TTMA IN THE NEWS
Focus on digital transformation
Coming out of the Covid- 19 pandemic and facing geopolitical tensions, the business groups want next Monday's budget presentation to place emphasis on economic recovery, stability and growth, along with implementing a national unique identifier and le gal digital identity. The Express Business got the views from various chambers and associations on their recommen- dations for the 2022/2023 fiscal year. Read more here
NEWS
Ministries, corporations prepare for Tropical Wave
With a developing tropical wave heading towards T&T and the Windward Islands, Municipal Corporations began prepping for floods, landslips and other hazards. At 2 pm yesterday, the Meteorological Service issued a Yellow Level Adverse Weather Alert, beginning at 5 am today and ending at 8 pm Thursday. It forecast showers and isolated thunderstorms from this morning over oceanic waters and across T&T. It comes as the active tropical wave became better organised yesterday morning, with a 60 per cent chance of a Tropical depression formation over 48 hours and an 80 per cent chance through five days. The United States National Hurricane Centre (NHC) said the wave was a few hundred miles east of the Windward Islands at 2 pm. The NHC expects a tropical depression within the next few days as the system moves westward to west-northwestward at 15 to 20 mph across the eastern and central Caribbean Sea. Read more here
POLITICS
THA Minority Leader sorry for Duke nomination...
THA Minority Leader Kelvon Morris has apologised for nominating political leader of the Progressive Democratic Patriots (PDP) Watson Duke to the position of Deputy Chief Secretary. In a special sitting on Monday at the Shaw Park Cultural Complex to elect a depty following Duke’s resignation on September 15, presiding officer Abby Taylor declared the seat vacant after she informed the House of the resignation. THA Chief Secretary Farley Augustine rose to his feet and nominated Health Secretary Dr Faith BYisrael, which was seconded by Assistant Secretary in the Tourism division. As Taylor called for more nominees, Morris rose, nominating Duke, much to the surprise of everyone gathered. However, it could not be seconded by Councillor Petal Daniel-Benoit as she is not an elected member of the House. Read more here
Couva South MP accuses President of ‘double standard’ after UK interview
United National Congress MP Rudy Indarsingh has criticised President Paula-Mae Weekes for granting an interview to the UK’s Sky News on the late Queen Elizabeth II’s passing while Weekes “refused to utter a word to local media for weeks” after the 2021 Merit List for Police Commissioner was removed under her watch. In a statement yesterday, Indarsingh said the President’s enthusiasm to attend the late Queen’s funeral and the interview to the British media showed her double standard on various counts. “While Paula-Mae Weekes flies abroad, she should pay particular attention to the crisis in her own country, since we never see nor hear from her at those critical times, if at all. Read more here
BUSINESS
Chocolatiers, chefs, artisans to showcase offerings at Green Market Saturday
Local chocolatiers, chefs and artisans will showcase their offerings at the Green Market in Santa Cruz during the annual chocolate festival this Saturday, which will highlight T&T’s Trinitario cacao. Michael Ballmann, business development manager of the T&T Fine Cocoa Company (TTFCC) said chocolatiers and chefs consider Trinitario the “most superior variety of cacao” for its fine flavour notes. Internationally, he added, it is often used as a blend with other varieties of cacao which are more abundant and more economical to purchase, to intensify the chocolatey notes of a dessert or pastry. Read more here
Colm’s best year ever
After six years of cutting and contriving, Finance Minister Colm Imbert can look back at 2022 as a year that he did not have to worry about the Government’s overdraft or whether the country’s debt was getting out of hand. For the first year since he became Minister of Finance in September 2015, Imbert has more money than he expected. The Russia/Ukraine war led to soaring energy prices which gave him an unbudgeted and unexpected $8 billion in revenue. Read more here
REGIONAL
Build inclusive, sustainable food systems
President, Dr. Irfaan Ali, has advised Latin American and Caribbean leaders to build inclusive and sustainable food systems to effectively tackle the issue of food security. In a firm and passionate address during the Development Bank of Latin America (CAF)’s dialogue on Food Security in Latin America and the Caribbean, Dr. Ali said Guyana has taken major steps to enhance the country’s food production capacity and build an inclusive agricultural framework to deal with food security. Key initiatives include the opening up of more farm lands, introduction of new crops, construction of shade houses, the granting of concessions to farmers and the expansion of the fishing industry with the inclusion of marine cage technology for instance, among many other things. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
Putin warning: What does Russian military call-up mean for Ukraine?
Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered a partial mobilisation to reinforce his troops in Ukraine after major combat setbacks this month. In an address to the nation, he said Russia was directly threatened with "disintegration" by the Western powers backing the Kyiv government. He also warned Nato that nuclear-armed Russia could use any weapons in its armoury against what he called Western "nuclear blackmail". His message came a day after Russian-installed leaders in four regions of eastern and southern Ukraine announced plans for so-called referendums - starting this week - on joining Russia. Crimea was annexed by Russia after just such a move in 2014. Read more here
21st September 2022