On the heels of the property tax comes a new type of tax to be imposed on students from August and it will have a devastating impact on tertiary education, says Chaguanas East MP Fazal Karim.
He was referring to Government’s planned changes to the Government Assistance for Tuition Expenses (GATE) programme, which will no longer be free for all students. Under the new system, students will have to undergo a means test to determine how much funding the Government will offer from the start of the 2017/2018 academic year.
Speaking at a United National Congress (UNC) rally in Couva on Saturday, Karim said he had was calling the impending GATE changes the “education tax.”
Karim, who headed the Tertiary Education Ministry under the People’s Partnership government, said the move will erode all the inroads his government had made in education during their term in office.
“They are killing tertiary education in this country. There is a new tax coming in August for all of us. I am going to title it the education tax because those of us who go to community colleges, universities or any tertiary institution will now have to pay for tertiary education,” Karim said.
He noted that under PP administration, 55,000 people had free tertiary education. Saying students will be in distress having to pay for lodging, food, books and other materials in addition to tuition fees, Karim predicted that the numbers of people enrolled in tertiary education institutions will dwindle.
“University is not only about tuition fees, it is about travelling, rent, food and where will you get the money? The gate is closing on tertiary education. We had the gate wide open, but it closing and come August the education tax will come into play,” he said to loud applause.
With regard to the Property Tax, Karim said it was an arbitrary tax.
“We do not want Property Tax. This is a punishment government and now is not the right time for this tax,” he said.
He also called for an investigation into why the Couva District Health facility was shut down last week.
Also addressing the gathering, Opposition leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar said many of the social programmes which the Partnership had in place had been dismantled by the People’s National Movement.
“This is an uncaring Government. They moved $86 million from the Food Support Programme. In these hard times with job losses and rising food prices, they have shut down these support programmes,” Persad-Bissessar said.
She claimed the PNM also planned to spend money building a golf course in Ste Madeleine because Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley loved to play golf.
“Who plays golf? Only a few people. We have food shortages, water shortages, you saying we have no money but you want to build a golf course in Ste Madeleine. That making sense? “Persad-Bissessar asked.
She also accused the PNM of making corrupt deals and suppressing the progress of the lower and middle classes.