Protesters in Rawson Square on Thursday. Photo: Terrel W Carey/Tribune staff
By FARRAH JOHNSON
HUNDREDS of people marched from the Southern Recreation Grounds to Rawson Square yesterday morning to protest the proposed 60 percent increase in value added tax and a new sliding scale tax on web shops.
At one point, rowdy protestors stormed barricades erected at Rawson Square and temporarily blocked traffic on Bay Street before being dispersed by police. The group included web shop workers, other disgruntled Bahamians, and some Progressive Liberal Party members and supporters. The tense crowd was just feet away from the House of Assembly, which was in session, and some members of government were greeted with angry chants and insults.
The protest was labelled “Keep Ya Corned Beef, We Marching,” and was a venue for people to voice their frustration with the government’s 2018-2019 budget.
Protesters chanted and shouted over music from a mini brass band and waved signs, which were labelled: “When was the last time your water bill was less than $50?” “We thought it was the people’s time,” and “planes and washers duty free really?”
One protestor, B “Wheels’ Evans, said he was participating in the march to advocate for “rights and justice”.
He stated he has no faith in the current administration nor the opposition party because they have both proven to be dishonest and “disgraceful”.
“Bahamian people need somebody to look out for them. I don’t think either of these parties are interested in the Bahamian people, they’re just using them for when they want to get in (government),” he said.
“All they care about is votes. They look like they have some kind of other agenda, something secret we don’t know about, because don’t matter which one of them get in, it’s the same thing,” he said.
Protester Charles Higgs said the proposed 12 percent VAT rate is “too much and too tough” for Bahamians, especially due to the large number of single parent homes in the country.
“The government isn’t even giving them quality food like fruits and stuff (on the zero-rated breadbasket list). They giving them this corned beef, and if you really did the history to know what corned beef is made up of, you wouldn’t even want it in this country,” he said.
Mr Higgs added the tax increase would force many families to make big sacrifices like removing their children from private schools.
“Perry (Christie) wouldn’t have done this on the people, I know he wouldn’t have done this,” Mr Higgs said. “Because when he was coming to do it...we didn’t even have to come this far…but Minnis, as he say he’s a doctor, he goes straight to the problem...but I think (with him) the problem is just kill you and you finish with it,” he said.
Another protester, Randy “Egypt” Rolle, thinks the tax situation has created “an atmosphere of economic apartheid,” similar to the oppressive racist regime that was employed in South Africa.
Kemalyn Resias, a manager for one of the Island Luck gaming houses, said she is married with eight children, and getting by is not easy.
“It’s not fair, it’s not right, and the government does not care about the people. It’s like they’re trying to put us back into slavery where we have to depend on the white man for everything,” she said.
Expressing her support for Island Luck CEO Sebas Bastian, she insisted Mr Bastian does a lot for the country, including providing jobs so people can “actually feed their children.”
“I am proud to be working for the boss I am working for because he is a Bahamian and he loves his staff. And now to push him to the backburner (so) that he has to lay off hundreds of his staff is not fair,” she continued.
Questioning why the gaming houses were being targeted, one of the march’s organisers Lawrence Harrison, stated: “They want to impose 50 percent (sliding tax) on the gaming houses, (but) what happen to the Royal banks? What happen to the Scotia banks? The First Caribbean banks?
“They are taking trillions of dollars over the years out of this country, and they ain’t doing nothing to it. A change has to come,” he said.
‘Oppressive’
Former senator and current talk show host Rodney Moncur was also present at the march, stating he was supporting the demonstration because VAT is an “oppressive tax for the poor and Negro entrepreneurs.”
“This is the first time in the history of the Bahamas that a budget debate has created this kind of national controversy, and this is the first time in the history where members of the governing party have made it quite clear that they are not going to support the budget,” he said.
