By Linda Straker
Despite condemning and complaining about the impact that some new taxes, fees and levies are having on the people of Grenada, the Political Leader of the Opposition National Democratic Congress has not given any assurances that they will repeal them if his Party was to be re-elected to govern the affairs of the country.
“No, we cannot make those kinds of pronouncements. It will be reckless to say that we will repeal all of those taxes. We don’t know whether we will repeal some of them or all of them,” Burke said, in answering a question which enquired whether new fees and taxes would be cancelled, if his party was to be re-elected.
“The challenge that you face when you manage an economy is to find an appropriate mix between revenue-enhancing measures and ensuring that monies remain in the hands of the people, because it is through spending money that other people get income, and through getting income that they are able to provide jobs and sustain jobs,” he said.
Explaining that while the NDC understands that government has to raise revenues, Burke said that his Party believes that Government’s policy of enforcing new taxes, fees and levies are taking too much away from the hands of the people.
Burke, along Joseph Andall, were speaking as guests of “Beyond the Headlines,” and they used the opportunity to review the past two years of the ruling administration and at the same time the development his own party has made since the 2013 general elections in which the NDC who was the ruling party failed to win any seats and is presently not represented in the Lower House of Parliament.
While he gave the NNP a failing grade despite admitting that government was able to increase revenue, Burke said that for the past two years the NDC has being able to reunite and re-energize its membership.
“Focus is now on building the party. It’s a new period of courtship,” he said, explaining that new persons have joined the party.
The NDC will be holding its 2015 convention on Sunday, 1 March, at the Grenville Secondary School, where the highlight will be the election of a new executive. Following the closed-door session the party will be having a Rally at the Victoria Park.
