The Trinidad and Tobago Man-ufacturers Association (TTMA) and members of the Shipping Association of TT may soon hold talks to thrash out differences arising from an increase in shipping charges. A spokesperson from the TTMA yesterday noted that prior to a release being issued from the Association, the Shipping Associ-ation had asked for a meeting. In the release, the TTMA condemned what it called the imposition of arbitrary charges on all shipments, whether imported or for export, which it maintained would result in significant price increases to consumers.
In the last several months, the Association stated, there has been an “unprecedented” increase in the imposition of new charges. These charges include a local administrative charge, bunker surcharges, terminal handling charge and a general rate increase. The TTMA argued that the imposition of this charge amounted to “anti-competitive conduct” and “offends the spirit and intent of the Chaguaramas Treaty, Protocol 8.” “We are further advised that the unilateral fixing of prices would also offend the proposed Fair Trading Legislation which would make it unlawful to make or carry out an anti-competitive horizontal agreement, which restricts, distorts or prevents competition and has the objective or effect of monopolising the market,” it stated.
Concern was also voiced by the Downtown Owners and Merchants Association (DOMA), which it is said, has received numerous complaints over the past 12 months from its members, exporters, importers, customs brokers and customs clerks. A release from DOMA said that the Association had sought and was promised a meeting with the Shipping Association to address its concerns. “With regret we were unable to have this meeting despite our several requests,” the release stated. “Our Association is deeply concerned that the current situation may actually become worse,” it went on to state, adding that by agreeing among themselves on the type and quantum of charges to apply, the Shipping body is actually using its Association to engage in “price-fixing” and therefore beginning to assume the role of a cartel
A decision by the Business Development Company to restructure its mandate has been cited as the main reason behind the retrenchment of 28 employees from its three branches.
Addressing a media conference yesterday at the BDC head office on Charlotte Street, President Earl Baccus revealed that persons who were retrenched earlier this week did not meet the criteria to support a strategic plan adopted by the company earlier this year. He disclosed that when the Small Business Development Company (SBDC) was transformed into the BDC on August 23, 2002, it did not recruit any new personnel. The focus of the SBDC, he explained, was to provide support to individuals wanting to get into business, so the focus was on providing financial support to these individuals who may have had the necessary skills, but not sufficient collateral. This aspect of the SBDC was very successful, he went on, benefitting more than 5000 entrepreneurs at a value of $125 million in loan guarantees. This was equivalent to $260 million in loans from financial institutions, he said.
Last year, he stated, Government allowed the National Entrepreneu-rial Development Company Limited (NEDCO) to take up the mandate of the SBDC and refocused the newly established BDC into growing and providing necessary export development financial and technical support to existing businesses. “If we were able to complete this transformation earlier then we would have been able to generate more jobs and created a greater impact on the economy.” At a strategic planning workshop held earlier this year, he maintained, the company adopted a draft strategic plan which focused the company on four main areas, namely trade assistance, business restructuring in the face of globalisation, project management and consultancy services.
This plan incorporated the views of staff members as well as those of management to come up with an organisational structure for the company, he said. A decision was eventually taken to adopt the recommendation. He also said the new mandate focused on 13 major industry sectors where the country either had a comparative advantage or whose development was strategic to economic growth and diversification. These sectors include food and beverage, information technology, textile and garments, tourism, intellectual property and financial services. “You needed a new, different set of people for this,” he maintained. “You needed people who came from the private sector or who understood it – a different cadre of professionals to go in there and re-orient the thinking of businesses away from the traditional way of doing things and help them contribute to the economy.” “The new mandate,” Baccus went on, “was interpreted by our staff through the strategic planning process they participated in and the evolution of new structure came from them. It was total participation.” Baccus noted that the company was now searching for pro-active individuals who were versed in the various sectors now on the company’s mandate, who were customer-focused, market-oriented and who possessed a certain level of professionalism.
WHEN Frankie Gokool saw a male relative chasing his son with a piece of wood Thursday morning, Gokool intervened to save his son. During a scuffle, Gokool slumped to the ground and died. The scuffle occurred after six goats belonging to Gokool’s son, started eating the leaves of some ochro plants in the relative’s garden.
