View Point

“[…] While the government has made much of fiscal consolidation and social spending, it has left precious little fiscal or strategic room to manoeuvre should Trinidad and Tobago find itself caught in the crossfire of a conflict between Venezuela and the United States. “Regardless of the duration or intensity of …

“[…] Yes, the tone of the budget is firm and unapologetic. It calls out past failures and demands accountability. Some may find that harsh, but others will see it as necessary. “[…] This budget speaks to real people. It offers relief at the gas pump, in the pharmacy, in the …

“True ignorance is not the absence of knowledge, but the refusal to acquire it.” Karl Popper, Austrian-British philosopher. The recent S&P Rating is not a new and startling event for Trinidad and Tobago. While many may have focused on the national outcome, we may have missed the reality that some …

Recently, the Attorney General, Senator John Jeremie SC, announced that the State had decided to discontinue an appeal against a High Court judgment in which the Court condemned the forcible retrieval of a citizen of Trinidad and Tobago from Barbados, by Trinidad and Tobago law enforcement, in circumstances where he …

“[…] The Ministry of Finance website provides budget statements from 2002 onwards. Diversification is mentioned in each budget statement. All 23 years. Undoubtedly, diversification will feature in Budget 2026 when it is read in the coming weeks. “[…] This is not to say that there have been no changes since …

“[…] The frustration in Greenvale, however, runs deeper than a single Sunday blackout. The community already feels utterly abandoned. The general election, which promised so much, has long passed, leaving a vacuum where change was supposed to be. “[…] We need some level of professionalism, which starts not with a …

Co-incidentally with the event described below, drawing talent from the diaspora has been in the news. The Government has passed legislation to allow persons to obtain Trinidad and Tobago citizenship through a grandparent who was a citizen at time of the applicant’s birth. The immediate benefit of this legislation is …

“[…] Now, Trinidad and Tobago is a shadow of its former self, undermined by a lack of innovative leadership, perceived corruption, crime, poor infrastructure and most of all, a culture that has transformed itself into rewarding mediocrity rather than excellence. “[…] Evidence-based decision-making is critical in achieving service excellence… [For …

“[…] At first glance, this might sound like the end of Jack Warner’s ordeal. If the court sets him free, why not get on a plane and resume life abroad? “The reality is far harsher: Warner’s freedom would be limited to Trinidad and Tobago. Step outside, and he risks arrest …

“[…] On 23 September, Justice Karen Reid ruled that the extradition process against him was flawed and has permanently stopped it. “This outcome raises troubling questions. Does justice in our country depend on access to resources and influence? What role will Warner now be given under our new Prime Minister? …

“[…] When a sitting minister hires some of the most expensive lawyers in the country, the public has a right to ask: is this coming out of his pocket, his political party’s pocket, or ours? “If he is paying personally: fair enough… If his political party or donors are paying, that …

Last week, in light of the current United States naval presence in Caribbean waters, I posed a question about sovereignty, to which I return below. However, I must begin this week noting that the National Gas Company (NGC), a premier state enterprise, has pelted both the Minister of Education, Dr …