I wish I had his luck, because the BIR sent me, since April 18, 2016, individual income tax audit reports for 2011 and 2012 showing refunds due to me for both years. But up to now (that is one year and three months later) not a word from the BIR.
Perhaps Wight may wish to share with me the strategy he used to get that level of efficiency which brought his 2016 refund cheque to him in less than one month.
HARRY PARTAP via email
The project is being funded by the Global Environmental Facility in the sum of US $1.2 million from the period September 2017 to August 2020.
Planning and Development Minister Camille Robinson-Regis and United Nations (UN) Resident Coordinator Richard Blewitt signed the agreement prior to the start of a meeting on the multi-country Sustainable Development Framework Country Implementation Plan (CIP) for TT 2017 – 2021 at the Eric Williams Financial Complex in Port-of-Spain.
The goal of the project is to strengthen Government’s ability to create, leverage and maintain synergies for the national implementation of MEAs and strengthen integrated approaches to environmental management.
The project will address cross-cutting capacity needs identified through the National Capacity Self-Assessment (NCSA) process and other assessments with a focus on facilitating the implementation of MEAs, including a better alignment of the Green Fund with the implementation of MEAs obligations in this country.
Robinson-Regis said the meeting was timely coming on the heels of UN main streaming, acceleration and policy support mission in April.
She said the focus of that mission was assessing this country’s readiness to implement the Sustainable Development Goals otherwise known as Action 2030.
Robinson-Regis said this highlighted the ministry’s awareness of the need to consolidate the various national development initiatives into a coherent whole which optimises the achievement of the Vision 2030 and SDG targets. She added the current economic realities and the unavoidable tightening of the public purse, require such consolidation to happen as quickly and efficiently as possible.
Justice Frank Seepersad yesterday granted Charles leave to pursue his judicial review claim. In a 15-page written decision, Seepersad held that Charles raised arguable grounds that had a realistic prospect of success at trial.
The judge also held that Charles’ argument that the prime minister did not possess a prerogative power in relation to the appointment and removal of an ambassador, was an argument “not devoid of merit” and one which he considered arguable with a realistic prospect of success.
“The nature and gravity of the issues raised in this matter are serious and can have an impact on the way in which all career Ambassadors are treated,” Seepersad said.
In his lawsuit filed in January, Charles of Union Hall, Cross Crossing, argued that the decision of the prime minister to revoke his appointment was illegal, made in bad faith and was contrary to fundamental human rights provided for under the Constitution. He contended that he was not provided equality of treatment and that he had a legitimate expectation to maintain his rank and position as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary upon returning to Trinidad and Tobago and the decision of the prime minister to revoke his appointment was a deprivation of his legitimate expectation that he would have retained his position.
According to Charles, he was appointed Ambassador in March 2012.
Charles said at the end of 2015, he was asked by the acting permanent secretary of the Foreign Affairs Ministry to submit his resume which he did although this was not the norm. He said that on September 20, 2016, he received an instrument of revocation of his appointment.
The matter has been adjourned to December 4.
Charles is represented by attorney Devesh Maharaj while Senior Counsel Reginald Armour, Vanessa Gopaul and Nadine Nabbie appear for the prime minister and the Cabinet.
Police said froth was seeping from her mouth. According to police, at about 2 pm, a passer- by spotted the body along the Guapo/Cap-de-Ville Main Road and contacted officers of the Point Fortin Police Station.
The body was found near to a hardware located along the said main road.
Investigators said Clarke’s clothing, which was found near her body, was covered in blood.
It is suspected she may have been sexually assaulted and her body dumped.
An autopsy is expected to be carried out today at the Forensic Science Centre in St James.
Investigators said that Clarke who was originally from Chaguanas had been staying by friends in the Point Fortin area.
In an unrelated incident, police are investigating the murder of an unidentified man which occurred in Sea Lots on Monday.
The body was found after Sea Lots residents heard gunshots in the area at about 4 pm. When they checked, they found the man’s body in a track. He was shot in the head and chest. He was clad in a blue and white jersey and a blue, three-quarter pants
Moonilal was addressing a United National Congress Monday Night Forum at Bamboo Presbyterian Primary School. The investigation centres on allegations that the authorisation came from Maharaj but he has denied this and has called for a retraction and a copy of the report.
