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Author Topic: Dr Keith Rowley Thread.  (Read 118695 times)

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Offline Sando prince

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Re: Dr Keith Rowley Thread.
« Reply #300 on: August 17, 2015, 01:29:36 PM »

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/FvjZ-sAlxDw" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/FvjZ-sAlxDw</a>

Offline Sando prince

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Re: Dr Keith Rowley Thread.
« Reply #301 on: August 25, 2015, 10:52:48 PM »
Quote
For those who missed Dr. Keith Rowley's interview with Julian Rogers, you can now view it here;


<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/2jDtcjOlH7U" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/2jDtcjOlH7U</a>

Offline Sando prince

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Re: Dr Keith Rowley Thread.
« Reply #302 on: September 01, 2015, 07:03:39 PM »

Rowley promises law to protect whistle-blowers

http://www.trinidadexpress.com/20150830/news/rowley-promises-law-to-protect-whistle-blowers

Quote
PEOPLE’s National Movement (PNM) political leader Dr Keith Rowley said he will introduce “whistle-blower legislation” if his party is elected into government to protect people who wished to give information about corrupt practices in the country.
Rowley said the PNM’s attorneys had already drafted the bill and such legislation would be brought to the Parliament “very early” after they had entered office.

Offline Sando prince

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Re: Dr Keith Rowley Thread.
« Reply #303 on: September 01, 2015, 07:04:42 PM »

Quote
An Independence address to the Nation by the Leader of the Opposition and the Political Leader of the People’s National Movement Dr. Keith Christopher Rowley

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/UQ166lWL3VI" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/UQ166lWL3VI</a>

Offline weary1969

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Re: Dr Keith Rowley Thread.
« Reply #304 on: September 02, 2015, 12:10:48 PM »
I took in the conversation live. The question about a fixed date for elections is mine.....:)

But I love the format.....if you want to hear the issues, those sessions are a good place to start.....I think this was the 3rd session.....

 :D you rhel involved in the politics Brownsugar  :beermug:

Boy, I had to get more involved than I normally would in the past 5 years thanks to Kams and she Mottley crew.....that woman make me learn so much about the constitution and Parliamentary Proceedings and government overall than I originally cared to.  Dais why they cyar BS me with their "Kamla 2015" campaign....

ENT
Today you're the dog, tomorrow you're the hydrant - so be good to others - it comes back!"

Offline Sando prince

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Re: Dr Keith Rowley Thread.
« Reply #305 on: September 05, 2015, 08:52:04 AM »
Quote
The Morning Show with Rennie Bishop & Michelle Borel featuring PNM's Political Leader, Dr. Keith Rowley.


<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/WCj5a4D1EyY" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/WCj5a4D1EyY</a>

Offline Sando prince

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Re: Dr Keith Rowley Thread.
« Reply #306 on: September 05, 2015, 08:56:25 AM »


Offline Sando prince

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Re: Dr Keith Rowley Thread.
« Reply #307 on: September 08, 2015, 03:52:31 PM »


Trinidad and Tobago Elections Won by Keith Rowley

The leader of the People’s National Movement won the elections with 23 of 41 constituencies.
Polls closed a bit later than expected due to rain in Trinidad and Tobago, but soon after, results came in,  giving Keith Rowley of the People's National Movement (PNM) the electoral victory with 23 of 41 constituencies.

After three months of intense campaigning, Trinidad and Tobago people (Trinbogabians) went to the polls Monday.

Rowley’s results were better than he expected, as he had said he expected his party to win 21 seats in parliament.

This content was originally published by teleSUR at the following address:
 "http://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/Trinidad-and-Tobago-Elections-Won-by-Keith-Rowley-20150908-0004.html".

Offline Sando prince

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Re: Dr Keith Rowley Thread.
« Reply #308 on: September 08, 2015, 03:55:07 PM »


Trinidad and Tobago Elections Won by Keith Rowley

The leader of the People’s National Movement won the elections with 23 of 41 constituencies.
Polls closed a bit later than expected due to rain in Trinidad and Tobago, but soon after, results came in,  giving Keith Rowley of the People's National Movement (PNM) the electoral victory with 23 of 41 constituencies.

