Branville McCartney
By SANCHESKA BROWN
Tribune Staff Reporter
sbrown@tribunemedia.net
MORE than half the parliamentarians in the House of Assembly and the Senate are in arrears with their Real Property Taxes – owing millions of dollars to the government, DNA Leader Branville McCartney revealed yesterday.
Speaking with the press, Mr McCartney said he has evidence that more than 16 members of parliament have not paid their real property taxes and also have not adhered to the Public Disclosure Act.
Mr McCartney questioned why these parliamentarians are being allowed to sit in Parliament, knowing they are breaking the law.
“We have very reliable information that more than half of our parliamentarians are in arrears with their real property tax. More than half, meaning they have not paid their property taxes. I am also reliably informed that since this issue broke, with the spokesperson for VAT, that there have been some parliamentarians, within the last two weeks, who just made arrangements to pay off their real property tax. So we have a Parliament, a Government, that is going forward with a new tax regime and more than half of them are not in compliance with paying their taxes to date. What foolishness! In any developing, or developed, or first world country, they would have been asked to step down,” he said.
“The fact is, we all would want to pay and be up to date with our real property tax. We know what the circumstances are in this country and times are bad and that is our point. If you have the spokesperson for the Government in arrears of real property tax, you have half of the parliamentarians not up to date and you are trying to introduce a new tax regime, what do you think about the poor man and the poor Bahamian in this country today? The leaders can’t pay, how will you pay? If the leaders aren’t complying what do you expect the other people to do?” he asked.
In his opinion, said Mr McCarney, more than half of the parliamentarians are breaking the law by failing to disclose their assets – an act that is punishable by a $10,000 fine or two years in prison.
“We also have a great concern in connection with public disclosure by parliamentarians and we have been reliably informed that again more than half of them have not publicly disclosed in accordance with the Public Disclosure Act. More than half of our parliamentarians have broken the law,” he claimed.
“This is not a new phenomenon, I remember sitting in the House of Assembly and persons were not compliant and they were very flippant about it and they said ‘I will get to it’. That was our former leader of the country saying ‘I will get here in my time’. I would request whether the Speaker of the House knowing this information, that we have these men and women who are in breach of the law, whether they are allowed to sit in the House of Assembly, while they break the law? They must not be derelict in their duty as the Prime Minister and the Speaker. No one is above the law and if you are breaking the law, you are criminal and no criminal should be able to sit in the House of Assembly.
“The Public Disclosures Act is there for a reason, before you decide to run for office, you must disclose what you have because we have had persons who have gone in office having little or nothing in terms of net worth and five years later they are millionaires. If you are a Cabinet Minister and a MP even if you save every dollar you make, it cannot amount to that. What example are we showing to the world if our leaders can commit a crime and get away with it?” he asked.
Mr McCartney said he disclosed all of his assets when he was in Parliament and is current with this Real Property taxes.
Comments
proudloudandfnm 10 years, 2 months ago
2007 Bran aint filed eeder. Put him in jail.... lol!!!
B_I_D___ 10 years, 2 months ago
Disgraceful...but hey...it's our culture...those special few who know someone who know someone will just get a free pass and burn the honest individuals out their paying their dues.
Screw it...me and my taxes payments are going on strike.
newcitizen 10 years, 2 months ago
It is disgraceful, but why should it be our culture. It's up to us to change this. We have to hold people accountable.
B_I_D___ 10 years, 2 months ago
Ahhh...but ya see...they will only hold 'CERTAIN' people accountable...those in favour get a pass...
Reality_Check 10 years, 2 months ago
Bran is only proving here that he is no different than Christie or Ingraham ...... if he were different, and truly had the evidence he claims, then he would be publicly naming and shaming the 16+ MPs who are tax dodgers. BRAN, EITHER PUT UP OR SHUT UP!
proudloudandfnm 10 years, 2 months ago
When are people going to realize there aint nothing different whatsoever about Bran and his one man show?
