At the seminar, business owners accountants and financial advisors gathered and were briefed by the Inter- Bank Anti-Fraud and Security Committee of the Bankers Association of Trinidad and Tobago, on the ways and means of identifying and protecting finances from fraud.

Over the years the number of reports of fraud were pretty standard, according to bank investors yesterday; but in 2016, there were over a thousand cases of fraud and this year there have been 369 cases so far. These figures trump every murder tolls taken over the years.

Anti-Fraud member Antonio Ventour said that the cause for the rise in fraud cases was because of the economy in which we are operating.

“It would seem that fraud is a little out of control than murders.

We are operating in a challenged economy, and what we know is that whenever you have a challenged economy, fraud always increases” Ventour noted that most businesses did not have policies to combat fraud, which is important to have especially where there would be financial transactions taking place.

He highlighted some of the elements of several fraud methods which included card skimming, in order to get a victim’s bank card numbers and information, Ransomware, which was the act of freezing people’s data on their PC’s and holding the information to ransom as well as cheque fraud.

Ventour also gave tips for people to ensure that they are not victims of fraud.

He said that people should be very aware of every financial situation that they encounter.

People should be especially wary of social media, because it is a safe haven for fraudsters.

Ventour also advised businesses to have a comprehensive policy and procedure for transactions in the workplace.

He also said that beyond all else, people should verify with their officials whenever conducting a financial transaction.

Sinanan said The Cargo Star will arrive in TT in mid July. It can carry 120 passengers plus cargo, to suit the needs of citizens of Trinidad and Tobago.

“It has been chartered for one year at a cost of US$22,500 per day. “A passenger vessel, the Ocean Flower is expected to arrive in Trinidad on July 17.

This vessel has been charted for one year at a cost of US$26,500 per day.” In a supplemental query, Caroni East MP Dr Tim Gopeesingh, asked if the two ships had been leased by way of a tender? Sinanan replied, “On several occasions I have indicated that the Government found itself in a situation where the cargo vessel was pulled from service, and the Port Authority had to use all the vessels that were available at that point in time. “There was a tender issued. That tender however was not subscribed to. We got one tenderer.

“The Port Authority again used the services of local agents. They looked at what was submitted to the Port.

Hence why a charter was signed for one year, with the expectation that a new tender will be going out very shortly.” Gopeesingh posed another supplemental.

“Are you saying that in the acquisition of these two vessels there has been no tender and it was sent directly to a local agent without any tendering process by the local agent?”.

Sinanan replied, “I think I was very clear as to the process used and any further information I’m sure the Port can submit in writing to you.” Sinanan, later in reply to a listed question from Pointe-a- Pierre MP David Lee, revealed that the Sea Lots Walkover will cost $10.7 million and will be ready by September.

Sinanan said the cost is actually below the initial engineers estimates, and the process had seen tender bids made by nine contractors, the highest bid of which was $17 million.

One’s race ought not to be an excuse for the use of pejorative comments about other sectors of our society.

I looked on painfully as our Parliament reached a new low with the leader of one political party refusing to respect the Speaker by remaining on her feet while the Speaker was standing and the other in cross talk supporting a position that could be deemed racially tainted.

I read on social media the numerous accusations of elitism towards the Syrian-Lebanese community and I wondered where do we go from here.

I imagined that an African slave after a day’s work with his back bruised from the whip must have prayed for a day when he could be free to work for himself. How he must have prayed for the opportunity to read, to raise his children in his home rather than have them sold off as property. I suspect that he could never have imagined a free African killing his brother without provocation, refusing to elevate his or her educational status or moreover refusing to support his family.

Who would imagine that after struggling for the freedom to chart one’s own course such a person would return with hand outstretched demanding a handout? I think of Basdeo Panday and the other politicians of East Indian ancestry and their struggle to secure a footing in the Parliament.

