As conditions in the workplace improving as company officials embrace the concept of healthy, safety, security and the environment (HSSE) in everyday life, efforts are now being made to modernise operations in the transport sector, Nirad Tewarie, CEO at the American Chamber of Commerce in T&T (AmCham) said.

Speaking at Wednesday’s launch of the 19th Annual HSSE Conference and Exhibition at the BPTT Hospitality Suite at the Queen’s Park Oval, Port-of-Spain, Tewarie said the business community, for the most part, is doing an excellent job in creating a culture of safety within their respective organisations, while educating contractors on best practices. 

He said, Amcham’s HSSE Committee is looking at developing standards for transport vehicles with the expectation that members will adopt and enforce the new operating practices. Managing Risk in Economic Uncertainty will be the theme for the he 19th Annual HSSE Conference and Exhibition scheduled for October at the Hyatt Regency in Port-of-Spain. “HSSE at its core is about valuing human life and well-being. In doing so, businesses derive significant economic benefits. In fact, we have come so far in creating effective safety cultures that we at AmCham constantly have to up our game to make the conference relevant to those of you in the industry to take into account that many of you are indeed global HSSE leaders,” Tewarie said. 

“Even though we are proud of the work that has been done through the conference, our committee and the wider private and public sectors, we also acknowledge that there is still more work to be done. There are still some pockets that we need to influence and with which we need to share best practice.”

He added: “T&T, like the region and wider international community, is facing precarious global economic times which makes it critical that we focus on our competitiveness, internally and externally. HSSE contributes positively to our competitiveness as it leads to avoidance of unnecessary cost and business interruptions; efficient use of resources; increased employee morale and productivity and improved reputation and the potential to attract new business. “Over the past 18 years, the conference’s audience has been primarily heavy industry–upstream midstream and downstream energy companies. 

As we look at managing risk amidst economic uncertainty, we must take a wide view as opposed to a narrow one. Consequently, we need to be concerned with what is happening in the region and about relations between and among our Caribbean neighbours: Jamaica, Cuba, Haiti and the Dominican Republic.” Tewarie said AmCham is especially concerned that if relations are mishandled the potential benefits would not be realised at the country or corporate levels.

He said over the past decade the relationship between T&T and Jamaica waned, a development which must be of concern. “With Jamaica being keen on exploration on their marine acreage, for example, there is the opportunity to improve this relationship through collaboration and the creation of even more shared interests. T&T can utilise both its public and private sector expertise to assist Jamaica in creating a regime that would attract exploration. If this is done in a strategic and structured manner, opportunities will be provided to T&T energy services companies and there can be the possibility of T&T seeking to position itself for equity stakes in some projects,” he said.

“The Haiti and Dominican Republic immigration issue is another issue to which we must pay attention. T&T needs to continue to improve political, cultural and economic relations with Haiti. As Caribbean people, we must be mindful of our tremendous debt to Haiti, who cut the path for Caribbean Emancipation and Independence and has been made to pay the price for most of its history.”

William Wallace, the T&T Football Association (T&TFA) national team Operations Manager says if the local federation is to satisfy all its national teams on a yearly basis, then a budget of $75 million will be needed. 

Wallace made this disclosure while speaking at a T&TFA media conference called to relaunch the Soca Warriors brand and give updates on a number of activities planned, at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, VIP Lounge, yesterday.

Commenting on what has taken place on the field so far this year, Wallace noted the T&T national teams have been kept very busy, but is finding it very tough due to a lack of financial support, not withstanding the ongoing feud between its president Raymond Tim Kee and Minister of Sports, former World Cup defender, Brent Sancho. 

A cricket administrator as well, Wallace said so far this year seven national teams have participated in international tournaments, and if the senior team has to be going through what it has been in terms of funding, then people can well imagine what is happening at the lower levels for the other teams.

Reflecting on a recent situation he said, “Our Under-17 women team recently had a tournament and they almost did not make it to the qualifiers, not because they were not prepared but because of a lack of finances.

He added: “Let me just say T&T we have to get serious. 

“All over the world football is impacting lives and right here at home as well we can all reflect on 1989 and 2006. 

“To me these were defining moments in T&T’s history where it brought people together and it must not go unnoticed, and if we are to satisfy all our teams we are definitely talking about $75 million a year.

“We are talking about having full-time staff, because as a matter fact, right now we don’t even have a full quota of full-time staff on our senior national team. 

“The coach is the only full-time person on the senior team, the same team that performed so well at the Gold Cup, that was able to fight hard against Mexico.”

He added: “This is our flagship team, so you can imagine what happens at the lower levels. So, in this regard, I have to compliment all coaches and members of staff, technical and administrative for keeping this thing afloat, without proper remuneration.

“Because if it was not for them, this dream would have die, and thats the dream of many citizens of T&T. 

