Tax law change worries MLA
(CNS): Unable to attend the government’s original presentation of theamendments to the Tax Concessions Law in the Legislative Assembly recently, the MLA for North Side says he will be raising his concerns when the House returns on Monday. Ezzard Miller told CNS that he is puzzled by both the amendment itself and the timing, as the law is designed to protect offshore or exempted companies from any future new taxes that a government may introduce. Miller said he was worried that the amendment does not specify which companies would now be exempt, why and what benefits a local company may receive from the new exemption.
Miller, who was absent because of a CPA conference in the UK, warned that the change on the surface could present a situation where tax exemption became politicised. “This exemption would be a subjective decision by the elected officials in Cabinet. While this government may not be unduly influenced by any local pressure groups or associations, we could have a government in the future that might be and then tax exemption would become a political favour,” Miller said.
The North Side MLA said he would be suggesting some committee stage amendments and intended to ask government why it was that the law was being brought at this time. “I will be seeking an explanation from government about what has brought it about now,” Miller stated. “I would like to know if the amendments are to meet a request from any new potential investor the government is trying attract. I need to know more about his before I decide if I can support this or not.”
The law raised considerable controversy when it was raised in the Legislative Assembly on Wednesday 24 November. A heated verbal exchange between Premier McKeeva Bush, who was presenting the amendments, and the representative from East End, Arden McLean, who had queried what government’s intentions were regarding the changes, resulted in the speaker ordering McLean to withdraw a comment about the premier. McLean refused and was then asked by the speaker to leave the chamber, which he did, accompanied by the entire PPM opposition team, who all said they backed the East End member’s position.
Alden McLaughlin, the PPM member for George Town, said the opposition had very real concerns about the amendments and their implications. He said there were no details or criteria about how the exemptions would be given and why local companies would be included. “Why now and what for?” McLaughlin asked. “There are already provisions in the law to give concessions to existing taxes.”
He also raised the issue that with the amendments these concessions would be given without public scrutiny. “What this is all about is conferring yet another power on Cabinet to make decisions behind closed doors,” McLaughlin said.
Category: Headline News
While I don’t agree with many of his views, I must admit that Ezzard seems to be the only politician in Cayman that has concern for the country (rather than just himself, like so many others), and has his eyes open to understand future repercussions of today’s decisions. Maybe he should be voted in as the next Premier. Rally, people!
Atten: MR. EZZARD MILLER,
Thanks for your Leadership.
Amen, get we need to get this premier out of offfice ASAP.Put him on the back bench where he can sit till we vote him out in 2013. Or force him to resign its for the good of the country.
Ezzzard you need a petition that deals with the following issues:
1. Removing Big Mac from Office
2 Stop the Imparato Project
3. No mining of our Mt. Trashmore. (Too dangerous for a little 144 square miles territory like ours if it explodes!)
4.Petition to preserve andprotect ourselves as a TAX FREE HAVEN FOREVER! if we don’t we are doomed. Its all we have to offer offshore investment.Don’t let Big Mac take that away from us!.
5.Stop the raping of Bank accounts 7 years young! way too early It takes 10 – 15 years to save up for a College fund., Stop Raping college fund bank accounts! Only 30 to 50 year old accounts should be considered unclaimed.
6. The Berthing Dock our land protected from being lost in a lease that is TOO LONG! We need the property to be leased in a way that we will not lose our public land to Billionaire developers.
Big Mac is wearing out Alden, Ezzard, Chuckie, Arden, Ms. Florence Goring-Nozza and the rest of us as the strong opposition trying to keep him in line. He is destroying the country’s wealth and natural resources and we want him out of office. The man is a loose cannon!
GET THE PETITION READY. (All these matters on the agenda please!
Huh… Ezzard you have ALOT of ‘WORRYING’ to do if you are to deal with McKeeva. Perhaps worrying is NOT the solution to take. There are a few other options that you and WE as a people SHOULD take against McKeeva.
People, it is all too obvious that EVERYTHING that McKeeva has done is controversial and questionable. Have we NOT gotten ENOUGH of McKeeva’s highly controversial and questionable actions in this entire year+ as Premier?
Boy, I’d hate to move to another country and claimed retired status. Hey, why I am still paying 20,000 a year in work permit fees to work for my own company anyway? Oh, well maybe I’ll get status one day day and getto stop paying. Good thing my company consists of a computer, note pad and pen.
This pig won’t fly. If some local companies are exempt from income tax and a new tax is introduced there will be riots in the streets and any government that makes such a move will fall. So a new tax can never be introduced. One of the unintended consequences of this legislation.
I understand the need for foreign investors to seek such assurances, the only thing that attracts them is our tax-free status, without that there is no reason to invest here. We are just too small and uninviting otherwise. All of our "Broke" and tax discussions must have them really spooked. Look what happens when we open our big mouth without thinking.
But if we create an unequal situation Caymanians will not accept it. Better to place a guarantee of no income or business tax in the Cayman Constitution then everyone is safe and our government will have to spend carefully. Forever.
Riots in the streets of Cayman ?
I don’t think so. Caymanians are like sheep. They follow the one with the biggest mouth and get fooled by politics and church.
If Caymanians are like Sheep, then that means the rest of the world is the same, since in every country the wrong politicians are elected and after they do the things they do to ruin those countries, the people simply RE-ELECT them back into power over and over again.
Enlighten yourself on world politics and you’ll understand that our planet is made up of MOSTLY ‘SHEEP’.
Just as IRON CLAD
You should be all over this like Oprah on a sweet potato pie….
Yes, Ezzard- They are attempting an end around. Thank you for keeping your eyes open.
I think it’s the reach-around they are trying.
Welcome back home Ezzard and We wish you speedy recovery and good health.
Thank you for being our Independent Premier educated enough to know when an ignorant illiterate decision has been made that will hurt the people and also offshore businesses. the UDP premier does not seem to know what to do constructive but he is gifted to destroy what little we do have!
Ezzard for Premier
Ezzard please include the protest in the petition against these taxes if you need our signature bring it to us if what he is doing will hurt us!
Conclusion, if every minute you have to be opposing what he is doing XXXX then its best to focus on how you are going to get him to step down or FORCE HIM OUT OF OFFICE, he is fast destroying this counry!
>> ATTENTION <<
"Conclusion, if every minute you have to be opposing what he is doing XXXX then its best to focus on how you are going to get him to step down or FORCE HIM OUT OF OFFICE, he is fast destroying this country!"
Fully AGREED!!!
Now that’s what I’m talkin’ about. It is clear and obvious that McKeeva is on a RELENTLESS trail of DESTRUCTION to our country.
People… ONE Solution….. LET’S GET THIS TYRANNOSAURUS REX OUT OF OUR GOVERNMENT >NOW< AND FOREVER !!!
Damn, I AM TIRED of seeing and knowing what this T-REX is doing to the People AND the Physical SOIL that we call Home. FED UP!!!