By Robert Andre Emmanuel
Information Minister Melford Nicholas said that a total of approximately thirty-five forensic auditors will be needed at the Inland Revenue Department, if the government hopes to make good on its initiative to increase tax compliance across the island.
Last week, eight officials from the Ministry of Finance, the Treasury, and the Inland Revenue Department (IRD) presented a monthly report to the Cabinet.
Nicholas, speaking to reporters at the Cabinet meeting, said that tax compliance was vital to the government to close the revenue/expenditure gap.
“The obligations that are set for the government – by public expectation – for good roads, for effectively- equipped schools and health facilities, these things do not come cheap in the world that we are living in, we have our public servants who require fair [wages] so, all of these issues impact the cost of government,” he said.
The report is intended to capture the performance of the government’s fiscal efforts during the months of January and February.
“Over the past three years, the government continues to see an expansion of the economy, the tax revenues are not keeping stride with that reality, so when we look, for example, at the number of still visitors that are coming to our shores, we would expect to see corresponding increases coming from the guest service tax by April,” he articulated.
The government has taken a variety of policy steps which they hope will close the gap, including a tightening of rules around service providers, and increased management of public funds by the Financial Secretary.
Additionally, the establishment of an oversight committee, and planned efforts to amend the Customs Service Act, the Cabinet said, will help clarify their policy position in law.