This is exactly what happened at the recent Port-of-Spain Bioblitz held from November 4 to 6.

For the fifth year in a row the University of the West Indies Zoology Museum and the Trinidad and Tobago Field Naturalist’s Club organised a Bioblitz.

This one was a bit different from past events as we decided to do it in a major urban area rather than out in the swamps or forests.

The Botanic Gardens was chosen as the base camp for the Bioblitz as it is a good location to survey and, more importantly, interact with the public.

The Horticultural Services Division in the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries and the Friends of the Botanic Gardens of Trinidad and Tobago were delighted to help with hosting the event.

The Orientation Centre at the front gates of the garden was filled with displays and the equipment needed for the surveying and identification. On the lawn nearby were several marquees to host the Nature Fair part of this year’s event.

The fair was an opportunity for over 20 organisations, groups and charities to spread the message about the work they are doing to help the environment.

They included groups that promote eco-tourism and conservation work like Asa Wright Nature Centre, Turtle Village Trust, Nature Seekers, Pointe-a-Pierre Wildfowl Trust and Paria Springs Tours.

There was also participation from the Environmental Management Authority, the Institute of Marine Affairs and the Environmental Policy and Planning Division.

Youth groups were represented by the UWI Biological Society and the Caribbean Youth Environment Network. Groups promoting a sustainable future like Fondes Amandes Community Reforestation Project, Caribbean Permaculture Consultants (who run Wa Samaki), and aQuaTT had some fantastic displays including live fish and bees. Animal-focused groups put on some great displays including lots of snakes, caiman and lizards at the Serpentarium tent and a variety of birds of prey at the El Socorro Centre for Wildlife Conservation tent. Trinibats showed visitors different ways of surveying for mammals and the National Herbarium and the TT Orchid Society showcased some of the nation’s botanical wonders.

Marine aspects were covered by the TT Eco Divers Club, the University of Trinidad and Tobago Marine Sciences unit and the Environmental Research Institute Charlotteville (ERIC).

Other groups like The Council for Presidents of the Environment (COPE), Water aCCSIS and the Erasmus Mundus Association also did some great outreach.

Over the course of the Friday we had many school groups visit the nature fair.

There were trails and quizzes that took the children all over the Botanic Gardens learning about the biodiversity of TT and what had been discovered in past Bioblitz events.

On Friday afternoon the nature fair had a special surprise when the President Anthony Carmona dropped by to have a look around.

He spent almost an hour speaking with schoolchildren and exhibitors, viewing the displays and being asked to pose for many, many photographs.

The Minister of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries, Clarence Rambharat also dropped by to see the displays and talk with those attending.

Friday evening saw the beginning of the surveying as Bioblitzers assembled in the gardens. The mammal team set up JUNGLE from page 3B mist nets to catch bats and over several hours managed to find nine species including the uncommon whitewinged vampire bat.

Some of the reptile and amphibian group searched by torchlight all through the gardens whilst several small groups searched for insects, spiders and scorpions. One interesting find was a boa constrictor in the vegetation at the top of the gardens. Saturday was the main day for the Bioblitz groups to survey all over the city. The birders were up early doing some banding in the gardens whilst others searched the nearby forests. The aquatic group headed to Invader’s Bay and the mouth of the Maraval River to search the waters and then headed up to sample the St Ann’s River near Fondes Amandes.

The mammal team retrieved camera traps from Caroni Swamp, the St Ann’s peak trail and around the Botanic Gardens. The plant and fungus groups searched all over the city and up into the hills. On Saturday night the herpetology and invertebrate groups headed out again to find nocturnal species.

One interesting addition this year was the Microbe Team who had collected air, water and soil samples from around the city. They then cultivated the samples in a lab to see what species of bacteria and microfungi they could find and they got some great results.

Sunday morning found many of the Bioblitzers identifying their last few specimens, using hand lenses, microscopes, books and their vast range of experience.

Surveying stopped at noon and the final total was announced around 1.30 pm by this writer, organiser of the Bioblitz.

