(EID-009) “RISING ABOVE POLITICS”

Some people might object to my advocacy of paying taxes, due perhaps to their political views. As far as I am concerned however, I believe that the government belongs to the people of this country, and to no one else. Whoever sits in the administration are just people who come and go, but what is important is that the State itself, and not just the government, is strengthened and sustained by the taxes paid by the people. This is not to say that I am not opposed to the imposition of certain taxes, which is beside the point and is actually another issue.

Politics and development would often clash in ideas and approaches, but what is important for people who are working for development is to rise above politics, in order to stay focused on long term goals, instead of being derailed or misdirected by short term political dynamics. This is also not to say that I am for or against the administration, which is also beside the point.

The initiative of the United National Integrated Development Alliance (UNIDA) to collect official receipts and copies of their tax returns from its members is actually a fund raising project also, because it is also intended to collect market data and consumer information from the entries submitted. It may sound amusing, but it will also collect a lot of recyclable paper that could also be sold to raise more funds.

Two sets of data could actually be gathered from the project. The market data will be useful for private companies, whereas the consumer information will be useful for the economic agencies of the government that are monitoring consumer prices. For whatever it may be worth, we might just develop a system that could parallel or support the computation of the Consumer Price Index (CPI).

On the issue of ownership, it could also be argued that no one ones the environment, except the people who live in this country. The waste segregation project of the UNIDA might redound to a good image on the part of the government, but that too is beside the point, because the people will be the first to benefit from better solid waste management.

Needless to say, the waste segregation project of UNIDA is also a means to raise funds. As an added benefit, it will also collect raw materials for another UNIDA project that will produce low cost building materials for shelter and education purposes. A corporate partner of UNIDA is already putting up a plant for this purpose, yet another example of integration.