Tuesday, 14 June 2016

Saint James, Trinidad and Tobago

Here is some of the information which was entered into Wikipedia as a result of  my efforts at building skills and competencies.  The number which is enclosed in brackets refers to a link or information which provides support for the point ( citation). While there is the option to edit the information in Wikipedia, I have removed that link in my "copy and paste" as in accessing that link from here, your will be entering Wikipedia with my sign on name. Here is a summary of the items which I have entered into Saint James and the details follow:

...There are also streets which are named after either English persons or places such as Clarence Street, where an Anglican church and school are located.[3]
Military Cemetery, Crematorium, and other Cemeteries
Within the boundaries of St. James are a military cemetery, two other cemeteries and a crematorium.

To understand the reason for the existence of the military cemetery, we look at the background to the establishment of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC)

According to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission,[4] which shows photos of the military cemetery in St James and which provides a list of the deceased and identifies the St. James Military Cemetery as a location for the deceased on its website, there are forty (40) casualties from World War I and II (whose names are listed at Memorial Park, off Queen's Park Savannah).[5]

In recent times, the Military cemetery has been used to bury persons who have died in the service of Trinidad and Tobago in the Defense Force, or the Army or the Coast Guard, to name a few of the services which protect and serve the country.
According to "BURIAL GROUNDS, CEMETERIES & CREMATION SITES (TRINIDAD) Arranged by Ward/District",[6] the names of the two other cemeteries which are located in St. James are as follows:
Western Cemetery, George Cabral Circular, Terre Brulee, St. James (This cemetery can be accessed from George Cabral St., off of WMR), and Mucurapo Cemetery, Panka Street, St. James.
According to the records which are available to the public, there is one famous person who has been buried at Western Cemetery, former president of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, Mr. Noor Hassanali. Mr. Hassanali was President of Trinidad from 1987 to 1997.[7]
Woodbrook Cemetery, Mucurapo Road, St. James.[8] (This cemetery can be accessed off Panka St., St James).
There are public records on some "eighty seven (87) persons who are buried at Mucurapo Cemetery over the years, some as early as 1936 - Ms Leonora Prince."[9] Perhaps one of the largest deaths on a single year are the "Whitlocks, where the parents and 3 children who were missionaries returning to Africa died in the same year, according to the tombstone". .[10] Then there are the tombstones where the information is recorded in another language, perhaps that of the Jews - "Ernst Otto Fischer who was born in 1881 and who died in 1944" [11]
According to the cemetery records some of which are available online, there is at least one famous person who has been buried at this cemetery, "Beebe, Dr. Charles William b. July 29, 1877 d. June 4, 1962".[12]

Culture

Fast Food - Restaurants and Other Options

At 2015-2016, there are international fast food restaurants which operate as franchises in St. James such as KFC, Subway, Burger King and Papa John's [14] and local franchises such as Royal Castle, Rituals and Japs. Also, there are cooked items which are available either on the road side or in dining establishments, such as Hott Shoppe [15] Many of these food choices are either Indian or originating from a district in China.[16]

Within the last ten years or more to 2015/2016, Indian foods have been made available during the weeknights such as (dhal puri or dhosti) roti with a choice of curried meats and sea food with vegetables, and or bean. Some of the curried meats are as follows:chicken ( bone or boneless or yardie (chicken raised in someone's yard possibly for the laying of eggs), duck, liver, beef and goat. Shrimp, lambie/conch [17] tends to be the sea foods which are offered for sale. The vegetables and bean, which are curried, except for pumpkin are as follows: potato, channa, bhagi, bodi, pumpkin. Recently curried soya has also become available in some stalls.

Available for sale on the weekend mornings are: doubles, fried aloo pies with channa and a choice of chutneys (coconut, tamarind, or mango) bhaignanee and saheena. These have become popular over the last ten years or so to 2015.

