“If you are enjoying Jamaica’s benefits, you must pay your taxes,” – Don Wehby, minister without portfolio in the Ministry of Finance

This impassioned declaration came from Minister Wehby as he spoke recently at a First Global Bank corporate breakfast, where he shared highlights of the 2008/09 Budget Debate.

His comments came against the background that some 40 per cent of Jamaica’s productive activity was taking place in the grey or underground economy. The income of these persons is not reported, so although they are benefiting from the amenities of the country, they contribute little or nothing to the tax coffer.

Wehby’s message was clear: the time had come for Jamaicans to change their attitudes about paying taxes, and the government was prepared to use both persuasive and punitive methods to ensure that delinquent taxpayers toe the line. Continue reading Take Advantage of the Tax Amnesty →