Opposition blasted for no-show during parliamentary debate on tax relief bills

Opposition Members of Parliament were blasted for their absence from Tuesday’s sitting of the National Assembly where various bills aimed at providing tax relief and other measures to citizens, were debated.

Tuesday’s sitting saw the reading of the Corporation Tax Amendment Bill 2020, but the Opposition was a no-show. The bill seeks to exempt corporation taxes on private corporate educational institutions and private corporate medical healthcare institutions. It recommends the removal of the 25 per cent of corporation taxes existing on these institutions.
Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs Anil Nandlall posited that the heavy taxes were all imposed “upon the backs of the Guyanese people as a draconian tax policy” by the APNU/AFC Government.
“It is no doubt that the bills before us today are a compendious of measures all designed to bring great relief and reprieve to the Guyanese people in the form of removal of taxes and reduction on licenses’ fees,” he argued.
Nandlall expressed that the APNU/AFC are faced with “a difficult conundrum of being present in the House and either agree with us that they were wrong and they impoverished this nation by those measures or they sit here and vote against it”.
He expressed that history has proven that the APNU/AFC “always take the easy way out…absent from these debates” adding that by not being present, they have demonstrated yet again where they stand on the developmental agenda of this country.
“It is not a new realm; that has been the history of the PNC from its birth,” he noted.
He assured that this will not discourage the Government, “because we are here, not to do a presentation for them, but to do the people’s business and to demonstrate to the people our commitment to their better welfare.”
These measures, he said, can be found in various parts of the PPP/C’s manifesto. “Today we are delivering on those promises to the people of our country.”
Meanwhile, Minister of Public Infrastructure Juan Edghill detailed that the removal of the 25 per cent corporate tax on private educational institutions will make it a more profitable venture to attract quality educational investments to Guyana, which will result in greater access to learning opportunities across all fields of studies.
Additionally, he said the tax relief on private medical healthcare institutions and services will make it more affordable to the average Guyanese to access such services and will attract quality healthcare services to the country.
Other bills which are aimed at reducing various licensing fees etc were also before the House for consideration on Tuesday.