Education Minister Anthony Garcia says Thursday’s announcement of businessman Robert Bermudez as the next chancellor of the University of the West Indies was not a premature announcement.

“I was directed by the Cabinet to make such a statement. In fact, it was the feeling of the Cabinet that at this point it was safe and prudent to make such a statement,” Garcia said in Parliament yesterday in reply to Opposition queries about his post-Cabinet media briefing announcement on Thursday.

Yesterday however, UWI’s Council, took issue with the announcement, signalling Garcia may have spoken out of turn.

In Parliament also, UNC MP Fazal Karim asked Garcia how soon the person identified to assume the position was expected to take up office.

Garcia, however, said, “At this point I’m unable to advise an exact date when the new chancellor will assume office. A procedure has to be followed.”

After Opposition laughter at that point quelled, Garcia continued, “There will be a meeting next week Thursday in Barbados of the University Council in which the report of the search committee will be presented. After that, the University Council will decide when the new chancellor will assume office.”

He said the current Chancellor, Sir George Alleyne, leaves July 31.

Karim asked if the premature announcement by Government - in contravention of UWI’s Statute Four - had prejudiced and polluted the appointment process.

Garcia replied, “I totally disagree. My statement at the post-Cabinet briefing wasn’t premature. A Search Committee had been appointed to identify choices for a new chancellor.”

UNC MP Dr Bhoe Tewarie asked if this development signals Government’s intention to interfere in UWI appointments. Garcia denied this.

Prior to yesterday’s session, Tewarie, a former UWI principal, said he’d been surprised by Garcia’s announcement on Thursday. He said the appointment matter is normally handled by UWI’s Council and “notwithstanding the financial support of regional governments, UWI is an institution that remains autonomous and independent.”

Tewarie said usually a chancellor is determined by the sitting of the UWI Council, adding Garcia’s announcement could politicise the chancellorship and reflect political intervention.

While he said he has no problem with Bermudez as the choice - particularly given the financial realities of current circumstances and the need for new directions - Tewarie said he hoped UWI ‘s Council could assert its independence and wouldn’t be unduly affected by Garcia’s political blunder.

UWI: NO DECISION YET

​The University of the West Indies says it was “surprised” by Education Minister Anthony Garcia’s announcement of Bermudez as its new chancellor, as a decision on the new chancellor is yet to be finalised.

In a strongly worded media release from its regional headquarters in Jamaica, the university’s administration said it had noted with surprise Garcia’s announcement.

But dismissing any speculation the appointment of a chancellor is political in any way, it said, “The university administration wishes to take this opportunity to indicate that chancellors are appointed in accordance with the university’s Statute 4 which clearly states, ‘The chancellor shall be appointed by the University Council’.”

UWI said over the past few months it has been working with a specially appointed Search Committee to identify an appropriate successor to Sir George.

It added, “The matter of the appointment of the university’s new chancellor is an item on the agenda for the upcoming annual business meeting of the University Council set to take place on April 27, 2017 in Barbados. It is at this meeting that a final decision will be made on the new UWI chancellor.”

Port-of-Spain Mayor Joel Martinez yesterday apologised to artist Dameon Agostini for the Corporation’s decision to dispose of his art pieces after seizing them from the area where he operated from at the Queen’s Park Savannah.

Agostini’s work was seized and thrown away last Wednesday by the City Police after several complaints were made to the Corporation.

In an interview yesterday after a meeting with the mayor, Agostini said he had accepted the apology and thanked members of the public for their support.

Agostini said he recovered four out of 15 pieces that were thrown away at the Corporation’s dump on Mucurapo Road, St James.

Martinez confirmed he granted permission to the police to go to the site after they received numerous complaints about the art work, but did not disclose the nature of the complaints or who made them. He said the officers told him they wanted to remove the stuff from the area, but he said he was unaware they intended to confiscate and dump it.

The mayor said he has a daughter who is an artist and supports the local industry, noting he intends to hold discussions to find a suitable location for Agostini.

“I was flabbergasted and upset (at the police action). Even vendors are human and should be treated humanely. I am not going advocate to pick up somebody’s stuff and dump it. That is not the process, we prefer to ask somebody to move. We shouldn’t treat people like that,” Martinez said.

Agostini thanked the public for their support and said he had ideas for how art could be used to beautify the city. He said he hoped other artists would also benefit from any initiative which the mayor planned for him.

Ozzy Merrique, who featured Agostini’s work in a short film titled “Horse,” which was featured in Green Screen - The Environmental Film Festival, showed up to offer support yesterday. Fellow artists and members of the public discussed the issue on social media yesterday, with the former saying they planned to hold a meeting to discuss how artists are treated.

Founder and director of Green Screen - The Environmental Film Festival, Carver Bacchus, said he supported Agostini and was calling on the city to find him a permanent space around the savannah or elsewhere.

“We are promoting the idea as much as possible. The issue is the value of art and how it is valued in our society. It is not only about Dameon. We want him (Agostini) to have a permanent space either there, or permission to stay, or an acceptable alternative and we would like the corporation and the Government to see how artists support the beautification of the city Port-of-Spain and make it a more enjoyable city,” he said.

Bacchus said the response on social media was “traumatic” and art had been sidelined.

“It is a big catalyst in my opinion for the standing up for the sector and how how important art is. Art should be involved in planning and development,” he said.

Meanwhile, social media users praised Agostini’s art pieces as “beautiful” or “amazing.” Some were shocked to learn that the pieces were destroyed and called the move “wicked. However, some also noted that vending was illegal and it was appropriate for the corporation to remove the items.

For the next five days T&T will be experiencing unusually high temperatures as much as 35°C.

In a bulletin issued on Thursday by the T&T Meteorological Service Division (MSD) it suggested that citizens take precautionary measures to keep cool in the “blistering heat”.

