THE EDITOR, Sir:

On page one of your newspaper - Wednesday, March 28, under the caption 'Remove GCT on legal fees - K.D. Knight', a report appeared concerning a plea I made in Parliament the day before.

Until the Gazetting of The Provisional Collection of Tax (General Consumption Tax) Order, 2003, no tax was applicable to "services rendered by legal aid clinics and by attorneys-at-law in relation to criminal matters and litigation concerning the liberty of persons". That order changed the position and provided that only "services rendered by legal aid clinics and under the Poor Prisoners Defence Act" are exempt.

Confident

There are some practitioners, who are immediately operating under the old provision and so I entreat them to join in the call for a reinstatement of the former position.

I have some confidence in believing that the Most Honourable Prime Minister will respond favourably and may even include this in her budget presentation in April.

I am, etc.,

K. D. KNIGHT

Member of Parliament

East Central, St. Catherine