FNM leader Hubert Minnis
By RASHAD ROLLE
Tribune Staff Reporter
rrolle@tribunemedia.net
OPPOSITION leader Dr Hubert Minnis yesterday promised to repeal any tax introduced by the Christie administration that causes “pain, suffering and undue stress” to the Bahamian people if the FNM is elected in the next general election. He added that the signs of a suffering nation would show in the complaints and lifestyle changes of residents.
“If people complain you will see it,” Dr Minnis said. “You will see more people applying for social assistance, taking children out of private schools, more foreclosures and people who can’t keep up with their mortgage rates.
“Everybody agrees that we need tax reform. But if you try and introduce a tax that causes pain and suffering and undue stress on the middle class and the poor, resulting in further shrinkage of the middle class and further growth of poverty, we will repeal it.
“You should try to introduce systems where you grow the middle class and shrink poverty, not the opposite.”
Dr Minnis emphasised that his stance applies not only to Value Added Tax (VAT), which the government intends to implement by July 1st, but to any tax the Christie administration introduces. He also criticized the government’s efforts to introduce VAT and bring about tax reform.
“The education process has not been done,” Dr Minnis said. “Businesses are not prepared. The government should be concentrating on collecting its revenue and curtailing excess spending and improving collections. But by going about it the way they are, all you are doing is collecting tax that goes back into the black hole.”
In response to his statements, PLP chairman Bradley Roberts said last night: “The PLP has no intention on opposing any taxes that will bring pain and suffering to the Bahamian people.” He also called Dr Minnis a “master hypocrite.”
“Dr Minnis sat around the table with the former administration and they agreed to implement VAT,” he said. “Where his head was when they agreed to it? The FNM during his administration imposed a level of tax that was overwhelming and he sat around the table and agreed to it. He was not able to find his mouth then. Hypocrisy seems to characterise him. He is a master hypocrite.”
Comments
goodread 10 years, 7 months ago
I'm tired of the promises just for a vote, can't wait to hear the creativity of the promises from BOTH sides next election season God spare my life.
TalRussell 10 years, 7 months ago
Minnis isn't there some kind of red shirts leadership vow about not making jokes in the face of hundreds of missing and presumed dead Chinese and Malaysia citizens aboard the vanished Airlines flight MH370? Comrade Minnis you are acting like such a little man, not the leader of Her Majesty's Official Opposition (Prime Minister in waiting) Do you really think it's OK for you to attempt to change the "insensitive (sic) joke channel" by going right into taxes but avoiding your apology? When Minnis ducks owning up like a PLP would when "joking" around with insensitive things, he leadership time is up? Comrades up to now I was not ready to believe Loretta, Daron and Dr. Duane's public media claims that Minnis was "leadership lacking?" I is reluctantly forced to change me mind cause Minnis should/could have so easily done the right and proper thing to apologize for his most insensitive statement that “The lost Malaysian airline is a "joke" compared to how lost this government is,” he the red leader Minnis remarked." Until this morning I was not at all convinced that Minnis had just as well get it over with and go ahead and set a date and time with his deputy leader Loretta, to do they leadership dance.
Thinker 10 years, 7 months ago
Christie, after repeatedly saying the most absurdities: hey look over there! next politician: hey look over there! Voter: I'm an anarchist. None of you are doing your JOBS with the money the People actually WORK for.
GrassRoot 10 years, 7 months ago
one of the reasons this country does not make progress is bcz the politicians promise to undo all the time (and sometimes they do). this creates even more uncertainty. undoing the VAT once it is in place is probably even more stupid than installing it in the first place. the time to be creative for solutions is now not in two years. think hard.
TalRussell 10 years, 7 months ago
Anyone remember when Comrade leader Minnis make that big media announcement splash whilst surrounded by his party's MP's, Senators and office holders some months ago? Remember how he threatened the PLP government that the red shirts would not be waiting til the 2017 General Elections to start acting like a real, elected government but they were going to start "acting like a government, within a government?" How the red shirts were going to force votes in the Honourable House of Assembly on their own legislation? Comrades, did we all miss some proposed legislation, moved in the House by Minnis and seconded by Loretta? Nope, we get a leader running so damn scared from his own red executives that he makes (sic) jokes about Chinese and Malaysian citizens who simply vanished and are now presumed dead. All in the name of scoring political points against PM Christie, the only elected leader of majority party in Bahamaland, not the leader of (6) ragtime MP's. You need man-up to be apologizing, not leading Her Majesty's Official Government In Waiting Party. That my Comrades is da real joke across we Bahamaland.
