Black Immigrant Daily News

Prime Minister Gaston Browne says he is not satisfied with the response from his Trinidad and Tobago counterpart regarding the non-payment of millions of US dollars linked to the collapse of Trinidad-based insurance companies CLICO and British American Insurance Company (BAICO) in 2009.

Browne, who is chairman of the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union (ECCU) sub-committee on insurance, had said last month that a decision had been taken to take the Keith Rowley administration before the Port of Spain-based Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ).

The ECCU groups the islands of Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, St.t Kitts-Nevis, St. Lucia and St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Prime Minister Browne said he had written to Prime Minister Rowley after an ECCU meeting had agreed unanimously to take the Trinidad and Tobago government to court after three failed attempts to get them to pay the outstanding funds. Speaking on his radio programme here over the last weekend, Browne told listeners “his (Rowley’s)response is one that I think he has co-mingled a number of issues, even some gratuitous payments that were made by the late (prime minister) Patrick Manning he has tried to include in a possible settlement.

“So I am about to respond to him to let him know that he is mistaken and that the issues he has raised in his letter they certainly have no bearing to the case that we are pursuing,” Browne said, without disclosing the full content of Rowley’s letter.

The ECCU said that Trinidad and Tobago had made a commitment to pay US$100 million to the member countries but only US$40 million was disbursed following the collapse of C L Financial, the owners of CLICO and British American Insurance Company (BAICO).

In October last year, a group of British American and CLICO policyholders in the Eastern Caribbean filed a lawsuit at the CCJ against the Trinidad and Tobago government and Prime Minister Browne said that the ECCU decision to follow suit had been in the works for several years.

“Let me make it abundantly clear too that …the policy holders will come together collectively and they have a collective suit against the government of Trinidad and Tobago. That is separate from what we are pursuing here.

“The case I am pursuing is a settlement that was agreed to even before I became prime minister of a US$100 million. The government of Trinidad and Tobago paid US$40 million of it, US$60 million is still outstanding.

“We are saying we would like to have it paid, we would like to negotiate a reasonable payment that doesn’t create any strain on the treasury of the government of Trinidad and Tobago. So if bonds are to be given then they will pay the interest over a period of time.

“We are saying here it’s a pledge that was given and it was given considering that Trinidad and Tobago benefitted from the CLICO/BAICO estate. We have said to them that the treaty of Chaguaramas (which governs the regional integration movement) is such that you cannot accord specialised treatment to your policy holders and other stakeholders and out others who are part of this very integration movement at a disadvantage”.

Browne said it is on that basis the ECCU believe that it has a case if Port of Spain refuses to settle.

He said this issue had first been communicated to Port of Spain by St. Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves and since taking over the chairmanship of the sub-committee on insurance in the ECCU last year, “as I have said to the distinguished Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago this is not something that I want to pursue at the level of the court

“But if we feel that we are not getting any justice then we will have no choice because we also have to protect our policy holders, our stakeholders just as how they have protected theirs,” Browne said.

ST. JOHN’S, Antigua, Oct 3, CMC

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Black Immigrant Daily News

Tobago

SCARBOROUGH SECONDARY School established themselves as the premier team in the Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) Tobago Zone Girls Division, after round three, last Thursday.

Signal Hill were expected to provide a serious test for Scarborough Sec, in the match-up of unbeaten teams.

It was, however, one-way traffic, as J’Eleisha Alexander enjoyed a golden day, scoring all five of Scarborough Sec goals, in a 5-1 rout.

Scarborough Sec have slammed 19 goals in three games, and their stingy defence has conceded only once.

In another result, Mason Hall edged Roxborough 1-0 while Pentecostal Light and Life got two goals from Kyla Cooper and one from Christal Pesters as they pipped Goodwood 3-2.

In the Boys Division on Saturday, Signal Hill enjoyed a 5-1 demolition over Goodwood, at the Bertille St Clair Playing Field.

Ja Quon De Four, Khaleem Trim, Isreal Trim, Jediah Phillips and D’Reem Taylor placed their names on the scoresheet for Signal Hill.

Bishop’s maintained their advantage at the top of the standings, following a hard fought 3-2 win over Mason Hall, at the Moriah Recreation Field.

Malik Wilson, who is proving to be a prolific goal scorer, netted two for Bishop’s, while Brendan Allum added the third. Omari Daniel and Rickeldi Williams were on target for Mason Hall.

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Black Immigrant Daily News

Parlamentario Marco Berlis (MEP):

ORANJESTAD (AAN): E palabra integridad e perde tur balor y respet den boca di hopi politiconan. Specialmente ora ta exigi integridad di otronan, pero nunca kier aplica esaki pa nan mes. AVP ta hacienda reunionan y ta scibiendo articulonan di e “bon comun.”