“So there’s a political crisis in leadership and the polls have told us that overwhelmingly, the nation has no confidence in the FNM ...I don’t care if the PLP finds itself on the right side of history, the people’s side is the right side of history and the time has come for the PLP to be on the people’s side so there’s no sin in that,” he continued.
Operation Sovereign Bahamas Director Adrian Francis, whose group co-organised the protest, said it is obvious Bahamians will not wait until an election cycle to voice displeasure in the government and are upset at having increased taxes forced on them.
“The spirit that is on this country now is the same spirit just before the last election – just ring the bell – and to have that spirit over this nation in just one year speaks volumes,” he said.
When asked how he felt about assertions that the march was PLP sponsored, Mr Francis told The Tribune: “All through ‘We March’ was special interest groups, now that the Bahamian people start to march you know what they say? ‘Oh this PLP.’ That’s garbage, literal garbage.
“This is not a PLP march, this is not an FNM march, this is the people’s march. It’s the people’s time,” he explained.
The new VAT rate and increased taxes on web shops are set to go into effect on July 1.
Comments
joeblow 5 years, 11 months ago
Although I am not in support of the proposed VAT increase, it is interesting that if you ask the average person in the crowd if the govt should, 1) reduce funding to social services 2) stop the prescription drug plan, 3) stop NHI, or reduce other social "benefits" they receive, they would all say no.
People don't understand that the govt has been borrowing and borrowing for them to get the "free" benefits they do and the bills must be paid.
geostorm 5 years, 11 months ago
Couldn't agree with you more. How do we expect to pay for all of these services that we feel entitled to? Any right thinking Bahamian should be advocating for fiscal responsibility to ensure that our economy remains strong and viable. Yes, 12% is tough to shallow and may be unbearable for some, but I guarantee, if we live within our means, save our money and stop spending unnecessarily to keep up with others, we would be in a better place financially as individuals.
HonestTruth 5 years, 11 months ago
This ‘march’ presented was a complete embarrassment and these workers unfortunately do not understand that they are being used as pawns.
Island Luck made it mandatory for their workers to participate, what kind of foolishness is this.... then the disgraced PLPs were also present, what an utter and complete joke this was
TheMadHatter 5 years, 11 months ago
HUNDREDS - LOL. A few disgruntled PLPs. The vast majority of Bahamians avoided this "protest" to show their support for FNM sound financial policy. Bills gats to pay.
Lessen ya bills - lessen ya pay.
TalRussell 5 years, 11 months ago
Ma Comrades, regardless what I think about governing ways Imperial red shirts, I am not in favour organized individuals being used as a 'firewall' to put a halt tax increases being levied against Numbers Houses. There are Protesters and then there are Actors.... Let the 'PeoplePublic' decide, whom, what and when brush aside... and being they were able brush aside referendum's paid actors noise in market from price Numbers fish.... I am confident right decision makin'. For PLP politicians join-in with crowd - has be purest form political leadership hypocrisy.... But sadly, there are hypocrites both sides considering some big shot red shirts were right up there being handsomely paid advocate for "Vote YES" side.
DonAnthony 5 years, 11 months ago
We have a very simple problem, since independence we have been living beyond our means and it is better to address this debt sooner rather than later. We have more government than we can afford and this budget has done little to cut expenditures. Yes, we need to increase tax revenue but our bloated inefficient civil service needs to be cut and we need to sell even at a loss these govt corporations that year after year bleed the treasury dry. Can not simply be every budget increasing taxes, there is a limit to what the country can bear.
PastorTroy 5 years, 11 months ago
The PLP being in attendance is just politics. Everyone knows unless they have terminal stage 4 amnesia that it was recently the PLP or the Christie administration who had been recklessly borrowing and borrowing for the past few years millions and millions of dollars from institutions that hate us (brown, black people/nations) and is trying to trap us in debt, this is Globalism's, Jim Crow, ask Jamaica.
jamani2 5 years, 11 months ago
What strange bedfellows! The PLP and the Number Boys! Surprise! Surprise!