The_Oracle 10 years, 2 months ago
The hypocrisy of politicians of either color wanting to impose more and more rules and laws and restrictions on the general population, while they outright ignore the laws of the land themselves. And they wonder why the little respect they get is from the ignorant. They cannot possibly earn any. Last time I checked, they swear allegiance to the queen, and the laws of the land. This is a constitutional Monarchy, not a democracy, but they are definitely using mob rules to run us all into the ground.
B_I_D___ 10 years, 2 months ago
The sad thing is that your roster of MP's out there are all pretty well off and are more than capable than your average Joe of paying their taxes...they just 'elect' not to...well hey...I'm taking my own vote and electing not to pay any more of my taxes.
TalRussell 10 years, 2 months ago
Comrade "Advocate Public Flogg'in" Bran, the good constituents of Bamboo Town saw right through Bran's politics. Curiosity is tugging away at me to inquire how come you never once had one of your many recent "Come to Jesus Selective Moments," while you sat in this same House, near the then PM, yet I don't recall you ever lecturing your very own red House colleagues that they were breaking this same law by failing to disclose their assets – an act that is and was back then punishable by a $10,000 fine or two years in prison. Bran are you prepared to provide Tribune readers with the list of names you claim to possess. Is there any evidence available to Tribune readers that you were as outspoken back then as you are now about MP's not following the law? Comrade Bran did you ever hit the campaign trail to help any of these same law breakers and tax dodgers" to present themselves to go before the people, as law abiding, tax paying citizens, worthy for election to the People's Honourable House of Assembly? The Lord himself is discovering when any fresh daily edition of the Tribune hits the streets that if you were to put Bran, Loretta, Minnis, Darron and Duane in the same room, the Tribune's lead front page headline could read; The Red Shirts Hold yet another "Come To Jesus Moments" Revival" with one objective in mind - pretend like "it wasn't us" who before the PLP, had control over the powerful instruments of Bahamaland's government. Nope, wasn't we reds. Yep, Bamboo Town saw all this is see about this man's politics.
Purcell 10 years, 2 months ago
Any Bahamian paying property tax is a blithering idiot.
B_I_D___ 10 years, 2 months ago
Apparently...I guess I made the mistake of getting a good education, being honest and forthright, and paying my dang property taxes...along with all the other bills like an idiotic responsible citizen...guess I should have just got my D average at a government school and just ignore paying a thing and dodging at every turn...silly me...what was I thinking. Trust me...ain't gonna pay property tax until they hunt me down and shoot me!!
Purcell 10 years, 2 months ago
Sad eh? Our great leaders are showing us the proper way to behave.
sheeprunner12 10 years, 2 months ago
How many persons qualify to pay RPT in New Providence as compared to properties valued at over $250,000 throughout the country?????????????? The latter should be the true threshold for paying RPT. That alone would cover VAT
Required 10 years, 2 months ago
If there are 54 parliamentarians (38 in HoA + 16 in Senate), and he is talking about 16+ of them... how is that more than half? You mean I should take seriously these unsubstantiated accusations by a kid who can't even get basic math right? I say send Bran to Windsor Academy, instead of Rawson Square. Perhaps the school's principal will comp him the tuition.
Puzzled 10 years, 2 months ago
It is not just MPs and wealthy Bahamians that owe their property taxes. There are many expats condo owners who are unaware that they even have to pay property tax, assuming that the monthly condo fees look after that for them. After all there is no one chasing them for payment so those that are aware realise or have lawyers who advise them that they will have to be taken to a high court for the tax to be recovered and that will take several years in the current court system.
jackbnimble 10 years, 2 months ago
I question how accurate this information is. Most smart business people and parliamentarians put their properties into companies, the beneficial owner of which would not necessariy be reflected on the actual real property tax assessment. You would have to do some major digging to find out who owns the company first before you can say the individual did not pay the tax assessment.
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