Black Immigrant Daily News

El secretario del Departamento de Hacienda, Francisco Parés, confirmó en RADIO ISLA que suspendieron temporalmente el cobro del IVU en los muelles, entre otras cosas, tras el paso del huracán Fiona por Puerto Rico. 

Francisco Parés agregó que los pagos del segundo plazo de la planilla de contribución sobre ingresos que vencía el 15 de octubre, y las planillas que habían solicitado prórrogas, ahora vencen el 15 de diciembre.   

Parés indicó que también pospusieron las notificaciones de error matemático, entiéndase la transacción de esas deudas, para el 18 de noviembre con tal de darle tiempo a las personas a manejar su situación particular con el huracán Fiona. 

Además, Parés comunicó que también detuvieron las órdenes de embargo.

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One of Barbados’ top security officials has been awarded the 2022 William J. Perry Award for Excellence in Security and Defense Education.

Executive Director of the Regional Security System (RSS) and Chief of Staff of the Barbados Defence Force (BDF), Commodore Errington Shurland, received the prestigious award from the William J. Perry Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies in Washington DC, on Thursday, September 22.

Commodore Shurland was bestowed this honour in recognition of his significant contributions in the field of security and defense, but attributes the achievement to the result of teamwork by the staff of the RSS, the BDF and the military and police forces within the RSS Member States.

He lauded the governments of the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and the European Union for their contribution to the development of citizen security and resilience in RSS Member States, and also expressed gratitude to the Perry Center for the ongoing assistance to Barbados in the development of the National Security Policy.

During his remarks, the RSS head underscored that there has been a paradigm shift in security challenges and criminal activities, and issued an urgent call for multilateralism .

“The contemporary security environment has become more complex, characterised by a melting pot of modalities of security threats such as transnational organised crime, terrorism, piracy, armed robbery at sea, environmental degradation, pandemic diseases, cyber attacks and climate change, inter alia.

Within this hemisphere the region is considered a zone of peace. Indeed there has not been a state-on-state conflict in the Western Hemisphere since the Cenepa war… Our zone of peace, our citizen security, our continued development, is challenged by transnational organised crime. [This] poses a clear, direct and escalating threat to public health and national security and development within the region,” Commodore Shurland stressed.

Professor of Practice at the William J. Perry Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies, Dr William Godnick, commended Commodore Shurland for his outstanding contributions in the security arena, and for sharing his knowledge with younger officers, ensuring that they were equipped to successfully complete the tasks with which they were faced.

“Commodore Shurland embodies the history and legacy of the Chiefs of Defence of the Barbados Defence Force, but I would also say in addition to his own academic accomplishments, his professional benchmarks that he has achieved, he leaves in his wake, young officers that are ready to take the mantle. In addition to our own accomplishments we have to judge people by what they leave as their legacy, and as a sailor who they leave in their wake,” he affirmed.

Other recipients of the 2022 William J. Perry Award for Excellence in Security and Defense Education were former Minister of Defense of Ecuador, General (Rtd.) Ra?l Oswaldo Jarr?n Rom?n and the Colegio de Defensa N?cional de Honduras.

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BELIZE CITY, Mon. Sept. 26, 2022

Today marks the last day of the 77th United National General Assembly (UNGA), and a high-level meeting for the International Day for the Total Termination of Nuclear Weapons took place this morning following the final addresses from world leaders. Late Friday evening, Prime Minister of Belize, Hon. John Briceño took the podium and delivered a scathing address decrying the failures of the global systems in addressing the Covid-19 pandemic, the climate crisis, and the ongoing global conflicts.

PM Briceño, in his presentation, said that the war in Eastern Europe between Ukraine and Russia has “shaken the global multilateral system,” and he called the Russian attack on Ukraine unjustified, unprovoked, and illegal.

He further highlighted the increased inflation worldwide and how the lingering impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic and supply chain disruptions have contributed to that current situation.

“These economic realities exacerbate an already acute social situation in Belize. Poverty is estimated to have risen by 10% between 2018 and 2021 – 45.5% of Belizeans are estimated to be moderate to severely food insecure,” PM Briceño said.

He declared that the post-pandemic recovery that was promised for the world has been delayed.

“And the chorus of promises and commitments to pivot toward building back better, to getting the recovery right, has yielded little; instead, global action and inaction have only resulted in deepening the many crises that we are facing,” PM Briceño further said.

PM Briceño spoke at length of the global environmental crisis, calling for international financial institutions to reshape their thinking in addressing the funding needs for developing states. The PM pointed out that the regime currently being utilized will place developing countries deeper in debt if significant steps are not taken.

“We need a full-scale, bold reimagining of the global financial architecture—no more tinkering at the edges to conceive of additional programs that are based on the same false logic. It just doesn’t work. Mr. President, the public sector on climate cost loss and damage cannot continue to be classified according to fiscal orthodoxy. The IMF is largely devoid of ways to quantify consequential climate impacts on public debt and countries’ capacity to pay,” PM Briceño noted.

