Dear Editor,

Even before the 2011 general election, the present Government, then in Opposition, was aware of the state of our economy, the level of indebtedness of the country and that severe belt-tightening was going to be the order of the day.

Finance Minister Dr Peter Phillips had to be aware of the initiative to buy 16 new vehicles for ministers long before we the members of the public were made aware. While he was negotiating with public servants and telling them they would have to endure cuts and that the coffers were empty, he knew that he would be buying new vehicles for himself and his colleagues.

Ironically, when Cabinet was signing off on increasing the duty on new cars they knew they would be getting some of those very cars and that they would not have to pay those duties if they bought those cars from the government three years later.

This is why it is a downright disgrace. It is not even a year since this Cabinet is running the country and its focus is already on how they can benefit while sticking it to the taxpayer. Those vehicles will add to the debt, and will send a message to the IMF that it’s business as usual for the Jamaican Government. Spending what we don’t have has become part of our government culture.

Worse than that, though, is a culture that allows a government to raise taxes on vehicles and then go ahead and buy those exact vehicles literally duty-free for those who took the decision, knowing that those same vehicles will be sold at a book value (calculated without the duty) in three years. This is the biggest three-card trick I have ever seen!

It is unconscionable and wrong, plain and simple. It was stupid to raise the duty on cars causing taxpayers not to be able to afford the car of their choice and to deprive the state coffers of $2 billion annualised. And it disgraceful and insensitive to buy those vehicles for yourself. Is this the best we can expect from our government?

Eliott Penn

Kingston