After three months of intense campaigning, Trinidad and Tobago people (Trinbogabians) went to the polls Monday.

Rowley’s results were better than he expected, as he had said he expected his party to win 21 seats in parliament.

This content was originally published by teleSUR at the following address:
 "http://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/Trinidad-and-Tobago-Elections-Won-by-Keith-Rowley-20150908-0004.html".


Dr Keith Rowley victory speech

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/x1fjlNOsFfs" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/x1fjlNOsFfs</a>


Offline Sando prince

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Re: Dr Keith Rowley Thread.
« Reply #309 on: September 09, 2015, 07:59:59 AM »

Former Prime Minister Patrick Manning sends congratulations to Prime Minister Elect Dr Keith Rowley.

See full speech https://www.facebook.com/meetmanning/posts/1178478302168023
.



Offline Sando prince

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Re: Dr Keith Rowley Thread.
« Reply #310 on: September 09, 2015, 02:10:50 PM »

VIDEO of President Anthony Carmona swearing in Dr Keith Rowley as T&T's new Prime Minister.

https://www.facebook.com/cnewslive/videos/10153565923105610/

Offline Sando prince

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Re: Dr Keith Rowley Thread.
« Reply #311 on: September 11, 2015, 05:58:58 AM »

Lara: PM Rowley has my full support

http://www.trinidadexpress.com/20150909/sports/lara-pm-rowley-has-my-full-support

CRICKET legend Brian Lara is batting for Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley and hopes he is able to secure two consecutive terms in office.
Lara, however, has remained tight-lipped on whether that support will be made evident by him joining Rowley's Cabinet as Sport Minister.
Lara, a double world record holder in cricket, was among those present at Queen's Hall in St Ann's yesterday to witness first-hand the swearing-in of Rowley as the country's seventh prime minister.

He is calling on citizens to rally around Rowley for the sake of the country.
“We have a new leader now, new ideas, and I want to wish him the best and I just want him to know he has my full support.
“I think all leaders need full support, so it is really good that the country has turned out and said to the rest of the world or said to themselves that listen, we want somebody new, so it is amazing just to be in this environment and I am very touched by actually what is going on.
“They have a great responsibility in a very suppressed situation, so his true leadership has to come out,” Lara said.

Offline asylumseeker

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Governance under the Rowley Administration
« Reply #312 on: September 13, 2015, 06:16:59 AM »
The election battle is over. It's time to govern the nation.

Use this thread for articles and opinion regarding policies, initiatives, ideas etc. proposed by Prime Minister Rowley, his Cabinet, and the broader administration.

Doh use this thread for discussion of the September 7, 2015 General Election. There's a thread for that.

Talk yuh talk here about how de country running under Rowley ... and about future prospects for the Rowley Administration.

I'll kick things off with an article - found in the Jamaica Observer - that presents a somewhat dim view of the future.

« Last Edit: September 13, 2015, 06:21:45 AM by asylumseeker »

Offline asylumseeker

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Re: Governance under the Rowley Administration
« Reply #313 on: September 13, 2015, 06:20:45 AM »
Opinion-Editorial: With this new Keith Rowley Cabinet, T&T is in for a rough ride
By Gerald Vincent, (Jamaica Observer).


As expected, a collective sigh of relief has blanketed the nation following the end of the 2015 General Election in Trinidad & Tobago.

The People's National Movement (PNM) leader has somehow manoeuvred his way into the driver's seat and, because of a mysterious decision to extend voting outside of extraordinary circumstances, suspicion will forever haunt him as to the legitimacy of the Government and Cabinet he now leads.

At least half the population already sees him as illegitimate. And with a 20-year reputation of ill-tempered and erratic outbursts, serious credibility questions and a slew of allegations, Keith Rowley appears to be kicking off his term in very bad form.

Following a botched swearing-in, where somehow Rowley thought it sensible to swear in Cabinet members before he himself took the oath of office, Rowley read from a speech prepared for him by someone who clearly doesn't understand the man.

While one would want to think that his election proves some kind of political superiority, or even the greatness of his party, that's not so. Rowley's election, in fact, proves the power of marketing, especially when his opponents put up a multi-level fight that failed to truly represent the former Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, and the unprecedented term of performance and delivery she led.

