A sixth person, who is currently receiving medical treatment at hospital, is expected to be arrested shortly in connection with the $2.5 million burglary.

According to police reports, Stephen Singh, manager of Central Warehousing Complex at Warner Village, Bejucal secured the warehouse at 6.30 pm on Thursday last and went away.

He returned at 8 am the following day and discovered locks to the warehouse tampered with and the television sets along with the artwork missing.

The items were being stored at the warehouse on behalf of the Hyatt Regency Hotel and the items form part of the furnishing inventory of the high-end hotel.

Some of the artwork was imported.

A report was made to officers of the Chaguanas Police Station and fingerprints were lifted from the scene.

On Tuesday, officers from the Port-of-Spain Criminal Investigation Department (CID), led by Snr Supt Radcliffe Boxhill and ASP Ajith Persad, Sgt Austin and others, acting on information, went to Romain Lands in Morvant, executed a search warrant, and seized a 65-inch television set identified as one stolen from the warehouse.

Following the seizure and arrest of the five, which included two women, officers say they are in receipt of key information which could lead to the recovery of most of the stolen items and further arrests.

This according to a statement issued by the Bankers Association of Trinidad and Tobago (BATT) following a meeting with the Opposition on Monday to discuss the Tax Information Exchange Act and the implications for Trinidad and Tobago of non-compliance with the FATCA requirements.

The statement said members of the Opposition shared with the BATT executive team their areas of concern related to the process around the debate and the need for a joint select committee (JSC) to debate the bill to ensure that “good legislation” was produced.

BATT shared with the Opposition members their views on the current amended draft of the legislation, that was recently presented to Parliament in December 2016 pointing out that it included numerous amendments previously proposed by the Opposition and that the areas remaining for debate had narrowed considerably.

BATT reiterated to the Opposition the consequence for non-compliance and the negative implications for the country, the financial sector and ordinary citizens of Trinidad and Tobago, if FATCA is not implemented.

He said that in the United States from 1930 to 2012 the study noted a direct correlation between the top marginal taxrate and economic growth. “In the US, as the top marginal rate grew, growth grew. That is fact, not speculation,” Imbert said.

The bill approved a new taxrate for million-dollar earnings by companies and individuals, the seven percent tax on online purchases and a rise in the ceiling of Government’s bond-issues from $300 million to $2 billion.

Imbert defended the online tax, denying Opposition claims of legislative gaps. He said the bill says the “end-user” of an item is defined in the Electronic Transaction Act, meaning the online tax will be spared from a small business or a relative who brings in an item for someone.

“It’s crystal clear how this Act is to be imposed.” He rejected Opposition Senator Gerald Ramdeen’s complaint that the Government borrowed at a high interest-rate to reduce its overdraft.

“If he did two minutes of research he’d see the repo rate is 4.75 percent, the rate the Central Bank charges the Government on the overdraft. So once we borrow below the repo rate, we are borrowing at a lower figure than we are charged on the overdraft by the Central Bank.” Imbert said the Government borrows at 4.5 and 3.8 percent, below the 4.75 percent repo rate.

He defended a net “marginal rise” in the Public Debt, which had initially fell from $85 billion in September 2015 to $79 billion last April, with it now up to $88 billion (due to the Government’s US Roadshow to raise $7 billion).

He hit the former People’s Partnership (PP) government for raiding $14 billion from the National Gas Company, and spending billions of dollars in savings and in credit at the Central Bank.

“They bankrupted the NGC and took out money from every place they could find.” He said the PP had spent $7 billion from the Government account and ran up an overdraft of $9 billion, in total spending of $16 billion. The PP regime had also borrowed $30 million, plus $400 million by State enterprises

The meeting, which was held at the Ministry of Labour’s St James Street, San Fernando offices, began at just after 2pm on Monday and ended at 2am on Tuesday.

In a telephone interview yesterday, OWTU chief education and research officer, Ozzi Warwick said Petrotrin had not budged from its zero-zero-zero percent offer for the six collective agreements which were being negotiated by the union.

He said company officials had informed union representatives, which included OWTU president general, Ancel Roget, that it would have to seek a “new mandate” from the Ministry of Energy and Ministry of Finance before an alternative offer could be made to the union.

Warwick observed that the OWTU was prepared to serve strike notice on the company should it fail to table a mutually acceptable proposal.

