NEWS
Princes Town firefighters save home from bush fire, 'antique' cars perish
A quick response from Princes Town firefighters prevented a bushfire in Princes Town from spreading to a nearby house at Bonanza Street on Wednesday afternoon. However, the fire spread to a property, destroying five cars that the owner, who gave his name only as Sarwan, described as antiques. The non-functional cars were parked in the yard, and Sarwan estimated the damage to be between $300,000 and $350,000. Fire officials, however, referred to the cars and other items in the yard as derelict. While Sarwan was not home when the fire broke out, he said his 82-year-old mother and their 30 dogs were home. Read more here
GPL denies links to barge leaking fuel in Tobago waters
The Guyana Power and Light Inc. (GPL) last night denied it has any links to the sunken barge in Tobago’s waters. The response came after Guyana Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo’s call for a full probe, after Guyana media outlet News Source reported GPL’s possible links to a deal involving a fuel shipment to the state-owned company. In a statement, GPL said it “is aware of the recent oil spill that occurred off the coast of Trinidad and Tobago and joins with the rest of Guyana in expressing its concern regarding the environmental implications and impact on the people of Trinidad and Tobago.” Recounting the circumstances, GPL said they tendered for the supply and delivery of heavy fuel oil in June 2023 via national competitive bidding. According to GPL, six bids were received. GPL said the tender was awarded on October 24, 2023, to Staatsolie Maatschappij Suriname N.V., which was the first-ranked bidder. Read more here
POLITICS
Ministry: 'Exceedingly difficult' to hire, retain cybersecurity experts
The Ministry of Digital Transformation says it is "exceedingly difficult" to find and retain cybersecurity experts in the public sector as the salaries offered are not competitive enough. This was revealed by the ministry's permanent secretary Cory Belfon during a Public Administration and Appropriations Committee meeting on Wednesday afternoon. Committee member and Minister in the Education Ministry Lisa Morris-Julian asked if iGovTT – the national ICT company – is operating at its "optimal best." Read more here
JSC proposes tax on artistes performing abroad, mas materials
Consideration is being given to taxing local artistes who perform abroad, as well as materials imported into Trinidad and Tobago for Carnival designs. The recommendation was made by a member of the United National Congress (UNC) during a Joint Select Committee (JSC) on cultural diplomacy yesterday. The JSC, chaired by Minister of Trade and Industry Paula Gopee-Scoon, sought to inquire into the efficacy of T&T’s cultural diplomacy and opportunities for strengthening its cultural and tourism products. Gopee-Scoon lamented the failure of the Ministry of Foreign and Caricom Affairs and the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and the Arts to streamline and formalise culture as a business. Read more here
BUSINESS
How will declining energy revenue affect social services?
Trinidad and Tobago’s future development is undeniably intertwined with the country’s oil and gas sector. Revenue from the sector serves as a key driver for growth and will finance any future diversification efforts by the Government. Given global demand and supply imbalances, unpredictable weather patterns and geo-political tensions, since 2011 there has been a concerning trend in declining Government extractive sector revenue punctuated by marginal peaks. Concurrently, Government’s social sector spending has exhibited consistency, prompting a crucial question: what will be the impact on social expenditure if there is a marked decline in oil and gas revenue? The volatility inherent in extractive sector revenue prompts reflection on how these fluctuations may affect vulnerable groups, including the elderly, low-income households, disabled, sick, unemployed, and university students. Given the importance of social expenditure, which accounts for 41 per cent of oil and gas revenue, exploring how a 20 per cent decline in energy revenues impacts society or those in need is worth exploring. Read more here
T&T, Barbados in talks for new fishing agreement
Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados have begun the process of holding bilateral talks with the ultimate aim of arriving at a new fishing agreement. So said Minister of Foreign and Caricom Affairs Dr Amery Browne on Tuesday, in response to a question from UNC Senator Wade Mark in the Senate on what was being done to address the fishing disputes and growing tensions between the fisherfolk of both islands. Read more here
REGIONAL
President Ali urges Caribbean unity for economic prosperity
Regional integration has garnered significant attention in the Caribbean region. In light of Guyana’s upward trajectory, President Dr. Irfaan Ali has underscored the importance of examining how the region can be merged with the nation’s development. During his address to the St Lucian Parliament on Wednesday, he made these remarks. According to him: “Today, I want to highlight that our country, Guyana, as part of our region, is open for investment. We are experiencing tremendous opportunities, including double-digit growth rates. We recently achieved a growth rate of 40 per cent, nearly 60 per cent the previous year, and anticipate rates in the upper 20 per cent in the coming years. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
Kremlin lashes out after Joe Biden aims sweary barb at Vladimir Putin
The Kremlin has accused Joe Biden of attempting to appear like a "Hollywood cowboy" after the US president called Vladimir Putin "a crazy SOB". Mr Biden made the comments at a public fundraising event on Wednesday in California, warning about the threat of nuclear conflict. In response, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called it a poor attempt to appear like a "Hollywood cowboy". He added that such vocabulary "debases America itself". In a brief speech in San Francisco, Mr Biden said: "We have a crazy SOB like that guy Putin, and others, and we always have to worry about nuclear conflict, but the existential threat to humanity is climate." Read more here
22nd February 2024