Cash strapped Georgetown Mayor and City Council is seeking to recover billions of dollars in taxes owed to the council. It is implementing a four-month amnesty period for defaulters.
Dubbed the Municipal Amnesty Policy (MAP), the policy through a programme intended to target those who have been in default, allows people to apply for amnesty. The amnesty began on Friday and continues to December 31.
The Programme will be overlooked by the Special Circumstances Committee headed by Deputy Mayor Alfred Mentore. It includes the City Treasurer Department.
This said policy was voted by the majority of the members of the council. On Friday Mayor Ubraj Narine, affixed his signature after a discussion with the finance committee on a way to help businesses, more especially the commercial sector to get in line with their taxes.
During this period Individuals, companies or partnerships that are required to pay their pays will be given the time to apply for amnesty. When that application is submitted, the property would be subjected to an interview.
He would also have to surrender various documents, which will then be subjected to approval from a committee on the extent of a reduction in the percentage of their interest owed.
“The purpose of this policy, the Municipal Amnesty Policy, is to establish and maintain orderly procedures for ratepayers, who will receive pardons on a percentage on their tax liability. It will allow the council to receive outstanding taxes in the form of an agreement that can benefit citizens, organization and the council.
“This policy is geared to focus on the accrued interest and not the principle or the demand of the tax account,” Mayor Narine explained.
The committee will also form a payment plan with those to ensure that the taxes owed will be paid out.
No account will be granted a 100% write-off unless it’s approved by the council. Monthly reports would be required.
They will receive a deduction in their tax liability and for the council to receive tax reduction in the form of an agreement that can benefit citizens, organisations, and the council.
If people do not take advantage of this period, the court will be the next avenue for those defaulters.
“Any person, individual, corporation, company trust, or partnership who fails to take advantage of this amnesty and also fails to pay his or hers outstanding rates shall be subjected to separate execution proceedings instituted by the Town Clerk, as provided in the Municipal And District Councils Act 28:01, section 222,” Mayor Narine added.
Such persons would not qualify for amnesty for another five years.
As of now, the council only collects some 60% of its revenues –$9 billion. The city council however hopes that people would advantage of this offer and move the collection rate to 75% or 80%.
According to the Deputy Mayor, Alfred Mentore, it will help the council a lot in carrying out its mandate and reduce dependence on Government subvention.
“It will obviously benefit our citizenry but while it also benefits our citizenry it will boost our revenues. By increasing our revenues, the council would be able to do more for our citizenry, more developmental work, more infrastructure work and at the end of the day, you did know we have to get subvention from the central government.
“But as long as we could be able to pull this situation off and increase our revenue and bring it to something that makes sense we will be able to function more professionally and be able to do the work necessary,” Mentore said.
