People have been calling me to complain about the treatment they are receiving from some employees.

I sent someone to a NIB office to submit a retirement benefit claim. She was told by a disgruntled employee that she did not have any money to get. She has 400 contributions so is entitled to a retirement grant.

Her claim was late so she provided a letter explaining that she thought she had to have 750 contributions to submit her claim.

They refused the claim. I advised her to take it back to the office and submit again.

I sent another person to submit a survivors benefit claim. She was told she cannot make a claim, even though she received a funeral grant. She is over 60 years old.

Someone complained to me about a sickness benefit claim that was not honoured. This person suffered three strokes in two years, so the claim was late.

Instead of advising him what to do, he was told he cannot make a claim for sickness benefit.

What is really going on at NIB? These people have contributed to the system. Some of these seniors decided not to submit their retirement claims because of the treatment they are receiving from some employees. They are frustrated and fed up.

These new employees have to learn to empathise and be sensitive to claimants’ needs.

I hope the executive director looks into these complaints and the behaviour of these employees, and have them trained in public relations.

They cannot be disrespectful and insensitive to the public.

They must show respect and be courteous and also provide accurate information. Make them do their jobs professionally and to the best of their ability. You need to fix this, Madam ED.

MODICIA MARTIN via email

Deyalsingh told yesterday’s press conference held at the Ministry of Health head office, Port of Spain, that Cabinet has agreed to create an additional 75 medical intern positions.

He said graduates who have already applied need not reapply.

Meanwhile, Registrar of the Insect Vector Control Division, Dr Naresh Nandram has reported a reduction in the incidence of Aedes Aegypti mosquito- borne diseases, dengue, chikungunya and zika over the sixmonth period from January to June 2017 compared with January to June 2016.

The incidence of dengue from January to June 2017 was 274 compared with 461 for the same period last year, or a 40.6 per cent reduction.

The incidence of chikungunya for January to June 2017 was six compared with 40 over the same period in 2016, a 90 per cent reduction.

The incidence of zika in 2017 from January to June 2017 was 40 compared with 128 in 2016. This was a 68.8 per cent reduction.

This democratic and participatory movement only serves to bring the people of Venezuela closer.” Describing this position as continued solidarity for the Venezuelan people and Venezuela’s “democratically elected President Nicolás Maduro,” JTUM condemned the United States for continuing, “to align itself with the violent and extremist sectors of Venezuela who continually use violence against the very people they claim to want to serve.” Saying it will not be moved by what appears to be a threat to Venezuela’s sovereignty, JTUM declared.

“We will not lose heart as we battle on to protect international sovereignty and self-determinat ion for any country in the Americas.” Earlier this week, Venezuelan Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Moncada condemned a statement by US President Donald Trump that, “if the Maduro regime imposes its Constituent Assembly on July 30, the United States will take strong and swift economic sanctions.”

Permission was granted by Justice Ricky Rahim for the courier companies to withdraw their legal challenge and no order was made for costs.

The nature of the resolution was not ventilated in court yesterday.

The matter was expected to go to trial after Rahim granted the six courier companies leave to have the court review the decision of the Government to implement the tax.

Ecouriers Ltd, Websource, Jet Box International, Aeropost, CSF Couriers and Caribbean Shipping Agencies were contending that the minister’s decision to implement the tax, which came into effect on October 20 last year after the national budget, was irrational, wholly unreasonable and disproportionate to any aim of the State and was done without adequate consultation.

They also contended they were not given a fair opportunity to be heard before the imposition of the tax and this was in violation of the principles of procedural fairness.

They were seeking declarations that their rights were violated by the minister when he implemented the tax and that they were unfairly discriminated against.

The fiscal measure was announced by the Finance Minister, Colm Imbert in the 2016-2017 budget statement.

Imbert said then that the new tax would be imposed on purchases that arrived in TT through courier companies or were brought in directly by individuals via air freight. This measure, he said, was expected to raise an additional $70 million revenue.

Representing the courier companies were attorneys Senior Counsel Douglas Mendes, Keith Scotland, Joel Roper, Gideon Mc- Master and Jacqueline Chang, while the Minister of Finance was represented by Senior Counsel Martin Daly and Jason Mootoo.

Representing the AG were Senior Counsel Fyard Hosein and Michael Quamina.

The victim has been identified as Jelani Martin, 24, a father of one was the nephew of Allan ‘Skanny’ Martin who himself was shot dead during the failed Port of Spain Prisons jail break last year. Police described him as killer and big player in the underworld .

According to police reports, at about 4 pm, Martin was outside the home of a relative of a well-known car dealer along Caroni Savannah Road in Chaguanas when he was spotted by members of the Central Operations Unit. Well-placed sources said Martin had gone to the house to collect tax (a form of payment businessmen make to criminals to forego being robbed and kidnapped) .

Reports are that on seeing the police, Martin attempted to jump over a fence but failed. He then turned and fired a shot at officers who returned fire, hitting him. Martin was rushed to the Chaguanas Health Centre where he was pronounced dead on arrival. Police had to caution friends and relative who gathered outside the Health Centre, when they shouted threats and accused police of killing an innocent man .