The two most ruinous entities in our once beautiful country!
joeblow 5 years, 11 months ago
PLP and numbers boys, is there a difference between the two?
bogart 5 years, 11 months ago
YES THERE IS A BIG BIG DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE PLP AND THE NUMBERS BOYS.....
The only persons who went against the vote of tens of thousands of PLPs, FNMS , DNAs, every other voter are..... 25 PLP MEMBERS of Parliament.....the FNM MPs voted against it.....in Parliament to legalise web shops. Cannot hold it against all their supporters
There are many voters or persons who may in one election visibly and loudly proclaim their support for any party but change in another election. Many Voters know what is right from wrong
birdiestrachan 5 years, 11 months ago
the consumers 100 dollars is only worth
The consumers l00 dollar will only purchase $88 dollars The other $12 goes to the FNM Government. So Your money has been devalued by the Government. The buying power has been decreased.
4$$ The Bahamian dollar
birdiestrachan 5 years, 11 months ago
it is foolish to believe that all the country debt is caused by the PLP in the last Five years but there are millions of fools out there and many are born every day.
The FNM has been in power 16 years the PLP 10. After the PLP first 5 years the FNM Papa said the PLP left the treasury in excellent shape. Remember the 100 million dollars road over run when the PLP came into office. Turnquest and doc fooled you all really good and the people's time voters deserve all they will get they voted out of spite and they believed the lies.
Honestman 5 years, 11 months ago
"it is foolish to believe that all the country debt is caused by the PLP in the last Five years but there are millions of fools out there and many are born every day.
And Birdiebrain, you are the biggest fool of them all!
BahamaPundit 5 years, 11 months ago
The Guardian reports:
$35 million loan facilitates a climate-resilient coastal infrastructure and management program that will focus on building resilience into coastal infrastructure.
So, in other words, building sea walls.
$500,000 grant will help to facilitate diagnostic studies in the digital economy, blue economy and boutique agriculture.
So, in other words, researching the internet and gardens.
Is this an emergency!!!! They told us the country is broke!!! This is what they are spending our VAT dollars on. I am speechless. I have nothing to say but that the FNM is pure evil. To raise VAT and starve our children for pork projects for cronies is the evilest act I can imagine.
The_Oracle 5 years, 11 months ago
If you are taught garbage (and lies, untruths) for 50 years, It is hard to cope with reality. These who march probably do so because their jobs have been threatened if they don't. They work for the numbers shops because there isn't much else they can do. As a group they are a sad indictment of our past 50 year history. I assure you they have no clue or care about the consequences of debt default or devaluation, or any thought past lunchtime. By legalizing the numbers "Industry" the PLP have created the biggest destabilizing force our country has ever seen, That need no imports, no inventory, insurance, and little operating overheads aside minimum wage salaries. Depending on how far they go, legal or not they could end up being considered "domestic terrorists...."
John 5 years, 11 months ago
Can someone show me where the nearest plantation is ‘I’s ain’t wanna be’s Free no mo’re. I’s too Expensive, freedom costs to much, Massachusetts. The rent and the internet and the telephone bill And the cable and the light bill and dis VAzt wat keeps a increasing massa. Sure nuff we never had to pay it on the plantation, mo sit massa. ‘. The nearest plantation, hurry come quick massa, yes they’s A come cut of my light. Again ‘
BahamaPundit 5 years, 11 months ago
John. Haven't you read my post? The FNM is the PLP 2.0. They are borrowing and starting pork projects. They will use our VAT to pay off their cronies for their election victory. Nothing has changed!!! Freedom is fine. A corrupt, non transparent government is not!!! Sure, the FNM might not steal the money outright, because they are more crafty than the PLP. But it looks like they will launder our VAT funds into non essential, pork projects to benefit their crony benefactors, which is basically the same thing at the end of the day.
Sign in to comment
Or login with:
OpenID