Black Immigrant Daily News

The Ministry of Labour and Social Security is reporting that the Cabinet has approved the appointment of a seven-member fact-finding team to conduct investigations into the working conditions of Jamaican workers under the Canadian Seasonal Agricultural Workers (farm work) Programme.

A release from the ministry said the development comes after Portfolio Minister Karl Samuda recently announced the appointment of a tripartite team.

That move followed a correspondence to Samuda, purportedly on behalf of some Jamaican farm workers in Canada who were said to be concerned about several aspects of their seasonal working arrangements and conditions.

Samuda himself visited a number of farms in Canada where Jamaican workers are employed, earlier this year after the complaint, and later said he saw no evidence of any justifiable basis for the expressed concerns.

However, the issues and concerns have not died down since then.

The members of the fact-finding team now appointed to look deeper into the matter are as follows:

1. Helene Davis-Whyte (Chair) – President, Jamaica Confederation of Trade Union (JCTU)

2. Donald (Danny) Roberts – Deputy Chairman, Industrial Disputes Tribunal (IDT)

3. Wayne Chen – President, Caribbean Employers’ Federation

4. Raymond Eytle – Second Vice-President, Jamaican Employers’ Federation s

5. Wayne Jones – Deputy Financial Secretary, Strategic Human Resource Management, Ministry of Finance and Public Service

6. Sidia Madden – Chief Internal Auditor, Ministry of Labour and Social Security

7. Kandre Leveridge – Researcher/Community Development Specialist

The fact-finding team is to:

o Conduct random selection of Canadian farms covering all provinces to which Jamaican farmworkers are employed;

o Collect data on the working conditions of Jamaican workers employed under the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Programme (SAWP);

o Interview workers who have been injured to assess the level of care and responsiveness to their needs by the Jamaica Liaison Service in Canada and the Ministry of Labour and Social Security;

o Speak to employers and other interested groups to hear concerns;

o Provide a report outlining the team’s findings, with recommendations to improve the Jamaican Overseas Employment Programme in Canada.

The team is to visit all provinces where Jamaican farmworkers are employed over a two-week period, following which a comprehensive report is to be provided to the portfolio minister.

The report is to be presented to Cabinet and subsequently tabled in Parliament.

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Tobago Business Chamber president Martin George. –

The Tobago Business Chamber has described the 2023 budget presentation as “bereft of ideas and innovation and shows no clear growth path for Tobago’s fiscal independence and long-term economic stability.”

On Monday, Finance Minister Colm Imbert delivered the budget in the Red House, Port of Spain, announcing that the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) will receive an allocation of $2.521 billion.

This, he said represents 4.3 per cent of the budget. Of that sum, Imbert said $194 million will be allocated for recurrent expenditure, $300 million for development and $9.2 million for CEPEP.

In a WhatsApp video sent to Newsday immediately after the budget, chairman Martin George expressed concern over the recurrent figure.

“We have continuously advocated that this is way too much of your budgetary allocation to be on recurrent expenditure. This represents 87.2 per cent of your budgetary allocation. Last year, it was 88 per cent.

“So these figures are way too high for this to be on recurrent expenditure.”

He said recurrent expenditure simply means spending money to stay afloat.

“This is not anything that you are building, any capital development or any infrastructural development or any capital-intensive programmes. No, this is simply money to stay afloat. You’re paying your expenses, your bills, your rents, your leases – you’re just spending money basically to stay in the same position.”

He said that does not represent the type of growth or development the chamber would like to see for the island.

He said also the chamber has not seen any indication of a comprehensive long-term plan for the island to begin its financial sustainability and economic independence, as well as the repeal of the Foreign Investment Act.

“We keep making the point that TT is in a foreign-exchange crisis. Why would the government not repeal this legislation, which is a direct block and bar to foreign investment in Tobago?

“We have several persons who have approached us and they wish to make huge investments in Tobago. but once they see the requirements of that Foreign Investment Act and all the red tape that is involved, they immediately abandon the idea and they go to the other islands, where it is much easier to make that investment.”