“It has been very hot and it is going to remain this way in the coming days ahead. The dry season’s hottest spell to date is showing little or no indication of easing over the coming five days or at least through the coming weekend,” the bulletin stated.

“Maximum temperatures during the day have soared above 34.8°C during seven of the last nine days and are expected to climb to similar values over the next few days. In the cities, built up and urban areas maximum temperatures are expected to be more intense,” it added.

The Met Office warns that the extremely high temperatures can be hazardous to health, especially vulnerable persons such as the elderly, persons with long-term or serious illnesses and young children.

As the hottest time of the day is between 11 am and 2 pm, the Met Office has advised people to wear appropriate clothing, stay hydrated at all times and keep out of the sun in order to avoid sunburn.

A warning was also sent out not to leave anyone in a closed, parked vehicle, especially infants, young children or even animals.

“Additionally, hot temperatures and dry air, along with already present moderate to strong winds will also combine to create high fire potential in grassy areas of the country during the rest of the week. Persons are advised to avoid activities that promote open flames, fires and sparks since they have the potential to quickly develop into bush fires,” the release said.

A Memorandum of Intent (MOI) was signed yesterday between the Government of T&T and the United States (US) geared towards the establishment of a state-of-the-art border control system.

The system called the Personal Identification Secure Comparison and Evaluation System (PISCES), documents the arrival and departure of international travellers at all ports of entry—irports and seaports throughout T&T.

It is expected to strengthen the security of T&T and the US, and all other partner countries, by increasing the ability of the Immigration Division to document travelers’ identity.

Using the latest technology, PISCES will give the government the capacity to verify a traveler’s identity against both domestic and international databases. The system will also allow officials to identify individuals who might pose a threat to public security.

According to a release issued by the Ministry of National Security, PISCES will support the T&T government’s efforts to improve border security and ensure the safety of its citizens.

“The system will be owned and operated by the T&T government. All of the data collected will belong to the T&T government, and any sharing of that information will take place subject to privacy safeguards established by the laws of T&T,” the release stated.

At the signing of the MOI, Minister of National Security, Edmund Dillon, said the system will assist in all its efforts to keep the traveling public safe, and distinguish legitimate travelers from those who might wish us harm, “We intend to use this system to deepen cooperation with our international partners, but only under safeguards that protect the privacy of the citizens of T&T. The signing of this MOI underscores the commitment of the T&T government to enhance our national security and increasing collaboration with our international partners.”

Chargé d’Affaires John McIntyre, of the US Embassy in T&T, said that the signing of this agreement marks an important step forward in the deep cooperative relationship between T&T and the US. Our economies, culture and security are intertwined, and strengthening the borders of T&T directly strengthens the national security of the US.”

Government has rejected a request from Inter-Continental Shipping to keep details of the new arrangement related to the MV Superfast Galicia confidential.

A second legal letter sent by the Ministry of Works and Transport’s attorneys says it is a “matter of national importance” and as such it will continue to be ventilated in the public domain.

Yesterday, a series of legal letters were exchanged between the Ministry of Works and Transport and the owners of Intercontinental Shipping Limited.

Intercontinental Shipping, the local broker for the MV Superfast Galicia, was given a 9 am deadline on Friday morning to respond to a legal letter from the Government about the charter hire agreement for the vessel.

That letter prompted dialogue between the two parties about how best to avoid a breach of contract.

In its response, Intercontinental Shipping Limited offered suggestions on how the matter could be settled.

However, in a second legal letter sent to the local firm through the law offices of Dr Claude H Denbow, SC, the Ministry of Works and Transport says it notes the request for “some form of non-disclosure about the new arrangements.”

However, it felt that such a request was “untenable” as the matter is of “national importance.”

In the letter from attorney at law Donna Denbow, Government says the matter cannot be withheld from being placed in the public domain, adding that it was because of their client’s breach that “this matter has commanded so much public attention.”

Government has maintained there is an 18-month contract charter hire for the Superfast Galicia which expires on October 31, 2017, and it is demanding that that agreement is honoured.

In the letter, Government says transparency in governance mandates that the issue with the Galicia continues to be “ventilated in the public domain.”

Contacted for comment yesterday, managing director of Intercontinental Shipping Limited, John Powell told Guardian Media: “We responded to that letter last night. At this time, we have no further comments.”

Guardian Media was not told why there was a request for non-disclosure.

Government not budging

Despite legal attempts to have the Superfast Galicia remain to service the sea bridge, the vessel, which has been at the centre of a heated battle, set sail for Spain yesterday.

While it makes the three-week voyage home, its local handlers may have to find a replacement vessel.

In the subsequent legal exchange between the parties, the Government says it is “not prepared” to accept an arrangement which will result in “interrupted service for transportation of cargo” between the islands.

Based on the letter, it appears Intercontinental Shipping Ltd requested a period of 14 days in order to supply a vessel.

However, Government says it will utilise “all remedies available” to it in law to ensure the service is uninterrupted.

Based on the Government’s letter, Intercontinental continues to deny that there is an 18-month contract.

What are government’s demands?

It is prepared to accept a vessel comparable to the MV Superfast Galicia in terms of specifications, capacity and purpose. It does not accept that a suggested vessel, the M/V Elizabeth Russ, is such a vessel.

It also wanted the Superfast Galicia to continue to fulfill its obligations until a proposed replacement vessel arrives. Intercontinental Shipping is also expected to bear the full cost of a replacement vessel.

The barge and ferry being rented by the Government to transport cargo between Trinidad and Tobago will cost taxpayers US$22,000 a day, Works and Transport Minister Rohan Sinanan said yesterday.

Sinanan spoke about the new inter-island cargo arrangments after touring the barge Trinity Tranporter and ferry Atlantic Provider.

The two vessels have been contracted for a month with the option to renew for a further month or two, he said. Government rented them ito fill the void left by the Super Fast Galicia which left the country on Friday night.