   AVP a menciona cu e bon comun mester inclui tur plataforma incluyendo esun politico. Si esaki ta berdad anto e ora ta bon pa AVP cuminsa splica pueblo pakico nan semper ta vota y ta rechasa cualkier forma, ley of plan pa fortalece integridad den nos comunidad y Parlamento. Pasobra sin integridad boso bon comun no tin “sentido comun.”

   E “bon comun” ta contra ombudsman: Ora bo broma cu e bon comun y exigi integridad pero abo mes ta vota contra di e ombudsman, e Defensor di pueblo, anto bo ta hustifica esaki cu mentira y politikeria. Nos ta e unico pais den reino cu no tin un ombudsman.

   A presenta un comision special pa ombudsman, a yega na un acuerdo mutuo y a aproba e landsverordening. Ora mester a ancr’e den nos Staatsregeling a hunga wega politico pasobra nan no kier e Defensor di pueblo! Fraccion di AVP y oposicion a rechasa esaki! Esaki ta e bon comun cu boso ta papia di dje? Boso a kita derecho y autoridad di pueblo pa defende nan mes y busca nan derecho pa boso por hunga boso weganan sin sentido comun!

   E “bon comun” ta contra integridad: Siman pasa nos tabata tin un reunion central den cual mester a vota pa participa y duna forma na un posibel ley cu lo fortalece integridad den gobierno y parlamento di Aruba. A invita tur parlamentario pa hunto duna contenido y forma na e ley aki.

   E intencion di e ley ta pa hiba transparencia y integridad na un nivel halto den nos parlamento y gobierno. E iniciativa aki a worde bari cu hopi actitud y burla for di mesa pa oposicion y ta claramente bisto cu no kier para pa integridad y e bon comun.

   E bon comun ta otro “slogan”di un campaña pa trata na sconde y camufla AVP su imagen “golpia.” Ora bo ta grita bon comun eyfo y tur bo accionan ta contra di esaki, ta pasobra AVP no tin niun “sentido comun.” Integridad ta bon pa tur otro hende menos pa AVP.

   E “bon comun” ta contra solucion berdadero: Ora cu AVP a vota contra di desaroyonan necesario y esencial di RWZI pa pais Aruba, di berdad boso a pensa riba e bon comun? Ora bo a goberna 8 aña largo y inverti 1 miyon so den RWZI y a malgasta 4 Biyon Florin, esey ta e bon comun?

   Ora cu bo a campaña na 2021 y bo programa di gobernacion no a contene ni un frase y ni un intencion pa soluciona e situacion na RWZI, esey ta e bon comun? Asina mes bo a manda politiconan bay hunga politica cu e situacion mientras AVP mes nunca a haci nada, esey ta e bon comun? Esey ta integridad? Pesey AVP mester corda cu e bon comun mester bin tambe cu “sentido comun!” (Common sense.).

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‘Plan di Impuesto 2023’ pa un sistema fiscal mas simpel y husto

ORANJESTAD (AAN): Den fin di siman, Minister Maduro di Finansa a anuncia e ‘Plan di Impuesto 2023’ cu tin como meta pa yega na un sistema fiscal mas simpel y husto.

   DIARIO a compronde cu e plan ta encera e recuperacion di Aruba su finansa publico por medio di compensacion, reparticion husto y mehoracion di cumplimento di impuesto di ciudadano y bishitante. Mas concreto e ‘Plan di Impuesto 2023’ lo conta cu introduccion di un tarifa nobo di BBO cu ta resulta den un tarifa combina di BBO, BAVP y BAZV di 7%, hunto cu un pakete di compensacion pa individual y negoshi pa yuda mitiga e efectonan di inflacion.

   E pakete di compensacion individual ta conta cu un rebaho di 2% riba impuesto di entrada, lo subi e suma liber di impuesto na 30.000 mil Florin, lo separa e cobransa di impuesto riba entrada pa pensionado y lo hisa e ‘reparatietoeslag’ pa pensionado di SVb cu 45 Florin.

   Tur esaki lo yuda baha e peso di impuesto riba esnan mas vulnerabel den comunidad, cual ta nos grandinan y esnan cu ta ricibi un salario cu ta menos di 2500 Florin pa luna. Pa negoshi lo reduci e ‘winstbelasting’ di 25 pa 22% y lo mantene e ‘investeringsaftrek.’

   Nos bishitantenan lo conoce un subida di e ‘toeristenheffing’ y lo reparti e fondonan aki na un manera mas husto entre ATA, Gobierno y e fondo di TPEF cu ta pa mehora nos producto turistico. E plan ta conta tambe cu algun cambio pa asina mehora e cumplimento cu e deber fiscal na nos Pais. Durante full e siman venidero e mandatario lo brinda informacion riba e contenido concreto di e ‘Plan di Impuesto 2023’ cu ta drenta na vigor 1 di januari 2023.

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