Kamla’s imaginary problems

THE EDITOR: It is often said that there are only two things in life which are guaranteed, death and taxes. However, it is safe to say there is now a third iron-clad guarantee: that Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar will say something ridiculously stupid.

The latest addition to the Opposition Leader’s collection of fantastical sayings, which includes the likes of, sunlight kills covid, you have a slave name, and I will win the next election, is that the Government intends to impose an inheritance tax.

Both Prime Minister Rowley and Finance Minister Colm Imbert has strenuously denied that any such tax is being considered. Yet the Opposition Leader continues to repeat her inheritance tax mantra all the while feeling no need to provide any evidence to justify her claims.

Instead, Persad-Bissessar incorrectly accuses Dr Rowley of saying he would never bring back the property tax and therefore can’t be trusted when he says he doesn’t plan to implement an inheritance tax. This is complete hogwash. In 2015 Rowley told an audience at the Hyatt that accusations of him bringing back the property tax was nonsensical since the property tax never went away.

The Opposition Leader’s few remaining supporters have conveniently forgotten that the former UNC government failed to remove the property tax off the books, it merely suspended it. In fact, in 2013 then minister of finance Larry Howai clearly signalled to the population that the property tax would return in a “reformed” structure. Had the UNC won the 2015 general election it would have certainly resumed the collection of land and building taxes, ie, the property tax.

The fact that the Opposition Leader is still persisting with her imaginary inheritance tax narrative and deliberately distorting the words of the Prime Minister as justification shows the depths of desperation the UNC has fallen into under her leadership.

The recent spate of defections from the UNC, which ironically includes the Opposition’s official chief economic adviser Taharqa Obika, would lead any sober-minded person to conclude that the Opposition is in a deep crisis.

Unfortunately for both the UNC and citizens of TT, Persad-Bissessar continues to be an extremely unserious person who is only capable of crying about imaginary problems while offering airy-fairy imaginary solutions.

It is perhaps ironic that Persad-Bissessar has chosen a bogus issue concerning a false inheritance tax to base her local government campaign on. While continuing to run her party into the ground, she is ensuring that future supporters of the UNC will have nothing to inherit after her she’s gone.

AMRIT GARIBDASS

vice president

Penal/Debe

Chamber of Commerce