Both SWRHA chairman Dr Alexander Sinanan and deputy chairman Valerie Alleyne-Rawlins were responding to a query by San Fernando East MP Randall Mitchell at the SWRHA’s public board meeting at the San Fernando City Hall Auditorium, Harris Promenade, San Fernando on Wednesday last.

Mitchell had asked whether patients from areas in south had to “compete” with non-nationals for bed space and if there was a policy governing free health care at public institutions for foreign nationals.

Sinanan said the SWRHA had begun to “clamp down” on non-nationals seeking health care at those public health centres under its supervision including the health centre at Icacos which is a major entry point for non-nationals from the South American mainland.

“In the current economic climate where we realise that our resources are becoming more and more scarce, we have actually started looking at documenting how many non- nationals are coming here especially since we service the south west region,” Sinanan said.

“Within recent months we have had non- nationals seeking treatment and once they are stabilised they have had to fund their own treatment.” Alleyne-Rawlins was more pointed in her remarks saying government’s policy had to change in keeping with international and regional practices saying CARICOM nations such as Barbados and Jamaica charged a fee for use of their public health institutions.

“The mere idea as nationals we pay a health surcharge and non-nationals pay nothing, we have raised this concern as an issue because not only in the first world countries but right here in the CARICOM countries, next door in Barbados and right up to Jamaica, anyone one of us become ill, we would have to pay for our care,” she said.

“And while we are not denied access, you have to pay a fee and we feel that it is time for government policy that says that non-nationals should pay a fee for service for our health care,” Alleyne-Rawlins said, and called on Mitchell to use his Cabinet status as Housing Minister to “support” the SWRHA in its request for a change in policy.

“We would be happy if you would support us in getting the government to agree to a certain charge for non-nationals to receive health care,” she said.

Meanwhile, Sinanan said his speech which he titled Trimming the Fat – was indicative of the Authority’s desire to “cut down on the wastage of valuable resources while trying to strengthen our primary care services.”

He said intellectual property is not new to this country but it is the one area of the ministry which earns revenue, adding that between 1996 and 2005 it earned about $18 million but this jumped to US$49 million between 2006 and 2015.

Al-Rawi was delivering the feature address at a ceremony on Friday marking the signing of an MOU between the University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT) and the Ministry of the Attorney General and Legal Affairs. He said this country’s cocoa finds itself on British shelves as a much sought after product. He lamented that the country is under-exploiting the area of patents which has been in the single digits with low percentages of local patents being registered as opposed to foreign patents.

Al-Rawi said the MOU achieves the very thing that is missing – the marketing of the country’s intellectual product in a structured way which can redound to the benefit of the country.

He said the country has been talking about diversification but had not made as much progress on it because some might argue that the country has been afflicted with the curse of oil. He said the good news about being in the current economic climate is that it has to focus very sharply on the realities of diversification. Al-Rawi said the work that can be driven out of the exploitation of intellectual property is multi-dimensional.

He said one of his personal ambitions for the ministry’s Intellectual Property Office will be to see it develop into an Intellectual Property Authority which, he said, under a different formula would provide for its expansion as the IPO is well supported by the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO).

He said between 1996 and 2016 it has produced a consistent revenue surplus despite being understaffed and under-sized before the two ministries were joined. He hoped to see the development of the Intellectual Property Office into an Intellectual Property Authority before the end of his term.

Also speaking at the function was Professor Dyer Narinesingh, President of UTT who said the MOU is a step in the right direction but instead of being consigned to a filing cabinet, he said people were needed to make it work. Narinesingh said that for this country to move forward it must stop thinking selfishly and get the private and public sectors as well as educational institutions and community based organisations to come together.

Speaking in the House on March 6, Rowley said the firm was hired at a cost of $14.7 million over a two-year period. According to the October 2016 agreement which outlines the terms of the firm’s engagement, collaboration with the Government to deal with TT citizens recruited as foreign terrorist fighters with the Islamic State terrorist group (ISIS/ISIL); assisting Government’s efforts to diversify the economy and increasing this country’s profile amongst leading figures in the United States Senate and House of Representatives, are some of the initiatives the DC Group will be undertaking on the Government’s behalf. At that time, Rowley said it was necessary to hire this firm because “certain behaviours” of the former People’s Partnership administration, “put TT in a very bad situation with our largest trading partner (US).” Rowley did not say what those behaviours were.

