Tax payment issue

Letters

IT is interesting to read of the Government’s newly found stress on non-payment of taxes and the sudden interests in fixing up that department.
When the boat was sailing in calm waters, nobody thought of that until the storm hit.
Let’s take a layman’s closer look at the issue.
Who are those not paying the taxes as required?
The vast majority of our population living off their land paid their share through the goods they need from the stores.
All hard-working Papua New Guineans had theirs automatically deducted.
They also bear the brunt when purchasing items in shops or services they receive.
So it’s not so difficult to identify the parties who are only taking and not giving back the portion as required by law. Just take a walk down the streets in any towns and cities and you will see the first lot who take and never give. They open seven days a week, pay poor wages, and sell crappy food and junk items to our very ignorant populace. Because business is good and the authorities are either non-existent or easily accept under-the-table deals, this party of takers are rapidly spreading into the suburbs, settlements, blocks, and even to rural outposts.
They bravely march on.
Obviously their numbers jumped so fast under this Government’s tenure.
They have taken over most of the retailing businesses in the country.
The other party to this woe are the big corporations that send in their glamour aces to secure deals and tax concessions over expensive cocktails with our often naive and unsuspecting politicians and bureaucrats.
They come with little presents for one or two individuals and get documents signed into law.
They have the right to secure the noose around our neck while they exploit our natural resources.
The third and worst gang is the loggers who take advantage of our lack of surveillance and monitoring capacities.
They also prey on selfish, illiterate and depraved landowners, and self-centred greedy Government officials and ministers to plunder our trees without giving back what’s due.
Two stand-out culprits in this fiasco are the Immigration and Labour departments.
They are always very quick to blame each other once an alien is caught in the act.
Not forgetting the men in fancy suits.
They go in very shallow without doing their homework, gulp down little gifts, and broker deals worth peanuts to us.
If the PM and Treasurer want to close the loopholes on those who evade taxes, they do not have to look far.

Kapi Lok
Kabwum/Wasu