Category Archives: Business

Conflict of Interest in Award of Contract to Minister King’s Family Firm?

BREAKING NEWS: Prime Minister Fires Mary King

UPDATE: MAY 10, 2011

Minister Mary KingThe appointment of Minister and Senator Mrs. Mary King was revoked, today, 10th May, 2010 by the President, His Excellency George Maxwell Richards on advice of the Prime Minister. Mrs. King held the portfolio of Senator and Minister of Planning, Economic and Social Restructuring and Gender Affairs from May 28th, 2010.

Developing…
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A year pregnant with possibilities

By Raffique Shah
January 02, 201
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Raffique ShahBARRING being victims of unpredictable natural disasters or another global economic “meltdown”, Trinidad and Tobago seems set to enjoy an encouraging 2011. There will be no boom similar to what we wallowed in from 2005 to 2007. The crime rate will not drop precipitously because of a change of heart among heartless criminals (surely an oxymoron), or a significant improvement in the policing and justice systems. Poverty will not disappear. The nation’s roads won’t be transformed into highways to heaven.
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A nation of unrealised potential

By Raffique Shah
December 19, 2010

Raffique Shah“Gobar in de mansions, gobar on de ground

“Gobar in de country, gobar in de town…”

(David Rudder, “The Savagery”, 1998)

SOME people who have the power to effect change and the courage to pursue noble goals with great enthusiasm, often find themselves stumped by the savagery they encounter when they tackle seemingly intractable problems. Trinidadians (more so than Tobagonians) are a strange people. We are mostly warm, friendly, helpful, and sometimes generous to a fault.
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Magistrate: Minister to set bar hours

By Anna-Lisa Paul
December 17, 2010 – newsday.co.tt

BarDespite assertions by Port-of-Spain Mayor Louis Lee Sing that bars in his mayoral district will stop selling liquor at midnight, a senior magistrate yesterday said the court’s hands were tied as it pertains to the law governing the granting of liquor licences.

Chairman of the Licensing Committee for the St George and environs district, Senior Magistrate Lucina Cardenas-Ragoonanan said only the respective minister can give effect to restrict hours for the sale of alcohol. The Ministry of Legal Affairs is the ministry under whose purview the granting of bar and liquor licences fall.
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I spy, with my electronic eye…

By Raffique Shah
November 20, 2010

Raffique ShahAs I write this column, Government is before Parliament presenting the Interception of Communications bill, which it expects to pass in a marathon sitting. Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar said she hoped to get support from the opposition PNM, which I feel certain she will.
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Kamla’s Aid Comments on Target

By Dr. Kwame Nantambu
November 16, 2010

Aid?Within recent times, a plethora of unfounded, misleading and misconstrued remarks/opinions have been levelled at and/or against Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s aid comments in the aftermath of hurricane Tomas’ devastation/destruction in some Caricom countries.
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TT aid for foreign imports

By George Alleyne
November 10 2010 – newsday.co.tt

Eric WilliamsIt was late Prime Minister Dr Eric Williams, who, on December 2, 1977, first brought to the attention of a shocked Trinidad and Tobago that aid money from this country to several Caricom Member States was being used to purchase foreign imports at the expense of goods and services from Trinidad and Tobago.
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Trade Union Leaders Need to Chill

By Dr. Kwame Nantambu
November 01, 2010

PSA ProtestLess than one year has elapsed and now one sees that trade union leaders and others are pointing their acerbic artillery at the newly-elected People’s Partnership (PP) government. Indeed, such action is totally unwarranted, unwise and un-Trinbagonian, to say the least.

The powers that be in these unions/associations need to realize and understand very clearly that the mammoth, outstanding sums of money owed to them are the wicked/vindictive legacy of the former PNM government under Patrick Manning.
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Riding into the valley of death

By Raffique Shah
October 31, 2010

Raffique ShahTHERE are few reasons why the People’s Partnership Government should portray itself as a victim of circumstances the way the NAR did in 1986. Back then, Ray Robinson and his “party of parties” inherited an almost empty treasury. The George Chambers government had faced declining oil prices from OPEC-driven “highs” in 1973-77 to “lows” by the time Chambers assumed power in 1981.
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