In Rowley's entire political career he has never taken a political stand for the people; he has never taken up issues that affected anyone but himself; he destabilised his own party (the PNM) twice, and all through his career some people have refused to work with him because of what they say is his arrogance and irrational behaviour.

His most memorable outburst came after he decided to out his former leader, Patrick Manning, because he was fired for attempting to bully the Cabinet to get his way. His then leader would finally admit to the nation that he had had as much of Rowley as he could take, describing him as a raging bull who couldn't take 'no' for an answer. It also speaks volumes about a man who has gone so far once as to accuse the former Government of conspiring to murder a journalist. When it was later found that his e-mails never actually existed, Rowley and the PNM immediately went silent and avoided questions on what became known as "email-gate".

Building on this dubious reputation, during his campaign Keith Rowley made a number of promises, including the end of the Ministry of Local Government, an increase in salaries and benefits for himself and his Cabinet ministers, widespread spending cuts, and that elected members of parliament would be made to do the work of the people they represent, and not all occupy Cabinet positions. With mere days since the general election, Rowley has already recanted on some promises. He has taken the local government ministry and combined it with a Rural Development Ministry, placing his long-time friend and PNM chairman, Franklin Khan, as minister. Trouble is that the former Persad-Bissessar Administration undertook a comprehensive rural infrastructure transformation programme that leaves little work to be done in rural areas.

On his platform, Keith Rowley also boasted of the diversity of his party, one that has historically been seen as pro-Afro based political organisation. He also boasted fresh new faces, but the line-up of his Cabinet, so far, tells another story. It is, perhaps, another indication of a Government term that can be expected to be filled with broken promises and even repeats of the PNM's history of discrimination.

A look at his Cabinet tells a story. Faris Al Rawi, an old party stalwart who supported Rowley's bid, is now attorney general, but the more popular newcomer, Stuart Young, is Al Rawi's junior.

Clarence Rambharat, who was resoundingly rejected by the Mayaro electorate, has been appointed minister of agriculture, as if to say to the people, "No one really cares what you think."

Camille Robinson Regis, who was forced out of the Manning Government for misusing a Government credit card, has been returned to the senior post of planning and development minister.

Fitzgerald Hinds, who has long enjoyed his reputation of being anti-Indian, has been appointed to the mega Ministry of Works and Transport. Hinds has never been able to explain how he was able to afford a TT$14-million (US$2M plus) mansion in the upper-income Maraval district.

Colm Imbert has been appointed minister of finance. Imbert once almost faced criminal negligence charges for building a Grenada stadium that started falling apart, risking the lives of thousands. This is quite like the Tarouba Stadium project started by the PNM, where the budget was increased five times without the project being completed. The stadium is now considered unsafe.

Marlene McDonald has been appointed minister of housing and urban development. While in Opposition, she established a reputation as being resentful of development projects in communities outside of Port of Spain and the East/West corridor. She led the rebirth of the phrase "south of the Caroni River". She has also never fully answered for having her husband benefit from hundreds of thousands of dollars in grant funding under a paper NGO during the previous PNM Government.

Shamfa Cudjoe has been appointed minister of tourism, coming on the heels of years in Opposition singing the song of victim for Tobago, claiming the island should have been getting more out of the national budget, but refusing to entertain questions on what Tobago stands to contribute to the treasury.

All of these appointments, notwithstanding, Avinash Singh who has been the lone East Indian front-liner for the PNM, having fought and lost two general elections in the name of the PNM, has been given the most junior government post of parliamentary secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture. Singh's position is even junior to a Tobago PNM MP, Ayanna Webster, who was appointed -- seemingly as an afterthought -- as a minister of state in the Office of the Prime Minister.

The Ministry of Energy and Energy Affairs has been handed to an unknown in Nicole Oliveirre. The previous PNM Government left the energy sector in shambles, with oil and gas production plummeting, and with the exploration and energy services subsectors almost fully collapsed. With a newcomer now having to sit across negotiations with some of the most powerful CEOs on the planet, we await news of a reversal of the growth achieved in the past five years.

And who can forget Maxie Cuffie, the new minister of Rowley's information machinery. As a former editor of a weekly tabloid, the TnT Mirror, one wonders whether government information will be similar to the stories in the highly distrusted tabloid.

