Moontown

Julien Neaves jneaves@trinidadexpress.com

One Caribbean Media Ltd has recorded a group net profit before tax of $15.6 million for its first quarter ended March 31.

This was an increase of 16 per cent from $13.3 million in the first quarter of 2009, OCM chairman Sir Fred Gollop said yesterday.

’Despite the continued uncertainty in the global and regional environment, the group was able to achieve this growth in profit because the measures taken during 2009 to control and reduce expenses have begun to take effect,’ Sir Fred said in a statement.

Revenues of $103.7 million were one per cent below last year’s $104.4 million, ’reflecting the weakness of the economies in which we operate’, he added.

Profit attributable to shareholders of $11.6 million was more than the $9.6 million in 2009, representing a 20 per cent increase.

’We are encouraged by the positive signs of recovery in the developed economies and expect that this will translate into improvement in the markets in which we operate,’ Sir Fred said.

OCM produced a profit after tax of $74.7 million for its financial year ended 2009, compared to $89.8 million in 2008.

OCM owns and operates the Trinidad Express newspapers and CCN TV6 as well as the Nation newspaper in Barbados and radio stations in Trinidad and Tobago and Grenada.

Earlier yesterday during the group’s annual general meeting at Express House, Port of Spain, the media group’s chief executive Dr Terrence Farrell projected a cyclical upturn in the economy and in advertising revenues between this year and 2011.

’We anticipate that as confidence returns to the markets here in the Caribbean that we will see upturn in advertising revenues and you will see a better performance,’ he said.

He added that the effect of falling Gross Domestic Product regionally and oil and gas prices collapsing locally was a decline in revenues, especially advertising which dropped ten per cent from $512.6 million in 2008 to $460.2 million in 2009.

He noted the group remained profitable generating a return on equity of 13.4 per cent.

Farrell said that the global economy was beginning to turn and advertising revenues in developed country markets were beginning to turn upwards, though there were still challenges in Europe and the US.

He said that in the media business 90 per cent of revenues were from advertising which are directly affected by downturns in the economy.

’So what we have, as we go forward, we have to look at increasing revenues from other sources, some sources that are more sustainable, that are less cyclically dependent.’

Farrell said that OCM was looking at the Jamaica market, focusing on major sporting and entertainment events in television in the face of competition from cable TV. (Trinidad Express)

Nikita Braxton South Bureau

PRIME MINISTER Patrick Manning yesterday whistled down the steps of his San Fernando East constituency office, following a meeting with the candidates who will be presented today to represent the People’s National Movement in the May 24 general election.

Manning refused to answer questions posed to him by the media. He said all talking will take place today during the presentation of candidates in Port of Spain.

’Tomorrow, (today) folks, we are in Woodford Square and whatever we have to say, we’ll say at that time,’ he told reporters.

Manning is expected to deliver the feature address during the event.

The prime minister arrived around 10.30 a.m. at his constituency office saying he will be meeting the candidates. Reporters waited for almost two hours for him to emerge. He again greeted the media and said he will not be discussing anything about the candidates.

The PNM candidates all left the meeting holding the red shirts they are to wear as they take centre stage at the meeting today. Taylor was not present at yesterday’s meeting and also noticeably absent was outgoing Diego Martin West MP Keith Rowley. (Trinidad Express)

THE Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) has reminded all candidates for the upcoming general election that tomorrow is nomination day.

In a release yesterday, the EBC stated returning officers, with whom papers are to be filed, will be on hand during two periods in the morning and afternoon at the EBC office at Scott House, Frederick Street, Port of Spain.

Returning officers will be present from 9 a.m. to 12 noon and again from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. for the purpose of receiving nomination papers.

The EBC further advised of the law:

’Any person seeking to be a candidate on the May 24 parliamentary election must be nominated by at least persons who are registered electors and whose names appear on the list of electors for the electoral district in which the candidate is seeking nomination. A person may seek nomination as a candidate for one electoral district only.’

