The recent announcement by the government to divest state assets has stimulated some conversations on the role of the state in the economy. In my opinion these conversations have been fairly limited given the magnitude and range of the divestment, including the Hilton Trinidad, Magdalena Grand Beach and Golf Resort, …

There is an old adage that says: “a wise man learns from the mistakes of others, while a fool learns from their own mistakes.” This seems fairly commonsense. If one sees someone else undertake an action which results in negative consequences, it would be foolhardy to expect a different result …

In 2005, Thomas Schelling won the Nobel Prize in Economics for his work on cooperation and conflict. Schelling’s work largely highlighted the importance of individual actions to collective outcomes. The idea is simple. As individuals, we all make decisions and these decisions lead to a collective outcome for communities, for …

Having just celebrated 64 years of independence, discussions as to whether Trinidad and Tobago is better off since gaining independence and if T&T could have done better have been at the fore. I have decided to add my voice to this debate for two reasons. First, as assistant professor at …

Some years ago, I lived and worked in Sierra Leone. I arrived in the capital, Freetown, just ten years after a decade-long civil war.  The war was brutal. According to estimates 50,000 – 75,000 died, 20,000 had limbs amputated, 2 – 2.5 million were displaced, and hundreds of thousands of …

Racial tensions are running high in Trinidad and Tobago at the moment. It is sad—heart-breaking really. Our “leaders” have descended into the language of c-words, n-words and percentages. But what about the T-word? Tolerance: that powerful watch word handed to us by our nation’s founders. Or togetherness: “together we aspire, …

A few years ago, Michal Teja captured hearts and titles with his hit song, DNA. At the time, I was living abroad and remember being moved by the line: “freedom in we DNA”. I was moved by that line as the Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Palestine conflicts brewed, and what could be …

A popular quote attributed to Benjamin Franklyn aptly summarises the situation that Trinidad and Tobago finds itself in: “He that goes a borrowing goes a sorrowing.” These cautionary words warn that relying on debt often leads to stress, and the heavy burden of repayment for the person borrowing. The same …

On 30 August 1962, speaking at a youth rally, Dr Eric Williams stated the now famous words: “You carry the future of Trinidad and Tobago in your school bags.” Dr Williams’ address linked our nation’s success directly to education and the development of our youth. And we have much to …

In 1937 Trinidad and Tobago, life was not easy. Worker abuse, underpayment of workers, and overt racism were not uncommon. The economy was in decline, affected by the great depression globally. Living standards of the working class fell considerably. Conditions were ripe for social unrest—and importantly, for change. There had …

Speaking at Indian Arrival Day celebrations in Penal on 30th May 2026, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar called for national unity. She stated that: “We have no Mother India, we have no Mother Africa, we have no Mother China, no Mother Europe, no mother other nation. What we have is Mother …

In 1942, Austrian economist Joseph Schumpeter coined the term ‘creative destruction’. It describes a process where innovative products, technologies, and business models continuously replace outdated ones. New firms and jobs are created, and old ones die. In Trinidad and Tobago, we experienced creative destruction in the past century. Sugar (and …