The Hon. Kabir Hashim

¶ 01 Please give me two more minutes, Sir.

¶ 02 The poor in this country, as consumers, have already paid about Rs. 309 billion in VAT to private companies through the medicines we buy, the books and stationery, our daily essentials. You have still not recovered this. Instead, you are bringing a criminal law regime. Is this fair? According to the Auditor General’s 2023 Report, there were 46 court cases, and Rs. 296 million should be recoverable from them, but those files are missing. So you have not recovered that either. Your inefficiency and weakness prevent you from mobilizing revenue; when the IMF breathes down your neck, you bring criminal law to frighten and suppress small people and budding entrepreneurs, depriving them of opportunities and crushing their initiative. This is serious.

¶ 03 I think Clause 34 which introduces Section 185A is a draconian piece of legislation, Hon. Minister. Think about that. This is not the way it is done. Tax compliance is a social contract with the people. You do not collect taxes by forcing people, aiming the barrel of a gun. That is not the way it is done. This is bad for our country.

¶ 04 Then, you are trying to bring in investments. I saw that last week the Hon. Minister launched the National SME Strategy Framework targeting US dollars 300 billion. At that launch, a World Bank survey clearly pointed to what? For businesses, especially SMEs, a key challenge is tax collection and tax administration. In the midst of this, you are bringing in a criminal law regime. What are you doing? Where is the consistency? On one hand, you table an SME strategy; the next week you bring a Bill that frightens businesses. Even your own government does not know where it is headed.

¶ 05 Once again, as the Opposition, we ask the Government to amend Clause 34 introducing Section 185. Saying that this is vital for our country, I conclude.

¶ 06 Thank you.