He stated that a new global financial system responsive to today’s needs is pivotal, and suggested a two-pronged solution to the problem. “We need a two-prong response: (1) Debt relief is needed for all vulnerable countries and (2) We need to rapidly mainstream innovative policies which tackle debt repayment capacity and avoid excessive indebtedness,” Hon. Briceño said.

“The current, tentative and reactionary piecemeal approach to addressing the debt problem has proven hopelessly ineffective. We must break the pernicious cycle between debt, and climate and disaster risk,” the PM went on to say.

He suggested that there is compelling urgency to set up a multilateral sovereignty debt restructuring mechanism.

“Mr. President, history, a cruel history, is repeating itself, for centuries. Colonialism transported trillions in plundered wealth to the oppressors, reparations are overdue, and now I ask how much longer will this new climate colonialism punish the victims and spare the victimizers,” Hon. Briceño said.

He went on to highlight the unilateral US embargo ongoing for 7 decades on Cuba and its people, repeating a call for the lifting of the sanctions. PM Briceño also called for the creation of a comprehensive program of support for the Haitian people. The issue of Taiwan’s exclusion from the United Nations was also brought up by Hon. Briceño in his speech. He expressed disapproval of the body’s policy of excluding the East Asian country.

“I also reiterate Belize’s full support for the realization of an independent Palestinian state, within its 1967 borders with all attendant rights, including the recognition of East Jerusalem as its capital and the right of return. The people of Palestine continue to suffer the indignities of illegal occupation and apartheid, the disturbing prospect that the world’s sacred promise to deliver a two-state solution is slipping from their grasp,” Hon. Briceño said.

In speaking about the Belize-Guatemalan territorial dispute currently before the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the PM called on international support for both countries.

“We continue to count on the support of the international community as the judicial process proceeds and when it concludes for the demarcation exercise to be carried out. In the meantime, we must redouble our efforts to manage the daily challenges which arise along the border areas in accordance with the 2005 confidence-building measures,” Hon. Briceño said.

Recently, the encounter between the Belize Territorial Volunteers and the Guatemalan Armed Forces has highlighted the need for a Sarstoon Protocol to be implemented between the two countries until the final determination of the matter at the ICJ.

“Now more than ever, we need to conclude a Sarstoon protocol, a cooperation mechanism to avoid unnecessary incidents in that area,” PM Briceño said.

In referring once more to the issue of the climate crisis, Hon. Briceño highlighted the unmet expectations of COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland last year. He said that, instead, the inadequacy of the commitments made at COP26 may result in a global temperature increase of 2.7 degrees by 2100.

“This is utterly unacceptable, and morally unjust. Our people will continue to suffer for something we did not cause, rather than meeting their commitments to deliver 100 billion dollars annually. We left Glasgow with a financial roadmap, yet another paper promise,” Hon. Briceño remarked.

The PM called for less talk and more decisions at the next two COPs to be held later this year in Egypt and Canada.

“Our failure to act decisively and urgently on Covid, conflicts, and climate, condemns humanity and our planet irreversibly to disasters. History will not absolve us if we fail,” Hon. Briceño said.

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Minister for Education and Sports the Hon. Daryll Matthew was among thousands of guests and global leaders from Japan’s closest allies who attended the state funeral on Tuesday of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe who was assassinated in July this year.

Minister Matthew represented the government and people of Antigua and Barbuda at the funeral of the 67 year old politician who was shot twice by a homemade gun in July, which shocked Japan which is unused to gun crimes or political violence.

Minister Matthew, who was accompanied to the funeral by Antigua and Barbuda’s Honorary Consul in Japan, Hiroshi Sato paid his respects to the widow of the late politician, Akie Abe and also conveyed the condolences of Prime Minister the Hon. Gaston Browne to Prime Minister Fumio Kishida of Japan.

In expressing condolences in an official message to the government of Japan in July, Prime Minister Browne stated that the Government and People of Japan have been very kind to the people of Antigua and Barbuda.

Minister Matthew said that he was pleased to show Antigua and Barbuda’s respects at the State Funeral.

In his message, Prime Minister Browne also highlighted the recent assistance from Japan of two million US dollars to assist with recovery after Hurricane Irma in addition to two million US dollars to assist with the acquisition of equipment to manage the sargassum seaweed plaguing the coastline of Antigua and Barbuda.

Japan and Antigua and Barbuda have had very strong bilateral relations for over forty years from since independence.

Japan has helped to build capacity in a number of areas to include the construction of  the fish landing and distribution facilities throughout Antigua and Barbuda.

