Rambachan said $2.69 billion was allocated to the Infrastructure Development Fund, but during the mid-year budget review, $1.257 billion had been transferred to the country’s recur- rent account. “So they have already transferred 47.8 percent of the Infrastructure Development Fund into recurrent,” he said, adding that while work warrants issued to date amounted to $589.3 million, or 22.4 per cent of the original allocation, the actual expenditure was $471.7 million, or 17.9 per cent as of April 30.

“So obviously the government will not be able to carry out any major development work,” Rambachan said. “This means that one should not expect any significant improvement in the construction sector, which is the sector that has the ability to kickstart the economy.” Rambachan also took issue with recent statements by Highway Reroute Movement (HRM) leader Dr Wayne Kublalsingh that government would not proceed with any work on the Debe to Mon Desir highway segment unless the HRM was first consulted.

Kublalsingh, at a media conference last Sunday at the OWTU Circular road, San Fernando headquarters, said Works and Transport Minister Rohan Sinanan had “advised the group that whilst the Debe to Mon Desir segment is currently not a priority for the ministry due to financial restraints, no decisions will be made on works in that area without further consultations with the HRM.” Rambachan, said the PNM administration should “make clear whether Dr Kublalsingh is speaking for them or whether he has authorisation to speak for them.

“The government should not discriminate against the people of Debe and Penal, and going to Fyzabad by not completing that part of the highway – substantial money has been invested in the development works and a number of the parts of the infrastructure have been completed. It would be an act of political discrimination if the government were to not continue that part of the highway and if what Kublalsingh is purporting to say on behalf of the government is true,” he said, adding that the bridge at Suchit Trace, Penal, was “virtually completed,” and all the surveying works had been done. “The highway should continue on both ends,” he said.

I contend that idle youths are a symptom and not the cause of our social ills. There was a study done in Cleveland in the US in 2016 that showed a link between youth violence and unemployment.

From the 1970s, TT started to experience social upheaval and the underlying problems were never addressed.

The economic and governmental systems have produced a lot of poverty and crime.

TT was blessed with an abundant supply of oil. The people should have been living well.

But there are less and less people in TT enjoying a quality life.

The system has offered very little support for the disadvantaged.

Logically, a parallel economy was created because human beings are designed to survive.

One reason TT has not had a civil war is because people can survive using the informal economy. This economy produces crime and indiscipline.

If a more inclusive economic/social system is not implemented, more destructive youths will be born.

The statistics on violent crime and poverty suggest there is some correlation.

The authorities must make sure every citizen has a living wage and the other social problems will be mitigated.

It seems utopian but it is pragmatic. The data is there to support this.

You reap what you sow.

BRIAN ELLIS PLUMMER via email

The perception of social injustices form the prejudices and mistrust of governments and leaders alike. How else would a distressed society view the careless spending by ministers who are egregiously slumberous when it comes to detail, efficiency and accountability, whether on official business or not? Remember the officiality of any minister’s business is the people’s business.

Recently in Great Britain, David Cameron resigned as prime minister because he was in support of being part of the EU while the slim majority voted otherwise in a referendum. So in keeping with the honour of the Parliament he resigned.

The lesson here is if we adopt the Westminster system we must also have values, integrity to sit in the House of the people and show some sort of genuine concern with the public purse and how we serve our country.

COLIN FORTUNE Arima

The hotel’s executive chef Fernando Franco and his culinary team will be designing a special menu in collaboration with Mexican chef Louie Vargas Guerrero, from Hyatt Regency Houston.

During the festival patrons will be treated to entertainment by a six-piece mariachi band, Orgullo de Jalisco, direct from Guadalajara as well as delectable cuisine from an authentic Mexican-inspired menu.

Orgullo de Jalisco was founded in 2001 through the initiative of Jos? Mac?as Mariscal (Pepe Mariscal) in the state of Jalisco, Mexico, where mariachi culturally originated as a musical expression. The group’s members are: Jos? Mac?as Mariscal, Francisco Rogelio Uribe Villamar, Juan Carlos Gonz?lez Mora, Mario Ortiz S?nchez, Javier Alejandro Cabrales Pe?a and Carlos Mauricio Ortiz S?nchez.

The Hyatt Regency Trinidad hosts many cultural and culinary events throughout the year, among them the popular Lime.

The Hyatt has also hosted the Argentinian Food Festival, Cuban Food Festival, Colombian Food Festival, New Orleans Food Festival, and themed nights such as Australian, Brazilian, Indian, Asian and Texan.

