Morning Edition: 25th June 2024

CCNTV6

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Transcript

00:00:00And a very special good morning Trinidad and Tobago and the rest of the world. I'm Marlon

00:00:17Hopkins and as always welcome to The Morning Edition. It's Tuesday, June 25th and thank

00:00:21you very much for joining us this morning. Isn't the year just speeding? To me it's just

00:00:26like after carnival or you know that period there, February, March, then the year that

00:00:33just speeds along, right? So we are into the rainy season. You all experienced that shower

00:00:40at around four o'clock this morning. So yeah, so while many of you were just pulling the

00:00:46cover over yourself, I was moving the cover from on me to come down to work this morning.

00:00:52So a very special good morning to all of you. A very special good morning to all of the

00:00:56early risers, yeah? You are very, very, very special people, you know. I have to start

00:01:00a union for you all so you all can get an increase, yeah? Studio, I know you all would

00:01:05like that. All right, let's check out to see what's happening on the Daily Express today.

00:01:13Lynette on the fire. Lawyers question lat president following email explaining role

00:01:18in a ward of senior council. We'll get to that story. And amazing feeling to represent

00:01:22this country. Proud parents, Miss World Trinidad and Tobago 2024, Annalise Nanton. Santa proudly

00:01:29receives a congratulatory kiss from her parents, Nicholas Nanton and Heather Johnston after

00:01:34she was crowned on Sunday night at Napa, Keats Street in Port of Spain. The 26-year-old geotechnical

00:01:39engineer told the Express, it's an amazing feeling to have the opportunity to represent

00:01:45this country. And Farley wants to spend $4 billion budget. So lat under fire over silica

00:01:52awards. The Law Association of Trinidad and Tobago and its president Lynette Ciboran-Sweet

00:01:57have come under fire following an email to the membership signed by her in which she

00:02:02sought to explain her role in the process of the award of senior council status this

00:02:07year. Last week, 14 of 16 attorneys were conferred silk by President of the Republic. All right,

00:02:14their award sparked fresh debate and criticism of the process, which falls under the remit

00:02:19of the Prime Minister and Attorney General. All right, so we're moving on to some sport

00:02:24now. Deaf touch. West Indies' Ravman Powell looks to guide the ball past wicketkeeper

00:02:31Quinton de Kock during their T20 World Cup Super 8 match against South Africa at the

00:02:37Sir Vivian Richard Stadium in North Sound, Antigua late Sunday. Heartbreak, but Powell

00:02:44praises Wendy's effort despite T20 World Cup exit. We haven't won the World Cup, but

00:02:50there was a lot of improvement. That was the sober reflection of West Indies' kipper Ravman

00:02:56Powell after the disappointing or the disappointment of failing to advance to the semifinals of

00:03:02the ICC Men's T20 World Cup on home soil. All right, so that's what's happening in sport

00:03:09and more so cricket. All right, so it's time to remind you of our train bagel, your nice

00:03:13feature. Remember to participate. WhatsApp your videos or images to 737-3778. What do

00:03:19we have for our viewers this morning? A lovely picture there. That's a nice picture. It's

00:03:24from where? Tobago? All right. Yeah. And we are featuring Tobago this morning, right?

00:03:31So a very special good morning to the person who would have sent that to us. Again, that's

00:03:36an orchid. It looks like an orchid. Not so? Yeah. All right. Yeah, I know the flowers.

00:03:42I know them. All right. So you have a coffee, your tea, get something to eat. We're coming

00:03:48back, everybody. Give them some music as we go.

00:03:55My name is Dr. Stephen Carroll, the CEO at Community Hospital of Seventh Day Adventist,

00:04:13and we are committed to making good private health care affordable. For all your medical

00:04:19needs, including dental, radiology, laparoscopy, behavioral and mental health, along with many

00:04:24other services, contact us for more information at 235-54-70. At Community Hospital of Seventh

00:04:33Day Adventist, where good private health care is affordable.

00:04:55There are many ways to say I love you without words. I love you. That makes him sleep before

00:05:02you. The I love you that protects. The I love you that creates space to learn. The I love

00:05:10you that takes care of almost every detail. And of course, the I love you that nurtures.

00:05:17Mom, thank you for the everyday I love you.

00:05:21Clem, love is not a word. It's an act.

00:05:33Shut up! I've had enough of all of you. You ungrateful.

00:05:38I've had enough of you. You took us from our countries, and of course pretend to have us

00:05:42working day and night like slaves, and expect us to be grateful?

00:05:51I'm serious.

00:05:57Just allow us to leave, please. Give us our passports, and allow us to leave.

00:06:03You confirm our things are free to leave? If you step one foot out of here, I will cede

00:06:11that immigration sends you back to whatever hell you came from.

00:06:16If you know of or suspect human trafficking activity, call the counter-trafficking hotline

00:06:22at 800-4CTU or 800-4288. Human trafficking is a crime.

00:06:29Identify it. Report it. Stop it.

00:06:32A message from the counter-trafficking unit of the Ministry of National Security.

00:06:46A Caribbean party, the entire region together, in one big splashdown fiesta.

00:07:00A Caribbean connection, a regional vibration.

00:07:08I say we jam in to the songs of the Caribbean. We groovin' to Calypso and Silver.

00:07:28This jam gonna be ivory.

00:07:32Alright, so welcome back. Very good song there. A very special good morning to Chris.

00:07:36It's Chris who is choosing the music this morning? Yeah?

00:07:40Very good music to give us some energy on this cold morning in Trinidad and Tobago because of the weather.

00:07:46Alright, so we're heading to Tobago now.

00:07:48Chief Secretary Farley Augustin wants the government to allocate $3.9 billion to Tobago.

00:07:54In delivering his budget in the THA yesterday, Mr. Augustin said,

00:07:57significant revenue streams were generated in Tobago, but are collected in Trinidad.

00:08:02On the line this morning is Chief Technical Advisor to the Division of Finance, Mr. Anselm Richards.

00:08:08Mr. Richards, good morning.

00:08:10Good morning, madam. Good morning, sir.

00:08:12Yes, Mr. Richards. Yes, it's always good to see you, Mr. Richards.

00:08:18Well, Mr. Richards, the Chief Secretary said a number of things yesterday,

00:08:23and judging from what he said, I think it is safe to say that Tobago wants its piece of the pie.

00:08:30Well, definitely.

00:08:32Equity and fairness requires a fair and appropriate discussion.

00:08:38And I think the case previously made during the budget discussion is historical,

00:08:45and it was presented based on the decision of the parliament,

00:08:49and also in reference to this year's recommendation.

00:08:53We also meet the current self-government position

00:08:59of the proposed legislative preparation for the United States government,

00:09:066.9 percent, and we are asking now for 8 percent, which is less than what was proposed.

00:09:15All right. Mr. Richards, just hold the line for a little while for us,

00:09:20because we're having great difficulty in hearing you.

00:09:23Madam Producer, if we can get, because I know that Mr. Richards,

00:09:28the area that he is in, we're not hearing him very well.

00:09:32So if you can speak to him off-air and see if we can correct that

00:09:36before we move on with Mr. Richards,

00:09:39because it would be a disservice to you, our viewers,

00:09:42and a disservice to Mr. Richards if we can't hear him.

00:09:45All right. So let's get back to this story,

00:09:50the issue at hand, what we are speaking about.

00:09:53So the Chief Secretary, one of the headlines of a newspaper this morning,

00:09:57Farley slams votes against goals for Tobago,

00:10:00traitors and sellouts, Tobago House of Assembly Chief Secretary Farley Augustin

00:10:04has labeled as traitors and sellouts,

00:10:06Tobagonians who do not share his administration's goals

00:10:09in its relentless pursuit of Tobago's autonomy.

00:10:14Anybody who disagrees with defining Tobago

00:10:17in the Constitution of Trinidad and Tobago is not a real Tobagonian.

00:10:21Such a person must be treated as a sellout and a traitor.

00:10:24He said yesterday to loud desk thumping

00:10:27as he delivered his three and a half hour,

00:10:30$4 billion budget presentation yesterday

00:10:33in the Tobago House of Assembly in Scarborough.

00:10:36All right. I believe we do have Mr. Richards now.

00:10:40Mr. Richards, good morning again.

00:10:42Thank you very much for staying with us.

00:10:45All right, Mr. Richards, we're hearing you better now.

00:10:49So, Mr. Richards, as I asked you earlier,

00:10:53it would seem that Tobago wants its piece of the pie.

00:10:57Well, it's only fair, Marlon. This is a Twin Island Republic.

00:11:01We have been contributing. We have been contributing

00:11:04in all aspects of the revenue generation streams in Trinidad and Tobago.

00:11:08We have a population that is over 5% of the population.

00:11:11And if we start from that perspective,

00:11:13we should have informed the IRC recommendation in 2000.

00:11:17I think the minimum share we should be receiving

00:11:19from the national budget is 5.8%.

00:11:22We have asked for that, and I think it is a fair, reasonable ask.

00:11:26We forecast what the national budget will likely to be.

00:11:31We arrive at $65.8 billion.

00:11:35When we do the arithmetic from that,

00:11:38the outcome is that we are asking for

00:11:42$65.9 billion as a representative share

00:11:45of 5.8% of the national budget,

00:11:48which translates to $5.8 of every proposed $100 expenditure

00:11:52for fiscal 2025.

00:11:56Now, the Chief Secretary also said yesterday, Mr. Richards,

00:12:00that significant or significant revenue streams were generated in Tobago,

00:12:04but were collected in Trinidad.

00:12:06Let's talk a little bit about these significant revenues

00:12:09that, not for the first time, the Chief Secretary is speaking about.

00:12:13So, we have a number of things happening.

00:12:16Tobago suddenly proposed and recommended by law

00:12:19that companies operating in Tobago must pay their taxes in Tobago.

00:12:23That has not been materialized in the interest of Tobago.

