He indicated that London and the South East are the only places in the UK where income per head is back above pre-financial crisis levels. He further suggested that net wealth has also fallen in places such as the North East of England.

The degree of differences across regions has seen the UK move to the lower rungs of the league table within Europe. As an example, wage differences between regions of the UK could differ by as much as 50% and the productivity gap between regions could be as high as 60%. In fact, it appears that these gaps are growing.

Further examples of inequality include the following statistics.

Gross Domestic Product per head is ?45,000 a year in London which is nearly 2.5 times higher than in Wales or the North East of England, where the figure is about ?18,000. Then there is the average weekly wage of ?670 in London compared to the East Midlands where it is ?480. The data suggests differences across regions as well as across income bands.

After the financial crisis of 2007 and 2008, national output per head has risen by 6.6% in London, but has gone down by 4.6% in Northern Ireland. Net wealth has shot up 13% on average across the UK. However, in the North East of England and the East and West Midlands, net wealth has fallen.

The concern of the growth of inequality in income and across regions is something that we in Trinidad and Tobago should be also be concerned about. The data reveals that the TT Gini coefficient, a measure of the inequality of income distribution, stood at 0.43 in 1958 and increased to 0.51 in 1972. After that there was a gradual though small decline which saw the Gini coefficient fall to 0.39 by 1998. As the coefficient tends to 1, income inequality becomes worse.

At the early stages of economic development both a country’s economic growth and its income inequality rise. In the case of developed countries, income inequality shows a tendency of narrowing. The possible explanation for this is it rises because of the secular shift from low–income and low-inequality agriculture to high-income, medium-inequality industrial production. An additional reason for narrowing inequality is the increased efficiency of the established urban population which decreases inequality within the industrial sector. It is interesting to note that the data for a number of years suggests that the index is much lower for Tobago than for Trinidad. In fact, across the regions in the country there are significant differences in income distribution.

We have gotten hints from representatives of UN agencies that income inequality has gotten worse for this country based on the latest Household Budgetary Survey (HBS). It appears that the survey is complete and a report has been submitted. It is important that this report is released to the country especially at this time since it could be added to the national discussion about the way forward. We should follow the example of the UK and release the information and have an open discussion both on the nature of the problem and remedies to address the problem going forward.

Dr Walcott was speaking at a special media conference along with TSTT Chairman Emile Elias and Minister of Public Utilities Fitzgerald Hinds, to announce the conclusion of a major financing agreement with Republic Bank Limited. Republic Bank Managing Director Nigel Baptiste was on hand for the signing and presented Elias with a commemorative plaque.

Dr Walcott told guests of how the company’s major projects were already transforming customers’ quality of service and the new brand embodied TSTT’s promise to customers and country. “Today, as we celebrate our significant achievements over the past year, the company continues to establish itself in our new strategic plan to transform TSTT from a traditional telecommunications company into a 21st century agile broadband communications company that is responsive to its customers’ needs. We have a brand that is an expression of what is meaningful to the public and represents what we stand for and where we are headed. One that is vibrant, energetic and reflects who we are as a nation. One that is very aligned to our new aspiration and vision of how we intend to treat with customers.” Dr Walcott credited Chairman Emile Elias and TSTT’s Board of Directors for enabling the company to make major strides noting that this year alone approximately $900M will be invested in capital programs.

Noting that the new strategic plan, its achievements to date and the new brand were a real team effort, TSTT’s Chairman thanked Dr Walcott and the TSTT executive, management and staff, as well as the other Board members and said, “This could not have been accomplished without everyone’s involvement, so this isn’t just a vision of TSTT’s CEO and staff but one fully endorsed by the Board.” Elias continued, “I wanted all our customers to have a happy experience whenever they touch any part of TSTT, so I felt a surge of pride this morning upon seeing the new bmobile brand advertisements in the daily newspapers and at what’s happening to TSTT and our country.” Referring to the company’s planned announcement of its mid-year results, Elias said, “Stay with us, your national provider.

Trinidad and Tobago, you own TSTT. We have the technology, the solutions and a robust strategic plan to satisfy all your needs. I assure you that TSTT is well on its way. Stay tuned.

We have more to say to you.” Hinds spoke on behalf of Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley, and congratulated TSTT on its transformation to date and on its new

Perhaps most surprising, that in a world in which the average person has access to information and whose analytical skills maybe far more developed than a few generations ago, there is no desire to disregard and dismiss those who peddle falsehood.

