GoPetition - Petition campaigns (Trinidad and Tobago)

SAVE JOBS! Reject the 100% increase tax on the gaming industry

Tue, 3 Oct 2017 10:37 UTC

CASINO WORKERS FEAR MASSSIVE JOB LOSSES AFTER TAX IMPOSED
The Union of Members Clubs and Lottery Workers are :
• Over 9,000 direct employees currently work in the industry.
• Most are single mothers, limited education live in depressed poor communities
• Some trying to move away from a life of crime to honest work
• Over 30,000 indirect jobs created because of this industry
• The industry employs the services of, taxi drivers, caterers , decorators , florists, pest control personnel , air-condition and refrigeration personnel , electricians, plumbers , IT support , security guards and local entertainers and musicians employment year round.
• Employees earn competitive salary that affords them a decent lifestyle
• Employees are trained and most have worked in the industry for most of their working life
· Every Bar and small business with Amusement machine will be severely affected if not forced to close down.
It is because of our expertise in this industry we strongly disagree and reject the Minister of Finance announcement to impose a gaming tax of over 100%. The last time the industry was taxed without fit and proper consultations it resulted in the contraction of the industry and the loss of jobs.
The government must understand that the problems of the present economic crisis cannot be solved by unreasonably taxing the gaming industry which will led to its death. The Gaming Industry workers cannot be singled out and targeted by the Government to solve the national finances.
WE the employees of the gaming industry are painfully aware that the industry is incapable of withstanding this oppressive and harsh taxation. The government cannot be allowed to proceed under the misapprehension about the industry and formulate government policy which will detrimental to the industry.
The employees knows that the irresponsible taxation measures of the government will result in almost massive job loss in the gaming industry.
The Imposition of this punitive taxation measures is equivalent to the closure of Caroni (1975) Ltd and the retrenchment of over 9,000 workers

Witch history month

Wed, 7 Jun 2017 04:45 UTC

Hi,
It is truely saddening that there is not a witch histroy month in this country. I propose that the month of October be made national witch histrory month. This is to pay homage to our fallen ancestors in salem. Witches have gone through many brutal things in the past and have immensely suffered. Every single time i think of my ancestors in salem who were murdered in the brutal salem trials i weep. I digress, it is crucial that we respect and honour the hardships of witches in the past.

Leave GATE Open!

Mon, 18 Jul 2016 01:09 UTC

BY next month, students enrolled at University could have to pay a third of their fees while postgraduate students may have to pay their full fees.

And come next year, if tertiary institutions are not accredited by the Accreditation Council of Trinidad and Tobago, funding will be stopped.

Those are some of the recommendations included in the report by the task force on the Government Assistance for Tuition Expenses (GATE) programme, which was handed over to Education Minister Anthony Garcia last week.

http://www.trinidadexpress.com/20160716/news/students-should-pay-gate

Year of Mercy TT - Pardon for Prisoners

Tue, 26 Apr 2016 09:26 UTC

Pope Francis has called the entire Church and all people of good will, to celebrate what is called an Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy" under the theme "Merciful Like the Father".

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, in response to this call, has identified several initiatives through which Trinidad and Tobago may become, in the words of Archbishop Joseph Harris, "a more merciful place".

To accomplish this, there is need to look again at the places and people who have been cast aside by society. One such group of people are prisoners who have been incarcerated for five, seven even ten years awaiting trial in our nation's courts.

It is therefore the desire of the Archbishop of Port of Spain, Joseph Harris CSSP, to have as many people as possible sign this petition so that the powers that be may hear the desire of the people to make this land, our home, a more merciful place.

STOP standing on, sitting on, or otherwise harming leatherback sea turtles!

Mon, 8 Jun 2015 12:17 UTC

Far too many ignorant people have been abusing leatherback sea turtles when the turtles visit our beaches to lay their eggs. They have been doing this for years by standing or sitting on them, and also littering.

It NEEDS to end now. I am pleading for everyone to sign this so that we stop abusing these amazing creatures.

I believe any persons who decide to abuse these animals should be charged. Pictures are circulating on social media as evidence.

Thank you for signing.

Save our Children: Implement the Children Act (2012)

Fri, 5 Dec 2014 08:33 UTC

It's been 25 years since the United Nations (UN) introduced the Convention on the Rights of Children ( CRC). This was ratified by our Trinidad & Tobago Government in 1991.