Tim Kee added: “USA’s budget for football a year is over US$100 million while Mexico’s is more than US$150, but here in T&T we struggle to raise US$5 million, and one of the reasons is that we don’t have the population to push the turnstiles to come in the stadiums, to generate funds that will even offset the cost of hosting an international match.”

In explaining why T&T has not hosted many matches in recent times, Tim Kee said: “Generally 95 per cent of the matches we host here in T&T, we end up in deficit because we just don’t have the numbers. The players and the teams we have been looking at are top quality teams because if we want to go and be with the top teams we need to be playing top quality teams.

“That why we have been performing in recent times as we have been because we have been liming the eagles, the top teams as Tim Kee described it.

“Our performances are beginning to match our expectations and through those kind of displays as well it is then we will attract patronage and support, but to get there is a real uphill task, so all we can do is plead to the citizens of this country, corporate and private to come forward and support our team.

“We have a new constitution, and we have re-adjusted our organisation but have not filled all the positions because that calls for money again, but we are looking forward and focus on the field to be a real challenge to any team in Concacaf and we will demonstrate that again.

“We did it recently at the Gold Cup against Mexico, and to the USA I say here we come when Concacaf World Cup qualifiers begin on November 17.”

My two-year-old daughter Jinaki has begun talking crap. Literally. We’ve been potty training and the other day, when she was taking rather long to poop, she explained to her Mommy that “the black poopoo is staying inside the brown house. He doesn’t want to come out to play with his other black poopoo friends.” 

In another session, Jinaki continued this story with a blow-by-blow account as she did her numbers—with numbers. “One poopoo. That is two. The third one come out to all play together,” she said, sitting on the toilet. She then started giving us the names of each poopoo.

In Western societies, parents generally start potty training when the child is between two and three years of age. Most experts recommend two years, arguing that the child does not have proper bladder or bowel control before that so potty training would be an exercise in stress for the toddler and frustration for the parent. “The most common advice today is that a child should be trained no earlier than 18 months and more likely between two and four years of age or older,” writes journalist Mei-Ling Hopgood in her book How Eskimos Keep Their Babies Warm.

But this is not the belief in China. Rather, the Chinese expect their children to be fully potty trained by two years of age. To facilitate this, the Chinese dress their infants in a pants called a kaidangku, which has an opening along the butt so the child can squat anywhere and relieve himself quickly. Chinese babies use diapers up to six months, but then adults start letting them go in the yard or holding them over the toilet every two or three hours or when they show signs of wanting to poop. So every child who enters pre-school is fully potty trained.

Western experts don’t support early training, however. Studies done in the United States show that the most effective age for potty training is between 24 and 32 months. Children who are potty trained earlier are more likely to have problems like bed-wetting, soiling, and constipation. This is also the case for children who are potty trained after they are three years old, however.

These studies, however, may well be influenced by cultural factors. Hopgood was able to potty train her 22-month-old daughter in less than four weeks, although she admits it was a lot of work. “The key...is being relaxed about nudity, body waste and accidents,” she writes.

She also notes that the Chinese don’t have the time obsession of Westerners, who generally feel that even potty training has to be accomplished within a certain period. “There is usually no set goal for when a child must be trained,” she says. “Chinese parents don’t actually obsess about their child’s bowels...many Chinese are managing waste rather than training a child (and) don’t put a hard deadline.”

I’ve been hesitant over the real challenge, though, which is keeping Jinaki diaper-less during the day. I guess it won’t be too bad since I am one of those fathers who started changing diapers when my daughter was a month old. So I should be able to do my part for this phase, since Hopgood notes that “It’s about learning to read your child and teaching him to communicate needs.” And no doubt I will have learned everything about the Poopoo Friends when the training is done.

There’s been a clamour for “common fowl” or “yard fowl” these days. 

In farmers markets, people are taking a greater interest the chickens they believe are raised the old time way—wild and drug free. 

One group of men who are passionate about the yard fowl are the guys at Down Home Bar and Grill in Carapichaima, who hosted a Tribute to the Yard Fowl on August 2. 

Andre Richards, one of the organisers of the event, told T&T Guardian, “the idea for the event came about after observing the rise of curry duck events and the subsequent neglect of the common fowl.”

Richards said they organised a competition for their customers who frequently boasted about their abilities. “It was decided that rather than continue debating it should be made official.”

Amid the banter, there was a lot of team work and passion as the five teams got down to seasoning and cooking yard fowl in several different ways. 

The A Team, Saraka Crew, Barnwell Brothers, Skinny of Tobago and the duo of Selby Wilson (not the former politican) and Eney Shane put their best dishes forward, but in the end, it was the Saraka Team with their dish of yard fowl, coo coo, callaloo and black eye peas who triumphed and collected the $1500 prize courtesy Carib. 

In second place was The A Team, followed by The Barnwell Brothers in third.

Speaking about the recent interest in yard fowl, T&T Guardian food columnist Wendy Rahamut said, “Because of the heightened info about poultry and antibiotics, especially with respect to all the imported chicken parts,” said T&T Guardian cooking columnist Wendy Rahamut. “Common fowl is perceived to be a healthier option, and better tasting. In their eyes it parallels free range chickens.”