The last election in the US is a good case in point, and more specifically, the issue of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).

This partnership signed by Barack Obama and other world leaders in February 2016, is the result of over seven years of negotiations.

President-elect of the United States, Donald Trump said that he is going to issue a note of intent to withdraw from the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal on his first day in office claiming that it will be disastrous for the United States.

The member states are the US, Japan, Malaysia, Vietnam, Singapore, Brunei, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Mexico, Chile and Peru. These nations cover 40% of the world’s economy and 26% of the world’s trade. The intention of the TPP is to deepen economic ties between these nations, slashing tariffs and fostering trade to boost growth and includes everything from agriculture to car makers and technology firms.

The agreement was designed to potentially create a new single market, something like that of the EU. The 12 countries have a collective population of about 800 million – almost double that of the European Union’s single market.

Admittedly, the 2016 presidential elections raised legitimate concerns about the TPP and how it will affect vulnerable groups. However, the discourse appears to have suggested that the US was forsaking 70 years of support for international economic integration. The driving force behind such a course of action could be a combination of populism, the effects of the recent economic crisis, the work of anti-trade lobbies through social networks as well as the fact that immigration and trade have become prominent political targets. Now the prospects of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement becoming a reality appears in serious doubt due to fears that it can be harmful.

Extrapolating to make it appear that liberalization and globalization have been destructive to the US and to the UK is very curious.

It is these two countries that touted the values of liberalizing an economy.

All the studies point out that trade agreements are implemented gradually. It is expected that the changes under TPP will take ten years and some changes as long as 30 years. Implementing TPP will by 2030, result in additional US real national income of $131 billion annually, growth in US exports each year by $357 billion. The studies also found that income growth will lead to higher wages for American workers. Importantly, the studies found that if TPP is delayed by as little as a year, there will be a one-time national loss of $94 billion.

Macroeconomic shocks due to the TPP could generate employment effects in the short run. The TPP is also expected to increase productivity and returns for all three factors (skilled labour by 0.63%, capital by 0.39%, and unskilled labour by 0.37%).

The problem is that the information was not presented during the election and without such knowledge the average person could arrive at the wrong conclusion about a very important agreement for the US.

Notably, the TPP does not include China and some have called the TPP an attempt to keep China at bay and build a strong free trade area to rival its growing economy. It is obvious that China appeared to provide a diplomatic “agreement” to TPP but could clearly be the big winner if the TPP is not implemented.

The first lesson here is that we must not pursue economic, financial or any other business decisions based on emotions.

Indeed, as a society we must learn from the mistakes of those countries around us. Certainly, allowing persons of influence to shepherd us into accepting decisions or conclusions about economic or financial decisions without checking the facts ourselves, means we abandon the thought process and analytical effort to someone else. This is not healthy for a democracy.

Far worse, it means each of our interests is abandoned in support of some else’s interest and agenda.

The second and equally important lesson is that we must place emphasis on developing timely and accurate data sets from a source that has the confidence of all stakeholders. In this regard, the work of the committee to restructure and re-engineer the Central Statistical Office (CSO), especially the input from the diaspora, is critical if we are to move forward with a properly constituted organization.

Third, there is a host of decisions for which the requisite empirical work or appropriate study has to be conducted. It is in this regard we should support the government’s request for IMF assistance with the HSF and other areas of help.

We encourage the government and the Prime Minister, who was a Research Fellow and later Head of the Seismic Research Unit at the University of the West Indies to emphasize the importance of research. It is carefully explored research, especially at this time, that would provide us with the empirical results to arrive at the best decisions for our country and thus avoids emotional decisions.

Nothing else is acceptable.

“All supermarkets essentially offer the same ‘product’ if you think about it – milk, rice, sugar, flour etc. Competing strictly on price is therefore not an option, so you have to find ways to set yourself apart,” she details as we get to chatting.

“We all want a nice environment to shop in and to have great stores but those things take major investments. To make it there we have to ensure that we have one thing: loyal and repeat customers,” she explains, detailing why Tru Valu offers more than their rival chains.

“Supermarkets operate on small margins, so we need volume to generate adequate revenue. And that can only be achieved by having our customers come back again and again.” To achieve this, the CEO has squarely placed her faith in her people offering above-industry-average training programmes. “We are a labour-intensive organisation, so we set out to make Tru Valu, first and foremost a ‘great place to work’ which would then also make it a ‘great place to shop’ for customers,” she says confidently.

