THE EDITOR: The catchiness of the UNC's man campaign song “when UNC wins, everybody wins,” throughout the election season was undeniable. The party's campaign team deserves top points for that.

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar reiterated that message at her swearing in ceremony on Thursday May 1. However, after swearing in her cabinet on Saturday May 3, she swiftly stated that the Trinidad and Tobago Revenue Authority Act would be repealed, and the Trinidad and Tobago Revenue Authority (TRRA) scrapped.

After hearing this, I could not understand who wins from the scrapping of the authority.

Internationally, having a semi-autonomous authority or agency responsible for assessing and collecting government revenues is widely accepted as best practice. Ask anyone at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) or World Bank.

Even still, ask ChatGPT or the like. From poorer countries in the global south like Sierra Leone to richer ones in the global north like the UK and Canada, having a revenue authority is commonplace.

A revenue authority improves the efficiency of tax collection and eases costs to businesses. When the revenue authority wins, inefficiency loses. It also streamlines the revenue collection process and minimises the risk of “leakages.”

When the revenue authority wins, corruption loses. So naturally, I had to question who wins from the prime minister’s declaration.

When the previous PNM administration passed the National Revenue Authority Act in 2021 it was much-welcomed news. My main question then was: why did it take so long? But the main thing was – it was done. Now, it seems like our revenue collection systems will take a step backward in time. This does not look like winning to me.

DR JAMELIA HARRIS

Economist

The post When UNC wins, the TTRA loses? appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.