ST ELIZABETH, Jamaica — The St Elizabeth Municipal Corporation is being encouraged to partner with Tax Administration Jamaica (TAJ) to enhance property tax collection in the parish.

Minister of Local Government and Community Development Desmond McKenzie made the call while addressing the corporation’s monthly meeting in Black River on Thursday.

McKenzie noted that while St Elizabeth’s collection target was surpassed last year, “it still doesn’t represent the capacity that you have for property taxes.”

“It’s important that [for] the new [tax] season, which started a couple days ago, the efforts of the municipality be doubled to ensure that you work closely with the TAJ to go significantly above where you ended in the last financial year,” he emphasised.

The minister also encouraged the corporation to improve service delivery to persons doing business with the municipality.

“It is important that we pay attention to the areas of weakness in the system that need to be improved. It is important that we respond when persons express concern or have complaints about situations. Even if we can’t respond in terms of dealing with it, persons can feel comfortable [knowing] that, ‘yes, I sent a message to the municipal corporation about a road or a park or something… [and] I have gotten a response’…that is what people are clamouring for,” McKenzie said.

“Local government, as I have always said, is front and centre of every aspect of the daily lives of the Jamaican people. The services that we offer, local government is critical to those,” he pointed out.

McKenzie’s address during the municipal corporation meeting formed part of his two-day working visit to St Elizabeth.