Bring on the tax break

To help those at the bottom rung of the ladder, government has over the years put in place a welter of projects, including CEPEP and URP, as questionable as these may be sometimes but they serve a dual purpose : to provide employment and to give people some form of income.

Some call it a form of government dole.

The rich, they say, stay rich. But there seems to be nothing in the pipeline for the middle class, until now. Enill would do well to remember that his tax break talk is being taken seriously and people are looking forward to some sort of relief.

Enill’s talk comes at a time when there is talk circulating about a new class of workers emerginng on the labour front: the working poor.

They are being defined as people with little disposable income left to save after monthly expenses. With real estate and housing prices going through the roof, first time home owners and those with young families need all the help they can get.

With the cost of living rising and food prices that seem to be going up everyday and government having no control over what goes up, the challenge now is for them to find some innovative ways to ease the burden for the middle class.

This could take the form of reducing people’s taxable income or make adjustments that allow for certain levels of tax deductions. Whichever way you cut it, government needs to take a serious look at its tax regime.

Enill would also be mindful of the fact that citizens have been observing oil and gas revenues being funneled to other projects, including the dubious $800m sports complex in Torouba. In addition, the country’s coffers are brimming. And when the energy taxes are revised, there is even more to come.

They would also have seen the three billion being requested and okayed to meet current expenditure in Parliament.

The point is that the government is not short on funds to do anything it wants. They are not strapped for cash so there is really no need to depend on taxes to fund any of government’s projects.

For this reason alone, people should expect government to bow to demands for a tax break. For those who are not convinced by these arguments consider the fact that what such a move can do to the economy. People who wanted to invest in the stock market would be able to do so, others might just be able to look at ramping up their investment options.

By allowing people to have more money in hand, the economy, both in the long and short term can benefit. The ripple effect can only have a positive influence.

Your move, Enill.