Mediaboss Marketing

CARIBBEAN UTILITIES COMPANY, LTD. CLASS A ORDINARY SHARES ARE LISTED FOR TRADING IN UNITED STATES FUNDS ON THE TORONTO STOCK EXCHANGE.

GRAND CAYMAN, Cayman Islands, May 18, 2012 /CNW/ - Caribbean Utilities Company, Ltd. (CUP-U.TO) ("CUC" or "the Company") announced today that the Board of Directors has declared a dividend of US$0.165 per Class A Ordinary Share, or an annualized dividend of US$0.66 per share. The dividend will be payable June 15, 2012 to shareholders of record June 4, 2012.

CUC provides electricity to Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, under a non-exclusive Electricity Generation Licence expiring in 2029 and an exclusive Electricity Transmission and Distribution Licence expiring in 2028. Further information is available at http://www.cuc-cayman.com.

Caribbean Utilities Company, Ltd. ("CUC" or "the Company"), on occasion, includes forward-looking statements in its media releases, Canadian securities regulatory authorities filings, shareholder reports and other communications. Forward-looking statements include statements that are predictive in nature, depend upon future events or conditions, or include words such as "expects", "anticipates", "plan", "believes", "estimates", "intends", "targets", "projects", "forecasts", "schedule", or negative versions thereof and other similar expressions, or future or conditional verbs such as "may", "will", "should", "would" and "could". Forward-looking statements are based on underlying assumptions and management's beliefs, estimates and opinions, and are subject to certain risks and uncertainties surrounding future expectations generally that may cause actual results to vary from plans, targets and estimates. Such risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to operational, general economic, market and business conditions, regulatory developments and weather conditions. CUC cautions readers that actual results may vary significantly from those expected should certain risks or uncertainties materialize or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect. Forward-looking statements are provided for the purpose of providing information about management's current expectations and plans relating to the future. Readers are cautioned that such information may not be appropriate for other purposes. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise except as required by law.

Here is the original post:
CUC announces declaration of dividend on Class A Ordinary Shares

THE CAYMAN Islands government this month set up a task force to oversee the enactment of a United States measure to catch tax dodgers called the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA).

Comparatively, the Jamaican Government remains silent on its response while local stakeholders prepare to comply with the measure set for implementation in January 2013.

"Following recent discussion in Washington, DC, with US Treasury officials, the Ministry of Finance announces the formation of a new task force to evaluate the suitability of a government-to-government reporting arrangement for the implementation of the US FATCA in the Cayman Islands," said an official release by the Cayman government about the task force set to commence activities "immediately".

"As far as I know, there is no response by the Government of Jamaica as yet," said a source which opted for anonymity. "It is early days and institutions around the world are waiting to see before making official responses," the source added.

capture and tax

FATCA aims to capture and tax, if necessary, income earned outside the US for its citizens, green card holders and institutions. However, regular Jamaicans without a US green card are subject to the measure provided they travel to the US for about two months each year and earn over US$50,000 annually.

The Gleaner up to print was unable to get a response from the Ministry of Finance, Bank of Jamaica and Financial Services Commission on the matter. Additionally, the phones of Minister with Responsibility for Information Sandrea Falconer went to voicemail. Up to print, FATCA experts were also unavailable, including Sandra Wright of auditing firm Deloitte and Allison Peart, managing partner at auditing firm Ernst & Young.

Last month, general manager of Jamaica National Building Society (JNBS), Earl Jarrett, said at the Gleaner Editors' Forum that he was not aware of any public dialogue on FATCA by the Jamaican administration.

"What this is telling us is that we can't just mind our own business at Gordon House. We have to have a watching brief on what is happening at 10 Downing Street or even Washington, or increasingly Beijing (China), so we have to embrace this global space," Jarrett had said.

Read more here:
Cayman FACTA task force established

A Monongalia County homeowner is suing the Kanawha County assessor's office to get computerized data used for determining tax assessments.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- A Monongalia County homeowner is suing the Kanawha County assessor's office to get computerized data used for determining tax assessments.

David McKain, an engineer who owns a house in Monongalia County, filed the lawsuit Thursday in Kanawha Circuit Court. McKain went to court after officials in the assessor's office would not release Computer Assisted Mass Appraisal data that assessors use to determine real estate property values.

McKain argues the computerized information is public information under the state Freedom of Information Act. He wants the court to rule that the records are public, order assessors to release the information and pay his court costs.

"I don't know that they're doing something bad in Kanawha County," McKain said Friday. "I just want to determine if they're doing what they're supposed to do."

McKain said he bought a home in Monongalia County in 2007, but was surprised when his taxes jumped by about 60 percent the next year. He became concerned about the way real estate was assessed in the county, and asked for the computerized data assessors use to figure out property values.

McKain said he won a court battle in Monongalia County to get data similar to what he is requesting of Kanawha County officials. He said assessors in Monongalia County have since changed the way they determine property values.

McKain, who runs the tax reform website http://www.monfairassessments.org, said he asked for Kanawha County appraisal data to see how other counties determine property values. McKain requested Computer Assisted Mass Appraisal data for a single home on Oakmont Road in Charleston from 2005 through 2012.