The result was an unexpectedly high 730 species! This included 16 mammals, 97 birds, 19 reptiles, nine frogs, 15 fish, 245 invertebrates, over 60 fungi, 20 bacteria and 246 plants. As always happens after a Bioblitz a few more species came to light as photos were checked and as specimens were identified so the total for the final Bioblitz report will be even higher than the 730 reported on the day.

By 5 pm on the Sunday most of the groups and displays had packed up after a long but rewarding weekend and it was the turn of the Green Screen Environmental Film Festival to take over the Botanic Gardens.

Organised by Sustain T&T the festival ran from November 1 to 12. No sooner had the crew set up the outdoor screen and chairs than the weather, which had been great all weekend long, suddenly changed and heavy rain battered the city. The screening was moved inside the Orientation Centre which filled up very quickly as many guests came.

After the first few short films the skies cleared and a screen was hastily erected outdoors once more and over 120 guests stayed to watch the feature film.

The event was sponsored once again by First Citizens along with Atlantic, and Bermudez donated snacks to help fuel the Bioblitzers. Thanks from the UWIZM and the TT FNC to all of the survey teams, the groups who joined in the nature fair and all the members of the public who came along to see what was going on.

The location for next year’s Bioblitz is still to be decided but whereever we go in TT I’m sure there will be exciting new discoveries to be made.

For more info: see the T&T Bioblitz, TT FNC and UWIZM Facebook pages or visit the Bioblitz website at sta.

uwi.edu/fst/lifesciences/ BioBlitzHome

The two new local short films were part of the festival’s Films for a Better Place workshop and grant project. This year the festival’s Films for a Better Place film workshop and grant programme supported five documentary shorts which were shown throughout the festival. The festival which has shown local and international movies on environmental and sustainability issues ran from November 1 – 12.

The awardees were announced at the San Fernando Hill last Saturday.

The San Fernando Hill event, which also marked the opening of Bocas Lit Fest’s South Festival, awarded cash prizes, each worth $5,000. The Trouble with Plastic by Maya Cross-Lovelace won the Guardian of the Environment Award, sponsored by Guardian Media Ltd.

Quiet Revolution by Rhonda Chan Soo and Edward Inglefield won the Films for a Better Place Jury Award, sponsored by Sagicor General.

Green Screen is a production of Sustain T&T, a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to highlighting issues of conservation, alternative energy, climate change, social justice and sustainable development.

The Green Screen Film Festival 2016 was presented with the support of The German Embassy of Port-of-Spain.

Sponsors also include The Trinidad and Tobago Film Company, Sagicor General and Atlantic.

Information on the festival and its future activities is available at greenscreentt.com.

Along the way hikers will have the opportunity to see the beautiful Habio Falls with its distinctive fall pattern and the always visually captivating Rincon Falls.

Parking is at Mt Hope Hospital (EWMSC), from where maxi taxi transport will then proceed to the trail head in Maracas, St Joseph. This transport will then pick up the group at Las Cuevas, where the hike ends, and bring them back to Mt Hope.

Rate: Very challenging Duration: 5 – 6 hours Meeting point: Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex, Mt.Hope.

Time: 6:30 am.

Limit: 40 persons.

Screening and pre-registration is in effect.

NB: Please be advised that the long duration of this hike makes it a challenging one. Please do not attempt if you have a lingering ankle, leg or knee injury or if your current state of fitness is low or your state of overall health questionable.

For more information visit www.hikersinc.

com

“I think our government is too large, I think the part that they play in our economy is way too big. I think we’ve become a subsidy-drive, handout, State. That is not good for innovation.

That is not good for transformation.

(The) private sector is where the transformation is going to come from.

That is where the transformation came from after the last recession. I remember a long, long time ago, Arthur Lok Jack told me, ‘Brian, the period of recession we went through made Trinidad competitive and that was our impetus to go out into the rest of the Caribbean and develop those markets.’” Noting that TT’s deficit for fiscal 2017 is TT$6.034 billion, about 3.9 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), Hackett asked how attractive our energy assets would be if or when Government decides to sell them as part of its “one-off” revenue-generating measures.

