Latest update November 26th, 2024 1:00 AM
Jagdeo still avoids declaring wealth
The Opposition Peoples Progressive Party (PPP) has drafted a motion in the National Assembly, looking to have Members of Parliament declare to the public their tax returns to the Guyana Revenue Authority for the past 10 years,
Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo
but its leader will be exempt.
The PPP is looking to have the National Assembly resolve to make available to the public their tax returns to the Guyana Revenue Authority for the last 10 years on or before December 31, 2015.
Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo, who has been on the receiving end of public demand in an attempt to have him declare his assets, has however paid no taxes since his salary as President was tax free and he has been earning a pension since demitting office which would account for more than 10 years.
The maneuvre is but one in many employed by the former President to avoid declaring his accumulated wealth during his more than two decades in public office firstly in the Ministry of Finance and as President.
According to the PPP motion, all Members of Parliament are required to file annual income tax returns to the Guyana Revenue Authority in compliance with the Income Tax Act and that Government has publicly declared that it will uphold greater transparency in government and accountability and scrutiny of persons holding public office.
The PPP is also looking to have the House resolve to urge the government to expeditiously table legislation to give effect to the motion.
Just last month, the Opposition leader spelt out some conditions under which he would be willing to declare his wealth.
He had said, however, that he is not prepared to be the only one travelling in the boat of accountability and transparency.
He had declared that he would only make the disclosures if all other politicians in Parliament are prepared to do the same.
On the matter of his wealth and seaside mansion, Jagdeo had claimed that his “affairs is a public book.”
He said that at a meeting with President David Granger, he told the President that based on the fact that there have been lots of charges about people sloshing money abroad, “Why don’t we get all of our Members of Parliament to make public, not just to the Integrity Commission, but to make public their assets held outside of Guyana.”
Jagdeo told the media that he heard members of the new government saying that while it may be relatively easy to ascertain the extent of politicians’ wealth in Guyana, it may be quite a task to track down those assets around the world.
The Opposition Leader said that he is prepared, as well, to work with the government to make it a policy that every Member of Parliament must make public their payment of taxes for the past 10 years.
“I am prepared to subject myself to any of these things. In fact I am advocating it; I am not worried about a Christopher Ram and an Anand Goolsarran”.
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