Most of the programmes are ongoing and range from leadership summits for managers and supervisors which help to foster a culture of mentorship as well as continuous training in-store and through UWI-affiliated programmes for middle supervisory staff. It also included as one example, fun and interactive activities whereby customers were given a symbolic cupcake image and asked to award floor staff with these hidden tokens if they thought they received great service. “It was fun to get actual customers involved,” Mustapha- Scott notes, “apart from also having mystery shopping programmes in place.

It helped to break the ice with the staff feeling more motivated to give great service all round, so that they could receive a measurable reward. The idea is to make it feel more natural for staff and customers too.” The overall programme, driven by key deliverables and data, is monitored so that staff can be commended or called upon to do better as needed, but is being administered in a fun way as much as possible. “We even have intra-store competitions such as ‘wrappers’ versus cashiers or have stores compete to outperform each other in fun, friendly rivalry,” she adds. The real test therefore is for the programme to sustain momentum so that it crosses the tipping point into becoming part of the company culture, which is the exact area that many local organisations will falter in – persistence; a character trait that seems forged in Mustapha-Scott.

The jewel of the programme however, is the Tru Valu HelpDesk to be found in every store, being executed in part with Dawn Richards of DRA Consulting. These frontline desks are commandeered by Helpdesk officers clad in smart, navy uniforms with a bright green and yellow rosettes who are there to welcome shoppers, assist with finding items, resolve complaints or even advise on how they can save via the coupon offers or special offers that day or week. The chain will even assist shoppers in budgeting if they ask, given the economic climate.

“The economy is slowing,” she notes, “We are seeing a drop in volumes and see customers being more careful, comparing more, trading down in purchase options. And it’s not that we have increased our prices via increasing margins, it’s also that the end consumer now has a return of that 12.5% VAT to their bills, FOREX fluctuations affecting prices and other economic factors.

And the chain also is facing a number of other challenges too including the proliferation of… groceries in communities.

“We always welcome free and fair competition,” Mustapha-Scott responds, “but we face a regulatory environment that differs to what many of these… groceries operate in. We have to meet requirements guided by OSH, field visits by the Bureau of Standards and ensure that our staff receive their annual medicals to have food badges, along with operating under the collective agreements made by unions on behalf of our staff. It all adds a cost, which we are happy to bear as long as everyone else does too.” Despite the challenges, Mustapha- Scott continues to push for the development of her staff above all. But is it working? Why invest in staff that rotate between franchises and chains once incentivized to do so? She is quick to answer, “I believe we have seen a shift in our culture and within our staff, and our complaint levels have definitely fallen, which can only be good for the bottom line.

But it goes beyond that, if we aren’t willing to invest in our people, even if they walk out the door, then we can’t continue to complain about customer service nationally. Sure, the person may leave after you train them, but you are putting out a more confident skilled person, and you likely received a return on that investment while they worked with you anyway,” she points out. And other chains are moving to match the programmes that she has created, which can only be good news for us all.

When not leading the way at the supermarket giant, Mustapha-Scott makes time to balance her schedule, “My life is based on balance – I try to have a good social life, a good family life as well as a good work life. I have always believed that if you are going to do something, anything, then do it with commitment and passion, setting your priorities and pursuing it, being key to it all. And recognise that a fair day’s work for a fair day’s pay, no matter where you work is a source of pride.”

My driver, Sean, stands outside, patiently waiting to hold my door open. I get inside, sink into the plush interior. I could get used to this.

This is not exactly what I was expecting when embarking on my experiment with Drop, the country’s newest door to door taxi service.

I ply Sean with questions during our 45-minute journey. He is friendly, unwaveringly polite throughout the process and our conversation is punctuated only by the instructions of the WAVE gps system used by the service.

“It guides you around traffic,” informed Sean.

On the display, I could see the time taken for our journey and the distance travelled. But there are other features connected with the service.

For instance, there is an app you can download to your smartphone allowing you to see a picture of your driver, his car, track his progress along his way to you, as well as estimate your fare. If you are old school, there is a toll-free number connecting you to a dispatch centre. You receive a text message confirming your appointment and a call when the driver is on his way.