Who would believe that after years of struggle the successors of Panday would use the Parliament to promote selfish agendas that build barriers to unity rather than take them down? The struggles for economic and political survival that was based on hard work and education are daily being eroded by the few who promote reliance on government contracts, illusions of racial victimisation and nepotism in their struggle for political survival.

Our Syrian community with a history of hard work, education and support for both political parties are being ridiculed for their success.

It was so easy for many to read into a statement of a businessman in a television show almost everything except that this was an example of what is possible if one maximises the opportunities available in TT .

Contrary to what some may think, such success is not uncommon nor is it necessarily linked to illegal activities.

There are many people of African, Indian, European, Chinese and Hispanic ancestry throughout TT who are successful and live very comfortable lives. The common thread is education, innovation, entrepreneurship and hard work.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, an American poet, once said, “The height that great men reached and kept were not attained by sudden flight, but they, while their companions slept, were toiling upward in the night.” It’s time to wake up TT and sow seeds of love or drown in the hatred.

STEVE ALVAREZ via emai

Deyalsingh said, “Tropical Storm Bret made its way over TT on June 18 and 19. By Thursday June 22, 90 percent of the flooded areas were already assessed.” He listed actions begun by Friday June 23.

“St George East, St Helena and Madras ULV spraying over about 1,000 homes.

Perifocal work started.

Biocidal spraying was done,” Deyalsingh related.

ULV refers to Ultra Low Volume or “fogging” spraying.

“Caroni: The area of Madras Settlement was addressed by perifocal work. Victoria West: Woodland and environs were treated by both perifocal work and residual spraying.” Perifocal work means placing insecticide at sites where mosquitos breed such as stagnant water.

Residual spraying applies long-term chemicals to walls and roofs of houses to act against adult mosquitoes.

He said the local government corporations first had to wash down their areas, after which the Insect Vector Unit had gone in and done biocide spraying, plus residual spraying to keep adult mosquitos at bay for at least three weeks.

“Victoria East: Kanhai Road and Oropouche River Road in the Barrackpore community were visited by nine perifocal workers. Work was done,” Deyalsingh continued.

“St Patrick East: Clarke Road, Penal Rock Road in Penal community were visited.

St Patrick West: Icacos, Fullerton and Bonasse were visited.

“Nar iva/Mayar o : Same thing.” Deyalsingh then listed vector control activities for the coming week, starting this weekend.

“County Caroni and flood-affected areas in the Tunapuna/Piarco Regional Corporation: Caparo, Oropune, La Horquetta. Perifical work is continuing. We are also doing work with schools. We are collaborating with the regional corporations.

“Mr Prime Minister you are responsible for the people ton whom you have delegated authority.” He was speaking in the Lower House on Friday on an Opposition motion on crime.

He criticised Government for spending 21 months blaming the previous administration to solve the problems of today and tomorrow but the country is “fed up” of this. He said the Government had declared they are in charge and we have to “deal with it” but the population is responding that they are not dealing with crime.

He pointed out Agriculture Minister Clarence Rambharat’s statements in Parliament that he was “not a fan of the police” and they are part of the critical failure of the criminal justice system could demotivate and demoralising officers.

He added that the Prime Minister has not minced words with his criticisms of the Police Service.

He asked rhetorically that when senior government memebrs express disatisfaction with police service and they are in charge via the National Security Ministry and the National Security Council “what that leave for citizens?” Rambachan said he takes issue with statements that crime fighting is police work and not “government work” but “everything is government work”.

“Ministers cannot escape their responsibilities.” He said that the Prime Minister seems to think that he has delegated responsibility on crime.

“I must admit that I have reached the point that when I look at the Prime Minister and I look at how the Prime Minister is running the affairs of the country and by what he says that he is happy that he has achieved the goal of Prime Minister but he is very disinterested in the role of Prime Minister.

He said that when delegate authority you have to provide with resources.

