NEWS
Senator Deonarine calls for forex ombudsman
Independent Senator Amrita Deonarine called for the creation of a post of an ombudsman specifically to monitor the allocation of foreign exchange, speaking in the Senate on Tuesday. Moving a motion complaining that micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) have difficulty accessing forex, she urged the Government table in Parliament within six months a policy on how the Government would navigate tightness in the forex market. Read more here
Increase in accidents at PBR/Macoya Intersection
There have been 38 road traffic accidents at the intersection of the Priority Bus Route (PBR) and Macoya since 2017. In 2018 one person lost their life. And three accidents have so far been recorded this year. Shelly-Ann Williams, a proprietor in the area, said she was not at her business place when a car crashed into it two years ago. She is still traumatised. Read more here
POLITICS
PM signals full reopening of country
The Prime Minister has signalled his intention to fully reopen the country and economy, in this the third year of the pandemic. On Tuesday evening, Dr Rowley said he waited to see what would happen after the staging of the Taste of Carnival in February/March. Given the additional mixing, and the passage of more than 14 days, he said he has seen no change in the country’s circumstances for the worse. “I am now being minded to tell the country I see no reason now not to open the country up completely.” Read more here
Vasant, Devant fire back at Kamla
“Heightened desperation.” That’s how former United National Congress minister Vasant Bharath has described party leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s attack on him at the UNC’s Monday Night Forum. Persad-Bissessar had called out Bharath while defending the UNC Women’s Arm in the clash that occurred with a group representing former Caroni workers last Sunday at Divali Nagar. The UNC’s David Lee had questioned if Bharath was “behind this thing” but Bharath had denied any connection with the activity. Read more here
BUSINESS
Data tools launched to help region achieve energy targets
Two data enhancement tools intended to assist the region in meeting its energy targets have been launched by the Caribbean Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (CCREEE). The Caricom Energy Knowledge Hub’s (CEKH) new data portal with a renewable energy and energy efficiency donor activity application and the Caricom Energy Information System (sieCaricom ), developed by the Latin American Energy Organization (OLADE) targets technical officers within energy, climate change and statistics ministries. Read more here
Young: CNG will not be abandoned
Compressed natural gas (CNG) will be used by the wholly State-owned National Gas Company (NGC) as a transition fuel well into the future, the company said in a statement to Express Business. Responding to questions, NGC CNG said in the transport sector, the world is going towards low-carbon emissions vehicles and T&T is set to transition as well. Read more here
REGIONAL
Caribbean has foundation for a modern economy
President, Dr. Irfaan Ali, has said that the Caribbean region is a stable platform with all of the components for a modern and emerging economy. The Head of State said this during his keynote address at the Caribbean Investment Forum (CIF2022), hosted by the Caribbean Export Development Agency, in association with the Caribbean Association of Investment Promotion Agencies (CAIPA), in Dubai. President Ali outlined the region’s economic potential and spoke extensively about opportunities in environmental services, the blue economy, agriculture, infrastructure, tourism and other areas of potential and predicted growth. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
Ukraine war: Ukrainian fightback gains ground west of Kyiv
Ukrainian troops are counter-attacking Russian forces in some areas, with reports that they have gained ground near the capital, Kyiv. Local authorities in the town of Makariv, west of Kyiv, said Ukrainian flags were flying there once more. A UK defence analyst told the BBC the fightback could force Moscow to change its tactics. And a US defence spokesman said Ukrainians were reversing battlefield momentum in some parts of the south. Volunteers and Ukrainian troops in the small southern town of Voznesensk destroyed an armoured convoy and pushed back Russian forces. Read more here
23rd March 2022