The Representation of the People Act (Section 33 Sub Section 3) specifies that nomination day must not be less than 14 days after the issue of the Writs of Election by the President of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, and poll not less than 21 days after nomination day.

Candidates must also meet the following personal criteria-a candidate must not be bankrupt, must be a citizen residing in T&T for at least two years before the nomination date, must be domiciled in the country on that date, must not be mentally ill within the meaning of the Mental Health Act, must be not be under death sentence or serving a prison term in excess of 12 months, must not be responsible for conducting elections, must not be convicted of any electoral offence and must be qualified to register as an elector under any local law in force.

The release also stated:

’On nomination day, the returning officer will examine all nomination papers presented to him and having found them to be valid, he will accept the deposit and declare the nominee to be a candidate for the electoral district. The deposit for the parliamentary election is $5,000.’ (Trinidad Express)

Anna Ramdass anna.ramdass@trinidadexpress.com
Sunday, May 2nd 2010

Almost three years ago, when Kamla Persad-Bissessar was bypassed for the political leadership of the United national Congress, it was at Mid Centre Mall, Chaguanas, that she spoke out, declaring that as a woman, she will never let anyone keep her down.

Her speech at Mid Centre Mall was one that was never forgotten. ’I want to tell my political enemies close to me and far away that Kamla Persad-Bissessar is a woman who gets knocked down but she gets up again and they are never going to keep me down,’ she had said in that speech.

Today, Persad Bissessar returns to the same venue, political leader of the UNC with a promise to rise further-into government.

Thousands are expected to turn up in Chaguanas today as the UNC coalition presents its 41 candidates who will be contesting the May 24 general election.

Yesterday, present at the Mall’s carpark where preparations were underway for today’s launch, was Bernie Campbell, the US political strategist hired by the UNC who was denied entry into T&T two weeks ago.

DECLINED QUESTIONS: US political strategist Bernie Campbell takes a look at the preparations at Mid Centre Mall in Chaguanas for a rally today by the United National Congress (UNC) coalition. Campbell, who was stopped by Immigration from entering Trinidad and Tobago two weeks ago, re-entered the country quietly at around 1.30 p.m. yesterday and was said to have passed through Piarco International Airport without incident. -Photo: DEXTER PHILIP

Immigration officials claimed to have been given orders from the Ministry of National Security to treat Campbell as an ’undesirable’.

The US Embassy is still waiting on an explanation from the Ministry of Security as to why Campbell was denied entry into T&T.

Campbell was said to have been traumatised by the incident and was reported to have refused to come back to this country.

Yesterday, UNC public relations representative, Ernie Ross, said that Campbell has moved on from the incident and was glad to be able to return. The strategist will be in the country for about two weeks, or longer if necessary, he said.

Campbell declined to take questions at the Mid Centre mall yesterday.

Also expected to speak today are COP Political Leader, Winston Dookeran, NJAC Political Leader, Makandal Daaga, David Abdullah and MSJ candidate Errol McLeod and TOP Political Leader, Ashworth Jack.

Under the coalition agreement, the UNC will field 23 candidates, COP ten, NJAC four, MSJ two and TOP two in next month’s general election.

Kristy Ramnarine kramnarine@trinidadexpress.com

Dr Keith Rowley will appear on the People’s National Movement’s (PNM) platform today at Woodford Square, Port of Spain, when the party presents its slate of candidates for the May 24 general election.

Rowley will deliver the candidate’s speech after the second batch of candidates are introduced to supporters at the Square, according to the presentation of candidates programme.

A copy of the presentation of candidates programme, obtained by the Sunday Express yesterday, showed Rowley is listed to speak from 3.34 p.m. for approximately four minutes.

Rowley-who in the past has been a front-line speaker for the PNM, both on the platform and in Parliament-has not been seen on the campaign trail since the start of the PNM’s public meetings in St Augustine on April 12.

The PNM has since held five other meetings- Cunupia on April 17, Manzanilla on April 19, Tabaquite on April 21, Maloney on April 26 and Penal on April 28-none of which featured Rowley.

