TTMA IN THE NEWS
TTMA applauds Govt’s stance on illicit trade
The Trinidad and Tobago Manufacturers’ Association (TTMA) is once again commending Government for its stance on illicit trade, and says with continued policing and stronger enforcement of the requisite laws, more cases will reach the prosecution stage. An official statement from the TTMA quotes the business lobby’s president, Tricia Coosal, as describing illicit trade as “a major obstacle in the Caribbean, especially in Trinidad and Tobago”. The TTMA President says she is happy Government has made the eradication of illicit trade a top priority. Read more here
NEWS
Pathologist: Settle open-air pyre issue, ease up the morgues
Now that the Court of Appeal has ruled that the ban on open-air-pyre cremations of covid19 victims must return to the High Court for urgent hearing, pathologist Dr Rajendra Persad is asking for the issue to be taken one step further. Persad is calling for an out-of-court settlement to lift the ban as covid19 figures rise astronomically, testing the capacity of mortuaries and funeral homes. He said this measure would go a long way to relieving the pressures on families, funeral homes and public-health-system mortuaries that are reported to be overwhelmed by the numbers of bodies of covid19 fatalities. Read more here
T&TEC planned maintenance to affect North, South and Central Trinidad
T&TEC customers in parts of North, South and Central Trinidad will experience a temporary disruption to their supply of electricity, Tuesday 30th November, 2021. Details follow in this release. Read more here
POLITICS
Youth MPs address mandatory covid19 vaccination
The nation's youth parliamentarians took on the topical issue of mandatory covid19 vaccination in secondary schools and workplaces during the 19th National Youth Parliament on Monday. The Youth Parliament was held partially at the Red House in Port of Spain, which some members being physically present and spaced out in one room, while other members participated virtually from other locations. At the end of an intense and sometimes passionate two-hour debate, the government defeated the opposition's motion to implement mandatory covid19 vaccinations in schools and workplaces by a vote of 15-11. Read more here
BUSINESS
Property tax deadline goes to January 31
Government yesterday extended the deadline for the submission of the property tax valuation return form to January 31, 2022 from today. The announcement was made in a public notice that was addressed to every person in possession of residential land, commercial land, agricultural land or a combination of any of the above (mixed use) with or without buildings in T&T. The notice pointed out that under section 32 of the Valuation of Land Act, failure to submit the form constitutes a criminal offence that is punishable by a fine of $5,000. Read more here
REGIONAL
‘Get vaccinated’
With a new COVID-19 variant named Omicron mounting concerns globally, President Dr. Irfaan Ali, on Monday, urged Guyanese to take their COVID-19 vaccine, as it is currently the only “tool” available to protect against the consequences of the deadly novel coronavirus. “If it is that this variant is far more infectious, then the only thing that can protect us is the vaccination, the only thing that will slow hospitalisation is the vaccination, the only thing that will slow death rate, and actually very successfully, is the vaccination,” the President said. The World Health Organisation (WHO), on November 26, designated the SARS-CoV-2 variant B.1.1.529, named Omicron, a variant of concern (VOC) on the basis of advice from WHO’s Technical Advisory Group on Virus Evolution after the variant was first reported to the WHO from South Africa on November 24. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
MI6 boss warns of China 'debt traps and data traps'
MI6 chief Richard Moore has warned of China's "debt traps and data traps" in his first live broadcast interview. Mr Moore - known as "C" - told BBC Radio 4's Today programme these traps threatened to erode sovereignty and have prompted defensive measures. He denied the fall of Afghan capital Kabul was an intelligence failure and signalled closer ties with tech giants. The decision to speak more openly about his work was important in a modern democracy, the ex-secret agent said. Read more here
30th November 2021