The tax witch hunt should first and foremost start with the large foreign business investors prior to going after our struggling local businesses.
In fact government should give incentives, tax break/relief and even exemption to local businesses for a period of time. It is Minister of Finance Mr. Ardwell Irion’s turn to show case his ambitious plan in turning around our bleak financial situation into a balanced then onto a bright one.
Armed with a law book presented by tax advisors Tax Inspector Mr. Marco Alberts and tax inspector Mr. Quincy Lont called: Capita Selecta Caribisch Fiscaal Recht. Judging the sources of this book we can safely say that this book will not be a best seller in Country St. Maarten.
Why because the Dutch feels that we are not paying sufficient taxes considering our people own large homes and immovable properties. The Dutch from the onset were/are always looking for a window of opportunity to compel our people to pay more taxes to the coffers of Country St. Maarten.
We expect that the tax book will encourage government to adopt new kind or type of taxes as a means of raising government’s income.
But what people fail to understand is:
That government has no budget discipline and will always spend more than than receive. Thus writing off of debts will still not be a solution in the long run because government has an awful appetite of spending more than the receive.
Minister Ardwell Iron is embarking on a mission to retrieve government long lease land from people who failed to pay their annual long lease fees. We only hope that this will apply frankly and fairly to all government long lease holders without any exception.
We suggest that government should start this witch hunt first and foremost with non local government long lease holders. And what comes to mind is: Mullet Bay!
We are anxiously awaiting to see what hidden secrets and surprises are in that DUTCH oops “DREAD BOOK” In the mean and between time government should embrace, endorse and execute the Economic Recovery Plan book of our former Minister of VSA Mrs.Pamela Gordon Carty which are tailored to needs of Country St. Maarten.
The time share industry who has been dancing around, disking, dodging and ducking paying their fair share of taxes should come in to a rude awakening. Rather than the “DUTCH BLEAK BIBLE”
Last but not least my advise to our Minister of Finance Mr. Ardwell Irion please stop the gambling, guessing and gossiping and give credence to the Economic Recovery Plan book by former Minister of VSA Mrs. Pamela Gordon Carty by executing all of the proposed alternatives. A stitch in time saves nine.
Observations by Mr. Edwin James.
