NEWS
Same-day surgeries at Couva Hospital – SWRHA hiring more nurses
The South West Regional Health Authority (SWRHA) has begun hiring more nurses in order to assist with same-day surgeries which have commenced at the Couva Hospital. Responding to questions from TT Registered Nurses Association (TTRNA) president Idi Stuart at the authority's public board meeting at SAPA on Tuesday, SWRHA chairman Anil Gosine said 40 nurses have already been interviewed, and more would be brought on board over the coming months. He said the Ministry of Health has assured it would provide funding for the initial tranche of nursing staff. With SWRHA resources being used at the Couva Hospital, Stuart questioned whether the facility was now under its management. Chairman Gosine said this RHA was only lending assistance. Read more here
BACKPAY BACCHANAL
A fresh dispute has erupted between the Public Services Association (PSA) and Chief Personnel Officer (CPO) Dr Daryl Dindial—despite both sides signing off on a ten per cent wage increase for public servants on Tuesday. At the centre of the dispute is how the estimated $3.8 billion in backpay will be delivered to over 25,000 PSA members. Guardian Media understands that while an advance payment will be issued in cash on or before December 23, the remainder of the backpay may be offered through non-cash options. PSA president Felisha Thomas has publicly accused the CPO of blocking the payments on social media, posting “Chief Personnel Obstructionist.” However, Dindial has pushed back, saying the PSA’s interpretation of the agreement does not reflect the Government’s position and that non-cash options were always part of the discussions - an arrangement which Government also seems in alignment with Dindial said: “The CPO, during these negotiations, has reflected the minister’s directives and has maintained that non-cash items must form part of the discussion.” Read more here
POLITICS
Radar row escalates
While the Opposition Leader is demanding that the Prime Minister disclose who controls data from the newly installed military radar in Tobago, Kamla Persad-Bissessar has fired back, accusing Pennelope Beckles of attempting to expose sensitive national security information to aid criminals linked to the People’s National Movement (PNM). At yesterday’s Opposition media briefing in Port-of-Spain, Beckles said Persad-Bissessar has to come clean regarding the real intention and handling of the controversial radar installed by the United States military at the ANR Robinson International Airport in Crown Point. Beckles said while the PNM is very conscious of how national security matters are to be handled, the population is entitled to know what is happening to the data being collected by the radar. “The people of Trinidad and Tobago are entitled to know where would that information be installed and whether Trinidad and Tobago has any access to that radar. The people of Trinidad and Tobago also need to know where is the data being collected and where is the data being processed,” she said. Read more here
BUSINESS
Brazilian dwarf: the seed to reviving Trinidad and Tobago's coconut industry
Agriculture Minister Ravi Ratiram has launched a bold initiative to rebuild TT’s struggling coconut sector, as he aims to generate US$1 billion in agricultural exports. Ratiram said his ministry will support agro-processors, bottlers, and value-added manufacturers capable of converting coconuts into high-value commercial products, as government moves to rebuild a sector, which he claimed, suffered more than a decade of decline. Ratiram said agriculture’s contribution to gross domestic product (GDP) has fallen by $1.4 billion, declining to $650 million, meaning more than 50 per cent of TT’s agricultural sector has deteriorated in the last decade. He added his ministry intends to reverse that trend and generate US$1 billion in export potential from agricultural products. Read more here
Agostini reports over $300m profit
Agostini Ltd, the parent company of pharmaceutical supplier Aventa Ltd, has reported a profit after tax of $312.3 million for its year ending September 30, 2025. The group yesterday reported strong financial results, after Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar promised to “dismantle what she described as a pharmaceutical monopoly operating in the country”. On Monday, president of the Private Pharmacy Retail Business Association (PPRBA) Glenwayne Suchit said Trinidad and Tobago’s pharmaceutical sector is being controlled by a handful of dominant companies that exert overwhelming influence over pricing, distribution, and access to medication. Read more here
REGIONAL
$50,000 one-off cash grant for all Guyanese living with disabilities
PERSONS LIVING WITH DISABILITIES (PWDs) across Guyana will benefit from a one-off $50,000 cash grant before the end of this month, President Dr. Irfaan Ali has announced. Addressing a special Christmas luncheon in observance of International Day of Persons with Disabilities, on Wednesday, the Head of State disclosed that this payout will see an input of $41.4 billion in direct assistance to more than 27,000 vulnerable citizens. “My government has been committed to the tasks of transforming our vision of an inclusive society into a tangible reality for all citizens, including our brothers and sisters living with disabilities,” the President said. He noted that the country has laid a formidable foundation to protect the rights and the formal dignity of persons living with disabilities. This is reflected in the introduction of new legislation and policies, building a society where inclusion is not an afterthought but a fundamental principle. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
Oil, defence and geopolitics: Why Putin is visiting Modi in Delhi
Russian President Vladimir Putin is starting a two-day visit to India, where he will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and attend an annual summit held by both countries. Delhi and Moscow are expected to sign a number of deals during the visit, which comes months after the US increased pressure on India to stop buying Russian oil. It also comes as US President Donald Trump's administration holds a series of talks with Russia and Ukraine in an attempt to end the war. India and Russia have been close allies for decades and Putin and Modi share a warm relationship. Here's a look at why they both need each other - and what to watch for as they meet. Read more here
4th December 2025