CAIC Vice President Calls For Caribbean Regional Tax

by Amanda Banks, Tax-News.com, London

26 September 2003

The Vice President of the Caribbean Association of Industry and Commerce (CAIC) has criticised regional governments for being too reliant on international aid for the funding of local institutions and has called for a regional tax to solve the problem.

"These are taxes belonging to the European Union and United States," Michael Astaphan announced in an interview with the Caribbean Media Corporation, adding that it was an unacceptable situation to "have a set of institutions to deliver rights and privileges to your citizens and you want to have another citizen pay for that."

"This is not right and I think we are moving in the wrong direction," he observed.

Mr Astaphan argues that regional institutions like the University of the West Indies, CARICOM and the Organisation of American States (OAS) are suffering because some governments are failing to pay their contributions towards the budgets of these organisations.

Furthermore, the CAIC vice president notes that there is a distinct lack of urgency amongst the region's political leaders to resolve issues surrounding the creation of a development fund for poorer nations.

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