Black Immigrant Daily News

News

FILE PHOTO: Central Bank of Trinidad & Tobago –

THE Central Statistical Office (CSO) has reported that the economy declined by four per cent in the first quarter of this year.

This was indicated on Sunday in the CSO’s release of the quarterly Gross Domestic Product for the first quarter 2022.

The CSO said, “This was due to contractions in both the energy and non-energy Industries of 1.3 per cent and 5.2 per cent respectively.”

The former recorded declines in asphalt (56.1 per cent), petroleum support services (46.7 per cent), crude oil exploration and extraction (5.2 per cent) and manufacture of petrochemicals (5.1 per cent).

In the latter, there were declines in trade and repairs (excluding natural gas and petroleum distribution)- 15.2 per cent, other service activities – 10.2 per cent, construction – 9.2 per cent, electricity (excluding gas) – 3.8 per cent and textiles, clothing, leather, wood, paper and printing – 5.3 per cent.

The CSO said decline in parts of the energy sector were offset by increases in other parts

These were refining (including LNG-liquefied natural gas) – 12.1 per cent, natural gas exploration and extraction – 5.5 per cent, condensate extraction – 4.5 per cent and petroleum and natural gas distribution – 0.5 per cent.

The decline in areas of the non-energy sector were similarly offset by increases in other areas of the sector.

These were food, beverages and tobacco products- 8.9 per cent; other manufactured products – 5.6 per cent; transport and storage – 4.2 per cent and accommodation and food services – 1.9 per cent.

NewsAmericasNow.com

Black Immigrant Daily News

News

FLASHBACK: A Venezuelan family arrives at the port in Cedros. Many Venezuelans are still unable to send their children to local schools although they have been granted legal status by the TT Government. FILE PHOTO –

OVER three years after this country’s government granted legal protection for Venezuelan migrants fleeing political oppression and economic hardship in their home country, there is still a major challenge in getting migrant children into the local school system.

On June 6, 2019, at a post-Cabinet press conference, the Prime Minister said Government could not prevent Catholic schools from educating the children of Venezuelan migrants.

Since then, more than 1,500 Venezuelan children have been studying under the Equal Place programme – a joint effort by the UN Human Rights Commission (UNHCR), the UN Refugee Agency, UNICEF, Living Water Community and TTVSOLNET (TT Venezuela Solidarity Network).

In December that year, speaking at a press conference, Archbishop Jayson Gordon said among the top priorities of the church was enrolling immigrant children in schools.

He said then, “The ministers of Education, National Security and myself have met and worked to make this happen. The PM has said the Catholic Church will educate immigrant children and we have been struggling with very little time and resources to catch up on this.”

According to data from the Equal Place online platform, 1,177 children are enrolled in the primary education programme and 485, in the secondary programme, as of June 30. However, many migrant children are still not placed in schools in TT.

Among the asylum-seekers and refugees registered with the UNHCR, there are 4,000 children between the ages of five and 17 or 18 per cent of the 19,648 Venezuelans requesting refuge or asylum in TT, as of July 31.

According to R4V – a regional co-ordination platform set up in response to the Venezuela situation, there are an estimated 6,900 children in TT who need education support as part of the Refugee and Migrant Response Plan (RMRP).

The data managed by the R4V reports 2,900 more than the UNHCR’s reported 4,000, since it includes the numbers managed by the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

Opposition leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar is on record as calling for migrant children to be given places in government schools. She said every child has a right to education.

She said TT citizens who migrate, expect their children to be enrolled in schools in the countries they go to, and the same courtesy should be extended to migrant children, especially those who have come here from Venezuela.

“You accepted them, you gave them licence to stay in TT,” she told the prime minister.

Yermaris Almeida told Newsday she agrees with Persad-Bissessar’s position but asked that the plight of migrant children not be politicised.

“Venezuelan migrants are not here by choice, but by obligation. Our children are human beings who deserve respect and the same opportunities for education, food and health as any other child in the world,” she said.

Almeida said many Venezuelan families here are being separated because of the lack of schools for their children.

Venezuelan families here are making the decision to send mothers with their children back home so they can study. The fathers remain in TT to continue working in order to send money to loved ones back in Venezuela.

“All I know is that the Equal Place programme was to prepare our children to enter Catholic schools here, but it’s been three years and we have no news and no hope,” Almeida added.

NewsAmericasNow.com

Black Immigrant Daily News

MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Marcus Rashford’s double and a debut goal for Antony secured Manchester United a fourth successive victory as a 3-1 win ended Arsenal’s perfect start to the Premier League on Sunday.

Deadline-day signing Antony was handed a start after only joining on Thursday and took just 35 minutes to score his first goal, the $95 million arrival from Ajax coolly dispatching a left-footed effort.

By that time, Arsenal winger Gabriel Martinelli had had a goal ruled out after the VAR advised referee Paul Tierney to review Martin Odegaard’s challenge on Christian Eriksen in the buildup.

