NEWS
Tobago's covid19 death toll climbs to 90
Tobago’s covid19 death toll climbed to 90 after a 73-year-old man with comorbidities died from complications associated with the virus overnight. There are 25 new covid19 cases in Tobago and 306 active cases. In a statement on Tuesday, the THA's Division of Health, Wellness and Family Development said there are now 29 patients in state isolation, 272 in home isolation and five in ICU. Twenty-one people have been discharged. Read more here
POLITICS
Energy Minister meets BHP executives on operations in Trinidad and Tobago
Minister of Energy Stuart Young led a delegation which met on Tuesday with BHP executives at the the ministry’s offices in the International Waterfront Complex, Port of Spain. The BHP team included Graham Salmond, vice president North America and the Caribbean, BHP Petroleum; Dr Sonia Scarselli, vice president, exploration and appraisal, BHP Petroleum; Michael Stone, Country Manager of BHP TT and Dr Carla Noel-Mendez, manager, corporate affairs. Read more here
MPs argue over who to blame for poor road conditions
Members of Parliament yesterday argued over who was to blame for the poor road conditions in some parts of the country, as the Opposition members blamed the Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) while referencing the protest in Moruga earlier in the day. During a sitting of the Standing Finance Committee (SFC) on the Budget allocation to the Ministry of Public Utilities, Minister Marvin Gonzales said Opposition operatives were behind the protest, which prompted an outburst by UNC Couva South MP Rudranath Indarsingh. Meanwhile, the SFC was also told that a $45 million dip in the salaries and Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) budget at WASA should not impact operations, but there was no firm figure on what negotiations were outstanding. Read more here
BUSINESS
United Engineering wins DeNovo contract for Zandolie platform
Pt Lisas-based construction company United Engineering Services Ltd (UESL) has been awarded the contract to build the Zandolie gas platform offshore, west Trinidad, DeNovo Energy Ltd announced on Tuesday. United got the job to construct, install and commission the Zandolie platform in Block 1 (a) in the Gulf of Paria. "The choice of a local contractor is in line with our continued focus on increasing local content, and further proof of our intent to deepen and widen the participation of local service providers in delivering the company’s growth objectives," DeNovo’s managing director Bryan Ramsumair said in a statement. Read more here
IMF: T&T economy to contract by 1% in 2021
Trinidad and Tobago’s economy is expected to contract by one per cent this year, the International Monetary Fund has projected in its latest World Economic Outlook. This is a drop from the projection of economic growth of 2.1 per cent that the IMF had predicted in July. According to the IMF, T&T is expected to experience economic growth of 5.4 per cent next year with growth of 1.6 per cent projected for 2026. Of all the countries in the Latin America and Caribbean region, Guyana is expected to register the highest level of economic growth, the IMF projected. Read more here
REGIONAL
“Boundless” investment opportunities in Guyana
Prime Minister, Brigadier (ret’d) Mark Phillips has assured Guyanese living in New York that there are endless business opportunities available due to the country’s rapidly growing economy. “The opportunities for investment in Guyana are boundless… you can be assured of an ever-improving business environment and a growing economy which will support business expansion,” he said in his address at the Grace Christian Church in Brooklyn, New York, on Tuesday. The Prime Minister was, at the time, speaking at the “Doing Business in Guyana Conference” hosted by the Guyanese American Chamber of Commerce (GACC). Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
Brexit: EU to offer fewer Northern Ireland border checks on British goods
The EU is to set out proposals later to address the row about trade in Northern Ireland.
The UK wants to change the deal struck as part of the Brexit process to allow goods to circulate more freely between Great Britain and Northern Ireland. It says the current rules impose too many barriers to the sale of chilled meats and other products. The EU's proposals, which it calls far-reaching, are expected to involve reduced checks on goods and medicines. Read more here
13th October 2021