He said he would also have liked to see his suggestion implemented on the removal of VAT, making Tobago a VAT-free or duty-free zone.

“We keep making the point to the Minister of Finance. in the hope that one day, these suggestions would bear fruit.”

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File photo: Tobago Chamber of Industry and Commerce president Diane Hadad – Photo by David Reid

TOBAGO Chamber of Industry and Commerce president Diane Hadad has described as “neutral,” her feeling about the government’s decision to increase fares on the sea and air bridge, effective January 1, 2023.

Delivering the 2022-2023 fiscal package in the Parliament on Monday, Finance Minister Colm Imbert announced a $50 increase in airfare (one way) for passengers travelling between Trinidad and Tobago. The fare is currently $150.

Standard fares on the sea bridge also have been increased from $50 to $75 (one way) while those in premium class have moved from $100 to $150. People above age 60 who currently travel for free on the ferries will now have to pay $25.

Hadad said she has always felt that the $50 fare on the sea bridge was too low.

“And I agree with the 60-and-over people now having to pay. But I don’t know why they are still paying only $25. That should have never been done. They need to be paying the fare. I don’t understand what is that concession about. I never did,” she told Newsday.

Noting that airfare has gone from $150 to $200, Hadad wondered if the increase will result in greater efficiency.

“I would like to know what we would be getting differently for that. Is it that we are going to have constant on-time flights? Is it that the airline is going to be operating at full and more capacity so that the island can benefit from it? Or is it just a punitive measure because nothing has changed from the Tobago side.”

Hadad said if the increase in airfare is being regarded as a measure to ensure greater efficiency and consistency, then it is likely that many people may choose to vacation in Tobago as opposed to travelling overseas.

But she said the decision to increase the fares, particularly on the sea bridge, could bring hardship for Tobagonians who do business in Trinidad fairly regularly.

“There is still the element of the Tobagonian feeling the brunt of that having to come for goods and services on the island of Trinidad. That, to me, clearly would be for the people on the island to decide how much of that are they going to tolerate in terms of what is our administration going to say about that.”

Hadad said the budget was a rehash of things she had grown accustomed to hearing.

“He (Imbert) said so much to say so little. The budget is the same, cut-and-paste, report and repeat.”

For example, she noted $300 million has again been allocated for development initiatives, $18 million for URP and $9.2 million for CEPEP.

“So the more things change, the more that remain the same.”

Hadad also observed that Imbert accused the Opposition of hindering the passage of the ‘autonomy’ bills.

“There was blame on the Opposition for the bill not passing to give Tobago more autonomy. That is just an excuse. But the bill was not in its right form to allow for any proper management.”

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Cars lined up at the St Christopher’s Gas Station on Wrightson Road, Port of Spain on Monday. – Photo by Ayanna Kinsale

While the Trinidad and Tobago Chamber of Industry and Commerce described the 2022-2023 budget as an optimistic one, it expressed concern over the effect the increase in fuel prices would have on the economy.

It said it understood the need to limit the fuel subsidy, but was “concerned about the impact that this will have on inflation and the population at this time.”

The finance minister announced a cap in the fuel subsidy, which resulted in a $1-per-litre increase in the price of super and premium gasoline and a 50-cent increase in diesel. The new prices for fuel are now $7.75 a litre for premium gasoline, $6.97 a litre for super gasoline, and $4.41 a litre for diesel.

The chamber highlighted some positives coming out of the budget, including a reduction in the deficit from $9 billion in 2022 to $2 billion at the start of financial year 2023. The reduction came out of a windfall due to an increase in prices in petrochemicals and hydrocarbons because of the Russia-Ukraine war.

It also welcomed the investment in agriculture, but questioned what exactly would be done for the sector.

The chamber also lauded the government for reiterating its intention to support SMEs.

“This is critical for the growth of the economy, as MSMEs account for a major portion of the private sector and the chamber welcomes the new long-term loan guarantee programme.”

The chamber also said it looks forward to the full operationalisation of the TT Revenue Authority, saying it would allow for fair and efficient revenue collection.

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