Messages

61

General Discussion / Re: PM, Ramadhar no show at signing of election code

« on: September 06, 2014, 07:47:36 AM »

Kamla, Prakash ‘did not blank code signing’
By \\\\\Joel Julien joel.julien@trinidadexpress.com
Story Created: Sep 5, 2014 at 10:01 PM ECT
Story Updated: Sep 5, 2014 at 10:01 PM ECT
 
PRIME Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar and Legal Affairs Minister Prakash Ramadhar did not blank the signing of the Code of Ethical Political Conduct, a release from the Office of the Prime Minister stated yesterday.

Persad-Bissessar and Ramadhar, who are the political leaders of the United National Congress (UNC) and the Congress of the People (COP) respectively, were both absent from the signing ceremony which took place on Thursday because of their Cabinet responsibilities, the release stated.

The Code is a nine-page document which was produced by a committee of civil society representatives chaired by Roman Catholic Archbishop Joseph Harris.

It is expected to achieve four objectives: foster democracy, promote respect of human rights, encourage participation in the electoral process and promote an election process free from violence.

The signing of the Code took place at the residence and office of Harris located at Queen’s Park West in Port of Spain at 4 p.m. on Thursday.

Five political parties were represented at the event; the People’s National Movement (PNM), the Independent Liberal Party (ILP), the Movement for Social Justice (MSJ), the UNC and the COP.

Dr Keith Rowley, Lyndira Oudit and David Abdulah, the political leaders of the PNM, ILP and MSJ respectively were present at the signing ceremony.

Oudit slammed the absence of Persad-Bissessar and Ramadhar from the ceremony.

The Express published an article highlighting this.

The Office of the Prime Minister yesterday issued a release to explain Persad-Bissessar’s absence.

“As the media was well aware, the weekly sitting of the Cabinet was held on the 18th floor of the San Fernando Teaching Hospital, San Fernando on Thursday September 4, 2014,” it stated.

Persad-Bissessar chaired that meeting.

The Cabinet meeting “concluded around 4 p.m. the same appointed time of the signing of the Code of Ethics at Archbishop’s House, Port of Spain”, the release stated.

The post-Cabinet press briefing was held afterwards.

“It was therefore virtually impossible for the Honourable Prime Minister to be in two places at the same time,” the release stated.

“The Honourable Prakash Ramadhar, Minister of Legal Affairs and political leader of the Congress of the People was at the same Cabinet meeting and therefore unable to be at the signing,” it stated.

Minister of Public Administration Carolyn Seepersad-Bachan represented the COP at the signing ceremony in her position as party chairman.

The UNC was represented by its acting chairman Khadijah Ameen.

“The United National Congress (UNC) of which Mrs Persad-Bissessar is the political leader was duly represented by its acting chairman Khadijah Ameen,” the release

62

General Discussion / PM, Ramadhar no show at signing of election code

« on: September 06, 2014, 07:41:59 AM »

PM, Ramadhar no show at signing of election code
 

 
Renuka Singh
Published:
Friday, September 5, 2014

Archbishop Joseph Harris is greeted by founder of ILP Jack Warner and chairman of COP Carolyn Seepersad-Bachan after the signing of a code of conduct of political parties yesterday at the archbishop’s residence, Queen's Park West, Port-of-Spain. Looking on, from left, are co-ordinator of the Network of NGOs of T&T for the Advancement of Women Hazel Brown, CWU president Joseph Remy, acting chairman of the UNC Kadisha Ameen, Anglican Archbishop Claude Berkley, PNM leader Dr Keith Rowley, deputy chairman of COP Nicole Dyer Griffith and PNM chairman Franklin Khan. PHOTO: ABRAHAM DIAZ
Leader of the Movement for Social Justice (MSJ) David Abdulah yesterday challenged his political colleagues to verbally agree to ratify party financing in order to stop political favours to financial supporters. Abdulah’s call came after yesterday’s signing of a Code of Ethical Political Conduct by all the major political parties and civil groups. The code is the result of a union of church, state and civil groups and is expected to be used as guidelines for politicians. “We came up with a voluntary agreement before the 2015 election to address party financing, if not in general at least in campaign financing, voluntarily. It can become law sometime thereafter. It is a challenge that I am throwing out,” he said.

The charter, officiated by Archbishop Joseph Harris and co-chaired by T&T Transparency Institute head, Deryck Murray, was signed by representatives of all the major political parties at the residence of the Archbishop, Queen’s Park West yesterday. PNM leader Dr Keith Rowley, who has just returned from London, attended and signed the charter on behalf of his party as did Independent Liberal Party (ILP) leader Lyndira Oudit. Oudit, during her short contribution, criticised the absence of the leaders of the Government’s major coalition partners, the United National Congress (UNC) and the Congress of the People (COP).