But Steve Sluss, staff attorney for Kanawha County Assessor Phyllis Gatson, said local officials don't think the computerized appraisal data should be open to the public.

"We believe it's private information about peoples' homes," Sluss said. "We ask a lot of detailed information about their homes that they probably don't want other people to know about."

View post:
Homeowner wants computer data on tax assessments

Run, Saverin! Run!

Were it not for the fact that youd still have to suffer the eternal torment of actually living with your wicked, miserable little self, life as a willing and active member of The State might be pretty tempting. After all, Team State operating in direct competition with Team Freedom enjoys some rather significant advantages, both on and off the field.

For one thing, Team State writes the rules of the gamerules it claims the right to change at any time and for any reason. It can choose to make Team Freedoms goal the size of a pea, for example, and its own goal the size ofwellwhatever it wants. It can recruit a million, steroid-jacked players to wear its own colours, and limit Team Freedoms membership to a couple of wimpy, though doggedly irreverent, newsletter writers. Who listens to those guys, anyway? Pshhh

Off the field, Team State may choose to sequester part or all of Team Freedoms funding. And if Team Freedom doesnt like it, Team State reading again from its own rulebook can choose to simply begin kidnapping members of Team Freedom at gunpoint and locking them up in cages.

More troubling still, Team Freedom suffers the added disadvantage of large scale defection and even of outright collusion with the enemy. In other words, many of Team Freedoms players are really (whether knowingly or not) playing for the other teamusing morally malleable catchphrases like fair share, civic duty and social contract as a way to distract and bamboozle some of Team Freedoms star players. They read aloud and with unashamed authority from Team States own rulebook, exclaiming with sweaty excitement, But its the law! Look, Team State wrote it down, right here!

And what can Team Freedom do about all this, other than vote for another member of Team State to act as game referee every four years or so? Nothing. Or so it would seem

Fellow Reckoners will by now be aware of the latest scheme by Team State to encroach on the lives of those they clearly consider to be their property. Sens. Chuck Schumer and Bob Casey, two of the moreeractive members of Team State, held a press conference Thursday morning on Capitol Hill where they outlined legislation that would prevent Eduardo Saverin, the Brazilian-born, Singapore residing co-founder of Facebook, from ever returning to the United States.

Now, why would these senators do such a thing, you ask? What do a couple of freeloading, career barnacles have against the entrepreneurial spirits of a go-getting, 30-year-old success story?

Turns out that, back in September of last year, Saverin decided he didnt want to be considered a US tax slave anymorea move 1,700 other now-freer people also made during the same year. Abiding by the law, as decreed by members of Schumer and Caseys Team State, Saverin relinquished his citizenship and moved to Singapore back in 2010, a place where he (and his property) are treated in less of a gun-in-your-face, gimme-all-your-money manner.

According to industry estimates, the move should allow Saverin to keep about $67 million more of his own money than he would have otherwise been entitled to were he still officially a US resident when Facebook makes its IPO, tomorrow.

More here:
Eduardo Saverin and Team Freedom Versus Team State

The Spanish archipelago has a reputation as a party destination, but the cost of living there is soaring for the thousands of Britons who call it home.

According to the latest figures from the Spanish National Statistics Institute, the Balearic islands of Mallorca, Minorca, Ibiza and Formentera are now home to almost 24,000 Brits.

But the cost of living has been climbing gradually in recent years. In Spain as a whole as in most large European countries inflation has taken its toll while wages have stagnated. A fall in the sterling to euro exchange rate has also affected expats, while Spain's well-publicised economic troubles mean the banks are reluctant to lend for personal or professional borrowing.

In the Balearics, where many goods are imported from the mainland and therefore more expensive the situation is even worse, with the popularity of the island pushing up property prices.

Expats Justine and Bruce Knox, who are based in Mallorca, own and run Knox Design. The islands are comparable to a city like London or Paris [in terms of price], said Justine. But I am sure there is still a small percentage of people who dont realise how much the islands have changed and still expect them to be a cheap destination."

Bruce agrees that expat life in the Balearics is expensive. Mallorca actually produces very little so we are really reliant on importing goods and that increases the price, he said.

Many expats on the islands choose to start their own businesses, but when it comes to getting financial advice, they are frustrated by the Balearic banks. A poll by Just Landed at the beginning of the year found that two-thirds of expats polled 64 per cent said that they do not trust local banks at all. They quoted "unfair" charges on their Spanish accounts as a cause for concern, while language can also be a major barrier especially as locals speak Catalan, not Spain's primary language, Castilian.

Its important that expats hoping to start businesses here have good financial, legal and business advice, said Telegraph Expat blogger Anna Nicholas. Social Security is pretty crippling here, and the bureaucracy can be exhausting.

But success stories can inspire potential expat business owners. Providing you are offering the right product and service to the right target market, it is an excellent place to run a business, said Justine. I do always recommend that, despite the potential to target English-speaking holidaymakers, it is still absolutely vital to be able to speak Spanish.

More here:
Life's no party for expats in the Balearics