One of the men charged with the murder of British-born attorney Richard Wheeler and his wife Grace, accused police investigators of torture when he appeared in court today.

Murder accused Naajip Hills 23, a national of St Vincent, told Tobago magistrate Cheryl-Anne Antoine that police officers squeezed his testicles during interrogation. He also claimed that he was coerced by investigators to ignore his constitutional rights.

Police prosecutor Marvin Campbell denied the allegations.

Hills, who has been living in Tobago for the past three years, and Andre Romeo, 29, a Tobagonian, from Mt Pleasant, both construction workers, were represented by Legal Aid attorneys Kern Edwards and Romeo was represented by legal aid attorney Tara Thompson.

They are accused of murdering the couple between October 18 and October 21, at their home at Riseland Gardens, Carnbee. Richard Wheeler, 72, was chopped multiple times while his 67-year-old wife’s throat was slit.

Richard was a senior partner of the law firm Lex Caribbean, based in Tobago, while his wife worked as a real estate agent at Island Investments, in the island.

The police file against the two men is to be sent to Office of the Director of Public Prosecution's, so that a State attorney can be appointed in the matter. The men are scheduled to reappear in court on November 24.

The courtroom was packed with employees from Lex Caribbean and Island Investments and friends and family of the victims and the accused for the brief hearing.

Acting Inspector Rodhill Kirk of the Tobago Homicide Bureau laid the charges.

A Point Lisas family of seven is today homeless after an early morning fire destroyed their home and all their belongings. Losses are estimated at $2 million. 

Cynthia Moore, 75, her husband Leroy, 75, who is blind, her sons, Brian, Steve, Peter and grandsons Darren and Devon, lived in the eight-bedroom house in Lisas Gardens. 

Darren this morning said he was alerted by a neighbour, Joanne Pierre, to smoke emanating from a back bedroom of the house around 6.40 am. 

“I was inside when I heard Joanne call out to us that the house was on fire,” he said. “When we came outside, we saw thick smoke coming from the back of the house. When we went back inside, we saw smoke coming from Uncle Brian’s room.

“Devon kicked in the door because we thought it could be put out, but as soon as the door fell, the fire rushed out and started to burn the rest of the house,” he said.

Darren said the family made it out of the house safely, but none of their belongings could be saved. “We lost everything; the only thing we have are the clothes we are wearing,” Daren said. 

Fire officers from the Savonetta Fire Station responded and were able to contain the blaze, but the house could not be saved.

Not surprisingly, Sri Lanka beat West Indies 2-0 in two Tests. However, the way it was achieved must give thoughts that some present WI players have completed their last Test innings. SL beat WI in Test No 1 by an innings and six runs. Not even batting twice could WI (251 and 227) overhaul SL’s first innings 484. Test No 2 was closer, SL winning by 72 runs after making 200 and 206. WI could only muster 163 and 171.

These outings showed that WI does not have attitude nor aptitude to win regularly, despite celebrated presence of Sir Garfield Sobers, a visit that must have been bittersweet. The world’s best cricketer ever, despite even his tears, could not cajole WI’s players to better performances.

Possible positives for WI were batting by Jermaine Blackwood and Darren Bravo, bowling of Devendra Bishoo and Jomel Warrican, and all-around efforts of Kraigg Brathwaite and captain Jason Holder. All else who played in those Tests are skating on very thin ice! 

WI next play Australia in three Tests starting December 9 at Bellerive Oval, Tasmania. The interval until that series gives WI’s selectors an opportunity to make desperately needed changes to this seriously underperforming team.

Thus, the four-day WICB’s Professional Cricket League 2015/16, especially those games to be played by November’s end, take on extreme importance for players who missed out on that SL tour, such as Guyana’s Verasammy Permaul and Leon Johnson, hoping to impress.

Johnson’s situation is confusing. His last two Test innings were 54 and 44, batting at No 3 against South Africa last January, which WI lost by eight wickets. Yet, given the mediocrity of present WI batsmen, Johnson did not even get a look in versus England or Australia, who toured the Caribbean earlier, nor tour Sri Lanka. Very strange but now, he must produce afresh!

Shai Hope’s opening experiment has been hopeless. He might be the future but not to Australia, unless he improves productivity in upcoming PCL. He looked uncomfortable, out of place, devoid of feet movement versus SL. Twenty-three, 06, 04 and 35, do not cut it at any level. Even opening, Johnson could not have done worse.

A pertinent comment on Caribbeancricket.com, reference the recent death of former WI opener Basil “Shotgun” Williams, suggested: “Two hundreds in a seven Test career and some get excited about Shai Hope scoring a mere 35. Different times; different standards.” Quite!

Left-arm orthodox spinner Permaul may have missed an opportunity but Warrican debuted well; match figures of 45-4-129-6.  Those should allow Warrican to continue to Australia’s more bouncy pitches. Again, the PCL should give guidance.

