NEWS
Chamber pleads with Govt after businessman’s murder - LET US DEFEND OURSELVES
The murder of businessman Rishard Ali on Wednesday morning has struck fear among the Chaguanas business community who claim they are under siege. They are now asking to be armed and are calling for the death penalty for criminals. Ali, 48, had just left his Biljah Road, Caroni Savannah Road, Chaguanas, home when a gunman he had spoken to a short while before, opened fire on his vehicle PDC 4440, hitting him multiple times. Read more here
POLITICS
Shamfa Cudjoe: Crime requires a community approach
Sports and Community Development Minister Shamfa Cudjoe said crime needs to be dealt with at a community level, and requires an all-of-country approach. She said people have become too focused on themselves and their families only while not building their communities. Speaking at the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the MIC Institute of Technology (MIC-IT) and the Export Centres Company Ltd (ECCL) on Wednesday at the MIC-IT head office in Trincity for the continuation of a hydroponics training programme, Cudjoe said crime changes the way people think and live their lives. Read more here
‘Things I do in Tobago, I can’t do in Trinidad’
Minister of Sport and Community Development Shamfa Cudjoe yesterday admitted that crime in Trinidad forces her to restrict activities that she will usually do in Tobago without hesitation. Following a spate of brazen home invasions over the Easter weekend, Cudjoe was asked how has crime affected her personally. “There are some things that I can do in Tobago that I cannot do in Trinidad,” Cudjoe said, “For instance, I’m a runner. I get up early in the morning, I run late at night but there are some places I would not do that in Trinidad, one, because I don’t know all the places that I’m supposed to, and two, we know there are certain communities and certain areas and it’s getting beyond certain communities where you have youngsters doing all types of things.” The minister admitted fear of crime has a firm grip over people in Tobago and is causing residents there to rethink the structure of their homes. Read more here
BUSINESS
Hydroponics trainee: 'I want to be a commercial farmer'
The signing of a memorandum of understanding between the MIC Institute of Technology (MIC-IT) and the Export Centres Co Ltd (ECCL) will see ongoing collaboration between the two institutions in training people in using hydroponics systems. Speaking at the signing ceremony at the MIC-IT head office in Trincity on Wednesday, hydroponics trainee and graduate Isaac Grant said completing this course gave him a further step up in his ambition to move from being a home farmer to being a commercial farmer. “I always viewed farming as a business, but my ability to become successful is limited by my ability to obtain assets and the capital which would be needed to attain this goal. The training offers a mandatory business and entrepreneurship segment to help us know how we may gain funding for our farms and utilise the funds to succeed. I’m now more confident in my ability to produce crops more efficiently, safely, and profitably.” Read more here
Caricris affirms Massy rating
Rating agency Caribbean Information and Credit Rating Services Ltd (Caricris) has reaffirmed overall “high creditworthiness” ratings for Massy Holdings Ltd and its subsidiaries. Caricris has also maintained a stable outlook on the ratings. It explained that the stable outlook is based on its expectation of continued good financial performance by the group, supported by its ongoing regional and international expansion. “We expect continued profitability and good cashflow from operations to support healthy financial flexibility and debt protection metrics over the next 12 to 15 months. “Moreover, we expect Massy to continue to ably manage supply chain disruptions and inflationary pressures brought about by the Russia/Ukraine conflict and the uncertain global geo-political environment,” Caricris said. It added that Massy’s ratings continue to reflect its moderate industry diversification and good market position in the group’s three core business portfolios. Read more here
REGIONAL
Guyana could see increased trade, travel to DR, Canada, Houston
SET to commence operations in Guyana from June 1, 2023, Sky Cana Airlines will create opportunities for increased trade and travel to the Dominican Republic, Canada, and later, to Houston. The Guyana Chronicle was informed that a high-level officials from the airline, including owner Frank Diaz, and a local team of private sector representatives, engaged President, Dr. Irfaan Ali on the company’s impending launch.
The intention is to have three routes via Punta Cana (Dominica Republic) starting with Toronto, Canada, and then expanding to Houston. Local Content Partner, Gerry Gouveia Jnr, who is also the Director of Aviation Services at Roraima Airways, said: “We are very enthusiastic to bring our airline to Guyana. Our engagement with His Excellency was very positive. He is a dynamic leader with a strong vision for Guyana.” Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
Anne Perry: Murderer turned crime writer dies aged 84
Crime author Anne Perry, who helped murder her friend's mother as a teenager, has died aged 84. The writer served five years in prison from the age of 15 for bludgeoning Honorah Mary Parker to death. Perry died in a Los Angeles hospital, her agent confirmed. She had been declining for several months after suffering a heart attack in December. The author was the inspiration for Peter Jackson's 1994 film Heavenly Creatures, which starred Kate Winslet. At the time Perry bludgeoned her best friend's mother to death, she was known as Juliet Hulme, later adopting Anne Perry as a pen name for her writing career. The murder took place in Christchurch, New Zealand, in 1954, and was plotted by Perry and her friend Pauline Parker, the victim's daughter. The details were later discovered in journals found by police. Read more here
13th April 2023