“When the call comes into the dispatch centre, the GPS selects the driver closest to the pick up location,” co-owner, Andre Attale said during an interview later during the day. “ The driver has 15 seconds to answer. If he doesn’t, it goes on to the next closest driver.” The drivers were handpicked after a stringent screening process, including background checks and insurance and safety checks for the cars. Out of the original 70 applicants, 30 were selected with the help of an HR agency. Police certificates of character are required and regularly renewed. Sean took the trouble to show me his.

Safety, said Attale, was Drop’s number one priority. But reliability and convenience were also key.

Attale said reliability comes with the number of drivers on the road. Recruitment is on-going to ensure that the service has the full complement of qualified drivers in an area.

While other services internationally based their charges on time or distance travelled, Drop focused on zones. There are currently seven zones.

“We did it that way to be clear and transparent. You can relax during the ride, not worrying about the driver taking the wrong road or traffic causing the fare to build up,” said Attale.

A standard fee is applied to travel any distance within a zone. Once a zone is crossed, another standard fare is applied. A night rate was recently introduced between 1 am and 5 am at a premium of the standard rate. Attale explained this was to incentivize drivers and motivate them to take on night jobs, keeping the number of cars on the road at an optimal level, 24 hours a day. The drivers make a percentage of all drops, the higher the fare, the bigger the percentage.

In return, they have to pay a fee to register with Drop and to have access to the company’s database of clients.

Attale said Drop’s biggest competitive advantage was the convenience it offers to its users.

“ There are other players in the market, one of them even has an app, but it only routes you to existing taxi services and you then have to discuss fares with them. (That) is not a seamless service. Our edge is our versatility. We are the only one with a dispatch centre you can call, or, you can use the app. We also take cash or credit card.” Currently, your credit card must be pre-registered to be used for payment, but Attale promises customers will be able to use it over the phone within weeks.

There were also features unique to the TT market that Drop is poised to respond to perfectly. Attale used our traffic situation as an example.

“You have to get to a business meeting in town. You have to hustle, find a park, worry about being wrecked, With Drop, you can go into town, come back at your convenience.” With the upsurge in alcohol consumption expected for the Christmas and Carnival seasons, Drop may also be able to safely deliver more limers, feters and masqueraders to their homes.

“There was and need and nobody was there, presenting a business opportunity. We saw it as an opportunity to bring something new to TT,” he said.

The service started in September with 30 clients and 5 zones between Chaguaramas and Arima. Attale said they are now up to 300 users, powered by repeat business and referrals and the service now goes to Central and parts of South.

In the future, Attale said there are plans to map Tobago and extend the service there as well as to establish the company “up the islands”.

Attale also said service will eventually be differentiated, with customers being able to request travel in premium vehicles.

With the country trying to stay strong against a recession caused by falling energy prices, food and beverage entrepreneurs are heeding the call for innovation and diversification by investing in the development of new food products which can attract not only local sales but also interest from international markets.

Consequently, the Caribbean Industrial Research Institute (CARIRI) has been assisting such persons with product development technical support to ensure that they secure the best opportunity for success. Unfortunately, enough food and beverage entrepreneurs do not seek expert assistance when embarking on product development activities and are therefore at risk of becoming a part of product failure statistics. Research conducted in the USA by Linton Matysiak & Wilkes (1995) showed the following:

• Approximately 5,000 new products are introduced into a supermarket annually

• The failure rate for new product introduction in the retail grocery industry is 70-80%

It is therefore prudent that food and beverage stakeholders, who wish to develop new products, understand the key activities in new product development. In addition to this, product development must be an economical process and the return on investment must be computed as your product is not just going on the supermarket shelves, but it is also competing with similar products that are already housed there. Some of the things to keep in mind are listed below:

1. Define the Product – be absolutely clear about the type of product you wish to develop. Gather information on the options regarding sensory characteristics, legal regulations, consumer preferences, competing or similar products, raw materials availability, equipment availability and technical support availability.

2. Develop the Product Formulation and Process Description – If you are unable to conduct these activities on your own, contract expert help in developing the product formulation and processing description. This will ensure that you not only develop an appetizing product but you also create an economically feasible product, conform to product and ingredient regulations and develop an efficient production process. Note that the production process has to be tested for both bench-top/laboratory scale level and bulk production level since product and processing parameters may change when the production volume of the product increases thereby requiring formulation or process control adjustments.