Photographer Andre Alexander was at Down Home Bar and Grill to capture the action at Tribute to the Yard Fowl.

The T&T Unified Teachers’ Association (TTUTA) has congratulated its president, Davanand Sinanan, on his election to the executive board of Education International (EI). This is a significant achievement for T&T, considering that EI represents over 32 million teachers and education sector workers from over 400 unions in approximately 180 countries, a release said. 

Sinanan was elected at the seventh World Congress of EI held in Ottawa, Canada, July 21-26. He will serve a four-year term. He is only the third person from the Caribbean to have been elected to this position following Collin Green (Antigua and Barbuda) and Roustan Job (T&T).

TTUTA is confident that Sinanan will proudly and competently represent the education interest of T&T and the region as EI tackles the global education challenges of commercialisation and privatisation in and of the education sector. 

At this very successful gathering of approximately 1,800 delegates from around the world, EI reaffirmed its commitment to trade union rights for all sectors of workers and that education is a right that every child should enjoy in every country around the world, no matter their social circumstances in the post 2015 Sustainable Development Agenda.

The firing of three female officers from the Guyana Constabulary, because they became pregnant during their two-year probation period, was a top news highlight in recent weeks in Guyana. 

It sparked public outrage, causing women’s rights activists and groups to stage protests calling for their reinstatement. With the City Constabulary coming under this much fire, the three female officers were reinstated on August 6.

The sacking of the officers came after the chief constabulary officer, Andrew Foo said they were in breach of the law. His action was defended by superintendent Laurel Gittens, who is attached to the training department of the City Constabulary. 

According to Gittens, the Constabulary’s regulations stipulated that a member has a probationary period of two years, and during their time of recruitment, it is highlighted women members are not supposed to be found pregnant.

In a media report she was quoted as saying: “We ask our female applicants not to become impregnated during that period which puts a burden on our organisation. The City Constabulary is a paramilitary organisation, with two-third of members being females. And we are not extended in the large capacity, in comparison with the Guyana Defence and Guyana Police Forces.”

She was adamant that the action was not discriminatory in anyway.

But Commissioner of the Women and Gender Equality Commission, Nicole Cole and Leader of the Independent Party, Mark Benschop, said it was in fact a clear case of discrimination. Benschop said it was a violation of basic human rights while Cole sated that such a policy or regulation should never be enforced as it infringes on the rights of women. 

She said also bearing in mind that Guyana was a signatory to the Convention on Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (Cedaw), the sacking of the officers because of their pregnancies were in breach of that. 

She believed the policy was one of pure discrimination that stemmed from the colonial days and was adamant it should be reviewed.

T&T activists speak

Weighing in on the issue, human rights and LGBT activist, Colin Robinson of the Coalition Advocating for Inclusion of Sexual Orientation (Caiso), said: “First of all, it is interesting to note that the Georgetown City Constabulary is made up of two-thirds women. Human rights obligations aside, it would just seem common sense and good business practice for an organisation with such a workforce to have a different policy on pregnancy. 

This one, Guyanese tell me, dates to the 1800s. If men got pregnant, there’d be all kinds of workplace accommodations for it. 

“Cedaw, the UN convention on discrimination against women, which Guyana has ratified, seeks to ensure that pregnancy isn’t used to unfairly deny women employment. And it seems that’s exactly what happened. If, as news reports say, pregnant recruits have the option of taking pregnancy leave, why weren’t these women simply offered that up front? 

Saying you’re a paramilitary organisation is like our army in T&T saying the National Workplace Policy on HIV doesn’t apply to them and they are still going to test people and reject them,” Robinson reasoned. He said our policies need to provide equitable access to employment for everyone, whether they are four feet, eight inches tall, left-handed, can get pregnant, or use a wheelchair.

“At the end of the day women ought to be reasonably be able to complete or to terminate pregnancies, and not be punished for either. I’m pleased that the national government has announced it is reviewing the matter and look forward to the outcome.

“At the end of the day, if we truly valued the work of rearing and raising our nations’ children, these women would not have to choose between employment and pregnancy.”

Human rights lawyer Danielle Mc Clashie said...

“Well, clearly this is an issue that deserves a lot of outrage, but there is a very sound legal argument that should make whatever activism planned easier and more effective. 

“In any case, since the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) wasn’t mentioned in the articles written on this issue or the original letter, I’ve included the specific violations here that can go together with the Cedaw.”

McClashie pointed to articles 12, 16, 22, 23, 25,28 and 29 of the UDHR, to argue how in fact this action could be seen as an infringement on human rights. (See side bar on Page B33)

Nataki Kerr, Corporate Communications Manager, Ministry of Gender, Youth and Child Development said: “In relation to the matter, T&T is also a signatory to the Cedaw Convention but we also have the Maternity Protection Act, which really seeks to protect women during their pregnancy, including making provisions for them to visit their doctors and not lose any pay for the time off. This is one of the safeguards.

