Newswire April 11__2018.Pdf
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WORKSHOP DATE COUNTRY Liquidity Risk Management in Banks 17th & 18th May 2018 Trinidad and Tobago SME eSmart- Powering Your Potential Find out more today by calling: (868)-627-8879 ext. 228 or email: [email protected] Latest Rating Actions by CariCRIS ▪ Eastern Credit Union’s rating downgraded to CariBBB- ▪ Government of the British Virgin Islands’ rating reaffirmed at CariAA- ▪ Republic Bank Limited’s rating reaffirmed at CariAA+ ▪ The Pegasus Hotels of Guyana Limited’s initial rating assigned at CariBBB- ▪ Sagicor Life Jamaica Limited’s rating reaffirmed at jmAAA ▪ NCB Capital Markets Limited’s initial issue rating assigned at CariBBB- ▪ Government of Barbados rating downgraded to CariBBB- ▪ Saint Lucia Electricity Services Limited’s rating reaffirmed at CariBBB ▪ Endeavour Holdings Limited’s rating reaffirmed at CariA+ ▪ Gulf City Limited’s rating reaffirmed at CariA+ ▪ National Flour Mills Limited’s rating reaffirmed to CariA- ▪ Telecommunications Services of Trinidad and Tobago Limited’s rating reaffirmed to CariA ▪ Colonial Fire and General Insurance Company Limited’s initial rating assigned at CariA Please visit our website at www.caricris.com for the detailed Rationales on these and other ratings Benefits of a CariCRIS Rating for a Bond Issue: • Widen the range of possible investors to ensure success of the issue • Help investors to determine if the bond issue is a wise investment • Provide a clear understanding of the creditworthiness of the issuing firm and the factors that will impact its performance • Utilise a standardised system in order to compare the credit quality of one bond issue relative to another CariCRIS’ credit ratings and daily Newswire can also be found on the Bloomberg Professional Service. REGIONAL Trinidad and Tobago Clico Fund ends day at $20.16 Overall market activity resulted from trading in 16 securities of which five advanced, four declined and seven traded firm. One cent coin no more Over the next few months, you can expect to see less one cent pieces as you go about your financial transactions. EOG Resources oil, gas output up...company drilled 7 new wells in 2017 Days before a delegation from Houston-based EOG Resources Inc. met with Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley on March 7 in Port of Spain, the executives had told New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) investors (February 28) the company outperformed in Trinidad and Tobago, with average daily oil and gas production higher than anticipated. Barbados Grow what you eat seminar on best crops for environment As part of its efforts to encourage Barbadians to grow and eat what is produced on their own land, the Rural Development Commission (RDC) will be conducting its first ever Grow What You Eat Seminar on Wednesday, April 18. Jamaica $100 million for tourism curriculum at schools In a move geared towards providing certification for the hospitality workforce, the Ministry of Tourism and the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information have agreed to put aside some $100 million to establish a tourism curriculum for secondary schools, starting September. Jamaica continued Mandeville opens route for Canadians to buy JSE stocks In an effort to increase investment from the Diaspora, Michael Lee-Chin- founded Canadian brokerage firm Mandeville Private Client Inc has developed trade execution and custody infrastructure that will support the purchase of securities listed on the Jamaica Stock Exchange (JSE) by investors living in Canada. Tourism boom for Kingston Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett on Monday announced that Jamaica welcomed over 50,000 tourists in the first week of April, ahead of the island's carnival celebrations. Business confidence takes a reality check Pollster Don Anderson yesterday described the latest survey of business and consumer confidence as “a reality check” following a 6.1 index points dip in business confidence. JPS takes bigger stake in South Jamaica Power Power utility Jamaica Public Service Company JPS, more than doubled its stake in the joint venture handling construction of its power plant in Old Harbour, in order to meet state requirements. Guyana US$15M may not be enough – to cover legal fees in Guyana-Venezuela case, says Greenidge No part of the US$15M set aside by the Guyana government to pay the legal team representing it at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), in the Guyana-Venezuela border controversy has been used. The Bahamas Euro Blacklisting to End This Week? The Bahamas could be removed from the European Union’s (EU) ‘blacklist’ as early as this Thursday, with the Government hoping to at least get “an indication” of delisting progress. Tourism Targets Latin American Expansion The Ministry of Tourism has brought Latin America to the Bahamas through a recent familiarisation trip for journalists. British Virgin Islands BVITB undertakes territory-wide greening initiative Underscoring the importance of the environment to the territory’s lifeblood, the BVI Tourist Board (BVITB) is gearing up