Earlier in the day on Friday, drama unfolded on the Scarborough port when the foreign crew of the Super Fast Galicia attempted to leave the country without returning to Trinidad with trucks.

Sinanan said he believed the crew of the Super Fast Galicia panicked after seeing Coast Guard vessels in Tobago.

“I think what happened there is that the provider panicked knowing fully well that we might be facing litigation matters but I spoke to him and gave him the assurance that the Government at no point in time was considering to impound any vessel. That was never an option, that was never on the cards,” the minister said.

“And I think when the provider saw the Coast Guard vessels in Tobago they probably started to think outside the box and I called him and gave him the assurance that the Government will not consider impounding any vessel and he immediately started to load the cargo and came back to Trinidad. I think it was a little panic on the side of the provider,.”

Sinanan said since Government believes it has a contract with the Super Fast Galicia based on advice from Senior Counsel Dr Claude Denbow, if it is not present for sailings tomorrow, litigation matters will commence because it will be a breach of contract.

Sinanan said the Super Fast Galicia has a contract to service the sea bridge until October 17.

He said the void left by the vessel’s departure will be filled by the Trinity Transporter and the Atlantic Provider and there will be no disruption in service.

“What we have seen today is the first phase. This is the short-term plan to ensure there are no hiccups, there are no disturbance to the cargo shipment to Tobago,” Sinanan said.

“Remember once we got the letter from the provider that they were going to pull the vessel we immediately went into action and we announced three plans.

“One was the short-term plan to ensure the cargo was not disrupted, which is basically what we are seeing here today. We saw two vessels that were contracted for one month with the option to renew for a further month or two. This is to ensure that the cargo is not disrupted,” he said.

Sinanan said tenders for a medium-term vessel will be opened tomorrow. The long-term plan is to purchase a new vessel, he said.

The Atlantic Provider will be rented for US$14,000 a day, while the barge Trinity Transporter, which will transport construction material and heavy equipment, will be rented for US$8,000.

Sinanan said the two vessels operating in tandem will provide greater capacity than the Super Fast Galicia.

“This is short-term for one month and remember it is not only about saving, or the cost we have to ensure that the cargo reaches to Tobago,” he said.

Sinanan said the Port Authority’s board will visit Tobago tomorrow to have discussions with stakeholders to iron out whatever challenges there may be.

It will be “unacceptable” if CL Financial is returned to Lawrence Duprey, Afra Raymond of Disclosure Today, said yesterday.

“I don’t believe the people who caused this disaster and who are in a position of responsibility could be just handed back this company after the money is repaid and so on.

“We don’t even know how much money has been lent and how it is being repaid,” he said.

“I don’t think it should be returned to them those people are not fit and proper to have ownership, directorship or hold positions as officers or controlling shareholders of a financial institution in this country. There are fit and proper guidelines and that is one of the very issues we raised with the Governor of the Central Bank Dr Alvin Hilaire.”

Duprey was chairman of CL Financial when the conglomerate went to the Central bank for assistance in 2009.

Raymond, along with the (CEO of Disclosure Today Rishi Maharaj and David Walker have written to Hilaire calling for him to explain what is going on.

He said Hilaire has to account to the population on the issue of the CL Financial bailout and the way forward,

The trio delivered their letter to Hilaire on Wednesday.

Hilaire was written to on January 31 but there was no response.

“We need to know what is happening. It is a colossal amount of money that has been spent on this bailout. It was administered through the Central Bank and there are more questions than answers,” Raymond said.

He said the letter to Hilaire asked how the bail out could have gone on so long without any proper accountability. The group also asjked whether the Central Bank now has to “release CL financial from its control”.

“If we have to release it because the law says we have to release it because targets have been achieved who do we leave it to,” Raymond said.

T&T’s services sector has the potential to tap into international markets worth trillions of US dollars and increase the country’s foreign exchange revenue, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Trade, Frances Seignoret, said yesterday.

Speaking on behalf of Trade Minister Paula Gopee-Scoon at the T&T Coalition of Services Industries’ (TTCSI) 10th Anniversary Interfaith Thanksgiving in Woodbrook, Seignoret said: “We are particularly heartened by international trends which show opportunities in areas of health and wellness estimated at US $160 billion, medical tourism estimated at US $50 billion, creative industries estimated at US $140 billion, ICT services estimated at US $1.4 trillion and professional services estimated at US $1.4 trillion.”

Seignoret said T&T’s National Development Strategy 2016-2030, more commonly referred to as Vision 2030, highlighted that globalisation and technological advancements will further shift economic activities from production of goods to creation of services.

She said this requires 21st century skills, including technological know ow and becoming multilingual and multi-skilled.

TTCSI President Angela Lee Loy said the organisation, established in 2006, had been the voice of the services sector in the country.

She said it was also one of the most important regional advocates for development of the services sector.

Public Utilities Minister Fitzgerald Hinds wants the Law Association to speak out in defence of Chief Justice Ivor Archie.

Hinds said he had noticed for some time “with increasing alarm and worry” the position taken by MPs who are also members of the legal profession. He was referring to recent calls by Opposition Senators Wayne Sturge and Gerald Ramdeen for information under the Freedom of Information Act about the recent appointment of three judges.

He said the adverse comments being made about Archie “can only have one effect, that is to bring disrespect and disdain and a diminishing of the reputation of the Judiciary.”

Hinds said those who were engaged in such action were”not mindful that it is not just an attack on one individual but an attack on the State .”

He said that is especially so when the attack was not justified.

“To query the appointment of the judges by an attack on the Chief Justice is really troubling,” he said.

Hinds, who is also an attorney, said he wanted to condemn that behaviour. He said lawyers should channel their concerns through the :aw Association .

To use the Parliament to launch attacks on the Judiciary was reckless, dangerous and must be condemned, he said..

Hinds called on the Law Association to speak out in defence of the Judiciary, which he said was an important State institution. He also said Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar should “restrain them and for them to be guided by civility.”

