Sir, – One could be forgiven for getting a tad confused by the frequent urgings of Ibec on matters to do with tax – until that is the penny drops as to what may lie behind its frantic lobbying. Its latest pre-budget submission (“Employers seek lighter budget adjustment”, Business, July 8th) implores the Government not to increase taxation – in the interest of the economy, don’t you know.
A quick look at their last outing a few months ago and we find the same Ibec urging the Government to double the planned property tax to bring it up to €800 per annum at least – no problems here at all it seems with taxation levels.
But then a moment’s pondering irons out this conundrum; Ibec has no problems at all with tax, unless of course, it is targeted at those with huge incomes and pensions.
The fact is that the economy desperately needs tax increases where they can be afforded and do least damage to spending power on high-end incomes, with the returns used to reduce the burden on those at the lower end of the scale. Ibec will find that should the Government do that, there would be an instant boost to the local economy as those with little would spend the windfall.
Ibec appears to be less of a business and more a club for those on high incomes determined to keep what they have – regardless of how that impacts on the rest of us. – Yours, etc,
JIM O’SULLIVAN,
Rathedmond, Sligo.