Moontown

For the next two weeks, items ranging from travel and entertainment to jewelry and original artwork will be auctioned to the public at Charity Buzz, which is dedicated to helping non-profit organizations to connect to the public through an easy-to-use website.

The donations to the auction are part of a major celebration in Miami called Heroes of the Hemisphere, which will recognize the achievements of five amazing people from Cuba, Colombia, El Salvador and Haiti. The Oct. 24 event will bring together 350 leaders from business, government, diplomacy, philanthropy and entertainment.

“PADF is extremely fortunately to have received very high-quality items from individuals and companies who want to help our least fortunate neighbors,” says Amy Coughenour, Deputy Director of PADF. “I encourage people to bid on these wonderful products and services since the proceeds will benefit thousands of people, with a special emphasis on Haiti.”

Donated items up for auction include: a 10-day Caribbean cruise for two on Celebrity Cruises; a week in a villa in Tuscany; an African safari; dresses from Luca Luca; and original jewelry from Ana Oz.

Included in the auction is an original painting created just for the Heroes of the Hemisphere by world-renowned artist Romero Britto.

“As an artist, it is my desire to share a vision of hope, happiness and beauty with the world,” says the Brazilian-born artist. “PADF’s Heroes of the Hemisphere celebrates five people who have done extraordinary work to create a brighter future for the less fortunate among us. This piece is my way of contributing to their recognition.”

PADF’s Heroes of the Hemisphere will be held on the Royal Caribbean Cruises Limited’s ship Liberty of the Seas, which will be docked at the Port of Miami.

Tourism Minister, Richard Skerritt and Clayton Perkins

Skerritt identified such when a delegation from the Ministry of Tourism and the St Kitts Tourism Authority toured developments at Fair View, the recently opened Clay Villa site, and Wingfield Estate.

At Fair View, the team was welcomed by Clayton Perkins, who revealed plans to transform the property into a multipurpose events center capable of hosting meetings, weddings, receptions and other social activities. A food and beverage service will be available, a gift shop, and a lush tropical garden will be added for enhanced ambience.

The most impressive aspect of the project is the restoration of the Great House and additional structures such as the kitchen, which has a traditional brick oven with chimney. The buildings will transport visitors back in time to the colonial past as authentic furniture and other interior décor will be on display. This will form part of a museum tour to be offered when the project is completed in 2010.

Perkins noted that a number of persons have expressed concern that several of the structures have been stripped down to their foundation.

He explained that this had to be done in most cases due to severe damage caused by termites. He assured that original materials will be reused where possible when rebuilding the structures and photos and other illustrative tools will be used to ensure everything is restored.

“This is the kind of project that Government welcomes,” Minister Skerritt told Perkins and support staff, noting that they can count on some level of support. “I have been assured by Perkins that he is in contact with the National Trust (formerly known as the St Christopher Heritage Society) and others in the relevant areas of Government so that this project can become something that all of us in the Federation can be proud of.”

At Clay Villa, the touring party, which included Permanent Secretary Lloyd Lazar, St Kitts Tourism Authority Chair, Alfonso O’Garro and CEO Rosecita Jeffers, marveled at the botanical garden, the gift shop and museum as well as the array of birds, fishes and the like housed there.

The officials made a final stop at Wingfield Estate, the home of Romney Manor which houses Caribelle Batik. Renovation work to windmills and other sugar manufacturing-related ruins is planned.
The batik employees, who typically work in the background, were saluted for their contributions representing the best of art and the best of nature - to the tourism product.

“You’ve been doing it for a long time and sometimes when people have been around for a long time and things have been happening for a long time you take things for granted,” Minister Skerritt said. “I’m not talking politics here. I’m just saying that you must not take what’s good for granted … and what is good you should try to keep it going.”

“We are happy to see that you are keeping Romney Manor going,” the Minister of State responsible for Tourism concluded to the cheers of the staff.

Dr Ashni Singh

Minister of Finance Ashni Singh made these remarks while speaking on government’s behalf in the National Assembly last Thursday on the People’s National Congress Reform’s (PNCR’s) motion for suspension of sale of Government’s share in the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph (GT&T).

The Finance Minister noted that Government has made known the benefits of a liberalised telecommunications sector, most of which would include lower prices, new telecommunications investment, enhanced choices and services options, access and quality.

“Our administration is prepared and eager to enhance and foster the appropriate climate for competition and growth (in the telecommunications sector)…” Minister Singh assured.
Such potential, he noted, however will not see the light of day if it continues to be stymied by the existence of the monopoly.

The opposition motion had called for Government to suspend the sale of its shares in GT&T on the grounds that the Guyana Telecommunications Corporation (GTC) was privatized on specific terms which included the retention by the Guyana Government of 20 percent shareholding in the new privatised company (GT&T); that the said terms of privatisation included provisions for the Government to appoint at least one member on the Board of Management of the Company to ensure that the interest of Guyanese could be represented and Guyana has benefited from millions of dollars in taxes and dividends.

Singh noted however that the motion was riddled with inaccurate assertions and misrepresentations, particularly the paragraph which stated that the retention of a 20 percent shareholding in GT&T should not affect the implementation of a government’s policy of liberalising the Telecommunications sector.

“It is not the 20 percent ownership in GT&T that is prohibiting other operators, it is in fact the monopoly that was granted by the administration of which Mr. Corbin was a part of… we in Guyana are yet to experience the tremendous boost to our economy that can be realised in an environment where telecommunications services are available to all Guyanese at acceptable quality and affordable rates,” Singh said.

