How about compulsory tax instead property tax?

THE EDITOR: Open letter to the Minister of Finance Colm Imbert.

I have been observing the situation as regards the property tax payments. One can see that a good few people are willing to pay their taxes, going through all the hustle and pain. Did no one in the Government see it fit to implement a payment system even though it had many years to do so?

The property tax proposition has been a mental burden on the people for years now. The Government wants its due revenue and nothing is wrong with that. However, as much as some of us are ready to pay, there is an injustice in the whole system as only some will pay, and others simply will not. How terribly unfair!

Therefore, as a citizen of this country, I am kindly requesting that the Government scraps the property tax and implements instead something called compulsory tax.

I use a compulsory tax figure of $500 annually, just as an example. So, before someone can access any government services, to get your licence and ID renewed, your T&TEC and WASA connections, to get a loan from the bank, your insurance paid, your vehicle inspected, your trip to Tobago, your travels abroad, etc, you must have your compulsory tax certificate.

If someone owns a Mercedes Benz and another person owns the cheapest of vehicles, neither of them would feel they have been treated unfairly as both pay the same tax. This broad spectrum tax can thus solve money problems and it can be applied to any entity the Government sees fit. Therefore, no legitimate property owner nor any squatter would feel cheated in any way.

I hope support can be garnered for this suggestion.

SHAZAM MOHAMMED

via e-mail