Persad-Bissessar and Ramdeen could not be reached for comment on the minister’s statement.

When Debra Vargas Guevara said goodbye to her husband, Air Guard Sgt Christian Guevara on Friday night, she never expected to wake up the next morning to the news that he was dead.

Yesterday, at their Bennett Village, Los Bajos, home, she wept as she looked at photos taken at their wedding four years ago.

Guevara, an officer in the Fixed Wing Unit of the Air Guard, died early yesterday morning when the Nissan B13 in which he was a passenger crashed into a culvert and he was flung out of the vehicle.

The accident took place around 5 am near La Brea Road in Quarry Village, Siparia. Guevara was returning home after playing cards on Friday night at Mangoes, a bar in Santa Flora.

His widow described him as a dedicated officer and family man who was her best friend. The couple had nine children between them from other relationships but Debra said Guevara’s life goal to build a house big enough for all of the children.

She said Guevara called her on Friday to ask if she was coming to meet him at the bar.

“He called me at 8.58 pm and said ‘Dee, you coming to meet me?’ and I told him, ‘No babe, I’m tired, I’m just going to stay home and rest’,” she said.

“Around 3.05 am this morning, he texted me ‘Oh’ because normally if I get up and he on work, I would text him ‘Oh’ and he will respond ‘Oh’- that was the last thing I heard from him.”

But when she awoke sometime close to dawn and realised Guevara was not at home, she began to worry.

“I find he wasn’t coming home so I told my son, something happen to Christian. He hasn’t reached home yet,” Debra said.

“But people was like calling my phone and asking me, “Debbie where you?” and I said, ‘I’m home’ and they asking where Christian, so I say he ent reach home yet and they keep hanging up after that.”

Some time later, a police officer called and gave her the devastating news.

Debra and other family members rushed to the scene and saw Guevara’s body still on the ground.

“It was alleged that the car hit a culvert and a pipeline, it flipped and when I saw him, he was out of the car, I cannot say what else had happened that is what I saw,” she said.

Asked if she knew the driver, Debra said she had no idea who the person was, or who the car belonged to.

The vehicle was taken to the Siparia Police Station. At the station, a young man told the Sunday Guardian the vehicle belonged to his brother and his father was driving at the time of the accident. He said since the accident, no one had heard from or seen his father.

At the time, his brother was being interviewed by CID officers.

Police said they did not know the whereabouts of the driver.

The T&T Air Guard sent out a press release yesterday, extendingcondolences to Guevara’s family. Public relations officer Flight Lieutenant Monique Pantin-Sprott said Guevara joined the Air Guard on March 23, 2001, and had served for 16 years.

As the world celebrated Earth Day yesterday, members of the National Council of Orisha Elders in T&T marked the occasion with a march through San Fernando praying for an end to violence.

The procession began with prayers and offerings of olive oil, milk, water and honey to the earth by various priests in the Orisha faith at Kings Wharf, San Fernando, at 10 am yesterday.

The group of approximately 100 devotees sang as they left the wharf and headed to the City Promenade’s amphitheatre for another prayer session.

Secretary of the council, Neal Ryan Rawlins explained: “We are paying homage to Mother Earth or Onile Mama Latte, as she is called within our religion, in conjunction with the United Nations Mother Earth Day.

“We started this in 2004 under Baba Ford and it is something we kept on the lands on the ancestral lands in Lopinot for about five or six years.”

Rawlins said after being given spiritual instructions to bring the celebrations to the wider community, the devotees began going into the city for their celebration.

“We are doing so this year in the city of San Fernando to bring a sense of healing, prosperity to the land,” he said.

Rawlins said the offerings of prayers, song and various liquids is for the upliftment of the country from crime and violence.

“It is done to elevate the female principle through our Mother of the Earth, through our Onile because of the crime situation in the country and the violence against women and children generally and to elevate the feeling of despair that permeates the land today.”

Rural Development and Local Government Minister Karim Hosein yesterday warned that he is taking a tough stance against corruption at the level of regional corporations.

In remarks at the start of the Sangre Grande leg of the National Clean Up Campaign, he said he had received letters of complaints about all 14 corporations and will be writing to chairmen and CEOs about weeding out corrupt practices.

Hosein, a former San Fernando Mayor, said he had heard about instances where people were made to wait several months for approval of house plans. That was very unfair to customers, he warned.

“I will be very stern with this type of behaviour and those found out will be dealt with,” he added

Hosein said he had also received complaints about people who went to regional corporations in times of bereavement and were treated in a most inhumane way.

He said: “Give the people the service that is required of them and learn to treat them with love.”

The minister later told reporters that legislation to reform the local government system was at the Attorney General’s office and would be laid in Parliament soon.

During yesterday’s clean up two of Sangre Grande’s oldest buildings were demolished.

The old Fire Station at the corner of Ojoe Road and Brierley Street and the the old Warden’s Office, located opposite the Sangre Grande Magistratse Court, had once been major landmarks in the community but had become eyesores.

Hundreds of volunteers took part in the exercise.

​RALPH BANWARIE

For the past two election cycles, the PNM administration has signaled its intention to reintroduce a regime of property taxation in T&T.

First introduced in 2009, the Property Tax Act was intended to replace the Lands and Building Taxes Act in place since 1920, last amended in 2007, and suspended since 2010.

To say that the public outcry surrouding the tax has been deafening would be an understatement.

However, property tax in T&T is not new as, according toFinance Minister Colm Imbert, for close to 200 years, (since 1818), a form of property taxation has been on the country’s law book.

When the tax was first proposed in 2009, then deputy leader of the Congress of the People (COP), Opposition MP Prakash Ramadhar, was among the most outspoken opponents of the intended tax, leading an “Axe the Tax” campaign that sought to collect more than 200,000 signatures to protest the tax.