Trade and industry is now taken by Paula Gopee-Scoon, one of Trinidad & Tobago's most failing foreign affairs ministers under a previous PNM Government. We await news on what will happen to undo the work done by former Minister Vasant Bharath who earned the reputation of having the Midas touch by revolutionising the ease of doing business in Trinidad & Tobago.

What these appointments and revelations all point to is that Trinidad & Tobago is in for a rough ride. Not because of low energy prices, but because Keith Rowley's Cabinet has brought together the usual suspects who, all told, spent over $400 billion between 2001 and 2010 and, by the time they left office, left behind incomplete, over-budgeted projects, with contractors being owed billions. The PNM has never been able to manage the economy outside of boom conditions, and Trinidad & Tobago might just have made its final fatal error by putting the PNM to manage what will certainly be the decline of what could have been a great nation.

Already, people are asking, "Oh, my God, what have we done?"

Gerald Vincent resides in Trinidad and Tobago. Send comments to the Observer or to geraldvincent.tt@ gmail.com.

Offline MEP

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Re: Governance under the Rowley Administration
« Reply #314 on: September 13, 2015, 09:54:35 AM »
Don't give that article any credence it's a disgruntled UNC member posing as a journalist. Pure non-sense.

Offline Socapro

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Re: Governance under the Rowley Administration
« Reply #315 on: September 13, 2015, 10:20:28 AM »
Don't give that article any credence it's a disgruntled UNC member posing as a journalist. Pure non-sense.

:thumbsup:

That article is total garbage.

Also the new administration is not the Rowley Admininstarion, it is the PNM Administration.
De higher a monkey climbs is de less his ass is on de line, if he works for FIFA that is! ;-)

Offline asylumseeker

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Re: Governance under the Rowley Administration
« Reply #316 on: September 13, 2015, 11:17:43 AM »
Don't give that article any credence it's a disgruntled UNC member posing as a journalist. Pure non-sense.

:thumbsup:

That article is total garbage.

Also the new administration is not the Rowley Admininstarion, it is the PNM Administration.

Pro, once a government takes office it is customary to refer to the gov't as such. The party apparatus at Balisier House continues to function separately. Hence, for example, why Faris Al-Rawi stepped away from his position as PRO. Of course, we know which party won the election, but the emergent entity is the gov't ... not the party. The government has to cloak itself in governance, not in electoral triumphalism. The party addresses a different priority.

It's also "why" the PM indicated he is the PM of all, and not PM of the PNM. It is "his" admin and gov't.

Also, substantively, there are at least nuanced differences in administrative approaches despite PMs holding party affiliations in common. The Williams gov't was not the same as the Manning gov't despite both gov'ts emerging from PNM victories at the polls. Similarly, the Panday administration was not the same as the Persad-Bissessar administration, despite the commonality of party affiliation.

Once "party" is conflated with "administration", the journey down the wrong path has begun.

Offline MEP

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Re: Governance under the Rowley Administration
« Reply #317 on: September 13, 2015, 11:27:24 AM »
-Socapro
  It is part of the UNC propaganda machine at work again. I wonder how many Caribbean newspapers they are bombarding with articles.
Quote
All of these appointments, notwithstanding, Avinash Singh who has been the lone East Indian front-liner for the PNM,
[/b] that highly concerns me as everything becomes race oriented again.

Offline asylumseeker

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Re: Governance under the Rowley Administration
« Reply #318 on: September 13, 2015, 11:27:56 AM »
I found it interesting that the article was presented to the Jamaican audience. Is the writer Trini or Jamaican?

Offline Socapro

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Re: Governance under the Rowley Administration
« Reply #319 on: September 13, 2015, 03:55:25 PM »
I found it interesting that the article was presented to the Jamaican audience. Is the writer Trini or Jamaican?

Don't matter who wrote the article it is total garbage.
If you can't identify garbage when you read it then you are in danger of becoming like the average brainwashed and misinformed UNC supporter.
« Last Edit: September 13, 2015, 05:22:42 PM by Socapro »
De higher a monkey climbs is de less his ass is on de line, if he works for FIFA that is! ;-)

Offline asylumseeker

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Re: Governance under the Rowley Administration
« Reply #320 on: September 13, 2015, 05:47:40 PM »
I found it interesting that the article was presented to the Jamaican audience. Is the writer Trini or Jamaican?

