The film was quite engrossing, with the plot developing nicely when, about 5.20 pm, the film froze. The lights came on and I and other patrons awaited the resumption of the film.

After five minutes, I exited the cinema to the lobby and informed an attendant about the problem. She spoke to the cinema manager, who came and assured me the problem would be taken care of in a few minutes.

I went back to my seat and another five minutes passed before the film was restarted from the beginning. At this point several patrons went in search of the manager, as no one wanted to sit through an hour of film we had seen before.

She returned and got the projectionist to fast forward to a point just before where it had stopped. To our great consternation, the film played up to the exact same point as before and froze again.

In disgust, we left the cinema and sought out the manager for a refund, only to be told they do not refund, that our options were 1) to go to another movie playing at that moment in the cinema complex, or 2) she would endorse the ticket for the same show at a different time and day, but could not say for how long the show’s run would be.

I asked for her superior and was told the head office is in Puerto Rico, but she did not have a phone number for them offhand.

Unbelievable.

Do the head honchos of this company know that our consumer protection laws make their no-refund policy illegal? I would like to know what the Consumer Affairs Division is doing about situations like this. How is it protecting all citizens? C JUTAGIR via email

Observed by the international community every year on December 10, it commemorates the day the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted. This pioneering document set out for the first time the fundamental human rights to be universally protected.

Lofty ideals and wise words, but how can we translate them into action in light of the immense global challenges facing us today? Here, the theme for this year’s Human Rights Day proves instructive: “Stand up for someone’s rights today!” This means that human rights start with each of us and it is our responsibility to uphold them.

The European Union (EU) commends the TT Government and determined NGOs on the many advances made to this effect. Such notable progress, particularly in the areas of women’s and children’s rights, received further international recognition at the Human Rights Council in Geneva this year at a periodic review of the country’s human rights record.

These developments add to a robust package of existing rights, including access to universal education and healthcare, free and fair elections, and freedom of speech and assembly, among others.

There is of course room for improvement and the EU continues to actively promote the rights of those suffering from discrimination in the country. Take the British High Commission’s dedicated work to combat corruption; a societal ill whose corrosive effects are felt across the spectrum of human rights.

Meanwhile the EU’s efforts to promote gender-equality saw our active participation in the 16 Days of Activism on the Elimination of Violence Against Women, culminating today. We continue to support NGOs working in the area and are delighted to publicly announce for the first time that 2017 will be the official EU year for gender equality and tackling gender-based violence around the world.

Yet human rights are not the sole preserve of Parliament or international/ multilateral organisations, to be deliberated over in air-conditioned boardrooms and routine joint select committee meetings.

From Beetham to Barcelona, they’re in our everyday interactions and everybody can and must be their tireless champions.

As Eleanor Roosevelt (late First Lady of the US) famously said, “Where, after all, do universal human rights begin? In small places, close to home – so close and so small that they cannot be seen on any maps of the world…Unless these rights have meaning there, they have little meaning anywhere.

Without concerted citizen action to uphold them close to home, we shall look in vain for progress in the larger world.” Take up the gauntlet today for people with disabilities, women, the LGBTI (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex) community, indigenous peoples, children, migrants and anyone suffering at the hands of discrimination. Defend their rights in the workplace, the street, the school or the beach.

For it is through your individual actions that lofty ideals and wise words can change the world. Join the global movement and the European Union in standing up for someone’s rights today.

Lutz G?rgens Embassy of Germany Jos? Mar?a Fern?ndez L?pez de Turiso Embassy of Spain Sol?ne Crini?re Embassy of France Jules Bijl Embassy of the Netherlands Tim Stew, British High Commission Arend Biesebroek Delegation of the EU

As TT reels from one of the bloodiest weeks in its history, it seems clear that what we are facing is a supernatural battle at the highest levels that is manifesting in the physical realm.

Many citizens will not understand but when people in and out of power utter words about making the country “ungovernable”, one must seriously ponder when certain events unfold. Especially when blood is shed.

The country is faced with a situation where, either willingly or unwillingly, our law enforcement agencies are unable to get a handle on the crime situation. This has extended into present and past administrations.

On December 6, the Grenadian police led a massive crackdown on illegal sales of fireworks and camouflage clothing.

