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Thursday, March 21, 1974
"Collecting taxes and duties is never a popular job but it is an
essential one," he pointed out.
"We live in an increasingly complex society in which the
government has a very big role to play in providing many services that
must be provided by some central authority, and in financing other services
too.
"We must have a police force, hospitals, schools, housing, roads and many other things. The government has to collect taxes to do all these If any of us avoids paying his things and we should all pay our share. share then the law-abiding people have to pay more to make up for it."
Mr. Jordan continued: "It is difficult to relate the few cents we pay on a packet of cigarettes or a drink to the huge sums that the government
It is perhaps easier when we see reports raises and spends on our behalf.
of cases of large-scale tax evasion.
"Novertheless, the fact remains that when anyone cheats the tax
collector he is not just cheating the government:
he is cheating us all,
because he is not paying his fair share for the services from which we all
benefit."
Mr. Jordan said he was sure we would accept too that we must not expect to receive benefits in direct proportion to the tax we pay.
It is right that those of us who are better off should contribute
more to the benefit of the community which gave us our opportunities, and that those who have not had our good fortune should contribute less," he added.
Note to Editors:
Copies of the full text of Mr. Jordan's speech (English only) are boxed for collection.
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