The movie about the car starred me, President Jagdeo and three other men

Oct 31, 2010 Features / Columnists, Freddie Kissoon

Mr. Seepaul Narine, General Secretary of GAWU, told the Guyana Labour Union congress that Guyana’s tax system is “unfair and discriminatory.” Narine went on to bemoan the disadvantage working people face from this inequity. President Jagdeo, speaking after Narine, disagreed.
Mr. Jagdeo once told Mr. Yesu Persaud, that he was ignorant of the tax laws when Mr. Persaud complained. As it turned out, Persaud was right, the President was wrong.
Is Mr. Narine ignorant of the tax laws? Property tax is designed to hurt the working class and benefit the rich. Under property tax, individuals cannot claim depreciation for cars and furniture; only business entities can.
I didn’t know this until the GRA boss, Khurshid Sattaur, sent me eight property tax forms and demanded that I fill them in. I found out how indecently unfair property tax laws are. I cannot, now to the next 100 years, if I continue to own furniture and a car, depreciate their value. Only the vehicles, machines and other properties of business people are allowed depreciation. Enter my half dead car.
President Jagan came to power in 1992 and immediately stopped duty free vehicles for UG lecturers. I got mine because the concession was only for lecturers who taught at the Berbice campus. I got my letter and bought a Toyota Mark 2 with honest money I worked for at UG. This was in 1999. I saw a Toyota Rav 4 which cost less. The dealer told me he cannot sell me that car because I have a duty free letter for a Mark 2. I went to the Minister of Finance, Mr. Sase Kowlessar to change my duty free letter. He told me that President Jagdeo’s instructed that such requests must be channeled to the President himself.
I watched Mr. Kowlessar with incredible eyes and said to him; “To change a duty free letter for someone as unimportant and powerless like me?”
I secured a meeting with Mr. Jagdeo. He asked why I wanted a change. I told him the Rav 4 was cheaper. I would save a few hundred thousand dollars. He told me his people had to do the research and I would hear from him. I never did.
A month after I kept reminding his secretary, Nancy Ferreira. Ms. Ferreira was sympathetic and pursued Mr. Jagdeo. I got a note signed by Ms. Ferreira to take to Nirmal Rekha, Secretary to the Treasury to grant the change.
Mr. Rekha refused to sign my new duty free letter. I went to the Minister. He sent me to President Jagdeo. I met President Jagdeo again. He was laughing. He said; “Tell Rekha to sign it.” Again Rekha refused. Back to Jagdeo. He said he was about to leave and that I must tell Rekha to do his job. I must instruct Rekha, not the President, who is Rekha’s boss. I knew Jagdeo was conning me and had no intention of contacting Rekha. From that day, I lost all respect for Mr. Jagdeo and knew he would never make a good President. This was in 1999.
We have four names so far. The other is William Cox, personal assistant to the President. I asked him to accompany me to talk to Mr. Rekha. We met the Finance Minister. He was livid. He demanded that Rekha sign the document. Rekha told him he was leaving for an appointment. Cox and I waited for half of a day. Rekha returned. We informed the Minister. When Rekha saw the Minister coming, he walked away and kept evading us. Finally, an employee told us that Rekha had gone into an empty room. We waited until he emerged and Minister Kowlessar insisted he sign. He informed the Minister that I would have to pick it up the next day.
Since 1999, my Rav4 has collapsed. My mechanic, Deo, lives opposite the BV police station and works for the Guyana Revenue Authority so the GRA boss, Khurshid Sattaur, can investigate the countless times the past five years he saved my Rav4. My other mechanic, Smally, operates at the other end of the street in Bel Air village where Ms. Sita Ramlal lives. Mr. Sattaur can check out the times in each month Smally repairs my Rav 4. Mark Benschop laughs at the state of my Rav 4 and would tell me that if I go to New York, the Guyanese Diaspora is waiting to see me and would help me buy a new car.
Yet in those property tax forms for the past eight years I had to state the original price of the Rav4. That adds up to my assets when in fact I am living with a car, the value of which has depreciated badly over the past ten years. This is unfair and nasty.

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