Moontown

DENIS KELLMAN’S COLUMN – THE DEBATE

APRIL 11, 2006

Last Friday, a Journalist sought to question two politicians who are not known for swiping in politics. This journalist is a person who has sought refuge within the CSME countries after forsaking his native land. It is known that this journalist has always been anti-PNC and has always been supportive of the PPP-Civic Party. The journalist in question is fortunate as he was born in a country that has a lot of resources that is second to none in the Caribbean.

The charge laid against us is that we said that 30 000 Guyanese are in Barbados and that we cannot substantiate that figure, even though it was given by a most senior person in Government. I want to apologise to the writer for misleading the public, because I now have it on good authority that the latest count is now near 35 000. The journalist would know that after five years, Residence Status can be applied for and that Status allows certain privileges.

This journalist has forgotten that two senior Government Officials came on TV and promised the public of Barbados to inform us of the true number staying in the country. The impression given by the journalist can easily be interpreted to mean that we are anti-Guyanese and that we prefer to see other races in the country. This is the furthest thing from the truth, because any person who knows Caribbean history would know that the DLP has never used Caribbean people to pamper themselves at election time. History will show that we did not use St. Lucians and Vincentians in the eighties to secure victory. And that we cannot be accused of using Guyanese in this period for election purposes.

I have been in politics long enough to know that certain races were ill-treated within the Caribbean region for elections purposes. I was around long enough to know that the PNC was accused of causing its opponents to reside elsewhere. The same journalist is now witnessing that persons he would have expected to remain in Guyana are now seeking residency in Barbados and many other countries as noted by this most respected person.

The DLP has always treated Caribbean people as persons that have resources and not as persons who should be used for voting purposes. It is clear to me that the problem the writer has is with this writer who has been suggesting that Guyana has the resources to solve the Economic problems of the Caribbean. This write has suggested that the E in CSME can be implemented by tapping the resources of Guyana for the Caribbean. The formation of the CCJ is the best example of how to work the E in CSME. The same way the Governments came together to fund and implement the CCJ, they should have used the same formula to create economic activity to generate foreign exchange and revenue to run the CCJ and all other independent bodies. The cart has been placed before the donkey, and the only way that the CCJ can be relevant is if it is amended to manage the E in the CSME, otherwise, the large sums invested in the CCJ world have been wasted.

The resources of Guyana must be used as the resources of the Caribbean and the other countries must provide the capital to help Guyana to be the catalyst for the CSM. I want to apologise to the journalist for offering this workable solution from the Village Academy. There are persons who write and moderate programs who feel that persons like myself should not continue to dominate politics. They feel that when sensible ideas are offered by us, that they should be destroyed, because the idea should not gain root in our favor. This idea will be repeated six months after by persons who have been accepted by those who have been created by the Negrocrats, who believe that certain persons cannot be accommodated.

Mr. Stuart and myself will continue to tell the truth as we see it, because we have a commitment to Barbados and the Caribbean. We are here to ensure that Caribbean people are not abused by politicians and journalists, who feel they should continue to behave as if they could dictate the behavior of politicians in an independent country. These same journalists have no say in their country, but now want to run Democratic Parties as if they are been dictated by the Communist in our midst.

Guyanese need to deal with persons who want to encourage them to tap their resources and not person who want them to run from their fertile country. These same persons are now lying in bed with Brazilians, who are now raping the country of its resources for South America and not the CSME countries. These persons should be encouraging the Capitalist in the Caribbean to pool their resources to keep at home. Guyana, under the DLP administration will be seen again as that precious country of the Caribbean, and we will be encouraging development by pooling of resources to reap the natural resources of Guyana.

No fisherman leaves hooking lion sharks and dolphins to hook blue peter sharks, so why are you encouraging Guyanese to leave their talents for others to exploit? Or is it a case of one running away, so all should.

Peace, love, unity, wisdom and understanding.

