Orville London

The Trinidad and Tobago Revenue Authority Management Company has met with the executive council of the Tobago House of Assembly (THA). Chief Secretary Orville London revealed that the council expressed the issues of importance of the THA and Tobago to the TTRA Management team. London remained tight-lipped about the THA’s concerns but noted, however, that there were certain nuisances in relation to the THA Act and the treatment of revenue collection in Tobago which needed to be ironed out.

He said the THA would not take a hard and fast position on the TTRA issue at this time. “I think that anybody who knows how we operate in the Tobago House of Assembly will know that we do not take extreme positions in any respect so that we are not supporting or supporting it,” he said. “The efficiency in revenue collection is one of the things we discussed with the TTRA management committee and I am saying there is a way that all the concerns could be addressed to satisfaction with meaningful discussion and mutually respected dialogue.

“I think that is the position we have to take... it is not a black and white, cut and dry demon and angel kind of approach, I think we have made it very clear that we do not take a demon and angel approach to resolving any problem.” London said discussions would continue with the Division of Finance and specially selected officials of the Trinidad and Tobago Revenue Authority Management Company. Meanwhile, speaking at the bi-monthly news conference on Tuesday, Minority Leader Ashworth Jack questioned the process of revenue collection as recorded in Act No 40 of 1996: Section 49.

Jack said the Revenue Authority Act had no provisions for the monies collected in Tobago to stay in Tobago. He said Section 49 should have been taken into consideration when putting any authority together. He said Tobago should have been dealt with as a separate authority, paying some relevance to the Division of Finance within the Tobago House of Assembly.