#Providenciales, March 7, 2019 – Turks and Caicos – Attorney, and former 2016
general election candidate Mark Fulford believes the amnesty which benefits
Beaches Turks and Caicos resort should have been broader to support ‘the little
man’ and explained that both the Governing PDM and Opposition PNP may have
missed that point during debate on Monday and Tuesday.
In a statement issued this
morning, Fulford said: “No benefit can be extended to one Turks and Caicos
Islander that is denied or even not extended to any other.”
Mark Fulford of F Chambers
Law Firm expresses that it is unconstitutional for some and not all to benefit
from the amnesty. Mr. Fulford said the
PNP Opposition party should have taken its argument during House of Assembly
debate further.
“Therefore, the Opposition
should have demanded and the Government should have proposed that every
Belonger, whether in arrears for NIB, NHIB, Business Licenses, Crown Land lease
etc should all be extended Amnesty on the same terms given to the 21 entities
to whom this Ordinance applies.”
Mark Fulford is calling
for the Turks and Caicos Islands Government to have more cutting-edge
adaptability and work toward creating a model hospitality industry, which
attracts domestic and international investment.
“More should have been
done to gain a specific understanding of the actual accounting behind the
Amnesty Ordinance. Governments should
never try to solve just the problem before them. But a progressive government would have used
this problem of misevaluation of tax to do a ‘Super Development Agreement’ with
Beaches and other accredited hotel properties which would craft a solution that
will provide a stable stream of revenue for the next 10-15 years.”
Premier and Finance
Minister, Sharlene Robinson during her wrap up on the ‘Amnesty bill’ in the
House of Assembly on Monday night explained, 41 businesses would benefit from a
30-day amnesty which permits a waiver of all penalty fees, once the actual
accumulation of taxes are paid in full to TCIG.
The businesses which have
fallen behind have to apply to receive the amnesty, which if collected in full,
would bring just under $29 million into the public treasury; Beaches Resort and
Club Med cumulatively owe around $28 million of the total back taxes.
You can read Mark Fulford’s statement in full at MagneticMediaTV.com.
#magneticmedianews
#amnesyforallsaysfulford