“We know the story. Huge deficit.

We’re going to close it with asset sales, with other one-off measures, we’re going to try and bring private sector capital into this base through the PPP initiatives, but here’s what, A lot of those things can’t be replicated too many times. A lot of the assets that have to be sold in future rounds are energy assets. How attractive are they going to be? How easy is it going to be to monetise those IPOs et cetera if the reserves have nine years to go, eight years to go, seven years to go? So, we have some structural problems.” How should businesses address this? Hackett said they need to start the process of understanding where their “sit strategically”. Then engage with professionals, with their bankers and attorneys; “who have a wide breadth of clients they interact with”, their counterparts, to get the most accurate forecast of what the future will look like and what they need to do to be successful when that change occurs.

Hackett was speaking on the topic, “A Roadmap for Navigating the Challenging Economic Times”, during the third instalment of the Scotiabank INSIGHTS series, this past Tuesday evening at the Hyatt Regency, Port-of- Spain.

Given the aforementioned conditions in TT, Hackett advised everyone to see change or “disruption” as an opportunity for transformation.

He lamented that the majority of companies in TT “do not plan”; they do not have a strategic plan in place. They therefore find themselves reacting to opportunities and threats instead of being innovators and trendsetters in their industries.

“Recognise what your sustainable advantage is and trade off of that…We have to ask ourselves, what business are we going to be in five years from now? What business are we going to be in ten years from now? We do not know how to get there but here’s what, we’re going to go out each and every day and evaluate the assertion…The interaction, the learning, would make the organisation better but you cannot ‘stay inside’, you cannot just focus on the business that you’re in now” Hackett warned that if companies “don’t answer these questions and then set out on a journey to get there, they probably might as well go to the gambling hall and roll the dice.” Geographic diversification is one of the tips in the PwC head’s nine-point plan for “Managing in Uncertain Times.” Noting that Guyana “seems to be on the rise” and that Cuba is “opening up”, Hackett said looking for opportunities outside of TT may be the best way for some businesses to diversify their risk in terms of the local economy.

“We are, for better or worse over the next three years, in my view, a deficit-financed, one-trick pony. It may extend longer than that. You have to ask yourself, ‘(Is) my level of diversification…consistent with that profile or should I be looking outside to diversify my risk?” During the question and answer session that followed, Hackett was asked when the full impact of the recession TT is in would be ‘felt’ in, for example, the turnover rate of goods on supermarket shelves and in the number of bookings at restaurants.

“Common sense tells me that what we’re seeing is the last of the liquidity working its way through the system and when that is finished, and it’s not being pumped in at the other end, there will be a contraction. (This) suggests that there is a window of opportunity to reflate the economy.

Temporary measures yes; all one-off sales et cetera but if that is not done within the near term, then we will start to see a more precipitous fall.” Hackett also highlighted what he described as “a lot of inequality” in income levels, with “the wealth that exists in the country among some sectors having tremendously exploded.” “There are going to be some aspects of the society that are not going to be impacted but overall, when I look at 1.5 percent to 1.8 percent forecast growth over the next three years. I think it’ll probably be negative.” “On a longer-term basis, let’s hope we deal with our structural problem in terms of (oil and gas) supply, both in terms of the foreign companies and the local companies that are potential massive contributors. I think it’s widely known,” Hackett stated, “Trinmar for example, is a fairly sizeable field but it has under-produced almost since it has come online. The question I would ask every day (is) ‘What is the impact of that happening? What is the impact of a corrective action being taken? What comes after that corrective action? And then to align my business accordingly.” GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE Attendees at the latest INSIGHTS event also got a global perspective on the topic from Nick Chamie, International Chief Investment Officer at Scotia Wealth Management.

