Caribbean L 8 ife, Feb. 22–28, 2019 BQ
CARIBBEAN ROUNDUP
what is necessary to bring the perpetrators
to justice.
The PNP said that the security of
every Jamaica, regardless of status,
must be assured by the government.
St. Vincent
The St. Vincent and Grenadines government
has announced tax increases
on gasoline, diesel, tobacco, sweetened
drinks and landing fees at the island’s
international airport.
Minister of Finance, Camillo Gonsalves
in delivering the budget recently
said the tax measures will bring in revenue
estimated at EC$8
million dollars.
Gonsalves, who was
delivering his second
budget since becoming
finance minister,
said the adjustments will further the
government’s practice of prudent fiscal
management and people-centered
budgeting.
He said that the EC$1,067 billion
budget represents a 7.4 percent yearon
year increase and that the hike in
the total outlay in 2019 is accounted for
both capital and recurrent sides of the
fiscal package.
Gonsalves said the 20 percent tax on
gasoline will result in the commodity
being sold at three dollars a gallon.
He said the adjustment is expected to
generate an additional EC$4.2 million
for the government.
The minister of finance said the
excise on petroleum products was in
response to the demands for spending
on roads, health care and environmental
protection.
Trinidad
The Trinidad and Tobago government
is moving to enact legislation where the
Immigration Department will be mandated
to stamp “child offender” on the
passport of such a person.
This is according to Attorney General
Faris-al-Rawi while piloting a bill in the
Senate to amend the Sexual Offences
Act to introduce a national sex offenders
registry to be kept
by the Police Service.
The bill’s 11 clauses
are particularly geared
to cover offences against
children.
The AG said, “if you’re a registered
child offender, you’d have forfeited the
privilege of your anonymity and the
chief immigration officer will be able to
put an endorsement on your passport to
say you’re a child offender.”
He said the government was prepared
to have special select committee
deliberations on it “if necessary.” He
noted that the amendment had been
hanging for 19 years.
— Compiled by Azad Ali
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