Raymond Matthew of the Royal Grenada Police Force said that “whatever we get on (the) streets, we will seize them and we will also search the stores.” In TT , we cannot even arrest the sale of scratch bombs.

LINUS F DIDIER via email

I know by not hearing some of the interviewees might be a good idea but let’s try and do the correct thing. And while at it please also mike the reporters at the weekly post-Cabinet conference.

C PETERS via email

I have participated in the various consultations on local government and I am of the view that meaningful reform must go beyond legislation, and include strategies to orient local government representatives to service and management principles, rather than making the attainment of rank and the winning of contests the sole objects of attention. In other words, appropriate attitudes and managerial skills must prevail over inter-party sniping.

Following the last local government election, I wrote each member of the Chaguanas Borough Corporation individual letters intended to bring pressing needs to their attention, but not a single acknowledgement was received.

I believe that after being sworn into office, many representatives are transformed from humble vote-seekers into hubris-stricken, arrogant, haughty, know-it-alls. Suffice it to say that the items that I brought to their attention have being all ignored. There were issues that were beyond the control of the Chaguanas Borough Corporation, but I expected that members would have taken steps to lobby the appropriate State divisions for action.

For example, the WASA mutilated streets such as Fitt Street remain threats to public safety; the instances of loud music intentionally played from vehicles to annoy residents at nights continue without police intervention; truck owners use the roadsides for overnight parking; large trees grow on the grass verges (eg Imamshah St and Helen St); unlawful extension of market stalls restricts human movement to pose a serious hazard in the event of panic; the festering eyesore of a vendors mall located on lands donated for a health facility in the heart of Chaguanas has become even more permanent, with ad hoc steel-framed structures becoming the norm.

No one seems to understand that the booths in this ghetto are largely bulk storage units where street vendors visit only to replenish their supplies.

The ordinary citizens no longer have the use of the pavements because these have been huffed by vendors.

Furthermore, hordes of renegade PH taxis break traffic lights and every other regulation as they ply their illicit trade.

However, there is a price to pay for being vocal.

When I went through the approved process to use the borough auditorium for a public education purpose on behalf of an NGO, my request was not only denied, but I was informed that the borough corporation was under no obligation to provide reasons for the denial.

In the face of all the difficulties endured by burgesses, the corporation is pre-occupied with vanity-driven twinning projects of dubious benefits, but which provide excuses to visit foreign lands.

While a selective few burgesses are personally invited to consultations, the rank and file are kept in the dark and only hear of decisions taken afterwards.

This state of affairs indicates not only a lack of commitment to satisfy the needs of residents, but a serious deficit of management skills, which is indicated by the incapability of these officials to get the various enforcement groups under their control to do their work. For example, placing 100 more municipal police in the borough will be an absolute waste if no one can motivate the present small team to regulate the market activities.

I trust that the Government will have some kind of oversight mechanism to bring an end to exorbitant retreats, twinning exercises, self-adulatory banners and other money-wasting expenditure that prevail in many corporations.

Otherwise making boroughs out of districts and cities out of boroughs will simply be another set of money- wasting vanity projects.

Somar Steel TT Limited of Venezuela, which once operated in Point Lisas, Couva, is on the verge of leaving the country due to the fall internationally in the price of steel.

Tonnes of plant and equipment have been packed into containers and was due to be shipped back to Venezuela until yesterday when a Marshall from the High Court, San Fernando and a bailiff, accompanied businessman Chris Hosein to the port and served the injunction and a writ of execution on the Harbour Master.

Hosein, a businessman of Longdenville, Chaguanas, filed a Freezing injunction on November 22, seeking a judge’s order to seize the plant and equipment contained in nine containers of Somar Steel TT Ltd, at the port of Point Lisas.

A further Order was sought according to documents filed in the High Court, San Fernando, to prevent Somar from removing its assets from the jurisdiction including equipment and steel in seven 40-foot and two 20-foot cargo containers, which are stored on the port.

Hosein also sought an Order against Somar restraining the company from loading any vessel on the port, with those containers.

And, an Order directing the Harbour Master from allowing any vessel to set sail with the goods which is bound for Venezuela.

Hosein is contending that in October 2015, he entered into a lease agreement with Somar, to rent a vehicle to the company at the rate of $10,500 per month.

He obtained a judgment against Somar for $127,930 which is accumulated costs of rental.