“Additionally, the OSH Act also provides for women in industrial situations/ workplaces during pregnancy. 

“The problem here in T&T though, is enforcement and this is an ongoing issue.”

Following the firing and rehiring of the three female officers, discussion has already begun on reviewing the contentious policy.

More info

Article 12 

• No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor to attacks upon his honour and reputation. Everyone has the right to the protection of the law against such interference or attacks

Article 16

• Men and women of full age, without any limitation due to race, nationality or religion, have the right to marry and to found a family. They are entitled to equal rights as to marriage, during marriage and at its dissolution. 

• Marriage shall be entered into only with the free and full consent of the intending spouses.

• The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the State.

Article 22

• Everyone, as a member of society, has the right to social security and is entitled to realisation, through national effort and international co-operation and in accordance with the organisation and resources of each State, of the economic, social and cultural rights indispensable for his dignity and the free development of his personality.

Article 23

• Everyone has the right to work, to free choice of employment, to just and favourable conditions of work and to protection against unemployment. 

• Everyone, without any discrimination, has the right to equal pay for equal work. 

• Everyone who work has the right to just and favourable remuneration ensuring for himself and his family an existence worthy of human dignity, and supplemented, if necessary, by other means of social protection.

• Everyone has the right to form and to join trade unions for the protection of his interests. 

Article 25

• Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control. 

• Motherhood and childhood are entitled to special care and assistance. All children, whether born in or out of wedlock, shall enjoy the same social protection. 

Article 28

• Everyone is entitled to a social and international order in which the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration can be fully realised. 

Article 29

• Everyone has duties to the community in which alone the free and full development of his personality is possible.

• In the exercise of his rights and freedoms, everyone shall be subject only to such limitations as are determined by law solely for the purpose of securing due recognition and respect for the rights and freedoms of others and of meeting the just requirements of morality, public order and the general welfare in a democratic society. 

• These rights and freedoms may in no case be exercised contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations.

Dr Keith Rowley has identified drawbacks of the People’s Partnership laptop programme. He cited inadequate teacher-training, insufficient IT technical staff, no plan for integrating PCs into the classroom and no feedback as regards the efficacy of the programme. He promised to bring sanity into the programme if a PNM administration is voted into office.

Let us not throw the baby out with the bath water. The laptop programme is a very good project. Founder of Microsoft, Bill Gates, in his book Business at the Speed of Thought, identified many advantages of PC in the classroom.

PCs can reach many educational goals of collaborative learning, critical thinking and lifelong learning skills. They can have a profound effect in a technology-driven curriculum. 

He further stressed that it can break the cycle of poverty if our students go prepared into the digital world. It’s a break from the chalk and talk. A PowerPoint presentation can spark a student’s interest in the subject by including photos, film clips and links to Internet pages. This is the normal infrastructure of a paperless technology-driven classroom of the 21st century. Don’t we want our kids to be technology savvy?

The problem with the present laptop programme, like most programmes introduced by the Ministry, is providing adequate training. Teachers do not want to be thrown into something for which they have not had the opportunity to be fully prepared. There is not a coherent programme to integrate the PCs into the curriculum. 

What needs to be done is simply to begin a robust programme of training. The present administration can reverse the negative effects of the UWI study if they make serious changes to the programme.

Dr Rowley, we want to ensure the students most at risk in depressed areas can at least be prepared for this knowledge-based world. 

You would never say the programme is a good one but list all the disadvantages of it. Let’s hope that you keep it if you get into government and not throw it away with the bath water.

John Jessamy

Fyzabad

Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley’s narration on a reputed report by UWI St Augustine, concluded that the programme of free laptops for secondary school students, apart from being a waste of public funds, made no impact on students’ performance.

As a  mother of two young children, one who entered secondary school last year, the other to sit the SEA exam next year, I find this expose, delivered on a political platform, a very disturbing statement of intent should he ever become prime minister.

Dr Rowley should know that there will never ever be entire agreement on any policy or programme implemented by a government, in particular a study coming from a theory-based university setting. 

One wonders what disagreement the Government of Singapore faced when they embarked on their ambitious quest to educate their population. The fact that a country no bigger that Trinidad, with no natural resources can now boast to be one of the world’s top education hubs is adequate proof that their strategy was the correct one.

I, for one, can attest that the laptop has aided the development of my child, despite what these so-called experts claim. I would suggest that Dr Rowley, instead of trying to make cheap political points on this very important issue, should do his own study by asking parents what they think of laptop programme.

Until Dr Rowley can provide proof that free laptops for the children of this country are of no value to their  betterment, I want him to state in clear and unambiguous words, his plan on this matter should he become prime minister. If he does not, no vote for him. 

Lystra  Cuffy

Maraval

TT Debates Commission (TTDC) is asking that interested people must let bygones be bygones and move ahead. The TTDC admitted that an “administrative error” took place regarding the date for the debate in the correspondence to the two main parties. 

