'Property Tax' or 'Property Tax Reform'? Get It Right.

Submitted by Taran Rampersad on Wed, 06/02/2010 - 12:28

I wish that someone in authority would specify whether the property tax itself will be rescinded or whether it is simply the reforms passed last year. The PP Manifesto indicates that this is the Property Tax itself by stating: "We will rescind the property tax." That's item 3 in the list of promises.

And the definition of 'rescind' is fairly clear.

So - no more property tax? That's what this Guardian article's title communicates as well. Even the article seem to confuse the issue.

Will someone simply state what they mean?

Look at the title of the article, for example. This NEEDS to be clarified for the masses, Trinidad Guardian, and I'm somewhat disappointed that I have to say so. If its only the reform, the title is misleading. It seems obvious that this should only be the Property Tax reform instead of the Property Tax itself, but somehow the media and politicians can't make the distinction... or choose not to.

It isn't as if we haven't been paying attention to the Property Tax.

Blog: 
Trinidad and Tobago
Media
Property Tax
Property Tax Reform
Anand Ramlogan
People's Partnership

Comments

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Submitted by Ian Ramjohn on Wed, 06/02/2010 - 15:05.

I keeping seeing "rescind property tax". I keep wondering whether it's the reform, or the actual tax. Of course, given that some people live on land that's owned by their grandfather who's been dead since 1980, and who haven't paid property tax since 1975 (to pick some numbers at random), it makes me wonder what's the point of the system at all. Just put a tip jar in government offices, and let people pay what they think is fair, for the services delivered... ;)

Submitted by Edmund Gall on Wed, 06/02/2010 - 15:48.

... which was passed in late 2009 - see the Bill at the T&T Parliament website here.

So they're just rverting back to the old property tax law, not removing property tax itself.  But I agree with your sentiment that folks should say what they mean and mean what they say.  Though, you're stretching your hopes when it comes to headlines - newspaper editors don't let the truth stand in the way of a snappy headline.

Submitted by Taran Rampersad on Wed, 06/02/2010 - 19:16.

They should have written that in their manifesto and it should have been communicated properly by the Trinidad Guardian. Anand and Kamla are lawyers by trade, they KNOW that words are important.

How that escaped them is disturbing.