Though both parties were represented, Oudit said while Rowley and Abdulah attended the important meeting, UNC leader Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar and COP leader Prakash Ramadhar were noticeably absent. “What this signifies is that we are taking ownership of the governance procedure and the process of governance. We are no longer leaving it in the hands of few electives every five years,” Oudit said. She described the code as “significant.” She added: “I find it very instructive that two political leaders, while the representatives are here, I think it is instructive that at this time the significance of the political leader signing at this time would have signaled a synchronisation of genuine effort going forward.”

The five-part charter outlines a prohibited code of conduct that includes:
• No use of State resources for political campaigning.
• Not offering any inducement or reward to anyone joining a political party.
• Not use language to provoke violence or make false or defamatory allegations.

Section Three refers to the media and all parties agreed to refrain from using State advertising to induce media support and also to ensure that all parties participated in at least two live, televised public debates. Each of the represented parties will nominate one member which will form a council. Those nominees are expected to be named by September 26 when Archbishop Harris returns to T&T. The council is expected to oversee and enforce the code.

News

63

General Discussion / Re: Constitution Amendment Bill 2014 represents erosion of democracy in T&T

« on: September 05, 2014, 11:47:02 PM »

Could the email gate be  the reason why the rush to get this bill past so quickly  ?

64

General Discussion / Re: Blind Welfare workers ‘hijack’ CEO’s SUV

« on: September 04, 2014, 08:42:37 PM »

Yes bro i saw it they got their check today , no sell out eat ahfood .

65

General Discussion / Blind Welfare workers ‘hijack’ CEO’s SUV

« on: September 03, 2014, 08:09:28 PM »

Wednesday, September 03, 2014
Trinidad & Tobago Guardian Online

 


Blind Welfare workers ‘hijack’ CEO’s SUV
 

 
Rhondor Dowlat
Published:
Wednesday, September 3, 2014

T&T Blind Welfare Association member Darryl Joseph sits on the SUV used by CEO Kenneth Surat as he and other workers continued their protest yesterday over unpaid wages at the association’s Duke Street, Port-of-Spain, headquarters. PHOTO: RISHI RAGOONATH

Police were called to the T&T Blind Welfare Association’s Port-of-Spain headquarters yesterday, after protesting workers refused to allow chief executive access to his Xtrail SUV. More than a dozen blind workers held the vehicle to ransom on the compound in protest of chief executive officer Kenneth Surat’s failure to organise their two forthnightly salaries, which had been due since August 8.

The SUV belongs to the association but is being used by Surat. As such, he could not access it when he was ready to leave. The salaries range from $1,250 to $1,700 a worker and there are more than 55 workers at the TTBWA. The workers, who have been camping out at the building since Thursday, reiterated that they were taking the sit-in action because they had no money to go to their respective homes, take care of their families or even buy water to drink.

Members of the All Trinidad Sugar and General Workers Trade Union, which represents them, were present overseeing the protest. Speaking with reporters, ATSGWTU president general Nirvan Maharaj said he asked Surat for leniency to the workers and to understand their plight. Instead, Maharaj said Surat went to the Central Police Station shortly after 5 pm and made a report against the workers.

The police arrived at the compound shortly afterwards but took no action. Instead, they stood close by and looked on as the blind workers sang as they formed a human barricade around the vehicle. Branch security representative Joseph Vautor-La Placeliere (Lingo), a former national extempo champion, vowed to go down fighting for the rights of his co-workers and himself.


The blind peolpe have more belly that Trini who can see.

66

General Discussion / Re: Cocaine in Trinidad Orange & Grapefruit Juice Cans

« on: August 31, 2014, 09:23:57 AM »

Cops probe $m party financier
Six individuals are being inves­tigated in relation to the US$100 million cocaine bust in the United States in December where the drug was hidden in juice cans which carried local labels. One of the people being probed is said to be a financier of a poli­

By DENYSE RENNE denyse.renne@trinidadexpress.com
Story Created: Aug 31, 2014 at 1:23 AM ECT
Story Updated: Aug 31, 2014 at 1:23 AM ECT
Port of Spain

Six individuals are being inves­tigated in relation to the US$100 million cocaine bust in the United States in December where the drug was hidden in juice cans which carried local labels.
One of the people being probed is said to be a financier of a poli­ti­cal party and may be the local master­mind behind the cocaine shipment, which was smuggled into Norfolk, Virginia, in tins labelled Trinidad Orange Juice, international law enforcement sources told the Sunday Express.

Sources said the man operates a multimillion-dollar business in Tri­nidad and also resides in the country.
So far, sources say, the Drug Enforce­­­ment Administration (DEA) in the United States is still investigating the matter and officers are in the pro­cess of flying to other countries, seeking more information.

Earlier this year, two DEA agents arrived in the country, seeking the assistance of Trinidad and Tobago law enforcement.
Upon their arrival, they met with two of their colleagues who are based here.

