DESCRIBING MINISTER Of FINANCE Chris Sinckler as incompetent, lacking judgement, breaching the law and taking the country on a collision course, the Barbados Labour Party (BLP) launched a stinging attack in its motion of no-confidence debated today in the House of Assembly.
Minutes before the start of the sitting with all 30 members of Parliament present, Leader of the Opposition Mia Mottley gave notice of a private members’ motion which laid an extensive list of charges against Sinckler.
Those charges included: The Minister’s admission that the revised Medium term Fiscal Strategy had failed after describing it as “on track” up to March this year; his announcement of the imposition of a temporary consolidation tax on gross income without legal authority being vested in the Commissioner of Inland Revenue to collect that tax; the resultant changing of the tax rates announced by Sinckler in August; the imposition of a municipal solid waste tax without requisite legal authority to collect it; failure to define “direct tourism services” after announcing a reduction in the VAT rate on tourism accommodation/direct services; creating a climate of uncertainty, confusion and despondency among property owners and taxpayers as a result of the municipal solid waste tax and temporary consolidation tax on gross incomes; and not informing the House that the $500 million bond issues withdrawn recently on the international market were under-subscribed at the original closing date of September 30.
She concluded that the House should condemn the Minister, repose no confidence in him, and called on Prime Minister Freundel Stuart to relieve him of his finance and economic affairs portfolio.
Leader of Government Business in the House, John Boyce, then suspended eight Standing Orders, giving the green light to the no-confidence debate. (RJ)
