– eyes re-valuation of properties to increase revenue base?City Hall yesterday unveiled a $2.1billion budget which, according to Deputy Mayor Robert Williams, will aid the municipality’s ability to deliver the services necessary to maintain the City of Georgetown until the end of the year.Deputy Mayor Robert Williams presents the budget before a gathering of municipal officialsThe municipality is expected to secure a total of $1.6 billion through the collection of property taxes, $241M from market fees, $73M from the Engineer’s Department, $52M from Public Health, and $25M from Solid Waste Departments.The value of the budget, Williams said, was decided upon following a process of consultations and considerations, one of the most important being that there has been no increase in the percentage assessment of property taxes since 1998.He said that property owners ought to recognise that the taxes paid in 1998,Wholesale Authentic Jerseys, based on the size of property then,Wholesale NHL Jerseys, cannot be applicable now. Williams said that there are a number of unassessed properties,Cheap Jerseys Online, both in terms of construction, expansion and the change of use.As a result, “The municipality has agreed that, in the first half of 2009, it will focus on capturing the information …process same with the assistance of the Chief Valuation Officer and private assessors, determine the new value, and apply the current formula to arrive at new figures.”The properties in the City, Williams disclosed, were assessed some five years ago on the basis of a new system or formula, which not only captured a complete view of the property aerial and otherwise, but stored each property in a data base. The database, the Deputy Mayor said, allows for comparison at anytime of what is captured and of what is on the ground in reality, and also provides for the properties to be assessed on the basis of a market value, as against a rental mode.“Council has already had discussions with the Honourable Minister of Local Government and the Honourable Minister of Finance, under whose jurisdiction the Valuation Division falls, in order to obtain information and begin the exercise of processing same.”In the meantime,NFL Jerseys Outlet, though, the municipality also intends to execute a field exercise on all properties that have changed usage, or were expanded since 2003 and may have been captured in the database.And to ensure that some headway is made in this regard,Wholesale Jerseys Free Shipping, Williams noted, it is the expressed desire and mandate that the municipal administration proceeds vigorously in engaging in judicial processes to recover all outstanding taxes.These processes, he said, will take the forms of Petty Debt Act, Parate Executions and Distraint Warrants.However, Williams articulated, Council is of the view that there is more talk than action in this area, adding that even when concession is granted, maximum use is not made.He noted that the municipality will work towards improving the database to include deletion of properties exempted under Section 212 of the law and within the ambit of collectable taxes, and update the Tax Register to take account of domestic properties used for commercial purposes in the City.In addition to the action in the area of property taxes, and even though the performance has been excellent last year, Williams said, Council is still of the view that more can be collected in revenue from markets and market-related activities.He said that it has been decided that the entire revenue collection system for the markets will be computerised, and vendors/stallholders will be treated in a similar way as with the utility companies.Additional revenue is expected to be realised through proposed new fees under the Public Health Act, Williams said.“Council will, from February 15, 2009, implement the new fees under the Act approved some time in November last. This will most likely affect salons which include barber shops, hairdressing and other forms of makeup…”The municipality, as part of its effort in collecting revenue, will strengthen the Building Inspectorate to encourage compliance with laws and regulations,China NFL Jerseys, thus attracting necessary processing.And in order to receive stakeholders’ support this year in its attempt to implement new areas of revenue collection, Council had agreed to revive dialogue with Central Government. Additionally, the Council will initiate discussions with unions to examine jointly new ways of revenue earning.“This stakeholder collaboration can only resound to the benefit

There has been much hullabaloo,Jerseys Wholesale, particularly from the political opposition, regarding the sum of $22M which has been allocated to purchase a four-wheel drive Sports Utility Vehicle for Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo.Former Finance Minister,Cheap NFL Jerseys Supply, Dr. Ashni SinghPrime Minister,Cheap Jerseys From China,Moses NagamootooBut Nagamootoo says that the opposition’s derogatory comments since the revelation of the allocation are nothing but “political hate.”? He said that it is obvious however that the PPP is oblivious to its own “dirty laundry.”The First Vice President said that had an allocation in 2014 not been mishandled by the former Finance Minister, Dr. Ashni Singh, there would be no need to set aside more money for the said vehicle.In the 2014 budget, $23 million was allocated by the previous administration for the procurement of a high-end Land Cruiser for then Prime Minister Samuel Hinds.“But it was not used for that purpose. It was hijacked by the former Finance Minister and a vehicle was bought for him. Now where is that exotic high end vehicle,” the Prime Minister questioned.He continued, “We want to know why it was not delivered to us, and it is because of that missing vehicle that led to my advisors asking for another vehicle to be bought. Sam Hinds complained of the aged vehicles bought for his use.”The Vice President said that the four-wheel drive vehicle is a “necessity” if he is expected to carry out his work properly.“You need this kind of vehicle if you want to go into the countryside. My little grey vehicle could hardly go over a normal speed bump. It grazes at the bottom and I am the Prime Minister. I need to go to the rice farmers and the cane cutters and I can’t use that little grey car they gave me,Cheap Jerseys From China,” added Nagamootoo.As for the scoffs from the opposition’s camp, he said that he is the least bothered by it and deemed it to be just another part of “their political ploy.”He went as far as to say that it is the “politics of deception” as the PPP “only intends to do whatever it takes to shift the focus away from its maladministration in any way it can.”During the deliberations over the 2015 estimates, it was disclosed to the National Assembly that, between 2012 and 2014, almost $50M was voted by the past administration to purchase vehicles for the Office of the Prime Minister.However,Wholesale NBA Jerseys, when the party demitted office,Cheap NFL Jerseys China, only eight old, reconditioned vehicles were recovered.(Kiana Wilburg)

Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry remanded a father of three to prison yesterday, after he was slapped with two counts of armed robberies.Particulars of the first charge stated that on March 28, at McKenzie,Wholesale Stitched Jerseys, Linden,Cheap Jerseys Free Shipping, Daniel De Souza, 38,Wholesale Authentic Jerseys, while in the company of others and armed with a gun robbed Kelly Quow of three gold chains, one Samsung? cellular phone, an umbrella and one shoulder bag all totaling $448,000.It was further alleged that on the same day,Cheap NFL Football Jerseys, at the same location, he robbed Jovan Wilson, of one Samsung phone valued $120,000, while in the company of others, armed with a gun.The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charge after they were read to him at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.De Souza’s attorney,2014 Olympic Team USA #44 Brooks Orpik White Stitched NHL Jersey, Gordon Gilhuys related to the court that the police went to his client’s house and arrested him. He said that at the time of the alleged robberies the defendant was at work.The lawyer argued that the police cannot prove their case against his client, because he was never placed on an identification parade.But Police Prosecutor, Corporal Bharrat Mangru informed the court that the defendant was positively identified by the two victims. He continued that the victims, who were sitting in a car, were reversing from their yard, when a vehicle pulled up behind them with several men inside. They were held at gun point and relieved of the items mentioned in the charges. Investigations were carried out and the defendant was arrested and charged.The prosecutor objected to bail citing the seriousness and prevalence of the offence. He also asked that the accused be remanded to prison because investigations are still ongoing.This matter will be called again on April 28, at the Linden Magistrate’s Courts.