The Chinese styled food have been available for at least twenty years and are offered either as stand alone or as a combination of items. There are noodles, rice, which are offered with or without vegetables and or meats. Many of the choices of meats may be cooked in a variety of sauces such as black bean, lemon, chinese style fried. The names of some of the dishes are Beef and Brocoli, Beef in Black Bean Sauce, Lemon Chicken, Cantonese Chicken, Pepper Shrimps, Vegetable Fried Rice, Chunky Vegetables, Chow Mein with Chicken. Also available are appetisers such as soups, wantons and spring rolls. The names of some of the appetisers are Chicken Corn Soup, Vegetable Soup, Wanton Soup, Wantons in Garlic Sauce, Fried Shrimp Wantons, Fried Chicken Wantons and Vegetable Spring Rolls.
Since the 1970's ice creams have been available for sale either from carts which are located on the pavements and recently they have become available from indoor locations. Some of the flavours of the ice creams are seasonal such as soursop, barbadeen, while some are local mixes such as cherry coconut, cherry pine, orange pine, rum n raisin, Guinness and peanut. There are also traditional flavours in which ice creams are available such as vanilla and chocolate.

Bakeries and other sources of ready to eat food

One of the prominent establishments which is located on the Western Main Road, St James, Linda's [18] represents a chain of bakeries which offer for sale: salads, pastries, dough products, cakes, and breads. The pastries and dough products are either savoury or sweet and are a mix of international and local items. Some of the sweet products are coconut turnovers (dough, filled with grated coconut cooked with spices and brown sugar), sweet bread (a bread made with coconut, dried fruits and other ingredients), banana bread, currant rolls (a flaky pastry with currants, with a rolling technique being used to prepare the product). The savoury products are slices of pizza, minced beef pastry pies, curry potato pastry pies. Cakes of all sizes and varieties are offered for sale. There is a choice of cup cakes which are elaborately decorated, eight inch sponge, chocolate or marble cake which are available as plain, frosted with buttercream or with icing applied to the cake.
Another chain of bakeries of excellence is Freddie's [19] which may have been in existence prior to the formation of Linda's and which offer almost all of the products which are offered by Linda's. However when it comes to bread, Freddie's is in a class by itself. The outlets offer white breads of different sizes, prices and textures. There is the "original" range of breads which are available in loaves of which there are at least two (2) sizes which are priced under TT$10.00. There are also whole wheat breads, hops bread, white and whole wheat and garlic bread which are available for sale.

Groceries, meat shops, green grocers, and markets

Over the years, there have been several groceries which have either closed after a number of years, changed owners and, or have been rebranded, and, or remained open. As of 2000, several of the groceries are located either on the Western Main Road of St. James or on one of the side streets. Some of the older establishments are Woo Lings (1970's) [20] and The St. James Meat Cottage, which has changed location and the size of its floor space over the years. St James Meat Cottage opens from around 7:00 am and closes at 11:00 p.m. throughout the year, except for Christmas Day, Carnival Tuesday, Easter Sunday and possibly one or two other days [21]
Given the cultural mix of persons who reside in and visit St. James, meat shops have been popular as a source of economical suppliers of this staple over the years, with some of them offering meats which are halal for the Muslim and other sectors of the population. Green grocers have set up shop either off of pick ups or at the front and sides of person's homes over the years.
The St. James market which is located near to Vidale St. was rebuilt during the last twenty years and offers on a Saturday the sale of ground provision, fruit and vegetables, meats and fish.

Businesses, Places to visit & Other Tourism activities

Malls

St. James spans a wide geographical area stretching from the St. James Crematorium via Long Circular Road to Fatima College on Mucurapo Road in one direction and from close to the overpass by Peakes to the Police Barracks along the Western Main Road in another direction. In this area, there is at least one large mall, Long Circular Mall [22] and several mini malls or plazas, which are scattered throughout the district. A mini mall is classified as being either a one or a two storey building with several small stores, each of which sells a different range of items.
The Long Circular Mall has been in existence since the late seventies (1970's) into the early nineteen eighties (1980's) and while it has evolved over time, there are services which have remained constant over the years, such as the repair of shoes, suitcases, the sale of shoes, the sale of flowers and books.
Attached to the Mall is a large grocery Tru Valu [23] which belongs to a chain of supermarkets which provides excellent products and services. Currently, there is a doubles vendor instore to offer a quick and affordable snack, prior to shopping. There is also an instore bakery which provides pre packaged items along with freshly baked breads, pastries, cheeses, and rotisserie styled chicken which are available either by the quarter, half or whole. Also available in the supermarket are fresh fruit, vegetables, seasoned chicken, other types of meats which are to be prepared for cooking, tinned and b