Fast forward to today and little has changed by way of understanding and public sentiment toward what some perceive as a vague, if not cumbersome, taxation mechanism.

For example, the American Chamber of Commerce (AmchamTT) is seeking “details on the valuation and implementation of the Property Tax, particularly where it relates to uncovered plant, rigs and machinery” adding that they “are concerned that this may be a deterrent to new investors, whose deployed capital in the form of new plant or equipment, will now attract an exorbitant property tax before depreciation can be applied”.

The Chamber, ostensibly seeking the interest of the business community, encouraged Government to be “mindful of the impact on business and to provide clear and detailed information on how it will be implemented.”

Also, a group known as the TnT Patriots expressed concern that pensioners on fixed incomes may be disproportionately affected by the tax, given the current economic situation of the country.

The Institute of Surveyors of T&T (ISTT) also added their voice to the public discourse through a position paper it released last month.

In it, the Institute argued that for the property tax to yield the desired revenue, the government would do well to address the constraints of the valuation division to collect and collate values of property across the country.

“One of the crucial elements of an efficient property tax regime is the use of supporting technologies that will make the identification and management of the hundreds of thousands of properties that need to be assessed as simple as possible.” the ISTT said.

Again, a familiar foe of the tax, the COP, weighed in on the most recent announcements emanating from the Ministry of Finance about the impending reintroduction of the tax.

In a press releas, the COP sought to highlight what it perceived to be a failure on the part of the Finance Minister to provide clarity on a few issues: “The Finance Ministry release today did not tell property owners:

i. that failure to submit their VRF or return document with attachments also being required by May 22, can lead to the owner facing a criminal charge and fine for failing to submit “a return within the prescribed time” (section 6 (4) (a) of the Valuation of Land Act Ch. 58:03).

ii. Or where in completing the VRF, if the document is “defective or incomplete” or contains any information which “is to his (the owner’s) knowledge false” (section (6) (4) (b)), the owner can be similarly charged.

B. explicitly, in relation to point 5. on the VRF, whether this does not apply since this is the 1st Return that any property owner will be completing under the Property Tax Law, including the Valuation of Land Act.

C. That an owner must be furnished with a Notice of Valuation which must inform the owner of the valuation made by the Commissioner and the owner’s right to object to same (on grounds in section 19 of the Valuation Act.

D. When the Notice of Assessment of Property Tax will be issued although it points out that “Property Owners would be required to make payment upon receipt of an Assessment Notice…”

As a starting point, any discussion on the Property Tax should first begin with a discussion of the components of the Act itself.

The Property Tax Act 2009

The Property Tax Act is divided into seven parts and contains 57 clauses, all detailing various property-specific issues.

According to the Act, the Board of Inland Revenue (BIR) is charged with the creation of an “assessment role” which effectively determines the classification and valuation of land, and the applicable deductions, allowances and tax rates to be levied with respect to that property.

The Act states that the tax is to be calculated based on the annual rental value (what a property owner would fetch should the property be put on the market for rent—rental income) less 10 per cent for periods when the property is not rented or the landlord does not collect rent.

The rate of taxes are then applied such that:

• Residential property is taxed at a rate of 3 per cent

• Commercial property is taxed at a rate of 5 per cent

• Industrial property (with building) is taxed at a rate of 6 per cent

• Industrial property (without building) is taxed at a rate of 3 per cent

• Agricultural is taxed at a rate of 1 per cent

The Act also clearly lists properties that would be exempt from the tax such as: churches and places of worship, school compounds and playgrounds, property used for charitable and philanthropic work, land occupied by state enterprises, public hospital facilities and university and tertiary education facilities.

Of note, the Act includes a section that clearly defines the conditions and procedures necessary for objections, revaluations, relief and appeals.

This area is of particular interest given the outcry by certain segments of the population that have intimated a possible inability to pay the tax.

Clause 23 (1) of the Act states: “The board may, upon the application of the land owner, authorise the deferral of the payment of the assessed tax on the land on the grounds of the impoverished condition of the owner and his inability to improve his financial position significantly by reason of age, impaired health or other special circumstances, that undue hardship to that owner would otherwise ensue”

A Tax Scenario

A visit to the Ministry of Finance website provides a useful guide to all things property tax related.

The site contains a list of frequently asked questions (FAQs) that attempt to break down the tax for the lay reader. The FAQs concentrate on areas such as the Property Tax Act itself, property valuation, property tax calculation and payment information.

One of the more salient areas on the site is the presentation of a tax scenario that computes the actual tax a home owner could expect to pay.

It shows that a home that can be rented for $3000 per month, would have an annual rental value of $36,000 per year ($3000 x 12).

Taking the 10 per cent deduction for voids, the annual taxable value become $32,400.

Taxed at 3 per cent, the property owner will now be liable for $972 per year (or $81 per month) in property tax.

The same methodology would apply to the various other classifications of property

Tax Hotline

Calling the tax hotline proved to be a fairly efficient process. The answering representative was able to provide a general outline of the tax, explain the areas of valuation and redirect to the website if one needed more details on a particular area.

The representative was also quick to point out that the first wave of the tax was to be levied on residential properties, and generally seemed uncomfortable speaking to matters beyond that.

All told, access to the hotline didn’t pose much of a challenge.

Challenges to implementation

One of the biggest foreseable issues in the reintroduction of the property tax seems to be the sheer manpower that will be required to assess the “worthiness” of the ascribed rental values by property owners.

Government will be required, after collecting self-assessed rental values to send out valuators to corroborate stated rental values. Given the current staffing issues at the BIR, one wonders how efficiently and effectively the process will be carried out.

Mary, 43, is a mother of three, the eldest of whom is 13 years old. She works as a security officer and is a squatter.

Four years ago, Mary was given the “deal of a lifetime”. She was offered a one bedroom wooden house located at a forested area in East Trinidad for $10,000.

At the time Mary got that offer she was renting a one bedroom apartment with her family for $1,500.

