Oropouche West MP Davendranth Tancoo is warning that no less than 100,000 homeowners are facing criminal proceedings for failing to pay property tax by June. However, this is being disputed by Minister in the Ministry of Finance Brian Manning.
Tancoo hazarded a guess at the figure as he spoke at the United National Congress (UNC) party headquarters where the weekly media conference was held yesterday.
He reminded that it is a criminal offence not to pay the tax, which is punishable by summary conviction and a $5,000 fine.
Last year, Minister of Finance Colm Imbert revealed that Trinidad and Tobago has around 400,000 residential properties, 232,000 of which were placed on the valuation roll by May 2023.
But with just 801 people paying the tax so far to the tune of $1,030,864.55, Tancoo said thousands more could face the brunt of the law. He lamented this even as the Valuation Tribunal has not yet been appointed to receive objections from those dissatisfied with the Annual Rental Value (ARV) placed on their homes.
“Those persons are likely to be subjected because right now the law gives the minister the approval and provision to legally prosecute those persons for failure to comply and I believe, given this minister’s clandestine characteristics, that he will so do,” he alleged.
Tancoo also urged Imbert to disclose who was responsible for placing notices at Board of Inland Revenue (BIR) offices advising the public about the suspension of payments for property tax on March 14, after he denied giving the instruction to do so.
“Instead of holding someone to account for the chaos and madness and mayhem that occurred as a result, his preference, the Minister of Finance’s preference, was to cast aspersion and blame against all the public servants in the Ministry of Finance. In one fell swoop, throw them all under a PNM PTSC bus. That is despicable because we do not believe him,” Tancoo added.
“If he cannot say it publicly, then he should not be saying it at all and I challenge him to stop hiding behind X, stop hiding behind the use of Twitter. Get involved now, provide the information now. If your name man, come public.”
Asked to identify the senior official who authorised the publication of the notice, Manning said, “I have no further comment at this time.”
However, he refuted concerns about penalties for failing to pay property tax, calling Tancoo confused.
“The matter is heading to Parliament tomorrow (today) for debate and the amendments to be made are quite clear. The property tax rate is to be reduced and more time is being given for valuation notices to be sent out to property owners; thereby giving the Valuation Division more time to review valuations under query, adjust where necessary and subsequently advise the Board of Inland Revenue; and allow the minister, by Order, to extend applicable time periods under the Act thereby granting the Government flexibility to extend time limits such as the date upon which property tax is to be paid and the date upon which penalties are incurred.
“As has become the norm, Mr Tancoo’s comments are incongruent with the facts,” Manning said.
Finance Minister Colm Imbert did not respond to calls or messages.
The Property Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2024 will be debated in Parliament at 1.30 pm. On Friday, Minister Imbert read a statement on the implementation of property tax and disclosed that the tax would be reduced from 3 per cent to 2 per cent of the ARV. He also noted that a six-month extension would be granted to facilitate queries.
Nakhid defends Harford
Meanwhile, UNC Senator David Nakhid criticised Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley and Minister of Energy and Energy Industries Stuart Young for what he described as their verbal attacks against former chairman of Republic Financial Holdings Ltd Ronald Harford.
Harford was speaking at the T&T Chamber of Industry and Commerce’s (TTCIC) annual business meeting at the Hyatt Regency (Trinidad), Wrightson Road, Port-of-Spain, on Wednesday. He said the Government should be held accountable by taxpayers adding that there was no plan for the oil and gas sector. But both Young and Rowley took umbrage at his statements.
Rushing to Harford’s defence yesterday, Nakhid urged all members of the public to continue to voice their concerns against Government.