The campaign aims to give residents an opportunity to experience tourist sites and attractions and “provide visitors and citizens with authentic and memorable experiences”.

Tucked away in the hills of Cunaripo, Green Pastures which was originally a cocoa and coffee estate in the 1980s offers a thrilling escape for nature lovers.

The family-owned business began its transformation to a resort four years ago when work began to make it a more diversified project.

The estate is owned by Arthur Sam, his son Anderson, daughter- in-law, Melissa and their son, Addison. Melissa revealed that Arthur was the first proprietor and farmer of the estate. Although the estate contained mainly citrus and poultry at that time, Arthur’s ever- present passion to do something meaningful in his community along with his wife’s death in 2013, propelled him to finally transform the plantation into an eco-friendly estate which his community and country could enjoy.

In 2013 he began renovations, building swimming pools and carat sheds with old-time firesides so that guests could enjoy outdoor cooking.

The estate has fruit trails, nature trails with swings and hammocks, a mini zoo, a fresh-water tilapia and cascadura pond (for visitors to fish) and a bee-keeping area. Bee-keeping was introduced 18 months ago by Anderson and Melissa who also sell the honey to visitors. Their honey, according to Melissa, is different.

She said the type of nectar that bees forage on, impacts the colour and texture of the honey.

Since their bees forage on the citrus from the estate, the honey “is a completely different colour, a golden, rich, nice-tasting honey.” The Sams are also working on adding traditional dirt ovens as another attraction. “We’re trying to maintain that legacy, that old-fashioned, Trinidadian cultural setting that we lived in once. We don’t want it to die,” Melissa said.

Green Pastures’ visitors come from across the country. “We have from South, Diego Martin, Aranjuez, all over,” Melissa said.

They come throughout the year but the busiest times are July- August, weekends and public holidays.

On a trip to the venue organised by the Tourism Ministry recently, tour guide Derik Donawa took a group to explore all of the estate’s attractions (except the pool, which was booked). The individual sheds which can be rented by visitors are equipped with running water and electricity.

Tour guests also got to sample fresh fruits and juices made from trees on the estate as well as pommecythere chow.

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“People who run the businesses can tell you, the best work in the Caribbean is in Trinidad — the best capabilities, workmanship, yards.

However, Trinidad has the worst red tape,” Trinidad and Tobago Sailing Association president Mark Loe told Business Day.

Over the past decade and a half, the yachting industry has declined hugely. Between 2000 and 2015, Trinidad experienced a 61 percent drop in yacht arrivals and for 2016 so far, yacht arrivals have fallen by a further 24 percent compared with last year. (See graph) Just checking in to the island is a hassle — visitors in yachts need to fill up almost 15 forms — sometimes in triplicate — to satisfy various Customs and Immigration regulations — including a new one on stowaway information.

“We’ve been asking for years just for them to implement a Single Harmonised Form to streamline the process.

Meanwhile, the other islands competing with us have already introduced it and some… have electronic submissions that you can submit before you dock through a Single Electronic Window.

And their Immigration officers are much more pleasant,” a spokesman for the Yachting Services Association of Trinidad and Tobago (YSATT) said.

Then there’s the seemingly arbitrary way that Immigration grants approvals to for “yachties” to stay on the island.

“Usually… repair works take six months.

Immigration most of the time just stamps a yachtie’s passport for three months. After that, they have to get an extension. For whatever reason, the Immigration Office in Chaguaramas decided it doesn’t do extensions anymore and now these people need to go to in the traffic and confusion of Port-of-Spain to get their extensions,” Loe said.

“Sometimes it feels like it depends on what side of the bed the officer woke up on that day,” another industry source, who requested he not be named, said of the arbitrariness of Immigration decisions.

YSATT noted that they have been clamouring for a standardised list of the Immigration arrival and departure regulations. The Boater’s Directory, what is supposed to be the industry bible for yachties trying to navigate the industry in Trinidad, hasn’t been updated since 2015 because there is no standard.

One example is the randomness to the regulation for pleasure crafts departing after clearance has been given.

Originally it was 24 hours, Business Day was told. Then one day, the instruction became one hour.

Then four hours.

Sometimes, people aren’t even given a grace period and are told to leave immediately. Finally, the industry asked for 16 hours, and thus far, that seems to be the baseline.

As with most of our industries, Trinidad and Tobago’s lack of competitiveness seems to stem from our dependence on energy.

Other Caribbean islands, on the other hand, didn’t need energy, so they knew what they had to do to build their capacity.

Grenada, especially, has set out to carve their niche.