Manufacturer & Pharmacies

St. James is the birthplace for the successful Trinidadian-based soft-drink company Solo.[25] During the 1970's, this soft drink company was located at the corner of Western Main Road and Long Circular Road. The operations of this company were moved close to Aranguez, where the soft drinks are currently manufactured. From the Highway, the factory is visible if one is heading towards the Piarco airport.
There are at least four (4) pharmacies which operate in St. James and are scattered along the Western Main Road. Many of these have diversified their product lines into: stationary, food items such as teas, milks, juices and cold drinks. Several of these pharmacies open from 7:00 am and close at around 9:00 p.m. for seven days. They cater to those needing medicine late in the evening or an emergency supply of stationary either for a project or for school for the next day.agged products.

NALIS -St. James Public Library

The St. James Public Library is operated under the National Library and Information System Authority (NALIS) and is one of twenty five (25) public libraries which offers services to the public free of charge from Monday to Saturday every week.[26] The St. James Public Library is located on 31 Church Street, St. James. Church Street runs parallel to the Western Main Road, starts on George Cabral Street and ends on Bombay Street.[27] The St. James Public Library was located at the corner of Bournes Road and Western Main Road for many years and within the last five (5) years moved to its new location on Church Street.
There is a Children's section and Adult section in the Library, like in most of the Libraries in Trinidad and Tobago. In addition to all of the services which are offered to walk in patrons such as the borrowing of books and movies on cd's, photocopying, internet services, available to read items such as books, magazines and newspapers, the Library also offers online services. These online services are as follows:e-books via EBSCOHOST and Overdrive, Student Research Center, EBSCOHOST full text databases.

Art Gallery

Since the 1990's, St James has been home to Horizon's Art Gallery which is located on Mucurapo Road [28] This gallery offers for sale paintings from local artists such as Louison Dermot, Boscoe Holder, Leroy Clarke, Glen Roopchand, Neil Massy. There are at least six open nights per year where new works from artists are exhibited and the public is invited to view the paintings or artwork, mingle and meet the artist.

The St. James Amphitheatre

The St. James Amphitheatre is located along the WMR and offers its services to the residents, groups and those wishing to host activities in St. James.
In June of each year, WEBEAT is hosted by the St. James Community Improvement Centre. "A new feature has been added to the 2015 edition of WeBeat St James Live, to be held from June 5–13. Staged by the St James Community Improvement Committee, the new event—Rum Street—will be held in collaboration with Angostura." [29]
In the 2015 WEBEAT, regular attractions included "We Film Night (June 6), in collaboration with the T&T Film Festival, WeTreat (June 7), Health Day (June 8), in conjunction with the PoS North Lions and the North West Regional Health Authority; and, WeTalk Historian Talk Show with emphasis on Youth (June 8). These events were free to the public." [30]
For several years in August, the RC. Archdiocese of POS - St Mary's parish hosted their fundraising event "Toute Bagai" which was one of their main fundraising events towards the restoration of the church building at 3 George Cabral Street, St. James.
During the year, at the Amphitheatre there are several performances by various Evangelical groups which last for a week and are open to the public. Otherwise, the area is open to the public to walk in, sit on the benches or gather informally. Due to the availability of ice cream vendors, and other food sellers which operate in close proximity to the Amphitheatre, many persons use the area as a place to congregate to enjoy ice cream cones or the food which was purchased.