00:12:27So, all the banks and other corporate entities

00:12:31and companies with head office in Trinidad,

00:12:35they pay their corporate taxes in Trinidad.

00:12:37And that is a significant hit on the tax revenue collection in Tobago.

00:12:41Also, when we have importation of goods from abroad,

00:12:45the declaring of those goods and the charges on those goods

00:12:49are paid in Trinidad.

00:12:53So, we have those issues to sort out in terms of really arriving

00:12:57in the revenue generation capability of Tobago.

00:13:01And there are also carbon dioxide, oil and gas being exploited

00:13:05in waters close to Tobago.

00:13:07And the revenue from those processes are classified as Trinidad and Tobago revenue.

00:13:11So, at the end of the day, the country is Trinidad and Tobago.

00:13:15And I don't think that we... I don't really buy...

00:13:19I don't really buy the revenue argument the way some people want to play it out.

00:13:25The fact of the matter is that this country is Trinidad and Tobago.

00:13:28And if we have five persons in Tobago and 25 in Tobago,

00:13:33we need to apportion the pie based on that kind of configuration

00:13:37as the baseline for the distribution of the resources in Trinidad and Tobago.

00:13:41But more than that...

00:13:45And let me just make this point.

00:13:49If you go to the law that establishes the THE,

00:13:53it makes provision for certain conditions to be considered

00:13:57when the parliament is deciding what is a fair and appropriate share

00:14:01of the national pie that should be given to the Tobago Office Assembly.

00:14:05It spokes of the separation of Tobago by sea

00:14:09from the centre of economic activity in Tobago,

00:14:13the lack of opportunities for self-carry fulfilment,

00:14:17the lack of opportunity to participate in the major sporting activities

00:14:21and universities in Trinidad and Tobago.

00:14:25So, all those things are things that we need...

00:14:29We need them significantly because of this situation.

00:14:33When Tobagonians who have the ability to come to Trinidad to attend university

00:14:37and to go to teacher's college, they don't return because they discover

00:14:41wives and husbands in Trinidad and we have now in Trinidad, Tobago's case,

00:14:45we have more first and second generation Tobagonians living in Trinidad

00:14:49than those who are living on the island.

00:14:53And that has seriously impacted Tobago's ability to self-actualise and to develop.

00:14:57Mr Richards, let's look at some of the challenges,

00:15:01the financial challenges of Tobago.

00:15:05In making this case by the Chief Secretary

00:15:09for this $3.9 billion,

00:15:13he wants it to address certain challenges,

00:15:17he wants it to do certain things in Tobago.

00:15:21Let's deal with that a little bit.

00:15:25Right. So, Marlon, we have to come to the place

00:15:29to recognise that Tobago is part of the national economy

00:15:33or the Tobago economy as a matter of fact is part of the national economy

00:15:37of Trinidad and Tobago. We have been speaking to the issue of diversification of the national

00:15:41economy for decades. Tobago lends itself

00:15:45to a very exciting project for all of us as Trinidadians and Tobagonians

00:15:49in terms of the development and expansion and modernisation of the tourism sector

00:15:53in Trinidad and Tobago. If you look across the region, we have those countries

00:15:57that are tourism-based economies are performing better than our

00:16:01gas-based economy currently. And therefore, Trinidad and Tobago

00:16:05has to make the investment in the development of the Tobago economy

00:16:09for the country to benefit and to arrive at that

00:16:13escaping ideal of diversification for decades.

00:16:17So in that context, we are asking for that kind of money

00:16:21in terms of, let us go to the development acts. We are asking for

00:16:25$1.002 billion to deal with some critical development infrastructure on the island.

00:16:29Our road infrastructure has been severely damaged

00:16:33at the end of 2022 by the inclement weather that we experienced.

00:16:37So even the main archery from Scarborough to Charlottesville,

00:16:41there is a significant landslide in a very challenging area that is called Badrock.

00:16:45And that is close from where I am. And that needs to be

00:16:49restored to restore the integrity of the road that will offer comfort and safety

00:16:53to commuters, locals and visitors alike. And that's one of the projects

00:16:57the Claude Noel Highway has iterated significantly

00:17:01in certain areas structurally. And there's a need for a program to deal with that.

00:17:05Our secondary road show, the island needs upliftment. There's a program,

00:17:09there's an ask for that. We have a number of initiatives

00:17:13in the tourism sector to build out our community-based tourism economies that we are trying

00:17:17to do in Tobago to improve the product, to improve the tourism

00:17:21infrastructure. The Tobago House Assembly have just

00:17:25about to purchase the Culloden estate that

00:17:29comes with approval for hotel development.

00:17:33And that is a right asset for

00:17:37PPP, private partnership development

00:17:41activity as part of our investment strategy.

00:17:46The agricultural sector, we have to deal with food security

00:17:50and food sovereignty. We are targeting to increase the Tobago production

00:17:54in terms of the poultry and the boiler sector.

00:17:58And we have a program to deal with that. We want to put in the enabling infrastructure

00:18:02that will assist the sector and the industry to grow. We want to provide

00:18:06support to our agro-processors to put foods, locally produced food

00:18:10on the shelves. Not only in Tobago, but on the supermarket shelves in Trinidad

00:18:14and Tobago, we have programs. We want to uplift

00:18:18technology and science and smart agricultural technology,

00:18:22smart climate technology in our agricultural sector. Those things

00:18:26attract significant costs. We want to also deal with

00:18:30the institutional capabilities and capacity of the

00:18:34THA as a governing institution. That requires significant

00:18:38investment to modernize government operation. And may I say,

00:18:42government in Trinidad and Tobago, the current construct of public administration

00:18:46does not lend itself to support any

00:18:50modern form of government. And we quarrel in this country every day

00:18:54and the governments of Trinidad and Tobago are not prepared to make the kind of

00:18:58transformative investment that is required to deal with public service efficiency

00:19:02and effectiveness. The police service.

00:19:06I see that an argument has been made again by the Chief Secretary

00:19:10as it relates to Tobago's autonomy.

00:19:14Augustine called for the strengthening and reforming of the governance arrangement

00:19:18saying that Tobago's constitutional rights and entitlements must not be fettered

00:19:22by the Constitution of Trinidad and Tobago and called for removal of constitutional

00:19:26constraints to Tobago's autonomy. I believe that last time we spoke

00:19:30Mr. Richards, you also spoke about autonomy for Tobago.

00:19:34Well, that's a foundational

00:19:38issue. And that's an issue that has kept Tobago

00:19:42struggling. I wouldn't want to use the term

00:19:46confrontational relationship, but the strained relationship between Trinidad and Tobago.

00:19:50My Lord, a people is only free when they are

00:19:54governed by their own law. And we have to be afforded

00:19:58the constitutional right to make laws and regulations

00:20:02to regulate and govern the way we live in Tobago

00:20:06in the context of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. We are not asking to make laws for the country.

00:20:10We are saying Tobago is a unique economy.

00:20:14It is a unique population. There are things that need regulation

00:20:18that may not necessarily require the same type of regulations

00:20:22in Trinidad. Tobago must be afforded the

00:20:26opportunity to regulate its socioeconomic development.

00:20:30We talk about the amount of revenue Tobago collects, but Tobago

00:20:34has no fiscal authority on what we can tax and what we cannot tax.

00:20:38We may decide in terms of our tourism sector

00:20:42we want to do a room tax that is 30%.

00:20:46The government in Trinidad and Tobago will have to

00:20:50come to Parliament and go to Mr. Imbert and ask him to raise the room tax

00:20:54in the hotel industry to 30%. Tobago may require

00:20:58therefore Tobago needs the legislative and

00:21:02constitutional arrangement that we can regulate those things in the context of how we want to

00:21:06transform and build a sustainable economy going forward. We have been denied that

00:21:10all our lives since 1962

00:21:14because we have accepted and inherited a colonial construct of a

00:21:18constitution where the colonial power is now the central government

00:21:22as it relates to Tobago and Tobago operating in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.

00:21:26That has to be rectified to bring constitutional stability

00:21:31to the nation that is Trinidad and Tobago.

00:21:35We have to accept our constitutional...

00:21:37But you think in recent times, in recent years, there has been

00:21:41a trend towards giving Tobago

00:21:45more autonomy, more power to address its own affairs?

00:21:49There has been a trend.

00:21:53There is an acceptance of that from

00:21:571976-1977 when the motion was passed in the Parliament

00:22:01in the days of A&R Robinson and Dr Winston Murray

00:22:05and there has been incremental improvement in the situation

00:22:09and even the legislation that was brought

00:22:13to the Parliament by the partnership government in

00:22:172013 and the one that the current PNM administration

00:22:21in the central government brought in 2019, I think it was

00:22:25or 2021.

00:22:292019, I could find it in the book. But the point I'm making is that

00:22:33they themselves have recognized the need for

00:22:37constitutional transformation and they have brought legislation.

00:22:41And in the case of Tobago, we have found that the legislation did not go far enough.

00:22:45But the fact of the matter is that they themselves, by their own doing,

00:22:49demonstrated to the world an expression that there is a need for constitutional

00:22:53transformation to empower Tobago to do the things that it needs to do. To improve the lives of Tobagoans

00:22:57to improve the economic capability of Tobagoans and also that

00:23:01Tobagoans can live and regulate themselves under the laws that they think are

00:23:05necessary for them to live under. But is Tobago

00:23:09prepared for the autonomy it speaks about?

00:23:13Are there the relevant structures in place? Do you think that enough work has been

00:23:17done over the years? So let's say

00:23:21there is, how do I say, an acceptance

00:23:25by the central government to give Tobago

00:23:29its autonomy. Can Tobago stand

00:23:33on its own two feet?

00:23:37Well, autonomy does not necessarily mean stands on your own two feet.

