Even those who know about them may have never actually seen one in real life. While Tobago does not have monkeys in present times, Trinidad is home to two native monkeys – the red howler monkey and the white-fronted capuchin.

The red howler monkey (Alouatta macconnelli) is a large primate with reddish brown fur and a long tail. It inhabits forests throughout –from Chaguaramas in the north to Matura in the east, down to Guayaguayare in the south east and Cedros in the south west. While they once inhabited the central parts of the northern range, troops (which is how a group of monkeys are collectively referred to) are no longer found there, possibly killed off by disease (more on that later).

They are called howler monkeys because of the loud but low-pitched, rumbling cry that they make. These vocalisations are used for communicating – both for keeping the troop together and for ensuring rival troops keep their distance. The low frequency cries travel far in their forest environments and is an effective tool in the leafy canopy where visual communication is less effective.

Red howler troops are particularly vocal during or immediately after rain has fallen during the daytime and observation of this collective chorus lends support to the Trinidadian saying, “sun shining, rain falling, monkey marrying”.

Like most monkeys, red howlers eat a variety of plant material including fruits and leaves. They must eat large quantities of plant material to get the nutrition they need.

As a result, they must spend a lot of time digesting meals and it is not uncommon to find a troop lounging quietly in the trees overhead.

Being a primate, the red howlers have a close genetic relationship to human beings. Yet despite this, they are targeted by poachers for the wild meat trade.

This is, of course, an illegal act but sadly it continues today.

The close genetic relationship also enables some viruses to affect both monkeys and humans.

In Trinidad, the link between red howlers and yellow fever has been well documented. The monkeys serve as a natural reservoir for the yellow fever virus, and every ten years or so the viral load in the monkey population reaches a critical threshold and large numbers of monkeys may die or get sick. Outbreaks like this may explain why red howlers no longer inhabit the central parts of the Northern Range.

The virus is typically spread by certain mosquitoes (Haemagogus and Sabethes sp.) found in our forests and so would not normally find its way into urban centres. However, if humans (be it naturalists, woodcutters or hunters) happen to be in the forest during one of these peak viral periods, they stand a chance of being bitten by one of these mosquitoes carrying the virus.

The now infected human returns to the urban areas where that most maligned of mosquitoes, the aedes aegypti, just so happens to be a suitable vector for the yellow fever virus. The aedes aegypti then spreads the yellow fever in the human population.

As a result of this, reports of deaths of red howlers in our forests are monitored by health officials and serve as a useful warning of a possible yellow fever peak period.

The other native primate is the white-fronted capuchin (Cebus albifrons trinitatis). The capuchin is a much smaller monkey than the red howler. It has creamy white or yellowish fur and long, slender arms and legs.

These features make the capuchin a much more agile monkey that the howler. They also allow the capuchin to access a more diverse food range and they will eat insects, eggs and small reptiles.

Unlike the howlers, the capuchin is found in only a few areas, being limited primarily to Nariva and the Trinity Hills.

Smaller troops may still be found in the north-west Northern Range.

The subspecies of white-fronted capuchin is endemic to our island (found nowhere else) and is classified as “critically endangered”. While not hunted for meat, the capuchin is sometimes captured for the pet trade. Sadly, as monkeys destined to be pets are raised from infancy, the usual way to acquire a baby monkey involves killing the adult.

A baby monkey will cling to its mother for a long time after they are born to be able to suckle and for protection and mothers, understandably, will not willingly part with their offspring. As a result, poachers will shoot females with young in order to capture the baby. By shooting a monkey in a tree there is a good chance that the fall will either kill or cripple the baby monkey, not to mention the risk of shooting the baby as well as the mother.

The practice of keeping monkeys (of any species) as pets should not be tolerated.

There is a third species of monkey to be found here. However, it is not native to our island.