National Security Minister Edmund Dillon and Foreign and Caricom Affairs Minister Dennis Moses will field questions from Caroni East MP Dr Tim Gopeesingh and Naparima MP Rodney Charles on contraband and deportees, respectively.

Before the House sits, the Public Accounts Enterprises Committee (PAEC) will sit from 10 am in a public hearing to examine the audited financial statements of the Estate Business Management Development Corporation (EMBD) for the period 2008 to 2010. Last Friday, the EMBD announced the dismissal of Gary Parmassar as its CEO.

The Senate sits on Tuesday from 1.30 pm at Tower D of the Portof- Spain International Waterfront Centre to debate on the International Financial Organisations (Corporacion Andina de Fomento) Bill, 2017. This bill was passed in the House on March 15.

In a release, the ministry said it continues to increase its efforts to reach out to hurting individuals and at risk families and has been partnering with various agencies that are also lending support to families and individuals who are victims of domestic violence, homicide, suicide, abuse and incest.

Support services are also provided for children with behavioural problems (with parental support), grief and bereavement, family dysfunction, relationship/marital discord, elderly abuse, crisis intervention resulting from natural disasters, and fatal accidents.

The division is staffed by a cadre of highly-skilled and trained professionals, the release said. Family Services offices are located at the ministry’s Social Welfare offices in Couva, Chaguanas, Tunapuna, San Juan, Arima, Princes Town, Rio Claro, San Fernando, Penal and Point Fortin. The National Family Services Division can be reached at 794-7483 or 784-5538.

Psychosocial support is also available at ChildLine on 800- 4321 within the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), and the Children’s Authority on 800 – 2014 or 996 – 2014.

They facilitate a 24-hour help line for children and persons up to 25 years to discuss personal and privates issues with trained counsellors, take part in outreaches, educational and information fairs/events in communities and schools, and serve as the National Student Hotline for the Ministry of Education in collaboration with the Gender Affairs Unit of the OPM.

Counselling and psychosocial support services are also provided by Families in Action on 628-6333. It also manages the National Domestic Violence Hotline, 800- 7283 (SAVE) on a 24-hour basis.

Others include the Rape Crisis Society of Trinidad and Tobago on 627- 7273 (North Office), 657-5355 (South Office), Trinidad and Tobago Innovative Parenting Support on 664-1520, and Lifeline Trinidad and Tobago on 645-2800 or life@lifelinett.

com

Ramnarine said in early 2013 BP’s Vice President Andy Hopwood announced at the TT Energy Conference, in Port of Spain, that the company planned to invest US$6 billion in the next five years. “Similar announcements have also been made by other BP executives since 2013,” he stated.

According to Ramnarine, “BP’s capital expenditure was approximately US$ 5.5 billion.” He said BP’s confidence in this country was driven by the provision of a favourable and stable fiscal regime which was provided from 2011 to 2015, under the PP. “Unfortunately, these fiscal incentives have been roundly criticised by the current Government,” Ramnarine claimed.

While he was happy to learn that the Angelin project has advanced, Ramnarine said this was a project that should have been approved since late 2016. He claimed the delay in this project was related to the non-finalisation of a new contract between BP and NGC (National Gas Company). “The Angelin project is therefore late and this is cause for concern.” He said Government needs to also ensure that, like the BP Juniper platform, the BP Angelin platform is fabricated in La Brea.

“Anything less than this would be a blow to the La Brea community.”

He said this money needs to be spent in order to provide job stimulus and investment and to recover from our recession — one generated from the onshore demand for foreign exchange exceeding its supply.

Further, the minister is considering giving manufacturers priority access to the limited foreign exchange in the market, since they are employing people, generating economic activity and exporting goods made in TT.

