Originally posted in Wikipedia: Guyana

Here is an extract from a post in Wikipedia on Guyana:

The Double Taxation Relief (CARICOM) Treaty 1994

Representing their member states at a CARICOM Meeting, representatives of Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana, Kenneth Valley and Asgar Ally respectively signed The Double Taxation Relief (CARICOM) Treaty 1994 on the 19th August 1994. 

On the 6th July 1994, representatives of eight (8) CARICOM countries signed similar agreements at Sherbourne Conference Centre, St. Michael, Barbados. The other countries whose representatives signed the treaties in Barbados prior to Guyana's signing of a similar treaty were: Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, Grenada, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Trinidad and 

This treaty covered taxes, residence, tax jurisdictions, capital gains, business profits, interest, dividends, royalties and other areas."

Click on the link below if you are interested in reading the full post on Guyana

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guyana

copyright Jennifer N Bailey
email: jennifernbailey24d@gmail.com

Originally posted in Wikipedia - Barbados

The following information was posted in Barbados to capture the historical moment when the Avoidance of Double Taxation Treaty was signed by CARICOM member states. The signing of the treaty was important in that it allowed for a portion of the income which was earned in the country to be retained in the form of taxes. 
Over time, the rate of withholding tax has changed and currently it is lower than the rate of VAT in Trinidad and Tobago. 
Does that suggest that after paying VAT to the Government of Trinidad and Tobago and people of the country that a person may find it reasonable to pay approximately the same amount of tax to allow for the movement of funds from the country legally or in compliance with the law?  Given that there has been an increase in the lower limit on which VAT is charged, then some persons may have income which is not subject to VAT.
For some persons the absence of the personal allowance and the assessment of tax on their income may seem enormous as they appear to have no reliefs available to them.
Then there are persons who are willing to support the services which are provided in the country through the payment of Income Tax, they seek advice and they monitor their lifestyles.... Here is an extract from the post on Barbados in Wikipedia:

The Double Taxation Relief (CARICOM) Treaty 1994

====The Double Taxation Relief (CARICOM) Treaty 1994====
On July 6, 1994, at the Sherbourne Conference Centre, St. Michael, Barbados, representatives of eight (8) countries signed the Double Taxation Relief (CARICOM) Treaties 1994. The countries which were represented were: Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, Grenada, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Trinidad and Tobago. <ref>http://www.ird.gov.tt/Media/Default/IRDTreaties/DTT-Caricom--1994.pdf</ref>

On August 19, 1994 a representative of the Government of Guyana signed a similar treaty.

Click on the following link to access the full post on Barbados

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbados

copyright Jennifer N Bailey
email: jennifernbailey24d@gmail.com

I've been reading: A Taste of Mustique

On a recent visit to the St. James Library, I selected " A Taste of Mustique by Kevi Snook, with Elizabeth Penniman, photography by Sophie Munro and with a foreword by Mick Jagger. Knowing that the Christmas holiday was occurring on a weekend and there would be an extra day's holiday I knew that I would have some time to read over the holiday and I thought that I could manage that book.

This time in the year was not a good "falling of Christmas" for me when I worked  in the church (St. Mary's R.C. Church - R.C. Archdiocese of POS). This "setting of the days" with there being less Masses over the period meant one less collection on a weekend to support the operations of the parish.

Having to send the Christmas collection to the Clergy Pool at the Chancery with the knowledge that the funds were  to support the Clergy during the year was noble. However, there was often a challenge between:
~Counting the collections on time, that is before the start of Masses for the next week and

~Sending off  the cheque prior to the funds being deposited

The challenge was  a balancing act so that  the recording of transactions in the correct period on both sides of  the table could be accomplished. After all a Parish's financial year ends on December 31, however the year end for  the Clergy Pool Fund occurs at another point in the year.  However back to A Taste of Mustique.

This book was published by Macmillan- Caribbean.com in 2007.  The address of this company is listed as Between Towns Road, Oxford, with the book being printed and bound in Thailand.

On the MacMillan website, the book is viewed under St. Vincent and the Grenadines, General Books  Food and Drink. So if you are not familiar with the site or the location of countries you may completely miss out on seeing the book as a search did not reveal the book. I had to drill down on the left side of the  page through country specific titles to locate it. http://www.macmillan-caribbean.com/book.aspx?id=79.

Lucky for me, I saw a  Caribbean Social Studies text on St. Vincent which may prove worthwhile reading or if you have children or adults to teach, you can teach them Social Studies by country to increase their knowledge.... Now if only these books were also available with a CD, that would make life a lot easier. However I will  persevere and keep looking...

Be that as it may "A Taste of Mustique" is good, in that there are introductions and short anecdotes which are witty. I like the following pieces of both Introductions and Anecdotes

School Days are Happy days - Page 14
Ten Days in Mustique   by Rodney and Ouida Touche - Page 49
The Fishermans's Village: Mustique's Freshest Catch - Page 53
Phil's sauces - Page 64
An Island Doctor - Michael Bunbury  Page 69
Take me There  - Caroline Meriwether Schmidt - Page 127
On Checkered Cloth: A Picnic Here, a Picnic There - Page 135
An Encounter - Sir James Mitchell - Page 142

 Many of the  recipes are fairly easy and while I may not be tempted to try all of them, I would try the following:

Roasted Breadfruit - Page 40
West Indian boilene - Page 95

I noted on the inside cover of the book  that a portion of the proceeds  of the sale of this book will go to support the environmental Committee of Mustique Island. This is quite a noble gesture and it encouraged me to have a good look at the book.

I hope that you are tempted to try locating a copy of the book in your Library or if you purchase it after a good read of it, perhaps you can donate it to a Library, it may become someone's coffee table read at Easter....