The tufted capuchin was introduced to the Chaguaramas peninsula many years ago. Reports of these capuchins in the area have been documented as early as the 1960s and are believed to be the result of the thriving illegal wildlife trade between Trinidad and Venezuela. Larger and more aggressive, these monkeys are slowly but surely making their way east through the Northern Range. Like the native capuchins, they are omnivorous.

It is possible that their presence will eventually pose a threat to the ecosystem or compete with native capuchins when they arrive further east. However, this possibility is yet to be studied in any detail.

Our monkeys are a very special part of Trinidad’s fauna.

The excitement of seeing a troop of monkeys in the wild is rivalled by few other sights, and as intelligent creatures that are as closely related to human beings as they are, we are inclined to form a special bond with them. We should not see them as entertaining pets to be put in a cage or as exotic meat for the pot.

Rather they should be left free to live in our forests.

We all have a duty to protect them and ensure that they inhabit our forests for a long time to come.

For more info on our natural environment: contact the Trinidad and Tobago Field Naturalists’ Club at admin@ttfnc.

org or at www.ttfnc.

org and our Facebook or YouTube pages.

The club’s monthly meeting will be held today at St Mary’s College, Port-of- Spain. Lecture: “The Biodiversity and Conservation of the Aripo Savannas” by Lisa James.

At the programme, adults over 60 years of age will be screened for fall risk. There will be presentations from a variety of healthcare professionals including physicians, the Physiotherapy Association, the Occupational Therapy Association and optometrists, on the causes and consequences of falls in older adults and how to prevent them. There will also be booths displaying equipment to help with fall prevention and resources available to older adults.

The event schedule is as follows: March 13 – Diamond Vale (Diego Martin Central) Community Centre, 9 am – 12 pm March 14 – Gasparillo Community Centre, 9 am – 12 pm March 15 – Arouca Community Centre, 9 am – 12 pm March 16 – Bon Accord Community Centre, Tobago, 10 am -1 pm Free shuttles will be available to and from the screening locations.

Registration in Trinidad locations is open from 9 am to11 am and in Tobago from 10 am to noon.

The event is free.

For more info or to register: 675-4973 or email fallpreventiontt@ gmail.com.

“I noticed what was being delivered wasn’t relevant to the emerging IT environment. Not only at that, you have to remember at that time, you either did a program at The University of the West Indies or you went to the other end of the teaching spectrum into trade and vocational type programs. So, the system was catering to the 15% of the brightest students in the traditional academic sense, but losing all these other very intelligent people due to lack of opportunity simply because they learnt differently,” he notes.

This year, the SBCS Global Learning Institute celebrates 30 years in the field of education and has become a pinnacle for continued and alternative education due to Dr Maraj’s ability to predict the needs of the future – a school system that catered to that other 85% of learners, but did so not by changing the teaching format, but the learning format. Starting with just a three-month course on Santa Cruz Road in San Juan, the school immediately grew due to what he saw as a combination of the deep recession being experienced at the time and the desire for people to re-tool their education or upskill their existing experience and qualifications.

“We believed in the ‘know what’ and the ‘know how’ so it wasn’t just about supplying a theoretical education and approach, but also providing the right learning environment for courses that were practical and industry relevant.” In 1990, the school moved to its flagship location, the prominent site in Champs Fleurs and has expanded over the 27 years that followed with three other campuses: at Trincity, San Fernando and Port-of-Spain.

The buildings are well-known, sometimes loved and equally derided, but that was also part of the larger vision to be different, set out by Dr Maraj who now serves as Executive Director and Founder for the global learning institute. “It’s a little bit of controlled chaos, we didn’t want grey or white walls with a whiteboard and some desks, we wanted a learning environment that was warm and inviting, one that reflected the reality of the controlled chaos that exists in the real world, that veered away from linear spaces and linear thinking,” he points out.

“We also knew that we couldn’t be the largest institution in the country especially marketing budget-wise, so we created buildings that were unique, to attract students who would be graduates that are equally unique.