The_Oracle 10 years, 7 months ago
They can only play the game they have been taught, a game in which no one wins, because the win always comes at the expense of someone else. They create nothing, but cost us all.
banker 10 years, 7 months ago
It is interesting that the closer that Minnis gets to the truth of the governing PLP party, the more vociferous the attacks become on him from the Kool Aid drinkers, all the while maintaining a silence when the elected PLP leader with the damaged brain circuits cannot complete a coherent sentence or a single political act that improves the country. It is no wonder that the country is in the state that it is in. When a real leader, like the Rt. Honourable Hubert Ingraham behaved like a real leader, the weak-wristed PLP called him a dictator. When Minnis behaves like a real leader and points out the shortcomings, he comes under attack from the rabble. My contention is that most Bahamians are not smart enough to discern these things, and their vote is a dangerous thing, because they treat it with the same lack of respect that they do our own Bahamaland.
TalRussell 10 years, 7 months ago
Comrade Banker what about the contention that millions from the International Communities at large might not be as forgiving of a county that would habour such a mentality in their leader of Her Majesty's Official Opposition Party, the contender to assume the role of their Prime Minister. Comrade Minnis might as well be prepared to let this shadow him, right into the 2017 General Elections, if he can last so long. Dumbfounded why he would risk his leadership over a simple apology to the thousands of family members of Chinese and Malaysians families over the loss of their loved ones, friends and co-workers. The entire world IS watching, how Minnis and Bahamalanders will/will not respond?
birdiestrachan 10 years, 7 months ago
Dr.. Minnis promised to repeal taxes left in place by the PLP, even VAT should they win. God Forbid.. What will he replace it with? Even persons on his side agrees that VAT is necessary. Dr. Minnis statments seems to be the rantigs of a mad man who will say anything to win an election. One blunder after another. Does he want the Bahamian dollar to be devuled?
TheMadHatter 10 years, 7 months ago
Wow. No VAT from Minnis? Amazing. Maybe he knows some people who are going to provide free medicines and medical equipment to the PMH? Maybe he knows doctors that are going to delivery more and more babies - just for free? Maybe he knows grocery store owners that are going to give away baby food to teenage mothers and out of work mothers?
Where is this secret money tree he knows about?
TheMadHatter
Thinker 10 years, 7 months ago
All we have to do is reduce size of government to reduce unnecessary spending, collect taxes already in existence, and collect taxes that have not yet been collected. That is a very good beginning to the end of this problem. Increase taxes and you will increase the size of government and spending. It's an absolute in all of these things that we are unsure of.
John 10 years, 7 months ago
With an election THREE years away, the opposition can say and promise anything. But it is the here and now government that must keep things running and in order. This country did not get to the point where it has to introduce more taxes on the Bahamian people overnight. In fact we went though decades and several government changes where money was being spent and not accounted for and money THE BAHAMIAN PEOPLES MONEY was being spent and value was NOT being received. The national debt continued to climb and now it hangs like a dark cloud over our heads. IT IS NOT IMPOSSIBLE to continue to run this country without introducing VAT or other taxes or doing so only as a temporary basis, but unless government changes its mode of operation, taking more taxes from the Bahamian people to pour down a bottomless pit of debt and mismanagement will be useless. This country must cut its food imports bill. Food production should not only be a priority to cut monies leaving the country but any country that cannot grow or produce a significant portion of its food cannot be independent. Government must stop pandering to foreign companies: WHen they come to this country looking to do business, they should be prepared to pay for any infrastructure necessary to operate their businesses. Government must stop taking local tax dollars to support foreign businesses. This country must manage its natural resources: Much of its seafood is being stolen by poachers and some is even being re-imported (snappers from the Dominican Republic) at high prices. Aragonite and sand worth billions of dollars is being taken out the country and government is getting peanuts for it...when it can be getting millions to pay the national debt. BTC is hoodwinking and bamboozling its customers, hook, line and sinker. The dropped calls is no technical problem folks, its a money making scheme for BTC. Then there could be more bank regulations to give local (Bahamian) banks the advantage in the marketplace, provided they hire more Bahamians and offer lower interest rates This country has outgrown the need for foreign retail banks that charge high interest rates, export most of their jobs and truckload their millions in profits to the home country every year, The bottom line is everyone and their sister is coming to the Bahamas to party play and prey and Bahamians are the ones being stuck with the huge tax and clean up bill.
John 10 years, 7 months ago
The government must spend less, it must get value for what it spends, especially from the overstocked civil services, it must cut back on imports, it needs to increase imports, must find ways to jumpstart the economy, it should encourage inter-island commerce and increase the level of self sufficiency, especially in the area of food production. It must make a decision on the web shop gaming as these business continue to operate and draw millions out of the economy each week.
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