Dear Editor,
In my opinion, living in accordance with the law is sometimes not better than breaking the law.
One friend was explaining to me how much of a hassle it was being a licensed firearm holder and how he failed to see how performing all the required ballistic testing was supposed to stop the illegal possession of illegally obtained firearms by criminals. I have to say that I’m in agreement with him since I can’t figure it out also.
I work at an institution whose accounts are regularly audited and everything is kept up-to-date. However, when visiting the NIS offices fellow employees have reported to me that there are incorrect or incomplete records on their contributions. Which of course they find difficult to believe as the processing of the contributions and payment to the NIS is done automatically by the institution. The employees would then have to get a letter from the institution testifying that payments have been made and take this letter to NIS before the records are adjusted.
There was the whole business with GPL trying to place retroactive charges on customers for failures in meter functioning or incorrect billing until the PUC had to put a limit to it. Still, the GPL simply declares that you’ve been stealing electricity without providing any proof and nothing can be done except to get a court injunction against them cutting off your electricity supply, because they will exercise that leverage.
Then there is the GRA. I am in receipt of a letter from the GRA stating that by the authority invested in them they are hereby fining me 2% of my annual taxes for submitting my tax return approximately 2 weeks late. Now I know that I submitted my return statement before the deadline, but I have no proof. Neither can the GRA provide any proof that I did other than to say that the computer said so. Everyone is familiar with the brown wooden box provided for persons to place their tax returns in. Everyone who has tried is also familiar with the refusal by the GRA to provide a receipt or to even have an employee initial and date a duplicate return.
Through this all, the GRA employees I have come in contact with have been courteous and helpful. But they are operating within a flawed system and for this they cannot be blamed. This must be said and they must be commended.
So this is what I’m experiencing in dealing with the GRA. This is what I get for not migrating to Canada as everyone at some time or the other has been inquiring as to why I haven’t done so as yet. This is what I get for religiously paying my taxes every month for the thirteen (13) years I’ve been employed.
Then when I turn on the TV to the government channel I see what can be only termed as propaganda. The worst performing government and semi-government institutions all have extensive TV programmes touting their great services to the people, etc. But there are many of us who have first-hand experiences of the treatment and solutions from these institutions. I think that the tactic employed here is that these poorly performing government institutions have gotten the idea that if they say it is so (on national TV no less) then it is so.
But not to worry – I will continue to obey the law. But it is with a heavy heart I now awake every day to go to work to make some effort to contribute to better this nation.
Yours faithfully,
Ravindra Saul