Don't matter who wrote the article it is total garbage.
If you can't identify garbage when you read it then you are in danger of becoming like the average brainwashed and misinformed UNC supporter.

Bredrin, I didn't sniff the glue ... just posted the article on the "wall" for general consumption and discussion. I'm not in the habit of posting only that with which I am in agreement.

I would be interested in learning more about the writer. That would unearth things.

Indicating that the writer "resides in Trinidad and Tobago" could point to the writer being a Jamaican expat.

Maybe this guy?

Offline R45

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Re: Governance under the Rowley Administration
« Reply #321 on: September 14, 2015, 09:00:53 AM »
Bredrin, I didn't sniff the glue ... just posted the article on the "wall" for general consumption and discussion. I'm not in the habit of posting only that with which I am in agreement.

I would be interested in learning more about the writer. That would unearth things.

Indicating that the writer "resides in Trinidad and Tobago" could point to the writer being a Jamaican expat.

Maybe this guy?

It wasn't written by Gerald Vincent - it was actually written by Marcia Braveboy. She is Trinidad's equivalent to a Sean Hannity / Glen Beck. A very toxic woman that thrives on being controversial and getting attention. I'd suggest ignoring this article and paying no attention to her.

Offline Bakes

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Re: Governance under the Rowley Administration
« Reply #322 on: September 14, 2015, 09:14:45 AM »
Interesting... and not surprising if true.  That Grenadian has been working as a paid hatchetwoman for the PP for the past couple years.  Too bad they can't deport she.

Offline lefty

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Re: Governance under the Rowley Administration
« Reply #323 on: September 14, 2015, 02:26:44 PM »
Interesting... and not surprising if true.  That Grenadian has been working as a paid hatchetwoman for the PP for the past couple years.  Too bad they can't deport she.
...

word is CNMG staff now in mad tussle to find lawyers to fight for their jobs......ting is political pawn is a role dat has a shelf life d same as d gov't in power, and dem people engage in  some real vile and repulsive behavior on top of all dat so..................
I pity the fool....

Offline grimm01

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Governance under the Rowley Administration
« Reply #324 on: September 14, 2015, 06:42:24 PM »
Interesting... and not surprising if true.  That Grenadian has been working as a paid hatchetwoman for the PP for the past couple years.  Too bad they can't deport she.

Ever notice that when the UNC want to really dig into Rowley and the PNM they use a certain type of surrogate to carry out the attack? What does Jack Warner, Vernella Toppin, Rodney Charles and Marcia Braveboy all have in common? They are all...








Damn Ugly

Offline Sando prince

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Re: Governance under the Rowley Administration
« Reply #325 on: September 14, 2015, 10:26:43 PM »


PM ADDRESSES PERMANENT SECRETARIES

Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley addressed Government Ministers and Permanent Secretaries at the Office of the Prime Minister today

VIDEO Report; https://www.facebook.com/CNC3Television/videos/10153636226197996/

.

Offline asylumseeker

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Re: Governance under the Rowley Administration
« Reply #326 on: September 15, 2015, 03:23:45 PM »
JCC continues push for procurement
By Sean Nero, (Guardian).


The Keith Rowley administration will get no honeymoon from the Joint Consultative Council (JCC). The lobby group will continue its push for full implementation of the procurement legislation, as well as the Planning and Facilitation of Development Act, its president Afra Raymond told the T&T Guardian.

Raymond said the JCC will also not be letting up on the controversial issue of how the Dachin Group was trying to develop Invaders Bay in Woodbrook. We achieved a certain amount with respect to the Planning and Facilitation of Development Act in June last year and that is still partially proclaimed and is still being implemented. There are important elements of work to be done on that.

“The one that has been the headline item has really been the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Property Act, which was partially proclaimed by President (Anthony) Carmona on the 31st of July. It was partially proclaimed. I should hasten to add (that) in accordance with our wishes as the main campaigners in terms of what parts we wanted proclaimed,” he said.