It was a brave step, but we had the confidence to build it and the courage to inhabit it and today it’s part of our overall aim to be different, to think different and teach in alternate ways that produce higher-quality, work-ready graduates!” His overall approach relies heavily on producing life-long learners, as he points out that traditional education systems locally are teacher-centric and not learner-centric and that doesn’t work for everyone.

“In Brazil, there was a social experiment; taking people who sold flowers on the streets; who could calculate totals and derive the figure for change for a customer on-thego, but when presented with the same Maths problems in a traditional classroom setting, could not replicate it as easily. Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences points to this, noting seven distinct intelligences, which really points out that everyone learns differently, so we aim to create a space and eco-system that delivers that – from the motivational posters you would find across all campuses to the open-door policy and friendliness of our administration staff and right up to the classroom. It’s an SBCS community from the moment you set foot in any of our campus locations.” As his role expanded, his own learning continued. Formally, he received a Doctorate (HC) in 2008 from Heriot Watt University, but his learning never ceases, as demonstrated by his office’s bookshelf, filled with trade magazines in business and the business of education along with a dozen or so heavier tomes. His transition from teacher to his role as Founder and Executive Director was one he found easier with two guiding principles: “Communication and collaboration! You can’t accomplish a thing without getting your vision out to a whole lot of good people and then working with them to get that collaboration going. You also have to have the full construct when you’re at the top of any organization; even if you do not understand all aspects of the organisation, say accounting and finance, it does not mean you are not responsible for these areas. It is total responsibility and not everyone understands that responsibility.” As the school continues to grow, it has expanded not only in terms of locations, facilities and program offerings (such as their expanded engineering field offerings and the new engineering labs), but also in their number for international affiliations with global university partners including the University of Leicester, University of Greenwich and University of London among others. “We are continuing to improve and invest, adding programs that are digging deeper into the needs of our society. Education is one of the keys to building a civil society and we see ourselves as having a big role in contributing to that. We need engineers yes, but we also need facilities managers to upkeep these buildings and persons that can work or even start a business in the smallest aspects of a building, such as maintaining an elevator or escalator system,” he notes.

Though not slated to be as large a celebration as their 25th Anniversary, SBCS Global Learning Institute will be focusing on the hosting of a Teaching and Learning Conference in early April, which will be looking at the very nature of education and learning, making use of a number of local graduates who completed the Post Graduate Certificate in Higher Education.

A fantastic take-away from the story of the SBCS is that it was founded in the middle of quite possibly, this country’s worst recession and no doubt, the next 30 years are equally assured a measure of success, given Dr Maraj’s prescient vision.

Dr Robin Maraj, Founder and Executive Director of SBCS Global Learning Institute.

SBCS Founder and Executive Director Dr Robin Maraj describes the institution’s physical environment as “one that reflected the reality of the controlled chaos that exists in the real world, that veered away from linear spaces and linear thinking.” The new Engineering Lab at SBCS, Champs Fleurs.

The institute launched its position paper on the issue on Tuesday, and in a time of waning energy earnings their approach is that the tax’s reintroduction is inevitable.

“Property tax is coming, there is no doubt about it,” Dr Sunil Lalloo, the body’s assistant secretary told Business Day. “We would like to suggest the best way forward.”

One of the institute’s proposals is that government could be more communicative about its plans for the roll out of the tax. Lalloo said that as one of the bodies best poised to advise on property issues in the country, the IST was in the dark about how government planned to implement the tax.

He said this lack of clarification extended to the public, whom the government should be educating about the tax, particularly since no one has had to pay the tax since 2009.

“We want to see education drives for the public, so that the public is kept up to date,” said Lalloo. Part of this would be to re-orient how people see the tax. The IST assistant secretary said the tax’s image was not helped by the People Partnership’s ‘Axe the Tax’ campaign and that the public was likely to view it as an additional burden, especially if the rate they were previously paying increased.

