The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune.

Mr Branville McCartney is the latest in a long line of business people that has felt the sting of the government’s insensitive over regulation where presenting a Tax Compliance Certificate Certificate (TCC) in order to get paid for services already rendered or under the terms of a contract that are being ignored.

First of all it is immoral and tantamount to stealing by the Government to purchase goods and/or services under the terms of a charge account and then tell you six months later that they are not going to pay unless you present a TCC.

It is equally disturbing and unconscionable that the government would have a written contract and proceed against its terms and conditions before expiry as Mr McCartney alleges.

While one can understand the government’s desire to collect legitimately owed taxes, like any other entity, they can, and should, pursue these matters through the Courts.

To make an arbitrary decision as they have done actually circumvents the rule of law and civility.

There are other serious aspects to this, not the least of which is the inefficiency of government departments in fulfilling requests for the documents necessary to receive a TCC.

Another curious twist is, if a courier company does not pay the duty they owe after clearing a parcel for a business, Bahamas Customs holds the consignee responsible for the duty instead of the courier company that cleared the goods on the strength of its bond with Customs.

So where is The Bahamas Chamber of Commerce in all this? Missing in action it seems. Meetings were supposed to have taken place between the government and the representatives of the business community (Chamber), but nothing has changed and there is no report from either party.

Regretfully, the Chamber appears to have fallen back into the mode of government policy facilitator instead of fulfilling its role as the representative of the business community.

Maybe they don’t need membership dues any longer and businesses can spend them on more and more compliance and regulation requirements?

It is most disconcerting that the government would use its coercive power to circumvent the rule of law while making laws to prevent citizens and businesses doing the same thing.

RICK LOWE

Nassau,

July 26, 2016.