Tourism Activity

Within the last ten years or so, at least two casinos or member's clubs have opened in St. James. These have attempted to replace the recreation Clubs of the 1970's which operated in bars.
Bars, located on the Western Main Road (WMR) have been a source of revenue and activity for many years. Two of the famous bars operate opposite to each other on the WMR, with patrons frequenting their bar of choice. Over the years, these two bars were joined by Smokey & Bunty, an establishment that catered for the younger crowd who patronised the establishment after work on many evenings, especially on a Friday evening. Of course with the ability of the youth to lime on the pavement, this establishment became quite a competitor to the other two spots as it was also located near to a fast food outlet which provided food quite quickly and reasonably, thus attracting another crowd of persons into their business. The fast food establishment offered food for almost sixteen hours daily and extended into the night, hence you were sure that the food was fresh, hot and tasty. Sadly, between 2014 and 2015, a fire destroyed most of the historic building which housed Smokey & Bunty and the food outlet.
During the life time of Smokey and Bunty, additional entertainment was offered on the pavements and on the road space of the three bars, with Parang being offered close to Christmas and the Carib girls liming on the Carib Truck in late July into early August when the "Great Race" was held.
On one of the weekends leading up to the morning of the "Great Race", a parade of some of the boats which would have entered the Great Race would pass through St. James as part of the build up to the day. The "Great Race" was a boat race which for many years was sponsored by Carib Brewery, a subsidiary of the ANSA McAL group. The race was open to several types and sizes of boats, which allowed for the creation of "classes". The race started in the waters of Trinidad, in the Gulf of Paria, went through the "Bocas", down the islands and ended in Store Bay in Tobago.

Roman Catholic Priests

Over the years, there have been at least 3 Roman Catholic priests who were born in St. James. They are: Fr. Ronald Mendes C.S.Sp, Fr. Alan Hall and Fr. Robert Christo, Vicar for Evangelisation (at May 2016).
As Vicar for Evangelisation one of the areas of focus of that ministry has been "Catholic Church goes after sex workers (By Cecily Asson Monday, February 23, 2015) "Also weighing in on the interview was Vicar of Evangelisation Fr Robert Christo who told the Catholic News that the aim of the outreach ministry to sex workers was to provide an “alternative path of reintegration of their sexuality in a holistic way.” [36]
Fr. Hall was "ordained a diocesan priest on Sat Dec 18, (2010) at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Port of Spain. Archbishop Edward Gilbert was the main celebrant and preached the homily." [37]
Fr. Ronald Mendes C.S.Sp was the last priest to serve as principal of St. Mary's College. "Layman to lead St Mary’s College After 150 years of priests as principals..." [38]

Other Influences

Most of the character of St. James came about through the Anglican and Catholic influence on primary and secondary schools. For many years, for the catholics Mucurapo Girl's School and Mucurapo Boy's School were the only option with respect to educating their children and grandchildren, just as St. Agnes was the school for the Anglican boys and girls who resided between Maraval and St. James. In the 1970's and before, many of the entrants for the convent schools and colleges which were located outside of St. James (Fatima College) and in between the Queen's Park Savannah (QRC, Holy Name Convent), Belmont (Providence, St Francois Girls'), and Port of Spain (St. Joseph's Convent, Bishops' Anstey, and St Mary's College) came from these three primary schools. Thus church and attendance at either the Catholic or Anglican churches was the main activity for many families. Support of the parish via youth activity, fundraisers and other events shaped the character of many young persons well into adulthood, as they were exposed to the Works of Mercy, such as feeding those in need, visiting the sick and the elderly and developing a sense of care for those other than themselves and their families.

Here is the link to St. James, Trinidad and Tobago, if you are interested in reading the entire page as there is more to the subject than that which I have written. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_James,_Trinidad_and_Tobago

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Monday, 13 June 2016

Writing in Wikipedia

Recently I started writing in Wikipedia, either by inserting small pieces of information with supporting citations  to a page or by expanding a stub in Wikipedia.  For those who are interested in learning  about phrases that are peculiar to a skill or area of learning: a stub is one of those pages with a subject with a little bit of information to which information of historical or geographical importance may be added or to which citations may be needed.

To discover that information or information which may be used in the page requires patience to search, devise concepts or phrases which may be applicable to online searches,  read and re read, understand, rephrase and then apply more understanding while writing and editing. So far, most of the updating which I have done applies to places in Trinidad and Tobago, such as:
  • St. James, Trinidad and Tobago (excuse the repetition, however there is a need to be as precise as possible to reduce the results of the search)
  • Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago/Belmont,Trinidad and Tobago
  • Paramin, Trinidad and Tobago
  • Chaguaramas,Trinidad and Tobago 
  • Cedros, Trinidad and Tobago and 
  • Icacos, Trinidad and Tobago
  • Laventille, Trinidad and Tobago  
I was also lucky enough to provide some information on Venezuela, our neighboring country.