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BUSINESS CHAT: Amjad Ali, managing director of Advance Foam Ltd chats with Finance Minister Colm Imbert as they make their way to the TTMA’s post budget forum at the Hyatt Regency in Port of Spain on Tuesday. PHOTO BY SUREASH CHOLAI – SUREASH CHOLAI

SWEET AND SOUR.

This in essence were the views of Trinidad and Tobago on Tuesday on Colm Imbert’s $57b 2022/2023 budget, which he delivered on Monday in the House of Representatives.

The contrasting reactions could sum up the pulse of two halves of TT’s society – with big businesses generally sweet on Imbert’s fiscal plan for the next 12 months; while average Trinis said the budget left them feeling very sour.

The American Chamber of Commerce TT (AmchamTT), the TT Manufacturers Association (TTMA) and the Energy Chamber – in separate responses – all were unified in endorsing the budget.

However, average citizens from Scarborough in Tobago, to Woodford Square in Port of Spain, and the southen city of San Fernando generally gave the budget a thumbs-down.

AMCHAM: It was balanced

The American Chamber said the budgeted gas price was reasonable, given the current climate. It said Imbert clearly tried to balance several considerations.

Amcham welcomed several budget initiatives, including the reduction in tax rates designed to stimulate upstream oil and gas production; reduction in taxes for financial technology companies; and the financial service hub.

“We are pleased Government would be implementing feed-in tariffs and is moving towards implementing a renewable energy policy. We believe this would not only reduce demand for the scarce natural gas to generate electricity, but the renewable energy policy would assist us in reaching our Paris agreement targets.

“We would like to hear concrete timelines for these during the budget debate,” AmchamTT said in a release.

It said it looked forward to the operationalisation of the special economic zone legislation and the rollout of the developers’ hub, and applauded the effort to develop software as a service for the government sector.

“This software also has the potential to be exported and the hub could incubate smaller technology companies.

“The identification of specific initiatives to support the transition to a cashless society and to remove the friction of transacting business with the government are also likely to have a positive impact.”

Amcham said it welcomed the announcement that the National Statistical Institute legislation would be brought to Parliament and encouraged bipartisan collaboration, as accurate and timely data is necessary for effective planning for national development. Amcham said it stood ready to collaborate with all stakeholders on matters of national development.

TTMA hails ease of doing business

TTMA head Tricia Coosal hailed the budget, saying it would boost local businesses by assisting in their ease of doing business, but she urged a continuation of VAT refunds.

In a statement, she hailed the Government’s partnership and dialogue with the private sector to stabilise and grow the economy after the impact of covid19 and the Ukraine war, as shown by news of real GDP growth of two per cent and non-energy-sector growth of two per cent.

“The importance of ensuring the ease of doing business was once again stressed by the minister via the pledge of digitisation though the strengthening of the single electronic window and implementation of the electronic fund transfer framework to allow businesses to make payments to the government by the business community.” She welcomed these initiatives.

Coosal added, “TTMA has advocated for a more efficient tax-collecting mechanism, stressing the importance of widening the tax net as opposed to further burdening the already compliant population of the country.”

So the TTMA looked forward to the TT Revenue Authority starting its work in 2023 and anticipates this would bring greater efficiency in tax collection.

Coosal said she looks forward to Phase 3 of the state-of-the-art industrial park at Phoenix Park, which could bring many synergies to the TTMA’s annual Trade and Investment Convention.

She also welcomed the $500 million in government support for long-term guarantee schemes for SMEs, guaranteeing 80 per cent of loans for up to ten years.

This guarantee, plus a rise in ExporTT’s maximum grant fund facility from $250,000 to $340,000, will boost SMEs’ competitiveness and their contribution to the exports of the non-energy sector.

Energy Chamber pleased

The Energy Chamber said it was pleased with fiscal measures in the budget relating to the energy sector.

In a statement, the chamber said, “The reductions in the Supplemental Petroleum Tax (SPT) rates for new wells in marine fields and the extension and expansion of the changes introduced in 2020 for small onshore producers are welcomed and will help the economics of new investments in oil projects.”

The chamber had been calling for this change for over a decade.

“This change represents the first major adjustment for offshore oil producers. The changes will also help create greater investor interest in the ongoing onshore bid round.”

The chamber said it welcomes Imbert’s commitment to meet with the oil and gas industry over the next three months to review further potential reforms to the fiscal regime.

The chamber also thanked Imbert for collaborating with it in making the changes he announced in his budget presentation on Monday.

John Public left feeling sour

ASKED their thoughts on the $57b budget, the majority of Trinis interviewed on Tuesday had one prevailing sentiment – sourness. For the rest, it was a case of: “I didn’t really listen to it, inno.”

Some heard one or two lines and ran with that. Others had no trouble voicing extensive opinions.

Self-described hustler Roger Khan said, “This is the worst budget in the history of Trinidad. Everything raise, bai, I fed up of them. How much you feel that income tax break will work out to? Maybe a couple hundred.”

