Another call has been issued to Dominican citizens, three months after Tax Awareness Week was observed, to pay taxes owed to the state.
Prime Minister and Finance Minister Roosevelt Skerrit issued that call while speaking with members of the media on Wednesday, 12th June.
According to Mr Skerrit, one hundred and six million dollars ($106, 000, 000) in tax is outstanding.
He noted that despite his ministry’s effort to devise strategies to work with tax defaulters, the payments still remain unpaid.
“We’re devising a strategy; we’ve been offering people to come forward and we would waive the penalties and interest…but even after you’ve done that the people do not honor the agreement,” Mr Skerrit said.
He stated that in some instances the penalties and interest waived have been substantial amounts and this was done in the hope that the defaulters would pay.
“When you reduce this interest and penalty, our hope was that the people would have gone and paid off the principle as agreed. It’s being reported to me that that’s not happening. Some people, they come to you to get the interest and penalties to stop increasing, but they do not honor their commitments and it’s a hundred and six million dollars,” he said.
He stated further that in addition to the $106 million, there might be in excess of $50 million in land outstanding. “So you’re talking about one hundred and fifty-six million dollars that people owe the state”.
While Mr Skerrit lamented the fact that this huge sum of money remains unpaid, he stated that some of the tax defaulters are the ones asking for better roads, assistance to small businesses and for the government to do more.
Mr Skerrit also indicated that this is very costly as the government expends in excess of $1 million for the Yes We Care Program and $70, 000 monthly to maintain the House of Safety for Children who are at risk or have been abandoned by their parents.
Earlier this year in March, comptroller of the Inland Revenue Division Irvin Williams during the opening ceremony of Tax Awareness Week, warned tax evaders, defaulters and others who are non-compliant to fall in line immediately as stringent measures will be taken to recover these monies.
Mr Williams also announced that the Division will be working with the relevant authorities to ensure that people do not travel without a valid exit certificate, the names of VAT defaulters will be published in the newspapers, and court action will be taken against defaulters; both non-filers and non-payers.
