19 June

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Tobago autonomy ‘gimmickry’

Chairman of the Tobago Business Chamber Martin George is calling on Tobago to put aside its obsession with self-governance and focus first on its economic independence. In a video sent via WhatsApp on Monday, George said if Tobago gets financial independence, all others would fall into place. George said it is “unfortunate and regrettable” that there seems to be an imbroglio over the question of the Tobago autonomy bill. “The fact of the matter is that when one considers the scenario in Tobago, the more important aspects that persons should be focussing on is to try to ensure that there is economic and...

25 May

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Tobago association advises hoteliers to take Government ‘s grant terms

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in Interviews, Newspaper Articles

Chairman of the Tobago Business Chamber Martin George says Tobago hoteliers should accept Government’s terms and conditions to access the $50 million COVID-19 hotels’ upgrade grant facility. In a statement on Saturday, the Tobago Hotel and Tourism Association (THTA) expressed disappointment over the distribution of the grant. The association said: “We reject the proposed grant distribution outright.” THTA said the grant gave hoteliers with less room more money and made the criteria for accessing the funds, burdensome. ‘This could be the end for many small and medium-sized businesses, most of whom were already suffering before the pandemic hit Trinidad and Tobago,” the hotel association...

15 May

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Tobago Chamber backs PM’s phased reopening

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IN contrast to its Trinidad counterpart, the Tobago Business Chamber has endorsed the Prime Minister’s phased approach to lifting the stay-at-home orders in place to curb the spread of covid19. Speaking with Newsday on Thursday, Tobago Business Chamber chairman Martin George said the chamber recognises the Government’s reopening of the country “is something that could not have been done all at once” as the threat of covid19 still exists. “In very much the same way that we had a phased closing down, we have to have a phased reopening,” George said. CEO of the TT Chamber Gabriel Faria last week criticised he Government's...

09 May

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Tracy: Executive Council still functioning

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in Media, Newspaper Articles

Health Secretary Tracy Davidson-Celestine said the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) Executive Council remains functioning in the absence of a sitting chief secretary. Davidson-Celestine was responding to attorney Martin George’s view that since the resignation of Kelvin Charles, the non-appointment of a new chief secretary has rendered the Executive Council dormant. In a WhatsApp voice note on Friday, George said the existing THA Act does not address the voluntary resignation of a sitting chief secretary. “At this point, there is no Executive Council of the THA in existence because under the THA Act, it specifically states that the Executive Council comprises the chief...

11 April

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MAN CLAIMS HE WAS SHOT BY POLICE FOR BREACHING STAY AT HOME ORDERS

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Guardian Media Report A man from Charlotteville, Tobago, who was allegedly shot by a police officer for allegedly breaching ongoing Stay-at-Home regulations due to the COVID-19 pandemic, has threatened to sue the State. Attorneys representing Zauvghan Benjamin, of Belle Aire Road, Charlotteville, made the threat in a pre-action protocol letter sent to National Security Minister Stuart Young on Thursday. In the letter, attorney Janelle Ramsaroop claimed that on April 6, Benjamin was standing in his relative’s yard at J.D Elder Drive in Charlotteville when he noticed a police vehicle driving on the road. Ramsaroop admitted that Benjamin ran upon seeing the officers but claimed...

11 April

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Tobago discount store owner starts legal action against police

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The owner of a popular wholesale and discount store in Tobago has written to National Security Minister Stuart Young over being threatened by police to close his business under ongoing COVID-19 regulations. Lawyers representing Phillip Almandoz, the managing director of Miles Almandoz and Company Limited, of Wilson Road in Scarborough, made the complaint in a pre-action protocol letter sent to Young, earlier this morning. "We are writing to you as line Minister with authority over the TTPS so that they may cease and desist from their planned quixotic pursuit of this intention to close down our client's business," attorney Martin George said...

27 March

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Man wrongfully arrested 3 times for child support

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A TOBAGO man has initiated legal action against the State for wrongful arrest, false imprisonment and breach of his rights. The man was arrested three times by police on alleged outstanding maintenance orders when there were none against him. Attorneys Martin George and Janelle Ramsaroop on Wednesday issued a pre-action protocol letter to the Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi on behalf of Curtis Carrington. Carrington is the father of one child who turned 21 in March. The periods for which it is alleged he owed were long after his child turned 18. The letter said around 2011, his ex-wife took him to court for maintenance...

10 March

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Judge warns of crisis in health sector because of Nursing Council impasse

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A HIGH COURT judge has warned that the health care sector could find itself in crisis mode if decisions taken by the Nursing Council between April to early October 2019 are not ratified. Justice Frank Seepersad has also urged that elections for the council’s executive be held as a matter of urgency.” In a decision on Monday, Seepersad voided all the decisions made by the council from April 19 to early October 2019, saying they were invalid since the council did not have the power to hold over in office after the expiration of its term. The council’s three-year term ended on April...