Following a meeting with local law officers, the agents are said to have departed with shipping manifests and other documents.
Speaking with the Sunday Express on Thursday after­noon, Assis­tant Commis­sion­er
of Police Glenn Hack­-

ett said: “Local law enforcement are wor­k­-
ing alongside their foreign counter­parts.”
Probed further as to who are the sus­pects, Hackett only said the matter is still the sub­ject of an inves­tiga­tion.
Also contacted was National Secu­rity Minister Gary Griffith, who said regardless of who “the person is, there
will be a price to pay. I know the matter
with the cocaine bust; they (police) are working hand in hand with the DEA.
“Many people think this is a cold case, but it isn’t. Just by the fact that the DEA are heavily involved in this case means it will not be closed overnight,” Griffith said.

He said he has done research, and cases like this take about a year or more to be thoroughly investigated.
“What they (DEA) do is not what we see here, where you grab one person and the rest get away. No... from the driver, to the shipper to the recei­ver are caught. From captain to cook will be taken down. They (DEA) look at the paper trail of all their financiers and proceed from there,” he said.


On January 26, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar told the media:
“The matter is un­der investigation and very sensitive and it would be inappropriate to comment.”
The Prime Minister noted two port scanners, purchased through grant funding at a cost of $25 million each, were in the country. The scanners arrived in T&T on December 26, 2013, while two others arrived in June this year.
At a news briefing in December 2013, Virginia police officers said the drugs carried an estimated value of US$100 million.
The cocaine was found concealed in fruit juice cans originating in T&T by United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers in Virginia.

Based on information received, the shipment was smuggled in Trini­dad Orange Juice cans, which are manufactured by Co-operative Citrus Growers Association.
The cans were discovered in a shipping container which was des­tined for New York, USA. The cocaine was hidden in over 700 cans which were among thousands of cans, many of which contained juice.

SM Jaleel: Labels fake

In a release earlier this year on its website, local soft-drink manufacturer SM Jaleel said the company, which produces the popular juice drink, undertook an internal examination and the results showed the labels used on the Trinidad Juices cans found at the Port of Norfolk are “not real. They are fake”.

The company explained: “The colour of the text disclosing the net fluid ounces (at the bottom front) on the original and authentic labels are light green whereas the colour of that text on the product which has been seized is dark green.”
“It has become common know­ledge that the criminals involved in drug trafficking have been using mechanisms to transport cocaine, inclusive of items such as fruit, car parts, lumber, hardware and various others. It now appears that someone may be trying to utilise our company’s product in this regard,” the company said.

67

General Discussion / Re: 54 PERCENT BACK RUNOFF...Mori Caribbean poll

« on: August 30, 2014, 07:15:53 AM »

I am wondering was this the reason for buying all the body bags ?

68

General Discussion / Patrick Manning Thread

« on: August 23, 2014, 10:58:42 AM »

Manning: Nobody called me about
 ORTT

 
Gross disrespect
Radica Sookraj
Published:
Saturday, August 23, 2014

Former Prime Minister Patrick Manning, left, will not take the nation’s highest award—the Order of the Republic of T&T as nominated by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar.
Former prime minister Patrick Manning will not take the nation’s highest award—the Order of the Republic of T&T. Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar had announced on Thursday that she recommended to President Anthony Carmona that Manning and his predecessor, Basdeo Panday, be awarded the ORTT, which would have been bestowed on him during the national awards ceremony on Independence Day (August 31).

But in a statement yesterday, Manning, who has served T&T for 43 years within the People’s National Movement hierarchy, said apart from the fact that he was not consulted, on principle he could not accept it as the sitting MP for San Fernando East. Furthermore, he said he could not accept such an award from Persad-Bissessar unless the award was coming with a retraction of the venomous attacks against his character from her, which, he said, continue to this day.

“I wish to respectfully decline the publicly announced nomination by the Honourable Prime Minister to have me receive The Order of the Republic of T&T, this nation’s highest award. The primary reason is rooted firmly in my principled stance to not accept any T&T awards while serving as an MP,” Manning said in the release.

Focussing on Persad-Bissessar’s attacks on him while she was in Opposition and now as PM, he said, “Kamla Persad-Bissessar was able to win government on May 24, 2010, through a series of sustained and vicious attacks on my character that was led personally by her. These attacks continue. Through this nomination announcement is the Prime Minister retracting those venomous accusations and charges against me?”

He said he was only made aware of his nomination through Facebook and a call from a newspaper to his son for a comment. “I was neither consulted, nor advised prior to this announcement. I consider this approach a gross discourtesy.

“Under PNM administrations, a committee considers these distinguished national awards, with the Chief Justice as chairman and subject to the imprimatur of the Prime Minister. Due process for these awards includes informing the potential recipients through the Office of the Prime Minister in a confidential manner.” Nevertheless, he said he would have declined anyway. “Had I been consulted beforehand, I would have been able to privately decline.

