Daniel, a lorryman at a hardware in Scarborough, died without ever regaining consciousness.

At 4 am on Sunday, three occupants were in Chapman’s burgundy- coloured Nissan Almera car proceeding east along the Claude Noel Highway near the Magdalena Grand Beach Resort when the car collided with a TTEC pole located on the northern side of the roadway. It is believed that Chapman may have fallen asleep at the steering wheel.

At Daniel’s home yesterday, shocked relatives sought to comfort each other. His older sister Venecia Daniel said he passed away at 12.34 am yesterday.

“I received a call from the hospital where they informed me that his heart gave out.

Everybody in shock right now. Three families are in pain and mourning. Unless you are a part of it (as a friend or family member) you can’t understand what we are going through,” she cried.

“Quincy fight real hard because he survived from 4 am on Sunday straight through and they were unable to fly him to Trinidad for emergency treatment as they were not able to stabilise him. His heart stopped seven times but the doctors fought really hard to save him.

In the end…it was just not meant to be,” the weeping sister said. At the Noray household, Trevaughn’s mother Carolyn Warner Noray said every time she remembers the incident, she is brought to tears.

“I am not doing well at all. When people come around it brings back memories, the tears does come,” she said.

The mother of four added that as any mother, she never sleeps soundly when any of her children are away from home.

“It was my elder son who got the news first.

Actually before the news, I went to check Trevaughn’s room at 3 o’clock and he wasn’t there. Normally I would call his phone but this time I didn’t,” she said. Investigations are continuing by Old Grange Police.

Officers were alerted and arrived with a District Medical Officer who ordered the body removed to the Forensic Science Centre in St James for autospy .

No motive has been established and no arrest made in what is the country’s 448th murder so far this year .

According to Mahabir, the sale of fireworks in the country attracts a Value Added Tax (VAT) of 12.5 percent. However, he said an additional 25 percent nuisance tax should be imposed to ensure the responsible use of fireworks by consumers. Saying he has heard fireworks which made him think the country is “under attack,” Mahabir said the unregulated use of fireworks causes great stress to babies, senior citizens, persons with heart problems and pets.

Recalling that someone was injured by an exploding firecracker during Divali celebrations in Las Lomas this year, Mahabir asked, “Who is compensating her?” While he understood the enjoyment that fireworks bring to some people, Mahabir said the reality is that not everyone likes fireworks. “I want my peace too,” he said. Mahabir said when people purchase fireworks, they should be allowed to do so, only if they use their fireworks between 11.30 pm and 12.30 am.

Mahabir welcomed Imbert’s proposal to give incentives to earners of foreign exchange in the country. However, he asked who was the appropriate authority to collect online taxes. While the country could see an enhancement in its revenue base with lower oil and gas production, Mahabir cautioned, “We need to keep an eye on our public debt.” He also suggested that small gas stations in the country should receive some kind of special treatment regarding the use of credit and debit cards and higher profit margins. Mahabir made it clear he was not advancing the cause of anyone when he made the suggestion.

He said he was surprised to learn recently that, “the estimate from the Board of Inland Revenue in terms of individuals who have an income after deductions of in excess of $1 million per annum…

which means they’re earning $80,000 a month after deductions that we could generate $80 million from these people…just by adding five percent on to the additional income that they earn over $1 million.” According to Imbert, this meant, “the tax base is 20 times that…that is $1.6 billion you are talking about.” Regarding companies which have chargeable profits in excess of $1 million per annum, Imbert said this translated into over $500 million in revenue. Recalling that measures in the Budget have affected people at the lower end of the income spectrum , Imbert said it was appropriate that persons at the upper end share their part of this burden. “Since we’re in a difficult situation right now, we must spread the burden as equitably as we can,” the minister stated.

Reminding senators the online purchase tax is already in effect due to the Provision of Collection of Taxes Order, Imbert said Government collected approximately $1million in the first 11 days after the Order was published. He disclosed that $2.5 million was collected in November and another $2.5 million has been collected so far for the first half of this month, from the online tax.

Noting there is a higher utilisation of online purchases at Christmas time, Imbert was optimistic that Government could collect $3.5 million from the online tax by December 31. He disclosed , “I do some online shopping from time to time.” Imbert also said Government is considering providing incentives to major earners of foreign exchange in TT and overall strategies that would lead to more efficient tax collection in the country.

She disclosed that monies were paid to 70 single pan, 60 small conventional, 29 medium conventional and 19 large conventional steel bands as of last week.

Gadsby-Dolly said preparations for Carnival 2017 are well underway.

She said this could be seen in booths being constructed at the Queen’s Park Savannah, tenders being issued for infrastructure and some contracts already being awarded.

Noting that programme was disbanded a few years ago, McDonald said, “A simple check would reveal that the programme was critical to areas like East Port-of-Spain.” In brief remarks at the opening of the multimillion dollar Besson Street Police Station, construction of which began under the People’s Partnership government, McDonald said that the programme was responsible for identifying street gangs, their membership base and the turf in which they operated.