He told Business Day, however, that if people saw property tax revenues at work in their communities, they were less likely to view the tax negatively. This is why he said the IST was supporting use of property tax revenues in Local Government.

““The assumption we have had to make is that the revenue will just be going into the Consolidated Fund. This is will not have public buy in and people are not going to like if the money is just lumped into the public purse, with the government having ultimate discretion on what happens to it. We would strongly suggest that the revenues are not consolidated, but used specifically for local government and community development.

“If people in an area were paying $50 and then they are asked to pay $500, it is reasonable that they would expect to see improvements. They would want to see their roads paved faster, they would want to see better garbage collection. They would to see better water supply. If people know that they are going to get better service delivery then they will not have a problem paying,” said Lalloo.

Noting that the Finance Ministry’s valuation division had already started recruiting property assessors, Lalloo also expressed concerns about data collection and security.

“With the current crime situation, people have a lot of anxiety about people coming to their homes to collect information and do assessments. We want to know what security measures the government is going to put into place,” he said.

Beyond this, Lalloo told Business Day that the rates charged needed to be equitable and transparent to all.

“When they send out assessors, who collect information on the properties and property owners get a notice of assessment, our question is, will this be publicised. Will property owners be able to go online and see what they versus what others are required to pay?”

He illustrated: ““You are telling me to pay $500 a year, but my neighbor is paying $200 and their property is in much better condition than mine.”

Lalloo said people should be able to query their level of taxation as is done in other countries.

The IST assistant secretary said that the body is satisfied with the current taxation percentages of three percent for residential properties, five percent for commercial properties and one percent on agricultural lands. These are based on the Annual Rental Value of the properties involved, which remains relatively static, as opposed to the capital value of the properties, which tends to change with the market value of the properties

“In comparison to other jurisdictions, it is somewhat smaller than in other Caribbean countries, with the exception of Jamaica. We think it is reasonable,” said Lalloo.

The IST is also asking that the re-introduction of the tax be scaled so that the public does not feel it all at once in the pocket. They also want concessions for senior citizens.

In the current government’s first budget in September 2016, it was announced that there would be a return of property tax in January 2017. However, this was delayed as it was realised that several properties throughout the country were not on the Ministry of Finance’s assessor’s roll and full collection of the tax has been halted until this exercise is complete, with property tax being implemented at a flat rate of three percent.

The assessment exercise is expected to be completed this year.

In last year’s budget statement, government said it expected to collect $503 million in revenues from the reintroduced property tax.

Business Day attempted to reach Finance Minister Colm Imbert for an update on how the property tax would be implemented, but up to press time, was unable to do so.

Dr Sunil Lalloo, Chartered Valuation Surveyor and Assistant Secretary, Institute of Surveyors of Trinidad and Tobago delivers his presentation at the Institute’s launch of its Position Paper on Property Tax.

While speaking about “The Correspondent Banking Problem and Sustainable Economic Development in the Caribbean” at the State University of New York -UWI Center for Leadership and Sustainable Development in the Caribbean Symposium, Professor Bourne said the policy comprised mainly of bilateral and multi lateral lobbying aimed at improving understanding of the Caribbean situation and creating sufficient goodwill for reversal of the trend towards de-risking in the Caribbean. However, he said central to the Caribbean policy response should be considerations of bank profitability, which is the main driver of de-risking through withdrawal of correspondent banking services. Professor Bourne said compliance risks, compliance costs and costs of monitoring incurred by correspondent banks are important elements in their profitability calculations.

Delivering the address on February 13, Professor Bourne said, “There has been widespread disruption of correspondent banking services provided to Caribbean countries by international banks located primarily in US, Canada and Europe. Countries particularly affected are Anti gua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Cayman Islands, Guyana, Haiti and Turks and Caicos Islands.

“Banking services have been suspended to International Business Companies, international money value transfer services providers (eg MoneyGram and Western Union), cambios and private members’ clubs.

