by Athena Damianos
The article “VAT messenger is a tax dodger” illustrates precisely why VAT is so ludicrous.
If one of the poster boy’s for VAT hasn’t paid his real property tax in at least 10 years, how then can those who comply with the law be expected to take on additional taxes when: more than $500 million is outstanding in real property tax; the four percent foreign yacht charter fee remains “largely uncollected”; and we know of no serious effort to plug the leaks in customs, our main revenue generator.
Before the government levels a single cent of additional taxation on us, it must collect the existing taxes and make members of Parliament provide proof they have paid their real property taxes for the last decade; fine each MP who hasn’t complied with the Public Disclosure Act the $10,000 for every year he or she has broken the law; fine web shop operators who have operated on the wrong side of the law and then regularize the industry and sock them with hefty taxes or pass a law to allow for the confiscation of their assets, and end the crazy practice of allowing government departments and agencies accepting cash payments for fees and permits.
With so much in uncollected taxes, you have to wonder if VAT is designed to make the innocent pay for the guilty. If this isn’t the case, why hasn’t the government implemented the checks and balances needed to hold the various agencies accountable for tax collection, rather than place a further throttlehold on employers who are on the brink of financial collapse?
Perry Christie may have believed in Bahamians, but in a relatively short period of time, and to paraphrase George Orwell, the maxim seems to have changed to: “All Bahamians are equal, but some Bahamians are more equal than others.”
It is normal in the Caribbean Countries that the Governments collect on average about 60 % owed to them whilst in The Bahamas it is 30 %. Something is not right with this picture if they cannot collect on taxes now why bring in new ones ?
There are many likenesses between Animal Farm and Bahamian Governments,…. passing the tax collection buck to private enterprise could well result in a more efficient tax collection, unfortunately, ultimately, destroying the incentives that make private enterprises so inherently successful
Two words that best describe this terrible situation, Political Corruption!!
It s time to stop the wildcat government spending that accomplishes only more government waste.. Stop the all the wasteful international junkets where we play the roll of fools on the world stage and contribute little to nothing for the benefit of the Bahamian people..
Time for our Prime Minister to try and show some leadership by controlling his out-of-control government.. The VAT adviser was his specific appointment and now is his personal embarrassment.. If he won’t do the honorable thing by resigning, as he apparently has no honor and sense of dignity, show some leadership and terminate him.. He is an embarrassment not only unto himself and his country, but to the Prime Minister’s office as well.. An effective leader must take effective and necessary action as empty words just don’t count..