Moonilal said two officials linked to the probe are beneficiaries of Housing Development Corporation (HDC) units. He said HDC units are not meant for any person who already owns properties. “How come you give them access to HDC housing? Was that also part of an inducement?” Moonilal also accused Stuart Young, Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister, of going beyond his powers to recommend to the Public Service Transport Corporation (PTSC) to pay four contractors who, Moonilal alleged, had not tendered for their jobs.
In reply yesterday, Young, an attorney, told Newsday, “My legal advice, dated April 25 to the chairman of the PTSC is straightforward and self-explanatory.
Anyone reading the legal advice would appreciate the content of same and immediately discern that to suggest that there is anything untoward with the advice is misleading. I have nothing further to add.”
This was the defence of Republic Bank Limited’s corporate manager of its Corporate Business Centre, Venus Frith, of the fees and lending rates charged by, not only his own bank, but banks across the industry which has been subject to increased criticism from a public struggling to stay afloat in an ever-deepening recession.
Frith issued the defence in response to a question from the audience gathered at the headquarters of the Couva/Point Lisas Chamber of Commerce at the end of its Understanding Banking forum held in collaboration with the Banking Association of Trinidad and Tobago (BATT).
Frith said a close look at the financial statements of local banks shows a precarious position that makes reducing fees unwise. A cut in one percent could lead to a halving of profits while two percent could lead to losses, he said.
“When we cut rates by the way it is being suggested, and this is even after fees are already in the financial statements, then you are heading towards the collapse of the banking economy.” Speaking with Newsday after the event, Frith explained even though service fees account for a small percentage of income on a financial statement – 16 and 17 per cent, according to the BATT’s letter to Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar in March this year – the real value of those fees are higher because the nominal values are also invested by the bank to earn more money.
As such, because most banks make less than the value of the fees they earn, cutting or removing fees totally would result in net losses for banks, said Frith. “And you don’t want that to happen in the economy because it is the banks that provide that support for business to continue to move forward and actually facilitate economic growth.” Frith suggested small businesses develop stronger relationships with their banks by delivering financial statements on time, separating their business income from their personal accounts, and by working alongside their bankers to develop solid business plans before being granted loans. With a stronger relationship, a small business could then negotiate on an individual basis for lower lending rates.
Also defending bank fees yesterday was Nigel Romano, BATT director and CEO of JMMB Bank. Romano said banks use other people’s money to make money. “We (banks) are stewards of that money and we take that stewardship very seriously.
We have an obligation, a duty to ensure that we use that money wisely and productively.” Romano said the public must remember that 19 per cent of money deposited into banks are held in the Central Bank, earning nothing.
With the remaining money, the bank must now hold deposits, issue loans, provide services and protect its customers’ money against cyber crime with expensive technology. All these need to be considered to understand the logic behind bank fees and lending charges, said Roma
The Freedom Run has attracted a number of top runners throughout the country including Guyana’s Lionel D’andrade and Arimian April Francis to name a few. The fitness enthusiasts are also welcome with medals for all finishers as well.
This year, organiser Montscho Masimba, said the first prize for both male and female will not be less than $600. There will be trophies, medals and gift items also available.
Masimba, speaking to Newsday yesterday, said the theme, “Cleansing the Mind”, is relevant today as citizens need to be able to think independently if they want to be successful.
“Cleansing the mind is important to stop established systems from manipulating one’s thinking. Your mind must be cleansed to give you freedom to grow, create and progress economically and otherwise,” he said.
Masimba thanked Home Centre in Sangre Grande for their continued support of the Freedom Run and urged more companies to come on board and be a part of community ventures. For more information on registration call 370-5326.
Top seeded Lawrence defeated Shauna Valentine 7-5, 7-6, while second seeded Abraham was a comfortable 6-2, 6-1 winner over Cameron Wong in the other semifinal. The top two seeds in the boys Under-14 singles advanced in constrasting styles. Number one seed Kyle Kerry cruised into the final with a 6-1, 6-1 win over Luca Shamsi.
Ethan Wong, ranked second in the draw, was made to work for his victory.
Wong won the first set 6-4, before Charles Devaux won the second set 7-5.
