The sky was beautified over the Christmas and New Year holidays with fireworks displays, but the inconsiderate use by many landed several people in emergency rooms.

From damaged limbs to anxiety issues being reported, activists are again appealing to the Government to introduce legislation aimed at either banning the use of over-the-counter explosives or to offer licences to users.

The Tobago Regional Health Authority recorded five cases at their emergency departments with injuries related to firecrackers and scratch bombs between December 30, 2017 and January 1. Two men and a woman, ages 23 to 39, were admitted to the surgery ward for wound repair to their fingers and eyes. Two others, a Signal Hill man, 39 and a Mount St George schoolboy, 14, suffered injuries to their chest and hands respectively.

In the South West Regional Health Authority, there were ten cases between December 31, 2017 and January 2. At the San Fernando General Hospital, a patient's fingertip on his right hand was blown off by a firecracker. Another had an object stuck in his hand and a patient's face was burned while bursting bamboo. A patient also went to the Freeport Health Centre with an injury to his ear. Statistics from the North West, North Central and Eastern RHAs were not sent to the Guardian.

Activists Josie Ache, founder of the group Regulating the Use of Fireworks in Trinidad & Tobago said that while the holidays are meant to be enjoyed with family and friends, many confine themselves to their homes to watch over young children, the elderly or pets.

"This year alone I had two friends majorly impacted. One friend’s dog ran out of their yard and into the road after being scared by the bang! And one was hit by an oncoming truck and barely lived. Another friend left his windows open on Old Year’s Night and got up the next morning to a spent firework shell lying on his bed! He was very fortunate it was not worse. It again reminds us that though the viewing process is beautiful, it is also very dangerous in the wrong hands," Ache said.

She said the relevant protective agencies continue to pass the buck from one to another with no one willing to take responsibility. She said Government follows suit, "'bumping their gum' and "throwing empty promises to the wind" despite the many petitions and articles circulating.

AG: It's on Govt's legislative agenda for 2018

Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi said that while Government plans to deal with explosives in its legislative agenda this year, there are laws that currently guide the use of explosives such as fireworks and scratch bombs.

He said the matter has to be discussed at the Cabinet level first and amendments will be done after proper research and consultations with fireworks businesses, the police, fire service, the Ministry of National Security, the Ministry of the Attorney General and NGOs. The key right now, he said, is to identify the offenders.

Officers from the Port-of-Spain City Police Multi-Operation Unit in collaboration with officers from the Special Investigation Unit of the Customs and Excise Division seized a large quantity of alcohol from vendors who were allegedly selling alcohol without a licence, camouflage clothing and wrapping paper during an exercise in the Central Market, Port-of-Spain, yesterday.

The ongoing exercise was spearheaded by Supt Glen Charles.

During the exercise, which began around 9 am, the officers searched several of the vendors' booths and found cases of Carib, Stag, Heineken, Carib Light beer and Magnum wine.

Several of the vendors were arrested and charged on multiple occasions for selling alcoholic beverages without a licence and the police were monitoring their activities. The vendors were served notice by the Customs officers to appear at Customs House tomorrow.

Charles said besides selling alcohol without a licence, the camouflage clothing was illegal for civilians, the wrapping paper was used to wrap marijuana and other narcotics and a licence was needed from Customs.

“The market is attracting some 'extra-curricular' activities,” Charles said.

“It's supposed to be a place for people to come and make market, but when you have the illegal sale of drinks increasing, it's turning into a liming spot.

“All the stores are getting customers, so instead of people coming to sell agricultural produce, they are selling alcohol.

“They are staying there causing criminal behaviour and conduct with swearing and fighting.”

He said while the authorities were trying to bring the market back to a safe place, some of the vendors continued with their illegal activities. But he said they were not going to let up on their surveillance.

Charles said there were other illegal activities at the market such as drugs and the police had even received reports of human trafficking because of Caricom trade. He said the police were working with intelligence information and being very meticulous.

When Brandon Joseph Khan's family left home to pay final respects to their murdered cousin, Arisa David, they could have never imagined mourning his death the following day.

It was the second murder that baffled police yesterday after the mutilated body of a woman was also found in Trincity

Khan, 23, of Chase Village, Carapichaima, was found dead shortly after noon in Chickland, Freeport, with a gunshot wound to his head. Police said they responded to a report of a man's body found in some bushes along Randal Road. His white Mazda 3 sedan was parked a short distance away.

According to relatives, he did not go to David's funeral on Friday and remained at his in-laws home nearby. When his wife and others returned to the Agostini Settlement home, he was still at his in-laws home. He was expected to return home that night, but when he didn't, they called his mobile phone several times and searched for him.

Yesterday morning, he was reported missing to Freeport police and within a few hours, they were told that a body matching his description had been found. His identity was confirmed when they arrived on the scene.

