The Tribune

Opponents of The Bahamas’ bid to become a full World Trade Organisation (WTO) member yesterday urged the Government to “come clean” on what this will mean for workers and the economy.

Paul Moss, of Bahamians Against the WTO, also hit out against the Government’s lead WTO negotiator, Zhivargo Laing, for what he described as a personal attack against Super Value owner, Rupert Roberts, over his opposition to joining the world trading system’s overseer.

“We condemn the remarks of Zhivargo Laing against Rupert Roberts’ WTO stance as uncalled for,” Mr Moss said. “Mr Roberts is a stellar businessman who employs thousands of Bahamians across the archipelago.

“Mr Laing should be telling us what are the benefits of joining the WTO, and not attacking private citizens. We know that there are no benefits, and so he cannot respond - and has not responded - over these many months. We urge the Government not to put this country in this position where it will drag the economy down with it.”

Mr Laing recently told this newspaper that the concerns expressed by Rupert Roberts were based on “illusion and fiction”, adding: “We are doggedly pursuing the country’s best interest.” He said it was “challenging” to reply to someone whose mind was seemingly made up based on “matters that are simply not true”.

Reiterating that “free movement of labour” will not occur upon joining the WTO, Mr Laing said he found Mr Roberts’ position particularly “absurd” given that there was “not a possibility that the Commonwealth of The Bahamas” will open up his retail and wholesale sector in the accession negotiations.

But Mr Moss yesterday retorted: “Mr Laing says that retail is off the table in this negotiation, but he does not seem to understand the rules of engagement, Your cannot reserve this aspect of your economy. This is what the WTO is after, and we have seen it in every other country that is a part of the WTO.

“We know that once Customs duties are removed or reduced there will be increased taxes on the masses. We say that VAT will rise to 25-30 per cent, which will further destroy the working class and the poor. We ask the Government to come clean on WTO, and those in Cabinet, to say what benefits are there to joining the WTO.”

Mr Roberts said yesterday that lowering protective tariffs to achieve full WTO membership “will wipe out all local manufacturing and cost thousands of jobs”. He asserted that he had already witnessed the effects of tariff reduction on his paper manufacturing plant, and said: “I’m not listening to Mr Laing; I’m watching what he does. There is going to be a lot of backlash on this.”

Mr Roberts said he was focused on fighting for his 2,000 employees as well as Bahamian consumers.