Originally Edited in Wikipedia - Royal Castle

Background
When I first started  editing in Wikipedia, I was quite cautious about the process, as I was careful with someone's work or opinion and the impact of my changes on "their" stuff.  The following post is reproduced  to show the final post in Wikipedia. It is difficult to separate the start of a sentence which was created by someone else and where I inserted a phrase or provided a heading and using the extraction process may provide information which does not make much sense.  Here is the edited post as at December 26, 2016:

"Royal Castle is a fast food restaurant chain in Trinidad and Tobago.

Contents

  [hide] 

• 1History and Development of the Restaurant
  • 1.1Franchises & Branches
  • 1.2Products, Promotions and Prices
  • 1.3International Relations or Non Relationships
• 2References
• 3External links

History and Development of the Restaurant[edit]

It was founded in 1968 with 12 employees on Frederick Street in Port of Spain. It grew to 19 locations with 300 employees over time. It is the only fully locally owned fast food restaurant in Trinidad and Tobago.

Franchises & Branches[edit]

According to the website CaribbeanJobs.com Franchises began in 1987.

Some of its branches are named or referred to after the location of the street or the area where the outlet has been placed or positioned, such as Frederick Street, Diego Martin, Long Circular Mall, Arima, San Fernando, St Helena, and Rio Claro.^[1]

Products, Promotions and Prices[edit]

The restaurant was one of the first establishments to acknowledge the use of seasonings from Paramin in the preparation of its products, such as pepper sauce.

During the year the restaurant offers fried chicken, rotisserie chicken or veggie burgers. During Lent, fried fish with tartar sauce and fish sandwiches are offered.

The restaurant chain offers sides such as fries, coleslaw and potato salad. The sizes of the "sides" which are offered are: regular, upsized, and large.

At various times there are specials where one can purchase combinations of products at "even more attractive prices" or participate in National Lottery Control Board (NLCB) approved promotions.

International Relations or Non Relationships

This restaurant has no relation to the Miami, Florida-based hamburger chain Royal Castle, launched in 1938 by William Singer."

Click on the link if you would like to read more..https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Castle_(restaurant)

P.S. I was quite happy to use these edits and additions to promote my knowledge of Marketing from my MBA without using any of the phrases or direct concepts which are associated with Marketing, however today I gave in to using "Products and Prices", "Positioned".

Also I was quite happy to provide links to a website which showed the background work on companies which are featured on the site and  which is promoted by one of our local recruitment companies.

Originally posted in Wikipedia - St. Vincent and the Grenadines

Here is some information which I have posted in Wikipedia. The activity of writing in Wikipedia restarted today with some reading and attempting to create sections in the post, without losing links and such. 

"The Double Taxation Relief (CARICOM) Treaty

On July 6, 1994 at Sherbourne Conference Centre, St. Michael, Barbados,  as a representative of the Government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, then (James Mitchell, who was subsequently knighted) signed the Double Taxation Relief (CARICOM) Treaties.

There were seven other signatories to the agreement on that day. The countries which were represented were: Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, Grenada, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, and Trinidad and Tobago. 

An eight country signed the agreement on August 19, 2016, Guyana. 

This treaty covered taxes, residence, tax jurisdictions, capital gains, business profits, interest, dividends, royalties and other areas."

Click on the  following link if you are interested in reading more on the country or to access the links which have been included in the post.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Vincent_and_the_Grenadines

P.S. At this time, this article is a work in progress for me, as I would like to add information to it, however at this time, I would need to revisit the layout of the post, get into the style of the writing so that the information and options may be developed. P.S. The information which was posted on Grenada was much more expansive and there is still a lot of information to research and enter into the Encyclopedia.

I visited the island of St. Vincent during the period 2009 -2010 as part of a work assignment. I was there for about three days when I had to leave for another island. I was struck by the availability of the Ferry Service which went to the different islands, the peace of downtown Kingstown on a Sunday, the similarity in the type of food between Trinidad and St. Vincent and the pavements were similar in style.  

copyright Jennifer N Bailey 
email: jennifernbailey24d@gmail.com

Originally posted on Wikipedia Encyclopedia - Grenada

Here is some of the information which I have entered on Wikipedia under the country heading Grenada...

Background
There are many different topics which are included in Grenada and have  been created in Wikipedia, some of which may have been edited or have had information added to it. 
The editing may consist of breaking up some of the writings into sub headings or adding to the information to develop the section as persons from different backgrounds and interests have entered information on the pages and this is an attempt at expanding the information or to assist in "quick finds" on topics.
One of the important requirements with regard to this type of "data entry" is that you provide a link to the source of the information. 
Verification of the information may take place at some point in time, however many persons do not provide feedback or there may not be any space for this type of information or perhaps I have not discovered it as yet. However here it is:

"The Double Taxation Relief (CARICOM) Treaty 1994

On July 6, 1994 at Sherbourne Conference Centre, St. Michael, Barbados  representative of the Government of Grenada George Brizan signed the Double Taxation Relief (CARICOM) Treaty.

Representatives of seven other countries signed the Treaty on that day. The countries which were represented were: Antigua & Barbuda, Belize, Jamaica, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & The Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago.

Another country signed the agreement on August 18, 1994 (Guyana). This treaty covered taxes, residence, tax jurisdictions, capital gains, business profits, interest, dividends, royalties and other areas.

Organic Cocoa & Chocolate Bars

There are also working cocoa estates such as Crayfish Bay Organic Farm which offers self catering accommodation.

In a Facebook Post of November/December 2016, there was a request for crowdfunding to replace damaged chocolate grinders for the Crayfish Bay Organic Farm.  This is an innovative way to fund socially conscious ventures which can be marketed online.

According to the Pump Street Bakery website, they are the producers of the "single estate Crayfish Bay bar" from beans which are produced on the estate.  They (Pump Street Bakery) are also engaged in fair trade with the workers of the estate with respect to the "production of wet cacao and other produce of the farm".

According to the website House of Chocolate, there is a "House of Chocolate" which is a mini museum portraying the history of chocolate which one can visit.