(Denis Kellman is the Member of Parliament for St. Lucy, Barbados)

RICE AND PEAS; SALTFISH RICE

MACARONI PIE; CREAMED AND VEGETABLES

BAKED CHICKEN; BAKED PORK

BBQ SPARERIBS; FRIED KING FISH

FRIED STEAK FISH; GRILLED STEAK FISH

TURKEY STEW; FISH GRAVY

STEAMED VEGETABLES; TOSSED SALAD

Viralee Latibeaudiere, director general of the Tax Administration Services Department. - File

Its unpopularity notwithstanding, the skewing of Jamaica’s revenue system towards more direct forms of taxes has helped to reduce the fallout from the current economic downturn, tax officials have said.

The buffer created by direct taxation, according to Viralee Lati-beaudiere, director general of the Tax Administration Services Department, is validated by a recent Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) report.

That report, she said, shows that countries which rely heavily on indirect taxation were experiencing more severe fallout in revenues than countries with a direct tax system.

“Recently, from a study, we found out that countries that rely mainly on the GCT (General Consumption Tax) had a far greater fallout in their revenues,” the tax official told a Gleaner Editors’ Forum.

“So you find that countries like Canada, Mexico, the United States, are showing fallout in revenues of 17 to 20 per cent over the last two quarters where the Caribbean and Latin American fallout in revenue is between 10 and 11 per cent,” she said.

Latibeaudiere said the trend was similar in Jamaica, where the current revenue decline is greater from more indirect GCT with a relatively small reduction in collections from direct taxes such as the Pay As You Earn (PAYE) income tax.

Latibeaudiere said, in the Jamaican situation, there has been 13 per cent or $3-billion decline in GCT collections over the period April to September this year. In contrast, PAYE taxes, only reflected a one per cent or $400-million drop.

One per cent decline

The revenue department has also reported that direct company taxes were showing a one per cent or $95-million decline over the period, whereas individual taxes were showing a 49 per cent or $1-billion fall.

“So, in the Caribbean and the Latin America, we have feared out far better than the more developed countries, they are struggling now to come up with measures (to address the fallout),” Latibeaudiere said.

“So, you find that for Customs, the fallout is greater than what is happening at Inland Revenue because the statistics proved this to be so. GCT and SCT (Special Consumption Tax) are much more vulnerable to economic downturn than the income tax,” she explained.

Over the years there have been calls from some sections of the society for an overhaul of the country’s tax system and a general move towards a more indirect system.

The arguments have included claims that such a system would be more equitable and would capture more taxpayers.

No major impact

Meantime, tax department officials said, so far, there has been no evidence of a major impact on revenues from the loss in 30,000 jobs since last year, as reported by the labour ministry.

The prime minister, on the weekend, said the cuts had now reached 40,000.

Ainsley Powell, commissioner at the Taxpayer Audit and Assessment Department said the impact, if there were any, would not be reflected in revenue intake in this financial year.

Powell said jobs losses would only impact revenues if those who were made redundant were receiving salaries above the tax threshold.

In July, the non-taxable annual income moved from $220,000 to $320,736. Another adjustment will be made on January 1 to bring the threshold to $440,000. (Jamaica Gleaner)

Left: Len de Barros … was chairman for six years. Right: Chris Dehring … appointed LIME Jamaica chairman November 9. - File photos Chris Dehring, who, two weeks ago, joined LIME’s regional business as marketing executive-in-chief, has been appointed chairman of the Board of LIME Jamaica, succeeding Englishman Leonardo ‘Len’ de Barros, who served in the position for six years.

Barros’ exit comes days into confirmation by LIME parent, Cable and Wireless Plc, that the telecoms was demerging its operations to create two new units, CW International and CW Worldwide.

Jamaica and the Caribbean fall under the CWI banner.

Dehring, who executes his job as chief marketing officer (CMO) from LIME Jamaica’s corporate offices in Kingston, effectively becomes Geoff Houston’s immediate boss.

But, within the broader regional operation, both Houston and Dehring report to David Shaw, chief executive officer of LIME Caribbean, whose offices are in Barbados.

Within LIME Caribbean’s corporate structure, Houston is also an executive vice-president.

LIME Jamaica said that Dehring’s appointment created no confusion in the organisational structure, telling the Financial Gleaner that, as chairman, he leads the board and that the board’s role was ‘company governance and ensuring the long-term development goals of the firm in the interest of its shareholders’.