“The need for a public distancing is unfortunate but necessary in the light of the many and increasingly debauched approaches to these matters used by this UNC administration in its four years in office.” Manning said although he was turning down the award, he held T&T’s institutions, ceremonies and awards in the highest esteem. “I pray for the day when the Hon Kamla Persad-Bissessar and the PP Government demit office and we can once again take our pride in our liberty.”

Efforts to contact Panday for comment failed as he is currently out of the country. He did not respond to e-mails or text messages.

69

General Discussion / Re: Kamla wants sweeping constitutional changes.

« on: August 21, 2014, 07:19:11 PM »

Independent Senator Helen Drayton has warned the Government that the Miscellaneous Provisions Bill (No.
 2),
 2014 is a section 34 waiting to occur. Senator Drayton made the comment while contributing to the Bill’s debate on Tuesday. - See more at: http://news.power102fm.com/?p=23476#sthash.RRPZ8OCd.dpuf

70

General Discussion / Re: Kamla wants sweeping constitutional changes.

« on: August 18, 2014, 09:02:46 PM »

Government to begin Constitution Amendment Bill education drive tonight
by NEWSPOWER on AUGUST 18, 2014 · LEAVE A COMMENT

Prime Minister, Kamla lier Persad Bissessar
Prime Minister, Kamla lier Persad Bissessar
The People’s Partnership Government says it will not back down on the Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2014. The Kamla Persad-Bissessar led government has indicated that

the leader herself will hit the ground, beginning today in an effort to educate the country’s people and clear the fears and doubts as it relates to the run-off

provision of the Bill.

Tonight will also see a public meeting being held by Persad Bissessar’s UNC party in Gasparillo, The Attorney General, Anand Ramlogan along with Housing Minister,

Roodal Moonilal have assured that the government will show the people how the Bill seeks to strengthen to the democracy.

The Law Association of Trinidad and Tobago, led by Seenath Jairam SC, on Saturday called for the debate in the Senate to be stopped and for the people to be consulted

on its provisions.

The Bill was laid in the Parliament on August 4 by the Prime Minister.

It proposes fixed terms for a prime minister, the right of recall of an MP and the most controversial aspect—a run-off vote—where a second poll will be held in a

constituency between the two top parties, in the event candidates do not obtain more than 50 per cent of the vote.

- See more at: http://news.power102fm.com/?p=23367#sthash.qNfgH8ql.dpuf

71

Football / Re: Heard coops pass away today.

« on: August 16, 2014, 02:01:18 PM »

Rest in peace warrior ,a warrior salute for you

72

General Discussion / Re: Kamla wants sweeping constitutional changes.

« on: August 06, 2014, 05:48:27 PM »

Citizens of Trinbago welcome to Guyana .

73

Other Sports / Re: Commonwealth Games Thread - Other Sports

« on: August 02, 2014, 09:46:59 AM »

Prince I got the time today and i would like to see  keyshon throw the javlin .

74

Other Sports / Re: Commonwealth Games Thread - Other Sports

« on: August 02, 2014, 09:04:36 AM »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSkdaKC646c

Commonwealth Games  live stream .

75

General Discussion / Re: Life Sport programme Thread.

« on: July 29, 2014, 08:08:35 PM »

Anil is not the only senior person involve in this shit roll here ,he is protecting somebody and the Project Manager know it , that is why he is not fired yet .

We have to ask ourselves what part the min of finance played in this shit .

76

Cricket Anyone / Re: Roberts: CPL violated the law ...by using T&T’s name without permission

« on: July 21, 2014, 05:32:04 AM »

Is there a woman in the middle of this controversy ? Anil can you tell us  the real reason ?

77

General Discussion / Re: Bringing on the forces

« on: July 15, 2014, 07:14:36 PM »

Soilder police was on role this morning in the Beetam ,from what I heard on the radio a man was beaten because he did not follow orders.

I was wondering what the National Security Minister meant when he said if you hit one solider you hit all . 

78

Football / Re: Soca Warriors, TTFF to face T&T Courts

« on: July 15, 2014, 06:59:19 PM »

Election is in the air and the Project Manager know that people dont want them so theey buying if you selling

79

General Discussion / Re: Life Sport programme Thread.

« on: June 28, 2014, 05:40:13 AM »

I HAVE TO FLEE
By Newsday Staff Saturday, June 28 2014

click on pic to zoom in

Deputy Director of Physical Education and Sport, Ruth Marchan, is planning to flee the country out of fear following the murder of Curtis “Tall Man” Gibson, the man she described as her bodyguard and who she claimed a couple weeks ago was among persons, including herself, close to the Life Sport Programme targeted to be killed.

Gibson, 42, one of four persons associated with the programme who Marchan revealed was under threat, was shot to death at his Malabar home in Arima early Thursday morning. He was asleep with his common-law wife when gunmen broke down his door and sprayed him with bullets. His wife escaped unharmed.

