A Taxing Situation

The new tax burden we’re about to bear will have profound implications all around. I fear that we’re sacrificing long-term goals for short-term cash flow. I will only focus on one issue relevant to this blog – the addition of GCT to light bills and taxing alternative energy sources.

I don’t understand this. How can we ever encourage people to switch to alternative energy if we don’t incentivize this? How can we help promote and develop people’s IT skills if the tax forces computer labs’ light bills through the roof? And why 200KWH? Anyone with a fridge and a family consumes more than this.

Let’s look at the knock-on effects on just the electricity part. Inner-city computer labs are barely hanging on now, and provide an outlet for young children to do their homework, as well as familiarize themselves with IT facilities – a critical requirement for success in the modern world. When these centres have to close down or scale back, what happens to them? In the short term, they’re re-exposed to the very elements we’re trying to keep them from. In the long term, the effects of their non-exposure would begin to accrue when they enter the working world, and Jamaica’s development capacity begins to sputter. I feel strongly about this element, because the organizations that put on and maintain these centres have the noblest intent, and it’s hard to see these efforts short-circuited.

Here’s an interesting alternative to beating up on the lowest denominator – collect taxes from those who aren’t paying it instead of pounding on those of us who are compliant. Improve efficiencies. If the government wants to keep those expensive consultants who they say are worth it, keep them! Just fire those in government who’re just taking up space and costing us money with no return. Stop sending people off to conferences and training overseas, only for them to come back here and do nothing with what they’ve learned.

Vision 2030 anyone?