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www.theasianstar.com Vol 22 - Issue 4
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Jeet Singh
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Saturday, February 25, 2023
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City of Surrey proposes property tax hike of up to 17.5% in 2023 Residents and businesses in Surrey could be hit with the most significant property tax increase in memory in 2023. Just before 2:30 pm on Saturday over the Family Day long weekend, the City of Surrey published a report outlining its proposal for considering a
Biden nominates IndianAmerican Ajay Banga to be World Bank president President Biden nominates Ajay Banga, an Indian-born American citizen and former chief executive of Mastercard, to lead the World Bank as it faces pressure from key shareholders to reform in Continued on page 6
American Vivek Ramaswamy to run for US Presidential race Indian-American tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy has launched his 2024 presidential bid with a promise to “put merit back” and end dependence on China, becoming the second community member to enter the Republican Party’s presidential primary after Nikki Haley. Ramaswamy, 37, whose parents migrated to the United States from Kerala and worked at a General Electric plant in Ohio. Continued on page 19
municipal property tax hike of 17.5% this year. This would go towards substantially increased costs in multiple areas of the operating budget, including fulfilling specific civic election commitments by Mayor Brenda Locke and Surrey City Council to reverse course on fully growing
the new municipal police force. Of the 17.5%, more than half or 9.5% would be dedicated to covering the policing operating budget shortfall of $116.6 million — equivalent to about $219 more in property taxes for the average singlefamily home. This portion of the property tax
increase would offset the policing operating budget shortfall over three years through 2025. The municipal government states part of the policing budget shortfall comes from the provincial government’s delay on providing the final approval needed to support the City’s Continued on page 6
Convicted fraudster from Punjab pleads guilty to smuggling Indian migrants into Canada A convicted fraudster, whom the RCMP investigated as part of the probe into the death of an Indian family at the Canada-U.S. border
last year, pleaded guilty to human smuggling charges in Washington state this week. Rajinder Pal Singh admitted to
BC temperatures plunge with ‘considerable snowfall’ see story on page 5 South Asian Business Association of BC (SABA BC) elect new board of executives in annual general meeting on Feb. 18
receiving more than $500,000 US for his part in co-ordinating a complex human smuggling ring moving migrants Continued on page 10
Pakistan’s first-ever Tim Horton’s draws huge crowds Govt might be mired in debt, with residents seeing prices for food and energy soar, but that’s not stopping others from lining up at Lahore’s hottest new spot, the country’s firstever Tim Hortons. The Continued on page 21
Akshay Kumar breaks Guinness world record for most selfies in 3 minutes see story on page 12
Chinese meddling report creates problem for Trudeau South Asian Business Association of BC (SABA BC) held their Annual General Meeting on February 18th, new board of executive for upcoming year was elected. Upon completion of Mr. Jatinder Sandhar’s term as president of SABA for past 2 years, Mr. Kuldip Gill is elected as the next President of SABA. Continued on page 22
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said China has been attempting to interfere in Canada’s democracy for years, but Canadians can have “total confidence” in the integrity of its election results. Trudeau was responding to a Globe and Mail report that said Canada’s intelligence agency has evidence China employed “a sophisticated strategy” to try to disrupt the country’s federal election in 2021.
MANMOHAN SEKHON M.Sc., M.Phill Life and Health insurance Advisor
604-358-0590 Unit 252 - 8138, 128 St, Surrey, BC V3W 1R1 www.manmohansekhon.com