By KHRISNA VIRGIL
Tribune Staff Reporter
kvirgil@tribunemedia.net
MICHAEL Halkitis, State Finance Minister has confirmed that a version of the Value Added Tax (VAT) legislation recently leaked to the public is not true as numerous revisions have since been made to the document.
While he could not specifically say which sections of the Bill were edited, Mr Halkitis yesterday said he was certain that information published on Tuesday concerning the new tax system was in an August draft of the VAT Bill.
He regretted that the Bill had yet to be officially released to the public as the document was still under the scrutiny of the Christie Cabinet.
“We have made a lot of revisions to the Value Added Tax Bill to date,” Mr Halkitis said, “and I hoped that it would have been fully released by now, but there were still some ‘T’s’ to be crossed and ‘I’s’ to be dotted at Cabinet with it.
“We will soon share the Bill with the legal profession and the wider community.”
However, FNM Chairman Darron Cash criticised the government for working “backwards” regarding VAT.
Mr Cash said the government stood to gain more by holding broad public consultations with the Bahamian people months ago before making the decision that VAT was the solution to the country’s financial problems.
“The government,” he said, “should have already released the legislation. It is unconscionable that now at the 11th hour, the government now wants to say that they are open to alternatives. It makes no sense.
“We demand to know whether or not this draft is in fact the document that the government will stand behind. The Ministers must take immediate steps to release the legislation.”
Mr Cash was also concerned that during the Bahamas Institute of Chartered Accountants’ (BICA) week of workshops, hundreds of the professionals still had no idea of what the Bill entailed.
“Many accountants are concerned that the implementation date is next to impossible, that they don’t have the legislation in order to evaluate their firms or their clients’ firms or that the timing for implementation seems extremely impractical as not to be deemed serious,” he said.
Comments
proudloudandfnm 11 years ago
Seriously? Another leak? Man the PLP should be fired just for the damned leaks....
ThisIsOurs 11 years ago
Nothing they're doing makes sense. They look like a bunch of disorganized incompetents. Exception of Leslie Miller who just needs some training in human resource management. It's November and the education campaign hasn't started, in november someone has the opportunity to "leak" a report...that should not be impossible. The only thing I can say about the PM's administration is, 26 of his MP's want him to fail.
nationbuilder 11 years ago
the tribune said he "confirmed" the Bill was a leak - how did he do that, by providing what he claims is the actual Bill? If he didnt do that, he didnt confirm a single thing!
nationbuilder 11 years ago
then he says its not the right Bill, but cant tell you which parts are not right. is the tribune really this gullible calling his comments "confirmation"?
The_Oracle 11 years ago
The leak will soon be down his pants leg when the reality is revealed! Where did our constitution go? Where has decent Government and civil service behavior gone? Slunked away in the dead of night to get instructions from IMF technocrats? The Government of the Bahamas is answerable to the Bahamian people, if the people would just ask the right questions, and demand answers.
Sorry if the first line is offensive, but the whole approach and contempt shown by these people who work for us is pen-ultimately offensive.
john33xyz 11 years ago
The IMF will tell us what's in the Bill when they're ready. It is needed to pay for all the free diapers and free baby deliveries at PMH and the clinics - along with DUTY FREE diapers and baby food.
In the meantime, everyone (especially illegal immigrants) can just continue "popping them out" and hope for the best. Hopefully their children will not grow up to be slaves to the IMF like many of our Caribbean brothers and sisters are with their devalued currencies.
Maybe another Junkanoo festival should be scheduled for early December???? That would take everyone's mind off this VAT thingumajiggum.
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