Marlon Samuels is no longer an enigma. Now he is just a failure and must be dropped. Frequently compared with Carl Hooper’s batting ability, Samuels’ SL Test trip was embarrassingly poor. Even worse, he seemed totally uninterested in proceedings, a player languishing in that unsavory place called purgatory!       

For a senior batsman with 61 Tests and a Test average, like Hooper, only in mid-30’s, there is absolutely no excuse for Samuels anymore. Eleven, 00, 13 and 06 indicated his form and mindset so WI’s selectors must give him another jolt of realism after such abject failure.

One problem, though, for WI’s selectors is that there are not many names ready to replace Samuels or others who should be dropped, like Denesh Ramdin, and some of the faster bowlers too. PCL cannot start early enough so that new talent could, hopefully, evolve.

Ramdin may still be the best wicket-keeper in the Caribbean, but his batting has also been putrid so there must be serious consideration given to a second wicket-keeper on that SL tour, Shane Dowrich, who could incidentally also open the batting.  Ramdin’s 23, 11, 14 and 10 in two SL Tests must make his position very tenuous indeed. 

But it is with the faster bowlers that WI has serious headaches. Kemar Roach reminds me of when, inadvertently, my Nissan Maxima Cefiro once ran out of gas as I drove from San Fernando to Port of Spain in T&T. Only deafening silence was then heard as I coasted to a stop.

Like Roach now does as a supposed fast bowler, I ambled to the nearest gas station two miles away to get gas in a can. Unlike Roach, that did not leave me puffed. Two wickets in three SL innings is absolutely poor for any frontline bowler. Roach needs to be re-tooled, not re-gassed!

Shannon Gabriel is not getting better, despite much attention to fitness. He is still way too bulked up, not unlike a USA’s M-1 Abrams war-tank, to produce that elasticity and flexibility to bowl fluidly, quickly and successfully. At least those tanks have deadly ammunitions!

Jerome Taylor is simply marking time, not even trying to bowl quickly anymore, the most senior WI bowler only producing just enough to get onto the next tour, doing a good smoke-screen job too, as he must realise that he is nearing the end of his bowling stint. Against SL, he had six wickets in three innings.

WI need newer players now. Drastic changes must be made now! Enjoy!

Hadley Rahael and Jordanne Brown were among the top jumpers when the T&T Equestrian Association (TTEA) held their Show Jumping Super League finals at Saddle Valley Stables in Santa Cruz, on October 25.

In the competition, the Mid League riders went first, jumping a challenging “Federation Equestre Internationale” designed course with a one-metre height, with ten jumps and two double combinations, amounting to 12 jumping efforts for the first round.

Jordanne Brown, 15, riding Mr Wings and Adelle Stollmeyer, riding ex racer, Audacity to Hope, both jumped perfect clear rounds in round one at this level. In round two, where there were eight jumps with one double combination, both riders had one knockdown, both at the Liverpool jump, for four faults each.

Brown’s time of 45.17 seconds, a little over two seconds faster than Stollmeyer’s time of 47.72 seconds, put her in first place with Stollmeyer grabbing the second place rosette. Brown, who had won all of the Mid League classes this year, was declared champion in the Mid League division with Stollmeyer being the reserve champion.

The Mini League level followed, with a height of 0.80m. Hadley Rahael, riding Miramis, continued her winning ways.  She won, having accumulated just four faults in total, and with this, edged out Dr. Kelly Camacho, riding Eye See Dee, who had eight faults over the two rounds.

When the year’s competition points were tallied, Camacho emerged as the champion in the Mini League, with Amy Costelloe and Quiet Bid retaining the reserve champion trophy. Hadley Rahael, who had successfully competed at 1.10m level earlier in the year, was announced the High League champion.

For the first time, a Micro Mini league was introduced, with low jumps, designed to encourage young riders. Ten-year-old Isabella Powell won both of her classes, with Maeghan Koury placing second. Most of these riders benefited from a recent clinic from Colombian coach, Jorge Verswyvel, who spent a week in Trinidad recently working with over 15 riders, of all ages and stages.

The TTEA’S next competition will be the Caribbean Equestrian Association's Regional Jumping competition which will be held on December 6. T&T riders will compete against Barbados and the Cayman Islands in this team competition.

WALTER ALIBEY 

Sacked General Secretary of the T&T Football Association (TTFA) Sheldon Phillips could be back in his job either before or after the coming TTFA annual general meeting (AGM) and Election of Officers on November 29. 

But this will be determined by the board of directors of the TTFA at a date to be announced soon. This new development came after Phillips in a letter to the board recently explained that after considering the factors surrounding his dismissal, a review of the constitution as well as having consultations with legal representatives from both the Federation of International Football Association (FIFA) and the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF), that he decided to object to the actions of the president and request that the board of directors address his matter. 

Phillips’ letter quoted: “After careful review of the TTFA constitution and consultation with legal representatives from both FIFA and CONCACAF as well as reading the sentiments raised by TTFA board of directors vice presidents, I formally object to the actions of Mr Tim Kee and respectfully request the TTFA Board of Directors officially address the constitutional breach of authority committed by Mr Tim Kee at the earliest practicable opportunity.” 

