21 October

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RIC’s proposed electricity rate hike: Tobago chamber chairman damn vex

in Newspaper Articles, Tobago Business Chamber

Electricity rate hike TOBAGO stakeholders outright condemned the Regulated Industries Commission’s (RIC) recommendations for increasing electricity rates across the board to T&TEC customers. They are calling on citizens to reject these proposals, saying it will lead to further suffering. Describing the move as a “slap in the face” of the average consumer, the Tobago Business Chamber said the reasons advanced by the RIC for the proposed hikes – increasing efficiency and productivity – made no sense. Chamber chairman Martin George did not mince his words as he claimed T&TEC had a history of wasting billions of dollars. “Yet still you are telling me that...

17 October

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Police ‘monitoring’ PriceSmart credit card incident

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in Newspaper Articles, Tobago Business Chamber

Police 'monitoring' PriceSmart credit card incident POLICE ARE "monitoring developments" over last week's discovery that unknown charges were made to PriceSmart customers' credit card accounts on Friday, with reimbursements falling short of the original figure. Since the incident, there have been calls on social media for the matter to be investigated. In a brief response to a query from Newsday through the corporate communications unit, the office of the ACP White Collar Crime Division said: "No formal report has been made on this matter to the best of my knowledge. But we are monitoring the developments." While the police may not be...

17 October

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Tobago Business Chamber calls on Government: Resolve Registrar General ‘debacle’ by week’s end

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in Newspaper Articles, Tobago Business Chamber

Tobago Business Chamber calls on Government: Resolve Registrar General 'debacle' by week's end THE Tobago Business Chamber wants the “debacle” involving the Registrar General’s department in Trinidad and the Deputy Registrar General (Tobago) to be resolved by the end of this week. On Friday, THA Chief Secretary Farley Augustine called on the Prime Minster and Attorney General Reginald Armour, SC, to investigate swiftly why Tobagonians were being prevented from accessing services of the Registrar General’s department. In a statement from his office, Augustine said he had received numerous complaints from Tobagonians about their inability to access services from the department. He also said he...

16 October

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George: Something is terribly amiss with Registrar General’s Office

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in Newspaper Articles, Tobago Business Chamber

George: Something is terribly amiss with Registrar General's Office Attorney-at-law and chairman of the Tobago Business Chamber Martin George condemns the ongoing debacle where the Tobago Registrar General’s office has been locked out of access to the registrar general’s department computer, system and database. He told Guardian Media yesterday that something seemed to be amiss and called on the Government to have services to Tobago restored by the end of this week. “It is really a situation that needs immediate attention and rectification and if it is that there has to be some investigations that lead to charges of misbehaviour in public office,...

04 October

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Business Chamber head on budget: THA needs to source extra $$

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in Newspaper Articles, Tobago Business Chamber

Business Chamber head on budget: THA needs to source extra $$ Chairman of the Tobago Business Chamber Martin George has described the island’s $2.585 billion allocation in the 2024 national budget as “fairly consistent.” On Monday, Finance Minister Colm Imbert presented the budget in the House of Representatives. For Tobago, he said $2.298 million has been allocated for recurrent expenditure, $260 million for the development programme and $18 million for the Unemployment Relief Programme. He said the allocation was $64.2 million more than last year's. In June, the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) requested $4.54 billion. Responding to Newsday via a pre-recorded WhatsApp video on...

02 October

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Attorney for accident victim’s family awaits OSHA report on NiQuan fire

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in Newspaper Articles

Attorney for accident victim's family awaits OSHA report on NiQuan fire Attorney Martin George has described as “interesting” evidence allegedly advanced in court on the death of Massy Energy employee, Allanlane Ramkissoon, at NiQuan’s gas-to-liquids Pointe-a-Pierre plant in June. George was responding to a newspaper article which quoted excerpts from an affidavit attributed to NiQuan’s founder Ainsley Gill. George represents Ramkissoon’s family. He said it appeared NiQuan’s evidence suggested that the Massy Energy employee, who eventually died of burns he received in an incident at the GTL plant, was responsible for the accident and negligent in the actions he took on that day. However,...

29 September

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Tobago Business Chamber: Stakeholders must be included in cross-party crime talks

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in Newspaper Articles, Tobago Business Chamber

Tobago Business Chamber: Stakeholders must be included in cross-party crime talks THE Tobago Business Chamber has called for stakeholder involvement in any proposed crime discussion between the government and Opposition. In applauding Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s decision to meet with the government to discuss the worsening crime situation, the chamber’s chairman Martin George said on Wednesday, “Each day, we read of more horrendous and horrific murders being committed with impunity, most of them with guns and some of them with high-powered assault rifles. We need to all work together to find solutions and we see this as an important first step.” H continued,...

25 September

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Second cargo ferry coming

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in Newspaper Articles, Tobago Business Chamber

Second cargo ferry comingWithin ‘14 to 18 months’, says Sinanan Head of the Tobago Business Chamber Martin George has welcomed Friday’s announcement by Works and Transport Minister Rohan Sinanan that if all goes well, within 14-18 months, Trinidad and Tobago should have a new custom-built cargo vessel to service the inter-island seabridge. “As a Tobago Business Chamber, we have said repeatedly that there is need for a second cargo vessel, so if this will now be a second cargo vessel, in addition to the Cabo Star, then that is very much needed and most welcomed on the route between Trinidad and Tobago,”...

19 September

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Business chambers: Government should focus on crime in October 2 budget

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in Newspaper Articles

Business chambers: Government should focus on crime in October 2 budget The Fyzabad Chamber of commerce and the Couva Chamber of commerce are calling for more investment in crime fighting and no more new taxes in the upcoming budget, carded to be presented in Parliament on October 2. Angela Jairam, Fyzabad Chamber president and CEO of DNA & Associates Ltd, said while other issues needed to be dealt with – such as implementing high-tech farming to attract young people, developing the tourism sector and increasing talent in vocational courses such as carpentry – none of those issues would be treated with fully...

18 September

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Tobago Chamber head calls for more vibrant agri sector

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in Newspaper Articles, Tobago Business Chamber

Tobago Chamber head calls for more vibrant agri sector The Tobago Business Chamber believes the current challenges surrounding inter-island cargo transportation highlight a larger issue – a need for a better established agricultural sector in Tobago. Chamber President Martin George said there was little evidence to support claims that Tobago was suffering food shortages as the MV Cabo Star undergoes repairs following a fire onboard the vessel in August. But, he said, what’s clear is that food production on the island requires urgent attention. Bridgemans Services Group (BSG), who owns the Cabo Star, has supplied interim cargo ship the MV Emprendedora, which has...