“[…] 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 …
Read More »Dear Editor: Diversification, not the Dragon, is key for T&T’s economic survival—but here’s why it has eluded us
“[…] 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 …
Read More »Dear Editor: “Evidence-based decision-making” can transform T&T from “underachievers’ paradise”
“[…] 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 …
Read More »Dear Editor: Congrats to Jack Warner—but what does his extradition success mean for T&T?
“[…] 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? …
Read More »Dear Editor: Who is paying Roger Alexander’s legal bills? The public deserves transparency
“[…] 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 …
Read More »Dear Editor: PM had enough time to study PNM mistakes—now give us budget where everybody wins
“[…] Please do not incur excessive debt to fulfil campaign promises or popular votes. Continuous deficit financing and public debt that balloons uncontrollably will undermine investor/lender confidence, reduce cash flow and impact generational wealth. Everybody must win. “[…] Madame Prime Minister 2.0, it is clear that if T&T achieves its …
Read More »Noble: 30 Pieces of Silver—is Gov’t praying or preying on the Evangelical vote?
Professor Emerita Bridget Brereton, in her masterful 2010 contribution, All ah we is not one, highlights the development of competing ethnic narratives. She highlights the colonialist and the anti-colonialist, then the Afrocentric versus Indocentric narrative. She said: “Generally, the kind of narrative produced before and after independence by former colonies …
Read More »Dear Editor: Indarsingh’s appointment as Industrial Court judge should spark national concern
“[…] The Industrial Court wields quasi-constitutional powers in employment matters. It issues binding decisions affecting the rights of workers, unions, and employers. The notion that such a role can be filled by a recent Opposition MP, without even a law degree, ought to provoke national concern. “Appointments to judicial office, particularly one …
Read More »Daly Bread: The need for the pan drum; and what T&T is missing with cancelled parade
I expect that my disappointment at the cancellation of today’s Independence Day military parade, in which the Defence Force is joined by other agencies of our protective services, will be mitigated by my attendance at Saturday night’s Brooklyn Panorama. Today, instead of exchanging Independence greetings on Tragarete Road, in the …
Read More »Noble: Nation-building musings—is T&T under construction or destruction?
“On August 31, 1962, a country will be free, a miniature state will be established, but a society and a nation will not have been formed. “After August 31, 1962, the people of Trinidad and Tobago will face the fiercest test in their history—whether they can invest with flesh and …
Read More »Dear Editor: T&T’s political parties are uninspiring; but here is how to change that…
“[…] Madam Prime Minister 2.0 I suggest the development of an Innovation/Creative fund to encourage our students to promote math, science, and inventors’ competitions with compensations for our normal citizens to bring whatever inventions they have. “The key here is to start an innovation culture because we have a culture …
Read More »Dear Editor: T&T’s reckless unilateral stance on US-Venezuela standoff is a betrayal of Caricom
“[…] The Government’s position, as expounded by the Prime Minister and the Foreign Affairs Minister, is not neutrality by any diplomatic or regional standard. “[…] Authority without principle, without consultation and without regard for Caricom unity and regional peace is not leadership—it is recklessness masquerading as sovereignty…” The following guest …
Read More »