P.U.P.: What does U.D.P. know about reform?
And that’s where the P.U.P. butts in. Not thirty seconds after Barrow had wrapped up his press conference, the Musa administration’s point man on P.R., Minister of Information Godfrey Smith, made himself available to respond to Barrow’s statements. According to Smith, his government can climb out of its financial black hole, without raising taxes.
Godfrey Smith, Minister of Information
?For as long as they have been in existence, the mantra of the U.D.P. has been devaluation, I suppose the ?D? in the U.D.P. stands for devaluation.?
?The entire press conference called today by the United Democratic Party and the Leader of the Opposition I would describe as an anxiety reaction stemming from deep seated insecurity about the leadership of the United Democratic Party and the viability of the United Democratic Party itself as a party capable of contesting and winning elections.?
?There are other things that can be done. The orderly liquidation of D.F.C. for instance, is something that has been recommended, that is being looked at. And even if you talked to the I.M.F. officials themselves, they are saying, look this is what we throw out. If we sit with you and discuss other things that can be done, that is a distinct possibility. But they have not said this is the only way that you can get back on a firm economic footing; that has never been the case. That?s not how the I.M.F. operates. They will put out what they view as the easiest way of bringing about some refocusing of the economy but it doesn?t mean that?s the only way.?
?The issue out there now is the issue of having people who did wrong pay the price, that?s not a reform issue. As I said, you can have the best laws, the most formidable reforms and everything and mistakes and so on will occur. It?s how you go about dealing with that that?s important and I?d like to think in relation to things that you?ve mentioned, Social Security Board and D.F.C., mechanisms are in place to address that. So, not to repeat myself, there?s a fundamental distinction that has to made in understanding reforms and forward thinking laws and what they do. And that doesn?t mean that mistakes won?t be made or laws won?t be breached, it?s the steps that are taken then to deal with the breaches that must be focused on.?
According to Smith, a financial working committee, headed by Minister of Works and Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance, Joe Coye, is currently working on a review of the entire tax system to determine whether the tax regime as it now stands needs to be revamped. Smith says the committee’s findings will be made public.
