The Office of the President, in a statement issued yesterday afternoon, said the holiday recognises the “fundamental contribution of the First Peoples to the distinctive culture of TT.” The holiday was first announced in October 2016 by Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley during a Divali function hosted by the People’s National Movement in Macoya. “We must not ignore those who claim the status of First Peoples in this country,” Rowley said.

“As owners of this land before we came, they ask and say to us, very humbly – as we acknowledge those who came as Hindus, Muslims (and) Christians, as we acknowledge them every year with a holiday – to put aside one day, not every year, but just one day as the day of recognition of our First Peoples.” Speaking with Newsday in October last year, chief of the Santa Rosa First Peoples Community, Ricardo Bharath-Hernandez said the holiday “brings us closer to the recognition we have been seeking for so long.” He first made a request for the holiday in May 2014, with the call being repeated several times since. The most recent of which was in early October 2016, when Bharath-Hernandez spoke at First Peoples Heritage Week.

The minister was yesterday responding to a question by Oropouche East MP Dr Roodal Moonilal about the Debe to Mon Desir segment of the highway.

Sinanan said a decision was taken that a new study will be conducted following a recent meeting with representatives from the Highway Reroute Movement.

He said further discussions will be held with the relevant stakeholders.

He also said three packages have been awarded to two local contractors, JUSAMCO Limited and Lutchmeesingh’s Transportation for work on the San Fernando to Point Fortin highway and another six packages will be advertised next week.

This was disclosed yesterday by Finance Minister Colm Imbert in Parliament as he responded to a question by Pointe-a-Pierre MP David Lee about the cost of the assessment.

Imbert said the Ministry of Finance approached Fitch Ratings, which he says is the third of the three largest credit rating agencies, for a costing to conduct a private rating. He said the cost provided by the agency was “within the normal range of charges for services of this nature.” He said the decision to pursue this credit rating agency followed ratings by Standard and Poors (S&P) and Moody’s.

He said Moody’s downgraded this country to Ba1from Baa3 and assigned a stable outlook up from the negative outlook in 2016.

While S&P, who visited the country in April , lowered its long term sovereign credit ratings on TT and revised the country’s outlook to stable from negative in 2016. He said the country’s transfer convertibility assessment was also downgraded to A from AA- while the short term soverign rating was affirmed at A-2.

Imbert said the Ministry was of the view that the downgrade by Moody’s was unjustified given the country’s significant buffers. He said it was difficult to understand how this country could be deemed a moderate credit risk given particular characteristics.

“Firstly, net official reserves of US$9 billion or ten months import cover, a Heritage and Stabilisation Fund of US$5.64 billion, the equivalent of 25 per cent of GDP and deposits in sinking funds for the express purpose of repaying debt totalling $6.5 million. Given the ample buffers just highlighted the Government has the ability to repay the country’s external debt several times over. Given this discrepancy it was considered prudent for the Government to seek a third credit rating in an attempt to eliminate the discrepancy that currently exists,” he said.

Fitch Ratings is expected to visit the country for its first rating assignment in October this year.

Andre Floyd, 24, and Keenan Boyce, 20, appeared before Magistrate Kerianne Byer jointly charged with the murder of Marshall of Grace Lane in La Romaine.

Floyd is from Byron Street and Boyce of Lillian Street, both in La Romaine. WPC Knights of Homicide Bureau (Region III) laid the charge, which was indictable.

Floyd was also charged with five gun-related offences which stemmed from another incident on on June 19 (Labour Day) in the San Fernando district.

It is alleged that he shot at Gebre Cordner with intent to cause him grievous bodily harm. It is also alleged he had in his possession a gun and ammunition.

The two other charges alleged that on the same date and place, Floyd had in his possession of a gun and ammunition with intent to endanger lives. PC Markus Lange of San Fernando CID laid the charges. The magistrate denied bail to both accused men and remanded them into police custody to reappear in court on July 25.

Hosted by The Glamp Life, in collaboration with CampNation Tobago, Beach is introducing the growing international trend of “glamping” to Tobago at a time when visitors and residents alike are seeking new and exciting experiences on the island.

A fusion of the words glamorous and camping, glamping offers an upgrade on the concept of rest and relaxation in the great outdoors. The activity is characterised by luxurious add-ons to traditional camping essentials, including beautifully appointed accommodation with comfortable amenities that make glampers feel (almost) as if they are at home, said a media release.

From August 12-13, glampers can indulge in a mini adventure in Tobago’s virtually untouched countryside. A secluded beach will be transformed into the ultimate chic glamp site, where patrons can dine and sleep under the stars without having to sacrifice certain creature comforts.

The venue can only be disclosed to registered glampers, however, this location promises to treat guests to gorgeous vistas, some of nature’s most soothing soundtracks and a unique brand of fun, the release said.