Khan, who got married in July 2017, had a four-month-old son and was training to become an Emergency Medical Technician. Police said there has been no link to David's murder. David, 25, a mother of two, was choked to death by a 36-year-old relative in their Chaguanas home on Tuesday. Investigators have submitted additional information to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions and are awaiting instructions on whether to charge the suspect.

The City of Grand Bazaar, part of the ANSA McAL Group of Companies, yesterday announced six lucky winners for its Unwrap an Amazing Christmas Promotion. The promotion, which started in November, aims to reward customers for choosing Grand Bazaar as their preferred place for Christmas shopping.

The grand prize is a brand new Honda City CNG, second prize is $12,000 in Xtra Foods vouchers, third prize is $7,000 in Pennywise vouchers, fourth prize is a Whirlpool 30" cooker, fifth prize is as three-piece living room suite and sixth prize is a Samsung smart television.

The event took place in the Oasis Food Court in Grand Bazaar for the second to sixth prize winners. There were two children's wading pools filled with thousands of entry slips. One was placed in the food court where five lucky names were selected by several children “diving” into the pool and mixing up the entry forms assisted by Anthony Salloum, the general manager of the mall. The second pool was placed outside the food court, where they did the draw for the Honda City CNG grand prize.

Salloum said “There were more than 40,000 entries and we waited until December passed to have the draw today where we have a lot of people.”

Harkening back to his calypso days when he was known as “Mastertone”, Salloum sang "The hat I got for Christmas is too big", complete with oversized sombrero and poncho.

Paul Sabga, operations supervisor at Grand Bazaar, said the presentation of the prizes will be on Wednesday.

Also present were Tatil agency manager David Stephens and 95.1 Remix Mike Ross.

The National Lotteries Control Board (NLCB) is expected to spend $4 million towards the sponsorship of Carnival events and activities this year–a 50 per cent cut from last year’s figure.

There is, however, a $50,000 cap per request, including selected schools for their respective carnival fetes.

The Sunday Guardian was told that since the Ministry of Finance is still in the process of selecting a NLCB Board, the state-owned enterprise is being steered by its director, Michael Jogee. For the first time in 49 years, the NLCB in 2017 made a profit of $315 million and recorded $3 billion in sales.

According to a reliable source, the NLCB recently bought Soka in Moka fete tickets amounting to $18,000 however, those tickets were recalled by Jogee and returned to the promoters of the event. The move came after an instruction from Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley that state funds were not to be used to purchase fete tickets.

When asked about schools receiving sponsorship, the source said that all schools can ask for sponsorship but it does not mean that they all will be entitled to funds.

“With respect to schools' sponsorship the requests will be sent to the ministry and it's according to the directive from their that the NLCB will disburse the funds, and this does not mean that they would get the maximum which is $50,000… sponsorship can be from $500 to $50,000,” the source said.

One of the schools to receive the maximum sponsorship so far, a source said, is Trinity college.

Just last week, the Chutney Soca Monarch competition initially received a $300,000 subvention.

However, Minister of Finance Colm Imbert, who carried out his own personal investigation, increased that figure to $1 million. That figure, though, a decrease from last year’s, is still enough to keep the competition on track, according to its promoter George Singh (Southex).

According to reports, this year’s International Soca Monarch is also reportedly under threat. However, the source said that the Ministry of Finance is still negotiating the sponsorship figure. Once a figure is reached, the ministry will then inform the NLCB about disbursement.

Enough is enough.

So says non-governmental organisation Is There Not A Cause (ITNAC) as it called on the public to wear black this week to show its discontent with the level of domestic violence taking place in the country leading to the death of our women.

"Recently there have been a large number of reports of domestic abuse making the national news. Far too many of these situations have ended in the victims’ death at the hands of her abuser," ITNAC stated.

As a result of this, ITNAC said it will be embarking on a five-day passive demonstration starting from tomorrow.

"ITNAC's position is that no form of abuse should be tolerated. Be it physical, verbal, emotional or psychological; against a man or a woman," ITNAC stated.

"However, this call goes out to stand with the many women who have suffered and who are still trapped in abusive relationships," it stated.

ITNAC's release was sent around 10.30 am.

Just a few hours later, the mutilated body of a woman was discovered at Orange Grove Road in Tacarigua.

The body was in an advanced state of decomposition and clad only in underwear. The hands and feet were reportedly missing.

Up to late last night, the woman's identity remained unknown.

This gruesome discovery comes on the heels of the murders of Inga Scheult also known as Vanessa Ali and Arisa David, earlier this week.

Of the 17 people killed in the first six days of 2018, three have been women.

David, 25, was found dead inside her Lime Head Road, Chaguanas home on Tuesday. The mother of two girls, aged seven and two, was in an abusive relationship for the past seven years, relatives said.