Up to press time, no suspect was held for Gibson’s murder. Autopsy reports confirmed Gibson died for shock haemorrhaging, consistent with being shot multiple times. Police said Gibson had been killed “mafia style”, as he also had a single gunshot to the head.

A terrified Marchan told Newsday yesterday, “I will have to give up my entire life which means that I will have to sell my house and my vehicles and leave the country.”

“I have been forced to live in fear and I want the authorities and whoever to help me,” Marchan said.

Marchan added that she will not have a job anymore since she would not be able to return to a place where she will not be comfortable. She did not wish to expand on any further aspects of the Life Sport Programme, except to say that things had gone too far in that project.

But Caryl Keller, Adviser to the Minister of Sport, refuted claims that Gibson’s murder had any relation with the Life Sport Programme. He said that killing was as a result of the spiralling crime rate in the country.

Keller also believes Marchan had become paranoid and he had not been able to make sense out of all she has been saying about the Life Sport Programme. He said what Marchan has been saying was just not logical.

Asked why Marchan was away from work at the Ministry, Keller said as far as he knew she was on vacation and was expected to return to duties on August 12.

A statement from the Sports Ministry said Marchan had no authority to speak about Life Sport.

“The management of the Life Sport Programme wishes to inform that Ms Ruth Marchan has no authority to speak on behalf of the Life Sport Programme as it is not formally under her purview at the Ministry of Sport,” the release said. Keller also lashed out at Minister of National Security, Gary Griffith on claims that the programme was filled with criminals. He said the Minister had been giving inaccurate information about the programme.

Griffith in an interview with Newsday yesterday said Gibson’s killing proves that criminality exists within the scheme.

Newsday had asked for his response to the death such as if he would probe it, to which he said, “no” because that is the purview of the Commissioner of Police.

“What I would say though, it would emphasise the fact again...that there are certain persons in the Life Sport who claim that my statements, that there were questionable activities, and my accusations were unfounded and were a figment of my imagination, and those are the same individuals that then came after the fact to claim their lives were at risk, based on questionable activities in the same Life Sport,” Griffith said. Life Sport is now under the National Security Ministry after Prime Minister ordered the programme be transferred from the Sports Ministry and also commissioned an audit by Finance Minister Larry Howai.

Furthermore, Keller said Gibson has never been employed with Life Sport. This supported what was said by Sport Minister, Anil Roberts, during the sitting of Parliament yesterday.

Roberts told the Parliament Gibson was not associated with the Life Sport Programme in “any way or fashion,” disputing claims that were made by Marchan when she first revealed the ills of the scheme.

Yesterday, the Public Transport Service Corporation issued a release expressing condolences on the death of Gibson while at the same time saying that he worked with the corporation for some 12 years as a CSR II (customer service representative) Facilities Administration. Newsday understands Gibson last had responsibility, as of 2010, for the maxi taxi bays at the public transport hub, City Gate, Port-of-Spain. Linus Phillip, president of the Route 2 Maxi Taxi Association, expressing condolences said Gibson was well-liked, and a good person.

The Sports Ministry also issued a release dissociating Gibson with the Life Sport Programme.

“News reports which refer to Gibson as a Life Sport employee are totally erroneous, inaccurate and absolutely misleading. It is with great concern that this misinformation continues to be published in the media, even in the midst of an audit of the programme currently being undertaken by the Ministry of Finance,” the release said.

But Newsday sources confirmed a connection, revealing that Gibson, who was quite close to an imam in an east Trinidad mosque, was the man who would go to various communities to get young potential candidates for the Life Sport Programme.

According to the source, Gibson was the “main man” in the programme. “He was the man on the ground,” the source said. “He would work for the imam by going out and convincing youngsters between the ages of 16 and 25 years who were eyeing a life of crime to join the Life Sport Programme as it led them towards a positive life.”

Keller also told Newsday that Permanent Secretary in the Sports Ministry, Ashwin Creed, is not missing as has been reported but has been out of the country on family business including securing United States citizenship since his daughter already enjoys that status. Buxo Potts, special adviser to the Trinidad and Tobago Boxing Board, refuted claims made recently by Marchan, linking him to the plot to harm her and other officials of th Sports Ministry. He said he has never and still does not have any involvement in the Life Sport Programme.


I hope they would put the 2 pull man from room 201 balls in a draw and slam it real hard .


suddenly the life sport program became a death sport program

80

General Discussion / FREEZE ON PENSION HIKE

« on: June 26, 2014, 04:11:58 AM »

FREEZE ON PENSION HIKE
By ANDRE BAGOO Wednesday, June 25 2014



« prev photo next photo »
A FREEZE on plans to hike MPs and judges pensions was yesterday proposed by Government.

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, in a statement, said Government is willing to hold back legislation on MPs and judges pension reforms until scrutiny by a Parliament Committee in light of objections being raised. But she said it would be for the Senate to decide if this course of action is taken.

In a statement issued by the Office of the Prime Minister at 2.25 pm, while the Senate was in session, the Prime Minister stated this position was being taken consistent with a policy of allowing all views to be aired before taking a position.

