NEWS
CEO accused of running Siparia Regional Corporation 'like a parlour'
As Government considers transforming Siparia into a borough, PNM Councillor for La Brea Gerald Debisette has accused the CEO of treating the regional corporation like a “parlour” instead of a multi-million dollar business. Debisette’s statement came during the Siparia Regional Corporation (SRC) statutory meeting on Thursday as he joined with councilors on the others side of the political fence, to express dissatisfaction with the CEO Ann Hosein. Hosein was at the meeting. The meeting became heated as councilors Doodnath Mayhroo and Shankar Teelucksing representing the UNC and Debisette, spoke in agreement about the unilateral decisions being made by the CEO, who they claimed was working against the interest of the 80,000 people they served. Read more here
School bomb threats not a coincidence
That was Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley’s response to claims by Pundit Satyanand Maharaj that urban youth along the East-West corridor are targeting East Indians. Speaking on the issue for the first time yesterday at the PNM’s Sports and Family Day in Toco, he said: “When the Opposition Leader and two or any other number of pundits want to get up in this country and say that the crime we are all facing, that we are all exposed to, that we are all victims of, when they want to get up and say that it is black people who are attacking Indian people, I say today you all stop that! Don’t go down that road! That’s a road of no return.” The Prime Minister also addressed the bomb threats last Friday that sent more than 100 schools across the country into panic. Read more here
POLITICS
PM REJECTS STAND-YOUR-GROUND LAW – says it can be used to commit 'legal murder'
The Prime Minister on Sunday afternoon said arming citizens was not the answer to the country's crime problems, going as far as to say the proposal by the Opposition to enact stand-your-ground legislation is also not a viable solution. Speaking at the PNM’s sport and family day at the Toco Composite High School, Dr Rowley said the promise of a stand-your-ground law was dangerous, and urged his supporters to reject that. Speaking at the UNC’s Monday Night Report in Couva on April 17, Opposition leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar said the government seemed oblivious to the growing problem of criminality, specifically addressing home invasions. Read more here
Young: Ban on legal assault weapons coming
Energy Minister Stuart Young said there will be a ban on legal “assault weapons” held by holders of firearms licences. He told Parliament on Friday that amendments will be made to Firearms Act to close loopholes pertaining to “weapons of war”. Speaking in response to a motion of no confidence in Minister of National Security Fitzgerald Hinds, Young said the recently concluded Caricom crime symposium was the first step in acknowledgement of the fact that throughout the region countries are facing violent crime and that it is a public health issue. “Coming out of that it was stated clearly by every practitioner that one of the great difficulties that we face here in Trinidad and Tobago and the rest of the region unfortunately is the influx of illegal arms and ammunition. Read more here
BUSINESS
InstaLoan hits $50M lending milestone
In just nine months, Massy Finance’s online lending platform, InstaLoan, has crossed the $50 million mark, said its managing director Duane Hinkson, in an interview with the Sunday Business Guardian. “We launched in the middle of July last year so we are closing in on a year. We are in the middle of April now so nine months and InstaLoan has been a fantastic success story and not just for Massy Finance but for the market, Hinkson said. Hinkson said the uptake for loans had been “a lot stronger than anticipated.” “We are well ahead of where we expected to be after this amount of time. And there has been no diminution in the demand for InstaLoans,” he said. Massy Finance partnered with Carilend, a financial-technology firm out of Barbados, to offer 100 per cent web-based personal loans of up to $50,000 on the local market. Read more here
Break free of the two old, bankrupt parties
Workers must take disciplined mass action to defend their interests, said Movement for Social Justice political leader David Abdulah as the labour movement marks May Day today. May Day commemorates the historic struggles and gains made by workers and the labour movement and is observed on May 1 annually. In a statement released by the MSJ yesterday, Abdulah stated that workers throughout the region were in a “very precarious”, position as a result of an increasing cost of living, rising food prices and a loss of jobs. Read more here
REGIONAL
‘A renewed way of thinking’
President, Dr Irfaan Ali, in unveiling a new vision for the country, is urging citizens to embrace a service-oriented culture that prioritises their needs. His plan calls for a shift in the mindset of those in the public and private sectors, whom he said must become more customer-focused and accountable in order to deliver high-quality services to citizens. By placing citizens at the centre of policymaking, the government hopes to create a more efficient and responsive public service. This approach is expected to build trust and confidence in the government among citizens and to promote greater citizen engagement and participation in the democratic process. Speaking at Saturday’s opening of the US $5 million Sheriff General Hospital at Leonora, West Coast Demerara, President Ali said: “… we want to create a new service-oriented culture, one in which there is great dignity and pride in everything we do. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
Sudan crisis: Air strikes hit Khartoum despite truce
Air strikes have pounded Sudan's capital, Khartoum, despite a truce aimed at allowing civilians to flee. The army said it was attacking the city to flush out its paramilitary rivals, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The fighting intensified even as the warring sides said they would extend the truce by another three days. More than 500 deaths have been reported with the true number of casualties believed to be much higher. Millions remain trapped in Khartoum. Army commander Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and RSF chief Gen Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, better known as Hemedti, are vying for power - and disagree in particular about plans to include the RSF into the army. Read more here
1st May 2023