Wheatley: Portmore’s Parish Status Won’t Deprive St Catherine of Revenue

The member of parliament, MP, for South Central St. Catherine, Dr. Andrew Wheatley, says there’s a myth being peddled by obstructionists who claim Portmore’s pending transition to parish status will deprive St. Catherine of much needed revenue.

He made the point while reacting to concerns raised by President of the St. Catherine Chamber of Commerce, Dennis Robotham.

Colleicia Wright reports.

During Nationwide This Morning on Tuesday, Dennis Robotham reiterated his concerns that Portmore’s upgraded status may deprive St. Catherine of revenues from tax collection.

But, Dr. Wheatley says the argument is flawed. He says property taxes collected in Portmore do not go into a pool of funds to benefit the wider St. Catherine.

And according to Dr. Wheatley, there’s no revenue for St. Catherine to lose given it was not benefiting from taxes collected in Portmore in the first place.

Dr. Wheatley says Portmore’s upgrade to parish status will not blight the economic outlook for the rest of St. Catherine.

The bill to facilitate Portmore’s transition to parish status was passed along party lines in the House of Representatives on February 11. It was approved by the Upper House last Friday.

Director of Elections, Glasspole Brown, says the Electoral Commission of Jamaica will start the process to determine the electoral boundaries after the bill is gazetted.

In the meantime.. legal advisor for the PNP, Anthony Hylton says the party intends to sue the government over its push to make Portmore the country’s 15th parish.