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Guest Editorial

WHO IS PROTECTING T&T?

Trinidad and Tobago is one of just a few countries in which the crime rate did not dip during the Covid-19 pandemic.

This is in spite of a lengthy State of Emergency and patrolled night-time curfew.

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said that “reported robbery, theft, and burglary declined … by more than 50 percent in most countries” and homicides fell by “25 percent or more in some countries.”

Uncategorized

GARY GRIFFITH DIVES BACK INTO POLITICS

HIS three-year stint as Police Commissioner now behind him, the ambitious Gary Griffith is diving back into politics.

Griffith would soon move to resurrect a political organisation similar to the short-lived Third Force Movement (TFM) of 2015.

The plan is to build momentum as a third major political party and ultimately seek a pre-election alliance with United National Congress (UNC).

Politics

INTERVIEWER APPOINTED DEPUTY CEO OF NAMDEVCO?

DID Rayber Bowen sit on the interviewing panel for Deputy Chief Executive Officer of NAMDEVCO before being handed the job?

Knowledgeable people want Minister of Agriculture Clarence Rambharat to advise the country on the back story leading to Bowen’s appointment.

They also want clarity from Chairman of the Board Wayne Inniss and CEO Nirmala Debysingh.

Consumer Affairs

FOOD PRICES STILL GOING UP

WARNING: The cost of food would continue to rise.

Also, the shortage of imported Christmas goodies – toys, decorations, furnishings etc. – is real.

That is because international supply chain issues are getting worse, and that are affecting timely delivery and costs of the products.

Containers of seasonal items are stuck at ports in the US and elsewhere or delayed at mid-ocean.

Politics

TOP COP AND TRUTH ABOUT THE ABORTED BUDGET DEBATE

The furious social media sparring after the curtailed budget debate in the House of Representatives shows – once again – what is wrong with the national discourse.

And it again reveals the fancy political foot-works of the Rowley administration in dodging public scrutiny and implementing its agenda.

Investigation

T&T AMONG 9 TAX HAVENS IN THE WORLD!

TRINIDAD and Tobago is one of only nine countries in the world blacklisted as tax havens.

Even fellow Caricom islands Dominica and Anguilla have been removed from the European Union’s (EU) list of countries associated with tax avoidance.

This disclosure comes amid the revelation of Pandora Papers, 11.9 million files from companies hired by wealthy politicians and businessmen from around the world to hide their assets in offshore structures.

Economy

IMBERT’S BUDGET OF PIGTAIL, BUT NO DIVERSIFICATION

FINANCE Minister Colm Imbert clearly saw his 220-minute budget address as a reason to rejoice.

But there were no glad tidings in Imbert’s 2021-2020 financial package for those who expected a reset of the national economy.

For yet another year, the Finance Minister did not present proposals for weaning the economy away from the faltering oil and gas sector.

Economy

WHAT ABOUT FOREX SHORTAGE?

FINANCE Minister Colm Imbert made no mention of the crippling foreign exchange shortage in his Budget address, even as importers are paying up to 30 per cent more on the black market.

The bootleg sale of foreign exchange is a crucial factor in the higher cost of imported consumer items.

The government has not dealt with the shortage and allegations of a lack of equity in the disbursement of the limited supply.

Consumer Affairs

WHY YOU WOULD STILL PAY MORE FOR FOOD

YOU would still have to dig deep into your pockets even with the removal of Value Added Tax (VAT) on some selected foodstuff.

That is because the 12.5 per cent VAT exemption would not offset the recent high food costs caused by international shipping and related issues.

The Central Bank’s latest report stated that food inflation climbed by 4.9 per cent over the past six months.

Economy

MIA MOTTLEY MOVES IN AS IMBERT IGNORES GUYANA

WHILE Finance Minister Colm Imbert was talking about the depressed state of the national economy, two Caricom leaders were actively collaborating on investments.

Barbados’ Prime Minister Mia Mottley hosted Guyana’s President Dr. Irfaan Ali to discuss “an expanded programme of cooperation” aimed at “cutting through bureaucracy to achieve their objectives within the shortest possible time…”