“Thank God for decisions made to stimulate drilling […] by the Kamla Persad- Bissessar government… Instead of benefitting from flowing gas today, we might well have been on our knees, eating grass.” (Dr Bhoe Tewarie, Trinidad Express, 13 March.) An astounding statement with subtexts! What exactly is he saying and …
Read More »‘Every mickle mek a muckle!’ How to safeguard yourself financially in tough economic times
“Right now you’re in survival mode, firmly planted in the present. All annuities should stop. Any other retirement saving or investing should cease. “[…] The vultures are coming. Apparently it’s feeding season for everybody from insurance agents to car salesmen when they know a few thousand people on our little …
Read More »Noble: Past actions compromise fiscal sustainability; the cost of political trade-offs
The Dr Roodal Moonilal Ramai Trace SDMS Primary School (Sunday Express, 13 January) is a prime example of our need to examine public spending. In 2013, the school ostensibly bestowed naming rights on the MP for the TT$350,000 raised from businessmen in the area to purchase the land. Construction reportedly …
Read More »Noble: We can make it if we try; reason for hope amidst despair in T&T
Four days before Christmas, a video showing Mister Shak and Myron Bruce visiting an apparently bedridden Black Stalin was posted. The significance of the event is the evident caring support of Patsy Calliste, who invited the guys plus their enthusiasm to cheer our brother. Being kind and generous, they were …
Read More »Demming: Rowley must communicate vision to T&T and show he is ready to lead
I believe many people want a leader who is able to form a human connection with them using both words and deeds. So my single wish for 2019 is a leader who communicates with us this way. The last time I heard our leader speak was at the PNM Convention …
Read More »Noble: T&T citizens have not even an orange to suck in bitter economic times
As children, we all took a ‘purge’ during the August school vacations, but our mothers gave us an orange to take away the bitter taste. Now we do not even have a sour orange as—according to Minister Franklin Khan, during his discussion of the latest twist in the Petrotrin saga—we …
Read More »Demming’s memo to ex-Petrotrin workers: “Assess finances carefully… and remember whose fault this is”
Good day, former Petrotrin worker. Today marks the end of life as you knew it for the past whatever number of years you worked proudly for Petrotrin. Today, you awake with an emptiness deep in your soul and a lack of clarity about your future. You are not even assured that …
Read More »Dear Editor: Five reasons the worst is yet to come in T&T
Recent events in Trinidad and Tobago like the closing of Petrotrin and many other examples have signalled that we are in crisis. For some, we are seeing a crisis of leadership, for others, we are seeing a crisis of governance. It is hard to deny that our future is uncertain. …
Read More »Dr Farrell: Taking Responsibility; why the Petrotrin disaster is a very Trini malaise that may be repeated
“So the logical question is: why don’t our governments fix the state enterprise governance system? The answer is partly because it sustains political patronage and corruption, partly because it buys off the trade unions, and partly because of inertia—fixing things that don’t appear to be broken simply isn’t worth the …
Read More »Dear Editor: Petrotrin workers must not suffer alone, let public enquiry root out executive crooks
“The workers must not however be the only or even the first victims of the collapse and closure of the refinery. “We, the taxpayers need reassurance that the architects of this financial disaster are made to pay a price commensurate with the scale of their failures—be they directors or Cabinet …
Read More »Reinventing Petrotrin: Rowley shares government’s plans for state-owned oil company
“I ask you to recall that in January 2017, in an address to the nation, I invited you to turn your attention to the troubling state of affairs at Petrotrin… “It is with mixed feelings, one of sadness and of resolve that I return to this issue today… Inevitably we …
Read More »Daly Bread: Petrotrin is epicentre of socio-economic earthquake; T&T won’t escape reverberations
At least 1,700 workers are reportedly about to lose their jobs at Petrotrin without reprieve because the money-losing oil refinery at Pointe a Pierre is being shutdown. These workers recently had the benefit of an interim five per cent pay rise conceded in response to strike notice given in January …
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