Letter of the Day - Seaga's indebtedness

THE EDITOR, Sir:

ALLOW ME to share with you a dilemma that I have as a voter and a believer in our democracy. I am a taxpayer who has diligently paid over all the taxes that the law requires of us because I demand that the government provides me with security, roads, health care and national leadership in the maintenance of a civilised modern society.

My business charges General Consumption Tax and we make a regular return and payment to the Collector of Taxes since we only act as a collection agent of this tax. Indeed, I have been audited several times in the past the most recent being a few months ago (thankfully the tax auditor found little more to squeeze but it was not a pleasant experience).

Additionally, my business promptly services all our debts in good times and in bad and the banks never allow us to forget them.

My dilemma is that my former and possibly future Prime Minister Mr. Edward Seaga (who is as well a past Minister of Finance) is now embroiled in a major battle with the tax authorities over GCT that is owed over several years by one of his business ventures.

He is also enmeshed in a serious tangle over large debts that are owed by his businesses to financial institutions that have been bailed out at the expense of the taxpayer (some of which borrowings he says he may have forgotten).

It is very likely in our democratic process that Mr. Seaga will return as Prime Minister in the near future. How will a person with such disastrous financial woes honestly run the government of Jamaica? In other more civilised countries his candidacy for national office would never have been entertained.

That imminent prospect is the cause of nightmares for all business people who have been hauled and pulled into the tax net, and who have struggled to keep up with their debt payments.

Our Constitution bars from public office a person who has been declared bankrupt, a possibility that Mr. Seaga may soon face unless he suddenly receives a huge fortune overnight. When will this nightmare end?

I am etc.,

JOHN L. THOMPSON

johnthompson@loadmail.com

Via Go-Jamaica

Back to Letters