The general consensus from people in the industry who spoke with Business Day is that Grenada has done their homework and set out to take Trinidad’s business, specifically tackling the issues that hit Trinidad hardest — they have friendlier immigration officers, easier check in and a product that engages yachties to enjoy their time on the island while waiting on repairs.

Their products and services might not yet be up to the standards of Trinidad and Tobago, undoubtedly the best in terms of service offerings and experience, but most people agree they will get there, and it will be the death knell for Trinidad if this country doesn’t get its act together.

“They have friendlier immigration officers and more efficient services to check in. They did their homework and they set out to take Trinidad’s business because we’ve ignored our industry,” Loe said.

And then there’s the Yacht-In-Transit tax that was announced in the 2017 Budget last year.

Before, yachties with boats registered outside of Trinidad and Tobago could order equipment and have it delivered to them here without having to pay the Value Added Tax. The Budget amendment meant that this was no longer the case, meaning that if a foreign sailor bought equipment for which he had already paid taxes in his home country, he would have to pay an additional tax here.

The amendment has since been removed, but not before wreaking havoc on the industry.

“It’s a seasonal industry and people plan to be in transit for repairs months in advance. When news of that tax broke, people changed their plans. Now is supposed to be peak time and the marina is empty. There’s no business and companies are either closing or on the verge of shutting down,” Loe said.

The tax turned out to be a boon for Grenada, who had just recently announced the opening of a brand new boatyard, one of the managers at a major repair yard told Business Day. After the tax was announced he said he received up to 50 cancellations “It was such a ridiculous tax. It almost buried us,” he said.

Then there are little things, like general maintenance and getting rid of stray dogs.

“Trinidad is probably the only place you can walk for less than a mile and find every major service you need to fix your boat. Yachties have a culture of walking.

But there a barely any sidewalks, the grass is overgrown and I’ve had to pay personally for medical bills from people who needed tetanus shots from getting bitten by stray dogs,” the YSATT spokesman said.

The Government, has for its part, however, acknowledged the shortcomings of the industry, and has been in dialogue with the stakeholders — notably the YSATT. Trade Minister Paula Gopee-Scoon spoke to Business Day and said Cabinet has already approved a framework to improve the industry and draft legislation to standardise regulations.

One of the most meaningful measures is the approval of the Single Harmonised Form for Trinidad and Tobago, eliminating most of the tedious paperwork. She said some legislative changes are required for its approval, which is currently being handled by the Attorney General.

But she is hopeful the form can be officially introduced by the end of this year, and that legislation can be drafted in three months, and taken to Parliament by August next year.

Gopee-Scoon was aware of the challenges the industry is facing, but she remained hopeful that once these regulations were enacted, it could grow and become a major foreign exchange earner.

YSATT is also optimistic, even though the spokesman acknowledged that they have been making similar requests to the government for nearly 20 years. On a whole though, the people in the industry don’t seem that upbeat about the prospects.

“Grenada’s government is helping their industry, ours isn’t. That’s the reality,” the boatyard manager said.

“The industry is dying.

In fact, it’s probably dead already,” Loe added.

Yet, although we are surrounded by the sublime, we somehow manage to reduce it to squalor. A lack of a sense of pride might be the reason for this. Quite noticeable too, is the way we undervalue our capacity to rank among the best in the world. Although success has been proven time and again, in a range of disciplines – sport, the arts, science and technology, medicine and literature – we remain sceptical.

Trinidad and Tobago will celebrate 55 years of Independence, next week. Apart from Dr Eric Williams, our founding fathers include other esteemed individuals such as Sir Ellis Clarke, Lionel Seukeran and Rudranath Capildeo. Their endeavour in negotiating the terms of our Independence Concordat at Marlborough House, stands as a testimony to their patriotism and foresight.

The landmark year was 1962, and a new nation was being birthed. We embraced our national flag, with each colour symbolising our rich potential. We welcomed our watch words, Discipline, Production and Tolerance and our Coat of Arms was emblazoned with our national birds, the Cocrico and the Scarlet Ibis.

Today in 2017, the Ibis is under threat by a small group of poachers who hunt the bird as a delicacy. In some instances, it is said to be much sought-after fare at upscale social gatherings. Recent reports signal that although the populations are relatively stable, the status of the ibis can change to ‘endangered’ if no action is taken to deter, fi ne or punish illegal hunters. Sadly, the Caroni Swamp appears to be anything but a sanctuary for our national bird! Shades of a similar negligent attitude were reflected in a local event group’s flagrant disregard for the environment, when their beach bonfire in Blanchisseuse ended in the destruction of approximately 100 turtle hatchlings. In no way does this destructive or wilfully ignorant mindset augur well for progress as a nation.

