NEWS
Digicel Foundation, Shell fund Barataria agri-initiative
The Digicel Foundation and Shell TT have funded the expansion of the Barataria Community Council’s community agri-initiative with the launch of a drip-to-waste hydroponics system. The installation of the system was funded through the Extraordinary Projects Impacting Communities (EPIC) grant programme. The Barataria Community Council engaged the Best Barataria Caretakers 4H Club, the Barataria RC Primary School and Barataria South Secondary School as a part of the initiative. The new system was launched on January 31 at the Barataria Empowerment Expo, which was held in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries and the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). Read more here
Tobago coasts in danger after sunken boat causes oil spill
Officials are racing against time to prevent a mix of oil and fuel from reaching the coasts of Tobago, following the capsizing of an unidentified vessel in waters off the island yesterday. In an emergency media conference, Tobago House of Assembly Chief Secretary Farley Augustine explained that oil had been spotted hundreds of metres away from the overturned vessel, approximately 200 metres south of Cove at Canoe Bay. Tobago Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) CEO Allan Stewart said the oil had moved from Canoe Bay, heading northwest through Little Rockley Bay near Lambeau and into Rockley Bay, Scarborough, spanning just over eight kilometres. Clean-up efforts began yesterday afternoon through collaboration with TEMA, the Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries, which is the custodian of the National Oil Spill Contingency Plan and leads the Incident Command Team in the event of a major spill, and Kaizen Environmental Services, a company that specialises in oil spills. Read more here
POLITICS
Cox assures UN: T&T Govt working to eliminate poverty
Minister of Social Development and Family Services Donna Cox says efforts to eradicate poverty and reduce inequality in T&T are continuing. She added that the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic uncovered widening gaps among social classes. Cox, who was speaking at the United Nation’s session of the Commission for Social Development at the UN Headquarters in New York yesterday, said among the several measures being taken are the establishment of a national register of vulnerable persons and a national poverty reduction strategy. “The Government of Trinidad and Tobago has been working in tandem with civil society organisations and other state partners to collaborate on a number of poverty alleviation initiatives within the social protection system,” she said. “Additionally, we have employed robust measurement techniques to clinically assess the impact of the country’s social programme interventions on multidimensional poverty and vulnerability reduction.” Read more here
BUSINESS
Postal services: Courier for govts' digital transformation
Postal services globally, TT Post included, are the driving forces behind society’s leap into the digital era, transforming government services and contributing significantly to socio-economic development. The world’s postal service can become the cornerstone for the digital future, says Franklin Sluis, chairman of the supervisory board for premium business support at TTPost. Sluis spoke alongside TTPost CEO George Alexis on a panel last week during Canto Connect celebrations and 40th annual general meeting at Hyatt Regency, Port of Spain, highlighting TTPost’s alignment with the government’s mandate for digital transformation, and the role of postal services on a global scale. “In the digital transformation age, the postal network growth has transcended its traditional boundaries,” Sluis said, “emerging as a crucial conduit for government services and socio-economic growth. Read more here
Construction industry calls for cement competition
The leaders of two of the groups representing local builders and contractors are calling on the Government to introduce competition into the domestic cement market to stabilise the price of the commodity. The call for action by the Government follows the announcement by Trinidad Cement Ltd (TCL) on Monday that its prices will increase on February 19. Guardian Media calculated that the cement price increases would be between 6.63 per cent and 7.69 per cent based on TCL’s initial communication to hardware stores and contractors. Fazir Khan, the president of the Joint Consultative Council for the Construction Industry (JCC), told the Business Guardian on Tuesday: “Competition will always drive prices down and the Government needs to consider this when they revisit the duty being imposed on imported materials.” Read more here
REGIONAL
Guyana, India strengthen ties
In order to strengthen bilateral relations, the Prime Minister of Guyana, Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips, received a warm welcome from President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan in Delhi on Wednesday. The meeting underscored the deepening partnership between the two nations, with a primary focus on energy, cybersecurity, and disaster management. President Murmu took to her X account (formerly known as Twitter) to commend Guyana’s leadership and efforts in climate change, green energy, and sustainable development. Her praise highlights the global recognition of Guyana’s initiatives in these critical areas. Adding to the week’s engagements, Prime Minister Phillips also met with the External Affairs Minister of India, Dr. S Jaishankar on Wednesday. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
Pakistan elections 2024: Mobile internet cut as controversial polls held
Pakistan has suspended mobile calls and data services as millions head to the polls to vote in a new government. An interior ministry spokesman said the measure was warranted, citing recent incidents of terror in the country. The election comes almost two years since the previous prime minister, cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan, was ousted in a no-confidence vote. Three-time PM Nawaz Sharif is now on the ballot in what many analysts say is Pakistan's least credible election yet. Khan was jailed on corruption charges last year and is barred from standing. Both calls and data services have been suspended, though wifi networks still appear to be working. Read more here
8th February 2024