“So this is no Section 34 situation, where there was any ambush in the night. And we want to note again that we were very concerned about Section 34 and regard it as a completely wrong situation. And that’s not what happened here, with the partial proclamation of the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Property Act.”

Raymond’s realisation of the procurement law was not due to the efforts of the JCC alone. He praised the T&T Chamber of Commerce, the T&T Manufacturers Association (TTMA), the Transparency Institute, the Local Content Chamber, the American Chamber of Commerce T&T, Fitun and the T&T Coalition of Services Industries (TTCSI) for their work to push for the legislation.

“I could say that the public has become a lot more sensitive and aware of procurement as an issue and it is an important issue that needs to be strongly tackled if the country is to move forward,” he said.

“We need to break this cycle of electing a new government (having) a few weeks of hope and then they get caught up in some nonsense (where) people start with the no comment, no comment. Then they want to get advice from their lawyers and lawyers’ letters start flying.

“We want to get out of that cycle and get to a cycle where when the country spends a dollar, we get a dollar in value. We want to break out of the cycle of disappointment and the cycle of waste and the cycle of theft. I think the public is well informed as to what are the significant things here.”

Raymond said the time has come for the public to become more proactive by getting involved in groups such as the Constitutional Reform Forum and the Transparency Institute which are more than talk shops.

“They can play a greater role, but more people need to get involved and people who have the energy and have ideas and they have objectives. Citizens can get involved and can have an effect. Our fight is fundamentally in respect of the improper process that was deployed to develop the land at Invaders Bay and we maintain the view that what has taken place there is totally illegal; a complete breach of all professional practice and should have been withdrawn when all of that was pointed out to them,” he said.

“It wasn’t withdrawn, so we ended up having to take up particular points to the courts which we won on the 14th of July last year and we have now gone to the Appeal Court. This propensity to litigate everything is a bit regrettable. We would like some good sense where something is wrong we can pause and try again to get it right.”

Offline asylumseeker

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Re: Governance under the Rowley Administration
« Reply #327 on: September 15, 2015, 03:31:12 PM »
Dear Prime Minister
By Mark Lyndersay, (Guardian).


Good day, sir. I have no doubt that there are many things that demand priority action from you at this time. The budget is coming up, and you’ve got to figure out what to do about the energy sector. Deciding how to cut spending over the next three years and how to spend what’s left is going to be mission number one.

The adjustments you have to make must be ruthless if 2025 is to be a good year for this country and they must begin now, while the party enjoys a surge in its popularity. Immediately noticeable among your first acts has been the consolidation of a sprawl of 31 ministries condensed into 23, and the promotion of Caricom as a Ministry focus alongside the demotion of gender.

Also disappearing is the Ministry of Science, Technology and Tertiary Education, the component parts of which are likely to return to the ministries they were extracted from. While that ministry was more focused on tertiary education than anything else, the idea of an arm of government devoted to technology remains compelling.

Technology desperately needs a knowledgeable czar to drive radical and overdue change in the development profile of T&T. There probably isn’t a need for a dedicated ministry to achieve that, though a Ministry of Technology would be a statement so dramatic and bold that it would demand a supporting agenda and profile of action to justify its existence.

That’s been missing in this country’s long foundering efforts to press into meaningful service the deliberations of technocrats in both the private and public sectors who have put serious work into charting a path forward for this country over the last 20 years.

Those efforts have generated sprawling and ambitious plans from which previous governments have plucked the least important, most publicly palatable bits to offer as evidence of a commitment to technology development. So what should you be doing about this, then, good sir?

You aren’t the first Prime Minister I’ve written to after being sworn into office. A few things I wrote about here (http://technewstt.com/bd732/) got started, I hope you find the time to address some of these concerns.

For one thing, the government has no business getting involved in actual tech development. Bureaucracies move too slowly and the ambitions of politicians are far too small for serious tech projects. The business of government generally, and more specifically in the arena of technology, must be in providing an enabling environment for businesses of all sizes to invest in the sector.

This country, which has long nursed ambitions of being the financial hub of the Caribbean archipelago, must address the long delayed issue of online payments, the first lubrication point for the establishment of a growth-poised tech sector.

