The Minister of Finance and others have been touting the issue of property tax as though it is the solution to all our problems.

It is the be-all and end-all if you listen to them. Why is it needed and especially now?

Let us take a look at all the avenues of collection already in place: Customs duty, VAT, PAYE, six per cent on online imports, tax on insurance, road tax on every gallon of gas sold, vehicle inspection and ownership transfers, Green Fund Levy, Business Levy (I call that one the “bad mind tax”), corporate tax, income from petroleum, income from the pitch lake.

If I have omitted anything I beg your forgiveness. How has all that revenue been spent? If revenue from all those avenues is insufficient, I do not see how property tax will solve our problems.

Could it be that this tax is really in support of the SRC’s suggestion? I question the timing of the suggestion. Do these sitting ministers really need this increase to survive?

Just think: should the PNM lose the next general election their nests would have been well feathered in time. Therefore, I suggest to the SRC holds off on this particular idea and let’s see what is the outcome of the upcoming general election.

RICHARD DEANE