Dillon, a former TTDF Chief of Staff, said there is a heightened maritime domain presence by the Coast Guard with aerial support from the TT Air Guard.

In addition, he continued, the TTDF uses a broad range of intelligence mechanisms such as the National Coastal Surveillance Radar System which enhances the TTDF’s situational awareness.

Dillon cited ongoing alliances with local, regional and international security partners, togethet with joint land based patrols with the Police Service, have also increased the number of interdictions by the TTDF. Earlier in the sitting, Dillon indicated that a total of 1,793 persons were deported from the United States to TT over the last decade.

The highest number of deportees sent to TT in this period was 325 in 2008 while the lowest number as 77 in 2015.

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The exhibition will be at Chuck E Cheese, Chaguanas from 8.30 am to 11 am. To register call 299-6160 or 280-8740 or email brendon.butts@ gmail.com.

NP said the March 15 meeting was also part of its “ongoing strategy to enhance the relationship between the two parties”.

NP added that its Chairman, Sahid Hosein, “reiterated that although NP and its Dealer network shared a symbiotic relationship, the dealers also needed to be cognizant of their roles in ensuring the success of their businesses and more importantly, their responsibilities to provide excellent customer service, and to follow the procedures which are meant to safeguard both them and their customers.”

Tewarie wanted to know exactly who will have oversight of the plea bargaining process, even as he noted that many inducements are listed from the very start of the Bill. “Who is to manage this and ensure that these inducements are not a part of the process?” he asked.

“I am concerned how the system will be managed and monitored.” He suggested that the prosecuting attorney may have too much power in the plea bargaining process, such as not being obliged to disclose to the accused all the evidence, witnesses or the identity of the accuser.

“It puts leverage in the prosecutor’s hands,” Tewarie argued, saying the procedure lacked equity.

Tewarie was worried that the proposed plea bargaining is an “extremely complicated” process that is about to be introduced into a dysfunctional justice system. Although saying the intention behind the bill is good, he again lamented its insertion into a dysfunctional system, saying, “This is madness”.

In a minor tiff with Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi – whom he told not to talk down to him just because he (Tewarie) has no law degree – Tewarie said that logic (and not a law degree) dictates that you can’t reform a dysfunctional system.

Recalling overseas cases where plea-bargaining had gone terribly wrong, he said, “I want to urge caution”.

Minister in the Ministry of Education, Dr Lovell Francis, chided Tewarie’s critique of the justice system as “cynical and sarcastic” towards TT, and questioned whether Tewarie was truly a patriot.

Earlier Oropouche East MP Dr Roodal Moonilal also queried plea bargaining by noting that while this procedure had been used to convict in record time those American citizens involved in the Piarco Airport scandal, it had also seen them let out from jail in record time.

He suggested that the bill not allow plea bargaining to be accessed by persons accused of major white collar crimes or murder.

“What’s the protection so a cold-blooded killer won’t enter a deal? We could limit what could be negotiated.” Moonilal also queried provisions for allowing the relatives and friends of an accused person to also be covered in a plea bargain deal. He asked how does one define “family” and “friends”? He added, “Why give this incentive to co-conspirators?”.

Debate on this bill continues next Wednesday at 1.30 pm, plus the Marriage (Amendment) Bill and Fire Services (Amendment) Bill.

Our own existence finds true meaning when we elevate lives by showing how to live a life of purposeful expression.

The pastoral letters of Roman Catholic Archbishop Joseph Harris tells us to look again at our demands for the trappings of wealth. When our brother and sister struggle for the basic requirements of life, in his most loving letter he then reminds us to listen to the cry of the Earth, scarred by fire, dried up by land grabbing and stifled by concrete.

Let us not be satisfied to clean the beaches occasionally, let us appreciate a blessed land, sea and air, bequeathed to us to be handed to our children.

In all truth, we have created a very corrupt, deviant culture and the rot of our indiscipline has become unbearable.

The violent youth of today is the product of yesterday. Our Carnival mentality to everything will only foster further mayhem.

The decline must stop here.

We must change course and be remembered as the true authors of our destiny. This must be the era in which Trinidadians rose to the challenges and made a positive impact in our country’s history. Good stewardship will always be remembered and lead to prosperity and peace for all.

Colin Fortune Arima

Oswald Gallion Arima

Poten and Partners was retained through the Central Tenders Board. In late August 2015, the company completed the Natural Gas Master Plan after consultation with a wide range of stakeholders. The entire process took nine months. The incoming PNM administration has been reviewing it for the last 21 months.

Regarding the plan, Stuart Young, Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister, is reported as saying in Wednesday’s Newsday, “The Gas Master Plan which stalled under the PP is being worked on and will be laid in Parliament this month.” How could it have stalled when the final version was submitted to the Ministry of Energy in August 2015? Once again Young is playing politics with the energy sector.

What he conveniently does not say is that he and his Government have had it for 21 months (almost two years) and have been “reviewing” it for that extended period of time. It therefore comes as no surprise that industry leaders are complaining about a lack of energy policy clarity.

He is further reported in the Express of April 5 as saying that his Government took some time to find the plan. This is absolutely mind-boggling since the 2015 gas plan could have easily been sourced from the permanent secretary or the chief technical officer of the Ministry of Energy.

He is also reported to have said that “one would have thought that they (former government) would have begun to address it.” That too is mind-boggling since the Government changed in a matter of a few weeks after the 2015 final submission.

I have presented these facts to correct what was published on Wednesday. These reports were based on statements by Young. It is important that misinformation about the oil and gas industry be corrected lest it impacts the credibility of the nation in the eyes of international investors.

Kevin Ramnarine via email

How else can one explain the pleasant but totally unexpected surprise of a smattering of asphalt laid across those iron rails, which for years have consistently destroyed our shocks, tyres and suspensions? Now, if only that same government minister would drive over the Beetham Flyover, heading east, he or she would groan at the deep gullies which have been created by the very iron rails laid across the road. The damage done to our vehicles is much worse than that experienced at the Barataria Flyover.

The long suffering drivers and passengers of TT look forward to the total paving of those iron rails on both sides of the Barataria and Beetham Flyovers. Thank you.

Linus F Didier Mt Hope

Finance Minister Colm Imbert recently hinted that he was looking at prioritising the use of foreign exchange (forex). When one considers our relatively small US$ reserves (about US$14.86 billion — US$9.40 billion in official reserves of roughly ten months import cover plus US$5.46 billion in the Heritage and Stabilisation Fund), our high propensity for imported goods and services and collapse of oil and gas prices (loss of 90 per cent of revenues over the last two years), the availability and the purposes for which forex is used become a national concern and the Government ought to intervene in the distribution of forex in the country’s interest.

The alternatives of devaluation and letting the free market determine the exchange rate (free floating the TT dollar) will fuel inflation, increase the cost of living and perhaps send signals of economic instability and further erode waning confidence in the economy. We have some forex buffer, so let’s be prudent in using it.

The problem, however, with letting the Government, rather than the free market, allocate the use of forex or for that matter any scarce commodity, good or service is that there is bound to be dissatisfaction about the priority in the allocation.

For instance, I don’t understand why the minister should give priority to manufacturers. I am not in any way minimising the contribution of the manufacturing sector to our economy, but aren’t manufacturers who export earning their forex? Why, therefore, give them preference? Maybe I am missing something here.

I am raising the matter of the availability of adequate forex in the context of yet another call, this time from the CEO of the Unicomer Group, parent company of Courts, to address not only this issue, but also the availability of properties to expand.

Instead of telling his TT audience what a good corporate citizen Courts is and how its business is a net benefit to our country, he chose to bellyache.

As far as diversification is concerned, there is the vague, vacuous and interminable discussion by some economists and commentators that “we” should diversify our economy.

The economic imperative for TT is diversification; no doubt about that. But who exactly is the “we” that is being referred to? Is the “we” the Government, individual citizens or businesses? Some countries, which we are told we should emulate, such as South Korea, Taiwan and Singapore, were considered poor only a few decades ago, but have economies today that are thriving.

Contrary to popular myth, their success isn’t due to a sophisticated combination of governmental wisdom and economic planning, supplemented by loans and foreign aid from advanced countries.

It’s due to individual self-interest and to government policies that allow people to engage in economic activities for the purpose of bettering their condition.

This is perhaps the fundamental lesson to be learned from countries that have successfully diversified and developed their economies.

In terms of government debt and budget deficit, there is much alarmist talk characterised by disciplinary myopia implying that the debt and deficit are harmful. Of course there are legitimate concerns: the public debt as a percentage of GDP should not rise for a prolonged period and interest payments on the debt remain a small percentage of GDP.

Critics also contend that borrowed funds are being channelled into hand-to-mouth consumption through government salaries, subsidies and transfer payments rather than used to augment the economy’s productive capacity. But one must be cognizant of the fact that fiscal policy is created in the political arena which complicates its use in stabilising the economy.

Government spending is somebody’s income.

Cutting spending means hurting someone, which politicians are hesitant to do, especially if those affected are the politicians’ constituents and supporters.

The deficit could also be cut by raising taxes, but that means less private spending and angry taxpayers — not an easy political solution.

My hope is that commentators be more incisive in their commentaries so that citizens can be more accurately informed and become more interested in the economic issues facing the country.

Bhagiratty Boodhan Avocat

After every murder all we hear is “God is in control, pray.” Another rape and murder, pray, another missing child, pray. Not to worry, God is in control.

Frankly, just for once I wish Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley and National Security Minister Edmund Dillon were in control. Or maybe God is really in control; so pray.

Gordon Dalla Costa via email