Ramadharsingh held the portfolio of Minister of the People and Social Development but that appointment was revoked in 2014, following allegations of misconduct.

Speaking following his election as chairman, Ramadharsingh who earlier was sworn in as one of two UNC aldermen in the corporation, said while he may not have been in the national spotlight for sometime, he has been in touch, “helping people and assisting communities. I came back through a process of engagement in assisting and helping communities and I would continue to do that as chairman,” Ramadharsingh said.

Former chairman Leo Doodnath yesterday denied claims that he conspired with PNM councillors to derail Ramadharsingh’s appointment saying the appointment was in keeping with a directive from the leadership of the Opposition United National Congress (UNC) which controls this corporation.

“I have no idea where they got that from,” Doodnath said, adding that the late start of the swearing in process, had been due to the late arrival of council members.

Asked about his feelings on not getting the party’s backing to retain the chairmanship position, he said, “I’m human so it’s disappointing after what I have done in Siparia over the last six years but again it’s a party directive and we at times have no choice but to go with the directive of the party and the leader.” Ramadharsingh was nominated by Doodnath himself for position of chairman and received six votes as compared to the PNM’s nominee Gerald Debisette, who received five votes.

Ramadharsingh also described as nerve-wracking the election process saying it was, “very tedious with the use of the ballot paper…

the spelling of names, it was a little bit nerve-wracking because we would have preferred to have voting by hand.” Ramadharsinghb said his objectives included a “cleaner and safer environment’ with the road network and the clearing of drains being top priority. “Roads and drains will always feature prominently because people do not want to be flooded, I think preparation for the mitigation of disasters, floods and I will certainly be looking at the poverty level and ways to curb crime and getting young people in constructive activities also poverty eradication and generally the empowerment of people,” Ramadharsingh said.

The other aldermen sworn in were Denish Sankersingh (UNC) and Alston Martin Cadore (PNM). Another PNM alderman Christopher Max Encinas, was reportedly out of the country and will be sworn in on his return home.

In 2013, Mohammed was elected as Charlieville councillor, which effectively caused the Chaguanas Borough Corporation to experience its first three way tie with the UNC, PNM and ILP each having two councillors.

The tie was broken when Mohammed voted with the UNC in the election of Alderman Gopaul Boodhan as mayor.

There was no such drama as the Chaguanas corporation following the November 28, Local Government election, as the UNC retained the Corporation with a margin of 5 councillors to the PNM’s 3 councillors.

Meanwhile, former Mayaro- Rio Claro Regional Corporation (MRCRC), vice chairman Glen Ram, was elected as the new chairman while alderman Vedaish Maharaj was elected as vice chairman at yesterday’s swearing in ceremony at the Corporation’s Rio Claro headquarters.

Saying that he was “fighting the Trump” to describe his slow recovery from a sore throat he has had since Saturday, Rowley apologised and proceeded to near whisper his address at the close of the swearing- in ceremony of the tenth San Fernando City Council.

“I acknowledge the San Fernando City Corporation as one of the best run in the nation,” said Rowley, and the crowd of proud San Fernandians roundly applauded his praise.

“A few months ago, I made a call for nationals, whoever you may be, what skills you may have, what talents or resources you may have, to get involved in some aspect of volunteering in your community, and I must say that when I did that, I observed that the City of San Fernando’s leadership took up that call.

“On more than one occasion I was informed as to how people in San Fernando participated in exercises which were not all funded by the exchequer, because there are a lot of things that can be done without a budget being assigned or some huge amount of allocation…

and in some instances these things are better done without a bucket of money being thrown at it, because involvement of the citizens in getting done what should be done themselves has a value which one cannot apply up front.” Rowley said that this spirit of volunteerism needed to grow for the sake of reforming local government.

He then turned his attention to San Fernando’s contribution to the culture of Trinidad and Tobago.

“What always struck me about San Fernando was that cultural drive that used to be San Fernando.

I remember coming to San Fernando for Panorama many years ago and Panorama in San Fernando for me was even more exciting than it was in Port-of- Spain.” Rowley urged the new mayor of the city, Junia Regrello, and his Council, to rebuild San Fernando as a cultural centre and to help regain “valuable aspects of our lives” that have been “replaced by complaints and lack of involvement and general slothfulness.” Also present at the ceremony were Attorney General, Faris Al-Rawi; Housing Minister, Randall Mitchell; Hazel Manning, wife of deceased former Prime Minister Patrick Manning; and the country’s first Olympic gold medalist, Hasely Crawford.