LONG OVERDUE: Dr Keith Rowley

It was anybody’s guess whether Rowley, screened for the Diego Martin West constituency, will be presented and if he will be one of the speakers on the platform.

Asked about Rowley’s presence at today’s launch of candidates, PNM public relations officer Jerry Narace, who was at Woodford Square for a media briefing yesterday, only said: ’Come tomorrow and you will see.’

Yesterday, event organisers were busy draping the Woodford Square stage in the national colours of red, white and black-with red, the colour of the PNM, being the most prominent. Ironically, however, the ground was covered with yellow poui flowers-yellow being the colour of the United National Congress (UNC).

Among the thousands of party supporters expected to converge on the capital city today for the PNM’s launch of its campaign will be activists from Diego Martin West, who have all backed Dr Rowley’s nomination and who are still eagerly waiting to hear the man once called the ’PNM’s Pitbull’ on the PNM’s platform again.

Rowley was screened for the Diego Martin West constituency on April 13 by the PNM executive which was chaired by Prime Minister Patrick Manning. There were no other nominees for the seat.

Rowley and Manning clashed in 2008 after the former trade and industry minister raised various queries involving the Urban Development Company of Trinidad and Tobago (UDeCOTT) and its former chairman Calder Hart. As a result, he was fired from his post on April 24, 2008.

On May 2, 2008, Rowley promised if an independent Commission of Enquiry found all was well with UDeCOTT, he would resign his seat in Parliament and exit public life for good.

Manning announced an enquiry into UDeCOTT by the Joint Select Committee of Parliament On May 14, 2008, but Rowley disagreed saying nothing short of a Commission of Enquiry could deal with UDeCOTT.

On May 23, 2008, Manning agreed to set up a Commission of Enquiry into UDeCOTT and the practices of the construction industry, in place of the Joint Select Committee (JSC) he had previously proposed.

The UDeCOTT findings were disclosed in a report submitted to President George Maxwell Richards on March 29.

Prof John Uff QC, chairman of the Commission of Enquiry into UDeCOTT, recommended police probe Hart as well as the entire UDeCOTT board in relation to the award of the $368 million Ministry of Legal Affairs tower contract and the $885 million Brian Lara Stadium project in Tarouba. (Trinidad Express)

Four months into the start of the Island Traffic Authority’s (ITA) Vehicle Weight Enforcement Campaign, truckers are admitting that over the years overloading has dealt a serious blow to the country’s roads and bridges.

Trucker Byron Palmer noted the public education theme, ‘Truck Overload Destroys Our Roads’, speaks volumes. To him, this practice not only destroys the roads, but human life and other property.

“Mi agree, ’cause a nuff time we overload all sand and gravel and dem drop in a di road. Dem things deh cause vehicles fi skid and can cause serious accidents,” he said.

He recounted an accident, allegedly caused by aggregates, which last year resulted in a number of fatalities.

“Dem say it was di gravel from the truck in di road that cause the people dem to crash. A carelessness cause that,” he admitted.

Deposit of aggregates

ITA director Paul Clemetson shared his sentiments.

“What we noticed is the deposit of aggregates, especially along the verges of the roads, occasioned by overweight vehicles, have resulted in motorists losing control of the vehicles and may result in serious injuries. There have been fatalities as a consequence,” he said.

The ITA director, however, said this behaviour will not be tolerated after legislation with more punitive weight-enforcement proposals are passed into law.

“The new piece of legislation will place a burden on quarry operators and suppliers of other products to ensure that vehicles leave the plants with specified weight limits. If it is found that the vehicle was overloaded by the supplier, the supplier may also be culpable,” he said.

Palmer said though the programme may not be well received by some sectors, everyone stands to benefit.

CAN SAVE MONEY

Port Trailers’ Association President Andrew Henry believed haulage companies save money if they observe the set weight stipulations.