Money value transfer services are used extensively for migrant remittances and for small value international trade payments, investments, and sett lements of commercial debt and other cross-border obligations.” He said that the disruption of correspondent banking services can reduce efficiency and raise costs of international payment arrangements for foreign trade and thereby depress trade and adversely aff ect foreign currency earnings, domestic incomes and employment.

“Curtailment of correspondent banking services to international money value service providers will cause reductions in remittance inflows to Caribbean countries, for most of whom remittances are economically significant contributors to foreign exchange, household income, poverty alleviation, stable livelihoods and social inclusion.

“The cutback in correspondent banking has led to contraction of the International Business Companies industry and the off shore finance industry which have helped to sustain economic growth in several countries.” He said Caribbean countries need to reduce compliance risks by strengthening their regulatory and supervisory systems, which, although already strong with respect to the financial stability of the domestic commercial banking system, is deficient with respect to other financial institutions, other providers of financial services, implementation of customer due diligence policies, monitoring, detection and enforcement action against money laundering and financing of terrorism, and statistical data collection and reporting.

According to Professor Bourne, “The overhaul of some aspects of Caribbean governance is also a critical requirement for achieving international confidence in the quality of financial sector regulation, supervision and monitoring and law enforcement.

Country reputation influences the behaviour of international banks, foreign governments and international institutions. Observable and widely publicised weaknesses in narcotics crime detection and control, protracted judicial administration in both criminal and civil matters, and undue legislative delays contribute to perceptions that Caribbean countries have weak governance systems and cannot be fully trusted to act consistently with respect to international corporate sector and government sector obligations.” In response to e-mailed questions, he said that FATCA is not the only issue or even the main issue behind the derisking crisis. He said FATCA addresses US government tax objectives but does not address international commercial banks’ and banking jurisdictions’ compliance risks and costs in relation to money laundering and financing of terrorism, adding that the reports of the Caribbean Financial Acti on Task Force list many specific requirements with which Trinidad and Tobago and other individual Caribbean countries are not compliant or are only partly compliant.

He said that compliance risks are behind the denial of banking services to private member clubs.

Asked which countries were the most seriously affected, Professor Bourne said Barbados is one of the most affected through the contraction of its International Business Companies industry; Belize through loss of correspondent services to its commercial banking industry; Bahamas, Guyana and Jamaica through suspension of services to international money transfer institutions such as Western Union, and cambios; OECS especially Anti gua and Barbuda through higher charges for continuation of correspondent banking services.

He said the CARICOM approach so far by itself is unlikely to succeed because it does not deal head-on with the profitability concerns of the international banks. Political lobbying may be a useful supplementary acti on but direct acti on to reduce compliance risks and costs for the international banks is necessary.

Admittedly, transformation of our economy is proving to be easier said than done. In this regard, the TT Chamber recognises its role as being critical in facilitating its members as they strengthen, re-frame or retool their operations in what is being called the “new normal”. Naturally, the support we provide extends far beyond our membership, into the wider national community, through the very essence of the work we do.

Time and again we have observed that like economic upswings, the downturns will occur cyclically, very often re-shaping the business landscape, in the process. From all indications, this is the point at which Trinidad and Tobago (TT) now stands today, that is, in a period of adjustment.

While your business cannot totally avoid the implications of turbulent times, it is quite possible to buffer the effects upon your operations. Of course, this will call for proper planning, risk-taking, creativity and the willingness to shift course. With the right mix of these ingredients, we believe it is possible for businesses to not only survive, but thrive.

A willingness to take risks – as cited above – is but one strategy for success. However, in many instances this risk is not just a “gut feeling” but one founded upon thorough and extensive research and development (R&D). Investing in R&D is therefore a very useful strategy in an economic downturn, and partnerships between established companies and start-ups can be a rewarding experience. And for persons with a start-up product or service, as well as established operations looking to expand their reach, networking events are valuable for connecting with potential business partners and complementary alliances. The best strategists navigate life viewing all matters with an “opportunity eye”. Their success leans heavily upon their keen understanding of their competitors, and of what is trending in their industry or sector so that they can strategically position themselves for the future.

