Granger’s APNU+AFC financiers now calling the shots
…as insider squeal plan for kickbacks at the expense of thousands of Guyanese
FINANCIERS, lobbyists and other supplicants in the political opposition camp are beginning to rear their heads, giving weight to the renowned adage, “whoever pays the piper, calls the tune.”
Presidential Candidate of the coalesced, A Partnership for National Unity and Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC), Brigadier (rtd) David Granger, at a Town Hall styled meeting held at the Theatre Guild, on Monday last, was confronted on his proposed tax policies.
SINISTER PLOT
His proposal: increasing the import duties (taxes) on reconditioned vehicles while at the same time reducing the taxes paid on the higher end, luxury vehicles imported for sale in Guyana.
Concerned members in the opposition camp have since submitted to the Guyana Chronicle that the move by Granger is demonstrative of him caving to the pressure being mounted.
This pressure, according to the APNU+AFC insider, who spoke to this publication on the condition of anonymity, is being brought to bear by, financiers of the party from in the automobile industry and trade particularly in the newer, high end luxury vehicles.
The proposal by Granger is being condemned as not only sinister but downright dangerous to the wellbeing of not only the dealers in the industry that ply their trade in reconditioned vehicles, but literally thousands of Guyanese, who would be adversely impacted by having to pay a higher price under such an administration for a vehicle.
Over the past two years the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) has registered just about 15, 000 vehicles, the majority of which are reconditioned, imported and sold locally, inherently having a positive impact on the lives of tens of thousands of Guyanese.
UNILATERAL
In another proverbial ‘show of hand,’ the APNU+AFC Presidential Candidate, sought to deter members of the public from purchasing reconditioned vehicles calling them, “smoky old vehicles, some of them a danger to driver and passenger as well as road users.”
He suggested instead, people “buy new vehicles,” then it would be “good.”
Not only has the opposition leader threatened the lives of thousands of Guyanese by caving to party financiers, the political opposition is also looking to substantially reduce the nation’s revenue earned, in one fell unilateral swoop.
Granger, without proposing any other means of increasing revenue for the nation, proposed instead to reduce the nations earnings further by unilaterally reducing the Value Added Tax—A tax regime that had replaced seven outmoded taxes; further increase the income tax threshold by reducing PAYE further.
In fact, Granger told the members of the audience that the APNU and AFC during the life of the 10th Parliament had made the proposals for the reductions but to no avail.
But the APNU+AFC insider told the Guyana Chronicle, it appears the weight of the pressure being brought on Granger by the party financiers, have somehow caused him to “forget or deliberately ignore the raft of relief measures effected just last year.”
Among the measures that had been put into effect, only a matter of months ago, a $2,500 monthly increase in the old age pension and a lowered PAYE tax rate.
Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh, had made the announcement at the time of presenting the 2013 National Budget and at the time informed that “as a result of this reduction in the personal income tax rate, more than 184,000 taxpayers will benefit with higher take home pay, and an additional $1.8 billion of disposable income will be placed annually in the hands of the taxpaying public.”
DISHONESTY
In demonstrating another level of his lack of local economic acumen, the APNU+AFC Presidential Candidate, told the public gathering at the Theatre Guild that under his administration, a Tax Reform Commission would be established and dishonestly added “we have been told by the Executive that they were setting up a Tax Reform Commission, this was told to us in January or February 2012 and we are still to see that Commission.”
He proposed that under an APNU+AFC administration, this would be done. The facts however, tell a different story since the formation of a Tax Reform Committee came a mere two weeks after Ramotar took Office.
The Committee’s panel comprised eminent Chartered Accountant, Ronald Ali, Businessman Clifford Reis and Economist Dr Cyril Solomon.
Dr. Solomon subsequently fell ill and had to be flown overseas for medical treatment.
Up until the untimely illness of Dr. Solomon, the Committee was addressing its “Terms of Reference.”