Trinidad and Tobago has been batt ling the fallout of severely decreasing revenue from our traditional foreign exchange earners in the oil and gas sector. There is broad consensus that new ways of restructuring our economy to achieve future sustainability, must be pursued.

Economic transformation and diversification have now become a necessity, and it would serve us well to stop paying mere lip service to the endeavour, that is, if we are to preserve a decent quality of life for generations to come.

While we have commercialised some of our local heritage sites and attractions, we have merely scratched the surface with respect to exploit ng our natural treasures to derive new revenue streams. Given the examples cited earlier, about our scarlet ibis and leatherback turtle, our attitudes and mindsets indicate that there is much work to be done before we make that much needed shift .

While complacency abounds in far too many quarters, our cocoa beans are being rated as world class; our athletes are doing wonders for our international profile; and visitors are coming from all over the globe to experience the sunset roosting ritual of the scarlet ibis at the Caroni Bird Sanctuary.

And there is much more. A fundamental question remains, however: what more would it take for us to harness the value of all that is uniquely ours, in a way that secures and guarantees our sustainability well into the future?

Maraj pleaded guilty in the Arima First Magistrates’ Court before Magistrate Gloria Jasmath.

Following a plea in mitigation, which included four testimonials, one of which was from a Roman Catholic nun, Jasmath ordered the fines and Maraj was given one month in which to pay them or face a jail term.

Maraj, 32, of St Augustine, was charged with three offences: the import of prohibited goods — a quantity of cash at US$39,054; importing said cash in a manner to deceive Customs and Excise officials; and failing to declare the said cash.

He was fined $15,000 or 18 months in default of paying on the first charge, $25,000 or three years in default on the second and $15,000 or 18 months in default on the third charge.

Maraj was represented by attorneys Reynold Waldropt and Jeron Joseph. He was arrested on August 13 at the Piarco International Airport.

He was on a Caribbean Airlines flight which had left New York, USA, flown to Georgetown, Guyana, and then to Trinidad.

The injunction was granted on Monday by Justice Margaret Mohammed in the Port of Spain High Court in response to an application filed by the Office of the Attorney General in an attempt to have the money recovered.

Private Josimar Belgrave and corporal Jason Richards, through their attorneys Stephen Wilson and Alvin Pariagsingh filed an application yesterday before Mohammed to be heard on the granting of the injunction.

The judge granted the attorneys time to file affidavits in response and adjourned the matter. The application to strike out the injunction is expected to be heard by Justice Ricky Rahim.

State attorney Gilbert Peterson SC submitted that legal costs for the injunction, which was granted in the absence of the soldiers and their attorneys, should be paid by the soldiers.

However, Pariagsingh contended the costs of ex-parte injunctions ought to be dealt with at the end of the hearing of the injunction and not before.

Wilson said since the application for the injunction was made without the accused being present, the costs should be borne by the State.

The charges are the largest number laid by the Fraud Squad department of the Police Service in which Gosine-Ramdass is accused of stealing and laundering approximately $2.8 million from a businessplace where she worked.

She appeared before Magistrate Indira Misir- Gosine in the Princes Town court, having been arrested with her husband, Inspector Darryl Ramdass last week Thursday.

On Tuesday night, Gosine-Ramdass of King Street, Princes Town, was taken from the Maraval Police Station to the Princes Town Police Station where she spent the night in a cell before yesterday’s court appearance.

At 1 pm she was escorted in handcuffs before Misir-Gosine who began reading the charge at 1.15 pm.

The magistrate read 157 charges in which the woman is alleged, on various dates in 2011 to 2014, to have stolen money from A Tech Products and Services Limited, of Petit Cafe, Moruga where she was employed.

The magistrate asked Gosine-Ramdass to sit as she continued reading charge after charge, all of which were laid indictably.

They stemmed from several months of investigations led by Fraud Squad Head Snr Supt Totaram Dookhie and included ASP Kent Ghisiyawan and Sgt Cornelius Samuel. Attorney Hubert Charles and Shirvani Ramkissoon represented the woman.

Her husband, who appeared in the Port of Spain Magistrates Court on Tuesday charged with illegal possession of eight macaws, was present yesterday for his wife’s court appearance.

Misir-Gosine took a break at about 3.30 pm, then resumed the reading of the charges, 137 of which were laid under the Proceeds of Crime Act for alleged money laundering.