I understand that an administrative error is an error made at the managerial or executive level, certainly not a simple typographic error. In my view, the error was substantial in that the correspondence to the PP stated that the July 30 date was decided, but the one to the PNM stated that the date of July 30 was being proposed.

With word processing software it is a simple matter to retain the substance of the correspondence and simply change the addressees. From my own bitter experiences in the past I am aware that organisers of debates can contrive to favour one party or the other by their interactions and arrangements.

Because of the magnitude of this duplicitous “administrative” error, people can be excused for being suspicious and indeed accusations of bias can be expected. 

It seems that the TTDC does not have the administrative capacity to organise a national debate involving politicians. Accuracy in an organisation’s correspondence can be a criterion for evaluating the administrative capacity of that organisation. 

I am hoping that in the future, a more competent team would be given the task of arranging debates of this type, because I love debates.

David Subran

Chaguanas

On Wednesday last week, Minister of Health Dr Fuad Khan had to defend the bidding process for the development of the new National Health Card. The project was given to local IT solutions and services company Infotech, a 36-year-old technology through sole selective tendering. 

That contract, Dr Khan explained, was crafted by Nipdec and technocrats at the Ministry of Health, and the company was chosen because of its successful implementation of a health card for the diabetics system in 2007.

At $35 million, there are other questions to be answered about the capabilities of the card, which is apparently meant to be a precursor to a proper biometric card capable of retaining a useful depth of medical information about its bearer.

The new card, said to be capable of containing medical and personal data, will be an important identifier, particularly for people who must regularly access the public health sector, but it remains an incomplete solution for state-led health initiatives that seek to improve the state of the system. 

It’s also unclear whether public hospitals and health clinics will be ready with the supporting computer technology that will enable them to leverage even the most basic of data embedded in a card identifier system. Without a doubt, using technology to manage patient access to medical supplies and drugs is an important step forward in the improvement of the public health sector.

Knowing how perishable drugs are being used will be critical in ensuring that supplies are always kept current and dramatically reduce the potential for abuse of a generous system designed to meet the needs of patients who might otherwise be unable to afford their prescriptions. Being able to access up-to-date medical records on a patient through their National Health Card has the potential to eliminate the movement of folders of paper within the system and improve the quality and depth of diagnosis.

To do that, there must be a robust backroom effort at bringing inventory under rigorous control, digitising existing patient records and making it easier for new patient information to be input into a nationally accessible database systems.

The greatest fear arising from the introduction of the National Health Card has been its availability for nationals only. That’s raised concerns that people in need who are living in the country without having their immigration status ratified will be targeted by a draconian reliance on the new health card in the public health sector.

Dr Khan has been somewhat flippant about the potential of the health card to eject illegal immigrants from the public health system, suggesting that such individuals get their business straightened out, but that’s not good enough. Nor is a National Health Card that falls short of the full biometric card that was the promised solution for the public health sector.

What this country actually needs is a single card, which carries all the information about an individual that any government sector might need, whether it be for taxation, medical treatment or immigration review, in tightly encrypted form. That needs to be supported by an IT strategy that streamlines the value of such a card throughout all government systems. It’s not as if the technology doesn’t exist to create such a thing. 

The remarkable Estonian national ID card offers an excellent example of the possibilities. What’s needed is the political will to drive such a project, which has the potential to dramatically limit fraud and misuse of government resources, into existence.

• “Kamla brand of leadership is ‘I acted within the law.’ Very, very poor and unfortunate.”  
• (It) “is a very well written and objective article on leadership and in particular, our Prime Minister’s leadership.”
• “I cannot recall in any previous Government the degree of nepotism and cronyism we have seen in this one.” 
 
A few of the responses I got to last week’s column in which began the examination of the prime ministerial leadership demonstrated by Kamla Persad-Bissessar in the context of the United National Congress offering her leadership as the overwhelming reason for the government being re-elected. 

In the first article I identified leadership of the transformational as opposed to the transactional variety associated with maintaining the status quo.  

In the previous article I divided the PM’s leadership action on fundamental issues such as dealing with her selection and management of ministers into two groups:  with ministers she deemed politically insignificant, the treatment was summary dismissal; those who had political value to the Government she waited for the public to fire them.

As with Jack Warner who she protected for three years; the PM did nothing about Anil Roberts and the room 201 episode; she could not decide whether the man in the room speaking about and engaging in illicit ganja-smoking activity was her minister. The PM continued to stall even when her minister of national security, Gary Griffith, began acknowledging and unfurling the details of the $400 million fraud in the LifeSport programme. 

When as head of the National Security Council and Prime Minister, she decided on the appointment of a junior functionary as head of the national intelligence agency, Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar as leader, presided over her ministers misinforming Parliament about Reshmi Ramnarine’s qualifications and experience.