The Senate was geared for a vote on the Retiring Allowances (Legislative) Amendment Bill 2013 and the Judges Salaries and Pensions (Amendment) Bill, 2013, when the Prime Minister issued a statement.

“There have been strong objections in some quarters to the Bills,” the Prime Minister said. “Consistent with my policy of always allowing views to be ventilated and decisions arrived at after such due consideration the government’s current position would be not to proceed with approving the Bills until all perspectives and opinions are ventilated.”

She observed that, “The Senate debate on the said Bills which commences today (yesterday) will allow for some of these perspectives and opinions to be ventilated.” Persad-Bissessar said the Government is willing to refer the matter to a Parliament Committee should the Senate so resolve.

“Yet further the government expresses its willingness to accept and adhere to recommendations made by the Senate Select Committee,” she said. The Prime Minister said the State must act in the interest of all.

“At the end of the day, the national interest is what must be served,” she said adding however, that both bills were passed unanimously in the House of Representatives. “It is rare that Government and the Opposition ever agree on anything,” Persad-Bissessar said. “The Judges Salaries and Pensions (Amendment) Bill, 2013 and the Retiring Allowances (Legislative) Amendment Bill 2013 were passed in the House with the full support of the Opposition.”





She further noted the Retired Judges Association had also come out in full support of the said Bill which impacts their representative group.

The Prime Minister did not specify which concerns had prompted the Government’s row-back.

The MPs pension bill increases retirement allowances for MPs — in some cases tripling it; widens the scheme to include the unelected Senators; makes it easier to qualify for an allowance and introduces, for the first time, a “termination benefit” for MPs voted out of office after a general election.

The judges pension legislation increases the proportion of base pay used to calculate the pension benefit but it also widens the allowances that must be included in the base for the purpose of the calculation.

The effect is almost a doubling of the pension which, for example, would see the Chief Justice’s pension move from $50,350 to $93,223.

The bill also provides that when a sitting Judge, retired Judge, a sitting Chief Justice or retired Chief Justice dies and leaves behind a widow, the widow is paid the annual sum of 85 percent of his pensionable emoluments (rather than one-quarter) or a monthly pension of $3,000, whichever is greater.

The Bill also provides that whenever judge’s salaries or pensionable allowances increase, widows are also entitled to have their pensions recalculated as though the judge was still in that office or retired from that office. The judges pension legislation, as well as the MPs pension legislation, heads to the Senate.

Prior to the statement, the Government Whip in the Senate Ganga Singh, yesterday stated the Senate was due to sit “late” into the night to debate both matters, which had been handled in the House of Representatives concurrently late at night on Black Friday.

Concerns were later raised by some lawyers over whether raising pensions through amending existing judges pensions infringed the role of the Salaries Review Commission and the separation of powers. There were reports that the SRC met and sought an audience with President Anthony Carmona on the issue.

Others — such as former SRC member Kenneth Lalla – have also stated the move to raise MP retirement allowances and introduce a termination benefit is “self-serving.”

In a letter to the editor published in yesterday’s edition of Newsday, former civil servant Reginald Dumas and senior counsel Martin Daly both called for “interim” measures to be implemented to deal with retired judges and criticised the self-serving nature of the MP pensions hike.

“What possible impact on our institutions, our economy and our democracy might there be as a result of this decision by persons whom we elected to serve us and who are now seen as serving themselves at our expense, and, moreover, to be doing so to the exclusion of persons similarly circumstanced?” both asked in the joint letter.

They further stated, “Given the constitutional position of the Salaries Review Commission, we strongly urge that the legislature should limit its intervention to the extent that interim provisions designed to take care of the needs of the directly affected persons - former judges, magistrates, parliamentarians, public officers, etc. and their surviving spouses or co-habitants - on clearly defined bases such as length of service, the effect of cost of living over a defined period and compassionate need arising out of illness.”

The letter was copied to all members of the Senate.

Daly yesterday stated, “It is important that both sides are prepared to pause”. He said the move showed how serious the issues raised were. President of the Retired Judges Association Justice Zainool Hosein yesterday said the association would hold a meeting on Thursday afternoon at 2pm at the Hall of Justice.

“We shall issue a statement thereafter if necessary,” he said. The senate was still in session up until last evening dealing with the committee stage of unrelated planning legislation.

81

General Discussion / Re: You should not be allowed to own the beach or block it off.

« on: June 20, 2014, 12:58:04 PM »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTbGkop7mss
Gabby that beach is mine .

82

General Discussion / Re: You should not be allowed to own the beach or block it off.

« on: June 16, 2014, 06:51:46 PM »

I remember paying to enter that beach in Chaguaramas  blocked around by the heritage club.

83

General Discussion / Re: You should not be allowed to own the beach or block it off.

« on: June 15, 2014, 07:04:37 PM »

That beach is mine i can bade anytime despite what you say i will bade anyway .