The TCPD further warned Devika Bhimull-Bisnath that she could be fined for failing to remove the fence, which is 100 feet long and which was constructed without planning permission.

The unusually high fence shot into the limelight last month when the affected neighbour, Santie Bhimull, filed a High Court injunction in the San Fernando High Court against neighbours, Devika Bhimull-Bisnath and Davindra Bisnath, seeking to have them break the fence.

The fence separates their respective properties and Bhimull, 58, contended that the unusually tall fence deprives her the right to enjoying sunlight and airspace.

She also complained that the fence prevents air from blowing into her home. This, she said, had caused her to faint one day.

Bhimull stated that sometime ago, a building inspector from the Town and Country Planning Division visited her premises and then proceeded to warn the neighbour, by letter dated December 2, that there is a height restriction of seven feet in constructing a fence.

The TCPD’s letter invites Bhimull-Bisnath to make an application before she constructs a wall of such height.

“The Preliminary Overview of the Economies of Latin America and the Caribbean” was yesterday launched locally at ECLAC’s Portof- Spain office. The table also forecast top 2017 Caribbean growth in St Kitts/Nevis (5.3 percent) and Guyana (3.8 percent), while top Latin American growth could be in Dominican Republic (6.2 percent), Panama (5.9 percent) and Nicaragua (4.7 percent).

The report was also launched globally by ECLAC head, Alicia Barcenas, in Santiago, Chile, where an accompanying statement said the area will resume subdued growth in 2017 amid uncertainty about the global economy.

Minister of Public Utilities, Fitzgerald Hinds, made the announcement yesterday at a press conference at the Ministry’s headquarters at One Alexandra Place in St Clair, Port-of-Spain.

Hinds stated that, as promised, from December 1 any person with an electricity bill of $300 or less would receive a 25 percent rebate.

He noted that, according to the Trinidad and Tobago Electricity Commission (TTEC), 209,713 residential customers consistently pay $300 or less on their bi-monthly bill.

“So the government is forgoing, TTEC is forgoing $48 million to all of those 209,713 persons in keeping with the policy of poverty reduction and the alleviation of the stresses of the economic circumstances as I described them and, of course, these designed to improve the standard of living so the money they save on the bill, they can use it to purchase other necessaries,” he said.

Hinds added that the bill of $300 included total kWh consumption for the bi-monthly period, the $6 customer charge, VAT of 12.5 percent. If the bill goes over $300 because of extra charges including disconnection, reconnection, arrears, adjustments, etc, the customer still qualifies for the rebate.

Kelvin Ramsook, TTEC General Manager also asked customers to conserve electricity since natural gas was used to generate electricity. Since natural gas was not a renewable resource, he asked persons not to leave their outside lights and Christmas decorations on during the day.

He also gave some safety advice to those lighting up for Christmas.

He said persons should ensure that decorations are not placed close to TTEC electrical lines and that electrical cords were not frayed but properly insulated as accidentally touching the wires could shock or electrocute a person.

Ramsook suggested that persons connect all their Christmas lights to surge protectors rather than using extension cords as these cords could overload, causing the cord to burn or an electrical fire.

These surge protectors should be able to accommodate 500 Jules or above, and be UL (Underwriters Laboratories Inc) certified for safety.

A release from the Opposition Leader’s Office yesterday said Persad-Bissessar will speak on the topic, “Seeking to Increase Women’s Political Participation”.

The Regional Hot Topics Forum aims to provide a space for the CPA membership and the wider community within a particular region to engage with experts on a particular topic which is of specific regional relevance.

This year, the CPA’s annual conference features workshops and debates on a wide range of topics including the role of the Commonwealth in fostering freedom of religion or belief; ending violence against women and girls; sustainable development goals; climate change; radicalisation of young people. The forum runs until Saturday.

The release said Persad-Bissessar was invited to participate in the forum in light of her significant accomplishments in the Caribbean political arena and her contributions in the area of increasing women’s participation in politics.

This was the assurance given by Permanent Secretary in the Trade and Industry Ministry, Norris Herbert, to members of the Foreign Affairs Joint Select Committee during a public hearing at Tower D of the Port-of-Spain International Waterfront Centre yesterday.