3. Conduct Sensory Evaluations – The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) defines a quality product as one that meets the expectations of the consumer. Therefore, sensory testing of the product, using scientific sensory evaluation techniques, is very important since these tests will provide insight into consumer acceptance of the product. It is not enough for the food entrepreneur to ‘like’ the product, since it is the consumer who determines that the product is one of quality.

4. Conduct Chemical and Microbiological Evaluations – markets generally have specifications for food products that must be met in order for the food item to be sold publicly. It is therefore critical that all legal specifications are met by the newly developed food item.

5. Finalize Product Packaging and Labeling – again markets are likely to have packaging and labeling regulations that the new product must meet. Additionally, during this phase of product development, the expert should ensure that the selected packaging and label are able to maintain the integrity of the product, stand up to transportation variations, remain stable during storage and be visually appealing to consumers.

6. Prepare for Market Distribution – ensure that the following activities are performed in anticipation of the product’s introduction to the market:

a. Obtain all relevant permits

and approvals

b. Confirm product distributors

and distribution strategy

c. Confirm marketing strategy

Product development can take weeks, months or even years to complete – it is not something to be hurried. The time needed will depend upon the complexity of the food item and the resources available to perform the activities required. Having an understanding of the actions involved is a good first step.

For more information on the services offered on product development, please contact our Biotechnology Unit at 299-0210 ext 5053 or email us biotech@cariri.

“To develop and use these opportunities requires one thing: change. Widespread economic reform does not require an intellectual planning approach. It requires belief in a foundation and in practical principles that will restore balance in our economy and improve our wellbeing.” This is the view of Management Consultant Gerry Pemberton.

In an exclusive interview with Business Day, Pemberton said, The International Development Bank (IDB) in an April 2010 publication “The Age of Productivity: Transforming Economies from the Bottom Up,” saw many people arguing or dismissing that study.

Today however, the subject of that study is the critical issue facing the US economy that the new President (Trump) knows he has to resolve, to achieve his goals. “It is not simply a question of labour productivity.

It is the productivity of everything else that determines the quality and cost of a product or service.

That is known as Total Factor Productivity (TFP). If we increase TFP we can pay better wages and train employees. We can also create a host of opportunities and make diversification a realistic goal,” said Pemberton.

Remember when Amartya Sen, that great Indian-born, modern economist wrote his book, Development as Freedom. The question must be asked – Do we have freedom? Enshrined in many constitutions all over the world, including Trinidad and Tobago, is this, “Men and institutions remain free only when freedom is founded upon respect for moral and spiritual values and the rule of law”.

He said, “This gives rise to many questions. In 2016 what level of respect do we have for moral values? How much respect do we have for spiritual values? If many who ignore or transgress moral and spiritual values are effectively beyond timely reach of the law, then what is the social value of that respect? “Our mood has changed since the Republican Constitution in 1976.

We do not seem to agree on our moral and spiritual values, so what freedom do we have in 2016? We have very few degrees of freedom to change anything. Every remedial study or plan refers realistically to the constraints and the politicians have to try to work around these.

“They cannot achieve any meaningful progress until they remove the political constraints.

That is common sense,” he continued. “It is also their common failure. As case in point (PTSC) was recently described in detail by a former minister Mariano Browne.

“The practical problem is our inflexibility. We do not have the courage to create a consensus to make urgent and necessary changes.

Regardless of religion and ethnic differences we have agree on moral and spiritual values to establish freedom and to maintain the rule of law. This is the starting point. It isn’t new or radical. This is what our 1976 Constitution says we should do.

It makes practical sense. We can’t develop opportunities unless we work together as one people.” He said, “Main opportunity for us is to transform the economy by focussing on ‘the drivers of the level and growth of TFP’. This is a transcendental opportunity because it can generate sustainable growth while uplifting the capabilities of people. It can release ‘native genius’. It will enable people to develop resources. It will reward innovation which is the heart of entrepreneurship.

“The resulting improvements will be widely spread and deeply embedded. The TFP approach appeals to the common sense of doing more with the same resources.

It will also promote the strengths of the ‘market economy’ internally which is the best way of ensuring fair treatment of consumers,” he said.

Pemberton forecast that the next substantial opportunity was the restructuring of state enterprises to produce economic growth with the transition objective being their contributions to the level and growth of TFP, not the oil price.

