Category Archives: Recession

Finance, Food, General T&T, Recession

Battle against be-suited bandits

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By Raffique Shah
April 21, 2016

Raffique ShahI find it almost amusing that some grocers who are caught dipping their greedy hands deep inside the inside consumers’ pockets, cry foul when their names and outrageously high prices are exposed through advertisements posted by the Consumer Affairs Division of the Ministry of Trade.

In immediate response to being named as selling certain foodstuff way above the norm in the business, they claim the prices attributed to their establishments were wrong, and they issued “corrected” versions that were between $5 and $10 cheaper-per item.
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Finance, General T&T, PNM, Politics, Recession

E-shopping levy not a right click

16 Comments

Newsday Editorial
April 13, 2016 – newsday.co.tt

Online ShoppingTHE GOVERNMENT is proposing a seven percent levy on online purchases. Shoppers have described the move as unfair, but Minister of Finance Colm Imbert has defended it, saying it would ease foreign exchange pressures, reduce revenue leakage, and divert buyers to local products. But not so. The levy is one tax too many.
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Finance, Food, General T&T, Health, Politics, Recession

Descent into imports-dependence

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By Raffique Shah
April 05, 2016
Posted: April 10, 2016

Raffique ShahWhat I established last week was that Trinidad and Tobago, like most small island states that were once colonised by imperial powers, relies heavily on imported foods for its sustenance.

All our staples-grains (wheat, rice, maize), dairy products (milk, cheese, butter), sugar, edible oils, white potatoes, beans and pulses-come from abroad, mainly North America, the EU, Australia and New Zealand.
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Finance, General T&T, Health, Media, PNM, Politics, Recession, Recession

Grow up, take responsibility

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Deyalsingh’s tough message after austere mid-term budget

By Adrian Boodan
Sunday, April 10, 2016 – guardian.co.tt

Terrence DeyalsinghIt’s time that nationals grow up and take some responsibility for T&T, says Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh.

Deyalsingh was at the time fielding questions from the media when he attended a health and fitness fair hosted by the Couva Point Lisas Chamber of Commerce, on Saturday, at the Chamber’s building at Camden Road.
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Finance, General T&T, Media, Parliament, PNM, Politics, Recession

Online shoppers: 7% tax unfair

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By JANELLE DE SOUZA
April 10, 2016 – newsday.co.tt

Online ShoppingThe seven percent levy on online purchases of goods and services scheduled to take effect by September will probably not slow down online shopping simply because local prices are too high.

Some regular online shoppers to overseas retail companies questioned the move by the Government to further tax online shoppers as they already pay a 20 percent duty and Value Added Tax on these items when they arrive in the country.
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Finance, General T&T, PNM, Politics, Recession

Destiny in our hands

45 Comments

By Raffique Shah
January 27, 2016

Raffique ShahAs a nation, we can do nothing about the plunging price of oil except watch with alarm as crude slides below US $30 a barrel.

Even if we ramp up production, which has fallen by approximately 50 per cent over the past decade, it will make little sense. At this point, it might be better to leave the oil in the wells rather than sell it for peanuts.
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Finance, Food, General T&T, PNM, Recession

Citizens to pay more for food

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No more VAT for 1,300 businesses

By Richard Lord
January 11, 2016 – guardian.co.tt

Colm ImbertFinance Minister Colm Imbert reads the price of oil from his cellphone while Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley looks on attentively during the sitting of Parliament yesterday. PHOTO: MARCUS GONZALES

While an estimated 1,300 businesses will no longer have to pay Value Added Tax (VAT) from next month, thousands of citizens will have to dig deeper in their pockets to buy several items, such as rice (except parboiled and boiled), flour (except all purpose and wheat), coffee, orange and grapefruit juices, mauby, tea and tomato ketchup.
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Finance, General T&T, PNM, Politics, Recession, UNC

‘do so ent like so’

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By Raffique Shah
December 29, 2015

Raffique ShahI am surprised that so many people are surprised by the termination of services-firing, suspension, the euphemistically-couched “sent on administrative leave”-of several senior government officials, the most prominent being Governor of the Central Bank, Jwala Rambarran.

Clearing the politically-constructed State-stables of partisan appointees is a ritual that occurs every time a government changes.
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Crime in T&T, Finance, General T&T, Media, Opposition Party, PNM, Politics, Recession, UNC

Why Jwala had to go

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By Anthony Wilson
December 26, 2015 – guardian.co.tt

Jwala RambarranAt its weekly meeting on Wednesday, Cabinet took a decision to request the President to terminate the appointment of former Central Bank Governor, Jwala Rambarran, in accordance with sections 12(e) and 12(g) of the Central Bank Act, Finance Minister Colm Imbert said in a statement on Thursday.
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