LLRIB Reaches Gas and Tobacco Tax Settlement

LLRIB Reaches Gas and Tobacco Tax Settlement

Thursday, March 25, 2004 at 15:44

The Lac La Ronge Indian Band has announced a settlement with the province that will see the band receive 4.25 million dollars for paying fuel and tobacco tax on reserve.

The band is one of several First Nations to settle with the provincial government over tax collected on reserve prior to June 5th, 2000.

The government stopped collecting tax for those purchases on reserve after several First Nations took legal action.

The Lac La Ronge Indian Band’s settlement is being paid out in two installments. It’s already received 2.8 million dollars. It will get another 945-thousand dollars at a later date if no individual lawsuits arise from this settlement. The remainder of the settlement will go to legal fees.

Chief Harry Cook says the band hasn’t decided how it will use the settlement money, and is in no hurry to do so.

Cook notes that, unlike most First Nations, his band has several communities, which will complicate the distribution of the settlement.

A few First Nations that have previously settled with the province have given some of their settlements to individual band members in the form of rebates.