Green Efforts & Historical Sites

According to its website, True Blue Bay Boutique Resort is one the resorts which has engaged in environmentally friendly activities, some of which are listed on its site. Their efforts with respect to "environmental activities are audited each year" and the resort is "Green Globe Certified".

Another eco friendly place is Crayfish Bay Organic Farm, which is a "two hundred (200) year old, fifteen (15) acre estate" and has been termed a "back to basics" and "off the beaten track" location. ^[30] Formerly a "French Molasses factory" in the seventeenth (17th) century, there are artifacts which are still visible according to its website. The price of the vacation is quite economical and can appeal to those who would like to meditate or indulge in writing.

Other Events in Grenada which are historical or significant to the economy of Grenada

Marine

Annual Budget Marine Spice Island BillFish Tournament

In 2017, this tournament will be entering its 48th year of existence. The Tournament lasts for four days and in 2017 it starts on Jan 21.

Grenada Sailing Festival Work Boat Regatta  This event starts in January and lasts for a few days. From the photos on the website Grenada Sailing Festival, it appears that the style of the race is similar to that of the Olympic event.

Island Water World Sailing Week. As its name suggests, this event lasts for a week and in 2017 will be held towards the end of January into February. This event is similar to the America Cup which is hosted upon agreement or calling out.

Assisting as a volunteer in these type of events may foster teamwork, develop young adults, bridge the age gap, provide retraining for adults who may be looking at a change in careers. Many of these events stimulate the economy as they attract boats and persons who may need repairs to their boats or who may need to learn new routes to shelter their boats during hurricanes or Inter Tropical Convergence Zones which are weather systems which affect this part of the world for almost half of the year.

According to the website, Island Water World, the Regatta Headquarters will be located at two sites, one on the West coast and one on the south coast. The selection of locations may have been designed to secure the boats in the event that early weather systems are active at that time of the year. 

Other Events

Music

Carriacou Maroon & String Band Music Festival - In 2017 this event enters its seventh year. In 2017 occuring in April, the event lasts for three days, occurs in three venues, however it is classified as one festival according to the pure Grenada website.

Pure Grenada Music Festival In 2017, the Festival is being held in May and will occur shortly after the end of Lent.

Chocolate and Cocoa

In 2017, the Pure Chocolate Festival will be celebrating its fourth year of existence  Some of the activities which have taken place according to the website Grenada Chocolate Festival are visits to the cocoa farms which have been in existence for approximately one hundred years and which are located in rainforests which are ecologically sensitive; dance the cocoa which is a traditional way to separate the skins from the seed of the cocoa or sample cocoa infused cuisine which may have been developed as part of the culture of the country. Some of the marketing and cultivation of cocoa initiatives may have been supported financially by the European Commission.

Some of the estates offer accommodation for a fee.  These visits may allow persons to experience life on a working estate and or life during the harvesting of cocoa or during the creation of chocolate depending on the timing of the visit. Other hotels may offer visits to the cocoa estates, which given the age of their trees and the existence of the crops in the specific areas are of historical significance. 

If you are unable to visit the island during the festival, there is the option to purchase chocolate online via the Choc Exchange where the chocolate is marketed as being "2015 International Chocolate Awards winners".  The initiatives to market "online" chocolates identified as being from Grenada appear to stimulate the sale of a product in a new market and appear to be a new thrust in marketing 

Facilities for Boats

Over the years, several facilities for yachts and other types of boats have been set up in Grenada. Some of these facilities are:

The Moorings,  Clarkes Court Bay Boatyard and Marina,  Grenada Marine, Martin's Marina, Port Louis Marina, Spice Island Marina Services Co Limited, The Grenada Yacht Club, Safe Yachts Grenada WI's.

Banking

One of the subsidiaries of Republic Bank Financial Holdings Limited, a company which is quoted on the Trinidad and Tobago Stock Exchange is located in Grenada. "

Here is a link to the post in Wikipedia if you are interested in reading more on the island, its history and most importantly accessing the links to the web sites which support the information which I have posted above.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grenada

Growing Up - Part I

My mother came from a  large family, being the youngest of them all, by the time her youngest child was seven or so, several of her nephews and nieces had grown to adulthood and had children. However there were a few of the siblings who had children of our age and like our family had children of varying shapes and sizes.

When I was about six or seven, I was especially happy when we received clothes from one of our aunts who had four girl children in her house. While her youngest daughter was the age of my second oldest sister, with both of them being small sized, there was sufficient clothes to come to me, not that they outgrew them, however living in a small house, to receive clothes meant that you had to give up some, hence being the last girl of the last girl child there were lots of older cousins to like and smile at, as we were rich in love.

By the time teenage years hit, the country was going through some hard times as a result of the recession. That meant more than ever spending had to be scrutinized.

Shortly after confirmation, (we were Catholics) in the parish where we lived, we were allowed to join the Junior Society of St. Vincent de Paul,, the Youth Group and the Junior Legion of Mary. This was an opportunity to go out more frequently as there were;

• Meetings to pray the Rosary
• Meetings of the Youth Group  on a Saturday afternoon, or 
• Visits to the older citizens  of the parish on a Sunday morning after Mass, tsee how they were doing, pray with them as part of the SVP ,  or
• Once a month on a Saturday  to visit the Lady Hochoy Home  in Cocorite.

See the links for further details. http://www.newsday.co.tt/features/0,138285.html; https://sta.uwi.edu/disabilitystudies/documents/Project-SocialDisabilityStudies-LadyHochoy.pdf

Originally posted on Facebook via a link from Tasty- Hot mixes

Some years ago when I was in a state of transition, studying for final exams ACCA my first attempt, I was given an opportunity to housesit and was able to visit my mom and my sisters at their  home.  I was surprised at how one of my sisters and my mother had changed, in that they started creating their version of hot cocoa /hot coffee mix in their mugs before adding water. The layered coffee, sugar, powdered milk, mixed thoroughly and then added water, stirred briskly and then enjoyed...