84

General Discussion / Re: Crazy T&T Cops kill two more teenagers including Carifta Games bronze medalist!

« on: June 11, 2014, 06:56:17 PM »

I wonder if any gun powder residue was found on the cousins hands.

85

Entertainment & Culture Discussion / Kes the Bnd

« on: June 11, 2014, 06:13:30 PM »

Sat 08/02
6:00 PM
Kes the Band, KIT Prospect Park Bandshell (Celebrate Brooklyn)
All Ages
FREEmore info »

86

General Discussion / Re: Foreign exchange woes ‘a timing issue’

« on: June 09, 2014, 05:25:25 PM »

More US$ to meet demand
with the sizable intervention we have made we have cleared all the accumulated demand

By By CARLA BRIDGLAL
Story Created: Jun 3, 2014 at 8:33 PM ECT
Story Updated: Jun 3, 2014 at 8:41 PM ECT
With the sizable intervention we have made we have cleared all of
the accumulated demand and put more in to clear the demand going forward. We have put enough into the system to clear out all of the demand for the period ahead.
 
Twenty-one years after it last made a major change to the regulation of the domestic foreign exchange market, the Central Bank in April implemented a new regime that, technically, is intended to ease the tightness in the system.

“With growing tightness in the domestic foreign exchange market since the start of the year, the Central Bank reviewed its twenty-year-old arrangement for distributing foreign exchange to the financial system. Two fundamental changes were made, effective at the start of April 2014. First, we included all 12 licensed authorised dealers in the distribution system, providing everyone with greater access to more evenly distributed supply. Previously, only eight authorised dealers were part of the arrangement. Second, we made more use of the auction system so that supply of foreign exchange could go to where demand was greatest, based on price,” Central Bank Governor Jwala Rambarran said last Tuesday in his address at a Monetary Policy Forum in Tobago.

This new system, coupled with the US$610 million the Bank has pumped into the financial system for the first five months of the year will, Rambarran said confidently, end the recent tightness in the market.
“With the sizable intervention we have made we have cleared all of the accumulated demand and put more in to clear the demand going forward. We have put enough into the system to clear out all of the demand for the period ahead. June is usually a very liquid month for foreign exchange. And we’ve changed how we sell in that we will be making more timely interventions than before-even before tightness in the market, we will be coming in,” he said.
 
Rambarran acknowledged there were the usual teething problems after the new system was implemented, as people started getting accustomed to the change, but after nearly two months of operating the new foreign exchange distribution system, he said the Bank has made further improvements to the system’s internal back-office operations, but did not alter its fundamental parameters.
“This enhanced distribution system, coupled with more timely and sizable interventions, is expected to meet all immediate trade related demands:


from the foreign-used car dealers to manufacturing companies, small and medium businesses and conglomerates,” he said.

Trinidad and Tobago’s domestic foreign exchange market has weathered the vacillations of a dynamic global economy, as well as the changes in the local economy, and while the previous system held up admirably since 1993 when it was first adopted, the Bank felt it had not been fully adapting to the evolution of local market forces, including changing consumer appetites.
 
Before 1993, the country had a fixed exchange rate against the US dollar, but after a major recession in the 1980s to early 1990s when the price of oil plummeted, the country was forced to consider different monetary policy options to help the country weather that particular economic storm.

One such implementation was the liberalising of the foreign exchange market through introduction of a floating exchange rate, which would respond to market forces (demand and supply) to determine its value. Most major economies have such an exchange rate; Trinidad and Tobago’s exchange rate is not totally free-floating, but managed: depending on the strength of the market forces, the Central Bank will intervene by either injecting (if demand outstrips supply) or restricting (if supply outstrips demand) the amount of foreign exchange in the system, thereby maintaining equilibrium in the system without causing too much inflationary or even deflationary pressures.

The quantity of foreign exchange in the commercial banking system (from customer deposits) is about US$4 billion. The overall demand is about US$6 billion-a difference of US$2 billion that is usually picked up by the Central Bank.
These deposits usually come in the form of energy sector receipts (the sector contributes as much as 80 per cent of the country’s foreign exchange earnings) when they pay taxes at the end of financial quarters, flushing the system with cash.

The current foreign exchange crunch started around Christmastime 2013 into January 2014, as merchants and other vendors sought currency to pay for their foreign bought goods.
Commercial banks have been facing the ire of the public-especially businesses-who say they can’t get the full amount they request. This has led to rumours of banks hoarding cash for foreign capital investments, but the banks have remained adamant that this is not the case, there are no restrictions on funds (even if requests may not be immediately granted), and since they make money from the sale of money, it would be bad business to hoard funds.

The Central Bank did acknowledge that businesspeople were having difficulties in getting cash to pay their foreign creditors, and facilitated a special sale to deal with trade on March 5, releasing US$50 million specifically for trade.
That still doesn’t explain the apparent shortage though. But Rambarran-who was part of the team at the Bank that had overseen the market liberalisation-attempted to give insight, noting that changing consumer habits have contributed to the Bank’s decision to modify its distribution set-up.
 
