All of this country’s revenues will now be controlled by the Prime Minister and his Cabinet.
That’s according to UNC Senator Wade Mark in light of the House of Representatives approval last Friday of the nominations of three people to serve in top positions in the Trinidad and Tobago Revenue Authority (TTRA).
Mark, speaking at the Opposition’s weekly press conference in Port of Spain on Sunday, said the TTRA is set to become a “party group” because of Finance Minister Colm Imbert’s role in the selection of its executive board.
Patsy Latchman-Atterbury, Helen Thomas-Brown and Riad Juman were named on Friday as the authority’s director-general, deputy director-general (domestic tax) and deputy director-general (customs and excise), respectively.
The finance minister also laid the order to extend the deadline for implementation of the authority. The new deadline is now April 30.
Mark described it as authoritarianism, fascism and dictatorship, pointing out that the finance minister appoints on contract, the director general; deputy director general; the deputy director general with responsibility for customs and excise…he fixes the terms and conditions of employment for …and, if this minister of finance is unhappy with the performance of this particular group of persons (sic), the minister can remove them.”
He also questioned what kind of independence would these office holders have to the people of Trinidad and Tobago.
He said the directors appointed are going to be like puppets of the “master puppeteer” and “your business will be in the hands of Balisier House.