By Sue-Ann Wayow

THE Trinidad and Tobago Revenue Authority (TTRA) Act was being used as a weapon against private citizens and is one of the main reasons it will be repealed by the new government.

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar said on Thursday, enhancements will instead be made to the Board of Inland Revenue (BIR).

Speaking at her first post-Cabinet meeting held at the Red House in Port of Spain, Persad-Bissessar said some “dangerous provisions” were placed in the law that was partially proclaimed by the previous administration.

She said, “What that was, was they were weaponising private data to attack those they did not like or to attack and vilify those they felt were not in their own fold, in their own party.”

She questioned, “How did Derek Chin’s tax data appear on a front page of a newspaper?”

Last year, it was reported that Chin and radio owner Chow Lin On owed the BIR millions of dollars in taxes.

Persad-Bissessar said the law, which was fought against when she was then opposition leader allowed for the Minister of Finance to handpick persons to sit on the TTRA.

“How can you do that? This is private information. We are entitled to privacy rights and that is where we were very concerned. That they, the minister would handpick people and use the data contained within the database of the BIR and the Inland Revenue to weaponise it against them. Anyone of you, any private citizen, your private data would have been in danger, would have been used and weaponised against you. We could not support that,” the prime minister said.

The repeal of the Act, a campaign promise of her government was solidified by Cabinet on Thursday.

The TTRA Act sought to provide for the establishment of the Trinidad and Tobago Revenue Authority (“the Authority”) to replace the Board of Inland Revenue and the Customs and Excise Division.

It was brought to the Senate in September 2021 and partially proclaimed on March 15, 2022.

Several sections of the Act were proclaimed by former president Paula-Mae Weekes with the exception of Section 18.

Persad-Bissessar said only 32.6% of public officers expressed interest in transferring to the TTRA.

“It signifies that the Authority was unsuccessful in fulfilling its mandate and the Authority was being thrusted upon public officers, members of the PSA (Public Services Association).”

She said, “We took a decision that that TTRA Act be repealed and the Honourable Prime Minister be authorised to address all financial staffing obligations attendant on that authority to bring its operations to a close.”

Persad-Bissessar added, “Government will focus on resources on strengthening the BIR instead of spending to establish a failure of the TTRA.”

This include increasing the number of BIR commissioners  and consideration will be given to have non-public servants as commissioners.

“This will allow for greater expertise to be allowed in the BIR’s governance structure and that of Inland Revenue Division,” she said.

Persad-Bissessar said regulations will also be introduced to pursuant to Section 3 (4) of the Income Tax Act to mandate the BIR to hold monthly board meetings, establish sub committees for greater management, establish timelines for the BIR to deliberate on important matters, notify the Minister of Finance on important matters emphasising on excluding taxpayer information, and to establish policy on the inland revenue and other matters.

Other measures include: establish a corporate secretariat in the BIR to allow for proper governance and record keeping, address all outstanding staffing needs and ensure that the Inland Revenue Division is up to a full complement of staff, developing a comprehensive audit plan, implementing proper risk management, developing compliance improvement plan and risk register, seek technical assistance  and further improvement in the Inland Revenue Division.