Independent Councillor Eugene McGuinness has called for he USC to be abolished, saying it was first introduced as a temporary measure and should now be scrapped to help ease the cost of living.
Cllr. McGuinness raised the motion at yesterday’s plenary meeting, arguing that the USC was introduced as a temporary response to the financial crisis in 2011.
He said the rising cost of living has caused a new financial crisis for many households and believes that abolishing the USC is the most effective way for the government to address concerns about surging bills and energy costs.
Speaking to KCLR after yesterday’s meeting, he said “it’s about time now we put money back into the pockets of the hard working people of the country”.
When asked what impact abolishing the USC would have he maintained that “it puts more money in their pocket, it’s as simple as that.”
He added that while the government have pointed to a range of grants and schemes, many people find them difficult to access.
“The easiest way to do it is to abolish a tax that you said was only temporary in the beginning”.