Looking at data about the link between unemployment levels and recessions in the United States (US), Chamie said “the unemployment rate tends to decline after the end of a recession and then, as we approach a recession, it starts to rise again.” “If you look at the current cycle, in 2009 the unemployment rate, having skyrocketed to around ten percent, 10.5 percent, it’s now dropped all the way below five percent, sitting at 4.9 percent. The unemployment rate tends to start curling up just before the next recession. On average, about a year (but) the unemployment rate is actually continuing to fall.” Chamie added that several indicators “continue to suggest that the next recession isn’t likely until sometime beyond mid-2018, which means we have a couple of years still left in this business expansion phase before we get to the next recession.” The fiscal plans of US Presidentelect, Donald Trump, were also examined during Chamie’s presentation on Tuesday.

“One important aspect of what Trump means for the markets, and means for the economy, is that he actually intends on cutting taxes and boosting spending in a very large way; that’s what he talked about on the campaign trail. We might actually come to expect a fiscal boost in spending and a tax cut boost to the economy that could be somewhere in the region of one percent to 1.5 percent of GDP. If that does come to fruition sometime in 2017 but maybe more likely in 2018, the US economy will continue to show ongoing momentum and economic growth throughout the next couple of years.” Regarding the bond market, Chamie said bond yields skyrocketed following Trump’s victory at the polls.

“Bond markets have been very, very quick in response to this election, in part because he represents a very strong likelihood of fiscal stimulus – increase in government spending, increase in economic growth, at least in the short term (with) that added economic growth giving a boost to inflation prospects in the near future.” Noting that commodity prices tend to move in a “volatile fashion”, Chamie__ reminded that some commodities increased 300 to 500 percent between 2000 and 2010 before they “started to trend a bit lower” in 2011 and 2012.

“Having kissed the top of the range, commodity prices have started on what I believe to be a prolonged super-cycle bear market, following the pattern of the other two long-term super-cycles. What this means is that commodities are unlikely to experience a sustained, strong price increases any time soon.

We should come to expect, we should budget for, low and probably stable commodity prices for the foreseeable future.” Looking at oil, Chamie compared the 1970s supercycle to that of 2000.

He pointed out that they “follow a similar pattern” – a dramatic increase followed by a collapse and then a “prolonged range trading environment.” “Oil prices spiked up to US $120 a barrel and collapsed in 2014 and now once again, we expect that range trading environment is likely to dominate in the coming years, where we can see oil bouncing in between US $35 a barrel to $65 a barrel but probably not exceeding $65 a barrel, since that would bring on new oil supply, and not below $35 because all of a sudden, supply cuts would start to correct the market.” Describing data on Equities as “good news”, Chamie said the US stock market tends to go through long-term secular bull markets and bear markets.

“Bear markets in Equities tend to move sideways and they’re each punctuated by important global economic and financial events (such as) WWI, WWII, depegging of the dollar off of gold and the bursting of the tech bubble but each following bull market in global equities has tended to be sparked once we clear the previous range of the bear markets.” “I have some good news,” Chamie added.

“It seems as though we did that back in 2013.

Historically, those longterm bull markets have tended to last anywhere from 15 to 30 years. So, it’s my view, and that of our group, that we think we’re in the early innings of the next secular bull market in global equities.” Scotiabank says its INSIGHTS series was developed with a holistic approach in mind, bringing to life that sense of deep understanding and awareness that the audience will have through the many areas of insightful discussions. At each event, the featured guest speakers provide the audience with insight into their expertise.

Fast forward to 2016. Your home WIFI modem supports two desktops, a laptop, three mobile phones and a Kindle. Someone in your home is shopping online. Meanwhile, someone else is watching Netflix. Somebody else is researching a paper for school. Another, is playing a game with a friend in China.

Flow is keen to mark its place as a premier provider of broadband in more ways than one.

“When we launched this service in 2007, broadband was a novelty for a lot of TT,” said Cindy Gatt, Flow’s Director, Marketing.

Gatt likened the change to the difference between “chalk and cheese”. In her mind, far from being a novelty, today, broadband is on par with electricity. Given this level of importance in customer’s lives, Gatt said the company is always working to see that customers’ have a consistently high quality broadband experience, the backbone of which is the company’s continual investment in its plant and hardware.

