Garcia said on Tuesday that his ministry’s legal department is looking into “whether the actions of teachers who took part in the protest outside the St Madeleine Secondary School on Monday, were calculated to bring the school into disrepute.” In response to Garcia’s statement, Doodhai said Garcia should know better.

“He would have led picket demonstrations and he should know that they are allowed under the law and that is the right of the worker to picket the employer on issues affecting terms and conditions.

But if the minster wants to go down that road, we are standing thoroughly behind the teachers and we will defend them against any possible disciplinary charges.” Doodhai also said, “That is their right to explore their legal options, but I want to point out that the teachers were picketing during their lunch period – 11:35am to 12:35pm. They were not on duty and did not abscond from duty to come and picket. The last time I checked the laws of Trinidad and Tobago, peaceful picketing is allowed and the general council of TTUTA and teachers at the school were engaged in peaceful picketing.” TTUTA officials and approximately ten of the school’s teachers protested outside the school gates on Monday calling for the temporary removal of its Principal Joy Arjoon- Singh pending an investigation into several allegations against her. Garcia’s answer was that the power to remove the Principal was in the hands of the Teaching Service Commission. To this, Doodhai said Garcia was engaging in a game of “semantics” because he had the power to make a recommendation for her removal to the commission through his permanent secretary.

Speaking briefly with Newsday yesterday, Garcia said “I am not going to recommend that someone is removed unless there are grounds for their removal, and that can only come through an investigation.” Asked whether he intends to take legal action against the protesting teachers, Garcia said he had not yet received the report from his legal department.

“Some of the student skirmishes have been captured on camera and remain posted on social media – a dark illustration of the serious challenges facing the school.” Gopeesingh said that for months Garcia would have known of the school’s problems but did nothing to avert Monday’s incident.

“The minister’s indifference to the agitation and upheaval at (the school) is replicated with respect to other institutions of learning where there are similar disciplinary crises. Mr Garcia’s apathy contrasts sharply with the response to schools’ violence of the People’s Partnership administration which had increased the number of professionals in the Student Support Services Division.

“Additional guidance counsellors, social workers, clinical, behavioural and educational psychologists were employed. Many teachers were trained in Alternative Dispute Resolution. Learning Enhancement Centres were established to provide counselling to suspended students. There was collaboration with the Minister of National Security.” Saying the PP government had begun several targeted initiatives, he said under Garcia many of these were dismantled or starved of resources.

“Mr Garcia’s ineptitude on this urgent and crucial issue compounds the sharp decline in the education sector under his leadership.

There has been a reversal in the historic academic achievements in SE A and CAPE and the schools and Early Childhood Care and Education Centres construction programme has been discontinued.

“The most significant improvement was in Physics with 65 percent of the entries achieving grades I to III, the acceptable grades at CSEC. This is a seven percent improvement when compared with performance in 2016 when 57 percent of entries achieved similar grades.” For Biology, there was a four percent improvement with 47 percent of entries achieving Grades I to III compared with 39 percent in 2016. Chemistry saw a three percent improvement with 39 percent of entrants passing compared with 36 percent in 2016.

Further, Information Technology also saw a better performance with 63 percent of entries achieving Grades I to III, compared with 60 percent in 2016. Performance in the programming section of this exam continued to be poor, despite more candidates attempting the related questions.

English B performance remained the same as in 2016 at 57 percent. For English A, there was a decline in performance after five years of continual improvement.

Fifty-six percent of entries achieved Grades I to III this year compared with 62 percent in 2016.

Principles of Business returned the best overall results in the January sitting, with 85 percent of entries achieving acceptable grades, the same as 2016. It was also the subject with the highest percent of Grade Is – some 23 percent.

Performance on Principles of Accounts improved marginally with 42 percent of entries achieving Grades I to III compared with 41 percent in 201

According to a police report, at about 3.15 pm, PCs Thomas and Tikah of the Ste Madeleine Police Station were on a “Hotspot” patrol when they observed a silver Nissan Almera car with two men wanted in connection with a series of recent robberies in Ste Madeleine.

Upon seeing the officers, the report said, the men sped off.

However with the assistance of officers of the San Fernando and Princes Town CID, Task Force and Rapid Response Unit, a chase ensued.

Upon reaching Peterloo Street, Ste Madeleine, an object was thrown out the vehicle used by the suspects.

A search turned up a .38 pistol and two rounds of ammunition.

The vehicle in which the men were travelling was later found abandoned in Mohan Terrace, St John’s Village.

Officers continued their exercise in the district and during a search in some bushes, police once again recovered a nine millimetre pistol and 14 rounds of ammunition.

They believe the firearm belonged to the men.

