President of the Chaguanas Chamber of Industry and Commerce Richie Sookhai yesterday warned that the imposition of value added tax (VAT) on books and computers will have a negative impact on literacy, inclusive of technological literacy.
“The imposition of VAT on a wide variety of books, with limited exceptions, sends a message to the public that reading and literacy have a price and it is now a very high price which only the very wealthy will be able to afford. This cannot be the way forward in a society where low levels of literacy can be cited as contributing factors in crime, poverty and social mobility,” he said in a statement.
While he acknowledge the need for belt tightening and cost cutting to get through difficult economic times, Sookai is not in agreement with returning computers to the list of items to which VAT are applied. He said easy access to computer technology is a must to keep T&T globally relevant and literate and the measure “is a giant step backwards for our people.”
“Time and again we have been told and shown that falling behind in the age of technology would be detrimental to any country’s growth and development. A computer or tablet is no longer a luxury item, it is fundamental to the literacy of our children and to keeping our workers, our private sector, our public service, and yes, our ministers, in touch with the people and the world and on top of their game,” he said.
“Additionally, we are all more than aware that technology becomes obsolete very quickly and computers and their hardware and software have to be replaced and upgraded regularly. If the cost of technology becomes so prohibitive that we are left with outdated technology in this fast-paced 21st century, then we can be guaranteed of being left behind at a time when we should be surging forward. Certainly, our capacity for diversification will be greatly affected by a rise in the cost of keeping up with the latest technology.”
Recalling the words of T&T’s first Prime Minister, Dr Eric Williams, who said the future of the country is in the schoolbags of T&T’s children, Sookhai said: “That schoolbag now must hold both books and a laptop. His statement spoke of an immense vision for our future as a people and we urge Dr Rowley not to lose sight of that vision.”