“My suggestion to truckers is that by not overloading your trucks over the specifications of the manufacturer, this will bring your maintenance costs down,” he said.

“When you overload a truck, you are actually wearing some of the major parts on the truck that, when replaced, will be at a higher cost. So this will help to reduce costs and help with your total profitability,” he continued.

Senior highway engineer of the National Works Agency (NWA), Rae Parchment, concurred.

He noted that this is the case with large trucking companies which ensure adherence to set weight limits.

“If you talk to the bigger companies which have fleets of trucks, they will tell you when they operate at the legal load, maintenance cost goes down on their vehicles,” he said.

“The vehicle burns less fuel, the wear and tear is less, the braking is better, the wear on the clutch is less,” he continued. (Jamaica Gleaner)

Arthur Lok Jack, chairman of Caribbean Airlines, raised the possibility of Air Jamaica returning to The Bahamas and Cayman routes.

R. Anne Shirley, Business Writer

While the top brass of Air Jamaica and representatives of Caribbean Airlines Limited (CAL) were meeting with Jamaican media on Wednesday, April 28, here in Kingston, a similar meeting was being held in Port-of-Spain to appraise their media on details of the Caribbean Airlines/Air Jamaica transition arrangements.

One of the snippets of information gleaned by the Trinidad press is that consideration is being given for Air Jamaica to return to flying on its former Kingston to Grand Cayman and Kingston to Nassau routes.

Chairman of Caribbean Airlines, Arthur Lok Jack, told journalists that during the transition period, Air Jamaica would be flying eight routes to the United States and Canada as well as the Cayman Islands and the Bahamas.

The airlines up to then had said five routes would be retained to the US and Canada.

But, speaking with Sunday Business on Friday, Air Jamaica chief executive officer Bruce Nobles said it would be premature to say the local carrier will be returning to Cayman and The Bahamas in the foreseeable future.

He reiterated that Air Jamaica would continue to fly on its existing routes, but would be reviewing the possibility of adding other destinations.

When questioned specifically about the fate of the Montego Bay to Baltimore route, Nobles said, that the cancellations this week of that flight were due to problems with an aircraft, and that there were no plans to give up that route.

Caribbean Airlines has already ruled out a return to the Montego to Havana, Cuba, route.

The Government of Trinidad and Tobago has offered the Government of Jamaica a 16 per cent stake in Caribbean Airlines, which has been valued at US$30 million.

Gov’t wanted 25% shares

In the initial bid, CAL had reportedly offered the Government of Jamaica a 10 per cent equity position, while the Air Jamaica Divestment team had tried to get a 25 per cent shareholding.

Effective May 1, Caribbean Airlines has taken over full financial responsibility for the Air Jamaica operations and to this end, the Government of Trinidad and Tobago has provided US$50 million to fully capitalise the transition arrangements.

The Government of Jamaica is providing US$19 million to cover the pre-purchase of Air Jamaica tickets by passengers made prior to the handover to CAL for travel on Air Jamaica flights after May 1.

Lok Jack has indicated that Caribbean Airlines expects to make an immediate return on its investment of about US$12 million to US$15 million per annum, starting in 2011. He believes that the transition period should last for three to six months.

In the meanwhile, Air Jamaica Limited has obtained a 60-day and 90-day temporary waiver from the United States and Canadian transportation authorities, respectively, in relation to the ownership and control standards in their bilateral arrangements with Jamaica, which will allow Air Jamaica to continue flying as the Jamaican national carrier.

In a response to a petition for review submitted on April 10, 2010, pursuant to the temporary waiver to Air Jamaica granted by the US Department of Transportation (DOT), George Carneal, counsel for Air Jamaica Limited, noted on April 29 that the waiver was in keeping with the spirit of the Open Skies Agreement between the US and Jamaica.

Carneal noted that the DOT had not yet made a decision on the ownership and control issues related to the transition arrangements between Air Jamaica and Caribbean Airlines, but the waiver would allow the airline to continue its operations, pending the outcome of the ongoing review.

