THE EDITOR, Sir:
THE SOCIAL and economic problems in Jamaica today are experienced by even the least informed among us. Causes are many and varied but solutions have not been put on the table by either Government or Opposition both of whom contribute to a great extent to the problems essentially by their unreasoned tax and policies embedded in political considerations, and most recently, a dam of disincentive, unrealistic and destructive taxation.
As I see it, there is need for legal reform to give effect to at least delaying powers in the Senate over taxation, borrowing and by extension spending, which are all inter-related. This naturally brings into consideration the reform of the constitution of the Senate to drastically reduce partisan political influence by a system where the Senate is controlled by members of the public who have not for at least five years prior to election been a member or a notorious advocate of any political party.
The present position where taxes can be levied without prior approval of parliament is untenable. The politicians and the country must be reminded that in 1628 Charles I of England had to sign the Petition of Rights, which stated that the people could not be taxed except with the consent of parliament. The King however kept levying unauthorised taxes. He was eventually executed.
Under our law, parliament delegates powers to the Minister of Finance to levy taxes subject to ratification, but this should not be so, and even if expediency demands otherwise, the power should be confined to a nationally agreed amount. The present wide powers of the minister are not only open to abuse, but are self destructive of his party and the birth of the fallacy that the present opposition is capable of doing better for the country. Fallacy because the country has heard a lot of criticisms but no policy which can improve social and economic conditions.
Let Messrs Patterson and Seaga think on these things while we mobilise against unreasoned, unreasonable, burdensome and destructive taxation particularly on those that are not rich and so have a lot of needs to meet.
I am, etc.,
OWEN S. CROSBIE
oss@cwjamaica.com