Herbert said while TT does not have a one-on-one agreement or a non-reciprocal agreement with the US, it does have other trade agreements such as a cross border trade agreement which will expire in 2023.

He was confident that through this agreement, as well as other initiatives, TT will continue to benefit from trading with the US.

Following up on a comment made by Foreign and Caricom Affairs Ministry Acting Permanent Secretary Jennifer Daniel, Trade and Industry Minister Paula Gopee-Scoon indicated that trade attaches are being facilitated in TT’s overseas missions in countries which are considered as important markets.

Daniel earlier indicated that high commissioners and ambassadors of TT’s overseas missions often take point with respect to advancing trade opportunities for this country in the jurisdictions that they are assigned.

Daniel explained there is a process whereby these efforts are reported and analysed.

TT Manufacturing Association representatives Christian George and Joy Francis indicated that the ease of doing business in TT has been improving.

They identified the Single Electronic Window (SEW ), started under the People’s National Movement (PNM) and continued under the People’s Partnership (PP) coalition, as an example of an initiative which has helped in that regard.

The Newsday, so popular now that people want to tief them, carried this amusing letter that needs to be shared.

The “caring” writer envisions that in TT (2015-2020) “modern- day schools of the 21st century will produce worthwhile citizens comparable to First World countries.

Schools should not be left 90 percent completed with parents and students kneeling down on the roadway.” Nowhere did he say that contrived protesting is not good for impressionable infants. How many 90 percent completed schools are lying about TT awaiting urgent completion? He goes on, “The exterior school environment should be aesthetically pleasing. There should be an abundance of flowers to instill a sense of beauty and pride in students’ minds.” (Red and pink hibiscus plants to be specific.) And at the back of each school a savannah in which the children could play.

The writer is convinced that all of the aforementioned would provide learning in “an environment free of crime.” Obviously the age of believing in Santa Claus has moved to age 50 and over. Would it not be lovely if all children in TT could attend this Alice in Wonderland type of establishment and in particular the children of Santa Flora Government and Montrose Vedic? Why wait until the end of the letter to reveal the spoke in the wheel for the new minister? It cannot be denied that our schools need to be modernised. However, logistics like paying contractors take time.

First World schools are just as likely to harbour the criminal element as it is usually extenuating circumstances that mould criminals.

What would you say if I told you that I had a flat share with a young man who had been to the elegant and wealthy Eton School but loved stealing spoons from Woolworth’s in London, just for the amusement of fooling security? His parents were divorced, remarried and neither wanted him in the school holidays.

It is not just about the fancy buildings, and rolling well manicured fields on which to play. It is also about the degree of loving care and nurturing.

LYNETTE JOSEPH Diego Martin

I recognise that given time and space constraints it was not possible for the media to publish my full remarks made at the launch of the Ministry of Public Administration and Communications “Scratch Bomb Campaign” last Friday.

This led to Didier’s mistaken belief that the police have no role to play in treating with the issue.

Let me quote from my remarks last Friday at the launch of the National Scratch Bomb Campaign.

“One of our key stakeholders in this campaign is the Police Service and other law enforcement agencies, who will be monitoring more closely, where these contraband items are being sold and to whom they are being sold.

“The dilemma facing the law enforcement agencies however is this: although fireworks are banned in most urban areas, unless permission is sought and obtained at least 48 hours prior from the police, the law is silent on its use in most rural areas, which presents a greater challenge for law enforcement seeking to crack down on the illegal use of fireworks and scratch bombs.

“I am certain though, as I am certain you gathered here and the country are aware, the existence of punitive laws has never prevented anyone from committing a crime. And so our appeal today, particularly as this is a matter that touches the day-to-day lives of the average citizen, is to the hearts and minds of everyone, to do their part to ensure a safer Christmas and New Year. If we instill a culture of care for our neighbours and our elderly, Trinidad and Tobago will be a much better place.” Trinidad and Tobago needs this culture of care and not just over the issue of “scratch bombs”.

While law enforcement does have a significant part to play in dealing with the issue, Didier would be mistaken if he believes that negates the duties we all have as members of the public to not do our part in eradicating this menace from our society.

I wish to assure Didier that I have got an assurance from the Minister of National Security that the police will be cracking down on the sale and use of illegal “scratch bombs”. This, should not, however, preclude us from doing our part to ensure that members of the public are alerted to the dangers of facilitating their use.

Maxie Cuffie Minister of Public Administration and Communications