The reason given for Phillips’ dismissal in a letter sent from the TTFA on October 20 was that he failed to follow directives. That letter also stated that the TTFA boss later asked Phillips to resign but he did not, following which Tim Kee took the decision to fire him. 

However Phillips in his letter, claimed that Tim Kee took the decison to fire him after a newspaper report misquoted him by saying that he (Tim Kee) was not only going back up for elections but had gotten the support of his executives, which turned out to be far from the truth. Phillips also made it clear in his letter that the embattled president still dismissed him from his job although the report was corrected through a retraction in the newspapers. 

It is understood that a meeting of the board of directors was held on Friday and Tim Kee admitted that he had made a blunder in the way Phillips was treated. According to the new constitution of the TTFA: “The President can propose the dismissal or recruitment of the general secretary.” 

However reliable sources told Guardian that Tim Kee raised a number of issues, apart from what was explained in his dismissal letter on October 20, why he thinks Phillips should be relieved of his job. He has since been ordered by the board which includes TTFA vice presidents—Lennox Watson, Krishnar Kuarsingh and Rudolph Thomas; Central Football Association (CFA) president Bryan Layne, Eastern FA president Wayne Cunningham, Northern FA president Roland Forde, Tobago FA president Raymond Alleyne, president of the Eastern Counties Football Union (ECFA) Trevor Dyer, Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) president Anthony Creed and Boni Bishop of the Referees Association to put together all his reasons why he feels Phillips should be dismissed for the board’s consideration soon. 

This meeting it is understood will take place this week and some of the options the board will have at its disposal will be to either re-instate Phillips; terminate his services; send the matter to the Ministry of Labour for a decision or pay Phillips him off for his services. Only recently vice president Kuarsingh wrote to Tim Kee telling him that his decision to terminate the services of Phillips was unconstitutional and needed the approval from the board before the general secretary could have been sacked.

COLOMBO—West Indies will attempt to rebound from a battering in the Test series to prove that they are still a major force in One Day International cricket when they face Sri Lanka in the first of three ODI’s in Sri Lanka today.

Jason Holder’s men are fired-up from a thrilling come back in a practice match against a president’s X1 on Thursday and are keen on putting their two-nil loss in the Test series behind them. Holder has welcomed the return of spinner Sunil Narine as part of a Windies plot for middle overs domination.

“Very happy to have him back. He is a boost to anyone’s bowling line-up,” said Holder. “He is one of the world’s best bowlers and his figures and stats speak for themselves. Hopefully we can get him coming to the forefront in this series and leading our bowling attack”. Narine, who is returning from a 14 month hiatus, has been forced to remodel his bowling action after he was twice reported for a suspect action.

During the World Cup campaign, West Indies had regularly taken wickets with the new ball but allowed the advantage to slip as opposition batsmen flourished. South Africa amassed 408 against them in Sydney, before Martin Guptill’s 237 not bolstered New Zealand’s 393 in the quarter-final.

“We need to make the new ball count for us and once we get early wickets its makes things a little easier in the middle. In the past we have tend to let the game drift away from us,” said Holder.

“We have Sunil Narine now and that makes me a little more comfortable because he is a wicket taking option whenever he comes into bowl. So hopefully he can exploit some wickets in the middle and his pressure could create other wickets. So hopefully we can get some more wickets in the middle and put Sri Lanka under pressure.”

Continues on Page A46West Indies bowling arsenal is expected to be strengthened with the return of pacer Ravi Rampaul, the most experienced bowler in the Windies line up, with 90 ODIs and 22 T20s under his belt. Rampaul will be expected to carry the weight of the seam attack along with Jerome Taylor and captain Holder.

The West Indies are full of confidence after winning their practice match against SLC Board President’s XI by 43 runs via the Duckworth-Lewis method. Carlos Brathwaite and Andre Russell had put on a sensational 193-run, eighth-wicket stand in a rain interrupted the match.

“The guys got a chance to spend some time in the middle in the practice match. Afterwards we came back and had a good blowout in terms of bowling. I would say the guys are well prepared,” said Holder. 

“We also got a good net session under the lights, so the guys got a feel for the backdrop of the Premadasa Stadium. It’s very important that we start the series well because it’s a short series, and we’d like to build some confidence going into the T20 series as well.” The regional side will be pleased that the homeside is playing without Rangana Herath, the spinner who destroyed their batting line-up in the Test series.

Both Sri Lanka and West Indies have had a poor year in ODI thus far. However Sri Lanka is ranked higher than West Indies who recently failed to qualify for then 2017 Champions Trophy. Holder says his players are eager to rise in the rankings to safeguard their place at the 2019 World Cup.

“It is definitely in the forefront of our minds. Sri Lanka is obviously ranked higher than us so if we beat this team here now we obviously could gain quite a few points,” said Holder, who has been one the team’s leading players this year. He has 17 wickets in 12 matches and also scored 208 runs in nine innings, including two half-centuries.