In a media release yesterday, Petrotrin, however, stated, “after several hours of discussion, parties reached agreement on a number of Articles. Parties signed a Memorandum of Agreement covering areas agreed to, as well as those items agreed to be deferred for further discussion.” “Parties have also agreed to meet at the Ministry of Labour and Small and Micro Enterprise Development on 2016 December 22 at 4:00pm to continue discussions. Petrotrin reiterates its commitment to participating fully in this process as we continue to work with all our stakeholders to return the Company’s operations to a state of sustainability and profitability,” Petrotrin stated.

Conciliatory discussions are expected to resume at the Ministry of Labour’s San Fernando offices tomorrow at 4pm.

On Monday, OWTU president general, Ancel Roget, threatened to bring activities at Petrotrin to a standstill should it fail to adjust its wage offer of zero- zero-zero to a “reasonable” offer for the 2014- 2017 period.

“We are not prepared to waste time going backward and forward in any meeting, we are prepared to listen, we are prepared to have them respond and if their response is not satisfactory, we are prepared to shut the blasted place down,” Roget had stated.

In a strongly worded media release, Roopnarine, who did not identify the OWTU by name, wondered how Petrotrin would be able to pay for the wage increase and whether taxes would be increased to pay for the increased wages.

“If Petrotrin is running at a loss, who will pay for the increase in wages? Would it be the citizens by means of an increase in personal taxes or an increase in VAT? Would the business sector be faced with increased taxation to fund this increase? Would the Government continue to borrow? Would the management of Petrotrin send home workers in an attempt to fulfil salary obligations?” Roopnarine stated.

“When the nation needed you the most, you waited for Christmas, to use Christmas as your bargaining leverage, to launch your assault on this country. Individuals should not be able to hold this nation at ransom,” he added.

Roopnarine continued: “The future of this nation definitely lies in the school bags of our children, I pray that they do well and forgive us for the burden we are placing on them.” And regarding the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA), Roopnarine observed that this would not only affect the business community but the entire population.

“Not only members of the chamber will be affected, but all individuals of Trinidad and Tobago,” he stated, and noted that the population had an expectation that politicians would possess the maturity to “put country first.” “This constant bickering by both sides always seem to distract from the serious business of running this economy at this perilous stage, where wages are being increased at the expense of the country. How can you increase wages at a time when the business sector is on the verge of a precipice, collapsing and falling, closing and some hoping for a miracle this Christmas,” he stated, adding, “sales could not get any worse.”

Newsday understands that Jeniece Hamilton, 15, was last seen by her mother Saskia Haffet on December 12 at their home at Ramkissoon Trace, Santa Cruz, wearing a multi-coloured top and a blue pair of jeans.

Newsday yesterday received word that police officers found her alive and well after conducting a search. The child was interviewed and released into the custody of her mother.

The TTPS thanked the public in their assistance in finding the teenaged girl.

We are truly becoming the land of oil and gas in more ways than one.

This is a call for us to rediscover our kitchens and the magnanimous health benefits that we can enjoy by eating home-cooked meals.

I remember growing up on home-cooked meals with Saturday as soup day and Sundays as the feast. We only ate fast foods on special occasions.

According to our Ministry of Health, obesity among primary school students doubled to 23 percent in 2009. These figures are based on statistics from the University of the West Indies and the Caribbean Food and Nutrition Institute.

The United Nations Food and Agricultural Organisation ranks TT as the top Caribbean country with obesity. The 30 percent obesity rate among the adult population is similar to the top global ranking of the US and Mexico with 31.8 percent and 32.8 percent, respectively.

Obesity, poor diet and poor lifestyle choices are linked to several long-term health conditions. Some of these adverse conditions include premature death and illness including diabetes, heart disease, stroke, gall bladder disease, fatty liver, arthritis and joint disorders, and some cancers.

Studies have shown that over the past four decades, consumption of food eaten away from home has risen alarmingly. These oily and gaseous sugary fast foods or high-energy density foods are high in calories, fat, saturated and trans fat, sodium, sugar and simple carbohydrates.

This upward trend towards fast foods is based on behavioural, cultural, socio-economic and environmental influences. Therefore a conscious effort has to be made by every citizen taking personal responsibility for their individual health and parents for the health of their families.

Let’s increase our production of oil and gas as industrial energy for a healthier economy but reduce the consumption of oil and gas fast foods in our diet for a healthier population.

RONALD HUGGINS St Joseph

By creating a social media campaign filled with #hashtags and hand-holding in public spaces. The media supplied roughly four days of coverage and then shifted focus to a much more tantalising faux kidnapping/liming drama.