Over the next few posts, I will attempt to provide some of the updates and citations which were provided on Wikipedia and links to the relevant pages in Wikipedia. While all of the information may not be provided in  the posts in the blog and there may be some similarity in the content of the information, I hope that the information may be enlightening overall.
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Tuesday, 24 May 2016

Carnegie Free Library & Surroundings

The beautiful Carnegie Free Library located at Library Corner in San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago shows sign of promise.  Repairs and restoration are underway as seen in the red galvanised fencing which has been placed on the upper portion of the walls  which enclose the  building in early April 2016. According to National Library and Information System Authority (NALIS) website, the building was  "established in 1919" and was managed by an Act which was repealed around that time, to allow for three of the main Libraries to be managed by one body. http://www.nalis.gov.tt/AboutUs/tabid/56/Default.aspx?PageContentID=5. However back to the physical condition of the Library.
On the second floor, there are pristine white frames around glass panes which contrast sharply with the dull red areas of the frame of the roof and the mountings on the top of the building. These mountings, lines of beauty and character appear to need cleaning prior to the building being reopened. Although a Library has been opened in another floor of a nearby building, the beauty, character and history of the "old" building may need to be retained so that, that piece of our past and what it means to us internationally may be shared with our youth and visitors. Here is an extract from an article in the Trinidad Guardian on the Carnegie Free Library which illustrates this point and see the link for  an article on the Library and a photo of the Library in its hey day. http://www.guardian.co.tt/news/2013-04-17/carnegie-free-library-built-just-%C2%A32500: "The library, after its official opening in March 1919, also became the storehouse for more than books. A captured German machine-gun was housed in the building in September 1919.
Some suggestions which may be used to bring this part of the city in line with the other areas  are:
1.      The placement of small trees and plants in troughs at intervals along the streets, surrounding the Library, the taxi stands and the various business places. These would add beauty to the streets and perhaps blend the old with the new. After all, plants and trees transform the air scientifically and would allow our past to meet our present and see us into the future as one.
2.      Add large signs around the Library and other historical places in the city with information on the history of the area, prominent persons and other bits of interest. This information would encourage others, especially visitors to explore the area and learn at their speed.
3.   Place directional signs, with information which is specific to the area, especially the sea. This information may be aimed at encouraging others to walk towards the sea!!! This would encourage exploration of the area in an economical way, as persons may choose to arrive in the area earlier, or visit the area and explore their surroundings!!!
4.       Source funding to develop the area near to the sea along the lines of eco-tourism or in the manner of the Board walk at Chaguaramas, if this is possible as I was not able to reach the sea during my visit.

5.   Consider adding this area to the route of the air conditioned bus, if this has not been done already!!! This would encourage persons to visit the area in comfort which would add to the revenue of the area, as persons may be able to bring their craft items either to display them or to sell them and others would purchase or add their advice on the topic.
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Sunday, 22 May 2016

International Monetary Fund Annual Article IV Mission to Trinidad and Tobago - Mar 2016

