 Mr Speaker, I beg to move the following resolution stand in my name. Mr Speaker, before I read the resolution as Minister of National Security, I would like also to thank the Royal Solution Police Force and the City Police. Mr Speaker, we always are very quick to condemn when things go wrong, but when things work out, we seldom give the proper praises. The Royal Solution Police Force has been under tremendous pressure over the last weeks and months and years, but particularly over the last few weeks, and they showed the resolve and the commitment to doing their job and understood that what's important is to remain focused. And they remain focused and for the season there was no major incidents and I want to thank them for that Mr Speaker. I also want to comment Mr Speaker on how it seems almost there are people who seem almost ready to rejoice at what they perceive to be things that will hook the government. And I speak about a fake mood on the Internet on Friday, which got widespread publicity. And I want to call on people that is very sad with the speaker for these kind of things to be put out in that manner. It doesn't auger well for the country, it doesn't auger well for the future of the country. I want to thank the Royal Solution Police Force, I want to thank the commissioner and the men and women of the force for their work. And I want them to continue to do what they have to do. I also want to thank the RSS, members of the regional security system, who were also on the ground for the carnival days. And also to extend my congratulations to the icons over there. And Mr Speaker you feel to see that Bradley from my constituency forgot. At the last sit in the member for Swazil, he told me that being said, I'll proceed with the resolution. Whereas it is provided on the section 46 for a of the value added tax ca 15.4 to the act that the minister is responsible for finance me by all the publishing the gazette all to the rate of penalty on the act. Whereas it is further provided on the section 46 a for a of the act that an order may an order made pursue on the section 46 for a of the act is subject to an affirmative resolution of parliament. And whereas the minister of finance seeks approval of the job value added tax alteration of rate of penalty order by an affirmative resolution of parliament to alter from the first day of May 2023 to the first day of May 2024 the rate of penalty to 0% of the tax paid on define up to the financial year 2021. Mr Speaker, you may recall that last sitting I came to parliament and asked the minister of finance to approve the value added tax alteration of rate of penalty order which alters from the first day of May 2023 to the first day of May 2024 the rate of penalty to 0% on the tax paid up to the financial year of 2021. Mr Speaker, you may recall that last sitting I came to parliament and asked for a resolution to waive the interest Mr Speaker, the interest on the value added tax and other taxes Mr Speaker. All interest and penalty Mr Speaker on all taxes the fact the pay away the hotel abolition tax withholding tax Mr Speaker. We waived last sitting we waived the interest on these taxes and the penalties but we could not waive the penalties on that because of that act is a separate act and it's a secret act. And sometimes we do is not advisable to always be altering the sexual so we had to we had to come to parliament today to waive the penalties Mr Speaker on that. So as you speak after this resolution is passed all the taxes the HAT the accumulation tax the fact the pay away withholding taxes there will be there will be no penalties and interest on all these taxes they will be waived on all these taxes up to May 2024. Mr Speaker that is a significant relief to the private sector and to the people the business people who collected that but did not pay it over to the government. What this means Mr Speaker is that as I said there was there's 599 million dollars worth of taxes due to the government included interest and penalties 599 million dollars due including interest and penalties. What we've done Mr Speaker is we've waived interest and penalties of nearly 300 million dollars which we've completely and we're asking the people who hold the government to please pay up what you owe because the government has waived the penalties on interest. Mr Speaker that is significant in that when you read or you hear about comments on people's balance sheets when you ordered of them Mr Speaker in penalties and interest it has to be shown in your balance sheet not only as an account as an accounts payable or if you want if you want to be if you want to be creative you can put it as a long term liability so it doesn't affect your working capital. But still for that you have to include Mr Speaker you have to include it in your balance sheet because you owe the government it's not contingent you owe it. What that will do is that these businesses now can reverse these payables they can reverse it Mr Speaker so it becomes they have to reverse it debit the payables Mr Speaker and credit the tax owed. So that means it reduces the tax that they owe to the government and improves the balance sheet improves it significantly so they can go to the bank and say to the bank I do not owe these amount of taxes Mr Speaker. So that is actually mindless help to the private sector and no one can say that this government is not trying to assist the private sector Mr Speaker not trying to assist them after Covid but these taxes will not due for Covid these taxes will do wrong before Covid we've waived all of them so this is the government's commitment to the growth and the expansion of the private sector Mr Speaker I've said before in this honourable house that this government no one can ever queues this government of being anti business or not supporting the business sector in solution and it is clear Mr Speaker it is clear so Mr Speaker I'm very pleased to ask members to support this resolution to support this tax amnesty which is done Mr Speaker I mean Mr Speaker the tax amnesty also goes to personal income tax also you know people owe personal income tax Mr Speaker will be waiving all the interest in the penalties waiving up to May 2023 we extended it now up to May 2024 for people who owe personal income tax to Mr Speaker so this amnesty is on hold of in the history of St Lucia's private sector Mr Speaker all I'm asking is meet the government halfway we've done our part all I'm asking for the private sector I mean the people who owe taxes please come to pay the government Mr Speaker because when you pay the government many things will happen in a different way and I want to say Mr Speaker we are committed we are committed if what we are owed we paid when we have to pay refund we will refund but we can't refund what we haven't got because refund Mr Speaker means that you've filled in your tax and the government has money for you you pay what everybody pay as you pay and I also want to tell taxpayers to please go to change your tax code change your tax code so that the government cannot take on new taxes from you Mr Speaker so you change your tax code now it's very simple there's no charge go to in revenue and change your tax code so that the tax you pay every month it will not accumulate in terms of you pay the government too much Mr Speaker Mr Speaker I ask members to support and I'll be back with other resolutions that will give further relief to the business sector and the taxpayers in the country I thank you Mr Speaker