“It is important for us to keep looking to win games and keep boosting our ranking which is important with all these restrictions and cut off points in terms of making ICC tournaments,” he said. “It is important that we take each game seriously as we normally do but even more seriously now because of the points system”.

The first ODI will be played at the Premadsa Stadium in Colombo on Sunday. The day/night contest bowls off at 2.30 pm (5 am T&T Time).

CMC

Have you ever wondered how the rich got their wealth and kept it growing? 

Do you dream of retiring early, or of being able to retire at all? 

Are you simply thinking about investing, but don't know where to start? 

Well firstly, you should know that investing is not a get-rich-quick scheme. Taking control of your personal finances will take work, and, yes, there will be a learning curve. But the rewards will far outweigh the required effort.

Investing is normally considered a good way to make your money grow and create future wealth. However, before you begin to invest your hard earned money, you must consider a few things such as your objectives for investing and the level of risk that you are willing to explore. 

Ask yourself these questions:

1. How much risk is right for me? Remember, higher risk means that you may lose some or all of your money so it is important to ask yourself “Do I want to take the chance to make more money if it also means I may lose money?” or “Would I rather make less and keep my money safe?”

2. How much am I hoping to make by investing? This aspect deals with the return on your investment which can sometimes take the form of income (interest or dividends) or capital gains or capital losses. 

Generally, more risk is incurred if you expect a higher return.

3.For how long do I plan to invest? An investor’s investment horizon ie the total length of time that the investor expects to hold a security or portfolio, is primarily determined by the investor’s investment goals, including income needs and risk tolerance. 

For eg, saving for a car is a short-term goal whereas allocating money for retirement is a longer-term goal. Once these goals are clearly defined, the appropriate investments can be selected to best achieve those targets.

4. How easy will it be to get back my money from an investment? Cash is normally considered the most liquid asset since it is normally kept in small quantities in a purse or wallet while larger sums are kept in a regular bank account. The amount which is placed in a bank account can usually be retrieved from the teller or via an ATM. 

In most cases, when you give up the opportunity to easily access your money, you should obtain higher returns. However, it must be noted that many investment options which promise a fixed rate of return, usually lock your money into a specified time frame.

Know yourself and understand what is important to you. In this way, you will be better informed to make the best choices that are right for you. 

Success depends on ensuring that your investment strategy fits your personal characteristics. 

Even though you are trying to make money, you come from a unique background and have specific needs relative to another investor. As such you may want to pay particular attention to your investment objectives and your personality. 

As Warren Buffet says: “Never invest in a business you can’t understand…Only buy something that you’d be perfectly happy to hold if the market shut down for 10 years.”

Investment objectives

A multimillionaire is obviously going to have much different goals than a newly married couple just starting out. 

The millionaire, in an effort to increase his profit, has no qualms about investing $100,000 in real estate. 

The married couple’s focus is a bit more concentrated on saving to make the down payment for a house and every cent counts. They won’t risk losing their money in a speculative venture. 

So consider where you are in your life stage and weigh in your costs and benefits both in the long and short term. 

Personality

Personality here refers to how much volatility you are willing to see in your investments. Another personality trait looks at your desire to research investments. Some people love nothing more than digging into financial statements and crunching numbers. To others, the terms balance sheet, income statement and stock analysis sound as exciting as watching paint dry. 

Essentially the main thing determining what works best for you is your ability to take on risk. 

Remember every individual's situation is different and investors differ from one another. What is important to note is that an investment is not the same for everyone. You must also ensure that before purchasing any investment product, you consult with a registered investment adviser, broker or professional.  

The T&T Securities and Exchange Commission is not an investment adviser nor is it a brokerage house. This article is intended solely to provide you with the information you need to make sound investment decisions and to ensure that you are familiar with and understand your rights and responsibilities as a consumer of financial services. Before investing, educate and empower yourself! 

To learn more, visit investucatett.com, follow us on Facebook or call 624-2991. If you have any questions or comments feel free to email us at ccei@ttsec.org.tt.

Close to 150 Tobagonians attended the Financial Literacy Secretariat’s (FLS) second investment information seminar for the year facilitated by the T&T Unit Trust Corporation at the Victor E Bruce Financial Complex in Scarborough.

Secretary of Finance and Enterprise Development in the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) Joel Jack encouraged the large gathering to exploit the various investment opportunities offered, building on the Tobago ethic of savings and thrift in an effort to increase their assets and strengthen the legacy of intergenerational wealth transfer on the island.

UTC’s vice president of Advisory Services Amoy Van Lowe applauded the THA on its initiative and partnership over the years. She commended the Secretary of Finance in particular for his positive response in supporting activities which allow citizens to take charge of their future, in addition to his vision and commitment to the enhancement of financial literacy.

The gathering was presented with information on wealth generation by Garth Thomas of Comprehensive Planners and Associates. 

