Dear Editor,
Appearing on the front page of the Saturday edition of Kaieteur News of October 31, 2009 and just below that horrendous photograph of human brutality there appeared in full colour and in block letters the following notice headed “MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL,” and I must quote its full text: “ATTENTION ALL PROPERTY OWNERS!! THERE ARE ONLY 1 DAY FOR WAIVERS ON ALL INTEREST ON PROPERTY TAXES. THIS OFFER ENDS ON SATURDAY OCTOBER 31, 2009.  PAY YOUR TAXES NOW.”

I shall pretend not to have noticed the grammatical lapse that ‘there are only 1 day’ or that the waivers should be ‘of’ all interest.  My deep and instant concern is that the city council could be the purveyor of false information regarding the nature of the monies they collect or hope to collect from citizens.  Let us educate them as well as ourselves.

The money we pay to the city council as well as to all the district councils comprising our local government is designated “general rate” at section 202 of the Municipal and District Councils Act, Chapter 28:01 of the Laws of Guyana. This general rate according to section 213 of the act, falls due in four equal instalments: on the first day of February, April, July and October each year.  We often colloquially but inaccurately refer to it as our “rates and taxes.”  There are actually no taxes involved.  What we, and the council in particular, must never call it is “property tax.”  It is indeed paid on our properties, but it enjoys its own designation as general rate. Property tax is of an entirely different character and is payable – if not actually paid – on all our net assets in excess of $7,500,000 as at December 31 of each year. It includes all we own in whatever form, jewellery, landed property, motor vehicles, shares, cash in the bank – all that we hope the Commissioner of Internal Revenue never discovers, for it is he who levies and collects property tax under the provisions of the Property Tax Act. It is amazing how many citizens are genuinely ignorant of this tax until they try to sell some land or motor vehicle and must obtain a Tax Compliance Certificate at which time their information bank is enhanced while their financial bank balance faces diminution. But that’s another story – and importantly, another category with which I hope the city council will cease to cause any further confusion.
Yours faithfully,
Leon O. Rockcliffe