An autopsy revealed David was strangled to death.

On Thursday 23-year-old Scheult, also a mother of two, was found dead on the side of the road in Barrackpore.

Scheult had a single gunshot wound to her head.

The year 2017 ended with 52 women being killed. In total, the murder toll for last year was 493.

According to statistics compiled by the Powerful Ladies of Trinidad and Tobago (PLOTT), the main method used to kill women in 2017 was with a sharp instrument.

On the last day of 2017 Drupatee Sankar, 50, was chopped with a cutlass by her ex-husband Bishnu following a long-standing dispute.

One of Sankar's arms was severed.

The Trinidad and Tobago Coalition Against Domestic Violence has demanded an investigation or public enquiry into these cases.

"Was there a pattern of violence? Had reports been made to the police? What actions, if any, were taken to secure the safety of these women? How did we as a society fail these families and these women?" the coalition stated.

"Indeed, investigations should be routinely ordered into domestic murders by the authorities as such inquiries will highlight areas of needed improvements and will also strengthen the culture of accountability of state actors to act with due diligence to protect, prevent and punish domestic violence," the coalition stated.

Zero tolerance approach needed—psychologist

Clinical Psychologist Dr Katijah Khan said we need to adopt a zero tolerance approach to all abuse in this country.

Khan advised anyone who may be in an abusive relationship to talk to someone.

"They (victims of abuse) do not have to live with that situation as is, they do not deserve it, they deserve better and they are worth it. I would say they need to talk to somebody about it, it is not a secret, it is nothing to be ashamed about. If you are facing violence in a relationship, if you are dissatisfied with a relationship talk to somebody, reach out to somebody and get some help," Khan said.

"There are different avenues you can go to for help, there are family and friends, there are the police, social services, speak to somebody."

Khan said the people who victims may turn to for help need to understand that abuse should never be normalised.

"To people who are on the receiving end somebody is telling you they are being abused, that is not normal and it should never be accepted as normal, nobody deserves that, nobody deserves to be hit and abused. It is not an acceptable part of our culture," she said.

Khan called on family to intervene if they know of abuse taking place.

"We should have a zero tolerance for abuse, so if we know a family member is a perpetrator, the family needs to come together to do something, to have a conversation and to try and get that person some help," she said.

'Look for the red flags'

"The larger issue of violence is that too often we resort to violence, whether it is using physical punishment for children, so when we continue to use physical punishment to children we are teaching them that violence is the way to solve problems and to react when they are angry and dissatisfied," Khan said.

Khan said abusive language in a relationship should be viewed as an "awful red flag".

"What we need is zero tolerance on all forms of abuse, so whatever it is pushing, shoving, shouting, whether it is physical abuse or psychological and verbal abuse, somebody saying mean and nasty things like 'you are not worth it, you are worthless, you are not good enough', those are also warning signs that people need to be very wary of. If you see this controlling, possessive, negative abusive verbal signs those are awful red flags and you need to tell yourself this is not worth it in the long run," Khan said.

Government has dotted all its I’s and crossed its T’s in its nomination of Justice Paula-Mae Weekes as the sixth President of T&T, says Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi.

Responding to the debate in some quarters on whether Weekes’ nomination satisfied the necessary requirements due to her position as an Appeal Court Judge in the Turks and Caicos Islands, Al-Rawi said she maintains her residency in Trinidad.

Weekes’ nomination has been widely accepted across several sectors in T&T, including the Opposition and by political analysts. Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar said that her party would not oppose Weekes’ nomination.

According to the Parliament, a person is qualified to be nominated for election as President if he or she is a citizen age 35 years or upwards who, at the date of his or her nomination as president, has been ordinarily resident in T&T for ten years immediately preceding his or her nomination.

Having been appointed to the Turks and Caicos Islands’ Court of Appeal in September 2016 for a term of three years, she was sworn in by Governor Dr John Freeman on February 2, 2017.

However, Al-Rawi explained that the job only required her to sit in the island’s’ court for three weeks a year.

“The Government is completely aware of all of the requirements of the Constitution with respect to the election of a president and in particular, the qualifications for persons to fit that post, one of which is the requirement of residency for a period of ten years. This is not a new issue for Trinidad and Tobago.

“You will recall that a similar issue arose on the nomination of the current President, Justice Anthony Carmona. We are of course abundantly aware that Madame Justice Paula-Mae Weekes took a position as a Court of Appeal judge in the Turks and Caicos in February 2017 and that position requires her to sit for three weeks each year and no more. She, therefore, has not lost her residency and in particular, her ordinary residence in Trinidad and Tobago. Therefore, she is qualified to be nominated and elected as the next president of Trinidad and Tobago,” Al-Rawi said.

