Budget to be Presented on April 7 – Tax Evaders will be Targetted, Warns PM Golding

The Standing Finance Committee of Parliament will present the 2009-2010 budget to the Houses on April 7. Prime Minister Bruce Golding gave this update as he spoke to listeners to the March 4 edition of Jamaica House Live radio programme last night.
The Prime Minister informed listeners about the direction Cabinet was taking by noting that government will be using every effort to collect income tax.
“There are 255,000 persons who pay income tax. If you were to remove the Pay As You Earn (PAYE) people out of that number, only 5,000 are left.There are more than 5,000 (persons) who should be paying income tax who are not paying income tax. We have to make sure that each of us pays our share so that the burden of those who carry it now can be lightened. It is a dramatic strident, almost revolutionary step that we will have to take,” the Prime Minister told his listeners last night.
The Prime Minister said that the approach being taken will strengthen the pillars of the economy, provide capacity for growth while protecting the weak and the vulnerable.
“We are targeting the assistance that the weak and vulnerable will need.We are also doing other things to create a more equitable platform for the economy,” the Prime Minister said.