00:23:41We are still part of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and it matters

00:23:45and issues that transcend the geopolitical space

00:23:49that will have to be regulated by the central government because whether we like it or not,

00:23:53Trinidad and Tobago are Siamese twins as a nation, as a republic

00:23:57and they will be matters. And the point I'm making is that

00:24:01they are matters of the day-to-day operation and

00:24:05livelihood of Tobago that needs to be exclusively regulated

00:24:09by the island government of Tobago. And those

00:24:13said matters will be regulated by the central government for the people of Trinidad

00:24:17and there will be matters, overlapping matters, that needs

00:24:21to be operated, is what we call a matter of intergovernmental affairs

00:24:25where the two governments of Trinidad and Tobago will work out those matters.

00:24:29And let us take an example, the sea bridge that is impacting

00:24:33both Trinidad and Tobago, that is a matter for intergovernmental affairs.

00:24:37Then there will be matters for which the central government will be exclusively responsible

00:24:41for in Tobago and Trinidad and Tobago.

00:24:45So there is a structure for these things to happen seamlessly. This is not a

00:24:49new issue, it has happened in other jurisdictions before

00:24:53and therefore we are not reinventing the wheel. And may I ask the question

00:24:57was Trinidad and Tobago ready for independence in 1962?

00:25:01And if we look back at our journey, we may say probably we didn't

00:25:05read it because we still have a lot of challenges happening with our

00:25:09leaders and so forth and we have made significant strides. We have made

00:25:14significant achievements as a nation.

00:25:18But some could say that we were not in 1962.

00:25:22I think Mr. Richards that sometimes when we discuss autonomy for Tobago

00:25:26that some people sometimes they mix it up

00:25:30with secession and I get the impression that is not

00:25:34we are speaking about. We are not speaking about secession, it's autonomy we are

00:25:38speaking about. And as I said, people tend to mix them up.

00:25:42Yes, and you are right because even in the United States

00:25:46there is a federal constitution

00:25:50and every single state in the United States has a constitution.

00:25:54It's a similar arrangement. We can have that worked out

00:25:58in Trinidad and Tobago that affords the people

00:26:02to be able to regulate their space. And Trinidad regulating space

00:26:06and then we have a government and the same central government can

00:26:10regulate the space that is defined in certain areas as Trinidad and Tobago

00:26:14the central government will remain, the agency through which our foreign

00:26:18affairs and our international interface with the rest of the world

00:26:22is executed. But within the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago

00:26:26we can carve out a constitutional arrangement that affords the people of Tobago

00:26:30the right to determine their destiny within the republic.

00:26:34And that right is a human right.

00:26:38I want people to start asking whether we are ready or not.

00:26:42That right to self-determination extends

00:26:46to the point where they say we have a right to mismanage ourselves.

00:26:50You know Mr. Richards, over the years

00:26:54there has been some criticism of this administration

00:26:58this THA administration when it comes to the

00:27:02management of the resources that it has.

00:27:06How do you respond to those criticisms?

00:27:10Right, so as in every government there is always room for improvement

00:27:14and yes, there has been occasion and incidents

00:27:18and so forth where the management of the resources was not what

00:27:22the people of Trinidad and Tobago would have expected.

00:27:26I myself have been very critical of the administration

00:27:30over the last 20 years. I worked with that administration also as head

00:27:34of the policy research unit and I have been very critical

00:27:38of how things will happen and I will be the first to say and I mention it

00:27:42that there is a significant need for transformative

00:27:46investment, human technological

00:27:50investment capability

00:27:54in the institution that is qualitative. We have serious

00:27:58administrative and technical capability challenges in the institution that is qualitative.

00:28:02There is no escaping that and

00:28:06we have to sit down and strategically make the investment

00:28:10to improve the efficiency and the efficacy of the institution that is qualitative.

00:28:14So without those things happening, you will always have

00:28:18the not so effective use of

00:28:22the resources allocated to the Tobago Assembly because one

00:28:26you don't have the institutional capability and capacity to effectively utilize

00:28:30the resources. This administration is saying, we recognize that

00:28:34the approach for development going forward from a selective institutional

00:28:38strategic framework and part of that, a project in that area

00:28:42is to improve governance. Constitutional reform is one

00:28:46of that, digitization, monetizing our financial operations,

00:28:50giving our staff and our public officers

00:28:54the high-tech skills to use sophisticated public

00:28:58administration applications. So there is a comprehensive

00:29:02program that we have to deal with that and we call that

00:29:06program Tobago Online because to go online, we have to

00:29:10bring the capabilities of the THA to efficiency and effectiveness. And the first

00:29:14project in that program

00:29:18is the My THA project where we want to transform the whole operational capability

00:29:22of the THA and put everything on a digital platform. That will require

00:29:27a very high level of technical capabilities among the staff

00:29:31and sophistication as we move forward. So yes, there is room and there has been

00:29:35concern about the utilization of the resources that were allocated to the Tobago Assembly

00:29:39but we have stabilized the situation and we have framed

00:29:43we are from the key, as the Chief Secretary would have said yesterday

00:29:47to unlock Tobago's full development potential.

00:29:51For the swingers have to give us the process to operationalize that for those keys.

00:29:55And are you optimistic that the central government will accede to the request of

00:29:59$3.9 billion?

00:30:03Well, remember the $3.9 billion

00:30:07is predicated against a projected budget for Trinidad and Tobago

00:30:11in fiscal 2025 at $65.9 billion.

00:30:15What we want the central government to commit to

00:30:19is to give Tobago 5.8%

00:30:23of the national budget. Whatever figure they come up with, give us 5.8%.

00:30:27That is what we are asking for. So we are asking for the $3.9 figure

00:30:31because that is predicated that the national budget is likely to be $65.9 billion.

00:30:35That is what the numbers

00:30:39there is where the numbers arrive.

00:30:43The real essence in this request

00:30:47is that we are saying give us 5.8%

00:30:51of the national budget as a fair, reasonable

00:30:55equitable state. That works out to $5.8

00:30:59of every $100 the government proposes

00:31:03to spend in the next fiscal year.

00:31:07Mr. Richards, it's always a pleasure speaking with you. Thank you very much for taking the time

00:31:11this morning. Bye for now.

00:31:15Thank you for having me.

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00:34:12Free.

00:34:16Sha la la la la la la la

00:34:20Sha la la la la la la la

00:34:24Baby don't you worry na na na

00:34:28Sha la la la la la

00:34:32Baby, stay far from

00:34:36I don't make deal with the devils

00:34:40Don't push the gas to the metal

00:34:44Stay so high on the levels

00:34:48Baby, I can't sit still

00:34:52Watch me don't revel in your energy

00:34:56I feel the chemistry when you're next to me

00:35:00It's so heavenly when you're next to me

00:35:04Alright, so welcome back everybody.

00:35:08We're going to start off with some tips and advice this morning.

00:35:12Sergeant, as always, thank you very much for coming.

00:35:16Pleasant morning Marlon. Pleasant morning Trinidad and Tobago.

00:35:20Yes, Marlon, it's a pleasure to be here.

00:35:24Marlon, we started the discussion with respect to road traffic safety last week

00:35:28and whilst we dealt with certain areas, I wish to continue the conversation

00:35:32because it is very important

00:35:36It's centered on young drivers, but we would speak to general

00:35:40practices for everyone.

00:35:44So Marlon, we spoke on the last day

00:35:48with respect to parents taking

00:35:52the leading role with respect to young drivers

00:35:56and advising them about the do's and don'ts on the road

00:36:00We spoke about

00:36:04getting them enrolled in driving courses

00:36:08defensive driving courses to enable them to feel more confident

00:36:12and handle the road a lot better. Marlon, we want to

00:36:16speak to the issue with respect to

00:36:20the actual maneuvering of a vehicle on the road

00:36:24For instance,

00:36:28an experienced driver would know to always

00:36:32pay attention to the traffic around you

00:36:36what is in front, what is at the side, what is at the rear

00:36:40In so doing, you use your mirrors

00:36:44both inside and outside to ensure that you can

00:36:48always have an idea as to how far a vehicle is at your side

00:36:52how far a vehicle is behind you and it will assist you as a young driver

00:36:56in terms of if you need to come to a sudden

00:37:00stop, which is inadvisable

00:37:04but sometimes, due to circumstances, you may have to come to a sudden stop

00:37:08But if you are aware

00:37:12of the traffic, in particular what is behind you, you would know

00:37:16if you can actually apply that brake to stop suddenly

00:37:20or whether it is you need to still ease that brake

00:37:24to give the driver behind you that extra space

00:37:28to stop safely. So, a young driver has to be cognizant

00:37:32of that. Also, with respect to trucks and other heavy

00:37:36vehicles on the road, you would recognize that they often leave

00:37:40a space between them and the vehicle

00:37:44in front. And that is simply because when they are

00:37:48laden in terms of their carrying load, it is more

00:37:52difficult to stop if they have a short

00:37:57distance. But when you, the driver, who may be

00:38:01young or not paying particular attention, cuts in

00:38:05on that truck and reduces the space that that truck would have created

00:38:09you are in fact putting the driver of that truck

00:38:13at a disadvantage because he or she, if they have to come

00:38:17to a stop, they may not be able to do so safely because you

00:38:21cut in and take away that space. So, understanding

00:38:25that, we hope to see that drivers in general will

00:38:29pay particular attention. Marlon, the issue with respect to

00:38:33traffic lights. Oftentimes, you tend to see

00:38:37drivers, when the amber light comes on, that

00:38:41they accelerate. And

00:38:45whilst that is a practice, it is not what

00:38:49is required of you. When you are proceeding in a particular direction

00:38:53and the light changes from green to amber

00:38:57that amber is telling you to

00:39:01stop your vehicle. Not to accelerate your vehicle.

00:39:05And only when it is that

00:39:09it is unsafe for you to actually

00:39:13stop your vehicle, then they advise that

00:39:17you slow down and proceed with caution.

