Grenada Today - The National Newspaper of Grenada, Carriacou & Petite Martinique

The main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) is appealing to the Keith Mitchell-led Administration to withhold the imposition of the 5% National Reconstruction Levy from the budget presentation on Friday. The Congress party outlined its position at a news conference held Tuesday at the Office of the Leader of the Opposition on Green Street, St. George's.

According to Opposition Shadow Finance Minister, Nazim Burke the NDC fully understand and appreciate the imperative of Government to increase its revenue intake with a view to closing the financing gap, estimated to be approximately $70 million, but there are other ways in which the monies could be derived rather than impose the levy on the already burdened workers.

Burke said that the opposition grouping has been closely monitoring the stand-off between government and the Grenada Trades Union Council (GTUC) on the issue of the 5% levy. He told reporters that Congress has been working most diligently at devising a specific set of proposals aimed at improving the country's revenue intake, reducing government expenditure and possibly doing away with the need to pursue the levy.

Burke stated that after an opposition review of the draft Estimate of Expenditure for this year as submitted by government for Friday's budget, they are in a better position to make a concrete and workable proposal for saving the country at least $10 million. This, he said is an amount that may well exceed the amount of money which the Mitchell government expects to collect from the imposition of the levy. Burke indicated that the NDC will present the proposal on Monday when it replies to the Budget Speech of Minister of Finance, Anthony Boatswain.

However, he said that before putting forward the proposal the NDC would first like to see government give full details of the amount of revenue it intends to collect from the imposition of the Levy in 2006. He also linked the NDC position to government giving a detailed breakdown on the controversial Line item known as 340 in each ministry vote amounting to $16.9 million dollars. The Mitchell government has been using funds from this specific vote to pay the salaries of a number of so-called professionals and political activists.