A group calling themselves the Chilcotin National Congress (CNC) is raising concerns with the suggestion it will be replacing the Provincial Sales Tax (PST) with a taxation of its own.
The CNC placed an ad in the 100 Mile Free Press, Thursday, Nov. 29 classified section stating the PST will be “revoked as of Jan. 1, 2019 and replaced by a three per cent sales tax being collected and paid to the government of the Chilcotin National Congress (CNC).”
Black Press called the number on the ad for more information and was told a woman by the name of “Dorothy” was not at home.
Williams Lake Mayor Walt Cobb said city staff got a similar response when they called the number after receiving inquiries about the legitimacy of the ad.
“I was a little bit shocked when I saw it,” Cobb said. “But then I realized it had to be a scam.”
Cariboo Chilcotin MLA Donna Barnett said she has also received e-mails and telelphone calls of concern.
“I am advising people to ignore it,” she told Black Press. “Only the B.C. Receiver General can determine the sales tax.”
A media inquiry has gone into the Office of the Premier, but we have not had a response as of yet.
Tsilhqot’in National Government tribal chairman Chief Joe Alphonse described the CNC as a “renegade group and not official representatives of the Tsilhqot’in nation.
“They hold no significant political positions within our community. They claim to come from hereditary lines but they do not come from those heriditary lines,” he told Black Press Wednesday.
When the CNC have made other public demands in 2015 such as surrender of empty school buildings in the Cariboo-Chilcotin, Alphonse also stated the CNC was not legitimate and had nothing to do with the Tsilhqot’in National Government (TNG) or its affiliated communities, chiefs and band councils.
Read more: Group demanding hand-over of schools not endorsed by FN leader, not recognized by the province
Last week Black Press was also mailed what appears to be a form letter from the Chilcotin National Congress dated Nov. 22, 2108.
It outlines information about the “Declaration of a New Country Called the Chilcotin” signed by “Hereditary Grand Chief Stanley Stump Sr.” as well as the new “Chilcotin Taxation Act,” signed by Fanny Stump, identified as “Chilcotin Interim Minister of Finance and Chilcotin Minister of Justice.
Wednesday’s classified ad suggested the new taxation will impact all residents of the Chilcotin including Quesnel, Williams Lake, 100 Mile House, Savona, Ashcroft, Clinton, Cache Creek, Lillooet, Bella Coola and all communities in between.
Editor’s note: The 100 Mile Free Press acknowledges that the “Taxation Notice” ad should not have been published and contains false information. The paper and its publisher apologize for any confusion that the ad may have caused. Both the PST at seven per cent and the GST at five per cent remain in force, and unaffected by the false text of the advertisement.
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