She even sought to dismiss reporter questions on Reshmi asserting that it was “time to move on.” To the present the leader of government has never given a full explanation of how such a fundamental irresponsibility in decision-making could have been exercised by the Prime Minister.  

Similarly, the Prime Minister has failed to explain to a large segment of the population how the cabinet easily agreed to one portion of the Constitution Amendment Bill being assented to without the infrastructural requirements being put in place. As has been noted, the law opened a way through which financiers UNC could slip through without facing many million-dollar charges.

Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar’s leadership in instituting a programme that would lead to passage of regulations and laws to govern the financing of election campaigns by business groups, which purchase influence in the Treasury, amounted to establishing a Parliamentary Committee a mere six months before election when there was no chance of developing legislation and rules for campaign financing before election.

When questioned as to whether she would make transparent any financial contributions to her party, she opted not to lead the way but follow the PNM, if it agreed to inform on its financing. 

Procurement legislation has come late in her five-year term and could only be implemented over the next two to three years. Those who make accusations of tribal favouritism of the UNC point to the allocation of resources, to appointments on state boards and agencies and diplomatic appointments abroad heavily weighted in favour of Persad-Bissessar’s tribe (Indo-Trinidad) as evidence of their claim.

As leader, PM Persad-Bissessar failed to initiate discussion towards meaningful constitutional reform. She appointed a commission headed by a favoured minister and then sought to impose her specially concocted “Run Off” Bill on the election, only backing down when it became clear that her anti-democratic style would work against her.   

The Prime Minister as leader of her party/government has to take responsibility for the vulgar and unsubstantiated allegations about Dr Rowley being a second generation rapist, following his deceased father. That having failed, the PM led an undemocratic attack on the Leader of the Opposition which resulted in the unilateral removal of the elected MP from the House.

Within the UNC, Kamla Persad-Bissessar has ignored, for more than a year, the party’s constitutional requirement for election of a political leader and an executive.  Vitally important to note is her failure to unite and strengthen the coalition; instead Persad-Bissessar’s leadership has contributed to the demise of the Congress of the People and the dropout of the MSJ.

Reduction in the number of murders and other serious crimes is the best the PM and her coalition government have been able to achieve. Untouched is the 2010 promise to dismantle the criminal enterprise; crime remains citizen fear number one.  

The 2011 State of Emergency initiated by leader Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar delivered nothing but cases of unlawful arrests and detention. What has flourished is a vast billion-dollar industry of corruption around government operations and governance procedures.

The leadership decision to refuse the delivery of the five offshore patrol vessels to counter drug-trafficking and gun-running left the borders open for five years.  Therefore, the leadership required to strike at the base of criminality has not been demonstrated. One police commissioner was fired without due justification, his replacement has been placed on a ten-days cycle.

Within Caricom, Persad-Bissessar’s failure to grasp that T&T is the major beneficiary of Caricom trade and economic co-operation, turned the region against this country through her chauvinistic comment of T&T not being the ABM dispenser of cash to Caricom states. 

 To be continued.

Louis Parris, 
Nationnews, Barbados
 
It used to be a trend in the developing world and elsewhere that “leaders” would loot the national treasury and simply deposit the money in a Swiss bank account. Sundry lesser mortals and assorted criminals could also avail themselves of a Swiss numbered account. In this neck of the woods these enterprising persons might have been able to maintain a United States dollars account and live happily ever after.

Now, it seems that those persons whose business model is crime and corruption are going to find the post crime management of their business harder than undertaking the predicate crime. To a criminal, it probably doesn’t seem right that after he has “worked” so hard, he (or she) can’t just cruise the world, have dream homes in several countries, a suite of cars and other pleasure objects and when the end nears, pass the remainder to their slobbering offspring.

It would be amusing if not so tragic that after Sani Abacha, who it is alleged looted some US$4.3 billion from Nigeria died, his family found it an essential element of their human rights that they should be entitled to this estate and contested court action to ensure they could bask in this infinity pool of suspected illicit money.

Earlier this year, Switzerland agreed to give back to Nigeria US$380 million that was allegedly looted by the former military dictator. 

The World Bank will oversee the transfer in the interest of transparency. Switzerland had long held on to its right to maintain secrecy in this and other instances, claiming client confidentiality. However, it is dismantling much of the secrecy infrastructure, not because of any moral enlightenment, but because as usual, money talks.

The crisis of 2009 reinforced international cooperation in fighting tax evasion and marked a real turning point. Many countries teetering on the brink of financial collapse, woke up to the realisation that they could not afford the illicit outflows of cash. They have managed to get at the Swiss authorities through the route of tax evasion. Concerted efforts on the part of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the European Union and US have succeeded in bringing the Swiss to the transparency table. 

To avoid being marginalised and subjected to increased pressure, Switzerland, along with around 100 other countries, will put an end to its treasured practice of banking secrecy when the treaty on automatic exchange of information between tax authorities comes into force in 2018. 

