Opposition Leader Basdeo Panday told reporters Monday trade unions are capable of mobilizing the population against the Government’s proposed new property tax regime.
He made the comments after meeting with union representatives and national organizations opposed to the tax.
The former prime minister said they are better equipped to do it than the two main opposition parties because of the failure of the United National Congress (UNC) and the Congress of the People (COP) to unite.
"If any political party should seek to initiate that kind of national mobilisation...conflict between them that might militate against it," he said.
He suggested that trade union and non-government organizations (NGO's) might be the instrument for national mobilisation.
Several organizations have been lobbying the government for drop the controversial tax. Panday said he believes national pressure could prevent the Manning administration from introducing the legislation.
"The only kind of pressure that the Government will understand is persistent pressure of a fully mobilised population," Panday said.
Panday also said the feud between Prime Minister Patrick Manning and Diego Martin West MP Dr Keith Rowley could be significant since the tax bill would need Rowley's support to pass.
"Mr Rowley has said he is PNM and will be PNM until he dead I think and, therefore, Mr Rowley will have to make his mind up and decide on which side of the people he stands," Panday said.
Panday said figures he has obtained suggest that the new tax could raise an extra $7 billion in revenue, which is the amount of the projected 2010 budget shortfall.
for Government.
He said, "People are disgusted with the fact that they have spent $300 billion of the national patrimony and people don’t have water....They are trying to fill the gap in their fiscal exercise."
He also said the people who are required to pay the real estate tax won't see any direct benefit such as garbage collection since the money would go into the Consolidated Fund for which the Government could draw it out for any purpose.
Commenting on how the tax would indirectly affect consumers, Panday noted that the plan is to tax businesses properties as well as the equipment used in the manufacturing of goods.
The result, he said, would be higher cost for flour and bread along with many other consumer items.
The government plans to introduce the bill in Parliament before the current session ends on December 16 in order for meeting the targeted start date of January 1, 2010.
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