There is a bit of history to the above statements... Most of our lives we were tea drinkers, then I left home for a bit...

After some years passed, one of my sisters elected to go to Jamaica to read for her Masters in Library studies at UWI's Mona campus. 

Being godmother to her son and having to look for a place at that time,  I said yes to moving home... to care for him and be with  my mother, 2 of my other sisters who also had children, my brothers and my niece.... Life changed..... Thanks Tasty for reminding me of life then, hot mixes and all.

Update: Thankfully, my sister's son has all grown and I can move on.... :)

Originally posted on Facebook: Jubilee Yearof Mercy November 2015 to November 2016

"To convene the Jubilee, the Pope delivered a so-called bull. It is entitled "Misericordie Vultus,” or "The Face of Mercy.” The text includes 25 points that the Pope believes are important for the upcoming year." See the link for more information on this topic!http://www.romereports.com/2015/04/13/key-points-about-the-upcoming-holy-year-of-mercy#.VnLylHSBC-s.facebook

For many of us, one of the highlights of the Jubilee Year will be walking through one of the doors of Mercy which are available in Trinidad and Tobago or in another part of the world.

However for some, the highlight of the Jubilee Year will be the rediscovery of the practice of the works of Mercy. According to one of the article, one of the key points is "It invites Catholics to rediscover works of mercy".  Click on the link in the preceding paragraph to discover more on the topic.

Update: 1 The Order of Preachers or The Dominicans are also celebrating a Jubilee Year of Mercy which end in January 2017. Within Trinidad and Tobago there are designated churches where the Jubilee Prayer is posted along with the conditions for receiving an indulgence.
2 One of my sisters is undertaking some Bible study classes and earlier in 2015 they were undertaking a study of the prophets of the Bible, such as Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Hosea. Shortly after starting to read the books on the prophets, the Jubilee Year of Mercy was announced. Here is a link to a site with information on the prophets. https://lifehopeandtruth.com/bible/holy-bible/old-testament/the-prophets/the-major-prophets/

Jennifer N Bailey
email: jennifernbailey24d@gmail.com
copyright

R C Archdiocese of Port of Spain - Parish of St. Mary's - St. James, Mucurapo, Cocorite - Part II

When I started at St. Mary's, coming from a background of external audit with a few other areas of learning thrown in, I was learning about finance in another world. Some of the important areas of this world were:

• Cash accounting which consisted of:
• Timing of orders and purchases to take account of cash inflows and planned expenditure.
• Timing of payments to take account of funds being deposited to the bank account. This worked especially well with respect to the receipt of collections at funeral services which had to be paid to third parties. The funds had to be deposited and cleared before the cheque could be issued. This was designed to ensure that challenges with deposits which were made were dealt with prior to parting with funds, especially to a third party... :)
• A sense of order was developed in that due dates were monitored and statutory payments were made on time.
• Record keeping meant getting the payments, collections and other receipts analysed, bank reconciliations balanced, information being entered into the Annual Report and other reports being prepared.  Early in the term of appointment, we realized that another bank account which was to be used for fundraising activity meant that there was some form of separation between funds which were received for the operating activity of the Parish and the funds which were  received for another purpose. Having to provide financial services for another not for profit (Simeanna Home) which operated within the parish, meant maintaining another set of records. This too was a learning experience.
• Budgeting for the finances for a new year was to be prepared, discussed and approved. Having started work in May/June with an end of year coming after close to six months in the post, was its own learning experience. One of the main points to this exercise  was listing the assumptions to the budget so that everyone was on the same page as we were all new to one another, the financial activities of the Parish and the Parish life and leaving records meant that understanding what was planned was easy after some time had elapsed. I was a newcomer to life in close proximity of the geographical location of the Parish as I lived within the boundaries of the parish however our previous address was much further away from the church, and at best I was formerly a church go-er. Back to budgeting, there were funds which:
• Belonged to the parish as its income and which were to be used for its operating expenses in as best a way as possible.
• Were received for the renovation of the church building and which was to be sent to the Chancery for holding in the Silver Fund of the Parish. In the early years, this interest was eagerly awaited as every penny counted in saving for the renovation of the church.
• Were received for sacramental activity and which was to be sent to the Chancery and which was to be used to fund the payments for the priests. These included collections for Easter and Christmas.
• Authority to commit the Parish was not to be taken lightly. Although persons were engaged in activity for the service of God and church, not everyone had the authority to commit the parish in a financial manner. Those who had the authority to incur a financial liability on behalf of the parish had limits and also there was a need to co sign payments. Only the priest had a higher financial limit than the other signatories and was able to sign by himself. However, that was hardly ever the case as the priests were prudent and very open with respect to their spending.
• Fundraising was going to be a part of life. Luckily there were persons who were willing to accept responsibility for planning, executing the events, managing the funds within the guidelines of the parish and to track best practices, prepare a report to document as much as possible on the event for institutional knowledge.

There is more to come...

Jennifer N Bailey
email: jennifernbailey24d@gmail.com
copyright

R C Archdiocese of Port of Spain - Parish of St. Mary's - St. James, Mucurapo, Cocorite - Part 1

Some years ago after staying at home  away from work to assist with family matters, I accepted a position with a parish in the Archdiocese of Port of Spain (St. Mary's - St. James, Mucurapo, Cocorite). 

When I started at the parish as the Finance Officer, it was during a period of transition in that a newly ordained priest of an Order had assumed pastoral responsibility for the parish.  http://www.ocarm.org/en/content/ocarm/our-rule   Also this Order's Province was located in St. Elias New York, hence each of the brother priests lived in New York at one time or the other.

