fernando Branch will be relocating to the Ground Level, Gulf City Mall, La Romain from February 1. ANSA Bank adds that this branch will be open from 10 am to 5 pm Mondays to Fridays. The notice confirmed that the last day of business at the St James Street premises will be January 31. “All customer accounts housed at the St James Street Branch will be automatically transferred to the Gulf City Mall Branch, upon the closure of the St James Street Branch,” it stated. Read more here
RIC seeks to calm fears over increase
The Regulated Industries Commission is seeking to allay fears over the price increase for electricity. The RIC yesterday, gave an extensive breakdown, as the debate over the proposed increase continues amongst various sectors. It outlined that with the new tariff structure, electricity bills will move to a monthly cycle, instead of a bi-monthly. Read more here
REGIONAL
‘Don’t be political tools, pawns’
President, Dr. Irfaan Ali, on Thursday, implored squatters at Mocha-Acadia/Cane View, East Bank Demerara, to stop being used as political tools and pawns, and see reason in the benefit of moving from the government reserve to the legal, legitimate lands and houses being offered by the government.In an address to the squatters, the Head of State bemoaned the situation at Mocha, where families continued to be encouraged to defy the law by agents of the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance For Change (AFC). “I watch with dismay the type of political opportunism, lack of leadership and irresponsibility exercised by some who refer to themselves as leaders in the political opposition. Leadership is about responsibility. One that is based on a level of trust and integrity, not one that is opportunistic in nature. Not one that seeks only to divide and use every occasion that you believe you can extract a divisive message to people,” the President remarked. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
Harry's talk of Taliban kills in Afghanistan tarnishes reputation - ex-commander
Prince Harry has tarnished his reputation with remarks about killing Taliban fighters in Afghanistan, a former British commander says. In his memoir, the Duke of Sussex describes his 25 kills as "chess pieces removed from the board". Ex-army officer colonel Richard Kemp told the BBC Harry's comments were "ill-judged". He added the remarks may have undermined his security and could provoke people to take revenge. Prince Harry gives details about his time as a helicopter pilot in Afghanistan in his memoir Spare, which BBC News has obtained a copy of after it was put on sale early in Spain. Read more here
6th January 2023