On December 12, 2011, Carmona was elected as a judge of the International Criminal Court in the Netherlands and was sworn in on March 9, 2012. As a result, he lived outside of T&T for lengthy periods however, he maintained a residence due to his family and the upkeep of a home.

The Sunday Guardian was told that Justice Weekes was currently in Dubai. She was announced as the Government’s nominee for the post of president during a press conference at the Diplomatic Centre, St Ann’s, on Friday, following a meeting with the Opposition. Carmona’s single term as president ends in March, making way for the country’s first female president.

Former attorney general Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj, SC, said Weekes’ nomination was most suitable, especially at a time when the public’s perception was that most institutions have lost all ethical and moral values. Maharaj, who battled against Weekes while she was a state attorney, described her as a person with high integrity, morals and values.

Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley has admitted that 2017 had proven to be “a more than challenging year” - both for the Port Authority of T&T (PATT) and for Tobagonians.

In his national address last evening, Rowley acknowledged, “The cargo ferry service provider broke his contract and withdrew the vessel when wholly unacceptable terms could not be met.”

“The passenger ferry service also presented challenges due to the absence of routine dry-docking during the earlier years.”

Revealing that tender process for a substitute passenger vessel had become the sixth aborted tender at the PATT, Rowley said the Cabinet acted swiftly to appoint a sub-committee to engage international brokers to locate a suitable vessel for lease.

The National Infrastructure Development Company Limited (NIDCO) is being used as the contracting party.

Providing the nation with an assurance that relief is on its way, Rowley confirmed one of the brokers had found a new vessel which had not yet been put into service and was available for sale.

The prime minister claimed, “We had all the necessary inspection, examination certification checks and sea trials were done on this vessel and after all satisfactory reports were obtained, steps have been now taken to purchase this vessel.”

Upon completion of this process, the new vessel is expected to arrive in T&T in the coming weeks from a port in Asia.

Rowley predicted, “The introduction of this vessel on the sea-bridge should see a dramatic improvement in the service capacity and reliability that would brig considerable relief to the long suffering people of Tobago from the early months of 2018.”

He urged the nation to have hope despite the challenges currently before it.

Rowley advised persons to behave responsibly and put their shoulders to the wheel in order to make their presence felt.

He warned, “There is much more adjustment to come before we clear these dangerous rapids towards calm waters.”

President of the Point Lisas Business Chamber Ramchand Rajbal Maraj is confident that if Justice Paula-Mae Weekes assumes the position at the next Head of State, she will make an effective President.

On Friday, the Government announced that Weekes is their official nominee for position of Head of State.

“From what I have been reading of this lady, she will be independent and give a neutral view in the role of President of the country.

“As far as I have seen, she is a no- nonsense person and I think that augurs well at this period of time in terms of what the country is facing. She will be an asset,” he told the T&T Guardian in an interview yesterday.

He added that adopting a politically independent position is important for the position of Head of State.

He said: “I think that the President of the Republic should be someone who does not identify clearly and publicly with political favours and one who does not hold a party card.”

Maraj said that given the trying circumstances the country is facing now, someone with her experience and skills will benefit the country.

“I think that we are fortunate to have her at this point in time to bring that neutrality. Even the Judiciary is in chaos right now, there are so many organs of the country that really need change and revamping of what is happening.

“People need to have confidence in the law abiding organs of the country and to being back stability, respect and order to our beautiful country.”

Ibrahim Ali, Public Relations Officer of the San Juan Business Association, told the T&T Guardian that Weekes has the credentials to become a good President, but noted that she must remain independent in her decision making and not be swayed by political sides.

“She is an excellent choice and has a legal mind. When we look at what is happening in the Judiciary, we need leadership.

“We need people of integrity in our highest offices,” he said.

He hopes that she would use all the powers that the Office of the President allows to deal with issues in the country.

He added: “Let us see if she will step out of the bounds and use what power she can to deal with the problems of the country. The Office of the President has wide powers and the President can do a lot of things.”

Vishnu Charran, President of the Chaguanas Business Chamber said Weekes was qualified for the job as future Head of State.

“The Government and Opposition, they will both come to terms on an agreement of whoever they choose.

“They would be wise enough to know who is best qualified and she seems to have the qualifications fit to be a President,” Charran said.

Weekes was named following a brief meeting with Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley and Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar at the Diplomatic Centre, St Ann’s.

Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister Stuart Young described the meeting between both sides as “productive.”

He said Persad-Bissessar’s reaction to Weekes being named as their choice was “positive, buoyant and welcomed.” However, Persad-Bissessar opted not to put forward a choice of nominee, but can do so before today’s 4pm submission deadline. The election is set for January 19 by the Electoral College.

