By Sue-Ann Wayow
“ARRANT foolishness. Misleading. Untruthful. Downright political dishonesty.”
Those were the words used by Finance Minister Colm Imbert to describe Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar statements that government has intention of increasing taxes to gain additional income.
Speaking in the Senate on Wednesday, Imbert said the document produced by Persad-Bissessar on Monday and shared with the media was not an actual Cabinet note but a “working paper that is presented to all ministers of finance and has been for the past 30 years.”
“The document contained no decision and no recommendation to the Cabinet,” he said.
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Imbert was giving the opening statements on the Finance (Supplementary Appropriation) (Financial Year 2024) Bill, 2024.
The bill which approved a $2.3 billion supplementation was passed in the House of Representatives last Friday.
Imbert said the statements being made about increased taxation and other proposed increased state revenue measures being purported by Persad-Bissessar was a strategy being used by her to fight the internal United National Congress (UNC) election.
He said, “As the internecine and internal warfare continues in the UNC in their leadership struggle. I don’t know what is going on with that party. As they continue to fight amongst themselves. Every single one of them is looking for relevance. Every single one of them wants to make the papers. Every single one of them wants to buss the mark first.”
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Looking at Opposition Senator Wade Mark, Imbert said, “Pun intended.”
He repeatedly emphasised that there is no Cabinet decision that the VAT will be increased, echoing Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley’s statements on the issue.
On Monday night, during a UNC Star team political meeting in Barrackpore, Persad-Bissessar showed the document saying that was proof that she was not misleading the public when she raised the issue during the Parliamentary debate on Friday.
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The document that was available to the media had calculations of how much revenue would be lost if VAT was reduced by one percent, how much it would increase by the same amount and other fine details.