“We have never been a company that went out and invested in culture and sponsorship deals, only recently having gotten into that. Most of our history in Trinidad and Tobago, we’ve taken the money and invested in improving customer service.”

Maximising the customer experience, said Gatt, is a core activity at Flow.

To illustrate, the director of marketing said Flow’s customers have been benefiting from occasional bumps in speed for years at largely no cost to themselves.

“These same customers, 6 years ago, would have been on a 5 mbps package,” she said.

Now, most of Flow’s customers opt for the company’s 30 mpbs package. Gatt explained that the company periodically doubled speeds as customer usage patterns showed more and more homes were using multiple devices requiring higher bandwidth than in times past.

But beyond broadband, Gatt said, customers are also benefiting from innovations and improvements in other areas of the company’s operations. Gatt spoke about the introduction of Flow Sports a year ago, as well as the Premier television package for fans of English Premier League Football. This year, Flow was also involved with Olympic coverage of the regions athlete’s through ESPN Caribbean.

The company also has a new video service where subscribers can access 21 channels on their mobile phones. Additionally, there is the Flow Study app, featuring practice tests and online tutorials for CSEC. Currently, the basic package is available at no cost to customers.

“We are always doing more,” said Gatt, “ We are always upgrading our services and we are very concerned about customer experiences. All of what we do is done for their benefit.”

But does this mean all is well between the company and its customers?

Gatt admitted, “Could we improve? Everyone could improve. Nobody has it down perfect. No one.”

She referred to customer complaints about difficulties experienced contacting Flow.

According to Gatt, the company receives between 10,000 and 12,000 calls on a weekly basis. She said to accommodate customers, its call centre was converted to a 24-hour operation and now has a toll-free number. The company has also established an online portal where users can access bill information, services and changes requested going back 12 months, as well as pay bills.

Gatt said the company attempts to help customers get packages that are best suited to their needs and their budget, but emphasized that customers also had a share in that responsibility to make sure that they had the best fit.

The marketing director thinks Flow’s customer centred approach will help it retain market share in the face of increasingly intense competition. This year, two more players entered the market. One challenge made by competitors is that Flow network is not fibre optic.

“To clear up confusion, Flow’s network is a fibre network,” This from Allan Kangaloo, a product manager with responsibility for broadband and fixed line services, who has sat in on the interview to explain the more technical points.

“Our competition offers fibre from the node to the home. Flow has coaxial cable to the home. However, the entire back end (of the network) is fibre. There is little material difference in speed. Using this, they say they have a fibre network and Flow does not.”

“We’ve always had competition,” said Gatt, “We’ve been getting ready for competition for a while.”

And Gatt is not afraid.

“I think competition keeps you on your toes and it makes sure you continually innovate and keep abreast of all your customers wants. It makes you very aware of their experience and you take that into consideration into everything you do.”

The recent spike in killings appears to have elicited far less attention and concern among members of the public, as compared to the recently held US presidential elections. Could it be that as a people we have become totally numb to the senseless slaughter? According to a review of comparative data from the Crime and Problem Analysis Unit (CAPA) of the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS), reports of serious crime in almost every category have decreased between 2015 and 2016. The overall detection rate however, remains below 25%, naturally giving rise to the question of whether there has been any real measure of success.

Currently, the Northern and Central divisions are on record as registering the highest incidence of crime in the country. Overall, crimes of robberies, general larceny and burglaries are the most reported, and continue to number in the thousands. Sexual offences and larceny of motor vehicles also continue to be disturbingly high.

The TTPS appears to be experiencing the least amount of success in the area of murders. Unfortunately, that is the marker by which the public most identifies with the phenomenon of crime. While CAPA documents the statistics, very little information on perpetrators can be found, leading to the reasonable assumption that in most cases, the perpetrators remain unknown.

The Minister of National Security has challenged the Acting Commissioner of Police and Divisional Commanders to produce tangible and quantifiable results. New and creative strategies and approaches are desperately required to address the escalating murder rate.

The TT Chamber fully supports this call. But when one considers that National Security continues to receive the largest budgetary allocation each year, the question of value for money invariably arises, and whether we are, in fact, getting that value.

