Rabi Islanders 'pay half

of the GEIC revenue'

By TEBUKE ROTAN, manager of the Rabi Island Council

Throughout the world people are confronted with prob lems, and some problems create gloom for everyone. India is one country which has some serious economic problems, but whoever heard of the Indian Government attempting to impose taxes of 80 per cent, on exports?

FIJI needs more money to develop her islands and to safeguard the future of her rapidly growing popula tion, but I never heard that the Fiji Government ever thought of imposing as much as 80 per cent, taxation on goods leaving the islands.

The fact is that both India and Fiji are working very hard to find ways of increasing government revenue in proper, reasonable and fair ways.

Yet now we have Pastor Amara Makaea, leader of the unofficial mem bers of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony Advisory Council, telling us in an article in PIM (July p. 31), that he supports the British Govern

ment’s decision that the Rabi Island landowners should receive 7/- a ton royalty for the Ocean Island phos phate, which is theirs, and that the GEIC government should receive 35/Id as a phosphate tax. Further more he believes it right that the GEIC should receive another 57in “normal” taxation from the phos phate.

With fairness

In other words, Ocean Island phos phate is bought for 47/Id per ton, but before the helpless owners re ceive the 47/Id the GEIC imposes more than 80 per cent, taxation on it for the purposes of its own revenue.

And Pastor Makaea says the GEIC has the right to do this and is doing it with fairness.

Poor blind Pastor Makaea! The current level of taxation means that the Banaban people, now living on Rabi, are providing more than 50 per cent, of the GEIC’s total revenue.

Every government in the world has the right to impose whatever scale of taxation it sees fit. But fortunately those in power are human beings, who have consciences, and their con science reminds them that this is 1967 AD, not BC; and that the jungle law of the “big eat the small and the powerful eat the weak” is no longer in existence.

People—black, brown, red, white— are all equal, for they are the children of God. Only justice can maintain peace and goodwill among all people.

The Banabans are the only people under the sun who are still suffering from the cruelty of the jungle law.

If the British Government, with the support of the GEIC, continues to treat us unfairly, then the Rabi Island Council is prepared to take further steps which would embarrass the British Government.