The food festival ends on Saturday.

Some of the choices on offer include:

Salads — iceberg lettuce, jicama, watermelon, corn, avocado, tomatoes, cucumbers, fried tortilla, and cheese with blood mary chipotle dressing

Soup –traditional pozole, served with lettuce, onions, cilantro, radishes, sour cream and tostadas, • Chef Louie Tortilla Soup with Cheese Fresco and Avocado

Entrees Stuffed Poblano Peppers with Picadillo Enchiladas Mineras with Cheese and Red Sauce Red Snapper a La Veracruz Shrimps a la Diabla, Garlic, Tomato, Onions and Chilis Chicken Style Rio Ramos Mexican Rice — Refried Beans — Vegetables

Tacos Live Station pork carnitas, beef barbacoa guacamole, pico de gallo, grilled onions, green sauce and red sauce

Dessert churros, flan napolitano, mango rice pudding res leches, chili chocalate cake, fresh sliced fruits.

Some of the Sustainable Development Goals listed include the following: End poverty in all its forms everywhere; End hunger, achieve food security and improve nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture; Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages; Ensure inclusive and quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all; Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls; Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all; Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all; Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all; Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation and foster innovation; Reduce inequalities within and among countries; Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable; and Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns (United Nations, General Assembly 2015).

Food projects Today’s article will focus on promoting good nutrition, and health and wellness in families and communities.

You should note that improving and/or maintaining the nutritional status of infants, children, adolescents, adults, seniors, and pregnant and lactating women; as well as eradicating poverty, ensuring the availability and accessibility to nutritious foods, clean water, and encouraging the preparation of balanced meals remain priority. Whatever the case, good nutrition is essential throughout the lifecycle; this of course includes all members of household and community residents.

A practical approach to consider is that families, colleagues, church associates, educators, as well as children and adolescents can come together and work on kitchen garden projects, menu planning and meal preparation.

This of course, indicates that the pooling of various resources can provide opportunities, aiding persons and communities in ending poverty, alleviating hunger, and working collaboratively on improving food and nutrition security.

Moreover, according to the United Nations, “poverty is more than the lack of income and resources to ensure a sustainable livelihood. The manifestations can include, but not limited to hunger, malnutrition, lack of or limited access to education and/ or basic services, social discrimination and exclusion, and also the lack of participation in decision- making.”

Hungry children In addition, globally some of the challenges noted include that one in nine people are undernourished; worldwide the majority of individuals (12.9 percent of the population) negatively impacted by hunger reside in developing countries. With poor nutrition contributing to more than 40 percent of the deaths in children younger than fiveyears- old, indicating 3.1 million children annually.

While one in four children suffer from stunted growth; overall, 66 million children in primary schools attend classes hungry in the developing world, of which 23 million is in Africa.

For food and nutrition security, encouraging greater participation in agriculture at the local, regional, and international levels is critical.

This approach can more than likely not only increase access and availability to food, but enhance nutritional status in households and perhaps may lower the food import bill.

According to the United Nations, at least 80 percent of the food consumed mainly in the developing world, are provided by 500 million small farms. They also stated that: the food and agricultural sector provide solutions for development and can aid in hunger and poverty eradication; and making investments in small farmers are essential, and cannot be overlooked as this can be another approach used to increase food and nutrition security among the poor, as well as food production for local and global markets. Overall, “agricultural biodiversity can contribute to persons having more nutritious diets, enhanced livelihoods for farming communities, and more resilient and sustainable farming communities.”

Points to note Good nutrition begins at home.

Start a small kitchen garden by planting a few short-term crops such as pimientos, green peppers, cucumbers, eggplant (melongene), chives and celery.

Meal managers should aim to prepare balanced home-cooked meals, utilising local produce from kitchen and community gardens.

Be willing to try new recipes.

Always use the Caribbean Foods Groups in meal planning.

You should keep in mind that in promoting health and wellness among the population, governments at the local, regional, and international levels offer the school meals programme, and in some cases public assistance to the vulnerable and pension for senior citizens.

Registered dietitians, nutritionists, public health educators, and food demonstrators can collaborate to provide nutrition education to school-aged children, parents, caterers, cafeteria operators, educators and community residents.

Nutrition message: individuals can work together to build strong and healthy communities

The Queen’s Baton Relay has been the traditional curtain- raiser to the Commonwealth Games since the 1958 Games in Cardiff, Wales. The baton carries a message from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, through all nations and territories, as a call to the Commonwealth to come together in friendly competition at the Games.