And while an autopsy carried out yesterday at the Forensic Science Centre, concluded that Gokool, 57, died of a massive heart attack, his grieving daughter Marilyn told Newsday that she never knew her father to suffer from any major ailments especially with his heart. “I want justice for my father’s death,” Marilyn cried, as she spoke to Newsday, at the family’s Manicou Trace, Tableland home. She is the only daughter of Gokool and will be graduating as a police officer in a week’s time. The 31-year-old relative and Gokool’s son, Marlon, have both given police statements about the incident after being detained. They were both subsequently released. During the altercation, the relative sustained wounds to his head and hands and had to seek treatment at the San Fernando General Hospital.
Gokool’s uncle, Roodal Ramnath, 63, revealed that two hours before the incident, he had spoken to Marlon and the relative about the dispute they had over Marlon’s goat grazing near the relative’s pumpkin and ochro garden. Every week, Ramnath added, the relative would quarrel with Marlon about the goats feeding on his (the relative’s) crops. Ramnath, however, claimed Marlon did not pay any attention to the relative. ASP Nathaniel visited the scene and is spearheading investigations.
PROCEEDINGS at the San Fernando Magistrates’ Courts went at a snail’s pace yesterday, after Remand prisoners were kept at the nearby San Fernando Police Station instead of the prisoners’ holding cells at the basement of the courthouse.
The prisoners were transported to the courtrooms in batches of five. Up to 10.50 am, not more than two prisoners were in the holding cells of First and Second Courts at any time. For the earlier part of the morning, prisoners were brought before the First Court magistrate still handcuffed, which was not the norm. By 11.15 am, only ten prisoners had appeared in the First Court before acting Deputy Chief Magistrate Mark Wellington. In the second court, by 11 am, only eight prisoners had appeared. Both Magistrates Sonia Aleong and Wellington, who preside over the Second and First Courts respectively, left their courts at various intervals to return, since the matters of only two prisoners were dealt with.
Around 11.18 am, Head of Southern Division, Snr Supt Division Desmond Lambert, visited the courthouse and met with acting Deputy Chief Magistrate Mark Wellington in the Magistrates’ chambers. Lambert later admitted to Newsday that the meeting was in relation to the alterations made in bringing prisoners to court. When further asked for a comment on the change, Lambert replied, “it is a trial basis.” He promised to make further disclosures on the issue on Monday. Some officials at the court speculated that the move was done for security reasons since in recent times there have been fights among inmates, an attempted escape by a remand prisoner and even a mini-riot at the holding cells, with prisoners locking themselves in the cells. One official said the change was only discussed on Thursday and this may have been because of the poor conditions in the cell blocks.
ARMED with sharp cutlasses and firearms members of the North Eastern Division yesterday flew into the hills of Mon Repos, Morvant, and destroyed more than $500,000 worth of marijuana trees.
The officers, including members of the Organised Crime and Narcotic Unit (OCNU), also seized empty 12-gauge cartridge casings, trapguns, hatchets, forks and pickaxes. No arrests were made, however. The near five-hour eradication exercise was led by acting Sr Supt Waldron Bishop, and included Insp Ancil Coa, Sgts Brassey and Hazarie, Cpls Kitson and Ramjit, WPCs Rachel Rigsby and Susan Wilkinson, PC Marlon Marsleir and others. It was around 10.45am that the national helicopter flew into the Morvant Recreation Ground then made several trips to take the 30 officers, who came from the Task Force, Criminal Investigations Department and other departments within the division to the forested area. When the officers got there, they were amazed at the amount of marijuana trees neatly planted among other ordinary trees. “They are now planting marijuana trees among other trees,” Bishop said after the trek. The officers then destroyed 110,000 fully grown marijuana trees and Bishop described the eradication exercise as a success and said similar exercises will be continuing. Before the officers left on the exercise, OCNU officers took about ten minutes to caution them about safety during the exercise. This warning took place under the pavilion at the Morvant Recreation Ground. All the officers took heed and returned safely from their long journey which ended just before 5pm yesterday.
