Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago

Category: Media Release

Media Release: Special (Liquor) Licences for the MV Ocean Pelican were NOT approved by the Minister of Finance

The Minister of Finance, Hon. Colm Imbert, MP, has taken note of statements made today (December 31, 2021), by members of the Opposition UNC regarding the alleged approval by the Minister of Finance of special licences for the M.V. Ocean Pelican and/or Adrian Scoon. For the record, the Minister of Finance did NOT approve the…

Media Release – Inaccurate Statements attributed to Mark Edgehill before Joint Select Committee of Social Services and Public Administration, on SRGs, as reported in Newsday, December 9th, 2021

The Minister of Finance, the Honorable Colm Imbert, MP, wishes to address statements reported in Thursday’s edition of the Newsday that were reportedly made by Mark Edgehill, President of the Coalition of Service Industries, before the Joint Select Committee (JSC) on Social Services and Public Administration on Wednesday 8th December, 2021.

Media Release : The IMF Praises Trinidad and Tobago’s Policy Response to Covid-19 and Encourages T&T to Shift its Policy Attention Only When Recovery is in Place

The IMF noted that Trinidad and Tobago faced “unprecedented challenges in 2020-21. The combined effects of COVID-19, energy production cuts, and price shocks pushed the economy further into recession”. In the face of such challenges, the IMF concluded that “The authorities’ decisive policy response helped contain COVID-19’s spread, protectlives and livelihoods, and paved the way…

Media Release: Moody’s Decision on Trinidad and Tobago’s Ratings Clashes with IMF recommendation on Debt Management under COVID

Today (November 19th), Moody’s announces that they brought the rating down by one notch, with a stable outlook.  The Honourable Colm Imbert, MP. Minister of Finance, has noted that “This decision by Moody’s collides with the policy advice we have received from all international organisations to protect our country and support the recovery in the…

Media Release – Concluding Statement of the IMF for its 2021 Article IV Consultation with the Government of Trinidad and Tobago

A Concluding Statement describes the preliminary findings of IMF staff at the end of an official staff visit(or ‘mission’), in most cases to a member country. Missions are undertaken as part of regular (usuallyannual) consultations under Article IV of the IMF’s Articles of Agreement, in the context of a request touse IMF resources (borrow from…

MEDIA RELEASE: SUPPLEMENTARY LIST OF VAT-FREE (ZERO-RATED) ITEMS EFFECTIVE NOV 1ST, 2021

The Minister of Finance, Honourable Colm Imbert, MP, wishes to advise that the supplementary list of Basic Food Items that will be VAT-Free (Zero-Rated) from Monday, November 1st, 2021, has been published as The Value Added Tax (Amendment to Schedule 2)(No. 2) Order, 2021; Legal Notice No. 259, dated October 29th, 2021 (attached). The Order…