Over the years, hearing the phrase International Monetary Fund (IMF) has called to mind:
  • Conversations on hardships, such as the 1980's in Trinidad when public servants lost their Cost of Living Allowance (COLA), 
  • Personal suspicion as to interactions with their persons,
  • Immediate changes in one's behavior such as, in Suriname in January  2011, when there was a  small devaluation  of the Surinamese dollar (SRD) against the US dollar and taxi fares within Paramaribo moved from Surinamese dollar  seven (SRD7) to SRD 14 and SRD 21 within one week. Hearing about how difficult it was for a person who was living on an income denominated in SRD and the impact on their ability to feed their children was heart wrenching.
To my surprise, quite recently, I realized that  there is a positive side to the IMF, in that aside from all of the harrowing results of their work, they provide assistance via consultants and  perform annual visits to countries.
More importantly, the reports on their annual visits are made available to the public via governmental websites  and it happens in a short time after the visit.  Sometimes the period in which they visit the country may be auspicious in that:
  • The work of the IMF re their "Annual Visit" was performed in March 2016 in Trinidad and Tobago when the country was heading to an end of the month which signaled that  half of the financial year had passed. At that time also  report  on the first six months in the financial year of the country from a new government was due to the public, the House of Representatives and the Senate in a short time after the end of the first quarter in the calendar year  of 2016. While this may not have been significant to many outside of Trinidad and Tobago and  what was known to the Trinidad public was that this was a newly elected government and  that in addition to the public, they were reporting to the party which was previously in power. Hence the anticipation which was building within the country.  
  • The country was also heading to an end of month (March 2016) where there were several public holidays, in that there was the  Easter long weekend which consisted of a Friday to Monday break, followed by a middle of the week public holiday in the next week of the month, which was on March 30, 2016. This mini holiday period was occurring in the first quarter of the  calendar year 2016  for persons and businesses who were operating in the country.  Also there are several types of taxes due for businesses, some of which are based on current sales and revenue such as Green Fund Levy and Business Levy. Business Levy which is paid on current figures, can be  offset against Corporation Tax for companies which are paying taxes in that quarter, hence there are additional calculations which are due at this time. With these taxes, there is the expectation of accuracy to ninety percent (90%) as it is expected that persons would keep track of their income and receipts  in a timely manner and avoid penalties and interest which arise from late payment of same. The conflicts between the desire to enjoy the public holidays and the need to be accurate in their financial reporting and part with hard earned cash may have contributed to an agonizing time for many an income earner and business man. See the  following link to the Tax Dates of 2016 for Trinidad and Tobago.  http://www.finance.gov.tt/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/TAX-DATES.pdf
  • In addition to the above, there were taxes on the prior year's earnings  which were due in the next month which was April 2016. There were some persons who elected to pay eighty percent of their income taxes in December of the preceding year and now had to pay the remaining twenty percent of same, almost a month later.  Thus  for these persons, they may not have known whether to grow their business or just stay afloat for that period.
Back to the IMF: In light of all of the above, the information which is provided by the IMF consultants attempts to be balanced in that they make a lot of effort to understand the workings of the country and overall the level of professional care which is displayed in the information which is provided is quite high.

While the phrasing  in the extract below may be based on the style and content that  those who perform audits of financial statements of multinational companies are accustomed to, when documenting responses to various types of risk, for some persons in light of our tendency to speak not favourably of the different parties and persons who reside in the political arena, either due to our habits or experiences, the information may be taken as a call to work on our welcoming attitude and responses so as to develop good tourism etiquette.
"The IMF has concluded that despite the great challenges posed by the need to adjust to low  prices, Trinidad and Tobago still has enormous strengths, including a well-educated work force and a stable political system."
Here are is another extract which may be food for thought in our way forward and may challenge us to support our country in one way or the other:
"The IMF noted that since assuming office six months ago, the new Government has already taken some difficult but necessary steps in the face of sharply lower energy revenues, such as widening the VAT base, reducing fuel subsidies, reducing the number of Ministries with a view to streamlining the civil service, as well as instituting spending cuts."
Here is the link to the media release which was made in March 2016. http://www.finance.gov.tt/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Media-Release-IMFAnnual-Article-IV-Mission-to-Trinidad-and-Tobago.pdf

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Wednesday, 27 April 2016

I've been reading: "Puerto Rico, The Puerto Rico Section 936 Funds Order, 1990 "