The minister claims that two years ago, TT was earning $19 billion a year from petroleum, but now it is earning a mere $2 billion. Hence the Government’s income shortfall is being financed by local and foreign borrowings, sale of assets, the Central Bank’s overdraft, and drawdown from the Heritage and Stabilisation Fund; all of which are not medium to long-term sustainable.

What these can do together with the depletion of our foreign reserves is to take the economic activity slowly downwards towards a position where the income from the energy sector can satisfy the onshore demand for foreign exchange.

If this income remains too low the economy will collapse (low gross domestic product, high unemployment, high inflation) in the medium term — this is the characteristic of the plantation economy we operate where economic activity of the majority of the population depends on the foreign exchange income to the country.

It is a simple fact that our small open economy survives because the energy sector traditionally provided in the order of 90 percent of the foreign exchange that allows the onshore private sector to import the requirements of the population.

When the foreign exchange drops as it has now, it is impossible in the short term to export new products and services, and/or replace any substantial set of imports by local production and, hence, service the demand for imports.

The minister tells us that government spending provides investment that helps recovery from the recession; this is only so if it provides exports or reduces imports in the short term. He asked whether the Government should stop building roads. This last activity does nothing to earn foreign exchange, so it does nothing to alleviate the recession.

The minister also tells us that this spending provides job stimulus.

If these jobs are not producing exports in the short term or replacing imports, then this stimulation does nothing to alleviate the recession.

None of these measures is medium- term sustainable.

The minister is considering implementing a scheme, reminiscent of the Exchange Control, to give manufacturers priority access to the little foreign exchange earned by the country. The manufacturers who call themselves exporters should have on average no need for foreign exchange, since to be termed an exporter one has to be a net earner of foreign exchange. Further, the Export- Import Bank of Trinidad and Tobago helps these exporters as to immediate income on a foreign sale via post shipment financing payable in either local or foreign currency.

The manufacturer that imports to provide products for the local market (possibly simple assembly) contributes directly to the demand for foreign exchange that has to be reduced and provides the same kind of semi- and low-skilled jobs as the larger group that imports, marks up and sells. So giving this priority to our onshore manufacturers seems to make little sense.

I again wish to refer to Dr DeLisle Worrell, the ex-Central Bank Governor of Barbados, who tells us that in small open economies, like TT, during a recession the immediate task is to reduce aggregate demand in the country, since such economies cannot respond with new exports or replace imports by local production.

Hence spending by the Government to maintain employment, economic activity, simply props up aggregate demand and the demand for foreign exchange in a scenario wherein the supply has dropped precipitously.

If the demand remains as before then the system will attempt to correct itself with the local market devaluing the TT dollar and, as one businessman has already told us, business is already budgeting its cost of foreign exchange significantly higher than the official rate with the concomitant product price increases.

Surely, targeted taxation on imported goods and services is more efficient and effective than returning to the days of the exchange control or the present black market.

I wrote another article which stated that the long-term solution is the diversification of the economy to produce for the global market competitive goods and services.

In the medium term we can seek to benefit from our comparative advantages and provide incentives that encourage foreign investment in, say, offshore financial services, back-office operations, data storage, even tourism where our advantage will not be knowledge, highly skilled personnel or innovation, but financial incentives, ie, we would be competing in the world on what incentives we can give.

There was public outcry following the murder of several innocent women: Shannon Banfield, age 22; Siparia mother and daughter Sylvestine Gonzales- Bernard, 87, and Kathy Ann Bernard, 51.

Pensioner Dorothy Hosein, 65, was tied, raped, strangled and dumped in a pond.

Abiela Adams, 15, was thrown in a heap and her throat slit. Jamila de Revenaux, 27, was murdered at MovieTowne, her throat slit. Rachael Ramkissoon, 16, was molested and strangled.

The Offences Against the Person Act, Chapter 11:08, establishes as punishable criminal conduct certain classifications of crime.

Homicide or murder is defined as the premeditated and intentional unlawful killing of a person. The law states that “every person convicted of murder shall suffer death.” To be guilty of murder, a death must have occurred and also must have been the intended result by the person committing the killing.

Unintentional death through the actions of an offender will not be classed as murder but can fall under the classification of manslaughter.