Being a newly ordained priest and coming from a charism which was different to that of the Spiritans or  Holy Ghost Fathers was a learning experience in the following ways and more:

• Saints and Feast Days - The Carmelites commemorated the Feast days of saints, many of which were unknown to us. Thus, this was a learning experience for us and  we were all happy when there was frequent consultation between the sexton's assistant who was a lady, probably for the first time in the history of the parish and the down to earth priest who did not mind explaining faith matters, concepts and the application of same.
• The experiences and theology of a newly ordained priest was freshly imparted  to us in his homilies and contained his experiences, many of which were amusing to us.
• There was the formation of groups to allow for persons with different interests to participate in the church. In a short time, activities which had been conducted without many persons being aware of them, became classified as meetings and there was communication between groups and the parish, thanks to the experience of the newly appointed Parish Secretary who was more a Coordinator with respect to activities, meetings events, comforter to the persons visiting the  Parish to arrange for funerals, a rule person who wanted order in the office in the use of Forms being consistent, complete in the  information which it contained and accurate in spelling and who performed above  and beyond the expectations of the Secretary, especially with respect to ensuring that Father met his priestly obligations with anointing of the sick, visiting of the sick, confessions and other sacramental activity.  This was a demanding schedule in that there were 33 groups at one time; the office hours were from 1:00pm -5pm with Mass intentions for Mass which was held  almost every evening, plus retreats, meetings and such as was needed.

To get everyone on the same page, the "Secretary" who in her work life had been in "Records"  at one time and who held many other positions, was the originator of a meeting with representatives of the groups and the Parish Team to host " The Administrative Role of the Parish Group and the Office. This event allowed everyone to get to know each other in roles which were outside of their expectations and to give us, the Parish Office Team a chance to talk to everyone at the same time and to try out activities which allowed everyone to work through some of the exercises which were upcoming over the period and share information on our responsibilities as defined by the rules of the church or Canon Law.   While the link refers to Bismarck, the concepts are the same from RC parish to  RC  parish.   http://bismarckdiocese.com/documents/Finance/ParishFinanceCouncilsRolesandResponsibilities.pdf

• There was also learning about Lectio Divina, which was new to almost all of us. This learning  taught us about trust in God, in each other and I am now realizing, how to pray through things in times of change. http://www.ocarm.org/en/lectio-divina

Jennifer N Bailey ~ email: jennifernbailey24d@gmail.com
copyright
In 2004 I was appointed to the Finance Committee of the RC. Archdiocese of Port of Spain - St. Mary's Parish which is responsible for the geographical areas of St. James, Mucurapo, Cocorite.  During that time, the Parish introduced Stewardship of Time, Treasure and Talent, the renovation of the Church building which is located on 3 George Cabral St. St. James started and is in progress  at December 2016. I was priviledged to serve with several priests during that period of 2004 to 2015 who were appointed to the parish. They were Fr. Garth Eversley O'Carm., Fr. Gerard Tang Choon O'Carm., Fr. Henry Charles, Fr. Ron Mendes was appointed Administrator of  the Parish,  Fr. Alan Mohammed, Fr. John Persaud, Fr. Roger Paponette

Originally posted in Wikipedia on Dec 16, 2016 - Queen's Park Oval - Local Art

Here is an extract from the page on Queen's Park Oval in Wikipedia. The information covers the exterior walls of the Oval where art has been placed.  As there are lights coming from the Nelson Mandela Park formerly King George V Park which is used as a sports area, it is possible to view the art in the evening. Depending on the time of day, there are games and spectators in the park so there are persons around what was once a fairly deserted area. 

"Local Art

Around the exterior walls of the Oval (also known as The Wall Project) are large sized prints of works by artists who paint in different medium, such as oil and watercolor. These prints have been placed on the exterior the walls since around 1985 and display abstract works, cultural and nature inspired scenes. Over time, some of the works which have been displayed have been changed to accommodate either a new artist or a new piece of art.

Nelson Mandela Park

To the side of the Nelson Mandela Park which is closest to Serpentine Road are three (3) pieces of art which have been placed there by Digicel after the pieces were selected as the winning pieces of the competition launched to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the founding of the City of Port of Spain."

If you are interested in reading more about the Oval, then click on the link to access Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queen%27s_Park_Oval

Update to Wikipedia - St James - Public Transportation

Here is an update to one of my entries in Wikipedia on St. James. The entry was made to provide some information to  those who visit the area either from another area or from another country.

When I worked for short stints in other CARICOM countries, given the nature of the work, it was a bit difficult to work on weekends, hence visits to other parts of the island where we were located was an important part of work life balance.  Thus research formed an important part of planning where to visit which  was fun or historic or just interesting and also economical.

Public Transportation

St. James can be accessed via route taxis or maxi taxis or via the Public Transportation Service Corporation (PTSC) buses.

The route taxis have been in existence from as far back as the 1970's and before. Those which drive through or up to St. James are:

The Wrightson Road, Long Circular  Road (via Courts Furniture Store) taxi.

These taxis can take four or five persons along the route and can be accessed at Independence Square and Chacon Street, next to Republic Bank Limited, Independence Square branch. While the route may vary depending on the needs of the passengers to go "off route", these taxis drive along Wrightson Road  to the Hasely Crawford Stadium, from there the driver may proceed up any of the first three side streets to intersect Ariapita Avenue and continue to "Roxy Roundabout".

In recent years (2015 - 2016) these taxis have extended their route to KFC in Maraval. During the early morning busy period, the taxis are re - routed to some of the back streets close to Long Circular Mall to allow for one way traffic to proceed to Maraval.

The Long Circular Road (Courts- St. James) Taxi to KFC Maraval

These taxis operate as short drops. The fee is less than one which was taken from Port of Spain (Independence Square) and the drivers tend to be efficient in their movement to benefit from the number of trips which they can make in any given time. Their clientele tends to be the persons who work along the Saddle Road into Maraval such as Massy Stores Maraval, Shoppes of Maraval,  KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken), SuperPharm, Royal Palm Hotel and Mall.

