Opposition mounts against garbage tax in Barbados

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, Jul 13, CMC- Politicians with the main opposition Barbados Labour Party (BLP) are planning public meetings to protest the Municipal Solid Waste Tax (MSWT), but Finance Minister, Chris Sinckler, has appealed for residents to give it time to work, promising possible amendments.



This new tax, announced last year, is due by July 28. It involves a .03 per cent charge on the site value of real estate property across the island, but there have been widespread complaints about the financial burden on residents.



Noting that only 15 days are left to the deadline for the first payment of this tax, the Barbados Labour Party has announced that beginning Monday, it will hold public rallies and community street-corner meetings to sensitise people to effects of this levy.



The Barbados Sunday Sun newspaper reported Sinckler's appeal to residents.



"If they're aspects of the taxes that need to be adjusted, then we will adjust it going forward but you need to give things time to work their way through," he said.



"If you impose a tax today, and because four or five groups say they don't like the tax, or it's a bad tax and you come next week and change it, you will constantly be changing taxes."



Complaints against implementation of the tax have come from many quarters, ranging from individuals, businesses, and the Bar Association, to church groups, and the boy scouts.



A clause in this tax Act empowers the finance minister to grant relief to persons who can prove that meeting the levy places them in undue hardship. However, one week ago Sinckler was adamant that property owners must pay first before his office considers appeals of difficulties.



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