A jury determines the issue of whether an unlawful killing was intentional (murder) or unintentional (manslaughter).

Where manslaughter is determined by jury to be more suited than murder to the circumstances of a victim’s unlawful death, the offender does not suffer death. He/she is liable to a lesser penalty in law: “Any person who is convicted of manslaughter is liable to imprisonment for life or for any term of years, or to pay such a fine as the court shall award.” The offences of conspiring or soliciting to commit murder, attempting to commit murder, and maliciously written/verbal threats to kill or murder are also classed by the law as offences against the human person for which the punishment to the offender must be commensurate with the degree and extent of unlawful harm inflicted on the victim.

A judge hearing a trial directs the jury on the severity or leniency of the punitive sentence to be imposed.

The components of sentencing for unintentional unlawful deaths (manslaughter) must be sufficiently severe to punish the offender’s unlawful action, and to rehabilitate the offender by making him responsible for the consequences of his unlawful action against another human being.

In passing penal sentences, the severity of punishment imposed on the offender should also send a message to his peers and wider society. By the offender’s peer and wider society looking on at his/her fate at the end of a criminal trial, for murder or manslaughter, they all must feel disinclined towards emulating similarly unlawful conduct.

It is the responsibility of the judicial system to ensure that the message of deterrence is fostered by the prosecution of capital offences.

Certainly, 120 murders in 85 days indicate clearly that the environment within TT has no regard for the rule of law, which, when observed by law-abiding citizens, mandatorily prohibits the commission of capital offences.

Deterrence has been replaced by encouragement towards capital offences and a judicial tendency towards immunity of people who have committed capital offences as sentences of death, when passed, are never carried out.

I refer to a recent article in which a prominent judge was quoted as saying, “It is not bullets and stabbings that we should be worried about…” (Guardian, March 25). I disagree entirely with such a position taken by a judicial officer because it is the said bullets and stabbings that he is not concerned about that brings about capital offences and results in homicides.

The average human being will be afraid of bullets and stabbings as a matter of our basic need for self-preservation.

Statements made by judicial officers ought to reflect the desire to uphold the rule of law and the protection of the common man.

The time has come for us to stop turning a blind eye to the failings of our legal and judicial system which, in my view, have encouraged the commission of capital offences.

Retribution, deterrence, and respect for the rule of law are integral in the punishment of capital offences.

Committing a capital offence is commensurate with receiving capital punishment: death in the first degree, life imprisonment or an adequately punitive term of years.

To the authorities, murder is out of control. Innocent blood has been shed. We owe it to the victims to enforce the death penalty.

Marvin Ramnarine is the president of the Rotary Club of Pointe-a-Pierre

This, of course, was a far cry from the two and a half hours which both the T&T Spirit and her sister fast ferry, the T&T Express, were wont to complete this journey.

Of course, the time taken signalled the extent to which the service has deteriorated.

Indeed, the unsatisfactory nature of the service has now reached a point that new Tobago House of Assembly Chief Secretary Kelvin Charles has signalled an intention to invite tenders for two new fast ferries, his stated assumption being that the two catamaran-type vessels have come to the end of their useful life.

However, although not being trained in any aspect of engineering, I fail to accept the conclusion of the Chief Secretary and his advisers, as the physical appearance of both vessels does not support the contention of such a deterioration as to warrant their being sent to the “breaker’s yard”, unless this deterioration applies to their keels and the like. My contention is that the overall deterioration of the service lies more in: * A continuing failure in maintaining properly the Rolls-Royce engines with which the vessels are fitted, notwithstanding their having “passed” their annual statutory overhaul.

* Faulty procedures at the level of the board and administrative management of the Inter- Island Ferry Transportation Company Ltd.

Needless to say, the first item above fits snugly into the known and, unfortunately accepted, culture of this country of not maintaining its buildings and infrastructure, such as, for example, is evident by the still lingering disgrace into which the Magnificent Seven, the Red House, police stations and roads and bridges have fallen and a general abject disregard for the environment.

Purchasing new ferries will not, in itself, solve the problem of the inter-island ferry service as the fate of any new vessels will almost eventually be the same as that which is being experienced with the T&T Express and the T&T Spirit, unless there is a definite change in engineering upkeep and maintenance patterns.