Asked to comment on McDonald’s call, Williams, who was not present at the time of McDonald’s address, initially said that he did not want to comment.

When asked if he thinks that the ROP should be reintroduced, he said, “it is a very good initiative, but at this point in time I would wait until I listen to what was said by the Member of Parliament before commenting further.” Asked why the programme was stopped in the first place, Williams said, “It had to do with a series of serious allegations of kidnapping and murder made against the officers who served in the programme.

Noting that she would like to see better relationships between law enforcement and law abiding citizens, McDonald said, “If that is done, trust and confidence will be developed because residents will know that there is always a police presence that is visible and not hostile to them.” She suggested that the police, which runs a number of police youth clubs, look at the activities of the Hearts and Minds programme of the Inter Agency Task Force (IATF). Referring to some of the activities in Laventille West and Beverly Hills, she said, the officers of the IATF have more or less integrated themselves with youths in the area and, as a result, the youths trust them.

She said there were also honest and law abiding citizens living in East Port-of-Spain.

Tracing her roots to East Dry River, McDonald recalled that the Besson Street Police Station was moved to Piccadilly Street sometime after the 1990 insurrection.

Yesterday’s event, which was formally commissioned by Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley, she said, “is nostalgic because Besson Street Police station, after some 26 years, has returned to its original location.

I welcome this move.”

Using local parlance as he spoke with reporters outside of Tower D of the Port-of-Spain International Waterfront Centre, Al-Rawi said the UNC behaves like it wants to win the lottery with FATCA but fails to understand that if, “you want to win the lottery, you have to buy a ticket.” Responding to comments by Opposition Senator Gerald Ramdeen that the UNC is holding to its call for the Tax Information Agreement Exchange Bill 2016 to be referred to a joint select committee (JSC) and indicated such in earlier meetings the UNC had with the Bankers Association and the TT Chamber of Industry and Commerce, Al-Rawi said, “Really and truly, this situation has got to stop. These goal posts have to stop shifting.

Observing that Ramdeen indicated the Opposition is reconsidering its own amendments which it has refused to share with the Government and the Parliament, Al-Rawi said checks of those documents against amendments already made to the legislation by Government shows, “there is literally nothing left to cause any contention between the two respective positions.” He said the latest claim by the UNC of inconsistency in the bill and the inter-governmental agreement (IGA) with the United States, “in and of itself, shows the utter nonsense that is going on.”

“We have engaged our neighbours (Venezuela) to cooperate with us because we believe that the national security thrust in the maritime environment is fundamental to how we treat with crime and criminality in TT,” Dillon said.

“We recognise, to a large extent, that some of the issues we confront on a day-to-day basis have their genesis in the penetration of our very borders.” Dillon was speaking during the arrival ceremony for the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard (TTCG) vessels; TTS Moruga (CG 27) and TTS Carli Bay (CG 28), at Staubles Bay, Chaguaramas yesterday afternoon. The vessels arrival yesterday marked the end of a threeweek voyage across the Atlantic Ocean from the Port of Gorinchem, Gorinchem, Netherlands where they were built by Dutch shipbuilder, Damen Schelde (Damen).

These are the most recent delivery in a 12-vessel order made by the TT Government back in May 2015.

The first six vessels were delivered in July 2015. Turning his attention to the CG27 and CG28, Dillon said they, and all the other TTCG patrol vessels, should spend more time monitoring our maritime borders than at dock. Dillon also said while Government welcomes these “additional vessels, we also believe that in an international environment, we must be able to cooperate with our partners which, based on our proximity, the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela presents that kind of nexus.” He noted that Government is “of the firm belief that strengthening our regional and international borders is critical to counteracting the threat of trans-national organised crime and so support joint initiatives aimed at intelligence and information- sharing as well as operational effectiveness.”

The Tranquility Government Secondary School pupil was reported missing by her mother, Saskia Haffett, at about 1.30 pm on Saturday last. She was last seen wearing a multi-coloured top with blue jeans. Hamilton is 5 feet tall and is of medium build with a birth mark on the left side of her face.

Anyone with information on her whereabouts is asked to call 800-TIPS or contact the police at 555, 999, 911 or any police station.

He is Dwayne David who was last seen on December 13 after leaving his Palmiste, San Fernando home to go to Kings Wharf, San Fernando.

His mother, Joann Combs, reported to officers at the San Fernando Police Station on Sunday that David left home at about 7.30pm dressed in a red short pants and a red and white T-shirt. He is 5 feet 6 inches tall and has a tear drop tattoo near his right eye and a tattoo with the words “RIP big J” on his chest.

Anyone with information on David’s whereabouts is asked to call 800-TIPS or contact the police at 555, 999, 911 or any police station.