BUDGET 2024: Senator says Gov’t giving with one hand and taking with the other

By Admin. Updated 4:50 p.m., Tuesday, January 9, 2024, Atlantic Standard Time (GMT-4).

Opposition Senator – Shevern John has decried the move by the government to increase certain licences and fees in the 2024 budget after announcing an increase in minimum wages and amending the income tax threshold.

“When we look at it, we are getting one thing with this hand and we are pulling it back with the other hand, this is what this government is offering our Vincentian people,” Senator John said during her contribution to the 2024 budget debate in Parliament today (January 9).

During his 2024 Budget Speech, Minister of Finance, Economic Planning, and Technology – Camillo Gonsalves announced a number of revenue-generating fiscal measures including increases in some licenses and fees.

In her remarks, Senator John who is the New Democratic Party (NDP) candidate from North Windward said if we are gaining more revenue from the taxed instead of the non-taxed, it applies to individuals.

“It applies in terms of your income tax and in what we see here increase in driver’s licences, increase in motor vehicle licence, and other tax reforms that we are seeing here,” she said.

She said: “Many may say, but we have the tax threshold increasing. The question is how many Vincentians are earning wages that reach that tax threshold?”.

The senator mentioned workers such as those in the government’s Youth Empowerment Service (YES) programme who will now benefit from an announced increase in the minimum wages which takes effect from March 1, 2024, but she questioned the impact of the recently announced fiscal measures on people’s purchasing power.

“We are now hearing about [an] increase in wages, prior to that, a YES worker was working for 450 or less when you take out your stamp duty and your NIS…and we had a number of workers here working below wages that are below the poverty line, so madame speaker when we look at it, we are getting one thing with this hand and we are pulling it back with the other hand, this is what this government is offering our Vincentian people

She said the budget is one of missed opportunities.