Given the scenario herein set out, the Minister of Finance should reject any request from the THA for purchasing new ferries at this point in time.

Indeed, his only new commitment should perhaps be confined to fitting new engines to the two existing ferries, and this only if required.

At the same time, action should be taken aimed at ensuring that properly trained and committed engineering maintenance staff is in place.

Furthermore, it is clear that the cargo transport facility needs to be rationalised as one understands that the two leased vessels on this service are both now travelling with less than half-loads at best.

Certainly, the solution here could lie in having the cargo service being provided by two relatively smaller but faster cargo ferries which could make the run in four hours, say, and thus serving as back-ups for the normal passenger fast ferry service.

One recalls that when the T&T Express first made its appearance there was so much satisfaction that a decision was taken to purchase a new vessel in the T&T Spirit with specifications which, it was then felt, would have met the dictates of local culture and economy.

Perhaps there is now need for a review of sailing schedules, fare structures, the load and passenger composition etc of the individual vessels in order to correct the now normal characteristic of passenger seats being woefully empty except during periods of holiday travel.

One hears that this phenomenon is related to preference being given to bookings being made via the Internet.

Errol OC Cupid, Trincity Tacarigu

Warner was expected to be called as a witness for cross-examination by attorneys for the HRM and Kublalsingh at the hearing of their constitutional claim filed on August 3, 2012.

At the end of the testimony by former deputy CEO of the National Agricultural Marketing and Development Corporation (NAMDEVCO) Alvin Seereram, Senior Counsel Russell Martineau, co-lead counsel for the Attorney General, said attempts had been made to contact Warner by telephone, email and letter by attorneys for the State, but he had not responded.

As a result, Kublalsingh’s and the HRM’s attorneys will not be able to challenge Warner on the evidence he gave on affidavit. They will now file submissions to advise trial judge Justice James Aboud on how he should treat Warner’s affidavit evidence.

In previous testimony, retired Chief of Defence Staff Major General Kenrick Maharaj testified that it was the minister who directed the army to go to the protest site.

In his evidence yesterday, Seereram denied giving permission to the HRM or Kublalsingh to occupy the land used as their protest camp in Debe.

“It is not true that I gave permission to set up the camp,” he said in response to questions put to him by Kublalsingh and the HRM’s co-lead counsel, Fyard Hosein, SC.

He also testified that NAMDEVCO planned to use the land used by the protesters as part of a packing house on the site. The land was owned by NAMDEVCO, he said.

Seereram also said he spoke with Kublalsingh on the day the camp was set up, April 20, 2012, and told him he would have to vacate the site immediately.

He admitted, however, that NAMDEVCO did not issue formal notices to quit to either Kublalsingh or the HRM members.

Kublalsingh, who testified in January, claimed he and the group had the permission of the “man in charge” of NAMDEVCO to set up the camp.

They are contending that the Government contravened their rights to “life, security, enjoyment of property, to freedom of expression and freedom of association” by building the highway without consulting them properly.

As part of their claim, Kublalsingh and the HRM also contend they had a legitimate expectation that the Government would abide by the findings of a study by a team set up by the Joint Consultative Council for the Construction Industry (JCC) and led by former Independent Senator Dr James Armstrong.

Work on the highway to Point Fortin has stopped and its main contractor, the Brazilian firm Construtora OAS, was fired from the $7 billion project last year. The Government is seeking a new contractor.

In March, Works and Transport Minister Rohan Sinanan said no decision would be made on the Debe to Mon Desir segment of the highway extension without consultation with the HRM.

He made the statement after meeting with Kublalsingh and the HRM. According to the minister, the contentious segment was not a priority due to financial constraints.

McLaren netted a game-high 11 points for Tranquility, who had a slim 9-8 half-time advantage.

Nolan Seaton led the way for Woodbrook with nine points.

Also on Friday, Mucurapo West overcame a gutsy effort from Success Laventille to prevail 20-15.

Glory Boucaud scored 10 points for Mucurapo West while Akeem Branswel notched eight for Success Laventille.