Leslie St Louis of First Citizen’s Brokerage and Advisory Services explained the first steps to be taken when investing in the stock market, while Sekou Mark vice president of Investment Research and Portfolio Management at the UTC gave insights into the operations and philosophy behind the UTC Calypso Macro Index Fund. 

The session was highly interactive and participants engaged all facilitators directly on their respective presentations.

President of the Seamen and Waterfront Workers’ Trade Union (SWWTU) Michael Annisette is warning of the possibility of protests at the Port in Port-of-Spain over the busy the Christmas season if workers are not paid the higher wages promised with their recently-settled negotiations. 

He said there had been signals from the port’s management that the workers will not be paid immediately because they have not received their full budgetary allocation.

Annisette said the workers are entitled to more than $40 million, including a $200 increase for pensioners and a “golden handshake for workers who want to leave the port because there is a level of restructuring that has to be done.”

“While the Port of Point Lisas paid the back pay and implemented the new wages we have yet to see that done in Port-of-Spain,” the union leader said. 

“If that matter is not addressed we can see a level of dissatisfaction from the workforce.”

While not specifically declaring there would be protest action, Annisette warned: “When workers are dissatisfied anything can happen, so I don’t want to guess, but a dissatisfied workforce is not in the best interest of any company.”

Insurance professionals from across the Caribbean will gather at the Trinidad Hilton and Conference Centre from Wednesday at the 18th Annual Insurance Education Conference hosted by the Association of Insurance Institutes of the Caribbean (AIIC) in collaboration with the T&T Insurance Institute (TTII).

Speakers at the three-day event will include Susan Francois, director, Financial Intelligence Unit of T&T; Dr Acolla Lewis-Cameron, lecturer and head of Management Studies at the University of the West Indies (UWI), St Augustine campus; Brevard Nelson, co-founder  and COO of Caribbean Ideas Limited; Cecil Jaipaul, managing director, Jaipaul Consulting—Canada and L Anthony Watkins, CEO/ principal consultant of Odyssey ConsultT Inc Limited.

Ruth Lake, AIIC president, said the conferences is held in different islands every year with the intention of fostering integration among people in the field of financial services in the Caribbean. As experience and expertise leave the doors of insurance companies regionally because of Baby Boomer retirement, the industry has turned its attention to ensuring that the next batch of middle managers are fully prepared, she added.

Topics to be covered are Digital Strategy—Using the technology to grow, Global Changes and the effects on the Caribbean Insurance Industry, On the Edge—Managing Risk in a Competitive Environment, Customer Service—Before and After the Sale, On the Couch—Guide to effective Leadership.

In an effort to shunt discussions about the proposed rapid rail project onto a different track, Brent Munroe of the Association of Maxi Taxis of T&T suggested that a better idea might be to convert maxi-taxis to use compressed natural gas (CNG).

It’s an interesting bit of lateral thinking and one that plays to two audiences, those who feel that problems with traffic demand unexplored solutions as well as supporters of the long overdue and continuously faltering effort to make CNG a serious alternative fuel source in gas stations around the country. Maxi-taxi drivers already have incentives to make the switch with handsome sums promised by the National Gas Company to owners of diesel powered vehicles ranging from $45,000 to $75,000.

Those grants will subsidise the cost of a new, OEM CNG vehicle and the older taxis will be destroyed, a nod to concerns about vehicle density.

NGC has set aside a grant fund of $60 million for the exercise, but if Mr Munroe’s call is to be properly understood, maxi-taxi owners aren’t rushing to make the change and he appears to be suggesting an intermediate conversion project.

Previous efforts at winning CNG customers have faltered because of spotty distribution, creating a running chicken and egg situation in which gas station franchise holders are unwilling to invest in the fuel because of a small customer base and skittishness on the part of customers to convert their vehicles to use the fuel because of uncertainty about where they will be able to refuel.

A 2013 plan to convert 17,500 vehicles to CNG at no cost announced by the Ministry of Energy and Energy Affairs doesn’t seemed to have moved the needle on the use of the alternative fuel source from a marginal one per cent of all of the cars on the roads.

There is no apparent solution to the twinned problems of subsidised fuel use and the overwhelming numbers of vehicles on the nation’s roads at peak hours that won’t cost the nation both money and planning effort.

The rapid rail project will represent a major investment by the Government and there is no articulated plan for that project that suggests it will not be another subsidy transportation project, and that will slip a noose of debt around the necks of generations to come.

Another stop-gap solution, the Water Taxi service, has proven to be a success, but it’s also a subsidised, loss-making enterprise, and along with subsidised fuel at the pump represents another drain on the economy.

What’s needed is clearer thinking about the causes of the interminable and exhausting traffic problems that have plagued T&T for more than a decade and solutions that target those problems.

There hasn’t been nearly enough time spent on a scientific evalution of the problem or research into alternative solutions to traffic congestion in this country. 

If maxi-taxi owners can see ways that their participation in the daily commute might be made more effective and efficient, it’s certain that other stakeholders in the process, including time and motion professionals, might have some interesting ideas to add to a think-tank tasked with exploring every possibility in relieving the nation’s traffic problems.

