APP makes land tax promise

One of this country’s newest political alliances is promising the complete elimination of land tax if elected to office, describing the levy as “abusive”.

Leader of the Alliance Party for Progress (APP), Bishop Joseph Atherley, made the declaration during a visit to Station Hill, one of the first since announcing his intention to run in St Michael Central.

There, he slammed incumbent Arthur Holder for his silence on the rights of squatters in the constituency, the Government’s apparent leniency toward alien landholdings, and its lackadaisical policy on taxation in general.

“I do not know that in 2022 you can properly justify the state charging people for taxes on land which the people have worked for and bought and own, sometimes at two to three times the market price that it would normally cost, because they had to deal with financial institutions,” Bishop Atherley told reporters on Tuesday morning.

He acknowledged that in welfare states like Barbados, high taxation is often a necessary evil, but the elimination of wastage and corruption from government could save billions of dollars, thereby reducing the need for burdensome taxes.

“…. We are taxed to the max, so where else are you going to tax us? For speaking?” he asked rhetorically.

Bishop Atherley, who served as Opposition Leader, has also slammed the Mia Mottley administration for broken promises to people living in large St Michael squatting communities.

He noted that the issues affecting the status of persons living in Waterford, Station Hill and the Belle have been repeatedly addressed by St Michael East MP, Trevor Prescod.

“I cannot say with similar honesty that I have heard Mr Arthur Holder’s voice on it. Admittedly, Mr Holder has chosen in the Parliament of Barbados to enjoy the privilege of the Speaker’s seat and not necessarily fight to have a voice on their behalf. So I have not heard him in public or private on this matter, but I have heard Mr Prescod,” Bishop Atherley, a former BLP MP declared.

“What about the legislation that would change the situation? What about alternative locations that people could put up their homes and their dwellings, as they did elsewhere? The people down here are no less worthy; they are certainly no less human, and they are no less Barbadian than people in Christ Church or St Philip or wherever else this problem has been addressed,” he added.

In the meantime, Atherley is also calling for limits on the amount of land that can be purchased by wealthy non-nationals, as others struggle for places to live and make a living in areas like agriculture.

“I think that there should be serious limits put on land holdings with respect to people who come from abroad unless they are coming for the purpose of investment and that investment would have to be properly assessed to see what are the benefits it brings to Barbados in terms of foreign exchange earnings, in terms of employment, and it has to be weighed against the negatives,” said Atherley.

“You cannot have one or two or three people owning half of Barbados between them and the rest of people scrambling, scrunting for someplace to live and someplace which their children can occupy after them,” the St Michael Central candidate added. (KS)