Over the last few days in an attempt to bolster my knowledge on taxes, I was browsing  some of the treaties and Tax Information Sharing Agreements to which  Trinidad and Tobago is a party. Being one of those who start to read a book from the back to see how it ends before I start reading the book, I came across "The Puerto Rico Section 936 Funds Order, 1990 and  the Tax Information (Declared Agreement) Order 1990 between the United States of America and Trinidad and Tobago. The Tax Information Order came into effect on 9th February,1990 was called The Tax Information Exchange Agreement Act, 1989 in Trinidad and Tobago.
However one of the main points of the Puerto Rico Section 936 Funds Order is as follows:
 #2 "Withholding tax applicable to income derived from Puerto Rico Section 936 Fund investment is reduced from 30 percent to .001 per cent." While I have not checked to see if this agreement was modified or if it was "retracted," if that is what is done to agreements which may not appeal to the public any longer, if I held funds in Puerto Rico under the "Section 936 Funds Order"  or otherwise, unless there was a restriction as to the use of funds internally, I would consider doing the following:
  1. Ascertain where Puerto Rico, being defined as a territory of the USA, falls under "Avoidance of Double Taxation Treaties between the USA and other countries.  See the  link  to  and the extract from to the following article  which highlights the concepts re Section 936 Investment Order: "Puerto Rico is in worse shape than you think — and US bankers aren't helping" http://www.sheknows.com/living/articles/1119737/john-oliver-on-puerto-rico "Because Puerto Rico is a territory and not a state, it remains "foreign to the United States in a domestic sense." Oliver didn’t have any interest in settling the contentious topic of Puerto Rico statehood, but focused instead on how problematic it is that many state laws have loopholes on the island. ... One law that created an abundance of wealth in Puerto Rico was Section 936, a tax break that was given to businesses to encourage them to set up shop in Puerto Rico instead of moving overseas."
  2. Once the definition of the tax status of Puerto Rico is clarified (in light of "Section 936 Funds Order"), it would allow:
    • Individuals and countries to explore which set of withholding tax rates they are to use when complying with the treaties and the movement of funds into and out of Puerto Rico. This would allow them to remain tax compliant.
    • Investment choices such as the rental of land, property in Puerto Rico  as these are all business concepts which involve withholding tax and which impact on the choices which an investor can make.
  3. If there are no restrictions and the "regular rates of withholding tax" are being adhered to, then being a small investor and being in support of persons who live and reside in Puerto Rico, I would:
    • Rent the land surrounding a person's home and plant  green bananas, plantains, and fruit trees. While this would not be done on a large scale, I would export the short term and longer term crops to near by islands. If ten such properties in each area are being rented, while persons look at the returns of such a project and develop the skills needed to make this type of investment successful, this would benefit the island as Puerto Rico is located in the middle of a number of small islands and there are boats moving up and down these islands which would facilitate the movement of the goods.. Yes agriculture is labor intensive, however if I do not sell it, I can eat it, so plant what you would like to eat.... In this day and age, I am not looking at major investments as the country, being located in a tropical area in the midst of climate change, my crops would be exposed to weather forces which are relatively unpredictable. Thus I would need to manage my risks...
    • I may not have a lot of competition with this type of project in the Puerto Rico location as unlike the Cayman Islands where  because of my geographical location I am facing competition from the agriculture rich Cuba and Jamaica,
  4. Consider eco tourism, which may be impacted upon by withholding taxes. However in light of the recent Paris climate agreement it may be easier to rethink our residential choices and let certain geographical areas rest, while we look at the impact of achieving milestones as identified in the  following extract " The US, for example, has pledged to reduce emissions 26% below 2005 levels by 2015; the European Union is aiming for 45% below 2005 levels by 2030. China hopes to reach the same target by 2020. 
    It also includes provisions designed to protect the global poor, who are almost certainly going to bear the brunt of the warming sparked by the rapid industrialization of other, richer countries.
    This includes allocating funding from wealthy states to developing ones as well as committees tasked with exploring solutions to issues like the inevitability of climate refugees.( See the following link:   http://www.businessinsider.com/global-warming-paris-climate-change-accords-earth-day-2016-4?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=referral. 
  5. The story which is accessed via the link represents one of the best short term options which can impact positively on  climate/ temperature control in streets and in other areas, developing community spirit  and inculcating a sense of social responsiblility, corporate or otherwise. 

