Name: George
Country:
Title: Taxation
Comments: Boy, wait until you hear the announcement by the Prime Minister tonight if it is not about calling another State of Emergency, the prepare for more hardship that will affect the ordinary and poor people here. There will be something said now or in the few days to strengthen the financial positions of the already rich. Mark my word.
Based on the current national budget for 2016-2017 the people in Trinidad and Tobago can expect:
1. Income tax of 30% for those making a million or more a year.
2. A possible increase in taxi fares due to the increase in diesel or I should say due to the incremental removal of subsidies on diesel. This will inevitably increase food and other costs because businesses will claim it costs more to move goods when in fact truck drivers only have to pay a little more as diesel in a truck does not burn as fast as gasoline.
3. If you use less electricity than $300 a month you will get a 25% rebate.
4. 3% property tax which could mean an increase in rent by greedy landlords.
5. 7% extra on air freight orders purchased online.
Interestingly enough, Housing got the least budget this year so we know that means no big push with housing.
What are your thoughts about the budget?
Name: George
Title: Budget News
Comments: I am not one for ever giving praise to any government here, because there is so much wrong that needs putting right and despite promises made by politicians decade after decades most of their promises are never fulfilled consequently we are landed with more homeless and poor ordinary citizens, and an abundance of all types of serious. Crime .
Murders, corruption and kidnappings heading the list. However, with respect to the contents of the latest budget bearing in mind the nation's present economic woes, I believe the budget is a good and fair one, and it is the best the chancellor could do. The difference with this budget is that at last the rich will have to play their part in the recovery of our worsening financial situation which may help put us back on track.
Name: George
Title: Lack of accounting for pubic taxes and expenditure
Comments: There are just too many unanswered questions about the economy and the expenditure of Treasury funds here. One is the question asked today in a letter in the Express newspaper entitled .'Where is the tyre tax going?'. There are other areas of concern that have slipped by without any proof or questions asked about the of tendering or payments of public funds. One such project that comes to mind is the of restoration work carried out on the Red House. Who are or were the contractors involved in this restoration work, and how much were they paid?.More over who else was on the payroll?. There are other projects which are either in the pipeline or have been completed where information of public concerned with respect to public expenditure appear to be stifled.