Pleased with Government’s nominee for president, the Movement for Social Justice (MSJ) is hoping that Justice Paula-Mae Weekes restores the public’s confidence in the Office of the President and the Judiciary by appointing a new Chief Justice.

In the party’s first media conference of 2018, political leader David Abdulah said that the controversies involving Chief Justice Ivor Archie since former chief magistrate Marcia Ayers-Caesar was hired and fired as a judge, have brought the judiciary into disrepute.

“The choice of the Government of Justice Paula-Mae Weekes is a very commendable choice. We support Justice Paula-Mae Weekes as our next President.

“I think that she will bring a breath of fresh air and perhaps restore some sense of confidence in the Office of the President,” Abdulah said.

He continued: “The issue that the country faces is that we’re not now talking about whether all of the things that have been in the public domain reached the standard of impeachment of a chief justice.

“We’ve not said that because we don’t have all of the evidence, but quite clearly the Judiciary has been brought into disrepute. We said this just after the Marcia Ayers Caesar issue in a press conference.

“We said that we thought the position of the Chief Justice had become untenable because it created a crisis of confidence in the judiciary. It is not a new position and therefore we think that for the confidence in the institution to be restored, there needs to be a new Chief Justice.”

Recalling President Anthony Carmona’s inaugural speech in 2014, Abdulah said there was great hope among citizens.

Instead, his appointment was followed by controversies over his housing allowance and the costly importation of Italian wine. Like former President ANR Robinson, Carmona will only serve one term as President as opposed to the two terms served by Sir Ellis Clarke, Noor Hassanali and Prof George Maxwell Richards. Asked whether Carmona’s lone term was an indictment of his performance, Abdulah said that there was a general view that presidents change when there is a change in government.

He said the system of electing a president needs to change along with many other aspects of the Constitution.

Abdulah said it was just one of many crucial decisions that must be made in 2018, with the appointment of a new Commissioner of Police and a public procurement regulator due.

Issues that need to be dealt with include the poorly functioning sea and air bridge, the non-delivery of local government reform, which was promised since the 2016 local government elections, shortages in the public health system and the tardiness in the administration of justice.

While social media users continue to ridicule and share a video of a woman seen dancing nude in public, police said she has been diagnosed with depression.

Officers said it was not the first time that the woman exposed herself in public. It was only last Tuesday that police received a report of the woman dancing nude in the street in Stanleyville, Ste Madeleine.

They, along with an ambulance responded and the woman was treated by paramedics and allowed to return home. No charges were laid against the woman. Officers were told that she was earlier involved in a domestic dispute over infidelity, which resulted in her running into the road and stripping.

In another matter, Ste Madeleine police said there has been no leads into the discovery of bones found near the Solomon Hochoy Highway on Friday. Around 3 pm, two security officers attached to the Land Settlement Agency were checking on a parcel of land along Alamby Street, Ste Madeleine.

In the bushes, they found the bones that appeared to be human. Police responded and the bones were taken to the Forensic Science Centre for an examination.

Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley is confident that T&T’s economy will begin showing signs of recovery within 2018.

In his first national address since the start of the new year, Rowley last night provided an update on the state of negotiations between T&T and Venezuela.

Harking back to the Heads of Agreement signed between Venezuelan President Nicholas Maduro and himself in December 2016 followed by cooperation agreements in March 2017, Rowley revealed they were close to final sign-offs on a Gas Sales Agreement which would clear the way for operations of a pipeline from the Dragon Fields to the existing Hibiscus Platform involving PDVSA, NGC and Shell.

He said, “On completion of this historic bilateral development, the way will become clear for immediate access to 150m scf of much needed gas for the sustenance of our industrial plants in Point Lisas.”

Rowley continued, “Petrotrin has contributed significantly to the growth and development of T&T but is now in need of fundamental restructuring, which cannot be put off any longer.”

He revealed that a Cabinet-appointed committee, along with the new Board, had conducted various reviews of Petrotrin’s operations and identified structural problems which included, “Unwieldly operational structure and poor governance; declining crude oil production; declining productivity; escalating manpower costs; steadily increasing maintenance and capital costs; low refinery margins and poor asset quality.”

Continuing to provide the public with insight into the what the reality is, Rowley added, “A combination of these components with a 50 per cent decrease in the company’s revenues and a negative net working capital position has forced the company to resort to government-guaranteed revolving credit facilities to assist in the purchase of imported crude which is refined, at a continuous loss.”

Announcing that Petrotrin’s debt burden was now close to TT $15 billion, the Prime Minister said this included two loans amounting to US $850 million and US $750 million, which would mature in 2019 and 2022 respectively.

It was only last Wednesday that Cabinet received a series of presentations from the new Board on how Petrotrin would address the challenges in order to ensure its long-term sustainability.