    "Food Street: Feeding off the kerbside and creating close communities

     Disgruntled over the price of a lime, two Queensland locals have started Australia's first integrated, edible streetscape in a bid to live a simple organic lifestyle of community and fresh food.
    Urban Food Street began in 2009 in the leafy green Sunshine Coast suburb of Buderim, and now acts as a blueprint for the nation to give purpose to the great Australian nature strip.
    "It started with us deciding to plant limes, and then it evolved into this notion that if we put the limes out on the nature strip people could pick a lime for whatever they need it for," graduate architect and one of the masterminds behind Urban Food Street, Caroline Kemp said."
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-04-22/food-street-feeding-off-the-kerbside-creates-close-community/7343456
© Jennifer Bailey jennifernbailey24d@gmail.com
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Monday, 11 April 2016

Financial Planning Tip - April 9,2016 -001 Tax - Residency 101

April 2016 would be the month, all things being equal when you can pay the final 20% on your income tax for the year of Income 2015. In keeping with the thinking of having my taxes as materially correct as possible, I will review concepts which impact on Income and the related tax. Here is my assessment #1 which is based on residency. I am using the Canadian model because of the following reasons:

  1. Trinidad and Tobago has a treaty with Canada which was set out to reduce the occurrence of double taxation. See the link which would allow you to view a copy of the treaty. http://www.ird.gov.tt/double_taxation_treaties
  2. The concept of residency and income impacts upon a person in a basic way on several areas:
  •  The rate of tax on which you are assessed will differ because there are different rates of tax for Income Tax and for withholding Tax
  • There is a (TTDollar sixty thousand) TT$60,000 personal allowance which is available to residents of Trinidad and Tobago. This allowance reduces the Income Tax which is liable on the Income earned in Trinidad and Tobago. Most persons would have elected to have  Pay as you earn (PAYE) deducted from their income as employees. This PAYE is remitted to the Board of Inland Revenue on your behalf, monthly. At the end of the calendar year, the information is provided to you in an annual TD4 certificate,  and a copy is provided to the Board of Inland Revenue. 
However in keeping with the concept of reviewing income, I will leave you with an extract from the Certificate in Financial Planning Education Programme which covers residency and income source.
According to Jamison Aldcorn, author of Contemporary Practices in Financial Planning (CCH/Advocis Education Programm) "Canada imposes tax on the twin basis of residency and income source. For example, Canada taxes its residents on their world wide income. It taxes non - residents on income earned in Canada"
The question therefore arises "Where do I fit in relation to income which is generated in Canada? Think: dividend income from companies which are traded on the T&T Stock Exchange whose parent company is registered in Canada; bank accounts which hold Canadian dollars, rental income from properties located in Canada.... Was tax deducted at source on the funds (income) earned over the year?
© Jennifer Bailey jennifernbailey24d@gmail.com
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Thursday, 7 April 2016

Divine Mercy Sunday in the Jubilee Year of Mercy -2016 April, 3rd


Visited the city of San Fernando via Claxton Bay!  In Claxton Bay, the road is located close to the sea shore, so that at several points along the road, one can look out and see the waves touching the shore gently as the sun rises or sets in the background. 
San Fernando, on the other hand is a city of hills, slopes and beautiful views of the sea in the distance. It is also a city of renovations in progress as seen in the Carnegie Free Library and other buildings which show restoration in progress.
There are businesses which attract cash via attractive prices and which compete with one another because of the products and markets which they serve, such as Wendy's, Royal Castle and KFC. 
These three fast food restaurants have been placed in close proximity to one another either by accident or because of the choice or preference of floor space or their proximity to Library Corner, the taxi stands and the nearby supermarket. After all, a Library will serve so many patrons, a supermarket so many and other businesses so many... 
Given that Wendy's entry into the Trinidad and Tobago fast food market was fairly recent, while Royal Castle is a local brand, having been founded in 1968 according to Wikipedia, it is possible that in San Fernando, that branch of Royal Castle was opened earlier than the other restaurants, hence their location was deliberately chosen.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Castle_(restaurant)
With Library Corner being the centre to taxi stands  which serve various outlying areas such as Fyzabad, Marabella, there may be a need to soften and or blend the cultures and the peoples who inhabit the space to allow for more than survival and perhaps that is what was intended with the placement of these three fast food outlets!
© Jennifer Bailey jennifernbailey24d@gmail.com
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