00:39:21But the amber actually means to stop.

00:39:25So, for a young driver, as you all are viewing

00:39:29and listening, I hope that you all understand that.

00:39:33And even the adult drivers, that we change that habit

00:39:37of accelerating on the amber.

00:39:41But just on that point, Sir, because it has been

00:39:45our culture, when we see the yellow light

00:39:49all of us do it, the motorists out there, when you see that yellow light

00:39:53you accelerate.

00:39:57So, just think, if that is our culture from time immemorial

00:40:01and we are saying now to the young people or drivers on the whole

00:40:05well, don't do that anymore. The dilemma is

00:40:09Mr. Ford, that if I stop and people are accelerating

00:40:13behind me, what is going to happen? And that's the dilemma that we are facing.

00:40:17So, I suspect, yes, what you are saying is true

00:40:21and we accept it. However, because of our culture, it really takes

00:40:25some time to implement for people's culture to change, right?

00:40:29Marlon, I understand that. And it is indeed a part of our culture.

00:40:33He's not accepting my argument. Go ahead.

00:40:37It is part of our culture. Yes, it is. Bad culture.

00:40:41What we are doing is sensitizing all drivers

00:40:45experienced, inexperienced, old, young

00:40:49that you must understand what the law is really.

00:40:53And don't fall into the culture.

00:40:57And I'm not telling people to go through the yellow light. I'm not telling people that. I'm just saying

00:41:01what our culture is. But go ahead. Yes, Marlon. Marlon, another thing

00:41:05often times you would recognize that

00:41:09at an intersection there is that checkered box

00:41:13The yellow box. The yellow box, right?

00:41:17And drivers, I want to say in the main, don't understand

00:41:21what is the purpose of that checkered box in the center

00:41:25of the intersection. It is actually

00:41:29to cause all vehicles from whatever

00:41:33direction to maintain that center

00:41:37that intersection to ensure that it remains clear

00:41:41by you not stopping in

00:41:45the checkered box. Unless it is that

00:41:49it so happens that while you are already there due to some traffic

00:41:53ahead of you that it causes you to stop. But the

00:41:57understanding of the intersection with that checkered box is to ensure that it remains

00:42:01clear so that if traffic flowing north to south has

00:42:05the red light, that the traffic to go east and west

00:42:10has that free passage so that it would not create

00:42:14a congestion or a gridlock in all directions, right?

00:42:18And it is actually an offense if it is that you were to

00:42:22go into that intersection and stop in that yellow box

00:42:26there. And it carries a penalty of $3,000, Marlon.

00:42:30So to all drivers, you will need to understand that

00:42:34that intersection must always remain free. So

00:42:38before you enter the intersection, you must ensure that you can

00:42:42cross the intersection, thereby leaving the

00:42:46intersection free for when the light changes that the other direction

00:42:50of traffic will flow. Yes. Yeah? Okay.

00:42:54Marlon, in terms of the fine

00:42:58I want to say fine tuning in relation to your vehicle

00:43:02we want to encourage the experienced

00:43:06drivers, parents, at this point in time

00:43:10as I mentioned last week, children are finishing school. One of the first things

00:43:14they want to do is acquire their learner's permit or what's there

00:43:18driver's permit to teach them some of the basics

00:43:22in terms of ensuring that your vehicle

00:43:26is road worthy, right? We're speaking about the fluids

00:43:30ensure that there's sufficient water in the radiator, that there's enough oil

00:43:34in the engine, there's brakes fluid

00:43:38in the receptacle for the brakes fluid, to ensure that your simple things

00:43:42like your wipers, your horn, your indicator lights

00:43:46your park lights, headlights, your taillights, right?

00:43:50your ID lights, as in the lights by your registration plate

00:43:54because these things often times may go bad

00:43:58because the fuel's slack or the bulb blew and the bulb may

00:44:02cost $25, but the ticket might be $600

00:44:06simply for a bulb. And all of those tips that you have given us

00:44:10it is expected that we do that every day

00:44:14to have that routine check of our vehicle every day

00:44:18to ensure that your vehicle is road worthy and that you do not get

00:44:22an unnecessary ticket because of something that is so trivial

00:44:26and it costs so little, but the ticket

00:44:30is a candle costing more than the funeral, right? So the young driver

00:44:34has to be schooled into these fine details, right?

00:44:38So Marlon, I want to go specifically to the

00:44:42young driver. We know that around this time

00:44:46you have persons graduating, be it at Form 5, be it graduating from

00:44:506th Form, some of them already have their driver's permit

00:44:54and they are looking at attending their graduation functions

00:44:58be it male, be it female, and you have the

00:45:02habits that they would be exposed to and

00:45:06we need to ensure that they are guided sufficiently so that they will not

00:45:10make the mistake, alright? So Marlon, we're dealing with the issue of

00:45:14drug abuse, alright? You would be

00:45:18with friends, some persons let us say from

00:45:22the level of a cigarette, right? Maybe smoking

00:45:26that is not something that you are accustomed to. They would want to expociate

00:45:30from smoking cigarettes, smoking marijuana

00:45:34some of them they are vaping, all of these things

00:45:38as a young person you may feel that you need to do in order to

00:45:42fit in, but we want the parents

00:45:46to advise the children that you do not have to submit yourself

00:45:50to these habits, alright? The issue of alcohol

00:45:55consumption, Marlon. Yes, graduations ought not

00:45:59to have alcohol, alright? We're talking about school graduations.

00:46:03No, they ought not to have alcohol because they're dealing with school

00:46:07children, alright? And it's against the law to serve alcohol

00:46:11to anyone under the age of 18 years, right? But generally they would be within

00:46:15that age of 16 upwards going to 18.

00:46:19But, because of the influence

00:46:23and other friends, some of them may actually stash

00:46:27alcohol, right? And see how best that they can

00:46:31probably get it into the function, or somewhere close that they can go outside

00:46:35and have a drink. And your child can be exposed

00:46:39to it and we don't want

00:46:43a young driver to be driving under the influence of alcohol

00:46:47or even drivers in particular, but because we're speaking about young drivers

00:46:51dwelling a bit, right? Marlon, the issue with respect to

00:46:55being exposed to some of these treats

00:46:59be it brownies, alright? Be it cookies

00:47:03that is laced with some drug

00:47:07particularly marijuana. And your child

00:47:11unsuspecting, not knowing, may consume it. You have to advise your children about

00:47:15these things. Not to want to sample things that you're not

00:47:19talking about in terms of the preparation because you don't know what is in it, right?

00:47:23Also, Marlon, the issue of

00:47:27parents. Some parents, Marlon, attend functions

00:47:31and, for instance, depending on

00:47:35where it is, there may be a bar, but the bar is really

00:47:39for other guests and for adults, right?

00:47:43But because the school would have used the facility, parents gather

00:47:47at the bar and then parents may buy alcohol

00:47:51for the child. Of course. And for friends

00:47:55of that child, right? And the parents of those

00:47:59other children are not aware of it and the parent who engages

00:48:03or indulges in that ought not to do it, alright?

00:48:07But again, you may say it's part of our culture, but what we

00:48:11run the risk of is you have young persons

00:48:15under the influence of alcohol now leaving

00:48:19wherever the function was to go behind the steering wheel, to be

00:48:23in control of a vehicle. And that is where the risk lies in terms of

00:48:27getting into a serious accident that could be a fatal one, right?

00:48:31So, to the parents in this regard, be mindful.

00:48:35Now, sometimes you would see young people

00:48:39they tend to have a very aggressive way, right?

00:48:43In terms of why it's on the road, somebody probably gives them a bad drive,

00:48:47right? Sometimes you see adults behave the same way, eh?

00:48:51That is my point, you know. That is my point, you know, sir, because I've listened to you

00:48:55over the past few minutes and I've heard about the young people, the young people, and you spoke

00:48:59about the drugs and you spoke about the alcohol and you spoke about the bad habits

00:49:03and my position is, Mr. Ford, is that they are learning all of

00:49:07this from the parents, who it is. A young driver is

00:49:11not telling you, you buy your license, eh?

00:49:15I'm well learned to drive and all of, I'm being rude to you on the nation's

00:49:19road. So, it's not really the young people, it's the

00:49:23adults who have learned bad habits from their parents. But go ahead.

00:49:27Marlon, you are correct. Some of these

00:49:31behaviors, they are learned, right? So, in the same breath, Marlon,

00:49:35if it is that we take the time to inculcate the right thing, right?

00:49:40Yes. Then that is what they would pattern. So, to the parents,

00:49:44again, we are saying, ensure that your child

00:49:48understands the type of behavior that is expected of you whilst on the road.

00:49:52You're getting in an accident, it does not mean that you behave

00:49:56in a violent manner. Come outside, go to jostle the other

00:50:00driver, you are actually committing an offense, right? Such as assault.

00:50:04And we don't want that to happen. So, understanding that

00:50:08when you are on the road, whether you are a young driver or

00:50:12an experienced or old driver, we do not expect

00:50:16that person to behave violently to a road

00:50:20situation, be it an accident otherwise, or a bad driver as you would call it.

00:50:24Sometimes you just need to be calm, think about what happened,

00:50:28do what is required of you, and ensure that nobody falls on the wrong side of the law.

00:50:32Accidents do happen. That is why they call it an accident, right?

00:50:36Marlon, weapon possession.

00:50:40Particularly young children, again, right?

00:50:44Whilst it is that you may be out with your friends,

00:50:48whether it is a function or graduation or otherwise, we want you all to

00:50:52refrain from that need or that sense

00:50:56that you need to be armed with a weapon, right?

00:51:00There is no reason for you to be armed with a weapon. Sometimes you need to recognize that

00:51:04if there is a conflict, you need to know how to resolve

00:51:08the conflict without resorting to violence. Sometimes you just

00:51:12need to ignore, you need to move on, right?

00:51:16You need to probably go and make an official report and let it be dealt with.