Additional police officers and soldiers lined the street outside the Health Centre to ensure law an order .

Police said Martin was originally from Diego Martin but moved to Crown Trace in Enterprise .

There will be a full slate of Round Seven matches on the day’s agenda, with Guaya, the only team with a 100-percent record thus far, will be making the lengthy trek to the Hasely Crawford Stadium’s Training Field to battle Queen’s Park from 4 pm.

Also at 4 pm, second-placed FC Santa Rosa will face off against Defence Force at the Arima Velodrome, Club Sando Moruga will entertain the University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT) at the Grand Chemin Recreation Ground in Moruga while Police will host Cunupia FC at the St James Barracks.

1976 Phoenix FC and Bethel United will both be making the inter-island treks today – Phoenix will square off against WASA FC at the WASA Ground, St Joseph from 4.30 pm while Bethel will meet Siparia Spurs at the Palo Seco Recreation Ground from 6 pm.

There will be a trio of matches in League Two today.

Leaders Central 500 Spartans will oppose Youth Stars from 7 pm at the Edinburgh 500 Recreation Ground, Chaguanas.

The other two games will begin at 4 pm, with second-placed Prisons FC hosting Harlem Strikers at the Youth Training Centre (YTC) Ground, Arouca while Perseverance Ball Runners will entertain Petit Valley/ Diego Martin United at the New Settlement Recreation Ground, Caroni.

He should propose to the Elections and Boundaries Commission that this constituency be divided into Port of Spain East and Port of Spain West.

The by-election will be a good test of the popularity of the People’s National Movement, the United National Congress and any other party that enters the race.

This could be a good indication for the way forward to Vision 2030.

LANCELOT MC DONALD St James, PoS

In an interview with Newsday yesterday, Daly says there were several legal authorities on the “open court principle” which dictates that the law belonged to the people and access to the legal system was a basic right and a public good.

“The open court principle is a key component to the rule of law,” Daly emphasised.

The open court principle, in practice, means that court proceedings, including evidence and documents disclosed, should be open to public scrutiny and was important for informing and educating the public while enhancing accountability and deterring misconduct.

Daly noted the court action filed by Ayers-Caesar on Wednesday last was a public law matter and “closed justice” should only be allowed in extreme circumstances.

According to Daly, what was disturbing was if there was to a be a monetary settlement between the parties, who would pay? “You can’t keep it secret and settle with public funds. It is not a private libel case,” he said. Newsday understands that attorneys for Ayers-Caesar have requested of the Registrar of the Supreme Court the procedure for the sealing of a case filed and on whose instructions was this done in the application filed by the former Chief Magistrate.

Ayers-Caesar has filed a judicial review application seeking to have the courts review the decision of the JLSC and the President to revoke her appointment as a High Court judge two weeks after she was appointed on April 13.

However, all the documents in the case – which has been assigned to Justice David Harris and has been given a case number CV 2017-02628 – have been sealed although it is not clear who ordered this.

It was also revealed that if discussions on a possible settlement – which is ongoing between the parties – fail, moves will be made to have the hearing of the application be done in private.

No date has been set for a first hearing.

Sources have said Ayers-Caesar’s lawsuit had three affidavits attached – one from Ayers-Caesar, her husband and friend Magistrate Cheron Raphael. Ayers-Caesar’s husband and Raphael were present at her swearing-in ceremony at the Office of the President in April.

A pre-action protocol letter dated June 16, 2017, points to certain pieces of evidence on which the former Chief Magistrate’s case will be hinged – among them private email exchanges between the Chief Justice and the Chief Magistrate.

Ayers-Caesar is asking for a review of the JLSC’s decision to seek her resignation by means of “unlawful pressure.” She said she was pressured to resign by Archie and had she failed to do so, she was told he would recommend that her appointment be revoked.

Ayers-Caesar is represented by Senior Counsel Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj.

After the suspect beat teenager Sancaro he then drove at highspeed towards him running him over. The attacker is reported to have stopped the van and reversed, running over the teen’s body a second time to make sure he was dead. He then drove off. The teen was taken to the San Fernando General Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

According to reports, Sancaro and two friends were returning home from a bazaar in Otaheite and while walking along the Southern Main Road in Dow Village, South Oropouche, last week Sunday when they spotted the man beating a woman with a cutlass near a bar. The three intervened telling the man to stop beating the woman.

The man became enraged and turned on the three with his cutlass causing them to run off. Realising he could not catch them , the man then jumped into his Ford Ranger pickup and sped towards the fleeing men. On reaching a car wash, the suspect knocked down Sancaro from behind and then drove over him as he lay bleeding on the roadway. Sancaro was cremated on Wednesday following a service at Guides Crematorium in San Fernando.

Turning to the situation in Venezuela, Charles claimed TT’s foreign policy here “lacks focus and direction and is based on short term considerations.” He alleged that were there a change in government then, “our cross border energy agreements may be at risk.” Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister Stuart Young has refuted this allegation made by Charles and other Opposition MPs. Charles claimed that Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley’s recent criticisms of the Organisation of the American States (OAS) Secretary General has caused Venezuelan opposition forces to see TT as “being too close to Maduro.”