Arsenal started the second half strongly and equalized through Bukayo Saka, only for United to strike back as Rashford was sent racing through to score by a brilliant through ball from Bruno Fernandes.

The 24-year-old Rashford grabbed his second after Eriksen teed him up in the 75th minute as United won four consecutive Premier League games for the first time since April 2021.

Arsenal’s run of five straight games to open the season came to an end but the visitors dominated large spells at Old Trafford, suggesting they can challenge for a top-four place this season.

The atmosphere was rocking at Old Trafford and play got off to a lively start to a backdrop of anti-Glazer ownership chants that persisted throughout.

Eriksen volleyed narrowly wide at the far post having met a deep cross from Diogo Dalot, while at the other end William Saliba wasted a good chance when the ball fell to him inside the box.

Jadon Sancho followed some quick footwork with a low drive that Arsenal goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale kept out and a frantic opening reached a crescendo in the 12th.

Odegaard dispossessed Eriksen before Saka put Martinelli through, with the in-form forward slotting past David de Gea.

But Arsenal’s celebrations were brought to a halt by the VAR, with the referee ultimately ruling the goal out after going to the pitchside monitor and deeming Odegaard to have fouled Eriksen.

Antony wastefully bent wide from distance as play became broken up by fouls and periods of treatment before Arsenal had some decent chances.

Martinelli got away a low attempt from an acute angle that De Gea stopped from creeping in at the near post, then soon after produced a superb save to prevent him heading home.

Those stops provided United with the platform to take the lead.

Eriksen played through the lines to Fernandes and the referee played advantage as the Portuguese passed onto Sancho before being fouled by Gabriel.

The winger fed Rashford, whose delicate pass put Antony in to curl a left-footed strike past Ramsdale. The new boy made the most of the celebrations.

There were a few half-chances as halftime approached before Arsenal returned from the break with renewed intensity.

Gabriel Jesus found Odegaard with a cross from which he could not make a clean connection and Saka rifled across the face of goal as the visitors worked another opening. Tyrell Malacia’s attempt to stop the latter ended in penalty appeals that were ignored.

Saka’s floated cross then landed on the crossbar as United remained under pressure.

Cristiano Ronaldo came on for Antony but in the 60th minute, Arsenal’s pressure told.

Having intercepted the ball, the Gunners quickly launched an attack. Odegaard slipped in Jesus, with Dalot’s tackle on him inadvertently putting the ball into Saka’s path to strike.

It was no less than the league leaders deserved at that time but they were only level for six minutes.

United picked up a loose pass and launched a break, with Fernandes’ excellent ball putting Rashford through to hit a drive that beat Ramsdale and rippled the back of the net in front of the Stretford End.

The Arsenal goalkeeper batted away Fernandes’ chip and, after Jesus went close at the other end, was picking the ball out of his net again in the 75th minute.

Fernandes superbly capitalized on the visitors’ high line with a pass that put Eriksen free. The experienced midfielder squared the ball for Rashford to score his second.

United moved up to fifth place, three points behind Arsenal.

NewsAmericasNow.com

Black Immigrant Daily News

News

Former Energy Minister Kevin Ramnarine. FILE PHOTO –

FORMER energy minister Kevin Ramnarine on Sunday described Finance Minister Colm Imbert’s pronouncements on the state of the economy last week, as further evidence of a major disconnect between the Government and the reality facing many thousands of people.

At the Spotlight on the Economy, held by the Finance Ministry at Hyatt Regency Hotel, Port of Spain on Friday, Imbert said TT’s economy was now enjoying a strong recovery following the global fallout caused by the pandemic.

The minister however urged caution as future developments in global events could affect local revenues.

Ramnarine said on Sunday, “It came as no surprise that the Minister sought to paint a glowing picture of the economy under his stewardship.”

But he added, “What was presented at the Hyatt has absolutely no resonance with the man sitting in the red band maxi. The irrefutable fact is the economy has massively declined from 2015 to 2021.”

Ramnarine said in 2015, TT’s real GDP (Gross Domestic Product) was $ 187.1 billion.

“By the end of 2021, it was $149.6 billion, that is a 20 per cent decline in GDP since 2014. I am not surprised that this was not a talking point at the Spotlight event.”

Referring to comments Imbert made with respect to energy, Ramnarine said, “It is also interesting that with all the buoyant oil, natural gas and ammonia prices that the country is realising, that our oil and gas revenue in 2022 will not get back to 2015 levels.”

He opined that the answer to this question will present an irrefutable fact.

“Natural gas production, the heart beat of the TT economy, is at a 19-year low. This has compromised our revenue and means that we will not capitalise on the high prices in 2022.”

Ramnarine said, “We must remember that high prices don’t last forever. It is noteworthy that with all the excess revenue in 2022 we are still in a deficit of two billion. The core issue is the production of natural gas and oil.”

Ramnarine also said data from the Central Statistical Office suggests that the economy contracted in 2021 by one per cent. He added that other countries in the world, as captured by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) databases at the time, showed growth.

“This contraction in 2021 says something is structurally wrong with the TT economy

NewsAmericasNow.com