Opposition spokesman on finance Audley Shaw has lambasted Finance Minister Dr. Omar Davies for what he describes as a cowardly attempt to unsuspectingly increase motor vehicle registration fees.

In a release to the media yesterday, the Tax Administration Services Department announced that motor vehicle registration plate fees would go up due to an increase in the cost of manufacturing plates.

Fee increases

Effective next Tuesday, motorists can expect to see fee increases of between 20 per cent and 400 per cent. Plates for private motor vehicles and trailers moved from $1,250 to $1,500, while demonstration plates for both cars and trucks quadrupled from $1,250 to $5,000. Plates for government and public passenger vehicles also moved from $1,250 to $1,500 and personalised plates will increase by $8,000 from $12,000 to $20,000.

The plate fees were last revised in 2001.

"It is rather strange that the Minister of Finance spoke in the Budget Debate just two weeks ago and he announced only two areas of tax increase," Mr. Shaw told The Gleaner yesterday.

"And now we are seeing that, in fact, it is clear the Minister of Finance, at that time when he spoke, he must have been aware of other increases that were pending. And what we have now is the Minister of Finance hiding behind various departments," Mr. Shaw argued.

No power

The shadow finance spokesman said that departments on their own have no power to announce tax increases and only the Finance Minister was given such precedence.

"What we have here is a cowardly act; yet another act of deception on the part of this minister of finance, where he comes to Parliament, he tries to give us a pretty picture and then, as is now unfolding two weeks later, we are seeing this announcement from the Tax Administration Services Department," he said.

He added that the method used by the Finance Minister to introduce the tax increases was disrespectful to Jamaicans and would leave many wondering what additional tax increases they can expect during the course of the fiscal year.

Type of plate

Private, trailers - increased from $1250 to $1500

Motor cycles - from $750 to $1,250

PP, CC, Government - from $1,250 to $1,500

Personalised - from $12,000 to $20,000

Substitute private plates - from $2,000 to $2,500

Substitute motor cycles - from $2,000 to $2,500

Demonstration plates - from $1,250 to $5,000