Income and motor taxes are better way
I THINK that the Guernsey people would first like to see the States reducing its costs. It has a lot of very high salaries, often with gold-plated pension funds.
States salaries and pensions are generally higher than in the private sector.
GST would impose very high administrative costs for all companies and traders and would require a new level of bureaucracy in the States with a lot more highly-paid employees.
We need to know what the real net gain would be for the States’ income.
A much better solution would be a mixture of motor tax and income tax. It is quite fair that the people with the most, newest and biggest cars should pay proportionally so as not to place an unfair load on the lower paid with one small car. The States already has the infrastructure to collect motor taxes.
This should be combined with a small income tax increase of two to three pence. We have the infrastructure to collect that with no extra administrative cost and that would again protect the lower paid.
I appreciate that we have to raise more money, but it should not be at such a cost to the lower paid, which GST certainly would be.
R F WHARTON
Pleneuf Court
St Andrew’s
