United Peoples (UP) Party Member of Parliament Hon. Gracita Arrindell says she is concerned about Government placing too much pressure on the business community during the global recession where it concerns collecting taxes and should go after the unregistered companies that are making money and not paying what is due to the community.
The UP faction is also very concerned with the notion that the National Alliance (NA) led Government has plans to increase the Turn over Tax (TOT) which will only further exacerbate the fragile economic situation of the country.
An increase in the TOT will also have a negative influence on other sectors of the community. The purchasing power of citizens including our senior citizen, and those least vulnerable among us will further decline. The middle and working class people will also lose out as prices increase overall.
Government’s focus should be on creating opportunities for businesses to establish themselves and this in turn creates employment and brings in more income for the Government and shortening significantly the bureaucratic red tape, especially in terms of introducing more efficient turnaround response to request-time of business licenses and building permits. Encouraging direct foreign investment, stimulating more public-private partnerships will also provide much needed funds for government.
The current track the country is on is not good. Government has its priorities wrong, wrong direction, the country is on the wrong track.
Government has a balanced 2013 budget of Naf.443 million. Talks by the Minister of Finance of revenue increasing measures should not burden those who already pay their taxes, and make their fair share contribution.
The people and business community want relief at this time. The Government for the people have not brought any relief since it took office six months ago.
The Minister of Finance talks about if every company pays at least some of the taxes they have to pay government that the latter will have more than enough money. You can’t squeeze blood out of a stone. The working people of this country pay their dues and so do the thousands of businesses who contribute monthly in taxes to the coffers of the country.
Government is heading in the direction of taxing the people and business community to death. The United Peoples party had a strategy to go after those businesses and others that weren’t paying at all. Expanding the tax base will bring in additional revenues for government thereby covering new policies and programs that need to be implemented.