The Queen’s Baton Relay started on March 13 at Buckingham Palace in England.

The baton will travel around the world, before arriving for the opening ceremony of the 2018 Commonwealth Games on April 4 2018 in Gold Coast, Australia.

After the baton arrives in TT on Sunday, a 10K relay event to celebrate the arrival of the baton will be held on Monday, starting opposite BPTT around the Queen’s Park Savannah. On Monday, the baton will travel to Pigeon Point, Tobago.

Yesterday, at a media conference at the Trinidad and Tobago Olympic House on Abercromby Street in Port of Spain, president of the TT Commonwealth Games Association Brian Lewis reflected on Trinidad and Tobago’s history at the Commonwealth Games.

Lewis, who is also the head of the TT Olympic Committee (TTO C), said the first time TT participated at the Commonwealth Games was in 1934, and have earned over 50 medals since.

“Through that long history we would have captured and brought home to our beautiful twin island republic 52 medals – eight gold medals, 20 silver and 24 bronze. As we approach Gold Coast, we are really making every effort in supporting our athletes to ensure that we make podium.” Lewis said more emphasis will be placed on the 2018 Commonwealth Games. “For too long the Commonwealth Games has not appeared to be as important as the other games.

Certainly, the Trinidad and Tobago Commonwealth Games Association intends to change that, but for now the focus is on the arrival of the Queen’s Baton Relay that would have left Her Majesty’s Buckingham Palace on the 13 of March.” John Pilbeam, Australian High Commissioner to Trinidad and Tobago, expects Australia to host a successful Games as the country has hosted numerous sporting events in the past.

Pilbeam said, “We are putting a lot into the logistics. The (2000) Sydney Olympics was one of the most smoothly flowing Olympic Games ever, and we will do the same for these Commonwealth Games. We have had more Commonwealth Games than any other country.” Pilbeam said the para athletes will compete alongside the other athletes as oppose to other major sporting events. “One of the great things about the Commonwealth Games, is that instead of having an Olympic Games and a Special Olympics, you’ve got everyone together.

You’ve got para sports at the Commonwealth Games with equal status to other sports.” Pilbeam also said, the number of women and men competing will be almost equal at the Commonwealth Games, unlike other Games where men outnumber women.

Trinidad and Tobago won the rights to host the major junior event, scheduled from June 24 to July 2 at the National Aquatic Centre in Couva, on the strength of the nation’s newest swimming facility, which managed by the Sports Company of Trinidad and Tobago (SporTT ).

The CCCAN Championships is currently the largest aquatics event in the western hemisphere and features a variety of disciplines including Swimming, Diving, Water Polo, Open Water and Synchronised Swimming.

Athletes, coaches and spectators, from 33 Caribbean and Central American countries, will be arriving on our shores for the auspicious event.

With the intentions of the Sport Ministry to regenerate and enhance a sustainable sport tourism industry, taking advantage of this opportunity to market the facility and its services – to tap into the niche of aquatic sports- is of utmost importance in propelling sports tourism.

Sports Minister Darryl Smith was delighted to offer the financial support as he presented ASATT president Wendell Lai Hing, with the million- dollar cheque and encouraged corporate TT to follow suit.

During a media conference yesterday at the Ministry’s Head Office in St Clair, Smith stated, “Since the opening (last year), all areas of the Aquatic Centre have been utilised extensively.

“It has undergone routine maintenance and is prepared to host an event of this magnitude.

“I assure corporate sponsors that they will get ‘bang for their buck’ if they choose to invest in the tournament.

“With over 1,500 visitors expected, plus local spectators and viewing audiences across the region, there are unlimited opportunities to promote your product or service. I also have full confidence in ASATT to deliver on the promise of an efficient and exciting tournament in all four disciplines – swimming, diving, water polo and synchronised swimming.” Team TT will number over 60 athletes and entails a blend of experience and youth, leaving all eyes focused on Joshua Romany, Kristin Julien, Cherelle Thompson and Olympian Dylan Carter as they are all expected to successfully compete in the swimming events.

According to Lai Hing, the talent pool is extensive as the entries are coming in thick and fast. He said, “I wish firstly to thank the Minister and SporTT for the financial and other support, and assure you that we won’t let you down.

“We are excited at the prospect of hosting CCCAN and making it a truly national event of which every citizen can be proud.” The national team will participate in four out of the five disciplines with Syncronised Swimming being the only discipline where the local athletes will not be competing.