“If you want police to solve crime you do not do that simply by increasing the number of crime investigators to 60 you know. You have to say what support they really need to crack the crime.” Rambachan said he had been complaining about the “chaos” in Chaguanas to the National Security Minister but nothing has been done to alleviate the situation.

He also expressed “horror” at the crime that is taking place “on our very doorsteps.” Rambachan said we “shudder and tremble” at the murder of a 13 year-old boy in a “brutal manner”, a reference to the killing of Videsh Subar in Malabar. He said, however, that while he drove through Chaguanas people were going about business as usual and questions whether we have become numb as country and have such a short memory since the last murder.

Earlier in the debate Port-of-Spain North/St Ann’s West MP Stuart Young said when he heard of the “heinous crime” (in Malabar) he looked at his son at home and felt a sense of despair.

He said that it pains him when he hears of a citizen affected by crime.

“As a citizen of Trinidad and Tobago and now someone who has been given the responsibility and has the knowledge of what it is we’re faced with it pains me because like everyone else in this house I have family. And everytime any citizen of Trinidad and Tobago is affected by crime, as we have seen over the last couple of days, it does genuinely pain me as the representative for Port of Spain North/St Ann’s West but more importantly as a citizen of Trinidad and Tobago.

Because…any patriotic citizen of Trinidad and Tobago would want to be part of the solution and not part of the problem.” He said that Government is not passing the responsibility on crime to the law enforcement agencies but that is their statutory responsibility.

“I have no power of search and arrest.” He continued: “I am not a police officer.

I do not have the ability to go and investigate crime and prosecute crime. So why is it those on the other side are criticising us when we say it is the police service must do that.

That is what the laws of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago say.”

Goals from Malachai Daniel (a rocket from an angle after he ran on to a through pass from Isaiah Richardson in the 33rd minute) and Jevaughn Benjamin (a long range shot from 40 yards in the 56th) saw Rosa home.

Santa Rosa’s Under- 13 team lost a hard fought final 4-3 to Central FC, all the goals coming from Jashawn Thomas, who took his season tally to 15 in both Under-13 and Under-15 combined.

Thomas found the back of the net in the 21st, 28th and 31st minutes for Santa Rosa.

But Central FC were indebted to Abdul- Quddos Hypolite (17th and 34th), Ocean Lindsay (54th) and Du’Shaun Augustus (69th) as they secured the Under-13 crown.

And, in the Under- 11 division, Queen’s Park needed kicks from the penalty spot to edge San Juan Jabloteh 5-4, after the scores were locked at 2-2 at the end of regulation time. Mikey Chaves (25th) and Steven Griffith (39th) were the goal-getters for the Parkites, while Lindell Sween (eighth and 30th) replied for Jabloteh.

DELHI: That the West Indian team is in a state of decline is a well-known fact, with the side failing to qualify for the recently- concluded Champions Trophy and currently struggling in the One-Day International (ODI) series against India.

However, if West Indian pace legend Sir Andy Roberts’ opinion was to be taken into consideration, then the sport in general has gone downhill, and not just the team that he used to represent back in his playing days. At least, as far as levels of aggression in the sport are concerned.

“We don’t have enough pacers in the world. No one’s bowling fast because rules for short-pitched bowling have changed, batsmen are fully protected.

The rules of the game are cutting aggression.

You cannot even stare hard at the batsmen else they would fine you. They are taking all the aggression out of the game,” Roberts was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times.

“Let me ask you, women are playing, is it a female’s game? No.

People who make all these rules make them sissy’s game,” added the pace legend, who also said that the sport back in his time wasn’t for the “chicken-hearted”, but for those with a “lion’s heart”.

Roberts was an integral part of the fearsome West Indian attack of the 1970s and 1980s of which the fellow luminaries such as Michael Holding, Malcolm Marshall and Joel Garner were also part of. The team under the leadership of Clive Lloyd won two World Cups — in 1975 and 1979 — and were known for their intimidating bowling tactics, peppering the batsmen with short deliveries in an age when helmets and other protective gear weren’t quite widely in use.

