Ramadhar supports tax reform proposal

Political leader of the Congress of the People (COP) and Legal Affairs Minister Prakash Ramadhar says there must be equity and fairness in the tax system. Ramadhar was commenting on Finance Minister Winston Dookeran’s tax reform proposal, during a press conference at the COP’s San Fernando office prior to a walkabout along High Street yesterday. He said they were looking forward to modernising the tax structure. Deputy political leader and Public Administration Minister Carolyn Seepersad-Bachan said the Ministry of Finance was looking at ways to simplify the tax system, including the use of electronic payments. “So that it becomes convenient and it is not onerous,” said Seepersad-Bachan, the San Fernando West MP.

Questioned about the trade union’s opposition of the harmonisation of occupational and NIS pension, she said they were always open to dialogue with the unions, and that the inter-ministerial team that meets with all the trade unions affected by current negotiations have finished round one of negotiations. “We are currently moving forward for the next round of negotiations, but before we do so we are hosting a workshop on the new social dialogue. We recognise what has obtained in the past cannot continue and therefore issues such as this, when dealing with harmonisation, will be fully ventilated at those workshops.”

Ramadhar said the COP, one of five parties that forms the People Partnership (PP) Government, has not yet received a response to their call for the PP to meet to review the Fyzabad Accord. “We eagerly await that date, it is critically important as we talk about the tax issue.”