NEWS
LSA: Land grabbers in scheme for state $
A new type of squatter has emerged in Trinidad and Tobago in recent times. They are known as squat lords, who squat on lands for financial gain and not because of economic hardship. While the overall numbers of squatters has decreased in recent years, there remain certain squatter hot spots in TT where some people have attempted to establish themselves as “squat lords.” These issues were raised at a virtual meeting between members of the Parliament’s Local Authorities, Service Commissions and Statutory Authorities Committee, the Land Settlement Agency and the Agriculture Ministry on Wednesday. Read more here
TSTT fears sabotage from retrenched workers
Employees of the Telecommunication Services of Trinidad and Tobago (TSTT), who, despite being handed their retrenchment letters on Tuesday, opted to show up at their workplaceon Wednesday, in accordance with a court order, were shut out over alleged fears by the company of internal vandalism. A ruling by Industrial Court president Deborah Thomas-Felix on Tuesday handed 376 workers represented by the Communication Workers’ Union a lifeline by permitting them access to their workplace, as they were instructed to retain their terms and conditions of their employment before they were handed their retrenchment letters. Read more here
POLITICS
Morris: Use performance appraisals to address THA inefficiency
Tobago House of Assembly (THA) Minority Leader Kelvon Morris said the use of performance appraisals would have been a better alternative to the firing of workers and would have addressed inefficiency within the assembly. He was speaking on the Minority Report programme, which was shown on Tobago Updates social media pages on Tuesday. Read more here
Govt approves $20m more for entrepreneurial relief grants
The National Entrepreneurship Development Company (Nedco) exhausted the $30 million allocation for its Entrepreneurial Relief Grants (ERG) programme after receiving 5,000 applications, and $20 million more will be supplied and a survey is being done to see how applicants progressed after the grant. Nedco chairman Clarry Benn indicated this yesterday when his management appeared before Parliament’s Public Accounts (Enterprises) Committee (PAEC), with officials of the Youth Development Ministry to which Nedco was shifted in 2020. The focus was on Nedco’s audited financial statements for 2017. Questions from PAEC members Keith Scotland and Laurel Lezama-Lee Sing involved Nedco’s contribution to ministry programmes to assist youths away from crime and other challenges in communities. Read more here
BUSINESS
CDB, EU support Trinidad and Tobago’s trade environment
The private sector in Trinidad and Tobago will see improvements in the trading environment as a result of three new trade initiatives under way at the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) and its agencies. The MTI has accessed assistance from the EPA and CSME Standby Facility for Capacity Building, which is managed by the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) with European Union (EU) funding, to establish an online focal point for trade queries, build the capacity of local entrepreneurs, and also generate new trade opportunities and build networks within select markets in Europe. Read more here
NGC to collaborate with new hydrogen project
The National Gas Company of Trinidad and Tobago Ltd (NGC) has signed a non-binding Letter of Intent (LOI) with hydrogen start-up, NewGen Energy (NewGen), to work collaboratively to evaluate the development of NewGen’s hydrogen production facility. The LOI was signed at the Trinidad and Tobago Energy Conference on Tuesday, May 31 2022. In a press statement issued yesterday, the NGC said that subject to the commercial feasibility of this low-carbon project by all related stakeholders across the value chain, the parties will seek to enter into a non-binding heads of agreement as well as definitive agreements once acceptable terms can be reached between the parties. Read more here
REGIONAL
‘Help couldn’t come at a better time’
From investing back into their business, to doing work on their homes, to buying groceries and household items, fishermen across the country are already thinking of how they plan to positively utilise the $150,000 that they will soon receive from the government. Fisherfolk of the Number 66 Fishermen Co-op in East Berbice, Corentyne, are in high praise of the government following the announcement by President, Dr Irfaan Ali of the $150,000 one-off cash grant. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
Turkey wants to be called Türkiye in rebranding move
Turkey will be known as Türkiye at the United Nations from now on, after it agreed to a formal request from Ankara. Several international bodies will be asked to make the name change as part of a rebranding campaign launched by the Turkish president late last year. "Türkiye is the best representation and expression of the Turkish people's culture, civilization, and values," Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in December. The UN said it made the change as soon as it received the request this week. Most Turks already know their country as Türkiye. However the anglicised Turkey is widely used, even within the country. State broadcaster TRT was quick to make the change as soon as it was announced last year, explaining that among the reasons for the image rebrand was the association with the bird traditionally associated with Christmas or New Year or Thanksgiving. Read more here
2nd June 2022