00:51:20But do not take it upon yourself to be armed with a weapon

00:51:24thinking that you need to be armed to defend yourself. You are actually

00:51:28going to get yourself in trouble.

00:51:32Marlon, let's talk about the character that we would

00:51:36like to see in our children.

00:51:40Parents have a big responsibility in shaping that character.

00:51:44So we expect that you will have that strength of character

00:51:48to stand up against peer pressure

00:51:52for what is the right thing. So you know

00:51:56that I have the responsibility of driving the vehicle.

00:52:00I have to ensure that as a young driver or a driver

00:52:04that I am able to maintain full control

00:52:08of the vehicle because I am responsible for my life

00:52:12the life of the other persons in the vehicle as well as other road users, right?

00:52:16So understanding that the right thing to do is not to consume alcohol

00:52:20then have that strength of character even

00:52:24though the influence of your friends might be strong that you can say,

00:52:28No, I would not drink. I am in charge of the vehicle.

00:52:32Mr Ford, we have about a minute again.

00:52:36Marlon, additionally, we want you to, as a young driver, be purpose-driven

00:52:40in the sense of being on the road

00:52:44requires a certain level of focus, a certain degree of

00:52:48responsibility. And why is it on the road?

00:52:52Be business. Understand you need to be alert.

00:52:56Paying attention to other road users.

00:53:00Ensuring that you read traffic signs, road signs properly so that you would be doing

00:53:04your part as a purposeful driver.

00:53:08Also, Marlon, we are speaking about the issue of

00:53:12if you are out, and I want to make this point before we go

00:53:16if you are out with friends, Marlon, and you

00:53:20speak to your friends about, let us say, drug use

00:53:24or alcohol consumption, and they

00:53:28fail to take heed to your advice

00:53:32take that decision to, one, let them know

00:53:36you would not continue the journey with them and that you

00:53:40feel comfortable enough to call your parents

00:53:44or some other adult to come and pick you up.

00:53:48And to even take it a step further in the interest of your friend's

00:53:53life, if it is that after speaking to them

00:53:57they still insist on, let us say, driving

00:54:01under the influence of alcohol, call the police.

00:54:05Let the police know where you all are, and the police

00:54:09would be able to reach and ensure that that

00:54:13driver does not leave to risk himself or

00:54:17any other person. So Marlon, those are the tips for today.

00:54:21And I hope that the parents and young drivers

00:54:25who are listening, I hope that they extract all of the value

00:54:29from the advice and apply it while it is on the road.

00:54:33Thank you very much for coming this morning. How is the outside looking?

00:54:37It is overcast, but not raining, fortunately.

00:54:41If you are coming down into town, walk with a parasol.

00:54:45We are going to a very short break. We are coming back, everybody.

00:54:51Baby

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00:55:37Find your piece of this one

00:55:41What's up, you guys? I'm Wren. And I'm Kim. Welcome to

00:55:45Conversations with Wren and Kim. On our show, we dive deep into the stories

00:55:49that matter. From inspiring individuals making a difference

00:55:53to experts sharing their insights on the latest trends and topics.

00:55:57We're here to spark conversations that challenge, inspire, and entertain.

00:56:01Whether it's about art, culture, technology, or everyday

00:56:05life, we've got you covered. So join us every Saturday for

00:56:09conversations and unforgettable moments. See you there!

00:56:13So CTA say that they're doing the ABC of parenting

00:56:17So I say I have to get in that

00:56:21You know anything with the ABCs, I like to get in that

00:56:25I started with A for accountability

00:56:29So you does mash up things on my side

00:56:33when you get vexed. And then you surprised when you get called into the school

00:56:37for your child doing the same thing

00:56:41Recognize that as a parent, you are one of the

00:56:45biggest influencers on your child's life. You have to

00:56:49acknowledge that your actions and choices can impact your

00:56:53child's development and growth. Take time to account for

00:56:57any consequences your actions may have on your child and

00:57:01always acknowledge that responsibility before saying or doing

00:57:05anything. Your actions speak louder

00:57:09than your words. But, at the end of the day

00:57:13do your best. Share if you found

00:57:17this useful and like and follow CTA's profile

00:57:21for more parenting tips as we go through the ABCs

00:57:25of parenting.

00:57:27Music

00:57:31Music

00:57:35Good morning, I am Ansel Gibbs with a news update

00:57:39Investigations are continuing after a woman was chopped

00:57:43multiple times by a close male relative who then

00:57:47allegedly tried to take his own life. It happened on Monday

00:57:51in Moruga. She did bother, she said I'll be safe because I'm not

00:57:55the individual. I troubled her last week.

00:57:59It was around 6 o'clock so I got a call

00:58:03and my sister called me and told me her husband was beaten

00:58:07I said he was beaten, right? And when I leave from home me and my brother

00:58:11and my sister, we'll just take a taxi and we'll go down to the job site

00:58:15and we'll go and see my sister. So that's how we did it.

00:58:19The Northwest Regional Health Authority has suspended an employee

00:58:23who allegedly attacked a security guard at the Port of Spain

00:58:27General Hospital. On Friday, the guard was allegedly

00:58:31attacked after preventing the employee from accessing the staff

00:58:35entrance without an ID or car park pass.

00:58:39A tribunal will reportedly be convened to determine

00:58:43what happens next.

00:58:47And in the weather forecast, a high winds yellow level

00:58:51is in effect until noon. The Met Office says there's a high

00:58:55potential for wind gusts to reach over 55 km per hour.

00:58:59You can expect partly cloudy conditions which may become

00:59:03mostly cloudy and windy with showers.

00:59:07Gradually settled conditions are expected from late morning despite a few

00:59:11lingering showers. Temperatures are expected to climb to

00:59:1532 degrees Celsius in Trinidad and 31 in

00:59:19Tobago.

00:59:49Prostate cancer is one of the most common types of cancer among men

00:59:53but many are unaware of its basics and the importance of early detection.

00:59:57Let's dive into some essential insights that every man should know.

01:00:01Firstly, what exactly is prostate cancer? Well, it's a condition

01:00:05where cells within the prostate gland begin to grow uncontrollably.

01:00:09This can lead to several health challenges and if left unchecked,

01:00:13serious complications. Now, who's at risk? While prostate cancer

01:00:17can affect any man, certain factors increase the risk's age,

01:00:21particularly if you're over 50, family history, and even your race,

01:00:25with African American men being at a higher risk. Moreover, lifestyle choices

01:00:29like diet and exercise play a part too. How can we detect it early?

01:00:33There are a couple of key screening methods, the PSA test and the digital

01:00:37rectal exam. These aren't every man's favorite appointments but they're crucial for

01:00:41catching the disease before it shows symptoms. Speaking of symptoms, they can vary

01:00:45but often include issues like difficulty urinating or the presence of blood

01:00:49and urine. If you're experiencing any such symptoms, it's vital to consult

01:00:53a healthcare professional immediately. If diagnosed, the treatment

01:00:57options depend on the stage and aggressiveness of the cancer. These can

01:01:01range from surgery and radiation therapy to hormone therapy and even chemotherapy.

01:01:05It's a journey, but one you won't have to walk alone. Living with

01:01:09prostate cancer isn't just about managing physical symptoms. Emotional

01:01:13support from family, friends, and support groups plays a critical part

01:01:17in the journey. And let's not forget prevention. A healthy lifestyle isn't

01:01:21just good for your heart. It can also reduce your risk of prostate cancer.

01:01:25Regular exercise, a balanced diet, and avoiding smoking are all

01:01:29key components. Also, inflammation plays a significant role in prostate

01:01:33cancer. Chronic inflammation can damage DNA,

01:01:37creating an environment where cancer cells can thrive. This

01:01:41persistent inflammation not only damages tissues, but also alters cellular

01:01:45behavior, leading to the uncontrolled growth characteristic of cancer.

01:01:49Understanding the link between inflammation and cancer helps us

01:01:53realize the importance of managing inflammation. Lifestyle

01:01:57factors such as diet, physical activity, and avoiding smoking

01:02:01can influence inflammation levels in the body.

01:02:05In conclusion, being informed and proactive about prostate cancer is crucial.

01:02:09With early detection and proper treatment, many men continue to lead

01:02:13fulfilling lives. If you or someone you know is over 50 or at high risk,

01:02:17encourage them to talk to their doctor about prostate cancer screening.

01:02:21It's a conversation that could save a life. Remember, you're not alone

01:02:25in this. Reach out, get screened, and take charge of your health today.

01:02:29Note, for more information, contact your local health care providers.

01:02:33The TV6 Daily Health Tip was brought to you by

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01:13:55you would put an alarm system,

01:13:56you would put some camera monitoring equipment.

01:13:59Imagine that digitally.

01:14:00And that's what defense in depth is.

01:14:02That's what cybersecurity is.

01:14:03So you'll have network monitoring equipment,

01:14:05a firewall, you'll have antivirus.

01:14:08So one of the things that may happen

01:14:09is you could be attacked.

01:14:11Do you have a server?

01:14:12Do you have a backup?

01:14:13Can you then, you know, launch the business the next day?

01:14:15It is critical for businesses for business continuity.

01:14:19Yeah.

01:14:20But you know, when we speak about,

01:14:22and this is for business, because you know,

01:14:25they always speak about the bottom line, gentlemen.

01:14:29How is this going to impact the bottom line?

01:14:31Well, it's an incentive.

01:14:32So literally the government is giving you an opportunity

01:14:36to invest up to half a million dollars and get that back.

01:14:40I have not seen that in any of my travels,

01:14:42any of the countries that I've studied.

01:14:43So this is an opportunity for you to do the investment,

01:14:46go to the CETA website, register now,

01:14:49take advantage of this, protect your business,

01:14:52protect your clients, and all of the hard work

01:14:55that you would have invested, protect that investment.

01:14:57Yeah.