The US has been relentless in its bid to stem the flow of money to Switzerland on which it could collect taxes. Swiss bank Credit Suisse in 2014 agreed to a US fine of over US$2 billion for “extensive and wide-ranging conspiracy” relating to tax evasion by US clients.

Other countries are using international tax agreements to smoke out the illicit money. On February 13, 2014, the OECD presented a common global standard for the automatic exchange of tax information between countries. The standard is officially called the Automatic Exchange of Information (AEOI), and informally referred to as “GATCA”, or global FATCA (the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act). 

Developed in conjunction with G-20 economies, the standard came as a response to FATCA, a regulation which requires foreign financial institutions to provide reports to the Internal Revenue Service on their US clients.

For a long time it seemed like fortress Switzerland would never open the secrecy vaults, but the self-interest of other nations has trumped the confidentiality mantra of the Swiss and combined action has quite rightly closed the door to a safe sanctuary for the benefits of crime and corruption. The Fifa arrests are a dramatic case in point. Countries with well documented cases of crime and corruption can approach the Swiss for information and depending on reciprocal agreements are now more than likely to get assistance.
 
• Louis Parris is a certified compliance professional, consultant and publisher of the Caribbean Banking Intelligence Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Newsletter. 

The T&T Manufacturers’ Association (TTMA) has described as “a bit worrisome” the decision by the Central Bank to increase the repo rate.

The business group said: “In countries like Canada and other commodity-based economies like T&T, the reverse is happening. Interest rates continue to be low in addition, all currencies are at a low compared to the US dollar. US interest rates are trending upward; our currency is pegged to the US dollar so our money has actually strengthened compared to the other basket of currencies. So high interest rates, strong TT dollar means lower exports and less global competitiveness.”

In its  recent monetary policy announcement, the Central Bank said one of the reasons for the increase was the US Federal Reserve’s commencement of normalization of its monetary policy. Th Central Bank also said it increased the repo rate for the sixth consecutive time to 4.25 per cent since it predicted inflation in T&T in the coming months.

The TTMA said in response to questions from the T&T Guardian that small and medium enterprises are likely to be affected if the repo rate continues it upward climb and commercial banks continue to increase their base rates. “One of the main causes of the need for higher overdraft these days is the cost of holding US dollars to cover outstanding invoices to be able to pay them on time,” the group said.

“We have to have US dollars in hand six weeks ahead of the due date of invoices because of the slow rate it is being allocated. This makes us unable to take advantage of our credit terms with suppliers which are sometimes in excess of 90 days credit. A real waste of good credit.”

The TTMA added: “In our challenging economy, one would assume that we would adopt the same measures as other countries in our situation—adjustments in both the interest rates and foreign currency rates. We need to address our competitiveness and productivity so as to be more sustainable.”

The group warned that there could be an increase in the cost of goods and services if overdraft and loan facilities had to be used by businesses. “Some firms have elected to absorb increased borrowing costs by reducing profit margins, and while it may not be immediate, others may pass on the additional cost to customers through higher prices. Market share may fall for those companies as most businesses operate in price sensitive environments. Indeed, it will impact on the profitability and growth potential of start-up manufacturers.”

The TTMA also said the increase in the repo rate is likely to make its members less competitive.

“With revenues from some firms already under pressure from low sales domestically and regionally, it means that profit margins will be even smaller if they are to remain in business. Furthermore, this increase will impact on cash flow and ultimately hinder business growth as the trending increases will influence investment decisions,” the group said.

T&T became the ninth country out of 161 members of the World Trade Organization (WTO), to accept the Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) on July 29.  This country is also the first Caricom member to accept the TFA, a Trade Ministry said in a media release.

The TFA is the first multilateral agreement to be completed out of the protracted Doha Development Round (ongoing since 2001).  It provides a series of global measures for expediting the movement, clearance and release of goods.  Some major reforms covered by the agreement include disciplines on fees and charges; transparency measures such as the online publication of trade information for traders and procedures for faster release and clearance of goods. 

The TFA, when globally enforced, is expected to reduce trade costs by 13 per cent. It’s entry into force requires formal acceptance by at least two-thirds of the WTO membership.

Toyota T&T Limited plans to invest $60,000 in four-time National Panorama champion Harmonites Steel Orchestra in support of its Panorama 2016 goals. Steve St Angelo, CEO at the Toyota Motor Corporation for Latin America and the Caribbean, made the announcement during a reception held in his honour at the band’s Morvant Junction panyard last week.

“I know Harmonites band is very important to this country. It’s also very important to Toyota and for them to allow me to come here today, to see this first hand, it’s been the highlight of my trip. 

“Effective January 1, 2016, sponsorship for the Carnival 2016 season, Toyota will continue to sponsor. But this year we want to do it a little bit different. We want to sponsor this year by donating $60,000 to Harmonites. So if I can make it next year, I will be watching you guys very, very close to make sure we get good value for our sponsorship,” he said.