to spearhead a major greening initiative. Dominica Dominica’s hurricane recovery efforts boosted by voluntourism program Electricity is returning, houses have been rebuilt and major attractions like Trafalgar Falls and the Emerald Pool have been officially declared open. Now, the next step in Dominica’s recovery efforts post-Hurricane Maria involves travellers. St. Lucia More St Lucians take up employment under Canadian farm worker programme The number of Saint Lucians employed on the Canadian Seasonal Agricultural Farm Worker Programme is on the rise. Since assuming responsibilities as the Minister for Labour in June 2016, Stephenson King has been on a drive to ensure that many more Saint Lucians benefit from the Canadian initiative, which began in 1967. St. Kitts and Nevis Sound fiscal management leading to further advancements of St. Kitts and Nevis The prudent approach taken in the management of the country’s fiscal resources by the Dr Harris-led Team Unity Administration is leading to the further advancement and development of St. Kitts and Nevis, with the benefits trickling down to the ordinary citizens of the twin island Federation. Other Regional CARIFORUM to host regional consultation on effective platforms for wider Caribbean dialogue in Barbados The Caribbean Forum of the Group of African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) states (CARIFORUM) will host a consultation to assess the development of a framework for an effective platform for structured and continuous dialogue between CARIFORUM and the French Caribbean Outermost Regions (FCORs) and British and Dutch Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs). The consultation will be held in Barbados, April 11-12, 2018. CARICOM pursues regional customs document A proposed regional Single Administrative Document (SAD) for CARIFORUM countries is currently under consideration by regional Customs Administrations at the Secretariat of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). INTERNATIONAL United States Federal Reserve proposes new capital rules for Wall Street The Federal Reserve on Tuesday proposed new rules that could allow some large banks to reduce the amount of capital they must hold as a cushion against a future economic shock. Futures drop on rising U.S.-Russia tensions over Syria U.S. stock index futures fell sharply on Wednesday due to rising concerns over confrontation between the United States and Russia over military action in Syria. Dollar mired at two-week lows as Syria fears grow The U.S. dollar slipped to a two-week low against a basket of currencies on Wednesday as trade war fears receded but uncertainty over possible Western military action against Syria bred risk aversion among some investors. United Kingdom UK 10-year bond yields touch one-week low on Syria worries British 10-year government bond yields fell to a one-week low on Wednesday as investors sought safe assets after U.S. President Donald Trump warned Russia that missiles “will be coming” in Syria. Sterling pauses on soft data Sterling trimmed gains on Wednesday after British manufacturing output fell unexpectedly in February, its first drop in almost a year, adding to signs the economy may have slowed in the first quarter. Europe EU plans more powers for consumers to sue companies The European Union plans more powers for consumers to sue firms such as Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) after the Dieselgate scandal showed the limits of consumer protection authorities to curb corporate cheating. China China's Xi renews vow to open economy, cut tariffs as U.S. trade row deepens Chinese President Xi Jinping promised on Tuesday to open the country’s economy further and lower import tariffs on products like cars, in a speech seen as an attempt to defuse an escalating trade dispute with the United States. Japan Nikkei falls first time in 3 days; SoftBank outperforms Japanese stocks fell for the first time in three days on Wednesday following a strong rally the previous day, but index-heavy SoftBank rose after sources said that Sprint is in new talks to merge with T-Mobile. Global Cushing's oil market clout wanes amid U.S. export boom The volume of oil sitting in 300 steel tanks in a nine-square-mile radius in Cushing, Oklahoma has long been a key barometer for the health of U.S. crude supply and the nation’s benchmark for daily trading of billions of dollars in the commodity. Grow what you eat seminar on best crops for environment Monday 10th April, 2018 – Nation News As part of its efforts to encourage Barbadians to grow and eat what is produced on their own land, the Rural Development Commission (RDC) will be conducting its first ever Grow What You Eat Seminar on Wednesday, April 18. Entitled Selecting the Best Crops for Your Environment, the free seminar targets all rural households with an interest in growing produce. It will run from 10 a.m. to noon in the RDC Training Room, Bridge Street, Bridgetown. Director of the RDC, Randolph Outram, will welcome participants to the seminar, which will be facilitated by the Commission’s Senior Field Officer, Osmond Harewood, and Extension Officer, Alvin Romeo.