There was good news for St. George?s residents yesterday with the announcement that double taxation will end.

Old Town residents have complained for years about being forced to pay property taxes to the Corporation of St. George and land tax to Government.

Finance Minister Paula Cox announced in yesterday?s Budget that double taxation is to end.

The news was welcomed by St. George?s mayor E. Michael Jones, who has been campaigning to end the practice at the last two Corporation elections.

?I am thrilled that this has finally occurred after all these years of tireless work,? he said yesterday. For the last two elections it has been on the top of my platform to eradicate it and I am glad to see the Ministry and the Corporation have been able to see a way forward in eliminating double taxation.?

Government is to give the Corporation of St. George a grant of $350,000 for the year 2004/05 to ease the burden of lost revenue caused by the end of the double taxation. And the following year, the Ministry of Finance will work with the Corporation to identify efficiencies so the Corporation does not need a further grant.

Ms Cox said in the the Budget speech: ?Residents of St. George?s have endured the burden of double taxation from Corporation property taxes and Government land tax. ?Following a successful meeting with the Mayor of St. George?s I am pleased to announce that Government and the Corporation will move quickly to eliminate the double tax.?

She said the mechanics of how the changes will be worked out will be decided by the Mayor, but it appears residents will no longer be paying the property tax to the Corporation.

?That is to be sorted out by the Mayor, but by giving the Corporation the grant, it means double taxation will cease,? she told .

Some residents in Bourne Drive have been boycotting paying the Corporation their taxes for five years in protest at not getting some basic services.

The residents claimed they were paying the Corporation but not getting services such as being on the sewage mainline, trash collections and road repairs.