Tag Archives: T&T Govt

Finance, General T&T, Opposition Party, PNM, Politics, Recession, UNC

The Pathology of the Firing of Jwala

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By Stephen Kangal
December 25, 2015

Stephen KangalThe pathological obsession of the PNM with pre-maturely removing Jwala as Governor of the CBTT has caused them to act in a most irresponsible, reckless, arbitrary and vulgar manner at this the season of goodwill and peace on the earth of Trinbago. T&T is plunged into an air of sadness and deep cataclysmic foreboding. A lamb has been led into the slaughter again even when birth is being celebrated universally.
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Finance, General T&T, Media, PNM, Politics

Govt axes Rambarran

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By Renuka Singh
December 24, 2015 – guardian.co.tt

Jwala RambarranCentral Bank Governor Jwala Rambarran has been fired. The T&T Guardian confirmed that Rambarran was dismissed by the Minister of Finance, Colm Imbert yesterday.

Word of this unprecedented dismissal came late last night, but only one day after Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley said that a Government “ought to have confidence” in any Central Bank Governor. That comment and his refusal to give any ground to Rambarran made clear that he did not have any confidence in the Governor.
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Finance, General T&T, PNM, Politics, Recession

Whey the money really gone

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By Raffique Shah
December 14, 2015

Raffique ShahCentral Bank governor Jwala Rambarran was the unlikeliest man to kick the hornets’ nest, but that he did when he named the firms that used the most foreign exchange (forex) over the past three years.

Amidst a cacophony of complaints from businesses and individuals about being denied adequate sums of forex for legitimate uses, Rambarran went on the offensive by identifying the 18 biggest users.
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General T&T, Parliament, PNM, Politics, Recession, UNC

Debt — legacy to our grands

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By Ian Lambie
December 16, 2015 – newsday.co.tt

DebtWE SHOULD all be ashamed, whether we be parliamentarian or proletariat who elected them to Parliament and permitted them to do their own thing for five years, that our legacy to our grandchildren and to our great-grandchildren will be: debt.

Since 2009 and up to 2015, our country has been spending more than it earned by approving deficit Budgets, with one exception — in 2010.
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Finance, General T&T

Ecology of Central Bank’s Governor Disclosures

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By Stephen Kangal
December 12, 2015
Updated: December 13, 2015

Stephen KangalThe ratio dicendi identified by Governor Jwala Rambaran for the historic and unprecedented disclosures of the highest users of the scarce, rapidly dwindling and vital stock of FOREX over the past three years may be summarized as high and compelling public interest, potential threat to the integrity of the sensitive and fragile current financial system and the CBTT’s own core remit as clearly set out in statutes and objects.
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Finance, General T&T, Oil and Gas, People's Partnership, PNM, Politics, Recession

Recession was predictable

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By Raffique Shah
December 07, 2015

Raffique ShahThis recession did not creep up on us like the proverbial thief in the night.

It was long in the making. In fact, from as far back as the global financial crisis of 2008-2009, when Clico collapsed and the price of oil plunged from a brief high of US $140 a barrel to $30, informed, patriotic citizens were warning governments to go easy on the wild spending, to set aside more savings in the Heritage and Stabilisation Fund, to wean the population off dependency on subsidies, and most of all to diversify the economy from its over-reliance on oil, gas and petrochemicals.
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Finance, General T&T, Media, Parliament, People's Partnership, PNM, Politics, UNC

Imbert: PP raided NGC of $14b cash

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…Used Green and Unemployment Funds as collateral

By Richard Lord
December 05, 2015 – guardian.co.tt

Colm ImbertFinance Minister Colm Imbert says the former PP government raided the National Gas Company (NGC) of almost $14 billion in cash. He made the claim while presenting three motions for debate in the House of Representatives yesterday.

The motions seek to increase the ceiling for government borrowing by $50 billion under the Development Loans Act, External Loans Act and the Guarantee of Loans (Companies) Act.
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Finance, General T&T, PNM, Politics

Sending the wrong signals

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By Raffique Shah
November 30, 2015

Raffique ShahIf “Santa Colm” assures the populace that their Christmas will be bright, not blue, then we have no reason to doubt the man.

After all, Acting Prime Minister Colm Imbert is the substantive Minister of Finance, in which capacity he has access to data and information pertaining to the state of the economy, especially Government’s revenues and expenditures, that you and I will not see.
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Crime in T&T, Media, PNM, Politics

NO MORE UPSCALE HDC HOMES

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By JANELLE DE SOUZA
November 22 2015 – newsday.co.tt

PP WILL BE BACKThe Housing Development Corporation (HDC) will no longer build high-end housing units.

Instead, any future construction would be of more affordable units that meet the needs of the majority of applicants.

Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley made the statement at the new Chaconia Crescent development, Four Roads, Diego Martin, yesterday during his feature address at the distribution ceremony of 120 keys for units at Chaconia Crescent as well as for Greenvale Park in La Horquetta.
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General T&T, People's Partnership, UNC

Boors will be boors

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By Raffique Shah
November 16, 2015

Raffique ShahI address two issues of public importance today. First is the emerging controversy over this country’s attendance at the Commonwealth Heads of Government (CHOGM) meeting to be held in Malta next week. And second, I join the chorus of frustrated voices crying out for something to be done to curb the dangerous, deafening din of explosives and fireworks that have become intrinsic to festivals like Divali.
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