The St. James Taxi

These taxis operate from Holy Trinity  Cathedral next to Woodford Square, proceed along Tragarete Road on the outskirts of Woodbrook to Roxy Roundabout and along the Western Main Road to the Link Road to  Mucurapo Road, St. James.

The clientele of these taxi drivers are the persons who work on Victoria Avenue, Stanmore Avenue or Cipriani Boulevard, or Philip Street,  the teams at the fast food restaurants along Tragarete Road, or in St. James or the funeral attendee who needs to visit Mucurapo Cemetery  or Western Cemetery  or Lapeyrouse Cemetery.

The Petit Valley Maxi Taxi & Bus

These Maxi taxis start on Charlotte Street and Park Street, near to Holy Rosary Church  and The L'hospice. The "maxis" proceed along  Charlotte Street to Memorial Park, around the Savannah, past BP, the US embassy, up to the entrance to Maraval Road, then around the roundabout to the side of QRC (Queen's Royal College) along St. Clair Avenue, past the back of the Queen's Park Oval  and parallel to Nelson Mandela Park around Roxy roundabout along the Western Main Road to the end of St. James.

The Petit Valley bus starts at the Port of Spain Bus Terminal, proceeds  along Independence Square, exiting through one of the side streets to Tragarete Road, through the Western Main Road, St. James, via the overpass through the Main Road in Cocorite, then to Petit Valley.

The Mucurapo Road Route

The PTSC bus  which operates from Port of Spain to and from Carenage or the bus which operates  from Port of Spain to and from Diego Martin passes along Mucurapo Road, St. James. These buses would have started at the Port of Spain Bus Terminal, proceeded along Wrightson Road, with a turn off which takes them to Ariapita Ave and then to Mucurapo Road, then to the Foreshore  to West Mall where their routes separate. The Carenage bus continues  along the Main Road to Carenage, while the Diego Martin Bus proceeds to Diego Martin.

Some Diego Martin taxis pass along Mucurapo Road, however given the number of students who attend Fatima College which commences at 7:30 a.m., there is a back up of cars dropping off and collecting students at peak times, hence this route tends to be not the preferred one for early morning commuters or early afternoon commuters who wish to get to POS or to the outskirts of the area. However given its access to a pizza franchise, a roti shop, an art gallery, art framing store, the numerous exits to the Western Main Road in St. James, Mucurapo Road can be a choice for some persons.

Here is the link to the page in Wikipedia if you are interested in reading more about St. James and checking out the links to supporting articles in this area of the encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_James,_Trinidad_and_Tobago#Public_Transportation

copyright Jennifer N Bailey email: jennifernbailey24d@gmail.com

During 2009 to 2011 I visited several CARICOM countries as part of a team which performed audits of projects  which were funded by grants and  or loans.

Originally posted on Facebook ~ Financial Planning Tip - December 14, 2016 -001 Health, Heart & Time Savings

Some persons have adopted a Meatless Monday strategy as a way to save funds over time or to ease into the week or for health reasons... Some pizza franchises offer a Monday special where one can buy a large pizza and receive a free smaller sized pizza with one topping. This offer suits those who are adopting a Meatless Monday lifestyle as they select all vegetables on their pizza with meat being the topping on the smaller sized "free" pizza which they save for Tuesday... They know that they can add to the "meat" pizza with vegetables from tins (pineapple, mushrooms) from their hurricane stock which they can replenish over time...

For those who adopt a "no meat" for four or five days of the week, they select "meat" on both pizzas using this form of meat as their source of protein (some select chicken as their choice of meat :) )

For some persons this special may be their choice of fun time which may be scheduled for the middle of the month when they need a pick me up.

In large families, both pizzas may be consumed in one night, with that meal being a saving for them as they have scheduled other activities for their other nights of the week and these are their family nights, be it extended or immediate family.

For those who are into "buy one get one free' which is offered by another franchise on a Tuesday or a loyalty card which is offered by another franchise, I will devise and share some financial strategies for you to consider adopting.

If you are already there financially or health wise, then feel free to share your tips on how to get your family home together at one time over a period of time or save or do something for your health.

In the mean time enjoy your pizza, there are public holidays which occur on a Monday at the end of Dec. 2016, and in Feb 2017 so you may find other meals for those nights thus changing your savings pattern.

Originally posted on Facebook Dec 7, 2015 - Financial Planning Tip December 7, 2015 - 001 Consider the Future!

This is the last month in the year, so make a change for the future!

Consider investing in a Tax Incentive  Savings Plan. Consider this type of investment as your opportunity to learn about something in a stress free environment.

Better yet, commit to a small monthly amount for this type of investment because you believe that your income will grow until you can pay taxes on it (your income).

This amount (the amount which is saved) can be increased over time... 

If you are unable to commit to an increase in the payment over the next year. Then your small amount will have grown, because of the interest which was earned!

Alternatively if you are using the investment as a way to learn something new, then:

• Research the topic,
• Make a list of questions and
• Ask them before you invest.
• Take the questions and answers to a financial planner!

Even if you are not paying taxes at this time, you are developing skills and yourself!

copyright: Jennifer N Bailey

Email:jennifernbailey24d@gmail.com

Update on "Venezuela" posted in Wikipedia Encyclopedia

In light of changes in the international economy such as oil and gas prices, oil production, changes in holdings of reserves and such, I provided an update on one part of "Venezuela " in Wikipedia Encyclopedia which I am posting below:

"International relations and relationships

Trinidad and Tobago

To the people of Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela has been a neighbor initially because of the geographical location of the two countries, however over time the geographical and human resources of both countries have allowed for changes in the relationship. Also both countries have had a longstanding diplomatic relationship whereby an embassy was established as far back as 1987 if not earlier.

