Kamla sorry for not repealing tax

Persad-Bissessar begged for forgiveness before a small but attentive crowd of constituents gathered in her constituency office in Penal for a consultation on the Property Tax Act. After former Central Bank Governor Jwala Rambarran deconstructed and criticised what he considered to be flaws in the Act, and Amendments to the Valuation of Land Act which were suspended under the former government, the floor was opened for questions.

Persad-Bissessar later said, “I do not want to go into a long defensive mode. Maybe that is why we are in opposition and they are in government.

The point is, we brought two bills to parliament during my time to repeal the Act and (Former Energy Minister) Kevin (Ramnarine) who was in the Parliament will remember...” Persad-Bissessar faltered and changed directions.

“You see, I do not want to blame people today, and say ‘who did and who did not do and why and who and where’. That is why we are in Opposition and if you have to blame me, I take the blame and forgive me as the leader of the Cabinet that it (the repeal) did not happen.” For his part, Rambarran said if government increases the efficiency of the Board of Inland Revenue and the Value Added Tax office, it could raise far more revenue from existing taxes than it ever will by re-introducing the property tax.

Delivering the feature address at the consultation, Rambarran after deconstructing the tax which was suspended under the former government, asked, “Why go with a property tax when the country’s tax administration is flawed?”