CHARGES are expected to be laid in connection with Wednesday’s multi- million dollar narcotics seizure at the Piarco International Airport, police sources told Newsday yesterday.
Several workers of the Piarco Air Services and other people continued to be questioned by members of the Organised Crime and Narcotic Unit (OCNU) up to late yesterday evening. The 56 kilogrammes of cocaine was found Wednesday morning in mail bags during a random search by members of the OCNU and Customs Interdiction Unit. According to police, some of the cocaine, which carries a street value of $10,080,000, was in envelopes, while some was in parcels wrapped with tape. They were then placed in mail bags and at the time of the discovery, police said they were already packed on trolleys to be loaded on various planes destined for the United Kingdom and the United States. However, a release yesterday from the Trinidad and Tobago Postal Corporation (TTPOST) said that the multi-million dollar cocaine originated in Holland.
The Colonial Life Company (CLICO), has joined in the fight against the escalating crime situation in the country.
Their efforts will include the international resources of a world-renowned crime fighting team. Clico chairman, Lawrence Duprey announced yesterday, that they plan to utilise the strategies of former Mayor of New York, Rudolph Giuliani, and former Commissioner of Police for New York City, Bernard Kerik, both of whom are well known internationally for their strategies in tackling crime. Giuliani, who was the Mayor of New York in 1994, had great influence in reducing the murder rate by some 57 percent. Former police commissioner, Kerik was known as a fearless narcotics investigator and undercover detective. He reduced inmate violence by 93 percent. Their combined strategies saw new York City transformed from one of the most dangerous cities in the US, to one of America’s safest with overall crime reduced by more than half. Corruption in the police force and lack of accountability were also successfully tackled through the implementation of a technological application known as Compstat. No date was given for the arrival of both men, as the Clico executive made it clear there were security risks involved in the arrival of the crime fighting team in Trinidad. The only information given was that they would both arrive some time next month. Giuliani ’s stay would be for just one day, while Keri would stay for two. None of the Clico executives would divulge information as to the cost of bringing in two of the world’s best crime fighting forces. According to the Clico chairman, “We would spend any amount of money to calm the situation to get a serious decrease in the crime situation.”
Asked whether arrangements were made for former Mayor Giuliani and former New York Police Commissioner Kerik to meet with National Security Minister Howard Chin Lee, Duprey said Minister Chin Lee has been invited to attend their meeting. But Duprey lamented that the education system in the country needed to be given more attention, saying crime was the end result of a poor education system. “It’s factors such as these that are keeping back our country from growing,” Duprey said. The crime situation has affected the country so badly, Duprey said, investors are now afraid of making major investments. “Crime brings about a level of uncertainty that inhibits investors from taking risks, and therefore if you don’t take risks, you cannot help the investments to develop the economy at the levels of which the assets allow us to grow them.” Prompted as to whether he feared for his safety, Duprey responded, “Yes I do. I do not go out as much as I used to.” In closing, Duprey called on Prime Minister Patrick Manning to make significant allocations to transform the education system in the country. Only when this is done, he said can positive changes be made in the escalating crime situation.
STATE ATTORNEY Dr Lloyd Barnett yesterday admitted that it was possible for the value of land to be affected by the public notice of compulsory acquisition. However, he noted that there was nothing to suggest this was the case with the beach front property being occupied by Club Pigeon Point (CPP) in Tobago.
Dr Barnett further explained that under the Land Acquisition Act, the owners would be compensated for loss of business in addition to payment for the land. In his submissions before Justice Mira Dean-Amorer in the Port-of-Spain Third Civil Court, where the substantial matter of the State’s attempt to acquire lands at Pigeon Point, Tobago, is being heard, Dr Barnett explained that the “mere” announcement of the State’s intention was not a foundation for a claim to be made. He added, “the threat in itself is not a factor in the matter.” Following submissions by Dr Barnett and CPP’s attorney Dr Fenton Ramsahoye QC, Justice Dean-Amorer explained that she would be reserving judgment in the matter. Dr Barnett, together with Karen Fournillier, Terrance Thorne and John Jeremie, instructed by Rohana Hosein are representing the State in the matter, while Dr Ramsahoye, Rikki Harnanan and Adrian Byrne appeared for Robinson Crusoe Limited, operators of Club Pigeon Point, a subsidiary of ANSA Mcal.
