Independent Senator Ramesh Deosaran yesterday urged the Government to wake up, stop bullying the people of this country and squash its move to increase taxes on property.

Speaking in his contribution to the 2009/2010 Budget debate at the Senate sitting, in the Red House Port of Spain, Deosaran knocked the Government on poor management and asserted that it seems it had thrown its social contract with the people in the dustbin.

’You must retreat sensibly. You will not lose face. You can even say ’alright we have disturbed the national community and we understand, what we’ll do now is to set up an attack force to take a more reasoned approach to the whole thing,’’ Deosaran said.

’I would say squash this amendment on property tax, send it to a task force, or if you feel you want to impose this amendment on the country, put it in your manifesto for the next elections. Let the public know beforehand this is what we stand for ... it is undesirable to increase taxes so significantly along the way between elections. Please do not bully the country, do not bully the middle class, we have had enough of that.’

Deosaran also chastised the Government for justifying the increase in property tax by saying that it is so in other countries. Referring to the anger of the people over property tax increases in Miami, USA, Deosaran advised the Government to also note the reaction to this from society.

’Wake up! You cannot boast about your GDP and have an unhappy country, that is why there is so much grief and tears over this budget. As a pensioner said, it is disgusting,’ he said.

Deosaran pointed out that there is no accountability system in place to ensure that the money is being used wisely. He added that the timing of this increase to the property tax was wrong, and lamented that it seemed as though Government had declared ’war’ on the salaried class. He said Government should open its eyes to the social ills in society and meet the basic needs of the people.

Opposition Senator Faisal Mohammed Rahaman also criticised the tax increase, describing it as a piece of ’wickedness’’ that would affect every person and sector in this country.

Rahaman said tenants would have to pay more rent, doctors and lawyers would increase their bills, as they would have to pay more rent, and even tourism would be affected, as hotels would also be subjected to paying higher taxes.