Today’s marketplace is global, thanks to technological advances and more specifically, the internet. Several companies have made their fortunes solely through online-based sales, while others utilise a combination of brick-and-mortar versus virtual sales. While this phenomenon has been slow to take off in TT – in part due to challenges with the legal framework – it is slowly but surely increasing. It means that you can peddle your wares at any time of the day or night to a virtually unlimited market. It seems that service providers who peddle their expertise globally have been more embracing of the platform thus far. The term “globalisation” might conjure up negative images in some quarters, considering Brexit in the UK and the unsettling developments in the US. But globalisation is in fact a natural phenomenon that occurs over time and in different forms. History is replete with examples of how trade among nations has shaped societal changes and built resilient economies.

The current head of the Unicomer Group has lived these realities and is ready to share his experiences with our membership and members of the wider business community.

Mario Sim?n – a native of El Salvador – has successfully turned around several companies – starting as early as 1982 with a troubled Honda motorcycle dealership in Miami, leading all the way to his current position as chairman and CEO of international retailing giant, Unicomer. Mr Sim?n has kindly accepted the TT Chamber’s invitation to deliver the feature address at our Annual Business Networking Luncheon scheduled for March 22, at the Hilton Trinidad and Conference Centre.

Members of the business community and interested members of the public are invited to contact the TT Chamber on 637 6966 extension 1252 or e-mail sboodoo@chamber.org.tt to attend this networking and business boosting event.

Success itself means a lot of different things to different people.

Corporate success depends on a number of interrelated management decisions, structures and policies. For instance, every business needs good people working for it. In big businesses especially, new hires are often recruited by a professional HR team that can target HR requirements for the company to ensure the organisation can obtain the right people for its needs.

Success is often linked to money. Although of course profit is important to help a business grow, corporate success is not just about money. Critically, corporate success is also about good corporate governance, about managing risks, about achieving sustainable value, and about being engaged in the needs of the customer, the shareholder or other stakeholders.

Corporate success is about being a great company – whether large or small – a business that has a clear vision, a clear mission and a direction that makes it a great organisation to do business with, and a great organisation for which to work.

The finance function plays a crucial role. Whether a small business or a large corporate, the finance function can add value, helping to fulfil the organisation’s ambitions for growth and for success; and a finance function – whether in house or as a consultant – can also help a business thrive and expand to become a bigger business, if it so wants to be.

Corporate success is also about being ethical and sustainable. Upholding ethics and sustainability are both essential ingredients for a company’s long term success. Royal Caribbean Cruises was named the world’s most ethical company for 2016 by Ethisphere Institute, a global leader in defining and advancing the standards of ethical business practices. This is great accolade for this global cruise vacation company which sails across the Caribbean and other parts of the world.

Organisations have a responsibility to account for their impact on society and the environment – an integral part of corporate success. Organisations must develop strategies that take account of their impact of sustainability and should consider environmental issues alongside their core business functions.

The accountancy profession has an important part to play in developing strategies and solutions in response to the environmental, sustainability and carbon challenge. In October last year, the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) launched GRI Sustainability Reporting Standards: the first global standards for companies to use when explaining their sustainability impact. The standards cover a range of non-financial areas where a company may have an impact, including its economic, environmental and social footprint.

This idea of more holistic, non-financial company reporting is not new: Integrated Reporting, or , has been around for many years. Indeed, ACCA starting using for our own financial reports in 2014. Under , companies are expected to report on financial and non-financial elements of their performance, giving investors a ‘bigger picture’ of their activity, with a nod towards the future sustainability of their actions.

This type of reporting has been prioritised on a global scale, with the United Nations, under their Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs), encouraging countries around the world to adopt such practices.