Financial responsibility

He said further that Air Jamaica was not operating under a wet-lease arrangement but “will continue to be the operating entity and is not leasing aircraft from any other airline.” He was also of the view that a suggestion “that the assumption of financial responsibility for an airline’s operations is tantamount to being that airline is entirely unfounded”.

The latter statement related to a suggestion that CAL was now the substantive owner of the Air Jamaica operations.

The Government of Jamaica is adamant that while it will be responsible for the legacy debt and other expenses related to the divestment of the national airline, the Government of Jamaica will not be undertaking any other financial obligations relating to Air Jamaica going forward.(Jamaica Gleaner)

renee.shirley@yahoo.com

Governor General Sir Patrick Allen reminisces on his first year in office. - Winston Sill/Freelance Photographer

Gary Spaulding, Senior Gleaner Writer

The leadership of the Seventh-day Adventist Church has declined to comment on the moral dilemma facing Governor General Sir Patrick Allen, as he is asked to sign into law a controversial gambling bill.

Sir Patrick, the former president of the Central Jamaica Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, appears to be facing his first major dilemma as a leading public servant.

He is required to sign into law a bill that establishes casino gambling in Jamaica. The bill was passed by the House of Representatives and the Senate and awaits the governor general’s signature.

Late last week, the Jamaica information Service (JIS) dispatched to The Gleaner a corrected version of a release signalling that Sir Patrick had not yet signed the bill.

However, the government information arm stated: “The Casino Gaming Act 2010, having been passed by both Houses of Parliament in March, has been sent to King’s House for the governor general’s signature.”

Gently declined

But even as the current president of the Central Jamaica Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, Pastor Dennis Bignall, gently declined The Sunday Gleaner’s invitation to comment on Sir Patrick’s predicament, he was quick to assert that the Church remained unequivocal in its stance against gambling.

“I am not going to make any remarks on this matter,” said Pastor Bignall.

Sir Patrick was appointed governor general of Jamaica on February 26, 2009, and took time off from his church work to serve his nation, the first church leader to assume the position as the Queen’s representative.

Bignall told The Sunday Gleaner that he anticipated the public’s reaction.

Declaring that he could speak for himself and the Church, Bignall declared that they both repudiated all forms of gambling.

“I will not be able to speak about him (Sir Patrick), I speak for myself and the church. we remain resolutely against gambling.”

He added: “Gambling? Capital ‘N’ capital ‘O’.”

But Bignall was quick to point out that Sir Patrick was not operating of his own accord.

“He is serving the nation, and the good book says as servants, you are called to obey who you serve.”

Bignall seized the opportunity to exhort Christians to not recoil from public life. “We are needed in this time of degeneracy,” he declared.

The church leader proclaimed that church members have a duty to perform in public life.

“There are times when matters of principle in politics will run against the grain, against the conscience and conduct of the Christian … . Then you will have to stand on your conviction, and take a firm stand, but you can’t recoil from public life,” Bignall said.

In the lead-up to Sir Patrick’s appointment, there was a flood of concerns about his role as a public servant.

Expressed confidence

But he expressed confidence that his Adventist affiliation would not affect his ability to carry out the job as governor general.

“I know that everyone knows my religious persuasion. That will not hinder me from giving my best service. Fortunately for us, we live in a nation that respects religious liberty. No GG has ever been able to attend all social functions, but the constitutional roles will be conducted to the satisfaction of the nation,” Allen added.

Adventism is a conservative branch of Christianity known for its strict adherence to the Jewish Sabbath and rigid dietary stipulations.

Sir Patrick has highlighted concerns about the country’s value system and present trends.

“We are sliding down a slippery slope and we must take a check and instil discipline and values. We need a national system of values that outlines a point beyond which we must not go, and we need more people who will be fearless and frank in their approach to duty, are not afraid to point out wrong, and who have the courage of their convictions,” he told The Gleaner in his first-anniversary interview earlier this year.(Jamaica Gleaner)

gary.spaulding@gleanerjm.com