Morning Bites: 5 things to know for Thursday; Prominent architect killed, Clovis Toon; Breaking News and more

Morning Bites: 5 things to know for Thursday, February 2, 2023 Standing Finance Committee to examine supplementary estimates The Standing Finance Committee of the Parliament will today meet to consider the [Third Supplementary Estimates for the financial year ending 2023](. The report is to be tabled and taken during the sitting of the House of Representatives. The Report of the Public Administration and Appropriations Committee which met on Wednesday to peruse the estimates is also to be tabled and taken. The Third Supplementary Estimates totalling $25.4 billion were tabled in the House of Representatives on Tuesday by Finance Minister Dr Nigel Clarke. The amount has pushed the national budget for the 2022/23 fiscal year which ends March 31 to $998.2 billion. Clarke said the estimates were developed within the context of revised revenue projections. He said the expected improvement is primarily due to tax revenue which is expected to increase by $28 billion, arising from a higher growth estimate, as well as taxes arising from the planned additional spend on wages. “Grant inflows are also programmed to increase by $1.1 billion while capital revenue, non-tax revenue and bauxite levy are programmed to be below the prior estimates,” said Clarke. He told the House that the additional expenditure is primarily to facilitate payments under the public sector compensation restructure which accounts for $23.7 billion of the supplementary amount. “Contributing to this increased requirement are a combination of factors, including adjustments to the initial compensation restructure proposal following discussions with unions and bargaining groups, provision of a higher percentage of the third-year target in year one and the impact of overtime hours not accounted for in the estimate,” Clarke said. Cops pursue leads into prominent architect’s killing Detectives assigned to the St Andrew Central Police will today intensify their probe into the [murder of well-known architect Euhon Darling](. The 42-year-old was shot and killed by [gunmen travelling on a motorcycle]( at the intersection of Cargill and Skibo avenues in the Half Way Tree, St Andrew area on Tuesday evening. Head of the St Andrew Central Police, Senior Superintendent Marlon Nesbeth, says investigators are pursuing several leads and he appealed to eyewitnesses for their support. “We are aided also by the technical means, so we will give this (case) all the attention it needs as we pursue to bring the perpetrators to justice,” Nesbeth said in a radio interview. Darling was a rising architect whose clientele included the likes of Fontana Pharmacy, Bert’s Auto and Texaco. Motorists to face mixed prices at the pumps Motorists will see[mixed prices]( for petroleum products when they fill up at the pumps today. Both grades of gasoline are down by $0.25 with the 87-octane variety to be sold for $167.66 per litre and 90-octane gasoline to be sold for $171.64 per litre. This is according to the latest price listing released on Wednesday by Petrojam, the state-owned oil refinery. According to the listing, automotive diesel fuel will be sold for $210.34 per litre after a decrease of $3.00 and ultra-low sulphur diesel will be sold for $221.02 per litre, down by $0.25 per litre. Kerosene is down by $0.25 and will be sold for $218.79 per litre. At the same time, propane liquid petroleum will be sold for $71.11 per litre, up by $3.00, and butane liquid petroleum will be sold for $75.95 per litre after a decrease of $0.25 Marketing companies and retailers will add their respective mark-up to these prices. Advertisement Quarter of world’s population on Facebook The number of people using Facebook daily grew to an average of two billion in December - about a quarter of the world's population, according to the BBC. The bigger-than-expected growth helped drive new optimism about the company, which [has been under pressure as its costs rise and advertising sales slump](. Shares in parent company Meta surged more than 15 per cent in after-hours trade as boss Mark Zuckerberg declared 2023 the "year of efficiency". He said he was focused on cost cuts. "We're in a different environment now," he said, pointing to the firm's revenue, which declined in 2022 for the first time in its history after years of double-digit growth. "We don't anticipate that that's going to continue, but I also don't think it's going to go back to the way it was before." Meta, which also owns Instagram and WhatsApp, announced a major restructuring last year, including reducing office space and cutting 11,000 jobs or about 13 per cent of its staff. The firm said those moves cost it $4.6bn last year - hitting its profits, which were almost cut in half. It still brought in $23.2 billion in profit for the year. Australia removing British monarchy from its bank notes Australia is removing the British monarchy from its bank notes. The nation's central bank said Thursday its new $5 bill would feature an Indigenous design rather than an image of King Charles III. But the king is still expected to appear on coins. The $5 bill was Australia’s only remaining bank note to still feature an image of the monarch. The bank said the decision followed consultation with the government, which supported the change. Opponents say the move is politically motivated. The British monarch remains Australia's head of state, although these days that role is largely symbolic. Like many former British colonies, Australia is debating to what extent it should retain its [constitutional ties to Britain](. Australia's Reserve Bank said the new $5 bill would feature a design to replace a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, who died last year. The bank said the move would honor “the culture and history of the First Australians.” “The other side of the $5 banknote will continue to feature the Australian parliament," the bank said in a statement. ICYMI: WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING SSL says employee sought help from Usain Bolt's team to replenish depleted accounts Scandal-hit Stocks and Securities Limited (SSL) has confirmed that its former employee, Jean-Ann Panton, made contact with the management team of retired Olympian Usain Bolt, [asking for help with funds to replenish the very account of the sprint icon that has been depleted]( and for which the company said Panton had sole responsibility. Samuda in Chile for 2023 Regional Water Dialogues Minister without portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Matthew Samuda is now off to Santiago, Chile, to [represent Jamaica at the 2023 Regional Water Dialogues](. US cops fatally shoot fleeing double amputee Video that appears to show the moments before [police officers shot dead a double amputee]( as he ran away from them on his stumps has emerged in California, as the United States grapples with high-profile episodes of police brutality. CLOVIS TOON TODAY IN HISTORY Clarendon College is born [On this day]( in 1842, Reverend Lester Davy establishes Clarendon College in Jamaica. For more stories, visit our website at www.jamaicaobserver.com or [sign up for our e-paper](. [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Website]( Copyright © 2023 Jamaica Observer, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: 40 - 42 1/2 Beechwood Avenue Kingston 5 Want to change how you receive these emails? 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