Times too tough to pay property tax

Rather, he said Government should have paid more attention to increasing the income base of the country and efforts to transform the economy .

“Moving forward, the issue of property tax, in my view, has always been that this country is overtaxed already and that to tax homes where persons have lost jobs and are fearful of losing their jobs - many who are working live on the edge where their disposal income is minimal and to put that fear factor in the one place where you are supposed to be comfortable. I do not believe that we should pursue property taxation,” he said .

Ramadhar gave his position in an interview with reporters at the start of his constituency’s Food For All God’s Own initiative at Helping Hands Recreation Ground, St Augustine.The initiative addressed the need for citizens to grow their own food .

The former legal affairs minister had led the “Axe the tax” campaign when it was proposed by the People’s National Movement in 2009 .

Saying that the focus, at this time, should be on economic diversification and not property tax, the MP claimed many people were fearful for the future .

“I have spoken to so many who are telling me that they are so fearful for the future of this nation that they are looking to see if they can go elsewhere,” he said, adding that TT’s brain drain has accelerated .

“When you see the shortage of foreign exchange, many persons, if they have money are trying to convert it to hold on to US dollars in the event things should get worst .

“Therefore, you can’t put more fear on people. The reality is that nobody is sure what valuation they will get to their homes and what they will be required to pay.” Asked if he would have supported the property tax if TT was experiencing economic prosperity, Ramadhar said: “I think, philosophically, in a country of great wealth, ‘No.’ “I do not support property tax in the form and fashion that has been put forward from the 2009 issue for two reasons in particular: the issue of the arbitrariness of the valuations and the issue that any property tax raised in a community should be used for the benefit of the community and not put in a consolidated fund so that we could use that money to build a highway to Toco as an example.” After an injunction by former UNC minister Devant Maharaj to have the implementation of the property tax halted, the Court of Appeal on Wednesday gave the green light for Government to resume the collection and processing of valuation forms to effect the property tax but ordered the procedure could only begin after the Commissioner of Valuations publishes notices in all three daily newspapers indicating the resumption and voluntary nature of submitting the forms .

The court further ruled the notices are to be published one day a week for three consecutive weeks with the procedure officially resuming after the first notice is published .

Ramadhar said the property tax issue could have been handled more maturely .

“I think it is really a shame where we could not have had a more mature approach, especially from the Minister of Finance (Colm Imbert) where it was obvious that they were acting illegally when they threatened the population that they could be prosecuted if they did not file these forms,” he said .

“The court has clearly stated that there is no legal basis upon which you could have threatened or indeed prosecute anyone.”