One day at work while Mary was complaining about her landlord and her rent being “dead money” a co-worker told her about a man selling houses in the hills.

Mary eventually met the man and he showed her the house and told her the price. Mary said she was faced with a “hard decision”.

“I knew it was technically wrong because I knew he was squatting on the land but I had to think of my family first.

Rent was hell, it was like putting my money into a black hole. I had an application for a house with the HDC (Housing Development Corporation) for at least ten years with no word from them and I could not realistically afford a house at the price they were being sold,” she said.

After days of going and back and forth mentally, Mary made up her mind. She took a loan from her credit union and paid the man.

He provided her with paperwork from a “bush lawyer” which she knows cannot legitimately stand any legal due diligence.

“Do I regret what I did? No, I don’t. Yes, I know it is technically wrong but I am not hurting anyone,” Mary told the Sunday Guardian.

She and her family sleep on a single mattress at night. There is no electricity or running water. She said she is just glad to have a roof over her head.

Mary and her three children are among the 50,000 families estimated to be squatting in T&T according to social surveys done by the Land Settlement Agency (LSA).

It is estimated that some 200,000 people are squatting.

CEO of the LSA Hazar Hosein said squatting had been “mushrooming” in this country.

The LSA, an agency of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, has embarked on a campaign to highlight the issue and deter people from engaging in the illegal activity.

Hosein said in the State Land (Regularisation of Tenure) Act in 1998 some 251 squatting sites were listed across the country. Since then the LSA has discovered another 100 squatting sites.

The fastest growing squatting population is in Valencia, Hosein said

“We’ve seen a trend that a lot of squatting follows the quarries,” he said.

While Mary feels her squatting is not necessarily hurting anyone, Hosein had a completely different take on the situation.

“The most depressing part is the destruction of the forest reserves. In my mind that stands out and that is something that we have to deal with immediately because these lands are considered forest reserves, they are the scientific reserves they are environmentally sensitive areas and that is the one that hurts the most in terms of some of these squatting areas,” he said.

“If we destroy our forests that has long term effects on all of us, our entire population, our rainfall,” he said.

Hosein said apart from Valencia, another significant squatting area in recent times is Point Fortin.

He lamented the conditions of some of the squatting sites in the country.

“We want the population to be aware of some very deplorable conditions in many squatting sites. No roads, no drains, no running water, no electricity and it is families living there, people living there. So our task is not only to contain the squatting but to improve the standard of living in these sites,” he said.

Hosein recalled a time when the LSA developed some 1000 lots across the country that were eventually taken over by squatters. This occurred at Race Course Road in Arima (Carapo), Bon Air North (Windy Hill), KP Lands in Valencia and Pine Settlement in Sangre Grande.

The loss to the State was calculated at $2 million.

Another troubling issue, Hosein said, is the rise of the “squat lords” who capitalise on people’s desperation for housing and land.

“There is a trend now that you have a number of persons with resources who are engaged in this activity. They are clearing lands, they are selling state lands, we call them ‘squat lords’,” Hosein said.

While in Mary’s case the house was sold to her, according to statistics 25 per cent of squatters were “renting” from people who moved on to state lands and unlawfully erected structures.

According to reports, at Waterwheel Road in Diego Martin, a “squat lord” built an eight-room apartment building on State land and has been renting it out.

In most instances “squat lords” are posing as official representatives of the state and claiming land as their own.

In an attempt to battle all these various issues with respect to squatting the LSA has set up a hotline to report illegal squatting.

The hotline is 866-1111.

“We are really targeting this campaign, not solely as a means for information, but to spur people into action. Many persons would have seen, or would see on a daily basis probably, structures going up on state land and they know that that is state land.

“We want them to also help the LSA by reporting. We want people not to only be encouraged but empowered to report what they see,” Corporate Communications Manager at the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development Dike Noel said.

A Marabella woman is nursing gunshot wounds at hospital after someone broke into her home and shot her three times in the wee hours of yesterday morning.

According to reports, Natasha Applewhite, 41 was asleep at her Ramsamooj Street, Marabella home around 2.35 am on Sunday when she was awakened to the sound of glass breaking.

When she went to investigate, Applewhite saw a smashed window. She told police that all she saw of the intruder was a hand with a glove wearing a long-sleeved jersey and armed with a gun, reaching into the house.

Applewhite heard several loud explosions and felt a burning sensation in both of her legs.

She raised an alarm and the gunman fled the scene.

PC Clarence and Task Force officers responded and found seven spent .40 calibre shells at the scene.

Applewhite was shot once in the right lower leg and twice in the left upper leg. She also suffered a fractured right shin.

She is warded at the San Fernando General Hospital. 

As Lilla Roberts celebrated her 104th birthday yesterday with family, friends and parishioners at her church, she credited her long life to God.

A devout church-goer, Lilla chose to mark her milestone with a ceremony at the Mt Bethel Independence Baptist Church Jacob Settlement in Santa Flora. MP for the area, Nicole Oliverre and Siparia Regional Corporation chairman Dr Glenn Ramdharsingh were also present to celebrate with Lilla.

A mother of five, grandmother of 20 and great-grandmother of 23, Lilla can still walk without a cane, feed herself, use the washroom on her own and suffers from no major ailments. In an interview with the media, she said she never expected to live to 104.“I am very happy to celebrate today, I never thought I would live to 104 years,” she said. “Jesus is the reason, if any problems confront me, I call on him, I go down to my knees and prayer, I lie on my bed and read the bible.”

Lilla did not have an easy youth as she recalled having problems with her husband after they had been married for 13 years without having any children. But God would answer her prayers and at age 35, she gave birth to her first child and had the other four “one after the other.After we live together for about 13 to 14 years and we never had children and he was getting kind of displeased like he want to separate and then I got down in prayer and I said God I want to settle myself, help me and God answer my prayer.”