The exercise was led by ASP Ali Mohammed and included Insps Don Gajadhar, Sgts Ramroop and Ramlogan and PCs Crawford and Rampersad.

Thomas and Tikah were commended by head of Southern Division, Snr Supt Zamsheed Mohammed.

This information is contained in a statement issued yesterday by the Finance Ministry in the wake of figures on Petrotrin’s debt which Finance Minister Colm Imbert outlined in the House of Representatives on Monday and in the Senate on Tuesday.

The ministry explained this statement was issued because Imbert wished to clarify the net amount of taxes and royalties which Petrotrin owes the Government at this time.

The ministry indicated that for the year to date 2017, Petrotrin has confirmed that it owes the Government a total of $2.044 billion in unpaid taxes. These taxes are made up of Petroleum Profits Tax, Supplementary Petroleum Tax, Value Added Tax, Royalties, Production Levy and licenses. The ministry also said Petrotrin has indicated that its computation of the fuel subsidy owed by the Government to the company is $775 million.

The ministry said when the figures of $775 million and $2.044 billion are reconciled, the figure of $1.269 billion is the result. The ministry further stated that this figure of $1.269 billion is separate and apart from the $4.2 billion in losses in the refinery over the period 2011 to 2016 which must now be properly shown in Petrotrin’s books as a “loss” rather than as a “deferred tax asset.” However in a separate statement, former energy minister Kevin Ramnarine claimed the statement Imbert made in the House about Petrotrin is misleading.

According to Ramnarine, Petrotrin’s external auditor, KPMG, signs off annually on the company’s audited accounts, the accounts are laid in Parliament and made public.

“Nothing was hidden,” Ramnarine said.

He noted that prior to 2010, when the People’s Partnership (PP) assumed office, KPMG approved the carry forward of losses stemming from large investments in the refinery upgrades such as the Gasoline Optimization Programme, the World GTL and the Ultra-Low Sulphur Diesel projects.

Senior government officials told Newsday, “He (Collins) was here and he met with a number of key ministers.

He has since left the country.” The officials declined to indicate who were the government ministers or what were the specific areas of discussion that they had with Collins during his brief visit.

Speaking in the House of Representatives on Monday, Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley said he knew Collins, who was one of the signatories on the October 2016 agreement which outlined the American consultancy firm’s engagement as Government’s lobbyist in Washington DC. The prime minister said the decision to hire The Group DC was taken shortly after the People’s National Movement (PNM) assumed office in September 2015.

Rowley added the firm was hired at a cost of $14.7 million over a two-year period.

He dismissed claims from Oropouche East MP Dr Roodal Moonilal that Collins worked for the PNM in the 2015 general elections.

“In choosing a lobbyist, one of the reasons why we chose Art Collins’ group is because we know them and we are satisfied that they can do the job.”

Now I have no problem with the ole mas and the picong. But when a minister who sits on a committee enquiring into the financial expenditure of the Office of the President, of which the purchase of wine has been made an issue, displays such a sign, the echoes of bias will resonate and also conflict of interest.

The tricky thing about actual/ real bias is that the test is not about fairness but rather the perception that one may not be fair.

What has made matters worse is that a copy of the “offensive” photograph has been pasted on the Facebook wall of a known “antagonist” of President Anthony Carmona together with another photograph featuring Minister Rambharat’s wife, the “antagonist” and others. There is also a reverberating hint of insinuation here – birds of a feather… The Public Administration and Appropriations Committee (PAAC) of Parliament is presently looking into expenditure at the Office of the President. The PAAC is chaired by House Speaker Bridgid Annisette-George and its members include Government ministers Maxie Cuffie, Rambharat and Ayanna Webster-Roy; MPs Nicole Olivierre (PNM) and Lackram Bodoe (UNC) and senators Wade Mark (UNC), Dhanayshar Mahabir (Independent) and Daniel Dookie (PNM).

Whichever way you look at it, Rambharath’s J’Ouvert sign was inappropriate and a semblance of irresponsibleness is triumphing.

In the circumstances, Rambharat must do the honourable thing and recuse yourself from the committee. In default, the chair must act.

Dr Robert Williams via email

In Catholic countries, this period developed as one of general festivity in anticipation of the austerities of Lent. In Trinidad, the period is defined in French as Dimanche Gras, Lundi Gras, Mardi Gras (Fat Sunday, Fat Monday, Fat Tuesday).

