Birnie comments on Finance Minister’s Rates Announcement
Commenting on today’s rates announcement, UUP Finance Spokesperson Esmond Birnie said:
“While going for an uncapped charge won’t be too surprising, that’s not to say that government aren’t wrong for doing it.
“Legitimate concerns as to how this system is to be operated continue to go unanswered.
“One of the iniquities of this proposed system is that, because it’s related entirely to house prices, it means that areas where house prices have rocketed will have a rapid increase in rates bills. For example, residents in property hot spots like South Belfast, North Down and Lisburn could be hit particularly hard.
“The other anomaly is the retired person who bought their homes many years previously. While many will now be living in valuable properties, their income will not have increased by the same proportion. Many householders in Northern Ireland are now asset rich but income poor.
“In these instances, the current system reflects neither the ability to pay nor usage of public services.
“This has more to with government tapping into a lucrative housing market than setting in place a fair and balanced system for all.”