The Unforgettable Tour - Trinidad
CLICO together with Universal Concerts Limited presents The Unforgettable Tour
The Unforgettable Tour brings together for the first time on stage, the legendary Bachchans — Amitabh Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan who will be remembered as Miss World 1994. Also participating in the concert are Akshay Kumar, Preity Zinta and Riteish Deshmukh. Choreography is by Shiamak Davar, with music provided by Vishal-Shekhar.
The Trinidad and Tobago performance is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on July 20, 2008 at the Queen’s Park Oval. The concert has been travelling the world this year, playing in major cities including Toronto, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Houston, New York, London and Amsterdam.
Spain Warns Against Nigerians
The Spanish Embassy issued some advice to Trinidad & Tobago nationals, warning them not be drawn into a bogus lottery, they also stated that several Nigerians resident in Spain are scamming millions of foreigners out of millions of euros (dollars) by creating fabricated games that allow for individuals to place bets in the hope of winning lucrative prizes.
The Spanish Ambassador to Trinidad & Tobago, Fernando de la Serna stressed that there has been extensive fraudulent activity by false Spanish entities that claim to award prizes to foreign nationals. He advised the nationals of Trinidad & Tobago not to release funds that may have been requested, and said those who have already been scammed should contact the Embassy at: emb.trinidad@maec.es and the information would be forwarded to the authorities in Spain.
Ambassador De la Serna revealed that the individuals involved in the scam where not Spanish nationals, but nigerians who reside in Spain.
I can tell you that the situation has been going on for months and many locals (Trinidad and Tobago nationals) have called the Embassy and complained,” said Ambassador De la Serna.
De la Serna could not confirm if any national had sent money to Spain, but he said however that Consular officers where investigating the complaints forwarded. The Ambassador assured all those concerned that the matter was being dealt with by the Spanish authorities who continue to take action on reports of embezzlement, the relevant documents have been sent to law enforcement officials.
He advised that betting games in Spain are managed exclusively by the state company Loterias y Apuestas del Estado (LAE) which falls under the country’s Ministry of Economy and Finance. The points of sale for the lotteries are located exclusively on Spanish territory and the system does not award prizes abroad.
Spanish lottery is not sold outside Spanish territory, and finally it is not possible to be eligible for a prize if one did not take part in the game previously,” said the statement. The embassy also said information could be obtained at LAE’s website: http://onlaw.terra.es.
Millions of Euros are paid in weekly, from individuals who play several lotteries in Spain, which also include a game called Primitiva, which has a payout of approximately TT$20 Million. There are similar lotteries are also played in which the proceeds go to blind charities and so on.
A quick search on the online search engine Google, lists several companies in spain which are linked to a fake lottery scam. According to CrossLoop.com, there have been several fraudulent online scams that have been orchestreated by nigerians, according to the Spanish Authorities. It identifies one scam which goes by the name of ‘419′ which was named after a law in Nigeria, under which fraudsters are prosecuted.
Emails are currently circulating, and affecting millions of people. Countries from Europe and Asia persons are tricked into sending money via wire transfer. When contacted Local Fraud Squad officials said they were not informed about the fake Spanish lottery and could not comment on the advisory from the Embassy.
Desperate Houseflies, Trinidad
A music documentary depicting the lives of 5 musicians as they record their fourth full length album “The January Transfer Window” at a beach house in Mayaro, Trinidad. Desperate Houseflies is a valuable documentry, showcasing a hardworking band that deserves to tell its story. Directed by: Walt Lovelace Length 37mins
Trinidad & Tobago Is Too Rich For That Deal
Trinidad & Tobago has been removed as a beneficiary developing country for the purposes of the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) because in recent times this country has become too rich to qualify for the US preferential trade deal.
The U.S. Generalized System of Preferences (GSP), a program designed to promote economic growth in the developing world, provides preferential duty-free entry for more than 4,650 products from 131 designated beneficiary countries and territories.
President George W Bush, said that he was terminating Trinidad & Tobago’s appointment to the GSP as a beneficiary developing country, in a letter to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and President of the United States Senate, from there the information was revealed.
The United States President stated that the removal from the programme was due to this country becoming an exceptionally high income country, from information he received from World Bank statistics. Citing Section 502(f) of the Trade act of 1974, he said:
Section 502(e) of the 1974 Act, provides that the President shall terminate the designation of a country as a beneficiary developing country for purposes of the GSP if the President determines that such country has become a ‘high income’ country as defined by the official statistics of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development” (World Bank).
I have determined that Trinidad and Tobago has become a ‘high income’ country, and I am terminating the designation of that country as a beneficiary developing country for purposes of the GSP, effective January 1, 2010.
Economists in Trinidad & Tobago have long predicted that Trinidad & Tobago will soon be removed from the programme, because our Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has grown so fast and increased at such a rate that warrants the removal from the preferential programme Generalized System of Preferences.
Trinidad & Tobago’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita has increased and it currently stands at US$18,300.00 (2007 est) in the last four years this country’s economy has experienced the biggest ever increase in the Caribbean, the new per capita rate might rank fourth in the Western Hemisphere.
The fact is that once a country has increased its economic status from low- to middle income, its placement on the GSP is no longer warranted, the fact that Trinidad & Tobago has been on this programme for such a long time and our Gross Domestic Product has been high for quite some years now, it only helped this country become even more wealthy.