The court registrar sent a copy of the judgment to Somar, but the company is yet to pay the monies.

Hosein resorted to filing an injunction which came up last week Thursday before Justice Andre des Vignes in the San Fernando High Court.

Attorney Stephen Boodram instructed attorney Jeevan Andrew Rampersad for Hosein, who made submissions before the judge.

Justice Des Vignes, however, found that the levy was quite excessive and requested certain evidence be filed as regards the exact amount of equipment that needed to be seized to reflect the quantum of damages Hosein has suffered.

On three occasions the matter came up before the judge and he expressed the view that he could find no reason why the registrar could not effect the levy on the goods, but only as it relates to the value of the monies owed.

Yesterday, Hosein, bailliff Dexter Brown and a deputy Marshall of the court went to the port and served a writ of execution and the Harbour Master, in an attempt to seize the containers.

However, following legal advice, they were advised by the port officials that a certain document had to be prepared and served on the Comptroller of Customs and Excise, before the levy could take place.

Yesterday, the attorneys prepared the document and it is expected that on Monday, the levy would be carried out. Hosein is seeking to seize equipment that would also cover storage of the container, expenses and payment of his legal fees.

“With this in mind, I am certain that we will continue to see new and exciting developments arising from our local furniture sector in the coming years, includ ing more local products on offer throughout the Courts chain,” Gopee- Scoon said. She made the remarks while delivering the feature address at the opening ceremony of Courts at Calcutta Settlement, Road #1 in Freeport, off the Solomon Hochoy Highway.

The Minister noted that this country has had many years of enviable economic growth.

However, it does not safeguard citizens from the challenges posed by volatile energy prices and global competition.

Gopee-Scoon added, “As we set our sights on the goal of wider diversification and sustainable economic development, the Government encourages private sector players to follow Unicomer’s example in fortifying their respective brands and embracing innovation.” Unicomer is an international retail group which represents more than 30 retail brands across the region, among them Courts, Courts Optical and Servitech, to name a few.

The Minister explained that direct investments, such as the opening of Courts’ newest branch, have expansive, positive, direct and indirect spillover effects on society. She noted that the “efficient functioning of our local markets” depends on an adequate level of competition among producers.

By increasing consumer choice, Gopee-Scoon said, this investment will increase the level of competition in the domestic furniture market and thus increase the economic welfare of consumers. Commending the Unicomer Group for serving this country by “being a driver of social and economic development”, the Minister charged that the investment created 250 jobs during construction.

That figure is expected to generate some 500 permanent jobs when the full project is completed.

Among those in attendance at yesterday’s ceremony were: Ambassador Extraordinary and plenipotentiary of El Salvador to CARICOM, Raymundo Rodriguez Diaz; vice-president and managing director of Unicomer Caribbean and USA, Mario Guerrero; Managing Director, Unicomer (Trinidad Limited), Clive Fletcher; and General Manager at Courts Freeport, Debra Thomas.

Gopee-Scoon noted that Trinidad and Tobago is a signatory to 12 free trade or preferential trading agreements that together offer a potential market size of approximately one billion.

It is part of the Government’s plan, she said, to continue engaging countries in such bilateral discussions to encourage the expansion of local industry and investment, both foreign and local.

In his welcome address, Guerrero noted that with the opening of the store yesterday, it marked Courts’ 21st and Courts Optical’s 13th store in Trinidad.

The vice-president added that the Unicomer Group is the proud sponsor of the Courts Speak Out Programme and the Courts Cocoa in the Community Project.

Both initiatives allow the Group to widen the impact of efforts across several communities, Guerrero said. “As we continue our expansion throughout the Caribbean, we invest with confidence in the future, creating new employment opportunities for many as we increase our retail footprint adding new stores and new chains to better serve the people of the 15 Caribbean countries we serve,” he added.

Fletcher, in his welcoming remarks, told the gathering that the new store features a 25,000 square-foot showroom filled with the “very latest” in a variety of items.

These include home appliances, televisions, electronics, digit products, a wide range of stylish furniture, as well as a Courts Sleep Centre and a full service Courts Optical.

