The proceeds of our oil and gas production are no longer sustaining the high life. As they say in Grenada, “the money can’t reach.” For decades there has much talk about diversification of the economy, but no action. This is a pity because we have other oil. I refer to the …
Read More »Off the Cuff-ie: Maxie talks decentralisation, gov’t bottlenecks and La Horquetta/Talparo
“Port of Spain is a city and for it to work it requires a certain number of (foot) traffic,” Minister of Public Administration and Communications Maxie Cuffie told Wired868. “You have stores and businesses that depend on it and property rentals (too). So it is important that we bring people …
Read More »Satirical take on how Colm is undertaking to diversify economy
The following satirical Letter to the Editor was sent to Wired868 by Niala Maharaj: (Scene: The Right Honourable Colm Imbert, Minister of Finance, addresses Parliament). Mr Speaker, My friends on the other side claim our government is failing to manage the economy properly. This is absolutely untrue. Oil and gas …
Read More »Battle against be-suited bandits: Raffique wades into price-gouging groceries
I find it almost amusing that some grocers who are caught dipping their greedy hands deep 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 …
Read More »Yes, Prime Minister: Colm on economics, distraction and pleb… eh… people power
Scene: Office of the Prime Minister. There is a knock on the door. Dr Keith Rowley: Yes, come in. (The Finance Minister strolls in with a broad smile). Colm Imbert: Good day, Dr Prime Minister. How are you doing today? How is the back? Keithos: Yes, I’m fine. The back …
Read More »The Politics of Labour: why Governments fear Trade Unions
I want to start by quoting some comments on the impact of wage increases on the economy. High wages wrenched by the trade union movement, led to capital intensive investment since investors preferred to use more machinery rather than pay the high cost of labour High wages were jacking up …
Read More »T&T’s future lies in family farms: Raffique points way forward for agricultural industry
Trinidad and Tobago will never achieve full food security. We could, however, substantially increase the production of foods and fruits that we are good at growing. But first we must convince the majority of the population that we should eat what we produce. Even if we reverse our addiction to …
Read More »Ask Mr Live Wire: Online taxes, gov’t corruption and gas and vehicle price hikes
In keeping with our efforts to engage readers, Mr Live Wire agreed to answer questions from random guests via Skype. The following were the satirical results: Balisier-baby: Mr Live Wire, I understand the reasoning behind all theses taxes eh. It’s because those crooked UNC politicians thief all we money! But …
Read More »Radicalising chance for change: how Sammy’s example can help T&T economy
Among the many points to be distilled from the West Indies’ Twenty20 victories is that the solution to any Caribbean problem often lies beyond the boundary of the problem as usually defined. This is as true of our cricket as it is of our economy, politics or, indeed, any other …
Read More »Going on the same way: Daly looks at enduring criminal and economic blights
I have noted with interest the Prime Minister’s statement that it is unacceptable for citizens to be gunned down in cold blood. This was followed by a statement from the Minister of National Security expressing concern about killing and brutality across the country. Regular readers of my columns and those …
Read More »$40,000 can’t celebrate anything! Archbishop Burke and the gimme culture
When I was in the Senate, in 1996, I spoke and voted in favour of the grant of the Spiritual Shouter Baptist Liberation holiday, which was celebrated again last Wednesday. At the, time I referred with affection to Earl Lovelace’s great literary work, The Wine of Astonishment, which tells of …
Read More »Doomed to importing foods: Raffique points to economic risks of our diet
Recently, there has been much noise over Trinidad and Tobago’s capacity to produce the foods that we eat. I use the word “noise” instead of discussion or debate because so much of what is said and written is uninformed. With the economy in full-blown recession and foreign exchange inadequate to …
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