What does the termination from the GSP mean for Trinidad & Tobago?
All the termination means is that certain benefits, such as aid and the typical assistances from the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund is more or less moved away from, because they are no longer needed or even considered as a form of financing. As the country further diversifies its economy and ventures into different and more sophisticated sectors, such as:
- Agriculture
- Advanced Technology
- Film and Television
- Finance - Commercial Banking and Investment
- Media and Entertainment
- Business Manufacturing
- Knowledge Based
- Eco-Industrial
- Eco-Tourism
- And much more
However the energy sector alone has contributed so much to this country’s economy, thrusting it forward as the economic powerhouse of the region, the credit rating is the best in Latin America & the Caribbean. Trinidad & Tobago has massive vibrant reserves of Liquefied Natural Gas and Petroleum, which have over the years fueled so much into the economy.
We have moved away from aid flows a long time ago, foreign investment has more than tripled in the past year, especially with huge American businesses, signing on to this country’s International Financial Centre, set to open this September. Lehman Brothers, Merrill Lynch, Gravitas Capital Advisors Inc and the global investment firm Small Enterprise Assistance Funds (SEAF) all signed unto the TTIFC. In addition to this companies from Europe, East Asia and the Middle East have also expressed interest.
Food for thought - Doubles
Dear Trini’s,
We have reached a point in our economy where we are being separated. This is not good nor is it bad but rather a fact. Some of us are middle class and are now heading to High class or Low class (Rich or Poor). The same goes for the doubles man. He also has children and bills to pay. He also wants a future for his children. Personally I rather the doubles man have educated children than have them lead a life of crime, just like you would prefer for your own children. If the doubles man wants to raise his price, then he should. Just remember that he also has a grocery bill that includes more than just flour. So when his cost of doubles went up, it is not because “flour raise”. It’s because “Everything Raise”.
On the other hand, Doubles is not a need in life and some of us, INCLUDING MYSELF, has come to realise that buying doubles now, will mean that we are living beyond our means. If this is not accepted by yourselves then I suggest you change the world. Just Remember Corned Beef was once a poor man’s food at one time.
In closing, I would like to suggest that all who still find this rise in the price of doubles to be unfair should take it upon themselves to sell doubles and satisfy us with your cheap prices.
WASA
As a “Paying” Customer, I would like to exercise my right to question the recent “rise” in rates. A letter was sent by WASA to all VAT registered Companies to notify them that they will have to pay in excess of $450.00 every month. This would lead me to think that there must have been some sort of investigation done to lead to this increase? In recent news, we have been reading about WASA’s extensive 30Billion dollar investment to spread over ten years. Also in the news is the fact that WASA has a serious problem with non paying customers. Am I to understand that this is the main reason for the increase? I cannot understand why it is that we “Trinidadians” continue to pay for the faults of rest of the country. It is my understanding that our country has become very populated with Companies forming over night, especially since early this decade when contractors were advised by their employers that they had to form their own Company in order to get paid tax-free. This came about when the budget stated that all employers are to be held responsible for all income tax shortfalls on behalf on their employees. As you may know, Contractors do not work for the same money every month and taxes that may have been justified in January may not be justified in December. This results in Contractors forming their own Company so as to pay the accurate taxes at the end of the year. There is also the great need for Contractors of every type in this Country, which would mean that there is, even more Companies forming here in Trinidad. Not to mention all the Contracts that our Government is handing out to people. These people, I would expect, has formed their own Company as well.
Now I plead with you to understand and reflect upon yourself, and view this situation as being biased and unfair. I could form a VAT registered Company in the morning and it may take about 1 month and many Trinidadians have done so. Are you telling me that based on the fact that someone has a Company VAT registered, which may have a total of ONE full time employee, has to now cover for WASA shortfalls in their receivable department? This I see as not only Bold but also it is a way to stop someone’s ambition to improve their status in life. Many youths and x-working class Trinidadians have ambitiously formed their own Company for the better of their life and Family. This is just saying that we do not have the right to do so unless we are prepared to pay in excess of $450.00 per month. Thank you for improving the ambition of this Country WASA.
Further more, forget your research, and forget your goals in expanding, and look at the reality of these Companies. If I register a Company in the morning, the main thing I would need is an address; the only address I could give them is my home address. Now let’s say that I am into sales. Exactly how much more water do you think I am actually going to use? For this I would say, to make things even, addresses that contain a registered office should be metered. I have also seen a tender in the papers for these meters. That was quick! Send letter, Start charging high rates, THEN decide to buy meters. Beautifully planned! Now when you debate this and request a meter, there is none.
I would also like to note that we have been patient with WASA, I would say, our whole life. If this increase per month is paid, would you guarantee that we will receive water every day, 24hrs a day? Or is it going to be the same arrangement where the water is cut off so others can have? Others? Do I take the same biased approach that WASA took to describe the others as addresses with non registered businesses? It is a fact that we have a water distribution problem here because we don’t get water every day. This I believe to be a shortfall of WASA and not VAT registered Companies. Where is the water that we paid for all these years? And now they ask us to pay higher rates without debate? This I consider to be communist like.
So in ending I would like to state that this WASA customer “HAS NO CHOICE” but to pay in excess of $450.00 per month rate until they install a meter so that I can then pay the actual, much reduced rate, based on our consumption and not on your “biased” assessment of what we can afford.
