The Trinidad and Tobago Manufacturers' Association (TTMA) has expressed alarm at the ongoing industrial action at the Board of Inland Revenue (BIR) over occupational health and safety concerns.On Monday it was reported that industrial action at the BIR's Tax Relations Section had resulted in no available cashiering service in Port-of-Spain. The TTMA said in a media release that it was "disturbed that the industrial action has led to the closure of the cashiering service at Port-of-Spain."
The group urged the Ministry of Finance and the Economy, the BIR and the Public Service Association (PSA) to resolve the matter urgently.The group also raised concern over an arrangement for taxpayers to make cheque payments via a drop-off box, stating that the "security and reliability of using such a framework may prove to be problematic". The TTMA recommended that the Ministry of Finance "institute the prerequisite measures that will allow for reliability, security and efficiency in this temporary system."
The group also called for "resolution of this matter at once to ensure efficiency in the transaction of business operations."