01:14:58And if I can add, prevention in this case

01:15:01is much cheaper than the cure.

01:15:02Literally, if you spent, as it turns out with cybersecurity,

01:15:06it's not sometimes seen as the most glamorous part

01:15:09of IT and transformation.

01:15:11You tend to think, how is the business making money?

01:15:12How are customers interacting?

01:15:14Let's get a new website.

01:15:15Let's offer some new service, a new app.

01:15:17But if you don't protect those digital assets,

01:15:20you can find all the work you spent to shore up

01:15:22and build your business and put yourself online

01:15:24is undermined quickly.

01:15:25And the cost of recovery, as Dr. Meijer mentioned,

01:15:28the reputational cost of getting back your customers

01:15:31and people trusting you again, is much more than,

01:15:34in this case, the cost of getting resources in place

01:15:39to recover quickly in case of any attack

01:15:41or someone tries to hack you,

01:15:43even if they slightly got in

01:15:46because you made the investments

01:15:47to deal with that situation.

01:15:49And investment here is not just,

01:15:50oh, I've spent a lot of money.

01:15:52You've considered it.

01:15:53You sat down.

01:15:54You sat at a professional.

01:15:55You designed an approach.

01:15:57What happens in case of emergency?

01:15:59I just saw a tropical storm watch.

01:16:01It's kind of similar to that.

01:16:03When a tropical storm is, you don't plan for it

01:16:06when it turns up.

01:16:06You plan months in advance

01:16:08to make sure your business could handle

01:16:09whatever the weather presents.

01:16:11Similarly, in the digital world,

01:16:12what we're doing here is allowing businesses to plan before.

01:16:15What happens if someone tries to rush

01:16:16through our digital front door?

01:16:18How do we make sure we prevent that

01:16:20or reduce the likelihood of that?

01:16:22Further, what if they get behind?

01:16:24Can we recover well?

01:16:25Is there some way to quickly get back into operation?

01:16:28So the resilience we're looking at here

01:16:30is both from a perspective of your business

01:16:32working continuously,

01:16:33and if you are troubled, recovering well.

01:16:36And so the government is saying

01:16:37we're giving an allowance, half a million dollars,

01:16:40to get yourself better prepared

01:16:42for the attacks that we know are coming

01:16:44that have happened before

01:16:45so you could keep your business going for much longer.

01:16:48And the chambers have endorsed it.

01:16:50Kiran Maraj, the president of the Chamber of Commerce,

01:16:53has endorsed it.

01:16:54We've presented to the Energy Chamber,

01:16:56Dax Driver, the TTME.

01:16:58So they have really gotten behind this

01:17:00because it's a simple, seamless way

01:17:03to access the solution.

01:17:04Yeah.

01:17:05But let's look a little bit at the system in place

01:17:10and the iGov system,

01:17:12and including this,

01:17:13the system that you all have put in place,

01:17:16let's say, for people to register

01:17:19and to look at applications

01:17:22and process applications and things like that.

01:17:24So that's a beautiful question.

01:17:25And the thing is that when the minister launched this,

01:17:28within the fiscal,

01:17:29Irwin's team built this successfully,

01:17:32in-house with no extra budget.

01:17:34So this did not cost us any extra funds.

01:17:37And it's all digitally, all online.

01:17:40He talked about the digital certificate

01:17:41that has digital credentials within it.

01:17:44So if you take it,

01:17:46if you scan that QR code,

01:17:47you can verify this is real.

01:17:49Registration is online.

01:17:51Uploading your documents is online.

01:17:53It's very simple, easy to do.

01:17:55And it's a painless process.

01:17:58We wanted to ensure that the interaction with government,

01:18:01with iGov TT's powered site,

01:18:03was painless.

01:18:04And it is.

01:18:05A very positive digital user experience

01:18:07is the feedback that we've been getting.

01:18:09Yeah.

01:18:09Because, and gentlemen, I asked this question,

01:18:11and Mr. Williams is smiling,

01:18:13but I'm asking this question

01:18:15because you know we do have the perception

01:18:17in Trinidad and Tobago,

01:18:19that, well, let me put it a different way.

01:18:22I was going to say,

01:18:23well, what we have here,

01:18:24people, there's the perception

01:18:25that it is never good enough for them.

01:18:27And they look abroad for better systems and so on.

01:18:33So you don't want to have a situation

01:18:35where people start signing on to this initiative,

01:18:38and then you have a situation where the system breaks down.

01:18:42Right.

01:18:43So that is,

01:18:44I want to put it in that context.

01:18:46So we're aware of those perspectives.

01:18:48Yes.

01:18:49And it's unfortunate,

01:18:51but I've come from a history

01:18:52of building world-class global solutions.

01:18:56We've received awards internationally.

01:18:58Right.

01:18:58And the team I'm working with in iGov

01:18:59is a highly professional team.

01:19:01This is not the first time we've built solutions like this.

01:19:04They've not been compromised.

01:19:05We've been running business as usual for a very long time.

01:19:08Having a high quality team locally

01:19:10is nowhere near impossible.

01:19:12What we may need to change is people's perspectives

01:19:15on what local can deliver and how we trust local.

01:19:18There's a key thing

01:19:19about how we look at international solutions.

01:19:20Yes.

01:19:21We're never really aware of their history.

01:19:23We don't know when they first started,

01:19:24the stumbles they make.

01:19:26All we see is the beautiful,

01:19:27shiny 15th version of a product.

01:19:30Whereas locally, unfortunately,

01:19:32the first version we look very, very harshly at

01:19:34and think if it doesn't work,

01:19:35they'll never be good.

01:19:36Thankfully, this is the third or fourth time

01:19:40iGov is building a document verification

01:19:43as a service system,

01:19:44which literally means we've built other solutions

01:19:46where you upload documents,

01:19:48they get processed.

01:19:49The CSME certificate solution is an example of that,

01:19:51and that's been running for a little while now.

01:19:53So literally, same security is needed.

01:19:56We've put that in place.

01:19:57And then just to talk about our process,

01:20:00I'm the head of the software development team.

01:20:02There are actually other teams involved

01:20:03in building solutions at iGov

01:20:05that come together to build software.

01:20:06So we have our consulting team and our operations team.

01:20:09We also look at our cybersecurity team.

01:20:11So what that means is when we build a software solution,

01:20:13we actually don't just release it to the public.

01:20:16We have an internal security assurance team

01:20:18who does the review.

01:20:19They send us back notifications

01:20:20that we can't go forward with.

01:20:22So my team is stuck until we get that stamp of approval.

01:20:26And then, so Trinidad has a national,

01:20:28Trinidad and Tobago Cybersecurity Incident Response Team,

01:20:31TTC-CERT.

01:20:33None of our solutions go to the public

01:20:35before TTC-CERT has reviewed

01:20:37and given us a stamp of approval.

01:20:38It's an approach iGov TTC has taken

01:20:40and it has served us well in the past.

01:20:42And so we actually recommend other local firms,

01:20:45any software solution you're putting out,

01:20:47don't just put it out to the market.

01:20:48Make sure you go through the due diligence.

01:20:51Make sure you do all the forms of testing.

01:20:53You do UAT, which is user acceptance testing,

01:20:56load testing, penetration testing,

01:20:58and other forms of security testing.

01:21:00Because we have that approach,

01:21:02we're very assured we've taken the best steps,

01:21:05internationally recognized steps

01:21:07to make sure your applications work and they don't go down.

01:21:09Yeah, so it's a rigorous process.

01:21:12Doctor, anything else you'd like to touch on

01:21:14that we didn't this morning that we should know about?

01:21:16Well, so we have some other solutions.

01:21:18Employee TT is one.

01:21:20So if you are looking for a job, you can log on to there.

01:21:22We have a lot of the ministries, departments, and agencies.

01:21:25And again, it was built in-house and it works quite well.

01:21:29And really look at the CETA,

01:21:32Cybersecurity Investment Tax Allowance.

01:21:34Please take advantage of it.

01:21:35Protect your business.

01:21:37This is an incentive for businesses.

01:21:39Do not lose this opportunity.

01:21:41And we're here to support.

01:21:42Mr. Williams, anything else you'd like to add?

01:21:43I'd just like to add that building progress is part of our DNA at iGovTT.

01:21:48And so we don't just see building as,

01:21:50oh, we built a software solution and we're done.

01:21:51We see it as we're adding to the national landscape of innovation.

01:21:55Every time we build something, we get experience of building.

01:21:58It allows us to demonstrate locally and internationally,

01:22:01we can build our future together.

01:22:03And I think this is just yet another one of those

01:22:06that fits into the tapestry of our solutions.

01:22:08Yeah. Gentlemen, thank you very much for coming this morning.

01:22:11We do appreciate the good work that you all continue to do.

01:22:15Cheers.

01:22:15So we are going to a very short break.

01:22:17We are coming back, everybody.

01:22:36I've definitely seen a difference in my knees, the stiffness in my hips.

01:22:58Because it's an oil extract.

01:22:59I think of it like olive oil in between my joints that are loosening it up.

01:23:04Omega XL has really kept us feeling great.

01:23:06The only thing you have to lose is the pain.

01:23:08This thing is about to break for you.

01:23:16Three hours in Gethsemane, he dragged that tire called salvation for man.

01:23:20Lift my eyes unto the hills.

01:23:25We only have one place to go for help.

01:23:29Hallelujah.

01:23:30So I celebrate in Jesus.

01:23:34There's a king who leads his people to victory.

01:23:41And we are destined to walk into a new season.

01:24:33We are destined to walk into a new season.

01:24:38We are destined to walk into a new season.

01:24:43We are destined to walk into a new season.

01:24:48We are destined to walk into a new season.

01:24:53We are destined to walk into a new season.

01:24:58We are destined to walk into a new season.

01:25:01AMANPOEH.

01:25:03So we are continued our discussion on the chief secretary's budget presentation

01:25:09at the Tobago House of Assembly yesterday.

