Rowley sounds warning about land taxes, slams Manning as well

Keith Rowley told supporters at a meeting in Diego Martin Tuesday legislation to collect land and building taxes will lapse next month and the government will find that it would have to increase taxes.

The leader of the Opposition People's National Movement (PNM) was speaking at political meeting that took place while the People's partnership was meeting in Chaguanas to celebrate its first year in office.

One of the first act of the new government was to repeal the land tax that the Manning administration had introduced. 

Rowley said there are 200,000 properties in the country that are not on the roll and when they get listed the state wouyld have to value them at the current market price. 

"There is no way you can value a house now and give it a value of 1950 or 1960. When you go to value property now you value it at what it is worth now and that is the Government's dilemma," he said.

He added that there will be a loss of a revenue stream when the bill lapses by June 17, which means "there will be no legislation to collect any taxes in 2011." 

Rolwey also took a jab at his former leader, Patrick Manning.

"When we were here last, things were not good. When I addressed you here last, I addressed you as a troubled Member of Parliament for Diego Martin West seeking the franchise of the people of Diego Martin West," Rowley said.

He was referring to a meeting held at the same venue on May 7 last year during the general election campaign. "It was on this platform that we talked about the need in our party to speak truth to power even though power may not like to hear the truth. It was a time of conflict in our party and I was in the middle of that conflict, but that is behind us, far behind," he said.

Noting the humiliating defeat that the party suffered one year ago, Rowley pledged that "those who got us where we are today will not be allowed to keep us where we are today. 

"I give you that assurance," Rowley said.

Rowley said the PNM is prepared to return to government whenever the next general election is called. He spoke about what he considered to be major mistakes by the People's Partnership during its first year in government.

Among them were the handling of the Strategic Services Agency matter and the CLICO issue, which he said has caused uncertainty in the economy.