The Region Four administration is moving to impose an annual regional licence fee/tax on businesses in “unregulated areas” in the region but this move has not gone down well with the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) representatives on the council.
Clement Corlette
The fee will be charged on all fun parks/resorts, coal pit operations, hotels/restaurants, guest houses, transmission towers for telecommunications, use/occupation of market stalls, beauty salons, car washes, saw mills, snackettes, lumber yards, airport, sand pits and private day care centres.
A press release said that the decision was made by Regional Chairman Clement Corlette and was unanimously supported by the PNCR-1G, AFC and JFAP councillors when they met at the council’s last statutory meeting. The release stated that a directive, which was signed by the Regional Chairman was tabled for discussion and approval and it read “that the Regional Democratic Council … – be made an authorized revenue (collecting) body corporate”.
The release stated that the decision did not have the support of the entire council with the PPP councilors saying that the Regional Chairman and the council do not have the authority. Further, the PPP councillors said that businesses in unregulated areas and in general already pay their fair share of taxes to Central government, the release stated.
Increasingly there has been a struggle between the PPP/C and the PNCR-1G for control of council. The Chairman – a PNCR-1G nominee – and the Regional Executive Officer have clashed over budgeting and other matters. The council saw the PPP/C and the PNCR-1G combining their votes to share the top two positions following the 2006 general elections. A fractious relationship has since followed.
As you look closer at the list of premises that are categorized under “unregulated areas”, you will recognize several regulated premises nestling among its midst. If my memory serves me right, market stalls are regulated by the subject NDC (if there is not NDC– the Ministry of Health is the statutory authority); car washes have contracts with GWA Inc.; snackettes will have to confirm with CH&PA (zoning) and purchase a licence from the Region to operate. I think that it will an excellent idea if the RDC by way of resolution, can call upon the Ministry of Health to ensure that beauty salons and private day care centres are routinely inspected by public health officials. Indeed, from an infection control perspective, beauty salons ought to be inspected by public health officials, so as to reduce the risk of transmission of blood borne pathogens (Hepatitis B, HIV/AIDS), as well as tiena capitis and psychosis barbae. On the other hand, private day care centres will also require public health surveillance due to its high risk population, new and emerging strains of influenza viruses, known epidemiology of nonenveloped viruses, injury etc. Incidentally, coal pit operations within residential communities are prohibited according to current public health laws. It may be interesting to see what piece of legislation empowers the RDC to make such decision by way of resolution. I am waiting on the answer…
michael tannassee, thanks for the correction i.e. “tinea” instead of “tiena”. It was a genuine mistake on my part. However, I do know that others are reading and examining the contents of my contributions. Indeed, this is refreshing as my time spent in the on going and new dialogues is certainly not wasted.
it’s “tinea” not tiena which i suspect is a typo ,, since all of what u say here has substance ,, that merits ur comment ,, not only beauty salons ,, but barber shops ,, as well where the tools used in the trade is NOT sterilised to effect the contagion of “tinea capitis” which is highly contagious ,, and is the sole reason for young men losing their hair ,,, while some go grey very early ,, which is indicative that both baldness and grey hairs in not hereditary nor biological !
proof ?????? if yuh know fuh reed den it lookin yuh in yuh mouth !… suh gwan guh reeed an larn ! de Falcon know wah meh ah talk bowt !…..
…meh fahget fuh menshan dat de licence ,, for unzoned biz ,, should be in place a lang time back already ,, an it muss be heavy to induce upon de owners ,, the need to rugulate demself or move out and guh weh de zone fuh biznis deh !….
den all will know who payin NIS an who iz nat !……
I can assume that this move is to generate more income for the RDC, not a bad initiative, but i think that would be re-inventing the wheel.
If such places are unregularised, it therefore means that the relevant authorities have mised them.
I agree that the RDC does not have that authority to levy such fees against such entities and the system of government does not allow for that.
I consider it to be a move to seperate/reduce control from central government.
I personally dont have problem with decentralization, if it achieves it’s objectives.