The most immediate technology related challenge awaiting the new administration will be making sense of the PP government’s distribution of hundreds of thousands of laptops into the school system over the last five years.

I believe, quite sincerely, that it was both a smart and a good thing to do, despite the dramatic disconnect that emerged between the devices and classroom and teaching pedagogy. I’m an unabashed champion of putting powerful technology in front of young minds and for that reason alone; the project should be continued.

But the failures of the project must be addressed, and I must be frank, your — quite literally — old-school Minister of Education is not the person to drive a reevaluation of this initiative.

You’ve decided to be a Prime Minister of oversight instead of micromanagement. To do that, you will need to understand the nation you are governing through impartial, continuously updated data, not sanitised reports designed to inflate egos or cover vulnerable asses. And speaking of data, your party may have won the popular vote, but almost as many who had the franchise chose not to vote at all.

You must forgive my bluntness here, sir, but the PNM did less to win the election than the UNC did to lose it. Use technology to take the pulse of the people in your charge. A disturbing number of young citizens feel no connection with a bureaucracy they barely understand, far less support.

Create a moderated online chatroom and commit to spending an hour in it once a week to respond to questions about the country and your governance. Listen to what the people have to say and respond honestly and frankly. You’ll be surprised at what you discover about the T&T that lies just out of reach and beyond the campaign trail.

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Re: Governance under the Rowley Administration
« Reply #328 on: September 15, 2015, 03:35:46 PM »
Imbert: Jwala not a priority at this time
By Darren Bahaw and Renuka Singh, (Guardian).


Finance Minister Colm Imbert is set to review the tenure of Central Bank Governor Jwala Rambarran.

The move comes in the face of a pending audit by the Office of the Auditor General, which is expected to wrap up its exercise before year’s end, and a series of public complaints by financial institutions over the shortage of foreign currency.

The T&T Guardian understands that the State is seeking to use provisions of the Central Bank Act in order to remove Rambarran, who was appointed on July 13, 2012—for a five-year term—from office. The government would have to prove that he failed to conduct his duties or functions as prescribed by the Act.

The issues being raised against Rambarran include his implementation of a foreign exchange system that has created shortages for both the public and businesses and that under his watch the staff ballooned by over 200 people, Central Bank sources said.

Former Clico chairman Gerald Yetming, who was sacked on June 5, has called for Rambarran to be fired over his decision to terminate his (Yetming) and Carolyn John’s appointments at Clico.

Sources said former finance minister Larry Howai had requested a report from Rambarran regarding the sacking of Yetming and John but the report was only sent on September 7, the day of the general election.

The T&T Guardian has learned that Rambarran has already retained lawyers to sift through the Central Bank Act in order to defend his position as governor, should the question of his dismissal or suspension arise.

Central Bank insiders said under Rambarran’s tenure he stopped the bank’s monthly meeting with regulatory and financial institutions leaving them in the dark and with little option but to raise their concerns in public.

“We have never had such a scenario before,” said one long-standing Central Bank employee.

One of the key legacy items under Rambarran’s tenure, the issuance of a $50 note, which the bank spent a considerable sum to launch, has also hit several crippling hurdles, including the fact that Automatic Teller Machines, used by commercial banks, cannot dispense the new polymer note.

Sources said that the Central Bank suggested that commercial banks change their machines to accommodate the note, but this was rejected.

Imbert last night in an email exchange said his primary focus was preparing the 2016 budget.

“I have already made it clear on more than one occasion since being sworn in, including as recently as this morning on the radio, that my primary focus at this time is on preparing the 2016 budget, which, by law, I must have debated and passed by October latest.

“In the circumstances, why on earth would you think I would be ‘looking’ at something else, like this, at this time?” Imbert asked.

Communications Minister Maxie Cuffie told the T&T Guardian that he was unaware of such reports and referred the T&T Guardian to Imbert.

Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi said last night the matter had not been referred to him and also referred it back to Imbert.

In May last year, the People’s National Movement (PNM) openly criticised Rambarran for implementing a new foreign exchange system which led to critical shortages in the commercial banking sector.

The PNM said then that Rambarran’s new system had the potential to create a shortage and hoarding of US currency.

In a statement issued on Friday, the Central Bank responded to one of the questions posed by the T&T Guardian regarding the hiring of over 200 more staff under Rambarran’s tenure.

