Remove taxes on armoured vests, minister

THE EDITOR: With the scheduled budget reading for fiscal year 2023 scheduled for September 26, the Estate Police Association of TT (EPA), apart from making calls to the Government to give directions to the respective managements of state enterprises to settle negotiations, is again petitioning Finance Minister Colm Imbert, as it did between 2019-2021, for the removal of all taxes and duties on armoured vests, commonly referred to as bulletproof vests.

The Occupational Health and Safety Act 88:08 Section 6 ©, General duties of the Employer, gives the responsibility to the employer to provide adequate and suitable protective clothing or devices of an approved standard to employees who, in the course of employment, are likely to be exposed to the risk of head, eye, ear hand or foot injury, injury from air contaminants or any other bodily injury, and the provision of adequate instructions in the use of such protective clothing or devices.

The EPA is of the view that it should be made compulsory for employers to provide bulletproof vests to all security industry officers.

We have taken the novel approach, which may seem to be a responsibility of the businesses, to petition the Government to remove all taxes and duties on this critical piece of personal protective equipment (PPE) and we acknowledge we have recourse to engage in legal proceedings against the employers, which is time-consuming and expensive.

We believe we have a responsibility to make this petition on behalf of these tax-paying citizens who are employed in already harsh and oppressive conditions and are operating in a high crime environment and are subject to the criminally intent members of society.

This measure removes the argument of affordability by the employers, enhances our argument for the compulsory provision of bulletproof vests, and furthers the protection of our officers.

DERYCK RICHARDSON

president, EPA