Beach is an all-inclusive event and includes ground transportation to and from the glamp site; overnight accommodation; meals (dinner, lunch and snacks); drinks, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic; activities ranging from an outdoor movie viewing to sunrise yoga; and a goodie bag of fun stuff courtesy sponsors, Very Exciting Things and The Up Shop.

Security and first aid personnel will be on site for the duration of the event.

The Glamp Life is a niche event planning company founded by Cindy Allman and Aisha Sylvester.

It specialises in crafting chic, outdoor experiences designed to connect people with nature, without disconnecting them from the comforts and convenience of home (or hotels).

CampNation is the brainchild of Sherridan Kirk and Vanessa Boyce. Both adventure seekers who appreciate all the island of Tobago has to offer, they formulated CampNation with the idea of providing an alternative outdoor experience to locals and visitors to the island.

The experience is focused on camping, while incorporating hiking, trail running, water activities, entertainment and group social activities.

Guests are provided with the amenities they are accustomed to while enjoying the beauty of the outdoors. Experiences are tailored for social groups, corporate entities, couples and churches.

For more info: theglamplife.

wordpress.com/events or email theglamplife@gmail.com

Police took the lead on the stroke of halftime through Kenwin Matthew but the Guaya squad, spurred on by their fans at the Guayaguayare Recreation Ground, responded with three goals in the space of 18 minutes, from Carlon Hughes (55th), Glenton Wolfe (66th) and Marcus Ramkhalawan (73rd).

This was Guaya’s third straight win of the season, which saw them stay ahead of Defence Force (nine points) by virtue of a superior goal difference.

The Army-Coast Guard combination took care of the University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT ) by a 2-0 margin at the Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva.

An own goal put Defence Force in front after 48 minutes while veteran Michael Edwards found the back of the net in the 75th.

This game was the second of back-to-back matches at the Couva venue, with Cunupia FC earning a similar 2-0 victory over 1976 Phoenix FC, courtesy of a double from Michael Darko (34th and 63rd).

At the Mt Gomery Recreation Ground, WASA FC pipped hosts Bethel United 2-1. Glen Walker (seventh) and Phillip Nelson (87th) were the goal-getters for WASA while ex-national defender Makan Hislop responded for Bethel.

Club Sando Moruga and Siparia Spurs battled to a goalless draw at Grand Chemin Recreation Ground in Moruga while the meeting between Queen’s Park and FC Santa Rosa, at the St Mary’s Ground in St Clair, was cancelled due to improper marking on the playing field.

Action in Super League Two also got going on Saturday with three matches. Prisons brushed aside Marabella Family Crisis Centre 4-1 at Guaracara Park, Pointe-a-Pierre.

Ricardo Alleyne registered a hattrick (32nd, 40th and 47th) while Kwasi Jeffrey (80th) netted the other for Prisons. Junior Asson (64th) got the consolation for Marabella.

Central 500 Spartans came from a set down to defeat Perseverance Ball Runners 3-1 at the Edinburgh 500 Recreation Ground, Chaguanas.

Kerron Smith put Perseverance ahead in the eighth minute before Spartans responded with a double from Donovan Derrick (50th and 90th) and one from Ryan Frederick (72nd).

Youth Stars and Harlem Strikers battled to a 3-3 draw at Roxborough Complex. Kevin Woodley (14th and 88th) and L’Che Edwards (74th) were on target for Youth Stars while Victor de Silva (35th), Leroy Whyle (56th) and Wendell Archibald (90th) replied for Harlem Strikers.

Having complete freedom and open access to the potential rewards of running a company is an aspiration shared by a growing number of people across world.

For some, it’s a means of escaping the feeling of having someone standing over them, telling them what to do and how to do it, which can come with traditional employment. For others, it’s a means of adapting in the face of the changing economic conditions that threaten their finances.

With the most recent falls i commodity prices bringing a loss of export income, the challenging market conditions have contributed to higher levels of informal employment and lower salaries across many parts of the Caribbean and Latin America.

These unpredictable times call for a more flexible, responsive attitude to work and an entrepreneurial spirit in the face of adversity.

Unemployment or a fear of redundancy has been the catalysts for many people becoming self-employed. The World Bank reports that within the past four years, 19 per cent of new businesses in Latin America and the Caribbean were founded by someone under the age of 35. With the current market offering fewer opportunities to secure traditional forms of employment, an increasing number of young people are clearly following the trend towards self-employment.

The Caribbean does have a serious unemployment issue, especially with its levels youth unemployment. Not only is youth unemployment high relative to global levels, it is also significantly higher than adult unemployment. Data from the Caribbean Development Bank indicates that the average youth unemployment rate for countries in the region with available data was nearly 25% in 2013, compared with the adult rate of only 8%. Gender differences were also significant, with unemployment among female youth exceeding 30% as opposed to 20% for males.