He said, “The more ‘necessary’ a State enterprise is deemed to be, then the more necessary is a significant contribution to national productivity.” Sometimes that coincides with commercial profitability. One example is if Petrotrin increased the price of gasoline, high enough to reduce traffic congestion, State enterprises that cannot or do not add to TFP should not exist as a State enterprise regardless of profitability.

The Uff Commission of Inquiry identified several deficiencies with this project. Apart from the huge overrun cost of approximately $.5 billion, there was the troubling issue of at least 70 percent weld failure, with respect to the steel works, particularly the roof and stands.

Speaking to a joint select committee in May, the chief financial officer of Urban Development Corporation of Trinidad and Tobago indicated that packages were being prepared for tenders for completion of the facility and that the work will commence sometime between August and September, with completion six months from the start.

The time frame of six months for completion seems to be at variance with the Uff Report (page 202) which suggested, in 2010, that the Brian Lara Stadium is far from completion.

The question therefore arises: is the Brian Lara Stadium safe? I am calling on the Minister of Sport to provide details on the following: * Who were the contractors given the responsibility for resolving the 70 percent weld failures as identified in the Uff Report? * Did these contractors have the requisite competencies and experience to resolve the weld issue? * Have the requisite agencies — Occupational Health and Safety Authority, Electrical Inspectorate, Building Inspectorate, Fire Service etc — provided the appropriate compliance certificates? * Will these certificates be published before the opening of the Lara Stadium so the public can make its own fit-for-use assessment? * Will the State be liable and/or accountable for any safety issue arising from any structural defect that causes loss of life or limb at the stadium? I am hoping these questions can be put to the Minister of Sport, in Parliament, for both oral and written answers.

PAUL MOHAMMED Orchard Gardens

My own view is that commentators have tended to view this exercise as a referendum into the performance of the 14-month PNM Government without recognising that there are, traditionally, fundamental flaws in the mechanisms and modus operandi of local government bodies in Trinidad (and in Tobago) which militate against the participation of the voter at this level of the political process.

Perhaps the most important lesson to be learned has been, unfortunately, the reconfirmation of the polarisation of the electorate along racial lines. It follows, therefore, that policy objectives were of very little consequence in determining how a voter was influenced to cast his/her vote.

Indeed, a feature of the campaign was the failure of the PNM to articulate properly, for the benefit of the electorate, its much-vaunted proposals for local government reform.

In this regard, I direct attention to my letter under the caption, “Is this a local government election campaign?” The implication is that what was being experienced in the campaign was, in effect, a situation which was being cast in the fashion of a central government election campaign, with not much being articulated in terms of local government.

Thus one heard on both major sides of the political divide allegations of alleged mismanagement, nepotism and corruption without the “poor” voter being made aware as to what was in store for him or her at the level of local government.

It is not surprising, therefore, that a sizeable section of the population decided that this election was of no intrinsic consequence to him/her and chose not to participate fully in the exercise by not casting their vote.

Another important consideration is that there has, traditionally, been no clear nexus between the local government representative and the citizenry. Indeed, one hears of complaints that, after a local government election, no one sees the councillor for a district.

It seems that councillors tend to find themselves, as it were, “subsummed” to the wishes and fancies of the MP for the area, thus resulting in the councillor having no independent status of his or her own.

I would postulate that unless this situation were corrected, the existence of the local government representative will always be of little consequence to the voter and herein lies one fundamental flaw which must be addressed in terms of local government reform.

It is my view that whether the voter turnout at last week’s election happens to be 17 percent or 34 percent (even though the latter might have been the norm in the relatively recent past), this is nevertheless quite unsatisfactory.

TT has been experiencing voter turnout of about 70 percent (still not high enough) and this is the dimension at which we should be aiming to be achieved at local government elections. However, the enabling nexus between the potential voter and the local government representative must be properly established.

ERROL OC CUPID Trincity, Tacarigua

Smart’s father, the late Isidore Smart, a former Chief State Solicitor, had often helped our Belmont community, offering services pro bono from the gallery of his Norfolk Street home in Belmont.

The time has come for President Anthony Carmona, Chief Justice Ivor Archie and Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi to bestow the deserving title of Senior Counsel on Anthony Smart.

Unlike others, he did not see it fit, when he was the country’s AG, to bestow upon himself such a title. I do hope my letter does not fall on deaf ears.

I personally thank Smart for so quietly helping the citizens of this country, especially us in Belmont.

He is a distinguished gentleman and former AG.

SHIRLEY MOORE-JOHN Belmont