THE EDITOR: This year's budget has left some members of society disappointed. These people were expecting an austerity budget filled with taxes and burdens for the lower middle income earners to carry. Instead they saw a budget delivered which some say resembles an election budget.

Opposition forces were prepped and ready to swarm to post-budget review panel discussions and celebrate over the possible hardships they thought would have been in the budget. However, they witnessed a budget delivered that was timely, fair, reasonable, innovative, productive and compassionate. This has put a damper on the political agendas of some who depend on people's misfortune to advance any hope of their dream of a future election victory.

Cash cards will be introduced to buffer the impact of any rise in prices of utilities or fuel for those who may be least able to afford it and increased rebates not just on electricity bills but on water rates. Additionally, there are the removal of VAT on more basic every-day food items, incentives for tech start-ups, removal of taxes on computers and removal of all taxes on devices for the physically impaired, just to name some of the people-focused measures.

Add to this the start of salary negotiations for the Public Service and regularising nurses on contract so they can receive their pension benefits, etc. Tobago has also received its fair share at this point in time with money for agricultural access road development, coastal maintenance, hotel amd tourism funding, etc - and the ability to borrow on the international market.

The property tax is something people widely agree is and has been necessary to implement, as with most other countries around the world. Property owners have said they are willing to pay to the State what is due to the State. This issue by some members of society is with the "timing" - introducing this tax during a pandemic.

The reality is that the Government has prudently started the process of putting things in place for when it is ready to introduce this tax. It has received just over 127,000 completed forms. After collecting the paperwork from over 500,000 homeowners then it has to process, analyse and structure payments. Therefore it will have the information on hand so implementation can take place when needed, but this can actually be more than a year from now.

There are carefully crafted initiatives in the budget to be implemented. For these benefits to positively impact the lives of citizens there must be effective delivery. This is how you demonstrate resilience in the face of a pandemic.

RONALD HUGGINS

former PNM senator

The post Budget blues for Opposition appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.

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