Talking about players from the current generation, Roberts did not sound too impressed about 20-year-old Alzarri Joseph, who was West Indies’ find of the tournament in their successful campaign in the 2016 Under-19 World Cup and is fast becoming an integral part of the team.

“He is not fast. No, he is not fast. He bowls medium pace at 85 and 86 miles. What some of these guys need to do is speak to people, especially those from the past, and learn about their methods of training which made them bowl quick,” said Roberts

While they have been studiously ignored, I believe it is my civic duty to persist in my advocacy even at the risk of repetition because the national and societal cost of widespread flooding and the trauma associated with it is enormous, perhaps totalling hundreds of millions annually in dollar value .

The question arises, therefore, as to whether these huge losses and relief expenditures could be avoided or minimised by flood prevention and mitigation measures .

Three years ago (11/8/14) in this newspaper, I wrote as follows: “There are many aspects to a regime of flood control and prevention .

It is not only about constructing and clearing water courses and establishment of a drainage system, important as they are. There are legal, regulatory, conservation, land use and environmental issues straddling many disciplines, requiring an appropriate approach … “Attention should be focused on the identification and elimination of contributory factors such as the denudation of hillsides, the obstruction of water courses especially by homeowners, contractors and developers, illegal occupation of watercourse reserves for building or agriculture and wanton garbage disposal .

“Corrective measures must include proactive enforcement of laws and regulations by agencies such as Town and Country Planning, the Drainage Division, local government authorities and the EMA to deal with infractions. There is also need for a targeted programme of reafforestation .

“Additionally, all the water courses in the country should be continuously monitored to identify instances of illegal activity such as dumping of garbage and encroachment on watercourse reserves. Such monitoring would also pinpoint areas for immediate action with respect to widening, dredging and desilting within a comprehensive and continuous programme of activity .

“Two major initiatives are required .

The first is the development of a national drainage plan and the second is the establishment of a watercourses authority which will have responsibility for the maintenance and improvement of all watercourses in the country, whether major or minor, and for demarcating and protecting watercourse reserves. It will be empowered to take legal action where and when necessary .

“The operation of such an authority will bring to an end the time-consuming jurisdictional disputes as to which government organisation has responsibility for which watercourse .

“It will also enable an overview of the connectivity and relationship between and among watercourses in a comprehensive, flood control and watercourse maintenance regime including strengthening and consolidation of embankments and establishment of pumping facilities .

“Very importantly, however, is the development of a programme to construct water retention reservoirs and ponds at strategic locations on the foothills and on existing watercourses as part of the longer-term infrastructure for the prevention and alleviation of flooding .

“The construction of such retention facilities can have many socio-economic benefits, eg an additional source of water in the dry season for domestic, agricultural or industrial use and for aquaculture and recreation.” Lack of financial resources should not be a constraint if sensible expenditure priorities are established .

Activities such as monitoring of watercourses and enforcement of laws and regulations may require the redeployment of personnel in nonproductive activities both at the central and local government level .

The development of a national drainage plan and establishment of a watercourses authority would require limited expenditure. The cost of dredging, desilting and embankment consolidation must be considered in relation to the national savings on economic losses and relief expenditures .

The construction of water retention reservoirs and pump facilities as infrastructure for sustainable drainage, flood control and water management can be financed as an economic investment by long-term loans from international lending agenci e s , eg IDB and will pay more economic dividends than construction of a highway to Toco and a port there .

–

TT will host Group A of the Caribbean leg of the CONCACAF Championships as they face US Virgin Islands, Curacao and Grenada from August 23-27. Haiti will host the final Caribbean round.

The winners of each of the five preliminary groups will advance to the final round to join Haiti, where they will be divided into two groups of three teams each, with the top three teams qualifying for the final CONCACAF tournament as the CFU (Caribbean Football Union) representatives.

