The Brits have this saying that should send many a Mauritian politician out for a serious think tank to become more imaginative in the art of fleecing the tax-payers with the firm belief that they (the tax-payers that is) are the winners!... It?s a simple saying and goes like this? «? an Englishman?s home is his castle?»

My friends I got news for you. A Mauritian?s home ain?t his castle anymore. How he would like, to-day, that his 200 toises of which he was proudly boasting last year was only 50 toises or even no toise at all and pitch a tent by the sea and live like good ?ol Rob Crusoe!! By Jove, perchance there?s a rub here? there is also the premium to pay on Pas geometriques land?. My oh my? where else to turn?

Well, there is nowhere to turn anymore. In most countries, even the so-called civilised ones, housing will always be a priority and most well-thinking and discerning governments go to a large extent to promote house ownership. Here in SSS* Mauritius that does not apply. Do work hard for the best part of your life to place a roof you can call your own on your dependants heads and what reward do you get? THE NRPT!! Unlike anywhere else, in SSS Mauritius, you are lumbered with a home instead of living happily ever after in one. Some fairy story!!! So what can we do short of taking it lying down? Let?s reverse the fairy tale and see if we can turn a prank into a serious thorn in the MRA back-side. Here?s what I propose to do. I am going to send two cheques with my tax returns this year. One will be for the tax owing for which I am quite happy to discharge my duty as a tax payer. The second will be for the NRPT amount with a covering letter addressed to the MRA Director General which goes as follows.

Dear Sir/Madam

Please find enclosed a cheque for Rs?? representing the illegal tax on my home that is being coerced from me and which is against my human right to possess a roof on my head and those of my dependents. I send it to you without prejudice and with the firm belief that you are not entitled to those funds. I understand that the matter will be heard in court and I therefore put you under notice that should the court rule that it is indeed against the constitution of the country, I will be pursuing my rights to penalise the MRA as follows: Rs 2000 per month up to a maximum of Rs 20,000 until I recover the said funds 5% of the amount Interest of 1% for each month or part of the month during which you have been in possession of the said funds. For your information given that it takes, say, 10 months for the matter to be settled by the court, based on a back-of-the-envelope calculation, the aggregate penalties will amount to Rs 109 million, well over the Rs 60 million with which this tax is expected to fill your coffers. May I respectfully suggest that you can return my cheque and we can all await the outcome of the court case.

<B>Joe TAXPAYER</B>

Who will join me to maintain my self-respect and return my property to the pride and joy that it should rightfully represent to me?

<B>J. T. </B>