She said she believes she faced hardships early on in life because she was not devoted to God. “I don’t know if it is because after we get married and wasn’t having children, I never used to praise God and that is why I went down to the pitch (ground).” But at 70, Lilla was saved at a crusade at “Scrappy church” now known as the Revelation Life Centre of Agapito Trace, Santa Flora.

In 2008, she joined the Mt Bethel church and has been a full-pledged member since. Asked about her views on crime, Lilla said she feels the epidemic sweeping the country has no cure.“I don’t know what to say about crime, to me crime doesn’t have a cure- it have too much crime. In my days crime happened once or twice a year but looking at what is going on now, with so much crime, I feel it has no cure.”

Her birthday wish was simply to praise God and when asked how many more years she wanted to live, she said, “I don’t want to go no more but I still have to wait on God to take me.” Addressing the churchgoers, Oliverre said Lilla was just one of eight centenarians living in her constituency. In light of this, Oliverre has begun a project to meet and interview all eight and eventually honour all of them.

She said speaking to Lilla was like reliving history. “Everyone here appreciates the fact that you can talk to someone who can tell you what life was like when we gained Independence, when the war was over, it’s so good to hear about it instead of having to read about in a book,” Oliverre said.

Ramdharsingh also addressed the gathering, saying that a recent survey of elderly people in T&T, had revealed that some 33 per cent of respondents felt lonely in their old age. He said this was despite the fact that 16 per cent of those people did not live alone. He appealed to those present to prepare themselves for the future as he said T&T has an ageing population.

Former Tertiary Education Minister, Fazal Karim said yesterday that Minister of Education Anthony Garcia breached the expected confidentiality of the University of the West Indies Council by rematurely announcing the new Chancellor for the University of the West Indies (UWI).

On Thursday during the post-Cabinet news conference, Garcia announced the new Chancellor to be local businessman Robert Bermudez.

UWI, in an immediate response said it was “surprised” by Garcia’s statement as a decision on the new chancellor is yet to be finalised.

Speaking with the T&T Guardian yesterday, Karim said that he believes that the T&T Government may have pre-empted the announcement to prevent any other nominees in that position by going public.

“Garcia has prejudiced the decision making process of the Chancellor and has brought the entire screening committee into disrepute,” Karim said.

“This has also brought into question the integrity of Garcia since the University Council’s confidentiality and that of the screening committee has been broken. It is clear that it will bring into question Garcia’s trustworthiness at Council meetings and other meetings of the University where important decisions are confidentially taken, such as the University’s Finance and General Purpose Committee Meeting,” he added.

Karim explained that Garcia may be a Council member but not an authorised spokesperson and has embarrassed the incoming Chancellor, the T&T Government and by extension, the entire region.

“Garcia would have attended several meetings of UWI at various levels over the last 20 months and therefore should have acquainted himself properly with the rules the regulations and the protocols required in the functioning of a University, and in particular UWI,’ Karim said.

He said that he believed that this action would strain the relationship between the government of T&T and the UWI, “which is evident by the fact that UWI was so quick to respond to the announcement made by Garcia.”

The new Chancellor will be finalised on Thursday.

The University’s administration has dismissed any speculation the appointment of a chancellor is political in any way.

“The university administration wishes to take this opportunity to indicate that chancellors are appointed in accordance with the university’s Statute 4 which clearly states, ‘The chancellor shall be appointed by the University Council’,” the UWI’s release stated.

UWI said over the past few months it has been working with a specially appointed Search Committee to identify an appropriate successor to Professor Sir George Alleyne.

It added, “The matter of the appointment of the university’s new chancellor is an item on the agenda for the upcoming annual business meeting of the University Council set to take place on Thursday (April 27) in Barbados. It is at this meeting that a final decision will be made on who will be the new UWI chancellor.”

The Education Ministry, however, sought to explain the process, which was used to arrive at this decision.

In a release, the ministry said that on September 7, 2016, the University Council established a Search Committee to commence the process for the appointment of a new Chancellor after Alleyne had signaled his imminent retirement.

A Chancellor holds the office for a period of seven years and may be reappointed for a second seven-year term by the Council.

Alleyne was first appointed in 2003 and was reappointed for a second term on October 1, 2010. He is to vacate office on July 31 this year.

The Search Committee was chaired by Vice Chancellor Professor Sir Hilary Beckles and comprised one representative from the following governments: Bahamas, Barbados, Jamaica and T&T.

The committee also comprised two representatives of other contributing countries; five representatives of the Senate; one representative of the Post Graduate Students’ Association; one representative of the Guild of Students; One representative of WIGUT and one Alumni representative.

At the first meeting, which was held on September 7 2016, members of the Search Committee were asked to submit their nominations by October 2016.

The following process would have been used: There would be an examination of the credentials of the persons nominated; Every effort would be made to arrive at a consensus and the recommendations would be discussed with the Prime Ministers of the region at their Caucus meeting.

A follow up meeting was held in January 2017 and a final meeting last month, March, to examine the inputs from the Prime Ministers.

“The committee was of the view that there needed to be a paradigm shift away from a Chancellor whose background was strictly in academics. It was felt that since the Caribbean economies are on the decline, the University needed a Chancellor who in addition to academia also possesses business acumen,” the released stated.

Following this procedure, the chairman reported to the Committee at its meeting on April 7, 2017 that all Heads of Governments were in agreement with the recommendation to select the nominee of the T&T Government, Robert Bermudez to be the next UWI chancellor.

To be appointed to the office of Chancellor one must be:

• A national of the Commonwealth Caribbean.

• A person of distinction in academic, professional or other worthy field of endeavour.

• A person of high regional and international standing, capable of reflecting and promoting the aims and objectives of the University at the highest level.

• A person with knowledge of, and interest in, University affairs.

• A person able to command the respect and co-operation of the University community.

Criminals who have fled crime hotspot Enterprise in Chaguanas since the implementation of a heightened police and army presence in the past few months will be hunted in whatever parts they are currently hiding out in.

