The government’s proposal to incorporate cleaning bills into land tax has sparked criticism from Leader of the Opposition Ralph Thorne, who warned that it could result in inflated bills and potential property seizures.
The move, aimed at enforcing environmental standards, ignited a heated debate in Parliament over the balance between public health concerns and property rights.
Speaking in Parliament on Tuesday during the debate on the Joint Select Committee’s (Standing) Report on the Social Sector and Environment, he described the measure as excessive and potentially unjust.
“A land tax bill that used to be $10 000 for non-payment of the land tax can be inflated by non-payment of a cleaning bill and, therefore, move the Commissioner or the head of BRA [Barbados Revenue Authority] to swift action to sell the land,” Thorne said.
“That is a very severe recourse.”
He questioned the wisdom of merging environmental enforcement with taxation, suggesting that it unfairly burdens landowners and argued that while property upkeep is necessary, adding cleaning penalties to tax bills could have dire consequences, especially for those already struggling financially.
The opposition leader also criticised elements of the joint select committee’s report, dismissing some recommendations as overly simplistic.
“What amazing, earth-shattering, groundbreaking work has been done here!” he quipped. “The first recommendation in the report is that cleanliness is next to godliness. And this is being brought to us in 2025 as if we didn’t know it already.”
Thorne further called on the government to take a broader approach to environmental legislation, urging the introduction of comprehensive laws to address local environmental challenges.
Referring to the recently passed Disability Act, he said: “If this government is in the mood for bringing comprehensive pieces of legislation, now is the time to consider a comprehensive piece on matters of the environment.”
Minister of State in the Ministry of Health Davidson Ishmael strongly rejected Thorne’s remarks, accusing the opposition leader of trivialising critical public health issues.
“I must express my profound disappointment and dissatisfaction that the Leader of the Opposition would come into this serious place, with serious debate on serious matters relative to public health and safety, and seek to minimize it, trivialise it, and reduce it with words like ‘trifling’ and ‘inconsequential,’” he said.
The minister defended the legislation’s focus on tackling public health risks, including mosquito-borne illnesses such as dengue fever and Zika.
“This is not about making light of things. Mosquito-borne illnesses are a matter of life and death,” Ishmael said.
“If it comes down to a piece of legislation saying your grass can be no more than two feet tall, then I support that because, at the end of the day, all of us are in this together.”
Ishmael also highlighted the government’s commitment to public consultation in shaping the amendments, noting that Barbadians had been given the opportunity to contribute through the joint select committee.
“We opened this process to the people of Barbados, allowing them to weigh in, deliberate, and make their voices heard,” he said, adding that six written and three oral submissions were made.
(SM)
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