Yet in 2014 our Children are not adequately protected under the law. We are forced to comply with the outdated and insufficient Children Act (1925). This Act which was updated in 2012, has still not been implemented by our government.

Why?

Mon, 10 Nov 2014 09:51 UTC

Isn't it heartbreaking about this innocent baby dying at the hands of these monsters amongst us? We need to wake up and take matters into our own hands!! I am calling all parents, family, anyone and everyone to fight back!

It's time to take back our sweet T&T!! Fight for our future generations to be safe on our streets, in our homes!

We need more government support for our children! Please let's start marching the streets holding a candlelit vigil for our children. Change begins with you!

Let's make our politicians and authorities accountable. An 8 month old baby has been murdered!

Sign this petition for more to be done to protect our children in T&T. We need more to be done and quickly. They are our future!

Stop the abuse of fireworks! legal and illegal!

Tue, 13 Nov 2012 08:24 UTC

In Trinidad and Tobago, the abuse of fireworks on special occasions such as Divali and New Years Day is becoming more and more of a menace.

Impromptu surveying of citizens both over the internet and face to face show that the ill effects of abuse of not just illegal fireworks such as "scratchbombs" but also legally available fireworks over an extended period of hours not just affects human beings negatively, but also causes significant ill effects to animals.

Listed among the complaints given by citizens are: increased anxiety attacks/ ill effects to those suffering from nervous disorders, increased number of accidental and on occasion, even intentional burns caused by the setting off of fireworks in close contact to human beings and animals. increased damage to homes and other places of abodes caused by setting off of fireworks in close proximity to such establishments, death of animals due to heart attacks caused by extensive fright due to the loud noise of activated fireworks.

These complaints were given on a widescale and were not limited to any one geographical area.

Mon, 24 Sep 2012 05:50 UTC

At present the Creative & Cultural Sector of Trinidad & Tobago earns about $1.9 billion for the local economy. The Artists' Coalition of Trinidad & Tobago (ACTT) believes that this sector can earn over $6 billion annually within 4 years if certain programmes are implemented. One of the most important of these interventions is the passing of 50% local content quotas on all Broadcast media in this our 50th year of Independence. 50/50- or 50 for 50!

In March 2001 the Recording Industry Association of Trinidad and Tobago (RIATT)- an organisation representing the interests of individuals and entities involved in the recording of all genres of local music, organised a march in downtown Port of Spain, to protest the lack of airplay for locally produced music. In 2003 and 2004 marches followed led by the Entertainment Industry Coalition- the original name for ACTT. Since the 1970s strong articulate lobbies existed for local content in television led by advocates such as Christopher Laird of Banyan and Fred Thornhill of Advance Dynamics. To date, various cultural activists and Interest groups have consistently pleaded for 50% local content- to no avail.

These protests articulated the need to pass local content quotas- just as countries such as Canada, Brazil, France and Northern Ireland have done to protect their cultural identity and products. Most countries in the world now are passing local content legislation and making it the foundation of the building of their Creative Industries- the 2nd largest industries in the world, worth trillions. We are certain when local content legislation is passed in Trinidad and Tobago, it will foster an economic and creative Renaissance- as well as strengthen our cultural sovereignty and national pride.

One of the principal misconceptions faced by the cultural fraternity is what constitutes 'local content'. Many believe we are asking to have legislation passed for radio stations to play ‘wine and jam’ music all day long. On the contrary, local content is not limited to only indigenous musical forms such as soca, chutney, parang, rapso, calypso and so on; but includes other genres of locally produced music such as hip hop, rock ,r n b, pop, jazz and gospel to name a few. There is more than enough quality music recorded in all these genres to fulfill any radio playlist...

Local content legislation will also provide the opportunity for increased revenue collected by Local Copyright Management Organisations (CMO’s). The greater part of this revenue collected from broadcasters will remain within the local economic system rather than be exported to owners and creators of foreign content. This will subsequently lead to an Increase in royalty distribution to local artistes.

Increased paid content in local TV and film will also result in downstream expansions in local theatre, fashion, visual arts, and other forms and be the arrowhead of exporting our Creative Industries to the world. The local Oil and Gas sector has local content quotas and the architectural and consulting sectors are also battling for local content in their sectors as well.

Stop Flow from Blocking Programs on HD channels

Thu, 6 Sep 2012 07:39 UTC

For the majority of the time when there is a special broadcast event, FLOW blocks it and sells the rights to lower quality channels.

This needs to stop.