01:25:11Of course, she's calling for $3.9 billion.

01:25:15So we do have on the line this morning chairman

01:25:18of the Tabago business turm Mr. Mark Delgado,

01:25:22but stay with us.

01:25:26Thank you, Mark.

01:25:27Thank you so much.

01:25:28Chairman of the Tobago Business Chamber, Mr. Martin George. Mr. George, good morning.

01:25:35Yes, hi. Good morning to you, Marlon, and good morning to your viewers on TV6,

01:25:40and good morning Trinidad and Tobago. Yes, Mr. George, always good to speak with you.

01:25:45Let's look at the Chief Secretary's presentation yesterday. Of course,

01:25:49he's calling for $3.9 billion, close to $4 billion. Is there anything that has jumped out

01:25:57at you from the Chief Secretary's presentation?

01:26:02Well, one of the things that I think we must look at, Marlon, and not ignore at all,

01:26:09is the fact that the projected revenues are in the order of $215.9 million.

01:26:17So, if this were a standalone economy, and you are presented in a budget where you are saying,

01:26:28look, our projected expenditure is $3.9 billion, but yet our projected revenue is $215 million,

01:26:42then I think that paints exactly the picture of what is the reality for this exercise in

01:26:52sophistry, which they refer to as the Tobago budget presentation. And I make no apologies

01:26:58for describing it thusly, Marlon, because really and truly, it's just numbers game that is played

01:27:07out in the national space each year. Because you have a fixed percentage of the national budget

01:27:16that the THA is going to get based upon the Dispute Resolution Commission and the ruling there,

01:27:25all right? So, you have a fixed percentage that they are supposed to get. So, it all depends on

01:27:31what figure the national budget is pegged at. We don't know what that figure is. We don't know

01:27:39where within that range of the percentages the Minister of Finance is going to really peg

01:27:47the allocation for Tobago. There is nothing that the THA can do to change or influence whatever

01:27:56the Minister of Finance eventually allocates. Usually, you see, they ask for a figure. When

01:28:02they get much less, it's like they put their tail between their legs and they say, well,

01:28:06thank you very much. I will try and work with that. So, you know, it really makes little sense

01:28:13us going through this exercise year after year when there are so many factors outside your own

01:28:22control. And when you look at what your revenue is, really and truly, this is a budget where

01:28:31you basically are going with a begging bowl. I'm sorry to say that that's amongst two, you know,

01:28:37because the thing is you're asking for 3.9 billion and you're saying, well, look, I am projecting I

01:28:43will make back 250 million. So, I mean, that's not even quarter of a billion. Well, according

01:28:50to the Chief Secretary, if Mr. George would allow me to to to quote the Chief Secretary, he says,

01:28:55all we are asking for is a measly $5.80 out of every $100 spent. I am certain that all,

01:29:05inclusive of the Prime Minister and the Minister of Finance will agree that the THA's formal

01:29:09request for a minimum share of 5.8% of the 2025 national budget is reasonable and just.

01:29:16Well, you see, all right. So, that's one way of looking at it. But at the end of the day,

01:29:21remember, we're constrained by the figures from the District Resolution Commission anyhow,

01:29:25if you follow me, right? So, we're constrained by those percentages. And once you have that as your

01:29:31parameters that you have to work with, it's really just a question of what the Minister of Finance

01:29:39is ultimately going to allocate, all right? Even if you look at it, Marlon, from a demographic

01:29:48perspective, pun for pun, if you have 60,000 people in Tobago, compared to the balance of

01:29:56the 1.3 that makes up the population, it would again show even the allocation is disproportionately

01:30:05skewed in favour of the THA. Because per capita, you are actually allocating more money per capita

01:30:15to Tobago than you do to Trinidad. So, I mean, Mr. Augustine has to be careful when he's making

01:30:21those kinds of comparisons because it's a two-edged sword, you know? It cuts both ways.

01:30:26Because when you do the analysis, if you're looking at 3.9 billion for 60,000 people out of,

01:30:33he said, a projected budget, he thinks, of 65 billion for the national budget, for 1.3 billion,

01:30:41then do the math. You will see that per capita, you really are allocating more to Tobago. And

01:30:47there's nothing wrong with that. But what I'm saying is, when he tries to make those comparisons,

01:30:51he has to understand there's a flip side to it that people could throw back at him, you know?

01:30:56So, I think what we ought to be looking at is ways to make Tobago more productive from an

01:31:03income and revenue-generating capacity. Because if you are talking, ultimately, because you hear

01:31:10the talk all the time about, you know, self-determination, self-governance, and, you know,

01:31:15you want to carve your own path, et cetera, then in the real world of economics, it would mean

01:31:22that there's no godfather or no sugar daddy handing you $3.9 billion every year. In other

01:31:30words, you have to generate your $3.9 billion if it is that you want to be able to spend that,

01:31:36you know? So, the thing is, when you look at what you are generating, if you are projecting to

01:31:41generate $215 million, then you basically need to start looking to cut your cloth to suit your,

01:31:47cut your suit, you know, to adjust it to the material you have. And that, I think...

01:31:54So then, is it safe to say, is it safe to say at this time that Tobago is not yet

01:32:00in a position to generate, let's say, the $3.9 billion?

01:32:06Well, I mean, it is clear from the figures he has given, because he is projecting $215 million

01:32:13as projected revenue. You juxtapose that against $3.9 billion. I mean, now,

01:32:19this is not to say that Trinidad and Tobago as a nation isn't in the habit of running deficit

01:32:26budgets, but the gap has never been as wide as it is between the figures for revenue and your

01:32:36budgetary request for expenditure as it is in the THA. So, in other words, in national figures,

01:32:42yes, there's a gap. Yes, we run deficit budgets nationally, but it's not of this wide gulf.

01:32:50And this is something that I keep saying, Marla. If that's the case, then we need to look at ways

01:32:55where Tobago can, of its own, start generating income. One of the recommendations we at the

01:33:01chamber have suggested is for the government to consider the immediate and unconditional repeal

01:33:08of the Foreign Investment Act. That act will allow direct foreign investment into Tobago.

01:33:15So, in other words, all the foreigners who want to invest in a villa, a guest house,

01:33:22developing property, they will be able to do so directly without the cumbersome and archaic and

01:33:30anachronistic legislation that comprises the Foreign Investment Act. You look at other

01:33:35countries, Marlon. All the small islands of the Caribbean, there's no shortage of forex in those

01:33:40countries, you know. You go Antigua, Barbuda, Nevis, it hits. You could get US dollars easily up there.

01:33:46So, why is it we, who were once the richest country in the Caribbean, are the ones struggling now

01:33:53for foreign exchange, and yet still you have this useless and obsolete piece of legislation that is

01:34:01preventing direct foreign investment. All the other islands are rolling out the red carpet

01:34:06for foreign investors, yet still we have put up a Chinese wall and basically stonewalling

01:34:13investors so that they can't invest in Tobago. It makes absolutely no sense. Mr. George, let me just put

01:34:19this on the table because I think that we can agree by saying that the Chief Secretary

01:34:26still believes that Tobago is not being given a fair slice of the pie. And he says this,

01:34:34Augustine says, significant revenue streams were generated in Tobago, but were collected

01:34:40in Trinidad. And again, in the context that he believes that Tobago is still not being given

01:34:47fair treatment. Right, so, and okay, yes, there's some truth to that, but we have to understand that

01:34:55there's a flip side to it also, because in the national budget, when the government makes

01:35:02allocations for areas which are outside of the direct control of the THC, so that's the matters

01:35:10in the sixth schedule, matters of national security and, you know, immigration and all those things,

01:35:19Tobago benefits from those allocations and they don't have to basically put aside anything from

01:35:28the THC budget. So, in other words, there's no contribution from the THC budget towards the TGPS

01:35:34or, you know, who served Tobago or anything in that regard. So, again, we have to understand that

01:35:40there's a flip side to the equation, you see. So, I mean, while you're saying that, yes, there are

01:35:46revenues collected in Tobago which are not given back to Tobago, if it is that there were to be

01:35:53that full separation and that's what, you know, some people, you know, they only want to see one

01:36:00side of the equation, they don't want to look at the other side. So, they will say, well, okay, yes,

01:36:04you're taking revenues from us, but hey, listen, yes, we're also providing things. Okay, when you

01:36:09think of like TNT, WASA and stuff like that, they serve Tobago, but the THC doesn't pay any,

01:36:16you know, funding for TNT to run in Tobago or to function in Tobago. The THC doesn't pay for WASA

01:36:25to function or run in Tobago. All of that comes through central government. So, we have to be

01:36:30fair. That's all I ask in the circumstances, you know, Marlon. All I say is let us be realistic

01:36:37and let us be practical. So, how do we strike the right balance, Mr. George? How do we do that?

01:36:44Well, that's what I'm saying. So, you need to look at this vast disparity in terms of your

01:36:49expenditure and your projected income and start focusing on ways that you can now get Tobago to

01:36:57start generating more funding. Part of it would mean that, look, hey, you have to have a massive

01:37:05increase in your tourism thrust. Another thing I have suggested is that the government should

01:37:10look at making Tobago a duty-free zone and a VAT-free zone. Those are two simple suggestions

01:37:21which, if implemented, Tobago's economy will shoot through the roof. Just think of it, Marlon.

01:37:28If Tobago is a VAT-free zone, every retiree, every person, once they retire, they will say,

01:37:36listen, partners, are you going to Tobago? Are you going to retire there? Once you keep

01:37:41making it safe and secure because, remember, once you retire, you're on a fixed pension for the rest

01:37:46of your life. You have to manage your monies. So, if Tobago is a VAT-free zone, that's a place to

01:37:51live. That's a place to be. It's something that is going to be so attractive

01:37:58if you do that. Then you couple that with making it a duty-free zone. You look at the duty-free

01:38:04zones in Panama, in pure south, and you see, oh, they have exploded the economy. I mean, Panama is

01:38:12a shining star on the world stage in terms of its economy. You know, they are just like going guns.