Job creation can be problematic for many governments when economic conditions are less favourable. But there has been a rising trend in many countries to promote entrepreneurship and small business development to combat the lack of quality jobs available in the region’s larger or multi national businesses.

The rise in ‘going solo’ isn’t just being seen in this part of the world. The self-employed economy is also one of the great UK success stories of recent years. According to The Association of Independent Professionals and the Self-Employed (IPSE) it has grown by 25% since 2009 and provides an estimated ?30 billion a year in “added” value to UK GDP. The latest UK labour force figures from the Office for National Statistics show a record 4.63 million people are self-employed, which is equivalent to 1 in 7 in the total workforce.

Self-employment itself can be a double edged sword for those who embark on earning a living through this form of work. A steady income keeps a family well supported and many money problems at bay, whilst selfemployment income can fluctuate and bring money worries to the forefront.

Income variations make it more difficult to budget effectively and set aside appropriate amounts of money for savings. This means having the ability to see through the rough times and plan for the future is key.

This knowledge is called financial literacy, which allows an individual to make informed and effective decisions about their financial resources. Anyone in control of a small business will benefit from recruiting the services of a professional accountant who can best support them on how to get hold of sustainable finance, navigate through the government procurement process, and how to comply with regulations.

Regrettably, regulations and taxes are generally designed with the larger businesses in mind and then retro-fitted to the smaller ones. Every tax or regulation break and nuance later created to help small businesses only adds to the weight of regulation that small business owners have to understand and apply.

A good financial foundation is a must.

Any good accountant can be as flexible as a business needs them to be, and able to explain anything that is unclear to ensure the best decisions are made.

There are many attractions and great benefits from becoming self-employed, however the reality is uncertainty is the new norm. Anyone who makes the brave decision to go it alone will have to factor in turbulence as a very real possibility, and should develop strategies for a range of different economic, market and of course, personal, scenarios

During the debate in Parliament yesterday, Persad-Bissessar said during her caucus meeting on Tuesday she decided the Bill would have gotten an “easy passage” until she read it through.

“I cannot believe after the rigorous process that this Bill went through to reach us here that the level of incompetence being demonstrated…this bill is fundamentally flawed,” she said.

She was referring to Section 67 and 68 of the Criminal Procedure Act. Noting a judgment by Justice Charmaine Pemberton in the matter of Jason Bissessar vs the Attorney General, Persad-Bissessar said the Court found that those sections were “unconstitutional, null and invalid.” “Both 67 and 68 of the Criminal Procedure Act are unconstitutional, null and invalid.

Now we are coming here after the Senate spent days and hours, this is a major flaw in the bill,” she said.

She said Attorney General Faris Al Rawi is responsible for addressing this.

“This is within his remit that after the comments have been made to go in and make the appropriate amendments. I would be accused that I want to mash up the place, I would be accused that we don’t want to pass no bill and no law but if the thing is flawed we cannot pass it,” she said.

She said the Parliament would have gone through “something that is nonsensical” in amending a section that has been struck down by the court.

“If it is I am unpatriotic, holding back the passage of this law or is it that we say bring good law and we will help you with it,” she said.

Following her contribution to the debate Al Rawi told Newsday that there was an appeal on the judgment which was delivered on January 31 this year. He said the Court of Appeal reversed the judge’s findings.

“This gives an example of how ill-prepared the Leader of the Opposition was in this debate,” he said.

“When we came here, there were only six other houses,” said Rosalind. Rosalind is in her late 50s and her family moved to the Extension when she was only ten. It is the parlour boasting an array of snacks in front of her house that initially drew Business Day to her. We went out among our community to find out how these small and micro level enterprises were doing, particularly with the presence of their new neighbours. Rosalind is sitting outside with two young girls.

In the yard are seven to eight sandbags, a reminder that this area, with the Caroni River mere feet away, is prone to floods.

The community’s development has been rapid, particularly now with the presence of the outsiders. Rosalind spoke of the old days, when there were no lights, or water to be had and the road was little more than a dirt track.

“Back then, if there was a flood, you would be afraid to go outside, especially at night, because of the snakes and the caimans,” she said.

Her little shop was closed when we visited. She invited us inside her home just behind to show that she was still engaged in clean-up operations from the passage of the tropical storm last week.

“Yes, it is good that they are here,” she said when we ask about the larger businesses, “The place bright now.” She also doesn’t mind the occasional purchase she gets from employees, though her son in law, who arrives some minutes later said they were not as many we might think.

A little way down is a variety store. It is air-conditioned and sells foodstuff, toys and clothing.

The man behind the counter sold a bottled water to an employee of Massy Communications just opposite. He is hesitant at first as he explained that his wife and sister were the persons who really deal with the business and he’d prefer if we speak to them, but he said that the presence of the larger concerns has generally been good, as they brought employment to the area.