One of the articles of The Double Taxation Relief (Venezuela)Order 1999 - (Legal Notice #348 of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago) allowed for the protection for the fiscal privileges of diplomatic agents or consular officers.  The Double Taxation Relief (Venezuela) Order 1999 was issued in the English and Spanish languages with each version being equally authentic. Attached to the Convention was a Protocol, both of which (Convention and Protocol) were done on 31st day of July 1996, and both of which were signed by Ralph Maraj for the Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and by Angel Burelli Rivas for the Government of the Republic of Venezuela. The Protocol included the following details "M Look Loy Acting Secretary to Cabinet on 30th day of December 1997".

The purpose of the Protocol was for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion and Avoidance with respect to taxes in income and for the Encouragement of International Trade and Investment and included four (4) clauses which "shall be an integral part of the Convention."

The Venezuelan embassy which is located on Victoria Avenue in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, is in close proximity to the offices of BP, REPSOL and some of the other O&G companies which operate in Trinidad and Tobago. The modest building and teams have served as a reminder of who the people of Venezuela are to the visitors to the country of Trinidad and Tobago.

Information on the country of Venezuela was sought by many a student and school teacher who needed to boost their knowledge of the culture and the language of Spain and Venezuela in preparation for examinations at the Ordinary Level of GCE and currently CXC."

Click on the link  to read the information on Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venezuela

Originally posted on Facebook on Nov, 29, 2016 - Changing of Our Archbishops

"A few years ago, (Sept 2011) when we "changed" Archbishops, (http://catholictt.org/) our outgoing Archbishop was American, formerly of the Redemptorist Order, who had some Caribbean experience, while our incoming Archbishop was a Trinbagonian (T&T national) from the Spiritan or Holy Ghost order, who had experience as a missionary in South America. http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bharrisj.html, there was a short period of transition. This period provided a bit of learning for those of us who worked in departments of the Archdiocese of POS, some of which were housed internally or externally to the Maraval Road building which housed the Archbishop of POS. http://credi.edu.tt/discover

One of the important changes was the signing authorities which the new Archbishop had to undertake. http://www.spiritans.org/archbishop-joseph-harris-cssp-houston/ Imagine the "impact" on banking relationships in a little country like ours.... http://credi.edu.tt/Our-leadership (tongue in cheek :))

In light of the "changes" which were made, I wonder which one is more worrisome, when a new Archbishop is appointed or when a new Financial Controller is appointed at The Chancery?

Jennifer N Bailey worked as the Accountant at CREDI (Catholic Religious Education Development Institute) from July 2011 to April 2015.

contact: jennifernbailey24d@gmail.com

Originally posted on Facebook - Financial Planning Tip November 20, 2016 - 001 Fourth Quarter Taxes 2016 (T&T) - Holidays in Dec 2016 and the Due dates for Payment of Dec 31, 2016..

Fourth Quarter Taxes 2016 (T&T) - Holidays in Dec 2016 and the Due dates for Payment of Dec 31, 2016.

This year, 2016 due to Dec 31 occurring on a Saturday and the two public holidays of Christmas and Boxing Day being available on the Monday and Tuesday of the last week in the month of December 2016, there is a shorter period in which to work and calculate taxes which may be due and payable in December 2016.

This information becomes important when your calculations are still being worked out in December, signatures to the bank accounts and thus the cheques are to be obtained and persons wish to go on holiday.

Thus, I would suggest that you:

i) Calculate your VAT which may become payable on December 25, 2016 as early as possible as in this instance the 25 day period after the close of the reporting period may not exist in a way which is beneficial to you

ii) Calculate your figures for Green Fund Levy and Business Levy on the figures which are available at the end of each month

iii) Corporation Tax amounts may be known to you at this time as you may have prepared calculations for the first three quarters of 2016 already.

In this instance where there are so many demands on cash which is available as persons stock up with supplies to meet expected demand, I would write my cheques for the known payments as early as possible so as to meet the commitments which are known. 

Also I would leave it up to you to consider your strategy for calculating the taxes on the Dec 2016's figures in light of expectations as to income/ receipts for December 2016.

Consult the BIR for advice in writing for this one....

Remember the BIR may be closing early on the last working day of the year which is Dec 30 ( a Friday), so notices in the newspapers may be an important source of information...

Christmas Planning Tip November 25, 2016 - Tradition versus Cash Flows

One of our traditions has been to make punch a creme with a local rum and make it close to Christmas either when the ham is being baked or when the house has been thoroughly cleaned and the tree is being put up...

This year my mom & I made half of the usual batch of punch a creme using most of a bottle of imported duty free rum which has been in storage for several years (waiting to be tried out) and the Christmas tree is up, decorated and lit.

The house is still being cleaned room by room and I have spent less than what I would have spent in the past...

At this time, there is no question of should we buy a new tree or more decorations and every night I am enjoying the lit tree.

When December reaches, I would be in a state of much more calm, peace and hopefully joyous....

Have a happy, holy and joyous Christmas everyone.... Advent will soon be here...

Originally posted on Facebook - Personal Planning Tip November 27, 2016 - 001

At one time in my life my personal planning worked in two ways, financial and strategic.

The financial planning revolved around:

• Letting my money work for me in an environment where interest rates were to the benefit of the saver;
• Making as few trips as possible to the bank;
• Transferring funds to my savings accounts as early as possible and
• Taking advantage of tax savings.
  

My strategic planning was based on:

• Cooking as many meals... or eating as many home cooked meals as possible;
• Buying from supermarkets to reduce the use of cash during the week
• Unless those funds came out of my daily allowance which included taxi fares, all of which were taken from my salary;
• Spending mini vacations locally and with a group so as to reduce the cost of rent, food and have family time and most importantly
• Going home by 6:00 pm during the week and by five pm on a Fri, so as to treat Fri night into Sat am as my Sabbath if I planned to work on a Sat.

Sun was for washing, cooking, baking, sleeping as at that time I lived in an extended family and those were some of the ways to be considerate of others.

Originally posted on Facebook ~ Financial Planning Tip Nov 17, 2015 - 002 Easy Money!

I've been trying to grow ginger, garlic (sprouts) and tumeric on a small scale.

