Leader of the Opposition, Bharrat Jagdeo yesterday accused the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) of victimisation after five of his party’s Members of Parliament were served with letters regarding property tax.
At a press conference, Jagdeo said that the budget debate was not even completed when the letters were served and suspects that it was because of vindictiveness of the government or Minister of Finance, Winston Jordan.
According to him, five of the PPP/C MPs; Frank Anthony, Indra Chandarpal, Irfaan Ali, Joe Hamilton and Juan Edghill received the letters on Wednesday night and yesterday morning.
Responding to a question about whether it was reasonable for the GRA to notify public office holders if they default on property taxes, he said the timing for doing so was bad.
He reiterated that it was “in the middle of the debate, especially after Jordan had such a rough time in parliament” that the MPs got the letters.
He said it has been the pattern that every time they mount some criticism of the government or expose corruption, the government says “we going to come after you.”
He pointed out that some of the MPs he spoke to, indicated that “they don’t owe a cent in taxes.” He did not specify which MPs he spoke to and how much money the GRA claimed that they owe.