Rowley said, “It is our intention to fix Petrotrin’s problems once and for all in 2018, so that the company can service its debt and taxes, thereby contributing to government’s revenue and the country’s development in the way that it should as well as providing job security for an adequate quota of high performing employees.”

Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley last night called on the nation to “spare a thought or prayer for individuals and families who have become victims of crime,” stating that the criminals elements having been making T&T into a living hell, as the country faces record killings.

Delivering his first wide-ranging address to the nation for 2018 titled Towards a Better Future for All Rowley first touched on crime, stating that the New Year had opened with reports of the continued murderous scourge in the country, as the pain of families who lost their loved ones at the hand of the criminals elements “is our pain.”

Urging citizens to “keep hope alive” in the fight against career violent criminals, Rowley said they were now seeing a new energy within the T&T Police Service.

Last year, Rowley said the Police Service, through its efforts, was able to confiscate 1,064 firearms and 1,800 rounds of ammunition while over 12,000 people arrested “yet we face almost record killings. We must, and we will, win this war on crime.”

On Sunday, the murder rate stood at 17 for the year.

In going forward, Rowley said new approaches are at work in the SSA and new energy which were beginning to infect the ranks of the TTPS, “as we have been seeing improvements in their response and directions”, noting though that many huge negatives still exist.

“We need to increase speed on all fronts so that we can get to that destination of safety and security which the population deserves. With appropriate leadership and effective actions all around, from the home to the Parliament, from the school yard to the police station, we will overcome the violent few who are determined to make hell out of this paradise which we all have inherited as our homeland.”

Cash-strapped Petrotrin currently owes the Government $2.75 million.

The figure was given by Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley last night in his address to the nation.

Rowley explained that due to the decline in petroleum prices and impact of the concessions, some petroleum companies have paid no corporation taxes over the last two years, which included Petrotrin.

“The chronic, financial difficulties at Petrotrin have further exacerbated this problem, because although Petrotrin produces over 50 per cent of the country’s oil, it is not paying its oil royalties and taxes in any timely manner, or at all, which is an unacceptable state of affairs that will not be allowed to continue in 2018,”

Currently Petrotrin, Rowley said owes “the Government $2.75 billion of which $588 million is SPT, a tax that only becomes due during times of high oil prices, yet it was not paid then,” Rowley said.

What this meant, Rowley said was that even as oil prices have rebounded somewhat, the structures in place conspire to ensure that the Government obtains precious little consequential increase in revenues.

A Special Reserve Police (SRP) officer among four men in police custody as police investigators probe the abduction a 21 year old Diego Martin man on Saturday.

The victim, identified as Nicholas Juman, managed to escape his attackers and made his way to a nearby police station.

The four suspects were arrested in Belmont following the incident which was caught on video in which Juman is seen being beaten and shoved into a white motorcar. The incident was reportedly videotaped by his friends who were at the car park of the Trinidad Hilton and Conference Centre.

In the video Juman is seen struggles with his abductors as they attempted to shove him into the trunk of a vehicle on the Lady Young Road.

Several vehicles passed but none of the drivers stopped to render assistance.

Juman, of Diego Martin Main Road, in Diego Martin, was the first person abducted in this country’s for 2018

They said quick thinking on his part led to his escape and the subsequent capture of his abductors.

According to reports, Juman was leaving the Hilton around 11 pm Saturday and as he was about to enter his friend’s vehicle a white Suzuki motorcar with four men pulled up and told him it was a hold-up.

Eyewitnesses said Juman immediately ran down the hill and onto the Lady Young Road where he was cornered. Video footage shows four men bundling him into the trunk of a vehicle.

But as the men drove off and began making their way around the Queen’s Park Savannah, Juman kicked his way out of the trunk, jumped out the moving vehicle, freeing himself near a night club. Despite receiving several injuries, he made his way to the Belmont Police Station.

Police said an All Points Bulletin was issued and officers from the Port- of- Spain Division Task Force and CID responded.

The police intercepted the vehicle on Hermitage Road in Belmont with the four suspects.

The four, including the 24- year- old SRP of Arima were taken into custody. The other men are said to be from Arima, D’Abadie and Aranguez.

Juman was taken to the Port- of- Spain General Hospital for treatment.

Police said the suspect face charges of kidnapping, robbery with violence and false imprisonment.

Head of Port- of-Spain CID acting Senior Supt Ajith Persad is heading the investigation.

Despite Government’s significant decline in revenue they were able to pay billions of dollars in backpay arrears to public servants in the last two years.

These payments, Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley said last night was never mentioned by the union movement, even as union leaders promised a tsunami of protests this year against the Government who have been retrenching public servants due to financial constraints.

Rowley explained that with the sharp drop in revenue, the Government was unable to immediately meet all the arrears of back-pay for Public Servants, left by the previous administration.

