The Editor, Sir:

Some days ago I listened attentively to the first Budget presentation of Finance and Public Service Minister Audley Shaw and must admit that I was impressed with his entire speech.

Finance Minister Shaw and his fellow ministers without portfolio in his ministry must aggressively go after all those persons and businesses who are owing the government billions of dollars in various government taxes going back in certain cases many years.

All those delinquent businesses who refuse to take up the govern-ment's tax amnesty programme must be dealt with harshly and be made to pay the required tax penalties involved.

Inefficient system

Far too many corrupt business owners in this country are not paying the correct amount of taxes which are due to the government and the government must do the relevant investigation into these businesses' accounts and bring them before the tax courts.

Jamaica's taxation system is much too inefficient and needs to be simplified. This simplification process would also encourage more persons to be tax compliant in this country and would facilitate more incoming overseas business in the country.

I do believe that the govern-ment can be able to collect some JA$60 billion in additional taxes this year if the tax authorities and finance ministry are focused on this issue and have the required staff to do so.

I do believe that the public sector is much too overstaffed and is unnecessarily costing taxpayers billions of dollars per year so, therefore, I think that the finance minister must proceed to downsize the public sector, which would save taxpayers billions of dollars annually.

I am, etc.,

RICHARD L. TOMLINSON,

MBA, BA,

drtomlinson22@hotmail.com

C/o Montego Bay PO 2