The TT Chamber believes that the appointment of a permanent Commissioner of Police would go a long way in instilling a higher level of confidence in the Police Service – not only among those of us who live and work here, but also among the very officers who serve loyally within the ranks. No Police Commissioner – and by extension, no leader – can effectively implement long term plans if he or she is uncertain about tenure.

Since the Government has indicated that it has done its part to clear the way for the engagement of a Police Commissioner, what, then, accounts for the inordinate delay in a permanent appointment? The current officeholder is on his ninth six-month extension regarding his contract – an issue on which the Police Service Commission ought to shed some light. Any recruitment process that drags on for more than four years, costing the tax-payer millions of dollars, is wholly untenable and unacceptable.

There must be no compromise – particularly during a period of economic uncertainty. Crime must be brought within manageable levels and detection rates must increase. Only then will we be well on our way to restoring some sense of safety and security among all citizens, while bolstering foreign investment in our beloved nation state.

The natural tropical landscape alone has generated a strong and unique tourism sector that has seen record numbers of visitors to the Caribbean year on year. The region is renowned for its exotic varieties of fruit and vegetable, so it’s no surprise either that agriculture is the major economic land-use activity in most Caribbean countries.

But the agricultural market itself contributes very little to GDP in the region as many countries import a whole lot more than they export. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) 2015 report, almost all CARICOM countries import more than 60 per cent of the food they consume, with half of them importing more than 80 per cent of the food they consume. The report also states that CARICOM countries currently import in excess of US$4 billion in food annually, an increase of 50 per cent since 2000. Food imports are projected to increase to US$8-10 billion by 2020 according to FAO, highlighting a huge problem on the horizon for the region as its food import bill is getting bigger and bigger.

The large food import bill is a huge element of the Caribbean’s rising food insecurity challenges. In several essential food groups, national production per capita has declined across the Caribbean, most notably in the fruits and vegetables category. There is also declining intraregional agricultural trade, decreasing foreign exchange earnings due to the collapse of many export agricultural crops, persistent poverty especially in rural regions and underdeveloped domestic food systems in the Caribbean.

The FAO report states that Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and Haiti, which together account for 83 per cent of the region’s population, are the Caribbean’s top food importers. Processed foods, grains (wheat and corn), and livestock products (meat and dairy) are among the top five food import categories, accounting for over US$ 1 billion which is equivalent to approximately 25 per cent of annual food imports regionally.

From a stability standpoint, CARICOM’s food and nutrition security can be described as precarious, given the Caribbean region’s risk due to the high occurrence of tropical storms, floods, droughts and earthquakes.

The spectre of climate change and its impacts undoubtedly adds to this risk Historically, food imports were fairly stable over the 1990-1994 period (averaging about US$1.4 billion annually). However, since 1995 the value of food imports has been increasing by 6 per cent annually between 1995-2004, then more steeply by 13 per cent annually between 2004-2011.

Another disadvantage that the rising import bill brings is other rising costs that occur as a result. Health conditions such as obesity, diabetes and heart conditions across the region have been attributed to an increasing reliance on processed foods resulting in the high cost of medical treatment for people.

Food security is essential for the region, not only because it carries significant benefits for human health, but because it also essential for the short term and long term economic growth. Strategies for food security cannot be seen in one dimension it requires a combination of coordinated actions across a number of areas including agriculture, health and nutrition, infrastructure and finance.

Crucially, farmers across the Caribbean need to be better equipped in supporting the Caribbean’s agricultural market as they play a vital role. Finance professionals can greatly support them as they can offer advice on increasing efficiency and adopting more innovative farming practices. Given the current land and water limitations of the region, technology must be factored in in order to produce higher yields to satisfy domestic use and exports, whilst ensuring the region can reduce the water footprint and use the land effectively.

There have been a number of initiatives implemented to improve the Caribbean agriculture. Recently delegations in Canada and Jamaica of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), with support from Rural Routes International, Grasshill Farm and the Canadian Livestock Genetics Association met together in Jamaica to strengthen the relationship between the two countries and promote future collaboration in the area of dairy goat genetics.