The logic of the capitalist accumulation is for an industry to grow out of its skin otherwise face the possibility of stagnation, eventual decline with the likely chance of a competitor eating your supper. It is a challenge the tourism industry of the Caribbean could face if it does not increase its market share of the international tourism industry.  

Put differently, the Caribbean has to eat the lunch of some other tourism region or have someone else dip their fingers in the dinning plate of the region. Data for the first six months of 2015 indicate a growth rate of 5.8 per cent higher than the corresponding period for 2014. That level of growth is higher than the average 4.1 per cent experienced by the international tourism industry for the period.

Taken by themselves, the figures on returns from the Caribbean tourism industry up to June of this year are impressive: 14.8 million tourists came into the region, that amounts to 800,000 above the number for the corresponding period of 2014. In dollars and cents terms, the figures for 2014 show that the region took US$30 billion from the industry with significant contributions to jobs and government revenues.  

However, when the growth in the Caribbean tourism industry is taken in the context of the 1.1 billion tourists arrivals, and given the dependence of the region on tourism, the eastern and northern Caribbean more so than the south, the Caribbean’s share of the international market is a modest 2.8 per cent.

“The Caribbean has a relatively low global market share compared to the importance it places on its tourism economy,” said the UN World Tourism Council, Director/Executive Secretary of Member Relations, and Carlos Vogeler, at the State of the Industry Conference (SOTIC) in Curacao late last month.

But in addition to the numbers, and as pointed out by Barbados’ Minister of Tourism and International Transport, Richard Sealey, the success of regional tourism cannot only be measured in terms of the macro-economic figures given above, we have to calculate if and how the revenue drawn from tourism filters into the economy.

The numbers of sustainable jobs being created, what is the local content of the tourism spend in relation to what leaks out to airlines, foreign hotel owners and managers, to purchase food and the accessories for the industry, really how much value is being added locally to the tourism product.

This year’s Sotic once again sought to grapple with and find answers to issues that have been at the centre of concerns for tourism for perhaps the last decade. The high levels of taxation imposed by governments on the airline industry, at airports and other places where the tourist dollar is captive is one issue that will not easily go away.

That is so because with regional governments having narrow tax bases from which to draw revenue for infrastructure and basic living needs, it will take more than simple restating of the view that reduction of taxes will encourage greater travel into and around the region and inevitably result in increasing revenue from increased numbers of visitors and what is available for them to spend.

JetBlue’s President and CEO Robin Hayes relates that in instances in which the airline, a virtual “new kid on the block” in the Caribbean, has been able to reduce its air fare by 30 per cent, that has resulted in a doubling of the number of tourists brought into the region. What is needed are hard data to demonstrate to governments that the theory of reducing taxes to increase arrivals and revenue is one that works.  

One relatively new but vigorous challenge which will exert much pressure on governments and the moral fibre of Caribbean societies was presented to the industry by a travel agent who specialises in bringing travellers from the Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual and Transvestites community.

The tantalising prospect of seeking to get a share of the US$100 billion market created by the travel of members of the LGBT community from America alone will make finance ministers gleam; but will call down the wrath and damnation of rightly religious Caribbean society on the heads of all of us; the sacred and the profane alike.

Remember a few years ago in Tobago when jazz show organisers included Elton John (who has made known his sexual life style) on the show card, there were serious concerns expressed that he could somehow contaminate the environment. In a few instances in other countries there have been direct actions of the LGBT which have upset nationals; in a few instances gay and lesbian couples have been found to be engaging in sexual acts in public.

Secretary General of the Caribbean Tourism Organisation, Hugh Riley, observes “no business can afford to ignore a significant market segment.” However, he rightly notes that it’s up to governments and their populations to decide on whether or not to open their doors to the LGBTs.

One very possible challenge that can be undertaken is for Caribbean countries to explore the Chinese market. The middle class has expanded and there has been a 40 per cent increase in Chinese travelling over the last year.

China has found itself all over the Caribbean; there is the requirement now to balance trade and economic activities between us here in the Basin and the Far East. 

Remember, we are defending our dinner. 

The world’s cheapest fuel and foreign currency shortage combine to make Venezuela a living museum for classic American cars, rivaling Cuba. Venezuelan vehicles are from a different era than the pre-revolutionary cars cruising around Havana—they are more 1970s and 1980s. 

Many of them are beat up and in need of obvious maintenance. I’m talking about maintenance issues like doors that don’t have locks. Instead, they are kept shut with a string. I came to think of them as coffins on wheels. 

The irony is that while foreign exchange restrictions mean that only the well connected Venezuelans can afford to buy new cars, nearly nowhere else in the world can one find the money to drive these V8-powered gas guzzlers. 

In Venezuela though, gasoline is free. That’s right, free. It doesn’t cost anything. One liter of gasoline costs Bs 0.07. At the black market currency price of 650 Bolivars to one US dollar, that is 0.0001 per liter. If you round that off, it adds up to nothing. 

