THE Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) has said it would vote against a Bill being brought to Parliament today to introduce a cess for street lights and vowed that it would roll back the tax if it forms the government after the next elections.

"On Tuesday, we will vote against the Bill to be brought to the House of Representatives to allow the Jamaica Public Service Company to impose a cess of 31.4 per cent on electricity bills to pay for street lights," Seaga told a JLP public meeting in Half-Way-Tree Sunday night.

Last week, Local Government Minister Arnold Bertram confirmed that the government would implement the surcharge on electricity bills, saying that the administration would raise more than half-a-billion dollars from the tax to pay for the provision of street lights.

Bertram had also disclosed a review of property taxes, which, at the current compliance rate of 45 per cent, would increase property revenues to $2 billion in the new fiscal year, from $600 million in 2001/2002.

But Seaga has proposed that the $500 million to be raised by the cess could be paid out of the projected $2-billion increase in property tax.

The announcement of the cess has received mixed reactions from the general public with most persons bitterly opposed to the measure.

Yesterday morning, a handful of protestors staged a peaceful demonstration in Montego Bay's Sam Sharpe Square, calling on the government to rescind the decision.

The group, which consisted of about 50 persons, was made up of members of the JLP, the National Democratic Movement, the Ras Astor Black-led Jamaica Alliance Movement, as well as the civic group Jamaicans For Justice.

The protest was the brainchild of JLP member, Dennis Meadows, who is a former member of the National Democratic Movement. He also has close ties to Jamaicans For Justice.

Yesterday, he made it clear that he was there in his capacity as a JPS customer, not as a member of the JLP.

"It's a combined effort... It is a statement to the government," Meadows told the Observer, arguing that the cess was immoral and may even be illegal.

"We're questioning the legality of that light cess, because as a JPS customer, I have a contract with them. There's nothing in that which speaks to a street light cess so the question is whether or not government has the authority to impose a cess when there is a contract between two parties," Meadows said. "So imposing a tax is questionable, plus it is also immoral. JPS, a couple years ago, overcharged us $2.7 million. They pay us $600 million back, then take it back out. The question is: where do they get off now charging us another tax for street lighting?"

As he spoke, protestors chanted, waved placards, handed flyers to motorists and attempted to get passing pedestrians to join in.

One woman, who paused to find out what the noise was all about, would not give her name but told the Observer that she was in full support of the protest.

According to her, she is already overtaxed, she does not benefit from street lights so she sees no reason why she should be made to pay for their use.

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