THE EDITOR Sir
THE WORD "cess" is defined in both the Concise Oxford Dictionary and Webster's International. I also found the word on the Internet from the web-site 'focus research.com'. The word cess means - "A tax." (plain and simple).
I am a customer of the JPSCo and a citizen of Jamaica and I know it is a dangerous precedent when a private company and the government can 'gang up' on its citizens. In all fairness to JPSCo they probably just bit the bait as the Government sought to absolve themselves from their responsibility.
I have been paying taxes, cess, fees, dues, rates (whatever) for over 25 years of my life; P.A.Y.E; Education Tax; N.H.T; NIS; G.C.T; just to name a few. I was always of the view that within all of this (more than a quarter of my pay in taxes, not including GCT) I would be able to receive certain benefits from the government in terms of infrastructure service and essential amenities. I was totally wrong. Taxes that we pay are only incidental to Government's principal responsibility and therefore if squandered or misused then they simply come back for more. I thought I was 'properly educated' but I need more lessons in "government runnings".
When the government owned the JPSCo the Ministry of Local Government could ignore the bills charged for street lights. Now that the company is privatised the Government is saying to JPSCo we will give you the authority to go to the public directly for these payments as we are broke and it is they who are using the street lights anyway not us.
I must confess I did not believe for one moment that there would be 'no new taxes' but I did not believe the Government would be bold enough at this time to create one so close to the heart (pocket) of the working class and the very poor. Well, blame it on the JPSCo, we have nothing to do with it as it is a cess not a tax. Sounds pretty good, better than 'over exuberant spending' or 'nutten nuh go soh".
In my opinion it is absolutely unfortunate and ill-conceived, as it is most inequitable to charge me for a street light based on the light bill I use in my home. What correlation is there between the wattage usage in my home and a street lamp at my gate? I stress again, I may need further education in "government runnings". There is no way under the sun, and by any stretch of the imagination that this can be argued. Further, not every citizen of Jamaica paying light bill has street light or will ever get streetlights, so how can this be equitable?
Why should I pay when the man in the garrison communities has street light and light but no meter. I guess they are smarter than I am as they knew of these eventualities and more so they are more educated in 'government runnings'. What next? A cess on water, garbage collection, police cars, hospital beds or how about a cess on Heroes Park maintenance? We all drive by it.
How long is the cess for? How many years' cess would it take to give every street and way in Jamaica street light? Given that this is achieved doesn't this require even more cess? The vicious circle of taxes is what we are being introduced to. Remember the Education Tax? Well, note that the education budget has been drastically reduced but the education tax still exists. The Government must seek to be honourable in all its doings and stop cheating working class people of their hard earned income and making them poorer.
I am etc.
SNAPPY
Kingston 20
