12 December

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[UPDATED] PDP, IDA: Chief Secretary ‘lacks diplomacy’

PROGRESSIVE Democratic Patriots (PDP) political leader Watson Duke has blamed Chief Secretary Farley Augustine for the failure of the main Tobago autonomy bill in the Parliament. During debate on the pieces of legislation on December 9, the House of Representatives passed the Tobago Island Government Bill 2021 by a vote of 20-10, but failed to pass the Constitution (Amendment) (Tobago Self-Government) Bill 2020. The Constitution (Amendment) (Tobago Self-Government) Bill 2020 did not get the special three-fourths majority for passage as 21 government members voted for the bill and 16 opposition members voted against. The bill required at least 31 of the 41...

12 December

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Mixed reactions from Tobago stakeholders

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The rejection of the Tobago autonomy bills in Parliament has left the island’s politicians and stakeholders pointing fingers, with some saying the bills’ return to the House was nothing but a show. While some argued yesterday that political games and division caused their failure, others believe the bills wouldn’t have brought any real change. Tobago House of Assembly Minority Leader Kelvon Morris called the outcome a “deeply disappointing moment for Tobago,” placing blame squarely on the Opposition United National Congress (UNC) for prioritising “political self-interest” over the island’s push for greater self-governance. He also bashed Chief Secretary Farley Augustine for what he described...

12 December

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Tobago Chamber: Govt must clear the air

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The Government cannot stay silent and avoid accountability in the face of an allegation that there is half-a-billion dollars in cost overruns in the construction of the ANR Robinson International Airport terminal in Tobago, says Tobago Business Chamber chairman Martin George. He said any normal responsible Government would provide transparency, adding that failure to give an account will lead to calls for a criminal charges to be laid or a public enquiry. “In relation to the allegations of cost overruns on the Tobago airport project, it would appear that a reasonable and prudent course of action would be for the Government to...

07 December

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George: $42M drug bust in Tobago ‘a drop in the bucket’

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Chairman of the Tobago Business Chamber, Martin George, says the $42 million drug bust in Tobago is just a drop in the bucket, as it relates to crime detection on the island. Police believe the narcotics and firearms, which were found during a police operation at Pigeon Point Beach on Monday night, were en route to another Caribbean island. Two suspects were arrested during the bust and are expected to be charged soon. Martin George told Guardian Media that drugs are the driving force behind violent crimes in Tobago. He believes there is a lot more work to be done by the police. “I am...

07 December

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Kamla, Rowley spar on Tobago airport project

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Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley and Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar are now in a war of words on the ANR Robinson Airport expansion project in Tobago. This, as Rowley accused Persad-Bissessar of making a “scandalous outburst and torrent of baseless allegations” in the wake of her accusations of mismanagement and corruption on the project by Government. In a WhatsApp message yesterday, Persad-Bissessar doubled down on accusations first made at a United National Congress cottage meeting in Las Lomas on Monday night. Calling for a criminal probe of the project, she asserted Government has been misleading the public about the project’s escalating costs....

07 December

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Farley lauds police for historic $42M drug bust

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Chief Secretary Farley Augustine has credited recent leadership changes within the T&T Police Service’s Tobago Division for Monday’s historic $42 million narcotics haul at Pigeon Point and the recent decline in serious crimes. In fact, Augustine said this is the level of performance he has been advocating for. “This is the biggest step in restoring confidence in the public,” he said yesterday, commending the division for executing Tobago’s largest-ever drug and weapons seizure. “This kind of find further justifies the THA’s spend and support for the TTPS, the Defence Force, and all of the security machinery on the island… It shows how the...

12 November

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RBC defends its credit card limits

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RBC insists that the recent foreign exchange limits announced for its credit cards are necessary in the face of a steady increase in foreign currency transactions with no corresponding increase in supply. The Canadian-based bank said, like any financial institution, it regularly reviews the forex limits on clients’ credit cards and realised it would have to implement limits effective December 1. In response to questions from Guardian Media, RBC said, “We understand this situation may cause inconvenience, and we deeply empathise with our clients who rely on foreign currency for their personal and business needs. We also recognise the holiday months are...

07 November

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Tancoo accuses Govt of supporting “forex cabal”

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The Opposition United National Congress (UNC) has accused the Government of having a vested interest in promoting and facilitating black market forex transactions in the country. Speaking at the UNC’s weekly media conference in Chaguanas yesterday, Member of Parliament Davendrenath Tancoo said the Government’s forex distribution policies are designed to enrich its financiers and friends at the expense of small and medium businesses and common people. Tancoo, the opposition’s shadow finance minister, called the businesses, who he alleged were benefitting, the “foreign exchange cabal.” “Monopolies have been created, simply because they can access foreign exchange but others in the same type of industry...

04 November

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Tobago business groups: SMEs feeling forex pinch

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SMALL and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Tobago are being gravely affected by the shortage of foreign exchange in the country, says Tobago Chamber of Industry and Commerce president Curtis Williams. There has been mounting concern among businessmen within recent weeks that the limited access to foreign exchange could affect the importation of certain food items, possibly prompting higher prices ahead of the hectic Christmas season. Businessmen are also calling on Finance Minister Colm Imbert to help ameliorate the situation by pushing for the private banking sector to review how it distributes foreign exchange. In an interview on November 2, Williams said the shortage...

19 October

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Tobago Business Chamber urges PSC: Reveal criteria to assess top police

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AS murders and other violent crimes continue unabated, the Tobago Business Chamber is calling on the Police Service Commission (PSC) to reveal publicly the criteria by which the performance of the Police Commissioner and her executive team are assessed. “As crime continues to spiral out of control and the murder rate continues to skyrocket, we, in Trinidad and Tobago need to all take a mature, responsible, sober look at what we are doing in terms of our fight against crime and what we can do better to improve our effectiveness and efficiency in terms of stemming the bloodletting and the tide...