Were we as a nation truly fed up of the crime situation as a whole and wanted to send a message to our leaders to do something tangible about it? Or were we simply distraught that a beautiful, young woman, an educated and upstanding member of our society, was taken from us? We are not a serious people. The God that we often brag is a Trini has spared us from plenty. He has cradled us safely away from devastating earthquakes and hurricanes, famines and wars.

Even through a recession we can skilfully manage to have a healthy liming and fete itinerary. We scoff at the rising murder toll yet are quick to upload and share the latest videos and photos of bloody crime scenes.

Our youth reside in a world of selfies and memes and are easily delighted by videos of schoolchildren engaging in fights. They are disconnected from reality and consider it a struggle when they cannot have the latest technology and fashion. Our youth simply prefer to slay and turn up with bae.

Crime remains the ugliest monster that haunts our nation and it grows bigger and more gruesome every year. No matter how many campaigns or challenges are started and shared on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, crime continues to exist in the real world and requires real world solutions.

We need to understand the root issues that compel a man to source a weapon and commit a robbery.

How does he rationalise taking someone else’s life? We need to evaluate the functionality of our education and social systems.

There is a need for prison reform.

While social media brings awareness to issues, it only requires the observer to “like” and share. Social media has the power to turn acts of violence into entertainment and often desensitises its audience.

Real steps need to be taken to address real problems. We require real-world doers who take action, without the need for Internet fame.

K Thomas Couva

The upsurge in crime did not start yesterday, last week or last month. It started 20, 30, 35 years ago. It started with the breakdown in social values, with the breakdown in home values and training.

It started with the breakdown in the fabric of society, the family, the breakdown in the school system and the poor state of the Judiciary and prison system.

The politicians fight to either get into power or stay in power without cooperating with each other.

The word community is now a misnomer.

Church is now a big business.

There is rampant selfishness among individuals and it is only when crime reaches “home” people rise up.

As the Commissioner of Police said, crime reduction is not only the responsibility of the police, it is the responsibility of all of us and all institutions.

Cuthbert Sandy Point Fortin

There is no acknowledgement of receipt of applications, making one wonder if they were received at all. The criminals however have guns to enter your home or shoot you in the street and they know you cannot protect yourself. With the security forces having failed the populace, businessmen are frustrated with numerous complaints about the process.

However, I would like to focus on the sport of competitive and Olympic shooting for which a FUL is required. There are shooting clubs in TT equipped to train youngsters properly in the art of safely handling firearms and in marksmanship, monitored by trained coaches.

The Firearms Act should make provision to entertain teenage and other applicants and grant licences for target purposes under the supervision of an approved firearms training institution.

At Bisley in the UK, on the ranges of the National Rifle Association where I have been participating annually for the last 37 years, the best marksmen are usually teenagers. The Olympic marksmen are all young people who started in the sport as teens.

It is well known that to be really good in any sport one has to take it up at an early stage.

Why not shooting? In the past TT has produced excellent international shooters but that has waned simply because of the law and the unusually long wait for FULs. The sport is dying.

It is time we take a tip from Jamaica where, ten years ago, the then government decided that the overworked police should no longer have the burden of being the responsible agent for the issuing of firearms to the civilian population of the country. This decision was arrived at for a number of reasons, including: 1. The inordinately long time it took for licences to be granted. A person could be waiting for two-three years to even commence the process.

2. The lack of firearm safety and training offered to prospective firearm owners.

3. Follow-up action with owners to ensure they remain current with their use and handling of their firearms.

4. The minimum understanding of the laws and use of force associated with carrying a firearm.

5. The corruption involved in the granting of licences. Rumours abounded of people of questionable references paying to get licences.

The Firearm Licensing Authority (FLA) came into being. This is a civilian body led by an executive director with a board and staffing at all levels of the spectrum of firearm ownership. The only thing that remains in the hands of the police is clearance in respect of criminal history.

The FLA fingerprints applicants and prints are forwarded to the police.

Once the all-clear is given by the police the process of ownership commences. This process involves applicants attending a course given by an authorised FLA instructor.

This will involve complete use of the firearm to include keep and carry, drawing and firing, understanding of responsibilities etc.

Once a person passes this the FLA will complete the process. The person will also be required to have a secure safe at their premises.

The FLA will inspect the property.

The entire process should be completed in three-six months maximum and the person will be retested every three years which has to be carried out before the licence is renewed.

The newly appointed Firearms Appeal Board here is certainly a move in the right direction but I note that appeals can only be made after two years and a new application made before it can act. I would therefore encourage the relevant authorities to take a page from Jamaica and set up a firearm licensing authority of TT .

Norris Gomez president TT Pistol & Rifle Federation