THE masterminds of international organised crime syndicates are targeting Trinidad and Tobago, the Prime Minister revealed on February 2. However, law enforcement agencies from the United States are prepared to help this country fight these criminals.
Dr Rowley spoke at a media briefing at Whitehall, Port of Spain, after his return the night before from the US where he met with top officials from national security agencies including the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).
Rowley said he travelled with Energy Minister Stuart Young, Foreign and Caricom Affairs Minister Dr Amery Browne and Digital Transformation Minister Hassel Bacchus, and they met officials including Vice President Kamala Harris, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Assistant Secretary of Defense Melissa Dalton.
"We also met with officials of the FBI. We do have some problems here in Trinidad and Tobago which I will not burden you with today. We do have some internal problems."
Touting the TT-US relationship, he said, "The resources of the FBI and CIA were made available to us to deal with our own internal problems."
"We met with officials of the Department of Homeland Security who gave us a listening ear with respect to what we might need to assist in certain matters."
Rowley also met top officials of the US State Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy and attended a workshop on cybersecurity and cybercrimes at CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia.
He said artificial intelligence (AI) can make it hard for leaders to know what is true and what is not, as he quipped it can now pass the Bar exam plus doctors' exams.
"Given the positives of the technology, there are a whole lot of negatives we now have to confront, and so we spent the morning on that and it was a great eye-opener."
The PM said local law enforcement officers were strengthening their capabilities via US-funded security co-operation initiatives. Again, he did not go into specifics.
These programmes will help with policing strategies for crime-fighting and citizen security. They also help to create specialised and vetted units against organised crime.
"Because we are now attracting elements of international organised crime, which is very concerning to the Government, we are discussing this with the US to get as much help as we can, in ensuring that our bad (crime) situation is not worsened by these developments."
Rowley named three more areas of TT-US collaboration.
"We have made plans, and the US has agreed to help us, with increased maritime operations. So we will be working on that in the coming weeks to see what we can get out of that."
He said a gun crimes intelligence unit was a priority area of collaboration between Trinidad and Tobago and the US.
"We intend to establish a cybersecurity bilateral technical working group which will offer institutional technical exchanges and digital transformation support for our people here in Trinidad and Tobago working closely with their (US) colleagues."
A statement on the White House website, recounting the Rowley-Harris meeting, referred to "key priorities, including regional security issues and the imperative of addressing firearms trafficking." Rowley said he had met a congressman who was piloting a bill to curb firearms trafficking which the PM said affects places like Trinidad and Tobago.
Rowley also told reporters on February 2 that he had not had a vacation or an annual medical check-up, but would do so just after an upcoming energy conference and Caricom leaders meeting – both being held in Guyana. He said after the Guyana engagements, he would be away for ten days. "I will be here in spirit."
Less than six months ago, on August 17 to 22, the PM flew off to Barbados for vacation, following the holding of local government elections.
In the question session, he was pressed about the interest of international criminals in Trinidad and Tobago.
He replied that Trinidad and Tobago was an open country, such as in its trade links. "Certain criminals are liking us and I say no more. I say no more." (Source: Newsday, Feb 2, 2024)

The great calypso, soca and steelband musician, composer and arranger Earl Rodney has passed.
Earl lead the Mighty Sparrow's excellent Troubadours band for a number years between the late 1960's and mid 1970’s and arranged a number of the Mighty Sparrow's calypso classics including the immortal hit called "Memories".
Additionally Earl worked on Lord Shorty's trademark soca classic "Sweet Music" as well as arranging all the tracks on Black Stalin's iconic 1978/1979 calypso/soca album called "Caribbean Unity".
Earl was also the main arranger for Solo Harmonites Steel Orchestra back in their glory days between 1968 and 1974 when they won the T&T National Large Bands Panorama Finals on four occasions.
Condolences goes out to all family, loved-ones and music colleagues of this great man and musician.
May his spirit journey smoothly to join the other great ancestors and may his soul rest in eternal peace! (Source:  Angelo Bissessarsingh's Virtual Museum of Trinidad & Tobago)

