by Adrian Gibson

First appeared in The Tribune under the byline, Young Man's View here…

It came as no surprise that New Zealand VAT experts Dr Don Brash and John Shewan have recommended that the government not seek to implement Value Added Tax on July 1st. It was farfetched for the government to think that that was possible, when there has been little to no educational campaign or public consultancy, no Freedom of Information Act (the commencement of which was suggested by the experts), a need for strong consumer protection legislation and no feasible framework.

But, how is it that all of a sudden VAT will no longer be implemented when we (the people and local experts) were saying it all along? I guess that now that the proclamation has come from on high (foreigners), it is acceptable. However, when a merchant such as Rupert Roberts or the Bahamas Chamber of Commerce or Dr Duane Sands (who commissioned a study) or columnists or economists and other local lobby groups said it, it was simply ignored! I don’t think that the governing party’s response to local opinion/expertise was exemplary of their campaign promise of believing in Bahamians. Two New Zealanders had to parrot what we said all along—in a Kiwi accent—and then suddenly VAT was pulled from the table, at least temporarily.

I wholeheartedly support my good friend Philip Galanis’ contention that casinos and all forms of gaming should be open to all Bahamians. It is the common sense approach, it is the right thing to do and anything less than that should be rejected. If the government really wants Bahamians to believe that they believe in us, they should begin to demonstrate that in tangible ways, showing that a Bahamian’s opinion is just as valuable as that of a foreigner. Or, would they also need foreign consultants to tell them what persons such as Phil Galanis and countless others have said all along? If the government believes in free enterprise, remove all restrictions in gaming and allow capitalism to gain a proper foothold. Competition and freedom of choice are hallmarks of any democratic, economically sound society.