The country's largest annual trading convention was officially opened by Prime Minister, Patrick Manning last Wednesday. »

The Republic Bank Group has recorded profit attributable to shareholders of TT$629.7 million for the half-year ended March 31st, 2008. »

The Tobago Cove Eco-industrial and Business Park's grand opening which was scheduled for July will be postponed. »

Fujitsu is giving local organisations the opportunity to focus on running their business while they handle their email services. »

Ann-Marie Narine took over the position of Financial Services Ombudsman of Trinidad & Tobago from May 1, 2008. She replaces Judy Chang, who set a formidable precedent as the originator of the position, the recourse of the small man when dealing with the banking or insurance industries. »

A jewelers' passion for his art is revealed in exacting standards for the finest materials and superlative craftsmanship. They can find expression in a piece that could take a day or a year to make because of the painstaking search for gems equal in color or the perfect shaped sea-shell. »

THE recent discovery of a flotsam of mainly plastic waste twice the size of continental USA drifting in the Pacific Ocean once more raised serious concerns about how the world is not dealing with non-biodegradable waste disposal. While environmentalists and scientists grapple with the scourge of spent plastic globally, here in the Caribbean we are seeing the adverse effects of this synthetic polymer, both at sea and on land. Recycling plastics is an option. But because no one has seen it as viable to set up a recycling plant in the region, the best that can be done is collecting, separating, and baling or grinding the waste for export to countries that have such facilities. »

Piarco International Airport has once again emerged as the top performing airport in the Caribbean for airport service and holds the fourth ranking overall in Latin America and the Caribbean. The ranking is based on results from nearly 200,000 questionnaires completed by passengers in 2007, in an Airport Service Quality Survey, carried out by the Airports Council International (ACI) - the only global trade representative of airports. »

"Diversify!" The advice given to investors that is commonly explained by quoting the old adage "don't put all your eggs in one basket". Mutual funds have given investors access to well diversified portfolios without the challenge of trying to construct one without the required knowledge and skill. But many may still be intrigued by the thought of putting their skills to the test by selecting their own securities and creating their own portfolio and possibly outperforming these mutual funds. The thing that is well known and touted by investment professionals is that you should diversify. What is not often stated though is that it is possible to over-diversify thereby cancelling out any gains that you would have made with losses in other assets or costs from spreading yourself too thin. The challenge therefore is to find the right balance. »

CCN-TV6 held a prize giving distribution at its head office on April 25th for its Easter Treasure Hunt Competition that ran for five weeks from 10th March - 11th April. »

Over the past few days a number of suggestions have been made about what the Government can do to deal with the burning problem of food shortages and rising prices. Government officials have pointed to the possibility of encouraging increased agricultural production with the establishment of new farms and even seeking the supply of essential food items at more attractive prices in Latin American markets. »

In 2002, I was offered and accepted the job of managing something I had developed called "Project HOME". "HOME" was short for "Home Ownership Made Easy". It was an exciting project but the day it was supposed to receive the blessing of the Board of the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB), the Prime Minister, Basdeo Panday, called an election. During the Christmas Holidays which followed we revised the project to harmonise with the Manifesto of the Manning Government. »

(The following is the second a two-part interview with CariCRIS' CEO, Wayne Dass) »

Business Insight Limited has announced that Dr. Omar Davies, former Minister of Finance and Planning in Jamaica, is scheduled to visit Trinidad and Tobago later this month. »

By providing a consistent strategic focus, Value-Based Management is a tool to enhance the techniques through which corporate value is improved. »

last week's article showed that in the instances of Government Procurement and the Most Favoured Nation stipulations of the EPA, one should not accept the claim that when negotiating these the EU was dispassionately concerned about promoting the development goals of CARIFORUM, even at the expense of its self interest. Those who would argue otherwise and present these provisions as entirely benign and the well-intentioned pursuit of CARIFORUM/CARICOM's well-being need to convince us of this beyond a reasonable doubt This may sound cynical but the Global Europe project outlined below leaves little doubt about the EU's guiding purpose The quote I cited last week from the Development Commissioner was clear on this issue: "The EU is generous but not naïve" »

Sixty years ago, on April 30, 1948, 21 countries signed the Charter of the Organisation of American States, in Bogotá, Colombia. The objectives set by these nations were respect for sovereignty and the pursuit of democracy. Although the global political context has changed fundamentally since then, the essence of what this organisation should be remains the same. The OAS is a hemispheric forum for debate and discussion. It provides a setting for the member states to meet to discuss the important events of the Hemisphere's political situation, adopt agreements to move forward in developing the democratic system and make progress in our societies, and examine differences, with dialogue as the only instrument. »

At the time of writing, the price of oil (West Texas Intermediate) stood at US$115/bb. The market conditions remain volatile. The market is yet to see any appreciable slowing down in demand and major producers continue to operate at near full capacity. Analysts do not rule out further increases for the rest of this year. Prices are currently running nearly 40 per cent above levels in 2007. This is not good news for the oil importing countries of the region, meaning everyone except Trinidad and Tobago. While other islands have swallowed the bitter pill of higher energy prices, we continue to bask in the glory of our oil wealth, oblivious to the plight of people across the world. »

Even if there was not a looming US recession, saving and investing are still "extremely important", a leading local financial institution has said. »

The signs were all there. »

FLOUR subsidies in Barbados and elsewhere in the Caribbean are an acceptable interim strategy but aren't a permanent solution to the food price crisis sweeping the region. »

RBTT, for the eighth consecutive year, is partnering with the Trinidad and Tobago Manufacturers' Association (TTMA), the Ministry of Trade and Industry, and the Telecommunications Services of Trinidad & Tobago (TSTT) to showcase regional business when the Trade and Investment Convention (TIC) opens at the Centre of Excellence. More than 300 companies from across the Caribbean, Central and South America are expected to take part in TIC 2008 from April 29 to May 3. »

FirstCaribbean has announced the appointment of Peter Steenveld, to the position of Chief Marketing Officer, effective April 21st. »

Recent business headlines, including the merger-turned-takeover of Barbados Shipping & Trading by Neal & Massy Ltd. and the controversial acquisition of RBTT by the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) are expected to provide the backdrop for spirited debate at the Second Caribbean Investor Conference hosted by Business Insight Limited. »

Warnings that the nation is facing a real danger of double-digit inflation and the surprise dismissal of Dr Keith Rowley from the post of Trade and Industry Minister have shaken not only the business sector but the wider national community. »

They say that accountants do it with double entry and bartenders do it on the rocks. Zoologists do it with animals and managers make others do it. Detectives do it under cover and bookkeepers do it for the record. But for the record, how do bankers do it? There are all kinds of guesses but eventually the truth comes out. Almost all bankers are tellers. This is how we learn that while we think they do it with interest, or they do it risk-free, or even with a penalty for early withdrawal, they really do it with other people's money, meaning mine and yours. »