I know we don’t need any further evidence of the duplicity of this PLP government, but I’ll give it anyway!

A couple of weeks ago a certain company owned by the deputy leader of the DNA decided to increase the cost of tickets to its movie theatres from $8.50 to $10.00 and stated that this new price was “inclusive of VAT.”  All hell broke loose with the company being branded as “fraudulent.” The news even brought Mr. E.J. Bowe from the Price Control Department, with news cameras in tow, haranguing the company, saying the $1.50 increase is 86 cents more than the VAT should be. Of course the company never stated the $1.50 increase was all VAT, it stated it was inclusive of VAT, evidently using the timing of the VAT increase to also recoup increased running expenses.

Now if we fast forward some days and we have a press conference concerning the IAAF World Relays to be held in Nassau at the Government owned National Stadium for the second consecutive year; and one of the items mentioned was that the new ticket prices would range from $12 – $65 “inclusive of VAT” these prices show increases over last year when the prices ranged from $10 – $50. I am forced to ask, therefore, where is Mr. Bowe and his sycophantic news crews when you need them? Surely $2 is much more than 75 cents – concerning the cheapest seats – that should be charged, and, at the top end, $15 is, just a tad more, than the $3.75 that should be charged. The reason given for these increases is seriously fatuous; apparently in 2012 at the London Olympics the very same athletes who appeared there will appear here in Nassau, however the cost to see them in London was ….. $500! So this is a valid reason to gouge the Bahamian spectator? I think not.

And a third matter that was in the news last night was an announcement from the VAT Office that the posted price for gasoline is, again(!?), inclusive of VAT. I guess we just have to thank our lucky stars that the VAT Office is so efficient (sic) that it has only taken them three weeks after VAT started, not counting the 18 months prior to that start date, to decide how and when VAT is to be collected from the sale of gasoline, since, until last evening NO-ONE had a clue what was happening!

Harry Strachan

January 22, 2015