According to the Caribbean Corporate Governance Institute, at the onset of 2016 there were no known applications of integrated reporting in the Caribbean, despite the significant advantage that such application would offer to early adopters.

The global move towards non-financial reporting indicates a desire from investors to see a more holistic picture of a company, and offering such information would certainly make Caribbean businesses more attractive to local and international investors.

More than 1,000 businesses around the world use to communicate with their investors, and 70 percent of the world’s 300 biggest companies already use GRI Standards. Adopting a holistic reporting approach not only promotes economic, environmental and social sustainability in business practices, but it can also improve a company’s ability to attract and retain investors.

Successful businesses both large and small play a significant role in supporting the Caribbean economy and providing stable employment. There are many large conglomerates headquartered in the Caribbean’s commercial hubs – Barbados, Jamaica and Trinidad. Businesses across the whole region have a responsibility to ensure utilise their finance function to ensure they’re better positioned to withstand challenges to the business environment to maintain and exceed their current success.

Am I overthinking the roles and rules of roles?” This was the first email that greeted me at 6 am on the eve of International Women’s Day. The question is an extremely pertinent one, in that it presents a unique challenge where the protagonist [main player] questions both roles and rules. The role being questioned is the difference between team member and team leader, whereas the rules being questioned applies to the application of etiquette within the workplace and between genders.

Chivalry, according to Wikipedia or the chivalry code, is a code of conduct associated with the medieval institution of knighthood which developed between 1170 and 1220.

The more modern origins were adapted to include various codes of conduct of gallantry, courtesy and honour, and the demonstration of these qualities.

Based on the scenario presented, it is important to understand a number of dynamics. The first being obtaining an appreciation of the corporate culture within which persons operate. One suggestion to assist with the appreciation of corporate roles is the undertaking of Gender Sensitivity Training.

This form of training is becoming more and more imperative within the corporate structures as it is important for employees to understand the corporate culture within which they may operate, as well as to provide an opportunity to explore what is acceptable behaviour for the environment. The thing is, what may be perceived as acceptable and proper behaviour to one employee may be construed as intrusive and disrespectful to another employee, hence the need to explore and clarify these positions.

Developing an understanding of the culture within which one operates is an extremely valuable tool. In some cultures, it may be acceptable and even expected for men to demonstrate that they are ‘gentlemen’ by acting in such a manner, where they are expected to open doors, and allow women to exit and enter rooms before they do. However, there are other cultures and situations where this is completely the reverse and such actions may be deemed as an affront to power position. Hence, it is important to err on the side of knowledge of the culture within which you operate, both organisational and general.

For example, if someone were to express a compliment to another, how would that compliment be received? The variables include, tone, location, reason for compliment, manner of compliment, among other variables, as far too often, many persons simply do not understand the difference between compliment and ‘catcall’.

One of the very important indicators we often take for granted are the verbal and non-verbal cues provided in every interaction. The body language of others provides 90-98% of the communication cues we often take for granted. In the scenario presented, if the eager employee were to take but a few moments to assess the body language of the senior employee, he would note that his actions, and attempts to be gentlemanly, are being construed as intrusive. As such, sometimes we need to place more emphasis on assessing and appreciating non-spoken cues, as we can glean very important interactionbased details.

Asserting oneself can be undertaken without causing an affront. Such selfassertion can be practiced in many forms, including the use of both verbal and non-verbal cues. A simple, “Thank you, however I’ve got it”, can send your message without causing offense.

Communication is indeed an art and science, and understanding how to communicate effectively provides a solid framework for strengthening interpersonal relationships, both within and outside of the corporate structure.

This is important to us here in Trinidad and Tobago who understand that a closing of the US–TT differential on interest rate could force our monetary authority to raise rates to prevent portfolio realignment which can reduce our reserves and put pressure on our exchange rate.