“Part of the expenditure splurge in 2014/2015 reflected a 14 per cent wage increase to public servants, which created an obligation for back pay, which was initially promised to be paid before the end of fiscal 2015.”

However, he said the Government managed to negotiate a solution with the relevant unions and have paid the billions of dollars over a two-year period.

“Incidentally, I have never heard this mentioned by a single labour leader, voices that are routinely condemnatory and accusatory where Government actions are concerned.”

In his address to the nation last night, Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley admitted that if the Government had not managed the economy prudently and make the necessary adjustments, the country would have been a more “arid and barren land.”

This was the message Rowley delivered to the population in his address titled Towards a Better Future for All as he spoke in detail about the tough measures his Government had to take in the last two years to keep the economy afloat.

“I wish to make it clear that I am fully aware of the impact of expenditure cuts on the macro and micro economy and the effect of these cuts on people. We know that it’s tough on everyone but there are few better or painless options. We just have to take our medicine and work hard towards the cure that we are confident can be had.”

He said Government also has the responsibility to take into account how much society could bear.

“And that is why we have decided to use some of our fiscal buffers, such as the Heritage and Stabilization Fund, for the purpose they were intended, and to spread out the adjustment over a period of time.”

Rowley spoke about the effects falling oil and gas prices have on the economy.

He said this was compounded as “overdrafts and available accounts in the Central Bank and the $16 billion investments retention at NGC had been used up, while the Green Fund had been mortgage and contractors’ debts were at an all time high.”

With their backs against the wall, Rowley said the Government had to make

tough and difficult decisions for our economic survival.

Prior to 2015, the PM said the previous Government had spent $7 billion per year subsidizing the cost of gasoline and diesel which had to be cut due to scarce funding.

This led to Government embarking on a fiscal consolidation programme to stabilise the economy and to control Government’s spending which had gone out of control when they assumed office, as T&T’s debt had increased by 70 per cent over 2010 to 2015 from $45 billion to $76 billion.

Between 2015 and 2017, Rowley said Government expenditure had been cut by 20 per cent which resulted in a significant knock-on effect on economic growth in the non-energy sector and led to delays in making payments to contractors and suppliers.

Two measures Government had to take were a seven per cent public expenditure cut and the removal of the fuel subsidies.

“I hope that consumers are not being exploited when maxi taxi owners continue to enjoy waivers from VAT, import duties and motor vehicle taxes on the purchase of their vehicles.What is not acceptable is that some maxi-taxi operators, using low-priced CNG, have increased their fares in step with diesel powered maxis, even though the price of CNG has not been increased.”

On the revenue side, Rowley said his Government took steps to restore the Value Added Tax which had been severely undermined in 2012 when 7,000 non-essential items were exempted from VAT, for purely political reasons.

“We reduced the rate from 15 per cent to 12.5 per cent to soften the impact on consumers.”

He said Government met its budget financing commitments with the aid for some one-off revenues in the form of extraordinary dividends from state enterprises, asset sales, the first ever draw down from the Heritage and Stabilisation Fund and relied upon the proceeds of a US$1 billion international bond placement.

As the economy began to contract, Rowley said Government had to announce a range of revenues measures among them the implementation of new and taxes.

Last year, plans were also put in place to implement the property tax which Rowley said was now faced with legal challenges, while there was a proposal to revise gambling and gaming tax legislation which was held up in a Joint Select Committee of Parliament.

The Government expects to make progress on these two items in 2018, Rowley said, including the introduction of the Revenue Authority of T&T.

“With our careful and measured approach, we have managed to keep our head above water and have the country running without social and economic chaos. I want to assure you, however, that in making these expenditure cuts, your Government has sought as far as possible to focus on cutting out waste and inefficiency, maintaining a balance and protecting the most vulnerable and preserving jobs.”

He said they have also declared war on corruption in the public sector.

“We have made significant progress in identifying white collar criminals and are tracking and holding to account individuals and entities that made fast and loose with public monies.A few of them are already on their way to the courthouse to answer for their dastardly actions.”

In April 2017, Rowley said the international rating agencies, Moody’s and Standards and Poor’s each downgraded T&T by one notch.

A Laventille man was arrested yesterday afternoon in connection with the double murder at Pelican Extension, Trou Macaque, Laventille, in which 15-year schoolboy Joshua Andrews and taxi driver Devon Hernandez were killed and their bodies burnt while trying to escape.

The suspect was held near the scene of the double killing and was taken to the Morvant Police Station where he was questioned last night. His homes were later searched.

In a statement last night, National Security Minister Edmund Dillon said the “Government strongly condemns this heinous act against innocent citizens.”