Lai Hing added, “We will also have two divers representing TT and we thank SporTT for facilitating the athletes, in all disciplines, to train at the Aquatic Centre, familiarise themselves with the space and ensure we have a ‘home court’ advantage. This will certainly come into play as the event is FINA-sanctioned, meaning those in Open categories can qualify for the FINA World Championships.” The main events at the 2017 CCCAN Championships will take place at the National Aquatic Centre, with the exception of the Open Water events on June 24 and 26, which will be held at Turtle Beach in Tobago, as a form of sporting partnership with the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) and the Tourism Development Company (TDC).

The boat of the day belonged to Bacchanal of the Trinity Offshore Race Team, driven by Wayne Honnock and throttled by Justin Decle. Racing in the 95 mph D Class, Bacchanal was the only boat to win the two sprints and two circuits.

In the 130 mph A Class, Ironman took top honours with three wins and one second place finish, getting the better of Mr Solo Too and Big Thunder. In the 80 mph E Class, Heatwave won two races and earned one second place in another event.

Chris Gone Wild returned to racing with Rick and Ross Garcia, to take the top prize in the 70 mph F Class with two victories.

Trident won the 60 mph G Class over stiff competition from PP Conqueror and Powered by God.

The conditions were the roughest of the season to date. This was evident as one of Extreme Measures engines broke off, and Heatwave suffered cracks in its rear deck.

The TT BPA is grateful to GNC for sponsoring the fourth regatta.

If these people all filled out their forms and had them delivered, it would mean the Government will have to process about 400,000 forms.

Let us for the sake of argument suggest that one person in an eighthour day takes five minutes to collect and document one form. It means that person can process 95 forms a day.

Thus, it would take 4,210 man days just to collect the forms.

Now let’s say we have 15 collection centres with five people each processing forms. They would be able to process 7,125 forms a day.

Thus, it would take 56 working days or just about three months just to collect the forms.

Add to that the scenario where public servants are asked to evaluate each form and eventually arrive at a property tax based on the formula in the Bill.

One can therefore understand that property tax cannot be properly administered before the next general election three years from now.

Imagine for a moment a public servant given a box of forms to process. Factor in phone time, text time, bathroom time, coffee break, lunch break, traffic stress and other responsibilities and one realises that such a person may only process ten forms a day.

The Government may not be aware of the reality regarding the monumental task involved in arriving at a proper evaluation with the current structure.

Factor in properties to be evaluated, objections, accommodation for the disabled and incomplete documentation and the exercise becomes much more complex.

So, Minister of Finance, one may suggest you forget raising any income in the short term from property tax.

Wouldn’t it be more practical and palatable if one were to say “that property tax has not been increased in tandem with the rise of income or other factors in the economy. Consequently, the Government has decided that everyone’s existing taxes be increased by 1,000 percent or ten times what one is paying at the last time they paid the tax.” Such a formula would see many property owners paying on average $1,000 to $2,000 a year for their property tax.

That formula could be a short-term formula while the Government embarks on an equitable and fair evaluation system based on land value and not on how much one develops their property on the land.

Such a structure would also mean the Government would immediately get its property tax without the negative press, community stress and exorbitant processing cost.

STEVE ALVAREZ via email

Apparently, parents have been advised to purchase a graduation outfit for their children. A suit jacket (and you know how boy children grow from day to day; he won’t fit into this soon, far less later), a pair of “good” pants, a new shirt … toute bagai.

“New shoes too,” she lamented (which truly mashed my corns and pushed me to write this letter).

The hotel in St Ann’s for the graduation will cost the “graduate” student $400. Each parent must pay $200, and each guest (they are allowed two) another $200 each.

I want to believe our Minister of Education has no idea about this.

My children all “graduated” from primary school. In their school halls.

Dunross was crowded, a little hot; we were worried it would rain. Eshe’s was really, really hot; we panicked and prayed the rain away.

If I remember correctly, a past student made a speech, a teacher usually retired, and the school choir sang a touching song of hope or praise. Generally, it was free, cheery and slightly emotional.

The most important thing was the children’s parents were with them and we all got to congratulate the graduates and thank their teachers.

I posted this to Facebook and, lo and behold, a stream of similar concerns from other parents were added. One school was charging $1,000.

Education is not about “how you go look,” it’s about how “you go think.” What is this all about, and why, why, why?

KATHRYN STOLLMEYER WIGHT Maraval