On the health workers’ bonus, he commented, “Them ain’t getting no bonus. Them work for that, them overwork. That is not no bonus.”

WAITING TO BOARD: Commuters wait to board a red-band maxi taxi at City Gate in Port of Spain on Tuesday. Many commuters say they are resigned to paying more for transport following the increase in the price of all fuel announced in the budget. PHOTO BY ROGER JACOB –

Civil servant Carol Lakhan said, “The fuel rise is a killer. As it is, I paying enough to come to town every day – it’s $80 a week now. I can’t make any adjustment to my transport, I have to come to work.

“Food prices is too much. To be honest, we working on a 2013 salary, and everything gone up since then. It’s hard to survive. That four per cent offer cannot be fair. Everything gone up and our spending power is less now and the salary remains the same.”

‘Working just to go to work’

Flow saleswoman Shenica Grant, 24, said, “I vex, because everything gone up.

“It not making sense living in Trinidad again. You working just to go to work. Light bill gone up, gas gone up. Just now you have to walk with your wheels in your hand.”

Store clerks on Frederick Street, Shanice and Isaiah, reacted to the lack of an increase in minimum wage with one word, “Failure.” They added, “The pressure is getting worser.”

Nutsman Aaron Small said, “Everything in the budget was disappointing, because the most you hear is everything going up.”

Royal Castle worker Mekida Roach said, “The budget is foolishness. It don’t make any sense, because salary is still the same and everything just raising.”

With the rise in gas prices, Roach predicts it would cost more to go to work as she reiterated, “Pay is still the same.”

Not all took on the budget.

Orlon Harlow, pieman on Henry Street, said, “I didn’t listen to it inno, but I heard gas went up by a dollar.

“The government have to take action to save the country, because the country in a bad state. All over the world things hard. If they don’t make the right choice, the country will get more hard.”

Lucien Theroulde who was waiting for the bus in City Gate said, “I did not really listen to the whole thing.

“Is not everything everybody will agree with and I is not into politics, but I does just listen. So I don’t want to bad-talk and say nothing. For me, the budget was all right. They trying to see if they could facilitate everybody to the best of their ability, so I give them praise for that.

John Public fears fare rise

FEAR over a fare rise, given the increase in transport fuel, was the prevailing feeling among commuters and even some taxi drivers in Port of Spain on Tuesday.

Both said they would be bracing, since the increase in the price of super and premium gas – both by $1 per litre – and an increase by 50 cents per litre for diesel would mean an automatic increase in all goods and services dependent on transport.

In this file photo, taxi drivers ply their trade on the Chaguanas Taxi stand on High Street, San Fernando.

Route Two Maxi Taxi Association president Linus Phillip told Newsday he was concerned about the “domino effect” likely to result from the price increase of fuel.

“It’s not to say this is something we wasn’t expecting. Government announced before that the subsidies will eventually be removed. It looks like they are gradually taking it off so people could make the necessary adjustments,” he said.

President of the Chaguanas Maxi Taxi Association Aaron Silcott called on the Finance Ministry to hold a stakeholder meeting with maxi-taxi drivers to collaborate on ways to upgrade and modernise maxi-taxis to improve the quality of service and efficiency.

Silcott said he currently works 12-16 hours a day to compensate for the last increase in fuel.

He said a maxi taxi tank held anywhere from 50 -80 litres, which meant operators could now be paying upward of $220 to fill their tanks.

Silcott said while the association’s constitution said the rates will not be increased for another three years after a 2022 increase, this policy might have to be reconsidered if fuel prices keep rising.

Currently passengers pay $5 for a short drop, $13 from Chaguanas to San Fernando, $10 from Chaguanas to Curepe, $9 from Chaguanas to Port of Spain, and $13 from San Fernando to Port of Spain.

Adrian Acosta, president of the TT Taxi Drivers Network – an umbrella organisation for taxi associations across the country – said its membership will meet shortly and will likely hold a press conference on Thursday.

Commuters in Port of Spain and also in Curepe, when interviewed, all said they were resigned to a fate of yet another increase in taxi fares since most taxis use super gasoline.

At the Curepe Taxi Stand on Henry Street in Port of Spain, one driver said he was hardly making ends meet at the pre-budget fuel prices.

“I’m on the road whole day, six days a week. By time I’m finished for the day, I can maybe get something to eat,” he said. “Some months, I can’t even pay all my bills if I don’t drive 10, 12 hours every day for the month.”

The cost to travel from downtown to Curepe is $9.An increase is just a matter of time, he added, and will come after the drivers meet, which is also expected to happen by this weekend.

– Reporting by PAULA LINDO, SEAN DOUGLAS, CLINT CHAN TACK, NICHOLAS MARAJ AND ANDREW GIOANNETTI

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