Another 150 were for alleged falsification of documents in which, on various dates between 2013 and 2014, Gosine-Ramdass, at Petit Cafe, Moruga, allegedly falsified documents in which various sums of money were deposited into an account at a commercial bank.

Court clerks had to remain beyond their 4 pm shift to book all 440 charges and clerks walked in and out the court while the magistrate read the charges, to take away and return with charge sheets. At 7.30 pm, Misir-Gosine had read 434 charges.

Charles and Ramkissoon were expected to plead for bail to be granted to the woman.

According to reports, Dyke Skeete of Bangladesh, St Joseph was in a fight with a woman shortly after 7 am yesterday. The woman was allegedly beaten.

Police were told the beating was witnessed by the woman’s male relative who shot Skeete several times.

The wounded man was taken to the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex by neighbours and the area near Farm Road, St Joseph was cordoned by members of the St Joseph Police Station. Skeete’s condition yesterday was described as stable and a search was carried out for the suspect who remained in hiding up until yesterday.

Duke told the media during a press conference yesterday at Scarborough Fishing Depot, that his plans were not for fame but for equality for Tobago. “By whatever means is necessary, we will take that means and commence by swimming,” Duke said. “We will be doing that understanding the perils out at sea, understanding that the water is mixed and the currents are heavy.

“Understanding there are dangerous fish out there but we are doing it with all the safety precautions like we would have the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard, rescue team, a doctor and a nurse on a vessel alongside the swimmers.

We are doing this for Tobago.” When asked his about those who called his idea absurd, Duke responded, “Silence. Actions speak louder than words.

“There is a time to talk and there is a time for action, our actions will speak. The time for talking is long gone.

“If nothing else matters we are going to the ultimate. Like Christ going to the cross, we will put our life and take the strain and every stroke we make and water we swallow out there it is done with Tobagonians in mind.” Duke will start the 246 km swimming protest with assistance from other members of the THA Opposition and fishermen from the All Tobago Fisherfolk Association (ATFA). Duke said the event would be historic and would give Tobagonians the courage to speak up. He added it would also become a catalyst for affected stakeholders to demand fair treatment from Central Government.

Duke slammed Prime Minister Keith Rowley’s recent efforts to address the current air and sea bridge issue. He said, “We want him to have a real meeting to have a conversation with Tobagonians.

He has been having conversations with people in North, South Trinidad but he hasn’t had any in Tobago.

The only meetings he held in Tobago was closed door.” Last month, Duke along with members of the public and minority opposition marched 25 kilometres from Argyle to Scarborough for seven hours demanding an end to nepotism and equity in the Tobago House of Assembly.

He then recalled times where the Opposition attempted to warn the THA and the Government about issues with the recently procured Cabo Star and Ocean flower 2.

“We have tried every single thing to raise this issue with the sea bridge on the national agenda,” Duke said. “We have tried but unsuccessfully.

We have gotten a lot of talk and no action.

“What we need is for this issue to be placed on the national agenda and keep it there until something happens. What affects Tobago should affect Trinidad and Tobago.” Opposition member and representative for Parlatuvier/Lanse Fourmi/ Speyside constituency Farley Augustine said the effort would show that Tobagonians wanted to play a significant role in the decision making for the next procurement process.

Attorney Ian Brooks stood in for Keston Pope who is not in the country.

Brooks conducted a rigorous cross-examination of witnesses Sergeant Cornelius Samuel and Constables Collin Furlong and Kareem Martin.

Following the cross-examination, Earle-Caddle, after carefully examining statements and points raised by the defence, ruled that there was sufficient evidence for the trio to stand trial for David’s murder at the Port of Spain High Court.

Asked if they would be providing evidence or witnesses in their matter, the trio chose to remain silent and refused to call witnesses to their defence.

Earle-Caddle also reminded the accused that if they claimed to be elsewhere at the time of the murder they should either file the names of the persons with whom they claimed to be and the address for which these persons can be found. Malik, Hernandez and Johnson are currently awaiting a date for their trial at the High Court, following the submission of the file by Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Roger Gaspard.

The trio was arrested for the murder of David in December 2013 after his decomposing body was found in a shallow grave in Maracas.

A release from the PATT said it noted recent media reports that she had been suspended.

“The Port Authority wishes to place on record that Ms Lewis has not been suspended and continues to hold her position as General Manager/Chief Executive Officer at the Port Authority.” The PATT said it viewed the statements as irresponsible and reckless as no verification of Lewis’ status as an employee was sought from the PATT.

The PATT called on members of the media to apologise to Lewis and to formally retract the untrue statements.