St Angelo added: “As I indicated to you, I live in Sao Paolo Brazil, and I have attended four carnivals in Rio, and obviously, I like carnivals. But I heard that Carnival here in T&T is something to be seen. I can’t promise you, but I’m going to do my best to come to a Carnival here in T&T. What I saw here today, I think I’m going to have a very good time in Carnival in T&T.”

During his visit to Harmonites, St Angelo was entertained by the band’s stage-side before getting steelpan lessons. He started on the tenor pan where band manager Louis Nurse thought him to play the nursery rhyme Mary Had A Little Lamb in three musical keys. A visibly delighted St Angelo moved on to the triple cello pan where he learnt the accompaniment for the song, before tackling the infamous twelve bass. 

St Angelo described his visit to T&T as a “great pleasure and opportunity” and expressed hope that it would not be his last. 

“As CEO for Latin American and the Caribbean, I am responsible for 40 countries. I am very proud of the legacy of this country because of the steelpan. As you know I am an American. I live Sao Paolo Brazil now, but my home is in Kentucky in the United States. As many of you know Kentucky is the home of Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC). And, I understand you enjoy your KFC in this country. It makes me very proud and I will take a picture to show my friends back in Kentucky,” he said.

“One area that I am very sensitive (about) and means a lot to my heart is Toyota’s responsibility to be being a good corporate citizen. We focus very deeply on environmental (issues) and culture in the different countries that we sell vehicles. My understanding in Toyota in this country does an outstanding job of making society better. 

“These types of sponsorship in these kinds of ways to make the life of this country better makes me very, very proud. I personally volunteered many weekends and many days on different projects in Latin America and this is what separates Toyota from other companies. We do more than just sell cars. We do more than just sell trucks. We try to make the world better.”

Scotiabank has successfully completed a US$320 million, 8.875 per cent, seven-year bond transaction on behalf of Sagicor Financial Corporation (Sagicor), the Caribbean’s leading provider of insurance products and related financial services. Scotia Capital (USA) Inc. and JP Morgan Securities LLC were joint book-running managers on the transaction, with Scotiabank T&T Limited and Scotia Investments Jamaica Limited serving as broker dealers for Caribbean investors.

“This transaction is an affirmation of the breadth and strength of Scotiabank’s international footprint to expand the range of financing solutions available to our clients,” said Franco De Nigris, Director of Debt Capital Markets for Latin America and the Caribbean, Scotia Capital (USA) Inc.

“Scotiabank has a strong 126 year history in the Caribbean. We are committed to the region and are pleased to be able to bring this bond to Caribbean investors” said Anya M Schnoor, senior vice president and managing director, Scotiabank T&T Limited. 

“It is important to note that not only was the bond very successful overall, there was a robust demand for it within the region, and this is a testament both to the high quality of the company and the depth of the capital markets here.” Approximately a third of the bond’s takers were Caribbean investors.

The transaction is rated B/B by S&P and Fitch. Despite a difficult market environment that had seen little issuance from Latin America and the Caribbean, the transaction was well received by investors. Proceeds from the transaction are targeted to refinance Sagicor’s entire capital structure including the company’s outstanding US$150 million 7.5 per cent 144A/Reg S bonds maturing in May 2016.

VILLANUEVA: Scott passed away peacefully on Saturday 15th August, 2015. Son of Lester and Millicent Villanueva (both deceased). Devoted husband of Patricia (Pantin). Beloved father of Catherine (Derek), Diane (Robert), Lisa and Paula (Roger). Brother of Cora Lambert. Loving grandfather of Kevin, Matthew, Dylan, Taylor-Marie, Joseph, Jordan, Alexa and Andrew.

Funeral service for the late Scott Villanueva takes place at 10:30am on Thursday 20th August, 2015 at St. Finbar s R.C. Church, Morne Coco Road, Diego Martin. Private cremation. No flowers by request.

For enquiries, please contact R. M. de Souza Memorial Chapel Limited, 223-2007/ 637-2009.  

THOMPSON EGBERT of 114 Tenth Street, Barataria passed away on Sunday 10th August, 2015. At the age of 89. he was the first clerk of the House of Assembly in Tobago and retired as Budget Supervisor in the Ministry of Finance. He was the husband of: Roslyn Thompson. Father of: Ralph, Rawle, Colin, Patricia, Eric and Carolyn. Grandfather of: Nadia, Dalon, Schelanne, Shawnique, Javier, Danielle, Kristin, Gabrielle, Leah, Dionne, Jamil, Jadon, Jarel, Jerome, Solange, Kristof and Tayshon.

Great Grandfather of: Zaria, Anaya, Zamorah, Kymanie, Xi, Enzi and Neveah.

Brother of: Winifred Joseph (100yrs), Rose (Deceased), Majorie (deceased) and Lewellyn (deceased). Brother-in-law of: Merla Thomas and 7 others. Funeral services takes place on Tuesday 18th August at 11.00am. At Holy Trinity Cathedral, 30A abercromby Street, Port-of- Spain. Then to Tunapuna Public Cemetery.