MONDAY 7TH OCTOBER 2019

MURDER TOLL:408
SAME PERIOD LAST YEAR: 409
FINANCE MINISTER COLM IMBERT EARLIER THIS AFTERNOON ANNOUNCED THE 2019/2020 BUDGET TO THE TUNE OF JUST OVER 53 BILLION DOLLARS: REVENUE ESTIMATES HELD STEADY FROM THE MID-YEAR BUDGET REVIEW, PREDICATED IN AN OIL PRICE OF US$60 AND GAS PRICE OF US$3. REVENUE THE GOVERNMENT EXPECTS TO RECEIVE IS ESTIMATED TT$47.8 WITH AN EXPENDITURE OF TT$53B- A BUDGET DEFICIT OF TT$5.3B
EDUCATION GOT THE CHUNK OF THE BUDGET WITH 7.58B IN ALLOCATED EXPENDITURE.
NATIONAL SECURITY: $6.440B
HEALTH: $6.084B
PUBLIC UTILITIES: $3.047B
WORKS AND TRANSPORT: $2.95B
RURAL DEVELOPMENT: $2.469B
HOUSING: $1.007B
AGRICULTURE: $0.78B
SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE BUDGET PRESENTED IN PARLIAMENT EARLIER BY MINISTER IMBERT:
• NO TAXES FOR REGISTERED FARMERS.
• WAGES FOR CEPEP AND URP WORKERS UP 15 PERCENT; CEPEP CONTRACTOR FEES ALSO UP 15 PER CENT BY DECEMBER 1
• MINIMUM WAGE INCREASED FROM $15 TO $17.50 PER HOUR AND WILL AFFECT 194,000 PEOPLE IN THE WORKFORCE. EFFECTIVE FROM DECEMBER 1
• REMOVAL OF ALL TAXES AND DUTIES ON LED BULBS FOR FIVE YEARS. SOLAR WATER HEATING TAX CREDIT INCREASED FROM 25% TO 100% UP TO $10,000
• LIFE CERTIFICATES FOR PENSIONERS IN POSSESSION OF COMPUTERIZED BIRTH CERTIFICATES (THE ONES WITH A PIN) WILL NO LONGER BE REQUIRED. NATIONALS RECEIVING A GOVERNMENT PENSION WHO RESIDE ABROAD WILL STILL BE REQUIRED TO PRODUCE LIFE CERTIFICATES.
• TOBAGO BUDGET ALLOCATION IS 2.283 BILLION OR 4.3 PER CENT OF BUDGET. A BILL FOR INTERNAL SELF-GOVERNMENT IN FIRST QUARTER OF 2020
DEBATE ON THE BUDGET WILL BEGIN ON FRIDAY 11TH OCTOBER AT 10AM.

COORA ROAD, SIPARIA: A MAN WAS GUNNED DOWN A SHORT DISTANCE FROM HIS HOME LATE ON SATURDAY NIGHT: F28-YEAR-OLD SWADE KIRBY AKA “BAGO” WAS SHOT AND KILLED A SHORT DISTANCE FROM HIS HERNANDEZ TRACE, COORA SETTLEMENT TRACE, COORA ROAD SIPARIA HOME ON SATURDAY 5TH OCTOBER.
KIRBY WAS ON HIS WAY TO A NEIGHBOUR’S HOME SHORTLY BEFORE MIDNIGHT WHEN HE WAS AMBUSHED AND SHOT MULTIPLE TIMES ABOUT THE BODY. KIRBY RAN DOWN THE HILL FROM HIS HOME BUT COLLAPSED ON THE ROADWAY AND DIED AT THE SCENE.
A TEAM OF OFFICERS FROM THE REGION III HOMICIDE BUREAU, THE SIPARIA POLICE STATION AND THE SOUTH WESTERN DIVISION, WHICH INCLUDED CPL SUNIL RAMOUTAR VISITED THE SCENE.

PERRY YOUNG ROAD, INDIAN WALK MORUGA: A MAN LIVED GOOD ON HIS PROMISE TO KILL ONE OF HIS FRIENDS ON SATURDAY AS HE CALLED THE VICTIM OUTSIDE HIS HOME AND PUMPED BULLETS INTO HIM: CHRISTOPHER MOORE AKA “SPRINGY” WAS SHOT DEAD BY A MAN KNOWN TO HIM IN FRONT OF HIS HOME AT PERRY YOUNG ROAD, INDIAN WALK MORUGA AFTER THE SUSPECT, WHO HAD THREATENED TO KILL SPRINGY THE DAY BEFORE, CALLED HIM OUTSIDE HIS HOME AND FATALLY SHOT HIM ON SATURDAY 5TH OCTOBER.
SOUTHERN DIVISION OFFICERS ARE CONTINUING THEIR SEARCH FOR A MAN IDENTIFIED A RAHIM LALOO, WHO THEY BELIEVE COULD ASSIST THEM WITH THE MURDER OF SPRINGY. RAHIM, WHO POLICED SAID WAS A FRIEND OF SPRINGY, IS CONSIDERED ARMED AND DANGEROUS AND MUST NOT BE APPROACHED. AROUND 4:30PM, SPRINGY WAS AT HIS HOME WHEN A VOICE HE RECOGNIZED CALLED OUT TO HIM. AS HE EXITED HIS HOME THE SUSPECT OPENED FIRE ON HIM KILLING HIM AT THE SCENE BEFORE FLEEING ON FOOT. A TEAM OF OFFICERS FROM THE SOUTHERN DIVISION TASK FORCE AND THE PRINCES TOWN POLICE STATION VISITED THE SCENE AND OFFICERS WENT IN SEARCH OF RAHIM.
THE KILLING, POLICE SAID, STEMMED FROM A DESPITE BETWEEN BOTH MEN THE DAY BEFORE WHERE RAHIM THREATENED TO KILL SPRINGY.

MT HOPE HOSPITAL; BANYAN BOULEVARD, MALABAR, ARIMA: ONE OF TWO MEN SHOT AND WOUNDED UNDER AN ALMOND TREE IN MALABAR LAST MONTH, DIED AT HOSPITAL OVER THE WEEKEND: 41-YEAR-OLD KERRY BROWNE AND 58-YEAR-OLD ALBERT SEALES WERE SHOT AND WOUNDED WHILE SEATED UNDER AN ALMOND TREE AT BANYAN BOULEVARD IN MALABAR ON MONDAY 16TH SEPTEMBER WHENX A CAR DROVE UP AND THE OCCUPANTS OPENED FIRE ON THREE MEN HITTING BROWN AND SEALES.
SEALES, HOWEVER, SUCCUMBED TO HIS INJURIES WHILE WARDED AT THE MT HOPE HOSPITAL ON SATURDAY AND HOMICIDE DETECTIVES HAVE JOINED THE INVESTIGATIONS WHICH WAS INITIALLY STARTED BY MALABAR DETECTIVES. BROWNE WAS SHOT IN THE FOOT AND HAND WHILE SEALES WAS SHOT MULTIPLE TIMES IN THE BACK. 28 SPENT SHELLS WERE FOUND AT THE SCENE BY CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATORS.