Rowley appoints tax expert to Finance Ministry

Yesterday during a Senate break, reporters met new Minister in the Ministry of Finance, Senator Allyson West, a taxation specialist and attorney who up to recently authored Price Waterhouse Coopers’ (PWC) annual National Budget analysis.

West said she was reticent about party politics, but sees it as a way of making a meaningful contribution towards improving TT’s tax system.

“I appreciate that it is a very difficult ministry at a difficult time in the country’s life, so I have a tough task ahead of me, but I have quite a lot of experience in the tax area that will be my focus.

So I’m really hopeful that I can make a positive difference.” Asked if the public should be fearful that she is a tax expert, West laughed and replied, “No. My objective will be to ensure that taxes are properly and fairly applied. I really want to bring the concept of ‘service’ to the tax area and ensure that we recognise, the administration recognises, that the taxpayers are our clients, so we deal with them more efficiently, we give them their refunds but we collect the taxes that are due to the Government.” Asked if she was surprised by her appointment, West replied, “Yes and no. I have known the Prime Minister (Dr Keith Rowley) for quite some time, and I do know he appreciates my knowledge in the area, so that didn’t shock me. I was hoping to avoid a political post because I have shied away from politics all my life. But he said we need to get it done, so I accepted the job.

“I’m happy with the Ministry of Finance, but the position of Senator is not something I would have gravitated towards, but I was called to serve and I decided to take up the challenge.” Asked her first priorities after being sworn in as a minister today, she replied, “I will be gathering information.

I want to see where the Board of Inland Revenue is at, what their challenges are, what their approaches are and determine what we could do differently as soon as possible. We have to consider the issue of the Revenue Authority and where that goes but in the meantime we have what we have”.

West said she believes in the idea of the Revenue Authority, but hoped for better remuneration and meritorious promotions for tax officers to stem an exodus from the public service.

Asked her message to the general public, West said many demands are made on Government, that require revenues, adding, “I’d like the taxpayers to recognise that we all have a responsibility.

If we all play our part the burden is spread more evenly.

So, for example, the issue of increasing tax rates should not arise if everybody pays the correct amount of tax.” As to her background, West said she was the tax partner at PWC. “I’m an attorney at law. I’ve spent all my life working in tax, apart from a short stint in teaching. I worked at the Board of Inland Revenue as a State Counsel involved in things like attending court, defending the board’s position and prosecuting people. I was part of the implementation team for the VAT system.

“So I had a very interesting time at the board. I really enjoyed working there. I do have a commitment to the tax system and to see it working properly.

Then I left and joined Price Waterhouse Coopers, so I saw the other side.” Asked her motivating factor to accept the ministerial post, she said, “I’ve made several comments dealing with the Board of Inland Revenue over the past 20 years or so, that things could be done so much better, could be made easier. Some of our clients want to pay as least as possible, but most people will pay a fair amount of tax but they want fair treatment. “ West said that rather than complain, she had opted to help. “I will give it my all. I’m hopeful, to make a difference for change.”