Alicia didn’t agree. Alicia is a seller of soaps and creams who passes through the area regularly. She tried to pitch us her line of products as we offered her a drop back across the highway where she was heading. On the way, we saw one small eatery and another parlour. There was a line in front of the eatery. They looked like office staff from the surrounding buildings.

But it doesn’t seem as though they are as generous with Alicia.

“They don’t do anything,” she said shaking her head, frowning.

When we returned, we spoke to another parlour owner, this time just opposite the Camacho Brothers wholesalers.

He told us he has been there for 14 years and is grateful for any business he gets. His location is a little out of the way off the main flow of traffic though, and he told us that people were more likely to go to somewhere that was closer. Ultimately, he was glad, because even if it wasn’t him, it was someone else within the community benefitting.

His words give an indication of the kind of spirit that seems to govern the small neighbourhood, where cooperation is evident and entrepreneurship is clearly encouraged. In the young and the old.

Rose is short for Rozeena. She has a gift shop and an adjoining roti shop on Chanka Trace.

Rose as she preferred to be called has been in business since her late teens. She is now 38 and has decidedly moved beyond the one small table she told us she started with.

“Yes, it is good that the other businesses are here you know,” she told us, “Because people walk down the street, they see the shop, they will stop and look and they will buy.” She thought however that the businesses could do more to help with problems such as flooding.

Meanwhile, there is the larger than life “Bossman” just a few houses down on the corner. Bossman rents out part of his building to a Chinese restaurant. His own grocery and general goods store sits next to it and his home, upstairs.

Those in the immediate vicinity of the interview as it is going on agree that he is something of a neighbourhood ‘live wire’.

“If I close here for a day, they would miss me,” he said.

Bossman is in favour of the larger businesses in the area, saying he has definitely benefitted from their presence.

As we leave, we turn down the corner. A group of young men outside another home, sell limes, $10 a bag.

The tea will be hosted by Yvonne Webber, wife of the Australian High Commissioner, at their residence in Moka, Maraval. The event which is support by bmobile, will feature a silent art auction of the works of renowned local artists Beverley Fitzwilliam-Harries, Donald “Jackie” Hinkson, Abigail Sabeeney, Peter Sheppard and Trevor Rostant.

Chairman Anthony Inglefield explained that The Shelter is a safe house for survivors of domestic violence from all over the country.

Referrals mainly come from 800-SAVE but some are referred from the embassies, social workers, police stations and the Children’s Authority, and has on occasion also housed human trafficking victims.

The Shelter caters for up to 26 people and offers communal living where the women are encouraged to support each other.

“We accept boys up to ten years. However, we do try as much as possible to keep families together. Among the current residents, we have abused and abandoned children,” Inglefield said. “The length of stay at The Shelter varies on a case-by-case basis. The counselling provided guides how we manage their care and by extension their stay.

“We’ve had women stay for days to as much as a year. Unfortunately too, so many of them are financially vulnerable, they do not have anywhere to go. What we don’t want to happen is they go back into the abusive situation they escaped from. Our aim is to provide the support they need to leave feeling empowered and in control of their lives.” The Shelter offers temporary housing, counselling, meals, clothing medical services, legal assistance, food cards and assistance with job placement.

The Shelter seeks to ensure children continue their education by providing support such as uniforms, school supplies and activities for the children. It is also developing programmes for job training, life skills and a network of support services for the residents after they leave The Shelter.

Graeme Suite, TSTT’s senior manager, brand, public relations and external affairs, said: “Bmobile is excited to support the work of organisations like The Shelter that work to eliminate abuse and promote equality especially among vulnerable persons in our society.

We need to be always willing to work towards eliminating abuse and reverse its effects on women and children.

It is necessary and important for the public to also partner in this special event to be a part of the community for change.” Speaking about her involvement in The Shelter, Webber said:, “I have been able to teach and work in local communities in a range of activities that empower women and therefore strengthen the community.

Domestic violence is something that I feel strongly about and we should do whatever we can to eradicate it from society and help survivors of domestic violence.

“I’m looking forward to making this an afternoon that people will remember, and also that they will remember why they are there and perhaps be motivated to find other ways in which they can contribute to places like The Shelter where survivors of domestic violence can be protected, sheltered and nurtured while they begin to put their lives back together.” Thanking bmobile and Webber for their “tremendous” support, Inglefield said: “The costs of running The Shelter are an ongoing challenge. There are a number of additional support programmes we want to put in place, so we are dependent on the kind support of the corporate community, the diplomatic corps and the public.” Inglefield said the protected and confidential nature of a safe house meant the number of people visiting The Shelter had to be limited.

For more info: Facebook: The Shelter – A Safe Haven for Victims of Domestic Violence, from the website trinidadshelter.com.