Currently a TT squad comprising of 25 players is being overseen by English- born women’s coach Joanne Daniel.

The TT team are also currently participating in the TTFA (TT Football Association) Women’s League Football (TT Wolf).

“Preparation is going well at the moment, We are working very hard, currently playing in the Wolf League and overall I would say things are progressing nicely although there is always room for improvement,” Daniel said in an interview on the TTFA website on Saturday.

“Overall I think the players are progressing well. We have a larger squad of 25 at this time which is a bit high at this stage so close to the tournament but at the same time we want to give the players the best opportunity and then end up with the best squad for the competition.” Daniel continued, “This team came together in March after being together for six weeks last year so it’s not a huge amount of time to get ready. We are trying to get a lot accomplished in a little amount of time to get them ready. We play in the qualifiers in August and then the next round is in October.

“I am confident we can do very well in the first round. We have very good attacking players, our defensive play and defensive structure I think needs more work and that is what we are focusing on.

We have to win the first round yes but at the same time we have to be preparing to play the likes of Haiti and Jamaica,” added Daniel, who has lived in TT for the past nine years. “Our goal naturally is to get to the CONCACAF stage and give it our best shot to qualify for the World Cup.” The team trains on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays and play in the League on Saturdays.

The Under-17 staff is currently Daniel (coach), Ricarda Nelson (manager), Glennon Foncette (goalkeeper coach) and Natalie Harper (equipment manager).

A total of 16 teams will play at the World Cup in December 2018 in Uruguay. Fifteen teams will qualify from six separate continental competitions including three from CONCACAF.

Also lending a hand was Dr Francis who was kept busy turning the boiling pots of soup at his office at Petit Cafe Road, St Julien’s Village, New Grant.

“Since June 19, I have been trying to find ways to deal with the victims of floods and the high winds,” Dr Francis said.

On Saturday, his office served close to 500 bowls of soup.

He said many residents were without food or clothing and a decision was taken to open the soup kitchen to provide relief to victims of the storm.

“We got together with supporters to take up the task of finding those those who may have clothes, toys, books and food items to donate,” he said.

Francis also provided transportation for people who live in Moruga, St Marys, La Ruffin and Laloon areas.

“I will continue to keep my office open on a daily basis so until all the clothes and books are given out to those in need,” he said. He called on those who are in need in the Laloon and La Ruffin areas to contact his office and social workers will offer any assistance they may need.

Dr Francis added that while residents await the grant given by the government, he has been working alongside the councillors of the areas do repair work to the homes that were damaged in the storm.

He also thanked business owners who have been donating materials.

Street and flash flooding occurred along the Churchill Roosevelt Highway into Port of Spain and numerous streets in the capital city were under several feet of water.

In the St Ann’s/ Cascade districts a deluge of water and mud rained down from the hillsides leaving many residents worried about the structural integrity of their homes.

Businessman Gary Aboud, managing director of Mode Alive fabric store on Frederick Street in Port of Spain said he was forced to close his business after several inches of water entered his establishment.

“Our capital city floods every rainy season, every year and pedestrians are made to suffer.

“After decades of energy wealth, we fail at even the simplest organised management and preparedness of basic recurring events like flash flooding and heavy rains.

“Will we ever get it right?” Aboud asked in a post on his business’ Facebook page.

In a statement yesterday, the Ministry of Works said a technical team had been dispatched to conduct preliminary assessments in affected areas with an aim of providing immediate relief to residents.

Residents have been advised to visit the ministry’s website at www.mowt.gov.tt to identify all infrastructural issues so that the the relevant agencies can be sent to provide the necessary assistance in the shortest possible time frame.

Over the last couple of weeks parts of south Trinidad were under flood waters following the passage of Tropical Storm Bret on June 20.

Clean up operations are still ongoing in affected areas.