Blame game in the House

THE Government and Opposition yesterday each played the blame game as a tax bill pushed by global agencies seemed headed for the rocks. The House of Representatives was stuck in a stalemate over the Income Tax Amendment Bill 2018 that lets TT exchange people’s tax-details with other countries’ tax authorities.

The bill needs Opposition votes towards a special majority as it violates a person's constitutional rights. The Opposition insisted the bill be thrashed out together with two bills by a Joint Select Committee (JSC), but Finance Minister Colm Imbert moved that it alone be debated and only by a new Special Select Committee (SSC) of the House, to report back to the House next Friday. “Those other bills are not before this House,” he said.

House Leader Camille Robinson-Regis named the SSC members as Imbert, Faris Al-Rawi, Fitzgerald Hinds and Randall Mitchell and two members to be named by the Opposition.

Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar rose to declare, “The Opposition will not be naming any members.” Earlier the House had sat in committee stage to mull the bill’s technical details clause by clause except for clause five for which the Opposition had concerns. The Opposition say “no” to the each other clause in turn.

THIS IS A SHAM!

Talking to reporters after, Persad-Bissessar said the Opposition would not be participating in the SSC. “This is a sham, a mockery and a travesty of the parliamentary process,” she hit. “This is not a joint select committee but a special select committee. None of my members want to go on it.” Her MPs around her shook their heads in confirmation.

Persad-Bissessar said while the Government claimed a lapsing of the other two related bills on Mutual Legal Assistance and Tax Information Exchange - the Opposition wanted all three done together at JSC. Foreseeing only Government MPs at the SSC, she said, “Next week themselves talking to themselves will not move this forward.” Saying TT has been blacklisted internationally since last December, she accused the Government of “laziness and incompetence.” She was shocked to learn that regarding the Global Forum, TT was non-compliant in its domestic law and its international treaties. On the latter she said, “You don’t need legislation to sign agreements (treaties.) You are rushing for us to pass legislation but we have not signed treaties. Your Government has failed you!”

Attorney General (AG) Al-Rawi and his minister Fitzgerald Hinds at a briefing had a different view. Hinds warned of fallout if the bill fails, saying, “TT might have to prepare itself for the worst.” The AG accused the Opposition of “contrived, made-up and spurious objections,” and of “shifting the goal-posts all the time.”

TRIED OUR BEST

He insisted it is physically impossible to convene the JSC. “We tried our best today.” Hinds said the JSC had previously agreed not to do all three bills together, as the Global Forum had said the critical bill is the Income Tax Amendment Bill. “We are dealing with a deadline. We don’t have time to waste.” The AG said the Government had relented to Opposition calls for a committee, only for them to say they are not participating in it.”

Hinds saw the day’s events in light of the Financial Intelligence Unit discovering $22 billion in suspicious transactions in TT within one year.

Al-Rawi chimed in to ask why the UNC was so upset at the bill. “There is significant legislation afoot now and investigations that could lead to prosecution. Draw your own conclusions.”

He said if the bill fails, banking transactions between anyone in TT and overseas will get more and more difficult. Anything going in or coming out of TT will be affected, the AG said, whether food imports, gasoline shipments or payments for education.

“This is not child’s play. You don’t make law in a rum-shop or playing field but in Parliament and Parliament can only do so in certain ways.”

Persad-Bissessar gave reporters copies of her letter dated Thursday to Imbert, that accused the Government of not sharing information, shifting deadlines and poorly managing the legislative process such as failing to give the JSC time to finish its work. She vowed to strike the proper balance of protecting citizens rights and complying with TT’s international obligations.