Dr Barnett explained that the State did not infringe on the fundamental rights of CPP by simply “threatening” to take action and noted that a breach of natural law did not exist based on this action. In response, CPP’s attorney Dr Ramsahoye explained that there is a clear threat to take the land from CPP. He said it was not just an announcement, but a notice of intent by the State to acquire the land and explained that this action is a breach of natural justice, since the step was taken without due process. He noted that it was CPP who would be in grave difficulty if the State decided to publish its intention under Section 5. He noted that the situation is “not a problem for the State, but it is a problem for CPP.” He said that CPP is not saying that compensation was not enough, but explained that what they are challenging is the illegality of the entire procedure. However, Dr Barnett explained that CPP had extensive opportunities to be heard. He further explained that even after the announcement of intent, CPP used further opportunities to make representation and may still do so before or after any notice or order by the President is made.
He also stated that there is no basis for a prediction or an apprehension that the prescribed procedure of the Land Acquisition Act will not be followed in this case. He went on to state that an announcement of the likelihood of the statutory process being invoked, is not equivalent to an indication that this would occur without due process, so that the “mere” announcement could not create a course of action in constitutional law. Dr Barnett explained that there is no basis for the allegation of “bad faith” and noted that efforts were made to arrive at an amicable settlement. He stated that the THA’s Chief Secretary Orville London had realised that there were differences between what had been set out in the memorandum of understanding proposed by CPP, which did not reflect the consensus he thought was being arrived at, and which conflicted with many important points taken by the THA on matters of public interest. The Judge subsequently informed both parties she would try to deliver judgment by October 23.
As of 5 am yesterday, the runway at Piarco International Airport was given the all-clear and declared safe for operations.
On Thursday afternoon the Airports Authority of Trinidad and Tobago (AATT) was forced to close the runway due to debris scattered on it. As a result, flights were postponed leaving passengers stranded at the airport for a few hours. The AATT, in a statement, said all the necessary repairs were made during Thursday night. They also carried out a thorough examination of the runway to ensure there is no risk to passengers or aircraft. Gail Corby, acting communication officer for BWIA, said compensation was not given to passengers because the delay was very short. She added that the airline’s flights have been running smoothly since then. “All our flights are running on time, there have been no additional delays and those that were delayed Thursday left later that night,” said Corby.
Revealing that the Ministry of Education would soon be presented with a draft environmental education policy document, which when approved will be used as the blue-print for responding to environment issues in the education system, Education Minister Hazel Manning stated this will empower students to take action, and not stop at the point of identifying the problem.
Manning made the disclosure as she addressed persons at the launch of the National Youth Forum on Health, Safety and the Environment (SHE) hosted by the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham), at the Crowne Plaza Hotel yesterday. AmCham President David Chaney said the launch was the culmination of an outreach programme undertaken by AmCham’s Safety, Health and Environmental Committee between November 2002 and February 2003. The project which was conducted in ten sessions (nine in Trinidad and one in Tobago), accommodated 1,116 students and 76 teachers from 54 secondary schools throughout TT. Chaney added that the project had resulted following the recognition that a gap existed between indigenous SHE issues and related technical information, especially for secondary school students in the advanced level programme.
The project which cost approximately TT $46,000 was sponsored by AmCham member companies, and earned a special achievement award in the Environmental Literacy Category of the Tidy TT Competition. Sessions included topics such as the Eco-Systems of TT; Waste Management Issues in TT; and the Current and Potential Impact of Improper Waste Management on the Eco-Systems. Stating that the “curriculum places emphasis on the importance on critical thinking and protecting our fragile environment in a sustainable manner,” Manning praised the national awareness and desire to protect the environment. However, she cautioned that unless this led “to a change in attitude and action, we will be operating at the level of a talk shop.”