Food manufacturers from several Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries also gathered in Trinidad earlier this year for two days of food safety training that could help them access major export markets.

The sub-regional workshop on “Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) Plan Development and Implementation” was attended by private sector participants from Guyana, Haiti, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago.

There is clearly a huge potential for the Caribbean’s food industry and a huge benefit if it is able to lower their food import bill.

Finance professionals can support this industry through in depth knowledge of the market and knowledge to support farm business which will experience challenging times as they strive to change for the better.

It is this type of support that will make all the difference.

Naturally, and quite understandably, a national furore emerged, with many discussing what appeared to be a combination of hubris, insensitivity and a complete lack of understanding the importance of body language in communications. Body language refers to the non-verbal communication cues we often use when interacting. Many of these nonverbal cues are not necessarily a contrived part of the communications process, which is why it is so important to understand the management of these cues, to ensure what we mean to say is being interpreted in a non-offensive manner. Many times, what we say is often in complete conflict with the messages our body language may be sending, and the receiver may choose to believe the body language, rather than the verbal message.

When communicating with others, without being cognizant of it, we communicate with our eyes, facial expressions, gestures, head movements, posture and vocal tone, amongst other variables. As such, one’s character whilst communicating is often judged based on one’s facial expression whilst speaking.

According to an online article titled, “Your body speaks: Body Language Etiquette for Global Business” by Marco Sacca: Humans have more than 700,000 forms of body language: facial expressions, gestures, mannerisms, greetings and degree of eye contact vary greatly across countries. Body language training is therefore a great asset to organisations with practical applications to leadership, sales, customer relations, HR and workplace dynamics. We just have to recall the recently concluded United States Presidential election, where every movement of each of the candidates was viewed under very specific lenses. Tact and diplomacy are also very important factors in the art of communication. These are skills centred on an understanding of other people and being sensitive to their opinions, beliefs, ideas and feelings.

The crux of the matter essentially has to do with understanding how to communicate in difficult situations. This manner of communications occurs in two dimensions: when it is planned – occur when the subject has been given thought, they are planned as the time, place and other circumstances have been arranged or are chosen for a reason – and the unplanned conversation, when in the case of a spur of the moment discussion. For both scenarios, the following tips should apply

: Get the Facts: It is imperative in the challenging interaction, that the information being communicated is accurate. The information must be fact-based so as not to cause any further and undue disruption;

Be Assertive: It is important to be confident and firm in your conviction – which comes as a result of the fact-based interaction.

Now, being assertive does not mean being aggressive or arrogant.

Be Empathetic: It is important to understand that the information being communicated is very difficult for the receiver, as such, there is an old saying that you must ‘put yourself in the other person’s shoes.’ Would you feel ok if someone sharing negative, life-adjusting information to you is doing so with an inappropriate, glib, smile? Listen: There will be an outcry. It is your job to listen. Regardless of if you are in government, business or any other sector, an important part of the communications and leadership mandate is to listen actively.

Remain Calm: It is imperative to understand the importance of the leadership role, not only in times of good stead, but so too in times of crisis. Many look to the leader to read the stated and the unstated.

As such, it is very important for those in leadership positions to own a deeper sense of emotional and conversational intelligence.

Aim for the Win – Win Outcome: This outcome may not always be possible. However, demonstrating that this is what you are aiming for certainly provides the required level of understanding and empathy required when imparting less than desirable information.

A critical issue arising out of this latest report is the state of the economy. The MPR reported that the economy contracted by 6.7 % with the energy sector down by 10.8 per cent and the non-energy sector by 4.3 per cent. Along with such contraction there are job losses, with the unemployment rate having climbed to 4.4 per cent. Despite this, the country’s foreign reserves and the excess demand conditions has led to a depreciation of 4.5 per cent from the start of the year, with the weighted average TT$/US$ selling rate at TT$6.7507 recorded in October 2016.