As CMO, Dehring’s ideas for the ‘One Caribbean’ branding and marketing, would need buy-in from Houston — who manages LIME’s largest Caribbean market — and other country managers, who together oversee 13 operating zones.

Dehring’s addition to the LIME Caribbean staff this month was trumpeted as ‘a get’ by the company which made much of his cricket credentials and his role as co-founder of Jamaica’s first investment bank.

“Chris has been a most welcome addition to LIME’s regional executive team and I am truly excited that he will now be taking on the additional responsibility of serving as Chairman of our business in Jamaica,” said Shaw in a company-issued statement.

“As the largest market in the Caribbean, Jamaica is critical to our overall regional business and with Chris taking on the role of chairman we are bolstering our team and building a solid foundation to drive growth and profitability in this critical market.”

Dehring’s appointment as chairman took effect November 9. He began his job as CMO a week before on November 1. (Jamaica Gleaner)

Hundreds of people flock the Passport, Immigration and Citizenship Agency offices in St Andrew on Wednesday to avoid the new service fees scheduled to come into effect next Monday. - Norman Grindley/Chief Photographer The Passport office was bombarded for the second day in a row yesterday as Jamaicans scrambled to beat the deadline for fee increases announced by the Passport, Immigration and Citizenship Agency (PICA).

The new rates for passport and passport services take effect November 16.

On Wednesday, Claudia Small, of a Bog Walk, St Catherine address, said she brought her two children, Toni-Ann Small and Odane Small, into Kingston to process their passports. The children, who attend high schools in Bog Walk and Charlemont, arrived at the passport office at 9:30 a.m. and up to 2:30 p.m. had not yet been processed.

Claudia lamented that she had to take her children out of school for the day and that she hoped they would not have to waste another day to do it again.

Two frustrated customers, Khadian Griffiths and Jodi-Ann Cadogan, who had travelled all the way from St Thomas, were both quite agitated by their long wait as they said they were there from the wee hours of the morning and, because of the size of the crowd, had doubts about whether they would get through.

The two women said they were unhappy with the large increase slated for the cost of some services rendered by the facility.

Not enough notice

They complained that more adequate notice should have been provided about the planned increases, especially in the current recession period.

Jennifer McDonald, CEO of PICA, said all customers on the compound would be serviced despite the size of the crowd being larger than the agency had anticipated.

On Tuesday, The Gleaner revealed that PICA would be increasing the cost of adult passports by 80 per cent, moving from $2,500 to $4,500. The price of a child’s passport will also go up by 80 per cent, moving from $1,500 to $2,700.

However, the largest service hike will be the cost of replacing a lost or stolen passport, which moves from $2,500 to $9,500.

Persons will also have to fork out $5,700 to replace a child’s passport which has been lost or stolen. This moves from $1,500.

(Jamaica Gleaner)

Prime Minister Bruce Golding presents Ambassador Usain Bolt with his new diplomatic passport at Jamaica House yesterday. - Contributed Jamaica’s youngest ambassador-at-large, the Honourable Usain Bolt, yesterday received his instrument of appointment as ambassador and diplomatic passport during a brief presentation ceremony at Jamaica House.

In making the presentations, Prime Minister Bruce Golding said, “We have a great athlete, a great icon, someone who can help to strengthen Jamaica’s image right across the globe.”

Golding said that in asking Bolt to accept the assignment of ambassador-at-large for Jamaica, the Government should not be seen as rewarding him but as asking him to take on the responsibility of helping to promote Jamaica because he commands so much attention.

“We want the world never to forget for one moment that he is Jamaican to the bone and he has so strengthened our image and is such a powerful symbol of what Jamaicans can become. We are asking him in his travels, whatever he does and wherever he goes, that he be Jamaica’s ambassador and continue to bring glory to the country and make sure that everyone understands that respect is due,” Golding said in the view of the new ambassador.

Ambassador Usain Bolt said he was honoured and noted that he would live up to the high expectations.

“This is a big thing for me and I will try to do my best and will live up to your expectations,” he told Golding and Jamaica.