Like with any product, if you don’t give it value, it will be wasted. That is just Human Behaviour 101. Rather than invest in new and fuel-efficient (with airbags!) vehicles, cheap fuel directs consumer behaviour towards driving the biggest vehicle possible. 

The economic result is that buying a new vehicle is all hypothetical because the country has gone bust trying to pay for the subsidy, which was estimated to cost about US$50 billion in revenue and lost foreign exchange earnings before oil and gas prices took a nosedive.

Venezuela is an extreme example but in T&T fuel subsidies consumed TT$19 billion between 2011 and 2015. That money could have been used to pull the poor out of poverty. Poverty reduction is always mentioned as the reason for fuel subsidies but the evidence is that they cause more harm than good. 

Subsidies start as an attempt to shield citizens from inflation and price hikes. Those are noble intentions but the road to failure is paved with good intentions. Subsidised fuel is a failed policy. It consumes huge amounts of government budget; distorts the economy and steals from investments in more productive spending such as education and health. 

Cheap fuel means more climate-changing CO2 emissions and more people killed by air pollution. Subsidising fuel reduces investments in renewable energy and mass transport. Poverty is eradicated by investing in people, a good business environment and infrastructure. Filling up cheap at the fuel pump does not add to productivity. 

To add insult to injury fuel subsidies benefit the rich more than the poor. There is actually a transfer of wealth from the poorest to the wealthy. It is a reverse Robin Hood policy. So why do countries like Venezuela and T&T continue to follow this policy? Maintaining fuel subsidies is a political decision, not an economic one. 

Politicians know that reducing fuel subsidies means immediate pain for citizens. If poorly planned a subsidy removal can result in a shock effect, primarily a shock to popularity but in extreme cases in civil unrest. The doublesnomics that increased the price of a doubles by $1 had nothing to do with the fuel component in the price of a doubles. That is miniscule. But it reinforces the fact that a lot of what drives consumer behaviour is non-rational and emotive. 

Citizens must trust that a smooth transition is planned. The best way to create this trust is to start implementing traffic solutions immediately. Is T&T ready to make a break with fuel subsidies? Finance Minister Colm Imbert has put it on the agenda. I urge him to make use of present low energy prices to abandon the fuel subsidy on gasoline within this government term. 

Minister Imbert says that a mass transit solution will cost between $10-$15 billion. The fuel subsidy can pay for that within 10-11 years. Mass transit can only work when commuters have an economic incentive to use it. It cannot coexist with subsidised fuel.

There is no time like now. At present oil prices, premium gasoline will be cheaper if the market price is charged. Super and diesel will go up to somewhere between $4 and $5. 

Some will be hurt by even a $1 per day increase in the cost of living. When oil prices were high their taxpayer’s dollars fuelled the vehicles of the middle class and the down-the-islands boats of the wealthy. Fuel smugglers became instant millionaires. A system of targeted welfare will benefit them. Maybe a travel card that can also be used in maxi taxis or increased spending on social services, health and education. That is what the poorest need. 

Fuel subsidies increase inequality and do not make the poor richer. Invest in people, not fuel tanks. 

T&T holds the embarrassing distinction of being one of the few countries in the world which still lists all our bats as vermin. Contrast this with the US and Canada, where they are celebrating Bat Week from October 25 to 31. 

Many people also have an irrational fear of bats, mainly due to misinformation. Bats are not vermin, they are not to be feared, and the benefits of bats far outweigh the conflicts we have with them. 

I like to think of bats as the night shift. All of the services we get from birds during the day, we get these from bats at night. One study suggests that bats eat so many insect pests in the US they are worth $3 billion per year to the agriculture industry. 

Bats pollinate many fruit trees we enjoy, and, since they often carry fruit away from the parent tree, are instrumental in seed dispersal. Bats can also be important contributors to the tourist economy, as exemplified in Austin, Texas, and also by the Tamana Caves in Central Trinidad. 

If bats are so great, then why are many Trinbagonians so archaic in our thinking? There are two main species in Trinidad which give all bats a bad name. These are the vampire bats. At one stage, there was a rabies outbreak in Trinidad spread by vampire bats. We are partly to blame for this outbreak since these bat populations grew out of control with the introduction of readily available sources of food in the form of cattle. 

Since this outbreak, the populations of vampire bats have been kept under control such that the chances of a person contracting rabies today from a bat are minuscule. As a matter of fact, research conducted from 1971 to 2010 on 3,838 vampire bats in Trinidad indicates that only 0.03 per cent examined carried rabies. This means that beyond the remote chance of a vampire bat biting you, there is very little likelihood of you contracting rabies from that bat. 

Bats have also been classified as vermin as they are often unfairly accused of damaging crops. Research the world over shows us that bats often times focus their attention on over-ripe fruits which are rejected for human consumption. 

Admittedly, bats can be a nuisance if they take up residence in your house. Again, we are partly to blame for this, as we are the ones who have encroached on their habitat. Bats do not create nests in houses, and do not chew through cables. 

