A few months ago I shared my opinion and views on Finance Minister Hassink’s decision to overturn his predecessor Minister Tuitt’s decision to discontinue the purchasing of number plates.
That decision translated into figures, meant a savings of over Fls. 300.000,00 in Government coffers.
It also meant a savings for us consumers.
Minster Hasink on several occasions alluded to the discontinuation of number plates as the reason why such a large number of motorist not having complied with the payment of road tax to date. I have some reasons why some motorist is non-complaint. But before that, I want to be clear that I am in no way in support of those who have chosen not to comply with their obligation. I am a strong believer in citizens as well as businesses being compliant in the payment of taxes.
These in my view are some possible reasons why many have not paid their road tax to present.
Here is some food for thought Minister Hassink.
Have you ever thought that there are a lot of consumers who are disgruntled, dissolution and disappointed in Government; with a change in Government 3 times within one election term; by Government and the ruling coalition in Parliament ignoring the call and wishes of the people for early election s; with all the complaints from our seniors; with the high cost of living; with the fact that it is going into 3 years now that the draft law on the abuse of short term contract, a draft law presented by the National Alliance and unanimously approved by Parliament, is still on some advisory’s body desk or God forbid in the draw, while the working class continue to suffer abuse of the short term contract and employers and employment agencies become more and more creative in finding ways to further circumvent the laws and abuse workers and lessen workers hopes of any type of security.
Many employers are paying big bucks to find all the loopholes within the Labor Laws; many workers who are privately insured and continue to suffer as a result of the ban on private insurance cards and the Health Minster’s failure to put an end to this hostage situation.
Honorable Minister Hassink do you think it’s remotely possible that some among the motorist feel that this is payback time. I say some because everyone knows that every year there are motorist who don’t comply. That is a fact!
Have you ever thought about the many minimum wage earners, many single mothers fall in that category, which on a monthly basis have to choose which bills they will and can pay, versus what foods
they can purchase to feed their children Many in that category can only afford to buy starch because that is what stretches so that they can feed their children (rice, potato, spaghetti, flour)
My parents (both deceased) raised 11 children between them plus a nephew of my mother.
As children, thank God we always had what to eat because my mother was a baker besides being a great cook. As children my mother always had flour in her house. We used to eat a lot of bread, rice, potato and spaghetti. We loved it don’t get me wrong, but it was only after growing up I became aware that those are food types that would stretch as they say. You can understand that vegetables were a luxury they couldn’t afford.
My parents were married and both had jobs, not the best paying but they had permanent jobs. Now imagine a single parent working on a short term contract, no security, and employers reducing their hours at a whim, having to wait months before receiving salary for one month. There are many employers who will use the excuse that business is bad and we all know that the economy is not as strong as it was, but they fail to understand that when the working hours is reduced, the take home pay is less while their utility bills for instance, the supermarket prices, house rent, gasoline, cooking gas all remain the same and they have to meet their obligations monthly, with less take home pay.
Just imagine that Minister Hassink and consider that these are possible reasons for the non-compliance and not so much the former Minister’s decision to discontinue the purchasing of number plates.
Food for thought Minster Hassink, food for thought!
Patricia Pantophlet