At this time, I am considering transplanting the plants into the ground so that they can spread.....  To reap any benefit from this, may take months and I may end up using the harvest in the home.

On the other hand, I can try to get the plants to sprout, sell them  to be used as gifts or use them on my desk as advertising.

However, these choices may mean record and book keeping, another set of learning and a skill which is portable, being developed.....

However due to my lack of certification in this area, I may not be able to list it on my application for a Certificate from the Caricom Single Market Economy.

Originally posted on Facebook -Financial Planning Tip - November 5, 2015 -001 - Green Fund Levy and Business Levy - 4th Quarter Payments for 2015.

The 4th quarter payments for Business Levy and Green Fund Levy are due on December 31, 2015 ( Old Years Day.. In 2016 Dec 31, falls on a Sat. and most persons expect to go home early on the Friday :)). This year, this day precedes a public holiday in Trinidad and Tobago and also the date occurs (falls) on a Thursday..

To deal with cash flows and persons wanting to enjoy the holidays which occur in the week before the due date for the payments, may I suggest that the calculations for the receipts and payments for October 2015 be prepared and the funds set aside. For the financially brave, they may prepare a cheque for the amount and the payment description slip also. :)

In the last week of November 2015 perhaps a draft of the calculations can be prepared and again a cheque and a payment description slip can be prepared in the first week of December 2015, when your figures are accurate.

With respect to the calculations for December 2015, here are some of the factors which may impact on your receipts and your potential liability:

• Dividends declared and paid in the last quarter,
• Interest on bonds which have not been accounted for in the previous quarter or which are due in this quarter,
• Interest earned on a bank account for the quarter,
• Other Income,
• Trade Income. ~With respect to the Trade income. Given that in most months, depending on the industry to which the good or service belongs there are various challenges, for example retailers of goods have their challenges with sales of appliances prior to Christmas, groceries and supermarkets have their challenges with the sales before Christmas and for the New Year, their extended working hours, service suppliers may be able to budget the value of the services which they will deliver to some extent. If things are not " visible" perhaps you can seek additional assistance from someone who may be willing to spend time stating some assumptions, setting up spreadsheets with formula, all of which can be discussed prior to the end of November 2015 or in the first week of December 2015.

The cost of an enjoyable Christmas may be that extra assistance which may be provided by either a Tax Planner or a lawyer or by an accounting outsourcing company!

Search the net for one...  If you think that there have been changes in your company in this year that you would like to discuss with someone who may be qualified to provide the advice in writing and which you can use, now may be the time to get things right!

Next year things will change and there will be Quarter 1 2016 taxes which will be due in March, 2016 and final payments for Year of Income 2015 which will become due on April 30, 2016 unless there is an extension in the due date for payments!

Rethinking your Assumptions in Changing Times

Many time there are changes going on around us:

• Either it is that new piece of equipment that was brought in, which may make things easier or
• It may be that the end of the financial year is coming up and those higher up are starting to look at all the pieces which have not been sold  or
•  Elections  in the USA and locally are upcoming and there are so many changes which may arise.

Over all there may be a subtle change in the air...

One way that persons deal with all of these types of uncertainty is to keep their costs down... Many persons think that one of the best ways to keep their costs down means

• Reducing the number of persons who are on the payroll or
• Asking persons to take on contract work...

After all there are so many savings to persons who can work from home and so forth.

However sometimes in the middle of things persons get ill and just cannot come out to work and after you have convinced so many persons to work from home how do you manage during those periods?

And if you are looking at what may be your busy season for the next six months or so, when unfortunately it gets dark earlier and dawn seems to come later and there are statutory deadlines then

• Increasing the number or persons on the payroll while asking them if they are willing to work less hours  per day may make a difference in the service which you provide...

Now I know that this strategy may not work for everyone and I have not worked through the maths at all of the levels, however  the following may be an option where persons may not want to work late or early and  there may be some who may prefer to have time away from work during the next six months:

The National Insurance Rates for persons who work for TT$600 per week or  for persons who work for 7.5 hours for 5 days at TT$16.00 is TT$23.30 per person, with the employer contributing TT$46.60 per person. Over a four week period for that one employee, the employer contributes close to TT$200.00.   See the attached link for the rates which apply to many of the salary bands.  http://www.nibtt.net/Downloads/downloas_2016/RELEASE.pdf

Now I know that everyone may be asking, what can I do with TT$2,400 per month when the personal allowance to which I am entitled is TT$6,000...  However, if earning $2,400 per month means that there are three of us who will work each day, then I will be helping someone else earn an income and possibly receive a pension at the end of their work life.....

Also it means that I will be able to go home at the end of 7.5 hours for each of 5 days or after 6.25 hours for 6 days and get some me time while someone else is working and I would not lose any major skills or knowledge.

However in the interim:

• I can enroll in a course through YTEPP http://www.ytepp.gov.tt/re-training/ or through one of the other institutions or
• I can get a second job which may contribute some other income, skills and exposure  to  knowledge, people and places....

One of the important things in times like these is to acknowledge that:

• Learning  will take place during these times,
• When I elect to work with persons and in public places, I am contributing to the continuity of institutions such as the National Insurance Company which will provide for the future and which includes me,
• I am attempting to secure my lifestyle through the work that I do and through the contributions which I make,
• I will be tax compliant by asking for statutory deductions to be made from my pay. This will reduce the work which I am putting in to be compliant, leaving me with more time to earn an income.... Should the system of taxation change to one where 25% of the Income Tax is deducted from payments to contractors, then I may have to wait a full year to obtain my refund, which will not be in my interest in any form.

However I will try to keep two jobs which are:

• Not of the same type, i.e. position or type of work
• Nor in the same industry,
• Nor with competitors

That way I am maintaining some type of integrity and earing a bit more income with a clear conscience.

copyright Jennifer N Bailey email: jennifernbailey24d@gmail.com