He said, “All law enforcement agencies are in direct and active engagement and together send a stern warning to the perpetrators that they will be found and made to feel the brunt of the law.”

According to police reports around 3 pm, two gunmen opened fire on a gold coloured Nissan Almera driven by Hernandez who police said was the intended target of the gunmen. The men cornered Hernandez who managed to evade them and sped off. The gunmen raced after him and opened fire again, this time causing his car to crash. While the car was stuck the gunmen riddled the car with bullets and escaped.

Hernandez, who crashed into a wall, never took his foot off the accelerator causing the car to burst into flames. He was burnt beyond recognition.

Andrews who was also burnt, was found crawling out of the back left door . Hernandez, a PH driver was transporting three children of the Morvant Laventille Secondary School when he was attacked by the men. Police said Hernandez was believed to have been somehow involved in the murder of Andrei Pereira, who was killed on Sunday night a few feet away from where his car crashed.

Pereira, 37, was shot dead near his home around 11 pm on Sunday night. Police could not give a motive for the killing.

His father Loui, spoke with the media at the Forensic Sciences Centre, St James yesterday hours before the double murder.

The senior Pereira, told the media his son, the second of nine children, told his mother and stepmother that he was going to pray more and drink less for the new year.

Speaking at the scene of the double murder yesterday, relatives of Andrews, of Critchlow Trace, Chinapoo Village, Morvant, said the teen was accustomed to walking home and was surprised he took a taxi home. The relatives at the time they were unsure it was Andrews as two other schoolmates of his were in the vehicle at the time. They escaped injuries.

In an unrelated killing, police suspect robbery may have been the motive behind the killing of Nicholas Hoyte, 28, whose decomposing body was found on Saturday night at Petersfield Road around 11.30 pm. He was last seen alive on Thursday.

Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar has warned Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley that T&T could face bankruptcy in 2018, unless the Government changes its direction, fixes its plans and reorders its priorities.

Persad-Bissessar sounded the warning at a press conference yesterday as she responded to Rowley’s address to the nation on Sunday night. She said she was “disappointed and disheartened” by what she heard in his message as it brought no hope for the country’s citizens, nor did it outlined the Government’s plans and initiatives.

She described Rowley’s address as a “regurgitation and rehash” of several broken promises.

“In an address to the nation at the start of 2018 we have the Prime Minister as a cry-baby... 28 months after he came into office…blame the previous government. It’s time to stop the crying and take charge,” Persad-Bissessar urged Rowley.

Since assuming office, Persad-Bissessar said Rowley’s Government has been running fiscal deficits, public debt soared and the overdraft at the Central Bank had been maxed out. Nor has there been any economic development.

“They have also increased their borrowing ceiling from the Central Bank. The Government has also been borrowing at higher and higher levels. They have failed to account to the people with regards to the billions of dollars they have spent.”

In 2016, she said T&T experienced its sharpest economic contraction in decades.

In the midst of pressures being put on citizens, she said Rowley has been urging the population to keep their hope alive.

Persad-Bissessar said if the Government does not move to stabilise “public debt I can see by April of this year Standards and Poor’s is likely to down our credit rating to junk status.”

This would affect how foreign investors view our economic management.

Persad-Bissessar said while Rowley promised a ferry for Tobago in the coming weeks, no one knows if it was bought, leased and at what cost.

She said more transparency was needed in this matter.

The Tobago Division of the Chamber of Industry and Commerce says it is “happy” that the Government saw it in its “wisdom to purchase a brand new fast ferry,” for the sea bridge.

Chairman of the Tobago Division Demi John Cruickshank said the Chamber is hoping that the vessel would be in operation very quickly, “we are hoping it can arrive before the carnival season and be put into operation almost immediately.”

Cruickshank said the Chamber is also hoping that at the meeting with the Prime Minister on January 22 they will get additional information including “what is the name of the ferry, how soon the ferry would be here, how soon it would be in operation, the size of the ferry, the capacity of the ferry, the speed of the ferry.”

He said they are also hoping to get additional details on the Prime Minister’s announcement about the construction of the airport terminal building.

The Chamber wants answers on “what is the proposed structure for the terminal building and when construction will begin.” They will also seek answers on the Prime Minister’s plans for the economic development of Tobago.

Cruickshank said the Chamber was satisfied that their request for Finance Minister Colm Imbert to be present at the meeting has been met.

Also attending the meeting will be chief secretary of the Tobago House of Assembly Kelvin Charles.

The meeting will take place at the Magdalena Hotel.

The announcement of the construction of the terminal building and the purchase of a new vessel for the sea bridge were made by the Prime Minister in his address to the nation on Sunday night.

Rowley said the vessel was purchased in Asia and will arrive in the country in the coming weeks. He did not provide details on who conducted the sea trials and who was the agent who sourced the vessel for the government.