04 June

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George supports Govt’s reopening plan

in Interviews, Media, Tobago Business Chamber

“Lives before livelihoods.” That is Tobago Business Chamber’s take on Government’s phased reopening plan after most of the country was shut down to reduce the spread of COVID-19 weeks ago. Speaking with Tobago Today on the issue, the chamber’s chairman Martin George said the organisation fully supports Government’s plan as it’s “a measured and balanced attempt at reopening.” “The Tobago Business Chamber wishes to lend its support to the Government’s efforts to stage a phased reopening of the country...

04 June

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Economist suggests taxes based on business sizes, minister disagrees

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in Interviews, Media, Tobago Business Chamber

As the COVID-19 crisis highlighted the vast informal sector in T&T, Economist Dr Roger Hosein believes that one of the reasons companies stay informal is due to the high cost of doing business. He has recommended that as something the Roadmap Recovery Committee should pay close attention to. Hosein said one option that should be placed on the table when the Revenue Authority comes on stream is, “to encourage small firms to cross the border from informality into formality we would probably want to consider a lower tax rate, for example, for firms employing five or less people.” In response to the suggestion...

04 June

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Tobago chamber applauds decision to reopen stores

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in Interviews, Media, Tobago Business Chamber

The Tobago Business Chamber has welcomed the approach taken by the Government in speeding up the phased reopening of businesses in T&T, in light of the country’s position with COVID-19. Head of the organisation Martin George said the chamber appreciated the fact that business are opened and the economy can start moving once again. “As a business community we appreciate the fact that businesses basically are open, save and except a few, which would be bars, casinos etc, however the majority of retail businesses are able to now open and function so we appreciate that and we applaud that” he said. Meanwhile, George...

04 June

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Tobago Business Chamber welcomes reopening

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in Interviews, Media, Tobago Business Chamber

The Tobago Business Chamber has welcomed the approach taken by the government in speeding up the phased reopening of businesses, in light of the country’s position with COVID-19. Head of the organisation, Martin George, said they appreciated the fact that the economy can start moving once again. “As a business community we appreciate the fact that businesses basically are open, save and except a few, which would be bars, casinos etc. However the majority of retail businesses are able to now open and function so we appreciate that and we applaud that,” he said. Meanwhile, George is urging the Government and the Tobago...

04 June

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Tobago Business Chamber welcomes Trinis

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in Interviews, Media, Tobago Business Chamber

AFTER weeks of little to no revenue generated by tourism – the island's lifeblood – chairman of the Tobago Business Chamber Martin George was telling Trinis, “welcome, welcome, welcome,” as he responded to the Prime Minister’s announcement that Caribbean Airlines will expand flights to and from Tobago, in a bid to resume domestic tourism. “We invite you to come to Tobago. The beaches would be opened in a few days’ time so therefore you would be able to have your wonderful vacation right here in Tobago as normal. We welcome all Trinis because this is the best place, in fact it...

04 June

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Tobago’s wastage of taxpayers money happening for a long time

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in Media, Television Interviews, Tobago Business Chamber

Kyron Regis kyron.regis@guardian.co.tt The Chairman of the Tobago Business Chamber, Martin George has revealed that wastage in Tobago has been occurring for years. Speaking in an interview on CNC3’s the Morning Brew, George said: “They have a long history, a rich history of doing these kinds of things.” George was speaking in light of an article published in the Sunday Business Guardian, which highlighted the years of wastage by the Tobago House of Assembly (THA), particularly the Division of Tourism during 2012 to 2016. During that time present political leader of the Tobago Council of the PNM was the Secretary of Tourism and Transportation. It also...

03 June

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TOBAGO BUSINESS CHAMBER welcomes and encourages all Trinidadians to come to Tobago for vacation

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in Events, Occasions, Anniversaries and Celebrations, Media

[embed]https://youtu.be/33RRdD9R1hw[/embed] TOBAGO BUSINESS CHAMBER welcomes and encourages all Trinidadians to come to Tobago for vacation and the TOBAGO BUSINESS CHAMBER calls upon the Government to -: 1. Urgently increase the number of flights to and from Tobago as an essential service. 2. Facilitate ease of booking and purchasing of tickets on the inter- island ferry as too many people still have to line up for hours in the hot sun just to buy a ticket. 3. Speed up the actual disbursement of the Tobago Tourism Relief Grants to Hotels, Guesthouses and Bed & Breakfast establishments in Tobago; even if it means sticking to the...

15 May

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Tobago Chamber backs PM’s phased reopening

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in Media, Newspaper Articles

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...

11 May

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Tough times won’t last -Tobago Business Chamber

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in Events, Occasions, Anniversaries and Celebrations, Media

Tobago Business Chamber chairman Martin George is encouraging citizens to remain resilient in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. He is also urging them to obey the Government's Stay-at-Home order and other restrictions. "Tough times don't last, tough people do," George said in a statement. "We urge all members of the public and all members of the association and business persons in Tobago and Trinidad to try to ensure that there is compliance with the requirements that at the end of the day, we will all emerge from this bigger, better and stronger than before." He added, "Trinidad and Tobago, this is a time...

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...