Learning of an executive meeting at the Alliance for Change (AFC) Headquarters in Kitty, the Movement against VAT on Education gathered less than a dozen persons and picketed yesterday afternoon.
Swami Aksharananda of Saraswati Vidya Niketan said the protestors decided to come out when they learned that there was going to be an executive meeting at the AFC’s headquarters as they wanted to remind the ministers of their presence. Other protestors expressed that they were not going to stop until the VAT on education was removed.
Just before the protest ended, Minister of Public Security Khemraj Ramjattan arrived. Just before entering the premises Ramjattan told the protestors from across the road that the government would review the measure by 2018.
The protestors said that they will continue their protests until the President makes a decision to stop the implementation of taxes on private education.
Private education became subject to VAT on February 1, following the removal of zero-rated items as a measure of the 2017 National Budget. Minister of Finance Winston Jordan said earlier this month that only private schools that earn more than $15 million a year and are registered for VAT, will be expected to charge the tax, which is not being applied to education or educational supplies, but to tuition fees payable to private schools