(C/bean Net News)

NASSAU, Bahamas - The Bahamas is amending its Criminal Justice (International Cooperation) Act, 2000 in order to facilitate effective exchange of information in tax matters.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Brent Symonette. (BIS Photo/Raymond A. Bethel)

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Brent Symonette, opened debate on the amendment in the House of Assembly on October 15.

The amendment enables The Bahamas to provide assistance to countries for requests which relate exclusively to fiscal offences.

“This change to the law of The Bahamas is in line with prevailing international standards,” Symonette said.

Under the Act, The Bahamas provides assistance in criminal matters to countries with which it does not have a treaty to provide mutual legal assistance.

The mutual legal assistance treaties are incorporated into Bahamian laws pursuant to the Mutual Legal Assistance (Criminal Matters) Act, Chapter 98.

The Bahamas has negotiated mutual legal assistance treaties with the United States of America, executed June and August 1987; the United Kingdom, executed June 1988; and Canada, executed March 1990.

The Act was brought into existence in 2000 in response to the “blacklisting” of The Bahamas by the Financial Action Task Force.

“It is one of the most important tools that The Bahamas has available in its arsenal in the global fight against money laundering, narcotics trafficking, and the financing of terrorism,” Symonette said.

Under the Act, the Attorney General is designated as the authority to receive requests, which emanate from a Court or Tribunal exercising criminal jurisdiction, or a prosecuting Authority, or any other authority which appears to him to have the function of making requests of this nature.

The Court, Tribunal or Authority should ensure that an offence under the law of its country has been committed or that there are reasonable grounds for suspecting that an offence has been committed.

“The Bahamas has always held in the highest regard the international legal principles of comity and cooperation,” said Symonette. “Thus, The Bahamas is now seeking to extend the scope of the Criminal Justice (International Cooperation) Act, to provide for assistance to be granted to foreign countries in tax matters.”

There has been a shift from the traditional approach towards the assistance in the collection of taxes, he said.

In common law countries the general principle of international tax law was that a country was not obligated to assist another country in the collection or enforcement of its taxes.

“There has been pressure from international organisations, namely the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), for offshore countries to increase the transparency in tax structures, facilitate requests for information on tax matters, and assist countries in tax enforcement initiatives,” Symonette said.

In March 2002, The Bahamas made a commitment to improve the transparency of its tax and regulatory systems and to establish effective exchange of information for tax matters with the OECD by December 31, 2005.

The Bahamas has a Tax Information Exchange Agreement (TIEA) with the United States of America, that provides for the exchange of information in tax matters in line with OECD standards.

At the recent G20 Summit held in April this year in London, many offshore countries including The Bahamas were put on a “grey list” as jurisdictions, which committed to the internationally agreed tax standard, but have not yet substantially implemented that standard.

“The amendment to the Criminal Justice (International Cooperation) Act to remove the restriction of The Bahamas not being able to provide assistance in requests relating to criminal tax fiscal matters is therefore a necessary step to achieving the goal of effective exchange of information in tax matters,” Symonette said.

“The Government is committed to implementing the standards of transparency and information exchange in tax matters as developed by the OECD, and providing the fullest measure of cooperation in requests relating to tax matters,” he said.

(C/bean Net News)

The sprint star, who holds the Olympic and world titles and world records in the 100m, 200m and 4×100m relay, at 22 became the youngest ever recipient of the order, which was conferred on him at Up Park Camp in Kingston, the base of the Jamaica Defence Force.

The award is the fourth-highest in Jamaica, and marked an upgrade from the Order of Distinction he received in 2008 along with fellow athletes Veronica Campbell and Asafa Powell.

Other recipients of the honor included internationally acclaimed tribunal judge, doctor Patrick Robinson and University of the West Indies Principal professor Gordon Shirley.

When Bolt appeared on stage to collect his award, the somewhat reserved group of invited guests and Jamaica governor general Doctor Kenneth Allen erupted in a roar of thunderous applause.

A 9-year-old girl was also among the 20 injured. The shooting at the La Tombola bar in Toa Baja, a suburb of the capital San Juan, was one of the worst in the history of the US Caribbean island territory, which is a transit point for drugs being smuggled to the United States.

Gunmen with automatic weapons entered the bar late on Saturday and opened fire on a crowd there celebrating its reopening. Several patrons drew weapons and fired back.

“This is a result of a dispute over control of drug sales points,” Police Superintendent Jose Figueroa Sancha said.

“When these people entered that bar … They were not thinking of the innocent,” he added.

Federal and local authorities last month arrested Angel Ayala Vazquez, know as “Angelo Millones,” who police said was the leader of a gang on the island’s north coast that trafficked drugs to the US mainland.

Also last month, US agents arrested 21 people, nine of them American Airlines employees, accused of smuggling suitcases loaded with cocaine on flights from Puerto Rico to the United States.

The killings in Puerto Rico came at a time of heightened labor tensions on the island of nearly 4 million people, which is a major Caribbean tourism destination as well as a manufacturing hub for petrochemical, pharmaceutical and technology companies.

But Puerto Rico has been badly hit by the economic recession, and its unemployment rate was 15.8 percent in August, higher than any US state.

On Thursday, tens of thousands of Puerto Rican public workers shut down the center of the capital San Juan in a one-day general strike to protest against the layoff of thousands of workers announced by Governor Luis Fortuno.