In a statement, Walker said, “there is so much to be gained from the return of CLICO/CLF to the private sector following a successful rescue.” He added that, “First and foremost, the taxpayer will be unburdened. The government will gain access to significant funds that have been tied up for far too long in a private undertaking

From the outset it should have been the number one goal to do just that.” He said, “These are public funds which are needed for public good and which have slipped out of public control and oversight for far too long. The statement said that the country’s economy will benefit from the injection of several billion dollars into the Treasury, easing the burden on the Ministry of Finance in seeking to close the large expenditure gap the government currently faces. Walker said a return of CLICO and CL Financial to the private sector will also reduce the need for any rapid sale of public assets and the raising of finance in the capital market

He said that returning the companies to the private sector will also free the regulator, the Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago, to focus on its regulatory duties and not on running a company which it regulates. Walker also noted CLICO and CL Financial’s role in helping to diversify the economy, noting that the companies were responsible for establishing Methanol Holdings Limited; CL Marine Limited and CL World Brands while being significant shareholders in world class companies such as Angostura and Republic Bank

The statement added that “this group of companies generated large amounts of foreign exchange and boasted a hugely diversified portfolio by any measure.”

Emile Elias, chairman of TSTT, said the Board is contemplating taking legal action to ensure that TSTT and the people of Trinidad and Tobago gets the service they deserve.

Speaking at the 4GLTE launch at TSTT’s head office, Edward Street, Port-of-Spain, Elias claimed that three years ago, “elements” in the old board of TATT and National Enterprises Limited (NEL) were involved in what he considered a “conspiracy” to damage TSTT. “Whoever the cap fits, let them wear it. If they get me damn vex I might start naming names,” he said.

He lamented that the last Boards of TATT and NEL, did not believe that “the people of this country can run a telecommunications giant like TSTT.” “We need to get rid of that attitude and if necessary get rid of the people who still have that attitude. They conspired with certain foreign entities to damage TSTT to ensure we don’t get the kind of spectrum and support that we need. Today after on a year, of a new Board, we have the financing in place, the leadership in place, we have the plan in place and we are going to go forward,” Elias said.

TSTT Chairman Dr Ronald Walcott explained that the 700 megahertz spectrum is standard for LTE deployment because of its propagation characteristics.

“Which includes the ability to have the type of geographical coverage that we would want to ensure so we can provide this solution throughout the length and breadth of Trinidad and Tobago,” he said.

He also explained that 4G LTE allows the user to experience ultra fast broadband speeds on their mobile devices adding that TSTT would provide speeds that are as much as “ten times faster than anything you can get from anyone in TT.” Currently TSTT is in phase one of this deployment and in that phase, Walcott said they are sure to cover all of Portof- Spain, San Fernando and Scarborough. “We would like to get 85 percent population coverage over the next couple of months assuming that we can get the 700 megahertz spectrum that is required,” he said.

However, Kenrick Harrinauth, president of the QRC OBA stated they were recently informed via written communication that the property will be assigned to the Police Guard and Emergency Branch.

Harrinauth said: “We are very concerned that once again QRC is being neglected and stymied in its educational development of our nation’s young men.” He added: “The college is short of over 50,000 square feet of space according to the Ministry of Education (MoE) established requirements, yet there seems to be no concern.” At the school’s recent Annual Dinner, Harrinauth, addressed the issue in relation to the property to the West of the College, bounded by Alexandra and Hayes Streets and by St Clair Avenue that belonged to QRC prior to the expansion of the education system back in the 1960s.

He said the parcel of land was under the administration of QRC, and is currently in contention with the Ministry of Education (MoE) over it. Following a meeting of Old Boys Ossie Nurse, Bertie Farrell, Robert Blache-Fraser, William Carter and Justice Rolston Nelson with consultation from Reginald Dumas, the OBA despatched letters to the Ministers of Education and of Public Administration regarding the return of the property to QRC, Harrinauth insisting that two previous Ministers of Education had informally agreed to such return.

An application, that included the Principal’s plans for such use, and in harmony with the government’s policy on education was also submitted for the effective educational use of the property. In 2008, in consideration of the Ministry’s request for an assessment of the possible adaptive reuse of the Ministry buildings, a site visit was proposed and initially agreed. This was subsequently rescinded with a note advising of discussions to be held between the Principal and the Ministry before works could proceed. This meant that design work on the west Block, well advanced, could not be continued until the entire MoE requirements were satisfied, which requirements could not be achieved on the existing campus without encroaching on the playing field.