TOBAGO was expected to launch on Thursday, a new video on National Geographic highlighting the island’s culture and heritage.
The island is also expected to have a 12-page Christmas spread on a food travel publication in the United Kingdom.
Tobago Tourism Agency Ltd (TTAL) executive chairman Alicia Edwards said so in an interview on Tuesday at the World Travel Market (WTM), London, UK. The interview was posted on the Office of the Chief Secretary’s Facebook page.
Edwards was among the island’s stakeholders who attended the prestigious international trade show at the ExCel London exhibition and convention centre. It ended on Wednesday.
Heartened by the strides Tobago has continued to make at the WTM, Edwards described the event as a “huge shopping expedition.”
She said, “When you come to WTM, it is really the opportunity for you to have a whole range of options and projects forced at you…we are meeting with people who we have worked with before, people who we may want to work with.”
But Edwards said the real work would start when the team returned to Tobago.
“We now have to sift through all of the opportunities that have come. We now have to evaluate them and align them in terms of where we want to go and the things we want to achieve for the year and then we have to start actioning those plans by putting resources and people there.”
She said, based on what transpired at last year’s WTM, Tobago hoped to continue that pattern of success.
“When we came in 2022, we had quite a lot of meetings but then when we got back home, we were able to identify about four or five big projects and opportunities that we wanted to come out of it.”
Edwards said, at this year’s WTM, the team was able to run some beautiful campaigns with a number of small operators.
“It is not just what happens at WTM but how does the agency follow up and action those plans. We have done quite well last year and we are hoping to continue that success in the year ahead.”
THA Secretary of Tourism, Culture, Antiquities and Transportation Tashia Burris believes Tobago brought a distinctly unique flavour to the WTM.
“Tobago consistently has to show up in the places that I think we can stamp our special Tobago brand on the rest of the world,” she said.
Burris said Tobago made a point of bringing to the WTM, the island’s tambrin and reel and jig dancers “because I think it is very important for us to continue to remind people why Tobago is the greatest little island on the planet, full of flair, full of culture, full of history and definitely one of the most beautiful places on the earth.”
​(Source: Newsday, Nov 13, 2023) 

Seven TT students were among the top ten highest scorers in the biology unit I of the June 2023 Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE).
Erin Quamina of St Joseph's Convent Port of Spain placed first in the region while Jada Ottley of Bishop Anstey High School placed second. Tying for fourth place were Arun Kavi Ramnarine of Hillview College, and Mark Earl Mahadeo and Sean Aden Sahadath of Presentation College Chaguanas.
Also tied for seventh place were Sudesh Mukesh Ramdath of Naparima College and Erin Newton of St Augustine Girls' High School.
Aeriel J Alexis of TA Marryshow Community College, Grenada placed third in the region, Dondre Donovan Mcfarlane of Campion College, Jamaica also tied for seventh place, and Giselle Michaila Byfeld of Campion College, Jamaica placed tenth.
The CAPE Merit list, which was released on Tuesday, showed TT students dominating the top ten lists of many subjects including French unit I, communication studies, chemistry unit I, physics unit I, physical education and sport, and Spanish unit I which listed only TT students.
On the Facebook page of the Office of the Prime Minister of TT, the PM congratulated the parents, teachers and students in the biology unit.
“Notwithstanding the acknowledged many challenges, something good is happening in many parts of our education system.
“As we congratulate these successes, we continue to strive to do even better across the wide spectrum of educational opportunities available to our students, teachers, and parents.”
The Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) Merit list was also released on Tuesday. (Source: Newsday, November 18, 2023)

Congratulations to Ms.Doolarie Ramdath of Rio Claro for her accomplishment in being 1 of the 3 samples from T&T earning a place among the top 50 samples of the World at the 2023 Cocoa of Excellence Competition in Paris.
222 samples were submitted and 3 samples from T&T were successful thus far.
Making Rio Claro proud in 2017 and now 2023.
Best wishes to all winners as we await another stage of judging in early 2024. (Source NewsSauce, Facebook_