“As indicated in the Central Bank Annual Reports 2012, 2013 and 2014, the bank’s manpower numbers grew consistent with expanded accountabilities of the institution and improvements in operational efficiency,” the bank said.

It said the Financial Institutions Supervision Department (FISD) accounted for the second largest piece of the recruitment pie at 14 per cent.

This was primarily due to the bank’s expanding responsibility to supervise Systemically Important Financial Institutions (SIFIs)—Unit Trust Corporation (UTC), the National Insurance Board (NIB), Home Mortgage Bank (HMB), T&T Mortgage Finance Company (TTMF) and the Agricultural Development Bank (ADB)—as well as the increased importance of anti-money laundering efforts.

According to the bank’s statement, the newly-created Statistics Department accounted for approximately six per cent of the recruitments.

The bank established a Statistics Department in 2013 out of the Statistics Unit of the Research Department, as there was a need to streamline the statistical functions being undertaken by a number of bank departments.

It was apparent that these processes had inherent inefficiencies that led to delays in information dissemination, the bank said.

The bank also cited retirement as one of the reasons for the increased hires, saying that 38 per cent of employee separations over the past three years were as a result of retirements.

​MORE INFO

In June 2014, then Opposition MP Colm Imbert contributing to a motion on Government’s failure to deal effectively with the current foreign exchange crisis described Rambarran as an “on-the-job trainee.”

Imbert also accused Rambarran of having no experience managing a large organisation.

“I am speaking the truth and going to take full responsibility for that. The governor of the Central Bank has introduced a system where 90 per cent of the available foreign exchange is auctioned to 12 foreign exchange dealers, including foreign exchange dealers who have a very small customer base... giving large sums of foreign exchange to financial institutions that don’t need it,” Imbert said then.
« Last Edit: September 15, 2015, 03:39:09 PM by asylumseeker »

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Re: Governance under the Rowley Administration
« Reply #329 on: September 15, 2015, 03:38:26 PM »
Baptiste-Primus wants productivity linked to wage hikes
By Sean Nero, (Guardian).


The creation and ultimate implementation of systems to link productivity to higher wages in the public sector will be a priority of the Dr Keith Rowley administration, Labour Minister Jennifer Baptiste–Primus has said. “One important area that I would place before the tripartite committee is the development of a formula of linking wage increases to productivity,” she said during yesterday’s Showdown programme on I95.5FM.

“I remember a couple years ago, when I was president of the PSA (Public services Association) I had written the then minister of public administration indicating that we were prepared to sit and discuss how do we go about improving and increasing productivity in the public service: incentives, the kinds of tool and equipment, the work environment. There are certain factors that you have to pull together in order to develop that formula. That is an area of priority that I would want to place before the tripartite committee.”

Baptiste said her intent was to strengthen the small business development programme under her portfolio to further stimulate the economy and achieve a greater push toward economic diversification.

“As we all know, the backbone of any successful economy are the small businesses. And therefore, I would want to go in there (the ministry) see what is happening, what the statistic tells us, how much money has been loaned out for different businesses. Are these functioning loans? But how successful are these businesses for which the monies were loaned in term of their contribution to the economic activity of the country and there contribution to the employment rate?

“I have high expectations for this ministry. Very high benchmarks will be established. That can’t be done until an assessment is done on what is existing, at this time,” said the minister.

Baptiste-Primus said stated owned National Enterprise Development Company Limited (NEDCO) was the mechanism through which taxpayers were providing funds to be channelled in the form of start-up capital to citizens desirous of driving the motor of economic activity.

As such, she said citizens needed to know “whether or not those loans are being repaid? Whether or not there are lapses? What kind of mechanisms are in place to ensure this wheel continues to turn in a positive way?” Addressing the issue of income inequality, she said the matter would be put before the tripartite committee, which she insisted was an important organ and mechanism that would bring everyone on board. 

“We know the scale will never be equally balanced. That would be Utopian,” Baptiste-Primus said. “But at least people can earn what is popularly referred to as a living wage. When people work and they cannot sustain themselves, then there is a negative spin-off in the crime rate; in all the other negative areas of the society.”   

 

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