This warning came from ASP Richard Smith, who is responsible for the Lion’s Gate project where soldiers and police officers have been deployed to work together in a bid to bring the area back to a sense of normalcy since the upsurge in crime and crime violence in recent times.

Smith disclosed that the police and soldiers working in Enterprise have underlying techniques that they are currently employing to go after the criminals.

“We know who the offenders are and we are going after them. Some have fled the area but we are pursuing them,” Smith said.

He said since the latest anti-crime project commenced on March 24, the authorities have noticed a drastic reduction in violent crimes, including murders, shootings and woundings.

“We are not going to toot our horn too early but our presence here is bearing some fruit and we will be staying here as long as it takes to ensure that the residents are safe and that they continue to go about their daily lives as usual,” Smith said.

Head of the Community Policing, Insp Chunilal Bedassie told the T&T Guardian that since February 12, police officers have been going door to door gathering information and making relevant referrals for people to get themselves involved in extra-curricula activities such as martial arts classes, village councils and churches.

He also disclosed that since the introduction of a Police Youth Club at Dass Trace in Enterprise, about 56 young people have joined and are playing an active role in the club.

“We have from both sides coming together twice a week and meeting in the middle at the Dass Trace Recreation Ground.

There they break the barriers and engage in sporting activities such as basketball, football, cricket and kite flying,” Bedassie said.

On Friday, during a walkabout in the community, there was a general feeling by residents that the “peace” being portrayed by members of the Unruly Isis is not genuine and fears that as soon as the police and solider presence moves out that shootings and murders will escalate more than ever before.

A 64-year-old resident, who did not want to be identified, told police that she still lives in fear.

“I would want you to leave the police and soldiers. I suffer from high blood pressure and because I am a praying woman I ain’t see a bullet hit me.

Bullets went straight in my bedroom and hit the bed and went straight back out. My house has bullet holes all over. For whatever reason people getting killed and I can’t bear it no more,” the woman said.

Another woman, 67-years-old said that she strongly believes that members of the Unruly Isis gang were “lying low.”

“They have a lot of strategies and they smarter than all of us here and I believe that they will continue these shootings and murders until they do away with all who they have to do away with.

It still ain’t have no peace here because I still feel stressed out and pressured. For months I suffer with stress and loss weight because of the grief.”

Clyde Debisette, 28, said he made the choice not to associate himself with a certain kind of crowd.

“I choose to work hard for a living and to earn honestly everything I have achieved thus far,” Debisette said.

Last Thursday, members of the Unruly Isis, headed by Abdul “Krysis” Wakeel, embarked on their first major peace initiative by distributing flowers, bottles of cold water and snacks along the Southern Main Road in Enterprise.

Wakeel said that the gesture was an attempt to restore peace to the community and to give back to the community in the form of saying that they were sorry for all the wrong they did and that they are changing to bring about better.

Even in the face of spiralling crime, youth groups and social clubs across the nation have continued to advocate to raise awareness about the ills currently plaguing society and how it can be transformed to once again bring peace and harmony.

Only four months old and already on its way to reintroducing the youth to the concept of family and togetherness, Club Elantra 868 yesterday held its first Drive for Peace as hundreds of drivers of Elantra motorcars came together to drive to Tyrico Bay, Maracas where a massive family day took place.

Speaking about the venture as they gathered along Independence Square South, Port-of-Spain, club president Stephen Maurice explained: “We are doing a drive for peace, a movement of positivity and also to introduce the club to the wider society.”

“This is not just about cars, style, rims or fashion. But we are really trying to make a positive impact in every community that we go into,” he said.

Having started in Trincity, the drivers congregated in Port-of-Spain before setting off for Tyrico where their families waited.

Maurice said: “The club is driven by family and we just want to promote that love and unity.”

Inviting people to join them via FaceBook and IG, Maurice said the club was not only limited to drivers of Elantra vehicles but anyone who shared the same passion and concerns about the youth was welcome to join.

“The club is concerned about the youth and we want to place some emphasis on them as they are the future. We want to try to move in a direction to empower them and we feel if we establish a common ground within the club which sows family, love and passion for good things, then the younger ones would take an example,” he added.

Revealing that the club comprised fathers, mothers, older siblings and friends, Maurice said: “Once the younger ones can see that atmosphere, they have something to look up to and be able to direct their mind in a positive direction for the future.”

Issuing a national invitation, Maurice said: “If you are like-minded and want to promote something as positive, feel free to message us and anybody who just wants to ride along with Club Elantra regardless of whether or not you drive a Elantra, you are all invited.”

Works and Transport Minister Rohan Sinanan yesterday promised to bring relief to long-suffering residents Toco/Sangre Grande and Cumuto Manzanilla when he gave instructions that certain roads in those constituencies were to be immediately repaired.

The road at Calabash Hill also known as the Bocas on the Manzanilla Road, as well as the North Oropouche and Guaico Tamana roads will be given priority for immediate repairs, Sinanan announced yesterday.

Accompanied by members of the media, Sinanan and his technical officers—including Hayden Phillip, Director PURE, Paras Ramlogan, Chief Technical Officer, Narvin Ramsingh Engineer—visited Railway Road and Railway Extension, Eastern Main Road, Damarie Hill in the constituency of Toco/Sangre Grande.

In the constituency of Cumuto/Manzanilla, Sinanan was joined by MP for the area Christine Newallo, who took the Minister of Works and Transport and his technical team to the following roads:Bonair Road, Cumuto, St Marie Emmanuel Road, Caratal, Guaico Tamana Road and Manzanilla Road.

Sinanan promised to send his technical staff back to look at other roads in the constituencies which were listed to be visited, but because of time constrains and the busy schedule of the minister the tour had to be cut short.

He said when the technical officers visit, they will submit a report after which priorities for road rehabilitation will be established.