In the Super Tiebreak, Wong prevailed 10-8. The tournament continues today from 9 am.
SELECTED RESULTS: SINGLES Boys Under-10 Semifinals James Hadden def Alexander Merry 4-2, 5-3 Kale Dalla Costa def Isaiah Boxill 5-4, 4-0
Boys Under-12 Semifinals Tyler Hart def Jamal Alexis 4-1, 5-3 Nicholas Ready def Thomas Chung 5-3, 4-0
DOUBLES Boys Under-12 Semifinals Sebastien Byng/Zachery Byng def Nicholas Ready/ Jamal Alexis 1-4, 5-4, 10-3 Tim Pasea/Beckham Sylvester def Tyler Hart/Lorcan Chan Pak 5-4, 5-4
Boys Senior Semifinals Aidan Carter/Nkrumah Patrick def Nathan Valdez/ Sanjeev Seenath 6-0, 6-0 Brandon Gregoire/Nabeel Mohammed def Keshan Moonasar/Samuel West 4-6, 7-6, 10-4
Girls Senior Semifinals Maria Honore/Chelsea Mukerji def Victoria Koylass/ Stephanie Sirju 6-4, 6-1 Kimberly Sabga/Yin Lee Assang def Aralia Blackman/ Sarika Seenath 6-1, 6-1
Statistics from the Ministry’s Division of Educational Research and Evaluation, Garcia said, shows that students scored higher in 2017 than in 2016, and the performance in English Language Arts improved this year with a greater percentage of students scoring above 50 percent and 90 percent.
The Form One Initiative which was conceived in response to data from the 2016 SEA, Garcia said, will again be used to identify students with numeracy and literacy deficits who are about to enter the secondary school system.
Diagnostic tests will also be done to identify specific content and skill gaps among students in Mathematics and English Language Arts inclusive of Creative Writing.
Teacher training will also be conducted to equip teachers with skills and strategies to help students fill the knowledge gap.
Meanwhile, the statistics showed significant improvement in the 90 percent and over and 50 percent and over in English Language Arts from 2010 to 2017.
In Mathematics, 14.3 percent of students scored above 90 percent compared to 12.2 percent in 2016. This was the highest percentage scored in this band since 2014 when 17.7 percent of students scored above 90 percent. The statistics also show that in 2012, 19.2 percent scored above 90 percent, and in 2011, a total of 21.1 percent scored over 90 percent.
In English Language Arts, 14.7 percent scored above 90 percent in 2017 compared to 0.8 percent last year. This was the highest percentage of students in this band for the period 2010 to 2017.
The passes had been between 1.3 percent at the lowest in 2013 to 3.4 percent in 2015.
A total of 63.2 percent of students scored above 50 percent in Mathematics in 2017 compared to 64.9 percent in 2016. This was the lowest percentage of students scoring in this band between 2010 and 2017. The other highest score was in 2011 at 73.1 percent and the lowest in 2014 at 63.7 percent.
The percentage of students who scored above 50 percent in English Language Arts was 76.4 percent in 2017 compared to 62.9 percent in 2016. This was the highest percentage of students in this band for the period 2010 to 2017. The other highest was 72.8 percent in 2015 and the lowest in 2012 at 62.2 percent.
The percentage of students scoring 30 percent or less in Mathematics was 18.6 percent in 2017 compared to 14.4 percent in 2016. This was the highest percentage in this band since 2014 when 19.1 percent of students scored 30 percent or less.
The number of students who scored 30 percent or less in English Language Arts was 10.1 percent in 2017 compared to 13.5 percent in 2016. This was the lowest percentage of students in this band since 2013 when 10 percent of students scored 30 percent or less.
On plain pages stood out profound words of wisdom: “Show me your friends and I will show you who you are,” and “Birds of a feather flock together.” These words are certainly worth taking heed of, including by children, adults and especially politicians.
What about “Loose lips sink ships,” or “Think twice before you speak.” These are important to all, even business tycoons and government finance officials.
Then there is “A poor craftsman always blames his tools;” something for our leaders.
“A house divided against itself cannot stand” is a good one for the Judicial and Legal Service Commission.
So no wonder the book is a best seller.
COLIN FORTUNE Arima