The three-month TT-US differential increased by 19 basis points, reaching 86 basis points in October from 67 basis points in January of 2016, while the long-term differential (10-year Treasury differential) increased from 196 basis points in January 2016 to 256 basis points in October 2016.

Instead of seeing the US decision as a black box let us take a closer look at what they do since their decision can affect us.

The Fed is now expected to make its second rate increase since the recession in 2008. The question is, what does “raising rates” actually mean and how does it affect the economy? In reality, the raising of rates is in fact used as a catalyst to stimulate ripple effects in the economy. This means that the Fed is raising its target for the federal funds rate, the rate at which banks lend to each other, which results in an increase in the cost of borrowing money across the banking system.

Money then becomes more expensive for all banks and other institutions, and when banks and other financial institutions face higher costs, they pass those costs on to their customers in the form of higher shortterm and long-term interest rates.

When interest rates rise, financial instruments such as Treasury Bills and Bonds become more attractive to investors. Rate increases make life a bit harder for borrowers and a bit easier for savers, although there is a real possibility that neither borrowing nor deposit rates will rise. Of course, this analysis is also very reflective of effects here in this country.

Increasing interest rates for credit is expected to decrease the demand for goods which in turn is supposed to slow the growth of businesses and increase unemployment. A hike in the unemployment rate means workers have less power to demand increases and leads to decreased spending.

Some economists feel that rate changes might have less of an impact on employment than before, as not all employment sectors are sensitive to changes in interest rates due to the belief that a structural shift has occurred. This may negatively impact the ability of the Fed to guide the economy using its monetary policy.

In effect, lower spending from households and lower investment from companies mean less economic activity which would curb inflation and ensure that the growth of the economy takes place at a sustainable pace that won’t cause inflation above the Fed’s target. With decreased demand for products and services, this will serve to control prices and therefore, in essence, higher interest rates would have translated into less inflation.

The Fed can use expectations – what people expect to happen tomorrow to influence their actions today. The announcement by the Fed has the effect of influencing behaviour and for markets to react to the announcement ahead of time. Understanding and reacting appropriately to Fed behaviour can assist us to protect our foreign exchange reserves and better manage our exchange rate.

We need to keep watching.

“The security video cameras of today are not like your typical Closed Circuit TV systems that simply record the image of what passes in front of them,” said Darryl Duke, Senior Manager Government, Security & Directories Business at TSTT. The new CCTV system is intended to augment the security measures currently implemented at the hospital that are geared at protecting people and assets, and enabling an added sense of safety and security to all persons accessing the facility.

TSTT had previously completed an 800 CCTV System and Command Center for the Ministry of National Security so the company’s expanding expertise in this field made it an ideal partner for the NWRHA which is committed to providing a safe and comfortable environment.

The CCTV system boasts of several strategic features that can help in the successful investigation of wrongdoing.

One such feature of its video analytics is intelligent license plate recognition which enables operators to receive alerts if a targeted license plate is observed on the compound. It also allows cameras to track the movement of a vehicle of interest.

Duke explained that the robustness of the system is also being supported by 24/7 monitoring by TSTT’s Alarm Monitoring Centre and is also being monitored by the Hospital as well.

“In addition to the license plate recognition feature, our system also includes facial recognition technology which is pivotal to improving the effectiveness of the cameras. The data captured means instead of a person having to review continuous hours of footage, the system can quickly find instances where and when targeted persons were captured on camera.” Duke noted that the software was sophisticated enough to also aid in detecting when visible items had been removed from their position. “The flow of people through the compound is so dynamic it is difficult for any security officer to keep an eye on everything so the intelligent CCTV system improves their vigilance one hundred-fold.

“The NWRHA’s determination to make the PoS General Hospital a safe haven was very evident in all our discussions with them and we have brought 21st Century technology to their aid. This is all part of TSTT’s mandate as an agile broadband company to have the technology and flexibility to deliver custom solutions for the specific and varied needs that our customers, especial key institutions like the General Hospital.”