TTMA IN THE NEWS
Trinidad and Tobago businesses eyeing Essequibo situation
Two businessmen told Newsday on Tuesday that TT businesses operating in Guyana were closely monitoring the situation with Venezuela's claim to the Essequibo, with one man saying businesses were already making small adjustments to their daily operations. Newsday spoke to TT Manufacturers Association (TTMA) head Roger Roach and Caribbean Chemicals head Joe Pires. On Monday, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro claimed a massive victory in a referendum on Venezuela's stance on Guyana's Essequibo region, amid a reported 10 million turnout of 20 million electorate who variously supported five questions on Venezuela's claim to the Essequibo and a rejection of the remit of the International Court of Justice by margins of 95.4-98.11 per cent.However, several international news media disputed the reported turnout as did several Venezuelans throughout that country whom Newsday interviewed. Read more here
NEWS
Murdered teen’s mother, now jobless, faces funeral expense - HELP ME BURY MY SON
Rima Hosein, mother of Mikiel Hosein, whose headless corpse was found in Chaguanas, says she needs help to pay for her son’s burial. Mikiel, 19, was last seen on October 31, almost nine weeks after his brother Matthew, 17, went missing. Mikiel’s body was found in a bushy area near Woodford Lodge in Chaguanas on November 10. Hosein identified him on Monday at a funeral home in Chaguanas. She said though his body was badly decomposed, she was able to identify him through a tattoo on his arm. Hosein cried as she recounted how Mikiel promised her he would never stop searching for his brother. Read more here
POLITICS
PM witnesses sign off on new Atlantic LNG structure
The agreement for a new unitised commercial structure of Atlantic LNG (ALNG) was officially signed on Tuesday, an announcement by the Office of the Prime Minister said on Tuesday. The statement said the Prime Minister witnessed the signing of the agreement at a commemorative ceremony in London on Tuesday. The agreement, the statement said, will allow the National Gas Company of TT Ltd (NGC) to get a bigger piece of the pie from revenue garnered from ALNG's sale of natural gas on the global market. Read more here
BUSINESS
$500m in trade between Trinidad and Tobago, Chile for 2023, say negotiators
Trinidad and Tobago and Chile have done more than US$500 million worth in trade in 2023, said Sebastian Gomez, director general of bilateral economic relations in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Chile. He spoke at the beginning of the fifth round of trade talks between the two countries on the Partial Scope Trade Agreement at the Ministry of Trade, Nicholas Towers, Port of Spain, on Tuesday. In his opening remarks, Gomez revealed figures showing a consistent upward trajectory in trade between the two countries. He said during the pandemic the trade figures dropped, specifically to US$184 million in 2020 as compared to US$264 million in 2019, but since then there has been a significant turnaround. Read more here
Employees saved Angostura from fire destruction
Employees of Angostura saved the publicly listed company millions of dollars through their proactive action in battling a fire at the company's Laventille facility last Friday. And they also saved the Christmas and Carnival celebrations of many people, according to Angostura chairman, Terrence Bharath, at the opening of a new outlet of Angostura's retailer, Solera, at Albion Plaza, Victoria Avenue on Monday evening. Bharath revealed that while the fire had started in the botanical area where Angostura Bitters is produced, he was faced with the choice of discarding a significant amount of wine in a tanker to prevent the fire from igniting further and completely destroying the House of Angostura building. Read more here
REGIONAL
Guyana, Venezuela border controversy cannot be settled by referendum
The United States has affirmed that the border controversy between Venezuela and Guyana cannot be settled through a popular vote, following Venezuela’s recent contentious referendum on Guyana’s Essequibo region. During a press briefing on Monday, Matthew Miller, the spokesperson for the US Department of State, reiterated the United States’ commitment to a peaceful resolution of the territorial controversy between the two South American nations. “I will say that we support a peaceful resolution of the border dispute [controversy] between Venezuela and Guyana. The 1899 award determined the land boundary between Venezuela and Guyana should be respected unless or until the parties come to a new agreement or a competent legal body decides otherwise,” Miller said at the briefing. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
Zelensky abruptly cancels US Senate briefing amid funding row
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called off a high-profile briefing with US lawmakers amid an impasse over future US funding for the country. Virtual appearances in the Senate and House had been scheduled for Tuesday, but were cancelled at the last moment. It came after a top Ukrainian official warned they are in danger of losing the war against Russia if more US military aid is not approved. Senate leader Chuck Schumer did not explain why Mr Zelensky was a no-show. The chamber's top Democrat said the Ukrainian president was occupied with a "last-minute" matter, without providing further detail. The Ukrainian leader was due to appear by video at a classified briefing of senators by top US officials. The meeting proceeded but discussions about the aid package soon descended into chaos. Read more here
6th December 2023