01:38:19I mean, of course, it's largely fueled by the Panama Canal and the taxes they collect there.

01:38:23But separate and apart from that, they have also managed to diversify their economy. Their tourism

01:38:31is going fantastic. So, you know, there are so many things that we can do. I mean, a lot of it

01:38:38involves central government's intervention and legislation. But the point is, these are the

01:38:43discussions we should be having, you know, separate and apart from just, you know, putting out a wish

01:38:49list. Because that's what the budget really is. Of course, it is. It's just a wish list.

01:38:54You know, we ought to be saying, look, okay, yes, we know we're constrained by certain parameters.

01:39:00However, these are some other workable solutions that we are proposing, which would help us to

01:39:07make a greater contribution to the national pie. So, therefore, when we ask for a bigger slice of

01:39:13the national pie, you will be happy to give us, because you'll say, yes, boy, you really brought

01:39:18more to the table than you used to bring before. You, therefore, are deserving, you know, like

01:39:23Oliver Twist when he says, sir, can I have a little more, please? Martin George, it's always a pleasure

01:39:30speaking with you, you know, and thank you very much for your perspective. Bye for now.

01:39:36All right, it's time for a quick break. We're coming back, everybody.

01:39:48So, you don't have to look no further. I'm sure everybody don't know. If one spirit in child and

01:39:56mother. So, God in his whole locality. So, let me hear you.

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01:41:33In 2023 in Pune, India, we won TNT's first international crown in 25 years,

01:41:43best talent for the steel pan, and we embraced the environment. Now we dedicate our platform

01:41:50to the well-being of Earth as team Miss and Mrs. Representatives compete for three crowns

01:41:57and raise awareness on climate change. This is pageantry for the planet. The Miss India

01:42:04Worldwide TNT Pageant 2024 Trinidad Hilton, July 14th.

01:42:27All right, so welcome back everyone. So the Trinbago Diaspora Outreach Network will be

01:42:41hosting its second biennial diaspora conference on July 5th and 6th at San Fernando City Hall.

01:42:48To tell us more about the upcoming event is Dr. Andrew Phillips, founder of the Trinbago

01:42:52Diaspora Outreach Network. Doctor, good morning and thank you very much for joining us.

01:42:59Thank you very much for having me. Of course. Doctor,

01:43:01let's speak about the objective of the conference.

01:43:06Okay, so first of all, the Trinbago Diaspora Outreach Network has over the last three years

01:43:13been holding diaspora homecoming events in Trinidad and Tobago.

01:43:21These homecoming events would include from time to time diaspora conferences and medical missions

01:43:31being conducted over a three or four day period. What is happening is that this year we are having

01:43:37the diaspora homecoming in partnership or under the patronage of the mayor of San Fernando,

01:43:44his worship, Robert Paris. And this program has been rolled out in a way that would allow us to

01:43:52bring forth the objectives of the Trinbago Diaspora Outreach Network in terms of research,

01:43:59recognition, and engagement. One of the ways we are approaching the whole component of the diaspora

01:44:09conference objectives is to map the research, map the recognition efforts, and sort out ways for

01:44:18engagement with the people of Trinidad and Tobago. This is largely because of the fact that

01:44:23the diaspora network we are establishing is multi-pronged. It's a multi-pronged network

01:44:31of people or organizations in Canada, the USA, and one or two in the UK. And the effort that's

01:44:39being made to have our conversation physically held in Trinidad this year in what was described

01:44:48as the second Biennial Diaspora Conference. The first one was held in 2022 and that was

01:44:54held at Mount Irvin in Tobago. So the venue for the Diaspora Conference is City Hall. And

01:45:02these activities or sessions will span two days from the Friday the 5th of July and completing

01:45:12on Saturday the 6th of July. The conference, the team is Diaspora Resources, igniting

01:45:21national development in Trinidad and Tobago. Yeah. Doctor, let's deal with some of the

01:45:27topics because you do have some very interesting topics to be discussed at the conference.

01:45:32All right. So the approach is that we are looking at the sessions in the framework of

01:45:41a retrospective of the diaspora engagement. We are also looking at the comparative issues

01:45:48in diaspora engagement, looking at issues in the region, other people and their approach,

01:45:53how far they have done, what lessons we can learn from them. And then we have the

01:45:58and then we have the transformative element of the diaspora engagement,

01:46:03which would largely take up the most of the second day of the event.

01:46:08And in this regard, we have a number of speakers. The headline is the feature address to be given by

01:46:17the Honorable Dr. Amory Brown, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of Foreign and

01:46:23Curriculum Affairs. He's going to be speaking. The feature address is being delivered on the

01:46:31first day at noon. And we also have very celebrated Trinidad diaspora

01:46:38in the name of Ansel Wong, who is coming in from the UK. He's going to be awarded as well.

01:46:43I will talk about that in a little while. But he's also speaking at the conference.

01:46:48And as a practitioner in the area of Notting Hill Carnival,

01:46:52he would have a lot to contribute. He's been in that arena in the UK for about 50 years.

01:47:00And I say again, he has the second highest award that is bestowed on any individual in the UK,

01:47:07which is a commander of the British Empire, CBE. We also have a regional figure,

01:47:13Indiana Minto Coy. Dr. Indiana Minto Coy is at the Mona campus. She's a senior lecturer there.

01:47:20And she has done a fair amount of work on the diaspora engagement in the region. So she would

01:47:26bring a perspective of what is happening in the region. And of course, we have some other

01:47:31contributors. Myself, as a diaspora engagement specialist, I will be touching on some of the

01:47:37for the retrospective and the transformative. We have also the representatives from the mayor.

01:47:44Well, the mayor himself is doing the welcome address on the first day. And he's also going

01:47:49to speak on the second day and share his insights on the creative sector. Because a very important

01:47:56element is that at the end of the conference, we are going to leave with a kind of roadmap

01:48:02on how the diaspora would be able to better engage with the creative sector in Trinidad and Tobago.

01:48:08And so that would bring him, that is the mayor, into the conversation on the second day.

01:48:15And we are also going to have the presence of a couple other panelists who are very, very well

01:48:21versed in what is happening in the orange economy. And they would bring their perspectives to bear.

01:48:27There is also a focus on San Fernando because the diaspora event is being held in San Fernando.

01:48:35So we have two speakers, Vashti Gayadeen, who is the head of the Coalition of Services and

01:48:41Industries. She's speaking along with Mr. Kiran Singh, the president of the Greater San Fernando

01:48:49Chamber of Commerce. Yes. They will be talking about cultural and social connections with

01:48:54San Fernando that the diaspora in attendance will be able to understand. Dr. Philip,

01:49:00is there an opportunity for members of the public to participate or come to the conference?

01:49:06Yes, sir. There is a price tag of $750 to attend the conference for both days.

01:49:13And it is open to trinnies by choice, trinnies by birth, trinnies by parentage, and people who

01:49:19are generally interested in a closer networking with the diaspora. We are able to accommodate up

01:49:26to 100 people at City Hall. So the point is, all of our information is now online.

01:49:32You can check our website, www.trinbagodiaspora.org. And of course, you would be able to see the

01:49:40documentation, registration forms, and so on. Our Facebook page is the same as our name.

01:49:45So you will find access to the registration forms via that. And you can make a payment at

01:49:52the account number quoted. I'll show you. Once you make a booking, if you choose to pay on the venue,

01:49:59you can also have that option. We will have one number that you could call for follow-up. That

01:50:04is 682-1432. So that is my contact and you would reach me directly and you can get guidance in

01:50:11terms of the program. We do have a special arrangement for a one-day conference fee,

01:50:18it's $400. Either the first day or the second day you show up, you will be able to come in at a

01:50:27cost of $400. But we like to say that this is a networking opportunity and we believe most people

01:50:34should be able to see the advantage of it. Let me also say that we have a scenario where

01:50:41this Diaspora Conference is just preceding the major event on the Sunday night, which is the

01:50:50Diaspora Patriots Awards event. That is a dinner and award ceremony, which is being held at Kara

01:50:59Hotel in Pointer Pier. And that event will be the first such recognition event for people in

01:51:07the Diaspora ever held in Trinidad and Tobago and perhaps maybe throughout the English-speaking

01:51:14Caribbean. The scenario is that we are going to have the event from 7 p.m to 12 and the cost to

01:51:22attend is $350. We have a live band, Vogue, a South Sensation would be involved, our emcees

01:51:30Errol Fabian, and we have 15 persons and groups to be awarded that are from the USA, the UK,

01:51:38and Canada. All right, Dr. Philip, well we do have all of the contact information up for you. Thank

01:51:45you very much for speaking with us this morning and wish you all the best with your conference.

01:51:49Bye for now. Thank you very much. All right, we are going to a very short break, everybody. We're

01:51:54coming back.

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01:53:25What's up, you guys? I'm Ren. And I'm Kim. Welcome to Conversations with Ren and Kim. On our show, we dive

01:53:31deep into the stories that matter. From inspiring individuals making a difference to experts sharing

01:53:38their insights on the latest trends and topics. We're here to spark conversations that challenge,

01:53:43inspire, and entertain. Whether it's about art, culture, technology, or everyday life,

01:53:49we've got you covered. So join us every Saturday for conversations and unforgettable moments.

01:53:56See you there.

01:54:10All right, so welcome back everyone. Just a note from the Met Office. Trinidad and Tobago has been

01:54:15placed on a yellow alert for high winds until noon today. All right, so you all be careful out there.

01:54:21All right, so that's going to be it for our program for today. Thank you to all of the

01:54:25persons who appeared on our program. Thank you for your viewership. We'll do it all over

01:54:30tomorrow again. Have a good day everybody. Bye for now.

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