Dear Editor,

The Tax Administration department, on the past weekend, through television news reports, informed the public that the department will shortly no longer issue the laminated Tax Registration Number (TRN) card, popularly called the TRN card, issued to Jamaican citizens and residents, and instead will be issuing a TRN letter.

This announcement by the department is backward and silly. The small, laminated TRN card is easy to carry around and should not be altered in any way. It makes no practical sense to stop producing the laminated TRN card, and I am appealing to Finance Minister Audley Shaw to take the steps necessary to ensure that no change takes place and that the tax administrators be instructed, as a policy, to continue manufacturing, producing and issuing those TRN, small laminated cards.

Recently, I visited the Inland Revenue Department in Montego Bay with my business partner and was quite taken aback at the poor, deplorable, and sloppy customer service that we received, along with the lengthy wait of close to two hours that we experienced. The customer service level at this revenue office is terrible and needs to be significantly improved.

Minister Shaw should focus on improving the poor customer service level at the tax collectorates across Jamaica. The low collection level of taxes also requires the attention of the minister. We cannot continue to allow the less than 50 per cent payment rate of taxes in the country, and some stringent penalties must be put into place for tax evaders similar to those currently employed by the United States Inland Revenue Service to fine and imprison Jamaican tax evaders.

Frank L R Manborde

Chairman

Little London and Paul Island Development Council

Westmoreland

frankmanborde@mail.com