In my view, the English historian Donald Wood describes Trinidad Carnival most aptly when he states, “The Negro Creoles kept up the allegories and harlequinades of Catholic Europe, but they also brought to Carnival the rhythms and riches of their African traditions.” This process in defined in sociological terms as “creolisation.” Wood also tells us, “There had always been prostitutes out at Carnival time but now (1840s) organised bands of them began to parade ostentatiously through the main streets with obscene speech and gestures. As a sign of disapproval, the Archbishop of Port-of-Spain gave up his custom of driving through the streets to see the festivities; the last sign that Carnival had been almost an unofficial feast of the Roman Church had disappeared.” It is an ongoing injustice and scandal that since the British Conquest, Catholics in Trinidad have had to endure every manner of discrimination, not the least of which is the destruction and misappropriation of their institutions.

First our English ruler succeeded in Anglicising a festival which they had previously tried to suppress with violence, on the grounds that such a French thing had no place in an English colony.

Then came the black nationalists who succeeded in revising the festival in terms of race. Now new modernists are subjecting the festival to further revision, replete with North American accretions.

The signs that Trinidad Carnival has moved away from its roots are quite manifest in the poor quality and historical irrelevance of the music, costuming and the overall flatness of presentations in recent memory.

Having grown up in the Catholic school system, in my own experience it was unthinkable that any Catholic could be so feint from revelry on Carnival Monday and Tuesday that he was unable to fulfil his duty on Ash Wednesday.

Moreover, the notion that non-Catholics would glibly and publicly proceed to redefine a Catholic institution is as repugnant as it is baseless. These non-Catholics can only now hope that no attempt is made to redefine their own institutions by outsiders and newcomers.

All of the above is taking place even as Berlin carnival is being promoted while showing signs of being a remake of Trinidad Carnival.

Switzerland now boasts the hang drum based on years of research on the steel pan and France is now conferring “Emmy” awards for calypso.

Against this scenario Trinidadians, ever so solicitous of foreign approval and recognition, cheer these developments — entirely unaware that the initiative regarding their own unique Creole culture, bequeathed to them by Afro-French slaves, is being seized systematically and collusively by wealthy members of the European Union. It seems that there is more to come.

Steve Escalier via email

No disrespect to Exodus, but it still getting there.

I would like to however ask the management of Renegades to control arranger Devon Stewart’s comments, especially after what he said after this year’s results were announced, placing his arrangement third. He blamed the judges, he said All Stars sounded flat, Despers did not sound good probably because the band played first.

What has made All Stars, Desperadoes, Phase II, Renegades class acts is that whatever the results are they move on and work harder the next year. You never hear Leon “Smooth” Edwards talk, neither Jit Samaroo, Clive Bradley, nor Len “Boogsie” Sharpe.

I don’t want Stewart to be like them because he can’t. But he can learn from them. Renegades is a well respected band giving us great music over the years, as such I urge it to please talk to the arranger and remain respected.

Nigel Grosvenor Diego Martin

When questioned last Friday, TT ’s Minister of Finance Colm Imbert responded that the Central Bank does not direct individual transactions by authorised dealers or specify the sector, institution or individual transactions by which authorised dealers should sell foreign currency.

While this is technically correct, it glosses over the fact that the reason for the Exchange Control Act of TT is to control the flow of foreign exchange in and out of the country. This is especially important now, as Trinidad is seeing a record low in foreign exchange availability.

The minister also failed to address the fact that First Citizens is a State-owned bank, of which the Minister of Finance has oversight.

In fact, section 5(2) of the Exchange Control Act allows for the Central Bank to vary, suspend in whole or in part operations of authorised dealers where the circumstances in the opinion of the Central Bank require suspension of the authorisation.

While it is indeed impractical for the Central Bank to monitor every single transaction carried out by local banks, it is unusual and alarming that First Citizens would be allowed to loan US dollars to Barbados at a time when Trinidadian citizens are unable to get US dollars from the bank themselves.

We are all aware that we must line up daily to get as little as US$200 for holidays abroad. Local businesses are currently experiencing great difficulty in getting US dollars to pay their suppliers for goods needed for the local markets.

There needs to be a balance when it comes to assisting our Caribbean neighbours. We cannot give when we do not have. We should instead advise Barbados to seek a loan from the World Bank, which typically charges a much lower rate of interest than what a relatively small banking institution such as First Citizens can offer.

Surely the actions of First Citizens Bank under the circumstances warrant investigation and, in any event, immediate action by the Central Bank.

This loan to Barbados is likely to amount to tens, if not hundreds, of millions of US dollars, therefore it warrants direction by the Central Bank.

If the Central Bank does nothing about this, the Minister of Finance is well within his right to use the discretionary powers granted to him under the Exchange Control Act to give specific directions to the Central Bank in relation to this matter.

One has to wonder who is truly benefiting from this loan. What are the “administrative fees,” if any? Who stands to benefit from this money leaving our country?

Martha Ramtahal via email