Tag Archives: T&T Govt

Reckless endangerment

By Terrence Farrell
Aug 14, 2015 – trinidadexpress.com

FinancialWhat has been the impact on energy sector revenues of the fall in oil and gas prices? Data published by the Central Bank indicates that in the first eight months of the current fiscal year, energy sector revenues have declined by $3.3 billion or 27.5 per cent. Total Government revenues declined by only 1.7 per cent because the proceeds of the tax amnesty and NGC special dividend helped to offset the fall in oil revenues.
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An issue more important than crime

By Raffique Shah
August 8, 2015

Raffique ShahWE columnists are on a roll during “elections season”, but in my 34 years of writing commentaries, I have never enjoyed a long, scandalous, comical campaign as the current one.

It’s so good, or bad (depending on one’s perspective), readers have taken to telephoning or emailing me with suggestions as to what I should address.
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PM’s powder puff question time

By Keith Subero
August 04, 2015 – trinidadexpress.com

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-BissessarIf the Prime Minister, her PR handlers, and state-owned CNMG television intended to produce 90 minutes of absurd theatre then they should claim last Thursday night a “brilliant success”.

The concept of the Theatre of the Absurd is recognised for its seemingly meaningless and repetitious dialogue. Its plots are usually confusing, empty, disjointed, unrealistic, and intended in some way to identify futility in the human condition.
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Blunder after plunder: Kamla discusses Reshmi, LifeSport and Vikings in odd Q&A

By Mr. Live Wire
Friday 31, July 2015 – wired868.com

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar“Have you ever seen a TV show called Vikings?” Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar asked Dr Morgan Job, who was one of her three interviewers last night.

‘Vikings’, in case you don’t know, is an Irish-Canadian television drama that is not short of historical inaccuracies but big on sacking and plundering. It was a simpler time when tendering policy was usually “take what you can carry” and ship captains never asked to see CVs.
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Volney lands job at Health Ministry

By Sue-Ann Wayow
July 22, 2015 – trinidadexpress.com

Herbert VolneyFORMER Minister of Justice Herbert Volney who was fired in September 2012 by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar for his role in the Section 34 fiasco, was hired several months ago by the Ministry of Health as a legal consultant.

Volney was working for a monthly salary of between $25,000 and $30,000.

The Sunshine newspaper first reported on Volney’s new position, and gave his monthly remuneration as $30,000.
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Please, not the Country Club

By Raffique Shah
July 18, 2015

Raffique ShahWHEN you don’t have a sense of history, especially your own, you can end up saying or doing the stupidest things, convinced that you are yourself making history.

Take the UNC’s choice of venue for its last Monday night meeting, the Country Club in Maraval. When I first heard the advertisement for the meeting, I thought there must have been some mistake, that maybe some upper-class support group had organised a soirée or banquet or some such social event to raise funds for the party’s campaign.
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Jack upstages Kamla on Central walkabouts

By Renuka Singh
July 05, 2015 – guardian.co.tt

Jack WarnerA planned walkabout in embattled Enterprise, Chaguanas, by Independent Liberal Party (ILP) leader Jack Warner yesterday upstaged an impromptu walkabout in the same area by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar.

Warner and his ILP supporters walked right past the Postman Grounds where Persad-Bissessar and several top cops met with the residents to deliver football uniforms to the Crown Trace Football Club. The team has a game in Orlando, Florida, and the cost of flights and uniforms is being offset by the Government.
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Mismanaging the economy

By Raffique Shah
July 05, 2015

Raffique ShahIN the pre-election polls conducted thus far, the issues that are of concern to the electorate are crime, unemployment, corruption, health care and rising prices, mostly in that order.

The state of the economy does not feature at all, although it impacts almost all these concerns.

Understandably, crime is the number one issue. Notwithstanding claims by both the Government and the police that there have been significant decreases in “serious crimes”, clearly, most people live in fear of being victims.
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TT scores low on global peace list

By Julien Neaves
July 05, 2015 – newsday.co.tt

ViolenceTRINIDAD and Tobago has received its lowest ranking ever on an international peace list as the country continues to have maximum scores for homicides and violent crimes, and high scores for perceptions of criminality and access to weapons.

Former National Security Minister Gary Griffith, however, says the ranking should be taken with a “pinch of salt” while a local criminologist says it is not telling citizens anything they do not live as a reality.
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