Given their value to us, I would like to plead with people to humanely remove bats from their property. For advice on this, as well as information on the amazing bats of T&T, you can go to www.trinibats.com. 

Bats are in trouble the world over. It is time for T&T to recognise how blessed we really are to have about 70 species providing us with benefits. These animals should be protected, and I hope that the powers that be evolve in their thinking immediately and remove them from the vermin list.

Luke Rostant, PhD,
Co-ordinator, Diploma/MSc Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Development in the Caribbean, UWI

Universities play a pivotal and essential role in national development. They do this by producing graduates, providing expert advice and performing relevant R&D to create new products and services thereby facilitating the creation of new companies and employment opportunities. UTT was set up to catalyse the diversification of the economy through the commercialisation of its R&D. It is thus appropriate that the institution, after this initial decade of existence, take a hard look at itself, if it wants to right the wrongs.

UTT labels itself as an entrepreneurial university and this is all fine and good. But for this to be actualised, an ethos of R&D must be engendered at all levels of all programmes. R&D does not only start at the masters’ and doctoral levels. It must be inculcated from the diploma through the baccalaureate degrees. Active postgraduate research programmes can have the effect of stimulating research activity at the undergraduate levels which, in fact, provide its feedstock. 

The sanitising and reactivation of the School for Postgraduate Studies is thus a matter of great urgency. As alluded to a week ago, the governance policies and processes have collapsed. Sure, there are good researchers at UTT and some good R&D work is being done.

The issue is thus, not the researchers or postgraduate students themselves, but the academic processes and their management in particular, to ensure equity and quality. They must be able to withstand any scrutiny. A cursory examination of what has been taking place will shock, horrify and traumatise any sane and competent academic. 

Just as families are the basic building blocks of communities and societies, so too are departments/programmes at a university. The family is sacrosanct as are departments. It is not unexpected for the Board and top management be subjected to the vagaries of national politics but the norm should be that departments are insulated. For this to happen, the governance and operational processes that impact academic appointments and promotions, must be well defined and robust with the requisite checks and balances.

The lack of internal redress mechanisms leads to unhappy and disgruntled academic staff as they perceive that factors other than academic excellence are at play. At UTT, the average staff member is not only unhappy but disillusioned with state of affairs. Universities are very competitive, difficult places to work and it is not unusual to hear of faculty being unhappy when not promoted when they think they deserve it. But as noted above, there should internal mechanisms available to them to can challenge the decision and seek redress.

It is the opinion of most that the concept of and rationale for UTT are both good and further, such a university is needed. In light of this, strenuous attempts, involving staff from both within and without, to review, re-strategise, restructure and re-operationalise UTT should be made. People involved in this exercise should not be viewed through political lens. Rather, competent and committed citizens who can contribute meaningfully should be engaged.

Clarity is needed on the respective roles of UWI, UTT, COSTATT and other the tertiary level institutions in manpower development and R&D. There are clear overlaps and thus some rationalisation is needed. The R&D enterprise, inclusive of commercialisation, needs to be emphasised if the tertiary level graduates are to find meaningful employment. UWI and UTT should seriously consider an R&D consortium.

There are many advantages to be gained from this sort of venture as opposed to the costly duplication of programmes and research efforts. With COSTATT offering similar programmes at the bachelor’s level as UTT, there is a clear opportunity for consolidation and or divestment. 

UTT has the potential to contribute significantly to national growth and the diversification effort. To bring this effort to fruition, competent, experienced and visionary leadership is needed.

 The question “Whither UTT?” should not have as its answer “Wither UTT.” 

It is very easy for the Police Commissioner and others to tell the public to ask police officers for their police identification badges and numbers. It should be even easier for the Police Commissioner and others to tell their colleagues that they should immediately, without any hesitation, produce on demand their identification badges and numbers.

It is the hardest thing for members of the public to get the police officers to present their badges and numbers. Since August 2014, I am still waiting for a response from the Police Commissioner and/or the Police Complaints Division on a report where two police officers came to my house and demanded entry but both refused to produce their identification badges.

My sister refused to allow them entry into the house and they both proceeded to harass her. This can be confirmed by the Charge Room of the San Fernando Police Station and the Sergeant-in-Charge. The mere suggestion to the public to write a complaint to the Police Commissioner and/or the Police Complaints Division is an exercise in futility as it takes months to get a mere reply and years to get any response.

In one complaint, the response, after years, was that the St Margaret’s Police Station cannot identify the two police officers sent on enquiries.

In a second complaint in 2001, the first response after two years was that since my version conflicted with that of the police constable, no further action will be taken. After my objections, the second response after three years was that there were no witnesses.  

Again after my objections, the third response after four years was that a witness was located but since this person has retired, the investigation was terminated. My advice to the public is that before engaging any police officer, first request their police identification badge and number. On normal occasions, will these documents be produced?

Depending on the first response, members of the public will then determine the level of co-operation that will be received. But I still recommend that the complaint is written and submitted for documentation purposes.

Philip Ayoung-Chee