The depreciation of the currency must be set against the backdrop of the external debt we are servicing. The two latest bond issues were US$550 million and US$1 billion with 10-year tenors.

Today we are facing the level of gross official reserves of $9,756.6 million as at the end of October 2016, equivalent to 10.9 months of import cover. While there has been some tightening in the distribution of foreign currency, consideration can be given to the need for changes in the philosophy governing the foreign exchange market. Is this simply a change that must be made to the distribution system? The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has reported that in the Caribbean just around 11% of the private sector firms are involved exports. This means just a small percentage is contributing to the pool of foreign exchange. To stem the tide of depreciation and loss of foreign exchange reserves perhaps we must consider an improvement to Import Productivity as a principle – we must ensure efficiency in the use of scarce foreign exchange.

The latter means that we should seek to ensure that we, as a country, get the most benefit from each dollar spent on imports. .

The last issue that the MPR raised is the specter that the debt-to-GDP ratio will reach 60.2 per cent by the end of the 2017.

The Government has said that they would limit public sector debt to no more than 65 per cent of GDP. We need to remind the government that work by IMF economist Keven Greenidge et al has pointed out that beyond the 56 percent threshold debt/GDP will have a negative impact on growth. A plan must be developed that stabilizes the economy, that gets it back to growth and prevents excess debt/GDP that can be debilitating.

Presented with their first-ever major business award since inception just under a decade ago, blossoming entrepreneurs David Thomas and Rachel Renie received honorary recognition for their brainchild initiative – an online raw foods delivery service – by the esteemed local business community. The pair’s meteoric rise into this niche market was openly accepted by the Chamber and adjudged to be one of this nation’s fastest growing locally-centred organisations. On their way to hoisting the revered 2016 accolade, Thomas and Renie trumped the likes of fellow locally-based emerging entrepreneurs and finalists – fashion designer Anya Ayoung Chee (Anya Ayoung Chee Limited) and chocolate producer Isabel Brash (Cocobel Chocolates).

Following the award presentation, Renie stated in her short victory speech, “I never expected validation such as this when we started the business. I want to thank David (Thomas) for all the help along the way, my mom and my dad, and for everyone who gave us support along the way. It has indeed been a long journey to get here.”

Thomas added, “I’m thankful for those who believed in us. Especially to those who didn’t believe in us as well; because we took that and turned it into positivity for the D’ Market Movers and it has definitely paid off.”

Gem sponsor of this year’s 12th hosting of the Champions of Business, TSTT, was on-hand to immediately congratulate the victorious business pair courtesy Chief Financial Officer, Gerard Cooper, who presented the winners with a welcomed customised telecommunications package via blink | bmobile.

“TSTT pays tribute to the new Emerging Entrepreneurs of the Year and congratulate them on their successes thus far. Our sponsorship and this award go hand-in-hand with TSTT’s direct involvement during the ongoing Global Entrepreneurship Week as we seek to enhance the mindset of young business people into becoming entrepreneurs in their own right. blink | bmobile will continue its support for young talent as we serve as the only full-service communications solutions provider nationwide.”

Other awardees on the night were EY Master Entrepreneur of the Year, Satyakama ‘Kama’ Maharaj of Sacha Cosmetics; EY Winning Women Winner, Jennifer Dan Sharma of Jenny’s On The Boulevard; and ‘Internationally Known…T&T Owned’ title holder, Label House Group of Companies. Ignatius Ferreria, chairman emeritus of Furness Trinidad Limited was also inducted into the Business Hall of Fame alongside the late Joe Pires (posthumously), former vice-president of the TT Chamber.

Delivering the ceremony’s feature address was Aston Stewart, son of Sandals Resort International Chief Executive Officer and Deputy Chairman, Adam Stewart. Aston stood in for his father, who was originally scheduled to speak, but was unable to travel to the twin-island republic from his base in Jamaica due to an injury. Aston though, urged the local business community to come on board and join the Sandals brand in greatly enhancing Tobago’s tourism industry and by extension, Trinidad, as they gear up for construction in the sister-isle in the near future.