“Over the past 20-odd years there was little, if any, modification this (system) even though the economy experienced various episodes of stabilisation, growth, stagnation, and now recovery that fundamentally altered the foreign exchange demand/supply equation. Over the last two decades, demand for foreign exchange not only expanded, but its composition changed to reflect new patterns of consumer spending (for example, use of credit cards for making online payments) and new forms of investment (with no capital restrictions, citizens can move money freely to any part of the world),” he said.

In short, currency comes in many different forms besides cold, hard cash. So even when a local customer purchases a dress on Forever21.com or another buys those new car headlights on Amazon.com, their credit card balances might be positive, but in Trinidad and Tobago dollars; commercial banks will, however, have to repay Visa and MasterCard in US dollars.

87

General Discussion / Foreign exchange woes ‘a timing issue’

« on: June 09, 2014, 05:18:06 PM »

Foreign exchange woes ‘a timing issue’
By Carla Bridglal
Story Created: Jun 4, 2014 at 1:14 AM ECT
Story Updated: Jun 4, 2014 at 1:14 AM ECT
As business groups continue to call for a resolution to the tightness in the foreign exchange market, Bankers’ Association president Larry Nath is advising customers to keep checking in with their banks.
In a telephone interview with the Express yesterday, Nath said the difficulty some customers were having getting cash at commercial banks was a “timing issue”.
 
He advised customers to check back ever so often with their banks, especially since foreign exchange sourced from conversions by energy companies especially was beginning to come into the system, as these companies prepare to pay taxes (June 30 is a tax end).
Nath noted their exchange of foreign currency into local currency will start to flood the market.
“If you go to the bank and can’t get (foreign exchange) that day, stay in contact with the bank because the supply is coming in,” he said.
 
He acknowledged there had been rumours of foreign-exchange hoarding, and said while that may have initially been the case, with the Central Bank’s intervention (US$610 million for the first five months of the year), the situation had improved with a better balance of demand and supply.
Nevertheless, the Trinidad and Tobago Chamber of Commerce and the Chaguanas Chamber of Commerce are asking for a statement from the Central Bank, commercial banks and the Ministry of Finance explaining the difficulty their members face attemp­ting to acquire foreign exchange.

“We certainly believe that these injections have resulted in some reduction in the current queue for US dollar demand; however, even today we have continued to hear from our members and the wider business community on how the continued shortage of foreign exchange has affected business opera­tions in Trinidad and Tobago,” the chamber said in a statement on Monday night.

“The T&T Chamber wants to continue to encourage discussions and dialogue to find solutions to the foreign exchange issue. We want to ensure that any system put in place will alleviate what is a growing challenge for our private sector, and, by extension, the wider community,” said chamber chief executive Catherine Kumar.

The Chaguanas Chamber also said in a release yesterday that despite assurances from Minister of Finance Larry Howai and Central Bank Governor Jwala Rambarran that there is no shortage of foreign currency, its members continue to be frustrated as they are unable to obtain US dollar funding in both uncollateralised and collateralised markets.

“Given that for many businessmen, lost time equates to money lost, it is disappointing that after queuing in line for more than an hour, businessmen are told that the transaction cannot be concluded due to the unavailability of foreign currency.

“Most businessmen have to opt for much lower sums than requested, invariably affecting their credit rating with suppliers in the US and as far as China,” the Chaguanas Chamber said.
The quantity of foreign exchange in the commercial banking system (from customer deposits) is about US$4 billion. The overall demand is about US$6 billion—a difference of US$2 billion that is usually picked up by the Central Bank.


Why everything this UNC government touch turn to gold.

88

Football / Re: Marvin Phillips baby passed away today..

« on: June 06, 2014, 09:48:43 PM »

I was wondering what was the age limit on the car seat that strangle the baby if the baby was within the limit? maybe he might have a law suite against  the makers ,maybe there is a fault that never showed up till now .

89

Football / Re: Marvin Phillips baby passed away today..

« on: June 06, 2014, 04:54:53 PM »

 Times like this you look for answers to the questions and they all come up blank especially in Trinbago .

Bro I hope you don't feel you are being punish for something you did ,because the God I know do not wish for us to be sad and in pain .

You are a young strong man, stand tall, call on the Lord and he will comfort you ,and remember the Father wish for us is that we may have life abundantly ,but the wicked one come to steal kill and destroy .

                                   ]Peace and love to you in these times warrior

90

General Discussion / Re: Minister caught on Tape!!!

« on: June 04, 2014, 09:01:32 PM »

Anill boy, growing up in P Town with my step mom, when ever you are playing the ass and carrying on like you  do, she would say laugh and cry live in the same house .

They getting pick off one after the other ,who nex ? make a line .