View Point

“True ignorance is not the absence of knowledge, but the refusal to acquire it.” Karl Popper, Austrian-British philosopher. The recent S&P Rating is not a new and startling event for Trinidad and Tobago. While many may have focused on the national outcome, we may have missed the reality that some …

Recently, the Attorney General, Senator John Jeremie SC, announced that the State had decided to discontinue an appeal against a High Court judgment in which the Court condemned the forcible retrieval of a citizen of Trinidad and Tobago from Barbados, by Trinidad and Tobago law enforcement, in circumstances where he …

“[…] The Ministry of Finance website provides budget statements from 2002 onwards. Diversification is mentioned in each budget statement. All 23 years. Undoubtedly, diversification will feature in Budget 2026 when it is read in the coming weeks. “[…] This is not to say that there have been no changes since …

“[…] The frustration in Greenvale, however, runs deeper than a single Sunday blackout. The community already feels utterly abandoned. The general election, which promised so much, has long passed, leaving a vacuum where change was supposed to be. “[…] We need some level of professionalism, which starts not with a …

Co-incidentally with the event described below, drawing talent from the diaspora has been in the news. The Government has passed legislation to allow persons to obtain Trinidad and Tobago citizenship through a grandparent who was a citizen at time of the applicant’s birth. The immediate benefit of this legislation is …

“[…] Now, Trinidad and Tobago is a shadow of its former self, undermined by a lack of innovative leadership, perceived corruption, crime, poor infrastructure and most of all, a culture that has transformed itself into rewarding mediocrity rather than excellence. “[…] Evidence-based decision-making is critical in achieving service excellence… [For …

“[…] At first glance, this might sound like the end of Jack Warner’s ordeal. If the court sets him free, why not get on a plane and resume life abroad? “The reality is far harsher: Warner’s freedom would be limited to Trinidad and Tobago. Step outside, and he risks arrest …

“[…] On 23 September, Justice Karen Reid ruled that the extradition process against him was flawed and has permanently stopped it. “This outcome raises troubling questions. Does justice in our country depend on access to resources and influence? What role will Warner now be given under our new Prime Minister? …

“[…] When a sitting minister hires some of the most expensive lawyers in the country, the public has a right to ask: is this coming out of his pocket, his political party’s pocket, or ours? “If he is paying personally: fair enough… If his political party or donors are paying, that …

Last week, in light of the current United States naval presence in Caribbean waters, I posed a question about sovereignty, to which I return below. However, I must begin this week noting that the National Gas Company (NGC), a premier state enterprise, has pelted both the Minister of Education, Dr …

“[…] Please do not incur excessive debt to fulfil campaign promises or popular votes. Continuous deficit financing and public debt that balloons uncontrollably will undermine investor/lender confidence, reduce cash flow and impact generational wealth. Everybody must win. “[…] Madame Prime Minister 2.0, it is clear that if T&T achieves its …

As primary school children, we would have learnt a poem by John Keats. “There was a naughty boy/ And a naughty boy was he,/ He ran away to Scotland/ The people for to see–/ Then he found/ That the ground/ Was as hard,/ That a yard/ Was as long…” This …