BUSINESSWOMAN extraordinaire and recipient of the 2011 Order of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago (ORTT) Helen Bhagwansingh has died.
Bhagwansingh died on Monday morning at 83. She had been ailing for some time.
In a statement, her family confirmed her death and said all stores in the Bhagwansingh’s Group will be closed on Monday.
In 2000 Bhagwansingh was named “Woman of the Millennium” by the TT Chamber of Energy and was the first woman to be inducted into the TT Chamber of Industry and Commerce’s Business Hall of Fame.
Bhagwansingh was the widow of Hubert Bhagwansingh, who died in 2019, and with whom she opened their first hardware store in Port of Spain, followed by many other enterprises in the ensuing years.
Expressions of condolences have been coming in for the astute businesswoman who was fondly called “Mrs B.”
Minister in the Ministry of Education and MP for D’Abadie/O’Meara Lisa Morris-Julian described her as a woman of compassion and steely determination.
Opposition MPs Dinesh Rambally and Barry Padarath expressed condolences on her passing.
Rambally, Chaguanas West MP, said she was a prominent and respected businesswoman and that her contributions and legacy in the business world will be remembered and celebrated for years to come.
Princes Town MP Padarath said the country is poorer with the loss of this business magnate and humanitarian.
Well known for her contributions to many charitable causes, the deeply spiritual Bhagwansingh donated $5 million to establish a trust for diabetes education, research and prevention, after learning that the incidence of diabetes in Trinidad and Tobago was approaching epidemic proportions.
Bhagwansingh, who was born in San Fernando, was revered as one of the most successful businesswomen in TT.
At 11 she left school to join her family’s business, Ramoutarsingh Hardware. She was put in charge of running the bicycle repair department.
In 1969,she and her husband bought the Kay Donna drive-in cinema, Valsayn, which she ran successfully until selling it in 1977.
A call by her father to fill in for a sick employee at a small branch of Ramoutarsingh’s Hardware at Sea Lots paved the way for her to start the Bhagwansingh’s empire.
Within two years, Bhagwansingh and her husband were able to transform the premises, surrounded by a mangrove swamp in an area referred to as the “La Basse,” into a successful business. She then acquired the business from her father, Daniel, and renamed it Bhagwansingh’s Hardware.
This led to an expansion of the business into Chaguanas, Marabella and Trincity.
In 1996 Bhagwansingh’s acquired Dansteel and in 1998 Centrin, turning Bhagwansingh’s into an empire that today employs over 1,200 people, including her four children.
Bhagwansingh was also responsible for the Christmas stars erected on the Laventille and San Fernando Hills. (source: Newsday October 30, 2023)

Finance Minister Colm Imbert has presented the budget for fiscal 2024 in the House of Representatives.
As he laid out the allocations for each sector, the Minister expressed optimism over projected economic growth and the resilience of the Heritage and Stabilisation Fund (HSF).
He said: “I am confident that the estimates under this budget framework will materialise and ensure that the economic recovery is anchored on sound and stable macroeconomic conditions.”
See highlights from the Minister's budget presentation below:
Total Revenue $ 54.012B
Expenditure $59.209B
Oil revenue: $16.709B
Non-oil revenue: $35.547B
Capital Revenue: $1.756B
Projected deficit of $5.197B (2.7 per cent of GDP)
Education & Training $8.022B
Health $7.409B
National Security $6.912B
Works and Transport $3.394B
Public Utilities $3.018B
Rural Development and Local Government $1.825B
Agriculture $1.442B
Housing $1.165B
Social Development $5B
Tobago: $ 2.585B
1. Government proposed an increase in the national minimum wage to $20.50 from $17.50 per hour.
2. The collection of property tax from residential owners is set to begin in fiscal 2024.
3. A total of 65,000 students in need will receive $1,000 grant for books and uniforms.
4. A total of $357M in housing projects will start this year. 
5. An online payment ecosystem is being developed to allow for the payment of taxes as part of the drive to a digital economy.
6. Strategies to assist SMEs to gain improved access to forex will be implemented in fiscal 2024.
7. Government will allocate $90M for the purpose of procuring four container scanners at the Port of Port-of-Spain.
(Source:  The Loop, October 2, 2023)