Merhair Joins Fight Against The Retrenchment Of Over Two Thousand Workers
Reported by: Laird Ulrie 5/27/2009 9:03:43 PM

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Independent senator Gail Merhair joins the public services association in its fight against the retrenchment of over two thousand workers from the Inland Revenue and customs and excise divisions. The government has indicated plans to disband the two divisions and set up a revenue authority. Senator Merhair agrees with such a plan but she says privatization of tax collection via the creation of a private company is against the spirit of good governance. Senator Merhair says tax collection is a very sensitive aspect of state affairs and must be governed by the rules of the public service, she said the registration of a management company is a policy shift which is unacceptable. The more than two thousand workers to be retrenched at the Inland Revenue and customs and excise divisions are today receiving support from independent senator Gail Merhair. The senator is concerned about the formation of the Trinidad and Tobago revenue authority management company limited, calling it unacceptable. The company has been formed to oversee the transformation of the two divisions to the revenue authority. In the process two thousand workers will be given voluntary separation packages. In a release Ms Merhair says the public services association is right to oppose the new entity which she says is not in the interest of good governance. She says tax collection is a very sensitive aspect of state affairs and must be governed by the rules of the public service commission which ensures integrity, fairness and privacy of data collected. The independent senator says the retrenchment of public officers represents government’s unstated policy of privatizing public functions to achieve desired objectives. She believes it does not solve any problems, particularly with respect to accountability and transparency. Senator Merhair sees it as a side stepping of the issues at hand…. a virtual abdication by government of its responsibility to govern Trinidad and Tobago. She now calls for all to unite in support of the PSA and its struggle for the rights of workers.

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